LOS ANGELES - Sports fans around the world can breathe again as it was announced today that the highly anticipated 12-round welterweight showdown between Floyd Mayweather and Juan Manuel Marquez has been officially rescheduled for September 19, after Mayweather, who suffered a rib injury while training for the originally scheduled July 18 date, received clearance from his doctor to participate on the new date.
Mayweather vs. Marquez: "Number One/Numero Uno," which will still take place at MGM Grand in Las Vegas and be televised live on HBO Pay-Per-View, will now take place on what on what is historically considered boxing's biggest weekend, and falling on the time-honored tradition of Mexican Independence Day.
"I am relieved to be cleared to fight as I was already looking forward to getting back in the ring," said Mayweather. "Trust me, September 19 is a great weekend for boxing, and all of my fans, of which there are many Mexicans too, can certainly hold on to their hats and sombreros when I get back in to the ring and show them what they have been missing these past 18 months. I will destroy Marquez and reclaim my rightful place as boxing's pound-for-pound king all in one night. Don't miss it."
Marquez, who has also agreed to fight on the new date, is excited about appearing yet again on the time-honored tradition of El Grito de Independence.
"I am happy that Mayweather has been cleared to fight and we can get down to business on September 19," said Marquez. "This weekend is not just an important weekend for boxing, but even more so for all of the Mexican and Mexican-American people I will be fighting for who will have a great reason to celebrate my win over Mayweather, which will be for all of the people and for the entire country of Mexico that night. I am sure of victory and si se puede- yes we can and yes we will!"
Mayweather vs. Marquez: "Number One/Numero Uno," is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions in association with Marquez Promotions and is sponsored by Cerveza Tecate and Southwest Airlines.
Tickets priced at $1,000, $750, $600, $300 and $150, not including applicable service charges, go on sale Friday, May 22 at 10 a.m. Ticket sales at $1,000, $750, $600 and $300 are limited to 10 per person and ticket sales at $150 are limited to two (2) per person with a total ticket limit of 10 per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com
The Mayweather vs. Marquez pay-per-view telecast, beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT, has a suggested retail price of $49.95, will be produced and distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View® and will be available to more than 71 million pay-per-view homes. The telecast will be available in HD-TV for those viewers who can receive HD. HBO Pay-Per-View®, a division of Home Box Office, Inc., is the leading supplier of event programming to the pay-per-view industry. For Mayweather vs. Marquez fight week updates, log on to www.hbo.com.
Source: boxingscene.com
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Canceled!: Boxing's Lost Summer of 2009
While commenting on another post, it just moments ago really dawned on me how unexciting much of boxing's summer schedule has become. The recent rash of cancellations and postponements has turned what looked pretty decent into something that now feels empty, like months of wasted time in a sport that needs big fights.
I'm not trying to demean the fights we're going to get (for now, anyway), but when you look at June 22 through the end of August and the biggest thing there is a 140-pound title unification between Timothy Bradley and Nate Campbell, that's trouble. If you count June, July and August as "the summer months" for the sport, we're going to wind up having passed a quarter of the year where the biggest fight was Miguel Cotto's rumble with Joshua Clottey on June 13.
The Klitschko-Haye debacle of June 20 was big, as it took a fight that people all over the world were interested in seeing and replaced it with YAKC (Yet Another Klitschko Cakewalk). Kelly Pavlik's return -- though a "light" fight against Sergio Mora -- was turned into an uninteresting Juan Manuel Lopez fight against an unknown challenger on June 27. Even the June 20 rematch between Chris John and Rocky Juarez factors in.
The biggie, of course, is the postponement of Mayweather-Marquez, likely being rescheduled for September, when it's also expected that Pavlik will fight again.
There are good fights that will happen. Bradley-Campbell is good. Joseph Agbeko-Vic Darchinyan (July 11) is good. Juan Diaz-Paulie Malignaggi (August 22) is decent. I like the Nonito Donaire-Hugo Cazares fight on August 15, but that's pay-per-view, too.
Cotto and Manny Pacquiao will get it on in November, and the fall block looks loaded right now. With that, the rescheduled Mayweather-Marquez fight and the Pavlik return likely in September, a highly-anticipated rematch between Chad Dawson and Glen Johnson, and maybe a ring return from Ricky Hatton and hopefully something out of Shane Mosley, boxing can really kick the fires from September through November. I think there's even an outside shot that Cotto-Pacquiao will top Hatton-Pacquiao as the event of the year.
And the thing is, there's really no one to blame. Promoters set up fights, and the fights now aren't happening. But saying the stars aren't aligning for boxing this summer is a huge understatement. It's downright bleak.
Source: badlefthook.com
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Mosley Not Giving Up On Pacquiao Yet
MANILA, Philippines – Manny Pacquiao’s camp may already be in negotiation for a prospective fight with Miguel Cotto but Sugar Shane Mosley is not about to throw in the towel yet.
Still dead serious in getting the Filipino ring icon as opponent, Mosley reiterated that he, not Cotto, presents the BIG fight out there for the reigning pound-for-pound king.
"The only person that's stopping the (Pacquiao-Mosley) fight is Bob Arum (Top Rank boss who promotes both Pacquiao and Cotto)," Mosley was quoted in a fighthype.com report.
Mosley, who had even declared his willingness to accept a 40/60 split and slide down from 147 lbs to meet Pacquiao at a catch weight, claimed Arum was only pushing for a Pacquiao-Cotto bout in a bid to keep the Puerto Rican at his stable.
“Bob Arum has his own investments into the fight as far as him wanting to re-sign Cotto and get him a big fight. Then he has Pacquiao. He will give Cotto a little money to keep him happy because he really doesn't deserve any of it. And then he will throw Pacquiao something out there.
“But the bigger fight is me and Pacquiao. We have the biggest names by far and Pacquiao's legacy wouldn't be damaged losing to me. I don't understand…well, I do understand what Bob Arum wants to do, but I wouldn't understand why Pacquiao wouldn't take the fight," he said.
Pacquiao had given Arum the greenlight to initiate talks with WBO welterweight champ Cotto after watching the latter fight and escape with a split decision win over Joshua Clottey.
The projected Pacquiao-Cotto duel is being eyed for November 14 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
The wheels are already in motion and Arum had expressed confidence both fighters would sign on, although he’s not rushing things.
"What's the rush?" Arum told the Las Vegas Review-Journal Sunday. "There's going to be some haggling, like there always is. But, eventually, we'll get it worked out, and by early July, everything should be set for what will be a great fight."
But Mosley, the reigning WBA welterweight champion, insisted the fight that fans really want involves him and the IBO 140-lb boss.
And he’s willing to put this on a vote among Pacquiao’s Filipino fans.
"I just want to tell Pacquiao to do the right thing for boxing," Mosley said in the fighthype.com report. “I think you guys should put a poll up and let the Philippine fans vote which one they think would be a bigger fight and who they want to see Pacquiao fight next, Shane Mosley or Miguel Cotto! Let's see who the Philippine fans want Pacquiao to fight next,"
But apparently, it’s not the Filipinos’ vote on his next foe that Pacquiao is interested in right now.
Over the weekend, Pacquiao joined the townsfolk of Malapatan, Saranggani in celebrating their founding anniversary, a move seen as his initial salvo in trying to woo their votes next year. The 30-year-old Pacquiao is bent on running for a congressional seat in Saranggani after a failed bid in South Cotabato three years ago.
Source: gmanews.tv
Still dead serious in getting the Filipino ring icon as opponent, Mosley reiterated that he, not Cotto, presents the BIG fight out there for the reigning pound-for-pound king.
"The only person that's stopping the (Pacquiao-Mosley) fight is Bob Arum (Top Rank boss who promotes both Pacquiao and Cotto)," Mosley was quoted in a fighthype.com report.
Mosley, who had even declared his willingness to accept a 40/60 split and slide down from 147 lbs to meet Pacquiao at a catch weight, claimed Arum was only pushing for a Pacquiao-Cotto bout in a bid to keep the Puerto Rican at his stable.
“Bob Arum has his own investments into the fight as far as him wanting to re-sign Cotto and get him a big fight. Then he has Pacquiao. He will give Cotto a little money to keep him happy because he really doesn't deserve any of it. And then he will throw Pacquiao something out there.
“But the bigger fight is me and Pacquiao. We have the biggest names by far and Pacquiao's legacy wouldn't be damaged losing to me. I don't understand…well, I do understand what Bob Arum wants to do, but I wouldn't understand why Pacquiao wouldn't take the fight," he said.
Pacquiao had given Arum the greenlight to initiate talks with WBO welterweight champ Cotto after watching the latter fight and escape with a split decision win over Joshua Clottey.
The projected Pacquiao-Cotto duel is being eyed for November 14 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
The wheels are already in motion and Arum had expressed confidence both fighters would sign on, although he’s not rushing things.
"What's the rush?" Arum told the Las Vegas Review-Journal Sunday. "There's going to be some haggling, like there always is. But, eventually, we'll get it worked out, and by early July, everything should be set for what will be a great fight."
But Mosley, the reigning WBA welterweight champion, insisted the fight that fans really want involves him and the IBO 140-lb boss.
And he’s willing to put this on a vote among Pacquiao’s Filipino fans.
"I just want to tell Pacquiao to do the right thing for boxing," Mosley said in the fighthype.com report. “I think you guys should put a poll up and let the Philippine fans vote which one they think would be a bigger fight and who they want to see Pacquiao fight next, Shane Mosley or Miguel Cotto! Let's see who the Philippine fans want Pacquiao to fight next,"
But apparently, it’s not the Filipinos’ vote on his next foe that Pacquiao is interested in right now.
Over the weekend, Pacquiao joined the townsfolk of Malapatan, Saranggani in celebrating their founding anniversary, a move seen as his initial salvo in trying to woo their votes next year. The 30-year-old Pacquiao is bent on running for a congressional seat in Saranggani after a failed bid in South Cotabato three years ago.
Source: gmanews.tv
Top Rank Boss Hopes Cotto Decision Out Soon
MANILA, Philippines – Miguel Cotto’s camp is close to making a decision regarding the fight laid down by promoter Bob Arum against Manny Pacquiao on November 14 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
“I talked preliminarily with the Cotto people face-to-face at a meeting in Tampa when he was training for the (Joshua) Clottey fight," Arum said in an interview at USAToday.com. “Now I feel confident I can get the rest of the business done on the telephone."
“I laid out everything. Hopefully we’ll have their answer and get it resolved with them by the end of the week," Arum added. “Both guys want to fight each other. When that happens, generally it can all come together."
If a fight is set, Cotto will defend his WBO welterweight (147 lbs) crown against Pacquiao, the reigning pound-for-pound king. Pacquiao defeated Oscar de la Hoya last December in the same weight division.
Cotto is coming from a split decision win over Joshua Clottey of Ghana last week.
Next for Arum is meeting with Pacquiao’s camp.
And he knows that he cannot pressure Pacquiao to immediately make a decision. “There’s a ton of money involved. If you push it under arbitrary deadlines it’s going to go off track."
“Giving me a few weeks, which is no hurry, enables me to have enough time to pull it together so nobody feels I’m steamrolling them. There’s an art in doing this," added Arum.
“The most pressing issue..., that’s the money and who gets what," Arum said. “That’s always the biggest issue. I’ve dealt with both of these camps over the years so many times that I feel that we’ll come together and all be satisfied. Based on my conversations with both camps today I am extremely optimistic."
Source: gmanews.tv
“I talked preliminarily with the Cotto people face-to-face at a meeting in Tampa when he was training for the (Joshua) Clottey fight," Arum said in an interview at USAToday.com. “Now I feel confident I can get the rest of the business done on the telephone."
“I laid out everything. Hopefully we’ll have their answer and get it resolved with them by the end of the week," Arum added. “Both guys want to fight each other. When that happens, generally it can all come together."
If a fight is set, Cotto will defend his WBO welterweight (147 lbs) crown against Pacquiao, the reigning pound-for-pound king. Pacquiao defeated Oscar de la Hoya last December in the same weight division.
Cotto is coming from a split decision win over Joshua Clottey of Ghana last week.
Next for Arum is meeting with Pacquiao’s camp.
And he knows that he cannot pressure Pacquiao to immediately make a decision. “There’s a ton of money involved. If you push it under arbitrary deadlines it’s going to go off track."
“Giving me a few weeks, which is no hurry, enables me to have enough time to pull it together so nobody feels I’m steamrolling them. There’s an art in doing this," added Arum.
“The most pressing issue..., that’s the money and who gets what," Arum said. “That’s always the biggest issue. I’ve dealt with both of these camps over the years so many times that I feel that we’ll come together and all be satisfied. Based on my conversations with both camps today I am extremely optimistic."
Source: gmanews.tv
Sealing Fight With Pacquiao Cotto's Priority
MANILA, Philippines – For Miguel Cotto, a showdown with the world’s pound-for-pound fighter is definitely one of the top priority’s in his colorful boxing career.
The reigning World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight king finally broke his silence and talked with pride and honor a projected November 14 fight with boxing sensation Manny Pacquaio at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
The native of Caguas, Puerto Rico had past duels with the likes of world champions Sugar Shane Mosley, Antonio Margarito, Michael Jennings, Zab Judah and Paul Malignaggi.
But he said his planned 12-round title fight with the Filipino icon is definitely, according to him, “the biggest fight and greatest achievement of my career."
Cotto’s statement came out in Primera Hora, the Guaynabo, Puerto Rican-based newspaper, his first public announcement since reports of a Pacquiao-Cotto showdown late this year cropped up shortly after he retained his 147-pound title belt with a split decision win over Joshua Clottey.
“Everything I have had in my career has been all about challenges. Everything I have worked for has revolved around that and I have endeavored to reach certain achievements and I have achieved," Cotto added.
Cotto suffered a deep cut on his left eye, the result of an accidental third-round head butt by Clottey, needing at least 21 stitches for the wound to close up.
The New York State Athletic Commission has suspended Cotto for fighting in the next three months, giving him enough time to heal the wound and perhaps, be ready for his duel with the 30-year-old pound-for-pound king.
Cotto had a conference call with promoter Bob Arum the other day, with the Top Rank official putting on the table the terms of the Pacquiao fight.
“I was on the phone with Cotto’s people and I outlined to them the terms and points of the deal," said the veteran boxing promoter. “I expect their response by the end of the week."
During the conversation, Arum brought up the idea of the bout being fought at a catch weight which he said, would be within 144 to 145 pounds.
Cotto has not fought below 147 pounds since 2006, while Pacquiao and his trainer Freddie Roach want the match to be within the 143-144 level.
In a consultation with Cotto’s nutritionist, Arum said the WBO champion would not have a hard time going down two or three pounds below 147.
“Cotto is a welterweight and the nutritionist is saying the lowest he can go is 144," said Arum. “Manny will be fine with that. He doesn’t want a guy to get in there and injure himself by fighting at an unrealistically low weight."
Arum is set to meet with Pacquiao close adviser Michael Koncz on Sunday to discuss the specifics of the deal he had with Cotto’s camp.
Arum said he doesn’t see any hitches coming up along the way it did during negotiations for Pacquiao’s last two bouts against Ricky Hatton and Oscar De La Hoya.
Source: gmanews.tv
The reigning World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight king finally broke his silence and talked with pride and honor a projected November 14 fight with boxing sensation Manny Pacquaio at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
The native of Caguas, Puerto Rico had past duels with the likes of world champions Sugar Shane Mosley, Antonio Margarito, Michael Jennings, Zab Judah and Paul Malignaggi.
But he said his planned 12-round title fight with the Filipino icon is definitely, according to him, “the biggest fight and greatest achievement of my career."
Cotto’s statement came out in Primera Hora, the Guaynabo, Puerto Rican-based newspaper, his first public announcement since reports of a Pacquiao-Cotto showdown late this year cropped up shortly after he retained his 147-pound title belt with a split decision win over Joshua Clottey.
“Everything I have had in my career has been all about challenges. Everything I have worked for has revolved around that and I have endeavored to reach certain achievements and I have achieved," Cotto added.
Cotto suffered a deep cut on his left eye, the result of an accidental third-round head butt by Clottey, needing at least 21 stitches for the wound to close up.
The New York State Athletic Commission has suspended Cotto for fighting in the next three months, giving him enough time to heal the wound and perhaps, be ready for his duel with the 30-year-old pound-for-pound king.
Cotto had a conference call with promoter Bob Arum the other day, with the Top Rank official putting on the table the terms of the Pacquiao fight.
“I was on the phone with Cotto’s people and I outlined to them the terms and points of the deal," said the veteran boxing promoter. “I expect their response by the end of the week."
During the conversation, Arum brought up the idea of the bout being fought at a catch weight which he said, would be within 144 to 145 pounds.
Cotto has not fought below 147 pounds since 2006, while Pacquiao and his trainer Freddie Roach want the match to be within the 143-144 level.
In a consultation with Cotto’s nutritionist, Arum said the WBO champion would not have a hard time going down two or three pounds below 147.
“Cotto is a welterweight and the nutritionist is saying the lowest he can go is 144," said Arum. “Manny will be fine with that. He doesn’t want a guy to get in there and injure himself by fighting at an unrealistically low weight."
Arum is set to meet with Pacquiao close adviser Michael Koncz on Sunday to discuss the specifics of the deal he had with Cotto’s camp.
Arum said he doesn’t see any hitches coming up along the way it did during negotiations for Pacquiao’s last two bouts against Ricky Hatton and Oscar De La Hoya.
Source: gmanews.tv
Pacquiao: Boxing’s Top Fighter Pound-for-Pound, Dollar-for-Dollar
MANILA, Philippines – He just opened the doors to his new mansion in Hollywood, a multi-million dollar property that’s just a short drive away from the Beverly Hills homes of Paris Hilton and Sharon Stone.
It’s just the latest addition to his growing number of abodes in the US and at home, from California to General Santos, Davao, Sarangani, BF Homes in Paranaque and Laguna, near his kid's school Brent International.
He has at his disposal loads of hot wheels, topped off by a Navigator and a Mercedes-Benz which he drives in the US and a Porsche Cayenne, among his favorites at home.
So will anyone still question the place of boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao among the richest?
In the latest roster of the world’s highest-paid athletes by Forbes.com, Pacquiao’s earning was pegged at $40 million for the period June 2008 to June 2009. That’s over P1 billion in Philippine currency!
Forbes.com credited this to the Pacman’s megabuck fights with Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton, which garnered more than 2 million pay-per-view buys and netted Pacquiao $30-million combined.
His multi-million endorsement deals with Nike and San Miguel also contributed to his lofty standing –a tie for sixth place - in the Forbes list, which looks at athletes’ earnings derived from salaries, bonuses, prize money, endorsements and licensing income.
Of course, Pacquiao did not get this staggering $40 million in full.
There’s still taxes and cuts for his training team as well as his famous gesture of giving balatos to his pals and others in need.
