By Gabriel Montoya, SecondsOut.com
Gabriel,
Only Floyd Mayweather can take the fun out of boxing. Yes, Pacquiao can easily submit to taking the random tests, but at the same time, why? He’s never failed a steroid test and why should he change his training camp because of Floyd Mayweather and comments from Mayweather Sr., Malignaggi, and Cintron? I think Malignaggi and Cintron are smart because I truly think they are saying this in hopes to lure Paquaio into the ring for a nice payday. At least with them you know they would have fought Paquaio under normal testing. Mayweather Sr. shits on anybody who does not have Mayweather as a last name or that he doesn’t train. Mayweather has fought 40 times and has never asked for any other kind of testing, why now? I truly think this was all to play games with Paqauio to throw him off and they went too far and it blew up in their face. If Floyd wants 14 days from the fight and Paquaio wants 24 why not split it down the middle and do 19. Thats a thought. As much as I think it would be easy for Manny to comply and I sit here baffled at why he won’t, I then think what am I thinking this is Mayweathers fault. He’s managed too avoid every great fight and then when someone comes along that is giving the fans what they want to see he then puts doubt into the minds of fans about this guy and takes a shit on him and then points the finger. Bottom line this all smells like Mayweather and he is just so bad for boxing all around. Can these two really be that stupid and throw away this tremendous payday and most of all not give everybody what they want? On normal terms I know Mayweather would walk, but I thought he needed the money? Thoughts?
Michael
NYC
I was sitting in the Wild Card Boxing Club the other day, waiting to interview various fighters and watching some solid sparring with a friend of mine named James, talking all things boxing in general and Mayweather/Pacquiao in particular when James said something that hadn’t occurred to me.
“Floyd’s scared,” he said. “Sr. sat in the corner, ringside, and watched Manny destroy his fighter in two rounds. He heard that punch up close and he knew his son was in for a rough night. Floyd can’t handle that kind of pressure.”
Now on TV and even from my seat on press row, that punch had serious impact. But it’s a whole different game up close near the ring apron. That punch must’ve been brutally loud as it cracked Hatton’s chin and put him on “I can’t feel my brain” street. It was only after that fight, one where Floyd Sr. wrote a check with his mouth that he was nowhere near able to cash, that Floyd Sr. began saying Pacquiao must be on the juice.
“Sr is being a dad,” James said. “He’s protecting his son.”
Makes some sense if you think about it.
I remember playing Monopoly with my brothers as a very young boy, around six or so, and saying “You must be cheating because I’m losing.” In a way, Floyd is saying that Manny must be cheating because only he is the best fighter in the world. Only he can be the face of boxing. “The President of boxing.” But it says here that “No, Floyd. You’re just a very good fighter with a long track record of avoiding tough fights in favor of ones you can win.” Floyd played a game of chicken with Manny by going public with the blood testing clause in the contract. It was a cheap attempt to make a man bend to his will or suffer the consequences in the court of public opinion. Now, instead of making 40 million, he may lose some money in a real court of law.
So who is to blame?
Floyd Mayweather’s advisor, Leonard Ellerbe, claims all Floyd wants is a level playing field and thus has called for random blood testing throughout training camp leading up to this fight. Which begs the question: why now? Was the Juan Manuel Marquez on a level playing field? Marquez was older, fighting 12 pounds above his last fight’s weight class; a class where he showed all the signs of aging and ring wear, was slower and not known to be a one punch KO artist but more of a pinpoint counter puncher who would wear you down over the course of fight. Was it a level playing field against a fighter who had moved up to 154 pounds and beaten a top five junior middle named Oscar De La Hoya? Why wasn’t this need for random blood testing implemented then? Maybe because the matchmaking favored Floyd so much that Marquez could have been drinking Barry Bonds’ steroid era urine samples instead of his own fresh urine and it wouldn’t have made a difference? Was it a level playing field when Floyd had Ricky Hatton, a fighter who admitted before and after the fight that he was not very good as a 147 pound fighter, move to welterweight? You be the judge.
The point being: since when did Floyd care about a level playing field? Since when did he become a boxing reformer or even care about boxing as anything more than a hustle to make money in? Has he been giving the fans every or any fight they have wanted in the last five years? No he hasn’t.
Floyd had so much clout in the sport as it’s number one fighter after the Oscar and Hatton fights, he could have made a much greater statement and shown he was legit by doing two things before his brief retirement.
Announce he was leaving the sport until certain changes were made. One being this need for random blood testing.
As the head of Mayweather Promotions, he could have announced that his entire roster would set a new standard for the sport by utilizing a new level of blood testing never before seen at the pro level to prove all MP fighters fight clean.
But he didn’t do that. He cried and he whined about how hard the sport that gave him millions for fights the fans didn’t want was. He told us how great he is and how no one respected him and that it was over. As always, it was all about him and not really about boxing.
Until now. Until the biggest fight the sport had seen in possibly decades. The best fighter vs. the best boxer. Both in their primes with common opponents and everyone agreeing one of them was the best in the world. Why? Why make the statement now?
Is he scared? Maybe. Is he jealous of the fact that Manny and he have common opponents, who he beat first (except Marquez) and yet Manny looked better doing it and seemingly got much more love from the fans in the process? Possibly.
Me? I think Floyd played chicken and lost. He tried to put Manny in a position he could not get out of: agree to the test or look like a cheater. In the process of underestimating Pacquiao, he put himself in a worse position: If Floyd backed off his demands completely, he would lose face in front of the whole world and really, lose the first great battle between the fighters. Floyd drew a line in the sand he couldn’t erase.
To me this all illustrates the big difference between Manny and Floyd. Floyd comes from a rough city but has been treated like a special athlete his whole life. He was raised to be this. Manny grew up on the hard streets of the Philippines. He had to become this to survive. Two very different backgrounds and mindsets. Manny just might be a kind of tough that Floyd has never encountered. This first battle has shown that Manny can’t be intimidated nor dictated to. You can argue that Manny must be guilty because he won’t get blood tested per Floyd’s demands. I say Manny won’t be dictated to by Floyd or anyone else.
I have no idea if Manny Pacquiao is a dirty fighter. There is no evidence to suggest he is at this moment; just the spark of accusations from Floyd Sr, some insinuations by Team Mayweather and Manny’s unwillingness to kowtow to a Floyd, Jr.
That’s not enough for me to convict him of anything.
As for walking away from 40 million dollars, you have to understand that from the moment they began talking about a fight together, Manny and Floyd began fighting. Each side wants leverage one way or the other. These are two great fighters with great fighter egos. No one is looking to back down. Floyd threw a low blow here and some fans and media ran with it. I think Manny is showing incredible strength of character. Sure, he could be hiding something. Rafael Palmeiro looked into the cameras and said he had never taken steroids and everyone believed him until he came up dirty. But right now, Manny is innocent until proven guilty.
What will be interesting going forward is how the commissions across the country react. A Pacquiao fight brings huge money to the local economies. Will they risk losing a fight with him in it by upgrading their outdated testing procedures? No question they need to catch up to the ever changing world of performance enhancing drugs. This could be a watershed moment in boxing.
Right now, I am not wondering about Manny so much. But say the commissions adopt a random blood testing system and Manny says screw it and retires, then speculation will be justified. Right now, it just reads like jealous grapes and bad negotiating from Floyd.
Back to the 40 mil, Manny can afford to walk away from the payday. He’ll make his 10-14 mil elsewhere for sure. Floyd is the one who needs this cash. 40 million will go a long way to easing his financial bleeding. A rematch would be even better for him. As it stands, without Pacquiao, he is going to have to fight someone tough to get that kind of cash. He’s run out of soft touches. It’s why even though the fight is off the table as far as Team Pacquiao, Ellerbe says "We’re still hopeful we can make a deal. We’re not talking about anyone but Manny Pacquiao." Manny Pacquaio” which is a big turnaround from Floyd’s pre-Marquez stances of “He’s a good little fighter” and “People forget Manny Pacquiao has three losses and has been knocked out before” or even better “I don’t chase fighters. Fighters chase me. I says what goes in boxing.” Apparently not.
Floyd needs that 40 mil. Manny doesn’t. Simple as that. Bluff called. Fight over.
Too hard on the prospects?
Hi Gabriel,
I know I am nit picking here but I was bored and in the mood to write about boxing. In your article you write that Angulo and Ortiz were put in too tough early on. And I couldn’t disagree with you more. It is my belief that both fights on paper looked to be competitive. Angulo and Ortiz just happen to lose those fights. If you take a look at Angulo’s career up to that point you’ll notice that he had, on a consistent basis, already beaten second tier opponents, and that a fight with a guy like Cintron was expected. Ortiz on the other hand fought Marcos Maidana who was in the same boat as Victor Ortiz in terms of where they were in their careers. There is only one fight on Maidana’s resume that stands out against Ortiz’s; and that was the fight with Kotelnik which Maidana lost.
