There's a reason why Roger Mayweather is Floyd's trainer and no longer his father Floyd Mayweather Sr. Both may be big talkers and superb ring corner men but when it comes to making sense, Roger is ahead of whom Mayweather haters call "The Predator".
Before Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s match against Juan Manuel Marquez, Floyd's uncle and trainer Roger Mayweather told the The Grand Rapids Press,
"I want to see a fight between Pacquiao and Cotto more (than at that time, Floyd's upcoming fight against Marquez) because I want to see what he (Pacquiao) can do. I want to see what he can do with a guy that can punch, who's a good puncher." and added,
"Why would he take a fight of that nature? That don't really make sense. To me it don't make sense, but Bob Arum, he obviously knows what he's doing. I guess if he beat Cotto then he'd prove one more thing- we all was wrong. But I don't think he'd beat Cotto."
And by facing the biggest challenges like Cotto, Uncle Roger couldn't resist but pay tribute to Pacquiao's guts saying "he got balls".
Love him or hate him, Roger Mayweather is a sensible guy. And perhaps after seeing what he wanted to see, and by his own admission being proved wrong once again by Pacquiao, he has now restarted camp with his nephew against an undisclosed opponent though, rumored to be staged in England.
He also admitted in the interview that an immediate fight between Floyd and Pacquiao should be the first order of business if Pacquiao beats Cotto. I guess by taking another tune-up, Roger kept his word because truth is, Pacquiao didn't beat Cotto, he destroyed him. So if indeed Team Mayweather decides to do a tune-up before lacing it up against boxing's best, then it only makes sense to assume that deep down, Roger knows his nephew will be ready to fight Pacquiao... just not now. There's plenty of work that needs to be done. Otherwise, one is inclined to wonder why the sudden change of heart when he said Floyd should fight Pacquiao right away if he beats Cotto.
The fight will indeed happen. Money makes too much sense for both men. But if you ask me when, I won't count on it being earlier than July. But then again, miracles do happen and Boxrec already enlists a March fight for Pacquiao against an unnamed opponent. We'll see. It's simply a matter of Floyd stepping up to the place really.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Pacquiao stamps class as global celebrity
MANILA, Philippines - No other Filipino athlete has been able to transcend national barriers to become a world-wide celebrity with Manny Pacquiao reaffirming his legacy as one of the all-time greats in boxing by capturing seven titles in seven weight divisions, an unprecedented feat in the fight game.
Proof of Pacquiao’s legendary status is Nike’s continuing campaign to generate media mileage from his heroics in the ring. Pacquiao has been a Nike endorser since Sept. 2006 and is on his second contract with the Beaverton Company that is acknowledged as “the world’s largest designer, marketer and distributor of authentic athletic footwear, apparel and accessories for a wide variety of sports and fitness activities.”
Last year, Pacquiao appeared in a global Nike TV ad with superstars Kobe Bryant, Roger Federer, Maria Sharapova, Ronaldo and Liu Xiang. And last month, he was chosen to be a part of Nike’s “magnificent seven” cast pitching the AW77 hood sweatshirt. With Pacquiao in the elite lineup were Bryant, Sharapova, Rafael Nadal, LeBron James, Algerian hip-hop dancer Sofia Boutella and Brazilian football striker Alexandre Pato.
Pacquiao has also been featured in Nike shoots with Bryant, Sharapova and golfer Tiger Woods.
For a Filipino to be classified in the same category as Woods, Sharapova, Bryant, Federer, James and other high-profile Nike athletes is a tribute to Pacquiao’s ascendancy as a global sports hero.
In recognition of Pacquiao’s stature, Forbes Magazine recently listed the fighter among the world’s most influential athletes and ranked him No. 6 alongside James and golfer Phil Mickelson in gross earnings with $40 million. This year, Pacquiao was guaranteed $12 million for facing Ricky Hatton and $13 million for taking on Cotto. Additionally, he stood to earn at least $10 million more from his slice of the pay-per-view upside. The amount excluded his fees from endorsements, movies, concert appearances and other ancillary sources of income.
If Pacquiao battles Floyd Mayweather Jr. next year, he is expected to earn at least $40 million for what is tipped to be the highest pay-per-view grosser in history.
Pacquiao has been hailed as boxing’s savior in the betting industry. Los Angeles Times writer Lance Pugmire reported a few weeks ago that the economic downturn has reduced Las Vegas revenues from wagers by 10 percent since 2007 with Pacquiao making a major impact as a consistent draw.
“The Pacquiao-Cotto fight attracted lots of visitors,” wrote Pugmire. “And it was profitable for the sports books because they took a lot of proposition bets about when the fight would end. The over/under for the fight was 9.5 rounds; most bettors expected a shorter fight.”
The scuttlebutt was the odds on a 12th round knockout win by Pacquiao were 20-1, even higher than the 15-1 odds for a draw. That meant a $100 wager on Pacquiao scoring a 12th round knockout brought in $2,000 - not a bad payback.
