Manny Pacquiao says he does not need a Floyd Mayweather fight to complete his boxing career, Bob Velin of USA TODAY shares.
The Pacman remains focused on his November 13 bout with Antonio Margarito for the WBC light middleweight title.
Had the fight between Pacquiao and Mayweather taken place, it would most likely have been the highest grossing in boxing history with at least $50 million for each fighter.
Read the whole story from USA Today at http://www.usatoday.com/sports/boxing/2010-09-02-manny-pacquiao-antonio-margarito-floyd-mayweather_N.htm
Hall of Fame inductee and legendary trainer, Freddie Roach, is confident of another knockout win for his multi-awarded pupil, Manny Pacquiao.
Pound-for-pound king Pacquiao is set to take on three-time former world champion Antonio Margarito on November 13, 2010, in a showdown of fist power. At stake is the crown for the World Boxing Council’s light middleweight division.
The date was originally set for a mega fight between five-division champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. and the Filipino seven-division champ.
According to a Top Rank interview with Roach, he is confident that Manny will be able to knock Margarito out. Roach highlights Pacquiao’s edge by pointing out Margarito’s poor ring generalship. The 5-foot-6 Pacquiao will duel with the 5-foot-11 Mexican at a catch weight of not more than 150 pounds. Margarito’s statistics show 38-6-27 while Pacquiao’s records boast 51-3-2.
In 2009, Margarito’s license was suspended by the California State Athletic Commission because a foreign substance was found in his hand wraps during his bout with Shane Mosley. He is still prohibited from boxing in the United States. Apparently, our Pacman is as confident of his skills as his coach is, and has no qualms facing his opponent in Mexico, Margarito’s homeland.
The fight odds favor Pacquiao with an 80% chance of victory. But, looking at Margarito’s cheating history, the height and the possible home court advantage; this may just end up as anybody’s game.
House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. has thumbed down the plan of seven division world boxing champion and Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao to train for his upcoming fight inside the Batasan Pambansa Complex.
“No, it’s not a good idea. Sports should be sports. Wag nating ipino-politicize yung sports (Let us not politicize sports),” Belmonte said at a press briefing Thursday.
Belmonte said he is discouraging Pacquiao to hold his training inside the compound as it would draw a lot of kibitzers. “This (Batasan complex) is a political place and people will be coming over to watch him. I don’t think it’s a good idea,” he said.
Pacquiao earlier said he might sleep in his office so he can train for his fight against Mexico’s Antonio Margarito and perform his duties as a lawmaker, including attending early committee hearings.
Pacquiao’s bout with Margarito is set on Nov. 13 in a yet to be announced venue.
Jogging OK, but…
Belmonte, however, said Pacquiao can jog at the House grounds but not on a daily basis.
“I don’t like the grounds of the House to be the focus of some professional fight like that. If he’s going to do it once or twice here purely so we can see him and so forth, that’s OK. But that’s about it,” he said.
He added the House may not have the necessary facilities for Pacquiao’s training.
“It’s unfair to him. This is a big fight. It is not just his name at stake here, it’s everybody of us hoping for his victory. Hindi pwede yung parang pinagsasama niya yung trabaho (He can’t mix both jobs),” he said.
100% support
Still, Belmonte said the chamber is supporting Pacquiao 100 percent.
“I would like to say that we are 100 percent supportive of Congressman Pacquiao and I myself know that he intends to be a real hardworking congressman. He wants to make a difference in the province of Sarangani if not to the country,” he said.
The former Quezon City mayor also said he is impressed with Pacquiao’s performance so far as a lawmaker. “He’s well informed and doing his best. In fact, I praised his first speech which I thought is a very well crafted speech.”
He was referring to Pacquiao’s privilege speech last July 27 highlighting his plans for Sarangani province.
Excused from session
Belmonte said that although he’s not a boxing fan, he intends to watch the Pacquiao-Margarito fight to give moral support to his colleague. He added Pacquiao will be excused from the session once his training begins.
“It doesn’t matter if he’s late or absent for a couple of days. Sabihin niya (He can tell us) he’s doing a patriotic duty,” he said.
He added the other members of the House can watch Pacquiao’s fight as its date falls on a recess. “The period of recess will start a few days before his fight. I’d like to be as supportive of him as possible but without sacrificing the work here.” — KBK/RSJ, GMANews.TV
MANILA, Philippines – Unless a 50/50 purse split will be put in place, a Manny Pacquiao superfight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. will not take place.
This was Pacquiao’s stand on the issue, saying that there is no way he’s going to climb up the ring against Mayweather if the split on prize money and other revenues are not even or in other way favorable to the unbeaten American fighter.
“ If it’s going to be a 50/50 split, the fight will definitely push through,” said Pacquiao in an exclusive interview with the Freeman at his suite at Waterfront-Cebu City Hotel and Casino
last Sunday.
Pacquiao and wife Jinkee were in Cebu during the Father’s Day celebration. It was his first trip to the Queen City of the South since he was elected congressman in the lone district of Saranggani province.
“Right now, it’s not year clear. He’s afraid to fight me,” said Pacquiao, who recently received the “Fighter of the Decade” award from the prestigious Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA).
After Pacquiao’s clinical 12-round whipping of Joshua Clottey last March 15 in Texas, Mayweather’s name cropped up as the next possible opponent of the Filipino icon.
But initial negotiations of what could be the richest bout in boxing history fizzled out after Mayweather insisted on an Olympic-style drug testing, which was rejected by Team Pacquiao.
Pacquiao, however, later agreed to drug test procedure provided it wouldn’t be done near fight day but Mayweather reportedly wanted drug testing up to the day of the fight.
The American’s handlers later purportedly demanded for a 60/40 purse split, something that Pacman’s camp wouldn’t agree.
“That is too much for Mayweather to ask. Besides, that’s unfair to Pacquiao because he’s the main draw being the current pound-for-pound king,” said Pacquiao’s confidant and top advisor Rex “Wakee” Salud.
But according to a blog posted on www.usanewsweek.com, the best solution for the megabout to happen is for both fighters to agree on a 50/50 split.
He doubts though if Mayweather will agree to such set-up.
When asked for her comment, Jinkee said her husband is likely to face next Mayweather because “there’s no viable opponent out there other than Floyd.”
Boxing lovers across the globe are keenly waiting for the Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao fight but no such deal is looking to happen in near future and the fans are beginning to feel pessimistic that whether this mega bout will ever happen.
One of the main reasons which had stalled the fight was Mayweather’s call for the random blood testing and Pacquiao’s refusal to do so. Now a new issue has cropped up, which is believed to be proving a roadblock in the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight. The issue is related to the financial purse split afforded to each fighter.
It is learnt that the purse is in favor of Mayweather, which sounds a little unreasonable because Pacquiao has been a star in boxing since he defeated Marco Antonio Barrera in 2003 and his fight with Joshua Clottey was superb in terms of revenues. The Pay-per-view bout had attracted 700-thousand buys and 51,000 tickets were sold at 100-thousand seat Cowboys stadium in Texas.
The Filipino sensation is in no way a lesser star than Mayweather and deserves an equal split. Critics may argue that Mayweather have the recent Pay-per-view numbers on his side but Pacquiao can definitely prove a bigger magnet in attracting people to the fight venue. The best solution would be that the fighters agree a 50/50 split and if they are not willing to reach a common ground then a simple solution would be that the winner of the fight gets 60 and the loser walks home with 40 percent.
But it seems unlikely that Mayweather would agree on a 50/50 purse split because he knows that Pacquiao is a tough opponent and he will find it tough to defeat the Filipino star. Mayweather knows that this could be his last mega bout and he wants to earn maximum out of it because if Pacquiao beats him then his next fight on Pay-per-view would not attract much viewers. We will keep you posted with the latest developments in this fight, till then keep your fingers crossed.
While Top Rank promoter Bob Arum remains optimistic and Golden Boy Promotions Oscar De La Hoya claims a mega-buck fight between pound-for-pound king and “Fighter of the Decade” Manny Pacquiao and undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr is almost done, Pacquiao’s conditioning expert Alex Ariza believes it won’t happen because Mayweather doesn’t want to lose.”It’s going to be a big, big fight!”
Ariza said the report that Mayweather was going to take “a little bit of time off ” and the fact that the Nevada State Athletic Commission “slammed the door on the US Anti Doping Agency” by indicating that random drug testing is not going to be a part of the pre and post-fight procedure is certain to make it more difficult to arrive at an agreement.
Ariza stressed what he’s always said and that Mayweather “is afraid to fight Pacquiao.” He said a defeat at the hands of Pacquiao would mean that “for the rest of his life Mayweather will always be associated with the biggest fight in boxing history as the loser of that fight. He wouldn’t be able to deal with that.”
The conditioning guru said “I don’t think you can put a price on that and I think Mayweather is afraid of that (losing) because being undefeated is the only thing that validates Mayweather in his heart and in the sport.”
Given this possibility Ariza said a rematch with newly crowned WBA light middleweight champion Miguel Cotto “is very likely” stating that Pacquiao can win his eighth title in eight different divisions and solidify his position as the greatest fighter. He said fighting Antonio Margarito was also an option and “would be a good fight for us” even as he mentioned Juan Manuel Marquez as another possible opponent.
Asked whether fighting Cotto at 154 pounds would be difficult for Pacquiao, Ariza replied “I don’t think so. I think Manny can knockout Cotto at 154.”
Pacquiao scored a dominating 12th round TKO over Cotto to win the Puerto Rican’s WBO welterweight title and the WBC “Diamond Belt” last November and Ariza feels the extra weight won’t make a difference.
Arum who has been quietly striving to reach and agreement with Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer on a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight said the other day he was still “optimistic” that it could be done.
Oscar De La Hoya on the other hand was far more direct saying “I can’t talk right now in detail about the negotiations but I can say that we are very close.
Up until now, it’s been a very difficult negotiation process for various reasons but right now we’re very close.”
De La Hoya added “I think right now we are very, very close in finalizing the contracts.
GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Philippines – Boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao has already forgiven American comedian Adam Carolla for insulting him and fellow Filipinos in a podcast.
Pacquiao, who is running for congressman in Sarangani Province, said he has already accepted Carolla’s apology.
“Humingi naman siguro ng tawad, hayaan na natin… I have accepted his sorry. Tao lang naman tayo eh,” said the Filipino boxer.
The General Santos native, who became the first boxer to win 7 titles in 7 weight classes, urged the media and his fans not to blow the issue out of proportion.
“’Wag na natin palakihin ang isyu,” said Pacquiao.
Carolla earlier said on-air that 7-division world champion Pacquiao was illiterate, “brain-damaged” and a “f*****’ idiot.”
He later issued an apology in his Twitter account for “crossing the line” with his remarks against Pacquiao and the Filipinos in a podcast.
“Read your comments. Sorry if I offended many of u. I don’t preplan my commentary. I try to be provocative, funny but I crossed the line & im sorry,” Carolla said in his verified Twitter account. (http://twitter.com/adamCarolla)
He added: “By the way, I think Manny is a great fighter.”
The American radio personality and television host currently has 71,277 followers.
Earning more respect
Pacquiao’s reaction to Carolla’s comments has endeared him more to some of his fans. Pacquiao, known as a fearsome fighter, is widely considered a gracious person outside the boxing ring.
“Saludo ako kay Manny kasi pinatawad na niya ang komediyante (I salute Manny because he has forgiven the comedian),” said Ian Lloyd Poral, an avid Pacquiao fan.
“OK kaayo si Manny uy kasi pinatawad na niya ‘yong komediyante pero para sa mga Pilipino masakit pa rin ‘yon (Manny’s OK because he forgave the comedian but for us Filipinos the remarks remained painful),” said Jayne Albarico, another Pacquiao follower.
The Manny Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey fight got a lot of mixed reactions from the fans and press. Some took the fight to be a demonstration of Pacquiao’s dominance over yet another top ten opponent.
Others were disappointed with Clottey for not taking more chances and trying to take the fight to Pacquiao. Whatever your opinion though the fight was fairly one sided in Pacquiao’s favor. Talk will soon once again turn to whether the super fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather can be made, after Pacquiao’s election and Mayweathers upcoming fight that is.
So what if anything did the Clottey fight tell us about how Pacquiao might deal with Mayweather, and equally what would Mayweather have seen that he could take advantage of?
Pacquiao’s speed, which is a big advantage in every fight he has had at welterweight, was evident against Clottey, but would face a more severe test against the equally quick Mayweather.
Shots that caught Clottey and his flat footed shell defense would obviously not catch Mayweather as often, and Pacquiao would have to work more on throwing punches from different angles rather than the volume he displayed against Clottey.
Mayweather will have liked what he saw from Pacquiao with regards to defense however, with a lot of Clottey’s shots finding their mark with little head movement from Pacquiao. Some of this might have been Pacquiao’s desperate attempts to make Clottey fight back rather than stand still blocking punches but still. Mayweather’s punches are a lot more subtle and hard to see coming than the often telegraphed shots Clottey was firing last Saturday night, and even then they were getting through.
Against aggressive fighters Pacquiao relies largely on simply hitting them with more than they can return fire with, and as such rarely gets hit with a lot of clean shots. Against defensive fighters he does not have this luxury and has always struggled with good counter punchers.
Clottey himself has backed Pacquiao to finish Mayweather, but perhaps holds his own performance in optimistically high regard. Lasting the distance alone does not elevate Clottey to predict how better boxers he hasn’t fought would do against someone he had nothing against. Still for what it’s worth he did have a valid point about Mayweather’s work rate being a problem. Pacquiao is a do or die fighter and will come after Mayweather with everything he has. He won’t be put off by taking a few shots and he will certainly throw a lot more punches than Floyd.
Not that many will probably catch Mayweather cleanly, but if his work rate is similar to how it has been in his last few outings, the volume alone from Pacauiqo might win him rounds.
Both Pacquiao and Mayweather have shown to have decent chins, and neither have been in any trouble over the last few years. Mayweather did topple Ricky Hatton, a lesser but similarly attack orientated fighter who at the time was thought to have a decent chin as well. Coupling this with Pacquiao’s tendency to leave himself open this could become dangerous territory for him if he doesn’t tighten up his defense.
The same can be said of Mayweather himself though, as the sheer volume of Pacquiao’s shots will eventually wear him down even if he can block or dodge most of them. Clottey lasted as long as he did because he is a huge welterweight and he can really take a punch. Mayweather has gone as long as he has without a loss because he doesn’t get hit.
Steve Marsh, Pittsburgh PA:“If Pacquiao can put out the same amount of punches against Mayweather a she did with Clottey, Floyd will be getting his 0 taken. All Pacquiao has to work on is his defense”
Randall Jones, Philadelphia PA: “Mayweather and Pacquiao wont fight anyway, but if they did Mayweather would give him a boxing lesson. Beating up on a punch bag like Clottey is one thing, but against someone who can make him miss and hit him back with no problems, Pacquiao is in trouble”
John Grover, Pittsburgh PA: “A Mayweather vs. Pacquiao fight would be too close to say one would definitely beat the other. All the fanboys saying Manny would tool Floyd and Floyd would smash Manny know nothing about boxing. The fight would probably go to a decision and most likely a split decision as well’
Manny Pacquiao, Joshua Clottey and Floyd Mayweather Jr. | Zoom
HOLLYWOOD – Joshua Clottey thinks that Manny Pacquiao has the tools to beat Floyd Mayweather Jr.
“To be frank with you, the fight will be very, very tough for Mayweather,” said Clottey, who lost a unanimous decision to Pacquiao last Saturday at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
By this time, the 33-year-old Clottey must be home in Ghana, probably looking for a bank where he would keep his earnings from the Pacquiao fight. He was guaranteed $1.2 million for the fight.
It was the biggest paycheck ever in the ring, and even if he retires today, he and his family, including his 10-year-old daughter, can live a good life in Ghana or if he’d like to remain in his tiny New York apartment.
Clottey took all the punches Pacquiao threw at him but never went down. Because he covered up so well that Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times wrote that he fought like a turtle on the ring.
He believes that Pacquiao has the skills, speed, the power to beat Mayweather.
“Pacquiao is very fast and he keeps on throwing punches. Mayweather doesn’t throw too much. So, Manny will give him problems. Lots of problems,” said Clottey.
The former welterweight champion of the world said he has no regrets on losing to Pacquiao, and the way he fought the fight, spending more time covering up that he almost forgot to throw his punches.
“I think I did my best. But Manny Pacquiao has defeated almost everybody and he knocked them out,” said Clottey, seemingly content that he was up on his feet when the final bell sounded before 51,000 fans.
“Unfortunately, I lost. I did what I can. I did my best. Maybe next time I can improve,” said Clottey.
But there will be no next time. Not against Pacquiao, said the Filipino’s trainer, Freddie Roach.
“He was satisfied with going the distance with Manny Pacquiao. And he did. But HBO will never use him again. They told me. If you fight for a world title, you don’t go on a survival mode. You try to win the title cause you know one it’s a once in a lifetime.”
“He’ll never get another title shot in his life,” Roach said after the fight.
Earlier today, two members of Team Mayweather reached out to BoxingScene.com to set the record straight regarding an alleged interview circulating all over the internet with Floyd Mayweather Jr. From what I was told, the interview, which calls Pacquiao a one-dimensional fighter and downplays his performance against Joshua Clottey – is 100% fabricated. The interview first originated on a website called Cage Report. Numerous websites and overseas newspapers have used quotes from the interview.
One member of Team Mayweather told BoxingScene – “Floyd did not do any interviews. Floyd has not watched the fight yet.”
Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach told BoxingScene – “I don’t believe that” – when he was advised Mayweather did not watch last Saturday’s fight.
When Manny Pacquiao fights crime drops to zero and fighting factions in his homeland put down their weapons to witness a different kind of war. But Pacquiao seemingly has the same effect elsewhere.
The Manny Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey title fight at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium on March 13 has created a truce in the war of words between promoter Bob Arum and UFC president Dana White.
White, seen in some quarters as the head of pro boxing’s biggest rivals – the Ultimate Fighting Championship – was thanked by Arum for urging his 1 million plus followers on Twitter, the social networking site, to buy the fight on pay per view.
White had also announced on his Twitter account that he will be ringside to watch Pacquiao defend his WBO welterweight crown against Clottey. White has picked Pacquiao to win by knockout in the eighth round. UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta will also be ringside. White started out in boxing, and has always insisted that he remains a huge boxing fan – and will always watch the big fights. In this month’s Boxing Monthly Dana White gave a lengthy interview to editor Glyn Leach, in which the head of the UFC mixed martial arts organisation spells out how he started in boxing and fell out of love with it because the best fights were not put on for fans.
White described the Mayweather v De la Hoya fight as a couple of multi-millionaires thinking about hitting each other, insisting what had been billed as a super-fight was actually a real disappointment.
“We want to thank Dana and Lorenzo for crossing sports to help promote this fight,” Arum said, as Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones concurred.
A phalanx of celebrities, politicians, sports officials and actors are also expected to troop to Arlington City for the fight. Steven Segal, Jean Claude Van Damme, aMark Wahlberg, Denzel Washington, Robert Duvall, Lou Diamond Philips, plus NBA star Ron Artest and baseball’s Derek Jeter have visited Pacquiao during training.
Two former US Presidents Bill Clinton, and George W Bush are said to be either watching or attending the battle.
Several mixed martial artists are also fans of the Filipino fighter Pacquiao. British fighter Dan Hardy, American Brandon Vera admit they love his style, while Frank Mir, the UFC heavyweight said he had been practising punches and used such a punch – an overhand left which he called ‘The Pacquiao punch’ and which he’d adopted from Pacquiao – to drop his last opponent Cheick Kongo, before submitting him on the ground.
