Floyd Mayweather: As Real As It Gets

We’re less than a week away from the biggest fight of 2011. Saturday night, Floyd Mayweather makes his triumphant return against Victor Ortiz at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, roughly 16 months since his last dominating performance; a lopsided 12-round decision victory against Shane Mosley. The best fighter in the world is back, and generally seems happy to be back. “My thought on life is, I don’t worry about what no one says, because at the end of the day I have to be happy,” a more introspective Floyd reflected during this weekend’s third episode of HBO’s hit reality series “24/7: Mayweather/Ortiz.” Floyd’s contentment in that particular scene was in stark contrast to the beginning of the episode, a combative Mayweather angry at the portrayal of Victor Ortiz and his story of triumph in the face of adversity. Adversity that Floyd too, has experienced. “I got some shit on my mind. Yeah, I got some shit on my mind. I’m tired of hearing about that motherfuckin storyline!” Floyd spoke of the hardships he faced growing up, those many hardships shaping his upbringing. “They make it seem like I just woke up and I’m just a multimillionaire. My father been in prison, my mother left, my mother been on drugs, and my father been a drug dealer. I been through it all. We lived seven deep in one bedroom—but I don’t talk about that on the show.” That could be why Floyd Mayweather is often misunderstood. He doesn’t adhere to, and play into what mainstream America wants him to be. Floyd Mayweather doesn’t have to apologize to anyone, or put off a sob story for anyone. Floyd is real, and he speaks in self-belief without resorting to the tired cliches of religion and fanfare as his only motivation. Sure, those things can contribute to a fighter’s motivation, but in the ring…all you have is yourself. In a sport so completely unforgiving as boxing, is it that unreasonable that its best fighter is one who lives inside and outside of the ring with the same attitude that is perceived as selfish? “My fans come first. Well, I don’t want to say they come first because I come first; self preservation, it’s the law of the land, you know? I must put myself first, but my fans play a major part. You got people that pay to see you win, you have people that pay to see you lose. They both are fans, because they both are paying.” ______________________________________________________________________ “We have long observed that every neurosis has the result, and therefore probably the purpose, of forcing the patient out of real life, of alienating him from actuality.”-Sigmund Freud We now go back to reality, figuratively as an idea, and literally as a subject as it relates to “24/7: Mayweather/Ortiz.” What episode-three told us, was that reality is setting in. The fight looms closer. Is all what we see real? If so, is this also so the same reality that the fighters are living in? Victor Ortiz chose to offer a dose of cold reality with his words. “Floyd thinks he’s gonna walk in the park,” said Ortiz. “It’s going to be a very, very ugly, bloody walk for him.” It may be that Victor Ortiz is the one who has lost his grip on reality. Seeing Floyd train in his open workout that was live on Ustream last week, Floyd hardly appeared to be a fighter Victor Ortiz can bloody and beat down. Floyd looks sharp. Sharp as ever in fact; his long layoff potentially helping him as he fights into his mid-30’s. There may be no rest for wicked, but after rested…Floyd performs wicked. For Ortiz, the long training camp and big-time promotion is appearing to wear on the young pugilist. It was Ortiz rather, who appeared to be slowing down in camp, even requesting a day off against the wishes of his trainer Danny Garcia. Then again, what is real? What isn’t? Other aspects of episode-three heightened the paradox of what is and isn’t real. The soldiers overseas that Floyd skyped with, the children at the Boys and Girls Club Ortiz visited contrasting images of Floyd’s luxury cars and the charter fishing boat Ortiz and camp were on. A guest appearance by Ray J complimented the same idea…in an era of overproduced pop stars, we see a pop star actually singing and performing. If only for a few bars, it was real. In an era of titles and championships that may or may not merit any real meaning, Mayweather/Ortiz is for the WBC’s version of the Welterweight Championship. Floyd’s acronym may be better suited: “I am the WBC—world’s best champion. World’s best champion.” As September 17 draws near, our idea reality now yields itself to actual reality. Floyd Mayweather retains the same confidence he has shown throughout his entire career, and that is unchanged. “I’m going to be the last man standing. Still here, still going strong.” Has success forced Floyd Mayweather out of reality to the point of alienation? That sure seems to be the case with most boxing fans. But when Floyd Mayweather enters the ring to maintain said successes next Saturday—he’ll do it with or without care of public perception. It’ll be real. And whether fight fans want to admit it or not, Floyd Mayweather is as real as it gets.

Uncle Roger says the intrigue in Pacquiao-Mayweather will lead to big PPV sales

I have ran across a lot of interesting characters in the sport of boxing during my two years in Las Vegas, but very few have been as outspoken or entertaining as former two-time champion and trainer Roger Mayweather. At the moment Roger is deep into training camp with his nephew Floyd as they prepare for the challenge of Victor Ortiz on September 17th. The undefeated Mayweather will look to grab the WBC welterweight championship from Ortiz inside of the MGM Grand and for Roger, this is simply business as usual. Not too long ago I crossed paths with Roger and decided to get his take on how well he expects the Mayweather-Ortiz ‘Star Power’ Pay-per-view to sell and also got his thoughts on the November 12th Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez trilogy showdown, also on Pay-per-view, and how well he thought that card would draw. Roger has often been critical of Pacquiao, a potential opponent for Floyd in the future, but feels that his third tussle with Marquez will do big numbers because of the intrigue in a fight with Mayweather. “I think people are going to buy it because they both are fighting on Pay-per-view and everybody wants to see a fight between the two,” Roger told me candidly. “If they are fighting on Pay-per-view, they are both going to have outstanding sales. I don’t know who is going to draw the most, but it’s going to be pretty much a sellout by the pay-per-view buyers.” Pacquiao and Marquez engaged in two memorable battles in May of 2004, a contest that ended in a split-draw, and March of 2008, an altercation that Pacquiao walked away from the winner via split-decision. Roger can’t help but seen another hotly-contested fiasco the third time around. “They fought two close fights the first time and I believe the fight will be close the third time. I can’t see him stopping Marquez. I can’t see nothing but another classic fight between the two and I don’t believe Marquez will get stopped,” Roger continued. Mayweather’s May 2010 victory over Shane Mosley generated an estimated 1.4 million sales and I questioned Roger if he felt the Ortiz fight could surpass those numbers. “It could be,” said Roger. “Because people still want to see a Pacquiao fight and this is the kind of fight here that is going to draw them to a Pacquiao fight because Floyd is fighting Victor Ortiz and Pacquiao is fighting right after him. People are going to talk more and more and more about Pacquiao and Floyd after these fights happen.” No surprise that Roger has always held true to his belief that Floyd is the biggest attraction in the sport, but he admits that part of the interest is from people who want to see him fail. “He always got people who want to see him lose. People want to see Pacquiao lose too. But Pacquiao has already lost, Floyd has never lost. But the point is, the fans’ fight is between Pacquiao and Floyd. That’s what’s going to draw the fans. People keep asking about ‘When is Floyd going to fight Pacquiao?’. They’re going to see.” Short and sweet remarks from Uncle Roger and for a man who has had some outlandish takes in the past, perhaps it was best this time around.

Mayweather:”This fight is not going the distance… Take the test.”

Technology is king,” exclaimed Big Steve:” I watched the whole Mayweather media work out yesterday at the Net Café on Colorado Boulevard.” With only eleven days in advance of Floyd Money Mayweather’s long anticipated return to the ring against young and strong champion, Vicious Victor Ortiz, undefeated super star hosted a media work out at his boxing gym in the middle of Chinatown, Las Vegas. Please check out some exclussive photos from Las Vegas by Paul Hernandez “ This is the most dangerous fight he ‘s ever been in,” said Golden Boy’s CEO, Richard Schaefer about Mayweather challenging Ortiz for WBC welterweight crown on September 17th at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas:” This fight is going to be televised in 170 countries. You have the Superbowl of boxing. What’s the secret behind that, his personality. There are a lot of people that can’t wait to see him loose and you have a large group of people that respect and admire his skills.” Ever the gracious host and the entertainer, Floyd Mayweather said that he is tired of listening about Ortiz’s tough upbringing and his mother was a whore and his daddy went to prison and when he was coming up seven of them had to stay in one room, but he doesn’t want to talk about it, he wants to entertain fans. On September 17th Floyd is going to share a center stage with Victor Ortiz “He brings power and he is ten years younger than I am,” said Floyd during an interview at his gym earlier today:” I think I have a lot of experience and dedication to my team.” Not known for his knock out power, Floyd blamed his opponents like Shane Mosley and Juan Manuel Marquez for trying to survive, which prevented Mayweather from finishing those fights early. “Now, Ricky Hatton,” continued Mayweather, 34:” He came to fight, so he got knocked out.” “I think this is the best preparation he’s had up to this day,” said Floyd’s confidant Leonard Ellerby, who is also in charge of Mayweather Promotions:” I know what’s going to happen; Floyd is going to stand in the center of the ring. Floyd is coming to fight and hopefully Victor Ortiz is coming to fight.” Confident, young champion, Victor Ortiz promised to end Floyd’s undefeated rein. “Victor is looking for a knock out. I am looking for a knock out,” said Mayweather:” This fight is not going the distance.” Floyd Mayweather thanked his fans for their support and promised to give away ten tickets to the fight via his twitter. This time he didn’t even want to discuss Manny Pacquiao. “I don’t want to talk about him,” exclaimed Mayweather:” I want my country behind me. USADA, take the test.”

