Floyd Mayweather hints he will face Manny Pacquiao

Undefeated American boxer and Yahoo Sports' pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather, Jr (41-0) gave the biggest hint yet that a super-fight with Filipino boxer and Ring Magazine's pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao (51-3-2) will be made in November of this year.

Together with rapper 50 Cent, Mayweather disclosed a rap album compilation project that he is working on together with the New York-based rapper, in a recent interview with MTV News.

50 Cent stated that the hip hop album will be released later this year, around the same timeframe of the biggest fight in boxing history.

With that statement, Mayweather chimed in, affirming that the end of the year bout would indeed be the biggest fight in the history of the sport.

The two suggested that by promoting the album around the same timeframe of the superfight, that the massive publicity from boxing would help increase hype - and sales - of the hip hop compilation.

Neither 50 Cent nor Floyd Mayweather would provide any additional details about the album.

The boxer's comment regarding "the biggest fight in the history of the sport" prompted 50 Cent to joke that the two would make so much money they would have to bring in trucks in order to load piles of cash.

Mayweather recently attended game 1 of the NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics.

via examiner.com

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The Ball Is Back In Mayweather's Court; Manny Says OK To 14 Day Window

By Michael Woods

Never before has boxing had so much in common. Hurdles, here, there and everywhere...

The main hurdle to making the November 13 Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather has seemingly been traversed, as the Congressman from Sarangani province said, hard and fast, that he is open to undergoing random drug testing--via analysis of blood and/or urine--14 days before the fight.

This is according to the Manilla Bulletin, which quoted Pacquaio as saying, “As long as they’re not getting a large amount of blood, I am willing to give out blood as close to two weeks before the fight.”

TSS you'll notice has chosen to use the word "seemingly," since it'll be up to Team Mayweather, led by Al Haymon and Floyd Mayweather, with Richard Schaefer acting as emissary, along with Leonard Ellerbe, during negotiations with Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum, to sign on the testing protocol. In the previous stage of negotiations, held in December and January, Team Mayweather was holding to the stance that they want Pacquiao to be amenable to a blood test as close to two days before any bout. Pacquiao had countered that he feels excessively weakened when blood is taken from him. He said he felt drained when a large quantity was taken for testing before his March 2005 clash with Erik Morales, a UD12 loss. Was the weakness in his head? Or is it a matter of superstition? That explanation for the 2005 loss didn't loom large in the US five years ago, though it did draw press in the Phillipines, and only truly emerged as an issue during the first failed rounds of talks. Pacquiao fans embrace, by and large, his stance on blood loss, while doubters see his fear of blood loss as a masking agent for another motivation to refuse bloodwork too close to a fight. The blood matter can only be asked and answered by Manny and seems destined to be one of those unanswerable deals, where backers and doubters can find no common ground.

Right before the last negotiations dissolved, Team Mayweather said they'd be OK with a drug test 14 days before the fight. Crucially, the Mayweather crew said, the test did not have to be a blood test. Pacquiao wanted to shut the blood testing window at 24 days out from the tussle, though he agreed to have his urine tested, with no limitations. (Though Floyd fans point to the fact that there isn't a fully reliable urine test to detect HGH...) Ten days difference in testing dates seemingly were THE reason why a $100 million clash wasn't going down. Those were the terms in early January; have the goalposts been moved since then? Hard to tell, since this round of dealmaking has been held outside the glare of us keyboard tappers. Top Rank reps were in New York on Wednesday, TR reps said they were not at liberty to disclose the location of Top Rank chief Bob Arum. Might he be holed up somewhere with Schaefer, finalizing terms for a Nov. 13 mega-clash? One could easily surmise that...

source bleacherreport.com

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Talks to resume anew for Pacquiao-Mayweather mega fight

NEW YORK—Manny Pacquiao may soon turn his attention from campaigning for Congress to negotiating the details on the richest fight in boxing history.

Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, told The Associated Press on Monday that discussions could begin as early as Tuesday for a bout against Floyd Mayweather Jr., once results are in from the Philippine elections. Pacquiao is running for Congress for the second time.

The matchup involving boxing’s two most high-profile fighters was discussed at length earlier this year, but negotiations fell apart when the sides could not agree on drug testing protocol.
Both took different fights, with Pacquiao soundly beating Joshua Clottey at the new Cowboys Stadium near Dallas, and Mayweather routing welterweight champion Shane Mosley in Las Vegas.

“I think the fight will happen," said Roach, who was in New York with another of his fighters, Amir Khan, who defends his junior welterweight title against Paulie Malignaggi on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden.

“It will probably be November, maybe October," Roach added. “November’s not a great pay-per-view month, but I think it will happen."

Roach wouldn’t say whether Pacquiao would budge on the drug testing dilemma. Mayweather has said that every fight he takes, beginning with Mosley, will include Olympic-style blood testing along with the typical urine tests required by most athletic commissions. That means the fighters could have blood drawn in the days leading up to the fight.

Pacquiao believes giving blood makes him weak and refused to do so within 24 days of a fight.

“If Manny Pacquiao can take a blood and urine test then we have a fight," Mayweather said shortly after his victory May 1. “If not, no fight."

Both fighters months ago agreed to what is usually the major sticking point in negotiations with a deal to split the proceeds evenly. That may not happen the second time around, though, depending on how the pay-per-view numbers shake out from their other bouts. Pacquiao-Clottey generated about 700,000 buys while Mayweather-Mosley is expected to be over 1.1 million.

