MANILA, Philippines — Juan Manuel Marquez is taking a page from the training regimen of former undisputed world heavyweight king Evander Holyfield as he revs up for the Nov. 12 rubber match with Manny Pacquiao.
Marquez, who will be 38 years old by the time he meets Pacquiao, told examiner.com that he has tapped a ballet instructor to help him strengthen his legs aside from consulting with a team of doctors to aide him in bulking up without sacrificing his quickness.
Marquez’s decision to hire these experts from fields which are considered uncharted territory for boxing, is a sign that the Mexican is dead-serious in leaving a lasting legacy after his scheduled 12-round welterweight clash with the Filipino pound-for-pound king.
Holyfield, who had cleaned up the cruiserweight division (190 lbs) in the 1980s, made a name for himself when he banged with the big boys of the sport in the 1990s, the heavyweights.
Holyfield’s handlers hired men whose expertise was on conditioning, something that was unheard of at that time, naming the state-of-the-art program that he undertook as The Omega Project.
Marquez told examiner that he has “felt very good" after a round of ballet exercises.
Even though the fight with Pacquiao is still more than five months away, Marquez is getting himself ready with a tuneup fight on the line for July 16 in Mexico City.
Marquez and Pacquiao have a storied past.
In 2004, Marquez got up from three first-round knockdowns to salvage a draw in their featherweight scuffle and in the rematch in 2008, Pacquiao escaped with a split decision, results that Marquez said should have gone his way.
Source: mb.com.ph
Showing posts with label pacquiao vs marquez trilogy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pacquiao vs marquez trilogy. Show all posts
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Friday, May 27, 2011
A Six Pack Of Signing Subplots
Three years ago, on the day after Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez II, I wrote a column for ESPN.com entitled “The Pacquiao-Marquez Postfight Six-Pac.” After tense back and forth discussions and negotiations with myself, I have permitted myself to steal intellectual property from me, and so, now that Pacquiao-Marquez III is officially signed, I’ve put together a prefight “six-Pac” of subplots worth discussing. With Pacquiao vs. Marquez the matchup on everybody’s mind, here are six underlying matchups worth watching for in the weeks and months ahead:
1. Size vs. Style
This is what’s at the root of the debate currently taking over the blogosphere/podcast-o-sphere/message-board-o-sphere: Is this a competitive fight or a mismatch? If you’re championing it as a competitive fight (as I am, more or less), you’re basing that on the belief that Marquez has proven his style gives Pacquiao fits, and it’s a style unlike anything Pac-Man has seen since his one-point split decision over JMM in ’08. If you’re decrying it as a mismatch, you’re basing that on the belief that Pacquiao has outgrown Marquez since their last fight and, at a contract weight of 144 pounds, Pacquiao will be at his most effective and “Dinamita” will be at his least effective.
I’ll be the first to admit that I’d rather have seen the fighters agree to meet at 140, a weight I firmly believe Manny can still make (since his team has repeatedly insisted he has to trap several pounds of food in his moustache and goatee just to tip the scales at 145). But to me, it’s more about what Marquez weighs than what Pacquiao weighs. Marquez, regardless of the contract weight, should still train to be about 135 pounds or so—in shape, comfortable, no spare tire like we saw against Floyd Mayweather. The better condition Marquez is in, the quicker he’ll be, and the more he can offset whatever poundage he’s giving away.
This is an unusual situation in that almost nobody is picking Marquez to win, but many of us endorse the fight anyway. Perhaps we’ve just been beaten down by the parade of matches (Josh Clottey, Antonio Margarito, Shane Mosley) for which you couldn’t find anyone at all picking against Pacquiao. But what I see here is an opponent who, at any weight, knows how to time and hit Pacquiao. Yes, it’s possible the size difference will influence each man’s ability to take the other’s punch. It’s possible Pacquiao will blow Marquez out, as he nearly did in their first meeting seven years ago. But whatever the outcome, I want to see Pacquiao face someone with a style that isn’t made to order. Marquez MIGHT give Pacquiao fits again. That’s good enough to get me supporting Pacquiao-Marquez III.
2. HBO vs. Showtime
This will be a fascinating behind-the-scenes battle, and the roles are very different now: Showtime is the incumbent, and the onus is on HBO to blow Bob Arum away with a marketing package that outdoes what Showtime and CBS can do. HBO’s parent company, Time Warner, does not own any of the “big four” free networks. But it owns TNT and TBS, which are the same as a free network to any household that would ever consider ordering a pay-per-view fight. It owns CNN and might be able to promise Arum extra news coverage leading up to the Pacquiao-Marquez fight on that channel. It owns Sports Illustrated, which means HBO might be able to guarantee that Pacquiao goes on the cover the week of the fight.
There’s a lot at stake here; without Pacquiao in the fold and without Mayweather in anybody’s fold, HBO is in danger of going the entire year without a major moneymaker on pay-per-view. Ross Greenburg and company will be bending over backward to please, while Ken Hershman and company will be equally motivated to hold onto the biggest star in the sport and put their competitors in a world of hurt. Pacquiao vs. Marquez MIGHT be a two-way slugfest; HBO vs. Showtime definitely WILL be.
3. Top Rank vs. Golden Boy
Even those who weren’t excited to see Pacquiao-Marquez III consummated expressed delight over Lance Pugmire’s report in the L.A. Times that Arum met face to face with Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy Promotions (to politely pry Marquez away from him) and that the meeting ended “in a burst of goodwill, with handshakes.”
Look, Top Rank doesn’t need Golden Boy all that badly right now. But GBP could greatly benefit from matching some of its fighters against Top Rank’s and eventually getting its finger in the Pacquiao pie again. So Schaefer, intelligently, let Marquez go without kicking up much of a fuss. (Well, he kicked up a little fuss initially, but rolled over in the end.) If Top Rank and Golden Boy start working together again, as Arum said he expects they will, it’s a huge victory for both promotional companies and for the fight fans.
And, not to set everyone up for disappointment by being overly optimistic, but if that Mayweather guy ever decides he wants to risk his perfect record against Pacquiao and make $40-million or so to do it, this would be one less obstacle to stand in the way of the fight the world has been demanding for the last two years.
4. Juan Manuel Marquez vs. David Diaz
This is a tough one to wrap my head around. Why exactly would Marquez risk blowing his $5-million (at least) payday with a keep-busy fight against Diaz on July 2? If something goes wrong here, it ends the 18-year reign of Michael Bentt-Tommy Morrison as the go-to example of a tuneup-turned-tragedy. And it’s not impossible for something to go wrong here. Ninety-eight times out of 100, JMM whips Diaz with all the bones removed from his hands and his feet tied together. But one time out of 100, Marquez gets a nasty cut from a clash of heads. And one time out of 100, Diaz catches him with the perfect punch.
For fans of symmetry, perhaps it’s pleasing that the very same tuneup opponent Pacquiao butchered after the second Marquez fight will be presented to Marquez three years later. But for fans of sanity, it’s shocking that Marquez-Diaz could actually happen. There are ways to stay sharp by simulating a fight in the gym while wearing headgear and not taking any chance of suffering an official defeat. But if Marquez vs. Diaz goes forward, it’s a tuneup that the boxing world will be watching nervously and intently.
5. Urine vs. Steroids
These serve as a diversion from some of the serious subplots, and it can’t be denied that we’ll hear plenty about both of these substances entering the fighters’ bodies over the next few months. You can’t build to a Marquez fight anymore without acknowledging that the man likes to get his drinkle on. (Do I get credit for that one on UrbanDictionary.com?) And as we’ve sadly come to learn, every phony story about Pacquiao ’roiding up will create a hurricane of interest and retweeting from his detractors.
Throughout the buildup to Pacquiao-Marquez III, we will see/hear/read about what these fighters are or aren’t putting into their bodies. One will be unimportant and will serve to amuse and entertain. The other will be highly important and will serve to stir up fabricated controversy.
And it’s probably only a matter of time until an unnamed source blogs about how he watched Manny shoot up, then pee into a cup, then Marquez drank the pee and got juiced up himself. Let the reckless tweeting begin.
