Promoters progressing as if Mayweather-Pacquiao a done deal

Manny Pacquiao has not signed his name on either a final contract or a deal memo, but promotional teams are discussing purse sizes and possible venues for a boxing Super Bowl.

That's how promotional teams for Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. are progressing, even if there has been no official announcement that the super-fight scheduled for March 13 has been formally inked by both men.

That official announcement is being crafted as we speak, a promotional source told The Times on Monday, even if Pacquiao hasn't signed his name on either a final contract or even a deal memo that his promoter Top Rank typically uses before working out smaller, but important, details.

"He hasn't signed a napkin," Top Rank chairman Bob Arum told The Times on Saturday, a point another source familiar with the negotiations but not authorized to speak publicly about the talks told The Times on Monday. Pacquiao might not officially sign until early January, the source said.

Still, that source said the verbal commitment by Pacquiao was so strong to Arum while the promoter visited the boxer in the Philippines last week that promoters are operating as if "it's done."

A Los Angeles news conference is being planned for sometime during the first two weeks of January, two days after the boxers first appear jointly in New York.

Already, there's been verbal agreements on the guaranteed purse money, with each receiving in excess of $20 million, with pay-per-view "upside" making pay days greater than $40 million possible, those familiar with the negotiations say.

Additionally, at this hour, the fight will be promoted by Top Rank as "Mayweather-Pacquiao," with each fighter allowed to choose their own brand of eight-ounce gloves before battling for the World Boxing Organization welterweight title that Pacquiao won Nov. 14 with a 12th-round technical knockout of Miguel Cotto.

Without discussing any specifics of negotiations, Mayweather advisor Leonard Ellerbe gave The Times an indication of why the undefeated fighter's name will be listed first in the promotion.

"Floyd's the best fighter in the world, hands down," Ellerbe said.

The debate about that opinion is this bout's best selling point.

Pacquiao, ready to win a second consecutive fighter-of-the-year award, has retired Oscar De La Hoya, knocked out Ricky Hatton in two rounds and battered the naturally bigger Cotto in his last three fights.

So often, Mayweather (40-0) boasts punching speed, fitness and defensive wizardry that trumps his opponents. That will be greatly tested by Pacquiao, whose exhaustive workout routines are legendary and whose insistence to bring massive pressure have made him boxing's first-ever seven-division world champion.

Las Vegas oddsmakers have established the bout as pick-em in the sports books.

When Pacquiao met with Arum, a source said, the boxer's enthusiasm about the fight was hinged not only on the thumbs-up by his trainer Freddie Roach to accept it but Pacquiao's own comparisons between his punishment of De La Hoya versus Mayweather's more tentative split-decision triumph over the "Golden Boy" 19 months earlier.

"Manny's coming right at him," the promotional source said.

Pacquiao has told Top Rank to send him videos of fights in which Mayweather has been especially troubled, including his ninth-round TKO of Emanuel Augustus in 2000, his unanimous decision over DeMarcus Corley in 2004 and his unanimous decision over Zab Judah in 2006.

Meanwhile, Arum, Mayweather promoter Richard Schaefer and HBO Sports President Ross Greenburg are scheduled to visit Dallas Cowboys Stadium owner Jerry Jones on Thursday to inspect if that NFL stadium could host the fight.

The thinking by those trying to get the fight out of Las Vegas -- including possible interest by Atlanta's Georgia Dome -- is that it's "bigger than boxing," on a scale with Ali-Frazier III and other mega-fights, one Dallas fight promoter said.

No matter if the bout is staged in Dallas or Las Vegas, pay-per-view sales are what mostly interest the promoters, and the fact they're so close to finalizing a boxing Super Bowl has visions of riches dancing in their heads.

Pacquiao – Mayweather sets the stage for other big fight’s

BY: Albert Alvarez

First of all allow me to clear the air a bit on all the talk surrounding the SuperBowl Boxing Event that is truly a Godzilla Event in the making. Manny Pacquiao versus Floyd Mayweather Jr. When I first heard that the fight was really being discussed by both parties, my first question was, ”On what date?” I then kept hearing March 13th as the date. My initial reaction was, well now why would it happen so soon from now? I mean why not give it some time to really build this baby into an even bigger monster of an event?

