8CN - Freddie, todays headlines all say that Manny Pacquiao is refusing to give blood the day before the fight. What is your response?
FR - Well the sanctioning bodies and the state commissions run the boxing world, not Floyd Mayweather. Who is this guy to tell us that we have to have blood tests, or urine tests, or any tests? He's just looking for a way out of the fight. He is scared, and he's just afraid that he's going to get his ass kicked. We don't work for Floyd Mayweather. We fight for the state commission, since when does the fighter make up the rules?
8CN - To play devils advocate, Floyd's people firmly believe that Manny is taking steroids. Why not just take the test and prove them wrong?
FR - So, what if I think Mayweather is taking steroids too?, so does that mean I go out and change the rules in boxing? This guy isn't going to walk all over us, he's not railroading us. This is bullshit, we will go by the rules of the commission, and that's it. We'll go on to other things, and he can make no money fighting some bum. My fighter is clean, I have trouble giving Manny protein shakes and vitamins, let alone steroids. We will pass the drug test, because my fighter is clean.
8CN - Is it Manny refusing to take the blood test or is it someone deciding for him?
FR - It's me, I am not going to let my fighter give blood a day before the fight.
8CN - What can giving blood a day before a fight do to a fighter?
FR - It's just like having sex before a fight. You're not supposed to have sex before a fight, it makes you weak. If you mentally think that, it will. When Manny gives blood it takes him 3 or 4 days to recover from it. I am not going to have my fighter going into a fight feeling weak and not sure of himself.
8CN - Is it true that Manny never wanted to give blood the day before any of his fights?
FR - We will never do it a day before a fight. We never flunked a urine test, and there is no reason to think my fighter is dirty. We have passed every test ever given to us. We go by the commission rules, not no rule Mayweather puts out there.
8CN - So it's fair to say that the ball is completely in Mayweathers court now, you guys are not budging?
FR - Yes it's fair to say that. If Floyd wants to fight us, then step up and fight us. If you want Manny to take a blood test after the fight, no problem, but not a day before.
8CN - Wouldn't a blood test the day after the fight be the same as a test a day before? I mean if Manny was taking steroids, wouldn't the test the day after the fight show the same thing as it would the day before?
FR - Yes agreed. A urine test will show the same thing too,but if they want a blood test the day after the fight, I have no problem with that. I will not have my guy giving blood a day before the fight, that will make him weak. Why is Floyd Mayweather dictating what we do in life? It's crazy... he's a coward and he's afraid to fight us and that is all there is to it.
8CN - If this fight gets scratched, what's next?
FR - We go up and get Yuri Foreman's title. We will go up one more weight division, just for you Floyd!