Manny Pacquiao is Overrated! An Early Look at Manny Pacquiao vs Floyd Mayweather

Before Pacquiao vs. Mayweather is Signed… Is There a Chance That Manny Pacquiao is Overrated?

The legacy of Manny Pacquiao has yet to be determined. Will he be remembered as pound for pound one of the greatest fighters in boxing history or for his lavish life style? One thing is certain, the Filipino sensation covets the bright lights, whether it’s winning championships in seven different weight classes, traveling with a giant entourage, being on the cover of Time Magazine or having aspirations of becoming President of the Philippines.

The great mathematician Democritus once stated: “I would rather discover one scientific fact than become King of Persia.” I sadly, but admittedly, will never become the King of Persia or President of the Philippines, but after analyzing Pacquiao’s boxing career one fact becomes apparent – a statistically significant argument can be made that the current pound-for-pound kingpin is either slightly overrated or his opponents have been strategically selected.

One fact that cannot be argued is on average Manny Pacquiao has been fighting opponents that are considerably older, have been recently defeated or are statistically proven to be on the decline. Since his last loss, Pacquiao, 30, has gone on an eleven fight winning streak, with his opponent’s average age being 31. During the winning streak, Pacquiao’s average age at the time each respective bout took place was 28. A three year age advantage may seem minute, but boxers that have consistent success in the lower weight classes typically have tremendous speed. Pacquiao is known for, and does have world-class speed in his repertoire, but does consistently fighting opponents in their early 30’s help protect and even boost his speed advantage?

In addition to an age advantage, statistics prove that Pacquiao has been fighting opponents that have been recently defeated or are on the decline. During his present winning streak, the average winning percentage of Pacquiao’s opponents throughout their entire career is an impressive 94%. However, when further analyzing the data it becomes apparent that the average winning percentage of Pacquiao’s opponents during the five fights leading up to the their respective bout declines to 84% and the average winning percentage of his opponents after their bout took place, not including the loss to Pacquiao, drops to a measly 67%. Considering the data at hand, can the argument be made that Pacquiao is consistently fighting opponents that are older, statistically on the decline and have been recently defeated?

Attacking Pacquiao’s opponents is a logical choice to the argument that he is overrated. Why hasn’t the score been settled with a game and willing Juan Manuel Marquez? Why did Pacquiao fight a recently defeated and in some cases “over-the-hill” Miguel Cotto, Ricky Hatton, Oscar De La Hoya and Marco Antonio Barrera?

Insiders within the sport will profoundly point out that tougher match-ups exist for Pacquiao, such as Shane Mosley or the much younger Andre Berto. Rumors are swirling that Arum and Pacquiao are even interested in moving up to the 154lb division in an attempt to become an eight division world champion. Pacquiao’s opponent of choice in this dangerous move: of course, the unheralded Yuri Foreman. If Pacquiao wants a challenge, how does a David versus Goliath match-up with the giant Paul Williams sound?

On average Manny Pacquiao’s opponents are older, on the decline or carefully selected – certainly. However, what does that really mean? Pacquiao cannot control that his competition are fighting other champions or top contenders, hence the losses, or that Bob Arum is thinking about money, his fighters legacy, and money again when deliberating on his next bout. One thing is certain, Pacquiao is a great fighter and the only outstanding item worth deliberating is where the Filipino phenom ranks versus the legends of boxing?

Presumably, on January 11th, two fighters will be in New York City to announce a mega fight that will take place on March 13 of 2010 and will not only settle the score of who is pound-for-pound the best fighter in the world today, but where Pacquiao, and even Floyd Mayweather’s, rightful ranks is among the legends of the sport of boxing. Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao would be one of the biggest fights of the last 25 years, undoubtedly.

So is Manny Pacquiao overrated? You can decide for yourself.

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TEAM PACQUIAO: CONTRACT NOT SIGNED YET

Mike Koncz, Manny’s U.S. advisor stated “he and Manny are currently working on the contracts for the next fight. Nothing is done yet, so please do not believe anything else you read. They are still working on a couple of matters, but we believe that in a short amount of time everything could get agreed upon by all parties concerned.”

Right now Manny is still enjoying his victory over Miguel Cotto. Manny is fully healed and enjoying his family and friends in the Philippines. As soon as the Cotto fight was over and Manny flew back to the Philippines, Manny celebrated with family, friends, and fans, but eagerly went back to work finishing up projects and obligations over in the Philippines, such as the movie Wapakman.

Manny is going to be doing a lot of traveling soon. Mike Koncz stated that “www.mpboxing.com will be notified with all the real information as soon as possible about this fight, as well as anything else going on in the life and world of Pacman.”

“Also, Manny’s hands and ears are already fully healed, otherwise they would not even be negotiating his next fight.” Mike feels Manny would be ready and willing to fight come March, as long as there is an amicable agreement met.

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Manny Pacquiao fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr likely to be most lucrative in history

The super-fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jnr has the feel of an event on the scale of Muhammad Ali v Joe Frazier or, in terms of boxing styles, Sugar Ray Leonard v Marvin Hagler.

The event, which is scheduled for March 13 next year in Las Vegas or Dallas, will also be the most important boxing event for 25 years.

The super-fight would almost certainly break the existing record of 2.4 million pay-per-view buys, which is held by Mayweather for his fight against Oscar De La Hoya in 2007.

That match, between Mayweather, then the pound-for-pound king, and De La Hoya, the sport’s most popular fighter, eclipsed the buy mark of 1.99 million, set by the 1997 Evander Holyfield-Mike Tyson heavyweight championship ‘ear-bite’ rematch, and the revenue record of $112 million, set by the 2002 Lennox Lewis-Tyson heavyweight title fight.

Mayweather against De La Hoya made $120 million in pay-per-view revenue. Overall, with gate receipts, Pacquiao-Mayweather could creep up to the $200 million mark.

Promoter Bob Arum, of Top Rank, left Manila on Sunday, after a three-day visit in which he relayed an offer from Mayweather. Both fighters are guaranteed $25 million, before their shares in pay per view revenue.

The fight could easily gross $100 million which, if it catches fire in the mainstream, could rise to $150 million. Arum insists the boxers’ signatures “are a formality”, but it is not so. The venue is yet to be decided, but at least the weight is set at 147lb, and at welterweight, that suits Mayweather.

The fight pitches Pacquiao, boxing’s star of the moment, against Mayweather, the bad boy unbeaten incumbent, who has permitted the rise of Pacquiao into the same stratosphere after a 21-month absence from prize fighting.

Under trainer Freddie Roach, Pacquiao has progressed from brawler to fighting machine. Pacquiao has gone from a world champion at 112lb to beating the best at 147lb, maintaining his speed and power.

Mayweather, who at 32 is two years older than Pacquiao, is still unbeaten, and is the most gifted fighter of this generation, but the templates are also set. In one corner, the cocky, brash bad boy, played by Mayweather, opposite the humble man from the shanty town in the Philippines in Pacquiao.

It is on a par with the biggest fights in history – an unbeaten future Hall of Famer, who is in the line of accession of the great slick American boxers, following Sugar Ray Leonard and Pernell Whitaker, against a Filipino idol with poiltical ambitions. Pacquiao’s rags to riches tale could even elevate him from pauper to the President of a nation. It was the fight of a generation. And it had to be made.

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Pacquiao vs Mayweather: Passion meets Ego

The state of boxing is currently at an all-time high. Despite the several bad decisions we’ve seen in the sport recently, few things have been able to slow the budding momentum of the sport, as evidenced by the highly anticipated Mayweather/Pacquiao showdown.

The huge intrigue behind this fight speaks volumes about not only the fan passion for the sport, but also the greatness of the two men involved, as American Floyd Mayweather jr. and Filipino Manny Pacquiao are clearly a cut above any other talents found in todays era – (or any other recent era) – of the sport.

Although fans on both sides of the fence feel a need to stay loyal in supporting their man, there’s no question, this is a pick ‘em fight where either man could walk out victorious by the end of the night, as both men are known for doing whatever legally possible to end the fight with a “W”.

PACQUIAO’S PASSION FOR COUNTRY

Many people recently found comical relief in the outburst of tears that Mexican heavyweight contender Chris Arreola displayed in his lost against Vitali Klitschko. The heavyweight contender was called everything from a cry baby, to a kid, to a sore loser, and worst.

Of all the comments mentioned about his weak moment, few stopped to realize that in his last professional loss a few years back to Mexican Erik Morales, we saw a very similar outburst from Filipino Manny Pacquiao, (sans the profanity), who was also completely destroyed when falling short against the better man that night.

As I think back to that night, seeing the toughest little-big man I know crying his eyes out in the ring helped me and others comprehend precisely how important it is for Pacquiao to remain on top and bring home the win for his countrymen.

The N.B.A. has Michael Jordan. Professional Golf has Tiger Woods. Both men are great, but they represent a sport in a country. Manny Pacquiao represents THEE COUNTRY, and as a walking ambassador with iconic status, clearly, a loss for him would be deemed a loss for the nation, as viewed by those of his humble homeland.

That being said, the man he’ll stand across from could care less, as his ego gives him just as much pride in being the best.

MAYWEATHER’S QUEST FOR GREATNESS

From childhood, we’re all taught to humble ourselves and yeild to the hunger of ego. That theory may be great in a corporate world, or everyday life, but as it relates to the ring, there’s no more valuable tool for greatness, as the ego of fighters like Floyd Mayweather jr. is what literally lights their fire.

An ego for greatness is what propelled a 44 year old Bernard Hopkins to defy the odds after losing to Joe Calzaghe and destroy the career of a still-in-his-prime Kelly Pavlik. An ego for greatness is what propelled an old lion like Shane Mosley to defeat a very durable Mexican warrior like Antonio Margarito when no one else could. An ego for greatness is what compelled a smaller Manny Pacquiao to sit on the ropes and take devastating body shots from the powerful Miguel Cotto while subsequently taking his heart and his will.

Some find ego to be a self-fulfilling effort, and perhaps they’re rights, as few other things can lead the blind to see monumental greatness within themselves.

