Pacquiao Versus

Pacquiao Versus Mosley: Let The Mind Games Begin

2010-12-23T01:07:00.000-08:00

NOW that he’s been formally anointed as the next man to challenge Manny Pacquiao, Sugar Shane Mosley asserted he’s going to make the world’s top pound-for-pound fighter realize his mistake of picking him in a short list of possible contenders.

On Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila), Top Rank promoter Bob Arum announced a fight between Pacquiao and Mosley has been sealed following a meeting with him and James Prince, the representative of the former three-time world champion, in Arum’s office in Las Vegas.

The fight will be for Pacquiao’s World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight belt penciled for May 7 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

While Arum insists Mosley clinched the deal over two others in long-time Pacquiao nemesis Juan Manuel Marquez and reigning World Boxing Council (WBC) welterweight king Andre Berto since a fight with him is the ‘most sellable’, the 39-year-old native of Pomona, California thinks otherwise.

“I know that they think I’m an old man and that Manny is going to beat me. Let them think that,” said Mosley moments after the announcement of the fight.

Added the former world champion, who won titles as a lightweight, welterweight and junior middleweight, “I still have power and speed. So they can think whatever they want. I know what I can do.”

That such impression had been imprinted on Mosley of late is understandable.

Mosley (46-6-1, 39 KOs) lost to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a lopsided 12-round decision last April, and then settled for a draw against ‘The Contender’ star Sergio Mora in a junior middleweight showdown five months later.

Mosley had his own reasons for his two sub-par performances, claiming he was able to hurt Mayweather despite the one-sided bout, and that Mora didn’t beat him at all, contending his opponent run away from him all night.

The same won’t be happening in Pacquiao’s case.

“Come on, man. I’m a bigger guy than him and he gets hit. And you saw how I hurt Floyd. Manny is going to come forward and I will hit him on the chin at some point. His defense is not like Floyd’s. Manny will come at me and I will knock him out,” said Mosley in an ESPN interview.

Mosley winning the Pacquiao sweepstakes also signaled the end of his partnership with Golden Boy Promotions, the rival group of Top Rank, with which the American boxer reportedly owns a stake of four percent.

The lure of big prize money just by fighting Pacquiao definitely has something to do with that.

Mosley is assured of a $5 million guaranteed prize for the May 7 fight and a $5 share per pay-per-view buy above 500,000, meaning a 1.2 million sales in per-per-view translates to a total of $8.5 million take for the only man to beat the great Oscar De La Hoya twice.

His biggest career earning was $7 million in his loss against Mayweather Jr.

Arum believes hitting the 1 million mark in pay-per-view is doable.

“I though Mosley was the best draw of the three and it would do the best business,” said the Top Rank Promotions chief.

The 79-year-old promoter also said the fight doing well in pay-per-view sales would give Pacquiao his biggest paycheck to date as he is likely to receive between $12-$15 million in guaranteed purse.

Of course, it won’t be an easy one, that Arum assures.

“Top Rank matchmaker Bruce Trample says it’s a very difficult fight. I believe it will be an exciting fight,” said Arum. “Shane knows how to fight and how to deal with the speed. Manny is in for a hellacious fight. I really believe styles make fights.”

Manny Pacquiao Could Earn $70 if Pacquiao Mayweather Match Pushes Through

2010-12-01T04:01:00.000-08:00

MANNY Pacquiao can well afford to retire if and when a super fight with brash talking Floyd Mayweather Jr. finally gets sealed.

An estimated earning of no lower than $70 million (roughly P3 billion) can be made by the world’s top pound-for-pound fighter in facing Mayweather in a blockbuster showdown that has long been in waiting, yet can’t seem to fall in place together.

The mind-boggling figures represent a guaranteed purse Pacquiao will receive, plus his take home with the pay-per-view buys.

“Kung makuha niya si Mayweather, ok na siyang mag-retire. $70 million na `yun. $50 million guaranteed na, plus pay-per-view pa,” said former Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis `Chavit’ Singson, a close associate and adviser to the 31-year-old best boxer in the world today, who hosted a sumptuous victory party for Pacquiao Monday night in his Quezon City mansion following the Filipino’s 12-round lopsided win over Mexican Antonio Margarito three weeks ago.

This developed as a Texas court issued a temporary restraining order representing a portion of Pacquiao’s prize purse ($1.5 million) in his fight with Margarito following a $1.18 million in damages was filed against him by a Filipino promoter.

Edmundo Lozano of Imperial Ed promotions, said in his complaint that Pacquiao entered into a written contract with his company for a number of social and promotional appearances in McAllen, Texas last September.

Lozano claimed that Pacquiao was paid $100,000 in exchange for his appearances, which the Filipino boxing icon later failed to commit.

Court documents showed the contract was signed in General Santos City.

“Kung talunin niya, retire na. Tigil na,” Chavit said.

That both fighters may end up receiving such huge amount of money for engaging each other inside the ring may not come as a surprise.

The 2007 light middleweight title clash between Mayweather Jr. and Oscar De La Hoya went down as the richest fight ever in the history of prizefighting, earning a cool $19 million in live gate attendance and $120 million in pay-per-view revenue following its record breaking buys of 2.4 million.

De La Hoya emerged $52 million richer after the fight, surpassing the previous record of $35 million earned by both heavyweights Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield. Mayweather Jr. came away with $25 million.
And given the animosity and hype that preceded two failed attempts to get the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight, the likelihood of it going down as the biggest fight of all time in terms of financial earnings, is not that impossible.

But the problem, according to Singson, is Mayweather’s reluctance to get the fight done.

‘Takot si Mayweather. Alam niyang si Manny ang tatalo sa kanya,” said the former national security adviser in an obvious reference to Mayweather’s unbeaten mark of 41-0, with 25 KOs.

Singson noted how the Filipino boxing sensation has acceded in meeting the demands made by the 33-year-old native of Grand Rapids, Michigan, including submitting himself to a series of drug testing leading to the day of the fight.

“Lahat ng gusto niya (Mayweather), pumayag na si Manny, peros siya naman ang ayaw,” he said.
One major development that could force Mayweather Jr. to accept the bout, however, is the result of the two felony coercion and one felony robbery charges filed against him by former girlfriend Josie Harris. Arraignment for the case is set on January 24.

“Nahihirapan ngayon `yun (Mayweather). Maraming kaso, baka maubos ang pera. Baka sakali, lalaban na `yun,” said Singson.

But given the difficult nature of putting together a fight involving two of the best boxer in the planet today, Singson said Pacquiao has a lot of available contingencies in case Mayweather remains an elusive opponent.
“Mayweather muna kung lalaban. Tapos no. 2 si Mosley and then, Marquez,” said Singson, stressing that a third fight with Mexican rival Juan Manuel Marquez should be made at 145 and above.

As for the others, Singson said they can forget about earning their biggest payday at the expense of Pacquiao.

“Yung mga Berto (Andre, the reigning World Boxing Council welterweight champion) walang pera dun,” he said. “Maraming gustong lumaban sa kanya, pero hindi kikita.”

Juan Manuel Marquez And Andre Berto Both Want Match With Manny Pacquiao

2010-11-28T21:08:00.000-08:00

[Sports.Inquirer.Net] Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez recovered from a third round knockdown to stop Australian Michael Katsidis in the ninth and retain his WBA and WBO lightweight titles in Las Vegas on Saturday.
Immediately after the victory, Marquez called for a third fight with eight-weight world champion Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines.

Pacquiao and Marquez drew their first bout in 2004, and Pacquiao won a split decision in a rematch four years later.

“We know Pacquiao is avoiding us,” said Marquez afterward. “A third fight is what the public wants.”

In the undercard, unbeaten American Andre Berto impressively defended his World Boxing Council welterweight belt, stopping Freddy Hernandez at 2:07 in the first round.

Berto improved to 27-0 with 21 knockouts.

Berto was later quoted by Fighthype as saying: “I think I would definitely be the best fight out there for him
(Pacquiao). He needs somebody with speed, he needs somebody young, he needs somebody strong, and we’re going to see what happens.”

After a fast-paced opening two rounds, in which Mexican Marquez landed blistering counter combinations as his
Australian challenger pressed forward, Katsidis, 27-3 (22 KOs) dropped Marquez in round three with a short left hook.

The champion appeared badly hurt but was able to survive the onslaught and by the end of the round was troubling his opponent with pinpoint punches to the body and head.

Katsidis continued to swarm forward aggressively, throwing a high volume of punches, but Marquez, 52-5-1 (38 KOs) responded with devastatingly accurate counters.

In the ninth, Marquez stepped up the pressure, landing with combinations and backing Katsidis across the ring. As
Marquez continued to land at will, referee Kenny Bayless called a halt to the contest.

Katsidis was fighting despite the death of his brother, Stathi, last month. Stathi, a professional jockey, was found dead in his Brisbane home on Oct. 19 from as yet undisclosed causes.

“I went through a lot to make it to this fight,” Katsidis admitted afterward. “It was a hard thing to even make it through this fight,” he added tearfully.

Pacquiao has repeatedly said that he is willing to face anybody lined up for him by his promoter (Bob Arum).

In Marquez’s case, Pacquiao wants a guaranteed purse and said the Mexican’s camp should undertake all the promotional aspect of the bout which could be done from 140-147 pounds.

Pacquiao The Crime Buster

2010-11-14T08:54:00.000-08:00

CRIME rate was practically non-existent yesterday as even criminals watched and cheered the Pambansang Kamao, Manny Pacquiao.

The Philippine National Police recorded a phenomenal minimal crime incidence especially in Metro Manila where only one crime was reported – a robbery in a jewelry shop in Manila.

“Apparently, even criminals took time out to watch the People’s champ. How we wish that we can enjoy minimal crime rate all year round,” PNP chief Director General Raul Bacalzo said.

Maybe Manny Pacquiao should stop politics and be a police beating up crime like he did Antonio Margarito.

Manny Pacquiao Is The Best

2010-11-14T08:47:00.000-08:00

The size disparity was obvious with just one look at Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito.

But on this cool Saturday night, it was the boxing wonder from the Philippines who stood tall.

Behind a blinding speed and thundering punches, Pacquiao, the world’s top pound-for-pound fighter, reduced the bigger but slow Margarito to a bloody pulp, carving out a lopsided 12-round unanimous decision and winning the World Boxing Council (WBC) junior middleweight championship for his record eighth world title.

Peppering his tough, 5-foot-11 Mexican opponent with power punches left and right, Pacquiao had no trouble pulling off this one, dominating Margarito from the opening bell onwards and dealing him the worst loss of his tarnished career before an electrified crowd of 41,734 at the elegant Cowboys Stadium here.

So overriding the victory was, that Margarito, his face a bloody mess after the fight, only won a total of three rounds on all the judges’ scorecards that read 120-108 (Laurence Cole), 118-110 (Glen Crocker) and 119-110 (Oren Shellenberger).

“I don’t think Manny lost a single round,” stressed trainer Freddie Roach in the post-fight conference. “I wish we had knocked him out. He’s a very tough guy. I was surprised how tough he was.”

Pacquiao, the fighting congressman from the province of Sarangani who now has won world titles as a flyweight super-bantamweight, featherweight, super-featherweight, lightweight, junior welterweight and welterweight, was just as stunned as his well-respected trainer.

“I’m really trying to knock him out, but I can’t believe that he’s tough,” said the 31-year-old Filipino southpaw, who also sported some bruises on his face and two swollen hand after turning his opponent into a virtual moving target. “He had a braveheart.”

Indeed, Margarito had.

Based on Compu box statistics, Pacquiao landed a total of 474 out of the total 1,069 punches thrown. Out of those punches landed, 411 were power shots or an average of 34 power punches per round, 21 more than the weight class average.

“Those numbers are absolutely out of sight,” Top Rank chairman Bob Arum, obviously astonished with the figures,” admitted later.

Pacquiao (52-3-2, 38 Kos) relentlessly strafed Margarito in the fourth, opening a nasty cut just under the right eye that eventually shut close as the fight wore on.

The former three-time world champion from Tijuana, Mexico, said the complexion of the highly-entertaining match changed from that point on.

“I was doing good until I was cut in the fourth. That’s when the problem started coming,” said Margarito, who skipped the post-fight conference as he had to be brought to the hospital for checkup.

Margarito had his best moments in the middle rounds, especially in the sixth when he staggered Pacquiao with a left to the side after briefly managing to pin the boxing sensation on the ropes.

“He hurt me in the ropes. He hurt me with that body shot,” the former pandesal vendor turned ring champion said of that incident.

But Pacquiao quickly turned the fight around with two more dominant showings in the 10th and 11th, respectively, landing 108 of a total 164 power punches thrown at Margarito (38-7, 27 Kos).

The barrage of punches left Margarito’s both eyes badly swelling that the Filipino at one time, asked referee Laurence Cole to stop the carnage.

“His face was a mess. My opponent looked bad,” said Pacquiao, who earned a cool $15 million, a figure that could likely increase to as much as $20 million when the pay-per-view sales come in next week.

“I wanted the referee to stop it. In the 12th round I was just looking to get thru the fight. I eased up on him. I told the referee, ‘Look at his eyes.’ I didn’t want to damage him permanently. That’s not what boxing is about,” added Pacquiao.

Margarito took home $3 million, his biggest paycheck ever despite coming off a one-year suspension after his license was revoked when he was caught guilty of loading his handwraps prior to a January 2009 title fight with Sugar Shane Mosley.

Although Cole thought many times during the course of the fight whether to stop it or not, the Mexican wouldn’t allow such thing to happen.

“He’s very fast. It’s hard to land a punch on that guy, but there’s no way I was going to quit in the fight. I am a Mexican and we fight to the end,” said Margarito.

Shane Mosley Wants Manny Pacquiao

2010-11-14T02:24:00.000-08:00

"Sugar" Shane Mosley spoke with BoxingScene.com to discuss his status with Golden Boy Promotions and to clear up some of the rumors being circulated on the internet. Mosley told BoxingScene that he is not signing a promotional agreement with Top Rank. While Mosley is still a partner in Golden Boy, he plans to fight outside of their promotional banner in order to get fights with Top Rank-promoted boxers.

Golden Boy and Top Rank have an ongoing rivalry which has escalated to the point where the two companies are not doing any business with each other. Without the involvement of Golden Boy in the promotion, Mosley is confident that he can reach an agreement with Top Rank to fight Manny Pacquiao, or possible rematches with Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito.

If a deal is reached for Mosley to face a Top Rank-promoted boxer, he plans to fight under his own personal promotional company.

[Courtesy: Ernest Gabion]

Singapore Open Golfers Watch Pacquiao Vs Margarito Instead

2010-11-13T23:49:00.000-08:00

Golfers at the Singapore Open took full advantage of another long weather delay by tuning into the Manny Pacquiao v Antonio Margarito WBC super welteweight title fight on television on Sunday.

The final round of the $6 million co-sanctioned tournament was halted shortly before noon local time as a tropical downpour lashed the Serapong course and the threat of lightning forced players into the clubhouse.

Defending champion Ian Poulter and U.S. Open winner Graeme McDowell were two of those who watched the Filipino, known as Pac Man, dominate Margarito for 12 rounds at Cowboys Stadium in Texas.

"Not the worst storm delay of all time as we all got to watch the Pacquiao fight, but it means we are struggling to get finished today," McDowell said on his Twitter feed.

McDowell could leaprfrog German Martin Kaymer at the top of the Race to Dubai standings if he wins in Singapore, though the tournament now looks likely to finish on Monday due to the delay.

"70 players watching the Pac Man fight," Poulter tweeted on his page. "Wow it's a belter."

Poulter, Adam Scott and Kang Kyung-nam are leading the tournament on 14-under-par after three holes of the final round with McDowell two strokes back.

Small But Terrible

2010-11-13T23:43:00.000-08:00

The marvelous Manny Pacquiao did it again. The 98-pound weakling kicked sand in the big guy's face. Yet another Paul Bunyan was chopped down, although this one, a tough and game Antonio Margarito, never allowed anyone to yell "Timber."

Pacquiao did what his camp, and especially his trainer, Freddie Roach, said he would. He methodically sliced apart a man who had five inches on him in height, six inches of reach and 16 pounds by fight time.

The Congressman from the Sarangani district of the Philippines, a boxing wonder, countered off most of Margarito's plodding charges with flurries of combinations. By the fourth round, Margarito's face was a mess and Pacquiao was in control.

By the 11th round, the cut under Margarito's right eye, inspected in his corner after each round, was so bad and Pacquiao was doing such damage that Pacquiao kept glancing at the referee, expecting him to step in and stop it. He even admitted after the fight that he had backed off a bit in the last two rounds because he didn't want to damage the eye any more. The result was a unanimous decision and the WBC junior-middleweight title.

Margarito kept coming forward, plodding, lunging, lurching and occasionally landing.

Little did we think that there was another body part in Pacquiao's arsenal that we hadn't identified. Now we have: his chin. Margarito connected several times. Pacquiao took the hits, danced away and peppered Margarito with four or five quick shots in return.

"I never expected him to be as strong as he was," Pacquiao said.

Margarito said, "I am a Mexican. I would never quit."

Roach was less diplomatic. He said the Margarito corner "probably ruined Margarito's career by not stopping it earlier."

[Courtesy: Bill Dwyer | LA Times]

Pacquiao Versus Mayweather Still A Possibility?

2010-11-13T23:36:00.000-08:00

In the days and weeks before he would fight Diego Corrales in Las Vegas in 2001 in the first major fight of his career, Floyd Mayweather Jr. railed against the evils of domestic violence.

Corrales was facing a prison term on charges of spousal abuse, and Mayweather taunted him about it relentlessly. He promised to defeat Corrales on behalf of battered women everywhere.

Now, nearly a full decade later, there is a certain sad irony in the fact that what would be the richest fight in boxing history may never be made because Mayweather is facing a potential lengthy prison sentence because of a domestic violence charge pending against him.

Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao are the two best fighters in the sport. Some prefer Pacquiao because he’s become an offensive dynamo whose fast hands have led to destructive wins over the likes of Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto. Others prefer Mayweather, whose amazing defensive instincts make it next to impossible for mere mortals to land a haymaker.

Either way, it doesn’t matter. They’re 1 and 1-A, and nobody else is close.

They’re also the two biggest draws in the sport. Pacquiao is expected to draw a huge crowd to Cowboys Stadium on Saturday, when he’ll meet Antonio Margarito for the vacant World Boxing Council super welterweight title that Mayweather once held. Promoter Bob Arum said there is a chance that there could be as many as 70,000 people in the stadium, but it’s a slam dunk that the figure will exceed the 51,000 who showed up in March to watch Pacquiao take Joshua Clottey apart.

Mayweather’s 2007 fight with De La Hoya established records for most pay-per-view sales, at 2.45 million, and largest gate, at $18.4 million.

There were two aborted attempts – one late last year and the other this past summer – to make the fight, and each time it fell apart. In the summer negotiations, things were so bad that the Mayweather side tried to insist there were no negotiations.

But now, there is no other legitimate challenger for either man. In January, after talks broke down the first time, Pacquiao turned to Clottey and Mayweather turned to Shane Mosley. Clottey was viable because most believe he deserved a win over Miguel Cotto when they fought, and that only a bad judging decision cost him the victory. Mosley was viable for Mayweather because he’d destroyed Margarito in 2009, had two wins over De La Hoya and was regarded by most experts as one of the top 10 fighters in the world.

Pacquiao routed Clottey and Mayweather did the same to Mosley. Mosley was also lackluster in fighting to a split draw with Sergio Mora in September.

Assuming Pacquiao defeats Margarito on Saturday – Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach not only predicts a knockout inside of eight rounds but insists Pacquiao won’t lose a second of the fight – the only man for Pacquiao is Mayweather and the only man for Mayweather is Pacquiao.

Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum said Pacquiao wants the Mayweather fight and will say that on Saturday if or when he defeats Margarito. If not, Arum added, the choices for Pacquiao’s next opponent would be Mosley, Cotto or Juan Manuel Marquez.

None of the three are remotely attractive anymore. Mosley is 39 years old and clearly on the downside of his career. He was horrific in the fight against Mayweather and lackluster at best against Mora. Pacquiao already destroyed Cotto, stopping him in the 12th round of a bout that could have been – and probably should have been – halted four or five rounds earlier. Pacquiao and Marquez have fought a pair of sensational fights, battling to a 2004 draw in a featherweight match before Pacquiao pulled out a split-decision victory in a 2008 super featherweight title fight.

Marquez is a lightweight, however, and Pacquiao is a welterweight. Pacquiao will no longer fight lighter than about 144 pounds, meaning Marquez would have to move up. And while Marquez is clearly one of the world’s finest fighters, he proved conclusively in a 2009 loss to Mayweather that he’s no welterweight. He was slow and didn’t have his usual fire.

The possibilities for either man, then, are limited. They need each other.

Not only does Mayweather face potential jail time, but his trainer/uncle – Roger Mayweather – does as well. On the same day that Floyd Mayweather Jr. must appear in a Las Vegas court for a preliminary hearing, Roger Mayweather is set to stand trial on charges he assaulted a female boxer he once trained.

Arum said he’d reach out to Mayweather next week if Pacquiao wins on Saturday, seeking permission to speak with Mayweather’s highly regarded Las Vegas defense attorney, Richard Wright, about his case. Arum does not want to put up millions of dollars for a fight if the domestic violence case is going to interfere.

Whether Mayweather will grant that permission is dubious, given his bitter relationship with Arum. Even if he does, there are huge obstacles to making the fight.

Mayweather likely wouldn’t want to fight without his uncle in his corner, so not only will Floyd’s legal issues have to be resolved but Roger’s as well.

They’ll need to come to a deal on the drug testing that Mayweather was insisting upon previously, and which ultimately scuttled the first fight when everything else seemed settled.

They’ll need to agree on a purse split. Arum said even if Pacquiao’s fight with Margarito does more pay-per-view sales than the 1.4 million that the Mayweather-Mosley fight did, he’ll agree to 50-50. Whether Mayweather will agree, however, is anyone’s guess.

Given the intense feelings in the relationship between the sides, the little things will also be big – and could prove to be stumbling blocks.

It makes sense for Pacquiao-Mayweather to be the next fight on the agenda for each man, but as we’ve seen already in this mess, common sense rarely prevails. Don’t hold your breath waiting for the match, and consider yourself extremely fortunate if you ever get to see it.

[Courtesy: Kevin Iole]

What's Next For Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao

2010-11-13T23:33:00.000-08:00

What's next for Manny Pacquiao? Floyd Mayweather Jr.? Or...

Post-fight Interview With Manny Pacquiao

2010-11-13T23:20:00.000-08:00

Jaime Motta talks with Manny Pacquiao following his unanimous decision victory over Antonio Margarito in Dallas below.

[Courtesy: ESPN Sports]

Pacquiao Margarito Fight Highlights

2010-11-13T23:10:00.000-08:00

Bigger doesn't mean better and Manny Pacquiao proved that small is terrible too.

Manny Pacquiao more than made up with speed what he lacked in size, turning Antonio Margarito into a bloody mess with a dizzying array of punches Saturday night in a lopsided decision victory.

In a spectacular performance before a delighted crowd of 41,734 at Cowboys Stadium, Pacquiao cemented his claim to being the best boxer in the world by dominating the bigger but slower Margarito almost from the opening bell.

Pacquiao won round after round, opening a cut on Margarito’s cheek and closing his right eye.

