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.
In the third part of an exclusive Telegraph Sport interview with Freddie Roach, the LA trainer reveals that:
Manny Pacquiao’s great physique has been built on “sports science and hard work”
Pacquiao needs five meals a day and five protein shakes a day while in training camp because he loses weight so rapidly
Floyd Mayweather “has never been the bravest of fighters”
Roach acknowledges the great work done over the past two years by conditioning coaches Alex Ariza and Teri Tom, who have created a dynamic programme for Pacquiao based on sports science technology.
Roach revealed that the ’secret’ to Pacman’s great physique is the science, nutrition and work ethic combined, a combination of analysis, genetics and sweat and spit. The marriage of old school, and sports science. “Manny Pacquiao’s strength and physique have been built by science and hard work, yes. But there is a real hard work element there. We have to keep weight on Manny, not off, in training camp. He loses weight so fast and gets in condition so rapidly. He responds so quickly – because his work ethic is so incredible. You know – you’ve seen him train many times,” he told me.
“When Manny Pacquiao trains, we have to keep feeding him – five meals a day and five protein shakes a day. When we get closer to the fight we start cutting back on the work because we want him at the weight.”
“I don’t want him at 147 coming into camp. I want him at 155 coming in. You always have to have something to work down to. If you are on weight the whole time…for me that doesn’t work. People say it’s the way to go, but it’s not logical…”
“You need to to come down to your peak weight…”
Roach also re-asserted that Mayweather may be unable, mentally, to walk around with the prospect of a loss on his unbeaten record:
“It is always been a factor. He’s never been the bravest guy in the world. When [Antonio] Margarito was the toughest guy out there, Mayweather wouldn’t fight him. He was offered 8 million dollars a couple of times and he never fought him…never will. He picks and chooses his opponents. He picks the right guys, with the right styles. There is so much controversy in getting a fight together between Mayweather and Pacquiao because they are trying to come up with all these ‘Mayweather Rules’. Either they were trying to get inside Manny’s head, or my head, or they really don’t want to fight us…. Period.”
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
“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.
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.
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.”
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.”
When it was announced that Manny Pacquiao would meet the winner of the Cotto-Clottey bout last summer, it was said in this space that a Cotto win represented the easier draw for Pacquiao. Well, Cotto squeaked by Clottey and then was defeated by Pacquiao in a convincing manner. Now with the falling out between team Pacquiao and team Mayweather the most anticipated fight since De La Hoya-Mayweather won’t be realized on March 13th this year. In it’s place Pacquiao 50-3-2 (38) will meet former IBF welterweight title holder Joshua Clottey 35-3 (20) at the recently opened Cowboys stadium in Dallas, Texas.
Once again Pacquiao seeks to fight one of the best and toughest fighters out there – what more can be asked of Pacquiao? Sure it’ll be said by some that Clottey is a slow one dimensional fighter who fights just good enough to lose when he’s matched against elite opposition. But one of his defeats was a DQ versus Carlos Baldimor in a fight he was winning and the other two were by decision to former welterweight title holders Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cotto in his last fight.
The last time we saw Clottey he was on the verge of seizing control of his bout versus Miguel Cotto and then stopped letting his hands go during the 11th and 12th rounds, which turned out to be just enough to let Cotto escape with a split decision victory over him. However, what’s forgotten about the Cotto-Clottey fight is it was Clottey who dealt out most of the punishment during the fight. And with the exception of being caught by a short jab with his feet too close together and suffering a flash-knockdown in the first round, Clottey was never hurt or in trouble during the entire bout. It also cannot go unmentioned that Clottey has a cast-iron chin, is physically strong and his high guard defense is very technically sound.
Clottey’s problem has been when he’s fought the likes of Margarito and Cotto, he stopped getting off and letting his hands go for no outward reason. It wasn’t like he feared getting hit or mixing with Margarito or Cotto. And what hurt him just as much was the fact that neither opponent really went after him and looked for the stoppage. Both Margarito and Cotto were content with just boxing their way to the finish line avoiding a massive fire fight in case Clottey woke up and decided to fight with a sense of urgency and like he actually cared about the outcome of the bout.
When taking a quick glance at how Pacquiao-Clottey will unfold, it’s easy to make the case for Pacquiao. He’s faster with his hands and feet, he has a much more sophisticated and varied offensive attack. Pacman throws more punches and is clearly the more accurate and sharper puncher. He’s also more aggressive and looks to win inside the distance instead of leaving the fight left up to the judges scorecards.
And it’s Pacquiao’s aggression that perhaps opens a window for Clottey and provides him his best chance for an upset victory.
