Pacquiao: Floyd is afraid to fight -- ABS CBN News

abs-cbnNEWS.com

MANILA, Philippines – Although Fighter of the Decade Manny Pacquiao has confirmed that talks for his anticipated fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. are ongoing, he said details of the negotiations “are not yet clear”.

“Right now, it’s not year clear. He’s afraid to fight me,” Pacquiao told The Freeman in an exclusive interview last Sunday.

The Filipino boxing icon, however, declined to provide details of the talks for his Mayweather fight. He said he has yet to get feedback from Top Rank promoter Bob Arum.

Pacquiao said he is still ready to face the undefeated Mayweather in November.

Fears of another breakdown in talks for the Pacquiao-Mayweather face-off came after the American boxer asked for a bigger purse in the earnings of the most anticipated fight of the year.

The Filipino boxing superstar, however, reportedly thumbed down the demand, stressing that he will not climb into ring against the outspoken Mayweather if the split over fight revenues is not settled.

“If it’s going to be a 50/50 split, the fight will definitely push through,” said Pacquiao.

Pacquiao earlier said that his decision to agree to a blood test 14 days before the fight would be the last demand from the Mayweather camp that he would grant.

He said that another demand from Mayweather would mean that the American fighter does not really want to face him in the ring.

Rex “Wakee” Salud, Pacquiao’s advisor, said it is unfair for the Mayweather camp to ask for more.

“That is too much for Mayweather to ask. Besides, that’s unfair to Pacquiao because he’s the main draw, being the current pound-for-pound king,” he said. -- With a report from The Freeman

Source: abs-cbnnews.com

Pacquiao vs. Mayweather will define an era -- Examiner

By Lorne Scoggins, Examiner.com

It's a rare occurrence in boxing. The two best pound-for-pound fighters are currently fighting in the same weight class, and it's arguable as to who is truly the best.

Yahoo says it's Mayweather. The Ring Magazine says it's Pacquiao.

Floyd fans say Manny's no match for Floyd's quick, slick, defensive genius, and that the former's aggressiveness will play right into Floyd's technically skilled hands.

Manny fans say that Floyd's defense will prove to be penetrable for the 'Pacific Hurricane's' work-rate and by sheer volume of punches, the undefeated pugilist will eventually kiss the canvas for the 10-count.

Let's face it. Both fighters are brilliant in their own right. If they get in the ring together, there will be a sense of the unknown, an anticipation, and a certain tension and excitement the likes of which that only these two particular men can bring to the ring.

There's only one way to solve the riddle; one way to hush the critics, fanatics, and idolizers of both fighters who light up the boxing forums and comments sections of articles with heated debate of why their guy is the best.

Joe Frazier was a great fighter, but unfortunately for him, he was a contemporary of Muhammad Ali. Ali didn't take away from Frazier's greatness, but he overshadowed it by two very hard-earned victories. The fact that Frazier won the first fight of their trilogy, is overshadowed by the fact that Ali won the last two. The greatness of both fighters lies in the blood, sweat, and tears they invested in each match. To the delight of boxing fans, both men left everything they had in the ring.

In a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight, somebody must win and somebody must lose. Somebody will prove to be the best, and the other will have to settle for second.

So many people have invested so much of themselves in the match that multitudes of fans of one pugilist or the other will be heartbroken, while fans of the winner will surely gloat and mock.

Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr didn't get where they are by being slackers. There is no lack of heart, no lack of desire, and no lack of discipline to be noted. Like Ali and Frazier, Pacquiao and Mayweather will give 101% of themselves.

Dale Pippin of Seligman said, "No matter who wins, there's no shame in either of these fighters losing to the other. They're the best boxers in the sport."

This is what it's all about.

This is boxing at its best.

Send questions and comments to lscoggins@8countnews.com

Source: examiner.com

Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather, JR Waiting on Signatures to Finalized Contract -- Ringside Report

By “Bad” Brad Berkwitt, Ringside Report

On Wednesday, June 16th, RSR broke a major news story that the “Mega Fight” between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, JR. was a “Done Deal” with only signatures being needed on a finalized contract which was related by an inside source close to Team Mayweather. Since that time, Oscar De La Hoya has back pedaled on statements he made which backed up RSR’s inside source close to Team Mayweather along with, Bob Arum going on record giving ground about indications the fight is close to being made.