6. Floyd Mayweather vs. Anybody
The sixth subplot of this six-Pac was supposed to be Timothy Bradley vs. Amir Khan, a fight that, a few days ago, looked like it was poised to come together now that Bradley’s dream of fighting Pacquiao in the fall had been dashed by the Pacquiao-Marquez signing. So I wrote a few staggeringly brilliant paragraphs about this battle for undisputed junior welterweight supremacy. And then Bradley took his reputation for doing damage by using his head to a new level. Instead of relying on his fighter’s instinct and signing for the fight, he found a way to convince himself he has better options. I’m pretty sure he’s wrong, but that’s a discussion for another day.
Instead, the discussion turns to the name that lurks in the background of every Pacquiao fight. The Pacquiao vs. Mayweather talk hasn’t slowed down—at least not among the mainstream observers and general sports show talking heads—and the rumor mill will churn over the next few months as to whether and when Mayweather will fight again. Pacquiao-Marquez III is still almost six months away; will Floyd fight in the interim? In terms of a possible opponent, the name that keeps popping up is Paul Spadafora. (You know, because Pito Cardona isn’t available and Stefano Zoff wants too much money.)
Whether he takes a tuneup, a real fight, or no fight at all, Mayweather’s name will swim about the Pacquiao-Marquez proceedings. It’s a constant subplot.
Maybe the Vegas casinos will even post lines on whether “Money” will fight again this year. If they do, look for Mayweather to place bets on both sides. It seems he hasn’t made his mind up yet, and he’s going to want to be able to show us the winning ticket either way.
Source: thesweetscience.com
1. Size vs. Style
This is what’s at the root of the debate currently taking over the blogosphere/podcast-o-sphere/message-board-o-sphere: Is this a competitive fight or a mismatch? If you’re championing it as a competitive fight (as I am, more or less), you’re basing that on the belief that Marquez has proven his style gives Pacquiao fits, and it’s a style unlike anything Pac-Man has seen since his one-point split decision over JMM in ’08. If you’re decrying it as a mismatch, you’re basing that on the belief that Pacquiao has outgrown Marquez since their last fight and, at a contract weight of 144 pounds, Pacquiao will be at his most effective and “Dinamita” will be at his least effective.
I’ll be the first to admit that I’d rather have seen the fighters agree to meet at 140, a weight I firmly believe Manny can still make (since his team has repeatedly insisted he has to trap several pounds of food in his moustache and goatee just to tip the scales at 145). But to me, it’s more about what Marquez weighs than what Pacquiao weighs. Marquez, regardless of the contract weight, should still train to be about 135 pounds or so—in shape, comfortable, no spare tire like we saw against Floyd Mayweather. The better condition Marquez is in, the quicker he’ll be, and the more he can offset whatever poundage he’s giving away.
This is an unusual situation in that almost nobody is picking Marquez to win, but many of us endorse the fight anyway. Perhaps we’ve just been beaten down by the parade of matches (Josh Clottey, Antonio Margarito, Shane Mosley) for which you couldn’t find anyone at all picking against Pacquiao. But what I see here is an opponent who, at any weight, knows how to time and hit Pacquiao. Yes, it’s possible the size difference will influence each man’s ability to take the other’s punch. It’s possible Pacquiao will blow Marquez out, as he nearly did in their first meeting seven years ago. But whatever the outcome, I want to see Pacquiao face someone with a style that isn’t made to order. Marquez MIGHT give Pacquiao fits again. That’s good enough to get me supporting Pacquiao-Marquez III.
2. HBO vs. Showtime
This will be a fascinating behind-the-scenes battle, and the roles are very different now: Showtime is the incumbent, and the onus is on HBO to blow Bob Arum away with a marketing package that outdoes what Showtime and CBS can do. HBO’s parent company, Time Warner, does not own any of the “big four” free networks. But it owns TNT and TBS, which are the same as a free network to any household that would ever consider ordering a pay-per-view fight. It owns CNN and might be able to promise Arum extra news coverage leading up to the Pacquiao-Marquez fight on that channel. It owns Sports Illustrated, which means HBO might be able to guarantee that Pacquiao goes on the cover the week of the fight.
There’s a lot at stake here; without Pacquiao in the fold and without Mayweather in anybody’s fold, HBO is in danger of going the entire year without a major moneymaker on pay-per-view. Ross Greenburg and company will be bending over backward to please, while Ken Hershman and company will be equally motivated to hold onto the biggest star in the sport and put their competitors in a world of hurt. Pacquiao vs. Marquez MIGHT be a two-way slugfest; HBO vs. Showtime definitely WILL be.
3. Top Rank vs. Golden Boy
Even those who weren’t excited to see Pacquiao-Marquez III consummated expressed delight over Lance Pugmire’s report in the L.A. Times that Arum met face to face with Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy Promotions (to politely pry Marquez away from him) and that the meeting ended “in a burst of goodwill, with handshakes.”
Look, Top Rank doesn’t need Golden Boy all that badly right now. But GBP could greatly benefit from matching some of its fighters against Top Rank’s and eventually getting its finger in the Pacquiao pie again. So Schaefer, intelligently, let Marquez go without kicking up much of a fuss. (Well, he kicked up a little fuss initially, but rolled over in the end.) If Top Rank and Golden Boy start working together again, as Arum said he expects they will, it’s a huge victory for both promotional companies and for the fight fans.
And, not to set everyone up for disappointment by being overly optimistic, but if that Mayweather guy ever decides he wants to risk his perfect record against Pacquiao and make $40-million or so to do it, this would be one less obstacle to stand in the way of the fight the world has been demanding for the last two years.
4. Juan Manuel Marquez vs. David Diaz
This is a tough one to wrap my head around. Why exactly would Marquez risk blowing his $5-million (at least) payday with a keep-busy fight against Diaz on July 2? If something goes wrong here, it ends the 18-year reign of Michael Bentt-Tommy Morrison as the go-to example of a tuneup-turned-tragedy. And it’s not impossible for something to go wrong here. Ninety-eight times out of 100, JMM whips Diaz with all the bones removed from his hands and his feet tied together. But one time out of 100, Marquez gets a nasty cut from a clash of heads. And one time out of 100, Diaz catches him with the perfect punch.
For fans of symmetry, perhaps it’s pleasing that the very same tuneup opponent Pacquiao butchered after the second Marquez fight will be presented to Marquez three years later. But for fans of sanity, it’s shocking that Marquez-Diaz could actually happen. There are ways to stay sharp by simulating a fight in the gym while wearing headgear and not taking any chance of suffering an official defeat. But if Marquez vs. Diaz goes forward, it’s a tuneup that the boxing world will be watching nervously and intently.
5. Urine vs. Steroids
These serve as a diversion from some of the serious subplots, and it can’t be denied that we’ll hear plenty about both of these substances entering the fighters’ bodies over the next few months. You can’t build to a Marquez fight anymore without acknowledging that the man likes to get his drinkle on. (Do I get credit for that one on UrbanDictionary.com?) And as we’ve sadly come to learn, every phony story about Pacquiao ’roiding up will create a hurricane of interest and retweeting from his detractors.
Throughout the buildup to Pacquiao-Marquez III, we will see/hear/read about what these fighters are or aren’t putting into their bodies. One will be unimportant and will serve to amuse and entertain. The other will be highly important and will serve to stir up fabricated controversy.
And it’s probably only a matter of time until an unnamed source blogs about how he watched Manny shoot up, then pee into a cup, then Marquez drank the pee and got juiced up himself. Let the reckless tweeting begin.
6. Floyd Mayweather vs. Anybody
The sixth subplot of this six-Pac was supposed to be Timothy Bradley vs. Amir Khan, a fight that, a few days ago, looked like it was poised to come together now that Bradley’s dream of fighting Pacquiao in the fall had been dashed by the Pacquiao-Marquez signing. So I wrote a few staggeringly brilliant paragraphs about this battle for undisputed junior welterweight supremacy. And then Bradley took his reputation for doing damage by using his head to a new level. Instead of relying on his fighter’s instinct and signing for the fight, he found a way to convince himself he has better options. I’m pretty sure he’s wrong, but that’s a discussion for another day.