Nike has made it a tradition to issue new Pacquiao T-shirts before every major fight and so far, the factory has produced over six limited edition versions, which are now highly sought-after as collectors’ items.
The latest T-shirt versions are destined to be best sellers - the Team Pacquiao eagle and the MP. They hit Nike stores before Pacquiao’s 12th round demolition of Miguel Cotto in Las Vegas last Nov. 14. Other Nike shirts display a jeepney under a “King of the Ring” tag and the slogan “Pacman Knows” with a caricature of the fighter’s popular Jack Russell terrier named Pacman.
In the Philippines, Nike said 20,000 new Pacquiao shirts were distributed - 9,000 of the eagle and 11,000 of the MP - just before the Cotto fight. Both shirts bore the Nike Pacquiao identity crest, an iconic symbol reflecting Nike’s “unwavering commitment towards supporting one of the greatest boxers of all time.”
Nike Philippines country marketing manager Mae Dicupha said, “We are very proud to support Manny in all his battles and feats - he embodies the good sportsmanship and athleticism that Nike athletes possess, we are committed to being a part of his battle - from his rigid training to the actual fight in the ring.”
The eagle shirt showcases a gold foil outline of the Philippine eagle head in the center front with a screenprint of an outlined eagle wing in the background. The MP shirt features the Nike swoosh on the front with the initials MP and a sun to the lower right, representing the Philippine flag. Both shirts are in different color schemes and retail for P1,095.
Aside from shirts, Nike has also produced three editions of Pacquiao trainer shoes. The first, called the Flywire Air Trainer 1, was issued before the Hatton fight last May and it came in red-and-gold. Then, to immortalize the win over Hatton, Nike released the “Lights Out” Air Trainer 1 edition last September. The shoe featured a glow-in-the-dark motif and cultural references, including a stylized sole showing a red boxing glove with the MP logo and swoosh.
The third Pacquiao shoe was brought out on the day of the Cotto bout. The MP Nike Trainer 1 Low was designed for versatility and retails for P5,995. A pair is in red-white-and-blue with a graphic inclusion of “Li’l Pacman” on the tongue top.
A huge Nike billboard was unveiled on top of the Montalban theatre in Hollywood last September with Pacquiao in a grey and teal blue sweatshirt endorsing the AW77 hood. He was later feted in a show called “Under The Hood” at the Nike theater with trainer Freddie Roach, assistant trainer Buboy Fernandez and conditioning coach Alex Ariza. The four were perched on high stools in the middle of the theater stage and answered questions from the packed audience to highlight the program. Pacquiao also sang a duet with singer Melissa R.
To cement his celebrity status more, Pacquiao was a guest on the TV show “Jimmy Kimmel Live” in Los Angeles - even before he set a new record by becoming the first fighter ever to win seven world titles in seven divisions.
Proof of Pacquiao’s legendary status is Nike’s continuing campaign to generate media mileage from his heroics in the ring. Pacquiao has been a Nike endorser since Sept. 2006 and is on his second contract with the Beaverton Company that is acknowledged as “the world’s largest designer, marketer and distributor of authentic athletic footwear, apparel and accessories for a wide variety of sports and fitness activities.”
Last year, Pacquiao appeared in a global Nike TV ad with superstars Kobe Bryant, Roger Federer, Maria Sharapova, Ronaldo and Liu Xiang. And last month, he was chosen to be a part of Nike’s “magnificent seven” cast pitching the AW77 hood sweatshirt. With Pacquiao in the elite lineup were Bryant, Sharapova, Rafael Nadal, LeBron James, Algerian hip-hop dancer Sofia Boutella and Brazilian football striker Alexandre Pato.
Pacquiao has also been featured in Nike shoots with Bryant, Sharapova and golfer Tiger Woods.
For a Filipino to be classified in the same category as Woods, Sharapova, Bryant, Federer, James and other high-profile Nike athletes is a tribute to Pacquiao’s ascendancy as a global sports hero.
In recognition of Pacquiao’s stature, Forbes Magazine recently listed the fighter among the world’s most influential athletes and ranked him No. 6 alongside James and golfer Phil Mickelson in gross earnings with $40 million. This year, Pacquiao was guaranteed $12 million for facing Ricky Hatton and $13 million for taking on Cotto. Additionally, he stood to earn at least $10 million more from his slice of the pay-per-view upside. The amount excluded his fees from endorsements, movies, concert appearances and other ancillary sources of income.
If Pacquiao battles Floyd Mayweather Jr. next year, he is expected to earn at least $40 million for what is tipped to be the highest pay-per-view grosser in history.
Pacquiao has been hailed as boxing’s savior in the betting industry. Los Angeles Times writer Lance Pugmire reported a few weeks ago that the economic downturn has reduced Las Vegas revenues from wagers by 10 percent since 2007 with Pacquiao making a major impact as a consistent draw.
“The Pacquiao-Cotto fight attracted lots of visitors,” wrote Pugmire. “And it was profitable for the sports books because they took a lot of proposition bets about when the fight would end. The over/under for the fight was 9.5 rounds; most bettors expected a shorter fight.”
