Roger Mayweather doesn't think Manny Pacquiao wants to fight Floyd Mayweather -- Grand Rapids Press

By David Mayo, The Grand Rapids Press

LAS VEGAS -- While his nephew Floyd Mayweather and brother Floyd Mayweather Sr. were raising suspicions Monday that Shane Mosley might have used performance-enhancing drugs much more recently than 2003, Roger Mayweather stopped short of that accusation.

He focused his steroid accusations on Manny Pacquiao, instead.

Floyd Mayweather fights Mosley in a highly anticipated welterweight clash Saturday, but that fight might have been Mayweather-Pacquiao, if not for balky negotiations related to blood testing in the aftermatch of the Mayweathers’ accusations that Pacquiao uses steroids.

Roger Mayweather, who trains his nephew, on Monday reiterated his claim that Mosley is a tougher opponent that Pacquiao because “Shane’s got more skills than Pacquiao.”

He also emphasized that Pacquiao “don’t want the fight no way” because of the refusal to allow blood testing later than 24 days prior to a proposed Mayweather-Pacquiao bout.

Roger Mayweather is named as one of the defendants in a defamation lawsuit Pacquiao subsequently filed, yet he again questioned why the Filipino star balked at random blood testing for the proposed fight, then later refused a counteroffer to allow testing on a set schedule cutting off no later than 14 days before the fight.

“If they want the fight, they'll take that test,” he said. “Why didn't he take that test? He ain't never took the test yet and never said he was going to take the test.

"It don't make no sense to anybody living and breathing. Anytime a guy is talking about he's going to get $100 million, $60 million, $70 million, and you don't want to take the test, something's got to be wrong with you. Everybody takes the test. Everybody that goes into that ring and is risking their life, they all take the test. What makes him privileged that he doesn't have to take the test?"

E-mail David Mayo: dmayo@grpress.com and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/David_Mayo

Roger Mayweather: Manny Pacquiao don't want to fight nobody

Source: mlive.com

Floyd Mayweather Sr. has 'suspicions' about Shane Mosley, calls out Manny Pacquiao again -- Grand Rapids Press

By David Mayo, The Grand Rapids Press

LAS VEGAS -- Floyd Mayweather Sr. believes the fighter he once trained, Oscar De La Hoya, was a clear victim of steroid use when he lost a disputed rematch to Shane Mosley in 2003.

Because of that, Mayweather -- whose namesake son fights Mosley on Saturday -- said he remains uncertain whether the once-tainted fighter is clean, even today, despite the enhanced drug-testing measures placed in the Mayweather-Mosley contract.

"We're talking about Shane -- you can't trust nobody, man, who did that,” Mayweather Sr. said. “Even though my son's fighting him right now, believe me -- I've still got suspicions in my head, I'm going to be honest with you. And that is the truth. I've got suspicions in my head, right now."

Mosley admitted three years ago, in a leaked grand jury testimony, that he used performance-enhancing drugs provided by BALCO during the federal investigation into the California laboratory.

His use in 2003 covered the same period as his second win over De La Hoya, three years after the first win prompted De La Hoya to replace trainer Roberto Alcazar with Mayweather Sr.

Mosley’s trainer, Naazim Richardson, has criticized the Mayweather camp for harping on the past steroid issue.

“His trainer said 'Everybody's talking about that' -- yeah, we're talking about it, you used the (expletive),” Mayweather Sr. said. “You've got to talk about stuff like that, man. People are getting killed, brain damage. He's talking about 'Why you got to talk about stuff like that? Talk about the fight.' Man, we're talking about the underhanded (expletive) that you've been doing, that ain't no good. It's worthless and heartless and gutless, to the game.”

Mayweather Sr. first broached the issue of steroids in boxing in an interview with The Press last year, when he initially accused Manny Pacquiao of using steroids, a claim which blew up into an international sports controversy.

Pacquiao since has sued several members of the Mayweather camp for defamation, and negotiations for a Mayweather-Pacquiao fight fell apart over the drug-testing issue.

Mayweather Sr. said Pacquiao “ain’t nothing but a little girl” for choosing to sue rather than submit to a set blood-testing schedule ending no later than 14 days before fighting Mayweather. Pacquiao refused to accept any such testing later than 24 days before the fight.

"The only thing I'm saying is what is your reason for not taking the test?” Mayweather Sr. said. “Floyd is willing to do everything there is to make the biggest fight in history come off, and you're going to tell me a blood test is going to cause this fight not to take place? Come on. The law should be looking into it, for real."

