By Danny Buenafe, ABS-CBN Europe News
LONDON - Two popular Hollywood celebrities believe that Filipino boxing champ Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao will win in his next major fight against undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr., in March.
Pacquiao drew support from big-time movie icons Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law, who both share stellar roles in the most anticipated movie of the year, “Sherlock Holmes”.
Both stars also admit the Pacman has somehow influenced some of their action fight scenes as the movie "Sherlock Holmes" hits the big screen worldwide on Christmas Day. The movie will be shown in the Philippines on January 8.
ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau was the only Filipino television network invited to the red carpet premiere of the movie at the Empire Theatre in Leicester Square, London.
Downey and Law took up formal lessons in martial arts and boxing to prepare for their roles. They said they are big fans of Pacquiao.
Even British Director Guy Ritchie is a fan of the Pacman. Ritchie was one of those who could not believe that Pacquiao would demolish their boxing hero, Ricky Hatton, in just 2 rounds.
Ritchie, Downey and Law are open to suggestions to do independent films, which is becoming a popular and rewarding trend in the movie business, especially in the Philippines.
They believe “Sherlock Holmes” will be widely accepted even in the Philippines because it's action-packed and challenges the intellectual mind.
A fictional British detective, Sherlock Holmes embodies the gift of seeing beyond the obvious, and discerning the truth from within the haze of deception.
Created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in the 1800, the brilliant detective has become one of pop culture's most enduring figures whose adventures are among the most widely read in the history of the English language.
The movie also stars Rachel McAdams and Mark Strong.
Source: abs-cbnnews.com
Friday, 18 December 2009
Freddie Roach on the Mayweathers, Drug Testing -- FanHouse
By Lem Satterfield, FanHouse
Last month, Freddie Roach trained and led Manny Pacquiao to a knockout of Miguel Cotto for an unprecedented seventh crown in as many different weight classes in Las Vegas.
Three weeks later on Dec. 5, Roach was in New Castle, England, guiding 140-pound champion Amir Khan to a first-round knockout of Dmitriy Salita.
And on Saturday night, the 49-year-old boxing guru will be in Youngstown, Ohio, in the corner of former U.S. Olympian Vanes Martirosyan (25-0, 16 knockouts) of Glendale, Calif.
The 23-year-old Martirosyan will challenge NABF junior middleweight (154 pounds) champion and southpaw Willie Lee (17-5, 10 KOs) of New Orleans in a 12-rounder at the Beeghly Center.
The constant travel across time zones and continents and resulting jet-lag could be a lot to take for anyone, let alone someone such as Roach, who is doing so while enduring the potentially debilitating affects of Parkinson's -- the degenerative central nervous system disorder that can impair speech, motor skills and other functions.
"I pretty much just ignore it and work as hard as I can," said Roach, a Hall of Fame trainer and three-time Trainer Of The Year who is the proprietor of the prestigious Wild Card Boxing Club in Los Angeles.
In an interview with FanHouse on Thursday afternoon, Roach shared his thoughts on Floyd Mayweather Jr., the man Pacquiao will face on March 13, likely at Las Vegas' MGM Grand or the Dallas Cowboys' Stadium in Arlington, Texas, as well as the fighter's father, Floyd Sr., and trainer-uncle, Roger.
FanHouse: What is your secret for being so active while enduring Parkinson's?
Freddie Roach: Sometimes, when I'm with close friends, and they see me shaking, they'll say, 'Freddie, take your medication.' [Laughs.] But the thing is, it's something that I deal with, and I'm just not going to let it take over.
You've got to fight and stay active, and that's the best thing for me, at least. I'm not going to let it win, that's for sure.
FH: If you were able to sit down and talk to Floyd Mayweather Jr., how would that conversation go?
Roach: Well, I think, Floyd Jr., I could reason with. I think that we actually get along pretty well -- until I start talking trash about him. [Laughs].
After the Oscar de La Hoya fight, when I trained Oscar against Floyd, he told me, '[Oscar] would never have gone the distance without you.'
I think Floyd respects me, and I respect him as a fighter. I'd like to see Floyd Jr. recognize that he's a role model, and I don't think that he realizes how many kids out there look up to him.
I think that he should calm it down a little bit and be more respectful and just be a better role model for the younger kids growing up in the world today. He's definitely that role model.
Throwing money around, and so forth, I don't think that's being the best role model in the world. But I think that he should take that into consideration and maybe be a better person.
Again, these young kids, they want to be like him and they'll do what he does. They want to be like Floyd Mayweather Jr.
FH: Could you sit down with Floyd Mayweather Sr. without the gloves going on?
Roach: Senior, yeah, because he's not a bad guy. He has his poems and so forth, but he's rather harmless and he doesn't really offend me that much.
Sometime or another, when I'm in a bad mood, I'll fire back. But, we can definitely sit down and talk for sure.
FH: How about Roger Mayweather?
Roach: The third Mayweather -- Roger? Nah. Because he disrespects my trainer. He talks badly about Eddie Futch, and I hate that.
You know, Eddie Futch passed away and he can't defend himself. I don't like that whatsoever. But the dad, Floyd Sr., and Floyd Jr., I could definitely talk to.
But Roger? No.
FH: What are your thoughts on the random Olympic-style drug-testing proposed by the Floyd Mayweather camp for both Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao prior to the fight?
Roach: I have no problem with that whatsoever. Whatever kind of testing they want is no problem. I have trouble giving Manny Pacquiao vitamins. He won't take any protein drinks. No problem at all.
Rice is Manny Pacquiao taking steroids. That's all that he eats in the Philippines.
Source: boxing.fanhouse.com
Last month, Freddie Roach trained and led Manny Pacquiao to a knockout of Miguel Cotto for an unprecedented seventh crown in as many different weight classes in Las Vegas.
Three weeks later on Dec. 5, Roach was in New Castle, England, guiding 140-pound champion Amir Khan to a first-round knockout of Dmitriy Salita.
And on Saturday night, the 49-year-old boxing guru will be in Youngstown, Ohio, in the corner of former U.S. Olympian Vanes Martirosyan (25-0, 16 knockouts) of Glendale, Calif.
The 23-year-old Martirosyan will challenge NABF junior middleweight (154 pounds) champion and southpaw Willie Lee (17-5, 10 KOs) of New Orleans in a 12-rounder at the Beeghly Center.
The constant travel across time zones and continents and resulting jet-lag could be a lot to take for anyone, let alone someone such as Roach, who is doing so while enduring the potentially debilitating affects of Parkinson's -- the degenerative central nervous system disorder that can impair speech, motor skills and other functions.
"I pretty much just ignore it and work as hard as I can," said Roach, a Hall of Fame trainer and three-time Trainer Of The Year who is the proprietor of the prestigious Wild Card Boxing Club in Los Angeles.
In an interview with FanHouse on Thursday afternoon, Roach shared his thoughts on Floyd Mayweather Jr., the man Pacquiao will face on March 13, likely at Las Vegas' MGM Grand or the Dallas Cowboys' Stadium in Arlington, Texas, as well as the fighter's father, Floyd Sr., and trainer-uncle, Roger.
FanHouse: What is your secret for being so active while enduring Parkinson's?
Freddie Roach: Sometimes, when I'm with close friends, and they see me shaking, they'll say, 'Freddie, take your medication.' [Laughs.] But the thing is, it's something that I deal with, and I'm just not going to let it take over.
You've got to fight and stay active, and that's the best thing for me, at least. I'm not going to let it win, that's for sure.
FH: If you were able to sit down and talk to Floyd Mayweather Jr., how would that conversation go?
Roach: Well, I think, Floyd Jr., I could reason with. I think that we actually get along pretty well -- until I start talking trash about him. [Laughs].
After the Oscar de La Hoya fight, when I trained Oscar against Floyd, he told me, '[Oscar] would never have gone the distance without you.'