ONE NIGHT TO FIND OUT

The passion of both men is what will make this fight historical. There may be many other great fights before and after this showdown, but none to match the buildup of this epic showdown.

Two Legends – One Night – No Excuses …… is a perfect tagline when you pair “The Undefeated versus The Undisputed”.

March 13th will finally settle the score!

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Manny Pacquiao’s one advantage Floyd Mayweather can’t counter

When Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. meet next March, they will be fairly evenly matched in most aspects of boxing. Sure both have their strengths and weaknesses, but on paper they will be a close match.

The one thing that only one of them has however is Freddie Roach, widely regarded as the best trainer in the world at the moment. His game plans have turned what would have been difficult fights for Pacquiao into quick victories.

Roach was successful long before he ever met Manny Pacquiao though, he has racked up 20 world champions under his tutelage as well as moving into the world of mixed martial arts and training several fighters there also. Everyone from former UFC champion Andrei Arlovski to up and coming British Welterweight talent Amir Khan have come to Roach in the past to improve various aspects of their boxing, and he rarely disappoints.

Arguably Roach is also the trainer who has come closest to beating Floyd Mayweather so far, having trained Oscar De La Hoya in his split decision loss against ‘Money’ in 2007. Following a similar game plan as De La Hoya alone Pacquiao has an excellent chance of being the first man to beat Mayweather Jr. although Roach will likely come up with an even better one this time around.

Manny also relies on Roach and his training during fights more than Mayweather does with his trainers, following game plans to the letter and trusting that Roach knows better than he does. Many boxers, Mayweather included, prefer to test things out for themselves, and will often deviate from tactics that they don’t like, even if their trainers are disagreeing.

Mayweather vs Pacquiao BoxingOn the other side of the ring Floyd Mayweather Jr. will probably have either his father or uncle. The reason for the uncertainty is due to his uncle having pending charges against him at the moment, although he will probably still be the trainer come March.

Roger Mayweather is undoubtedly a good trainer, although his nephew is the kind of fighter who likely trains himself for the most part. One of the biggest strengths of Floyd Jr. is that he has great ring awareness, and will often change tactics on the fly during a round, where most other boxers would have to wait and be told what to do by their corners at the end. The fact that Pacquiao is this type of boxer could well mean that if Floyd adapts after each round, Pacquiao will struggle to counteract him. Of course coming up with different game plans for each round is far from easy, particularly against someone like Pacquiao who has so few holes in his game.

Floyd Mayweather Sr. is not the same as Roach in the coaching department, witnessed from the Ricky Hatton debacle. Hatton was left without much of a hope after Sr. failed to plug a huge hole in his defense, and Hatton himself said that he had no idea what to do after the complicated plan that Mayweather had told him wasn’t working out.

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Pacquiao beating Floyd is Arum’s birthday wish

Top Rank big boss Bob Arum has only one wish when he celebrates his 78th birthday on Dec. 8 and that is for Manny Pacquiao to beat Floyd Mayweather Jr. when the two collide in next year’s mega-buck showdown.

“I hope this fight will be a great fight and I hope that it ends with the referee counting 10 over Mr. Mayweather,” he said.

Both fighters have yet to sign the deal as Arum is set to prepare the contract that Pacquiao and Mayweather will be signing before the first scheduled press conference on Jan. 11 next year.

Arum said the Pacquiao-Mayweather showdown, set on March 13, is the biggest fight that he would promote in his four decades in the business. It can even be compared to some of the greatest fights that took place in the past, he said.

“For our time it’s the biggest fight people have been talking about, Manny vs Mayweather. It has great deal of anticipation and it reminds me of when (Sugar Ray) Leonard first fought (Thomas) Hearns for the first time or when (Muhammad) Ali fought (Joe) Frazier. It has that type of feeling.”

Though both fighters can expect a hefty paycheck once they seal the deal, Arum said the seven-division champ Pacquiao has a higher goal when he decided to fight Mayweather.

“Is this fight all about money for Pacquiao? Naturally for professional boxing its just that were boxers want to be compensated,” said Arum, who felt finally relieved after finally convincing Pacquiao to accept what boxing observers call the “Fight of the Millennium.”

“But for Manny this fight is even more. This fight will eliminate any doubt on who the best pound-for-pound fighter is,” added Arum, who said that Pacquiao has long wanted to face the still undefeated and former P4P title holder Mayweather.

Arum said he did not have a hard time convincing both fighters to accept the deal.

“I knew last time I took him to see the Cotto-Clottey fight, he (Pacquiao) said he wanted to fight Cotto. But I knew before, that he wanted to fight Mayweather.” “It was my job to get everything cleared out of the way. So it was done in the best possible terms.” Arum said that Pacquiao is expected to collect $40 million or close to P2 billion.

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FLOYD MAYWEATHER SR.: “I REALLY DON’T THINK PACQUIAO WANTED TO FIGHT LIL FLOYD”

“Lil Floyd been agreed to the terms, then Freddie Roach starting backtracking. First he said it was all on Lil Floyd and they were ready to go and this and that, and then he changed it to Manny got a busted eardrum, March is too soon and all that shit. Man, get the fuck out of here. How long of a training camp do they need? Shit, it’s not until March. But Bob Arum wanted that fight to happen and that’s why it got done. I really don’t think Pacquiao wanted to fight Lil Floyd. He knows what he’s up against… Lil Floyd hasn’t taken any damage in the fight game and Pacquiao knows he is fighting a different animal man; ain’t going to take no damage,” stated Floyd Mayweather Sr. as he talked about the highly-anticipated clash between his undefeated son and Manny Pacquiao. You don’t want to miss what he had to say about the negotiations, the venue, the fight itself, Roy Jones Jr., Bernard Hopkins and much more.

PC: How are you doing Big Floyd?

FM: Everything is good man. I’m just pushing along man.

PC: Before we talk about Pacquiao, I wanted to get your take on Roy Jones. You have been telling me for a long time that he should retire before he gets hurt. I’m sure you feel strongly about that even moreso now?

FM: Yeah man. It’s over for him. I didn’t get a chance to watch the fight, but I heard it was over with quick. He lucky he didn’t fight one of those Klitschko boys. They would have comatosed his ass. It ain’t nothing left for him to do but get hurt man. Tarver shook him up and Glen Johnson ruined him for life.

PC: Why is it that fighters have such a hard time walking away from the fight game? Is it because he’s just been great for so long; not just Roy, but in general?

FM: Oh yeah, man, it’s hard to walk away because you still feel like you can fight. It was tough for me to walk away after I got shot. I saw Sugar Ray Leonard and told him to come to the gym anytime and I will whoop him. I told him that in front of Oscar. I had him in a life and death fight with one hand. It’s hard to leave the fight game man; yes sir. See, Bernard just want to make that money.

PC: You’re referring to him still wanting to fight Roy?

FM: Oh yeah man. Bernard wants to make that money and erase that loss from his record, but Roy is through man. They not going to get nobody to pick that fight up. ESPN wouldn’t even broadcast that shit.

PC: Did you get to see Hopkins’ performance?

FM: Nah man. I didn’t watch it, but I heard he didn’t look that good.

PC: He was hit a lot more than we’re accustomed to seeing him hit.

FM: That dude was touching Bernard?

PC: He got hit with some overhand rights, but Bernard’s size and experience came through in about the 5th or 6th round.

FM: Yeah, a lot of people told me they weren’t that impressed with the way he fought.

PC: Big business going on with your son. It seems they have both agreed to fight one another.

FM: Yeah man. Lil Floyd been agreed to the terms, then Freddie Roach starting backtracking. First he said it was all on Lil Floyd and they were ready to go and this and that, and then he changed it to Manny got a busted eardrum, March is too soon and all that shit. Man, get the fuck out of here. How long of a training camp do they need? Shit, it’s not until March. But Bob Arum wanted that fight to happen and that’s why it got done. I really don’t think Pacquiao wanted to fight Lil Floyd. He knows what he’s up against.

PC: Have you talked to Floyd and how does he feel about the fight?

FM: He’s ready to go man. Let me tell you something man, I see people saying if Zab Judah gave Lil Floyd problems, so can Pacquiao. Man, winning 3 rounds in a 12-round fight is not giving somebody problems man. Once Lil Floyd figured Zab out, he tore his ass up and Zab knew what was about to happen; that’s why he hit him with that low shot. But I’m going to tell you something man, with Pacquiao, it’s not even going to be a figuring him out process. Pacquiao is terrible man. The man don’t move his damn head, he jumps straight in…hey man, you gonna see. You gonna see.

PC: For the record, you did pick De La Hoya, Hatton, of course because you were training him, and Cotto to beat Pacquiao.

FM: Hey man, let me tell you something, I don’t know why in the hell De La Hoya chose to fight that man at 147. That was just crazy man. Ricky Hatton gave me one round to give him advice and what did I tell him? I told him keep his damn hands up, move his head and go in behind his jab. He didn’t do nothing I said. A trainer can only give instructions man. Hatton was scared of Pacquiao though man. And Cotto was done after the Margarito fight man. Let me hit you upside your head with some damn bricks and see if you fight the same (laughing). Lil Floyd hasn’t taken any damage in the fight game and Pacquiao knows he is fighting a different animal man; ain’t going to take no damage.

PC: Pacquiao and his wife were on a Filipino radio station and they basically said you are giving Pacman motivation to beat Lil Floyd with the accusations that you made regarding Pacquiao being on steroids.

FM: (Laughing) They can have all of the motivation they want, that’s not going to mean shit on fight night. Pacquiao could never beat something that came out of me (laughing). I can say whatever the fuck I want to say about him; that’s my opinion. I get shit said about me all of the time that isn’t true. Come on man.

PC: The venues are looking like New Orleans, Dallas or Vegas are the frontrunners. I would be very shocked to see Vegas let this one get away, would you?

FM: Oh yeah man. I would be real surprised if Bob Arum let this fight not take place here [Las Vegas]. This is where the money is at and I don’t see this fight going somewhere else man. But that man that owns the Cowboys [Jerry Jones] has a shit load of money, so we will see.