I am just trying to point out that both Ortiz and Angulo in my opinion were not in over their heads but were just defeated that night. I think boxing sometimes babies their fighters a little too much and we have very uncompetitive fights because of it. Fighters fight, and sometimes they lose. And if they can’t come back from a lose maybe boxing is not they sport for them. Now, don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that fighter’s should be put in with monsters by their tenth fight. And some fighters do need a little bit more seasoning than others, but if the guy is ready he’s ready. I remember how about a year ago a proposed bout between Angulo and James Kirkland was being discussed. And everyone was saying ’it’s too early for them to get it on’. Let them marinate. And look how they’re marinating now. One is in jail, and the other lost a little bit of his luster. Who knows if that fight will ever happen now.
This is where I think MMA has an advantage over boxing. They don’t get babied to much over there and the fights people want to see are generally made quickly. Also, a loss in MMA it not perceived as devastating as it is in boxing. If you look at some of the guys that perform regularly in the UFC you’ll see that they might have won half their fights in the past two years. I am not suggesting that boxing should have the same system, so to speak, to that of MMA, but there are some pointers we can take from an organization that has done very well marketing wise.
Eduardo
Eduardo, I don’t think you’re nitpicking at all. But I will agree with you in the case of only one of the fighters. I think two things happen over and over again these days. Guys are brought along too soft for too long and guys are matched too easily throughout their careers even after the prospect phase is over. With Angulo, I’ll be honest, I thought it was a little soon for Cintron, who had double his fights. But at the same time, it was nice calculated gamble against a guy who doesn’t normally handle the style of Angulo well. Come to find out Angulo was sick coming into the bout with the flu. This is not unusual but I think it shows that his team perhaps overestimated how good Angulo was at that point and how easy it would be to overwhelm Cintron.
If you look at the guys Angulo had fought to that point, he’d never really fought a fighter who could effectively stick and move. Cintron, being the vet that he is and a guy who is always looking to add to his game, knew this and capitalized by adjusting his game to suit his opponents weaknesses and it worked.
Is this the end of the world that Angulo lost? No way in Hell. Angulo’s style almost demands a loss at some point so he can retool. It wasn’t like we didn’t know movement would trouble him coming into the fight. Angulo easily has bounced back and has shown even more fire in doing so. The loss might be a great thing for him as he moves along. I’ll agree that Angulo was not exposed to anyone but perhaps himself. Now he knows he can’t just come straight forward and hope to win that way. He’ll have to get better at cutting off the ring if he wants to be a champion. Great loss.
I‘m like you and MMA fans. Losses don’t bother me so much; depending on how they happen.
Case in point: Victor Ortiz vs. Marcos Maidana.
Coming into the bout everyone picked Ortiz to win easily. That was probably because no one had seen any tape of Maidana as much as anything. We knew he lost to Kotelnik and no one thought much of him. So it wasn’t a shock when Ortiz dropped him early and went in for the kill. When Ortiz walked straight to Maidana and got dropped on his ass for his troubles, to me, that showed his prospect colors. He just walked right in as he had so many times before against outgunned competition. Ortiz was not seasoned near enough for this fight. He needed to fight a mover without power so he could learn how to come in at angles and not walk into something ugly. He need maybe a slow puncher whose power he could be wary of and come in again at angles. Instead, he went from blowing guys out to headlining at the Staples Center in a world title shot with the perception that Golden Boy Promotions’ future rested on his shoulders. Way too much, way too soon. It’s tough enough to go from prospect to contender but to jump from prospect to a world title fight with all the rest on top of it? Totally irresponsible of those around him.
Now Victor has had a comeback fight in which I thought he looked very tentative. He did get the stoppage but he looked tight and strange doing it.
Looking at the way he has bounced back vs. the way Angulo has, I’d say one guy was thrown in to the wolves too soon and one guy wasn’t.
On the MMA tip, yeah, I agree that boxing can learn more than a thing or two from that sport. But I’m curious how MMA fans will react to the Manny/Floyd blood feud. They use the same system for testing we do. Will they call for change or keep quiet? Just a thought.
Where there’s smoke there’s fire
"Let’s be honest, we wouldn’t be having this conversation about Manny if Floyd hadn’t brought it up." That quote is part of your reply to an e-mailer regarding the Pacquiao/Mayweather blood feud (pun intended). The truth is that since the Cotto beat down we fans have been whispering about the possibility of a PED enhanced Pac-man. Being a big fan of Marquez and de la Hoya, I didn’t want to sound like sour grapes (plus the de la Hoya beat down was more of a result of age and weight loss). Anyways, what gets me is that the media, either ignorantly or by choice, writes about how Pacquiao is a mighty mite versus much larger men. I was able to get the seats closest to the dais for the Manny vs Oscar fight weigh-in. Pacquiao was the shorter man but, Manny was the much thicker man. It is most apparent in the calf muscles and legs in general. My point is that Manny is not as small as portrayed in the media. Even against Cotto, Manny looked to be thicker than Cotto. I do want to point out that I am not trying to provide physical (again pun intended) evidence of steroid use; just that Manny is not as small in stature as depicted.
I understand your point about being consistent with testing no matter the magnitude of the fight. Pro boxing should be transparent when dealing with the health of fighters and the integrity of its product. With that being said, two wrongs don’t make a right. Just because they use a heavily flawed testing method for all fights; they should do the same here? If they have a chance to do it right, even if it’s just once, they should do it right. Think long term. This would set a precedent for other fights. Right now Arum is saying its not required by Nevada’s boxing commission and it has not been done before. Well, that argument can be rendered mute in the future. A precedent has been set.
The truth is that I would love to be able to say I am witnessing an all time great. I would be able to tell my grandchildren that I witnessed greatness ring. But the sad truth is that in these days and times there’s that nagging suspicion, a little bit of doubt.
Joel
It’s sad in that in this day and age, success breeds this kind of thinking from all of us. We can thank the steroids era in baseball for that. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t wonder at some point why Pacquiao’s head is so big. But then I looked at his brother Bobby and said to myself “Oh. It runs in the family.”
I’ve looked at Manny in the gym and in the ring and wondered how he has gotten to where he is, for sure. But I look at it like this: Manny is now fighting at his optimum weight much like Floyd. Floyd hasn’t gained more a two pounds after the weigh in for years now (with the lone exception of the Marquez fight where they didn’t show how much he gained per Floyd’s request). Both Manny and Floyd are great enough boxers/fighters that they have been able to adjust as they have moved up in weight. It seems to me that Manny’s biggest edge coming into fights is that he can eat closer to the fight since he is fighting so close to his natural walk around weight. He’s fresher not having to cut weight. Which is huge is you have ever had to cut weight. So he’s stronger, more explosive and able to fight harder and longer throughout the bout. It really could be that simple.
To me, it’s two separate issues. Yes, we need better drug testing in all of sports. Lab techs all over the world are working right now for newer and better ways to cheat the system while pushing athletes’ limits further and further. So yes, we need better drug testing to catch the cheaters. That’s a given and we should have opened our eyes much sooner. Like Barry Bonds getting caught in the Balco scandal sooner. But boxing, as usual, likes being behind the times and keeping things in house. So we didn’t change and now here we are.
Manny Pacquiao, who has been tested in the same manner all fighters who have fought in the States or places he has and never come up dirty. This is a fact. He has moved through seven divisions and not only been successful, he has been exceptional in doing so; in fact, his most exceptional performances have been in his last four fights as he has moved up from 135 pounds to 147 pounds.
But if you couple my earlier point with great matchmaking, what do you get? A guy considered the best fighter in the world.
David Diaz: A slow fighter who went life and death with an aged Erik Morales. Not much defense, heavy hands but nothing to write home about, and known for toughness as much as anything. Manny iced him in 9.
Oscar De La Hoya: Old fighter who had not been near 147 for ten years and who tried a new method of getting to the weight that backfired horribly.
Ricky Hatton: A fighter who had been exposed as having no real defense, shown an inability to handle speed, and who’d been stopped before.
Miguel Cotto: A guy who had fought some serious wars in recent years against the world’s top welters, was significantly slower than Pacquiao and who, like the fighters who took on Tito Trinidad as he moved up in weight, felt he was the bigger stronger fighter and consequently fought the wrong fight. To me, this win was the best of the four because I didn’t think Miguel was shot by any means. Manny absorbed some serious leather bomb, and still showed he is fast and explosive at 147. But there is a reason he fought Cotto and not Mosley: speed.
In all four fights, Manny was the faster man which has helped his power in spades. It could really be that simple.
I don’t think Manny has done anything wrong here. Why? There is no evidence that says otherwise.
Yes we need better testing. But you what? We’re going to be watching a lot of fights in the coming weeks; fights that have been set for awhile. And I’m not hearing anyone say we should wait on those until we get the fighters tested. Under the current system, everyone could be juiced and yet I’m not getting Yuri Foreman is juiced emails. Or Roman Karmazin or Tim Bradley who has the craziest abs we’ve seen in years. Why is that? We haven’t even seen anyone question Mayweather who looked bigger than ever following a long layoff where he could have easily cycled multiple times.
No. I think everyone is drinking the Mayweather Fool-Aid, for whatever reason, and it’s unfair to Manny who just a month or so ago was being hailed as an all time great.
