Freddie Roach: Manny Pacquiao 'Really Wants to Knock Floyd Out' -- FanHouse

By Lem Satterfield, FanHouse

Freddie Roach was recently named Trainer Of The Year by The Boxing Writers' Association of America, and his prized pupil, Manny Pacquiao, was named Fighter of The Year -- both for 2009.

The honors were bestowed for the third, and, fourth times in a row, respectively, upon Pacquiao and Roach. Pacquiao also was named Fighter Of The Decade by the BWAA.

Reached at his Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, Calif., Roach, in this Q&A, discussed the most recent events involving the failed negotiations for a fight with Floyd Mayweather, the Mayweather camp's accusations of steroid use by Pacquiao, and the seven-division titlist's March 13 defense of his WBO welterweight (147 pounds) crown against Joshua Clottey.


FanHouse: So how does it feel to receive Trainer Of The Year for the fourth straight time?

Freddie Roach: It's my favorite award, because it's named after my trainer, [the late] Eddie Futch, my mentor. And, I like to give Eddie all of the credit for where I am today. I just love winning the award. I was the first one to win it three times, and now, I've won it four. I'm going to keep working my a** off to win it again, and again, if I can.


FH: Maybe they should name it the Eddie Futch-Freddie Roach Award?

Roach: [Chuckles] Maybe someday.


FH: Seriously, Freddie, you've overcome a lot, personally, with the Parkinson's, and I wonder if you ever think about who might be watching you and being inspired by you?

Roach: It's just that we work hard at the gym. Everyone works together, and we have a good team. Some days, when I'm really busy with some fighters, I have a lot of guys that pick up the slack. It's a good situation. My gym's just really active, and the other thing is that I'm so thankful to a guy like Eddie Futch, who taught me the ropes inside the ring and outside of the ring.

He taught me first, as a fighter, and then, I worked as an assistant to him for five years. And he taught me how to train fighters and how to get to them, and it's worked out really well for me.


FH: Can you talk about what it means to you to have Manny win the Fighter Of The Year honors for the third time?

Roach: Manny, he deserves it. Getting Fighter of The Decade also, that's a great honor for him. It's funny, his work ethic from Day One until today has not changed. It amazes me that he can still come through the gym doors and all of the distractions go away, and he's 100 percent focused on the next fight.


FH: Manny arrived in Los Angeles recently this time from the Philippines on Jan. 17 -- which was Muhammad Ali's 68th birthday and the day prior to the observation of Martin Luther King's birthday. Do you see any symbolism there at all, considering what Manny means in stature to his Filipino people?

Roach: It's can be a coincidence, but the thing is, Manny just means so much to his people. The thing is, he fights for them because he doesn't want to disappoint them. I think that's where he gets his fire from. It comes from his people. He wants to win for them, and to do the best that he can. Obviously, he wants to improve his country also, and that's why he's running for congress and getting into politics.

I think that he can do more for his country as a boxer rather than a politician, but he just wants to do the best that he can for his people. He's an amazing person.


FH: Has it been difficult to transition from preparing for a slick, boxer-type of fighter like Floyd Mayweather to preparing for a rugged fighter like Joshua Clottey?

Roach: The thing is, we work hard for everybody we get a chance to face. That hasn't really changed. What changed is the sparring partners and the style that we're fighting and the gameplan, of course. The thing is, focusing on Clottey is completely opposite from what we were going to do. The thing is, you just have to get a mindset in there that we're not fighting Floyd Mayweather now.

We have to get ready for a guy that is going to come to us and fight us, possibly. It's a little disappointing that we didn't get Mayweather, but we're not going to sit around and dwell on it. We're going to go with the biggest challenges that we can find out there, and Manny doesn't want to fight just any fight, but he wants to fight the best out there.

I'd love it if Floyd and Manny could come to an agreement someday soon, and hopefully that can happen. But if not, Manny could retire and go right into politics.


FH: What do you see as strengths and weakness of Joshua Clottey?

Roach: Well, he's got a good chin, and he takes a good shot, and he can be a little heavy-handed. But he can be passive at times, and he lays on the ropes and kind of rests there a little bit. I've been studying him really well, and he makes too many mistakes. Pacquiao, I truly feel will be the first person to knock Clottey out.


FH: Has Manny faced anyone with his combination of endurance, accuracy and speed on his punches?

Roach: Clottey's accurate if you stand in front of him, but the thing is, we're going to be in and out and side to side and use our angles on him. He's not going to be able to catch us. It's going to be very similar to the Oscar De La Hoya fight [Eighth-round knockout for Pacquiao] I feel. He's a very tall, comes to you type of guy, who is supposed to be stronger.

But I don't think that that will be the case. I think when the fight time comes off, Manny will be the bigger, stronger guy because he has the bigger heart.


FH: How significant is it that there is no catchweight for this fight, as there was a requirement for Miguel Cotto to come in at no greater than 145 pounds, and that you are going with the welterweight limite of 147 pounds?

Roach: Well, we got a little flack for going with a catchweight last time, so Manny wants to be a true welterweight, so Manny is going to fight at 147. We're not going back to 140, we're going to stay where we're at. And if anyone wants to challenge us, it'll be at welterweight.


FH: How much does Manny consider going for an eighth title in a different weight class -- the rise to 154 pounds beyond the Joshua Clottey fight?

Roach: Well, the fight against [WBA junior middleweight (154 pounds) champ] Yuri Foreman was offered, and so forth, and Manny was just interested in more challenges.

Yuri was more of a boxer, and Manny doesn't want to be in a boring fight. So, 154 might be stretching it a little bit. I think that 147 is as high as we're really going to go. But you know, we'll see what presents itself after this fight. If Mayweather doesn't come around, Manny might retire.