PC: I spoke to WBO President Francisco Valcarcel and he said it has a lot to do with what weight they will fight at to pick a favorite. He feels if they fight at 144 or 145, that will favor Pacquiao and at 147, it will favor Mayweather.

FM: I tell you this right now, Lil Floyd ain’t giving up a pound man. He’s not supposed to. If this is a fight for the welterweight title, Lil Floyd can weigh anything from 141 to 147 period. And if Pacquiao was talking about moving to 154 to fight somebody, he can fight Floyd there. But Lil Floyd ain’t giving up a pound; fuck that catch-weight shit.

PC: Valcarcel also compared Pacquiao to Sugar Ray Robinson and I’m sure you have a strong opinion about that.

FM: Man, what the fuck people is looking at man? You can’t even put him in the same sentence as Robinson, Ali and all of those greats man. Pacquiao done pulled the wool over people’s eyes man. Pacquiao is a strong fighter man, but you can’t compare him to Ray Robinson. Ray Robinson has more knockouts than Pacquiao has fights; 3 times the knockouts.

PC: I won’t hold you too much longer my man. I always appreciate your time. Is there anything you want to say in closing?

FM: It’s all good man; you know we talk like this. I hadn’t talked to you for awhile. I hope the fight gets signed. They have both agreed, but I don’t think any paperwork has been signed yet. But I hope it gets done because the world is going to see. I’m telling you.

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Pacquiao says kids should not emulate Mayweather

For the most part, Manny Pacquiao has been cordial and respectful towards every opponent he has faced inside the boxing throughout his career- outside of course a little bit of exchanged words here and there with Erik Morales back then and when he told Juan Manuel Marquez to “stop crying man” when the Mexican legend kept on nagging him for a third fight after he dropped a close decision in their rematch as if he was Pacquiao’s baby momma asking for child support.

His fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. though would be different. Mayweather together with his father Floyd Sr. have been bashing the Filipino boxing star since his ascension as the sport’s best pound for pound fighter after Mayweather retired.

Among the insults the Mayweathers have hurled at Pacquiao were claims saying Pacquiao is one-dimensional, that he has little skills, that he has no defense, that Ricky Hatton would knock him out etc. etc. And when the insults pertaining to his skills inside the ring were proven wrong, the Mayweathers conjured up perhaps the most damaging accusation of all when they said that Pacquiao was on some type of steroids despite not having any proof or evidence other than seeing his body and power come with him in the higher weights.

Pacquiao admitted recently that he is a little bit annoyed by the Mayweathers’ antics and was quoted in an article by his network GMA saying, “The difference between Floyd with the other fighters I went up against is that he talks a lot of trash which should not be emulated by kids,” (translated from: “Pagkakaiba ni Floyd Mayweather sa ibang nakalaban ko is si Floyd, marami siyang thrash talk na di dapat gayahin ng mga bata,”).

And in one of my recent articles, I also pointed out how Pacquiao has issued Floyd Sr. a warning that he has some extra ill-feelings towards his son and that he would bring it in the ring when they do indeed face off. Something tells me this will just get worse before it gets any better.

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The Showdown: The Impact of Mayweather vs Pacquiao

Ladies and Gentleman, we’re back with the latest edition of “The Showdown”. The column has been away for the past few weeks as I’ve been recapping some classic bouts for our “From the Vault” column but I’m back this week discussing the possible Mayweather/Pacquiao fight. As many of you are aware by now, the fight is inching closer and closer towards reality as Floyd Mayweather has reportedly agreed to terms and conditions to make this fight happen. Now I won’t be going into who think will win the fight as readers to this column are aware that I have previously discussed my opinion of such a fight and who I felt would win (Mayweather, although that opinion has grown shaky since Pacquiao/Cotto). Instead, I’ll be discussing a few aspects of the potential fight which has been discussed in the past several weeks, most notably the possibly venue of such a fight and the impact such a fight would have on the sport and society.

First off, the venue of the bout has been one that’s hotly contested. They’re several parties which want the fight and are willing to spend big to get the bout. Some of the venues discussed are several of the Vegas casinos(The MGM being the most viable), the Superdome in New Orleans, and Cowboy Stadium in Dallas.

This is a tricky question because ultimately Las Vegas carries the stronger hand in such discussions. The possible venues in Las Vegas could only sell about 20,000 tickets and many of those tickets will be awarded to loyal Vegas customers, which would drag the possible gate down. However, the amount of money the MGM would be willing to shell out for the bout would be astronomical. They know the amount of money that Vegas stands to lose if this fight takes place outside it’s confines. Fight weekends in Vegas ensure tons of revenue for the city and more importantly the hosting casino. Gambling revenues would be at record levels for this fight as it’s safe to say just about every high roller will be in town and willing to shell out absurd figures within the casino. Don’t get me wrong, a great Vegas fight is something special but 20,000 just doesn’t have the same oomph as say 60,000 or more packed into Cowboy Stadium.

What better way to reassert the sports dominance within mainstream sports, than holding such a mega fight in front such a massive crowd? It would certainly shut those up that have been trying to hail the sport’s demise for the past 10 years. It’s also hard to imagine Dana White could ever run his mouth again about his sport’s superiority over Boxing when you know the UFC could not come close to staging such a spectacle. Maybe, I’m just sentimental to the golden years of Boxing when major card were regularly held at baseball stadiums but the sport needs this type of event to push it back into the forefront of sports. I hope the fight happens in Cowboy Stadium and I think it would be huge for the sport but alas, I’m not getting my hopes up. The promotional companies, behind the possible fight have close ties to Las Vegas and are unlikely to jeopardize that relationship any time soon by spurning the city for such an important fight, expect the fight to happen at the MGM.

With that topic out of the way, the next topic that needs to be discussed is the actual impact of such a fight. I’m not talking about the impact within our sport, all boxing fans understand the importance of the fight but rather I’m talking about the impact the fight would have on society as a whole. There are certain sports events which are capable of transcending the sports world and becoming something legendary. I’m talking about such events as Michael Phelps winning eight gold medals, Ali/Frazier, the Super Bowl, and others. I don’t know if this fight has such an impact but I think it certainly has the potential.

The bout features two fighters who are guaranteed to take their place in the company of legends when they retire but even more importantly for the media, (which will ultimately decide the impact such a fight has on society) it features two individuals who represent very different lifestyles. It’s a great storyline that the media will surely eat up. In one corner, you have the cocky, brash, villain played by Floyd Mayweather who is opposed by the humble, Manny Pacquiao. It’s the type of storyline that the media can run with, much like they did in the 70’s with Ali and Frazier. You see for a sporting event to really transcend into a cultural event their needs to be a story to be told outside of the actual sport, something for the mainstream to connect to and I think this fight possesses such a story.

I can’t totally say if this fight reaches the level of say Ali/Frazier or Louis/Schmelling but at the very least it will certainly be the most important boxing event of the past 25 years. However, as much as I wax poetic about the impact of such a fight, I know for a fact that we all simply want the fight to happen. It’s a fight that the sport needs to complete it’s recent revival. Boxing still has it’s fair share of problems but there is an excitement about this sport that has not been evident for quite some time. Let’s hope for the sake of the sport that egos can be put aside and we can all witness one more classic night of fights.

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MGM GRAND HAS THE EDGE TO LAND PACQUIAO VS MAYWEATHER FIGHT

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum believes that at this point the MGM Grand has the edge in the bid to land the Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather fight for the ages on March 13 although Dallas Cowboys owner Gerry Jones is vying for the right to stage the multi-million dollar fight at the new state-of-the-art $1.2 billion Cowboys stadium in Dallas, Texas.

New Orleans which initially evidenced interest in a bid to stage the fight hasn’t contacted the promoters in the last few days. However, Arum said “if they are still interested they’ll contact us and we (Arum, Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer and Ross Greenberg of HBO) will make a visit to New Orleans which is not too far from Dallas” which the trio will visit on Wednesday to meet with Jones.

Asked who he felt was the front-runner, Arum replied “I’ll have to say its Las Vegas because the fighters, most of their big fights have been in Las Vegas, it’s a great climate to do a fight but this is professional boxing and money talks.”

Arum clarified “if we get an incredible offer from Dallas and Jerry Jones then it will be incumbent upon Las Vegas to match it or come close.”

The astute Top Rank promoter noted that “the best weekend that they (Las Vegas) have had in months was the weekend of November 14 when Manny fought (Miguel) Cotto. The town was packed. There was a great buzz and when its around a boxing match the people come in. There is something subliminal about the fact that they spend a lot of money, not as much on the gambling but in the best restaurants, the nightclubs and they buy clothing so they had a phenomenal weekend and they know this fight will be even bigger.”

Arum said also that “many people coming to the fight would want to stay in the new city center because architecturally its such an incredible edifice.”

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PacMan’s Next Fight Could Be Guam’s Biggest Pay-Per-View Yet

Boxing fans on Guam have yet another fight to mark on their calanders. March 13, 2010 is the date that the voracious Manny “PacMan” Pacquiao is slated to fight Floyd “Pretty Boy” Mayweather. Although the venue has not been finalized, Michael Koncz, who runs Pacquaio’s promotional company told GMA Television he’s confident a place will open up (as reported by the BBC).

According to the BBC, the venues that are jockeying to host this megabout are: the New Orleans Superdome, the new Dallas Cowboys stadium, the Las Vegas MGM Grand hotel-casino in Las Vegas, and possibly a Las Vegas temporary stadium on the Vegas Strip.

Wherever the match winds up, some are anticipating the biggest pay-per-view yield yet. The Wall Street Journal speculates this bout could beat Mayweather’s 2007 split-decision win over De La Hoya as the richest fight ever.

WSJ reports Mayweather vs. De La Hoya generated 2.4 million buys for $120 million in pay-per-view revenue.

For most of us here on Guam, we’ll be watching the fight from a stool in our favorite bar or at home with friends and family who’ve shared the pay-per-view costs. Nothing wrong with that. PacMan always puts on a good show. And, admittedly, so does Mayweather. Both men have alternately been declared the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world. And both have won multiple world championships in multiple weight classes.