As mentioned earlier, Clottey fights in a very deliberate and complicit manner. The past two upper-tier opponents he’s faced didn’t bother him nor forced him to have to fight them off. They were content to out-work and out-box him for the better part of 12-rounds. Whereas Pacquiao is of a different mindset. He wants to end the fight with every punch and if Clottey isn’t fighting too hard and just going through the motions, Pacquiao will go at him and look to get him out. And in doing that Clottey will finally be forced to have to fight Pacquiao off of him to stay in the fight.
Clottey is very strong physically and is a pretty good puncher especially if his opponent is not afraid to bring the fight to him. And when Clottey lets his hands go he can be a dangerous opponent even for a terror like Pacquiao. On top of that, Clottey has heard so much over the last three years how he’s lost big fights because of his lack of intensity and not fighting to his optimum potential. But one has to assess that fighting Pacquiao will bring out the best in him being all that can be gained by beating him. Pacquiao represents the fight of a lifetime for Joshua Clottey and it must be assumed that whatever his “A” game is – he’ll bring it on fight night.
Clottey is the bigger and stronger fighter. No, he’s not the class of fighter that Pacquiao is, but his strength and toughness are a pretty good equalizer and if he’s motivated and fights with the urgency he’s lacked in a big spot in his previous signature fights – he’s a dangerous opponent and capable of scoring the upset over Pacquiao.
At this time Pacquiao gets all due credit for immediately trying to fight one of the top welterweights in the world, excluding Shane Mosley and Andre Berto who meet later this month. Hats off again to Manny Pacquiao for trying to give boxing the best fights he can.
Joshua Clottely is a very dangerous opponent and is capable of giving Pacquiao more trouble than Miguel Cotto did – and it shouldn’t come as a shock if he beat him.
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.
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.
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.”
During the initial phase of the now aborted Mann Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather fight, Bob Arum initially wanted the fight to be held at the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Golden Boy’s second chief Richard Scahefer scoffed the idea, saying Mayweather does not like because it is an outdoor stadium.
But with the recent development of things, some little details broke the surface may probably be the biggest reason why Mayweather never wanted the Dallas Cowboys Stadium to host the fight – he was using a widely-banned illegal substance. The irony is that such drug is legal in, coincidentally, the state of Nevada.
In an article written by Frank Gonzales in April 21, 2002, it is revealed that Floyd Mayweather has been using a painkiller called Xylocaine to treat the pain caused by his brittle hands, which have been injured numerous times in the past.
However, Xylocaine is proven to enhance a boxer’s performance.
It effectively numbs the boxer’s hands, making it less susceptible to pain caused by punching constantly. With the pain efficiently blocked out, Xylocaine, in effect, enables the boxer to throw more powerful shots. If that is the case, then Mayweather may not have been fighting on a leveled playing field in some of his fights.
And to call Pacquiao a steroids user when in fact he has a history of using a widely-banned drug not only tarnishes his reputation as a boxer, but also brings his legacy to a pool of mud. Soaked and dirtied, there is no way Mayweather can clean this one.
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.
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.”
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.”
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.
Floyd Mayweather was ready to rumble with a famous nemesis in Vegas this weekend — but just before a fight broke out, Diddy saved the day.
It all went down at the grand opening of Vanity nightclub in the Hard Rock Hotel — which was hosted by Diddy. We’re told Floyd Mayweather rolled over to the party to see Diddy, when he literally ran into rapper Rick Ross.
Sources tell TMZ one of the men “bumped” into the other man and their entourages immediately became “confrontational.”
But as things started to heat up, we’re told Diddy swooped in between the guys and calmed everyone down.
We called Mayweather’s camp for comment and his father, Floyd Mayweather Sr., told us there’s been beef between Floyd and Ross for a while because Ross has allegedly been, “talking s**t.”
We’re told both Mayweather Jr. and Ross eventually went back in the club and partied the rest of the night away without incident.
Calls to Rick Ross were not returned. No comment from Camp Diddy.
It appears that the much anticipated mega fight between the two best boxers in the planet may indeed still happen after all. Boxing fans all over the world are keeping their fingers crossed hoping that the Solomonic wisdom of Judge Weinstein will make Team Pacquiao and Team Mayweather come to a middle ground and agree on a deal for the good of the sports of boxing
The initial reports of a relatively problem-free negotiations were simply too good to be true. It would be very un-Mayweather-like to be without controversy.
Obviously, the drug testing hullabaloo would have not been an issue at all if not for the brilliant accusation leveled by Floyd Mayweather Sr last year on Pacquiao that he is on steroids or some sort of a performance enhancing drug. Who would have thought that Floyd Sr would come up with such an exceptional scheme? It is a stroke of genius.