FH: What did you think of the Dallas Cowboys Stadium, where the fight will be held?

Roach: It was amazing. It was just unbelievable. The big screen over the field, the people, it was a great place. It's a really, really nice stadium. It's going to be huge with the fight being there, and there's a lot of stuff going on in Dallas right now.

[Cowboys' owner] Jerry Jones wants to bring the best athletes into the stadium, and you know, Manny Pacquiao's one of the best athletes in the world right now, and that's why Jerry Jones picked this fight.


FH: How will it be different for you being in Dallas Cowboys' Stadium, considering most of Manny's biggest victories have been in Las Vegas.

Roach: We have a lot of good memories of Vegas, but we have one good memory of Texas also. That's where we got our one big break and we knocked out Marco Antonio Barrera in Texas [in the 11th round in November, 2003, at The Alamodome.]

Texas has always been good to us. Regardless of where the ring is, it's still the same size, so we have no problem traveling.

Manny just likes to fight. If we fight in Manila, his home town, it doesn't really matter. He's going to go out and fight his fight. We've got a good gameplan down already for this one, and, he's pulling it off in sparring already, and he's looking really good. He's way ahead of schedule. His weight's already getting down there low right now.

He's already at 146, so we'll get some protein shakes out there and start feeding him.


FH: On the matter of steroids, why do you believe those suspicions were leveled at Manny by some members of the Mayweather camp?

Roach: Well, they have no foundation or no history. It's just they say, 'How can a guy go from 106 all the way to 147 without being on steroids?' But if you take that thinking into consideration, now, at age 16, Floyd Mayweather fought in the amateurs at 106, and then he went to 154 [to fight Oscar De La Hoya,] so he must be on steroids too, I guess?

But I'm not going to say that, because he's just a good fighter, and I respect that. The thing is, it's not unusual for the best fighters of their era to dominate many different weight divisions because that's where all of the challenge are.


FH: Do you buy the notion that Floyd was afraid of losing for the first time in his career?

Roach: No. I think that he was just trying to make the fight bigger. I think that he's trying to make the Pacquiao fight bigger down the line. I think that he's just doing his thing.


FH: What do you believe that all of the Manny Pacquiao fans in the Philippines thought of the entire steroid drama related to the Mayweather-Pacquiao negotiations?

Roach: You've got people out there who want to go along with the notion of, 'Well, he's so good, that he must be on steroids,' because it was said once. And the thing is, just by that, people can think that you're guilty. Of course, we have no history. I have trouble giving Manny Pacquiao vitamins.

The Mayweathers are just trying to tarnish his reputation, so Manny's not very happy with them right now, and he really wants to knock Floyd out. That's what he told me. That's the first time that I've really seen him angry with a fighter. He says, 'If we fight, I will knock Floyd out.'

Source: boxing.fanhouse.com

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Trainer quits Team Hatton -- Sky Sports

Sky Sports

Ricky Hatton is on the hunt for a new training team ahead of his comeback.

The Hitman has parted ways with Lee Beard, an integral part of his corner - and brother Matthew's trainer.

Beard has left the United Kingdom to take up a training appointment in America, with reports suggesting he will taking charge of former super-featherweight world champion, Joan Guzman.

It leaves Hatton, who is likely to return to action in May or June, searching for a new mentor after Floyd Mayweather Snr's ill-fated reign ended immediately the devastating two-round KO at the hands of Manny Pacquiao.

"Lee has strong family connections in America and we fully understand his wish to move out there," said a Team Hatton statement.

"As far as Ricky is concerned he has not made any decision as to who will be replacing Floyd Mayweather senior as his trainer and he will address this issue on his return from holiday.

"Lee Beard has taken up a training appointment in America and will no longer be connected with Hatton Promotions Ltd, Ricky Hatton or Matthew Hatton.

"In the meantime Ricky, Matthew and everyone in the Hatton Camp wish Lee every success for the future."

Team Hatton also confirmed that veteran trainer Bob Shannon will take charge of Matthew's training for his February 19 fight with Georgia's Mikheil Khucishvili.

Shannon moved his fighters, including David Barnes, over to Hatton's Hyde gym in September.

Source: skysports.com

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Demand strong for Pacquiao fight tickets -- Manila Bulletin

By NICK GIONGCO, Manila Bulletin

The most expensive ticket for the March 13 fight between Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey in Dallas – selling for just $700 – is selling for as much as ten times its retail price on the Internet.

Top Rank began releasing tickets to the public on Jan. 23 and hours after it was made available, 25,000 were gobbled up and Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum said he expects to announce a sellout soon.

The cheapest ticket is $50, while other seats sell for $500, $400, $300, $200 and $100.

The Cowboys Stadium, which can accommodate as much as 100,000, will be reconfigured to 40,000 come fight night. This will be the first time the stadium will play host to boxing.

The on-line seller StubHub lists the $700 ticket on front row at $7,500, while other low-priced seats are selling more than their retail price.

“I don’t care,” Arum said when asked about the prohibitive prices being peddled on the Internet. “We’re selling it on retail (price).”

The fight will also be available on pay-per-view.

The $1.2-billion Cowboys Stadium is actually located in the city of Arlington, which is on the outskirts of Dallas.

Source: mb.com.ph

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If Mayweather Jr ‘asked to fight Shane immediately’ then why did he wait so long to sign? -- Examiner

By Rick Rockwell, Examiner.com

For some Mayweather critics, hell has officially frozen over. Floyd Mayweather Jr has signed the contract to fight Shane Mosley on May 1st. A day that many people thought would never happen, has finally come. But, what took so long? For a fight that was a decade in the making, the contract signing felt like it almost took just as long. Why did it take Floyd so long to sign the contract?

