Manny Pacquiao on Floyd Mayweather IV report: 'I was vindicated'

Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao felt vindication was served to him after hearing reports that undefeated boxing champ Floyd Mayweather Jr injected prohibited IVs a day before their mega-fight in May. The report claimed that Mayweather received two saline and vitamin C cocktails to battle dehydration, but intravenous injections are banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency because it could “dilute or mask” other substances in the blood.

Pacquiao was accused by Mayweather’s camp several times before that he used performance enhancing drugs, leading to the boxer-turned-politician to file a defamation suit with the American boxer, which was settled for an undisclosed sum. But with reports surfacing that the pound-for-pound king took WADA-banned IV before their fight, Pacquiao said he was “vindicated,” insisting that the “truth finally came out.”

“Mayweather camp used to accused (sic) me of using PED,” Pacquiao said, reports Rappler. “I hope Floyd Mayweather would learn a good lesson out of it.”

SB Nation’s Thomas Hauser reported on Wednesday that “Pretty Boy” took prohibited IVs a day before Mayweather-Pacquiao mega-fight. The report also claimed that the 38-year-old Mayweather had received a retroactive therapeutic use exemption, which was reportedly granted by United States Anti-Doping Agency. However, Nevada State Athletic Commission executive director Bob Bennett confirmed USADA does not have authorization to grant such exemption, asserting that only NSAC has the “sole authority” to give TUEs to athletes.

Top Rank Promotion boss Bob Arum told USA Today that he was “outraged” about the controversy. Arum said USADA has a lot of explaining to do after allowing Mayweather to take IV, which is against WADA’s rules that the US-based anti-doping agency claims to follow.

Pacquiao’s adviser Michael Koncz was also upset about the situation and finds it ironic. Pacquiao was denied a request by the NSAC to be injected with Toradol, a legal painkiller, on fight night to ease the pain in his injured rotator cuff.

“We tried to get an injection that was totally legal before the fight and the commission slams us and then this thing with Mayweather happens," Koncz told ESPN. "We need to fight in Vegas again so I don't want to make many more comments but it is unusual and it was never disclosed to us until quite a ways after the fight.”

Meanwhile, Mayweather, who will face Andre Berto on Sept. 12, for his final fight in the boxing ring, and USADA have denied any wrongdoings. “Money” said in a statement, which was posted by @garnekmedia on Twitter, that he did not commit any violations of the NSAC and USADA drug testing guidelines, adding that he will continue to champion the cause of being a “clean athlete.”

USADA, on the other hand, also issued its statement on Twitter, describing the reports as “inaccurate.” USADA also said that it is extremely disappointed that stories from unconfirmed rumours are questioning their integrity.

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