I think Floyd respects me, and I respect him as a fighter. I'd like to see Floyd Jr. recognize that he's a role model, and I don't think that he realizes how many kids out there look up to him.
I think that he should calm it down a little bit and be more respectful and just be a better role model for the younger kids growing up in the world today. He's definitely that role model.
Throwing money around, and so forth, I don't think that's being the best role model in the world. But I think that he should take that into consideration and maybe be a better person.
Again, these young kids, they want to be like him and they'll do what he does. They want to be like Floyd Mayweather Jr.
FH: Could you sit down with Floyd Mayweather Sr. without the gloves going on?
Roach: Senior, yeah, because he's not a bad guy. He has his poems and so forth, but he's rather harmless and he doesn't really offend me that much.
Sometime or another, when I'm in a bad mood, I'll fire back. But, we can definitely sit down and talk for sure.
FH: How about Roger Mayweather?
Roach: The third Mayweather -- Roger? Nah. Because he disrespects my trainer. He talks badly about Eddie Futch, and I hate that.
You know, Eddie Futch passed away and he can't defend himself. I don't like that whatsoever. But the dad, Floyd Sr., and Floyd Jr., I could definitely talk to.
But Roger? No.
FH: What are your thoughts on the random Olympic-style drug-testing proposed by the Floyd Mayweather camp for both Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao prior to the fight?
Roach: I have no problem with that whatsoever. Whatever kind of testing they want is no problem. I have trouble giving Manny Pacquiao vitamins. He won't take any protein drinks. No problem at all.
Rice is Manny Pacquiao taking steroids. That's all that he eats in the Philippines.
Source: boxing.fanhouse.com
Entire Mayweather-Pacquiao deal is 50-50 split -- Examiner.com
By Michael Marley, Examiner.com
In case you're wondering how the overall deal to make the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao super bout has come so far so fast, it is because there has been no bickering over who gets the bigger slice of the pie.
Recognizing each other as equal in stature, the two sides are going right down the middle--50-50 split--on all revenue sources for the March 13 battle of champions generally considered the world's two best pound for pound fighters.
"That agreement greased the way to get right into all the other subjects," a source familiar with the ongoing negotiations told me Thursday night. "That's why the only big hurdle remaining here is the where meaning whether the fight lands in Arlington, TX., or in the so familiar MGM Grand Garden Arena."
Both sides are hoping to choose either Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones offer or the deal proposed by MGM Grand Mirage, which owns 19 casinos besides the MGM Grand, shortly, perhaps as soon as this weekend.
When all terms can be reduced to writing and Floyd and Manny put their "John Hancocks" at the bottom, the next move will be to formalize plans for the January 8 promotion press conference launch in New York.
It looks as though a second presser will take place in Los Angeles soon after.
Then Pacman will begin training in Baguio while Mayweather likely stays close to his Big Boy Mansion and personally owned gym in Vegas.
(mlcmarley@aol.com)
Source: examiner.com
In case you're wondering how the overall deal to make the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao super bout has come so far so fast, it is because there has been no bickering over who gets the bigger slice of the pie.
Recognizing each other as equal in stature, the two sides are going right down the middle--50-50 split--on all revenue sources for the March 13 battle of champions generally considered the world's two best pound for pound fighters.
"That agreement greased the way to get right into all the other subjects," a source familiar with the ongoing negotiations told me Thursday night. "That's why the only big hurdle remaining here is the where meaning whether the fight lands in Arlington, TX., or in the so familiar MGM Grand Garden Arena."
Both sides are hoping to choose either Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones offer or the deal proposed by MGM Grand Mirage, which owns 19 casinos besides the MGM Grand, shortly, perhaps as soon as this weekend.
When all terms can be reduced to writing and Floyd and Manny put their "John Hancocks" at the bottom, the next move will be to formalize plans for the January 8 promotion press conference launch in New York.
It looks as though a second presser will take place in Los Angeles soon after.
Then Pacman will begin training in Baguio while Mayweather likely stays close to his Big Boy Mansion and personally owned gym in Vegas.
(mlcmarley@aol.com)
Source: examiner.com
Berto crams for career-defining welterweight test -- The Miami Herald
By Lyle Fitzsimmons, The Sports Network
Kindergarten was a breeze. Middle school was a cakewalk.
And high school, even with an occasionally difficult pop quiz, yielded honor- roll grades.
But late January in Las Vegas represents a little something different for Andre Berto.
It's college graduation day.
"I've had a lot of fights against guys where I was able to work on things. To see what was successful and what wasn't," said the 26-year-old Floridian. "But now it's step-up time. It's like I'm in with the teacher and I'm the student, and I get the chance to show everyone what I've learned.
"I'm in with a guy who I've looked up to since I first started watching boxing and who was a world champion I emulated when I was an amateur. To think I'll be in there fighting him is unreal. I can honestly say I never thought I'd be in this position."
Grading Berto's final exam will be 38-year-old Shane Mosley -- the already three-division champ who reemerged with a ninth-round TKO of Antonio Margarito last January to earn both a dubious WBA "super" title belt and a groundswell of support as the best fighter at 147 pounds.
Berto discussed the fight during a break in Week 4 of training camp in Winter Haven, Fla.
The youngster holds the WBC's gaudy green jewelry at welterweight, but is generally considered no better than fifth in the class behind Mosley and new WBO champion Manny Pacquiao, along with recent PacMan victim Miguel Cotto and prospective New Year opponent Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Combined, the foursome has won world titles in 16 divisions.
But Berto still considers his four title fights ample preparation for an advanced course.
"I've always had the mindset and the intention to be considered the best and I believe I am the best," he said. "But I'm a younger guy and the other guys have been around longer and people know them better, so I understand the rankings and all that.
"I'm a humble guy, so I'm not going to be the one doing all the talking about who's this and who's that. I'm in a position now where fights can be made and if I do the things I need to do, that sort of thing will sort itself out. I'm here for a reason and I'm a fresh face. That's how I look at it."
A Haitian Olympian in 2004, Berto won 21 straight as an underclassman before gaining championship status with a seventh-round TKO of Miguel Rodriguez at the FedEx Forum in Memphis in June 2008.
Three defenses of varying difficulty have followed, ending in unanimous decisions over Steve Forbes, Luis Collazo and Juan Urango in which Berto won 77 of a possible 108 rounds.
Clearly Mosley, who won the IBF lightweight title a month before his foe turned 14, is a different animal.
"I plan to go in there and use the same methods that has gotten me to where I am," Berto said. "I'm a newer guy and maybe I can bring something that he hasn't been up against before. I've always been thought of as one of the stronger guys, so the way I look at it it's going to be two sharp and fast guys in there going toe to toe, using their speed and power."
Provided things go as planned against Mosley, Berto -- who's promoted by Lou DiBella -- reeled off the predictable laundry list of register-ringing foils now residing at welterweight.
He declined, however, to confirm an interest in sparring with Pacquiao as the Filipino prepares to meet Mayweather on March 13. Recent reports indicated Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach coveted Berto for that role following the Mosley fight.
"I really can't say," Berto said. "I'll probably be in contact with (Roach) to see if he was really serious about it, because right now I don't even know that. But my mind is so focused on my own business right now that I can't really comment on things like that. It's not a priority."
He was similarly reticent to issue a prediction for the welterweight mega- match.
"Floyd's a great friend of mine and he's a tactical genius in the ring," Berto said. "His record speaks for itself. And obviously Pacquiao has been on a great roll, too. It's a great fight and I'm just like everybody else. I can't wait to see it and see how it unfolds."