Just 24 hours ago, Mosley and his attorney were threatening a lawsuit against Mayweather because he hadn’t signed the contract yet even though Mosley signed it last week and Floyd’s people were assuring it would be signed the very next day. This delay got so bad that even Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer publicly aired his frustrations and questioned Mayweather’s actions.

Fast forward to today and Mayweather signs the fight and then releases the following statement:

“This one is definitely for the fans as I wasn't going to waste anyone's time with a meaningless tune-up bout and asked to fight Shane immediately. I have said ever since I came back to the sport that I only wanted to fight the best. I think Shane is one of the best, but come May 1, he still won't be great enough to beat me."

Sarah Daniels Sacramento, CA “If Mayweather truly wanted to fight Mosley immediately then why the delay?” Simply put, Mayweather didn’t truly want to fight Mosley. Like Shane Mosley said in a recent interview, Mayweather was forced into the fight. When Manny Pacquiao moved on to face Clottey, Mayweather was forced to move on to Mosley.

In my opinion, I believe Mayweather was just playing his selfish games in making every one wait. However, I think he signed today because Mosley’s people were ready to go to court. Floyd couldn’t risk going to court after already losing in the “court of public opinion” over who was at fault for the failed Mega fight.

This delay was just another way for everyone to be subject to Floyd’s egotistical desires and grandiose delusions of his self worth. That’s the only logical reason why Floyd took so long to sign since Mosley already agreed to every demand that Mayweather made. In the end, Mosley’s attorney Judd Burnstein said it best “he chooses to act like a 7-year-old.”

Source: examiner.com

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Q&A Shane Mosley: 'No Excuses' -- FanHouse

By Lem Satterfield, FanHouse

A little more than a year ago, it seemed that boxer Shane Mosley's world was coming apart.

His marriage to the mother of three of his four children, was in tatters. The former world titlist was under scrutiny after having admitted during leaked grand jury testimony that he had used designer steroids before defeating Oscar De La Hoya in September, 2003.

But after stopping Antonio Margarito in the ninth round on Jan. 24 of last year, the 38-year-old Mosley (46-5, 39 knockouts) is on the verge of earning his largest career payday against five-time champion, Floyd Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs) on May 1, but only after having to agree that each fighter will be randomly blood- and urine-tested for steroids -- Olympic-style.

"They can test me every day, twice a day, if they want. I'm a clean athlete and I've been a clean athlete. I'm willing to do this for every fight I have for the rest of my career," Mosley told Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports. "I want it so you guys [in the media] know, so the public knows, so everybody knows. I'm clean, I've been clean and I have nothing to hide."

Mosley spoke to FanHouse about all of the above in this Q&A.


FanHouse: If you were to explain to your fans, who have stuck with you, what it was like to perform against Antonio Margarito while being under the microscope, and what it's been like to be in your position of scrutiny over the last year, what would you say to them?

Mosley: To my fans, this is what I do. I've been a fighter from Day One. I've been boxing since I was eight years old -- that's 30 years of fighting. This is what I do, and this is what I know how to do.

You will always get the best out of me, regardless of what's going on in my life. I would never put, or, have something in my way and use that as an excuse to say, 'Well, I had this going on, that going on, and that going on, and that's why I can't perform like I'm supposed to.'

I'm a professional, and it's my job to be mentally strong in the ring, out of the ring, whatever. It's my job to be mentally strong when I get into the ring and to do my best. You're always going to get the best out of me, that's all.

No excuses.


FH: Are you pinching yourself concerning how fortunate you are to be getting this fight after the long layoff, or are you still in disbelief until you actually get into the ring with Floyd Mayweather?

Mosley: You never know if the fight is there until you get into the ring. But I'm pretty sure that Mayweather needs and wants this fight as much as I do.


FH: After what you've been through over the last year, were you wondering if you would ever get an opportunity such as this after defeating Antonio Margarito?

Mosley: I love to fight, I love to box, and it doesn't matter who I get into the ring with. So, I'm happy that it's a big fight, and I'm happy that the fans will get a chance to see a good fight.

And maybe they won't be so quick to want to go to the MMA and watch them fight. They'll be able to watch a big fight, and a very good fight.


FH: With this being two American welterweights, you and Floyd, there are some people who are comparing this fight to the Sugar Ray Leonard-Thomas Hearns fight. Do you see any elements of that, and if so, who do you cast yourself as?

Mosley: It's going to be a great fight. I do see myself and Floyd as being in the type of fight that is a Sugar Ray Leonard-Tommy Hearns type of fight. Tommy was no joke as well. But my name is 'Sugar' for a reason. I liked Tommy, and I liked Sugar Ray Leonard.


FH: Can you break down the skills that each of you bring to the table?

Mosley: With Mayweather, Mayweather is an excellent boxer and counter-puncher, and his timing is very good. He has very good hand speed.

I think what makes me different and difficult is that all of the years that I've fought, that I'm a total fighter. I can box, punch, move, slip-slide, I can do everything. I can imitate fighters really well.

I'm well-rounded, so it's hard to train for somebody like myself, because you don't know if I'm going to bring my fighting style out, my boxing style out, the counter-punching, or whatever.

I have different things to my arsenal that I can bring to the ring.


FH: Will you be bring back the body-punching that made you so good as a lightweight (135 pounds) champion, considering it's been virtually impossible for someone to hit Floyd's head, let alone, his body, consistently?

Mosley: It could be a good tactic to bring the body shots. Against Margarito, I went to the body as well, which is what basically broke him down, was the body shots.

But yeah, the body attack will definitely be a good tactic to use. I mean, there are so many different things that I'd like to use against Mayweather.

I can't just go, 'Okay, I'm just going to the body.' Or, 'I'm going to throw right hands,' or, 'I'm going to throw a lot of jabs,' or, 'I'm going to try to get past his defense with the leads.'

