By GAVIN GLICKSMAN, The Sun
AMIR KHAN has turned up the heat ahead of his clash with Paulie Malignaggi by branding the New Yorker an 'idiot'.
Malignaggi is determined to ruin Khan's American debut when they collide at Madison Square Garden's WaMu Theatre on May 15.
But Khan, 23, intends to teach his trash-talking opponent a lesson by dismantling him in front of his home crowd.
The WBA light-welterweight champ said: "Malignaggi's very disrespectful but it's one of those things.
"I'm very confident I'll beat him. I'm confident before every fight and I'll go in there to do my best.
"It's great to be fighting at the Mecca of boxing and I can't wait to get in the ring and fight this guy.
"It's going to be a tough fight but that's boxing for you.
"When a guy pulls faces and is disrespectful to you, it's because he's scared.
"I respect all my opponents and I think any good fighter does the same.
"But when you get idiots like Paulie, you let it be."
Khan's last outing was an impressive 76-second demolition of Dmitriy Salita.
The successful title defence signalled the end of his relationship with Frank Warren and the beginning of a new chapter in his career as part of Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy stable.
Malignaggi, 29, insists Salita was handpicked to make Khan look good due to his lack of big-fight experience.
But the Bolton ace insists he will make the American eat his words.
Khan added: "At the end of the day, Paulie's going to get knocked out — just like Salita did.
"I've got a great following in the UK and now I want to build a following in the US.
"It's a big achievement for me to be going to Madison Square Garden.
"I'm only 23 and I want to build up my name. I want to do it young — and that's exactly what I'm going to do."
Khan has been accused of deserting his fans in Britain by making a full-time switch to America.
But the Bolton ace insists he will be back — as soon as he raises his profile Stateside.
Khan, who returned to training at Freddie Roach's Wildcard gym in LA yesterday, said: "Everyone's dream is to fight in America.
"I'm having my debut fight in America but I'm going to come back to Britain.
"I want to bring the massive fights to the UK and the way to do that is to build up my name in the US."
Golden Boy boast an impressive roster with the likes of Manny Pacquiao, Shane Mosley and Bernard Hopkins on their books.
But Khan claims he will go on to become No1 in De La Hoya's stable.
He said: "I was the best fighter Frank Warren had for a long, long time and I want to do the same with Golden Boy.
"It's going to be hard but I love a challenge."
Source: thesun.co.uk
Thursday, 18 March 2010
Boxing card features last man to defeat Manny Pacquiao -- The Examiner
By James Wyatt, Examiner.com
On Saturday, March 27th, at the Arena Monterrey, in Monterrey, Mexico, Erik “El Terrible” Morales (48-6-0, 34 KO’s) who lives in San Ysidro, Ca. and was born just across the border in Tijuana, Mexico, will face Jose Alfaro (23-5-0, 20 K0’s) an orthodox fighter from Nagarote, Nicaragua. The reason for mentioning that Alfaro is right-handed, Morales, the three time world champion, is making a return to the ring after two and half years and lost his last three fights to southpaws. Unlike Manny Pacquiao and David Diaz, Alfaro fights orthodox.
The fight announcing team for this upcoming fight, Benny Ricardo and Colonel Bob Sheridan, spoke Monday with Morales at the Televisa Awards ceremony to honor the best athletes of the last decade. Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera, his opponent for the classic trilogy of fights, were being honored in the “fight of the decade” category.
Morales reminisced about the bouts that have thus far defined his career: one, his four round stoppage of Junior Jones and two, his victory over Manny Pacquiao on March 19, 2005.
Jones had stopped 32 Mexicans prior to the Morales/Jones fight and the win over Pacquiao at which he saw Pacquiao cry after the fight, is considered his greatest accomplishment. That unanimous decision victory over Pacquiao, makes Morales the last man to defeat the pound for pound title holder.
Erik stated he would like another shot at Pacquiao and feels that at 147 pounds he is now faster than ever and freer with his body to get the most out of it. First things first though, which is to defeat Alfaro on March 27th in Monterrey, Mexico, on Pay-Per-View.
Erik, who then spent much of his time praising the younger Alfaro, mentioned that he too is a former world champion and a wicked puncher who will bring the best out of him. That last part wasn’t really necessary. Morales has never failed to bring anything but his best to his 111 amateur bouts and 54 professional bouts.
On the March 27th undercard:
Chris “Hard Hittin’” Henry of Houston, Texas (24-2-0, 19 KO’s), will face two-time WBA light heavyweight champ Hugo Hernan “Pigu” Garay of Tigre, Buenos Aires, Argentina (32-4-0, 17 KO’s) in a WBA Light Heavyweight eliminator.
In a 12-round title fight the WBC International minimumweight title holder, southpaw Denver Cuello of Cabatuan, Philippines (19-2-5, 10), will face the NABF title holder, Juan “Churritos” Hernandez (15-1-0, 12 KOs) of Mexico City.
El Paso’s undefeated NABA title-holder David “Nino” Rodriguez (32-0, 30 KOs) will take on the 1996 Brazilian Olympian Daniel Bispo (22-12, 16 KOs) in a 10-round heavyweight attraction.
Lightweight Ramon “Nino de Oro” Ayala (15-1-1, 7 KOs) the 21-year-old who has been Erik Morales’ principle sparring partner, will also fight on the same card.
Source: examiner.com
On Saturday, March 27th, at the Arena Monterrey, in Monterrey, Mexico, Erik “El Terrible” Morales (48-6-0, 34 KO’s) who lives in San Ysidro, Ca. and was born just across the border in Tijuana, Mexico, will face Jose Alfaro (23-5-0, 20 K0’s) an orthodox fighter from Nagarote, Nicaragua. The reason for mentioning that Alfaro is right-handed, Morales, the three time world champion, is making a return to the ring after two and half years and lost his last three fights to southpaws. Unlike Manny Pacquiao and David Diaz, Alfaro fights orthodox.
The fight announcing team for this upcoming fight, Benny Ricardo and Colonel Bob Sheridan, spoke Monday with Morales at the Televisa Awards ceremony to honor the best athletes of the last decade. Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera, his opponent for the classic trilogy of fights, were being honored in the “fight of the decade” category.
Morales reminisced about the bouts that have thus far defined his career: one, his four round stoppage of Junior Jones and two, his victory over Manny Pacquiao on March 19, 2005.
Jones had stopped 32 Mexicans prior to the Morales/Jones fight and the win over Pacquiao at which he saw Pacquiao cry after the fight, is considered his greatest accomplishment. That unanimous decision victory over Pacquiao, makes Morales the last man to defeat the pound for pound title holder.
Erik stated he would like another shot at Pacquiao and feels that at 147 pounds he is now faster than ever and freer with his body to get the most out of it. First things first though, which is to defeat Alfaro on March 27th in Monterrey, Mexico, on Pay-Per-View.