This week's title-fight schedule:
FRIDAY WBC bantamweight title -- Kobe, Japan Hozumi Hasegawa (champion) vs. Alvaro Perez (No. 9 contender) Hasegawa (27-2, 11 KO): Tenth title defense; Four-fight KO streak Perez (18-1-1, 12 KO): First title fight; Unbeaten since 2005 (7-0, 4 KO) Fitzbitz says: Hasegawa in 10
SATURDAY IBF featherweight title -- Tijuana, Mexico Cristobal Cruz (champion) vs. Ricardo Castillo (No. 15 contender) Cruz (39-11-1, 23 KO): Third title defense; Unbeaten since May 2007 (5-0, 1 KO) Castillo (38-7, 25 KO): Losses in three previous title fights; Unbeaten in 2009 (3-0, 1 KO) Fitzbitz says: Cruz by decision
WBC lightweight title -- La Guaira, Venezuela Edwin Valero (champion) vs. Hector Velazquez (No. 14 contender) Valero (25-0, 25 KO): First title defense; Ex-WBA champion at 130 (2006-08) Velazquez (51-13-2, 35 KO): First title fight; One win in last three fights (1-2, 0 KO) Fitzbitz says: Valero in 3
WBC/WBO middleweight title -- Youngstown, Ohio Kelly Pavlik (WBC/WBO champion) vs. Miguel Angel Espino (No. 3 WBC/No. 10 WBO contender) Pavlik (35-1, 31 KO): Third title defense; Unbeaten at 160 pounds and below (19-0, 19 KO) Espino (20-2-1, 9 KO): First title fight; Unbeaten since 2004 (11-0, 6 KO) Fitzbitz says: Pavlik in 9
WBO light heavyweight title -- Schwerin, Germany Juergen Braehmer (champion) vs. Dmitry Sukhotsky (No. 6 contender) Braehmer (34-2, 28 KO): First title defense; Awarded title when Zsolt Erdei vacated Sukhotsky (14-0, 9 KO): First title fight; Five-fight KO streak since 2008 Fitzbitz says: Braehmer by decision
Last week's picks: 3-0 Overall picks record: 153-58 (72.5 percent)
Lyle Fitzsimmons is an award-winning 21-year sports journalist, a full voting member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and a frequent contributor to sports radio talk shows across the U.S. Reach him at fitzbitz@msn.com, follow him at twitter.com/fitzbitz or read more at fitzbitzonfights.wordpress.com.
Source: miamiherald.com
Kindergarten was a breeze. Middle school was a cakewalk.
And high school, even with an occasionally difficult pop quiz, yielded honor- roll grades.
But late January in Las Vegas represents a little something different for Andre Berto.
It's college graduation day.
"I've had a lot of fights against guys where I was able to work on things. To see what was successful and what wasn't," said the 26-year-old Floridian. "But now it's step-up time. It's like I'm in with the teacher and I'm the student, and I get the chance to show everyone what I've learned.
"I'm in with a guy who I've looked up to since I first started watching boxing and who was a world champion I emulated when I was an amateur. To think I'll be in there fighting him is unreal. I can honestly say I never thought I'd be in this position."
Grading Berto's final exam will be 38-year-old Shane Mosley -- the already three-division champ who reemerged with a ninth-round TKO of Antonio Margarito last January to earn both a dubious WBA "super" title belt and a groundswell of support as the best fighter at 147 pounds.
Berto discussed the fight during a break in Week 4 of training camp in Winter Haven, Fla.
The youngster holds the WBC's gaudy green jewelry at welterweight, but is generally considered no better than fifth in the class behind Mosley and new WBO champion Manny Pacquiao, along with recent PacMan victim Miguel Cotto and prospective New Year opponent Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Combined, the foursome has won world titles in 16 divisions.
But Berto still considers his four title fights ample preparation for an advanced course.
"I've always had the mindset and the intention to be considered the best and I believe I am the best," he said. "But I'm a younger guy and the other guys have been around longer and people know them better, so I understand the rankings and all that.
"I'm a humble guy, so I'm not going to be the one doing all the talking about who's this and who's that. I'm in a position now where fights can be made and if I do the things I need to do, that sort of thing will sort itself out. I'm here for a reason and I'm a fresh face. That's how I look at it."
A Haitian Olympian in 2004, Berto won 21 straight as an underclassman before gaining championship status with a seventh-round TKO of Miguel Rodriguez at the FedEx Forum in Memphis in June 2008.
Three defenses of varying difficulty have followed, ending in unanimous decisions over Steve Forbes, Luis Collazo and Juan Urango in which Berto won 77 of a possible 108 rounds.
Clearly Mosley, who won the IBF lightweight title a month before his foe turned 14, is a different animal.
"I plan to go in there and use the same methods that has gotten me to where I am," Berto said. "I'm a newer guy and maybe I can bring something that he hasn't been up against before. I've always been thought of as one of the stronger guys, so the way I look at it it's going to be two sharp and fast guys in there going toe to toe, using their speed and power."
Provided things go as planned against Mosley, Berto -- who's promoted by Lou DiBella -- reeled off the predictable laundry list of register-ringing foils now residing at welterweight.
He declined, however, to confirm an interest in sparring with Pacquiao as the Filipino prepares to meet Mayweather on March 13. Recent reports indicated Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach coveted Berto for that role following the Mosley fight.
"I really can't say," Berto said. "I'll probably be in contact with (Roach) to see if he was really serious about it, because right now I don't even know that. But my mind is so focused on my own business right now that I can't really comment on things like that. It's not a priority."
He was similarly reticent to issue a prediction for the welterweight mega- match.
"Floyd's a great friend of mine and he's a tactical genius in the ring," Berto said. "His record speaks for itself. And obviously Pacquiao has been on a great roll, too. It's a great fight and I'm just like everybody else. I can't wait to see it and see how it unfolds."
This week's title-fight schedule:
FRIDAY WBC bantamweight title -- Kobe, Japan Hozumi Hasegawa (champion) vs. Alvaro Perez (No. 9 contender) Hasegawa (27-2, 11 KO): Tenth title defense; Four-fight KO streak Perez (18-1-1, 12 KO): First title fight; Unbeaten since 2005 (7-0, 4 KO) Fitzbitz says: Hasegawa in 10
SATURDAY IBF featherweight title -- Tijuana, Mexico Cristobal Cruz (champion) vs. Ricardo Castillo (No. 15 contender) Cruz (39-11-1, 23 KO): Third title defense; Unbeaten since May 2007 (5-0, 1 KO) Castillo (38-7, 25 KO): Losses in three previous title fights; Unbeaten in 2009 (3-0, 1 KO) Fitzbitz says: Cruz by decision
WBC lightweight title -- La Guaira, Venezuela Edwin Valero (champion) vs. Hector Velazquez (No. 14 contender) Valero (25-0, 25 KO): First title defense; Ex-WBA champion at 130 (2006-08) Velazquez (51-13-2, 35 KO): First title fight; One win in last three fights (1-2, 0 KO) Fitzbitz says: Valero in 3
WBC/WBO middleweight title -- Youngstown, Ohio Kelly Pavlik (WBC/WBO champion) vs. Miguel Angel Espino (No. 3 WBC/No. 10 WBO contender) Pavlik (35-1, 31 KO): Third title defense; Unbeaten at 160 pounds and below (19-0, 19 KO) Espino (20-2-1, 9 KO): First title fight; Unbeaten since 2004 (11-0, 6 KO) Fitzbitz says: Pavlik in 9
WBO light heavyweight title -- Schwerin, Germany Juergen Braehmer (champion) vs. Dmitry Sukhotsky (No. 6 contender) Braehmer (34-2, 28 KO): First title defense; Awarded title when Zsolt Erdei vacated Sukhotsky (14-0, 9 KO): First title fight; Five-fight KO streak since 2008 Fitzbitz says: Braehmer by decision
Last week's picks: 3-0 Overall picks record: 153-58 (72.5 percent)
Lyle Fitzsimmons is an award-winning 21-year sports journalist, a full voting member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and a frequent contributor to sports radio talk shows across the U.S. Reach him at fitzbitz@msn.com, follow him at twitter.com/fitzbitz or read more at fitzbitzonfights.wordpress.com.
