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

Beermen trounce Bulls, enter semis

MANILA, Philippines - San Miguel Beer made it safely to the semifinals with two weeks to go in the KFC PBA Philippine Cup double-round elimination phase.

The Beermen imposed their will on the Barako Bull Energy Boosters early and completed a 94-85 victory at the Cuneta Astrodome last night to formalize their entry into the Final Four.

Arwind Santos and Mike Cortez produced big numbers while Dondon Hontiveros delivered the crucial baskets at the stretch as the Beermen rolled past the Boosters and into the semis.

San Miguel, with a 13-3 win-loss card, is now assured of at least No. 2 spot even if it drops its last two games against Coca-Cola and Talk n Text.

SMB coach Siot Tanquingcen, however, stressed they intend to sustain their charge in preparation for the playoffs.


“We can’t be satisfied with the semis. That’s the first goal and now we have to look at a higher objective. We have to figure out how to stay sharp as I’m sure the wildcard and the quarters will drag on,” said Tanquingcen.

Santos, a strong contender for the Best Player of the Conference award, had another remarkable performance against the Boosters, churning out 29 points and 12 rebounds. In their first meeting, the 6-foot-4 former FEU sentinel exploded with a career-best 33 points.

Joseph Yeo put in a personal season-best 31 points while Kelly Williams had a double-double job with 17 rebounds and 15 points as Sta. Lucia Realty turned back Burger King, 83-79, to tighten up the race for the three outright semifinal berths.

Yeo poured in the bulk of his output in the second half as the Realtors outlasted the Whoppers in their gripping battle, tying the Purefoods Giants at fifth place on 9-6 records.

Alex Cabagnot and Wesley Gonzales had decent showings in their first game in a BK jersey but their efforts went to naught as the Whoppers reeled to an 11th loss in 16 games.

Cabagnot and Gonzales combined for 30 points in the game marred by the ejection by BK coach Yeng Guiao in the closing seconds on technical infractions.

“I’m not inspired to play in particular against Barako Bull. I just want to play well in each game in the hope of finally winning a PBA championship. I’m the only player on my team without a championship,” said Santos.

Cortez and Hontiveros also made an impact as the Beermen kept the Boosters in the cellar in handing them their 11th straight defeat.

With a 2-13 slate, Barako Bull is now a full game behind ninth placer Coca-Cola (3-12).

The Boosters’ last three games are against the Talk n Text Texters tomorrow, the SLR Realtors the following Sunday and the Coca-Cola Tigers on Jan. 20.

The Beermen came out smoking in their first game in over two weeks, erecting a 22-point spread right in the opening quarter.

The Boosters launched repeated comeback attempts but the Beermen hung tough with Hontiveros coming through with clutch baskets that thwarted the last of Barako’s uprisings.

Hontiveros, who finished with 10 points, nailed back-to-back jumpers, making it 93-83 with a minute left to play.

Ogie Menor, Jojo Duncil and Aris Dimaunahan struck for the Boosters as they pounced on crucial miscues by SMB to rally to within four, 41-45, towards the end of the first half.

The Beermen took the half at 47-41 before working on another searing assault to break the game open again at 63-46.

The scores: First Game

San Miguel 94 - Santos 29, Cortez 18, Washington 15, Hontiveros 10, Villanueva 7, Miranda 7, Custodio 4, Pena 3, Tugade 1, Eman 0, Racela 0, Pennisi 0.

Barako Bull 85 - Menor 16, Duncil 16, Dimaunahan 16, Crisano 11, Reyes 8, Aljamal 7, Hubalde 4, Belano 3, Alonzo 2, Najorda 2, Faundo 0, Lao 0.

Quarterscores: 32-10, 47-41, 74-62, 94-85

Source: Nelson Beltran  | 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

UFC star wants to do a Pacman

MANILA, Philippines - Like Manny Pacquiao in boxing, Fil-Am Mark Munoz dreams of lording it over the octagon ring in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

“He’s really a role model, I wanted to be a Manny Pacquiao in mixed martial arts,” said Munoz, one of the fast rising stars in the UFC with a 7-1 (win-loss) record.

