CNN
Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. have turned to mediation in a last-ditch bid to save their March 13 super-fight in Las Vegas.
The proposed bout has been thrown into considerable doubt after a row over drugs testing escalated with Pacquiao taking legal action against Mayweather and his connections.
But representatives of the two fighters are due to meet on Tuesday with retired federal judge Daniel Weinstein, who solved a dispute relating to promotional rights for Pacquiao three years ago.
Pacquiao's promoter and Top Rank chairman Bob Arum has every faith in Weinstein's abilities.
"This guy was successful resolving our nutty problem before and hopefully he can be successful this time. He's a guy who is a big fight fan and loves the sport, and I found him last time to be a delight to deal with. Everybody did," he told ESPN.com.
Filipino hero Pacquiao has been infuriated by the insistence of Mayweather and his team at Golden Boy Promotions that both fighters submit to Olympic-style blood testing in the buildup to their pay-per-view extravaganza.
Pacquiao filed a lawsuit in a federal court in Las Vegas last week for defamation against Mayweather and others for allegedly claiming he had used performance-enhancing drugs.
It was another twist in a saga which has threatened to derail what many boxing experts predict will be the richest fight in boxing history, with projections of each fighter earning $40 million.
The bout at welterweight appeared to be virtually set after other issues around the cut of the purse for each fighter were settled, but then the drug-testing row erupted over the Christmas period.
Pacquiao became a five-weight world champion after his WBO welterweight title win over Miguel Cotto in November, while the unbeaten Mayweather returned from a 21-month retirement to beat Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez in September.
Source: edition.cnn.com
Tuesday, 5 January 2010
Pacquiao-Mayweather: Weinstein to the rescue -- The Ring
By Michael Rosenthal, The Ring
Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions, the biggest promoters in boxing, were at each others’ throats. Lawsuits were involved. Nasty, counterproductive comments flew back and forth. And the acrimony prevented them from doing business.
That was 2007, when the companies were unable to resolve disputes over promotional rights for Manny Pacquiao and other issues.
In stepped a court-ordered mediator, retired federal judge Daniel Weinstein. The sides emerged from two weeks of mediation with a resolution to their conflicts and the ability to work together on some of the biggest fights of the past few years.
Now, as we enter 2010, Top Rank and Golden Boy –- as well as their charges, Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. -– are in a similar position. An impasse over blood testing and a law suit alleging defamation have threatened to scuttle a March 13 super fight, which both sides obviously want to save.
So who ya gonna call? Weinstein, of course.
The fighters’ representatives and Weinstein are scheduled to meet on Tuesday at the mediator’s office in Santa Monica, Calif., which apparently is the last -- and best -- opportunity to get the fight made after weeks of insanity.
The guess here is that Weinstein will succeed again for several reasons.
One, the fact the sides agreed to go to a mediator is clear evidence that they desperately want to make the fight, which most experts believe will be the richest in the history of the sport. That kind of determination -- and motivation -- usually leads to a resolution.
Two, they (Top Rank and Golden Boy) believe in Weinstein and mediation.
"(Weinstein) played a very instrumental role," Schaefer told ESPN.com immediately after the earlier disputes were resolved. "If not for him, I don't think we could have done this. He really took ownership of the case and understood how delicate it was."
Said Arum, "Anybody who tells somebody not to use a mediator in this kind of situation is out of their mind. This guy was tremendous in getting both of us to realize how destructive our conduct was and how productive it would be to work together. You need a guy like that to mediate the dispute and see the broader picture."
Three, Pacquiao and Mayweather don’t have immediate alternatives that compare to a fight against one another. They, through their handlers, have promised in anger to write off the fight and move on. Move on to what, though? Paulie Malignaggi? Yuri Foreman? Matthew Hatton?
That’s like passing on the Super Bowl and playing an exhibition game. Pacquiao and Mayweather need each other and they know it.
And, four, they’re already close to an agreement. Pacquiao seemed to be amenable to random blood testing as long as the sides agreed to a cutoff date that isn’t too close to the fight. Then, suddenly, the Pacquiao side declared that the Nevada State Athletic Commission would handle the testing … end of discussion.
Guess what happened: End of discussion. Negotiations seemed to hit a wall at that point.
So here we are, in Weinstein’s capable hands. I believe he will zero in on the cutoff date for random testing and build a final agreement from there.
Of course, there are no guarantees mediation will work this time because egos have a way of overwhelming common sense.
For example, assuming the law suit is an obstacle to making the fight, Pacquiao will probably agree to drop it only if Mayweather and Co. publicly apologize for falsely suggesting that he has used performance-enhancing drugs. Mayweather and Co. would probably agree to do so in some form but we don’t know whether they would go far enough to satisfy Pacquiao.
And, who knows, maybe Pacquiao and Mayweather are too entrenched in their positions on random testing that they will fail to find common ground. Neither side wants to be seen as giving in, at least not to a great degree.
I don’t see that happening, though. Again, the fighters and their representatives have refused to give up on the fight through bitter negotiations and agreed to mediation for a reason -– they want it to happen. And, frankly, I’ll be shocked if it doesn’t.
A celebration is just around the corner.
Michael Rosenthal can be reached at RingTVeditor@yahoo.com
Source: ringtv.com
Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions, the biggest promoters in boxing, were at each others’ throats. Lawsuits were involved. Nasty, counterproductive comments flew back and forth. And the acrimony prevented them from doing business.
That was 2007, when the companies were unable to resolve disputes over promotional rights for Manny Pacquiao and other issues.
In stepped a court-ordered mediator, retired federal judge Daniel Weinstein. The sides emerged from two weeks of mediation with a resolution to their conflicts and the ability to work together on some of the biggest fights of the past few years.
Now, as we enter 2010, Top Rank and Golden Boy –- as well as their charges, Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. -– are in a similar position. An impasse over blood testing and a law suit alleging defamation have threatened to scuttle a March 13 super fight, which both sides obviously want to save.
So who ya gonna call? Weinstein, of course.
The fighters’ representatives and Weinstein are scheduled to meet on Tuesday at the mediator’s office in Santa Monica, Calif., which apparently is the last -- and best -- opportunity to get the fight made after weeks of insanity.
The guess here is that Weinstein will succeed again for several reasons.
One, the fact the sides agreed to go to a mediator is clear evidence that they desperately want to make the fight, which most experts believe will be the richest in the history of the sport. That kind of determination -- and motivation -- usually leads to a resolution.
Two, they (Top Rank and Golden Boy) believe in Weinstein and mediation.
"(Weinstein) played a very instrumental role," Schaefer told ESPN.com immediately after the earlier disputes were resolved. "If not for him, I don't think we could have done this. He really took ownership of the case and understood how delicate it was."
Said Arum, "Anybody who tells somebody not to use a mediator in this kind of situation is out of their mind. This guy was tremendous in getting both of us to realize how destructive our conduct was and how productive it would be to work together. You need a guy like that to mediate the dispute and see the broader picture."
Three, Pacquiao and Mayweather don’t have immediate alternatives that compare to a fight against one another. They, through their handlers, have promised in anger to write off the fight and move on. Move on to what, though? Paulie Malignaggi? Yuri Foreman? Matthew Hatton?
That’s like passing on the Super Bowl and playing an exhibition game. Pacquiao and Mayweather need each other and they know it.
And, four, they’re already close to an agreement. Pacquiao seemed to be amenable to random blood testing as long as the sides agreed to a cutoff date that isn’t too close to the fight. Then, suddenly, the Pacquiao side declared that the Nevada State Athletic Commission would handle the testing … end of discussion.