The punches came quickly, and they came often. Margarito was plenty game as he tried to stalk Pacquiao around the ring, but every time he got close Pacquiao would land a four- or five-punch combination that snapped his head back and stopped him in his tracks.

The beating was so thorough that the congressman from the Philippines turned to referee Laurence Cole several times in the 11th round, imploring him to stop the fight. It went on, though, even though Margarito had no chance to win.

“I can’t believe that I beat someone this big and this strong,” Pacquiao said. “It’s hard. I really do my best to win the fight.”

Pacquiao moved up in weight yet again to take on Margarito, a natural welterweight with a reputation for ruggedness in the ring. And rugged he was, though he took a beating all night long at the hands of a faster and seemingly more powerful opponent.

“There was no way I was gong to quit. I’m a Mexican, we fight until the end,” Margarito said.

Pacquiao won every round on one scorecard, 120-108, and was ahead 119-109 and 118-110 on the other two. The Associated Press had it a 120-108 shutout.

“We didn’t lose a round,” said Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach. “I wish they would have stopped the fight.”

That almost happened, but Cole allowed it to go on even as Margarito kept taking such a beating that he went directly to a hospital afterward for treatment of his cuts. There wasn’t any way Margarito was going to win the fight, but he could still see out of one eye and wanted to continue.

“I told the referee, `Look at his eyes, look at his cuts,”’ Pacquiao said. “I did not want to damage him permanently. That’s not what boxing is about.”

Ringside punch stats reflected Pacquiao’s dominance, showing him landing 474 punches to 229 for Margarito. But it wasn’t just the sheer volume of punches, but the power in which they came at almost every angle.

Roach predicted before the fight that Pacquiao would carve Margarito apart because he was simply much too quick for his opponent. He did just that, starting from the first round when he landed an early flurry up the middle that seemed to set the tone for the fight.

It wasn’t entirely easy, though. Pacquiao said Margarito hurt him in the middle rounds with shots to the head and the body, though he was unable to land more than one of two punches at a time. When he did manage to land, more often than not Pacquiao was there to fire right back with volleys of his own that found their mark almost every time.

“Manny is the best fighter in the world,” said Margarito’s trainer, Robert Garcia. “He is just too fast—very, very quick.”

While there was no controversy in the ring, there was a dispute in the dressing room before the fight when a member of Pacquiao’s camp saw a weight-loss supplement in Margarito’s gear and demanded his blood be tested immediately for possible banned substances. Texas boxing officials ruled that would not be necessary, and the fight went on.

Roach also made sure he was in the dressing room to watch the hands of Margarito, who is still banned in California for a hand wrapping scandal, get wrapped. But it was Margarito’s corner who demanded Roach also rewrap his fighter’s hands in a display of gamemanship.

Once the fight started it didn’t matter. Pacquiao landed some big left hands early, cutting Margarito beneath the right eye and causing it to swell. By the middle of the fight he couldn’t see out of that eye and his left eye began closing, too.

The fight was for the WBC 154-pound title even though the contract weight was 150 pounds. Margarito weighed 150 at Friday’s weigh-in, but was 165 on the unofficial HBO scale before the fight while Pacquiao, who had been 144.6, was 148 pounds.

Pacquiao also gave away 4 1/2 inches in height and was at a six-inch reach disadvantage, but that didn’t matter either.

Pacquiao earned a guaranteed $15 million, though he is likely to make millions more on his cut of the television revenues. He planned to give a concert at Lake Tahoe on Tuesday and then return to his political duties in the Philippines.

“I have another job after this,” Pacquiao said. “I’m going back to the Philippines to do my other job and be a public servant.”

[Courtesy: Tim Dahlberg | Yahoo! Sports]

Manny Pacquiao Beats Up Antonio Margarito For 8th Title

2010-11-13T22:59:00.000-08:00

Manny Pacquiao was once again masterful, beating Antonio Margarito so frightfully that Margarito’s face looked as it had been pounded repeatedly by a club.

Pacquiao won a unanimous one-sided decision in a blowout from the opening seconds of the fight to capture the World Boxing Council super welterweight title before 41,734 in-awe fans at Cowboys Stadium.

Pacquiao’s title belt, coming against an opponent who had a 17-pound weight advantage when the bell rang, 165-148, was the eighth in his illustrious career. Pacquiao has won world titles at 112, 122, 126, 130, 135, 140, 147 and now 154 pounds.

Judges Jurgen Langos had it 120-109, Glen Crocker had it 118-110 and Oren Schellenberger had it 119-109 for Pacquiao. Yahoo! Sports scored it 120-107 for Pacquiao, giving Pacquiao a 10-8 edge in the 10th round when he dominated tremendously.

Margarito, fighting for the first time in the U.S. since Jan. 24, 2009, when he was caught with an illegal knuckle pad in his gloves before a loss to Shane Mosley, was never in the fight. Pacquiao’s speed was blinding and was the difference in the fight.

Pacquiao was hurt when Margarito landed a combination to the ribs, but he spun off the ropes and landed a three-punch combination to the head. Margarito’s right eye was swollen grotesquely, beginning in the fourth. By the 10th round, the left eye was a slit, too.

Pacquiao was looking at referee Laurence Cole late in the fight, asking him to stop it. Pacquiao said he eased off in the 12th round. “I did my best,” Pacquiao said. “He’s strong. He’s a very tough fighter. I can’t believe [he took those punches].”

Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, added, “We didn’t lose a round. I wish they had stopped the fight. They probably ruined his career by not stopping the fight.”

[Boxing News Source: Kevin Iole]

Pacquiao Exposes Margarito's Flaw

2010-11-13T22:46:00.001-08:00

Congratulations to Congressman Manny Pacquiao for winning his eight world boxing title after decisively beating Antonio Margarito. Give credit to Antonio Margarito for standing his ground and lasting 12 rounds despite the systematic onslaught by Manny Pacquiao.

Click HERE for Pacquiao-Margarito Picture Gallery

Credit also goes to Freddie Roach. Now I understand the 'flaw' he was talking about. Antonio Margarito prepared his mind and body. He even showed it off during the official weigh-in and people started to doubt if Manny Pacquiao could beat the bigger and strong Antonio Margarito.

Except, when fight time came, Manny Pacquiao disregarded going after the body and instead followed Freddie Roach's strategy to go after the 'flaw.' Antonio Margarito failed to protect his face and he paid the price terribly. Round after round, Manny Pacquiao systematically pounded Antonio Margarito's face 'til all he could see were blurry punches striking from every angle. The once smiling and proud face promptly disappeared.

Watch Pacquiao Versus Margarito WBC Junior Middleweight Title Live Stream

2010-11-13T21:53:00.000-08:00

The Mega-boxing event of the year is just around the corner. Manny Pacquiao goes for another record-breaking 8th world boxing title while Antonio Margarito fights for a chance at redemption (although, that videoclip about him mocking Roach's condition surely won't help his case).

If you don't have a subscription to HBO PPV for the Manny Pacquiao-Antonio Margarito event, don't fret. We'll share it with you here on PacmanVS.

A live stream for the Manny Pacquiao - Antonio Margarito showdown will be shown here.

If you can see the live stream below, then you're good to go. If not, take the opportunity to update your browsers and plug-ins. If you're still stuck with Internet Explorer 6 then it's gonna suck. I recommend IE8, Mozilla Firefox, or Chrome for maximum compatibility. Also download plug-ins that are used in video streaming like Adobe Flash, Microsoft Silverlight, and Veetle.

Manny Pacquiao Versus Antonio Margarito Fight Night in the Dallas Cowboys Stadium will start at 9PM Eastern Time. Of course, there will be undercard fights, so Pacquiao and Margarito will probably enter the ring at around 11.

At the official weighin at the Dallas cowboys Stadium, Pacquiao came in at 144.6 lbs. while Margarito made it in time to weigh in at 150 lbs. Pacquiao expects to weigh the same while Margarito could stuff it til 160lbs.

[Video Courtesy: fightfan.com | Youtube]

Manny Pacquiao - Antonio Margarito Official Weigh-in

2010-11-12T22:08:00.000-08:00

Pound for pound king and 7 weight division champion Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines and former welterweight champion Antonio Margarito of Mexico pose during the official weigh-in at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium Friday afternoon for their WBC Junior Middleweight Title bout Saturday night at the same venue here. Pacquiao came in at 144.6 lbs. while Margarito tipped in at 150 lbs.

Jorge Arce: Only Knockout Could Save Antonio Margarito

2010-11-12T10:41:00.000-08:00

Although highly-regarded as a gritty Mexican boxing hero, Jorge Arce, the five-time world champion, isn’t ashamed to admit how he admires Manny Pacquiao.

Although having witnessed in action several times in the past the man reviled by many of his countrymen for beating one Mexican great after the other, Arce said he still has one major wish he wants to get done when it comes to the world’s top pound-for-pound fighter.

“It’s always a dream of mine to see Pacquiao in training,” said Arce, who stood out again through his signature fedora hat.

Quizzing Manila-based reporters on the exact time the seven-time world champion would work out, Arce, 31, didn’t lose time tracking down Pacquiao at the Longhorn Exhibition Hall late Thursday afternoon as he conducts his final training day for his title bout against Arce’s compatriot, Antonio Margarito.

So, there was Arce savoring the moment at ringside as he watched Pacquiao dazzle him and the rest of the crowd with his power punches and noted handspeed in the ring along with trainer Freddie Roach.

Afterwards, he said only a knockout of Pacquiao 48 hours from now could save the day for Margarito.

Otherwise, it will be an all Pacquiao show in the event the 12-round fight ends up in the judges’ scorecard.

Arce provided the simple, yet reasonable assessment based on the strengths the two fighters will be bringing with them inside the ring.

Margarito thrives on his size and physical strength, while Pacquiao has always relied on his speed and quickness.

Overweight Margarito: "There is No Way That We Can Lose This Fight"

2010-11-12T10:35:00.000-08:00

Antonio Margarito is ready for war on Saturday night at Cowboys Stadium in Texas. The former three time welterweight champion is confident in his ability to knock Manny Pacquiao out. He doesn't see Pacquiao being able to last the twelve round distance. There have been insults thrown around by both camps for many weeks. Margarito said he only threw insults in response to the verbal attacks from Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach.

"I came here to fight and not to make friends," said Margarito. "We were peaceful, but the team of Pacquiao, Freddie Roach in particular, tried to intimidate us and it was time to fight back. I guess they are nervous. Roach has talked a lot about us."

Margarito doesn't see any possibility for Pacquiao to win. They will fight at a catch-weight of 150-pounds. Margarito thinks Pacquiao and his team made a very big mistake by agreeing to fight him at junior middleweight.

"I feel very good, very different, and even better than when I faced Miguel Cotto. There is no way we can lose this fight. I'm going to knock him out," Margarito said.

Antonio Margarito suffering the same fate as Oscar De La Hoya and Miguel Cotto at the hands of Manny Pacquiao won’t come as a surprise to Alex Ariza. [Jhonny Gonzalez]

Antonio Margarito is Overweight

Pacquiao’s great strength and conditioning coach believes Margarito is still a bit overweight heading into Friday’s official weigh-in (Saturday in Manila) at the Cowboys Stadium.

The signs are there, according to Ariza, for everyone to see – doing roadwork at night, wearing sunglasses during the final press conference for the 12-round title fight, and even wearing plastic (suits) from the opening to the final day of his training.

“He doesn’t look good to me,” Ariza disclosed. “I’ve been in this business for a long time and I knew what fighters look like in scales”.

“I think he’s overweight. And I think he’s grossly emaciated and gaunt. He looks terrible to me. He looks like he left everything in the ring.”

Drained after attempting to go down in weight, both De La Hoya and Cotto were stopped in the ninth and 12th rounds, respectively ,by Pacquiao.

Ariza, who’s been in-charge of conditioning Pacquiao every fight since 2008, added Margarito’s case can be likened to De La Hoya two years ago.

Without a doubt, Ariza thinks the former three-time world champion from Tijuana, Mexico will make the catchweight (150).

“But he’s gonna kill himself to make that weight. He’s gonna look like a shell. Gonna be a shell of a fighter inside that,” Ariza said.[Gerry Ramos]

Robert Garcia:Pacquiao Will Go Down In The 11th Round

2010-11-10T09:22:00.000-08:00

Manny Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, predicted the fight will end at the 8th round, but Robert Garcia thinks otherwise. He believes Antonio Margarito has what it takes to knock out the man considered as the best boxer in the planet today.

And as proof of that, the trainer of the Mexican fighter who’s on the comeback trail, has picked the particular round where the end will come for Manny Pacquiao.

“I like it in later rounds. I’m picking 11,” said Garcia moments after stepping down from the ring following the open public workout the 32-year-old Margarito did Tuesday afternoon at the Longhorn Exhibit Hall of the Gaylord Texan Hotel here.

Freddie Roach, the counterpart of Garcia in Pacquiao’s corner, has been consistent in his forecast of Margarito going down between the eighth and ninth round.

But Garcia, 39 and a former International Boxing Federation (IBF) super-featherweight champion, believes their chances of pulling one of boxing’s biggest upsets relies on the fight stretching in the late rounds.

“The longer the fight goes, the better our chances. That’s guaranteed,” he said.

And there’s no other way for them to win this one than stopping the world’s pound-for-pound king on his tracks.

“Knockout, knockout. No doubt about it,,” Garcia added. “But it’s going to be a tough fight.”

Asked about why he’s confident Margarito can knock out the Filipino ring superstar, Garcia stressed, “I know my fighter. I know the condition he is in, the heart that he’s got. And I’ve been watching those Pacquiao fights over and over again the past three months.”

By repeatedly viewing Pacquiao’s previous fights, Garcia admitted having seen a lot of flaws in the seven-time world champion’s fighting style, but would rather not bare them in public.

“You guys will see that on the day of the fight. Margarito’s height and reach will be a big advantage, but we’ll gonna push him to fight,” Garcia said.

Margarito’s trainer also addressed the issue surrounding the Mexican’s weight problem, pointing out he has no trouble meeting the catchweight of 150 pounds set for the fight.

As of Tuesday, Garcia said Margarito is on weight already.

“He’ll be coming in at 150 during the weigh-in,” he said. And come fight night? “160, 162 maybe. But no, we won’t go up at 165.”

What's Next For Manny Pacquiao?

2010-11-10T07:20:00.000-08:00

[Examiner.com] Boxer Manny Pacquiao will be on 60 Minutes Sunday night and the interview has been really hush-hush in what it will share with the viewers. Known as one of the greatest fighters in the world, Manny (also known as Pacman) was in Los Angeles for the filming of the segment.

Bob Simon was taking a break outside, while Manny was eating inside and talked to other reporters covering the boxing champion. In his interview, Bob Simon shares that he thinks this might be Manny's last fight. With no one else to challenge in the ring and pursuing politics, it might be we won't see him again after the boxing match on November 13.

This interview is extraordinarily rare as most of the 60 minute staff will only talk to their cameras. Since Mr. Simon was so nice to talk about the champion boxer in the behind the scenes interview, you might want to take a peek. He even admits he knew little to nothing about boxing before he started this segment.

[Video Courtesy: CBSNewsonline | Youtube]

Pacquio And Entourage Arrive In Texas

2010-11-09T21:16:00.000-08:00

Manny Pacquiao set foot on the site of one of his most dominant performances ever after arriving in Texas Monday night for his 12-round title fight with Antonio Margarito of Mexico Saturday at the elegant Cowboys Stadium.

An entourage numbering 188 accompanied Pacquiao in a three-hour flight from Los Angeles to the Lone Star state here aboard a chartered Boeing 757 courtesy of the Miami Airline International.

Pacquiao was also at the home of the Dallas Cowboys and Mavericks eight months ago when he convincingly defeated Ghanaian Joshua Clottey to retain his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title belt before a record crowd of 50,994.

The 31-year-old superstar dominated Clottey in the entire 12-round bout, throwing punches totaling 1,231, landing 246 of them.

But the same can’t be expected of the 32-year-old Margarito, who at 5-foot-11, will be the biggest and strongest opponent the Filipino southpaw will ever face in the ring in his quest for an eighth world title in eight different weight classes.

Yet, Pacquiao said he’s ready at whatever the Mexcian, dubbed the ‘Tijuana Tornado’, will bring in the ring for the World Boxing Council (WBC) super-welterweight championship.

“Let’s get this on,” he said, smiling. “One hundred percent na tayong ready at hinihintay na lang natin ‘yung araw ng laban.”

The world’ top pound-for-pound fighter also has great respect for Margarito, never mind if he was once caught with loaded handwraps, an offense that led to the revocation of his license and a one-year suspension from the ring.

“Magandang laban ito dahil gusto ko ‘yung style nya. He is always coming forward. Aggressive fighter who is always throwing punches,” said Pacquiao of his towering opponent who sports a 38-6 record, with 27 knockouts.

And so leaving nothing to chance, the Filipino congressman had to work hard on his final day at training camp at the Wild Card gym, going four rounds of sparring with old hand David Rodela Monday.

He then hit the speed bag, double end and skipped ropes before being told to finally call off the two-hour training session as his entourage is about to leave for Dallas later.

Pacquiao actually began the day running in the mountains of Griffth Park despite the slight morning drizzle.

Later in the afternoon, it’s off to the Los Angeles International Airport for the three-hour plane ride to Texas, where Margarito had already been waiting as early as Sunday.

Wearing a black trench coat over a cream polo and jeans, Pacquiao was the last to arrive in the airport together with lovely wife Jinkee and sat in the business class of the plane where he was joined by his mother Dionisia, trainer Freddie Roach, physical and strength conditioning coach Alex Ariza, Wild Card stablemates Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and reigning World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight champion Amir Khan.

Arriving at the Dallas/Fortworth airport at around 10 p.m., Pacquiao and his immediate family was whisked right away in a black Navigator and drove off to the Gaylord Texan Hotel & Convention Center, where his entourage is billeted together with those of Margarito.

Pacquiao starts his first day in Texas by doing track work at the Grapevine High School and then will have an open public workout in the afternoon at the Longhorn exhibit of the Gaylor Hotel, preceding Margarito himself.

Would You Like Antonio Margarito To Win Against Manny Pacquaio?

2010-11-09T00:39:00.000-08:00

Bill Detloff, THE RING Magazine's Senior Writer, lays out several reasons why an Antonio Margarito victory over Manny Pacquiao this coming Saturday is going to be a good thing for the sport of boxing.

Conventional thinking holds that as a business, boxing is largely dependent on the success of its most-popular participant. Within the context of its position in the sporting world, boxing has been at its most commercially vibrant when its biggest heroes -- Joe Louis, Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Oscar De La Hoya -- were at the peak of their powers, transcending the sport and creating new fans with each win.

By this logic, all of us who hope for good things for the sport should likewise hope that Manny Pacquiao, by far the most-popular prizefighter in the world and one of the most successful athletes overall, vaporizes Antonio Margarito when they meet on Saturday night on HBO PPV.

By virtue of a charisma that finds its genesis in the improbable combination of humble, cuddly playmate and criminally gifted assassin, Pacquiao has parlayed his success in the ring into international superstardom.

Aided by flawless promotion and a nation of hero-worshipping boxing fans, Pacquiao has captured the hearts of sports fans to such a degree that even his pedestrian singing ability and occasional giddy cluelessness -- both of which were evident during a recent appearance on American late-night talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live -- serve only to make him more lovable.

Which brings us to the best-possible outcome for boxing when Pacquiao and Margarito meet in front of an expected 70,000 or so fans at Cowboy Stadium in Arlington, Texas: a conclusive victory for Margarito.

The reasons are several.

First, upsets are good for business. Think Douglas-Tyson. Think Ali-Foreman. Think Spinks-Ali. Grand upsets remind everyone that what will happen in a prize ring is never a certainty and that is part of the sport’s great, enduring appeal.

At this writing, Pacquiao is roughly a 5-1 favorite. Most expect him to dominate Margarito on the way to stopping him late or winning a unanimous decision. An upset would very likely lead the sports news segments on Nov. 14.

Next, great theater demands both hero and villain and there’s no doubt who is who in this drama. Even if Margarito hadn’t been caught loading his gloves against Shane Mosley, he would be the villain here by virtue of his appreciable size advantage and an appearance that grows more or less sinister in relation to the length and pointiness of his goatee. Moreover, until promoter Bob Arum finds a way to match his star against a basket of puppies, Pacquiao will always be the good guy.

And if there’s one law in the ongoing drama that is good vs. evil, it is this: The good guy can’t always win. Sometimes the bad guy has to win. It’s an essential piece of good story-telling. Evil sometimes has to triumph over good. Not all the time. But enough of the time to keep the outcome in doubt. Good vs. evil, with the right balance of wins for each side, sells. Ask Vince McMahon. Good must have some adversity from which to rebound.

Which brings us to the next reason a Margarito win would be good for the sport: The rematch would blow the roof off everything. If they can put 70,000 in Cowboys Stadium for this match, which isn’t viewed as especially competitive or compelling, what do you think a rematch would do with a Pacquiao who has re-dedicated himself to boxing and a Margarito who has proven he can win the biggest fights without the aid of a crowbar in his gloves? It would break the bank.

As a bonus to all you Mayweather haters out there, a win by Margarito on Saturday and then an immediate rematch would essentially freeze Mayweather out of the picture and forces him to sit on the sideline watching a hugely important fight play out. Wouldn’t that be fun?

Finally, everyone loves a redemption story. Once a cheater, Margarito finds true success playing by the rules. It’s not a perfect redemption story, but it doesn’t have to be to sell. Redemption always sells, even when it‘s flawed -- or fabricated entirely.

If the odds are right and Pacquiao wins fairly easily, don’t fret. There are worse things. A Pacquiao win presumably brings us closer to Pacquiao-Mayweather next year. But a Margarito victory would really shake this sport up. And that’s never a bad thing.

Pacquiao-Margarito Fight Week Erupts With Bang

2010-11-09T00:15:00.000-08:00

[Lem Satterfield | BoxingScene.com] The most anticipated fight of the year is only a few days away. WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao will pursue an eight divisional title by rising to 150-pounds to face former title-holder Antonio Margarito on Saturday night at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 knockouts) vs. Margarito (38-6, 27 KOs) will headline a four fight televised card on HBO pay per view.

Pacquiao has been unbeaten since March of 2005, when he dropped a twelve round unanimous decision to Erik Morales at super featherweight. Pacquiao returned to knock Morales out in the next two fights of their trilogy. On Saturday night, he will attempt to secure his 13th straight victory and the ninth knockout of his run.

"It's [moving up in weight] difficult, because I'm used to training and losing weight. When you train, you automatically lose weight. But I have to eat around 7,000 calories a day to keep the weight on. I have to get up in the middle of the night and eat eggs just to keep the weight on," said Pacquiao to FanHouse.

"So that's difficult. But then again, it's also nice, because I don't have to lose weight at the weigh in. It's fine for me to fight bigger guys or smaller guys, I'm just looking to fight. I weigh around 150 pounds right now. I do not have to lose any weight on the day of the weigh-in."

The fight has had it’s fair share of controversy and negative headlines. Before the state of Texas granted his application for a boxing license in the month of August, Margarito had been unable to fight in the United States as a result of a hand-wrapping scandal which stemmed from his ninth-round knockout loss to Shane Mosley in January of 2009. Margarito was previously turned down for a license renewal when he applied in California.

