More arguing over Pacquiao-Mayweather

The promoter for Floyd Mayweather Jr. told The Times today he wants to make sure Manny Pacquiao understands the difference between the mega-fight happening or not is the matter of Pacquiao submitting to a blood test 10 days later than his camp has already accepted.

"We're still trying to get Mayweather-Pacquiao done for March 13, and we've heard Manny has made claims that the position of Floyd willing to end blood tests 14 days before the fight was never communicated to him," Mayweather promoter Richard Schaefer told The Times.

Pacquiao's representatives say they agreed during a mediation session this week to have the Filipino star submit to a blood test 24 days before the fight, and another immediately after the fight was over.

Originally, Mayweather said he wanted both fighters to be subjected to random blood tests for performance-enhancing drugs all the way until fight night. Pacquiao later declined to take a blood draw less than 30 days before the fight.

"Mayweather wants to split it down the middle to 14 days," Schaefer said. "Isn't that reasonable?"

The question was put to Pacquiao's promoter.

"We had a [mediation] deal based on 24 days, but we said it's all off the table if [Mayweather representatives] get a no from Floyd, and they got a no," Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum said. "So the train has left the station. We have moved on. We don't want to talk about Mayweather anymore until the fall."

Arum went as far as saying he's going to match Pacquiao against another welterweight fighter in his company, Joshua Clottey, on March 13 at a venue he wouldn't disclose but is reportedly Thomas and Mack arena in Las Vegas.

Schaefer is urging Mayweather-Pacquiao talks to continue, admitting a deal needs to be struck soon because of training schedules. Schaefer said "the fight is so publicized and being asked for by the public that it doesn't need our usual promotional push."

When told that, however, Arum replied, "He wants talks to continue. Who is he going to be talking to?"

Asked if Pacquiao knows the fight can be saved by agreeing to the 14-day deal, Arum barked, "Are you crazy?" and hung up the phone.

Source: Lance Pugmire  | Los Angeles Times

Floyd Mayweather the one using banned substances?

It has come to light today that Floyd Mayweather has used injectable pain killers such as Xylocaine in the past before fights. The irony being that this drug is illegal in nearly all states, with one notable exception, Nevada.

Perhaps the reason for Golden Boy and Mayweather not wanting to fight in Texas now becomes clear. Obviously if tested there, particularly with the extensive testing he was asking for, Mayweather would test positive for a banned substance. In Nevada, these drugs are legal, and presumably can be used for athletic competition without any legal or financial recourse.

After all the negotiating trouble and accusations about Manny Pacquiao and his supposed steroid use, it appears Mayweather is the one taking widely banned substances.

The reason for Floyd using these drugs is presumably due to the fact that his hands are rather brittle, and he has broken both several times in the past. With a numbing agent to stop his hands hurting he can throw punches more often and without fear of hurting himself as much.

Another question this throws up is whether these drugs are illegal in Olympic style testing. Presumably they will be detected in some form, although whether they are illegal or not surely rests with the Nevada State Athletic Commission rather than anything else. They are the ones after all who make up the lists of what is and isn't allowed in athletic competition in the state. Olympic standards are different to these slightly, although anything extra testing found would surely be inadmissible against Floyd if the NSAC allowed it.

If nothing else, this news breaking again will further damage the already shaky reputation of Mayweather, who has seen his public opinion fall greatly with the drug testing debacle around his possible fight with Manny Pacquiao. whatever Floyd was trying to do there, and surely now it can't have been that he really wanted the testing initially, it has now backfired severely.

Full details about the use of the drug can be found in an old article on Insider Boxing (click here), dredged up from the depths by a Paclander by the name of Maverick65. Now obviously this article is old and was written by someone who doesn't like Mayweather very much by the sounds of it. However if the information is correct then mayweather is probably still doing the same things as he was back then. Brittle hands don't ever get tougher.

Source: Scott Heritage  | examiner.com

Mayweather blasts Pacquiao

NEW YORK (Reuters) — Floyd Mayweather Jr. launched a verbal jab at Filipino WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao on Thursday after talks to revive their planned mega-fight collapsed.

“Throughout this whole process I have remained patient, but at this point I am thoroughly disgusted that Pacquiao and his representatives are trying to blame me for the fight not happening when clearly the blame is on them,” Mayweather said in a statement.

“First and foremost, not only do I want to fight Manny Pacquiao, I want to whip his punk ass.”



A World Boxing Organization welterweight title bout slated for March 13 against Mayweather in Las Vegas was expected to be among boxing’s biggest revenue-producing fights.

The bout, widely considered to have matched the best pound-for-pound boxers in the world, was called off on Wednesday when Mayweather’s demand for Olympic-style dope testing was rejected by Pacquiao.

Pacquiao’s promoters announced on Thursday they will probably name a fresh opponent before the end of the week.

“We expect Manny to fight in March,” a spokesman for Top Rank told Reuters. “We’re working on an opponent for him and we should have something finalized in a day or two.”

Mayweather said he offered a compromise but Pacquiao refused to bend.

“Before the mediation, my team proposed a 14-day, no blood testing window leading up to the fight. But it was rejected,” said Mayweather.

“I am still proposing the 14-day window but he is still unwilling to agree to it, even though this is obviously a fair compromise on my part as I wanted the testing to be up until the fight and he wanted a 30-day cut-off.”

“The truth is he just doesn’t want to take the tests,” he said. “Manny Pacquiao and his team are denying the people a chance to see the biggest fight ever. I know the people will see through their smokescreens and lies.”

“I am ready to fight and sign the contract. Manny needs to stop making his excuses, step up and fight,” he added.

Source: Unknown Author  | Reuters.com

Mayweather camp not giving up on superfight

Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer was desperately trying to reignite talks Friday to salvage the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Manny Pacquiao fight even as Pacquiao’s chief adviser said the Filipino superstar is “hours away” from signing a contract to fight Joshua Clottey.

Since the start of negotiations for a Mayweather-Pacquiao fight began in mid-November, Mayweather demanded random, Olympic-style drug testing administered by the United States Anti-Doping Agency, which would have meant that both fighters were subject to random blood and urine testing up to and including the day before the proposed March 13 fight. Pacquiao rejected the offer, agreeing to unlimited urine tests but demanding that any blood tests be cut off no later than 30 days before the fight.

The sides had quickly agreed on most points in the negotiations and the drug-testing dispute has been the only sticking point in the last month in an attempt to make the bout between the men widely regarded as the top two fighters in the world.

The highly anticipated bout seemed to be going down the drain Friday afternoon as Pacquiao adviser Mike Koncz told Yahoo! Sports by telephone from the Philippines that “we’ve moved on and are getting ready to sign a contract to fight Clottey.”