Erik, who then spent much of his time praising the younger Alfaro, mentioned that he too is a former world champion and a wicked puncher who will bring the best out of him. That last part wasn’t really necessary. Morales has never failed to bring anything but his best to his 111 amateur bouts and 54 professional bouts.
On the March 27th undercard:
Chris “Hard Hittin’” Henry of Houston, Texas (24-2-0, 19 KO’s), will face two-time WBA light heavyweight champ Hugo Hernan “Pigu” Garay of Tigre, Buenos Aires, Argentina (32-4-0, 17 KO’s) in a WBA Light Heavyweight eliminator.
In a 12-round title fight the WBC International minimumweight title holder, southpaw Denver Cuello of Cabatuan, Philippines (19-2-5, 10), will face the NABF title holder, Juan “Churritos” Hernandez (15-1-0, 12 KOs) of Mexico City.
El Paso’s undefeated NABA title-holder David “Nino” Rodriguez (32-0, 30 KOs) will take on the 1996 Brazilian Olympian Daniel Bispo (22-12, 16 KOs) in a 10-round heavyweight attraction.
Lightweight Ramon “Nino de Oro” Ayala (15-1-1, 7 KOs) the 21-year-old who has been Erik Morales’ principle sparring partner, will also fight on the same card.
Source: examiner.com
Your Move, Mr. Mayweather -- BASN
By Tom Donelson, Black Athlete Sports Network
IOWA CITY (BASN) -- What is next for the "Pac Man"? The next step is now dependent upon what happens on May 1 as Shane Mosley challenges Floyd Mayweather.
The fight did not happen on March 13th is now dependent upon what happens on Mayday as Mayweather must now defeat Mosley. What we are witnessing is a championship tournament as Pacquaio won his semifinal bout against Joshua Clottey in overwhelming style.
After the negotiations broke down for the super bout, boxing in its own Byzantine fashion may be setting up the biggest gate ever. The winner of the Mosley-Mayweather will produced a winner that will lead to a big money PPV.
Regardless of who wins the bout, the winner will find himself in a position to challenge Pacquaio for big bucks. While a Mosley-Pacquaio may not be as big money fight as Mayweather-Pacquaio, it will still big a money fight since Mosley is a big name fighter in his own right and defeating Mayweather only enhances his Hall of Fame reputation.
A Mosley fight may even be easier to make since Mosley have already been tied to BALCO and steroids (even though, he never actually been caught with steroids, the suspicious have always been there with Mosley.)
Since the drug issue is an issue with both fighters, one has suspect that both fighters can come to a mutually agreeable drug test. As for Mayweather-Pacquaio, the only thing that keeps the fight from happening is the ego of the major parties.
Mayweather, Pacquaio, Arum or De La Hoya could allow their dislike for each other to derail this fight but somehow, the images of the oodles of money to be made should keep ego in check.
Money has a way of making even most severe of enemies become best friend when hundred of millions of dollars are at stake. There will always be time to allow old hatred to come back after the fight but there is too much money to be made.
Mayweather will be the favorite against the 38-year-old Mosley, but he still has the hand speed to give Floyd problems and as he showed against Antonio Margartio, he still has the skills to be the best.
Mayweather's advantage has always been his defensive skills and hand speed and those skills allowed him to control the pace of fights. Against Mosley, he will be facing one of the smartest fighters in the ring and Mosley knows how to penetrate Mayweather’s defenses.
The only questions if the skills are there to follow the Mosley’s game plan.
Mayweather has picked a challenging obstacle to his biggest pay day and the fight was made as part of negotiating ploy to show that he doesn’t need Pacquaio as much as the Pacquaio needed Mayweather.
There is one minor problem, namely, Mosley can actually beat Mayweather and end his undefeated streak while ending Floyd's participation in the biggest money fight.
Mayweather has one thing to fight for, his legacy as the best pound for pound. Mayweather really wants to beat Pacquaio to show the world that he is the best pound for pound fighter.
As for Mosley, he has wanted to face Mayweather for a long time and felt that Mayweather has avoided him; so he has his own goal of erasing the zero off Mayweather's record.
Mosley-Mayweather has its own story line with two fighters fighting for their own legacies and for a shot at one of the biggest, if not biggest, PPV fight ever. Legacy and money; these goals are worth fighting for.
On May 2, the scene will be set for setting up the biggest fight in this young century.
Source: blackathlete.net
IOWA CITY (BASN) -- What is next for the "Pac Man"? The next step is now dependent upon what happens on May 1 as Shane Mosley challenges Floyd Mayweather.
The fight did not happen on March 13th is now dependent upon what happens on Mayday as Mayweather must now defeat Mosley. What we are witnessing is a championship tournament as Pacquaio won his semifinal bout against Joshua Clottey in overwhelming style.
After the negotiations broke down for the super bout, boxing in its own Byzantine fashion may be setting up the biggest gate ever. The winner of the Mosley-Mayweather will produced a winner that will lead to a big money PPV.
Regardless of who wins the bout, the winner will find himself in a position to challenge Pacquaio for big bucks. While a Mosley-Pacquaio may not be as big money fight as Mayweather-Pacquaio, it will still big a money fight since Mosley is a big name fighter in his own right and defeating Mayweather only enhances his Hall of Fame reputation.
A Mosley fight may even be easier to make since Mosley have already been tied to BALCO and steroids (even though, he never actually been caught with steroids, the suspicious have always been there with Mosley.)
Since the drug issue is an issue with both fighters, one has suspect that both fighters can come to a mutually agreeable drug test. As for Mayweather-Pacquaio, the only thing that keeps the fight from happening is the ego of the major parties.
Mayweather, Pacquaio, Arum or De La Hoya could allow their dislike for each other to derail this fight but somehow, the images of the oodles of money to be made should keep ego in check.
Money has a way of making even most severe of enemies become best friend when hundred of millions of dollars are at stake. There will always be time to allow old hatred to come back after the fight but there is too much money to be made.
Mayweather will be the favorite against the 38-year-old Mosley, but he still has the hand speed to give Floyd problems and as he showed against Antonio Margartio, he still has the skills to be the best.
Mayweather's advantage has always been his defensive skills and hand speed and those skills allowed him to control the pace of fights. Against Mosley, he will be facing one of the smartest fighters in the ring and Mosley knows how to penetrate Mayweather’s defenses.
The only questions if the skills are there to follow the Mosley’s game plan.
Mayweather has picked a challenging obstacle to his biggest pay day and the fight was made as part of negotiating ploy to show that he doesn’t need Pacquaio as much as the Pacquaio needed Mayweather.
There is one minor problem, namely, Mosley can actually beat Mayweather and end his undefeated streak while ending Floyd's participation in the biggest money fight.
Mayweather has one thing to fight for, his legacy as the best pound for pound. Mayweather really wants to beat Pacquaio to show the world that he is the best pound for pound fighter.
As for Mosley, he has wanted to face Mayweather for a long time and felt that Mayweather has avoided him; so he has his own goal of erasing the zero off Mayweather's record.