There are so many things that I can do and that I'll need to do to confuse Mayweather.


FH: At the age of 38, Shane, are you more mature, a better fighter, how has the age manifested itself in you?

Mosley: It's wierd, because I thought that I'm getting better and better. When I'm moving around, and I'm working out, and I'm fighting, and I'm training, I just felt better.

But, you know, maybe, I don't know, I might not be able to be rejuvenated as fast, or recover as fast, but I feel good. I think I'm a lot better, but I really don't know, but I feel good.


FH: Mentally, are you a better fighter than you've been in the past?

Mosley: Mentally, yeah, I'm better. I understand the boxing game a lot better and a lot more. I know when I'm making different mistakes, and I know when I'm doing different things, I know why they're happening and why they're not.

But as a younger fighter, you just kind of do things spontaneously, and you don't always know what you're doing. You're succeeding, but you don't understand or know why you're succeeding at what you're doing.

Once I sat down and watch tapes of myself, and of different people and different fighters, and why they are successful at doing what they do, that made me more of a better fighter, mentally, in the ring.

I became better at understanding the moves that I'm making and why they're working.


FH: This is the largest payday that you're going to get, and there's a rematch clause in the event that Floyd Mayweather loses, correct?

Mosley: Yes.


FH: If you were able to map out the end of your career, what would your dream closure be?

Mosley: I guess that it would be fighting Mayweather twice, and then, fighting Manny Pacquiao. I could fight Pacquiao twice too, if I need to.

And then, I think, by then, there should be nothing else for me to do. Other than that, that would be it, probably, pretty much. Unless I went back and fought Winky Wright or somebody at 154. But other than that, there's no one else to fight.


FH: So you want to get some payback against Winky Wright for the two losses on your record?

Mosley: Either that, or give Andre Berto a shot at the title, because he's been waiting for a long time as well. He's a world champion, and if he's still on top, maybe I could give him a shot.

Berto's a young warrior, and he wants to fight as well, so maybe I would do that. Other than that, I'm not sure what else is out there.


FH: Speaking of Andre Berto, is there anything that you would like to say to him?

Mosley: Yeah, I would really just like to send my condolences out to him and his family. I know that some of the people in Haiti, and some of his family members might have been hurt out there.

Hopefully, he and his family are together. Hopefully, mentally, he can get back into the boxing game and get back on top.

He's a great, young fighter, and I'm just wishing him all of the best for him.

Source: boxing.fanhouse.com

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Golden Boy CEO: Mayweather-Mosley 'one of the most anticipated fights of this generation' -- Grand Rapids Press

By David Mayo, The Grand Rapids Press

For weeks, Richard Schaefer honored a self-imposed gag order and refused to talk in depth about the failed Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao negotiations.

In a matter of days, the boxing promoter struck a compromise plan for a Mayweather-Shane Mosley megafight in a negotiation he called “an absolute pleasure” with Mayweather’s advisers, Al Haymon and Leonard Ellerbe.

"We know each other well, we respect each other, and that is a great start for any negotiation,” Schaefer, chief executive of Golden Boy Promotions, said Wednesday. “It is a fight Floyd really wanted and it is a fight Shane really wanted. That provided the necessary ingredients to get this negotiation going and signed.

"It's exciting to be part of a historic event where you have two of the best fighters of this generation, two of the best pound-for-pound fighters, two Americans, fighting each other -- and two guys who are at the top of their craft. We have seen what Shane did to Antonio Margarito and what Floyd did to Juan Manuel Marquez."

The May 1 fight at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas became official after Mayweather’s signed contract arrived at Golden Boy’s Los Angeles office Wednesday, five days after Mosley signed.

Mosley agreed to the Olympic-style random blood and urine testing at which Pacquiao balked during the failed Mayweather-Pacquiao negotiations.

Mayweather also will be subject to random testing.

Ellerbe has said Olympic-style random testing will be a negotiating mandate for any future Mayweather fight, which means a future matchup against Pacquiao is anything but a certainty, even if both fighters win their upcoming bouts.

Pacquiao scheduled a March 13 fight against Joshua Clottey after Mayweather talks fell apart.

"I don't really know if it’s possible and I don't really want to think about it because, the fact is, both parties felt rather strongly about their position, as it relates to Olympic-style drug testing,” Schaefer said. “I can not speak for Pacquiao because I'm not his promoter. But I can tell you that I would be surprised if Floyd was going to change his position as it relates to that. For this fight, he obviously hasn't.

“Floyd feels strongly that the time has come for boxing to introduce Olympic-style blood testing. Given the fact that I don't think Floyd is going to change course, and I think, with regret, that Pacquiao may not change his position, it basically just is what it is."

Schaefer confirmed that Mayweather-Mosley will be conducted at the 147-pound welterweight limit but said it is uncertain whether Mosley’s World Boxing Association title will be at stake.

That could hinge on what percentage of each fighter’s purse the WBA is willing to accept to sanction the fight. Sanctioning fees typically run about 2-3 percent of each fighter’s purse, although WBA by-laws allow for that amount to be “modified to the discretion” of its Board of Directors, and such downward negotiation is common practice when fighters earn enormous purses for a title fight.

Ellerbe said in December that Mosley was Mayweather’s backup plan if Pacquiao negotiations failed.

At that time, Mosley was scheduled for a Jan. 30 fight against Andre Berto.

But Berto withdrew from that bout two weeks ago -- only days after the Mayweather-Pacquiao talks officially ended after a failed mediation attempt -- which paved the way for Mayweather-Mosley.

