By Leo Reyes
With talks of a possible defeat by Mosley over Mayweather on May 1, Manny Pacquiao may be left out without a credible opponent for his next fight. If this happens experts say Andre Berto promises an action-packed fight for boxing fans to watch and enjoy.
With talks of a possible defeat by Mosley over Mayweather on May 1, Manny Pacquiao may be left out without a credible opponent for his next fight. If this happens experts say Andre Berto promises an action-packed fight for boxing fans to watch and enjoy.
At least two major developments have surfaced pointing to a possible Manny Pacquiao-Andre Berto match within this year.
First is the recent victory of Andre Berto over Carlos Quintana of Puerto Rico via a KO in the eighth round of their recent fight in Florida.
During his fight with the durable Quintana, the Haitian-American boxer displayed excellent fighting skill that could earn him a crack at the pound-for pound king.
Andre Berto is an active, mobile and offensive boxer and so is Pacquiao. A clash between two offensive fighters will definitely bring out fireworks inside the ring. The crowd would be delighted to watch them fight.
Secondly, a rematch clause in the Mayweather-Mosley fight could again scuttle the the much hyped Pacquiao-Mayweather match.
ABS=CBN News reports:
The camp of “Sugar” Shane Mosley believes a victory in the May 1 fight against Floyd Mayweather, Jr. is already a certainty for one simple reason: money.
Mosley’s trainer, Naazim Richardson, pointed out that a rematch clause in the May 1 bout would lead to another 8-figure payday for Mayweather even if he loses.
“We could get through 5 rounds of this thing up 5-0… At that point, Mayweather may just say, ‘Forget it, I've got a rematch guaranteed. try again next time,” Richardson told Lance Pugmire of The Los Angeles Times.
Although Mayweather's camp disputes Richardson statement, boxing experts say such a scenario is possible. After all, Mosley is one of Mayweather's toughest opponents. Promoters at Golden Boy are saying that Mayweather is much concern about his zero loss record than monetary considerations.
Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer disputed claims that Floyd would rather earn millions than protect his unbeaten streak of 40-0 (with 25 knockouts), the report added
“That zero is clearly at risk, but he fights to maintain that zero… Floyd is very proud of that zero. He'll give whatever's in his arsenal to win that fight,” noted Schaefer.
If this happens, Manny Pacquiao will be left out in the cold as big time boxing will be dominated for at least a year by Mayweather and Mosley.
Source
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Pacquiao gives Floyd dose of gamesmanship
BY JUN MEDINA
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Manny “PacMan” Pacquiao is giving Floyd Mayweather Jr. a dose of his own gamesmanship, telling the thrash-talking former boxing superstar he does not need him to cement his legacy.
And Pacquiao, who begins campaigning for his second stab at a congressional post this week, just upped the ante by threatening to retire and walk away from what could be the biggest fight in the history of boxing.
Of course, Pacquiao is perfectly within his right to tell the man he succeeded at the top of the pound-for-pound totem pole that Mayweather needs him more than he needs the unbeaten American welterweight.
“I came this far in my boxing career without Mayweather, so I see no need to call him out,” Pacquiao told newsmen upon arrival in Manila on Monday. “He needs me to bolster his career.
Pacquiao, 31, said he remains open to fighting Mayweather “anytime he wants to.”
Hit two birds with a stone
Pacquiao, who was given a hero’s welcome by thousands of adoring countrymen, was actually trying to hit two birds with a stone.
First, he was telling Mayweather loud and clear that he won’t succumb to any more of his unreasonable demands to revisit their aborted mega fight, assuming Floyd gets past dangerous “Sugar” Shane Mosley in their May 1 showdown in Las Vegas.
Mayweather, who outclassed former Pacquiao arch-nemesis Juan Manuel Marquez for his only fight since returning from nearly two year’s of retirement, has started making noises that he deserved a bigger share of the purse on top of his demand for Olympic-style drug testing.
