‘Pac-fans’ continue own fight vs Mayweather

The megabout may be off but Pacquiao’s fans will continue their fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. Piqued with Mayweather’s doping insinuation against their idol, “Pac-fans" want to get back at the flamboyant American fighter by hitting him where it hurts most – his pocket. Pacquiao’s fans have circulated an online petition asking telco giant AT&T to drop “Money Mayweather" as endorser for engaging in an “all-out smear campaign" against Pacquiao, an action that they said does not conform with the company’s reputable image. The “Stop Endorsing Floyd Mayweather Jr “ petition was addressed to AT&T, Inc. chairman and CEO Randall L. Stephenson as well as other prospective Mayweather endorsement partners.

According to Kevin Riley, a contributor for Bleacher Report, who initiated the petition, the move is meant to give Pacquiao's supporters the chance to "voice their anger" against the dope allegations. As of Friday noon, a total of 3,147 fans have signed the petition since Dec. 28, 2009. The petitioners are asking AT&T to “discontinue and forgo all endorsement relationships, and future endorsement relationships, with Mr. Mayweather and his associates." “We believe there is no place in the world of sport, nor the world in general for this type of behavior. And we earnestly hope that you will also find there is no place for this type of behavior in your upstanding organization as well," the petition read. The petitioners said their action sprouted from the Mayweather group’s allegations that Pacquiao has been taking performance-enhancing drugs on his way to successfully moving up in weight. The said dope issue has led to the Floyd camp’s demand for an Olympic-style drug testing procedures, including taking blood samples randomly prior to the fight. Pacquiao, who has denied taking anything illegal and actually tested negative in all his dope tests for his previous fights, has also taken legal action against the Mayweathers and their representatives in the failed negotiations, Oscar De La Hoya and Richard Schaefer. - GMANews.TV