Canceled!: Boxing's Lost Summer of 2009

While commenting on another post, it just moments ago really dawned on me how unexciting much of boxing's summer schedule has become. The recent rash of cancellations and postponements has turned what looked pretty decent into something that now feels empty, like months of wasted time in a sport that needs big fights.

I'm not trying to demean the fights we're going to get (for now, anyway), but when you look at June 22 through the end of August and the biggest thing there is a 140-pound title unification between Timothy Bradley and Nate Campbell, that's trouble. If you count June, July and August as "the summer months" for the sport, we're going to wind up having passed a quarter of the year where the biggest fight was Miguel Cotto's rumble with Joshua Clottey on June 13.

The Klitschko-Haye debacle of June 20 was big, as it took a fight that people all over the world were interested in seeing and replaced it with YAKC (Yet Another Klitschko Cakewalk). Kelly Pavlik's return -- though a "light" fight against Sergio Mora -- was turned into an uninteresting Juan Manuel Lopez fight against an unknown challenger on June 27. Even the June 20 rematch between Chris John and Rocky Juarez factors in.

The biggie, of course, is the postponement of Mayweather-Marquez, likely being rescheduled for September, when it's also expected that Pavlik will fight again.

There are good fights that will happen. Bradley-Campbell is good. Joseph Agbeko-Vic Darchinyan (July 11) is good. Juan Diaz-Paulie Malignaggi (August 22) is decent. I like the Nonito Donaire-Hugo Cazares fight on August 15, but that's pay-per-view, too.

Cotto and Manny Pacquiao will get it on in November, and the fall block looks loaded right now. With that, the rescheduled Mayweather-Marquez fight and the Pavlik return likely in September, a highly-anticipated rematch between Chad Dawson and Glen Johnson, and maybe a ring return from Ricky Hatton and hopefully something out of Shane Mosley, boxing can really kick the fires from September through November. I think there's even an outside shot that Cotto-Pacquiao will top Hatton-Pacquiao as the event of the year.

And the thing is, there's really no one to blame. Promoters set up fights, and the fights now aren't happening. But saying the stars aren't aligning for boxing this summer is a huge understatement. It's downright bleak.

Source: http://www.badlefthook.com/2009/6/22/921344/canceled-boxings-lost-summer-of

Hey , Floyd draw!....oh right , you can't

What do you get when you put Floyd Mayweather in a fight with another counterpuncher? A fight that seems to have trouble drawing flies. Maybe that's a little harsh , but the reality is that two counterpunchers , no matter how skilled , is not going to be a fight of the year candidate.

PBF (Pretty Boring Floyd ) has got to have one friend that he can buy that will be honest enough to tell Floyd , "Dude , most of the people buying tickets want to see you get knocked out!" But in Floyd's world he is the draw. He recently said that he was coming back because " I missed boxing and boxing missed me." Well that is half right anyway. I'm sure something you have done your whole life and have , I'll admit it begrudgingly , been good at must be a little like being homesick.

Your pound for pound crown has been bestowed on that Filipino cyclone named Pacquiao. And Manny has more than ably worn that crown with great pride and to us boxing fans he has worn it with excitement. Something that seemed to be missing during your reign.

So does Floyd come out of retirement and honestly go after Pacquiao. No. Mayweather and Marquez see a win in their fight as a ticket to the Pacman bowl. Only trouble is that Manny doesn't want a third fight with Marquez and Floyd evidently believes that he is the boxer everyone wants to see. Hey Floyd! Wake up and welcome to reality. Making it rain money on 24/7 only makes you look like a spoiled little kid , last I looked I didn't see too many adults running up to kids like that to say how precious they were. On your De La Hoya 24/7 you were quoted as saying that you were going to kill the m_____ f_____. I think the boxing law states that you have to be an offensive minded fighter to say those words. Your fight was more like a game of tag. And truth be known DeLa Hoya won every round that he used his jab. The same jab that Freddie Roach implored Oscar to use the whole fight.

You are a defensive genius and your wins over Gatti and Corrales were masterpieces. But your fights at welterweights are the equivalent of a sleep aid. People walked out on your fight with Baldomir. And now you wait for the people to greet you with open arms. Wide open yawns are more likely. Look at your recent history. De La Hoya was the draw. Hatton. Ricky was the draw.

You need a dance partner that hates to dance. Cotto , Clottey or better yet , Shane Mosley. I know alot of boxing fans and the report of you coming back was greeted with a....well, nothing. Nobody really seemed to care. Reports that your fight with Marquez was a hard sell should tell you something. Stop acting like you are the man. You've been replaced , but you want your old job back. It is like me telling my old boss , "I will do half the work , make people hate me and I want you to pay me twice as much as my coworkers." And I'm so out of touch that I honestly believe what I ask for. Sorry Floyd , it just ain't happening. Fight fans are smarter than that. Maybe its time to join us in the real world.

Source: http://www.examiner.com/x-8557-Norfolk-Boxing-Examiner~y2009m6d16-Hey---Floyd-drawoh-right--you-cant

If Mayweather Is Smart, He'll Fight Pacquiao NOW

This past Saturday two big events unfolded that will more than likely affect the boxing landscape in the junior welterweight and welterweight divisions for the remainder of 2009. The first being the Floyd Mayweather versus Juan Manuel Marquez bout to be fought at a catch-weight limit of 144 was postponed due to Mayweather suffering a rib injury during training last week. A few hours after the press release for that went out, Miguel Cotto scored a 12-round split decision victory over Joshua Clottey to retain his WBO welterweight.

Ever since Mayweather announced he was coming out of retirement 16 months after his last fight, a fews hours before Manny Pacquiao stopped Ricky Hatton in the second round to capture the IBO junior welterweight title, it's been widely accepted that a Pacquiao 49-3-2 (37 KOs) vs. Mayweather 39-0 (25 KOs) bout is the biggest fight in boxing. All Mayweather had to do was get past Marquez on July 18th. Assuming Mayweather got past Marquez all that would've remained to make the fight a reality were the fighters agreeing on the purse splits each would net from the fight. That no doubt would've been tougher than the fight they'd most likely deliver.

With both fighters being hell bent on a 60/40 split in their favor, it was hard to see either one conceding since both whole heartedly believe they're entitled to the bigger piece of the pie. And it's easy to see why they felt that way with Mayweather being undefeated and thought to have been the best pound-for-pound fighter in boxing when he retired, a title Pacquiao has earned since Mayweather's contrived retirement. Not only has Pacquiao succeeded Mayweather as the top fighter in boxing at the moment, he's also the biggest draw in the sport, a claim that Floyd has never been able to support. Regardless whether someone is a Mayweather fan or so-called hater, that's the truth.

All one needs to do is ask themself what's a bigger fight -- Pacquiao vs. Cotto/Mosley/ Margarito or Mayweather vs. Cotto/Mosley/Margarito? The inescapable answer is it's Pacquiao who can deliver bigger PPV dollars fighting anyone of the other three, not Mayweather. And the reason for that is Pacquiao's fights are always exciting and action packed. Whereas Mayweather is more of a technician who takes the bullets out of his opponents’ guns instead of engaging them in a shoot out. Boxing fans enjoy seeing skilled fighters who are explosive more than they do skilled craftsmen. That's not Mayweather's fault it's just the way it is.

The truth is Pacquiao holds all the cards regarding the purse split. Add to that Miguel Cotto is now the leader in the fight Manny Pacquiao sweepstakes coupled with Mayweather's fight with Marquez not even rescheduled yet -- Floyd is beginning to lose bargaining chips that he never really held. Which I'm sure hasn't gone unnoticed by Pacquiao and his promoter Bob Arum. That's why we'll probably start to see the hype for Pacquiao-Cotto begin to escalate, with the intent being to bring Mayweather to his senses and agree to a 60/40 or possibly a 57/43 purse split.

With Arum controlling the money it's hard to fathom that he really wants Pacquiao tying up with Cotto or Mosley, at least before he fights Mayweather, for one obvious reason. That being there's too much guaranteed money to chance. Physically, Pacquiao is in much deeper water fighting Cotto or Mosley than he is Mayweather. That’s something that the avid Pacquiao faction might dispute, but then they'd probably see him as the favorite over anyone up to junior middleweight with the exception of Paul Williams.

That said, Cotto and Mosley have a much better chance of beating up and embarrassing Pacquiao than Mayweather does. In a fight with Cotto and especially Mosley, it's not a given that Manny's power would overwhelm them. And if he can't hold them off there's a real chance they could work him over pretty good, assuming they're not dead at the weight. However, if Pacquiao fights Mayweather it's doubtful he'll get stopped or take a beating. The more likely scenario is Mayweather will move away and look to box and counter Pacquiao as he presses forward. And there's no doubt about the fact that if the fight happens, Manny will have to go to Floyd because that's how he fights every opponent.