I must admit, this is brilliant on both Boxing Promoters to talk around the topic to add to the fervor our breaking story started in the boxing world last week. RSR was contacted yesterday from our source close to Team Mayweather who said, “This fight is just that, a “Done Deal” and within a few weeks or less, the signatures will be on the contract.”

As I have said from day one, this is a fight that really needs no more hype and will break all records to date for a live boxing match. The fighters make a mint, their promoters make a mint, and the boxing fans, walk away from a fight that has the potential to be one of the best matches in boxing history, with two fighters, still in their prime with outstanding skills to back up their claim to fame. No matter how you rate them at number one or number two, make no mistake, Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, JR., are the two best fighters in boxing today!

Source: ringsidereport.com

Floyd Sr. says his son will clobber Pacquiao -- Manila Bulletin

By NICK GIONGCO, Manila Bulletin

While both camps are still trying their best to strike a deal for a November 13 fight, Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s father bragged that Manny Pacquiao “will be eating not just any leather but the leather on the end of my son’s fists.”

Floyd Sr., who has trouble keeping his mouth shut, told CBS Radio recently that there is not even a speck of doubt in his mind that his son would teach the Filipino a nasty lesson in the event they agree to face each other.

“Let me tell you something, my son is the most accurate puncher in the sport of boxing today. If you go into the ring with my son with no defense, there is only going to be one outcome,” said Floyd Sr.

The people of Pacquiao and Mayweather have been engaging in talks the past several weeks to bring about the welterweight super fight that could take place either at the 19,000-seat Thomas and Mack Center or the slightly smaller MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

A gag order is in effect and this is the reason why Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum and Mayweather’s handpicked outfit to represent him in the negotiations, the Oscar De La Hoya-owned Golden Boy Promotions, have been very stingy about their comment to the media.

The issue of revenue-sharing and random drug-testing are the main talking points in the negotiations.

Two weeks ago, De La Hoya told the Spanish-language TV station Univision that a deal is “very, very close (to being made).”

Later on, De La Hoya, through his right-hand man Richard Schaefer, issued a statement, saying the Golden Boy had just been “misquoted.”

Last month, Pacquiao made a bold move so a fight can be made by agreeing to be tested as close to 14 days before the fight.

Source: mb.com.ph

Pinoy wins WBC title in Mexico -- Manila Bulletin

By BEN O. TESIORNA, Manila Bulletin

TEPIC CITY, Mexico – A Pacman in the making, the Philippines' Edren "The Sting" Dapudong, a farmer's son from M'lang, North Cotabato, demolished Mexico's pound-for-pound boxer Jesus "The Destroyer" Jimenez to become the newest Silver Flyweight champion of the World Boxing Council.

Defeating his opponent in less than two minutes of the first round of a scheduled 12-round world championship, the 23-year-old former World Boxing Organization (WBO) Oriental Junior Flyweight champion who was fighting as a flyweight for the first time, initiated the action right at the start of the bell connecting with crisp jabs to the face of the left-handed Jimenez and heavy blows to the midsection.

At 1:20 minutes of the round, Dapudong connected with a right straight to Jimenez's breadbasket and followed this with a crackling left hook that sent the Mexican crumbling to the canvas. Jimenez beat the count.

As American referee Gerald Ritter signalled the continuation of the fight, Dapudong came rushing in pummelling the 26-year-old Latino champion with thunderous body punches before connecting with another powerful left hook that dropped Jimenez face first to the canvas for the full count at 1:55 of the first.

The knockout victory by Dapudong stunned the Mexican crowd who came expecting an easy fight for Jimenez who is also known as "El Torito" and considered as Mexico's next prospect for a world title. Jimenez is rated No. 1 by both the WBC and the WBO.

Dapudong, who now has a record of 23 wins, against 2 losses and 11 KOs, was not expected to prevail over the high-touted Jimenez. He was informed of the fight only two weeks ago and had to queue up at the US Embassy for a transit visa to Mexico which he got three days before the fight.