Mosley-Mayweather has its own story line with two fighters fighting for their own legacies and for a shot at one of the biggest, if not biggest, PPV fight ever. Legacy and money; these goals are worth fighting for.
On May 2, the scene will be set for setting up the biggest fight in this young century.
Source: blackathlete.net
Boxing World Is Disrespecting Mosley -- The Sweet Science
By David A. Avila, The Sweet Science
Sugar Shane Mosley recently sent out a memo to the press about the basic disrespect he’s been shown by one and all in the boxing world.
He has a point.
Not to disparage the great Manny Pacquiao on his easy victory, he did take some shots. And not to denigrate the career and talent of Floyd Mayweather, he is undefeated. But how can anyone think Mayweather is a cinch to beat Mosley on May 1, in Las Vegas?
The one-sided thinking of promoters, trainers, television analysts, fans and even Pacquiao himself mouthing their wishes for a Mayweather fight is downright short-sighted. Does everyone truly think Money Mayweather is that much better than Mosley?
Only the blind and easily fooled thought Clottey had a slim chance of beating the speedy Pacquiao. The Filipino fired combinations at will and Clottey covered up like a Midwestern family in a basement during a storm of twisters. That won’t happen when Mosley fights Mayweather.
“Most people think I’m just a strong puncher and a brawler,” said Mosley, 38, who is the WBA welterweight titleholder since knocking out Antonio Margarito a year ago in Los Angeles. “People forget I’m a master boxer too.”
Many believe that Mayweather’s defensive boxing prowess and athletic ability will be too much for Mosley to overcome. Odds makers tab the undefeated Mayweather a 4-1 favorite.
“There are five ways to beat Shane Mosley,” said Mayweather, 33, alluding to Mosley’s five career losses. “He could have fought me 10 years ago and had a chance.”
Odds don’t always tell the real story.
Undefeated fighters aren’t necessarily indicative of perfection or invulnerability. History’s best recognized prizefighters all have losses. From Sugar Ray Robinson to Jack Dempsey to Willie Pep and Muhammad Ali, all are considered among the greatest prizefighters the world has ever seen. All sustained losses.
“If you don’t have a loss it means you just haven’t fought everybody,” said trainer Roger Mayweather himself two years ago. “In the old days everybody fought everybody.”
When Ali fought Foreman he was a huge underdog. Some had Foreman a 12-1 favorite after he easily demolished Joe Frazier and Ken Norton who both gave Ali fits when they met. But in 1974, it was Ali who found the antidote for Foreman’s seemingly invincibility. Ali won by knockout in the eighth.
Need another example?
Let’s go to the lower weight classes. Back in 1951, the great Sugar Ray Robinson traveled to London, England to defend his middleweight world championship against little known Randy Turpin. Robinson (128-1-2) hadn’t lost a fight in eight years and was thought to be a cinch after 88 fights without a loss. Turpin (42-2) had a great record but was thought to be out of his depth against the God-like powers of Robinson. That night Turpin’s unorthodox style confused and bewildered Robinson who sailed back home without the world title belt. A return match two months later saw Robinson knock out Turpin in New York City, but he still had problems with the British boxer.
Boxing is not a simple matter of who is faster or who is stronger. Nor is it about who is more experienced or younger.
“It comes down to who has the better skills,” said Mosley, adding that speed and power are not skills but God-given.
The euphoria of Pacquiao’s victory combined with the missed opportunity to fight Mayweather due to his demands for a blood test may have blinded all sides to the truth about the big showdown between Mosley and Mayweather.
It’s not going to be easy for either fighter.
“If you know me then you know I always get up for big fights,” Mosley said. “That’s what motivates me.”
Fights on television
Sat. HBO, Wladimir Klitschko (53-3) vs. Eddie Chambers (35-1).
Sat. Fox, 7 p.m., Odlanier Solis (15-0) vs. Carl Drummond (26-2).
Source: thesweetscience.com
Sugar Shane Mosley recently sent out a memo to the press about the basic disrespect he’s been shown by one and all in the boxing world.
He has a point.
Not to disparage the great Manny Pacquiao on his easy victory, he did take some shots. And not to denigrate the career and talent of Floyd Mayweather, he is undefeated. But how can anyone think Mayweather is a cinch to beat Mosley on May 1, in Las Vegas?
The one-sided thinking of promoters, trainers, television analysts, fans and even Pacquiao himself mouthing their wishes for a Mayweather fight is downright short-sighted. Does everyone truly think Money Mayweather is that much better than Mosley?
Only the blind and easily fooled thought Clottey had a slim chance of beating the speedy Pacquiao. The Filipino fired combinations at will and Clottey covered up like a Midwestern family in a basement during a storm of twisters. That won’t happen when Mosley fights Mayweather.
“Most people think I’m just a strong puncher and a brawler,” said Mosley, 38, who is the WBA welterweight titleholder since knocking out Antonio Margarito a year ago in Los Angeles. “People forget I’m a master boxer too.”
Many believe that Mayweather’s defensive boxing prowess and athletic ability will be too much for Mosley to overcome. Odds makers tab the undefeated Mayweather a 4-1 favorite.
“There are five ways to beat Shane Mosley,” said Mayweather, 33, alluding to Mosley’s five career losses. “He could have fought me 10 years ago and had a chance.”
Odds don’t always tell the real story.
Undefeated fighters aren’t necessarily indicative of perfection or invulnerability. History’s best recognized prizefighters all have losses. From Sugar Ray Robinson to Jack Dempsey to Willie Pep and Muhammad Ali, all are considered among the greatest prizefighters the world has ever seen. All sustained losses.
“If you don’t have a loss it means you just haven’t fought everybody,” said trainer Roger Mayweather himself two years ago. “In the old days everybody fought everybody.”
When Ali fought Foreman he was a huge underdog. Some had Foreman a 12-1 favorite after he easily demolished Joe Frazier and Ken Norton who both gave Ali fits when they met. But in 1974, it was Ali who found the antidote for Foreman’s seemingly invincibility. Ali won by knockout in the eighth.
Need another example?
Let’s go to the lower weight classes. Back in 1951, the great Sugar Ray Robinson traveled to London, England to defend his middleweight world championship against little known Randy Turpin. Robinson (128-1-2) hadn’t lost a fight in eight years and was thought to be a cinch after 88 fights without a loss. Turpin (42-2) had a great record but was thought to be out of his depth against the God-like powers of Robinson. That night Turpin’s unorthodox style confused and bewildered Robinson who sailed back home without the world title belt. A return match two months later saw Robinson knock out Turpin in New York City, but he still had problems with the British boxer.
Boxing is not a simple matter of who is faster or who is stronger. Nor is it about who is more experienced or younger.
“It comes down to who has the better skills,” said Mosley, adding that speed and power are not skills but God-given.