Mayweather should take a page out of Sugar Ray Leonard's playbook when he fought Marvin Hagler. And that's fight Pacquiao with no tune up fight like Leonard, who was coming off a much longer layoff than Floyd is, when he fought Hagler. Not only does it give him a convenient excuse if he loses, as it would've Leonard, but if he wins it makes it that much more satisfying and special.

Another reason why Mayweather should go straight to Pacquiao is -- what does he do if Pacquiao ends up fighting and beating Cotto? Not only does it take Cotto off the table for a future fight, but it gives Pacquiao even more bargaining power. Think about it. If Mayweather beats Marquez in September or October, if they even fight, and Pacquiao beats Cotto in November, not only does Mayweather have one less opponent to make a big fight with, but he loses even more power to negotiate for a purse split.

Then again maybe he could fight Shane Mosley, as he mentioned to Brian Kenny during their back-and-forth last month, who has five losses? Sure, that makes sense. Now fight Mosley when the risk/reward factor has never been more out of balance! No, I don't think so. If there's one thing Floyd Mayweather has shown beyond a doubt during his terrific career, it's that he's just too smart to take a fight with so much to lose and little to gain against such a formidable and dangerous opponent.

When all is said and done there's just no getting around it that Pacquiao-Mayweather should happen this coming November. The only way for that to happen is for Mayweather to come back to reality and try to raise Arum/Pacquiao as much as he can to increase his percentage above the 60/40 split they offered, something that can probably be achieved because Arum and Pacquiao would rather walk away with 57% of Manny's biggest payday instead of holding out for 60% and risk the fight never being realized due to unforeseen events. It's boxing and Arum has been involved in it since Cassius Clay arrived on the scene. So he knows there's no guarantee that Pacquiao beats Cotto or that maybe Mayweather's body doesn't betray him in a future fight.

As far as Mayweather there's no other viable option. Since his pro debut Floyd's career has been brilliantly managed. That said he's never been a box office draw. In the three high profile fights of his career he was at the short end of the purse split versus Arturo Gatti and Oscar De La Hoya. Only against Ricky Hatton did he garner the bigger percent. Yet the fight was a big PPV attraction because of the fact that Hatton drew from an entire country, something Mayweather likes to say about Spanish and Mexican fighters. Pacquiao wasn't the draw versus De La Hoya and split the purse with Hatton, but he won both of those fights impressively and that's why he's the top attraction in boxing as of this writing.

Most sophisticated boxing observers know that Mayweather's retirement was orchestrated and planned. The intent was to give him a rest and infuse interest in him for a comeback bout, on top of aiding him in avoiding competitive fights in boxing’s most competitive division in which he fought, welterweight. The problem turned out to be that Pacquiao came along and defeated his two biggest name opponents, De La Hoya and Hatton, much more convincingly than he did. That isn't necessarily the be-all end-all, but it is to the boxing fans who put their money where their mouth is that buy PPV fights. That's why Pacquiao can call the shots.

So for the first time in his career Mayweather may have miscalculated and in a big way. The only thing left for him to do is realize that to become the man again in boxing he must fight Pacquiao this coming fall. Beating him would give Mayweather leverage if there's a rematch, something that's very plausible since if he did win it would most likely be by decision. On the other hand if he loses a close fight he can say he should've taken a tune up and may get a rematch.

If Floyd Mayweather is smart, he'll go straight to Pacquiao. Better do it soon, because the LA Times reports that Pacquiao and Cotto are in negotiations for a November match.

Source: http://www.thesweetscience.com/boxing-article/6916/mayweather-smart-fight-pacquiao-now/

Which doctor is witch for cash cow Floyd Mayweather?

There has been a lot of speculation as to who the doctor in charge of treating boxing’s self-proclaimed “Cash Cow” Floyd Mayweather Jr. is.

Mayweather claims rib cartilage injury which caused him to cancel or postpone a comeback bout against Juan Manuel Marquez.

I’ve learned that, despite what some Pacanimals might say, the Boxing Bovine is not being seen by a veterinarian.

Doctors have not, however, ruled out the entire Mayweather family being hit by "Mad Cow Disease."

Among those well known doctors who may be handling the Mayweather malady are:

1. “Fright Doctor” and former NBC fight announcer Dr. Ferdie Pacheco.


2. Dr. Kildare, former TV heartthrob.

3. Dr. Ben Casey in consulation with the older, wiser Dr. Zorba.


4. Dr. Hunter S. Thompson via a séance from Gonzo Heaven.

5. Dr. Richard Kimble, a “Fugitive” who can only make house calls.


6. Doctor Demento, the DJ famous for playing whacked out music.


7. Dr. Aflac, known to be a quack from way back.


8. Doc Severinson without the “Tonight Show band.


9. Dock Ellis without the LSD.


10. Dr. Zhivago who was Russian to fly in from Siberia.


11, Entire staff at "St. Elsewhere."

Source: http://www.examiner.com/x-5699-NY-Boxing-Examiner~y2009m6d16-Which-doctor-is-witch-for-cash-cow-Floyd-Mayweather

Now What?

The news arrived in a press release on Sunday afternoon - Floyd Mayweather, scheduled to face Juan Manuel Marquez on July 18th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, would be forced out of that assignment due to a rib injury.

So now what?

"I really don't have any updates, as of yet," said Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer on Monday afternoon. "It really is driven by the doctor’s opinion, Floyd is going to see the doctor again this week and we will then see what is the earliest date we can reschedule the fight for."

The hope is that Mayweather-Marquez will take place on September 19th at the same venue.

There has been speculation that perhaps Mayweather pulled out of this fight to instead face a Miguel Cotto or Manny Pacquiao in the late fall. But Schaefer stated to Maxboxing that, "Both Mayweather and Marquez are committed to the fight. We had conversations with HBO, with sponsors, as well as with the venue, and we will know more once we find out about how Floyd is feeling. I'm told he's in a tremendous amount of pain and so we are very concerned about that and we hope he's going to feel better soon and is going to be able to resume his training. He was very disappointed, devastated - everything was lined up and planned.

“He obviously had in his mind that he's going to take care of this fight with Marquez and then was looking forward to a showdown later on in the year, another big fight, be it with Pacquiao or a Shane Mosley. Obviously, this injury now derails these plans and it looks like he's only going to be fighting once this year."

According to Bob Arum, Pacquiao-Mayweather will not take place in 2009 with this latest development.

“What he did with this injury," said the veteran promoter from his offices in Las Vegas on Monday, "is put himself out of all consideration for a Pacquiao fight this year. He clearly did because obviously the earliest he'll be able to postpone it would be September 19th, and obviously even if he knocked the guy out in one round, you couldn't schedule another fight this year."

Arum has been told by 'the Pac Man', who watched this past weekend’s fight at the Madison Square Garden between Cotto and Joshua Clottey, to make his next bout for November the 14th.

“My orders are to make a fight with Miguel Cotto and I assume I'll be able to do that; if I can't, I'll look to Shane Mosley," said Arum. Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, is asking for a catch-weight of 144, while Cotto's people would settle for 145. Arum says, "I assume that's not going to be an issue."

Arum doesn't buy all the conspiracy theories surrounding Mayweather's ailment.

“I believe the injury is legitimate, because yes, the fight wasn't doing well in July and maybe it'll do better in September - which is certainly a more appropriate date. But it's clear that he now has to look to next year to fight Pacquiao, assuming he's able to beat Cotto."

ICEBERG AVERTED?

It really is anyone’s guess if Mayweather is really hurt or not and certainly a lot has been written as to the 'real' reason this event was pulled. It was no secret within the industry that the fight was struggling at the box office. Sources tell Maxboxing that no more than 3,000 tickets were sold, and ticket brokers weren't exactly rushing to put in orders. It's difficult to have a secondary market when there isn't much of a demand for the event to begin with. Not only was this fight seen as a physical mismatch in many circles, the tickets (which ranged from $1,000 to $150) seemed a bit pricey, particularly in this current economy.

But this promotion seemed doomed from the start. Not only is July a tough month in terms of pay-per-view (usually promoters and networks try and steer clear from the dog days of summer) but it's traditionally a slow period for Las Vegas (something about those 110-degree nights). This event also was most likely going to be overshadowed by UFC 100, which is expected to be a gala event, and one that also takes place in 'Sin City' on July 11th. That card sold-out in mere minutes.

There is also the harsh reality - which seems pretty clear now - that Marquez, for all his greatness, was the third banana behind the likes of Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales, and never considered a real draw, even among the hardcore Mexican fans. As for Mayweather, his claims of being the biggest draw in boxing based on his fights versus Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton seem to ring hollow. In both events, he was the clear B-side of the equation.

