Doghouse Boxing
Interview with Manny Pacquiao - Part One
BOB ARUM: Manny Pacquiao is having a great training camp, as Freddie will tell you. There is excitement is Dallas. We have less than 8,000 tickets to go and I am fully confident we will have a sellout for the fight. It is very exciting for us and it should be a great, great show.
FREDDIE ROACH: Manny Pacquiao is in great shape. We boxed 11 rounds yesterday with four different sparring partners. He is looking really good and he’s got the game plan in place. We were so sharp yesterday I almost wanted to give him a day off but Manny won’t take a day off.
We’ll spar 12 rounds on Saturday. That will be our peak day and we will taper off from there and we are heading to Dallas after training on Monday the 8th.
Manny is getting better all the time and he still wants to improve. We are getting better at making the moves. We have watched a lot of tape on Clottey. We know his characteristics, we know his mistakes and we know his habits. I do feel that the way Manny Pacquiao is training for this fight, the game plan and how to beat Clottey is in place. I know Clottey is a big strong guy and a great fighter and we respect him and he’s a real tough guy but with many Pacquiao I feel that he’s going to overwhelm him with his speed and his combinations and I do believe he will be the first person to stop him before the 12th round.
MANNY PACQUIAO: I am good; I’m just finishing jogging and sit-ups. Training camp is good and yesterday we sparred 11 rounds then I hit the bag a couple of rounds. Everything is great. I know Clottey is taller and bigger than me. I know I can’t underestimate him because his is a former world champion also.
Interview with Manny Pacquiao - Part Two
Fallout from Mayweather negotiations - anger?
FREDDIE ROACH: We are not happy with his [Floyd Mayweather Jr.] remarks. Manny wants to fight him in the future because of the remarks he made. Sometimes when Manny is shadowboxing, he will show me how Mayweather fights and how he will take care of the problem. I’ve never seen many do that before. He was trying to ruin our reputation with those allegations but we do want to fight him and we do want to knock him out.
BOB ARUM: We will knock him out in court also. That lawsuit continues on and justice will prevail.
What would you like to do better in this fight than the last?
FREDDIE ROACH: Don’t want to be on the ropes as much as we were in the Cotto fight. Clottey is very effective on the ropes and will throw uppercuts from that position. We are working on not being there when he is trying to counter-punch. Clottey likes to lay on the ropes and counter when we are finished a combination, but we’re not going to be there – he’s not going to find us.
How much has Freddie Roach meant to your success and improvement?
MANNY PACQUIAO: Freddie Roach is very important to me in how he started with me when I began in the States. I think because our chemistry and we are very coordinated during our training. Freddie Roach is a very good trainer.
What has Bob Arum meant to your career?
MANNY PACQUIAO: Bob has helped me a lot especially promoting the last four or five fights. Because of him my career has been very good. He helped me a lot and has been very important. Bob officially negotiates my fights and chooses opponents and finds good opponents. I trust him and he’s a fine promoter.
FREDDIE ROACH: Bob has a lot of history and has a lot experience of course. He knows how to make a fight. He knows how to build a fight up. He knows how to do his job and he has a great staff. He has great matchmakers that will put the right styles together. That’s why this fight is going to be so great and compelling because of the styles. This is going to be a fight of the year type fight for sure.
Interview with Manny Pacquiao - Part Three
Would you consider him the greatest promoter in the history of boxing?
FREDDIE ROACH: Yes I would. His longevity of course from Ali to Manny Pacquiao and all those champions in between…the Hagler’s… and he is still going strong. He has surrounded himself with good young helpers.
Why would you not take the opportunity to clear your name and fight?
MANNY PACQUIAO: I don’t want to talk about or think about blood testing. I want to focus on the Clottey fight. I did take a blood test when I fought Erik Morales. I didn’t think I would fight Mayweather because people know Mayweather was not ready to fight me.
BOB ARUM: It causes chaos and it is wrong for one fighter to try to impose rules and regulations on the sport on another fighter. It is as silly as Alex Rodriguez striking out 4 times but a Red Sox pitcher saying I’m not going to face him again unless he takes a blood test. We cannot have that. We have commissions to do that. You make a request and if the commission feels that there is some validity the commission will then order whatever tests and the fighter, in order to fight in that state has to follow what the commission dictates. It’s not for a fighter to do this. In other words, two fighters can agree to fight without gloves or with 6-ounce gloves, but the commission would not allow it because it goes against the rules of the commission. This fight with Mayweather was supposed to be in Nevada and what he should have done is to go to the Nevada commission and requested it. But not to try to bully a fighter that comes from a different country into undergoing tests. Why? Because Mayweather said so? Because he was jealous of the man’s accomplishments? That is preposterous.
MANNY PACQUIAO: It has never been in boxing before that a fighter changed the rules. It is the fighter’s job to fight in the ring and is the promoter’s job and the commission’s job to make the rules for the fight.
BOB ARUM: The Nevada commission has in place, random testing and urinalysis, and they did it while the fighters were negotiating. No one is arguing against random testing. No one is arguing about urinalysis because it is not invasive. That’s already in place. The question is about blood testing and it’s not for you or me or anybody else to decide how important it is other than the applicable state where the fight is being held. Do I feel that random testing is valid? Yes, of course. Nevada has random urinalysis.
Interview with Manny Pacquiao - Part Four
Are you surprised there has been no mention of drug testing between Mayweather and Mosley?
BOB ARUM: You don’t have to be geniuses to know what they were trying to do. They were trying to get into his {Pacquiao’s] head. Get him completely discombobulated so he would be easy pickings for Mayweather and if they couldn’t and he said no because of the bullying, Mayweather would get his wish and not have to fight Manny. Mayweather against Manny is a no-contest. Manny would wipe the ring with Floyd Mayweather.
Manny, are you expecting support of the Latinos in Dallas?
MANNY PACQUIAO: I am expecting a lot of Mexican fans to be at the fight.
Has it been difficult to create a buzz around this fight to the general public?
BOB ARUM: To be frank, we had to overcome disappointment. People were looking forward to a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight. That is clear. Manny has a huge fan base. He has crossed over. Our job is to present Joshua Clottey as he is. A bigger guy. A stronger guy. A guy who has never been off his feet. A real test for Manny Pacquiao. That is what will sell this fight. You can’t say there are two household names fighting on March 13th, Clottey is a well-respected welterweight. He lost a very close decision to Miguel Cotto in his last fight. He won the title by stopping Zab Judah. He is a formidable opponent but I think that the public gets it. The pay-per-view at $49.95 is going to do extremely well and we are very pleased with the ticket sales at Cowboys Stadium.
Would you agree that Manny has become a cross-over star?
BOB ARUM: 100% correct. That was our goal when we started with Manny was to break him out from the Filipino base that he had. We were able to pick up millions of Hispanic fans and we have broken him in to the general conscience of the people around the world. He is truly a crossover star. How many fighters of our time go on Jimmy Kimmel Live and go on Good Morning America and have a big article coming out in Time magazine? I think that is saying something.
Interview with Manny Pacquiao - Part Five
What do you know of Leonard De Jesus?
FREDDIE ROACH: Lenny DeJesus used to work as a cut man for Manny Pacquiao. He knows us pretty well but we have changed a lot since then. He thinks he’s going to face the old Manny Pacquiao but that’s not going to be the case. I respect him and he’s a good boxing guy. Am I a better trainer? I don’t know but I have the better fighter. We have the perfect game plan and I don’t care who trains Joshua Clottey for this fight, he can’t beat us.
He is what he is. Let’s face it. He fights the same way in every tape I watch. Whether he fights southpaws or right-handers, he is predictable. He’s good at what he does but he does the same thing over and over again and he is very predictable. He’s going to try to change for this fight but once he gets in he will revert back to it. We are 100% ready for his style. His is resilient. The beginning of the fight is going to be very hard because he is a very good opponent and he likes to fight. We will break him down and I am confident the fight will not go 12 rounds.
What is the last fight of this magnitude [Pacquiao-Mayweather] that didn’t come off?
BOB ARUM: I remember Bowe and Lewis not coming off when everyone thought it was going to come off. Tyson and Foreman was being negotiated and that never came. Tyson and Holyfield didn’t come off until a number of years later. These things happen but it doesn’t happen all that often. No fighter on my watch is going to get bullied by another fighter. That other fighter, Mayweather, was totally out of line in making the demands he was making to the fighter. Any of those demands should have been directed to the Nevada Athletic Commission. You cannot have independent agencies taking all kinds of testing. It creates chaos. If the Nevada commission has testing, you have to subject yourself to the test. You can’t have baseball players calling out other baseball players to take tests.
Do you think the Mayweather fight will eventually get made?
BOB ARUM: Only if the Mayweather side agrees, they can have any testing they want, but those issues have to be brought before the commission where the fight is taking place. No fighter is going to be able to dictate anything like that to a fighter of mine without going to the commission and petitioning them to adopt those rules.
Manny, do you believe Mayweather does not want to fight you?
MANNY PACQUIAO: What I believe is Floyd Mayweather is not ready at this time to fight with me. That’s why he makes the reasons to cancel the fight. I feel bad and disappointment because he is accusing me of using drugs or whatever and trying to ruin my name in boxing. People know I have been successful through God and hard work.
