Roach, reluctant player in Pacquiao circus, ponders life without fighter -- Las Vegas Review Journal

By Steve Carp, LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. -- Manny Pacquiao is running nearly two hours late for his training session at the Wild Card Boxing Club.

That's not unusual. Of Pacquiao's many strengths, punctuality is not one of them. The world's best pound-for-pound boxer goes by his own clock. When he finally arrives, there's a camera crew from Comedy Central waiting for him to tape a segment on the "Tosh.0" show.

Nothing unusual about that, either. There are almost always visitors when Pacquiao shows up to train. One day it's Don Rickles. The next, Norm MacDonald. On this day, it's Daniel Tosh.

Freddie Roach smiles weakly as his fighter walks in. What else can he do?

"There's always distractions," the trainer says. "That's the way it is."

Roach's saving grace is that once the sideshow is over and Pacquiao actually begins training, it's all business. He has Pacquiao's undivided attention and the two always appear on the same wavelength. After 11 years together, Roach knows what to expect from Pacquiao.

"I never worry about Manny once he gets to work," Roach said. "It's the 'getting him to work' part I worry about."

Roach won't have to worry about such things much longer. After Saturday's WBO welterweight title fight against Shane Mosley at the MGM Grand Garden, Pacquiao will return to the Philippines, put on a suit and tie and go back to being Congressman Pacquiao. And at age 33, Pacquiao has said he will fight only a few more times before devoting himself to politics full time.

For Roach, who has a stable of fighters to train and whose gym in a rundown strip mall on Vine Street is a beehive of activity from early morning to late night, the idea of life after Pacquiao is something he doesn't dwell on. Yet, he concedes he has pondered what it will be like.

"Sometimes I think I'll retire when Manny does," said Roach, 51. "We can ride off into the sunset together."

Still, Roach wishes he didn't have to deal with the daily distractions that have become part of Pacquiao's regimen.

"There are days where I get fed up with all the craziness," Roach said. "I wish I could tell everyone to get the (expletive) out of here. But I know I can't do that. Fortunately, Manny is such a hard worker, once we get going, everything's fine."

Roach said Pacquiao's training for Mosley has been almost the opposite of the fighter's camp when he faced Antonio Margarito on Nov. 13.

"From the first day, he's trained hard," Roach said of Pacquiao, who broke camp Sunday, traveled to Las Vegas by bus Monday and will make his official arrival at the MGM at 12:30 p.m. today (Mosley's arrival is at noon). "Usually on the first day, Manny runs on the flat and then he builds up and runs the hills. For this camp, he ran the hills right away. That showed me how serious he was."

Roach had thought Pacquiao's camp for the Margarito fight was his worst during their time together. But whatever issues there were, they haven't been obstacles on fight night. Pacquiao dominated Margarito the entire fight, winning a 12-round unanimous decision at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and sent Margarito to the hospital with a broken orbital bone in his right eye.

So if Pacquiao can do that after a subpar training camp, what does that mean for Mosley on Saturday? Roach said every fight is different and Mosley presents problems that Pacquiao hasn't faced in a long time.

"Mosley's bigger and he's fast -- the fastest fighter we've fought," Roach said. "He's got a great chin. Nobody's ever knocked Shane out. And he's a very smart fighter, probably the smartest fighter Manny has faced. Manny realized this and I think that's why he's worked so hard in this camp. He knows he's in a fight with Mosley."

But while Pacquiao is close to the end of his boxing career, the reality is Roach probably will remain active in the sport. He's in high demand and, besides Pacquiao, he is training Amir Khan, the world junior welterweight champion, and rising middleweight star Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., among others.

"I love what I'm doing," said Roach, who is holding his own in a 19-year battle with Parkinson's disease. "But it will be a sad day for me when Manny retires."

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter @stevecarprj.

Source: lvrj.com

Unlikely fans send off Manny Pacquiao with a song -- Examiner

By Igor Frank, Examiner.com



It’s a small wonder that Manny Pacquiao has never been late to a fight. There is military time, which goes from zero to twenty four hours a day and then there is Manny Pacquiao’s time which is usually a couple of hours behind. Scheduled to depart from Wild Card boxing Club at fourteen hundred hours military time, Team Pacquiao, with much fan fair around, left on Manny’s time, only three hours and twenty five minutes late. No one fan has complained. You have to understand: it’s just Manny. Fans crowded a parking lot at the now famous Wildcard Boxing club to take a final peak at their hero or may be to get an autograph, but mostly to send him off with their blessings.

