Boxing icon Pacquiao enters Philippine political ring

REUTERS

MANILA (Reuters) - Seven-time world boxing champion Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao registered as a candidate for a seat in the Philippines lower house of Congress on Tuesday, climbing into the political ring for the second time following a 2007 defeat.
Accompanied by his family, Pacquiao attended a Catholic mass before marching to the poll body office in Alabel town on the southern island of Mindanao to submit his nomination papers under his own political party -- People's Champ Movement (PCM).

"I am ready, there's no more turning back," Pacquiuao told a cheering crowd of supporters, confident of winning a title that eluded him at his first attempt in May 2007.

He was defeated in the congressional election in 2007 by an incumbent opposition lawmaker, Darlene Custodio, who belongs to a prominent political clan in General Santos City.

Pacquiao is now facing a tough opponent supported by the three biggest political and business families in the province of Sarangani, who also have close links to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Arroyo, for her part, filed her own candidacy for a seat in lower house of Congress at her hometown in Lubao, Pampanga province, north of the capital Manila.

"I realized I am not ready to step down completely from public service," Arroyo said on Monday when she decided to seek a seat for Congress as her term as president ends on June 2010.

"Of course the family agrees, we support her 100 percent," Arroyo's husband, Jose Miguel, told reporters after the president submitted her nomination papers under the ruling Lakas-Kampi-CMD coalition party.

The party's standard-bearer, former defense chief Gilberto Teodoro and his running-mate, television game show host Edu Manzano, submitted their nominations for president and vice president at the poll body's main office in Manila.

(Reporting by Manny Mogato; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved

Source: reuters.com

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Mayweather vs. Pacquiao: “I’d like to thank the fans” .. Oh really?

By Frank Car, BoxingNews24.com

The saying each boxer has muttered a thousand times in all types of different phrases “I’d like to thank the fans.”

Oh really. Well the fans are speaking but are you listening, and if you are do you care. It’s quite easy to say “Thank you” but actions speak louder than words.

I’m not saying the Mayweather vs Pacquiao match should be put together just for the fans, because there is clearly a incentive for the boxers themselves as well, infact there are about 100 million of them or more, but the fans also have a stake in this for this is what they want to see. Badly. Thanks is always being thrown out there, but when it comes down to it, it almost seems like once that sentence escapes their mouth that’s all the thanks they needed to give.

As you may have heard negotiations between the May vs Pac match have run into some issues. The May 1, 2010 date has been hindered by the prospect of Pacquiao running for Congress on May 10 in the Philippines. So, long time trainer of Pacquiao, Freddie Roach, said they want the bout to take place on the original suggested date of March 13.

“We want to fight in March. They don’t want to go that early, so we might take one fight before that” said Freddie Roach in an interview with Sky Sports.

However earlier Freddie said that they did not want this date because they wanted to have a longer training camp and this was too soon. That seems to have changed, perhaps in the interest of getting this done. But, now there is a problem with the March date, because Mayweather, who said he wanted to take on Pacquiao and basically called him out, is rumored to want to have a “tune up” bout in January. So the March 13 date is no good for him because it would be too soon. Some also speculate that this is not nearly as good as the May 1st date for promotional reasons and he knows that. I could understand that since things like pools or summer activities in some places in Las Vegas don’t open up until March 15, if it takes place in Vegas which is most likely will. Also and perhaps of more concern, it wouldn’t leave much time to “hype” up the bout, but really how much more hype does it need.

It’s hard to figure out who to point the finger of blame at if there is anyone really it should be pointing at. At any rate, let’s recap. One boxer called another out and now can’t make the date because he wants to go up against someone else. The other can’t make a different and perhaps better date because he is running for Congress. Come on, get in touch with reality. Have you forgotten your boxers and have in front you the well deserved and properly titled “Mega-Fight” of the century. This would make more money than any match in boxing history not to mention keep boxing rising back and beyond the main stream of sports. Sure it could be slated at later date in September, but it could lose alot of steam, the public is pumped and ready for this to happen now. Not to mention the consequences if they lose any bouts that they happen to take on in the mean time.

The May 1st date seems to be the best time. Plenty of time for hype, good time of the year, Roach could have his longer 10-week training camp like he originally wanted, and Mayweather could squeeze in his “tune up” bout with no problems, seemingly as his rumored opponents do not really pose any threat (if he really intends on going through with this). So the Pac-Man should leave the politics to the politicians on this one, run another time or figure a good way to do both. Although campaigning would be tough while training, Pacquiao may be running solo without any other opposition, so not much would campaigning needed anyway. But the opposition may choose not to drop out if he does not campaign much but that is another issue.

From what I can gather on Tuesday Dec. 1, Pacquiao’s opposition must choose whether they are running or not, and that will decide whether he has to campaign. If Pacquiao runs unopposed then it looks like May 1st may be the date all. If Pacquiao does indeed have to campaign, the bout will have to take place before March 25th which is when Pacquiao will begin campaigning.

“If he has to run against an opponent, then he’ll have to start campaigning for the May 10 election on March 25th. If that’s the case then Mayweather would have to be willing to fight March 13.”
Said Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum when speaking with The Times.