Maybe he is afraid of me or maybe is not ready for this fight. I am disappointed at what he is accusing me of. I really feel bad but I have no anger toward him. This is boxing. That’s his style. We cannot change that because we are different.
Interview with Manny Pacquiao - Part Six
What about your election?
MANNY PACQUIAO: In the election I am leading and the start of campaigning is March 26 so it will not be until after my fight. After the fight I will go back to the Philippines and start campaigning. It is going to be busy. I want to pass some bills that will be good for the livelihood of the people there and education for the children.
What do you mean by Mayweather’s style?
MANNY PACQUIAO: Some fighters like me we can be the greatest fighters without fast words and trash talk. His style is talking a lot of trash and it is not a good example for everybody.
If your career ends without fighting Mayweather, will you be disappointed?
MANNY PACQUIAO: I don’t really need Floyd Mayweather because what I have achieved in boxing is good enough for me and people know that by comparing my achievements in boxing to his achievements.
Will you take full advantage of the weight limit?
FREDDIE ROACH: He [Pacquiao] will weigh in at 147 and he will go into the ring at 149, 150 max. I am not worried about his size. Size doesn’t win fights, skill does and it won’t be a problem.
I have read reports this could be your last fight?
MANNY PACQUIAO: This is my last fight before the election. I am not saying I’m going to retire. It is hard to say right now when I’m going to retire but this is my last fight before the election and I’m very excited about it.
Interview with Manny Pacquiao - Part Seven
BOB ARUM: As far as I am concerned, he is the best fighter I have ever seen some people may or may not agree. If he decides to retire after the Clottey fight and I would hope that he wins the election and I would give him a big party to commemorate his career in the US. If he continues to fight and then retires later I would still give him a big party. To me he is the best fighter I have ever seen. You have to understand, I’m an old guy but I’ve never seen Marciano or Robinson fight in person and I can’t tell very much from watching the film. But that includes fighter like Sugar Ray Leonard and Muhammad Ali, Marvin Hagler.
Is there a status report on the lawsuit?
BOB ARUM: That lawsuit will establish beyond any doubt that these innuendos and assertions made by that whole group of defendants, Mayweather, Shaefer, De La Hoya, the other two Mayweather’s, have absolutely no basis in fact and are pulled out of thin air and are really fueled only by jealousy. It is absolutely outrageous what these people have said. That will be affirmed in the court of law. They have not answered the complaint. They have to answer he complaint by the end of March.
Can you tell us why you would retire after fighting Clottey?
MANNY PACQUIAO: I am not saying retire. It is hard to say right now when I would retire. I am still fighting and we’ll see.
BOB ARUM: He is not saying he would retire after the Clottey fight, quite the contrary. Obviously one of these days he is going to retire. After the election he may retire or he may fight. He is leaving the options open.
Do you think Manny is the best?
FREDDIE ROACH: I do think Manny is the best fighter I have ever trained because from where we started to where we are now he is the most improved. His discipline and dedication is unbelievable.
Interview with Manny Pacquiao - Part Eight
How is your health?
FREDDIE ROACH: I just went to the Cleveland Clinic and I got a full check-up. The guy told me I am the healthiest Parkinson’s patient he has ever seen. I am on the right medications. I am on mild medications because of my strength from fighting and he said don’t worry; I am going to live a long time. So I’m going to be around for a while.
BOB ARUM: On Friday we are celebrating Freddie’s 50th birthday.
FREDDIE ROACH: Thanks for reminding me Bob.
Would you be content if Manny never fought Floyd?
BOB ARUM: I would absolutely be content.
FREDDIE ROACH: I would like to shut him up of course. Obviously he is just going to have to go by the rules. It is like saying we want to fight five-minute rounds. Commissions do that, not fighters. If you let him have his way it’s like giving away the first two rounds – it’s crazy. I do want Manny to fight him and I know Manny would knock him out and then the whole world will be happy.
MANNY PACQUIAO: Yes, I’m OK. I don’t need to fight him.
What type of boxer can beat you?
MANNY PACQUIAO: When I get old.
What about the young fighters in the world today?
MANNY PACQUIAO: I always watch them and I like to see them train and give them advice. Those young fighters in Puerto Rico are good fighters.
How do you feel about Miguel Cotto?
BOB ARUM: I think Miguel has had a great career and he’s a fighter that has never been afraid to get in the ring with anyone. He gave Manny Pacquiao, the greatest fighter of our era and in my opinion the greatest fighter I have ever seen, he gave him hell for the first six rounds. He fought his heart out. He’s a wonderful fighter. In June he will fight for another world title against Yuri Foreman in New York. He’s had a great career and he’s been a big star. More importantly, he has matured as a person. He is a great person right now. He has a lot of businesses. I am very proud of Miguel.
Is there anything that Clottey brings to the table you are anxious about?
FREDDIE ROACH: He is a very strong guy and he’s a strong puncher. His best punch is the uppercut but we will not fall into that pocket too often to let him use that shot. I do have a lot of confidence in my fighter and the reason why is the way he has been sparring. We have big strong guys that fight a lot like Clottey. Manny has been handling them with ease in sparring. We had our best day of sparring yesterday – 11 great rounds and Manny pitched a shutout. We use four sparring partners yesterday and Manny is on top of his game and he’s got the game plan down and he’s very sharp right now. I’m happy where he’s at. I think we will overwhelm him and the fight will end before 12.
BOB ARUM: March 13 is unique. People all over the world and on pay-per-view in the United States will have the opportunity to see the best fighter of our era fight a top welterweight bigger and stronger and I am looking forward to Manny Pacquiao’s performance because every single one of these performances will become part of history and we’ll see you in Dallas.
Source: doghouseboxing.com
Monday 1 March 2010
ROACH TO BRING IN NEW SPARRING PARTNERS, IT'S BECOMING TOO EASY FOR MANNY -- PhilBoxing
By Ronnie Nathanielsz, PhilBoxing.com
Trainer Freddie Roach plans to bring in some new sparring partners for pound-for-pound icon Manny Pacquiao this week as he steps up training for his showdown against Ghana’s tough Joshua Clottey at the $1.2 billion Dallas Cowboys Stadium on March 13.
Conditioning expert Alex Ariza told us that Roach wants “to get some fresh blood in there because to be honest it's been too easy for him (Pacquiao). ”
Pacquiao sparred twelve rounds last Saturday but dropped super featherweight David Rodela from the roster and instead went up against undefeated Abdullai Amidu (18-0, 17 KO’s) of Ghana, light welterweight Mike Dallas (11-0-1, 2 KO’s) and the experienced welterweight, veteran Steve Forbes (34-7, 10 KO’s.)
Ring Magazine’s Michael Rosenthal recently quoted Dallas as saying Pacquiao is “even stronger than he was before the (Oscar) De La Hoya fight. He’s a good counter-puncher. He’s strong, he’s fast and his legs are really something. His footwork is incredible. He moves like a cat. He’s real fast.”
Amidu told Rosenthal, Pacquiao is in good condition “punches hard, had a lot of speed and has good movement. He has everything. His punches come from different directions. They don’t come from where you expect to. You have to be ready for every eventuality.”
Asked why he thought Pacquiao was so successful, Amidu replied “he has a lot of respect for humanity. God blesses him a lot. He’s very disciplined, always in good condition.”
The Ghana fighter said he was very impressed with Pacquiao’s footwork pointing out that “if you have good footwork you can do a lot in boxing. You have to have good movement, to move from every angle. He can do that” adding that Pacquiao was the best he had worked with.
Ariza said Pacquiao was good, same as before when he had a stirring workout on Thursday which both Roach and Ariza agreed was Pacquiao’s best showing in sparring so far.
The conditioning guru who has worked with Roach since a few weeks before the David Diaz fight which Pacquiao won by a devastating 9th round knockout told us he’s “focusing more on his legs” which caused some concern in the training camp when Pacquiao complained of pain and tightness in the left leg which was similar to what he suffered during the fight with Juan Manuel Marquez.
Ariza told us “as long as his leg is holding up and it's not bothering him I am pleased. Until he wins this fight let’s keep our fingers crossed.”
He revealed that Pacquiao “knows now” about the danger to his leg posed by playing too much basketball which Roach has long been against and has apparently stopped.
While he was in the Philippines prior to leaving for Los Angeles, Pacquiao played a lot of basketball which is his way of staying in physical shape before getting into the gym to prepare for a fight. Even in Los Angeles, Pacquiao did play in some pick-up games because he loves the sport so much.
Source: philboxing.com
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Trainer Freddie Roach plans to bring in some new sparring partners for pound-for-pound icon Manny Pacquiao this week as he steps up training for his showdown against Ghana’s tough Joshua Clottey at the $1.2 billion Dallas Cowboys Stadium on March 13.
Conditioning expert Alex Ariza told us that Roach wants “to get some fresh blood in there because to be honest it's been too easy for him (Pacquiao). ”
Pacquiao sparred twelve rounds last Saturday but dropped super featherweight David Rodela from the roster and instead went up against undefeated Abdullai Amidu (18-0, 17 KO’s) of Ghana, light welterweight Mike Dallas (11-0-1, 2 KO’s) and the experienced welterweight, veteran Steve Forbes (34-7, 10 KO’s.)
