Boxing News 2011: Mayweather jabs (but won't fight) Pacquiao

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Floyd Mayweather Jr. might never fight Manny Pacquiao, but Mayweather has the pound-for-pound king on his mind.

It is unfortunate that they may never share a ring for the fight the world wants to see; at this point, Mayweather refuses to fight Pacquiao -- not to mention that Mayweather is also jammed up with multiple court cases, including eight criminal charges (four of which are felonies) stemming from an alleged domestic incident last fall with the mother of some of his children. Pacquiao is always in the spotlight, but even more so last week and this week, as he and Shane Mosley promote their Showtime pay-per-view fight, which takes place May 7 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. And Mayweather apparently can't stand it.

Pacquiao, Mosley and the rest of the Top Rank circus took to the road to promote the fight on a national media tour, which began last week and continued this week. Of course, Mayweather could have been the one fighting Pacquiao, but he wanted no part of it. That left Top Rank's Bob Arum to tap Mosley for the fight instead, the same way he tapped Antonio Margarito to fight in place of Mayweather in November and called on Joshua Clottey last March.

Mayweather could have had the fight each time and made perhaps as much as $50 million for his trouble.

Instead, Mayweather declined and now, just as the media attention around Pacquiao ramps up again, it is clearly driving Mayweather crazy.

http://espn.go.com/sports/boxing/blog/_/name/rafael_dan/id/6124991/mayweather-jabs-fight-pacquiao

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Boxing News 2010: Martinez-Cotto under discussion

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"We had an honest-to-goodness conversation about the fight," DiBella said. "Bob knows we can easily make the fight. He will be meeting with Cotto's people this week and presenting them with various options. Cotto has already proven his mettle time and again, but to do a fight like this, he will get nothing but props from people."

Martinez is willing to drop down to 155 pounds and put his middleweight championship at stake against Cotto (35-2, 28 KOs), who won a junior middleweight belt in June by stopping Yuri Foreman in the ninth round at Yankee Stadium -- one fight after Manny Pacquiao knocked Cotto out in the 12th round to take his welterweight belt.

"Cotto is an elite fighter, and this is a very good fight for boxing," said Martinez, who is already back in the gym doing some light training after the win over Williams. "It's a big Latino fight. I will fight him at 155. I would love to fight Cotto. I have a lot of respect for him."

Said DiBella: "Cotto wouldn't be risking his 154-pound belt and would be getting a shot at the middleweight title. If Cotto loses, he goes back and defends his title in other big fights, like against Antonio Margarito [in a rematch] or Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. If Cotto beats Martinez, it's a huge accomplishment. If he didn't win, he's still 154-[pound] champion and the Chavez and Margarito bouts are still there for him. It's like the Martinez fight is a free pass. Like he gets two bites at the apple."

DiBella said he and Martinez (46-2-2, 25 KOs) respect Cotto as "a true warrior, so if Martinez has to struggle a little bit to make 155, so be it. It might be a little bit uncomfortable, but he's not that far removed from fighting at junior middleweight. You know it would be a big fight."

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/columns/story?columnist=rafael_dan&id=5878407

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Boxing News 2010: Manny Pacquiao's Next Fight: Why Juan Manuel Marquez Is Not It

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The fight everyone wants to see is Pacquiao vs Maywether. One thing I am willing to bet on is that this will not be Pacquiao's next fight. Mayweather needs to fight someone as a tune up match before Pacquiao. Someone he can fight with no real risk of a loss. Maybe Mayweather takes KJ Noons up on his challenge.

In the meantime who will Pacquiao fight?  Some say Marquez should be Pacquiao's next fight. In fact, Oscar De La Hoya tweeted after the fight with Katsidis, "Great fights now let's rally for a Marquez paquiao fight," from his official verified twitter account. The fact is that Manny Pacquiao has one win and one draw over Marquez. The draw was due to the fact that one judge had it 115-110 for Marquez, another 115-110 for Pacquiao and Judge Burt Clements sealed the draw with a 113-113 score, but he admitted making a mistake. He should have had the first round 10-6 for Pacquiao instead of 10-7 because Pacquiao had knocked Marquez down 3 times in the first round. Pacquiao would have won, had Clements added the third knockdown to the scorecard for round 1.

