For a while now, fight fans and pundits have been operating on the idea that if the pound-for-pound superfight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather were going to take place, it would have to be in 2010. The reason for that was clear: Floyd is fighting Juan Manuel Marquez on September 19th (rescheduled from the original date of July 18th) and Pacquiao was considered all but certain to fight Miguel Cotto on November 14th.
Not so fast.
Today in this piece from The Grand Rapids Press, Mayweather is quoted as saying, “If Manny Pacquiao really wanted the fight with me, all he's got to do is say it. We could pay Marquez some step-aside money. Pay him a million dollars, that's nothing. Step aside. Then, my man, me and you can make seven figures. Is you ready? Let me know."
So Manny, dah… is you ready? You certainly don’t seem ready to commit to the Cotto fight that we’ve been hearing about for months now. As far as Bob Arum is concerned (Arum promotes both Pacquiao and Cotto), that fight is a done deal, and it appears to have been cleared by the Cotto people, but the unsigned contract has been with Pacquiao’s team for going on two weeks and still the dotted line has not been signed. Quotes from Pac’s people have been cagey on the matter. They’re not sure about the money split (reported to be 65-35 in Pac’s favor). They’re not sure about the catch-weight (reported to be 145 pounds).
In short, it seems like they’re not sure about Cotto. Boxing Scene is reporting that Pacquiao will make a decision on the Cotto contract in the next two days. Meanwhile, the headlines from the boxing world this week (those not devoted to the death of Arturo Gatti) are dominated by a back and forth in the press between Mayweather and Pacquiao’s camp battling over the money split in their non-existent fight. Mayweather says that he won’t consider fighting Pac for a 50-50 deal because he’s the main draw, or to put it in his own words, “the biggest fight in boxing in Mayweather vs. Anybody.” Bob Arum replies that no, of course the fight will not happen at 50-50, because Pacquiao would never settle for that deal either, being that he is the bigger star and deserves a bigger slice of the pie.
On paper, it appears to be a negotiating impasse, and yet I ask you… why are they negotiating at all? Are they negotiating? It certainly sounds like it. Add to that the fact that Floyd is suddenly talking about paying Marquez to step aside from their September bout and Pacquiao is avoiding signing his Cotto contract, and one has to wonder if the biggest fight in boxing, Pacquiao vs. Mayweather, isn’t soon to become more than just a fight fan’s fantasy.
Source: http://www.sportingnews.com/blog/the_sporting_blog/entry/view/28370/is_mayweatherpacquiao_finally_about_to_happen?_
Mayweather vs Ortiz Online Live Streaming
Showing posts with label Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs Juan Manuel Marquez News and Updates. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs Juan Manuel Marquez News and Updates. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr in the Lead
LAS VEGAS (July 15, 2009) –The two greatest pound-for-pound boxers today, Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, Jr., lead a group of six active champions in “The World’s Greatest Ever Boxers” (TWGEB) promotion.
On-line voting at www.GreatestEver.com allows boxing fans from around the world to select the greatest boxer in each of the original eight weight classes, highlighted by the all-time pound-for-pound “Greatest Ever.”
Pacquiao (49-3-2, 37 KOs), riding a 10-fight win streak against a contemporary “Who’s Who” list of world-class boxers, is 3-0 versus other TWGEB nominees, Marco Antonio Barrera (twice) and Oscar de la Hoya. A candidate in TWGEB featherweight division, “Pac Man” has held world titles in five different weight classes, defeating other world champions such as Ricky Hatton, David Diaz, Juan Manuel Marquez and Erik Morales (twice).
Mayweather (39-0, 25 KOs) joins Rocky Marciano, Ricardo Lopez, and Joe Calzaghe as the only unbeaten TWGEB nominees. “Pretty Boy” Floyd, or “Money” Mayweather, retired after stopping Hatton in December of 2007, but he’s returning September 19 to fight Marquez. Mayweather, a lightweight TWGEB candidate, has captured six world titles in five different weight classes.
The four other active fighters who are TWGEB nominees are middleweight Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins (49-5-1, 32 KOs), featherweight Marcos Antonio “Baby Faced Assassin” Barrera (65-7, 43 KOs), bantamweight Hosumi Hasegawa (26-2, 10 KOs) and flyweight Vic “The Raging Bull” Darchinyan (32-2-1, 26 KOs).
Hopkins, arguably the No. 3 rated pound-for-pound fighter today, hasn’t been active since, at the tender age of 44, shocking previously unbeaten Kelly Pavlik last October. Barrera hasn’t fought since losing to Amir Khan this past March by a bloody fifth-round technical decision. Hasegawa makes his ninth WBA bantamweight title defense tonight (July 14) against Nestor Roche in Japan, while Darchinyan moved-up in weight to bantamweight and lost last Saturday night to IBF title-holder Koseph Agbeko by 12-round decision.
