Email: info@countrymansfist.com
By GREG BEACHAM AP Sports Writer
RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif.(AP)—Promoter Bob Arum expects to settle on a site for Manny Pacquiao’s fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. by next week.
While Las Vegas is the front-runner, Arum claims it still might be Dallas - and it definitely won’t be Los Angeles.
The Top Rank boss spoke glowingly of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and his willingness to outbid Vegas for what might be the richest fight in boxing
history. Arum also expressed frustration Saturday night with Golden Boy’s Richard Schaefer, who assists Mayweather Promotions, for canceling a trip to
Dallas because he doesn’t want the fight in Jones’ opulent stadium.
“I know Texas people, and I know that a first proposal doesn’t mean it’s the final proposal,” said Arum, who promotes Pacquiao. “I’m saying that Dallas is
a real live possibility, and I have a fiduciary responsibility to Manny Pacquiao to get him the most money.”
The Dallas bid was thought to be nearly dead after Schaefer skipped the trip on Wednesday to scout for Mayweather. But Arum, speaking after Top
Rank fighter Lamont Peterson lost his 140-pound title shot against Timothy Bradley, insists Schaefer must consider Jones’ offer - a guarantee of $25
million, according to the Los Angeles Times, which might go even higher.
“I think everybody involved has an obligation to see,” said Arum, who has turned over the nuts-and-bolts negotiations to Top Rank president Todd
duBoef because Arum gets too emotional.
“I know we can get the greatest offer in history from the Texas stadium,” Arum said. “My position is whoever has the best deal for those two fighters, that’
s where I want the deal.”
Arum might want this historic fight to happen in decidedly unhistoric Cowboys Stadium, or he might simply be attempting to leverage Jones’ bid against
the MGM Grand to get a better offer from the best fight site in boxing’s capital city.
The MGM Grand likely could craft a bigger offer than $25 million based on closed-circuit tickets and the ancillary benefits of being in the gambling
mecca, but the casino likely can’t match the possible Dallas gate - and Arum wants a guarantee.
“I’m guaranteeing my fighter $25 million,” Arum said. “I ain’t going for pie in the sky on this.”
Arum also says the fight will only be held in a state with generous tax laws, ruling out Los Angeles and apparently New Orleans, which expressed interest
in putting the fight in the Superdome. Staples Center made a $20 million bid for the bout, but Arum scoffed at it.
“Staples is not a factor at all,” Arum said. “There is no possibility at all of Staples because of California’s tax situation.”
RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif.(AP)—Promoter Bob Arum expects to settle on a site for Manny Pacquiao’s fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. by next week.
While Las Vegas is the front-runner, Arum claims it still might be Dallas - and it definitely won’t be Los Angeles.
The Top Rank boss spoke glowingly of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and his willingness to outbid Vegas for what might be the richest fight in boxing
history. Arum also expressed frustration Saturday night with Golden Boy’s Richard Schaefer, who assists Mayweather Promotions, for canceling a trip to
Dallas because he doesn’t want the fight in Jones’ opulent stadium.
“I know Texas people, and I know that a first proposal doesn’t mean it’s the final proposal,” said Arum, who promotes Pacquiao. “I’m saying that Dallas is
a real live possibility, and I have a fiduciary responsibility to Manny Pacquiao to get him the most money.”
The Dallas bid was thought to be nearly dead after Schaefer skipped the trip on Wednesday to scout for Mayweather. But Arum, speaking after Top
Rank fighter Lamont Peterson lost his 140-pound title shot against Timothy Bradley, insists Schaefer must consider Jones’ offer - a guarantee of $25
million, according to the Los Angeles Times, which might go even higher.
“I think everybody involved has an obligation to see,” said Arum, who has turned over the nuts-and-bolts negotiations to Top Rank president Todd
duBoef because Arum gets too emotional.
“I know we can get the greatest offer in history from the Texas stadium,” Arum said. “My position is whoever has the best deal for those two fighters, that’
s where I want the deal.”
Arum might want this historic fight to happen in decidedly unhistoric Cowboys Stadium, or he might simply be attempting to leverage Jones’ bid against
the MGM Grand to get a better offer from the best fight site in boxing’s capital city.
The MGM Grand likely could craft a bigger offer than $25 million based on closed-circuit tickets and the ancillary benefits of being in the gambling
mecca, but the casino likely can’t match the possible Dallas gate - and Arum wants a guarantee.
“I’m guaranteeing my fighter $25 million,” Arum said. “I ain’t going for pie in the sky on this.”
Arum also says the fight will only be held in a state with generous tax laws, ruling out Los Angeles and apparently New Orleans, which expressed interest
in putting the fight in the Superdome. Staples Center made a $20 million bid for the bout, but Arum scoffed at it.
“Staples is not a factor at all,” Arum said. “There is no possibility at all of Staples because of California’s tax situation.”
BERN, Switzerland (AP)—Kevin Johnson promised that Vitali Klitschko wouldn’t knock him out when they fought for the WBC heavyweight title on
Saturday night.