Manny Pacquiao is scheduled to face off against Sugar Shane Mosley on May 7th, in what should become the biggest boxing event of this year at the sold out venue, at the Mecca of boxing, MGM Grand Garden Arena. Twelve rounds or less, welterweight championship showdown will be televised live by Showtime PPV.

It was business as usual, as Manny Pacquiao completed his final day of preparations at his home away from home, Wildcard Boxing Club in Hollywood. Pacmania is gaining momentum with every fight. Fans from all over crowd the area surrounding Wildcard Gym in hopes of getting a piece of their hero. And that is why security at the gym is very tight. Manny’s favorite mouth piece maker, Dr. Ed De La Vega was met with tough security questions when he tried to go to the gym to give Pacquiao his mouth guard for the upcoming fight.” You tell Manny that I couldn’t give him his mouth piece,” said exasperated Dr. De La Vega, who has a thriving dental practice in Canoga Park, California and who also moonlights as a cut man to help out some of his country men in the ring. The misunderstanding was resolved and Manny got his mouse piece. The final training session followed.

Accustomed to Manny’s time I showed up at Wildcard parking lot at 4:30 pm as the young superstar walked in to check on his new business, a small store called” Manny Pacquiao Merchandise & Tattoo” where one could buy Manny’s t-shirt or a poster or a signed glove as well as get a tattoo. Hordes of fans patiently waited for their idol to reemerge. There were fans that came to support their hero all the way from Philippines as well as Pac maniacs form New York and Indiana and California. I met several members of Manny Pacquiao’s band who along with Pacman are scheduled to do a concert at the Mandalay Bay on the night after the fight, as well as a concert on May 10th in Azusa. Talking about music, two improbable Pacquiao fans were performing their song “I saw Pacquiao and Shane boxing in the rain” for the rest of the crowd that was waiting.

Finally, protected by a security guards and his trusted body guard, Roger, Manny, wearing a panama straw hat, came out of the store at 5:25 and got on the passenger seat of an SUV and pealed out of the parking lot followed by his team on Manny Pacquiao bus. No one in that crowd believed Mosley had any chance in the fight on May 7th.

They are expected to arrive in Las Vegas by 10:00pm this evening. Grand arrivals at the MGM Grand for media and fans are scheduled for noon tomorrow. Stay tuned for May 7th.

Source: examiner.com

Mosley hopes to turn back clock against Pacquiao -- Las Vegas Review Journal

By Steve Carp, LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

BIG BEAR LAKE, Calif. -- Shane Mosley fought the best his generation had to offer, so he doesn't see his world welterweight title fight Saturday with Manny Pacquiao at the MGM Grand Garden as anything out of the ordinary.

Mosley has been on boxing's biggest stage against the likes of Oscar De La Hoya, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Winky Wright, Vernon Forrest, Fernando Vargas, Ricardo Mayorga, Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito.

"It's not any different than my other big fights," Mosley said last week on the back porch of his two-story house in this picturesque mountain town about three hours east of Los Angeles, where Pacquiao has been encamped the last five weeks. "You train for every fight with the idea you're going to give your best. But each fight is different because of who you're fighting.

"Pacquiao? He's got good speed but I have the ability to give him a hard time. I've been fighting bigger guys lately so being in there with a smaller guy doesn't intimidate me."

Mosley admitted that the attention Saturday's fight is receiving is bigger than his fight with Mayweather last May 1 at the MGM when the pay-per-view did 1.4 million buys and generated $73.6 million in revenue, the most for any of his fights. Mosley is helping fuel the prefight hype for Pacquiao in 2011-fashion with daily tweets from his Twitter account and videos posted on YouTube.

"I like the way the promotion has gone," said Mosley, who left Golden Boy Promotions to get the opportunity to face Pacquiao and take his WBO welterweight title away from him. "Top Rank has been great to deal with and everything has been professional. I have no complaints.

"I think people are expecting a lot of fireworks. We're similar fighters. We both can box and we both can punch and we both like to attack."

The future Hall of Famer, who turns 40 on Sept. 7, is an 8-1 underdog in most Las Vegas sports books and Mosley knows he needs to win to remain marketable. He lost to Mayweather a year ago at the MGM after nearly decking Mayweather with a big right hook in the second round, only to be dominated the rest of the way.

In his most recent fight he earned a draw against Sergio Mora. Mosley controlled the fight, but Mora's noncombative, awkward style made it difficult for Mosley to look good.

Another lackluster performance could make him a tough sell. He conceded that should Pacquiao do to him Saturday what Pacquiao did to Margarito last Nov. 13, whipping him over 12 rounds and ultimately sending Margarito to the hospital, Mosley might have to seriously consider retiring.