The eight categories represent the eight original weight-class divisions: Strawweights are included in the Flyweight category; Super Middleweight in the Light Heavyweight division. Many fighters fought and won titles at a number of different weights. As far as possible they have been nominated in the division that they made their biggest impact. Fighters have not been nominated on the basis of whether they would beat another fighter in that division, though this is, of course, a consideration. More importantly is their overall record, who they fought at the time, as well as the impact they made on the boxing world, and indeed the world around them. All nominees are listed in the voting section at www.GreatestEver.com.
GREATEST EVER WEEKEND OF EVENTS
Boxing fans attending the festivities will be able to celebrate, up close and personal, the achievements of the World’s Greater Ever Boxers. A three-day boxing spectacular is planned October 2-4 at the Paris Las Vegas, commencing that Friday with an official welcome reception and official weigh in for the following evening’s professional boxing show, presented by Sterling Promotions, and featuring Team USA versus Team Europe, capped by an exclusive after party. The event culminates Sunday with The Greater Ever black-tie awards dinner, featuring some of the greatest boxers ever, as well as world-class entertainment, and then an exclusive after party.
The Retired Boxers Foundation (RBF) is the official charity for The World’s Greatest Ever Boxer. RBF assists retired professional boxers in the transition from their days in the ring to dignified retirement, helping those suffering from alcohol and substance abuse problems, homelessness and effects of pugilistic dementia.
Four ticket packages are on sale for the Oct. 2-4 weekend’s events through agents at the following numbers: North America – The Sports Alliance (914.941.3366) Smart Ticket Solutions (847.917.8497); United Kingdom and Europe – Rock Solid Events (UK: 0845 0945 606, Outside UK: +44 845 0945 606); Australasia – Events Worldwide Travel Group (Australia: 1300 788 666, Outside Australia: +61 3 5989 7666).
The event-only packages are as follows (all prices USD): Super VIP ($2,500), Platinum ($1,900), VIP ($1,400) and Gold ($1,115). The Super VIP, Platinum and VIP packages have a number or premiums in addition to those detailed in the Gold (welcome function, weigh-in, Greatest Ever poker tournament, exclusive Paris Las Vegas gaming
area, exclusive memorabilia, movie screenings, access to Greatest Ever dedicated gaming areas and VIP bar, media and legends signings, general seating for the fights and at the awards dinner). Regional agents can provide additional premiums for individual packages.
Source: http://www.doghouseboxing.com/Chee/Chee0715a09.htm
On-line voting at www.GreatestEver.com allows boxing fans from around the world to select the greatest boxer in each of the original eight weight classes, highlighted by the all-time pound-for-pound “Greatest Ever.”
Pacquiao (49-3-2, 37 KOs), riding a 10-fight win streak against a contemporary “Who’s Who” list of world-class boxers, is 3-0 versus other TWGEB nominees, Marco Antonio Barrera (twice) and Oscar de la Hoya. A candidate in TWGEB featherweight division, “Pac Man” has held world titles in five different weight classes, defeating other world champions such as Ricky Hatton, David Diaz, Juan Manuel Marquez and Erik Morales (twice).
Mayweather (39-0, 25 KOs) joins Rocky Marciano, Ricardo Lopez, and Joe Calzaghe as the only unbeaten TWGEB nominees. “Pretty Boy” Floyd, or “Money” Mayweather, retired after stopping Hatton in December of 2007, but he’s returning September 19 to fight Marquez. Mayweather, a lightweight TWGEB candidate, has captured six world titles in five different weight classes.
The four other active fighters who are TWGEB nominees are middleweight Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins (49-5-1, 32 KOs), featherweight Marcos Antonio “Baby Faced Assassin” Barrera (65-7, 43 KOs), bantamweight Hosumi Hasegawa (26-2, 10 KOs) and flyweight Vic “The Raging Bull” Darchinyan (32-2-1, 26 KOs).
Hopkins, arguably the No. 3 rated pound-for-pound fighter today, hasn’t been active since, at the tender age of 44, shocking previously unbeaten Kelly Pavlik last October. Barrera hasn’t fought since losing to Amir Khan this past March by a bloody fifth-round technical decision. Hasegawa makes his ninth WBA bantamweight title defense tonight (July 14) against Nestor Roche in Japan, while Darchinyan moved-up in weight to bantamweight and lost last Saturday night to IBF title-holder Koseph Agbeko by 12-round decision.