Braveheart Boxing Club's chief trainer Noli Pinol, younger brother of Braveheart Boxing Club head former North Cotabato Governor Manny Pinol, however, said that Dapudong had been undergoing light training prior to the news that he will fight for the WBC Silver Flyweight title.

"He was able to adjust easily, especially so since he did not have to lose weight as he will be fighting as a flyweight," Noli said.

Last minute pointers on conditioning shared by Justin Fortune, Manny Pacquiao's former conditioning coach, also helped as Dapudong was able to recover from fatigue and acclimatize easily.

Pinol’s Braveheart Boxing Club was instrumental in the rise to fame of world’s pound-for-pound champ Manny Pacquiao.

Source: mb.com.ph

Exclusive interview: Jeff Mayweather "pessimistic" on the making of Pacquiao - Mayweather -- Examiner

By Lorne Scoggins, Examiner.com

I recently had the pleasure of talking with Jeff Mayweather about his nephew, Floyd Jr, Manny Pacquiao, and more. Jeff expressed why he has doubts that the mega-fight between Pacquiao and Mayweather will ever come to fruition.

LS: The biggest buzz in boxing right now is the possibility of a matchup between Floyd Jr and Pacquiao. Do you feel optimistic that the fight will take place?

JM: Nope. I'm very pessimistic.

LS: You're very pessimistic?

JM: Yep. And I think that it's one of those situations, that when and if it doesn't happen, everyone's going to point the finger at Floyd, when the finger shouldn't be pointed at Floyd. It should be pointed at Pacquiao because Pacquiao is the reason why the fight didn't happen in the first place, and it'll be that same reason why the fight don't happen this time. It has nothing to do with Floyd. I mean, this guy went into all these demands on Floyd, what he wanted.

You know, [Pacquiao] said, 'Ok. Every pound you're over, that's going to cost you 10 million dollars'. Floyd said, 'Ok'. Then he said, 'I want to wear these kind of gloves'. Floyd said, 'Ok'.

[Floyd said], 'Now, I want you to take the drug tests, random drug testing.' See, Manny's still trying to get around that whole issue. Recently, now he's trying to say, 'Ok. Well, I'll do it up until 14 days'. But that's not random then, because you know when they're going to stop testing you. Random is actually...that's what the word "random" means--that they can test you at any point, at any given time.

LS: I understand that with Floyd and Shane Mosley, they stopped testing at 18 and 19 days, but they didn't know when they were going to stop. As far as they knew, they might have still tested them at any time, right?

JM: Right. I mean, don't get me wrong. That's important, I think. Actually, I think that's a very, very important stand to take in boxing, with the state of boxing now and so many fighters using these performance enhancing drugs. This is boxing. It's already bad enough.

You know, I'm not saying that Pacquiao's using them, but if he's not using them, he should have no problem at all taking the tests. To be honest, this is my logic, and I think this is the logic of almost every person that's sane; If I haven't done anything, I'm going to be bold to prove myself.

This is the example that I always use: I've never drank alcohol in my life. Of course, I can be driving my car and be very sleepy, but being sleepy and being drunk are two different things. Since I know for a fact that I've never drank alcohol, I'm going to be bold about being tested. I'm going to be like, 'Hey, you can test me any way you want to'. There's no chance that I'm not going to pass.

LS: Right. I see your point.

JM: And that's what you do when you don't have nothing to hide. When you have something to hide, you create so many different diversions, so many different smokescreens. The strength trainer, he wants to be the fall-guy, in case anything happens. He comes out and says, 'Well, Manny doesn't know what I give him'. Well, I don't think anybody's going to just take something, and not know what it is, and not going to ask. That was the first excuse. Then the next excuse was, 'Oh. I'm afraid of needles'. You're afraid of needles, but you have tattoos everywhere.

LS: I think Pacquiao actually came out and said that he feels like it weakens him. He said that before the Morales fight, the last fight that he lost, they took blood from him on the day of the fight. He feels that it weakened him, and that's the reason that he lost.