Then I said to myself, well maybe the smashing of Roy Jones Jr. opened up the eyes of all parties involved and they all figured that it’s not worth it to risk having Pac-Man face a Yuri Foreman or a Edwin Valero before Money May. It just isn’t worth it to have Mayweather face the winner of the Mosley/Berto clash first before facing the Pac-Man. I then became tired of hearing my own questions, so what I did was contact a very reliable source in the Mayweather side and the source assured me that the rumors are very true. The fight really is being discussed heavily by both parties and March 13 so far seems to be the date. I guess everyones way of thinking in all this is to strike while the iron is hot. Below I name a few fights that should happen next, because let’s face it, the iron is hot and it’s time to strike.

Tavoris Cloud vs. Danny Green- Ok Ok, many will say that Green should now get a shot at Hopkins now that Green smashed Roy. Does Green now deserve that shot at Hopkins? Absolutely. Will it make for a good fight though, that is the question. Please don’t be fooled into thinking that the old man will also get knocked out by Green now that Green knocked out his Royness. I see a Hopkins/Green fight as a Hopkins/Pavlik type of lesson. Been there done that. Hopkins feasts on guys that come straight at him as Green surely would. Now if I’m a young lion in the making like Tavoris Cloud surely is, I would be rock hard right now. If Cloud wants to make a name for himself and build on his smashing performance over Clinton Woods, you do that by going after the man that is hot right now, the name that is comming out of everyones lips right now is Danny Green. Is Cloud to ”Green” for a Danny Green? Let’s find out.

Bernard Hopkins vs. Chad Dawson- Outside of Dawson, Maybe only a fight at heavyweight against David Haye would give the old man a true test. Bad Chad right now is starving for the shot to dethrone the living legend. Dawson has the speed and combination punching to sneek up on Hopkins. Then again though, maybe Hopkins finds a way to clutch Dawson enough to frustrate him and polish him off in the later rounds. Nobody likes playing the underdog more than Hopkins, against Dawson, Hopkins would once again find himself in that comfortable role that he is now very much used to.

Jean Pascal, or Allan Green vs. Lucian Bute- With all the big names and money fights currently off the board for Bute, where else does he turn to? With the stopage of Andrade, Bute now has 2 options. #1 stay at 168 and face the only real threat in your division available to you, that would be none other than Allan Green. Or #2 move on up to 175 and test the waters there. Next week if Pascal can get past Diaconu, Boy oh Boy, strap on your seatbelts because Bute/Pascal would sell out the Bell Centre in minutes flat. The Wreck in Quebec!

Breaking Down the Terms of Mayweather vs. Pacquiao

November 26, 2:05 AMPittsburgh
Fight Sports Examiner
By:Scott Heritage

The negotiations are ongoing between the representatives of Floyd Mayweather Jr (40-0) and Manny Pacquiao (50-3-2). Top Rank top man Bob Arum and Golden Boy's Richard Schaefer are keeping quiet about what is being discussed for the time being though, only saying that the talks are going well.

With this in mind, here are what some of the main points of the negotiations might be dealing with:

Venue

The venue in this case will probably either be Las Vegas or Texas, due to favorable tax laws. The location isn't of much consequence here to either fighter other than convenience and tax implications. Most countries have shown to have some degree of home town refereeing, although this tends to be for local fighters rather than based on nationality alone, and so won't affect the outcome of this one. The other issue facing some fighters is that a big climate change from where they live or train can make acclimating for the fight difficult. Again in this case though all of the most probable locations are warm enough that both fighters shouldn't be affected.

