By Ronnie Nathanielsz
Three-division world champion Erik “El Terrible” Morales, the Mexican legend, returned to the ring as a welterweight to score an impressive twelve round unanimous decision over former WBA lightweight champion Jose Alfaro of Nicaragua and win the vacant WBC Intercontinental title in Monterrey, Mexico.
It was a fight loaded with action and one that pleased the fans as Morales attempted to prove that he is still a fighter to reckon with even after a layoff of almost two-and-a-half years.
Alfaro appeared to be out of his depth and too small at 147 pounds while Morales although a little chubby showed some of the old fire that made him an attractive fighter especially in his memorable trilogy against another Mexican legend Marco Antonio Barrera.
Morales won by a margin of 116-112 on two judges scorecards and 117-111 on a third in what was at times a brutal battle with both fighters ready to trade big shots in furious exchanges.
Morales trained under his father Joe Morales in the refreshing mountain air of Otomi for two months in a determined effort to come back in style.
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum had refused to promote another fight for his longtime star and wanted him to retire especially after he took two bad beatings from pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao who scored a 10th round TKO followed by a 3rd round knockout after Morales won a twelve round decision in the first fight of an epic trilogy that helped establish Pacquiao’s credentials as the “Fighter of the Decade.” But KO Promotions stepped up and promoted Morales in a fight card titled “The Champion Returns.”
With the win that pushed his record to 49-6, 34 knockouts Morales has his eyes set on a fourth fight against Pacquiao . At a recent Televisa event honoring Mexico’s best athletes of the last decade Morales expressed his desire to fight Pacquiao the reigning WBO welterweight champion.
Morales said the two opponents who had “defined my career are Junior Jones and Manny Pacquiao. Defeating Jones (TKO 4) was important to me because he had stopped something like 32 Mexicans in previous fights. Defeating Pacquiao (1st fight) is my greatest accomplishment in the ring. I would love another chance at Pacquiao and I also look forward to fighting Juan Manuel Marquez in the future.”
Morales claimed that at 147 “I’m faster than ever and freer with my body so I can get the most out of it.”
Source
Monday, March 29, 2010
Morales wants another shot at Pacquiao
By NICK GIONGCO
Comebacking Erik Morales believes he has Manny Pacquiao all figured out and that given an opportunity to face the Filipino pound-for-pound king for the fourth time, the Mexican legend said he “will show him I am much better than him.”
While Morales sustained two stoppage losses to Pacquiao in the rematch and rubber match, Morales said he was not in terrific shape during those times and that the proof of this was his March 2005 unanimous decision win over Pacquiao.
Although their succeeding two bouts were still fought at the super-featherweight class of 130 lbs, Morales said he was having so much difficulty making the weight that he was no longer at his peak in the second meeting in January 2006 and during the rubber match in November of the same year.
“When I first fought him it was at 130 pounds. The second time he would not give me the chance to fight at 132 pounds and now he is fighting at 147 and I am coming back to fight at 147 also. I’m hoping that at a time not too long from now when the people see I can still do great, great things in the ring, I’m hoping that Manny Pacquiao will give me the chance to show he’s not the best in the world, because what I remember after twelve rounds is Manny Pacquiao crying—and crying and crying and crying because he knew about the beating he had just taken and he knew at that time there was somebody technically better than him. He had to find some way to be at an advantage to try and control me. That’s the way history was written, but here I am—brand new.”
Morales was stopped in the tenth round in the rematch and lasted only three rounds in the third showdown and the 33-year-old Tijuana native points to his hardship making the limit to the defeats.
“The first time I fought him I just went right through him. The second time I went through him until the middle part of the fight but then I just ran out of steam and the third time I was just not able to, but now—I really value my condition more than ever before and so therefore now, I feel that I will show him I am much better than him. Technically I have always known that I am better than Manny Pacquiao, but now physically—that technicality and that skill and conditioning are all one and the same.”
Morales actually is making his welterweight debut today against Jose Alfaro of Nicaragua and if victorious, Morales has his sights on the big names of the welterweight division.
“I feel I can fight at welterweight easily. I can fight Pacquiao, I can fight (Juan Manuel) Marquez who has already fought at 147, and I can fight (Miguel) Cotto. I can fight any of those guys easily at 147 pounds. I feel very, very confident there,” said Morales, the 17-year professional who has now logged a 48-6-0 card with 34 knockouts.
Source
Comebacking Erik Morales believes he has Manny Pacquiao all figured out and that given an opportunity to face the Filipino pound-for-pound king for the fourth time, the Mexican legend said he “will show him I am much better than him.”
While Morales sustained two stoppage losses to Pacquiao in the rematch and rubber match, Morales said he was not in terrific shape during those times and that the proof of this was his March 2005 unanimous decision win over Pacquiao.
Although their succeeding two bouts were still fought at the super-featherweight class of 130 lbs, Morales said he was having so much difficulty making the weight that he was no longer at his peak in the second meeting in January 2006 and during the rubber match in November of the same year.
“When I first fought him it was at 130 pounds. The second time he would not give me the chance to fight at 132 pounds and now he is fighting at 147 and I am coming back to fight at 147 also. I’m hoping that at a time not too long from now when the people see I can still do great, great things in the ring, I’m hoping that Manny Pacquiao will give me the chance to show he’s not the best in the world, because what I remember after twelve rounds is Manny Pacquiao crying—and crying and crying and crying because he knew about the beating he had just taken and he knew at that time there was somebody technically better than him. He had to find some way to be at an advantage to try and control me. That’s the way history was written, but here I am—brand new.”
Morales was stopped in the tenth round in the rematch and lasted only three rounds in the third showdown and the 33-year-old Tijuana native points to his hardship making the limit to the defeats.
“The first time I fought him I just went right through him. The second time I went through him until the middle part of the fight but then I just ran out of steam and the third time I was just not able to, but now—I really value my condition more than ever before and so therefore now, I feel that I will show him I am much better than him. Technically I have always known that I am better than Manny Pacquiao, but now physically—that technicality and that skill and conditioning are all one and the same.”
Morales actually is making his welterweight debut today against Jose Alfaro of Nicaragua and if victorious, Morales has his sights on the big names of the welterweight division.
“I feel I can fight at welterweight easily. I can fight Pacquiao, I can fight (Juan Manuel) Marquez who has already fought at 147, and I can fight (Miguel) Cotto. I can fight any of those guys easily at 147 pounds. I feel very, very confident there,” said Morales, the 17-year professional who has now logged a 48-6-0 card with 34 knockouts.
Source
Erik Morales should forget Pacquiao and fight Marquez or Hatton instead
By Erwin Lastimosa
Three-weight-division champion, Erik “El Terrible” Morales, was successful beating Jose Alfaro by unanimous decision in his first fight since retiring in 2007 after losing to David Diaz by decision. Before the Alfaro fight, Morales told the media he wants a fourth fight with Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao.
In my opinion, Erik Morales doesn’t deserve a fourth fight with Manny Pacquiao. The public won’t buy it and at this point in Erik’s career, Pacquiao is just too much for him. Manny Pacquiao is in his prime and at the top of his game, even though Morales looked good against Jose Alfaro, Alfaro is not in the same league as Pacquiao.
Morales next boxing match should be at 140-pounds (Jr welterweight), not 147-pounds (welterweight). His body looked soft with love handles but he was in good shape despite the long layoff. I think Morales can make some lucrative fights against Ricky Hatton, Juan Manuel Marquez, or Nate Campbell.
The fight that would make the most sense would be a fight with fellow Mexican great Juan Manuel Marquez. Erik Morales and Juan Manuel Marquez never fought, although they share common opponents; Marco Antonio Barrera and Manny Pacquiao, their paths never crossed in the ring.
Marquez vs. Morales was a fight that many boxing fans wanted to see but never got the chance, even when Morales and Marquez were both featherweights with Bob Arum and Top Rank promotions the fight never materialized.
Another good match up for Morales would be against British boxer Ricky “Hitman” Hatton who is planning to make a comeback himself after suffering a devastating second-round KO to Manny Pacquiao in May of 2009.
Hatton vs. Morales would be a war, both boxers come to fight and share a similar lifestyle outside of the ring; they enjoy food and beer, and balloon up to 200-pounds when they are not training for a fight.
A fight between Ricky Hatton and Erik Morales could sell out a stadium in England or Mexico City. This fight is guaranteed action, and after Morales win last night, I would slightly favor him over Hatton.
Morales should probably have two more fights at 140-pounds to show he is serious about his boxing comeback, before he steps up to fight either Juan Manuel Marquez or Ricky Hatton.
Source
Three-weight-division champion, Erik “El Terrible” Morales, was successful beating Jose Alfaro by unanimous decision in his first fight since retiring in 2007 after losing to David Diaz by decision. Before the Alfaro fight, Morales told the media he wants a fourth fight with Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao.
In my opinion, Erik Morales doesn’t deserve a fourth fight with Manny Pacquiao. The public won’t buy it and at this point in Erik’s career, Pacquiao is just too much for him. Manny Pacquiao is in his prime and at the top of his game, even though Morales looked good against Jose Alfaro, Alfaro is not in the same league as Pacquiao.
Morales next boxing match should be at 140-pounds (Jr welterweight), not 147-pounds (welterweight). His body looked soft with love handles but he was in good shape despite the long layoff. I think Morales can make some lucrative fights against Ricky Hatton, Juan Manuel Marquez, or Nate Campbell.
The fight that would make the most sense would be a fight with fellow Mexican great Juan Manuel Marquez. Erik Morales and Juan Manuel Marquez never fought, although they share common opponents; Marco Antonio Barrera and Manny Pacquiao, their paths never crossed in the ring.
Marquez vs. Morales was a fight that many boxing fans wanted to see but never got the chance, even when Morales and Marquez were both featherweights with Bob Arum and Top Rank promotions the fight never materialized.
Another good match up for Morales would be against British boxer Ricky “Hitman” Hatton who is planning to make a comeback himself after suffering a devastating second-round KO to Manny Pacquiao in May of 2009.
Hatton vs. Morales would be a war, both boxers come to fight and share a similar lifestyle outside of the ring; they enjoy food and beer, and balloon up to 200-pounds when they are not training for a fight.
A fight between Ricky Hatton and Erik Morales could sell out a stadium in England or Mexico City. This fight is guaranteed action, and after Morales win last night, I would slightly favor him over Hatton.
Morales should probably have two more fights at 140-pounds to show he is serious about his boxing comeback, before he steps up to fight either Juan Manuel Marquez or Ricky Hatton.
Source
UFC President is All Praises for Manny Pacquiao
Manny Pacquiao – UFC President Dana White is very impressed with Manny Pacquiao’s recent string of sensational performances and acknowledged that if there were many more like the Filipino ring icon, the sport of boxing would be much better off.
White was among the many high-profile personalities who attended “The Event”, which saw Pacquiao dominate Ghanaian challenger Joshua Clottey for 12 rounds in front of 51,000 screaming fans at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. It was a masterful performance which saw the third largest indoor audience in recent boxing history. A reported 700,000 pay-per-view buys were also achieved by the bout.
The UFC head has been known to direct some negative comments about the sport of boxing, considered the main rival of MMA. He has been critical of the state of boxing and how there are so many things wrong about it right now. He has made an exception in the sport’s top superstar however, and stressed that fighters like the “Pacman” are just what boxing needs right now to make it better.
Source
White was among the many high-profile personalities who attended “The Event”, which saw Pacquiao dominate Ghanaian challenger Joshua Clottey for 12 rounds in front of 51,000 screaming fans at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. It was a masterful performance which saw the third largest indoor audience in recent boxing history. A reported 700,000 pay-per-view buys were also achieved by the bout.
The UFC head has been known to direct some negative comments about the sport of boxing, considered the main rival of MMA. He has been critical of the state of boxing and how there are so many things wrong about it right now. He has made an exception in the sport’s top superstar however, and stressed that fighters like the “Pacman” are just what boxing needs right now to make it better.
Source
Win some, lose some for Manny Pacquiao
By Nestor Torre
Philippine Daily Inquirer
MANNY PACQUIAO is currently the king of the world as a champion boxer, top product and political endorser, and hero of the masses. In other areas of his “wish list” life, however—not so much.
Are people trying to tell him something? And, is he listening?
Item: Right after his clear triumph in his recent championship bout against Joshua Clottey, Manny was scheduled to perform in a big concert in Hawaii, where he expected to score a K.O. on fans’ musical sensibilities with his singing talent. This, despite the fact that his ability as a singer is definitely not at par with his skill and power as a champion pugilist, and the best that his singing can be described to be is “enthusiastic.”
Limitations
Despite these obvious limitations, his Hawaii show was a “go”—until it turned out to be a “no,” due to poor ticket sales. That’s right, people were prepared to pay big bucks to see him fight, but not to hear him sing.
Item: Having fallen short of his target in his alternative career as entertainer, Manny is next venturing into another sideline, politics—no longer just as an endorser of would-be presidents, mayors and senators, but as a congressional candidate himself in next May’s polls. Will he do better at this new calling?
The jury’s still out on that one. If memory serves, however, he did poorly in his first congressional bid. What makes him think he’ll be able to pull off a political victory this time? Well, he’s a bigger boxing star and draw this year, and he’s running for office in a different province, where the big-bucks and patronage-politics competition could be less overwhelming.
On the other hand, there’s the feeling that quite a number of people simply aren’t eager to support Manny’s nonboxing ambitions, possibly because they feel they would not be making full use of his strengths.
More to the point, they may fret that they’re working against them, or distracting from or even dissipating them.
They want their champion to do what he’s best at, period. And, if he dabbles in this and that, they aren’t likely to enthusiastically support him.
Is this the handwriting on the wall of fans’ preferences that Manny refuses to read and acknowledge? And, if he continues to heed only his own counsel, where will his show biz and political adventurism take him? Not to the cleaners, we trust.
Some people wonder why, after working so long and hard to become an international boxing champ, Manny is courting defeat in other arenas of combative contention. An explanation could be that his sterling success as a boxer has made him feel all-powerful and capable of anything he fancies.
Ambition
As his own experience has shown him, however, that is not always or even often the case. Which is why his many fans applaude his ambition, but decry his lack of objective self-evaluation. May he think twice, thrice, 10 times, before deciding to dare the fates to do their worst.
A boxing champion he has become, and that he should remain, uncompromised by lesser and less judicious detours that could erode even his hard-won capital as the nation’s top sports hero and champion.
Source
Philippine Daily Inquirer
MANNY PACQUIAO is currently the king of the world as a champion boxer, top product and political endorser, and hero of the masses. In other areas of his “wish list” life, however—not so much.
Are people trying to tell him something? And, is he listening?
Item: Right after his clear triumph in his recent championship bout against Joshua Clottey, Manny was scheduled to perform in a big concert in Hawaii, where he expected to score a K.O. on fans’ musical sensibilities with his singing talent. This, despite the fact that his ability as a singer is definitely not at par with his skill and power as a champion pugilist, and the best that his singing can be described to be is “enthusiastic.”
Limitations
Despite these obvious limitations, his Hawaii show was a “go”—until it turned out to be a “no,” due to poor ticket sales. That’s right, people were prepared to pay big bucks to see him fight, but not to hear him sing.
Item: Having fallen short of his target in his alternative career as entertainer, Manny is next venturing into another sideline, politics—no longer just as an endorser of would-be presidents, mayors and senators, but as a congressional candidate himself in next May’s polls. Will he do better at this new calling?
The jury’s still out on that one. If memory serves, however, he did poorly in his first congressional bid. What makes him think he’ll be able to pull off a political victory this time? Well, he’s a bigger boxing star and draw this year, and he’s running for office in a different province, where the big-bucks and patronage-politics competition could be less overwhelming.
On the other hand, there’s the feeling that quite a number of people simply aren’t eager to support Manny’s nonboxing ambitions, possibly because they feel they would not be making full use of his strengths.
More to the point, they may fret that they’re working against them, or distracting from or even dissipating them.
They want their champion to do what he’s best at, period. And, if he dabbles in this and that, they aren’t likely to enthusiastically support him.
Is this the handwriting on the wall of fans’ preferences that Manny refuses to read and acknowledge? And, if he continues to heed only his own counsel, where will his show biz and political adventurism take him? Not to the cleaners, we trust.
Some people wonder why, after working so long and hard to become an international boxing champ, Manny is courting defeat in other arenas of combative contention. An explanation could be that his sterling success as a boxer has made him feel all-powerful and capable of anything he fancies.
Ambition
As his own experience has shown him, however, that is not always or even often the case. Which is why his many fans applaude his ambition, but decry his lack of objective self-evaluation. May he think twice, thrice, 10 times, before deciding to dare the fates to do their worst.
A boxing champion he has become, and that he should remain, uncompromised by lesser and less judicious detours that could erode even his hard-won capital as the nation’s top sports hero and champion.
Source
ESPN writer hails Pacquiao as major crowd-getter
abs-cbnNEWS.com
MANILA, Philippines – A veteran sports journalist for US channel ESPN lauded Manny Pacquiao’s soaring pay-per-view (PPV) numbers during his fight with Joshua Clottey.
Dan Rafael, who has been covering boxing for ESPN, said the 700,000 PPV buys generated by the Pacquiao-Clottey fight has highlighted the Filipino’s capability to attract a huge following.
“Make no mistake about it: Pacquiao -- admittedly with an assist from an exotic venue, the absolutely incredible Cowboys Stadium, which was hosting a fight for the first time -- is the reason the fight sold so well,” Rafael said in his blog for ESPN.
Pacquiao clashed with Clottey last March 13, retaining his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title in the process.
Aside from defending the title, the congress-hopeful Pacquiao was also able to generate $35.3 million in revenues.
Rafael said that the PPV buys and the record crowd of 51,000 who watched the fight have shown that the fleet-footed Filipino from General Santos City has not only attracted “fight freaks” but casual fans as well.
The sports scribe also cited the Pacquiao-Clottey fight has managed to generate the numbers despite only 2 months of promotion, the absence of a “24/7” HBO series and the fact that both boxers were non-American.
“For those of you who have said (and lots of you have) that the 700,000 pay-per-view buys and $35.3 million he generated for his March 13 fight against Joshua Clottey was a disappointment: You are insane,” Rafael said.
