Pacquiao undergoes drug test

LOS ANGELES (AFP) — Manny Pacquiao was given a random drug test Saturday, only two days after the US Anti-Doping Agency revealed the Filipino boxing icon and future foe Floyd Mayweather agreed to Olympic-style testing.

A report on GMA News in Pacquiao’s homeland detailed that he had given blood and urine samples to a medical technician that made an unannounced visit to Pacquiao’s training area in Los Angeles.

Pacquiao agreed to the extra doping protocol as part of the contract signed to fight unbeaten US rival Floyd Mayweather on May 2 in Las Vegas in a long-awaited bout that figures to shatter boxing revenue records.

Both Mayweather and Pacquiao must make themselves available for random blood and urine tests and provide US anti-doping officials with travel itineraries. They will also be tested after the fight.

Samples will be examined for human growth hormone (HGH), erythropoietin (EPO) and other substances.

Drug testing was an issue in 2010 when talks for a Mayweather-Pacquiao showdown failed. Mayweather accused Pacquiao of using performance-enhancing drugs. Pacquiao denied the claim and sued Mayweather, a dispute the two settled out of court.

UK TENNIS STAR PICKS FLOYD

Meanwhile, British tennis star and avid boxing fan Andy Murray has weighed in with his prediction for the Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather mega fight on May 2.

Murray says American Mayweather has two things in his favor, including the Las Vegas home-crowd advantage. The other is Mayweather’s ability to use his superb defense to build up points if it goes the distance.

‘’That’s his hometown,’’ Murray said of the gambling mecca in the Nevada desert. ‘’He’s spoken a little bit about how much he means to the economy of the city.