And not merely focusing on lavish things, the Pacman is investing his well-earned bucks on a number of businesses, among them a farm in Sarangani, a mango plantation and a commercial building in GenSan.
For his latest venture, Pacquiao will invest some P1.217 billion to develop a 400-hectare property in GenSan and transform it into a special economic zone, which would have an international Medical Convention Center, an outdoor sports and recreation park, and retail and commercial strips.
And yes, Pacquiao has also spent precious money for his failed congressional bid in GenSan in 2007, which according to financemanila.net, reached P140-million. The 30-year-old fighter is again expected to shell out funds for his next foray in politics, this time in Sarangani province.
Considered as the best fighter in the pound-for-pound, Pacquiao also ranks high when stacked up against top moneymakers in sports, dollar-for-dollar.
A first timer in the Forbes list, Pacquiao ties NBA MVP LeBron James and golf star Phil Mickelson for sixth spot among the high-earners.
Ahead of them are Tiger Woods, who netted $110 million for the No. 1 spot; Lakers star Kobe Bryant and retired cage legend Michael Jordan and Finnish Formula One driver Kimi Raikkonen, who made $45 million for joint second; and football hero David Beckham, who had $42 million for solo fifth.
The Pacman outranked the likes of tennis great Roger Federer and NBA star Shaquille O'Neal, who netted $33 million apiece for joint 11th; as well as De La Hoya and baseball star Alex Rodriguez, who earned $32 million each for a share of 13th.
Source: gmanews.tv
It’s just the latest addition to his growing number of abodes in the US and at home, from California to General Santos, Davao, Sarangani, BF Homes in Paranaque and Laguna, near his kid's school Brent International.
He has at his disposal loads of hot wheels, topped off by a Navigator and a Mercedes-Benz which he drives in the US and a Porsche Cayenne, among his favorites at home.
So will anyone still question the place of boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao among the richest?
In the latest roster of the world’s highest-paid athletes by Forbes.com, Pacquiao’s earning was pegged at $40 million for the period June 2008 to June 2009. That’s over P1 billion in Philippine currency!
Forbes.com credited this to the Pacman’s megabuck fights with Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton, which garnered more than 2 million pay-per-view buys and netted Pacquiao $30-million combined.
His multi-million endorsement deals with Nike and San Miguel also contributed to his lofty standing –a tie for sixth place - in the Forbes list, which looks at athletes’ earnings derived from salaries, bonuses, prize money, endorsements and licensing income.
Of course, Pacquiao did not get this staggering $40 million in full.
There’s still taxes and cuts for his training team as well as his famous gesture of giving balatos to his pals and others in need.
And not merely focusing on lavish things, the Pacman is investing his well-earned bucks on a number of businesses, among them a farm in Sarangani, a mango plantation and a commercial building in GenSan.
For his latest venture, Pacquiao will invest some P1.217 billion to develop a 400-hectare property in GenSan and transform it into a special economic zone, which would have an international Medical Convention Center, an outdoor sports and recreation park, and retail and commercial strips.
And yes, Pacquiao has also spent precious money for his failed congressional bid in GenSan in 2007, which according to financemanila.net, reached P140-million. The 30-year-old fighter is again expected to shell out funds for his next foray in politics, this time in Sarangani province.
Considered as the best fighter in the pound-for-pound, Pacquiao also ranks high when stacked up against top moneymakers in sports, dollar-for-dollar.
A first timer in the Forbes list, Pacquiao ties NBA MVP LeBron James and golf star Phil Mickelson for sixth spot among the high-earners.
Ahead of them are Tiger Woods, who netted $110 million for the No. 1 spot; Lakers star Kobe Bryant and retired cage legend Michael Jordan and Finnish Formula One driver Kimi Raikkonen, who made $45 million for joint second; and football hero David Beckham, who had $42 million for solo fifth.
The Pacman outranked the likes of tennis great Roger Federer and NBA star Shaquille O'Neal, who netted $33 million apiece for joint 11th; as well as De La Hoya and baseball star Alex Rodriguez, who earned $32 million each for a share of 13th.
Source: gmanews.tv
Hey , Floyd Draw!....Oh Right , You Can't
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What do you get when you put Floyd Mayweather in a fight with another counterpuncher? A fight that seems to have trouble drawing flies. Maybe that's a little harsh , but the reality is that two counterpunchers , no matter how skilled , is not going to be a fight of the year candidate.
PBF (Pretty Boring Floyd ) has got to have one friend that he can buy that will be honest enough to tell Floyd , "Dude , most of the people buying tickets want to see you get knocked out!" But in Floyd's world he is the draw. He recently said that he was coming back because " I missed boxing and boxing missed me." Well that is half right anyway. I'm sure something you have done your whole life and have , I'll admit it begrudgingly , been good at must be a little like being homesick.
Your pound for pound crown has been bestowed on that Filipino cyclone named Pacquiao. And Manny has more than ably worn that crown with great pride and to us boxing fans he has worn it with excitement. Something that seemed to be missing during your reign.
So does Floyd come out of retirement and honestly go after Pacquiao. No. Mayweather and Marquez see a win in their fight as a ticket to the Pacman bowl. Only trouble is that Manny doesn't want a third fight with Marquez and Floyd evidently believes that he is the boxer everyone wants to see. Hey Floyd! Wake up and welcome to reality. Making it rain money on 24/7 only makes you look like a spoiled little kid , last I looked I didn't see too many adults running up to kids like that to say how precious they were. On your De La Hoya 24/7 you were quoted as saying that you were going to kill the m_____ f_____. I think the boxing law states that you have to be an offensive minded fighter to say those words. Your fight was more like a game of tag. And truth be known DeLa Hoya won every round that he used his jab. The same jab that Freddie Roach implored Oscar to use the whole fight.
You are a defensive genius and your wins over Gatti and Corrales were masterpieces. But your fights at welterweights are the equivalent of a sleep aid. People walked out on your fight with Baldomir. And now you wait for the people to greet you with open arms. Wide open yawns are more likely. Look at your recent history. De La Hoya was the draw. Hatton. Ricky was the draw.
You need a dance partner that hates to dance. Cotto , Clottey or better yet , Shane Mosley. I know alot of boxing fans and the report of you coming back was greeted with a....well, nothing. Nobody really seemed to care. Reports that your fight with Marquez was a hard sell should tell you something. Stop acting like you are the man. You've been replaced , but you want your old job back. It is like me telling my old boss , "I will do half the work , make people hate me and I want you to pay me twice as much as my coworkers." And I'm so out of touch that I honestly believe what I ask for. Sorry Floyd , it just ain't happening. Fight fans are smarter than that. Maybe its time to join us in the real world.
Source: examiner.com
Insider: Pacquiao-Cotto Fight Almost a Done Deal
MANILA, Philippines – Long-time boxing promoter and Team Pacquiao insider Rex “Wakee" Salud is certain that Miguel Cotto is going to be Manny Pacquiao’s next opponent.
Following a conversation with Top Rank chairman Bob Arum in Las Vegas, Salud said Thursday only the issues concerning the catch weight and purse split have to be settled. Otherwise, he said everything seems to be penciled for the November 14 showdown at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
“Si Cotto na yan," said Salud, a close confidante of Pacquiao who once managed former two-time world champion Gerry Penalosa.
Salud is currently with Pacquiao in General Santos City to attend the birthday celebration of the Pacman’s brother Roel.
“Sa tingin ko 80 to 90 percent, almost 100 percent, tuloy na yan," he stated in an separate interview earlier on GMA’s Unang Hirit.
From what Salud understands, Cotto wants the fight to be at 145, two pounds below what Pacquiao’s camp had been asking for at 143.
Also a major point of the discussion is how much each fighter would get. Understandably, Salud pointed out, Pacquiao would have the bigger share of the pie, being boxing’s top attraction and the best pound-for-pound fighter, regardless of Cotto’s WBO welterweight title being at stake.
But Arum is confident he can reach a deal with both camps within the week, considering both have expressed their interest to fight each other five months from now.
"I laid out everything. Hopefully we'll have their answer and get it resolved with them by the end of the week," Arum said in a USA Today report. "Both guys want to fight each other. When that happens, generally it can all come together.
“Giving me a few weeks, which is no hurry, enables me to have enough time to pull it together so nobody feels I'm steamrolling them. There's an art in doing this," he added.
Pacquiao himself hints of a likely Cotto fight.
In his “Kumbinasyon" column for Abante and Philboxing, Pacquiao recalled his recent trip to New York, where he personally witnessed Cotto escape with a split decision win over Joshua Clottey.
Source: gmanews.tv
Following a conversation with Top Rank chairman Bob Arum in Las Vegas, Salud said Thursday only the issues concerning the catch weight and purse split have to be settled. Otherwise, he said everything seems to be penciled for the November 14 showdown at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
“Si Cotto na yan," said Salud, a close confidante of Pacquiao who once managed former two-time world champion Gerry Penalosa.
Salud is currently with Pacquiao in General Santos City to attend the birthday celebration of the Pacman’s brother Roel.
“Sa tingin ko 80 to 90 percent, almost 100 percent, tuloy na yan," he stated in an separate interview earlier on GMA’s Unang Hirit.
From what Salud understands, Cotto wants the fight to be at 145, two pounds below what Pacquiao’s camp had been asking for at 143.
Also a major point of the discussion is how much each fighter would get. Understandably, Salud pointed out, Pacquiao would have the bigger share of the pie, being boxing’s top attraction and the best pound-for-pound fighter, regardless of Cotto’s WBO welterweight title being at stake.
But Arum is confident he can reach a deal with both camps within the week, considering both have expressed their interest to fight each other five months from now.
"I laid out everything. Hopefully we'll have their answer and get it resolved with them by the end of the week," Arum said in a USA Today report. "Both guys want to fight each other. When that happens, generally it can all come together.
“Giving me a few weeks, which is no hurry, enables me to have enough time to pull it together so nobody feels I'm steamrolling them. There's an art in doing this," he added.
Pacquiao himself hints of a likely Cotto fight.
In his “Kumbinasyon" column for Abante and Philboxing, Pacquiao recalled his recent trip to New York, where he personally witnessed Cotto escape with a split decision win over Joshua Clottey.
Source: gmanews.tv
Pacquiao in the Driver’s Seat of Boxing World
MANILA, Philippines - Manny Pacquiao can command the terms and conditions for all his fights.
He is, after all, boxing’s new Oscar De La Hoya.
Golden Boy Promotions vice-president Eric Gomez pointed this out, saying that being on top of the sport today – as the world’s pound-for-pound king and boxing’s top attraction - Pacquiao is in the position to choose who is going to be his opponent from a long list of contenders and impose his conditions upon them.
Reigning World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title holder Miguel Cotto is currently the leading candidate for the Pacquiao sweepstake. Waiting in line are fighters considered among the best in boxing today, from Sugar Shane Mosley, Floyd Mayweather Jr, to Juan Manuel Marquez.
“Manny is driving the car right now," said the soft-spoken Golden Boy official.
“He can say who he wants to fight and that’s a great position to be in boxing. Oscar was in that position for many years and Manny is in that position right now."
Gomez is aware of a possible Pacquiao-Cotto fight, which Top Rank Promotions chairman Bob Arum is now trying to work on. The veteran promoter has already penciled a November 14 duel at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Latest development on the fight was Arum’s meeting with HBO Sports senior vice president Mark Taffet on the likelihood of televising the bout on pay-per-view.
Taffet confirmed the network talked with Top Rank involving a Pacquiao fight scheduled on November 14, but said no deals have yet been finalized.
Gomez is not about to criticize a Pacquiao-Cotto match – both fighters being under the Top Rank stable – but believes Mosley could make a better match up for the Filipino ring icon.
“Shane is willing to do it. You just can’t forget Shane. When you talk about boxing’s pound-for-pound, there is a guy in Shane Mosley who beat the guy in Antonio Margarito, who is considered one of the top pound-for-pound fighters today," Gomez said.
He added Pacquiao could even look at the winner of the Mayweather-Marquez bout, although that meant the Filipino ring icon would have to wait a little following the postponement of the showdown, originally scheduled on July 18, after the comebacking Floyd Jr. suffered an injury in his ribs during training camp.
Source: gmanews.tv
He is, after all, boxing’s new Oscar De La Hoya.
Golden Boy Promotions vice-president Eric Gomez pointed this out, saying that being on top of the sport today – as the world’s pound-for-pound king and boxing’s top attraction - Pacquiao is in the position to choose who is going to be his opponent from a long list of contenders and impose his conditions upon them.
Reigning World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title holder Miguel Cotto is currently the leading candidate for the Pacquiao sweepstake. Waiting in line are fighters considered among the best in boxing today, from Sugar Shane Mosley, Floyd Mayweather Jr, to Juan Manuel Marquez.
“Manny is driving the car right now," said the soft-spoken Golden Boy official.
“He can say who he wants to fight and that’s a great position to be in boxing. Oscar was in that position for many years and Manny is in that position right now."
Gomez is aware of a possible Pacquiao-Cotto fight, which Top Rank Promotions chairman Bob Arum is now trying to work on. The veteran promoter has already penciled a November 14 duel at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Latest development on the fight was Arum’s meeting with HBO Sports senior vice president Mark Taffet on the likelihood of televising the bout on pay-per-view.
Taffet confirmed the network talked with Top Rank involving a Pacquiao fight scheduled on November 14, but said no deals have yet been finalized.
Gomez is not about to criticize a Pacquiao-Cotto match – both fighters being under the Top Rank stable – but believes Mosley could make a better match up for the Filipino ring icon.
“Shane is willing to do it. You just can’t forget Shane. When you talk about boxing’s pound-for-pound, there is a guy in Shane Mosley who beat the guy in Antonio Margarito, who is considered one of the top pound-for-pound fighters today," Gomez said.
He added Pacquiao could even look at the winner of the Mayweather-Marquez bout, although that meant the Filipino ring icon would have to wait a little following the postponement of the showdown, originally scheduled on July 18, after the comebacking Floyd Jr. suffered an injury in his ribs during training camp.
Source: gmanews.tv
If Mayweather Is Smart, He'll Fight Pacquiao Now
This past Saturday two big events unfolded that will more than likely affect the boxing landscape in the junior welterweight and welterweight divisions for the remainder of 2009. The first being the Floyd Mayweather versus Juan Manuel Marquez bout to be fought at a catch-weight limit of 144 was postponed due to Mayweather suffering a rib injury during training last week. A few hours after the press release for that went out, Miguel Cotto scored a 12-round split decision victory over Joshua Clottey to retain his WBO welterweight.
Ever since Mayweather announced he was coming out of retirement 16 months after his last fight, a fews hours before Manny Pacquiao stopped Ricky Hatton in the second round to capture the IBO junior welterweight title, it's been widely accepted that a Pacquiao 49-3-2 (37 KOs) vs. Mayweather 39-0 (25 KOs) bout is the biggest fight in boxing. All Mayweather had to do was get past Marquez on July 18th. Assuming Mayweather got past Marquez all that would've remained to make the fight a reality were the fighters agreeing on the purse splits each would net from the fight. That no doubt would've been tougher than the fight they'd most likely deliver.
With both fighters being hell bent on a 60/40 split in their favor, it was hard to see either one conceding since both whole heartedly believe they're entitled to the bigger piece of the pie. And it's easy to see why they felt that way with Mayweather being undefeated and thought to have been the best pound-for-pound fighter in boxing when he retired, a title Pacquiao has earned since Mayweather's contrived retirement. Not only has Pacquiao succeeded Mayweather as the top fighter in boxing at the moment, he's also the biggest draw in the sport, a claim that Floyd has never been able to support. Regardless whether someone is a Mayweather fan or so-called hater, that's the truth.
All one needs to do is ask themself what's a bigger fight -- Pacquiao vs. Cotto/Mosley/ Margarito or Mayweather vs. Cotto/Mosley/Margarito? The inescapable answer is it's Pacquiao who can deliver bigger PPV dollars fighting anyone of the other three, not Mayweather. And the reason for that is Pacquiao's fights are always exciting and action packed. Whereas Mayweather is more of a technician who takes the bullets out of his opponents’ guns instead of engaging them in a shoot out. Boxing fans enjoy seeing skilled fighters who are explosive more than they do skilled craftsmen. That's not Mayweather's fault it's just the way it is.
The truth is Pacquiao holds all the cards regarding the purse split. Add to that Miguel Cotto is now the leader in the fight Manny Pacquiao sweepstakes coupled with Mayweather's fight with Marquez not even rescheduled yet -- Floyd is beginning to lose bargaining chips that he never really held. Which I'm sure hasn't gone unnoticed by Pacquiao and his promoter Bob Arum. That's why we'll probably start to see the hype for Pacquiao-Cotto begin to escalate, with the intent being to bring Mayweather to his senses and agree to a 60/40 or possibly a 57/43 purse split.
With Arum controlling the money it's hard to fathom that he really wants Pacquiao tying up with Cotto or Mosley, at least before he fights Mayweather, for one obvious reason. That being there's too much guaranteed money to chance. Physically, Pacquiao is in much deeper water fighting Cotto or Mosley than he is Mayweather. That’s something that the avid Pacquiao faction might dispute, but then they'd probably see him as the favorite over anyone up to junior middleweight with the exception of Paul Williams.
That said, Cotto and Mosley have a much better chance of beating up and embarrassing Pacquiao than Mayweather does. In a fight with Cotto and especially Mosley, it's not a given that Manny's power would overwhelm them. And if he can't hold them off there's a real chance they could work him over pretty good, assuming they're not dead at the weight. However, if Pacquiao fights Mayweather it's doubtful he'll get stopped or take a beating. The more likely scenario is Mayweather will move away and look to box and counter Pacquiao as he presses forward. And there's no doubt about the fact that if the fight happens, Manny will have to go to Floyd because that's how he fights every opponent.
Mayweather should take a page out of Sugar Ray Leonard's playbook when he fought Marvin Hagler. And that's fight Pacquiao with no tune up fight like Leonard, who was coming off a much longer layoff than Floyd is, when he fought Hagler. Not only does it give him a convenient excuse if he loses, as it would've Leonard, but if he wins it makes it that much more satisfying and special.
Another reason why Mayweather should go straight to Pacquiao is -- what does he do if Pacquiao ends up fighting and beating Cotto? Not only does it take Cotto off the table for a future fight, but it gives Pacquiao even more bargaining power. Think about it. If Mayweather beats Marquez in September or October, if they even fight, and Pacquiao beats Cotto in November, not only does Mayweather have one less opponent to make a big fight with, but he loses even more power to negotiate for a purse split.
Then again maybe he could fight Shane Mosley, as he mentioned to Brian Kenny during their back-and-forth last month, who has five losses? Sure, that makes sense. Now fight Mosley when the risk/reward factor has never been more out of balance! No, I don't think so. If there's one thing Floyd Mayweather has shown beyond a doubt during his terrific career, it's that he's just too smart to take a fight with so much to lose and little to gain against such a formidable and dangerous opponent.