So Pacquiao has really beat Marquez twice. Why would he fight him again. Die hard Marquez fans that say Pacquiao is ducking Marquez or Pacquiao is afraid of Marquez, are really just kidding themselves. They refuse to come to grips with the reality that Marquez is past his prime and Pacquiao is peaking in his. Marquez has less of a chance this time because has not only improved tremendously but is bigger and stronger since they last fought. So why would he think he can win? Maybe he just wants one last huge payday. Maybe he wants to be in the spotlight one last time. Or is that Marquez possibly has delusions of grandeur. Who knows. What I wanted to know is how can he realistically be in the pound for pound discussion when you have a new era of talent and he has lost to Pacquiao twice. Doesn't someone who hasn't lost to Pacquiao twice deserve a shot?

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/529072-pacquiaos-next-fight-and-why-juan-manuel-marquez-is-not-it-vote-on-who-is

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Boxing News 2010: Mayweather should keep dodging Pacquiao

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ARLINGTON, Texas – Antonio Margarito entered the ring standing five inches taller and weighing 17 pounds more than Manny Pacquiao.

By the ninth round, Margarito’s right eye had been nearly closed. His nose was bent. The rest of his face was bloodied and bruised. So pronounced was the destruction that Pacquiao kept turning to the referee and begging him to stop the fight, to end his massacre of this bigger, stronger man.

Somewhere Floyd Mayweather had to be watching this beatdown. He had to be watching this incomparable talent defy all known properties of size and strength. And he had to feel reassured about his recent career decisions.

For Mayweather, ducking Manny Pacquiao has never seemed so smart.

If Mayweather has any brains – and for all his fool’s antics, he most certainly does – he’ll keep dodging the superfight the world wants.

Mayweather (41-0) is a different class of fighter than those men. He’s a darting, defensive wizard who would offer the most formidable technical challenge to Pacquiao. It’s why everyone wants to see the fight made.

At this point, though, Pacquiao has separated himself and each hellacious beating he hands out serves as a new round of caution. Pacquiao isn’t just fast. He isn’t just skilled. He is a destructive force. And increasingly he’s shown to possess a formidable chin. If Pacquiao can put his back on the ropes and take the best shots of Margarito and Cotto, you wonder how the lighter-punching Mayweather could possibly hurt him.

Legal woes should serve as one more roadblock that Mayweather can use. If you’re Floyd Jr., what’s the rush anyway? How many opponents need to be sent to the hospital to try to avoid being the next one?

Mayweather has never faced a relentless force like this. They just don’t exist. Pacquiao threw an astounding 713 power punches and landed an equally astounding 53 percent of them. It’s what carved Margarito’s face to bits.

It was ugly. It was violent. It was an unmistakable message to the one opponent everyone wants to see next.

No one dodges a punch like Mayweather. And the best way to slip Pacquiao’s blinding combination is to keep finding a way to stay out of the ring.

http://sports.yahoo.com/box/news;_ylt=ApDhHroVgslcmGp21ppspxKUxLYF?slug=dw-pacfloyd11410

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Boxing News 2010: Manny Pacquiao unanimous winner

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ARLINGTON, Texas -- Manny Pacquiao more than made up with speed what he lacked in size.

Giving away both pounds and inches, boxing's little superstar turned Antonio Margarito into a bloody and nearly blind fighter with a dizzying array of punches Saturday night in a lopsided decision victory that wasn't close from the opening rounds on.

In a spectacular performance before a delighted crowd of 41,734 at Cowboys Stadium, Pacquiao cemented his claim to being the best fighter in the world by dominating the bigger but slower Margarito almost from the opening bell.

Pacquiao won round after round, opening a cut on Margarito's cheek, closing his right eye, and turning his face into a bloody mess.