Clottey’s advantages in size, physical strength, durability and stamina will be offset by Pacquiao’s advantages in speed, maneuverability, activity and the ability to make adjustments. Though Manny is not a “pure boxer” in any sense, his overall advantage in skill will win him this fight. While it appears to be a tough test on paper for the ‘Filipino Flash’, he has to be heartened by the fact that Joshua has never won his biggest fights to date, those against Margarito and Cotto. In June, he had Cotto on a silver platter and instead, tossed him back into promoter Bob Arum’s lap. This lack of a “finishing kick” or “second gear” will doom the Ghanaian next weekend. Barring a bad cut, and Manny has a propensity to swell up in the middle rounds, this one looks like a hard-fought and gritty, but unanimous decision for Manny. And Clottey will fight well enough to ensure that Arum brings him back another day. Pacquiao by UD
By Rick Assad
It’s not a grudge match by any means, like it would be if the opponent was Floyd Mayweather Jr, who still wants a piece of Manny Pacquiao. Joshua Clottey is a seasoned professional, with a solid ring record and remarkable durability. These assets will help the 32-year-old when he faces Pacquiao at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas on March 13, with the World Boxing Organization’s welterweight belt up for grabs. But it’s going to take more than Clottey, who resides in the Bronx, New York, by way of Ghana, to end the Pac-Man’s current winning streak at 11 in a row.
Clottey’s last ring encounter was June 2009, and was also one in which he lost a split decision to Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto at Madison Square Garden in a WBO welterweight title match.
Four months ago, Pacquiao (50-3-2 with 38 knockouts) laid waste to Cotto at the MGM Grand in a welterweight title clash. The fight came to a close late in the 12th and final round. Clottey (35-3-0 and 20 KO’s) does have signature victories over Zab Judah (halted in the ninth round) at the Palms Casino in Las Vegas slightly over two years ago, and a unanimous decision over the late Diego Corrales in April 2007. In February 2006, Clottey dropped a unanimous decision to the always-tough Mexican Antonio Margarito at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. There’s a reason why Pacquiao hasn’t lost in five years, and is thought to be the best boxer pound-for-pound employed today.
The Pac-Man will show off his amazing ring generalship, and will use his lightning-quick hands and supreme punching power to seize the fight in the ninth round. Recently, there was some talk out of the Pacquiao camp that this may be his final fight. Hopefully, it won’t, because there’s still some unfinished business left with Mayweather. Pacquiao Will Triumph Late.
BY: Steve Hobden
I honestly think that Clottey does not stand a chance against Manny Pacquiao. Pacquiao is on another level in comparison. Clottey’s style is too upright and robotic. This kind of style won’t do him any favours against a guy that throws combinations from all sorts of crazy angles. Clottey has a pretty good left uppercut but I doubt he’ll ever be able to land that against a southpaw who moves in and out as quick as Pacquiao does. Also when Clottey throws the left uppercut he drops his right hand and I think Freddie Roach will take advantage of this. I predict part of Roach’s game plan will be to land the left hook counter and knock Clottey out in similar fashion to the punch that laid out Ricky Hatton. I believe the result of this fight will depend on how durable Clottey’s chin is. Pacquiao by knockout.
I honestly think that Clottey does not stand a chance against Manny Pacquiao. Pacquiao is on another level in comparison. Clottey’s style is too upright and robotic. This kind of style won’t do him any favours against a guy that throws combinations from all sorts of crazy angles. Clottey has a pretty good left uppercut but I doubt he’ll ever be able to land that against a southpaw who moves in and out as quick as Pacquiao does. Also when Clottey throws the left uppercut he drops his right hand and I think Freddie Roach will take advantage of this. I predict part of Roach’s game plan will be to land the left hook counter and knock Clottey out in similar fashion to the punch that laid out Ricky Hatton. I believe the result of this fight will depend on how durable Clottey’s chin is.
BY: Rizwaan Zahid
Despite the potential of an entertaining bout, this fight leaves something to be desired since this date was considered to be a night of history with Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao squaring off. Instead both fighters will be fighting different opponents in the upcoming months.
But I digress.
Clottey may not have ever been knocked out and he does have a solid chin, however he has never seen the speed that Pacquiao brings. Cotto was able to outbox Clottey and Manny should theoretically have a field day. Pacquiao will start quick, as usual, and eventually the damage will take its toll on a game, but outmatched Joshua. In the end, look for a stoppage around the 7th round.
BY: Rota Em
Joshua Clottey is tough and he’s never been stopped. All of his losses came in championship fights with the most recent being a close split decision loss to Miguel Cotto mid-2009. It could’ve gone either way. Pacquiao, however, seems to be indestructible at this point in his career. I can count on one hand the number of fighters that I believe
can possibly take down the Filipino, and the Ghana native isn’t one of them.
I see an assertive Clottey, much like Cotto was in the beginning against the Pacman, but ultimately Manny will land a flush shot that will change the night. I don’t think Pacquiao will run straight through Clottey but he will cruise all the way to a wide UD if not late round corner stoppage.
BY: Vitali Shaposhnikov
Repetition over time makes people get used to certain things, and thoughts outside of that “box” are hard to take to heart. When thinking about the Pacquiao vs. Clottey fight, and its potential outcome, there is only one thing that comes to my mind: Who can ever beat Manny?
I have made predictions against Pacquiao before, when he fought against very formidable, properly prepared opponents. Manny not only won all those fights, but he did it in a very relaxed and seemingly effortless fashion, via a K.O. or just a simple round by round domination. My prediction on his upcoming fight with a very strong and persistent opponent Joshua Clottey is this: Manny by a dominating UD or a late round K.O.
The more likely result is of course the knockout. Joshua is a power puncher; he likes to put the weight on his punches. This makes him slower and open from a variety of angles. Manny is a virtuoso at catching the open spot and landing a hard punch. I think that Pacquiao will slowly and strategically take Clottey apart, until Joshua starts to lower his arms trying to go for the one punch K.O. Of course many will say that Joshua would never do that, but after consistent punishment, most fighters tend to end up in a situation where their defense is no longer as solid as when the first bell rang
By: Cesar Zuniga
Since this fight has been announced I have been very excited for it. No, it’s not the Mayweather fight that had shivers running through all boxing fan’s bodies but it is a top welterweight. Those that feel like Pacquiao will walk right through Clottey and that he is only there to give Pac rounds have another thing coming. Clottey is a very tough and strong welterweight that would give any top fighter problems with his defensive style. He has shown a strong chin and is coming into this fight very determined. He knows that after his loss to Miguel Cotto, landing a mega fight with Manny Pacquiao is an unbelievable opportunity. The problem is Clottey’s strongest attribute can also be his poison. He’s not active enough and doesn’t let his hands go. Two things that against another fighter he might get away with but not the P4P king. Against the cyclone that is Manny Pacquiao, Clottey is going to have to change his style and look to be aggressive. If he stands there and get into his defensive shell not only will he loose this fight but run the risk of being stopped simply due to not throwing punches. If Miguel Cotto was able to unload a series of punches without being hit back Pacquiao is going unleash an arsenal. If Clottey looks to open up he runs the risk of Pacquiao landing something big. With the angles that Pac’s punches come in one of those could be devastating. It’s hard to pick against Manny Pacquiao and this stage and this writer is not going to do so here. Clottey will be game, he will make Pac work but I don’t see him changing his style enough to take the win. Speed kills and Pacquiao’s speed, movement and angles will be the deciding factor in this fight. PAC Unanimous Decision.
By: Albert Alvarez
In Pacquiao’s last fight, Pacquiao was tested by one of the hardest punchers in the sport in Miguel Cotto. I recall Pacquiao getting buzzed for a second or two in a wild exchange against Cotto in the very early going of their great action packed fight. After the light buzz, Pacquiao then took Cotto’s best shots and took them with ease, Pacquiao later said that the Boriqua Bombers hard shots did indeed hurt, but Pacquiao pretended in his own mind that they really didn’t hurt. Come March 13, can Pacquiao pretend that Clottey’s fierce left hook tickles? I sure hope so, because come March 13 I will be picking Pacquiao to get the W over Clottey. I however do not see this fight as a wipeout as most observers out there are seeing this affair play out. I see this fight as a 8 rounds-4 or 7 rounds-5 kind of fight for Pacquiao. Many are picking Pacquiao based on 2 things, that is speed and power. I will agree that Pacquiao does have the speed and power advantages over Clottey, but speed and power will not win this fight for Pacquiao. The things that will win this fight for Pacquiao will be heart and will.
Will Pacquiao’s heart will The Pac-Man to keep firing off shots when he finds a steel iron chin Clottey resting on the ropes with his ear muffs on? How will Pacquiao react when he discovers that he can’t hurt Clottey as easily as he was able to hurt has past foes? Those are great questions to ask, but the bottom line is that Clottey just doesn’t throw enough shots to derail the Pacquiao Express. If I am Clottey, I would bring the fight to Pacquiao and constantly have Pacquiao backing up, Pacquiao is at his best when he is the one moving forward sitting on his punches and picking his spots. This is why I would push forward and place Pacquiao in a whole different place, take the rythym away from him. Can the Grand Master from Ghana do just that? I don’t think so. Pacquiao By UD.
MANILA, Philippines – With or without the alleged injury, 7-division champ Manny Pacquiao said he is all set for his world title defense against Joshua Clottey, adding that he has a “new technique” against the Ghanaian.
Pacquiao said all he is waiting for is the fight date itself which is on March 13 (March 14 in Manila).
“Right now 100% conditioned na tayo, ready na tayo sa fight. Maintain na lang sa kondisyon,” said the Filipino champ, who will be defending his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight crown.
He also said the alleged injury he earlier experienced will not affect his performance against the bigger Clottey.
“Wala namang injury, sore lang ang muscle,” he said.
The power-puncher from General Santos City also claimed that he has the answer to Clottey’s larger build—strong punches and skillful defense.
“We’ve created a new technique,” said Pacquiao. “It’s going to be exciting, and a lot of action in the ring.”
