Floyd Mayweather JR’s Challenge to Manny Pacquiao: November 13th Awaits -- Ringside Report

By Geno McGahee, Ringside Report

On November 13th, the boxing world will be treated to a sham pay per view featuring one of the best fighters in the game today, Manny “PacMan” Pacquiao, 51-3-2, 38 KO’s, taking on one of the biggest scumbags to ever lace up the gloves, Antonio Margarito, 38-6, 27 KO’s. There was a time when people went to prison for tampering with a sporting event, but now we reward them and Margarito, a man that unquestionably loaded his hand wraps with plaster of Paris will be getting one of the biggest paydays of his career as he takes on Pacquiao.

Much of the emphasis should be placed on the “good guy,” Manny Pacquiao for taking this fight. Some say that “he’s just a fighter and he fights who ever they put in front of him,” but when you reach the stature of a Pacquiao, you have options. He could have taken on just about anyone and the public would have accepted it, but he took on the in house opponent of Bob Arum’s liking and now we have this disgusting campaign to make the Mexican challenger look like a good guy.

Margarito donates to charity. Margarito helps the less fortunate. This is all propaganda created by Arum to shift the blame away from the fighter to the corner. There is absolutely no way that he did not know about the hand wraps and he felt that his bank account was more important than the lives of Kermit Cintron, Miguel Cotto, and every other opponent that he loaded his gloves against, which were plenty, I assure you.

Pacquiao is good for the sport, but this fight isn’t. Margarito is going to do the wrong thing and take every opportunity that benefits him, which is why he gladly took this fight. He is an opportunist without ethics and Pacquiao should have put on the brakes and demanded a new opponent. If he said that he wasn’t fighting Margarito over principle, do you know what Arum would have done? He would have gotten a new opponent.

So rent the one-sided beat down of Margarito or wait one week and watch it on HBO if you subscribe. Youtube usually has the fight right after it happens…just make sure you watch it quickly before they remove it. Why would you reward a guy like Margarito. If you love boxing, you would realize just how wrong it is and what message it sends. A low PPV buy rate would tell the sporting world that boxing fans want a clean sport.

Where does Floyd Mayweather, JR., 41-0, 25 KO’s, fit into this? He’s actually the center of it.

“Money” Mayweather has been known to pick his spots inside of the ring and outside of it was well. He is a remarkable salesman, marketing himself as the bad guy and traveling over to other mediums to introduce himself to a new audience. From Dancing with the Stars to the WWE, Mayweather has made his presence known and considering his lack of excitement inside of the ropes, he draws a very large crowd when he fights.

If absence makes the heart grow fonder, then what Mayweather is doing is genius, although there are certainly some circumstances behind his recent leave from the sport.

In 2007, Mayweather left the sport on top. He was undefeated and had very little trouble with his opposition. As his career progressed, he became more vocal, learning from Muhammad Ali’s approach. He didn’t care if the people hated him as long as they tuned in and they did tune in. His pay per view outings against Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton were huge successes.

A return to boxing would come in 2009. In his absence, the people would look to rising Filipino star Manny Pacquiao as the best in the game, but when Floyd came back, the debate began. Victories over Juan Manuel Marquez and Shane Mosley were dominant displays but were met by equally impressive wins from Pacquiao.

The fight Mayweather – Pacquiao is the fight that everyone wanted and still wants, but there have been many obstacles in the way. Allegations of steroid abuse against Manny have been somewhat ignored by Team Pacquiao. They filed lawsuit against Mayweather for the allegations but nothing has come of that and because Freddie Roach’s work with other boxers that have tested positive for steroids, the link is obviously there and it’s not hard to at least consider. Pacquiao’s continual rise in weight and strength in the ring is so amazing that it has raised some eyebrows and there is a large group that believes that he has been using PEDs. This doesn’t mean it’s true, but Mayweather’s claim is not dismissed by everyone.

The collapse of the first fight was linked to Manny’s refusal to agree to the Olympic style testing, but they would sit down again, but by this time, Uncle Roger, Floyd’s trainer, would end up in some legal hot water when he decided to beat up a woman. What a class act he is! Rumored problems with the IRS, domestic problems, and perhaps some concern over fighting Manny killed the second fight and gave Arum the opportunity to propose Margarito.