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Manny makes good: Mayweather vs Pacquiao to happen on March 13

The sounds of glee and joy you are hearing aren’t due to Christmas carolers revelling in the December cold. No, it’s the sound of millions of boxing fans throughout the world giddy with excitement over the recent news that the Filipino knockout artist and current Pound-for-Pound King, Manny Pacquiao, has signed a contract to fight future Hall-of-Famer Floyd Mayweather on March 13 of next year.

As reported here, Pretty Boy Floyd brought the megabout one step closer last week when he agreed to terms presented in conjunction with Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions. Following that development, Top Rank chieftain Bob Arum was said to have boarded a plane to the Philippines to personally present details of the proposed bout.

Here’s what we know now:

The fighters have agreed to a 50-50 purse split that will likely divvy up the biggest payday in boxing history. The March 13 bout will officially be dubbed Mayweather-Pacquiao for promotional purposes and will only have one press conference some time during the month of January, rather than a multi-city media tour. With the fight being merely three months away, both camps will be eager to get back into the gym reasonably soon. While the fight’s date is written in stone, a venue is still being determined. It looks like Arlington’s Cowboys Stadium and New Orleans’ Superdome are the most likely locales, while a proposal to construct a temporary 30,000-seat outdoor stadium in Vegas also appears to be a very real possibility.

The fight will be fought at the welterweight limit of 147 pounds. Most intriguing is that both parties have agreed to use 8 oz. gloves in their contest. It was rumored that Mayweather and his handlers had been lobbying for the fight to occur with 10 oz. gloves.

The 8 oz. gloves are likely to accentuate Pacquiao’s ability to employ power and precision from all angles. Pacquiao and Freddie Roach have only managed to add to the champion’s devastating arsenal as they have climbed up through divisions in recent years. However, Mayweather’s proclivity for finesse and showmanship, should not dismiss his own ability to stop elite opponents prematurely, as was exhibited in encounters with Arturo Gatti, Diego Corrales, and Ricky Hatton.

Mayweather-Pacquiao will serve as this centuries first legitimate SuperFight and has every ingredient of an era-defining matchup. There is no question that the ultimate legacies of both fighters will be judged in great part as to how they compete on March 13.

Whatever the case, both men should be commended and praised over their willingness to give professional boxing something it hasn’t seen in decades – a fight that is truly for the ages.

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PACQUIAO THRILLED ABOUT MAYWEATHER FIGHT

Manny Pacquiao, a hero to millions across the Philippines and around the world and the world’s pound-for-pound king is thrilled about his fight for the ages against undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr, the former pound-for-pound maestro.

An exuberant Pacquiao met us at the lobby of the New World Hotel early Saturday morning after returning to his hotel following an all-night shooting of his movie “Wapakman” and a few racks of pool and said “come on, let’s go up to my room” which happened to be a suite.

He raised his T-shirt to show us his finely chiseled abdomen and had us feel his upper arms which were like rock and then covered up like he did at times in his “Fire Power” showdown with WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto and said “come on Mayweather, lets see what you’ve got.”

A smiling, confident Pacquiao said he used the same tactics against Cotto because “it was mind-conditioning. I wanted him to be scared. I wanted to show him I could take his best shots because before the fight they always said Cotto was stronger and bigger. That’s why in the fight I wanted to prove that I was bigger and stronger.”

Many fights fans have wondered how the skinny kid who fought as a light flyweight when he was 16 years old could have blossomed into a 147 pound welterweight as he nears the age of 31 and hit with such incredible power. “My power comes from God and in my heart” he answered without batting an eyelash.

Pacquiao didn’t wish to in anyway belittle Mayweather but indirectly gave him and his trash-taking father Floyd Mayweather Sr some unsolicited advice.

With a hearty laugh when asked about the remarks of Mayweather Sr, Pacquiao said “we can become famous without being arrogant. We can stay humble without resorting to trash talk. It’s not good being a champion idolized by everybody especially the young kids. Trash-talking is not a good example to the young. That’s very important.”

Pacquiao revealed that for some time now he hasn’t fallen prey to the temptation of having a beer or any hard liquor while shooting his movie or playing pool and has maintained his physical condition by playing basketball. He stressed, “I haven’t touched a drink.”

Sharing Pacquiao’s enthusiasm over the Mayweather fight, adviser Michael Koncz who was the only member of Team Pacquiao to sit in on the discussions between Pacquiao and Top Rank promoter Bob Arum and reportedly provided valuable insights and inputs that helped get the deal done comparatively quickly, said he too was “very excited about this fight.”

Koncz told www.insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports “Mayweather was the pound-for-pound fighter for many years. He has a different and very unique style compared to anybody that Manny fought. But I still think he’s going to be surprised with Manny’s power and I think Manny will be able to tag Mayweather because of his speed, not only his hand-speed but his foot-speed.”

Koncz recalled that former WBC lightweight champion David Diaz said it best when he remarked “we all hear and we all know Manny has fast hands but until you get into the ring you don’t know how fast. I think people underestimate his footwork and his lateral movement and what catches his opponents tremendously off-guard is that Manny can throw a power-punch when one shouldn’t be able to do it. Most boxers have to have both feet planted on the canvas but Manny can do it off one foot and has knocked people out that way.”

The fighter whom Top Rank promoter Bob Arum considers the greatest of all-time surpassing even heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali who was a towering international personality promoted by Arum himself, indicated that his running for the lone congressional district in Sarangani won’t interfere with his training for the Mayweather fight or diminish his focus.

Ranged against a reluctant candidate who is much older than him, Pacquiao said as far as his campaign is concerned “everything is in place and we are ready.”

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A fight 'made in heaven set'

The Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight, an encounter everyone has long been waiting because of its potential to become the most lucrative in history, is on.

If plans don’t miscarry the 12-round encounter that is expected to break the existing record 2.4 million pay-per-view, which, incidentally is held by Mayweather in his fight against the now-retired Oscar De La Hoya two years ago, will be held March 13.

Promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank left Manila yesterday after a brief three-day visit here to talk with Pacquiao and bringing with him an offer from Mayweather, which, the Filipino boxing hero could not refuse.


Neither Pacquiao nor Mayweather had signed the dotted line, but Arum said that would only be a formality and that he will be talking to Golden Boy’s Richard Schaefer as soon as he arrived in the United States Monday (Tuesday in Manila) about the nitty-gritty of the contract.

Arum refused to disclose how the mega-purse will be split although a leaked report said it will be divided evenly between the protagonists. The fight will be at the welterweight limit 147 pounds and a pair of eight-ounce gloves will be used.

Reports spread quickly Friday that the much-anticipated fight between the top two finest pound-for-pound fighters in the world will push through after that Arum-Pacquiao meeting at a Makati Hotel.

Such reports stemmed from an interview with Pacquiao by a television network where the seven-division champion was quoted as saying “March 13 is OK.” Surprised by the fast development, Pacuiao’s chief trainer Freddie Roach, who was very vocal in his opposition to a March date, nevertheless welcomed the reports.

“We’re happy it could be happening, but I’m surprised it’s happened so quickly,” Roach told The Los AngelesTimes’ Lance Pugmire via a telephone conversation from Britain where one of his fighters had a fight date over the weekend.

Arum said that next Thursday he, Schaefer and the head of HBO Sports, Ross Greenburg, will visit Cowboys Stadium, one of the venues bidding to host the fight.
A big press conference has already been scheduled January 11.

Pacquiao himself said the talk between him and his promoter went well even as he affirmed that no signing of the contract took place as there are still some things to be ironed out.

“We agreed to everything in principle, but there are still some finer points that need to be negotiated. Bob is going to take all of this back to Floyd Mayweather and then, hopefully, it will be all worked out. We believe that the deal will get done,’’ he assured.

He said running for congress will not affect his preparations as well as the movie “Wapakman” he is presently shooting.

“Yes, I am. I’m not worried about that. The filming of the movie will be completed on Dec. 9, and the movie is scheduled to be released on Christmas.

“I am fine. I will be healthy. My hand was only bruised, but there is not going to be a problem with it,” he said in reference to his ruptured eardrum and broken right hand suffered in his fight against Miguel Cotto. “Also, my ear will not be a problem. I know my body, and I would never do anything to seriously jeopardize my health.

“If Manny says yes, if Manny is ok for March 13, then I say, I’m also ok,” Roach said, adding, ”we’ll have to start training after New Year’ day so that we can get our customary 10 weeks in, I guess we will have a month in the Philippines then the remainder in my gym at Wild Card.”

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Pacman-Floyd Coming Together Faster Than Almost Any Super-Fight Ever

Reports are starting to surface all over that the most anticipated fight of the last decade is on the verge of being signed. During the last couple days there have been a plethora of reports via the internet, newspapers, cable and broadcast that Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. have agreed to fight on March 13, 2010. The only issue that hasn’t been ironed out is where the fight will take place. Las Vegas and the new billion dollar Cowboys stadium in Texas have been mentioned the most as far as potential host of the fight.

Pacquiao is less than a month removed from his last fight in which he stopped Miguel Cotto in the 12th round to capture the WBO welterweight title. Mayweather’s last fight was contested on September 19th when he won a lopsided 12-round decision over Juan Manuel Marquez. Both Pacquiao and Mayweather fought in catch-weight bouts the last time out. Pacquiao weighed in at 145 and Mayweather weighed in a pound heavier at 146 and their upcoming fight, (if the reports are true) will be fought at 147 with Pacquiao’s WBO title on the line.

It’s almost unfathomable that a super-fight the likes of Pacquiao-Mayweather will be realized so soon after both last fought. That just doesn’t happen in boxing. Usually the super big fights are signed five or six months before taking place. And if Pacquiao and Mayweather actually sign to meet on March 13th of 2010, roughly sixteen weeks after Pacquiao’s last fight, it’ll be the quickest a big fight has ever taken place after the official announcement of it in recent memory.

The quickest a mega fight has ever been realized after it was initially signed was the first fight between “Smokin” Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali. But there was a huge reason as to why that was the case and the fight happened so quickly.