Second, Pacquiao was sending a message to the electorate of his adopted province Sarangani that he is willing to walk away from boxing to be their full-time congressman, should he win in the May 10 elections.
Pacquiao is up against Roy Chiongbian, a political neophyte just like him. But the 60-year-old shipping executive has the full backing of his family that has ruled Sarangani virtually unopposed in almost two decades.
Costly battle in the political arena
By most accounts, Pacquiao is facing an uphill, costly battle in the political arena. The interesting match-up pits Pacquiao’s immense popularity against the vaunted political machinery of the Chiongbian clan, whose late patriarch, James, was instrumental in the creation of Sarangani as a separate province in 1992.
The retirement gambit—whether intended or not—could be a double-edged sword that may not appeal to the Sarangani voters, who prefer PacMan as fighter and not as their representative in Congress.
One of Pacquiao’s political mentors, Lito Atienza, who is running for Manila mayor against incumbent Alfredo Lim, said that Pacquiao is “quite sincere in helping the people” in his quest for elective office.
Unfortunately for PacMan, his own people just love him for the way he is—a boxer who has brought them great pride and immense thrills as the only fighter to win seven world titles in as many weight classes.
Forget about politics
Pacquiao—who has had forgettable forays into acting (his previous movies all tanked in the box-office) while his TV sitcom was not rating too well, either—does not seem ripe for political or showbiz pursuits.
“Manny should stick to boxing and forget about politics, at least for now,” said California sportsman-businessman Bing Manguino of San Jose by phone. “If I were from Sarangani, I would vote against him just to make sure he stays in boxing.”
Manguino, an avid Pacquiao fan, thinks it would be “foolish” to see Pacquiao leave the ring at this point when he is at the peak of his game.
“If Manny sticks to boxing, there are more challenges for him to conquer. People expect him to fight the winner of Mayweather-Mosley. And he can even fight [Edwin] Valero and knock him out,” said Manguino, referring to the unbeaten Venezuelan lightweight star who has won all his fights by knockouts.
Pacquiao might actually retire
Filipino American boxing historian Hermie Rivera of Newark, California thinks Pacquiao might actually retire from boxing once he is elected congressman.
Rivera, who used to promote Filipino world featherweight champion Luisito Penalosa, said Pacquiao has secured his boxing legacy, adding that he won’t be surprised if Manny sticks to politics—if he gets elected.
Assuming Pacquiao scores an upset over Roy Chiongbian on May 10, would he be willing to walk away from a fight with Mayweather that could earn his as much as $40 million?
This fight writer does not think so, because Pacquiao needs such a record payday to support his lifestyle and to feather his retirement nest.
But more than the money and the glory, he wants to give Mayweather his comeuppance in the ring for undermining his legacy by suggesting that PacMan might be into steroids or other performance enhancing drugs.
Source
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Manny “PacMan” Pacquiao is giving Floyd Mayweather Jr. a dose of his own gamesmanship, telling the thrash-talking former boxing superstar he does not need him to cement his legacy.
And Pacquiao, who begins campaigning for his second stab at a congressional post this week, just upped the ante by threatening to retire and walk away from what could be the biggest fight in the history of boxing.
Of course, Pacquiao is perfectly within his right to tell the man he succeeded at the top of the pound-for-pound totem pole that Mayweather needs him more than he needs the unbeaten American welterweight.
“I came this far in my boxing career without Mayweather, so I see no need to call him out,” Pacquiao told newsmen upon arrival in Manila on Monday. “He needs me to bolster his career.
Pacquiao, 31, said he remains open to fighting Mayweather “anytime he wants to.”
Hit two birds with a stone
Pacquiao, who was given a hero’s welcome by thousands of adoring countrymen, was actually trying to hit two birds with a stone.