The Pacquiao-Clottey fight, dubbed as “The Event” will take place at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Clottey, for his part, said he is ready to take away Pacquiao’s welterweight title—and Manny’s Filipino fans are afraid that the Ghanaian meant it.
“I’m very, very, hundred percent for sure that I am the only one who can beat him!” Clottey said at a training session for the press at New York’s Kingsway Gym on Thursday.
Lenny de Jesus, Clottey’s trainer, believes Pacquiao is going to pass his prime.
“Pacquiao has been at the top for five years, I think his time is coming. Clottey is ready to fight tomorrow,” De Jesus claimed.
Fight seen to go until late rounds
Pacquiao fans in McAllen, Texas are not taking the fighter from Ghana lightly. Many believe Clottey can bring the scheduled 12-round boxing match to its later rounds.
“Mga ten. Bagsak yan si Clottey,” said Boboy Yongson, one of Pacquiao’s fans.
“I think the fight is gonna go the distance. Pacquiao will win by a close decision,” said boxing promoter Anthony Cavasos.
Foreign boxers also shared their own prediction regarding the outcome of the fight.
Junior lightweight boxer Jorge Luis Teron of the US, ranked 12th by the Word Boxing Association (WBA), said Clottey’s good defense will allow him to hold out: “It’s going to be real hard for Manny to knock him out. I think it might go to a decision.”
National American Boxing Federation reigning lightweight title holder Brandon Rios, also of the US, is confident for a Pacquiao victory before Round 12: “Clottey is a good fighter; he takes a lot of punches. I see a win later, maybe a knockout (for Pacquiao).”
The verbal onslaught from the Mayweathers toward Manny Pacquiao has gone beyond the norm of trash talking. In my opinion, it has become an embarrassment to the sport of Boxing. Every day one of the Mayweathers is accusing Manny of something in their personal attacks through the media. Let’s examine further.
The verbal onslaught from the Mayweathers toward Manny Pacquiao has gone beyond the norm of trash talking. In my opinion, it has become an embarrassment to the sport of Boxing. Every day one of the Mayweathers is accusing Manny of something in their personal attacks through the media. Let’s examine further.
Roger Mayweather
“Manny Pacquiao fight didn’t happen because that motherf**ker didn’t want to take that test. He didn’t want to take that Olympic style drug test. That’s why, because he knows that he’s got sh*t in his system. I know what he’s got in his system though. I know what that motherf**ker got. He’s got that A-side meth. You can look it up on the internet. How else is a guy going to turn down $100 million motherf**king dollars? Let’s say it’s $75 million or $60 million, that’s still more money than he’s made in his whole motherf**king life.” Roger Mayweather, Boxingscene.com
Floyd Mayweather Sr
“He aint scared of no damn Pacquaio. He can’t even fight. Pacquiao knows little Floyd will whoop him. Floyd will fight him anytime, any place, anywhere. He wouldn’t be able to beat any of the guys without enhancement drugs.”
“It’s not a steroid. It’s something from the Philippines. Something they use in the army. When you hit the guy with a .45 or a .38 and they keep coming after they get shot. Whatever it is it has to be something strong for you to keep coming forward after you get shot.”Floyd Sr, Boxingscene.com
Floyd Mayweather Jr
“We got athletes that live in our own country that lie to the American citizens about taking certain enhancement drugs. Now, Manny Pacquiao is not even from this country and don’t even live in this country so imagine what he will tell the American people.”FMJ, Allhiphop.com
Within the last week, Manny has been accused of the following:
Being a liar because he’s not American
Being on A-side Meth
Not being a good fighter
Being scared to fight Mayweather Jr
Being afraid to take drug tests
They Mayweathers have clearly demonstrated that they have no concern for the defamation suit that Manny filed against the, The Mayweathers, who are no strangers to criminal activities, have waged a war against Manny that hasn’t been seen before in the sport of Boxing. It has gotten so bad that even one of their former “bedfellows” has started distancing himself from the Mayweather clan.
Currnet CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, Richard Schaefer has come out and publicly denounced Mayweather Sr and his “idiotic” comments:
“I think the comments are wrong that he’s [Mayweather Sr.] making. He should move on too. I don’t control what other people say. I don’t control what Arum says, or what Mayweather says. I only control what I say, and I say innocent until proven guilty. The comments that Mayweather Sr. is making are idiotic. There is only one word – idiotic.” Schaefer, Boxingscene.com
Jeremy Boone Sacrament, CA “Why do the Mayweathers constantly attack Manny?”
I think that’s a question only their shrinks can answer. They are like a pack of hyenas. They just attack without any validity in their comments. They make terrible accusations that are extremely destructive. This has gone beyond the resolution of a boxing match. This situation will be resolved through legal channels.
Katie McWilliams Elk Grove, CA “Will this bashing of Manny stop anytime soon?”
I don’t see it stopping anytime soon. Mayweather Jr has a fight with HOF bound Shane Mosley in 2 months and he spends more time talking about Manny. This verbal onslaught won’t end until either the judge rules in favor of Manny’s defamation suit or the entire Mayweather clan ends up in jail. If I had to place my bet, I’d place it on the Mayweathers ending up in jail.
Conclusion
The Mayweathers have truly become an embarrassment to the sport of Boxing with their malicious attack on Pacquiao. If this were in another sport like the NFL, Commisssioner Goodell would have stopped this public berating a long time ago by punishing those for violating NFL Code of Conduct. It’s another reflection of how Boxing needs a unified governing body to control issues like this, drug testing, and more. But that’s an argument for another article.
Roger Mayweather
“Manny Pacquiao fight didn’t happen because that motherf**ker didn’t want to take that test. He didn’t want to take that Olympic style drug test. That’s why, because he knows that he’s got sh*t in his system. I know what he’s got in his system though. I know what that motherf**ker got. He’s got that A-side meth. You can look it up on the internet. How else is a guy going to turn down $100 million motherf**king dollars? Let’s say it’s $75 million or $60 million, that’s still more money than he’s made in his whole motherf**king life.” Roger Mayweather, Boxingscene.com
Floyd Mayweather Sr
“He aint scared of no damn Pacquaio. He can’t even fight. Pacquiao knows little Floyd will whoop him. Floyd will fight him anytime, any place, anywhere. He wouldn’t be able to beat any of the guys without enhancement drugs.”
“It’s not a steroid. It’s something from the Philippines. Something they use in the army. When you hit the guy with a .45 or a .38 and they keep coming after they get shot. Whatever it is it has to be something strong for you to keep coming forward after you get shot.”Floyd Sr, Boxingscene.com
Floyd Mayweather Jr
“We got athletes that live in our own country that lie to the American citizens about taking certain enhancement drugs. Now, Manny Pacquiao is not even from this country and don’t even live in this country so imagine what he will tell the American people.”FMJ, Allhiphop.com
Within the last week, Manny has been accused of the following:
Being a liar because he’s not American
Being on A-side Meth
Not being a good fighter
Being scared to fight Mayweather Jr
Being afraid to take drug tests
They Mayweathers have clearly demonstrated that they have no concern for the defamation suit that Manny filed against the, The Mayweathers, who are no strangers to criminal activities, have waged a war against Manny that hasn’t been seen before in the sport of Boxing. It has gotten so bad that even one of their former “bedfellows” has started distancing himself from the Mayweather clan.
Currnet CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, Richard Schaefer has come out and publicly denounced Mayweather Sr and his “idiotic” comments:
“I think the comments are wrong that he’s [Mayweather Sr.] making. He should move on too. I don’t control what other people say. I don’t control what Arum says, or what Mayweather says. I only control what I say, and I say innocent until proven guilty. The comments that Mayweather Sr. is making are idiotic. There is only one word – idiotic.” Schaefer, Boxingscene.com
Jeremy Boone Sacrament, CA “Why do the Mayweathers constantly attack Manny?”
I think that’s a question only their shrinks can answer. They are like a pack of hyenas. They just attack without any validity in their comments. They make terrible accusations that are extremely destructive. This has gone beyond the resolution of a boxing match. This situation will be resolved through legal channels.
Katie McWilliams Elk Grove, CA “Will this bashing of Manny stop anytime soon?”
I don’t see it stopping anytime soon. Mayweather Jr has a fight with HOF bound Shane Mosley in 2 months and he spends more time talking about Manny. This verbal onslaught won’t end until either the judge rules in favor of Manny’s defamation suit or the entire Mayweather clan ends up in jail. If I had to place my bet, I’d place it on the Mayweathers ending up in jail.
Conclusion
The Mayweathers have truly become an embarrassment to the sport of Boxing with their malicious attack on Pacquiao. If this were in another sport like the NFL, Commisssioner Goodell would have stopped this public berating a long time ago by punishing those for violating NFL Code of Conduct. It’s another reflection of how Boxing needs a unified governing body to control issues like this, drug testing, and more. But that’s an argument for another article.
A lot of people were shaking their heads after reading the recent comments that were made by Floyd Mayweather Sr. on BoxingScene.com. The veteran trainer, and father of Floyd Mayweather Jr., lashed out at Manny Pacquiao on Friday. Despite Pacquiao filing a defamation suit in the state of Nevada; a suit where Mayweather Sr. is a co-defendant – the outspoken trainer continued to voice his opinion that Pacquiao is using performance enhancing drugs.
“He can’t beat Clottey without that sh*t in him. Even though he was dehydrated, he couldn’t beat De La Hoya without that sh*t. He couldn’t beat Ricky Hatton without that sh*t and he couldn’t beat Cotto without that sh*t. I don’t even think he could beat that kid from Chicago [David Diaz] without that sh*t. He wouldn’t be able to beat any of the guys without enhancement drugs, that’s what I think. My belief is my opinion and you cannot change it. I know one thing, little Floyd will fight him fair,” Mayweather Sr. said.
Top Rank’s CEO Bob Arum, who promotes Pacquiao, said the comments made by Mayweather Sr. are “laughable” at this point. He think it’s a sad situation because Mayweather Sr. probably believes his own comments.