Schaefer, whose company is representing Mayweather in the talks, said Friday he isn’t sure Pacquiao is aware that Mayweather agreed to cut off testing 14 days before the fight and to have it administered by the Nevada Athletic Commission.

Bruce Binkow, the chief marketing officer of Golden Boy Promotions, on Dec. 30 offered a 14-day cutoff as a compromise via instant message to Top Rank president Todd duBoef, who replied on Dec. 31 that “14 is no good.”

Schaefer said he believes the fight can be salvaged over the weekend and the first step is making certain that Pacquiao is aware of Mayweather’s 14-day offer. “There are reports [on the Internet] that Manny is not aware of this and we want to make certain that he knows what Floyd has agreed to do,” Schaefer said.

However, Koncz said he was informed of the offer and that he brought it directly to Pacquiao, who would not even consider it. Koncz said Pacquiao was very firm in his decision.

“Bob called and told us about the 14 days and I brought that to Manny and he said, ‘I told you, we’re not agreeing to that,’ and that was pretty much it,” Koncz said.

Schaefer called Mayweather’s offer “a very fair, very reasonable compromise solution” and said Mayweather is still eager to fight Pacquiao on March 13. Both Schaefer and Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe have denied speaking to any potential other opponents, though Mayweather has been linked through numerous published reports with Paulie Malignaggi.

“We’ve focused solely on getting a fight done with Manny Pacquiao and that’s it,” Ellerbe said.

But Arum said he contacted MGM Grand officials about staging a Pacquiao-Clottey fight in its arena on that date and said he was told the MGM was holding it for a Mayweather-Malignaggi fight. Arum said Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is sending his private plane to Las Vegas on Saturday to pick up he and duBoef to bring them to Dallas, where they will attend the Cowboys’ playoff game with the Philadelphia Eagles and discuss staging the March 13 bout in Cowboys Stadium.

Schaefer, though, said he hoped he could revive talks over the weekend because he feels a deal is reachable. Arum scoffed at the talk and said no one from Mayweather’s side had contacted anyone from Top Rank on Friday with the idea of reopening talks.

It is too important for the sport, Schaefer said, to exhaust all possibilities before moving on to other options.

“It would be a disservice to boxing to consider any other names when we still have a few days where we could come to a deal,” Schaefer said. “We still do have a few days here and I’m hopeful it won’t take Manny Pacquiao a few days to respond. We’re ready to split this in the middle and other than this, everything else is ready to go.”

Ellerbe said the drug-testing procedure will be a part of every fight Mayweather is involved in for the rest of his career.

That will likely make it impossible to resurrect talks for a fight with Pacquiao in the fall. Koncz said Pacquiao made several major concessions, such as agreeing for the fight to be called “Mayweather-Pacquiao” in the U.S. instead of the other way around, that he won’t make if negotiations are reopened for a fight later in the year.

“Manny would be willing to fight Mayweather, but the tenor of negotiations would be a lot different in the future,” Koncz said. “Manny was very accommodating before, because he wanted to get this fight done and to satisfy the fans, who wanted it very much. Billing is important to Manny, but he gave that up to accommodate Mayweather’s ego because [Manny] wants to go out as the best fighter there ever was and, clearly, Mayweather is one of the best.

“But given what happened, Manny won’t make those concessions if they come back to us.”

Dr. Don H. Catlin, the head of the Los Angeles-based non-profit Anti-Doping Research, Inc., said a 24-day cutoff for blood testing is not sufficient to prevent abuse. One of the concerns with such a long blood-testing cutoff prior to the date of competition would be the potential use of Erythropoietin, or EPO.

But Catlin said that wouldn’t be the only concern if there were a 24-day cutoff imposed.

“If you have a 24-day window that’s free, with no testing, you can take whatever you want and you’re not going to get caught, end of story,” Catlin said. “[Urine testing] does matter, yes, but they’re not going to catch everything by urine testing alone. What you would do is to take Mircera [a type of EPO], which is available and which is not easy to detect in urine and away you go. You need a blood test.”

Arum said he understands that commissions may request additional testing of Pacquiao in the future because of the controversy raised during talks for a Mayweather fight, but he said neither he nor Pacquiao would have an issue with it.

Arum said an athletic commission would treat the fighters properly. Pacquiao believes he’ll be weakened by giving blood too close to an event. And while there is no medical evidence to back his claim, it could harm him psychologically.

“It’s the commission and if you have confidence in the commission, you will agree to abide by whatever they request,” Arum said. “But you know they’ll take the phobia of the fighters, and so forth, into account whenever they order what tests they deem appropriate.”

Source: Kevin Iole  Yahoo! Sports

Foreman out; Manny camp eyes Clottey

MANILA, Philippines - Josh Clottey, who gave Miguel Cotto a tough fight last June, has surfaced as Manny Pacquiao’s possible opponent in March.

Mike Koncz, Pacquiao’s adviser, yesterday said he and the Filipino boxing superstar talked about the possibility of facing the 33-year-old hitter from Ghana after plans of going up against Yuri Foreman, the 5-foot-11 light-middleweight champion, were aborted.

“It was supposed to be a secret,” said Koncz of having Clottey, who is also under Top Rank, as Pacquiao’s opponent either in March 13 or March 20. “But suddenly I get calls from the media and it’s all over the Internet. Manny and I talked about it and he said he’ll see.”

Koncz said they may come up with something concrete “in a day or two.” He said Pacquiao just got a little concerned with Foreman’s height and weight advantage even if there was a chance for him to win an eighth world title in eight different weight categories.

Koncz also said facing Paulie Malignaggi wouldn’t make Pacquiao look good, and at the same time there’s nothing to gain and nothing to prove fighting Juan Manuel Marquez, actually the last fighter who came close to beating Pacquiao on the ring, a third time.


Clottey, who lost a split decision to Cotto when others felt he should have won, is probably the best fight out there for Pacquiao.

Pacquiao and his promoter, Bob Arum, are shopping for a new opponent after negotiations for the superfight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. was declared dead the other day due to serious disagreements on the drug-testing and blood-testing procedures.

Mayweather said he has never backed out of the fight and just wanted Pacquiao to agree to have a blood test 14 days before the fight. Pacquiao said he just won’t do it, and instead agreed to have his blood tested 24 days before the fight. Again, there was no deal made.

Meanwhile, Cebuano matchmaker and another Pacquiao adviser, Wakee Salud, said there’s still a chance that the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight, which should be the biggest in the new century, could be saved. He offered a simple formula that both camps may look into.