Guess what happened: End of discussion. Negotiations seemed to hit a wall at that point.
So here we are, in Weinstein’s capable hands. I believe he will zero in on the cutoff date for random testing and build a final agreement from there.
Of course, there are no guarantees mediation will work this time because egos have a way of overwhelming common sense.
For example, assuming the law suit is an obstacle to making the fight, Pacquiao will probably agree to drop it only if Mayweather and Co. publicly apologize for falsely suggesting that he has used performance-enhancing drugs. Mayweather and Co. would probably agree to do so in some form but we don’t know whether they would go far enough to satisfy Pacquiao.
And, who knows, maybe Pacquiao and Mayweather are too entrenched in their positions on random testing that they will fail to find common ground. Neither side wants to be seen as giving in, at least not to a great degree.
I don’t see that happening, though. Again, the fighters and their representatives have refused to give up on the fight through bitter negotiations and agreed to mediation for a reason -– they want it to happen. And, frankly, I’ll be shocked if it doesn’t.
A celebration is just around the corner.
Michael Rosenthal can be reached at RingTVeditor@yahoo.com
Source: ringtv.com
Holyfield fight date moved -- The Sun
By GAVIN GLICKSMAN, The Sun
EVANDER HOLYFIELD'S bid to claim the WBF heavyweight title has been postponed until February 20.
The veteran American was due to face Francois Botha in Uganda later this month.
But Pro Box Promotions manager Eddie Bazira said: "We need more time to publicise it and give the fighters ample time to prepare themselves.
"I assure the world that the fight will take place."
Holyfield, 47, has not boxed since a controversial points defeat to former WBA heavyweight champ Nikolai Valuev in December 2008.
Fans and pundits alike claimed Holyfield should have been awarded Valuev's title, which the giant Russian went on to lose to David Haye last year.
The Real Deal has repeatedly ignored calls to hang up his gloves and believes a win against Botha can land him a shot at a major world title.
Source: thesun.co.uk
EVANDER HOLYFIELD'S bid to claim the WBF heavyweight title has been postponed until February 20.
The veteran American was due to face Francois Botha in Uganda later this month.
But Pro Box Promotions manager Eddie Bazira said: "We need more time to publicise it and give the fighters ample time to prepare themselves.
"I assure the world that the fight will take place."
Holyfield, 47, has not boxed since a controversial points defeat to former WBA heavyweight champ Nikolai Valuev in December 2008.
Fans and pundits alike claimed Holyfield should have been awarded Valuev's title, which the giant Russian went on to lose to David Haye last year.
The Real Deal has repeatedly ignored calls to hang up his gloves and believes a win against Botha can land him a shot at a major world title.
Source: thesun.co.uk
Arbiter needs to resolve four key issues to save Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao bout -- Grand Rapids Press
By David Mayo, The Grand Rapids Press
The one remaining issue in the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao negotiations has bloomed into several, although an arbiter will attempt to resolve them Tuesday in a last-gasp effort to save the proposed March 13 fight.
These are the key issues that could be discussed as representatives for both fighters, the attorney representing Pacquiao, and a retired federal judge who will attempt to help find middle ground, prepare to meet in suburban Los Angeles:
1. Drug testing
As the central issue of the hearing in his office at Santa Monica, Calif., arbiter Daniel Weinstein will have to resolve whether there is sufficient reason to suggest drug testing beyond that typically administered by the Nevada Athletic Commission for fights in that state.
The Mayweather camp's demand for random, Olympic-style drug testing, via blood sampling, stalled a negotiation that seemed fast-tracked for completion by mid-December.
All other key issues -- money, weight, venue -- were resolved quickly.
When the Mayweather side upped the ante by suggesting NAC's urine testing was not comprehensive enough, it sparked a firestorm which has lingered for more than three weeks and threatens to undermine the fight.
Pacquiao balked at blood testing within 30 days of the fight, saying it would weaken him, even though experts in the field say that's absurd. His reluctance spawned bountiful speculation about why he didn't just accept the terms.
Mayweather refused to relent, however, which drew the ire of boxing fans who want to see the deal come to completion and don't believe special rules are necessary for this fight.
2. Contrition
Bob Arum, Pacquiao's promoter, said last week that his side wants an apology from the Mayweather side before going forward. He said the Filipino fighter's reputation has been irreparably tarnished by the Mayweather side's insinuation -- and in at least one case, an outright accusal -- that Pacquaio uses performance-enhancing drugs.
As to who actually made such accusation, Floyd Mayweather Sr. absolutely did, while others may or may not have. That's up to a court to decide, since Pacquiao filed a federal lawsuit to that end just last week.
If the drug-testing issue itself can be worked out, a relatively tepid statement by the Mayweather camp that it regrets the way this all went down is not out of the question.
After all, there are $40 million or so, give or take, for each fighter to gross in this extravaganza.
3. A settlement
If Pacquiao gets some bend from the Mayweather camp on the drug-testing issue and the apologhy demand, he will have to drop the lawsuit.
The action was brought last Wednesday, in a Nevada federal court, seeking unspecified damages in excess of $75,000 (the minimum amount required in such a filing), with defendants Mayweather, Mayweather Sr., Roger Mayweather, Mayweather Promotions, and Golden Boy Promotions honchos Oscar De La Hoya and Richard Schaefer.
To reach a deal on anything else, the lawsuit has to go away.
4. Weight
Pacquiao got Mayweather to agree to a usurious $10 million contractual penalty for any pound, or fraction thereof, more than 147 pounds that the Grand Rapids native might weigh.
It's an absurd figure, reached with the caveat that Mayweather would get the drug-testing concession he sought.
To make the drug-testing issue go away, the excessive weight penalty might have to vanish, too.
E-mail David Mayo: dmayo@grpress.com
Source: mlive.com
The one remaining issue in the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao negotiations has bloomed into several, although an arbiter will attempt to resolve them Tuesday in a last-gasp effort to save the proposed March 13 fight.
These are the key issues that could be discussed as representatives for both fighters, the attorney representing Pacquiao, and a retired federal judge who will attempt to help find middle ground, prepare to meet in suburban Los Angeles:
1. Drug testing
As the central issue of the hearing in his office at Santa Monica, Calif., arbiter Daniel Weinstein will have to resolve whether there is sufficient reason to suggest drug testing beyond that typically administered by the Nevada Athletic Commission for fights in that state.
The Mayweather camp's demand for random, Olympic-style drug testing, via blood sampling, stalled a negotiation that seemed fast-tracked for completion by mid-December.
All other key issues -- money, weight, venue -- were resolved quickly.
When the Mayweather side upped the ante by suggesting NAC's urine testing was not comprehensive enough, it sparked a firestorm which has lingered for more than three weeks and threatens to undermine the fight.
Pacquiao balked at blood testing within 30 days of the fight, saying it would weaken him, even though experts in the field say that's absurd. His reluctance spawned bountiful speculation about why he didn't just accept the terms.
Mayweather refused to relent, however, which drew the ire of boxing fans who want to see the deal come to completion and don't believe special rules are necessary for this fight.
2. Contrition
Bob Arum, Pacquiao's promoter, said last week that his side wants an apology from the Mayweather side before going forward. He said the Filipino fighter's reputation has been irreparably tarnished by the Mayweather side's insinuation -- and in at least one case, an outright accusal -- that Pacquaio uses performance-enhancing drugs.
As to who actually made such accusation, Floyd Mayweather Sr. absolutely did, while others may or may not have. That's up to a court to decide, since Pacquiao filed a federal lawsuit to that end just last week.