JM: Well, it seems to me that it's just another excuse. If they did the same thing to Erik Morales, the playing field was even. That's all Floyd's trying to do. He's trying to make the playing field even. I mean, you have a guy that started at 106 pounds, got knocked out at 106 pounds (Note: Pacquiao was knocked out at 113, and 110 pounds), moved up 41 pounds, and until the Clottey fight, had a 100% knockout ratio. That's never happened before in boxing. Never.

I mean, can you imagine Michael Carbajal, who was 112 pounds, can you imagine him beating Ray Leonard, Donald Curry, Lloyd Honeyghan, Tommy Hearns, you know, guys on this level? These are questions that, when you ask someone who knows about boxing, and has been around long enough to see Michael Carbajal, and the other names that I put out there, the first thing he's going to say is, 'No. He has no chance'.

Well if he don't have a chance, how does Pacquiao have a chance? He came from a smaller weight class, and he's not just beating guys, he's knocking them out.

JM: When [Pacquiao] went to 130, his knockout ratio was 50%. How all of the sudden did he move 17 pounds north of that and his knockout percentage was 100%, like I said, until the Clottey fight?

Like I said, can you conceive of Michael Carbajal beating Donald Curry? Most people are going to say you're out of your mind. Well, Manny Pacquiao beating De La Hoya is the exact same thing. It's no different.

LS: Well, I just hope that somehow Floyd and Manny can work everything out, and that the fight can happen. It's such an exciting possibility. Since Floyd came back from his layoff, he totally dominated Marquez, and I'll be honest with you, I've been critical of Floyd, but he took on Shane Mosley, a guy that a lot of people thought he was scared of, and he totally dominated him too.

JM: I mean, it's like this: Are you going to turn down $40 or $50 million? They ain't doing anything but taking blood. It's not going to kill you. Most fighters have to take blood 2 or 3 days before the fight anyway. That's part of the sport. Floyd's not afraid of Pacquiao at all, but at the same time, if I have suspicion about someone who is doing things that I can't believe, and I've given the most power to him, I'm going to use my power as well.

I mean, at the end of all this, no matter how good Floyd does as a fighter, you know, he might be one of the greatest fighters to ever put on a pair of gloves, but even if he don't, this will be a part of his legacy: Maybe, he might be the guy that cleaned up boxing on that higher level. It may become mandatory in championship fights to do Olympic style drug testing. On that level, those guys can afford it. It's not a big deal, and the promoters can pay for it.

That might be the biggest significance of Floyd's career, whether he goes on to beat Pacquiao, and does whatever else beyond that.

He will probably be more remembered if he changes boxing on that level, where for championship fights, these guys have to be tested in that way. That will be more powerful than anything that he can achieve in the ring.

LS: Let's say they do manage to make the fight. The way that Floyd has dominated almost everybody he's fought, do you think that Pacquiao has the tools to make it a good, close fight?

JM: Well, Pacquiao has good hand-speed himself, so that makes him dangerous. But If Pacquiao agrees to the random testing, I think he will get knocked out. I would say, probably within 5 rounds, Pacquiao will get knocked out, because he can't get out of the way of anything.

One thing that Floyd has always shown; once they start saying that somone's going to beat him, Floyd don't just beat them, he dominates them. He shows that they don't even belong in the same ring with him. He did it with Mosley, he did it with Marquez, and everybody else they've said that about.

Floyd's got a gift. Once he figures you out, check, and checkmate. He's mastered that probably better than any fighter I've ever seen, and I'm not saying that because he's my nephew. I'm saying that because I've seen it.

LS: And he does that in the ring, during the fight.

JM: Yeah. He makes those adjustments. I mean just like with Zab Judah. Zab Judah started out like he could just run through Floyd, but the second Floyd figured him out, game over. Now he's being dissected. He's like a science project. And it didn't just happen with him. It happened with all the guys that were supposed to give Floyd a challenge. Once he figured them out, it was over.

LS: In the Mosley fight, what was running through your mind in round 2? Did it worry you when Floyd got stumbled? That looked pretty serious for a while.

JM: It's funny because when I was there, I had a good seat, but I wasn't ring-side. From the seat where I was at, it didn't look like Floyd was as hurt as he was when I seen it on TV. I would have probably been more panicked if I'd seen it on TV.