Maybe he should have promised a win instead.
The 30-year-old Johnson survived 12 rounds against the hard-punching Ukrainian champion, but he couldn’t earn enough points from the judges.
Fabian Guggenheim and Omar Mintum scored it 120-108, while Guido Cavalleri had it 119-109.
“I would have preferred a knockout but I’m happy because I won all 12 rounds,” Klitschko told 17,000 fans at PostFinance Arena. “He’s not easy to hit.”
Johnson proved a durable opponent and did his best work with counterattacking straight left jabs, though he never managed to damage a fighter who
has never taken a standing count.
“When I first met Vitali I told him, ‘You won’t knock me out.’ It wasn’t a hard fight,” Johnson said. “There are things we need to work on and we’re going to
go home to the gym and polish them up.”
Klitschko (39-2) was making his third defense of the belt he reclaimed in October last year, after a four-year break to recover from injuries. He took the
fight just 11 weeks after beating Cris Arreola, another unbeaten American who did not come out for the 11th round of their bout.
Johnson (22-1-1) was the WBC’s sixth-ranked contender, but few gave him much of a chance against the larger champion. At 6-foot-7 and 247 pounds,
Klitschko had a height advantage of more than 3 inches and a slight weight advantage.
It forced Johnson to spend most of the night on defense, inviting Klitschko to come at him beginning in the second round. Klitschko aimed mostly head
shots at Johnson, but a succession of overhand rights found the challenger turning away.
Klitschko’s right cheek was marked in the fourth round, and Johnson connected with a left hook in the sixth. But he failed to mount many combinations
and Klitschko kept winning rounds with steady jabs, more big rights and an occasional straight left.
The fight heated up in the 11th when Klitschko responded to Johnson’s taunting, hands-spread gesture with a flurry of blows. In the final round, Johnson
pointed at his chin as if to goad Klitschko into another attack, and the bout ended with them trading punches.
The two squared up after the bell and Johnson was ushered back to his corner by Klitschko’s younger brother Wladimir, the IBF and WBO champion.
Klitschko said the brothers, who have said they will never fight each other, want to own all four major titles in 2010 by taking the WBA belt held by David
Haye. The brash Brit won the title by beating Nikolai Valuev, after backing out of fights with both Klitschkos.
“We have a dream and we will do our best to make our dream come true,” Vitali Klitschko said. “It will be very interesting in the next year.”
Mike Koncz, Manny's U.S. advisor stated "he and Manny are currently working on the contracts for the next fight. Nothing is done yet, so please do not
believe anything else you read. They are still working on a couple of matters, but we believe that in a short amount of time everything could get agreed
upon by all parties concerned."
Right now Manny is still enjoying his victory over Miguel Cotto. Manny is fully healed and enjoying his family and friends in the Philippines. As soon as
the Cotto fight was over and Manny flew back to the Philippines, Manny celebrated with family, friends, and fans, but eagerly went back to work finishing
up projects and obligations over in the Philippines, such as the movie Wapakman.
Manny is going to be doing a lot of traveling soon. Mike Koncz stated that "www.mpboxing.com will be notified with all the real information as soon as
possible about this fight, as well as anything else going on in the life and world of Pacman."
"Also, Manny's hands and ears are already fully healed, otherwise they would not even be negotiating his next fight." Mike feels Manny would be ready
and willing to fight come March, as long as there is an amicable agreement met.
believe anything else you read. They are still working on a couple of matters, but we believe that in a short amount of time everything could get agreed
upon by all parties concerned."
Right now Manny is still enjoying his victory over Miguel Cotto. Manny is fully healed and enjoying his family and friends in the Philippines. As soon as
the Cotto fight was over and Manny flew back to the Philippines, Manny celebrated with family, friends, and fans, but eagerly went back to work finishing
up projects and obligations over in the Philippines, such as the movie Wapakman.
Manny is going to be doing a lot of traveling soon. Mike Koncz stated that "www.mpboxing.com will be notified with all the real information as soon as
possible about this fight, as well as anything else going on in the life and world of Pacman."
"Also, Manny's hands and ears are already fully healed, otherwise they would not even be negotiating his next fight." Mike feels Manny would be ready
and willing to fight come March, as long as there is an amicable agreement met.
Pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao hasn’t signed off yet on a deal to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr in March 13 but the struggle is on by competing
venues which has basically boiled down to the billion dollar Dallas Cowboys spanking new stadium in Texas and the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las
Vegas, although Top Rank promoter Bob Arum says the New Orleans Superdome is also interested but in his words “has a small chance.”
www.insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports had a lengthy conversation with Arum along with Dyan Castillejo of ABS-CBN at the New World
Hotel following his arrival early morning on Wednesday from Las Vegas.
Arum was in town for two specific purposes. One was to present Pacquiao with the terms of an agreement that the Mayweather camp represented by
Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer had apparently agreed to and to sign a major contract with the giant Philippine broadcast network ABS-
CBN that will have exclusive rights to the many exciting fight cards promoted by Top Rank, except those of Pacquiao who has a separate contract with
Solar Sports.