Source: miamiherald.com
“The Executioner's” Road in 2010? -- SecondsOut.com
By Steve Kim, SecondsOut.com
While he is squarely focused on finalizing the Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather match-up, Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer still has other business to take care of. Namely, finding Bernard Hopkins his next fight. He was supposed to have faced Roy Jones this upcoming spring before Jones was knocked out by Danny Green a few weeks ago in Australia.
But that doesn’t mean that the possibilities are limited for “The Executioner.”
Schaefer told Maxboxing on Wednesday morning, "We basically evaluated all the different options for him and you know all these names. It was Roy Jones, who threw his hat in the race again, coming up with some creative deal structure. There was Don King calling about Felix Trinidad."
Roy Jones?!?!
He must’ve forgot what took place on December the 2nd. And Trinidad can’t even be taken seriously.
"There was HBO being interested in Chad Dawson and Paul Williams fights," continued Schaefer, "There was (Tomasz) Adamek, there was Lucian Bute and there is Danny Green. So it’s a pretty long list. So Bernard, what he wanted me to do was to evaluate just how realistic the various options are. So that’s what I’ve been doing, as well, the last few days. So here we go."
Schaefer has no delusions of grandeur; he realizes that we are coming up to the year 2010, not 2002.
"Jones and Trinidad, I don’t think are realistic. Adamek, HBO has no interest in that fight. So that eliminates that," he explained. "Then you have Paul Williams. [Williams’ promoter] Dan Goossen called out Bernard. But the issue there [is] the weight. Bernard is not going to be able to go lower than 175 pounds; maybe give or take a couple pounds. So that eliminates Paul Williams. Chad Dawson is living in a dream world and I think he should keep on dreaming about the potential Hopkins fight. I wish him sweet dreams. So that one is eliminated as well.
Schaefer adds, "So then we basically have two guys; we have Bute and Green. And these are the two names we’re focusing on in the last two days. As a matter of fact, yesterday (Tuesday), I met with Danny Green in my office with his advisor, Gary Shaw, and we have been going through the numbers for a Hopkins fight happening in Australia and there is some interest from the networks for that fight, as well. Then we have been looking at a Bute fight. So I had conversations with Bute’s promoter, Interbox, and we have been going through those numbers, as well. There is interest from the networks for that fight."
To maximize his earning potential, Hopkins will most likely have to fight outside the United States.
"Now I’m going to be fine-tuning the numbers," said Schaefer. "I need to get the exact numbers from the overseas revenue sources and from the domestic revenue sources and then see what kind of deal structure we can do with the various camps and then go to Bernard and tell him, “Look, here is the deal. If you go to Australia’ -which he’s willing to do- ’this is what the compensation package would look like.’ And if he would be going to Canada, which he’s willing to do, as well, ’Here’s what that package is going to look like.’"
Schaefer says that Hopkins would prefer to get back into the ring in March. But another source says that a bout with Green in Australia would most likely have to take place in early April.
STUFF
Worked the phones like crazy on Wednesday after taping “The Main Event” (this week’s guests are Calvin Watkins and Tom Hauser) and there is plenty brewing...
- Amir Khan was back in Los Angeles, already, and the word is that he’s meeting with various “people.” I’m hearing that he and his promoter Frank Warren are having some issues. Could something be brewing here? It wouldn’t be the first time Warren lost a marquee attraction once they got on American soil (Naseem Hamed, Ricky Hatton and Joe Calzaghe).
Once source told me that he could be facing Nate Campbell on March 6th on HBO.
- Don’t be stunned if Kelly Pavlik’s next foe, should he get past Miguel Espino as expected this weekend in Youngstown, Ohio, is WBA beltholder Felix Sturm. The idea is already being kicked around by Top Rank; I’m told.
- Word is that Hopkins, for whatever reason, has grown very disenchanted with Golden Boy Promotions. Now, from the outside looking in, not knowing everything, why would he be upset with his “partner” that has seemingly represented him well and taken a relatively small slice of his pie? If he bolts GBP, I think he goes down as perhaps the sport’s biggest malcontent.
But the bigger question is: What happens to Golden Boy East, at that point?
- One prominent promoter believes that the March 13th date for Pacquiao-Mayweather is a bit rushed and says that he believes there are bigger obstacles to this fight being completed than being let on publicly by the two factions. But he says, "It just seems too early. December is already over, and it’s following the Super Bowl and the Olympics. If you’re expecting to do the biggest fight in boxing history, don’t you need more time?"
Don’t think I can disagree with that.
FIGHT NIGHT CLUB
Golden Boy has nailed down their dates for the second season of their successful “Fight Night Club” series at the Club Nokia at LA Live. The dates are as follows:
February 25th
March 25th
April 29th
May 27th
June 24th
July 29th
August 26th
September 30th
October 28th
See you guys there. First, second and third round is on everyone but me.
HUMP DAY FLURRIES
In my fantasy “Super Six” at junior welterweight, I somehow omitted Marcos Maidana. Trust me, he and Tim Bradley would be the first two guys I would include in this format...Wow, just when you think it can’t get any worse for Tiger Woods. Are sports writers going to label this whole saga a “divot” for the game of golf?...Let’s see, if you have DirecTV, you don’t get “Versus” but you get the NFL Network (meaning you get games like the Saints-Cowboys this Saturday night). I’d call that a fair trade off...”The U” was the highest rated documentary ever shown by ESPN with a 1.8 rating this past Saturday night. And yes, I’m told by one of the producers, they will be releasing a directors cut DVD next year...OK, fess up, how many of you guys will be ordering this weekend’s pay-per-view show being distributed by Top Rank featuring the return of Kelly Pavlik?...I can be reached at k9kim@yahoo.com... Twitter.com/stevemaxboxing…
Source: secondsout.com
While he is squarely focused on finalizing the Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather match-up, Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer still has other business to take care of. Namely, finding Bernard Hopkins his next fight. He was supposed to have faced Roy Jones this upcoming spring before Jones was knocked out by Danny Green a few weeks ago in Australia.
But that doesn’t mean that the possibilities are limited for “The Executioner.”
Schaefer told Maxboxing on Wednesday morning, "We basically evaluated all the different options for him and you know all these names. It was Roy Jones, who threw his hat in the race again, coming up with some creative deal structure. There was Don King calling about Felix Trinidad."
Roy Jones?!?!
He must’ve forgot what took place on December the 2nd. And Trinidad can’t even be taken seriously.
"There was HBO being interested in Chad Dawson and Paul Williams fights," continued Schaefer, "There was (Tomasz) Adamek, there was Lucian Bute and there is Danny Green. So it’s a pretty long list. So Bernard, what he wanted me to do was to evaluate just how realistic the various options are. So that’s what I’ve been doing, as well, the last few days. So here we go."
Schaefer has no delusions of grandeur; he realizes that we are coming up to the year 2010, not 2002.
"Jones and Trinidad, I don’t think are realistic. Adamek, HBO has no interest in that fight. So that eliminates that," he explained. "Then you have Paul Williams. [Williams’ promoter] Dan Goossen called out Bernard. But the issue there [is] the weight. Bernard is not going to be able to go lower than 175 pounds; maybe give or take a couple pounds. So that eliminates Paul Williams. Chad Dawson is living in a dream world and I think he should keep on dreaming about the potential Hopkins fight. I wish him sweet dreams. So that one is eliminated as well.
Schaefer adds, "So then we basically have two guys; we have Bute and Green. And these are the two names we’re focusing on in the last two days. As a matter of fact, yesterday (Tuesday), I met with Danny Green in my office with his advisor, Gary Shaw, and we have been going through the numbers for a Hopkins fight happening in Australia and there is some interest from the networks for that fight, as well. Then we have been looking at a Bute fight. So I had conversations with Bute’s promoter, Interbox, and we have been going through those numbers, as well. There is interest from the networks for that fight."
