The negotiations for a possible $80 million super fight between pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao and former No.1 Floyd Mayweather Jr have been stalled and its not because Top Rank promoter Bob Arum and Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer have hit a snag. Its all because of Pacquiao’s reported firm decision to run for a congressional seat in Sarangani.
After a series of frantic overseas telephone conversations with Pacquiao’s lawyer Franklin “Jeng” Gacal Arum told us he was informed that Pacquiao had decided to run for Congress and that the newspaper photos and reports quoting Pacquiao as asking for support for the Party List group Pwersang Bayaning Atleta were supposedly misleading. The impression that he would vie for a seat as a representatve of the PBA party list group were reportedly incorrect.
Pacquiao’s longtime friend and sometime confidant Rex “Wakee” Salud told us that Pacquiao would run in Sarangani and that there is a good chance he would run unopposed, banking on an apparent effort by President Arroyo to appeal to the well-established Chiongbian family to withdraw from the congressional race.
Salud said he was 99% sure that Pacquiao would run and win, no matter what.
Given this scenario Arum told BoxingScene.com, insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports “what’s there to talk about” when asked for an update on his talks with Schaefer on a Mayweather fight.
Arum said “if worse comes to worse we’ll go back to the original plan for a March 13 fight” in which the new Dallas Cowboys billion dollar stadium is the likely venue.
He said Pacquiao “will fight somebody else” although no names were mentioned and Mayweather may go to England and fight Matthew Hatton, the brother of former IBO light welterweight champion Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton which has been mentioned as a possibility and the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight will happen at the end of the year.
Arum said “anyway, let’s see what happens” after the deadline for Manny to file his Certificate of Candidacy.
Source: boxingscene.com
Monday, November 30, 2009
It is not a sin to like both Money & Manny
By Klaas Mabetlela: Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao have divided the boxing fans down the middle and the fans’ fight is reaching a boiling point. For most general fans, Money may have already lost the fight with Manny even before the bell rings. Mayweather will still be labeled as ‘boring’ and not brave enough after the fight even if he wins clearly. His sin is being the most complete practitioner of trade during his era. Love him or hate him, the guy just knows how to box and has a boxing brain second to none. For most general fans, this is still not good enough.
After all, this is a sweet- science and Money Mayweather seems to have invented the term. Most general fans prefer blood-drenched fighting styles of the likes of Gatti and Mancini. I like watching that too but I also enjoy looking at the practitioners of sweet-science plying their trade. They prefer to hit and not get hit and dazzle their opponents with artistry like a master painter. Manny Pacquiao’s style is aggressively entertaining and we are blessed to have him in sport and it is not my accident that he commands such a deserved fanatical following. Money and Manny are a huge credit to the sport and it is not a sin to like them both.
Most fans pick a certain style and whoever does not practice it is labeled and will never be appreciated. I just think they miss a lot because boxing is full of diversity. The styles of Manny and Money do not have to create two warring fan base. We can like their styles as different as they are because that is what sport is all about. I like them both and think that they are both great for the sport. Personalities and egos are also part and parcel of the game and people should not be too carried away about that.
Money and Manny are both super athletes who are committed to their craft and they do not need to have same personalities and lifestyles to mesmerize us when they ply their trade. Ironically the very fact that we rather have a ‘good guy’ and ‘bad-guy’ in the equation will ensure that they share the biggest payday in history of the sport when they finally meet in the ring. And that is not bad for business at all.
Source: boxingnews24.com
Manny Pacquiao vs Floyd Mayweather: Odds are 80 million to 1 that the fight happens
News hit the media this weekend that negotiations for the Manny Pacquiao vs Floyd Mayweather fight have gone very well. Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum and Floyd Mayweather representative, Golden Boy's Richard Schaefer sat down together to try to iron out details for a Pacman-Money blockbuster.
Along with the purse for each fighter, the promoters have to find a venue for this megafight to take place. Word is that Dallas, Las Vegas and New York are the front runners.
New York would like the fight at the new Yankee Stadium. Experts believe the tax situation for that venue will keep New York from hosting the fight. Las Vegas would like to keep their name synonymous with big fights, but Dallas has the new Cowboys stadium and currently seems the best bet to get the event.
The real surprise is the lack of a surprise. That is that negotiations are going so well. The promoters think that the fight could have an $80 million purse attached to it. It would be hard to imagine either fighter turning down $40 million dollars.
The negotiations probably went this smoothly, Richard, "we're all going to be rich". Arum probably responded,"you mean we're going to be richer, see you on the press tour".
There is no way that this fight will not get done when you are talking about that kind of payday. It would seem that the only thing left up in the air would be the date. With Manny coming off of his big win against Miguel Cotto and Mayweather having beat Juan Manuel Marquez in September, it would appear a May date would be likely.
I have talked to people that don't follow boxing that have said that this is a fight they will buy. So will all the casual fans make this fight see $90 million or even, $100 million? The possibility would seem to be there for that to happen.
$80 million dollars. Man, I am in the wrong bussiness.
Source: examiner.com
Handlers of Pacquiao, Floyd talking
WHILE both Top Rank promoter Bob Arum and Golden Boy Promotions chief executive Richard Schaefer are adhering strictly to their “no comment” agreement on how negotiations are progressing in an effort to get a deal done between the camps of Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr., indications are some progress is being made.
Schaefer has been asked to negotiate for the Mayweather camp by the fighter’s top adviser Leonard Ellerbe in order not to create any problems. Ellerbe and Arum had a testy relationship in the past.
But Schaefer did say that he and Arum met last Monday in Las Vegas. “We will have on-going communication and negotiations in the coming week.”
Pacquiao himself wants to fight Mayweather and believes the fight will be made after some hard bargaining.
If insider talk is anything to go by, then both sides, despite their posturing as to who should get the higher percentage of the revenue split beginning with a 60-40 demand and then going down to 55-45, are likely to settle for an even 50-50 percent sharing.
Meantime, the battle of possible venues for a fight that is bound to re-establish boxing and smash all pay-per-view records is heating up with Texas taking the lead.
Source: manilastandardtoday.com
Schaefer has been asked to negotiate for the Mayweather camp by the fighter’s top adviser Leonard Ellerbe in order not to create any problems. Ellerbe and Arum had a testy relationship in the past.
But Schaefer did say that he and Arum met last Monday in Las Vegas. “We will have on-going communication and negotiations in the coming week.”
Pacquiao himself wants to fight Mayweather and believes the fight will be made after some hard bargaining.
If insider talk is anything to go by, then both sides, despite their posturing as to who should get the higher percentage of the revenue split beginning with a 60-40 demand and then going down to 55-45, are likely to settle for an even 50-50 percent sharing.
Meantime, the battle of possible venues for a fight that is bound to re-establish boxing and smash all pay-per-view records is heating up with Texas taking the lead.
Source: manilastandardtoday.com
Dear Promoters
By Chris Acosta - I’m as excited as anyone about Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao settling the pound for pound score early next year. It’s not only serious match of the finest pugilistic skills of this (and possibly any) era, but more importantly, it lifts boxing above sporting headlines and into mainstream awareness. Such a fiscal monster is this event that it is being wooed by cities across the United States hoping to conciliate their economic vagaries. Let’s face it: this is as big as it gets.
My thoughts, however; are not so much on the fight itself as they are on the moments after the final bell when we will inevitably ask: “What’s next?” It’s a question that we humans love to embrace, a narcissistic slight to futures without promise.. Whoever wins the bout will have etched a place among the boxing immortals and the loser left to lick the terrible wounds of what could have been. Regardless of the outcome, boxing will continue on in the days and weeks to follow: more anticipation, disappointment, triumph and all the variables that keep us coming back time and time again. But how many returnees will be newly recruited from the mainstream masses? How many of those drawn in by the hype of the “Money”- “Pacman” clash, are going to accept boxing as part of their regular viewing diet?
There was once a time when boxers used the amateur program as a platform for professional success. Not only were amateur fighters afforded the experience of competing abroad and being exposed to various styles in the ring, if they were lucky enough to find their way onto the Olympic team, they were instantly sought after by promotional companies and made recognizable to the public. Before they even threw the first punch for pay, we knew who they were and what their stories were and we followed them along the way. We saw their development and crossed our fingers for them. We witnessed their successes and failures. And we saw them take opponents without their privilege, with them into stardom.
But as we all know, the amateur boxing program gradually devolved into a political farce. We couldn’t identify with faces concealed in oversized headgear and it was awfully hard to get pumped up about an Olympic bout that aired at 2:47 A.M. Suddenly, boxing was devoid of the stars that symbolized pre-1984. Let’s face it #2: people want a story. We need to feel compelled by athletes in order to fully embrace them. It’s simply not enough nowadays to function solely on substance: consider that Shane Mosley- a dynamic boxer if there ever was one- never became the star he seemed destined to be after twice defeating Olympic darling Oscar De La Hoya. It’s not fair but we know that life just isn’t that.
So without a dependable amateur program, where can boxing display its finest practitioners to its largest audience? Duh…the undercards of its Pay-Per-View events.
The problem (and there’s always one, isn’t there?) is that there aren’t any promoters who have fully taken advantage of this outlet which quite frankly, is as staggering as the minutes following the third shot of Tequila. While waiting for the Pacquiao- Miguel Cotto main feature, we were force-fed Yuri Foreman dancing around a badly faded Daniel Santos and Julio Ceasar Chavez Jr. going through the motions against another overmatched opponent from the mid-west. Yuri Foreman? Chavez Jr.? What gives? What foul demon possessed promoter Bob Arum to pick an unexciting boxer and a glorified, untested one, on an occasion of this magnitude? Arum isn’t known for his ability to accept criticism and this was evidenced by his refusal to answer a fan’s question about said undercard while appearing as a guest on a radio boxing program. I believe that went so far as to hang up on the dude. He should have been tied to a chair and had a Bluetooth device shoved into each ear so that he had to answer the question because it warranted one.
To be impartial, I have nothing against either Foreman (who became Israel’s second boxer to ever win a championship) or Chavez who is fighting a most difficult opponent: filling his legendary Father’s shoes. But neither has a particularly exceptional following or style to command our hard earned (some days, at least) dollar. And what’s even more unsettling to this stomach is that I can see it happening again on a day when a record audience is expected.
I’ve given this quandary a lot of thought and even devised unrealistic plans: contacting Arum while disguised as a terminally ill child and asking that my final wish be a great undercard or slipping hallucinogenic drugs into his martini and then visiting him later on as the ghost of Pugilistic present. It’s enough to drive a devoted fan like myself, insane. I don’t know about you, but I am sick and tired of hearing the media spout off about boxing’s decline and MMA fans following suit. What hurts the most is that there is some truth to their assertions. Boxing rarely gives the fans what we want. We complain but put up with it and then find ourselves writing crappy articles about it to whoever is willing to read them.
But it’s not just Arum or Don King. I expected that Golden Boy Productions would upset the trend but they’ve been guilty of the same type of entertainment misallocation. De La Hoya, Bernard Hopkins and Shane Mosley may know fighting and may even be genuinely interested in the fans but they aren’t running the show. Richard Shaefer is the CEO and the Captain of the seven-figure currencies. He’s a businessman, plain and simple and around and around we go.
Wouldn’t it be something is the two main combatants in this saga, Mayweather and Pacquiao, refused to sign for the fight unless the lead- in bouts featured guaranteed draws?
Initially, there might be some concern that they could be outshined but after careful consideration, both parties might discover that more big names added to the card means more money and everyone wins. Arum has been building for a Juan Manuel Lopez- Yuriorkis Gamboa fight and this card would net them more attention than any other HBO or Showtime main event could ever hope to achieve. Lopez is a popular Puerto Rican and Gamboa a Cuban with a steadily growing following. And their styles are more offensive than Chris Arreola’s mouth which makes the idea even more tantalizing.
Arum also promotes newly immersed heavyweight Tomasz Adamek who brings with him a throng of face-painted, flag-waving, Polish devotees. There has been speculation that Adamek wants a piece of current WBA champion David Haye from the U.K., a country which knows a thing or two about fanatical backers. They’re both small heavyweights by today’s standards which means minimal clinching and each man lives to take risks (Yes, Haye was boring against Nicolay Valuev but it was his only flat performance to date and how often is he going to fight a seven-foot tall man, anyway?). The point I am trying to make here is that there are potential stars out there that the average sports fan does not know about and assumes do not exist. Aside from the winner of the main event, it’d be likely that a few more fighters might come out of the night much more popular than before and one day, capable of headlining their own PPV cards. Did you read that promoters?
I know, I know; it’s wishful thinking at its most desperate. I’ve been guilty of being too optimistic from the time I asked out the head cheerleader in 7th grade. But as boxing fans, we have to demand that the product matches the price. Our sport has some serious momentum right now with this impending blockbuster, Showtime’s Super Six Boxing Classic, the Cuban invasion regularly featured on ESPN and assorted bouts like Shane Mosley-Andre Berto, Israel Vasquez, Rafael Marquez 4 (forgot the corresponding Roman numeral, sorry), Timothy Bradley-Lamont Peterson and others. These are promising times and the only thing better would be for that promise to be reached. I’ll cross my fingers, pray to multiple Gods, eat rabbit’s feet and whatever else it takes to make something, anything remotely close to what I wish, happen. Anyone with me?
Source: eastsideboxing.com
My thoughts, however; are not so much on the fight itself as they are on the moments after the final bell when we will inevitably ask: “What’s next?” It’s a question that we humans love to embrace, a narcissistic slight to futures without promise.. Whoever wins the bout will have etched a place among the boxing immortals and the loser left to lick the terrible wounds of what could have been. Regardless of the outcome, boxing will continue on in the days and weeks to follow: more anticipation, disappointment, triumph and all the variables that keep us coming back time and time again. But how many returnees will be newly recruited from the mainstream masses? How many of those drawn in by the hype of the “Money”- “Pacman” clash, are going to accept boxing as part of their regular viewing diet?
There was once a time when boxers used the amateur program as a platform for professional success. Not only were amateur fighters afforded the experience of competing abroad and being exposed to various styles in the ring, if they were lucky enough to find their way onto the Olympic team, they were instantly sought after by promotional companies and made recognizable to the public. Before they even threw the first punch for pay, we knew who they were and what their stories were and we followed them along the way. We saw their development and crossed our fingers for them. We witnessed their successes and failures. And we saw them take opponents without their privilege, with them into stardom.