Arum disclosed that he along with Schaefer and Ross Greenburg of HBO are meeting with the owner of the Dallas Cowboys football team and the new
arena which eliminates building a stadium in Las Vegas to accommodate the crowd even as he pointed out that the weather in March in Las Vegas is
questionable.
He disclosed that for the :”Fire Power” showdown between Pacquiao and WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto they had a sell-out crowd at the
MGM Grand Garden Arena and another 16,000 on closed circuit TV in the town.
Arum said the Dallas Arena seats 100,000 with unbelievable screens that was just built at a cost of about $1.5 billion and “its like a wonder of the world.”
He also said the weather is not a problem because if it rains the roof comes over. Besides Arum said the tax situation is the same as Las Vegas with no
State income tax so that doesn’t present a problem for Manny or for Floyd as New York would, since it has a 14 percent tax.
venues which has basically boiled down to the billion dollar Dallas Cowboys spanking new stadium in Texas and the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las
Vegas, although Top Rank promoter Bob Arum says the New Orleans Superdome is also interested but in his words “has a small chance.”
www.insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports had a lengthy conversation with Arum along with Dyan Castillejo of ABS-CBN at the New World
Hotel following his arrival early morning on Wednesday from Las Vegas.
Arum was in town for two specific purposes. One was to present Pacquiao with the terms of an agreement that the Mayweather camp represented by
Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer had apparently agreed to and to sign a major contract with the giant Philippine broadcast network ABS-
CBN that will have exclusive rights to the many exciting fight cards promoted by Top Rank, except those of Pacquiao who has a separate contract with
Solar Sports.
Arum disclosed that he along with Schaefer and Ross Greenburg of HBO are meeting with the owner of the Dallas Cowboys football team and the new
arena which eliminates building a stadium in Las Vegas to accommodate the crowd even as he pointed out that the weather in March in Las Vegas is
questionable.
He disclosed that for the :”Fire Power” showdown between Pacquiao and WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto they had a sell-out crowd at the
MGM Grand Garden Arena and another 16,000 on closed circuit TV in the town.
Arum said the Dallas Arena seats 100,000 with unbelievable screens that was just built at a cost of about $1.5 billion and “its like a wonder of the world.”
He also said the weather is not a problem because if it rains the roof comes over. Besides Arum said the tax situation is the same as Las Vegas with no
State income tax so that doesn’t present a problem for Manny or for Floyd as New York would, since it has a 14 percent tax.
James Carville is pursuing the fight on New Orleans' behalf.
While noted political analyst James Carville has left the Washington D.C. scene in order to teach at Tulane University, he's out on the campaign trail
again.
This time, it's for New Orleans.
The potential boxing superfight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, the sport's undisputed top pound-for-pound fighters, is looking for a
home, and Carville is actively trying to bring the bout to the Superdome.
"There is an incredible narrative here," Carville said. "This fight could signal a rebirth for boxing and the city of New Orleans. We could have one
together."
Carville said he didn't want people to get the idea that any deal about bringing the fight to the city was imminent, saying it was at the "aspirational"
stage. The fight has the potential to set records for pay-per-view buys and bring millions of dollars into the city.
While noted political analyst James Carville has left the Washington D.C. scene in order to teach at Tulane University, he's out on the campaign trail
again.
This time, it's for New Orleans.
The potential boxing superfight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, the sport's undisputed top pound-for-pound fighters, is looking for a
home, and Carville is actively trying to bring the bout to the Superdome.
"There is an incredible narrative here," Carville said. "This fight could signal a rebirth for boxing and the city of New Orleans. We could have one
together."
Carville said he didn't want people to get the idea that any deal about bringing the fight to the city was imminent, saying it was at the "aspirational"
stage. The fight has the potential to set records for pay-per-view buys and bring millions of dollars into the city.
James Carville is pursuing the fight on New Orleans' behalf.
While noted political analyst James Carville has left the Washington D.C. scene in order to teach at Tulane University, he's out on the campaign trail
again.
This time, it's for New Orleans.
The potential boxing superfight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, the sport's undisputed top pound-for-pound fighters, is looking for
a home, and Carville is actively trying to bring the bout to the Superdome.
"There is an incredible narrative here," Carville said. "This fight could signal a rebirth for boxing and the city of New Orleans. We could have one
together."
Carville said he didn't want people to get the idea that any deal about bringing the fight to the city was imminent, saying it was at the "aspirational"
stage. The fight has the potential to set records for pay-per-view buys and bring millions of dollars into the city.
While noted political analyst James Carville has left the Washington D.C. scene in order to teach at Tulane University, he's out on the campaign trail
again.
This time, it's for New Orleans.
The potential boxing superfight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, the sport's undisputed top pound-for-pound fighters, is looking for
a home, and Carville is actively trying to bring the bout to the Superdome.
"There is an incredible narrative here," Carville said. "This fight could signal a rebirth for boxing and the city of New Orleans. We could have one
together."