First, he was telling Mayweather loud and clear that he won’t succumb to any more of his unreasonable demands to revisit their aborted mega fight, assuming Floyd gets past dangerous “Sugar” Shane Mosley in their May 1 showdown in Las Vegas.
Mayweather, who outclassed former Pacquiao arch-nemesis Juan Manuel Marquez for his only fight since returning from nearly two year’s of retirement, has started making noises that he deserved a bigger share of the purse on top of his demand for Olympic-style drug testing.
Second, Pacquiao was sending a message to the electorate of his adopted province Sarangani that he is willing to walk away from boxing to be their full-time congressman, should he win in the May 10 elections.
Pacquiao is up against Roy Chiongbian, a political neophyte just like him. But the 60-year-old shipping executive has the full backing of his family that has ruled Sarangani virtually unopposed in almost two decades.
Costly battle in the political arena
By most accounts, Pacquiao is facing an uphill, costly battle in the political arena. The interesting match-up pits Pacquiao’s immense popularity against the vaunted political machinery of the Chiongbian clan, whose late patriarch, James, was instrumental in the creation of Sarangani as a separate province in 1992.
The retirement gambit—whether intended or not—could be a double-edged sword that may not appeal to the Sarangani voters, who prefer PacMan as fighter and not as their representative in Congress.
One of Pacquiao’s political mentors, Lito Atienza, who is running for Manila mayor against incumbent Alfredo Lim, said that Pacquiao is “quite sincere in helping the people” in his quest for elective office.
Unfortunately for PacMan, his own people just love him for the way he is—a boxer who has brought them great pride and immense thrills as the only fighter to win seven world titles in as many weight classes.
Forget about politics
Pacquiao—who has had forgettable forays into acting (his previous movies all tanked in the box-office) while his TV sitcom was not rating too well, either—does not seem ripe for political or showbiz pursuits.
“Manny should stick to boxing and forget about politics, at least for now,” said California sportsman-businessman Bing Manguino of San Jose by phone. “If I were from Sarangani, I would vote against him just to make sure he stays in boxing.”
Manguino, an avid Pacquiao fan, thinks it would be “foolish” to see Pacquiao leave the ring at this point when he is at the peak of his game.
“If Manny sticks to boxing, there are more challenges for him to conquer. People expect him to fight the winner of Mayweather-Mosley. And he can even fight [Edwin] Valero and knock him out,” said Manguino, referring to the unbeaten Venezuelan lightweight star who has won all his fights by knockouts.
Pacquiao might actually retire
Filipino American boxing historian Hermie Rivera of Newark, California thinks Pacquiao might actually retire from boxing once he is elected congressman.
Rivera, who used to promote Filipino world featherweight champion Luisito Penalosa, said Pacquiao has secured his boxing legacy, adding that he won’t be surprised if Manny sticks to politics—if he gets elected.
Assuming Pacquiao scores an upset over Roy Chiongbian on May 10, would he be willing to walk away from a fight with Mayweather that could earn his as much as $40 million?
This fight writer does not think so, because Pacquiao needs such a record payday to support his lifestyle and to feather his retirement nest.
But more than the money and the glory, he wants to give Mayweather his comeuppance in the ring for undermining his legacy by suggesting that PacMan might be into steroids or other performance enhancing drugs.
Source
Floyd-Shane winner can’t stop Pacquiao, says IBA champ
abs-cbnNEWS.com
MANILA, Philippines – It doesn’t matter who wins between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Shane Mosley on May 1 as long as Manny Pacquiao keeps fighting, according to a world heavyweight champ.
James Toney, the reigning International Boxing Association (IBA) heavyweight titlist, said neither Mayweather nor Mosley would dare mess with the Filipino boxing star in his peak.
“They aren’t f--king with Pacquiao right now, man,” Toney told Percy Crawford of FightHype.com while referring to Mayweather and Mosley.
Mayweather and Mosley will be slugging it out on May 1 for the World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight title.