If Pacquiao does run, has to campaign, and will not change his mind on it, perhaps Mayweather will buck up the March 13 date.

All this may just be using the media as a tool for negotiations. If it doesn’t go through and winds up happening in September of 2010, which is when the next projected date is if both are unable to reach an agreement for March/May, it still could be a mega-match but things are going to have to go quite well for that to be the case.

When all is said and done if your work on tips a “Thank you” doesn’t pay your bills. If someone does you a favor a “Thank you” may be enough. If your a professional athelete who makes a literal living off the interest of others (the fans) in you, let’s hope they know how to show thanks as well as say it and be able to put any squabbles, or other interests aside. For the sport, for the money, and for that of which provides both, the fans.

Source: boxingnews24.com

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Pacquiao to Gun For Title in Eighth Weight Division?

By FJ Parlan, 411mania.com

According to Roach, Pacquiao could fight Yuri Foreman, rather than Floyd Mayweather, Jr. in March.

After Bernard Hopkins predicted away from a March Pacquiao-Mayweather megafight, turning instead to Floyd Mayweather, Jr. vs. Shane Mosley and Manny Pacquiao vs. Yuri Foreman, none other than Freddie Roach added affirmation to it.

In an interview with BoxingScene, the same source Hopkins told, the three-time Trainer of the Year (now going four-time) said that Mayweather doesn't want to fight Pacquiao in March, but the Filipino Pacquiao can't fight beyond March until likely after the local elections (which will be held in May) in which he plans to run in.

"Mayweather doesn't want to fight in March, so we might fight for the 154 pound title in March and move up for that eighth world title. I'm thinking about that still and it's something that I'm kicking around in my head right now," Roach said.

Meanwhile, reports are swirling around that Mayweather plans to fight in UK, speculated to be against the other Hatton, Matthew, for a tune-up fight.

Roach points to negotiation difficulties with Mayweather as one of the causes preventing the fight. Roach and camp could turn to Yuri Foreman.

"Yuri Foreman might be the opponent. It's a possibility, and then Mayweather in September. If they guarantee me that, we'll do that, but I need more of a commitment from Mayweather because he's not negotiating too well. It has to happen, and with money they are going to make out of it, I feel it will happen. Mayweather can't make that money with anybody else," according to Roach.

If a fight with the Israeli Foreman, the first Jewish world titlist in more than 60 years, materializes, it is still unknown whether it will occur at a cathcweight or not.

Source: 411mania.com

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Shane Mosley: “A fight with me and Pacquiao would be more explosive”

By Geoffrey Ciani & Jenna J, East Side Boxing

(The following interview transcript with Sugar Shane Mosley aired on episode 50 of ‘On the Ropes’, November 30, 2009)

Jenna J: Sugar Shane Mosley, welcome to the On the Ropes boxing radio show. How’s it going today?

Sugar Shane Mosley: I’m doing pretty good, it’s a little nippy here in Big Bear.

JJ: Alright, well we’re very glad to be talking to you again, and one of the things I’d like to start off with is that your next fight has been set. You will be fighting a unification bout with WBC welterweight champion Andre Berto on January 30. Can you tell us a little bit about how your preparations are going for that match-up?

SSM: It’s going pretty good. I’ve gotten to camp early, already, but I’m living in Big Bear so I kind of keep myself together..

JJ: One of the things I want to ask you is that you’re fighting an undefeated belt holder who is twelve years younger than you and also a fighter that you said during a post fight interview reminded you a lot of yourself early in your career, so what do you think you’ll have to do to be successful against Berto on January 30?

SSM: I think be smart, use my intelligence and my experience on him, and I think that I can be successful with someone like Andre Berto.

JJ: I’m going to go over to my co-host, Rummy.

Geoffrey Ciani: Hi Shane. I recently had the chance to speak to Emanuel Steward and he said with you having been unsuccessful in being able to land a fight with (Manny) Pacquiao, or (Floyd) Mayweather, or even (Miguel) Cotto that it has to be very frustrating for you, and Manny noted that it’s going to be a tough job for you to get mentally up for this fight with Andre Berto. Is there any truth to that?

SSM: No, no. I’m going to be up for any fighter that gets in the ring with me. I have this thing in my mind that I’m going to destroy anybody in my weight division. I just want to prove that I’m the best fighter.

GC: Now I’m curious Shane, you had a chance to see the fight I’m assuming between Pacquiao and Cotto and Pacquiao was able to do something that you weren’t able to do and that was stop Miguel Cotto. What was your impression of that fight?

SSM: I think Pacquiao did a spectacular job of fighting Miguel Cotto. I think that when I fought Cotto I probably wasn’t mentally as ready as I am right now to fight anybody. Even with the fight with me and Cotto I was looking to stop him in that fight as well. You noticed that me getting better is when (Antonio) Margarito stopped Cotto, as well, with throwing a lot of punches just like Pacquiao did and he was able to stop Cotto as well, but I was able to stop Margarito after that. So that’s just showing my comeback and showing that I’m ready and willing to take on all comers.