That could give some additional leverage to Mayweather, even though his opponent was much better known. Other than the stadium venue, Pacquiao was the only real draw in his bout.
One thing that won’t become an issue is Pacquiao’s potential duties in Congress.

“When he fights they close down Parliament and all the terrorists call for a peace," Roach said, only half jokingly. “It’s not going to change anything. They’ll just announce him as Congressman Manny Pacquiao, that’s all."

Roach had been receiving constant updates from promoter Bob Arum, who spent the last few days before the election in the Philippines. Roach said early returns show Pacquiao “winning in a landslide" against 61-year-old Roy Chiongbian, who comes from a politically powerful family.

Computer problems and campaign-related violence, which has killed more than 30 people in the past three months, were the main concerns in the voting. Official hope the results set a new standard for the country’s fragile democracy, where government corruption is common.
“He wants change," Roach said of Pacquiao, who lost decisively in his first attempt at politics. “I think it’s genuine. People see that he wants to help his country, and that’s why they’re voting. That’s why they support him." - AP

source

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Does HBO's 24/7 Series Foil Pacquiao's Blood-Testing Assertion?

An unidentified gray-haired doctor walks into an office of the San Pedro Medical Center in Los Angeles, where Filipino boxing star Manny Pacquiao and his adviser, Michael Koncz, are awaiting the athlete's mandatory pre-fight physical.

Just over 14 minutes into Episode 3 of HBO's 24/7 series promoting Pacquiao's eventual second-round knockout of Ricky Hatton in May, the scene is described as "inescapable and tedious" by the narrator.

A closeup is shown of Pacquiao's left arm, into which a needle is deeply driven as the narrator tells viewers, "Blood is drawn, questions are asked." Later, the small glass cylinder containing Pacquiao's blood is in full view, held by the doctor as he scribbles notes onto a document.

Pacquaio is given "a clean bill of health across the board," as he leaves the office, a small cotton ball bandaged over the crook in his left arm being the only evidence of his visit.


The next day, in the 119-degree heat of the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, Pacquiao is a blur of athleticism, firing blistering combinations at an imaginary opponent, the speed bag, the double-end bag, and the practice mitts of trainer Freddie Roach.

"The fight," says the narrator, "is seven days away."

The scene goes to the heart of a drug-testing controversy that has caused a negotiations impasse for the principles involved in a potential blockbuster matchup between Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 knockouts) and Floyd Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs) that is tentatively slated for March 13 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

The camp of Mayweather, a five-time world champion, is demanding that both fighters be tested using random urinalysis and blood work that could be drawn as close to the fight as possible.

A seven-division champion who dethroned Miguel Cotto for the WBO welterweight title last month, Pacquiao is OK with having urine tests done, but has argued that he would prefer not to have blood drawn within 30 days of the fight because taking blood from him that close to the competition would weaken him.

Neither Pacquiao's promoter, CEO Bob Arum of Top Rank, nor Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer, who is working on Mayweather's behalf, could be reached for comment.

But a statement issued by Golden Boy and Mayweather Promotions on Monday targeted the hospital scene as a potential contradiction by Pacquiao.

"The truth is taking blood out of my body does not seem natural to me, and mentally I feel it will weaken me if blood is taken from me just days before the fight," the statement quotes Pacquiao as saying on his Web site.

"Or he is 'afraid of needles' and does not feel comfortable with blood being taken closer than 30 days before the fight is another interesting point," reads the statement. "The fact is that he did have blood taken just 14 days prior to his fight with Ricky Hatton, an event which was documented on HBO's 24/7 reality show."

Arum told FanHouse on Monday afternoon that he was preparing to move beyond Mayweather and name another opponent as early as Tuesday morning, possibly junior welterweight star Paulie Malignaggi (27-3, five KOs) or WBA junior middleweight champion Yuri Foreman (28-0, eight KOs).

But Arum has apparently changed his mind, and has indicated that he may try to talk to Pacquiao in an attempt to salvage the Mayweather bout.

"I will transmit it [word of Pacquiao's '24/7' test] to Manny once [HBO Sports president] Ross Greenburg establishes the actual date of the test in '24/7' and [the Mayweather camp] makes a proposal based on what Ross has come up with. If that happens, I am sure I can convince Manny to tighten the testing window," Arum told ESPN.com's Dan Rafael.

"It's a very good point to point out that Manny was tested so close to the [Hatton] fight. I'm not going to suggest anything to him though until I hear from the other guys. They have to say, 'This is what Manny did. Here is what we propose,' " said Arum, referring to Mayweather's team.

"Then I will bring it to Manny and say, 'Manny, look, you took this test however many days before the fight and it didn't affect you. Hey, you knocked him out in two rounds,' " said Arum. "What will Manny do? I assume he will listen to me, but I can't promise anything. But I want [Mayweather's camp] to make a formal proposal that this is the outside date for the blood-testing based on Manny's prior test in 24/7 and then I will move mountains."

Mayweather's adviser, Leonard Ellerbe, said earlier yesterday that he still believed a Mayweather-Pacquiao fight could come to fruition.

"I can't imagine Manny Pacquiao walking away from $25 million because he refuses to have blood and urine drawn, and then going off to do something else and making half of that," said Ellerbe. "The clock is ticking, but I think that Manny Pacquiao will eventually step up and take the test."

source: boxing.fanhouse.com

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Nevada orders testing for Mayweather, Pacquiao

Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. have both been ordered to take immediate drug tests by the Nevada Athletic Commission.