Source
MANILA, Philippines – A veteran sports journalist for US channel ESPN lauded Manny Pacquiao’s soaring pay-per-view (PPV) numbers during his fight with Joshua Clottey.
Dan Rafael, who has been covering boxing for ESPN, said the 700,000 PPV buys generated by the Pacquiao-Clottey fight has highlighted the Filipino’s capability to attract a huge following.
“Make no mistake about it: Pacquiao -- admittedly with an assist from an exotic venue, the absolutely incredible Cowboys Stadium, which was hosting a fight for the first time -- is the reason the fight sold so well,” Rafael said in his blog for ESPN.
Pacquiao clashed with Clottey last March 13, retaining his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title in the process.
Aside from defending the title, the congress-hopeful Pacquiao was also able to generate $35.3 million in revenues.
Rafael said that the PPV buys and the record crowd of 51,000 who watched the fight have shown that the fleet-footed Filipino from General Santos City has not only attracted “fight freaks” but casual fans as well.
The sports scribe also cited the Pacquiao-Clottey fight has managed to generate the numbers despite only 2 months of promotion, the absence of a “24/7” HBO series and the fact that both boxers were non-American.
“For those of you who have said (and lots of you have) that the 700,000 pay-per-view buys and $35.3 million he generated for his March 13 fight against Joshua Clottey was a disappointment: You are insane,” Rafael said.
Source
Pacquiao: Retirement will be a personal decision
By Abac Cordero
MANILA, Philippines - Manny Pacquiao, now busy campaigning in Sarangani, said the decision for him to hang up his gloves is his alone.
“I will make my own decision when I want to retire. Ako lang,” said the boxing icon, who flew to Sarangani the other day for the start of his campaign for a congressional seat in the May 10 national elections.
Upon his return from the United States last Monday, days after he crushed Joshua Clottey and retained his WBO welterweight crown, Pacquiao said he wants to retire so he could focus on his campaign.
Pacquiao has shelved talks about his next fight, even as reports said that one of the possible opponents, Edwin Valero, beat up his wife in Venezuela and has been placed under arrest.
Valero, who has knocked out all his 27 opponents, reportedly beat up his wife who had to be taken to the hospital, and his actions may have taken him out of the Pacquiao lottery.
As soon as Pacquiao talked about retiring, those close to him came up with their own statements. His trainer, Freddie Roach, said it won’t happen soon because Pacquiao has three more fighting years left.
Then the boxer’s Cebuano adviser, Wakee Salud, said the pound-for-pound champion can’t retire as long as Floyd Mayweather Jr. is around and looking for a super-fight with Pacquiao.
Pacquiao said he will consult with his family about his plan to retire but stressed that at the end of the day, it will be his call.
“Ako lang ang magde-decide nyan,” he said.
Pacquiao’s mother, Dionesia, is begging for him to retire, but his wife, Jinkee, said she’d support any decision he has to make.
A fight with Mayweather, if and when it happens, can earn Pacquiao as much as $50 million, or just a little less than the $53 million he got for fighting Oscar dela Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto and Clottey since 2008.
Last Thursday, Pacquiao graced the Gabriel “Flash” Elorde Awards at the Sofitel Hotel, and on the same night got the chance to meet American pop star Justine Timberlake who was staying in the same hotel.
While the Filipino boxer said he loves Timberlake’s music, the latter also said he’s an avid fan of the greatest boxer in the world today.
“Hey! I’m a big fan,” the 29-year-old Timberlake told Pacquiao as they were introduced to each other.
Jake Joson, the boxer’s close friend, said Timberlake begged off from meeting top executives of his concert sponsors, but when told that Pacquiao was interested in meeting him he did not think twice.
“He wasted no time, left his room and met Pacquiao a few floors down. Justine said he had wanted to meet Manny even when he was in the US,” said Joson. “And Manny did not waste the opportunity to welcome him to the country.”
Pacquiao and Timberlake met for only 10 minutes, and before they parted the Filipino boxer presented the American superstar with a Team Pacquiao jacket, which he also signed.
Source
MANILA, Philippines - Manny Pacquiao, now busy campaigning in Sarangani, said the decision for him to hang up his gloves is his alone.
“I will make my own decision when I want to retire. Ako lang,” said the boxing icon, who flew to Sarangani the other day for the start of his campaign for a congressional seat in the May 10 national elections.
Upon his return from the United States last Monday, days after he crushed Joshua Clottey and retained his WBO welterweight crown, Pacquiao said he wants to retire so he could focus on his campaign.
Pacquiao has shelved talks about his next fight, even as reports said that one of the possible opponents, Edwin Valero, beat up his wife in Venezuela and has been placed under arrest.
Valero, who has knocked out all his 27 opponents, reportedly beat up his wife who had to be taken to the hospital, and his actions may have taken him out of the Pacquiao lottery.
As soon as Pacquiao talked about retiring, those close to him came up with their own statements. His trainer, Freddie Roach, said it won’t happen soon because Pacquiao has three more fighting years left.
Then the boxer’s Cebuano adviser, Wakee Salud, said the pound-for-pound champion can’t retire as long as Floyd Mayweather Jr. is around and looking for a super-fight with Pacquiao.
Pacquiao said he will consult with his family about his plan to retire but stressed that at the end of the day, it will be his call.
“Ako lang ang magde-decide nyan,” he said.
Pacquiao’s mother, Dionesia, is begging for him to retire, but his wife, Jinkee, said she’d support any decision he has to make.
A fight with Mayweather, if and when it happens, can earn Pacquiao as much as $50 million, or just a little less than the $53 million he got for fighting Oscar dela Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto and Clottey since 2008.
Last Thursday, Pacquiao graced the Gabriel “Flash” Elorde Awards at the Sofitel Hotel, and on the same night got the chance to meet American pop star Justine Timberlake who was staying in the same hotel.
While the Filipino boxer said he loves Timberlake’s music, the latter also said he’s an avid fan of the greatest boxer in the world today.
“Hey! I’m a big fan,” the 29-year-old Timberlake told Pacquiao as they were introduced to each other.
Jake Joson, the boxer’s close friend, said Timberlake begged off from meeting top executives of his concert sponsors, but when told that Pacquiao was interested in meeting him he did not think twice.
“He wasted no time, left his room and met Pacquiao a few floors down. Justine said he had wanted to meet Manny even when he was in the US,” said Joson. “And Manny did not waste the opportunity to welcome him to the country.”
Pacquiao and Timberlake met for only 10 minutes, and before they parted the Filipino boxer presented the American superstar with a Team Pacquiao jacket, which he also signed.
Source
Freddie Roach on the Jim Rome Show, talks Pacquiao – Mayweather
Manny Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, sits down with ESPN’s Jim Rome to talk boxing. They discuss Pacquiao’s last HBO Pay-per-view versus Joshua Clottey in front of 50,944 fans at the $1.2billion dollar Dallas Cowboys stadium, Pacquiao and Roach’s relationship, Roach’s life as a boxer, and the possibility of a Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather super-fight.
Jim Rome touches on the steroid and blood testing issue that stopped the super fight from happening. Rome presses Roach to get a better understanding behind the reasoning why Team Pacquiao refused to abide by the Olympic style blood testing demands from Golden Boy Promotions and Floyd Mayweather’s camp, and what can be done to make the fight with Mayweather happen in the future.
Part 1:
Part 2:
Jim Rome touches on the steroid and blood testing issue that stopped the super fight from happening. Rome presses Roach to get a better understanding behind the reasoning why Team Pacquiao refused to abide by the Olympic style blood testing demands from Golden Boy Promotions and Floyd Mayweather’s camp, and what can be done to make the fight with Mayweather happen in the future.
Part 1:
Part 2:
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
Manny Pacquiao may retire before Mayweather fight
Filipino fighter Manny Pacquiao might just decide to retire before his famed fight against American boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. comes to fruition, leaving many of his followers and fans hanging.
Pacquiao, regarded by many as currently the best pound-for-pound fighter there is, hinted that he might end up retiring, with his rather lackluster fight against Joshua Clottey being his last. In a statement by Manny Pacquiao Monday morning as he arrived back home in the Philippines, he said that his mother had been coaxing him to retire ever since his fight with Cotto. Pacquiao managed to convince her to fight one more time against Floyd Mayweather Jr., but plans for that fight got blotched up, and he ended up having to fight Joshua Clottey.
“Now, I don’t know how I would convince her,” says Pacquiao. “My family and I will talk about it and I’ll let [everybody] know when the decision is final.”
Pacquiao contends to his defamers that he doesn’t need the fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. anymore, because he’s proven himself time and time again. “I’m not going to coax Mayweather into a fight, because it’s them that needs me. I’ve already attained my dreams without Mayweather.
“I’m open to fight Mayweather anytime or any boxer as long as we have the same weight and as long as the promoters approve it.”
Manny Pacquiao will start formal campaigns for a political position in the Philippines, as he is a key figure in a party representing local athletes.
Source
Pacquiao, regarded by many as currently the best pound-for-pound fighter there is, hinted that he might end up retiring, with his rather lackluster fight against Joshua Clottey being his last. In a statement by Manny Pacquiao Monday morning as he arrived back home in the Philippines, he said that his mother had been coaxing him to retire ever since his fight with Cotto. Pacquiao managed to convince her to fight one more time against Floyd Mayweather Jr., but plans for that fight got blotched up, and he ended up having to fight Joshua Clottey.
“Now, I don’t know how I would convince her,” says Pacquiao. “My family and I will talk about it and I’ll let [everybody] know when the decision is final.”
Pacquiao contends to his defamers that he doesn’t need the fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. anymore, because he’s proven himself time and time again. “I’m not going to coax Mayweather into a fight, because it’s them that needs me. I’ve already attained my dreams without Mayweather.
“I’m open to fight Mayweather anytime or any boxer as long as we have the same weight and as long as the promoters approve it.”
Manny Pacquiao will start formal campaigns for a political position in the Philippines, as he is a key figure in a party representing local athletes.
Source
Pacquiao: No need to fight Mayweather
abs-cbnNEWS.com
MANILA, Philippines – After winning boxing titles in seven weight divisions, pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao believes he has already marked his legacy in the sport.
Not even the promise of a multimillion-dollar payday in a possible bout against Floyd Mayweather Jr is tarnishing his dream of possible retirement.
“Our records will show I have beaten far better fighters compared to Mayweather. I’ve stated before that I am willing to fight him if that’s what the fans want to see. But if the fight doesn’t happen, I’m fine with it,” Pacquiao said in a report published on FightNews.com.
The reigning pound-for-pound king made the statement shortly after arriving in Manila following his World Boxing Organization (WBO) title defense against Joshua Clottey.
Pacquiao actually thinks it is Mayweather who needs him. It was widely perceived that the former-pound-for-pound title holder went out of retirement for a chance to slug it out with the Filipino boxing hero.
“He needs me more than I need him. If he wants the fight then let’s do it,” said the General Santos native.
The two boxing stars were supposed to have clashed on March 13 but the negotiation broke down when Mayweather insisted performance enhancing drug tests.
“I’m clean because I get my strength through hardwork and my faith in God,” said Pacquiao.
The Filipino boxing star is already considering retirement upon his mother’s wish.
Mommy Dionisia said she is constantly worried about her son each time he climbs in the ring, especially because his past few fights were against bigger opponents.
Pacquiao said he understands Mommy Dionisia’s concern for his safety in the ring.
“Syempre after kay [Miguel] Cotto nakiusap ako sa Mama ko, ‘Isang laban pa.' Pinagbigyan niya ako. Sa ngayon, paano pa ako makiusap ulit? Ano bang sabihin ko?” he said.
He also mentioned that his political ambition has nothing to do with his retirement plans.
“Kahit naman wala ‘yung eleksyon, walang pulitika, depende na sa desisyon naming pamilya. Matagal na kasi ako, matagal na rin sa boxing. Marami na akong nabigay na karangalan sa ating bansa,” said Pacquiao, who is vying for a congressional seat in the Sarangani Province.
Source
MANILA, Philippines – After winning boxing titles in seven weight divisions, pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao believes he has already marked his legacy in the sport.
Not even the promise of a multimillion-dollar payday in a possible bout against Floyd Mayweather Jr is tarnishing his dream of possible retirement.
“Our records will show I have beaten far better fighters compared to Mayweather. I’ve stated before that I am willing to fight him if that’s what the fans want to see. But if the fight doesn’t happen, I’m fine with it,” Pacquiao said in a report published on FightNews.com.
The reigning pound-for-pound king made the statement shortly after arriving in Manila following his World Boxing Organization (WBO) title defense against Joshua Clottey.
Pacquiao actually thinks it is Mayweather who needs him. It was widely perceived that the former-pound-for-pound title holder went out of retirement for a chance to slug it out with the Filipino boxing hero.
“He needs me more than I need him. If he wants the fight then let’s do it,” said the General Santos native.
The two boxing stars were supposed to have clashed on March 13 but the negotiation broke down when Mayweather insisted performance enhancing drug tests.
“I’m clean because I get my strength through hardwork and my faith in God,” said Pacquiao.
The Filipino boxing star is already considering retirement upon his mother’s wish.
Mommy Dionisia said she is constantly worried about her son each time he climbs in the ring, especially because his past few fights were against bigger opponents.
Pacquiao said he understands Mommy Dionisia’s concern for his safety in the ring.
“Syempre after kay [Miguel] Cotto nakiusap ako sa Mama ko, ‘Isang laban pa.' Pinagbigyan niya ako. Sa ngayon, paano pa ako makiusap ulit? Ano bang sabihin ko?” he said.
He also mentioned that his political ambition has nothing to do with his retirement plans.
“Kahit naman wala ‘yung eleksyon, walang pulitika, depende na sa desisyon naming pamilya. Matagal na kasi ako, matagal na rin sa boxing. Marami na akong nabigay na karangalan sa ating bansa,” said Pacquiao, who is vying for a congressional seat in the Sarangani Province.
Source
'Fight Mayweather, then retire'
By Abac Cordero
MANILA, Philippines - Now is not the right time for Manny Pacquiao to retire.
“He must fight Mayweather first,” said the boxer’s adviser Wakee Salud yesterday after Pacquiao, at 31 still at his prime, announced the other day that he’s seriously thinking of retirement.
Pacquiao, who has won his last 12 fights, including big ones against Oscar dela Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto, said he would consult with his family and see if they’re all in the same page.
But Salud said as long as Floyd Mayweather Jr. is around, trash-talking his way into the elite boxing circle, it would be very difficult or impossible for Pacquiao to just turn his back on the sport.
“I don’t believe that he’s going to retire soon,” said Salud from Cebu.
“It’s a tough call. He can announce today that he’s retiring but after four or five months he will surely look for a fight,” said Salud, and that’s regardless of what happens to Pacquiao’s bid in the May elections.
The matchmaker from the south said it would be much easier for Pacquiao to hang up his gloves if Mayweather did not come out of his own retirement last year, in pursuit of the super-fight with the Filipino boxer.
“As long as Mayweather is there, and they haven’t fought, it will be very tough for Manny to retire,” he said.
Salud explained that there’s just too much money to be made in a fight against Mayweather, and with so much hype and attention the projected bout has generated, it just makes it more attractive.
Pacquiao, who has earned $53 million for his last four fights, including the $12 million he got for beating Joshua Clottey last March 13 in Dallas, stands to earn as much as $50 million if he takes on Mayweather.
“The purse will be huge. How can he retire? And aside from the money, the Mayweather fight is the fight that the people will ask for. Manny is a boxer, he’s a fighter. If he is called to a fight, he will fight Mayweather,” said Salud.
“I don’t think he would simply retire.”
What Pacquiao should do, his adviser said, is face Mayweather in November, beat him, and if he wins, then he can retire.
“Because once he beats Mayweather, only then can he say that he has accomplished everything in boxing. And once he beats Mayweather, everybody can say that there’s no one else out there for Manny to fight,” said Salud.
“That’s the best time for Manny to retire – once he beats Mayweather. That will be the perfect ending to his career,” he added.
Source
MANILA, Philippines - Now is not the right time for Manny Pacquiao to retire.
“He must fight Mayweather first,” said the boxer’s adviser Wakee Salud yesterday after Pacquiao, at 31 still at his prime, announced the other day that he’s seriously thinking of retirement.
Pacquiao, who has won his last 12 fights, including big ones against Oscar dela Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto, said he would consult with his family and see if they’re all in the same page.
But Salud said as long as Floyd Mayweather Jr. is around, trash-talking his way into the elite boxing circle, it would be very difficult or impossible for Pacquiao to just turn his back on the sport.
“I don’t believe that he’s going to retire soon,” said Salud from Cebu.
“It’s a tough call. He can announce today that he’s retiring but after four or five months he will surely look for a fight,” said Salud, and that’s regardless of what happens to Pacquiao’s bid in the May elections.
The matchmaker from the south said it would be much easier for Pacquiao to hang up his gloves if Mayweather did not come out of his own retirement last year, in pursuit of the super-fight with the Filipino boxer.
“As long as Mayweather is there, and they haven’t fought, it will be very tough for Manny to retire,” he said.
Salud explained that there’s just too much money to be made in a fight against Mayweather, and with so much hype and attention the projected bout has generated, it just makes it more attractive.
Pacquiao, who has earned $53 million for his last four fights, including the $12 million he got for beating Joshua Clottey last March 13 in Dallas, stands to earn as much as $50 million if he takes on Mayweather.
“The purse will be huge. How can he retire? And aside from the money, the Mayweather fight is the fight that the people will ask for. Manny is a boxer, he’s a fighter. If he is called to a fight, he will fight Mayweather,” said Salud.
“I don’t think he would simply retire.”
What Pacquiao should do, his adviser said, is face Mayweather in November, beat him, and if he wins, then he can retire.
“Because once he beats Mayweather, only then can he say that he has accomplished everything in boxing. And once he beats Mayweather, everybody can say that there’s no one else out there for Manny to fight,” said Salud.
“That’s the best time for Manny to retire – once he beats Mayweather. That will be the perfect ending to his career,” he added.