Instead, the discussion turns to the name that lurks in the background of every Pacquiao fight. The Pacquiao vs. Mayweather talk hasn’t slowed down—at least not among the mainstream observers and general sports show talking heads—and the rumor mill will churn over the next few months as to whether and when Mayweather will fight again. Pacquiao-Marquez III is still almost six months away; will Floyd fight in the interim? In terms of a possible opponent, the name that keeps popping up is Paul Spadafora. (You know, because Pito Cardona isn’t available and Stefano Zoff wants too much money.)
Whether he takes a tuneup, a real fight, or no fight at all, Mayweather’s name will swim about the Pacquiao-Marquez proceedings. It’s a constant subplot.
Maybe the Vegas casinos will even post lines on whether “Money” will fight again this year. If they do, look for Mayweather to place bets on both sides. It seems he hasn’t made his mind up yet, and he’s going to want to be able to show us the winning ticket either way.
Source: thesweetscience.com
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Marquez believers predict a Doomsday for Pacquiao
All signs are go for a third fight between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez. Their first two fights produced great drama, action and controversy.
While it seems that their third fight will produce another tooth and nail battle, this could be a case of smoke and mirrors. The first two sensational fights were at 126 lbs. and 130 lbs., respectively. Marquez was a force at both weights. Pacquiao was as exciting as he is now. The third fight will be at a catchweight limit of 144 pounds. Pacquiao has carried his speed and power as he went up in weight. The same can't be said of Marquez. He has weighed over 140 lbs. only once in his career. It was against Floyd Mayweather Jr. and he clearly wasn’t the same fighter. He was lethargic and sluggish. Fortunately for Marquez, Mayweather doesn't have a killer instinct. He doesn’t go for the knock out. Pacquiao does.
Their first fight was very memorable. Marquez, knocked down three times in the first round by Pacquiao's unrelenting left hands, rallied and forced a draw. Their second fight was so highly competitive that many argue Pacquiao actually lost.
Pacquiao has always had a difficult time with Marquez's technical boxing and savvy counter punching. But that was before Freddie Roach developed Pacquiao’s right hand and footwork. Not only does Marquez have to contend with the extra weight, he has to deal with a more dynamic Pacquiao. Don't get me wrong. It'll be an exciting fight because Marquez will not run away like Shane Mosley or turtle-up like Joshua Clottey. He'll stand and trade shots with Pacquiao. It’s doubtful though that he’ll survive like the first two fights. Pacquiao has a vastly improved offensive repertoire now.
Their third fight could look like their first fight, except Marquez isn’t likely to get up from three knock downs again. Don't be surprised if their rubber match ends in the same manner the third Pacquiao - Erik Morales match did.
Source: 8countnews.com
While it seems that their third fight will produce another tooth and nail battle, this could be a case of smoke and mirrors. The first two sensational fights were at 126 lbs. and 130 lbs., respectively. Marquez was a force at both weights. Pacquiao was as exciting as he is now. The third fight will be at a catchweight limit of 144 pounds. Pacquiao has carried his speed and power as he went up in weight. The same can't be said of Marquez. He has weighed over 140 lbs. only once in his career. It was against Floyd Mayweather Jr. and he clearly wasn’t the same fighter. He was lethargic and sluggish. Fortunately for Marquez, Mayweather doesn't have a killer instinct. He doesn’t go for the knock out. Pacquiao does.
Their first fight was very memorable. Marquez, knocked down three times in the first round by Pacquiao's unrelenting left hands, rallied and forced a draw. Their second fight was so highly competitive that many argue Pacquiao actually lost.
Pacquiao has always had a difficult time with Marquez's technical boxing and savvy counter punching. But that was before Freddie Roach developed Pacquiao’s right hand and footwork. Not only does Marquez have to contend with the extra weight, he has to deal with a more dynamic Pacquiao. Don't get me wrong. It'll be an exciting fight because Marquez will not run away like Shane Mosley or turtle-up like Joshua Clottey. He'll stand and trade shots with Pacquiao. It’s doubtful though that he’ll survive like the first two fights. Pacquiao has a vastly improved offensive repertoire now.
Their third fight could look like their first fight, except Marquez isn’t likely to get up from three knock downs again. Don't be surprised if their rubber match ends in the same manner the third Pacquiao - Erik Morales match did.
Source: 8countnews.com
Roach Admits Fear in Marquez Trilogy
By Robert Morales
Promoters, trainers and the like often dole rhetoric to help sell a fight. It's probably been going on for as long as boxing has existed. It's up to reporters and fans to decide how much is fact, and how much is fiction. But Freddie Roach seems genuinely concerned about the third fight between MannyPacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez, tentatively slated to take place Nov. 12 - probably at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Roach, Pacquiao's longtime trainer, on Wednesday played host to a media workout for another of his fighters - Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Chavez was typically late, so there was plenty of time for Roach to talk about Pacquiao-Marquez III. The first two fights - in 2004 and 2008 at featherweight and super featherweight - ended in a draw and split-decision victory for Pacquiao, respectively.
"I'm a little bit scared of that fight," Roach said. "I think Marquez might have our number. He can do well with certain styles and he seems to do well with our style.
I think we're bigger and better now, but that's my good solution, that we're bigger and better now."
This third fight would be at a catch-weight of 144 pounds.
"He just might know how to fight Manny Pacquiao," Roach said. "It makes me think, so I know I have my work cut out for me. I have to come up with a great game plan for that fight. It's obviously not an easy fight because, well, I know that he'll come to fight. I would have said that two weeks ago, too, but we were surprised that Shane (Mosley) didn't show up for the first time in his life.
"That was disappointing, but I don't think that will happen with Marquez. I think he's got a lot of balls. He thinks he won the first two fights, he says he got robbed, he wants revenge and he has a good trainer in Nacho (Beristain). They have a good relationship, they seem to work well together."
Indeed, Marquez and his camp did some serious belly-aching after the first two fights, especially after the second one at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. The way Marquez complained, one would have thought he dominated Pacquiao.
That, of course, is ridiculous because both fights were very close.
Apparently, Roach is pumped to put any remaining doubts to rest.
"I actually want this fight, I love this fight," he said. "I would love to shut them up."
Just About Done
Pacquiao-Marquez is not 100 percent finalized, but it is close. Marquez has signed, and promoter Bob Arum said Wednesday that Pacquiao could sign as early as Monday. The other thing is that Marquez wants to take a tune-up fight on July 2 against former lightweight champion David Diaz in Mexico City. If Marquez somehow loses that fight, he won't get Pacquiao again.
"I want him to do the best he possibly can against Manny," Arum said of Marquez. "He feels that with the layoff he's had that he needs the other fight, so if he loses that fight, then there's no deal. If he wins that fight, he will have had the benefit of getting the rust off. So it's a win-win situation. I mean, Marquez isn't the only fighter that Manny can fight."
Arum outlined what will happen with the Pacquiao side over the next few days.
"I'm having dinner tonight with Michael Koncz, his adviser," said Arum, chairman of Top Rank Inc.. "I've already talked to Manny before he left to go back to the Philippines, so I know he's pretty much on board. But now we have to go through all of the details, etcetera, etcetera. And I'll do that with Michael tonight and he'll relay it to Manny when he gets back to the Philippines on Monday. And I'm sure that in a normal course, we'll have a signed contract from Manny."
The Future Ahead For Top Rank, Golden Boy
Arum said he had a sit-down with Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer on Monday. The two companies have been hating on each other for some time, but their talk paved the way for this third fight to happen. Golden Boy, which has been promoting Marquez, had the right to match any monetary offer made Marquez by Arum or anyone else.
Although Schaefer isn't talking at the moment, Arum said, "Golden Boy was very cooperative and did the right thing. And it cleared the way for me to finish the deal with Marquez without any matching or anything."
Arum said a confidentiality agreement between the parties prevents him from saying exactly what took place in Monday's pow-wow, but he did say it could help get the companies together for future promotions.