For him to claim he was the driving reason that those promotions did the numbers they did would be like Sasha Vujacic telling his grandkids in the future that on the night of January 22nd, 2006, when the Lakers defeated the Toronto Raptors at the Staples Center, that he and Kobe Bryant combined for 84 points to lead the purple and gold to victory. (For you that don't follow the NBA, that was the game where 'the Black Mamba' went off for 81.)

September 19th seems like a much better date for this particular promotion, because no matter how you slice it, Marquez is Mexican, at the very least. And this weekend, for about the past decade-and-a-half, has been designated as a regular pay-per-view slot. But if you look back, the biggest numbers on this platform have been produced by one common denominator - Oscar De La Hoya. Unfortunately, on this night - should this fight be rescheduled for this date - he'll be ringside with a credential around his neck.

And here's another factor - Mexicans are a bit more discerning than some would like to believe. Will they really show up in droves or drive up pay-per-view sales for a fight where their guy is such a decided underdog? Mexican boxing fans like to see Mexican boxers win. They’re not forking over their hard-earned money to see their man get thrashed. Trust me, I've asked more than a few out here in Montebello/East L.A. about this issue. There is a certain irony of seeing a Mexican trying to overcome steep odds on Mexican Independence Day weekend.

But this date is the lesser of two evils. Getting off of July 18th is akin to the Titanic steering clear of a certain iceberg. The question is, will this promotion float a month later?

NOT YET

Top Rank and Golden Boy had planned to stage a pay-per-view show on September 19th based around a fight between WBC lightweight titlist Edwin Valero and Joel Casamayor. I mean, is there any better way to celebrate Mexican Independence Day than a hook-up between a Venezuelan and Cuban? But seriously, rational thinking prevailed.

"Both Bob and I felt that it was just not enough of a pay-per-view card," said Schaefer. "We just didn't feel that we could put the pay-per-view together where we could both feel proud about and feel good about it. So we said, 'Look, we're definitely not going to do a pay-per-view' and we basically walked away from the date, both Bob and I did. We were not planning on doing anything. We were trying hard with HBO. Bob was in New York last week to see if we could convince HBO to go live that weekend but because of budgetary reasons, they couldn't do it and so we decided we weren't going to go September 19th."

But things changed with Mayweather-Marquez being postponed.

"So obviously this happened, now, the injury, so we are holding the MGM Grand, I'm holding the pay-per-view date and we just have to see the next few days what's going to happen with Floyd."

As for Valero-Casamayor, Arum says, "We have pay-per-view dates that will probably be in October or maybe the week later in September."

SHORT FLURRIES

With Fernando Montiel being scratched from his June 27th bout versus Eric Morel, Jorge Arce takes his place on 'Latin Fury 9' in Atlantic City against Fernando Lumacad.....There will be boxing on July 18th, as the bout between WBA jr. welterweight titlist Andreas Kotelnik and Amir Khan has been rescheduled for that day at the MEN Arena in Manchester, England. This fight has actually sold a bunch of tickets, I'm guessing....And for fans of the 'Flurries', trust me, you'll get more than your fill for Wednesday.....

Source: http://www.maxboxing.com/Kim/Kim061609.asp

Forget about Pacquiao-Mayweather Jr. Dream Match in 2009

Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s injury has been identified. “Money” has been reported to have damaged cartilage in his ribs and will not be able to train for his comeback fight against Juan Manuel Marquez until approved by a doctor. Contrary to previous reports however, Floyd doesn’t have a broken rib, but the injury he sustained is serious just the same. Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo injured his rib cartilage during the team's final game against the Philadelphia Eagles last year, when Romo fumbled and was sacked then benched. His coach Wade Phillips said a flare-up of the pain caused Romo to collapse in the shower afterward.

Richard Schaefer, chief executive of Golden Boy Promotions, told The Associated Press on Monday that Mayweather has been in tremendous pain since suffering the injury during training on Thursday.

"He tried to work through it. He really did not want to postpone the fight, but it came to the point where he could barely sit," Schaefer said. "He could not train, he could not move and there was really not much of a choice."

Mayweather (39-0, 25 KOs) was scheduled to fight Juan Manuel Marquez (50-4-1, 37 KOs) on July 18 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas but because of the injury, had to postpone the fight.

Schaefer said both fighters have agreed and intend to reschedule their fight to somewhere around September if they can get a “go” from the doctors by then. Some have speculated that the silent response from fight fans in the box office contributed to the postponement of the fight and that promoters will move the fight to a more favorable, later day date like the Mexican Independence day around August to help sell tickets. Golden Boy and the Mayweather camp insists though that it’s Floyd’s physical condition that is stopping the fight from happening at the originally scheduled July 18 date. Cartilage connects the ribs to the sternum, and can tear away after direct blows to the chest, other trauma or particularly violent coughs and sneezes.

"Right now he cannot go and train, he cannot work out, he cannot run, he cannot hit the heavy bag and the speed bags and jump ropes and all these kinds of things," Schaefer said. "He definitely will need some additional training but again, Floyd is such an amazing athlete and really on top of his game — that I think it will be relatively easy for him to get right back into it."

If all of these reports are indeed 100% true then it’s safe to say that the dream match everyone has been clamoring for between Floyd and Manny Pacquiao will definitely not happen this year. With Pacquiao’s desire to run in his country’s 2010 political race, and speculations abound about his retirement after one last fight, there’s a big possibility that if the fight does not happen in 2009, that it may never happen at all.

There are still a lot of factors though and anything can happen, so I’m leaving my doors and windows open for a fight between Floyd and Manny to happen- I’m just not counting on it. As of now, Pacquiao looks like he’s ready to face Miguel Cotto on November 14 and Golden Boy promotions seems to be intent on shoving Shane Mosley some way some how in Pacquiao's throat. Once Floyd realizes that he isn't as big as he thinks he is and Bob Arum and Pacquiao come up with a reasonable cut for Floyd to bite, then the dream match fans have been asking for with remain just that. Here's hoping this won't end up like the Roy Jones Jr.-Bernard Hopkins rematch saga.

As a fight fan, I’d rather Pacquiao fight Cotto though, since Cotto is the younger fighter and holds a win over Mosley himself. Cotto’s lone loss also has an asterisk on it since the guy he lost to, Antonio Margarito, got busted for juicing up his fists in his next fight. A fight against Cotto will make better sense for Pacquiao financially too since both of them are under the same promotional company, Top Rank. Pacquiao can even try and demand for the fight to happen in his hometown in Manila if he truly wants to boost his political chances. At the end of the day, I just hope Floyd and Manny meets on top of the ring eventually.It’s the fight that makes the most sense cause honestly, either of them can fight Marquez and Cotto next, but what the world wants is to see Mayweather and Pacquiao now.

Source: http://www.examiner.com/x-10947-Indianapolis-Fight-Sports-Examiner~y2009m6d16-Forget-about-PacquiaoMayweather-Jr-Dream-Match-in-2009

CAN WRIGHT ADD STAR POWER TO MAYWEATHER VS. MARQUEZ?

Now that Mayweather's July 18th return against Juan Manuel Marquez has been postponed, it appears that Golden Boy Promotions may be using the opportunity to stack the card with another big name to bolster interest in the event. According to Dan Rafael of ESPN.com, former jr. middleweight champion Winky Wright is hoping to land a spot on the undercard.

Apparently, Golden Boy matchmaker Eric Gomez is looking to pit Wright against middleweight contender Enrique Ornelas (28-5, 18KOs), who's coming off a split decision loss last October to former title challenger Marco Antonio Rubio. Wright himself is also coming off a unanimous decision loss to Paul Williams in a bout in which he lost virtually every round. Given that it had been nearly 21 months prior to that fight since Wright last fought, he's eager to get back into the ring to avoid another lengthy layoff.

"It's a definite possibility. I'll be glad to fight that guy and hope to do that fight, but we don't have nothing signed in ink. But I'll be glad to get right back and show everybody it's not over...We just gotta wait for Golden Boy to come back, and we can get it done. I'm ready to get back in the ring. I'll just be glad to get back and show the fans I'm still here," Wright revealed to Rafael.

It's extremely rare to get a pay-per-view card featuring more than one marquee name. One might think that the addition of Wright to an undercard that already features former welterweight champion Zab Judah is nearly impossible, but Wright is confident that money won't be an issue. "If this fight doesn't happen, trust me, it is not going to be because of the money," he reiterated. If that's the case and Wright is indeed added to the card, the now postponed clash between Mayweather and Marquez just became much more attractive as it harkens back to a time when promoters were more interested in putting together good cards as opposed to just big names headlining a main event.