E-mail David Mayo: dmayo@grpress.com and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/David_Mayo

Floyd Mayweather Sr. calls out Manny Pacquiao again

Source: mlive.com

Boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao enters Philippine political ring -- The Guardian

By Sunshine Lichauco de Leon, Guardian.co.uk

Manny Pacquiao is used to the frenzy. Tens of thousands of fans bob and throng feverishly in front of the stage in the heavy, sticky heat of a tropical night. Young and old, rural and urban, devout and secular: all are eager for a glimpse of the man who is undeniably the Philippines' most famous sporting hero.

For a man who is a boxing phenomenon, it is a familiar scene. Pacquiao is used to punishing opponents in front of crowds like this. Only on this occasion, he is turned out not in his trademark red flame-emblazoned white shorts and robe but in jeans and an orange shirt.

A natural entertainer, he cradles a guitar and shows off another string to his bow: a singsong-like baritone that belts out a campaign tune.

"I would not be where I am today without you, and now I want to help the Philippines," he declares, warming to his theme. "What is important is my relationship to God and to the Filipino people."

Pacquiao's rise from extreme poverty to sporting superstardom is a narrative that resonates with many Filipinos. But as the campaign for the crucial 10 May general elections intensifies here, the man considered the best pound-for-pound fighter the world has ever seen, with 51 wins out of 56 bouts in a 17-year career, is facing a far greater challenge than just another welterweight slugger in the ring.

In running for Congress in a rural province of Mindanao, Pacquiao joins a rare group of athletes who have sought to make the leap from sportsman to statesman.

"Boxing is about honour," he tells the Guardian in an interview during some rare downtime in a pool bar that he owns in General Santos City. "Now I want to be known as a good public servant. I want to be known as a generous person."

Politically, it is a seductive message. Forty per cent of Filipinos live on less than $2 (£1.30) a day. Pacquiao has already been drawing on a personal fortune estimated at upwards of $40m to support projects in his province such as one that provides drinking water for impoverished areas.

Sometimes he opts for instant charity: guards at his mansion say he rarely leaves home without giving cash to the crowds of destitute people who gather there each day. His electoral pitch is that he would lobby for the most basic needs of the 600,000 people in his district: livelihood programmes, free education, healthcare and medical assistance.

"That's the major problem right now," he says after shooting a few frames of pool with some friends. "Do they need money? No. They need livelihood, to feed their family. They will not ask the government to help them if they have work."

The fever surrounding "Pacman", as he is known, is heady. But some sceptics note that sports stars do not always fare well in politics.

The economist Winnie Monsod, a professor at the University of the Philippines, says she does not doubt his sincerity. But she warns: "I am not ready to translate that sincerity into actual deeds, because the other politicians he associates with do not exactly have the highest reputation for integrity."

Pacquiao has aligned himself with the presidential candidate Manny Villar, who is taking on a colourful slate of candidates. Among these are Benigno Aquino, the son of the former president Corazon Aquino, and the disgraced ex-president Joseph Estrada. Imelda Marcos, the widow of the former dictator, is also running for Congress.

Pacquiao's failed attempts at an acting and singing career may also indicate people's lack of readiness to accept him in a new role. "They love him as a boxer but may not be ready to take him in any other capacity," Monsod says, adding that he failed to get elected three years ago for that very reason.

Pacquiao's politics are informed by early years that millions here can relate to. The eldest of six children living with a single mother, he became the provider at a young age, spending his days finding food, water and shelter. He has said: "We were so poor I tried to sleep outside in a cardboard box when I was 10 years old. And some days, I didn't eat.

"I feel what the people feel right now because I have been there. We need a leader who has experienced this and who will never forget it."

For a merciless pugilist, Pacquiao is surprisingly eloquent, communicating with a simplicity as powerful as his jabs. He prays at least three times a day, and has a priest come to the dressing room for prayer before each fight.

His bodyguard, Ernesto Madidis, says Pacquaio's faith is a core value. "He really doesn't change. He never turned his back on where he comes from. He still plays with the friends he had when he would sell doughnuts at 4am, and still knows the name of everyone in the area he grew up in."

Other supporters, such as Zed Protactio, are taken by his generosity: "He is not thinking of himself but of the people," Protactio says. "Most politicians are not like this. Even before he entered politics, he had a track record of helping people. He is not materialistic. He has enough, so gives the rest."

The majority of Filipino voters are tired of a deeply corrupt political system in which candidates make promises during their campaigns only to forget them later. Pacquiao's team says the boxer intends to lead by example. But even if he wins – and his team admits he has a fight on his hands, against a candidate from a dominant local family – he may find it hard to punch his weight.