"Absolutely, I can say that because we had a mediation," Arum said. "Whatever happened in the mediation is completely confidential. But after the mediation, Schaefer and I shook hands and said that we would - not that we would have to be buddies - but we would try to work together in the future.
But that's all I can say.
I'm not going to say what the mediation was about, who agreed to what."
This is quite a turn-around from what Arum said recently, that if he never does business with Golden Boy again, it would be too soon.
Arum Not Sure About Television For Pacquiao-Marquez
Showtime surprised a lot of people by beating out HBO for the Pacquiao-Mosley telecast. Arum was asked Tuesday if Showtime or HBO would do Pacquiao-Marquez.
"We haven't made any determination," he said. "That'll depend on who, in our estimation, will do the best job in helping us promote the fight."
Arum: All on Mosley
Although most of the blame for the lack of action for Mosley-Pacquiao has been placed on Mosley, some ringside observers thought there were times when Pacquiao could have done more, too. After all, it seemed at timesbthat the fans were booing both fighters - not just Mosley. Arum wasn't buying it.
"I disagree," he said. "If Manny says legs were cramping up, its very, very difficult to engage a guy who won't fight, particularly a guy who knows all the tricks like Mosley. And when Manny did put on the gas after the erroneous knockdown (of Pacquiao in the 10th round), then he was really able to put the pressure and really hurt Mosley."
Did Yawner Hurt Chances for Network Exposure?
Some of the talk between reporters following the Pacquiao-Mosley fight centered on how much the snooze-fest might have hurt boxing's chances at getting back on network television on any kind of regular basis. CBS was involved in a big way in Pacquiao-Mosley. It owns Showtime and aired the Fight Camp 360 episodes along with the cable station.
Arum was asked if he was concerned that the poor showing might have been a turn-off to CBS and perhaps other major networks.
"No, because that is not something that a network executive will focus on, the quality of the fight as it unfolds," Arum said. "That's something that you guys write about and rightly so. It doesn't affect them at all."
Goossen Backs Ward's Performance
Rarely will you see punch stats used in a story written by yours truly because they often don't represent what happened in a fight. But having been at the Andre Ward-Arthur Abraham super middleweight title fight this past Saturday at Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., it was not surprising to see the results when the statistics were handed out following Ward's one-sided unanimous decision.
Ward, who won the fight with his left jab, landed a grand total of 71 power punches. That is just a hair under six power punches per round. In round one, he did not throw a power punch. In round three, he threw three and landed one. In round 11, he threw 12 and landed two.
A couple of days before the fight, Ward told this reporter that he wanted to become one of the greatest ever. During the same conversation, he scoffed at the notion that his fights aren't exciting enough. Then, after Saturday's fight he said he wanted to remain champion for as long as possible while taking the the least amount of punishment.
We like Ward. Besides being very talented, his character seems beyond reproach. But this is prize-fighting and it appears he is going to have a difficult time being all he can be unless he gets in some fights where there is some hard-hitting give-and-take going on.
However, his promoter, Dan Goossen, doesn't know what all the fuss is about regarding Ward's less-than-thrilling fights. Goossen said that around the ninth round Saturday, he was engaging someone in conversation and that the theme of the talk was how terrific a fighter Ward has become.
"When I use the phrase 'fighter', it's from the basis of, he fights," Goossen said of Ward. "He's not out there trying not to get hit. He just happens to be that good, that he doesn't get hit that often."
Goossen intimated Ward showed his fighter's mentality during the 12th round when a well-behind Abraham went after Ward and landed a couple of nice left hooks and Ward landed a solid hook of his own.
"If he was concerned about getting hit - everyone knew he was ahead - why would he go out there and fight?" Goossen said. "Because he likes to fight. It was such desperation for Abraham, it was one of the few times he was able to get something on Andre. But that was only caused because Andre was willing to fight."
Goossen correctly pointed out that Abraham fought out his peek-a-boo style much of the fight, which of course always makes it difficult to get through. But Ward rarely threw a left hook to the body, which would have made Abraham bring down his gloves. Ward threw jabs to the body, but they don't carry nearly the devastation a hook does.
Bottom line, most boxing fans don't fall in love with a fighter who gets in the type of fights Ward often is in. Again, six power punches a round just doesn't cut it.
And remember, a power punch means something other than a jab. Of those six power punches every three minutes, none of them hurt Abraham. The only time Abraham was buzzed was by a couple of jabs that rattled his head. But Goossen believes that Ward will turn on the power when he has to.
"He is not looking for a 12-round decision," said Goossen, who said Ward would have stopped Abraham had referee Luis Pabon let them fight inside. "He is looking to stop you. His power will show when he gets fighters who are willing to engage him. Right now they are not. Andre is not willing to allow it. He prevents it from happening with his ability.
"It's nice to hit that home run as much as you can, but sometimes you've got guys who are heroes who are hitting triples all the time, hitting doubles. He is certainly not a singles hitter. He is swinging for the fences. He may not be hitting them out day in and day out, but I guarantee you he is going to get his share of home runs because he's taking big swings out there."
Anyway, if Ward gets past the winner of the Super Six's other semifinal between Carl Froch and Glen Johnson, the best thing Goossen could do is put Ward in with Lucian Bute. Bute is considered right there with Ward as far as super middleweights. An exciting win by Ward over him would stop a lot of the criticism.
Source: boxingscene.com
Promoters, trainers and the like often dole rhetoric to help sell a fight. It's probably been going on for as long as boxing has existed. It's up to reporters and fans to decide how much is fact, and how much is fiction. But Freddie Roach seems genuinely concerned about the third fight between MannyPacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez, tentatively slated to take place Nov. 12 - probably at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Roach, Pacquiao's longtime trainer, on Wednesday played host to a media workout for another of his fighters - Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Chavez was typically late, so there was plenty of time for Roach to talk about Pacquiao-Marquez III. The first two fights - in 2004 and 2008 at featherweight and super featherweight - ended in a draw and split-decision victory for Pacquiao, respectively.
"I'm a little bit scared of that fight," Roach said. "I think Marquez might have our number. He can do well with certain styles and he seems to do well with our style.
I think we're bigger and better now, but that's my good solution, that we're bigger and better now."
This third fight would be at a catch-weight of 144 pounds.
"He just might know how to fight Manny Pacquiao," Roach said. "It makes me think, so I know I have my work cut out for me. I have to come up with a great game plan for that fight. It's obviously not an easy fight because, well, I know that he'll come to fight. I would have said that two weeks ago, too, but we were surprised that Shane (Mosley) didn't show up for the first time in his life.
"That was disappointing, but I don't think that will happen with Marquez. I think he's got a lot of balls. He thinks he won the first two fights, he says he got robbed, he wants revenge and he has a good trainer in Nacho (Beristain). They have a good relationship, they seem to work well together."
Indeed, Marquez and his camp did some serious belly-aching after the first two fights, especially after the second one at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. The way Marquez complained, one would have thought he dominated Pacquiao.
That, of course, is ridiculous because both fights were very close.
Apparently, Roach is pumped to put any remaining doubts to rest.
"I actually want this fight, I love this fight," he said. "I would love to shut them up."
Just About Done
Pacquiao-Marquez is not 100 percent finalized, but it is close. Marquez has signed, and promoter Bob Arum said Wednesday that Pacquiao could sign as early as Monday. The other thing is that Marquez wants to take a tune-up fight on July 2 against former lightweight champion David Diaz in Mexico City. If Marquez somehow loses that fight, he won't get Pacquiao again.
"I want him to do the best he possibly can against Manny," Arum said of Marquez. "He feels that with the layoff he's had that he needs the other fight, so if he loses that fight, then there's no deal. If he wins that fight, he will have had the benefit of getting the rust off. So it's a win-win situation. I mean, Marquez isn't the only fighter that Manny can fight."
Arum outlined what will happen with the Pacquiao side over the next few days.
"I'm having dinner tonight with Michael Koncz, his adviser," said Arum, chairman of Top Rank Inc.. "I've already talked to Manny before he left to go back to the Philippines, so I know he's pretty much on board. But now we have to go through all of the details, etcetera, etcetera. And I'll do that with Michael tonight and he'll relay it to Manny when he gets back to the Philippines on Monday. And I'm sure that in a normal course, we'll have a signed contract from Manny."
