By Lance Pugmire, Los Angeles Times
Manny Pacquiao said Tuesday that he has settled his lawsuit with boxing promoters Richard Schaefer and Oscar De La Hoya, two of the four individuals he alleged defamed him.
Pacquiao filed a suit in December, 2009 in federal court in Las Vegas alleging that boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. and his father defamed him with their comments saying the Filipino star has used performance-enhancing drugs, including steroids. Pacquiao also named the Mayweathers and his promoters De La Hoya and Schaefer as defendants.
Conditions of Tuesday's settlement were not released. Pacquiao's promoter Bob Arum said that Pacquiao's defamation case continues against the Mayweathers.
But the settlement could restore relations between Arum's Top Rank and De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions, who haven't made a major fight together since May 2009.
"I hope we can work together again and put great fights together," Schaefer said in a telephone interview. Schaefer and De La Hoya made a joint statement released by Top Rank:
“Richard Schaefer and Oscar De La Hoya, on behalf of themselves and Golden Boy Promotions, wish to make it crystal clear that we never intended to claim that Manny Pacquiao has used or is using any performance enhancing drugs, and further state that we do not have any evidence whatsoever of such use.
"Manny Pacquiao is one of the greatest fighters of all time, and we apologize if anyone construed our prior remarks as in any way claiming or even suggesting that Manny uses or has used performance enhancing drugs.”
Schaefer wouldn't comment specifically on how the agreement might influence talks to stage a possible megafight between Pacquiao and unbeaten Floyd Mayweather Jr., whom Golden Boy has helped promote in the past.
"The goal of any promoter is to put together the biggest and best fights," Schaefer said. "Let's see what the future brings. ... We've broken the ice."
For now, Pacquiao has a fight scheduled Nov. 13 against Juan Manuel Marquez and Mayweather is in seclusion, facing a variety of criminal charges in Las Vegas.
Arum has previously said he would not work with Golden Boy until the promoters apologized for statements Arum said could be used to hurt Pacquiao's political aspirations in the Philippines, where he is serving his first term as a congressman.
Source: latimesblogs.latimes.com
Showing posts with label Oscar de la Hoya. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Oscar de la Hoya. Show all posts
Wednesday, 1 June 2011
Pacquiao settles lawsuit -- Fight News
FightNews.com
Manny Pacquiao has settled his defamation lawsuit against Richard Schaefer and Oscar de la Hoya on confidential terms. In connection with the dismissal, Mr. Schaefer and Mr. De la Hoya made the following statement: “Richard Schaefer and Oscar de la Hoya, on behalf of themselves and Golden Boy Promotions, wish to make it crystal clear that we never intended to claim that Manny Pacquiao has used or is using any performance enhancing drugs, and further state that we do not have any evidence whatsoever of such use. Manny Pacquiao is one of the greatest fighters of all time, and we apologize if anyone construed our prior remarks as in any way claiming or even suggesting that Manny uses or has used performance enhancing drugs.”
Source: fightnews.com
Manny Pacquiao has settled his defamation lawsuit against Richard Schaefer and Oscar de la Hoya on confidential terms. In connection with the dismissal, Mr. Schaefer and Mr. De la Hoya made the following statement: “Richard Schaefer and Oscar de la Hoya, on behalf of themselves and Golden Boy Promotions, wish to make it crystal clear that we never intended to claim that Manny Pacquiao has used or is using any performance enhancing drugs, and further state that we do not have any evidence whatsoever of such use. Manny Pacquiao is one of the greatest fighters of all time, and we apologize if anyone construed our prior remarks as in any way claiming or even suggesting that Manny uses or has used performance enhancing drugs.”
Source: fightnews.com
Friday, 27 May 2011
De La Hoya Apologizes To Arum and Pacquiao Via Twitter...WOODS -- The Sweet Science
By Michael Woods, The Sweet Science
The retired fighter, currently in rehab battling cocaine and booze issues, according to the gossip site TMZ, took to Twitter to make some amends on Thursday afternoon. (I cleaned up the Tweets for spelling and grammar and such).
"Dear Bob Arum, first I would like to humbly apologize for any pain I have caused to you and or your family. I also want to apologize to Manny Pacquiao for any wrong doing in my part. You are a great champion. I have realized that by accepting my mistakes everyone around me will hopefully forgive me. With great humility I ask we work together for the good of the sport we dearly love. It is not fair to the fans and to the fighters. So today let's move forward and put on the best fights possible and show the world what we are capable of doing. Thank you Bob. Your friend Oscar
Simply stunning, no?
Cynics out there might see this as mere posturing, or inappropriate gestures which would be better suited to a behind-closed-door meeting.
I disagree; I applaud Oscar firmly, because he is indeed humbling himself to a humongous audience.
Sure, there is a calculating nature to the plea for everyone to get along. But Oscar's right, the fans will benefit if Arum and Oscar and Schaefer and Pacquiao, and yes, Mayweather too, can move beyond sniping. We in the media don't help matters by focusing on the mud slinging, and encouraging it by serving it up the a hungry public. Let us all follow Oscar's lead, and admit our culpability, so we can move forward, and not wallow, which only enriches some lawyers who don't need enriching.
Oscar, we at TSS appreciate your public displays of humility, and encourage all parties to get over past bad blood. Keep it professional, keep it classy, and keep the sport advancing. Your friends at TSS
Source: thesweetscience.com
This is a brand new age we live in, isn't it? Oscar De La Hoya
is doing some 12 step work, it looks like, via Twitter.
is doing some 12 step work, it looks like, via Twitter.The retired fighter, currently in rehab battling cocaine and booze issues, according to the gossip site TMZ, took to Twitter to make some amends on Thursday afternoon. (I cleaned up the Tweets for spelling and grammar and such)."Dear Bob Arum, first I would like to humbly apologize for any pain I have caused to you and or your family. I also want to apologize to Manny Pacquiao for any wrong doing in my part. You are a great champion. I have realized that by accepting my mistakes everyone around me will hopefully forgive me. With great humility I ask we work together for the good of the sport we dearly love. It is not fair to the fans and to the fighters. So today let's move forward and put on the best fights possible and show the world what we are capable of doing. Thank you Bob. Your friend Oscar
Simply stunning, no?
Cynics out there might see this as mere posturing, or inappropriate gestures which would be better suited to a behind-closed-door meeting.
I disagree; I applaud Oscar firmly, because he is indeed humbling himself to a humongous audience.
Sure, there is a calculating nature to the plea for everyone to get along. But Oscar's right, the fans will benefit if Arum and Oscar and Schaefer and Pacquiao, and yes, Mayweather too, can move beyond sniping. We in the media don't help matters by focusing on the mud slinging, and encouraging it by serving it up the a hungry public. Let us all follow Oscar's lead, and admit our culpability, so we can move forward, and not wallow, which only enriches some lawyers who don't need enriching.
Oscar, we at TSS appreciate your public displays of humility, and encourage all parties to get over past bad blood. Keep it professional, keep it classy, and keep the sport advancing. Your friends at TSS
Source: thesweetscience.com
Sunday, 22 May 2011
Oscar De La Hoya enters rehab -- ESPN
ESPN
Boxing legend Oscar De La Hoya has checked himself into a rehabilitation clinic in California.De La Hoya went into rehab within the last few weeks, TMZ first reported Saturday. The nature of his substance abuse problem is not known.
"He is my friend and I wish him well," Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer, De La Hoya's close friend, told ESPN.com at the Bell Centre Saturday night, where he was promoting the Jean Pascal-Bernard Hopkins light heavyweight championship rematch. "I'm sure that all the fans are joining me in wishing him the best."
Schaefer said De La Hoya was still in rehab, which is why he is not at one of his company's biggest fights of the year.
"After doing an honest evaluation of myself, I recognize that there are certain issues that I need to work on," De La Hoya said in a statement. "Like everyone, I have my flaws, and I do not want to be one of those people that is afraid to admit and address those flaws.
"Throughout my career and my life, I have always met all challenges head-on, and this is no different. I am confident that with the support of my family and friends, I will become a stronger, healthier person.
De La Hoya asked for privacy as he goes through the process.
De La Hoya, a former six-division titleholder, had a career record of 39-6. He retired shortly after losing by technical knockout to Manny Pacquiao in December 2008.
Source: sports.espn.go.com
Tuesday, 22 March 2011
Judge denies bid to dismiss Manny Pacquiao’s defamation lawsuit against Floyd Mayweather Jr. -- Washington Post
By Associated Press
LAS VEGAS — A federal judge in Nevada says a lawsuit filed by Manny Pacquiao against longtime boxing rival Floyd Mayweather Jr. over allegations that Pacquiao used performance-enhancing drugs can continue.
U.S. District Judge Larry Hicks said in a court order filed Monday that he would not dismiss the case as requested by Mayweather and others named in the defamation lawsuit filed by Pacquiao in 2009.
Pacquiao claimed in the suit that he has never tested positive for any performance-enhancing drugs. He said Mayweather, Mayweather’s father and uncle, Oscar De La Hoya and Golden Boy Promotions chief Richard Schaefer embarked on a campaign to make people think he used drugs.
Attorneys representing the defendants have said the statements made by Mayweather and others were not defamatory.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Source: washingtonpost.com
LAS VEGAS — A federal judge in Nevada says a lawsuit filed by Manny Pacquiao against longtime boxing rival Floyd Mayweather Jr. over allegations that Pacquiao used performance-enhancing drugs can continue.
U.S. District Judge Larry Hicks said in a court order filed Monday that he would not dismiss the case as requested by Mayweather and others named in the defamation lawsuit filed by Pacquiao in 2009.Pacquiao claimed in the suit that he has never tested positive for any performance-enhancing drugs. He said Mayweather, Mayweather’s father and uncle, Oscar De La Hoya and Golden Boy Promotions chief Richard Schaefer embarked on a campaign to make people think he used drugs.Attorneys representing the defendants have said the statements made by Mayweather and others were not defamatory.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Source: washingtonpost.com
Pacquiao's Winning Streak Continues; This W Is In Court -- The Sweet Science
The Sweet Science
Today, a Nevada federal district court denied a bid to dismiss Manny Pacquiao's defamation lawsuit. Pacquiao sued Oscar de la Hoya, Golden Boy's CEO Richard Schaefer, and Floyd Mayweather, and others for falsely accusing him of taking performance enhancing drugs. The defendants responded to the lawsuit by asking the judge to dismiss it, saying their statements were merely opinions. A federal judge disagreed, and the case will now go forward.
Pacquiao is represented by Daniel Petrocelli and David Marroso of Los Angeles-based O'Melveny & Myers. Petrocelli said, ""We are extremely pleased with the Court's decision. Manny is looking forward to his day in court and to put an end to these irresponsible accusations."
Source: thesweetscience.com
Today, a Nevada federal district court denied a bid to dismiss Manny Pacquiao's defamation lawsuit. Pacquiao sued Oscar de la Hoya, Golden Boy's CEO Richard Schaefer, and Floyd Mayweather, and others for falsely accusing him of taking performance enhancing drugs. The defendants responded to the lawsuit by asking the judge to dismiss it, saying their statements were merely opinions. A federal judge disagreed, and the case will now go forward. Pacquiao is represented by Daniel Petrocelli and David Marroso of Los Angeles-based O'Melveny & Myers. Petrocelli said, ""We are extremely pleased with the Court's decision. Manny is looking forward to his day in court and to put an end to these irresponsible accusations."Source: thesweetscience.com
Saturday, 19 March 2011
ARUM WARNS, SOMEBODY IS GOING TO PAY FOR THIS -- PhilBoxing
By Ronnie Nathanielsz, PhilBoxing.com
After a bitter family feud that took some of the luster out of Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire’s spectacular 2nd round knockout of Fernando “KO-Chulito” Montiel last February 19 when the classy Filipino won the WBC and WBO bantamweight belts, the pound-for-pound No. 4 now faces a bitter legal battle with Top Rank promoter Bob Arum.