JJ: Alright, Shane. Now that’s one of the things I want to follow up on is do you think the Miguel Cotto that faced Pacquiao was the same fighter as when you faced him or do you think he had something taken out of him from his fight with Margarito that allowed Manny to beat him so easily?

SSM: You know, I can’t take anything away from Manny Pacquiao’s performance because I think he did a great job. I’m not sure if Cotto was the same fighter when I fought him or the same fighter when he fought Margarito, but I’m sure that Manny Pacquiao looked spectacular. He looked great, and nothing should be taken away from that performance.

JJ: Well it seems as though the Mayweather and Pacquiao camps are trying to negotiate a fight for May 1, and if that fight comes together, who do you see winning it and do you think the winner would face you if you’re successful in your fight with Berto?

SSM: I think it would be a real close fight. I’m not sure exactly who would win. I think that I might give the edge to Mayweather but I like Pacquiao as a fighter, and if Pacquiao wins I will be excited and be happy because a fight between me and Pacquiao would be more exciting, because there’s two guys that want to get in there and fight. With Mayweather, he’s a boxer. He’s going to seek to draw it out. He’s going to make it a very ugly fight with Pacquiao. I think it’s going to be a good fight for Pacquiao because of his fighting style. I think that a fight with me and Pacquiao would be much more explosive, much more dramatic than a fight with Pacquiao and Mayweather. I really can’t choose. I choose a dull fight being made by Mayweather, but I really can’t choose who to win it.

GC: Now Shane, you said that you think a fight between you and Pacquiao would be more explosive and I think most people would agree with you on that, I know I do, but do you think a fight with Pacquiao would be more difficult than a fight with Mayweather for you?

SSM: It’s going to be a difficult fight for him to fight Mayweather because of the styles and what Mayweather chooses to do. Me and Manny Pacquiao can both box, but we can also punch, so we choose to box and punch. Mayweather chooses to do a lot more boxing. He can fight on the inside a little bit, but he doesn’t, really. His main game is to get up on his toes, move around, and counterpunch, and that will make it very difficult for Pacquiao to get in with Mayweather. Even though Mayweather has had problems with southpaws, but I’m not sure if he has problems with the type of southpaw Pacquiao is. Pacquiao is the type of southpaw who circles a different way. He circles to your left as a southpaw, and I think that’s going to play into Mayweather’s hands. Mayweather doesn’t like southpaws that move to their right and that’s going to be a problem.

GC: Shane, the end of 2009 is coming up and at the end of the year you’re going to be widely regarded as the best welterweight in the world. Going forward a year from now, at the end of 2010, do you think you’ll have even had the chance to prove that you’re still the best welterweight in the world?

SSM: Well I’m trying to prove that right now. I think Ring Magazine is trying to put Pacquiao in front of me without fighting me and I’m having a problem with that. I have to talk to Nigel Collins and a few other guys about that because I don’t think that’s fair. If I’m the number one guy, in order to be the number one guy you got to beat the number one guy, you can’t just say you’re the number one guy without beating him. I thought Ring Magazine, that that’s what they encouraged and what they wanted. I got to talk to Nigel Collins about that and see what happens with that.

JJ: Now to follow up on that a little bit, if you’re unable to secure a fight with either Pacquiao or Mayweather after your fight with Berto, where do you see yourself going from there?

SSM: I see myself fighting against the other welterweight champions, so I’m just going to collect all the belts. Just start collecting all of the belts, and pretty soon, these guys will have to fight me because I’ll have all the belts.

JJ: Shane, you’re 38 years old and you’ve accomplished a lot in your career. How much longer do you think you’ll be fighting?

SSM: I’m going to fight for about another four to five more years. I’m grooming my son right now to become the next to add to the boxing name, but until then, I got about four more years.

JJ: I’m going to go back to Rummy.

GC: Shane, I’m wondering, you know Oscar De La Hoya pretty well and when he lost to Pacquiao a lot of people just figured it was time for him to retire, but since then, Pacquiao has shown such dominance in the ring, I was wondering if maybe Oscar ever mentioned anything to you about the possibility of making a comeback?

SSM: He’s never mentioned coming back, but you know, when it’s in your blood you definitely want to come back. I never want to retire too early before my time, because if I comeback, that’s when you start hurting yourself. You can get yourself hurt in the ring because you’re out of the ring. You’re not training or working out. For me, I’ve been training and working out to keep myself in shape, keep myself ready, and just to have the fire in my gut before a fight to show the fans and everybody that I’m the best fighter and just to prove that to them and to continue adding onto my legacy as the best fighter of this era.

JJ: Alright Shane, well we just have a couple of more questions before we let you go, and one of the ones that I want to ask you is your Golden Boy stable mate Bernard Hopkins will be facing off against Roy Jones Junior coming up in the first quarter of 2010. Who do you see winning that fight and why?