If the drug-testing issue itself can be worked out, a relatively tepid statement by the Mayweather camp that it regrets the way this all went down is not out of the question.
After all, there are $40 million or so, give or take, for each fighter to gross in this extravaganza.
3. A settlement
If Pacquiao gets some bend from the Mayweather camp on the drug-testing issue and the apologhy demand, he will have to drop the lawsuit.
The action was brought last Wednesday, in a Nevada federal court, seeking unspecified damages in excess of $75,000 (the minimum amount required in such a filing), with defendants Mayweather, Mayweather Sr., Roger Mayweather, Mayweather Promotions, and Golden Boy Promotions honchos Oscar De La Hoya and Richard Schaefer.
To reach a deal on anything else, the lawsuit has to go away.
4. Weight
Pacquiao got Mayweather to agree to a usurious $10 million contractual penalty for any pound, or fraction thereof, more than 147 pounds that the Grand Rapids native might weigh.
It's an absurd figure, reached with the caveat that Mayweather would get the drug-testing concession he sought.
To make the drug-testing issue go away, the excessive weight penalty might have to vanish, too.
E-mail David Mayo: dmayo@grpress.com
Source: mlive.com
PACQUIAO SUPPORTERS WANT AT&T TO STOP MAYWEATHER -- PhilBoxing
By Ronnie Nathanielsz, PhilBoxing.com
Supporters of pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao are circulating an online petition asking AT&T Inc. and other prospective sponsors to "discontinue and forgo all endorsement relationships" with Floyd Mayweather Jr.
The petition initiated by Kevin Riley a contributor to the website Bleacher Report followed what Riley said was an all-out smear campaign against the Filipino boxing champion and the Philippines.
AT&T recently cancelled its sponsorship deal with golfing great Tiger Woods following a scandal involving his infidelity.
The petition which is addressed to Randall L. Stephenson, Chairman and CEO, AT&T Inc., vehemently objected to the accusations made by Mayweather, his father, Floyd Mayweather Sr and top executives of Golden Boy Promotions Oscar De La Hoya and Richard Schaefer and Mayweather promotions all of whom face a lawsuit filed by crack attorney Daniel Petrocelli on behalf of the Filipino boxing icon.
The petition refers to the accusations of cheating leveled against Pacquiao by the use of performance-enhancing drugs while also accusing the Philippines of being the producers of the best performance enhancing drugs.
Pacquiao's response to these claims:
"I maintain and assure everyone that I have not used any form or kind of steroids and that my way to the top is a result of hard work, hard work, hard work and a lot of blood spilled from my past battles in the ring, not outside of it. I have no idea what steroids look like and my fear in God has kept me safe and victorious through all these years."
Over 1,500 individuals had already signed the online petition to the AT&T CEO which states, . “We are writing to express the deep concerns we have with one of your representatives, Floyd Mayweather Jr. Mr. Mayweather as you know is a professional boxer. He has a tentatively scheduled bout on March 13th, 2010 with Manny Pacquiao, another professional boxer from the Philippines.
For reasons unbeknownst to us, Mr. Mayweather, his father, Floyd Mayweather Sr., his adviser, Leonard Ellerbe and his promoter, Golden Boy Promotions have decided to engage in a smear campaign against Mr. Pacquiao. Their efforts have included press releases, interviews and internet blogs. And their unfounded, unwarranted and unjustified accusations have all centered around the illegal use of steroids, human growth hormones & other chemicals.
Mr. Pacquiao has never before been accused of using the aforementioned products and he has passed every drug test that he has ever been administered throughout the course of his career. Yet this did not stop Mr. Mayweather and his associates from engaging in cowardly, malicious and defaming tactics against him.
Up until this point, Mr. Pacquiao has enjoyed the fruits of a pristine image everywhere he has gone throughout the Philippines and the world. An image which he established through hard work and dedication to his God, his Country and his fans. He will no longer be able to enjoy the fruits of his hard-earned image thanks to Mr. Mayweather and his associates.
These claims which bring into question Mr. Pacquiao's character, honesty and integrity become even more damaging when you take into account the fact he is currently seeking public office in his native Philippines.
In response to their actions, Mr. Pacquiao has decided to immediately file a defamation suit against Mr. Mayweather and his associates.
And in response to those same actions, we are now formally asking you to discontinue and forgo all endorsement relationships, and future endorsement relationships, with Mr. Mayweather and his associates.
We believe there is no place in the world of sport, nor the world in general for this type of behavior. And we earnestly hope that you will also find there is no place for this type of behavior in your upstanding organization as well. ”
Source: philboxing.com
Supporters of pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao are circulating an online petition asking AT&T Inc. and other prospective sponsors to "discontinue and forgo all endorsement relationships" with Floyd Mayweather Jr.
The petition initiated by Kevin Riley a contributor to the website Bleacher Report followed what Riley said was an all-out smear campaign against the Filipino boxing champion and the Philippines.
AT&T recently cancelled its sponsorship deal with golfing great Tiger Woods following a scandal involving his infidelity.
The petition which is addressed to Randall L. Stephenson, Chairman and CEO, AT&T Inc., vehemently objected to the accusations made by Mayweather, his father, Floyd Mayweather Sr and top executives of Golden Boy Promotions Oscar De La Hoya and Richard Schaefer and Mayweather promotions all of whom face a lawsuit filed by crack attorney Daniel Petrocelli on behalf of the Filipino boxing icon.
The petition refers to the accusations of cheating leveled against Pacquiao by the use of performance-enhancing drugs while also accusing the Philippines of being the producers of the best performance enhancing drugs.
Pacquiao's response to these claims:
"I maintain and assure everyone that I have not used any form or kind of steroids and that my way to the top is a result of hard work, hard work, hard work and a lot of blood spilled from my past battles in the ring, not outside of it. I have no idea what steroids look like and my fear in God has kept me safe and victorious through all these years."
Over 1,500 individuals had already signed the online petition to the AT&T CEO which states, . “We are writing to express the deep concerns we have with one of your representatives, Floyd Mayweather Jr. Mr. Mayweather as you know is a professional boxer. He has a tentatively scheduled bout on March 13th, 2010 with Manny Pacquiao, another professional boxer from the Philippines.
For reasons unbeknownst to us, Mr. Mayweather, his father, Floyd Mayweather Sr., his adviser, Leonard Ellerbe and his promoter, Golden Boy Promotions have decided to engage in a smear campaign against Mr. Pacquiao. Their efforts have included press releases, interviews and internet blogs. And their unfounded, unwarranted and unjustified accusations have all centered around the illegal use of steroids, human growth hormones & other chemicals.
Mr. Pacquiao has never before been accused of using the aforementioned products and he has passed every drug test that he has ever been administered throughout the course of his career. Yet this did not stop Mr. Mayweather and his associates from engaging in cowardly, malicious and defaming tactics against him.
Up until this point, Mr. Pacquiao has enjoyed the fruits of a pristine image everywhere he has gone throughout the Philippines and the world. An image which he established through hard work and dedication to his God, his Country and his fans. He will no longer be able to enjoy the fruits of his hard-earned image thanks to Mr. Mayweather and his associates.
These claims which bring into question Mr. Pacquiao's character, honesty and integrity become even more damaging when you take into account the fact he is currently seeking public office in his native Philippines.
In response to their actions, Mr. Pacquiao has decided to immediately file a defamation suit against Mr. Mayweather and his associates.
And in response to those same actions, we are now formally asking you to discontinue and forgo all endorsement relationships, and future endorsement relationships, with Mr. Mayweather and his associates.