Mosley's trainer, Naazim Richardson, discovered two hard inserts with a plaster-like substance in Margarito's wraps and alerted an officer of the California State Athletic Commission. Margarito’s boxing license was revoked in February 2009 when he appeared before the commission in California. Despite Margarito’s claim that his former trainer, Javier Capetillo, planted the inserts without his knowledge, Pacquiao believes he was fully aware of what his trainer was doing. But, he also believes that Margarito served out his punishment and deserves to make a living.

"I think he [Margarito] knew what he was doing, but he's already been punished enough," said Pacquiao. "I can't say for sure what he did or didn't know, but I'm just a fighter, and I fight."

Even with the controversy, and the negative headlines over Margarito’s involvement in such a major event, thousands of fans are flocking to the state of Texas to attend the fight. Pacquiao’s fight in March, against Clottey, drew nearly 51,000 fans to Cowboys Stadium. Based on recent media events in Texas, Top Rank expects that number to be broken.

Margarito’s media functions, which took place on Sunday, were mobbed by thousands of fans who were eager to express their support for the Mexican fighter. The massive crowds even caught Team Margarito by surprise. After arriving in Dallas, Margarito was met by thousands of fans who turned out to greet him both at the Tamale Festival in Dallas, and, later, at the La Gran Plaza Shopping Mall in Fort Worth.

"Thousands of people showed up. But it's been this way everywhere that we've taken him. He's been getting big crowds," said Lee Samuels, Top Rank's head of public relations, who is in Dallas handling the promotion. "When he was at the Cowboys' Stadium the last time, we had trouble moving him around the stadium a few months ago. He's very popular."

Margarito's trainer, Robert Garcia, said the turnout was unbelievable.

"Oh, man, it was crazy. It was unbelievable. I couldn't believe how many people showed up. The thing is, there were a lot of people here for the Pacquiao-Clottey fight, but, you know, Clottey didn't have any fans here," said Garcia.

"Antonio was very, very grateful that the fans showed up, and to know that all of those people are behind him. I mean, you know, Antonio Margarito has a lot of fans here, so, you know, Saturday night, when the fight comes around, it's really going to be a crazy night."

There was a crowd of 63,315 at the Superdome in New Orleans to witness Muhammad Ali's decision victory over Leon Spinks in their 1978 rematch. The Ali-Spinks rematch still holds the indoor attendance record. Top Rank Promotions' CEO, Bob Arum, told reporters during a recent conference call that he hoped to surpass "over 60,000" in attendance at the stadium.

The crowd of 50,944 for Pacquiao-Clottey was the third largest for an indoor event in boxing history, and Arum said that Pacquiao-Margarito is "tracking well ahead of where we were of the Clottey fight, so I'm very optimistic."

Antonio Margarito's 4-Step Plan For Redemption

2010-11-09T00:06:00.000-08:00

With THE EVENT Manny Pacquiao Versus Antonio Margarito just around the corner, Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports lists 4 steps how Margarito could, if not fully rehabilitate his reputation, lessen the damage caused by his previous fight scandal.

1. Apologize and plead for mercy

Margarito never publicly has apologized to the fans, Mosley and promoter Bob Arum for what occurred that night. He can’t apologize for something he didn’t do, but he did hire Capetillo. While there is at least some doubt Margarito is complicit, there is zero question Capetillo is culpable.

Margarito is the man who hired Capetillo, and Margarito is in charge of his team. If a member of his team makes a mistake, responsibility for it falls on Margarito’s shoulders.

In 2002, the Nevada Athletic Commission fined Fernando Vargas a staggering $100,000 and suspended him for nine months after stanozolol, an anabolic steroid, was discovered in his system following a loss to Oscar De La Hoya. Vargas said that his nutritionist, Maz Ali, gave it to him without his consent.

But Vargas accepted the penalty because Ali worked for him and he had hired Ali.

“I don’t place blame on anyone except myself,” Vargas said following the Nov. 20, 2002, hearing in Las Vegas. “At the end of the day, I’m the captain of my ship.” Capetillo has accepted responsibility. Because Margarito was the boss and the one who hired Capetillo, he needs to apologize and admit responsibility, even if it occurred without his knowledge.

2. Have the wrappings of his hands videotaped every time

When Robert Garcia wraps Margarito’s hands on Saturday, it will be the most scrutinized hand wrapping in history. HBO cameras will be in the locker room to document it.

But Margarito presumably is going to continue to fight after the Pacquiao bout, win or lose. He needs to routinely arrange to have himself videotaped getting his hands wrapped every time he fights to prove he’s on the up and up.

The person wrapping Margarito’s hands should show his hands to the camera before beginning the wrapping to prove he’s not cupping anything illegal in some kind of sleight-of-hand attempt.

3. Remove the wrappings in the ring, in public view

He must allow a neutral party to cut the tape off his hands at the end of every fight and in view of the public. That person needs to deliver the wraps to the relevant authorities for them to inspect.

4. Have the wrapping material purchased and delivered by a third party

As one final layer of transparency, neither Margarito nor anyone in his employ should have the authority to buy the gauze and the tape used to wrap his hands. Having a neutral third party do it would remove any lingering doubts.

Margarito never is going to be boxing’s most beloved figure. He probably never will be so much as well-liked. But at least if he can follow those four simple steps for the remainder of his career, he’ll give the impression that he wants to do the right thing and that he grasps the gravity of the situation.

If he eschews transparency, he’ll be telling us all we need to know about his knowledge of the events of Jan. 24, 2009.

Antonio Margarito Arrives To Much Fanfare, Vows To Defeat Pacquiao

2010-11-08T08:00:00.000-08:00

[Dyan Castillejo, ABS-CBN News] Antonio Margarito is now in Dallas, Texas where he is making the rounds and meeting his fans.

Margarito looked relaxed and happy as he arrived in Texas with his wife, child and team. A bus with a huge photo of Margarito picked up the group.

In the morning, Team Margarito visited the Dallas Market Hall where thousands of Mexican fans awaited the 3-time boxing champion.

It was a happy scene: there was dancing, fans cheering the 'Tijuana Tornado'.

Margarito said he traveled to Texas a little earlier to enjoy the support from the huge Mexican community in the state.

Fans believe Margarito will upset the biggest name in boxing today, which is the Filipino Pacman.

Margarito showed off his muscle - the fruit of very hard training over the last 3 months. He then spent over an hour signing autographs.

Later in the day, team Margarito moved on to the Fort Worth Mall for another big fans rally.

Thousands more Mexicans were in attendance.

A mariachi band livened up the event. Fans were thrilled as Margarito declared he is ready to battle Pacquiao. The boxer sang a little bit, keeping in light for now before facing the biggest challenge of his boxing career come Sunday.

The Pacman has been beating up his Mexican opponents for the last five years, but Margarito said he will be the Mexican that will finally defeat the Pinoy, and take along with him as well the championship belt in the super welterweight division.

Manny Pacquiao Ready To Rumble

2010-11-08T07:50:00.000-08:00

[Inquirer.net] Almost perfect.

After going through five rounds of sparring Saturday (Sunday in Manila), Manny Pacquiao declared that he's "totally ready" to do battle with Antonio Margarito for the vacant World Boxing Council super welterweight crown on Nov. 13 at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

"I'm just perfecting my movements," said Pacquiao in Filipino. "I am polishing my moves, how to counter, my balance and timing."

"I need to be ready on whatever will happen on top of the ring. My style will depend on what he'll do early in the fight."
Pacquiao, of course, has an inkling of Margarito's battle plan.

"We all know that he's a body puncher so I need to harden up my mid-section," said Pacquiao, who does 2,160 sit-ups a day for that purpose.

"When he comes in, I'll meet him with upper cuts left and right," said Pacquiao, noting that the Mexican hits wide and therefore telegraphs his punches.

Asked if he'll beat Margarito to the punch, Pacquiao said. "He'd be hit first."

Pacquiao attributes his new-found zest and vigor during training and sparring with Rashad Holloway and David Rodela to his reduced weight of 147 to 148 pounds.

Pacquiao said trainer Freddie Roach's assessment about his superb condition was right on the dot.

"He (Roach) wouldn't lie that I'm ready when I'm not," said Pacquiao. "Or it will put him to shame."

Admitting that he was sluggish in the early part of training camp in Baguio City, Pacquiao said it was due to the excess weight.

"I was trying to gain weight and become larger because Margarito is bigger and taller," said Pacquiao. "But it didn't do any good because I couldn't move."

According to Pacquiao, he'll just maintain his weight at 147 and 148 till the end of training.

"As long as I'm fast, I'm okay."

Manny Pacquiao: Margarito Talks Too Much. Let's Get It On!

2010-11-08T02:20:00.000-08:00

[Gerry Ramos] Less than a week before fight time, the word war has begun.

Robert Garcia warned counterpart Freddie Roach to be careful with what he wishes for after the four-time Trainer of the Year stood by his earlier prediction Manny Pacquiao will knock out Antonio Margarito either in the 8th or 9th round of their World Boxing Council (WBC) super-welterweight title fight on Saturday.

“(Freddie) Roach should better watch what he’s saying,” said Garcia in the third installment of HBO’s four-part series 24/7 that delves on the training and preparation of both parties leading up to the Nov. 13 bout at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Garcia’s statement was in response to Roach’s assessment that the 32-year-old Mexican won’t last the full distance against Pacquiao, the man considered as the pound-for-pound king of boxing today.

“We will knock this guy out, I promise you,” said Roach, 50.

“I see this fight as an easy fight, and right now with the way Manny’s working, I don’t see any problems.”

Margarito, on a comeback trail after being suspended from fighting for a year, further added fire to the fuel by saying Pacquiao won’t get any help from nobody once they step into the ring.

“Inside the ring, it’s only me and Manny,” he said.

The 31-year-old Pacquiao, however, won’t take those words sitting down.

“He (Margarito) talks too much,” he said in the same HBO series. “Let’s get this on.”

Manny Pacquiao. Antonio Margarito. November 13, 2010. Dallas Cowboys Stadium.

2010-11-06T11:53:00.000-07:00

November 13, 2010 is going to be a day of firsts and seconds for Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito in their first boxing matchup at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

For the first time, Manny Pacquiao fights at the junior middleweight to gain an eighth boxing title--again a first for any boxer--in his second world championship appearance at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium.

For Antonio Margarito, this is a second chance. A fight that will redeem him of the scandal that marred his once brilliant boxing career and bring him back into the ring's spotlight. For Margarito, a three-time world welterweight champion, this his second attempt at a world super welterweight title

Antonio Margarito weighed an even 154 pounds after Wednesday's workout, and "was feeling really good and doing really well," said his trainer," Robert Garcia. "Antonio's drinking a lot of water, and he's really happy."

Freddie Roach expects to see a 160-pound Margarito come fight night, but Manny Pacquiao isn't worried.

"In our training, we're studying harder and working against guys who are bigger and taller and who have a reach advantage. We do our best in training and with our strategy, and so we're not worried about his size," said Pacquiao.

"For me, I'm just a fighter who trains in the gym and fights in the ring. It's the job of my promoter, Bob Arum, to negotiate," said Pacquiao. "I believe that I can fight the bigger guy, even though I'm small compared to Antonio. We will always believe in our talent.

Who's you're pick to win the World Super Welterweight Championship between Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito on November 13, 2010?

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Manny Pacquiao Versus Antonio Margarito: Speed Vs. Height, Reach

2010-11-06T05:51:00.000-07:00

When world seven-division champion Manny Pacquiao battles three-time titlist Antonio Margarito on Saturday next week (Sunday in Manila), the Filipino ring icon could be giving up 10 or more pounds to the “Tijuana Tornado.”

That is if the reigning World Boxing Organization welterweight kingpin (51-3-2 win-loss-draw card) will have his way of maintaining his present 149-pound weight as compared to the expected from 155 to 160 pounds of the Mexican (38-6).

Not only that, the Mexican Antonio Margarito will be having a advantage in height, 5-foot-11 to the Filipino’s 5-foot-7 and in reach 73 inches to 67 inches – making the 12-round making it another “David and Goliath” showdown, which incidentally, Pacquiao is used to.

The two will be fighting for the vacant World Boxing Council super-welterweight crown, a category Margarito is more at home than Pacquiao.

The reason, according to the “Pacman” himself is to maintain his speed, which he added, is the main weapon he will be capitalizing on in his quest for an unprecedented eighth world diadem in as many weight divisions.

“I think will be enough so I can maintain my speed. As I have been saying, it’s still my quickness that will serve as my biggest advantage over Margarito in this fight,” Congressman Pacquiao told the Manila Times in Tagalog after his workout at the Wild Card Gym here Friday.

“I already tried to increase my weight to 150 or 152 while we’re in Baguio, pero bumagal ako. I couldn’t move like I used to. So when we arrived here, we just keep that 148 as much as possible,” he added.
“For me naman, as long as I maintain my quickness, ganun din ang bilis ng mga kamay ko. If I’m fast with my hands, I can throw volume of as many punches as I want to. The power on my punches naman are always there. No problem really,” he explained, admitting that he’s more of a legitimate lightweight or a junior-welterweight, divisions where he was a world champion, too.

Chief trainer Freddie Roach shared his ward’s observation, saying the heavier Margarito is comes fight time Nov. 13 (Nov. 14 in Manila) at the cavernous Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, the slower he gets.

“Margarito has always been a slow-foot. He is naturally slow and I believe that no matter how they hype that he has improved on his movement, the reality is, he will be slower the more weight he gains,” Roach philosophized.

“Manny is correct, maintaining his present weight would be great. We won’t mind him (Margarita) getting heavier and heavier. That would be to his disadvantage than ours,” he continued.

“Is Manny struggling to make the required weight (catchweight 150-lbs)? “ Of course not,” Roach exclaimed. “It is them who should worry making 150 at weight-in.”

“Manny, on the other hand, will have no problem making the cacthweight and keep his speed and agility,” he said.

The heaviest Pacman has ever tipped the scale in his successful, rich 15-year pro-career was under 146-lb. when he fought Ghanian Joshua Clottey in March this year, also at Dallas Stadium.

To make Pacquiao as heavy as he can be, conditioning coach Alex Ariza has been feeding him five meals a day of 7,000 calories that includes protein shakes.

Margarito’s trainer Robert Garcia, for his part said his pupil, who is in deep training in Oxnard, also in California, doesn’t have any nutrient restrictions, adding that he can eat whatever he wants as long as they’re not high on fat.

Rocky Pacquiao

2010-11-06T05:09:00.000-07:00

[Dan Wetzel | Yahoo! Sports] Every boxer thinks he’s Rocky Balboa, at least the Rocky who’s beating on a side of frozen beef, climbing a Siberian mountain or running after a grease-lightning-fast chicken. The one who makes primitive training seem wise and heroic.

On the most recent edition of HBO’s “24/7,” at least one member of Manny Pacquiao’s camp brought up a different kind of Rocky Balboa – the one who had grown rich and famous and distracted at the start of “Rocky III.” That Rocky Balboa joked with reporters at training camp, posed for pictures with celebrities and didn’t fully commit to his training.

“Sylvester Stallone was training in a hotel and media was all around and cameras,” Alex Ariza, Pacquiao’s strength and conditioning trainer, said. “He was fighting Clubber Lang and he went in there and got destroyed.”

You don’t normally see a team joke about its own fighter, but then again, the parallels to Pacquiao’s training for his Nov. 13 fight against Antonio Margarito were obvious.

He skipped a training session to meet with the president of the Philippines, sang “Imagine” with Will Ferrell on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” (“Will Ferrell is a funny guy,” Pacquiao said) and even jetted to Nevada to campaign for Sen. Harry Reid.

Meanwhile, in humble Oxnard, Calif., playing the controversial and driven role of Mr. T’s Clubber Lang, was Margarito, who routinely has a trainer smack his abs with a stick in some sort of medieval toughening test.

Pacquiao is Pacquiao, world’s greatest pound-for-pound fighter and as much as a 6-to-1 favorite over Margarito. Just about everyone who has seen the two men fight thinks Pacquiao’s superior hand speed will carry the day when the two clash in Arlington, Texas.

Except what happens if Pacquiao isn’t fully prepared? Does Margarito then stand a chance? On HBO, Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, played the voice-of-caution Mickey Goldmill character perfectly, even declaring that the Philippine portion of fight prep “was probably our worst training camp ever.”

Wednesday, Roach was singing a different tune. Maybe he just wants to psych Margarito out. Or maybe once Pacquiao got to the Wild Card Boxing Club in California, he was able to settle down. Or maybe for a fighter who seems to thrive in chaos, no amount of distractions matter. After all, Pacquiao is the guy who once had so many friends crashing in his fight-week hotel room, he wound up sleeping on the floor.

“Believe me, we haven’t taken this fight lightly,” Roach said. “Manny is a professional. He’s always known how to get into shape. Manny is always a multitasker. There’s no way [Margarito has] trained harder than us, and it will show on the 13th.”

As for that “worst training camp ever” line and all of the general concern coming from Roach, the trainer said he would grade this camp as a B. It was the “worst” because all the other camps graded out as A’s.

“Nothing to worry about,” Pacquiao added. “Tell the fans there’s nothing to worry about.”

The mere suggestion that Pacquiao hasn’t trained at his typical relentless level isn’t a real good way to convince fans to plop down their pay-per-view money. Then again, a less-than-100 percent Pacman might be susceptible to an upset.

No one wants to see another complete domination like the one Joshua Clottey suffered at the hands of Pacquiao last March. Clottey was so outclassed he hardly bothered to fight, preferring to avoid punishment and go the distance.

“It’ll be a lot better than the Clottey fight because everyone knows Margarito throws punches,” Roach said.

The trainer sounded supremely confident. He brushed off Margarito’s size advantage, saying speed would be the deciding factor. He dismissed Margarito’s punching power as a non-threat.

“I don’t see this as being a difficult fight at all,” Roach said.

Almost everyone else has heard the stories and watched the fighters’ concentration levels during the respective training camps and at least paused to wonder what was up. Even promoter Bob Arum thought Pacquiao looked like a big underdog, not the overwhelming favorite, the first time he saw him in the Philippines.

Around the game of boxing, Manny’s commitment level is the topic of discussion.

“I think Pacquiao will be slower and I think Margarito will be quicker because of the mitt work and the combination punching he’s been doing with [trainer] Robert Garcia,” veteran trainer Joe Goossen told Yahoo! Sports’ Kevin Iole. “The pendulum swings both ways. Margarito is hungry, motivated; he’s in great shape and he’s a big guy.

“On the other side, you have a guy who is now a congressman, whose trainer has been complaining that he hasn’t been putting the work in the way he has in the past. He’s got a lot of things on his mind other than Margarito – and with Margarito as hungry as he is, that’s not a good thing when you look at it from Manny’s standpoint.”

Perhaps. Or perhaps Pacquiao is playing coy and will be as indestructible as ever. Underestimate Manny at your own risk. He didn’t get to be the best by accident.

Wednesday, Team Pacquiao expressed an air of confidence and brushed aside all criticism and concern. That’s what favorites do; it’s straight out of the prefight handbook of trying to crush the confidence of the underdog.

It’s what Rocky Balboa did before fighting Clubber Lang, too.

Manny Pacquiao's Formula For Success: SPEED

2010-11-04T13:27:00.000-07:00

It's no secret that Manny Pacquiao's best formula for beating his opponents has been his speed. His opponents from Joshua Clottey, Miguel Cotto, Ricky Hatton, Oscar De La Hoya, David Diaz, Juan Manuel Marquez, Marco Antonio Barrera and others all attest it was Manny Pacquiao's speed that conquered them.

And it is with this speed that Manny Pacquiao will defeat the bigger and stronger Antonio Margarito for his record eigth world title next Saturday at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

“Yung speed pa rin ang magdadala,” said Manny Pacquiao following a rigorous two-and-a-half hour of training at the Wild Card gym with trainor Freddie Roach.

“We can use that easily. If there’s speed, there’s nothing to worry about,” Manny Pacquiao added. “I know he (Antonio Margarito) has the advantage in reach, but we will use our advantage in speed.”

Manny Pacquiao Sings "Imagine" With Will Ferrel On The Jimmy Kimmel Show

2010-11-02T08:50:00.000-07:00

I can't imagine Manny Pacquiao still has time to take the time to visit the Jimmy Kimmel show. But he does, and he even sings "Imagine" with a self-declared Pacquiao fan--funny man Will Ferrell. Check it out below!

Now, imagine Manny Pacquiao winning his eighth world title on November 13. Awesome! Just a couple more days before imagine becomes reality.

Also, check out HBO's 24/7 which features Manny Pacquiao and foe Antonio Margarito as they prepare for their upcoming boxing match against each other.

Antonio Margarito: Pacquiao Will Regret Fighting Me

2010-10-28T11:22:00.000-07:00

Antonio Margarito said Manny Pacquiao and Top Rank have committed a huge mistake in choosing him to fight the world's pound-for-pound king.

Margarito is facing Pacquiao in a world super-welterweight title fight at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas and the Mexican slugger said he is preparing like never before and that he will shock the world on Nov. 13.

"I guess they were thinking it's an easy fight against a guy with a lot of issues and a lot of weight on his shoulders," Margarito told the Los Angeles Times. "They chose the wrong time to pick me as an opponent."

Margarito is obviously referring to his one-year suspension that was only lifted a few months ago for using loading up his fists with a Plaster of Paris-like substance in a fight with Shane Mosley in 2009. Mosley's trainer discovered the loaded handwraps during an inspection just before the match and Margarito's licensewas later revoked.

Pacquiao and Margarito both fight under the Top Rank banner of Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum, who hinted last week in Baguio City that an upset win by Margarito would certainly pave the way for a much-awaited rematch even if there is no rematch clause in the contract signed by the two parties.

Margarito's training hasn't a missed a beat and trainer Robert Garcia is of the belief that an upset is possible.

Garcia said he knows how to capitalize on Pacquiao's so-called weaknesses and that Margarito's sheer size and pressure would be too much for the Filipino star to overcome.

Meanwhile, the next phase of Pacquiao's buildup – something that taskmaster Freddie Roach said would be the toughest and most crucial – would kick off Monday (Tuesday in Manila) at the Wild Card in Hollywood.

Roach said Pacquiao is sure to regain his focus once he begins working out at the Wild Card.

Antonio Margarito's Chance At Redemption

2010-10-25T03:03:00.000-07:00

Changing his reputation might be a tougher challenge for Antonio Margarito than beating Manny Pacquiao.

"A lot of people already think bad of me, and I can't change their opinions," Margarito said.

State inspectors caught Margarito with plaster-hardened hand wraps before his January 2009 title fight against Shane Mosley at Staples Center. The wraps were confiscated, Margarito lost the fight, his title and his reputation.

The California State Athletic Commission revoked Margarito's license for more than a year.

Margarito is now training for his first fight in the U.S. since his suspension. But his Nov. 13 opponent, Pacquiao, believes Margarito knew his wraps had been tampered with.

Margarito contends he's an innocent party to deception conducted by his since-fired trainer Javier Capetillo. "There's never been a shred of evidence Antonio knew what was in there," Margarito's promoter Bob Arum said.

What is clear is that Margarito's reputation has taken a pummeling.

Margarito followed a tough 2007 decision loss to Paul Williams at Carson with three consecutive knockouts — including a vicious beating of previously unbeaten world welterweight champion Miguel Cotto.

Cotto, and another opponent who lost to Margarito, suggested he relied on loaded gloves to beat them.

"It really hurt to hear and read what people were saying about me," Margarito, 32, said. "I've tried to let people know this was not my doing. I was innocent."

