Mosley: “This time Floyd’s fighting a real welterweight!”

By FightFan.com Staff (07-Feb-2010)

‘Sugar’ Shane Mosley is attending Super Bowl week to promote his May 1 super fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. and took the time to catch up with Yahoo Sports. See what he had to say as he prepares to defend his WBA welterweight title.

“It’s on for May 1. We’ve both signed. It’s a fight that should have happened a while ago and one the fans and the people want to see. This time Floyd isn’t fighting a lightweight or a junior welterweight… he’s fighting a real welterweight!”

“In my mind I wouldn’t say I’m the underdog. I’m going to take it to him I’m going to do what I’ve got to do. Mentally as fighters both Floyd and I know who’s who and what’s what. He’s not fighting the same fighters he has been coming up who’ve never seen it before. I have a lot of confidence and have been in this game a long time. I believe in myself and know I’m the best fighter out there.”

“I was in training getting ready for the Berto fight Jan. 30 but it didn’t happen because of the tragedy in Haiti. I sent my condolences to Andre and his family and then looked to move on.”

“Floyd is a very difficult fight. He’s a talented fighter. Even though the Berto fight was lined up, Floyd was really the fight I wanted so I’m excited that it worked out.”

Source: http://fightfan.com/2010/02/shane-mosley-this-time-floyds-fighting-a-real-welterweight/

Mayweather: “Shane bases everything on power and speed. It doesn’t work like that. I believe it’s all timing and inches!”

By FightFan.com Staff (07-Feb-2010)

Floyd Mayweather Jr. is currently attending Super Bowl week to promote his May 1 fight with Shane Mosley. Floyd spoke to England’s Sky Sports about his upcoming super fight and what he thinks of ‘Sugar’ Shane.

“I’m very excited to be fighting Shane. I’ve been taking it one day at a time hanging out with my team going over the game plan. I’m ready to get in to camp.”

“Shane and I have both been in the sport a long time and have tremendous backgrounds coming from boxing families. When you take the two and put them together you get a very exciting fight. I think Shane is basing everything on power and speed. It doesn’t work like that. I believe everything in life is timing and inches. It’s not just about being a defensive fighter. It’s about being a smart fighter.”

“I’m going to come in in top condition. Shane always looks in condition in his fights so I think it will be a great fight May 1.”

“My main focus is Shane Mosley. I know in the past Shane was caught using steroids and if he’s down with taking the random blood testing I’m all for that. I think random testing should be done in boxing and all sports all over the world. We need to clean up boxing and all sports. I’ve dominated the sport of boxing for years and done so in a very clean fashion.”

“There’s a rematch clause in the contract but I didn’t really think too much about that. If Shane is concerned with a rematch that’s his prerogative but I believe in getting things done the first go around so I don’t worry about the second time.”

Source: http://fightfan.com/2010/02/mayweather-shane-bases-everything-on-power-and-speed-it-doesnt-work-like-that-i-believe-its-all-timing-and-inches/

Whew, Mayweather signs to fight Mosley, but angst still there

Anxiety gave way to relief Wednesday when it was announced that Floyd Mayweather, Jr., had finally signed for a May 1 fight with Shane Mosley, whose promotional point man, Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer, sounded as though the wait for Mayweather’s signature was a little bit like anticipating a dental appointment.

As it turns out, it was routine, a mere formality. Let’s just hope it stays that way until opening bell at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand for a May Day of a fight that won’t generate as much money as Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao would have, but promises to be as good, if not better.

The temptation is to say thanks to Mayweather for a convincing counter to everybody who parrots Bob Arum’s criticism that he is afraid of any threat to his unbeaten record. Well, Mosley, a natural welterweight, is that threat, bigger on a tale of the tape than Pacquiao, a relative newcomer to 147 pounds.

But you can never be sure with Mayweather. Schaefer’s angst, reflected in various news reports, sums up the uncertainty about a fighter with wonderful talents, yet as hard to pin down as he is to hit. Mayweather’s unpredictability is good for HBO’s 24/7, but exasperating for everybody else, including media quick to report that Mayweather had not signed only four days after the agreement — complete with Mosley’s signature — was announced.

The delay, not matter how brief, was enough to make everybody wonder what Mayweather was up to now. Plenty of skepticism is left in the messy wake of failed negotiations for a Mayweather-Pacquiao fight, which won’t happen on March 13 because Pacquiao said no to Mayweather’s demand for random, Olympic-style blood-testing. Everybody has been blamed, which only means that nobody’s reputation escapes unscathed.

Mayweather and Mosley now are scheduled to be in south Florida Sunday for the Super Bowl Sunday. It’s an interesting setting. Mayweather-Pacquiao had been called boxing’s Super Bowl. Peyton Manning and Drew Brees will never have to explain why the Colts and Saints couldn’t agree to a game. I’m not sure Mayweather will be able to explain why he couldn’t agree on a fight with Pacquiao. But it is safe say he will hear the questions and I’m sure he will blame Pacquiao, although familiar trash-talk might be punctuated with caution because of a defamation lawsuit.

Mistrust is everywhere. Mayweather-Mosley represents a real chance to move on. But it won’t be easy. In just a few days, the familiar jitters were there with questions about when – indeed, if — Mayweather would sign. The abortive talks for Mayweather-Pacquiao are just the latest reason.

In September, there was weight-gate before, during and after Mayweather’s unanimous decision over Juan Manuel Marquez. At 146 pounds on the day before the fight, Mayweather failed to meet the catch weight, 144, and willingly wrote a check for $600,000 — $300,000 for each excess pound – to Marquez.

From a ringside seat the next night, Mayweather often looked like a middleweight, especially when his back was to me. I can’t help but think it was no coincidence that he refused to step on unofficial scales for HBO not long before opening bell. After the one-sided fight, he dissed anybody who wanted to know how he heavy he was.

There are some things Mayweather just doesn’t want anybody to know. No wonder Schaefer and many in the media were nervous.

Here’s a suggestion: Andre Berto withdrew from a bout on Jan 30 with Mosley because of concern for family caught in the Haitian earthquake. Tell Berto to stay in the gym. You never know.

NOTES, QUOTES

· According to various reports, Mayweather and Mosley will undergo Olympic-style drug testing. Given Mayweather’s demand in talks for Pacquiao, he will have to insist on the procedure from now on. For Mosley, it’s a significant step. He was linked to performance-enhancers years ago in testimony to a grand jury investigating Balco. What’s not clear is who will conduct the tests. The Nevada State Athletic Commission? The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency? And who will pay for the tests? The fighters? The promoters? The lousy economy would seem to preclude any state commission from taking on the expense.

· News from the World Boxing Association says it will investigate Beibut Shumenov’s controversial split decision over Gabriel Campillo for the light-heavyweight championship on Jan. 29 at the Hard Rock in Las Vegas. While the acronym is at it, how about a few questions asking how a fighter, Shumenov, with only 10 pro bouts could even qualify for a shot at so-called major title?

· Intriguing Jose Benavidez, a 17-year-old junior-welterweight from Phoenix, is scheduled for his second pro fight on Feb. 13 against an unannounced foe at the Las Vegas Hilton on a card, Latin Fury 13/Pinoy Power 3, featuring super-flyweight Nonito Donaire (22-1, 14 KOs) against Gerson Guerrero (43-8, 26 KOs). There’s been some hope that Benavidez could help resurrect a Phoenix market, mostly dormant since Arizona began to enforce tough immigration laws. “I’d really love to fight in Phoenix,’’ Benavidez said. “Hey, it’s my hometown.’’

· And kudos to Chad Dawson, Guillermo Rigondeaux and Top Rank for promises to help in the Haiti relief. Dawson said he has started Champions Challenge. He has invested $5,000 of his money has asked other champs to match it. Rigondeaux, a two-time Olympic gold medalist from Cuba, says he will donate his purse from a fight Friday night against Adolfo Landeros in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to the Children of Haiti Fund. Top Rank announced it is setting aside a percentage of ticket receipts for the earthquake victims.