Toney, however, thinks the two pound-for-pound contenders are no better than World Boxing Organization (WBO) title holder Pacquiao.
“Pacquiao's on fire,” he said in the report posted on FightHype.com. “Mayweather gives angles but not the odd and awkward angles that Pacquiao gives. As far as work rate and activity, forget about it.”
Toney said Pacquiao’s edge over his opponents is the volume of punches he can throw in a fight.
“Combinations! That's something you see a lot of smaller guys getting away from, but Pacquiao throws a shit load of combinations, punches in bunches, and from all angles,” he said.
During his fight with Clottey, Pacquiao released 1,231 punches in 12 rounds and landed 246.
The Compubox numbers also cited that the Filipino outpunched Clottey by 832 punches.
Source
MANILA, Philippines – It doesn’t matter who wins between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Shane Mosley on May 1 as long as Manny Pacquiao keeps fighting, according to a world heavyweight champ.
James Toney, the reigning International Boxing Association (IBA) heavyweight titlist, said neither Mayweather nor Mosley would dare mess with the Filipino boxing star in his peak.
“They aren’t f--king with Pacquiao right now, man,” Toney told Percy Crawford of FightHype.com while referring to Mayweather and Mosley.
Mayweather and Mosley will be slugging it out on May 1 for the World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight title.
Toney, however, thinks the two pound-for-pound contenders are no better than World Boxing Organization (WBO) title holder Pacquiao.
“Pacquiao's on fire,” he said in the report posted on FightHype.com. “Mayweather gives angles but not the odd and awkward angles that Pacquiao gives. As far as work rate and activity, forget about it.”
Toney said Pacquiao’s edge over his opponents is the volume of punches he can throw in a fight.
“Combinations! That's something you see a lot of smaller guys getting away from, but Pacquiao throws a shit load of combinations, punches in bunches, and from all angles,” he said.
During his fight with Clottey, Pacquiao released 1,231 punches in 12 rounds and landed 246.
The Compubox numbers also cited that the Filipino outpunched Clottey by 832 punches.
Source
Manny Pacquiao Puts the Heat on Floyd Mayweather, Jr.
by Bill Cody
When word came down today from HBO that the Manny Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey fight did 700,000 buys, you could hear Leonard Ellerbe smashing furniture in his office in Las Vegas all over the country.
That's because there's no way his fighter Floyd Mayweather, Jr. will be able to demand a 65-35 split in a proposed fight with Manny Pacquiao in the fall without coming across as a chicken. And Floyd has already declared that that's what he will be looking for in any contract negotiations in the future.
Of course, that demand was predicated on Money's belief that he would crush Pac-Man in PPV buys this spring, something that is very debatable now.
Any fighter who can get 700,000 pay per view buys against a virtual no name like Josh Clottey is a big-time draw. An Oscar De La Hoya draw.
Mayweather's demand was also based on what he believes will be stellar numbers for his PPV showdown with Sugar Shane Mosley in May, something that I believe might not happen based on several factors.
Those factors are:
1. Mayweather's own lackluster performance against Juan Manuel Marquez last September. It was a real stinker.
2. Shane Mosley's less than stellar ability to put any fannies in the seats during his career. Sugar Shane only draws when he's matched with someone who draws.
3. The lack of any either fighter to excite some of boxing's core audience groups. Like any kind of entertainment boxing has certain age and ethnic groups who make up its core audience.
Neither Mayweather nor Mosley regularly bring in Latino, Asian, or English fans unless they are fighting Latino, Asian, or English fighters. Those are three very big audiences that will be MIA for their bout in May.
Mayweather better pull out all the stops in the upcoming 24/7 series. Because even with all its hype, Mayweather-Mosley will be lucky to edge out Pacquiao-Clottey in terms of PPV buys.
That will not be enough to make any great demands on Pacquiao's camp during negotiations.
Which means if Mayweather ends up demanding 65-35, he'll end up losing the battle with Pac-Man in most people's eyes. Even if the two fighters never square off in the ring.