When all is said and done there's just no getting around it that Pacquiao-Mayweather should happen this coming November. The only way for that to happen is for Mayweather to come back to reality and try to raise Arum/Pacquiao as much as he can to increase his percentage above the 60/40 split they offered, something that can probably be achieved because Arum and Pacquiao would rather walk away with 57% of Manny's biggest payday instead of holding out for 60% and risk the fight never being realized due to unforeseen events. It's boxing and Arum has been involved in it since Cassius Clay arrived on the scene. So he knows there's no guarantee that Pacquiao beats Cotto or that maybe Mayweather's body doesn't betray him in a future fight.
As far as Mayweather there's no other viable option. Since his pro debut Floyd's career has been brilliantly managed. That said he's never been a box office draw. In the three high profile fights of his career he was at the short end of the purse split versus Arturo Gatti and Oscar De La Hoya. Only against Ricky Hatton did he garner the bigger percent. Yet the fight was a big PPV attraction because of the fact that Hatton drew from an entire country, something Mayweather likes to say about Spanish and Mexican fighters. Pacquiao wasn't the draw versus De La Hoya and split the purse with Hatton, but he won both of those fights impressively and that's why he's the top attraction in boxing as of this writing.
Most sophisticated boxing observers know that Mayweather's retirement was orchestrated and planned. The intent was to give him a rest and infuse interest in him for a comeback bout, on top of aiding him in avoiding competitive fights in boxing’s most competitive division in which he fought, welterweight. The problem turned out to be that Pacquiao came along and defeated his two biggest name opponents, De La Hoya and Hatton, much more convincingly than he did. That isn't necessarily the be-all end-all, but it is to the boxing fans who put their money where their mouth is that buy PPV fights. That's why Pacquiao can call the shots.
So for the first time in his career Mayweather may have miscalculated and in a big way. The only thing left for him to do is realize that to become the man again in boxing he must fight Pacquiao this coming fall. Beating him would give Mayweather leverage if there's a rematch, something that's very plausible since if he did win it would most likely be by decision. On the other hand if he loses a close fight he can say he should've taken a tune up and may get a rematch.
If Floyd Mayweather is smart, he'll go straight to Pacquiao. Better do it soon, because the LA Times reports that Pacquiao and Cotto are in negotiations for a November match.
Source: thesweetscience.com
Ever since Mayweather announced he was coming out of retirement 16 months after his last fight, a fews hours before Manny Pacquiao stopped Ricky Hatton in the second round to capture the IBO junior welterweight title, it's been widely accepted that a Pacquiao 49-3-2 (37 KOs) vs. Mayweather 39-0 (25 KOs) bout is the biggest fight in boxing. All Mayweather had to do was get past Marquez on July 18th. Assuming Mayweather got past Marquez all that would've remained to make the fight a reality were the fighters agreeing on the purse splits each would net from the fight. That no doubt would've been tougher than the fight they'd most likely deliver.
With both fighters being hell bent on a 60/40 split in their favor, it was hard to see either one conceding since both whole heartedly believe they're entitled to the bigger piece of the pie. And it's easy to see why they felt that way with Mayweather being undefeated and thought to have been the best pound-for-pound fighter in boxing when he retired, a title Pacquiao has earned since Mayweather's contrived retirement. Not only has Pacquiao succeeded Mayweather as the top fighter in boxing at the moment, he's also the biggest draw in the sport, a claim that Floyd has never been able to support. Regardless whether someone is a Mayweather fan or so-called hater, that's the truth.
All one needs to do is ask themself what's a bigger fight -- Pacquiao vs. Cotto/Mosley/ Margarito or Mayweather vs. Cotto/Mosley/Margarito? The inescapable answer is it's Pacquiao who can deliver bigger PPV dollars fighting anyone of the other three, not Mayweather. And the reason for that is Pacquiao's fights are always exciting and action packed. Whereas Mayweather is more of a technician who takes the bullets out of his opponents’ guns instead of engaging them in a shoot out. Boxing fans enjoy seeing skilled fighters who are explosive more than they do skilled craftsmen. That's not Mayweather's fault it's just the way it is.
The truth is Pacquiao holds all the cards regarding the purse split. Add to that Miguel Cotto is now the leader in the fight Manny Pacquiao sweepstakes coupled with Mayweather's fight with Marquez not even rescheduled yet -- Floyd is beginning to lose bargaining chips that he never really held. Which I'm sure hasn't gone unnoticed by Pacquiao and his promoter Bob Arum. That's why we'll probably start to see the hype for Pacquiao-Cotto begin to escalate, with the intent being to bring Mayweather to his senses and agree to a 60/40 or possibly a 57/43 purse split.
With Arum controlling the money it's hard to fathom that he really wants Pacquiao tying up with Cotto or Mosley, at least before he fights Mayweather, for one obvious reason. That being there's too much guaranteed money to chance. Physically, Pacquiao is in much deeper water fighting Cotto or Mosley than he is Mayweather. That’s something that the avid Pacquiao faction might dispute, but then they'd probably see him as the favorite over anyone up to junior middleweight with the exception of Paul Williams.
That said, Cotto and Mosley have a much better chance of beating up and embarrassing Pacquiao than Mayweather does. In a fight with Cotto and especially Mosley, it's not a given that Manny's power would overwhelm them. And if he can't hold them off there's a real chance they could work him over pretty good, assuming they're not dead at the weight. However, if Pacquiao fights Mayweather it's doubtful he'll get stopped or take a beating. The more likely scenario is Mayweather will move away and look to box and counter Pacquiao as he presses forward. And there's no doubt about the fact that if the fight happens, Manny will have to go to Floyd because that's how he fights every opponent.
Mayweather should take a page out of Sugar Ray Leonard's playbook when he fought Marvin Hagler. And that's fight Pacquiao with no tune up fight like Leonard, who was coming off a much longer layoff than Floyd is, when he fought Hagler. Not only does it give him a convenient excuse if he loses, as it would've Leonard, but if he wins it makes it that much more satisfying and special.
Another reason why Mayweather should go straight to Pacquiao is -- what does he do if Pacquiao ends up fighting and beating Cotto? Not only does it take Cotto off the table for a future fight, but it gives Pacquiao even more bargaining power. Think about it. If Mayweather beats Marquez in September or October, if they even fight, and Pacquiao beats Cotto in November, not only does Mayweather have one less opponent to make a big fight with, but he loses even more power to negotiate for a purse split.
Then again maybe he could fight Shane Mosley, as he mentioned to Brian Kenny during their back-and-forth last month, who has five losses? Sure, that makes sense. Now fight Mosley when the risk/reward factor has never been more out of balance! No, I don't think so. If there's one thing Floyd Mayweather has shown beyond a doubt during his terrific career, it's that he's just too smart to take a fight with so much to lose and little to gain against such a formidable and dangerous opponent.
When all is said and done there's just no getting around it that Pacquiao-Mayweather should happen this coming November. The only way for that to happen is for Mayweather to come back to reality and try to raise Arum/Pacquiao as much as he can to increase his percentage above the 60/40 split they offered, something that can probably be achieved because Arum and Pacquiao would rather walk away with 57% of Manny's biggest payday instead of holding out for 60% and risk the fight never being realized due to unforeseen events. It's boxing and Arum has been involved in it since Cassius Clay arrived on the scene. So he knows there's no guarantee that Pacquiao beats Cotto or that maybe Mayweather's body doesn't betray him in a future fight.
As far as Mayweather there's no other viable option. Since his pro debut Floyd's career has been brilliantly managed. That said he's never been a box office draw. In the three high profile fights of his career he was at the short end of the purse split versus Arturo Gatti and Oscar De La Hoya. Only against Ricky Hatton did he garner the bigger percent. Yet the fight was a big PPV attraction because of the fact that Hatton drew from an entire country, something Mayweather likes to say about Spanish and Mexican fighters. Pacquiao wasn't the draw versus De La Hoya and split the purse with Hatton, but he won both of those fights impressively and that's why he's the top attraction in boxing as of this writing.
Most sophisticated boxing observers know that Mayweather's retirement was orchestrated and planned. The intent was to give him a rest and infuse interest in him for a comeback bout, on top of aiding him in avoiding competitive fights in boxing’s most competitive division in which he fought, welterweight. The problem turned out to be that Pacquiao came along and defeated his two biggest name opponents, De La Hoya and Hatton, much more convincingly than he did. That isn't necessarily the be-all end-all, but it is to the boxing fans who put their money where their mouth is that buy PPV fights. That's why Pacquiao can call the shots.
So for the first time in his career Mayweather may have miscalculated and in a big way. The only thing left for him to do is realize that to become the man again in boxing he must fight Pacquiao this coming fall. Beating him would give Mayweather leverage if there's a rematch, something that's very plausible since if he did win it would most likely be by decision. On the other hand if he loses a close fight he can say he should've taken a tune up and may get a rematch.
If Floyd Mayweather is smart, he'll go straight to Pacquiao. Better do it soon, because the LA Times reports that Pacquiao and Cotto are in negotiations for a November match.
Source: thesweetscience.com
Cotto Ready For Pacquiao - Or Anybody Else
NEW YORK — Every once in a while, Manny Pacquiao would lean over to Top Rank boss Bob Arum and whisper something, perhaps giving the promoter a blow-by-blow analysis of Miguel Cotto's welterweight title defense against Joshua Clottey.
Then again, the pound-for-pound king may have been describing how he'd handle Cotto himself.
The pride of Puerto Rico bruised his way to a split decision over Clottey on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden, with Pacquiao seated just a few feet from the ring. Cotto's bloody win may set up a big-money fight between them this fall, although there will be others lining up for a chance at one of the most exciting fighters in the game.
"The people have to wait until I rest a little bit," Cotto said after the fight, a deep gash over his left eye heavily bandaged. "I'm on vacation."
Cotto was evasive in discussing the myriad of potential opponents lined up before him, leaving that task to Arum, who made it clear that Pacquiao is at the head of the pack.
"This fight showed me that Cotto and Pacquiao is a dead-even fight," Arum told a group of reporters seated ringside. "I think it's a very competitive fight. Cotto-Pacquiao is the fight I want to make. It's the fight I really want to make."
It's a fight that should be quite simple to make, considering both are promoted by Top Rank. But there are still plenty of details to be decided: when the fight will be held, where it will take place, how the purse will be split, and at what weight they'll meet.
Arum said November is a possibility, but the venue is another matter. Cotto has fought mainly on the East Coast and didn't fare well out west, losing a now controversial bout to Antonio Margarito in Las Vegas. Meanwhile, Pacquiao has made Sin City his home-away-from-home. He's waged his last five fights there, including his destruction of Oscar De La Hoya and brutal knockout of Ricky Hatton.
Both fighters will feel as though they're the marquee attraction, which could make the negotiations sticky, but the weight appears to be the other big hangup.
Cotto is a strong welterweight, and hasn't fought below 140 pounds since 2006. The former junior welterweight titleholder would have a considerable size advantage over Pacquiao, whose first title more than a decade ago was in the flyweight division.
"People think this would be like leading the lamb to the slaughter," said Arum, who confided that they might agree to fight between 142 and 145 pounds. "I don't see that."
Many people said the same thing when Pacquiao fought De La Hoya at 147 pounds, and again when he fought Hatton at 140. Both times the charismatic Filipino champion used his superior speed and punching ability to negate any size difference.
All that said, there are other options for Cotto.
The WBO titleholder could face WBA champ Shane Mosley in a rematch of their 2007 bout, or he could fight FloydMayweatherJr. But a bout with Mayweather may take longer, after he postponed his fight next month with Juan Manuel Marquez because of a rib injury while training.
"Mayweather won't fight anybody who can beat him," Arum said, quickly dismissing a Cotto matchup. "Psychologically, he cannot take a defeat."
The leaves one other serious contender for Cotto's next fight: Margarito, who dealt him his only loss.
The former champion from Mexico brutally beat Cotto when they fought last year, but a few months later Margarito was found to have a substance that resembled plaster-of-paris on his hand wraps before a subsequent loss to Mosley. That made some question whether his win over Cotto was also tainted.
Margarito and his trainer Javier Capetillo had their boxing licenses revoked by the California State Athletic Commission, and it would take reinstatement for the fight to go off.
"After a questionable loss, I never said anything about it," Cotto said. "Everybody wants to think he used illegal things with me. That's all right. I have to think he fought me the correct way."
Arum called a potential rematch with Margarito, whom he also promotes, "a huge fight."
"The Margarito fight is a possibility when he comes back after his suspension. I will take him on," Cotto said. "Like always, I want to fight the best, so whoever is out there and willing, I am here." - AP
Source: gmanews.tv
Then again, the pound-for-pound king may have been describing how he'd handle Cotto himself.
The pride of Puerto Rico bruised his way to a split decision over Clottey on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden, with Pacquiao seated just a few feet from the ring. Cotto's bloody win may set up a big-money fight between them this fall, although there will be others lining up for a chance at one of the most exciting fighters in the game.
"The people have to wait until I rest a little bit," Cotto said after the fight, a deep gash over his left eye heavily bandaged. "I'm on vacation."
Cotto was evasive in discussing the myriad of potential opponents lined up before him, leaving that task to Arum, who made it clear that Pacquiao is at the head of the pack.
"This fight showed me that Cotto and Pacquiao is a dead-even fight," Arum told a group of reporters seated ringside. "I think it's a very competitive fight. Cotto-Pacquiao is the fight I want to make. It's the fight I really want to make."
It's a fight that should be quite simple to make, considering both are promoted by Top Rank. But there are still plenty of details to be decided: when the fight will be held, where it will take place, how the purse will be split, and at what weight they'll meet.
Arum said November is a possibility, but the venue is another matter. Cotto has fought mainly on the East Coast and didn't fare well out west, losing a now controversial bout to Antonio Margarito in Las Vegas. Meanwhile, Pacquiao has made Sin City his home-away-from-home. He's waged his last five fights there, including his destruction of Oscar De La Hoya and brutal knockout of Ricky Hatton.
Both fighters will feel as though they're the marquee attraction, which could make the negotiations sticky, but the weight appears to be the other big hangup.
Cotto is a strong welterweight, and hasn't fought below 140 pounds since 2006. The former junior welterweight titleholder would have a considerable size advantage over Pacquiao, whose first title more than a decade ago was in the flyweight division.
"People think this would be like leading the lamb to the slaughter," said Arum, who confided that they might agree to fight between 142 and 145 pounds. "I don't see that."
Many people said the same thing when Pacquiao fought De La Hoya at 147 pounds, and again when he fought Hatton at 140. Both times the charismatic Filipino champion used his superior speed and punching ability to negate any size difference.
All that said, there are other options for Cotto.
The WBO titleholder could face WBA champ Shane Mosley in a rematch of their 2007 bout, or he could fight FloydMayweatherJr. But a bout with Mayweather may take longer, after he postponed his fight next month with Juan Manuel Marquez because of a rib injury while training.
"Mayweather won't fight anybody who can beat him," Arum said, quickly dismissing a Cotto matchup. "Psychologically, he cannot take a defeat."
The leaves one other serious contender for Cotto's next fight: Margarito, who dealt him his only loss.
The former champion from Mexico brutally beat Cotto when they fought last year, but a few months later Margarito was found to have a substance that resembled plaster-of-paris on his hand wraps before a subsequent loss to Mosley. That made some question whether his win over Cotto was also tainted.
Margarito and his trainer Javier Capetillo had their boxing licenses revoked by the California State Athletic Commission, and it would take reinstatement for the fight to go off.
"After a questionable loss, I never said anything about it," Cotto said. "Everybody wants to think he used illegal things with me. That's all right. I have to think he fought me the correct way."
Arum called a potential rematch with Margarito, whom he also promotes, "a huge fight."
"The Margarito fight is a possibility when he comes back after his suspension. I will take him on," Cotto said. "Like always, I want to fight the best, so whoever is out there and willing, I am here." - AP
Source: gmanews.tv
Floyd Mayweather’s Next "Money" Move?
Now, that the Mayweather-Marquez fight is on hold due to Floyd’s rib injury and amidst rumblings that ticket sales were less than record setting is it reasonable to believe that Floyd’s bargaining power leading into a future negotiation with Manny Pacquiao will be diminished? I think the answer is “yes”.
In previous statements, Floyd has always pointed to his record setting PPV buy rates in matches between common opponents as proof that HE’S the bigger draw between the two and as such deserves a higher percentage of the purse split. The fight with Juan Manuel Marquez could turn out to disprove that claim and may be clear cut evidence that Floyd alone does not have enough fan appeal to draw in paying customers. As it stands today, he can use the fact that he reached a higher plateau at the box office than Manny but not if he doesn’t reach a comparable plateau against Marquez.. That will render his arguments invalid. Some think it’s invalid now. It is true that his fights against Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton garnered more revenue than Manny’s but it’s also true that the real attraction in those fights wasn’t Mayweather. Perhaps Floyd’s antics raised the overall visibility of those fights but there’s little doubt that the majority of the paying customers were paying to see Oscar and Ricky. Not to mention, they were paying to see Oscar and Ricky win. Some have made the argument that prior to those two fights Floyd’s marketability was limited to hardcore fight fans and that his exposure to a larger general audience didn’t take place until the Arturo Gatti fight. In that fight, Arturo was the draw. In the end it was Floyd’s absolute mastery and dominance that became the story but he wasn’t the one that people tuned into see. Granted, afterwards he did emerge as a bigger star and it gave him the visibility he needed leading into the fight with De La Hoya. Before that fans were somewhat lukewarm to Floyd at the box office. Poor returns on the Marquez fight may remind people of that time and I’m sure if they don’t remember, Bob Arum will be there to jog their memory.
Currently, from a business perspective Floyd and his team are in a tough spot.
So, if you’re Floyd’s advisors what do you do now? Do you try to get out of the Marquez fight? I think if they could they would. With Manny very near to signing to fight with Miguel Cotto and the possibility that Floyd’s fight with Marquez will significantly diminish his bargaining power the question they must be asking themselves is “how do we get out of this fight?”! If he doesn’t he could lose Pacquiao all together because there is NO GUARANTEE that Manny will beat Cotto. In fact, in the minds of many boxing insiders Miguel Cotto is the worst opponent for Pacquiao because of his definite power and the redemptive stakes involved.
Upon considering all this some interesting scenarios begin to emerge when looking at Floyd’s possible future.
