LOS ANGELES – Whenever the speed bag stops thumping and the bells stop ringing, this is what you hear at the gym:
•Manny Pacquiao hasn't signed yet, but the deal is done for a Juan Manuel Marquez fight in Las Vegas on Nov. 12. The appeal is that Marquez has a draw with, and a controversial split-decision loss to, Pacquiao, although those fights happened in 2004 and 2008 when Pac-Man fought at 125 and 129 pounds.
•"This could be my biggest challenge," said Freddie Roach, Pacquiao's trainer and the man in charge of Wild Card Gym, where he's also training Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. for Sebastian Zbik in Staples Center June 4.•"Marquez is a great counterpuncher," Roach said. "I don't think he's seen this particular Manny Pacquiao yet because Manny has improved so much. But sometimes you run into a guy who maybe feels like he has your number."
•Marquez has fought once when he weighed over 135, and that was his nolo contendere loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. The "catch-weight" for this one is 142. And Marquez will be 38 on fight night. Still, it's easily the best thing out there for Pacquiao.
•Marquez also has a fight scheduled with David Diaz in August. If he loses that one, Pacquiao fights somebody else, probably Zab Judah unless promoter Bob Arum can get Tim Bradley into the ring, which might be difficult with Gary Shaw managing Bradley.
•The significance could be a thawing of the icy stares between Arum and Golden Boy Promotions. He and Richard Schaefer did at least have to shake hands on this, although the dispute over Nonito Donaire's contract is still going to arbitration.
•If Top Rank and Golden Boy can stay civil, perhaps Victor Ortiz could await Pacquiao. Ortiz looked great when he handed Andre Berto his first loss.
•Arum is reminding everyone that Pacquiao would have won the first Marquez fight had a judge remembered that he was permitted to give Pacquiao a 10-6 edge in the first round, when he floored Marquez three times. Pacuqiao won the second one by one point.
•The pay-per-view numbers for Pacquiao's yawner with Shane Mosley are not in yet. The fight went to Showtime because Showtime is owned by CBS, and CBS ran Pacquiao-Mosley promotional shows. It was presumably a wedge to return boxing to a "terrestrial network," as Arum calls it.
•"Saturday nights are the worst-rated nights for the networks," Arum said. "That's the best night for us. We promote pay-per-views on Saturdays as a way to have a party in your horse. But we need the right sponsors. I can't convince the networks to do it as long as they have to beat the bushes for sponsors. A promoter like us would have to find sponsors and then go to the network pregnant. Once that happens, it's an easy sell."
•When Tiger Woods' career as America's Endorser ended, IMG's Lucia McKelvey looked for new marketing challenges. Top Rank hired her, and Arum thinks McKelvey's expertise will be the key to returning to the networks. "She's already gotten huge endorsements for Manny," Arum said. If you'll recall, Mike Tyson built his audience by regularly busting heads on ABC's Sunday afternoon telecasts.
•Which brings up Andre Ward: undefeated, talkative, devout, funny and Olympic gold medalist: Arum (who does not promote Ward) says Ward doesn't have the heft to get on pay-per-views yet, but he recognizes all of Ward's gifts. So the networks might suit him, particularly if Ward finishes off the Super Six super-middleweight championship and heads for headline fights against Lucien Bute or Sergio Martinez.
•"Ward's personality will show through on pay-per-view when the time comes and he'll have good staying power," Arum said.
•However, Arum said he would never let his fighters enter such a complicated tournament as the Super Six. "Lose or go home. Four or eight fights, and that's it," he said. "No points or any of that. It's not the World Cup."
•Roach laughed as he noted that Super Six entrants Glen Johnson, Allen Green and Andre Dirrell are all very near retirement. "So it's really the Super Three," he said.
•Another Roach protégé, Lateef "Power" Kayode, is an impressive Nigerian cruiserweight who is 16-0 with 14 knockouts. Kayode's next opponent is Matt Godfrey, in Santa Ynez on June 11.
•As Pacquiao keeps threatening to run for president of the Philippines, the hand-wringing over boxing's future amuses Arum. "The advantage of doing this for 45 years is that I remember when boxing wouldn't survive the loss to Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard," he said. "Someone will come along." But neither Arum nor anyone else can identify him.
mwhicker@ocregister.com
Source: ocregister.com
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