Source
When word came down today from HBO that the Manny Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey fight did 700,000 buys, you could hear Leonard Ellerbe smashing furniture in his office in Las Vegas all over the country.
That's because there's no way his fighter Floyd Mayweather, Jr. will be able to demand a 65-35 split in a proposed fight with Manny Pacquiao in the fall without coming across as a chicken. And Floyd has already declared that that's what he will be looking for in any contract negotiations in the future.
Of course, that demand was predicated on Money's belief that he would crush Pac-Man in PPV buys this spring, something that is very debatable now.
Any fighter who can get 700,000 pay per view buys against a virtual no name like Josh Clottey is a big-time draw. An Oscar De La Hoya draw.
Mayweather's demand was also based on what he believes will be stellar numbers for his PPV showdown with Sugar Shane Mosley in May, something that I believe might not happen based on several factors.
Those factors are:
1. Mayweather's own lackluster performance against Juan Manuel Marquez last September. It was a real stinker.
2. Shane Mosley's less than stellar ability to put any fannies in the seats during his career. Sugar Shane only draws when he's matched with someone who draws.
3. The lack of any either fighter to excite some of boxing's core audience groups. Like any kind of entertainment boxing has certain age and ethnic groups who make up its core audience.
Neither Mayweather nor Mosley regularly bring in Latino, Asian, or English fans unless they are fighting Latino, Asian, or English fighters. Those are three very big audiences that will be MIA for their bout in May.
Mayweather better pull out all the stops in the upcoming 24/7 series. Because even with all its hype, Mayweather-Mosley will be lucky to edge out Pacquiao-Clottey in terms of PPV buys.
That will not be enough to make any great demands on Pacquiao's camp during negotiations.
Which means if Mayweather ends up demanding 65-35, he'll end up losing the battle with Pac-Man in most people's eyes. Even if the two fighters never square off in the ring.
Source
'Pacquiao won't use lawsuit to bargain for Mayweather'
abs-cbnNEWS.com
MANILA, Philippines – Manny Pacquiao’s adviser belied reports saying that the pound-for-pound king will use his defamation lawsuit against Floyd Mayweather, Jr. to negotiate for the botched blockbuster fight.
“Why do we need to use the lawsuit as a bargaining chip? That’s ridiculous,” Canadian Mike Koncz told Abac Cordero of The Philippine Star.
“Manny’s reputation has been tarnished. And we just talked to our lawyers in Los Angeles the day before yesterday. It’s full steam ahead as far as the lawsuit is concerned,” he added.
Koncz clarified trainer Freddie Roach’s earlier statement that the mega fight could happen if Pacquiao and Mayweather met halfway—with the former dropping his defamation lawsuit and the latter forgoing his demand for Olympic-style drug testing.
The Canadian adviser said the chatter of a possible tradeoff is “totally absurd,” reported Ronnie Nathanielsz of PhilBoxing.com. He added that “a tradeoff is out of the question.”
Pacquiao sued Mayweather and some members of his camp for alleging that the Filipino boxing icon was taking performance-enhancing drugs (PED).
Their supposed March 13 fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada did not push through after Pacquiao disagreed with Mayweather’s demand for an Olympic-style blood testing procedure.
Apology not enough
Koncz noted that a public apology from Mayweather and his camp will not be able to fix the damage done by their PED allegations.
“They have, by their unfounded allegations, caused damage to Manny and they must answer for that,” he told Nathanielsz.
He also told The Philippine Star that Pacquiao would drop the lawsuit if he is “compensated monetarily or the Mayweathers are punished by the court and asked to pay millions or if there’s an off-the-court settlement.”
“It was never our intention to file the lawsuit and use it later on as a bargaining chip for a fight,” he pointed out.
Fight could still happen
The 7-division world champion Pacquiao earlier commented that the Mayweather bout is a good match. But he remarked that he does not need to fight the undefeated American because he already reached the pinnacle of boxing.