Let’s keep the issues separate.
We need better testing.
Manny is innocent until proven otherwise.
End of story.
Follow Gabriel on twitter at twitter.com/Gabriel_montoya or email questions to him at maxgmontoya@gmail.com
Source: secondsout.com
Sunday, 10 January 2010
Matthew Aguilar: Floyd Mayweather Jr. to blame for Manny Pacquiao debacle -- El Paso Times
By Matthew Aguilar, El Paso Times
Now that the scheduled March 13 megafight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. officially is kaput, "Pac-Man" has moved on to a meeting with Joshua Clottey at Cowboys Stadium on the same day. You can thank Team Mayweather for that.
"Pretty Boy" Floyd and his advisors, Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions, managed to execute one of the biggest blunders in boxing history -- throwing $40 million in the toilet over an allegation. They were pompous, arrogant, self-serving and laughably detached from reality, and they severely miscalculated Team Pacquiao's fortitude.
Now they're backpedaling faster than Uncle Floyd against Chavez Ê-- still believing the showdown can be saved. It can't.
Team Floyd: you blew it.
Big time.
Vegas or bust
First, there was the issue of venue. Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank, Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer and the HBO brass were to meet with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones in early December about the possibility of staging the fight at the new Cowboys Stadium.
The meeting -- which included a tour of the $1.2 billion dollar facility -- was set. All three parties had agreed to take a look.
Then, the day before they were to arrive in Dallas, Schaefer pulled out -- citing reasons that didn't even make sense. It became apparent that Schaefer's interests were in Las Vegas, and that the fight would happen there, or nowhere.
Despite the fact that staging Pacquiao-Mayweather in Cowboys Stadium would bring unprecedented national and international attention to a sport that sorely needed it -- Schaefer, Mayweather, De La Hoya and the rest of the pugilistic "Three Stooges" didn't care.
So, the MGM Grand in Vegas was chosen as the site.
A flustered Arum vented, but rolled with the punches.
Then, right about the time negotiations appeared to be complete, Schaefer and Mayweather started this drug-testing nonsense.
They insisted specifically on Olympic-style drug testing -- which calls for blood to be drawn randomly in the weeks and days leading up to the fight. Originally, Pacquiao said no to the blood tests. Then he relented, allowing for blood to be drawn two months prior, one month prior and immediately after the fight.
Mayweather -- somehow still taking someone's misguided advice seriously -- said no.
The bottom line is that nothing had been proven. And therefore, if you're proud like Pacquiao -- why should you concede to anything? ÊWhy would you allow an opponent to dictate the terms of the drug test and irresponsibly fling unfounded allegations at you in public?
Pacquiao later filed a lawsuit against Golden Boy claiming defamation.
And, since it was Mayweather's team that demanded the fight be held in Las Vegas, why isn't the well-respected Nevada State Athletic Commission dictating the drug protocol? Why hadn't Mayweather insisted on Olympic-style drug testing in his previous fights in Las Vegas?
Senseless
The biggest question is this: how can Mayweather -- who is reportedly in financial straits after well-documented IRS trouble -- balk at the prospect of $40 million guaranteed?
Pacquiao can earn big money elsewhere because he's exciting and he's the biggest name in the sport. Mayweather needs another big name to be relevant because he's about as thrilling as a test pattern. It's a point his crack advising team has failed to pound home.
Mayweather's not scared. He's just being advised by a comedy troupe. The extent to which Golden Boy has mucked this up is epic.
Let's just hope Mayweather stops taking this sage advice and wises up in time to make the fight a reality one day.
Matthew Aguilar may be reached at maguilarnew@yahoo.com
Source: elpasotimes.com
Now that the scheduled March 13 megafight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. officially is kaput, "Pac-Man" has moved on to a meeting with Joshua Clottey at Cowboys Stadium on the same day. You can thank Team Mayweather for that.
"Pretty Boy" Floyd and his advisors, Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions, managed to execute one of the biggest blunders in boxing history -- throwing $40 million in the toilet over an allegation. They were pompous, arrogant, self-serving and laughably detached from reality, and they severely miscalculated Team Pacquiao's fortitude.
Now they're backpedaling faster than Uncle Floyd against Chavez Ê-- still believing the showdown can be saved. It can't.
Team Floyd: you blew it.
Big time.
Vegas or bust
First, there was the issue of venue. Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank, Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer and the HBO brass were to meet with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones in early December about the possibility of staging the fight at the new Cowboys Stadium.
The meeting -- which included a tour of the $1.2 billion dollar facility -- was set. All three parties had agreed to take a look.
Then, the day before they were to arrive in Dallas, Schaefer pulled out -- citing reasons that didn't even make sense. It became apparent that Schaefer's interests were in Las Vegas, and that the fight would happen there, or nowhere.
Despite the fact that staging Pacquiao-Mayweather in Cowboys Stadium would bring unprecedented national and international attention to a sport that sorely needed it -- Schaefer, Mayweather, De La Hoya and the rest of the pugilistic "Three Stooges" didn't care.
So, the MGM Grand in Vegas was chosen as the site.
A flustered Arum vented, but rolled with the punches.
Then, right about the time negotiations appeared to be complete, Schaefer and Mayweather started this drug-testing nonsense.
They insisted specifically on Olympic-style drug testing -- which calls for blood to be drawn randomly in the weeks and days leading up to the fight. Originally, Pacquiao said no to the blood tests. Then he relented, allowing for blood to be drawn two months prior, one month prior and immediately after the fight.
Mayweather -- somehow still taking someone's misguided advice seriously -- said no.
The bottom line is that nothing had been proven. And therefore, if you're proud like Pacquiao -- why should you concede to anything? ÊWhy would you allow an opponent to dictate the terms of the drug test and irresponsibly fling unfounded allegations at you in public?
Pacquiao later filed a lawsuit against Golden Boy claiming defamation.
And, since it was Mayweather's team that demanded the fight be held in Las Vegas, why isn't the well-respected Nevada State Athletic Commission dictating the drug protocol? Why hadn't Mayweather insisted on Olympic-style drug testing in his previous fights in Las Vegas?
Senseless
The biggest question is this: how can Mayweather -- who is reportedly in financial straits after well-documented IRS trouble -- balk at the prospect of $40 million guaranteed?
Pacquiao can earn big money elsewhere because he's exciting and he's the biggest name in the sport. Mayweather needs another big name to be relevant because he's about as thrilling as a test pattern. It's a point his crack advising team has failed to pound home.
Mayweather's not scared. He's just being advised by a comedy troupe. The extent to which Golden Boy has mucked this up is epic.
Let's just hope Mayweather stops taking this sage advice and wises up in time to make the fight a reality one day.
Matthew Aguilar may be reached at maguilarnew@yahoo.com
Source: elpasotimes.com
Bob Arum Says Pacquiao-Clottey Bound For Cowboys' Stadium -- FanHouse
By Lem Satterfield, FanHouse
Top Rank Promoter Bob Arum and his stepson, Top Rank president Todd duBoef, were in Arlington, Texas, where they were in the box suite of Dallas Cowboys' Stadium owner Jerry Jones alongside former president George Walker Bush, and his wife Laura, watching Jones' Cowboys play Saturday night's NFL playoff game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Cowboys won their first playoff game since 1996, 34-14.
Arum and duBoef flew in on Saturday morning "to close the deal" for a March 13 bout between seven-division champion and WBO welterweight (147 pounds) king Manny Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 knockouts) and challenger Joshua Clottey (35-3, 20 KOs), of the Bronx by way of Accra Ghana that Jones hopes to hold at his $1.2 billion stadium.
The Pacquiao-Clottey deal "is 98 percent done," Pacquiao's adviser, Michael Koncz, told FanHouse on Friday, adding, "for all intent and purposes, it's a done deal."
Arum said that both fighters have agreed in principle to the terms, even as neither has signed a formal contract. Arum expects that he and duBoef will meet privately with Jones on Sunday and finalize the site details.
"This is the most unbelievable facility in the world, and I'm sure that tomorrow, we'll have a formal meeting to get all of the terms done. This will be the biggest statement for the sport of boxing, ever," said Arum, who plans to hold a press conference to announce the fight on Jan. 18 at the Dallas Stadium, followed by another on Jan. 19 in New York.
"I'm definitely going to sign for it tomorrow and finalize the deal tomorrow," said Arum. "And on Jan. 18, all of the Dallas Cowboys' cheerleaders are going to be there. This is going to be absolutely huge."
Arum said that he was invited to go down onto the field prior to the game, and that he and duBoef spent the entire evening partying alongside George and Laura Bush.
"I think that he's [Bush] going to come to the fight. He said that he 'loves Pacquiao.' He 'loves Pacquiao.' I was talking to him for like a long time, me and Todd. He was sitting with us in Jerry Jones' box," said Arum, a Democrat who said that he also spent some time with controversial, conservative radio talk-show host, Rush Limbaugh, who, like Bush, is a Republican.