But as we all know, the amateur boxing program gradually devolved into a political farce. We couldn’t identify with faces concealed in oversized headgear and it was awfully hard to get pumped up about an Olympic bout that aired at 2:47 A.M. Suddenly, boxing was devoid of the stars that symbolized pre-1984. Let’s face it #2: people want a story. We need to feel compelled by athletes in order to fully embrace them. It’s simply not enough nowadays to function solely on substance: consider that Shane Mosley- a dynamic boxer if there ever was one- never became the star he seemed destined to be after twice defeating Olympic darling Oscar De La Hoya. It’s not fair but we know that life just isn’t that.
So without a dependable amateur program, where can boxing display its finest practitioners to its largest audience? Duh…the undercards of its Pay-Per-View events.
The problem (and there’s always one, isn’t there?) is that there aren’t any promoters who have fully taken advantage of this outlet which quite frankly, is as staggering as the minutes following the third shot of Tequila. While waiting for the Pacquiao- Miguel Cotto main feature, we were force-fed Yuri Foreman dancing around a badly faded Daniel Santos and Julio Ceasar Chavez Jr. going through the motions against another overmatched opponent from the mid-west. Yuri Foreman? Chavez Jr.? What gives? What foul demon possessed promoter Bob Arum to pick an unexciting boxer and a glorified, untested one, on an occasion of this magnitude? Arum isn’t known for his ability to accept criticism and this was evidenced by his refusal to answer a fan’s question about said undercard while appearing as a guest on a radio boxing program. I believe that went so far as to hang up on the dude. He should have been tied to a chair and had a Bluetooth device shoved into each ear so that he had to answer the question because it warranted one.
To be impartial, I have nothing against either Foreman (who became Israel’s second boxer to ever win a championship) or Chavez who is fighting a most difficult opponent: filling his legendary Father’s shoes. But neither has a particularly exceptional following or style to command our hard earned (some days, at least) dollar. And what’s even more unsettling to this stomach is that I can see it happening again on a day when a record audience is expected.
I’ve given this quandary a lot of thought and even devised unrealistic plans: contacting Arum while disguised as a terminally ill child and asking that my final wish be a great undercard or slipping hallucinogenic drugs into his martini and then visiting him later on as the ghost of Pugilistic present. It’s enough to drive a devoted fan like myself, insane. I don’t know about you, but I am sick and tired of hearing the media spout off about boxing’s decline and MMA fans following suit. What hurts the most is that there is some truth to their assertions. Boxing rarely gives the fans what we want. We complain but put up with it and then find ourselves writing crappy articles about it to whoever is willing to read them.
But it’s not just Arum or Don King. I expected that Golden Boy Productions would upset the trend but they’ve been guilty of the same type of entertainment misallocation. De La Hoya, Bernard Hopkins and Shane Mosley may know fighting and may even be genuinely interested in the fans but they aren’t running the show. Richard Shaefer is the CEO and the Captain of the seven-figure currencies. He’s a businessman, plain and simple and around and around we go.
Wouldn’t it be something is the two main combatants in this saga, Mayweather and Pacquiao, refused to sign for the fight unless the lead- in bouts featured guaranteed draws?
Initially, there might be some concern that they could be outshined but after careful consideration, both parties might discover that more big names added to the card means more money and everyone wins. Arum has been building for a Juan Manuel Lopez- Yuriorkis Gamboa fight and this card would net them more attention than any other HBO or Showtime main event could ever hope to achieve. Lopez is a popular Puerto Rican and Gamboa a Cuban with a steadily growing following. And their styles are more offensive than Chris Arreola’s mouth which makes the idea even more tantalizing.
Arum also promotes newly immersed heavyweight Tomasz Adamek who brings with him a throng of face-painted, flag-waving, Polish devotees. There has been speculation that Adamek wants a piece of current WBA champion David Haye from the U.K., a country which knows a thing or two about fanatical backers. They’re both small heavyweights by today’s standards which means minimal clinching and each man lives to take risks (Yes, Haye was boring against Nicolay Valuev but it was his only flat performance to date and how often is he going to fight a seven-foot tall man, anyway?). The point I am trying to make here is that there are potential stars out there that the average sports fan does not know about and assumes do not exist. Aside from the winner of the main event, it’d be likely that a few more fighters might come out of the night much more popular than before and one day, capable of headlining their own PPV cards. Did you read that promoters?
I know, I know; it’s wishful thinking at its most desperate. I’ve been guilty of being too optimistic from the time I asked out the head cheerleader in 7th grade. But as boxing fans, we have to demand that the product matches the price. Our sport has some serious momentum right now with this impending blockbuster, Showtime’s Super Six Boxing Classic, the Cuban invasion regularly featured on ESPN and assorted bouts like Shane Mosley-Andre Berto, Israel Vasquez, Rafael Marquez 4 (forgot the corresponding Roman numeral, sorry), Timothy Bradley-Lamont Peterson and others. These are promising times and the only thing better would be for that promise to be reached. I’ll cross my fingers, pray to multiple Gods, eat rabbit’s feet and whatever else it takes to make something, anything remotely close to what I wish, happen. Anyone with me?
Source: eastsideboxing.com
Opinion: Two Ways to Sell the Pacquiao-Mayweather Boxing Fight
The upcoming Pacquiao-Mayweather match is being promoted by via two contrasting ways in order to generate awareness and hype in what appears to be next year's biggest boxing event.
The promoters of the proposed Mayweather-Pacquiao boxing fight must have already agreed at this time to stage the highly anticipated fight between Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao and undefeated American boxer Floyd Mayweather in the early part of next year.
But on purpose, they have opted to hold on to the announcement in order to create hype for for the upcoming fight and subsequently gain publicity mileage. At the same time, the promoters started talking about fight purse, venue, weight limits and other minor issues related to the staging of the fight.
This is normal in any event promotions and publicity drives. Students of marketing will find out that all these publicity are necessary to promote a product so that consumers will be enticed to buy. In this case, they are selling a product or a brand known for instance as 'PacWeather' , a shortcut for Pacquiao-Mayweather. This is Marketing 101 and its a normal way to sell.
However, the proposed Pacquiao-Mayweather boxing match is being sold to boxing fans by means of two contrasting ways. W ether the promoters or the handlers are part of these contrasting efforts, boxing fans may either resent or appreciate the way the two camps present their product for the boxing fans to take.
The Mayweather camp opted to promote the fight via 'trash talk'. Even before the celebrated Pacquiao-Cotto match, Floyd Mayweather, Sr. thinks that Pacquiao was on enhancement drugs or steroids when he faced his opponents.
Here are some of the 'trash talks' that the elder Mayweather said:
"In my honest opinion, I believe that he's on some type of supplements," Floyd Sr. told Michigan's Grand Rapids Press. "I think they're pushing Pacquiao too much -- even if he's got [ste]'roids in his body."
"I don't think that he can beat Little Floyd with steroids in him or not. He don't have that kind of talent or that kind of skill -- whatever he has in him," said Floyd Sr., whose boxer Ricky Hatton was knocked out by Pacquiao in just two rounds.
“I felt that he was on steroids or some type of supplements or some type of enhancement drugs… believe me when I tell you, he's going to get caught,” said the controversial boxing trainer.
All these trash talks were proven to be just that - - 'trash talks' by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC).
“All I can tell you is that Pacquiao, every time he's fought here [in Nevada, has] been tested, as well as his opponents,” said NSAC executive director Keith Kaiser.
“He passed every drug test we did to him, every steroid test we did to him,” he added to counter allegations made by Mayweather Sr. that Pacquiao was into performance enhancement drugs.
The Pacquiao camp opted for a 'no trash talk' to promote the fight as he did during his last fights. The Pacquiao-Cotto fight held in Las Vegas last November 14 was considered a 'model match' by boxing fans for its 'civilized' way of promoting the fight.
Both boxers did not attack each others weaknesses or personal qualities and instead talked highly of each others strengths and good qualities as responsible boxers. Boxing fans certainly love the way the fight was promoted.
The Pacquiao-Cotto match generated more than 1 million pay-per-view buys and was considered the best and biggest fight of the year.
Source: digitaljournal.com
The promoters of the proposed Mayweather-Pacquiao boxing fight must have already agreed at this time to stage the highly anticipated fight between Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao and undefeated American boxer Floyd Mayweather in the early part of next year.
But on purpose, they have opted to hold on to the announcement in order to create hype for for the upcoming fight and subsequently gain publicity mileage. At the same time, the promoters started talking about fight purse, venue, weight limits and other minor issues related to the staging of the fight.
This is normal in any event promotions and publicity drives. Students of marketing will find out that all these publicity are necessary to promote a product so that consumers will be enticed to buy. In this case, they are selling a product or a brand known for instance as 'PacWeather' , a shortcut for Pacquiao-Mayweather. This is Marketing 101 and its a normal way to sell.
However, the proposed Pacquiao-Mayweather boxing match is being sold to boxing fans by means of two contrasting ways. W ether the promoters or the handlers are part of these contrasting efforts, boxing fans may either resent or appreciate the way the two camps present their product for the boxing fans to take.
The Mayweather camp opted to promote the fight via 'trash talk'. Even before the celebrated Pacquiao-Cotto match, Floyd Mayweather, Sr. thinks that Pacquiao was on enhancement drugs or steroids when he faced his opponents.
Here are some of the 'trash talks' that the elder Mayweather said:
"In my honest opinion, I believe that he's on some type of supplements," Floyd Sr. told Michigan's Grand Rapids Press. "I think they're pushing Pacquiao too much -- even if he's got [ste]'roids in his body."
"I don't think that he can beat Little Floyd with steroids in him or not. He don't have that kind of talent or that kind of skill -- whatever he has in him," said Floyd Sr., whose boxer Ricky Hatton was knocked out by Pacquiao in just two rounds.
“I felt that he was on steroids or some type of supplements or some type of enhancement drugs… believe me when I tell you, he's going to get caught,” said the controversial boxing trainer.
All these trash talks were proven to be just that - - 'trash talks' by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC).
“All I can tell you is that Pacquiao, every time he's fought here [in Nevada, has] been tested, as well as his opponents,” said NSAC executive director Keith Kaiser.
“He passed every drug test we did to him, every steroid test we did to him,” he added to counter allegations made by Mayweather Sr. that Pacquiao was into performance enhancement drugs.
The Pacquiao camp opted for a 'no trash talk' to promote the fight as he did during his last fights. The Pacquiao-Cotto fight held in Las Vegas last November 14 was considered a 'model match' by boxing fans for its 'civilized' way of promoting the fight.
Both boxers did not attack each others weaknesses or personal qualities and instead talked highly of each others strengths and good qualities as responsible boxers. Boxing fans certainly love the way the fight was promoted.
The Pacquiao-Cotto match generated more than 1 million pay-per-view buys and was considered the best and biggest fight of the year.
Source: digitaljournal.com
After Cotto and Margarito, Is Mayweather Avoiding Pacquiao?
Boxing fans around the world are looking forward to next year’s most anticipated fight, one that can be billed as the fight of the century.
But chances are, it will not actually take place next year.
News has come out from the internet that Floyd Mayweather Jr. is looking at a tune up bout in England next year against Matthew Hatton, Ricky Hatton’s brother.
Mayweather feels he must still work off ring rust that he accumulated over 21 months of semi-retirement.
Pacquiao has been undefeated in the last four years against Erik Morales, Jorge Solis, David Diaz, Oscar de la Hoya, Ricky Hatton, and Miguel Cotto, all supposedly physically bigger and stronger than Pacquiao until they met in the ring.
Mayweather has beaten all 40 boxers matched up against him, but has never faced a southpaw that has more speed, more power, excellent footwork, and heart bigger than the whole Vegas strip.
Maybe that prompted his decision to have a tune-up fight before they get it on, if they ever do.
Jeff Mayweather was quoted as saying that Floyd has the intention of having a fight in England and is training at the moment but was not focused on facing Pacquiao for his next bout.
What the heck??????!!!!!!!!!
This is the fight that everybody in the world wants to see!
Imagine, two of the world’s best fighters, in their primes, slugging it out for the biggest paying event in sports history.
And he’s turning away from it.
This is the right time to make this fight happen.
No more risks of getting injured or defeated in tune-up bouts or training camp freak accidents.
I’ll say this again, strike whilst the iron is hot Floyd.
Money Mayweather called out Pacquiao on national TV, broadcasting to the world that he’s way better than the Pacman, then all of sudden when he was answered on a local LA TV segment, he turns away.
What was he thinking?
It’s a pretentious way of proclaiming that he’s the best yet he won’t fight the best possible opponent.
Mayweather just wants to be the bully at the negotiating table to get what he wants. He chooses opponents with sub-par skills compared to him so he can push them around and look good in the ring.
Where’s the credibility?
Source: bleacherreport.com
Mayweather Won't Trade Words with Roach, Baits Pacquiao
Floyd Mayweather Jr. continues to bait WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao. Bob Arum of Top Rank, and Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer [acting for Mayweather] are trying to make a Mayweather-Pacquiao deal for May 1, 2010.
During the last few weeks, Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach has been roasting Mayweather with verbal jabs from every angle. Mayweather will not trade words with Roach, but he is willing to trade words with Pacquiao. The Filipino champion is a quiet fighter and doesn't take part in the trash-talking portion of the pre-fight hype festivities. He lets Roach handle that. Mayweather loves to verbally trash his opponents.
When asked to respond to some of Roach's taunts, Mayweather turned the table by taunting Pacquiao.
"I'm the best fighter out there and I speak for myself. Tell Pacquiao to speak for himself. He needs other people to speak for him because he knows that he can't beat me under any circumstances," Mayweather said.
Source: boxingscene.com
During the last few weeks, Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach has been roasting Mayweather with verbal jabs from every angle. Mayweather will not trade words with Roach, but he is willing to trade words with Pacquiao. The Filipino champion is a quiet fighter and doesn't take part in the trash-talking portion of the pre-fight hype festivities. He lets Roach handle that. Mayweather loves to verbally trash his opponents.
When asked to respond to some of Roach's taunts, Mayweather turned the table by taunting Pacquiao.
"I'm the best fighter out there and I speak for myself. Tell Pacquiao to speak for himself. He needs other people to speak for him because he knows that he can't beat me under any circumstances," Mayweather said.