LS: (laughing)

JM: It didn't look like Floyd was really hurt that bad, but when I saw it on TV, I got a chance to see it for myself. Sometimes when you watch a fight and you're actually there, you get so caught up and involved that you actually miss things.

LS: Floyd came out of that and fought aggressively. He was backing Mosley up. It was kind of a different style for Floyd. I thought he was going to knock Mosley out in the latter rounds.

JM: I think he would have knocked Mosley out if Mosley wasn't doing so much holding. I've never seen Mosley do that. Have you ever seen him hold like that?

LS: I've never seen him perform anything like that. He seemed so tense and scared. Floyd would feint and Mosley would nearly do a back-flip.

JM: Yeah, and this was the same guy who was supposed to be fearless. He's supposed to be a fierce puncher and super strong, but yet, Floyd was pushing him around. Floyd's supposed to be a boxer, and supposed to be the one running, but Floyd was fighting his fight. Floyd was coming at him.

LS: The way that Floyd fought that fight led Freddie Roach to say that he thinks Floyd's legs are gone. I don't think Roach really believes that. I think he's just playing mind-games.

JM: (laughing) His legs are gone because he got hit in one fight? How can he say that when Floyd thoroughly dominated Mosley after being hurt in that round? I don't even understand that comment. And this is the same guy where they got a video where Shane asked, 'Why won't you let me fight Pacquiao', and he said, 'Oh no. You're too dangerous'. If you think Shane's too dangerous, what the hell do you think Floyd's going to do to him?

LS: I really appreciate you taking the time to talk with me, Jeff. I hope we can talk again some time.

JM: Likewise. Thank you.

Source: examiner.com

Antonio Tarver to Make Ring Return As a Heavyweight -- FanHouse

By Lem Satterfield, FanHouse

Former light heavyweight (175 pounds) world champion, Antonio Tarver, said that he plans to return to the ring soon -- but as a heavyweight.

"I definitely wanted to move up to cruiserweight [200 pounds,] where there was one guy in particular that I wanted to fight. So I feel that if I'm going to stay in the game of boxing and give it my all, then I've got to set big goals for myself. And as you see, I'm looking a little full right now," said Tarver, a 6-foot-2 southpaw who will turn 42 in November.

"So I'm going to put on some muscle and the champ is going heavyweight," said Tarver, who will target the Klitschko brothers, WBO and IBF king Wladimir (54-3, 48 KOs), WBC champ, Vitali (39-2, 37 KOs), and, WBA titlist, David Haye (24-1, 22 KOs). "So, to the Klitschkos and to David Haye, be on the look out, because I'm coming."

The 41-year-old Tarver (27-6, 19 knockouts) made his announcement following Saturday night's unanimous decision by WBA super middleweight (168 pounds) champion, Andre Ward (22-0, 13 KOs) over Allan Green (29-2, 20 KOs) that was televised on Showtime from The Oracle Arena, in Oakland, Calif.

A Showtime boxing color commentator, Tarver has lost his last two bouts, respectively, to Chad Dawson by unanimous decision in October of 2008, and, May of 2009.

Among the biggest victories for Tarver are those over Roy Jones, against whom he is 2-1, with one second-round knockout victory.

Source: boxing.fanhouse.com

Andre Ward Wins Unanimous Decision Over Allan Green -- FanHouse

By Lem Satterfield, FanHouse

His challenger, Allan Green, bore the alternate nickname, "Ghost Dog," but it was WBA super middleweight (168 pounds) champion Andre Ward who set out to prove there was more bite in his own bark than there was in that of his opponent.

Making the first defense of the crown he won by 11th-round technical decision over current WBC king Mikkel Kessler (43-2-2, 32 KOs) in November, Ward simply outclassed Green and beat him literally from one side of the ring to the other throughout the fight.

Judges Glenn Feldman, Marty Sammon and Alfredo Polanco all had it for Ward, 120-108, meaning that he won every round.

FanHouse had it for Ward, 120-106, giving him two 10-8 rounds.

The 26-year-old Ward rose to 22-0 with 13 knockouts while the 30-year-old Green dropped to 29-2 with 20 KOs as part of group stage No. 2 of Showtime's Super Six Super Middleweight World Boxing Classic before Ward's hometown fans at The Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif.