SSM: I think when those two guys fight I have to go with Bernard, because Bernard’s been more active and Bernard is a complete fighter. He can box, he can punch, and I think he’s just been around the game fighting high level competition more than Roy Jones has, so I have to give the edge to Bernard Hopkins. Both guys have to get past their “warm ups”, if you will. Enrique Ornelas is for Bernard Hopkins, and I can’t think of the other guy’s name—his last name is Green and he’s in Australia—Roy has to get past him. So they both have to get past their little tune ups and then face each other.

JJ: Do you have a prediction for January 30 against Andre Berto?

SSM: Always a knockout! In every fight that I take and every fight that I have, I predict a knockout because that’s what I look to do—knock guys out.

JJ: My final question for you, is there anything you want to say anything to all your fans out there over at East Side Boxing or the fans you have around the world and what they have to look out for from Shane Mosley in 2010?

SSM: 2010 is going to be very explosive. It’s going to be very exciting and I can’t wait to do my thing.

JJ: Alright, well we’re very glad that you gave us this time here to talk to you, and we wish you the best of luck in your fight with Andre Berto and your future fights after that.

SSM: Thank you, thank you.

GC: Thank you, Shane.

JJ: Have a nice day, Shane.

***

If you want to listen to Shane Mosley’s interview in its entirety, it begins approximately 86 minutes into the show.



Source: eastsideboxing.com

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Vote for your Champion of Champions!

ESPNStar.com

It's that time of the year again! A superb list of superstars who will go head-to-head to become the People's Choice for Champion of Champions 2009.

Serena Williams vs Nicol David

Serena Williams is the current World Number 1 tennis player and has accumulated 23 Grand Slam titles in her career to date - more than any other active female player.

The pride of Malaysia - Nicol David is the World Number 1 ranked women's squash player - a position she has held for the past three and a half years. She is also the current World Open champion having won the title for a record fourth time in September 2009.

Closing Date: 2nd December

MS Dhoni vs Valentino Rossi

MS Dhoni's captaincy has been under the microscope after a stunning run in 2008, but his form with the bat kept his detractors at bay. Dhoni's controlled aggression in the ODI format won him accolades from experts and the media and fetched him plenty of runs too.

Another season, another MotoGP World Championship to Valentino Rossi's name. It's not as if his victory was an easy one, but Rossi's name has become synonymous with winning - he has, after all, racked up nine MotoGP titles.

Closing Date: 2nd December

Usain Bolt vs Ross Brawn

The showdown between the kings of speed! Usain Bolt is still blazing a trail in men's athletics one year after his heroics at the Beijing Olympics. Despite needing minor surgery to fix an injury sustained in a car crash in April, the' Lighting Bolt' bounced back with a vengeance and set two new world records, a 9.58-second 100m and a 19.19-second 200m.

Ross Brawn led his new Brawn GP to a historic win in the 2009 Formula One World Constructors' Championship as well as aiding Jenson Button to clinch his first World Drivers' Championship.

Jenson Button vs Tiger Woods

From a race driver on the verge of losing his job to one who clinched the World Drivers'Championship title, Jenson Button's year has been as exciting as being in a F1 car.

After recovering from knee surgery, Tiger Woods's return to golfing action after an eight-month absence at the start of 2009 was perhaps the most-anticipated comeback in golf. Although he failed to add any Major titles to his resume, Woods still dominated the international golfing scene in 2009 by pocketing a cool US$10,508,163.

Gautam Gambhir vs Manny Pacquiao

The left handed opening batsman may have gone through a stutter early in his career but he has realised his potential just in time. The last year has been special for Gautam Gambhir, scoring under pressure and against tough opponents.

Seven titles in seven different weight categories. Has the boxing world ever seen a better fighter than the southpaw dynamo from Mindanao, Philippines? Manny Pacquiao further enhanced his name this year with a 12 round demolition of Miguel Cotto to claim the WBO Welterweight title

Kobe Bryant vs Roger Federer

Kobe Bryant finally achieved what he set out to do since the departure of Shaquille O'Neal: win an NBA title without the Diesel. The Black Mamba swept through the regular season with the Los Angeles Lakers with a 65-17 record, with Bryant averaging 26.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.9 assists.

Swiss ace Roger Federer is arguably the greatest tennis player of all time. He has won 15 Grand Slam singles titles, more than any other male player, and is ranked World Number 1 by the ATP.

Cristiano Ronaldo vs Ryan Giggs

Just when everyone thought the Portuguese Peacock was comfortably sitting on his throne at Old Trafford, Cristiano Ronaldo ensured he collected another accolade in the summer by becoming the most expensive player in history when Real Madrid unloaded US$132 million for his services.

Who says nice guys never prosper? Evergreen Ryan Giggs is the epitome of his generation's footballers and could perhaps even be the Premier League's Peter Pan. 2009 is Giggs' 18th season as a professional and it will be remembered for the Welshman's first-ever PFA Player of the Year award win.

Lionel Messi vs Mitchell Johnson

From an 11-year-old who was diagnosed with a growth deficiency, Lionel Messi has defied all odds to become a household name in football. His greatest achievement so far has to be winning the 2009 Ballon d'Or. His grace and guile on the flanks for Barcelona helped the club achieve an unprecedented treble, the UEFA Champions League, La Liga and Copa del Rey title.