Thirty Thousand Mexicans can't be wrong showing public love for Manny Pacquiao

Some of those windbags and layabouts who "serve" the American people in Washington like to prattle on and on about "reaching across the aisle" seeking viable compromises with the opposing party. From what I saw and heard today, the Congressman from Sarangani named Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao could teach Democrats, Republicans and maybe even staunch Tea Party types how to effectively work with those with a different perspective. Pacman, you see, had most of the guesstimated 30,000 Mexcian fight fans--young and old, male and female--who combined for a massive wall of people across and around historic Revolution Square eating out of his Filipino hands. Fresh from a morning visit to the Mexican Congress, where he was hailed and mobbed by fellow legislators, Pacquiao said just the right thing in front of his Nov. 12 "Chapter Three" PPV TV fight opponent Juan Manuel Marquez and all his countrymen. Pacquiao did not avoid a reference to his old unofficial nickname as "the Mexican Assassin" (earned by beating legends Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera and others and including his points victory and draw against Juan Ma). Instead, he handled it diplomatically. Resplendent in a gray suit, blue shirt, red tie and wearing a flashy diamond in his left ear, Pacquiao said in Spanish, "I didn't want to fight another Mexican boxer, it just happened and I am just and only doing my job." Pacman laughed and the crowd inside a tent where a post-rally press conference was held did as well. Later, in the semi-privacy of the third floor lounge at the swanky St. Regis Hotel, just before a helicopter took the Pinoy Idol and his entrourage to Azteca TV network studios so he could sing a song for the company which has the Mexican broadcast rights to the big fight, Pacquiao said he was overhwelmed by the positive reception he got here. "I am very surprised and very happy about this reception," Pacquiao said as the four city (Manila, New York and Beverly Hills came first) media tour was winding down. An enthusiastic but exhausted Bob Arum said the big turnout here gave the promotion huge momentum. He even told Pacquiao that he's getting recieved on foreign visits like Muhammad Ali did. "It's like Muhammad Ali for Manny now," Arum said. "It's the same thing I saw happen when li left America. "I mean, we expected 8,000 people or so. We could have gotten 3,000 but we got 30,000. "It's like when we took Ali to Ireland, Malaysia, to Indonesia and to the Philippines. I remember once we brought Ali here to Mexico, when he wasn't fighting, and we almost had a riot. I think this fight will do huge numbers on pay per view." It reminded me of when I stood with Don King in the parking lot of Estadio Azteca as "El Gran Campeon" Julio Cesar Chavez prepped for a free public workout. Many thousands of people came from all over this massive metropolis to see their greatest sports hero and legend. Suddenly, a helicopter came out of the sky, armed police and security forces jumped to combat readiness and the then president of Mexico emerged. He had come, the president explained, to check on Chavez's vaunted left hook. If you recall, Chavez then drew boxing alltime biggest crowd, 136,000 people to the stadium to see him pummel gamester Greg Haugen. I spoke to Hall Of Famer Barrera, now a manager-promoted now celebrating his first world champion (WBO 105 pound champ Moises Fuentes, a Chilango from this city) about how wildly Pacquiao was recieved. "Yes," Barrera said, "I was surprised. I was very surprised at how the Mexican people treated Manny but he is very charismatic and very humble and they like that." WBO President Francisco "Paco" Valcarcel, extremely happy to have Pacman as one of its reigning and defending beltholders, reached way back for a comparison. "For me, I see Pacquiao as being as charismatic as Sugar Ray Robinson," the Puerto Rican attorney said. "I think Manny wins people over when they see him fighting and beating such tough guys, such good punchers, as Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito. Those two guys hit so hard, Manny took some hard shots from both and yet he beat them both." Top Rank's Tijuana-based collaborator Fernando Beltran said he had a crew of 300 people setting up the event. Beltran handles Marquez. "We had all 300 working to set up the stage, the boxing ring, the confetti and the music and dancing girls, all of that," Beltran said. "It was so much worth it. I was glad because Pacquiao and his team were such great hosts to us in the Phillipines so we wanted to do the same for them." Another Mexican ring legend and Hall Of Famer, the brilliant Rubin Olivares, was also on hand for the event. "In my heart, I want Juan Ma to win this fight but, in my head, I will go with Pacman. Pacman has the punching power and Marquez does not." (Thanks to old friend, longtime Reuters reporter and British expatriate James Blears, now based in this capital city for 20 years, for passing on the Olivares quote.) On this afternoon, in the Mexican sunshine, the winner was boxing. The greatest boxing country in history--past, present and future--gave a proper tribute to the world's pound for pound best fighter. Sympatico, that's what the Mexican public has become when it comes to Pacquiao, sympatico.

30,000 FANS SHOW UP FOR PACQUIAO, MARQUEZ IN MEXICO

Superstar Manny Pacquiao waves to the reported 30,000 plus fans during his public press conference in Mexico City Thursday during the world tour to announce the third world Welterweight title mega-fight of the Pacquiao-Marquez trilogy against three-division world champion Juan Manuel Marquez. Promoted by Top Rank, in association with MP Promotions, Marquez Boxing, Tecate and MGM Grand, Pacquiao vs Marquez III will take place, Saturday, Nov. 12 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and be produced and distributed by HBO Pay Per View.

Pacquiao expected to silence Marquez

BOXING king of the ring Manny “PacMan” Pacquiao is expected to silence his old archrival Juan Manuel Marquez of Mexico with a decisive win, according to his renowned trainer Freddie Roach. Roach declared at the Los Angeles stop of the media tour of third Pacquiao-Marquez fight scheduled for November 12 that he wants his prized Filipino boxer to knock out Marquez to finally stop talk that the Mexican was robbed in their two previous encounters. “This fight is more personal for Manny,” he said. “When Marquez came to the Philippines with those T-shirts … it was a slap in the face to Manny. He will get his payback,” Roach added. The renowned trainer said that Pacquiao took offense with that Marquez antic shortly after the Mexican boxer lost his World Boxing Council lightweight title in 2008 to the Filipino boxing king. “Manny let [Antonio] Margarito and [Shane] Mosley off the hook. In this fight, that’s not going to happen,” said Roach, who has trained Pacquiao since he started fighting in the United States 10 years ago. Pacquiao will defend his World Boxing Organization welterweight title (147 pounds) against Marquez, a unified world lightweight champ, who is going up in weight for the title fight at an agreed weight of 144 pounds. Bob Arum of Top Rank Promotions, Pacquiao’s promoter, shared Roach’s observation about the prospect of seeing a more aggressive Pacquiao in the big-money fight to be held at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas. Settling the score Arum observed that Pacquiao usually waits until the last minute to start his eight weeks of training. Pacquiao, 32, indicated on Wednesday that he had been unhappy with Marquez’ gesture. ”Everybody knows Marquez has been talking too much,” he said at the Los Angeles stop of their international promotional tour at the Beverly Hills Hotel. “If my opponent is no good, I will be no good in the ring. You know what I mean? My opponent is not a good boy…..What I think about is, ‘How can I shut [his] mouth?’”, Pacquiao added. In their first fight in 2004 at featherweight, Pacquiao knocked Marquez down three times in the first round but Marquez came back to salvage a draw. Four years later, Pacquiao won the junior lightweight title by split decision — the victory swayed by a left hook to the chin in the third that sent Marquez to the canvas. At the post-fight press conference in 2008, Ignacio “Nacho” Beristain, Marquez’ trainer, complained lengthily about what he thought was a bum decision, prompting Arum to grab a microphone and unloading epithets at the trainer. But what seemed to get the ire of the kind-hearted Pacquiao was Marquez confronting him during a boxing card in the Philippines demanding a quick rematch. Marquez wore a T-shirt reading “We were robbed.” Now a first-term congressman in Sarangani province, Pacquiao (53-3-2, 38 by knockouts) has been observed to take it easy against opponents in recent fights. He took it easy in the final rounds against badly beaten foe Margarito last year. He also failed to put away Mosley in a lopsided fight in May this year, PacMan’s third consecutive unanimous decision after several consecutive knockout victories. The 38-year-old Marquez (53-5-1, 39 KOs) said that he is going for a knockout of his own to counter Pacquiao’s speed and explosive power. ”I know I will see the best Manny Pacquiao, but I’m ready,” the Mexican said, adding that he would not allow the judges to decide the outcome of the fight this time around.