The euphoria of Pacquiao’s victory combined with the missed opportunity to fight Mayweather due to his demands for a blood test may have blinded all sides to the truth about the big showdown between Mosley and Mayweather.
It’s not going to be easy for either fighter.
“If you know me then you know I always get up for big fights,” Mosley said. “That’s what motivates me.”
Fights on television
Sat. HBO, Wladimir Klitschko (53-3) vs. Eddie Chambers (35-1).
Sat. Fox, 7 p.m., Odlanier Solis (15-0) vs. Carl Drummond (26-2).
Source: thesweetscience.com
NYSAC to consider implementing blood testing procedures, a joke
Boxing News World
I'll probably laugh at my own stupidity but the recent report that the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) is considering implementing blood testing procedures to detect performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) comes humorous to me for three specific reasons.
1. Blood testing for PEDs if not done randomly is nothing but a waste of time and resources. It is a fact that there are numerous masking drugs and agents out there that can effectively conceal the presence of illegal drugs in an athlete’s body in a matter of minutes. A negative result in a scheduled blood test is almost a guarantee.
2. Assuming that the commission catches someone positive for PED use, the public probably wouldn’t know about it since NYSAC regulations do not allow medical information of boxer to be released to any institution or interested party without the boxer’s authorization in writing.
3. Authenticity of some test results would always be questionable because NYSAC regulations allow boxer to use laboratories of his choice to draw and analyze blood if the boxer resides at a place where Quest Lab does not operate.
Perhaps I’m wrong about this. But if I am right, NYSAC needs to review some of its existing regulations first before considering implementing effective, transparent, and reliable drug testing procedures.
- Marshall N. B., marx7204@lycos.com
1. Blood testing for PEDs if not done randomly is nothing but a waste of time and resources. It is a fact that there are numerous masking drugs and agents out there that can effectively conceal the presence of illegal drugs in an athlete’s body in a matter of minutes. A negative result in a scheduled blood test is almost a guarantee.
2. Assuming that the commission catches someone positive for PED use, the public probably wouldn’t know about it since NYSAC regulations do not allow medical information of boxer to be released to any institution or interested party without the boxer’s authorization in writing.
3. Authenticity of some test results would always be questionable because NYSAC regulations allow boxer to use laboratories of his choice to draw and analyze blood if the boxer resides at a place where Quest Lab does not operate.
Perhaps I’m wrong about this. But if I am right, NYSAC needs to review some of its existing regulations first before considering implementing effective, transparent, and reliable drug testing procedures.
- Marshall N. B., marx7204@lycos.com
Morales wants another crack at Pacquiao -- The Ring
By Michael Rosenthal, The Ring
Erik Morales, the last fighter to beat Manny Pacquiao, says he wants another shot at the Filipino champion.
The three-division titleholder from Mexico, who is 33, returns from a 2½-year layoff to face Jose Alfaro on a pay-per-view show March 27 in Monterrey, Mexico.
Morales, then a junior lightweight, outpointed Pacquiao in 2005 in Las Vegas before being stopped twice by Pacquiao at the same weight the following year.
The San Diego resident fought once more, losing a decision at lightweight to David Diaz, and then announced his retirement. He has lost five of his last six fights.
Now Morales (48-6, 34 knockouts) insists he’ll be a new man at 147 pounds. He wants to become the first Mexican to win major titles in four weight classes.
“The two opponents who have defined my career are Junior Jones and Manny Pacquaio,” Morales said. “Defeating Jones was important to me because he had stopped something like 32 Mexicans in previous fights. Defeating Pacquaio is my greatest accomplishment in the ring. I remember seeing him cry after our fight. I would love another chance at Pacquaio and I also look forward to fighting Juan Manuel Marquez in the future.
“At 147, I’m faster than ever and freer with my body so I can get the most out of it. First, though, is my fight against Jose Alfaro on March 27 in Monterrey on pay per view. Alfaro is a great young fighter and a former world champion. A wicked puncher who will bring his best, he has a big heart into the ring, and always gives fans everything he has.”
Alfaro (23-5, 20 KOs) briefly held a junior lightweight title in 2007. The Nicaraguan is coming of a 10th-round knockout loss to Antonio DeMarco in October.
In the co-feature, Hugo Garay (32-4, 17 KOs) faces Chris Henry (24-2, 19 KOs) in a light heavyweight title eliminator.
Source: ringtv.com
Erik Morales, the last fighter to beat Manny Pacquiao, says he wants another shot at the Filipino champion.
The three-division titleholder from Mexico, who is 33, returns from a 2½-year layoff to face Jose Alfaro on a pay-per-view show March 27 in Monterrey, Mexico.
Morales, then a junior lightweight, outpointed Pacquiao in 2005 in Las Vegas before being stopped twice by Pacquiao at the same weight the following year.
The San Diego resident fought once more, losing a decision at lightweight to David Diaz, and then announced his retirement. He has lost five of his last six fights.
Now Morales (48-6, 34 knockouts) insists he’ll be a new man at 147 pounds. He wants to become the first Mexican to win major titles in four weight classes.
“The two opponents who have defined my career are Junior Jones and Manny Pacquaio,” Morales said. “Defeating Jones was important to me because he had stopped something like 32 Mexicans in previous fights. Defeating Pacquaio is my greatest accomplishment in the ring. I remember seeing him cry after our fight. I would love another chance at Pacquaio and I also look forward to fighting Juan Manuel Marquez in the future.
“At 147, I’m faster than ever and freer with my body so I can get the most out of it. First, though, is my fight against Jose Alfaro on March 27 in Monterrey on pay per view. Alfaro is a great young fighter and a former world champion. A wicked puncher who will bring his best, he has a big heart into the ring, and always gives fans everything he has.”
Alfaro (23-5, 20 KOs) briefly held a junior lightweight title in 2007. The Nicaraguan is coming of a 10th-round knockout loss to Antonio DeMarco in October.
In the co-feature, Hugo Garay (32-4, 17 KOs) faces Chris Henry (24-2, 19 KOs) in a light heavyweight title eliminator.
Source: ringtv.com
Erik Morales v Manny Pacquiao? No chance. Morales against Hatton maybe… -- Telegraph
By Gareth A Davies, Telegraph.co.uk
Erik Morales expressed his desire for a rematch with Manny Pacquiao as he prepares to return to the ring after a two-and-a-half-year absence. Poppycock. Yes, they had memorable battles, but those inside boxing know that Morales’s best days are well behind him. In the thirty months he has been away, Pacquiao has gained in thought and deed. The idea of matching them now seems ludicrous.
But Morales versus Ricky Hatton at 147lbs, might not be such a bad idea. ‘El Terrible’ (48-6, 34 KOs) remains the last man to beat the current pound for pound No 1 having outpointed Paxquiao when they faced off at the MGM Grand in March 2005. Yes…five years ago.
The three-division world champion is preparing to fight WBA lightweight champion Jose ‘Jicaras’ Alfaro for the vacant WBC intercontinental welterweight crown in March 27 in Monterrey, Mexico. But he is already eyeing future challenges.