Source
Mayweather fight possible, says Roach
By Francis T.J. Ochoa
Philippine Daily Inquirer
MANILA, Philippines—Freddie Roach, the American trainer who guided Manny Pacquiao’s ascent to boxing’s pantheon, believes that his now-iconic ward may yet step into the ring against undefeated superstar Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Roach said that a compromise could be reached by both squads regarding drug-testing protocols and that compromise could include Pacquiao dropping his libel suit against Team Mayweather.
“I’m sure there’s going to be a tradeoff between Manny dropping the lawsuit and (Mayweather) dropping the (demand for Olympic-style) drug test,” Roach told ESPN’s Jim Rome.
The bout between boxing’s biggest names was shelved when Mayweather demanded strict blood testing. He alleged that Pacquiao cut through weight lines with the help of performance-enhancing drugs to make history.
That allegation is also the heart of Pacquiao’s lawsuit against the Mayweathers.
But Roach feels that the fight, which could fetch both fighters at least $40 million each in guaranteed purses and pay-per-view shares, is still going to get made, especially if Mayweather survives his testy May 1 bout against fellow American Shane Mosley.
“I believe [it will happen],” Roach said. “The thing is, Mayweather is a good fighter and I just believe he came up with these [testing demands] because he wasn’t ready for Pacquiao yet. He only had one fight in two years and I think he needed more time.
“He’s got another fight coming up, of course, and after that all of the rust will be gone if he beats Mosley. Then he will be sharp and ready for a guy like Pacquiao.”
Roach continues to vouch for Pacquiao’s credibility, saying his ward had never flunked a test by athletic commissions before.
“We have tested ... after every fight,” he said. “If we were on steroids we wouldn’t pass. It’s not like there isn’t testing and it’s not like they just test you some times. If you are in a title fight they test you every time and the commission has been doing that for a long time.”
Roach said the only reason that the Filipino superstar refuses to have blood drawn in the days leading up to the fight is because he feels it weakens him. Pacquiao blames his only loss in a trilogy against Mexican legend Erik Morales on being required to submit blood a day before the fight.
Source
Philippine Daily Inquirer
MANILA, Philippines—Freddie Roach, the American trainer who guided Manny Pacquiao’s ascent to boxing’s pantheon, believes that his now-iconic ward may yet step into the ring against undefeated superstar Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Roach said that a compromise could be reached by both squads regarding drug-testing protocols and that compromise could include Pacquiao dropping his libel suit against Team Mayweather.
“I’m sure there’s going to be a tradeoff between Manny dropping the lawsuit and (Mayweather) dropping the (demand for Olympic-style) drug test,” Roach told ESPN’s Jim Rome.
The bout between boxing’s biggest names was shelved when Mayweather demanded strict blood testing. He alleged that Pacquiao cut through weight lines with the help of performance-enhancing drugs to make history.
That allegation is also the heart of Pacquiao’s lawsuit against the Mayweathers.
But Roach feels that the fight, which could fetch both fighters at least $40 million each in guaranteed purses and pay-per-view shares, is still going to get made, especially if Mayweather survives his testy May 1 bout against fellow American Shane Mosley.
“I believe [it will happen],” Roach said. “The thing is, Mayweather is a good fighter and I just believe he came up with these [testing demands] because he wasn’t ready for Pacquiao yet. He only had one fight in two years and I think he needed more time.
“He’s got another fight coming up, of course, and after that all of the rust will be gone if he beats Mosley. Then he will be sharp and ready for a guy like Pacquiao.”
Roach continues to vouch for Pacquiao’s credibility, saying his ward had never flunked a test by athletic commissions before.
“We have tested ... after every fight,” he said. “If we were on steroids we wouldn’t pass. It’s not like there isn’t testing and it’s not like they just test you some times. If you are in a title fight they test you every time and the commission has been doing that for a long time.”
Roach said the only reason that the Filipino superstar refuses to have blood drawn in the days leading up to the fight is because he feels it weakens him. Pacquiao blames his only loss in a trilogy against Mexican legend Erik Morales on being required to submit blood a day before the fight.
Source
Pacquiao unbeatable still, says ‘Lights Out’
By Roy Luarca
MANILA, Philippines—Nobody can measure up to Manny Pacquiao right now. Not Floyd Mayweather Jr., not Shane Mosley.
Outspoken James “Lights Out” Toney, the Hall of Fame-bound International Boxing Association heavyweight champion, made the candid observation after watching Pacquiao dominate Ghanaian Joshua Clottey on March 13 at the $1.2 billion Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
The smaller, lighter Pacquiao swarmed all over Clottey with bunches of punches throughout the 12-round bout to earn a unanimous decision victory and retain his WBO welterweight crown.
“Pacquiao’s on fire,” Toney told FightHype. com. “Mayweather gives angles, but not the odd and awkward angles that Pacquiao gives and as far as work rate and activity, forget about it.”
Blown away by the 1,231 punches Pacquiao unleashed against the gun-shy Clottey, the 41-year-old Toney said the Filipino ring icon would beat any one of the two Americans battling on May 1 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.
“They aint’ messing with Pacquiao right now, man; none of them!” Toney said. “Mayweather ain’t ------- with Pacquiao right now.”
According to Toney, who holds a 72-win (44KOs), 6-loss-3-draw record, Pacquiao is a problem that neither Mayweather nor Mosley can solve.
Apart from Pacquiao’s renowned speed, Toney cited the seven-time world champion’s combinations as the reason why he’s a class all by himself. “Pacquiao throws a lot of combinations, punches in bunches, and from all angles,” said Toney.
In a related development, former world heavyweight champion Michael Moorer called Pacquiao’s volume of punches thrown against Clottey as phenomenal.
Moorer, who once worked as Freddie Roach’s assistant at the Wild Card Gym, told FightHype.com that Pacquiao’s work ethic sets him apart.
Pacquiao is taking a long break from boxing to rest his weary body.
The pound-for-pound king is flying to Gen. Santos City Friday to officially launch his candidacy for Congress in the lone district of Sarangani province.
Source
MANILA, Philippines—Nobody can measure up to Manny Pacquiao right now. Not Floyd Mayweather Jr., not Shane Mosley.
Outspoken James “Lights Out” Toney, the Hall of Fame-bound International Boxing Association heavyweight champion, made the candid observation after watching Pacquiao dominate Ghanaian Joshua Clottey on March 13 at the $1.2 billion Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
The smaller, lighter Pacquiao swarmed all over Clottey with bunches of punches throughout the 12-round bout to earn a unanimous decision victory and retain his WBO welterweight crown.
“Pacquiao’s on fire,” Toney told FightHype. com. “Mayweather gives angles, but not the odd and awkward angles that Pacquiao gives and as far as work rate and activity, forget about it.”
Blown away by the 1,231 punches Pacquiao unleashed against the gun-shy Clottey, the 41-year-old Toney said the Filipino ring icon would beat any one of the two Americans battling on May 1 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.
“They aint’ messing with Pacquiao right now, man; none of them!” Toney said. “Mayweather ain’t ------- with Pacquiao right now.”
According to Toney, who holds a 72-win (44KOs), 6-loss-3-draw record, Pacquiao is a problem that neither Mayweather nor Mosley can solve.
Apart from Pacquiao’s renowned speed, Toney cited the seven-time world champion’s combinations as the reason why he’s a class all by himself. “Pacquiao throws a lot of combinations, punches in bunches, and from all angles,” said Toney.
In a related development, former world heavyweight champion Michael Moorer called Pacquiao’s volume of punches thrown against Clottey as phenomenal.
Moorer, who once worked as Freddie Roach’s assistant at the Wild Card Gym, told FightHype.com that Pacquiao’s work ethic sets him apart.
Pacquiao is taking a long break from boxing to rest his weary body.
The pound-for-pound king is flying to Gen. Santos City Friday to officially launch his candidacy for Congress in the lone district of Sarangani province.
Source
Pacquiao sees Mosley win
By DENNIS PRINCIPE
Pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao says a fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. may not happen if the undefeated American fighter will continue to insist on his blood-test demand.
But the Filipino icon said that even if the two sides agree to set aside their differences, the mouth-watering Pacquiao-Mayweather set to may also be derailed.
This is because Mayweather may lose his coming fight against Shane Mosley which is set on May 1 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
“I pick Mosley to win that fight because he can throw a lot of punches compared to Mayweather who’s a very defensive boxer. Defense can’t win fights, especially against a fighter like Mosley who relies on speed,” said Pacquiao.
In which case, Pacquiao may instead face Mosley before the end of the year.
Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, also welcomes a fight with Mosley which the American trainer said will be good for boxing.
“I like Shane because he’s a real fighter. It will be an exciting fight than the one involving Mayweather,” said Roach.
But Roach thinks it will be tough for Mosley to beat Mayweather who, aside from his defensive agility, is also good at setting up his opponent for counter blows.
Promoter Bob Arum meanwhile is looking at a November outing for Pacquiao.
Pacquiao and Mayweather were supposed to meet last March 14 but their talks bogged down after the American insisted on an Olympic-style blood testing 14 days before their bout.
Source
Pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao says a fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. may not happen if the undefeated American fighter will continue to insist on his blood-test demand.
But the Filipino icon said that even if the two sides agree to set aside their differences, the mouth-watering Pacquiao-Mayweather set to may also be derailed.
This is because Mayweather may lose his coming fight against Shane Mosley which is set on May 1 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
“I pick Mosley to win that fight because he can throw a lot of punches compared to Mayweather who’s a very defensive boxer. Defense can’t win fights, especially against a fighter like Mosley who relies on speed,” said Pacquiao.
In which case, Pacquiao may instead face Mosley before the end of the year.
Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, also welcomes a fight with Mosley which the American trainer said will be good for boxing.
“I like Shane because he’s a real fighter. It will be an exciting fight than the one involving Mayweather,” said Roach.
But Roach thinks it will be tough for Mosley to beat Mayweather who, aside from his defensive agility, is also good at setting up his opponent for counter blows.
Promoter Bob Arum meanwhile is looking at a November outing for Pacquiao.
Pacquiao and Mayweather were supposed to meet last March 14 but their talks bogged down after the American insisted on an Olympic-style blood testing 14 days before their bout.
Source
Pacquiao puts bet on Mosley over Floyd Jr
GMANews.TV
Manny Pacquiao is putting his bet on a "Sugar" Shane Mosley win over Floyd Mayweather Jr. in their May 1 title fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The reigning World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight champion said Mosley’s style of pressing the fight against his opponent, especially against a defensive fighter like Mayweather, would be the key in winning the 12-round bout.
Pacquiao added that boxing after all, is still won through the volume of punches thrown and connected, and not by the art of avoiding being hit.
"I’ll go for Mosley since he is a puncher," said the world’s top pound-for-pound fighter in Filipino.
Mosley, 38, stakes his World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight crown against Mayweather Jr. in a fight that came to fore after their supposed scheduled bouts failed to materialize.
Mayweather Jr. was scheduled to face Pacquiao last March 13, but the showdown didn’t take place following a botched negotiation surrounding the drug testing protocol to be administered on both boxing superstars.
On the other hand, Mosley was meant to defend his 147-pound belt against Andre Berto last January 31, only for the match to be shelved following the strong earthquake that devastated Haiti, Berto’s country of birth.
But despite being the champion, Mosley (46-5, 39 KOs) is a slight underdog to Mayweather Jr., who has yet to lose in 40 professional bouts winning 25 by way of knockout.
Pacquiao is more than willing to defy the odds.
"Boxing is like basketball, you only need to make a lot of shots. In boxing, it is better that you continue punching," he said.
The seven-time world champion is coming off a dominant 12-round unanimous decision against Ghana’s Joshua Clottey to retain his WBO welterweight championship in a fight which more than stressed the value of offense over defense.
Pacquiao threw a total of 1,220 punches against the 32-year-old Clottey, who was more content in surviving the bout by holding both his arms up high and refusing to mix it up with the Pacman.
Asked if he sees Mayweather doing the same game plan against Mosley, Pacquiao readily agrees, although unlike Clottey, he expects the former pound-for-pound king to engage the WBA champion in several furious exchanges.
"Clottey is different from Mayweather," said Pacquiao in emphasizing that Mayweather is a more caliber opponent compared to Clottey.
This developed as Pacquiao and his family including wife Jinkee, arrived in General Santos City early Friday, exactly on the day when the campaign period for local officials begins.
Pacquiao is running for the lone congressional seat of Sarangani against businessman Roy Chongbian.
Source
Manny Pacquiao is putting his bet on a "Sugar" Shane Mosley win over Floyd Mayweather Jr. in their May 1 title fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The reigning World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight champion said Mosley’s style of pressing the fight against his opponent, especially against a defensive fighter like Mayweather, would be the key in winning the 12-round bout.
Pacquiao added that boxing after all, is still won through the volume of punches thrown and connected, and not by the art of avoiding being hit.
"I’ll go for Mosley since he is a puncher," said the world’s top pound-for-pound fighter in Filipino.
Mosley, 38, stakes his World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight crown against Mayweather Jr. in a fight that came to fore after their supposed scheduled bouts failed to materialize.
Mayweather Jr. was scheduled to face Pacquiao last March 13, but the showdown didn’t take place following a botched negotiation surrounding the drug testing protocol to be administered on both boxing superstars.
On the other hand, Mosley was meant to defend his 147-pound belt against Andre Berto last January 31, only for the match to be shelved following the strong earthquake that devastated Haiti, Berto’s country of birth.
But despite being the champion, Mosley (46-5, 39 KOs) is a slight underdog to Mayweather Jr., who has yet to lose in 40 professional bouts winning 25 by way of knockout.
Pacquiao is more than willing to defy the odds.
"Boxing is like basketball, you only need to make a lot of shots. In boxing, it is better that you continue punching," he said.
The seven-time world champion is coming off a dominant 12-round unanimous decision against Ghana’s Joshua Clottey to retain his WBO welterweight championship in a fight which more than stressed the value of offense over defense.
Pacquiao threw a total of 1,220 punches against the 32-year-old Clottey, who was more content in surviving the bout by holding both his arms up high and refusing to mix it up with the Pacman.
Asked if he sees Mayweather doing the same game plan against Mosley, Pacquiao readily agrees, although unlike Clottey, he expects the former pound-for-pound king to engage the WBA champion in several furious exchanges.
"Clottey is different from Mayweather," said Pacquiao in emphasizing that Mayweather is a more caliber opponent compared to Clottey.
This developed as Pacquiao and his family including wife Jinkee, arrived in General Santos City early Friday, exactly on the day when the campaign period for local officials begins.
Pacquiao is running for the lone congressional seat of Sarangani against businessman Roy Chongbian.
Source
Analyst sees better match in Pacquiao-Mosley than Floyd fight
abs-cbnNEWS.com
MANILA, Philippines – Contrary to popular belief, a Manny Pacquiao-Shane Mosley match up is more fun to watch than a superfight between the Pinoy superstar and Floyd Mayweather Jr.
At least, that’s what Emmanuel Steward believes.
Steward, one of HBO’s boxing commentators and a Hall-of-Fame trainer, said Mosley is a better match for Pacquiao, the reigning pound-for-pound king.
“The true, true really explosive fight that the true fight fans would look forward to would be with Shane Mosley and Pacquiao,” he said in an interview with On the Ropes Boxing Radio.
Although he admitted that most fight fans are more interested to see a head-to-head clash between Pacquiao and Mayweather, he said a Pacquiao-Mosley match is better because of their fighting styles.
“I mean you know that Shane is going to bring it to you, I mean that’s him. There’s no way he’s going to run from anybody or try to be technical and if things get rough he’s still going to fight,” said Steward, who was behind the boxing successes of Tommy Hearns and Lennox Lewis.
Like Mosley, Pacquiao never backs down from a brawl. This has made the Filipino a very popular boxing champion.
Mosley called out for a Pacquiao fight after the Filipino knocked out Ricky Hatton in 2 rounds in May 2009.
However, things didn’t work out as the Filipino opted to fight Miguel Cotto for the World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight crown.
Mayweather’s climb out of retirement further pushed Mosley out of Pacquiao’s picture as fight fans clamored to see a battle between the 2 pound-for-pound kings.
Source
MANILA, Philippines – Contrary to popular belief, a Manny Pacquiao-Shane Mosley match up is more fun to watch than a superfight between the Pinoy superstar and Floyd Mayweather Jr.
At least, that’s what Emmanuel Steward believes.
Steward, one of HBO’s boxing commentators and a Hall-of-Fame trainer, said Mosley is a better match for Pacquiao, the reigning pound-for-pound king.
“The true, true really explosive fight that the true fight fans would look forward to would be with Shane Mosley and Pacquiao,” he said in an interview with On the Ropes Boxing Radio.
Although he admitted that most fight fans are more interested to see a head-to-head clash between Pacquiao and Mayweather, he said a Pacquiao-Mosley match is better because of their fighting styles.
“I mean you know that Shane is going to bring it to you, I mean that’s him. There’s no way he’s going to run from anybody or try to be technical and if things get rough he’s still going to fight,” said Steward, who was behind the boxing successes of Tommy Hearns and Lennox Lewis.
Like Mosley, Pacquiao never backs down from a brawl. This has made the Filipino a very popular boxing champion.
Mosley called out for a Pacquiao fight after the Filipino knocked out Ricky Hatton in 2 rounds in May 2009.
However, things didn’t work out as the Filipino opted to fight Miguel Cotto for the World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight crown.
Mayweather’s climb out of retirement further pushed Mosley out of Pacquiao’s picture as fight fans clamored to see a battle between the 2 pound-for-pound kings.
Source
Roach expects Pacquiao-Mayweather Jnr fight to happen
Freddie Roach is confident Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jnr will get the chance to settle their differences in the ring.
The pair were scheduled to fight early in 2010, but it fell through on account of Mayweather Jnr's demands for Olympic-style drug testing. With the clash with Mayweather Jnr on ice, Pacquiao took on Joshua Clotttey and secured an overwhelming points victory - while Mayweather Jnr is set to fight Shane Mosley in May.
Talk continues about a meeting between Pacquiao and Mayweather Jnr and Roach is convinced the fight will happen once the latter has got past Mosley.
"Mayweather is a good fighter and I think he came up with these excuses because he was not ready for Manny," Pacquiao's trainer Roach told ESPN. "He had two years off and I think he needed more time.
"He has a fight coming up and if he beats Mosley all the rust will be gone. Then he will be sharp for a guy like Pacquiao."