Purse Split

The purse negotiations might be the one sticking point to the negotiations for this fight to happen. Mayweather has said in the past that he wants more than 50% of the fight purse. By his logic this is because he is undefeated and has won 6 world titles. Pacquiao on the other hand has won 7 world titles, and at 7 weights as well. Mayweather was considered the pound for pound best, and Pacquiao is now the pound for pound best, so there is little to choose between them. More than likely both sides will eventually settle for a 50/50 split as suggested by Pacquiao's's trainer Freddie Roach.

Titles

There is a title at stake, but as we all know titles aren't what anyone is worried about. Given that the fight will be at a catch weight anyway, and that neither man will probably defend the title after the bout, titles aren't an issue. The main prize awaiting the victor of this fight is the title of undisputed pound for pound best fighter in the world. As it stands now, fans of either fighter can make a case for either man to hold the title, but the bout will prove conclusively which is the better given their comparable achievements.

Scheduling

Although the scheduling for both fighters seem to fit at the moment, there are rumors of Floyd Mayweather taking a fight in England before the mega fight happens. Both Hatton brothers have been rumored as opponents, although they both have other fights in the works as well. Matthew Hatton is eager for a rematch of his recent draw against Lovemore Ndou and Ricky Hatton is currently rumored to be in talks with Juan Manuel Marquez for his comeback. Interestingly May 1st, which is the date both parties are aiming for, is also the same night that a major UFC card is being held.

Pacquiao is seemingly planning to fight in May whether Mayweather is his opponent or not, so the time line fits with him either way. If Floyd takes a fight in England as is being rumored and gets injured or defeated, then that could well throw the whole bout into jeopardy. If Floyd were to be defeated, then interest in the bout would drop massively, costing all involved millions. Similarly if he gets knocked out, then he may well be medically suspended if the Pacquiao fight is only a few months later. Also given Pacquiao's plan to fight twice more before retiring, any delays might well stop the bout from happening given the limited time he has before his political interests will require his full time attention.

Stipulations

Mayweather has complained in the past of having not been able to choose his own gloves when dealing with other promoters. This shouldn't be an issue now that he has Golden Boy behind him, but small things like this will probably feature highly in the contract.

Pacquiao and team will definitely have strict stipulations on making weight, with Freddie Roach stating in the past that he will try to have a penalty of a million dollars for every pound Mayweather comes in over the agreed weight. There will also likely be a clause in the contract stating that if Mayweather comes in at over a certain amount, then the bout is immediately canceled. Roach said he wants this to be anything over 3 pounds, but this will be something to be debated between the teams.

Watch Free Floyd "Pretty Boy" Mayweather Jr. Fights

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Floyd Joy Mayweather, Jr. (born Floyd Sinclair on February 24, 1977), is an American professional boxer. He is the son of Floyd Mayweather, Sr., a former welterweight boxing contender.

From July 18, 2005 through June 2, 2008 he was rated by The Ring magazine as the number-one pound for pound boxer in the world. Mayweather has won six world boxing championships in five different weight classes; he is the former WBC welterweight champion, a title he vacated upon his retirement. He was named Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year in 1998 and 2007. He is currently ranked number 2 pound for pound fighter.

Mayweather is undefeated with 40 wins including 25 by knockout.

Mayweather Running Out of Excuses Not to Fight Manny Pacquiao

November 25, 9:17 PMPittsburgh
Fight Sports ExaminerScott Heritage
Scott Heritage

Floyd Mayweather has made is obvious in numerous interviews that he only boxes these days for the money and fame. However he is still an all time great boxer, albeit not in a particularly crowd pleasing way, and is still one of the biggets draws in boxing today

It has been said throughout Mayweather's career that he ducked the best fighters and those who he thought posed the greatest risk to him. Most recently be avoided both Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito, much to the chargrin of the promoter of the pair Bob Arum.

Is Mayweather slowing down?

Mayweather fought a much smaller fighter in his last fight after his short 'retirement' in Juan Manuel Marquez. Not only this, but he came in over weight and further assured he woud have an easy fight. The fact of the mattter could be that Mayweather is simply past his best, and can only keep his unbeaten record in tact by taking easier fights than he did in the past. Similarly there were moments when he struggled with the aggressive but predictable Ricky Hatton, and nearly faltered against an arguably over the hill De La Hoya.