Manny Pacquiao’s reputation is forever tarnished. Although Pacquiao has agreed to unlimited random urine tests, his refusal to be randomly blood tested no later than 30 days before the fight added to fuel the raging fire of suspicion cleverly planted by team Mayweather on the minds of many. It is regrettable, but Manny Pacquiao’s pristine image is being hammered and is getting a considerable damage in the public relation arena.
When a lie is repeated so many times, it creates a life of its own and become a reality in so many people’s mind.
Unfortunately, Team Mayweather has already succeeded with their exceptional ploy of accusing Manny of being a cheater. The seeds of doubt have been planted and there is nothing that Pacquiao can do anymore to reverse the harm that has already been inflicted on his character.
A negative blood test would vindicate Manny Pacquiao but if it is taken on a pre-determined cutoff date, skeptics would find reasons to point out that it is not really ‘random” and therefore unacceptable.
Regrettably, even a completely negative random blood test would still not be enough to some. Lance Armstrong who repeatedly tested negative remains a suspected PED user to this very day. Since the first time that Floyd Sr pointed his accusing finger to Pacquiao, he will forever be under the cloud of suspicion.
If one is to accept the Mayweathers’ line of reasoning that Pacquiao is simply too good to be natural, then we have to cast our doubts on every remarkable once in a lifetime super athletes like Michael Jordan, Michael Phelps, James Brown, Tiger Woods, etc. Nobody seemed to question LeBron James dominating seasoned NBA players straight out of high school.
There was really no magical sudden improvement by Pacquiao. From the beginning, he was extraordinarily good but raw and it took him more than a decade to become the elite fighter that he is now. Floyd pointed out that he was a mere 106 pounder when he debuted as a pro and to dominate at welterweight, he must not be just a gifted fighter but artificially enhanced. In his convoluted mind only Floyd Jr can be great and natural.
Manny Pacquiao was 16 years old, dirt poor and undernourished, if not outright malnourished when he first started as a boxer. He had nothing at that time but sheer heart and God-given talent. He did not have the luxury of proper nutrition, world class training and support.
If Manny Pacquiao was raised in the U.S. and had the best trainer, the best nutrition, the best equipment, the best support and the best coaching just like Floyd Jr had, he probably would have debuted at 18 or 20 as a lightweight and would still be undefeated.
Manny Pacquiao is not alone who has dominated across several weight classes, but nobody questioned Oscar De La Hoya, Alexis Arguello, Roberto Duran, and yes, even Floyd Jr.
For at least the past five years, Pacquiao has pretty much been fighting in the 140’s on fight night but drained, hungry and dehydrated to 126, 130 and 135 at weigh in the day before. But when his weight issue and greatly improved skills are discussed by cynics and jealous fighters, they seem to suggest that he just became better overnight through chemical means and not through hard work, more sophisticated training, world’s best coaching, better nutrition and of course, in-born talent.
Elite athletes have always sought an advantage over their opponents, be it physical or mental. The mental component may be under rated. Larry Bird may not be the most athletically gifted basketball player but his mental focus was legendary. Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant want the last shot knowing that there is no doubt in their minds that when the game is on the line, they will deliver.
Floyd not only wants a physical advantage but also to have a mental edge over Pacquiao and win even before they step on the ring but also wants to make sure he has the physical advantage. He is succeeding. For now, round one goes to Team Mayweather.
Pacquiao had been ridiculed for claiming he is weakened by blood drawing specially if done close to fight night. Physiologically, drawing a couple of vials of blood should not make any tangible decline in strength. But it is well known that big, muscular, strong and tough individuals squirm like little girls when blood is drawn from them. In my more than 25 years of medical practice, I have seen many of those guys (yes, mostly men). Pacquiao must be very concerned rightfully or wrongly that if blood is drawn from him too close to the biggest fight of his career, he may not be at his best. And when that iota of doubt settles in an obscure cranny of his psyche, then the Mayweathers have accomplished what they want. Take the mental edge off Pacquaio.
A video footage from 2005 of a Pacquaio post fight interview, discussing his apparent weakness during the first Morales fight seems to give some credence to his claim that the blood drawing 2 days before that fight took something out of him. Even Morales claimed that Pacquaio’s usually powerful punches did not hurt him.
Once that doubt permeates and saturates his psyche made fragile by the act of drawing blood, then he becomes vulnerable just as like having Kobe Bryant doubting himself for a mere millisecond that he cannot make a buzzer beater.
Floyd is messing with Manny’s mind and he’s getting very successful.
When Floyd deliberately did not make weight during the Marquez fight so that he can have an overwhelming physical advantage, is that a form of cheating? By refusing to be weighed on fight night for HBO’s unofficial weight, he must be concealing the fact that he might be closer to 160, an almost 20 pound difference over Marquez. That well executed and premeditated plan to overwhelm an already much smaller, older and slower opponent must be worse than using PED’s.