Pacquiao is still smarting about the suggestions regarding steroids and Roach says his fighter has a score to settle. "We have never flunked a test," Roach said. "We are tested before and after a fight. If we were on steroids we would not pass."
Pacquiao was beaten by Erik Morales in 2005 and Roach says the Filipino blames the defeat on having to give blood for a doping test on the eve of the fight.
"Everyone knows that he blames losing the fight to Morales on that," Roach said. "He was tested the day before. When he gives blood I lose him for about three days and then he gets better.
"Mayweather is the first guy he has not liked who he has fought. He does not like Mayweather because of the attitude. Manny is clean, he was upset. But I can't let that get in the way in the fight. I can't let him fight angry. Mayweather is a good counter-puncher."
Roach claims the pair have an excellent working relationship, but is not afraid to speak his mind when the need arises.
"I don't hang out with him and go out to socialise with him," he said. "I want to keep that separation between trainer and fighter. I learned not to get too close because when I trained Virgil Hill we got too close and it affected our working relationship.
"I am the boss. I do have to put my foot down sometimes. One day they came in and were sleepy and they said they had been doing karaoke to 2am. I got the bunch together and told them all off. I told them we are in a camp and curfew is 9pm.
"Manny was quiet, he iced me for two days. But it worked itself out. I think he was more interested in who ratted him out."
Source
The pair were scheduled to fight early in 2010, but it fell through on account of Mayweather Jnr's demands for Olympic-style drug testing. With the clash with Mayweather Jnr on ice, Pacquiao took on Joshua Clotttey and secured an overwhelming points victory - while Mayweather Jnr is set to fight Shane Mosley in May.
Talk continues about a meeting between Pacquiao and Mayweather Jnr and Roach is convinced the fight will happen once the latter has got past Mosley.
"Mayweather is a good fighter and I think he came up with these excuses because he was not ready for Manny," Pacquiao's trainer Roach told ESPN. "He had two years off and I think he needed more time.
"He has a fight coming up and if he beats Mosley all the rust will be gone. Then he will be sharp for a guy like Pacquiao."
Pacquiao is still smarting about the suggestions regarding steroids and Roach says his fighter has a score to settle. "We have never flunked a test," Roach said. "We are tested before and after a fight. If we were on steroids we would not pass."
Pacquiao was beaten by Erik Morales in 2005 and Roach says the Filipino blames the defeat on having to give blood for a doping test on the eve of the fight.
"Everyone knows that he blames losing the fight to Morales on that," Roach said. "He was tested the day before. When he gives blood I lose him for about three days and then he gets better.
"Mayweather is the first guy he has not liked who he has fought. He does not like Mayweather because of the attitude. Manny is clean, he was upset. But I can't let that get in the way in the fight. I can't let him fight angry. Mayweather is a good counter-puncher."
Roach claims the pair have an excellent working relationship, but is not afraid to speak his mind when the need arises.
"I don't hang out with him and go out to socialise with him," he said. "I want to keep that separation between trainer and fighter. I learned not to get too close because when I trained Virgil Hill we got too close and it affected our working relationship.
"I am the boss. I do have to put my foot down sometimes. One day they came in and were sleepy and they said they had been doing karaoke to 2am. I got the bunch together and told them all off. I told them we are in a camp and curfew is 9pm.
"Manny was quiet, he iced me for two days. But it worked itself out. I think he was more interested in who ratted him out."
Source
Mosley-Mayweather: Preliminary Perspective
By Bad Left Hook
With a big March of boxing now in the books, we inch closer to the May 1 showdown between "Sugar" Shane Mosley and Floyd "Money" Mayweather. Ted "The Bull" Sares takes an early look at the fight today.
Back in 2006, I wrote that Sugar Shane Mosley's savage KO of Fernando Vargas II was evidence that like a perfect storm, everything was coming together......just the right things in the mix and with just the right timing for him to fight Floyd Mayweather. Team Mosley was running on all cylinders and it seemed unlikely for anyone to slow it down. But that was then and this is now.
Since then, Floyd (now 40-0) has vanquished Carlos Manuel Baldomir, decisioned Oscar De La Hoya, waxed Ricky Hatton, and dominated Juan Manuel Marquez. Mosley has beaten Luis Collazo in a fight where Collazo suffered a fractured left thumb during the second round. He then lost to Miguel Cotto, but came back to beat clownish Ricardo Mayorga in a fight that was extremely close on the score cards until Mosley's spectacular left hook knock out at the very end which sent Mayorga to Matador Dreamland.
Sure, against Collazo, Sugar Shane (46-5) showed a display of effective jabs and great hand speed, once again using feints, quickness, and crafty head and body movement that served him so well in his wins against Oscar De La Hoya and especially Fernando Vargas. But Collazo is not Mayweather, and Vargas had taken brutal beatings at the hands of De La Hoya and Trinidad by the time he met Mosley.
Curiously, Mosley lost two to the "Viper" getting beat up in one, while Mayorga beat Forrest twice. But then Mayorga, an "old" 34, got starched convincingly by De La Hoya who Mosley "beat" twice. Of course, that was then and this is now and a lot has changed.
Shane's demolition of Antonio Margarito in January 2009 raised everyone's eyebrows. However, one theory that has not been given much traction (and one to which I partially subscribe) is that Tony may have been so discombobulated by pre-fight events, that he simply was there for the taking. Whatever the case, Mosley made the most of it and destroyed the disgraced "Tijuana Tornado." Interestingly. Mosley likely did not even get hit flush in that fight, but then, neither did Mayweather against Marquez.
The Age Factor
However, Sugar Shane is getting a bit long in the tooth and his considerable skills are in jeopardy of eroding. Age has a way of impacting speed, quickness, hand-eye coordination, movement, and putting punches together. Moreover, the fact he has fought tougher opponents than Mayweather (Vargas twice, Winky Wright twice, De La Hoya twice, Vernon Forrest twice, Jesse James Leija, John John Molina, Philip Holiday, Collazo, Mayorga, Margarito, among others), is not necessarily an advantage at this point. The reputation for never having ducked an opponent can back fire and render a boxer's body old overnight. That said and notwithstanding the Margorito beat down, I no longer believe Mosley is at the top of his game and I'm betting the ingredients for the perfect storm that once existed have now dissipated to the point where the momentum is clearly in favor of the man with the heavyweight ego.
Fighters like "Pretty Boy," don't come around very often. He uses old school stuff, but he does it so subtly, he is seldom given proper credit for it. As I have said before, he just might be too good for his own good. His use of shoulder rolls, feints, parrying, upward jabbing, giving angles, counter punching, crossover defense, strategic lateral movement, and deflecting punches is all part of the old school mix. So is his mastery of the basics...the three levels of defense, slipping punches, and fighting off the jab. If a purist is one who appreciates the technical aspects of the Sweet Science, Floyd Mayweather Junior is a purist's delight. His fights with Phillip N'dou and Juan Manuel Marquez showcased these attributes to a tee.
However, if one definition of "Old School" is that it combines the aforementioned with a violent dimension (one that reflects a boxer's propensity to engage in a pier six street brawl), then Floyd may be somewhat lacking. Aside from his give and take with Emanuel Augustus, we have not yet seen Floyd be required to demonstrate this dimension. However, his blow-outs of the late Diego Corrales and Arturo Gatti suggest he may be capable of the same kind of mayhem Mosley showed against Margorito, but I doubt he can do that to Mosley.
While I intend to break down this fight far more definitively as we get closer to May 1, my tentative feeling at this point is that a well-rested Floyd Mayweather Junior will dominate Sugar Shane Mosley over 12 rounds and cop a unanimous decision.
Source
With a big March of boxing now in the books, we inch closer to the May 1 showdown between "Sugar" Shane Mosley and Floyd "Money" Mayweather. Ted "The Bull" Sares takes an early look at the fight today.
Back in 2006, I wrote that Sugar Shane Mosley's savage KO of Fernando Vargas II was evidence that like a perfect storm, everything was coming together......just the right things in the mix and with just the right timing for him to fight Floyd Mayweather. Team Mosley was running on all cylinders and it seemed unlikely for anyone to slow it down. But that was then and this is now.
Since then, Floyd (now 40-0) has vanquished Carlos Manuel Baldomir, decisioned Oscar De La Hoya, waxed Ricky Hatton, and dominated Juan Manuel Marquez. Mosley has beaten Luis Collazo in a fight where Collazo suffered a fractured left thumb during the second round. He then lost to Miguel Cotto, but came back to beat clownish Ricardo Mayorga in a fight that was extremely close on the score cards until Mosley's spectacular left hook knock out at the very end which sent Mayorga to Matador Dreamland.
Sure, against Collazo, Sugar Shane (46-5) showed a display of effective jabs and great hand speed, once again using feints, quickness, and crafty head and body movement that served him so well in his wins against Oscar De La Hoya and especially Fernando Vargas. But Collazo is not Mayweather, and Vargas had taken brutal beatings at the hands of De La Hoya and Trinidad by the time he met Mosley.
Curiously, Mosley lost two to the "Viper" getting beat up in one, while Mayorga beat Forrest twice. But then Mayorga, an "old" 34, got starched convincingly by De La Hoya who Mosley "beat" twice. Of course, that was then and this is now and a lot has changed.
Shane's demolition of Antonio Margarito in January 2009 raised everyone's eyebrows. However, one theory that has not been given much traction (and one to which I partially subscribe) is that Tony may have been so discombobulated by pre-fight events, that he simply was there for the taking. Whatever the case, Mosley made the most of it and destroyed the disgraced "Tijuana Tornado." Interestingly. Mosley likely did not even get hit flush in that fight, but then, neither did Mayweather against Marquez.
The Age Factor
However, Sugar Shane is getting a bit long in the tooth and his considerable skills are in jeopardy of eroding. Age has a way of impacting speed, quickness, hand-eye coordination, movement, and putting punches together. Moreover, the fact he has fought tougher opponents than Mayweather (Vargas twice, Winky Wright twice, De La Hoya twice, Vernon Forrest twice, Jesse James Leija, John John Molina, Philip Holiday, Collazo, Mayorga, Margarito, among others), is not necessarily an advantage at this point. The reputation for never having ducked an opponent can back fire and render a boxer's body old overnight. That said and notwithstanding the Margorito beat down, I no longer believe Mosley is at the top of his game and I'm betting the ingredients for the perfect storm that once existed have now dissipated to the point where the momentum is clearly in favor of the man with the heavyweight ego.
Fighters like "Pretty Boy," don't come around very often. He uses old school stuff, but he does it so subtly, he is seldom given proper credit for it. As I have said before, he just might be too good for his own good. His use of shoulder rolls, feints, parrying, upward jabbing, giving angles, counter punching, crossover defense, strategic lateral movement, and deflecting punches is all part of the old school mix. So is his mastery of the basics...the three levels of defense, slipping punches, and fighting off the jab. If a purist is one who appreciates the technical aspects of the Sweet Science, Floyd Mayweather Junior is a purist's delight. His fights with Phillip N'dou and Juan Manuel Marquez showcased these attributes to a tee.
However, if one definition of "Old School" is that it combines the aforementioned with a violent dimension (one that reflects a boxer's propensity to engage in a pier six street brawl), then Floyd may be somewhat lacking. Aside from his give and take with Emanuel Augustus, we have not yet seen Floyd be required to demonstrate this dimension. However, his blow-outs of the late Diego Corrales and Arturo Gatti suggest he may be capable of the same kind of mayhem Mosley showed against Margorito, but I doubt he can do that to Mosley.
While I intend to break down this fight far more definitively as we get closer to May 1, my tentative feeling at this point is that a well-rested Floyd Mayweather Junior will dominate Sugar Shane Mosley over 12 rounds and cop a unanimous decision.
Source
Opinion: Pacquiao should face winner of Mosley-Mayweather fight
Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao may be considering three more fights before actually hanging his gloves for good. But he will have to kneel before his mother to get her blessings as he will have to renege on his earlier promise for one last fight.
Despite his announcement of possible retirement from professional boxing in deference to his mother's wishes for him to retire now for good, many of his local boxing fans believe that the pound-for-pound king will remain active for at least one more year.
The popular Filipino boxer is expected to make a deal with his mother for one last fight before retiring. It may be recalled that Pacquiao promised his mother after his bout with Miguel Cotto that he will do one last fight before hanging up his gloves. That one last bout was his recent encounter with Joshua Clottey of Ghana at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
One of the compelling reasons for Pacquiao to remain active for another year is probably the thought of beating Floyd Mayweather, Jr who remains undefeated in his entire professional boxing career. Mayweather and his camp have thrown too much 'trash' on the Filipino boxer. Pacquiao's local boxing fans say that the Filipino boxer should settle the long-drawn word war between him and Mayweather inside the ring.
The proposed Pacquiao-Mayweather fight was originally scheduled for Marcgh 13 but did not happen due to Mayweather's demand for an Olympic-style blood testing which Pacquiao declined saying that he had passed all drug tests conducted by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
Mayweather accused Pacquiao of taking steroids or performance enhancing drugs during his last fights to gain added advantage over his opponents. Pacquiao denied such accusations and sued Mayweather and some members of his team in court for defamation.
The other compelling reason is the huge prize money that Pacquiao-Mayweather fight will generate for both boxers. Boxing analysts say that that each of them will earn at least $50 million excluding revenues from PPV and gate receipts.
The Filipino boxer may have thought that one year will be a safe period for him to make one last commitment to his mother on her call for early retirement.
In a year Pacquiao can make three more fights as trainer Freddie Roach projects. Roach said the Pacquiao-Mayweather match can still happen if they both bury the hatchet and let their punches do the talking.
“I’m sure there’s going to be a tradeoff between Manny dropping the lawsuit and him (Mayweather) dropping the drug test,” boxing’s hottest trainer told fighthype.com.
But what if Mayweather is defeated by Mosley when they collide on May 1 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas? Surely Pacquiao will have to choose Mosley for his next mega fight as he (Mosley) will become the hottest boxing sensation by then. A Pacquiao-Mosley fight will also bring in huge revenues for both of them. If this happens, it would be Pacquiao's first match within the one year self-imposed fight calendar.
But then again, win or lose with Mosley, Pacquiao will have to face Mayweather to settle the issues and bad blood between the two most popular boxers. This will be Pacquiao's second in his calendar and if he wins he may just opt to retire for good unless an automatic rematch is provided for in their fight contract. If that happens, a third and last fight for the Filipino boxer is inevitable.
Despite his announcement of possible retirement from professional boxing in deference to his mother's wishes for him to retire now for good, many of his local boxing fans believe that the pound-for-pound king will remain active for at least one more year.
The popular Filipino boxer is expected to make a deal with his mother for one last fight before retiring. It may be recalled that Pacquiao promised his mother after his bout with Miguel Cotto that he will do one last fight before hanging up his gloves. That one last bout was his recent encounter with Joshua Clottey of Ghana at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
One of the compelling reasons for Pacquiao to remain active for another year is probably the thought of beating Floyd Mayweather, Jr who remains undefeated in his entire professional boxing career. Mayweather and his camp have thrown too much 'trash' on the Filipino boxer. Pacquiao's local boxing fans say that the Filipino boxer should settle the long-drawn word war between him and Mayweather inside the ring.
The proposed Pacquiao-Mayweather fight was originally scheduled for Marcgh 13 but did not happen due to Mayweather's demand for an Olympic-style blood testing which Pacquiao declined saying that he had passed all drug tests conducted by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
Mayweather accused Pacquiao of taking steroids or performance enhancing drugs during his last fights to gain added advantage over his opponents. Pacquiao denied such accusations and sued Mayweather and some members of his team in court for defamation.
The other compelling reason is the huge prize money that Pacquiao-Mayweather fight will generate for both boxers. Boxing analysts say that that each of them will earn at least $50 million excluding revenues from PPV and gate receipts.
The Filipino boxer may have thought that one year will be a safe period for him to make one last commitment to his mother on her call for early retirement.
In a year Pacquiao can make three more fights as trainer Freddie Roach projects. Roach said the Pacquiao-Mayweather match can still happen if they both bury the hatchet and let their punches do the talking.
“I’m sure there’s going to be a tradeoff between Manny dropping the lawsuit and him (Mayweather) dropping the drug test,” boxing’s hottest trainer told fighthype.com.
But what if Mayweather is defeated by Mosley when they collide on May 1 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas? Surely Pacquiao will have to choose Mosley for his next mega fight as he (Mosley) will become the hottest boxing sensation by then. A Pacquiao-Mosley fight will also bring in huge revenues for both of them. If this happens, it would be Pacquiao's first match within the one year self-imposed fight calendar.
But then again, win or lose with Mosley, Pacquiao will have to face Mayweather to settle the issues and bad blood between the two most popular boxers. This will be Pacquiao's second in his calendar and if he wins he may just opt to retire for good unless an automatic rematch is provided for in their fight contract. If that happens, a third and last fight for the Filipino boxer is inevitable.
Is Floyd Trying To Clean Up The Sport Of Boxing?
By Igor Frank
Ever since earlier this year when the mega fight between two best boxers on the planet, Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. fell apart, questions and debates about the cause of the melt down rage on.
Just when it looked like that the only question about the most anticipated match up in years would be where to have it, Las Vegas or Dallas, Floyd Mayweather Jr. requested to implement an Olympic style drug testing prior to the fight. Pacquiao camp balked. Highly superstitious Pacquiao feels that drawing blood too close the fight time will take away from his strength. Mayweather Sr. publicly accused Pacquiao of being on the juice. Pacman and his people filed a defamation of character law suit. A Los Angeles judge was called in to mediate the negotiations between Pacquiao and Mayweather and to try to save the fight which would guarantee each boxer $25 million dollars, but it was too late; by this point in time only God could save the event and he decided not to meddle.
Pacquiao went on to destroy a very strong welterweight Joshua Clottey last Saturday in Dallas in front of record crowd of 51 thousand fans, in what turned out to be a one sided beating. As soon as the beating was over, everyone wanted to talk about Mayweather." Let commissions do their job," exclaimed Pacquiao's coach, Freddie Roach:" Just get in the ring and fight!"