To maximize his earning potential, Hopkins will most likely have to fight outside the United States.
"Now I’m going to be fine-tuning the numbers," said Schaefer. "I need to get the exact numbers from the overseas revenue sources and from the domestic revenue sources and then see what kind of deal structure we can do with the various camps and then go to Bernard and tell him, “Look, here is the deal. If you go to Australia’ -which he’s willing to do- ’this is what the compensation package would look like.’ And if he would be going to Canada, which he’s willing to do, as well, ’Here’s what that package is going to look like.’"
Schaefer says that Hopkins would prefer to get back into the ring in March. But another source says that a bout with Green in Australia would most likely have to take place in early April.
STUFF
Worked the phones like crazy on Wednesday after taping “The Main Event” (this week’s guests are Calvin Watkins and Tom Hauser) and there is plenty brewing...
- Amir Khan was back in Los Angeles, already, and the word is that he’s meeting with various “people.” I’m hearing that he and his promoter Frank Warren are having some issues. Could something be brewing here? It wouldn’t be the first time Warren lost a marquee attraction once they got on American soil (Naseem Hamed, Ricky Hatton and Joe Calzaghe).
Once source told me that he could be facing Nate Campbell on March 6th on HBO.
- Don’t be stunned if Kelly Pavlik’s next foe, should he get past Miguel Espino as expected this weekend in Youngstown, Ohio, is WBA beltholder Felix Sturm. The idea is already being kicked around by Top Rank; I’m told.
- Word is that Hopkins, for whatever reason, has grown very disenchanted with Golden Boy Promotions. Now, from the outside looking in, not knowing everything, why would he be upset with his “partner” that has seemingly represented him well and taken a relatively small slice of his pie? If he bolts GBP, I think he goes down as perhaps the sport’s biggest malcontent.
But the bigger question is: What happens to Golden Boy East, at that point?
- One prominent promoter believes that the March 13th date for Pacquiao-Mayweather is a bit rushed and says that he believes there are bigger obstacles to this fight being completed than being let on publicly by the two factions. But he says, "It just seems too early. December is already over, and it’s following the Super Bowl and the Olympics. If you’re expecting to do the biggest fight in boxing history, don’t you need more time?"
Don’t think I can disagree with that.
FIGHT NIGHT CLUB
Golden Boy has nailed down their dates for the second season of their successful “Fight Night Club” series at the Club Nokia at LA Live. The dates are as follows:
February 25th
March 25th
April 29th
May 27th
June 24th
July 29th
August 26th
September 30th
October 28th
See you guys there. First, second and third round is on everyone but me.
HUMP DAY FLURRIES
In my fantasy “Super Six” at junior welterweight, I somehow omitted Marcos Maidana. Trust me, he and Tim Bradley would be the first two guys I would include in this format...Wow, just when you think it can’t get any worse for Tiger Woods. Are sports writers going to label this whole saga a “divot” for the game of golf?...Let’s see, if you have DirecTV, you don’t get “Versus” but you get the NFL Network (meaning you get games like the Saints-Cowboys this Saturday night). I’d call that a fair trade off...”The U” was the highest rated documentary ever shown by ESPN with a 1.8 rating this past Saturday night. And yes, I’m told by one of the producers, they will be releasing a directors cut DVD next year...OK, fess up, how many of you guys will be ordering this weekend’s pay-per-view show being distributed by Top Rank featuring the return of Kelly Pavlik?...I can be reached at k9kim@yahoo.com... Twitter.com/stevemaxboxing…
Source: secondsout.com
Between Oprah, Palin: Manny Pacquiao becomes an American icon -- Examiner.com
By Michael Marley, Examiner.com
From Time Magazine:
Heroes & Icons
1. Michelle Obama
2. Chesley B. Sullenberger
3. Richard Phillips
4. Seth Berkley
5. Michael Eavis
6. Leonard Abess
7. Hadizatou Mani
8. Rick Warren
9. Van Jones
10. Somaly Mam
11. Rafael Nadal
12. Suraya Pakzad
13. Jeff Bezos
14. Tiger Woods
15. George Clooney
16. Brady Gustafson
17. Sister Mary Scullion
18. Oprah Winfrey
19. Sarah Palin
20. Manny Pacquiao
Mannymania continues to run rampant across the United States.
It seems that every day a new honorific or a new media outlet is profiling the Pinoy Idol.
At this point, we need to start talking about how Pacman has crossed over into the American public consciousness in a way that few prizefighters ever have.
Muhammad Ali did it and, to a lesser extent, superstars such as Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns and Marvelous Marvin Hagler did also.
But they were all in their prime years before the Internet explosion.
TV Giant Oprah Winfrey
Pacquiao = media phenomenon. And it just figures to grow exponentially what with the planned superbout March 13 against unbeaten Floyd Mayweather Jr.
That’s a super platform for our sport’s two most shining lights, smaller in physical stature yes but on a par with the first Ali-Frazier bout in 1971 or the first Leonard-Hearns bout in 1981.
We used to talk about the Filipino fighter possibly crossing over where he would get attention from the wider public which really could care less about boxing.
His charming appearance on the Jimmy Kimmel Show was just the tip of the iceberg.
He’s already there, folks. Naturally, his promoter, Bob Arum, cosigns this notion completely.
Arum sees it as a beyond boxing media avalanche which will only intensify.
The Top Rank honcho said that former world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis was on the right track in comparing not their relative importance in world affairs but popularity of Nelson Mandela and Pacman.
“I’m not comparing any boxer to a great leader like Mandela, of course,” Arum said. “But that’s the kind of feeling you get.”
Arum said even non sports fans are getting to know Pacquiao.
“He is admired by people who don’t care for sports,” Arum said. “He’s an exotic because of all the happiness he’s brought to his own people and people everywhere recognize that. People look at him as symbol of hope because he came up from poverty.
“It’s a feel good story with his background and history. It’s resonate with people all over no matter their nationality. He’s long been the icon of the Philippines and now he’s becoming an icon in the United States.”
This may be an avalanche but it’s no snow job.
Source: examiner.com
From Time Magazine:
Heroes & Icons
1. Michelle Obama
2. Chesley B. Sullenberger
3. Richard Phillips
4. Seth Berkley
5. Michael Eavis
6. Leonard Abess
7. Hadizatou Mani
8. Rick Warren
9. Van Jones
10. Somaly Mam
11. Rafael Nadal
12. Suraya Pakzad
13. Jeff Bezos
14. Tiger Woods
15. George Clooney
16. Brady Gustafson
17. Sister Mary Scullion
18. Oprah Winfrey
19. Sarah Palin
20. Manny Pacquiao
Mannymania continues to run rampant across the United States.
It seems that every day a new honorific or a new media outlet is profiling the Pinoy Idol.
At this point, we need to start talking about how Pacman has crossed over into the American public consciousness in a way that few prizefighters ever have.
Muhammad Ali did it and, to a lesser extent, superstars such as Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns and Marvelous Marvin Hagler did also.
But they were all in their prime years before the Internet explosion.
TV Giant Oprah Winfrey
Pacquiao = media phenomenon. And it just figures to grow exponentially what with the planned superbout March 13 against unbeaten Floyd Mayweather Jr.
That’s a super platform for our sport’s two most shining lights, smaller in physical stature yes but on a par with the first Ali-Frazier bout in 1971 or the first Leonard-Hearns bout in 1981.
We used to talk about the Filipino fighter possibly crossing over where he would get attention from the wider public which really could care less about boxing.
His charming appearance on the Jimmy Kimmel Show was just the tip of the iceberg.
He’s already there, folks. Naturally, his promoter, Bob Arum, cosigns this notion completely.
Arum sees it as a beyond boxing media avalanche which will only intensify.
The Top Rank honcho said that former world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis was on the right track in comparing not their relative importance in world affairs but popularity of Nelson Mandela and Pacman.