Ward out-landed Green, 267-to-148 in total punches, including 214-to-131 in power punches, 53-17, in jabs, and, 43-6, in combinations.

In victory, Ward locked up a position in the early 2011 semifinals of the tournament, even as his next opponent in the round-robin prior to the semis is slated to be his switch-hitting, 26-year-old former Olympic teammate and bronze medalist, Andre Dirrell (19-1, 13 KOs), of Flint, Mich, on Sept. 25.

"It will be difficult. I've been putting it off saying that we'll cross that bridge when we get there. But we're here, so we'll have to deal with it and do what we've got to do," Ward said of Dirrell, whom he considers to be a personal friend. "I'm going to take a rest and then we'll go back to the drawing board. I don't like giving away too much of what I'm going to do. It was a long training camp, I just want to rest and regroup, and then we'll come back and figure out how we're going to get through the next round."

Ward-Green was originally scheduled for April 17, and then on April 24, before Ward suffered a knee injury that forced their bout's postponement yet again.

At the time of the last postponement, however, an angry Green openly questioned the legitimacy of Ward's injury, saying, "I hope it's valid," as well as, "I honestly don't think he will ever get in the ring with me," and, "I don't think this is a fight Andre Ward and his people ever wanted."

"I feel like Kobe Bryant did the other night, I don't know how we got it done," said Ward. "We just worked hard, we prepared for Green, and he's a hard puncher. We couldn't tell him that we thought that before the fight, but he's a hard puncher. He's very skilled, and I'm happy to come away with the victory.

"His demeanor coming in just motivated me because I don't pick fights and I don't mess with anybody. But when I feel like I'm backed into a corner, I want to defend myself."

But it was Green who was constantly fighting in retreat from the opening bell, taking right crosses, uppercuts and overhand lefts and rights -- all from behind Ward's jabs and lead left hands.

"Last week of training, that wasn't the game plan. We planned on going inside against him, but not as much as we did. But after the second round, he obliged me, and so I said, 'Man, okay,'" said Ward.

"I said, if he wants to fight inside, let's fight inside, and I thought that he did a good job. He hung in there longer than I thought that he would. I did expect a little tougher fight, but every fight is tough. I don't care what it looks like. This guy is to be respected, and you've got to be mentally alert. That takes a lot of energy out of you, but we were just well-prepared, and I take my hat off to him, and I hope that he does well in the second round of the Super Six."

Ending was a six-bout winning streak that included four knockouts for Green, who was in his first fight of the tournament, having replaced former middleweight (160 pounds) champion Jermain Taylor (28-4-1, 17 KOs) in January. Taylor pulled out following a 12th-round knockout loss to Germany's Arthur Abraham (31-1, 25 KOs) in October.

Green's presence in the championship bout marks the first time since Tommy Morrison in 1993 that a fighter from Oklahoma has been involved in a world championship bout.

Green was coming off of October's unanimous decision victory over previously unbeaten southpaw Tarvis Simms (25-1-1, 11 KOs).

Green had not lost since March of 2007, when he was beaten by unanimous decision over 10 rounds by Edison Miranda, whom Green floored in the eighth round before himself hitting the canvas twice in the 10th.

"You know what? Andre Ward fought a helluva a fight," said Green, who must next face Kessler at a site and on a date to be determined. "I don't want to harp on what he did too much, but the three training camps that I've done really sat me, and I had a hard way in training camp.

"I feel a little worn out. I came down to 166, which is a little lower than I expected, so by the time I got into the ring, I felt dead. You've got to understand that I've had three training camps since December. So that kind of really, really, really made me feel weak."

"You can ask my trainer. I had to stop running a few weeks ago because I felt so weak. I wasn't feeling right and I knew coming into this fight that I wasn't feeling my best," said Green. "Andre Ward showed me a lot of things, and a lot of experience. There were a lot of things that I couldn't deal with or react to."

Source: boxing.fanhouse.com

Mayol loses fight, crown to Mexican Romero -- GMA News

By Ryan Songalia, GMANews.TV

For the second time, Filipino boxer Rodel Mayol couldn’t get the job done against Mexican rival Omar Nino Romero.