Scenario #1, if he moves forward with the Marquez fight and wins in his usual manner by decision as most expect but the box office returns are relatively poor then he can forget about getting a 50/50 split with Pacquiao! Frankly, he can forget about 55/45 too because Arum will demand and GET the original 60/40 split in Manny’s favor. At that point, Floyd will have no choice but to accept that. In my opinion, the only way for Floyd to avoid this fate would be by delivering SPECTACULAR knock out of JMM. Regardless, of the PPV returns he can then make the argument to THE PUBLIC that he utterly destroyed a fighter that Manny is perceived to have struggled with. It won’t matter so much that fewer people actually tuned in to see that fight when there are thousands of replays through every media outlet available along with Floyd himself LOUDLY banging the drum as we all know is his talent. A win in that fashion will also start up a new argument that will ultimately be decided by the Ring Magazine when they publish their new P4P rankings. Who’ll be #1? That ranking will go a long way in determining Floyd’s new bargaining power. You can bet that there will be many pundits who proclaim Floyd #1 and Manny #2. We may even be split down the middle. If that does happens then you can expect a long and tedious negotiation process for a PBF-MP fight. Toss in the bad blood between Arum and Mayweather and we may suffer through months of back and forth.
Scenario #2, if Manny moves forward and does fight Miguel Cotto and BEATS him then it doesn’t matter what Floyd does against Marquez because Manny at that point will have won 7 world titles in 7 different weight divisions. That historic event will put his struggles with Juan Manuel Marquez to bed for good and Floyd will be back to the original 60/40 deal. Take it or leave it. Manny could also then threaten to do business with “Sugar” Shane Mosley indicating to the public that “he” wants to clean up the division. After all it was Shane who took out the often avoided and generally perceived to be the #1 fighter in the division, the now disgraced Antonio Margarito. Manny at that point could even flirt with the idea of challenging the light hitting Cory Spinks at Jr middleweight for an 8th world title in as many weight divisions. (That’s a bit of a stretch but I wanted to put it out there any way. You never know how invincible he might be feeling after winning a 7th world title. Don’t underestimate a fighter’s ego!) The historic implications alone of such a match would do huge numbers. Bob Arum would have no problem making a fight like that a “must see” for even the casual sports fans. All this of course is bad business for Floyd. He could potentially be left out in the cold.
Scenario #3, Manny takes on Cotto and is BEATEN! Suddenly, Manny is no longer the #1 fighter in the world and his marketability outside of the Philippines is back to the pre-De La Hoya level. It will matter HOW Manny is beaten as well. If he loses by close decision then he may still be able to command a decent percentage in a fight with Floyd but if he is knocked out all bets are off! Manny could also find himself left out in the cold because at that point the only fight that would really make sense would be between Mayweather and Cotto. That scenario is also bad for Floyd because you can bet that he won’t be making any where near the amount of cash that he would have against Pacquiao regardless of the percentage split. Not to mention, that Miguel Cotto will gain a renewed confidence and credibility by beating Manny and could threaten to sign a Margarito rematch instead of a fight with Floyd and use that as his bargaining chip. By doing so he could potentially leave Floyd the odd man out or at least command a 50/50 split. Arum may even attempt to get a percentage split that favors Miguel.
Again, that would depend on how Cotto wins.
Scenario #4, Floyd finds a way to get out of his fight with Marquez and starts negotiations with Manny now. He can then negotiate based upon the higher revenue returns for his fights with Oscar and Ricky. In order to do that he would have to provide some kind of back room compensation to JMM and Golden Boy Promotions. Step aside deals are nothing new in professional boxing. In my opinion, that would seem to be the safest way to go and Floyd has always shown a safety first approach in the ring as well as at the negotiation table.
If they can’t opt out of that fight I have a couple of recommendations for Team Mayweather.
#1, Knock out Juan Manuel Marquez in SPECTACULAR fashion and #2, PRAY that Manny Pacquiao gets past Miguel Cotto in one piece!
Source: eastsideboxing.com
In previous statements, Floyd has always pointed to his record setting PPV buy rates in matches between common opponents as proof that HE’S the bigger draw between the two and as such deserves a higher percentage of the purse split. The fight with Juan Manuel Marquez could turn out to disprove that claim and may be clear cut evidence that Floyd alone does not have enough fan appeal to draw in paying customers. As it stands today, he can use the fact that he reached a higher plateau at the box office than Manny but not if he doesn’t reach a comparable plateau against Marquez.. That will render his arguments invalid. Some think it’s invalid now. It is true that his fights against Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton garnered more revenue than Manny’s but it’s also true that the real attraction in those fights wasn’t Mayweather. Perhaps Floyd’s antics raised the overall visibility of those fights but there’s little doubt that the majority of the paying customers were paying to see Oscar and Ricky. Not to mention, they were paying to see Oscar and Ricky win. Some have made the argument that prior to those two fights Floyd’s marketability was limited to hardcore fight fans and that his exposure to a larger general audience didn’t take place until the Arturo Gatti fight. In that fight, Arturo was the draw. In the end it was Floyd’s absolute mastery and dominance that became the story but he wasn’t the one that people tuned into see. Granted, afterwards he did emerge as a bigger star and it gave him the visibility he needed leading into the fight with De La Hoya. Before that fans were somewhat lukewarm to Floyd at the box office. Poor returns on the Marquez fight may remind people of that time and I’m sure if they don’t remember, Bob Arum will be there to jog their memory.
Currently, from a business perspective Floyd and his team are in a tough spot.
So, if you’re Floyd’s advisors what do you do now? Do you try to get out of the Marquez fight? I think if they could they would. With Manny very near to signing to fight with Miguel Cotto and the possibility that Floyd’s fight with Marquez will significantly diminish his bargaining power the question they must be asking themselves is “how do we get out of this fight?”! If he doesn’t he could lose Pacquiao all together because there is NO GUARANTEE that Manny will beat Cotto. In fact, in the minds of many boxing insiders Miguel Cotto is the worst opponent for Pacquiao because of his definite power and the redemptive stakes involved.
Upon considering all this some interesting scenarios begin to emerge when looking at Floyd’s possible future.
Scenario #1, if he moves forward with the Marquez fight and wins in his usual manner by decision as most expect but the box office returns are relatively poor then he can forget about getting a 50/50 split with Pacquiao! Frankly, he can forget about 55/45 too because Arum will demand and GET the original 60/40 split in Manny’s favor. At that point, Floyd will have no choice but to accept that. In my opinion, the only way for Floyd to avoid this fate would be by delivering SPECTACULAR knock out of JMM. Regardless, of the PPV returns he can then make the argument to THE PUBLIC that he utterly destroyed a fighter that Manny is perceived to have struggled with. It won’t matter so much that fewer people actually tuned in to see that fight when there are thousands of replays through every media outlet available along with Floyd himself LOUDLY banging the drum as we all know is his talent. A win in that fashion will also start up a new argument that will ultimately be decided by the Ring Magazine when they publish their new P4P rankings. Who’ll be #1? That ranking will go a long way in determining Floyd’s new bargaining power. You can bet that there will be many pundits who proclaim Floyd #1 and Manny #2. We may even be split down the middle. If that does happens then you can expect a long and tedious negotiation process for a PBF-MP fight. Toss in the bad blood between Arum and Mayweather and we may suffer through months of back and forth.
Scenario #2, if Manny moves forward and does fight Miguel Cotto and BEATS him then it doesn’t matter what Floyd does against Marquez because Manny at that point will have won 7 world titles in 7 different weight divisions. That historic event will put his struggles with Juan Manuel Marquez to bed for good and Floyd will be back to the original 60/40 deal. Take it or leave it. Manny could also then threaten to do business with “Sugar” Shane Mosley indicating to the public that “he” wants to clean up the division. After all it was Shane who took out the often avoided and generally perceived to be the #1 fighter in the division, the now disgraced Antonio Margarito. Manny at that point could even flirt with the idea of challenging the light hitting Cory Spinks at Jr middleweight for an 8th world title in as many weight divisions. (That’s a bit of a stretch but I wanted to put it out there any way. You never know how invincible he might be feeling after winning a 7th world title. Don’t underestimate a fighter’s ego!) The historic implications alone of such a match would do huge numbers. Bob Arum would have no problem making a fight like that a “must see” for even the casual sports fans. All this of course is bad business for Floyd. He could potentially be left out in the cold.
Scenario #3, Manny takes on Cotto and is BEATEN! Suddenly, Manny is no longer the #1 fighter in the world and his marketability outside of the Philippines is back to the pre-De La Hoya level. It will matter HOW Manny is beaten as well. If he loses by close decision then he may still be able to command a decent percentage in a fight with Floyd but if he is knocked out all bets are off! Manny could also find himself left out in the cold because at that point the only fight that would really make sense would be between Mayweather and Cotto. That scenario is also bad for Floyd because you can bet that he won’t be making any where near the amount of cash that he would have against Pacquiao regardless of the percentage split. Not to mention, that Miguel Cotto will gain a renewed confidence and credibility by beating Manny and could threaten to sign a Margarito rematch instead of a fight with Floyd and use that as his bargaining chip. By doing so he could potentially leave Floyd the odd man out or at least command a 50/50 split. Arum may even attempt to get a percentage split that favors Miguel.
Again, that would depend on how Cotto wins.
Scenario #4, Floyd finds a way to get out of his fight with Marquez and starts negotiations with Manny now. He can then negotiate based upon the higher revenue returns for his fights with Oscar and Ricky. In order to do that he would have to provide some kind of back room compensation to JMM and Golden Boy Promotions. Step aside deals are nothing new in professional boxing. In my opinion, that would seem to be the safest way to go and Floyd has always shown a safety first approach in the ring as well as at the negotiation table.
If they can’t opt out of that fight I have a couple of recommendations for Team Mayweather.
#1, Knock out Juan Manuel Marquez in SPECTACULAR fashion and #2, PRAY that Manny Pacquiao gets past Miguel Cotto in one piece!
Source: eastsideboxing.com
Arum Getting In The Way Of Fight With Pacquiao - Mosley
There’s no stopping WBA welterweight titleholder “Sugar” Shane Mosley from getting what he wants—a showdown with pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao.
Mosley, a former No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter himself, took it out on Pacquiao’s promoter, Bob Arum.
“The only person that’s stopping the fight is Bob Arum. Bob Arum has his own investments into the fight as far as him wanting to re-sign Cotto and get him a big fight,” he told Percy Crawford of FightHype.com.
“Then he has Pacquiao. He will give Cotto a little money to keep him happy because he really doesn’t deserve any of it,” he said of the Puerto Rican WBO welterweight champion.
Talks about a Pacquiao-Cotto fight gained ground after Cotto defeated Joshua Clottey last June 13 at the Madison Square Garden in New York. Negotiations for Pacquiao’s next bout are said to be ongoing.
Bigger fight
Mosley, meantime, has been vocal about his desire to fight Pacquiao. He even offered a 40-60 split just to face “the Pacman.” He stressed that his fight with Pacquiao will be a “bigger fight” than Pacquiao-Cotto.
“We have the biggest names by far and Pacquiao’s legacy wouldn’t be damaged losing to me,” remarked Mosley.
“I just want to tell Pacquiao to do the right thing for boxing,” he went on.
“I don’t understand… well, I do understand what Bob Arum wants to do, but I wouldn’t understand why Pacquiao wouldn’t take the fight.”
He then suggested, “I think you guys should put a poll up and the Philippine fans vote which one they think would be a bigger fight and who they want to see Pacquiao fight next, Shane Mosley or Miguel Cotto!”
“Let’s see who the Philippine fans want Pacquiao to fight next,” added Mosley.
Source: abs-cbnnews.com
Mosley, a former No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter himself, took it out on Pacquiao’s promoter, Bob Arum.
“The only person that’s stopping the fight is Bob Arum. Bob Arum has his own investments into the fight as far as him wanting to re-sign Cotto and get him a big fight,” he told Percy Crawford of FightHype.com.
“Then he has Pacquiao. He will give Cotto a little money to keep him happy because he really doesn’t deserve any of it,” he said of the Puerto Rican WBO welterweight champion.
Talks about a Pacquiao-Cotto fight gained ground after Cotto defeated Joshua Clottey last June 13 at the Madison Square Garden in New York. Negotiations for Pacquiao’s next bout are said to be ongoing.
Bigger fight
Mosley, meantime, has been vocal about his desire to fight Pacquiao. He even offered a 40-60 split just to face “the Pacman.” He stressed that his fight with Pacquiao will be a “bigger fight” than Pacquiao-Cotto.
“We have the biggest names by far and Pacquiao’s legacy wouldn’t be damaged losing to me,” remarked Mosley.
“I just want to tell Pacquiao to do the right thing for boxing,” he went on.
“I don’t understand… well, I do understand what Bob Arum wants to do, but I wouldn’t understand why Pacquiao wouldn’t take the fight.”
He then suggested, “I think you guys should put a poll up and the Philippine fans vote which one they think would be a bigger fight and who they want to see Pacquiao fight next, Shane Mosley or Miguel Cotto!”
“Let’s see who the Philippine fans want Pacquiao to fight next,” added Mosley.
Source: abs-cbnnews.com
Which Doctor Is Witch For Cash Cow Floyd Mayweather?
There has been a lot of speculation as to who the doctor in charge of treating boxing’s self-proclaimed “Cash Cow” Floyd Mayweather Jr. is.
Mayweather claims rib cartilage injury which caused him to cancel or postpone a comeback bout against Juan Manuel Marquez.
I’ve learned that, despite what some Pacanimals might say, the Boxing Bovine is not being seen by a veterinarian.
Doctors have not, however, ruled out the entire Mayweather family being hit by "Mad Cow Disease."
Among those well known doctors who may be handling the Mayweather malady are:
1. “Fright Doctor” and former NBC fight announcer Dr. Ferdie Pacheco.
2. Dr. Kildare, former TV heartthrob.
3. Dr. Ben Casey in consulation with the older, wiser Dr. Zorba.
4. Dr. Hunter S. Thompson via a séance from Gonzo Heaven.
5. Dr. Richard Kimble, a “Fugitive” who can only make house calls.
6. Doctor Demento, the DJ famous for playing whacked out music.
7. Dr. Aflac, known to be a quack from way back.
8. Doc Severinson without the “Tonight Show band.
9. Dock Ellis without the LSD.
10. Dr. Zhivago who was Russian to fly in from Siberia.
11, Entire staff at "St. Elsewhere."
Source: examiner.com
Mayweather claims rib cartilage injury which caused him to cancel or postpone a comeback bout against Juan Manuel Marquez.
I’ve learned that, despite what some Pacanimals might say, the Boxing Bovine is not being seen by a veterinarian.
Doctors have not, however, ruled out the entire Mayweather family being hit by "Mad Cow Disease."
Among those well known doctors who may be handling the Mayweather malady are:
1. “Fright Doctor” and former NBC fight announcer Dr. Ferdie Pacheco.
2. Dr. Kildare, former TV heartthrob.
3. Dr. Ben Casey in consulation with the older, wiser Dr. Zorba.
4. Dr. Hunter S. Thompson via a séance from Gonzo Heaven.
5. Dr. Richard Kimble, a “Fugitive” who can only make house calls.
6. Doctor Demento, the DJ famous for playing whacked out music.
7. Dr. Aflac, known to be a quack from way back.
8. Doc Severinson without the “Tonight Show band.
9. Dock Ellis without the LSD.
10. Dr. Zhivago who was Russian to fly in from Siberia.
11, Entire staff at "St. Elsewhere."
Source: examiner.com
Arum Prefers Cotto as Pacquiao’s Next Rival
MANILA, Philippines – Manny Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum on Sunday expressed his preference for the Filipino ring icon to face off with another Top Rank fighter, Puerto Rican WBO welterweight champ Miguel Cotto, in his next fight.
Speaking after Cotto scored a split decision over Joshua Clottey in Saturday’s title fight at the Madison Square Garden in New York (Sunday in Manila), Arum said he would sit down with Cotto and his advisers to work out a possible Pacquiao-Cotto tussle, which he feels would be a “tremendous fight."
“We’re going to have to talk to the Cotto people. He has a lot of options. I would like for him to fight Manny Pacquiao. That would be a tremendous fight and I hope we can get it done for November," Arum was quoted in a report on Fightnews.com.
Feeling he won the fight, Clottey immediately asked for a rematch with Cotto but Arum said “economics" would come into the picture, meaning the Puerto Rican champion would likely go for a bigger fight next, possibly against boxing’s current top draw Pacquiao.
“This (Cotto-Clottey showdown) was a great fight, and under ordinary circumstances Clottey deserves a rematch. But we have economics. It’s just not going to happen next," the Top Rank boss said.
Pacquiao was at ringside during the fight. He had earlier expressed willingness to take on anybody after pulverizing erstwhile light-welterweight boss Ricky “Hitman" Hatton provided his camp and his next foe would agree to fight terms, including purse split and catch weight for welterweights like Cotto and Sugar Shane Mosley.
But most fight fans want to see a duel between the “Pacman" and comebacking Floyd Mayweather, Jr., who is set to duke it out with lightweight champ Juan Manuel Marquez next month in a fight at welterweight that also interests Pacquiao.
Arum, though, seemed cold on Mayweather, the former pound-for-pound king who would likely insist on getting the lion’s share of the purse, for Pacquiao or Cotto.
Taking a dig at Mayweather, Arum said: “Floyd has a fight coming up with Marquez. Then he’ll probably want to fight (WBO light-flyweight titlist Ivan) Calderon. Floyd just doesn’t fight big guys. Let’s be honest, he doesn’t fight big guys."
Cotto said he wants to take a breather from his hard fight first before thinking about his next outing. Asked about his future plans, Cotto said: “Vacation…the people have to wait until I rest a little bit."
But Arum apparently has plans for him already – the "Pacman."
Despite the difference in weight between Pacquiao and Cotto, Arum said Pacquiao has already proven he can climb in weight with the same devastating power when he dismantled Hatton.
"He (Cotto) and Pacquiao is a dead-even fight," Arum said in a separate report from the Associated Press.
Pacquiao is in New York not only to scout possible foe Cotto but also to receive the Fighter of the Year award from the Boxing Writers Association of America and support Rodel Mayol in his eventually unsuccessful crack at the world title against Calderon.
Source: gmanews.tv
Speaking after Cotto scored a split decision over Joshua Clottey in Saturday’s title fight at the Madison Square Garden in New York (Sunday in Manila), Arum said he would sit down with Cotto and his advisers to work out a possible Pacquiao-Cotto tussle, which he feels would be a “tremendous fight."
“We’re going to have to talk to the Cotto people. He has a lot of options. I would like for him to fight Manny Pacquiao. That would be a tremendous fight and I hope we can get it done for November," Arum was quoted in a report on Fightnews.com.
Feeling he won the fight, Clottey immediately asked for a rematch with Cotto but Arum said “economics" would come into the picture, meaning the Puerto Rican champion would likely go for a bigger fight next, possibly against boxing’s current top draw Pacquiao.
“This (Cotto-Clottey showdown) was a great fight, and under ordinary circumstances Clottey deserves a rematch. But we have economics. It’s just not going to happen next," the Top Rank boss said.