Judge Weinstein will find a solution to resolve these drug testing issues and the boxing world is hoping to wake on one morning this week with an announcement that the Fight of the Century will indeed happen with Pacquiao humiliating Floyd Jr. to a crushing defeat.
The recent defamation lawsuit filed by Manny Pacquiao against Floyd Mayweather et al, could be Arum’s way of getting the negotiations moving on the stalled Pacquiao-Mayweather fight talks as he prepares to attend a mediation meeting with Mayweather camp.
In the wake of the stalled Pacquiao-Mayweather negotiations, promoter Bob Arum had to find a way to neutralized the offensive posture of the Mayweather negotiating team on the issue of of blood testing.
As a lawyer, Arum knew that once a case in filed in court, the opposing parties may not comment on the merits or demerits of the case as they may be violating some rules on sub judice, which could weaken the case either way.
Under the sub judice rule, it is generally considered inappropriate to comment publicly on cases sub judice, which can be an offense in itself, leading to contempt of court proceedings. This is particularly true in criminal cases, where publicly discussing cases sub judice may constitute interference with due process.
In the case of the stalled negotiations for the Pacquiao-Mayweather match, both parties were expected not to discuss or talk about the merits of the case.
In effect Arum was able to neutralize the media hype created by the blood testing controversy which was damaging Pacquiao’s clean-cut image. At the same time, the case placed the Mayweather camp on a defensive mode being the respondent or the accused in the lawsuit.
Arum’s perceived strategy could lead to possible out-of-court settlement as both camps have agreed to meet Tuesday in the presence of a mediator who is a retired judge known to both parties.
Boxing fans believe that the Arum legal strategy worked in favor of Pacquiao camp and they predict that the resumption of negotiations after the mediation meeting will follow.
The Pacquiao-Mayweather boxing match is tentatively scheduled for March 13 and considered to be this year’s biggest boxing event. Both boxers are expected to earn over US$40 million each.
Pacquiao is the current WBO welterweight champion and current pound-for pound king while Floyd Mayweather, Jr. is an undefeated American boxer who came back from retirement two years ago to return to active professional boxing. He recently fought and won over Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez in what appears to be his tune-up fight against the popular Filipino boxing superstar.
The proposed megafight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao still was unclear following Tuesday’s nearly nine-hour meeting between the fighters’ representatives and a mediator, retired federal judge Daniel Weinstein.
Top Rank Promotions CEO Bob Arum and his stepson, Top Rank president Todd duBoef, were among the first to emerge from the session, which took place at Weinstein’s Santa Monica office of Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services (JAMS).
Arum, who promotes Pacquiao, indicated to FanHouse’s David Whitley, who was in Los Angeles, that the parties were instructed by Weinstein not to comment.
Later, Oscar De La Hoya, president of Golden Boy Promotions, and Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer emerged with others.
“No comment, no comment,” said De La Hoya. “By the judge’s order, no comment.”
A gag order is in place for the participants of the meeting, which began at 9:30 a.m. local time and ended shortly before Arum and duBoef emerged at approximately 6:10 p.m.
One source with knowledge of the talks said, “The negotiations are ongoing.”
It is unclear if that means that the parties will return and resume talks on Wednesday.
Pacquiao has filed a defamation of character lawsuit seeking damages in excess of $75,000, contending that the Mayweather camp has damaged his reputation by demanding that both fighters be randomly drug-tested using urinalysis as well as blood work.
The suit, filed on Wednesday, is seeking compensatory and punitive damages from Schaefer and De La Hoya of Golden Boy Promotions, as well as Floyd Mayweather Jr., Floyd Mayweather Sr., and the fighter’s uncle, Roger Mayweather.
Mayweather’s camp, which Pacquiao says has accused him of using steroids, initially wanted the Olympic-style, random blood-testing to be done by the United States Anti-Doping Agency, but has softened its stance on that notion.
Neither Pacquiao nor Mayweather has ever tested positive for any banned substances, but the blood-testing procedure — random or otherwise — never has been used to detect illegal drug use in boxing.
SI.com’s boxing experts weigh in on the latest happenings around the ring.
1. Do you think Golden Boy Promotions’ demand for Olympic-level drug testing for Floyd Mayweather’s proposed fight with Manny Pacquiao is reasonable?
CHRIS MANNIX: We live in a time where athletes are, somewhat deservedly, guilty until proven innocent when it comes to performance-enhancing drugs. So while I question Golden Boy’s and Team Mayweather’s moral high ground — especially when Richard Schaefer has feverishly worked to keep Shane Mosley’s blood work from getting anywhere near a testing center — I think the world has a right to know if Pacquiao is 100 percent clean. Listen to the talk shows or read the comment boxes under Internet columns: Pacquiao has already been convicted in some courts of public opinion. It’s hard to argue with them, either. Every expert not on Pacquiao’s payroll agrees that blood tests are the only way to detect the grocery store of designer steroids that flood the market. The only way for Pacquiao, a fighter whose power and chin have improved significantly as he has risen in weight, to prove that he’s clean is to give the public what it wants: real drug tests.