“If Manny wants a blood test 24 days before the fight and Mayweather wants it 14 days before the fight, then why don’t they meet halfway. Minus five days for Manny and plus five days for Floyd. Maybe they can both agree to a blood test 19 days before the fight,” he said.

Salud said there’s so much money on the table, money that’s enough to cover more than a dozen other title fights, for the boxers to totally turn their backs on it. He said it’s the fight the public wants to see, and it’s the responsibility of the boxers and their promoters to make it happen.

“It’s like an Ali-Frazier fight not happening because of disagreements with the blood testing. This fight should happen. Either in March or later on, they need to make this happen. Again, maybe they can agree to blood tests 19 days before the fight and another immediately after,” said Salud.

Source: Abac Cordero  | Philstar.com

Viloria, Nietes stake crowns in Bay card

MANILA, Philippines - A double championship featuring Filipino world titlists Brian Viloria and Donnie “Ahas” Nietes serves as the initial presentation of the Boxing at the Bay for the year 2010.

Viloria stakes his International Boxing Federation (IBF) light-flyweight crown against Carlos Tamara of Colombia, while Nietes puts his World Boxing Organization (WBO) minimumweight belt on the line against Mexican Sammy “Guty” Gutierrez in a pair of 12-round bouts on Jan. 23 at the Astrodome.

Solar Sports presents the regular boxing series that kicked off last October featuring rising ring prospect Drian Francisco scoring a 10th round stoppage of former two-time world champion Roberto Vazquez of Panama for the World Boxing Association (WBA) super-flyweight international title.

The Boxing at the Bay is the biggest boxing program in South East Asia today in the tradition of boxing shows like Top Rank Promotions’ Latin Fury and Pinoy Power.

But the fights will also be fed live via satellite to major parts of Asia, North and South America and a few countries in Europe.


Viloria has long been a byword in world boxing ever since competing in the 2000 Sydney Olympics, and later, knocking out Eric Ortiz in a single round to win the World Boxing Council (WBC) light-flyweight crown.

Only last year, he added to his legend a sensational 11th round knockout win of durable Mexican Ulises Solis to wrest the IBF 108-pound title before an ecstatic weekend crowd at the Araneta Coliseum.

Four months after, the 29-year-old Fil-Am boxer made a successful defense of the IBF title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Jesus Iribe of Mexico in his first homecoming bout in Hawaii after five years.

On the other hand, Nietes is defending his WBO 105-pound belt for the fourth time since capturing the title three years ago with a unanimous 12-round decision over Thai Pornsawan Porpramook in Cebu City.

Just a year ago, the 27-year old pride of the famed ALA boxing gym traveled all the way to Mexico to stake his crown not once, but twice, successfully accomplishing the feat in opposite fashion.

First, he decisioned Eric Ramirez in their 12-round fight held in February that saw the Mexican knocked down a total four times. Seven months later, Nietes carved out a split decision against Manuel Vargas.

Since the boxing card was announced, tickets have been selling briskly.

Source: Author Unknown  | Philstar.com

Cotto’s prey Clottey also in Pacquiao’s radar

New York-based Ghanaian Joshua Clottey is also in the running for the Manny Pacquiao lottery, which has become sort of a free-for-all following the breakdown of the megafight with Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

GMA News’ Chino Trinidad reported on QTV's Balingtanghali that Clottey, who unsuccessfully challenged Miguel Cotto for the WBO welterweight title last June 2009, is in Pacquiao’s radar along with junior middleweight champion Yuri Foreman of Israel.

Pacquiao has seen the 32-year-old Clottey (35-3, 20 KO) in action first-hand against a common foe, Cotto. In that fight, Clottey survived a first-round knockdown and gave Cotto, who was cut in the third round after an accidental head clash, a tough time before yielding a close split decision.

Cotto, though, eventually lost that belt via an 11th-round TKO from the 31-year-old Pacquiao.

Clottey, a former IBF welterweight champion, has first vied for the WBO stap in 2006, losing a unanimous decision to Antonio Margarito.

Foreman too tall?

Foreman’s name was among the first mentioned after Pacquiao-Mayweather fizzled out, his 154-lb title giving the pound-for-pound king a shot at an eighth division crown.

But the unbeaten fighter's towering frame (5’11" against Pacquiao’s 5’6") could likely rule him out.

"Manny's concerned about Foreman's height. We'll go through the entire (welterweight and junior welterweight) categories and see what we can come up with," Pacquiao’s associate Michael Koncz said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times.



Aside from Foreman and Clottey, also considered as Pacquiao’s challenger are his old rival Juan Manuel Marquez, Zab Judah and junior welterweight champ Timothy Bradley.

Trinidad stressed that Pacquiao, who now has the power to choose his opponent, has yet to make his pick.

Pacquiao’s camp has been forced to look for a different fight after the last ditch mediation with Mayweather’s representatives bogged down. The two camps failed to come up with a settlement over drug testing protocol.

Source: Author Unknown  | gmanews.tv

Team Pacquiao, Arum Slam Mayweather's 14-day Story

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum has slammed the latest proposal by Floyd Mayweather Jr asking pound-for-pound king and boxing hero Manny Pacquiao to agree to a blood test, 14 days before their planned March 13 mega fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Arum told www.insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports that “after the horses leave the barn and they rejected Manny’s 24 days offer he now comes up with the 14 days which is totally unacceptable” although Mayweather, in a statement on boxingscene.com claimed that “before the mediation my team proposed a 14 day, no blood-testing window leading up to the fight and it was rejected”

However, Team Pacquiao vehemently disputed Mayweather’s claim even as we learned that no such proposal was offered even during the mediation talks let alone before.

Mayweather said he is still proposing the 14-day window but that Pacquiao is still unwilling to agree to it, “even though this is obviously a fair compromise on my part as I wanted the testing to be up until the fight and he wanted a 30-day cut-off. The truth is he just doesn't want to take the tests.”

Here again Team Pacquiao said it was a falsehood since they had agreed to bring forward the cutoff date to 24 from the original 30 for the blood test proposed by the Mayweather camp.

Arum stressed that the Mayweather proposal was made after the mediation efforts of former federal judge Daniel Weinstein had failed to get the two sides to agree on a cutoff date and the blood testing procedure pointing out that “this is not a swap thing among a bunch of kids.”

Arum made it clear that the initial position of Pacquiao was that he would agree to a blood test one day before the kickoff press conference, a second test 30 days before the fight and a third in the dressing room immediately after the fight.

He said “we agreed to go to 24 days before the fight for the blood test but he rejected it and that’s it. It's over.”

Arum feels that since Mayweather has been getting a bad press where the majority are blaming him for the collapse of a fight that millions wanted to happen, he is trying to turn things around but that “it's not working.”