Source: http://www.15rounds.com/whew-mayweather-signs-to-fight-mosley-but-angst-still-there-02051/

If Mayweather Jr ‘asked to fight Shane immediately’ then why did he wait so long to sign?

For some Mayweather critics, hell has officially frozen over. Floyd Mayweather Jr has signed the contract to fight Shane Mosley on May 1st. A day that many people thought would never happen, has finally come. But, what took so long? For a fight that was a decade in the making, the contract signing felt like it almost took just as long. Why did it take Floyd so long to sign the contract?
Just 24 hours ago, Mosley and his attorney were threatening a lawsuit against Mayweather because he hadn’t signed the contract yet even though Mosley signed it last week and Floyd’s people were assuring it would be signed the very next day. This delay got so bad that even Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer publicly aired his frustrations and questioned Mayweather’s actions.
Fast forward to today and Mayweather signs the fight and then releases the following statement:

• “This one is definitely for the fans as I wasn’t going to waste anyone’s time with a meaningless tune-up bout and asked to fight Shane immediately. I have said ever since I came back to the sport that I only wanted to fight the best. I think Shane is one of the best, but come May 1, he still won’t be great enough to beat me.”

Sarah Daniels Sacramento, CA “If Mayweather truly wanted to fight Mosley immediately then why the delay?” Simply put, Mayweather didn’t truly want to fight Mosley. Like Shane Mosley said in a recent interview, Mayweather was forced into the fight. When Manny Pacquiao moved on to face Clottey, Mayweather was forced to move on to Mosley.
In my opinion, I believe Mayweather was just playing his selfish games in making every one wait. However, I think he signed today because Mosley’s people were ready to go to court. Floyd couldn’t risk going to court after already losing in the “court of public opinion” over who was at fault for the failed Mega fight.
This delay was just another way for everyone to be subject to Floyd’s egotistical desires and grandiose delusions of his self worth. That’s the only logical reason why Floyd took so long to sign since Mosley already agreed to every demand that Mayweather made. In the end, Mosley’s attorney Judd Burnstein said it best “he chooses to act like a 7-year-old”.

Source: http://www.examiner.com/x-21442-Sacramento-Fight-Sports-Examiner~y2010m2d3-If-Mayweather-Jr-asked-to-fight-Shane-immediately-then-why-did-he-wait-so-long-to-sign

Where, oh where, is Floyd’s signature?

Richard Schaefer, the CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, is usually a calm, cool and collected sort. The former Swiss banker doesn’t get rattled easily.

Tuesday morning, however, he sounded rattled, expressing concern about why Floyd Mayweather Jr. has not signed his contract to face welterweight champ Shane Mosley on May 1 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, in as big of a fight as there is in the sport.

It has been five days since both sides acknowledged an agreement on terms.

Mosley, of course, put pen to paper on Friday in Las Vegas, where his attorney, Judd Burstein, went through the paperwork with him point by point.

“He is excited to move forward with the bout,” Burstein told me at the time.

Burstein also added that he had been assured by Leonard Ellerbe, one of Mayweather’s advisers, that there were no problems on their side.

“I confirmed with Leonard that there are no issues,” Burstein said.

Ellerbe’s quote to me for the story I wrote Friday was, “All of the deal points have been agreed to. We still have to put pen to paper, but everything is agreed to.”

Yet five days later, Schaefer still does not have a signed agreement from Mayweather. He was clearly at wit’s end when he called me about it Tuesday morning.

“He still hasn’t signed. I am so frustrated,” Schaefer said. “I wanted both guys to go down to the Super Bowl in Miami to do some promotional stuff. I don’t know what Floyd is waiting for. I have no clue. I have a signed contract from Shane on my desk. I have nothing from Floyd.”

Schaefer said he is in constant touch with Ellerbe and Al Haymon, Mayweather’s other adviser, and when he asks them where the paperwork is, the response is always the same: “Every day, it’s the next day. They say, ‘Don’t worry, it’s going to come.’ Well, where is it? I’m waiting for the signature before we can move on.”

Burstein said he and Mosley were also quite aggravated by the delay.

“I am outraged,” Burstein said when I reached him Tuesday afternoon. “I have a client who acts in a professional manner. He allows me to negotiate a deal for him in constant consultation with him. When it all gets put on paper, we go over it and, as promised, he signs if it’s OK. That’s what happened on Friday. It was signed with the assurance from Al Haymon and Leonard Ellerbe that everything was agreed to and there was no problem.”

So what does Burstein believe is the issue?

“It’s either one of two things that has happened,” he said. “Either he’s rethought the wisdom of risking his undefeated record against Shane or he chooses to act like a 7-year-old. Hopefully, it’s the latter and he will mature very quickly. But either of these possibilities is completely unacceptable to us. He’s going to end up in a fight with Mosley. The only question is whether it will be in the ring or in court.”

Now, May 1 is still a ways off, but for a megafight the magnitude of Mosley-Mayweather, kicking it off with promotional appearances at the Super Bowl is significant. When Mayweather and Oscar De La Hoya met in May 2007, their media rounds at the Super Bowl generated enormous interest in the fight, which went on to set the all-time pay-per-view record.

Schaefer wants to follow the same blueprint. He said Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr., who will meet April 3 in a pay-per-view rematch that Golden Boy is co-promoting, will be in Miami to help drum up interest in their fight, so he can’t understand why Mayweather is MIA.

So I asked Schaefer if he was concerned that the Mosley-Mayweather fight might be in trouble?

His answer was simply, “Yes.”

I asked him if he would elaborate.

“At this point, I don’t know,” he said. “We want to do some big PR, so this is frustrating. I read Leonard’s quotes that it was agreed to and that it was just a matter of time to get it signed, but if it’s all done, why isn’t it signed?”

Schaefer has been down this road with Mayweather before, perhaps one of the reasons for his concern. He negotiated a fall 2008 rematch between Mayweather and De La Hoya, which also had been agreed to and was on the verge of being announced. However, Mayweather never signed the paperwork and instead announced his retirement, which lasted 18 months.

“I am not having flashbacks to anything, but [the Mosley fight] is still not signed,” Schaefer said. “I don’t know what it means. Obviously, we can’t move forward with the promotion, including some important activities that were planned for this coming weekend, unless we have a signed deal.”

Before negotiating with Mosley, Mayweather was close to a deal to face Manny Pacquiao on March 13 in what would have been, by far, the sport’s biggest fight. But that fight fell apart shortly before what was supposed to have been a kickoff news conference in early January. The reason was because the fighters couldn’t reach a compromise on drug-testing protocol. Mayweather insisted on testing that went far beyond the rules of the Nevada State Athletic Commission. While Pacquiao accepted some additional testing, he refused random blood testing.

Both fighters moved on. Pacquiao quickly made a deal to defend his welterweight belt against Joshua Clottey on March 13 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Mayweather and Mosley began their talks after Mosley’s Jan. 30 unification fight with Andre Berto was canceled.

So while Pacquiao wrapped up his deal with Clottey in about two seconds and Mosley signed on the dotted line in pretty short order, we all continue to wait for Mayweather’s John Hancock yet again, including Schaefer.

“I always tell you, a signed deal is a done deal,” Schaefer said. “It will only be done when Floyd signs, and that hasn’t happened yet. I don’t know of any deal terms that are not agreed to. I don’t understand it.”

Source: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=4880645&name=rafael_dan

The fans speak out as Mayweather stalls over Mosley fight

The life of a Floyd Mayweather fan has been something of a roller coaster ride over the last few years. From the negotiation problems with Manny Pacquiao to fighting lightweights for no apparent reason, more than a few have lost faith.

This is a far cry from the time when Floyd was regarded as the best boxer of his generation and there weren’t any others that came close in the pound for pound rankings.