NAC chairman Pat Lundvall issued the demand on Monday in line with the commission’s random testing policy, which conforms to the World Anti Doping Agency’s guidelines.

Even though the proposed March 13 fight between Mayweather and Pacquiao has not yet been finalized, as both men are licensed fighters in Nevada they are subject to random tests.

However, the tests will only sample urine, and despite the commission’s actions, a resolution to the argument over blood testing which is threatening the staging of the fight is no nearer.

Lundvall ordered NAC executive director Keith Kizer to inform Mayweather and Pacquiao that they would be tested by an independent testing company, LabCorp. Mayweather will provide a sample in Las Vegas and Pacquiao will go to an approved laboratory in the Philippines.


This move by the commission seems designed to show it is committed to a drug testing policy, following the flurry of publicity surrounding performance enhancing drugs in the negotiations over the fight.

At a board meeting Monday, Lundvall and Kizer revealed there had been no requests for blood testing for the proposed superfight submitted through their organization as yet.

Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum made a “final offer” on Sunday, claiming he and Pacquiao would abide by whatever system the NAC deemed appropriate, and that Mayweather and Golden Boy should do the same. Pacquiao has previously rejected Mayweather’s demands for random blood tests at any time leading up to the fight.

Lundvall insisted that differing medical opinion and information on the efficacy of various testing systems, made it difficult to ascertain which was the optimum program to use. However, she claimed she was confident the method employed by NAC was effective in catching cheats.

However, the commission’s stance now makes it even less likely Golden Boy and Mayweather would agree to let the commission make the final decision on testing, as stipulated by Arum.

The likely next step is that Arum will go ahead with preliminary negotiations for a replacement fight for Pacquiao with Paulie Malignaggi, and wait to see if the Mayweather camp softens its stance.

The superfight is not yet dead, but ground needs to be given on both sides. With the egos and issues involved, that could be a slow process.

Source: sports.yahoo.com

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Mayweather v Pacquiao bout off says Bob Arum

The WBO welterweight title bout between Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquiao next March will not go ahead due to the American's demands for Olympic-style dope testing procedures, promoter Bob Arum said on Wednesday.

Arum, who represents the Filipino champion, said using blood tests for the highly anticipated fight on March 13 was unprecedented for professional fights in Las Vegas.

"As far as I'm concerned, the fight is off," Arum told Reuters in a telephone interview. "We don't object to more extensive drug testing, even though it's certainly not required in Nevada.


"What we're saying is that the drug testing he is proposing is intrusive and would disturb Pacquiao's training if it's done within 30 days of his fight."

Pacquiao had agreed to have blood taken for testing before the initial media conference and after the fight but would not agree to have blood drawn within 30 days of the bout.

TESTING DEMANDS

Mayweather's camp, represented by Golden Boy Promotions, has called for random blood and urine sampling prior to and after the fight as mandated by the U.S. Anti Doping Agency.

Arum suggested the testing demands by Mayweather were the American's way of ducking the fight.

"My gut feeling is Mayweather doesn't want to do the fight and this is his excuse. Period."

Pacquiao was to defend the World Boxing Organization title he won in November by stopping holder Miguel Cotto in the 12th round in Las Vegas for his unprecedented seventh title in seven weight classes.

The best pound-for-pound showdown between Pacquiao (50-3-2) and unbeaten Mayweather (40-0) was expected to be among boxing's biggest revenue-producing fights.

Arum said he could not agree with the testing demands as a matter of protection for Pacquiao, who believes blood testing would weaken him that close to a bout.

The promoter said more extensive testing agreeable to Pacquiao could have been arranged.

"We're saying let's use the drug testing agencies that test athletes in the NFL, NBA or Major League Baseball because they are used to dealing with professional athletes, and they take random urinalysis.

"That is far less intrusive than taking blood which has an effect on the athlete because it's not just a prick of a pin, but actually drawing an extensive amount of blood."

Arum said he was not confident about a compromise, seeing Mayweather's blood-testing demands as a way to "sabotage" the bout.

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MGM Will be Site of Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao

Unbeaten Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao will contest their megabout for Pacquiao's WBO welterweight (147 pounds) title on March 13 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, according to sources with knowledge of the decision.

"It's the MGM. It's definite," said a source.

The MGM was chosen over the Dallas Cowboys' Stadium, whose owner, Jerry Jones, had offered $25 million to host the bout. The promoters of both fighters, however, had indicated that they felt the MGM's offer could surpass that of Jones.

The choice of the MGM Grand, whose deal specifications are unclear, is largely based in both fighters' familiarity with the location as well as their past success there.

News conferences already had been planned for Jan. 6, followed by one in Los Angeles two days later on Jan.8, the sources indicated.

Both Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 knockouts) and Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs) were in agreement in principle with all of the fight deal's negotiation parameters, including a 50-50 financial split, competition at the 147-pound limit, eight-ounce gloves, and an Olympic-style random drug test at the request of Mayweather's camp.

Mayweather, a 32-year-old who is being represented by Golden Boy Promotions' Richard Schaefer in the negotiations, is a five-time champion, with a 6-0 record at the MGM that includes two knockouts.

The 30-year-old Pacquiao, a winner of seven crowns in as many weight divisions, is 3-1-1 at MGM.

Last week, The Los Angeles Times, citing a source involved in the site talks, spelled out a scenario in which the MGM Grand would generate $28 million in live-gate sales, offer 40,000 closed-circuit seats through MGM/Mirage properties, and charge $100 a head for a possible $4 million surplus -- a total worth of around $32 million.