Pacquiao has beaten a lot of the same opponents as Mayweather, and has generally made easier work of them than he did. If Mayweather knows he isn't what he once was, then a fight against Pacquiao is the last thing his unbeaten record needs.

A man trapped by his own ego?

Despite the fact that Mayweather probably doesn't want to fight Pacquiao, it seems he may be forced into doing so by his own ego and pride. In the past he has been able to avoid fighters he didnt want to fight by virtue of the fact that there were always other options out there for him. Now however he finds himself with seemingly only one option left, and that option is Manny Pacquiao. Mayweather doesn't want to fight the other welterweights, and faces derision if he fights undersized opponents like Marquez again.

The latest

The latest from both sides seems to suggest that negotiations are going well, although other reports are saying that Mayweather is training for a fight in England next, against one or other of the Hattons. Ricky Hatton is semi retired and has already lost to Mayweather, and Matthew is less dangerous and recently drew in a close fight with Lovemore Ndou. Neither seems like a very appealing match up for Mayweather at this stage, although either would suffice as a tune up so long as the Pacquiao fight goes ahead in May.

The Other Mayweather: Assessing Pacquiao's Weaknesses and Floyd's Mental State

November 25, 12:18 PMLas
Vegas Boxing Examiner
Chris Robinson


At the moment there isn’t a hotter topic in the sport of boxing than a potential Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather fight. It has been reportedly heavily that both sides are now in the negotiating stages of making the contest happen and fans and media alike are dying to see what steps take place next.

One man who has been keeping tabs with everything surrounding both men, whether he likes it or not, is Floyd’s Uncle Jeff. Despite staying busy on a daily basis training his core group of fighters out in Las Vegas, word spreads fast amongst family and the keen Uncle has a pretty good sense of what is going on behind the scenes. One thing Uncle Mayweather feels needs to happen on both sides to make the fight happen is for each man to swallow their pride a bit.

“First of all it’s a situation where both guys are going to have to put their egos in check,” Jeff says reflecting on both men. “The fight isn’t going to happen unless there is a 50/50 split. No matter what Floyd says or what Manny Pacquiao says. If somebody is talking 60/40 it isn’t going to happen. The only way it happens if it’s straight down the middle or it isn’t going to happen.”

A Pacquiao-Mayweather clash would be a huge event in the sport and the money involved would be monumental. There isn’t a bigger fight out there that people are eyeing but Jeff insists that the time for the bout to happen is now, and that it can’t wait a second later.

“You have to strike when the iron is hot,” Mayweather insists. “If the fight doesn’t happen soon enough the boxing public isn’t going to care as much. To be honest, if this fights get pushed back to 2011 it isn’t going to have the same luster. It’s not even going to be mean as much. After a while people may turn their back on it because they’ll say it should have happened earlier. The only that can happen beyond that is that maybe both could challenge other fighters they should beat to keep interst. But if it doesn’t happen next year the same interest isn’t going to be there.”

Uncle Jeff definitely took notice this past November 14th when Pacquiao displayed his best abilities in dissecting and dominating Cotto. It was a performance that was explosive and impressive, but still Mayweather sees some weaknesses in Pacquiao’s overall attack.

“Don’t get me wrong it was a great win but there were three things that I saw in that fight,” Mayweather points out. “The first I noticed is that Margarito basically killed Cotto’s career. Cotto is not the same fighter and he showed the same vulnerability he showed when he fought Clottey. The only difference is that Clottey didn’t have the same mentality to go finish him like Pacquiao. Clottey was content to hurt him but when he was busted up and ready to quit but he didn’t make him quit.”

While Pacquiao was able to adapt to Cotto and eventually control their fight Mayweather feels that a bout with Floyd would look much different. It doesn’t have as much to do with Pacquiao’s abilities as much as it has to do with what Floyd brings to the table, Jeff insists.