"This has nothing to do with politics. We were talking like old buddies at halftime. As long as you've got fight fans who are enthusiastic, I don't care what their politics are," said Arum. "They introduced Bush to the crowd, and he got a standing ovation from the fans. I'm so enthused with what I've seen, that I know that this is going to be something really, really special."
Arum first called FanHouse about 30 minutes before game time.
"I'm in the box right now, sitting here with Jerry Jones. It's a great atmosphere," said Arum, 78. "And Jerry says that if it's a blowout for the Cowboys, he'll promise to put me in the game -- so make sure you're watching."
Arum wasn't too disappointed that he never got to play.
Pacquiao-Clottey will replace a previously scheduled blockbuster fight between the 31-year-old Pacquiao and 32-year-old Floyd Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs) that was proposed for March 13 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, which reached a negotiations impasse over how the fighters would be drug-tested. Jones had bid $25 million to host Mayweather-Pacquiao, but lost out to the MGM.
(The 32-year-old Clottey is pictured below, at far right against Cotto)
The domed stadium seats 80,000, but is expandable enough so that it can hold up to 111,000. Its highlight is a monstrous high-definition screen known as "Jerry-Tron," and believed to be the largest in the world. The stadium also has a retractable ceiling that protects against rain, which Arum said was pulled over to cover last night's contest.
In addition, the stadium boasts over 3,000 Sony LCD displays throughout the luxury suites, concourses, concession areas and more, allowing fans the ability to watch the action beyond just the field. It is unclear whether any or all of the displays will be operating on fight night.
"We'll set it up for 50,000 people, because it really sets up brilliantly for 50,000 people," said Arum. "It's going to be absolutely spectacular. It's like an indoor arena."
Arum called back again after the Cowboys lead, 7-0, at 14:09 of the second quarter thanks to Tony Romo's 3-yard scoring pass to Shaun Phillips that ended a four-play, 55-yard drive.
"This place is absolutely awesome, I mean you should see it," said Arum, screaming above the boisterous Cowboys' fans in the background, not long before Dallas went ahead, 14-7, with 9:14 left before halftime on a 1-yard run by Tashard Choice.
"The crowd is unbelievable. This is going to be incredible," said Arum. "This stadium, I'm telling you, with this fight, we're going to pack this place."
Source: boxing.fanhouse.com
Top Rank Promoter Bob Arum and his stepson, Top Rank president Todd duBoef, were in Arlington, Texas, where they were in the box suite of Dallas Cowboys' Stadium owner Jerry Jones alongside former president George Walker Bush, and his wife Laura, watching Jones' Cowboys play Saturday night's NFL playoff game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Cowboys won their first playoff game since 1996, 34-14.
Arum and duBoef flew in on Saturday morning "to close the deal" for a March 13 bout between seven-division champion and WBO welterweight (147 pounds) king Manny Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 knockouts) and challenger Joshua Clottey (35-3, 20 KOs), of the Bronx by way of Accra Ghana that Jones hopes to hold at his $1.2 billion stadium.
The Pacquiao-Clottey deal "is 98 percent done," Pacquiao's adviser, Michael Koncz, told FanHouse on Friday, adding, "for all intent and purposes, it's a done deal."
Arum said that both fighters have agreed in principle to the terms, even as neither has signed a formal contract. Arum expects that he and duBoef will meet privately with Jones on Sunday and finalize the site details.
"This is the most unbelievable facility in the world, and I'm sure that tomorrow, we'll have a formal meeting to get all of the terms done. This will be the biggest statement for the sport of boxing, ever," said Arum, who plans to hold a press conference to announce the fight on Jan. 18 at the Dallas Stadium, followed by another on Jan. 19 in New York.
"I'm definitely going to sign for it tomorrow and finalize the deal tomorrow," said Arum. "And on Jan. 18, all of the Dallas Cowboys' cheerleaders are going to be there. This is going to be absolutely huge."
Arum said that he was invited to go down onto the field prior to the game, and that he and duBoef spent the entire evening partying alongside George and Laura Bush.
"I think that he's [Bush] going to come to the fight. He said that he 'loves Pacquiao.' He 'loves Pacquiao.' I was talking to him for like a long time, me and Todd. He was sitting with us in Jerry Jones' box," said Arum, a Democrat who said that he also spent some time with controversial, conservative radio talk-show host, Rush Limbaugh, who, like Bush, is a Republican.
"This has nothing to do with politics. We were talking like old buddies at halftime. As long as you've got fight fans who are enthusiastic, I don't care what their politics are," said Arum. "They introduced Bush to the crowd, and he got a standing ovation from the fans. I'm so enthused with what I've seen, that I know that this is going to be something really, really special."
Arum first called FanHouse about 30 minutes before game time.
"I'm in the box right now, sitting here with Jerry Jones. It's a great atmosphere," said Arum, 78. "And Jerry says that if it's a blowout for the Cowboys, he'll promise to put me in the game -- so make sure you're watching."
Arum wasn't too disappointed that he never got to play.
Pacquiao-Clottey will replace a previously scheduled blockbuster fight between the 31-year-old Pacquiao and 32-year-old Floyd Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs) that was proposed for March 13 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, which reached a negotiations impasse over how the fighters would be drug-tested. Jones had bid $25 million to host Mayweather-Pacquiao, but lost out to the MGM.
(The 32-year-old Clottey is pictured below, at far right against Cotto)
The domed stadium seats 80,000, but is expandable enough so that it can hold up to 111,000. Its highlight is a monstrous high-definition screen known as "Jerry-Tron," and believed to be the largest in the world. The stadium also has a retractable ceiling that protects against rain, which Arum said was pulled over to cover last night's contest.
In addition, the stadium boasts over 3,000 Sony LCD displays throughout the luxury suites, concourses, concession areas and more, allowing fans the ability to watch the action beyond just the field. It is unclear whether any or all of the displays will be operating on fight night.
"We'll set it up for 50,000 people, because it really sets up brilliantly for 50,000 people," said Arum. "It's going to be absolutely spectacular. It's like an indoor arena."
Arum called back again after the Cowboys lead, 7-0, at 14:09 of the second quarter thanks to Tony Romo's 3-yard scoring pass to Shaun Phillips that ended a four-play, 55-yard drive.
"This place is absolutely awesome, I mean you should see it," said Arum, screaming above the boisterous Cowboys' fans in the background, not long before Dallas went ahead, 14-7, with 9:14 left before halftime on a 1-yard run by Tashard Choice.
"The crowd is unbelievable. This is going to be incredible," said Arum. "This stadium, I'm telling you, with this fight, we're going to pack this place."
Source: boxing.fanhouse.com
Graham: You'll never be as big, Amir -- Mirror
By Derick Allsop, Mirror.co.uk
Amir Khan will never be as big a star as Ricky Hatton - even if he knocks him out.
That's the verdict of Billy Graham, the trainer and mentor dumped by Hatton 18 months ago.
Graham has taken legal action against his former light-welterweight world champion in a dispute over pay that could come to a head this month.
But despite the bitter rift, Graham (right) is adamant that Hatton is unchallenged by Khan or anyone else as British boxing's No.1 hero.
Graham said: "No matter what's happened between Ricky and me, it won't change my opinion of him as a fighter and what he's done for boxing in this country. He's the best thing that's happened to British boxing in my lifetime and I'm 50-odd.
"However good Khan is, he will never be as big as Ricky.
"What made Ricky so special was not just his exciting style and his great wins. It was the way he appealed to everyone.
"No one else could attract the crowds he did and take so many fans over to America to watch him fight. It was unbelievable.
"Ricky was the complete package. A fighter like Ricky Hatton comes along once in a lifetime. Khan will never be able to match him.
"At his peak, Ricky would have destroyed Khan.
I don't know what Ricky's like now because I've not been working with him, but I have a feeling the result would be different.
"Khan would now be just too fast for Ricky. Khan's also got a better chin and looks a lot more powerful up at lightwelterweight.
Khan is capable of knocking out Ricky."
Hatton and his promotion team are aware the mooted all-British superfight against WBA champion Khan would be a box-office bonanza, but could have catastrophic consequences for the Hitman's reputation.
Hatton first revealed to Sunday Mirror Sport he was leaning towards a comeback, and a meeting with Mexico's lightweight world champion Juan Manuel Marquez would be a far less dangerous idea.
Graham said: "I wouldn't like to see Ricky fight again and I think deep down he doesn't want it either.
"He'd be a fool to get back in the ring and anybody who talks him into fighting again should be ashamed.
"Ricky's a national treasure and that's how the British public should always remember him. Some people are already saying he wasn't as good as he was made out to be. That's ludicrous.
"But if he's going to fight Marquez in May - and that's the word - it's probably the best choice he could have made. He's a smart counterpuncher, but Ricky ought to be too powerful for him."
Source: mirror.co.uk
Amir Khan will never be as big a star as Ricky Hatton - even if he knocks him out.
That's the verdict of Billy Graham, the trainer and mentor dumped by Hatton 18 months ago.
Graham has taken legal action against his former light-welterweight world champion in a dispute over pay that could come to a head this month.
But despite the bitter rift, Graham (right) is adamant that Hatton is unchallenged by Khan or anyone else as British boxing's No.1 hero.