Source: boxingscene.com
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Matt Aguilar: Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr. superfight belongs in Cowboys Stadium
With a pair of pay-per-view fights drawing more than a million buys in 2009, boxing is enjoying a spike in popularity that it hasn't seen since Mike Tyson ruled the heavyweight division 20 years ago.
The sport's resurgence can be traced directly to the star attractions of those two successful PPV events -- Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. And it won't be long now before "Pac-Man" and "Money" square off in a proposed May 1, 2010, showdown that is all but guaranteed to smash previous PPV records and perhaps usher in a new era in boxing.
This is an unprecedented time in boxing. It is on the precipice of becoming important again. And the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight will dictate whether it gets there.
So why not make it as big as it can be?
A statement
While Las Vegas will always be boxing's capital, Pacquiao-Mayweather requires a
Advertisement
grand stage if it hopes to catapult the sweet science back into the mainstream. And the new billion-dollar Dallas Cowboys Stadium is that grand stage.
Cowboys Stadium reportedly is a candidate to host Pacquiao-Mayweather, along with a proposed temporary 30,000 seat stadium on the Vegas Strip, the new Yankee Stadium, CitiField -- the new New York Mets stadium -- and the Superdome in New Orleans.
Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank already has said that Yankee Stadium and Mets Stadium are out for tax reasons. The Superdome is dated. And the temporary stadium proposal in Vegas fails to accommodate one major, undeniable possibility: rain.
The venue that makes the most sense is Cowboys Stadium.
It seats more than 100,000. It has the largest big-screen television on earth, making every seat in the house a good one. It has a retractable roof -- making the weather a non-factor. And it sits in Texas -- a state that is wildly passionate about its boxing.
Whether it's Oscar De La Hoya drawing 47,000 people to the Sun Bowl in El Paso or Julio Cesar Chavez and Pernell Whitaker drawing 65,000 to the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas supports major boxing events.
Arum is well aware of the Lone Star State's passionate, knowledgeable, predominantly Hispanic boxing fans. He saw it first hand with De La Hoya's appearance in the Sun Bowl. And with the Texas pay-per-view receipts that he counts.
Imagine the state's support of a monster event like Pacquiao-Mayweather.
If the point is to make this showdown the pugilistic equivalent of the World Series, NBA Finals and Super Bowl -- then it needs to be in Cowboys Stadium.
Only option
With the help of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, the money making potential and hype for this fight would be unprecedented. The entities that have ignored boxing for years -- the television networks, the national magazines and newspapers, the corporate sponsors -- would be forced to pay attention and recognize boxing as a renewed force.
And while Pacquiao-Mayweather always could end up at the MGM Grand or Mandalay Bay, it simply would be another big fight weekend in Vegas. In Dallas, it would be something never before seen.
Now that's making a statement.
Meanwhile, Vegas wouldn't be threatened. It will always be "Fight Town." It even would benefit if Pacquiao-Mayweather achieved the expected success in Cowboys Stadium, as it would energize the entire sport.
They say everything is bigger in Texas. Wouldn't it make sense, then, to put perhaps the biggest, richest fight of all time in Texas?
If the sport really wanted to capitalize on the momentum, and re-establish itself as a force, this is its chance. If it really wanted to make a statement, then Cowboys Stadium is the only option.
Source: elpasotimes.com
The sport's resurgence can be traced directly to the star attractions of those two successful PPV events -- Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. And it won't be long now before "Pac-Man" and "Money" square off in a proposed May 1, 2010, showdown that is all but guaranteed to smash previous PPV records and perhaps usher in a new era in boxing.
This is an unprecedented time in boxing. It is on the precipice of becoming important again. And the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight will dictate whether it gets there.
So why not make it as big as it can be?
A statement
While Las Vegas will always be boxing's capital, Pacquiao-Mayweather requires a
Advertisement
grand stage if it hopes to catapult the sweet science back into the mainstream. And the new billion-dollar Dallas Cowboys Stadium is that grand stage.
Cowboys Stadium reportedly is a candidate to host Pacquiao-Mayweather, along with a proposed temporary 30,000 seat stadium on the Vegas Strip, the new Yankee Stadium, CitiField -- the new New York Mets stadium -- and the Superdome in New Orleans.
Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank already has said that Yankee Stadium and Mets Stadium are out for tax reasons. The Superdome is dated. And the temporary stadium proposal in Vegas fails to accommodate one major, undeniable possibility: rain.
The venue that makes the most sense is Cowboys Stadium.
It seats more than 100,000. It has the largest big-screen television on earth, making every seat in the house a good one. It has a retractable roof -- making the weather a non-factor. And it sits in Texas -- a state that is wildly passionate about its boxing.
Whether it's Oscar De La Hoya drawing 47,000 people to the Sun Bowl in El Paso or Julio Cesar Chavez and Pernell Whitaker drawing 65,000 to the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas supports major boxing events.
Arum is well aware of the Lone Star State's passionate, knowledgeable, predominantly Hispanic boxing fans. He saw it first hand with De La Hoya's appearance in the Sun Bowl. And with the Texas pay-per-view receipts that he counts.
Imagine the state's support of a monster event like Pacquiao-Mayweather.
If the point is to make this showdown the pugilistic equivalent of the World Series, NBA Finals and Super Bowl -- then it needs to be in Cowboys Stadium.
Only option
With the help of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, the money making potential and hype for this fight would be unprecedented. The entities that have ignored boxing for years -- the television networks, the national magazines and newspapers, the corporate sponsors -- would be forced to pay attention and recognize boxing as a renewed force.
And while Pacquiao-Mayweather always could end up at the MGM Grand or Mandalay Bay, it simply would be another big fight weekend in Vegas. In Dallas, it would be something never before seen.
Now that's making a statement.
Meanwhile, Vegas wouldn't be threatened. It will always be "Fight Town." It even would benefit if Pacquiao-Mayweather achieved the expected success in Cowboys Stadium, as it would energize the entire sport.
They say everything is bigger in Texas. Wouldn't it make sense, then, to put perhaps the biggest, richest fight of all time in Texas?
If the sport really wanted to capitalize on the momentum, and re-establish itself as a force, this is its chance. If it really wanted to make a statement, then Cowboys Stadium is the only option.
Source: elpasotimes.com
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Good vs. evil and a fight that must happen
After Manny Pacquiao completed his destruction of Miguel Cotto, HBO’s Larry Merchant interviewed Freddie Roach at ring center and, with the sound piped throughout the arena, asked Pacquiao’s trainer, “Who would you like to see him fight next?”
“Well,” Roach answered, “the whole world wants to see him fight (Floyd) Mayweather -- I mean, I want Mayweather.”
On the heels of those last three words, the crowd went nuts. In professional wrestling parlance, it’s known as getting a “pop.” Roach’s comment and the crowd’s reaction felt a bit like a scene out of the WWE, quite frankly. And that just happens to be an arena with which Mayweather is intimately familiar.
In wrestling, there’s traditionally a “babyface” and a “heel.” In boxing, it isn’t usually that clear-cut. Boxers don’t typically play characters, and they certainly don’t hit other boxers over the head with coconuts to guarantee they’ll get the boos they’re looking for. Rarely in boxing do you have a well-defined “good guy” taking on a well-defined “bad guy.” More often, it’s a clash where rooting interest is determined by ethnicity, maybe a clash where one guy is a big star and the other isn’t very well known or perhaps a clash where the personalities aren’t particularly identifiable and the fans are rooting for a good fight more than they’re rooting for one specific fighter.
But if and when Pacquiao-Mayweather happens, it will be a fight worthy of Vince McMahon’s promotional predilection. This is good vs. evil, with the roles as plainly laid out as Hulk Hogan vs. the Iron Sheik.
Pacquiao is as likable as they come. If you hate him, you must hate puppies and ice cream. He’s one of the most famous people on the planet yet he remains a man of the people, a smiling, singing superhero (in or out of his Wapakman costume).
Mayweather, meanwhile, wears the black hat proudly, even if some or all of his public persona is an act. His ego knows no bounds. He derides the financially strapped in the midst of a massive recession. He makes a mockery of the weight-making process to get an unfair advantage he doesn’t even need. He disparages Brian Kenny while Kenny argues circles around him. Mayweather has adopted the time-honored tradition that runs from Gorgeous George through Prince Naseem of making sure people are tuning in, even if they’re doing so primarily in hopes of watching him get his comeuppance.
For several of his recent fights, particularly those covered by HBO Countdown shows or 24/7 series, Mayweather has played the antagonist and let his opponent play the protagonist. From Arturo Gatti to Oscar De La Hoya to Ricky Hatton to Juan Manuel Marquez, Mayweather let the public’s desire to see the “good guy” win fuel pay-per-view success. But while Gatti, De La Hoya, Hatton and Marquez all had their distinct “babyface” qualities, none of them wore the white hat with as perfect a fit as Pac-Man does.
There’s just one possible hitch, as HBO blow-by-blow man Jim Lampley points out.
“I think Pacquiao wears the white hat against anybody,” Lampley said, “with the sole caveat being he’s not an American citizen, and there a significant number of fans who are American and will root for any American against any foreign-born opponent. So Manny’s good-guy status in the fight is mitigated by the fact that it’s taking place on American soil, we are viewing it through American filters and he’s not the American guy in the fight.
“But I don’t think that Floyd will really step very far toward using that as a competing good-guy platform. Because 24/7 cameras will be there and Floyd’s Floyd, my instinct is that he’s going to go ahead and grab the villain role around the throat the way he has in previous promotions.”
One question the public has is how much of that grabbing of the villain role comes naturally to Mayweather, and how much of it is well-thought-out theatricality.
David Mayo, a frequent RING contributor who covers boxing for Mayweather’s hometown Grand Rapids Press, knows the fighter who calls himself “Money” quite well and believes there’s a fair amount of separation between the public and private personas.
“A great deal of it is an act,” Mayo said. “I think he’s fallen into that character in a public way where sometimes he has a problem getting out of it, but certainly I don’t think anyone who knows him believes that’s exactly who he is. He just seems to fall into a role just like an actor does.”
So is there any part of Mayweather that has misgivings about playing the bad guy and wishes people would love him instead?
“I think maybe that used to be the case, but I believe he’s completely indifferent to it now,” Mayo said. “I think he realizes we’re not looking for an altar boy; we’re looking for a guy who wins fights and creates controversy and can back up what he says, and to date he’s been able to back up what he says.”
Lampley doesn’t claim to know Mayweather personally well enough to say for certain what’s real and what’s fake, but his presumption is that Mayweather, being an intelligent guy, has largely taken control of his image and shaped it to his liking.
“I think he’s constantly experimenting with the chemical mix of his public image,” Lampley said. “He’s taking little steps here and there to dabble in the dark and dabble in the light, and mix and match and figure out which path he likes at any given moment. And I think he’s capricious about it. It can come from some inner urge at 2:00 in the morning -- tonight I don’t want to be the bad guy, tonight I want to be the good guy. Or perhaps he’s calculating it the whole time. I think this will be a day to do this, and tomorrow will be a day to come back in the opposite direction. Lots of public figures have benefited from such constant reinvention. Madonna’s a great example. And I think there’s a little of that kind of playful manipulation in Floyd. He’s sort of his own public relations firm, for better or for worse.”
The pay-per-view numbers suggest it’s been for the better. Prefight projections on the De La Hoya fight put it anywhere from 1.5 to 2 million buys, and it reached 2.44 million. The Marquez fight was expected to sell to around 600,000-700,000 homes, and it topped 1 million.
And the bad-guy character has served to benefit Mayweather in one other way: He can get away with fighting in his usual defense-first, low-risk style. After all, if the fight stinks, the public will just hate him that much more, which is part of his goal. If Pacquiao puts on a boring performance, his marketability takes a hit. If Mayweather puts on a forgettable boxing clinic, his supporters will love it and his detractors will hate it and tune in next time to hate it some more.
Since we’ve seen Mayweather in good guy vs. bad guy confrontations before, it goes without saying that Mayweather-Pacquiao is not the first case of this history. But you could argue that it would be the most pronounced. There is, however, plenty of competition for that honor.
Every title defense Jack Johnson made was portrayed as black vs. white in the racist sense rather than the headwear sense. Joe Louis vs. Max Schmeling was arguably the biggest boxing match in American history if you look at what it meant to the people and what percentage of them was emotionally invested in it, and it was sold on the notion that Schmeling was aligned with Adolf Hitler (even though the former heavyweight champ never actually supported the Nazi regime). “The Rumble in the Jungle” between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman became a good-vs.-evil match, particularly to the people of Zaire. And if you’re looking for a recent example, how about the Evander Holyfield-Mike Tyson fights, pitting the underdog religious warrior against the favored convicted rapist?
Good vs. evil is just one of many reasons that Pacquiao-Mayweather is box office gold. The selling of this fight really begins with the battle for the pound-for-pound throne, as it’s hard to argue anyone else is among the two best pugilists in the world. But aside from that, the clash of contrasting personalities is maybe the biggest selling point, particularly for mainstream fans who count Pacquiao and Mayweather among about a half-dozen active boxers that they can name.
The money on the table is staggering. Consensus opinion is that this PPV breaks the record set by Mayweather-De La Hoya, possibly by a lot. This could be a 3-million-buy affair. The two fighters separately carried a pair of million-plus-buy bouts in the last two months – something that hasn’t happened in a single calendar year in a decade -- and fortunately for those of us hoping negotiations go smoothly, Pacquiao-Cotto was a huge success but didn’t hit the falsely rumored 2 million mark. Had that been true, it might have been hard to get the Filipino to accept a 50-50 purse split. But all things considered, the fighters are comparable draws and comparable talents so 50-50 makes sense, especially when they could be chopping in half somewhere in the neighborhood of $80-million in profits.
It’s clearly the fight people want to see. On an HBO.com poll last week, fans were asked, “What fight would you most like to see happen in 2010?” and the result was every bit the blowout you’d expect. Mayweather-Pacquiao drew 80 percent of the vote, compared to 12 percent for Mayweather-Shane Mosley, three percent for Wladimir Klitschko vs. Vitali Klitschko and just two percent apiece for Bernard Hopkins-Roy Jones and Juan Manuel Lopez-Yuriorkis Gamboa.