In the Staples Center's dressing room where the plaster was seized, state inspector Dean Lohuis said Margarito was "indignant" about accusations that he knew there was something amiss with his hand wraps. "I don't believe he knew," Lohuis said.

Capetillo declined to be interviewed.

"They were my hands, and I should have been more aware what was in there," Margarito said. "But because Capetillo had been around me so long, the trust was there … Knowing I might not be able to step into the ring again, that was the low moment."

After being suspended, Margarito retreated home to Tijuana with his wife, Michelle.

"I did what I had to do as a spouse," Michelle said. "Support him, give him his space."

Margarito established a routine of waking early and meeting a group of six schoolchildren outside his home, driving them in his pickup to a nearby track to run, mentoring the boys — even if that seems mind-boggling to those who don't buy his hand-wraps account.

[Boxing News Source: Los Angeles Times]

24/7 Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito Interviews

2010-10-25T02:48:00.000-07:00

Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito talk about their upcoming mega-fight on November 13, 2010.

[Courtesy of HBO and Yahoo! Sports]

24/7 Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito Greatest Hits

2010-10-25T02:44:00.000-07:00

Take a look at the brilliant career of Manny Pacquiao and some of the exciting career highlights of Antonio Margarito.

[Courtesy of HBO and Yahoo! Sports]

24/7 Pacquiao Margarito Face Off

2010-10-25T02:39:00.000-07:00

Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito meet face-to-face outside of the ring for this special interview with Max Kellerman.

[Courtesy of HBO and Yahoo! Sports]

Will the Pacquiao Vs. Margarito Fight Be Manny's Last?

2010-10-23T21:00:00.000-07:00

ON the day Manny Pacquiao was scheduled to fly to the U.S. for the final phase of training for the Antonio Margarito title fight, trainer Freddie Roach decided to drop a bombshell.

With all seriousness, Roach, 50, admitted possible retirement beckons upon the boxing champion, hinting the coming Nov. 13 bout with the towering Mexican from Tijuana may prove to be the last in Pacquiao’s illustrious career.

The famed trainer said Pacquiao’s job as congressman representing the province of Sarangani definitely has a lot to do with it.

“We are going to lose Manny Pacquiao to politics, for sure,” Roach said in an interview by BBC World Service.

Roach recalled he began to have a feel of the inevitable following a conversation with the world’s top pound-for-pound fighter just a few days after training camp opened up last month.

“After the first couple of days of training, Manny came up to me and said `I miss my job.’ And I said, `you’re at your job,’ and he said `no. I miss Congress’.”

The revelation Roach made came at a time when Pacquiao’s entourage was set to depart for the U.S. late Saturday night for the remaining two weeks of training before finally coming face-to-face with Margarito at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

The 31-year-old boxing champion sparred for the last time at the Elorde gym in Quezon City yesterday afternoon, going 10 rounds against sparring partners Amir Khan, the world light-welterweight champion, Michael Medina and Glen Tapia.

And unlike in the past, Roach admitted Pacquiao has been training with less passion this time.

“He’s getting better and better every day, but it’s coming a lot slower than usual,” he said. “Usually, Manny has his first sparring session and could fight 12 rounds the next day. I can’t say that at this point in the camp.”

And for the first time, Roach confessed to the popular British broadcasting company that they’re cramming in training camp now.

“We’re fighting against a big, strong guy who’s going to be in great shape and we’re a little behind schedule which is very unusual,” he said. “I’m not sure if it’s the size of the sparring partners that’s giving him trouble or he’s just not himself yet.”

Although Roach didn’t cite specific reasons, Pacquiao’s constant playing of basketball at night made him missed several morning workouts during their four-week stay in their high-altitude training camp in Baguio.

Pacquiao also traveled back to Manila twice during weekends to honor previous commitments he made as part of his job as Saranganin congressman.

Still, Roach remains optimistic things will turn out for the better once the group settles down in the U.S. and resume training at the Wild Card gym in Los Angeles.

“But we do have two hard weeks of sparring coming up before we start tapering off and slowing down and saving it for the fight,” said Roach.

Roach’s statement also put in danger the full-time shelving of a mega-showdown with unbeaten Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a fight the world obviously wants to see.

Last Day Of Training

2010-10-23T05:50:00.000-07:00

Manny Pacquiao “played a bit too much” in logging 10 rounds of sparring Saturday afternoon, chief trainer Freddie Roach said after presiding over the Filipino fighter’s final workout in the country, a little over three weeks before the Nov. 13 collision with Antonio Margarito in Dallas.

Team Pacquiao was scheduled to leave for Los Angeles Saturday night and Roach is looking forward to the start of training at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood this Monday.

“I am closing the (Wild Card) gym from 12 noon to 5 p.m.,” said Roach, obviously pissed that there were simply too many people inside the Elorde Gym during the sparring with Amir Khan and Michael Medina.

Pacquiao did three rounds with Medina, had four with Khan and had another three with Medina before doing the other gym staples.

Roach said he expects the atmosphere at the Wild Card to be a lot serious than the ones he had seen in Manila and even in Baguio where he spent four weeks with the 31-year-old Pacquiao.

Pacquiao had his moments during the intense session with the world super-lightweight champion Khan, who gave a good account of himself against the world’s No. 1 boxer.

“Manny just loves to play,” said Roach, who did not sound very alarmed that Pacquiao has been taking it nice and easy.

“By fight time, we will be there,” said Roach.

Khan and Medina also defended Pacquiao’s antics, saying it’s hard and even not right to judge a mere sparring session.

“You don’t give your 100 percent in sparring,” said Khan. “Manny has speed and power and he will beat Margarito by late-round stoppage or 12-round decision.”

Khan theorized that “Manny could have taken it easy with me today.”

Medina echoed the same sentiments, saying Pacquiao remains topnotch.

Meanwhile, Pacquiao said he would be happy to face Floyd Mayweather before Filipino fight fans in what is likely to become a sequel to the epic 1975 Thrilla in Manila but clarified that staging such an ambitious promotion would depend on whether the country has what it takes to match Las Vegas' outlandish ways.

“Ang tanong ay kung kaya ba ng bulsa natin,” said Pacquiao when asked about fighting again on local soil. "Talagang gusto ko ulit na lumaban sa harap ng ating mga kababayan pero talagang malaki ang budget na kailangan para dyan."

[Boxing News Source: mb.com.ph]

Two Mega Fights For Manny Pacquiao In 2011

2010-10-22T22:19:00.000-07:00

The biggest fight of the year between Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito is yet to start, but two fights for next year are already in the works for Manny. The big question is WHO?

It could be against Floyd Mayweather Jr., Shane Mosley, Juan Manuel Marquez, Miguel Cotto, Andre Berto, Timothy Bradley or Devon Alexander, and the first fight will happen in May.

But the Top Rank chief, after sitting down with Pacquiao’s handlers, Freddie Roach and Alex Ariza, said none of the future fights for the Filipino champion will go beyond 147 lb.

Pacquiao is scheduled to face Antonio Margarito on Nov. 13 in Arlington, Texas, and while it’s for the vacant WBC super-welterweight (154 lb) crown, it has a catchweight of 151.

“They (Roach and Ariza) talked to me about this,” Michael Marley, quoting Arum, wrote in the Examiner.com yesterday.

“But, like Freddie and Alex told me, from here on out Manny will stick to the welterweight division. They feel 147 pounds is the realistic limit for him and I can’t disagree. They know the fighter inside out.”

After all, Pacquiao is the reigning WBO welterweight champion.

Arum is aware that Margarito may climb the ring as heavy as 165 lb, and that Pacquiao, according to his trainer and strength and conditioning coach, won’t go heavier than 150.

“But they stressed they don’t want Manny stretching it like this after this fight,” Arum told Marley.

“It’s just too much size difference fighting these bigger guys. Antonio Margarito has a contractual weight limit of 150 pounds but he is likely to add 15 pounds with the day before the fight weigh in and then weigh 165 when they get into the ring at Cowboys Stadium.”

Arum then dropped the names of possible opponents for Pacquiao next year.

“With or without Mayweather, Manny will fight twice in the new year. We’re looking at a May bout with or without Mayweather. Who knows how his legal problems will play out so we don’t count on Floyd,” said Arum.

“As for Mayweather, I don’t think it’s a matter of him being interested, it could be whether he is available,” said Arum of Mayweather, facing criminal and assault charges from his former partner, Josie Harris.

Mayweather Jr., who came close to fighting Pacquiao twice, will appear before the court on Nov. 9 or four days before Pacquiao locks horns with Margarito.

Pacquiao is in the last four weeks of training.

He was scheduled to leave Baguio yesterday to resume his training in Manila until he flies to Los Angeles tomorrow.

Arum said Pacquiao will never run out of opponents.

“Shane Mosley is a possibility. So is the winner of the Devon Alexander-Timothy Bradley fight which is on Jan. 29. You can put Andre Berto’s name in there as well and Juan Manuel Marquez because of his history with Manny.”

And Cotto?

“Don’t forget Cotto because he is flexible. Miguel can go to 147 pounds,” Arum was quoted as saying.

[Boxing News Source: philstar.com]

Manny Pacquiao To Go All-Out In Early Rounds For Quick Finish

2010-10-22T22:00:00.000-07:00

Manny Pacquiao might just go for the early kill against Antonio Margarito.

“Siguro aatake kami (We might move in) first and second (rounds),” said the Filipino pound-for-pound champion after a rain-soaked workout yesterday morning at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

“But it depends,” he said.

It may depend, of course, on how Margarito would come out of his corner as well because if the Mexican who stands six feet tall opts to slug it out early, then Pacquiao would never back down.

On his way out and into his brand-new SUV, after the 90-minute workout, Pacquiao said he felt fine.

“My condition, my body, my speed are okay although I feel I still need to work on my speed. I’m comfortable. I’m not slow. But there’s still work to be done on my speed,” he said.

“I’m okay with my sparring. I did 11 rounds the other day,” said Pacquiao, who gave himself a rating of “nine-and-a-half.”

“Never in this camp did I ever feel like I didn’t want to go out and train,” said the boxer who has skipped gym work twice and roadwork three or four times over the last four weeks.

Bob Arum delivered the wake-up call when he said last Monday during a visit to Pacquiao’s camp in Baguio that “if the fight happened on Saturday Margarito would win the fight.”

After watching Pacquiao train last Saturday, Arum said he didn’t see the speed the Pinoy icon would need to beat Margarito.

But Arum left the country last Thursday with a smile after seeing overnight progress in Pacquiao’s training, and getting an assurance from Freddie Roach that things are in check.

“I’m ready,” Pacquiao said yesterday.

Pacquiao was almost done with his speed drills, wind sprints and exercises similar to what NFL players do, when heavy rains fell on him and his trainers Alex Ariza, Buboy Fernandez and Nonoy Neri.

Pacquiao wrapped up his footwork exercises under the rain, covering himself with a white beach towel.

They all had to seek shelter near the stadium entrance. But by the time they got there they were soaked. Pacquiao had to change clothes before he could resume with his abdominal exercises.

A small crowd gathered around Pacquiao, including fellow boxers Roel Velasco, a bronze medalist in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, and Joan Tipon, gold medalist in the 2006 Doha Asian Games.

Pacquiao was trying to get going with his abdominal exercises when Ariza, his strength and conditioning coach, noticed that the 31-year-old superstar seemed to be catching up on his breath.

“That’s okay, Manny. You’ve just come from high-altitude training,” said Ariza, who later explained that there should be a little difficulty with his air intake after spending three weeks in Baguio City.

“By tomorrow it’ll be gone. It’s normal,” said Ariza.

Pacquiao wrapped up his Baguio training with 11 rounds of sparring against Michael Medina, Glen Tapia and Amir Khan last Thursday. He will spar again today at the Elorde Gym and leave for Los Angeles in the evening.

Pacquiao will arrive in LA on a Saturday, and after a full day rest the following day, he resumes training at the Wild Card Gym on Monday. It will be two weeks of hell at the Hollywood sweatshop.

“This would be a big week for sparring. This week and next week. It would be the toughest two weeks coming up,” said Roach, who can’t wait for the day they get to LA.

“With the weather (here) and so forth, yes. And I have more sparring there, better sparring. No, not better, but more of the style I’ve been looking for,” said the celebrated trainer.

Roach is sticking to his prediction of another knockout win by Pacquiao, and early on in this camp he said Margarito may even suffer the fate of Ricky Hatton, down and out in two rounds.

“I’m thinking about that,” said Roach, still on the same page with Pacquiao.

[Boxing News Source: philstar.com]

Manny Pacquiao Versus Antonio Margarito: I'm Ready!

2010-10-22T08:09:00.000-07:00

Dispelling notions that he has yet to prime up for his scheduled showdown with Mexican Antonio Margarito, Manny Pacquiao declared himself fit and raring to go for their November 13 title bout at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

"Ready na tayo. Sana ipagdasal ninyo ako, dahil karangalan natin lahat ito," said Pacquiao, still dripping in sweat shortly after his morning workout on a rainy Friday at the Rizal Memorial track oval in Vito Cruz, Manila.

Pacquiao and Margarito will slug it out in a 12-round duel for the World Boxing Council (WBC) junior middleweight crown.

Asked by GMA News TV reporter Chino Trinidad on where his condition is right now on a scale of 1 to 10, the 31-year-old boxing champion replied "nine-and-a-half" without batting an eyelash.

Pacquiao however shared the opinion of his famed trainer Freddie Roach that he still needs to improve his speed after climbing again to a higher weight division.

"Kumportable naman ako (sa timbang ko). Hindi naman tayo mabagal. Mabilis na rin tayo pero gusto ko pang i-develop talaga yung speed ko," he added.

And so certain is Pacquiao about his present condition that he isn't discounting the possibility of bringing the fight early to the towering 5-foot-11 Mexican.

"Depende," replied the Pacman when asked what the first few rounds of the title fight will be like. "Siguro aatake kami first or second round."

Pacquiao, Roach, strength and conditioning coach Alex Ariza and the rest of Team Pacquiao arrived in Manila Thursday night following a six-hour trip from Baguio City, where the group set up a four-week training camp in the country's summer capital.

Barely getting rest, the world's top pound-for-pound fighter returned to training Friday morning, doing sprint and speed drills supervised by Ariza at the Rizal Memorial track oval despite the bad weather.

Later in the day, the Filipino southpaw trained at the Elorde Gym.

He is scheduled to hold his last sparring session in the country on Saturday before departing for Los Angeles later in the night for the final phase of his preparation at the famed Wild Card Gym.

Already waiting for Pacquiao in L.A. is rising junior middleweight prospect Vanes Martirosyan, who said that he already got a call to serve as one of Pacquiao's sparring partners upon the seven-time world division champion's arrival in the U.S.

"I just got the phone call and I can’t wait to get in there with Manny," said Martirosyan, owner of a 28-0 record with 17 knockouts.

Martirosyan is among the names mentioned by Roach as Pacquiao's possible additional sparmates in the U.S. along with Peter `Chocolate Kid’ Quillin.

Pacquiao has already sparred for a total of 57 rounds, spending equal time each with Michael Medina, Glen Tapia and current World Boxing Association (WBA) light-welterweight title holder Amir Khan.

"At least, I get to spar with the best fighter out there. I will give him all he can handle," said the Glendale, California-based Martirosyan.

[Boxing News Source: JVP/KY, GMANews.TV]

Manny Pacquiao Kicks Ass In Sparring Training

2010-10-21T05:09:00.000-07:00

Like a wounded soldier, Manny Pacquiao redeemed himself and showed what he does best when focused in training camp.

With promoter Bob Arum again watching at ringside, Pacquiao, the world’s top pound-for-pound fighter, dominated all three sparmates in 10 action-packed rounds at the start of what trainer Freddie Roach had earlier referred as the ‘toughest two weeks’ of training for the Filipino’s Nov. 13 title encounter with Mexican Antonio Margarito.

By the end of the strictly closed-door sparring session late Tuesday at the Shape Up gym of the Cooyesan Hotel here, Glen Tapia was left with a bloodied nose, while Michael Medina and Amir Khan, the reigning World Boxing Association (WBA) junior welterweight champion, were both at the receiving end of Pacquiao’s tremendous hand speed and relentless attacks.

“Dugo ‘yung ilong ni Tapia,” said Filipino assistant trainer Nonoy Neri, adding Khan, who sparred with Pacquiao for the first time since arriving here, went four rounds with the Pacman, while Medina and Tapia three each.

Pacquiao’s staggering performance came a day after Arum, chairman of Top Rank Promotions, admitted during Monday’s open workout for members of the media that he was convinced the Filipino’s current condition would not be enough for him to beat Margarito in their 12-round showdown at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Arum had the privilege of watching Pacquiao spar upon his arrival in the country Saturday, and was blunt enough to say that he didn’t like what he saw.

“If the fight happened on Saturday, Margarito would win the fight,” Arum said before an stunned audience.

But the next time he was back at ringside, Pacquiao readily put on a show for him.

The 78-year-old veteran promoter already left the gym by the time the seven-time world champion began to take it easy on Medina, but not after witnessing how Pacquiao threw left and right bombs on both Khan and Tapia.

Arum had stressed even before hand that Pacquiao has to be in real tough shape for him to get past the 5-foot-11 Margarito, a two-time world champion.

“You have to be in tough physical and mental shape . You have to be, or else, you’re not gonna beat him (Margarito),” said Arum, who’s set to return to the U.S. today.

“So Manny knows that. I mean, Manny knows more about boxing than I do, because you know he knows what it takes to be in the kind of shape that he has to be in to win the fight.”

Deciding to defer his return to Manila for another day, Pacquiao is expected to go down by late Thursday night shortly after sparring for the last time in his Baguio training camp.

Roach: Antonio Margarito Has Poor Fundamentals

2010-09-25T13:36:00.000-07:00

After carefully studying Antonio Margarito’s fight tapes, trainer Freddie Roach pointed to poor fundamentals as a major drawback in the Mexican roughhouser’s style and said the other day his lack of ring generalship will make it easy for Manny Pacquiao to score a knockout in their 12-round bout for the WBC superwelterweight title at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Nov. 13.

“Margarito has no control of the ring,” noted Roach. “He has little foot movement. He doesn’t cut the ring off. Instead, he follows his opponent around. I don’t see sound fundamentals. His strong point is a good chin, a better chin than Ricky Hatton. But he quits - something he showed in the Sugar Shane Mosley fight.”

What makes Margarito dangerous is he’s got nothing to lose and everything to gain. And he’s desperate to straighten out his career tainted by a suspension stemming from a finding that his handwraps contained traces of sulfur and calcium to form a hardened plaster in the dressing room before the Mosley fight in January last year.

“If he wins (over Pacquiao), all of a sudden, he’s up there,” said Roach. “I think he got away with just a slap on the wrist for his loaded handwraps. The sentence was kind to him. Of course, he knew his handwraps were loaded. How could anyone not know he’s weighed down by a brick? Luis Resto and Panama Lewis served three years in prison and were banned for life when it was proved they conspired to pad handwraps in the Billy Collins fight. I’m assuming Margarito used loaded handwraps when he knocked out Miguel Cotto. Margarito came back from his suspension last May and is now fighting Manny - that’s getting off lightly.”

Because Margarito is known for his dirty tricks, Roach said it wouldn’t be smart for Pacquiao to stay on the ropes and invite the Mexican to bang away. Pacquiao used the rope-a-dope trick on Cotto who took the bait, abandoned his left jab and bore in only to absorb a brutal beating en route to a 12th round technical knockout loss in Las Vegas last year.

“Margarito’s an in between a Cotto and an Oscar de la Hoya,” said Roach. “Manny won’t fight him like he did Cotto. Margarito’s a dirty fighter. He’ll do whatever he can to win. He’ll throw low blows, butt and elbow. Manny’s watched tape, too. We compared notes about his habits and we observed the same things. We’ve talked about our gameplan and we’ll develop it as we go along in training camp.”

Roach said he has nothing against Margarito but didn’t appreciate his comments about Pacquiao during a recent press conference in Dallas.

“He likened his handwraps issue with (Floyd) Mayweather’s accusation of Manny taking performance enhancing drugs,” said Roach. “Wait a minute. Margarito got caught. Manny was accused but nothing was substantiated because he doesn’t do drugs. There’s a big difference between his issue and Manny’s. When I mentioned the Tijuana Tornado would get downgraded to a tropical storm, he stared me down.”

Roach said Margarito’s 4 1/2- inch height advantage doesn’t worry him.

“Size doesn’t win fights,” he explained. “Speed kills and Manny’s just too fast for Margarito. It’s easier to bring down a bigger guy than a smaller guy or someone who’s your size. Margarito’s not a mover. Besides, we still don’t really know if he can punch. I’ve talked to three guys who’ve sparred with him and they’re giving me different impressions. Rashad Holloway sparred with Margarito and broke his eye socket. One guy, Zavala, swore Margarito can’t punch after sparring with him but another guy, the Scottish kid Craig McEwan, told me he hits like a hammer. Whatever, we’ll be ready. Margarito is a volume puncher, he’s no Joshua Clottey. He’ll keep Manny busy.”

Roach said he expects the first four rounds to be explosive.

“We’ll see a very competitive first four rounds,” he said. “Margarito will come out attacking. Then, Manny will start breaking him down with his power and speed. He won’t be able to handle Manny’s speed. He’ll begin feeling Manny’s power and remember, he cuts easily. Manny will go on to beat him up badly. I think it’ll be over by the eighth round.”

Margarito, 32, is coming off a unanimous 10-round decision over Roberto Garcia for the vacant WBC International superwelterweight crown in Aguascalientes, Mexico, last May. Garcia was floored in the first round and was never in contention as the judges scored it 100-88, 99-90 and 99-89. Margarito’s record is 38-6, with 27 KOs compared to Pacquiao’s 51-3-2, with 38 KOs.

Pacquiao, 31, has won his last 12 fights, eight inside the distance, and hasn’t lost since dropping a decision to Erik Morales five years ago. If he beats Margarito, Pacquiao will set a new record by capturing his eighth world title in eight different divisions.

Antonio Margarito Copies Manny Pacquiao's Style Of Training

2010-09-25T13:33:00.000-07:00

As Manny Pacquiao and his entourage are preparing to take off for the mountains of Baguio to begin training camp for his coming title fight, Antonio Margarito and Co. are likewise set to do the same.

Trainer Robert Garcia said this coming week Margarito officially begins his seven-week preparation against Pacquiao as they are headed to Oxnard, California where they will be based until the final two weeks of training for the Nov. 13 showdown at the Cowboys Stadium in Texas.

“When we get to Oxnard, we’re going to be ready to spar and plan for the fight,” said Garcia following a workout at the South El Monte boxing club in California.

The 32-year-old Margarito has started keeping himself in shape by running at the terrains of Mt. Baldy in California.

“That’s what we’re doing and we’re doing it everyday,” Garcia added.

Pacquiao has also been in the same mode the past one week, regularly running every morning around the vast subdivision where his palatial house in San Pedro, Laguna is located.

In the afternoon, the Filipino champion sweats it out with trainer Freddie Roach at the Elorde boxing gym in Roosevelt Ave. in Quezon City.

And barring any last-minute hitches, Team Pacquiao is scheduled to travel to the country’s Summer Capital today to begin the long delayed training camp for the Margarito fight.

“I haven’t changed my mind. Sparring begins Tuesday and then Thursday,” said Roach, who disclosed the 5-foot-11 Michael Medina will be Pacquiao’s initial sparring partner.