Graham said: "No matter what's happened between Ricky and me, it won't change my opinion of him as a fighter and what he's done for boxing in this country. He's the best thing that's happened to British boxing in my lifetime and I'm 50-odd.
"However good Khan is, he will never be as big as Ricky.
"What made Ricky so special was not just his exciting style and his great wins. It was the way he appealed to everyone.
"No one else could attract the crowds he did and take so many fans over to America to watch him fight. It was unbelievable.
"Ricky was the complete package. A fighter like Ricky Hatton comes along once in a lifetime. Khan will never be able to match him.
"At his peak, Ricky would have destroyed Khan.
I don't know what Ricky's like now because I've not been working with him, but I have a feeling the result would be different.
"Khan would now be just too fast for Ricky. Khan's also got a better chin and looks a lot more powerful up at lightwelterweight.
Khan is capable of knocking out Ricky."
Hatton and his promotion team are aware the mooted all-British superfight against WBA champion Khan would be a box-office bonanza, but could have catastrophic consequences for the Hitman's reputation.
Hatton first revealed to Sunday Mirror Sport he was leaning towards a comeback, and a meeting with Mexico's lightweight world champion Juan Manuel Marquez would be a far less dangerous idea.
Graham said: "I wouldn't like to see Ricky fight again and I think deep down he doesn't want it either.
"He'd be a fool to get back in the ring and anybody who talks him into fighting again should be ashamed.
"Ricky's a national treasure and that's how the British public should always remember him. Some people are already saying he wasn't as good as he was made out to be. That's ludicrous.
"But if he's going to fight Marquez in May - and that's the word - it's probably the best choice he could have made. He's a smart counterpuncher, but Ricky ought to be too powerful for him."
Source: mirror.co.uk
Mayweather's Blow Hits Below the Belt -- FanHouse
By Kevin Blackistone, FanHouse
It's been 17 years since Floyd Mayweather Jr. made his first imprint on the boxing world. It was at the 1993 National Golden Gloves Championships in Little Rock, Ark. He was 16 and won his weight class.
Mayweather weighed 106 pounds then.
Less than two years later in January 1995, a kid who unbeknownst to any of us then would become Mayweather's most stubborn nemesis, Manny Pacquiao, made a professional debut as a boxer in Occidental Mindoro, Philippines. He was 16 and won a four-round decision against someone named Edmund Enting Ignacio.
Pacquiao weighed 106 pounds then.
How about that? Mayweather and Pacquiao were both 106-pound, 16-year-old pugilists.
But to hear Mayweather's camp tell it -- as led by Mayweather's loquacious father, Floyd Mayweather Sr. -- Mayweather Jr. basically has been a welterweight all of his life while Pacquiao has been hiding in a trainer's room hooked up to an intravenous feed of steroids to inflate his body over the years.
If ever there was a case of the pot calling the kettle black, it is Mayweather's camp accusing Pacquiao of being a steroids cheat, a charge that has cast a fight between the two -- something steeped in so much anticipation that it would be the richest prizefight in history -- into a sea of uncertainty.
ShareMayweather's camp, pointing its accusatory finger at Pacquiao, demanded Olympic-style, virtually-up-to-the-last-second blood testing for both combatants. Pacquiao's camp countered that it would agree to blood testing within 14 days of stepping into the ring. Mayweather's camp refused to budge. Now Bob Arum, Pacquiao's promoter, said he is signing up Joshua Clottey as Pacquiao's opponent on the proposed March 13 date for Mayweather-Pacquiao. (This is the same Arum who, it can't be forgotten, said famously once: "Yesterday I was lying; Today I'm telling the truth.")
In a lot of ways, this is boxing as usual. One day a fight is on; the next day it is off. Most times the sticking point in negotiations is the share of the purse. Sometimes it is the size of the ring or the gloves.
Olympic-style blood testing for steroids is a new stumbling block, and it is understandable. This is the steroids era and stars of the ring haven't proven to be cleaner than stars of any other sports. Shane Mosley got busted as a client of the infamous BALCO business (the Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative) that proved to be a Pandora's Box (spilling out were the world's supposed fastest man Tim Montgomery and his then-lover Marion Jones, baseball All-Stars Jason Giambi and Barry Bonds, et al.) of the steroids era. Evander Holyfield, who grew from a 177-pound light heavyweight to a 221-pound heavyweight champion, admitted he took steroids (unwittingly, of course) around 2004.
Accusing someone of cheating, however, is a new and below-the-belt attack. It's not in the same category as name-calling, which Muhammad Ali engaged in. That would explain why Pacquiao filed a defamation lawsuit against Mayweather and his handlers for their thus far unsubstantiated claims that he's been juicing.
After all we've learned the past few years, though, no name would surprise me if it popped up on a performance-enhancing drug blotter, neither Pacquiao's nor, for that matter, Mayweather's. Both have grown nine weight classes, from light flyweight to welterweight, and have taken on and beaten Oscar De La Hoya, who has weighed as much as a middleweight, 160 pounds.
That is not to say that Mayweather has attained his greatness through the nefarious means he has alleged Pacquiao of getting to at this point in Pacquiao's career. I've never wondered for a second about Mayweather's rise to fame as arguably the best pound-for-pound fighter of his time. I have, however, often wondered why he's made it so difficult at times to make big fights happen. He was dismissive of Antonio Margarito when Margarito would have given him his biggest payday.
But I never thought twice about Pacquiao's ascendancy until Mayweather Sr. started calling out Pacquiao the last couple of months and his son didn't voice disagreement. (In the interest of full disclosure, I must state that at one time I was represented by one of Pacquiao's lawyers, Nick Kahn, and accepted a gift of two tickets to Pacquiao's second fight with Erik Morales during my brief hiatus from the regular writing business.) Upon further review, however, I found no more reason to wonder about Pacquiao unless I'm going to start looking at Mayweather with doubt, too.
For as history shows, Mayweather has made the exact same climb over nearly the same time period and with results similar to Pacquiao's, though not as spectacular. Mayweather hasn't run roughshod over seemingly bigger men as Pacquiao has, like an aged De La Hoya, who Pacquiao put into retirement, or Miguel Cotto, who Pacquiao turned into mincemeat.
Mayweather has put on as much as 44 pounds since he was 16 (he fought De La Hoya at 150 pounds); Pacquiao has put on as much as 38 pounds since he was the same age.
Mayweather was up to 131 pounds when he debuted as a pro in October 1996, just over three years after his first Golden Gloves title. Pacquiao didn't get up to 130 pounds until late 2005. Is slow gain not more natural than quick gain?
Mayweather has put on the bulk of his added weight -- 19 pounds -- since debuting as a pro. Being from an impoverished region of the Philippines, Pacquiao started boxing for dollars immediately.
It doesn't mean much that Pacquiao has never been busted for using banned performance-enhancing drugs. Few athletes own up to as much until they are found out. But that goes for Mayweather too. The only difference between the two is that Mayweather has sounded as if he's chomping at the bit to be tested and Pacquiao has sounded as if he's not so eager.
Does that mean Pacquiao has something to hide? Or is Mayweather just calling his bluff? I don't know.
All I know is that these two guys are a lot more similar than has been portrayed and the only cheating going on for certain is of the fans.
Source: kevin-blackistone.fanhouse.com
It's been 17 years since Floyd Mayweather Jr. made his first imprint on the boxing world. It was at the 1993 National Golden Gloves Championships in Little Rock, Ark. He was 16 and won his weight class.
Mayweather weighed 106 pounds then.
Less than two years later in January 1995, a kid who unbeknownst to any of us then would become Mayweather's most stubborn nemesis, Manny Pacquiao, made a professional debut as a boxer in Occidental Mindoro, Philippines. He was 16 and won a four-round decision against someone named Edmund Enting Ignacio.
Pacquiao weighed 106 pounds then.
How about that? Mayweather and Pacquiao were both 106-pound, 16-year-old pugilists.
But to hear Mayweather's camp tell it -- as led by Mayweather's loquacious father, Floyd Mayweather Sr. -- Mayweather Jr. basically has been a welterweight all of his life while Pacquiao has been hiding in a trainer's room hooked up to an intravenous feed of steroids to inflate his body over the years.
If ever there was a case of the pot calling the kettle black, it is Mayweather's camp accusing Pacquiao of being a steroids cheat, a charge that has cast a fight between the two -- something steeped in so much anticipation that it would be the richest prizefight in history -- into a sea of uncertainty.
ShareMayweather's camp, pointing its accusatory finger at Pacquiao, demanded Olympic-style, virtually-up-to-the-last-second blood testing for both combatants. Pacquiao's camp countered that it would agree to blood testing within 14 days of stepping into the ring. Mayweather's camp refused to budge. Now Bob Arum, Pacquiao's promoter, said he is signing up Joshua Clottey as Pacquiao's opponent on the proposed March 13 date for Mayweather-Pacquiao. (This is the same Arum who, it can't be forgotten, said famously once: "Yesterday I was lying; Today I'm telling the truth.")