“Manny has said time and again that the fight is going to happen only if Floyd Mayweather lets the commission [Nevada State Athletic Commission] do what it’s supposed to do,” Koncz stated.
Pacquiao went on to fight Joshua Clottey on March 13, defeating the Ghanaian by unanimous decision at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The Filipino boxing sensation retained his World Boxing Organization (WBO) title.
Mayweather, on the other hand, will face fellow American Shane Mosley, the World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight super champion, on May 1 at the MGM Grand. Both fighters agreed to undergo Olympic-style drug testing.
Pacquiao even thinks that Mosley will defeat Mayweather.
“The People’s Champ” is currently campaigning for his Sarangani Province congressional bid in the May 10 polls.
Source
MANILA, Philippines – Manny Pacquiao’s adviser belied reports saying that the pound-for-pound king will use his defamation lawsuit against Floyd Mayweather, Jr. to negotiate for the botched blockbuster fight.
“Why do we need to use the lawsuit as a bargaining chip? That’s ridiculous,” Canadian Mike Koncz told Abac Cordero of The Philippine Star.
“Manny’s reputation has been tarnished. And we just talked to our lawyers in Los Angeles the day before yesterday. It’s full steam ahead as far as the lawsuit is concerned,” he added.
Koncz clarified trainer Freddie Roach’s earlier statement that the mega fight could happen if Pacquiao and Mayweather met halfway—with the former dropping his defamation lawsuit and the latter forgoing his demand for Olympic-style drug testing.
The Canadian adviser said the chatter of a possible tradeoff is “totally absurd,” reported Ronnie Nathanielsz of PhilBoxing.com. He added that “a tradeoff is out of the question.”
Pacquiao sued Mayweather and some members of his camp for alleging that the Filipino boxing icon was taking performance-enhancing drugs (PED).
Their supposed March 13 fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada did not push through after Pacquiao disagreed with Mayweather’s demand for an Olympic-style blood testing procedure.
Apology not enough
Koncz noted that a public apology from Mayweather and his camp will not be able to fix the damage done by their PED allegations.
“They have, by their unfounded allegations, caused damage to Manny and they must answer for that,” he told Nathanielsz.
He also told The Philippine Star that Pacquiao would drop the lawsuit if he is “compensated monetarily or the Mayweathers are punished by the court and asked to pay millions or if there’s an off-the-court settlement.”
“It was never our intention to file the lawsuit and use it later on as a bargaining chip for a fight,” he pointed out.
Fight could still happen
The 7-division world champion Pacquiao earlier commented that the Mayweather bout is a good match. But he remarked that he does not need to fight the undefeated American because he already reached the pinnacle of boxing.
“Manny has said time and again that the fight is going to happen only if Floyd Mayweather lets the commission [Nevada State Athletic Commission] do what it’s supposed to do,” Koncz stated.
Pacquiao went on to fight Joshua Clottey on March 13, defeating the Ghanaian by unanimous decision at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The Filipino boxing sensation retained his World Boxing Organization (WBO) title.
Mayweather, on the other hand, will face fellow American Shane Mosley, the World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight super champion, on May 1 at the MGM Grand. Both fighters agreed to undergo Olympic-style drug testing.
Pacquiao even thinks that Mosley will defeat Mayweather.
“The People’s Champ” is currently campaigning for his Sarangani Province congressional bid in the May 10 polls.
Source
Opinion: Is Floyd Mayweather, Jr Really Afraid to Face Manny Pacquiao?
By Leo Reyes
Famous heavyweight champion George Foreman believes that Floyd Mayweather,Jr is scared to fight Manny Pacquiao. Foreman's opinion is shared by many boxing fans as the reason for the failed Pacquiao-Mayweather match.