![Bad Influence [VHS]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_uOv2t3An8XHZyleIuK4jdeoXf9esUq-J3_MKJ2p4QhxfNP6UCQqxw0loGsZwUvWhCPCpUnmQHBrO48bPb230EFZ7yn285ysAM7Eig-Sv2FJKhHxV-kU_U2uotOX3skCgbsyzPgGXCyRkhPedzYLUyPnDDObG9uSJNIpnFLMpj5dNZ7QOA6l1E6AT1CRD0YOiOyV9lcZP4K9g63AFKO2jNcIX-eTad9sep46Uw=s0-d)
Arum, in a telephone conversation with the Inquirer after Golden Boy Promotions announced that Donaire had signed a multi-year deal with Oscar De La Hoya’s promotional outfit warned, “Somebody is going to pay for this.”
The astute promoter said there were two steps he would take to protect what he insisted is a valid contract with Donaire,
The first would be to “file a legal complaint with arbiter (former judge Daniel Weinstein) against the actions of Golden Boy Promotions in signing up Donaire in the face of an existing contract with Top Rank. Judge Weinstein mediated the Top Rank – Golden Boy battle over pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao some years ago when a tug-of-war developed after Pacquiao signed with both promotional outfits but eventually went to Arum.
Arum also said he would take legal action to protect what he described as “a completely valid contract” with Donaire.
He described Donaire’s action in signing up with Golden Boy Promotions as “absolutely stupid” and blamed Donaire’s wife Rachael for the mess claiming she was a bad influence. At the same time Arum posed the question “How desperate can Golden Boy get?”
Arum claimed that Donaire had “medical suspensions of six months, twice” which effectively pushed back the validity of his contract. However, Rachael Donaire said the fighter’s hand was not hurt but “ was only swollen” after his fights.
Boxingscene.com quoted De La Hoya who said, "Nonito Donaire is one of the top boxers in the world today and we're going to make sure he gets the chance to defend his world titles and stays as active as possible."
De La Hoya noted that "The bantamweight division is becoming one of the most competitive and exciting divisions in boxing and we look forward to promoting Nonito in great fights in the coming years."
Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer was quoted by USA Today as saying “It’s a big signing for us. He’s on most people’ pound for pound lists and is ranked right there with (Floyd) Mayweather, (Manny) Pacquiao and Sergio Martinez. From an excitement point of view, I think he's right on top of that list now. He's a young, exciting fighter and we're really happy to have him with Golden Boy."
Donaire’s wife Rachael two days ago hinted that they would be signing up with Golden Boy for “a lot more money” than Arum had offered Donaire to face WBA champion Anselmo “Chemito” Moreno is a unification bout on May 28.
Arum had reportedly offered Donaire a purse of $500,000 but the Inquirer understands that Golden Boy had upped the amount to $750,000.
For his part Donaire said he was “honored to be joining so many great fighters and champions on the Golden Boy Promotions team. I'm going to fight my heart out every time I'm in the ring and will give fans the fights they want to see."
Donaire’s first big win was his sensational 5th round knockout of cocky Vic Darchinyan to win the IBF/IBO flyweight titles on July 7, 2007. His next big wins were back-to-back demolitions of former world champion Wladimir Sidorenko in four bloody rounds and Montiel, the WBC/WBO champion in two.
Source: philboxing.com
After a bitter family feud that took some of the luster out of Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire’s spectacular 2nd round knockout of Fernando “KO-Chulito” Montiel last February 19 when the classy Filipino won the WBC and WBO bantamweight belts, the pound-for-pound No. 4 now faces a bitter legal battle with Top Rank promoter Bob Arum.
Arum, in a telephone conversation with the Inquirer after Golden Boy Promotions announced that Donaire had signed a multi-year deal with Oscar De La Hoya’s promotional outfit warned, “Somebody is going to pay for this.” The astute promoter said there were two steps he would take to protect what he insisted is a valid contract with Donaire,
The first would be to “file a legal complaint with arbiter (former judge Daniel Weinstein) against the actions of Golden Boy Promotions in signing up Donaire in the face of an existing contract with Top Rank. Judge Weinstein mediated the Top Rank – Golden Boy battle over pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao some years ago when a tug-of-war developed after Pacquiao signed with both promotional outfits but eventually went to Arum.
Arum also said he would take legal action to protect what he described as “a completely valid contract” with Donaire.
He described Donaire’s action in signing up with Golden Boy Promotions as “absolutely stupid” and blamed Donaire’s wife Rachael for the mess claiming she was a bad influence. At the same time Arum posed the question “How desperate can Golden Boy get?”
Arum claimed that Donaire had “medical suspensions of six months, twice” which effectively pushed back the validity of his contract. However, Rachael Donaire said the fighter’s hand was not hurt but “ was only swollen” after his fights.
Boxingscene.com quoted De La Hoya who said, "Nonito Donaire is one of the top boxers in the world today and we're going to make sure he gets the chance to defend his world titles and stays as active as possible."
De La Hoya noted that "The bantamweight division is becoming one of the most competitive and exciting divisions in boxing and we look forward to promoting Nonito in great fights in the coming years."
Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer was quoted by USA Today as saying “It’s a big signing for us. He’s on most people’ pound for pound lists and is ranked right there with (Floyd) Mayweather, (Manny) Pacquiao and Sergio Martinez. From an excitement point of view, I think he's right on top of that list now. He's a young, exciting fighter and we're really happy to have him with Golden Boy."
Donaire’s wife Rachael two days ago hinted that they would be signing up with Golden Boy for “a lot more money” than Arum had offered Donaire to face WBA champion Anselmo “Chemito” Moreno is a unification bout on May 28.
Arum had reportedly offered Donaire a purse of $500,000 but the Inquirer understands that Golden Boy had upped the amount to $750,000.
For his part Donaire said he was “honored to be joining so many great fighters and champions on the Golden Boy Promotions team. I'm going to fight my heart out every time I'm in the ring and will give fans the fights they want to see."
Donaire’s first big win was his sensational 5th round knockout of cocky Vic Darchinyan to win the IBF/IBO flyweight titles on July 7, 2007. His next big wins were back-to-back demolitions of former world champion Wladimir Sidorenko in four bloody rounds and Montiel, the WBC/WBO champion in two.
Source: philboxing.com
Friday, 4 March 2011
Alvarez vs. Hatton for 154-pound title -- ESPN
By Dan Rafael, ESPN.com
The last time Mexican sensation Saul "Canelo" Alvarez fought in the United States was in September, when he scored a spectacular one-punch knockout of former welterweight champion Carlos Baldomir in the sixth round.
Alvarez, 20, returned to Mexico, where he is one of the nation's most famous athletes, and easily outpointed former junior welterweight titlist Lovemore N'Dou in December to sew up honors as the 2010 ESPN.com prospect of the year.
Now Alvarez is back in America and set for his first starring role in a HBO main event. He will meet England's Matthew Hatton on Saturday night (10:30 ET/PT) at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.
The fight was made in January, but only last week was it sanctioned for the junior middleweight world title recently vacated by Manny Pacquiao because he had no plans to defend it.
If Alvarez wins, he will become the youngest fighter to ever win a 154-pound world title, breaking the record Fernando Vargas set in 1998, when he stopped Luis Ramon "Yory Boy" Campas just a few days past his 21st birthday.
Alvarez and Hatton took the match without knowing it would be for a belt. When they found out during a teleconference with reporters to discuss the fight, they were ecstatic.
"Wow, that's great news," Alvarez said through translator Eric Gomez, one of Golden Boy's matchmakers. "I wasn't expecting it. I'm very happy. I'm very motivated now. This is going to be my first world title. I want to take advantage of it. I'll be ready, but this is more motivation for me."
Said Hatton, "Obviously, every kid who first laces on the boxing gloves, their ambition is to become a world champion, so that news is absolutely fantastic to me. I was so motivated for this fight anyway, getting the chance to perform again in the United States against a highly touted fighter in Saul Alvarez. I think he's the level I'm at now. I'm definitely a world class fighter. I've been dominating at European level, so a world title is what I was looking at. So, that is absolutely fantastic news."
In the televised opener, 21-year-old junior lightweight prospect Adrien "The Problem" Broner (19-0, 16 KOs) of Cincinnati will take a major step up in competition when he faces Mexican knockout artist Daniel Ponce De Leon (41-2, 34 KOs), 30, a former junior featherweight titlist and featherweight contender who is moving up in weight for the scheduled 10-rounder.
"Broner is a big, strong fighter with an exciting style," De Leon said. "But I'm ready for the challenge and I know he's never been in with a fighter as strong and experienced as I am."
Said Broner, "De Leon is a great fighter, a former world champion, and I respect him for stepping up for this fight. Unfortunately for him, I'm going to have to show him what it's like to be in the ring with a talent like myself."
Beyond the question of can Alvarez (35-0-1, 26 KOs) win a title at such a young age is the question of can he score another spectacular knockout against Hatton (41-4-2, 16 KOs), the European welterweight champion and the 29-year-old younger brother of former junior welterweight champ Ricky Hatton?
Alvarez is not in the habit of making predictions, however.
"I don't like to predict knockouts," he said. "I don't look for the knockouts. They come naturally. It's going to be a tough fight. I'm going to be ready to box 12 rounds."
For Hatton, the fight is not only a chance to win a title, but a chance to further escape the long shadow cast by his big brother, who was one of boxing's biggest global stars before going into an unofficial retirement after Pacquiao knocked him cold in the second round to take the junior welterweight championship in 2009.
"I've boxed in America quite a few times before. So, I'm very fortunate to have gathered that experience, but yes, to be top of the bill in me own right in such a big fight is something that I've always been looking forward to," said Hatton, who regularly boxed on Ricky's undercards but came into his own in 2010 when he won the European title and made two defenses. "I always had confidence in my ability where these opportunities would come my way, but yes, being top of the bill in me own right now, I'm looking forward to it. I'm very excited about it. I think it's going to be a great fight. It's a fight I'm going into full of confidence, can't wait for it, but yes, I am enjoying my moment in the spotlight, so to speak.
"I think it is overdue because I think it has taken me a while to produce my best form, but I really am in the best form in my career so far. I think this fight is coming at the right time for me, and being lucky enough to have boxed on these fantastic bills before stands me in good stead for this fight, I believe."
Golden Boy promoter Oscar De La Hoya, who promoted Ricky for the final four fights of his career, saw Matthew fight on those undercards and believes he is ready to come into his own.
"It's very impressive how Matthew has been able to progress in his career," De La Hoya said. "Every single fight, he's learning, he's growing. He's learning that the game of boxing is not all about brute strength. He's thinking. It's very impressive, especially to have an older brother like Ricky who has been in the limelight for so many years. For Matthew to break out of that shadow is also very impressive because it can be very difficult when you have an older brother who is in the limelight and who is the main event all the time.
"It shows you the character. It shows you the discipline and the patience that Matthew has had. He knows this is his moment, this is his time. I'm sure he's going to perform at his best."
Hatton is coming to Alvarez's territory. He will be the huge crowd favorite among a heavily Mexican crowd. Hatton said that means nothing to him.
"That's not something that I will lose any sleep over, to be honest," he said. "I'm an experienced fighter. To have good support is always nice. When I box home in England, they always give fantastic support. That's always nice, but at the end of the day, when that bell rings, when you're in the ring and everyone else gets out of the ring ... it's just the two fighters left in there. So, even though it's nice to have good support, those supporters can't get in the ring and help him on the night."
Alvarez is the clear favorite and if he wins big things are expected to follow. Some have suggested an eventual fight with Pacquiao, although that is unlikely given the feud between Golden Boy and Pacquiao's promoter, Top Rank. Still, it does show the kind of expectations some have for Alvarez.
"We can't get too ahead of ourselves," De La Hoya said. "He's got a tough fight coming up with Matthew. You can't plan too far ahead. He's a good fighter. He's a very, very good prospect. He's fighting for his first world title now. We're going to take it by steps. We'll see what happens and how he progresses, but we can't plan too far ahead because Matthew is going to be a very tough fighter. He's got a lot of experience. He's going to come to fight. He's just a hungry as Saul to win that world title."
Alvarez, however, feels he is prepared for possible challenges after Hatton.
"I'm ready," he said. "This is a tough fight. I do think I'm going to win this fight, but it's going to be a tough fight. I don't want to get too ahead of myself, but yes, I've always said that all along, that I'm ready for the big names."
Source: sports.espn.go.com
The last time Mexican sensation Saul "Canelo" Alvarez fought in the United States was in September, when he scored a spectacular one-punch knockout of former welterweight champion Carlos Baldomir in the sixth round.