Pacquiao Nice Guy no more

They’ve been telling the public that they’re friends and there’s nothing personal between them. But there’s a feeling of revulsion whenever Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez are within spitting distance of each other as evidenced by their actions in Manila and New York and here on Tuesday during the dizzying four-city press tour promoting their Nov. 12 trilogy. The last few times he has fought, Pacquiao has been very friendly with his foes to the extent that he has been oftentimes criticized for being too nice to them. Pacquiao horsed around with Ricky Hatton during a darts exhibition match in Manchester, posed for pictures with Miguel Cotto’s kids in Puerto Rico, burst into laughter during a staredown with Joshua Clottey in Dallas and smiled a lot and shook hands frequently with Shane Mosley in Las Vegas. But with Marquez, the feeling is not all too the same and the sentiment is that the lid will blow over when they let loose their furious fists at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in two months time. One could easily count the times when Pacquiao and Marquez shook hands and during their third face-off at the Beverly Hills Hotel, they only got to shake hands once and they did it without even looking each other in the eye. “They never did (break into laughter),” acknowledged trainer Freddie Roach. Pacquiao looked stern and didn’t break a smile when he was requested by the photographers for the customary staredown, unlike during the buildup to the Clottey and Mosley bouts when it took only a fraction of a second before he erupted in laughter. In the Philippines over the weekend, Marquez regaled the media, saying that while he remains bitter over the result of their first two fights, he has grown to respect the man many regard as worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as Joe Louis and Muhammad Ali. From what they have exhibited the last couple of days, Marquez and Pacquiao have been frugal in showering each other with praises and it remains to be seen whether Marquez will revert back to being a diplomat when the tour makes its fourth and last stop in Mexico City on Thursday. The last time Pacquiao acted unreceptive was against the brash Erik Morales and that was five years ago. That feeling of hatred is back again, said Pacquiao lawyer Franklin Gacal, who has been told many times by the pound-for-pound king about his animosity towards Marquez. “Galit siya kay Marquez,” said Gacal on board a private plane that took Team Pacquiao to Toluca, Mexico, late Wednesday night. “Nanggigigil siya.”

Manny Pacquiao – This time it’s personal

“Any news from Pacman Marquez promotional tour?” inquired Big Steve while assaulting a heavy bag at the Y in Glendale. Global tour to promote the final chapter of a historic trilogy between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez found its way to the City of Angeles where media only press conference was held at the opulent Beverly Hills Hotel earlier today. Top pound for pound pugilist, Manny Pacquiao will defend his WBO welterweight title against his long time rival, undisputed lightweight champion, Juan Manuel Marquez. The historic battle is set to take place at the Mecca of boxing, MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be televised live by HBO’s PPV. “It’s going to be a good fight on November 12th,”said Pacquiao from the podium:” Because this is the answer of all the doubts for the past two fights with Marquez. I improved a lot on my style and I will do my best for the happiness of the people.” I don’t know whether it is a pressure of a long promotional tour or the fact that Manny is getting tired of listening to Marquez say that he won the first two fights, but normally soft spoken and friendly, Pacquiao got a little edgy after the press conference. It seems like their third encounter is getting personal. “I can see a little dislike there,” said Pacquiao’s trusted coach, Freddie Roach:” I do feel that we will stop him in this fight and that’s why I am urging Manny not to be compassionate and when he hurts him to take him out. That will be the only way the controversy will go away. If you put it in the judge’s hands than it’s up to them.” So is it just a little dislike or is it getting really personal? “Hundred percent personal and I love that,” continued legendary coach, Freddie Roach:” I like it when it’s personal, because may be he won’t be so compassionate when he hurts him.” “Manny and Juan Manuel fought to draw the first time,” said Hall of fame promoter, Bob Arum:” And the second time by virtue of a knock down Manny won the fight by one point: can’t get closer than that. And so the world that follows boxing will see a classic, classic match on November 12th.” Congressman Manny Pacquiao wants to make sure that this classic match has a dramatic conclusion. How serious is Manny about this?“I was supposed to leave for Philippines next week on the 17th,” said other very important piece of team Pacquiao, strength and conditioning guru, Alex Ariza:” And I was just upstairs and Manny said that I will be on the flight with him tomorrow. He says I want to focus on getting bigger and stronger, because this time it’s personal. So I am assuming it’s personal.” The world wide promotional tour will end tomorrow in Mexico where thousands of fans will get to see their heroes, Juan Manuel Marquez, the host and the champion, visitor, Manny Pacquiao.

Manny Pacquiao intends payback against Juan Manuel Marquez

Manny Pacquiao's road to stardom was established by power punching and a pair of compelling back-and-forth bouts against his rival from Mexico, Juan Manuel Marquez. As Pacquiao prepares for his third fight against Marquez on Nov. 12 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, the Filipino star's attention is locked on the goal to reaffirm his power reputation by quieting Marquez once and for all. "Everybody knows Marquez has been talking too much," Pacquiao said Wednesday as he and Marquez continued their international promotional tour at the Beverly Hills Hotel. "If my opponent is no good, I will be no good in the ring. You know what I mean? My opponent is not a good boy. "What I think about is, 'How can I shut the mouth?'" Pacquiao knocked Marquez down three times in the first round of their 2004 featherweight title fight, but Marquez rallied to claim a draw. In 2008, Pacquiao won a super-featherweight title by split decision thanks to judge Tom Miller's 114-113 score. Marquez's trainer, Ignacio "Nacho" Beristain, complained so much at the post-fight news conference after the 2008 loss that Pacquiao's promoter, Bob Arum, grabbed a microphone and unloaded epithets at the trainer. Marquez later visited the Philippines wearing a T-shirt reading "We were robbed." Pacquiao's kindhearted nature is part of his charm. He's a congressman in the Philippines who has successfully pushed for a new hospital to be constructed in his district and often takes up charitable ventures. He showed compassion in the final rounds against badly beaten foe Antonio Margarito last year, and he also failed to put away Shane Mosley in a one-sided fight in May — Pacquiao's third consecutive unanimous decision as he improved to 53-3-2. But Pacquiao became boxing's most popular star by scoring 10 knockouts and retiring Oscar De La Hoya in a span of 16 fights between 2003 and 2009. Now, it's no more Mr. Nice Guy. "He let [Margarito and Mosley] off the hook. In this fight, that's not going to happen," Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, said of Marquez. The Pacquiao-Marquez bout will be for the WBO welterweight title to be fought at a 144-pound catch weight. "This fight is more personal," Roach said. "Those [prior two Marquez] fights were good for boxing. It wasn't our fault the judges voted for us. But when Marquez came to the Philippines with those T-shirts … it was a slap in the face to Manny. He will get his payback." Arum was seen shaking hands with and briefly embracing Beristain on Wednesday, but the promoter notes Pacquiao is less forgiving of his old foe. "Manny usually waits until the last minute to start his eight weeks of training," Arum said. "For this fight, he's already started. He's dying to win this decisively. He's a competitor, and on a competitive basis, he's tired of hearing Marquez is the puzzle he can't solve." The 38-year-old Marquez (53-5-1, 39 KOs) expects to rely on his counterpunching strength to again frustrate the aggressive Pacquiao. "I will see the best Manny Pacquiao, that's what I'm waiting for," said Marquez. "Everybody knows I wanted this fight. I didn't win before because the judges were no good." Music to the ears of a seething Pacquiao.