Source: http://www.fighthype.com/pages/content5095.html

What's Next For Mayweather

Floyd Mayweather, Jr. learned an important lesson last week while training for his comeback fight in Las Vegas. He learned he’s not a kid any more.

The 32-year-old five-time world champion was forced to postpone his scheduled return to the ring next month against Juan Manuel Marquez because of a rib injury that no one yet knows the severity of. Mayweather issued a statement saying he was disappointed about having to delay his return to boxing and Marquez issued a statement saying he was disappointed that Mayweather had disappointed him by delaying his return to boxing but would be ready whenever he is to square off at the contracted weight of 144 pounds.

What we don’t know are many things including the severity of the injury, the number of weeks Mayweather will be unable to train and, most of all, whether he really has a rib injury in the first place or whether he was just having a tough time getting some weight off from around his ribs as he fought to get back down to 144 pounds, the lowest weight he will have fought at since 2005.

Mayweather is a gym rat and almost always in condition so conditioning itself is not an issue. But at 32 he may be finding out what we all do, which is paring off the pounds is not as easy after 30 as it once was.

Then again, maybe it was simply a training injury as announced, which certainly someone trying to come back from what will now be at least 21 months of civilian life might have expected. Such setbacks when trying to remind your body of what it once was are not unusual. In fact, they are the norm. So the announcement that Mayweather had asked for a postponement was hardly earth shattering news. Butit was a reminder that comebacks for fighters over 30 are no easy task and nothing to take for granted.

It is now anticipated, although not etched in stone, that he and the soon-to-be 36 year old Marquez will face each other on Sept. 19, a Mexican Independence Day weekend which quite often features a big fight in Las Vegas with an Aztec warrior as the headliner.

Marquez (50-4-1, 37) would fit that description and the roughly $4 million he’s been guaranteed to face Mayweather seemed to insure he isn’t going any where but Las Vegas any time soon. For him the concern is deciding whether to stop and then re-start his training or stay in the hills of Mexico to continue preparing for a fight with the undefeated Mayweather without knowing quite when it will be.

This is not as easy a decision as it might seem. A break for at least several weeks would be logical to avoid going stale by over training but until a new date is set Marquez cannot know for sure if the fight will come in August, which seems unlikely, and thus would demand he keep working or October, which is possible and then would obviously result in abandoning his present camp for a brief respite before returning to hard training himself.

As for Mayweather, Golden Boy Promotions has already stated they do not believe Mayweather broke a rib, instead speculating that it is a cartilage problem which would mean bruised ribs and a layoff of several weeks while they heal.

If the fight can be rescheduled for Sept, 19 (and there will be many factors there including HBO’s schedule, the MGM’s already planned events for that very popular weekend in Las Vegas and Mayweather’s healing powers), it should be easy enough for both fighters to begin training anew.

But if it drags on for a protracted period, or if Mayweather suffers any further setbacks, problems could follow that will not be as easy to solve.

Although Marquez badly wants to face Mayweather, he also wants to be sure he has another big payday before the end of the year. If anything else were to happen to Mayweather that could delay their fight further it would put his plans in jeopardy and at his age it is not wise to linger too long away from the sport.

Mayweather faces different problems. If he fights in September he will be coming off a 21-month layoff since he destroyed Ricky Hatton in December, 2007. That is not a significant problem because of his vast skills and the fact he never really gets out of shape. The problem comes if he were to sustain some sort of second injury or re-injures his ribs and again has to step a way from training.

He would then be forced to either ask for another postponement that could lead to Marquez looking at other options (Manny Pacquiao III?) or fight at less than 100 per cent to insure he doesn’t lose a shot at Marquez, which may not be to his liking either after 21 months away from the ring.

All of this may prove to be a moot point if Mayweather simply comes back into training in a few weeks with sound body and mind. But the fact is these are the kinds of things that happen to 32-year-old fighters who leave the arena for a protracted period and then decide to come right back against top level competition.

Boxing is not like piano playing, although Mayweather quite often makes it look and sound like beautiful music when he’s at his best. It is not like riding a bike, either.

Certainly one can leave and return but two years away is a long time, especially when one is asking their body to fight at a weight (144) it has not had to get down to in over four years. The effort to do that can lead to injuries and concerns.

Maybe Floyd Mayweather, Jr. has neither. Perhaps this was a simple training injury that could happen to anyone at any age and at any time.

But when it happens to you in the midst of a comeback against one of boxing’s finest craftsmen it makes people think about a lot of downside possibilities. The fact is those exist not only for Mayweather but also for Marquez if the postponement turns out to be anything more than one of minimal duration. If that happens, who knows what will follow?

Regardless, what Floyd Mayweather, Jr. learned last week when his ribs began to ache is that starting over in boxing at 32 is not as easy as getting in it at 22.

Source: http://www.thesweetscience.com/boxing-article/6911/next-mayweather/

Marquez or Mayweather Jr. is Pacquiao’s only option

MANILA, Philippines – Manny Pacquiao only has one option to settle his pending issues with either Juan Manuel Marquez or Floyd Mayweather Jr. and that is to face each of them separately inside the ring.

Marquez has been aching for a rematch after losing by split decision against Pacquiao last year while Mayweather Jr. wants to reclaim his former pound-for-pound title that the Filipino boxing icon currently holds.

Mayweather Jr. came out of retirement to fight Marquez on July 18 and Pacquiao would closely watch the outcome of the match with the intention of facing the winner in his last bout before entering the political ring.

A host of big name fighters are also after Pacquiao.

With the likes of Sugar Shane Mosley, Miguel Cotto, Edwin Valero, Michael Katsidis, and recently the controversial Antonio Margarito want a piece of the reigning International Boxing Organization (IBO) welterweight champion.

But Pacquiao can’t and won’t fight all of them since he has already made it known that he is only good for one final bout.

He plans to retire afterwards to seek a congressional post in Saranggani, his wife’s home province, in the 2010 national elections.

Pacquiao is eyeing to return to the ring in October or November with his two-round demolition of Briton Ricky Hatton still fresh on the minds of boxing fans.

Before making his choice for his final fight, Pacquiao is said to be waiting for the results of the Cotto-Joshua Clottey match on June 13 and the Mayweather Jr. and Marquez bout on July 18 before making his choice for his final fight.

And if ever Mayweather gets past Marquez, a possible fight with Pacquiao might not push through because of money matters.

Mayweather has made it known that Pacquiao won’t get a 50-50 purse split adding that it is him who brings in the money to his blockbuster fights.

A Pacquiao-Mayweather bout would keep the cash registers ringing for both fighters and their promoters where fight fans, not only in Las Vegas, would scramble for tickets. The fight, if it happens, would rake in huge pay-per-view buys around the globe.

Pacquiao’s camp, particularly promoter Bob Arum and trainer Freddie Roach, previously stated that the Filipino ring icon deserves the lion’s share (60-40) in his next fights, being boxing’s top draw.

But Mayweather downplayed Pacquiao’s claim to a bigger pie saying that he had bigger PPV buys against two common rivals, Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton, where he raked in a combined 3.43 (million) PPV buys. – GMANews.TV

Source: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/164530/Marquez-or-Mayweather-Jr-is-Pacquiaos-only-option

‘Pacquiao, Mosley to give Mayweather trouble’

The return of Floyd “Money” Mayweather, Jr. to the ring is just over a month away, when he is set to tackle Juan Manuel “Dinamita” Marquez on July 18 in the “Number One/Numero Uno” main event.

The megafight is expected to be a sellout at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas as well as on pay-per-view cable television.

But for Floyd Mayweather, Sr., the bout is just a “tune-up fight” for his son, he told John Martinez of IronBoxing.com.

“The Marquez fight is going to be nothing more than what you have seen before,” he added.

He even said that “It should be on regular HBO instead of PPV. There is a bad economy out there and we all know what is going to happen already.”

Floyd Sr. also told Martinez that he favors the possibility of his son fighting “Sugar” Shane Mosley and pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao.

“Now the Mosley or Pacquiao fight is a totally different story,” he commented. “Those fights are definitely PPV events.”

“Both fighters would give my son trouble. But in the end, Lil’ Floyd wins.”

He said that a Mayweather-Mosley match-up would be a “very good fight.”

“Shane fights all comers and gives it his all. This fight would go all 12 rounds with a lot of action in it,” he said.

He even volunteered to “become chief trainer for the Mosley fight” should it materialize.

For the meantime, the focus is on Mayweather’s comeback fight against Marquez.

Floyd Sr. even gave his prediction for the July 18 fight. “Well then if you can remember the Gatti fight, you’ve already seen the Marquez fight in advance. It is going to be the same thing all over again.”

Mayweather defeated Arturo Gatti in 2005 via technical knockout in the sixth round. The victory made “Pretty Boy Floyd” the WBC super lightweight champion.