The eight categories represent the eight original weight-class divisions: Strawweights are included in the Flyweight category; Super Middleweight in the Light Heavyweight division. Many fighters fought and won titles at a number of different weights. As far as possible they have been nominated in the division that they made their biggest impact. Fighters have not been nominated on the basis of whether they would beat another fighter in that division, though this is, of course, a consideration. More importantly is their overall record, who they fought at the time, as well as the impact they made on the boxing world, and indeed the world around them. All nominees are listed in the voting section at www.GreatestEver.com.
GREATEST EVER WEEKEND OF EVENTS
Boxing fans attending the festivities will be able to celebrate, up close and personal, the achievements of the World’s Greater Ever Boxers. A three-day boxing spectacular is planned October 2-4 at the Paris Las Vegas, commencing that Friday with an official welcome reception and official weigh in for the following evening’s professional boxing show, presented by Sterling Promotions, and featuring Team USA versus Team Europe, capped by an exclusive after party. The event culminates Sunday with The Greater Ever black-tie awards dinner, featuring some of the greatest boxers ever, as well as world-class entertainment, and then an exclusive after party.
The Retired Boxers Foundation (RBF) is the official charity for The World’s Greatest Ever Boxer. RBF assists retired professional boxers in the transition from their days in the ring to dignified retirement, helping those suffering from alcohol and substance abuse problems, homelessness and effects of pugilistic dementia.
Four ticket packages are on sale for the Oct. 2-4 weekend’s events through agents at the following numbers: North America – The Sports Alliance (914.941.3366) Smart Ticket Solutions (847.917.8497); United Kingdom and Europe – Rock Solid Events (UK: 0845 0945 606, Outside UK: +44 845 0945 606); Australasia – Events Worldwide Travel Group (Australia: 1300 788 666, Outside Australia: +61 3 5989 7666).
The event-only packages are as follows (all prices USD): Super VIP ($2,500), Platinum ($1,900), VIP ($1,400) and Gold ($1,115). The Super VIP, Platinum and VIP packages have a number or premiums in addition to those detailed in the Gold (welcome function, weigh-in, Greatest Ever poker tournament, exclusive Paris Las Vegas gaming
area, exclusive memorabilia, movie screenings, access to Greatest Ever dedicated gaming areas and VIP bar, media and legends signings, general seating for the fights and at the awards dinner). Regional agents can provide additional premiums for individual packages.
Source: http://www.doghouseboxing.com/Chee/Chee0715a09.htm
Mayweather-Marquez mystery
The weight-limit mystery persists.
The camps of Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Juan Manuel Marquez -- and the fighters themselves – still refuse to reveal the exact weight limit of their Sept. 12 fight in Las Vegas.
They only reiterated on a conference call Tuesday afternoon that “it’s a welterweight fight,” which presumably means the limit is the welterweight standard of 147 pounds.
Could it be a marking ploy to drum up interest in the fight?
“It will be the most-covered weigh-in ever,” said Golden Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer. “Everyone wants to know what the weight is. Don’t miss it!”
We can assume the limit is NOT 143, one of the numbers that has been mentioned. Mayweather dismissed that number when it was raised.
Mayweather, 32, hasn’t fought since he met Ricky Hatton in December of 2007 and hasn’t weighed in at less than 146 since he met the late Arturo Gatti in 2005.
“This is a welterweight fight,” said Mayweather, who estimated his weight to be 149-150 on Tuesday. “I’ll weigh what a welterweight weighs. I don’t have to weight no 143.”
Even Marquez wouldn’t divulge any more information.
“We have an agreement,” he said through an interpreter. “Anything over 140 is considered to be welterweight. This is a welterweight fight. I’m not expecting anything different.”
Second mystery: Mayweather also refuses to say what he was doing when he damaged cartilage in his ribs and had to postpone his fight against Marquez, although he did say it didn’t’ happen during sparring.
He added that, “I’ll never tell exactly what happened.”
Then, when he was asked why it was a secret, Mayweather responded: “Who said it’s a secret? I got hurt in training. Let’s leave it at that.”
(Scratching my head.)
The nice side: As usual, Mayweather spent much of the conference call insulting half the people in the boxing business. However, he softened when it came to Gatti, who he stopped in six rounds in 2005.
“Gatti was blood and guts,” he said. “Even in the sixth round, (Gatti’s trainer Buddy) McGirt said, ‘I’m gonna stop it.’ Gatti said, ‘No, let me fight.’ McGirt said again, ‘I’m gonna stop it.” He said, ‘No, let me fight.’ That’s a warrior. I take my hat off to him.”
Mayweather also had advice for other athletes and entertainers.
“Careful who you marry, who you choose as girlfriends. You never really know a person,” he said.
Gatti’s wife has been accused of murdering him in Brazil.