The scuttlebutt was the odds on a 12th round knockout win by Pacquiao were 20-1, even higher than the 15-1 odds for a draw. That meant a $100 wager on Pacquiao scoring a 12th round knockout brought in $2,000 - not a bad payback.
Nike has made it a tradition to issue new Pacquiao T-shirts before every major fight and so far, the factory has produced over six limited edition versions, which are now highly sought-after as collectors’ items.
The latest T-shirt versions are destined to be best sellers - the Team Pacquiao eagle and the MP. They hit Nike stores before Pacquiao’s 12th round demolition of Miguel Cotto in Las Vegas last Nov. 14. Other Nike shirts display a jeepney under a “King of the Ring” tag and the slogan “Pacman Knows” with a caricature of the fighter’s popular Jack Russell terrier named Pacman.
In the Philippines, Nike said 20,000 new Pacquiao shirts were distributed - 9,000 of the eagle and 11,000 of the MP - just before the Cotto fight. Both shirts bore the Nike Pacquiao identity crest, an iconic symbol reflecting Nike’s “unwavering commitment towards supporting one of the greatest boxers of all time.”
Nike Philippines country marketing manager Mae Dicupha said, “We are very proud to support Manny in all his battles and feats - he embodies the good sportsmanship and athleticism that Nike athletes possess, we are committed to being a part of his battle - from his rigid training to the actual fight in the ring.”
The eagle shirt showcases a gold foil outline of the Philippine eagle head in the center front with a screenprint of an outlined eagle wing in the background. The MP shirt features the Nike swoosh on the front with the initials MP and a sun to the lower right, representing the Philippine flag. Both shirts are in different color schemes and retail for P1,095.
Aside from shirts, Nike has also produced three editions of Pacquiao trainer shoes. The first, called the Flywire Air Trainer 1, was issued before the Hatton fight last May and it came in red-and-gold. Then, to immortalize the win over Hatton, Nike released the “Lights Out” Air Trainer 1 edition last September. The shoe featured a glow-in-the-dark motif and cultural references, including a stylized sole showing a red boxing glove with the MP logo and swoosh.
The third Pacquiao shoe was brought out on the day of the Cotto bout. The MP Nike Trainer 1 Low was designed for versatility and retails for P5,995. A pair is in red-white-and-blue with a graphic inclusion of “Li’l Pacman” on the tongue top.
A huge Nike billboard was unveiled on top of the Montalban theatre in Hollywood last September with Pacquiao in a grey and teal blue sweatshirt endorsing the AW77 hood. He was later feted in a show called “Under The Hood” at the Nike theater with trainer Freddie Roach, assistant trainer Buboy Fernandez and conditioning coach Alex Ariza. The four were perched on high stools in the middle of the theater stage and answered questions from the packed audience to highlight the program. Pacquiao also sang a duet with singer Melissa R.
To cement his celebrity status more, Pacquiao was a guest on the TV show “Jimmy Kimmel Live” in Los Angeles - even before he set a new record by becoming the first fighter ever to win seven world titles in seven divisions.
Manny Pacquiao vs Floyd Mayweather: Odds are 80 million to 1 that the fight happens
News hit the media this weekend that negotiations for the Manny Pacquiao vs Floyd Mayweather fight have gone very well. Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum and Floyd Mayweather representative, Golden Boy's Richard Schaefer sat down together to try to iron out details for a Pacman-Money blockbuster.
Along with the purse for each fighter, the promoters have to find a venue for this megafight to take place. Word is that Dallas, Las Vegas and New York are the front runners.
New York would like the fight at the new Yankee Stadium. Experts believe the tax situation for that venue will keep New York from hosting the fight. Las Vegas would like to keep their name synonymous with big fights, but Dallas has the new Cowboys stadium and currently seems the best bet to get the event.
The real surprise is the lack of a surprise. That is that negotiations are going so well. The promoters think that the fight could have an $80 million purse attached to it. It would be hard to imagine either fighter turning down $40 million dollars.
The negotiations probably went this smoothly, Richard, "we're all going to be rich". Arum probably responded,"you mean we're going to be richer, see you on the press tour".
There is no way that this fight will not get done when you are talking about that kind of payday. It would seem that the only thing left up in the air would be the date. With Manny coming off of his big win against Miguel Cotto and Mayweather having beat Juan Manuel Marquez in September, it would appear a May date would be likely.
I have talked to people that don't follow boxing that have said that this is a fight they will buy. So will all the casual fans make this fight see $90 million or even, $100 million? The possibility would seem to be there for that to happen.
$80 million dollars. Man, I am in the wrong bussiness.
Along with the purse for each fighter, the promoters have to find a venue for this megafight to take place. Word is that Dallas, Las Vegas and New York are the front runners.
New York would like the fight at the new Yankee Stadium. Experts believe the tax situation for that venue will keep New York from hosting the fight. Las Vegas would like to keep their name synonymous with big fights, but Dallas has the new Cowboys stadium and currently seems the best bet to get the event.