His first match ended in a technical decision, Mayol lost a more painful setback, this time via a controversial unanimous decision against the Mexican slugger Saturday (Sunday in Manila) in San Juan del Rio, Queretaro, Mexico.

The first of their two bouts saw Mayol ending up in stretcher after he received a low blow from Romero. The second bout had the Filipino dominating, but fading down the stretch.

As a result, Mayol lost his World Boxing Council (WBC) light flyweight championship to Romero, who won in all three judges scorecards, 115-112, 117-109 and 115-111.

It was the second time Romero won a world championship and the second against a Filipino.

Romero was the conqueror of former Filipino world champion, Brian Viloria. The Mexican had to relinquish the crown after testing positive for amphetamines in the rematch.

Mayol, who is promoted by Manny Pacquiao Promotions, began the fight in a disciplined manner, taking full use of his height and reach advantage.

Romero circled and tried to land wildly from the outside, but missed a lot of them.

The first meaningful punch of the fight landed in the third when a counter left hook from Mayol opened up a cut on Romero's right eye. Looking to capitalize, Mayol began to bull Romero to the ropes and land to the body and head.

Head butts began to mar the fight in the fourth as both men started to lunge from the outside with their heads low.

Romero seemed to get the worse of the clashes and appeared to be distracted momentarily by the butts.

The head butts continued into the fifth and opened up a bad cut on Romero's left eye. As per Mexican rules, the combatant that wasn't cut (Mayol) had a point deducted despite the absence of intent. A ringside doctor was summoned to check out Romero but deemed the challenger fit to continue.

Shortly before the end of the round, Romero was warned for head butting as well.

The action became less of a boxing match and more of a brawl in the sixth as both men began trading in close quarters.

Mayol's uppercuts, which were his most effective weapons in the first fight, began to find their target and so did Romero's body assault. Head clashes reappeared in the seventh as the ring doctor was once more summoned to examine Romero.

The tide turned big time for Romero in the eighth as he began to make the fight more physical.

In what was a near flashback of the first fight. Mayol reacted to a punch south of the border from Romero and found himself on the receiving end of a torrent of blows from the hungry challenger. Romero landed several unanswered blows as Mayol struggled to compose himself.

In the ninth round, Romero continued to seize the initiative and land cleaner counter hooks from the outside.

Mayol's accuracy and confidence seemed to disappear by the second as the partisan crowd continued to chant "Nino!"

Needing a big finish, Mayol's accuracy returned in the form of his right crosses that knocked some sweat off Romero in the opening moments of the final stanza and pushed him back to the ropes.

Romero closed the round stronger with left hooks and both men raised their hands in anticipation of victory at the final bell.

Romero raised his record to 29-3-2 (11 KO). Mayol is now 26-5-2 (20 KO) and 1-4-2 (1 KO) in world title matches.

Source: GMANews.TV

The Oscar De La Hoya Slip Up: Floyd Mayweather JR – Manny Pacquiao Done Deal? -- Ringside Report

By Geno McGahee, Ringside Report

One of the most powerful men in boxing and a man that has had a stake in many of the major fights of the last 15 years, Oscar De La Hoya, was reportedly quoted to say that the mega fight between Floyd Mayweather, JR., and Manny Pacquiao is “very close” to completion. A source close to Team Mayweather has also reported to RSR that the specifics have been ironed out and that the only thing that remains is the contract signing and subsequent announcement of the fight. Is it too good to be true?

After Pacquiao’s destruction of Miguel Cotto and Floyd’s dismantling of Juan Manuel Marquez, the two agreed to a showdown with big money on the line as well as the legacy of both men. Floyd Mayweather, SR., made an observation that turned the bout on its head. He suspected that Manny Pacquiao was on steroids.

Steroids are a problem in every competitive sport and it is not a surprise that it is rampant. With millions of dollars are at stake, people will go to extreme measures. Antonio Margarito is a good example of what a fighter will do to get the competitive edge, loading his hand wraps with plaster of Paris. There have also been consistent rumors that the late Diego Corrales and Marco Antonio Barrera have also implemented the loaded hand wraps throughout their careers.