“In a way, the promotion for Mayweather and Mosley started right in the ring after Mayweather's victory against Juan Manuel Marquez, when Shane Mosley grabbed the microphone and started things going,” Schaefer said, referring to Mosley’s forced interference with Mayweather’s post-fight interview following his comeback fight after a 21 1/2-month layoff. “Then, of course, the Pacquiao discussions started and Shane's position was that he didn't want to sit around and wait, so he moved on to fight another undefeated fighter in Andre Berto.

“Then, when the Pacquiao talks collapsed and the fight didn't happen, we didn't really think Mosley, because Shane had a very tough fight against Andre Berto, who is a great champion, he's undefeated. He had a very tough fight ahead of him. I think it would have been a very big mistake to underestimate Andre Berto and start thinking about, or even discussing, a later fight between Mayweather and Mosley."

Other potential fights were discussed for Mayweather, but when Mosley became available, those were dropped.

"With these megafights, they sort of have dynamics of their own in place,” Schaefer said. “Sometimes, they fall apart. And sometimes, they come together unexpectedly.

"The fact is, at the end of the day, it is up to the fighters if they want to fight. Floyd Mayweather made it clear to me he wanted the big fight. After the Pacquiao negotiations fell out, there weren't that many big names out there that warranted a super fight. When Andre Berto had to withdraw because of the Haiti situation, that opened the window, opened the door, and Floyd was immediately interested in that. And Shane was very much on the same page."

Schaefer said he did not view Mayweather-Mosley as a method of trumping Pacquiao-Clottey with pay-per-view buyers who might not be inclined to spend $50 or more for both fights, saying his philosophy is strictly to focus on his own business and his own fight.

He acknowledged, however, that some customers in a depressed economy might have to choose.

"If you are a consumer like that, and you have to pick which one is the bigger show, and which one is the more historic event, and which one has all the ingredients, then you're going to have to pick,” he said.

It was clear Schaefer is enamored of the Mayweather-Mosley fight, as are many boxing fans.

"It's certainly one of the most anticipated fights of this generation,” he said.

E-mail David Mayo at dmayo@grpress.com and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/David_Mayo

Source: mlive.com

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ANOTHER DAY IN THE OFFICE FOR PACQUIAO AT WILDCARD GYM -- PhilBoxing

By Ed de la Vega, PhilBoxing.com

Representing PhilBoxing, I was lucky enough to be the only one allowed to take still photos as Manny Pacquiao trained today at the Wildcard Gym.

The day was no different from those days when Pacquiao trained for his previous fights at the famed gym.

Today however, Pacquiao was a wee bit late in starting. He did not get to the gym until after 3:00PM.

The team members gave me the reason why he was running late.

Early this morning, he ran uphill at the Griffith Park so he took a long nap when he got back home. Then he had some visitors at his Hancock Park home to entertain. Thus, he asked that the training be delayed just a little bit.

When he came to the gym however, it was all business. Pacquiao immediately proceeded to the dressing room and in 5 minutes was ready to begin the old grind.

First thing we noticed was he was wearing his brand new Nike fighting shoes. Today was the first day he don them for training.

With a full TV crew filming the whole thing, Pacquiao started warming up by doing stretching exercises and shadow boxing. Then Alex Ariza came and help him out with the usual pylometric exercises.

After a while Freddie Roach came up the ring and they did the punch mitts for 10 round, many times ignoring the timer that ended each round.

During the whole thing they were practicing some to the game plan Roach formulated. (Sorry can’t write about them here).

When the punch mitt session was done, Pacquiao went to the double speed bags for several rounds followed by the single speed bag mounted on a special place and labeled with his logo.

The training session ended with the skip ropes and finally a prayer of thanksgiving for the good training day.

From my point of view Pacquiao has not lost his zip. His training seem to be just an extension of the one he had for the Cotto fight. His speed never diminished, and in fact it appear to be far better than the last time I saw him. And punches were booming. Perhaps has Michael Koncz stated, there was not much time between his last fight and this training period. So he still more than 75% in shape.

VIEW THE PHOTOS

Source: philboxing.com

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Roach: Khan will devastate Marquez like he did Barrera -- Telegraph

By Gareth A Davies, Telegraph.co.uk

Freddie Roach gave me his assessment last night on two fast-rising British fighters, Amir Khan, and the American trainer’s latest pupil to cross the water – Matthew Macklin.

So what does he think of the match-up being inked for Amir Khan – against Mexican legend Juan Manuel Marquez ? “It’s a great fight for him (Khan). I can compare it to his his fight with Marco Antonio Barrera. I think he’s too young, too fast, I think he will devastate him. This is the right fight for Amir, in America, at the right time.

Yes, I do think Marquez is a still a live fighter, a dangerous opponent for Amir, and I’d like to see it in Vegas. He wins it – he will become a superstar and it will get him well-known.”

The contest is expected to be on May 15, according to Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. So when is he expecting Khan to return to the Wild Czrd Gym in Hollywood ?…”Around early March, it will be a good time for him, too, because he will be around Manny Pacquiao as he prepares for Joshua Clottey. It will dovetail nicely. Amir will be here with plenty of good sparring partners.”

So, to Matthew Macklin. Does Roach see the Irish Brummie as having world title potential ?…”Definitely. I know Matthew as he had been here before training in the gym. We’ve been talking to his manager and we are expecting him here soon. I’ll be going to England with him for his European title defence.”

“I certainly hope we can get him a world title this year, and I think he has a bright future. Right now there are a lot of names in the middleweight division, and I think with a little more work we can match him with Kelly Pavlik. He’s the number one guy, the most well known of the middleweights and the most popular in the States. Macklin is really strong – and a lovely boxer.”