As a legislator in a parliament renowned for balking at passing bills to help disenfranchised and marginalised sectors of society, Pacquiao's influence may be limited. He refuses to be drawn on whether he sees Congress as just a first step towards higher political office.

Monsod said: "He needs to be able to sell his ideas. What he is saying about not being corrupt is not enough to make him an effective politician."

Pacquiao's ability to transform ideas into action will also depend on how well the Nacionalista party, led by Villar, does at the polls, Monsod said – and on whether, if his political career does take off, he acts as a member of the club that holds power.

Source: guardian.co.uk

Mayweather v. Mosley: Everything that is wrong with boxing in one bag -- PhilBoxing

By Earl Blaney, PhilBoxing.com

It’s not the fight we want to see, but we’ll watch it anyway. It shouldn’t really be a good one, but that doesn’t really matter. The guy who can’t lose is well capable of doing exactly that. These are some of the oxymoronic statements that underscore this weekend's bout between Floyd Mayweather and Shane Mosley, factual statements that make morons of today’s boxing fans and a mockery of the sport of boxing.

As everyone knows this fight is not the fight that should be fought this weekend.

It is instead a poorly made, promoter produced, “knock off” of a real mega fight (Mayweather-Pacquiao). Like so many lower class consumers, rather than call the police on the back alley dealers, boxing fans opt instead to buy the bag. We know the quality doesn’t match up, but at a distance it looks the same, and for practical reasons it’s usable (well at least until the third or fourth round when the whole thing falls apart). What makes this choice so pathetic for boxing fans is that in boxing “knock off” fights cost the same as the “original” would.

Many people will watch this fight because despite his hiatus from boxing Floyd Mayweather remains one of the best technical boxers in recent history (he would say the best of all time). There is no doubting the former. Unfortunately for boxing and for Mayweather himself, his ego has been in training for much longer and at a greater intensity than his boxing skills.

Mayweather’s attitude towards the sport is the biggest obstacle to a fight fans conversion to his self proclaimed worshipility. In fact, rarely has such a talented athlete done so little to advance the sport that he participates in. Unfortunately also, while this situation is an anomaly in sport, it has certainly become a commonality in boxing.

In fairness, a criticism of Mayweather’s recent fight history partly represents a criticism of the unskilled labor market making boxing today. His big fights since hitting welterweight (147lbs. 2005) have been against three men; Zab Judah, Ricky Hatton and De la Hoya.

Going into the Judah fight (2005) the undisciplined Judah seemed a bad match for the technical mastery of Mayweather. He was. However, Judah was able to legitimately bully Mayweather around throughout the early fight (highlighted by a legitimate knockdown in the second). The bullying turned ugly later on.
Two things were true of this mismatch. When the two were boxing Mayweather dominated, but when a fight broke out in the boxing ring Mayweather looked very vulnerable. Of course going into the contest Mayweather had no intention of fighting, he wanted to box. This is characteristic of a Mayweather performance.

Technically dominating a technically unsound opponent hardly makes Mayweather a great fighter it only makes him a smart fighter. There are a long list of fighters however who were/are both. This of course is the reason people re-watch old Ali fights and don’t and never will re-watch a Mayweather points scoring clinic. Yes Mayweather is good at “boxing” but his fights aren’t good boxing to watch.

Against Oscar De la Hoya Mayweather faced legitimate technical opposition against an opponent who has built his career on losing closely matched big fights and winning promotion contracts to big mismatched ones. Taking away from his victory in this Mayweather’s best true “boxing” match, was the fact that Mayweather was not able to dominate the slowing, aging De La Hoya (any where near the way Pacquiao would, only a year later). Mayweather only managed a spilt decision victory. Impressive? Slightly, but certainly slight of great.

Mayweather was the first to expose Ricky Hatton as a press inflated B class fighter. He didn’t do it in convincing fashion (like Pacquiao did, again about a year later), but he did it none the less. And then, as we remember he went into retirement saying “(he) had nothing left to prove”, while critics were left wondering what in fact he had proved to begin with?

There lies the crux of another problem. In most of today’s sports egos are apparent but controlled; unfortunately it is apparent that today’s boxing is controlled by egos. In what other sport are athletes allowed to unilaterally overrule governing commissions and impose their own rules on the sport (such as what Mayweather attempted to with blood testing regulations leading to the cancellation of the Pacquiao fight)? In what other sport can an athlete enter into competition ignoring the set rules of the contest all together (such as when Mayweather totally ignored the weight limitation for his last fight against Marquez)? In what sport can an athlete self proclaim his greatness and have it legitimately honored by fans when he refuses to face real competition (like Manny Pacquiao)? The answer to these questions sadly is, ONLY IN BOXING.