It looked like his loyal fans would finally have something to crow about with the announcement that a fight against Shane Mosley was only a matter of days from being finalized. Now however Golden Boy representative Richard Schaefer is getting frustrated, and more than a few fans are as well, because once again there appears to be some kind of problem.

Mosley has agreed to every outlandish demand that Mayweather could throw at him, from guaranteed rematches should Mayweather lose to random blood testing at any point before the fight. He has even agreed to let Mayweather take the bigger end of the purse without complaining. He has in short bent over backwards to accommodate Floyd, and has signed his side of the agreement.

“Do I really have to fight Mosley Poppa?” (AP Photo)

What could the hold up be, and why hasn’t Floyd put pen to paper and let the promoting begin for a fight only a few months away? I asked some of the local fans their thoughts on the matter.

David Weston, Pittsburgh PA: “Floyd is running scared. He was scared of Pacquiao and he backed out, he’s scared of Mosley and now he’s looking for a way out of this fight as well”

Frank Sampson, Irwin PA: “Floyd used to be the best, now he ain’t nothin’ but a scared little b**** looking for a pay check”

Carl Lenmore, Pittsburgh PA:  “I’ve been a Floyd fan since his Olympic days, but he needs to take this fight if he wants to be thought of as the best fighter, if he don’t, maybe his best days are behind him”

While that might be a little strong, it is certainly puzzling that Mayweather would trash the best opponent option out there for him (Pacquiao) and doesn’t seem that keen to take on the number two either in Mosley.

Tom Fowler, Pittsburgh PA: “Mayweather takes xylocane, Mosley is a steroid user, Pacquiao is being accused by everyone in the sport, Margarito plasters his hands, aren’t there any honest guys out there anymore?”

Well to be entirely fair to Pacquiao, he’s never actually been caught with anything, and his accusers are usually people who have ulterior motives. The statements about the other three are about right though, and there isn’t a single fan out there who believes that Margarito didn’t know his hands were wrapped in plaster.

Basically aside from the cheating going on, the welterweight division in general is a mess at the moment, and could benefit from a tournament of some kind to thin out the herd a little.

Source: http://www.examiner.com/x-20066-Pittsburgh-Fight-Sports-Examiner~y2010m2d2-The-fans-speak-out-as-Mayweather-stalls-over-Mosley-fight

Freddie Roach Now 4-Time Trainer of The Year

Source: http://www.8countnews.com/news/125/ARTICLE/2285/2010-02-02.html

Manny Pacquiao decides to simply fight on

Boxer looks toward bout with Joshua Clottey but still wishes he was facing Floyd Mayweather Jr. instead.

Manny Pacquiao is back in town. Boxing is like phases of the moon, and Pacquiao is in the training phase.

There will be a fight, all right. But not the one the world wanted, nor Pacquiao and his trainer, Freddie Roach.

“I wanted Mayweather bad, real bad,” Roach says.

“I’m not angry at Floyd,” Pacquiao says. “I just feel disappointed in his allegations.”

It is a Monday afternoon at Roach’s Wild Card Gym in Hollywood. The air is stale, the noise often deafening and the entire place decorum-challenged, unless you are into wrinkled 1972 boxing posters. That’s as it should be. They train boxers here, not ballerinas.

Pacquiao prepares for a March 13 fight that was to be between him, recently acclaimed fighter of the decade in a vote by the U.S. Boxing Writers, and Floyd Mayweather Jr., who would tell you the boxing writers got it wrong. Now, the fight will be between Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey.

Once Pacquiao and Mayweather parted ways in the well-documented drug-testing dispute, Mayweather agreed to fight Shane Mosley on May 1 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Mosley has signed the contract deal, but as of Monday night, Mayweather had not.

Richard Schaefer, chief executive of Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions, says he expects the Mayweather signature any minute. He also says that Mosley agreed to all the Olympic-style random testing , including blood testing right up to fight time, that Pacquiao had rejected.

There are attempts from all camps to portray this fallback outcome as just fine for boxing, maybe even better.

Roach says Clottey might give fight fans a better show than the tactical, defense-minded Mayweather because “Clottey comes forward and it could become a war.” Pacquiao refers to the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium, where his fight will be held in front of an expected 40,000 people, as “a beautiful place” and the Top Rank camp of Bob Arum characterizes the new venue as an important step in bringing new fans to the sport. Schaefer says that, as great as the 40-0 Mayweather is, Mosley’s stunning domination of Antonio Margarito 13 months ago at Staples Center proves how dangerous he is.

Still, the loss of the Pacquiao-Mayweather mega-fight, one that could have put as much as $40 million in each fighter’s pocket, hangs in the Wild Card Gym like the smell of body odor.

“In the end,” Roach says, “if we had given in on the blood testing, it would have been like giving Mayweather the first round. Why would we do that?

“Manny hates needles. He said that’s what cost him the first [Erik] Morales fight [March 2005]. We made a mistake on that one. Nevada has every boxer give blood once a year, and Manny hadn’t done that, so we had to do it the night before the fight, just like Mayweather wanted. Manny said it made him weak for three days. Even if they took blood from him 14 days before the fight, that would have meant I lose him on key sparring days 14, 13, and 12 days out.”

The Mayweather camp will read that and chuckle. Those theorizing that Pacquiao must use steroids or he would have agreed to the extra drug testing will not be moved.

There is the issue of time running out on Pacquiao’s boxing career. He will run for Congress in the Philippines in mid-May. Roach has said he doesn’t think Pacquiao can be a marquee boxer and a politician at the same time. Asked about that Monday, Pacquiao says, “Why not?”

There is the issue of how much these next fights could mess things up. Were Clottey to win, might not Pacquiao see that as a perfect time to retreat to politics full time? Were Mosley to win, might that not do the same thing?

“Shane came to the gym twice to ask me to let him fight Manny,” Roach says. “I told him no both times, and both times for the same two reasons: First, there isn’t enough money there, and second, you’re too good a fighter.”

There is the issue of Pacquiao’s current lawsuit against the Mayweathers for defamation. Pacquiao’s attorney, Daniel Petrocelli, says that the case is in federal court in Nevada, is moving at full speed and can be in trial by year’s end.

But the real issue remains lost money for the boxers and lost opportunity for the sport. For now, Pacquiao-Mayweather has gone away, but probably not forever.

Pacquiao is asked whether he is so angry at Mayweather that he will never be able to bring himself to step into the ring against him.

“No, I can fight him,” Pacquiao says. “I’m just not sure he ever really wanted the fight.”

Roach is asked whether the fight that didn’t happen has now become like a burr in his saddle.

He nods.

Source: http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-dwyre-pacquiao2-2010feb02,0,3406797.column

Joshua Clottey: Pacquiao Is Beatable

Ghana’s Joshua Clottey is confident of defeating the current world best pound-for-pound boxer Manny Pacman Pacquiao on March 13 in Dallas, Texas.

The two would vie for Pacman’s World Boxing Organisation (WBO) Welterweight crown in the USA in a fight boxing pundits have described as the biggest ever for the Ghanaian.

Addressing the press yesterday in Accra, Clottey, who has lost only thrice in his career, promised to raise the Ghana flag very high on the D-day.

“I will ensure that Ghana’s flag is raise very high in the USA by accounting for the Filipino.

“He is beatable and as such I will put up my very best fight ever in my career to ensure that I beat him,” said Clottey who arrived in Accra over the weekend.

On whether Pacquiao’s status as a southpaw would pose challenges to him, Clottey said he had never lost to a southpaw and as such he would never succumb to him.

He acknowledged Azumah Nelson’s offer to be at the ring side on the D-day to show solidarity, adding that the boxing professor has urged him to go all out and stun the whole world by winning the fight.

Already, 25,000 tickets have been sold for the crunch fight between Clottey (35-3, 21KOs) and Manny  Pacquiao. According to reports, boxing fans across the United States are hoping to witness the biggest fight in Dallas, Texas, hence a scramble for tickets to watch one of the biggest fights of the century.