In typical fashion Mayweather in his statement said "First and foremost, not only do I want to fight Manny Pacquiao, I want to whip his punk ass.”

Pacquiao’s adviser Michael Koncz branded the Mayweather statement as “both humorous and ludicrous all in one.” Koncz revealed it he had been told by experts that any performance enhancing drugs “will be in your blood 40 days before the fight or the day after the fight. Whatever is there is there for that time period. So what the hell does 14 days have to do with it? Nothing other than to irritate Manny knowing that he has whatever, a fear or a superstition of extracting blood less than 30 days.”

With Arum insisting that the fight is off and blaming Mayweather for the failure of the mediation efforts of retired federal judge Daniel Weinstein, Team Pacquiao is moving ahead to schedule a good, competitive fight either on March 13 or 20 in Las Vegas.

The original proposal for Pacquiao to go after an eighth world title against 154 pound champion Yuri Foreman has been turned down by Pacquiao himself simply because Foreman is much taller than him besides being much heavier. Australia’s Michael Katsidis was also ruled out as nothing more than a tune-up fight with no real value and would be hard to market.

Koncz said while a possible trilogy with Juan Manuel Marquez was “thrown into the mix” he had discussed it with Pacquiao Friday morning before they flew to Pacquiao’s hometown of General Santos City and they agreed that “the entertainment value I don’t think is there. Manny has nothing to prove by fighting Marquez because we beat him twice. If he fights him ten times, all ten fights will end in controversy because of the styles of the two fighters for some reason, they happen. There is no entertainment value there. They fought twice and couldn’t beat the 430,000 pay-per-view numbers.”

As for Paulie Malignaggi who has joined the Mayweather chorus in alleging that Pacquiao is on some performance enhancing drug Koncz said “the fans will boo throughout because he will jab and run.”

The top choice subject to Pacquiao’s approval, is Joshua Clottey who many people believe beat Miguel Cotto in their WBO title fight but lost the decision. Koncz told us that he doesn’t wish to emphasize that it's Clottey right now because no decisions have been made although he did admit that Clottey is “a good enough fighter and Manny and I both think he beat Cotto and I think he is marketable. But we have to work on the financial terms” even as he didn’t foresee a problem since Clottey is promoted by Top Rank.

Retired federal judge Daniel Weinstein who spent nine hours on Tuesday with representatives of Pacquiao and Mayweather in an effort to break the impasse over blood testing issued a statement to set the record straight in which he stated: a. Both parties participated in the mediation in good faith. Both parties participated in many hours of negotiation, with a number of proposals issued by each side and carefully considered by the parties and their representatives. b. The Mediator himself did not formulate, recommend or issue a Mediator's Proposal. The Mediator did not make an evaluation or finding that any one of the many proposals considered by the parties was the correct protocol. C. Any attempt to characterize the mediation process as an acceptance or rejection by any of the parties of a mediator's or an arbiter's proposal or of any specific proposal is false and d In the end, the parties could not agree on a testing protocol acceptable to all.

Source: Ronnie Nathanielsz  | BoxingScene.com

Top Rank says Manny Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey is on!

Top Rank has announced on their Facebook page that Manny Pacquiao will defend the WBO welterweight title on March 13 against Joshua Clottey. We talked about that earlier but it seemed most of us were skeptical it could happen. Apparently, it's going to.

Clottey is a tough stylistic matchup for anyone, and Pacquiao will be facing a real, live welterweight again for sure. Clottey is no joke. As Floyd Mayweather Sr. himself once put it, "Joshua Clottey ain't nothin' to f**k with."

screenshot from Top Ranks' Facebook Page post:








I'm not sure if that March 13 date is correct or a typo. All reports are that Mayweather has retained the March 13 date at the MGM Grand, and that Pacquiao would fight on March 20, likely at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Pacquiao-Clottey is really about as good of a March fight as Pacquiao was going to get with the Mayweather negotiations falling apart. The other two top welterweights besides Pacquiao, Mayweather, Clottey, and Miguel Cotto are fighting each other on January 30 (Shane Mosley and Andre Berto), and would surely not be ready by March for another fight. Pacquiao is running for office in the Philippines in May, meaning he won't be available to fight again after March until this fall, most likely.

Clottey (35-3, 20 KO) will get another chance to break into the very, very elite of the sport. He lost a tough decision to Antonio Margarito back in 2006, and lost a rough, back-and-forth battle with Miguel Cotto in June. His first loss was a 1999 disqualification against former welterweight champion Carlos Baldomir.

Thumbs up? Thumbs down?

Source: Author Unknown  | BadLeftHook.com

Mayweather Has a History of Being a 'Coward,' Says Arum

Promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank outlined the history of Floyd Mayweather Jr's mental state. A coward's mental state, according to Arum. He says Mayweather will never agree to take a tough fight where he stands any chance of losing. Arum has gone on the warpath after Mayweather walked away from a March 13 showdown with Manny Pacquiao.

After weeks of negotiations and a nine hour mediation on Tuesday, Mayweather refused to accept the terms for a Pacquiao bout. He was unhappy with Pacquiao's proposal of taking random bloods tests until 24-days prior to their fight. Mayweather wanted the random blood tests to take place until a date that was much closer to their fight.

Arum is not surprised the fight fell apart. He says Mayweather's fear of losing is the reason why many of best fights never took place at welterweight. He points out how Mayweather walked away from a very lucrative rematch with Oscar De La Hoya in 2008. De La Hoya gave Mayweather a very tough fight in 2007.

"Floyd Mayweather walked away," Arum said to USA Today. "Our guy was agreeable, Mayweather wasn't. It's not surprising. I always felt that he wasn't going to do the fight. He knows Manny will beat him. Mayweather's never stepped into the ring with a guy he had any question but that he was going to beat."

"That's why there's never been a (Shane) Mosley, there's never been a (Antonio) Margarito, there never was a (Miguel) Cotto, and there's no Pacquiao. Floyd Mayweather is a coward. He will never fight anyone that will remotely give him a tough fight. Here's a guy who, the rematch with (Oscar) De La Hoya was a huge fight, it would've made millions and millions, and he walked away from it.. .. I'm not disappointed in the sense that I always knew it was going to be this way."

Source: Mark Vester  | BoxingScene.com

Boxing blows chance at renewed relevance

This was supposed to be the fight that made it all OK. The one that promised to sweep all of boxing’s ills under the carpet. The one where all the nonsense and corruption and hyperbole and alphabet straps and endless politicking was forgotten, because at long, long last, for one blockbuster night, boxing was going to get it right.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao would have been a generational contest, one which for once there could never be enough hype and which would have decided beyond doubt the greatest boxer of modern times.