The real surprise is the lack of a surprise. That is that negotiations are going so well. The promoters think that the fight could have an $80 million purse attached to it. It would be hard to imagine either fighter turning down $40 million dollars.
The negotiations probably went this smoothly, Richard, "we're all going to be rich". Arum probably responded,"you mean we're going to be richer, see you on the press tour".
There is no way that this fight will not get done when you are talking about that kind of payday. It would seem that the only thing left up in the air would be the date. With Manny coming off of his big win against Miguel Cotto and Mayweather having beat Juan Manuel Marquez in September, it would appear a May date would be likely.
I have talked to people that don't follow boxing that have said that this is a fight they will buy. So will all the casual fans make this fight see $90 million or even, $100 million? The possibility would seem to be there for that to happen.
$80 million dollars. Man, I am in the wrong bussiness.
Do other fights need to happen before Mayweather vs. Pacquiao?
Fans are clamoring for Mayweather vs. Pacquiao to be announced and confirmed, but seemingly neither fighter is in a position to make the fight happen any time soon. This isn't to say that the fight wont happen at all, but it might be in the later part of 2010 rather than the Spring.
According to numerous rumors Mayweather is looking to fight again before the mega fight goes down. Perhaps out of wanting to stay fresh and perhaps simply to make a few extra million in the meantime.
The original date for Mayweather vs. Pacquiao was rumored to be May, although this date is now in doubt due to the fact that the Filipino elections being held on May 10th. It seems likely that Pacquiao, if he hopes to get elected and further his political aspirations, will need at least a few weeks around this time free to concentrate on campaigning rather than training. Of course training for the biggest fight of his career while being distracted by other things is a bad idea for any boxer, let alone one about to face someone as tricky as Floyd Mayweather.
The potential obstacles to the fight being made soon
(AP Photo)Manny's political timetable will seemingly put the fight off by at least a couple of months. Depending on whether he is elected or not, this could actually be either a lot longer or shorter. At the very least Pacquiao will need some time for campaigning without training every day, which obviously isn't possible if he has a fight scheduled. By the looks of things, the soonest Pacquiao could fight next would be late summer unless he decides to fight before the election, although this is doubtful.
(AP Photo)Floyd Mayweather is rumored to have another fight in the works for January. The front runners for his as yet to be named opponent include Ricky Hatton, Matthew Hatton and Shane Mosley, although nothing has been confirmed yet. There are also two other interested parties to the outcome of this one, Juan Manual Marquez and Amir Khan, who are both looking for fights with one of the involved parties. The upside of this would be that Mosley at least would probably give Mayweather a title to take to the fight with Pacquiao, unifying the major Welterweight titles.
Taking another fight before Manny would let Mayweather stay fresh and keep him from being too ring rusty. Although he hasn't shown it in the past, what with the elections this will probably be a long lay off for Pacquiao, which could well affect him come fight time. There are other options for Pacquiao at the same time however, Yuri Foreman has been mentioned as a possible opponent for Manny to knock over and get yet another title in a new weight class. Foreman is seen as the weakest of the Super welterweight champions though, and Manny would probably drop back down after beating him.
Given that Mayweather is seemingly planning to take a different fight before the Pacquiao fight in secret, many people have asserted that he is only talking to Top Rank to keep his name in the media while he sets up another fight and doesn't have any intention of taking on Manny. While I don't think this is necessarily true given that he would still have a good chance of winning not to mention the money he could make, this video is an interesting look at the nature of Boxing in general. It focuses on Mayweather, but in all likelihood could have been made for any fighter.
According to numerous rumors Mayweather is looking to fight again before the mega fight goes down. Perhaps out of wanting to stay fresh and perhaps simply to make a few extra million in the meantime.
The original date for Mayweather vs. Pacquiao was rumored to be May, although this date is now in doubt due to the fact that the Filipino elections being held on May 10th. It seems likely that Pacquiao, if he hopes to get elected and further his political aspirations, will need at least a few weeks around this time free to concentrate on campaigning rather than training. Of course training for the biggest fight of his career while being distracted by other things is a bad idea for any boxer, let alone one about to face someone as tricky as Floyd Mayweather.
The potential obstacles to the fight being made soon
(AP Photo)Manny's political timetable will seemingly put the fight off by at least a couple of months. Depending on whether he is elected or not, this could actually be either a lot longer or shorter. At the very least Pacquiao will need some time for campaigning without training every day, which obviously isn't possible if he has a fight scheduled. By the looks of things, the soonest Pacquiao could fight next would be late summer unless he decides to fight before the election, although this is doubtful.
(AP Photo)Floyd Mayweather is rumored to have another fight in the works for January. The front runners for his as yet to be named opponent include Ricky Hatton, Matthew Hatton and Shane Mosley, although nothing has been confirmed yet. There are also two other interested parties to the outcome of this one, Juan Manual Marquez and Amir Khan, who are both looking for fights with one of the involved parties. The upside of this would be that Mosley at least would probably give Mayweather a title to take to the fight with Pacquiao, unifying the major Welterweight titles.