Alvarez, 20, returned to Mexico, where he is one of the nation's most famous athletes, and easily outpointed former junior welterweight titlist Lovemore N'Dou in December to sew up honors as the 2010 ESPN.com prospect of the year.
Now Alvarez is back in America and set for his first starring role in a HBO main event. He will meet England's Matthew Hatton on Saturday night (10:30 ET/PT) at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.
The fight was made in January, but only last week was it sanctioned for the junior middleweight world title recently vacated by Manny Pacquiao because he had no plans to defend it.
If Alvarez wins, he will become the youngest fighter to ever win a 154-pound world title, breaking the record Fernando Vargas set in 1998, when he stopped Luis Ramon "Yory Boy" Campas just a few days past his 21st birthday.
Alvarez and Hatton took the match without knowing it would be for a belt. When they found out during a teleconference with reporters to discuss the fight, they were ecstatic.
"Wow, that's great news," Alvarez said through translator Eric Gomez, one of Golden Boy's matchmakers. "I wasn't expecting it. I'm very happy. I'm very motivated now. This is going to be my first world title. I want to take advantage of it. I'll be ready, but this is more motivation for me."
Said Hatton, "Obviously, every kid who first laces on the boxing gloves, their ambition is to become a world champion, so that news is absolutely fantastic to me. I was so motivated for this fight anyway, getting the chance to perform again in the United States against a highly touted fighter in Saul Alvarez. I think he's the level I'm at now. I'm definitely a world class fighter. I've been dominating at European level, so a world title is what I was looking at. So, that is absolutely fantastic news."
In the televised opener, 21-year-old junior lightweight prospect Adrien "The Problem" Broner (19-0, 16 KOs) of Cincinnati will take a major step up in competition when he faces Mexican knockout artist Daniel Ponce De Leon (41-2, 34 KOs), 30, a former junior featherweight titlist and featherweight contender who is moving up in weight for the scheduled 10-rounder.
"Broner is a big, strong fighter with an exciting style," De Leon said. "But I'm ready for the challenge and I know he's never been in with a fighter as strong and experienced as I am."
Said Broner, "De Leon is a great fighter, a former world champion, and I respect him for stepping up for this fight. Unfortunately for him, I'm going to have to show him what it's like to be in the ring with a talent like myself."
Beyond the question of can Alvarez (35-0-1, 26 KOs) win a title at such a young age is the question of can he score another spectacular knockout against Hatton (41-4-2, 16 KOs), the European welterweight champion and the 29-year-old younger brother of former junior welterweight champ Ricky Hatton?
Alvarez is not in the habit of making predictions, however.
"I don't like to predict knockouts," he said. "I don't look for the knockouts. They come naturally. It's going to be a tough fight. I'm going to be ready to box 12 rounds."
For Hatton, the fight is not only a chance to win a title, but a chance to further escape the long shadow cast by his big brother, who was one of boxing's biggest global stars before going into an unofficial retirement after Pacquiao knocked him cold in the second round to take the junior welterweight championship in 2009.
"I've boxed in America quite a few times before. So, I'm very fortunate to have gathered that experience, but yes, to be top of the bill in me own right in such a big fight is something that I've always been looking forward to," said Hatton, who regularly boxed on Ricky's undercards but came into his own in 2010 when he won the European title and made two defenses. "I always had confidence in my ability where these opportunities would come my way, but yes, being top of the bill in me own right now, I'm looking forward to it. I'm very excited about it. I think it's going to be a great fight. It's a fight I'm going into full of confidence, can't wait for it, but yes, I am enjoying my moment in the spotlight, so to speak.
"I think it is overdue because I think it has taken me a while to produce my best form, but I really am in the best form in my career so far. I think this fight is coming at the right time for me, and being lucky enough to have boxed on these fantastic bills before stands me in good stead for this fight, I believe."
Golden Boy promoter Oscar De La Hoya, who promoted Ricky for the final four fights of his career, saw Matthew fight on those undercards and believes he is ready to come into his own.
"It's very impressive how Matthew has been able to progress in his career," De La Hoya said. "Every single fight, he's learning, he's growing. He's learning that the game of boxing is not all about brute strength. He's thinking. It's very impressive, especially to have an older brother like Ricky who has been in the limelight for so many years. For Matthew to break out of that shadow is also very impressive because it can be very difficult when you have an older brother who is in the limelight and who is the main event all the time.
"It shows you the character. It shows you the discipline and the patience that Matthew has had. He knows this is his moment, this is his time. I'm sure he's going to perform at his best."
Hatton is coming to Alvarez's territory. He will be the huge crowd favorite among a heavily Mexican crowd. Hatton said that means nothing to him.
"That's not something that I will lose any sleep over, to be honest," he said. "I'm an experienced fighter. To have good support is always nice. When I box home in England, they always give fantastic support. That's always nice, but at the end of the day, when that bell rings, when you're in the ring and everyone else gets out of the ring ... it's just the two fighters left in there. So, even though it's nice to have good support, those supporters can't get in the ring and help him on the night."
Alvarez is the clear favorite and if he wins big things are expected to follow. Some have suggested an eventual fight with Pacquiao, although that is unlikely given the feud between Golden Boy and Pacquiao's promoter, Top Rank. Still, it does show the kind of expectations some have for Alvarez.
"We can't get too ahead of ourselves," De La Hoya said. "He's got a tough fight coming up with Matthew. You can't plan too far ahead. He's a good fighter. He's a very, very good prospect. He's fighting for his first world title now. We're going to take it by steps. We'll see what happens and how he progresses, but we can't plan too far ahead because Matthew is going to be a very tough fighter. He's got a lot of experience. He's going to come to fight. He's just a hungry as Saul to win that world title."
Alvarez, however, feels he is prepared for possible challenges after Hatton.
"I'm ready," he said. "This is a tough fight. I do think I'm going to win this fight, but it's going to be a tough fight. I don't want to get too ahead of myself, but yes, I've always said that all along, that I'm ready for the big names."
Source: sports.espn.go.com
De La Hoya to visit troops, as Marquez clamors for Pacquiao fight -- Examiner
By Paula Duffy, Examiner.com
Oscar De La Hoya is a busy guy. In addition to keeping up with his responsibilites at Golden Boy Promotions, he has committed to taking a trip to visit U.S. troops fighting this country's wars in the Middle East.
It's a week-long sojourn during which he will be accompanied by GB fighters Adrien Broner, Danny Jacobs and Seth Mitchell. A USO spokesman said, “It’s a mission to boost troop morale. The group will participate in boxing clinics, share techniques and extend their thanks to America’s troops serving in the Middle East.”
For his part, Oscar tweeted "Just announced today I’m headed over to the middle east with a few golden boy fighters to be with the troops. I’ll be down in the middle east for about a week training with them, signing autographs, I can’t wait maybe even spar with some.”
The former Olympic games gold medal winner and 10 time-champion can't reveal when the group will be on the ground nor the exact locations they will visit. National security concerns, right? For Oscar? Who'd want to target him of all people?
How about Juan Manuel Marquez who is itching to fight Manny Pacquiao and hasn't been successful at getting to that point, in part due to the difficulties between Golden Boy, his promoter and Pacquiao's team at Bob Arum's Top Rank Promotions.
Marquez watched as Sugar Shane Mosley disentangled his boxing affairs from Golden Boy and just like that, he was set up to meet the Pinoy idol in a welterweight championship bout scheduled for May 7 in Las Vegas. Mosley figured out a way to get it done and now Marquez is struggling with that as well.
The Los Angeles TImes rated Marquez as the biggest name in the GB stable, with Mosely's departure, although Saul "Canelo" Alvarez's people might dispute that. Of course it remains to be seen if Canelo acquits himself well in Saturday's bout in Anaheim against Matthew Hatton that will fill the vacant WBC super welterweight title, vacated by Mr. Pacquiao.
The folks at Golden Boy have less than thirty days left to work out a new contract with Marquez after his contract expired in February and it seems that part of that has to entail satisfying his thirst for his last huge payday. At age 37, the window is still slightly open for that if he can manage to get the attention of Arum's people or if GB somehow convinces Marquez that they will make the deal.
Oscar was even willing to personally fly to Mexico to keep Marquez in the fold, but with all his other resonsibilites, including those to the USO, well that didn't happen. We wish De La Hoya a good trip and hope he doesn't have horrible news on the Marquez front when he return.
Source: examiner.com
Oscar De La Hoya is a busy guy. In addition to keeping up with his responsibilites at Golden Boy Promotions, he has committed to taking a trip to visit U.S. troops fighting this country's wars in the Middle East.
It's a week-long sojourn during which he will be accompanied by GB fighters Adrien Broner, Danny Jacobs and Seth Mitchell. A USO spokesman said, “It’s a mission to boost troop morale. The group will participate in boxing clinics, share techniques and extend their thanks to America’s troops serving in the Middle East.”For his part, Oscar tweeted "Just announced today I’m headed over to the middle east with a few golden boy fighters to be with the troops. I’ll be down in the middle east for about a week training with them, signing autographs, I can’t wait maybe even spar with some.”
The former Olympic games gold medal winner and 10 time-champion can't reveal when the group will be on the ground nor the exact locations they will visit. National security concerns, right? For Oscar? Who'd want to target him of all people?
How about Juan Manuel Marquez who is itching to fight Manny Pacquiao and hasn't been successful at getting to that point, in part due to the difficulties between Golden Boy, his promoter and Pacquiao's team at Bob Arum's Top Rank Promotions.
Marquez watched as Sugar Shane Mosley disentangled his boxing affairs from Golden Boy and just like that, he was set up to meet the Pinoy idol in a welterweight championship bout scheduled for May 7 in Las Vegas. Mosley figured out a way to get it done and now Marquez is struggling with that as well.
The Los Angeles TImes rated Marquez as the biggest name in the GB stable, with Mosely's departure, although Saul "Canelo" Alvarez's people might dispute that. Of course it remains to be seen if Canelo acquits himself well in Saturday's bout in Anaheim against Matthew Hatton that will fill the vacant WBC super welterweight title, vacated by Mr. Pacquiao.
The folks at Golden Boy have less than thirty days left to work out a new contract with Marquez after his contract expired in February and it seems that part of that has to entail satisfying his thirst for his last huge payday. At age 37, the window is still slightly open for that if he can manage to get the attention of Arum's people or if GB somehow convinces Marquez that they will make the deal.
Oscar was even willing to personally fly to Mexico to keep Marquez in the fold, but with all his other resonsibilites, including those to the USO, well that didn't happen. We wish De La Hoya a good trip and hope he doesn't have horrible news on the Marquez front when he return.
Source: examiner.com
Wednesday, 24 November 2010
Pacquiao asserts himself as pay-per-view star -- USA Today
By Dave Skretta, The Associated Press
NEW YORK — Manny Pacquiao is not simply the best boxer in the world. He's also the sport's biggest box office attraction.
Pacquiao's comprehensive destruction of Antonio Margarito for a vacant junior middleweight title on Nov. 13 at Cowboys Stadium generated at least 1.15 million buys and $64 million domestic revenue, according to figures announced Tuesday by HBO Sports.
Those numbers are expected to increase slightly once all the figures are counted, but Pacquiao already is assured of his third straight year with at least one fight breaking the 1 million mark.
"It wasn't even on the right-hand side of the computer spreadsheet," said HBO vice president Mark Taffet, whose job includes handling pay-per-view broadcasts, when asked whether the numbers exceeded his expectations. "It's an outstanding number."
Pacquiao's victory over Oscar De La Hoya in 2008 generated 1.25 million buys, and his knockout of Miguel Cotto last year did 1.2 million. Taffet said his last five fights combined have generated at least 5.1 million buys, putting Pacquiao on par with De La Hoya, Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson and Floyd Mayweather Jr. as the biggest earners in pay-per-view history.
Of that group, the Filipino icon is the only non-American.
"He's become a world figure, that's what differentiates it from the superstars that preceded him," Taffet said. "And his coverage is not just in sports media. He's transcended sport, to the point where he's the first non-American to generate these kinds of numbers."
Pacquiao also generated 700,000 buys for a lopsided decision earlier this year over Joshua Clottey, a fighter who has virtually no name recognition beyond the most ardent boxing fans.
Those same fans are hoping the next fight for Pacquiao is against someone virtually everybody recognizes: Mayweather. The two sides have failed twice to reach an agreement on what could be the richest fight in boxing history, and now with Mayweather's legal trouble in Las Vegas, the matchup is looking increasingly unlikely for next year.