Mayweather is going to face a welterweight champion Sugar Shane Mosley in Las Vegas on May first in a huge event. But what everybody is talking about is not the event itself, but the fact that Floyd forced Mosley to agree to Olympic style drug testing. Desperately needing a big money fight at the twilight of his career, Mosley would probably agree to tie one of his hands behind his back to fight Mayweather, but that is the subject for another story.
"Floyd Mayweather is trying to clean up the sport of boxing," said Leonard Ellerbe, Floyd's chief advisor, last Thursday during a first of its kind media telephone conference that discussed anti- doping drug testing program for Mayweather vs. Mosley:"Everybody who steps in the ring with him is going to be subjected to this."
Even though Mayweather Mosley is a thrilling match up with a final outcome far from being certain, all casual fans want to talk about is the possibility of Pacquiao Mayweather happening later on this year. Just yesterday my banker pulled me aside and said: Say, Igor, why doesn't Manny just take the darn drug test and fight Mayweather already?"
On the other hand, a famous boxing personality and one of the best cut men in the business, Tony Rivera had this to say about the subject: "Floyd never wanted to fight Pacquiao and he found a reason to get out of it."
To simplify, here is the issue at hand. Does Pacquiao really have something to hide? Is Mayweather really trying to clean up the sport or is he simply trying to gain an advantage with psychological warfare?
I first called Keith Keizer of Nevada State Athletic Commission who informed me that urine anti doping tests are administered before and after the fight. No blood tests are in protocol. Similar procedures are employed in California and New York. The only blood test required in California is when a boxer is applying for a license, but that test is mostly concerned with aids and hepatitis and does not check for steroids.
Last Thursday, during a media telephone conference, Travis Tygart, CEO of United States Anti Doping Agency explained the protocol of Olympic Style drug testing that was adopted for Mayweather Mosley Fight.
According to Mr. Tygart, after the orientation, beginning from March 22nd, both athletes will be subjected to random unannounced blood and urine tests leading all the way up to and after the fight. The number of tests will not be disclosed till after the event to insure maximum credibility. Any positive result will be published following legal procedures. So why is urine test not enough? Why not do a DNA test that will only involve a hair sample?
"The chemicals that cannot be detected in urine samples are HGH (human growth hormone), HBT, HBOC, and PATH" said Tygart.
According to Wikipedia HGH stimulates growth and cell reproduction and regeneration in humans and other animals. And HBT does not mean holistic body training.
"We cannot afford not to do it," said Tygart when asked about financial feasibility of the program:" Today, this is about clean athletes and their right to compete on a level playing field. If you are clean, you have no reason not to be a part of this program. In fact, you demand it."
Source
Ever since earlier this year when the mega fight between two best boxers on the planet, Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. fell apart, questions and debates about the cause of the melt down rage on.
Just when it looked like that the only question about the most anticipated match up in years would be where to have it, Las Vegas or Dallas, Floyd Mayweather Jr. requested to implement an Olympic style drug testing prior to the fight. Pacquiao camp balked. Highly superstitious Pacquiao feels that drawing blood too close the fight time will take away from his strength. Mayweather Sr. publicly accused Pacquiao of being on the juice. Pacman and his people filed a defamation of character law suit. A Los Angeles judge was called in to mediate the negotiations between Pacquiao and Mayweather and to try to save the fight which would guarantee each boxer $25 million dollars, but it was too late; by this point in time only God could save the event and he decided not to meddle.
Pacquiao went on to destroy a very strong welterweight Joshua Clottey last Saturday in Dallas in front of record crowd of 51 thousand fans, in what turned out to be a one sided beating. As soon as the beating was over, everyone wanted to talk about Mayweather." Let commissions do their job," exclaimed Pacquiao's coach, Freddie Roach:" Just get in the ring and fight!"
Mayweather is going to face a welterweight champion Sugar Shane Mosley in Las Vegas on May first in a huge event. But what everybody is talking about is not the event itself, but the fact that Floyd forced Mosley to agree to Olympic style drug testing. Desperately needing a big money fight at the twilight of his career, Mosley would probably agree to tie one of his hands behind his back to fight Mayweather, but that is the subject for another story.
"Floyd Mayweather is trying to clean up the sport of boxing," said Leonard Ellerbe, Floyd's chief advisor, last Thursday during a first of its kind media telephone conference that discussed anti- doping drug testing program for Mayweather vs. Mosley:"Everybody who steps in the ring with him is going to be subjected to this."
Even though Mayweather Mosley is a thrilling match up with a final outcome far from being certain, all casual fans want to talk about is the possibility of Pacquiao Mayweather happening later on this year. Just yesterday my banker pulled me aside and said: Say, Igor, why doesn't Manny just take the darn drug test and fight Mayweather already?"
On the other hand, a famous boxing personality and one of the best cut men in the business, Tony Rivera had this to say about the subject: "Floyd never wanted to fight Pacquiao and he found a reason to get out of it."
To simplify, here is the issue at hand. Does Pacquiao really have something to hide? Is Mayweather really trying to clean up the sport or is he simply trying to gain an advantage with psychological warfare?
I first called Keith Keizer of Nevada State Athletic Commission who informed me that urine anti doping tests are administered before and after the fight. No blood tests are in protocol. Similar procedures are employed in California and New York. The only blood test required in California is when a boxer is applying for a license, but that test is mostly concerned with aids and hepatitis and does not check for steroids.
Last Thursday, during a media telephone conference, Travis Tygart, CEO of United States Anti Doping Agency explained the protocol of Olympic Style drug testing that was adopted for Mayweather Mosley Fight.
According to Mr. Tygart, after the orientation, beginning from March 22nd, both athletes will be subjected to random unannounced blood and urine tests leading all the way up to and after the fight. The number of tests will not be disclosed till after the event to insure maximum credibility. Any positive result will be published following legal procedures. So why is urine test not enough? Why not do a DNA test that will only involve a hair sample?
"The chemicals that cannot be detected in urine samples are HGH (human growth hormone), HBT, HBOC, and PATH" said Tygart.
According to Wikipedia HGH stimulates growth and cell reproduction and regeneration in humans and other animals. And HBT does not mean holistic body training.
"We cannot afford not to do it," said Tygart when asked about financial feasibility of the program:" Today, this is about clean athletes and their right to compete on a level playing field. If you are clean, you have no reason not to be a part of this program. In fact, you demand it."
Source
Monday, March 22, 2010
Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr are ready — just not for each other
Outstanding boxers of their generation opt to go separate ways leaving public to wait for them to settle differences
Tomorrow should have been the day that boxing won over the doubters. The day when the two greatest boxers of their generation met in the ring in the richest bout in history. But the bout that was supposedly too big not to happen, is not taking place. Not yet, anyway.
Instead of Floyd Mayweather Jr versus Manny Pacquiao, on Saturday the Filipino will defend his WBO welterweight title against Joshua Clottey, of Ghana, at the Cowboys Stadium, Dallas, while Mayweather challenges Shane Mosley for the WBA title in Las Vegas on May 1. Two cracking contests in normal circumstances, but two that no one really wanted.
Negotiations for Mayweather-Pacquiao collapsed amid much recrimination early in the new year over Mayweather’s demands for random blood-testing. The hope is still that these bouts will simply be a tasty hors d’oeuvre to a feast to be held in the autumn, the fear is that fans are just being fed the leftovers.
When he retired in 2007 after knocking out Ricky Hatton, Mayweather was spoken about alongside the likes of Sugar Ray Robinson and Muhammad Ali. But far from enhancing his legacy, the one-sided beating he handed Juan-Manuel Márquez in his return last September has gained him a reputation as a bit of a bully.
Certainly it is difficult to marry up Mayweather, the world star who brought traffic to a standstill in East London last year when thousands turned up to watch him work out, with the insular American who supposedly refused to box Pacquiao outside his home city of Las Vegas.
Jerry Jones, the owner of the Dallas Cowboys, had tabled an opening bid of $25 million (now about £16.5 million) to host Mayweather-Pacquiao in his team’s new stadium, but Mayweather said no. He wanted the fight on his terms. So when Mayweather wanted random blood-testing rather than the regular stipulation for urine testing, Pacquiao’s side would not budge.
It is difficult to know whether Mayweather’s demands were born out of a genuine belief that Pacquiao could be flaunting the rules or whether he was simply trying to make his opponent dance to his tune. It is unlikely that he believed that his demands would lead to the bout being scrapped. But lines in the sand were drawn and neither side was about to blink.
When they ended up in mediation, the only matter up for debate was at what point before the bout blood-testing would cease. Mayweather offered 14 days, Pacquiao insisted on 24. So the bout was lost over a matter of ten days. Considering that Mayweather expects to make about $10 million from his bout with Mosley, about a quarter of the amount he would have expected from boxing Pacquiao, that works out as $3 million a day. For a man as seemingly obsessed with money as Mayweather, that has got to hurt.
There were no winners from the failed negotiations, but Bob Arum, whose Top Rank organisation promotes Pacquiao, will certainly be the happier.
Saturday’s bout is likely to be a 45,000 sell-out, a remarkable figure for two foreign boxers in Texas. And it looks set to sweep in an era of huge outdoor bouts in the United States.
Arum is close to finalising arrangements for Yuri Foreman, a New York-based Israeli, to defend his WBA light-middleweight title against Miguel Cotto at the new Yankee Stadium in New York. The old stadium hosted such greats as Sugar Ray Robinson and the famed Joe Louis-Max Schmeling rematch in an era long before large indoor arenas or Las Vegas site fees.
There has reportedly been interest in staging boxing from American football stadiums in New Orleans and Atlanta, as well as the future home of the New York Giants.
Both sides have been doing their best to sell what is on offer. Mayweather went as far as having a scuffle with Mosley for the cameras at one stop on their media tour of the US last week.
Certainly Clottey and Mosley are not without a chance, but both are big outsiders. Perhaps the best news for the many hoping for an autumn superbout is Pacquiao’s insistence that he will continue boxing even if he is successful in elections for the Filipino congress in May.
Yet among all the questions for the pair over the coming days and weeks, there still has not been a reasonable answer to two. Why did Pacquiao not just agree to the tests and why was Mayweather so bothered, when he is willing to face Mosley?
And do the pair really realise, or care, about the damage they could do to each other by not boxing. Robinson needed LaMotta, Ali needed Frazier. Mayweather needs Pacquiao and vice versa
Source
Tomorrow should have been the day that boxing won over the doubters. The day when the two greatest boxers of their generation met in the ring in the richest bout in history. But the bout that was supposedly too big not to happen, is not taking place. Not yet, anyway.
Instead of Floyd Mayweather Jr versus Manny Pacquiao, on Saturday the Filipino will defend his WBO welterweight title against Joshua Clottey, of Ghana, at the Cowboys Stadium, Dallas, while Mayweather challenges Shane Mosley for the WBA title in Las Vegas on May 1. Two cracking contests in normal circumstances, but two that no one really wanted.
Negotiations for Mayweather-Pacquiao collapsed amid much recrimination early in the new year over Mayweather’s demands for random blood-testing. The hope is still that these bouts will simply be a tasty hors d’oeuvre to a feast to be held in the autumn, the fear is that fans are just being fed the leftovers.
When he retired in 2007 after knocking out Ricky Hatton, Mayweather was spoken about alongside the likes of Sugar Ray Robinson and Muhammad Ali. But far from enhancing his legacy, the one-sided beating he handed Juan-Manuel Márquez in his return last September has gained him a reputation as a bit of a bully.
Certainly it is difficult to marry up Mayweather, the world star who brought traffic to a standstill in East London last year when thousands turned up to watch him work out, with the insular American who supposedly refused to box Pacquiao outside his home city of Las Vegas.
Jerry Jones, the owner of the Dallas Cowboys, had tabled an opening bid of $25 million (now about £16.5 million) to host Mayweather-Pacquiao in his team’s new stadium, but Mayweather said no. He wanted the fight on his terms. So when Mayweather wanted random blood-testing rather than the regular stipulation for urine testing, Pacquiao’s side would not budge.
It is difficult to know whether Mayweather’s demands were born out of a genuine belief that Pacquiao could be flaunting the rules or whether he was simply trying to make his opponent dance to his tune. It is unlikely that he believed that his demands would lead to the bout being scrapped. But lines in the sand were drawn and neither side was about to blink.
When they ended up in mediation, the only matter up for debate was at what point before the bout blood-testing would cease. Mayweather offered 14 days, Pacquiao insisted on 24. So the bout was lost over a matter of ten days. Considering that Mayweather expects to make about $10 million from his bout with Mosley, about a quarter of the amount he would have expected from boxing Pacquiao, that works out as $3 million a day. For a man as seemingly obsessed with money as Mayweather, that has got to hurt.
There were no winners from the failed negotiations, but Bob Arum, whose Top Rank organisation promotes Pacquiao, will certainly be the happier.
Saturday’s bout is likely to be a 45,000 sell-out, a remarkable figure for two foreign boxers in Texas. And it looks set to sweep in an era of huge outdoor bouts in the United States.
Arum is close to finalising arrangements for Yuri Foreman, a New York-based Israeli, to defend his WBA light-middleweight title against Miguel Cotto at the new Yankee Stadium in New York. The old stadium hosted such greats as Sugar Ray Robinson and the famed Joe Louis-Max Schmeling rematch in an era long before large indoor arenas or Las Vegas site fees.
There has reportedly been interest in staging boxing from American football stadiums in New Orleans and Atlanta, as well as the future home of the New York Giants.
Both sides have been doing their best to sell what is on offer. Mayweather went as far as having a scuffle with Mosley for the cameras at one stop on their media tour of the US last week.
Certainly Clottey and Mosley are not without a chance, but both are big outsiders. Perhaps the best news for the many hoping for an autumn superbout is Pacquiao’s insistence that he will continue boxing even if he is successful in elections for the Filipino congress in May.
Yet among all the questions for the pair over the coming days and weeks, there still has not been a reasonable answer to two. Why did Pacquiao not just agree to the tests and why was Mayweather so bothered, when he is willing to face Mosley?
And do the pair really realise, or care, about the damage they could do to each other by not boxing. Robinson needed LaMotta, Ali needed Frazier. Mayweather needs Pacquiao and vice versa
Source
Pacquiao a one-dimensional amateur - Floyd Jr.
By Abac Cordero
HOLLYWOOD – Floyd Mayweather Jr. was probably sitting comfortably in his Las Vegas mansion watching Manny Pacquiao battle – or, to put it better, batter – Joshua Clottey for 12 rounds last Saturday in Dallas.
Mayweather liked what he saw in the sense that Pacquiao, according to the ex-pound-for-pound champion, was exposed on that cold night as being a “one-dimensional fighter” who he also described as “an amateur.”
In an article that just came out of cagereport.com, Mayweather, hot on a comeback trail and out to regain the lofty title he once held, mentioned things that might soon force Pacquiao to fight him under any condition.
“Personally, I think Pacquiao got exposed in that fight for being one-dimensional,” he said.
“You can have all (the) offense ability in the world but with no defense you’re not going to last long against a good counter puncher such as myself. Look at the way Clottey was getting through, each time he threw something it landed.”
He may be right that Clottey, despite spending most of the time covering up, did land some beautiful punches that caught Pacquiao and his trainer Freddie Roach by surprise, and that the Ghanaian would have done better if only he threw more punches.
Mayweather said despite the low volume of punches Pacquiao took from Clottey, the 31-year-old Filipino welterweight champion walked out of the Cowboys Stadium bearing signs of a tough fight, with some swelling and welts under his right eye.
“Then at the end Pacquiao was all busted up. When’s the last time you’ve seen my face all messed up like that? That’s the difference between an amateur and a true pound-for-pound boxer,” he said.
“I think Pacquiao gave the fans a boring fight. He was punching his arms for all 12 rounds. At least when you watch Floyd Mayweather you know you’ll be seeing non-stop action for 30 minutes straight and that’s what you’ll see on May 1st,” the undefeated fighter said.
Mayweather said the 51,000 fans who came to watch “The Event” in Dallas will see the difference when he gets to face World Boxing Association welterweight champion Shane Mosley on May 1 at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas.
He said the people will have to judge for themselves.
“The attendance numbers ain’t nothing compared to what I have drawn in the past or what I would have drawn if that was me in the ring that night, everybody knows that. Half those seats were empty in the back and people say Pacquiao is a draw?”
Mayweather, despite a long layoff which he ended with a knockout win over Juan Manuel Marquez last September, now considers himself as the biggest draw, and will again prove that once he gets into the ring with Pacquiao.
The fight almost happened but disagreements over the conduct of drug testing derailed the fight that the whole world wants to see. Sooner or later tough, it should happen simply because it’s too big to be ignored and shelved.
“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.
Mayweather also justified his demand for Olympic-style drug-testing.
“The thing is I am just looking out for the good of the sport, everyone should compete on a fair level but he (Pacquiao) doesn’t want that. I’m not going to say what he is or isn’t on but lets just say that HGH is one hell of a drug. All roads lead to Floyd Mayweather, we all know that,” he said.
“If he wants to fight me, he doesn’t have to look far. Just look for the biggest mansion in Vegas and that’s me. The matter of the fact is I put the offer on the table. Once I get Mosley out of the way then we’ll see what Pacquiao has to say. Until then I don’t want to hear about him.”
When everything has been said and done, Mayweather has no choice but to beat Mosley - if he can. And then he can call out Pacquiao’s name.
And the fight might just take place.
Source
HOLLYWOOD – Floyd Mayweather Jr. was probably sitting comfortably in his Las Vegas mansion watching Manny Pacquiao battle – or, to put it better, batter – Joshua Clottey for 12 rounds last Saturday in Dallas.
Mayweather liked what he saw in the sense that Pacquiao, according to the ex-pound-for-pound champion, was exposed on that cold night as being a “one-dimensional fighter” who he also described as “an amateur.”
In an article that just came out of cagereport.com, Mayweather, hot on a comeback trail and out to regain the lofty title he once held, mentioned things that might soon force Pacquiao to fight him under any condition.
“Personally, I think Pacquiao got exposed in that fight for being one-dimensional,” he said.
“You can have all (the) offense ability in the world but with no defense you’re not going to last long against a good counter puncher such as myself. Look at the way Clottey was getting through, each time he threw something it landed.”