Ring Magazine’s Michael Rosenthal recently quoted Dallas as saying Pacquiao is “even stronger than he was before the (Oscar) De La Hoya fight. He’s a good counter-puncher. He’s strong, he’s fast and his legs are really something. His footwork is incredible. He moves like a cat. He’s real fast.”
Amidu told Rosenthal, Pacquiao is in good condition “punches hard, had a lot of speed and has good movement. He has everything. His punches come from different directions. They don’t come from where you expect to. You have to be ready for every eventuality.”
Asked why he thought Pacquiao was so successful, Amidu replied “he has a lot of respect for humanity. God blesses him a lot. He’s very disciplined, always in good condition.”
The Ghana fighter said he was very impressed with Pacquiao’s footwork pointing out that “if you have good footwork you can do a lot in boxing. You have to have good movement, to move from every angle. He can do that” adding that Pacquiao was the best he had worked with.
Ariza said Pacquiao was good, same as before when he had a stirring workout on Thursday which both Roach and Ariza agreed was Pacquiao’s best showing in sparring so far.
The conditioning guru who has worked with Roach since a few weeks before the David Diaz fight which Pacquiao won by a devastating 9th round knockout told us he’s “focusing more on his legs” which caused some concern in the training camp when Pacquiao complained of pain and tightness in the left leg which was similar to what he suffered during the fight with Juan Manuel Marquez.
Ariza told us “as long as his leg is holding up and it's not bothering him I am pleased. Until he wins this fight let’s keep our fingers crossed.”
He revealed that Pacquiao “knows now” about the danger to his leg posed by playing too much basketball which Roach has long been against and has apparently stopped.
While he was in the Philippines prior to leaving for Los Angeles, Pacquiao played a lot of basketball which is his way of staying in physical shape before getting into the gym to prepare for a fight. Even in Los Angeles, Pacquiao did play in some pick-up games because he loves the sport so much.
Source: philboxing.com
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Manny Pacquiao is a ‘Live’ wire -- Boston Herald
By George Kimball, Boston Herald
Last year, Manny Pacquiao raised a few eyebrows when, on the eve of his fight against Miguel Cotto, he made an appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” even singing a song on the nationally televised late-night talk show. Given the Cotto result, Pacquiao must now consider Jimmy Kimmel his good luck charm. At least this time he’s not leaving it until so late in the game. On Wednesday - 10 full days before his encounter with Joshua Clottey at Cowboys Stadium - Pacquiao will appear on Kimmel’s show again. His set list has not yet been released. . . .
As if Clottey wasn’t already feeling like a stage prop for the March 13 melodrama, as he prepares to face the world’s top pound-for-pound boxer, his training camp appears to be in total disarray. Prior to last June’s encounter with Cotto, the Ghana native parted company with trainer Kwame Asante over money issues. For the Pacquiao fight, he invited his earlier trainer, Ghanaian Godwin Kotey, back for an encore, but Kotey’s request for a U.S. visa was denied, ruling him out of the corner for the Pacquiao fight. At this point it appears that the chief second for Clottey will be Lenny DeJesus, a full-time locksmith who moonlights as a free-lance cutman, but has no experience overseeing a corner in a bout of this magnitude.
You’d think that with a guaranteed $1.5 million (an amount likely to double with his share of the pay-per-view revenues), Clottey might opt to bring in a more established big gun on a one-shot basis, but it appears to be a matter of trust. Adding to his worries, as Clottey opened camp at a Florida gym last month, he learned that the place had no working hot showers.
Rumble in Bronx
Already set to stage the first boxing event in the Dallas Cowboys’ new state-of-the-art stadium, promoter Bob Arum will also introduce the sport to the new Yankee Stadium this summer. The Bronx ballpark will be the venue for Yuri Foreman’s June 5 WBA junior middleweight title defense against Cotto, but the negotiations to seal that deal were somewhat more complicated than those involving Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.
Arum, who promoted the last fight in the House That Ruth Built - Muhammad Ali-Ken Norton III, in September of 1976 - has twice hosted press conferences at the new Yankee Stadium and had often spoken of his desire to put on a fight there. A bout between Foreman, a Belarus-born rabbi-in-training with a large fan base among New York’s orthodox community, and Cotto, who commands a large following among those of Puerto Rican ancestry, seemed a natural fit - as did the target date, since the Yankees will be playing in Toronto that day.
What no one had counted on was that the future rabbi’s first title defense might be undone by a bar mitzvah. Turns out Jonathan Ballen, a Wall Street bond lawyer who played an instrumental role in the financing of the new stadium, had reserved space in the luxury lounge for the coming-of-age party for his 13 year-old son Scott - and that part of the contractual commitment called for a portion of the bar mitzvah to be displayed on the stadium scoreboard.
The terms of the settlement that cleared the decks for the fight to proceed were not disclosed. While we’re guessing that Ballen drives a hard bargain, he probably wasn’t demanding Floyd Mayweather numbers to step aside. The bar mitzvah party may wind up with the best seats in the house, though the possibility remains that the main event may not go on until after Scott’s bedtime. Foreman is an observant Jew and, to ensure against working before sundown on the Sabbath, has a contractual provision by which he won’t even be required to enter the ring against Cotto until 11:30. . . .
Speaking of Mayweather, “Money” and his May 1 opponent, Shane Mosley, will kick off a three-city press tour with an appearance at the Nokia Theatre in New York on Tuesday. In keeping with Golden Boy Promotions tradition, this is one of those “press” events from which the press has been all but excluded, and is open to the public.
A relief for Berto
WBC welterweight champion Andre Berto, who was so affected by the earthquake tragedies in his ancestral homeland of Haiti that he withdrew from a career-high payday and a unification fight against Mosley last month, will defend against former super lightweight champ Carlos Quintana atop an April 19 HBO show called “Fighting for Haiti,” with proceeds targeted for Haitian relief efforts. Unbeaten IBF light heavyweight champion Tavoris Cloud will defend against 41-year-old Glencoffe Johnson in the co-feature. Johnson, fighting for the title for the eighth time, is 2-3-3 in championship bouts - and that doesn’t include the two 1995 fights he split with Antonio Tarver, which were the lightly regarded IBO titles. . . .
Tickets for the April 17 Kelly Pavlik-Sergio Martinez middleweight title fight in Atlantic City, N.J., went on sale last week. As anticipated here a couple of weeks ago, the Lucian Bute-Edison Miranda fight in Montreal, which shares the HBO split-feed bill with Pavlik-Martinez, will be the only super middleweight title fight that night. Showtime has rolled back its Carl Froch-Mikkel Kessler and Andre Ward-Allan Green doubleheader - part of its “Super Six” tournament - to April 24. HBO will counter that night with Thomas Adamek-Chris Arrelola from Ontario, Calif.
Khan to hit U.S.
Freddie Roach-trained WBA junior welterweight champion Amir Khan will defend his title on American soil for the first time when he headlines at the Madison Square Garden Theatre on May 15 against former IBF champion Paulie Malignaggi. . . .
Hall of Fame trainer Angelo Dundee will be the guest of honor at a March 12 Classic Entertainment & Sports card at Foxwoods, headlined by the heavyweight rematch between local Tony Grano (16-1-1) of Hebron, Conn., and the author of the lone defeat on Grano’s ledger, Californian Mark Brown (15-2). Hartford junior bantamweight Mike Oliver and 2008 U.S. Olympian Sadam Ali are also slated to box.
In addition to his arrangement to run three cards at Foxwoods kicking off with Grano-Brown, CES honcho Jimmy Burchfield will stage five boxing shows at the Twin Rivers Event Center in Lincoln, R.I., commencing with a March 19 “Shamrocked” card, headlined by New England Irish-Americans Danny O’Connor and Joey McCreedy and featuring Canadian welterweight Jaime Clampitt, a former women’s world titleholder.
O’Connor, a junior welterweight from Framingham with a 10-0 pro mark, will take on Brooklyn-based Dominican Franklin Gonzalez (13-3) in the main event, Opponents for McCreedy (11-4-1) and Clampitt (20-4-1) have yet to be announced.
Last November, having taken off 18 months to have a baby, Clampitt returned to the ring at the Twin Rivers and scored a shutout on all three cards against North Carolinian Rachel Clark - a performance that took on added significance last month when Clark floored Hartford’s rugged Adelta Irizzary on the way to a split decision win at the Mohegan Sun. For more information on either show, phone 401-724-2253. . . .
Joe DiGuardia’s Star Boxing will run at the Mohegan Sun on April 2 for an ESPN2 date with Danbury, Conn., welterweight Delvin Rodriguez vs. Mike Arnaoutis on top and New York junior middleweight Joe Greene and Providence’s Demetrius “Boo” Andrade in featured roles. . . .
Happy birthday, Lucian Bute.
Source: bostonherald.com
***
Last year, Manny Pacquiao raised a few eyebrows when, on the eve of his fight against Miguel Cotto, he made an appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” even singing a song on the nationally televised late-night talk show. Given the Cotto result, Pacquiao must now consider Jimmy Kimmel his good luck charm. At least this time he’s not leaving it until so late in the game. On Wednesday - 10 full days before his encounter with Joshua Clottey at Cowboys Stadium - Pacquiao will appear on Kimmel’s show again. His set list has not yet been released. . . .