“I think this only demonstrates just how scared the Mayweather family is of this kid. I think they really believe that sh*t. Some stuff from the military, what the f**k is he talking about? To me, it’s total craziness. They are just scared out of their minds,” Arum told BoxingScene.com.
“When I say Pacquiao is the greatest fighter that I’ve ever seen, I believe it. They search for some reason [to discredit that] and come up with a fairy tale. Next they’ll say he’s not really from the Philippines. They’ll say he’s from planet Krypton and has kryptonite in him. They have turned Manny into Superman.”
When I pressed Floyd Sr. for an answer on what exactly Pacquiao was allegedly taking to fight in such spectacular fashion, he told BoxingScene about some rumors that pertain to a performance enhancer being used by the military.
“It’s not a steroid. It’s something from the Philippines. Something they use in the army. When you hit the guy with a .45 or a .38 and they keep coming after they get shot. Whatever it is it has to be something strong for you to keep coming forward after you get shot,” Mayweather Sr. said.
Arum heard similar comments being made by Roger Mayweather, trainer of Floyd Jr. and brother to Floyd Sr. If Mayweather Sr. has information about an alleged wonder drug from the Philippines, then Arum has advised him to take this information to Washington.
“I heard the same thing from Roger. If they really believe that it’s true, then how come he’s the only fighter from the Philippines who is so blessed. How come in the whole history of the Olympics, there has not been single a Filipino fighter who owns a [gold] medal. This is like some of the people that swear the aliens have landed. Maybe that’s what it is. Maybe Manny is really an alien that landed in the Philippines and came to the United States,” Arum said.
“If Mayweather has information about something like that, then he has an obligation to go to Washington and speak with the Chief of Staff so we can get some of that and our troops don’t continue to get killed. That’s big news, he should take that information to Washington.”
The comments being made by the Mayweather Sr. is practically comedy relief to Arum. According to the veteran promoter, he is more bothered by the presence of Golden Boy Promotions in this ongoing saga with the Mayweathers.
“You take what the Mayweathers say, and you know that they are Mayweathers, but the real troublesome thing is Schaefer and De La Hoya joining the army. To me, that smells like greed by getting on the bandwagon with this stuff,” Arum said.
Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer is surprised that Arum feels this way. Schaefer wants to make one thing clear - Golden Boy Promotions does not support or control any of the comments being made by Mayweather Sr.
Schaefer thinks Arum is more than justified in his outrage. In fact, Schaefer called Mayweather’s comments “idiotic” and agrees that people should move on and leave the subject alone. He thinks Mayweather Sr. is wrong for making these kind of comments about Pacquiao, who Schaefer repeatedly called a “great fighter” during our conversation.
“We have never accused Pacquiao of anything nor will we. We don’t control what Floyd Sr. says, so we have nothing to do with that. We are going to continue to maintain – innocent until proven guilty. I believe in that. We’re not accusing anybody of anything. Manny Pacquiao is a great fighter, a great athlete, a pound for pound king and innocent until proven guilty. I never have and never will accuse Pacquiao. People should just move off that and move on,” Schaefer told BoxingScene.com.
“I think the comments are wrong that he’s [Mayweather Sr.] making. He should move on too. I don’t control what other people say. I don’t control what Arum says, or what Mayweather says. I only control what I say, and I say innocent until proven guilty. The comments that Mayweather Sr. is making are idiotic. There is only one word – idiotic.”
Based on his actions, Mayweather Sr. is not intimidated by the pending lawsuit. Both Arum and Schaefer are in agreement - Mayweather Sr. [or anyone else] should face the music for these kind of comments.
“Everyone is held accountable for the comments they make. I think comments like that are wrong. If someone was making comments like that about a fighter who was under contract with Golden Boy, I would be pissed off too. We have a promotional piece of Manny Pacquiao and I think Manny is a great fighter. People should just move on.”
The boxing world was shocked that a fight between the top two boxers today, Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr., went kaput over disagreement on how to conduct the Olympic style drug testing demanded by the latter.
Manny has expressed anger over accusations or insinuations, mostly from Team Mayweather that his incredible success in the ring of late was aided by performance enhancing drugs.
His statements in the media and the defamation suit he filed against those he perceives responsible is a proof of his sentiment on this.
What is not played up in the media, however, is how Floyd was the more incensed of the two that the March 13, 2010 bout did not happen.
Floyd was looking forward to his biggest payday and perhaps his greatest achievement in the ring after laying out a brilliant idea and game plan on how to ensure victory against Manny.
Not that he did see he can easily beat Manny as rumors coming out from his camp early on seem to indicate he is scared to fight the Filipino champion who just scored devastating victories over Oscar Dela Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto in succession in a span of one year.
But Team Mayweather’s research and study of Pacquiao’s previous fights, particularly the ones he lost, may have given them an idea on how to have a much-needed crucial advantage come fight night.
What followed were the accusations and insinuations made in the media of Pacquiao possibly on steroids or PEDs before the negotiations and then Floyd, the usually demanding fighter immediately agreeing for a fight with Manny on even terms, easily approving the other fighter’s demand like purse split, use of gloves, even the staggering $10 million per pound penalty for over weight.
Then as everyone in the sport has become ecstatic and looking forward to the event, Floyd unleashed his ace, a seeming simple request for both of them to undergo Olympic style random blood testing.
The undefeated American did not foresee Manny walking away from the mega buck mega fight and was thinking the Filipino boxing superstar would be forced to accept his terms.
But as things have turned out, even a potential $40 million earning can’t make Manny agree on the so called blood testing scheme that’s just a cover for their strategy to put the Filipino fighter in a weakened physical condition like he was during his first bout with Mexican Erik Morales.
And so two months after the aborted megabout and after Pacquiao moved on to face another tough challenge in African Joshua Clottey, Mayweather Jr. is still furious because not only did the biggest payday of his life went down the drain, he was forced to fight another tough welterweight champion in Shane Mosley for much less.
And so don’t be surprised that even if Floyd is supposed to hype his coming fight with Mosley, he’d rather talk about Manny, unfavorably, of course.
I’m sure you’ve heard it plenty of times before. It started from Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s camp down to Teddy Atlas and now the die-hard Mayweather fans and brownnosers. And the question goes, “Why would Manny Pacquiao throw away 50 million dollars over some blood tests?”
Usually that question is followed by a statement pointing out that if any person would be offered a huge amount of money to do his job and turn it down over some blood tests that there is something wrong with that person. And the prestige goes, “So why won’t Pacquiao just take the tests?”
Order in the court of truth! Judge dSource is now presiding over this case that has been blown out of proportion in the court of public opinion and press manipulation.
Let’s lay down facts shall we.
It’s been several months since Floyd Mayweather Sr., the convicted drug smuggler, former trainer of Money Mayweather, first made his steroids accusations public and yet Team Mayweather has failed to proved any form of tangible proof that would implicate Pacquiao other thank Roger Mayweather’s Philippine history lecture on how bullets used to bounce off Filipino soldiers 500 years ago because they were on a drug called A-Side Meth. And I quote in the exclusive I first published at the Examiner, Roger said “they (the Filipinos soldiers) weren’t even dying.”
Pacquiao has no ties with the people Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens were connected with. No history of any failed tests that were administered by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. The same tests and commission that caught fighters like Fernando Vargas riding dirty. I repeat, there’s been no evidence of Pacquiao’s doping, no connections with shady people and nothing except a Roger Mayweather fictional tale. I say fictional because America didn’t even exist 500 years ago so how in the world will they try to invade the Philippines on top of drugs causing bullets to bounce and people not dying? Must be watching too much of that Twilight crap Roger.
But there’s much evidence on the fact that Pacquiao has had a history with blood tests and felt weak afterwards. I have written at length in the past on that topic, you can click this link if you want to read it.
And so the real deal is, Floyd Mayweather Jr. turned his back on 50 million dollars because of an urban legend from Uncle Roger? Okay, let’s incorporate all their other baseless assertions like Pacquiao’s getting bigger and him not getting knocked out by Cotto and saying he is knocking out people since he climbed upwards of 130. Fact is, Pacquiao was knocking people out before he turned 130 and that his overall weight gain in the past 5 years is about 4 pounds. Again you want to read facts about that,
So who turns his back on 50 million dollars based on baseless hunches and made up rules and demands not being given in to? If you were to be paid a lot of money to work at a place where there are baseless rumors about, would you walk away from it? And the prestige: “Why won’s Floyd just fight Pacquiao like he did everybody else?” Again, I got 3 letters for you.. K.. F.. C.
Source: http://philboxing.com/news/story-34800.html
In a recent interview, Freddie Roach shared with the public how the allegations of steroids had really affected Manny Pacquiao. Roach described this experience as a first for him and Manny. Let’s examine these comments further.
Sharon Jones Sacramento, CA “How has the steroids accusations affected Manny Pacquiao?”
“He’s got a reputation, of course, and it’s the first time I’ve seen Manny angry at another fighter. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen him like that.” Freddie Roach, FoxNews.com
In Roach’s own words, Manny was angry. It was the first time he’s ever seen Manny get angry at another fighter. I don’t see how that would bode well for Mayweather if they ever fought. Manny goes into fights without anger, imagine what it would be like if he actually disliked his opponent. I think he would destroy that opponent.
think this is another reason why Roach made the challenge to Floyd to fight for free, winner takes all. Because it really did frustrate Team PacMan and the only way to truly shut up Floyd would be to make this challenge. Notice how Floyd or GBP have not even commented on “Roach’s Challenge” yet.
Roach went on to also discuss the pending lawsuit that Manny has against the Mayweathers and Golden Boy Promotions.
“Pretty much the allegations are unproven and there’s a lawsuit pending and I think he’ll lose that lawsuit. You can’t go around saying stuff like that without evidence.” Freddie Roach, FoxNews.com
Brian Hilton Fair Oaks, CA “Are there any updates on the defamation lawsuit?”