He may be right that Clottey, despite spending most of the time covering up, did land some beautiful punches that caught Pacquiao and his trainer Freddie Roach by surprise, and that the Ghanaian would have done better if only he threw more punches.
Mayweather said despite the low volume of punches Pacquiao took from Clottey, the 31-year-old Filipino welterweight champion walked out of the Cowboys Stadium bearing signs of a tough fight, with some swelling and welts under his right eye.
“Then at the end Pacquiao was all busted up. When’s the last time you’ve seen my face all messed up like that? That’s the difference between an amateur and a true pound-for-pound boxer,” he said.
“I think Pacquiao gave the fans a boring fight. He was punching his arms for all 12 rounds. At least when you watch Floyd Mayweather you know you’ll be seeing non-stop action for 30 minutes straight and that’s what you’ll see on May 1st,” the undefeated fighter said.
Mayweather said the 51,000 fans who came to watch “The Event” in Dallas will see the difference when he gets to face World Boxing Association welterweight champion Shane Mosley on May 1 at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas.
He said the people will have to judge for themselves.
“The attendance numbers ain’t nothing compared to what I have drawn in the past or what I would have drawn if that was me in the ring that night, everybody knows that. Half those seats were empty in the back and people say Pacquiao is a draw?”
Mayweather, despite a long layoff which he ended with a knockout win over Juan Manuel Marquez last September, now considers himself as the biggest draw, and will again prove that once he gets into the ring with Pacquiao.
The fight almost happened but disagreements over the conduct of drug testing derailed the fight that the whole world wants to see. Sooner or later tough, it should happen simply because it’s too big to be ignored and shelved.
“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.
Mayweather also justified his demand for Olympic-style drug-testing.
“The thing is I am just looking out for the good of the sport, everyone should compete on a fair level but he (Pacquiao) doesn’t want that. I’m not going to say what he is or isn’t on but lets just say that HGH is one hell of a drug. All roads lead to Floyd Mayweather, we all know that,” he said.
“If he wants to fight me, he doesn’t have to look far. Just look for the biggest mansion in Vegas and that’s me. The matter of the fact is I put the offer on the table. Once I get Mosley out of the way then we’ll see what Pacquiao has to say. Until then I don’t want to hear about him.”
When everything has been said and done, Mayweather has no choice but to beat Mosley - if he can. And then he can call out Pacquiao’s name.
And the fight might just take place.
Source
Yes, you can call me a Pacquiao groupie
By Kc Montero
MANILA, Philippines - PacMan vs Clottey. Hmmm… Where do I start? Let’s start with the obvious. He’s not fighting Floyd Mayweather. As a boxing fan, the Mayweather/Pacquiao fight has to happen and if you ask me, I think it will. As you may or may not know I’ve been lucky enough to witness some of Pacman’s best fights, mostly in part because he gives me fight tickets and I provide plane tickets for myself. This time around was a little different, though. You see, usually a PacMan fight will take place in Las Vegas — wherein there are many things to do, like catch a show, go golfing, gamble, look for celebrities, get married, run from Mike Tyson (it’s a long and scary story), people watch, etc. — none of which I do because I’m busy getting hammered with my friends while they call me a Pacquiao groupie. So unfortunately, this fight was not in Las Vegas, it was in Texas (cue: tumbleweeds rolling by).
Ahhh, Texas. They say everything is bigger in Texas and after having been there, I’m now a firm believer. Bigger steak, bigger hats, bigger cars, bigger hotels, bigger cab fare and most importantly bigger stadiums. The Pacquiao/Clottey match happened in the biggest indoor stadium in the world with the largest HD screen in the world. It cost $1.2 billion to create. The damn thing is amazing. The fight here was more of a showcase for Cowboys Stadium than a real boxing match. Okay, let’s try to put this in a timeline.
Wednesday: Arrive in Dallas after a 20-hour plane ride. Me and some friends go straight up to Manny’s room to say “hi” and pay our respects. I get my tickets. Check into our hotel only to find out it’s a kid’s resort, so nothing is open past 9 p.m. Booo!
Thursday: Got my first drink at Manny’s hotel around 5 p.m. Fast forward four hours and now I’m throwing back glasses of whiskey with most of Team Pacquiao minus, of course, the boss. Taking pictures with Miguel Cotto, Jorge Arce, Marco Antonio Barrera. 2 a.m.: Get kicked out, trip over a rock and fall. Damn rock. Sleep.
Friday: Woke up with a headache. I thought it was a hangover, but it was because I slept with a rock as a pillow. Don’t ask. Check out of the kiddie hotel to meet my brother Colby who’s arriving from Seattle. Check into a motel in Arlington next to the stadium thinking it’s near bars and fun stuff. Wrong. Walk to the weigh-in. Manny and Clottey are joking around like they’re best friends. I’m jealous. We then go back to Manny’s hotel where Colby gets trashed at the bar. Manny gives me a ringside seat. Score!
Saturday: FIGHT NIGHT! I get all my “Philippine pride” stuff out. I look good. Nike gave me the Pacquiao shoes, jacket and a special shirt only to be worn after he won (it says “51 Wins”). I look like a walking flag. I’m proud to be Pinoy, so I don’t care what you say. Crack open a brew with the neighbors, who are some white Americans that drove 12 hours to watch the fight. Walk to the fight and enter the mammoth of a beast they call Cowboy Stadium. I try to drink, but $10 for a beer? I don’t. Watched Manny whip a very scared Joshua Clottey. Manny’s singing at his after-party… I didn’t get tickets. Oooh… Darn.
Sunday: Get to the airport six hours early. Fast forward 30 hours, I land in Manila. Not much more than that.
In all, it was a good trip. I had the chance to meet up with all of my Team Pacquiao friends, sleep on a rock, see the biggest indoor stadium, see my brother, got to kick it with Manny, see a lopsided fight but a win nonetheless, and I know have the sweetest Nike jackets and PacMan shoes. Honestly, the true highlight of the trip was hearing Manny say that he was practicing a new punch. A punch that we will all remember. Then, in one of the rounds Manny unleashes a blazing-fast seven-punch combo with the fight punch a double-fisted FPJ ear smack that had the whole arena laughing. Even the referee had a chuckle. You can see Manny was laughing, too, but no one was laughing as hard as Team Pacquaio because he told us he was going to do that. The only one not laughing was Clottey.
Source
MANILA, Philippines - PacMan vs Clottey. Hmmm… Where do I start? Let’s start with the obvious. He’s not fighting Floyd Mayweather. As a boxing fan, the Mayweather/Pacquiao fight has to happen and if you ask me, I think it will. As you may or may not know I’ve been lucky enough to witness some of Pacman’s best fights, mostly in part because he gives me fight tickets and I provide plane tickets for myself. This time around was a little different, though. You see, usually a PacMan fight will take place in Las Vegas — wherein there are many things to do, like catch a show, go golfing, gamble, look for celebrities, get married, run from Mike Tyson (it’s a long and scary story), people watch, etc. — none of which I do because I’m busy getting hammered with my friends while they call me a Pacquiao groupie. So unfortunately, this fight was not in Las Vegas, it was in Texas (cue: tumbleweeds rolling by).
Ahhh, Texas. They say everything is bigger in Texas and after having been there, I’m now a firm believer. Bigger steak, bigger hats, bigger cars, bigger hotels, bigger cab fare and most importantly bigger stadiums. The Pacquiao/Clottey match happened in the biggest indoor stadium in the world with the largest HD screen in the world. It cost $1.2 billion to create. The damn thing is amazing. The fight here was more of a showcase for Cowboys Stadium than a real boxing match. Okay, let’s try to put this in a timeline.
Wednesday: Arrive in Dallas after a 20-hour plane ride. Me and some friends go straight up to Manny’s room to say “hi” and pay our respects. I get my tickets. Check into our hotel only to find out it’s a kid’s resort, so nothing is open past 9 p.m. Booo!
Thursday: Got my first drink at Manny’s hotel around 5 p.m. Fast forward four hours and now I’m throwing back glasses of whiskey with most of Team Pacquiao minus, of course, the boss. Taking pictures with Miguel Cotto, Jorge Arce, Marco Antonio Barrera. 2 a.m.: Get kicked out, trip over a rock and fall. Damn rock. Sleep.
Friday: Woke up with a headache. I thought it was a hangover, but it was because I slept with a rock as a pillow. Don’t ask. Check out of the kiddie hotel to meet my brother Colby who’s arriving from Seattle. Check into a motel in Arlington next to the stadium thinking it’s near bars and fun stuff. Wrong. Walk to the weigh-in. Manny and Clottey are joking around like they’re best friends. I’m jealous. We then go back to Manny’s hotel where Colby gets trashed at the bar. Manny gives me a ringside seat. Score!
Saturday: FIGHT NIGHT! I get all my “Philippine pride” stuff out. I look good. Nike gave me the Pacquiao shoes, jacket and a special shirt only to be worn after he won (it says “51 Wins”). I look like a walking flag. I’m proud to be Pinoy, so I don’t care what you say. Crack open a brew with the neighbors, who are some white Americans that drove 12 hours to watch the fight. Walk to the fight and enter the mammoth of a beast they call Cowboy Stadium. I try to drink, but $10 for a beer? I don’t. Watched Manny whip a very scared Joshua Clottey. Manny’s singing at his after-party… I didn’t get tickets. Oooh… Darn.
Sunday: Get to the airport six hours early. Fast forward 30 hours, I land in Manila. Not much more than that.
In all, it was a good trip. I had the chance to meet up with all of my Team Pacquiao friends, sleep on a rock, see the biggest indoor stadium, see my brother, got to kick it with Manny, see a lopsided fight but a win nonetheless, and I know have the sweetest Nike jackets and PacMan shoes. Honestly, the true highlight of the trip was hearing Manny say that he was practicing a new punch. A punch that we will all remember. Then, in one of the rounds Manny unleashes a blazing-fast seven-punch combo with the fight punch a double-fisted FPJ ear smack that had the whole arena laughing. Even the referee had a chuckle. You can see Manny was laughing, too, but no one was laughing as hard as Team Pacquaio because he told us he was going to do that. The only one not laughing was Clottey.
Source
Why Pacquiao - Mayweather Is Important for Boxing
After watching Manny Pacquiao utterly dominate Joshua Clottey last Saturday, the sports world has turned it's attention to the future for the Filipino sensation. Now that I've digested Pacquiao's performance - which more closely resembled a Class B Felony than a boxing match - I'm now convinced, more than ever, that he and Floyd Mayweather must enter the ring together sometime this fall. It just has to happen.
Right now, Mayweather is busy preparing for his May 1 bout with "Sugar" Shane Mosley, but he is never above discussing Pacquiao. If Mayweather bests Mosley - as virtually everyone agrees he will - the only fight of any magnitude left for either man is one that includes the other. Pacquiao and his trainer Freddie Roach clearly want that fight, the sports world wants that fight and most importantly, boxing needs that fight.
Boxing currently lacks a wealth of marketable stars. A huge pay-per-view featuring its two biggest names and including an undercard stacked with a litany of young stars could expose the public to the best the sport has to offer. Plus, the matchup of "Money May" and "Pacman" is too irresistible not to happen.
The styles of the two fighters mesh perfectly. Mayweather has often been criticized for his tendency to run away and rely too much on his defensive ability and natural skill to out-point his opponents in decisions. Pacquiao on the other hand loves to fight. He takes the fight to his opponents and loves to brawl on the inside and push for knockouts. Pacquiao would force Mayweather to fight with him. He's fast enough that Floyd wouldn't be able to run away. On the other hand, Mayweather's incredible counter-punching ability would surely be the perfect antidote to Pacman's attacking style. It's almost too perfect.
A matchup of the two greatest fighters on the planet would be the biggest thing in boxing since Ali-Frazier I. It would also easily become the highest grossing fight in the history of the sport, would be watched by more people than any previous Pay-Per-View contest, make both men an enormous amount of money and quite possibly allow boxing to have the sporting event of the year for the first time in decades. The sport needs a pick-me-up and the matchup of two guys in their primes, who firmly sit among the top 25 fighters of all-time, would give the needed boost.
Unfortunately, to this point I'm not convinced Mayweather has any desire to step in the ring with Pacquiao. He tentatively agreed to the fight in December before he and his father began accusing Pacquiao of using performance-enhancing drugs. His camp demanded Olympic-style testing of both fighters, with repeated, random blood tests despite the Nevada State Athletic Commission's already tough standards. Some feel Mayweather's camp was justified in its requests, others believe it was an excuse Floyd could use to get out of a fight he didn't really want. I'm firmly in the later camp.
When both sides met with a moderator to sort out their differences, Pacquiao's team gave considerable concessions on the drug testing front. They were willing to meet many of Mayweather's demands but Floyd wouldn't budge and the negotiations ended without a resolution.
Right now Pacquiao is the best fighter on the planet. He has emerged from the South Pacific like a typhoon to take the sport by storm over the past decade. He has wreaked havoc on the best boxing has had to offer, consistently fighting the biggest names available to him. I believe he sits among the top 10 men to ever put on gloves and enter a ring. If he were to beat Mayweather there is no doubt in my mind he would enter the top three, joining Henry Armstrong and Sugar Ray Robinson. For my money, Mayweather is currently in the top 25 of all-time, but a win over Pacquiao would put him firmly in the top 10 and assuredly make him the best of his generation.
I hope that type of motivation is enough for each man to put aside there differences and finally meet in the ring. Their fans, their critics, and their sport demand it.
Source
Right now, Mayweather is busy preparing for his May 1 bout with "Sugar" Shane Mosley, but he is never above discussing Pacquiao. If Mayweather bests Mosley - as virtually everyone agrees he will - the only fight of any magnitude left for either man is one that includes the other. Pacquiao and his trainer Freddie Roach clearly want that fight, the sports world wants that fight and most importantly, boxing needs that fight.
Boxing currently lacks a wealth of marketable stars. A huge pay-per-view featuring its two biggest names and including an undercard stacked with a litany of young stars could expose the public to the best the sport has to offer. Plus, the matchup of "Money May" and "Pacman" is too irresistible not to happen.
The styles of the two fighters mesh perfectly. Mayweather has often been criticized for his tendency to run away and rely too much on his defensive ability and natural skill to out-point his opponents in decisions. Pacquiao on the other hand loves to fight. He takes the fight to his opponents and loves to brawl on the inside and push for knockouts. Pacquiao would force Mayweather to fight with him. He's fast enough that Floyd wouldn't be able to run away. On the other hand, Mayweather's incredible counter-punching ability would surely be the perfect antidote to Pacman's attacking style. It's almost too perfect.
A matchup of the two greatest fighters on the planet would be the biggest thing in boxing since Ali-Frazier I. It would also easily become the highest grossing fight in the history of the sport, would be watched by more people than any previous Pay-Per-View contest, make both men an enormous amount of money and quite possibly allow boxing to have the sporting event of the year for the first time in decades. The sport needs a pick-me-up and the matchup of two guys in their primes, who firmly sit among the top 25 fighters of all-time, would give the needed boost.
Unfortunately, to this point I'm not convinced Mayweather has any desire to step in the ring with Pacquiao. He tentatively agreed to the fight in December before he and his father began accusing Pacquiao of using performance-enhancing drugs. His camp demanded Olympic-style testing of both fighters, with repeated, random blood tests despite the Nevada State Athletic Commission's already tough standards. Some feel Mayweather's camp was justified in its requests, others believe it was an excuse Floyd could use to get out of a fight he didn't really want. I'm firmly in the later camp.
When both sides met with a moderator to sort out their differences, Pacquiao's team gave considerable concessions on the drug testing front. They were willing to meet many of Mayweather's demands but Floyd wouldn't budge and the negotiations ended without a resolution.
Right now Pacquiao is the best fighter on the planet. He has emerged from the South Pacific like a typhoon to take the sport by storm over the past decade. He has wreaked havoc on the best boxing has had to offer, consistently fighting the biggest names available to him. I believe he sits among the top 10 men to ever put on gloves and enter a ring. If he were to beat Mayweather there is no doubt in my mind he would enter the top three, joining Henry Armstrong and Sugar Ray Robinson. For my money, Mayweather is currently in the top 25 of all-time, but a win over Pacquiao would put him firmly in the top 10 and assuredly make him the best of his generation.
I hope that type of motivation is enough for each man to put aside there differences and finally meet in the ring. Their fans, their critics, and their sport demand it.
Source
Manny Pacquiao Will Fight Floyd Mayweather and Then Retire: Doubtful
by Colin Linneweber
As expected, WBO world welterweight champion Manny “Pac-Man” Pacquiao severely outclassed former IBF welterweight titlist Joshua “The Hitter” Clottey to earn a lopsided unanimous decision victory last weekend at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, TX.
Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 KOs), the first boxer in history to win seven world titles in seven different weight divisions, acted as a puncher and Clottey (35-4, 20 KOs) played the role of a willing punching bag.
The final punch statistics showed that Pacquiao landed 246 of 1,231 punches in comparison to Clottey’s paltry total of 108 of 399.
Now that Clottey is an utter afterthought, Pacquiao’s promoter, Bob Arum, will begin to seek for the Filipino icon’s next opponent.
The public has long clamored for a matchup that would pit Pacquiao versus “Pretty Boy” Floyd Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs).
Unfortunately, an extremely lucrative Pacquiao-Mayweather prizefight seems unlikely because the two insanely stubborn and egotistical camps haven’t been able to agree on a drug testing protocol at this juncture.
Mayweather is now scheduled to fight current WBA welterweight champ “Sugar” Shane Mosley May 1 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
A potential adversary that has been mentioned for Pacquiao is disgraced former WBA, IBF and WBO welterweight titleholder Antonio “Tijuana Tornado” Margarito.
In order for Margarito to even be eligible to scrap, he first needs to regain his license to box.
The “Tijuana Tornado” had his boxing license justifiably revoked by the California State Athletic Commission for “at least a year” last February after it was confirmed that he attempted to battle Mosley (46-5, 39 KOs) with a plaster-like substance inside of his hand wraps.
Thankfully, Margarito was caught and proved to be a cowardly charlatan by officials at the Staples Center in Los Angeles before the match began and he had the opportunity to seriously injure Mosley with his cement fists.
Once Margarito had his illegal hand wraps removed, the “Tijuana Tornado” was promptly brutalized by Mosley and defeated by ninth round TKO.