At a Televisa event honouring Mexico’s best athletes of the last decade, he said: “The two opponents who have defined my career are Junior Jones and Manny Pacquaio. Defeating Jones was important to me because he had stopped something like 32 Mexicans in previous fights. Defeating Pacquaio is my greatest accomplishment in the ring. I would love another chance at Pacquaio and I also look forward to fighting Juan Manuel Marquez in the future. At 147, I’m faster than ever and freer with my body so I can get the most out of it.”
He added: “Alfaro is a great young fighter and a former world champion. A wicked puncher who will bring his best. He has a big heart and always gives fans everything he has.”
If Morales comes through the Alfaro challenge, he should look to another challenge. Hatton. If Hatton really is coming back…
Source: blogs.telegraph.co.uk
Erik Morales expressed his desire for a rematch with Manny Pacquiao as he prepares to return to the ring after a two-and-a-half-year absence. Poppycock. Yes, they had memorable battles, but those inside boxing know that Morales’s best days are well behind him. In the thirty months he has been away, Pacquiao has gained in thought and deed. The idea of matching them now seems ludicrous.
But Morales versus Ricky Hatton at 147lbs, might not be such a bad idea. ‘El Terrible’ (48-6, 34 KOs) remains the last man to beat the current pound for pound No 1 having outpointed Paxquiao when they faced off at the MGM Grand in March 2005. Yes…five years ago.
The three-division world champion is preparing to fight WBA lightweight champion Jose ‘Jicaras’ Alfaro for the vacant WBC intercontinental welterweight crown in March 27 in Monterrey, Mexico. But he is already eyeing future challenges.
At a Televisa event honouring Mexico’s best athletes of the last decade, he said: “The two opponents who have defined my career are Junior Jones and Manny Pacquaio. Defeating Jones was important to me because he had stopped something like 32 Mexicans in previous fights. Defeating Pacquaio is my greatest accomplishment in the ring. I would love another chance at Pacquaio and I also look forward to fighting Juan Manuel Marquez in the future. At 147, I’m faster than ever and freer with my body so I can get the most out of it.”
He added: “Alfaro is a great young fighter and a former world champion. A wicked puncher who will bring his best. He has a big heart and always gives fans everything he has.”
If Morales comes through the Alfaro challenge, he should look to another challenge. Hatton. If Hatton really is coming back…
Source: blogs.telegraph.co.uk
Erik Morales looking for a 4th fight with Pacquiao? -- The Examiner
By Ramon Aranda, Examiner.com
March 19, 2005 may go down as one of if not, Erik Morales' defining moment when he out-boxed, boxing's current pound for pound king Manny Pacquiao, en route to a close but decisive unanimous decision win.
Unfortunately for Morales (48-6, 34 KOs) it was the final win of his career before retiring in 2007 after losing to David Diaz (and previously to Pacquiao in a 2nd and 3rd fight). Since then, Morales has sat back watching the boxing world go by but after nearly three years in retirement, "El Terrible" has had enough and is set to return on March 27 against Jose Alfaro in Monterrey, Mexico.
It's a tough task for an aged fighter, especially after losing four straight since that 2005 win over Pacquiao, to return to form; in fact it's nearly impossible. Still, that hasn't stopped Morales from thinking about the future, which includes a 4th bout with the Pacman. A 4th bout? Yes, you read that right.
“The two opponents who have defined my career are Junior Jones and Manny Pacquaio,” Morales said today. “Defeating Jones (TKO4) was important to me because he had stopped something like 32 Mexicans in previous fights. Defeating Pacquaio is my greatest accomplishment in the ring. I remember seeing him cry after our fight. I would love another chance at Pacquaio and I also look forward to fighting Juan Manuel Marquez in the future. At 147, I’m faster than ever and freer with my body so I can get the most out of it. First, though, is my fight against Jose Alfaro on March 27th in Monterrey on pay per view. Alfaro is a great young fighter and a former world champion. A wicked puncher who will bring his best, he has a big heart into the ring, and always gives fans everything he has.”
Wishful thinking that's for sure, especially considering how Pacquiao battered him in their return bouts.
Needless to say, Morales has high hopes and expectations of himself and on the 27th, we'll see if the layoff has given him enough rest to even contemplate getting it on with the best that the welterweight division has to offer - a far fetched goal, if you ask me.
Still, if there's one thing you can count on Morales for, it's fun-to-watch fights. Alfaro however, will show us if the end of the line arrives in March or if one of Mexico's best has anything left in the tank.
Their bout airs on PPV beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT which also features a 12-round light heavyweight title eliminator between Hugo Garay and Chris Henry.
Source: examiner.com
March 19, 2005 may go down as one of if not, Erik Morales' defining moment when he out-boxed, boxing's current pound for pound king Manny Pacquiao, en route to a close but decisive unanimous decision win.
Unfortunately for Morales (48-6, 34 KOs) it was the final win of his career before retiring in 2007 after losing to David Diaz (and previously to Pacquiao in a 2nd and 3rd fight). Since then, Morales has sat back watching the boxing world go by but after nearly three years in retirement, "El Terrible" has had enough and is set to return on March 27 against Jose Alfaro in Monterrey, Mexico.
It's a tough task for an aged fighter, especially after losing four straight since that 2005 win over Pacquiao, to return to form; in fact it's nearly impossible. Still, that hasn't stopped Morales from thinking about the future, which includes a 4th bout with the Pacman. A 4th bout? Yes, you read that right.
“The two opponents who have defined my career are Junior Jones and Manny Pacquaio,” Morales said today. “Defeating Jones (TKO4) was important to me because he had stopped something like 32 Mexicans in previous fights. Defeating Pacquaio is my greatest accomplishment in the ring. I remember seeing him cry after our fight. I would love another chance at Pacquaio and I also look forward to fighting Juan Manuel Marquez in the future. At 147, I’m faster than ever and freer with my body so I can get the most out of it. First, though, is my fight against Jose Alfaro on March 27th in Monterrey on pay per view. Alfaro is a great young fighter and a former world champion. A wicked puncher who will bring his best, he has a big heart into the ring, and always gives fans everything he has.”
Wishful thinking that's for sure, especially considering how Pacquiao battered him in their return bouts.
Needless to say, Morales has high hopes and expectations of himself and on the 27th, we'll see if the layoff has given him enough rest to even contemplate getting it on with the best that the welterweight division has to offer - a far fetched goal, if you ask me.
Still, if there's one thing you can count on Morales for, it's fun-to-watch fights. Alfaro however, will show us if the end of the line arrives in March or if one of Mexico's best has anything left in the tank.
Their bout airs on PPV beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT which also features a 12-round light heavyweight title eliminator between Hugo Garay and Chris Henry.