Source: boxing.fanhouse.com

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Where to stage Floyd-Manny?

The venue for the highly anticipated March 13 bout between unbeaten Floyd Mayweather Jr. and pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao will likely be decided by Thursday, Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum said Tuesday.

Arum said the fight, which is expected to break existing boxing revenue and pay-per-view records, will either be at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Cowboys Stadium in Dallas or the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

Arum said neither fighter has signed a contract, though both men have agreed to the major deal points.

Arum said he hasn’t seen the proposal from officials in Georgia, though he has spoken with Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin. He was planning to fly from Los Angeles to Cleveland on Tuesday and then drive to Youngstown, Ohio, where he is promoting a fight Saturday involving middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik.

“We’ll pick the best proposal and go from there,” Arum said.

The MGM Grand has to be considered the favorite to land the fight, though Arum said Cowboys owner Jerry Jones “won’t give up. He wants this fight there badly.” And Arum said that he understands Atlanta officials are going to go hard after the fight and that their bid includes heavy support from Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue.

Arum said though Pacquiao has agreed to all major points in the deal, there will be some additional points he’ll need to agree to before a contract is ready to be signed. He said none of them were major. The same is true of Mayweather, who is being promoted in this fight by Golden Boy Promotions.

With that, let’s hop into the mailbag and see what’s on your mind. My responses are in italics.

Source: YahooSports

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Roach okays random tests on both camps

Freddie Roach doesn’t mind putting his fighter under random drug testing as long as the other camp goes through exactly the same procedure.

The three-time Trainer of the Year yesterday reacted to calls made by the camp of Floyd Mayweather Jr. to have Manny Pacquiao, the hottest fighter out there, to random tests in the weeks leading to their March 13 encounter.

Mayweather’s father, Floyd Sr., has raised concerns that the Filipino pound-for-pound champion, whose amazing run of victories as he moved up in weight has baffled his critics, is into some sort of performance-enhancing drugs.

Roach told The STAR that Pacquiao is a clean fighter, if not the cleanest.

“Yeah, we’ll do it but they have to do it as well. Manny fights clean. If they’ll do it, then we’ll do it,” said Roach as he expressed his willingness to have Pacquiao go through the random tests.

“I don’t have any problem with that. But no blood tests close to the fight. They can take urine tests,” said Roach, adding that it’s how they do it in the Olympics.

The Mayweather people said they want tests like the way it’s being done in the Olympics.

“I had a girlfriend who was in the Olympics in triple jump and that’s how it’s done. They get urine tests. They can come to her in the middle of the night and take urine tests but not blood tests,” Roach added.

He was asked where the heat is coming from and said it all started when Floyd Jr. started raising the issue.

“I don’t know. Maybe they’re just looking for an excuse,” said Roach.

Source: Philstar.com

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Ariza: Mayweather Can't Run From Pacquiao

Pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao’s conditioning expert Alex Ariza is getting a little peeved with the camp of Floyd Mayweather Jr who keep demanding drug tests in addition to those conducted by the Nevada State Athletic Commission and continue to play on the unsubstantiated allegations of Floyd Mayweather Sr that Pacquiao is on some performance-enhancing drug.

Ariza said he didn’t have any problem with Olympic-style drug tests being conducted on Pacquiao but said “no matter where they try to look for something, at the end of the day Mayweather is going to have to get in that ring and he is just going to have to show up. All the posturing about Manny getting knocked out or being on steroids…all of that s—t, he is going to eventually have to step into that ring and he’s going to have to fight. There’s not going to be any excuses.”

Ariza said “I am the one in charge, I’m the one responsible for what Manny takes. He has no idea what he takes. He is on the same thing that Amir Khan (WBA light welterweight champion) , Vanes Martirosyan’s on and I don’t give my guys any steroids. What I give them is all natural and its my own special blend of different things.”

Ariza told Mayweather, “don’t look for excuses, don’t run, just show up to fight.”

The conditioning guru who teamed up with celebrated trainer Freddie Roach and helped turn Pacquiao into a devastating punching phenomenon who annihilated WBC lightweight champion David Diaz, Oscar De La Hoya, IBO light welterweight champion Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton and WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto in succession said “it is very difficult for other fighters to look at what Manny has accomplished.”

At the same time in a light vein Ariza supported a suggestion that Floyd Mayweather Sr’s head should be examined first considering the nonsense he’s been peddling.

Ariza confirmed that Khan would be among Pacquiao’s sparring partners but said there was no definite word on whether training camp will begin in Baguio City like it did for the Cotto fight or remain all throughout at the Wild Card gym in Los Angeles

Source:Ronnie Nathanielsz | boxingscene.com

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Mayweather Boast He Will Easily Beat Pacquiao

Floyd Mayweather Jr says he will beat Manny Pacquiao "easily" and will walk away from the biggest pay-per-view event in the history of boxing with up to $75m (£45m).

Only obduracy of the most perverse kind can scupper a mega-showdown between the new WBO welterweight champion and Mayweather some time in 2010, almost certainly in Las Vegas. But Mayweather dismissed the little Filipino's brutal stoppage of the formidable Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto in the 12th round at the MGM Grand on Saturday night as one-dimensional, even though it has been universally hailed as one of the finest ring performances in many years.