Frazier-Ali had been in the making since Frazier showed up at Ali’s public workout prior to his last title defense of the sixties versus Zora Folley in March of 1967. When Joe showed up someone suggested that he and Ali pose for a picture together. When Frazier advanced towards Ali to pose for the picture, Ali leaned over and put his arm around Frazier and said, “You’re too short to give me any real trouble.” To which Joe replied, “We’ll see about that.” Once Frazier fired back at Ali it was on and Muhammad began hyping Joe as a future threat to him and his heavyweight title.

As most know Ali was exiled from boxing and stripped of his undisputed heavyweight title a month after stopping Folley in the seventh round. For the next three plus years while Ali was fighting the United States government in court for draft evasion, Joe Frazier succeeded him as heavyweight champion of the world.

After a 43 month exile Ali returned to the ring on October 26, 1970 and stopped Jerry Quarry in three rounds in his first fight since beating Zora Folley. Six weeks later he stopped Oscar Bonavena in the 15th round on December 7, 1970. Once Quarry and Bonavena were dispatched, the drumbeat for Frazier-Ali, (which was how the fight was billed) began to explode with anticipation.

On December 30, 1970 Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali signed to fight on March 8, 1971, roughly 12-weeks after Ali beat Bonavena in his last fight. Granted, the interest world wide for Frazier-Ali was unprecedented and the time between the actual signing and the fight itself was unheard of.

But that was for a very good reason.

During Ali’s exile, a proposed fight between he and Frazier seemed on the verge of being made but always fell apart before it could be finalized. Once Ali’s boxing license was reinstated the thought behind the promotion was to make the fight as soon as possible. And that was because Ali’s case for draft evasion was going before the U.S. Supreme Court in June of 1971. The thought at the time was that he was going to lose the case and have to serve his five year prison sentence imposed on him in June of 1967.

The March 8 date was the only open date for Madison Square Garden before the June Supreme Court case. And to clear the slate for the 8th, James Taylor had to agree to not holding a concert that night at the Garden. With the thought being Ali would be going to prison in June, the promoters feared if Frazier-Ali wasn’t realized before the June court case, the fight would never happen. And there was way too much money involved for everybody to take that risk.

Given his choice, Ali wanted more time to get ready for Frazier and was hopeful of meeting Joe in mid May. However, Frazier was insistent that the fight take place in Madison Square Garden and March 8th had to be the date.

On March 8, 1971 Joe Frazier won a hard fought 15-round unanimous decision over Muhammad Ali to become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. On June 28, 1971 Ali won a bigger fight when the Supreme Court over-turned his draft conviction by an 8-0 vote and the rest is history.

Frazier-Ali was the largest grossing fight in boxing history at the time. And the five million dollar guaranteed purse they split was also the largest purse split by any two fighters at that time. If Pacquiao-Mayweather happens on March 13, 2010 it’ll probably be the biggest grossing fight in boxing history. And if it’s the biggest grossing fight of all-time Pacquiao and Mayweather may both gross over $40 million dollars apiece which would be a record.

As of this writing it looks as though Pacquiao-Mayweather will be made almost as quickly as the most anticipated fight in boxing history, Frazier-Ali. Along with that Manny and Floyd look to have a real shot at splitting the biggest purse ever in boxing.

And if Pacquiao-Mayweather is half the fight Frazier-Ali turned out to be, we’ll all be winners.

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Pacquiao Watch: Counting Manny’s dollars

REPORTS indicate that Manny Pacquiao was made an offer he could not refuse when Top Rank’s Bob Arum visited him recently.

It was for a US$50 million combined guaranteed purse to be split between him and Floyd Mayweather Jr.

That’s a cool US$25 million, a couple more than the total of what he reportedly raked in when he fought Miguel Angel Cotto.

That Mayweather guaranteed purse could balloon to as much as US$40 million if the fight hit the all-time mark in pay per view buys. That is only the guaranteed purse and the upside of PPV sales.

Include Manny’s share in the live gate receipts, merchandise sales, close circuit TV and local cable and television rights in the Philippines, and Manny could be two times a billionaire when the checks are all in.

Bear with me but I am checking if my accounting still works.

Promoters of the Pacquiao-Mayweather megafight are looking at a 2.5 million total pay per view buys – a record.

Marquee boxing match-ups like these are hard to come by. Home viewers in the US will have to shell out at least US$60 to be able to watch this historic fight live on their living rooms. That would be easily US$150 million in total PPV revenues.

Assuming some 300,000 guests in Las Vegas or in Dallas hotels shell out fifty bucks to watch it on CCTV, that’s US$15 million more to the pot.

If the fight is held at the MGM, no less than 17,000 fans will undoubtedly show up and swap their NBA season tickets for the priciest ringside seats. That means a minimum of US$15 million in live gate receipts.

Sale of fight merchandise could add another million dollars to the total purse of each fighter.

Manny, on the other hand, will earn at least a cool P100,000,000 (US$2.2 million) for the cable and TV rights of his fight.

Let me add them all up: US$37.5 million for the PPV/guaranteed purse; US$3.75 for the CCTV; US$3.75 for the live gate receipts; US$1 million for the merchandise sale; and, US$2.2 million for Philippine cable and TV rights. A staggering total of US$48.2 million!

All for 36 minutes of actual hard fight if the bout lasts the distance or US$1.338 million per minute of sweating it out.

No one in the Philippines earn that much per minute!

Of course, those figures are based on projection and assumptions.

And if HBO does get its cut in the CCTV proceeds, live gate receipts and merchandise sale. What I knew is that HBO advances money to the promoters to drum up the fight. When all is said and done, HBO accountants and the promoters sit down together and determine the total PPV sales.

HBO and the promoters get half of the proceeds and the rest goes to the boxers.

As practiced, sales from CCTV, live gate and merchandises go to the promoters and the boxers in the main attraction.

If HBO does not lay its hands on the collateral income, Manny’s gross pay for the day will be a handful of million dollars more.

That is why despite the proximity of the date and the political vacuum the fight will create for Manny in the Philippines, the Filipino pound for pound king accepted the offer without a blink of an eye.

Next stop: How Manny will spend his millions.

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Mayweather vs Pacquiao PPV price could zoom to $75

Get ready for jacked up PPV TV prices for the March 13 Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao Super Fight.

Butter wouldn’t melt in Pacman promoter Bob Arum’s mouth now as he returns with a verbal agreement to the most salient points from the Pinoy Idol.

Arum will take this greenlight from Megamanny to a Monday meeting with Mayweather rep Richard Schaefer.

When Money and Pacman both put pen to paper, it’s officially on and they can see if Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who supposedly wants the Big One, for his sparkling, new football playpen in Arlington, is all “big hat, no cattle” as the Texas expression goes.

Perhaps Arum is just using the Dallas situation as a level to induce a better deal from the MGM Mirage checkwriters in Las Vegas.

I asked Arum a few days if it is true that the pay per view tariff will be well above the $55 mark.

“No comment,” was all Arum said.

Arum told Manila Bulletin’s Nick Giongco that ringside ducats will command $2,500 and the cheap seats will be at $500 (in Las Vegas) so it is easy to surmise that there will be no $39.95 or even $49.95 PPV screen price.

I spoke to one veteran TV man who sees the PPV price as zooming to as much as $75.

Here’s what big operators charged for the Miguel Cotto-Pacman fight on the tube:

Provider: DirectTV
Event Date: November 14 Saturday
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET & 5:00 p.m. PT
Price: $54.95 SD, and $64.95 for HD TV

Provider: Dish Network
Event Date: November 14 Saturday
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET & 5:00 p.m. PT
Price: $54.95 SD, and $64.95 for HDTV

Provider: Time Warner Cable
Event Date: November 14 Saturday
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET & 5:00 p.m. PT
Price: $54.95 SD, and $64.95 for HDTV

Provider: Comcast
Area: USA West Coast
Event Date: November 14 Saturday
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET & 5:00 p.m. PT
Price: $54.95

Provider: Cox Communications
Area: USA West Coast
Event Date: November 14 Saturday
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET & 5:00 p.m. PT
Price: $54.95

“They are selling a so called Fight of the Century so it is easy to get more than you would for the Pacman-Cotto or Mayweather-Marquez type fights. Going to $60 is easy, really, and then from there the jump to, let’s say, $69.95 or even 75 bucks is not hard. The economy is improving and this is the dream match the public has pounded the table to see.

“You can’t order up Kobe beef or Wagyu steak and expect to pay chopped sirloin prices.”

The insider said PPV operators are unlikely to object as a price hike jumps their bottom line.

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Marley’s Memoirs: Why Pacquiao vs Mayweather will end up in Las Vegas

In boxing there is always more than meets the eye. What takes place on the surface is often masking something else and in a sport often lacking in loyalty and good will you never know what is taking place behind closed doors. Whether we like it or not, sometime the moves that are made in the business are solely based on money and incentive, and not the best interest of all parties at hand.

In regards to the hopeful March 13th Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather clash there is still much uncertainty in the air. Rumors are swirling left and right on a daily basis and there are still many particulars that need to be ironed out if the bout does end up going through. At the moment there still seem to be three key players looking to host the fight; Las Vegas, Dallas, and New Orleans.

One man who knows Vegas very well from all of his years in the sport is veteran boxing scribe Michael Marley, and the Boston native is firm in his belief that the city will once again play host to yet another huge showdown by landing the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight. Having spent some of his early years in Nevada as a writer for the Las Vegas Sun, Marley has a deep appreciation for everything that Las Vegas brings to the table and considers it the modern day Mecca of the sport.