Source: http://www.modernghana.com/sports/261157/2/joshua-clottey-pacquiao-is-beatable.html

Freddie Roach exclusive: secrets behind Manny Pacquiao’s incredible physique

Margarito: “I’m The Only One Who Can Beat Pacquiao”

By Mark Vester

Former three time welterweight champion Antonio Margarito is training for his long awaited ring return on the March 13 pay-per-view undercard to Manny Pacquiao vs. Joshua Clottey at Cowboys Stadium in Texas. Sitting on the sidelines for nearly a year, Margarito is expected to receive his boxing license in the next couple of days from the Texas Commission.

Margarito’s promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank, told BoxingScene.com last week that a Pacquiao-Margarito showdown is possible for the summer. Arum said Margarito will need to look very good against his comeback opponent Carson Jones, and Pacquiao has to do his part by beating Clottey.

The “Tijuana Tornado” is very motivated to return. His license was revoked last February after a plaster-like substance was discovered is his handwraps prior to the fight with Shane Mosley on January 24. Margarito really wants the opportunity to fight Pacquiao. He says styles make fights and believes his style will overwhelm Pacquiao.

“The truth is I feel very motivated to get back in a big event, with over 50,000 people in Texas, where a lot of those people will be of Mexican descent,” said Margarito from his training camp in Tijuana to The Record. “I hope to earn that chance against Pacquiao to prove that I am the only one who can beat him.”

In his last fight, Margarito was dominated and knocked out by Shane Mosley. He points to several reasons for the loss, including weight struggles and his body was still feeling the damage of his July 2008 war with Miguel Cotto.

“We complied with the rules of the Commission (California) and did not fight in Mexico as previously assumed. A year without punishment has helped me relax, because after that hard fight with Cotto, I made the mistake of grabbing someone just as hard or even harder in Mosley, and I was not 100% yet.”

“I’ve been training, I just hope to get my license now and focus squarely on the fight that lies ahead. I am eager to return, it’s time for the ‘Tornado’ to return.”

Source: http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&id=24920

Ticket sales booming for Manny Pacquiao fight

More than 20,000 tickets have been sold for Manny Pacquiao’s March 13 fight against welterweight Joshua Clottey at Dallas Cowboys Stadium, and officials say there could be close to 60,000 in attendance on fight night.

“The first days of sales for boxing events can be about 25% of the total,” said Texas boxing publicist Lester Bedford, who’s assisting Top Rank and Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones in the Pacquiao-Clottey fight promotion. “There’ll be a heavy Hispanic undercard that has yet to be announced, and that could trigger more sales.

“With the fight being in this new stadium there’s no history to predict how a boxing event will do. It could go to 50,000, 60,000.”

Jones originally arranged a seating plan to accommodate 40,000, and tickets went on sale Saturday through Ticketmaster.

The undercard could feature the return of former world welterweight champion Antonio Margarito, who had his boxing license revoked by the California State Athletic Commission February 2009 after officials removed plaster-caked inserts inside wraps on both of his hands before being defeated by Shane Mosley last January at Staples Center.

Margarito is planning to apply to get his license restored in Texas next month, and promoter Bob Arum said if Margarito wins the super-welterweight undercard fight against Carson Jones, he’d strongly consider making a Margarito-Pacquiao bout at Dallas Cowboys Stadium later this year.

Bedford said former lightweight world champion Jose Luis Castillo will also appear on the Pacquiao-Clottey undercard.

Source: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/2010/01/manny-pacquiao-boxing-dallas-cowboys-stadium.html

Manny Pacquiao takes Meth and is scared of Mayweather Jr, Foreman, and Marquez

For Manny Pacquiao, 2010 has become a magnet for some of boxing’s well known figures to come out and make accusations about him. These boxing figures accuse Manny of taking meth or being a coward. My initial reaction to these accusations was HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA…. Hold on, let me catch my breath… HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA… Are you kidding me?

He’s on Meth

“That mother***** is on the A-side meth, that’s what the f*** he’s on,” “It’s called the A-side meth. He on that or he on something else. The A-side meth is what they used to have 500 years ago. Remember when the Philippines were fighting the US soldiers? They were shooting them motherf****s with 45s. And 45s were bouncing off their motherf****ng a$$. They weren’t even dying!” — Roger Mayweather (source:Filipino Sports Examiner)
Hey Roger, if Manny were on meth, he wouldn’t be moving up in weight classes he would be moving down. Next, he would have failed at least one drug test by now. And lastly, the man would be tweaking too much to be fighting.

Roger, you are absurd. These comments make no sense and they make you appear to be the one on meth. However, Roger thank you for taking a time out from beating up women to provide us with these hilarious comments.

He’s Scared

If meth accusations weren’t enough, we have multiple fighters coming out and saying or implying that Pacquiao is scared to fight them.

• Floyd Mayweather Jr: “Manny needs to stop making his excuses, step up and fight.” (source:Mayweather accepts no responsibility for failed negotiations with Pacquiao)
• Juan Manuel Marquez: “When the fight between Mayweather against Pacquiao fell through, De La Hoya told me that I was the next option [for Pacquiao] and I told him that I was ready to fight once more with him. He told me that he would speak with Bob Arum, but in the end they surprised me with his decision that he preferred to sign another fight, so once again he is afraid me.” (source: Juan Manuel Marquez must be drunk off his ‘urine’ if he thinks Pacquiao is scared)
• Yuri Foreman: ““When the whole Mayweather thing was going on, Freddie Roach said we want to fight. But then when it comes up, they really don’t want to fight.” source: BoxingScene

Roger Mayweather, Juan Manuel Marquez, Yuri Foreman, and Floyd Mayweather Jr are out of their minds. They take these shots at Manny Pacquiao outside of the ring because they can’t do it inside the ring. The Mayweathers are nothing more than cowardly criminals. Marquez has killed too many brain cells with his urine addiction and Foreman better be careful of what he asks for.
I wish that fighters would just fight and keep their mouths shut. I wish criminals like Roger Mayweather would just rot away in prison. Oh well, at least we got a good laugh with this….And that’s all we can do now is just laugh at them. Because we know that Pacquiao is better than them on every level from a boxer to a human being.

Source: http://www.examiner.com/x-21442-Sacramento-Fight-Sports-Examiner~y2010m1d25-Manny-Pacquiao-takes-Meth-and-is-scared-of-Mayweather-Jr-Foreman-and-Marquez

Margarito being prepared for an eventual Pacquiao bout?

By Scott Heritage Returning former star Antonio Margarito is being quietly brought into discussion as a future opponent for Manny Pacquiao. Formerly the top ranked welterweight, Margarito picked up a loss as well as a one year ban in his last fight where he was found to have loaded gloves against Shane Mosley.

Since then Margarito has been out of the headlines, waiting out his ban and quietly making plans for his return on the under card of the Pacquiao vs. Clottey card in March.

At a less eventful time in boxing Margarito’s return might have created a lot more of a fuss, and many might have been calling for him not to regain his license.

With the Pacquiao-Mayweather debacle and subsequent fights being made, Cowboys stadium being used as a venue, not to mention the numerous other stars at or around welterweight, Margarito looks to have slipped under the radar with his return.

It now looks like if successful in his return bout against Carson Jones, Margarito might be in line for a crack at the 7 weight wonder himself.

Some will no doubt question as to whether Margarito should take a year off and then be handed the biggest pay day in the entire sport so quickly, but this is probably only a plan B from Top Rank top dog Bob ‘big boss’ Arum (try saying that one fast).

The most obvious target for Pacquiao after Clottey, assuming all goes to plan, will be either Floyd Mayweather of Shane Mosley. Either because the pair may or may not fight, and obviously the winner would then be the bigger target.

If they don’t meet, then Mayweather remains the bigger draw of the two, but also the most difficult to deal with. If the fight can’t be made for a second time with Floyd, and by that point Mosley already has another fight lined up (perhaps the Andre Berto fight remade), then Margarito will be waiting in the wings for Arum to use.