Margarito is the quintessential tough and rugged Mexican pugilist in the ring.
Nevertheless, his attempted actions against Mosley are a cardinal sin in boxing and they should never be forgiven.
Plus, Margarito is simply not in the same sphere as Pacquiao is as a boxer.
Pacquiao’s trainer, Dedham’s Freddie Roach, said he would like to see “Pac-Man” fight Mayweather and then forever retire from the vicious sport of boxing.
“Mayweather and be done with it,” said Roach, 49, a four-time trainer of the year who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease last decade. “There are no more challenges out there. I know there are some fights, but will the general public really want to buy that? I’d like to see him go out on top and not be one of those cases that stayed too long.
Manny has things to fall back on that others don’t. He’s an actor, a singer, he’s running for Congress. Why is Roy Jones still fighting? Because he doesn’t know anything else but boxing. Manny does.”
Roach (39-13, 15 KOs) fought as a professional lightweight for nine years himself and he blames his ailment on competing in the Sweet Science for too long.
“People ask me, ‘Why would you want the guy you make the most money off to quit?’” said Roach. “We’ve done well with each other. I’d rather see him quit than go on after Mayweather. It is more important to me that he has a long and healthy life when this thing is over.”
Boxing fans want, and deserve, to see Pacquiao versus Mayweather.
Sadly, boxing has aptly been called “the red light district of sports” and fans rarely receive what they warrant.
Despite a purse that could pay both prizefighter’s in excess of $30 million apiece, Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather will never fight.
Typically, boxing and its deprived fans will be the biggest losers yet again.
Now, in the meantime, Bob Arum just needs to find Pacquiao another slouch to lambaste.
Source
As expected, WBO world welterweight champion Manny “Pac-Man” Pacquiao severely outclassed former IBF welterweight titlist Joshua “The Hitter” Clottey to earn a lopsided unanimous decision victory last weekend at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, TX.
Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 KOs), the first boxer in history to win seven world titles in seven different weight divisions, acted as a puncher and Clottey (35-4, 20 KOs) played the role of a willing punching bag.
The final punch statistics showed that Pacquiao landed 246 of 1,231 punches in comparison to Clottey’s paltry total of 108 of 399.
Now that Clottey is an utter afterthought, Pacquiao’s promoter, Bob Arum, will begin to seek for the Filipino icon’s next opponent.
The public has long clamored for a matchup that would pit Pacquiao versus “Pretty Boy” Floyd Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs).
Unfortunately, an extremely lucrative Pacquiao-Mayweather prizefight seems unlikely because the two insanely stubborn and egotistical camps haven’t been able to agree on a drug testing protocol at this juncture.
Mayweather is now scheduled to fight current WBA welterweight champ “Sugar” Shane Mosley May 1 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
A potential adversary that has been mentioned for Pacquiao is disgraced former WBA, IBF and WBO welterweight titleholder Antonio “Tijuana Tornado” Margarito.
In order for Margarito to even be eligible to scrap, he first needs to regain his license to box.
The “Tijuana Tornado” had his boxing license justifiably revoked by the California State Athletic Commission for “at least a year” last February after it was confirmed that he attempted to battle Mosley (46-5, 39 KOs) with a plaster-like substance inside of his hand wraps.
Thankfully, Margarito was caught and proved to be a cowardly charlatan by officials at the Staples Center in Los Angeles before the match began and he had the opportunity to seriously injure Mosley with his cement fists.
Once Margarito had his illegal hand wraps removed, the “Tijuana Tornado” was promptly brutalized by Mosley and defeated by ninth round TKO.
Margarito is the quintessential tough and rugged Mexican pugilist in the ring.
Nevertheless, his attempted actions against Mosley are a cardinal sin in boxing and they should never be forgiven.
Plus, Margarito is simply not in the same sphere as Pacquiao is as a boxer.
Pacquiao’s trainer, Dedham’s Freddie Roach, said he would like to see “Pac-Man” fight Mayweather and then forever retire from the vicious sport of boxing.
“Mayweather and be done with it,” said Roach, 49, a four-time trainer of the year who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease last decade. “There are no more challenges out there. I know there are some fights, but will the general public really want to buy that? I’d like to see him go out on top and not be one of those cases that stayed too long.
Manny has things to fall back on that others don’t. He’s an actor, a singer, he’s running for Congress. Why is Roy Jones still fighting? Because he doesn’t know anything else but boxing. Manny does.”
Roach (39-13, 15 KOs) fought as a professional lightweight for nine years himself and he blames his ailment on competing in the Sweet Science for too long.
“People ask me, ‘Why would you want the guy you make the most money off to quit?’” said Roach. “We’ve done well with each other. I’d rather see him quit than go on after Mayweather. It is more important to me that he has a long and healthy life when this thing is over.”
Boxing fans want, and deserve, to see Pacquiao versus Mayweather.
Sadly, boxing has aptly been called “the red light district of sports” and fans rarely receive what they warrant.
Despite a purse that could pay both prizefighter’s in excess of $30 million apiece, Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather will never fight.
Typically, boxing and its deprived fans will be the biggest losers yet again.
Now, in the meantime, Bob Arum just needs to find Pacquiao another slouch to lambaste.
Source
Drug testing detailed for Mayweather-Mosley fight
Both will be subject to random blood and urine tests ‘until and after the fight’ on May
Representatives of boxers Floyd Mayweather Jr., Shane Mosley and Golden Boy Promotions on Thursday revealed their anti-doping procedures for their May 1 welterweight title fight in Las Vegas.
The head of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, Travis Tygart, said Mayweather and Mosley will be subjected to random urine and/or blood tests from now "until and after the fight." In addition to urine tests for steroids, blood tests will be implemented to search for such performance-enhancers as human growth hormone, synthetic hemoglobin and blood transfusions, Tygart said.
Source
Representatives of boxers Floyd Mayweather Jr., Shane Mosley and Golden Boy Promotions on Thursday revealed their anti-doping procedures for their May 1 welterweight title fight in Las Vegas.
The head of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, Travis Tygart, said Mayweather and Mosley will be subjected to random urine and/or blood tests from now "until and after the fight." In addition to urine tests for steroids, blood tests will be implemented to search for such performance-enhancers as human growth hormone, synthetic hemoglobin and blood transfusions, Tygart said.
Source
Pacquiao Weighs Mother’s Plea to Quit Before Facing Mayweather
By Joel Guinto and Francisco Alcuaz Jr.
March 22 (Bloomberg) -- Boxing champion Manny Pacquiao said he’s considering ending his career without fighting American Floyd Mayweather Jr.
The Filipino, who beat Ghana’s Joshua Clottey on March 14 to defend his World Boxing Organization welterweight title, said on returning home today that he’ll talk to his family before making any decision.
“My mother, she said she will even kneel in front of me as long as I stop boxing,” Pacquiao told reporters in Manila after visiting President Gloria Arroyo, and before starting a motorcade around the capital. “We have to respect our parents, without them, we wouldn’t be here.”
Talks for Pacquiao and Mayweather to fight as early as this month collapsed when the two sides couldn’t agree on drug- testing procedures. Pacquiao fought Clottey instead, winning by decision after a full 12 rounds.
Pacquiao, 31, said he doesn’t need to face Mayweather to cement his legacy in the sport, where he has a 51-3-2 record with 38 knockouts.
“I probably won’t challenge him because they’re the ones who need” a fight, ABS-CBN News cited Pacquiao as saying. “I’ve attained my dream in boxing without Floyd Mayweather.”
Pacquiao won his first world title as a flyweight in 1998 and 10 years later defeated Oscar De La Hoya for the welterweight title he still holds. He lost a bid for the Philippine legislature in 2007 and is running anew in this year’s election in May.
“I want to serve my countrymen,” he said.
Source
March 22 (Bloomberg) -- Boxing champion Manny Pacquiao said he’s considering ending his career without fighting American Floyd Mayweather Jr.
The Filipino, who beat Ghana’s Joshua Clottey on March 14 to defend his World Boxing Organization welterweight title, said on returning home today that he’ll talk to his family before making any decision.
“My mother, she said she will even kneel in front of me as long as I stop boxing,” Pacquiao told reporters in Manila after visiting President Gloria Arroyo, and before starting a motorcade around the capital. “We have to respect our parents, without them, we wouldn’t be here.”
Talks for Pacquiao and Mayweather to fight as early as this month collapsed when the two sides couldn’t agree on drug- testing procedures. Pacquiao fought Clottey instead, winning by decision after a full 12 rounds.
Pacquiao, 31, said he doesn’t need to face Mayweather to cement his legacy in the sport, where he has a 51-3-2 record with 38 knockouts.
“I probably won’t challenge him because they’re the ones who need” a fight, ABS-CBN News cited Pacquiao as saying. “I’ve attained my dream in boxing without Floyd Mayweather.”
Pacquiao won his first world title as a flyweight in 1998 and 10 years later defeated Oscar De La Hoya for the welterweight title he still holds. He lost a bid for the Philippine legislature in 2007 and is running anew in this year’s election in May.
“I want to serve my countrymen,” he said.
Source
Pacquiao: Mayweather fight not a must to earn place in boxing history
By Christian V. Esguerra
MANILA, Philippines – International boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao said on Monday morning that he did not feel the need to fight unbeaten American Floyd Mayweather Jr. to cement his place in sports history.
“I’m not obliged to fight him. He’s the one who needs to fight me,” he said in Filipino after a courtesy call on President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in Malacañang Monday morning.
“If we compare our records, what he achieved compared to what I have achieved, modesty aside, you will see,” he added.
Pacquiao hinted at retirement to pursue a new career in politics.
Pacquiao said he would hold a family powwow to determine whether he would continue boxing, following his easy, 12-round victory over Ghanian Joshua Clottey last March 14.
“It’s okay for me to retire. No problem with me. But I can still fight. No problem as well. But of course, I’ve been in boxing for so long. Since I was 12 years old, I was already fighting in the ring, until now. I’m already 31 years old,” he said.
Source
MANILA, Philippines – International boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao said on Monday morning that he did not feel the need to fight unbeaten American Floyd Mayweather Jr. to cement his place in sports history.
“I’m not obliged to fight him. He’s the one who needs to fight me,” he said in Filipino after a courtesy call on President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in Malacañang Monday morning.
“If we compare our records, what he achieved compared to what I have achieved, modesty aside, you will see,” he added.
Pacquiao hinted at retirement to pursue a new career in politics.
Pacquiao said he would hold a family powwow to determine whether he would continue boxing, following his easy, 12-round victory over Ghanian Joshua Clottey last March 14.
“It’s okay for me to retire. No problem with me. But I can still fight. No problem as well. But of course, I’ve been in boxing for so long. Since I was 12 years old, I was already fighting in the ring, until now. I’m already 31 years old,” he said.
Source
Mosley vows better bout vs Mayweather
abs-cbnNEWS.com
MANILA, Philippines – Shane Mosley, the World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight super champion, said his May 1 fight with Floyd Mayweather, Jr. will surely be a showdown unlike the one-sided fight of Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey last Saturday.
“I would like to congratulate Manny on his victory Saturday night even though I think it put most of the fans watching to sleep,” Mosley said in a 411mania article posted by Ramon Aranda.
Pacquiao successfully defended his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight belt against Clottey via unanimous decision last Saturday (Sunday in Manila) at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Mosley, who will face Mayweather at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, even declared that he will score a knockout against his opponent.
“Now it's time for the world to focus on May 1 when I promise you nobody will be sleeping except for Floyd after I knock him out and send him back into retirement,” added Mosley.
Pacquiao was supposed to fight Mayweather but negotiations collapsed after they disagreed on the Olympic-style drug testing protocol which Mayweather called for.
Mosley, meanwhile, was slated to face Andre Berto last January. Berto, however, pulled out of the fight because his family members in Haiti were affected by the massive January 12 earthquake.
No comment from Mayweather
Talks of the much-awaited yet botched Pacquiao-Mayweather bout gained ground again after the Filipino boxing icon’s latest victory.
“‘Yun naman ang gusto ko (That’s what I want),” Pacquiao told Abac Cordero of The Philippine Star. “It’s up to him. I have no problem fighting him. But I don’t think he’s ready now.”
Pacquiao’s adviser, Wakee Salud, for his part, said: “I think the fight will happen. It has to happen… “I think it (Pacquiao-Mayweather) will happen this year.”
The undefeated Mayweather, however, has not yet commented on the Pacquiao-Clottey bout.
According to BoxingScene, a Team Mayweather member said: “Floyd did not do any interviews. Floyd has not watched the fight yet.”
This was in response to an alleged interview wherein Mayweather purportedly said that Pacquiao was a one-dimensional fighter. Such interview was deemed “100% fabricated.”
Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, meantime, told BoxingScene that he does not believe Mayweather did not watch the Pacquiao-Clottey “The Event” clash.
Mayweather, Clottey worlds apart
It was Mayweather’s uncle, Jeff, who gave remarks on the Pacquiao-Clottey bout.
He told Percy Crawford of FightHype that Pacquiao gave a decent performance but the fight was “very boring and very one-sided.”
“You can't really look spectacular if a guy isn't taking chances or taking any risk to try to win the fight. You had one man working and one man working to survive. With that being the case, it didn't even give Manny the chance to actually look good because there were very few exchanges where both guys were trying to hit each other simultaneously,” he continued.
Jeff then addressed the comparisons being made between Clottey and Mayweather, who are known to be defensive fighters.
He even said the comparisons are “asinine.”
“You're talking about one guy who is a pure boxer, and the purest boxer in the history of the sport, that can actually hit you and not be hit and be right in your face at the same time. And then you got one guy that lies on the ropes and allows you to beat on him. That's the difference is that one is a boxer and one is a sitting duck,” he noted.
Jeff elaborated on his nephew’s boxing style, pointing out that Floyd is not just all about defense because he is a mobile fighter.
“Floyd's defense is why he's moving and while he's actually throwing punches. He will make you miss while he's in the heat of the battle. Floyd makes you miss and makes you pay. Clottey doesn't make you miss. He allows you to hit him on the elbows and hit him on the arms and that's not really defense.”
Source
MANILA, Philippines – Shane Mosley, the World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight super champion, said his May 1 fight with Floyd Mayweather, Jr. will surely be a showdown unlike the one-sided fight of Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey last Saturday.
“I would like to congratulate Manny on his victory Saturday night even though I think it put most of the fans watching to sleep,” Mosley said in a 411mania article posted by Ramon Aranda.
Pacquiao successfully defended his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight belt against Clottey via unanimous decision last Saturday (Sunday in Manila) at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Mosley, who will face Mayweather at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, even declared that he will score a knockout against his opponent.
“Now it's time for the world to focus on May 1 when I promise you nobody will be sleeping except for Floyd after I knock him out and send him back into retirement,” added Mosley.
Pacquiao was supposed to fight Mayweather but negotiations collapsed after they disagreed on the Olympic-style drug testing protocol which Mayweather called for.
Mosley, meanwhile, was slated to face Andre Berto last January. Berto, however, pulled out of the fight because his family members in Haiti were affected by the massive January 12 earthquake.
No comment from Mayweather
Talks of the much-awaited yet botched Pacquiao-Mayweather bout gained ground again after the Filipino boxing icon’s latest victory.
“‘Yun naman ang gusto ko (That’s what I want),” Pacquiao told Abac Cordero of The Philippine Star. “It’s up to him. I have no problem fighting him. But I don’t think he’s ready now.”
Pacquiao’s adviser, Wakee Salud, for his part, said: “I think the fight will happen. It has to happen… “I think it (Pacquiao-Mayweather) will happen this year.”
The undefeated Mayweather, however, has not yet commented on the Pacquiao-Clottey bout.
According to BoxingScene, a Team Mayweather member said: “Floyd did not do any interviews. Floyd has not watched the fight yet.”
This was in response to an alleged interview wherein Mayweather purportedly said that Pacquiao was a one-dimensional fighter. Such interview was deemed “100% fabricated.”
Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, meantime, told BoxingScene that he does not believe Mayweather did not watch the Pacquiao-Clottey “The Event” clash.
Mayweather, Clottey worlds apart
It was Mayweather’s uncle, Jeff, who gave remarks on the Pacquiao-Clottey bout.
He told Percy Crawford of FightHype that Pacquiao gave a decent performance but the fight was “very boring and very one-sided.”
“You can't really look spectacular if a guy isn't taking chances or taking any risk to try to win the fight. You had one man working and one man working to survive. With that being the case, it didn't even give Manny the chance to actually look good because there were very few exchanges where both guys were trying to hit each other simultaneously,” he continued.
Jeff then addressed the comparisons being made between Clottey and Mayweather, who are known to be defensive fighters.
He even said the comparisons are “asinine.”
“You're talking about one guy who is a pure boxer, and the purest boxer in the history of the sport, that can actually hit you and not be hit and be right in your face at the same time. And then you got one guy that lies on the ropes and allows you to beat on him. That's the difference is that one is a boxer and one is a sitting duck,” he noted.
Jeff elaborated on his nephew’s boxing style, pointing out that Floyd is not just all about defense because he is a mobile fighter.
“Floyd's defense is why he's moving and while he's actually throwing punches. He will make you miss while he's in the heat of the battle. Floyd makes you miss and makes you pay. Clottey doesn't make you miss. He allows you to hit him on the elbows and hit him on the arms and that's not really defense.”
Source
Mayweather-Mosley revives terrific '24/7'
We all know Floyd Mayweather Jr. is comfortable in the boxing ring, but as we all have learned over the past few years, he's just as comfortable in front of the camera.
Mayweather's presence is what helped make HBO's "24/7" reality series a big hit since the inception of the show in 2007 with "De La Hoya/Mayweather 24/7" and "Mayweather/Hatton 24/7."
So it should come as no surprise that HBO announced Tuesday at the kickoff news conference in New York to promote the Shane Mosley-Mayweather welterweight title fight that the series will return to follow the buildup to the much-anticipated HBO pay-per-view fight on May 1 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
The four-episode "24/7 Mayweather/Mosley" will begin airing April 10 (10 p.m. ET). The second and third episodes will air on subsequent Saturday nights (the April 17 episode debuts at 9:30 p.m. ET and the April 24 episode debuts at 8:30 p.m.). The finale will air on Friday, April 30 (8:30 p.m. ET), allowing HBO's cameras to capture that day's weigh-in.