"Can Manny Pacquiao beat me?" he asked a Sky reporter afterwards. "Absolutely not. Easy work, easy fight. I don't see no versatility in Manny Pacquiao. I see just a fighter, you know, a good puncher, but just one dimension. I'm not saying Cotto wasn't a good fight. But he's been in a lot of wars. I haven't took no punishment. There's nothing cool about taking punishment."

Mayweather cast doubt on Pacquiao's willingness to fight him, a radical take on an event even boxing's most gnarled rivals would do well to sabotage. "If Pacquiao wanted it, he could get it. Come on man, I don't have to say I want to fight Pacquiao. Floyd Mayweather is the face of boxing. All roads lead to Floyd Mayweather."

Pacquiao, nonetheless, has remained silent on the subject since ripping the WBO welterweight title away from Cotto, his seventh belt at different weights – to Mayweather's five.

Whatever the opening rhetoric, Mayweather will not jeopardise a fight he knows could earn him, as he says, "$50m, $60m, $75m. Come on man, I'm not losing. I deserve a bigger piece of the pie. I've done more. I've been around the sport longer and I've been dominating longer – and nobody has beaten me yet. There's no fighter that can beat me. The world's going to go 'wow' if Floyd Mayweather gets beat. That's what everyone's looking to see. What's going on right now in the sport of boxing, they're trying to build a fighter, make a fighter that can beat me. I don't get no respect in the sport of boxing."

He poured cold water on the perception that Pacquiao deserves respect for coming up through the weights as a skinny teenager on the streets of General Santos City to beat boxing's best at so many weights, including Oscar De La Hoya, Marco Antonio Barrera and Ricky Hatton.

"Manny Pacquiao weighed 106lb when he was 16, just like Floyd Mayweather weighed 106 when he was 16. My career is fine. What's so cool, I take no punishment, no bumps, no bruises and, when my career is over, I have a job as a commentator. And I'll be a great promoter."

Mayweather has figured in some of the biggest pay-per-view fights in history. He and De La Hoya generated the biggest pile of all, $120m, in 2007. That eclipsed the $106.9m revenue from the Mike Tyson-Lennox Lewis fight in 2002. De La Hoya and Félix Trinidad raised $71.4m in 1999.

In pay-per-view numbers, De La Hoya-Mayweather tops the list with 2.15m hits, followed by the Tyson-Evander Holyfield "ear fight" in 1997, with 1.99m purchases, and De La Hoya-Trinidad's 1999 bout, with 1.4m. There are some estimates that put Mayweather-Hatton in 2008 at 1.5m, although the announced figure was 1.2m – a fact not lost on Mayweather.

After he takes care of Pacquiao, Mayweather said, he wants to fight in the UK – although he named no opponent, pointing out only that he'd heard "Ricky Hatton wants to play chess with me again".

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Pacquiao vs Mayweather Fight Already Made

Just minutes after Manny Pacquiao had violently turned Miguel Cotto’s face into raw hamburger, the chant rose up from the stands of the MGM Grand Garden Arena:

“We want Floyd.”

Pacquiao had delivered a systematic demolition job of Cotto, winning the World Boxing Organization welterweight title via 12th round TKO with round after round of devastating shots against a bigger, stronger man.

It was the second electrifying boxing performance of the fall. The first was Floyd Mayweather Jr’s 12-round decision over Juan Manuel Marquez in September. That fight broke the rare 1 million pay-per-view bar, a number that will likely be exceeded by this fight too.

So now the stage is set for a super fight that could set box office records – Mayweather vs. Pacquiao. It’s the dream bout between the two best pound-for-pound champions in the sport, hopefully sometime in 2010.

“If Floyd Mayweather wants to fight Manny Pacquiao he knows who to call,” said Bob Arum, the CEO of Top Rank Boxing, the promotion which handles Pacquiao.

Within minutes, Ross Greenberg, the head of HBO Sports said he had spoken to Richard Shaefer of Golden Boy Promotions, which represents Mayweather.

“Richard told me point blank, Bob Arum will be getting that call Monday,” Greenberg said. “He plans on meeting next week with Bob to make the Mayweather fight.”

There will, no doubt, be posturing and preening and negotiating over the split. There are no small egos in this battle; no small checks, either.

“Benjamin Franklin is the most important personality [in the negotiation],” said Greenberg, whose company would handle the pay-per-view. “His face, multiplied by 15 million brings people to the table. Each guy needs to look at the big picture and the big picture is a boat load of cash and a fight too important for the sport.”

Greenberg said the 2007 fight between Mayweather and Oscar De La Hoya resulted in an $80 million purse.

“Is this one smaller?” Greenberg said, shaking his head. “Bigger.”

For boxing fans who care little about who gets more of the final millions and just want to see two legendary fighters in the prime of their careers, this will be a tantalizing wait.

“I think that is the fight the world wants to see,” Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, said.

Pacquiao’s performance here was a thing of beauty, the continuation of a run of brilliance. He chopped a big, powerful opponent down with a combination of speed, smarts and toughness to take shots of his own.

He didn’t shy away from leaning on the ropes and mixing it up with Cotto because he said he wanted to prove he can fight a physical fight and was tired of hearing about Cotto’s supposed strength.

“I yelled at him every time, why are you fighting his fight?” Roach said. “Manny says, ‘I can handle it.’ I said, ‘Well, prove it.’ And he did.”

Post-fight, Cotto was sent to a local trauma unit. Pacquiao performed an eight-song set with his band at an outdoor concert at Mandalay Bay.

The night left little doubt about his genius.

Pacquiao, 30, who has won titles in a record six or seven weight classes (depending on which version of history you believe), said his 5-foot-6 frame can’t handle a weight higher than 145, so he’s running out of challengers.