With the New Year around the corner, expect Manny and Floyd to meet up. Manny will TKO Margarito within six rounds, perhaps in the first round if he comes out fast enough, and Floyd will be watching closely and as he sorts out his problems at home and in camp, the need to prove himself will push him into the fight that many contend he is afraid to take.

Hopefully the third fight negotiations will be the charm and the two best fighters in the world will meet up in early to mid 2011. Mayweather will fight again and there aren’t many options that the public will be happy with. The winner of Paul Williams – Sergio Martinez II would work, but Pacquiao is a far better match for him style-wise and carries a larger price tag. The challenge will be sent and accepted sometime in 2011.

So, November 13th’s knockout win for Pacquiao will lead to a showdown with Floyd unless Bob Arum wants to bring back Luis Resto for a PPV showdown. I look forward to a fight that is good for boxing, not the nonsense that they are trying to give us with Pacquiao – Margarito.

Source: ringsidereport.com

Kelly Pavlik says big-name fighters on undercard ‘could be a trend’ -- Las Vegas Sun

By Brett Okamoto, Las Vegas Sun

Kelly Pavlik had his streak of three successful middleweight title defenses broken in April with a unanimous-decision loss to Sergio Martinez.

On Nov. 13, he'll see another streak erased.

For the first time since 2007, Pavlik (36-2) will be featured as a non-headliner when he takes on Bryan Vera (17-5, 11 KO) on the undercard of an event promoted by Top Rank at Dallas Cowboys Stadium.

A fight between Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito will headline the event.

Despite the fact Pavlik has become used to fighting last, the 28-year-old former world champion said that big-name fighters, such as himself, might want to start getting used to the idea of occasionally serving as a co-main event.

"This could be the trend," said Pavlik, who has fought his last seven fights as a headliner. "(Nov. 13) is going to be a great card. Some of the top name fighters (in this sport) aren't fighting the other top names. But when you pack a card like this, it's a great thing for boxing.

"It could be something that gets us going again."

Professional boxing as a whole appears to be focused on building more compelling undercards than it typically has in the past.

The star power and talent Pavlik will bring to the Nov. 13 undercard certainly will trump the previous Top Rank event held at Dallas Cowboys Stadium in March.

At that event, which was headlined by Pacquiao and Josh Clottey, the co-main event featured a WBC title fight between David Diaz and Humberto Soto. It proved to be a less-than-compelling fight, ending in an easy decision win for Soto over an opponent who has fought just twice in the last 27 months.

Although Pavlik admitted he'd like to see himself back as a headliner after he reclaims a world title, the opportunity to fight on the same card as Pacquiao in a $1.2 billion facility is not one he's disappointed with.

"For me, I still think it's great exposure as a co-main event," Pavlik said. "There's still going to be 60-to-70,000 in the stands and it's on the pay-per-view. It's going to be a hell of a card. I've got no complaints."

Top Rank isn't the only promotion looking to bolster its undercards.

During the buildup for its July 31 event at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer referred to the undercard, which featured six fighters with a combined record of 155-12-3, as 'sensational.'

It also featured the previously undefeated Daniel Jacobs (20-1), who was fighting in his first world-title fight.

According to Pavlik, the trend of placing some of the sport's most talented fighters on the undercard will lead to better overall events and more interest from the casual fan.

However, it also will require a change in the way many big-name professional boxers have been trained to think — that fighting on the undercard is an insult.

"It's all on the individual," Pavlik said. "You get a lot of guys who have too much pride and they end up hurting themselves. Fighting on the co-main event doesn't mean you're being put down or being degraded. It's just something you have to do."

Brett Okamoto can be reached at 948-7817 or brett.okamoto@lasvegassun.com. Follow him on Twitter at LVSunFighting

Source: lasvegassun.com

Reid Taps Pacquiao For Fight With Angle -- Fox

fox5vegas.com

LAS VEGAS -- In the fight to save his Senate seat, Harry Reid is going for the knockout punch with the help of some star power.

Boxer Manny Pacquiao will join the senator for an early vote rally on Friday night at Orr Middle School in Las Vegas.