Is Floyd Mayweather Jr really Afraid to face Manny Pacquiao inside the ring? The question surfaced when Philboxing's Efifanio Almeda quoted a friend who said that Floyd Mayweather, Jr is afraid to face the Filipino boxer.
It turned out that his friend's daughter bumped into the former heavyweight boxer George Foreman while they were inside an elevator in Texas. When asked about what he thinks of the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight, Foreman reportedly said: 'Mayweather is afraid to fight Manny'
Actually Foreman may just be repeating what some boxing analysts and commentators are saying - that Mayweather is afraid to fight Pacquiao. They cited different reasons for saying it. One is Mayweather's fear of losing his zero loss record which will lead to the exclusion of the word 'undefeated' whenever he is introduced to the audience before he climbs the ring.
The other probable reason is the humiliation that he will get if he gets knocked out by a much smaller boxer who represents a third world country.
Mayweather has been criticizing Pacquiao for being an 'amateur' and 'ethnic minority' in his country as quoted in a Philstar.com report:
“Let’s not forget who generated a revenue of $2.5 million in one fight alone. The only reason why he’s popular is because he’s an ethnic minority and from the Philippines so it’s something special. If he was from Africa he would be just another boxer,” he said
But any boxing analyst will agree with the observations cited by Mr. Almeda in the Norton-Foreman fight where he quoted Muhammad Ali as saying that the cause of Norton's loss was because he was scared to fight Foreman .
In the scuttled Pacqiao -Mayweather match which was originally scheduled for March 13, Mayweather was probably looking for a graceful exit from the match which could have been the biggest fight of the year with a promise of at least $30 million revenue windfall for each boxer.
Source
Famous heavyweight champion George Foreman believes that Floyd Mayweather,Jr is scared to fight Manny Pacquiao. Foreman's opinion is shared by many boxing fans as the reason for the failed Pacquiao-Mayweather match.
Is Floyd Mayweather Jr really Afraid to face Manny Pacquiao inside the ring? The question surfaced when Philboxing's Efifanio Almeda quoted a friend who said that Floyd Mayweather, Jr is afraid to face the Filipino boxer.
It turned out that his friend's daughter bumped into the former heavyweight boxer George Foreman while they were inside an elevator in Texas. When asked about what he thinks of the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight, Foreman reportedly said: 'Mayweather is afraid to fight Manny'
Actually Foreman may just be repeating what some boxing analysts and commentators are saying - that Mayweather is afraid to fight Pacquiao. They cited different reasons for saying it. One is Mayweather's fear of losing his zero loss record which will lead to the exclusion of the word 'undefeated' whenever he is introduced to the audience before he climbs the ring.
The other probable reason is the humiliation that he will get if he gets knocked out by a much smaller boxer who represents a third world country.
Mayweather has been criticizing Pacquiao for being an 'amateur' and 'ethnic minority' in his country as quoted in a Philstar.com report:
“Let’s not forget who generated a revenue of $2.5 million in one fight alone. The only reason why he’s popular is because he’s an ethnic minority and from the Philippines so it’s something special. If he was from Africa he would be just another boxer,” he said
But any boxing analyst will agree with the observations cited by Mr. Almeda in the Norton-Foreman fight where he quoted Muhammad Ali as saying that the cause of Norton's loss was because he was scared to fight Foreman .
In the scuttled Pacqiao -Mayweather match which was originally scheduled for March 13, Mayweather was probably looking for a graceful exit from the match which could have been the biggest fight of the year with a promise of at least $30 million revenue windfall for each boxer.
Source
Shane Mosley Says He Will Give Floyd Mayweather Jr his first Loss
By Leo Reyes
WBA welterweight champion Shane Mosley says he will give Floyd Mayweather, Jr his first loss and send him back to retirement when they clash on May 1 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada
Barely three weeks before he squares off with Floyd Mayweather, Jr at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, WBA welterweight champion Shane Mosley says he will give the undefeated Floyd Mayweather, Jr his first loss in his professional boxing career.