In a lot of ways, this is boxing as usual. One day a fight is on; the next day it is off. Most times the sticking point in negotiations is the share of the purse. Sometimes it is the size of the ring or the gloves.
Olympic-style blood testing for steroids is a new stumbling block, and it is understandable. This is the steroids era and stars of the ring haven't proven to be cleaner than stars of any other sports. Shane Mosley got busted as a client of the infamous BALCO business (the Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative) that proved to be a Pandora's Box (spilling out were the world's supposed fastest man Tim Montgomery and his then-lover Marion Jones, baseball All-Stars Jason Giambi and Barry Bonds, et al.) of the steroids era. Evander Holyfield, who grew from a 177-pound light heavyweight to a 221-pound heavyweight champion, admitted he took steroids (unwittingly, of course) around 2004.
Accusing someone of cheating, however, is a new and below-the-belt attack. It's not in the same category as name-calling, which Muhammad Ali engaged in. That would explain why Pacquiao filed a defamation lawsuit against Mayweather and his handlers for their thus far unsubstantiated claims that he's been juicing.
After all we've learned the past few years, though, no name would surprise me if it popped up on a performance-enhancing drug blotter, neither Pacquiao's nor, for that matter, Mayweather's. Both have grown nine weight classes, from light flyweight to welterweight, and have taken on and beaten Oscar De La Hoya, who has weighed as much as a middleweight, 160 pounds.
That is not to say that Mayweather has attained his greatness through the nefarious means he has alleged Pacquiao of getting to at this point in Pacquiao's career. I've never wondered for a second about Mayweather's rise to fame as arguably the best pound-for-pound fighter of his time. I have, however, often wondered why he's made it so difficult at times to make big fights happen. He was dismissive of Antonio Margarito when Margarito would have given him his biggest payday.
But I never thought twice about Pacquiao's ascendancy until Mayweather Sr. started calling out Pacquiao the last couple of months and his son didn't voice disagreement. (In the interest of full disclosure, I must state that at one time I was represented by one of Pacquiao's lawyers, Nick Kahn, and accepted a gift of two tickets to Pacquiao's second fight with Erik Morales during my brief hiatus from the regular writing business.) Upon further review, however, I found no more reason to wonder about Pacquiao unless I'm going to start looking at Mayweather with doubt, too.
For as history shows, Mayweather has made the exact same climb over nearly the same time period and with results similar to Pacquiao's, though not as spectacular. Mayweather hasn't run roughshod over seemingly bigger men as Pacquiao has, like an aged De La Hoya, who Pacquiao put into retirement, or Miguel Cotto, who Pacquiao turned into mincemeat.
Mayweather has put on as much as 44 pounds since he was 16 (he fought De La Hoya at 150 pounds); Pacquiao has put on as much as 38 pounds since he was the same age.
Mayweather was up to 131 pounds when he debuted as a pro in October 1996, just over three years after his first Golden Gloves title. Pacquiao didn't get up to 130 pounds until late 2005. Is slow gain not more natural than quick gain?
Mayweather has put on the bulk of his added weight -- 19 pounds -- since debuting as a pro. Being from an impoverished region of the Philippines, Pacquiao started boxing for dollars immediately.
It doesn't mean much that Pacquiao has never been busted for using banned performance-enhancing drugs. Few athletes own up to as much until they are found out. But that goes for Mayweather too. The only difference between the two is that Mayweather has sounded as if he's chomping at the bit to be tested and Pacquiao has sounded as if he's not so eager.
Does that mean Pacquiao has something to hide? Or is Mayweather just calling his bluff? I don't know.
All I know is that these two guys are a lot more similar than has been portrayed and the only cheating going on for certain is of the fans.
Source: kevin-blackistone.fanhouse.com
MATTHEW HATTON: I'LL AVENGE RICKY'S DEFEAT -- Daily Star
By Nick Parkinson, Daily Star
MATTHEW Hatton is ready to spill blood in his bid to avenge brother Ricky’s defeat by Floyd Mayweather Jnr.
The Manchester welterweight has already been contacted by Mayweather’s promoter about the possibility of facing the multi-weight world champion in England.
After the £40million mega-fight between Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao was scrapped last week due to a row over taking blood samples for drug testing, Hatton is now being considered as an alternative option by the ‘Pretty Boy’.
The fight would be a huge shock as Matthew has never even boxed for the British welterweight title and had to settle for a draw against Aussie-based Lovemore N’dou for the fringe IBO belt in November.
Mayweather-Pacquiao was KO’d last week after mediation talks failed to resolve differences over tests for performance-enhancing drugs.
Now Filipino Pacquiao, 31, looks set to face Ghana’s Joshua Clottey instead in mid-March. And Mayweather’s Golden Boy promoters have contacted the Hatton camp while New Yorker Paul Malignaggi is another alternative opponent.
Matthew’s brother Ricky was KO’d in the tenth round by Mayweather just over two years ago before the former two-weight world champion was also then halted in two rounds by Pacquiao last May.
Matthew, 28, will agree to any demands over blood tests to ensure he gets the chance to avenge his brother’s defeat by Mayweather. And the former Commonwealth champion said: “It’s ridiculous that Mayweather-Pacquiao is not on."
"It could be the biggest fight of all time. Blood tests are an important thing but, if it stands in the way of it happening, it would be a shame. I would do anything that Mayweather wanted. If you are clean and have got nothing to hide then you don’t let that get in the way."
“Mayweather’s camp have been in touch about three times now.With the Pacquiao fight being called off now, it’s good news for me. My trainer was told by them I’m top of their list of opponents.”
He added: “To pit myself against one of the best fighters of all time, in my opinion, would be an amazing opportunity. It would be a great experience. I’m a very durable fi ghter and have never been put down, so I think I would make it a competitive fight."
“He’s a level above me in terms of class but, in sport, upsets happen. And it only takes one punch in boxing.”
Source: dailystar.co.uk
MATTHEW Hatton is ready to spill blood in his bid to avenge brother Ricky’s defeat by Floyd Mayweather Jnr.
The Manchester welterweight has already been contacted by Mayweather’s promoter about the possibility of facing the multi-weight world champion in England.
After the £40million mega-fight between Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao was scrapped last week due to a row over taking blood samples for drug testing, Hatton is now being considered as an alternative option by the ‘Pretty Boy’.
The fight would be a huge shock as Matthew has never even boxed for the British welterweight title and had to settle for a draw against Aussie-based Lovemore N’dou for the fringe IBO belt in November.
Mayweather-Pacquiao was KO’d last week after mediation talks failed to resolve differences over tests for performance-enhancing drugs.
Now Filipino Pacquiao, 31, looks set to face Ghana’s Joshua Clottey instead in mid-March. And Mayweather’s Golden Boy promoters have contacted the Hatton camp while New Yorker Paul Malignaggi is another alternative opponent.
Matthew’s brother Ricky was KO’d in the tenth round by Mayweather just over two years ago before the former two-weight world champion was also then halted in two rounds by Pacquiao last May.
Matthew, 28, will agree to any demands over blood tests to ensure he gets the chance to avenge his brother’s defeat by Mayweather. And the former Commonwealth champion said: “It’s ridiculous that Mayweather-Pacquiao is not on."
"It could be the biggest fight of all time. Blood tests are an important thing but, if it stands in the way of it happening, it would be a shame. I would do anything that Mayweather wanted. If you are clean and have got nothing to hide then you don’t let that get in the way."
“Mayweather’s camp have been in touch about three times now.With the Pacquiao fight being called off now, it’s good news for me. My trainer was told by them I’m top of their list of opponents.”
He added: “To pit myself against one of the best fighters of all time, in my opinion, would be an amazing opportunity. It would be a great experience. I’m a very durable fi ghter and have never been put down, so I think I would make it a competitive fight."
“He’s a level above me in terms of class but, in sport, upsets happen. And it only takes one punch in boxing.”
Source: dailystar.co.uk
Bob Arum From Dallas: 'It's a Great Atmosphere' -- FanHouse
By Lem Satterfield, FanHouse
Top Rank Promoter, Bob Arum, and his stepson, Top Rank president, Todd duBoef, are in Arlington, Texas, where they are in a the box suite of Dallas Cowboys' Stadium owner, Jerry Jones, watching his Cowboys play Saturday night's NFL playoff game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Arum and duBoef are flew in on Saturday morning "to close the deal" for a March 13 bout between Seven-division champion and WBO welterweight (147 pounds) king, Manny Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 knockouts), and challenger, Joshua Clottey (35-3, 20 KOs), of the Bronx by way of Accra Ghana that Jones hopes to hold at his $1.2 billion stadium.
"I'm in the box right now, sitting here with Jerry Jones," said Arum, in a call to FanHOuse about 30 minutes before game time.
"It's a great atmosphere," said Arum. "And Jerry says that if it's a blowout for the Cowboys, he'll promise to put me in the game -- so make sure you're watching."
The Pacquiao-Clottey deal "is 98 percent done," Pacquiao's adviser, Michael Koncz, told FanHouse on Friday, adding, "for all intent and purposes, it's a done deal."