Although loading gloves seems to be isolated incidents, steroid abuse is a much larger issue. James “Lights Out” Toney, the former middleweight, super middleweight, cruiserweight, and heavyweight champion has tested positive for steroids on more than one occasion. Sugar Shane Mosley admitted using steroids, Fernando Vargas was banned temporarily after testing positive, Jameel McCline, Evander Holyfield, and the list goes on and on of the boxers reportedly “juicing.”

So will the steroids allegations make this fight a no-go again?

The issue isn’t the steroid testing, but the method in which the fighters are tested. Pacquiao’s claim is that the random Olympic style testing would drain him for the fight and I’m sure that they can cite Shane Mosley’s horrible performance against Mayweather in his last fight as evidence. Mayweather wants to employ this testing to overcome the boxers’ ability to avoid testing positive. Many know how to play the game and avoiding a positive test can be accomplished even as a user. That is the point of Team Mayweather and they have some ground to stand on.

Pacquiao may be his own worst enemy. His ability to climb weight divisions and apparently get stronger and more effective as he puts on pounds has raised some red flags, either justly or unjustly. Floyd, SR., watched on as Manny destroyed Miguel Cotto and made the allegation because of how great he looked in the ring. Cotto made some comments that he didn’t rule out that Pacquiao was on steroids and should agree to the Olympic testing.

Recently Kermit Cintron has come out and stated that Pacquiao’s jump in weight and physical appearance and strength suggest that he may be juicing. It is not just the Mayweathers suggesting this and should the fight come off and Manny win, the question will linger.

To save the fight of the century, Pacquiao should agree to the Olympic style testing, and with all the money on the line, it’s hard to fathom why he wouldn’t. What is interesting about the current negotiations is that this point has apparently not thrown a wrench in the works just yet. You can draw the conclusion that this situation, the only situation that prevented them from fighting earlier, has been resolved one way or another.

Because of the gag order put into place to protect this fight’s negotiations from outside influence, mum is the word, but De La Hoya gave everyone a small window into the ongoing talks. This fight is worth far too much money for it not to happen and there hasn’t been a fight of this magnitude in years. Arguably, the last fight that can compare to this was the showdown in 1999 between undefeated welterweight champions: Felix Trinidad and Oscar De La Hoya. The anticipation was at an all time high and now, I believe it to be even higher for this showdown. It has everything that you would want as a boxing fan.

Floyd Mayweather, JR., has been responsible for some of the biggest selling pay per view events, and that is a testament to his ability to market himself. He has become the new Muhammad Ali. He is the man that you want to see lose…you want to see somebody shut his mouth, which is why a guy that is a defensive whiz with a mediocre punch can sell out arenas. His showdowns with Zab Judah, Oscar De La Hoya, Juan Manuel Marquez, and Shane Mosley were incredible successes. There aren’t many that go into these bouts hoping to see a defensive display. They hope that the opponent at least gives Floyd some scares and tests him because he is so much superior, or perceived to be superior, then all of the other pugilists in the game today.

Manny Pacquiao, the #2 pay per view attraction according to the numbers, earned his popularity through his performance in the ring. He is one of those fighters that love to fight. When he gets hit, he likes it, and becomes more aggressive. He has beaten up on many Mexican legends like Marco Antonio Barrera (twice), Erik Morales (2 out of 3 times) and Juan Manuel Marquez. He is one of only two men to stop Oscar De La Hoya (the other being a middleweight, Bernard Hopkins), outworked tough guy Joshua Clottey, and beat Miguel Cotto into submission. He is the Mike Tyson of today. You wonder just what can stop him…this is why a showdown with Floyd is necessary.

I don’t think that there are many that argue that Floyd and Manny are #1 and #2 pound for pound best in the world…you may argue which occupies top spot, but they are there at the two positions. Style-wise, this fight is perfect with an aggressor with lighting speed going against the defensive master with perfect timing.

The biggest fight in recent history is coming people. There isn’t much that can stop it now. Oscar De La Hoya let it slip that we are close to a deal and we have an alternate source that contacted RSR revealing that Oscar wasn’t off base. Floyd Mayweather, JR., will take on Manny Pacquiao in November, most likely in Las Vegas. There is no bigger fight.

Source: ringsidereport.com