As if Clottey wasn’t already feeling like a stage prop for the March 13 melodrama, as he prepares to face the world’s top pound-for-pound boxer, his training camp appears to be in total disarray. Prior to last June’s encounter with Cotto, the Ghana native parted company with trainer Kwame Asante over money issues. For the Pacquiao fight, he invited his earlier trainer, Ghanaian Godwin Kotey, back for an encore, but Kotey’s request for a U.S. visa was denied, ruling him out of the corner for the Pacquiao fight. At this point it appears that the chief second for Clottey will be Lenny DeJesus, a full-time locksmith who moonlights as a free-lance cutman, but has no experience overseeing a corner in a bout of this magnitude.
You’d think that with a guaranteed $1.5 million (an amount likely to double with his share of the pay-per-view revenues), Clottey might opt to bring in a more established big gun on a one-shot basis, but it appears to be a matter of trust. Adding to his worries, as Clottey opened camp at a Florida gym last month, he learned that the place had no working hot showers.
Rumble in Bronx
Already set to stage the first boxing event in the Dallas Cowboys’ new state-of-the-art stadium, promoter Bob Arum will also introduce the sport to the new Yankee Stadium this summer. The Bronx ballpark will be the venue for Yuri Foreman’s June 5 WBA junior middleweight title defense against Cotto, but the negotiations to seal that deal were somewhat more complicated than those involving Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.
Arum, who promoted the last fight in the House That Ruth Built - Muhammad Ali-Ken Norton III, in September of 1976 - has twice hosted press conferences at the new Yankee Stadium and had often spoken of his desire to put on a fight there. A bout between Foreman, a Belarus-born rabbi-in-training with a large fan base among New York’s orthodox community, and Cotto, who commands a large following among those of Puerto Rican ancestry, seemed a natural fit - as did the target date, since the Yankees will be playing in Toronto that day.
What no one had counted on was that the future rabbi’s first title defense might be undone by a bar mitzvah. Turns out Jonathan Ballen, a Wall Street bond lawyer who played an instrumental role in the financing of the new stadium, had reserved space in the luxury lounge for the coming-of-age party for his 13 year-old son Scott - and that part of the contractual commitment called for a portion of the bar mitzvah to be displayed on the stadium scoreboard.
The terms of the settlement that cleared the decks for the fight to proceed were not disclosed. While we’re guessing that Ballen drives a hard bargain, he probably wasn’t demanding Floyd Mayweather numbers to step aside. The bar mitzvah party may wind up with the best seats in the house, though the possibility remains that the main event may not go on until after Scott’s bedtime. Foreman is an observant Jew and, to ensure against working before sundown on the Sabbath, has a contractual provision by which he won’t even be required to enter the ring against Cotto until 11:30. . . .
Speaking of Mayweather, “Money” and his May 1 opponent, Shane Mosley, will kick off a three-city press tour with an appearance at the Nokia Theatre in New York on Tuesday. In keeping with Golden Boy Promotions tradition, this is one of those “press” events from which the press has been all but excluded, and is open to the public.
A relief for Berto
WBC welterweight champion Andre Berto, who was so affected by the earthquake tragedies in his ancestral homeland of Haiti that he withdrew from a career-high payday and a unification fight against Mosley last month, will defend against former super lightweight champ Carlos Quintana atop an April 19 HBO show called “Fighting for Haiti,” with proceeds targeted for Haitian relief efforts. Unbeaten IBF light heavyweight champion Tavoris Cloud will defend against 41-year-old Glencoffe Johnson in the co-feature. Johnson, fighting for the title for the eighth time, is 2-3-3 in championship bouts - and that doesn’t include the two 1995 fights he split with Antonio Tarver, which were the lightly regarded IBO titles. . . .
Tickets for the April 17 Kelly Pavlik-Sergio Martinez middleweight title fight in Atlantic City, N.J., went on sale last week. As anticipated here a couple of weeks ago, the Lucian Bute-Edison Miranda fight in Montreal, which shares the HBO split-feed bill with Pavlik-Martinez, will be the only super middleweight title fight that night. Showtime has rolled back its Carl Froch-Mikkel Kessler and Andre Ward-Allan Green doubleheader - part of its “Super Six” tournament - to April 24. HBO will counter that night with Thomas Adamek-Chris Arrelola from Ontario, Calif.
Khan to hit U.S.
Freddie Roach-trained WBA junior welterweight champion Amir Khan will defend his title on American soil for the first time when he headlines at the Madison Square Garden Theatre on May 15 against former IBF champion Paulie Malignaggi. . . .
Hall of Fame trainer Angelo Dundee will be the guest of honor at a March 12 Classic Entertainment & Sports card at Foxwoods, headlined by the heavyweight rematch between local Tony Grano (16-1-1) of Hebron, Conn., and the author of the lone defeat on Grano’s ledger, Californian Mark Brown (15-2). Hartford junior bantamweight Mike Oliver and 2008 U.S. Olympian Sadam Ali are also slated to box.
In addition to his arrangement to run three cards at Foxwoods kicking off with Grano-Brown, CES honcho Jimmy Burchfield will stage five boxing shows at the Twin Rivers Event Center in Lincoln, R.I., commencing with a March 19 “Shamrocked” card, headlined by New England Irish-Americans Danny O’Connor and Joey McCreedy and featuring Canadian welterweight Jaime Clampitt, a former women’s world titleholder.
O’Connor, a junior welterweight from Framingham with a 10-0 pro mark, will take on Brooklyn-based Dominican Franklin Gonzalez (13-3) in the main event, Opponents for McCreedy (11-4-1) and Clampitt (20-4-1) have yet to be announced.
Last November, having taken off 18 months to have a baby, Clampitt returned to the ring at the Twin Rivers and scored a shutout on all three cards against North Carolinian Rachel Clark - a performance that took on added significance last month when Clark floored Hartford’s rugged Adelta Irizzary on the way to a split decision win at the Mohegan Sun. For more information on either show, phone 401-724-2253. . . .
Joe DiGuardia’s Star Boxing will run at the Mohegan Sun on April 2 for an ESPN2 date with Danbury, Conn., welterweight Delvin Rodriguez vs. Mike Arnaoutis on top and New York junior middleweight Joe Greene and Providence’s Demetrius “Boo” Andrade in featured roles. . . .
Happy birthday, Lucian Bute.
Source: bostonherald.com
***
Conte, Goodman Say Mayweather's Steroid Stance Deserves Credit -- FanHouse
By Lem Satterfield, FanHouse
Floyd Mayweather is pressing forward with the notion of Olympic-style random blood testing in boxing as a means of complimenting the random urinalysis that already is in place in some areas in the sport.
The procedure is part of the contractual agreement between Mayweather (40-0, 25 knockouts) and WBA welterweight (147 pounds) super champion Shane Mosley (46-5, 39 KOs), who will meet on May 1.
Mayweather-Mosley means the USADA's blood testing effort will be used for the first time ever in boxing in general, and by the Nevada Athletic Commission in particular, since the sport has previously only used urinalysis to detect the use of steroids and other illegal drugs.
Mayweather first broached the topic during a proposed bout with WBO welterweight king Manny Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KOs). The subject -- which Pacquiao opposed -- was at the center of controversy in their failed negotiations, as Mayweather's camp hoped to bring in Travis Tyart, chief executive of the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), to oversee the process.
Negotiations for Mayweather-Pacquiao broke off when the latter filed a lawsuit against Mayweather and his camp members seeking damages for defamation of character. Pacquiao will now face Joshua Clottey (35-3, 20 KOs) on March 13.
With a few exceptions, Mayweather has mostly taken heat for trying to be bigger than boxing and being scared to fight Pacquiao.
"Maybe he's afraid of me. Or maybe he's not ready for this type of fight," said Paqcuiao, whose promoter, Bob Arum, said he would only have entertained random blood testing if Mayweather had brought his idea directly by petition to the state athletic commission where the fight was being held.
"What I believe is that Floyd Mayweather is not ready at this time to fight with me, or to face me. That's why he makes up some reason to cancel the fight. I feel bad and I feel disappointment because he's accusing me of using drugs and tried to ruin my name in boxing," Pacquiao said.
"I'm disappointed for what he's accusing me of. I really feel bad, but I'm not angry at him, because this is boxing," Pacquiao added. "People know that I'm always praying to God, and it's hard work" that accounts for his punching power.
"That fighter, meaning Mayweather, was totally out of line in making the demands that he was making to the figher [Pacquiao,]" said Arum. "Any of those demands should have been directed to the Nevada State Athletic Commission. You can not have independent agencies taking all kinds of testing. It creates all kinds of chaos."
But Victor Conte and Dr. Margaret Goodman believe that Mayweather should be applauded for taking a stand on clearing up the issue of performance enhancing drugs in combat sports.
Check out their responses to four questions about Mayweather and the drug testing controversy below:
VICTOR CONTE: Conte was the founder and president of the now defunct Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative in Burlingame, Calif., which came under investigation for providing steroids to athletes in the mid-2000s.
Among those implicated was Shane Mosley, who admitted during leaked grand jury testimony that he used the performance enhancing drugs "the cream" and "the clear" as provided by Conte.