Source: examiner.com
There's Nothing Magical About Manny Pacquiao's Improvement: Part 1 -- The Sweet Science
By Frank Lotierzo, The Sweet Science
During the lead up to Manny Pacquiao’s brilliant dismantling of Joshua Clottey, he’d received more than his share of criticism from people hinting that his blitz through the weight classes on his way to the WBO welterweight title had been assisted by various forms of chemical help. I think that the reason for Pacquiao’s being able to retain and even augment his effectiveness is far less mysterious, although much more rare, than his detractors might realize. Manny Pacquiao is one of the very few boxers in the sport’s history able to make dramatic improvements after attaining star status, during the very late stages of his prime.
In some circles, this is seen as a kind of magic. But there’s nothing magical about it. It’s now apparent that Pacquiao is not only one of the most physically gifted fighters we’ve seen in years, he’s also one of the smartest. As he’s had to take on increasingly large opponents, there’s been an inverse proportion in the balance between physical advantage and strategic superiority.
Pacquiao had already been a champion and was a world class fighter when he lost a decision to Erik Morales in 2005. He was good enough to fight on better than even terms with the likes of Marco Antonio Barrera and Juan Manuel Marquez. That he was able to do this as an essentially one handed brawler with bad balance was a real testament to both his power and his fighting heart. But trainer Freddie Roach understood that, without further technical development, especially as he moved up in weight, Pacquiao was going to reach a point of diminishing returns, and would be getting into tougher and tougher fights. Considering that he’d already engaged in a series of taxing encounters, it would be crucial for Manny to learn new skills.
This is the point where Pacquiao’s uniqueness really began to manifest itself. Instead of assuming that what he’d always done would be enough to carry him at the elite level (he was, after all, both a champion and a star), he dedicated himself to learning a repertoire of added techniques. With some things, he had to go back to the drawing board and start with the basics. That he was humble enough to do that tells you a lot about his character.
Although Pacquiao was a fantastic natural fighter, as a southpaw he had relied too heavily on the great power from his left hand. His right was severely underdeveloped. Even though it had power, Manny really didn’t know how to deliver with it, and he couldn’t use it to set up combinations. He threw lots of punches, but seldom put them together in tactical sequence. Furthermore, his footwork and balance were adequate at best for a fighter of his accomplishment.
Starting with his 2007 rematch with Marco Antonio Barrera, we started to see steady improvement in every facet of Pacquiao’s game. By the time he took on Juan Manuel Marquez in 2008, he was able to engage a complete boxer/puncher in an exciting twelve round strategically sophisticated war - a chess match played out with high powered weaponry. His punches were now thrown straight. His right jab and hook were both solid weapons and he was capable of moving in and out quickly while maintaining excellent balance.
Three months later he was even better, taking on David Diaz for the WBC title in his first fight at lightweight. Diaz wasn’t anywhere close to being in Pacquiao’s league, but he was a strong, durable guy whose only previous loss had come to the murderously hard punching Kendall Holt at junior welterweight. Pacquiao administered a truly brutal beating to Diaz, systematically breaking him down, judging distance magnificently, remaining nearly untouchable, staying patient, and hurting Diaz throughout all nine rounds before firing off a perfect combination that left him lying in a pool of blood.
Like many, I assumed that 135 pounds was about as far north as Pacquiao could travel while remaining effective. His frame didn’t seem suited to carrying much more weight, even taking into account his junior middleweight legs. And it’s at about this point that Manny Pacquiao stopped being seen as a fighter and started being looked on as a mythical being. It’s where his detractors began to question how what he was accomplishing was humanly possible, and where his supporters began to attribute super human powers to him.
But, as I say, what happened next with Pacquiao isn’t mysterious at all. It’s just nearly unprecedented. Moving into the welterweight division, Pacquiao appeared to be punching harder than ever. The ability to do this runs contrary to conventional boxing logic. And, in fact, it wasn’t what was happening; appearances can often be deceiving.
What was really happening was that Pacquiao was now facing slower moving, less complete, and even possibly shot fighters. If you add in his recently acquired ability to throw punches in strategic combination and his newly found leverage, it’s no wonder that what he was landing was causing tremendous damage. He wasn’t actually punching any harder; he was just punching more effectively. And he was now punching the right guys.
Because I didn’t regard either Oscar De La Hoya or Ricky Hatton as legitimate barometers of Pacquiao’s progress (it was evident as soon as they stepped into the ring that both were shot), I thought of Miguel Angel Cotto as the first genuine test of how Pacquiao was faring at a higher weight. He looked great fighting Cotto. Initially, it appeared that taking shots from a hard punching, bigger guy might give him problems. But, by using his legs a lot in the first couple of rounds, in combination with being aggressive, Manny had things well under control by the third round. From that point on, Cotto’s style couldn’t have been better suited to Pacquiao. Too slow, too confused by the angles of Pacquiao’s punches, and too damaged from previous fights, Cotto was a sitting duck, taking a horrific beating until being rescued in the last round.
In spite of how impressive the win was, there was still a small lingering doubt as to how Manny would do against an undiminished, big, powerful, impervious-to-punches welterweight in his prime. Beating Joshua Clottey convincingly would erase any questions about how completely Manny Pacquiao had transformed into a viable welterweight champion.
It was in this fight that Pacquiao showed every aspect of the lessons he’d learned since 2005. Without even scoring a knockdown, he fought the greatest fight of his life. Using a spellbinding combination of power, accuracy, footwork, hand and foot speed, aggression, and boxing skills, Pacquiao made a previously indomitable opponent give up within three rounds. Things grew so one sided that it was soon obvious Pacquiao was trying to make Clottey commit to anything. The only possible chance he had to accomplish that was to give Clottey some free shots. Joshua was just too freaked out to take them. He was being hurt constantly, he was scared, and he had no answers. He steadfastly refused to take the bait.
There are guys who'd have been content to take the easy decision. Even though he didn’t get it, don’t think that Manny wasn’t looking for the knockout all night long. He didn't take dumb risks, but there wasn't a moment when he wasn't trying to make something happen. That's just one more thing that makes him a great, great fighter.
Manny Pacquiao is at his very best at this point in time. He is a fighter who had rough edges and weak spots even after he was a world champion, even after he’d beaten fellow greats. But, through hard work, good advice, diligence, and sound scouting by Freddie Roach, and a willingness to address his own liabilities, those rough edges and weak spots no longer exist. He’s clearly the best fighter in the world.
Any fighter is beatable, and someone will beat Manny Pacquiao someday. But for the moment, it’s hard to imagine who that fighter will be.
Frank Lotierzo can be contacted at GlovedFist@Gmail.com
Source: thesweetscience.com
During the lead up to Manny Pacquiao’s brilliant dismantling of Joshua Clottey, he’d received more than his share of criticism from people hinting that his blitz through the weight classes on his way to the WBO welterweight title had been assisted by various forms of chemical help. I think that the reason for Pacquiao’s being able to retain and even augment his effectiveness is far less mysterious, although much more rare, than his detractors might realize. Manny Pacquiao is one of the very few boxers in the sport’s history able to make dramatic improvements after attaining star status, during the very late stages of his prime.