Pacquiao/Marquez Los Angeles Press Conference

After a self made, man-fulfilling steak and egg breakfast and a 20-minute strengthening workout, I trekked, for the second time this year, to the Beverly Hills Hotel on Sunset in Los Angeles for a Manny Pacquiao press conference. Sitting in bumper to bumper traffic through most of my journey with the odometer hitting upwards of 90 plus degrees, (it would hit 109 before the day was done) I was happier than ever to reach my destination and receive a valet ticket and jump inside the plush hotel. With oodles of time before the conference even began, I found myself on a couch listening to the new Jay-Z/Kanye West album as I watched the circus begin. Some of the main players were already in plain view as Nacho Beristain held court in the lobby. Freddie Roach was flanked by HBO crews, no doubt supplying footage for Roach’s soon to be reality series set for a 2012 release, Marquez strolled by to talk to his trainer before going into hiding until the conference began, and actor and ‘Entourage’ producer Mark Wahlberg walked back and forth, hoping to make himself part of the Pac Man’s entourage, but to no avail. He evidently hasn’t heard of ‘Pacquiao Time’, as most in Pacquiao’s groups knows all too well. Manny isn’t here yet, Marky Mark. I stepped out briefly and watched as WWE wrestler ‘The Miz’ rolled up to the front. His PR person was standing next to me, and the wrestler hopped out of his chauffeured ride, walked up and asked him bluntly, “What the hell am I doing here?” His PR walked him in and said he would go over things. More on the Miz later in this story. I checked in and walked down to the ballroom area of the hotel, which was a great relief because the hotel’s ‘Rodeo’ room is small and at ground level where the days heat was, and it was just as hot in Hollywood as it is in my humble surroundings of the Inland Empire. I stood and chatted with Maxboxing’s dynamic duo of Steve Kim and Gabriel Montoya while we waited to enter the grand ballroom, which was a lovely, wide spread room with a rose tipped chandelier. Smart media typed run towards the tables first to get premium seating, then to the food spread. I secured my location with a pretty much 50-yard line view of the dais then approached the food. Once again, I was faced with numerous types of spread to place on my gourmet turkey burger. “Oh no, Mr. Horseradish, you’re not getting me again. Fool me once,” I said to myself as I was yet again faced in a situation where there was sinus clearing condiments on hand to fool me, like they did at the last press conference I attended in Beverly Hills for the Pacquiao/Mosley fight. (At that conference, I applied generous portion of white/yellow looking spread that immediately made my eyes water and my nose run just as promoter Bob Arum walked by my table and gave a gentlemanly head-nod as I tried diligently not to sneeze, cough, throw up or worse.) I wisely selected the most American looking, bright yellow spread I could find and proceeded to the hawk-like waitered tables, where your tea never runs dry and the hell if any opened sugar packets see the light of day on a table for more than a few seconds after opening. Now, the burgers in this semi-nice joint in the 90210 are generally the best food they have to offer. Not today. What outdid the ‘gooble-gooble’ burgers was the ‘piece de resistance’ as I told writer/friend Igor Frank, a divine mix of noodles and cheese that us small types call ‘macaroni and cheese’. I’m sure 90210 residents have a luxurious name for the side dish, but hey, they say tomato’, I say tomato. The second best item up for grabs is what I dubbed ‘the bottomless passion tea’. It’s a higher end tea, which I happen to love as a tea drinker. Top Rank head Bob Arum opened the show by announcing that the November 12 fight was a sell out, and tickets were being sold at high premiums by those websites who love to make as much as they can above the original price of the ticket. Freaking ticket vultures. The fighters were announced with a cool, pre-taped introduction using the voice of Michael Buffer, as Marquez made his way first to the podium, and the Mexican great dressed sharply, suited out in a black two piece, followed by Buffer’s intro for Pacquiao, and the Pac Man dressed in his best ‘Brett Favre’ outfit; some blue Lee’s and a white collared shirt. Did he shoot a jean commercial on Sunset before the press conference began or what? Arum then invited WWE wrestler The Miz to the front of the line, and the charismatic young gun took to the microphone and told a story that when he told his parents he was going to the press conference and Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez were going to be there, they asked him to take pictures and grab autographs. He said he himself is in the entertainment business, and his parents have never asked HIM for any memorabilia! Ouch. Aren’t your parents supposed to be your number one fans? ‘Miz man’ closed in style by giving each fighter some of his shirts with his slogan on it, and screamed into the mic, “You guys, as well as myself, are truly Awesome!” Arum would also touch on the hotly debated weight issue heading into fight night at the MGM Grand. A catch-weight of 144 was agreed to for the third installment of Pacquiao/Marquez, which pundits agree favors the bigger man in Pacquiao. “They both have to make the 144 mark. Look, Manny isn’t a middleweight. It’s not like Manny is going to make the 144 mark at the weigh-in, and weigh 160 on fight night.” On a personal note, being mere inches from both warriors during interviews, it’s hard to argue that weight is going to be an issue once the bell rings. Both of these guys stand tiny at a mere five-feet-nothing and a walking around weight similar to that of a junior high student. Then it was trainer time. As announced, both fighters were flanked by their trainers, and recent Hall of Fame inductee Beristain was up first. Nacho thanked the press for their attendance, then proceeded to talk faster than his interpreter for the day, Zanfer Promotions own Fernando Beltran. Nacho stated that the first two Pac/Marquez battles will never be forgotten, and the third edition will be the best of the trilogy. The bell rang, and each corner was given seconds to rest on the stool before the next round started and fellow HOF trainer Freddie Roach took to the stand to offer his best verbal swings. Roach was his casual self in jeans and a shirt and relayed that training will begin in the Philippines and then move to Hollywood for the finishing touches. “I think I have a challenge in Nacho Beristain, and I have a great student in Manny Pacquiao.” Roach’s close-line (Miz type reference) regarding the fight was simply, “don’t miss it.” Another rest period ensued, and it was then time for fighter speeches. Marquez went first, (which is odd being that he is a counter puncher by nature). Arum had introduced Marquez the greatest counter puncher in the game, and touched lightly on when ‘Dinamita’ fought Floyd Mayweather in September 2009. Marques put on a lackluster effort, suffering a knockdown and lopsided decision loss. Arum had his opinions on that though. “Of course he looked bad against Mayweather. Mayweather is a defensive fighter. Maybe a genius,” was Arum’s choice of words when pronouncing that the Pac/Marquez fight will be a better showing simply by Marquez facing a more offensive minded opponent in Pacquiao. “Good morning, good afternoon, good night. I don’t know what time it is!,” Marquez told the media. The four-city, three country press tour was already making its impression on the fighter as they already hit stops in the Philippines, followed by New York before hitting the B.H. Hotel in Los Angeles. Good thing for Marquez is the tour makes its last stop tomorrow in his native Mexico. No word on if Pacquiao plans anymore singing as he did during the New York version of the tour. Come on, just a few notes from “Sometimes When We Touch!” Marquez said he has been working hard on his speed and strength in training camp, and closed by dedicating the fight to his father-in-law, who passed away a few months ago. Another rest period ensued, and then it was the Congressman’s time. Arum made numerous over and above introductions of Manny as not only the pound for pound best boxer but the “greatest athlete in the world” and a dozen other monikers for his fighter, and all of them were hard to argue against. Simply put, at this present time, Pacquiao is an international superstar. Look it up, it’s in the Geneva Conventions. (Will Ferrell reference) The Pac Man thanked all the sponsors and his supporters in a gingerly manner while telling the press that he is training hard and knows Marquez is as well. Pacquiao himself is not remiss of the fact that his two previous efforts in the ring against Marquez are looked at and debated almost as much as a potential dream match between himself and Mayweather are. “This (fight) is the answer of all the doubts of the last two fights against Marquez,” said Pacquiao. The circus ensued with the fighter ‘nose to nose’ ‘I don’t smile and you don’t smile’ stare downs, followed by one on one interviews and a closing to yet another great It was almost too bad that I went from eating gourmet burgers and bottomless passion tea in a plush Beverly Hills hotel, only to tip the valet a buck, (hey, I’m sure that the Ferrari that pulled out in front of me tipped a solid 20-bill or above) and get on the freeway in 100+ degree heat to make my journey home. Oh well. Such is life on the press beat. Thank the Lord above for air conditioning and sports talk radio.