Carville said he didn't want people to get the idea that any deal about bringing the fight to the city was imminent, saying it was at the "aspirational"
stage. The fight has the potential to set records for pay-per-view buys and bring millions of dollars into the city.
All the precincts have not reported, but it looks like this past weekends bout between Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto was a box-office and financial
home run for all the parties involved.
According to Bob Arum on Tuesday afternoon,"The pay-per-view is north of a million and south of a million-five. It's significantly closer to a million-five
than it is to a million. At this point, that's all you can say. We don't have New York, we don't have this, we don't have that. But it did extremely well."
Immediately after Pacquiao's stirring 12Th round stoppage of Cotto, the focus turned to a showdown with one Floyd Joy Mayweather Jr. But despite
some statements made at the post-fight press conference, talks between Arum and Golden Boy Promotions CEO, Richard Schaefer, who reps 'Money',
have not commenced, as of yet.
"No, they have not begun, but I'm sure they will. I think they will before the end of the week," said Arum. When asked if he expected a laborious and
drawn out negotiation, he answered,"No, hey, I can only talk for my guy and my side. If Schaefer has control of the situation on the other side, it will not
be a difficult process."
As for a Plan B, if a bout with Mayweather can not be consummated, Arum stated,"Well, he could do the ( Juan Manuel) Marquez fight, that would be an
interesting fight. Marquez is the only guy who held him close, giving him a tough time. So that would be an interesting fight and probably that would be
the leading option."
But Schaefer has made comments that he would be interested in matching Marquez with Ricky Hatton in England in the first quarter of 2010. Both of
those fighters are promoted by Golden Boy.
Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, isn't interested in any interim fights before facing Mayweather.
" I want Mayweather, next," he told Max-TV on Tuesday morning at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, California." Why go after someone else? I
want to go for the whole thing, the big ones. The thing is, you talk about March, but that fight can't be made by March because we need more time, of
course, to be 100-percent healthy. I'll have a ten week training camp, new sparring partners, just a whole different ballgame. We know how to get in
shape and we'll be in great shape and all that stuff but the game plan will be completely different. There's a lot of changes we have to make. But I have
a guy who's very capable of making those changes."
Despite the dominance of Pacquiao, this was not an easy fight from a physical standpoint for the Filipino icon, who was noticeably bruised up and
suffered a busted right ear-drum from the heavy hands of Cotto.
" It was the most physical, ever, because he made it that way because he wanted to beat Cotto at his own game, he wanted to prove that he's really a
welterweight, he's not just a blown up welterweight. He's at true '47-pounder and beat a guy that way," explained Roach, who wants to see his charge
back in the ring around May or June."He could've made the fight much easier by just boxing and using in-and-out motion. He dominated him when he did
that. But he wanted to prove that he was the stronger guy."
The veteran promoter agrees with those sentiments.
" I think what Freddie is saying is correct. March is too early. Based on the fact that Manny, for the first time, took significant punishment in the fight. I
mean, Cotto, was a real tough fight, banged him around and the ear has got to heal. Not that it's a big deal. But Freddie is right. Freddie is the master,
he really is. He understands his fighter and forget doing anything that disturbs this great fighting machine. So I listen very carefully to what Freddie
says."
Another question is just where Pacquiao's next contest will take place. But there are plenty of options that go far beyond your traditional casino settings."
I don't know," admitted Arum." but if it's a Mayweather fight, it could be either in Nevada, it could be in Texas, in New Orleans. I mean James Carville is
going crazy, doing this and doing that. So we're going to everybody. New York, would be a wonderful spot for it, but it can't happen."
The bottom line on 'the Big Apple' is that Pacquiao would have to pay too much in taxes to make it a reality. Meaning that the Boston Red Sox will call
the new Yankee Stadium home before Pacquiao ever boxes in it. And wait, did, Arum just mention James Carville, the noted political analyst?
" Yeah," confirmed Arum," he was at the fight and he and his wife are on a committee to bring events to New Orleans." The Superdome, home of the
NFL Saints, is no stranger to hosting big boxing events, having been the location of such fights as the rematches between Muhammad Ali and Leon
Spinks and the infamous 'no mas' fight between Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran.
On Monday, Mayweather, released this statement to various media outlets:
“Manny Pacquiao is the fighter and every time someone asks him if he wants to fight me, he says it is up to his promoter, he’s going to take a vacation,
whatever the answer is,” said Mayweather today. “I have yet to hear him actually say, ‘yes I want to fight Mayweather.’ We are the fighters and if one
fighter is talking about fighting another fighter, then they should just come out and say it. Manny Pacquiao doesn’t say anything directly about fighting
me because he might just know it’s not a fight he can win. He said during an interview he did leading up to his fight that he didn’t think I wanted to fight
him and that boxing for me was just a business and I wasn’t interested in a good fight. But again, he never said during that interview that he would fight
me. Why is he talking about what I won’t do instead of what he wants to do? Plain and simple, it’s because he knows he can’t beat me under any
circumstances.”