BRYAN ARMEN GRAHAM: Pacquiao’s uncanny ability to bring his punch up with him, while extraordinary, is not without precedent. A number of great champions — among them Henry Armstrong, Alexis Arguello and (lest ye forget) Golden Boy founder Oscar De Le Hoya — broke in around the 120s and excelled as welterweights or middleweights later in their career. Pacquiao, who toils under one of the fight game’s straightest shooters in Freddie Roach, is cut from their cloth and has never tested positive for anything other than hard work.
So GBP’s demand of Olympic-level drug testing for Pacquiao-Mayweather, a standard that’s never previously been written into a fight contract, is excessive. But just because it’s unnecessary doesn’t make it unreasonable, especially if it’s all that stands between the megafight and no fight.
That said, it’s worth mentioning that something’s at play here besides drug testing. Most folks expected negotiations for Pacquiao-Mayweather to be long and arduous, but when traditional sticking points like the purse split, contract weight and ring size were quickly agreed upon, it seemed a done deal. It’s revealing that Mayweather chose drug testing, of all things, as the focal point of the standoff. My theory? Other fighters have accused Pacquiao of PED use, but the media-savvy Mayweather is the first to voice these suggestions while the mainstream media is paying close attention. Floyd is trying to gain a mental edge before the actual fight by getting the press to perpetuate the presumption of guilt surrounding Pacquiao. Mayweather knows that payday isn’t going anywhere — the fight can be made as soon as GBP backs down on random drug testing — but the suspicion of drug use will continue to surround Pacquiao the longer he appears to hold up the fight.
2. What are the repercussions for boxing if Pacquiao-Mayweather can’t be made?
MANNIX: It has to happen. Period. End of story. Contrary to the opinion of some uneducated MMA fans, boxing is not a dying sport. But in any sport, it is rare that two elite athletes in the prime of their careers have the opportunity to face one another. Pacquiao-Mayweather is Tom Brady against Peyton Manning, Mariano Rivera against Albert Pujols, Kevin Garnett against Tim Duncan. It’s a fantasy matchup that can become a reality. Boxing will go on without a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight — but it would be exponentially stronger (not to mention a whole lot more popular) with it.
GRAHAM: Boxing was, is, always will be. But its reduced place in America’s mainstream sports zeitgeist is beyond argument. When’s the last time you can remember our MSM covering the negotiations of a fight so closely? Pacquiao-Mayweather is the first fight made by the public — not just the hardcore boxing community but the casual sports fan — since Leonard-Hearns.
If Mayweather’s gamesmanship backfires and the negotiations move from acrimonious to no-turning-back territory, it would create a center stage for the sport’s dysfunction — and the damage to boxing as a mainstream enterprise could take years to repair. Fortunately, the $80 million purse attached to what Mayweather adviser Leonard Ellerbe calls “the biggest fight in the history of boxing” should prevent the megafight from coming apart at the seams.
3. If the doomsday scenario plays out and the fight doesn’t come together, who should Pacquiao and Mayweather fight next?
MANNIX: I don’t care. Honestly. I mean, the easy answer is Mosley (who would probably take the fight a week after he faces Andre Berto on Jan. 30). But right now Mosley-Pacquiao or Mosley-Mayweather won’t resolve the question of who is boxing’s best pound-for-pound fighter. It will just add another name to the mix.
Put a gun to my head and I’d say let both men take tough-but-winnable tune-ups. Give Pacquiao another shot at Juan Manuel Marquez, who looked like he lost a step against Mayweather and likely won’t give Pacquiao the wars he did in ‘04 and ‘08. Let Mayweather sharpen his defense against a heavy hitter like Kermit Cintron, whose lack of defense would make him target practice for Mayweather’s counterpunches. Those fights could be entertaining while preserving the possibility of a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight later in 2010.
GRAHAM: Pacquiao should complete the Marquez trilogy, while Mayweather should fight Mosley. Bob Arum’s talk of a fight between Pacquiao and Paulie Malignaggi goes beyond red herring: It’s downright insulting. And I don’t dislike Malignaggi.
4. Rumor has it cruiserweight champion Tomasz Adamek may fight Chris Arreola on April 24. What do you make of this matchup?