“One thing that Cotto did show during the short time where he was doing well was just how easy it was to outbox Manny Pacquiao,” Jeff recalls. “With that being said, to be honest, Pacquiao has nothing more than a puncher’s chance against Floyd. I think we’ll see a replay of Mayweather-Marquez. If Pacquiao doesn’t catch Floyd with a big shot I don’t see him doing anything. The only punch he can land against him is the hook and it is very powerful. The other punches he throws are just too wide. Basically Floyd can stay on the outside and basically pick him apart.”

At that point the conversation took a drastic turn when Uncle Jeff was asked exactly how he is able to keep an objective mind when assessing his own nephew’s abilities. Elaborating further Jeff notes that while blood runs deep, he is able to take the Mayweather persona out of the equation and assess Floyd Jr. alone by his talents in the ring.

“Even before Floyd was boxing I was a big Roy Jones fan,” Mayweather reflects. “I thought what Roy Jones did was phenomenal when he was at his peak. I fought in the nationals with Roy Jones and I talked to my coach at the time and I told him that Roy was special and different from anybody else in the tournament. I noticed that he was on a whole different level than anybody out there. To me, if you take the name away from Floyd it’s the same thing and I am watching the same thing as to when Roy was at the top of his game.”

When pinned with the reality that because of his name value Jeff will always have some sort of tag associated with him, all he does is shrug. While others may point towards possible favoritism, all Jeff can do is call a spade a spade.

“Everyone is going to say I’m biased but I just take things for how I see them,” Jeff claims. “I’m not ashamed to say that Pacquiao is a great fighter as well. I also know that styles make fights and anybody who tries to fight Pacquiao is going to be in trouble. But somebody who can outbox him and outthink him has a great chance of beating him.”

Whether people in the sport like it or not, Floyd Mayweather Jr. is back and his role in making a Pacquiao fight has been questioned by some. Many claim that the undefeated fighter is unsure of his abilities and reluctant to face the current pound for pound king but Uncle Jeff simply sees it as a case where his nephew is biding his time until the moment is right.

“I think it’s a situation where Floyd isn’t worried too much about anything. He knows eventually that he is going to have to step up to the plate and make things happen. For the most part he has the intention of having a fight in England. I think he is focusing on that more than Manny Pacquiao. I think he is going to try to make that happen then move on to the Manny Pacquiao fight. I’m not sure who he is fighting but I know that Roger is training him know.”

Floyd Mayweather JR: Should Manny Pacquiao be his Immediate Future?

By Gina L. Caliboso-November 25, 2009

After Manny Pacquiao’s dominating victory over Miguel Cotto, not less than a few seconds after the win did Larry Merchant ask both fighter Pacquiao and Trainer Roach what lies ahead. And we all know the question. But I’d like to focus on Pacquiao’s answers.

Go on vacation and spend time with his family. “What’s next,” Merchant insists. It’s up to my promoter Top Rank’s Bob Arum to make that decision. Let’s move on to Trainer Roach’s answer: “Everyone wants to see Pacquiao fight Mayweather.” I like Pacquiao’s answers best – he cannot foretell the future although it’s a fight that MUST happen.

But more importantly, what truly lies ahead is what does Floyd Mayweather, JR., do now?

He can pull a Chuck Liddell and go on Dancing With the Stars. Wait – he’s already done that. In fact, he did it before Chuck Liddell did it. Mayweather can come out of retirement for big money. Oh yeah, he’s done that too. He came out of retirement and took a fight and defeated Mexican fighter Juan Manuel Marquez who claims to have defeated Pacquiao in their rematch back in 2008 that resulted in a split decision victory over 12 rounds for Pacquiao.

What to do for Mayweather?

What to do?