Perhaps Mayweather is forgetting some of his own comments he made at his post-fight presser after he downed Marquez, or some of his contradictory
answers he gave to 'RA the Rugged Man' or the fact that Pacquiao has really never called anyone out. But Arum takes these comments in stride."Floyd
Mayweather, I mean, why would you pay attention to what he says? As far as I'm concerned the one thing I'm not going to do, ever, is to reply to him.
Just let him say whatever the hell he wants to say."
Mayweather-Marquez garnered a million pay-per-view buys. Top Rank hoped to exceed that mark but many questioned if they could with two boxers
who's first language is not English. But as November 14Th approached, this promotion gained great momentum and even garnered coverage from
unlikely sources. One example, on ESPN's College Gameday, the fight was featured during their prediction segment.( For the record, Desmond Howard
and Lee Corso, both tabbed Pacquiao by KO, while Kirk Herbstreit predicted a Cotto victory.) Oh, and if you hadn't heard, even the New York Times
covered this event.
"With the pay-per-view, the results that we have, this is tracking like a heavyweight fight. In other words, it is not tracking, skewing to the Hispanic areas.
It's tracking just like a heavyweight fight right across the country," explained Arum.
Schaefer, though, is citing the fact that Mayweather, with like opponents( De La Hoya, Hatton and Marquez) had superior numbers from a pay-per-view
perspective. But Arum knows why Schaefer is taking that tact."Because we did significantly better than Floyd did against Marquez. That's our leverage
and they have to say something to give them their leverage. But when he fought De La Hoya, it was the De La Hoya who hadn't been beaten by
Mayweather and also our momentum is really building. Manny Pacquiao's a foreigner but he's being more and more accepted by the American public.
And it was clear that he was the A-side for this fight."
But this much is clear, Pacquiao is boxing's most important figure, it's greatest natural resource to cherish.
"Oh, absolutely, there's not even a question," Arum, agreed." Not even a question. People who discuss boxing talk about Manny Pacquiao because he's
so different. It's like having Bruce Lee in boxing. People want to see him do a high-wire act, they want to see him fight one guy after another, they want
challenges for him. This guy is an amazing, amazing athlete, an amazing person.
"Where have we ever had a boxer like this, ever?"
FILM DON'T LIE
In my opinion, there's no better trainer in the sport today that can diagnose and dissect a boxer like Roach. To me, he's boxing's version of Bill
Belichick- although I think he would've punted from the Colts 28-yard line this past weekend. But he's an admitted fight film junkie.
How many hours of film will he watch prior to a big fight?
"Hundreds," he says."Y'know what? It's like reading a book twice. You'll get more out of it the second time. You don't always catch it. So the fourth, fifth,
sixth time, you start catching everything. You start seeing patterns and habits. So I just can't get it the first time, I get it watching over and over again.
That's what I do before I go to sleep. I fall asleep watching those fights and studying what they do well and what they don't do well."
For Cotto, he viewed his bout with DeMarcus Corley, at length.
" Corley, I watched a lot of him early in camp. He hurt him over the top( with the right-hook). I even brought the computer to Manny and showed him
because I wanted to make sure he understood he was watching the right tape. But y'know what? The more I watched Cotto, early Cotto, and then when I
watched his fight with ( Joshua) Clottey, he wasn't the same fighter."
So he had regressed?
"I think so."
Physically or technically?
"I thought it was both, to be honest with you. But he proved me wrong in the first round, though. He came out alive and fast. In the Clottey fight he was
very methodical and sluggish and kinda slow. So he surprised me a little bit in the first two rounds. I thought he won the first two rounds. But of course
the knockdown( in the third round) changed that."
SAFETY FIRST
In a wide-ranging interview we did with Roach( that can be seen on Max-TV), I asked him if he thought that his counter-part, Joe Santiago- who verbally
jousted with Roach during this promotion- allowed the fight to go on because he believed that taking his man to the finish line would somehow be
beneficial to his own reputation.
" Definitely, a world champion in survival mode, when that happens, you gotta bail him out. That's his job to bail him out. Fighters can't quit. If a fighter
says,'Stop the fight.' It's embarrassing. In MMA they quit, but not in this sport. So the thing is, it's up to the corner to protect the fighter. There's no
reason they should've gone on and they let him take a beating he really didn't need to take. Because he had already given up on the win, he was trying
to survive and they were just trying to get a morale victory by going the distance against Pacquiao.
"I was happy when they did stop the fight. But if I was the coach, after eight, it was over."
home run for all the parties involved.
According to Bob Arum on Tuesday afternoon,"The pay-per-view is north of a million and south of a million-five. It's significantly closer to a million-five
than it is to a million. At this point, that's all you can say. We don't have New York, we don't have this, we don't have that. But it did extremely well."
Immediately after Pacquiao's stirring 12Th round stoppage of Cotto, the focus turned to a showdown with one Floyd Joy Mayweather Jr. But despite
some statements made at the post-fight press conference, talks between Arum and Golden Boy Promotions CEO, Richard Schaefer, who reps 'Money',
have not commenced, as of yet.