We believe there is no place in the world of sport, nor the world in general for this type of behavior. And we earnestly hope that you will also find there is no place for this type of behavior in your upstanding organization as well. ”
Source: philboxing.com
Monday, 4 January 2010
Why Pacquiao-Mayweather is still odds-on to take place this spring -- Guardian
By Kevin Mitchell, Guardian.co.uk
Any bookmaker framing odds on the chances of Manny Pacquiao fighting Floyd Mayweather Jr at the MGM Grand, Las Vegas, this spring or summer might have it at close to even money this morning.
The reasons are these: Floyd, one of life's great gamblers, has already pushed Manny too far in their drawn-out blood feud, and he needs the money more than the little guy. I think the Mayweathers are cracking.
Six weeks ago, when negotiations for the 13 March fight started, Leonard Ellerbe, Mayweather's closest business adviser, said: "If the fight happens, Floyd deserves the lion's share of the purse."
This is a standard negotiating posture, one that led Bob Arum, representing Pacquiao, to point out to him that only the egos of the negotiators could scupper the promotion.
To everyone's amazement, within days Mayweather agreed to split the $50m purse down the middle and cut a deal on the pay-per-view take. That was when I figured he was more desperate for the fight than Pacquiao was – and when they decided on the next stage of their negotiating strategy.
Just before Christmas they tried to rattle Pacquiao by demanding he take random blood tests for performance-enhancing drugs, knowing he didn't like giving blood, especially in the last month of training. He did it before, against Erik Morales (promoted at the time by Oscar De La Hoya), and lost. They were also putting in place what they thought was the perfect excuse: if Pacquiao refused the blood tests and won the fight, Mayweather could claim again he was on the juice.
But Pacquiao fashioned an even better counter. When he announced last week he was suing Mayweather, his father and uncle, as well as their business associates Richard Schaefer and De La Hoya, for defamation, claiming they portrayed him as a drug cheat, he challenged them to back down.
They have not yet done that, but they are nervous.
Ellerbe, who doesn't give many interviews, told Fanhouse.com yesterday, "From day one, I've never accused Manny Pacquaio of anything. All that I've said is that we want to ensure that there is a level playing field."
This, clearly, is unsustainable nonsense. If he is not accusing Pacquiao of anything, why ask him to take tests they have never demanded of any of Mayweather's previous 40 opponents? There is no logic in the Mayweathers' position – unless they believe Pacquiao is taking performance-enhancing drugs.
If they have proof of that beyond gym scuttlebutt, you would imagine they'd produce it. Or would they? Because, to do so would not only wreck Pacquiao's career but a pay-day north of $40m for Mayweather, as well as big bunce for his partners.
Pacquiao, if he is innocent, will know they have no evidence and so will have to compromise. If he is guilty, he will be reasonably certain they won't wreck the promotion by providing the proof. He also knows Mayweather, who called him out in the first place, really wants the fight. He has some serious tax bills to pay, and loves a bet. The signs are encouraging.
Ellerbe said yesterday, "We're still ready, willing and able to make a deal. We feel that this is the biggest fight in the history of boxing. We want to give this fight to the fans."
Of course they do.
And, not only do they want to make a pay-per-view killing, the biggest in the history of the sport by a factor of possibly two, they want to avoid punitive damages of "tens of millions" above the headline $75,000 Pacquiao is suing them for. Those big zeroes are the estimate of Pacquiao's celebrity attorney, Daniel Petrocelli, and any gambler would do well not to ignore him. He has form.
If Pacquiao extracts an apology from Mayweather and agrees to a suitable form of drug testing, all will be well. Otherwise, he will take the legal action the whole way. I have no idea if he will win in court – but neither does Mayweather, and I reckon his legal advisers will be telling him to think hard about bailing out of this one.
Given this is boxing, there has to be another twist – and the most mysterious of all is that Golden Boy owns a slice of Pacquiao, who signed with it in 2006. This inspired Top Rank to sue GBP, which counter-sued. They now each have a bit of Manny, a curiosity that has yet to be resolved.
It is not just a boxing match between Pacquiao and Mayweather, the two best practitioners in the world; it is a willy-waving contest between a whole cast of players: Arum and De La Hoya, for a start. The Golden Boy boxed for Arum – until they fell out, naturally. Nor does Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, get on with Mayweather Sr. In fact Mayweather Jr is not crazy about De La Hoya, who lost to him in 2007 but out-earned him by $58m to $25m. Oscar then sacked his trainer – Freddie Roach. The Borgias have got nothing on this lot.
Ellerbe told Fanhouse.com, "We checked our egos at the door" when they started talks. I don't think so. The fight game is all about egos. It's why they are in this mess in the first place.
There is an outside chance, of course, that this absurd row is a publicity scam of towering genius, one that ensures maximum interest from outside the hardcore boxing community, punters who will push the pay-per-view numbers past three million and make everyone concerned considerably richer.
It might not have begun like that. But, as in life, what started as a cock-up born of animus has become a war, and it plainly suits both sides to milk it until they settle. It is getting a lot of ink.
So if the fighters, alongside Arum, Ellerbe, Schaefer and De La Hoya, gather this week – let's say Wednesday – to announce the war is over, it would not surprise me in the least. I'd put the odds at about 4‑6.
Source: guardian.co.uk
Any bookmaker framing odds on the chances of Manny Pacquiao fighting Floyd Mayweather Jr at the MGM Grand, Las Vegas, this spring or summer might have it at close to even money this morning.
The reasons are these: Floyd, one of life's great gamblers, has already pushed Manny too far in their drawn-out blood feud, and he needs the money more than the little guy. I think the Mayweathers are cracking.
Six weeks ago, when negotiations for the 13 March fight started, Leonard Ellerbe, Mayweather's closest business adviser, said: "If the fight happens, Floyd deserves the lion's share of the purse."
This is a standard negotiating posture, one that led Bob Arum, representing Pacquiao, to point out to him that only the egos of the negotiators could scupper the promotion.
To everyone's amazement, within days Mayweather agreed to split the $50m purse down the middle and cut a deal on the pay-per-view take. That was when I figured he was more desperate for the fight than Pacquiao was – and when they decided on the next stage of their negotiating strategy.
Just before Christmas they tried to rattle Pacquiao by demanding he take random blood tests for performance-enhancing drugs, knowing he didn't like giving blood, especially in the last month of training. He did it before, against Erik Morales (promoted at the time by Oscar De La Hoya), and lost. They were also putting in place what they thought was the perfect excuse: if Pacquiao refused the blood tests and won the fight, Mayweather could claim again he was on the juice.
But Pacquiao fashioned an even better counter. When he announced last week he was suing Mayweather, his father and uncle, as well as their business associates Richard Schaefer and De La Hoya, for defamation, claiming they portrayed him as a drug cheat, he challenged them to back down.
They have not yet done that, but they are nervous.
Ellerbe, who doesn't give many interviews, told Fanhouse.com yesterday, "From day one, I've never accused Manny Pacquaio of anything. All that I've said is that we want to ensure that there is a level playing field."
This, clearly, is unsustainable nonsense. If he is not accusing Pacquiao of anything, why ask him to take tests they have never demanded of any of Mayweather's previous 40 opponents? There is no logic in the Mayweathers' position – unless they believe Pacquiao is taking performance-enhancing drugs.
If they have proof of that beyond gym scuttlebutt, you would imagine they'd produce it. Or would they? Because, to do so would not only wreck Pacquiao's career but a pay-day north of $40m for Mayweather, as well as big bunce for his partners.