Ego run amok: Mayweather was asked whether he’d be disappointed if he never fought Manny Pacquiao.
“I’ll already going down as one of the best of all time – if not THE best,” he said.
Uh, right.
No 50-50: Mayweather said a fight against Pacquiao -- the fight most people believe is the biggest possible in boxing -- could happen but won’t if Pacquaio’s promoter, Bob Arum, doesn’t rethink his position.
Mayweather said Arum has offered a 50-50 split of the purse.
“(Arum) knows that’s not going to happen,” he said. “… If Bob wasn’t so greedy, the fight would happen.”
Source: http://www.ringtv.com/blog/880/mayweathermarquez_mystery/
The camps of Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Juan Manuel Marquez -- and the fighters themselves – still refuse to reveal the exact weight limit of their Sept. 12 fight in Las Vegas.
They only reiterated on a conference call Tuesday afternoon that “it’s a welterweight fight,” which presumably means the limit is the welterweight standard of 147 pounds.
Could it be a marking ploy to drum up interest in the fight?
“It will be the most-covered weigh-in ever,” said Golden Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer. “Everyone wants to know what the weight is. Don’t miss it!”
We can assume the limit is NOT 143, one of the numbers that has been mentioned. Mayweather dismissed that number when it was raised.
Mayweather, 32, hasn’t fought since he met Ricky Hatton in December of 2007 and hasn’t weighed in at less than 146 since he met the late Arturo Gatti in 2005.
“This is a welterweight fight,” said Mayweather, who estimated his weight to be 149-150 on Tuesday. “I’ll weigh what a welterweight weighs. I don’t have to weight no 143.”
Even Marquez wouldn’t divulge any more information.
“We have an agreement,” he said through an interpreter. “Anything over 140 is considered to be welterweight. This is a welterweight fight. I’m not expecting anything different.”
Second mystery: Mayweather also refuses to say what he was doing when he damaged cartilage in his ribs and had to postpone his fight against Marquez, although he did say it didn’t’ happen during sparring.
He added that, “I’ll never tell exactly what happened.”
Then, when he was asked why it was a secret, Mayweather responded: “Who said it’s a secret? I got hurt in training. Let’s leave it at that.”
(Scratching my head.)
The nice side: As usual, Mayweather spent much of the conference call insulting half the people in the boxing business. However, he softened when it came to Gatti, who he stopped in six rounds in 2005.
“Gatti was blood and guts,” he said. “Even in the sixth round, (Gatti’s trainer Buddy) McGirt said, ‘I’m gonna stop it.’ Gatti said, ‘No, let me fight.’ McGirt said again, ‘I’m gonna stop it.” He said, ‘No, let me fight.’ That’s a warrior. I take my hat off to him.”
Mayweather also had advice for other athletes and entertainers.
“Careful who you marry, who you choose as girlfriends. You never really know a person,” he said.
Gatti’s wife has been accused of murdering him in Brazil.
Ego run amok: Mayweather was asked whether he’d be disappointed if he never fought Manny Pacquiao.
“I’ll already going down as one of the best of all time – if not THE best,” he said.
Uh, right.
No 50-50: Mayweather said a fight against Pacquiao -- the fight most people believe is the biggest possible in boxing -- could happen but won’t if Pacquaio’s promoter, Bob Arum, doesn’t rethink his position.
Mayweather said Arum has offered a 50-50 split of the purse.
“(Arum) knows that’s not going to happen,” he said. “… If Bob wasn’t so greedy, the fight would happen.”
Source: http://www.ringtv.com/blog/880/mayweathermarquez_mystery/
MAYWEATHER & MARQUEZ CONFERENCE CALL HIGHLIGHTS
Although the summer is in full swing, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Juan Manuel Marquez are already thinking about the fall and their September 19th mega-fight. Check out what both fighters had to say as they discussed their upcoming bout during a media conference call.
FLOYD MAYWEATHER JR. ON HIS FIGHT WITH MARQUEZ...
"With the layoff that was a good thing. When I was training a little while back I was pushing myself to the limit."
"I'm anticipating getting back in the ring. It's making me work so hard. I'm waking up at 4 in the morning."
"Marquez is a Mexican warrior he represents himself and the heritage extremely well. What I got to do is be me and box smart."
"All jokes aside. I can't overlook this guy."
"Guys like Marquez deserve a shot so he can make some money."
"I would have to rate him [Juan Manuel Marquez] over Manny. For a guy to knock him down three times in the first round and he comes back to get a draw, we know who lost."
FLOYD MAYWEATHER JR. ON HIS RIB INJURY...
"I got hurt in training and I'll leave it at that. I don't have to go in depth in what happened to me."