Due to the sad state of affairs that exist in the sport boxing fans no longer have the distinguishing taste or class to differentiate between fakes and genuine products. Much to the delight of promoters like De La Hoya (and most others) who continue to use a low class work force to turn out a substandard product that costs just as much as you should pay for the high quality model. On the street, when you buy a fake bag you get what you paid for. In boxing you certainly don’t.

Earl Blaney
Yeojoo University
Yeojoo, South Korea
e_bmail@yahoo.com
(82) 010 7104 7298

Source: philboxing.com

Steve Forbes' familiarity with Mayweather family helps Floyd prepare for Shane Mosley -- Grand Rapids Press

By David Mayo, The Grand Rapids Press

LAS VEGAS -- For $3,000 a week, Steve Forbes agreed to help an old friend, Floyd Mayweather, prepare for the big fight, the going rate for a historically elite boxer to hire an ex-champion for a month’s worth of sparring.

The problematic point is that after a few times sparring with anyone, Mayweather figures them out.

So Forbes had a standard solution: He went to Mayweather’s father after every session and sought advice.

Forbes obviously isn’t a Mayweather, nor is he from Grand Rapids.

He has bountiful ties to both.

All three of the retired fighting Mayweathers -- Floyd Sr., Roger and Jeff -- have trained Forbes at different times in the former International Boxing Federation super featherweight champion’s career.

And during a trip home a few years ago to Portland, Ore., Forbes met a Grand Rapids woman named Valerie Smulders in a boxing class. Steve and Valerie Forbes have been married five years, have two young children together and live in Pontiac.

Although his sparring work here is done as training camp tapers towards the immediacy of an impending fight weekend, Forbes’ focus remains helping however he can for Saturday’s Mayweather-Shane Mosley showdown.

No one knows Mayweather’s fighting condition more intimately than his two primary sparring partners, the speedy, shifty Forbes, and the bigger, stronger middleweight Ishe Smith.

Last time they sparred, in 1998, Mayweather was 21 and preparing for his first world championship defense. Forbes had eight professional fights.

Almost 12 years later, Forbes said he sees noticeable differences.

“He’s actually been taking a lot of risks in this training camp, as far as really opening up his punch count and throwing a lot more punches and combinations,” he said. “It is different. Even back then, making his first defense, he was so happy to be champion, and he would throw a lot of punches back then -- but he’s throwing a lot more now. And that’s a big, big plus.”

Forbes, 33, is no workaday sparring partner. He is near the end of a once-prominent career, but at this time two years ago, he wasn’t the sparring partner for the big Cinco de Mayo fight. He was the main-eventer.

Against extreme odds favoring Oscar De La Hoya, Forbes acquitted himself well in a 12-round decision loss.

The Mayweathers’ involvement in that fight was pronounced. De La Hoya was tuning up for an anticipated rematch with Floyd Mayweather that never happened. Floyd Mayweather ordered Roger Mayweather not to work with Forbes for that very reason. Jeff Mayweather trained Forbes instead. And Floyd Mayweather Sr., after refusing to work against his son a year earlier, was back in De La Hoya’s corner.

Forbes got the fight because he had a good resume, including reaching the final of “The Contender” reality show in 2006, and because he was deemed as a minimal risk. The De La Hoya loss was part of Forbes’ current 2-5 skid -- he is 34-8 overall -- but the lessons he learned from the Mayweathers served him well.

“I was given no chance,” Forbes said. “And I thought ‘He’ll see, once we get in there, all that goes out the window.’ Yeah, I was undersized and I was a big underdog but it all helped me, because I knew, learning from those guys all those years, it was going to benefit me.”

When Forbes got involved in the first edition of “The Contender,” his wife reviewed the contracts.

Valerie Forbes was visiting friends in Portland when she met her future husband. The Northview High School graduate has an anthropology degree from the University of Michigan but, as she became more involved in the contractual aspects of that negotiation, decided to try her hand at law.

So as one career draws to a close, another begins: Valerie Forbes will graduate from Cooley Law School in August.

Steve Forbes may not be the centerpiece of this Cinco de Mayo boxing weekend, yet he played a key role, and predicted a victory by the “really good, really sharp” Mayweather.

“He’s always in good condition but he looks like he turned it up a whole, whole lot,” he said. “He’s been going for hours training. I’ve never seen anything like it in my whole life."