MANNIX: It’s a good fight for both Adamek and Arreola. Adamek was stellar in his heavyweight debut against Andrew Golota, but let’s remember — he was fighting Andrew Golota. A win over Arreola would give him some real credibility in the heavyweight division and make him the type of name one of the Klitschko brothers is looking for.
Likewise, Arreola would get a chance to face a marketable star who a) probably can’t hurt him and b) has never felt a real heavyweight’s power. It’s a dangerous fight for a free swinger like Arreola, who could get carved up by Adamek’s volume of punches, but a win would be a big step toward restoring his status as a contender in the division.
GRAHAM: Sadly, you can count on one hand the number of intriguing fights in the heavyweight division, but Adamek-Arreola is one of them. The victory could (arguably) be the most impressive result on either fighter’s résumé. It’s obvious that Adamek, no spring chicken at 33, is looking to fast-track his heavyweight title hopes. (Perhaps to get a shot at the WBA belt that belongs to David Haye, himself a glorified cruiser, while the Briton still owns it?) He can earn bona fide contendership with a victory over the heavy-hitting Arreola, the rough-and-tumble slugger who is unbeaten save for a one-sided drubbing against Vitali Klitschko in September. Adamek is already slated to fight Jason Estrada, who represented the U.S. at the 2004 Olympics, on Feb. 6 in Newark, N.J. Should the Pole pass his second heavyweight test, circle April 24 on your calendars.
It was September 19, 2009. As I watched Floyd Mayweather Jr. totally dismantle and out-class a fighter I have tremendous respect for – I must admit I was impressed. His performance against the great Juan Manuel Marquez was nothing less than perfect.
Of course it came as little surprise. We all expected Floyd to win. However, I must admit that I never expected the fight to be such a totally, one-sided event.
As I rooted for Marquez, I couldn’t help but appreciate the skill in which Mayweather accurately pinpointed his perfectly timed counter punches. As for his defense; he was untouchable.
During that fight my instinct as a boxing fan overtook me. I decided to finally become an official fan of Floyd Mayweather Jr.
When the fight was over there was no hint of anxiety as fans awaited the official decision. Mayweather never lost a round.
Then something happened – a magical moment in which my newly changed mind suddenly changed back. Floyd spoke.
Kellerman…Floyd…Kellerman…Mosley… Floyd… I won’t get into the details. Boxing fans are already all too familiar with the scene. The whole thing reeked of professional wrestling.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. is a defensive genius. He is a master of employing the shoulder-roll technique. He’s a defensive technician the likes of which boxing has rarely witnessed.
He can dodge, duck, and counterpunch like no other athlete in the sport today. He can land blindingly quick, accurate counterpunches as he backpedals. He can slip a punch, disappear from a corner, and reappear in the middle of the ring -momentarily causing his opponent to have to search for him.
While he has yet to prove himself as one of the all-time greats, his defensive skills are unquestionable.
His record of 40 Wins (25 knockouts, 15 decisions), 0 Losses, 0 Draws – testifies to the fact that he’s – (how can I put this) – He’s never lost a fight. So what does that really mean?
You see, his defensive genius isn’t limited to the boxing ring. It’s difficult to deny the fact that he is the POUND FOR POUND BEST DODGER OF WORTHY OPPONENTS. In fact, I’ll go out on a limb here and say that HE’S THE GREATEST (FIGHT DUCKER) OF ALL TIME.
While Floyd lacks certain desirable, human character traits like humility and integrity – at least he still has his diehard fans.
As I look around the web, I find boxing forums where my articles about “Filipino Pride” have been posted for discussion. Unfortunately, I notice that while I made my best attempt to plainly describe how most Pinoys view the whole “you’ll do random drug testing or else” issue – many readers still don’t get it.
It comes as no shock that many of the responses from Mayweather fans are vulgar, arrogant, and ignorant – not unlike the persona of the man they idolize.
Education is a good thing, but if a person chooses to look at a situation with tunnel vision, it’s unlikely that any amount of reasoning will change their mind.
Ignorance is to blame for the way some people perceive Manny’s refusal to submit to random blood testing. Mayweather et al; have managed to dupe a lot of folks into believing that if Manny doesn’t submit, he must be guilty.
The fact remains that Manny has more supporters than critics. Take a look at the countless polls that can be found nearly everywhere you look. Support for Manny appears to be in the 80 – 90 percentile range.
Included in the list of Pacquiao supporters are Roy Jones Jr., Larry Merchant, and Ray Hatton to name a few. The vast majority of sports columnists have also sided with Pacquiao. Many boxing enthusiasts want to see Pacman destroy Mayweather. They want to see the self-proclaimed greatest ever be humiliated and embarrassed. They want to see Pacquiao put him to sleep. Think Pacquiao vs. Hatton – round 2.