Taking another fight before Manny would let Mayweather stay fresh and keep him from being too ring rusty. Although he hasn't shown it in the past, what with the elections this will probably be a long lay off for Pacquiao, which could well affect him come fight time. There are other options for Pacquiao at the same time however, Yuri Foreman has been mentioned as a possible opponent for Manny to knock over and get yet another title in a new weight class. Foreman is seen as the weakest of the Super welterweight champions though, and Manny would probably drop back down after beating him.
Given that Mayweather is seemingly planning to take a different fight before the Pacquiao fight in secret, many people have asserted that he is only talking to Top Rank to keep his name in the media while he sets up another fight and doesn't have any intention of taking on Manny. While I don't think this is necessarily true given that he would still have a good chance of winning not to mention the money he could make, this video is an interesting look at the nature of Boxing in general. It focuses on Mayweather, but in all likelihood could have been made for any fighter.
Opinion: Two Ways to Sell the Pacquiao-Mayweather Boxing Fight
The upcoming Pacquiao-Mayweather match is being promoted by via two contrasting ways in order to generate awareness and hype in what appears to be next year's biggest boxing event.
The promoters of the proposed Mayweather-Pacquiao boxing fight must have already agreed at this time to stage the highly anticipated fight between Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao and undefeated American boxer Floyd Mayweather in the early part of next year.
But on purpose, they have opted to hold on to the announcement in order to create hype for for the upcoming fight and subsequently gain publicity mileage. At the same time, the promoters started talking about fight purse, venue, weight limits and other minor issues related to the staging of the fight.
This is normal in any event promotions and publicity drives. Students of marketing will find out that all these publicity are necessary to promote a product so that consumers will be enticed to buy. In this case, they are selling a product or a brand known for instance as 'PacWeather' , a shortcut for Pacquiao-Mayweather. This is Marketing 101 and its a normal way to sell.
However, the proposed Pacquiao-Mayweather boxing match is being sold to boxing fans by means of two contrasting ways. W ether the promoters or the handlers are part of these contrasting efforts, boxing fans may either resent or appreciate the way the two camps present their product for the boxing fans to take.
The Mayweather camp opted to promote the fight via 'trash talk'. Even before the celebrated Pacquiao-Cotto match, Floyd Mayweather, Sr. thinks that Pacquiao was on enhancement drugs or steroids when he faced his opponents.
Here are some of the 'trash talks' that the elder Mayweather said:
"In my honest opinion, I believe that he's on some type of supplements," Floyd Sr. told Michigan's Grand Rapids Press. "I think they're pushing Pacquiao too much -- even if he's got [ste]'roids in his body."
"I don't think that he can beat Little Floyd with steroids in him or not. He don't have that kind of talent or that kind of skill -- whatever he has in him," said Floyd Sr., whose boxer Ricky Hatton was knocked out by Pacquiao in just two rounds.
“I felt that he was on steroids or some type of supplements or some type of enhancement drugs… believe me when I tell you, he's going to get caught,” said the controversial boxing trainer.
All these trash talks were proven to be just that - - 'trash talks' by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC).
“All I can tell you is that Pacquiao, every time he's fought here [in Nevada, has] been tested, as well as his opponents,” said NSAC executive director Keith Kaiser.
“He passed every drug test we did to him, every steroid test we did to him,” he added to counter allegations made by Mayweather Sr. that Pacquiao was into performance enhancement drugs.
The Pacquiao camp opted for a 'no trash talk' to promote the fight as he did during his last fights. The Pacquiao-Cotto fight held in Las Vegas last November 14 was considered a 'model match' by boxing fans for its 'civilized' way of promoting the fight.
Both boxers did not attack each others weaknesses or personal qualities and instead talked highly of each others strengths and good qualities as responsible boxers. Boxing fans certainly love the way the fight was promoted.
The Pacquiao-Cotto match generated more than 1 million pay-per-view buys and was considered the best and biggest fight of the year.
The promoters of the proposed Mayweather-Pacquiao boxing fight must have already agreed at this time to stage the highly anticipated fight between Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao and undefeated American boxer Floyd Mayweather in the early part of next year.
But on purpose, they have opted to hold on to the announcement in order to create hype for for the upcoming fight and subsequently gain publicity mileage. At the same time, the promoters started talking about fight purse, venue, weight limits and other minor issues related to the staging of the fight.
This is normal in any event promotions and publicity drives. Students of marketing will find out that all these publicity are necessary to promote a product so that consumers will be enticed to buy. In this case, they are selling a product or a brand known for instance as 'PacWeather' , a shortcut for Pacquiao-Mayweather. This is Marketing 101 and its a normal way to sell.
However, the proposed Pacquiao-Mayweather boxing match is being sold to boxing fans by means of two contrasting ways. W ether the promoters or the handlers are part of these contrasting efforts, boxing fans may either resent or appreciate the way the two camps present their product for the boxing fans to take.