RingTV.com asked Lampley how confident he is that the fight will happen.
“144 percent,” Lampley shot back with a laugh. “Pick any number above 100. It’s going to happen. Which is not to say that it won’t be a torturous negotiation, and I fully expect to see drop-dead moments along the way, then somehow or other it’ll get done.”
Let’s all hope Lampley is right. Because if Mayweather should somehow avoid signing the contract with Pacquiao, he will find out what it really means to be hated by the boxing world.
RASKIN’S RANTS
• This is going to be somewhat wordy for the “Rants” section, but I think it’s worth addressing: I’m disappointed by the amount of negativity being directed toward THE RING’s decision to rank Pacquiao ahead of Mosley at welterweight. To me, logical arguments can be made on either side, and I’m not really at odds with anyone who thinks it should be Mosley but understands why it’s Pacquiao. The people I’m at odds with are the ones who think it’s a travesty to rank Pacquiao first. I realize I’ve seen that opinion more because people will sooner write to complain than they will to agree, and surely many fans put there are in silent agreement with THE RING’s ratings decision. But those who have expressed that “Mosley is clearly No. 1” opinion have let their minds trick them into believing something that isn’t true: that Mosley has done more to earn the ranking.
From a rankings perspective in 2009, what Mosley did at welterweight from 1999-2002 doesn’t really count. (And if it did, then let’s not forget that he lost his last two bouts at the weight during that era.) In recent years, Mosley has had three fights at welterweight. It was enough to get him to No. 1 prior to Pacquiao’s second fight at the weight, but I don’t believe it is anymore. Mosley decisioned Luis Collazo (a very solid win), lost a close decision to Cotto (neither a positive nor a negative) and knocked out Antonio Margarito (an outstanding win over the fighter ranked No. 1 at the time). Pacquiao blew out De La Hoya and more or less blew out Cotto. Mosley is 2-1, Pacquiao 2-0, and their fights against a common opponent – Cotto -- are telling. And it’s ridiculous to say Cotto was a diminished fighter by the time Pacquiao fought him. Watch their fight again (I did when HBO replayed it Saturday night). Cotto looked like Cotto for the first few rounds. He was as sharp as ever in Round 1 and perfectly competitive until the end of the fourth. He looked like a prime Cotto until Pacquiao’s punches started adding up and made him look like a spent force. When a fighter begins a fight looking like he’s in his prime and ends it looking shot, the credit has to go to the guy he was in the ring with. And if you are the type who insists on diminishing every boxing win after the fact, then wasn’t Mosley-Margarito a case of a made-to-order, slow-fisted cheater losing because he was mentally and physically diminished by what happened in his locker room before the fight?
If Mosley beats Andre Berto without controversy in January, there’s an excellent chance I’d support moving him back to the No. 1 spot. But as of now, Pacquiao has accomplished just as much at welterweight and looked better doing it.
• How many times recently have we said, “I’m not surprised Fighter X won, but I didn’t expect him to win like that”? Andre Ward’s destruction of Mikkel Kessler was yet another case of a seemingly competitive fight turning into an eye-opening one-man showcase.
• By the way, Mikkel, you forgot to mention in the postfight interview that the sun was in your eyes the whole time.
• When did Larry David’s dad’s glasses become the hot fashion trend among boxing announcers?
• Ending where I began, with Pacquiao-Mayweather: I love the idea of this fight happening in a massive stadium in Dallas. But I shudder at the thought of Laurence Cole refereeing the biggest fight in boxing and Gale Van Hoy holding a pencil.
Source: ringtv.com
“Well,” Roach answered, “the whole world wants to see him fight (Floyd) Mayweather -- I mean, I want Mayweather.”
On the heels of those last three words, the crowd went nuts. In professional wrestling parlance, it’s known as getting a “pop.” Roach’s comment and the crowd’s reaction felt a bit like a scene out of the WWE, quite frankly. And that just happens to be an arena with which Mayweather is intimately familiar.
In wrestling, there’s traditionally a “babyface” and a “heel.” In boxing, it isn’t usually that clear-cut. Boxers don’t typically play characters, and they certainly don’t hit other boxers over the head with coconuts to guarantee they’ll get the boos they’re looking for. Rarely in boxing do you have a well-defined “good guy” taking on a well-defined “bad guy.” More often, it’s a clash where rooting interest is determined by ethnicity, maybe a clash where one guy is a big star and the other isn’t very well known or perhaps a clash where the personalities aren’t particularly identifiable and the fans are rooting for a good fight more than they’re rooting for one specific fighter.
But if and when Pacquiao-Mayweather happens, it will be a fight worthy of Vince McMahon’s promotional predilection. This is good vs. evil, with the roles as plainly laid out as Hulk Hogan vs. the Iron Sheik.
Pacquiao is as likable as they come. If you hate him, you must hate puppies and ice cream. He’s one of the most famous people on the planet yet he remains a man of the people, a smiling, singing superhero (in or out of his Wapakman costume).
Mayweather, meanwhile, wears the black hat proudly, even if some or all of his public persona is an act. His ego knows no bounds. He derides the financially strapped in the midst of a massive recession. He makes a mockery of the weight-making process to get an unfair advantage he doesn’t even need. He disparages Brian Kenny while Kenny argues circles around him. Mayweather has adopted the time-honored tradition that runs from Gorgeous George through Prince Naseem of making sure people are tuning in, even if they’re doing so primarily in hopes of watching him get his comeuppance.
For several of his recent fights, particularly those covered by HBO Countdown shows or 24/7 series, Mayweather has played the antagonist and let his opponent play the protagonist. From Arturo Gatti to Oscar De La Hoya to Ricky Hatton to Juan Manuel Marquez, Mayweather let the public’s desire to see the “good guy” win fuel pay-per-view success. But while Gatti, De La Hoya, Hatton and Marquez all had their distinct “babyface” qualities, none of them wore the white hat with as perfect a fit as Pac-Man does.
There’s just one possible hitch, as HBO blow-by-blow man Jim Lampley points out.
“I think Pacquiao wears the white hat against anybody,” Lampley said, “with the sole caveat being he’s not an American citizen, and there a significant number of fans who are American and will root for any American against any foreign-born opponent. So Manny’s good-guy status in the fight is mitigated by the fact that it’s taking place on American soil, we are viewing it through American filters and he’s not the American guy in the fight.
“But I don’t think that Floyd will really step very far toward using that as a competing good-guy platform. Because 24/7 cameras will be there and Floyd’s Floyd, my instinct is that he’s going to go ahead and grab the villain role around the throat the way he has in previous promotions.”
One question the public has is how much of that grabbing of the villain role comes naturally to Mayweather, and how much of it is well-thought-out theatricality.
David Mayo, a frequent RING contributor who covers boxing for Mayweather’s hometown Grand Rapids Press, knows the fighter who calls himself “Money” quite well and believes there’s a fair amount of separation between the public and private personas.
“A great deal of it is an act,” Mayo said. “I think he’s fallen into that character in a public way where sometimes he has a problem getting out of it, but certainly I don’t think anyone who knows him believes that’s exactly who he is. He just seems to fall into a role just like an actor does.”
So is there any part of Mayweather that has misgivings about playing the bad guy and wishes people would love him instead?
“I think maybe that used to be the case, but I believe he’s completely indifferent to it now,” Mayo said. “I think he realizes we’re not looking for an altar boy; we’re looking for a guy who wins fights and creates controversy and can back up what he says, and to date he’s been able to back up what he says.”
Lampley doesn’t claim to know Mayweather personally well enough to say for certain what’s real and what’s fake, but his presumption is that Mayweather, being an intelligent guy, has largely taken control of his image and shaped it to his liking.
“I think he’s constantly experimenting with the chemical mix of his public image,” Lampley said. “He’s taking little steps here and there to dabble in the dark and dabble in the light, and mix and match and figure out which path he likes at any given moment. And I think he’s capricious about it. It can come from some inner urge at 2:00 in the morning -- tonight I don’t want to be the bad guy, tonight I want to be the good guy. Or perhaps he’s calculating it the whole time. I think this will be a day to do this, and tomorrow will be a day to come back in the opposite direction. Lots of public figures have benefited from such constant reinvention. Madonna’s a great example. And I think there’s a little of that kind of playful manipulation in Floyd. He’s sort of his own public relations firm, for better or for worse.”
The pay-per-view numbers suggest it’s been for the better. Prefight projections on the De La Hoya fight put it anywhere from 1.5 to 2 million buys, and it reached 2.44 million. The Marquez fight was expected to sell to around 600,000-700,000 homes, and it topped 1 million.
And the bad-guy character has served to benefit Mayweather in one other way: He can get away with fighting in his usual defense-first, low-risk style. After all, if the fight stinks, the public will just hate him that much more, which is part of his goal. If Pacquiao puts on a boring performance, his marketability takes a hit. If Mayweather puts on a forgettable boxing clinic, his supporters will love it and his detractors will hate it and tune in next time to hate it some more.
Since we’ve seen Mayweather in good guy vs. bad guy confrontations before, it goes without saying that Mayweather-Pacquiao is not the first case of this history. But you could argue that it would be the most pronounced. There is, however, plenty of competition for that honor.
Every title defense Jack Johnson made was portrayed as black vs. white in the racist sense rather than the headwear sense. Joe Louis vs. Max Schmeling was arguably the biggest boxing match in American history if you look at what it meant to the people and what percentage of them was emotionally invested in it, and it was sold on the notion that Schmeling was aligned with Adolf Hitler (even though the former heavyweight champ never actually supported the Nazi regime). “The Rumble in the Jungle” between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman became a good-vs.-evil match, particularly to the people of Zaire. And if you’re looking for a recent example, how about the Evander Holyfield-Mike Tyson fights, pitting the underdog religious warrior against the favored convicted rapist?
Good vs. evil is just one of many reasons that Pacquiao-Mayweather is box office gold. The selling of this fight really begins with the battle for the pound-for-pound throne, as it’s hard to argue anyone else is among the two best pugilists in the world. But aside from that, the clash of contrasting personalities is maybe the biggest selling point, particularly for mainstream fans who count Pacquiao and Mayweather among about a half-dozen active boxers that they can name.
The money on the table is staggering. Consensus opinion is that this PPV breaks the record set by Mayweather-De La Hoya, possibly by a lot. This could be a 3-million-buy affair. The two fighters separately carried a pair of million-plus-buy bouts in the last two months – something that hasn’t happened in a single calendar year in a decade -- and fortunately for those of us hoping negotiations go smoothly, Pacquiao-Cotto was a huge success but didn’t hit the falsely rumored 2 million mark. Had that been true, it might have been hard to get the Filipino to accept a 50-50 purse split. But all things considered, the fighters are comparable draws and comparable talents so 50-50 makes sense, especially when they could be chopping in half somewhere in the neighborhood of $80-million in profits.
It’s clearly the fight people want to see. On an HBO.com poll last week, fans were asked, “What fight would you most like to see happen in 2010?” and the result was every bit the blowout you’d expect. Mayweather-Pacquiao drew 80 percent of the vote, compared to 12 percent for Mayweather-Shane Mosley, three percent for Wladimir Klitschko vs. Vitali Klitschko and just two percent apiece for Bernard Hopkins-Roy Jones and Juan Manuel Lopez-Yuriorkis Gamboa.
RingTV.com asked Lampley how confident he is that the fight will happen.
“144 percent,” Lampley shot back with a laugh. “Pick any number above 100. It’s going to happen. Which is not to say that it won’t be a torturous negotiation, and I fully expect to see drop-dead moments along the way, then somehow or other it’ll get done.”
Let’s all hope Lampley is right. Because if Mayweather should somehow avoid signing the contract with Pacquiao, he will find out what it really means to be hated by the boxing world.
RASKIN’S RANTS
• This is going to be somewhat wordy for the “Rants” section, but I think it’s worth addressing: I’m disappointed by the amount of negativity being directed toward THE RING’s decision to rank Pacquiao ahead of Mosley at welterweight. To me, logical arguments can be made on either side, and I’m not really at odds with anyone who thinks it should be Mosley but understands why it’s Pacquiao. The people I’m at odds with are the ones who think it’s a travesty to rank Pacquiao first. I realize I’ve seen that opinion more because people will sooner write to complain than they will to agree, and surely many fans put there are in silent agreement with THE RING’s ratings decision. But those who have expressed that “Mosley is clearly No. 1” opinion have let their minds trick them into believing something that isn’t true: that Mosley has done more to earn the ranking.
From a rankings perspective in 2009, what Mosley did at welterweight from 1999-2002 doesn’t really count. (And if it did, then let’s not forget that he lost his last two bouts at the weight during that era.) In recent years, Mosley has had three fights at welterweight. It was enough to get him to No. 1 prior to Pacquiao’s second fight at the weight, but I don’t believe it is anymore. Mosley decisioned Luis Collazo (a very solid win), lost a close decision to Cotto (neither a positive nor a negative) and knocked out Antonio Margarito (an outstanding win over the fighter ranked No. 1 at the time). Pacquiao blew out De La Hoya and more or less blew out Cotto. Mosley is 2-1, Pacquiao 2-0, and their fights against a common opponent – Cotto -- are telling. And it’s ridiculous to say Cotto was a diminished fighter by the time Pacquiao fought him. Watch their fight again (I did when HBO replayed it Saturday night). Cotto looked like Cotto for the first few rounds. He was as sharp as ever in Round 1 and perfectly competitive until the end of the fourth. He looked like a prime Cotto until Pacquiao’s punches started adding up and made him look like a spent force. When a fighter begins a fight looking like he’s in his prime and ends it looking shot, the credit has to go to the guy he was in the ring with. And if you are the type who insists on diminishing every boxing win after the fact, then wasn’t Mosley-Margarito a case of a made-to-order, slow-fisted cheater losing because he was mentally and physically diminished by what happened in his locker room before the fight?
If Mosley beats Andre Berto without controversy in January, there’s an excellent chance I’d support moving him back to the No. 1 spot. But as of now, Pacquiao has accomplished just as much at welterweight and looked better doing it.
• How many times recently have we said, “I’m not surprised Fighter X won, but I didn’t expect him to win like that”? Andre Ward’s destruction of Mikkel Kessler was yet another case of a seemingly competitive fight turning into an eye-opening one-man showcase.
• By the way, Mikkel, you forgot to mention in the postfight interview that the sun was in your eyes the whole time.