“I’m not comparing any boxer to a great leader like Mandela, of course,” Arum said. “But that’s the kind of feeling you get.”
Arum said even non sports fans are getting to know Pacquiao.
“He is admired by people who don’t care for sports,” Arum said. “He’s an exotic because of all the happiness he’s brought to his own people and people everywhere recognize that. People look at him as symbol of hope because he came up from poverty.
“It’s a feel good story with his background and history. It’s resonate with people all over no matter their nationality. He’s long been the icon of the Philippines and now he’s becoming an icon in the United States.”
This may be an avalanche but it’s no snow job.
Source: examiner.com
Manny Pacquiao on Time Magazine's Top 25 People Who Mattered List -- FanHouse
By Lem Satterfield, FanHouse
It's just past Thursday evening in General Santos City, Philippines, where Filipino boxing superstar and congressional candidate, Manny Pacquiao, is completing his 31st birthday celebration.
At the same time, it has been announced that the seven-division, world champion has been listed among Time Magazine's Top 25 People Who Mattered in 2009 --listed alphabetically right behind the United States' first African American president, Barack Obama.
"For Manny Pacquio to even be mentioned on the list of the most influential people of 2009 is a great tribute to this young man," said Bob Arum, of Top Rank, Pacquiao's promoter. "And it's something that I'm very, very happy for him about and that he should be very, very proud of."
On the magazine's cover is Person Of The Year, Ben Bernanke, the 56-year-old chairman of the Federal Reserve.
"It just shows how people around the world are viewing this young man, and how he's providing everyone with hope for the emergence of third-world countries," said Arum, who turned 78 earlier this month.
"This is a great, great phenomenon. This isn't an American athlete. This isn't a European athlete," said Arum. "This is an athlete who comes from a poor country in Asia. A country that is struggling."
Pacquiao is an iconic symbol in the Philippines, where he only obtained an elementary education, passed his high school equivalency exam, and earned a college degree at Notre Dame of Dadiangas University -- whose motto is All to Jesus through Mary.
Pacquiao has become a cross-over star in America, where, last month, he graced the cover of the Asian edition of Time Magazine, was featured in both The New York Times and in ESPN's Body Issue, and was a hit while singing during a guest appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
On Nov. 14, Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 knockouts) earned his biggest payday -- a guaranteed $13 million, plus upside to the pay preview, by knocking out Miguel Cotto in the 12th round.
Pacquiao's victory dethroned Cotto as WBO welterweight (147 pounds) champion, earning the fighter's unprecedented seventh world title in as many weight classes.
On March 13, Pacquiao -- widely considered boxing's No. 1pound-for-pound fighter -- is expected to earn a career-best guaranteed $25 million for facing five-time world champion, Floyd Mayweather Jr. (40-0, 25 KOs) in a megabout.
Reached in General Santos City, where he was with Pacquiao during his celebration, the fighter's adviser, Michael Koncz, was hearing of Time Magazine's honor for the first time.
Koncz said that Pacquiao was "in a political meeting" and could not comment.
"It's about 12:30 a.m. here, and we just got through with a large, birthday celebration where there were about 5,000 guests," said Koncz, from The General Santos Mall Convention Center.
"There were a lot of congressmen, senators, the next president of the Philippines was here," said Koncz. "I'm sure that Manny will be delighted to hear that the people of Time Magazine are choosing him as being that influential, but he's very humble about it. He's not going to dwell on it or brag about it."
A man of deeply-religious faith, Pacquiao, the 2008 Fighter Of The Year, shares an alternate nickname, "The Greatest," with another former world boxing champion, Muhammad Ali, to whom Arum says he favorably compares.
"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," said Arum.
"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," Arum said of Pacquiao, also nicknamed, "The Pac-Man."
"Anybody who is aware of Manny Pacqiao loves him, admires him, and there are no haters," said Arum. "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 humanitarian efforts during the buildup to his fight with Cotto gained him even more notariety.
During two typhoons, Pacquiao endured tumultuous conditions to help save lives by delivering food into devastated areas.
As a result, Pacquiao earned recognition on Nov. 24 in Manila as a 2009 Gusi Peace Prize laureate -- the award's only athlete among 19 honorees from 16 different nations.
Pacquiao-Cotto generated 1.25 million buys, which represented the highest performing boxing pay-per-view event in 2009, and which was "the biggest event of the year for pay per view from the standpoint of revenue generated," said Arum.
On Dec. 9, Pacquiao completed the shooting of a super hero movie, WaPak Man, which is expected to be released on Christmas.
And then, on March 26, Pacquiao will begin campaigning for a congressional seat in his native country, whose elections are to be held on May 10.
A resident of General Santos City, Pacquiao was born into poverty as Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao in Kibawe, Bukidnon.
Considered a man of strong, Christian faith, Pacquiao's first name, Emmanuel, in The Bible means "God with us" -- adding significance for some of his countrymen to the fact that he was born only eight days prior to the widely recognized birthday of Jesus Christ.
As far as the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight, Koncz confirmed that both fighters have agreed to terms, which are to compete at 147 pounds, wear eight-ounce gloves, split the take 50-50, and be randomly drug-tested, Olympic-style.
Only the site of the bout has yet to be determined, said Koncz, with the leading candidates being the MGM Grand and The Dallas Cowboys' Stadium, whose owner, Jerry Jones, has offered $25 million to host the bout.
"It's [the location of the fight] still between the MGM and Dallas. There's no panic situation. Somebody's going to host this megafight. No one is in panic-mode," said Koncz. "I spoke to Arum this morning, and he got on the phone with Manny to wish him a happy birthday."
Source: boxing.fanhouse.com
It's just past Thursday evening in General Santos City, Philippines, where Filipino boxing superstar and congressional candidate, Manny Pacquiao, is completing his 31st birthday celebration.
At the same time, it has been announced that the seven-division, world champion has been listed among Time Magazine's Top 25 People Who Mattered in 2009 --listed alphabetically right behind the United States' first African American president, Barack Obama.
"For Manny Pacquio to even be mentioned on the list of the most influential people of 2009 is a great tribute to this young man," said Bob Arum, of Top Rank, Pacquiao's promoter. "And it's something that I'm very, very happy for him about and that he should be very, very proud of."
On the magazine's cover is Person Of The Year, Ben Bernanke, the 56-year-old chairman of the Federal Reserve.
"It just shows how people around the world are viewing this young man, and how he's providing everyone with hope for the emergence of third-world countries," said Arum, who turned 78 earlier this month.
"This is a great, great phenomenon. This isn't an American athlete. This isn't a European athlete," said Arum. "This is an athlete who comes from a poor country in Asia. A country that is struggling."
Pacquiao is an iconic symbol in the Philippines, where he only obtained an elementary education, passed his high school equivalency exam, and earned a college degree at Notre Dame of Dadiangas University -- whose motto is All to Jesus through Mary.
Pacquiao has become a cross-over star in America, where, last month, he graced the cover of the Asian edition of Time Magazine, was featured in both The New York Times and in ESPN's Body Issue, and was a hit while singing during a guest appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
On Nov. 14, Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 knockouts) earned his biggest payday -- a guaranteed $13 million, plus upside to the pay preview, by knocking out Miguel Cotto in the 12th round.
Pacquiao's victory dethroned Cotto as WBO welterweight (147 pounds) champion, earning the fighter's unprecedented seventh world title in as many weight classes.
On March 13, Pacquiao -- widely considered boxing's No. 1pound-for-pound fighter -- is expected to earn a career-best guaranteed $25 million for facing five-time world champion, Floyd Mayweather Jr. (40-0, 25 KOs) in a megabout.
Reached in General Santos City, where he was with Pacquiao during his celebration, the fighter's adviser, Michael Koncz, was hearing of Time Magazine's honor for the first time.
Koncz said that Pacquiao was "in a political meeting" and could not comment.
"It's about 12:30 a.m. here, and we just got through with a large, birthday celebration where there were about 5,000 guests," said Koncz, from The General Santos Mall Convention Center.
