By Lem Satterfield, FanHouse
Top Rank Promotions' CEO Bob Arum has elevated WBA interim super flyweight (115 pounds) titlist Nonito Donaire of the Philippines into Saturday night's main event at The Pond in Anaheim, Calif., opposite Ukrainian WBA bantamweight (118 pounds) champion Voldymyr Sydorenko, this, as a result of an illness to another fighter on the card.
Jose Pinzon (18-1, 12 knockouts) has replaced Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (40-0-1, 30 KOs) in a super middleweight (168 pounds) fight against junior middleweight (154 pounds) Pawel Wolak (27-1, 17 KOs), with Chavez having woken up with "a 103-degree fever," according to Arum.
In victory over Sydorenko (22-2-2, seven KOs), the 28-year-old Donaire (24-1, 16 KOs), who is nicknamed "The Filipino Flash," would remain on pace for a planned HBO televised Feb. 19 showdown with 31-year-old WBO and WBC bantamweight titlist Fernando Montiel (43-2-2, 33 KOs) of Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mex.
FanHouse caught up to Donaire for this Q&A in Texas, where he was on hand for a Nov. 13 bout at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium between southpaw WBO welterweight (147 pounds) and WBC junior middleweight (154 pounds) king Manny Pacquiao' (52-3-2, 38 KOs) and ex-titlist Antonio Margarito (38-7, 27 KOs), that latter of whom lost by unanimous decision.
FanHouse: What do you think about Voldymyr Sydorenko?
Nonito Donaire: He's a tough guy. The only guy who has beaten him is Anselmo Moreno, and he beat him twice. That was the same style that beat him every time. He's the same guy as before. He's still that champion.
Moreno was just too slick for him. He's still that tough guy, that Olympian medalist that was a former world champion from the Ukraine, and that's why I've got to take this guy really seriously.
I mean, I've been training really hard, and, you know, I want to take this guy out. I want to do something that no one has ever done. Like, when I knocked out Vic Darchynian, no one had ever done that.
No one has knocked this guy out, and I want to do it. But if it goes 12 rounds, hey, the guy is tough.
You have been referred to as 'The Next Manny Pacquiao,' and with him nearing retirement, are you ready to take over where he will leave off?
I will do my best, I mean, that's something that is a big role to try to assume, and those are some big shoes to fill, you know what I mean? I will just do my best and at the same time, try to keep that out of my head.
Because you can never be him. But as long as I can get support from everybody, you know, then that's more than enough for me. I'm just going to do my best.
Do you feel that even though you were born in the Philippines, that your being a California resident in any way softens or takes away from your Filipino support?
I think that in some ways, that some of the native Filipinos look at me the same way that the Mexicans sometimes look at Oscar De La Hoya, I guess. There is an issue. They want more guys that are living on the Island.
But you know, I was born there and I was raised there and spent some of my life there. I think that it doesn't really necessarily matter what or who you are, as long as you have it in your heart to be proud of who you are.
And that's who I am. I bring the flag and I swing the flag. Ever since I was younger and an amateur here in the United States, I've always flown the flag and I've always been proud of my Filipino heritage because that's who I am.
Being that you already have a big fight locked in with Fernando Montiel, is there any trouble at all focusing on Voldymyr Sydorenko?
To be honest, yes, it can be hard to focus when you have things going on like that. But the one thing is that Montiel is on the horizon. I'm knocking on his door, but I have to use this fight to knock it down.
I have to use this fight to make a statement. I think that it gives me motivation. Either you're going to one side or the other. Either I make a statement or the pressure is going to take over and get to me.
But I know the answer to that, because I really want to get to Montiel. So I'm going to work hard and I'm going to make it happen. That's my game plan and that's what I'm trying to do and that's what I'm planning to do.
Beyond your next fight with Voldymyr Sydorenko, can you discuss Fernando Montiel?
There shouldn't be any excuses. I've signed the contract for Feb. 19, and HBO has said that they're going to cover it. And that's what Bob Arum has told me. For me, it's exciting, because I've signed the contract.
Now, as I understand it, all that we need is Fernando's signature. But again, he's latest interview, which was two days ago, he was calling out everybody but me.
At the time, he was calling out Wilfredo Vazquez and Vic Darchynian and all of those other guys. There's just a lot of things that he has said. When people ask him about Nonito Donaire, you know, he says 'Maybe.'
But, you know, Montiel is a very, very good fighter. He holds two belts, and that's why I'm aiming for Montiel. He's a tremendous fighter who is very tough and very dangerous.
That's why my blood boils with excitement when I think about fighting him. He's kind of like my dream opponent, which is [WBO featherweight (126 pounds) champ] Juan Manuel Lopez. I think that Lopez is one of the nicest guys in boxing.
