Philippine boxer Manny Pacquiao declared he was vindicated over previous drugs allegations by Floyd Mayweather Jr after his US rival was accused of violating anti-doping rules before their mega-fight.
Pacquiao said the “truth finally came out” after it emerged Mayweather received an injection of vitamins and minerals in the build-up to their fight in Las Vegas in May.
Mayweather and the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) have both insisted the boxer’s actions were legal after a report on the SB Nation sports news Web site said he had broken World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) rules.
“Truth finally came out and I was vindicated,” Pacquiao said in a brief statement to reporters in the Philippines late on Thursday. “[The] Mayweather camp accused me of using PEDs [performance-enhancing drugs]. Now look what happened. I hope Floyd Mayweather would learn a good lesson out of [the experience].”
Pacquiao and Mayweather have engaged in a long-running feud that has not abated since the American won their only meeting, for the WBO welterweight title, on points.
Mayweather, who is looking to extend his unblemished 49-0 record against Andre Berto tonight, insisted he was a “clean athlete” after the injection came to light.
“I follow and have always followed the rules of Nevada and USADA, the gold standard of drug testing,” he said. “I am very proud to be a clean athlete and will continue to champion the cause.”
Mayweather’s fight with eight-division world champion Pacquiao was delayed for years partly because of his insistence that the Filipino comply with a strict drug-testing regime.
He later accused Pacquiao of using performance-enhancing drugs.
The Filipino sued and the two settled out of court.
The aftermath of their fight has also been rocky, after Pacquiao revealed he was carrying a shoulder injury and was branded a “sore loser” by Mayweather.
The SB Nation report said Mayweather’s infusion had come to light after USADA agents visited the boxer at his Las Vegas home on May 1, the day before the Pacquiao fight, to conduct a test.
The report said the IV consisted of two separate mixes of saline and vitamins that were administered to address dehydration concerns.
It added that while the substances in question were not prohibited under WADA rules, administering them intravenously was a breach of WADA regulations.
WADA guidelines say IV infusions are prohibited because they can be used to mask the use of performance-enhancing drugs, increase plasma volume levels and distort the values of an athlete’s biological passport.
However a USADA source later said that because Mayweather obtained a therapeutic use exemption, no offense had been committed under WADA rules.
“Mr Mayweather’s use of the IV was not prohibited under the NSAC [Nevada State Athletic Commission] rules at that time and would not be a violation of the NSAC rules today,” a USADA statement added.
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