• When did Larry David’s dad’s glasses become the hot fashion trend among boxing announcers?
• Ending where I began, with Pacquiao-Mayweather: I love the idea of this fight happening in a massive stadium in Dallas. But I shudder at the thought of Laurence Cole refereeing the biggest fight in boxing and Gale Van Hoy holding a pencil.
Source: ringtv.com
Money men trade blows to hook the match-up of the millennium
Promoters see Manny Pacquiao v Floyd Mayweather as the fight that will change the sport forever, writes GREG BISHOP.
The calls started two days after Manny Pacquiao bloodied and battered Miguel Cotto to capture his record seventh title in seven weight divisions.
They came from representatives of venues across the United States, from stadiums in Los Angeles, Texas, Louisiana and New York.
All were inquiring about hosting the match the boxing world most wants to watch – the undefeated Floyd Mayweather jnr in one corner and Pacquiao in the other.
Since Pacquiao finished off Cotto with a technical knockout in the 12th round on November 14, Pacquiao's promoters at Top Rank Boxing have heard from officials of the Yankees, the Mets, the Giants and the Jets, along with representatives for Cowboys Stadium in Texas, the Staples Centre in Los Angeles and the Superdome in New Orleans.
James Carville, once an adviser to president Bill Clinton, called on behalf of Louisiana. And a group of businessmen in Las Vegas, eager to retain the top fights, has proposed building a temporary arena on the Strip that would hold 30,000 fans.
Such is the interest for a fight that remains far from guaranteed. Top Rank cannot negotiate with sites until it has completed a deal between the fighters. But that has not stopped the stadiums from lining up.
"This fight is as much sought after as any fight probably since the first between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier," said Thomas Hauser, an author and the lead boxing writer for website SecondsOut.com.
"Lewis-Tyson, which was the last fight of this magnitude on the Richter scale, was a hot potato, but nobody wanted to deal with Tyson. This is different.
"If it happens, it will be one of those events that transcends boxing."
Representatives of Pacquiao and Mayweather met last Monday in Las Vegas and, by the time they had finished lunch, they had decided not to discuss negotiations publicly. Originally, Top Rank had hoped to stage the fight on March 13, 2010. But Freddie Roach, the trainer for Pacquiao, wanted to hold a longer training camp, for 10 weeks instead of eight weeks. Now, the target date is May 1.
For Pacquiao, Top Rank is only working on a fight with Mayweather, no others.
"Nobody would tolerate anything other than this fight," Bob Arum, the chairman of Top Rank, said over breakfast last week in New York. "Any other fight would do a terrible disservice to boxing. Everybody is talking about boxing right now. And everybody is talking about this fight."
Nobody knows exactly how long negotiations between the fighters will last. But because of bad blood between Mayweather and Arum and because of the amount of money involved, the negotiations could stretch for two months, as those between Pacquiao and Oscar De La Hoya did.
Once they make the fight a reality, promoters will work on selecting the site.
Hauser cited three reasons that worked heavily against New York's Yankee Stadium: a 14per cent loss of the purse in taxes, the possibility of rain and the lack of a local fan base for the fighters.
Last week, Arum seemed most intrigued by Cowboys Stadium (seating for 111,000, no state income tax), the Superdome (he spoke highly of Carville), and the temporary arena in Las Vegas, where he lives.
Arum said the potential site for the Vegas arena, where the Frontier Casino was once situated, was already properly wired for a fight.
"Business is business, but Vegas would have to have the leg up with us, because we're Vegas people," Arum said.
"On the other hand, it's our job to grow the revenue with these fighters. And we will do that."
Arum could accomplish that by hosting the fight outside Las Vegas or in a larger stadium to help increase boxing's audience.
He could boost revenue by charging $US2000 ($2200) for ringside seats, a price last levied for the Mayweather-De La Hoya match.
Arum also wants to add new sponsors. He has said a major soft drink company and a major fast-food chain sent representatives to Pacquiao's fight against Cotto.
That fight produced at least 1.25million pay-per-view buys, a figure that is rising as more results come back, according to Top Rank. Mayweather's fight against De La Hoya registered 2.4 million buys, the most of any non-heavyweight fight.
Pacquiao and Mayweather could top that number and split more than $100million. But first they need to agree on how to divide the money.
The promoters declined to comment on Tuesday, but later Arum said Top Rank favoured a 60-40 split in favour of Pacquiao. Mayweather has previously said he wanted the divide in his favour, at 65-35.
The sides are likely to meet somewhere near 50-50, setting up the fight almost everyone wants: Mayweather, with the reach, the counterpunches and the ability to fight while moving backwards, against Pacquiao, who keeps moving up in weight and knocking out the toughest fighters around.
"Everyone wants to get this done," Arum said last week.
Source: smh.com.au
Pacquiao vs. Mayweather – Round by Round Forecast
By Derrick Villanueva: (Note: This is purely a figment of my imagination, written after re-watching each fighter’s last two fights in succession.)
Round 1 – The “Feeling Out” round. Pacquiao and Mayweather emerge from their respective corners. Pacquiao approaches but a quick jab from Mayweather surprises Pacquiao. Pacquiao fires off his own loose jabs, trying to find range. Mayweather slips around and fires more jabs, utilizing his reach advantage. Pacquiao attacks aggressively, eating a right on his way in. Mayweather has his back on the ropes. Pacquiao fires off 2 4 punch combos in succession, while Mayweather bobs and weaves and parries. Pacquiao connects with 2/8. Mayweather escapes to the side, fires off a right hand which hits as he catches Manny trying to follow up. Pacquiao turns, taps his fists as if to say “Bring It.” And the Round Ends. Round Winner Prediction: Either.
Round 2 – More of Round 1, with Pacquiao attacking and hitting Mayweather with about 25% of his power shots and Mayweather connecting with 50% of his straights. Nobody is hurt yet. Round Winner Prediction: Either.
Round 3 – Pacquiao lunges at Mayweather on Roach’s command, throwing another couple of 4 punch combos. Mayweather tries to slip away to the side but Manny moves to one of his weird angles and cuts off Mayweather’s escape route. Mayweather bobs and weaves as Manny throws another couple of 4 punch combos. Money finally fires off a left hook and escapes from the ropes, hit with about 30% of Pac’s shots. Pac follows but further attempts to trap Mayweather fails as Mayweather pussies out but uses his jab to keep the Pacman at bay. Round Winner Prediction: Pacquiao.
Round 4 – Mayweather stays out of range, firing his right hand every time Manny steps to attack. Manny moves to a weird angle which gives him an open angle to unleash a combo. Money evades but is forced back towards the ropes. He fights off the ropes hitting Pacman with straights and the occasional left hook while Manny unleashes his “Punch Out” routine on the bending, twisting, slipping, rolling, Mayweather, landing one or two before Mayweather escapes and taunts. The Pacman taunts back. Round Winner Prediction: Either.
Round 5 – Pacquiao moves forward with a different plan of attack on advise from his corner. He eats several jabs and straights until he gets Money onto the ropes or corner. Pacman starts landing body shots on PBF. Floyd hits Manny with a left hook and escapes. Pacquiao does the same thing for the rest of the round, mixing head and body combos. Round Winner Prediction: Pacquiao.
Round 6 – Mayweather keeps Manny at bay with the jab. He is advised to stay off the ropes and the corners by Sr. and to Run and Gun. Mayweather follows the plan until tiring by near the end of the round where Pacman rallies and lands thudding combos to the head and body. Round Winner Prediction: Mayweather.
Round 7 – More running and gunning from Mayweather, cutting Pacquiao. Infuriated, Pacquiao starts reverting to his old devil-may-care style but with one difference: He now knows how to “cut the pie” and prevents Mayweather from escaping. Pacquiao is punished by counter rights and hooks while he continues pounding on Money’s face and body. Round Winner Prediction: Either.
Round 8 – Mayweather is weary this round from the pounding he has received on his body and to his face. He hits and runs, and uses every defensive trick in his book to avoid Pacquiao while hitting the chasing Pacquiao with straights. Pacquiao’s connection rate decreases with the cut on his eye and he doesn’t catch Floyd with any flush shots this round. Round Winner Prediction: Mayweather.
Round 9 – Freddie Roach rallies his prized pupil and Pacquiao bounces towards Money as if it was the opening round. Mayweather, slower because of last round’s running, is cornered and is subjected to non-stop punching from Pacquiao. Mayweather escapes barely. He knows he Might have the Pacman on points so he starts running around. Pacquiao, tired of all the running, stops chasing. Mayweather is forced to attack with an occasional jab. Pacquiao ducks under one of those jabs and lands a hook/uppercut that finally cuts PBF. Round Winner Prediction: Pacquiao.
Rounds 10-12 – Floyd Hits and Runs, now respecting the Pacman’s power and Pacquiao chases and lands occasional blows/combos. Round Winners: Either.
Winner of the bout: Manny Pacquiao by a close, split decision.
Yep, that’s how it played out in my mind. I don’t think Floyd has the power to knock Manny out and I don’t think the Pacman will hit Money enough times to knock him out. I don’t think either one will come out of the fight unscathed either. One thing’s for sure: It’s Gonna Be Good.
Source:
Friday, November 27, 2009
Pacquiao-Mayweather Talks Progressing
Negotiations for the mega-bout between Floyd "Money" Mayweather and Manny "Pac-Man" Pacquiao have been ongoing, with Golden Boy promotions' Richard Schaefer and Top Rank's Bob Arum representing each of the fighters considered pound-for-pound boxing's best, according to a source close to the process.
Arum is on vacation in Aspen, Colorado, and Schaefer also is on vacation.
However, their talks are slated to continue "on Monday at the earliest, and nothing is going to move any needle until then," the source said.
HBO has proposed a date of May 1 for the fight, which has not yet been discussed with Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 knockouts).
Although several sites have been broached, the bout is a natural for Las Vegas, where Kevin Lole of Yahoo! Sports reports that construction of a 30,000-seat, outdoor stadium is being considered.
Pacquiao, 30, is coming off of a historic beat-down of Miguel Cotto (34-2, 27 KOs) on Nov. 14, a 12th-round knockout which earned him the WBO welterweight (147 pounds) title -- his record seventh crown in as many weight classes.
The 32-year-old Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs) was last in the ring on Sept. 19, when he scored a lopsided, unanimous decision over Mexican great Juan Manuel Marquez (50-5-1, 37 KOs).
Marquez has drawn with and lost to Pacquiao, whom Marquez still believes that he has twice beaten in disputed bouts. Mayweather was Fighter Of The Year in 2007, and Pacquiao Fighter Of The Year in 2008.
They are, without a doubt, boxing's two biggest draws.
"This fight is huge, and I don't know if the sky is the limit," said HBO sports programming head honcho, Ross Greenburg. "This is on the Super Bowl level, and it should be treated that way. We have to do it the right way and take it to another level."
Pacquiao-Cotto drew 1.25 million pay-per-view buys, the highest-performing boxing pay-per-view event in 2009, and "the biggest event of the year for pay-per-view from the standpoint of revenue generated," according to Arum.
Pacquiao-Cotto produced $70 million in pay-per-view revenue, a figure that included 650,000 purchases from cable homes, another 600,000 from satellite and telephone company services, and a record 110,000 from Cotto's native Puerto Rico alone.
Pacquiao-De La Hoya also generated 1.25 million buys, and Pacquiao-Hatton 830,000.
Mayweather-De La Hoya sold a record 2.4 million, Mayweather-Marquez, 1.05 million, and Mayweather-Hatton, 920,000.
In addition to Marquez, Mayweather and Pacquiao have two other notable common opponents in Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton -- each of whom they defeated in back-to-back contests.
In May and December of 2007, Mayweather earned a split-decision over De La Hoya, and stopped Hatton in the 10th round.
Then, in December 2008 and May 2009, Pacquiao stopped De La Hoya and Hatton in the eighth and second rounds, respectively.
Mayweather contends that his victories were more impressive over all three of their common opponents, and argues that he dominated Marquez who twice fought tooth-and-nail with Pacquiao.
Also, Mayweather believes that Hatton, who lost for the first time in 44 bouts against him, was not the same against Pacquiao after being stopped for the first time in his career.
In addition, Mayweather believes that Hatton, then trained by his father, Floyd Mayweather Sr., was being transitioned from a brawling style to that of a boxing style, and, thus, a somewhat confused fighter who could not successfully execute his dad's gameplan.
De La Hoya, said Mayweather, fought him at a more natural weight of 154 pounds, while he "was a dead man" after struggling to make 145 pounds against Pacquiao.
De La Hoya told FanHouse that he agreed with Mayweather, saying, "I lost the fight" with Pacquiao before getting into the ring.
Pacquiao supporters say that the Filipino star was simply more impressive in his victories over De La Hoya and Hatton, and that Marquez -- who had not fought above 135 pounds before facing Mayweather -- was simply too small against Mayweather.
Since losing a unanimous decision to Erik Morales in March 2005, Pacquiao is 11-0, with eight knockouts, including four consecutive stoppages against David Diaz, De La Hoya, Hatton and Cotto.
That run includes having twice avenged the loss to Morales by 10th-, and, third-round knockouts, respectively, in January and November 2006, respectively.
Arum, who once promoted both De La Hoya and Mayweather, has called Pacquiao "the best fighter that I've ever seen -- and that includes Muhammad Ali, and Sugar Ray Leonard, and Marvin Hagler."
The name of Mayweather was chanted as the man desired as Pacquiao's next opponent by the crowd of more than 16,200 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas in the aftermath of Pacquiao's victory over Cotto.
But Mayweather insists that he has not heard Pacquiao personally call him out.
"They are all talking for him, but Manny Pacquiao has yet to say he wants to fight me. If he wants to fight me, all he has to do is step up to the plate," said Mayweather, in a statement issued by his media company.
"Manny Pacquiao is the fighter, and every time someone asks him if he wants to fight me, he says it is up to his promoter, or he's going to take a vacation, or whatever the answer is," said Mayweather.
"I have yet to hear him actually say, 'yes I want to fight Mayweather,'" said Mayweather. "We are the fighters, and if one fighter is talking about fighting another fighter, then they should just come out and say it."
As for Mayweather's assertion that Pacquaio has never called him out, FanHouse.com scoured its files and found this quote published in April of 2009 -- nearly a month before Pacquiao stopped Hatton and prior to Mayweather's officially announcement of his return to the ring to face Marquez.