"No, they have not begun, but I'm sure they will. I think they will before the end of the week," said Arum. When asked if he expected a laborious and
drawn out negotiation, he answered,"No, hey, I can only talk for my guy and my side. If Schaefer has control of the situation on the other side, it will not
be a difficult process."
As for a Plan B, if a bout with Mayweather can not be consummated, Arum stated,"Well, he could do the ( Juan Manuel) Marquez fight, that would be an
interesting fight. Marquez is the only guy who held him close, giving him a tough time. So that would be an interesting fight and probably that would be
the leading option."
But Schaefer has made comments that he would be interested in matching Marquez with Ricky Hatton in England in the first quarter of 2010. Both of
those fighters are promoted by Golden Boy.
Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, isn't interested in any interim fights before facing Mayweather.
" I want Mayweather, next," he told Max-TV on Tuesday morning at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, California." Why go after someone else? I
want to go for the whole thing, the big ones. The thing is, you talk about March, but that fight can't be made by March because we need more time, of
course, to be 100-percent healthy. I'll have a ten week training camp, new sparring partners, just a whole different ballgame. We know how to get in
shape and we'll be in great shape and all that stuff but the game plan will be completely different. There's a lot of changes we have to make. But I have
a guy who's very capable of making those changes."
Despite the dominance of Pacquiao, this was not an easy fight from a physical standpoint for the Filipino icon, who was noticeably bruised up and
suffered a busted right ear-drum from the heavy hands of Cotto.
" It was the most physical, ever, because he made it that way because he wanted to beat Cotto at his own game, he wanted to prove that he's really a
welterweight, he's not just a blown up welterweight. He's at true '47-pounder and beat a guy that way," explained Roach, who wants to see his charge
back in the ring around May or June."He could've made the fight much easier by just boxing and using in-and-out motion. He dominated him when he did
that. But he wanted to prove that he was the stronger guy."
The veteran promoter agrees with those sentiments.
" I think what Freddie is saying is correct. March is too early. Based on the fact that Manny, for the first time, took significant punishment in the fight. I
mean, Cotto, was a real tough fight, banged him around and the ear has got to heal. Not that it's a big deal. But Freddie is right. Freddie is the master,
he really is. He understands his fighter and forget doing anything that disturbs this great fighting machine. So I listen very carefully to what Freddie
says."
Another question is just where Pacquiao's next contest will take place. But there are plenty of options that go far beyond your traditional casino settings."
I don't know," admitted Arum." but if it's a Mayweather fight, it could be either in Nevada, it could be in Texas, in New Orleans. I mean James Carville is
going crazy, doing this and doing that. So we're going to everybody. New York, would be a wonderful spot for it, but it can't happen."
The bottom line on 'the Big Apple' is that Pacquiao would have to pay too much in taxes to make it a reality. Meaning that the Boston Red Sox will call
the new Yankee Stadium home before Pacquiao ever boxes in it. And wait, did, Arum just mention James Carville, the noted political analyst?
" Yeah," confirmed Arum," he was at the fight and he and his wife are on a committee to bring events to New Orleans." The Superdome, home of the
NFL Saints, is no stranger to hosting big boxing events, having been the location of such fights as the rematches between Muhammad Ali and Leon
Spinks and the infamous 'no mas' fight between Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran.
On Monday, Mayweather, released this statement to various media outlets:
“Manny Pacquiao is the fighter and every time someone asks him if he wants to fight me, he says it is up to his promoter, he’s going to take a vacation,
whatever the answer is,” said Mayweather today. “I have yet to hear him actually say, ‘yes I want to fight Mayweather.’ We are the fighters and if one
fighter is talking about fighting another fighter, then they should just come out and say it. Manny Pacquiao doesn’t say anything directly about fighting
me because he might just know it’s not a fight he can win. He said during an interview he did leading up to his fight that he didn’t think I wanted to fight
him and that boxing for me was just a business and I wasn’t interested in a good fight. But again, he never said during that interview that he would fight
me. Why is he talking about what I won’t do instead of what he wants to do? Plain and simple, it’s because he knows he can’t beat me under any
circumstances.”
Perhaps Mayweather is forgetting some of his own comments he made at his post-fight presser after he downed Marquez, or some of his contradictory
answers he gave to 'RA the Rugged Man' or the fact that Pacquiao has really never called anyone out. But Arum takes these comments in stride."Floyd
Mayweather, I mean, why would you pay attention to what he says? As far as I'm concerned the one thing I'm not going to do, ever, is to reply to him.
Just let him say whatever the hell he wants to say."
Mayweather-Marquez garnered a million pay-per-view buys. Top Rank hoped to exceed that mark but many questioned if they could with two boxers
who's first language is not English. But as November 14Th approached, this promotion gained great momentum and even garnered coverage from
unlikely sources. One example, on ESPN's College Gameday, the fight was featured during their prediction segment.( For the record, Desmond Howard
and Lee Corso, both tabbed Pacquiao by KO, while Kirk Herbstreit predicted a Cotto victory.) Oh, and if you hadn't heard, even the New York Times
covered this event.