Since Mayweather has succeeded in marketing this as Good vs. Evil – who better to receive a sledgehammer-like sleeper to the chin than the great villain of boxing? And who better to deliver it than the gentleman of the sport?
I’m pleased to announce that my Mayweather addiction was extremely short-lived. I’m fully recovered and I’m 100% sure that I won’t be falling off the wagon.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. has harmed his career to the extent that the damage could be irreversible, and frankly, who cares?
We’ve heard both sides. At first, Team Pacquiao rejected to undergo a series of blood test. Pacquiao’s refusal to the drug test draws controversy so he finally agreed to unlimited urine testing and at least three blood test. The first test is planned early this January, second test is 30 days before the fight, and last test right after the fight. But still, Mayweather’s camp is not satisfied. Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer said that he wanted to have a blood test done at less than 30 days before the fight because they believed that having a blood test done in 30 days is no longer effective. Top Rank CEO Bob Arum gave them an ultimatum that if they didn’t agree with their final decision it will be the end of their negotiations. Mayweather’s camp is still strong with their stand so Top Rank is negotiating with Yuri Foreman as Pacquiao’s next opponent.
Even though Pacquiao agreed with the blood test, boxing fans all over the world wants to know why Pacquiao wants the blood test to be done in 30 days before the fight. Some suspected that Pacquiao really takes performance-enhancing drugs. Some people also assumed that undergoing a blood test does not really affect boxer’s performance in the fight and some other people even compare it their boxing fight to Olympic games. “Mayweather will undergo a blood test so why Pacquiao is so afraid?” And this made Pacquiao a little bit disappointed.
Pacquiao never failed any drug test on his professional career. For the past ten years, he has only one loss and that was against Erik Morales. So what’s the connection of Erik Morales in Pacquiao-Mayweather fight? It seems that the Morales team strategy is something that Mayweather’s camp have discovered to beat Pacquiao.
THE HOLE: MORALES TEAM STRATEGY EXPOSED PACQUIAO’S WEAKNESS
Here’s a link of the video taken on March 2005 after the first encounter of Manny Pacquiao and Erik Morales:
It was a post fight interview made by a Filipino newscaster named “Puno” regarding Pacquiao’s defeat against Morales.
Pacquiao discussed about the blood test done before the fight. Puno asked why does the Nevada State Commission insists to have a blood test done. Pacquiao said that he will not be permitted to fight Morales if he will not pass the blood test. Pacquiao explained that one month before the fight, Nevada State Commission rushed him to have a medical exam. He said that they needed his blood for medical requirements. He went back to training and before the weigh-in, he didn’t eat and didn’t even drink because he was in the exact weight. Then two days before the fight, NSAC called him to have a blood test again. Pacquiao said that he already underwent a blood test but NSAC said that the records were lost according to the doctor. Coach Freddie Roach with his manager Shelly were wondering why the NSAC did not have his medical records. According to Pacquiao, he have spoken to a certain doctor and said that it’s impossible for NSAC to lose his record because it is a well-established institution. Pacquiao felt something wrong and he thought that it was a tactic against him. He said that he felt dizzy 30 minutes after the blood was taken from him. He said that his nape was very painful. The doctor advised him to drink a lot of water but because he’s in a diet and controlling the amount of food and water he intake in order not to exceed the weight limit, he just lay down and have a body massage. During the actual fight, he is weak and he knows that he will not be able to knock out Morales. Puno said that Morales said in an interview that he never felt any of Pacquiao’s power punches. Pacquiao said that Morales didn’t know that he is weak and that he didn’t have the strength to win.
The incident regarding the loss documents of Pacquiao was never investigated nor brought to the media here in the U.S. or other parts of the world. We can say that his issues were never heard because he was not that too famous at that time. Now that Pacquiao have established his name as the world’s greatest boxer, every little incident that happened to him matters like the issue on his the blood test refusal.
Whether it is true or not true that Morales camp really plotted this blood test incident, the bottom line here is that it proves that Pacquiao was just preventing this thing to happen again on his fight against Mayweather. Mayweather’s camp cannot deny that they don’t know this incident. They might have seen the hole in order to destroy Pacquiao. This may be the closest reason why they really insist the Olympic style random blood test done less than 30 days before the fight.
What is Mayweather’s camp main reason why they insist to take Pacquiao’s blood less than 30 days before the fight? If they are suspecting that Pacquiao is taking performance-enhancing drug, then Pacquiao would love to have his blood taken right after the fight. Is there any difference from having a blood test taken less than 30 days from having a blood test taken right after fight?