Marley recently opened up to me about all things Vegas, from his initial venture to the Valley, his best memories from the boxing world, and how the city has reinvented itself over the years. Marley will be the first to tell you that there is no other place like Las Vegas and has an endless list of reasons for believing why there is no other ideal place for a fight like Pacquiao-Mayweather to jump off. In his own words, this is what Marley had to say…

Going out to Las Vegas…

“I grew up in Boston and left home when I was 18. I wouldn’t say I had an outstanding amateur career but I did have a little bit of success. I floated like a butterfly and I stung like a moth. I never had any illusions about being a professional but I wanted to see if I could the little boxing knowledge I had to either go to college or fight in the army. Jimmy Ellis, who became Heavyweight champion and was known as Muhammad Ali’s sparring partner and friend had a brother named Charley Ellis who recommended that I try out for the army boxing team. To make a long story short I would up going to the University of Nevada which was one of the four colleges that still had active boxing. I boxed up there and I also worked for the newspaper up there. I left there and went back to Boston for a year. The economy was even worse believe it or not than it is now. I couldn’t get back on the Boston Globe where I worked as a kid so I actually got back into the ‘transportation industry’ which was a nice way of saying that I was driving a cab in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Then I got a chance to go work for the Las Vegas Sun from the Sports editor out there. He asked me when would I be available to go out to Las Vegas and I went out there immediately.”

A lot of fun…

“I spent three fun filled years out in Nevada. I was at the age of 25 and it was going towards the end of the year. It was around the time when the wise guys ran Las Vegas and it was a lot of fun. There were always great fights out there. I was able to make great relationships with guys like Larry Holmes, who was Heavyweight champion for eight years. Every Wednesday night out there we used to have the old Silver Slipper fights on the strip. The Silver Slipper was a very small Casino but it was a fantastic atmosphere. You always had wise guys in there and casino guys. I can remember one night sitting ringside and Red Fox was next to me and the great tennis player Jimmy Connors was in front of me. There was no television back then but the betting was phenomenal. There weren’t any real sports books that were in the casino but guys would end up betting ten and thousands of dollars. You had all these characters out there too. It wouldn’t be uncommon to see a boxer losing a fight and have one of the gamblers run up to him and say ‘Hey kid I’ll give you $500 if you score a knockout,”, because they obviously had money on the fight. The commission just looked the other way and that’s how Vegas was back in the day.”

Great affection…

“I had to leave Vegas because I had an opportunity to write for the New York Post, which had always been my goal since I was a little kid. I went to New York but will never forget my years out in Las Vegas. I have great affection for Las Vegas and the state of Nevada. I still go back from time to time and I can tell it has changed. Nevada is different from the other 49 states in a lot of ways. I think Las Vegas has changed in the sense that it has become a big corporate enterprise. The gangsters were run out of town and some of them died off. Now you just have these corporate mentality guys and that’s when they started with ‘family, fun, Las Vegas’ and there is a place for that but they don’t call it an adult Disneyland for nothing. You have the ladies in the evening, the gamblers all day long and it’s just a different kind of crowd. It’s a crazy city where you can have the best professor in the world at UNLV make $100,000 while some strippers making $300,000 a year. I think it just became not as personal over the years. The old timers use to runt their casinos in a much more personal way. In the old days you used to be at the bar in Caesar’s Palace and Frank Sinatra would be sitting across from you. You had the legends in those days, guys like Sammy Davis Jr., Sinatra, Dean Martin, the famous Rat Pack, and that’s what made Vegas what it was and made it unique.”

Vegas wins out…

“It’s funny. I noticed that Bob Arum spoke to a Filipino reporter today and he mentioned that the MGM is a leading candidate. I think the fight will wind up at the MGM. I know they are going to go visit Jerry Jones in Dallas and maybe there will be a proposal from New Orleans, but New Orleans is still hurting from Hurricane Katrina. Dallas could be a good place but for as big as a fight as it is, it’s still a fight between Mayweather and a guy from the Philippines. If you had a Mexican opponent, like a Marquez or a Chavez type of guy than I think Dallas would make more sense but at the end of the day Vegas wins out.”

Sticking with the winner…

“Outside of maybe New York or Los Angeles, I can’t think of any other American city that has more flights coming in, especially from international locations, other than Las Vegas. Even though the economy is bad like it is everywhere, Las Vegas is still going to have more flights. You have 150,000 hotel rooms, the food is still reasonably cheap, and you can take a $1,000 and go to Las Vegas and have the time of your life. Vegas has also always supported boxing through good times and bad. I know there isn’t any loyalty in boxing because it’s all about the money and I know there isn’t any loyalty in the casino business either but there is an expression in gambling that you stick with the winner. Boxing owes something to Las Vegas. As I said, through good times and bad Las Vegas has always been there. Look at Atlantic City; they have maybe one or two big fights a year. It never became a rival to Las Vegas. When you think of all the great fights there, Las Vegas became what Madison Square Garden was years ago. It became the Mecca of boxing and I’m convinced that on March 13th, 2010 we’ll all be out there again to see Mayweather and Pacquiao in the ring. Especially now given the financial situation, Vegas is still on the ropes and Vegas needs this fight. The city of Dallas is going to roll on with or without the fight. Las Vegas needs it and the MGM Grand, the same company that owns the Mirage and the MGM and Mandalay Bay, I think they are going to clamp down and I don’t think they are going to let this fight of the century out their grasp.”

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Mayweather vs Pacquiao may add Wolak-Foreman for flava

Newly crowned WBA junior middleweight Yuri Foreman ,a Brooklyn resident, currently wears three international hats plus his observant Jew yarmulke.

Foreman was born in Belarus, lived in Haifa, Israel, and is now a New Yorker.

His first defense of the 154 pound title he won underneath the Miguel Cotto-Manny Pacquaio main event Nov. 14 (a sparkling UD 12 over champ Daniel Santos) looks as though it will come on the undercard of the monstrous Floyd Mayweather-Pacman Lollapalooza coming up March 13.

Fight beat chatter has it that Foreman, Bob Arum’s new pride and joy as a rabbinical student who is getting closer to being ordained, will take on he throws punches in bunches Pawel “Raging Bull” Wolak.

Wolak is from Poland but now lives in Mt. Arlington, NJ., and owns a pro record 25-1 with 17 KOs. His sole defeat was a UD 10 at the slick hands of Ishe Smith.

Wolak, 28, comes forward and while he stays busy on offense, his defense is suspect.

Wolak-Foreman would offer a nice contrast in styles as Foreman is a tall, rangy boxer who can bang a bit.

The Mayweather-Pacman one and only press conference to kick off the promotion is being planned for Jan. 11 in New York.

Maybe Foreman can give the show his “blessing.”

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Pacquiao-Mayweather ticket to cost a fortune

A ringside seat to the Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather super fight next year will amount to the annual income of a minimum wage earner.

Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum told the Bulletin Sunday that a premium seat in the March 13, 2010 welterweight title fight will cost $2,500 (P117,500), while the cheapest will be sold at $500, assuming the fight is held at the 17,000-seat MGM Grand.

If the fight is held, say, at the 80,000-capacity Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, the price of the seat would remain the same, while the inexpensive seat will be sold lower than $500.

Arum said a meeting with Golden Boy Promotions (GBP) Chief Executive Officer Richard Schaefer, who represents Mayweather, will be held Monday followed by an inspection of the Cowboys Stadium near Dallas by him and Top Rank officials is scheduled On Wednesday.

“We would know the venue by the end of this week,” said Arum, stressing that billionaire Jerry Jones, who owns the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League, is more than willing to put up a juicy offer that could rival even Las Vegas’ proposal.

The $2,500 appears to be the most expensive ticket to a boxing event as it is slightly higher than the top seat – $2,400 – that was peddled during the June 2002 heavyweight match between Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson at the Pyramid Arena in Memphis.

Should Arum stick to the hefty price, it would be much higher than the $2,000 seat that was sold during the Oscar De La Hoya-Mayweather tiff that took place in May 2007.

Pacquiao and Mayweather are assured of $25 million each and their earnings could go up to as high as $40 million apiece depending on the pay-per-view sales.

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Super fight easier than expected to make

So much for tough negotiations.

Getting Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. to agree to fight each other was supposed to be a task bordering on the impossible. Sort of like Democrats and Republicans settling on health care reform.

Or worse.

With the egos involved, conventional wisdom said they’d never agree on the purse. One — or both — would surely demand more than a 50-50 split.

And surely there would be other problems. Such as, which fighter would take top billing?

But sanity apparently won out. And it took only a couple of weeks to happen.

The fight many are calling the richest in decades — and biggest since the classic battles featuring Sugar Ray Leonard, Tommy Hearns and Marvin Hagler of the 1980s — apparently is on after Pacquiao signed a contract Friday, according to published reports.

Pacquiao and his promoter, Bob Arum, met for two hours over breakfast in Manila on Friday to discuss the fight.

There apparently were some minor adjustments sought by Pacquiao and, once those were made, Pacquiao later in the day inked the deal.

Mayweather previously had agreed to terms with Golden Boy Promotions, his promoter for the HBO Pay-Per-View fight, but it is unknown if he actually has signed a contract.

The bout reportedly will take place at the welterweight limit of 147 pounds for Pacquiao’s WBO title.

Some other interesting details have been revealed. One is a 50-50 split of the money, perhaps the most shocking of all.

But with the fight expected to eclipse the all-time record for PPV sales — Mayweather vs. Oscar De La Hoya registered 2.44 million buys in 2007 — many experts are predicting each fighter could pocket $40 million or more.

It’s hard to get too greedy with that kind of cash staring you in the face.

Also, both fighters apparently will wear 8-ounce gloves, but each fighter will be allowed to select the brand.

As for the marquees, the bout will be referred to as Mayweather-Pacquiao, according to ESPN.com, but Arum’s Top Rank will receive top billing over Golden Boy throughout the promotion.

The only hint of bad news here is the media tour. Apparently, there won’t be one.

Promoters and HBO wanted the fight on May 1, but because Pacquiao is running for a congressional seat in the Philippines, that date could have created a conflict between his training and the campaign.

Thus, March 13 was chosen.

But because of the earlier date, promoters felt there wasn’t time to do a full-scale media tour to promote the fight.

This is too bad, because San Antonio might have been included on that tour.

Instead, there will only be a single news conference in New York during the second week of January.

Once Mayweather signs, the only major detail left to be finalized is the site.

The negotiations there could be tougher than they were for the fight itself.