But a guy might be better than me, or he might not be better than me. But I want to prove myself. You can see the excitement that I feel in the ring when I'm in there with somebody who is a really good fighter.
I may not succeed, but at least I know that I've tried, you know?
Can you discuss your working relationship with former BALCO founder Victor Conte and how that's going, and was it at all difficult given that your fellow countryman, Manny Pacquiao has had to deal with accusations of steroid use?
You know what? I told Victor that I didn't know who Victor Conte was in the beginning. But he was such a nice guy when I met him, and we became friends.
If anything, if they feel that they need to check on me about any drugs or anything, then I'm willing to be tested. I'm willing to do anything that proves that I'm not doing anything wrong, and I've told Victor that.
Victor is the nicest guy, and if I do anything wrong, then, hey, it's going to show up in the testing. But, you know I believe in Victor, and I believe in the products and the nutrition that he has given to me.
And, especially the hypoxicator machine training that he has me on and I love it. He's a good friend of mine. And like I said, if anybody dares to or wants to test me or disapproves of my training, then I will be tested.
I've always been a clean guy. I've always been that, and if they disapprove it, give me a test and I'll take it.
Source: boxing.fanhouse.com
Wednesday, 1 December 2010
In Mayweather's absence, a plan for PacMan -- ESPN
By Dan Rafael, ESPN
In the wake of Saturday night's HBO fight card -- on which Juan Manuel Marquez stopped Michael Katsidis in the ninth round of a terrific fight to retain the lightweight title and Andre Berto destroyed no-hoper Freddy Hernandez in the first round to retain a welterweight strap -- both winners kept themselves squarely in the hunt for a spring fight with pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao
. Also under consideration by Top Rank promoter Bob Arum is Shane Mosley, despite his two lackluster performances in a row and an 0-1-1 record in those fights.
Marquez, Berto and Mosley all want Pacquiao badly -- the fight means big money -- and one of them will get him, because the way things look, Floyd Mayweather Jr. isn't going to fight him in the spring. Mayweather has avoided Pacquiao, and now the choice might be out of his hands anyway because Mayweather is jammed up with serious legal charges stemming from an alleged domestic incident in September. His first court date is in late January, and this could drag out for awhile. It seems doubtful he'll be available to fight May 7, which is when that fight was ticketed for.
So that leaves one member of the aforementioned trio to fight Pacquiao. The date for Pacquiao to fight somebody other than Mayweather is April 16, from what Arum told me.
If it were up to me, Pacquiao would fight Marquez in a third fight and do it at a reasonable weight of, say, no more than 142 pounds.
Arum, however, said no way. He said if Marquez wants the fight, the contract would be at 147.
"The weight is 147, that's clear. It's 147 because I'm sick and tired of the discussions on this weight stuff," said Arum, who is only sick and tired of the weight discussions when it is not to his benefit. "Marquez went in the ring at 145 to fight Katsidis and Manny went in at 148 pounds when he fought Antonio Margarito, and that's the only weight that concerns me.
"Manny Pacquiao is a congressman from the Philippines, and he's not going to struggle to make weight. Period. End of story. It's 147 on the contract and he'll probably come in at 144, but we won't make him come in under 147."
Arum, or somebody else from Top Rank, would also have to deal with rival Golden Boy Promotions to make a deal for Marquez, and Arum said he would not allow Golden Boy to control the promotion in any way. He said he would offer to simply buy Marquez for a flat fee plus an upside of agreed-upon pay-per-view profits.
Pacquiao is 1-0-1 against Marquez in two sensational fights that many believe Marquez won. Whomever you had winning them, both were great fights and both were exceptionally close and competitive. Marquez has given Pacquiao more trouble than anyone other than Erik Morales, who beat Pacquiao in their first fight in 2005 (and then got knocked out in their two subsequent fights).
Berto is an excellent young fighter. He's undefeated. He has a title. He's fast and he has solid power. But he has yet to beat anyone of serious consequence, and if you want to fight the best fighter in the world, you need to do something to earn it -- especially when Berto doesn't have wide commercial appeal. Why else was he on Marquez's undercard?
Mosley is coming off a dreadful draw with Sergio Mora in September and a wipeout loss to Mayweather in May. Mosley is 39 and, although still a good fighter, has clearly seen better days. I'm not interested in seeing Pacquiao fight Mosley at this point, and from what the Fight Freaks tell me in my weekly chats and tweet regularly, they are even less interested.
So here is my solution (again, all this is assuming there is no Mayweather fight): Pacquiao should fight Marquez in April to finish their business.