The punches came quickly, and they came often. Margarito was plenty game as he tried to stalk Pacquiao around the ring, but every time he got close Pacquiao would land a four- or five-punch combination that snapped his head back and stopped him in his tracks.

The beating was so thorough that the congressman from the Philippines turned to referee Laurence Cole several times in the 11th round, imploring him to stop the fight. It went on, though, even though Margarito had no chance to win.

"I can't believe that I beat someone this big and this strong," Pacquiao said. "It's hard. I really do my best to win the fight."

Pacquiao moved up in weight yet again to take on Margarito, a natural welterweight with a reputation for ruggedness in the ring. And rugged he was, though he took a beating all night long at the hands of a faster and seemingly more powerful opponent.

"There was no way I was gong to quit. I'm a Mexican, we fight until the end," Margarito said.

Pacquiao won every round on one scorecard, 120-108, and was ahead 119-109 and 118-110 on the other two. The Associated Press had it a 120-108 shutout.

http://sports.espn.go.com/dallas/news/story?id=5804295

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Boxing News 2010: High stakes for Pacquiao, Margarito

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ARLINGTON, Texas -- Manny Pacquiao, the pound-for-pound king, and the controversial Antonio Margarito are fighting for different stakes. One fights for history. One for redemption.

Pacquiao had hoped to be in the ring with Floyd Mayweather Jr. defending his welterweight title, but Mayweather refused to fight him and is, as he says, "on vacation," while also now fighting a variety of criminal charges stemming from an alleged domestic dispute in September.

So while Mayweather's next fight will be in the courtroom, Pacquiao has moved on with his career and is moving up in weight yet again as he seeks a vacant junior middleweight belt when he and Margarito meet Saturday night (HBO PPV, 9 ET, $54.95) at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington in front of a crowd that could be as large as 70,000, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum said at Wednesday's final news conference. That would be a record for an American indoor fight.

If Pacquiao wins, he would claim a title in a record-extending eighth weight class, which, even in this era of title proliferation, is eye-catching.

"It would be an eighth title, which nobody else has ever done, but Manny Pacquiao is a different kind of athlete," said Arum, who also promotes Margarito. "He's very special and the type of accomplishments he has shouldn't really surprise anybody."

Margarito had his license revoked and his once-solid reputation went into the toilet. He was not allowed to fight in the United States and only after California rejected his plea for a return of his license did Texas regulators give him one in September. It was a controversial move, but it paved the way for his fight with Pacquiao, which will be contested at a contract limit of 150 pounds even though the limit for junior middleweights is 154 pounds.

"Antonio knows he needs to win the fight. He's hoping he's going to redeem himself with the victory," said Sergio Diaz, Margarito's co-manager. "But at the same time he says he doesn't really think he'll get the credit he had before [the scandal]. He thinks if he wins there will be people who will say, 'Well, he got lucky. Maybe it was the weight and Manny was too small and Margarito was too big.' I feel, and he feels, he will carry this scandal the rest of his life.

"But I do believe it's going to diminish and you'll hear about it here and there and every time he fights it's always going to be written about and spoken about. It's going to always be there. It's tough to accept it."

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/columns/story?columnist=rafael_dan&id=5789959

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Boxing News 2010: Storylines surround Pacquiao-Margarito

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ARLINGTON, Texas -- Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito square off at Cowboys Stadium in a huge fight on Saturday night (HBO PPV, 9 ET, $54.95) and there are a litany of stories surrounding it. Here's what some of those involved in the promotion have to say about some of the storylines:

• If Pacquiao wins and a fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. still can't be made, whom will he fight?

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum outlined three possibilities: Shane Mosley, Juan Manuel Marquez for a third fight or a rematch with Miguel Cotto.

• The 150-pound catch weight

There's consternation in some quarters because Pacquiao and Margarito are fighting for a vacant junior middleweight title (division limit 154 pounds) but the contract weight is at a catch weight of 150 pounds at the request of the smaller Pacquiao. So while it's still a junior middleweight title bout there are some who believe that Margarito should be allowed to weigh up to 154.