DID REALITY FINALLY SINK IN?

Watching both Pacquiao and Marquez today at the third leg of the promotional press conference held at the famed Beverly Hills Hotel to hype their third fight scheduled on November 12th at the MGM Grand Arena allowed me to capture a few poignant photos. As a photographer I do not mind too much what is being said at the podium. That is the job of the “writers”. I primarily focus on people hoping to capture telling photos related to the event. That is exactly what I got today. Juan Manuel Marquez must not be a seasoned traveler. Jet lag caught up with him. In fact, he himself said that they traveled thousands of miles in so short a time that he really does not know what time it is. Therefore, when he addressed the press he begun by saying- “Good morning, good afternoon, and good evening” to cover all his bases. It was a tad funny but it worked. As he sat listening to the proceedings, Marquez appeared bored and tired. His demeanor showed it too. He was yawning and was listless. It would not be too surprising to assume that Pacquiao is as tired as the poor JuanMa. But he had a way to hide it somehow. At least that is true today. I never caught him yawning or looking bored although I took more photos of him during the entire proceedings that I did of Marquez. Pacquiao kept alert by interacting with the press corps. He blinked an eye or smiled at them. And he kept a quiet private conversation with Freddie Roach who sat next to him. That kept him busy and occupied until it was time for him to stand up on the podium to speak. Oh, he said nothing new that I have not heard before but at least he appeared very alert and focused. JuanMa in the other hand almost kept to himself. He seldom turned to his trainer Nacho Beristein to speak to him unlike Pacquiao who always had Roach close for a chit chat. Perhaps, if Marquez did he would not have been so bored of the proceedings. Marquez almost appeared to be alone in his deep thoughts. I wonder, was he really that tired or did reality finally sink in about his coming fight which I believe he can never win? I like to think it’s the former because if it’s the latter, then we could all be in for a boring fight on November 12th.

Manny Pacquiao Gives Floyd Mayweather an Ultimatum

During his recent press conference, Manny Pacquiao presented a loud and clear ultimatum to his undefeated counterpart Floyd Mayweather Jr. – you have one year. While appearing at a press event to publicize his upcoming November bout versus Juan Manuel Marquez, Pacquiao stopped to address some of the more prevailing issues in boxing. Namely, what the odds were that he and Mayweather would actually get around to participating in a much-hyped super fight. "I want to be an executive in 2013," Pacquiao replied, when asked about his future prospects. "It’s hard to be an executive and do boxing." Currently, Pacquiao serves as a congressman for his native Philippines and, as a result, has plenty of free time to spare. If, however, the widely regarded best pound-for-pound fighter in the sport opts to pursue “executive office” in 2013, that will quickly change. Whereas congressman duties entail less pressing matters to be dealt with on a day-to-day basis, serving as an “executive” in the Philippines is akin to being a governor or mayor in America. All of which pretty much explains why Pacquiao has been so reflective and open about his athletic tenure coming to a close some time very soon. In a series of interviews over the past few months, the Filipino icon has alluded to having a limited window to accomplish everything he wants to accomplish in his sport of choice. Along the same lines, he has also been very honest about how he views his place in the grand scheme of boxing lore, and how he doesn’t feel like he actually needs a match versus Mayweather to cement his legacy. Currently, Pacquiao is preparing for a November 12 showdown against Juan Manuel Marquez – the third and final part to their once-epic rivalry. The first time the pair met they fought to a widely-disputed draw. The second time, Pacquiao won despite numerous boxing pundits scoring the fight in Marquez’s favor. This time, though, there is little doubt about who will emerge victorious, with Pacquiao consistently dominating his competition over the last two years while Marquez has been on a steady decline. Not even recent developments like Pacquiao’s fatigue and the role it will have in this bout could boost the odds in Marquez’s favor, it appears. At this point, everyone is already looking ahead to what the twilight tour of Pacquiao’s career will look like. He’ll put an exclamation mark on his rivalry with Marquez with a win in November but, then what? Will it be Mayweather? Khan? A wild card that nobody sees coming? Only time will tell.

After the Dust Has Settled – Pacquiao Still in Control

Right now, boxing fans are feeling like a victim of Ashton Kutcher’s old television show Punk’d.

Since Nov. 14, better known as the night that Manny Pacquiao scored an electrifying 12th- round TKO win over Miguel Cotto, anybody that follows the sport has had their appetite whetted by the mouth watering prospect of seeing a showdown between the world’s two top pound-for-pound boxers – Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

But with the negotiations for that fight now having imploded like the demolition of The Sands Casino in Las Vegas, boxing fans are left with nothing more than a cloud of dust as they try to make sense of what it all means and what will be next for both Pacquiao and Mayweather.

By any measure one wishes to use, there is no doubt that Pacquiao and Mayweather are ranked #1 and #2 – in that order.

Pacquiao is the best boxer on the planet and Mayweather is further down behind him – lower on the list in second place.

Never mind that Pacquiao is ranked #1 in the ratings by every reputable boxing publication or Internet boxing Web site in existence and that he has been honored by the Boxing Writers Association of America as the fighter of the year for the past two years in a row.

What is probably more important is that Manny is also #1 at the box office. And in the sport of boxing, better known as the business of boxing, that is his most significant achievement.

It is Pacquiao that draws fans in droves to his live events. For comparison purposes, Pacquiao’s recent bout against Miguel Cotto attracted a standing room only crowd of over 16,000 to the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas. Less than two months earlier, Mayweather met Juan Manuel Marquez at the same venue and they failed to draw a paid attendance of 13,000 to a relatively subdued affair.

Ticket brokers and scalpers were able to charge upwards of ten thousand dollars for one Pacquiao vs. Cotto ringside ticket. The Mayweather-Marquez fight was lucky to get half that amount for the same seat. The MGM Grand was forced to offer special packages to attract customers to the Mayweather vs. Marquez fight – everything from discounted fight tickets, free meals and free limousine rides to and from McCarran International Airport. On the other hand, Pacquiao vs. Cotto was sold out weeks in advance and the night of the fight brought the city of Las Vegas to a virtual standstill.

Mayweather calls himself "Money" – but it is Pacquiao that attracted more fans this year to Las Vegas. It is also Pacquiao that caused more fans to push the pay-per-view buy buttons on their television remote control. His fight against Cotto earned nearly $14 million more in pay-per-view revenue than Mayweather’s fight against Marquez.

So, since boxing fans will not have the matter settled as to who the best boxer on the planet is with a match-up of skills between Pacquiao and Mayweather – the only other measurable manner available to them is the rankings of the various organizations that keep track of such things - and the latest box office receipts.

Using both of those measuring sticks, it is Pacquiao that easily comes out on top.

Mayweather and his supporters will point to his 2007 fights against Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton as evidence of his supremacy on the pay-per-view front. However, the De La Hoya fight was nearly three years ago. The world was a different place then; money and credit were easy come and easy go. People thought nothing of making a weekend trip to Vegas or dropping a Grant on the pay-per-view. In the world economy of 2009, where funds were sparse, and folks searched for value in their entertainment dollar, they spent more in person and via their TV screens to see Manny Pacquiao.

Promoters spent an astonishing $20 million on marketing costs for the Mayweather vs. Marquez fight. The fight was also broadcast in 170 movie theaters around the country – yet Pacquiao still attracted more fans.

In the day and age of the Internet, any Web-site publisher will tell you that when a Manny Pacquiao news item or feature appears on their site, it is a good day for them in terms of the all important page views. Ask a boxing magazine publisher who sells more copies when Pacquiao or Mayweather appear on their cover and they will tell you that the Pinoy idol is "bank".

Mayweather and his backers will counter with the argument that both of his fights against De La Hoya and Hatton drew more than Pacquiao’s did – but again – we’re talking about numbers going on nearly three years ago.

Boxing would probably best be known as a sport of "What have you done for me lately?"

Using that simple question, it is Pacquiao that is clearly the more personable fighter/celebrity. Devoted fans flock to him, they smile, they pose, they rush to get an autograph or a picture.