Representatives of Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather will meet on Tuesday in retired federal judge Daniel Weinstein’s Santa Monica office of Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services (JAMS) in an attempt to revive talks for the fighters’ potential March 13 megabout at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Bob Arum, CEO of Top Rank Promotions, said he will be present on behalf of Pacquiao, as will his stepson, Top Rank president Todd duBoef. Also, there will be a representative of the Los Angeles-based law firm O’Melveny and Myers, whose attorney Daniel Petrocelli has been retained to take the case.
Perhaps best known for gaining a conviction in a wrongful death civil suit against O.J. Simpson in 1997, Petrocelli last Wednesday filed a lawsuit on behalf of Pacquiao seeking compensatory and punitive damages for defamation of character against Richard Schaefer and Oscar De La Hoya of Golden Boy Promotions, as well as Floyd Mayweather Jr., Floyd Mayweather Sr., and the fighter’s uncle, Roger Mayweather.
Contacted through his administrative assistant, Schaefer, via e-mail, declined to comment.
But Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions, told FanHouse recently “we’re still trying to make a deal. We feel that this is the biggest fight in the history of boxing. We want to give this fight to the fans.”
The suit seeks damages in excess of $75,000 for Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 knockouts), who contends that the camp of Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs) has damaged his reputation by demanding that both fighters be randomly drug-tested using urinalysis as well as blood work — the latter being a procedure that never has been used in boxing.
Mayweather’s camp initially wanted the Olympic-style, random blood-testing to be done by the United States Anti-Doping Agency. It has since backed off of that stance.
Neither Pacquiao nor Mayweather has ever tested positive for any banned substances.
Pending Tuesday’s mediation at JAMS, Petrocelli can no longer comment directly on the case. Petrocelli did, however, speak to FanHouse last Wednesday — within an hour of filing the suit.
“We filed a defamation of character lawsuit in the federal court in Las Vegas, Nev., against the Mayweathers, Oscar De La Hoya and Richard Schaefer, based on their false and defamatory statements about Manny Pacquiao,” said Petrocelli, “specifically their publicly stating that Pacquiao was taking steroids or other illegal drugs to enhance his performance — knowing that there is absolutely no basis for any such assertions … These guys have no right saying what they’re saying. It’s knowingly false, highly injurious.”
Arum said that the only way for the negotiations to continue is for Mayweather’s side to drop its demand for random blood-testing and to apologize, publicly, to Pacquiao.
“What they have to do — and what I know the option is going to be — is that they have to apologize. All of them. They have to make a meaningful apology,” said Arum.
“If they want random blood-testing, they would have to go before the Nevada Commission and petition the commission for that,” said Arum. “They have to agree that the Nevada Commission is regulating this fight — period. No outside agency, no nothing. The have to go with the Nevada Commission — period.”
A native and resident of General Santos City, Philippines, the 31-year-old Pacquiao’s career began as a 106-pounder. The Filipino superstar’s Nov. 14, 12th-round technical knockout of Miguel Cotto earned the WBO’s welterweight title — his unprecedented seventh in as many different weight classes.
Since losing a unanimous decision to Erik Morales in March 2005, Pacquiao’s ring performances have been extraordinary, if not exceptional.
Pacquiao is riding an 11-0 winning streak that includes eight knockouts — a run that includes KOs in the 10th and third rounds, respectively, in subsequent bouts with Morales that avenged the earlier loss.
Pacquiao’s past six victories include super featherweight (130 pounds) decisions over Mexican greats Marco Antonio Barrera and Juan Manuel Marquez — this after having battled Marquez to a draw nearly four years earlier.
Pacquiao has knocked out his past four opponents, David Diaz, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, and Cotto, respectively, while rising from lightweight (135 pounds) to junior welterweight (140), and on to the welterweight classes.
Some members of the boxing community have speculated publicly about Pacquiao’s ability to carry his uncanny power with him as he has risen in weight.
Arum believes the criticism to be unfair, asking, “When has this ever come up in the past like this?”
Following his Sept. 2003, junior middleweight victory over Oscar De La Hoya, Shane Mosley admitted to having used the doping agent EPO in connection with the BALCO steroids scandal.
“Shane Mosley was an admitted drug-user. And I’ve had Shane Mosley fight two of the guys that I’ve promoted in the last few years — one of them was Miguel Cotto and the other was Antonio Margarito. Did I ever, ever, ever even indicate in any way that Shane Mosley should be subject to special testing? Ever? No,” said Arum.
“The feeling in the Philippines, really, is that Manny’s an Asian guy and this is really xenophobic. And because of his great success, this is what they’re focusing on,” said Arum. “So this is absolutely preposterous and hopefully the mediator will convince them of that.”
If the Mayweather-Pacquiao bout does not take place, Arum has said that he is prepared to match Pacquiao against newly-crowned WBA junior middleweight (154 pounds) Yuri Foreman (28-0, eight KOs) of New York, possibly on March 20 at The Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
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