"There were a lot of congressmen, senators, the next president of the Philippines was here," said Koncz. "I'm sure that Manny will be delighted to hear that the people of Time Magazine are choosing him as being that influential, but he's very humble about it. He's not going to dwell on it or brag about it."
A man of deeply-religious faith, Pacquiao, the 2008 Fighter Of The Year, shares an alternate nickname, "The Greatest," with another former world boxing champion, Muhammad Ali, to whom Arum says he favorably compares.
"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," said Arum.
"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," Arum said of Pacquiao, also nicknamed, "The Pac-Man."
"Anybody who is aware of Manny Pacqiao loves him, admires him, and there are no haters," said Arum. "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 humanitarian efforts during the buildup to his fight with Cotto gained him even more notariety.
During two typhoons, Pacquiao endured tumultuous conditions to help save lives by delivering food into devastated areas.
As a result, Pacquiao earned recognition on Nov. 24 in Manila as a 2009 Gusi Peace Prize laureate -- the award's only athlete among 19 honorees from 16 different nations.
Pacquiao-Cotto generated 1.25 million buys, which represented the highest performing boxing pay-per-view event in 2009, and which was "the biggest event of the year for pay per view from the standpoint of revenue generated," said Arum.
On Dec. 9, Pacquiao completed the shooting of a super hero movie, WaPak Man, which is expected to be released on Christmas.
And then, on March 26, Pacquiao will begin campaigning for a congressional seat in his native country, whose elections are to be held on May 10.
A resident of General Santos City, Pacquiao was born into poverty as Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao in Kibawe, Bukidnon.
Considered a man of strong, Christian faith, Pacquiao's first name, Emmanuel, in The Bible means "God with us" -- adding significance for some of his countrymen to the fact that he was born only eight days prior to the widely recognized birthday of Jesus Christ.
As far as the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight, Koncz confirmed that both fighters have agreed to terms, which are to compete at 147 pounds, wear eight-ounce gloves, split the take 50-50, and be randomly drug-tested, Olympic-style.
Only the site of the bout has yet to be determined, said Koncz, with the leading candidates being the MGM Grand and The Dallas Cowboys' Stadium, whose owner, Jerry Jones, has offered $25 million to host the bout.
"It's [the location of the fight] still between the MGM and Dallas. There's no panic situation. Somebody's going to host this megafight. No one is in panic-mode," said Koncz. "I spoke to Arum this morning, and he got on the phone with Manny to wish him a happy birthday."
Source: boxing.fanhouse.com
Jones: 'It would be a spectacle' -- ESPN.com
By Dan Rafael, ESPN.com
Before Jerry Jones bought the Dallas Cowboys in 1989 and became one of the best-known owners in the NFL, he dabbled in boxing promotion, putting on a card in Little Rock, Ark., in the mid-1980s.
Now, 20-plus years later, Jones has his sights set on one a bit bigger -- the March 13 HBO PPV megafight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr., the nearly finalized and much-anticipated showdown that many expect to shatter the numerous revenue and pay-per-view records set by Mayweather's 2007 fight with Oscar De La Hoya.
Jones wants to be part of it. He is pushing promoters Bob Arum of Top Rank and Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy hard to bring the fight to Cowboys Stadium, the new $1.2 billion state-of-the-art facility.
Jones has been interested in boxing since he was a boy, and boxed for fun at the North Little Rock Boys Club.
"I'm a longtime boxing fan," Jones told ESPN.com during a half-hour interview Thursday, the first time he has publicly discussed his desire to host boxing's biggest event.
Jones made it clear he wants the bout.
"It would be a spectacle," he said. "It would be one that would really put the eyes of this country on boxing."
Jones is not half-hearted in his attempt to land the fight. He's putting his money where his mouth is, offering a $25 million site fee, the largest guarantee ever put up for a fight.
"I don't know that there's been a decision made yet as we speak, but I know that we have put our hat in the ring with a significant financial commitment. I don't want to give the numbers, but it's as credible as you could imagine. You won't be wrong," he said when asked about the widely reported $25 million figure. "But I don't want to get into something that would impact fragile negotiations."
Top Rank and Golden Boy have received inquiries and offers from venues around the world, including the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, which has hosted numerous Pacquiao and Mayweather bouts and appears to be the frontrunner. But there has also been interest from venues in New Orleans, Atlanta, Miami, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dubai and a $20 million offer from Staples Center in Los Angeles.
One by one, they have fallen by the wayside for one reason or another, except for Las Vegas and Dallas, whose bid Jones has kept alive with that big offer and persistence.
"To use my football experience, 99 percent of your time is spent striving for something and being disappointed," Jones said. "[But] it's events like this that you strive for. You take all the hard knocks and that makes it all worth it, and that's how I feel about the fight."
When Jones built the stadium, using about $450 million in public funds, with the rest coming from his personal fortune, he wanted to host major fights as part of its offerings. Besides Cowboys games, the stadium is scheduled to host the annual AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic, the 2010 NBA All-Star Game, the 2011 Super Bowl and the 2014 NCAA men's basketball Final Four, as well as high school and college football games, concerts and other events. Pacquiao-Mayweather is one of the events he covets.
"From the get-go we envisioned in our planning about potentially having significant fights," Jones said. "We have a huge Hispanic sports interest in this area, for instance, and I am well aware of their love for boxing. I do envision having significant fights of the quality and magnitude of Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao."
One of the reasons is the capacity. While the MGM Grand seats roughly 16,500 for a fight, with an additional 40,000 closed-circuit seats potentially available in Las Vegas, Cowboys Stadium could hold 100,000-plus, and Jones believes he could pack the place.
Jones said his promotions department would work along with the promoters and HBO to generate an enormous crowd. "Look at the capacity of the stadium," he said. "We could create tremendous numbers for the fight. We think that the visibility of the venue, the fact that our venue is going to be home to a Super Bowl and many big events in the future would add an element of interest to fans across the country and world that are looking at the pay-per-view and feeling vicariously what it must be like to be there with 90,000 or 100,000 people watching a fight.
"I know the NFL can't be just a studio game. It has to have the pageantry. [The viewers] have to know that there are thousands of people there creating an atmosphere. I think our stadium can add an element to the promotion. I know first-hand that HBO thinks so."
Besides drawing one of the biggest crowds in boxing history, Jones believes the stadium will add to the pay-per-view numbers.
"I think our stadium would increase public interest in the fight," he said. "We know first-hand that events can be enhanced by people wanting to come and see the venue, but I think it will also create interest in viewing the fight on pay-per-view."
Because the stadium is home to the world's largest (and, at $40 million, the most expensive) HD video board, Jones said every fan, whether they're seated in one of the hundreds of luxury suites, at ringside or in the upper deck, would have a good view of the action.
The video board is 72 feet high and 160 feet wide, and would be lowered to about 65 feet above the ring.
"You'll see the action in real time with the eight Sony digital cameras," Jones said. "You'll be able to see a sweat bead from any place. More important, you can see it from every angle. Wherever you're sitting, you'll see the action from the angle where you are sitting. The boxers will be [72]-feet tall. It's a dramatic way to watch any event. It will be an experience for 100,000 people."
Jones said it would also be historic for the fighters.
"Here's the thing -- I know that Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao would love to be part of the most-attended modern fight in American history," Jones said. "It would be quite a feather in their cap to be the substance behind that. We have the ability to make that happen. I have such respect for fighters and people who compete. Just think how it would feel for the greatest fight ever to draw the biggest crowd in modern America? That's something you tell your grandchildren about."
Jones said he talked with the promoters during the weekend and believes he has a good chance to land the fight.