Conte now operates Scientific Nutrition for Advanced Conditioning (SNAC), out of San Carlos, Calif., which he says uses legal nutritional supplements to help athletes. Conte's known clients include boxers such as WBA super middleweight (168 pounds) champion Andre Ward and heavyweight contender Eddie Chambers, and he has committed himself to helping to rid sports of cheaters.
1) Are you among those who believe that Floyd Mayweather should be credited for his stance on pushing the implementation of random drug testing in boxing, whether or not someone says his agenda may have been that he did not want the fight?
Regardless of his motive, Mayweather does deserve credit for placing the issue of random drug testing in boxing on the table for open discussion. He created a much needed debate that I believe can serve as an opportunity for those with a genuine interest in the sport to help create more effective drug testing policies.
It is my opinion that there will never be a foolproof anti-doping program in boxing, but there is an enormous need for significant improvement.
2) Why do you feel that boxing has as a sport, and the fighters have at the core, not generally offered similar support and backing to Floyd Mayweather?
In short, it's just not fair to single out Manny Pacquiao and expect him to be held to a different standard than other fighters. What's good for the goose should be good for the gander. I don't mean that what's good for Floyd should be good for Manny.
Boxing doesn't need a different set of drug testing rules to be negotiated for each and every fight. Drug testing in boxing needs to be standardized, and all fighters should be held to the same set of rules as is the case in other professional sports.
Boxing as a whole needs to come out of the Wild Wild West and into a more modern world of sport where random drug testing is finally starting to be accepted.
3) What does it say to you, if anything, that Shane Mosley has stepped up to the plate and responded to Floyd Mayweather's challenge?
For whatever reasons, Mosley has recently seemed willing to do whatever it would take to get a big fight, and he finally did. He hasn't fought in quite a while, and he is not getting any younger, so maybe that's a factor.
However, I do applaud Shane's willingness to take any drug tests requested of him for this fight with Mayweather.
4) Do you believe that boxing will eventually change its stance on steroids and become harsher or not? And if it does, do you believe that Floyd Mayweather will ever get credit for possibly pioneering the notion of improved standards of drug testing?
I do think that the sport of boxing will one day be forced to make significant improvements in its anti-doping policies.
The use of drugs in sport seems to have become a never ending story, and boxing has now become a part of that story.
I see this debate started by Mayweather as an opportunity for those who control boxing to realize their obligation to create a more level playing field for the boxers of the future.
DR. MARGARET GOODMAN: Goodman is a former Nevada State Athletic Commission Medical Advisory Board Chairman and Chief Ringside Physician who has a private practice as a neurologist in Las Vegas, Nev.
Goodman worked more than 400 professional bouts as a ringside physician and is an advocate for blood testing in boxing as well as the MMA as a means of policing and improving those sports for the safety of its participants.
1) Are you among those who believe that Floyd Mayweather should be credited for his stance on pushing the implementation of random drug testing in boxing, whether or not someone says his agenda may have been that he did not want the fight?
I am thrilled that Floyd came out with such a strong stance. I have always understood that in order to improve boxing safety, recommendations are only really powerful if they come from other boxers.
2) Why do you feel that boxing has as a sport, and the fighters have at the core, not generally offered similar support and backing to Floyd Mayweather?
People in boxing, both those associated with commissions, athletes, their handlers, networks and promoters, are terrified of change. It is one reason why boxing still has no national commission or unified medical regulations.
It has been my direct experience that those in boxing are often afraid of anything that can restrict a bout from taking place.
Drug testing -- appropriate and thorough testing for performance enhancing drugs -- will take manpower, financial backing, and can result in fight cancellations irrespective of whether or not it is the right thing to do.
3) What does it say to you, if anything, that Shane Mosley has stepped up to the plate and responded to Floyd Mayweather's challenge?
I am thrilled that Shane has stepped up to the challenge. He has a great deal to prove. However, since the details of the testing -- including time frame, substances -- have not been released, I am not yet convinced that the protocol will be sufficient to ensure that both athletes are competing free of PEDs.
4) Do you believe that boxing will eventually change its stance on steroids and become harsher or not? And if it does, do you believe that Floyd Mayweather will ever get credit for possibly pioneering the notion of improved standards of drug testing?
I believe that boxing will eventually be forced to change its stance, or the sport will continue to lose credibility. It needs to happen now. When it does, I really do hope Floyd receives the credit he deserves.
Source: boxing.fanhouse.com
***
Floyd Mayweather is pressing forward with the notion of Olympic-style random blood testing in boxing as a means of complimenting the random urinalysis that already is in place in some areas in the sport.
The procedure is part of the contractual agreement between Mayweather (40-0, 25 knockouts) and WBA welterweight (147 pounds) super champion Shane Mosley (46-5, 39 KOs), who will meet on May 1.
Mayweather-Mosley means the USADA's blood testing effort will be used for the first time ever in boxing in general, and by the Nevada Athletic Commission in particular, since the sport has previously only used urinalysis to detect the use of steroids and other illegal drugs.
Mayweather first broached the topic during a proposed bout with WBO welterweight king Manny Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KOs). The subject -- which Pacquiao opposed -- was at the center of controversy in their failed negotiations, as Mayweather's camp hoped to bring in Travis Tyart, chief executive of the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), to oversee the process.
Negotiations for Mayweather-Pacquiao broke off when the latter filed a lawsuit against Mayweather and his camp members seeking damages for defamation of character. Pacquiao will now face Joshua Clottey (35-3, 20 KOs) on March 13.
With a few exceptions, Mayweather has mostly taken heat for trying to be bigger than boxing and being scared to fight Pacquiao.
"Maybe he's afraid of me. Or maybe he's not ready for this type of fight," said Paqcuiao, whose promoter, Bob Arum, said he would only have entertained random blood testing if Mayweather had brought his idea directly by petition to the state athletic commission where the fight was being held.
"What I believe is that Floyd Mayweather is not ready at this time to fight with me, or to face me. That's why he makes up some reason to cancel the fight. I feel bad and I feel disappointment because he's accusing me of using drugs and tried to ruin my name in boxing," Pacquiao said.
"I'm disappointed for what he's accusing me of. I really feel bad, but I'm not angry at him, because this is boxing," Pacquiao added. "People know that I'm always praying to God, and it's hard work" that accounts for his punching power.
"That fighter, meaning Mayweather, was totally out of line in making the demands that he was making to the figher [Pacquiao,]" said Arum. "Any of those demands should have been directed to the Nevada State Athletic Commission. You can not have independent agencies taking all kinds of testing. It creates all kinds of chaos."
But Victor Conte and Dr. Margaret Goodman believe that Mayweather should be applauded for taking a stand on clearing up the issue of performance enhancing drugs in combat sports.
Check out their responses to four questions about Mayweather and the drug testing controversy below:
VICTOR CONTE: Conte was the founder and president of the now defunct Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative in Burlingame, Calif., which came under investigation for providing steroids to athletes in the mid-2000s.
Among those implicated was Shane Mosley, who admitted during leaked grand jury testimony that he used the performance enhancing drugs "the cream" and "the clear" as provided by Conte.
Conte now operates Scientific Nutrition for Advanced Conditioning (SNAC), out of San Carlos, Calif., which he says uses legal nutritional supplements to help athletes. Conte's known clients include boxers such as WBA super middleweight (168 pounds) champion Andre Ward and heavyweight contender Eddie Chambers, and he has committed himself to helping to rid sports of cheaters.
1) Are you among those who believe that Floyd Mayweather should be credited for his stance on pushing the implementation of random drug testing in boxing, whether or not someone says his agenda may have been that he did not want the fight?
Regardless of his motive, Mayweather does deserve credit for placing the issue of random drug testing in boxing on the table for open discussion. He created a much needed debate that I believe can serve as an opportunity for those with a genuine interest in the sport to help create more effective drug testing policies.
It is my opinion that there will never be a foolproof anti-doping program in boxing, but there is an enormous need for significant improvement.
2) Why do you feel that boxing has as a sport, and the fighters have at the core, not generally offered similar support and backing to Floyd Mayweather?
In short, it's just not fair to single out Manny Pacquiao and expect him to be held to a different standard than other fighters. What's good for the goose should be good for the gander. I don't mean that what's good for Floyd should be good for Manny.
Boxing doesn't need a different set of drug testing rules to be negotiated for each and every fight. Drug testing in boxing needs to be standardized, and all fighters should be held to the same set of rules as is the case in other professional sports.
Boxing as a whole needs to come out of the Wild Wild West and into a more modern world of sport where random drug testing is finally starting to be accepted.
3) What does it say to you, if anything, that Shane Mosley has stepped up to the plate and responded to Floyd Mayweather's challenge?
For whatever reasons, Mosley has recently seemed willing to do whatever it would take to get a big fight, and he finally did. He hasn't fought in quite a while, and he is not getting any younger, so maybe that's a factor.
However, I do applaud Shane's willingness to take any drug tests requested of him for this fight with Mayweather.
4) Do you believe that boxing will eventually change its stance on steroids and become harsher or not? And if it does, do you believe that Floyd Mayweather will ever get credit for possibly pioneering the notion of improved standards of drug testing?
