It's Floyd's way or no way -- ESPN

By Kieran Mulvaney, ESPN.com

Some things that could be stated without hesitation about Floyd Mayweather, even before he allowed Bob Arum's deadline to pass at 3 a.m. ET Saturday, placing the possibility of a fight with Manny Pacquiao once more in serious doubt:

• He is a phenomenal boxer, a generational talent who displays artistry in the ring that almost demands admiration.

• However high someone else's opinion might be of his ability and his place in the historical firmament, it is unlikely to be quite as high as his own.

• He is, most assuredly, his own man.

If it is the first point that has gathered him legions of fans, and the second that has helped generate an approximately equal army of detractors, it is the third point that is almost certainly most relevant as we look anew on what appear to be, for the second time in eight months, the charred embers of what had promised to be the richest fight in boxing history.

Mayweather has earned millions upon millions of dollars, not solely through pugilistic brilliance, but by applying a single-minded focus to his career, in the ring and out of it. He speaks of the fact that he is his own boss almost as frequently as he mentions his undefeated record. To Mayweather, it is a matter of immense pride and satisfaction that he marches to the beat of his own drum, that he takes orders from no one.

Floyd Mayweather, in other words, doesn't do deadlines. Not other people's deadlines, at least.

There was always the slight suspicion, when Top Rank declared some months back that Pacquiao would be fighting on Nov. 13, be it against Mayweather or some other foe, that the Pretty Boy's nose would slip a little out of joint. Once Arum began speaking publicly of deadlines, then the likelihood of Mayweather meeting a cut-off date that was presumably not of his choosing, seemed increasingly improbable.

Arum has handled this skillfully. He is, of course, within his rights to insist upon a deadline -- Pacquiao has an especially convoluted schedule, a major fight needs time to be developed and promoted, and the immediate futures of a good many other boxers in the welterweight and junior middleweight divisions are contingent on the Pacquiao-Mayweather situation reaching resolution.

Once he was convinced that Mayweather would not sign on time, Arum got out in front of the story, placing a countdown clock on the Top Rank website and hosting a conference call in the middle of the night to make it perfectly clear that it was Mayweather's side, not his, that was responsible for the fight falling through.

At the same time, Arum remained careful to leave the door open, either for a last-minute reversal of fortunes or for a third round of negotiations for 2011, treading carefully so as not to impugn Mayweather's reputation or question his motives.

If the fight is indeed about to fall by the wayside again, Mayweather will almost certainly take the great majority of the criticism for it, and -- if he has indeed been negotiating, and agreeing to, the finer points of the agreement, only to then step inside his cone of silence -- deservedly so.

The irony is that some of that criticism may be stunted by Arum's expressions of understanding, however heartfelt they may or may not be. While the proximate cause of negotiations collapsing last year was Mayweather's insistence on random drug-testing and Pacquiao's opposition to it, that was just the match that lit the fuel of the mutual loathing between the promoter and his erstwhile charge. The resultant explosion scattered shrapnel in the form of recriminations, accusations and even a lawsuit.

So far at least, that hasn't happened this time, cold-hearted business calculus replacing hot-headed animus. Who knows if any of the proposed reasons for Mayweather balking -- Uncle Roger's legal issues [Roger serves as Floyd Jr.'s trainer], the lack of desire for a second fight in 2010 following the massive windfall of the destruction of Shane Mosley in May, a deep-rooted fear that maybe he is not quite the fighter he used to be -- are the correct ones? Perhaps, contrary to the prevailing wisdom, Mayweather at heart simply wasn't entirely happy with the contract's provisions. Or maybe he just didn't want to be told what to sign and when to sign it. Until he decides to explain his side of the story, it is all just speculation. And right now, he isn't talking.

It's possible that Mayweather will emerge from seclusion next week and the fight will be back on. Or perhaps he'll keep his head down, or announce he doesn't want to fight again before next year. And then, at some point, the drum beats will start again and we'll build, for a third time, to the possibility of a showdown between the planet's two best fighters.

By the time it finally happens -- if indeed it ever does -- it is an open question whether fans' enthusiasm and excitement will be tempered by a skeptical weariness.

One thing seems certain: Whatever Floyd Mayweather ultimately does or does not agree to, it will be on his terms.

Source: espn.go.com

ESPN blasts Floyd Mayweather a Shameful Coward -- Boxing Historian

By Cristian Palmer, Boxing Historian

The comments came as news filtered through that Mayweather had refused to sign a contract to fight Manny Pacquiao, emotions where running high after the deadline imposed by Top Rank Promoter Bob Aram passed yesterday on the stroke of twelve.

The fight is off said Bob Arum, “We laid our cards on the table, Pacquiao agreed to all of Mayweather ridiculous demands in a clear attempt to make the fight a reality, yet Mayweather still refused to sign.

“From my vantage point Pacquiao wants this fight and is doing everything to make it happen, Mayweather is making the fight impossible with ridicules demand after ridicules demand. It’s clear he does not want to fight, I cannot speculate on why that is, only he knows. But I have been in this business long enough to know when someone does not want to fight”.