Pacquiao, if he is innocent, will know they have no evidence and so will have to compromise. If he is guilty, he will be reasonably certain they won't wreck the promotion by providing the proof. He also knows Mayweather, who called him out in the first place, really wants the fight. He has some serious tax bills to pay, and loves a bet. The signs are encouraging.
Ellerbe said yesterday, "We're still ready, willing and able to make a deal. We feel that this is the biggest fight in the history of boxing. We want to give this fight to the fans."
Of course they do.
And, not only do they want to make a pay-per-view killing, the biggest in the history of the sport by a factor of possibly two, they want to avoid punitive damages of "tens of millions" above the headline $75,000 Pacquiao is suing them for. Those big zeroes are the estimate of Pacquiao's celebrity attorney, Daniel Petrocelli, and any gambler would do well not to ignore him. He has form.
If Pacquiao extracts an apology from Mayweather and agrees to a suitable form of drug testing, all will be well. Otherwise, he will take the legal action the whole way. I have no idea if he will win in court – but neither does Mayweather, and I reckon his legal advisers will be telling him to think hard about bailing out of this one.
Given this is boxing, there has to be another twist – and the most mysterious of all is that Golden Boy owns a slice of Pacquiao, who signed with it in 2006. This inspired Top Rank to sue GBP, which counter-sued. They now each have a bit of Manny, a curiosity that has yet to be resolved.
It is not just a boxing match between Pacquiao and Mayweather, the two best practitioners in the world; it is a willy-waving contest between a whole cast of players: Arum and De La Hoya, for a start. The Golden Boy boxed for Arum – until they fell out, naturally. Nor does Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, get on with Mayweather Sr. In fact Mayweather Jr is not crazy about De La Hoya, who lost to him in 2007 but out-earned him by $58m to $25m. Oscar then sacked his trainer – Freddie Roach. The Borgias have got nothing on this lot.
Ellerbe told Fanhouse.com, "We checked our egos at the door" when they started talks. I don't think so. The fight game is all about egos. It's why they are in this mess in the first place.
There is an outside chance, of course, that this absurd row is a publicity scam of towering genius, one that ensures maximum interest from outside the hardcore boxing community, punters who will push the pay-per-view numbers past three million and make everyone concerned considerably richer.
It might not have begun like that. But, as in life, what started as a cock-up born of animus has become a war, and it plainly suits both sides to milk it until they settle. It is getting a lot of ink.
So if the fighters, alongside Arum, Ellerbe, Schaefer and De La Hoya, gather this week – let's say Wednesday – to announce the war is over, it would not surprise me in the least. I'd put the odds at about 4‑6.
Source: guardian.co.uk
A contrarian’s dry-eyed look at the (possible) collapse of Pacquiao-Mayweather -- 15Rounds
By Bart Barry, 15Rounds
“This one storm is going to change the face of our planet. When this storm is over, we’ll be in a new ice age. My God.” – Professor Jack Hall, “The Day After Tomorrow”
Thank heavens the hyperbolic professor didn’t have an internet connection and an interest in boxing these last 40 days. Who knows how many worlds he might have seen ending? But then, if he’d had those things there’s an outside chance his carrying on might have been ridiculous enough for us to snicker, find our equilibrium and realize that – much as in the poorly scripted case above – the end of the world is not nigh.
Nor is the end of boxing. Nor – mercilessly enough – is the end of negotiations for Manny Pacquiao to fight Floyd Mayweather and determine the mythical pound-for-pound titlist of 2010. Soft deadlines have passed. Hard deadlines have come and gone. New Year’s Day is in the books. Both sides are unwilling to budge. And with March 13 looming but 68 days from here, there’s not nearly enough time to fill Cowboys Stadium!
Get a hold of yourself. This fight was never going anywhere but Las Vegas. With MGM Grand the settled site for Pacquiao-Mayweather, there are no tickets to sell; attracting pay-per-viewers is the only point of the promotion. That means HBO’s “24/7” program is the de facto promoter and the ultimate deadline needn’t come before Feb. 1.
That could be the last word in optimism if optimism were warranted. It isn’t.
Anyone reading this column cares enough about our sport to cast a wary eye at outsiders who assure us boxing’s future relies on this fight coming off. I know, I know. We finally had the New York Times and Wall Street Journal’s validation. Well, so long as this fight looked doable, it behooved us all to agree this was the most important happening of the millennium. Now that Pacquiao-Mayweather in Texas has gone the way of Pacquiao-Valero in Macao, though, ask yourself: How does this fight affect me?
Manny Pacquiao is considered the world’s best fighter. Floyd Mayweather is considered the world’s second-best fighter. If they were to fight, those positions would likely switch. How is that good for boxing?
Pacquiao is a charismatic action fighter who’s created a market for prizefighting in the Philippines and made it popular as ever throughout Asia. Mayweather is a foul-mouthed defensive specialist whose fights lose more fans than they gain. Pacquiao is good for boxing. Mayweather is good for Mayweather.
Mayweather is also too smart by half, this time. He’s devised a strategy of implying Pacquiao has been cheating, without exactly saying it. He didn’t want fair play; he wanted another psychological advantage over another opponent. He knew Pacquiao would consider the blood testing intrusive. He knew in Pacquiao’s mind it would be “Money May” himself reaching in those veins and doing God knows what with the blood.
Hey, as an American immune to superstition, I’m with Mayweather on the testing. I’d probably agree to the testing even if I did have something to hide – betting on the testers’ incompetence. But most Filipinos would refuse blood tests even if they had nothing to hide.
If the fight’s off because neither side flinches on blood tests, Pacquiao remains the world’s best fighter. Mayweather holds down the two spot. Works for me.
But let’s hope it doesn’t work for Mayweather. Let’s hope being a runner-up enkindles him enough to declare war on the welterweight division, demand the head of whoever wins the upcoming match between Shane Mosley and Andre Berto, and then issue beatings to Joshua Clottey, Miguel Cotto and Luis Collazo.
Wait, stop laughing.
A more likely scenario of course is that Mayweather will pursue dwindling-money fights with old guys and b-level talents until he, too, becomes an old guy. If that happens, Mayweather’s ultimate legacy will look like this: Top 10 talent, Top 100 resume.
Oh, no it won’t! I’ll remind the world till the day I die that Pacquiao ducked him by refusing blood tests!
No, you won’t. Someday you’ll be married with kids and a full-time job and no more than an hour of every week for message boards. Then, only Mayweather’s record of actual fights will matter, and some youngster half your age will say: “Not one prime hall-of-famer on that 50-0 record.”
Based on their past exploits, we can assume Pacquiao really wants this fight, Mayweather sort of wants this fight, Golden Boy Promotions really wants this fight, and Top Rank sort of wants this fight. Though they share similar levels of enthusiasm, Mayweather is wrong and Top Rank is right – coincidentally, for the same reason:
If anyone can solve Manny Pacquiao, it’s Floyd Mayweather.
Pacquiao and his millions of fans don’t know this. Mayweather and his dozens of fans do. And so, one assumes, do a few people in Top Rank – the company that developed Mayweather before it developed Pacquiao. Top Rank won’t jeopardize the Pacman party till it gets plenty more concessions at the negotiating table.
If Pacquiao-Mayweather does happen, though, it will be an event. The New York Times will be there. The undercard will be unwatchable. The fight itself will be dull. Mayweather will hold the sport of boxing hostage – whupping the daylights out of the Matty Hattons of the world – for five more years. And we’ll all be $100 million richer.
No we won’t. Yet, that’s the final reason why many seem to think they have a vested interest in this fight happening: Because it will make a lot of money. Money for whom? In prizefighting the money distributes like the talent on a super-fight’s marquee: 90 percent in the top 10 percent.