In some circles, this is seen as a kind of magic. But there’s nothing magical about it. It’s now apparent that Pacquiao is not only one of the most physically gifted fighters we’ve seen in years, he’s also one of the smartest. As he’s had to take on increasingly large opponents, there’s been an inverse proportion in the balance between physical advantage and strategic superiority.
Pacquiao had already been a champion and was a world class fighter when he lost a decision to Erik Morales in 2005. He was good enough to fight on better than even terms with the likes of Marco Antonio Barrera and Juan Manuel Marquez. That he was able to do this as an essentially one handed brawler with bad balance was a real testament to both his power and his fighting heart. But trainer Freddie Roach understood that, without further technical development, especially as he moved up in weight, Pacquiao was going to reach a point of diminishing returns, and would be getting into tougher and tougher fights. Considering that he’d already engaged in a series of taxing encounters, it would be crucial for Manny to learn new skills.
This is the point where Pacquiao’s uniqueness really began to manifest itself. Instead of assuming that what he’d always done would be enough to carry him at the elite level (he was, after all, both a champion and a star), he dedicated himself to learning a repertoire of added techniques. With some things, he had to go back to the drawing board and start with the basics. That he was humble enough to do that tells you a lot about his character.
Although Pacquiao was a fantastic natural fighter, as a southpaw he had relied too heavily on the great power from his left hand. His right was severely underdeveloped. Even though it had power, Manny really didn’t know how to deliver with it, and he couldn’t use it to set up combinations. He threw lots of punches, but seldom put them together in tactical sequence. Furthermore, his footwork and balance were adequate at best for a fighter of his accomplishment.
Starting with his 2007 rematch with Marco Antonio Barrera, we started to see steady improvement in every facet of Pacquiao’s game. By the time he took on Juan Manuel Marquez in 2008, he was able to engage a complete boxer/puncher in an exciting twelve round strategically sophisticated war - a chess match played out with high powered weaponry. His punches were now thrown straight. His right jab and hook were both solid weapons and he was capable of moving in and out quickly while maintaining excellent balance.
Three months later he was even better, taking on David Diaz for the WBC title in his first fight at lightweight. Diaz wasn’t anywhere close to being in Pacquiao’s league, but he was a strong, durable guy whose only previous loss had come to the murderously hard punching Kendall Holt at junior welterweight. Pacquiao administered a truly brutal beating to Diaz, systematically breaking him down, judging distance magnificently, remaining nearly untouchable, staying patient, and hurting Diaz throughout all nine rounds before firing off a perfect combination that left him lying in a pool of blood.
Like many, I assumed that 135 pounds was about as far north as Pacquiao could travel while remaining effective. His frame didn’t seem suited to carrying much more weight, even taking into account his junior middleweight legs. And it’s at about this point that Manny Pacquiao stopped being seen as a fighter and started being looked on as a mythical being. It’s where his detractors began to question how what he was accomplishing was humanly possible, and where his supporters began to attribute super human powers to him.
But, as I say, what happened next with Pacquiao isn’t mysterious at all. It’s just nearly unprecedented. Moving into the welterweight division, Pacquiao appeared to be punching harder than ever. The ability to do this runs contrary to conventional boxing logic. And, in fact, it wasn’t what was happening; appearances can often be deceiving.
What was really happening was that Pacquiao was now facing slower moving, less complete, and even possibly shot fighters. If you add in his recently acquired ability to throw punches in strategic combination and his newly found leverage, it’s no wonder that what he was landing was causing tremendous damage. He wasn’t actually punching any harder; he was just punching more effectively. And he was now punching the right guys.
Because I didn’t regard either Oscar De La Hoya or Ricky Hatton as legitimate barometers of Pacquiao’s progress (it was evident as soon as they stepped into the ring that both were shot), I thought of Miguel Angel Cotto as the first genuine test of how Pacquiao was faring at a higher weight. He looked great fighting Cotto. Initially, it appeared that taking shots from a hard punching, bigger guy might give him problems. But, by using his legs a lot in the first couple of rounds, in combination with being aggressive, Manny had things well under control by the third round. From that point on, Cotto’s style couldn’t have been better suited to Pacquiao. Too slow, too confused by the angles of Pacquiao’s punches, and too damaged from previous fights, Cotto was a sitting duck, taking a horrific beating until being rescued in the last round.
In spite of how impressive the win was, there was still a small lingering doubt as to how Manny would do against an undiminished, big, powerful, impervious-to-punches welterweight in his prime. Beating Joshua Clottey convincingly would erase any questions about how completely Manny Pacquiao had transformed into a viable welterweight champion.
It was in this fight that Pacquiao showed every aspect of the lessons he’d learned since 2005. Without even scoring a knockdown, he fought the greatest fight of his life. Using a spellbinding combination of power, accuracy, footwork, hand and foot speed, aggression, and boxing skills, Pacquiao made a previously indomitable opponent give up within three rounds. Things grew so one sided that it was soon obvious Pacquiao was trying to make Clottey commit to anything. The only possible chance he had to accomplish that was to give Clottey some free shots. Joshua was just too freaked out to take them. He was being hurt constantly, he was scared, and he had no answers. He steadfastly refused to take the bait.
There are guys who'd have been content to take the easy decision. Even though he didn’t get it, don’t think that Manny wasn’t looking for the knockout all night long. He didn't take dumb risks, but there wasn't a moment when he wasn't trying to make something happen. That's just one more thing that makes him a great, great fighter.
Manny Pacquiao is at his very best at this point in time. He is a fighter who had rough edges and weak spots even after he was a world champion, even after he’d beaten fellow greats. But, through hard work, good advice, diligence, and sound scouting by Freddie Roach, and a willingness to address his own liabilities, those rough edges and weak spots no longer exist. He’s clearly the best fighter in the world.
Any fighter is beatable, and someone will beat Manny Pacquiao someday. But for the moment, it’s hard to imagine who that fighter will be.
Frank Lotierzo can be contacted at GlovedFist@Gmail.com
Source: thesweetscience.com
UFC 111 fighters talk Pacquiao vs. Clottey, fan apathy and boxing’s struggles -- Yahoo! Sports
By Steven Marrocco, MMAjunkie.com
Many top MMA fighters love boxing, but even they admit that the sport is on the ropes.
This past weekend's Manny Pacquiao vs. Joshua Clottey fight came with a fraction of the hype for a long-anticipated showdown between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather. And when it was finished, fans slapped their collective foreheads.
Clottey threw 399 punches to Pacquiao's 1,231 and spent the majority of the fight blocking the welterweight champion's blows. The fight was so drab commentator Jim Lampley resorted to sound effects during Pacquiao flurries, with shouts of Bang! Bang! Bang! dotting the eighth round.
UFC 111 headliners Dan Hardy and Frank Mir said they still support the sweet science, but its hiccups are wearing them thin.