Floyd Sr. continued, “Marquez is a Mexican. He doesn’t want to look bad. He is going to come forward and make the fight.”

Despite this strategy, he said that Marquez will still not be able to get the better of Mayweather.

“Mexicans always come to fight. But when he does, he is going to get clipped. He isn’t going to counterpunch. Trust me,” he remarked.

Source: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/sports/06/09/09/%E2%80%98pacquiao-mosley-give-mayweather-trouble%E2%80%99

Pacquiao, Mayweather, Marquez - just WHO is the world's best pound-for-pound fighter?

This is a subject that is often discussed and one that every man will have an opinion on. But WHO truly is the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet?

Now that Floyd ‘Pretty Boy’ Mayweather has decided to re-enter the ring, will he be the man to top the list? Or is it Manny Pacquiao - the man who crushed Ricky Hatton's dreams in Las Vegas?

The Pacman has rightfully taken the crown after his impressive performances against the Golden Boy and Hatton and is now a four-weight world champion. His performances against the two Mexican legends, Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morlaes, proved his durability and will to win.

On his coat-tails is the returning ‘Money’ Mayweather, a slick counter-puncher who has never been on the canvas and will be looking to set up a super fight with Pacquiao to reclaim his crown.

With some of the finest boxers of the recent era – Joe Calzaghe and Oscar De La Hoya – retiring, it has left the door open for a new generation of pugilists. There are certainly plenty of fighters out there who have the skills and records to put their names forward as true contenders for the crown.

The welterweight division alone is full of some of the classiest fighters who have the ability to combine speed and power. Boasting such legendary fighters as Shane Mosley, Pacquiao and Mayweather.

The young contenders also have some real talent. Miguel Cotto has lost just one fight, the Puerto Rican combining quick hands and raw power, while Andre Berto has yet to lose with 19 KOs in his 25 bouts earning him the nickname of 'Mini Tyson'.

Ruling the roost over the lightweight division has been the Mexican “numero uno”, Juan Manuel Marquez. The gritty fighter has fought his way up through the ranks from featherweight to light-welterweight for his upcoming fight against Mayweather. Having beaten the likes of Joel Casamayor and Juan Diaz, he can certainly lay claim to being one of the best around.

There are some other classy contenders. Chris John has dominated the featherweight division, winning 42 of his 44 contests in dominant fashion. In the middleweight division, the legendary Ronald ‘Winky’ Wright has started to decline and the man looking to take on his legacy is fellow American Paul Williams.

The man nicknamed 'The Punisher' beat Wright in a one-sided contest, cementing his reputation as one of the best.

In the light-flyweight division, one man has a perfect record. Ivan Calderon has won all 32 contests with his lightning-quick speed and pure desire defending his WBO title successfully 14 times.

The heavyweight and cruiserweight divisions are missing a truly world-class fighter but we have to mention the amazing record of ‘The Executioner’. Bernard Hopkins may have lost to Calzaghe but managed to inflict a defeat on the great young American hope, Kelly Pavlik. Hopkins has beaten the likes of Wright, Antonio Tarver, De La Hoya and Felix Trinidad .

In the super-middleweight division we also find two very talented boxers who soon could clash to decide who is the No.1 of the division. Dane Mikkel Kessler has just one loss to his name while England’s Carl Froch made a stunning recovery to beat Jermain Taylor by knocking the American out in the final seconds of their bout.

The Cobra is certainly a man to look out for but the dominance of Kessler just puts him ahead of the young fighter from Nottingham.

There will always be a lot of debate but here are my Top 10 pound-for-pound boxers currently plying their trade:

1. Manny Pacquiao
2. Floyd Mayweather
3. Juan Manuel Marquez
4. Chris John
5. Miguel Cotto
6. Paul Williams
7. Bernard Hopkins
8. Mikkel Kessler
9. Andre Berto
10. Ivan Calderon

Source: http://www.sportingo.com/boxing/a11692_pacquiao-mayweather-marquez-just-who-worlds-best-poundforpound-fighter

Floyd Mayweather- When Does Size Matter?

“Pretty Boy” Floyd, or “Money” Floyd, as he likes to be called, is back. Although he is fighting one of the best fighters in the world hands down in Juan Manuel Marquez, he is again fighting a boxer who is not a natural welterweight.No one can deny the outstanding skill that the multi weight champion has, fighting smaller opponents has been the main criticism of Mayweather over the past few years. He has had five fights at welterweight and three were against fighters who made their careers and name at junior welterweight. Now regardless of what weight the fight was at, I don’t think Sharmba Mitchell, Zab Judah, or Ricky Hatton would have beaten Floyd Mayweather anyway. Many sources have indicated though that the fight will not be at the 147 lb limit, but rather at a catch weight of 144.

Still, many view this weight as an advantage to Mayweather.

Floyd may be a small welterweight himself but there’s a reason they have weight divisions. Being part of a division means fighting those in that respective division. Now, before anyone thinks I’m criticizing Floyd, I am just pointing out the facts and what many pundits have said. Boxing is a two way street, and it takes two to make a fight. I don’t think that Bob Arum ever wanted Cotto or Margarito to go in the ring with Mayweather, or anyone else that’s a threat that’s out of his stable. Such is the business side of boxing.

Even though Mayweather was fighting opponents who made their careers in lower weight divisions, Mayweather started off in an even lower division. Hatton, Judah and Mitchell started off at lightweight or junior welterweight while Mayweather started off at junior lightweight. That’s not the case this time around though. Marquez spent his whole career at featherweight until March of 2007, where he moved up to junior lightweight. He only spent a year there before moving up to lightweight. Marquez for this fight is moving up two weight divisions.

But if we look at the height of the fighters, there is not much of a difference. Mayweather is only one inch taller than Marquez, but he does have a much longer reach. Marquez has gained weight for the day of the fight, but in his last fight with Juan Diaz, Marquez’ fight night weight was only 140 pounds. Mayweather should be able to make the catch weight comfortably, considering his natural body weight is more of a junior welterweight rather than a welterweight.

There are a few fighters in boxing that are so outstanding at what they do, that they can fight and beat the best in many divisions. Paul Williams, Bernard Hopkins and Manny Pacquiao to name a few. Juan Manuel Marquez I believe is one of them. But he is not fighting an Antonio Tarver, a Kelly Pavlik, or a Ricky Hatton. No disrespect to those fighters, but they are not nearly as skilled or as great of a fighter as Floyd Mayweather. Williams’ had a great win over Winky Wright, but he is past his best days, and I personally don’t’ think that Floyd is. Marquez is fighting one of if not the best pound for pound fighters in the world. If Floyd is healthy and not full of ring rust, than I can’t imagine anyway Marquez can win. Marquez will be able to beat most fighters at 140 and many at 147, to me, Floyd isn’t one of them.

Source: http://www.diamondboxing.com/newsstory.php?list=7866

Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr. will happen

Sometimes, some things are just meant to cling... even oil and water. Pardon the contradiction, but my point being, no matter how unlikely some things can be, there are just some things that can not be denied. Call it destiny. Throw out all facts and reason, Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr. will happen.

To those who have followed this saga closely, it's a known fact that dispute about the cash percentage and Floyd Jr.'s vile relationship with Pacquiao's promoter, Top Rank boss Bob Arum, would be the main hurdles that may prevent this dream fight from happening. And I don't know if my fellow Examiner Michael Marley truly took time to comprehend my article that he quoted in one of his for him to say I got caught up with the Pacquiao fever and mentioned that I was wrong for saying Floyd was afraid of Pacquiao. I did not say Mayweather was afraid of Pacquiao, but I did ask the question and said that fear does play in boxers, fighters and athlete's heads in general, no matter how much they deny it.

Is Floyd afraid of Pacquiao? Only Floyd knows the answer to that one for sure. Even the Tiger Woods and the Kobe Bryants of the world fear losing. With the way Floyd has nitpicked his opponents in the latter parts of his career, Marley's exaggerations and hyperboles are harder to believe than the thought of Floyd fearing defeat at the hands of formidable competition like Paul Williams, Shane Mosley, Miguel Cotto and even Manny Pacquiao.

Am I saying Floyd is afraid of Pacquiao? No. Did I ask the question? Yes. Because I myself do not know the answer- I'm not Floyd and like I said, only Floyd truly knows the answer to that inside his chest. But has Floyd not fought the best possible competition out there for him? DEFINITELY.