Arum said he would now look at a possible match up against Mexican Antonio Margarito. “We will need to obtain a licence to fight in the states, however, it’s not something I am overly concerned about as I have already spoken with Manny and he has no issues at all fighting in Mexico. The Mexican people have a great admiration and respect for Manny, they know he comes to fight and has been involved in many battles with great Mexican fighters over his career".

Its clear Margarito would be the first choice of opponent but Arum went on to talk about a possible rematch with Miguel Cotto. Pacquiao dominated Cotto when the two met last November, but Cotto has since went on to secure the WBA light middleweight title, making this bout a little more interesting considering Pacquiao would be challenging for a title in a historic eighth weight category.

Arum went on to explain the door would be left ajar for Mayweather should he change his mind, no time scale was given but Arum said if Pacquiao did sign to fight Margarito or Cotto they would be made aware of the fact Mayweather has the option to step in. So in a sense the circus continues.

Angry ESPN commentators blasted Mayweather calling him a shameful coward and the only reason they can find is that he is attempting to protect his undefeated record; all too aware Pacquiao represents a legitimate threat.

“Do you think that Michael Spinks was not afraid to get into the ring with Mike Tyson, he probably was, but he took the shot and got in there” said the ESPN host. The host went on to say five of Mayweathers last six fights he has one via decision, he is losing something and he knows it.

Source: theboxinghistorian.com

Top Rank conference call: Bob Arum eyes Cotto and Margarito with hopes of Floyd Mayweather in 2011 -- Examiner

By Chris Robinson, Examiner.com

You got a sense that Bob Arum wasn’t playing around when he announced that Floyd Mayweather had until this Friday to decide whether or not to move forward with a November 13th clash with Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas. The negotiating process, the second for these two talented fighters, was again long and drawn out but finally it seemed that both sides had come to an agreement on all matters pertaining to a possible clash.

Pacquiao was said to have given his go ahead but Mayweather wasn’t heard from at all and speculation ensued. Arum later issued Floyd his deadline and everyone waited on pins and needles. As the week progressed Arum later noted that if he didn’t hear from Mayweather that he would be holding a conference call at Midnight Pacific Time to address the future of Pacquiao, his prized pugilist under his Top Rank promotional outfit. Midnight came and went and Arum wasted little time taking matters into his own hand.

Minutes ago Arum hosted a conference call and let it be known that next week he will be talking to representatives of Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito in hopes of landing a meaningful fight with Pacquiao. Margarito is a former two-time Welterweight champion while Cotto is the reigning WBA Jr. Middleweight champion who lost to Pacquiao in November of last year via 12th round TKO.

Trying to sound as optimistic as possible, Arum let it be known that he still hopes he will be able to have a Pacquiao-Mayweather clash in 2011, likely in May. Arum also noted that by no means is Mayweather out of the running for the November date, but that his ‘exclusivity’ period has ended, leaving the door open for other fighters to fill his shoes. If Mayweather does break his silence the fight could still be made this winter.

Elaborating further, Arum noted that two months ago, following Mayweather’s impressive drubbing of Shane Mosley, that HBO president Ross Greenburg had asked him if he and Pacquiao were interested in a Mayweather clash. Arum assured him that they were and the negotiation process began.

Arum laid out terms that would be acceptable from Pacquiao’s side while also informing Greenburg about the concession Pacquiao had towards the drug testing process. Al Haymon represented Mayweather and despite not communicating with Arum himself, Haymon interacted with Greenburg in relaying the information to the Pacquiao side. Arum stated that Haymon came to him with an acceptable offer and that a ‘resolution seemed close’.

As the conference call rolled on Arum noted that Mayweather likely had a good reason for not committing to a fight with Manny Pacquiao, one of which very well may be his Uncle and trainer Roger’s upcoming trial in August for allegations of assault. Arum took no cheap shots or verbal quips at Mayweather and instead insisted that this was the move that had to be made because time was simply running out.

So where does this leave us? Pretty much where we thought we were all along, with Mayweather seeming to be in the shadows and Cotto and Margarito now entering the forefront. These aren’t the developments that anyone truly could have hoped for but it is what we have been dealt with.

Let’s wait and see how things play out from here. For now you can expect a lot of disgust in the wake of yet another fallout between Pacquiao and Mayweather with much blame heading Floyd’s way. Who knows what is going on behind closed doors but you get the feeling that there has to be something behind all of this.

Source: examiner.com

Mayweather-Pacquiao fight off for now -- Examiner

By Edward Castro, Examiner.com

It’s a shame Bob Arum’s ‘Countdown’ didn’t pack the same kind of wallop as Lebron James’ ‘Decision.’

While James’ announcement changed the landscape of professional basketball, the result of Friday’s ‘Countdown’ did little to improve the way sports fans look at boxing.

The ‘Countdown’ media event, held at midnight on Friday, focused around the contract negotiations between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao and a proposed bout between the two superstars.

But, as revealed by Arum, negotiations between the two camps failed to produce an agreement. Pacquiao is now considering other opponents for his bout in November.

“Next week we will be talking to the (Miguel) Cotto camp and the (Antonio) Margarito camp regarding a fight with Manny Pacquiao,” Arum said. “People have asked me, or people here at Top Rank, if the Mayweather fight is dead. Even though Mayweather has not responded, my answer is simple: It’s dead when we conclude a deal with an opponent for Manny’s fight in November.”