E-mail David Mayo: dmayo@grpress.com and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/David_Mayo

Source: mlive.com

Victor Conte: 'I Call This The Marion Jones Case With Boxing Gloves' -- FanHouse

By Lem Satterfield, FanHouse

BALCO ounder, Victor Conte, 59, is being sued for defamation of character and libel by 38-year-old WBA welterweight (147 pounds) champion, Shane Mosley (46-5, 39 knockouts), who will meet 33-year-old Floyd Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs) in Saturday's HBO pay per view-televised clash at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Mosley claims that he unknowingly took the steroids, "the cream," and, "the clear," in 2003, having received them from Conte through a relationship with his former strength trainer, Daryl Hudson. Mosley and his attorney, Judd Burstein, have conflicting assertions to Conte concerning the truth about what transpired.

Conte spoke to FanHouse during this, the second of a two-part Q&A.

FanHouse: Can you name any other athletes whom you helped to obtain steroids in the past who have, since then, denied they knowingly took them?

Victor Conte: Of course. I call this the Marion Jones case with boxing gloves. I believe that Marion Jones also committed fraud when she filed her defamation case. I believe that the lie detector test that Judd Burstein claims that he has, I don't believe that those are valid results.

Let me put it into context for you. Marion Jones claims to have taken a lie detector test and to have passed it. She was convicted and sent to prison. Track coach, Trevor Graham, also in the BALCO case, claims to have taken a lie detector test and passed. He was convicted of lying and spent a year in an ankle bracelet under house arrest.

So this lie detector stuff, it carries no weight whatsoever. And it wouldn't surprise me if Shane Mosley's results are bogus.

What is the structure of your new company, and how does it differ from BALCO in the way that it services athletes?

You've got to understand that I've had this product line and this business, well, actually, two businesses -- BALCO, which provided drug-testing, and then, SNAC, which provided nutritional supplements. So SNAC has been in existence since 1988, and I founded BALCO in 1984.

The newer company is called SNAC, and that acronym stands for Scientific Nutrition For Advanced Conditioning, and our website is SNAC.com. And we supply perfectly legal sports nutritional products and nutritional supplements.

Based upon a huge, data base that we have for testing blood samples of many, many world class athletes, over 250 NFL players, lots of professional baseball players, many athletes from track and field, other sports, and based upon their depletions and defiencies that we've found in athletes, I've developed a system of these products.

Due to the negative attention from BALCO, did it take some convincing for you to gain the respect from some of the SNAC athletes with whom you are working?

Let me say this: I work with a lot of athletes, currently. Some of them are okay with that being public knowledge, and others are not because of the stigma what would be attached. So, if their comfort level is there, then I don't have issues talking about it.

But if there is some sort of a problem, or stigma there, and they choose to keep that between the two of us, then I'm certainly willing to honor that and to do that.

What is your relationship with heavyweight contender, Eddie Chambers, in relation to SNAC?

My relationship with Eddie Chambers is ongoing and it's still very good.

Wasn't there at least one other prominent boxer you worked with in regard to SNAC?

Well, there was Andre Ward, but I'm no longer working with Andre.

Do you remember what it was like and can you describe what happened when BALCO was raided?

That was on September 3, 2003. There was a 26-member SWAT Team that was armed with assault rifles, and there was also a helicopter. And all of them were wearing flak jackets, and it was a raid just like on television when there is a bank holdup.

And they came in there, and it was crazy. Unmarked cars pulled up. There were five or six of them, and there were some 26 agents who piled out and who came crashing through the front door. Then, this helicopter was just a matter of, you know, five or six feet right above the front door on the roof.

And it was rattling the glass above the front door so much that one of them broke. It was a very, scary experience and something that I would not wish upon anyone.

What can you tell the public is the difference between the Victor Conte who founded and operated BALCO and the Victor Conte who is speaking us now as, sort of, a crusader against what you once stood for?

I'm now a part of the anti-doping movement. I'm trying to help those at WADA [The World Anti-Doping Agency,] and, USADA [The United States Anti-Doping Agency] to develop more effective anti-doping policies and procedures. And that's what I'm doing now, and I'm very outspoken about it.

The difference is that here is what people fail to realize, and that's that from 1984, which is when I founded BALCO, and until the year 2000 -- so, for 16 years -- I did things the right way. The only thing that I did was to do comprehensive blood and urine testing of athletes, and to develop individualized nutrition programs for them.

And I worked with many, many elite athletes. There was the entire Super Bowl-winning team of the Denver Broncos, that won back-to-back Super Bowls in 1997, and, '98. The entire Miami Dolphin team, the Seattle Super Sonics for two seasons, in '92-'93, and, '93-94, and many, many world class athletes for 16 years.

So, for those 16 years, I did everything the right way. But it got to a point, for me -- and this doesn't make it right, because it was certainly wrong, and it was certainly a mistake -- but I had gotten to a point where I thought differently.