Pacquiao was at ringside during the fight. He had earlier expressed willingness to take on anybody after pulverizing erstwhile light-welterweight boss Ricky “Hitman" Hatton provided his camp and his next foe would agree to fight terms, including purse split and catch weight for welterweights like Cotto and Sugar Shane Mosley.
But most fight fans want to see a duel between the “Pacman" and comebacking Floyd Mayweather, Jr., who is set to duke it out with lightweight champ Juan Manuel Marquez next month in a fight at welterweight that also interests Pacquiao.
Arum, though, seemed cold on Mayweather, the former pound-for-pound king who would likely insist on getting the lion’s share of the purse, for Pacquiao or Cotto.
Taking a dig at Mayweather, Arum said: “Floyd has a fight coming up with Marquez. Then he’ll probably want to fight (WBO light-flyweight titlist Ivan) Calderon. Floyd just doesn’t fight big guys. Let’s be honest, he doesn’t fight big guys."
Cotto said he wants to take a breather from his hard fight first before thinking about his next outing. Asked about his future plans, Cotto said: “Vacation…the people have to wait until I rest a little bit."
But Arum apparently has plans for him already – the "Pacman."
Despite the difference in weight between Pacquiao and Cotto, Arum said Pacquiao has already proven he can climb in weight with the same devastating power when he dismantled Hatton.
"He (Cotto) and Pacquiao is a dead-even fight," Arum said in a separate report from the Associated Press.
Pacquiao is in New York not only to scout possible foe Cotto but also to receive the Fighter of the Year award from the Boxing Writers Association of America and support Rodel Mayol in his eventually unsuccessful crack at the world title against Calderon.
Source: gmanews.tv
Now What?
The news arrived in a press release on Sunday afternoon - Floyd Mayweather, scheduled to face Juan Manuel Marquez on July 18th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, would be forced out of that assignment due to a rib injury.
So now what?
"I really don't have any updates, as of yet," said Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer on Monday afternoon. "It really is driven by the doctor’s opinion, Floyd is going to see the doctor again this week and we will then see what is the earliest date we can reschedule the fight for."
The hope is that Mayweather-Marquez will take place on September 19th at the same venue.
There has been speculation that perhaps Mayweather pulled out of this fight to instead face a Miguel Cotto or Manny Pacquiao in the late fall. But Schaefer stated to Maxboxing that, "Both Mayweather and Marquez are committed to the fight. We had conversations with HBO, with sponsors, as well as with the venue, and we will know more once we find out about how Floyd is feeling. I'm told he's in a tremendous amount of pain and so we are very concerned about that and we hope he's going to feel better soon and is going to be able to resume his training. He was very disappointed, devastated - everything was lined up and planned.
“He obviously had in his mind that he's going to take care of this fight with Marquez and then was looking forward to a showdown later on in the year, another big fight, be it with Pacquiao or a Shane Mosley. Obviously, this injury now derails these plans and it looks like he's only going to be fighting once this year."
According to Bob Arum, Pacquiao-Mayweather will not take place in 2009 with this latest development.
“What he did with this injury," said the veteran promoter from his offices in Las Vegas on Monday, "is put himself out of all consideration for a Pacquiao fight this year. He clearly did because obviously the earliest he'll be able to postpone it would be September 19th, and obviously even if he knocked the guy out in one round, you couldn't schedule another fight this year."
Arum has been told by 'the Pac Man', who watched this past weekend’s fight at the Madison Square Garden between Cotto and Joshua Clottey, to make his next bout for November the 14th.
“My orders are to make a fight with Miguel Cotto and I assume I'll be able to do that; if I can't, I'll look to Shane Mosley," said Arum. Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, is asking for a catch-weight of 144, while Cotto's people would settle for 145. Arum says, "I assume that's not going to be an issue."
Arum doesn't buy all the conspiracy theories surrounding Mayweather's ailment.
“I believe the injury is legitimate, because yes, the fight wasn't doing well in July and maybe it'll do better in September - which is certainly a more appropriate date. But it's clear that he now has to look to next year to fight Pacquiao, assuming he's able to beat Cotto."
ICEBERG AVERTED?
It really is anyone’s guess if Mayweather is really hurt or not and certainly a lot has been written as to the 'real' reason this event was pulled. It was no secret within the industry that the fight was struggling at the box office. Sources tell Maxboxing that no more than 3,000 tickets were sold, and ticket brokers weren't exactly rushing to put in orders. It's difficult to have a secondary market when there isn't much of a demand for the event to begin with. Not only was this fight seen as a physical mismatch in many circles, the tickets (which ranged from $1,000 to $150) seemed a bit pricey, particularly in this current economy.
But this promotion seemed doomed from the start. Not only is July a tough month in terms of pay-per-view (usually promoters and networks try and steer clear from the dog days of summer) but it's traditionally a slow period for Las Vegas (something about those 110-degree nights). This event also was most likely going to be overshadowed by UFC 100, which is expected to be a gala event, and one that also takes place in 'Sin City' on July 11th. That card sold-out in mere minutes.
There is also the harsh reality - which seems pretty clear now - that Marquez, for all his greatness, was the third banana behind the likes of Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales, and never considered a real draw, even among the hardcore Mexican fans. As for Mayweather, his claims of being the biggest draw in boxing based on his fights versus Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton seem to ring hollow. In both events, he was the clear B-side of the equation.
For him to claim he was the driving reason that those promotions did the numbers they did would be like Sasha Vujacic telling his grandkids in the future that on the night of January 22nd, 2006, when the Lakers defeated the Toronto Raptors at the Staples Center, that he and Kobe Bryant combined for 84 points to lead the purple and gold to victory. (For you that don't follow the NBA, that was the game where 'the Black Mamba' went off for 81.)
September 19th seems like a much better date for this particular promotion, because no matter how you slice it, Marquez is Mexican, at the very least. And this weekend, for about the past decade-and-a-half, has been designated as a regular pay-per-view slot. But if you look back, the biggest numbers on this platform have been produced by one common denominator - Oscar De La Hoya. Unfortunately, on this night - should this fight be rescheduled for this date - he'll be ringside with a credential around his neck.
And here's another factor - Mexicans are a bit more discerning than some would like to believe. Will they really show up in droves or drive up pay-per-view sales for a fight where their guy is such a decided underdog? Mexican boxing fans like to see Mexican boxers win. They’re not forking over their hard-earned money to see their man get thrashed. Trust me, I've asked more than a few out here in Montebello/East L.A. about this issue. There is a certain irony of seeing a Mexican trying to overcome steep odds on Mexican Independence Day weekend.
But this date is the lesser of two evils. Getting off of July 18th is akin to the Titanic steering clear of a certain iceberg. The question is, will this promotion float a month later?
NOT YET
Top Rank and Golden Boy had planned to stage a pay-per-view show on September 19th based around a fight between WBC lightweight titlist Edwin Valero and Joel Casamayor. I mean, is there any better way to celebrate Mexican Independence Day than a hook-up between a Venezuelan and Cuban? But seriously, rational thinking prevailed.
"Both Bob and I felt that it was just not enough of a pay-per-view card," said Schaefer. "We just didn't feel that we could put the pay-per-view together where we could both feel proud about and feel good about it. So we said, 'Look, we're definitely not going to do a pay-per-view' and we basically walked away from the date, both Bob and I did. We were not planning on doing anything. We were trying hard with HBO. Bob was in New York last week to see if we could convince HBO to go live that weekend but because of budgetary reasons, they couldn't do it and so we decided we weren't going to go September 19th."
But things changed with Mayweather-Marquez being postponed.
"So obviously this happened, now, the injury, so we are holding the MGM Grand, I'm holding the pay-per-view date and we just have to see the next few days what's going to happen with Floyd."
As for Valero-Casamayor, Arum says, "We have pay-per-view dates that will probably be in October or maybe the week later in September."
Source: maxboxing.com
So now what?
"I really don't have any updates, as of yet," said Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer on Monday afternoon. "It really is driven by the doctor’s opinion, Floyd is going to see the doctor again this week and we will then see what is the earliest date we can reschedule the fight for."
The hope is that Mayweather-Marquez will take place on September 19th at the same venue.
There has been speculation that perhaps Mayweather pulled out of this fight to instead face a Miguel Cotto or Manny Pacquiao in the late fall. But Schaefer stated to Maxboxing that, "Both Mayweather and Marquez are committed to the fight. We had conversations with HBO, with sponsors, as well as with the venue, and we will know more once we find out about how Floyd is feeling. I'm told he's in a tremendous amount of pain and so we are very concerned about that and we hope he's going to feel better soon and is going to be able to resume his training. He was very disappointed, devastated - everything was lined up and planned.
“He obviously had in his mind that he's going to take care of this fight with Marquez and then was looking forward to a showdown later on in the year, another big fight, be it with Pacquiao or a Shane Mosley. Obviously, this injury now derails these plans and it looks like he's only going to be fighting once this year."
According to Bob Arum, Pacquiao-Mayweather will not take place in 2009 with this latest development.
“What he did with this injury," said the veteran promoter from his offices in Las Vegas on Monday, "is put himself out of all consideration for a Pacquiao fight this year. He clearly did because obviously the earliest he'll be able to postpone it would be September 19th, and obviously even if he knocked the guy out in one round, you couldn't schedule another fight this year."
Arum has been told by 'the Pac Man', who watched this past weekend’s fight at the Madison Square Garden between Cotto and Joshua Clottey, to make his next bout for November the 14th.
“My orders are to make a fight with Miguel Cotto and I assume I'll be able to do that; if I can't, I'll look to Shane Mosley," said Arum. Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, is asking for a catch-weight of 144, while Cotto's people would settle for 145. Arum says, "I assume that's not going to be an issue."
Arum doesn't buy all the conspiracy theories surrounding Mayweather's ailment.
“I believe the injury is legitimate, because yes, the fight wasn't doing well in July and maybe it'll do better in September - which is certainly a more appropriate date. But it's clear that he now has to look to next year to fight Pacquiao, assuming he's able to beat Cotto."
ICEBERG AVERTED?
It really is anyone’s guess if Mayweather is really hurt or not and certainly a lot has been written as to the 'real' reason this event was pulled. It was no secret within the industry that the fight was struggling at the box office. Sources tell Maxboxing that no more than 3,000 tickets were sold, and ticket brokers weren't exactly rushing to put in orders. It's difficult to have a secondary market when there isn't much of a demand for the event to begin with. Not only was this fight seen as a physical mismatch in many circles, the tickets (which ranged from $1,000 to $150) seemed a bit pricey, particularly in this current economy.
But this promotion seemed doomed from the start. Not only is July a tough month in terms of pay-per-view (usually promoters and networks try and steer clear from the dog days of summer) but it's traditionally a slow period for Las Vegas (something about those 110-degree nights). This event also was most likely going to be overshadowed by UFC 100, which is expected to be a gala event, and one that also takes place in 'Sin City' on July 11th. That card sold-out in mere minutes.
There is also the harsh reality - which seems pretty clear now - that Marquez, for all his greatness, was the third banana behind the likes of Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales, and never considered a real draw, even among the hardcore Mexican fans. As for Mayweather, his claims of being the biggest draw in boxing based on his fights versus Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton seem to ring hollow. In both events, he was the clear B-side of the equation.
For him to claim he was the driving reason that those promotions did the numbers they did would be like Sasha Vujacic telling his grandkids in the future that on the night of January 22nd, 2006, when the Lakers defeated the Toronto Raptors at the Staples Center, that he and Kobe Bryant combined for 84 points to lead the purple and gold to victory. (For you that don't follow the NBA, that was the game where 'the Black Mamba' went off for 81.)
September 19th seems like a much better date for this particular promotion, because no matter how you slice it, Marquez is Mexican, at the very least. And this weekend, for about the past decade-and-a-half, has been designated as a regular pay-per-view slot. But if you look back, the biggest numbers on this platform have been produced by one common denominator - Oscar De La Hoya. Unfortunately, on this night - should this fight be rescheduled for this date - he'll be ringside with a credential around his neck.
And here's another factor - Mexicans are a bit more discerning than some would like to believe. Will they really show up in droves or drive up pay-per-view sales for a fight where their guy is such a decided underdog? Mexican boxing fans like to see Mexican boxers win. They’re not forking over their hard-earned money to see their man get thrashed. Trust me, I've asked more than a few out here in Montebello/East L.A. about this issue. There is a certain irony of seeing a Mexican trying to overcome steep odds on Mexican Independence Day weekend.
But this date is the lesser of two evils. Getting off of July 18th is akin to the Titanic steering clear of a certain iceberg. The question is, will this promotion float a month later?
NOT YET
Top Rank and Golden Boy had planned to stage a pay-per-view show on September 19th based around a fight between WBC lightweight titlist Edwin Valero and Joel Casamayor. I mean, is there any better way to celebrate Mexican Independence Day than a hook-up between a Venezuelan and Cuban? But seriously, rational thinking prevailed.
"Both Bob and I felt that it was just not enough of a pay-per-view card," said Schaefer. "We just didn't feel that we could put the pay-per-view together where we could both feel proud about and feel good about it. So we said, 'Look, we're definitely not going to do a pay-per-view' and we basically walked away from the date, both Bob and I did. We were not planning on doing anything. We were trying hard with HBO. Bob was in New York last week to see if we could convince HBO to go live that weekend but because of budgetary reasons, they couldn't do it and so we decided we weren't going to go September 19th."
But things changed with Mayweather-Marquez being postponed.
"So obviously this happened, now, the injury, so we are holding the MGM Grand, I'm holding the pay-per-view date and we just have to see the next few days what's going to happen with Floyd."
As for Valero-Casamayor, Arum says, "We have pay-per-view dates that will probably be in October or maybe the week later in September."
Source: maxboxing.com
Mosley: Manny Gets A Lot More If He Fights Me
World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight champion “Sugar” Shane Mosley thinks Manny Pacquiao will get a better deal if he decides to get in the ring with him instead of World Boxing Organization (WBO) champ Miguel Cotto.
“A fight with me will make more money. I know there have been numbers going on out there like Cotto making 5 or 6 million and Manny making 10, 11 or 12. But in a fight with me, he will make more money,” Mosley said in an interview with boxing analyst Julius Stecker.
Mosley said he could not see how a Pacquiao-Cotto fight would be much bigger than a match with him especially after the Puerto Rican’s split decision win over Clottey.
He said a Pacquiao-Cotto match up is not exactly what fight fans would like to see.
“And why fight Cotto? He almost lost to Joshua Clottey. It was a fight that he easily could have lost. Cotto ran around the ring in the last few rounds. The fight with Cotto is not the best fight for boxing or fight fans, or Manny Pacquiao fans,” said Mosley.
Mosley has reportedly offered a 40-60 revenue share favoring Pacquiao just to get the Filipino to fight him.
Aside from the higher revenue cut, Mosley has also offered to meet Pacquiao at the 144-pound catch weight.
“I am trying to make the fight happen. I threw a bone out to Pacquiao saying I would fight him at 144. I am the Welterweight Champion of the World, Cotto isn’t. I am the former Pound for Pound champion, Cotto isn’t. Pacquiao is the pound for pound champion. We should be fighting. [Top Rank promoter] Bob Arum is not letting this happen,” said the WBA champion.
Arum is strongly pushing for a fight between Cotto and Pacquiao who are both under his promotional outfit. However, fight fans will have to wait until November 14 for the fight to materialize. Arum said they have given Cotto some time to let the cut that he sustained against Clottey heal.
“Even if you look at Cotto’s gash, do you think it will heal in time? It might just open up again if he fights Pacquiao. The fans need to know that the best and biggest fight in boxing right now is with me,” said Mosley.
He added that their “similarities” would make the fight more interesting for the fans.
"Manny and me are the same. We will fight anybody…That is what I do, I am a fighter. I fought guys nobody would fight, Vernon Forrest, and Winky Wright. That is the same with Manny,” said Mosley.
The WBA champion, who recently demolished Cotto beater Antonio Margarito, said Pacquiao should weigh things carefully if he’s thinking about his legacy for the sport.
“Do the right thing, Manny. Fight the best fight for the fans, and the best fight for your legacy. You have nothing to lose by fighting me. There will be more prestige in fighting me then Cotto. I will enhance your legacy. Whatever Bob Arum money can offer you, I can offer more and then some,” he said.
Source: abs-cbnnews.com
“A fight with me will make more money. I know there have been numbers going on out there like Cotto making 5 or 6 million and Manny making 10, 11 or 12. But in a fight with me, he will make more money,” Mosley said in an interview with boxing analyst Julius Stecker.
Mosley said he could not see how a Pacquiao-Cotto fight would be much bigger than a match with him especially after the Puerto Rican’s split decision win over Clottey.
He said a Pacquiao-Cotto match up is not exactly what fight fans would like to see.
“And why fight Cotto? He almost lost to Joshua Clottey. It was a fight that he easily could have lost. Cotto ran around the ring in the last few rounds. The fight with Cotto is not the best fight for boxing or fight fans, or Manny Pacquiao fans,” said Mosley.
Mosley has reportedly offered a 40-60 revenue share favoring Pacquiao just to get the Filipino to fight him.
Aside from the higher revenue cut, Mosley has also offered to meet Pacquiao at the 144-pound catch weight.
“I am trying to make the fight happen. I threw a bone out to Pacquiao saying I would fight him at 144. I am the Welterweight Champion of the World, Cotto isn’t. I am the former Pound for Pound champion, Cotto isn’t. Pacquiao is the pound for pound champion. We should be fighting. [Top Rank promoter] Bob Arum is not letting this happen,” said the WBA champion.
Arum is strongly pushing for a fight between Cotto and Pacquiao who are both under his promotional outfit. However, fight fans will have to wait until November 14 for the fight to materialize. Arum said they have given Cotto some time to let the cut that he sustained against Clottey heal.
“Even if you look at Cotto’s gash, do you think it will heal in time? It might just open up again if he fights Pacquiao. The fans need to know that the best and biggest fight in boxing right now is with me,” said Mosley.
He added that their “similarities” would make the fight more interesting for the fans.
"Manny and me are the same. We will fight anybody…That is what I do, I am a fighter. I fought guys nobody would fight, Vernon Forrest, and Winky Wright. That is the same with Manny,” said Mosley.
The WBA champion, who recently demolished Cotto beater Antonio Margarito, said Pacquiao should weigh things carefully if he’s thinking about his legacy for the sport.
“Do the right thing, Manny. Fight the best fight for the fans, and the best fight for your legacy. You have nothing to lose by fighting me. There will be more prestige in fighting me then Cotto. I will enhance your legacy. Whatever Bob Arum money can offer you, I can offer more and then some,” he said.