Honestly, if this was truly about money, Pacquiao should be the one he's facing. If this is truly about challenge, why not Paul Williams? If Floyd came out and said he is fighting Marquez who is a worthy opponent and has a good Mexican following for it to generate good Pay-Per-View buys, then that's cool. But to say Marquez is the best fight out there for him and is tougher than Pacquiao and add that this is the best money fight out there for him? Come on... Really? The last time I checked, 1 + 1 was still two and when a reader told me about Marley quoting me and misunderstanding my context, I still can't finish any of his articles because a lot of it to me doesn't make sense. Perhaps my intelligence is just too inferior to comprehend Mr. Marley's creative writing in the same way I guess that I simply can't buy into what Floyd Mayweather Jr. and his dad Sr. have been saying. I've been called a "Pac-hater" before, (just read my recent article about Miguel Cotto) but my views about Floyd's statements and career have nothing to do with being a Pacquiao fan just like other boxing fans that may share my opinions whether it be from England to Pacland. I actually admire Mayweather's skill set. I even called him the best "boxer" in terms of craft, but I simply call things how I see them. If and when I write another article being critical of Pacquiao when the time comes, I'll thank you for calling me a "hugger" or whether if you agree or feel indifferent with my commentary, because I am simply doing my job and sharing my varied opinions about the sport of prize fighting. So when I ask the question if Floyd is afraid of Pacquiao, I ask it as a boxing analyst and not because I am a Pacqiao fan or caught up in whatever fever other people may think.

And if I didn't know any better, all this ESPN interviews and hype Mayweather has been conjuring up lately are simply seeds for a Pacquiao-Mayweather battle and the two will definitely end up fighting each other in the same ring. Why? Simple really- It's what the boxing world wants to see. There's just too much money out there to be made on this fight for any rational person to pass up. It is boxing after all, and it doesn't take a genius to know that in the world of big time prize fighting, it matters not if Pacquiao is the Pound-for-Pound king and if Mayweather hates Arum like Tyson hates Don King, because in the world of boxing, MONEY is KING.

Source: http://www.examiner.com/x-10947-Indianapolis-Fight-Sports-Examiner~y2009m5d24-Pacquiao-vs-Floyd-will-happen

Mosley-Pacquiao Needs to Happen in October

Jun 02, 2009 -
It is a great rarity when all the stars align within the world of boxing.

It only happens when a match-up looks fight fans dead in the eyes and says, "Yes, I am Pay-Per-View worthy and... No! This is not a fabricated fight!"

We've seen plenty of fabrications over the past several years such as De la Hoya-Pacquiao, Jones-Calzaghe, and Vargas-Mayorga. On the other hand we've also witnessed the absolute best within each division square off such as the Pavlik-Taylor I, Kessler-Calzaghe, and Cotto vs. Margarito scraps.

When you have two men facing one another after having performed spectaculary in their most recent prize fights, it signifies all that is intriguing about this pugilistic art form known as "boxing".

Shane Mosley entered the ring as more than a 3-1 underdog against Antonio Margarito this past January. It was a bout that few if any gave "Sugar" a chance to pull off the monumental upset. The Mexican cheater (Margarito) had recently defeated the highly touted Puerto Rican sensation, Miguel Cotto in a "Fight of the Year" candidate for 2008 and had garnered the momentum and adoration from the Mexican contingent rivaling that seen of recent greats such as Erik "El Terrible" Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera.

The veteran Mosley utilized a blend of speed, power, and well-timed (albeit excessive) clinches to destroy the myth of the "Tijuana Tornado". It was a result that left the boxing world in awe as a fighter who had been written of as "shot" showed the public that you can never count out a throwback fighter with the grit, heart, and resolve to strive for greatness.

We've all seen how the saga of Manny Pacquiao has played out over the past three fights so there's no need to delve into that history.

The question I ask of all of you is... why not have Manny Pacquiao face off against "Sugar" Shane Mosley this October?

It would pit two guys coming off sensational knockout victories which always sets the stage for a mild hydrogen bomb explosion inside the ring.

Instead of creating fights off the top of one's cranium, it'd create the ultimate intrigue by setting up a true super bout for March of 2010 between the winner of Pacquiao-Mosley against the potential clash between either Floyd Mayweather Jr., Juan Manuel Marquez, Joshua Clottey, or Miguel Cotto. Yes... as a purist of the sport, I always believe that winners should fight winners regardless of followings.

We must remember, it is perhaps the only way... the only way... once again... the ONLY way Bernard Hopkins would have ever gotten a shot at Felix "Tito" Trinidad back in 2001.

Hopkins had very little exposure leading up to his showdown with Trinidad but due to the "bracket" system of a tournament, there was no way for the Puerto Rican superstar to avoid facing off against the best middleweight of this era.

Boxing needs to go back to this system of competition rather than continuing to rely on the relationships between promoters, managers, advisors, shoe shiners, and the hanger-ons that plague the sport.

Shane Mosley has already openly stated that he's ready and willing to meet the "Pacman" at his requested catch-weight so at this point in time, there are no clear obstacles to stop the super fight from happening.

So what gives?

Source: http://theboxingtruth.com/article.php?id=250

Bob Arum Calls Mayweather Jr. "Delusional," Says No Way Will He Get Even A 50/50 Purse Split For Pacquiao Fight

by James Slater - It seems there will be a long, hard road of tough negotiating ahead if we are ever to get the much sought after modern day dream fight that is Manny Pacquiao Vs. Floyd Mayweather Junior. Both fighters and their teams feel that they are the star attraction and the greater fighter, thus both Manny and Floyd argue they should be paid the lion's share of the bout's purse when and if the match-up takes place..

Reportedly, Mayweather Junior has said it will be "a cold day in hell" before he agrees to a 50/50 split with the man who took over his reign atop the pound-for-pound rankings. And Pacquiao and his promoter Bob Arum have rejected all talk of a 50/50 fight, Arum going as far as to say Mayweather would have to take much less. This may not be a case of greed, more a case of ego. Will this ongoing feud stop one of the best and most important bouts of the decade from taking place?

Usually in boxing, common sense comes to the fore in the end, when all parties concerned realise that the fight has to happen due to the sheer size of the event and of the money to be made from it. Let's hope this turns out to be the case with Pacquiao-Mayweather just as it was with Hatton-Pacquiao - another fight that looked to be off for a while due to disagreements over the monetary share the two fighters were to be paid. In the end, both sides came to their senses, but in an interview today with The Philippine Star, Arum made it clear Mayweather and his team will have to make a big concession if the fight we all want to see is actually made.

"You can tell Floyd Mayweather that Bob Arum says he's delusional," Arum said. "Floyd is not the attraction. Manny is the attraction. Floyd's got no idea what he's talking about. Floyd must be hallucinating when he said he wants the bigger purse and wouldn't agree to a 50/50 split. Even a 50/50 split with Floyd Mayweather is nonsense."

As firm as he is with his refusal to budge, Arum is basically putting the ball in Mayweather's court; but will Floyd ever allow himself to be paid less than any fighter he feels he is superior to? No date has been mentioned for the huge fight, but it won't be happening this year according to Arum.

In the article, Arum said Pacquiao will likely fight either Shane Mosley, Miguel Cotto or Edwin Valero in his next fight, scheduled for October 17th. Arum also confirmed that Julio Cesar Chavez, once a possibility for "Pac-Man," has been ruled out.

"But I'm not gonna come up with a name until after June 13th (the date of Cotto-Joshua Clottey)," Arum said. "Then he'll [Manny] be back in Los Angeles and I will meet him and Freddie [Roach] there. We will discuss all the options, and get everybody's input. There's no rush. There's Cotto, Mosley and Valero. We're not including Julio Cesar Chavez Junior because of the weight (Chavez Jr. can get no lower than 150) and he's fighting soon."

Despite the long series of negotiating ahead, as long as Pacquiao and Mayweather win their next fights the demand will go on for a clash between the two greats. Hopefully this demand will be satisfied.

Source: http://www.eastsideboxing.com/news.php?p=20008&more=1

Manny and Floyd: Boxing's Bernadette Peters and Tom Wopat

Those are lyrics to Bernadette Peters and Tom Wopat’s classic song “Anything you can do (I can do better”) as popularized in the Broadway play "Annie Get Your Gun". And for the past year since Floyd Mayweather Jr. walked away from the sport of boxing, he and Manny Pacquiao have been trying to sing their own rendition of the classic tune.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. defeated De la Hoya via close split decision; Manny Pacquiao beat up De la Hoya in 8 one sided rounds prompting for De la Hoya make the decision to pull a Duran and say “No Mas”. Mayweather knocked Ricky Hatton down twice in the tenth round en route to a 10th round TKO victory. Pacquiao knocked Hatton down twice in the first round and probably forever in the second round when he unleashed his lethal left on the Englishman’s mug. Just about anything Mayweather Jr. has done, Pacquiao has done better- well not everything, just like Floyd’s stint in the TV show “Dancing with the Stars” but Pacquiao’s mom Dionicia may give Floyd a run for his money on that one. Surely Madame Dionicia can tear up the rug with his D.I. (Dance Instructor) as evidenced in Pacquiao's 30th birthday bash.