The Mayweather camp opted to promote the fight via 'trash talk'. Even before the celebrated Pacquiao-Cotto match, Floyd Mayweather, Sr. thinks that Pacquiao was on enhancement drugs or steroids when he faced his opponents.
Here are some of the 'trash talks' that the elder Mayweather said:
"In my honest opinion, I believe that he's on some type of supplements," Floyd Sr. told Michigan's Grand Rapids Press. "I think they're pushing Pacquiao too much -- even if he's got [ste]'roids in his body."
"I don't think that he can beat Little Floyd with steroids in him or not. He don't have that kind of talent or that kind of skill -- whatever he has in him," said Floyd Sr., whose boxer Ricky Hatton was knocked out by Pacquiao in just two rounds.
“I felt that he was on steroids or some type of supplements or some type of enhancement drugs… believe me when I tell you, he's going to get caught,” said the controversial boxing trainer.
All these trash talks were proven to be just that - - 'trash talks' by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC).
“All I can tell you is that Pacquiao, every time he's fought here [in Nevada, has] been tested, as well as his opponents,” said NSAC executive director Keith Kaiser.
“He passed every drug test we did to him, every steroid test we did to him,” he added to counter allegations made by Mayweather Sr. that Pacquiao was into performance enhancement drugs.
The Pacquiao camp opted for a 'no trash talk' to promote the fight as he did during his last fights. The Pacquiao-Cotto fight held in Las Vegas last November 14 was considered a 'model match' by boxing fans for its 'civilized' way of promoting the fight.
Both boxers did not attack each others weaknesses or personal qualities and instead talked highly of each others strengths and good qualities as responsible boxers. Boxing fans certainly love the way the fight was promoted.
The Pacquiao-Cotto match generated more than 1 million pay-per-view buys and was considered the best and biggest fight of the year.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Las Vegas Needs Pacquiao and Mayweather to Keep Economy Alive
Las Vegas is reeling from the global economic downturn and is struggling to keep its local economy afloat. The upcoming Pacquiao-Mayweather match could keep the local economy alive as Las Vegas tries to keep next year's mega fight on the strip
Las Vegas has been hit harder by recession than most places in the west coast with a high unemployment rate of around 13 percent.
The popular gambling and entertainment city with around 150,000 hotel rooms is very much dependent on conventions and business conferences on top of its main attraction as the gambling city of the world. Most casinos are experiencing low patronage while hotels are half empty with dwindling occupancy rates.
With a sagging local economy, Las Vegas needs a major sports or entertainment event that will bring in people from across the globe to fill the empty rooms and halls of the hotels and casinos.
One of the major sports and entertainment events that is sure to bring tourists and visitors to Las Vegas is the upcoming boxing fight between Filipino boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao and America's undefeated professional boxer, Flod Mayweather, Jr.
Las Vegas business leaders must have realized the importance of keeping the fights of Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas. The popular Filipino boxer has brought in thousands of people across the globe to watch his fights in the entertainment and gambling city whose survival depends on the number of visitors who spends money on hotel accommodations, food, entertainment, among other things.
The Filipino boxing superstar has fought nine of his 12 fights in Las Vegas and every time he fights, the venue is filled to the rim by boxing fans coming from different parts of the world.
This realities must have driven some Las Vegas businessmen to capitalize on the popularity of the Filipino boxer. Keevin lole of Yahoo Sports reported that Sig Rogich, a powerful political consultant in Las Vegas is leading a group that is exploring the possibility of erecting a 30,000-seat outdoor stadium on a Las Vegas Boulevard site once occupied by the New Frontier Hotel.
Rogich, who worked in the George H.W. Bush administration, said Las Vegas officials are discussing a plan with El-Ad Properties, which purchased the New Frontier Hotel and the 36 acres of Strip-front property it sits on for $1.2 billion from Phil Ruffin in 2007, to have the site serve as the location for the lucrative fight. The plan would be to have the fight sponsored by the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority, with a consortium of Las Vegas casinos contributing money toward the cost, the report added.
Being a tourist destination, Las Vegas is suffering from low visitor arrival. Airline companies have made adjustments on their flight schedules to Las Vegas. US Airways has in fact announced last month that it was cutting its arrivals by half.
Casinos are losing. Sands, one of the oldest in Las Vegas lost $123 million for the quarter ending September 30 while MGM Mirage recorded a net loss of $750 million and Harrah's had more than $1 billion in accumulated loses.
In September, for the first time since May 2008, the number of visitors to Las Vegas went up year over year — 4.3 percent. But the average daily room rate was down nearly 25 percent, to just over $92 a night. Gambling revenue was down 3.6 percent, the 21st straight monthly decline, according to figures released last week by the city's convention authority, monterryherald.com reports
With the negative outlook on the economy of Las Vegas, a Pacquiao-Mayweather match may just be what the sin city needs to jump start its local economy.
Las Vegas has been hit harder by recession than most places in the west coast with a high unemployment rate of around 13 percent.