Source: abs-cbnnews.com
Forget about Pacquiao-Mayweather Jr. Dream Match in 2009
Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s injury has been identified. “Money” has been reported to have damaged cartilage in his ribs and will not be able to train for his comeback fight against Juan Manuel Marquez until approved by a doctor. Contrary to previous reports however, Floyd doesn’t have a broken rib, but the injury he sustained is serious just the same. Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo injured his rib cartilage during the team's final game against the Philadelphia Eagles last year, when Romo fumbled and was sacked then benched. His coach Wade Phillips said a flare-up of the pain caused Romo to collapse in the shower afterward.
Richard Schaefer, chief executive of Golden Boy Promotions, told The Associated Press on Monday that Mayweather has been in tremendous pain since suffering the injury during training on Thursday.
"He tried to work through it. He really did not want to postpone the fight, but it came to the point where he could barely sit," Schaefer said. "He could not train, he could not move and there was really not much of a choice."
Mayweather (39-0, 25 KOs) was scheduled to fight Juan Manuel Marquez (50-4-1, 37 KOs) on July 18 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas but because of the injury, had to postpone the fight.
Schaefer said both fighters have agreed and intend to reschedule their fight to somewhere around September if they can get a “go” from the doctors by then. Some have speculated that the silent response from fight fans in the box office contributed to the postponement of the fight and that promoters will move the fight to a more favorable, later day date like the Mexican Independence day around August to help sell tickets. Golden Boy and the Mayweather camp insists though that it’s Floyd’s physical condition that is stopping the fight from happening at the originally scheduled July 18 date. Cartilage connects the ribs to the sternum, and can tear away after direct blows to the chest, other trauma or particularly violent coughs and sneezes.
"Right now he cannot go and train, he cannot work out, he cannot run, he cannot hit the heavy bag and the speed bags and jump ropes and all these kinds of things," Schaefer said. "He definitely will need some additional training but again, Floyd is such an amazing athlete and really on top of his game — that I think it will be relatively easy for him to get right back into it."
If all of these reports are indeed 100% true then it’s safe to say that the dream match everyone has been clamoring for between Floyd and Manny Pacquiao will definitely not happen this year. With Pacquiao’s desire to run in his country’s 2010 political race, and speculations abound about his retirement after one last fight, there’s a big possibility that if the fight does not happen in 2009, that it may never happen at all.
There are still a lot of factors though and anything can happen, so I’m leaving my doors and windows open for a fight between Floyd and Manny to happen- I’m just not counting on it. As of now, Pacquiao looks like he’s ready to face Miguel Cotto on November 14 and Golden Boy promotions seems to be intent on shoving Shane Mosley some way some how in Pacquiao's throat. Once Floyd realizes that he isn't as big as he thinks he is and Bob Arum and Pacquiao come up with a reasonable cut for Floyd to bite, then the dream match fans have been asking for with remain just that. Here's hoping this won't end up like the Roy Jones Jr.-Bernard Hopkins rematch saga.
As a fight fan, I’d rather Pacquiao fight Cotto though, since Cotto is the younger fighter and holds a win over Mosley himself. Cotto’s lone loss also has an asterisk on it since the guy he lost to, Antonio Margarito, got busted for juicing up his fists in his next fight. A fight against Cotto will make better sense for Pacquiao financially too since both of them are under the same promotional company, Top Rank. Pacquiao can even try and demand for the fight to happen in his hometown in Manila if he truly wants to boost his political chances. At the end of the day, I just hope Floyd and Manny meets on top of the ring eventually.It’s the fight that makes the most sense cause honestly, either of them can fight Marquez and Cotto next, but what the world wants is to see Mayweather and Pacquiao now.
Source: examiner.com
Richard Schaefer, chief executive of Golden Boy Promotions, told The Associated Press on Monday that Mayweather has been in tremendous pain since suffering the injury during training on Thursday.
"He tried to work through it. He really did not want to postpone the fight, but it came to the point where he could barely sit," Schaefer said. "He could not train, he could not move and there was really not much of a choice."
Mayweather (39-0, 25 KOs) was scheduled to fight Juan Manuel Marquez (50-4-1, 37 KOs) on July 18 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas but because of the injury, had to postpone the fight.
Schaefer said both fighters have agreed and intend to reschedule their fight to somewhere around September if they can get a “go” from the doctors by then. Some have speculated that the silent response from fight fans in the box office contributed to the postponement of the fight and that promoters will move the fight to a more favorable, later day date like the Mexican Independence day around August to help sell tickets. Golden Boy and the Mayweather camp insists though that it’s Floyd’s physical condition that is stopping the fight from happening at the originally scheduled July 18 date. Cartilage connects the ribs to the sternum, and can tear away after direct blows to the chest, other trauma or particularly violent coughs and sneezes.
"Right now he cannot go and train, he cannot work out, he cannot run, he cannot hit the heavy bag and the speed bags and jump ropes and all these kinds of things," Schaefer said. "He definitely will need some additional training but again, Floyd is such an amazing athlete and really on top of his game — that I think it will be relatively easy for him to get right back into it."
If all of these reports are indeed 100% true then it’s safe to say that the dream match everyone has been clamoring for between Floyd and Manny Pacquiao will definitely not happen this year. With Pacquiao’s desire to run in his country’s 2010 political race, and speculations abound about his retirement after one last fight, there’s a big possibility that if the fight does not happen in 2009, that it may never happen at all.
There are still a lot of factors though and anything can happen, so I’m leaving my doors and windows open for a fight between Floyd and Manny to happen- I’m just not counting on it. As of now, Pacquiao looks like he’s ready to face Miguel Cotto on November 14 and Golden Boy promotions seems to be intent on shoving Shane Mosley some way some how in Pacquiao's throat. Once Floyd realizes that he isn't as big as he thinks he is and Bob Arum and Pacquiao come up with a reasonable cut for Floyd to bite, then the dream match fans have been asking for with remain just that. Here's hoping this won't end up like the Roy Jones Jr.-Bernard Hopkins rematch saga.
As a fight fan, I’d rather Pacquiao fight Cotto though, since Cotto is the younger fighter and holds a win over Mosley himself. Cotto’s lone loss also has an asterisk on it since the guy he lost to, Antonio Margarito, got busted for juicing up his fists in his next fight. A fight against Cotto will make better sense for Pacquiao financially too since both of them are under the same promotional company, Top Rank. Pacquiao can even try and demand for the fight to happen in his hometown in Manila if he truly wants to boost his political chances. At the end of the day, I just hope Floyd and Manny meets on top of the ring eventually.It’s the fight that makes the most sense cause honestly, either of them can fight Marquez and Cotto next, but what the world wants is to see Mayweather and Pacquiao now.
Source: examiner.com
Mayweather-Marquez: Potential New Date, Lots Of Talk
While Juan Manuel Marquez has come out and said that his postponed July 18 fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. may be moved to September 19, the biggest stuff going on is the doubt being bandied about by boxing fans and writers.
While Mayweather's rib injury appears 100% legit, FightHype's Ben Thompson says that poor ticket sales may be just as much if not more to blame for the postponement of the bout. The 11 weeks of promotional time was pretty short, but it seems doable for a Mayweather return. They went on an immediate press blitz, but an anonymous source said bluntly, "Ticket sales suck."
I'm no conspiracy theorist, and I'm no Floyd basher, and I'm a huge Marquez fan, and I was looking forward to the fight even though I had reservations about how competitive it would be, and since I think it will still wind up happening, I maintain those reservations.
But ticket sales were bad and this fight was not measuring up to the level of anticipation I think Golden Boy and Mayweather expected. Part of this may even be blamed on "Mayweather Promotions," which was the lead promoter for this fight, not Golden Boy, but that is pure speculation on my part, and only relevant, I feel, because Mayweather and Leonard Ellerbe are not experienced at leading promotion for a card of this magnitude.
I have defended Floyd as a big star, and I still think he's a big star. But I'm ready to accept that he lost a lot of his post-Oscar, post-Hatton buzz with a series of blunders:
1. Dancing With the Stars: Yes, it's a popular show, and yes, it gave him some crossover appeal, but housewives and teen girls aren't about to follow his boxing career just because he has a winning smile. This is the least of the three, since I don't think it mattered much either way.
2. WrestleMania: I've said before I grew up a huge pro wrestling fan, still enjoy the older stuff I've always loved, and that I have no real beef with pro wrestling. But pro wrestling -- while hugely popular in fad periods -- is just not all that popular right now and I don't think it did him any favors. He went from talking about fighting in the UFC to pretend fighting The Big Show, you know? He could have been continuing his successful boxing career as the big dog, but instead he went to Monday Night Raw to cut rotten promos.
3. Retirement: No one bought it, it wasn't real, and all it did was cool his jets. I don't believe for one second he intended to never fight again.
Mayweather had fans, and still has them, but do I think he's really any bigger of a gate draw than Pacquiao right now? No, I don't. Probably less of one, in fact. I don't even think Mayweather could sell a Madison Square Garden fight the way Miguel Cotto can.
He's not the star he thinks he is. And I've said this before, but I think the biggest reason he "retired' was a not-even-lukewarm response from fans and press about his rematch with Oscar de la Hoya. Never forget that that fight was a go -- they had the press tour lined up. Suddenly, Mayweather retired. Why? What changed?
No one wanted that fight. And I don't think there's a whole lot of interest past Mexican fans when it comes to Mayweather-Marquez. It definitely isn't the huge fight HBO and Mayweather and Golden Boy thought it was going to be. You can talk about the economy, and it has a part in this, but people came out for Pacquiao-Hatton and bought the fight in big numbers.
Was an "ehhh" response from those in and around boxing partly to blame for Mayweather-Marquez getting pushed back? I'm not one to be sure about these things, but I think there could be something to it. If Mayweather-Pacquiao is to eventually happen, Mayweather will go out of his way to leverage the lion's share of the split. A poor financial showing with Marquez would've really hurt his position, no matter if or how he won the fight.
It's food for thought, at the very least.
Source: badlefthook.com
While Mayweather's rib injury appears 100% legit, FightHype's Ben Thompson says that poor ticket sales may be just as much if not more to blame for the postponement of the bout. The 11 weeks of promotional time was pretty short, but it seems doable for a Mayweather return. They went on an immediate press blitz, but an anonymous source said bluntly, "Ticket sales suck."
I'm no conspiracy theorist, and I'm no Floyd basher, and I'm a huge Marquez fan, and I was looking forward to the fight even though I had reservations about how competitive it would be, and since I think it will still wind up happening, I maintain those reservations.
But ticket sales were bad and this fight was not measuring up to the level of anticipation I think Golden Boy and Mayweather expected. Part of this may even be blamed on "Mayweather Promotions," which was the lead promoter for this fight, not Golden Boy, but that is pure speculation on my part, and only relevant, I feel, because Mayweather and Leonard Ellerbe are not experienced at leading promotion for a card of this magnitude.
I have defended Floyd as a big star, and I still think he's a big star. But I'm ready to accept that he lost a lot of his post-Oscar, post-Hatton buzz with a series of blunders:
1. Dancing With the Stars: Yes, it's a popular show, and yes, it gave him some crossover appeal, but housewives and teen girls aren't about to follow his boxing career just because he has a winning smile. This is the least of the three, since I don't think it mattered much either way.
2. WrestleMania: I've said before I grew up a huge pro wrestling fan, still enjoy the older stuff I've always loved, and that I have no real beef with pro wrestling. But pro wrestling -- while hugely popular in fad periods -- is just not all that popular right now and I don't think it did him any favors. He went from talking about fighting in the UFC to pretend fighting The Big Show, you know? He could have been continuing his successful boxing career as the big dog, but instead he went to Monday Night Raw to cut rotten promos.
3. Retirement: No one bought it, it wasn't real, and all it did was cool his jets. I don't believe for one second he intended to never fight again.
Mayweather had fans, and still has them, but do I think he's really any bigger of a gate draw than Pacquiao right now? No, I don't. Probably less of one, in fact. I don't even think Mayweather could sell a Madison Square Garden fight the way Miguel Cotto can.
He's not the star he thinks he is. And I've said this before, but I think the biggest reason he "retired' was a not-even-lukewarm response from fans and press about his rematch with Oscar de la Hoya. Never forget that that fight was a go -- they had the press tour lined up. Suddenly, Mayweather retired. Why? What changed?
No one wanted that fight. And I don't think there's a whole lot of interest past Mexican fans when it comes to Mayweather-Marquez. It definitely isn't the huge fight HBO and Mayweather and Golden Boy thought it was going to be. You can talk about the economy, and it has a part in this, but people came out for Pacquiao-Hatton and bought the fight in big numbers.
Was an "ehhh" response from those in and around boxing partly to blame for Mayweather-Marquez getting pushed back? I'm not one to be sure about these things, but I think there could be something to it. If Mayweather-Pacquiao is to eventually happen, Mayweather will go out of his way to leverage the lion's share of the split. A poor financial showing with Marquez would've really hurt his position, no matter if or how he won the fight.
It's food for thought, at the very least.
Source: badlefthook.com
Pacquiao To Challengers: One At A Time, Please
MANILA, Philippines – Pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao is already excited for his next fight but is taking his sweet time to make his much-awaited choice for opponent.
The Pacman, who is eyeing an October or even November outing as a followup to his amazing disposal of erstwhile light-welterweight boss Ricky Hatton last month, has been on the sights of a number of marquee fighters.
Interested to challenge the Filipino ring icon are WBA welterweight champ Sugar Shane Mosley, comebacking Floyd Mayweather Jr. his old rival Juan Manuel Marquez, Miguel Cotto, Edwin Valero and the latest addition, former world champ Michael Katsidis.
Mosley created the biggest buzz lately when he declared willingness to go down in weight and take a 40-60 split just so he can meet Pacquiao on the ring.
While expressing openness to take on Mosley, Pacquiao stressed that he would not rush into forging a fight without consulting his team and going through proper negotiations. This is true with the rest of the fighters in the list of possible opponents, he reiterated.
Pacquiao is said to be waiting to see the June 13 fight of Cotto with Joshua Clottey and the July 18 tussle between Mayweather and Marquez before making his choice and starting the ball rolling on pre-fight talks.
Source: gmanews.tv
The Pacman, who is eyeing an October or even November outing as a followup to his amazing disposal of erstwhile light-welterweight boss Ricky Hatton last month, has been on the sights of a number of marquee fighters.
Interested to challenge the Filipino ring icon are WBA welterweight champ Sugar Shane Mosley, comebacking Floyd Mayweather Jr. his old rival Juan Manuel Marquez, Miguel Cotto, Edwin Valero and the latest addition, former world champ Michael Katsidis.
Mosley created the biggest buzz lately when he declared willingness to go down in weight and take a 40-60 split just so he can meet Pacquiao on the ring.
While expressing openness to take on Mosley, Pacquiao stressed that he would not rush into forging a fight without consulting his team and going through proper negotiations. This is true with the rest of the fighters in the list of possible opponents, he reiterated.
Pacquiao is said to be waiting to see the June 13 fight of Cotto with Joshua Clottey and the July 18 tussle between Mayweather and Marquez before making his choice and starting the ball rolling on pre-fight talks.
Source: gmanews.tv
Can Wright Add Star Power to Mayweather vs. Marquez?
Now that Mayweather's July 18th return against Juan Manuel Marquez has been postponed, it appears that Golden Boy Promotions may be using the opportunity to stack the card with another big name to bolster interest in the event. According to Dan Rafael of ESPN.com, former jr. middleweight champion Winky Wright is hoping to land a spot on the undercard.
Apparently, Golden Boy matchmaker Eric Gomez is looking to pit Wright against middleweight contender Enrique Ornelas (28-5, 18KOs), who's coming off a split decision loss last October to former title challenger Marco Antonio Rubio. Wright himself is also coming off a unanimous decision loss to Paul Williams in a bout in which he lost virtually every round. Given that it had been nearly 21 months prior to that fight since Wright last fought, he's eager to get back into the ring to avoid another lengthy layoff.
"It's a definite possibility. I'll be glad to fight that guy and hope to do that fight, but we don't have nothing signed in ink. But I'll be glad to get right back and show everybody it's not over...We just gotta wait for Golden Boy to come back, and we can get it done. I'm ready to get back in the ring. I'll just be glad to get back and show the fans I'm still here," Wright revealed to Rafael.
It's extremely rare to get a pay-per-view card featuring more than one marquee name. One might think that the addition of Wright to an undercard that already features former welterweight champion Zab Judah is nearly impossible, but Wright is confident that money won't be an issue. "If this fight doesn't happen, trust me, it is not going to be because of the money," he reiterated. If that's the case and Wright is indeed added to the card, the now postponed clash between Mayweather and Marquez just became much more attractive as it harkens back to a time when promoters were more interested in putting together good cards as opposed to just big names headlining a main event.
Source: fighthype.com
Apparently, Golden Boy matchmaker Eric Gomez is looking to pit Wright against middleweight contender Enrique Ornelas (28-5, 18KOs), who's coming off a split decision loss last October to former title challenger Marco Antonio Rubio. Wright himself is also coming off a unanimous decision loss to Paul Williams in a bout in which he lost virtually every round. Given that it had been nearly 21 months prior to that fight since Wright last fought, he's eager to get back into the ring to avoid another lengthy layoff.
"It's a definite possibility. I'll be glad to fight that guy and hope to do that fight, but we don't have nothing signed in ink. But I'll be glad to get right back and show everybody it's not over...We just gotta wait for Golden Boy to come back, and we can get it done. I'm ready to get back in the ring. I'll just be glad to get back and show the fans I'm still here," Wright revealed to Rafael.
It's extremely rare to get a pay-per-view card featuring more than one marquee name. One might think that the addition of Wright to an undercard that already features former welterweight champion Zab Judah is nearly impossible, but Wright is confident that money won't be an issue. "If this fight doesn't happen, trust me, it is not going to be because of the money," he reiterated. If that's the case and Wright is indeed added to the card, the now postponed clash between Mayweather and Marquez just became much more attractive as it harkens back to a time when promoters were more interested in putting together good cards as opposed to just big names headlining a main event.
Source: fighthype.com
Fraud Ribfaker? Baby Back Mayweather
Clouds of suspicion linger. They look like circulus nimbus clouds to me.They are thick clouds, ones that can only be cleared away by that rarest of boxing commodities, the truth.
Comment of the day here comes from "Pinoy Idol," who posts up better than LeBron James and Kobe Bryant combined with this gem.
"Mayweather's baby back ribs are slathered with Pacman duck sauce!"
Good one, Pinoy Idol, you made me laugh. But back to the truth...
I don’t mean the old r&b group, Undisputed Truth.
I mean the truth, the whole truth and nothing but…
Otherwise, this flimsy story about Fraud Ribfaker, I mean Floyd Fairweather or whatever his real name is and his supposed rib cartilage damage is going to explode into a scandal bigger than Richard Nixon’s disastrous Watergate burglary.
Below the clouds all I can see is smoke and mirrors. And I don’t mean the swirling but savory smoke of pork or beef ribs on the grill.