The location is the same place where Reid attended an event with President Barack Obama last week. Orr Middle School is close to Boulevard Mall, one location where residents can vote early through Saturday.

According to the Clark County Election Department, more than 157,000 people have already voted in this year’s election.

Although he was born in the Philippines, Pacquiao is a worldwide celebrity who draws sellout crowds at his fights in southern Nevada.

He is the latest high-profile name on Reid’s list of endorsements. Heading into Election Day, Sen. Al Franken, Labor Secretary Hilda Solis and First Lady Michelle Obama were scheduled to make appearances on behalf of the Senate majority leader.

Reid’s opponent, Sharron Angle, has also gotten a boost from recent visits from Newt Gingrich and Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

Source: fox5vegas.com

Manny Pacquiao: Lackluster, distracted, I don't see it at Wild Card Gym -- Examiner

By Michael Marley, Examiner.com

HOLLYWOOD—It's quite obvious that master multitasker Manny Pacquiao does not eat, sleep and breathe boxing.

What Pacman calls multitasking, many others view as distractions from his position as the world's finest fighter, unless and until proven otherwise by Floyd Joy Mayweather Jr.

I keep looking for telltale signs that the Pinoy Idol, turning a not so ripe or so old 32 in December, has lost some of his fighting edge or the proverbial “fire in the belly,” but so far, I see nothing of the kind.

Now admittedly, I've only been in Room 201 at the adjacent to the Wild Card Gym Vagbond Gym for one full day and Tuesday I may miss some Manny action by rolling up to Camp Antonio Margarito in Oxnard, about 60 miles north of here.

But from what little I saw of Pacquiao Monday after his closed door pads and exercises only workout, I do not see a jaded performer who is halfheartedly going into this Nov. 13 bout against the Mexican Outlaw.

To the contrary, Congressman Pacquaio seemed as engaged as ever, posing for photos with a one month old baby girl and with other fans who got passed the magic portals of Nat's Thai Food Restauarant, kittycorner from the gymnasium in this seen better days long ago mini strip mall.

While Pacman ate, and he ate like a horse with conditioning/nutrtition guru Alex Ariza supervising and watching each and every food morsel and the famous protein shakes go down into the Pacquiao gullet, he also enjoyed watching some of his early fights, including the fight in Thailand where as a scrawny flyweight he captured the green and gold WBC belt.

Pacman's brown eyes lit up when he flattened Chatchai Sasakul with a devastating combination in the eight round. It looked to me like he was still excited, sort of like Rembrandt viewing one of his masterpieces, even though he has seen that title bout replayed I'm sure 1,000 times.

That was Pacman's first world title diadem and, if he is any less enthused about adding an eight weight class world title strap at Cowboys Stadium or any less focused on his fistic chores, I have not seen it as of yet.

Keep in mind the doom and gloom outlook coming out of Coach Freddie Roach's mouth, the jawing about “the worst training camp we ever had,” is designed to lit the box office and PPV flames, to lure the public into thinking that Margo is better than the 6 1/2-1 underdog the bookies have him down as.

And keep in mind this is the same Roach who barks about his prized pupil will flatten Margarito in eight or nine rounds.

I'm sure Angelo Dundee, who used to deliver the same type of doubletalk and palaver for Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard bouts, would be proud of Coach Roach.

I repeat myself but, although I see no easy waltz for Manny, I don't think Tone Loc's best effort will be enough for him to time the darting in and out Pacquiao with too many solid blows.

The bookmakers do mistakes but not very often.

Not to say that Pacquiao's preparation is flawless or that his fight night effort will be.

But it says here he gets the job done and the final scorecards are more wide than they are close.

Again, I don't see the physical strength and battered pride of Margarito permitting even a charged up Pacquiao from stopping or KOing him.

Unlike the bookies, I am wrong on the regular.

(mlcmarley@aol.com)

Source: examiner.com

Promoter Arum Says After Manny-Margarito, Floyd Fight Is "First Priority" -- The Sweet Science

By Michael Woods, The Sweet Science

Promoter Bob Arum hosted an intimate press gathering at the Friars Club in Manhattan on Tuesday, and banged the drum for the November 13 Cowboys Stadium clash pitting the Congressman, Manny Pacquiao, against the redemption-seeking ex welterweight champion Antonio Margarito.