"Mayweather, it can't be compared to any other fight that can conceivably be made," said Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, comparing the fight to the Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier fight in 1971.
"That fight would be like the Ali-Frazier of our time. And you know, Ali-Frazier in 1971 was the biggest fight really of all time, at that point. The same thing would be said for Manny and Floyd this time, but you know, it takes two to make the fight."
Arum said he's flying to the Philippines in December to celebrate Pacquiao's birthday, and at that point plans to discuss potential opponents. But he conceded in a phone interview with The Associated Press late Tuesday that he's not optimistic about Mayweather for the spring.
"Manny is there, he wants to do the fight, and Floyd for whatever reason is not prepared to fight him, so we have to go on to the next best thing if Floyd remains unavailable," Arum said. "We'll see who's available and what the terms are and then we'll select an opponent. Hopefully it's Mayweather, but as the day goes by, it's not looking good."
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Source: usatoday.com
Pacquiao's comprehensive destruction of Antonio Margarito for a vacant junior middleweight title on Nov. 13 at Cowboys Stadium generated at least 1.15 million buys and $64 million domestic revenue, according to figures announced Tuesday by HBO Sports.
Those numbers are expected to increase slightly once all the figures are counted, but Pacquiao already is assured of his third straight year with at least one fight breaking the 1 million mark.
"It wasn't even on the right-hand side of the computer spreadsheet," said HBO vice president Mark Taffet, whose job includes handling pay-per-view broadcasts, when asked whether the numbers exceeded his expectations. "It's an outstanding number."
Pacquiao's victory over Oscar De La Hoya in 2008 generated 1.25 million buys, and his knockout of Miguel Cotto last year did 1.2 million. Taffet said his last five fights combined have generated at least 5.1 million buys, putting Pacquiao on par with De La Hoya, Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson and Floyd Mayweather Jr. as the biggest earners in pay-per-view history.
Of that group, the Filipino icon is the only non-American.
"He's become a world figure, that's what differentiates it from the superstars that preceded him," Taffet said. "And his coverage is not just in sports media. He's transcended sport, to the point where he's the first non-American to generate these kinds of numbers."
Pacquiao also generated 700,000 buys for a lopsided decision earlier this year over Joshua Clottey, a fighter who has virtually no name recognition beyond the most ardent boxing fans.
Those same fans are hoping the next fight for Pacquiao is against someone virtually everybody recognizes: Mayweather. The two sides have failed twice to reach an agreement on what could be the richest fight in boxing history, and now with Mayweather's legal trouble in Las Vegas, the matchup is looking increasingly unlikely for next year.
"Mayweather, it can't be compared to any other fight that can conceivably be made," said Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, comparing the fight to the Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier fight in 1971.
"That fight would be like the Ali-Frazier of our time. And you know, Ali-Frazier in 1971 was the biggest fight really of all time, at that point. The same thing would be said for Manny and Floyd this time, but you know, it takes two to make the fight."
Arum said he's flying to the Philippines in December to celebrate Pacquiao's birthday, and at that point plans to discuss potential opponents. But he conceded in a phone interview with The Associated Press late Tuesday that he's not optimistic about Mayweather for the spring.
"Manny is there, he wants to do the fight, and Floyd for whatever reason is not prepared to fight him, so we have to go on to the next best thing if Floyd remains unavailable," Arum said. "We'll see who's available and what the terms are and then we'll select an opponent. Hopefully it's Mayweather, but as the day goes by, it's not looking good."
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Source: usatoday.com
Wednesday, 20 October 2010
Manny Pacquiao versus Floyd Mayweather: Oscar still believes it can happen -- Examiner
By Edward Castro, Examiner.com
It was clear this weekend that Oscar De La Hoya remains focused on his duties as a boxing promoter and that his firm, Golden Boy Promotions, will continue on its trailblazing path.
De La Hoya said as much during his visit to Fantasy Springs Casino for Golden Boy’s latest card. Nearly 2,000 fight fans packed the California Desert venue, located just minutes East of Palm Springs, where victories were registered by NABO lightweight champion Eloy Perez, young American heavyweights Seth Mitchell and Deontay Wilder, and Desert youngster Randy Caballero.
De La Hoya, swarmed by fight fans from the moment of his arrival to his departure at the conclusion of the card, addressed a handful of issues facing Golden Boy.
De La Hoya stated confidently that he still believes the SuperBout between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao “can happen…and it should happen.”
“Sure it will,” De La Hoya said. “That is the biggest fight out there. Fans are demanding it.”
De La Hoya, who saw negotiations for Mayweather-Pacquiao twice fall through, said if and when the fight happens is up to Mayweather. Pacquiao has instead chosen to fight disgraced former champion Antonio Margarito next month.
“Obviously it’s up to Mayweather to give everyone the thumbs up,” De La Hoya said.
De La Hoya also said he was so impressed with the makeup of Fantasy Springs Casino that future visits to the Desert venue are almost a sure thing.
“It’s a great venue and it’s very intimate,” De La Hoya said. “The fans here are 100 percent behind it. This first show here was a great success.”
De La Hoya, whose stable of fighters range in age and experience, was glowing about newly signed Caballero.
Caballero scored a fourth round decision in what was just his fifth fight as a pro.
“Take Caballero for instance…his footwork, his ability to throw combinations and his speed and power,” De La Hoya noted. “He’s got the goods. I’m excited by that.”
Caballero, 19, was a 2008 U.S. National Champion and completed his amateur career with over 150 bouts, fought in front of his hometown fans for the first time.
“This is the first time I’ve seen him and I am glad I did,” De La Hoya said. “Now all my focus will be on him to make sure we give him the right opportunity to grow and one day become a world champion.”
Source: examiner.com
It was clear this weekend that Oscar De La Hoya remains focused on his duties as a boxing promoter and that his firm, Golden Boy Promotions, will continue on its trailblazing path.
De La Hoya said as much during his visit to Fantasy Springs Casino for Golden Boy’s latest card. Nearly 2,000 fight fans packed the California Desert venue, located just minutes East of Palm Springs, where victories were registered by NABO lightweight champion Eloy Perez, young American heavyweights Seth Mitchell and Deontay Wilder, and Desert youngster Randy Caballero.
De La Hoya, swarmed by fight fans from the moment of his arrival to his departure at the conclusion of the card, addressed a handful of issues facing Golden Boy.De La Hoya stated confidently that he still believes the SuperBout between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao “can happen…and it should happen.”
“Sure it will,” De La Hoya said. “That is the biggest fight out there. Fans are demanding it.”
De La Hoya, who saw negotiations for Mayweather-Pacquiao twice fall through, said if and when the fight happens is up to Mayweather. Pacquiao has instead chosen to fight disgraced former champion Antonio Margarito next month.
“Obviously it’s up to Mayweather to give everyone the thumbs up,” De La Hoya said.
De La Hoya also said he was so impressed with the makeup of Fantasy Springs Casino that future visits to the Desert venue are almost a sure thing.
“It’s a great venue and it’s very intimate,” De La Hoya said. “The fans here are 100 percent behind it. This first show here was a great success.”
De La Hoya, whose stable of fighters range in age and experience, was glowing about newly signed Caballero.
Caballero scored a fourth round decision in what was just his fifth fight as a pro.
“Take Caballero for instance…his footwork, his ability to throw combinations and his speed and power,” De La Hoya noted. “He’s got the goods. I’m excited by that.”
Caballero, 19, was a 2008 U.S. National Champion and completed his amateur career with over 150 bouts, fought in front of his hometown fans for the first time.
“This is the first time I’ve seen him and I am glad I did,” De La Hoya said. “Now all my focus will be on him to make sure we give him the right opportunity to grow and one day become a world champion.”
Source: examiner.com
Thursday, 30 September 2010
Margarito: I'm no quitter like Dela Hoya -- ABS-CBN News
abs-cbnNEWS.com
MANILA, Philippines – Mexican Antonio Margarito has vowed that his upcoming fight against Manny Pacquiao will not end up like the Filipino's battle against Oscar dela Hoya, who threw in the towel after getting a beating from the WBO welterweight champion.
“I will knock Pacquiao out,” the Tijuana Tornado was quoted by Boxing Scene.com. “This is the fight of my life and Manny will be in for a tough night, I won’t quit like Dela Hoya did."
Pacquiao forced "Golden Boy" Dela Hoya’s corner to throw in the towel after 8 rounds of their “Dream Match” in December 2008.
The Mexican blamed Dela Hoya’s alleged influence over the California State Athletic Commission for its decision to deny him a license. This forced Margarito to apply for a fight license in Texas, which granted his application.
"I don't know what he has against me, I really don't understand. What I do know is that he had a big influence in the California State Athletic Commission with everything he said against me,” said Margarito.
The Tijuana Tornado was Dela Hoya's former sparring partner. The two, however, parted unpleasantly in 2008 when Dela Hoya refused to fight Margarito.
Meanwhile, Margarito plans to apply constant pressure on Pacquiao when they meet on November 13 at the Cowboys Stadium in Texas.
The Mexican is known for his forward fighting style, and is expected to swarm the smaller Pacquiao with punches.
"That's one of the plans that we have, Margarito said in a report by Dog House Boxing.com. "Pressure, throwing punches consistently, countering."
His trainer, Robert Garcia, said Margarito is close to perfect conditioning, and is all set to trade punches with Pacquiao.
"He's ready to fight. He's close to weight already and his conditioning is good and he's running the mountains that mostly everyone does in an hour. He did it in 47 minutes, so he's ready," said Garcia.
Source: abs-cbnnews.com
MANILA, Philippines – Mexican Antonio Margarito has vowed that his upcoming fight against Manny Pacquiao will not end up like the Filipino's battle against Oscar dela Hoya, who threw in the towel after getting a beating from the WBO welterweight champion.
“I will knock Pacquiao out,” the Tijuana Tornado was quoted by Boxing Scene.com. “This is the fight of my life and Manny will be in for a tough night, I won’t quit like Dela Hoya did."
Pacquiao forced "Golden Boy" Dela Hoya’s corner to throw in the towel after 8 rounds of their “Dream Match” in December 2008.The Mexican blamed Dela Hoya’s alleged influence over the California State Athletic Commission for its decision to deny him a license. This forced Margarito to apply for a fight license in Texas, which granted his application.
"I don't know what he has against me, I really don't understand. What I do know is that he had a big influence in the California State Athletic Commission with everything he said against me,” said Margarito.
The Tijuana Tornado was Dela Hoya's former sparring partner. The two, however, parted unpleasantly in 2008 when Dela Hoya refused to fight Margarito.
Meanwhile, Margarito plans to apply constant pressure on Pacquiao when they meet on November 13 at the Cowboys Stadium in Texas.
The Mexican is known for his forward fighting style, and is expected to swarm the smaller Pacquiao with punches.
"That's one of the plans that we have, Margarito said in a report by Dog House Boxing.com. "Pressure, throwing punches consistently, countering."
His trainer, Robert Garcia, said Margarito is close to perfect conditioning, and is all set to trade punches with Pacquiao.
"He's ready to fight. He's close to weight already and his conditioning is good and he's running the mountains that mostly everyone does in an hour. He did it in 47 minutes, so he's ready," said Garcia.
Source: abs-cbnnews.com
Wednesday, 29 September 2010
Oscar De La Hoya: In my prime, I'd have schooled Manny Pacquiao -- Examiner
By Michael Marley, Examiner.com
BROOKLYN--Physically, Oscar de la Hoya looks the part.
Still trim at age 37, the Golden Boy looks like he could go 12 rounds or 18 holes, your choice.
Mentally, well in his mind he's still the Hall Of Fame fighter who set a PPV TV buy rate record of 2.4 million for his losing bout against Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Oscar was at a sweltering Gleason's Gym on a gloomy, overcast Tuesday afternoon with billionaire Bruce Ratner to trumpet the fact that Oscar' company has an exclusive deal with the Barclays Center (which will house the NBA Nets) to promote boxing. GBP plans to build its New York base, with shows in Brooklyn and at the Prudential Center in Newark.
I sparred (verbally) with Oscar and my first question was direct.
Who wins if Oscar fought Manny Pacquiao and both were in their primes?
"Whew," de la Hoya said. "Different story."