Since Mayweather has decided to come out of retirement, there has been nothing but sheer bravado and drama that surrounds him. He did something that is somewhat understated in all athletics – he retired at the top and remains undefeated. It’s an astounding feat for an athlete, notably a boxer, to come out of a fight career that spans over 10 years with nothing but wins. But while there is bliss in retirement and self declaration and acknowledgement that it’s over, I’m going to steal a line from Rocky III here. Apollo Creed says to Rocky Balboa, “You hear that? It’s too quiet.” And it’s true about Mayweather and why he came out of retirement. It’s too quiet and as skilled a boxer he has up to this point proven, his outer self is craving to beat the best in Pacquiao and his inner self is only spurring that desire on.

As for personal drama, I think the tax investigation or that he owes taxes cannot be overlooked and is a motivating factor in the amount of money he negotiates should he decide to take any fight.

When you see Mayweather on past episodes of HBO’s 24/7 counting and bathing in cash like he’s printing it in his boxing gym, if I were in the IRS, I’d check that out too. It is timing isn’t it? A boxer with tax problems. Now that’s a cliché biopic screenplay ready to be made. If Micky Ward’s life story can be put on film, I’m sure Mayweather’s life can be as well. So, maybe a film career is also in Mayweather’s future.

But as quickly as Mayweather wants back into the spotlight, which he was granted when he fought against Marquez, I also think he needs two more fights before he can get any okay to fight Pacquiao. This just proves how much a fight with Pacquiao does mean to him – prove yourself again. It can also provide what both he and Pacquiao need - some much needed perspective on whether a fight between the two should even happen.

It’s no mistake that former champion Sugar Shane Mosley interrupted a Mayweather interview to declare that he and Mayweather should fight one another.

I like this matchup.

Earlier this year, Mosley defeated Antonio Margarito with a TKO in the 9th round. Prior to Margarito, he had a notable fight against Ricardo Mayorga that resulted in a 12 round KO. But also, he suffered a loss to Miguel Angel Cotto back in 2007. Mosley and Mayweather should happen. But for now, Mosley will meet against an undefeated Andre Berto in January 2010. The biggest issue I foresee in this fight would be money. Mosley isn’t quite the draw he used to be and given that he’s also getting on in his career, he needs to be just as careful to choose a smart and financially rewarding fight.

Miguel Angel Cotto makes a good match up for Mayweather as well.

In his fight against Mosley, Cotto defeated him over 12 rounds with a unanimous decision. He has an excellent jab and is a physically strong fighter. Considering Cotto’s loss to Pacquiao, I have nothing but respect for the Puerto Rican fighter. He took the fight hard, but as the commentators said, both Cotto and Pacquiao like each other and gave each other mutual respect. If Cotto’s wife and son could no longer watch husband and father take a beating, I don’t think Pacquiao felt any better about it either.

For Floyd “Money” Mayweather, both Mosley and Cotto would serve as good fights and precursors for Mayweather to legitimize his return from retirement. But I also think that Mayweather’s ego does not allow anyone but himself to be the center of attention in the boxing world.

For the moment, for now, Manny “Pacman” is the best pound for pound boxer in the world. At one point, Mayweather was the best and is undefeated. But being the best once is probably not what Mayweather needs now. Mayweather needs to establish himself again as one of the best. He needs to fight Mosley. He needs to fight Cotto. Pacquiao isn’t going anywhere, but I think he’s definitely earned the right to stand back and wait for Mayweather to come to him.

It is only a matter of time and I think Mayweather and Pacquiao will both be ready and waiting to fight the best – EACH OTHER.

The Battle for the Venue for Mayweather vs. Pacquiao Heats Up

November 25, 5:44 PM
Pittsburgh Fight Sports Examiner
Scott Heritage

Now that the fight is officially being discussed between Golden Boy and Top Rank representatives, the next issue that the bout will face is choosing a venue for the biggest fight of the decade.

Bob Arum has already said that the tax structures in New York and New Jersey will make it impossible to hold the fight there. Speaking about the issue of taxes, Arum said:

"No chance,'' Arum said. "Nothing would please me more than to have it at Yankee Stadium, but the way the tax structure in New York is set up, it's impossible.''

"It's just not economically feasible to do events like that in New York,'' Arum said. "It's ridiculous, really.''