I had gotten to a point when I realized that Olympic officials and those that control major league football and baseball were enabling, harboring, and, promoting this culture of drug use in sport. And I made the bad decision to join that culture. It was a huge mistake, and I wish now that I had never done it.

That point was in 2000, and, of course, I did that for the years 2000, 2001, 2002, and, 2003. So, for four years, I was about helping athletes to circumvent these testing policies. Once BALCO was raided, I realized how I had been reckless, and that I had put many others at risk.

Who are these 'Others' you are referring to?

That includes my family members. They didn't cheat. They didn't break the rules. Yet, they were punished severely too. And not only did the athletes who were involved with me -- who were a part of this conspiracy to cheat -- not only did they get harmed, but, also, their families and friends were also harmed.

Even after Marion Jones had sued me for $25 million, and I saw her once she was convicted, and had gotten a six month prison sentence, I saw her out on the court's front steps.

There were many, many journalists who called me and asked me if I had felt vindicated because I had been telling the truth, and she had obviously been lying. But I didn't feel any sense of vindication whatsoever.

What I saw, and what I continue to often see, many years later, Marion Jones' mother standing there on those front steps, and her family. I now realize that, 'You know what? Marion Jones made a mistake, but every one of those around her are in great pain, and experiencing tremendous suffering.'

And that's what I have not thought through before I made the mistake of joining that culture back in 2000. I would never, ever do that again, because I didn't understand at the time. I thought, 'You know, I'm a big boy, I understand there are risks attached to what I'm doing, and if this takes a bad turn, then I will accept the consequences.'

Even if it meant going to prison?

I went to a minimum security prison camp in Taft, Calif., which is West of Bakersfield, which is about 100 miles North of Los Angeles. I was there for four months. And, well, you what I didnt' understand was that there are other people who didn't break the law who would be harmed.

And you don't understand what damage can really be done until you're in prison, and your family comes to visit you, and you look into their eyes, and you see them crying. You see the pain and the suffering and you know that you're the one who caused it.

That's the worst punishment that I think that you can experience. And that's when I began to realize how reckless it was for me to do the things that I did. And if I would have known that, I would have never made that decision to take that road down the slippery slope.

Source: boxing.fanhouse.com

Khan on a mean streak! -- Manchester Evening News

By James Robson, Manchester Evening News

Amir Khan has vowed to do a better job on Paulie Malignaggi than even Ricky Hatton.

The WBA light-welterweight champion is convinced he will end the career of the brash New Yorker when he makes his US debut next month.

Khan takes on Malignaggi at Madison Square Garden on May 15.

He insists he will announce himself to American fight fans with a comprehensive victory over the last man to be beaten by Hatton.

He said: "Malignaggi can sell a fight. He talks a lot and I need someone like that to get me a name in America.

"A lot of people want to see him get beat. No one has done a proper job on him so I want to be the first person to do a proper job on him.

"He'll be hanging up his gloves after this fight."

Hatton stopped Malignaggi in the 11th round when the two met in 2008.

But with Khan hoping to see his profile soar Stateside, he intends to use his first fight in America as an opportunity to prove he can live up to the lofty praise heaped on him by master trainer, Freddie Roach.

Roach believes the Bolton star is destined to succeed Manny Pacquiao as the No1 pound-for-pound fighter on the planet.

"Ricky stopped him in the 11th, but I want to finish him off cleanly so there are no excuses," said Khan. "I want him to come out and say I beat him fair and square."

There is huge excitement about Khan's potential within boxing - particularly after the enormous strides he's made under Roach.

Bouncing back from his stunning first round knockout at the hands of Breidis Prescott in 2008, he has turned himself into a world-class fighter.

His own first-round demolition of Dmitriy Salita last December showed just how devastating a puncher he has become.

But he remains relatively unknown in America, which is why Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy promotions are so desperate to give him the perfect introduction to US audiences.

Malignaggi is seen as an ideal opponent, given his motormouth reputation. Khan has been desperate to take his talents overseas and hopes his date at the Garden will see him emulate Prince Naseem Hamed, who made his name in America with victory there over Kevin Kelley.

"Naseem went to New York when he fought for the first time in America and he became a big attraction," said Khan. "I hope I can go the same way as Naz.

"I hope the fans are excited to see me. I want it to be perfect."

Source: manchestereveningnews.co.uk

Pacman linked to ambush try on Sarangani mayor -- Manila Bulletin

By BEN O. TESIORNA, Manila Bulletin

ALABEL, SARANGANI – The Philippine National Police (PNP) is set to look into the possible involvement of boxing champ Manny Pacquiao in the attempted ambush on the mayor of the Glan town Sunday evening.