Arum added, “Then we are bound to that fight. We would then look for a Mayweather fight next year.”

Arum also made it clear that Desert fighter Timothy Bradley has yet to build a big enough following to be considered as a viable opponent for Pacquiao.

“Timothy Bradley is a tremendous fighter and a great young man,” Arum said of Bradley, who fights Carlos Abregu today at the Agua Caliente Casino near Palm Springs. “But the problem with a guy like Bradley is that, even though we know he is a super fighter, the public really doesn’t know him.”

Arum did let one strange bit news slip. During negotiations for the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight, he never spoke with anyone from Golden Boy Promotions (Mayweather’s promoter) or with Mayweather directly.

Negotiations were held between Arum and HBO president of sports Ross Greenburg, who communicated with Mayweather manager Al Haymon.

“Ross was committed to making the fight happen,” Arum said. “As head of HBO sports, I felt the best chance to make the fight happen was to do it all through Ross – like he was the mediator. I still believe it was the right way to go.”

Arum added, “It obviously didn’t work out, not because Ross didn’t do a good job. I think he did. Obviously, the problem was Floyd, for whatever reason, and I am sure he has a valid reason, didn’t want to commit.”

Arum seemed to give Mayweather a pass despite not coming to terms for a fight. He mentioned the legal woes of Roger Mayweather, Floyd’s trainer and uncle, as a reason why the undefeated champion has not put his stamp of approval on the fight.

“I don’t think anyone should be too harsh with Floyd,” Arum said. “The real issue with the Uncle has an effect. I, putting myself in his shoes, would feel a lot of reluctance to take such a big fight without my trainer.”

Source: examiner.com

No deal for Pacquiao-Mayweather bout -- ESPN

By Dan Rafael, ESPN.com

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum's deadline of 3 a.m. ET came and went Saturday morning with no response from Floyd Mayweather Jr. or his representatives about whether he would accept the terms of a deal for a Nov. 13 fight with Manny Pacquiao.

So there is no deal, Arum said, and he will begin negotiating another fight for the pound-for-pound king.

The two candidates are other fighters Arum promotes, disgraced former welterweight titlist Antonio Margarito, who remains unlicensed in the United States because of the scandal over his hand wraps before his knockout loss to Shane Mosley last year, or a rematch with Miguel Cotto, whom Pacquiao knocked out to win a welterweight title in November 2009.

Those fights would take place at junior middleweight and give Pacquiao a chance to win a title in a record-extending eighth weight class.

He would either fight Cotto for the 154-pound belt he won from Yuri Foreman on June 5 or face Margarito for the belt vacated by Sergio Martinez after he moved up and won the middleweight championship in April.

But Arum did give Mayweather some wiggle room to still accept the deal. He said the deadline he imposed was only as it related to negotiating exclusively with the Mayweather camp.

"People have asked me does [the deadline] mean the Mayweather fight is dead," Arum said on a media conference call that began moments after the countdown clock on Top Rank's website struck zero. "Even though Mayweather hasn't responded by the deadline my answer is a simple one -- it's dead when we conclude a deal with an opponent for Manny to fight. ... And then we would look to do a fight with Floyd next year. In the interim, while this is going on, if Floyd suddenly emerged we would not be opposed to doing the fight. While these negotiations are going on [with Cotto and Margarito], if Floyd came to the table, that's the fight we want more than all others."

Not only did Arum leave the door open to Mayweather to still accept the fight in the next 10 days or so -- the length of time Arum figured it would take him to make a deal with Cotto or Margarito -- but he was also conciliatory toward a fighter he has had raging public feuds with since their promotional agreement ended on a sour note several years ago.

Rather than bash Mayweather for his silence and lack of response to the deadline and for not accepting the fight, Arum was soothing toward his nemesis.

"I am sure that there is a very, very good reason that Floyd Mayweather has for not committing to a fight at this time," Arum said. "I really, truly believe that. Now I am speculating, but one of the reasons could be the uncertainly regarding [uncle and trainer] Roger Mayweather. Roger Mayweather is scheduled before a court in Nevada regarding criminal charges. I know how Manny would feel if he had to go into a fight like this without the services of Freddie Roach."

Roger Mayweather is scheduled to go on trial early next month on a year-old battery charge that alleges he beat a female boxer he once trained. Mayweather has already served time for a previous assault charge -- during which time he missed one of his nephew's fights -- and faces a maximum 10-year sentence.

Arum said for weeks before the deadline that Mayweather's camp had a contract for the fight and that Pacquiao has accepted the terms, including provisions for drug testing (blood and urine) leading to the bout. An inability to come to terms on the drug-testing issue caused the fight to fall apart in early January and sent both fighters into other bouts.

Pacquiao easily outpointed Joshua Clottey at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on March 13 and Mayweather dominated Shane Mosley in a May 1 fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

"I think that issue [drug testing] was resolved," Arum said. "I believe it was resolved and I don't want to go into the details."

Another factor that Arum didn't address was the status of the defamation suit Pacquiao filed against Mayweather, members of his team and Golden Boy's Richard Schaefer and Oscar De La Hoya, over comments that linked Pacquiao to performance-enhancing drugs, which he denies ever using.