"You have multiple constituencies so you don't know if you have a deal until it's agreed to, but yes, I think we are [still in the hunt]," he said. "There's tremendous value here. I think the fight has the ability to transcend boxing and the size of the crowd and facility is part of that. You build brands with brands. When you have an association with successful brands like the Cowboys and the NFL, it lifts all boats. I don't want to be presumptuous, but boxing has a chance to elevate itself. Shouldn't you look at what you can gain in your association with a brand like NFL football? When they throw the first punch in Cowboys Stadium it will inextricably be associated with the NFL and the Dallas Cowboys."
Schaefer, Arum and HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg were supposed to visit the stadium and meet with Jones last Tuesday. However, Schaefer canceled the night before, forcing the visit to be called off.
The reason, according to sources, was not because the Mayweather side didn't want the fight in Dallas, but rather because they felt the deal for the bout was not close enough to being done to warrant a visit to a potential site if the fight might collapse.
Jones said whatever the reason was, he didn't take it personally.
"Not a bit," Jones said. "I was disappointed and I had changed plans to see them, but I'll use a football analogy: You just keep plugging. We want to do this fight. I didn't pout. But I sure want them to see the venue. It's important they see the venue. I saw Pacquiao's last fight [against Miguel Cotto on Nov. 14] and that was something, and Mayweather I have seen fight. In the last 10 years there hasn't been a more competitive, interesting fight.
"It would be magical when that first bell rings. It would be something to have that fight here."
Dan Rafael covers boxing for ESPN.com.
Source: sports.espn.go.com
Before Jerry Jones bought the Dallas Cowboys in 1989 and became one of the best-known owners in the NFL, he dabbled in boxing promotion, putting on a card in Little Rock, Ark., in the mid-1980s.
Now, 20-plus years later, Jones has his sights set on one a bit bigger -- the March 13 HBO PPV megafight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr., the nearly finalized and much-anticipated showdown that many expect to shatter the numerous revenue and pay-per-view records set by Mayweather's 2007 fight with Oscar De La Hoya.
Jones wants to be part of it. He is pushing promoters Bob Arum of Top Rank and Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy hard to bring the fight to Cowboys Stadium, the new $1.2 billion state-of-the-art facility.
Jones has been interested in boxing since he was a boy, and boxed for fun at the North Little Rock Boys Club.
"I'm a longtime boxing fan," Jones told ESPN.com during a half-hour interview Thursday, the first time he has publicly discussed his desire to host boxing's biggest event.
Jones made it clear he wants the bout.
"It would be a spectacle," he said. "It would be one that would really put the eyes of this country on boxing."
Jones is not half-hearted in his attempt to land the fight. He's putting his money where his mouth is, offering a $25 million site fee, the largest guarantee ever put up for a fight.
"I don't know that there's been a decision made yet as we speak, but I know that we have put our hat in the ring with a significant financial commitment. I don't want to give the numbers, but it's as credible as you could imagine. You won't be wrong," he said when asked about the widely reported $25 million figure. "But I don't want to get into something that would impact fragile negotiations."
Top Rank and Golden Boy have received inquiries and offers from venues around the world, including the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, which has hosted numerous Pacquiao and Mayweather bouts and appears to be the frontrunner. But there has also been interest from venues in New Orleans, Atlanta, Miami, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dubai and a $20 million offer from Staples Center in Los Angeles.
One by one, they have fallen by the wayside for one reason or another, except for Las Vegas and Dallas, whose bid Jones has kept alive with that big offer and persistence.
"To use my football experience, 99 percent of your time is spent striving for something and being disappointed," Jones said. "[But] it's events like this that you strive for. You take all the hard knocks and that makes it all worth it, and that's how I feel about the fight."
When Jones built the stadium, using about $450 million in public funds, with the rest coming from his personal fortune, he wanted to host major fights as part of its offerings. Besides Cowboys games, the stadium is scheduled to host the annual AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic, the 2010 NBA All-Star Game, the 2011 Super Bowl and the 2014 NCAA men's basketball Final Four, as well as high school and college football games, concerts and other events. Pacquiao-Mayweather is one of the events he covets.
"From the get-go we envisioned in our planning about potentially having significant fights," Jones said. "We have a huge Hispanic sports interest in this area, for instance, and I am well aware of their love for boxing. I do envision having significant fights of the quality and magnitude of Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao."
One of the reasons is the capacity. While the MGM Grand seats roughly 16,500 for a fight, with an additional 40,000 closed-circuit seats potentially available in Las Vegas, Cowboys Stadium could hold 100,000-plus, and Jones believes he could pack the place.
Jones said his promotions department would work along with the promoters and HBO to generate an enormous crowd. "Look at the capacity of the stadium," he said. "We could create tremendous numbers for the fight. We think that the visibility of the venue, the fact that our venue is going to be home to a Super Bowl and many big events in the future would add an element of interest to fans across the country and world that are looking at the pay-per-view and feeling vicariously what it must be like to be there with 90,000 or 100,000 people watching a fight.
"I know the NFL can't be just a studio game. It has to have the pageantry. [The viewers] have to know that there are thousands of people there creating an atmosphere. I think our stadium can add an element to the promotion. I know first-hand that HBO thinks so."
Besides drawing one of the biggest crowds in boxing history, Jones believes the stadium will add to the pay-per-view numbers.
"I think our stadium would increase public interest in the fight," he said. "We know first-hand that events can be enhanced by people wanting to come and see the venue, but I think it will also create interest in viewing the fight on pay-per-view."
Because the stadium is home to the world's largest (and, at $40 million, the most expensive) HD video board, Jones said every fan, whether they're seated in one of the hundreds of luxury suites, at ringside or in the upper deck, would have a good view of the action.
The video board is 72 feet high and 160 feet wide, and would be lowered to about 65 feet above the ring.
"You'll see the action in real time with the eight Sony digital cameras," Jones said. "You'll be able to see a sweat bead from any place. More important, you can see it from every angle. Wherever you're sitting, you'll see the action from the angle where you are sitting. The boxers will be [72]-feet tall. It's a dramatic way to watch any event. It will be an experience for 100,000 people."
Jones said it would also be historic for the fighters.
"Here's the thing -- I know that Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao would love to be part of the most-attended modern fight in American history," Jones said. "It would be quite a feather in their cap to be the substance behind that. We have the ability to make that happen. I have such respect for fighters and people who compete. Just think how it would feel for the greatest fight ever to draw the biggest crowd in modern America? That's something you tell your grandchildren about."
Jones said he talked with the promoters during the weekend and believes he has a good chance to land the fight.
"You have multiple constituencies so you don't know if you have a deal until it's agreed to, but yes, I think we are [still in the hunt]," he said. "There's tremendous value here. I think the fight has the ability to transcend boxing and the size of the crowd and facility is part of that. You build brands with brands. When you have an association with successful brands like the Cowboys and the NFL, it lifts all boats. I don't want to be presumptuous, but boxing has a chance to elevate itself. Shouldn't you look at what you can gain in your association with a brand like NFL football? When they throw the first punch in Cowboys Stadium it will inextricably be associated with the NFL and the Dallas Cowboys."
Schaefer, Arum and HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg were supposed to visit the stadium and meet with Jones last Tuesday. However, Schaefer canceled the night before, forcing the visit to be called off.
The reason, according to sources, was not because the Mayweather side didn't want the fight in Dallas, but rather because they felt the deal for the bout was not close enough to being done to warrant a visit to a potential site if the fight might collapse.
Jones said whatever the reason was, he didn't take it personally.
"Not a bit," Jones said. "I was disappointed and I had changed plans to see them, but I'll use a football analogy: You just keep plugging. We want to do this fight. I didn't pout. But I sure want them to see the venue. It's important they see the venue. I saw Pacquiao's last fight [against Miguel Cotto on Nov. 14] and that was something, and Mayweather I have seen fight. In the last 10 years there hasn't been a more competitive, interesting fight.
"It would be magical when that first bell rings. It would be something to have that fight here."
Dan Rafael covers boxing for ESPN.com.
Source: sports.espn.go.com
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