"I've always been a huge fan of boxing … but as far as what boxing's doing, I think it's no statement to say that it's been on a decline due to its own results, and also the fact of what the UFC is now," Mir today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) in a conference call promoting his interim-title fight with Shane Carwin on March 27.
Hardy said he watched the Pacquiao fight in a sports bar and was not happy with what he saw.
"I've always been a huge fan of boxing, and I'm very selective about what boxers I watch and what fights I watch," said Hardy, who fights welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre at UFC 111. "I would say unfortunately, 50 or 60 percent of the time I've watched a boxing match that I've been looking forward to, I kind of feel like I've been robbed of 45 minutes of my life."
The UFC welterweight contender said the boxing ring allows fighters to hide and avoid the fight. But he also put the blame on Clottey for refusing to engage.
"Clottey didn't really want to fight Pacquiao," he said. "He didn't come to win. It was kind of like my fight with (Akihiro) Gono, my first fight in the UFC. The guy didn't come to win, and they're not my kind of fighters.
"I like guys that don't mind taking a risk and putting their neck on the line just (for) the adrenaline rush for that fight. Unfortunately, there aren't that many boxers out there who will do that now. I think that's why MMA is coming up so fast because people need to see that intensity in the fight that I think boxing's losing."
Mir said boxing's decline has forced the sport to put together substandard match-ups because there are few bankable stars in its divisions.
"They're trying to move guys into different weight classes to make superfights," he said. "There's really no weight division that has anything going on in it. If you look at boxing as far as (the) mainstream, I think you're hard pressed now to even ask people who's in the heavyweight division in boxing, which has always been one of the premier weight classes for the sport of boxing.
"Right now, if it wasn't for the two or three superstars that they have in their sport willing to fight each other even through they're not in the same weight class I don't think you'd have any boxing matches going on whatsoever."
Most boxing observers pin boxing's future success on Pacquiao vs. Mayweather, a fight that was supposed to happen this month before it was derailed by the bickering of opposing promoters. After defeating Clottey, Pacquiao said he wants to fight Mayweather, but he doesn't think the brash fighter will agree to face him.
A myriad of less-than-stellar options await the welterweight stars. Mayweather is scheduled to take on Shane Mosley in May.
This past Saturday night, Carwin was hanging out with his 20-day-old daughter, his son, and his wife a familiar routine so he didn't watch the fight. He planned to catch it later.
Despite its shameful reviews, Pacquiao vs. Clottey promoter Bob Arum said he expects the event to do between 700,000 and 900,000 pay-per-view buys (a mark the UFC rarely reaches), which will make the headliners wealthy men.
Carwin, however, believes UFC 111's pay-per-view numbers could equal the boxing event's take.
"Yeah, I think it's very liable," he said. "UFC 111, it's a big card, one of the biggest cards the UFC has had in a while. There's some intruguing fights on there. Not only the main and co-main (events), you have (Thiago) Alves fighting (Jon) Fitch again, so I think the numbers will be right up there with [Pacquiao].
"Pacquiao is boxing's main guy right now, and the UFC has a number of main guys and fights that they can fill out their cards."
Source: sports.yahoo.com
Many top MMA fighters love boxing, but even they admit that the sport is on the ropes.
This past weekend's Manny Pacquiao vs. Joshua Clottey fight came with a fraction of the hype for a long-anticipated showdown between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather. And when it was finished, fans slapped their collective foreheads.
Clottey threw 399 punches to Pacquiao's 1,231 and spent the majority of the fight blocking the welterweight champion's blows. The fight was so drab commentator Jim Lampley resorted to sound effects during Pacquiao flurries, with shouts of Bang! Bang! Bang! dotting the eighth round.
UFC 111 headliners Dan Hardy and Frank Mir said they still support the sweet science, but its hiccups are wearing them thin.
"I've always been a huge fan of boxing … but as far as what boxing's doing, I think it's no statement to say that it's been on a decline due to its own results, and also the fact of what the UFC is now," Mir today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) in a conference call promoting his interim-title fight with Shane Carwin on March 27.
Hardy said he watched the Pacquiao fight in a sports bar and was not happy with what he saw.
"I've always been a huge fan of boxing, and I'm very selective about what boxers I watch and what fights I watch," said Hardy, who fights welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre at UFC 111. "I would say unfortunately, 50 or 60 percent of the time I've watched a boxing match that I've been looking forward to, I kind of feel like I've been robbed of 45 minutes of my life."
The UFC welterweight contender said the boxing ring allows fighters to hide and avoid the fight. But he also put the blame on Clottey for refusing to engage.
"Clottey didn't really want to fight Pacquiao," he said. "He didn't come to win. It was kind of like my fight with (Akihiro) Gono, my first fight in the UFC. The guy didn't come to win, and they're not my kind of fighters.
"I like guys that don't mind taking a risk and putting their neck on the line just (for) the adrenaline rush for that fight. Unfortunately, there aren't that many boxers out there who will do that now. I think that's why MMA is coming up so fast because people need to see that intensity in the fight that I think boxing's losing."
Mir said boxing's decline has forced the sport to put together substandard match-ups because there are few bankable stars in its divisions.
"They're trying to move guys into different weight classes to make superfights," he said. "There's really no weight division that has anything going on in it. If you look at boxing as far as (the) mainstream, I think you're hard pressed now to even ask people who's in the heavyweight division in boxing, which has always been one of the premier weight classes for the sport of boxing.
"Right now, if it wasn't for the two or three superstars that they have in their sport willing to fight each other even through they're not in the same weight class I don't think you'd have any boxing matches going on whatsoever."
Most boxing observers pin boxing's future success on Pacquiao vs. Mayweather, a fight that was supposed to happen this month before it was derailed by the bickering of opposing promoters. After defeating Clottey, Pacquiao said he wants to fight Mayweather, but he doesn't think the brash fighter will agree to face him.
A myriad of less-than-stellar options await the welterweight stars. Mayweather is scheduled to take on Shane Mosley in May.
This past Saturday night, Carwin was hanging out with his 20-day-old daughter, his son, and his wife a familiar routine so he didn't watch the fight. He planned to catch it later.
Despite its shameful reviews, Pacquiao vs. Clottey promoter Bob Arum said he expects the event to do between 700,000 and 900,000 pay-per-view buys (a mark the UFC rarely reaches), which will make the headliners wealthy men.
Carwin, however, believes UFC 111's pay-per-view numbers could equal the boxing event's take.
"Yeah, I think it's very liable," he said. "UFC 111, it's a big card, one of the biggest cards the UFC has had in a while. There's some intruguing fights on there. Not only the main and co-main (events), you have (Thiago) Alves fighting (Jon) Fitch again, so I think the numbers will be right up there with [Pacquiao].
"Pacquiao is boxing's main guy right now, and the UFC has a number of main guys and fights that they can fill out their cards."
Source: sports.yahoo.com
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