Mayweather’s highly publicized open workout at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood in the days before his bout against Marquez barely drew a crowd of 200 people. On the other hand, in the same town, just around the corner and down the street, Pacquiao attracts that many people every single day to watch him simply walk in and out of Freddie Roach’s Wild Card Gym.

Whether one wishes to blame the non-happening of the Pac-May fight on Pacquiao’s refusal to submit to Mayweather’s demand for the unheard of Olympic style drug testing is their prerogative. However, they should remember that based on the most recent accomplishments it is Manny that is universally regarded as the best boxer on the planet, Manny that is the more popular person with the public and Manny that is the recent box-office champion.

Based on all of that – it is Pacquiao that was clearly in the drivers’ seat of the failed negotiations. It is also Pacquiao that clearly sits atop the boxing world as 2010 gets underway. For Mayweather to lay claim to anything he will have to get in the ring, fight and beat a contender of consequence and perhaps win a title. It will be the only way to turn the tide in his favor.

In the Corners

The latest news is that Pacquiao will likely face the always tough, durable and rugged Joshua Clottey on March 13 at Cowboys Stadium in Texas. The Ghanaian is perhaps the toughest and one of the most avoided welterweights in the world. I will say that unless Pacquiao is totally focused he will not beat Clottey, who is a larger man who can take a great punch. Clottey will likely be a middleweight by the time he steps into the ring on fight night and he has a tight defense...Meanwhile, rumors persist that Mayweather will meet the smaller and light punching Paulie Malignaggi - or even worse – Matthew Hatton, the limited younger brother of Ricky. My view is that since Mayweather needs to make a statement of supremacy and gain more leverage in any potential future negotiations for a Pacquiao fight, that he should face the winner of the Jan. 30 Shane Mosley vs. Andre Berto title fight…Nice to see the return of ESPN2 Friday Night Fights as well as the upcoming new series on FOX Sports. Who says boxing is dead?

Sizing up Joshua Clottey as Manny Pacquiao’s next foe

Late last night news broke via Top Rank’s facebook page that the next opponent for Manny Pacquiao would be former IBF Welterweight champion Joshua Clottey. Upon hearing the news I was quite surprised, as I didn’t expect Pacquiao to face off with such a formidable challenge following the Mayweather fallout. I have to tip my hat to Manny; if the Clottey fight goes through I think he deserves credit for not opting for a safer touch. Joshua Clottey is no pushover.
It’s somewhat fascinating to me when I analyze a Pacquiao-Clottey matchup. There is a lot to take in because of the contrast in styles. While Pacquiao relies on his work rate, endurance, and placing his power punches from a variety of angles, Clottey is a completely different mold of fighter. The Accra, Ghana native is as strong and sturdy as they come and he possesses excellent stamina, a compact defense, a menacing jab, and a physical nature that has lead him to having a 35-3 record while being regarded as one of the top five or six Welterweights in the world.
When thinking of the matchup further, here is my take on Clottey and how he matches up against his Filipino foe.
Making Ghana proud
Hailing from Accra, Ghana, Clottey comes from a country known producing gritty, tough, and proven combatants. In somewhat recent years Azumah ‘The Professor’ Nelson and Ike ‘Bazooka’ Quartey have represented the country proud by becoming quality champions inside of the ring.
Nelson had great longevity and was a threat in the lower weight classes from the early 80’s to mid 90’s. He fist broke on the scene as a newcomer in 1982, losing a tremendous battle to the late Salvador Sanchez. When it was all said and done Nelson won titles at 126 and 130 pounds, defeating the likes of Wilfredo Gomez, Juan La Porte, Jeff Fenech, Gabriel Ruelas, and Jesse James Leija. Nelson was crafty, durable and extremely consistent throughout his hall of fame career.
Ike Quartey won the WBA Welterweight title in June of 1994 by stopping Crisanto Espana in the 11th round. Quartey was known best for his tremendous physical strength, his potent and deadly jab, and stout chin. He bested the likes of Vince Phillips and Oba Carr while losing a close and some say controversial decision to Oscar De La Hoya in February of 1999 after a 16 month layoff. Quartey would return well over a year later and lose a clear but competitive decision to Fernando Vargas in April of 2000 after moving up in weight.
Quartey disappeared from the scene after that before returning in 2005. He finished his career by defeating Verno Phillips and Carlos Bojorquez while losing a disputed match to Vernon Forrest and a lopsided decision to good friend Winky Wright. While some say that Quartey’s true potential was never realized, as he was the victim of repeated spells of inactivity, he certainly was regarded as one of the world’s top three Welterweights in the late 90’s alongside De La Hoya and Felix ‘Tito’ Trinidad.
In seeing Clottey in the ring you can see shades of both Quartey and Nelson, as he attacks with a high and tight guard while always pressing forward and looking to force the action. As was the case with Quartey, Clottey is a physical powerhouse on the inside and his tight-knit defense makes it extremely hard for opponents to break through.
Clottey’s early 2010 gift
2009 must certainly have been considered a downer for Clottey. He only fought once the entire year, suffering a very close split decision to Miguel Cotto. It was a very eventful bout, as Clottey was dropped early before regrouping and working his way back into the fight. Cotto suffered a huge gash above his left eye from an accidental head butt in the third and showed his warrior’s spirit, fighting Clottey tit for tat as the middle rounds approached.
Just when it looked at those Joshua was running out of steam he would regroup, as was the case in the seventh round when he unloaded on Cotto to turn the tide of the fight. The fight was back and forth from that point forward. In the twelfth round Clottey was grazed with a punch behind the head and seemed to overact to the punch, turning around as though he was in severe pain. Cotto would close the show strong and go on to win a split decision, with 116-111 and 115-112 tallies going in favor of the Puerto Rican while Judge Tom Miller sided with the Ghanaian fighter 114-113.
The loss to Cotto didn’t drop Clottey’s stock tremendously because he fought on nearly even terms with a fighter of Cotto’s class. The remaining months of the year had to be terribly frustrating, however, as proposed bouts with Carlos Quintana and Sergio Martinez never came to fruition. Clottey was recently scheduled for a January 16th appearance at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas against Michael Rosales and apparently turned the fight down due to his desires for a bigger fight. It doesn’t getting any bigger than facing Pacquiao and right now Joshua Clottey must be happy with the new opportunity on his horizon. This is the exact opportunity he was looking for.
Clottey at his best
When looking at Clottey’s career in recent years there are several fights and moments that stand out where the former champion was at his best.
In July of 2006 he showed tremendous stamina and a great work rate in winning a convincing and entertaining decision over then-undefeated Richard Gutierrez. Clottey’s air-tight defense negated anything that the Columbian had to offer as he pulled away late in the fight.
Clottey was also impressive against both Zab Judah and Diego Corrales. Against Corrales, who was moving up two weight classes for the bout, Clottey was too strong and efficient for the late Diego to handle, dropping him twice late in the fight on his way to a near shutout win. Clottey defeated Judah in August of 2008 by simply applying pressure and staying consistent. Clottey wasn’t fazed by Judah’s speed and had great success working the body and using his physical strength on the inside as he walked away with a nine round technical decision win.
Even in losing to Cotto and Antonio Margarito, Clottey more than held his own during long periods in each fight. Both of those contests were nip and tuck affairs in which Clottey showed much worth while falling just short. Against Cotto he seemed to ease off the gas pedal when having his best moments and that came back to hurt him. He started strong against Margarito but a reported injury to his left hand in the 4th round lulled his momentum.
Sizing up Pacquiao vs. Clottey
For as much success as Pacquiao has had in recent years I personally feel that Clottey is a tremendous and underrated threat to him. The matchup in styles pretty contrasting and it will be interesting to see whether Pacquiao’s speed and power or Clottey’s aggression and physical strength prove to be the key factors.
One thing I notice is that while both Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto were physically imposing opponents, they both had suspect defense, as seen in previous fights. Clottey’s defense is very sound and it will be interesting seeing how exactly Pacquiao goes about trying to break him down. If Clottey can find a way to get on the inside consistently and force the action he could have great success.
If I had to pick a winner right now I would side with Pacquiao because it’s hard to deny the success he has had. Blowout wins over Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, and Miguel Cotto in succession don’t come around too often and Pacquiao is a primed and well oiled machine at the moment. Clottey will definitely come into the fight with high hopes but he has shown in the past that he can be complacent and inactive during key stretches of a fight. I think Pacquiao’s speed and activity will be the key factors on his way towards winning a competitive but clear decision win.