"I think [Mayweather] is going to fight again. He's not really retired," Pacquiao told Michael David Smith.
"For me, if I'm Floyd, I would fight a tune-up and then fight me," said Pacquiao. "That's for me, but I don't know what his plan is. He might want to fight me right away."
Pacquiao may not have come right out and said, "I want to fight Floyd Mayweather," but what he did say was pretty close -- wasn't it?
Source: fanhouse.com
Arum is on vacation in Aspen, Colorado, and Schaefer also is on vacation.
However, their talks are slated to continue "on Monday at the earliest, and nothing is going to move any needle until then," the source said.
HBO has proposed a date of May 1 for the fight, which has not yet been discussed with Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 knockouts).
Although several sites have been broached, the bout is a natural for Las Vegas, where Kevin Lole of Yahoo! Sports reports that construction of a 30,000-seat, outdoor stadium is being considered.
Pacquiao, 30, is coming off of a historic beat-down of Miguel Cotto (34-2, 27 KOs) on Nov. 14, a 12th-round knockout which earned him the WBO welterweight (147 pounds) title -- his record seventh crown in as many weight classes.
The 32-year-old Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs) was last in the ring on Sept. 19, when he scored a lopsided, unanimous decision over Mexican great Juan Manuel Marquez (50-5-1, 37 KOs).
Marquez has drawn with and lost to Pacquiao, whom Marquez still believes that he has twice beaten in disputed bouts. Mayweather was Fighter Of The Year in 2007, and Pacquiao Fighter Of The Year in 2008.
They are, without a doubt, boxing's two biggest draws.
"This fight is huge, and I don't know if the sky is the limit," said HBO sports programming head honcho, Ross Greenburg. "This is on the Super Bowl level, and it should be treated that way. We have to do it the right way and take it to another level."
Pacquiao-Cotto drew 1.25 million pay-per-view buys, the highest-performing boxing pay-per-view event in 2009, and "the biggest event of the year for pay-per-view from the standpoint of revenue generated," according to Arum.
Pacquiao-Cotto produced $70 million in pay-per-view revenue, a figure that included 650,000 purchases from cable homes, another 600,000 from satellite and telephone company services, and a record 110,000 from Cotto's native Puerto Rico alone.
Pacquiao-De La Hoya also generated 1.25 million buys, and Pacquiao-Hatton 830,000.
Mayweather-De La Hoya sold a record 2.4 million, Mayweather-Marquez, 1.05 million, and Mayweather-Hatton, 920,000.
In addition to Marquez, Mayweather and Pacquiao have two other notable common opponents in Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton -- each of whom they defeated in back-to-back contests.
In May and December of 2007, Mayweather earned a split-decision over De La Hoya, and stopped Hatton in the 10th round.
Then, in December 2008 and May 2009, Pacquiao stopped De La Hoya and Hatton in the eighth and second rounds, respectively.
Mayweather contends that his victories were more impressive over all three of their common opponents, and argues that he dominated Marquez who twice fought tooth-and-nail with Pacquiao.
Also, Mayweather believes that Hatton, who lost for the first time in 44 bouts against him, was not the same against Pacquiao after being stopped for the first time in his career.
In addition, Mayweather believes that Hatton, then trained by his father, Floyd Mayweather Sr., was being transitioned from a brawling style to that of a boxing style, and, thus, a somewhat confused fighter who could not successfully execute his dad's gameplan.
De La Hoya, said Mayweather, fought him at a more natural weight of 154 pounds, while he "was a dead man" after struggling to make 145 pounds against Pacquiao.
De La Hoya told FanHouse that he agreed with Mayweather, saying, "I lost the fight" with Pacquiao before getting into the ring.
Pacquiao supporters say that the Filipino star was simply more impressive in his victories over De La Hoya and Hatton, and that Marquez -- who had not fought above 135 pounds before facing Mayweather -- was simply too small against Mayweather.
Since losing a unanimous decision to Erik Morales in March 2005, Pacquiao is 11-0, with eight knockouts, including four consecutive stoppages against David Diaz, De La Hoya, Hatton and Cotto.
That run includes having twice avenged the loss to Morales by 10th-, and, third-round knockouts, respectively, in January and November 2006, respectively.
Arum, who once promoted both De La Hoya and Mayweather, has called Pacquiao "the best fighter that I've ever seen -- and that includes Muhammad Ali, and Sugar Ray Leonard, and Marvin Hagler."
The name of Mayweather was chanted as the man desired as Pacquiao's next opponent by the crowd of more than 16,200 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas in the aftermath of Pacquiao's victory over Cotto.
But Mayweather insists that he has not heard Pacquiao personally call him out.
"They are all talking for him, but Manny Pacquiao has yet to say he wants to fight me. If he wants to fight me, all he has to do is step up to the plate," said Mayweather, in a statement issued by his media company.
"Manny Pacquiao is the fighter, and every time someone asks him if he wants to fight me, he says it is up to his promoter, or he's going to take a vacation, or whatever the answer is," said Mayweather.
"I have yet to hear him actually say, 'yes I want to fight Mayweather,'" said Mayweather. "We are the fighters, and if one fighter is talking about fighting another fighter, then they should just come out and say it."
As for Mayweather's assertion that Pacquaio has never called him out, FanHouse.com scoured its files and found this quote published in April of 2009 -- nearly a month before Pacquiao stopped Hatton and prior to Mayweather's officially announcement of his return to the ring to face Marquez.
"I think [Mayweather] is going to fight again. He's not really retired," Pacquiao told Michael David Smith.
"For me, if I'm Floyd, I would fight a tune-up and then fight me," said Pacquiao. "That's for me, but I don't know what his plan is. He might want to fight me right away."
Pacquiao may not have come right out and said, "I want to fight Floyd Mayweather," but what he did say was pretty close -- wasn't it?
Source: fanhouse.com
Opinion: Pacquiao-Mayweather Match Deal Announcement Uncertain this Year
The much-awaited boxing match between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather is considered a 'done deal' but official announcement on fight details may have to wait until January next year
The highly anticipated boxing bout between undefeated American boxer Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and Filipino boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao is considered a done deal at this time but official announcement is not expected before the end of the year.
Promoters Bob Arum and Richard Schaefer cannot ignore the wishes of boxing fans around the world to see the Pacquiao-Mayweather match next year. At the same time, Arum and Schaefer are under extreme pressure to put together a fight while both boxers are on top of their game. Also both camps want the fight to happen.
The main consideration for staging the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight early next year is the huge amount of money that all players or participants -- from the promoters , boxers, trainers down to the lowest echelon of their respective teams -- look forward to for their share of the bounty.
There is little doubt that the much talked-about fight will happen early next year. But why is it that Arum and Schaefer's lips are sealed on the progress of the on-going negotiations?
It is possible that the promoters are deep in their discussions on the fair and equitable sharing of the fight purse. Another contentious issue is the catch weight where the trainers will have a hand in negotiating. Still, another issue is the determination of the venue of the fight which necessitates a much bigger site because of the anticipated large number of people who will watch the fight.
The timing for the announcement of the fight is very crucial in the marketing and promotional aspect of the match. It may not be appropriate to make the announcement during the Christmas holidays as people will be very busy shopping and traveling.
But for all intents and purposes, the fight between Mayweather and Pacquiao will happen early next year. But the promoters must keep the current momentum of both boxers popularity. It may be difficult to sell the fight when it loses enthusiasm from boxing fans.
The promoters are expected to issue bits and pieces on the development of the negotiations to keep boxing fans on their toes. Writers, bloggers, print and online media should likewise be fed with new and continuing stream of news on the negotiations in order to keep the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight on the news everyday.
Source: digitaljournal.com
The highly anticipated boxing bout between undefeated American boxer Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and Filipino boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao is considered a done deal at this time but official announcement is not expected before the end of the year.
Promoters Bob Arum and Richard Schaefer cannot ignore the wishes of boxing fans around the world to see the Pacquiao-Mayweather match next year. At the same time, Arum and Schaefer are under extreme pressure to put together a fight while both boxers are on top of their game. Also both camps want the fight to happen.
The main consideration for staging the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight early next year is the huge amount of money that all players or participants -- from the promoters , boxers, trainers down to the lowest echelon of their respective teams -- look forward to for their share of the bounty.
There is little doubt that the much talked-about fight will happen early next year. But why is it that Arum and Schaefer's lips are sealed on the progress of the on-going negotiations?
It is possible that the promoters are deep in their discussions on the fair and equitable sharing of the fight purse. Another contentious issue is the catch weight where the trainers will have a hand in negotiating. Still, another issue is the determination of the venue of the fight which necessitates a much bigger site because of the anticipated large number of people who will watch the fight.
The timing for the announcement of the fight is very crucial in the marketing and promotional aspect of the match. It may not be appropriate to make the announcement during the Christmas holidays as people will be very busy shopping and traveling.
But for all intents and purposes, the fight between Mayweather and Pacquiao will happen early next year. But the promoters must keep the current momentum of both boxers popularity. It may be difficult to sell the fight when it loses enthusiasm from boxing fans.
The promoters are expected to issue bits and pieces on the development of the negotiations to keep boxing fans on their toes. Writers, bloggers, print and online media should likewise be fed with new and continuing stream of news on the negotiations in order to keep the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight on the news everyday.
Source: digitaljournal.com
Thursday, November 26, 2009
BOXING WORLD AWAITS SUPERFIGHT
Forget, again, about the heavyweight division, which flickered back to life with David Haye's win over Nikolai Valuev; forget Ricky Hatton's ill-judged comeback, forget the 'Super Six', forget Hopkins, Pavlik, Lopez, Darchinyan.
Good, maybe great fighters all. But there is already only one fight on the agenda for 2010: a fight so big that when the months of unnecessary hype and bluster end, it will cast a giant shadow over the rest of them.
Supposedly, talks have already begun for the showdown the boxing world wants to see, pitting the mesmerising and so far unmatchable skills of Floyd Mayweather against the raw aggression of Manny Pacquiao.
It is a fight so big it will guarantee the two combatants tens of millions of dollars, dwarfing the previous best for a non-heavyweight title showdown and setting all sorts of records in the pay-per-view era.
The flexing of muscles has already started, pumped-up and fake as a Mr Universe competition, as assorted wannabe hangers-on jostle for column-inch space and try to convince the real power-brokers that they serve a purpose.
Steve Wynn, who is propping up new casinos on the Strip like the rest of us pile dollar chips on the roulette table, wants to stage the fight in a purpose-built outdoor arena on one of the city's vacant lots.
Texas and New York want in on the act. It probably goes without saying assorted Arab states do too. Wherever it is destined to take place - Las Vegas being overwhelming favourite - it's a sure-fire bet the whole world wants in.
Mayweather, a recent master of apparent reluctance, is of course hinting through those closest to him that a Pacquiao fight is no sure-fire thing given the amount of money he would expect to earn from the contest.
Others on the Filipino's side are also suggesting the fight may simply be too big to ever get done: hinting Pacquiao can pick and choose from the rest of the world's best, Shane Mosley being the possible next in line.
All of which, of course, is palpable rubbish. Simply, provided both fighters stay fit, their super-fight is bound to happen. It will be preceded by a whirlwind world tour, and end with the crowning of the undisputed champion of his generation.
Why will it happen? Because neither fighter can afford for it not to. Not to take the fight would leave indelible absences on the records of men who both purport - Mayweather much louder - to be among the greatest of all time.
For all his stunning victories over the likes of Oscar De La Hoya, Hatton and Juan Manuel Marquez, Mayweather needs a conclusive victory over Pacquiao in order to put the rubber-stamp on that all-time supremacy.
For Pacquiao, the prize is similar. They both know it, just like they know all the hype and bluster and alleged uncertainty right now will help swell the super-fight coffers even further.
That is why Mayweather is pretending to drag his heels: it is also, in a roundabout way, why his estranged father made his typically preposterous comments this week about Pacquiao not being able to fight at all.
It is why Pacquiao's promoter Bob Arum said this of Mayweather: "He's so tied up with the fact that nobody has beaten him, I don't know if he would be willing to get in the ring with anybody that could jeopardise that zero."
Does Arum really believe that? Not a chance. There is not a chance of Mayweather sitting back in which penthouse of his he chooses and opting for easy, protected retirement rather than getting in the ring with Pacquiao.
Mayweather has a keen sense of boxing history and he knows full well how great victory over Pacquiao would make him - a fighter genuinely capable of standing shoulder to shoulder with the Alis and the Sugar Rays.
Money will talk loudest throughout the build-up, but both would willingly give up a lot more of it to guarantee the all-time greatness that awaits the winner. That is why the fight will happen. And why all else will be swept aside.
Source: sportinglife.com
Will the winner of Pacquiao-Mayweather fight Mosley?
By Eric Thomas: A question that has been on the minds of some boxing fans is whether the winner of the proposed Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao bout choose to do the right thing and fight World Boxing Association welterweight champion Shane Mosley or will the winner opt to ignore Mosley and go in a different direction? It would be hard to crown the Pacquiao vs. Mayweather winner the top fighter in the welterweight division if they leave Mosley as unfinished business. Of course, Mosley has to win his January 30th bout against Andre Berto for him to proceed ahead against the winner of Mayweather-Pacquiao.
However, many people are predicting that Mosley should be able to get past Berto without too many problems unless Mosley has gotten old since winning the WBA welterweight title with a 9th round stoppage over champion Antonio Margarito earlier this year. Mosley looks good otherwise and will be sitting pretty for a huge money fight against Mayweather or Pacquiao some time next year.
What leaves a fight like this open to question is the lack of a huge fan base for Mosley. He might be the best fighter – or close to it – in the welterweight division, but he doesn’t get the same kind of attention that Mayweather and Pacquiao get because his wins are less flashy in comparison. Mosley, up until recently, doesn’t talk a lot about himself and call out fighters like some of the boxers do.
And that perhaps has caused Mosley to be out of view by many boxing fans who otherwise would be aware of him. The squeaky wheel gets the attention in boxing and Mosley hasn’t been loud like some of the fighters in the sport. However, it would be hard to imagine that Pacquiao or Mayweather could get away with ignoring Mosley in the future if they do decide to continue with their boxing careers following their epic fight.