Garcia said the 32-year-old Margarito has checked in at the pre-training camp weighing at 160, just 10 pounds off the catch weight of 150.

The soft-spoken trainer doesn’t see any problem for the Mexican as far as weight is concern.

“He’s ready to fight. He’s close to weight already and his conditioning is good,” Garcia added. “He’s running the mountains that mostly everyone does in an hour. He did it in 47 minutes. So he’s ready.”

And if Garcia is to be believed, Margarito hasn’t lost his power despite having fought just twice in the last 22 months.

Garcia complained of about his aching ribs caused by those Margarito body punches while they do the mitts.

“I had to switch body-shields. My ribs were sore already. So I ordered another brand,” he said.

“I still feel it but not as much.”

[Boxing News Source: Gerry Ramos, Youtube: Master Boxing]

Roach Prediction: Over In Eight

2010-09-22T12:47:00.000-07:00

Freddie Roach sees his prized ward Manny Pacquiao knocking out his taller Mexican foe Antonio Margarito in less than eight rounds when they collide on Nov. 13 at Cowboy Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

“Size will be a problem, but I have no worries,” Roach said Tuesday at the PSA Forum yesterday at the Shakey’s UN Avenue in Manila.

“It will be inside seven to eight rounds,” the multi-awarded trainer responded when asked of his prediction in the duel that will be fought at a catch weight of 150 pounds.

Roach believes the fight against Margarito, known for his gung-ho style, will fall into the hands of Pacquiao, despite the Sarangani congressman’s five-inch handicap in height.

“We expect him to come forward and we need to make adjustments,” said Roach, pointing out that the fight plan for the Margarito duel will be a combination of what Pacquiao used in the knockout wins over Oscar De La Hoya and Miguel Cotto.

“The conditioning part is the same, but we’ll change our strategy (from the Clottey fight),” Roach continued. “We’ll use more lateral movements, find our angles because Margarito is slow.”

Roach said Pacquiao will be ready for Margarito’s shrewd tactics.

“It’s a fact,” Roach responded when asked if Margarito fights dirty. “We’ll try to find a way to keep Manny away from the elbows and head butts.”

Roach graced the forum supported by Accel, Outlast Battery and Pagcor with American fighter Glen Tapia and

Mexican boxer Michael Medina, who have been tapped as sparring partners for the seven-division champion.

The 20-year-old Tapia, who hails from New Jersey, is a 5-foot-10 light middleweight unbeaten in seven fights, while

Medina (24-2-2) has split his last two fights, including a loss to John Duddy in the undercard of the Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey clash last March.

Two more sparring partners—Armenian Vanes Martirosyan and Mexican Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.—are arriving next week to join the Pacquiao training camp in Baguio City.

By the time of the fight, Roach said Pacquiao should have logged 150 rounds of sparring.

“His speed is not there yet. Manny is just 50 percent ready, but we still have seven and a half weeks to get him ready,” said Roach, who, along with the rest of Team Pacquiao, will leave Baguio tomorrow night after a session in Congress.

Roach also bared that Miguel Diaz will be Pacquiao’s cutman for the Margarito bout.

[Boxing News Source: Inquirer.Net]

Manny Pacquiao Bulks Up For November Tiff With Margarito

2010-09-22T11:51:00.000-07:00

Manny Pacquiao knows that size matters.

That’s why seven-and-a-half weeks before the Fighter of the Decade takes on Antonio Margarito of Mexico on November 13, Pacquiao has already begun an extensive calorie-loading routine.

Supervised no less by his brilliant conditioning trainer in Alex Ariza, the Filipino ring champion will be packing 7,000 calories a day until the day comes when Pacquiao possesses enough weight to withstand Margarito’s power but not heavy enough to affect his legendary speed.

“He has to eat 7,000 calories more a day,” said Ariza in an interview with a giant television network. “We have to build a stronger and denser body to be able to withstand Margarito’s strength.”

To the common individual, consuming 7,000 calories a day could turn into 10 pounds a week without heavy workload. It also nearly equates to 33 hamburgers, 26 caramel coffee cups, and 34 milk chocolate bars.

This is perhaps the first time in his boxing career that Pacquiao has added this kind of massive consumption course in his training.

Against Margarito, he just needs to.

Pacquiao, who stands 5-foot-6 ½, was simply dwarfed when he came face-to-face with the5-foot-11 Mexican slugger during the fight’s media conference last Aug. 31 in New York.

But the thing that concerns Team Pacquiao now is how big will Margarito become on fight night. Many observers think that the three-time world welterweight champion will hover in between the 160-170 pound range.

Pacquiao, on the other hand, is not expected to go far beyond the catch weight of 151 pounds. As much as possible, Freddie Roach wants his prized fighter to maintain the quickness that has made Pacquiao the No. 1 pound-for-pound king in the world today.

“Manny’s speed is still his biggest asset,” said the four-time Trainer of the Year.

For the second straight day, Roach and Pacquiao settled to work out at the Elorde Gym in Del Monte, Quezon City. Roach said the other day that the former cigarette vendor-turned world champion and now lawmaker is ’50 percent fit’ for the fight that is set at the Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, Texas.

“His size is a bit of a problem,” said Roach of Margarito’s height advantage. “But as long as he stays on the ropes, we’re in good shape.”

If Pacquiao succeeds in beating Margarito, he will be the first in boxing history to win eight world titles in as many divisions. Pacquiao already holds the most number of championship belts with seven.

Pacquiao (51-3-2) and Margarito (38-6-0) will fight for the vacant WBC super welterweight crown.

Margarito, for his part, is already at mid-point of his phase one training in San Bernardino, California. The 32-year-old is working to develop leg power, according to his trainer Robert ‘Grandpa’ Garcia.

“We need strong legs to beat Pacquiao,” said Garcia, a former super featherweight title holder.

Garcia revealed that the boxer likewise known as the ‘Tijuana Tornado’ is working out much harder that he used to. These days, Garcia said, Margarito is into running up the mountains before he goes into the gym.

“Antonio runs up the mountain for an hour, returns and then we’re off right away to the El Monte Gym which is nearby. There, Antonio goes into a hard workout - mitts, then heavy bag, jump rope, speed bag, It’s a long, hard workout. No sparring - at least, not yet.”

Garcia said that Margarito will spar for six weeks beginning next week in Oxnard, California.

Pacquiao, meantime, is scheduled to spar for 150 rounds against four tall boxers – Michel Medina, Glen Tapia, Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. and Vanes Martirosyan.

[Boxing News Source: Zean Macamay]

Floyd Mayweather's Racist Rant Against Manny Pacquiao

2010-09-04T23:46:00.000-07:00

An eagerly awaited matchup between two of the greatest boxers of all time is starting to get ugly.

For roughly 10 minutes, Floyd Mayweather Jr. used racist and profane terms in a video now circulating the Internet to bait Manny Pacquiao into a high-profile bout. But does Mayweather really have the guts to fight Pacquiao? Or is it all gibberish!

Margarito Vs. Pacquiao Fight Is Now On

2010-08-27T22:29:00.000-07:00

Antonio Margarito was granted a Boxing License and is now eligible to fight Manny Pacquiao in the Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Texas on November 13. Bring it On!

TWO-time world champion Antonio Margarito is about to make the richest fight of his colorful but controversial boxing career.

And to think it was only a year ago when he was banned from fighting and branded as one of the most disgraced figures in the rich history of the sport.

Margarito’s title bout with Manny Pacquiao was formalized Thursday when the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation granted the Mexican the license to fight in the state, paving the way for the Nov. 13 duel to go on as scheduled at the multi-billion Cowboys Stadium in Dallas.

The fight will be the first in the U.S. for the ‘Tijuana Tornado’ in more than a year since losing a ninth round technical knockout against Sugar Shane Mosley at the Staples Center in Los Angeles in January of 2009.

The 32-year-old Margarito was caught with a loaded hand wraps prior to the World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight bout, a major offense that resulted in the revocation of his license and being banned from fighting for a year.

It also led to the parting of ways between him and long-time trainer Javier Capetillo, the veteran corner man and father figure to Margarito, whom he accused of being responsible for the loaded hand wraps he had for the Mosley fight.

But now, he’s back and all set to face the fighter universally regarded as the best in the world, pound-for-pound. Pacquiao is expected to earn $15 million and more from the fight, while Margarito could take home as much as $4 to $5 million.

“I have dedicated my life to giving the fans of the sport entertainment and excitement. On Nov. 13, this great opportunity will ultimately be fulfilled when I battle Manny Pacquiao,” said Margarito in a statement.

The Mexican also expressed his gratitude to the state of Texas for granting him a boxing license, something denied of him by the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) and the Nevada State Athletic Commission when he tried to re-apply shortly after his one-year suspension was over.

“I want to thank the state of Texas for granting me a boxing license which enables me to continue my passion for the sport of boxing in the United States,” added Margarito, whose first comeback fight following the lifting of his suspension was a 10-round unanimous decision against Roberto Garcia in Mexico.

Unlike in the CSAC case when it held a hearing to determine the fate of Margarito, the Texas commission just went through the Mexican’s completed application, checked his proper medical paperwork and made him pay the $20 fee before being granted a license.

“After a thorough review of his application it was determined Mr. Margarito met the requirements of the Texas Combative Sports Act and Rules,” said William Kuntz, the executive director of the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

None was happy for Margarito than Top Rank chairman Bob Arum, who holds the promotional rights on both the Mexican and Pacquiao.

“For me, it was like a terrible nightmare, this whole thing, and now the sun is shining,” said Arum in an interview by ESPN from France where he is currently vacationing.

“I really believe that it will be a very competitive fight. One guy is much bigger and stronger (Margarito) and the other guy (Pacquiao) is quicker and hits with both hands. It will be a fascinating fight to watch.”

Arum already has contingency plans if and when Margarito fails to get a license in Texas, mentioning Mexico or Abu Dhabi as possible alternative site for the fight.

But with Texas acceding, Arum is taking the fight at the Cowboys Stadium, with hopes of surpassing the record crowd of 50,994 – one of the largest in U.S. boxing history – that watched Pacquiao’s lopsided win over Joshua Clottey last March for the World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight crown.

“I think the crowd will be much bigger and Jerry (Jones) – owner of the Dallas Cowboys team - thinks it will also,” Arum said. “The last fight (Pacquiao-Clottey) was not during football season. This one is, and we have all the Dallas Cowboys assets they use during the season to help this time.

“We have a lot of stuff that we didn’t have for the Clottey fight. With Margarito being Hispanic, and this is North Texas, which has a huge Hispanic population, that will make this even bigger.”

The veteran promoter said Margarito is set to sight the contract by weekend, after which Pacquiao follows suit as he is scheduled to arrive in the U.S. on Monday from Manila, where he currently sits as a member of the House of Representative.

A whirlwind press tour will then be held, taking both Pacquiao and Margarito to California, New York and finally, Texas.

[Boxing News Source: Gerry N. Ramos]

Manny Pacquiao To Train At Batasan Pambansa Grounds

2010-08-12T01:27:00.000-07:00

Boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao will train for his next world title bout inside the Philippines' parliamentary grounds as he seeks to balance his new job as a lawmaker with his phenomenal sporting career.

Pacquiao, 31, regarded by many as the world's best pound-for-pound fighter, was elected a member of parliament in May but he has vowed his political ambitions will not affect his boxing.

"I will sleep in my office so I can jog before the start of (a parliamentary) session or hearing," the Manila Times on Thursday quoted Pacquiao as saying.

"The House (of Representatives) grounds are big. There is also a big jogging area there."

Pacquiao, the only fighter to have seven championship belts in as many weight classes, said part of his conditioning would encompass a three-hour training session that included jogging.

He said he had inspected the gym at the parliamentary complex and found it "good enough", according to the Times.

Pacquiao is tentatively set to fight Mexico's Antonio Margarito for the vacant World Boxing Council junior middleweight belt on November l3, after talks to fight undefeated US star Floyd Mayweather fell through.

Mayweather had earlier accused Pacquiao of using performance-enhancing drugs and publicly dared him to undergo blood testing if a showdown between them were to come about.

The Filipino champ agreed in May, but Mayweather failed to meet a July deadline to agree to terms of what could be the most lucrative fight in boxing history.

In an article for philboxing.com that was posted at the weekend, Pacquiao said he still wanted to fight Mayweather.

"For now, Antonio Margarito of Mexico is the likely replacement of Mayweather in November 13, but for me, there is nothing more beautiful (than) news if the Mayweather camp will change its mind," he said.

"A lot of things can happen within three months and if Mayweather is not really a coward, he needs to prove himself in the ring.

"He claims he is the best. He says he is number one. There is only one way to prove his greatness and that is to face me. I should be ready by November."

Manny Number 1 Boxer On Yahoo! Sports Rankings

2010-08-12T01:21:00.000-07:00

The new leader in the Yahoo! Sports boxing rankings is an old one. Manny Pacquiao regained the top spot in the voting from Floyd Mayweather Jr., the clear result of voter disappointment with Mayweather’s reluctance to fight his Filipino rival.

There was no poll in July, since I was on vacation, so the last balloting took place in June. At that time, it still looked likely that Mayweather and Pacquiao would meet in the fall.

But Mayweather let pass an opportunity to fight Pacquiao on Nov. 13, with one of his advisors denying negotiations had ever taken place despite the fact that promoter Bob Arum and HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg insisted they had.

Voters clearly were unhappy with Mayweather’s choice and one left him off of his ballot entirely as a result. In June, Mayweather garnered 22 of the 40 first-place votes cast, with Pacquiao taking the other 18. In the August balloting, there were 36 votes cast. Pacquiao got 21 first-place votes and Mayweather 15.

Juan Manuel Lopez, who knocked out Bernabe Concepcion on July 10, reentered the rankings at No. 9, with Shane Mosley dropping out of the top 10. Otherwise, there was only position shifting among the top 10.

With that, let’s take a closer look at the results of the August balloting:

1. Manny Pacquiao
Points: 345 (21 of 36 first-place votes)
Record: 51-3-2 (38 KOs)
Title: WBO welterweight champion
Last outing: W12 over Joshua Clottey on March 13
Previous ranking: 2
Up next: Nov. 13 against Antonio Margarito
Analysis:Willingness to fight anyone scores points with voters.

2. Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Points: 330 (15 of 36 first-place votes)
Record: 41-0 (25 KOs)
Title: None
Last outing: W12 over No. 10 Shane Mosley on May 1
Previous ranking: 1
Up next:Nothing scheduled
Analysis: Damaging reputation by appearing to avoid Pacquiao.

3. Paul Williams
Points: 230
Record: 39-1 (27 KOs)
Title: None
Last outing: TD4 over Kermit Cintron on May 8
Previous ranking: 3
Up next: Nothing scheduled
Analysis:Large wingspan and volume punching make him a difficult matchup.

4. Juan Manuel Marquez
Points: 194
Record: 51-5-1 (37 KOs)
Title: WBA, WBO lightweight champion
Last outing: W12 over Juan Diaz on July 31
Previous ranking: 5
Up next: Either Michael Katsidis or Amir Khan
Analysis: Showed all-around game in win over Diaz.

5. Chad Dawson
Points: 168
Record: 29-0 (17 KOs)
Title: Interim WBC light heavyweight champion
Last outing: W12 over Glen Johnson on Nov. 7
Previous ranking: 4
Up next: vs. Jean Pascal on Aug. 14 in Montreal
Analysis: Gifted boxer has no natural rival.

6. Sergio Martinez
Points: 143
Record: 45-2-2 (24 KOs)
Title: WBC middleweight champion
Last outing: W12 Kelly Pavlik on April 17
Previous ranking: 6
Up next: Nothing scheduled
Analysis: Superior conditioning allows him to fight at quick pace.

7. Timothy Bradley
Points: 83
Record: 26-0 (11 KOs)
Title: WBO super lightweight champion
Last outing: W12 over Luis Carlos Abregu on July 17
Previous ranking: 8
Up next: Likely Devon Alexander
Analysis: A bout with Alexander would be a career-defining match for both men.

8. Wladimir Klitschko
Points: 82
Record: 54-3 (48 KOs)
Title: IBF, WBO heavyweight champion
Last outing: TKO12 over Eddie Chambers on March 20
Previous ranking: 7
Up next: vs. Samuel Peter on Sept. 11 in Germany
Analysis: Most technically sound big man in the sport

9. Juan Manuel Lopez
Points: 64
Record: 29-0 (26 KOs)
Title: WBO featherweight champion
Last outing: TKO2 over Bernabe Concepcion on July 10
Previous ranking: NR
Up next: vs. Rafael Marquez on Sept. 18 in Las Vegas
Analysis: One of most explosive punchers in the game.

10. Andre Ward
Points: 61
Record: 22-0 (13 KOs)
Title: WBA super middleweight champion
Last outing: W12 over Allan Green on June 19
Previous ranking: 9
Up next: vs. Andre Dirrell on Sept. 25 at TBA
Analysis:Now the clear favorite to win the Super Six.

Others receiving votes: Nonito Donaire Jr., 38; Ivan Calderon, 29; Bernard Hopkins, 29; Shane Mosley, 29; Lucian Bute, 27; Vitali Klitschko, 17; Fernando Montiel, 16; Yuriorkis Gamboa, 14; Celestino Caballero, 11; Miguel Cotto, 8; Rafael Marquez, 8; Pongsaklek Wonjongkam, 8; Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym, 6; Devon Alexander, 5; Chris John, 3; Andre Berto, 2; Tomasz Adamek, 1.

[Boxing News Source: Kevin Iole | Yahoo Sports]

Marquez Versus Diaz Replay

2010-08-01T10:37:00.001-07:00

Watch how Juan Manuel Marquez systematically dismantles Juan Diaz and retain the WBA and WBO lightweight titles. Marquez Vs. Diaz recap HERE.

Requirements: Download the Veetle Plug-in first. If you have installed it previously, the Marquez Vs. Diaz video replay should automatically start.

Marquez Defeats Diaz. Want's Manny Pacquiao Next

2010-08-01T10:37:00.000-07:00

Although Juan Manuel Marquez’s right eye was swollen nearly shut, he kept it focused on his one remaining goal—a third fight with Manny Pacquiao.

Marquez didn’t exactly make himself more attractive to boxing’s pound-for-pound champion with his systematic dismantling of Juan Diaz.

Marquez unanimously outpointed Diaz on Saturday night, picking apart his younger opponent to retain the WBA and WBO lightweight titles.

WATCH THE REPLAY HERE.

Marquez captivated the crowd at the Mandalay Bay Events Center with precise punching and slick defense in a rematch that was nearly as entertaining as the fighters’ thrilling first meeting, which Marquez won on a ninth-round stoppage in February 2009.

Marquez (51-5-1, 37 KOs), who turns 37 next month, further erased memories of his one-sided loss to the larger Floyd Mayweather Jr. last September by dominating another opponent closer to his own size.

“The first one was difficult, and so was this one,” Marquez said. “He’s a very good boxer. Like every true Mexican warrior, we both fought with all of our hearts and left it all in the ring.”

Marquez reiterated his call for third fight with Pacquiao, believing he’s the only fighter outside of Mayweather who can worry the Filipino congressman. Their first two meetings resulted in a draw in 2004 and a split-decision loss for Marquez in 2008.

“It’s good for all fight fans,” Marquez said. “The Mexicans, the Filipinos, everyone wants to see it. That’s the most important fight to me now. I’ll be ready for November, and hopefully Pacquiao will take the fight.”

But Pacquiao is in negotiations to fight Antonio Margarito on Nov. 13. Both of those fighters are represented by Top Rank, while Marquez is backed by Golden Boy—and the two companies have been increasingly unwilling to match their fighters against each other in recent years.

Diaz (35-4) has lost four of his last six fights, yet showed remarkable stamina and courage against one of boxing’s most punishing fighters. The University of Houston graduate and aspiring lawyer was sharp again—just not sharp enough to beat arguably the most accomplished Mexican fighter of his generation.

“I fought the best fight I could,” Diaz said. “We were trading punches. We fought in, we fought out. I didn’t stand in front of him. I wanted to get in there and then get out, but it was hard, and I got hit with a couple of good shots. … I did the best I could. I followed the game plan, worked off my jab, but he’s a great fighter. He was the better man.”

Judge Jerry Roth favored Marquez 116-112, while Glenn Trowbridge scored it 118-110 and Patricia Morse Jarman had it 117-111. The Associated Press scored 10 rounds for Marquez, 118-110.

Marquez landed 288 punches to Diaz’s 155, outlanding Diaz in every round, according to CompuBox’s statistics. Marquez connected with nearly 50 percent of his power punches, landing 168 to Diaz’s 74.

Marquez’s performance burnished a career that now likely surpasses the achievements of Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales, the other two contenders for Mexican pre-eminence. Marquez is a three-division world champion who could be a significant factor when he moves up to 140 pounds in the coming years, another major player in a loaded weight class—yet Pacquiao looms over everything Marquez does.

Marquez’s back-and-forth victory over Diaz was widely considered the best fight of last year. The rematch again was an entertaining contest between two fighters with perfectly meshing styles: the hard-charging “Baby Bull” Diaz against Marquez, the crafty, counterpunching Mexican star.

The second and third rounds of the rematch were close, with Diaz landing enough flurries to keep Marquez on the defensive. But Marquez gradually took control of the fight, peppering Diaz with left hooks and right hands while barely staying out of trouble.

The middle rounds had a brutal similarity, with Marquez chopping through Diaz’s attack. Although swelling developed around Marquez’s right eye, it didn’t seem to bother him at all—and Diaz began bleeding from a cut inside his mouth.

The 12th round was wide open, with the fighters abandoning defense and trading shots to the bell. Marquez leaped on the ropes to celebrate another victory.

The Las Vegas crowd firmly backed Marquez, the Mexico City native from a fighting family that includes his brother, Rafael, who will fight Juan Manuel Lopez in Vegas on Sept. 18 in an attempt to become the first boxing brothers to hold three division titles apiece.

Diaz has his college degree and far more post-ring career opportunities than most fighters. He is eager to pursue a career in law and perhaps politics, but didn’t end his boxing career immediately afterward.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do,” Diaz said. “I’m going to consider all the facts. I’m going to take the LSAT, and that’s another fact. I’ve been fighting for 10 years, longer than a lot of fighters, so I’m just going to have to figure it out.”

On the stacked undercard, unheralded Russian middleweight Dmitry Pirog stopped Daniel Jacobs with a crushing overhand right to win the vacant WBO title. Robert Guerrero comfortably outpointed Cuban veteran Joel Casamayor, and Jorge Linares easily beat Rocky Juarez.

[Boxing News Source: Greg Beacham | Yahoo Sports]

GAYWEATHER

2010-07-28T12:32:00.000-07:00

HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg released a four-paragraph, five-sentence statement Monday which cast doubt upon the veracity of Floyd Mayweather Jr.; Mayweather’s best friend, Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe; Golden Boy Promotions president Oscar De La Hoya and Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer and which forever eliminated any doubt about Mayweather’s intention: He’s ducking Manny Pacquiao.

There can be no other rational explanation.

Welcome to “Mayweather in Wonderland,” where they try to convince you that up is down, the grass is blue and the sky is green. Never mind that Mayweather has tarnished, perhaps forever, his legacy as one of the best boxers of all time. Given his disinclination to fight Pacquiao, it’s hard to regard him as the best fighter of his own time.