"Believe me, it wasn't a small guy that done it, but it didn't even come from sparring."
"When it happened, I tried to work through it. I was sparring for a while, but then it happened again. I said, 'You know what, I can't try to be a superhero. I've got to take time off and let it heal.' I'd never tell exactly what happened. I just had a rib injury."
FLOYD MAYWEATHER JR. ON MANNY PACQUIAO...
"I don't have anything bad to say about him because he's never called me out."
"He's never said he wants to fight me."
"You don't hear fighters calling me out and if they do it's because they only want a payday."
"If Manny really does want to fight me all he's got do to is say it. We can pay Marquez to step aside, we can pay him $1 million. Is you ready? Let me know."
"If he [Bob Arum] wouldn't be so greedy, that fight would happen."
"Bob Arum wants [a] 50-50 [purse split], that's why we'll never get that fight."
"We don't like to negotiate our personal business, but everybody knows [Pacquiao] is not going to get a 50-50 with Floyd Mayweather."
"Manny is a good fighter, don't take nothing away from him."
"But fans seem to forget this, when he got beat by Erik Morales I was still at the top of my game. He hasn't done anything that I haven't done. He just followed behind me."
"It's like a T-bone steak. I eat all the meat off the steak and they threw him the bone."
"He hasn't done nothing I haven't done. Where was he when I was dominating in the '90s? He hasn't called me out. I'm not hard to find. I ain't worried about him. With or without him, I'm comfortable. I'm happy. He don't make me. I don't chase opponents. Opponents chase me. The biggest fight in boxing is Mayweather versus anybody."
"Manny Pacquiao has the worst contract in boxing with Bob Arum right now; 27 percent."
"I keep 100 percent of my money. Are you serious? 27 percent?"
JUAN MANUEL MARQUEZ ON HIS FIGHT WITH MAYWEATHER...
"I believe this is the hardest fight of my life. I have to box intelligently."
"I'm putting all the ingredients together in my game plan so I can beat Mayweather."
"I'm getting ready for the best Mayweather ever. I not thinking about his retirement."
"I'm thinking of beating the best fighter in the world."
"Mayweather is the best. He retired undefeated. When I fought Manny, I thought I beat him both times."
JUAN MANUEL MARQUEZ ON MAYWEATHER'S RIB INJURY...
"I was peaceful. I knew that's it was just a misstep. I was ready but I remained calm. Whatever happens I know this sport, you know that injuries are a big part of any sport. I just had to stay calm and now I'm getting ready again."
"I'm sure that there's solid evidence."
"There should be some paperwork from the doctor, and I'm sure he presented the paperwork that was needed. I was calm. I'm fine. Things happen for a reason."
RICHARD SCHAEFER ON A MAYWEATHER-PACQUIAO CLASH...
"Floyd Mayweather in his last two fights generated more than the last five Pacquiao fights combined. That's a fact."
"A fighter, just like anyone else, has a certain market value they establish over time."
"Mayweather, in his last two fights did 3.5 million buys with Hatton and Oscar. Pacquiao has fought the same two guys and it did a little more than half of that."
"So, it's difficult for Floyd, who has worked so hard to get to where he is today, to say, 'Okay, it should be 50/50,' because in fact, it shouldn't be 50/50. Each guy has a certain market value and they should get compensated accordingly."
Source: http://www.fighthype.com/pages/content5257.html
FLOYD MAYWEATHER JR. ON HIS FIGHT WITH MARQUEZ...
"With the layoff that was a good thing. When I was training a little while back I was pushing myself to the limit."
"I'm anticipating getting back in the ring. It's making me work so hard. I'm waking up at 4 in the morning."
"Marquez is a Mexican warrior he represents himself and the heritage extremely well. What I got to do is be me and box smart."
"All jokes aside. I can't overlook this guy."
"Guys like Marquez deserve a shot so he can make some money."
"I would have to rate him [Juan Manuel Marquez] over Manny. For a guy to knock him down three times in the first round and he comes back to get a draw, we know who lost."
FLOYD MAYWEATHER JR. ON HIS RIB INJURY...
"I got hurt in training and I'll leave it at that. I don't have to go in depth in what happened to me."
"Believe me, it wasn't a small guy that done it, but it didn't even come from sparring."
"When it happened, I tried to work through it. I was sparring for a while, but then it happened again. I said, 'You know what, I can't try to be a superhero. I've got to take time off and let it heal.' I'd never tell exactly what happened. I just had a rib injury."
FLOYD MAYWEATHER JR. ON MANNY PACQUIAO...
"I don't have anything bad to say about him because he's never called me out."
"He's never said he wants to fight me."