The reason being that New York charges state, city and also non resident contractor taxes on anyone working inside the city. Meaning that according to Arum up to 15% of the revenue of the bout could be lost. Given that this is one of the biggest fights of all time in terms of money being generated, that would run Mayweather and Pacquiao into a several million dollar pay cut.

'If not New York then surely Las Vegas' I hear you cry, but in actual fact the favorite so far is neither of boxing's ancestral homes. The Cowboys Stadium is currently the front runner, due to the much lower taxes in Texas coupled with the size and facilities of the billion dollar stadium.

Other than Texas, the other two options being considered are Vancouver Canada, which has a large Filipino population, and the building of an temporary outdoor arena somewhere in Las Vegas. The Vancouver option would offer Pacquiao a lot of home support, but logistically might be a lot more difficult for both parties to agree to. Not least because Manny himself might find the temperature a little bracing that far north, especially if he trains in either Mexico or the Philippines again.

The consortium of casino owners offering to build a temporary outdoor stadium would be the other most viable option at the moment, especially as it would give the fight the appearance of a fight for the ages. Las Vegas also has a lot of facilities that mean any fight is an easy sell there, although of course this fight doesn't really need that so much.

The newcomer to the talks is James Carville, who is trying to get the fight for the New Orleans Super dome. A potentially decisive factor is that Carville is asking the government for a tax waiver for the event, which would line the already deep pockets of all involved even more than usual. Speaking to Nola.com, Car ville said:

"There is an incredible narrative here, this fight could signal a rebirth for boxing and the city of New Orleans. We could have one together. I told Ross Greenburg, 'Would you please tell Bob Arum that whenever this happens, we would be interested in making a proposal."

As the negotiations get closer to being completed, Bob Arum and Richard Schaefer can expect the offers to come flooding in from various cities and stadiums across the country. I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of cities were willing to forgo some of the taxes that similar events would incur due to the amount of revenue that the fight will bring to all sectors of the local economy. Hotels, restaurants, car rentals, retail stores and everything in between will be stimulated by an event as big as this one, and with that kind of money floating around, suddenly everyone is a boxing fan.

Floyd Mayweather JR Vs Manny Pacquiao: The Best Fight in Boxing

source: Ringside Report.com

Floyd Mayweather JR Vs Manny Pacquiao: The Best Fight in Boxing
By Geoff “The Professor” Poundes-November 24, 2009

Superlatives escape me. There are few that haven’t already been lavished on the special talents of Manny Pacquiao, and doubtless over the coming months there will be new ones invented to cope with the growing impossibility of describing the little Pinoy’s ring achievements.

At the MGM Grand in Las Vegas recently Pacquiao not only re-wrote the record books, but also re-made boxing folklore and accepted wisdom, when he ripped the WBO Welterweight Title from the bruised and bashed up Puerto Rican Miguel Angel Cotto with a performance of stunning speed and offensive ferocity.

Afterwards Cotto admitted that “I couldn’t see the punches coming,” as he found himself caught up in a maelstrom of violence perpetrated by the southpaw Filipino, who scored knockdowns in the third and fourth rounds, and went on to batter the champion mercilessly in the middle rounds of the fight. Unable to deal with the blinding speed of Pacquiao, Cotto managed to survive into the last round of the fight only by taking to his bike, with the Pacman walking him down remorselessly until referee Kenny Bayless finally took pity on him less than a minute into the 12th, and waved the carnage off.

Cotto had started the fight well, and played a full part in the first three rounds of the contest, in which both fighters put on a display of boxing technique seldom seen. The turning point came when Pacquiao landed a quick right hand which made Cotto touch-down in the third, and then, as if to showcase his versatility, the challenger dropped his man again in the fourth with a huge punch from the other hand. Poor Cotto just couldn’t stay with Pacquiao thereafter, hard as he tried, and he even had to suffer the indignity of having Pacquiao play rope-a-dope with him when the cognoscenti had insisted pre-fight that it would be the champion’s night if ever he could trap his opponent on the ropes. Pacquiao told his famous trainer Freddie Roach between rounds that “I can handle it” when the lauded coach berated him for allowing himself to be backed up against the ropes, and indeed he could, drawing Cotto on to punches and winning the vast majority of the exchanges.