Its collapse on Wednesday night, following weeks of negotiating hooks and jabs, and even a desperate final round of talks refereed by a former judge, was the end of more than just a fight.

It was the bout boxing craved, the best two pugilists on the planet, a monumental event to compare with anything 2010 had to offer, Winter Olympics, Super Bowl, World Cup, World Series included.

No one is blameless in this sorry saga, not Mayweather nor Pacquiao nor any of their advisors. Egos, pride and self-importance got in the way of something special and exposed so many of boxing’s self-inflicted failings in the process.

Sadly, it is those of us who love this sport, warts and all, despite its challenges and problems and fall from grace in the sporting conscience, who will be most hurt by the demise of the match-up that promised so much.

Perhaps the men who are game to step into the ring in this brutal yet intoxicating profession have no responsibility other than to themselves and their own welfare.

Yet giving something back to boxing would hardly have been such a wrenching sacrifice for Mayweather and Pacquiao, not with $40 million each to sweeten the pot.

Instead, the parties conspired to shoot themselves in the foot. Negotiations quickly turned into open warfare, as much about posturing in the media and swaying public opinion than making any meaningful progress. The issue of drug testing created a rift that no one was willing to compromise on, at least not to any level that could realistically allow them to meet in the middle.

It is not a tragedy for boxing – there is only one morbid situation that qualifies for that description – but it is a travesty, a monumental setback which will pick at the seams of the sport’s credibility.

What a sick irony that for all the avarice that has often consumed boxing, one of its darkest hours arose from the willingness of Mayweather and Pacquiao to walk away from such mind-boggling paychecks.

Accusations will undoubtedly fly backwards and forwards over the coming weeks, yet the fact is that both sides could have done more, if they were as committed to the contest as they claimed. As a result, both men will lose out on more than they realize right now. For each, the fight that should have taken place on March 13 was the definitive chance to cement a legacy of greatness.

Now it is highly feasible that we will never know how good they really are, as they were prepared to discard the chance at a special place in history without as much as a punch thrown. According to his promoter, Bob Arum, Pacquiao is likely to move forwards with a bout against junior middleweight Yuri Foreman, in search of his eighth world title in different divisions.

Mayweather is looking at squaring off with Paulie Malignaggi. If not for the events of the past couple of months, then either fight would have some kind of merit.

As it is, it is virtually impossible to raise any interest. Boxing faces a long and tough battle to drag itself up off the canvas, and it won’t be done by contrived matches such as these.

The sweet science weeps just now, not for what it lost, but for what it might have had.

Source: Martin Rogers  Yahoo! Sports

It's final - megafight a no go

MANILA, Philippines - The superfight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. is dead.

It’s not going to happen on March 13. And it may never happen at all.

Pacquiao’s promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank, yesterday said he was informed by the mediator, retired federal judge Daniel Weinstein of Santa Monica, Wednesday in the United States that the fight is off.

It’s the second time in just a couple of weeks that Arum had announced that the fight, which could have generated more than $100 million in revenues, is off. This time, however, he sounded that it’s off for good.

“The fight’s off, Mayweather never wanted it,” Arum told the Los Angeles Times. He said a few days ago that Mayweather’s demand for random blood-testing in the months, weeks and days to the fight is his way out of it.


“He wants a way out of the fight and he found his way out of the fight,” said Arum, who won’t waste any time sealing a fight between Pacquiao and junior middleweight champion Yuri Foreman on March 13 or March 20. Reports said Mayweather may take on Paulie Malignaggi instead.

Pacquiao, who stood to earn as much as $40 million against Mayweather, said he tried everything to get it done, and give the fight fans the fight that could have or should have gone down in boxing as the greatest.

“I want to apologize to my fans all over the world that these unfortunate and unfounded statements have been made against me for taking some type of performance enhancement drugs,” said Pacquiao through his adviser, Mike Koncz. “I was prepared to do whatever the Nevada Commission was going to ask of me in regard to these unfounded allegations of drug use, yet Mayweather’s people continued to push it, so I had to take a stand based on principle not to be bullied.”

Pacquiao’s pointman in LA, Winchell Campos, said the Filipino side tried everything “to get the fight done” but Mayweather’s actions the past couple of weeks showed that “he didn’t want to fight.”

When the talks initially bogged down two days before Christmas, Pacquiao said he felt Mayweather was afraid of him.

“Takot sa akin. Naduduwag (He’s scared of me),” said the reigning pound-for-pound champion, who still stands to earn at least $12 million if he takes on Foreman two months before he runs for a congressional seat (in his hometown in Sarangani) in the May 10 polls.

Now it’s up to the Nevada court to decide on the defamation suit which Pacquiao filed against the Mayweathers and his negotiating team that included Oscar dela Hoya and Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy. The case is on.

Mayweather’s demand for an Olympic-style drug-testing by the US Anti-Doping Agency, which could require as many as five blood tests and 12 urine tests, any day and anytime of the day, was too much for Pacquiao.

The Filipino champion had softened on his stand that blood tests only take place this week, 30 days before the fight and immediately after the fight. He said he’s fine with the second test being done 24 days before the fight.

But reports said Mayweather still refused, and not even attempts by his manager, Al Haymon, and Schaefer, could make the undefeated American change his mind even if he knew it would mean the end of the talks.

“Manny wanted the fight. He was agreeable to terms,” Arum added. “I always knew Mayweather would kill it because he didn’t want it. He didn’t want to lose.”

“I am disappointed in the sense this fight will not happen. I’m not surprised,” Arum told the LA Times.

During the Weinstein-led negotiations that took all of nine hours Tuesday, boxingtalk.com said Mayweather was assured by experts “how protected he was” if Pacquiao is blood-tested 24 hours before the fight, or that it would have been enough to prove if the hard-hitting Filipino is into some performance-enhancers.

No word has come out of the Mayweather camp. Koncz, had this to say:

“The proposal that the mediator put forth and recommended the Mayweather camp was very simple: They would be allowed to do the blood-testing within up to 24 days of the fight, and the tests would be supervised, pursuant to the guidelines of the Nevada State Athletic Commission’s jurisdiction, and that they [Mayweather’s camp] would give a statement of full apology in regard to comments made about Manny and their false allegations that he had been taking performance enhancing drugs.

“I was informed by Arum about 30 minutes ago that that was flatly refused by the Mayweather people, and that’s a rejection of the recommendation of the arbitrator, so we’re not going to stay around and wait, because we have nothing to negotiate. It’s not all about money to Manny. No. 1, they have made some statements that are very detrimental and that have harmed Manny. Even with a full retraction, I don’t think that the damage can be resolved,” Koncz told fanhouse.com.