Source: blogs.telegraph.co.uk

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Shane Mosley on fighting Floyd Mayweather: 'He's never seen anybody as fast as me' -- Grand Rapids Press

By David Mayo, The Grand Rapids Press

To lure Floyd Mayweather or Manny Pacquiao into the ring, Shane Mosley tried some unorthodox methods. With Mayweather, he grabbed an HBO announcer's microphone during a post-fight interview last autumn and barked his challenge, loud and clear, into living rooms nationwide. With Pacquiao, he would drive to the gym where the Filipino trains and lodge personal requests.

But Mayweather and Pacquiao were more focused on each other.

To be sure, Mosley balked himself. The dynamic of a major prizefight involves more than just gloving up and squeezing between the ropes because fans want to watch.

A decade ago, when Mayweather first openly contemplated the fight, it made no sense for Mosley, who was targeting his two victories over Oscar De La Hoya instead.

By 2007, when Mosley wanted it, it was Mayweather's turn to defeat the cash cow De La Hoya.

But for this moment in history, those dynamics found a common middle ground. So when Mayweather's signed contract arrived Wednesday at Golden Boy Promotions' office in Los Angeles, five days after Mosley's, their long-awaited megafight was finalized for May 1 in Las Vegas.

"I wondered if it would ever happen but I knew it should," Mosley said in an exclusive interview Wednesday. "I knew it was a fight that fight fans needed. You need great fights. You need the top fighters to fight each other."

Mayweather, who turns 33 this month, remains undefeated. Mosley, 38, has five losses and might have benefited from this fight happening a few years ago.

Yet many will regard this as the most formidable challenge of Mayweather's career, a noteworthy tag considering how heated the failed Mayweather-Pacquiao negotiations became.

That was supposed to be the pound-for-pound showdown. When it fell apart, Pacquiao scheduled a bout next month against Joshua Clottey, a competent welterweight but no household name.

Mayweather went directly after the man many consider the third-best fighter in the world, and perhaps the first opponent who can match his vaunted handspeed.

"I've fought a lot of fast people," Mosley said. "I've seen a lot of handspeed in my time. I'm not sure that Mayweather has seen that kind of handspeed in his lifetime of fighting. He's fought a lot of guys who came right at him. I think it will be a different twist for Mayweather to fight somebody just as fast as him, and maybe a little stronger in the ring with him."

Mosley suffers no illusions that he was the backup plan, although he wasn't waiting around to see how it went. He planned to fight Andre Berto last week, until the latter pulled out two weeks ago, citing the Haitian earthquake tragedy. Berto's withdrawal happened to be fortuitously timed after Mayweather-Pacquiao talks collapsed last month.

"The only reason this fight is taking place is because the fight blew up with Pacquiao," Mosley said. "I wanted to fight both guys but they both wanted to avoid me. But, you know, Mayweather will fight. It's just fighting the right guys for the right amount of money, I guess.

"He's never seen anybody as fast as me, or as strong, and I think it'll be a little confusing for him. It's going to be a great fight, though."

Mayweather-Pacquiao fell apart over Mayweather's insistence on Olympic-style, random blood and urine testing. Pacquiao balked.

Mosley, who in a leaked 2003 grand-jury testimony related to the federal BALCO investigation admitted to using steroids purchased from the California laboratory, agreed to random testing.

"Whatever they want to do, that's fine," Mosley said. "I'm tired of hearing people talk about 2003. They can think what they want. I know that I'm clean and I've been clean. So they can test me whenever they want to test me."

For all the failed proposals related to Mosley vs. Mayweather or Pacquiao before, one finally stuck, even if better late than never.

"I'm ready to fight and he's ready to fight," Mosley said. "I'm just happy that it's happening now."

E-mail David Mayo at dmayo@grpress.com and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/David_Mayo

Source: mlive.com

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Mayweather inks May 1 fight vs. Mosley -- Las Vegas Sun

The Associated Press

Floyd Mayweather Jr. finalized a deal Wednesday to fight Sugar Shane Mosley on May 1 in a welterweight bout at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas.

Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs) agreed to the 12-round bout last week, but hadn't formally signed the contract for the former pound-for-pound champion's second fight back from a brief retirement.

"This one is definitely for the fans, as I wasn't going to waste anyone's time with a meaningless tuneup bout and asked to fight Shane immediately," Mayweather said. "I have said ever since I came back to the sport that I only wanted to fight the best. I think Shane is one of the best, but come May 1, he still won't be great enough to beat me."

Although the fight is an intriguing matchup between two veteran welterweights who have been circling each other for a decade, the dangerous Mosley (46-5, 39 KOs) still isn't Mayweather's first choice.

Mayweather agreed to the bout only after several weeks of negotiations with Manny Pacquiao failed to produce an agreement on what's likely to be the richest fight in boxing history, if it ever occurs. Pacquiao balked at Mayweather's stringent drug-testing demands, and instead will fight welterweight Joshua Clottey on March 13 at Cowboys Stadium.

Mayweather and Mosley also agreed to participate in Olympic-style drug testing for their fight, saying they hope to set a new standard for safety in boxing. Mosley has acknowledged using steroids before a victory over Oscar De La Hoya in 2003, but claims he did so inadvertently through a strength and conditioning coach who had connections with the BALCO lab.

"I'm real disappointed and real angry to be linked to juicing and steroids, because that's just not me," Mosley told The Associated Press in a phone interview. "I don't need to do that stuff. I like the testing for this fight. I want it, because I want to prove that everything I've done is all me, and not about steroids. I've never tested positive for anything, but I want everybody to know who I really am."

Mosley was scheduled to fight Andre Berto on Jan. 30 at Mandalay Bay before Berto dropped out while dealing with the earthquake in Haiti, his family's home country. Mosley expressed only sympathy for Berto's family, but the setback quickly evolved into a chance for a major bout.