In response, Mayweather Jr. has come out of retirement to try and pull one on Pacquiao as he aims to better Pacquiao’s performances against Juan Manuel Marquez. It’s common knowledge in the world of boxing that the one person that has given Pacquiao fits is Marquez and by nitpicking the smaller Mexican as his next foe, it is clear where Mayweather’s intentions play along. He wants his sexy back like Justin Timberlake. Like Ludacris, he’s coming for the number one spot. And just like Tom Wopat in the song, it’s his way of responding “No you can’t!” (Do better than me).

And there’s more of that response that came verbally from Mayweather. He has repeatedly pointed out the blemishes in Pacquiao’s record and his Pay-per-View numbers stating how he still is better than Pacquiao. Floyd has repeatedly said Pacquiao is not the best and that he definitely still is number one. Pacquiao on the other hand has responded in a more subtle manner when asked by a local TV station and said, “Floyd’s time is done. It’s my time now.”

It will take a lot of work for this fight to come to fruition. Mayweather has already said that Pacquiao will never get a 50/50 split from him, posturing his early negotiation stand. Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum countered by saying they want 60/40 in favor of Pacquiao since the Filipino is now the draw and have outdone Mayweather as the sport’s best since the latter retired. It doesn’t help both either that Mayweather and Arum already hates each other’s guts after they parted ways a few years ago. I guess even in the negotiating table, Pacquiao and Mayweather will still be doing their rendition of the classic song. Don’t count out Juan Manuel Marquez from stepping in though and pull an upset over Mayweather and doing his song and dance rendition of Britney Spears’ “(Hit me) Baby One More Time” for Pacquiao. One thing is certain though, if and when Pacquiao and Mayweather do agree to make music together inside the boxing ring, just like the song, their tandem will definitely be a classic. Ahh yes, boxing is indeed alive!

Source: http://www.examiner.com/x-10947-Indianapolis-Fight-Sports-Examiner~y2009m5d30-Manny-and-Floyd-Boxings-Bernadette-Peters-and-Tom-Wopat

Nervous Mayweather enlists Slim Shady for Pacquiao bout

BREAKING NEWS: Eminem and his supposedly tough crew ran out of Sunday's MTV Awards because the rapper got scared when he thought it was Megamanny Pacquiao coming out of the sky and landing on his lap. It turned out to be jokester Sacha Baron Cohen.)

Impeachable, highly impeachable, sources who indulge in various sauces are telling me that an insecure and nervous Floyd Mayweather Jr. is seriously reaching out to bring a new key member into his burgeoning entourage.

“L’il Floyd is going crazy about the attention being paid to Pacquiao. In London, he says he doesn’t care if people say Pacman is the Pound for Pound King, that’s it’s just an opinion and everybody’s got one.

“Then Li’l Floyd turns into L’il Flip and says he is upset because no one ever refers to the Pinoy Idol as L’il Manny,” the inflamed source on the flammable sauce said.

Mayweather has been palling around with top rapper Fifty Cent for some years. Fitty has been a regular visitor to the Mayweather Mansion in Las Vegas which is now being closely eyed by the Infernal Revenue Service for payment of millions of dollars in back taxes.

Li’l Floyd’s tax bill is not a L’il bill.

“Now Mayweather is thinking he might need to bring in Marshall Mathers, his fellow Michigander, for moral support in the runup for a showdown against Pacman. You know, the guy better known to millions as Eminem whose alter ego is Slim Shady,” the source said.

The same source said that, if Money May Pay does enlist Eminem for the Pacquaio fight, that Em’s musical sidekick and producer, Dr. Dre, will also come aboard.

“Mayweather wants to get a, pardon the expression, gang of rappers in his corner,” the source said. “He thinks they can all join his walk to the ring and that Manny might be intimidated if he saw the thuggish crew.”

Meanwhile, reaction to the PBF Rap Brigade was muted in the Manny camp.

“Rap?” said promoter Bob Arum. “Rap is crap, I am an Old School Motown man myself. Mayweather may need a mental crutch like this. He should call his little troupe, NWA. That stands for Nerds With Attitude. Who cares, because Manny will destroy this vulgar little runner!”

Secretive Pacman adviser Michael Koncz, who fancies himself a James Bondish type in boxing, was tight-lipped but the crafty Canadian did reveal that he and Coach Freddie Roach had a scheme to outflank Mayweather and his rap cronies.

“Not many people know this but Freddie used to coach the chess team over at Compton High School in his spare time,” Koncz said. “Freddie is nobody’s pawn, either. By hanging out in the LB-CPT, meaning Long Beach-Compton area, Freddie got very friendly with Snoop Dogg. He and Snoop used to roll down Compton Boulevard on Sunday afternoons.

“We’ve got the D-o-double-g on lock for the Pacquiao team. So they can have Marshall Blather and his whole weak ass D-12 posse. Detroit is for losers and so is Flint, Michigan. The whole state is Loserville except for the hockey Red Wings.”

Koncz also revealed that Team Packy may be bringing in noted plastic sturgeon Dr. Hayden Kho as its new videographer.

“Just make sure Manny’s lovely wife, Jinkee, doesn’t hear that part,” Koncz said. "It gets boring in training camp some days if you know what I mean."

Then Koncz landed a crushing blow to the Mayweather Crew.

“I used to skate on a frozen pond up in Flin Flon, Manitoba, with Tupac,” Koncz said. “And I know for a fact that, before his untimely death, Tupac predicted that Mayweather would get knocked out by a Filipino.

“Let Floyd, Fitty and Slim Shady put that in their crack pipes and smoke it!”

Source: http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-5699-NY-Boxing-Examiner~y2009m6d1-Mayweather-to-enlist-Slim-Shady-for-Pacquiao-bout

Amir Khan Says He'd Like To Fight Ricky Hatton, Floyd Mayweather, Juan Manuel Marquez

by James Slater - 22-year-old Amir Khan believes his fight with defending WBA light-welterweight champion Andriy Kotelnik will be the start of big things for him. Set to challenge the 31-year-old in his first crack at a world title, Khan has gone on record as saying he feels a win could even lead him into mega fights with the likes of Ricky Hatton and the winner of the upcoming July 18th showdown between Floyd Mayweather Junior and Juan Manuel Marquez.

Originally, when the subject of an all-British super-fight with Hatton was brought up, Khan said he'd prefer not to fight "The Hitman," because he'd rather remain friends with Ricky. Now, however, as revealed in an article in The Guardian newspaper, Khan is very much up for a fight with Britain's most popular fighter. Such a bout, should it ever come off, would be absolutely massive over here in the UK, and the amount of money the fight would make would be mind boggling..

Khan made it clear he is now open to fighting his long-time friend.

“It’d be a brilliant fight for the British fans to see,” Khan said to the Guardian. “Our styles would make a brilliant fight. I’m a mover, I’m a boxer, whereas he [Hatton] is a pressure fighter. No matter what, if we do the fight it’s going to be a tear-up, it’s going to be brilliant. But we leave picking the fights and everything to the promoters. If the fight does come up one day then it comes. But if not, then it doesn’t really bother me because there will be huge fights in the future.”

A Hatton-Khan fight would bring back the capturing of almost the entire nation’s imagination, just like the Nigel Benn-Chris Eubank battles did back in the 1990s. It wasn’t just regular hardcore boxing fans who watched those two middleweight/super-middleweight showdowns; the man on the street knew all about this rivalry also. And it would be the same with the potential 140-pound domestic pairing. In short, no-one would want to miss the fight.

Still, Ricky has yet to decide if he will even fight again, and as such Hatton Vs. Khan is nothing more than a possibility at the moment. You can’t fault Khan’s ability to look ahead in grand style, though. Another, even bigger fight he has his eye on is him against the July 18th Mayweather-Marquez winner!

Khan says that after two or three more fights he will be ready for the likes of the two pound-for-pound stars.

“If you think of it I’m going to get onto the world stage, find a way of hopefully beating Kotelnik, becoming world champion and then making my debut in America this year some time,” Amir continued. “So two or three fights down the line I’d be up against the likes of Marquez and Mayweather.

“Those guys already know who I am. I haven’t hit my peak yet but in a couple more fights I think I’ll be at my peak and I’ll be getting experience . I’m at the right gym where I can pick that up from. So it’d be great to fight these legends in the sport.”

The Kotelnik fight on June 27th is the fight Khan hopes will be the beginning of his dreams coming true. It seems almost a forgotten issue that the 22-year-old was destroyed inside a round by Breidis Prescott just nine months ago!

Source: http://www.eastsideboxing.com/news.php?p=20007&more=1

Manny Pacquiao doesn't need Floyd Mayweather, but what about Shane Mosley?