Mayweather was nowhere to be found on Monday, still on vacation, apparently oblivious to the millions of boxing fans desperate to hear a word about his intentions. If Mayweather cared about his legacy, if he cared about the sport that has made him rich and famous, he wouldn’t have been invisible the last few weeks while allowing Ellerbe to spew a lot of mumbo jumbo.

Mayweather and his cronies attempted to insinuate that Top Rank chairman Bob Arum was being deceitful when he said he’d been negotiating for a Mayweather-Pacquiao fight with Greenburg serving as the middle man. Greenburg and Arum have not had the strongest of relationships, while Greenburg has an extraordinarily cozy relationship with Golden Boy. If Arum were lying, their frequently contentious history together suggests that Greenburg would have called him on it immediately.

Greenburg, though, clearly sided with Arum, when he said, in part, “I had been negotiating with a representative from each side since May 2nd … “

That’s what Arum, who promotes Pacquiao, has steadfastly claimed for weeks. On June 30, Arum told Yahoo! Sports that “all issues were resolved” and that the only outstanding matter was whether Mayweather wanted to fight in 2010 or 2011. Arum then set a July 16, 11:59 p.m. deadline on Mayweather to accept the deal. On a conference call in the early morning hours of July 17, Arum announced the deadline had passed without word from Mayweather and that he was pursuing a fight for Pacquiao with either Antonio Margarito or Miguel Cotto.

Ellerbe, though, released a statement on July 19 that was the beginning of the end for Team Mayweather’s credibility. Ellerbe disputed that talks had even taken place. “Here are the facts,” the statement read. “Al Haymon, Richard Schaefer and myself speak to each other on a regular basis and the truth is no negotiations have ever taken place nor was there ever a deal agreed upon by Team Mayweather or Floyd Mayweather to fight Manny Pacquiao on November 13. Either Ross Greenburg or Bob Arum is not telling the truth, but history tells us who is lying.”

That led many in the media to quickly assail Arum’s credibility and for Schaefer and De La Hoya to issue self-righteous comments backing Ellerbe and denying negotiations had ever taken place.

And they would have won this silly game had it ended there and had Greenburg not entered the fray. Arum insisted he was telling the truth, but few seemed to believe him. They didn’t, that is, until Greenburg released his brief, simple, but truly remarkable statement.

In it, he said, “Fights like Mayweather vs. Pacquiao are significant because of these fighters’ ability to connect with sports fans around the world. It’s unfortunate that it won’t happen in 2010. I had been negotiating with a representative from each side since May 2nd, carefully trying to put the fight together. Hopefully, someday this fight will happen. Sports fans deserve it.”

Here’s what sports fans deserve: They deserve better than to waste their hard-earned money on “Money,” who acts as if he’s invented the sport. Mayweather’s a brilliant talent who never seems to let one forget it, who behaves as if he should be able to dictate terms and others should gratefully accept it because he said so.

Let him play in his fantasy world. Boxing doesn’t need him. And, truth be told, he’s wrong about his value.

Mayweather has sold more pay-per-views against common opponents than Pacquiao and his gates for those fights have been bigger. But Pacquiao’s Nov. 14 bout with Cotto at the MGM had a far greater economic impact upon the city of Las Vegas than either of Mayweather’s and the Nevada Gaming Control Board attributed casinos’ best performance in 22 months in November 2009 to the presence of the Pacquiao-Cotto bout and the high-rolling Asian gamblers who spent loads of money.

Despite apparently being caught red-handed when Greenburg released his statement, Ellerbe’s only response on the record was, “I hear his statement and I stand by my statement.” But he then attempted to insinuate that comments Mayweather made at a June 2 Make-a-Wish event in Las Vegas should have been taken by the media that he never planned to fight Pacquiao this year.

“At this particular time, Floyd Mayweather is taking probably a year off, a couple of years off from the sport of boxing,” Mayweather said at the charity event. “I don’t really know what the future holds for Floyd Mayweather at this particular time, but I’ll probably take a couple of years off.”

Saying one “probably” is going to take a year off is a lot different than releasing a statement or holding a media conference and announcing one’s retirement. Yet, Ellerbe attempted to intimate that Mayweather’s statement to sports director Chris Maathuis of KLAS-TV in his gym at a charity event was a definitive announcement.

What muddied the waters even more was De La Hoya apparently lying to Univision on June 11. In a televised Spanish-language interview, De La Hoya said of a potential Mayweather-Pacquiao fight, “I think right now we are very, very close in finalizing the contracts. I can’t talk right now in detail about the negotiations but I will say that we are very close.”

The comments caused quite a stir when they were made, but Schaefer dismissed them. He insisted De La Hoya had been misquoted. But when those pesky reporters actually went and had Spanish experts translate the recording, it turned out that De La Hoya wasn’t misquoted.

So the Golden Boy tried a different tactic on Monday. He told Robert Morales of BoxingScene.com, “I think I said it because I get the question so many times that, obviously, I was fed up and tired of it and I just said like, ‘Yeah, yeah, it’s gonna get made.’ ”

Essentially, De La Hoya on Monday admitted to lying on June 11, though it’s uncertain how his June 11 comments would have helped end the questioning he wanted to avoid. Given that he said a deal was close, that would only seem to make the scrutiny greater, no lesser. Had he said there were no talks – which he’s now insisting is the truth – and that the fight was not going to happen, no one would have had reason to keep asking him.

No one is going to ask any more. How can anyone support someone with Mayweather’s arrogance, who cares so little about the fans who made him rich beyond his wildest dreams that he won’t even consider the fight they want more than any other?

Mayweather has run from his biggest challenge. The fans, even those who have ardently supported him through the years, will surely remember that. And the next time he dares to compare himself to one of boxing’s all-time greats, such as Sugar Ray Robinson or Sugar Ray Leonard, they’ll scoff.

He can’t hold a candle to either.

[Boxing News Source: Kevin Iole | sports.yahoo.com]

Rep. Manny Paquiao's First Day As Congressman

2010-07-26T15:51:00.000-07:00

Days after the announcement of his next bout, boxer Manny Pacquiao spent his first day on the job in his new role as a congressman, attending the opening of the 15th Philippine Congress as well as President Benigno Aquino III's First State of the Nation address in Quezon City on Monday.

According to the International Sports Examiner, Pacquiao, who represents Sarangani Province, received an extensive applause from hundreds in the national legislature and cast his first vote as a legislator, supporting fellow Liberal Party member Rep. Feliciano Belmonte Jr. of Quezon City as the new speaker of the House of Representatives.

The Examiner has more details and a slide show of Pacquiao's day (and judging from the above photo, it was quite an exciting day).

[Boxing News Source: Chuck Schilken | latimesblogs.latimes.com]

Roach Foresees Knockout Punch Against Margarito

2010-07-25T21:36:00.000-07:00

As in the case in the past, Freddie Roach sees Manny Pacquiao sending Antonio Margarito into dreamland once their paths cross in the ring four months from now.

“Manny will knock him out. We will knock him out," said Roach when reached for comment a day after Margarito emerged as Top Rank Promotions’ anointed one to face Pacquiao in a November 13 fight originally a showdown with Floyd Mayweather Jr.

“I have no problem with the fight. Margarito is a tough guy, but his ring generalship is poor," Roach added.

The failure of Mayweather Jr. to respond to the deadline given by Bob Arum, the big boss of Top Rank, and sign a contract to face Pacquiao in a mega-fight paved the way for the 78-year old promoter to look somewhere else. He found the right man keen enough to face the world’s pound-for-pound best fighter – Margarito.

The 32-year old warrior from Tijuana, Mexico, is a two-time world champion.

While Margarito has yet to secure a license to fight in the U.S. following the one-year suspension slapped on him by the California State Athletic Commission in the aftermath of the illegal hand-wrap controversy he got involved with, Arum believes the Mexican’s fighting style makes for an explosive title bout against a fighter as exciting as Pacquiao.

Margarito was personally handpicked by Arum over Miguel Cotto, the legendary Puerto Rican and reigning World Boxing Association(WBA) 154-pound title holder whom Pacquiao demolished in 12 rounds during their World Boxing Organzation (WBO) welterweight championship showdown last year in Las Vegas.

Roach also sees a competitive fight with Margarito, who was turned down by the 51-year old trainer two years ago as a possible Pacquiao opponent as he believes the Mexican was too big for the Filipino ring icon.

“It’s like the good guy versus the bad guy. It’s probably a marketable fight, with Manny beating up another Mexican," said Roach, obviously referring to Pacquiao’s long record of defeated Mexican fighters, from Erik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera to Juan Manuel Marquez.

Ironically, Margarito also fought Cotto and brutally beat him inside 11 rounds for the WBA welterweight title. The loss was the first in Cotto’s colorful career.

Unfortunately, the impressive win had been tarnished when Margarito was caught loading his knuckle pad with a hardened substance in his next fight opposite Sugar Shane Mosley.

After re-wrapping his hands, Margarito yielded his WBA title to Mosley, who administered him a 9th round technical knockout loss.

In the aftermath of the controversy, Margarito found his license revoked and was suspended from fighting for a year.

Even Roach himself is puzzled whether Margarito is loaded or not during the Cotto fight.

“Well, the issue is when he fought Cotto, was he loaded or not? We can assume that he was, but it can’t be proved.

[Boxing News Source: RCJ, GMANews.TV]

Pacquiao Vs. Mayweather Fight For Top Google Search List

2010-07-24T17:20:00.000-07:00

Filipino boxing champ and now Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao and boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. hogged the Google searches of netizens in the Philippines for the week of July 16-22, according to Google Zeitgeist.

This is due to the news that Pacquiao lauded Mayweather Jr. for being named the Best Fighter in the 2010 Excellence in Sports Performance of the Year (ESPY) Awards.

Mayweather, on the other hand, turned up in a lot of Google searches as Filipinos constantly checked the news websites for reports on whether the boxer agreed to fight Pacquiao this year. Mayweather missed the deadline imposed by Pacquiao's camp.

With President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III all set to deliver his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, July 26, Pinoys have been Googling him more often this past week.

And with Charice's Botox and Thermage treatments making it to the international news, Charice figured as well in the fastest rising newsmakers list for July 16-22.

Filipinos also constantly checked the Web for sports news this week, particularly for news about the Los Angeles Lakers, 2010 FIFA World Cup, PBA Fiesta Cup, and Boston Celtics.

Here are the detailed lists of the fastest rising newsmakers and fastest rising news for July 16-22 as provided by Google Zeitgeist.

Fastest rising newsmakers
1. Pacquiao
2. Floyd Mayweather
3. Aquino III
4. Charice
5. Christina Aguilera
6. Rafael Nadal
7. Mel Gibson
8. Miley Cyrus
9. Tiger Woods
10. Adam Lambert

Fastest rising news
1. Lakers
2. Typhoon Conson
3. Inception
4. World Cup
5. iPhone
6. PBA
7. India
8. BP
9. Celtics
10. Meralco

[Boxing News Source: ABS-CBNnews.com]

Antonio Margarito For Super Welterweight Championship

2010-07-23T19:06:00.000-07:00

Manny Pacquiao will fight Antonio Margarito on Nov. 13 for a vacant super welterweight championship, either in Las Vegas if Margarito can get licensed or in Monterrey, Mexico, if he can’t, promoter Bob Arum said.

That ends any possibility of a match between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr., the top two boxers in the world, for 2010.

Arum said he decided to choose Margarito instead of Miguel Cotto, whom Pacquiao stopped in the 12th round in November, because it would be perceived as a more competitive bout. The bout will be offered on HBO Pay-Per-View.

“Cotto was beaten and even with [Hall of Fame trainer] Emanuel Steward now with him, I don’t think people believe that it’s enough to make a difference and I’m not sure they would buy it as competitive,” Arum said by telephone from his vacation home in Los Angeles. “But putting aside the controversy about the wraps, the one thing you know for sure with a Margarito fight is that it will be a hell of a fight for however long it lasts.

“Margarito knows only one way to fight and that’s coming forward. They’re going to get in there and fight. That’s what people want to see.”

Margarito’s hand-wrap controversy is no minor matter, however. He was caught with a hardened substance in his knuckle pad prior to a Jan. 24, 2009, fight in California against Shane Mosley.

He was forced to re-wrap his hands and was knocked out in the ninth round by Mosley. In February 2009, he was suspended for a year by the California State Athletic Commission.

He fought once since the Mosley fight, winning a lackluster unanimous decision over Roberto Garcia.

He applied for a license in Nevada on July 9, but by a 4-1 vote, the Nevada Athletic Commission tabled the matter and told Margarito to return to California. Arum said Margarito will file paperwork with California on Monday.

If Nevada grants Margarito a license, Arum said the fight would be in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. If not, it is all but certain to wind up at a 22,000-seat arena in Monterrey, Mexico, though a group from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, is also bidding for the fight.

Skip Avansino, a member of the Nevada commission, said he thinks California regulators should consider it first, even though Margarito doesn’t plan to fight there. The California commission knows the matter best, Avansino said.

Avansino wasn’t willing to speculate what would occur if California were to decline taking up his request, given he doesn’t have a fight planned in the state.

“He certainly deserves a decision,” Avansino said. “I don’t know what procedures California will consider in connection with his reapplication. I would think that they would consider his application appropriately, just as we would, but I would want to wait until I see what California decides.”

Avansino said he wouldn’t be swayed by the huge economic impact the fight would have upon the depressed Las Vegas economy.

Pacquiao is a huge draw in Las Vegas and is one of the few boxers who attracts high-rolling Asian gamblers, who play $25,000-a-hand blackjack as well as baccarat. Las Vegas casinos had their best night in two years Nov. 14, 2009, when Pacquiao fought Cotto, because of the large influx of high-rollers who flooded Las Vegas, according to analysis by the Nevada Gaming Commission.

“I’m mindful of the economic conditions in the state of Nevada and I understand them well,” Avansino said. “I have every interest to improve and help improve the economy in this state. But as a commission, my responsibility is to protect the health and safety of those who compete in our state and to uphold the integrity of the sport. That’s my primary responsibility.”

The match would be for the World Boxing Council super welterweight championship. If Pacquiao wins it, it would be either the seventh or eighth division in which he has held a title, depending upon how it is calculated.

He has won sanctioning body titles at 112, 122, 130, 135, 140 and 147 pounds. At 126 pounds, he beat Marco Antonio Barrera, who was the linear champion. But Barrera had surrendered all of his sanctioning body titles by the time he fought Pacquiao, though he had not been beaten.

[Boxing News Source: Kevin Iole | Yahoo Sports]

Mayweather Among ‘Fortunate’ US athletes

2010-07-22T21:42:00.000-07:00

Sports Illustrated also released its Fortunate 50 list of the top-earning American athletes with golfer Tiger Woods leading the pack with $90,508,163. (Read: Tiger's endorsements down $22 million - report)

His fellow golfer, Phil Mickelson, was at No. 2 with $61,660,757 while undefeated boxer Floyd Mayweather, Jr. came in at No. 3 with $60,250,000.

Mayweather, who was supposed to figure in a super showdown with Pacquiao, returned to the Top 5 with earnings from fights with Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez on September 19 and compatriot Shane Mosley on May 1.

Just like Pacquiao in the international athletes ranking, Mayweather was the only boxer in the 2010 Fortunate 50 list.

Other top-earning American athletes came from the National Football League (15), National Basketball Association (16), Major League Baseball (13) and NASCAR (3).

LeBron James, now of the Miami Heat, was at No. 4 ($45,779,912), Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees was at No. 5 ($37 million), and free agent Shaquille O’Neal was at No. 6 with ($36 million).

O’Neal even earned more than his former teammate, Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers, who came in at No. 7 with ($33,034,375).

At No. 8 was Derek Jeter of the Yankees ($31 million), followed by No. 9 Peyton Manning of Indianapolis Colts ($30.8 million) and No. 10 Dwyane Wade of the Heat ($27,779,912).

The complete list of the Fortunate 50 is available on the Sports Illustrated website.

[Boxing News Source: Jonah Freedman, SportsIllustrated.com]

Money Pacquiao

2010-07-22T21:36:00.000-07:00

Seven-division world champion Manny Pacquiao is the lone boxer in the 2010 Sports Illustrated 20 highest-earning international athletes list.

He is ranked No. 5 in the list ruled by former tennis World No. 1 Roger Federer of Switzerland.

The 2010 list featured Pacquiao alongside 7 football players, 5 motor sports racers, 3 tennis players, 2 baseball players and 2 NBA stars.

Pacquiao dropped from No. 3 in 2009 to No. 5 in 2010 with $38 million coming from salaries, bonuses, endorsements and appearance fees.

His boxing purse from July 2009 to June 2010 was taken into consideration. In such time period, Pacquiao successfully defeated Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto on November 14 and Ghanaian Joshua Clottey last March 13.

Federer, meantime, zoomed to the top from No. 9 last year with $61,768,110. The 16-time grand slam champion, currently the world No. 3, replaced British football star David Beckham at the top spot.

Los Angeles Galaxy’s Beckham slumped to No. 3 with $40.5 million while Argentine Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona moved up to No. 2 with $44 million.

Another football superstar, Portugese Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid came in at No. 4 with $40 million.

The list indicated that Pacquiao earned more than the following:

baseball players Ichiro Suzuki of Japan and Miguel Cabrera of Venezuela;

tennis luminaries Maria Sharapova of Russia and Rafael Nadal of Spain;

NBA cagers Yao Ming of China and Dirk Nowitzki of Germany; and,

footballers Kaka of Brazil, Thierry Henry of France, Ronaldinho of Brazil and Carlos Tevez of Argentina.

The Sarangani province congressman also gained more earnings than Formula One racers Valentino Rossi of Italy, Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain, Kimi Raikkonen of Finland, Jenson Button of Great Briatin and Fernando Alonso of Spain.

Seattle Mariners’ Suzuki ($37 million), Fiat Yamaha Team’s Rossi ($35 million), Houston Rockets’ Yao ($34,378,325), men’s tennis world No. 1 Nadal ($27,466,515) and McLaren-Mercedes’ Hamilton ($26.7 million) rounded up the Top 10 of the Sports Illustrated 20 highest-earning international athletes list.

The complete list is available on the Sports Illustrated website.

[Boxing News Source: Jonah Freedman, SportsIllustrated.com]

Congressman Pacquiao Will Train In Manila

2010-07-22T08:28:00.000-07:00

Manny Pacquiao will make sure that his next fight, against anyone out there, won’t stand in the way of his duties as congressman in the lone district of Sarangani.

Bob Arum, his promoter, is working on a new opponent for Pacquiao for Nov. 13 after Floyd Mayweather Jr. seemed to have closed the door for a fight with the Filipino superstar this year.

It could be either Miguel Cotto or Antonio Margarito in a place that has yet to be determined. What’s quite certain, however, is that Pacquiao will have to train in the Philippines for his next fight.

“He would not come to the Wild Card (in Los Angeles) to train until three weeks before the fight. That was the plan that was relayed to me,” Arum told the press a couple of days ago.

Congress holds its sessions on Mondays and Thursdays, and Pacquiao, the first and only boxer in history ever to hold the position, will have to be there as long as it is needed.

Sometimes, if not most of the times, it means being in the halls of congress the whole day.

Arum said Freddie Roach, Pacquiao’s chief trainer, will have to come over to Manila so Pacquiao could train after he takes off his business suit, and they should find a suitable and convenient place for him to train.

In his previous fights, Pacquiao had tried setting up camp in the Philippines, first in Cebu for the Marco Antonio Barrera fight, and then in Baguio City for the Miguel Cotto fight.

But this should be the longest time he’d train in Metro Manila, probably at the Wild Card Gym in Parañaque, a gym owned by the late Rod Nazario, the boxer’s former business manager, or somewhere else.

“Yes. It is complicated but one thing I know is when he fights, they go out of session for three weeks. So the idea would be that he would train in Manila and Freddie would be over there,” said Arum.

When in the US, Pacquiao trains everyday except Sunday, and normally spars on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. They can change the days where he spars but not the fact that he should train everyday.

That’s one reason why Arum gave Mayweather the deadline last Saturday (in Manila) for him to agree to the terms of the fight, and now that’s also the reason why the Top Rank chief wants a new opponent known as soon as possible.

Last Saturday, Arum said he can seal the deal with either Cotto or Margarito inside 10 days, so Pacquiao can start loosening up before hitting the gym, be part of a major conference and probably a quick press tour, and start promoting the fight.

“We now have to go out and secure an opponent for Manny Pacquiao assuming it won’t be Floyd and we have to mount a campaign and have to get in touch with In-Demand, DirecTV and Dish Networks and get everything in order.

“Time is going by and also we have to start scheduling press conferences because with Manny Pacquiao you are not dealing with the normal fighter. He is over in the Philippines and he has duties as a congressman there. Therefore we are limited as to when we can schedule press conferences in the United States,” Arum said.

Middle East Possible Host to Pacquiao November Fight

2010-07-21T13:44:00.000-07:00

Abu Dhabi and Monterrey in Mexico are the two leading candidates to land the much-awaited ring return of Manny Pacquiao, the Filipino fighter’s Canadian adviser said on Thursday.

“It’s because of economics,” said Mike Koncz, revealing that the United Arab Emirates and Mexico won’t subject Pacquiao and the other fighters’ earnings to taxes. “We’re not talking about $20,000 in taxes, we’re talking about taxes in millions of dollars.”

Koncz said oil-rich Abu Dhabi has been given until July 28 to make a firm commitment to play host to the fight.

As for Monterrey, Koncz said he and Top Rank chief Bob Arum are travelling there on Thursday to meet with people interested in staging Pacquiao take on Antonio Margarito of Mexico.

“We’ll be there for one day to see what they have to offer,” said Koncz.

Monterrey, an industrial center, is the wealthiest of all Mexican cities.

Apart from Abu Dhabi and Monterrey, others in the hunt to land a Pacquiao fight are Las Vegas and Dallas.

As soon as a deal is made, Arum said he will bring over Pacquiao to where the fight is going to be held for a formal press conference and a short press tour “because our fighter has other duties to attend to being a congressman.”

Other than Margarito, Team Pacquiao is also conferring with representatives of Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto.

Last Monday, Arum discussed the merits of a Pacquiao fight with Cotto’s people and on Tuesday, Koncz was in Tijuana where he met with Fernando Beltran, who is Margarito’s promoter.

Marquez Wants Third Fight

2010-07-21T13:38:00.000-07:00

When asked what he simply desires, Mexican expert counter-puncher Juan Manuel Marquez reiterates his craving to face the World’s pound-for-pound king Filipino Manny Pacquiao for the third time.
Marquez (50-5-1 win-loss-draw with 37 knockouts) said he is really motivated after his bout against Juan Diaz (35-3 win-loss with 17 knockouts). Boxing Writers Association of America voted the bout as “2009 Fight of the Year.”

“It was very significant and motivating,” said Marquez in fightnews.com, who scored a technical knockout in ninth round against Diaz last year. “Keep in mind that it takes two to tango. The rematch will be equal if not better than the first fight.”

After his victory over Diaz, the 36-year-old Marquez expressed his desire to have a third fight against Pacquiao (51-3-2 win-loss-draw with 38 knockouts). Marquez’s first bout ended to a draw and he lost in the second fight.

“I want Manny Pacquiao,” he said. “I want that third fight with him before my career ends. That is what my heart desires.”
Marquez admitted he had a hard time fighting American Floyd Mayweather

“We knew going into the Mayweather fight that it was going to be very difficult,” he said. “What made it difficult was the excess weight Mayweather had—an extra 15 pounds. We gave it our all the entire time and just came up short.”

