True Or False: Floyd Mayweather Took Banned Injection Before Fight With Pacquiao

After all the public and private allegations about Manny Pacquiao's performance-enhancing drug use, it appears it was actually Floyd Mayweather Jr. who may have been doping prior to their May bout.

As highlighted in an expansive profile of boxing's PED issues, Thomas Hauser of SB Nation reported Mayweather received an illegal IV prior to the fight to help with dehydration. The report states United States Anti-Doping Agency agents found evidence of Mayweather using an IV on Friday, May 2, after weigh-ins, though the details behind the findings are still unclear.

What is clear, however, is that Mayweather would be in violation of World Anti-Doping Agency regulations, which do not allow for fighters to receive IV injections. Such injections could be used to mask other banned substances, such as performance-enhancing drugs.
 

Hauser reports Mayweather received an exception from the USADA, but his camp did not apply for the waiver until 18 days after the fight. That would mean it was neither in place nor applied for when Mayweather defeated Pacquiao via unanimous decision in one of the biggest bouts in boxing history.

This report runs contrary to Mayweather's reputation as a "clean" fighter, and Hauser's piece goes on to detail the cozy relationship between Mayweather Promotions and the USADA. Unlike public proclamations to the contrary, Mayweather doesn't seem subject to true 365-day testing. His camp and the USADA allegedly come together before his fights and begin random testing programs at Mayweather's discretion.

Hauser provided analysis from Victor Conte—the ringleader of the famous BALCO scandal and now an advocate for stricter testing:

The benefits that an athlete retains from using anabolic steroids and certain other PEDs carry over for months. Anybody who knows anything about the way these drugs work knows that you don’t perform at your best when you’re actually on the drugs. You get maximum benefit after the use stops. I can’t tell you what Floyd Mayweather is and isn’t doing. What he could be doing is this. The fight is over. First, he uses these drugs for tissue repair. Then he can stay on them until he announces his next fight, at which time he’s the one who decides when the next round of testing starts. And by the time testing starts, the drugs have cleared his system.

Interestingly, Pacquiao's camp had suggested a $5 million fine if either fighter tested positive for PEDs. Mayweather's camp declined—a surprise given the very public accusations hurled Pacquiao's way.

With Mayweather gearing up for what could be his final bout Saturday against Andre Berto, this is the exact type of distraction he doesn't need as he attempts to match Rocky Marciano's 49-0 record.