So, dry your eyes. And remember, less money in boxing, not more, is what made 2009 so much better than 2008.
Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter.com/bartbarry
Source: 15rounds.com
“This one storm is going to change the face of our planet. When this storm is over, we’ll be in a new ice age. My God.” – Professor Jack Hall, “The Day After Tomorrow”
Thank heavens the hyperbolic professor didn’t have an internet connection and an interest in boxing these last 40 days. Who knows how many worlds he might have seen ending? But then, if he’d had those things there’s an outside chance his carrying on might have been ridiculous enough for us to snicker, find our equilibrium and realize that – much as in the poorly scripted case above – the end of the world is not nigh.
Nor is the end of boxing. Nor – mercilessly enough – is the end of negotiations for Manny Pacquiao to fight Floyd Mayweather and determine the mythical pound-for-pound titlist of 2010. Soft deadlines have passed. Hard deadlines have come and gone. New Year’s Day is in the books. Both sides are unwilling to budge. And with March 13 looming but 68 days from here, there’s not nearly enough time to fill Cowboys Stadium!
Get a hold of yourself. This fight was never going anywhere but Las Vegas. With MGM Grand the settled site for Pacquiao-Mayweather, there are no tickets to sell; attracting pay-per-viewers is the only point of the promotion. That means HBO’s “24/7” program is the de facto promoter and the ultimate deadline needn’t come before Feb. 1.
That could be the last word in optimism if optimism were warranted. It isn’t.
Anyone reading this column cares enough about our sport to cast a wary eye at outsiders who assure us boxing’s future relies on this fight coming off. I know, I know. We finally had the New York Times and Wall Street Journal’s validation. Well, so long as this fight looked doable, it behooved us all to agree this was the most important happening of the millennium. Now that Pacquiao-Mayweather in Texas has gone the way of Pacquiao-Valero in Macao, though, ask yourself: How does this fight affect me?
Manny Pacquiao is considered the world’s best fighter. Floyd Mayweather is considered the world’s second-best fighter. If they were to fight, those positions would likely switch. How is that good for boxing?
Pacquiao is a charismatic action fighter who’s created a market for prizefighting in the Philippines and made it popular as ever throughout Asia. Mayweather is a foul-mouthed defensive specialist whose fights lose more fans than they gain. Pacquiao is good for boxing. Mayweather is good for Mayweather.
Mayweather is also too smart by half, this time. He’s devised a strategy of implying Pacquiao has been cheating, without exactly saying it. He didn’t want fair play; he wanted another psychological advantage over another opponent. He knew Pacquiao would consider the blood testing intrusive. He knew in Pacquiao’s mind it would be “Money May” himself reaching in those veins and doing God knows what with the blood.
Hey, as an American immune to superstition, I’m with Mayweather on the testing. I’d probably agree to the testing even if I did have something to hide – betting on the testers’ incompetence. But most Filipinos would refuse blood tests even if they had nothing to hide.
If the fight’s off because neither side flinches on blood tests, Pacquiao remains the world’s best fighter. Mayweather holds down the two spot. Works for me.
But let’s hope it doesn’t work for Mayweather. Let’s hope being a runner-up enkindles him enough to declare war on the welterweight division, demand the head of whoever wins the upcoming match between Shane Mosley and Andre Berto, and then issue beatings to Joshua Clottey, Miguel Cotto and Luis Collazo.
Wait, stop laughing.
A more likely scenario of course is that Mayweather will pursue dwindling-money fights with old guys and b-level talents until he, too, becomes an old guy. If that happens, Mayweather’s ultimate legacy will look like this: Top 10 talent, Top 100 resume.
Oh, no it won’t! I’ll remind the world till the day I die that Pacquiao ducked him by refusing blood tests!
No, you won’t. Someday you’ll be married with kids and a full-time job and no more than an hour of every week for message boards. Then, only Mayweather’s record of actual fights will matter, and some youngster half your age will say: “Not one prime hall-of-famer on that 50-0 record.”
Based on their past exploits, we can assume Pacquiao really wants this fight, Mayweather sort of wants this fight, Golden Boy Promotions really wants this fight, and Top Rank sort of wants this fight. Though they share similar levels of enthusiasm, Mayweather is wrong and Top Rank is right – coincidentally, for the same reason:
If anyone can solve Manny Pacquiao, it’s Floyd Mayweather.
Pacquiao and his millions of fans don’t know this. Mayweather and his dozens of fans do. And so, one assumes, do a few people in Top Rank – the company that developed Mayweather before it developed Pacquiao. Top Rank won’t jeopardize the Pacman party till it gets plenty more concessions at the negotiating table.
If Pacquiao-Mayweather does happen, though, it will be an event. The New York Times will be there. The undercard will be unwatchable. The fight itself will be dull. Mayweather will hold the sport of boxing hostage – whupping the daylights out of the Matty Hattons of the world – for five more years. And we’ll all be $100 million richer.
No we won’t. Yet, that’s the final reason why many seem to think they have a vested interest in this fight happening: Because it will make a lot of money. Money for whom? In prizefighting the money distributes like the talent on a super-fight’s marquee: 90 percent in the top 10 percent.
So, dry your eyes. And remember, less money in boxing, not more, is what made 2009 so much better than 2008.
Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter.com/bartbarry
Source: 15rounds.com
Floyd Mayweather Jr. is best of the best since 2000 -- Miami Herald
By SANTOS A. PEREZ, The Miami Herald
Breaking down a ``best of'' has become a popular topic the past two weeks. With the beginning of a new decade, it is an appropriate occasion to recognize the best 10 fighters of the 2000s.
Eligibility for a decade ``Best 10'' list would require an extended body of work. World champions Lennox Lewis and Ricardo Lopez fought early in the decade, but neither had sufficient bouts to make the list.
Lopez retired after only two victorious bouts, and even though Lewis flirted with comebacks after winning his last fight against Vitali Klitschko in 2003, the former heavyweight titleholder settled into a post-fighting career as an HBO analyst.
Early in the decade, Pensacola's Roy Jones Jr. seemed like a logical selection. But after his successful one-fight venture as a heavyweight, when he defeated John Ruiz for a title in 2003, Jones suffered consecutive knockout losses against light heavyweights Antonio Tarver and Miami's Glen Johnson the following year. Jones lost three additional fights later in the decade, including a one-round TKO loss against Danny Green last month.
In descending order, we list our best 10 fighters of the decade:
10. Tie -- Miguel Cotto, Ronald ``Winky'' Wright.
9. Israel Vazquez.
8. Wladimir Klitschko.
7. Arthur Abraham.
6. Chris John.
5. Kostya Tszyu: Retired since losing to Ricky Hatton in 2005, Tszyu was the top junior welterweight of his era. Tszyu made seven successful title defenses in his second stint as champion, including a 14-month undisputed reign. Tszyu's signature performance was his second-round technical knockout over Zab Judah in a title unification bout in 2001.
4. Bernard Hopkins: Began the decade unifying middleweight titles, including a TKO over Felix Trinidad in 2001. A part-time Miami resident, Hopkins enjoyed a 20-fight run as 160-pound champion. Hopkins later moved up to the light-heavyweight class and scored victories over Wright, Tarver and Kelly Pavlik.
3. Manny Pacquiao: Difficult to imagine, but Pacquiao began the decade as a super bantamweight. The Philippines native is now considered by many as the sport's best pound-for-pound fighter, defeating established champions in five successive weight classes. Pacquiao was 23-1-2 in the decade, and his knockout conquests included Cotto, Hatton, Oscar De La Hoya and Marco Antonio Barrera.