"It's possible," Mosley said. "But I don't see what he did to Margarito happening to me. You have to remember that Margarito hit Pacquiao with more punches than Pacquiao's ever been hit with. He's going to be facing even more pressure from me."

Mosley is proud that he has managed to fight at a high level for so long. He was a world lightweight champion at age 25 and he has also held titles at welterweight and super welterweight. He's even prouder that he has never ducked anyone or been knocked out during his 19-year pro career which has produced a record of 46-6-1 with 39 knockouts.

"That's what champions do," Mosley said. "They want to face the best that's out there. I can go to sleep knowing I've been the best fighter I can be and have been willing to face the best.

"To tell you the truth, I didn't think I'd still be fighting at 39. But I feel great. I'm not sure I'm going to fight when I'm 50 like Bernard (Hopkins) might. But I think I've got a few good years left."

Mosley has managed to move on from an unpleasant divorce, distance himself from a connection to the steroid-performance enhancing drug BALCO scandal and rebound from injuries.

His latest battle outside the ring was Mosley's decision in November to part ways with Golden Boy, which he had been part of since 2009 and was a minority shareholder.

"They weren't looking out for me," Mosley said. "If I had stayed with Golden Boy, there's no way I get to fight Pacquiao."

Mosley insists he's happy. He's training his son, Shane Jr., to one day follow in his footsteps. He has forged a strong bond with his trainer, Naazim Richardson, and his relationship with his father and former trainer Jack has never been better.

"My life's good," he said. "Things happen. But what's important is that you learn from them.

"I think all the experiences I've had, good and bad, will help me with the younger guys as they start their careers. I'm looking forward to working with them and helping them have the kind of success I've been fortunate enough to have in my career."

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter @stevecarprj.

Source: lvrj.com

Fight Camp 360 Pacquiao vs Mosley Episode 3

Boxing News World

Countdown to Pacquiao vs Mosley

Floyd Mayweather Jr. announces ring return on Facebook -- Examiner

By Joseph Bourelly, Examiner.com

Earlier today, Floyd Mayweather Jr. (41-0, 25 KOs) posted the following to friends and fans on his Facebook page.

“Back in the RING soon!”

Should the undefeated former five-division world champion mean what he posted, fans just may see the 34 year-old native of Grand Rapids, MI, ply his craft in the ring sometime again later in 2011. It would be his first match since dominating “Sugar” Shane Mosley via a lopsided 12-round unanimous decision on May 1, 2010.

The web post is significant in that Mayweather has given little hint as to when or if he would fight again over the last year, and has primarily used Facebook as a means for uploading party and vacation photos as well as announcing gambling winnings.

In terms of a possible opponent, there was widespread speculation all over the Internet not too long ago that undefeated former lightweight champion Paul Spadafora (45-0, 19 KOs) was in the sweepstakes. Should that match-up materialize, it would be considered nothing more than a tune-up fight despite Spadafora’s impressive record, due to a stint in jail and weak level of recent opposition for “The Pittsburgh Kid.”

Of course other possible opponents include Timothy Bradley, Victor Ortiz, Marcos Maidana and Miguel Cotto.

Then there is Manny Pacquiao who is scheduled to fight Shane Mosley next weekend in Las Vegas, NV. Should Pacquiao defeat Mosley as expected, the demand for a fall/winter showdown with Floyd Mayweather Jr. later in the year would be greater than ever.

Of course anyone who follows boxing knows the bad blood between the two and their multiple failed negotiations for a fight in the past, but as has always been speculated, perhaps enough money will be thrown their way to overcome their differences. Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum claimed Mayweather’s asking price to get him in the ring with the pound-for-pound great was an astounding $100 million in the most recent round of talks between the two camps.

A much easier fight to be made would be a rematch with Shane Mosley should he overcome steep odds and manage to defeat Manny Pacquiao next Saturday night. Also on the short list and possibly a much more lucrative fight than a Mosley rematch would be an encounter with British boxing star Amir Khan.

Although Khan does not appear to be ready for such a test as Mayweather, a combination of his vulnerability and mass marketing appeal could compel a match to be made. Also, the fact Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach also trains Khan would be a nice subplot and serve as a further build-up to an ultimate fight with the Filipino. Additionally, Mayweather has done good business in recent years with Golden Boy Promotions, which also happens to promote Amir Khan.

Like him or not, Floyd Mayweather Jr. is good for the sport of boxing, and any promotion including him is a huge event. His options in the ring are certainly plenty, so stay tuned for further details as they may develop.