Lesson learned? Maybe Pacquiao was driven to the bargaining table by what happened to Roy Jones Jr.

Wednesday, Jones was knocked out in the first round by Danny Green, sinking Jones’ already-signed and long-awaited rematch with Bernard Hopkins.

Pacquiao, and Mayweather, too, for that matter, had talked of taking an interim fight before facing each other.

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Mayweather’s legacy on the line

His detractors say that he cherry picked his opponents to an undefeated record. His detractors say that he fights smaller guys for the advantage. His detractors say that he is afraid to engage with his opponents, that he runs. If the Manny Pacquiao vs Floyd Mayweather fight comes to fruition, “Money” Mayweather will get his chance to prove himself. Or will he?

If he beats Manny, does he redeem himself? Does he gain respect from those who love to hate him? Or will everyone say that he just beat another smaller guy? Or will he get some props for beating the mighty Manny Pacquiao? If Mayweather defeats Manny Pacquiao, he will have wins over names like De La Hoya, Hatton, Pacquiao, Marquez, Gatti, Corrales, Judah, Corrales, and Mitchell. Does defeating the likes of those names warrant legendary status? Would retiring for good with an undefeated record with names like that on your resume warrant legendary status? Some say absolutely yes! and some say, absolutely no.

If Manny Pacquiao defeats Mayweather, in a lot of people’s minds it will squash any hopes of Mayweather going down as an all time great. A defeat for Mayweather would reinforce his detractors claims of cherry picking, and fighting and beating smaller guys. If Mayweather wins, he still has the stigma of fighting and beating smaller guys, so it’s not a very good position to be in. It would probably take Mayweather beating a Shane Mosley, or a Paul Williams to really get some respect by those who love to hate him.

A victory for Mayweather is a must for him if he wants to salvage any respect from his foes. Floyd Mayweather has his fans, and he will make up to and perhaps more than 20 million dollars for this fight. It may be a matter of him not caring about legacy status. In his mind he may have done enough, and he just moves on to the next chapter of his life.

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HBO Judge Harold Lederman charts the Pacquiao vs Mayweather developments

By Chris Robinson – Of the rare group of people who have gotten to observe Manny Pacquiao’s effect on the sport from as many angles as possible, one of them very well may be HBO’s unofficial ringside scorer, Harold Lederman. Lederman has been covering the sport for years as both a professional and ‘unofficial’ judge for the sport’s premier network and has witnessed many of Pacquiao’s actions up close, whether in or out of the ring.

When told that rumors have begun circulating about Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather agreeing to terms on a March 13th date, Lederman is just as excited as anyone in regards to what the showdown could mean to the sport. Before getting his initial thoughts on the clash I first charted back a bit to get his thoughts on being present during Pacquiao’s most recent fight, his November 14th stoppage over Miguel Cotto in Las Vegas.

“To tell you truth what I remember best about that night was surprisingly good Manny Pacquiao looked against a guy who everybody figured was much bigger and stronger,” an always honest Lederman stated. “I mean Manny was moving up a division to 147 and he just took apart a full sized Welterweight, and a good Welterweight at that. What surprised me was how easy he made it look. It was a great performance by Manny Pacquiao.”

As soon as Pacquiao dispatched of his brave Puerto Rican foe the MGM Grand arena started filling up with chants of ‘We want Mayweather’. During the post fight press conference it was also announced that Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum would shortly be in discussions with Golden Boy Promotion’s Richard Schaefer in an attempt at making the bout a reality. Lederman himself is adamant about just how meaningful the contest is.

“It’s the fight that everybody wants to see,” Lederman said getting straight to the point. “The minute that referee Kenny Bayless waived his arms and said the Cotto fight was over people starting talking about it. It was almost as if Floyd was standing in the ring saying ‘Now you got to get by me’. Never in my life ever have I witnessed a fight that people have wanted to see as much as this one.”

Strong words from Lederman, who has seen his share of title tilts all over the world throughout the years. When asked to elaborate further on the importance of the showdown Lederman didn’t let up or shy away from the bout’s potential magnitude.

“I think it will be the biggest thing in boxing since Ray Leonard came out of retirement to fight Marvin Hagler,” Lederman says reflecting on the memorable 1987 Middleweight clash. “Nobody wants to see anything else. The entire is sport is totally dominated by Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. People who don’t know a thing about boxing are talking about it. It’s become such an unbelievable happening that it is a fight that has to be made. It’s really amazing.”

The topic was then turned to what took place behind doors between Arum and Schaefer when ironing out the particulars to the mouthwatering showdown. While often having an insider’s point of view, Lederman admits to being just as much on the outside as anyone else, yet still marveled at how easily both sides were able to come to an agreement.

“I have no inside information about what happened because they obviously kept it very private,” Lederman says of Arum and Schaefer’s meeting. “I was fascinated by the fact that they were able to agree on something so quickly. I think that Ross Greenburg and HBO should get some credit because they were a very important part of making it happen. It got done in a record amount of time. You have two very independent and tough personalities in Manny and Floyd and I’m sure each one of them was angling to get as much as they could out of this deal so everybody deserves credit for putting it together.”

During the middle of the week it was reported that Arum was on his way to the Philippines in an attempt to come face to face with Pacquiao to see if the Filipino bomber would be interested in agreeing to terms on the bout. Arum’s absence was extremely notable, as Lederman got the exact sense of how important the situation is with Top Rank’s chief being out of town.

“I went to a Top Rank press conference yesterday, and generally speaking Bob Arum always runs Top Rank press conferences,” Lederman stated. “Yesterday I went to Madison Square Garden for the press conference for the January 23rd HBO Boxing After Dark show between Juan Manuel Lopez and Steve Luevano. Usually it’s Arum’s show but the fact that he wasn’t there shows how serious everything is. He was definitely in the Philippines talking to Manny, that’s for sure.”

If there is one person who has adamantly opposed the March 13th date it would be Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, who has insisted he would rather see the two fighters face off at a later date. Roach claims he needs a solid twelve weeks in camp with his fighter in order to get him ready for a fighter of Mayweather’s caliber. Whether or not the March 13th date goes through remains to be seen but Lederman can feel just how genuine Roach is with his claims.

“He knows how much time he needs in the gym with Manny to win the fight,” Lederman points out. “Freddie’s a pretty good trainer and he has proved it over and over again. I really believe that he knows exactly how many weeks he needs. He just needs Manny’s undivided attention for a certain amount of time. Obviously he knows the date of the election and what Manny’s plans are and that’s why he said what he said. He’s just figuring out how much time he needs. I think that’s what he’s basing his statements on.”

As the conversation came to a close Lederman was asked for any closing comments on the bout and who he feels will have the advantage. While obviously having great respect for both guys, the always modest judge sees certain things about both men that will never change, regardless of who they are in the ring against.

“I hate to pick a winner. In all honesty it’s hard to envision Manny Pacquiao changing. He gives you angles as a southpaw. He’s very good at keeping the fight off the ropes and in the center of the ring. He really doesn’t want Floyd taking him up on the ropes and hammering him. Floyd is a terrific defensive fighter so Manny and Freddie Roach have to figure out a way to get to Floyd Mayweather. Really I think Floyd is going to fight his usually defensive style and he will try to win with his fast hands and blazing combinations. And that rapid left jab he throws will be important for him. I think Pacquiao is going to try to give him angles. I think Manny is going to take it to Floyd very early. I think if there is going to be an aggressor in this fight it’s going to be Pacquiao.”

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PACQUIAO WATCH: Mayweather fight could be Manny’s last

Done deal. Yes, the fight will go on.

We got what everybody wished for. Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr together atop the ring disputing the mythical pound for pound title in boxing.

It is a fight that will equal, if not surpass, the third Ali-Frazier hoopla. A fight that will generate the same, if not more, interest and excitement as the Leonard-Hearns and the Tyson-Holyfield encounters – all of them record breaking fights in their respective eras.

Manny and Floyd will finally get into the center of the biggest fights of their careers with potentially the biggest money to boot.

Only five years ago, nobody would ever think this fight could happen, much more actually done.

Only five years ago, these two fighters were separated by 10 pounds and were fighting different class of fighters. Most of them top of the line.

Yet both were destined to meet each other at one point.

Today, they will fight at a weight they are comfortable with nobody complaining or claiming advantage over the other.

They will fight at an even purse and nobody will say it is a highway stickup.

But this could well be the last of the super fights to come our way. In the next decade at least.

For one, this mega fight will allow each boxer to pick up their retirement checks without ever worrying when the next dinner tab will come.

For Manny, he will collect at least Php1.5 billion (US$31 million) for this fight excluding collateral income such as cut in the live gate receipts and merchandise.

The last time Manny’s fight was aired on Solar Sports, he reportedly earned a cool Php80 million for the cable and TV rights alone.

If the pay per view sales of the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight zooms past the 2.5 million mark, each fighter’s take of the pie could go as high as US$37.5 million, enough to buy your peace for a lifetime in the Bahamas and more.

But there is more than meets the eye in this Mayweather fight.

This could be Manny’s farewell bout.

And the only way Manny will ever box again is if he losses his bid to become a member of Philippine Congress in 2010.

That is precisely one of the reasons why Manny opted to settle for a March 13 date with Mayweather.

Even during his absence while in training, he will generate unprecedented publicity and interests and a convincing win over the former American pound for pound king will solidify his bid to become a congressman.

A loss to Mayweather will not at all diminish his stature as the most recognizable person in his country.

If he wins in the Congressional elections, then we would have seen the last of Manny as far as boxing is concerned.

If he loses his congressional bid, we might see Manny again atop the ring.

So here we are. We got what we wished for. But that could be the end of it all.

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Sportswriters Get Busy with Announcement of ‘PacWeather’ Fight

Talks and discussions about the merits and demerits of the proposed Mayweather-Pacquiao match started unofficially yesterday when promoter Bob Arum got the consent of Pacquiao to face Floyd Mayweather, Jr. on March 13.

Talks and discussions about the merits and demerits of the proposed Mayweather-Pacquiao match started unofficially yesterday when promoter Bob Arum got the consent of Manny Pacquiao to face Floyd Mayweather, Jr. on March 13.