The Future Ahead For Top Rank, Golden Boy
Arum said he had a sit-down with Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer on Monday. The two companies have been hating on each other for some time, but their talk paved the way for this third fight to happen. Golden Boy, which has been promoting Marquez, had the right to match any monetary offer made Marquez by Arum or anyone else.
Although Schaefer isn't talking at the moment, Arum said, "Golden Boy was very cooperative and did the right thing. And it cleared the way for me to finish the deal with Marquez without any matching or anything."
Arum said a confidentiality agreement between the parties prevents him from saying exactly what took place in Monday's pow-wow, but he did say it could help get the companies together for future promotions.
"Absolutely, I can say that because we had a mediation," Arum said. "Whatever happened in the mediation is completely confidential. But after the mediation, Schaefer and I shook hands and said that we would - not that we would have to be buddies - but we would try to work together in the future.
But that's all I can say.
I'm not going to say what the mediation was about, who agreed to what."
This is quite a turn-around from what Arum said recently, that if he never does business with Golden Boy again, it would be too soon.
Arum Not Sure About Television For Pacquiao-Marquez
Showtime surprised a lot of people by beating out HBO for the Pacquiao-Mosley telecast. Arum was asked Tuesday if Showtime or HBO would do Pacquiao-Marquez.
"We haven't made any determination," he said. "That'll depend on who, in our estimation, will do the best job in helping us promote the fight."
Arum: All on Mosley
Although most of the blame for the lack of action for Mosley-Pacquiao has been placed on Mosley, some ringside observers thought there were times when Pacquiao could have done more, too. After all, it seemed at timesbthat the fans were booing both fighters - not just Mosley. Arum wasn't buying it.
"I disagree," he said. "If Manny says legs were cramping up, its very, very difficult to engage a guy who won't fight, particularly a guy who knows all the tricks like Mosley. And when Manny did put on the gas after the erroneous knockdown (of Pacquiao in the 10th round), then he was really able to put the pressure and really hurt Mosley."
Did Yawner Hurt Chances for Network Exposure?
Some of the talk between reporters following the Pacquiao-Mosley fight centered on how much the snooze-fest might have hurt boxing's chances at getting back on network television on any kind of regular basis. CBS was involved in a big way in Pacquiao-Mosley. It owns Showtime and aired the Fight Camp 360 episodes along with the cable station.
Arum was asked if he was concerned that the poor showing might have been a turn-off to CBS and perhaps other major networks.
"No, because that is not something that a network executive will focus on, the quality of the fight as it unfolds," Arum said. "That's something that you guys write about and rightly so. It doesn't affect them at all."
Goossen Backs Ward's Performance
Rarely will you see punch stats used in a story written by yours truly because they often don't represent what happened in a fight. But having been at the Andre Ward-Arthur Abraham super middleweight title fight this past Saturday at Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., it was not surprising to see the results when the statistics were handed out following Ward's one-sided unanimous decision.
Ward, who won the fight with his left jab, landed a grand total of 71 power punches. That is just a hair under six power punches per round. In round one, he did not throw a power punch. In round three, he threw three and landed one. In round 11, he threw 12 and landed two.
A couple of days before the fight, Ward told this reporter that he wanted to become one of the greatest ever. During the same conversation, he scoffed at the notion that his fights aren't exciting enough. Then, after Saturday's fight he said he wanted to remain champion for as long as possible while taking the the least amount of punishment.
We like Ward. Besides being very talented, his character seems beyond reproach. But this is prize-fighting and it appears he is going to have a difficult time being all he can be unless he gets in some fights where there is some hard-hitting give-and-take going on.
However, his promoter, Dan Goossen, doesn't know what all the fuss is about regarding Ward's less-than-thrilling fights. Goossen said that around the ninth round Saturday, he was engaging someone in conversation and that the theme of the talk was how terrific a fighter Ward has become.
"When I use the phrase 'fighter', it's from the basis of, he fights," Goossen said of Ward. "He's not out there trying not to get hit. He just happens to be that good, that he doesn't get hit that often."
Goossen intimated Ward showed his fighter's mentality during the 12th round when a well-behind Abraham went after Ward and landed a couple of nice left hooks and Ward landed a solid hook of his own.
"If he was concerned about getting hit - everyone knew he was ahead - why would he go out there and fight?" Goossen said. "Because he likes to fight. It was such desperation for Abraham, it was one of the few times he was able to get something on Andre. But that was only caused because Andre was willing to fight."
Goossen correctly pointed out that Abraham fought out his peek-a-boo style much of the fight, which of course always makes it difficult to get through. But Ward rarely threw a left hook to the body, which would have made Abraham bring down his gloves. Ward threw jabs to the body, but they don't carry nearly the devastation a hook does.
Bottom line, most boxing fans don't fall in love with a fighter who gets in the type of fights Ward often is in. Again, six power punches a round just doesn't cut it.
And remember, a power punch means something other than a jab. Of those six power punches every three minutes, none of them hurt Abraham. The only time Abraham was buzzed was by a couple of jabs that rattled his head. But Goossen believes that Ward will turn on the power when he has to.
"He is not looking for a 12-round decision," said Goossen, who said Ward would have stopped Abraham had referee Luis Pabon let them fight inside. "He is looking to stop you. His power will show when he gets fighters who are willing to engage him. Right now they are not. Andre is not willing to allow it. He prevents it from happening with his ability.
"It's nice to hit that home run as much as you can, but sometimes you've got guys who are heroes who are hitting triples all the time, hitting doubles. He is certainly not a singles hitter. He is swinging for the fences. He may not be hitting them out day in and day out, but I guarantee you he is going to get his share of home runs because he's taking big swings out there."
Anyway, if Ward gets past the winner of the Super Six's other semifinal between Carl Froch and Glen Johnson, the best thing Goossen could do is put Ward in with Lucian Bute. Bute is considered right there with Ward as far as super middleweights. An exciting win by Ward over him would stop a lot of the criticism.
Source: boxingscene.com
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Marquez, Pacquiao may have third fight
It looks like Juan Manuel Marquez will get his long-awaited third fight with pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao.
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum told ESPN.com that he made a deal with Marquez on Tuesday in Los Angeles for the lightweight champion to move up in weight to challenge Pacquiao for his welterweight title on Nov. 12.
Arum, however, still needs to make a deal with Pacquiao -- considered a formality -- before the fight is official.
If the fight is finalized, they would meet at a contract weight of 144 pounds, Arum said. Although the weight is three pounds below the welterweight division limit of 147, that isn't an issue.
"Manny has to eat extra meals just to weigh even 145 pounds," Arum said.
Pacquiao regularly weighs below 147 for his fights, and Marquez would be moving up from the 135-pound division. In 2009, in his only other welterweight fight, Marquez lost a lopsided decision to Floyd Mayweather Jr., who most would like to see Pacquiao face. Most believe it would be the biggest money fight in boxing history, but Mayweather has repeatedly declined the fight.
Barring a gargantuan offer elsewhere, Pacquiao-Marquez Round III will be at Las Vegas' MGM Grand, where Pacquiao-Marquez Round I took place and where Pacquiao scored an easy decision against Shane Mosley on May 7.
With the Pacquiao fight on the line, Arum said Marquez plans to take a tune-up against faded former lightweight titlist David Diaz (36-3-1, 17 KOs) on July 2 in Mexico City. Diaz lost his title to Pacquiao via a lopsided ninth-round knockout in 2008.
Marquez's own promotional company will put the card on, although Arum said Top Rank would help if needed. Arum said Marquez's deal for the Pacquiao bout permitted him an interim fight as long as it takes place by July 17.
"He's going to do that fight, and if he loses, he's out," Arum said.
Pacquiao (53-3-2, 38 KOs) and Marquez (52-5-1, 38 KOs) have a rich history, battling twice in action-packed fights that ended in controversial decisions.
In 2004, Pacquiao dropped Marquez three times in the first round of their featherweight championship fight, but Marquez battled back to claim a draw that many believed he won. In 2008, they met again for the junior lightweight championship, and Pacquiao won a similarly controversial split decision.