The only real one left is Mayweather, 32, the 5-foot-7 welterweight who presents his own combination of historic quickness, boxing smarts and defensive skills.

Likewise, Pac-man is about the only real threat to Mayweather, who has dominated boxing in putting together a 40-0 record. Nearly two years ago, Mayweather was so bored from the lack of challengers, he retired for a stretch.

In his absence, Pacquiao rose, defeating both De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton in a much more brutal manner than Mayweather did. Now it’s Pac-man (50-3-2) who many call the pound-for-pound king, a fictional title that Mayweather insists is still his.

Now they can prove it.

Both are known for their ability to throw and land punches from unusual angles, from avoiding contact and for making each punch count. It would be speed against speed, true boxer against true boxer, two all-time greats, lined up and ready.

Each fighter’s colorful entourage had already started the debates and trash talk.

Floyd Mayweather Sr. launched into a circular rant that essentially accused Pacquiao of being on HGH. “I’ve been in boxing since I was 15 years old, I’ve never seen anything like it,” he said of Pacquiao’s new-found size and chin. Not that Senior said it would matter if Manny fought his son.

“When it’s time for us to fight, I’m going to show you all who the master is,” Mayweather Sr. said.

For good measure Mayweather Sr. claimed Roach was only a great trainer because he has a great fighter.

“Tell him to go [expletive] himself,” Roach said.

Roach said the game plan against Mayweather is obvious, catch him if you can.

“Mayweather is a very defensive fighter,” Roach said. “He doesn’t like to engage much. You have to pressure him. I think we have the hand speed to do that. We’d have to set traps for him and fight every minute of every round. I hear he [trains like] a machine too. I’d like to see who lasts longer.”

Roach also feels that with the chin Pacquiao showed against Cotto, that forcing the action against the softer hitting Mayweather won’t present a risk.

“Floyd can’t break a nail, he hurts his hands all the time,” Roach said. “He can’t knock Manny Pacquiao out.”

Pacquiao said he was taking a vacation and would fight whoever Arum set up for him. Mayweather Jr. did not attend the fight even though he lives in Las Vegas. His father said he did watch at home though and the loquacious boxer would have plenty to say in the future.

No one doubts that one.

And for once, it seems that boxing’s suicidal politics and factions won’t stand in the way of the fight everyone wants to see.

Pacquiao vs. Mayweather. See you in 2010.


Source: yahoo sports

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Pacquiao vs Mayweather Scheduled Fight Info.

Manny Pacquiao is scheduled to box Floyd Mayweather Jr (40-0-0, 25 KOs) on Saturday, March 13, 2010 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The fight is being promoted by Bob Arum of Top Rank and Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions and will be televised live on HBO PPV.


Pacquiao made history winning a seventh world title in a seventh weight class beating former WBO Welterweight Champion Miguel Angel Cotto (34-2-0, 27 KOs) by 12th round TKO on Saturday, November 14, 2009 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Referee Kenny Bayless stopped the fight at 0:55 of round twelve with Cotto no longer in the fight and just trying to survive after being downed in rounds three and four and his face a bloody mess. In addition to his victory Pacquiao won the WBO welterweight title and the WBC Diamond belt. Stay tuned for more updates of Pacquiao vs Mayweather.

Source: Ringside.com

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LA out, Dallas still in race for Pacquiao-Mayweather says Arum

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif.(AP)—Promoter Bob Arum expects to settle on a site for Manny Pacquiao’s fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. by next week.

While Las Vegas is the front-runner, Arum claims it still might be Dallas - and it definitely won’t be Los Angeles.

The Top Rank boss spoke glowingly of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and his willingness to outbid Vegas for what might be the richest fight in boxing history. Arum also expressed frustration Saturday night with Golden Boy’s Richard Schaefer, who assists Mayweather Promotions, for canceling a trip to Dallas because he doesn’t want the fight in Jones’ opulent stadium.


“I know Texas people, and I know that a first proposal doesn’t mean it’s the final proposal,” said Arum, who promotes Pacquiao. “I’m saying that Dallas is a real live possibility, and I have a fiduciary responsibility to Manny Pacquiao to get him the most money.”

The Dallas bid was thought to be nearly dead after Schaefer skipped the trip on Wednesday to scout for Mayweather. But Arum, speaking after Top Rank fighter Lamont Peterson lost his 140-pound title shot against Timothy Bradley, insists Schaefer must consider Jones’ offer - a guarantee of $25 million, according to the Los Angeles Times, which might go even higher.

“I think everybody involved has an obligation to see,” said Arum, who has turned over the nuts-and-bolts negotiations to Top Rank president Todd duBoef because Arum gets too emotional.

“I know we can get the greatest offer in history from the Texas stadium,” Arum said. “My position is whoever has the best deal for those two fighters, that’s where I want the deal.”

Arum might want this historic fight to happen in decidedly unhistoric Cowboys Stadium, or he might simply be attempting to leverage Jones’ bid against the MGM Grand to get a better offer from the best fight site in boxing’s capital city.

The MGM Grand likely could craft a bigger offer than $25 million based on closed-circuit tickets and the ancillary benefits of being in the gambling mecca, but the casino likely can’t match the possible Dallas gate - and Arum wants a guarantee.

“I’m guaranteeing my fighter $25 million,” Arum said. “I ain’t going for pie in the sky on this.”