The fight date was Bob Arum's own 'roadblock' in putting together a deal for an early fight by the two greatest boxers on the planet.

Now that the Top Rank boss got a thumbs up from the popular Filipino boxer, Arum is now under extreme pressure to announce the March 13 fight officially, including the venue and other major fight details. Arum said he would be ready with his announcement by next week.

Pubic discussions on the fight scenario by boxing experts and commentators would come after Arum's official announcement of the boxers' weight limits. Discussion by experts on strength and weaknesses of each boxer are centered on the catch weight, style, punching power, speed, conditioning and fight history.
These discussions are part of the promotional efforts of promoters to drum up the sale of tickets and advertising placements of sponsors. Sportswriters create awareness and hype among boxing fans while promoters translate these into revenues to cover the cost of staging the event and to generate profits for the players and stakeholders.

Sportswriters and bloggers are expected to discuss and talk about the fight to put the two boxers on front pages of newspapers and the Internet for online viewers.
Journalists particularly boxing sports writers are the most effective promoters of boxing fights or events. They continuously pound on their keyboards to report news about the fight and to keep boxing fans on their toes.

One wonders why these writers are not compensated by the promoters for their marketing and promotional efforts. Most of them are freelance writers who do not get regular pay from the publishers while some who receive regular pay are staffers of newspapers and magazines.

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Pacquiao Keeps Role Model Image by Not Engaging in Trash Talks

WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao compared Floyd Mayweather, Jr., his new opponent for his March 13 fight, to other boxers he fought, saying the difference is Floyd talks trash, something that should not be imitated by young people Filipino boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao is trying to keep his role model image by not engaging in trash talk to either sell the fight to the public or for psychological advantage over his opponent.

After meeting with his promoter Bob Arum who flew to Manila early in the week from Las Vegas, Pacquiao compared his his next opponent Floyd Mayweather to the other boxers that he fought.

“The difference between Floyd and others I have fought is that Floyd makes a lot of trash talk that should not be imitated by young people,” Pacquiao told GMA News.
It may be recalled that Mayweather belittled Pacquiao's accomplishments, saying he is far superior than the famous Filipino boxer because he remained undefeated while Pacquiao lost three times as a professional boxer. He also criticized the Filipino boxer about his inability to make important decisions without consulting Bob Arum, Pacquiao's promoter.

"I'm in a no-win situation no matter what happens," Mayweather told Sky Sports. "If I beat Manny Pacquiao, you know what they're going to say -- 'You're supposed to beat him, you're Floyd Mayweather, you're the bigger man.' And then if I outbox him, they're going to say, 'It was a boring fight.' But then if I knock him out, they're going to say, 'Well, you're supposed to knock him out. He's been knocked out before.'

"Whatever I do to Pacquiao has already been done. He's been beat before, on three occasions, and if I knock him out, I don't want the world to be shocked because he's been knocked out twice before, so it's nothing new. Where the world is going to go wild is if Floyd Mayweather gets beat. That's what everybody's looking to see."

A few days after the Pacquiao-Hatton match, Floyd Mayweather, Sr. said:"I believe he's on some type of supplements. I'm convinced about a lot of (boxers), "That's what they're doing right now. Everybody should be checked a little bit more thoroughly. Sometimes people know what's going on but they ain't saying nothing."

"I don't think he can beat Lil' Floyd with steroids in him or not," Mayweather Sr. said. "He don't have that kind of talent. He don't have that kind of skill, whatever he has in him.
Mayweather Sr., Floyd's father and trainer, told SI's Chris Mannix that he believed Pacquiao's ability to take Cotto's powerful shots and keep coming proved the champion was taking performance-enhancing substances. "I know Floyd is the best," said Mayweather Sr. "But when [your opponent] uses something illegal, even the best can get hurt."

Seven-time world champion Manny Pacquiao tested clean following his Nov. 14 TKO win over Miguel Cotto, SI.com reported Wednesday. The report was issued by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.. It's the the 10th time the Filipino has turned in clean tests in Nevada, the report said.

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Source: Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather Close to Deal

NEW YORK -- Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. have signed off on the major issues in the negotiation for a megafight on March 13, and contracts could be signed in the next few days, a person with knowledge of the discussions told The Associated Press.

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum met with Pacquiao in his native Philippines on Friday and the charismatic champion agreed to terms with only minor changes, said the person, who requested anonymity because the sides agreed not to speak publicly during negotiations.

Arum planned to return to the United States on Sunday and present the amended terms to Golden Boy chief executive Richard Schaefer, the person said. Schaefer is negotiating on behalf of Mayweather and his promotional company.

An announcement could come Tuesday, which would coincide with Arum's 78th birthday.

No site has been determined, but Top Rank plans to send a survey team to Dallas next week to examine the new, $1.2 billion Cowboys Stadium, the person said. Team owner Jerry Jones said Wednesday that the Cowboys "are still desirous of looking at what we can do."

The other possibilities are the New Orleans Superdome and venues in Las Vegas, including the MGM Grand and a temporary outdoor stadium on the Strip.

The fight would be at 147 pounds for Pacquiao's WBO welterweight title, which he won in November with an impressive 12th-round stoppage of Miguel Cotto in Las Vegas.

Michael Koncz, who is advising Pacquiao, said Friday that the contracts need "fine tuning" but declined to elaborate. Koncz added that Pacquiao is "very comfortable" with March 13, even though it is only four months after his last fight.

"Manny has some additional requirements, requests, which Arum didn't think was a problem," Koncz said. "The requests of Manny were so realistic that Arum doesn't feel it's a problem and it's pretty much a done deal."

The bout could be the richest ever, assuming projections are accurate. Pacquiao's fight against Cotto sold 1.25 million pay-per-views, while Mayweather's comeback victory over Juan Manuel Marquez in September did 1.05 million.

The richest fight ever was in May 2007, when Mayweather's split-decision win over Oscar De La Hoya generated 2.4 million buys for $120 million in pay-per-view revenue.

The potential Pacquiao-Mayweather fight certainly would generate widespread international appeal, pitting the flamboyant Mayweather against the man who most believe replaced him on the mythical mantle as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.

Pacquiao has won an unprecedented seven titles in seven weight divisions, although his popularity has grown far beyond the sport. He was featured on the cover of the Asian version of Time magazine, is wrapping up filming of an action movie called Wapakman, and submitted his candidacy for the 2010 elections on Tuesday.

"The difference between Floyd and others I have fought is that Floyd makes a lot of trash talk that should not be imitated by young people," Pacquiao told GMA television, when asked about the potential matchup.

Pacquiao's political ambitions are the reason the fight was moved up to mid-March. He plans to start campaigning in April in his second attempt at a congressional seat.

"March 13 is OK," Pacquiao told GMA.

"Nobody knows his body better than Manny," Koncz said. "If Manny feels that that's plenty of time to rest and recover, then you know, he has to do what he feels is right."

Pacquiao and trainer Freddie Roach would again hold the start of camp in the Philippines, even though Pacquiao is such a national hero that hundreds of people trail him on morning runs and crowd around gym windows to watch him spar. Roach expressed concern about the distraction before Pacquiao demolished Cotto in the most impressive display of his career.

The Filipino champion has said he would spend about 12 weeks in camp, rather than the eight weeks he normally takes to prepare for a fight. That would mean Pacquiao would begin working out in about three weeks.

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Pacquiao vs Mayweather: what’s not to like about it?

By Brad Cooney – It’s two forces that were eventually going to collide sooner or later. The negotiations are currently taking place that if successful will match up the two best fighters on the earth. The undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr vs the pound for pound king Manny Pacquiao. There is bad blood between the camps, and that bad blood crosses over into the world of boxing fans as well. The Manny Pacquiao fans make no bones about it, they think Mayweather is a coward, a fighter that has selectively cherry picked smaller opponents throughout his career. They feel as if he’s a paper champion, and in some eyes, they don’t feel he’s even worthy enough to fight Manny Pacquiao.

Floyd Mayweather’s fans are a lot less vocal. Perhaps it’s a nervousness? perhaps they are quietly watching and realize that Pacquiao will present their fighter with the most difficult fight he’s ever had. The bad blood also is evident between the two camps as well. There is no love lost between Mayweather Sr and Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach. Both men have publicly thrashed one another. Mayweather Sr basically accuses Pacquiao of taking, “something fishy.” In other words, he is blaming Pacquiao’s stunning success on steroids. There is no basis or merit to these allegations as Pacquiao has passed all drug tests as required by the commissions. Nevertheless, you can’t convince Big Floyd of it. He’s sticking by his theory, and makes no bones about it. Big Floyd gives absolutely no respect whatsoever to boxing legend and trainer Freddie Roach. Big Floyd has countless times, on the record, insulted Roach, calling him, “No coach joke Roach.” So needless to say, there are plenty side attractions that are involved leading up to this fight.

The two men have taken different paths in their careers. Mayweather has beaten some big name fighters, but the ongoing wrap on him is that his opponents are smaller and selectively picked. With that said, he still is undefeated, and has extremely good boxing skills. His defense is excellent, his timing is excellent, and his ability to counter punch is second to none. Mayweather will provide Manny Pacquiao with a very difficult task.

Pacquiao on his way to the top has wreaked havoc, and left a path of destruction. He’s conquered Mexican warriors like Morales, Barrera, De La Hoya. He’s wiped out guys like Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto, and David Diaz. His fame has shot through the roof on an international scale. This is a classic good guy, vs bad guy set up. Pacquiao is loved by the masses due to his story, and his character. Mayweather is looked at more like the villain, a guy that people love to hate. He’s brash, he throws his money around, he has a swagger about him that most people don’t take too kindly to.

This fight matches up the sports two biggest names. It matches up the sports two most recognized fighters of today. This fight matches up Pacquiao’s blinding speed and power against Maweather’s superb defense, counter punching, and quickness. The perfect good guy vs bad guy scenario, the perfect storm, with the side show attractions between Roach and Big Floyd. Pacquiao vs Mayweather, who doesn’t want to see this?

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