"It's the same old story -- styles make fights, and, for some reason, I believe if we fight Marquez 10 times, we will have controversy 10 times because he's figured something out about Manny that no other fighter can do," Michael Koncz, Pacquiao's adviser, told ESPN.com. "We've had him down three times, but he's able to adapt and adjust. I think it will be a very close fight again if we decide to pick that fight. The question is, what is Manny's monetary reward?"
Mexico's Marquez, 37, has wanted a third fight with Pacquiao for years and is poised to land it because Golden Boy, his longtime promoter, declined to match Top Rank's offer. Marquez's deal with Golden Boy expired earlier this year, but it retained the right to match any offer through February 2012.
Top Rank and Golden Boy, involved in various lawsuits, are bitter rivals. Their bad blood stems from a legal fight over Pacquiao's promotional contract, which Top Rank now controls.
Arum said Golden Boy declined to match his offer to Marquez on Monday during a face-to-face meeting in Los Angeles that included Arum, Top Rank president Todd duBoef and Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer.
While Arum would not go into details of the meeting, a surprise given the rancor between them, he said of Golden Boy, "They said they would cooperate and not try to interfere. They waived any connection with Marquez and said they would not interfere with us contracting the fight. They let us know that we were free to go ahead. Schaefer let us know. We were with him yesterday.
"He told us we could go ahead with Marquez."
"I can't really talk about anything right now based on the advice of my lawyers," Schaefer told ESPN.com in an email.
Golden Boy apparently was unable to come up with an opponent for Marquez that would meet the terms of Top Rank's offer: $5 million in guaranteed money, upside on the pay-per-view profits and a guaranteed $10 million plus pay-per-view upside for a rematch in the event Marquez wins.
Golden Boy had toyed with offering Marquez a fight with Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, the Mexican sensation who recently won a junior middleweight belt.
Alvarez, who defends his title in June, has fought most of his career at welterweight. However, with Top Rank's offer specifying 144 pounds, there was no way Alvarez could get down that low.
Arum's next hurdle is to close a deal with Pacquiao, which has never been a problem.
"Marquez is definitely the frontrunner we're looking at, but I have not yet sat down with Bob to discuss our financial deal," Koncz said. "Bob and I will do that this week before I leave to go see Manny in the Philippines on Sunday. I'll talk with Bob and see what his offer for Manny's purse is and all the other things involved, and then I will take that to Manny. I have the parameters from Manny, but Bob and I have not yet had a meeting of the minds.
"Bob has one component for the fight, but he needs two. We have not agreed to the fight or the terms, but we are certainly discussing it. We've always been able to come to an agreement."
Pacquiao's next fight will be on pay-per-view, but it remains to be seen if it will go to Showtime or HBO. Showtime produced and distributed Pacquiao-Mosley after Arum took Pacquiao away from HBO, which had done all of Pacquiao's previous major fights. Showtime got the fight because its sister network, CBS -- which is in roughly 115 million homes -- was heavily involved in the marketing and promotion of the event.
"We will listen to both networks and make our decision based on who is contributing the most valuable assets to the promotion," Arum said. "Who is going to give us the best platform to promote the fight will get the fight."
Arum said the fight almost assuredly will be at the MGM Grand, even though there are overseas venues interested in making offers.
"I've been spending my life with these offers from Singapore, Macau, Dubai," Arum said. "As far as I am concerned the only offer to cash in on are the ones from the MGM and Cowboys Stadium [where Pacquiao fought twice in 2010]."
Arum said the MGM Grand originally told him the Grand Garden Arena was only available on Nov. 5 because there were Eagles concerts booked there on Nov. 12 and Nov. 19.
"I told them, 'You knew we wanted Nov. 12,' " Arum said. "They said, no I didn't, whatever, we went back and forth. Anyway, I am good friends with the manager of the Eagles, Irving Azoff. I've know him for years. So I called him up and told him the issue and he called the band. An hour later, he called back and said no problem.
"He said the band wanted to send us a message -- 'Because we so admire Manny Pacquiao, we would be privileged to move our concert to Nov. 5.' We're going to invite the Eagles to the fight."
Arum said Marquez is the only legitimate option he is looking at for Pacquiao. He mentioned Zab Judah and Timothy Bradley Jr., both junior welterweight titleholders, as alternatives to Marquez immediately after Pacquiao beat Mosley, but he said neither are likely.
"Bradley I cannot talk to because he is still under contract to Gary Shaw, even if he is unhappy," Arum said. "His contract allegedly runs out at a certain point soon, but not yet. So I'm not going to go there. I could make a deal with [Main Events promoter] Kathy Duva for a Judah fight in five minutes, but that is not my plan. If [Pacquiao] wants to explore Judah, I'll explore Judah."
Source: espn.go.com
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum told ESPN.com that he made a deal with Marquez on Tuesday in Los Angeles for the lightweight champion to move up in weight to challenge Pacquiao for his welterweight title on Nov. 12.
Arum, however, still needs to make a deal with Pacquiao -- considered a formality -- before the fight is official.
If the fight is finalized, they would meet at a contract weight of 144 pounds, Arum said. Although the weight is three pounds below the welterweight division limit of 147, that isn't an issue.
"Manny has to eat extra meals just to weigh even 145 pounds," Arum said.
Pacquiao regularly weighs below 147 for his fights, and Marquez would be moving up from the 135-pound division. In 2009, in his only other welterweight fight, Marquez lost a lopsided decision to Floyd Mayweather Jr., who most would like to see Pacquiao face. Most believe it would be the biggest money fight in boxing history, but Mayweather has repeatedly declined the fight.
Barring a gargantuan offer elsewhere, Pacquiao-Marquez Round III will be at Las Vegas' MGM Grand, where Pacquiao-Marquez Round I took place and where Pacquiao scored an easy decision against Shane Mosley on May 7.
With the Pacquiao fight on the line, Arum said Marquez plans to take a tune-up against faded former lightweight titlist David Diaz (36-3-1, 17 KOs) on July 2 in Mexico City. Diaz lost his title to Pacquiao via a lopsided ninth-round knockout in 2008.
Marquez's own promotional company will put the card on, although Arum said Top Rank would help if needed. Arum said Marquez's deal for the Pacquiao bout permitted him an interim fight as long as it takes place by July 17.
"He's going to do that fight, and if he loses, he's out," Arum said.
Pacquiao (53-3-2, 38 KOs) and Marquez (52-5-1, 38 KOs) have a rich history, battling twice in action-packed fights that ended in controversial decisions.
In 2004, Pacquiao dropped Marquez three times in the first round of their featherweight championship fight, but Marquez battled back to claim a draw that many believed he won. In 2008, they met again for the junior lightweight championship, and Pacquiao won a similarly controversial split decision.
"It's the same old story -- styles make fights, and, for some reason, I believe if we fight Marquez 10 times, we will have controversy 10 times because he's figured something out about Manny that no other fighter can do," Michael Koncz, Pacquiao's adviser, told ESPN.com. "We've had him down three times, but he's able to adapt and adjust. I think it will be a very close fight again if we decide to pick that fight. The question is, what is Manny's monetary reward?"
Mexico's Marquez, 37, has wanted a third fight with Pacquiao for years and is poised to land it because Golden Boy, his longtime promoter, declined to match Top Rank's offer. Marquez's deal with Golden Boy expired earlier this year, but it retained the right to match any offer through February 2012.
Top Rank and Golden Boy, involved in various lawsuits, are bitter rivals. Their bad blood stems from a legal fight over Pacquiao's promotional contract, which Top Rank now controls.
Arum said Golden Boy declined to match his offer to Marquez on Monday during a face-to-face meeting in Los Angeles that included Arum, Top Rank president Todd duBoef and Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer.
While Arum would not go into details of the meeting, a surprise given the rancor between them, he said of Golden Boy, "They said they would cooperate and not try to interfere. They waived any connection with Marquez and said they would not interfere with us contracting the fight. They let us know that we were free to go ahead. Schaefer let us know. We were with him yesterday.
"He told us we could go ahead with Marquez."