The popular gambling and entertainment city with around 150,000 hotel rooms is very much dependent on conventions and business conferences on top of its main attraction as the gambling city of the world. Most casinos are experiencing low patronage while hotels are half empty with dwindling occupancy rates.
With a sagging local economy, Las Vegas needs a major sports or entertainment event that will bring in people from across the globe to fill the empty rooms and halls of the hotels and casinos.
One of the major sports and entertainment events that is sure to bring tourists and visitors to Las Vegas is the upcoming boxing fight between Filipino boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao and America's undefeated professional boxer, Flod Mayweather, Jr.
Las Vegas business leaders must have realized the importance of keeping the fights of Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas. The popular Filipino boxer has brought in thousands of people across the globe to watch his fights in the entertainment and gambling city whose survival depends on the number of visitors who spends money on hotel accommodations, food, entertainment, among other things.
The Filipino boxing superstar has fought nine of his 12 fights in Las Vegas and every time he fights, the venue is filled to the rim by boxing fans coming from different parts of the world.
This realities must have driven some Las Vegas businessmen to capitalize on the popularity of the Filipino boxer. Keevin lole of Yahoo Sports reported that Sig Rogich, a powerful political consultant in Las Vegas is leading a group that is exploring the possibility of erecting a 30,000-seat outdoor stadium on a Las Vegas Boulevard site once occupied by the New Frontier Hotel.
Rogich, who worked in the George H.W. Bush administration, said Las Vegas officials are discussing a plan with El-Ad Properties, which purchased the New Frontier Hotel and the 36 acres of Strip-front property it sits on for $1.2 billion from Phil Ruffin in 2007, to have the site serve as the location for the lucrative fight. The plan would be to have the fight sponsored by the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority, with a consortium of Las Vegas casinos contributing money toward the cost, the report added.
Being a tourist destination, Las Vegas is suffering from low visitor arrival. Airline companies have made adjustments on their flight schedules to Las Vegas. US Airways has in fact announced last month that it was cutting its arrivals by half.
Casinos are losing. Sands, one of the oldest in Las Vegas lost $123 million for the quarter ending September 30 while MGM Mirage recorded a net loss of $750 million and Harrah's had more than $1 billion in accumulated loses.
In September, for the first time since May 2008, the number of visitors to Las Vegas went up year over year — 4.3 percent. But the average daily room rate was down nearly 25 percent, to just over $92 a night. Gambling revenue was down 3.6 percent, the 21st straight monthly decline, according to figures released last week by the city's convention authority, monterryherald.com reports
With the negative outlook on the economy of Las Vegas, a Pacquiao-Mayweather match may just be what the sin city needs to jump start its local economy.
Inside Boxing: Suddenly, it's 'Money' who needs the big fight
Floyd "Money" Mayweather really has no choice now.
Prior to the Miguel Cotto-Manny Pacquiao fight, there was considerable doubt a Pacquiao-Mayweather showdown would ever happen. The modest Pacman felt, and still feels, no urgency to fight Mayweather simply because being No. 1 is not important to him. That would have allowed Mayweather the luxury of continuing his claim to the mythical pound-for-pound title without risking a loss to Pacquiao.
After all, did not Mayweather convincingly beat Juan Manuel Marquez, who had fought two wars with Pacquiao that could have gone either way? Plus there was still some doubt that Pacquiao could get past Cotto, a very good fighter who had already beaten some very good welterweights, including Shane Mosley.
But in the wake of Pacquiao's total annihilation of Cotto, it is a whole new ballgame. Ask 100 fight fans today who is the best pound-for-pound fighter and you'll get at least 99 votes for the Pacman.
Pacquiao didn't just pass the Cotto test, he knocked it (and Cotto) out of the ballpark. It started out as a competitive fight, but that lasted less then four rounds. Just when it looked like Cotto was coming on in the fourth, he was knocked down a second time by Pacquiao. The impact of that knockdown (after Cotto had landed his best shots without so much as a blink from Pacquiao) was written all over Cotto's face as he staggered to his feet, dazed and confused. This wasn't supposed to happen.
It was a mismatch from there on. His will broken, his confidence shattered, Cotto valiantly fought on but took a brutal beating before referee Kenny Bayless mercifully stopped the slaughter in the 12th.
The debate now is not about who is the best fighter on the planet, it's about where the Pacquiao stands among the all-time greats. He is being mentioned in the same breath as names like Armstrong, Robinson, Ali, Leonard ... that's not to say he's as good as those ring legends, but he's in that group.
Pacquiao insists he doesn't want to be compared with the great fighters of the past.
"I'm just doing my job, to give a good fight," he said. "My goal is to give happiness to all those who watch me."
"I'll compare him to those guys," said his trainer, Freddie Roach. "He is as good as any of them. He's the greatest fighter of his generation, that's for sure."
HBO commentator Larry Merchant probably summed it up best: "We knew going into the (Cotto) fight that Pacquiao was a great fighter, but he has exceeded our expectations yet again."