“I can say that Manny is going to move on to the next fight in the ring, and we’re going to move on to our fight in court. We are going to press forward vigorously against each of the defendants for their defamatory statements against Mr. Pacquiao,” said LA-based lawyer, Dan Petrocelli, who filed the case on behalf of Pacquiao.

“We are going to take all of their depositions under oath, and we will require them to admit that they have no evidence whatsoever to support any of their statements, and if they do have any evidence, they’re going to be forced to disclose it,” said Petrocelli. “Of course, we know that they don’t have any evidence, so we’re expecting that they will have to admit that they lack any evidence on which to base their statements.”

Source: Abac Cordero  | Philstar.com

Pacquiao eyes Foreman for possible showdown

With the planned superfight with Floyd Mayweather, Jr. already declared off, the camp of Manny Pacquiao is now considering New York-based Israeli champ Yuri Foreman as the his next opponent.

In an interview with Fanhouse, Pacquiao’s close associate Michael Koncz said the Filipino ring icon will look at fighting fellow Top Rank fighter Foreman on March 13 or 20 at the MGM Grand or the Thomas & Mack Center “or someone else."

“We sat down and watched a little bit of tape on Yuri Foreman yesterday and Manny wanted me to inquire about his exact height, which is a half of an inch taller than De La Hoya," Koncz told the website.

Although not as big a box-office draw as Mayweather, stablemate Foreman makes an appealing opponent for Pacquiao since he holds the WBA junior middleweight title, giving the Filipino a shot at an eighth division crown.

Koncz, however, stressed that Foreman is not yet the "chosen one" after the breakdown of mediation for the Pacquiao-Mayweather gig.

“Manny hasn't rejected that fight (Foreman), but he hasn't yet accepted it. We're going to sit down - Manny, myself, and Manny's lawyer, Franklin Gacal. We'll try to look at a couple of other options as to fighters and possible opponents, and then we'll relay that to (Top Rank boss Bob) Arum," Koncz told the website.

Last ditch mediation to salvage the foundering Pacquiao-Mayweather gig bogged down Wednesday (Thursday in Manila), leading Arum to declare it dead.

Projected to be the richest in history, the fight was derailed by disagreement over drug-testing procedures.

The Mayweather camp, which has accused Pacquiao of using performance-enhancing substances on his way to the top, has insisted on conducting an Olympic-style dope tests before the fight. The Pacquiao side, though, agrees on urine and blood tests but with a cut-off date so as not to disrupt training.

Making matters worse was Pacquiao’s decision to sue the Mayweathers and Golden Boy Promotions executives Oscar De La Hoya and Richard Schaefer, who represented the fighter in the negotiations, for defamation over what he felt were baseless accusations of dope use.



According to Arum, Pacquiao agreed to ease his demands on the drug testing window – from 30 days before the fight to just 24 days. He already had his blood taken 24 days before his slugfest with Ricky Hatton as part of the requirements for a Nevada boxing license.

Mayweather, however, stood firm on his position.

"Manny accepted what was on the table and Mayweather rejected it," Arum said in an interview with ESPN.Com.

“(Mayweather adviser Al) Haymon and Schaefer tired to convince Floyd all [Tuesday night] and [Wednesday] and he wouldn't agree to it. He didn't want the fight. He never wanted the fight. I always knew the fight wouldn't happen," he added.

Schaefer, though, declined to comment on the fight’s status.

“I’m not going to confirm or deny anything. At this point, we have no comment.’’ Schaefer was quoted by The Las Vegas Review Journal as saying.

Mayweather is reported to be considering Paulie Malignaggi in place of Pacquiao on March 13.

Source: Author Unknown  | gmanews.tv

Pacquiao to pursue lawsuit vs Mayweather

Fight fans are disappointed that the super fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. has been called off. Pacquiao himself is disappointed, too.

"I am very disappointed that we could not make this fight for the fans,” the 7-time world champion said in statement.

The World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight king is also angry at the Mayweather camp and its representative Golden Boy Promotions for spreading accusations against him.

“I am angered because of the false accusations from Golden Boy and the Mayweather camp that I used some type of drugs, and that is why I have instructed our American lawyers to proceed with the lawsuit to clear my name," said Pacquiao.



The Pacquiao-Mayweather fight is seen by many as a single bout that could bring back the popularity of boxing as a sport.

Both fighters might have received up to $40 million each in fight revenues had the fight pushed through.

Talks collapse

The fight was called off after the mediation process collapsed due to the Mayweather camp’s refusal to accept Pacquiao’s concession.

During the mediation, Pacquiao’s camp agreed to blood tests 24 days before the fight, which addressed Mayweather's demand that Pacquiao submit himself to a blood test 30 days before the fight.

However, retired federal judge Daniel Weinstein rang Top Rank chief Bob Arum after the meeting to inform that the mega-buck fight won’t push through.

"The fight's off, Mayweather never wanted it. Manny wanted the fight. He was agreeable to terms," Arum told LATimes.com.

Pacquiao’s camp said it saw this development happening.

"When the fight was offered, Manny accepted it with no hesitation," Pacquiao adviser Michael Koncz told ESPN.com. "We're not surprised. We saw this coming once they started this drug bull----. It was a way for them to get out of the fight. I don't think Mayweather expected Manny to accept the challenge so quickly."

More to lose

Arum said the biggest loser in the talk’s collapse was Golden Boy Promotions.

"The guys who should be most disappointed in the fight being off are Schaefer and De La Hoya because they went along with this guy [Mayweather] and ended up with gatz and a big lawsuit," Arum said.

Arum said Golden Boy Promotions, which is headed by boxing great and old Pacquiao foe Oscar de la Hoya, also risks losing its share in the Filipino’s contract.

"There's an arbitration which calls for them to lose any percentage of Manny's promotional contract, something we asked for and had postponed, but now it will go forward," Arum said in ESPN.com.

"We did that two weeks ago before Manny filed his lawsuit. It's binding arbitration. Our request was for Golden Boy to forfeit its interest in Pacquiao's contract based on the fact that they had demeaned Pacquiao with their remarks [alleging he used PEDs] and that it violated the [2007] agreement between Pacquiao, Top Rank and Golden Boy," Arum said.

Source: Author Unknown  | abs-cbnnew.com

'The fight is off': Arum blames Mayweather for failed mediation

Two days of mediation and negotiation hoping to save the proposed March 13 megafight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr ended Wednesday with no deal, and Pacquiao's promoter, Bob Arum, said "The fight is off."

