Jeff Bottari/Getty Images[/caption]In this day and age of multi-million dollar lawsuits for libel and slander, Mexican boxer Jorge Arce might want to make sure he has some kind of proof after telling the press that he believes fellow boxer Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines has been taking performance-enhancing-drugs (PED).
There have been accusations floating around for years, mainly rumors spread by fans, but Arce has come out and publicly stated it.
Some boxing fans wondered aloud about PED use back in 2009 when it looked like Pacquiao was going to meet Floyd Mayweather in a huge showdown, but the negotiations fell through after Mayweather insisted on extra drug testing as well as the standard tests that are performed by boxing commissions.
Pacquiao didn’t seem to be too receptive to the idea and rumors of illegal substance use began. The problem for Pacquiao though, is that the rumors have never really ended and now Arce has re-ignited the debate between fans once again by bringing them up.
Arce (61-7-2, 46 KOs) is a former world champion in four different weight classes and was knocked out in the third round by Nonito Donaire, also of the Philippines, in his last bout in December. Arce told a reporter from Boxing Scene that he’s sure Pacquiao is using something.
He admitted that the Filipino has never failed a drug test, so he believes he’s using something that can't be detected in his urine samples. He also mentioned the fact that Pacquiao pulled out of talks with the Mayweather camp once extra doping tests were mentioned.
He added that Pacquiao started his boxing career as a flyweight and has moved all the way up to welterweight. This seems to be a bit of an odd statement, though from somebody who’s also moved up several weight divisions.
The 33-year-old went on to say that he’s convinced that Pacquiao is using something to aid him, since he’s overwhelmed boxers who are bigger than him during his career.
Arce’s comments may also sound a little contradictory since he has hired Angel Heredia Hernandez as a strength and conditioning coach. Hernandez was convicted of supplying PEDs to high-profile professional athletes in the past.
However, anybody’s who’s seen the 34-year-old Pacquiao (50-5-2, 38 Kos) fight in the last couple of years may question Arce’s accusations since the Pac Man has lost two fights in a row and was brutally knocked out by Juan Manuel Marquez in the fifth round of their November bout.
He also lost a controversial decision and his WBO Welterweight title to Timothy Bradley before that. In addition, he hasn’t knocked anybody out since stopping Miguel Cotto in the 12th and final round of their November 2009 bout.
There’s no doubt that Pacquiao is still an elite fighter, but he certainly appears to be human and as of now, there’s simply been no evidence of him taking illegal substances.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that he hasn’t been taking anything, but until there’s some concrete evidence opinions from people such as Arce will have to be treated as nothing more than unfounded rumors.
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