Like most great fighters, Pacquiao brings a unique style to the ring. He doesn't have the silky smoothness of a Robinson or Ali, who seemed to glide about the ring, their feet barely touching the canvas.
Pacquiao doesn't glide. He is perpetual motion, bouncing on the balls of his feet to a rhythm only he hears. Look at his legs and they seem almost out of proportion with the rest of his body. They are sturdy and muscular, not the spindly legs of so many small fighters. The footwork is important because it enables him to punch with power from seemingly impossible angles.
"I didn't know where the punches were coming from," said Cotto.
The punches come in incredibly swift combinations before he bounces out again to gauge the damage. The attacks are relentless, but measured, calculated, precise. He landed 43 percent of his punches overall against Cotto and 49 percent of his power shots, an extraordinarily high percentage.
Before the Cotto fight, Mayweather could still have made unrealistic demands on a Pacquiao-Mayweather megafight. He could have bided his time, waited for Pacquiao to retire or get lazy. The fight would have been on his terms. But that's all changed now.
Pacquiao is king and he doesn't need to fight Mayweather to prove it ... Mayweather now needs Pacquiao. A victory over the little Filipino is the only way Mayweather can regain the No. 1 spot and secure his niche in history among the all-time greats. And that's more important to Mayweather than it is for Pacquiao.
And that's why there will be a Pacquiao-Mayweather showdown, probably in May or June, what could be the richest single event in the history of sports.
Truly a fight for the ages.
Prior to the Miguel Cotto-Manny Pacquiao fight, there was considerable doubt a Pacquiao-Mayweather showdown would ever happen. The modest Pacman felt, and still feels, no urgency to fight Mayweather simply because being No. 1 is not important to him. That would have allowed Mayweather the luxury of continuing his claim to the mythical pound-for-pound title without risking a loss to Pacquiao.
After all, did not Mayweather convincingly beat Juan Manuel Marquez, who had fought two wars with Pacquiao that could have gone either way? Plus there was still some doubt that Pacquiao could get past Cotto, a very good fighter who had already beaten some very good welterweights, including Shane Mosley.
But in the wake of Pacquiao's total annihilation of Cotto, it is a whole new ballgame. Ask 100 fight fans today who is the best pound-for-pound fighter and you'll get at least 99 votes for the Pacman.
Pacquiao didn't just pass the Cotto test, he knocked it (and Cotto) out of the ballpark. It started out as a competitive fight, but that lasted less then four rounds. Just when it looked like Cotto was coming on in the fourth, he was knocked down a second time by Pacquiao. The impact of that knockdown (after Cotto had landed his best shots without so much as a blink from Pacquiao) was written all over Cotto's face as he staggered to his feet, dazed and confused. This wasn't supposed to happen.
It was a mismatch from there on. His will broken, his confidence shattered, Cotto valiantly fought on but took a brutal beating before referee Kenny Bayless mercifully stopped the slaughter in the 12th.
The debate now is not about who is the best fighter on the planet, it's about where the Pacquiao stands among the all-time greats. He is being mentioned in the same breath as names like Armstrong, Robinson, Ali, Leonard ... that's not to say he's as good as those ring legends, but he's in that group.
Pacquiao insists he doesn't want to be compared with the great fighters of the past.
"I'm just doing my job, to give a good fight," he said. "My goal is to give happiness to all those who watch me."
"I'll compare him to those guys," said his trainer, Freddie Roach. "He is as good as any of them. He's the greatest fighter of his generation, that's for sure."
HBO commentator Larry Merchant probably summed it up best: "We knew going into the (Cotto) fight that Pacquiao was a great fighter, but he has exceeded our expectations yet again."
Like most great fighters, Pacquiao brings a unique style to the ring. He doesn't have the silky smoothness of a Robinson or Ali, who seemed to glide about the ring, their feet barely touching the canvas.
Pacquiao doesn't glide. He is perpetual motion, bouncing on the balls of his feet to a rhythm only he hears. Look at his legs and they seem almost out of proportion with the rest of his body. They are sturdy and muscular, not the spindly legs of so many small fighters. The footwork is important because it enables him to punch with power from seemingly impossible angles.
"I didn't know where the punches were coming from," said Cotto.
The punches come in incredibly swift combinations before he bounces out again to gauge the damage. The attacks are relentless, but measured, calculated, precise. He landed 43 percent of his punches overall against Cotto and 49 percent of his power shots, an extraordinarily high percentage.
Before the Cotto fight, Mayweather could still have made unrealistic demands on a Pacquiao-Mayweather megafight. He could have bided his time, waited for Pacquiao to retire or get lazy. The fight would have been on his terms. But that's all changed now.
Pacquiao is king and he doesn't need to fight Mayweather to prove it ... Mayweather now needs Pacquiao. A victory over the little Filipino is the only way Mayweather can regain the No. 1 spot and secure his niche in history among the all-time greats. And that's more important to Mayweather than it is for Pacquiao.
And that's why there will be a Pacquiao-Mayweather showdown, probably in May or June, what could be the richest single event in the history of sports.
Truly a fight for the ages.
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