"You don't hear fighters calling me out and if they do it's because they only want a payday."
"If Manny really does want to fight me all he's got do to is say it. We can pay Marquez to step aside, we can pay him $1 million. Is you ready? Let me know."
"If he [Bob Arum] wouldn't be so greedy, that fight would happen."
"Bob Arum wants [a] 50-50 [purse split], that's why we'll never get that fight."
"We don't like to negotiate our personal business, but everybody knows [Pacquiao] is not going to get a 50-50 with Floyd Mayweather."
"Manny is a good fighter, don't take nothing away from him."
"But fans seem to forget this, when he got beat by Erik Morales I was still at the top of my game. He hasn't done anything that I haven't done. He just followed behind me."
"It's like a T-bone steak. I eat all the meat off the steak and they threw him the bone."
"He hasn't done nothing I haven't done. Where was he when I was dominating in the '90s? He hasn't called me out. I'm not hard to find. I ain't worried about him. With or without him, I'm comfortable. I'm happy. He don't make me. I don't chase opponents. Opponents chase me. The biggest fight in boxing is Mayweather versus anybody."
"Manny Pacquiao has the worst contract in boxing with Bob Arum right now; 27 percent."
"I keep 100 percent of my money. Are you serious? 27 percent?"
JUAN MANUEL MARQUEZ ON HIS FIGHT WITH MAYWEATHER...
"I believe this is the hardest fight of my life. I have to box intelligently."
"I'm putting all the ingredients together in my game plan so I can beat Mayweather."
"I'm getting ready for the best Mayweather ever. I not thinking about his retirement."
"I'm thinking of beating the best fighter in the world."
"Mayweather is the best. He retired undefeated. When I fought Manny, I thought I beat him both times."
JUAN MANUEL MARQUEZ ON MAYWEATHER'S RIB INJURY...
"I was peaceful. I knew that's it was just a misstep. I was ready but I remained calm. Whatever happens I know this sport, you know that injuries are a big part of any sport. I just had to stay calm and now I'm getting ready again."
"I'm sure that there's solid evidence."
"There should be some paperwork from the doctor, and I'm sure he presented the paperwork that was needed. I was calm. I'm fine. Things happen for a reason."
RICHARD SCHAEFER ON A MAYWEATHER-PACQUIAO CLASH...
"Floyd Mayweather in his last two fights generated more than the last five Pacquiao fights combined. That's a fact."
"A fighter, just like anyone else, has a certain market value they establish over time."
"Mayweather, in his last two fights did 3.5 million buys with Hatton and Oscar. Pacquiao has fought the same two guys and it did a little more than half of that."
"So, it's difficult for Floyd, who has worked so hard to get to where he is today, to say, 'Okay, it should be 50/50,' because in fact, it shouldn't be 50/50. Each guy has a certain market value and they should get compensated accordingly."
Source: http://www.fighthype.com/pages/content5257.html
MAYWEATHER TO FACE MARQUEZ AT A GUESS-WEIGHT?
Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Juan Manuel Marquez held a conference call to promote their September 19th clash, a bout that was originally scheduled to take place this weekend, July 18th, until a rib injury suffered by Mayweather forced a postponement. Ever since the fight was announced, there's been much speculation as to what weight the two fighters would meet at. Fortunately, all the involved parties cleared up any confusion during the call by informing the media in attendance that the fight was a welterweight bout, meaning anything between 141 and 147 pounds. Huh?
Originally, it was believed that both fighters would meet at a catch-weight of 143 or 144 pounds, but to the surprise of Marquez's trainer, Nacho Beristain, rumors began to surface weeks ago that the fight was actually taking place at the welterweight limit of 147 pounds. "They are saying that they changed it to 147 pounds. Juan is eager to fight Mayweather and does not care about that, but if the fight is allowed to take place at that weight, Floyd could rise to 160-pounds by the time he enters the ring, or more. The chances of that taking place if he weiged 143 are far less because he would have to work a lot harder to make the weight. I need to speak to Juan about this," Beristain told The Record.
Today, it appears that no one was eager to discuss the actual weight limit of the bout. In fact, De La Hoya revealed that they were keeping it a mystery to get people to watch the weigh-in on September 18th. The question is why the big secret? Since when is it important to get people to tune in to a weigh-in? It seems odd that the promoters would keep the weight a secret, especially when most fans already believe that Marquez is coming into the fight at a big disadvantage. Marquez has never fought higher than the lightweight limit of 135 pounds. Although Mayweather revealed that he's already close to 147 pounds, one would think that the matchup would look more competitive and sell more tickets if fans knew in advance that the welterweight was willing to face the lightweight at a catch-weight instead of a guess-weight. Is this truly a case of creating excitement about a weigh-in or is Mayweather uncertain of how low he can go in weight? I guess we'll find out on September 18th.