Source: examiner.com

Manny Pacquiao on Jimmy Kimmel Show

Pacquiao looking to knock out Mosley and maybe Mayweather’s argument -- 15Rounds

By Norm Frauenheim, 15Rounds

Knockout talk is pretty standard stuff in the build-up for any fight, especially one that Manny Pacquiao and Shane Mosley have transformed into an event. But it has a different tone this time around, because Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach hopes a stoppage will either lure Floyd Mayweather Jr. into the ring or provide Pacquiao an edge in an argument for the ages if the much-discussed fight never happens.

“It would be incredible for Manny to be the first one to stop him and just prove to the world how much better he is than that guy that couldn’t stop him,’’ Roach said Wednesday during a conference call when asked about the chances at a knockout of the durable Mosley on May 7 at Las Vegas MGM Grand.

Not that anybody had to ask, but that guy, of course, is Mayweather, who on Thursday had a preliminary hearing on felony and misdemeanor charges from alleged domestic violence delayed in Las Vegas until July 29.

Translation: The Pacquiao-Mayweather fight isn’t any more likely today than it was a year ago when Mayweather was terrific and resourceful in surviving a rocky second round, yet characteristically cautious in settling for a one-sided decision over Mosley.

For now, Pacquiao has only the fights that can help him build his case while the prosecution for Nevada’s Clark County its own. Common opponents are poor comparisons, made unreliable by time, circumstances and styles. But Mayweather leaves the Filipino Congressman without options or even much of a clue as to what he intends to do.

“It’s hard to judge him,’’ Pacquiao said when asked if he thought Mayweather feared him. “I don’t know what the reason is. I really don’t have an idea. I can’t say something. We don’t know, so it’s hard to judge him.”

Instead, Pacquiao does what he always has done. He moves forward. There is a sense that he already is at work on the finishing touches to a legacy that would be incomplete without Mayweather, yet still as brilliant as any.

News broke in Mexico that Juan Manuel Marquez already has a Top Rank offer to fight Pacquiao for a third time sometime in the fall. Top Rank’s Bob Arum was annoyed at the Marquez questions. He dismissed them twice, first Tuesday in a conference call with Mosley and again on Wednesday.

But it only would be a surprise if Marquez had not been approached by Top Rank. Marquez, who has a draw with Pacquiao and a controversial loss by decision to the Filipino, represents a chance for Pacquiao to eliminate lingering doubts about his ability to beat the accomplished Mexican. It also is another opportunity to further build his case in the potential debate about whether he was better than Mayweather, who outweighed Marquez and dominated him for 12 rounds, yet again settled for a decision in September, 2009.

If Pacquiao could somehow be the first to knock out Mosley and the first to stop Marquez, he would win the debate no matter what Mayweather does or doesn’t do. It’s a risk, first and foremost in terms of the motivation it provides Mosley, who is a better bet to win by stoppage than Pacquiao, especially within the first three to four rounds.

Another cracking right in the early rounds might accomplish for Mosley what eluded him against Mayweather. It might finish Pacquiao in another spring stunner during boxing’s season of upsets, especially if the 39-year-old Mosley can summon up a will, way and maybe a big left hand. Against a stumbling Mayweather, Mosley was curiously unable to capitalize.

The guess here is that Mosley won’t squander that kind of an advantage again. If he does, Pacquiao will be on his way to a significant victory and perhaps a stoppage that could win an argument, which on Thursday looked more likely than a Mayweather fight.

NOTES, QUOTES
• Insightful Al Bernstein offered an intriguing possibility that could surprise Pacquiao. During a Showtime conference call Thursday, Bernstein said Mosley might unleash a potent left that has been dormant lately. “The left-hand,’’ Bernstein said. “I think that’s the secret.’’

• Boxing’s best, hidden on premium networks and pay-per-view for years, goes back to prime time for the first time in generations Saturday night when the third episode in Showtime’s Fight Camp 360, an inside look at Pacquiao-Mosley, will air on CBS at 8 p.m., Eastern and Pacific. There were mixed reviews for the first two episodes. The third figures to attract the biggest audience, meaning there is motivation for Showtime to make it the best of the four.

Source: 15rounds.com

Mosley Admits He Got This Fight Because His Last Two Weren't Stellar Outings -- The Sweet Science

By Rick Folstad, The Sweet Science

“Sugar” Shane Mosley is pretty much the forgotten man in this media circus. After all, this is the Manny Pacquiao Hour, a one-man act that doesn’t have room for a sidekick. Mosley is just a little trimming, extra frosting, a guy left out in the cold peering through a greasy window at the celebration he never got invited to. It almost feels like he’s an afterthought in this fight, someone who was needed to fill an empty chair when they started snapping photos for the history books.