Margarito holds several obvious advantages for Pacquiao to face rather than trying to make fights with some of the other stars of the division. Firstly, like Clottey he’s promoted by Top Rank meaning the terms of the deal should be a lot easier to make than with for example a Golden Boy fighter.

Secondly Margarito’s imposed year away from the sport might have left him with a lot of ring rust or even have let his abilities decline permanently if he hasn’t stayed in good practice.

All respect due to Carson Jones, he’s an easy fight for Margarito, and just the kind of fighter even a severely declined Margarito can look good against.

Although he is something of a persona non-grata in the division and rankings at the moment, history will look back on Pacquiao fighting Margarito as the Philippines phenom taking on yet another top fighter.Even if the fight itself is rather anticlimactic with Pacquiao sweeping aside another Mexican great custom built for him to beat.

As good as Margarito has been and might still be, hes nothing if not predictable, and plays right into Pacquiao’s biggest strengths. Other than having a substantial height advantage which he doesn’t tend to use well, Margarito is exactly the kind of aggressive fighter Pacquiao can pick apart with his power, speed and precision.

http://www.fightsportsonline.com/margarito-being-prepared-for-an-eventual-pacquiao-bout

If Floyd Mayweather decides to fight Shane Mosley, he must make same demand he did of Manny Pacquiao

The decision by Andre Berto to pull out of his welterweight unification match against Shane Mosley in Las Vegas on Jan. 30 has presented Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Mosley a unique opportunity to advance their sport into a realm where most professional sports dare to tread – performance-enhancing drug testing through the random sampling of blood and urine.

Because of the tragedy in Haiti and Berto’s concerns over missing relatives and friends in the earthquake-ravaged country, he pulled out of the fight, leaving Mosley with an opening on his dance card. And because negotiations broke down for a fight between Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao over the issue of random blood testing for PEDs, Mayweather also has an opening.

It is a marriage of convenience that could take place in Las Vegas on May 1 or May 8. And it is a marriage that could yield exceptional fruits for both fighters with regard to their credibility.

Since Mayweather demanded that Pacquiao be subjected to Olympic-style drug testing, he must make the same request of Mosley, who by his own admission before a federal grand jury has taken designer steroids called the “clear” and the “cream” and used EPO, a blood-enhancing agent that is supposed to increase stamina.

If Mayweather doesn’t make the same demands of Mosley, then his demands of Pacquiao will ring hollow and look like a ploy to get underneath the Filipino’s skin for some questionable psychological advantage. If Mosley refuses to undergo those testing procedures, then he falls under the same suspicion as Pacquiao.

Mayweather and Mosley both need to step forward and say that they are willing to undergo such testing because they want to advance the sport of boxing beyond the norm when it comes to testing for PEDs. It will strike a blow for what Mayweather called “a level playing field,” which is why he deemed it necessary to request it of Pacquiao in their contract negotiations for the fight.

Mosley never tested positive for steroids, although he underwent the same testing procedures all boxers go through in Nevada, California and New York. However, those commission tests of urine only aren’t random and are mostly conducted after fights. They aren’t the gold standard for catching serious drug cheats.

Meanwhile, Pacquiao made a date at the new Dallas Cowboys stadium to fight Joshua Clottey on March 13, the first boxing match at the $1.2 billion stadium.
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more_sports/2010/01/20/2010-01-20_mosley_deal_would_put_mayweather_to_the_test.html#ixzz0eodWQNMa

Pacquiao Will Not Return to 140, Full Time Welterweight

By Rick Reeno

BoxingScene.com was advised by Freddie Roach, trainer of Manny Pacquiao, that his fighter is a full time welterweight and plans to stay at 147-pounds for the remainder of his career. If a challenge presents itself from a lower weight division, like a Timothy Bradley, the opponent in question would have to move up in weight to face Pacquiao at 147-pounds.

The upcoming fight with Joshua Clottey, on March 13, is Pacquiao’s third fight at welterweight. Pacquiao stopped Oscar De La Hoya at 147 in December 2008. He went down in weight for a fight with Ricky Hatton last May, but went right back up welterweight to fight Miguel Cotto at an agreed-upon weight of 145 last November.

“No, he will not return to 140. Manny is going to stay at welterweight. He has the power and he has the speed. Manny will stay at 147 and defend his welterweight title,” Roach said to BoxingScene.

Source: http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&id=24805

Mayweather might dump Shane Mosley and Paul Williams

By Simeon Vergara

Floyd Mayweather, Jr. has been scouting around for less than dangerous opponents. And, I see his trail marked by less than challenging hooks from his chosen foes. As of this writing, he has stake to take, except Shane Mosley, the WBA Super World Welterweight titlist.

Berto’s withdrawal for a Mosley fight this January 30 because of the grieving process inflicting the former for the death of eight of his relatives as resulted in the Haiti’s devastating earthquake could bring a new nightmare for Mayweather, Jr. And, I suppose this circumstantial bliss must be getting the nerves of his inmost cowardice.

For many years, Mayweather, Jr. has been avoiding a Mosley fight just as he avoided “Marga-cheto” and, technically by his insistent hostage act upon the Nevada Athletic Commission on the issue of random blood draws, Pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao.

Against Mosley, I see Mayweather a 60-40 chance of winning the fight only if he uses the same hit and run tactic.

But, what Mayweather can mount that Mosley is less likely to slide through is the former’s tactical play to engage combat with shoulder-rolling movements and white-legged horn chicken style marathon. If Mosley patterns his aggression with more pressure to engage closely, then Mayweather, Jr. is heading for trouble. This, Mayweather knows that his chances of taking down Mosley is slim as compared to less technical fighters like the Matthew Hatton (37 wins, 4 losses and 2 draws) whom he wanted to fight and whose world ranking is No. 41. And, he would rather want to fight a smaller guy.

Reports have it that Paul Williams is also calling him out for a fight, even at 147. And, no single word of “Yes” or “No”, not even saying, “Let me think it over”, one can hear from the big mouth of Grand Rapids nor will you hear anything from his sycopants and punky bloggers whose passion in retrospection is hatred  and underestimations against Asian fighters such as Bruce Lee and Manny Pacquiao.

Have we heard them lately matching Paul Williams against Mickey Mouse?

How about just an “Amen” to the songs of Mosley of the lonesome nuts?

Mosley must have gotten Mickey Mouse’s nerves when all the logic of metaphysics defies the common sense of Donald Duck and Rubber Duckies.

Maybe, just maybe, Mosley and Williams will just be too much for Money May.

He might just dump them twice and more!

Source: http://www.maharlikantimes.com/apps/forums/topics/show/1941073-mayweather-might-dump-shane-mosley-and-paul-williams?page=last

Duck this: Mayweather cannot run away from Mosley now

by Mike Marley

“I’m disappointed that the fight has been called off, but I understand that Andre is going through a very difficult time.  My heart goes out to him, his family and the people of Haiti during the aftermath of this terrible tragedy.  I’m sorry for the losses that Andre and all of the Haitian people are suffering.  I have everyone in my prayers.”

SUGAR SHANE MOSLEY
Disastrous, another black eye for boxing.

The sport is killing itself, put it on suicide watch immediately.

Remember all those crybabies who were weeping and gnashing their teeth when the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao negotiations finally broke down over random drug testing?

Talk about overkill.

Now, the gloom and doom is lifting. Andre Berto understandably decided, although he may have gotten a cash inventive to help convince him, that his mental outlook was not right in the wake of the earthquake in his family homeland of Haiti.

So now Floyd Mayweather’s legend is on the line. I think that Sugar Shane Mosley is so eager for this showdown and the huge payday attached to it that would accept random urine and blood testing only under two conditions.

Relax, relax, I mean he will allow both types of random testing only when is either awake or asleep.