The domed stadium seats 80,000, but is expandable enough so that it can hold up to 111,000, which makes it the NFL's largest capacity stadium.
Arum called back, yet again, after the Cowboys lead, 7-0, at 14:09 of the second quarter thanks to Tony Romo's 3-yard scoring pass to Shaun Phillips that ended a four-play, 55-yard drive.
"This place is absolutely awesome, I mean you should see it," said Arum, screaming above the boisterous Cowboys' fans in the background, not long after Dallas went ahead, 14-7, with 9:14 left before halftime on a 1-yard run by Tashard Choice.
"The crowd is unbelievable. This is going to be incredible," said Arum. "This stadium, I'm telling you, with this fight, we're going to pack this place."
Source: boxing.fanhouse.com
Top Rank Promoter, Bob Arum, and his stepson, Top Rank president, Todd duBoef, are in Arlington, Texas, where they are in a the box suite of Dallas Cowboys' Stadium owner, Jerry Jones, watching his Cowboys play Saturday night's NFL playoff game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Arum and duBoef are flew in on Saturday morning "to close the deal" for a March 13 bout between Seven-division champion and WBO welterweight (147 pounds) king, Manny Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 knockouts), and challenger, Joshua Clottey (35-3, 20 KOs), of the Bronx by way of Accra Ghana that Jones hopes to hold at his $1.2 billion stadium.
"I'm in the box right now, sitting here with Jerry Jones," said Arum, in a call to FanHOuse about 30 minutes before game time.
"It's a great atmosphere," said Arum. "And Jerry says that if it's a blowout for the Cowboys, he'll promise to put me in the game -- so make sure you're watching."
The Pacquiao-Clottey deal "is 98 percent done," Pacquiao's adviser, Michael Koncz, told FanHouse on Friday, adding, "for all intent and purposes, it's a done deal."
The domed stadium seats 80,000, but is expandable enough so that it can hold up to 111,000, which makes it the NFL's largest capacity stadium.
Arum called back, yet again, after the Cowboys lead, 7-0, at 14:09 of the second quarter thanks to Tony Romo's 3-yard scoring pass to Shaun Phillips that ended a four-play, 55-yard drive.
"This place is absolutely awesome, I mean you should see it," said Arum, screaming above the boisterous Cowboys' fans in the background, not long after Dallas went ahead, 14-7, with 9:14 left before halftime on a 1-yard run by Tashard Choice.
"The crowd is unbelievable. This is going to be incredible," said Arum. "This stadium, I'm telling you, with this fight, we're going to pack this place."
Source: boxing.fanhouse.com
Marcos Maidana a real threat to Amir Khan & his crown -- Mirror
By Barry Mcguigan, Mirror.co.uk
The WBA has thrown a serious spanner into Amir Khan's New Year plans with the order to defend his world light welterweight crown against Marcos Maidana.
The Argentine is a threshing machine, a dangerous puncher who has cleaned out early all but one of his opponents.
His one reverse came against Khan victim Andreas Kotelnik on a split decision, but that didn't necessarily surprise me.
Kotelnik is not the kind of fighter you can bounce out easily.
He is like a beetle, you can stamp on him all day and he just keeps coming.
Maidana is very heavy handed, but Kotelnik tucks up beautifully. He is a great counter puncher and has never been stopped.
Khan outthought as much as out-fought Kotelnik to win the belt. It was a superb technical display.
It will require similar discipline to see off Maidana if not the same technique.
Assuming he takes the fight, of course. Kotelnik has not shown the same vulnerability around the whiskers that Khan has.
The Breidis Prescott lump hammer remains a definitive statement until Khan proves otherwise.
He didn't get the chance against Dmitriy Salita. He will against this fellow.
It is a tricky position for trainer Freddie Roach to assess.
I suspect that Khan's punch resistance is more robust at 140lb.
Khan has made great strides under Roach, who has tightened his defence without detracting from his natural speed and balance.
I have the utmost respect for Roach, whose reading of opponents is second to none.
If he sanctions the bout that will tell me a lot about Khan's development as a world champion.
I amglad the decision is not mine to make. Maidana tracks down opponents relentlessly.
If Victor Ortiz - a fearsome hitter - can't take him out, I don't think Khan has the power to do that either.
Khan has the ability to outbox him but can he keep Maidana off h i m f o r 12 rounds? That's the big dilemma.
Khan also likes to have a go. Can he be disciplined for 12 rounds without going for the big shot that blew Salita out of Newcastle? Khan applied himself beautifully against Kotelnik, but he did not have what Maidana brings coming back at him.
It is awkward because I'm pretty sure promoter Frank Warren and Roach would not have looked at Maidana without being pushed.
I know I wouldn't. Khan could of course sidestep the bout, but that would leave him open to flak from those who doubt his defensive pedigree.
Maidana, 26, is not a smaller guy coming up, he is not an ageing fighter on the down slope of his career. He is a dangerous, tough opponent.
And he is the kind of opponent that history has shown represents the greatest threat to Khan.
That said, we have to invest in the idea that Khan is getting better. He is twice as fast as Maidana with superior movement.
Ortiz had Maidana down in the first. Apart from an early-career disqualification, Ortiz was unbeaten. Though he was also down, he was the favourite to win.
The fight did not progress beyond the sixth. Let's just say Maidana was surprised to win so early.
He will fancy his chances against Khan - which at world level is how it should be.
Check Outmy Website: www.barrymcguigan.com
Source: mirror.co.uk
The WBA has thrown a serious spanner into Amir Khan's New Year plans with the order to defend his world light welterweight crown against Marcos Maidana.
The Argentine is a threshing machine, a dangerous puncher who has cleaned out early all but one of his opponents.
His one reverse came against Khan victim Andreas Kotelnik on a split decision, but that didn't necessarily surprise me.
Kotelnik is not the kind of fighter you can bounce out easily.
He is like a beetle, you can stamp on him all day and he just keeps coming.
Maidana is very heavy handed, but Kotelnik tucks up beautifully. He is a great counter puncher and has never been stopped.
Khan outthought as much as out-fought Kotelnik to win the belt. It was a superb technical display.
It will require similar discipline to see off Maidana if not the same technique.
Assuming he takes the fight, of course. Kotelnik has not shown the same vulnerability around the whiskers that Khan has.
The Breidis Prescott lump hammer remains a definitive statement until Khan proves otherwise.
He didn't get the chance against Dmitriy Salita. He will against this fellow.
It is a tricky position for trainer Freddie Roach to assess.
I suspect that Khan's punch resistance is more robust at 140lb.
Khan has made great strides under Roach, who has tightened his defence without detracting from his natural speed and balance.
I have the utmost respect for Roach, whose reading of opponents is second to none.
If he sanctions the bout that will tell me a lot about Khan's development as a world champion.
I amglad the decision is not mine to make. Maidana tracks down opponents relentlessly.
If Victor Ortiz - a fearsome hitter - can't take him out, I don't think Khan has the power to do that either.
Khan has the ability to outbox him but can he keep Maidana off h i m f o r 12 rounds? That's the big dilemma.
Khan also likes to have a go. Can he be disciplined for 12 rounds without going for the big shot that blew Salita out of Newcastle? Khan applied himself beautifully against Kotelnik, but he did not have what Maidana brings coming back at him.
It is awkward because I'm pretty sure promoter Frank Warren and Roach would not have looked at Maidana without being pushed.
I know I wouldn't. Khan could of course sidestep the bout, but that would leave him open to flak from those who doubt his defensive pedigree.
Maidana, 26, is not a smaller guy coming up, he is not an ageing fighter on the down slope of his career. He is a dangerous, tough opponent.
And he is the kind of opponent that history has shown represents the greatest threat to Khan.
That said, we have to invest in the idea that Khan is getting better. He is twice as fast as Maidana with superior movement.
Ortiz had Maidana down in the first. Apart from an early-career disqualification, Ortiz was unbeaten. Though he was also down, he was the favourite to win.
The fight did not progress beyond the sixth. Let's just say Maidana was surprised to win so early.
He will fancy his chances against Khan - which at world level is how it should be.
Check Outmy Website: www.barrymcguigan.com
Source: mirror.co.uk
Freddie Roach says focus now on Clottey, believes mega-fight will happen someday -- Las Vegas Sun
By Brett Okamoto, Las Vegas Sun
Boxing fans hanging on to the hope that a mega-fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. could still happen on the originally scheduled date of March 13 at the MGM Grand are wasting their time, according to Pacquiao’s head trainer, Freddie Roach.
Roach, who has worked with Pacquiao since 2001, said at this point there is no hope that the fight with Mayweather could still work on that date and that his fighter’s focus has shifted to Ghanaian fighter Joshua Clottey.
“I don’t think there’s any hope, the deadline for HBO is past,” Roach told the Las Vegas Sun today. “Manny is going to fight Clottey on March 13 and we’re just going to move on.”
Nearly every detail of the proposed mega-fight between the top two pound-for-pound fighters in the world had been hammered out except for the method of drug testing.
Negotiations hit a stalemate in December when Mayweather demanded that Pacquiao undergo Olympic-style drug testing that included random blood tests. The Nevada State Athletic Commission traditionally requires fighters to undergo random urine tests, not blood tests.