He said he is ready to defend his titles with the same amount of pride despite his age.
“I don’t know how much longer I will fight, that’s up to God to decide.”

But for now, Pacquiao’s third bout against Marquez is unlikely since the Filipino ring icon is presently contemplating between An-tonio Margarito or a rematch against Miguel Cotto on November 13 after negotiations with Floyd Mayweather fizzled.

[Boxing Source News: Josef Ramos | manilatimes.net]

Pacquiao Laughs Off "Faggot Remark"

2010-07-21T06:27:00.000-07:00

Sarangani Congressman Manny Pacquiao just laughed off Floyd Mayweather Sr.'s insulting remarks hurled against him, saying the elder Mayweather may not have been himself when he called him (Pacquiao) a "midget" and "faggot."

The reigning World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight champion reacted on Wednesday to Floyd Sr.’s statements that his son, undefeated boxer Floyd Jr., is not scared of fighting of Pacquiao, whom he labeled as a “little Filipino midget.”

Aside from calling Pacquiao a midget, Floyd Sr. also tagged the Filipino champ as one of “the biggest faggots on the planet.”

“Tawanan na lang natin ‘yun,” Pacquiao told ABS-CBN News. “Baka wala siya sa sarili nung pagsabi niya [ng comment na ‘yun].”

(Let's just laugh it off. He may not have been himself when he said that.)

Floyd Sr. came out with the “faggot remark” after his son was ridiculed for missing a deadline set by Pacquiao's promoter, Top Rank’s Bob Arum, for a battle against “Fighter of the Decade” Pacquiao on November 13.

“The fight can be made anytime they want the fight to be made. Little Floyd definitely ain’t scared of no Pacquiao. That’s the last thing in the world that little Floyd is scared of, a little Filipino midget. Definitely that’s not the case,” said Floyd Sr.

“He (Pacquiao) ain’t got no problem with fighting all the big guys—[Oscar] de la Hoya, Ricky Hatton, the other African guy, the other guy who he fought with the title. I’m just saying he beat these guys, [Miguel] Cotto, he beat all these guys like they’re nothing. Pacquiao’s one of the biggest faggots on the planet,” said Floyd Sr.
Manny Pacquiao amused over Floyd Mayweather Sr.'s remarks.

Pacquiao, meanwhile, said he doesn’t really want to blow up the issue since his camp is not to blame for the Mayweather fight not pushing through.

“Ayaw ko na talagang magkomento sana (I don’t really want to comment on that)," said the Filipino boxing icon.

Arum earlier said the multi-titled Floyd Jr. has kept silent over their proposal for a Pacquiao fight.

The American boxer simply snubbed the Friday (Saturday in Manila) deadline by Top Rank for Mayweather to agree to the mega-fight. (Click here for story.)

Days after the deadline, Floyd Jr.’s camp claimed no negotiation has taken place, and that their fighter has other things in mind aside from the Pacquiao fight.

[Boxing News Source: abs-cbnNEWS.com]

Foul Mouthed Mayweather Sr. Calls Manny A Faggot

2010-07-20T23:24:00.000-07:00

Floyd Mayweather, Jr. may be getting flak for reportedly snubbing the deadline to fight Manny Pacquiao. But for his father, Floyd Mayweather, Sr., it is the other way around.

“Yeah, he’s scared,” the elder Mayweather said of Pacquiao in an On the Ropes Boxing Radio interview as quoted by The Mushroom Mag.

“The only thing they’re trying to do is to switch this around and make it look like it’s my son that’s scared. He ain’t the one that’s scared. I know who’s scared for real,” he added.

Floyd Sr. went on to say to say a mouthful about Pacquiao’s fear of Floyd Jr.

“He ain’t got no problem with fighting all the big guys—[Oscar] de la Hoya, Ricky Hatton, the other African guy, the other guy who he fought with the title. I’m just saying he beat these guys, [Miguel] Cotto, he beat all these guys like they’re nothing. Pacquiao’s one of the biggest faggots on the planet,” said Mayweather Sr.

He stated, “My problem is, Bob Arum don’t call no f*cking shots. Bob Arum don’t call the shots. The fight can be made anytime they want the fight to be made. Little Floyd definitely ain’t scared of no Pacquiao. That’s the last thing in the world that little Floyd is scared of, a little Filipino midget. Definitely that’s not the case.”

He also said that the deadline snub is just Arum’s ploy to picture his son as the nemesis in the Mayweather-Pacquiao saga.

“Yes he’s trying to make little Floyd like bad but people already know what time of day it is. Of course, he’s trying to make little Floyd look bad because he’s with Pacquiao. When he was with my son he was trying to make him look good and everybody else look bad.”

Pacquiao (51-3-2, with 38 KOs) and Mayweather (40-0, with 25 KOs) were supposed to face off on March 13. Their rescheduled November 13 bout will most likely not push through as Arum is already eyeing to replace Floyd Jr. with Antonio Margarito of Mexico or Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico.

Floyd Sr. commented on the possible Pacquiao-Cotto rematch: “Why is he going to fight Cotto again? Why? All this is, is just a game. If you see what the whole thing is, Bob Arum is giving Cotto a title and then turning around and letting Pacman beat Cotto up again and take it again. That’s all it is. That’s all it is. It’s so plain to see a blind man can see that.”

[Boxing News Source: abs-cbnNEWS.com]

Manny Pacquiao In Hollywood Role

2010-07-20T23:19:00.000-07:00

Seven division titlist Manny Pacquiao is being considered for a small, perhaps cameo role in an American made martial arts action movie, and a deal to pursue his eighth crown could be struck "in the next three or four days," his adviser, Michael Koncz, told FanHouse.

"They're a company that is interested in doing something with Manny. They want to do some action movie with Manny, but not as the main character," said Koncz. "I told them that because of our time constraints, we'll consider a proposal where he's a guest in the movie and I'll present it to Manny. I told them we don't have the time to do anything more than that. They produced Dr. Dolittle and worked with Eddie Murphy."

In the meantime, Pacquiao's handlers are going ahead with plans for the fighter to pursue his record eighth crown in as many different weight classes against either WBA junior middleweight (154 pounds) champ, Miguel Cotto, or WBC No. 1 contender, Antonio Margarito on Nov. 13.

That fight, if a deal can't be made with undefeated Floyd Mayweather, would take place either in Mexico or Abu Dhabi even as Las Vegas remains a consideration among the sites for the Filipino star to defend his WBO welterweight (147 pounds) crown.

"I met with [Top Rank Promotions CEO] Bob Arum last night for more discussion at 9 p.m., and we're going to Tijuana, Mexico, to discusss the plans with Fernando Beltran, who is the promoter for Antonio Margarito," said Koncz. "On Thursday, Bob has asked me to postpone my trip to the Philippines to accompany him and Fernando to Monterrey, Mexico to look at the site there."

Koncz also said that Abu Dhabi "is very much in play" to host Pacquiao's next fight.

"We have a representative in Abu Dhabi, and they have until July 28 to close the deal with them," said Koncz. "If they don't close the deal by July 28, then we'll move on to Mexico. We have to have significant time to promote the fight."

The MGM Grand in Las Vegas is also being considered, although, for tax reasons, Pacquiao is looking to fight out of the United States.

"Frankly, Manny loves Las Vegas, and he loves the hospitality of the hotels there. They treat us like family over there at the Mandalay Bay, and it's always a pleasure to be at The Hotel, which is part of the Mandalay Bay. Unfortunately, the economics are forcing us to go outside of the country. It's not definite that we will go outside of the country, but it's something that we're pursuing," said Koncz.

"The numbers have to be right for us to move outside of the United States. That's what we're working on and looking at right now. As far as the opponent, both fighters are willing and ready to fight Manny whenever we decide on a venue," said Koncz.

"I've had personal talks with Miguel over dinner. Making the agreement with the two opponents is the easiest part of this promotion," said Koncz. "I would think that we should have a verbal committment in the next three, four days, and by the end of the week, we should have a good indication on what is going to happen."

[Boxing News Source: Lem Satterfield | Boxing.Fanhouse.Com]

Manny Pacquiao On Cover Of Fight Night Champion?

2010-07-20T23:12:00.000-07:00

EA Sports will be releasing the next iteration of the Fight Night series. IGN had it that the game will be called Fight Night Champion.

So far, only two screenshots have been revealed all featuring Manny Pacquiao. Pacquiao has been featured in the past three Fight Night games and was one of the main fighters featured on the pre-release demo of Round 4.

Could it be that this time, Manny Pacquiao is going to be on the cover of EA Sports' Fight Night Champion?

For a lot of boxing fans in the Philippines, this is going to be a big deal and will bring great pride to the Philippines.

Of course, Floyd Mayweather who was recently chosen for the ESPY Award for Best Fighter could also be on the short list of boxers to be featured on the latest Fight Night series which EA Sports claims to be the best Fight Night yet, with a roster to 60 to 65 fighters and a revised punch control system.

Monterray As Possible Host To November 13 Boxing Match

2010-07-20T22:49:00.000-07:00

Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum is planning on a trip to Monterrey, the Mexican city being eyed to host Manny Pacquiao’s Nov. 13 fight with Antonio Margarito. Arum, chilling out in his Los Angeles vacation home, said Pacquiao’s adviser Mike Koncz would also make the trip there as they explore the possibilities of staging Pacquiao’s bout there. The decision to visit Monterrey was arrived at Monday as Arum began holding talks with prospective Pacquiao opponents: Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto and the Mexican Margarito.

Regarding the press statement that Floyd Mayweather issued on Monday, Arum could not help but blow his top.

A press statement was issued by Mayweather adviser Leonard Ellerbe, denying that a negotiation for a fight between Pacquiao and Mayweather ever took place.

“Here are the facts. Al Haymon, (Golden Boy Promotions CEO) Richard Schaefer and myself speak to each other on a regular basis and the truth is no negotiations have ever taken place nor was there ever a deal agreed upon by Team Mayweather or Floyd Mayweather to fight Manny Pacquiao on Nov. 13,” said Mayweather adviser Leonard Ellerbe.

“Either (HBO Sports president) Ross Greenburg or Bob Arum is not telling the truth, but history tells us who is lying,” added Ellerbe in the statement.

Arum had set a July 16 deadline for Mayweather to respond, something Mayweather totally ignored. A day after the ultimatum lapsed, Mayweather told the Associated Press that he was not interested in fighting this year.

Arum said he was in constant touch with Greenburg regarding supposed negotiations that took place the past several weeks and wondered why would Ellerbe say that since there was even a gag order in place.

Even GBP owner Oscar De La Hoya was interviewed by a Spanish-language TV station a few weeks ago, saying a deal was close to being sealed.

What Arum has learned from this incident is that it’s a lot easier dealing with his arch-nemesis Don King than “these guys.”

“I feel like I am (like) in (an episode of) Twilight Zone. Don is normal compared to these guys,” said Arum.

[Boxing News Source: Fightnews.com]

Jeff Mayweather: Megafight Still Possible

2010-07-20T19:15:00.000-07:00

Even if the adviser of Floyd Mayweather, Jr. claimed that there were no negotiations with Team Pacquiao for the November 13 super showdown, a glimmer of hope still stands for the dream fight.

Mayweather’s uncle, trainer Jeff Mayweather, seemed to have not closed the door on Pacquiao.

“Of course he’s going to fight Top Rank fighters,” Jeff said of the Filipino boxing icon after the Mayweather-Pacquiao negotiations fell apart for the second time.

“You have [Antonio] Margarito, you have [Miguel] Cotto, and I’m sure he has somebody else. But it will be good if Manny wins because that gives hope that a fight with Floyd will possibly happen next year,” Jeff told Chris Robinson of Examiner.com.

Jeff also commented on his nephew’s career despite Floyd saying that he will take a break from boxing to focus on his gym and charity work. (Read: Floyd dodging Manny? Mayweather eyes 2-yr break)

“I think that Floyd is going to fight in 2011,” stated Jeff.

Pacquiao and Floyd were supposed to face off on March 13 but they disagreed on the drug testing protocol.

Same drug testing issue

Jeff, however, still took shots at Pacquiao, the reigning World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight champion.

“I do think the Floyd fight was a retirement package. I think he had to spend a lot of money to win that election because he was going up against an entire family and it wasn’t cheap,” said Jeff.

Pacquiao won as the lone congressional representative of Sarangani province last May 10. He defeated Roy Chiongbian, the brother of the former congressman.

Jeff also stressed that it was Pacquiao’s refusal to undergo random blood testing leading up to the fight that led to the fight’s collapse.

He noted: “First off. Pacquiao wanted to do 30 days. Then he went down to 24 days. Then he agreed to 14 days. But he said that he agreed to random testing up to 14 days. I never knew that random had a cutoff. So basically if you don’t have a cutoff it doesn’t mean it’s random at all. That’s why negotiations went down. It was the same as before.”

This is contradictory to the pronouncement of Pacquiao’s promoter, Bob Arum, that the drug testing issue was resolved.

“I think that issue [drug testing] was resolved,” the Top Rank, Inc. head told Dan Rafael of ESPN.com. “I believe it was resolved and I don't want to go into the details.”

Self-negotiation?

Meantime, Jeff also shared his thoughts on the Pacquiao-Mayweather talks, specifically the deadline that Floyd reportedly snubbed. (Read: Mayweather misses deadline for Pacquiao fight offer)

He said, “First of all Bob Arum is not Floyd’s boss. So he can’t demand anything for Lil’ Floyd. That’s the first of everything. This man isn’t his promoter. It’s one of these situations where Floyd or Manny could do well without one another. But who was he to set a deadline?”

He also defended his nephew’s “no comment” stance on the Pacquiao issue. (Read: Mayweather: Pacquiao, boxing not on my mind now)

“To be honest I don’t think anyone even contacted Floyd,” said Jeff. “I think it was just self negotiation. Because realistically I haven’t read one article where Floyd said anything. It looks like this was all Bob’s negotiation.”

[Boxing News Sources: ESPN.com, Examiner.com, ABS-CBN]

Mayweather Denies Pacquiao Superfight Negotiations

2010-07-20T08:11:00.000-07:00

Team Mayweather has conjured a convenient, if not an absurd, excuse on why Floyd Mayweather Jr. did not sign a fight contract with Filipino icon Manny Pacquiao.

No negotiations ever took place between the two camps.

Leonard Ellerbe, one of Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s closest advisers, issued a statement Monday denying that talks for a megabuck showdown between Mayweather and Pacquiao had ever occurred.

In effect, Team Mayweather is accusing Top Rank’s Bob Arum, who promotes Pacquiao, of lying when he claimed that virtually all points have been settled and only Floyd’s signature is needed to seal the deal projected to enrich both fighters by at least $40 million each.

Ellerbe claims otherwise: "Here are the facts. Al Haymon, [Golden Boy Promotions CEO] Richard Schaefer and myself speak to each other on a regular basis, and the truth is no negotiations have ever taken place, nor was there ever a deal agreed upon by Team Mayweather or Floyd Mayweather to fight Manny Pacquiao on November 13. Either Ross Greenburg or Bob Arum is not telling the truth, but history tells us who is lying."

Arum is sticking by his story, according to ESPN.com’s Dan Rafael.

"This is like absurd unreality," Arum told Rafael. "I'm not going to be party to this [expletive]. When I heard about [the statement] I thought it was a joke. Ross said he was talking to Haymon. He certainly wasn't making it up. And Haymon was relaying conversations to Ross allegedly that Floyd had with him. At least that is what Ross says."

Arum then cited a point to buttress his argument.

"If there is no negotiation, who imposed the gag order?" Arum told Rafael. "Why they're doing this is absurd. What is motivating them to put something like this out? I'm not going to speculate, but what are they doing? Schaefer said there was a gag order. Who could there be a gag order from if there were no negotiations? From the sky?"

Probing into the events that transpired throughout May and June, Arum often refused to answer queries regarding the status of negotiations, referring to a gag order allegedly imposed on both camps.

It was, however, Golden Boy Promotions president Oscar De La Hoya, who acknowledged that negotiations were happening when he told a Spanish talk tak show that the "deal for the fight was very close."

Parallel to Team Mayweather’s denial of the negotiations and Floyd’s refusal to sign, Arum told Boxing Fanhouse.com Monday that he’s negotiating with the camps of World Boxing Association junior middleweight champion Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico and former welterweight king Antonio Margarito of Mexico and would have a deal by the end of the week.

That’s likely to happen as both Cotto and Margarito are also under Arum’s stable.

[Boxing News Source: Roy Luarca, Philippine Daily Inquirer]

Timothy Bradley Wants Manny

2010-07-19T02:09:00.000-07:00

American Timothy Bradley, the World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior welterweight champion, is the latest fighter who wants to face up to 7-division world champion Manny Pacquiao.

Bradley, undefeated with 26 wins (11 knockouts), said he wanted to face Pacquiao after defeating Luis Carlos Abregu of Argentina on Saturday (Sunday in Manila).

“I’m saying it right now. I want Manny Pacquiao at 147 pounds. Come break down this wall,” he told HBO’s Max Kellerman as quoted by Chris Robinson of Examiner.com.

Bradley saw off Abregu by unanimous decision with the scores 118-110, 117-111 and 116-112 at the Agua Caliente Casino in Rancho Mirage, California.

Pacquiao, the WBO welterweight champion, was supposed to face another unbeaten American, Floyd Mayweather, Jr. on November 13. But negotiations for the super fight failed again after Mayweather snubbed the deadline for him to sign the deal. Their first proposed fight last March 13 fell apart because of the fighters’ disagreement on drug testing.

Following Mayweather’s noncommittal to the November 13 bout, Pacquiao’s promoter, Bob Arum, began to consider Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto and Mexican Antonio Margarito as possible opponents.

Cotto and Margarito are also being promoted by Arum, the big boss of Top Rank, Inc.

Another potential foe for Pacquiao is former two-time WBO welterweight king Paul Williams of the United States.

Arum had this to say about Bradley and Williams: “They're tremendous fighters… But Williams hasn't been promoted correctly and he can't sell a ticket. These promoters take money from HBO or Showtime or a little Indian casino and they think they’re doing their fighters a service.”

“We spend hundreds of thousands promoting our fighters. I’m not going to give them (Bradley and Williams) a free ride,” he said in a report by Mark Whicker of The Orange County Register.

However, the ultimate fight for Arum would still be Pacquiao versus Mayweather. “The fight we want to do is Mayweather. It would be a shame if it didn't happen,” the Top Rank, Inc. head honcho remarked.

[Boxing News Source: ABS-CBNNews.com]

Mayweather Won't Happen

2010-07-19T01:17:00.001-07:00

Take your pick: Miguel Cotto or Antonio Margarito.

Sounding a bit heartbroken, Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum said in a conference call midnight Friday (Saturday afternoon in Manila) that Manny Pacquiao will have to settle for either Cotto or Margarito on November 13 after Floyd Mayweather, Jr. ignored his deadline.

Arum had given Mayweather until midnight Friday to surface and issue a statement regarding a proposed super fight with Pacquiao, but the Michigan native didn't come up with one, leaving Arum with no other choice but to explore other avenues.

''Next week, we will be talking with Cotto and Margarito,'' said Arum, who told the mystified international media that the door remains open for Mayweather in case the US fighter suddenly decides to step up to the plate and face Pacquiao.

''Even though he (Mayweather) hasn't responded, we would still like to do a fight (with Mayweather),'' said Arum, provided that Mayweather says so before a deal is made for a Pacquiao fight with either Cotto or Margarito.

''It's (Pacquiao-Mayweather) dead when we conclude a deal with an opponent for Manny's fight in November, and then he'll look to do a fight with Floyd next year.''

In the event a fight is not made between Pacquiao and Mayweather, claimants to the mythical title of pound-for-pound king, both punchers stand to lose more than $40 million each in prize money.

Arum said it was Home Box Office (HBO) Sports president Ross Greenburg who did the negotiations with Mayweather's camp, headed by Al Haymon.

HBO is a major player in big-time boxing and is a leading proponent to see a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight.

Mayweather's camp remained silent, as though Arum did not issue an ultimatum but Arum theorizes that it was for a ''damn good reason.''

''I am sure without knowing that there is a good, good reason that Mayweather has for not committing to a fight,'' said Arum, hinting that the prospects of not being with his trusted trainer and uncle, Roger Mayweather, in his corner for the Pacquiao fight could be one reason.

Roger is scheduled to face a Nevada court in connection with an assault case filed by a former woman fighter whom he used to handle. If convicted, Roger could be sentenced to several years in prison.

Arum said he will immediately talk with Pacquiao ''to get his views.''

A Pacquiao fight with Cotto or Margarito would dangle an alluring prize: the chance of winning an eighth world title.

If Pacquiao picks Margarito, this fight could take place in Monterrey, Mexico.

[Boxing News Source: Manila Bulletin]

Mayweather Unlikely

2010-07-16T08:12:00.000-07:00

Meanwhile, Pacquiao said the chance of having a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight on November 13 is getting slim.

He echoed the sentiments of his promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank.

Arum told Bob Velin of USA Today that he's frustrated with the negotiations with Golden Boy, which represents Mayweather.

"But I'm trying to rationalize it, and if it's because he may be reluctant to fight now because of the problems his uncle (and trainer, Roger Mayweather) has, then I understand it," Arum said in the report.

Roger is set to go on trial in August for a battery charge involving a female boxer he once trained.

"We have heard nothing from (Floyd)," Arum said. "But hey, it's not the end of the world. If it doesn't happen this year, hopefully it will happen next year."

Arum is also working out a possible Pacquiao fight against either former world champion Antonio Margarito or World Boxing Association (WBA) junior middleweight king Miguel Cotto.

[Boxing News Source: ABS-CBN]

Happy For Floyd

2010-07-16T08:08:00.000-07:00

World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao said he is happy for American Floyd Mayweather Jr. for winning this year's Excellence in Sports Performance of the Year (ESPY) for Best Fighter Award.

The boxer-turned-Sarangani congressman said Mayweather deserves to win the honor as he is a good boxer.

“I'm happy for him na pinili siya ng ESPN. Siguro hindi naman siya masamang boksingero,” said Pacquiao.

He added that he is not really concerned about being edged by Mayweather for the ESPY plum this year since he has garnered numerous awards in his colorful boxing career.

“As a boxer, nakuha naman natin ang lahat ng mga award at siyempre ‘yung pinakamataas na award na nakuha natin 'yung Fighter of the Decade,” said Pacquiao.

Aside from winning the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) Fighter of the Decade award (2000-2009), he also won the BWAA Fighter of Year Award 3 times (2006, 2008 and 2009), Best Fighter ESPY award (2009) and the Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year award 3 times (2006, 2008 and 2009).

[Source: ABS-CBN]

Mayweather is Best Fighter

2010-07-15T16:47:00.000-07:00

MANILA, Philippines -- Undefeated boxing champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. took home this year's Excellence in Sports Performance of the Year (ESPY) Award for Best Fighter, edging out Fighter of the Decade Manny Pacquiao and mixed martial arts (MMA) superstar Georges St. Pierre.

This is the 3rd time Mayweather won the award.

Fight fans are currently waiting for Mayweather, who is fresh from a victory versus potential Hall of Famer “Sugar” Shane Mosley, to sign a fight contract with Pacquiao for the biggest fight to date in recent years.

Meanwhile, the New Orleans Saints and its quarterback Drew Brees were the big winners at the ESPY awards.

Brees received 4 trophies, including Male Athlete of the Year, Best Championship Performance and Best NFL (National Football League) Player. He also shared the team award with his super bowl champion colleagues.