“I’m a very, very huge fan of Manny,” said Munoz in a phone interview arranged for the media by television giant ABS-CBN and its sports cable channel Balls at the ELJ Building in Quezon City yesterday.

Munoz is coming off an impressive victory over Ryan Jensen, finishing off his rival in just two and a half minutes in the first round during their middleweight undercard bout in UFC108 Evans vs. Silva at the MGM Grand Arena last Sunday.

It was Munoz’s second straight win since beating Nick Catone via split decision in UFC102 Couture vs. Nogueira last August. Those victories more than made up for his disappointing loss to light heavyweight contender Matt Hamill in UFC96 Jackson vs. Jardine five months ago.


Munoz said he even went to Los Angeles, California – a three-hour drive from his hometown in Vallejo – to train under Freddie Roach for a UFC bout and meet the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world.

“I actually trained with Freddie Roach when I was in LA and the reason I want to train with him is that I want to see Manny while training under the world’s best trainer,” said Munoz.

“At the same time, I want to see how compassionate a role model he is because aside from boxing, he’s a very good person that’s why I wanted to see and meet him,” Munoz said.

Like all boxing fans, Munoz said he was disappointed that the superfight pitting Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. has been called off, saying the unbeaten American fighter was scared of the Filipino champion.

“I think Mayweather is scared. I think he is putting off to create a lot of drama, so to speak. But I think they’re going to make it a bigger fight right now,” said Munoz.

Source: Joey Villar  | Philstar.com

Yeo leads Sta. Lucia past Burger King

One automatic semis slot has been taken away and another could be gone in the next few days. The battle for the next three positions, however, is only about to get tougher.

Sta. Lucia Realty made it two-zero in three days and tightened up the race for the three outright quarterfinals slots in the KFC PBA Philippine Cup after a gripping 83-79 win over Burger King at the Cuneta Astrodome Friday.

Kelly Williams grabbed the rebounds and Joseph Yeo put in the points as the Realtors overcame the fierce-fighting Whoppers, thus, catching up with the Purefoods Giants at fifth place on their identical 9-6 win-loss cards.

SLR and Purefoods are in strong contention for an outright quarters seat with Barangay Ginebra and Talk n Text just a game ahead at 10-6.

Alaska Milk, with an 11-2 card, may clinch the second outright semis berth.

"We know we're still in the fight for the Top Five and we want to grab the opportunity. We'll be there fighting," said Sta. Lucia coach Boyet Fernandez.

Yeo put in a personal season-best 31 points while Williams had a double-double job with 17 rebounds and 15 points as the Realtors got a follow-up on their 95-91 win over the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters Wednesday.

Josh Urbiztondo and Gabby Espinas provided help as the Realtors survived a tough battle with ace guard Ryan Reyes sitting out the final half with a sore back.

Alex Cabagnot and Wesley Gonzales had decent showings in their first game in a BK jersey but their efforts went to naught as the Whoppers reeled to an 11th loss in 16 games.

Cabagnot made 17 points, nine rebounds, two assists and one steal while Gonzales added 13 points and six rebounds.

Yeo poured in the bulk of his output in the second half leading the Realtors to the crucial win in the game marred by the ejection of BK coach Yeng Guiao on technical fouls.

It was a tight game that saw neither team lead by more than six points.

The Realtors had fallen by five at 63-68 when Yeo returned to the floor and resumed his torrid shooting, pushing SLR back on top at 78-72.

Yeo went seven-of-seven from the stripe and 11-of-19 from the field in his second most productive game as a pro.

Williams was 1-of-10 from the lane but made up for it with his domination of the boards. (SB)

The scores:

Sta. Lucia 83 - Yeo 31, Williams 15, Urbiztondo 12, Espinas 7, Daa 6, Reyes 5, Aquino 3, Jaime 2, Pacana 2, Omolon 0, Misolas 0.