PACQUIAO-MAYWEATHER: Fight is off!

What was billed as the “Fight of the Century” between two finest pound-for-pound fighters on earth – Filipino Manny Pacquiao and unbeaten American Floyd Mayweather Jr.-- is not going to happen.
This was revealed by Bob Arum himself, head man of Top Rank Promotions and Pacquiao’s promoter, Wednesday night (Thursday in Manila)



The epic encounter, which, undoubtedly would have brought the sports of sweet science back to its popularity of years ago, according to Arum, quoting federal judge Daniel Weinstein, whom both the Pacquiao and Mayweather camps chose to mediate to save the multi-million fight.

"The mediator called me [before 8 p.m.] and told me the fight was off," Arum said as told to the Los Angeles Times. "The fight's off, Mayweather never wanted it. Manny wanted the fight. He was agreeable to terms."

A source who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about the mediation proceedings said Pacquiao had agreed to submit to a blood test 24 days before the fight -- a concession from his prior stance of no closer than 30 days -- and to another blood draw immediately after the bout.
Pacquiao’s concession was to Mayweather, who reportedly declined to accept those terms.

One other source said though that all’s not over yet and that both camps could still strike a deal before what he termed a "business deadline," adding that the press conference where Pacquiao and Mayweather will appear is scheduled next week yet in New York and Los Angeles.

Arum has said he'll work to arrange an alternate fight for Pacquiao against newly crowned super-welterweight champion Yuri Foreman in March, which would allow the Filipino ring icon to further etch his name in the annals of professional boxing by claiming a record eight world titles in as many weight divisions. .

"I am disappointed in the sense this fight will not happen," Arum said. "I'm not surprised. I always knew Mayweather would kill it because he didn't want it. He didn't want to lose."
Arum traced the history of Floyd Mayweather Jr's mental state, which he said is coward's mental state, adding Mayweather will never agree to take a tough fight where he stands any chance of losing reason many of best fights in the welterweight division never took place.

He points out how Mayweather walked away from a very lucrative rematch with Oscar De La Hoya in 2008. De La Hoya gave Mayweather a very tough fight in 2007.

"Floyd Mayweather walked away," Arum said to USA Today. "Our guy was agreeable, Mayweather wasn't. It's not surprising. I always felt that he wasn't going to do the fight. He knows Manny will beat him. Mayweather's never stepped into the ring with a guy he had any question but that he was going to beat."

"That's why there's never been a (Shane) Mosley, there's never been a (Antonio) Margarito, there never was a (Miguel) Cotto, and there's no Pacquiao. Floyd Mayweather is a coward. He will never fight anyone that will remotely give him a tough fight. Here's a guy who, the rematch with (Oscar) De La Hoya was a huge fight, it would've made millions and millions, and he walked away from it.. .. I'm not disappointed in the sense that I always knew it was going to be this way."

Megafight off; Pacquiao very mad

Manny Pacquiao was disenchanted and enraged when told that Floyd Mayweather Jr. decided to walk away from their March 13 super fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

“I am very disappointed that we could not make this fight for the fans and I am angered because of the false accusations from Golden Boy and the Mayweather camp that I used some type of drugs and that is why I have instructed our American lawyers to proceed with the lawsuit to clear my name,” said Pacquiao in a statement released shortly after it was announced that the fight is off.

After Pacquiao’s promoter Top Rank and Mayweather’s representatives – Oscar De La Hoya and Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy Promotions (GBP) – failed to reach an accord during mediation talks on Tuesday, the arbiter, retired federal judge Daniel Weinstein, gave the two sides until the following day to come to an agreement.

But Mayweather simply did not accept a compromise that would have mandated Pacquiao to be tested for blood 24 days before the fight and immediately after the bout.

Bob Arum was furious, declaring that Mayweather “is scared to death of Pacquiao.”

Pacquiao’s adviser Mike Koncz said “the whole blood testing issue that Mayweather wants from Manny is just a façade to get Mayweather out of this fight.”

“I believe that Floyd did not want to tarnish his perfect record and used this blood testing as an excuse to get out of the fight because he knew Manny would never do it. Floyd being the coward found a way out and he did not care if he tarnished another man’s reputation,” added Koncz.

Mayweather had demanded that Pacquiao undergo Olympic-style (random) drug-testing but the Filipino fighter vehemently rejected the proposal and was later incensed that Mayweather and even GBP officials went to the extent of accusing him of having taken performance-enhancing drugs.

Pacquiao has never failed a drug test in all of his close to 20 fights on American soil.

Had both sides agreed on the terms, Pacquiao and Mayweather would have made $25 million apiece plus a hefty share in the pay-per-view, gate receipts, and closed-circuit viewing.

Now that Mayweather is out of the picture, Arum is eyeing reigning World Boxing Association super-welterweight titlist Yuri Foreman, a Belarus-born Israeli now living in Brooklyn, New York.

If Arum picks Foreman for a March 20 date at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, Pacquiao will be gunning for his eighth world title.

While a Foreman fight is a landmark bout for Pacquiao, another fight that looks much more attractive is a third fight with Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez, a pairing that Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach wants.

THE SUPER FIGHT IS OFF; MAYWEATHER CHICKENS OUT

The planned March 13 super fight between boxing hero and pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao and former No.1 Floyd Mayweather Jr is off after Mayweather chickened out despite Pacquiao accepting a compromise proposal to bring the blood test closer to the fight date from his original 30 day cutoff period to 24.


The Mayweather camp had demanded that Pacquiao undergo random blood tests to be conducted by the US Anti Doping Agency following unsubstantiated allegations that he was on performance enhancing drugs. The Pacquiao camp originally indicated it was ready to submit to blood tests one day before the kickoff press conference, 30 days before the fight and immediately after the fight in his dressing room stating that if Pacquiao was on any illegal substance it would surely show up in the post-fight test.

After the Mayweather handlers claimed Pacquiao had blood extracted from him 14 days before the Ricky Hatton fight in May 2009 as shown on the HBO 24/7 pre-fight series to put holes in his position of a 30-day deadline, Rick Reeno of boxingscene.com produced documents to show the blood test shown on HBO was actually done 24 days before the fight which Pacquiao agreed to as a compromise to help get the fight done.

Despite the mediation efforts of retired federal judge Daniel Weinstein who spent nine hours with both parties on Tuesday, nothing was apparently achieved except that both sides were placed under a gag order which prevented them from talking.

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum has steadfastly refused to divulge details of what transpired behind the closed doors of Judge Weinstein’s Santa Monica office except to confirm on Thursday (Manila Time) that the fight was off even as he blamed Mayweather for the collapse of a fight which millions of boxing fans around the world wanted.

Arum maintained that Mayweather’s refusal “established what I have always believed and that is that Mayweather never wanted to fight Manny because he was scared to death” which is what trainer Freddie Roach and conditioning expert Alex Ariza had said from the very beginning when they claimed Pacquiao would give Mayweather “a bad beating.”

Arum revealed that Pacquiao is likely to fight for his eighth world title in an eighth weight division against 154 pound champion Yuri Foreman. The renowned promoter who handles Foreman said “Yuri is ready and I’ll check to get confirmation with Manny,” indicating that should it push through the fight would be held on March 13 or 20 also in Las Vegas.

Pacquiao adviser Michael Koncz said that the immensely popular Filipino southpaw who has won every conceivable award in boxing and was recently featured on the cover of Time Magazine with a five-page spread said he was “disappointed at not being able to give the fans what they wanted and claimed Mayweather used this (blood testing) as an excuse to get out of the fight and we’ll just have to move on.”

Koncz himself posed the question “how does Mayweather go around claiming he is the best pound-for-pound fighter and the best fighter if he is not willing to engage the people’s choice as the best fighter?” noting that Pacquiao has also been endorsed by Ring Magazine and numerous other boxing publications and internet sites as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world today. Koncz added “this is all a sham.”

Pacquiao’s concern over blood being extracted too close to the fight stems from his experience before the first fight with Erik “El Terrible” Morales in March 19, 2005 when he was forced to have a blood test a couple of days before the fight after his medical records were allegedly lost in transmission.