"I can't really talk about anything right now based on the advice of my lawyers," Schaefer told ESPN.com in an email.
Golden Boy apparently was unable to come up with an opponent for Marquez that would meet the terms of Top Rank's offer: $5 million in guaranteed money, upside on the pay-per-view profits and a guaranteed $10 million plus pay-per-view upside for a rematch in the event Marquez wins.
Golden Boy had toyed with offering Marquez a fight with Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, the Mexican sensation who recently won a junior middleweight belt.
Alvarez, who defends his title in June, has fought most of his career at welterweight. However, with Top Rank's offer specifying 144 pounds, there was no way Alvarez could get down that low.
Arum's next hurdle is to close a deal with Pacquiao, which has never been a problem.
"Marquez is definitely the frontrunner we're looking at, but I have not yet sat down with Bob to discuss our financial deal," Koncz said. "Bob and I will do that this week before I leave to go see Manny in the Philippines on Sunday. I'll talk with Bob and see what his offer for Manny's purse is and all the other things involved, and then I will take that to Manny. I have the parameters from Manny, but Bob and I have not yet had a meeting of the minds.
"Bob has one component for the fight, but he needs two. We have not agreed to the fight or the terms, but we are certainly discussing it. We've always been able to come to an agreement."
Pacquiao's next fight will be on pay-per-view, but it remains to be seen if it will go to Showtime or HBO. Showtime produced and distributed Pacquiao-Mosley after Arum took Pacquiao away from HBO, which had done all of Pacquiao's previous major fights. Showtime got the fight because its sister network, CBS -- which is in roughly 115 million homes -- was heavily involved in the marketing and promotion of the event.
"We will listen to both networks and make our decision based on who is contributing the most valuable assets to the promotion," Arum said. "Who is going to give us the best platform to promote the fight will get the fight."
Arum said the fight almost assuredly will be at the MGM Grand, even though there are overseas venues interested in making offers.
"I've been spending my life with these offers from Singapore, Macau, Dubai," Arum said. "As far as I am concerned the only offer to cash in on are the ones from the MGM and Cowboys Stadium [where Pacquiao fought twice in 2010]."
Arum said the MGM Grand originally told him the Grand Garden Arena was only available on Nov. 5 because there were Eagles concerts booked there on Nov. 12 and Nov. 19.
"I told them, 'You knew we wanted Nov. 12,' " Arum said. "They said, no I didn't, whatever, we went back and forth. Anyway, I am good friends with the manager of the Eagles, Irving Azoff. I've know him for years. So I called him up and told him the issue and he called the band. An hour later, he called back and said no problem.
"He said the band wanted to send us a message -- 'Because we so admire Manny Pacquiao, we would be privileged to move our concert to Nov. 5.' We're going to invite the Eagles to the fight."
Arum said Marquez is the only legitimate option he is looking at for Pacquiao. He mentioned Zab Judah and Timothy Bradley Jr., both junior welterweight titleholders, as alternatives to Marquez immediately after Pacquiao beat Mosley, but he said neither are likely.
"Bradley I cannot talk to because he is still under contract to Gary Shaw, even if he is unhappy," Arum said. "His contract allegedly runs out at a certain point soon, but not yet. So I'm not going to go there. I could make a deal with [Main Events promoter] Kathy Duva for a Judah fight in five minutes, but that is not my plan. If [Pacquiao] wants to explore Judah, I'll explore Judah."
Source: espn.go.com
Friday, May 13, 2011
Must-see trilogy
Must-see trilogy
IT’S only a matter of time before veteran promoter Bob Arum makes the much-awaited announcement of a Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez III.
The only hindrance thus far is Golden Boy Promotions’ right to match any offer that is presented to Marquez.
Turning 38 this August, Marquez has been fighting under the GBP banner owned by boxing’s poster boy Oscar De La Hoya the last three years.
Marquez’s deal with GBP ended recently, but De La Hoya’s associates were able to insert a stipulation that gives them a specific right to match the next fight contract that is offered to the Mexican as soon as their partnership expires.
In scrutinizing the proposal that was given to Marquez, it would be foolhardy for De La Hoya to match the offer as no one among his stable can come close to being as profitable as a Pacquiao-Marquez III promotion.
Arum has dangled a $5-million guaranteed purse to Marquez aside from a share of the pay-per-view earnings that has a potential 10-million take home pay if he gets to fight Pacquiao this November.
De La Hoya’s Chief Executive Officer Richard Schaefer tried selling one of their upcoming fighters, the undefeated Saul “Canelo” Alvarez of Mexico.
The 20-year-old Alvarez holds a remarkable 36-0-1 record with 26 knockouts and is coming off a 12-round unanimous decision win over British Matthew Hatton for the vacant World Boxing Council light middleweight crown last March in Anaheim, California.
Marquez and Arum doused called water on that clash with Alvarez by agreeing to a 144-lb catch weight bout with Pacquiao, a weight limit that would be very hard for Alvarez to meet.
Next to be peddled by Golden Boy was the once-hot prospect Victor Ortiz whose name zoomed back to the limelight after his shocking 12-round decision win over previously undefeated world welterweight champion Andre Berto last month in Connecticut.
Ortiz may have an easy time making the catch weight limit, but his surprising 6th-round TKO defeat to Marcos Maidana of Argentina still hounds the Mexican-American prospect.
Even if Marquez agrees to fight Ortiz and Alvarez at the same time, it would be impossible to command a $5-million price tag for the sturdy Mexican to remain a Golden Boy fighter.
GETTING PERSONAL. This is probably the only reason why De La Hoya will decide to match the offer of Arum.
Arum, who was De La Hoya’s promoter for the most part of the Golden Boy’s legendary ring career, has been at odds with his former protégé.
The Harvard-educated promoter though has never allowed his emotions to get in the way that will allow De La Hoya to get one over his former boss.
Since being a promoter, De La Hoya has always been outmaneuvered by Arum when it comes to signing up superstar boxers, the most prominent of whom were Pacquiao and another Filipino Nonito Donaire, Jr.
Based at least on their body language, Arum has shown poise and treats it as nothing personal but a simple business deal.
De La Hoya, meanwhile, has resorted to attacking the personality of Arum every time they engage in a public spat regarding their respective fighters.
And so, the only way to stop a Pacquiao-Marquez III battle is when De La Hoya throws away $5 million that he will never recover in a project that will involve Marquez sans Pacquiao.
KOY’S CLINIC. Easily one of the most amiable coaches in the country today, champion guru Koy Banal will be sharing his expertise in becoming one of the most successful coaches in Philippine basketball.
Banal will be teaming up with the Tarlac Association of Referees and Coaches (TARLAC) in conducting a coaching clinic from May 21 and 22 at the Don Bosco Tech Institute in Tarlac City.
According to Banal, aspiring coaches will be given tips on how to teach their players effective offense and defense drills through live demos.
Inquiries may be sent thru text via mobile numbers 0921 248 3021 or 0923 719 3672.
PINOY PRIDE. Once again, the ingenuity of Filipino engineers will be put to test in this Sunday’s Bosch Cordless Race Championships at the CCP Complex in Pasay City.
Students from eight colleges and universities will be displaying their self-designed race karts that are all powered by Bosch’s cordless lithium-ion power tools.
The schools competing this weekend are Mapua, Rizal Tech University, University of the Philippines, TIP, University of San Carlos, University of Mindanao, Don Bosco-Mandaluyong and Letran College-Calamba.
Source: manilastandardtoday.com
IT’S only a matter of time before veteran promoter Bob Arum makes the much-awaited announcement of a Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez III.
The only hindrance thus far is Golden Boy Promotions’ right to match any offer that is presented to Marquez.
Turning 38 this August, Marquez has been fighting under the GBP banner owned by boxing’s poster boy Oscar De La Hoya the last three years.
Marquez’s deal with GBP ended recently, but De La Hoya’s associates were able to insert a stipulation that gives them a specific right to match the next fight contract that is offered to the Mexican as soon as their partnership expires.
In scrutinizing the proposal that was given to Marquez, it would be foolhardy for De La Hoya to match the offer as no one among his stable can come close to being as profitable as a Pacquiao-Marquez III promotion.