• Prediction?

Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach is not shy about making predictions when it comes to fights. On this fight he said, "I think we will overwhelm him with the punches he will land on him with the fast hands and combinations. In eight or nine rounds I think we will break him down. Margarito throws a lot of punches and he makes too many mistakes to beat us. He has bad habits and we are going to take advantage of all of them."

Roach later added, "We'll make him quit. I saw the way Mosley beat him and how he fought Roberto Garcia [in May] and he doesn't impress me. He has terrible footwork. He has too many flaws to beat Manny. Technique-wise he's terrible."

• Watching the hands wrapped

Margarito, of course, is notorious because of the hand-wrapping scandal stemming from the fight with Mosley in January 2009, when he tried to enter the ring with wraps loaded with illegal pads coated in a plaster-like substance. Roach will be watching the wrapping procedure very carefully.

• Who will be the crowd favorite?

North Texas is heavily Hispanic, so Margarito will undoubtedly have strong fan support from Mexican-American fans, but so will Pacquiao, who is popular wherever he fights.

• The toll of the scandal on Margarito and his feelings toward former trainer Javier Capetillo, who was responsible for wrapping his hands:

"Tony has gone to therapy, him and his wife," said Sergio Diaz, Margarito's co-manager. "It was affecting his personal life as well. He's aware it's something that will follow him. He felt just by being in the gym and hoping he would fight again, and this is before he was licensed, it's what kept his mind at peace.

http://espn.go.com/sports/boxing/blog/_/name/rafael_dan/id/5792388/storylines-surround-pacquiao-margarito

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Boxing News 2010: Margarito will receive further punishment in the ring

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In terms of competitiveness, this is a terrible matchup. In terms of action, it’s a dream come true –- although the action will be brutally one-sided.

We saw what happened when Margarito, minus the doctored gloves, fought Mosley in January of last year. A 37-year-old who soon afterward showed that he has declined destroyed the rugged Mexican, brutally knocking him out in the ninth round.

And now he’s fighting Pacquiao? The Filipino marvel is 31 and in his prime. He might or might not punch as hard as Mosley at welterweight -- Miguel Cotto would probably lean toward the former -– but he clearly is faster and better than Mosley at this point in their careers.

And forgive the cliché but styles really do make fights. Could Margarito have a better style for Pacquiao? He knows how to fight one way: He stalks his opponent, walking directly into danger. Somewhere Pacquiao is licking his lips in anticipation.

Some might point to Margarito’s pummeling of Cotto as an example of what the Mexican is capable of doing to a quick, talented fighter. That was more than two years ago, though. Margarito looked ordinary against journeyman Roberto Garcia in his only fight since California revoked his license.

Many will point out the size factor: Margarito is a big, strong welterweight while Pacquiao is probably a natural junior welterweight.

How many times do we have to go over this? Size is only a factor when the talent level of the fighters is roughly equal. In this case, the gap in talent is wider than the ocean that separates Mexico and the Philippines.

Pacquiao probably can’t take Margarito out with one punch -– who could? -– but the sacrificial lamb will be hit by an accumulation of punches that almost assuredly will leave him a bloody heap on the canvas before the end of the scheduled 12 rounds.

Imagine a man walking into the whirling propeller of a plane. That’s what’s in store for Margarito.

For the record, I don’t wish this on Margarito. The fact he was about to fight Mosley with loaded gloves was borderline criminal and certainly reprehensible but he’s a friendly guy. You want to believe him when he says he didn’t know –- even if you’re convinced he did.

However, when Pacquiao tears him to pieces, a part of all the angry people who don’t believe he deserves this opportunity, will smile and think to themselves: “He had that coming.”

http://www.ringtv.com/blog/2256/margarito_will_receive_further_punishment_in_the_ring/

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Boxing News 2010: Margarito gets Texas license, fight with Pacquiao

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Former welterweight champion Antonio Margarito of Mexico has been approved to fight in Texas, clearing the way for his proposed bout against Manny Pacquiao at Cowboys Stadium this fall.