Much has been made of the "distraction issue," as breathless media reports have various members of Team Manny in varying states of worry that their guy is lacking focus, and has taken on too much.

I asked Arum if he's of the mindset that the wearing off too many hats, as boxer, as politician, as Dan Hill impersonator, might have Pacquiao spreading himself too thin, and leaving himself at the mercy of the largest man he's ever faced, Margarito?

"It's Manny Pacquiao," said Arum, who seemed in fine form, happily, for those that understand that it has been just seven weeks since his son John Arum died in a hiking accident. "He has the ability to multitask. To deal with a bid to get more money for his province while training for this fight, I can't do it. But I'm older. He seems able to do it. It'd be good if he didn't have the distractions, but that'll never happen."

Arum plays the promoter to the hilt, of course, but damned if he isn't the best in the business at finding compelling, credible arguments to bolster his case, that Pacquiao is in tough.

He said that he expects Manny to weight 151 on fight night, while Margarito will likely be 165, which is a massive weight advantage for the Mexican.

After this one, Arum said, he does expect Pacquiao to go back down to 147, on the advice of Coach Roach, among others. But I'd caution that we should see how it plays out on Nov. 13. If Manny is Manny in Texas, and uses his speed-movement marriage to perfection, I'd be surprised if his crew stays on message with him dropping down.

Arum touched on this matter when someone asked about Pacquiao-Paul Williams, if Williams beats Sergio Martinez on Nov. 20. He assessed a matchup pitting the 5-6 1/2 Pacquiao against the 6-1 Williams as "ludicrous" because of the height disparity, but said that a Pacquiao-Williams clash would be a "consideration."

But, the promoter said, "I can't envisage the two fighters, one is eight inches taller. He'd have to get a step ladder. Let's see how he handles Margarito. Manny has never fought a guy this big."

Besides, Arum says that after a Pacquiao win, "only one fight has priority, that's Mayweather."

But, he cautioned, making that will be dependent not only on the desires of the wishy washy Mayweather (my wording, not Bob's), and Floyd's legal status. Mayweather is scheduled for a court date to answer domestic abuse charges on November 9, so we'll all know more then. "(Mayweather is) Manny's first priority (after Margarito)," he said.

As for a third date with Juan Manuel Marquez, which has been floated by Coach Roach, Arum didn't seem keen on the concept. "I'd be shocked if Freddie said that, he said something different to me," Arum said. "I love Freddie but I'm not sure where he got that."

Check back for more lowdown from the Friars Club gathering. TSS chatted with Pacquiao's main sparring mate for this camp, Jersey Boy Glen Tapia, a a 20-year-old junior middleweight with a 7-0 mark. Also, we sat down with Kelly Pavlik, who seemed happy that he was able to eat, if not to his heart's content, then close to it. He'll face off with Bryan Vera on the Nov. 13 undercard, in a catchweight-164 max scrap. From now on, I will be calling him The Mayor, because he showed a solid insight of his local political scene, and admitted he might well in the future take a dive into the political pool, a la Pacquiao, as he tucked into his chicken entree.

Source: thesweetscience.com

Bob Simon, 60 Minutes fascinated by Manny Pacquiao life, legend -- Examiner

By Michael Marley, Examiner.com

HOLLYWOOD--America's most popular fighter (oh, yes he holds the same distinction in his native Philippines) kicks it up another publicity notch on the Sunday before his Saturday, Nov. 13 bout at Cowboys against Mexican outlaw Antonio Margarito.

That's when reporter Bob Simon and the crew from the popular “60 Minutes” program on CBS, once the highest rated program on US television back in the three networks, no cable era, will have spliced together all the Manny Pacquiao-related footage and interviews they have been putting together going back to the May Congressional election in Sarangani Province.

Being a featured subject on the newsmagazine show, which rose to the top along with celebrated reporters such as Mike Wallace and Ed Bradley, remains a big deal in this country and I asked Simon, himself the winner of 22 Emmy Awards, a veteran foreign correspondent and an owner of a prestigious George Foster Peabody Award, if he could recall the last time the New York based program had a professional boxer as a subject/topic.