I do think that the sport of boxing will one day be forced to make significant improvements in its anti-doping policies.
The use of drugs in sport seems to have become a never ending story, and boxing has now become a part of that story.
I see this debate started by Mayweather as an opportunity for those who control boxing to realize their obligation to create a more level playing field for the boxers of the future.
DR. MARGARET GOODMAN: Goodman is a former Nevada State Athletic Commission Medical Advisory Board Chairman and Chief Ringside Physician who has a private practice as a neurologist in Las Vegas, Nev.
Goodman worked more than 400 professional bouts as a ringside physician and is an advocate for blood testing in boxing as well as the MMA as a means of policing and improving those sports for the safety of its participants.
1) Are you among those who believe that Floyd Mayweather should be credited for his stance on pushing the implementation of random drug testing in boxing, whether or not someone says his agenda may have been that he did not want the fight?
I am thrilled that Floyd came out with such a strong stance. I have always understood that in order to improve boxing safety, recommendations are only really powerful if they come from other boxers.
2) Why do you feel that boxing has as a sport, and the fighters have at the core, not generally offered similar support and backing to Floyd Mayweather?
People in boxing, both those associated with commissions, athletes, their handlers, networks and promoters, are terrified of change. It is one reason why boxing still has no national commission or unified medical regulations.
It has been my direct experience that those in boxing are often afraid of anything that can restrict a bout from taking place.
Drug testing -- appropriate and thorough testing for performance enhancing drugs -- will take manpower, financial backing, and can result in fight cancellations irrespective of whether or not it is the right thing to do.
3) What does it say to you, if anything, that Shane Mosley has stepped up to the plate and responded to Floyd Mayweather's challenge?
I am thrilled that Shane has stepped up to the challenge. He has a great deal to prove. However, since the details of the testing -- including time frame, substances -- have not been released, I am not yet convinced that the protocol will be sufficient to ensure that both athletes are competing free of PEDs.
4) Do you believe that boxing will eventually change its stance on steroids and become harsher or not? And if it does, do you believe that Floyd Mayweather will ever get credit for possibly pioneering the notion of improved standards of drug testing?
I believe that boxing will eventually be forced to change its stance, or the sport will continue to lose credibility. It needs to happen now. When it does, I really do hope Floyd receives the credit he deserves.
Source: boxing.fanhouse.com
***
Final bell for Manny Pacquiao? -- Los Angeles Times
By Lance Pugmire, Los Angeles Times
Manny Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, delivered this knee-buckling assessment for boxing fans already distraught by the failed Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr. negotiations.
"This could be our last fight," Roach said last week, as Pacquiao heads into the final days of training for his March 13 welterweight world title bout against Joshua Clottey at Cowboys Stadium outside Dallas.
Roach's sobering speculation about boxing's biggest star is based on a chain of events that could occur.
Pacquiao, 31, is running for a congressional seat in his native Philippines. If elected in May, he'll represent a community of about 400,000 people in need of improved healthcare, education and employment that the boxer himself was deprived of while being raised in poverty.
"I can see the help people need because I've been in that place," Pacquiao said. "They're poor, suffering, and needing help from the government. I know what they feel."
His public-service duties will be tremendous, the boxer and his closest advisors know, and his election is more realistic than it was when he failed to win a national seat a few years ago.
Pacquiao, recently selected fighter of the decade, has won 11 consecutive fights against the likes of Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto and Juan Manuel Marquez.
If he beats Clottey as expected, and if Mayweather defeats Shane Mosley on May 1, negotiations for a Pacquiao-Mayweather bout are likely to resume.
"I've talked to Manny about this. And if Mayweather doesn't come back to the table in a mood to negotiate, the public demand won't be there for any other fight," Roach said. "So if Manny wins the election and likes politics, this [Clottey fight] could be it. And I have no problem with that. I don't want Manny to be one of those guys who stays too long. It's better to go out on top.
"That's my goal for him, and I've told him, 'Don't do it like everyone else in the world.' "
Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 knockouts) has fought only six fewer bouts than Muhammad Ali, and has boxed the same number of rounds (305) that "Sugar" Ray Leonard had when he retired.
Roach also serves as a reminder of the perils of an overextended boxing career, as he battles the effects of pugilistic Parkinson's syndrome.
Before a recent workout at Roach's Wild Card gym in Hollywood, Pacquiao expressed enthusiasm to fight Mayweather but noted the uncertainty over his future.
"It's hard to say. Is this my last fight? We'll see," Pacquiao said. "One never knows. It's still so early to be talking about this, but I do like the thought of going out on top.
"We did a lot in boxing, achieved a lot -- more than what we set out to do."
Pacquiao's promoter, Bob Arum, said he was "inclined to doubt" that his star fighter would walk away from the sport.
The reason?
"Money," Arum said, referring not only to the $12-million guaranteed payday Pacquiao will get for fighting Clottey, but similar purses he'd generate against other non-Mayweather foes. "That's a fortune in the Philippines," Arum said.
As Pacquiao prepares for Clottey, his workout regimen remains intense. His devotion to the sweet science is such that his sparring partner, Steve Forbes, describes Pacquiao as a human version of a "little Tasmanian devil."
Yet, Pacquiao's popularity gives him options to make a lucrative income outside the sport in acting, music and endorsements.
And the bitterness of the previous Pacquiao-Mayweather negotiations lingers. The fighters argued over Mayweather's insistence to adopt Olympic-style drug testing before the bout. Mayweather's implications led Pacquiao to sue Mayweather for defamation.
"In my opinion, [Mayweather] wasn't ready for the fight, he needed a reason to stop it," Pacquiao said. "People say to me all the time they want to see Pacquiao-Mayweather, Mayweather-Pacquiao, whatever you want to call it, and I'm a fighter," he adds, pounding over his heart with his right fist, "I'm concerned with giving the people what they want.
"Look, if I was bigger than him, I can understand him making this big deal. He's bigger than me. We have a boxing commission in Nevada. They were fine with what we were doing [regarding testing]. The fighter doesn't get to change the rules."
On his Twitter page, Mayweather responded to a follower by asking, "Ask [Pacquiao] why he wouldn't take a $25,000,000 blood test, because I honestly don't know."
Meanwhile, Mayweather's promoter, Richard Schaefer, cast a dire tone about future contract talks.
"I've never said I believe I'll be able to get this fight done the second time," Schaefer said. "Each side feels strongly about its position, and I don't see either side giving in. It could be one of those scenarios where you just move on. Some fights just don't happen. That's the way of life."
And if Pacquiao retires from boxing?
"People wondered, 'Who's going to carry the mantle?' after Oscar retired, and Manny Pacquiao popped up," Schaefer said. "There'll always be a next great star."
lance.pugmire@latimes.com
Copyright © 2010, The Los Angeles Times
Source: latimes.com
***
Manny Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, delivered this knee-buckling assessment for boxing fans already distraught by the failed Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr. negotiations.
"This could be our last fight," Roach said last week, as Pacquiao heads into the final days of training for his March 13 welterweight world title bout against Joshua Clottey at Cowboys Stadium outside Dallas.
Roach's sobering speculation about boxing's biggest star is based on a chain of events that could occur.
Pacquiao, 31, is running for a congressional seat in his native Philippines. If elected in May, he'll represent a community of about 400,000 people in need of improved healthcare, education and employment that the boxer himself was deprived of while being raised in poverty.
"I can see the help people need because I've been in that place," Pacquiao said. "They're poor, suffering, and needing help from the government. I know what they feel."
His public-service duties will be tremendous, the boxer and his closest advisors know, and his election is more realistic than it was when he failed to win a national seat a few years ago.
Pacquiao, recently selected fighter of the decade, has won 11 consecutive fights against the likes of Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto and Juan Manuel Marquez.
If he beats Clottey as expected, and if Mayweather defeats Shane Mosley on May 1, negotiations for a Pacquiao-Mayweather bout are likely to resume.
"I've talked to Manny about this. And if Mayweather doesn't come back to the table in a mood to negotiate, the public demand won't be there for any other fight," Roach said. "So if Manny wins the election and likes politics, this [Clottey fight] could be it. And I have no problem with that. I don't want Manny to be one of those guys who stays too long. It's better to go out on top.
"That's my goal for him, and I've told him, 'Don't do it like everyone else in the world.' "
Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 knockouts) has fought only six fewer bouts than Muhammad Ali, and has boxed the same number of rounds (305) that "Sugar" Ray Leonard had when he retired.
Roach also serves as a reminder of the perils of an overextended boxing career, as he battles the effects of pugilistic Parkinson's syndrome.
Before a recent workout at Roach's Wild Card gym in Hollywood, Pacquiao expressed enthusiasm to fight Mayweather but noted the uncertainty over his future.
"It's hard to say. Is this my last fight? We'll see," Pacquiao said. "One never knows. It's still so early to be talking about this, but I do like the thought of going out on top.
"We did a lot in boxing, achieved a lot -- more than what we set out to do."
Pacquiao's promoter, Bob Arum, said he was "inclined to doubt" that his star fighter would walk away from the sport.
The reason?
"Money," Arum said, referring not only to the $12-million guaranteed payday Pacquiao will get for fighting Clottey, but similar purses he'd generate against other non-Mayweather foes. "That's a fortune in the Philippines," Arum said.