Burger King 79 - Cabagnot 17, Gonzales 13, Sharma 10, Buenafe 9, Yee R. 8, Williams 6, Matias 6, Yee M. 5, Quinahan 4, Aban 1, Belga 0.

Quarterscores: 16-20, 34-34, 61-56, 83-79

Source: Author Unknown  | PBA.ph

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

Patriots look to get back on track

The Philippine Patriots seek to bounce back strong after suffering a crunching defeat in their last outing as they collide with the KL Dragons in Saturday’s 1st ASEAN Basketball League at the MABA Gym.

This will be the first of three must-win games for the Patriots in their drive to secure the top seeding in this six-team tournament and the coveted homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs.

The team dropped a 67-59 loss to the Slingers in a game where they bungled a 14-point lead in the first half.

“I hope lessons learned in our last game will be put to good use for today’s match," said Patriots coach Louie Alas.

The veteran mentor was referring to the fact that the team started with a tough defensive game only to shift to a shootout against the Slingers in the second half. The ploy backfired as the Patriots could not find the hoops to the delight of the Singaporean crowd.

“We must play defense not only for one quarter but for the whole game. I also hope our locals will be able to share the load with our imports to add dimension to our offense," Alas said.

The Patriots remain at the helm in the league with a 9-3 record but need to sweep their remaining three outings to avoid any complication in their race for the top seeding with the Slingers.

Right now, the Slingers have a 7-4 record entering their final four assignments and there still is a chance for them to tie the Patriots at the top spot with 11 wins.

That will happen if the Slingers win all their outings and the Patriots lose one of their final three games against the Dragons Saturday, the Thailand Tigers on January 17 at Nimibutr National Stadium in Thailand and the Brunei Barracudas on January 24 at Ynares Sports Center in Pasig City.

Should this scenario materialize, the Slingers will assume the top seeding by virtue of their 2-1 head to head record against the Patriots.

The Patriots remain the favorite against the Dragons, having won their first two encounters, 73-63 and 76-70. Morevover, the Dragons are on a two-game slump including a 57-69 setback to Satria Muda BritAma last January 5 at home.

“We won our first two meetings but we can’t be complacent and take them for granted," said team manager Erick Arejola.

For one, the Dragons need this win to boost their own chances for a semis seat.

The Malaysian squad has a 4-7 win-loss record and is contesting the number four seat with the Barracudas (5-6).

Do-it-all import Jason Dixon is expected to shine anew for the Patriots but the team’s other reinforcement, Brandon Powell, must get his act going or else see himself being replaced after this game.

Averaging 18.5 points in the twin victories over Malaysia, Powell has become a non-factor in the team’s past three outings.

In the game against the Slingers, Powell contributed 10 points, but scored six of them in the first quarter. He also committed five of the team’s 17 turnovers in 26 minutes of action.

Aside from Powell, the locals must also step up with Warren Ybanez, Nonoy Baclao, Elmer Espiritu and Val Acuna needing to get involved in the scoring chores.

As for the Dragons, the team will again rely on the heroics of their imports Chris Daniel Kuete Lonichi and Jamaal Brown.

Lonichi is coming off a 26-point, 13-rebound, 3-steal performance in their last outing.

Team Standings(W-L)
RP Patriots 9-3
Satria Muda BritAma 7-5
Singapore Slingers 7-4
Brunei Barracudas 5-6
Thailand Tigers 3-10
KL Dragons 4-7

Game on Saturday
(MABA Stadium, Kuala Lumpur)
5 p.m. — KL Dragons vs RP Patriots

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

Beermen clinch 1st semis berth in Philippine Cup

San Miguel Beer lost no time in clinching the first outright semifinals berth in the KFC-PBA Philippine Cup, whipping Barako Bull, 94-85, Friday night at the Astrodome.

Best Player of the Conference contender Arwind Santos had a double-double of 29 points and 12 rebounds in the Beermen’s 13th win in 16 games and a slot in the best-of-seven semifinals series.