This, after rumors surfaced that one of the two vehicles seized by the authorities from the five arrested suspects are registered under the name of Pacquiao's wife, Jinky. Several campaign stickers of Pacquiao were also recovered from the vans.

But Pacquiao, standard bearer of People’s Champ Movement, said the attempt to link him to the assassination try on Glan town mayor Enrique Yap Jr. was politically-motivated aimed at tainting his candidacy which has been gaining on his rival businessman Roy Chiongbian.

The two Toyota vans with plate numbers RBR 709 and MDM 577 were seized by the authorities from the suspects who allegedly attempted to ambush Yap.

Also taken from the suspects were an Armalite rifle and a .45 caliber pistol.

“These unfounded charges against me came out as a result of the recent survey which showed my candidacy was faring well against my opponent,” Pacquiao said.

Glan Mayor Yap’s vehicle was reportedly blocked by three vehicles in Barangay Pangyan around 10:58 p.m. of April 25. Yap, however, overtook the suspects’ vehicles and immediately called for police assistance.

The police rushed to the area and accosted the suspects who are now incarcerated at the Glan Police precinct. The suspects were identified as Freddie Mendez, Ronald Elorde, Alfredo Macabacyao, Jimmy Mier, and Renante Bangkas.

Mayor Yap’s wife is running for mayor under the Lakas-Kampi-CMD. His wife’s rival for the position is Sarangani board member Tata Yap who happens to be the brother of the mayor and is running under the People’s Champ Party of Pacquiao who is seeking the congressional seat of the province.

Senior Supt. Restito Gatera, provincial police director, said they will first check with the Land Transportation Office to determine who owns the two vans used by the suspects. He said that from there they will determine if there is enough evidence to invite Pacquiao for questioning.

Local television reports here showed Pacquiao denying involvement on the attempted ambush on Mayor Yap. Pacquiao did not discount the possibility though that they own the vans but explained that it could be one of their many vans in their transportation business which is being managed by Jinky.

The van bearing plate number MDM-577 was reportedly traced to Jinky Pacquiao. Pacquiao said he will investigate the presence of the van in the scene.

At the moment, Gatera said, they will be filing violation of the Omnibus Election Code for possession of illegal firearms during election period against the suspects. He did not discount the possibility of filing charges as well against the owners of the vans used by the suspects if they are found to have participation as well on the ambush plot against Mayor Yap.

Meanwhile, authorities are not discounting the possibility that the attempted ambush on Mayor Yap could also be related with the bomb explosion that narrowly hit the convoy of Sarangani Gov. Migs Dominguez Monday noon.

It was learned that Dominguez’s convoy came from Glan to check on his party mate Mayor Yap and was returning to General Santos City when the bomb placed inside a motorcycle exploded at the Lun Masla Bridge in Malapatan town just as the convoy was passing.

Governor Dominguez was said to have been shaken by the explosion but was unhurt.

The bomb was composed of a 105mm howitzer projectile with a blasting cap, an electronic box and a short-range handheld radio that served as the triggering device.

Based on the initial visual analysis by the explosive ordnance division team “there could have been a low order detonation that is why the projectile did not explode.”

Authorities said it was only the blasting cap that exploded and the 105mm projectile was simply ejected by the blast thus causing much less damage. Had the main projectile exploded, experts said, the vehicles of Dominguez’s convoy could have been severely damaged. (With a report from Joseph Jubelag)

Source: mb.com.ph

Hands-on approach helps Mayweather -- Las Vegas Review-Journal

By STEVE CARP, LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

Floyd Mayweather Jr. despises Bob Arum.

But the Top Rank chairman had a hand in prolonging the six-time world champion's boxing career.

It was Arum who 10 years ago, when Mayweather was with Top Rank, united the undefeated welterweight and veteran cornerman Rafael Garcia, whose constant maintenance has helped restore Mayweather's once-brittle hands.

"He's the best," said Mayweather, who fights Shane Mosley on Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden. "He has a lot of experience.

"But it's not just the hands. It's the face. It's the body. He has such an extensive knowledge of boxing. I trust Rafael completely. No one else touches my hands but Raf."

Garcia, 81, said the problem with Mayweather's hands was simple to correct.

"His hands were wrapped too tight," he said. "The blood wasn't circulating through his hands, so he had pain. I merely loosened the wraps a little and he was fine."

Actually, Garcia did much more. He massaged Mayweather's hands before wrapping them, making sure the blood was flowing into the ligaments and tendons. He used an oil -- a secret formula from his native Mexico, Garcia claims -- to soften and relax them.