However, a video tape from our personal archives of a heated discussion on the issue showed that the Executive Director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission at that time, Marc Ratner, pointed out that the blood test submitted had been taken in January which was too long before the fight and the NSAC commission set a cut-off of 30 days and emphasized that if Pacquiao refused to take the blood test the fight would have to be called off. Pacquiao reluctantly took the test and later said he had a headache and felt dizzy and attributed that to the extraction of blood too close to the fight which he lost on points.

It appears that Pacquiao’s original 30-day cut-off jibed with the requirements of the NSAC which has jurisdiction over the fights in Las Vegas and whose authority Pacquiao and his handlers want respected, which Mayweather, by demanding that the USADA undertake the tests refuses to do. Koncz pointed out that even when the chairman of the NSAC asked Pacquiao to take a urine test in the Philippines over which the Commission has no jurisdiction he took the test which was done by a doctor of the Philippine Olympic Committee, accredited by the World Anti Doping Agency and the International Olympic Committee.

www.insidesports.ph, Standard Today, Viva Sports and boxingscene.com understand that the Mayweather handlers led by Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer and Mayweather’s top adviser Al Hayman had tried to convince the fighter to agree to the 24-day blood test proposal which Pacquiao had agreed to and which medical experts had said was more than sufficient to detect any traces of performance enhancing drugs, but they were turned down by Mayweather resulting in the fight being called off.

Mayweather spurns compromise; Pacquiao to face different foe

The megafight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. won’t take place in March, Top Rank chairman Bob Arum said Wednesday.

Mayweather refused to accept a compromise agreement struck during Tuesday’s marathon mediation session in Santa Monica, Calif., according to an anonymous source with knowledge of those talks. At issue was Pacquiao’s refusal to submit to random blood tests as part of prefight drug testing for the bout that had been tentatively scheduled for March 13.

Arum said he is still under a gag order from the mediator, retired judge Daniel Weinstein, regarding the situation. But Arum said he expects to announce today plans for a March 13 or 20 fight in Las Vegas between Pacquiao and WBA junior middleweight champion Yuri Foreman.

When asked if the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight is indeed off, Golden Boy Promotions chief executive Richard Schaefer said: ''I’m not going to confirm or deny anything. At this point, we have no comment.’’

The sides met with Weinstein for nine hours Tuesday but did not meet with him Wednesday.

Instead, the fighters were given the revised proposal, the contents of which remain unknown. Pacquiao apparently agreed to the deal, but Mayweather did not.

If Pacquiao fights Foreman, he would be going for an unprecedented eighth title in eight weight classes. Pacquiao fought at 147 pounds, the heaviest of his career, when he stopped Miguel Cotto on Nov. 14 in his most recent fight.

The loss of the March 13 date does not necessarily mean Pacquiao-Mayweather is dead forever. They could meet in the fall, perhaps in September.

In the meantime, Mayweather could take another tuneup fight for an eventual meeting with Pacquiao. It has been rumored Mayweather might keep the March 13 date at the MGM and fight Paulie Malignaggi. But Schaefer would not comment about that possibility.

Attempts to reach Leonard Ellerbe, Mayweather’s co-manager, were unsuccessful Wednesday.

Tne possible reason the fight was scuttled is Pacquiao’s pending lawsuit against Mayweather. Pacquiao filed a defamation suit in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas last week against Mayweather, his father, Floyd Mayweather Sr., his uncle Roger Mayweather, Golden Boy president Oscar De La Hoya and Schaefer.

Olympic Tests Have Never Detected HGH in an Athlete: USADA Backs Urine

The biggest fight in the history of boxing is in danger of not happening because Floyd Mayweather Jr. wants his opponent Manny Pacquiao to agree to random Olympic-style blood tests.

The only problem is that these random blood tests have never—yes that's right—never found Human Growth Hormone in any Olympic athlete that has ever been tested.

Interesting, huh?

Mayweather somehow believes that if his opponent Pacquiao who has never failed a drug test, refuses to take a test that has never caught anyone, then this fight can't happen.

How does this make sense? It doesn't. No wait, maybe Mayweather knows something the rest of us don't...no wait, maybe Mayweather is just trying to avoid the best fighter he has ever met.

But hold on, it gets even better.

Mayweather's camp has somehow wrangled the alliance of Travis Tygart, CEO of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, to try and spin this whole charade of events in their favor.

Tygart has told Yahoo Sports! that Pacquiao's resistance to submit to the blood tests "would provide a huge loophole for a cheater to step through and get away with cheating.”

Please explain yourself Mr. Tygart, how can a test that's never caught anybody possibly provide a "loophole" for a cheater to step through?

It seems like the test itself is a loophole.

And if you don't think this sequence of events can get even more interesting, it can.

Listen to this.

USADA announced last year that they were funding a company that has developed a test to detect HGH in urine. And Pacquiao, as everyone knows, has agreed to submit to as many random urine tests as the Mayweather camp would like.

Tygart even told USA Today last year that the developers, Ceres Nanosciences, "have developed an outstanding technology. And we're looking forward to helping them develop it further so it can have a practical use in anti-doping efforts."

Yesterday, Ceres Nanosciences launched the first release of that new technology, NanotrapTM ESP Particles.

These particles are designed to improve complex biofluid sample processing allowing for the detection of low-abundance proteins that would not otherwise be detected and also uses existing medical equipment.

What this means, simply, is that HGH use is now detectable through testing of urine samples and the breakthrough technology is officially ready to "Rock-and-Roll."

Now we'll find out if Mayweather is ready to do the same.

Pacquiao certainly is.*

De la Hoya ego bruised: Arum throws tantrum, 86'd from talks

Update: A phone call answered by Bubbly Bob Arum at 3:57 pm EST was brief.
"I can't talk," Arum said.
Then I heard that familiar clicking sound.
My train then pulled out of New Haven bound for Manhattan. Is the boxing train pulling out of the station without Mayweather versus Pacquiao?
I don't think so or they never would've come back for Round 2 of mediation.
But what do I know?

Warning: All contents below are R rated, the letter standing for rumors as they are flying fast and furious from the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao mediation in Santa Monica.
INJURY: Doctors are not sure yet what the extent of the damage is but a persistent rumor has it that bombastic Bob Arum, his former promoter, had the nerve, the audacity, the utter gall to yell across the table at Golden Boy Oscar de la Hoya during Tuesday's session in front of former state judge Daniel Weinstein.
Word has it that, like a child throwing a temper tantrum, the 78-year-old head of Top Rank was ejected from the room and made to sit in a corner for a lengthy "time out." Other than a slightly bruised ego, Oscar appears to be fine according the guy who delivered the lunchtime sandwiches and coffee.
NO SUBSTITUTES: Both host MGM Grand and TV partner HBO are said to be turning a deaf ear -- no, make that two deaf ears -- to any chatter about Floyd fighting Paulie Malignaggi and Pacman fighting Yuri Foreman. Despite what I wrote this morning, I now am convinced that neither of the tune-ups, which could easily become tune outs, will happen before Floyd-Manny occurs (in May).
Arum has not talked to Foreman's crusty manager, Murray Wilson, in a few days and a source in the Philippines said that someone in Manny's inner orbit passed on word to the Foreman camp that he is not interested in fighting the rabbinical student due to a four or five inch heigh difference and Foreman's techbnical boxing style. Pacman is not looking to chase the WBA junior middleweight champ for a fight or during a fight.
Chasing Mayweather around the ring for $40 million makes more sense than chasing Foreman for 25 percent of that. So, despite Arum's barking, Pacman really has no viable foe for an interim bout.
If HBO chief Ross Greenburg has his way, with his powerful corporate checkbook, the next fight for Manny and Floyd is only against each other.
YESTERDAY I LIED, TODAY I AM TELLING THE TRUTH: Cutie pie Arum told me Tuesday night the opposing sides would not meet today (Wedneday). Guess what, he lied through his teetth as the camps are back in Weinstein's JAMS offices right now. Wedneday may be a make a deal or else situation and I say they make the deal, albeit for May rather than March.
MARCH OF TIME: Could they stick to March 13 with a 65 or so day window? At the box office, surely, because this will be an instant sellout and the ticket scalpers will go wild regarding the 18,000 or so seats at the MGM Grand Arena. March or May is likely a call that the MGM and HBO will make and that the promoters will bow to.
More to come as the rumor will works overtime...