Source: http://www.fighthype.com/pages/content5256.html
Originally, it was believed that both fighters would meet at a catch-weight of 143 or 144 pounds, but to the surprise of Marquez's trainer, Nacho Beristain, rumors began to surface weeks ago that the fight was actually taking place at the welterweight limit of 147 pounds. "They are saying that they changed it to 147 pounds. Juan is eager to fight Mayweather and does not care about that, but if the fight is allowed to take place at that weight, Floyd could rise to 160-pounds by the time he enters the ring, or more. The chances of that taking place if he weiged 143 are far less because he would have to work a lot harder to make the weight. I need to speak to Juan about this," Beristain told The Record.
Today, it appears that no one was eager to discuss the actual weight limit of the bout. In fact, De La Hoya revealed that they were keeping it a mystery to get people to watch the weigh-in on September 18th. The question is why the big secret? Since when is it important to get people to tune in to a weigh-in? It seems odd that the promoters would keep the weight a secret, especially when most fans already believe that Marquez is coming into the fight at a big disadvantage. Marquez has never fought higher than the lightweight limit of 135 pounds. Although Mayweather revealed that he's already close to 147 pounds, one would think that the matchup would look more competitive and sell more tickets if fans knew in advance that the welterweight was willing to face the lightweight at a catch-weight instead of a guess-weight. Is this truly a case of creating excitement about a weigh-in or is Mayweather uncertain of how low he can go in weight? I guess we'll find out on September 18th.
Source: http://www.fighthype.com/pages/content5256.html
Friday, July 3, 2009
Manny Pacquiao, Mayweather, Marquez: a half year of fans' predictions
The 4th of July weekend marks a celebration of the birth of a revolutionary, freedom-inclined country in North America.
Memorable moments
The 4th of July weekend also represents the halfway point for 2009, a memorable period in the celebrity world that saw the passing (and deaths) of Farrah Fawcett, Ed McMahon, and of course, the King of Pop Michael Jackson. The latter has provided an outpouring of sorrow and tributes - a shadowy valley after the peaks and highs of recent prize fighting performances by Juan Manuel Lopez, Manny Pacquiao, Vladimir Klitschko, and Miguel Cotto.
So back to boxing.
Recapping boxing fans' predictions
Thousands of fight fans provided their predictions and thoughts on fights.
Your predictions
Most of you think that Floyd Mayweather, Jr. will beat Juan Manuel Marquez, a fight that has been rescheduled for September 19 in Las Vegas. That would have to be the majority assessment, although Marquez certainly can give the "Pretty Boy" fits, especially if the Mexican wants to take it to the distance and try to eke out a decision victory. And why not? You consider Marquez has Golden Boy Promotions' best fighter.
But you guys don't really want to see that fight. Ha! You will watch it anyway!
Source: http://www.examiner.com/x-4514-Houston-Boxing-Examiner~y2009m7d3-Manny-Pacquiao-Mayweather-Marquez-a-half-year-of-fans-predictions
Memorable moments
The 4th of July weekend also represents the halfway point for 2009, a memorable period in the celebrity world that saw the passing (and deaths) of Farrah Fawcett, Ed McMahon, and of course, the King of Pop Michael Jackson. The latter has provided an outpouring of sorrow and tributes - a shadowy valley after the peaks and highs of recent prize fighting performances by Juan Manuel Lopez, Manny Pacquiao, Vladimir Klitschko, and Miguel Cotto.
So back to boxing.
Recapping boxing fans' predictions
Thousands of fight fans provided their predictions and thoughts on fights.
Your predictions
Most of you think that Floyd Mayweather, Jr. will beat Juan Manuel Marquez, a fight that has been rescheduled for September 19 in Las Vegas. That would have to be the majority assessment, although Marquez certainly can give the "Pretty Boy" fits, especially if the Mexican wants to take it to the distance and try to eke out a decision victory. And why not? You consider Marquez has Golden Boy Promotions' best fighter.
But you guys don't really want to see that fight. Ha! You will watch it anyway!
Source: http://www.examiner.com/x-4514-Houston-Boxing-Examiner~y2009m7d3-Manny-Pacquiao-Mayweather-Marquez-a-half-year-of-fans-predictions
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Canceled!: Boxing's Lost Summer of 2009
While commenting on another post, it just moments ago really dawned on me how unexciting much of boxing's summer schedule has become. The recent rash of cancellations and postponements has turned what looked pretty decent into something that now feels empty, like months of wasted time in a sport that needs big fights.