The left arm seamer Mitchell Johnson from Queensland was the toast of a new, post Glen McGrath, Australia. Mitch, as he is fondly known by his teammates, ran through batting orders, extracted pace and movement.

So who will emerge as the Champion of Champions 2009? You have the power to decide which athlete has the honour of becoming the first Champion of Champions.

Source: espnstar.com

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Video: Paul Williams (HBO Boxing)

Boxing News World

Source: sports.yahoo.com

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Telegraph Video: Freddie Roach

Boxing News World













Source: telegraph.co.uk

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Promoter calls off Wright-Brewer fight

By Dan Rafael, ESPN.com

Former undisputed junior middleweight champion Winky Wright's return to the ring against Grady Brewer was canceled Monday.

Wright (51-5-1, 25 KOs) was scheduled to fight Brewer (26-11-15KOs), a former winner of "The Contender" reality series, in a middleweight bout on Dec. 11 that was to headline a pay-per-view card from San Juan, Puerto Rico.

However, the card was called off when co-promoter San Juan City Knockout withdrew its support, Wright adviser Damian Ramirez told ESPN.com.

"The local promoter canceled the show after he completely paid in full all the PPV expenses, travel, advertising, marketing, commercials," Ramirez said in an e-mail. "Don't know why."

Wright hasn't fought since dropping a lopsided decision to Paul Williams in April, a fight that followed a nearly two-year layoff after his decision loss to Bernard Hopkins in a light heavyweight fight.

"Winky isn't happy right now," Ramirez said. "He's at 162 [pounds] right now. He's been working his ass off. He wanted to make a statement and stop Brewer."

Ramirez said Wright, who turned 38 last week, will look for an alternative fight but eventually wants to face middleweight champ Kelly Pavlik.

The entire card was scrapped, causing fights involving former junior flyweight titlist Alex "Nene" Sanchez, heavyweight Fres Oquendo and twins Juan and Carlos Velazquez, all of Puerto Rico, to be called off also.

Dan Rafael is ESPN.com's boxing writer.

Source: sports.espn.go.com

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Roach and Pacquiao a boxing duo for the history books

By Brad Cooney, 8CountNews.com

What a ride it's been for two different men from two different parts of the world. The kid from General Santos City, Philippines and the kid from Dedham, Massachusetts would meet, and together they would rise from boxing names to international boxing stars. When Manny Pacquiao first walked into the Wild Card Gym, in Hollywood, California, nobody, including Freddie Roach would know what would happen next. Together these two men would clean out 7 different divisions, an leave a path of destruction in doing so. Victims such as Erik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera, Ricky Hatton, Oscar De La Hoya, Miguel Cotto would all fall short, and would all feel the reprecussions of what happens when you mix it up against Manny Pacquiao.

Both men have reaped the benefits of success. Pacquiao has international star power now, appearing on national American televisions shows such as The Jimmy Kimmel show, and having been blessed with huge sponsorships such as Nike proves that. Roach is the most famous trainer in the world now, his face is everywhere, including boxing magazines, his own suppliments, his own boxing training videos, and he's the most in demand trainer in the world. This all as a result of the success that both men have done together. Both men have made a lot of money, and both men have kick started boxing as a whole.

Roach and Pacquiao brought us the Morales trilogy, the Barrera wars, the De La Hoya show, the Hatton beat down with the Mayweather/Roach sideshow. The two men are like peanut butter and jelly, they just go together. With the success comes the hate. Success breeds hate, so their success hasn't come without some of it. Pacquiao has been accused of taking steroids. An allegation that has no basis or merit I might add. Roach has been called overrated, and has been accused of riding Pacquiao's wave of success. These sorts of accusations and hateful comments are common when someone achieves such success. When you're on top of the hill, someone always tries to knock you off.

There is no taking away from what these two men have accomplished in boxing. People can try all day, but at the end of the day the historians will all write similar things about them. Together they have conquered 7 different weight divisions and have defeated legends in the process. The closing chapter on such a great story would be of course to take down the one and only Floyd Mayweather Jr. This fight is currently being negotiated, and hopefully will come to fruition in the near future. A victory over Mayweather for Pacquiao would put the icing on the cake for a history making career. A career that will no doubt place him among the elite all time greats in boxing.

When the closing chapter of this story is finsihed, people will look back and appreciate what these two men have accomplished. Right now it is still an unfinished story, the pages are still turning. One day it will be over with, and it is then when people will most appreciate it. This writer is very thankful for the opportunity that I have had to cover it.

Source: 8countnews.com

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Promoter: Pacquiao will run for Congress, fight date hinges on opponent

Los Angeles Times

Manny Pacquiao will indeed seek election as a member of Congress in the Philippines, his promoter said Monday, but tomorrow's deadline to learn if he'll run opposed or not is the key factor affecting the boxer's possible super-fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. next year.

"If he has to run against an opponent, then he'll have to start campaigning for the May 10 election on March 25," Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum told The Times. "If that's the case, then Mayweather would have to be willing to fight March 13."