Margarito is expected to face Pacquiao for a vacant junior middleweight title on Nov. 13.

“I want to thank the state of Texas for granting me a boxing license, which enables me to continue my passion for the sport of boxing in the United States,” Margarito said in a statement sent to The Associated Press. “I have dedicated my life to giving the fans of the sport entertainment and excitement. On Nov. 13, this great opportunity will ultimately be fulfilled.”

Margarito hasn’t fought in the United States since January 2009, when a plaster-like substance was found in his hand wraps before a fight against Shane Mosley in Los Angeles. Margarito’s license along with that of his former trainer, Javier Capetillo, were revoked for at least one year by the California State Athletic Commission, a decision that was upheld by other states.

The “Tijuana Tornado” honored the revocation, even though he denied knowing anything about the illegal hand wraps. He could have fought outside the United States during his yearlong suspension, but didn’t return to the ring until May 8, about 16 months after his fight against Mosley.

Moving up to junior middleweight, Margarito coasted to a win over Roberto Garcia in Mexico.

“After a thorough review of his application it was determined Mr. Margarito met the requirements of the Texas Combative Sports Act and Rules,” Executive Director William Kuntz said in a statement posted on the department’s website. “Based on the review of the above information, I have authorized the issuance of a license to Mr. Margarito.”

The decision was important not only to those involved in the fight, but also to Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and his opulent stadium near Dallas, as well as the state of Texas.

Any fight involving Pacquiao means big business for the hosts, including massive crowds and hundreds of thousands of pay-per-view purchases. The pound-for-pound king drew 51,000 fans to face the relatively unknown Joshua Clottey on March 13 in the stadium’s first night of boxing.

The choice has drawn the ire of many fans who don’t believe that Margarito should not receive the lucrative payday after what has transpired over the past 18 months. Still, Margarito remains wildly popular in Mexico and the matchup should outdraw the last crowd at Cowboys Stadium.

http://sports.yahoo.com/box/news;_ylt=AhEF5NPdgiNjZWyS_t1JDQOUxLYF?slug=ap-pacquiao-margarito

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Boxing News 2010: Pacquiao dispatches Clottey with ease

Image via WikipediaARLINGTON, Texas — Fighting on the star, Manny Pacquiao showed once again why he is the star.
With most in the crowd of 50,994, the biggest fight crowd in the U.S. in 17 years, cheering him on at Cowboys Stadium, Pacquiao dominated a strangely passive Joshua Clottey from the opening bell Saturday night to retain his welterweight title.
One ringside judge gave Pacquiao every round; the two others gave him all but one.
Clottey kept his gloves up high in front of his face and chose to engage Pacquiao only in spurts. The strategy worked to keep him upright, but he was never competitive in the biggest fight of his career.
"He's a very tough opponent," Pacquiao said. "He was looking for a big shot."
http://articles.sfgate.com/2010-03-14/sports/18831163_1_humberto-soto-manny-pacquiao-joshua-clottey

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Boxing News 2010: Pacquiao vs Clottey fight disappoints boxing fans

Image by mario_d via FlickrMANILA, Philippines – Perhaps spoiled by previous Manny Pacquiao knockouts, only a handful of people from the crowd at SM Megamall Cinema 10 were left applauding and rising from their seats even before the decision, declaring the Filipino boxer the winner, was announced.
“Of course, expectations were not met. It was still a little exciting, though,” said Loy Kaloso, who works for a bank in Pasig City.
He wasn't among those who walked out but Kaloso admitted the fight was not the most exciting one.
“(Joshua Clottey) did not put up a fight. He was playing it safe,” he said, adding that Pacquiao's fight against Miguel Cotto in November was more thrilling.
Only a smattering of applause greeted the announcement that Pacquiao had won by unanimous decision over Clottey although some cheers rang out as Pacquiao was seen celebrating his victory.
http://sports.inquirer.net/breakingnews/breakingnews/view/20100314-258617/Pacquiao-vs-Clottey-fight-disappoints-boxing-fans