As Pacquiao prepares for Clottey, his workout regimen remains intense. His devotion to the sweet science is such that his sparring partner, Steve Forbes, describes Pacquiao as a human version of a "little Tasmanian devil."
Yet, Pacquiao's popularity gives him options to make a lucrative income outside the sport in acting, music and endorsements.
And the bitterness of the previous Pacquiao-Mayweather negotiations lingers. The fighters argued over Mayweather's insistence to adopt Olympic-style drug testing before the bout. Mayweather's implications led Pacquiao to sue Mayweather for defamation.
"In my opinion, [Mayweather] wasn't ready for the fight, he needed a reason to stop it," Pacquiao said. "People say to me all the time they want to see Pacquiao-Mayweather, Mayweather-Pacquiao, whatever you want to call it, and I'm a fighter," he adds, pounding over his heart with his right fist, "I'm concerned with giving the people what they want.
"Look, if I was bigger than him, I can understand him making this big deal. He's bigger than me. We have a boxing commission in Nevada. They were fine with what we were doing [regarding testing]. The fighter doesn't get to change the rules."
On his Twitter page, Mayweather responded to a follower by asking, "Ask [Pacquiao] why he wouldn't take a $25,000,000 blood test, because I honestly don't know."
Meanwhile, Mayweather's promoter, Richard Schaefer, cast a dire tone about future contract talks.
"I've never said I believe I'll be able to get this fight done the second time," Schaefer said. "Each side feels strongly about its position, and I don't see either side giving in. It could be one of those scenarios where you just move on. Some fights just don't happen. That's the way of life."
And if Pacquiao retires from boxing?
"People wondered, 'Who's going to carry the mantle?' after Oscar retired, and Manny Pacquiao popped up," Schaefer said. "There'll always be a next great star."
lance.pugmire@latimes.com
Copyright © 2010, The Los Angeles Times
Source: latimes.com
***
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH TEAM MAYOL -- PhilBoxing
By Dr. Allan Recto, PhilBoxing.com
Laredo, Texas (2/27/2010) - Current WBC Light Flyweight Champion Rodel “Batang Mandaue” Mayol (26-4-2/ 20 KO) will still take home his WBC belt after a controversial finish to his 1st title defense fight tonight with hometown tough challenger Omar “Giant Killer” Nino Romero (28-3-2/ 11 KO) of Jalisco, Mexico at the Coliseo Olimpico de la UG in Guadalajara, Mexico.
After receiving a low blow in the 3rd round, Mayol grimaced in pain and placed his hands down looking for the referee to temporarily halt the action, in front of a hostile crowd chanting “Me-hee-co, Me-he-co!” However, the referee Vic Draculich was late in stopping the challenger Omar Nino Romero, who saw that Mayol was not protecting himself, and decided to deliver a left hook which landed hard in Mayol’s right jaw/chin causing him to fall and lay flat on his back as he hit the canvas.
His well experienced cornerman, Dr. Ed De La Vega, acting as Mayol’s cutman, stated via long distance phone call, “Doc, I assessed Mayol’s condition immediately after he got hit by Omar Nino.” After taking the mouthpiece out, Dr. De La Vega checked the airway, breathing and circulation (ABC’s) as well as Mayol’s pupil reactions for any signs of brain injury. “Thank God, there were none,” he narrated. “Mayol wanted to get up, but I told him to stay down. A cervical collar was placed to protect him from further injuries. When the ring physician stepped in, we requested for an ambulance to take Rodel Mayol quickly to the hospital and be checked thoroughly as precaution. Imaging studies (CT scan/MRI) were done and everything came back normal. I also checked his neck and jaw but everything’s fine. He’s okay now and as we speak, he is having picture-taking with the soldiers of this Military Regional Hospital in Guadalajara, Jalisco,” De La Vega disclosed. “The decision as to the Technical Draw is already official. However, the WBC said there could be a rematch but they still need to review the video of the fight before they could make an official announcement,” he added.
Mayol’s wife Lira assured this writer that the current world-boxing champion was in great physical condition as of 11:30 pm tonight. WBC champ Rodel Mayol later on discussed the events that transpired as the Team was on the way back to Hotel Mission Carlton in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Dr. Recto – Champ, where are you now? How is your condition? How do you feel?
Rodel Mayol – We are on our way back to the hotel. I’m okay now. I’m feeling well, Doc, thank you for asking.
Dr. Recto – Did you have any loss of consciousness, vomiting, headache or any minor injuries?
Rodel Mayol – None at all!
Dr. Recto – What is the official decision?
Rodel Mayol – The fight ended officially as a Technical Draw. Pacquiao’s adviser Mike Koncz stated to us that there might be a re-match.
Dr. Recto – How did you feel right after Omar Nino hit you with a low blow?
Rodel Mayol – I was in a lot of pain. I heard the referee shout, “Stop!” I faced sideways to avoid his punches. The referee wasn’t able to stop him when he delivered the left hook that hit me.
Dr. Recto – How about the rule …“defend yourself at all times”… did you forget about that?
Rodel Mayol – No! The referee was already going to our side. He tried to stop the action but Omar Nino still charged. I wanted to jump up and down because of the excruciating testicular pain. I did not anticipate Omar Nino would deliver a foul punch. I did not see his hook coming.
Dr. Recto – Are you satisfied with the decision?
Rodel Mayol – To me, it is okay but it should have been a disqualification (DQ) because it was an intentional foul or deliberate punch after a foul (low blow). However, it’s quite okay as I am able to keep my belt. I wasn’t able to dodge his left hook that caught me by surprise.
Dr. Recto – What’s your future plan?
Rodel Mayol – I want a rematch. I feel I could knock him out next time. His punches are not that strong. I did not feel his power at all. I wanted to tire him out then try to KO him in the later rounds.
Dr. Recto – Any message to your fans especially the Filipino people?
Rodel Mayol – Yes. I did prepare well for this fight. I trained really hard and was in my best condition. I wanted to knock Omar Nino out. It did not turn out, however, the way I wanted the fight to finish. I will be more aggressive next time, if there’s a rematch. I want to impress the Filipino boxing fans and make them happy. I want to thank them for supporting me and praying for my win. I will be back in Los Angeles tomorrow night at 9 pm.
Dr. Recto – Okay, have a safe trip and best regards to the Team!
Note: This writer informed Mayol that Team Pacquiao watched the fight on PPV in Los Angeles and were disappointed with the referee who should have placed himself in the middle, after the low blow was committed, to prevent Mayol from getting further damages from the challenger Omar Nino. Manny Pacquiao wishes to promote the re-match against Omar Nino or even request the fight to be placed as an undercard in his future bouts. “I would love that” were the final words from still WBC Light Flyweight World Champion Rodel Mayol.
Source: philboxing.com
***
Laredo, Texas (2/27/2010) - Current WBC Light Flyweight Champion Rodel “Batang Mandaue” Mayol (26-4-2/ 20 KO) will still take home his WBC belt after a controversial finish to his 1st title defense fight tonight with hometown tough challenger Omar “Giant Killer” Nino Romero (28-3-2/ 11 KO) of Jalisco, Mexico at the Coliseo Olimpico de la UG in Guadalajara, Mexico.
After receiving a low blow in the 3rd round, Mayol grimaced in pain and placed his hands down looking for the referee to temporarily halt the action, in front of a hostile crowd chanting “Me-hee-co, Me-he-co!” However, the referee Vic Draculich was late in stopping the challenger Omar Nino Romero, who saw that Mayol was not protecting himself, and decided to deliver a left hook which landed hard in Mayol’s right jaw/chin causing him to fall and lay flat on his back as he hit the canvas.
His well experienced cornerman, Dr. Ed De La Vega, acting as Mayol’s cutman, stated via long distance phone call, “Doc, I assessed Mayol’s condition immediately after he got hit by Omar Nino.” After taking the mouthpiece out, Dr. De La Vega checked the airway, breathing and circulation (ABC’s) as well as Mayol’s pupil reactions for any signs of brain injury. “Thank God, there were none,” he narrated. “Mayol wanted to get up, but I told him to stay down. A cervical collar was placed to protect him from further injuries. When the ring physician stepped in, we requested for an ambulance to take Rodel Mayol quickly to the hospital and be checked thoroughly as precaution. Imaging studies (CT scan/MRI) were done and everything came back normal. I also checked his neck and jaw but everything’s fine. He’s okay now and as we speak, he is having picture-taking with the soldiers of this Military Regional Hospital in Guadalajara, Jalisco,” De La Vega disclosed. “The decision as to the Technical Draw is already official. However, the WBC said there could be a rematch but they still need to review the video of the fight before they could make an official announcement,” he added.
Mayol’s wife Lira assured this writer that the current world-boxing champion was in great physical condition as of 11:30 pm tonight. WBC champ Rodel Mayol later on discussed the events that transpired as the Team was on the way back to Hotel Mission Carlton in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Dr. Recto – Champ, where are you now? How is your condition? How do you feel?
Rodel Mayol – We are on our way back to the hotel. I’m okay now. I’m feeling well, Doc, thank you for asking.
Dr. Recto – Did you have any loss of consciousness, vomiting, headache or any minor injuries?
Rodel Mayol – None at all!
Dr. Recto – What is the official decision?
Rodel Mayol – The fight ended officially as a Technical Draw. Pacquiao’s adviser Mike Koncz stated to us that there might be a re-match.
Dr. Recto – How did you feel right after Omar Nino hit you with a low blow?
Rodel Mayol – I was in a lot of pain. I heard the referee shout, “Stop!” I faced sideways to avoid his punches. The referee wasn’t able to stop him when he delivered the left hook that hit me.
Dr. Recto – How about the rule …“defend yourself at all times”… did you forget about that?
Rodel Mayol – No! The referee was already going to our side. He tried to stop the action but Omar Nino still charged. I wanted to jump up and down because of the excruciating testicular pain. I did not anticipate Omar Nino would deliver a foul punch. I did not see his hook coming.
Dr. Recto – Are you satisfied with the decision?
Rodel Mayol – To me, it is okay but it should have been a disqualification (DQ) because it was an intentional foul or deliberate punch after a foul (low blow). However, it’s quite okay as I am able to keep my belt. I wasn’t able to dodge his left hook that caught me by surprise.
Dr. Recto – What’s your future plan?
Rodel Mayol – I want a rematch. I feel I could knock him out next time. His punches are not that strong. I did not feel his power at all. I wanted to tire him out then try to KO him in the later rounds.
Dr. Recto – Any message to your fans especially the Filipino people?
Rodel Mayol – Yes. I did prepare well for this fight. I trained really hard and was in my best condition. I wanted to knock Omar Nino out. It did not turn out, however, the way I wanted the fight to finish. I will be more aggressive next time, if there’s a rematch. I want to impress the Filipino boxing fans and make them happy. I want to thank them for supporting me and praying for my win. I will be back in Los Angeles tomorrow night at 9 pm.
Dr. Recto – Okay, have a safe trip and best regards to the Team!
Note: This writer informed Mayol that Team Pacquiao watched the fight on PPV in Los Angeles and were disappointed with the referee who should have placed himself in the middle, after the low blow was committed, to prevent Mayol from getting further damages from the challenger Omar Nino. Manny Pacquiao wishes to promote the re-match against Omar Nino or even request the fight to be placed as an undercard in his future bouts. “I would love that” were the final words from still WBC Light Flyweight World Champion Rodel Mayol.
Source: philboxing.com
***
This Time Clottey's Non-Response Was Troubling -- The Sweet Science
By Frank Lotierzo, The Sweet Science
This past Thursday there was a press call that featured Team Clottey along with promoter Bob Arum. Personally, I don't find fighter press outings and conferences to be all that informative. Sure, they can fill a writers' notebook with a lot of quotes. But having been around and associated with many world class fighters and champions, I know fighters are never going to disclose much about how they really feel and think about their upcoming fight and opponent. Obviously there are exceptions like Bernard Hopkins, James Toney, Floyd Mayweather and David Haye. However, they are the exception and certainly not the rule.
Most of today's fighters aren't going to shed anything that most observers haven't already figured out. Mangers, trainers and promoters are more than willing to talk - and that's because on fight night when the bell rings they step down and out of the ring. Whereas the fighters have to back up what they may have said during the run-up to a big fight or main event like Pacquiao-Clottey. Which is not the most comfortable position to be in if you're the fighter who lost.
During the conference call, Joshua Clottey was pressed as to what it is he sees about Pacquiao that makes him confident that he can beat him on March 13th. Others asked what it is that he had to improve on himself in order to become a better fighter. Clottey retorted by basically saying he's had a great training camp and is ready for the fight. The only thing Joshua said of substance was that by him being able to block a lot of Pacquiao's punches, Manny will in turn be a little more open for him to hit. Which of course is true. The problem is Pacquiao throws punches in bunches from a lot of unconventional angles. Meaning that if he's jammed with the first one or two he throws, three, four, five and six will be re-routed to the open areas. Which depending on how Clottey's chin holds up will either be his undoing or leave Pacquiao vulnerable to the presumably stronger Clottey.
The fact that fighters usually don't give up much to writers and commentators before the fight is just the way it is. Yet often you can tell that it's more the case of them holding something back and they are just keeping it to themselves so they don't show their hand before the fight. In fact Clottey admitted during the call that he didn't watch film of his opponents' fights. Then he said he's seen enough of Pacquiao to know how he fights. Okay, that's fair but here are the concerns I came away with.
One - Clottey is definitely troubled by not being able to be re-united with his first trainer, Ghanian Godwin Kotey, who was denied a US visa. Not only is that big for him emotionally, but it could turn out to be a disaster tactically. Secondly - Clottey gave me the impression that he really isn't sure what he wants to do or try to prevent Pacquiao from doing during the fight. And Manny Pacquiao is the wrong fighter to try and adjust to on the fly.
Granted, Pacquiao can disrupt the best formulated fight plan in the world during the heat of battle with his hand speed and shocking power. But if Clottey is under the impression that he can sit back and try and wait on what Pacquiao does - and then try to adapt to that and/or take it away--that's a colossal miscalculation. If Clottey was a little more aggressive he could use Pacquiao's mindset of being a real fighter against him, but that's not who he is.
The fact that Clottey didn't project that he's of the mindset and belief that he's going to fight as the bigger and stronger fighter is not a good sign. If it hasn't been drummed into Clottey's head by now that the only way he can win this fight is by forcing himself physically on Pacquiao, and hopefully that will be enough to break down the smaller opponent, then he really doesn't have much of a chance to score the upset. Pacquiao is a better boxer with faster hands and is the more accurate and sharper puncher. There's no way Clottey can sit back and try waiting and reacting to what Pacquiao is trying to do. But that's the impression I was left with as to what his approach to the fight will be after hearing him talk about it for 50 plus minutes.
Frank Lotierzo can be contacted at GlovedFist@Gmail.com
Source: thesweetscience.com
***
This past Thursday there was a press call that featured Team Clottey along with promoter Bob Arum. Personally, I don't find fighter press outings and conferences to be all that informative. Sure, they can fill a writers' notebook with a lot of quotes. But having been around and associated with many world class fighters and champions, I know fighters are never going to disclose much about how they really feel and think about their upcoming fight and opponent. Obviously there are exceptions like Bernard Hopkins, James Toney, Floyd Mayweather and David Haye. However, they are the exception and certainly not the rule.
Most of today's fighters aren't going to shed anything that most observers haven't already figured out. Mangers, trainers and promoters are more than willing to talk - and that's because on fight night when the bell rings they step down and out of the ring. Whereas the fighters have to back up what they may have said during the run-up to a big fight or main event like Pacquiao-Clottey. Which is not the most comfortable position to be in if you're the fighter who lost.
During the conference call, Joshua Clottey was pressed as to what it is he sees about Pacquiao that makes him confident that he can beat him on March 13th. Others asked what it is that he had to improve on himself in order to become a better fighter. Clottey retorted by basically saying he's had a great training camp and is ready for the fight. The only thing Joshua said of substance was that by him being able to block a lot of Pacquiao's punches, Manny will in turn be a little more open for him to hit. Which of course is true. The problem is Pacquiao throws punches in bunches from a lot of unconventional angles. Meaning that if he's jammed with the first one or two he throws, three, four, five and six will be re-routed to the open areas. Which depending on how Clottey's chin holds up will either be his undoing or leave Pacquiao vulnerable to the presumably stronger Clottey.
The fact that fighters usually don't give up much to writers and commentators before the fight is just the way it is. Yet often you can tell that it's more the case of them holding something back and they are just keeping it to themselves so they don't show their hand before the fight. In fact Clottey admitted during the call that he didn't watch film of his opponents' fights. Then he said he's seen enough of Pacquiao to know how he fights. Okay, that's fair but here are the concerns I came away with.
One - Clottey is definitely troubled by not being able to be re-united with his first trainer, Ghanian Godwin Kotey, who was denied a US visa. Not only is that big for him emotionally, but it could turn out to be a disaster tactically. Secondly - Clottey gave me the impression that he really isn't sure what he wants to do or try to prevent Pacquiao from doing during the fight. And Manny Pacquiao is the wrong fighter to try and adjust to on the fly.
Granted, Pacquiao can disrupt the best formulated fight plan in the world during the heat of battle with his hand speed and shocking power. But if Clottey is under the impression that he can sit back and try and wait on what Pacquiao does - and then try to adapt to that and/or take it away--that's a colossal miscalculation. If Clottey was a little more aggressive he could use Pacquiao's mindset of being a real fighter against him, but that's not who he is.
The fact that Clottey didn't project that he's of the mindset and belief that he's going to fight as the bigger and stronger fighter is not a good sign. If it hasn't been drummed into Clottey's head by now that the only way he can win this fight is by forcing himself physically on Pacquiao, and hopefully that will be enough to break down the smaller opponent, then he really doesn't have much of a chance to score the upset. Pacquiao is a better boxer with faster hands and is the more accurate and sharper puncher. There's no way Clottey can sit back and try waiting and reacting to what Pacquiao is trying to do. But that's the impression I was left with as to what his approach to the fight will be after hearing him talk about it for 50 plus minutes.
Frank Lotierzo can be contacted at GlovedFist@Gmail.com
Source: thesweetscience.com
***
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