Mayweather and many others, including Arum, however, would prefer if the bout could occur May 1. If Pacquiao runs unopposed, that can happen -- as long as financial negotiations can produce a deal.

"Obviously, we could use the extra month and a half to get ready for something like that," said Arum.

Arum said he's heard from representatives in the Philippines that one person is waffling on whether or not to oppose Pacquiao in the run for the congressional seat in the province of Sarangani.

"People are trying to talk the opponent out of it," Arum said. "I don't know how they're doing it, or who the person is. I'm over here [in Las Vegas] and getting stories from a dozen different people."

Politics at its finest.

Meanwhile, Arum said he received a phone call Monday from Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones on Monday again expressing interest in hosting a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight in his massive Texas football stadium.

Arum declined to discuss how the Pacquiao-Mayweather financial negotiations have thus far progressed.

-- Lance Pugmire

Source: latimesblogs.latimes.com

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Stories of the decade

By Martin Rogers, Yahoo! Sports

Yahoo! Sports' decade in review takes to the ring for a series of boxing-related top-fives. Last up is the top five stories of the 2000s. Whatever your opinion on the issues which engulfed the sport, these are the storylines that generated the greatest controversy and speculation over the past decade.

5. Margarito's illegal hand-wraps

Antonio Margarito headed into his Staples Center matchup with Shane Mosley as one of boxing's favorite sons; an iron-chinned superstar beloved for his bravery and competitive fire.

But the events of January 24, 2009, and their aftermath have turned Margarito into a boxing pariah. Margarito's hand wraps were found to have on them calcium and sulfur, which would have hardened into a Plaster of Paris-like substance.

Eagle-eyed Mosley corner man Nazim Richardson spotted the unusual nature of Margarito's wraps in the locker room prefight and immediately alerted officials. With new wraps, Margarito was smashed up by Mosley before being stopped in the ninth round.

The California State Athletic Commission handed down bans a month later - a ludicrously brief one-year suspension for both Margarito and his trainer Javier Capetillo.

4. Diego Corrales dies in a motorcycle crash

Corrales was one of boxing's most colorful characters, a man who lived and fought at full speed.

His spectacular wars with Jose Luis Castillo cemented his popularity, but he was unable to handle the resulting fame and battled constantly with personal problems.

Many friends said afterward it had been inevitable that Corrales' tumultuous life - he had served 14-months in prison for abusing his pregnant girlfriend - would end in tragedy.

Despite limited motorcycle experience, Corrales insisted on riding down a busy residential street in Las Vegas on the second anniversary of his classic victory over Castillo. His blood alcohol level nearly three times the legal limit, Corrales collided with the back of a vehicle and was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital.

3. The continued fall of Mike Tyson

Tyson's life and career had already plummeted downhill in the 1990s, but a new decade didn't bring any better fortune for the former undisputed heavyweight champ.

Iron Mike has become an increasingly forlorn figure, with most of the millions he earned during his career having been squandered away.

The early part of the decade offered an opportunity for him to scale the heights of the heavyweight division once more, but he was demolished by Lennox Lewis in eight rounds and followed up with shocking defeats to Danny Williams and Kevin McBride before, mercifully, hanging up his gloves.

2. The FBI raids Top Rank's offices

Has boxing ever seemed sicker than when federal agents stormed into Top Rank's Las Vegas HQ in the first week of January 2004 and seized computers, contracts and financial documents?

The most salacious part of the investigation was that Oscar De La Hoya's rematch with Shane Mosley had been "fixed," and the fight game winced from this latest controversy as Bob Arum's company came under scrutiny.

More ugly details filtered out, that the investigation was part of an ongoing probe into organized crime, rumors of fixing, tampered medical records and deep-rooted corruption.

The investigation eventually was dropped in 2006 with no charges filed, but it was an episode that took boxing to the top of the news bulletins for all the wrong reasons.

1. Top Rank/Golden Boy lawsuit over Manny Pacquiao

Pacquiao was on his way to becoming the world's most exciting fighter in 2006, and promotional giants Top Rank and Golden Boy both wanted a slice of the action.

Bob Arum claimed he had Pacquiao signed to a contract, but Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy also insisted he had him tied to a deal after handing over a satchel of cash during an airport meeting.

The two parties went head-to-head in an acrimonious courtroom battle that was eventually settled when the judge warned Arum and Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer that neither may like the final judgment.

The upshot is that Arum continues to promote Pacquiao, while Golden Boy also receives a sizeable cut every time he fights.

Honorable mentions: Despite lacking a definitive incident like these other stories, there were a couple of issues that were a constant theme during the 2000s.

• What happened to the heavyweights? The decline of the heavyweight division has been lamented for much of the decade. Lennox Lewis' retirement left a void, while Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson both faded from the world scene. Instead, a generation of big Russian and Ukrainian fighters came to the fore, led by the Klitschkos, Vitali and Waldimir, but none were really able to capture the public imagination.

• Boxing v MMA The emergence of mixed martial arts and the UFC has presented boxing with some significant challenges. MMA's deep undercards for pay-per-view events and the relative lack of bluster surrounding its fighters won over some supporters who had previously gravitated towards boxing. However, the huge PPV numbers generated in recent times by fighters such as Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather suggests boxing is not ready to roll over just yet.