Mosley, who defeated Antonio Margarito in their last fight at the Staples Center in Los Angeles is so confident of winning, saying he is in great shape as he steps up his training at Big Bear mountaion with his team and sparring partners.
"Right now, my weight is great. I'm probably weighing around 152-ish when I leave the gym. I look at Floyd as a natural welterweight -- a real 147-pounder. In fact, Oscar de la Hoya is the biggest guy that he's fought that was a big welterweight, and Oscar did well against him," said Mosley, who will face Mayweather live on HBO pay per view.
"I'm pretty sure that Floyd will feel more power in this fight that he will have ever had to feel," said Mosley. "And if I can get that knockout, if I get that one shot, and if I can get him hurt, then I'm going to be all over him." .
Mosley belittled Mayweather's 40-0 ring record saying he had a 38-0 record when he tasted his first loss so 'that doesn't mean anything to me', he said.
"All that it means is that I'll be the one giving him his first loss," said Mosley. "No disrespect, but I really don't think he's been in there with a fighter like me. I believe that when I beat Floyd, I will send him into retirement. May 1 will be Mayweather's first loss."
While in training at the Big Bear where he maintains a home, Shane Mosley is motivated with the presence of his son Shane, Jr. an amateur boxer who started boxing at 8 years old. He is now 19 years old and competes in amateur fights in the super welterweight division.
"My son has been with me since before the Margarito fight, and I think that my son being in boxing kind of helps me stay around the gym more, training him, showing him different things. I just want to show him the ropes, and show him the way that a boxer is supposed to behave," said the elder Shane Mosley.
Shane Mosley and Floyd Mayweather, jr clash on May 1 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The winner is expected to face pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao in what boxing fans say as the biggest boxing event of the decade.
Source
WBA welterweight champion Shane Mosley says he will give Floyd Mayweather, Jr his first loss and send him back to retirement when they clash on May 1 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada
Barely three weeks before he squares off with Floyd Mayweather, Jr at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, WBA welterweight champion Shane Mosley says he will give the undefeated Floyd Mayweather, Jr his first loss in his professional boxing career.
Mosley, who defeated Antonio Margarito in their last fight at the Staples Center in Los Angeles is so confident of winning, saying he is in great shape as he steps up his training at Big Bear mountaion with his team and sparring partners.
"Right now, my weight is great. I'm probably weighing around 152-ish when I leave the gym. I look at Floyd as a natural welterweight -- a real 147-pounder. In fact, Oscar de la Hoya is the biggest guy that he's fought that was a big welterweight, and Oscar did well against him," said Mosley, who will face Mayweather live on HBO pay per view.
"I'm pretty sure that Floyd will feel more power in this fight that he will have ever had to feel," said Mosley. "And if I can get that knockout, if I get that one shot, and if I can get him hurt, then I'm going to be all over him." .
Mosley belittled Mayweather's 40-0 ring record saying he had a 38-0 record when he tasted his first loss so 'that doesn't mean anything to me', he said.
"All that it means is that I'll be the one giving him his first loss," said Mosley. "No disrespect, but I really don't think he's been in there with a fighter like me. I believe that when I beat Floyd, I will send him into retirement. May 1 will be Mayweather's first loss."
While in training at the Big Bear where he maintains a home, Shane Mosley is motivated with the presence of his son Shane, Jr. an amateur boxer who started boxing at 8 years old. He is now 19 years old and competes in amateur fights in the super welterweight division.
"My son has been with me since before the Margarito fight, and I think that my son being in boxing kind of helps me stay around the gym more, training him, showing him different things. I just want to show him the ropes, and show him the way that a boxer is supposed to behave," said the elder Shane Mosley.
Shane Mosley and Floyd Mayweather, jr clash on May 1 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The winner is expected to face pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao in what boxing fans say as the biggest boxing event of the decade.
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