Putting aside that purely mythical matchup, I asked what Oscar's thoughts are about the Pinoy Idol balancing Congressional duties and his superstar boxer status.
Oscar expressed approval of and high hopes for Pacquaio's political career.
"With politics, I give Manny all the credit in the world for being a Congressman. I don't know if he can balance both careers because it's got to be very difficult but hopefully he can do some good things for his people." de la Hoya said.
Wanting to test ODLH's sense of humor, I reminded him that he tried to juggle a singing career and boxing.
"Yeah, and you see how that turned out," Oscar said, smiling the smile that thrilled so many females when he was boxing's matinee idol.
De la Hoya said he thinks troubled Floyd Mayweather Jr. needs to end his boxing hiatus and get back to business pronto.
"I have not spoken to him but I think Floyd needs to get back to doing what he does best, which is boxing."
Oscar was swarmed by apsiring boxers of all ages and races and he was clearly in his element.
One young fighter peppered him with other mythical match questions. If I heard correctly, one of them was who would've won between Sugar Ray Leonard and Aaron Pryor and I think Oscar tipped Leonard to win it.
Oscar said some have misinterpreted his Broadcasting & Cable interview in which he said boxing needs to have a dominant promoter.
It's not all about Golden Boy swallowing up the minnows or wiping out Bob Arum's Top Rank, de la Hoya said.
"It's what is best for boxing, really. I'm not talking about just now, I mean what's going to be best for boxing 10-15 years from now. It's frustrating when (because of interpromotional bickering) we can get the best fighting the best. That's why I mentioned what the UFC does, their model.
"We just need a different setup than what we have now. We need something better for the fans and for the fighters."
To his credit, GBP CEO Richard Schaefer also gave Pacman props for his political achievement.
"Manny has to be congratulated on that, being a Congressman," Schaefer said. "To be such an accomplished fighter and a Congressman, well I think that brings credit to boxing and all of us can be proud of him doing that."
Rich guy Ratner, who said the total cost of the new arena will wind up at $900 million or so, said he tapped Oscar and his company for some obvious reasons.
"I used to go watch the Ali fights on closed circuit at the movie theaters when I was a kid in Cleveland," Ratner said.
"We open up in July 2012 and I felt that I don't see any downside here. Oscar is an icon of the sport and his company has other boxers as owners as well. They operate transparently and I like that.
"We want to bring boxing back to Brooklyn, maybe create more icons like (Mike) Tyson was. We just feel that Golden Boy is the right company for us to go with."
At the event, Schaefer announced what he called "breaking news," saying that Paulie Malignaggi of Brooklyn had signed with GBP and would henceforth campaign at welterweight.
Malignaggi was in attendance along with GBP boxers Danny Jacobs and Danny Garcia.
(mlcmarley@aol.com)
Source: examiner.com
BROOKLYN--Physically, Oscar de la Hoya looks the part.
Still trim at age 37, the Golden Boy looks like he could go 12 rounds or 18 holes, your choice.
Mentally, well in his mind he's still the Hall Of Fame fighter who set a PPV TV buy rate record of 2.4 million for his losing bout against Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Oscar was at a sweltering Gleason's Gym on a gloomy, overcast Tuesday afternoon with billionaire Bruce Ratner to trumpet the fact that Oscar' company has an exclusive deal with the Barclays Center (which will house the NBA Nets) to promote boxing. GBP plans to build its New York base, with shows in Brooklyn and at the Prudential Center in Newark.I sparred (verbally) with Oscar and my first question was direct.
Who wins if Oscar fought Manny Pacquiao and both were in their primes?
"Whew," de la Hoya said. "Different story."
Putting aside that purely mythical matchup, I asked what Oscar's thoughts are about the Pinoy Idol balancing Congressional duties and his superstar boxer status.
Oscar expressed approval of and high hopes for Pacquaio's political career.
"With politics, I give Manny all the credit in the world for being a Congressman. I don't know if he can balance both careers because it's got to be very difficult but hopefully he can do some good things for his people." de la Hoya said.
Wanting to test ODLH's sense of humor, I reminded him that he tried to juggle a singing career and boxing.
"Yeah, and you see how that turned out," Oscar said, smiling the smile that thrilled so many females when he was boxing's matinee idol.
De la Hoya said he thinks troubled Floyd Mayweather Jr. needs to end his boxing hiatus and get back to business pronto.
"I have not spoken to him but I think Floyd needs to get back to doing what he does best, which is boxing."
Oscar was swarmed by apsiring boxers of all ages and races and he was clearly in his element.
One young fighter peppered him with other mythical match questions. If I heard correctly, one of them was who would've won between Sugar Ray Leonard and Aaron Pryor and I think Oscar tipped Leonard to win it.
Oscar said some have misinterpreted his Broadcasting & Cable interview in which he said boxing needs to have a dominant promoter.
It's not all about Golden Boy swallowing up the minnows or wiping out Bob Arum's Top Rank, de la Hoya said.
"It's what is best for boxing, really. I'm not talking about just now, I mean what's going to be best for boxing 10-15 years from now. It's frustrating when (because of interpromotional bickering) we can get the best fighting the best. That's why I mentioned what the UFC does, their model.
"We just need a different setup than what we have now. We need something better for the fans and for the fighters."
To his credit, GBP CEO Richard Schaefer also gave Pacman props for his political achievement.
"Manny has to be congratulated on that, being a Congressman," Schaefer said. "To be such an accomplished fighter and a Congressman, well I think that brings credit to boxing and all of us can be proud of him doing that."
Rich guy Ratner, who said the total cost of the new arena will wind up at $900 million or so, said he tapped Oscar and his company for some obvious reasons.
"I used to go watch the Ali fights on closed circuit at the movie theaters when I was a kid in Cleveland," Ratner said.
"We open up in July 2012 and I felt that I don't see any downside here. Oscar is an icon of the sport and his company has other boxers as owners as well. They operate transparently and I like that.
"We want to bring boxing back to Brooklyn, maybe create more icons like (Mike) Tyson was. We just feel that Golden Boy is the right company for us to go with."
At the event, Schaefer announced what he called "breaking news," saying that Paulie Malignaggi of Brooklyn had signed with GBP and would henceforth campaign at welterweight.
Malignaggi was in attendance along with GBP boxers Danny Jacobs and Danny Garcia.
(mlcmarley@aol.com)
Source: examiner.com
Thursday, 16 September 2010
De La Hoya saddened by Hatton, Mayweather crises -- The Ring
By Michael Rosenthal, The Ring
LOS ANGELES – Oscar De La Hoya said on Tuesday that the recent personal crises of Ricky Hatton and Floyd Mayeather Jr. might be cries for help.
Hatton was caught on video snorting cocaine and has reportedly checked into a rehabilitation facility. Mayweather went on a racist rant aimed at Manny Pacquiao, after which he apologized, and was later arrested on felony larceny charges after an argument with his ex-girlfriend.
“My reaction is that I wish all the best for them,” De La Hoya said. “Maybe it’s a cry for help. They definitely, especially Ricky Hatton, needs help. … He’s going to self destruct. … I would tell him, ‘I want to help you. I’m your friend, I’m your father, I’m your brother.’ He’s in a world right now, if he continues, he’s going to self destruct. He could die. So he needs help.”
De La Hoya obviously has to be careful what he says publicly about Mayweather because they have a working relationship. Still, he seemed to have genuine compassion for his former rival.
“Maybe it’s a cry for help too,” De La Hoya said. “One never knows. Maybe he has his own problems. … Ricky Hatton is a good guy. I truly feel Floyd Mayweather is a good guy too. He can be a nice guy. I’ve seen him in action. He can be nice.
“Sometimes it’s a sign someone needs help. I can just say I wish the best for anybody in that situation because it’s sad.”
Source: ringtv.com
LOS ANGELES – Oscar De La Hoya said on Tuesday that the recent personal crises of Ricky Hatton and Floyd Mayeather Jr. might be cries for help.
Hatton was caught on video snorting cocaine and has reportedly checked into a rehabilitation facility. Mayweather went on a racist rant aimed at Manny Pacquiao, after which he apologized, and was later arrested on felony larceny charges after an argument with his ex-girlfriend.
“My reaction is that I wish all the best for them,” De La Hoya said. “Maybe it’s a cry for help. They definitely, especially Ricky Hatton, needs help. … He’s going to self destruct. … I would tell him, ‘I want to help you. I’m your friend, I’m your father, I’m your brother.’ He’s in a world right now, if he continues, he’s going to self destruct. He could die. So he needs help.”De La Hoya obviously has to be careful what he says publicly about Mayweather because they have a working relationship. Still, he seemed to have genuine compassion for his former rival.
“Maybe it’s a cry for help too,” De La Hoya said. “One never knows. Maybe he has his own problems. … Ricky Hatton is a good guy. I truly feel Floyd Mayweather is a good guy too. He can be a nice guy. I’ve seen him in action. He can be nice.
“Sometimes it’s a sign someone needs help. I can just say I wish the best for anybody in that situation because it’s sad.”
Source: ringtv.com
Thursday, 2 September 2010
De La Hoya: Antonio Margarito 'Should Be Banned for Life' -- FanHouse
By Lem Satterfield, FanHouse
On Aug. 19, the day after Antonio Margarito was denied a boxing license for the second time by the California State Athletic Commission, Golden Boy Promotions' president Oscar De La Hoya, applauded the CSAC's decision during a conference call with selected members of the media.
Margarito had been unable to fight on American soil since his license was revoked by the CSAC following a January, 2009, ninth-round knockout loss to Shane Mosley.
Margarito, whose suspension officially ended on Feb. 11, had tried to file for a license with the Nevada State Athletic Commission. But the NSAC directed Margarito to return to the CSAC for a ruling, where, after a nearly six-hour hearing on Aug. 18, the Mexican-born fighter was turned down yet again.
Margarito has since been licensed in Texas for an HBO-televised, Top Rank Promotions Nov. 13 clash with WBO welterweight (147 pounds) Manny Pacquiao for the WBC's vacant junior middleweight (154 pounds) title to be contested at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium, even as he believes that De La Hoya may have influenced the CSAC's decision.
Although De La Hoya's company is based in Los Angeles, the former world champion denied having had any pull with the CSAC while reiterating his assertions during a Wednesday conference call promoting a Sept. 18 junior middleweight bout between Saul Alvarez of Mexico and former world titlist Carlos Baldomir of Argentina.
"Well, obviously, people know the way that I feel about that situation, but I've never spoken to the commission. The commission's never spoken to me. I'm just a voice for everyone who feels the way that I do," said De La Hoya during Wednesday's call.
"Obviously, nobody wants to say what they feel. I'm just a voice speaking my mind. So it's my opinion on what I feel about the situation," said De La Hoya. "Because I love this sport. I have passion for this sport. And I don't want to see anybody try to cheat this sport. So that's all that I would say."
Oscar De La Hoya's comments about Antonio Margarito on Aug. 19.
"I've been very vocal on the whole Margarito situation. And, you know, my feelings have not changed. Obviously, I don't want to make this call the whole Margarito situation. But you know where I stand. We don't know what's going to happen with Margarito. Obviously, he's not going to be fighting in California.
But it goes down to what the right thing is. What's the right thing for the fans and for the sport? I've always felt that if the right thing is done there, then there is going to be no license. That was always my hunch feeling. Obviously, we all witnessed what happened.
I mean, look, I've already stated what I've said, and I'm going to stick to what I believe. I mean, my sport of boxing, which we all appreciate and which I love, and which I participated in inside of that ring for many years, you know, this is a dangerous sport.
And if any body in any which way tries to tamper with anything having to do with the fists or the gloves, you know what? You should be banned for life. That's my stance and that's my position. There's no if's or buts. Like, 'Oh, I've learned from my mistakes.'
Well, what if you would have killed somebody. What? So you should fight again because you learned from your mistakes? That's total nonsense, and my stance will always be that. You do not mess with somebody's life up inside of that ring.
Obviously, the whole world found out about the illegal hand wraps on the night of the fight. I was actually at a different event that night, so I wasn't even aware of what was going on until afterward. I was promoting a different event that same night."
Source: boxing.fanhouse.com
On Aug. 19, the day after Antonio Margarito was denied a boxing license for the second time by the California State Athletic Commission, Golden Boy Promotions' president Oscar De La Hoya, applauded the CSAC's decision during a conference call with selected members of the media.