"With the pay-per-view, the results that we have, this is tracking like a heavyweight fight. In other words, it is not tracking, skewing to the Hispanic areas.
It's tracking just like a heavyweight fight right across the country," explained Arum.
Schaefer, though, is citing the fact that Mayweather, with like opponents( De La Hoya, Hatton and Marquez) had superior numbers from a pay-per-view
perspective. But Arum knows why Schaefer is taking that tact."Because we did significantly better than Floyd did against Marquez. That's our leverage
and they have to say something to give them their leverage. But when he fought De La Hoya, it was the De La Hoya who hadn't been beaten by
Mayweather and also our momentum is really building. Manny Pacquiao's a foreigner but he's being more and more accepted by the American public.
And it was clear that he was the A-side for this fight."
But this much is clear, Pacquiao is boxing's most important figure, it's greatest natural resource to cherish.
"Oh, absolutely, there's not even a question," Arum, agreed." Not even a question. People who discuss boxing talk about Manny Pacquiao because he's
so different. It's like having Bruce Lee in boxing. People want to see him do a high-wire act, they want to see him fight one guy after another, they want
challenges for him. This guy is an amazing, amazing athlete, an amazing person.
"Where have we ever had a boxer like this, ever?"
FILM DON'T LIE
In my opinion, there's no better trainer in the sport today that can diagnose and dissect a boxer like Roach. To me, he's boxing's version of Bill
Belichick- although I think he would've punted from the Colts 28-yard line this past weekend. But he's an admitted fight film junkie.
How many hours of film will he watch prior to a big fight?
"Hundreds," he says."Y'know what? It's like reading a book twice. You'll get more out of it the second time. You don't always catch it. So the fourth, fifth,
sixth time, you start catching everything. You start seeing patterns and habits. So I just can't get it the first time, I get it watching over and over again.
That's what I do before I go to sleep. I fall asleep watching those fights and studying what they do well and what they don't do well."
For Cotto, he viewed his bout with DeMarcus Corley, at length.
" Corley, I watched a lot of him early in camp. He hurt him over the top( with the right-hook). I even brought the computer to Manny and showed him
because I wanted to make sure he understood he was watching the right tape. But y'know what? The more I watched Cotto, early Cotto, and then when I
watched his fight with ( Joshua) Clottey, he wasn't the same fighter."
So he had regressed?
"I think so."
Physically or technically?
"I thought it was both, to be honest with you. But he proved me wrong in the first round, though. He came out alive and fast. In the Clottey fight he was
very methodical and sluggish and kinda slow. So he surprised me a little bit in the first two rounds. I thought he won the first two rounds. But of course
the knockdown( in the third round) changed that."
SAFETY FIRST
In a wide-ranging interview we did with Roach( that can be seen on Max-TV), I asked him if he thought that his counter-part, Joe Santiago- who verbally
jousted with Roach during this promotion- allowed the fight to go on because he believed that taking his man to the finish line would somehow be
beneficial to his own reputation.
" Definitely, a world champion in survival mode, when that happens, you gotta bail him out. That's his job to bail him out. Fighters can't quit. If a fighter
says,'Stop the fight.' It's embarrassing. In MMA they quit, but not in this sport. So the thing is, it's up to the corner to protect the fighter. There's no
reason they should've gone on and they let him take a beating he really didn't need to take. Because he had already given up on the win, he was trying
to survive and they were just trying to get a morale victory by going the distance against Pacquiao.
"I was happy when they did stop the fight. But if I was the coach, after eight, it was over."
Purists maintain that the current decade will run until December 31, 2010. Conventional wisdom holds otherwise. The Roaring Twenties encompassed
the years 1920 through 1929. Popular culture dictates that The Sixties were over when 1970 began. The new millennium was celebrated as 1999 came
to an end.
As the '00s draw to a close, it's time to determine who deserves recognition as "Fighter of the Decade." Four men merit consideration.
Bernard Hopkins was an unlikely candidate as the decade began. On January 15, 2000, he turned 35 years old. He was the IBF middleweight champion
with a record of 36 wins, 2 losses and 1 draw. How much longer could he go on?
A lot longer.
In the decade that followed, Hopkins fought 17 times. On 14 of those occasions, he emerged victorious. His biggest victories were against Felix Trinidad,
Oscar De La Hoya, Antonio Tarver, Winky Wright and Kelly Pavlik. Those aren't just names. They're challenges. He lost close decisions to Jermain
Taylor on two occasions and was beaten by Joe Calzaghe.
"Bernard Hopkins," Donald Turner says, "does everything the way it should be done, in and out of the ring. Outside of his age, the only problem he has
is that he's not the bravest fighter in the world. Being too brave is foolish. Not being brave enough can cost you, like it did with Hopkins against Taylor."