Arum said he never spoke directly to the Mayweather camp during negotiations, but said he believed he and Mayweather adviser Al Haymon settled on an agreement during the talks that went entirely through Ross Greenburg, the president of HBO Sports, which would have produced and distributed the fight on pay-per-view.

Arum took the deal to Pacquiao and got his OK. Haymon, he said, was supposed to take the deal to Mayweather for his OK. On June 30, Arum said he believed there were no remaining issues.

"That's based on my conversations with Ross Greenburg," Arum said. "I have never talked to anybody on the Mayweather side. Ross represented to me certain things that he had discussed with Al Haymon on behalf of Floyd Mayweather."

Haymon does not speak to the media and Leonard Ellerbe, another Mayweather adviser, has not returned messages and e-mails from ESPN.com.

Although Arum wouldn't go into the details in the proposed deal, he did talk about the way the secretive talks unfolded.

"About two months ago, a few days after the Mayweather-Mosley fight, I got a call from Ross Greenburg, who asked me frankly whether myself and Manny Pacquiao wanted to do the fight against Floyd Mayweather," Arum said. "I assured him that, yes, I had talked to Manny and that was the case, and from there I had a couple of conversations with Ross and I laid out all the terms that would be acceptable to our side.

"And I also informed him about the concessions that Manny had made regarding drug testing. He got back to me in a couple of weeks and told me he had discussed it with Al Haymon, and everything looked good and we were nearing a resolution.

"They kept assuring Greenburg, at least based on what Greenburg told me, that Haymon told him he was working on it [and] expecting [a commitment from Mayweather] shortly and it never materialized. I don't blame Haymon. I think Haymon really tried, at least based on what I hear from Greenburg."

Arum said that Schaefer, the Golden Boy CEO who has promoted Mayweather's last several fights and was heavily involved in the first negotiations for the Pacquiao fight, wasn't directly involved this time.

"Nowhere was the name Richard Schaefer or Golden Boy mentioned, although I read, as you all did, De La Hoya's statement [to a Spanish-language network] that a deal was close. So I assumed from that that Haymon was keeping Schaefer and Golden Boy abreast of the situation.

"Ross has for the last month been telling me Haymon was working very, very hard to get the agreement done with Floyd. A couple of weeks ago I told [Greenburg] I wanted to do this fight very badly and so did Manny, but that at a particular point in time we'd have to move on."

Asked why he only negotiated the bout with Greenburg acting as a go-between rather than directly with Haymon, with whom he has had a rancorous relationship in recent years, Arum said: "Ross was committed to make the fight happen and as the head of HBO Sports I felt the best chance to make the fight happen was to do everything through Ross, almost like he was the mediator. And I still believe it was the right way to go. It obviously didn't work out [but] not because Ross didn't do a good job. But obviously Floyd, for whatever reason, and I'm sure he had some valid reason, didn't want to commit."

So now it's on to talking with the representatives for Margarito and Cotto, which Arum said needs to be done quickly so Pacquiao, a recently elected congressman in the Philippines, can work out his tricky schedule.

"First I have to get Manny's views," Arum said. "I have to discuss with Manny who he prefers [Cotto or Margarito] and then get everything put together. Whoever he selects is who we will go after."

Arum said if Pacquiao fights Cotto it would take place either at the MGM Grand or Cowboys Stadium. If it's Margarito, he said the fight would take place at a new arena in Monterrey, Mexico, or at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, if Margarito can secure a provisional license in Nevada. The Nevada State Athletic Commission tabled his application earlier this month, but it is still possible he could secure a license for the fight.

Neither of those fights is nearly as big as a bout with Mayweather, which many believe would break all revenue records in boxing history.

"It would be a shame if it didn't happen," Arum said. "I don't think any of you [media] guys should be too harsh on Floyd. I would have liked for him to communicate but I really believe this issue with his uncle has an effect.

"Right now, I understand Floyd's position regarding Roger. We know the seriousness regarding Roger and I can understand him delaying plans for a future fight until there's a resolution. Boxing fans are going to be disappointed but they have to realize and cut Floyd Mayweather some slack. People should be understanding. Floyd Mayweather is not saying he will never fight Manny Pacquiao and Manny Pacquiao is not saying he's not going to fight.

"There's always next year."

Dan Rafael is the boxing writer for ESPN.com.

Source: sports.espn.go.com

Arum will begin talks for Pacquiao vs. Margarito, Cotto -- The Ring

By Michael Rosenthal, The Ring

Bob Arum left the door open a crack for a Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight on Nov. 13 but it seems very unlikely that Mayweather will walk through.

Arum, Pacquiao’s promoter, announced on a midnight conference call that he will now begin talks with another potential opponent –- Antonio Margarito or Miguel Cotto -– because Mayweather missed what he called an “exclusivity deadline.”

Mayweather still has time to accept the fight against Pacquiao but the door would be closed the minute Arum reaches a deal with another opponent. Arum said he wants to have an agreement for a Nov. 13 fight in place within 10 days.