Arum also says the fight will only be held in a state with generous tax laws, ruling out Los Angeles and apparently New Orleans, which expressed interest in putting the fight in the Superdome. Staples Center made a $20 million bid for the bout, but Arum scoffed at it.

“Staples is not a factor at all,” Arum said. “There is no possibility at all of Staples because of California’s tax situation.”

Source: Yahoo Sports

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Pacquiao Mayweather Fight of a Decade

Mayweather's public persona ("Money Mayweather") is a self-creation. Give him credit for good marketing on that. And he has the respect of his peers. Zab Judah once remarked, "Floyd comes into every fight physically and mentally at 100 percent."

Some observers of the boxing scene complain that Floyd runs more than he fights. But Bernard Hopkins rebuts that notion, saying, "Floyd don't run from nobody. I've seen Floyd counterpunch; I've seen Floyd move; I've seen Floyd use his speed, use his quickness. But I've never seen Floyd run."


And Mayweather himself notes, "Boxing is a beautiful sport. Boxing is art. The last time I looked, the sport was called 'boxing,' not '"toe-to-toe.'"

Still, there's a chink in Floyd's armor. There's a school of thought that, for much of the decade, he ducked the tough fights, managing to avoid Shane Mosley, Paul Williams, Antonio Margarito, and Miguel Cotto.

That brings us to Manny Pacquiao.

On January 1, 2000, Manny Pacquiao was 21 years old and virtually unknown outside of his native Philippines. During the course of the past decade, he has fought 26 times and become the most famous fighter in the world. His opponents in that 10-year span included Erik Morales (three times), Marco Antonio Barrera (twice), Juan Manuel Marquez (twice), Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto. In 10 fights against these six Hall-of-Fame-caliber opponents, Pacquiao amassed 8 wins against 1 loss and a draw.

Moreover, unlike Hopkins and Mayweather (both of whom fought many of their biggest fights against smaller men), Pacquiao has consistently challenged naturally bigger fighters. He has hurdled every major obstacle in his weight class and then some.

Unlike Mayweather and Calzaghe, Pacquiao has a less-than-perfect record for the decade. But when a fighter fights the best again and again, sometimes he loses. When Sugar Ray Robinson was young and great, he lost to Jake LaMotta. Muhammad Ali lost to Joe Frazier and Ken Norton before he got old.

History judges elite fighters in large measure by their record against other elite fighters and how they perform in their most difficult challenges.

Mayweather has talked the talk. Pacquiao has walked the walk. And Manny has out-of-the-ring intangibles as well. In that regard, he's similar to Muhammad Ali: a great fighter, a good person and an important symbol for his people.

"I'm just doing my job to be a good fighter," Pacquiao said after beating Miguel Cotto earlier this year.

He's doing more than that. Manny Pacquiao deserves recognition as "Fighter of the Decade."

Source: HBO.com

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Pacquiao vs Mayweather in Dallas?

Here is some great news for boxing fans and especially Dallas, TX boxing fans. It appears that Manny Pacquiao will indeed fight Floyd "big mouth" Mayweather and it could happen in Dallas, TX at the Cowboy stadium which holds 105,000 people. Now at an average of $100 to$200 a seat,that could bring in a gate of $10 to$20 Million dollars. Wow both fighters will gain a lot from this bout!

Pacquiao to fight Mayweather in Dallas, it could happen

Bob Arum and spoken with Mayweather and he has said he has agreed to the fight,and he is going to the Philippines to talk to Pacquiao. Keep your fingers crossed that the fight does happen and happen in Dallas. I will be there with first hand reports. So you won't want to miss that.

The date seems to be open for March 13, after Roy Jones Jr.got knocked out by Green, he gave up that date on HBO and thus Pacquiao and Mayweather could get it. It will be the best fight in 5 years and will definitely give Pacquiao the chance to prove he is one of the best ever and shut Mayweathers mouth for good. Catch for more updates of Pacquiao vs Mayweather.

Source: Examiner.com

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Pacquiao Vs. Mayweather: Both Agree With The Terms!

ESPN is reporting that the Pacquiao vs. Mayweather fight is almost finalized. This comes just days after Floyd Mayweather agreed to the terms that promoters Bob Arum of Top Rank and Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy had agreed upon.

Following that breakthrough, Arum flew straight to the Philippines so he could meet with his star fighter, currently the number 1 pound for pound boxer in the world. Over a breakfast meeting, Pacquiao apparently was satisfied with the terms of the fight.


Could it be, a mega-fight in boxing that both stars have made extremely easy to navigate and negotiate? Anything can happen, and until the names are signed on those contracts, nothing is official. Still, this is extremely great news for boxing fans, considering the magnitude of the potential Floyd Mayweather vs.Manny Pacquiao bout.

If Pacquiao vs. Mayweather is to be finalized, it seems that a few more details have been worked out since the last news from earlier in the week. It now seems that March 13 is a near lock to be the date of the event.

Another issue that could have been a potential snag in negotiations seems cleared up as well. Apparently Pacquiao and his team are fine at fighting at the full welterweight limit of 147 lbs. This is a change in stance from Pacquiao's recent bout with Miguel Cotto.

The change in opinion could either be due to 1) the increased importance of this bout, 2) Mayweather's superior bargaining position as opposed to Cotto or 3) the fact that Mayweather is not a large welterweight, and so any weight or strength advantage would not truly be present in the bout.

One thing that remains unclear as to this point is where the fight will be held. As previously reported, Dallas, New Orleans and Las Vegas are all still in the running. If the fight lands in Vegas, a 30,000 outdoor stadium will likely be constructed to accommodate the masses.