Mike Cortez contributed 18 points and Jay Washington added 15 markers and nine rebounds as they helped the team gain a second straight outright semis berth after finishing no. 1 at the end of the Fiesta Cup eliminations last year.

This marks the fourth straight time that the Beermen have made it to the semis and the seventh time in the past eight conferences.

“It’s nice to be in the semis. But we cannot be satisfied with just being in the semis. We have to make sure that we stay sharp, and we still have to work on a lot of things if ever we want to reach our next goal, which is to get into the Finals," said San Miguel coach Siot Tanquingcen.

The Beermen have two games left before they wrap up their stint in the 18-game eliminations.

San Miguel won despite turning the ball over 26 times, a factor Barako Bull readily took advantage of as it nearly wiped out a 34-10 deficit early in the second period.

The Energy Boosters charged back and came to within 41-45.

They threatened once more to within 74-68 in the fourth quarter, but then again fizzled out as Cortez hit 11 points in a counter 13-6 run in shoving San Miguel to safer grounds, 87-74, with 6:03 left in the game.

The Boosters suffered their 11th straight defeat and now have a 2-13 (win-loss) record. They are expected to fight it out for the final berth in the wild card stage with Coca-Cola, which has a 3-12 slate.

Ogie Menor, Jojo Dundil and Aris Dimaunahan led Barako Bull in scoring with 16 apiece, while Rob Reyes had 13 rebounds and eight points.

The scores

San Miguel Beer (94) -- Santos 29, Cortez 18, Washington 15, Hontiveros 10, Villanueva 7, Miranda 7, Custodio 4, Pena 3, Tugade 1, Eman 0, Racela 0, Pennisi 0.

Barako Bull (85) -- Menor 16, Duncil 16, Dimaunahan 16, Crisano 11, Reyes 8, Aljamal 7, Hubalde 4, Belano 3, Alonzo 2, Najorda 2, Faundo 0, Lao 0.

Quarterscores: 32-10, 47-41, 74-62, 94-85.

Source: Author Unknown  | gmanews.tv

Fil-Am Muñoz wants to be ‘Manny Pacquiao’ of MMA

Up and coming Filipino-American mixed martial artist (MMA) Mark Muñoz is a self confessed Manny Pacquiao fan.

In fact, he wanted to be the Manny Pacquiao of MMA.

“[I’m a] huge [fan of Pacquiao]. Very very huge,” Muñoz said in a phone patch interview with several sports scribes in the Philippines.

“Actually, I trained with Freddie Roach when I was in LA. The reason why I wanted to train with Freddie is that I can see Manny.”

The 6-foot tall fighter known as the “Filipino Wrecking Machine” said he doesn’t just admire Pacquiao’s boxing skills but he also likes the boxer's down-to-earth attitude.

“I got to see him train and how he treats people,” said Muñoz, who already scored 2 wins in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). “He’s a very good role model aside from his boxing. He’s a very good person.”

“That’s what I wanted to be. I definitely wanted to be the Manny Pacquiao of mixed martial arts,” he added.

Muñoz broke into the MMA scene with two successive wins in the World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) where he scored first-round victories over Chuck Grigsby and Ricardo Barrios.

Although he lost his fighting debut in the UFC to veteran MMA fighter Matt Hamill, he made it up by scoring two more victories over Nick Catone and Ryan Jensen.

‘Mayweather’s just scared’

When asked about the cancellation of Pacquiao’s bout with Floyd Mayweather Jr., Muñoz said the American boxer is only looking for excuses to postpone the fight.

“I think Mayweather is scared, I think he’s putting it off,” said the MMA fighter.

Muñoz, one of the many fight fans who wanted the mega-bout to happen, said the cancellation only made the Pacquiao-Mayweather clash bigger than it was.

“It’s actually a big fight, huge fight right now but I think they‘re gonna make it a bigger fight because now it wasn’t gonna happen so people are talking about it now. I think it’s gonna happen,” he said.

He also frowned over the demand by Mayweather’s camp to have Pacquiao undergo Olympic-style drug testing.