Arum didn’t lash out at Mayweather or anyone in his camp, as he did when negotiations for a fight in March fell apart. He speculated that Mayweather has thus far refused to accept the fight because his uncle and longtime trainer, Roger Mayweather, is due in court on assault charges on Aug. 2. Thus, the younger Mayweather would face the prospect of preparing for the biggest fight of his life without his trainer if his uncle is convicted and spends time in jail.

Arum, who negotiated with Mayweather through HBO Sports President Ross Greenburg, doesn’t understand why Mayweather hasn’t been heard from in several weeks but doesn’t place blame on him.

“Obviously people want the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight,” Arum said. “I think the fans are going to be disappointed. They have to realize .. they have to cut Floyd Mayweather some slack. We know his uncle is facing some difficulties in the courts in Nevada. And I can see his reluctance to commit to a big fight with Pacquiao without the services of his uncle.

“If boxing fans begrudge him that, that’s really sad. I really believe people should be understanding.”

Arum said last month that he believed, based on his conversations with Greenburg, that the sides had resolved the sticky issues that stood in the way of the biggest-possible fight in the sport. That included blood testing, the disagreement that scuttled negotiations for the proposed fight in March.

The promoter was asked on the conference call whether he was given any hint as to why Mayweather has thus far failed to commit.

“The answer is no,” he said. “They kept assuring Greenburg, based on what he told me, that Al Haymon [Mayweather’s advisor] told him he was working on it. … It just never materialized. I don’t blame Haymon. I think he really tried based on what I got from Greenburg.”

Arum said he set the deadline four months before the fight because he needs time to prepare the promotion and to cope with the unusual complications presented by Pacquiao’s congressional duties in the Philippines.

“The deadline was the end of the exclusivity period,” said Arum, who had promised Greenburg that he would not negotiate with anyone except Mayweather until the deadline passed. “Now I have to go out and secure an opponent for Manny Pacquiao, assuming he won’t fight Floyd. Then we have to mount a campaign, to get in touch with the [satellite TV companies] and get everything in order. Time is going by. Also, we have to start scheduling press conferences.

“… I’m dealing with a very unusual situation,” Arum added later in the call. “I’m representing a fighter who is also a congressman. He has legislative duties; he has commitments in the Philippines. We have really short windows to do various aspects of the promotion.”

Arum said he would talk to Pacquiao shortly to determine which of the two primary alternatives to Mayweather he prefers. All three fighters are promoted by Arum.

Margarito is presumed to be the first choice at least in part because Pacquiao has already knocked out Cotto. However, Margarito has issues related to the revocation of his license in California after he was caught with illegal knuckle pads before his fight against Shane Mosley last year.

The Mexican fighter applied for a license in Nevada, apparently with the Pacquiao fight in mind, but the commissioners there tabled his request and told him to apply for reinstatement in California first. However, it looks as if California cannot hear Margarito’s case for several months.

Thus, Arum said that he will ask Nevada to grant Margarito a one-time conditional license for the Pacquiao fight if the Filipino wants to fight Margarito. If Margarito is turned down, Arum said, the fight would be held in Monterrey, Mexico, which apparently has erected a new arena.

The Cotto fight would take place either in Las Vegas or Cowboys Stadium, the site of Pacquiao’s victory over Joshua Clottey in March.

The appeal of a rematch with Cotto, a junior middleweight titleholder, is the opportunity for Pacquiao to win a belt in a record eighth weight division.

“And Miguel will have in his corner Emanuel Steward, one of the great cornermen of our time,” Arum said. “That certainly would give Cotto more ammunition than he had going into the fight the last time.”

Meanwhile, those who want to see Pacquaio-Mayweather will hope that it still somehow happens. Arum is among them.

"[Pacquiao-Mayweather] is dead when we conclude a deal with an opponent for Manny’s fight in November," he said. "Then we’re contractually bound to do that fight. And we would look hopefully do a fight with Floyd next year. In the interim ... if Floyd suddenly emerged and said yes, he wants to do fight, there would be nothing opposed to getting together and doing a fight."

Floyd?

Source: ringtv.com

Mayweather Jr. counted out? -- Las Vegas Review-Journal

By STEVE CARP, LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

While time may have technically run out Friday for Floyd Mayweather Jr., to fight Manny Pacquiao in November, the reality is Mayweather may have received an extension — if he wants it.

Bob Arum, the Top Rank chairman who promotes Pacquiao, said if Mayweather decides he wants to fight before a deal gets made for Pacquiao to meet Antonio Margarito or give Miguel Cotto a rematch, a Mayweather-Pacquiao fight would become a reality for Nov. 13.

“We hope to have a deal in the next 10 days,” Arum said in a late-night teleconference Friday. “Does that mean the Mayweather fight is dead? It’s dead when we conclude a deal for Manny’s fight in November. But in the interim, if Floyd said yes, he wants to do the fight, then we’ll do the fight.”

Arum said there was a Friday deadline because there was an exclusivity clause for Pacquiao to negotiate a deal with Mayweather for a Nov. 13 fight.

"We haven’t talked to anyone other than Mayweather,” said Arum, who had been talking to Ross Greenburg, president of HBO Sports, as a go-between for Team Mayweather. Arum said he has not spoken directly to anyone in the Mayweather camp throughout the entire negotiating period.