Ok here’s all I have so far in response to the lawsuit. I have personally emailed Manny’s attorney and have not heard anything back. So, I placed a call to his law office in the Los Angeles are and left a voice message. I also spoke to his secretary but she was unable to provide me any updates. So, until Manny or his attorney Dan Petrocelli makes an official comment, we are in the dark. If anyone has heard of any updates through others sources, please forward it to me so I may check it out. Otherwise, I will post an article as soon as I can pin down Dan Petrocelli.
Conclusion
Can you really blame Manny for being angry? He was attacked and publicly embarrassed with unfounded accusations by the Mayweathers and Golden Boy Promotions. He was treated like a common criminal. This should upset any decent human being. Hopefully, Manny will have the opportunity to win in the ring or in court against Floyd to get some measure of justice.
Out of all the fighters out there in and around Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s weight division, Manny Pacquiao has the best chance of beating him.
Stylistically, Manny matches up well against Mayweather. If you take a look at the Floyd Mayweather Jr./Zab Judah fight, you’ll notice how Judah caught Mayweather with some good shots early on and in the middle stages of the fight. Zab Judah, like Manny Pacquiao is a south-paw with speed. But unlike Manny, Judah doesn’t have the stamina, chin or discipline.
Judah’s best weapon in that fight was the left hand – a punch Manny Pacquiao lands often against his opponents. There is no doubt that Manny would be landing a few of these powerful left hands on Mayweather’s chin in the course of the fight; how many can Floyd Mayweather absorb before he falls? Or the better question probably is, can Mayweather avoid the left hand all night? Possible. But doubtful.
Mayweather has a great defense, but Pacquiao has the offensive firepower, speed, activity and stamina to capitalize. Even if Manny doesn’t stop Mayweather, he certainly has the aggression and overall style to make it difficult for Mayweather, possibly out pointing Floyd in a close fight. Remember, most judges will favor aggression and activity. There is no doubt in my mind Manny will be more active, the only question will be how effective he will be.
It’s certainly not a foregone conclusion that Manny Pacquiao WILL beat Floyd Mayweather Jr. if these two fight – I see a slight edge in favor of Manny – and that’s the reason why this fight is so attractive… but if anyone can beat Mayweather, it’s Manny Pacquiao!
Don’t miss what the always controversial James Toney had to say about a potential fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr.!
James Toney: “I grew up with Floyd Mayweather… we all came from the same block in Michigan. Me, the Mayweather family, Buster Mathis, Tony Tucker… The ‘Hall of Fame’ block, you know what I’m sayin? I love Floyd and I’m glad he’s doing what he’s doing… but if you claim to be the best fighter in the world in the world pound-for-pound… fight! Don’t make no excuses.”
“Pacquiao’s going to knock Floyd out… and Floyd knows it. Floyd’s my man and I love him but I’m going to call it like I see it. The thing is this: Do you know what a rabbit does when it gets backed into a corner? It faints. And that’s what Floyd’s doing.”
In a startling announcement from Manny’s famed trainer Freddie Roach, the PacMan would be willing to fight Mayweather Jr for free with the winner getting the entire purse. Yes, that’s exactly what Freddie told the media. But would Floyd accept this challenge?
“We’ll fight him for free. Winner take all.”Freddie Roach, KTLA.com.
Christopher Mayes Sacramento, CA “What do you think of the challenge that Roach made to Floyd?”
Some say it’s a media chess match between the camps of Manny and Floyd. Well, with the latest quote from Freddie, Manny’s camp just put Floyd in “check”. Now the question is, “how will Floyd respond?”
Al Williams Sacramento, CA “Does Floyd just simply ignore this challenge from Roach?”
Unless Floyd can spin this scenario into something that makes him look good, then I think he will ignore this challenge from Roach. However, if he does ignore it, then Roach and Manny’s camp need to go in for the kill with this like a shark that smells blood in the water.
This challenge is a perfect media shot that will bring the “public pressure” back on Floyd. When Floyd and his “thugs” tried to smear Manny in the media by accusing him of taking PEDs, it did put a lot of “public pressure” on Manny. Pacquiao has had to defend his innocence and file a defamation suit. It was an effective strategy by the Mayweather camp because Manny’s public image did take a small hit. But now, Freddie’s challenge will turn things around for Manny and Mayweather will once again feel the brunt of criticism.
Once the public starts chewing over what Roach said, they will start calling for an answer from Mayweather. The longer Floyd “runs” from this challenge the more foolish he would look and then his critics can jump up and shout “See, he’s always been scared to fight Manny.”
Folks, Roach’s challenge was ‘Brilliant’. He took it to Mayweather on the stage that Mayweather has made his personal playground, the media.
Mayweather recently said that it’s not about the money that it’s about an equal playing field; well let’s see if he will truly stand by those words when he realizes that he has a chance to make around $100 million if he were to win “Roach’s Challenge”.
Shane Mosley and Floyd Mayweather Jr. have agreed to terms for a welterweight super fight, Mayweather adviser Leonard Ellerbe said Friday. Later Friday, Mosley signed his contract in Las Vegas, Mosley’s attorney Judd Burstein told ESPN.com.
“Shane has signed. I sat with him [Friday] and we went through every provision of the contract and he signed,” Burstein said. “He is excited to move forward with the bout.”
Mayweather
Mosley
Mosley will defend his welterweight title against Mayweather on May 1 on HBO PPV at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Mayweather’s signature is a formality, according to Burstein and Ellerbe.
“I confirmed with Leonard [on Friday night] that there are no issues,” Burstein said.
“All of the deal points have been agreed to,” Ellerbe said. “We still have to put pen to paper, but everything is agreed to. It’s with the lawyers. Shane is a great fighter, one of the best of his era, and so is Floyd. It’s going to be a great fight. It’s a fight fans have wanted to see for a long time.”
Ellerbe said that he expected Mayweather’s paperwork to be completed in the next few days with a formal announcement likely next week.
Financial terms were not disclosed, but Mayweather has the option for an immediate rematch in the event he loses.
The fight came together after an unexpected turn of events.
First, Mayweather became available for a fight three weeks ago when negotiations with pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao disintegrated. They had agreed to all terms for a March 13 fight that loomed as the biggest in boxing — except for a drug testing protocol.
They had agreed to random urine testing, but Mayweather also wanted random blood testing, even though that is not required under the rules of the Nevada State Athletic Commission. Pacquiao agreed only to three blood tests, but none within 24 days of the fight, and the third one immediately after the bout.
Mayweather has alluded to Pacquiao using performance-enhancing drugs, even though he has never produced any evidence, and Floyd Mayweather Sr. has outright said he believes Pacquiao uses.
The rancor over the drug testing issue caused the fight to fall apart and Pacquiao moved on. He will defend his version of the 147-pound title against former titlist Joshua Clottey on March 13 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Then Mosley became available two weeks ago. He was scheduled to meet Andre Berto in a title unification bout at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas on Saturday night. However, Berto, a Haitian-American, withdrew from the bout after eight members of his extended family were killed in the earthquake in Haiti.
Immediately after the cancellation of Mosley-Berto, Mosley and Mayweather — the former welterweight champ and pound-for-pound king until giving up the mantle during a brief retirement — began negotiating.
“The negotiations were very cordial and went very smoothly,” Ellerbe said.
Mosley has agreed to undergo random blood and urine testing, as has Mayweather, Ellerbe said.
Mosley has admitted to using PEDs and was connected to the BALCO scandal. Although he publicly denied using PEDs for years, Mosley admitted during grand jury testimony, which was later released, that he used designer steroids “the clear” and “the cream” and injected himself with EPO, a blood oxygen enhancer, during the lead-up to his 2003 rematch with Oscar De La Hoya. Mosley said he took the steroids unknowingly.
“Floyd only wants to be sure of an even playing field no matter who he fights,” Ellerbe said.
Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs), a five-division champion, and Mosley (46-5, 39 KOs), a three-division champion, have seemingly been on a collision course since the late 1990s, when Mosley was lightweight champion and Mayweather was junior lightweight champion.
Although their careers took different paths, talk of a potential fight heated back up in 2006 after Mosley’s two knockouts of Fernando Vargas, but talks never got too serious.
However, Mosley stepped up his call for a fight with Mayweather, 32, last year after Mayweather ended his 18-month retirement. After Mayweather easily beat lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez in a lopsided decision in September, Mosley crashed his post-fight interview in the ring and called him out to his face.
It didn’t look like Mosley would get the fight because two months later, Pacquiao knocked out Miguel Cotto and talks began for Pacquiao-Mayweather.
Mosley, 38, hasn’t fought since last January, when he upset Antonio Margarito to win his title via ninth-round knockout.
Is there a line that Mayweather won’t cross with his comments? If there is, someone please show me. Mayweather’s recent comments toward Shane Mosley were clearly below the belt. If this were in the ring, Mayweather would be penalized a point. Let’s examine his comments further:
“I don’t really like to speak on people’s personal business, because his personal life is his personal life, but he just went through a divorce, and sometimes going through a hard divorce can be very, very excruciating. It can cost a lot of money.” FMJ, Grand Rapids Press
“I don’t really like to speak on people’s personal business”
Janine Robbins Rocklin, CA “Doesn’t Mayweather always talk about people’s personal businesss?”
It’s hard to tell when Mayweather doesn’t talk about someone’s personal business. But his comments on Shane’s divorce are just completely unnecessary and uncalled for. Floyd knows no limits to his “gum bumping”. This guy just goes and goes until the cameras and the microphones shut off.
“It can cost a lot of money.”
Mayweather is obsessed with money and he thinks that Shane wants to fight him because Shane wants this one last big payday. So, Floyd uses Shane’s personal experiences with a divorce to be part of his argument that Shane needs the money. Are you kidding me? How many years has Shane wanted to fight Floyd? At least a decade went by with Shane saying he wanted to fight Floyd. But now, since Floyd finally agrees to a fight, he thinks that Shane is only doing it for the money. Life must be a lot easier for Mayweather when you live in your own little world.
Douglas Hansen Sacramento, CA “Is Floyd delusional?”