Source: Associated Content.com

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Manny Pacquiao Sign A deal to fight Mayweather

MANILA, Philippines – Manny Pacquiao has officially signed on to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr. in what could be the biggest and richest fight in boxing history, the Filipino ring icon’s trainer said today.

Speaking to 8CountNews, Freddie Roach confirmed that his ward has indeed placed his signature on the fight contract, adding that the bout will be held on March 13.

“March 13th is the date, that's not going to change,” he told 8CountNews.

The multi-awarded trainer said that with Pacquiao inking the deal, it is now up to Mayweather to complete his end the deal.

“Well anything is possible with Floyd Mayweather involved, but we signed our contract and that's all I care about. There is nothing that I can do about the other guy. I don't know if they officially signed, but we have,” Roach said.

The bespectacled trainer added that among the things that the Pacquiao camp has agreed on were the glove size to be used and the weight class on which the fight would be held. He, however, did not provide further details.

“Everything looks good. We have agreed on the glove size, and the weight. I talked to (Pacquiao’s promoter Bob) Arum, Dallas wants the fight, MGM wants the fight, Yankee Stadium wants the fight, so it's just trying to find out where the venue is. The fight looks good,” Roach said.

And with the fight now closer to being finalized, how does Roach see Pacquiao matching up against Mayweather?

“It's a difficult fight, it's the most difficult style for us to go against because he (Mayweather) is a runner and a counter-puncher. We will go to camp and we will make some changes, we will set traps for this guy. This is completely opposite of the (Miguel) Cotto fight, opposite of the (Ricky) Hatton fight, and opposite from the (Oscar) De La Hoya fight. We will come up with a new game plan, a 10-week camp, and some changes. We will work on setting traps and taking Floyd's speed away from him,” he explained.

A Pacquiao-Mayweather bout would pit two of the best pound-for-pound fighters in their primes. It is expected to shatter existing pay-per-view records, with both fighters having proven themselves to be mammoth box-office draws. - By Dino Maragay (Philstar News Service, www.philstar.com)

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Mayweather will Defeat Pacquiao

(CNN) -- Unbeaten American Floyd Mayweather Jr claims he will knock out WBO welterweight world champion Manny Pacquiao when the two boxing giants lock horns next year.

Speaking on HBO TV's Joe Buck chat show, the 32-year-old Mayweather -- who has an unblemished record from 40 fights -- said: "Pacquiao's a good fighter but I've been around the sport a long time and I've dominated boxing for around 15 years now.

"Nobody has defeated me yet so we'll have to see. The thing is, I don't want the fans to be really shocked by what will happen when we do happen to meet up -- because it's not going to be anything new for them."

"The things is, Manny has been knocked out before and he's taken losses. I'll be victorious."

Filipino Pacquiao will come into the fight following a remarkable 12 months which has seen him defeat de la Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto.

Meanwhile, Mayweather has fought only once in two years, a unanimous points victory over Juan Manuel Marquez in las Vegas.

Although definitive plans for the mega-money contest are yet to be confirmed, a date of March 13 is widely rumored to be agreed, with three possible venues in the running to stage the contest.

The two fighters are regarded as the best pound-for-pound boxers in the world right now and the fight is expected to generate record levels of interest, easily surpassing the previous record of $18.4m for gate receipts, which was generated for Mayweather's bout with Oscar De La Hoya in 2007.

Two NFL stadiums are reported to be bidding to host the fight. Cowboy Stadium in Arlington, Texas, home of the Dallas Cowboys, is competing with the Superdome in New Orleans, as well as the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

The two stadiums could accommodate up to 100,000 spectators, while the MGM Grand seats about 16,000.
Source: edition.cnn.com

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Pacquiao vs Mayweather Fight Host in LA

Staples Center has made a guaranteed $20-million offer to host the Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr. mega-fight that has been verbally agreed to be fought March 13.

"This is the biggest boxing event ever, and we're prepared to step up in a big way," said Dan Beckerman, AEG's chief financial officer. Beckerman said his pitch to Mayweather promoter Richard Schaefer and Pacquiao's promoter Bob Arum is to "activate the entire L.A. Live campus" on fight week.

New J.W. Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels would serve as media headquarters, a fan-fest would be staged at Nokia Plaza, a large closed-circuit audience could watch the bout at Nokia Theatre and 20,000 would fill Staples Center, Beckerman said.

"We know there's interest in this fight across the world, but we're very interested and honored to make the most impressive offer possible," Beckerman said. "It's our biggest guarantee ever, and we hope it wins the day. We wanted to push as far and as hard as we could."

Schaefer, chief executive of Golden Boy Promotions, which counts AEG as a partner, declined to immediately comment on any site deals. He canceled a planned trip to tour Dallas Cowboys Stadium on Wednesday, but declined to explain why, other than repeating he was busy working to finalize the fight deal.

One of the barriers to staging the bout in California, promoters say, are the state taxes required from the boxers -- payments not required in Nevada and Texas.

"That's certainly a factor in the overall economics, and one thing we'd have to overcome," Beckerman said.

Staples has at least won the right to stage another fight of interest, the fourth chapter between Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez, on May 22, Beckerman said.

The classic trilogy had two fights at AEG's Home Depot Center, with both bouts won by Huntington Park's Vazquez.

"That's a great L.A. fight and the fourth installment appropriately needs to step up to the bigger venue," Beckerman said.

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