Margarito had been unable to fight on American soil since his license was revoked by the CSAC following a January, 2009, ninth-round knockout loss to Shane Mosley.Margarito, whose suspension officially ended on Feb. 11, had tried to file for a license with the Nevada State Athletic Commission. But the NSAC directed Margarito to return to the CSAC for a ruling, where, after a nearly six-hour hearing on Aug. 18, the Mexican-born fighter was turned down yet again.
Margarito has since been licensed in Texas for an HBO-televised, Top Rank Promotions Nov. 13 clash with WBO welterweight (147 pounds) Manny Pacquiao for the WBC's vacant junior middleweight (154 pounds) title to be contested at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium, even as he believes that De La Hoya may have influenced the CSAC's decision.
Although De La Hoya's company is based in Los Angeles, the former world champion denied having had any pull with the CSAC while reiterating his assertions during a Wednesday conference call promoting a Sept. 18 junior middleweight bout between Saul Alvarez of Mexico and former world titlist Carlos Baldomir of Argentina.
"Well, obviously, people know the way that I feel about that situation, but I've never spoken to the commission. The commission's never spoken to me. I'm just a voice for everyone who feels the way that I do," said De La Hoya during Wednesday's call.
"Obviously, nobody wants to say what they feel. I'm just a voice speaking my mind. So it's my opinion on what I feel about the situation," said De La Hoya. "Because I love this sport. I have passion for this sport. And I don't want to see anybody try to cheat this sport. So that's all that I would say."
Oscar De La Hoya's comments about Antonio Margarito on Aug. 19.
"I've been very vocal on the whole Margarito situation. And, you know, my feelings have not changed. Obviously, I don't want to make this call the whole Margarito situation. But you know where I stand. We don't know what's going to happen with Margarito. Obviously, he's not going to be fighting in California.
But it goes down to what the right thing is. What's the right thing for the fans and for the sport? I've always felt that if the right thing is done there, then there is going to be no license. That was always my hunch feeling. Obviously, we all witnessed what happened.
I mean, look, I've already stated what I've said, and I'm going to stick to what I believe. I mean, my sport of boxing, which we all appreciate and which I love, and which I participated in inside of that ring for many years, you know, this is a dangerous sport.
And if any body in any which way tries to tamper with anything having to do with the fists or the gloves, you know what? You should be banned for life. That's my stance and that's my position. There's no if's or buts. Like, 'Oh, I've learned from my mistakes.'
Well, what if you would have killed somebody. What? So you should fight again because you learned from your mistakes? That's total nonsense, and my stance will always be that. You do not mess with somebody's life up inside of that ring.
Obviously, the whole world found out about the illegal hand wraps on the night of the fight. I was actually at a different event that night, so I wasn't even aware of what was going on until afterward. I was promoting a different event that same night."
Source: boxing.fanhouse.com
Friday, 27 August 2010
Cowardice? Not really. It's Floyd's superb intuition -- 8CountNews
By Art Babao, 8CountNews.com
Floyd Mayweather Jr. is probably the greatest thinking boxer of all time. He is likened into a sophisticated jet fighter with advanced radar system that can easily detect the presence of danger even from a far distance.. He really knows when to engage and determines precisely if there’s a necessity to evade. He has the intuitive ability to detect how much danger that his opponent can bring, and can foresee how much chances he can take to overcome him. The Pretty Boy has the edge of this rare ‘gut feelings’ that allows him to pre-determine the outcome of the fight should he decide to engage against anybody. It’s like a high-tech detector that forewarns him accurately -if he will lose or win. His record speaks for itself.
Without this superb intuition, Floyd Mayweather Jr. could have been into a rash-decision to fight the great Pacman who could bring him an irreparable damage. Floyd knows that poor intuition will often bring a poor decision leading into a tragic consequence.
See what happened to Marco Antonio Barrera in Alamodome- who ignored to listen his intuition to detect how much danger that Manny would bring. Instead, he listened to his pride, underestimated the Pacman, and never had the radar to foresee the humiliation that he could possibly take. Look also the Golden Boy, who also underestimated Manny Pacquiao, and failed to listen his inner gut of the possible outcome in fighting Manny. Clearly, Dela Hoya’s pride covered his ears away from his intuitive device that could have saved him from shame. Similar feat happened to the pride of Manchester, and many others who relied too much on their pride and arrogance, instead of listening in their natural gift of intuition that could have forewarned them to fight or not.
The alleged ‘egocentric’ Floyd has done the right thing. He actually ‘swallowed his ego’ and listen to his natural gift of intuition. In fact his intuitive power to foresee the possible outcome is very sharp. He exactly knows at this point how much Pacquiao brings to the table. We know for sure that Floyd Mayweather Jr. has already detected something ‘danger’.. yeah, real danger for sure that Manny brings. Hence, being a thinking fighter, he must not go rushing to fight for the sake of his hyperbolic pride. He does not want to end like Barrera , Dela Hoya, and Hatton.
Mayweather is really a great fighter both of skills and brain. No matter of how many ‘coward’ and ‘chicken’ that has been thrown unto his name, still, he has to rely into his sharp intuition whether he’ll fight or not the great fighter of the Philippines. For now, his journey in boxing career with unblemished record of 0 loss must be remained.
For now, Floyd Mayweather’s sharp intuition has detected something in the crossroad while going closer towards the Pacman. It warns him loud and clear: “Please, Detour! Cliff Ahead.”
This time, he has to eat his pride… or else, he’s taking a suicide!
Source: 8countnews.com
Floyd Mayweather Jr. is probably the greatest thinking boxer of all time. He is likened into a sophisticated jet fighter with advanced radar system that can easily detect the presence of danger even from a far distance.. He really knows when to engage and determines precisely if there’s a necessity to evade. He has the intuitive ability to detect how much danger that his opponent can bring, and can foresee how much chances he can take to overcome him. The Pretty Boy has the edge of this rare ‘gut feelings’ that allows him to pre-determine the outcome of the fight should he decide to engage against anybody. It’s like a high-tech detector that forewarns him accurately -if he will lose or win. His record speaks for itself.
Without this superb intuition, Floyd Mayweather Jr. could have been into a rash-decision to fight the great Pacman who could bring him an irreparable damage. Floyd knows that poor intuition will often bring a poor decision leading into a tragic consequence. See what happened to Marco Antonio Barrera in Alamodome- who ignored to listen his intuition to detect how much danger that Manny would bring. Instead, he listened to his pride, underestimated the Pacman, and never had the radar to foresee the humiliation that he could possibly take. Look also the Golden Boy, who also underestimated Manny Pacquiao, and failed to listen his inner gut of the possible outcome in fighting Manny. Clearly, Dela Hoya’s pride covered his ears away from his intuitive device that could have saved him from shame. Similar feat happened to the pride of Manchester, and many others who relied too much on their pride and arrogance, instead of listening in their natural gift of intuition that could have forewarned them to fight or not.
The alleged ‘egocentric’ Floyd has done the right thing. He actually ‘swallowed his ego’ and listen to his natural gift of intuition. In fact his intuitive power to foresee the possible outcome is very sharp. He exactly knows at this point how much Pacquiao brings to the table. We know for sure that Floyd Mayweather Jr. has already detected something ‘danger’.. yeah, real danger for sure that Manny brings. Hence, being a thinking fighter, he must not go rushing to fight for the sake of his hyperbolic pride. He does not want to end like Barrera , Dela Hoya, and Hatton.
Mayweather is really a great fighter both of skills and brain. No matter of how many ‘coward’ and ‘chicken’ that has been thrown unto his name, still, he has to rely into his sharp intuition whether he’ll fight or not the great fighter of the Philippines. For now, his journey in boxing career with unblemished record of 0 loss must be remained.
For now, Floyd Mayweather’s sharp intuition has detected something in the crossroad while going closer towards the Pacman. It warns him loud and clear: “Please, Detour! Cliff Ahead.”
This time, he has to eat his pride… or else, he’s taking a suicide!
Source: 8countnews.com
Wednesday, 28 July 2010
Bob Arum on Antonio Margarito, Floyd Mayweather, Negotiations -- FanHouse
By Lem Satterfield, FanHouse
In this Q&A, Top Rank Promotions' Bob Arum responded to a recent statement by HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg that supported Arum's own assertion that negotiations took place for a mega-bout between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather.
Mayweather's camp -- Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe, Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer and Golden Boy Promotions president Oscar De La Hoya -- has stated there were no negotiations.
Arum also defended the right of Antonio Margarito to face Pacquiao for the WBC junior middleweight (154 pounds) title potentially outside of the United States even though Margarito is not licensed to fight in America stemming from a hand-wrapping scandal. Margarito served a year-long suspension handed down by the California State Athletic Commission.
In a new development, Arum said that he is "considering Nevada, Texas and New Jersey as well as Monterrey, Mex." for the Nov. 13 Pacquiao-Margarito fight, adding, "we're going to weigh everything by the end of the week and decide where we're going."
"In New Jersey, we would have it at Boardwalk Hall. In Texas, we would consider the Dallas Cowboys Stadium, and in Las Vegas, it would be the MGM Grand Arena," said Arum. "I'm optimistic in all three states."
Abu Dhabi still is an outside consideration as well, although Arum said, "that doesn't appear to me at this point in time as being something reasonably that will happen."
What do you have to say about Ross Greenburg's statement?
Ross Greenburg's statement reflects exactly what I went through and what I talked about at the midnight conference call. That's exactly what I said. You remember that I said that I negotiated through Ross Greenburg, and Al Haymon was on the other side. We were negotiating through Greenburg and that's what Greenburg said.
Now, it's as simple as that. And for these people to deny anything ever took place is ludicrous. You don't see Haymon denying anything. Richard Schaefer, I think, has demonstrated that he is not to be trusted. He plays fast and loose with the truth.
What are your thoughts on Oscar De La Hoya initially saying that the deal was close to being done in one interview, and then, saying the negotiations never took place in another?
Oscar is an advertisement for this movie that's coming out this Friday night that's called, 'Dinner for Schmucks.' Oscar is not the brightest penny on the block. Anybody who pays any mind to what Oscar De La Hoya says is not very bright either.
So that's why you have Oscar De La Hoya once summarizing the negotiations for Mexican television like he did at first. And I thought that he did a pretty good job. That was my understanding of where the negotiations were.
And then for him to say, 'Well, I just said those things to get somebody off my back,' and 'there were no negotiations.' I mean, what are you saying? Why did you go through this situation where you had such an elaborate answer to describe the negotiations, and then you tossed it off and said there were no negotiations. I mean, that's a lie.
Do you think that after all of this that a Mayweather-Pacquiao matchup can ever be negotiated and that the fight will ever be made?
We'd have to find some other way. This way did not work. We'd have to find some other way which has a better opportunity to work. Right now, I don't know what that better way is. But between now and next year, maybe something will occur to me.
How much do you think that Floyd Mayweather's past with you as his former promoter has to do with the way the negotiations went?
I don't think that it has anything to do with it. I really don't. I think that Floyd didn't want to fight and the people around him wanted him to fight. You know, it didn't have anything to do with Bob Arum.
Switching to Pacquiao-Margarito, that fight, reportedly, would be at a catch weight of 150 pounds?
That's correct.
What do you tell people, including Oscar De La Hoya, who might be saying that Antonio Margarito should not be licensed and does not deserve this opportunity against Manny Pacquiao?
Let me tell you something, these are people who don't know any of the facts. They should read the record of the California State Athletic Commission, which shows clearly that Margarito didn't know what was happening, and that these pads that were inserted into his hand wraps were not something that he would naturally catch.
The idea that these pads were Plaster of Paris inserts is absolutely bull****. They're making that up, and that appears nowhere in the record. There is all of this misinformation out there that people like Oscar De La Hoya eagerly cling to because he's a man who has no discernment.
I mean, he doesn't read and he doesn't study. And anybody who has studied that record can not say that Antonio Margarito was complicit in what happened. You can not say that from the record. That being said, California applied the standard of 'he's the boxer, and he's the captain of his ship,' and therefore his license should be revoked.
That was the wrong standard in California, although it is the standard in Nevada. That's a technicality. But he served his time. This was never meant to be a life sentence.
I understand that what could delay a California hearing and potentially keep Antonio Margarito from being licensed there is his lawsuit claiming lack of due process. Is there any chance that he'll drop his lawsuit against California?