Brees was chosen male athlete over National Basketball Association (NBA) stars Kobe Bryant and Lebron James.

Here's a list of some of the other winners in the ESPYs.

Best Female Athlete: Lindsey Vonn, Olympic skier
Best Comeback: Kim Clijsters, tennis player
Best Coach/Manager: Phil Jackson, Los Angeles Lakers
Best Record Breaking Performance: John Isner vs. Nicolas Mahut, longest match in tennis history at Wimbledon
Best Track and Field Athlete: Usain Bolt
Best Male Tennis Player: Roger Federer
Best Female Tennis Player: Serena Williams
Best Fighter: Floyd Mayweather
Best Male Golfer: Phil Mickelson
Best Male Action Sports Athlete: Shaun White

[Boxing News Source: ABS CBN]

Plan B: Antonio Margarito

2010-07-11T06:22:00.000-07:00

Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao, a seven-weight-division winner, is willing to fight former world champion Antonio Margarito outside the United States if his mega bout against unbeaten American Floyd Mayweather, Jr. would not go on. Pacquiao’s adviser Mike Koncz divulged to boxing.funhouse.com that Pacquiao (51-3-2 win-loss-draw with 38 knockouts) could also possibly hold a rematch against Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto (35-2 with 28 KOs).
Pacquiao seized Cotto’s World Boxing Organization’s welterweight belt in 2009.

For Margarito, he can’t fight Pacquiao in the US soil since his boxing license was revoked by the California State Athletic Commission after an illegal hand-wrapping scandal in January 2009 when he beat Cotto.

“We are looking at a venue outside of the US, and it doesn’t make a difference whether it’s Antonio Margarito or Miguel Cotto. It’s not Mexico, but until I have a concrete deal in place, I don’t want to divulge what country that is,” said Koncz.

Margarito (38-6 with 27 Kos) is coming off a 10-round unanimous decision last May against Roberto Garcia in a junior middleweight clash that was fought in Mexico, which licensed him for the bout.
Margarito could not still apply a license in Nevada last week.

“But it doesn’t eliminate a possible fight against Manny. If Manny decides to fight Margarito, just because he got denied in Nevada—that’s not going to squash the fight,” he added.

[Boxing News Source: Josef T. Ramos, manilatimes.net]

Mayweather Sr. Again Claims Jr. Will KO Pacman

2010-07-07T23:05:00.000-07:00

Floyd Mayweather Sr. continues to talk trash against the Filipino superstar, Manny Pacuqiao.

"Pacquiao can't box. Freddie Roach didn't teach him anything… Shane Mosley is a tougher fight than Pacquiao. He [Pacquiao] didn't want to fight Shane Mosley. Floyd beat the [expletive] out of Shane Mosley. All he [Pacquiao] has to do is show up and Floyd will whoop his ass," Floyd Sr. said in a separate Boxing Scene.com report.

Floyd Sr. said the same thing while he was coaching Briton Ricky Hatton for a Pacquiao fight in 2009.

Pacquiao flattened Hatton in just 2 rounds.

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, who represents Pacquiao in negotiations with Mayweather’s camp, earlier disclosed that issues about the purse split and drug testing have already been ironed out.

He said all they need now is Floyd Jr.’s final approval, that is, if he really wants to fight Pacquiao.

“I am not going to talk about the specifics of the negotiations. You have my statement that there are no real issues that I can see, except whether he wants to fight now or later or not at all,” Arum told Yahoo! Sports.

Arum said that if Mayweather refuses to fight for a second time this year, the Pacquiao-Mayweather mega fight would be held on May 2011.

Arum also disclosed that issues about the purse split and drug testing have been ironed out.

“That’s all been resolved,” he stated. “I am not going to talk about the specifics of the negotiations. You have my statement that there are no real issues that I can see, except whether he wants to fight now or later or not at all.”

Joshua Clottey: I Am Sorry

2010-07-07T22:56:00.000-07:00

Former Manny Pacquiao foe Joshua Clottey has apologized to boxing fans for his sorry performance against the Filipino boxing superstar last March.

In an interview with Boxing Scene.com, Clottey admitted that in the March 13 fight, which he lost via a lopsided decision, the Filipino seemed to read his movements well and always beat him to the punch.

“Every time I would punch, he would hit me. He always seemed to know when I was going to hit and that makes it a lot harder… He knew what I was going to do,” said the Ghanaian boxer.

Clottey was considered one of the elite welterweights prior to the Pacquiao match.

Boxing aficionados scorned Clottey’s performance during “The Event” match against Pacquiao at the Cowboys stadium in Texas where the Ghanaian resorted to “turtle defense,” almost refusing to trade punches with the Filipino boxer.

Pacquiao, in contrast, threw more than 1,000 punches, earning the judges’ decision. He thus retained the World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight crown.

Although he admitted the “Fighter of the Decade” outpunched him, Clottey claimed he wasn’t hurt by Pacquiao’s relentless attack.

“I didn't feel like his punches really hurt me. I felt okay after. I didn't feel like I was going down. He just throws a lot of punches and from all over so he really gets you a lot,” said Clottey.

“I just want to tell my fans I am really really sorry with what happened in my last fight. I know they are disappointed… I really don't understand what happened to me in that fight. I just think it was one of those things,” he said.

This was the first time Clottey spoke about the fight after disappearing from the media spotlight following "The Event."

[Boxing News Source: ABS-CBN]

No Mayweather - Pacquiao Mega Fight This 2010

2010-07-05T09:34:00.000-07:00

With no response from Floyd Mayweather Jr., promoter Bob Arum plans to do the next best thing: He’s willing to wait, even until next year for Mayweather to make a decision.

The Bulletin asked Arum over the July 4 weekend whether Floyd’s camp has sent any signal regarding the middle of July deadline he has set for the megafight with Manny Pacquiao. Apparently, Mayweather and his camp have not responded.

“It’s up to Mayweather if he wants to fight this year or next year,” Arum said over the phone from Los Angeles, where the Hall of Fame promoter celebrated Independence Day.

Arum made it clear that even if Mayweather decides to sit it out this year, the offer to face Pacquiao possibly in May 2011 stands.

If a Pacquiao-Mayweather duel can’t be made for November, Arum will immediately confer with Pacquiao on the prospects of signing up either Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto or Antonio Margarito of Mexico.

Tapping Cotto or Margarito won’t pose any problems since they, like Pacquiao, also fight under the Top Rank banner, thus making it easier for Arum to deal with their handlers.

Meanwhile, Arum is proceeding to San Juan in Puerto Rico on Tuesday to lead the staging of this Saturday night’s big showdown featuring Juan Manuel Lopez against Filipino Abe Concepcion.

[Boxing News Source: Nick Gionco, mb.com.ph]

Pacquiao: 'I Have Never Used Anabolic Steroids'

2010-07-02T17:58:00.000-07:00

When seven-division champion Manny Pacquiao filed a lawsuit seeking compensatory and punitive damages for defamation of character against Floyd Mayweather Jr. and his camp in late December, the WBO welterweight (147 pounds) titlist delivered a long statement defending himself against the Mayweather camp's alleged steroid use allegations.

"As I have stated before," Pacquiao said, in part, "I have never used anabolic steroids nor do I even know what they look like."

The suit also named Floyd Mayweather Sr., his uncle and trainer, Roger Mayweather, as well as Richard Schaefer and Oscar De La Hoya, CEO and president, respectively, of Golden Boy Promotions, which handled Mayweather's part of the negotiations for a potential March 13 fight between the two.

"[The lawsuit is] based on their [defendant's] false and defamatory statements about Manny Pacquiao -- 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," Pacquiao's attorney stated at the time.

Not long after Pacquiao's filing, the negotiations collapsed over an impasse involving drug testing protocol for both fighters.

Below is part of Manny Pacquiao's statement regarding blood testing:

"There seems to be concern from numerous members of the sports industry -- from writers to reporters, even other athletes, regarding why I am concerned with random blood testing. As I have stated before, I have never used anabolic steroids nor do I even know what they look like.

"I view using steroids, synthetic growth hormone, or any other illegal or banned substance as cheating. I would never cheat this sport that I love. I would never cheat the legacies of the great champions I have been blessed to challenge. I would never do anything to cheat such great champions as Miguel Cotto, Ricky Hatton, all of the Mexican warriors that I have been blessed to go into the ring and do battle with.

"My concern as a fighter is that there should be some limitations and agreements on how much blood they can take from someone prior to a fight. My other concern is how close to the actual fight itself can they take the blood. It is my opinion that taking blood from a person can weaken you. I do not want to be in a weakened state when I enter the ring against any fighter.

"My concern has never been with someone randomly checking me with regards to blood or urine. I volunteered immediately to have my urine tested anytime someone wanted to -- all the way up to the time I am walking into the ring. It was later brought to my attention and the attention of my staff that you can not test for synthetic growth hormone through urine; you could only detect synthetic growth hormone through blood tests.

"Before all of these blood-testing and demands from other people, I had never even heard of synthetic growth hormone. I have never seen it before nor have I ever used it. I take my training very serious. I train 30 rounds a day to be in the best shape during a fight so I can give the fans the best show I can. I eat very healthy -- like chicken and fish and a lot of rice.

"In order to make these new heavier weight classes, I have to eat more then I have ever eaten in my life. I actually have to eat five times a day and bigger meals than I have ever eaten before."

[Source: Lem Satterfield, Fanhouse.com]

Pacquiao Enhancement Drugs Revived

2010-07-02T17:10:00.000-07:00

Floyd Mayweather, Sr. has not wavered on his claim that Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao has been taking performance-enhancing drugs during his last few fights as his camp has demanded that a new test be conducted again by another agency.

The camp of undefeated American boxer Floyd Mayweather, Jr. is again reviving the controversy surrounding the highly publicized performance enhancing drug the senior Mayweather claimed Pacquiao was using during the Filipino boxers last few fights.

Mayweather's representatives are demanding that Pacquiao as well as Floyd, Jr. take the Olympic style drug testing in the weeks leading to the fight.

Leonard Ellerbe said that they will make sure that the drug test be implemented.

Ellerbe stressed that the decision was made solely by himself and fellow Mayweather adviser Al Hayman, without their fighter’s input.

“It’s not a one-way thing, it’s both fighters who are subject to testing,” Ellerbe said. “And this is not Floyd saying this. This is me and Al. This is one of the biggest fights in the history of the sport and the fans deserve it to be fair.

It may be recalled that the senior Mayweather told SI's Chris Mannix that he believed Pacquiao's ability to take Cotto's powerful shots and keep coming proved the champion was taking performance-enhancing substances. "I know Floyd is the best," said Mayweather Sr. "But when [your opponent] uses something illegal, even the best can get hurt."

Mayweather, Sr.'s claim that Pacquiao is into performance-enhancing drugs has never been supported by evidence, raising doubts on the veracity and truthfulness of the claim.

Pacquiao has submitted himself to a series of drug test with the Nevada State Athletic Commission and the latest test result showed the boxer is clean.

Pacquiao, who became the first boxer to win seven championships in as many weight classes, underwent urine tests twice -- before and after the fight -- and both came back negative, said Keith Kizer, executive director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission. It's the the 10th time the Filipino has turned in clean tests in Nevada, the report said.

Boxing fans observed that by demanding that Pacquiao submits to a new drug test by another agency, the Mayweather camp is in effect questioning the capability and integrity of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, a regulatory agency of the State of Nevada.

[Boxing News Source: Leo Reyes, Digitaljournal.com]

Retiring or Just Plain Chicken?

2010-07-02T02:59:00.000-07:00

The clock is ticking and once again the final decision on whether or not the Manny Pacquiao vs Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight happens lies in the hands of Floyd “Money” Mayweather. Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum told BoxingScene.com that the negotiations for the proposed Pacquiao/Mayweather fight are finished and now it’s up to Floyd Mayweather Jr. to make the fight happen.

“We’re waiting on Floyd Mayweather. Floyd has to decide whether he’s going to fight this year or next year or not at all,” Arum said. “It’s up to him, man. He isn’t up to any obligation. We want a fight this year, and if he doesn’t take the fight this year, then we’ll find somebody else.”

Arum is giving Floyd Mayweather a two week notice, if he doesn’t agree to the fight, then, Manny Pacquiao will move on and fight Antonio Margarito or Miguel Cotto in a rematch, possibly, at the Dallas Cowboys NFL football stadium where Manny Pacquiao last fought against Joshua Clottey in March.

Some fans question if Floyd Mayweather Jr. is willing to risk his flawless undefeated record against a tough, prime, and ferocious fighter like the “Pacman” Manny Pacquiao or just retire with his undefeated record intact. The money involved is hard to pass up, so, this could be a chance worth taking for Floyd Mayweather Jr. who is known for his heavy gambling and lavish spending sprees.

Mayweather Has Until Mid-July To Make His Decision

2010-07-01T16:20:00.000-07:00

Representatives for Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather have agreed to terms on a megafight, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum told SI.com on Wednesday. The deal still needs to be approved by Mayweather.

Arum did not disclose terms of the deal, which is expected to be a 50-50 split and include some form of drug testing. The fight is scheduled for Nov. 13 at a location to be determined. Las Vegas and Dallas are considered the favorites to land the fight.

Arum told SI.com that Mayweather has until mid-July to make a decision.

"This really depends, as I see it, on whether Mayweather wants to fight [Pacquiao]" Arum said. "By mid-July, he's either in or out. We're not going to wait forever. We're going to have a fight on Nov. 13 and we would love it to be Mayweather."

Arum said that if Mayweather passed on the fight, they could still make a deal under the negotiated terms next year.

"Nobody is under any obligation to fight this year," Arum said. "He may need more time. When he is ready, we are prepared to do the fight."

Possible alternative opponents for Pacquiao are Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito.

[Boxing News Source: Chris Mannix, SI.com]

Forbes' Most Powerful Celebrities: Pacquiao at 55, Mayweather at 31

2010-07-01T09:45:00.000-07:00

World boxing superstar and Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao has been included in Forbes magazine’s list of most powerful celebrities in the world for the year 2010.

Pacquiao ranked 55th out of the 100 richest and most powerful celebrities in the world this year, edging out Hollywood actors like Tom Cruise and George Clooney, according to Forbes’ website.

Television host Oprah Winfrey, meanwhile, was listed as the world’s most powerful celebrity in 2010, followed by singer Beyonce Knowles and Avatar director James Cameron.

Forbes estimated Pacquiao’s earnings from June 2009 to June 2010 at $42 million, $35 million of which he earned from his blockbuster fights against Joshua Clottey and Miguel Cotto.

Pacquiao’s next potential opponent, Mayweather, ranked higher than him at No. 31 with an estimated $65-million earning in the past year.

The magazine likewise acknowledged Pacquiao’s political influence, being the newly elected representative of the lone congressional district of Sarangani province in southern Philippines.

“While still regarded by many as the best boxer in the sport right now, Pac-Man (Pacquiao’s monicker) is also busy outside the ring. He was elected a member of Congress of the Philippines in May… The boxing world awaits a potential mega-fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr.," Forbes said.

Negotiations are still ongoing for a potential November 13 showdown between Pacquiao and Mayweather.

[Boxing News Source: Andreo Calenzo, KBK, GMANews.TV]

Manny Pacquiao's Plan B

2010-07-01T09:42:00.000-07:00

If Manny Pacquiao can't secure a highly anticipated fight with undefeated welterweight Floyd Mayweather Jr. for Las Vegas, Plan B would bring the newly sworn in congressman from the Phillipines back to Arlington, Texas.

Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, said if the fight with Mayweather doesn't happen -- progress on the contract talks between the camps hasn't been publicized -- Cowboys Stadium would host a Nov. 13 bout between Pacquiao and an undetermined opponent.

The Dallas Cowboys play at the New York Giants that weekend, leaving that date open for the bout.

Brett Daniels, a corporate spokesperson for Cowboys Stadium, said preliminary talks have occurred but nothing has been finalized.

"We'll, we're going to fight November 13th against somebody, and me and Manny both hope that it's Mayweather," Roach said in a Tuesday interview with 590 AM in Toronto. "We're trying to make every benefit we can to make that happen. I talked to [promoter] Bob Arum [Monday] and he told me that he will know within a week if the deal is going to be done or not."

Roach said Pacquiao would fight either Antonio Margarito or Miguel Cotto in Arlington.

"Again, we obviously want Mayweather," Roach said. "He has a big mouth and we're going to shut him up."

This spring, Arum tried to work a deal for Mayweather-Pacquiao, but talks broke down over Olympic-style drug testing. Each fighter went his separate way, with Pacquiao beating Joshua Clottey at Cowboys Stadium in March and Mayweather getting an easy decision over Shane Mosley at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in May.

Mayweather prefers to fight in Vegas because that's his adopted home. Plus, Arum said more money can be generated there for a fight of this magnitude.

"The thing is, you can't charge the money in Dallas [at the gate] that you can in Vegas," Roach said. "You've got a guaranteed sellout there where as in Dallas there is no guaranteed sellout. I think money-wise, Vegas will bring in just as much as Dallas."

On Monday, Pacquiao was sworn to the Philippines' House of Representatives in the southern province of Sarangani. Roach has said that his fighter's political work wouldn't distract him from training for his next fight.

Will Mayweather Take The Challenge?

2010-07-01T07:58:00.000-07:00

It's All Up To Mayweather Now

2010-07-01T07:54:00.000-07:00

Whether or not a megabuck fight between pound-for-pound king and "Fighter of the Decade" Manny Pacquiao and undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr takes place as originally scheduled on November 13, depends on Mayweather.

That’s the word from Top Rank promoter Bob Arum and from Team Pacquiao. Arum has indicated that both sides, meaning he and Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer, have agreed on all the negotiating points covering the random blood tests, the revenue split and other peripheral issues.

But Arum has made it clear it all depends on whether Mayweather will sign the contract and be ready to fight this year or whether he would want to take a break and fight next year or decide not to fight Pacquiao at all.

Pacquiao’s adviser Michael Koncz who is leaving for Los Angeles on Thursday night before hooking up with Bernabe Concepcion and Eden Sonsona in Los Angeles and then flying to Puerto Rico for the blockbuster "Latin Fury/Pinoy Power" fight card on July 11, Manila Time, told us that Pacquiao "had agreed on the negotiating points."

However, Koncz insisted that "if nothing is signed within the next few weeks" then Pacquiao would prepare to battle Miguel Cotto in a rematch for Cotto’s light middleweight title or face the returning Antonio Margarito provided Margarito can obtain a license to fight in the US after he was suspended for one year by the California commission.

Koncz said if there are no developments from the Mayweather side then he would ask Arum to submit proposals for possible fights against Cotto and Margarito which Pacquiao would study and make a decision.

While Pacquiao hasn’t set a definite deadline for Mayweather to ink a contract, Koncz said he is not prepared to wait too much longer.

The adviser told us two days ago that boxing and Mayweather are not on Pacquiao’s mind at the moment as he prepares for the task of serving as congressman from the lone district of Sarangani and implementing several programs that would benefit the people of Sarangani, especially the poor.

[Boxing News Source: Ronnie Nathanielsz, PhilBoxing.com]

Manny Pacquiao Vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr. Finally?

2010-07-01T07:40:00.000-07:00

LAS VEGAS – The highly anticipated proposed bout between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao, which would match boxing’s two best fighters and its two biggest stars, is inching toward reality.

Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank said Wednesday that issues have been resolved and the only thing standing between the fight being made is a decision by Mayweather as to whether he wants to fight again in 2010.

Arum has said for months that Pacquiao will fight on Nov. 13, whether it is against Mayweather or another opponent.

“I think the only question is whether Mayweather is prepared to fight now,” Arum said. “He may say he’s had his fight for the year and that’s it and that we’ll address it again next year. He might say that. I don’t know. I don’t know. But that’s what I’m hypothesizing.

“The question is whether Mayweather is willing to go into the ring this year. It’s up to him. His people would love him to do it. He may not want to do it. If Mayweather wants to fight in November, I believe the fight will be made. To me it seems – it seems, and say that, because I’m not Mayweather – that the only issue is whether he wants to fight in November.”

Leonard Ellerbe, the chief executive officer of Mayweather Promotions, could not be reached for reaction on Arum’s statement. Richard Schaefer, the CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, cited an agreement the sides made earlier this year not to speak to the media about the negotiations.

After being apprised of Arum’s Wednesday comments, Schaefer still declined to comment.

“My reaction is no comment,” Schaefer said. “I really can’t say anything. I won’t comment in any way, shape or form. You know this and anybody who has called me knows this: The only two words I’m going to say when I’m asked about this are ‘No comment.’ That’s my comment. No comment.”

Negotiations to make a Mayweather-Pacquiao fight originally began in November, shortly after Pacquiao stopped Miguel Cotto on Nov. 14 in Las Vegas to win the World Boxing Organization welterweight title.

Talks broke down in December over Mayweather’s insistence for require random blood and urine testing and Pacquiao’s refusal to agree.

Pacquiao eventually filed a libel lawsuit against Mayweather; his father, Floyd Mayweather Sr.; his uncle, Roger Mayweather; and Golden Boy Promotions, alleging they falsely accused him of using steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs. The lawsuit remains pending.

Since Pacquiao defeated Joshua Clottey on March 13 and Mayweather routed Shane Mosley on May 1, discussions aimed at making what would be the richest bout in boxing history resumed. However, nobody involved in the talks, either directly or indirectly, has been willing to speak much publicly about the matter.

Arum is believed to have been speaking directly with Al Haymon, Mayweather’s adviser and de facto manager, in an effort to close the deal.

The 78-year-old promoter refused to go into specifics, such as purse split and the drug testing issue, though he indicated that they have been dealt with to his satisfaction.

“That’s all been resolved,” Arum said of the dispute over the drug testing. “It may be that Floyd wants to fight in May, in which case [Pacquiao will] fight [another opponent] in November and fight him in May. I am not going to talk about the specifics of the negotiations. You have my statement that there are no real issues that I can see, except whether he wants to fight now or later or not at all.

“As far as I’m concerned, we have two guys [Antonio Margarito and Cotto] in the wings who could make attractive fights for Manny, though they are certainly not as attractive as a Mayweather fight,” Arum added. “But I don’t want to talk about [Margarito and Cotto]. I want to make sure there is no chance for this Mayweather fight to happen this year before I talk about any other fight. Once I ascertain whether the fight is or isn’t going to happen, then I’ll sit with Manny and I’ll explain the situations, Margarito, Cotto, 154, catch weights, all of that, and then, he’ll make his choice. But I want to focus completely on making the Mayweather fight before I even address any of that.”

[Boxing News Source: Kevin Iole, Yahoo Sports]

Manny Pacquiao In Congress

2010-07-01T07:36:00.000-07:00

ALABEL, Philippines -- Manny Pacquiao has taken his oath as a Philippine congressman, bringing the boxing star into a political arena that he said seemed more daunting than stepping inside the ring.

The 31-year-old Pacquiao, looking a bit uneasy in an elegant formal shirt and leather shoes, pledged on Monday before about 1,000 spectators in Alabel in the southern Sarangani province to be a good, God-fearing civil servant.

Talking to reporters later, Pacquiao said he was nervous that he could not accomplish much but he promised to try his best to ease the widespread poverty gripping his province, about 600 miles south of Manila.

It was a triumphant second try at local politics for Pacquiao, who was soundly defeated in his first run for the House of Representatives in 2007.

[Boxing News Source: Associated Press]