Source: sports.yahoo.com

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Could a congressional run for Pacquiao ruin the Mayweather fight?

By Ramon Aranda, Examiner.com

With talks ongoing between Top Rank’s Bob Arum and Golden Boy Promotions’ Richard Schaefer, the world awaits a possible deal for a 2010 mega fight between junior welterweight champ and WBO welterweight titlist Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. in what would be boxing’s biggest fight in years.

However, we’ve learned today that there’s a little issue that has popped up as it relates to the Pacman. According to InsideSports, Pacquiao is keen on running for a congressional seat in Sarangani. Now that’s all fine and dandy and given Pacquiao’s penchant for helping out his fellow countrymen, it’s a logical next step…after boxing!

Unfortunately, Pacquiao is pretty firm on the decision to do so while he’s still an active fighter. We’ve seen other fighters handle separate careers while competing in the ring, such as Oscar De La Hoya who was also running his promotional company. But looking back, it took Oscar away from the ring more often than not and that would be a very bad thing for the sport.

So what’s the possibility that he runs and loses? Rex Salud, Pacquiao’s longtime friend tells InsideSports that there’s a good chance he’ll be unopposed and win if his opponent withdraws.

Sigh.

Bob Arum says that if the congressional running affects the Mayweather fight, he may instead return on March 13 at the Dallas Cowboys’ new stadium.

If the fight against Mayweather doesn’t happen on the basis of a political run, then shame on Manny.
To deny boxing a fight of this magnitude would be a tragedy. It doesn't take an expert to realize the potential global awareness and financial explosion that this fight would bring. It's not often that we have the two best fighters in boxing on a collision course and it's simply too good not to happen.

Still nothing is for certain and as such, negotiations continue but we’ll have to keep a close eye on Manny’s run in Sarangani. For the sake of the sport, let’s hope it doesn’t come to fruition…at least not yet.

Source: examiner.com

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Amir Khan: 'The fights are getting tougher now, and bloodier too'

Donald McRae, guardian.co.uk

Amir Khan, stretched out on a narrow table, yelps as a seriously intense man digs an elbow into his shoulder blade. The air turns an even darker shade of blue on a rainy evening in Bolton as Khan, naked but for a skimpy white towel covering his rear, swears in agony while his physiotherapist leans heavily on him.

"That hurts," Khan whimpers, his big eyes looking up pitifully as the pain intensifies. "It's just as well I'm not fighting this guy because he knows all my weak spots."

Khan's good humour is evident as he groans. Instead of facing his physiotherapist – an otherwise genial middle-aged man who goes about his work with fierce dedication – Khan defends his WBA light-welterweight title for the first time against the unbeaten Dmitriy Salita in Newcastle on Saturday. It will be a day short of 15 months since Khan was knocked out in 54 seconds by Breidis Prescott, an impassive Colombian who left him looking far more vulnerable than he does now as a revitalised world champion having his muscles loosened after sparring.

"I've done a hundred rounds for Salita," Khan says, "and it's important to have this kind of massage. When you drop weight the closer you come to the fight the more your muscles tighten up. This keeps me supple – even if it kills me."

Now, stripped and hurting, the 22-year-old reveals how affected his mother has been by that devastating defeat. After Khan was battered to the canvas by Prescott, his mother, Falak, tried to stop his younger brother, Haroon, from fighting again by hiding his boxing kit. Only the intervention of her husband, Shah, persuaded Falak to accept that her two sons would box on.

"My mum still doesn't like me fighting now," Khan says, propping his chin on his hands. "She says, 'Look, you've achieved what you set out to do. You're a world champion – so call it a day'. But this sport is too addictive. I know I have the talent and so I don't want to throw it away."

Khan has responded positively to his only loss and scored decisive wins in his three fights since then – including victory over the great but faded Mexican Marco Antonio Barrera and a comprehensive decision four months ago when he outclassed Andreas Kotelnik to become the WBA world champion. And yet Falak Khan has stayed away from the ring every time.

"She was there when I lost to Prescott," Khan says, "and afterwards she said, 'Look, I don't want to come to any more of your fights. She comes with me to the town but she stays in the hotel. The fights are getting tougher now, and bloodier, and I think her heart would've stopped if she had seen the Barrera fight [when the Mexican was slashed open by a clash of heads]."

His muscles are still being pounded but Khan's concentration is absolute as he considers all that his mother endures. "Whose mother wants to see her son fight?" he asks. "It's very hard for her – but boxing is in my blood."

The extent of that addiction was clear when, stricken by Prescott, Khan decided to leave Bolton for a lonely apartment and a stark gym in Los Angeles – so that he could be salvaged by the world's best trainer, Freddie Roach, and work alongside the formidable Manny Pacquiao. Within a few weeks of being knocked out he was pulling on borrowed headgear in Roach's Wild Card gym. Across the ring, prowling and grinning, Pacquiao waited for him.