2. Joe Calzaghe: At the decade's outset, Calzaghe already was in his third year as super-middleweight champion. A native of Wales, Calzaghe remained champion through 2007, when he defeated Mikkel Kessler in a title-unification bout. Calzaghe moved to light heavyweight in 2008 and won decisions against Hopkins and Jones. Calzaghe retired after the victory over Jones and ended his career with a 46-0 record and 32 knockouts.
1. Floyd Mayweather Jr.: For most of the decade, Mayweather was found near the top of best pound-for-pound lists. Having ended 2009 with a spotless career record, Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs) deserves recognition as fighter of the decade. Mayweather finished the 2000s with an 18-0 record and KOs. His 10th-round TKO of Diego Corrales as super-featherweight champion in 2001 set the tone.
Source: miamiherald.com
Breaking down a ``best of'' has become a popular topic the past two weeks. With the beginning of a new decade, it is an appropriate occasion to recognize the best 10 fighters of the 2000s.
Eligibility for a decade ``Best 10'' list would require an extended body of work. World champions Lennox Lewis and Ricardo Lopez fought early in the decade, but neither had sufficient bouts to make the list.
Lopez retired after only two victorious bouts, and even though Lewis flirted with comebacks after winning his last fight against Vitali Klitschko in 2003, the former heavyweight titleholder settled into a post-fighting career as an HBO analyst.
Early in the decade, Pensacola's Roy Jones Jr. seemed like a logical selection. But after his successful one-fight venture as a heavyweight, when he defeated John Ruiz for a title in 2003, Jones suffered consecutive knockout losses against light heavyweights Antonio Tarver and Miami's Glen Johnson the following year. Jones lost three additional fights later in the decade, including a one-round TKO loss against Danny Green last month.
In descending order, we list our best 10 fighters of the decade:
10. Tie -- Miguel Cotto, Ronald ``Winky'' Wright.
9. Israel Vazquez.
8. Wladimir Klitschko.
7. Arthur Abraham.
6. Chris John.
5. Kostya Tszyu: Retired since losing to Ricky Hatton in 2005, Tszyu was the top junior welterweight of his era. Tszyu made seven successful title defenses in his second stint as champion, including a 14-month undisputed reign. Tszyu's signature performance was his second-round technical knockout over Zab Judah in a title unification bout in 2001.
4. Bernard Hopkins: Began the decade unifying middleweight titles, including a TKO over Felix Trinidad in 2001. A part-time Miami resident, Hopkins enjoyed a 20-fight run as 160-pound champion. Hopkins later moved up to the light-heavyweight class and scored victories over Wright, Tarver and Kelly Pavlik.
3. Manny Pacquiao: Difficult to imagine, but Pacquiao began the decade as a super bantamweight. The Philippines native is now considered by many as the sport's best pound-for-pound fighter, defeating established champions in five successive weight classes. Pacquiao was 23-1-2 in the decade, and his knockout conquests included Cotto, Hatton, Oscar De La Hoya and Marco Antonio Barrera.
2. Joe Calzaghe: At the decade's outset, Calzaghe already was in his third year as super-middleweight champion. A native of Wales, Calzaghe remained champion through 2007, when he defeated Mikkel Kessler in a title-unification bout. Calzaghe moved to light heavyweight in 2008 and won decisions against Hopkins and Jones. Calzaghe retired after the victory over Jones and ended his career with a 46-0 record and 32 knockouts.
1. Floyd Mayweather Jr.: For most of the decade, Mayweather was found near the top of best pound-for-pound lists. Having ended 2009 with a spotless career record, Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs) deserves recognition as fighter of the decade. Mayweather finished the 2000s with an 18-0 record and KOs. His 10th-round TKO of Diego Corrales as super-featherweight champion in 2001 set the tone.
Source: miamiherald.com
Judge to Mediate Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao Talks Tuesday -- FanHouse
By Lem Satterfield, FanHouse
Representatives of Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather will meet on Tuesday in retired federal judge Daniel Weinstein's Santa Monica office of Judicial Arbitration and Midiation Services (JAMS) in an attempt to revive talks for the fighters' potential, March 13, welterweight (147 pounds) megabout at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Bob Arum, CEO of Top Rank Promotions, said he will be present on behalf of Pacquiao, as will his stepson, Top Rank president, Todd duBoef. Also there will be a representative of the Los Angeles-based law firm, O'Melveny and Myers, whose attorney, Dan Petrocelli, has been retained to take the case.
Perhaps best known for gaining a wrongful death civil conviction against O.J. Simpson in 1997, Petrocelli, on Wednesday, filed a lawsuit on behalf of Pacquiao seeking compensatory and punitive damages for defamation of character against Richard Schaefer and Oscar De La Hoya of Golden Boy Promotions, as well as Floyd Mayweather Jr., Floyd Mayweather Sr., and the fighter's uncle, Roger Mayweather.
Contacted through his administrative assistant, Schaefer, via e-mail, declined to comment.
But Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather promotions, told FanHouse recently "we're still trying to make a deal," adding, " "We feel that this is the biggest fight in the history of boxing. We want to give this fight to the fans."
The suit seeks damages in excess of $75,000 for Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 knockouts), who contends that the camp of Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs) has damaged his reputation by demanding that both fighters be randomly drug-tested using urinalysis as well as blood work -- the latter being a procedure that never has been used in boxing.
Mayweather's camp initially wanted the Olympic-style, random blood-testing to be done by the United States Anti-Doping Agency. It has since back off of that stance.
Neither Pacquiao, nor Mayweather has ever tested positive for any banned substances.
Pending Tuesday's mediation at JAMS, Petrocelli can no longer comment directly on the case. Petrocelli did, however, speak to FanHouse on Wednesday -- within an hour of filing the suit.
"We filed a defamation of character lawsuit in the federal court in Las Vegas, Nevada, against the Mayweathers, Oscar De La Hoya and Richard Schaefer based on their false and defamatory statements about Manny Pacquiao," said Petrocelli, "specifically their publicly stating that Pacquiao was taking steroids or other illegal drugs to enhance his performance -- knowing that there is absolutely no basis for any such assertions...These guys have no right saying what they're saying. It's knowingly false, highly injurious."
Arum said that the only way for the negotiations to continue is for Mayweather's side to drop its demand for random blood-testing, and to apologize, publicly, to Pacquiao.
"What they have to do -- and what I know the option is going to be -- is that they have to apologize. All of them. They have to make a meaningful apology," said Arum.
"If they want random blood-testing, they would have to go before the Nevada Commission and petition the commission for that," said Arum. "They have to agree that the Nevada Commission is regulating this fight -- period. No outside agency, no nothing. The have to go with the Nevada Commission -- period."
A native and resident of General Santos City in the Philippines, the 31-year-old Pacquiao's career began as a 106-pounder. The Filipino superstar's Nov. 14, 12th-round technical knockout of Miguel Cotto earned the WBO's welterweight title -- his unprecedented seventh in as many different weight classes.
Since losing a unanimous decision to Erik Morales in March of 2005, Pacquiao's ring performances have been extraordinary, if not, exceptional.
Pacquiao is riding an 11-0 winning streak that includes eight knockouts -- a run that encompassing KOs in the 10th, and, third rounds, respectively, over Morales.
Pacquiao's past six victories include super featherweight (130 pounds) decisions over Mexican greats, Marco Antonio Barrera, and, Juan Manuel Marquez -- this after having battled Marquez to a draw nearly four years earlier.
Pacquiao has knocked out his past four opponents, David Diaz, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, and, Cotto, respectively, while rising from the lightweight (135 pounds), to the junior welterweight (140), to the welterweight classes.