On a recent conference call promoting their May 7 WBO welterweight title fight at a sold-out MGM Grand in Las Vegas (Showtime PPV), Mosley sounded like someone in a funeral parlor talking about the deceased. It wasn’t what he said, it was how he said it. Quiet, soft-spoken, polite and deliberate, you kept wondering if he just woke up from a long nap.

Naw, it was just Mosley being Mosley.

Asked if being the underdog provided a little extra motivation for him in the fight, Mosley said he doesn’t read too much into it.

“I don’t care if people are seeing me as an underdog or not,“ he said. “What matters is what happens in the ring. The only thing that matters is May 7.”

While Mosley didn’t provide any deep insight into the fight and how he planned to win it, his faithful trainer, Naazim Richardson, didn’t hold much back. When Mosley’s age was brought up, Richardson sounded like he already had the answers written down somewhere.

“Most of you saw the Erik Morales fight,“ Richardson said, referring to the recent, fight between the 34-year-old Morales and the 27-year-old Marcos Maidana, won by Maidana on a majority decision. “And most of you saw the (Jean) Pascal-Bernard Hopkins (who is 46) fight. And we keep counting these guys out. These aren’t just old men who box. These are legendary fighters who have age on them now. There‘s a difference between a legendary fighter who has age and an old boxer. When these guys were in their prime, they were exceptional. Michael Jordan could probably still come out now and make the starting five on any team in the NBA. We discount these older guys but we forget they were special. When special gets old, you can still be extraordinary.“

But you can’t get back your prime, and Mosley is a few years passed his.

Still, he’s a big name and that‘s why Top Rank booked him. He’s never been stopped, and he still has some pop left in both hands.

“If Shane hits you solid, you’re going on the defensive,” Richardson said. “I don‘t care how much of a gladiator or how tough you were before. When Shane tags you, you’ll be a defensive fighter. No one has ever asked for their money back after watching a Shane Mosley fight.”

Bob Arum got right to the point on Mosley, saying the reason they picked him to fight Pacquiao is “because we’re in the entertainment business and we know that Manny Pacquiao against Shane Mosley will be one hellacious and entertaining fight.”

Arum says that’s why Top Rank picked Mosley to fight Miguel Cotto, and why they picked Mosley to fight Antonio Margarito in January 2009.

“Shane is an all-action fighter and when he’s in with a guy who is an all-action fighter as well, you’re going to see fireworks.“

But he is 39.

And then you look back at his last two fights - a decision loss to Floyd Mayweather a year ago and a draw to Sergio Mora in September - and say he’s on the downside. But Mosley has a different way of looking at it.

“I don’t think those fights have anything to do with what I do against Pacquiao, because styles make fights,“ said Mosley, who did some chasing against Mora and Mayweather. “But if it wasn’t for those two fights, I probably wouldn‘t be here today. So those fights were needed.”

This guy always thinks the glass is half full.

But so does Richardson, who said they have a comfortable game plan that Mosley has bought into.

“We look forward to this contest and to solving the Rubik’s Cube of boxing, which is Manny Pacquiao,” he said.

Tough puzzle to crack.

Source: thesweetscience.com

Pacquiao is 'killing himself in training' - Roach -- ESPN

ESPN.co.uk

Freddie Roach claims Manny Pacquiao is "on fire" ahead of his May 7 showdown with Shane Mosley in Las Vegas.

Pacquiao is on a 13-fight win streak and he is fully expected to beat Mosley in a little over a week's time. However, there are no signs that the Filipino is taking things easy, according to trainer Roach.

The WBO welterweight title is on the line at the MGM Grand, and Roach claims his charge may well be in the best shape that he has ever been before a fight.

"Manny is really motivated for Shane Mosley," said Roach. "We started in the mountains in the first day of training and he's been consistently trying to kill his body. He ran yesterday for an hour and 10 minutes. He's just in great shape and this may be his best training camp we've ever had.

"Usually it takes us a little while to get into the flow of training camp, but from day one he's been on fire. I mean we did eight rounds of mitts in the first day of training camp and he hadn't been in the gym since the last fight.

"We've just run out of room to go. He does 16 rounds a day on the mitts right now and I'm going to start holding him back a little bit. That's the hardest part of Manny Pacquiao - slowing him down."

Victory for Pacquiao would inevitably conjure up more talk about a showdown with Floyd Mayweather Jnr, but the Pacman has given up predicting the American's next move.

"It's hard to judge him. I really don't have an idea. We don't know so it's hard to judge him," said Pacquiao.

Source: espn.co.uk