Mayweather can’t duck out on this all American matchup without leaving a permanent stain. Fraudweather, Duckweather. Kentucky Floyd Chicken and all those derogatory names attached to him for not fighting Pacman would be doubled.

Those insults would turn into Mayweather’s reality.

I love the matchup and skipping the Berto bout is the best thing to happen for Mosley in a long time.

If he didn’t shine against Berto, he would have hurt his bargaining power for either Mayweather or Pacquiao.

He also could’ve been cut or otherwise injured and Mayweather could have stalled him until his 40th birthday or longer.

Now Mayweather is boxed in, so to speak.

I’d call it Mosley-Mayweather, The American Dream because it is.

It also sets up an NFL post-season scenario for fight fans.

Assuming Pacman handles his business against Joshua Clottey, a game guy who takes his foot off the gas pedal late when it matters most, then the Mosley-Mayweather winner stands ready, willing and able to match up with Megamanny.

Shane and Floyd fight for the AFC championship and the winner moves on to boxing’s answer to the Super Bowl.

While they are fighting on May 1, which they will, Pacman can be getting his political footing in the Philippines. Either that, or he’ll be licking his wounds from a loss to Chiongbian family dynasty in Sarangani.

By that time, random blood testing will be in the rear view mirror.

So the bottom line here is, if Mayweather beats Mosley then Floyd against Manny skyrockets in terms of their purses ($40 million to $60 million?).

The alternative, Mosley testing Manny, is not chopped liver by itself.

So who’s a loser here? Not Pacquiao, not boxing fans and certainly not the survivor of the May 1 mega bout.

We started the year looking at one super fight and now we envision two of them.

I like 2010 already.

Cancel the funeral especially the bocing burial.

The “deceased” is about to kick a hole in the casket.

Make that two holes.

Source: http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-5699-Boxing-Examiner~y2010m1d18-Duck-this-Mayweather-cannot-run-away-from-Mosley-now

Clottey to Train in Florida for Pacquiao Bout

To prepare for his March 13 date with boxing’s pound for pound king Manny Pacquiao, Joshua Clottey will be setting up camp in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. beginning this weekend.

Clottey’s manager Vinny Scolpino says, “Joshua is in great fighting shape right now. He is anxious to get into th ering against Pacquiao.”

The fight will take place at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium on HBO PPV while tickets went on sale this past weekend.

On a related note, Top Rank will be making a $1 donation for each ticket sold for all of their cards for the remainder of 2010 to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund. The donations officially began this Saturday night for the Lopez/Gamboa doubleheader in New York.

“Helping people is the right thing to do and we are hoping other promoters will join us,” Arum said.

Source: http://www.411mania.com/boxing/news/127977/Clottey-to-Train-in-Florida-for-Pacquiao-Bout.htm

Dana White: “I Think [Floyd] Mayweather Blew This Fight”

UFC president Dana White went on another verbal assault yesterday as he blamed Floyd Mayweather for ruining a blockbuster match with Manny Pacquiao.

“I think something happened to Floyd in his last fight, something wasn’t there that used to be there, something weird. I truly believe his legacy means more to him than money does,” White said of Mayweather.

Many people had blamed Pacquiao for his unwillingness to agree to Olympic-style drug testing up until two weeks before the fight, however White states that boxing fans should be pointing the finger at Money.

“Me and Floyd go way back … I think [Floyd] blew this fight,” White said. “When another fighter starts dictating a drug test, first of all Pacquiao’s never tested positive for any drug but Floyd’s going to make him go through drug testing? That’s ridiculous.”

Most might think White was screaming like a schoolgirl when this fight fell though, however he feels the complete opposite. While appearing on 106.7’s Lavar Arrington Show with Chad Dukes, the former amateur boxer stated that there was nothing more he wanted than to see those two mix it up.

Oddly, White believes there is plenty of room for both combat sports, but boxing keeps shooting themselves in the foot and he doesn’t mind staring at them in his rear-view mirror as they do it.

“Does [that bout not happening] hurt me either way? No I don’t think so, boxing and mixed martial arts can exist,” White explained. “That fight not happening is insane, it makes no sense to me.”

Source: http://www.5thround.com/19494/dana-white-i-think-floyd-mayweather-blew-this-fight/

Team Pacquiao to push for catchweight vs Clottey

MANILA, Philippines – A member of Team Pacquiao revealed their plan to propose a catchweight for the March 13 fight between Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey, after it was earlier reported that trainer Freddie Roach said there will be no catchweight.

“We will push for the 145 [lbs.] catchweight,” Pacquiao’s lawyer, Jeng Gacal, told ABS-CBN’s “Umagang Kay Ganda.”

According to Gacal, the fight deal is sealed, save for the possible catchweight. Pacquiao and Clottey are slated to fight at 147 lbs.

“Ilalakad po natin tulad po sa nangyari sa [Miguel] Cotto fight na 145. Talagang mas malaki ang mga taong ito,” said Gacal, referring to Clottey and Cotto who were naturally bigger fighters than Pacquiao.

Roach, on the other hand, earlier said that the Filipino boxing superstar was comfortable with fighting at 147 lbs.

“It will be at 147.  There’s no catchweight,” Roach told FightHype.com. A catchweight describes the weight limit for a fight that does not fall in traditional limits for weight classes.

Pacquiao will put his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title at stake when he faces Ghana’s Clottey, the former International Boxing Federation (IBF) welterweight champion, at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Feather in cap

Gacal went on to disclose Pacquiao’s plans for his training camp.

“Sa America po [ang training] ang plano ni Manny. Ngayong Linggo, maaaring lumipad kami patungong America.”

As for the purse split, Gacal stated: “Maganda po ang hatian sapagkat ito’y natural na mas pabor ito kay Manny Pacquiao sapagkat alam naman po natin na ang alas dito ay si Manny Pacquiao.”

The lawyer also commented on Pacquiao’s upcoming debut at the Cowboys Stadium.

“Sa sitwasyon pong ito, talagang yung may-ari ng stadium na si Mr. Jerry Jones, talagang gusto niyang makuha si Manny Pacquiao na mapanood sa kaniyang lugar. Ito po ay ika nga, feather in his cap.”

“At maganda naman po ang naging offer ni Mr. Jerry Jones so ito po ay makakabuti rin sa dalawang boxer at para mabago rin ang venue. Medyo lagi nalang sa Vegas,” noted Gacal.

Post-Clottey

The seven-division champion was supposed to fight Floyd Mayweather, Jr. at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

The much-anticipated bout, however, was called off because the boxers’ camps disagreed on the drug testing protocol.

“Hindi ko alam kung mangyayari pa,” Gacal said of the Pacquiao vs Mayweather fight. “Siguro kung magbabago ang takbo ng pag-iisip ni Floyd ay maaring mangyayari.”

He also mentioned that there are other plans lined up for Pacquiao if ever he wins over his Ghanaian foe.

Meanwhile, Gacal said the Clottey fight will not get in the way of Pacquiao’s political plans of running for the Saragani Province congressional seat in May.

He believes that Pacquiao’s two-month absence from the local scene, as he will be training and fighting in the US, will not affect his political campaign.

“Hindi pa naman puwede mangampanya sapagkat ang pangangampanya ng local officials ay magsisimula sa March 26. Mahaba-haba na rin yung preparasyon ni Manny sa kaniyang pagtakbo. He started almost a year ago.”

Source: http://ph.news.yahoo.com/abs/20100113/tsp-team-pacquiao-to-push-for-catchweigh-14daa3a.html

Pacquiao Takes Another Tough Fight In Clottey

By Frank Lotierzo

Pacquiao wraps up deal for Clottey bout at Cowboys Stadium

By GREG BEACHAM

AP Sports Writer

Manny Pacquiao will fight March 13 at Cowboys Stadium, but not against Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum said Sunday he has finalized a deal to match Pacquiao against Joshua Clottey in a welterweight bout at the new $1.2 billion stadium. Arum moved swiftly to land a lucrative fight for his Filipino star after his contentious negotiations for a megafight with Mayweather fell apart in a prolonged dispute over blood testing.