It was something of a surprise therefore when Floyd Mayweather, JR., now Pacquiao’s arch-nemesis and only serious contender for the title of pound-for-pound best, described the Pacman as lacking “versatility” after the contest. Of course Mayweather is trying to set up a blockbuster of a match with Pacquiao on his own terms, and in his opening salvo has suggested that his longevity, title achievements, and the fact that he’s yet to be beaten, entitle him to 65% of the pay-per-view takings. Floyd went on to suggest that all roads lead to Floyd Mayweather, and that he is the “face of boxing”.

He’s wrong. Pacquiao put paid to that last Saturday. In the last 12 months, Manny has dismantled Oscar De La Hoya, destroyed Ricky Hatton, and now crushed Miguel Cotto, three modern greats at the height of their profession. Before that he’s come out on top of Juan Manuel Marquez, Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera, at a time when those three exceptional fighters were at or near their best. He’s jumped effortlessly through the weight-classes, and flown in the face of conventional wisdom by becoming stronger and more powerful with each leap – and he’s now the WBO Welterweight Champion. What’s more he’s done so with humility and grace in what is fast becoming a grace-less sport.

In the corresponding period Mayweather has boxed once, winning a wide decision over Marquez, and is currently title less. He has the names of Hatton and De La Hoya on his record, but was far less impressive than Pacquiao when he stopped the Englishman in ten rounds, and was only able to eke out a close, split decision over the Golden Boy. In terms of longevity Mayweather won his first world title in October 1998, just 6 months before Pacquiao annexed the WBC Flyweight Title.

Yes, Pacquiao has lost three times, and Mayweather remains undefeated. The first two defeats were in 1996 and 1999, both by third round stoppage, and both engineered by body blows at a time when the Philippine was struggling to make weight. Pundits and scribes (I‘m one of them) have been waiting ever since to see a weakness manifest itself around Pacquiao’s ribs – and we thought we’d see him exposed against fearsome body punchers like Hatton and Cotto, but they failed singularly to make any impression on the little Pinoy. His third loss was to the excellent Erik Morales, on points, and was avenged twice. Mayweather’s “0” has been impressively manufactured, but he’s not taken the risks that Pacquiao has, nor has he been as prolific (Pacquiao’s had 55 contests to Mayweather’s 40).

So, PBF’s claim to a better than 50/50 split doesn’t hold water. He’s not the more exciting fighter, and he’s not the better supported fighter, even in the United States. Within that impenetrable ego Mayweather is unable to accept that his success on pay-per-view has more to do with the constituency of his opponents than it has to do with the public’s need to see him fight, even if he is a special
talent. Meanwhile Pacquiao in the last year has built a consistent and knowledgeable world-wide following to go with the rabid, obsessive fan-base he enjoys in his native land. Should Mayweather and Pacquiao ever share a ring, 80% of fight-watchers will tune in the fervent hope that Manny can hand the American his first loss.

These are matters that Bob Arum and Mayweather Promotion will doubtless get around a table to discuss. There’s a huge pile of egos to be massaged in order to get the fight made, from Arum to Mayweather, Roach to Uncle Rog, HBO to Golden Boy, and a vast sum of money to be carved up. Ironically, whilst he’s nobody’s fool (as he demonstrated in the Hatton negotiations), it’s Manny Pacquiao who’s most comfortable in his own skin and most able to set his ego aside, but this time he shouldn’t have to.

It’s a fight the public wants and deserves, but I suspect there are too many hurdles to make it happen quickly. I can see a scenario where both camps reach an impasse and take other options – Pacquiao might take the opportunity to jump one more weight class and take on new light-middleweight champion Yuri Foreman for example – rather than back down.

For me, it’s a 50/50 split and let’s get it on.