Some members of the boxing community have speculated, publicly, about Pacquiao's ability to carry his uncanny power with him as he has risen in weight.
Arum believes the criticism to be unprecedented and unfair, asking, "When has this ever come up in the past like this?"
Following his Sept., 2003, junior middleweight victory over Oscar De La Hoya, Shane Mosley admitted to having used the doping agent, EPO, in connection with the BALCO Labs steroid scandal.
"Shane Mosley was an admitted drug-user. And I've had Shane Mosley fight two of the guys that I've promoted in the last few years -- one of them was Miguel Cotto and the other was Antonio Margarito. Did I ever, ever, ever even indicate in any way that Shane Mosley should be subject to special testing? Ever? No," said Arum.
"The feeling in the Philippines, really, is that Manny's an Asian guy, and this is really xenophobic. And because of his great success, this is what they're focusing on," said Arum. "So this is absolutely prepostorous, and hopefully, the mediator will convince them of that."
If the Mayweather-Pacquiao does not take place, Arum has said that he is prepared to match Pacquiao against newly-crowned WBA junior middleweight (154 pounds) Yuri Foreman (28-0, eight KOs) of New York, possibly on March 20 at The Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
Source: boxing.fanhouse.com
Representatives of Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather will meet on Tuesday in retired federal judge Daniel Weinstein's Santa Monica office of Judicial Arbitration and Midiation Services (JAMS) in an attempt to revive talks for the fighters' potential, March 13, welterweight (147 pounds) megabout at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Bob Arum, CEO of Top Rank Promotions, said he will be present on behalf of Pacquiao, as will his stepson, Top Rank president, Todd duBoef. Also there will be a representative of the Los Angeles-based law firm, O'Melveny and Myers, whose attorney, Dan Petrocelli, has been retained to take the case.
Perhaps best known for gaining a wrongful death civil conviction against O.J. Simpson in 1997, Petrocelli, on Wednesday, filed a lawsuit on behalf of Pacquiao seeking compensatory and punitive damages for defamation of character against Richard Schaefer and Oscar De La Hoya of Golden Boy Promotions, as well as Floyd Mayweather Jr., Floyd Mayweather Sr., and the fighter's uncle, Roger Mayweather.
Contacted through his administrative assistant, Schaefer, via e-mail, declined to comment.
But Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather promotions, told FanHouse recently "we're still trying to make a deal," adding, " "We feel that this is the biggest fight in the history of boxing. We want to give this fight to the fans."
The suit seeks damages in excess of $75,000 for Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 knockouts), who contends that the camp of Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs) has damaged his reputation by demanding that both fighters be randomly drug-tested using urinalysis as well as blood work -- the latter being a procedure that never has been used in boxing.
Mayweather's camp initially wanted the Olympic-style, random blood-testing to be done by the United States Anti-Doping Agency. It has since back off of that stance.
Neither Pacquiao, nor Mayweather has ever tested positive for any banned substances.
Pending Tuesday's mediation at JAMS, Petrocelli can no longer comment directly on the case. Petrocelli did, however, speak to FanHouse on Wednesday -- within an hour of filing the suit.
"We filed a defamation of character lawsuit in the federal court in Las Vegas, Nevada, against the Mayweathers, Oscar De La Hoya and Richard Schaefer based on their false and defamatory statements about Manny Pacquiao," said Petrocelli, "specifically their publicly stating that Pacquiao was taking steroids or other illegal drugs to enhance his performance -- knowing that there is absolutely no basis for any such assertions...These guys have no right saying what they're saying. It's knowingly false, highly injurious."
Arum said that the only way for the negotiations to continue is for Mayweather's side to drop its demand for random blood-testing, and to apologize, publicly, to Pacquiao.
"What they have to do -- and what I know the option is going to be -- is that they have to apologize. All of them. They have to make a meaningful apology," said Arum.
"If they want random blood-testing, they would have to go before the Nevada Commission and petition the commission for that," said Arum. "They have to agree that the Nevada Commission is regulating this fight -- period. No outside agency, no nothing. The have to go with the Nevada Commission -- period."
A native and resident of General Santos City in the Philippines, the 31-year-old Pacquiao's career began as a 106-pounder. The Filipino superstar's Nov. 14, 12th-round technical knockout of Miguel Cotto earned the WBO's welterweight title -- his unprecedented seventh in as many different weight classes.
Since losing a unanimous decision to Erik Morales in March of 2005, Pacquiao's ring performances have been extraordinary, if not, exceptional.
Pacquiao is riding an 11-0 winning streak that includes eight knockouts -- a run that encompassing KOs in the 10th, and, third rounds, respectively, over Morales.
Pacquiao's past six victories include super featherweight (130 pounds) decisions over Mexican greats, Marco Antonio Barrera, and, Juan Manuel Marquez -- this after having battled Marquez to a draw nearly four years earlier.
Pacquiao has knocked out his past four opponents, David Diaz, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, and, Cotto, respectively, while rising from the lightweight (135 pounds), to the junior welterweight (140), to the welterweight classes.
Some members of the boxing community have speculated, publicly, about Pacquiao's ability to carry his uncanny power with him as he has risen in weight.
Arum believes the criticism to be unprecedented and unfair, asking, "When has this ever come up in the past like this?"
Following his Sept., 2003, junior middleweight victory over Oscar De La Hoya, Shane Mosley admitted to having used the doping agent, EPO, in connection with the BALCO Labs steroid scandal.
"Shane Mosley was an admitted drug-user. And I've had Shane Mosley fight two of the guys that I've promoted in the last few years -- one of them was Miguel Cotto and the other was Antonio Margarito. Did I ever, ever, ever even indicate in any way that Shane Mosley should be subject to special testing? Ever? No," said Arum.
"The feeling in the Philippines, really, is that Manny's an Asian guy, and this is really xenophobic. And because of his great success, this is what they're focusing on," said Arum. "So this is absolutely prepostorous, and hopefully, the mediator will convince them of that."
If the Mayweather-Pacquiao does not take place, Arum has said that he is prepared to match Pacquiao against newly-crowned WBA junior middleweight (154 pounds) Yuri Foreman (28-0, eight KOs) of New York, possibly on March 20 at The Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
Source: boxing.fanhouse.com
Cotto's father passes at 57 -- The Ring
By The RingTV.com editors
Miguel Cotto Sr., the father of former two-division titleholder Miguel Cotto, passed away in Puerto Rico on Sunday morning, the apparent victim of a heart attack, according to El Nuevo Dia.
The the Puerto Rican daily newspaper reported that Cotto Sr., who suffered from health problems such as asthma and had to carry an oxygen tank around to help him breathe properly, was driving early Sunday, felt ill, stopped the car and asked for help before collapsing.
Cotto Sr., who served in the Puerto Rican National Guard for 25 years and worked the Cotto's corner during the fighter's loss to Manny Pacquiao on Nov. 14, was very close to his son.
Source: ringtv.com
Miguel Cotto Sr., the father of former two-division titleholder Miguel Cotto, passed away in Puerto Rico on Sunday morning, the apparent victim of a heart attack, according to El Nuevo Dia.
The the Puerto Rican daily newspaper reported that Cotto Sr., who suffered from health problems such as asthma and had to carry an oxygen tank around to help him breathe properly, was driving early Sunday, felt ill, stopped the car and asked for help before collapsing.
Cotto Sr., who served in the Puerto Rican National Guard for 25 years and worked the Cotto's corner during the fighter's loss to Manny Pacquiao on Nov. 14, was very close to his son.
Source: ringtv.com
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