Garcia's techniques helped the 33-year-old Mayweather regain confidence in his hands.

The turning point, Garcia said, was Mayweather's 2001 fight against Diego Corrales.

"He hit Corrales on the head several times, big punches," Garcia said. "Afterward, no pain. Floyd hasn't had any problems since."

The Mosley camp claims that Mayweather's handlers have used lidocaine to aid his hands -- boxers may legally use the painkiller in Nevada but only under a doctor's supervision.

Mayweather and his camp denied using the substance.

"I don't know what the (expletive) lidocaine is," Mayweather said.

"I can tell you, without hesitation, we have never shot Floyd's hands up with anything," Mayweather's manager, Leonard Ellerbe, said. "He has never used lidocaine -- or anything else for that matter."

Mayweather said Garcia is all the help his hands need.

Garcia will take about 10 minutes to prepare Mayweather's hands on a typical day, the cornerman said. On fight night, Garcia said, he'll take as long as 20 minutes to wrap his fighter's hands.

"Everything has to be perfect," he said. "I want Floyd to feel confident with his hands, so I take extra time to make sure."

Garcia, who has worked with legendary fighters such as Roberto Duran and Alexis Arguello in his 50-plus years as a cornerman, said his hand- wrapping style incorporates parts of other trainers' routines that he has cherry-picked over the decades.

"The main thing is to protect the fighter's hands," Garcia said. "Not so that they can punch harder."

In addition to Mayweather, Garcia works with light heavyweight champion Chad Dawson and featherweight champ Yuriorkis Gamboa. But Mayweather remains his priority.

"Floyd knows I'm always there for him," he said. "When he decides to quit boxing for good, maybe I'll quit too."

■ NOTES -- Both Mayweather and Mosley will have their official public "arrivals" today in the MGM Grand lobby, with Mosley making his entrance at 2 p.m. and Mayweather at 2:30. ... Friday's weigh-in at the Grand Garden arena is open to the public with both fighters expected on the scales at 2:30 p.m.

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913.

Source: lvrj.com

Emanuel Steward expects Floyd Mayweather fight to be tight -- Detroit Free Press

FREE PRESS STAFF

Kronk Gym icon Emanuel Steward will be at ringside Saturday at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas as part of the HBO boxing team calling the Floyd (Pretty Boy) Mayweather Jr. (40-0, 25 KOs) versus Sugar Shane Mosley (46-5, 39 KOs) welterweight clash. The fight can be seen on HBO pay-per-view beginning at 9 p.m.

Steward knows Mayweather, the six-time world champion from Grand Rapids, and his family well, having hosted him at his training camp in California. Though Mayweather, 33, is expected to have too much speed and stamina for the WBA super welterweight king Mosley, 38, Steward believes the fight will go down to the wire. He spoke to Free Press boxing writer Mike Brudenell on Monday from Florida on the year's most talked about fight to date.

Q: Where does this fight rank in recent times?

A: This shapes up as a great bout -- better than Manny Pacquiao and Oscar De La Hoya or Mayweather and De La Hoya, or Mayweather and Juan Manuel Marquez. Mosley will test Mayweather, get him out of his comfort zone. At 38, Mosley is still an exceptional human being. There's something special about him. He'll bring out the best in Mayweather.

Q: What are the keys to Mosley winning the fight?

A: Shane now has a trainer in Naazim Richardson who can instill the energy and spiritual force in him to raise his performance. Mosley also has an unbelievable desire to win this fight. He can't fast-talk Floyd, but he has a burning desire to whip Mayweather's behind.

Q: How does Mayweather win?

A: Floyd will pick his spots -- keep the fight outside. He'll counterpunch and fight a technical bout. He has superior speed and movement.

Q: Is this fight the biggest test of Mayweather's career?

A: Yes. The intensity of this fight will be more than Floyd has ever faced. This is definitely his biggest test. Mosley is just big enough to attack him.

Q: Mosley's wife, Jin, filed for divorce in 2009. He has a new trainer. How is Mosley's mental state right now?

A: I think there are a lot of burdens off of him. I think he is on a high. I think Mosley is very focused on this fight.

Q: What about you?

A: You bet I'm excited. I had a lunch meeting a few weeks ago with the HBO boxing crew -- Jim Lampley, Larry Merchant and Harold Lederman. They thought Mosley an 8-1 shot. I said, I think you guys are crazy -- this isn't any runaway fight.

Q: Who wins?

A: It's hard to call. I believe it's a dead-even fight. ... The officiating will be the key: Mayweather, possibly, by decision.

Source: freep.com