I talked to the lawyers about that. That's not a decision that I would make. And the lawyers are not advising him to drop it because when you read the appellate papers, he is the favorite to win and reverse that case.
In other words, I can see the judge throwing out the fact that his license was revoked and showing that there is no blemish on his record. They shouldn't be able to deprive him of that [hearing]. He's not suing anybody for monetary damages.
I mean, this is America, and you have a right to be heard.
Source: boxing.fanhouse.com
In this Q&A, Top Rank Promotions' Bob Arum responded to a recent statement by HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg that supported Arum's own assertion that negotiations took place for a mega-bout between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather.
Mayweather's camp -- Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe, Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer and Golden Boy Promotions president Oscar De La Hoya -- has stated there were no negotiations.
Arum also defended the right of Antonio Margarito to face Pacquiao for the WBC junior middleweight (154 pounds) title potentially outside of the United States even though Margarito is not licensed to fight in America stemming from a hand-wrapping scandal. Margarito served a year-long suspension handed down by the California State Athletic Commission.
In a new development, Arum said that he is "considering Nevada, Texas and New Jersey as well as Monterrey, Mex." for the Nov. 13 Pacquiao-Margarito fight, adding, "we're going to weigh everything by the end of the week and decide where we're going."
"In New Jersey, we would have it at Boardwalk Hall. In Texas, we would consider the Dallas Cowboys Stadium, and in Las Vegas, it would be the MGM Grand Arena," said Arum. "I'm optimistic in all three states."
Abu Dhabi still is an outside consideration as well, although Arum said, "that doesn't appear to me at this point in time as being something reasonably that will happen."
What do you have to say about Ross Greenburg's statement?
Ross Greenburg's statement reflects exactly what I went through and what I talked about at the midnight conference call. That's exactly what I said. You remember that I said that I negotiated through Ross Greenburg, and Al Haymon was on the other side. We were negotiating through Greenburg and that's what Greenburg said.
Now, it's as simple as that. And for these people to deny anything ever took place is ludicrous. You don't see Haymon denying anything. Richard Schaefer, I think, has demonstrated that he is not to be trusted. He plays fast and loose with the truth.
What are your thoughts on Oscar De La Hoya initially saying that the deal was close to being done in one interview, and then, saying the negotiations never took place in another?
Oscar is an advertisement for this movie that's coming out this Friday night that's called, 'Dinner for Schmucks.' Oscar is not the brightest penny on the block. Anybody who pays any mind to what Oscar De La Hoya says is not very bright either.
So that's why you have Oscar De La Hoya once summarizing the negotiations for Mexican television like he did at first. And I thought that he did a pretty good job. That was my understanding of where the negotiations were.
And then for him to say, 'Well, I just said those things to get somebody off my back,' and 'there were no negotiations.' I mean, what are you saying? Why did you go through this situation where you had such an elaborate answer to describe the negotiations, and then you tossed it off and said there were no negotiations. I mean, that's a lie.
Do you think that after all of this that a Mayweather-Pacquiao matchup can ever be negotiated and that the fight will ever be made?
We'd have to find some other way. This way did not work. We'd have to find some other way which has a better opportunity to work. Right now, I don't know what that better way is. But between now and next year, maybe something will occur to me.
How much do you think that Floyd Mayweather's past with you as his former promoter has to do with the way the negotiations went?
I don't think that it has anything to do with it. I really don't. I think that Floyd didn't want to fight and the people around him wanted him to fight. You know, it didn't have anything to do with Bob Arum.
Switching to Pacquiao-Margarito, that fight, reportedly, would be at a catch weight of 150 pounds?
That's correct.
What do you tell people, including Oscar De La Hoya, who might be saying that Antonio Margarito should not be licensed and does not deserve this opportunity against Manny Pacquiao?
Let me tell you something, these are people who don't know any of the facts. They should read the record of the California State Athletic Commission, which shows clearly that Margarito didn't know what was happening, and that these pads that were inserted into his hand wraps were not something that he would naturally catch.
The idea that these pads were Plaster of Paris inserts is absolutely bull****. They're making that up, and that appears nowhere in the record. There is all of this misinformation out there that people like Oscar De La Hoya eagerly cling to because he's a man who has no discernment.
I mean, he doesn't read and he doesn't study. And anybody who has studied that record can not say that Antonio Margarito was complicit in what happened. You can not say that from the record. That being said, California applied the standard of 'he's the boxer, and he's the captain of his ship,' and therefore his license should be revoked.
That was the wrong standard in California, although it is the standard in Nevada. That's a technicality. But he served his time. This was never meant to be a life sentence.
I understand that what could delay a California hearing and potentially keep Antonio Margarito from being licensed there is his lawsuit claiming lack of due process. Is there any chance that he'll drop his lawsuit against California?
I talked to the lawyers about that. That's not a decision that I would make. And the lawyers are not advising him to drop it because when you read the appellate papers, he is the favorite to win and reverse that case.
In other words, I can see the judge throwing out the fact that his license was revoked and showing that there is no blemish on his record. They shouldn't be able to deprive him of that [hearing]. He's not suing anybody for monetary damages.
I mean, this is America, and you have a right to be heard.
Source: boxing.fanhouse.com
Saturday, 19 June 2010
The Oscar De La Hoya Slip Up: Floyd Mayweather JR – Manny Pacquiao Done Deal? -- Ringside Report
By Geno McGahee, Ringside Report
One of the most powerful men in boxing and a man that has had a stake in many of the major fights of the last 15 years, Oscar De La Hoya, was reportedly quoted to say that the mega fight between Floyd Mayweather, JR., and Manny Pacquiao is “very close” to completion. A source close to Team Mayweather has also reported to RSR that the specifics have been ironed out and that the only thing that remains is the contract signing and subsequent announcement of the fight. Is it too good to be true?
After Pacquiao’s destruction of Miguel Cotto and Floyd’s dismantling of Juan Manuel Marquez, the two agreed to a showdown with big money on the line as well as the legacy of both men. Floyd Mayweather, SR., made an observation that turned the bout on its head. He suspected that Manny Pacquiao was on steroids.
Steroids are a problem in every competitive sport and it is not a surprise that it is rampant. With millions of dollars are at stake, people will go to extreme measures. Antonio Margarito is a good example of what a fighter will do to get the competitive edge, loading his hand wraps with plaster of Paris. There have also been consistent rumors that the late Diego Corrales and Marco Antonio Barrera have also implemented the loaded hand wraps throughout their careers.
Although loading gloves seems to be isolated incidents, steroid abuse is a much larger issue. James “Lights Out” Toney, the former middleweight, super middleweight, cruiserweight, and heavyweight champion has tested positive for steroids on more than one occasion. Sugar Shane Mosley admitted using steroids, Fernando Vargas was banned temporarily after testing positive, Jameel McCline, Evander Holyfield, and the list goes on and on of the boxers reportedly “juicing.”
So will the steroids allegations make this fight a no-go again?
The issue isn’t the steroid testing, but the method in which the fighters are tested. Pacquiao’s claim is that the random Olympic style testing would drain him for the fight and I’m sure that they can cite Shane Mosley’s horrible performance against Mayweather in his last fight as evidence. Mayweather wants to employ this testing to overcome the boxers’ ability to avoid testing positive. Many know how to play the game and avoiding a positive test can be accomplished even as a user. That is the point of Team Mayweather and they have some ground to stand on.
Pacquiao may be his own worst enemy. His ability to climb weight divisions and apparently get stronger and more effective as he puts on pounds has raised some red flags, either justly or unjustly. Floyd, SR., watched on as Manny destroyed Miguel Cotto and made the allegation because of how great he looked in the ring. Cotto made some comments that he didn’t rule out that Pacquiao was on steroids and should agree to the Olympic testing.
Recently Kermit Cintron has come out and stated that Pacquiao’s jump in weight and physical appearance and strength suggest that he may be juicing. It is not just the Mayweathers suggesting this and should the fight come off and Manny win, the question will linger.
To save the fight of the century, Pacquiao should agree to the Olympic style testing, and with all the money on the line, it’s hard to fathom why he wouldn’t. What is interesting about the current negotiations is that this point has apparently not thrown a wrench in the works just yet. You can draw the conclusion that this situation, the only situation that prevented them from fighting earlier, has been resolved one way or another.
Because of the gag order put into place to protect this fight’s negotiations from outside influence, mum is the word, but De La Hoya gave everyone a small window into the ongoing talks. This fight is worth far too much money for it not to happen and there hasn’t been a fight of this magnitude in years. Arguably, the last fight that can compare to this was the showdown in 1999 between undefeated welterweight champions: Felix Trinidad and Oscar De La Hoya. The anticipation was at an all time high and now, I believe it to be even higher for this showdown. It has everything that you would want as a boxing fan.
Floyd Mayweather, JR., has been responsible for some of the biggest selling pay per view events, and that is a testament to his ability to market himself. He has become the new Muhammad Ali. He is the man that you want to see lose…you want to see somebody shut his mouth, which is why a guy that is a defensive whiz with a mediocre punch can sell out arenas. His showdowns with Zab Judah, Oscar De La Hoya, Juan Manuel Marquez, and Shane Mosley were incredible successes. There aren’t many that go into these bouts hoping to see a defensive display. They hope that the opponent at least gives Floyd some scares and tests him because he is so much superior, or perceived to be superior, then all of the other pugilists in the game today.
Manny Pacquiao, the #2 pay per view attraction according to the numbers, earned his popularity through his performance in the ring. He is one of those fighters that love to fight. When he gets hit, he likes it, and becomes more aggressive. He has beaten up on many Mexican legends like Marco Antonio Barrera (twice), Erik Morales (2 out of 3 times) and Juan Manuel Marquez. He is one of only two men to stop Oscar De La Hoya (the other being a middleweight, Bernard Hopkins), outworked tough guy Joshua Clottey, and beat Miguel Cotto into submission. He is the Mike Tyson of today. You wonder just what can stop him…this is why a showdown with Floyd is necessary.
I don’t think that there are many that argue that Floyd and Manny are #1 and #2 pound for pound best in the world…you may argue which occupies top spot, but they are there at the two positions. Style-wise, this fight is perfect with an aggressor with lighting speed going against the defensive master with perfect timing.
The biggest fight in recent history is coming people. There isn’t much that can stop it now. Oscar De La Hoya let it slip that we are close to a deal and we have an alternate source that contacted RSR revealing that Oscar wasn’t off base. Floyd Mayweather, JR., will take on Manny Pacquiao in November, most likely in Las Vegas. There is no bigger fight.
Source: ringsidereport.com
One of the most powerful men in boxing and a man that has had a stake in many of the major fights of the last 15 years, Oscar De La Hoya, was reportedly quoted to say that the mega fight between Floyd Mayweather, JR., and Manny Pacquiao is “very close” to completion. A source close to Team Mayweather has also reported to RSR that the specifics have been ironed out and that the only thing that remains is the contract signing and subsequent announcement of the fight. Is it too good to be true?
After Pacquiao’s destruction of Miguel Cotto and Floyd’s dismantling of Juan Manuel Marquez, the two agreed to a showdown with big money on the line as well as the legacy of both men. Floyd Mayweather, SR., made an observation that turned the bout on its head. He suspected that Manny Pacquiao was on steroids.
Steroids are a problem in every competitive sport and it is not a surprise that it is rampant. With millions of dollars are at stake, people will go to extreme measures. Antonio Margarito is a good example of what a fighter will do to get the competitive edge, loading his hand wraps with plaster of Paris. There have also been consistent rumors that the late Diego Corrales and Marco Antonio Barrera have also implemented the loaded hand wraps throughout their careers.
Although loading gloves seems to be isolated incidents, steroid abuse is a much larger issue. James “Lights Out” Toney, the former middleweight, super middleweight, cruiserweight, and heavyweight champion has tested positive for steroids on more than one occasion. Sugar Shane Mosley admitted using steroids, Fernando Vargas was banned temporarily after testing positive, Jameel McCline, Evander Holyfield, and the list goes on and on of the boxers reportedly “juicing.”
So will the steroids allegations make this fight a no-go again?