Arum was in Texas over the weekend to wrap up details for the pay-per-view fight, which will be the first boxing match in the stadium. Top Rank spokesman Lee Samuels said the arena will be configured to seat 50,000 fans for the fight, but the capacity could be raised or lowered.

“This stadium has blown me away,” Arum told The Associated Press. “It is the most magnificent facility I’ve ever seen.”

Arum took in the Dallas Cowboys’ playoff victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday night, sitting just two seats from former President George W. Bush. Arum said Bush had the same reaction he’s heard repeatedly since negotiations with Mayweather bogged down

“Too bad you didn’t get Mayweather, but what difference does it make?” Arum said Bush told him. “Everybody just wants see Pacquiao anyway.”

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones reportedly offered a $25 million site fee for the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight, which fell apart over Mayweather’s insistence on stringent drug testing and Pacquiao’s reluctance to agree. The sides went into mediation to resolve the dispute, but a compromise couldn’t be reached.

And though Arum is a longtime New York Giants season ticket-holder, he found common ground with Jones for another major event in the opulent new stadium.

“This is a competitive fight, as competitive as the Cotto fight going in,” Arum said. “We got a tremendous deal at the site. It’s a big event, and I think we’ll do unbelievable.”

Although Mayweather’s representatives still were holding out hope the Pacquiao fight could be salvaged, Mayweather also is expected to fight March 13 at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas, which would have been the site of his bout with Pacquiao. Paulie Malignaggi has been the most popular contender for that fight.

Although Clottey has no fraction of Mayweather’s fame, he’s a worthy welterweight opponent for Pacquiao, widely considered the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world. The hard-hitting Clottey (35-3, 20 KOs), a native of Ghana who lives in New York, is coming off a split-decision loss to Miguel Cotto last June, a fight that some felt Clottey won.

Cotto went on to take a thrashing from Pacquiao in November, losing when the fight was stopped in the final round.

AP Boxing Writer Tim Dahlberg contributed to this report.

Source: http://www.star-telegram.com/804/story/1882442.html

President Bush: Everybody wants Pacquiao, not Mayweather

Not that Manny Pacquiao promoter and well known Democratic Party backer and liberal leaning Bob Arum is above a bit of puffery but it’s interesting to note that Arum claims former President George W. Bush is a Pacman fan.

Let’s pick up this tantalizing tidbit as reported by the AP minutes ago (Greg Beacham):

Arum took in the Dallas Cowboys’ playoff victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday night, sitting just two seats from former President George W. Bush. Arum said Bush had the same reaction he’s heard repeatedly since negotiations with Mayweather bogged down.

“Too bad you didn’t get Mayweather, but what difference does it make?” Arum said Bush told him.

“Everybody just wants see Pacquiao anyway.”

NBC TV (Emmitt Smith with Laura and George W. Bush in Cowboy owner Jerry Jones private suite at Dallas game)

I don’t see any verification or denial on that coming out of the Bush camp but there may have been some political chatter in the owner’s box as the Cowboys hammered the Philadelphia Eagles to move on to another playoff game next Sunday against the tough Vikings.

Right wing windbag Rush Limbaugh was another Jerry Jones guest along with former Raiders head coach and TV analyst John Madden.

Not many people know it but Madden is a huge fight fan who had a syndicate of wealthy backs years ago who hoped to turn national amateur heavyweight champion Emory Chapman professional.

Chapman, son of a Georgia Tech college professor, had little interest in pr boxing. He and I were boxing teammates at the University of Nevada, Reno, and last I heard he became a doctor serving in the U.S. Army in Germany.

No immediate comment from President Obama on the Mayweather-Pacquiao debacle.

Source: http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-5699-Boxing-Examiner~y2010m1d10-President-Bush-Everybody-wants-Pacquiao-not-Mayweather#

Pacquiao to begin training for Clottey bout

BY JUN MEDINA SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

WASHINGTON, D.C.: Manny Pacquiao will begin training next week in Los Angeles for his fight against rugged former welterweight champion Joshua Clottey on March 20, according to key members of Team Pacquiao. “We’re moving on and getting ready for training,” said renowned trainer Freddie Roach from Hollywood, California. “We’ll go fight Clottey and later fight the winner of [Shane] Mosley-[Andre] Berto.”

Clottey (35-3, 20 by knockouts) beat former undisputed welterweight champion Zab Judah for the International Boxing Federation title on August 2, 2008.

Clottey, who is also under the promotional umbrella of Top Rank like Pacquiao, has fought some of the best welterweights—Miguel Cotto, Antonio Margarito and the legendary Mexican Diego Corrales in what was Corrales’ final fight prior to his death from a car crash.

This developed as the Pacquiao camp has all but written off a mega fight with unbeaten American welterweight Floyd Mayweather Jr. over an acrimonious dispute on drug testing that eventually killed potentially the richest showdown in boxing history.

Roach’s assistant Alex Ariza, Pacquiao’s diet and conditioning adviser, said Clottey, who lost a disputed split decision to Miguel Cotto on June 13, 2009 is a dangerous fight for Pacquiao, adding that their decision to fight him reflects the Filipino icon’s attitude of fighting the best opponents available.

“Pacquiao-Clottey going to be war—two warriors mixing it up in the middle of the ring,” Ariza said from Los Angeles Saturday night [Sunday in Manila].

Can rival Pacquiao-Cotto
“Believe me this fight might end up being better than Manny’s fight with Cotto because both of them are big punchers who love to fight. I won’t be surprise if this match-up ends up being a Fight of the Year candidate.”

Ariza is also thrilled as the prospect of the Pacquiao-Clottey being held at the $1.2 billion Dallas Cowboys Arena in Texas.

Texas billionaire Jerry Jones on Saturday sent his private jet to Las Vegas to fetch Top Rank Promotions bosses Bob Arum and Todd duBoef to discuss the idea of holding Pacquiao’s next fight at the brand-new stadium, which can accommodate as many as 120,000 seats for a boxing event.

“Holding the fight at the Cowboys Stadium is a phenomenal idea. It would bring boxing back to the mainstream and it would allow a lot more people to watch the fight live with more affordable tickets,” Ariza said.

He said Arum, who is used to organizing major boxing events, would go all-out to hold the fight there.

“Big guys like Jerry Jones, who have deep pockets, have a way of hosting major event that are meant to be winners,” Ariza said. “If this fight pulls through at Jerry World [the moniker of the Cowboys’ home turf] that will be another testament to the greatness and drawing power of Manny Pacquiao.”

Source: http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-5699-Boxing-Examiner~y2010m1d10-President-Bush-Everybody-wants-Pacquiao-not-Mayweather

Mayweather’s Drug History Caught Up With Him

Floyd Mayweather doomed to ruin his own reputation?

For someone who claims to be the best pound for pound fighter in the world, Floyd Mayweather is having a difficult time of it lately. From fighting lightweights to scrapping his biggest payday ever, Floyd has made some bizarre decisions since his return to boxing.

The latest being that rather than strengthening his claim of being the best boxer of his generation, Mayweather is taking another easy fight. His main rival Manny Pacquiao is taking on Joshua Clottey, a top contender who gave Miguel Cotto a run for his money. From there Pacquiao will likely take on any opponent who he can make a lot of money from and have an exciting fight with.

Far from being a fan of boxing in general though Mayweather seemingly fights because he isn’t very responsible with the tens of millions of dollars he makes every year. Rumor has it that his return from a brief retirement was in fact caused by the fact that he was running out of money rather than actually wanting to box again.

After losing most of what he’s made from boxing, Mayweather needs to fight to keep his lifestyle the way he likes it. After losing millions from robberies, being scammed by an associate and owing the IRS money, Floyd has little other option than to continue to fight. He does have a number of other business ventures including a record label, but none have proved to be much of a success so far.