"I knew that there was a fight around the corner," Mosley said. "I knew that Mayweather needed a dancing partner, and who else was he going to dance with? I'm a little stronger and wiser now. I'm very smart. Nothing he can do is going to rattle me and make me feel any different. I'm already in good shape, and I'm going into it feeling good."

Mosley, the 38-year-old WBA welterweight super champion, has been vocal about his desire to meet Mayweather ever since Mayweather celebrated his ring return last September with a one-sided victory over Juan Manuel Marquez. Mosley, a partner in Golden Boy Promotions, jumped into the ring after Mayweather's win and called out the unbeaten fighter.

But Mayweather appeared to be focused on the biggest payday of all against Pacquiao until his hard line on drug testing scuttled the fight and prompted Pacquiao to sue much of Mayweather's camp, claiming several members had defamed him by intimating he uses performance-enhancing drugs.

"Shane Mosley is one of the greatest fighters of this era, and I commend him for not only agreeing to the fight against Mayweather, but also agreeing to participate in a testing process that can only help the integrity of the sport," Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer said.

Mayweather didn't sign the deal until five days after Mosley formalized his commitment last Friday, prompting worries for Mosley's management and Schaefer, who represented Mayweather throughout the torturous negotiations with Pacquiao's promoters at Top Rank. Schaefer had hoped to get both fighters to Miami this week to promote the bout to the assembled fans and media at the Super Bowl.

Just a few days ago, Schaefer publicly acknowledged he was worried Mayweather might be having second thoughts about a tough fight against Mosley, who has only improved with age.

Mosley's only loss since late 2004 is a narrow, competitive decision to Miguel Cotto in November 2007. He has fought just twice since then, stopping Ricardo Mayorga and former champion Antonio Margarito, although Mosley was scheduled for fights against Zab Judah and Berto that were canceled by his opponents.

"I've been fighting better and better in my career," Mosley said. "I always trained hard, and now I'm training smarter and better. I'm ready for this."

Mayweather should have the services of Roger Mayweather, his uncle and longtime trainer. Roger Mayweather has a June 1 trial date in Las Vegas on several serious charges related to accusations of beating and choking a female boxer last summer at an apartment he owned.

Source: lasvegassun.com

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The Fight's On! Floyd Mayweather Has Signed to Face Shane Mosley -- FanHouse

By Lem Satterfield, FanHouse

Floyd Mayweather has signed his bout agreement to fight Shane Mosley, who already had inked his name on the dotted line on Friday, Mosley's attorney, Judd Burstein, told FanHouse.

Burstein said that he learned of the development concerning Mayweather (pictured right) from Mosley's promoter, Golden Boy Promotions' CEO Richard Shaefer, which should set in motion the promotional and marketing of their bout to take place on May 1 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

"Richard Schaefer just called me and told me that [Mayweather's adviser] Al Haymon called him, and it's [the bout agreement] is being faxed," said Burstein, with whom Mosley signed his part of the deal on Friday in Las Vegas.

"I'm ecstatic. Shane and I have been together for seven years, and I love him as a client, and he's going to show the world how great that he is," said Burstein. "A lot of credit goes to Richard Schaefer. We work together beautifully. And Al Haymon has proven that my assessment of him as a real, straight shooter and a good guy are correct. He came through."

The 38-year-old Mosley (46-5, 39 knockouts) will be ending a nearly 14-month layoff when he enters the ring as WBA super welterweight (147 pounds) champion against five-time champion Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs).

"I'm pretty sure that Floyd Mayweather needs this fight as much as I do," said Mosley, who is coming off of a Jan. 24, ninth-round knockout of Antonio Margarito, who was stopped for the first time in his career.

"I love to fight, and I love to box, no matter who I step into the ring with. But I'm happy to be in such a big fight, and I'm happy that I can give the fans the chance to see a good, big fight," said Mosley. "This is going to be a great fight. I see this as a Sugar Ray Leonard-Tommy Hearns type of fight. Tommy Hearns was no joke as well, but my name is 'Sugar' for a reason."

Mayweather is coming off of September's unanimous decision over Mexican great, Juan Manuel Marquez, ending a nearly two-year layoff since he left the ring after a 10th-round knockout of Ricky Hatton in December of 2007.

"This one is definitely for the fans as I wasn't going to waste anyone's time with a meaningless tune-up bout, and asked to fight Shane Mosley immediately," said Mayweather, in a statement.

"I have said ever since I came back to the sport that I only wanted to fight the best," said Mayweather. "I think Shane is one of the best, but come May 1, he still won't be great enough to beat me."

The fight will be televised on HBO pay per view.

"Mayweather-Mosley is a showdown of superstars that fans have been talking about for years", said Mark Taffet of HBO Pay-Per-View. "It has all the elements of a pay-per-view mega-fight."

Following Mayweather's victory over Marquez, Mosley (pictured at right) jumped into the ring and interrupted the winner's post-fight interview with Max Kellerman, challenging him to make a deal to fight him.

Mayweather's adviser, Leonard Ellerbe, said, however, that it was Mayweather who called out Mosley in 1999, when the latter still was a 135-pound, IBF lightweight champion, and Mayweather, a 130-pound WBC featherweight king.

In April of that year, Mosley defended his IBF lightweight title for the last time with an eighth-round knockout of John Brown. In September of '99, Mosley passed over the junior welterweight (140 pounds) class and jumped straight into the welterweight (147 pounds) division.

Mosley knocked out Wlfredo Rivera, and, Willy Wise, in succession, before dethroning Oscar De La Hoya as WBC champion by split-decision in January 2000.

"Floyd has been trying to make this fight for the last 10 years, so he is extremely excited about the opportunity to face Shane," said Ellerbe, CEO, Mayweather Promotions. "He can't wait to extend his undefeated record and perform at the highest level."