I think Floyd is truly lacking something upstairs because you just don’t attack a man because he’s going through a divorce. How many times can you recall pre-fight hype including one fighter talking about another fighter’s wife and their divorce? Outside of Mike Tyson saying that he wanted to eat another fighter’s children, these comments from Floyd rank up near the top of the list for things you just don’t say about another fighter during pre-fight hype.
Conclusion
These comments were truly below the belt. From this point forward the only thing I want to hear out of Floyd’s mouth is whether or not he will accept “Roach’s Challenge” and fight Manny for free.
Freddie Roach, trainer of WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao, is certainly intrigued with the possibility of a fight with Shane Mosley – if Mosley beats Floyd Mayweather Jr. on May 1 in Las Vegas.
Everyone involved, including Top Rank, who promote Pacquiao, are confident a fight with Mosley would be much easier to make than a fight with Mayweather. In the last few days, Mayweather has already been boasting about his contract demands if a Pacquiao fight is brought back on the table. Mosley has gone on the record with BoxingScene, and made it clear that he “doesn’t care about the random drug tests.” He wants to get Pacquiao in the ring at any cost.
“Last year I was willing to go down to 140-pounds to fight him and he turned around and took a fight with Miguel Cotto,” Mosley told BoxingScene.com.
Roach is honest when asked for his prediction on Mayweather-Mosley. He thinks Mayweather will box his way to a decision but he gives Molsey a very strong shot at the upset. Let’s not forget, Joshua Clottey is training hard to become the spoiler on March 13 when he challenges Pacquiao for his title at Cowboys Stadium in Texas.
“I think Mayweather will win a decision. Mosley has a good shot to beat him, and if Shane wins the fight, we’ll fight him. Manny will fight anyone. I’ve always liked Shane and I think it would be a good fight,” Roach told BoxingScene.com.
Once again, the world’s greatest boxer had to come out and set the record straight on blood testing. It’s not a matter of doing it, it’s a matter of when. Unfortunately, the non-stop criticism and false accusations from the Mayweathers and GBP have muddied the waters so much that Manny has to constantly answer questions about taking blood tests. Let’s examine Manny’s latest comments:
“I’m not against Blood testing. Just not the day of the fight. I’ve had that happen in the (first) Morales fight. I lost that fight and my body felt very weak. I don’t feel I recovered. That is why I don’t want blood testing close to the fight.” Manny Pacquiao, Fightfan.com
So, to all of the Manny critics, once again Manny has come out and publicly stated that he’s not against blood testing. He never was. It was all about the timeframe of when the tests would be taken. He truly believes that he had problems in his first fight with Morales due to the taking of blood so close to the fight. It’s time to stop all the ignorant comments that he’s afraid of taking the “$25 million dollar” test. If you critics are so willing to believe Mayweather’s comments in the media that Pacquiao is scared, then you have to believe Manny’s comments to the same media, that he’s willing to take blood tests. Otherwise, you critics are truly being like your idol Floyd, which is a hypocrite.
“I’m not disappointed because I know I’m not the one who didn’t want the fight and I have to defend myself.” Manny Pacquiao, Fightfan.com
It’s sad that we live in a country where a guy has to prove he’s innocent because another guy makes false accusations. Manny has never failed a drug test. In fact, Keith Kizer Executive Director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission specifically told me that “Manny Pacquiao has never failed a drug test in the state of Nevada” or anywhere else that he’s aware of. Manny has been fighting in the state of Nevada since 2001.
Why does Manny have to prove his innocence when he’s never been guilty? This country has gone backwards. It used to be “innocent until proven guilty”. It’s now become “guilty until proven innocent”.
Jenny Bronson Sacramento, CA “Why do people assume Manny’s guilty based on what Floyd says?” Jenny, because they are either die-hard Floyd fans, ignorant, anti-foreigners, hypocrites, or all of the above. Manny has no track record of being arrested or beating women like Floyd does. Manny doesn’t live the lifestyle of “money and fame” but one of “country and God”. It’s absurd the amount of time that Manny has to spend fighting off false accusations. This is also why he filed a defamation lawsuit.
Candice Robbins Sacramento, CA “Is there any truth to what Floyd says bout Manny not wanting to take the blood tests?” Candice, I hope this article answers your question. Manny is not afraid to take these blood tests. Hopefully, these false claims of Manny being scared can stop sooner rather than later. All we can do is constantly remind those who claim otherwise.
Floyd Mayweather is not especially intelligent but he understands he can’t beat Manny Pacquiao inside the ring, so he must embark on a smear campaign to try to defeat the Filipino outside the ring – in the arena of public opinion.
Floyd knows his fists and his skills are just not formidable enough to get the highly dangerous job done. He knows his mind is inferior and not smart enough to out-think Pacquiao under pressure. And Floyd realizes his will is not strong enough to subdue the ferocious intensity to win a 12-round boxing match against Pacquiao.
But there is a single quality where the dishonorable American pugilist does hold an advantage over Pacquiao: he has a bigger mouth which can tell repeated lies and mistruths without a sense of shame. As we know, if a lie is repeated enough, it will eventually be believed by many.
So that’s all Mayweather can do now – is use his mouth to try to do the job his frail fists and faltering confidence can not accomplish – defeat Pacquiao by spreading lies and falsehoods.
As you may have noticed, Mayweather has been hanging around major sporting events like the Super Bowl and NBA All-Star Game. The fork-tongued double-talker has double intentions – to promote his upcoming fight with Shane Mosley on May 1 and to discredit Manny Pacquiao in every possible way he can think of.
Mayweather wants you to believe Pacquiao is the one who pulled out of the fight in January because he wouldn’t agree to all of Floyd’s – NOT the Nevada State Commission’s – but Floyd’s personal demands for excessive random blood testing. But the little-known truth is, Mayweather advisor Al Haymon’s associate George Peterson told me the decision to cancel the Pacquiao-Floyd was made as far back as early December – obviously, because Team Mayweather concluded a boxing match against Manny Pacquiao was a “no win situation.” Yes, a severely brutal knockout loss at the fists of a smiling Asian man is a no-win situation indeed for an arrogant pretender like Mayweather.
As if ducking Pacquiao once wasn’t enough, after the Super Bowl and NBA All Star Game, now we have learned Mayweather aspires to duck Pacquiao again. Even if Pacquiao were to agree to Floyd’s 14-day random blood testing demands, that might not be enough now, says Floyd. And Floyd also stated that the 50-50 split may not work if Floyd-Mosley does bigger pay-per-view numbers than Pacquiao-Clottey.
Only the dim-witted wouldn’t be able to comprehend this is Floyd’s way to lay the foundation to duck Pacquiao for 2010 and perhaps the rest of his career.
Floyd may think he’s successfully pulled off the greatest duck in boxing history and that he has won the media war of words with the humble, quiet man from General Santos City. But one must understand that the mighty truth shall always destroy the ugly false.
“The lie of the emperor is always believed before the truth of the peasant.” -unknown
“If you bury the truth and bury it under the ground it will but grow and gather itself such explosive power that the day it bursts through it will blow up everthing it its way.” -Emile Zola
“All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it’s violently opposed. And third, it’s accepted as self-evident.” -Arthur Schopenauer
Over the last few months, rarely a day went by without Floyd Mayweather Jr making comments about Manny Pacquiao. Even today, if you scroll through Pacland for articles on Floyd Mayweather Jr, you will find some harsh comments from Floyd about Manny. There’s no other logical conclusion about these obsessive comments other than Floyd is jealous and here’s why:
What Shane Mosley fight? The first evidence of Floyd’s jealousy is the fact that he spends more time talking about Manny Pacquiao than he does his upcoming fight with Shane Mosley. You’d think Floyd would actually focus most of his energy on his fight with Mosley, who’s looking to knockout Floyd. Instead, Floyd continues to talk about drug tests and paydays that involve Manny Pacquiao.
Feb 6th 2010 – All roads lead to Floyd Mayweather. I don’t need Manny Pacquiao. For him to get his biggest payday he needs me. FMJ, Boxingscene.com
Feb 8th 2010 – “Manny Pacquiao didn’t want to take a 25 million dollar drug test. FMJ, SportsRadioInterviews.com
Feb 13th 2010 – “Instead of 20 or 25 (million dollars), he may have to drop to 15, or 17,” Mayweather said. “And you know me, they may have to throw that extra five or 10 on mine, and we can rock and roll. Take it or leave it.” FMJ, Grand Rapids Press
Pound for Pound Best Fighter Sharon Collier Sacramento, CA “Rick do you think Floyd is jealous of Manny being the world’s pound for pound best fighter?”
Sharon, Floyd Mayweather is jealous of Pacquiao being rated the best pound for pound fighter in the world. When asked about it, he went off saying that people are entitled to their opinions but then says that he basically could care less what the fans think because he lives for himself. In another interview, Floyd goes on about how Manny has 3 losses and questions Manny’s greatness.
February 8th 2010 – “Everybody is entitled to their own opinion. I live my life the way I live my life and I’m happy with what I do. I live for Floyd Maywetaher. I don’t live for the fans.’ FMJ, SportsRadioInterviews.com
February 6th – “How can you be indestructible with three losses and he’s been knocked out twice?” FMJ, Boxingscene.com
Manny is the People’s Champ Floyd is also extremely jealous of the fact that the public embraces Manny more now than Floyd. In fact, Manny has an entire country that shuts down for his fights, Floyd probably has an entire “Folsom prison block” shut down for his fights. Here’s Floyd’s view on life and here’s Manny’s view on life. You can clearly see why more people want to follow Manny.
February 8th 2010 – “I live for Floyd Mayweather. I don’t live for the fans. I love the fans but I live for myself. Self preservation is first. I must be happy first before I can make anybody else happy.” FMJ, SportsRadioInterviews.com
February 4th, 2010 – “For me, it’s Boxing and God. I think what I have done in boxing is because of my sacrifices and my faith in God.” Manny Pacquiao, BoxingScene.com
Mainstream Attention Floyd is all about the hype. But it’s Manny who’s getting the Mainstream attention. For a guy like Floyd, this lack of mainstream attention probably kills him. You see, Manny doesn’t have to go to the Superbowl or to the NBA All-Star game to generate attention; Oh no no, Hollywood’s celebrities, 60 Minutes, and Good Morning America are all coming to him.