Here are this morning’s burning questions as to Ribgate:
1. Who was the sparring partner whose mighty left hook to the ribs left Mayfaker aching?
2. When exactly did the injury occur? All we know now is it was last week. (In photo above, Tricky Dick Nixon demonstrates the powerful right uppercut that he used against all foes, real or imaginary.)
3. Why isn’t the name of any doctor mentioned? Why the secrecy? Is this whole thing as fishy as the "election" in Iran?
4. How come Mayweather’s mouthpiece, Laughing Lenny Ellerbe, has gone to complete radio silence? Come to think of it, he’s from Washington so maybe he knows about clandestine activity and resulting cover-ups.
5. Did the sparring partner get a hefty bonus or was he immediately fired? Again, what is the name of the man who shot undefeated Liberty Valance?
6. Can we get a name, one name, of one actual ticket buyer, one real person who paid for a ducat for Marquez-Mayweather July 18? Persistent Vegas drumbeats have it that less than 300 tickets went through the sticky wickets. You couldn’t pay for one round of golf for Mr. De La Hoya at the Riviera Country Club with that chump change.
7. Has any medical documentation been requested by or given to Keith Kizer at the Nevada commission? If not, why not? The public has a right to know.
8. Will the Mayweather camp try to negotiate a complete ban on hitting above the belt but below the chin if and when PBF fights Pacific Storm Pacquiao? In simpler terms, no body shots allowed?
9. Who is the wise guy who labeled Mayweather’s x-rays “Belly of the Beast?”
10. Are the x-rays, if any, being kept hermetically sealed in a huge jar of mayonnaise inside a vault at the offices of Golden Boy Promotions?
Source: examiner.com
Comment of the day here comes from "Pinoy Idol," who posts up better than LeBron James and Kobe Bryant combined with this gem.
"Mayweather's baby back ribs are slathered with Pacman duck sauce!"
Good one, Pinoy Idol, you made me laugh. But back to the truth...
I don’t mean the old r&b group, Undisputed Truth.
I mean the truth, the whole truth and nothing but…
Otherwise, this flimsy story about Fraud Ribfaker, I mean Floyd Fairweather or whatever his real name is and his supposed rib cartilage damage is going to explode into a scandal bigger than Richard Nixon’s disastrous Watergate burglary.
Below the clouds all I can see is smoke and mirrors. And I don’t mean the swirling but savory smoke of pork or beef ribs on the grill.
Here are this morning’s burning questions as to Ribgate:
1. Who was the sparring partner whose mighty left hook to the ribs left Mayfaker aching?
2. When exactly did the injury occur? All we know now is it was last week. (In photo above, Tricky Dick Nixon demonstrates the powerful right uppercut that he used against all foes, real or imaginary.)
3. Why isn’t the name of any doctor mentioned? Why the secrecy? Is this whole thing as fishy as the "election" in Iran?
4. How come Mayweather’s mouthpiece, Laughing Lenny Ellerbe, has gone to complete radio silence? Come to think of it, he’s from Washington so maybe he knows about clandestine activity and resulting cover-ups.
5. Did the sparring partner get a hefty bonus or was he immediately fired? Again, what is the name of the man who shot undefeated Liberty Valance?
6. Can we get a name, one name, of one actual ticket buyer, one real person who paid for a ducat for Marquez-Mayweather July 18? Persistent Vegas drumbeats have it that less than 300 tickets went through the sticky wickets. You couldn’t pay for one round of golf for Mr. De La Hoya at the Riviera Country Club with that chump change.
7. Has any medical documentation been requested by or given to Keith Kizer at the Nevada commission? If not, why not? The public has a right to know.
8. Will the Mayweather camp try to negotiate a complete ban on hitting above the belt but below the chin if and when PBF fights Pacific Storm Pacquiao? In simpler terms, no body shots allowed?
9. Who is the wise guy who labeled Mayweather’s x-rays “Belly of the Beast?”
10. Are the x-rays, if any, being kept hermetically sealed in a huge jar of mayonnaise inside a vault at the offices of Golden Boy Promotions?
Source: examiner.com
What's Next For Mayweather?
Floyd Mayweather, Jr. learned an important lesson last week while training for his comeback fight in Las Vegas. He learned he’s not a kid any more.
The 32-year-old five-time world champion was forced to postpone his scheduled return to the ring next month against Juan Manuel Marquez because of a rib injury that no one yet knows the severity of. Mayweather issued a statement saying he was disappointed about having to delay his return to boxing and Marquez issued a statement saying he was disappointed that Mayweather had disappointed him by delaying his return to boxing but would be ready whenever he is to square off at the contracted weight of 144 pounds.
What we don’t know are many things including the severity of the injury, the number of weeks Mayweather will be unable to train and, most of all, whether he really has a rib injury in the first place or whether he was just having a tough time getting some weight off from around his ribs as he fought to get back down to 144 pounds, the lowest weight he will have fought at since 2005.
Mayweather is a gym rat and almost always in condition so conditioning itself is not an issue. But at 32 he may be finding out what we all do, which is paring off the pounds is not as easy after 30 as it once was.
Then again, maybe it was simply a training injury as announced, which certainly someone trying to come back from what will now be at least 21 months of civilian life might have expected. Such setbacks when trying to remind your body of what it once was are not unusual. In fact, they are the norm. So the announcement that Mayweather had asked for a postponement was hardly earth shattering news. Butit was a reminder that comebacks for fighters over 30 are no easy task and nothing to take for granted.
It is now anticipated, although not etched in stone, that he and the soon-to-be 36 year old Marquez will face each other on Sept. 19, a Mexican Independence Day weekend which quite often features a big fight in Las Vegas with an Aztec warrior as the headliner.
Marquez (50-4-1, 37) would fit that description and the roughly $4 million he’s been guaranteed to face Mayweather seemed to insure he isn’t going any where but Las Vegas any time soon. For him the concern is deciding whether to stop and then re-start his training or stay in the hills of Mexico to continue preparing for a fight with the undefeated Mayweather without knowing quite when it will be.
This is not as easy a decision as it might seem. A break for at least several weeks would be logical to avoid going stale by over training but until a new date is set Marquez cannot know for sure if the fight will come in August, which seems unlikely, and thus would demand he keep working or October, which is possible and then would obviously result in abandoning his present camp for a brief respite before returning to hard training himself.
As for Mayweather, Golden Boy Promotions has already stated they do not believe Mayweather broke a rib, instead speculating that it is a cartilage problem which would mean bruised ribs and a layoff of several weeks while they heal.
If the fight can be rescheduled for Sept, 19 (and there will be many factors there including HBO’s schedule, the MGM’s already planned events for that very popular weekend in Las Vegas and Mayweather’s healing powers), it should be easy enough for both fighters to begin training anew.
But if it drags on for a protracted period, or if Mayweather suffers any further setbacks, problems could follow that will not be as easy to solve.
Although Marquez badly wants to face Mayweather, he also wants to be sure he has another big payday before the end of the year. If anything else were to happen to Mayweather that could delay their fight further it would put his plans in jeopardy and at his age it is not wise to linger too long away from the sport.
Mayweather faces different problems. If he fights in September he will be coming off a 21-month layoff since he destroyed Ricky Hatton in December, 2007. That is not a significant problem because of his vast skills and the fact he never really gets out of shape. The problem comes if he were to sustain some sort of second injury or re-injures his ribs and again has to step a way from training.
He would then be forced to either ask for another postponement that could lead to Marquez looking at other options (Manny Pacquiao III?) or fight at less than 100 per cent to insure he doesn’t lose a shot at Marquez, which may not be to his liking either after 21 months away from the ring.
All of this may prove to be a moot point if Mayweather simply comes back into training in a few weeks with sound body and mind. But the fact is these are the kinds of things that happen to 32-year-old fighters who leave the arena for a protracted period and then decide to come right back against top level competition.
Boxing is not like piano playing, although Mayweather quite often makes it look and sound like beautiful music when he’s at his best. It is not like riding a bike, either.
Certainly one can leave and return but two years away is a long time, especially when one is asking their body to fight at a weight (144) it has not had to get down to in over four years. The effort to do that can lead to injuries and concerns.
Maybe Floyd Mayweather, Jr. has neither. Perhaps this was a simple training injury that could happen to anyone at any age and at any time.
But when it happens to you in the midst of a comeback against one of boxing’s finest craftsmen it makes people think about a lot of downside possibilities. The fact is those exist not only for Mayweather but also for Marquez if the postponement turns out to be anything more than one of minimal duration. If that happens, who knows what will follow?
Regardless, what Floyd Mayweather, Jr. learned last week when his ribs began to ache is that starting over in boxing at 32 is not as easy as getting in it at 22.
Source: thesweetscience.com
The 32-year-old five-time world champion was forced to postpone his scheduled return to the ring next month against Juan Manuel Marquez because of a rib injury that no one yet knows the severity of. Mayweather issued a statement saying he was disappointed about having to delay his return to boxing and Marquez issued a statement saying he was disappointed that Mayweather had disappointed him by delaying his return to boxing but would be ready whenever he is to square off at the contracted weight of 144 pounds.
What we don’t know are many things including the severity of the injury, the number of weeks Mayweather will be unable to train and, most of all, whether he really has a rib injury in the first place or whether he was just having a tough time getting some weight off from around his ribs as he fought to get back down to 144 pounds, the lowest weight he will have fought at since 2005.
Mayweather is a gym rat and almost always in condition so conditioning itself is not an issue. But at 32 he may be finding out what we all do, which is paring off the pounds is not as easy after 30 as it once was.
Then again, maybe it was simply a training injury as announced, which certainly someone trying to come back from what will now be at least 21 months of civilian life might have expected. Such setbacks when trying to remind your body of what it once was are not unusual. In fact, they are the norm. So the announcement that Mayweather had asked for a postponement was hardly earth shattering news. Butit was a reminder that comebacks for fighters over 30 are no easy task and nothing to take for granted.
It is now anticipated, although not etched in stone, that he and the soon-to-be 36 year old Marquez will face each other on Sept. 19, a Mexican Independence Day weekend which quite often features a big fight in Las Vegas with an Aztec warrior as the headliner.
Marquez (50-4-1, 37) would fit that description and the roughly $4 million he’s been guaranteed to face Mayweather seemed to insure he isn’t going any where but Las Vegas any time soon. For him the concern is deciding whether to stop and then re-start his training or stay in the hills of Mexico to continue preparing for a fight with the undefeated Mayweather without knowing quite when it will be.
This is not as easy a decision as it might seem. A break for at least several weeks would be logical to avoid going stale by over training but until a new date is set Marquez cannot know for sure if the fight will come in August, which seems unlikely, and thus would demand he keep working or October, which is possible and then would obviously result in abandoning his present camp for a brief respite before returning to hard training himself.
As for Mayweather, Golden Boy Promotions has already stated they do not believe Mayweather broke a rib, instead speculating that it is a cartilage problem which would mean bruised ribs and a layoff of several weeks while they heal.
If the fight can be rescheduled for Sept, 19 (and there will be many factors there including HBO’s schedule, the MGM’s already planned events for that very popular weekend in Las Vegas and Mayweather’s healing powers), it should be easy enough for both fighters to begin training anew.
But if it drags on for a protracted period, or if Mayweather suffers any further setbacks, problems could follow that will not be as easy to solve.
Although Marquez badly wants to face Mayweather, he also wants to be sure he has another big payday before the end of the year. If anything else were to happen to Mayweather that could delay their fight further it would put his plans in jeopardy and at his age it is not wise to linger too long away from the sport.
Mayweather faces different problems. If he fights in September he will be coming off a 21-month layoff since he destroyed Ricky Hatton in December, 2007. That is not a significant problem because of his vast skills and the fact he never really gets out of shape. The problem comes if he were to sustain some sort of second injury or re-injures his ribs and again has to step a way from training.
He would then be forced to either ask for another postponement that could lead to Marquez looking at other options (Manny Pacquiao III?) or fight at less than 100 per cent to insure he doesn’t lose a shot at Marquez, which may not be to his liking either after 21 months away from the ring.
All of this may prove to be a moot point if Mayweather simply comes back into training in a few weeks with sound body and mind. But the fact is these are the kinds of things that happen to 32-year-old fighters who leave the arena for a protracted period and then decide to come right back against top level competition.
Boxing is not like piano playing, although Mayweather quite often makes it look and sound like beautiful music when he’s at his best. It is not like riding a bike, either.
Certainly one can leave and return but two years away is a long time, especially when one is asking their body to fight at a weight (144) it has not had to get down to in over four years. The effort to do that can lead to injuries and concerns.
Maybe Floyd Mayweather, Jr. has neither. Perhaps this was a simple training injury that could happen to anyone at any age and at any time.
But when it happens to you in the midst of a comeback against one of boxing’s finest craftsmen it makes people think about a lot of downside possibilities. The fact is those exist not only for Mayweather but also for Marquez if the postponement turns out to be anything more than one of minimal duration. If that happens, who knows what will follow?
Regardless, what Floyd Mayweather, Jr. learned last week when his ribs began to ache is that starting over in boxing at 32 is not as easy as getting in it at 22.
Source: thesweetscience.com
Mayweather is the 'CREAM' of the Boxing Crop
Starting on July 19, it could turn into a long, hot and boring summer for boxing’s CREAM of the crop, Floyd Mayweather Jr.
What does this mean CREAM of the crop? Thanks for asking me, my Pinoy and non-Piny pals.
C is for Cash as PBF is obssessed, as we all know, by filthy lucre.
R is for how his financial obsession rules his way of life.
E is for how this Money May Madness covers everything in his existence.
A is for everything around him.
M is for his favorite pronoun, me, me, me, me, me, me.
So put it together and he is CREAM, Cash Rules Everything Around Me.
So let’s suppose his comeback bout July 18 in Las Vegas, where live gate tickets are moving like half dead turtles or coldcakes, sees him beating back the Mexican Mediget, Juan Manuel Marquez.
By then, we will already know that Manny Pacquiao, to whom God, Country and personal pride are just as important as money if not more so, will be fighting Miguel Cotto or someone else not named Mayweather in October.
After that bout, Pacman will recharge his batteries briefly and then jump into his second political foray back home.
What then does Mayweather do?
I have a few suggestions:
1. Watch paint dry.
2. Go fishing every day in a dry creek.
3. Play hopscotch in the Nevada desert.
4. Learn some humility.
5. Find even smaller Mexicans to abuse.
6. Look up “modesty” in the dictionary.
7. Try to have a conversation without using “me” and “cash cow” as constant references.
8. Explain how and why he carried Ricky Flattened for 10 rounds.
9. Horror of horrors, fight a true welterweight named Sugar Shane Mosley.
10. Gargle with razor blades.
Souce: examiner.com
What does this mean CREAM of the crop? Thanks for asking me, my Pinoy and non-Piny pals.
C is for Cash as PBF is obssessed, as we all know, by filthy lucre.
R is for how his financial obsession rules his way of life.
E is for how this Money May Madness covers everything in his existence.
A is for everything around him.
M is for his favorite pronoun, me, me, me, me, me, me.
So put it together and he is CREAM, Cash Rules Everything Around Me.
So let’s suppose his comeback bout July 18 in Las Vegas, where live gate tickets are moving like half dead turtles or coldcakes, sees him beating back the Mexican Mediget, Juan Manuel Marquez.
By then, we will already know that Manny Pacquiao, to whom God, Country and personal pride are just as important as money if not more so, will be fighting Miguel Cotto or someone else not named Mayweather in October.
After that bout, Pacman will recharge his batteries briefly and then jump into his second political foray back home.
What then does Mayweather do?
I have a few suggestions:
1. Watch paint dry.
2. Go fishing every day in a dry creek.
3. Play hopscotch in the Nevada desert.
4. Learn some humility.
5. Find even smaller Mexicans to abuse.
6. Look up “modesty” in the dictionary.
7. Try to have a conversation without using “me” and “cash cow” as constant references.
8. Explain how and why he carried Ricky Flattened for 10 rounds.
9. Horror of horrors, fight a true welterweight named Sugar Shane Mosley.
10. Gargle with razor blades.
Souce: examiner.com
Mayweather, Marquez To Invite Obama, Calderon To Their Fight
Floyd Mayweather Jr. will come out of retirement to fight Juan Manuel Marquez on July 18 in Las Vegas in a promotion called "Number One" or "Numero Uno."
And each hopes to have his nation's No. 1 fan at the fight.
Mayweather will invite President Barack Obama to the fight, and Marquez, from Mexico, will invite President Felipe Calderon to the mega-fight at the MGM Grand (HBO pay-per-view, 9 p.m. ET).
"It would be amazing to have President Obama ringside for my fight," said the undefeated Mayweather (39-0, 25 KOs), who hasn't fought since knocking out Ricky Hatton in December 2007.
"With all of these patriotic holidays coming up, and the fact that I met him when he was campaigning to become President, I wanted to extend an invitation to the fight as my congratulations for his knock-out victory."
Marquez was equally excited about the possibility, however slim it may be, of Calderon showing up in Las Vegas.
"President Calderon is a true statesman for our country and it would be an honor for me to have him come to the fight," said Marquez. "Mayweather is the biggest challenge of my career and having my president there to witness my victory that night would be bigger than the victory itself."
Mayweather didn't stop at the president. He also invited Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.), the Senate Majority Leader and a longtime supporter of boxing, to the fight. Reid hosted Mayweather in Washington after the fighter defeated Oscar de la Hoya in May 2007.
Mayweather, a 1996 U.S. Olympian, hopes his return will breathe new life into American boxing. With the exception of the likes of Bernard Hopkins, Chad Dawson, Shane Mosley, Kelly Pavlik and Paul Williams, most of the sports' champions nowadays seem to be from outside the U.S., even though many currently reside and train in the U.S.
Mayweather has felt a sudden surge of patriotism in retirement. He has wrapped his Las Vegas-based boxing gym with an American flag and will host an early July Fourth barbecue for kids in Las Vegas on July 1 when he opens training camp.
"I embrace my patriotism and feel boxing has lost a bit of its 'American' luster, which I intend to change immediately," says Mayweather. "We have dominated the sport which, like the United States, has always stood for hard work and dedication, and I intend to use my comeback as a way to bring it back around and remind everyone that the best fighters are American and it will always stay that way."
Mayweather says he intends to put his patriotism to the test during the upcoming Flag Day (Sunday), and Fourth of July holidays.
"The American flag is a symbol of everything my family and I stand for," says Mayweather. "I live in the best country in the world, and on Flag Day and the Fourth of July I'm going to show off my American pride."
HBO's award-winning all-access reality series 24/7 returns with Mayweather/Marquez 24/7 on Saturday, June 27 at 9:30 p.m. ET for the first of four episodes.
Source: usatoday.com
And each hopes to have his nation's No. 1 fan at the fight.
Mayweather will invite President Barack Obama to the fight, and Marquez, from Mexico, will invite President Felipe Calderon to the mega-fight at the MGM Grand (HBO pay-per-view, 9 p.m. ET).