This will be the fourth time in the eight boxing editions of "24/7," which has won a combined seven Sports Emmy Awards (and deserved them all), that Mayweather will be one of the stars. It will be the first time that Mosley will have the cameras following him throughout a training camp.
"We can't wait to get the cameras rolling on Floyd and Shane as they prepare for this big event," HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg said in making the announcement. "We appreciate all the access and cooperation that we get from the boxers and their teams. We know the bar is set high and we are excited to meet the challenge."
"24/7" is consistently great. It provides lots of training camp access and certainly works to help market the pay-per-view. From the superb music (including the great theme music) to the lush production values to the sweet tones of narrator Liev Schreiber -- count me in as a big-time fan of the show.
I even enjoyed the recent auto racing-themed series that followed Jimmie Johnson and his team's preparation for the Daytona 500, and I'm not an auto racing fan. But you know what? After watching every episode of that series, I tuned in to the 500.
Mayweather is must-see TV. Adding to the drama, undoubtedly, will be having his father, Floyd Mayweather Sr., and his uncle and trainer, Roger Mayweather, around. Never a dull moment with those guys.
Although Mayweather always makes things fun, I am also looking forward to seeing Mosley, long one of the top stars in the sport, get the "24/7" treatment. His trainer, Naazim Richardson, should provide plenty of interesting nuggets as well.
Mosley-Mayweather is one of the best and most significant fights in boxing. Even without a "24/7," it would do big pay-per-view numbers. With a "24/7" backing it up, the numbers will go through the roof. And I wouldn't be surprised if some of the folks at HBO will need to clear off a little more shelf space for some more Emmys.
Source
Mayweather's presence is what helped make HBO's "24/7" reality series a big hit since the inception of the show in 2007 with "De La Hoya/Mayweather 24/7" and "Mayweather/Hatton 24/7."
So it should come as no surprise that HBO announced Tuesday at the kickoff news conference in New York to promote the Shane Mosley-Mayweather welterweight title fight that the series will return to follow the buildup to the much-anticipated HBO pay-per-view fight on May 1 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
The four-episode "24/7 Mayweather/Mosley" will begin airing April 10 (10 p.m. ET). The second and third episodes will air on subsequent Saturday nights (the April 17 episode debuts at 9:30 p.m. ET and the April 24 episode debuts at 8:30 p.m.). The finale will air on Friday, April 30 (8:30 p.m. ET), allowing HBO's cameras to capture that day's weigh-in.
This will be the fourth time in the eight boxing editions of "24/7," which has won a combined seven Sports Emmy Awards (and deserved them all), that Mayweather will be one of the stars. It will be the first time that Mosley will have the cameras following him throughout a training camp.
"We can't wait to get the cameras rolling on Floyd and Shane as they prepare for this big event," HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg said in making the announcement. "We appreciate all the access and cooperation that we get from the boxers and their teams. We know the bar is set high and we are excited to meet the challenge."
"24/7" is consistently great. It provides lots of training camp access and certainly works to help market the pay-per-view. From the superb music (including the great theme music) to the lush production values to the sweet tones of narrator Liev Schreiber -- count me in as a big-time fan of the show.
I even enjoyed the recent auto racing-themed series that followed Jimmie Johnson and his team's preparation for the Daytona 500, and I'm not an auto racing fan. But you know what? After watching every episode of that series, I tuned in to the 500.
Mayweather is must-see TV. Adding to the drama, undoubtedly, will be having his father, Floyd Mayweather Sr., and his uncle and trainer, Roger Mayweather, around. Never a dull moment with those guys.
Although Mayweather always makes things fun, I am also looking forward to seeing Mosley, long one of the top stars in the sport, get the "24/7" treatment. His trainer, Naazim Richardson, should provide plenty of interesting nuggets as well.
Mosley-Mayweather is one of the best and most significant fights in boxing. Even without a "24/7," it would do big pay-per-view numbers. With a "24/7" backing it up, the numbers will go through the roof. And I wouldn't be surprised if some of the folks at HBO will need to clear off a little more shelf space for some more Emmys.
Source
Mayweather-Mosley already getting physical
By DAVE SKRETTA
NEW YORK — Music blared over the loudspeakers, smoke billowed across the stage, and the curtain dropped to reveal Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Shane Mosley dressed to the nines as a crowd of several thousand inside the Nokia Theater let out a roar.
They won't meet in the ring until May 1 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, but the first stop on a whirlwind, three-city publicity tour Tuesday included plenty of pomp and pizazz.
Fireworks, too.
After lengthy introductions that would have made silver-tongued Michael Buffer blush, the unbeaten Mayweather and the welterweight champion Mosley sauntered to the middle of the stage and stood face to face. Jawing turned to pointing, pointing turned to shoving, and before long, promoters from both camps were rushing forward to separate them.
Perhaps the altercation was staged, but it's hard to fake the animosity between them.
"The thing is this: He may be the champ, but we all know belts don't do nothing but collect dust," Mayweather said, smiling. "I'm in the check-cashing business, baby."
Both should be able to cash hefty checks after this fight, arguably the biggest in the sport not involving Manny Pacquiao. Mayweather and Mosley have been circling each other for years, and the possibility they would finally meet really gained traction when Mosley crashed a post-fight interview after Mayweather defeated Juan Manuel Marquez last September.
Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy Promotions brazenly predicted the fight will do 3 million pay-per-views, which would shatter the record set by Mayweather and Oscar De La Hoya in 2007.
"We have the two best American fighters of our generation," Schaefer said. "Mayweather has become a household name, let's face it. Love him or hate him, he's a household name. And with Shane Mosley, you have the perfect dance partner."
The fight came together after weeks of negotiations between Mayweather and Pacquiao failed to produce an agreement. The Filipino fighter refused Olympic-style drug testing — Mayweather's camp has accused Pacquiao of using performance-enhancing drugs — and he will instead fight Joshua Clottey on March 13 at Cowboys Stadium.
When potentially the richest fight in boxing history fell through, Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs) turned to the next biggest attraction in the loaded 147-pound division.
Mosley (46-5, 39 KOs) was supposed to face Andre Berto in a unification fight in January, but Berto's family was severely impacted by the earthquake in Haiti, forcing him to back out.
"It's been a long time since I got a chance to show the world that I'm the best fighter, and that's all that I really want, to be the best," Mosley said. "I'm going to take my hat off to Mayweather, because I didn't think I was ever going to get a fight from any of these top fighters. He said, 'Yeah man, I'll take that challenge. I'll fight you.'"
Both fighters will undergo random blood testing, which they claim will set a new standard for safety in boxing. Such an agreement perked some eyebrows considering Mosley has acknowledged unintentionally using steroids before defeating De La Hoya in 2003.
Mosley claims it was a mistake made by a strength coach connected to the BALCO lab, and insisted again Tuesday that he lives a clean life — even before Mayweather dredged up the past.
"I can't say how many fights Shane has won in the past because we know Shane was using enhancement drugs. That's something we do know," Mayweather said. "It's no different than Pacquiao. I offered Pacquiao the fight. I said, 'We'll give you $25 million.' I never met a man who wouldn't take a $25 million drug test."
While it's hard to forget about the failed fight with Pacquiao, there are plenty of signs that the best alternative is quickly gaining mainstream attention.
Schaefer said the sponsorship portfolio already includes AT&T and StubHub, and that about 14,000 tickets were snatched up Tuesday in the first 15 minutes they were on sale. HBO is also planning the eighth installment of its Emmy-winning "24/7" series during the weeks leading up to the fight, offering behind-the-scenes access to each fighter's training camp.
Then there's the publicity tour, which moves to Washington, D.C., on Wednesday before wrapping up Thursday in Los Angeles.
"This fight reminds me of back in the days of Sugar Ray Leonard and Tommy Hearns, the fights we saw back in the day, the classic fights that brought boxing back," said De La Hoya, president of Golden Boy Promotions, which counts Mosley as a partner.
De La Hoya wasn't shy about a prediction, either.
"I've fought both fighters and I already know what's going to happen," he said, invoking Mayweather's former "Pretty Boy" nickname. "I already know there's going to be a knockout, I already know, and it ain't going to be 'pretty.'"
Source
NEW YORK — Music blared over the loudspeakers, smoke billowed across the stage, and the curtain dropped to reveal Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Shane Mosley dressed to the nines as a crowd of several thousand inside the Nokia Theater let out a roar.
They won't meet in the ring until May 1 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, but the first stop on a whirlwind, three-city publicity tour Tuesday included plenty of pomp and pizazz.
Fireworks, too.
After lengthy introductions that would have made silver-tongued Michael Buffer blush, the unbeaten Mayweather and the welterweight champion Mosley sauntered to the middle of the stage and stood face to face. Jawing turned to pointing, pointing turned to shoving, and before long, promoters from both camps were rushing forward to separate them.
Perhaps the altercation was staged, but it's hard to fake the animosity between them.
"The thing is this: He may be the champ, but we all know belts don't do nothing but collect dust," Mayweather said, smiling. "I'm in the check-cashing business, baby."
Both should be able to cash hefty checks after this fight, arguably the biggest in the sport not involving Manny Pacquiao. Mayweather and Mosley have been circling each other for years, and the possibility they would finally meet really gained traction when Mosley crashed a post-fight interview after Mayweather defeated Juan Manuel Marquez last September.
Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy Promotions brazenly predicted the fight will do 3 million pay-per-views, which would shatter the record set by Mayweather and Oscar De La Hoya in 2007.
"We have the two best American fighters of our generation," Schaefer said. "Mayweather has become a household name, let's face it. Love him or hate him, he's a household name. And with Shane Mosley, you have the perfect dance partner."
The fight came together after weeks of negotiations between Mayweather and Pacquiao failed to produce an agreement. The Filipino fighter refused Olympic-style drug testing — Mayweather's camp has accused Pacquiao of using performance-enhancing drugs — and he will instead fight Joshua Clottey on March 13 at Cowboys Stadium.
When potentially the richest fight in boxing history fell through, Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs) turned to the next biggest attraction in the loaded 147-pound division.
Mosley (46-5, 39 KOs) was supposed to face Andre Berto in a unification fight in January, but Berto's family was severely impacted by the earthquake in Haiti, forcing him to back out.
"It's been a long time since I got a chance to show the world that I'm the best fighter, and that's all that I really want, to be the best," Mosley said. "I'm going to take my hat off to Mayweather, because I didn't think I was ever going to get a fight from any of these top fighters. He said, 'Yeah man, I'll take that challenge. I'll fight you.'"
Both fighters will undergo random blood testing, which they claim will set a new standard for safety in boxing. Such an agreement perked some eyebrows considering Mosley has acknowledged unintentionally using steroids before defeating De La Hoya in 2003.
Mosley claims it was a mistake made by a strength coach connected to the BALCO lab, and insisted again Tuesday that he lives a clean life — even before Mayweather dredged up the past.
"I can't say how many fights Shane has won in the past because we know Shane was using enhancement drugs. That's something we do know," Mayweather said. "It's no different than Pacquiao. I offered Pacquiao the fight. I said, 'We'll give you $25 million.' I never met a man who wouldn't take a $25 million drug test."
While it's hard to forget about the failed fight with Pacquiao, there are plenty of signs that the best alternative is quickly gaining mainstream attention.
Schaefer said the sponsorship portfolio already includes AT&T and StubHub, and that about 14,000 tickets were snatched up Tuesday in the first 15 minutes they were on sale. HBO is also planning the eighth installment of its Emmy-winning "24/7" series during the weeks leading up to the fight, offering behind-the-scenes access to each fighter's training camp.
Then there's the publicity tour, which moves to Washington, D.C., on Wednesday before wrapping up Thursday in Los Angeles.
"This fight reminds me of back in the days of Sugar Ray Leonard and Tommy Hearns, the fights we saw back in the day, the classic fights that brought boxing back," said De La Hoya, president of Golden Boy Promotions, which counts Mosley as a partner.
De La Hoya wasn't shy about a prediction, either.
"I've fought both fighters and I already know what's going to happen," he said, invoking Mayweather's former "Pretty Boy" nickname. "I already know there's going to be a knockout, I already know, and it ain't going to be 'pretty.'"
Source
Mayweather raises doping issue vs Mosley, Pacquiao
abs-cbnNEWS.com
MANILA, Philippines – Undefeated American fighter Floyd Mayweather, Jr. has not yet put an end to his doping allegation against 7-division world champion Manny Pacquiao, even mentioning it during the press conference of his May 1 fight against compatriot Shane Mosley.
Mayweather even brought up Mosley’s doping history during the press conference held at the Nokia Theatre in Times Square, New York City.
“I can't say how many fights Shane has won in the past because we know Shane was using enhancement drugs. That's something we do know,” he said as quoted by the Associated Press.
Although Mosley did not react to Mayweather's statement, the boxers still had a minor scuffle during the press conference which prompted their team members to intervene.
Mosley admitted to taking steroids “unknowingly” in 2003 after being forced by a former strength and conditioning coach to do so as part of his training.
“It's no different than Pacquiao. I offered Pacquiao the fight. I said, ‘We'll give you $25 million.’ I never met a man who wouldn't take a $25 million drug test,” continued Mayweather.
He was slated to fight Pacquiao on March 13 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada but negotiations crumbled because they disagreed on the drug testing protocol.
Pacquiao even sued Mayweather and some of his team members for alleging that he was taking performance-enhancing drugs. The Filipino boxing superstar chose to fight Ghanaian Joshua Clottey on March 13 at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Mosley, on the other hand, was supposed to face Andre Berto in January but the Haitian’s family was affected by the devastating earthquake in the Caribbean nation.
Mayweather and Mosley have agreed to undergo random blood testing to ensure fairness ahead of their bout dubbed “Who R U Picking?”
Unknown outcome
Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer explained the title of the May 1 pay-per-view event.
“The theme of this fight is ‘who are you picking?’ because when two champions of this caliber meet in the ring, you can expect nothing but an extremely competitive fight and an unknown outcome that will only reveal itself on May 1,” Schaefer said in a statement posted on PhilBoxing.com.
“Shane Mosley is one of the greatest fighters of this era and so is Floyd Mayweather, so it is a true gift that the fans will have the opportunity to see a fiercely competitive and fantastic night of boxing,” he added.
Mayweather has a 40-0 (with 25 knockouts) record while reigning World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight super champion Mosley has 46 wins (with 39 KOs) and 5 losses.
The undefeated American said of his foe: “Not only does he have the skills, but he is also fast, strong and a very tough competitor. His speed and power won't mean much that night against my will and determination to dominate him inside the square circle. When I compete against the best, I am always at my best; so on May 1 the fans will see one great performance.”
Mosley, for his part, noted that his dream of fighting Mayweather is finally coming true.
“Floyd is excellent at what he does, but my past record of beating the best competition and other great champions shows that he is just another one of my opponents I intend to beat. He has never faced anyone like me before and I think that will be a big factor on May 1 when I plan to show him just what it means to meet a true champion in the ring.”
TheSweetScience.com also reported that Schaefer predicted that the Mayweather-Mosley bout would generate 3 million buys. This is higher than the 2.7 million PPV buys record held by the 2007 fight between Mayweather and Oscar de la Hoya.
Source
MANILA, Philippines – Undefeated American fighter Floyd Mayweather, Jr. has not yet put an end to his doping allegation against 7-division world champion Manny Pacquiao, even mentioning it during the press conference of his May 1 fight against compatriot Shane Mosley.
Mayweather even brought up Mosley’s doping history during the press conference held at the Nokia Theatre in Times Square, New York City.
“I can't say how many fights Shane has won in the past because we know Shane was using enhancement drugs. That's something we do know,” he said as quoted by the Associated Press.
Although Mosley did not react to Mayweather's statement, the boxers still had a minor scuffle during the press conference which prompted their team members to intervene.
Mosley admitted to taking steroids “unknowingly” in 2003 after being forced by a former strength and conditioning coach to do so as part of his training.
“It's no different than Pacquiao. I offered Pacquiao the fight. I said, ‘We'll give you $25 million.’ I never met a man who wouldn't take a $25 million drug test,” continued Mayweather.
He was slated to fight Pacquiao on March 13 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada but negotiations crumbled because they disagreed on the drug testing protocol.
Pacquiao even sued Mayweather and some of his team members for alleging that he was taking performance-enhancing drugs. The Filipino boxing superstar chose to fight Ghanaian Joshua Clottey on March 13 at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Mosley, on the other hand, was supposed to face Andre Berto in January but the Haitian’s family was affected by the devastating earthquake in the Caribbean nation.
Mayweather and Mosley have agreed to undergo random blood testing to ensure fairness ahead of their bout dubbed “Who R U Picking?”
Unknown outcome
Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer explained the title of the May 1 pay-per-view event.
“The theme of this fight is ‘who are you picking?’ because when two champions of this caliber meet in the ring, you can expect nothing but an extremely competitive fight and an unknown outcome that will only reveal itself on May 1,” Schaefer said in a statement posted on PhilBoxing.com.
“Shane Mosley is one of the greatest fighters of this era and so is Floyd Mayweather, so it is a true gift that the fans will have the opportunity to see a fiercely competitive and fantastic night of boxing,” he added.
Mayweather has a 40-0 (with 25 knockouts) record while reigning World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight super champion Mosley has 46 wins (with 39 KOs) and 5 losses.
The undefeated American said of his foe: “Not only does he have the skills, but he is also fast, strong and a very tough competitor. His speed and power won't mean much that night against my will and determination to dominate him inside the square circle. When I compete against the best, I am always at my best; so on May 1 the fans will see one great performance.”
Mosley, for his part, noted that his dream of fighting Mayweather is finally coming true.
“Floyd is excellent at what he does, but my past record of beating the best competition and other great champions shows that he is just another one of my opponents I intend to beat. He has never faced anyone like me before and I think that will be a big factor on May 1 when I plan to show him just what it means to meet a true champion in the ring.”
TheSweetScience.com also reported that Schaefer predicted that the Mayweather-Mosley bout would generate 3 million buys. This is higher than the 2.7 million PPV buys record held by the 2007 fight between Mayweather and Oscar de la Hoya.
Source
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