They won’t need the money that they’ll get in a fight with Mosley, but if they care at all about their legacy, they need to fight Mosley and make it clear who the best fighter in the welterweight division is. You can’t say that the Mayweather-Pacquiao winner is absolutely 100% the best fighter in the division if Mosley is still holding down the WBA title and defending it against all comers.
Mosley is too to be ignored and boxing fans won’t let the Mayweather-Pacquiao winner get away without saying something about it. Beyond Mosley, there really isn’t another big named fighter for Mayweather or Pacquiao to fight. Although that won’t stop Mayweather from still making a lot of money against one of the lesser known fighters. It would be bad though if he chooses to fight someone who is perceived to be a lesser fighter than Mosley.
There’s really only Mosley, Berto, Joshua Clottey, Antonio Margarito and Zab Judah in terms of well known fighters. Saul Alvarez, an up and coming fighter, is still too young and too green for Mayweather or Pacquiao to fight at this time. Margarito is still under suspension and Clottey was recently beaten by Miguel Cotto in a 12 round split decision. Judah has lost four out of his last nine fights and hasn’t looked good at welterweight in a number of years.
Source:
Superstar Winky Wright: Pacquiao is no walkover for Mayweather
Today, Thanksgiving Day in the United States, is future Boxing Hall Of Famer Ronald “Winky” Wright’s 38th birthday.
While I am sure that you join me in wishing this talented and gentlemanly boxer many happy returns, you might be surprised to hear that Wright has a gift for Pinoy Idol Manny Pacquiao.
Wright has never been a Pacman critic but he admits to having been a doubter. No more, Wright told me, no more.
I spoke to Wright as he began to put the finishing touches on his training for a comeback bout on PPV TV from San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Dec. 11 against rugged Grady “Bad Boy” Brewer.
Sensing that Wright was in a good mood, I needled him for public forecasting that Miguel Cotto would be too strong for Pacman.
“Oh man, I got that one wrong, I really did,” the fighter whose has two victories over Sugar Shane Mosley and one over Felix “Tito” Trinidad said. “I don’t know if he can beat Floyd Mayweather but I do know one thing, I won’t bet against Pacquiao.
“I thought Cotto would stop Pacquiao because of his physical strength. I bet against him when he fought Oscar de la Hoya. Like I say, I don’t know if he will beat Mayweather but I do know this, it won’t be any walkover for Floyd.
“It’s no easy fight for Floyd. It’s amazing what this guy does, he started out so small but he punches very strong. And he and Freddie (Roach), they always have a game plan and they always stick to that game plan . This guy is a great little fighter.”
Lest we be too critical of Wright’s fight handicapping skills, he pointed out that he was 100 percent correct on Andre Ward, the American Olympic gold medalist who just trounced WBA super middleweight champion Mikkel Kessler on Saturday in Ward's hometown of Oakland.
Source: examiner.com
Why Mayweather will be Pacquiao's most difficult challenge
In my last article about Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquiao, several readers (mostly Pacquiao fans) chimed in with a lot of very negative comments. There is a lot of bad blood brewing out there as it pertains to Mayweather, and some of it is warranted. However I stand firm on my analysis of Floyd Mayweather and his brilliant boxing ability.
The biggest argument that the Pac fans have is the fact that Mayweather has cherry picked his opponents over the years and has fought smaller guys. It's a pretty darn good argument, and can't be tossed to the side as if it's irrelevant. With that said, even with his choice of opponents you can't take away his speed, his ring Savvy, and his defense. You also can't take away his ability to time his opponents, and counter punch very effectively.
Pacquiao's speed will prove very difficult for Mayweather, IF they do fight. Floyd will have to put to use his ring Savvy and his defense because Pacquiao may make his presence known quickly, and often. Pacquiao at the same time will have to be very careful of a few things. Floyd's ability to counter, and his timing. Manny proved that he can take a punch from a welterweight when he beat up Miguel Cotto. That being said, Floyd times much better than Cotto and as the great Evander Holyfield once told me, "It's not how hard someone can hit that can put you to sleep, it's the punch that you do not see."
The one fighter that has given Manny Pacquiao the most trouble is Juan Manuel Marquez. In both fights between the two, Marquez provided Manny his most difficulty. Mayweather just shared the ring with Marquez not too long ago and wiped the floor clean with him in easy fashion. That doesn't necessarily mean that Floyd does the same thing to Pacquiao, but it is something to think about. On the flip side, Oscar De La Hoya gave Floyd Mayweather fits as well, with Floyd getting a split decision. Manny Pacquiao made Oscar quit on his stool. This is why this fight is so interesting. There are a lot of factors, angles, and dimensions that apply to this fight.
This writer feels that a fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr is a must see. There is a clear line drawn in the sand between the Mayweather fans and the Pacquiao fans. I will just pass this little warning along to both sides. If any of you, Pacquiao fans or Mayweather fans think as if either guy will crush the other, you're probably in for a big surprise. This is going to be a close fight, a very calculative fight with neither man wanting to make a mistake against the other. In fact, it may even prove to be a boring fight. Boring? Yes boring. The very real possibility exists that both men will be cautious of each other making this a more defensive fight rather than offensive one.
Hopefully the two sides can agree on a purse amount, and a weight that can make this fight happen. It's just one of those fights that has to happen. If Pacquiao wins, then nobody on the planet can ever question a thing about the guy. Truthfully, nobody should be doing that now, but some still do. There has even been some allegations that Pacquiao is using steroids. Personally, I think that is a preposterous allegation that has no basis, or merit.
If Mayweather wins, oh boy, wouldn't that be interesting? Firstly, Mayweather is in a lose lose situation here. If he beats Pacquiao everybody will blame him for beating a smaller guy. If Mayweather loses, than of course everybody will say that he's been over-hyped and was finally exposed. This just adds another dimension to the fight, but the good news is that a rematch is probably going to happen regardless of who wins.
The sideshow that will take place will be just as interesting as the show inside of the ring. With Floyd Mayweather Jr comes Floyd Mayweather Sr. With Manny Pacquiao comes Freddie Roach. Big Floyd and Freddie don't like each other. The antics from both men will be a blast to witness. The two men are at each others throats whenever the two merge, so this won't be any different.
Bring this fight on, and may the best man win.
Source: examiner.com
The biggest argument that the Pac fans have is the fact that Mayweather has cherry picked his opponents over the years and has fought smaller guys. It's a pretty darn good argument, and can't be tossed to the side as if it's irrelevant. With that said, even with his choice of opponents you can't take away his speed, his ring Savvy, and his defense. You also can't take away his ability to time his opponents, and counter punch very effectively.
Pacquiao's speed will prove very difficult for Mayweather, IF they do fight. Floyd will have to put to use his ring Savvy and his defense because Pacquiao may make his presence known quickly, and often. Pacquiao at the same time will have to be very careful of a few things. Floyd's ability to counter, and his timing. Manny proved that he can take a punch from a welterweight when he beat up Miguel Cotto. That being said, Floyd times much better than Cotto and as the great Evander Holyfield once told me, "It's not how hard someone can hit that can put you to sleep, it's the punch that you do not see."
The one fighter that has given Manny Pacquiao the most trouble is Juan Manuel Marquez. In both fights between the two, Marquez provided Manny his most difficulty. Mayweather just shared the ring with Marquez not too long ago and wiped the floor clean with him in easy fashion. That doesn't necessarily mean that Floyd does the same thing to Pacquiao, but it is something to think about. On the flip side, Oscar De La Hoya gave Floyd Mayweather fits as well, with Floyd getting a split decision. Manny Pacquiao made Oscar quit on his stool. This is why this fight is so interesting. There are a lot of factors, angles, and dimensions that apply to this fight.
This writer feels that a fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr is a must see. There is a clear line drawn in the sand between the Mayweather fans and the Pacquiao fans. I will just pass this little warning along to both sides. If any of you, Pacquiao fans or Mayweather fans think as if either guy will crush the other, you're probably in for a big surprise. This is going to be a close fight, a very calculative fight with neither man wanting to make a mistake against the other. In fact, it may even prove to be a boring fight. Boring? Yes boring. The very real possibility exists that both men will be cautious of each other making this a more defensive fight rather than offensive one.
Hopefully the two sides can agree on a purse amount, and a weight that can make this fight happen. It's just one of those fights that has to happen. If Pacquiao wins, then nobody on the planet can ever question a thing about the guy. Truthfully, nobody should be doing that now, but some still do. There has even been some allegations that Pacquiao is using steroids. Personally, I think that is a preposterous allegation that has no basis, or merit.
If Mayweather wins, oh boy, wouldn't that be interesting? Firstly, Mayweather is in a lose lose situation here. If he beats Pacquiao everybody will blame him for beating a smaller guy. If Mayweather loses, than of course everybody will say that he's been over-hyped and was finally exposed. This just adds another dimension to the fight, but the good news is that a rematch is probably going to happen regardless of who wins.
The sideshow that will take place will be just as interesting as the show inside of the ring. With Floyd Mayweather Jr comes Floyd Mayweather Sr. With Manny Pacquiao comes Freddie Roach. Big Floyd and Freddie don't like each other. The antics from both men will be a blast to witness. The two men are at each others throats whenever the two merge, so this won't be any different.
Bring this fight on, and may the best man win.
Source: examiner.com
Mayweather v Pacquiao will be one hell of a fight if it goes ahead
If the fight to stage Mayweather-Pacquiao is anything to go by, then it is going to be one hell of a clash.
Negotiations between the two camps began on Monday and Manny Pacquiao's promoter, Bob Arum, has revealed that Texas and New Orleans are battling it out with Las Vegas to put on the superfight.
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones wants to have the showdown in his brand, spanking new 80,000-seat stadium in Arlington, Texas, while New Orleans are offering the 70,000-seat Louisiana Superdome.
Vegas is Arum's preferred option and he has challenged the big casinos on The Strip to come up with the cash to make it happen.
"A lot of places want to host it," said Arum. "But for tax purposes, you have to have it in either Nevada or Texas, where there is no state income tax. That's why we probably couldn't have it in New York or New Jersey.
"There's talk that the governor might waive the tax for this fight if it went to New Orleans. But he'd have to do that for it to have any chance of happening there."
Pacquiao's clash with world pound-for-pound king Mayweather will be the richest fight in history and Arum is determined to wring every last dime out of the contest.
Source: mirror.co.uk
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Richard Schaefer, Bob Arum won't comment on status of Mayweather-Pacquiao negotiations
Richard Schaefer and Bob Arum engaged a day of negotiations this week, related to a potential Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao fight next year, but don’t expect either one to divulge much about talks that could extend for several weeks.
"The fact is that both Bob Arum and myself had to agree on a total no-comment position, so we really can not talk about the negotiations in any way, shape or form," Schaefer said Tuesday in a message to The Press. "I’m really going to have to refer to that confidentiality clause that we agreed to."
Schaefer, the CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, is representing Mayweather in talks with Arum, who promotes Pacquiao.
The two met Monday at MGM Grand, which is the leading Las Vegas contender to act as casino host for a potential Mayweather-Pacquiao blockbuster next year.
Source: mlive.com
"The fact is that both Bob Arum and myself had to agree on a total no-comment position, so we really can not talk about the negotiations in any way, shape or form," Schaefer said Tuesday in a message to The Press. "I’m really going to have to refer to that confidentiality clause that we agreed to."
Schaefer, the CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, is representing Mayweather in talks with Arum, who promotes Pacquiao.
The two met Monday at MGM Grand, which is the leading Las Vegas contender to act as casino host for a potential Mayweather-Pacquiao blockbuster next year.
Source: mlive.com
Vegas fighting to keep Mayweather-Pacquiao
As boxing promoters Bob Arum and Richard Schaefer have begun the process of hammering out a deal for a 2010 showdown between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao, officials in Las Vegas are scrambling to keep the fight on the Strip.
Las Vegas has been hit harder than most cities by the recession and, with 13 percent unemployment, is in need of major events to bolster tourism and invigorate its economy. A potential Pacquiao-Mayweather bout would likely be the largest-grossing boxing match in history. Predictions for the pay-per-view sales alone have reached as high as 5 million.
Pacquiao is the top-ranked fighter in Yahoo! Sports’ ratings of the world’s best boxers with Mayweather sitting at No. 2. They’re each in their prime – Pacquiao is 30 and Mayweather is 31 – and each fights at welterweight.
Pacquiao, who is 50-3-2 with 38 knockouts and holds the World Boxing Organization welterweight title, has been named the Fighter of the Year by the Boxing Writers Association of America in 2006 and 2008 and is almost certain to win it in 2009. Mayweather, who is 40-0 with 25 knockouts, was the BWAA’s Fighter of the Year in 2007.
Arum, who promotes Pacquiao, and Schaefer, on behalf of Mayweather, met in Las Vegas on Monday and agreed not to speak to the media.
“We’re under a gag order until this gets done,” Arum said Tuesday prior to a news conference at the Las Vegas Hilton to announce a middleweight championship bout between Kelly Pavlik and Miguel Espino.
Schaefer declined to speak about any aspect of the Mayweather-Pacquiao talks. But powerful Las Vegas political consultant Sig Rogich is leading a group that is exploring the possibility of erecting a 30,000-seat outdoor stadium on a Las Vegas Boulevard site once occupied by the New Frontier Hotel.
The majority of the most lucrative boxing matches in the past 15 years have been held in Las Vegas either at the MGM Grand Garden Arena or the Mandalay Bay Events Center, both of which are owned by MGM Mirage. Officials of MGM Mirage would be interested in the fight and would likely be the frontrunner to land it for the MGM Grand if the bout is made.
Rogich, who worked in the George H.W. Bush administration, said Las Vegas officials are discussing a plan with El-Ad Properties, which purchased the New Frontier Hotel and the 36 acres of Strip-front property it sits on for $1.2 billion from Phil Ruffin in 2007, to have the site serve as the location for the lucrative fight. The plan would be to have the fight sponsored by the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority, with a consortium of Las Vegas casinos contributing money toward the cost.
Though Las Vegas has landed the majority of the major boxing shows in recent years, interest from venues outside Las Vegas in acquiring a Mayweather-Pacquiao megafight is very high. Arum has received inquiries from many venues, including New Orleans, and Democratic political strategist James Carville has phoned Arum about trying to broker a deal to bring the fight to the Superdome in New Orleans.