"Floyd Mayweather walked away," Arum said by phone late Wednesday night. "The fight's off. Our guy was agreeable, Mayweather wasn't. The fight's off."

Arum said Pacquiao will now look at fighting undefeated Israeli WBA super welterweight champion Yuri Foreman either March 13 or March 20 in Las Vegas. "We're going to check out all the sites tomorrow," Arum said.

Arum said he couldn't discuss the sticking point in the negotiations with retired federal judge Daniel Weinstein in Los Angeles — which Arum said before the mediation began was the drug testing, as well as a demand for an apology from Mayweather's side for saying that Pacquiao had taken performance-enhancing drugs. But he said, "the fight's off not because of us, not even because of (Mayweather's) people —he was represented by Golden Boy Promotions) — it's because of him personally.

"It's not surprising. I always felt that he wasn't going to do the fight. He knows Manny will beat him. Mayweather's never stepped into the ring with a guy he had any question but that he was going to beat.

"That's why there's never been a (Shane) Mosley, there's never been a (Antonio) Margarito, there never was a (Miguel) Cotto, and there's no Pacquiao.

"Floyd Mayweather is a coward. He will never fight anyone that will remotely give him a tough fight."

Will the fight ever happen?

"No," said Arum. "Here's a guy who, the rematch with (Oscar) De La Hoya was a huge fight, it would've made millions and millions, and he walked away from it.. .. I'm not disappointed in the sense that I always knew it was going to be this way."

Source: Author Unknown  | USA Today

Megafight off; Pacquiao very mad

Manny Pacquiao was disenchanted and enraged when told that Floyd Mayweather Jr. decided to walk away from their March 13 super fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

“I am very disappointed that we could not make this fight for the fans and I am angered because of the false accusations from Golden Boy and the Mayweather camp that I used some type of drugs and that is why I have instructed our American lawyers to proceed with the lawsuit to clear my name,” said Pacquiao in a statement released shortly after it was announced that the fight is off.

After Pacquiao’s promoter Top Rank and Mayweather’s representatives – Oscar De La Hoya and Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy Promotions (GBP) – failed to reach an accord during mediation talks on Tuesday, the arbiter, retired federal judge Daniel Weinstein, gave the two sides until the following day to come to an agreement.

But Mayweather simply did not accept a compromise that would have mandated Pacquiao to be tested for blood 24 days before the fight and immediately after the bout.

Bob Arum was furious, declaring that Mayweather “is scared to death of Pacquiao.”

Pacquiao’s adviser Mike Koncz said “the whole blood testing issue that Mayweather wants from Manny is just a façade to get Mayweather out of this fight.”

“I believe that Floyd did not want to tarnish his perfect record and used this blood testing as an excuse to get out of the fight because he knew Manny would never do it. Floyd being the coward found a way out and he did not care if he tarnished another man’s reputation,” added Koncz.

Mayweather had demanded that Pacquiao undergo Olympic-style (random) drug-testing but the Filipino fighter vehemently rejected the proposal and was later incensed that Mayweather and even GBP officials went to the extent of accusing him of having taken performance-enhancing drugs.

Pacquiao has never failed a drug test in all of his close to 20 fights on American soil.

Had both sides agreed on the terms, Pacquiao and Mayweather would have made $25 million apiece plus a hefty share in the pay-per-view, gate receipts, and closed-circuit viewing.

Now that Mayweather is out of the picture, Arum is eyeing reigning World Boxing Association super-welterweight titlist Yuri Foreman, a Belarus-born Israeli now living in Brooklyn, New York.

If Arum picks Foreman for a March 20 date at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, Pacquiao will be gunning for his eighth world title.

While a Foreman fight is a landmark bout for Pacquiao, another fight that looks much more attractive is a third fight with Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez, a pairing that Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach wants.

Source: Nick Giongco  | Manila Bulletin

Pacquiao vs Mayweather is off: report

The much-awaited March 13 fight between World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. is off, ABS-CBN's Dyan Castillejo reported from the US on Thursday.

In an interview over radio dzMM, Castillejo said both sides failed to resolve their differences over random drug testing.

She quoted Pacquiao's promoter, Bob Arum, as saying Pacquiao will still be fighting on March, but it will no longer be against Mayweather.

She said Arum was looking at Israeli Yuri Foreman as Pacquiao's opponent either on March 13 or 20 in Las Vegas.

Castillejo said this would allow Pacquiao to claim an 8th world title. Foreman is the current World Boxing Association (WBA) super welterweight champion.

She said that as a 154 lb. fighter, Foreman would be another heavier opponent for Pacquiao.

Citing her interview with Pacquiao adviser Michael Koncz, Castillejo said the Pacquiao camp had agreed to blood tests 24 days before the fight, not just random blood tests that the Mayweather camp was asking for.

"But still, the Mayweather camp rejected it. Hindi magkasundo so the fight is off," Castillejo said.

Castillejo said Pacquiao is "very disappointed" that fans will not be able to see him fight Mayweather.

However, Castillejo said Arum is "still looking at other possibilities and will decide over the next few days who the next opponent will be for Pacquiao."

----

Report: Talks for Pacquiao-Floyd megafight fall
gmanews.tv

Last ditch efforts to save the planned March 13 megabout between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. bogged down and the much-anticipated gig is likely off, a boxing website reported Thursday.

According to BoxingScene.Com representatives of Pacquiao and Mayweather would not come to a settlement after two days of mediation with retired federal judge Daniel Weinstein in San Diego.

The cause of the talks’ breakdown was the drug-testing procedure. The Mayweather camp insists on an Olympic-style, random testing supervised by the US Anti-Doping Agency while the Pacquiao group wants to do blood and urine testing under a certain period of time and to be handled by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

BoxingScene.Com reported that Pacquiao’s people have offered to agree to the tests 24 days before the fight – from their previous demand of 30 days – which their counterparts from the Mayweather side have rejected.

As it is, the two may likely take on separate rivals in March.

Source: Author Unknown  | abs-cbnnew.com

Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao Talks 'Ongoing'

The proposed megafight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao still was unclear following Tuesday's nearly nine-hour meeting between the fighters' representatives and a mediator, retired federal judge Daniel Weinstein.

Top Rank Promotions CEO Bob Arum and his stepson, Top Rank president Todd duBoef, were among the first to emerge from the session, which took place at Weinstein's Santa Monica office of Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services (JAMS) and included members of each side's legal representation.

Arum, who promotes Pacquiao, indicated to FanHouse's David Whitley, who was in Santa Monica, that the parties were instructed by Weinstein not to comment.

Later, Oscar De La Hoya, president of Golden Boy Promotions, and Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer emerged with others.