Muñoz said he is puzzled over the move to change the drug testing process that has been used in boxing for years and years.

“I think he’s just finding a reason to cancel the fight. I don’t like how it’s been carried out, I don’t like it at all,” he said.

Still, Muñoz wanted the fight to push through.

“It has to happen,” he said.

Source: Dennis Gasgonia  | abs-cbnnew.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

PBA Past Decade’s Best

The PBA in the decade of the 2000’s continued to make its mark in the memory of the basketball fan. While there will be lasting images of what our favorite game and moments of that decade were, here are my top performers of the first decade of the 21st century:

FRANCHISE OF THE DECADE: Most of the championships of San Miguel occurred in the early part of the decade picking up three crowns during the 2000 and 2001 seasons. The Beermen toasted to a total of five championships this past decade. But while San Miguel’s five championship trophies during the decade were just one more than that of Barangay Ginebra, the 12 total trophies they racked up in the decade separated them from the rest of the franchises. The 12 trophies comprised five titles, four second places and three third place finishes. That’s four more trophies compared to the next franchise.

COACH OF THE DECADE: Jong Uichico racked up six championships in the decade turning the trick with two different teams. What’s interesting, in the success of the Ron Jacobs protégé, is his continued ability to adjust to the many changes in the PBA. In the early part of the decade, he led the Beermen in slowing down the game and posting up his big men and in the process helping Danny Ildefonso gain two MVPs. When he joined Barangay Ginebra, he piloted the Kings to two championships turning his offense around and maximizing the potential of his guards.

MVP OF THE DECADE: Unlike the 90’s when Alvin Patrimonio chalked up four Most Valuable Player plums, the MVP of the decade was not so clear cut, with no one player showing the dominance of one of the greatest players of all time.

To be the MVP of the decade, a player must have at least won the MVP. Since 2000, there were a total of nine MVPs since we there was no MVP in 2004 when the PBA changed its schedule. The one-time MVPs were Asi Taulava, Eric Menk, James Yap, Kelly Williams and Jayjay Helterbrand. While the only players to accomplish the feat twice were Ildefonso and Willie Miller.

Of the nine, Miller had the most number of Mythical Selections with five followed by the four selections of Asi. Most impressive are the three selections of Williams, who has been in the Mythical Team each year he has been in the PBA. The Daniel Powters of the group are Menk and Yap who only got selected in the Mythical Team in their MVP years.

Looking at it in a different perspective, I listed the different positions the MVPs of this decade played when they won their awards:
PG – HELTERBRAND, MILLER
SG – YAP, MILLER
SF – WILLIAMS
PF – WILLIAMS, ILDEFONSO, MENK
C – TAULAVA, ILDEFONSO, MENK

What we can see is that the hands-down choice for small forward in the 2000s is Williams while all other positions is still up for debate.

I’ll then remove both Yap and Menk from the discussion because, aside from their lone MVP year, all their other years in the PBA have landed them outside the Mythical Team.

Helterbrand is next to be scratched, because although he has been dominant of late, he only cracked the top ten players of the league these last two campaigns in his 10-year career.
With that in mind the MVP-of-the-decade discussion will only boil down to Miller, Williams, Ildefonso and Taulava.

While Williams has been most impressive in the three years since he entered the league, I feel that that the MVP of the decade should at least have played half of the decade or at least have the most number of MVPs in the group.

That leaves Miller, Ildefonso and Taulava. While Miller and Ildefonso have the most number of MVPs, Taulava owns the highest scoring average during that span. Ildefonso also owns the most number of championships in the group but also has the distinction of missing the most time due to injury.

To answer who the best of the decade is to answer the question, “If you had a chance to draft one of these three players to build your team around, who would it be?”

My answer would thus be Taulava. Although Asi has failed in his potential to bag numerous championships, one cannot discount the fact that he has been the most dominant big man in that span. In the end, his total numbers in both scoring and rebounding dwarfs that of others in discussion.

Source: Author Unknown  | PBA.ph

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