The issue isn’t the steroid testing, but the method in which the fighters are tested. Pacquiao’s claim is that the random Olympic style testing would drain him for the fight and I’m sure that they can cite Shane Mosley’s horrible performance against Mayweather in his last fight as evidence. Mayweather wants to employ this testing to overcome the boxers’ ability to avoid testing positive. Many know how to play the game and avoiding a positive test can be accomplished even as a user. That is the point of Team Mayweather and they have some ground to stand on.
Pacquiao may be his own worst enemy. His ability to climb weight divisions and apparently get stronger and more effective as he puts on pounds has raised some red flags, either justly or unjustly. Floyd, SR., watched on as Manny destroyed Miguel Cotto and made the allegation because of how great he looked in the ring. Cotto made some comments that he didn’t rule out that Pacquiao was on steroids and should agree to the Olympic testing.
Recently Kermit Cintron has come out and stated that Pacquiao’s jump in weight and physical appearance and strength suggest that he may be juicing. It is not just the Mayweathers suggesting this and should the fight come off and Manny win, the question will linger.
To save the fight of the century, Pacquiao should agree to the Olympic style testing, and with all the money on the line, it’s hard to fathom why he wouldn’t. What is interesting about the current negotiations is that this point has apparently not thrown a wrench in the works just yet. You can draw the conclusion that this situation, the only situation that prevented them from fighting earlier, has been resolved one way or another.
Because of the gag order put into place to protect this fight’s negotiations from outside influence, mum is the word, but De La Hoya gave everyone a small window into the ongoing talks. This fight is worth far too much money for it not to happen and there hasn’t been a fight of this magnitude in years. Arguably, the last fight that can compare to this was the showdown in 1999 between undefeated welterweight champions: Felix Trinidad and Oscar De La Hoya. The anticipation was at an all time high and now, I believe it to be even higher for this showdown. It has everything that you would want as a boxing fan.
Floyd Mayweather, JR., has been responsible for some of the biggest selling pay per view events, and that is a testament to his ability to market himself. He has become the new Muhammad Ali. He is the man that you want to see lose…you want to see somebody shut his mouth, which is why a guy that is a defensive whiz with a mediocre punch can sell out arenas. His showdowns with Zab Judah, Oscar De La Hoya, Juan Manuel Marquez, and Shane Mosley were incredible successes. There aren’t many that go into these bouts hoping to see a defensive display. They hope that the opponent at least gives Floyd some scares and tests him because he is so much superior, or perceived to be superior, then all of the other pugilists in the game today.
Manny Pacquiao, the #2 pay per view attraction according to the numbers, earned his popularity through his performance in the ring. He is one of those fighters that love to fight. When he gets hit, he likes it, and becomes more aggressive. He has beaten up on many Mexican legends like Marco Antonio Barrera (twice), Erik Morales (2 out of 3 times) and Juan Manuel Marquez. He is one of only two men to stop Oscar De La Hoya (the other being a middleweight, Bernard Hopkins), outworked tough guy Joshua Clottey, and beat Miguel Cotto into submission. He is the Mike Tyson of today. You wonder just what can stop him…this is why a showdown with Floyd is necessary.
I don’t think that there are many that argue that Floyd and Manny are #1 and #2 pound for pound best in the world…you may argue which occupies top spot, but they are there at the two positions. Style-wise, this fight is perfect with an aggressor with lighting speed going against the defensive master with perfect timing.
The biggest fight in recent history is coming people. There isn’t much that can stop it now. Oscar De La Hoya let it slip that we are close to a deal and we have an alternate source that contacted RSR revealing that Oscar wasn’t off base. Floyd Mayweather, JR., will take on Manny Pacquiao in November, most likely in Las Vegas. There is no bigger fight.
Source: ringsidereport.com
Wednesday, 16 June 2010
Arum optimistic, De La Hoya says it's almost done, but Ariza believes Mayweather won't fight Pacquiao
By Ronnie Nathanielsz, PhilBoxing.comWhile Top Rank promoter Bob Arum remains optimistic and Golden Boy Promotions Oscar De La Hoya claims a mega-buck fight between pound-for-pound king and “Fighter of the Decade” Manny Pacquiao and undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr is almost done, Pacquiao’s conditioning expert Alex Ariza believes it won’t happen because Mayweather doesn’t want to lose.
Ariza said the report that Mayweather was going to take “a little bit of time off ” and the fact that the Nevada State Athletic Commission “slammed the door on the US Anti Doping Agency” by indicating that random drug testing is not going to be a part of the pre and post-fight procedure is certain to make it more difficult to arrive at an agreement. The conditioning guru said “I don’t think you can put a price on that and I think Mayweather is afraid of that (losing) because being undefeated is the only thing that validates Mayweather in his heart and in the sport.”
Given this possibility Ariza said a rematch with newly crowned WBA light middleweight champion Miguel Cotto “is very likely” stating that Pacquiao can win his eighth title in eight different divisions and solidify his position as the greatest fighter. He said fighting Antonio Margarito was also an option and “would be a good fight for us” even as he mentioned Juan Manuel Marquez as another possible opponent.
Asked whether fighting Cotto at 154 pounds would be difficult for Pacquiao, Ariza replied “I don’t think so. I think Manny can knockout Cotto at 154.”
Pacquiao scored a dominating 12th round TKO over Cotto to win the Puerto Rican’s WBO welterweight title and the WBC “Diamond Belt” last November and Ariza feels the extra weight won’t make a difference.
Arum who has been quietly striving to reach and agreement with Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer on a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight said the other day he was still “optimistic” that it could be done.
Oscar De La Hoya on the other hand was far more direct saying "I can't talk right now in detail about the negotiations but I can say that we are very close.
Up until now, it's been a very difficult negotiation process for various reasons but right now we're very close.”
De La Hoya added "I think right now we are very, very close in finalizing the contracts.
"It's going to be a big, big fight!"
Source: philboxing.com
Tuesday, 1 June 2010
Manny Pacquiao, Freddie Roach Fighter, Trainer Of The Year -- FanHouse
By Lem Satterfield, FanHouse.com
Seven-division champion, Manny Pacquiao, will receive his milestone third, consecutive Fighter Of The Year Award, as well as his first honor as Fighter Of The Decade, on Friday night at the 85th annual Boxing Writers' Association of America Awards Dinner at The Roosevelt Hotel in New York City.
In victory, the 31-year-old Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 knockouts) ties three-time heavyweight champion, Muhammad Ali, and, four-time heavyweight titlist, Evander Holyfield, as three-time recepients of the designation, whose official name is "The Sugar Ray Robinson Fighter Of The Year" award.
Also being honored on Friday is Pacquiao's Hall Of Fame chief cornerman, Freddie Roach
, who will be named Trainer Of The Year for a record fourth consecutive time. Trainer Of The Year is named after the late Eddie Futch, who is Roach's mentor.
Also being recognized is February's 2009 Fight Of The Year between Juan Manuel Marquez and Juan Diaz, which ended with Marquez coming from behind to score a ninth-round knockout for the vacant WBO and WBA lightweight (135 pounds) titles.
The Fight Of The Year Award has been renamed in honor of Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, the latter of whom is expected to attend the event.
Pacquiao is 12-0, with eight knockouts since his last loss, a March of 2005 unanimous decision setback against Mexican great, Erik Morales.
A recent winner of a congressional seat in his native Philippines, Pacquiao's cross-over appeal has transformed him into an international superstar.
"Muhammad Ali was a beloved figure in his prime, but also a reviled figure. There were people on both sides of the political spectrum, particularly regarding the war in Vietnam. The ones that opposed it loved Ali, and the ones who were in favor of it didn't," his promoter, Bob Arum, has told FanHouse.
"But until he was long-retired, Ali was never the universally admired figure in this country and around the world like Manny Pacquiao, who is someone different," said Arum. "Anybody who is aware of Manny Pacqiao loves him, admires him, and there are no haters. There is no right or left when it comes to Manny Pacquiao. That's made him a more universally revered figure than Muhammad Ali."
Pacquiao's winning streak includes consecutive knockouts in four straight fights over former world champs, David Diaz, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, and, Miguel Cotto, respectively, in nine, eight, two, and, 12 rounds before earning a March unanimous decision over former titlist, Joshua Clottey.
The run also comprises having twice avenged the loss to Morales, whom he stopped in 10, and, three rounds, in January and November 2006.
Pacquiao's winning spree also includes 12-round triumphs over Mexican legends Marco Antonio Barrera and Juan Manuel Marquez, as well as an eighth-round knockout of Jorge Solis, who entered their matchup unbeaten at 33-0-2, with 24 knockouts.
Some critics have questioned Pacquiao's ability to carry his two-fisted power against a champion who represented the largest and strongest man he had ever faced in the ring.
Pacquiao, who fought Cotto at a catchweight of 145 pounds, weighed in at 144 -- his highest since the 142 against De La Hoya, as well as 138 against Hatton before tipping the scales at a career-high 145 and three fourths against Clottey.
Other honorees include a posthumous dedication to former world champion, Alexis Arguello, as the recepient of The Marvin Kohn "Good Guy" Award, and broadcaster Nick Charles and former heavyweight contender, George Chuvalo, as the winners of The "Bill Crawford Perseverance in Overcoming Adversity" Award.
Source: boxing.fanhouse.com
Seven-division champion, Manny Pacquiao, will receive his milestone third, consecutive Fighter Of The Year Award, as well as his first honor as Fighter Of The Decade, on Friday night at the 85th annual Boxing Writers' Association of America Awards Dinner at The Roosevelt Hotel in New York City.
In victory, the 31-year-old Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 knockouts) ties three-time heavyweight champion, Muhammad Ali, and, four-time heavyweight titlist, Evander Holyfield, as three-time recepients of the designation, whose official name is "The Sugar Ray Robinson Fighter Of The Year" award.
Also being honored on Friday is Pacquiao's Hall Of Fame chief cornerman, Freddie Roach, who will be named Trainer Of The Year for a record fourth consecutive time. Trainer Of The Year is named after the late Eddie Futch, who is Roach's mentor.Also being recognized is February's 2009 Fight Of The Year between Juan Manuel Marquez and Juan Diaz, which ended with Marquez coming from behind to score a ninth-round knockout for the vacant WBO and WBA lightweight (135 pounds) titles.
The Fight Of The Year Award has been renamed in honor of Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, the latter of whom is expected to attend the event.
Pacquiao is 12-0, with eight knockouts since his last loss, a March of 2005 unanimous decision setback against Mexican great, Erik Morales.
A recent winner of a congressional seat in his native Philippines, Pacquiao's cross-over appeal has transformed him into an international superstar.
"Muhammad Ali was a beloved figure in his prime, but also a reviled figure. There were people on both sides of the political spectrum, particularly regarding the war in Vietnam. The ones that opposed it loved Ali, and the ones who were in favor of it didn't," his promoter, Bob Arum, has told FanHouse.
"But until he was long-retired, Ali was never the universally admired figure in this country and around the world like Manny Pacquiao, who is someone different," said Arum. "Anybody who is aware of Manny Pacqiao loves him, admires him, and there are no haters. There is no right or left when it comes to Manny Pacquiao. That's made him a more universally revered figure than Muhammad Ali."
Pacquiao's winning streak includes consecutive knockouts in four straight fights over former world champs, David Diaz, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, and, Miguel Cotto, respectively, in nine, eight, two, and, 12 rounds before earning a March unanimous decision over former titlist, Joshua Clottey.
The run also comprises having twice avenged the loss to Morales, whom he stopped in 10, and, three rounds, in January and November 2006.
Pacquiao's winning spree also includes 12-round triumphs over Mexican legends Marco Antonio Barrera and Juan Manuel Marquez, as well as an eighth-round knockout of Jorge Solis, who entered their matchup unbeaten at 33-0-2, with 24 knockouts.
Some critics have questioned Pacquiao's ability to carry his two-fisted power against a champion who represented the largest and strongest man he had ever faced in the ring.
Pacquiao, who fought Cotto at a catchweight of 145 pounds, weighed in at 144 -- his highest since the 142 against De La Hoya, as well as 138 against Hatton before tipping the scales at a career-high 145 and three fourths against Clottey.
Other honorees include a posthumous dedication to former world champion, Alexis Arguello, as the recepient of The Marvin Kohn "Good Guy" Award, and broadcaster Nick Charles and former heavyweight contender, George Chuvalo, as the winners of The "Bill Crawford Perseverance in Overcoming Adversity" Award.
Source: boxing.fanhouse.com
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