"That first time against Manny I was nervous," Khan says, "because I was going in with the world's best fighter and didn't know what to expect. After Prescott my confidence had been knocked. So it was a big test but I did really well against Manny. The good thing about being nervous is that you perform better. I was on the edge and that's good."

Roach confirms that for four rounds his latest protege is a decent match for Pacquiao – who blasted through Ricky Hatton inside two rounds earlier this year. "I'm very experienced in four-round fights, because of my amateur career, and I've got a high work rate," Khan says. "But, yeah, Freddie's right. If it went longer then maybe I'd feel the pressure against Manny. The first time we sparred I did OK but I still had doubts in my head. I think it would be different if we sparred now.

"Freddie thought there was no point us sparring when Manny was preparing for Miguel Cotto [last month]. I've got a totally different style to Cotto and Manny's a southpaw where my guy, Salita, is orthodox. But if Manny fights Floyd Mayweather I could give him good sparring – because of my handspeed and lateral movement."

His potential role in boxing's most anticipated fight, between Pacquiao and Mayweather, delights Khan. "I was at Manny's fight against Cotto and he was amazing. Cotto's lip was over here, his nose was over there, his eyes were cut. I thought it was going to be a much tougher fight. Cotto won the first round but then Manny took over. When Manny knocked him down the first time Cotto gave up all thought of winning."

If Khan's mother could hear the relish in his voice as he celebrates Pacquaio's violent artistry she would feel even more worried. "That night was inspirational," Khan says. "You see Manny doing that and you think, 'I want to be in his position'. In Vegas you see the names lit up – Pacquiao versus Cotto – and it excites you. I want to see my name up there – Amir Khan versus whoever."

Amir Khan versus Dmitriy Salita pits a British-born Muslim against an Orthodox Jew from Ukraine who is now fighting out of Brooklyn. Khan and Salita are such generous characters that crude attempts to spark a religious rivalry between them have been quietly ignored. "Salita's sense of calm was what I noticed most when we met," Khan says. "He's coming into a different country, to face a world champion, but he wasn't nervous. I respect him for that. I also like it because it tells me I've got a test. This guy is not scared. He can take a good shot, he's durable and quick. But I feel, with my power, he won't be able to handle me."

The certainty with which Roach considers this likely victory is even more convincing. Roach worked briefly with Salita a few years ago and, praising him as "a good kid", he believes the threat posed by the light-hitting mandatory challenger is minimal. Khan can use Saturday as another step on the road towards more lucrative and dangerous fights against the likes of Juan Díaz and Juan Manuel Márquez – the WBA and WBO lightweight world champion who drew his first bout against Pacquiao and narrowly lost the rematch.

Khan also talks optimistically about meeting Mayweather in 2011, but two domestic contests are likelier to happen. On Saturday's undercard there is an intriguing fight between Prescott and Kevin Mitchell, the unbeaten London super-featherweight who, after 29 wins, moves up to lightweight. "It's a really good fight for Kevin," Khan says. "Prescott lost [in July] against an average Mexican [Miguel Vázquez]. Prescott dropped him in the first round but he was outpointed. If you can get past the first with Prescott you can beat him easy. That's why I think Kevin will win. He's a patient fighter with a good defence. If he beats Prescott a fight between me and Kevin would be interesting. But you have to remember Kevin is coming up from super-feather and I'd be too big."

A far bigger British fight for Khan looms in the bloated shape of Hatton who, predictably if sadly, is on the verge of a comeback. Roach is a compassionate man but he can't help grinning at the thought of Hatton facing a far younger, much quicker and hard-punching champion in Khan. "Freddie keeps telling me, 'You must take that fight against Hatton – he's made for you,'" Khan says.

"He's more worried Hatton will fight Márquez first and that could mess everything up. It might never happen but Hatton is a brilliant fight for me."

Hatton would be better advised to have a farewell workout before his adoring fans in Manchester against a soft-hitting journeyman. Khan shakes his head. "Hatton is a great guy. I love Hatton. He's a good friend of mine. I suffered a defeat and he helped me in a very supportive way. Now I'm totally behind him. I think he should come back and take those cobwebs away and prove himself."

Some of Hatton's followers will point to the way Prescott exposed Khan. But Roach has transformed him. "Losing to Prescott changed my whole career," Khan says. "Freddie has taken me to a different level. I'm sparring 60 more rounds in LA than I did before a fight in England and I'm up against very hungry boxers. It's proper fighting and that's why I feel ready for Hatton." Acknowledging that Hatton is in danger of being ruined by his boxing addiction, Khan shrugs when asked how he will avoid the same fate. "I'll beat that bug – easy. I won a proper world title at 22 while Hatton was older. I've done it a lot quicker than most fighters so I can always stop at 27, 28, 29."

Khan is smart enough to laugh then, as he keeps adding another year to his career. "It's tough to give up. What am I gonna do when it's time for me to stop and a superfight comes along and they say, 'Amir, we'll give you £20m'? Am I going to go 'Nah' or get off my rocking chair and take it? I know my mum won't like it but boxing's in my blood. I just hope I'll only fight the big names when I'm at my peak. I want to get the timing just right."

Source: guardian.co.uk

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