“Well,” Simon said as he stood outside Coach Freddie Roach's Wild Card Gym as his crew shot footage of Pacman having his customary postworkout dinner inside Nat's Thai Food in this gritty section along Vine Street, “we did a story on Oscar de la Hoya when he was just starting to become so popular.”

Simon, a grizzled newshound who normally is talking to terrorists or world leader types, said he's been amazed at both Pacquiao as a person and at the fighter's popularity in his homeland.

“He is so popular back home that everything stops when he fights, even crime which is good since the police stop to watch Manny fight also,” Simon said. “It's different with Pacquiao. People talk about how popular Muhammad Ali was but there were lots of people who did not like him. Also, I don't think there has ever been such a popular fighter to rise from such poverty the way he has.”

Ali, of course, was despised in some quarters for his refusal to step forward when drafted into the Army. The heavyweight champion reasoned that it was wrong for him to go into combat in Vietnam “because no Viet Cong ever called me nigger.”

I asked Simon why Pacquaio, why now especially when world events provide more than enough fodder for the program.

"Another reason is that he is the best of the best when it comes to boxers,” Simon said.

“If he was the Number 2 fighter, we would not be interviewing him.”

Simon said that his sitdown interview, conducted at a boxing show at Yankee Stadium with Pacquiao and his promoter, Bob Arum, was not lengthy.

“It was good, it was enough,” Simon said. “Manny is a bit limited in English and he did not talk for five minutes straight but we got enough.”

I wonder if the Pacquiao episode will be “must see” in the various Mayweather households in Las Vegas.

Can't you just imagine L'il Floyd eyeballing it on his HD big screen sets inside his Big Boy Mansion?

Btw, it is not true that it takes Roger Mayweather an hour and half to watch "60 Minutes."

(mlcmarley@aol.com)

Source: examiner.com

Pacquiao Begins Wild Card Training -- Manila Bulletin

By NICK GIONGCO, Manila Bulletin

MANILA, Philippines — Manny Pacquiao hardly showed the ill-effects of jet lag when he showed up for training at the Wild Card Boxing Club on Monday afternoon (Tuesday morning in Manila), something his conditioning coach Alex Ariza said was a good sign with less than three weeks remaining before the Nov. 13 encounter with Antonio Margarito in Dallas.

"Considering that he had just arrived, you'd think jet lag would affect him but he was good today," said Ariza on Tuesday after Pacquiao's first training day after spending the first four weeks in Baguio City and Manila.

Pacquiao arrived in Los Angeles on Saturday night and after spending some time with his Filipino-American friends the following day, Pacquiao reverted back to his old and familiar ways, doing his morning roadwork at Griffith Park before reporting for duty at the Wild Card on Monday.

There was no sparring scheduled but there will be some body banging on Tuesday when a new set of sparmates, headed by Armenian Vanes Martirosyan, reports for duty, aching to collect the $1,000 bounty in the event they succeed in putting Pacquiao to the floor.

Ever since Roach came up with that idea years ago, nobody has succeeded in lifting Pacquiao off the floor in sparring, a testament to his superb talent and topnotch conditioning.

Over at Oxnard, which is 45 miles from Los Angeles, Margarito said he has succeeded in correcting some of his mistakes under the guidance of trainer Robert Garcia, who will be working the Mexican's corner for only the second time.

"Robert (Garcia) has brought a lot of new things into my training regime. We have been correcting a few mistakes. I don't feel the change from [former trainer] Javier Capetillo, although each one of them has a different way of training. I am quite pleased with them; the truth is that we have corrected a lot of mistakes, even though this is only the second training camp we have done together. I believe we're going to do much better with him on board," wrote Margarito in his diary for ESPN.

Margarito said he was unimpressive the last time he fought in May because of the inactivity stemming from his suspension for loading up his wraps with a hardening substance.

"Now I will be the same old fighter that puts all the pressure and leaves everything in the ring. The comeback after the suspension cost me a little bit, but everything is back to normal now, and on Nov. 13 we are going to demonstrate it. I will be the same boxer I was before, the fighter that leaves his heart in the ring, and on Nov. 13 we will be able to demonstrate it."

Source: mb.com.ph