"No comment, no comment," said De La Hoya. "By the judge's order, no comment."

A gag order is in place for the participants of the meeting, which began at 9:30 a.m. local time and ended shortly before Arum and duBoef emerged at approximately 6:10 p.m.

One source with knowledge of the talks said, "The negotiations are ongoing."

It is unclear if that means that the parties will return and resume talks on Wednesday.

Pacquiao has filed a defamation of character lawsuit seeking damages in excess of $75,000, contending that the Mayweather camp has damaged his reputation by demanding that both fighters be randomly drug-tested using urinalysis as well as blood work.

The suit, filed on Wednesday, is seeking compensatory and punitive damages from Schaefer and De La Hoya of Golden Boy Promotions, as well as Floyd Mayweather Jr., Floyd Mayweather Sr., and the fighter's uncle, Roger Mayweather.

Pacquiao is being represented by the Los Angeles-based law firm, O'Melveny and Myers. An attorney from the firm, Dan Petrocelli, filed the suit on the Pacquiao's behalf. A partner of Petrocelli's was present at the mediation session.

Mayweather's camp, which Pacquiao says has accused him of using steroids, initially wanted the Olympic-style, random blood-testing to be done by the United States Anti-Doping Agency, but has softened its stance on that notion.

Neither Pacquiao nor Mayweather has ever tested positive for any banned substances, but the blood-testing procedure -- random or otherwise -- never has been used to detect illegal drug use in boxing.

Source: Lem Satterfield  | boxing.fanhouse.com

Mediation reports positive

There remains a silver lining despite the continued standoff in the mediation talks aimed at saving the March 13 fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather.

“At least what we heard was not an announcement saying the fight is off,” said Pacquiao lawyer Franklin Gacal. “Perhaps, they’re still trying to tie up some loose ends.”

Representatives of both fighters – with Bob Arum and stepson Todd DuBoef of Top Rank as Pacquiao’s emissaries and Oscar De La Hoya and Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy Promotions (GBP) and Mayweather adviser Al Haymon taking the lead for Mayweather – met for nine hours Tuesday before retired federal judge and top mediator Daniel Weinstein in Santa Monica, California.

“We’ve been told not to comment,” Arum told The Bulletin as soon as he stepped out of Weinstein’s office. “There’s a gag order.”


[source]

Weisntein was tapped by both parties in an effort to find a solution to the feud involving Pacquiao’s and Mayweather’s camps over the random blood testing that Mayweather demands for the fight to take place as scheduled at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Apart from the testing issue, there is also the subject of Pacquiao’s defamation lawsuit that the Filipino filed during the holidays against the Mayweathers and GBP and Arum’s decision to rid GBP of its minor promotional rights over his fighter.

Noted publicist Fred Sternburg said the fact that there’s a gag order could be a good sign.

“The longer it is, the better it is. (That) means they’re still working at it,” said Sternburg.

There are reports saying that talks will resume on Wednesday.

Noted boxing scribe Dan Rafael, formerly of USA Today and now with ESPN, said “there’s a lot of stake here aside from the money” the two fighters are getting.

“This fight will crown who is the best fighter of the decade (and) who will be the best fighter in the world today,” said Rafael, a perennial ringsider not only in Pacquiao’s fights but in other marquee matchups as well.

Pacquiao and Mayweather have agreed to a 50-50 split of all the revenues to be generated apart from being guaranteed $25 million each.

They stand to receive as much as $40 million apiece once the pay-per-view and gate receipts, closed-circuit viewing, international broadcast rights and fight merchandise are all computed.

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Times is running an on-line poll, asking its readers who among four primary figures in the on-going rift – Pacquiao, Mayweather, Arum and Mayweather’s promoters and managers - should be blamed.

The top vote-getter as of noontime Wednesday was Mayweather himself with 5,841 votes (72 percent), while his handlers got 1,537 (19 percent).

Pacquiao just got 550 votes (7 percent) and Arum received a measly 213 (3 percent).

Source: Nick Giongco  | Manila Bulletin

Sonsona leaves for the U.S with Donaire Sr. & Morales tonight

“Marvelous” Marvin Sonsona (14-0-1, 12 O’s) leaves for San Francisco tonight (Wednesday in Manila) along with Ciso “Kid Terrible” Morales (14-0, 8 KO’s) and trainer Nonito Donaire Sr after their flights had to be postponed on two occasions when Sonsona failed to take a flight from his hometown of General Santos City to Manila.

Well known promoter Sammy G ello-ani who has handled the career of Sonsona traveled to GenSan to pick up Sonsona and accompany him to Manila to make sure he keeps his commitment for the February 27 title fight against Wilfredo Vazquez Jr (17-0-1, 14 KO’s) in Puerto Rico.

A somewhat relieved Gello-ano told us that the Puerto Rican promoters had spent a lot of money to build-up the super bantamweight title fight and had what Gello-ani said was “a very important press conference” on January 14 and that “everybody wanted to see him (Sonsona) there.”

Gello-ani said Morales who faces WBO bantamweight champion Fernando Montiel (39-2-2, 29 KO’s) in a title fight on the “Pinoy Power III” Top Rank Promotions card at the Las Vegas Hilton was arriving in Manila from Cebu along with trainer Nonito Donaire at 6:30 p.m. and would be joined by Sonsona on the Philippine Airlines flight to San Francisco where they will train at the Kennel Boxing Gym.

Gello-ani said he is flying to San Francisco on Sunday and will accompany Sonsona to Puerto Rico for the press conference after which the former WBO super flyweight champion who lost his title in his first defense when he failed to make the weight in his November 21 bout against Mexico’s Alejandro Hernandez at Casino Rama in Ontario, Canada. However, since the fight ended in a d raw the title remains vacant.

Gello-ani claimed that the 19 year old Sonsona was immature and still wanted to enjoy life and that his parents reportedly couldn’t control him.

Gello-ani said he needs time to mature and said “I hope he will mature after a year or even after this fight” because he is a talented fighter.

When we cited the maturity shown by newly crowned WBO light flyweight interim champion Johnreil Casimiro who scored a stunning 11th round knockout over highly fancied Cesar Canchlla recently, Gello-ani pointed out that the “family background was different who back him up, make sure he has good training while in the case of Sonsona his father cannot control him. That’s why I went to GenSan just to let him (Sonsona)know that this fight is very important.”

We had a chance to talk to Sonsona and advised him to take his career seriously and to make use of the opportunities given him. While he thanked us f or our concern Sonsona said he was “okay and will train hard for the fight” adding “I can do it.”

Source: Ronnie Nathanielsz  | PhilBoxing