According to Arum, Greenburg has been dealing with Al Haymon, Mayweather’s co-manager.

“I talked to Ross two weeks ago and told him that Manny wanted this fight badly. At the same time, we had to move on at some point.”

That time has come. Arum said he will move expeditiously to get a deal done with Margarito or Cotto.

“We’re going to proceed with all deliberate speed,” Arum said of negotiations.

A Nov. 13 Pacquiao-Margarito fight would take place either in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Garden or in Monterrey, Mexico. However, for a Pacquiao-Margarito fight to take place in Las Vegas, Margarito will have to first be licensed in Nevada.

Margarito appeared before the Nevada Athletic Commission July 9 to request a license. However, the commission voted 4-1 to table his request. Instead, the NAC directed Margarito to return to California, where his license was initially revoked and he was suspended for one year after illegal hard inserts were found inside his hand wraps prior to his entering the ring against Shane Mosley Jan. 24, 2009.
Mosley won that fight, stopping Margarito in the ninth round.

Margarito last fought on May 8 in Mexico. A Pacquiao-Margarito fight would do extremely well there given Pacquiao’s world class status and Margarito being of Mexican heritage and a former world champion himself.

A Pacquiao-Cotto rematch would probably only happen if Margarito is unable to get licensed. Arum said that fight would take place in Las Vegas or in Dallas at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium. Pacquiao destroyed Cotto when the two met last Nov. 14 at the Grand Garden.

Cotto has since bounced back, beating Yuri Foreman on June 5 at Yankee Stadium and winning Foreman’s WBA light middleweight title.

“I haven’t talked to Margarito or Cotto yet,” Arum said, when asked how much either fighter would make to get in the ring with Pacquiao.

Arum also said he didn’t know what kind of money pacquiao would command against either Margarito or Cotto. Rest assured, however, it would be far less than what he would earn against Mayweather. There have been estimates that Pacquiao and Mayweather could make around $50 million each were they to meet.

Arum said he hopes Pacquiao and Mayweather will meet in the ring at some point.

“Obviously, this is the fight fans want to see,” he said. “It’s a fight that Manny wants.

“Will it happen? Who knows?”

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

Source: lvrj.com

Promoter: Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao Not 'Dead' -- FanHouse

By Lem Satterfield, FanHouse

Top Rank Promotions CEO Bob Arum said that he believed the issue of random drug-testing, specifically, the 14-day cutofff agreed to by Manny Pacquiao, to have been "resolved," adding that all negotiations for a potential bout with Floyd Mayweather were handled "strictly through" HBO's president of Sports, Ross Greenburg, as a mediator to Arum and Mayweather's manager and adviser, Al Haymon.

Those two items were among the subjects Arum discussed with the international media during a midnight, Pacific time, conference call on Friday -- 3 a.m. East Coast Time on Saturday.

The time frame and the date -- July 16 -- were established as the deadline for the unbeaten Mayweather to sign a deal to make a November 13 mega bout between he and Pacquiao, who are regarded as boxing's pound-for-pound best.

That deadline has come and gone with no signature -- and not even a word, publicly -- from Mayweather.

"The deadline is the end of the exclusivity period, because, we now have to go out and secure an opponent for Manny Pacquiao, assuming that it won't be Floyd. We have to go out and mount a campaign. We have to deal with the television networks, and get everything in order," said Arum.

"Time is going by and we have to start scheduling press conferences," said Arum. "Because in Manny Pacquiao, I'm not dealing with the normal kind of fighter. He's over in the Philippines, first of all, and, second of all, he has his duties -- which he takes very seriously -- as a congressman in the Philippines."

Arum had said that if the 33-year-old Mayweather (41-0, 25 knockouts) had not signed by midnight on July 16, then the 31-year-old Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 KOs), holder of the WBO's welterweight (147 pounds) title, would seek a deal to go after his eighth crown in as many different weight classes against either WBA junior middleweight (154 pounds) champion, Miguel Cotto, or ex-titlist, Antonio Margarito.

Margarito and Pacquia would meet for the WBC junior middlweight crown vacated by Sergio Martinez, said Arum.

Arum said that he will now begin negotiating with Cotto and Margarito, adding that he hopes to have a deal wrapped up within the next 10 days.

Still, Arum would consider ending negotiations with Cotto and Margarito -- providing that a deal had not been reached in principle with either -- if Mayweather "came to the table" and decided to face Pacquiao based on the already agreed upon terms.

"People have asked me if this means that the negotiations for a Floyd Mayweather fight are dead. And even though Mayweather hasn't responded by the deadline, my answer is a simple one. It's dead when we conclude a deal with an opponent for Manny's fight in November," said Arum, who would then try to make a Mayweather-Pacquiao fight for perhaps May of 2011.

"And then, we're contractually bound to do that fight, and we would look hopefully to do a fight with Floyd next year," said Arum. "But if, in the interim, while this was going on, Floyd suddenly emerged and said 'Yes,' he wanted to do the fight, then there would be nothing opposed to getting together and doing the fight."

During the call, Arum indicated that all negotiations were handled through Greenburg, who then forwarded all information -- including contracts signed by Pacquiao -- to Haymon.