To this corner, Manny Pacquiao is in the driver's seat. He's on top, he should dictate terms. He is wildly popular at home and in the States. If he fights Floyd Mayweather Jr. or Sugar Shane Mosley or Miguel Cotto, it's big business.

Let's try to make some sense of all the talk, internet posts and news reports.

1. Manny Pacquiao wants to fight again in October. We suggested here that Pacquiao should fight that bout in the Philippines. One thing for certain, Mayweather -- win or lose in July -- won't be ready to fight Pac Man in October.

2. Making a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight even more difficult to happen is PBF's demand that he get a 60-40 split. Bob Arum told the Philippine Star, “You can tell Floyd Mayweather that Bob Arum said he’s delusional... Floyd is not the attraction. Manny is the attraction. Floyd’s got no idea what he’s talking about... Even a 50/50 split with Floyd Mayweather is nonsense.”

OK, moving right along.

3. A Miguel Cotto (should he get by Joshua Clottey) and Pac Man fight is very intriguing. They are both promoted by Arum so there would be few obstacles. When you add the Latino market to the PPV audience, numbers should jump. The catch here is that Cotto has already intimated he's not too interested in fighting at a catch weight of say, 144. Remember, he was more than happy to leave 140 and stop sucking weight, so why go back? Well, money will do that to you.

4. Now enter Sugar Shane Mosley. Dan Rafael quoted Sugar Shane on ESPN.com as saying,
"I want it to be known that I want to fight Pacquiao and I want to fight him now," Mosley said. "I'm willing to meet at a catch weight to make that happen. I know this is what [Pacquiao trainer] Freddie Roach wants as well, as he has previously stated this to press. I am the best fighter in boxing and I am ready to reclaim the title of No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter."

The bottom line is that Mosley needs either Mayweather or Pac Man. Yes, the obvious fight is Pac Man vs. Mayweather. But how many times has the obvious fight not been made? Too many. Mosley has also attempted to bait Mayweather into a fight, but PBF has never seemed interested in fighting Shane. Why is that?

Which leads us to ... October 17, 2009, Manila, Manny Pacquiao vs. Sugar Shane Mosley.

Neither of these guys are ever in a dull fight. Please, someone make it happen.

Source: http://weblogs.newsday.com/sports/boxing/blog/2009/05/manny_pacquiao_doesnt_need_flo.html

RANKING POSSIBLE PACQUIAO FOES IN TERMS OF THE LEVEL OF DANGER TO THE POUND FOR POUND KING

Tungod, Inabanga, Bohol – The date has already been set, but the opponent is still yet to be determined. Universally recognized pound for pound king Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao (49-3-2, 37 KOs) of the Philippines, who stands at a meager 5’6” and a reach of 67”, will continue to turn the pages of his storied boxing career, as he faces yet another tough challenge come October 17th.

Hereunder is a list of possible opponents ranked according to the risk-level on the planet’s best fighter. Please take note that factors such as money-matters and promotional concerns were not taken into consideration in generating this list.

1. “Sugar” Shane Mosley (46-5-0, 39 KOs) – This 37-yr-old boxing freak has had battles with some of the biggest names in the sport. The list includes Ronald “Winky” Wright, Vernon Forrest, Oscar De La Hoya, Fernando Vargas, Miguel Cotto, Ricardo Mayorga, and Antonio Margarito, just to name a few. It’s pretty amazing how he stayed in front of these guys, took a few good shots, and yet still stayed on his feet. Shane is way too young than his age would suggest. His granite chin – an uncanny ability to take a punch, coupled with an extra long reach (74 inches) and sweet boxing skills, makes Shane the most dangerous challenger for Pacquiao’s throne. And by the way, did I already mention that he also packs a punch in both fists? Check his knockout ratio out.

2. “Pretty Boy” Floyd Mayweather, Jr. (39-0-0, 25 KOs) – Some may argue that this self-proclaimed best fighter should be atop the list. But his safety-first attitude and not-so-imposing size advantage over Pacquiao puts him below Mosley on the most dangerous list. Zab Judah showed us that Floyd is also vulnerable. I’m not saying that Mosley hasn’t been hurt in the past. We should, however, consider the guys he was against and realize that Floyd’s resume certainly pales in comparison. Come to think of it… Floyd can’t beat Shane if they fought now, but of course, that’s another story. Nevertheless, Floyd is undefeated and as long as he stays so, he’d still be taken with much due respect.

3. Juan Manuel “Dinamita” Marquez (50-4-1, 37 KOs) – Style-wise, this gritty Mexican is the worst matchup for Pacquiao. JuanMa’s exceptional patience and discipline in sticking to his age-old waiting game, better known as counterpunching, are a nightmare to Pacquiao’s aggressive, come forward style. Their first two encounters are still the subject of debates up to this very moment. Okay, let’s try to lay those debates to rest. Marquez won more rounds than Pacquiao did in their first encounter, the second one, well… it was pretty even. But the 3 knockdowns in the first fight and the lone knockdown in the 3rd canto of the 2nd encounter won Pacquiao both fights. Yes, Pacquiao also won the first fight, had it not been for the arithmetic incompetence of Burt Clements who scored the first round 10-7 instead of 10-6 for Pacquiao. Anyhow, there’s still no better way to settle the score than to do a 3rd face-off.

4. Miguel Angel “Junito” Cotto (33-1-0, 27 KOs) – This Puerto Rican welterweight champion poses the least threat for Pacquiao among the four ring gladiators mentioned in this list. His 5’7” frame and 67” reach is perfect for the Pinoy firebomb that stands just an inch shorter and shares the same reach. Antonio Margarito, regardless of him cheating or not, somehow erased or at least diminished Cotto’s once indomitable persona. The exceptionally fast Pacquiao, albeit considerably smaller, has enough power to hurt him. Cotto also has knockout power in both knuckles, but Pacquiao doesn’t have a glass chin either. Their styles are perfect for each other. A Pacquiao-Cotto showdown is probably the most exciting, most competitive, and most explosive among the prospective future Pacquiao fights, as well as the fight that will most likely happen next.

Source: http://philboxing.com/news/story-24740.html

Arum scoffs at Floyd's 60/40 offer

MANILA, Philippines - Floyd Mayweather Jr. must be hallucinating when he said he wants the bigger purse and wouldn’t agree to a 50/50 split with Manny Pacquiao if ever they get to meet.

Pacquiao’s promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank, made this observation after Mayweather said “it will be a cold day in hell” before he agrees to a 50/50 split with the Filipino.

“You can tell Floyd Mayweather that Bob Arum said he’s delusional,” the legendary promoter, who once had Mayweather under his fold, told The STAR yesterday morning.

“Floyd is not the attraction. Manny is the attraction. Floyd’s got no idea what he’s talking about,” added Arum, stressing that it’s Pacquiao who should get more.

And the Harvard lawyer means “more.”

Arum said a while back that whoever faces Pacquiao next should be happy with 30, 32 or 35 percent of the purse, and that may include Mayweather who hasn’t fought in 17 months.

“Even a 50/50 split with Floyd Mayweather is nonsense,” he said.

Pacquiao, coming off big wins over Juan Manuel Marquez, David Diaz, Oscar dela Hoya and Ricky Hatton, is scheduled to return to the ring on Dec. 17.

Arum said the Mayweather fight isn’t going to happen this year, and so they’re looking at welterweights Miguel Cotto and Shane Mosley, and the smaller guy, Edwin Valero.

Trainer Freddie Roach said Pacquiao will fight Cotto or Mosley at 142 lb, and so far only Mosley, the WBA champion at 147 lb, is biting the bullet, saying he wants to face Pacquiao “now.”

“But I’m not gonna come up with a name until after June 13,” Arum added on the phone, saying Pacquiao will be in New York on that day to watch Cotto against Josh Clottey.

“Then he’ll be back in Los Angeles and I will meet him and Freddie (Roach) there. We will discuss all the options, and get everybody’s input. There’s no rush,” Arum said.

“There’s Cotto, Mosley and Valero. We’re not including Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. because of the weight (he wants to fight Pacquiao at 150 lb) and he’s fighting soon.”

Mayweather, the undefeated ex-pound-for-pound king, is on a comeback, and previous reports said he stands to get $15 million against Juan Manuel Marquez on July 18.

Mayweather is favored to win the fight and stretch his record to 40-0. But this early, people are already talking about Mayweather vs Pacquiao, the reigning pound-for-pound king.

The American champion, as outspoken as his father, trainer Floyd Sr., said he wants a bigger share if he fights Pacquiao. He wants 60/40, and won’t fight at 50/50.

Don’t tell that to Arum. – Abac Cordero

Source: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=473384&publicationSubCategoryId=69