When Pacquaio refused, both sides attempted a final effort to save the fight last week, meeting with a mediator, retired judge Daniel Weinstein, in Santa Monica, Calif.
When Mayweather again refused to agree to the terms set by the mediator on Wednesday night, Roach says the Pacquiao camp knew the fight was dead.
“I definitely thought this fight would happen when Manny beat Miguel (Cotto, in November),” Roach said. “Floyd had made his comeback and looked really good against (Juan Manuel) Marquez. He had a tune-up fight under his belt and he’s a talented guy. I was looking forward to the challenge.
“But as we got close to the fight we could see Floyd pulling away. Bottom line is he just doesn’t want to fight.”
Despite comments made by Mayweather on Thursday that he still wanted to fight Pacquiao, the Filipino’s camp immediately went into making other arrangements.
It had been initially rumored when the Mayweather talks began to fall through that Pacquiao’s promoter, Bob Arum, was looking at either Paulie Malignaggi or Yuri Foreman as potential opponents for Pacquiao.
On Saturday, Roach said the decision to move to Clottey (35-3, 20 KO) was based on the fact the trainer wants to see his fighter in exciting fights, something he didn’t feel would happen against either Malignaggi or Foreman.
“I wanted an action fight, I don’t want Manny in a boring fight,” Roach said. “With Paulie it would be a blowout. Let’s face it, he’s not in the same class as Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather. Yuri Foreman is a good fighter, he’s clever, but he’s boring.
“I wanted Manny in an action fight and that’s what we got with Clottey.”
According to Roach, Pacquiao will still arrive at his Los Angeles gym on Monday to begin preparations — the same schedule the fighter was going to follow for the Mayweather fight.
Pacquiao’s representatives are expected to meet with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones today about hosting the fight with Clottey at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Although Roach says the camp has shifted its focus to Clottey, Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KO) remains disappointed that the fight with Mayweather (40-0, 25 KO) was derailed.
“He wants to fight the best fighters out there and Floyd is definitely one of them,” Roach said. “I had been studying his style and coming up with a game plan and we were mentally getting ready for that fight. It’s disappointing because the whole world wants to see that fight and it would have been good for boxing because boxing needs that.
“But we can’t force people to fight each other. He has all the excuses in the world and that's just what it is.”
Roach also added that if Pacquiao defeats Clottey, they would look to the winner of a fight between Shane Mosley and Andre Berto as their next opponent. That fight is scheduled for Jan. 30 in Las Vegas.
Pacquiao won’t meet Mayweather in the ring on March 13, but he might see him in court.
The Filipino filed a defamation lawsuit against Mayweather and his camp due to allegations they had made that Pacquiao used illegal, performance-enhancing drugs to help him successfully go up in weight classes in recent years.
When asked if the lawsuit was legitimate or more for publicity value, Roach said Pacquiao’s anger toward the Mayweather camp is 100 percent real.
“He’s really angry about it -- the thing is all of a sudden these guys think they are drug experts,” Roach said. “My fighter has never tested positive for any illegal substance, not even cough medicine or anything like that. I have trouble giving him vitamins and protein shakes.
“Look at his moods; he’s always smiling. Steroids usually don’t let you do that. Why can’t people just realize he’s a good fighter? All the greats — Roberto Duran, Sugar Ray Leonard — went up in weight because that’s where the competition is. I know that Manny Pacquiao is clean for a fact. I’m with him every day in training camp and I know him very well. He would never do something like that.”
While Roach says there’s no shot that the mega-fight will still happen in March, he said he does believe Pacquiao and Mayweather will fight eventually.
In addition to a matchup the world wants to see, the fight was expected to be the richest in boxing history, with each fighter making up to $40 to $50 million.
“I do think it will happen eventually,” Roach said. “I don’t think that either one of them has many other options out there if they want to keep fighting the big fights. And if Mayweather keeps gambling and living the lifestyle he does, he’s going to need money again.”
Brett Okamoto can be reached at 948-7817 or brett.okamoto@lasvegassun.com. Also follow him on twitter: LVSunFighting.
Source: lasvegassun.com
Boxing fans hanging on to the hope that a mega-fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. could still happen on the originally scheduled date of March 13 at the MGM Grand are wasting their time, according to Pacquiao’s head trainer, Freddie Roach.
Roach, who has worked with Pacquiao since 2001, said at this point there is no hope that the fight with Mayweather could still work on that date and that his fighter’s focus has shifted to Ghanaian fighter Joshua Clottey.
“I don’t think there’s any hope, the deadline for HBO is past,” Roach told the Las Vegas Sun today. “Manny is going to fight Clottey on March 13 and we’re just going to move on.”
Nearly every detail of the proposed mega-fight between the top two pound-for-pound fighters in the world had been hammered out except for the method of drug testing.
Negotiations hit a stalemate in December when Mayweather demanded that Pacquiao undergo Olympic-style drug testing that included random blood tests. The Nevada State Athletic Commission traditionally requires fighters to undergo random urine tests, not blood tests.
When Pacquaio refused, both sides attempted a final effort to save the fight last week, meeting with a mediator, retired judge Daniel Weinstein, in Santa Monica, Calif.
When Mayweather again refused to agree to the terms set by the mediator on Wednesday night, Roach says the Pacquiao camp knew the fight was dead.
“I definitely thought this fight would happen when Manny beat Miguel (Cotto, in November),” Roach said. “Floyd had made his comeback and looked really good against (Juan Manuel) Marquez. He had a tune-up fight under his belt and he’s a talented guy. I was looking forward to the challenge.
“But as we got close to the fight we could see Floyd pulling away. Bottom line is he just doesn’t want to fight.”
Despite comments made by Mayweather on Thursday that he still wanted to fight Pacquiao, the Filipino’s camp immediately went into making other arrangements.
It had been initially rumored when the Mayweather talks began to fall through that Pacquiao’s promoter, Bob Arum, was looking at either Paulie Malignaggi or Yuri Foreman as potential opponents for Pacquiao.
On Saturday, Roach said the decision to move to Clottey (35-3, 20 KO) was based on the fact the trainer wants to see his fighter in exciting fights, something he didn’t feel would happen against either Malignaggi or Foreman.
“I wanted an action fight, I don’t want Manny in a boring fight,” Roach said. “With Paulie it would be a blowout. Let’s face it, he’s not in the same class as Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather. Yuri Foreman is a good fighter, he’s clever, but he’s boring.
“I wanted Manny in an action fight and that’s what we got with Clottey.”
According to Roach, Pacquiao will still arrive at his Los Angeles gym on Monday to begin preparations — the same schedule the fighter was going to follow for the Mayweather fight.
Pacquiao’s representatives are expected to meet with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones today about hosting the fight with Clottey at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Although Roach says the camp has shifted its focus to Clottey, Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KO) remains disappointed that the fight with Mayweather (40-0, 25 KO) was derailed.
“He wants to fight the best fighters out there and Floyd is definitely one of them,” Roach said. “I had been studying his style and coming up with a game plan and we were mentally getting ready for that fight. It’s disappointing because the whole world wants to see that fight and it would have been good for boxing because boxing needs that.
“But we can’t force people to fight each other. He has all the excuses in the world and that's just what it is.”
Roach also added that if Pacquiao defeats Clottey, they would look to the winner of a fight between Shane Mosley and Andre Berto as their next opponent. That fight is scheduled for Jan. 30 in Las Vegas.
Pacquiao won’t meet Mayweather in the ring on March 13, but he might see him in court.
The Filipino filed a defamation lawsuit against Mayweather and his camp due to allegations they had made that Pacquiao used illegal, performance-enhancing drugs to help him successfully go up in weight classes in recent years.
When asked if the lawsuit was legitimate or more for publicity value, Roach said Pacquiao’s anger toward the Mayweather camp is 100 percent real.
“He’s really angry about it -- the thing is all of a sudden these guys think they are drug experts,” Roach said. “My fighter has never tested positive for any illegal substance, not even cough medicine or anything like that. I have trouble giving him vitamins and protein shakes.
“Look at his moods; he’s always smiling. Steroids usually don’t let you do that. Why can’t people just realize he’s a good fighter? All the greats — Roberto Duran, Sugar Ray Leonard — went up in weight because that’s where the competition is. I know that Manny Pacquiao is clean for a fact. I’m with him every day in training camp and I know him very well. He would never do something like that.”
While Roach says there’s no shot that the mega-fight will still happen in March, he said he does believe Pacquiao and Mayweather will fight eventually.
In addition to a matchup the world wants to see, the fight was expected to be the richest in boxing history, with each fighter making up to $40 to $50 million.
“I do think it will happen eventually,” Roach said. “I don’t think that either one of them has many other options out there if they want to keep fighting the big fights. And if Mayweather keeps gambling and living the lifestyle he does, he’s going to need money again.”
Brett Okamoto can be reached at 948-7817 or brett.okamoto@lasvegassun.com. Also follow him on twitter: LVSunFighting.
Source: lasvegassun.com
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