Arum said that he never actually spoke to Haymon, nor, members of Golden Boy Promotions, whose president, Oscar De La Hoya, and, CEO, Richard Schaefer, had been promoting Mayweather's fights.

"About two months ago, a few days after the Mayweather-Shane Mosley fight, I got a call from Ross Greenburg, the president of HBO sports, who asked me frankly whether myself or Manny Pacquiao wanted to do the fight against Floyd Mayweather. I assured him that yes, I had talked to Manny, and that was the case," said Arum.

"And, from there, I had a couple of conversations with Ross, and I laid out all of the terms that would be acceptable to our side and I also informed him about the concession that Manny had made about the drug-testing," said Arum. "He got back to me in a couple of weeks, and told me that he had had discussions with Al Haymon, representing Floyd Mayweather, and that everything looked good, and we were nearing a resolution."

Arum said that he assumed Haymon had been informing Schaefer and De La Hoya of the process from public statements De La Hoya made that the deal was "close" to being completed.

It was through Greenburg that Arum was being informed that the negotiations were "going well" with Haymon, and that the potential for Mayweather-Pacquiao was real. At no time has Arum spoken to Mayweather or his other adviser, Leonard Ellerbe.

"Ross, for the past two months, has said that Haymon had been working very, very hard to the agreement of Floyd Mayweather. A couple of weeks ago, I told him that, 'Look, I wanted to do this fight very badly, and so did Manny, but at a particular point in time, we'd have to move on,'" said Arum. "I told Ross that this Friday was our deadline for the end of the exclusivity period, and I tell you that next week, we will talk to the Cotto camp and the Margarito camp regarding a fight with Manny Pacquiao."

Arum and Pacquiao's adviser, Michael Koncz, believe, however, that Mayweather had "valid reasons" for not signing.

"Ross was committed to make the fight happen, and, as head of HBO sports, I figured that the best chance to make the fight happen was to do everything through Ross -- almost like he was the mediator. And I still believe that it was the right way to go," said Arum.

"It obviously didn't work out, not because Ross didn't do a good job. He did, in talking to myself and to Al Haymon," said Arum. "But obviously, the problem was that Floyd, for whatever reason -- and I'm sure that he had some valid reasons -- didn't want to committ."

Arum speculated that those reasons had to do with legal troubles involving his uncle and long-time trainer, Roger Mayweather.

Roger Mayweather goes on trial in Clark County District Court in Nevada on Aug. 2 on an assault charge stemming from his allegedly choking and assaulting female boxer Melissa St. Vil last year, and could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted -- meaning that he might not be available for a November fight.

Although Arum said that Mexico and Abu Dhabi were being considered as potential bouts for the fight, he indicated that Abu Dhabi of the United Arab Emirates -- despite the "cooperative" efforts of that country's officials -- would not be advantageous, "logistically."

For that reason, Arum said that either The Dallas Cowboys' Stadium or the MGM Grand in Las Vegas would be more suitable for a bout between Pacquiao and Cotto, while the MGM and Monterrey, Mexico, would be more appropriate for a Margarito fight.

"The attraction for the Cotto rematch would be that Manny's going for a title, fighting at a higher weight, and that Miguel would have Emanuel Steward in his corner, one of the great corner men of our time. That certainly would give Cotto more ammuntion going into the fight than he had last time," said Arum, referring to the fact that Pacquiao dethroned Cotto as WBO welterweight champ by 12th-round knockout in November.

Margarito still is not licensed in America, stemming from a year-long suspension by the California State Athletic Commission involving an illegal hand-wrapping scandal following his January, 2009, ninth-round knockout loss to Mosley.

Margarito unsuccessfully attempted to become licensed by the Nevada State Athletic Commission recently, but the NSAC tabled its decision and requested that Margarito first attempt to be re-licensed in California. That could be difficult, however, because Margarito has filed a lawsuit against that state.

To that end, Arum has said that he has applied through the NSAC for a "Conditional," or, temporary license that would allow Margarito to fight on Nov. 13 in Las Vegas, and that he is hopeful of leniency by that commission.

"Well, number one, we've ask for the Nevada Commission, based on California putting it off, to give [Margarito] a conditional license to fight in Nevada on the 13th of November. Hopefully, from Margarito's standpoint, they will agree to that. If not, then if Manny decides that he wants Margarito, we would do the fight in Monterrey, Mexico. Manny would do the fight outside of the United States," said Arum.

"We wouldn't need a signed contract [from Cotto or Margarito.] If Manny committed and I committed to either Cotto or Margarito, and they committed to me, then it would be a deal. A signed contract would be later," said Arum. "But while these negotiations are going on, and while I was talking to Manny, if Floyd came to the table, that's the fight that we want more than all others -- no question about it."

Source: boxing.fanhouse.com

Deadline passes with no word from Mayweather -- 15Rounds

By Norm Frauenheim, 15Rounds.com

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum said early Saturday that he had not heard from Floyd Mayweather, Jr., by a midnight deadline about whether he would fight Manny Pacquiao on Nov. 13, but Arum said the fight could still happen on the proposed date.