I'm not trying to demean the fights we're going to get (for now, anyway), but when you look at June 22 through the end of August and the biggest thing there is a 140-pound title unification between Timothy Bradley and Nate Campbell, that's trouble. If you count June, July and August as "the summer months" for the sport, we're going to wind up having passed a quarter of the year where the biggest fight was Miguel Cotto's rumble with Joshua Clottey on June 13.
The Klitschko-Haye debacle of June 20 was big, as it took a fight that people all over the world were interested in seeing and replaced it with YAKC (Yet Another Klitschko Cakewalk). Kelly Pavlik's return -- though a "light" fight against Sergio Mora -- was turned into an uninteresting Juan Manuel Lopez fight against an unknown challenger on June 27. Even the June 20 rematch between Chris John and Rocky Juarez factors in.
The biggie, of course, is the postponement of Mayweather-Marquez, likely being rescheduled for September, when it's also expected that Pavlik will fight again.
There are good fights that will happen. Bradley-Campbell is good. Joseph Agbeko-Vic Darchinyan (July 11) is good. Juan Diaz-Paulie Malignaggi (August 22) is decent. I like the Nonito Donaire-Hugo Cazares fight on August 15, but that's pay-per-view, too.
Cotto and Manny Pacquiao will get it on in November, and the fall block looks loaded right now. With that, the rescheduled Mayweather-Marquez fight and the Pavlik return likely in September, a highly-anticipated rematch between Chad Dawson and Glen Johnson, and maybe a ring return from Ricky Hatton and hopefully something out of Shane Mosley, boxing can really kick the fires from September through November. I think there's even an outside shot that Cotto-Pacquiao will top Hatton-Pacquiao as the event of the year.
And the thing is, there's really no one to blame. Promoters set up fights, and the fights now aren't happening. But saying the stars aren't aligning for boxing this summer is a huge understatement. It's downright bleak.
Source: http://www.badlefthook.com/2009/6/22/921344/canceled-boxings-lost-summer-of
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Hey , Floyd draw!....oh right , you can't
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What do you get when you put Floyd Mayweather in a fight with another counterpuncher? A fight that seems to have trouble drawing flies. Maybe that's a little harsh , but the reality is that two counterpunchers , no matter how skilled , is not going to be a fight of the year candidate.
PBF (Pretty Boring Floyd ) has got to have one friend that he can buy that will be honest enough to tell Floyd , "Dude , most of the people buying tickets want to see you get knocked out!" But in Floyd's world he is the draw. He recently said that he was coming back because " I missed boxing and boxing missed me." Well that is half right anyway. I'm sure something you have done your whole life and have , I'll admit it begrudgingly , been good at must be a little like being homesick.
Your pound for pound crown has been bestowed on that Filipino cyclone named Pacquiao. And Manny has more than ably worn that crown with great pride and to us boxing fans he has worn it with excitement. Something that seemed to be missing during your reign.
So does Floyd come out of retirement and honestly go after Pacquiao. No. Mayweather and Marquez see a win in their fight as a ticket to the Pacman bowl. Only trouble is that Manny doesn't want a third fight with Marquez and Floyd evidently believes that he is the boxer everyone wants to see. Hey Floyd! Wake up and welcome to reality. Making it rain money on 24/7 only makes you look like a spoiled little kid , last I looked I didn't see too many adults running up to kids like that to say how precious they were. On your De La Hoya 24/7 you were quoted as saying that you were going to kill the m_____ f_____. I think the boxing law states that you have to be an offensive minded fighter to say those words. Your fight was more like a game of tag. And truth be known DeLa Hoya won every round that he used his jab. The same jab that Freddie Roach implored Oscar to use the whole fight.
You are a defensive genius and your wins over Gatti and Corrales were masterpieces. But your fights at welterweights are the equivalent of a sleep aid. People walked out on your fight with Baldomir. And now you wait for the people to greet you with open arms. Wide open yawns are more likely. Look at your recent history. De La Hoya was the draw. Hatton. Ricky was the draw.
You need a dance partner that hates to dance. Cotto , Clottey or better yet , Shane Mosley. I know alot of boxing fans and the report of you coming back was greeted with a....well, nothing. Nobody really seemed to care. Reports that your fight with Marquez was a hard sell should tell you something. Stop acting like you are the man. You've been replaced , but you want your old job back. It is like me telling my old boss , "I will do half the work , make people hate me and I want you to pay me twice as much as my coworkers." And I'm so out of touch that I honestly believe what I ask for. Sorry Floyd , it just ain't happening. Fight fans are smarter than that. Maybe its time to join us in the real world.
Source: 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/
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
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
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
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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
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/
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/
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
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
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
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
Monday, June 8, 2009
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
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
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
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
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
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
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
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