Arum has dangled a $5-million guaranteed purse to Marquez aside from a share of the pay-per-view earnings that has a potential 10-million take home pay if he gets to fight Pacquiao this November.
De La Hoya’s Chief Executive Officer Richard Schaefer tried selling one of their upcoming fighters, the undefeated Saul “Canelo” Alvarez of Mexico.
The 20-year-old Alvarez holds a remarkable 36-0-1 record with 26 knockouts and is coming off a 12-round unanimous decision win over British Matthew Hatton for the vacant World Boxing Council light middleweight crown last March in Anaheim, California.
Marquez and Arum doused called water on that clash with Alvarez by agreeing to a 144-lb catch weight bout with Pacquiao, a weight limit that would be very hard for Alvarez to meet.
Next to be peddled by Golden Boy was the once-hot prospect Victor Ortiz whose name zoomed back to the limelight after his shocking 12-round decision win over previously undefeated world welterweight champion Andre Berto last month in Connecticut.
Ortiz may have an easy time making the catch weight limit, but his surprising 6th-round TKO defeat to Marcos Maidana of Argentina still hounds the Mexican-American prospect.
Even if Marquez agrees to fight Ortiz and Alvarez at the same time, it would be impossible to command a $5-million price tag for the sturdy Mexican to remain a Golden Boy fighter.
GETTING PERSONAL. This is probably the only reason why De La Hoya will decide to match the offer of Arum.
Arum, who was De La Hoya’s promoter for the most part of the Golden Boy’s legendary ring career, has been at odds with his former protégé.
The Harvard-educated promoter though has never allowed his emotions to get in the way that will allow De La Hoya to get one over his former boss.
Since being a promoter, De La Hoya has always been outmaneuvered by Arum when it comes to signing up superstar boxers, the most prominent of whom were Pacquiao and another Filipino Nonito Donaire, Jr.
Based at least on their body language, Arum has shown poise and treats it as nothing personal but a simple business deal.
De La Hoya, meanwhile, has resorted to attacking the personality of Arum every time they engage in a public spat regarding their respective fighters.
And so, the only way to stop a Pacquiao-Marquez III battle is when De La Hoya throws away $5 million that he will never recover in a project that will involve Marquez sans Pacquiao.
KOY’S CLINIC. Easily one of the most amiable coaches in the country today, champion guru Koy Banal will be sharing his expertise in becoming one of the most successful coaches in Philippine basketball.
Banal will be teaming up with the Tarlac Association of Referees and Coaches (TARLAC) in conducting a coaching clinic from May 21 and 22 at the Don Bosco Tech Institute in Tarlac City.
According to Banal, aspiring coaches will be given tips on how to teach their players effective offense and defense drills through live demos.
Inquiries may be sent thru text via mobile numbers 0921 248 3021 or 0923 719 3672.
PINOY PRIDE. Once again, the ingenuity of Filipino engineers will be put to test in this Sunday’s Bosch Cordless Race Championships at the CCP Complex in Pasay City.
Students from eight colleges and universities will be displaying their self-designed race karts that are all powered by Bosch’s cordless lithium-ion power tools.
The schools competing this weekend are Mapua, Rizal Tech University, University of the Philippines, TIP, University of San Carlos, University of Mindanao, Don Bosco-Mandaluyong and Letran College-Calamba.
Source: manilastandardtoday.com
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Schaefer Talks Pacquiao-Marquez Matching, Canelo is Out
By Lem Satterfield
Golden Boy Promotions CEO, Richard Schaefer, spoke to BoxingScene.com about our recently published report where Juan Manuel Marquez announced that he was accepting Top Rank's revised offer to face Manny Pacquiao in a trilogy bout on November 12 in Las Vegas. The catch-weight of 144-pounds would be in place for Pacquiao-Marquez. Pursuant to their expired promotional agreement with Marquez, Golden Boy has the ability to match Top Rank's offer.
In a prior interview with BoxingScene, Schaefer revealed that he was planning to match Top Rank's offer by presenting Marquez with a lucrative deal to face Saul "Canelo" Alvarez. Schaefer said Canelo was willing to meet Marquez at 147. Because of the revised terms, with the catch-weight of 144, it prevents Schaefer from offering Alvarez, who currently competes at 154-pounds.
Schaefer denied published reports that he was planning to match Top Rank's offer with a possible bout against newly crowned WBC welterweight champion Victor Ortiz. At the moment, Marquez has not approached Golden Boy with Top Rank's revised offer. Before entering into any agreement, Marquez must provide Golden Boy with the ability to match the offer.
"That's not true [about matching the Pacquiao deal with Ortiz]. No, I didn't do that. Jeez. All of these people are calling me, and I am saying the same thing. And this time, I want to be very clear. Marquez has not approached us and asked us about any offer which he would want us to match or not. So he has not approached us. I haven't heard from Marquez, and that's the bottom line," Schaefer told BoxingScene.com.
"I have been copied from Bob Arum, a copy has been sent from Bob Arum of an offer that was sent to Marquez, and in there it states 144-pounds. Somebody asked what am I going to do now with Canelo Alvarez, and I said, 'Well, Alvarez can't make 144, but he can make 147. But if the weight is such a big issue for Juan Manuel Marquez, then one guy that I'm going to be thinking about is Victor Ortiz.'"
"I didn't say that I'm going to match it, I said that I'm going to think about it. Because I haven't even received the offer. Once I have received the offer from Marquez and what he is actually suggesting to accept, then I will take a look at it and I will discuss it with my team, and with our attorneys and think about it and then I will get back to Marquez. That's all that I said. Obviously, with them going to 144, that rules out Alvarez, but I don't know what I'm going to do. Maybe Ortiz, maybe somebody else. I'm going to have to think about it."
boxingscene.com
Golden Boy Promotions CEO, Richard Schaefer, spoke to BoxingScene.com about our recently published report where Juan Manuel Marquez announced that he was accepting Top Rank's revised offer to face Manny Pacquiao in a trilogy bout on November 12 in Las Vegas. The catch-weight of 144-pounds would be in place for Pacquiao-Marquez. Pursuant to their expired promotional agreement with Marquez, Golden Boy has the ability to match Top Rank's offer.
In a prior interview with BoxingScene, Schaefer revealed that he was planning to match Top Rank's offer by presenting Marquez with a lucrative deal to face Saul "Canelo" Alvarez. Schaefer said Canelo was willing to meet Marquez at 147. Because of the revised terms, with the catch-weight of 144, it prevents Schaefer from offering Alvarez, who currently competes at 154-pounds.
Schaefer denied published reports that he was planning to match Top Rank's offer with a possible bout against newly crowned WBC welterweight champion Victor Ortiz. At the moment, Marquez has not approached Golden Boy with Top Rank's revised offer. Before entering into any agreement, Marquez must provide Golden Boy with the ability to match the offer.
"That's not true [about matching the Pacquiao deal with Ortiz]. No, I didn't do that. Jeez. All of these people are calling me, and I am saying the same thing. And this time, I want to be very clear. Marquez has not approached us and asked us about any offer which he would want us to match or not. So he has not approached us. I haven't heard from Marquez, and that's the bottom line," Schaefer told BoxingScene.com.
"I have been copied from Bob Arum, a copy has been sent from Bob Arum of an offer that was sent to Marquez, and in there it states 144-pounds. Somebody asked what am I going to do now with Canelo Alvarez, and I said, 'Well, Alvarez can't make 144, but he can make 147. But if the weight is such a big issue for Juan Manuel Marquez, then one guy that I'm going to be thinking about is Victor Ortiz.'"
"I didn't say that I'm going to match it, I said that I'm going to think about it. Because I haven't even received the offer. Once I have received the offer from Marquez and what he is actually suggesting to accept, then I will take a look at it and I will discuss it with my team, and with our attorneys and think about it and then I will get back to Marquez. That's all that I said. Obviously, with them going to 144, that rules out Alvarez, but I don't know what I'm going to do. Maybe Ortiz, maybe somebody else. I'm going to have to think about it."
boxingscene.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