February 7th, 2010 – “CBS is going to start shooting material next Sunday at Coach Freddie Roach’s funky Wild Card Gym. Good Morning America on the ABC network is also going to do something on Manny.” Bob Arum, interview with Michael Marley, Examiner.com
In addition to the big TV news shows, celebrities like Steven Seagal, Jean Claude Van Damme, Jeremy Piven and Mark Wahlberg have all recently stopped by to pay their respects and show their support.
Davey Johnson Sacramento, Ca “Rick, with all the celebrities stopping by to see Manny, do you think anyone will stop by Mayweather’s training?” Danny, I think the only people who will stop by are criminal associates of the Mayweather clan and the defense attorney for Roger Mayweather.
What other things do you think Floyd Mayweather Jr is jealous of when it comes to Manny Pacquiao?
MANILA, Philippines – Not even Freddie Roach’s statement that he sees the fight going the distance could keep the fight odds from sky-rocketing in favor of Manny Pacquiao.
The other day, the four-time Trainer of the Year told fightfan.com that he’s not looking for a knockout. Instead, he said he sees a 12-round battle with Joshua Clottey.
But no one seemed to listen as oddsmakers for the March 13 showdown at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas remained convinced it’s going to be one-sided.
At least four online betting stations in the United States have placed Pacquiao as the overwhelming favorite, and the only way he could lose if he doesn’t show up on fight night.
Sportsbook, which has control of the betting stations in Las Vegas, has the 31-year-old Filipino superstar at -500 and Clottey, the hungry challenger from Ghana, at +300 with less than a month left.
It’s so huge that you need $500 to win a hundred bucks if you’re rooting for Pacquiao, and that a $100 bet on Clottey gives you $300 in return in case he pulls off the upset of the century.
At sportsbetting.com, Pacquiao was at -500 and Clottey at +350. Bookmaker.com was a little more conservative with its -440 for Pacquiao and +350 for Clottey while sportsinteraction.com has it at -556 and +300.
Clottey having problems in training makes it easier for oddsmakers to point at Pacquiao as the favorite.
First, the 33-year-old challenger could not take his long-time trainers with him to the United States after they failed to secure the required working visas from the US Embassy in Ghana.
And while he trained briefly in New York, a snow storm kept Clottey indoors and unable to do roadwork. For his part, Pacquiao is in the thick of things at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles.
Those close to him say Pacquiao looked so fit the past week that he’s ready to fight Clottey tomorrow. Roach has even ordered the number of sparring rounds slashed from around 150 to just a little over a hundred.
Still, Roach said he sees a tough fight.
“The first half of the fight will be very hard for both guys,” he told fightfan.com.
“Then we’ll take over in the middle or late rounds. Clottey waits for you to punch yourself out and get tired. But Manny Pacquiao doesn’t get tired,” he said.
Maybe you missed the interoffice memo or the obituary notice.
But you’ve got to be, if you’re as inqusitive as I am, wondering who died and left Floyd Kill Joy Mayweather Jr. Boss?
I capitalize Boss, Bossman, Head Honcho, Grand Exalted Ruler and Dictator because this is how (self) important Mayweather is.
And, when I say that he is Da Boss with the Hot Sauce, I’m not only talking about his ultra busy Mayweather Promotions.
Among Mayweather’s grand delusions are that he is El Supremo, the Boss, of Everything.
He’s the head of Philthy Rich Records, a label whose roster of rap stars read like names taken from the guest register at your nearest Motel Six. I defy even the most ardent rapaholic to name one “talent” peforming under the Philthy Rich banner.
Guess Snoop Cat didn’t (litter) pan out. (That’s a joke, son, a joke.)
Mayweather is to random bloog testing crusade what Kim Il Johg, the not so funny fruticake who has North Korea on total locdown and its citizens eating one hot meal per day (a bowl of steam).
But as detailed in my adjacent column, Mayweather prefers to think of himself as a Malcolm X, a Dr. Martin Luther King were or what President Obama aspires to, an agent of societal uplift.
“Hope and change, change and hope.”
If he were a candidate for public office, that would be Mayweather’s campaign motto.
Oh, and lest you Pacmaniancs forget, L’il Floyd is also the Boss of Manny Pacquiao.
Top Rank/Chirs Farina Photo
I am basing much of this on Floyd’s latest diatribe, spoken to and duly recorded by his friendly hometown correspondent, David “Hold The” Mayo.
In Mayo’s Grand Rapids Press/Mlive.com piece, Mayweather tosses a bomb into the grave of the aborted in January negotiations for a humungous fight between he and Pacman.
Now, listening to Mayweather, you know that Mayweather doesn’t want his minions to broker a deal with Team Pacquiao, he wants to hold them hostage.
“Instead of 20 or 25 (million dollars), he may have to drop to 15, or 17,” Mayweather said. “And you know me, they may have to throw that extra five or 10 on mine, and we can rock and roll. Take it or leave it.”
As a convenient excuse for this reversal of position, Mayweather said he will base that on his May 1 bout with Sugar Shane Mosley faring better in terms of PPV numbers than the March 13 between Pacquiao, a Filipino, and Joshua Clottey, who comes from Ghana.
See what an “all American” fellow Floyd is now?
Just as I predicted in writing on Feb. 8, after the first try to make the mega bout failed, Mayweather has taken the 50-50 split of all revenue off the table. I predicted that the money fight will cast a giant shadow if they try to put the fight together down the line and will be a bigger issue than blood vials and sharp needles.
Now, instead of the righteous even steven money split between two superstars who tower above their competitors, Mayweather is saying he will penalize Pacman from five to 10 million dollars because he didn’t roll over in round one of their talks.
I really hate to blow my own horn here, but if I don’t there may be no music so see what I penned as to this just seven days ago:
“In a saner world, you could logically deduce that making the mega match would be easier with only one pesky issue, the unbending Mayweather demand for totally random blood testing, to be battled back and forth.
But this is Bizarro World, this is boxing and, while I hate to be the nattering nabob of negativity, I think the second round of negotiations will be more difficult.
Let’s start with this premise, that the 50-50 revenue split has gone out the window because I think it has.
All bets from Round One are scratched.
Think of Pacman’s March 13 bout with I’m Not Joshing Clottey and Money’s May 1 Sugar Free Mosley fight as being like primary elections.”
Reviewing that makes me feel like Madame Auring or Larry Ellison, you know an oracle.
Mayweather is trying to turn his hated former promoter, Bob Arum, into a eununch.
And he’s doing it now when both he and Megamanny have prior business to handle at their offices.
Ask yourself, especially you devoted Floyd fans. why would he flip the script on the money now?
Instead trying to smooth the path to Pacquiao, he is erecting artificial barriers.
He’s like a guy who has a pebble stuck in his shoe and tries to remove it with a rock.
There really is only one answer for such public posturing and I suppose I can spell it for you slow readers and not so nimble thinkers.
Mayweather, the sport’s best boxer, does not want to fight the sport’s best fighter, Pacquiao.
I guess he doesn’t like to duke it out with employees.
The trash-talking former holder of the mythical title of pound-for-pound king went on the offensive over the weekend, expressing his wonder to his hometown paper – the Grand Rapids Press – why Manny Pacquiao would not agree to “a $25 million drug test.”
Still resentful about the collapse of the lucrative bout with Pacquiao, Mayweather said that if their camps revive talks about a matchup in the next few months, the Filipino will have to agree to get less of the money at stake especially if his May 1 fight with Shane Mosley fares better than Pacquiao’s March 13 bout with Joshua Clottey.
“Instead of 20 or 25 (million dollars), he may have to drop to 15 or 17 and you know me, they have to throw that extra 5 or ten on mine and we can rock and roll. Take it or leave it,” said Mayweather.
Pacquiao and Mayweather appeared on their way to agreeing on a deal but Mayweather demanded that Pacquiao undergo random blood testing to level the playing field even though Pacquiao has never failed a drug test ever.
While Mayweather insists that he is not accusing Pacquiao of somebody who uses performance-enhancing drugs, the American fighter sounds off that the current pound-for-pound king is guilty.
“The thing is this: I’ve never seen a guy who didn’t want to take a $25 million drug test. If you’re clean, take the drug test.”
Mayweather lamented the fact that he had agreed to an unheard-of demand by Pacquiao on the issue of penalties on excess weight.
“In my clause, he told me if you would weigh over 147 I had to pay him $10 million for each pound. I agreed but he didn’t agree to my terms and we both would have had to take tests. It wasn’t just steered toward him. It was both me and him.”
Stung by Mayweather’s nasty accusation, Pacquiao has filed a defamation lawsuit against him as well as the Oscar De La Hoya-owned Golden Boy Promotions.
Pacquiao, meanwhile, is right on track in his preparation against Clottey even though he took a break when he traveled to Las Vegas to throw his support behind the Filipino fighters who fought there.
Pacquiao told a Manila-based station covering the fight at ringside that he didn’t find it hard to regain his old fiery form because he was coming off a big fight.
Over at Clottey’s training camp in Fort Lauderdale in Florida, the Ghana banger is said to be awesome as well during sparring sessions, his chief handler Vinny Scolpino told ace fight scribe Mike Marley.
“He’s on target, he’s beating the crap out of people in sparring and I would say he is definitely on his A game,” said Scolpino.
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James Toney: “I grew up with Floyd Mayweather… we all came from the same block in Michigan. Me, the Mayweather family, Buster Mathis, Tony Tucker… The ‘Hall of Fame’ block, you know what I’m sayin? I love Floyd and I’m glad he’s doing what he’s doing… but if you claim to be the best fighter in the world in the world pound-for-pound… fight! Don’t make no excuses.”
Unless Floyd can spin this scenario into something that makes him look good, then I think he will ignore this challenge from Roach. However, if he does ignore it, then Roach and Manny’s camp need to go in for the kill with this like a shark that smells blood in the water.