Arum said the deadline – midnight Friday in Las Vegas – was only the end of a period of exclusive negotiations for Mayweather-Pacquiao. Arum said he will now embark on talks with Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cotto.

“The fight we want to do is Mayweather,’’ Arum said. “We haven’t said anything different. We haven’t acted any different. …Absolutely, that’s the fight we want.’’

Mayweather-Pacquiao could still happen if Mayweather says he wants it during talks for an alternate bout, also on Nov. 13, with either Margarito or Cotto. Arum said he expects those talks to last 10 days.

“Floyd, for whatever reason and I’m sure he has a valid reason, did not want to commit,’’ Arum said after minutes after the midnight deadline passed without a decision from Mayweather

Arum said he was told by Ross Greenburg, president of HBO Sports, that Mayweather had agreed to terms, including a timetable for random drug testing. A deal for Pacquiao-Mayweather last March fell apart late last year when Pacquiao balked at Mayweather’s demand for Olympic-style blood-testing.
Arum said he heard from Greenburg a few days after Mayweather’s victory over Shane Mosley in early May. Arum said Greenburg then spoke to Mayweather advisor Al Haymon. It’s no secret that that Mayweather-Pacquiao could set pay-per-view records for HBO. It’s estimated that each fighter could earn between $40 million to $50 million each.

Arum continued to speculate that Mayweather might not want to fight this year because his uncle and trainer, Roger Mayweather, is facing a trial on an assault charge. If Mayweather decides not to fight in November, Arum has said he hopes the bout will happen in May.

Margarito has yet to regain a license in the United States since his California license was revoked for altered hand wraps discovered before a loss to Mosley in January, 2009 at Staples Center in Los Angeles. The Nevada State Athletic Commission tabled a Margarito application last week. Arum said he will again try to get Margarito licensed in Nevada. If successful and there is still no word from Mayweather, Margarito-Pacquiao could happen in Las Vegas. If unsuccessful, the fight could happen in Monterrey, Mexico.

If Cotto gets the nod and there still is no decision from Mayweather, possible sites are Las Vegas, Cowboys Stadium in Dallas and Dubai.

Source: 15rounds.com

Bob Arum: Floyd Mayweather mum at deadline, Manny Pacquiao will look for another opponent -- Grand Rapids Press

By David Mayo, The Grand Rapids Press

Fans awaiting a Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao fight probably will have to wait until 2011 -- if it happens at all.

Bob Arum, who promotes Pacquiao, confirmed in a 3 a.m. EST conference call today that Mayweather did not respond to Pacquiao’s offer for a bout arrangement this year, so the period of exclusive negotiations had closed and he would move on to other potential opponents for Nov. 13.

Arum kept some narrow window of opportunity open for a Mayweather-Pacquiao bout on that date, saying that until a fight commitment from Pacquiao and another opponent was in place, Mayweather still could accept terms and the fight could be made.

That period will not exceed 10 days, Arum said, although the lack of response from the Mayweather side throughout the negotiation renders a complete about-face unlikely.

The unusual timing of the conference call was based on a midnight Friday deadline in the Pacific Time Zone, set by the Pacquiao camp, for Mayweather to respond to its proposal during a period of negotiating exclusivity.

Pacquiao will move forward with plans for a Nov. 13 fight anyway, Arum said, most likely against Miguel Cotto or Antonio Margarito.

Arum said he never negotiated with anyone from the Mayweather camp and that Ross Greenburg, president of HBO Sports, was the sole intermediary through whom he relayed terms to the Mayweather side.

"The problem is that Floyd, for whatever reason -- and I’m sure he had some valid reasons -- didn’t want to commit," Arum said.

Arum, after several weeks of saying that Pacquiao had agreed to Mayweather’s demands -- including those related to random Olympic-style drug testing -- declined to disclose exactly what those agreements were.

Last winter, when talks for a proposed March bout failed, Mayweather agreed to a 14-day pre-fight cutoff during which there would be no blood testing, while Pacquiao would not agree to less than a 24-day window.

After the first talks failed, Mayweather repeatedly said he had withdrawn the 14-day cutoff and would accept only random blood testing right up until the bout.

Arum said Greenburg, after talking with Mayweather’s adviser, Al Haymon, indicated to him that the drug-testing issue "was resolved."

These were the second Mayweather-Pacquiao talks to break down in a bit more than a six-month span, although the nature of this negotiation was far sketchier than the first proposal, scrapped in January, for a March fight.

For one, the Mayweather side never commented on these negotiations and never even acknowledged they occurred.

The only public statements about the talks came from Arum and Michael Koncz, Pacquiao’s adviser, both of whom said Pacquiao had agreed to all Mayweather’s terms.

The lack of direct talks between the two sides, using HBO as exclusive intermediary, also was an extremely unusual twist.

There also may have been some dispute over financial considerations. Since their first talks failed, Pacquiao went on to defeat Joshua Clottey and Mayweather defeated Shane Mosley. But Mayweather-Mosley did substantially better pay-per-view television numbers, prompting Mayweather to say he wanted a financial split in his favor before agreeing to fight Pacquiao.

Leonard Ellerbe, Mayweather’s adviser, did not return a message seeking comment.

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

Source: mlive.com