"Moreimportantly," said Ellerbe, pointing out that part of the deal includes Olympic-style, random blood-testing for both fighters. "[Mayweather] is also happy to set the precedent for random blood testing in order to ensure fair and safe contests for all fighters."

Schaefer was equally enthused.

"This is signed sealed and delivered. I'm excited and very happy to be part of a great, great fight, and this is clearly the biggest event for a long time, and one of the most anticipated showdowns with two of the best, pound-for-pound, fighters facing each other in what is clearly the biggest event in a long time between two, American welterweight fighters," Schaefer told FanHouse.

"Two Americans are probably in the biggest all-American showdown since Sugar Ray Leonard-Thomas Hearns," said Schaefer. "This is a dream fight, and I'm really happy and excited as a promoter and a fight fan as well to be able to be part of this great event, and to be able to watch from ringside this great, great, great showdown."

Schaefer said that the promotional tour for the fight will begin immediately, starting with each being at Sunday's Super Bowl in Miami between The Indianapolis Colts and The New Orleans Saints.

"We are full steam ahead. They definitely will be making their rounds at the Super Bowl. Both guys will be showing up at the Super Bowl, and our P.R. teams are working furiously now on it, and we'll have some news, I guess, on that in the next few hours. But right now, we are just putting everything together," said Schaefer.

"Most likely, the press tour will begin in the first week of March, but there's no reason to rush that. We have tremendous interest of sponsors," said Schaefer. "I'm happy to say that this will be the most impressive lineup of sponsors ever in boxing, including brands which have not been in boxing before. We're going to be put together plans that will surpass anything and really bring the fight to the fans. That's what we're going to be putting together for the first couple of weeks of March."

Source: boxing.fanhouse.com

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Mosley-Mayweather fight finalized -- ESPN

By Dan Rafael, ESPN.com

After several days of concern over whether Floyd Mayweather Jr. would sign the contract for an agreed-upon showdown with welterweight titleholder Shane Mosley, he put pen to paper on Wednesday and signed the contract, Mosley attorney Judd Burstein told ESPN.com.

That was the last hurdle to finalizing the super fight. Mosley signed on Friday.

Mosley will defend his title against Mayweather on May 1 (HBO PPV) at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

"He signed. It's going to be a great fight," Burstein said.

Burstein said he received the news on Wednesday afternoon from Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer, who had been told by Al Haymon, a Mayweather adviser. Burstein said he then spoke to Haymon.

"Al Haymon's word is gold to me. He told me personally," Burstein said. "We spoke and he said Floyd signed. It was a short but happy conversation. Shane is excited. We all know it's going to be a great fight."

Later Wednesday, the fighters issued statements.

"This one is definitely for the fans as I wasn't going to waste anyone's time with a meaningless tune-up bout and asked to fight Shane immediately," Mayweather said. "I have said ever since I came back to the sport that I only wanted to fight the best. I think Shane is one of the best, but come May 1, he still won't be great enough to beat me."

Said Mosley, "I have always wanted to fight Floyd and now it is finally coming true. I am already in great shape and ready to show everyone on May 1 that I am stronger, faster and better than he is. I will have no problem beating him."

Schaefer and Burstein had voiced concern on Tuesday when Mayweather had still not yet signed several days after Mosley had signed and the Mayweather side said it had agreed to the terms.

Getting the contract signed this week was pivotal because Schaefer planned for the fighters to go to Miami this weekend to kick off the promotion with a variety of media appearances at the Super Bowl.

That was the blueprint Schaefer followed before the Mayweather-Oscar De La Hoya fight in May 2007. They also went to the Super Bowl to kick off the promotion and the result was the highest grossing pay-per-view in history.

Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs), a five-division champion, and Mosley (46-5, 39 KOs), a three-division champion, have seemingly been on a collision course since the late 1990s, when Mosley was lightweight champion and Mayweather was junior lightweight champion.

Now, the fight is on, having come together under unusual circumstances.

Mayweather had been close to a deal with Manny Pacquiao for a March 13 fight, but that fell apart in early January after the camps had worked out everything except for the drug testing protocol, which they could not agree upon.

Not long after that, Mosley's Jan. 30 unification bout with Andre Berto was canceled when Berto, a Haitian-American, withdrew from the fight after eight members of his family were killed in the earthquake that ravaged the Caribbean nation.

At Mayweather's insistence, both fighters have agreed to undergo Olympic-style drug testing for the fight.

"Floyd has been trying to make this fight for the last 10 years, so he is extremely excited about the opportunity to face Shane," said Leonard Ellerbe, a Mayweather adviser. "He can't wait to extend his undefeated record and perform at the highest level. More importantly, he is also happy to set the precedent for random blood testing in order to ensure fair and safe contests for all fighters."

Mosley was linked to the BALCO scandal, admitting during grand jury testimony, which was later released, that he had used designer steroids "the clear" and "the cream" and injected himself with EPO, a blood oxygen enhancer, during the lead-up to his 2003 rematch with Oscar De La Hoya. Mosley said he took the steroids unknowingly.

"When two champions of this caliber meet in the ring, you can expect nothing but excellence and that is what we are going to see on May 1," Schaefer said. "Shane Mosley is one of the greatest fighters of this era and I commend him for not only agreeing to the fight against Mayweather, but also agreeing to participate in a testing process that can only help the integrity of the sport."

Mayweather came out of an 18-month retirement in September to easily outpoint lightweight champ Juan Manuel Marquez.

Mosley hasn't fought in 13 months, when he upset Antonio Margarito, knocking him out in the ninth round to win a welterweight title for the second time.

Dan Rafael is ESPN.com's boxing writer.

Source: sports.espn.go.com

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