His latest fight, which seems likely  to be against no 33 ranked welterweight Matthew Hatton, is just the latest incarnation of his need for money and desperate attempt to preserve his record. Floyd seemingly feels undersized at welterweight to take on the very best fighters, and instead picks and chooses his fights to suit his style and to give himself an advantage going in. His last three opponents all fit this bill, Juan Manuel Marquez being too small to pose much of a challenge, Ricky Hatton being predictable in his aggressive style and Oscar De La Hoya being past his best.

Manny Pacquiao (AP Photo)

Taking easy fights are one thing, all boxers do it from time to time, but continuing to be brash about it and claiming to be the greatest boxer who ever lived at the same time is rather insulting to the fans.

If there was no Manny Pacquiao, then Floyd could probably get away with this for much longer, saying he had beaten all the best fighters and having no one who on paper would be the favorite to beat him. In Manny Pacquiao though, Floyd finds his nemesis, someone who seems to have the direct opposite attitude to the sport that he does, and that continues to eclipse him more and more as time goes on.

Floyd and his team tried to discredit Manny through the extra drug testing debacle and the allegations, but it backfired. Instead of the public taking his side as he no doubt envisioned, he has become a pariah to large sections of the press and fans. The latest mark on his reputation is that he uses injectable pain killers illegal in most parts of the world, while at the same time accusing Pacquiao of using illegal drugs himself.

According to the latest reports both fighters are still aiming to fight in March, Manny and Clottey in Texas and Mayweather and his as yet unnamed opponent in Las Vegas. The pay per view figures for each fight will show just how much Mayweather has damaged his credibility with the fans, and how much he needs a fight against Pacquiao to lift himself back to where he once was.

Source: http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-20066-Pittsburgh-Fight-Sports-Examiner~y2010m1d10-Floyd-Mayweather-doomed-to-ruin-his-own-reputation

NO AGREEMENT OVER BIG FIGHT

By Phil Barnett, Press Association Sport

The mediator charged with salvaging the lucrative showdown between Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquiao admitted tonight the rival teams have failed to reach an agreement.

Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum announced last night a fight between his fighter and Mayweather was dead in the water after negotiations broke down over an ongoing row over drug testing.

Pacquiao issued legal proceedings last week following Mayweather’s insistence on ultra-stringent doping testing – namely the taking of blood samples – for their proposed March 13 showdown in Las Vegas.

With the fight therefore in jeopardy, a mediator was brought in to attempt to solve the dispute this week. Arum claimed last night Mayweather and his team were unwilling to negotiate and the fight was off.

However, a statement released by Golden Boy Promotions – who represent Mayweather – quoting “an order to correct the false record that has been created by the recent statements from Top Rank and Manny Pacquiao’s representatives” by mediator Judge Daniel Weinstein, said tonight: “The mediation was a confidential proceeding.

“Any comments to the press or public by participants in the mediation purporting to report the substance or details of the mediation are violations of the strict confidentiality to which the parties and their representatives agreed and which they authorised the mediator to enforce.

“The parties and their representatives authorised that, if misinformation was disclosed to the press by either side, the mediator would correct any erroneous information.”

According to Golden Boy’s release, Weinstein then clarified the mediation process was participated in by both parties “in good faith” and insisted Weinstein himself did not put forward a ‘mediator’s proposal’ for either side to either accept or reject.

Crucially, however, Weinstein’s statement confirmed that “in the end, the parties could not agree on a testing protocol acceptable to all.”

While there remains a good chance the fight will go ahead despite all the negotiating bluster, Weinstein’s statement backs up Arum’s assertion the fight is currently in doubt to say the least.

The veteran Top Rank promoter had dramatically stated: “There is no chance ever of salvaging it for March. There’s no chance for it ever to happen.”

Source: http://www.sportinglife.com/boxing/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=boxing/10/01/07/BOXING_Pacquiao_Nightlead.html

Floyd Mayweather Jr. talks, says he’s ‘ready to fight.’

Floyd Mayweather Jr. just released a prepared statement from his publicist about the collapsing negotiations between him and Manny Pacquiao, who were to fight March 13 in Las Vegas.

Here’s what Mayweather says:

“Throughout this whole process, I have remained patient, but at this point I am thoroughly disgusted that Pacquiao and his representatives are trying to blame me for the fight not happening when clearly the blame is on them.

“First and foremost, not only do I want to fight Manny Pacquiao. I want to whip his punk [rear]. Before the mediation, my team proposed a 14-day, no-blood-testing window leading up to the fight. But it was rejected. I am still proposing the 14-day window, but he is still unwilling to agree to it, even though this is obviously a fair compromise on my part as I wanted the testing to be up until the fight and he wanted a 30-day cut-off. The truth is he just doesn’t want to take the tests.

‘In my opinion, it is Manny Pacquiao and his team who are denying the people a chance to see the biggest fight ever. I know the people will see through their smoke screens and lies. I am ready to fight and sign the contract. Manny needs to stop making his excuses, step up and fight.”

– Lance Pugmire

Source: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/2010/01/floyd-mayweather-jr-talks-says-hes-ready-to-fight.html

Mayweather blames bout collapse on Pacquiao

By GREG BEACHAM, AP Sports Writer

Floyd Mayweather Jr. blamed Manny Pacquiao for the collapse of their prospective bout Thursday, claiming the Filipino boxer refuses to accept a reasonable compromise on drug testing concerns.

Mayweather also says he’s still ready to sign a deal for the fight, which was slated for March 13 at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas before Pacquiao promoter Top Rank declared it dead Wednesday night.

Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs) made his first public comments about the negotiations in a written statement that began with Mayweather saying he’s “thoroughly disgusted” by Pacquiao’s representatives’ attempts to blame him for the collapse of what’s likely to be the richest bout in boxing history.

“In my opinion it is Manny Pacquiao and his team who are denying the people a chance to see the biggest fight ever,” Mayweather said. “I know the people will see through their smokes screens and lies. I am ready to fight and sign the contract. Manny needs to stop making his excuses, step up and fight.”

The sides went to mediation on Tuesday in Santa Monica in an attempt to resolve the drug testing issues that are the only remaining conflicts in the negotiation. Mayweather’s demands for frequent blood testing beyond the Nevada Athletic Commission’s requirements — and Pacquiao’s reluctance to agree to those requests — have derailed the bout.

Mayweather initially demanded repeated blood testing right up to the day of the fight, while Pacquiao asked for a 30-day cutoff before the bout. Mayweather now claims he agreed to a 14-day cutoff compromise before the mediation session began, but Pacquiao still wouldn’t accept those terms.

“The truth is he just doesn’t want to take the tests,” Mayweather said.

Pacquiao has filed a lawsuit alleging Mayweather and most of his representatives, including Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer, defamed him by falsely accusing him of using performance-enhancing drugs.

Top Rank boss Bob Arum was brutally frank about his former fighter on Wednesday night, telling The Associated Press that Mayweather is “a psychological coward who doesn’t want to fight anybody who has a chance of beating him.”

After generating stellar pay-per-view revenue from their previous fights, both Pacquiao and Mayweather likely stood to make much more than $25 million apiece from their welterweight bout. Mayweather returned to the ring after a 21-month absence in September with a victory over Juan Manuel Marquez, while Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KOs) pounded Miguel Cotto in November for his 13th straight victory since 2005.

Pacquiao is widely considered boxing’s pound-for-pound champion, an unofficial title held by Mayweather before his aborted retirement. Their proposed fight was seen as the biggest moment in boxing since Mayweather’s split-decision victory over Oscar De La Hoya in May 2007.

Daniel Weinstein, the retired federal judge who oversaw the mediation, also issued a statement Thursday saying little about the actual discussions.

“In the end, the parties could not agree on a testing protocol acceptable to all,” Weinstein’s statement read.

 Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100108/ap_on_sp_bo_ne/box_pacquiao_mayweather_8