One advantage Las Vegas officials will have in landing the bout is that Mayweather resides in the city and Pacquiao has fought his last six fights, and nine of his last 12, there.
“We’re aware of the interest from all over the country for this bout and our goal is simply to keep it here in Las Vegas,” said Rogich, who was once the chairman of the Nevada State Athletic Commission. “We’re just exploring the possibility of doing something [at the New Frontier site].
“We’ve reached out to the owners of the property to see if we can do something that makes economic sense. This is such a big fight and we are doing all we can to keep it in Las Vegas amid competition from many other places.”
Source: yahoo.com
Pacquiao vs. Mayweather – 5 Key Questions
By Al Francis: For me, there are five key questions surrounding the proposed mega fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather. It’s the biggest fight that could be made and to say it could be the most anticipated fight of the decade is not false hype. In my last article, I admitted defeat regarding my wrong prediction of the Pacquiao-Cotto fight, for this article I attempt to answer these five questions I have posed and in turn put myself on the line again with a couple more predictions! Hope you enjoy.
Where will the fight take place?
Well there have been many bids from various cities across the United States to host the event, which seems destined to end up in an outdoor stadium in front of a large paying crowd. The New Orleans superdome which would seat 70,000 for the event have made a bid, and former Clinton consigliere James Carville is attempting to have the tax waivered in order to bring the fight to the city. Texas is another option, as a lot of you may know there wouldn’t be any tax demands for the fight to be held there and the Dallas cowboy’s stadium would seat just over 100,000 for a boxing event. A Las Vegas group are also trying to compete with the larger venues by erecting a temporary outdoor stadium to hold 30,000 people. Various other venues are throwing their hat onto the negotiating table such as Yankee stadium in New York, the Staples centre and a venue in New Jersey. Ultimately, it’s too early to make an informed prediction, so I’ll just make an uninformed one and say the Superdome in New Orleans!
What will be the contracted weight?
Both Pacquiao and Mayweather’s last fights were scheduled as catch weight contests, however I’m sure this one will end up at the welterweight limit of 147 lbs. When Floyd failed to make his contracted weight of 144 lbs in the Marquez bout, I believe he was sending two messages; one to Manny Pacquiao implying he won’t be negotiating any catchweight bout, and the second being that he doesn’t have money issues (he had to pay $600,000 for this breach of contract). To address the latter point first, Mayweather’s $5.6 million IRS debt which was hanging over him all year was settled AFTER the Marquez bout, not before, now I don’t have access to Mayweather’s bank statements but this implies that he wasn’t in the best position to pay before the bout. Anyway, back to the point, I think Floyd will not budge on the weight demands for this one and the bout, no matter how negotiations progress on this front, will end up at the full welterweight limit of 147 lbs.
How much pay-per-view buys will the fight generate?
The current all time record in ppv numbers for any event of any kind is the 2.45 million people across America that paid to watch Mayweather box Oscar De La Hoya, the proposed Pacquiao-Mayweather bout can surpass that sum and at a stretch, it could even surpass the 3 million mark. Both fighters’ last fight each generated over a million buys, which is truly remarkable given the fact that many questioned whether boxing’s ppv market would survive with the retirement of De La Hoya, turns out boxing is doing just fine. The fight should generate 2.5-3 million buys, not to mention the various tv deals from other countries around the globe, for instance, in Britain, the fight could well reach 500,000 buys on sky box office.
How will the purse be split?
This one really is the great debate, other than who wins the actual fight, this is the question fans are debating over, and may well be the hardest stumbling block to overcome at the negotiating table. Each man wants the lions share, each man feels he deserves the lions share. An argument for each fighter can be made but for me the answer is simple. Floyd will argue that because his fight with Oscar was the best selling fight of all time, that he deserves the lions share, and Pacquiao, through his team will put forth the fact that Pacquiao’s last fight out sold Mayweather’s last fight. Two points come to mind. Firstly, Floyd’s bout with Oscar was viewed as a close fight whereas Manny’s was considered to be a mismatch in favour of Oscar, fans would rather see a fight in which they don’t know who is going to win as opposed to a fight where a big guy beats up a little guy (despite the fact that the Pacquiao-De La Hoya turned out to be a mismatch the other way round). Secondly, America was deeper into the recession by the time of Pacquiao’s ‘Oscar night’. For me, Pacquiao definitely deserves more, not by much, but the lions share nonetheless. But as we all know in this sport, you don’t get what you deserve, you get what you negotiate and I just feel that Floyd’s ego will not allow him to play second fiddle, even on 51-49 terms. So my prediction is that the bout, after lengthy negotiations on the purse split will end up being a 50-50 affair.
Who wins?
In boxing we can all get caught up in the atmosphere of the big fight aftermath. For example, after the Mayweather-Marquez fight, I was of the belief that Floyd would beat Manny hands down, but after seeing the Pacquiao-Cotto fight I find myself hopping over to the other bandwagon by promptly changing my prediction to a win for Pacquiao. Realistically, my prediction will probably change a few times in the lead up to the proposed bout, but for the purposes of this article I might as well leave one in print right now. After seeing Pacquiao dismantle Cotto the way he did I just can’t bring myself to bet against him, dont get me wrong, Mayweather is a far more complete fighter than Cotto and brings a totally different style for Manny to deal with, but right now I just can’t see anyone beating Pacquiao. I can see Floyd really frustrating Manny with his great defence, there’s no doubt he’ll be the hardest to hit of Pacquiao’s recent opponents, but Manny’s speed should find the target often enough to gain a slight lead on the scorecards. At this early stage of the hype surrounding this fight, I’m picking Manny Pacquiao to win on points by a two or three point margin in what will be yet another career best win.
Well there you have it, if all my predictions come true, you’ll see Pacquiao out point Mayweather at 147 lbs in the richest fight in history at the New Orleans Superdome with both fighters taking a 50-50 split of the purse. As I said before, my fight prediction will probably change in the lead up to the eventual showdown, so expect another piece or two from me in the coming months. What I won’t do however, is post article after article about the same subject like some of the site’s writers do. One focuses on the super six, one focuses on Khan, Pacquiao and Hatton, and another is just exclusively about Pacquiao, I don’t want to go down that road so I’ll cover at least a few other topics in the meantime. So that’s it for now, to quote an overweight writer/tv pundit, adios!
Source: boxingnews24.com
Contenders Are Circling, Even Before Fight Is Set
The calls started two days after Manny Pacquiao bloodied and battered Miguel Cotto to capture his record seventh title in seven weight divisions. They came from representatives of sites across the country, from stadiums in Los Angeles, Texas, Louisiana and New York.
All were inquiring about hosting the match the boxing world most wants to watch, with the undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr. in one corner and Pacquiao in the other.
Since Pacquiao finished Cotto with a technical knockout in the 12th round on Nov. 14, Pacquiao’s promoters at Top Rank Boxing have heard from officials of the Yankees, the Mets, the Giants and the Jets, along with representatives for Cowboys Stadium in Texas, the Staples Center in Los Angeles and the Superdome in New Orleans.
James Carville, once an adviser to President Bill Clinton, called on behalf of Louisiana. And a group of businessmen in Las Vegas, eager to retain top fights, has proposed building a temporary arena on the Strip that would hold 30,000 fans.
Such is the interest for a fight that remains far from guaranteed. Top Rank cannot negotiate with sites until it has completed a deal between the fighters. But that has not stopped the stadiums from lining up.
“This fight is as much sought after as any fight probably since the first between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier,” said Thomas Hauser, an author and the lead boxing writer for secondsout.com. “Lewis-Tyson, which was the last fight of this magnitude on the Richter scale, was a hot potato, but nobody wanted to deal with Tyson. This is different.
“If it happens, it will be one of those events that transcends boxing.”
Representatives for Pacquiao and Mayweather met Monday in Las Vegas, and by the time they had finished lunch, they had decided to not discuss negotiations publicly.
Originally, Top Rank had hoped to stage the fight on March 13. But Freddie Roach, the trainer for Pacquiao, wanted to hold a longer training camp, for 10 weeks instead of eight weeks. Now, the target date is May 1.
For Pacquiao, Top Rank is only working on a fight with Mayweather, no others.
“Nobody would tolerate anything other than this fight,” Bob Arum, the chairman of Top Rank, said over breakfast last week in New York. “Any other fight would do a terrible disservice to boxing. Everybody is talking about boxing right now. And everybody is talking about this fight.”
Nobody knows exactly how long negotiations between the fighters will last. But because of bad blood between Mayweather and Arum and because of the amount of money involved, the negotiations could stretch for two months, as those between Pacquiao and Oscar De La Hoya did.
Once they make the fight, promoters will work on selecting the site.
Hauser cited three reasons that worked heavily against Yankee Stadium — a 14 percent loss of the purse in taxes, the possibility of rain and the lack of a local fan base for the fighters.
Last week, Arum seemed most intrigued by Cowboys Stadium (seating for 111,000, no state income tax), the Superdome (he spoke highly of Carville) and the temporary arena in Las Vegas, where he lives. Arum said the potential site for that arena, where the Frontier Casino was once situated, was already properly wired for a fight.
“Business is business, but Vegas would have to have the leg up with us, because we’re Vegas people,” Arum said. “On the other hand, it’s our job to grow the revenue with these fighters. And we will do that.”
Arum could accomplish that by hosting the fight outside of Las Vegas or in a larger stadium to help increase boxing’s audience. He could boost revenue by charging $2,000 for ring-side seats, a price last levied for Mayweather-De La Hoya.
Arum also wants to add new sponsors. He has said a major soft drink company and a major fast-food chain sent representatives to Pacquiao’s fight against Cotto.
That fight produced at least 1.25 million pay-per-view buys, a number that is rising as more results come back, according to Top Rank. Mayweather’s fight against De La Hoya registered 2.4 million buys, the most of any nonheavyweight fight.
Pacquiao and Mayweather could top that number and split more than $100 million. First, though, they need to agree on how to divide the money.
The promoters declined to comment Tuesday, but last week, Arum said Top Rank favored a 60-40 split in favor of Pacquiao. Mayweather has previously said he wanted the divide in his favor, at 65-35.
The sides are likely to meet somewhere close to 50-50, setting up the fight almost everyone wants: Mayweather, with the reach and the counterpunches and the ability to fight while moving backward, against Pacquiao, who keeps moving up in weight and knocking out the toughest fighters around.
“Everyone wants to get this done,” Arum said last week.
Source: nytimes.com
All were inquiring about hosting the match the boxing world most wants to watch, with the undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr. in one corner and Pacquiao in the other.
Since Pacquiao finished Cotto with a technical knockout in the 12th round on Nov. 14, Pacquiao’s promoters at Top Rank Boxing have heard from officials of the Yankees, the Mets, the Giants and the Jets, along with representatives for Cowboys Stadium in Texas, the Staples Center in Los Angeles and the Superdome in New Orleans.
James Carville, once an adviser to President Bill Clinton, called on behalf of Louisiana. And a group of businessmen in Las Vegas, eager to retain top fights, has proposed building a temporary arena on the Strip that would hold 30,000 fans.
Such is the interest for a fight that remains far from guaranteed. Top Rank cannot negotiate with sites until it has completed a deal between the fighters. But that has not stopped the stadiums from lining up.
“This fight is as much sought after as any fight probably since the first between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier,” said Thomas Hauser, an author and the lead boxing writer for secondsout.com. “Lewis-Tyson, which was the last fight of this magnitude on the Richter scale, was a hot potato, but nobody wanted to deal with Tyson. This is different.
“If it happens, it will be one of those events that transcends boxing.”
Representatives for Pacquiao and Mayweather met Monday in Las Vegas, and by the time they had finished lunch, they had decided to not discuss negotiations publicly.
Originally, Top Rank had hoped to stage the fight on March 13. But Freddie Roach, the trainer for Pacquiao, wanted to hold a longer training camp, for 10 weeks instead of eight weeks. Now, the target date is May 1.
For Pacquiao, Top Rank is only working on a fight with Mayweather, no others.
“Nobody would tolerate anything other than this fight,” Bob Arum, the chairman of Top Rank, said over breakfast last week in New York. “Any other fight would do a terrible disservice to boxing. Everybody is talking about boxing right now. And everybody is talking about this fight.”
Nobody knows exactly how long negotiations between the fighters will last. But because of bad blood between Mayweather and Arum and because of the amount of money involved, the negotiations could stretch for two months, as those between Pacquiao and Oscar De La Hoya did.
Once they make the fight, promoters will work on selecting the site.
Hauser cited three reasons that worked heavily against Yankee Stadium — a 14 percent loss of the purse in taxes, the possibility of rain and the lack of a local fan base for the fighters.
Last week, Arum seemed most intrigued by Cowboys Stadium (seating for 111,000, no state income tax), the Superdome (he spoke highly of Carville) and the temporary arena in Las Vegas, where he lives. Arum said the potential site for that arena, where the Frontier Casino was once situated, was already properly wired for a fight.
“Business is business, but Vegas would have to have the leg up with us, because we’re Vegas people,” Arum said. “On the other hand, it’s our job to grow the revenue with these fighters. And we will do that.”
Arum could accomplish that by hosting the fight outside of Las Vegas or in a larger stadium to help increase boxing’s audience. He could boost revenue by charging $2,000 for ring-side seats, a price last levied for Mayweather-De La Hoya.
Arum also wants to add new sponsors. He has said a major soft drink company and a major fast-food chain sent representatives to Pacquiao’s fight against Cotto.
That fight produced at least 1.25 million pay-per-view buys, a number that is rising as more results come back, according to Top Rank. Mayweather’s fight against De La Hoya registered 2.4 million buys, the most of any nonheavyweight fight.
Pacquiao and Mayweather could top that number and split more than $100 million. First, though, they need to agree on how to divide the money.
The promoters declined to comment Tuesday, but last week, Arum said Top Rank favored a 60-40 split in favor of Pacquiao. Mayweather has previously said he wanted the divide in his favor, at 65-35.
The sides are likely to meet somewhere close to 50-50, setting up the fight almost everyone wants: Mayweather, with the reach and the counterpunches and the ability to fight while moving backward, against Pacquiao, who keeps moving up in weight and knocking out the toughest fighters around.
“Everyone wants to get this done,” Arum said last week.
Source: nytimes.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao