Manny to blame for promotional feud -- ESPN

By Dan Rafael, ESPN.com

I didn't have a lot of fun the other day writing about Golden Boy's federal lawsuit against Top Rank, which alleges racketeering and fraud related to millions of dollars Golden Boy contends that Top Rank owes it from three Manny Pacquiao fights.

Stories like that are a real downer, not to mention it takes time and concentration to slog through a 23-page lawsuit, much of it written in legalese, and to listen to the spin from the lawyers on both sides. I could live without that.

But it's an important story in boxing when two of the most powerful promotional companies in the world are fighting over millions related to fights involving the best fighter on the planet, especially because it further strains their already terrible relationship and further reduces the likelihood of seeing Golden Boy's fighters face Top Rank's. That means don't count on seeing such fights as Miguel Cotto-Shane Mosley II, Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez III, Saul "Canelo" Alvarez-Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. or Victor Ortiz-Brandon Rios, among others.

The companies have been bitter rivals since the day Oscar De La Hoya left Bob Arum's Top Rank -- who had promoted him for his entire career -- to start his own company almost 10 years ago. There were a few truces along the way, but there is so much water under the bridge at this point that I don't think the companies will ever have a truly friendly relationship. Arum can't stand De La Hoya or his CEO, Richard Schaefer, and vice versa. They've trashed each other for years and, even when they did business together, nobody ever looked comfortable during their co-promotions. And let's not even get into the disaster of their twice-failed negotiations for Pacquiao to face Floyd Mayweather Jr., who has worked with Golden Boy for his recent fights.

When Top Rank and Golden Boy reached a settlement of their various lawsuits against each other in the summer of 2007, thanks to a mediator, we had peace for a couple of years and we got some big fights -- Pacquiao's matches with De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton, his rematches with Marquez and Marco Antonio Barrera and other fights as well, such as Cotto-Mosley and Bernard Hopkins-Kelly Pavlik.

When they settled in 2007, the key to the settlement was working out a deal on Pacquiao's contract, which they both believed -- for good reason -- they owned.

In the settlement, Top Rank retained Pacquiao's promotional rights with Golden Boy to share a percentage of Top Rank's profits from his fights. When Pacquiao fought a Golden Boy opponent, it would be the lead promoter, which meant Golden Boy would keep the books. When Pacquiao fought anyone else, Top Rank was in charge of the accounting. The suit filed last week is over the accounting for the fights Pacquiao has had against non-Golden Boy fighters since the settlement, namely David Diaz, Cotto and Joshua Clottey. And you can count on there being more issues after Pacquiao's Nov. 13 fight against Antonio Margarito.

While both companies deserve blame for the complete mess of their relationship, you know who deserves the most blame?

Pacquiao.

Too many people forget, or ignore, that he is responsible for so much of the acrimony.

Remember: Under cover of night in 2006, Pacquiao took a bag stuffed with hundreds of thousands of dollars from De La Hoya, who had picked him up in a limo at Los Angeles International Airport and whisked him away to a clandestine dinner at a steak house to seal the deal.

De La Hoya, of course, didn't win any points for the inappropriate manner in which he conducted business, especially after he got on his high horse and proclaimed when he founded Golden Boy that it would do business differently than other promoters.

But Pacquiao deserves the blame because he is the one who signed with two companies at the same time. When he took De La Hoya's bag of cash, he apparently forgot that he had just recently signed with Top Rank.

Pacquiao's idiotic move ultimately left the companies mostly at each others' throats since, even though he eventually pledged loyalty to Arum.

Pacquiao has never been held accountable enough for his atrocious judgment. Although questioned about this over the years, he has, at least to my knowledge, never really addressed his disturbing decision in a serious manner.

When asked in the past, Pacquiao has blown off the legitimate question -- "Why did you sign with two companies at once?" -- by smiling his way through it and pulling his best Sammy Sosa. You know that move, the one where you suddenly forgot that you actually can speak English when you don't like the question.

In any case, the next time you get upset because Top Rank and Golden Boy won't make a fight you want to see because of their childish, ongoing feud, you have every right to blame them. But don't forget to include Pacquiao in your crosshairs.

Source: espn.go.com

Pacman taken to hospital -- Philippine Star

By Abac Cordero, The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines – Manny Pacquiao was taken to the hospital Friday evening after complaining of pain on his left foot shortly after going through a rigorous two-hour workout at the Elorde Gym in Quezon City.

Pacquiao was at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center by 7 p.m. He went through MRI on his ailing foot and took some blood tests for fear it had something to do with uric acid or even arthritis.

Once, he thought he had arthritis when during training for the Marco Antonio Barrera fight in 2007 he felt piercing pain in his hands the day after enjoying a bowl of mongo sprouts in a Japanese restaurant.

The same old fear was back Friday evening when he felt the pain on the soles of his left foot.

“Wala naman pala sabi ng doktor (The doctor said it was nothing). May kaunting maga nga kaya sumakit. Baka nahila sa workout (There was some swelling. Maybe it was pulled during the workout),” he said.

Pacquiao’s chief trainer, Freddie Roach, and his strength and conditioning coach, Alex Ariza, looked a little bit concerned when they learned that the pound-for-pound champion was taken to the hospital.

But the moment Pacquiao stepped inside the ring, all those fears disappeared.

He did 12 rounds with the mitts with Roach and worked on the double-end bag and speedball as usual, this time before a bigger number of fans who flashed away with their cameras even if the “no-flash” sign was up.

As he limbered up on the ring, Pacquiao himself sounded some concern when he tried to recall Miguel Cotto’s fight with Yuri Foreman last June when the latter was beaten and limped off the ring with a twisted knee.

“Nakita mo ‘yun? Natalo siya dahil sumakit ang tuhod (Did you see that? He lost because he hurt his knee),” said Pacquiao.

Roach, however, doesn’t think that would happen to Pacquiao when he climbs the ring against Antonio Margarito on Nov. 13, and shoots for an eighth world title in eight different weight classes.

“It’s not an injury we’ve never had before,” said Roach after yesterday’s session, and looked like he had been through a real fight.

“We’ll try to get it out of the way as soon as possible. We know how to deal with it. It’s just a little pull probably. But he moved pretty well today.

“He beat the shit out of me. He got me winded,” said the trainer.

Indeed, Pacquiao moved so well during the session that a couple of times, after throwing a flurry or some perfect combinations, Roach was overheard saying, “Nice shot. That’s what I want Manny. That’s what I want.”

Ariza wanted to make sure he gets to talk to the doctor who checked on Pacquiao at the San Juan hospital, and insisted even if Pacquiao told him there’s no need to do so because he felt perfectly fine.

“I want the number of your doctor. I need to talk to him. I want to know what’s wrong. Why? Because that’s what I’m here for. That’s what you’re paying me for. I need to know what’s wrong so I can fix it,” said Ariza.

Pacquiao cut him short, saying, “Okay, Okay. One word is enough.”

“Not with you, Manny,” Ariza said.

Of course, it was all part of a conversation, and Roach later said Ariza will have his way.

“He will talk to the doctor. He knows how to take care of it, too. That’s his job so that’s what he’ll do,” said Roach.

Again, whatever that is that led Pacquiao to the hospital was nowhere to be found inside the ring.

“His power is there. His speed is coming along and his timing is getting better. Not a hundred percent yet but he’s getting better. I’m happy and I’m thrilled,” said Roach.

Source: philstar.com

Pacquiao Bothered by Foot Pain -- Manila Bulletin

By NICK GIONGCO, Manila Bulletin

MANILA, Philippines — Just before working out Saturday afternoon, Manny Pacquiao told his conditioning coach about a sharp pain on the sole of his left foot, although it doesn’t appear to be much of a big concern as the pound-for-pound king went on to train like hell before a big crowd at the Elorde Boxing Gym in Quezon City.

Pacquiao went to the Cardinal Santos in San Juan late Friday and the fighter summoned Alex Ariza to tell him about it.

“That’s why I am here for,” Ariza shouted back at Pacquiao as the Filipino was doing light exercises on top of the ring 50 days before he collides with Mexican Antonio Margarito at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, Texas, on November 13.

Although Ariza was not actually alarmed, Pacquiao was a bit bothered, citing what happened to Yuri Foreman against Miguel Cotto last June.

Foreman was winning the fight with Cotto when he suffered an ankle injury and eventually got stopped by Cotto in the ninth round.

“Do you remember the guy Cotto fought who kept on falling down because he could not endure the pain?” Pacquiao told a handful of scribes who were on the ring apron.

While his current injury is not even remotely related to what struck Foreman, Pacquiao was obviously affected as he pointed to the writers where exactly the pain was like a kid telling his mother that his thumb was sore.

Still, Pacquiao went on with his calisthenics as people from all walks of life took pictures and giggled at his mere presence on the eve of his departure for Baguio City where the most crucial part of training camp will take place.

Roach said he is going to Baguio “with or without Manny.”

The past six days, Roach has been working with Pacquiao and the fighter has given his master nothing but praise.

But Roach insists the atmosphere in the City of Pines offers more than what Metro Manila could.

“I hate the traffic here (in Metro Manila),” said Roach, whose opinion was seconded by Ariza.

“It took us one and a half hours going here (from Makati),” said an exasperated Ariza.

Last Thursday, Roach and company had to get off their service vehicle and rode the MRT after being caught in a monstrous traffic jam.

Source: mb.com.ph