"It would be amazing to have President Obama ringside for my fight," said the undefeated Mayweather (39-0, 25 KOs), who hasn't fought since knocking out Ricky Hatton in December 2007.
"With all of these patriotic holidays coming up, and the fact that I met him when he was campaigning to become President, I wanted to extend an invitation to the fight as my congratulations for his knock-out victory."
Marquez was equally excited about the possibility, however slim it may be, of Calderon showing up in Las Vegas.
"President Calderon is a true statesman for our country and it would be an honor for me to have him come to the fight," said Marquez. "Mayweather is the biggest challenge of my career and having my president there to witness my victory that night would be bigger than the victory itself."
Mayweather didn't stop at the president. He also invited Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.), the Senate Majority Leader and a longtime supporter of boxing, to the fight. Reid hosted Mayweather in Washington after the fighter defeated Oscar de la Hoya in May 2007.
Mayweather, a 1996 U.S. Olympian, hopes his return will breathe new life into American boxing. With the exception of the likes of Bernard Hopkins, Chad Dawson, Shane Mosley, Kelly Pavlik and Paul Williams, most of the sports' champions nowadays seem to be from outside the U.S., even though many currently reside and train in the U.S.
Mayweather has felt a sudden surge of patriotism in retirement. He has wrapped his Las Vegas-based boxing gym with an American flag and will host an early July Fourth barbecue for kids in Las Vegas on July 1 when he opens training camp.
"I embrace my patriotism and feel boxing has lost a bit of its 'American' luster, which I intend to change immediately," says Mayweather. "We have dominated the sport which, like the United States, has always stood for hard work and dedication, and I intend to use my comeback as a way to bring it back around and remind everyone that the best fighters are American and it will always stay that way."
Mayweather says he intends to put his patriotism to the test during the upcoming Flag Day (Sunday), and Fourth of July holidays.
"The American flag is a symbol of everything my family and I stand for," says Mayweather. "I live in the best country in the world, and on Flag Day and the Fourth of July I'm going to show off my American pride."
HBO's award-winning all-access reality series 24/7 returns with Mayweather/Marquez 24/7 on Saturday, June 27 at 9:30 p.m. ET for the first of four episodes.
Source: usatoday.com
Pacquiao, Mosley To Give Mayweather Trouble
The return of Floyd “Money” Mayweather, Jr. to the ring is just over a month away, when he is set to tackle Juan Manuel “Dinamita” Marquez on July 18 in the “Number One/Numero Uno” main event.
The megafight is expected to be a sellout at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas as well as on pay-per-view cable television.
But for Floyd Mayweather, Sr., the bout is just a “tune-up fight” for his son, he told John Martinez of IronBoxing.com.
“The Marquez fight is going to be nothing more than what you have seen before,” he added.
He even said that “It should be on regular HBO instead of PPV. There is a bad economy out there and we all know what is going to happen already.”
Floyd Sr. also told Martinez that he favors the possibility of his son fighting “Sugar” Shane Mosley and pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao.
“Now the Mosley or Pacquiao fight is a totally different story,” he commented. “Those fights are definitely PPV events.”
“Both fighters would give my son trouble. But in the end, Lil’ Floyd wins.”
He said that a Mayweather-Mosley match-up would be a “very good fight.”
“Shane fights all comers and gives it his all. This fight would go all 12 rounds with a lot of action in it,” he said.
He even volunteered to “become chief trainer for the Mosley fight” should it materialize.
For the meantime, the focus is on Mayweather’s comeback fight against Marquez.
Floyd Sr. even gave his prediction for the July 18 fight. “Well then if you can remember the Gatti fight, you’ve already seen the Marquez fight in advance. It is going to be the same thing all over again.”
Mayweather defeated Arturo Gatti in 2005 via technical knockout in the sixth round. The victory made “Pretty Boy Floyd” the WBC super lightweight champion.
Floyd Sr. continued, “Marquez is a Mexican. He doesn’t want to look bad. He is going to come forward and make the fight.”
Despite this strategy, he said that Marquez will still not be able to get the better of Mayweather.
“Mexicans always come to fight. But when he does, he is going to get clipped. He isn’t going to counterpunch. Trust me,” he remarked.
Source: abs-cbnnews.com
The megafight is expected to be a sellout at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas as well as on pay-per-view cable television.
But for Floyd Mayweather, Sr., the bout is just a “tune-up fight” for his son, he told John Martinez of IronBoxing.com.
“The Marquez fight is going to be nothing more than what you have seen before,” he added.
He even said that “It should be on regular HBO instead of PPV. There is a bad economy out there and we all know what is going to happen already.”
Floyd Sr. also told Martinez that he favors the possibility of his son fighting “Sugar” Shane Mosley and pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao.
“Now the Mosley or Pacquiao fight is a totally different story,” he commented. “Those fights are definitely PPV events.”
“Both fighters would give my son trouble. But in the end, Lil’ Floyd wins.”
He said that a Mayweather-Mosley match-up would be a “very good fight.”
“Shane fights all comers and gives it his all. This fight would go all 12 rounds with a lot of action in it,” he said.
He even volunteered to “become chief trainer for the Mosley fight” should it materialize.
For the meantime, the focus is on Mayweather’s comeback fight against Marquez.
Floyd Sr. even gave his prediction for the July 18 fight. “Well then if you can remember the Gatti fight, you’ve already seen the Marquez fight in advance. It is going to be the same thing all over again.”
Mayweather defeated Arturo Gatti in 2005 via technical knockout in the sixth round. The victory made “Pretty Boy Floyd” the WBC super lightweight champion.
Floyd Sr. continued, “Marquez is a Mexican. He doesn’t want to look bad. He is going to come forward and make the fight.”
Despite this strategy, he said that Marquez will still not be able to get the better of Mayweather.
“Mexicans always come to fight. But when he does, he is going to get clipped. He isn’t going to counterpunch. Trust me,” he remarked.
Source: abs-cbnnews.com
Mayweather Jr. vs. JM Marquez: Is 'Pretty Boy' the True Numero Uno?
An ordinary house fly is an amazing and athletic insect. If you've ever tried to catch one, you know first hand that swinging at it in mid air—or trying to swat at it—can be an extremely frustrating task.
When approaching it, the passive fly seems to be calmly grooming itself, and it remains totally fearless of the oncoming danger.
The reason is because it senses you; it has its own built-in radar and will be whisked away on a blanket of air—created by your swing—long before your hand is able to hit the illusive pest.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. is quite possibly the greatest defensive boxing specialist in the history of the sport.
With Muhammad Ali and Pernell Whittaker being the possible exceptions, I can't think of anyone else who can duck, counter, shoulder roll, and pick off his opponent's shots with their gloves the way Pretty Boy does.
Much the same as the frustrating and illusive house fly, Mayweather also seems to sense his opponents are determined to get inside and, when they do, he dominates them with short hooks and lethal uppercuts.
It's a daunting task, but in order to beat this style of fighter, first you must penetrate his defense and then you have to hit him; and hitting Mayweather with a clean shot is akin to hitting a hummingbird on steroids, by comparison.
These defensive tactics frustrate his opponents into committing mistakes they ordinarily wouldn't make.
Then in the blink of an eye, he makes them pay for their errors. With lead right hands, he hit Arturo Gatti with three in rapid succession, breaking the tough Italian-Canadian brawler down mentally and physically.
Mayweather is one formidable boxer—a welterweight dynamo clearly deserving of much more respect than he is getting lately.
Before Manny Pacquiao gained the throne by knocking Ricky Hatton senseless in two rounds, it was many fans' opinions (including mine) that Juan Manual Marquez was at boxing's summit, and that he was possibly the true No. 1 among the world's pound-for-pound boxers.
When Mayweather came out of retirement, it wasn't due to anything Shane Mosley or Pacquiao had done. It was because Marquez called him out on national TV in front of a world wide audience.
And still, the Mayweather detractors—and there are many—seem to think that he is ducking and dodging fighters in his own 147-pound welterweight class.
Nothing can be further from the truth.
He is simply returning and facing the toughest fighter he can face. Without an interim tune up match, he is more determined than ever to get back what is rightfully his.
The fighters who have tried to defeat this classic boxer-puncher is long and storied and some great Boxing surnames adorn its pages—to infer that he is a cowardly fighter who alludes other pugilists is utterly ludicrous.
Manfredy, Gatti, Judah, De La Hoya, Hatton and the late Diego Corrales all found out the hard way that nobody thus far has been able to emerge triumphant over the great Mayweather.
So what about Marquez? Is he up to it?
On the 18 feet of battle field which is the squared circle, Marquez is a Sherman tank—he can take a direct hit, fall down, and keep on coming. His two previous wars with Manny Pacquiao demonstrate to us that trying to break his will and stamina can prove to be a frustrating endeavor.
Marquez knows he was cheated out of two wins against Pacquaio—by judges who smelled of that Vegas stink—and he isn't about to let it happen again.
Juan Man, as he is affectionately called, feels that he is owed something. And on July 18, look for him to try and collect it.
However, it is my opinion that Marquez will try to out-box Mayweather, like he did with Pacquiao. Even though Pretty Boy could someday be beaten by somebody, somehow, it will not be because he was out-boxed.
Nobody's going to out-box him, at least not anytime soon.
Source: bleacherreport.com
When approaching it, the passive fly seems to be calmly grooming itself, and it remains totally fearless of the oncoming danger.
The reason is because it senses you; it has its own built-in radar and will be whisked away on a blanket of air—created by your swing—long before your hand is able to hit the illusive pest.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. is quite possibly the greatest defensive boxing specialist in the history of the sport.
With Muhammad Ali and Pernell Whittaker being the possible exceptions, I can't think of anyone else who can duck, counter, shoulder roll, and pick off his opponent's shots with their gloves the way Pretty Boy does.
Much the same as the frustrating and illusive house fly, Mayweather also seems to sense his opponents are determined to get inside and, when they do, he dominates them with short hooks and lethal uppercuts.
It's a daunting task, but in order to beat this style of fighter, first you must penetrate his defense and then you have to hit him; and hitting Mayweather with a clean shot is akin to hitting a hummingbird on steroids, by comparison.
These defensive tactics frustrate his opponents into committing mistakes they ordinarily wouldn't make.
Then in the blink of an eye, he makes them pay for their errors. With lead right hands, he hit Arturo Gatti with three in rapid succession, breaking the tough Italian-Canadian brawler down mentally and physically.
Mayweather is one formidable boxer—a welterweight dynamo clearly deserving of much more respect than he is getting lately.
Before Manny Pacquiao gained the throne by knocking Ricky Hatton senseless in two rounds, it was many fans' opinions (including mine) that Juan Manual Marquez was at boxing's summit, and that he was possibly the true No. 1 among the world's pound-for-pound boxers.
When Mayweather came out of retirement, it wasn't due to anything Shane Mosley or Pacquiao had done. It was because Marquez called him out on national TV in front of a world wide audience.
And still, the Mayweather detractors—and there are many—seem to think that he is ducking and dodging fighters in his own 147-pound welterweight class.
Nothing can be further from the truth.
He is simply returning and facing the toughest fighter he can face. Without an interim tune up match, he is more determined than ever to get back what is rightfully his.
The fighters who have tried to defeat this classic boxer-puncher is long and storied and some great Boxing surnames adorn its pages—to infer that he is a cowardly fighter who alludes other pugilists is utterly ludicrous.
Manfredy, Gatti, Judah, De La Hoya, Hatton and the late Diego Corrales all found out the hard way that nobody thus far has been able to emerge triumphant over the great Mayweather.
So what about Marquez? Is he up to it?
On the 18 feet of battle field which is the squared circle, Marquez is a Sherman tank—he can take a direct hit, fall down, and keep on coming. His two previous wars with Manny Pacquiao demonstrate to us that trying to break his will and stamina can prove to be a frustrating endeavor.
Marquez knows he was cheated out of two wins against Pacquaio—by judges who smelled of that Vegas stink—and he isn't about to let it happen again.
Juan Man, as he is affectionately called, feels that he is owed something. And on July 18, look for him to try and collect it.
However, it is my opinion that Marquez will try to out-box Mayweather, like he did with Pacquiao. Even though Pretty Boy could someday be beaten by somebody, somehow, it will not be because he was out-boxed.
Nobody's going to out-box him, at least not anytime soon.
Source: bleacherreport.com
Pacquiao, Mayweather, Marquez - Just WHO Is The World's Best Pound-for-Pound Fighter?
This is a subject that is often discussed and one that every man will have an opinion on. But WHO truly is the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet?
Now that Floyd ‘Pretty Boy’ Mayweather has decided to re-enter the ring, will he be the man to top the list? Or is it Manny Pacquiao - the man who crushed Ricky Hatton's dreams in Las Vegas?
The Pacman has rightfully taken the crown after his impressive performances against the Golden Boy and Hatton and is now a four-weight world champion. His performances against the two Mexican legends, Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morlaes, proved his durability and will to win.
On his coat-tails is the returning ‘Money’ Mayweather, a slick counter-puncher who has never been on the canvas and will be looking to set up a super fight with Pacquiao to reclaim his crown.
With some of the finest boxers of the recent era – Joe Calzaghe and Oscar De La Hoya – retiring, it has left the door open for a new generation of pugilists. There are certainly plenty of fighters out there who have the skills and records to put their names forward as true contenders for the crown.
The welterweight division alone is full of some of the classiest fighters who have the ability to combine speed and power. Boasting such legendary fighters as Shane Mosley, Pacquiao and Mayweather.
The young contenders also have some real talent. Miguel Cotto has lost just one fight, the Puerto Rican combining quick hands and raw power, while Andre Berto has yet to lose with 19 KOs in his 25 bouts earning him the nickname of 'Mini Tyson'.
Ruling the roost over the lightweight division has been the Mexican “numero uno”, Juan Manuel Marquez. The gritty fighter has fought his way up through the ranks from featherweight to light-welterweight for his upcoming fight against Mayweather. Having beaten the likes of Joel Casamayor and Juan Diaz, he can certainly lay claim to being one of the best around.
There are some other classy contenders. Chris John has dominated the featherweight division, winning 42 of his 44 contests in dominant fashion. In the middleweight division, the legendary Ronald ‘Winky’ Wright has started to decline and the man looking to take on his legacy is fellow American Paul Williams.
The man nicknamed 'The Punisher' beat Wright in a one-sided contest, cementing his reputation as one of the best.
In the light-flyweight division, one man has a perfect record. Ivan Calderon has won all 32 contests with his lightning-quick speed and pure desire defending his WBO title successfully 14 times.
The heavyweight and cruiserweight divisions are missing a truly world-class fighter but we have to mention the amazing record of ‘The Executioner’. Bernard Hopkins may have lost to Calzaghe but managed to inflict a defeat on the great young American hope, Kelly Pavlik. Hopkins has beaten the likes of Wright, Antonio Tarver, De La Hoya and Felix Trinidad .
In the super-middleweight division we also find two very talented boxers who soon could clash to decide who is the No.1 of the division. Dane Mikkel Kessler has just one loss to his name while England’s Carl Froch made a stunning recovery to beat Jermain Taylor by knocking the American out in the final seconds of their bout.
The Cobra is certainly a man to look out for but the dominance of Kessler just puts him ahead of the young fighter from Nottingham.
There will always be a lot of debate but here are my Top 10 pound-for-pound boxers currently plying their trade:
1. Manny Pacquiao
2. Floyd Mayweather
3. Juan Manuel Marquez
4. Chris John
5. Miguel Cotto
6. Paul Williams
7. Bernard Hopkins
8. Mikkel Kessler
9. Andre Berto
10. Ivan Calderon
Source: sportingo.com
Now that Floyd ‘Pretty Boy’ Mayweather has decided to re-enter the ring, will he be the man to top the list? Or is it Manny Pacquiao - the man who crushed Ricky Hatton's dreams in Las Vegas?
The Pacman has rightfully taken the crown after his impressive performances against the Golden Boy and Hatton and is now a four-weight world champion. His performances against the two Mexican legends, Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morlaes, proved his durability and will to win.
On his coat-tails is the returning ‘Money’ Mayweather, a slick counter-puncher who has never been on the canvas and will be looking to set up a super fight with Pacquiao to reclaim his crown.
With some of the finest boxers of the recent era – Joe Calzaghe and Oscar De La Hoya – retiring, it has left the door open for a new generation of pugilists. There are certainly plenty of fighters out there who have the skills and records to put their names forward as true contenders for the crown.
The welterweight division alone is full of some of the classiest fighters who have the ability to combine speed and power. Boasting such legendary fighters as Shane Mosley, Pacquiao and Mayweather.
The young contenders also have some real talent. Miguel Cotto has lost just one fight, the Puerto Rican combining quick hands and raw power, while Andre Berto has yet to lose with 19 KOs in his 25 bouts earning him the nickname of 'Mini Tyson'.
Ruling the roost over the lightweight division has been the Mexican “numero uno”, Juan Manuel Marquez. The gritty fighter has fought his way up through the ranks from featherweight to light-welterweight for his upcoming fight against Mayweather. Having beaten the likes of Joel Casamayor and Juan Diaz, he can certainly lay claim to being one of the best around.
There are some other classy contenders. Chris John has dominated the featherweight division, winning 42 of his 44 contests in dominant fashion. In the middleweight division, the legendary Ronald ‘Winky’ Wright has started to decline and the man looking to take on his legacy is fellow American Paul Williams.
The man nicknamed 'The Punisher' beat Wright in a one-sided contest, cementing his reputation as one of the best.
In the light-flyweight division, one man has a perfect record. Ivan Calderon has won all 32 contests with his lightning-quick speed and pure desire defending his WBO title successfully 14 times.
The heavyweight and cruiserweight divisions are missing a truly world-class fighter but we have to mention the amazing record of ‘The Executioner’. Bernard Hopkins may have lost to Calzaghe but managed to inflict a defeat on the great young American hope, Kelly Pavlik. Hopkins has beaten the likes of Wright, Antonio Tarver, De La Hoya and Felix Trinidad .
In the super-middleweight division we also find two very talented boxers who soon could clash to decide who is the No.1 of the division. Dane Mikkel Kessler has just one loss to his name while England’s Carl Froch made a stunning recovery to beat Jermain Taylor by knocking the American out in the final seconds of their bout.
The Cobra is certainly a man to look out for but the dominance of Kessler just puts him ahead of the young fighter from Nottingham.
There will always be a lot of debate but here are my Top 10 pound-for-pound boxers currently plying their trade:
1. Manny Pacquiao
2. Floyd Mayweather
3. Juan Manuel Marquez
4. Chris John
5. Miguel Cotto
6. Paul Williams
7. Bernard Hopkins
8. Mikkel Kessler
9. Andre Berto
10. Ivan Calderon
Source: sportingo.com
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