Around the same time, Berto should fight Mosley in a fight that had been scheduled for last January but was canceled abruptly a few weeks before the fight because of the massive earthquake in Haiti (which killed eight members of Berto's family). Attempts to put it back together for this fall then failed. Now it's time to get it done.
If Pacquiao defeats Marquez and, assuming there is still no Mayweather fight in the fall of 2011, Pacquiao can fight the winner of Berto-Mosley. If Berto beats Mosley, he will have put a big name on his record and done at least something to deserve a fight with Pacquiao, as well as increased his mainstream name recognition. If Mosley beats Berto, he will have shown that he still has something left in the tank by beating a young, fresh opponent.
Of course, my plan makes too much sense. Because this is boxing, it probably has no chance of working out.
Source: espn.go.com
In the wake of Saturday night's HBO fight card -- on which Juan Manuel Marquez stopped Michael Katsidis in the ninth round of a terrific fight to retain the lightweight title and Andre Berto destroyed no-hoper Freddy Hernandez in the first round to retain a welterweight strap -- both winners kept themselves squarely in the hunt for a spring fight with pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao. Also under consideration by Top Rank promoter Bob Arum is Shane Mosley, despite his two lackluster performances in a row and an 0-1-1 record in those fights.Marquez, Berto and Mosley all want Pacquiao badly -- the fight means big money -- and one of them will get him, because the way things look, Floyd Mayweather Jr. isn't going to fight him in the spring. Mayweather has avoided Pacquiao, and now the choice might be out of his hands anyway because Mayweather is jammed up with serious legal charges stemming from an alleged domestic incident in September. His first court date is in late January, and this could drag out for awhile. It seems doubtful he'll be available to fight May 7, which is when that fight was ticketed for.
So that leaves one member of the aforementioned trio to fight Pacquiao. The date for Pacquiao to fight somebody other than Mayweather is April 16, from what Arum told me.
If it were up to me, Pacquiao would fight Marquez in a third fight and do it at a reasonable weight of, say, no more than 142 pounds.
Arum, however, said no way. He said if Marquez wants the fight, the contract would be at 147.
"The weight is 147, that's clear. It's 147 because I'm sick and tired of the discussions on this weight stuff," said Arum, who is only sick and tired of the weight discussions when it is not to his benefit. "Marquez went in the ring at 145 to fight Katsidis and Manny went in at 148 pounds when he fought Antonio Margarito, and that's the only weight that concerns me.
"Manny Pacquiao is a congressman from the Philippines, and he's not going to struggle to make weight. Period. End of story. It's 147 on the contract and he'll probably come in at 144, but we won't make him come in under 147."
Arum, or somebody else from Top Rank, would also have to deal with rival Golden Boy Promotions to make a deal for Marquez, and Arum said he would not allow Golden Boy to control the promotion in any way. He said he would offer to simply buy Marquez for a flat fee plus an upside of agreed-upon pay-per-view profits.
Pacquiao is 1-0-1 against Marquez in two sensational fights that many believe Marquez won. Whomever you had winning them, both were great fights and both were exceptionally close and competitive. Marquez has given Pacquiao more trouble than anyone other than Erik Morales, who beat Pacquiao in their first fight in 2005 (and then got knocked out in their two subsequent fights).
Berto is an excellent young fighter. He's undefeated. He has a title. He's fast and he has solid power. But he has yet to beat anyone of serious consequence, and if you want to fight the best fighter in the world, you need to do something to earn it -- especially when Berto doesn't have wide commercial appeal. Why else was he on Marquez's undercard?
Mosley is coming off a dreadful draw with Sergio Mora in September and a wipeout loss to Mayweather in May. Mosley is 39 and, although still a good fighter, has clearly seen better days. I'm not interested in seeing Pacquiao fight Mosley at this point, and from what the Fight Freaks tell me in my weekly chats and tweet regularly, they are even less interested.
So here is my solution (again, all this is assuming there is no Mayweather fight): Pacquiao should fight Marquez in April to finish their business.
Around the same time, Berto should fight Mosley in a fight that had been scheduled for last January but was canceled abruptly a few weeks before the fight because of the massive earthquake in Haiti (which killed eight members of Berto's family). Attempts to put it back together for this fall then failed. Now it's time to get it done.
If Pacquiao defeats Marquez and, assuming there is still no Mayweather fight in the fall of 2011, Pacquiao can fight the winner of Berto-Mosley. If Berto beats Mosley, he will have put a big name on his record and done at least something to deserve a fight with Pacquiao, as well as increased his mainstream name recognition. If Mosley beats Berto, he will have shown that he still has something left in the tank by beating a young, fresh opponent.
Of course, my plan makes too much sense. Because this is boxing, it probably has no chance of working out.
Source: espn.go.com
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