Meanwhile, Hopkins proclaims, "Did you ever notice, when guys fight Bernard Hopkins, they always say afterward, 'I wasn't myself in the ring tonight.'
Like I don't have anything to do with it. It's like a baseball player who goes 0-for-4 and strikes out four times. Do you think maybe the pitcher had
something to do with that?"
Hopkins will turn 45 on January 15, 2010. He's the best over-40 fighter ever. "It's not about what you did yesterday," Bernard says. "You got to go into
every fight with the attitude, 'My legacy starts tonight.'"
Joe Calzaghe entered the decade with a 27-0 mark and the WBO super-middleweight belt firmly in hand. In late 2008, at age 36, he retired as an active
fighter with an unblemished record of 46 wins and 32 knockouts in 46 fights.
Joe Calzaghe entered the decade with a 27-0 mark and the WBO super-middleweight belt firmly in hand. In late 2008, at age 36, he retired as an active
fighter with an unblemished record of 46 wins and 32 knockouts in 46 fights.
Throughout his career, Calzaghe showed physical skills, heart and the ability to make all necessary adjustments during a fight. He beat some good
fighters (e.g. Chris Eubank, Jeff Lacy, Sakio Bika and Mikkel Kessler) who weren't great. And he beat a once-great fighter (Roy Jones), who was well
past his prime. His most impressive victory came against Hopkins.
After Calzaghe defeated Jones, Hugn McIlvanney wrote, "How can we do suitable honor to the wonderful boxing career of Joe Calzaghe while paying a
decent minimum of respect to that battered old punchbag historical perspective? We could start by admitting that what was feverishly hailed as a
triumph over a legend in Madison Square Garden looked rather more like the vandalizing of a relic. Roy Jones Jr. went to the ring in New York with his
once-beautiful talent blatantly burnt out. Calzaghe's only two assignments in America have confronted him with men whose aggregate age is eighty-two.
The years have piled up for him too, but his undamaged looks and physical freshness testify to the benefits of having spared himself the frequent
commitment to wars that has been the norm for Jones, Hopkins, and their kind."
Calzaghe doesn't pay much attention to pound-for-pound rankings and the like. He calls them "a mythical load of crap." Still, in gauging his greatness,
one must question whether Joe had the inquisitors that a fighter needs to be regarded as "Fighter of the Decade."Floyd Mayweather Jr. started the
millennium with 22 wins in 22 fights and the WBC 130-pound championship belt around his waist. Over the next 10 years, he had 18 fights and won all of
them. In the process, he captured titles at weights as high as 147 pounds and scored notable victories over Diego Corrales, Jose Luis Castillo (twice),
Zab Judah, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Juan Manuel Marquez.
Mayweather's public persona ("Money Mayweather") is a self-creation. Give him credit for good marketing on that. And he has the respect of his peers.
Zab Judah once remarked, "Floyd comes into every fight physically and mentally at 100 percent."
Some observers of the boxing scene complain that Floyd runs more than he fights. But Bernard Hopkins rebuts that notion, saying, "Floyd don't run
from nobody. I've seen Floyd counterpunch; I've seen Floyd move; I've seen Floyd use his speed, use his quickness. But I've never seen Floyd run."
And Mayweather himself notes, "Boxing is a beautiful sport. Boxing is art. The last time I looked, the sport was called 'boxing,' not '"toe-to-toe.'"
Still, there's a chink in Floyd's armor. There's a school of thought that, for much of the decade, he ducked the tough fights, managing to avoid Shane
Mosley, Paul Williams, Antonio Margarito, and Miguel Cotto.
That brings us to Manny Pacquiao.
On January 1, 2000, Manny Pacquiao was 21 years old and virtually unknown outside of his native Philippines. During the course of the past decade,
he has fought 26 times and become the most famous fighter in the world. His opponents in that 10-year span included Erik Morales (three times), Marco
Antonio Barrera (twice), Juan Manuel Marquez (twice), Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto. In 10 fights against these six
Hall-of-Fame-caliber opponents, Pacquiao amassed 8 wins against 1 loss and a draw.
Moreover, unlike Hopkins and Mayweather (both of whom fought many of their biggest fights against smaller men), Pacquiao has consistently
challenged naturally bigger fighters. He has hurdled every major obstacle in his weight class and then some.
Unlike Mayweather and Calzaghe, Pacquiao has a less-than-perfect record for the decade. But when a fighter fights the best again and again,
sometimes he loses. When Sugar Ray Robinson was young and great, he lost to Jake LaMotta. Muhammad Ali lost to Joe Frazier and Ken Norton
before he got old.
History judges elite fighters in large measure by their record against other elite fighters and how they perform in their most difficult challenges.
Mayweather has talked the talk. Pacquiao has walked the walk. And Manny has out-of-the-ring intangibles as well. In that regard, he's similar to
Muhammad Ali: a great fighter, a good person and an important symbol for his people.
"I'm just doing my job to be a good fighter," Pacquiao said after beating Miguel Cotto earlier this year.
He's doing more than that. Manny Pacquiao deserves recognition as "Fighter of the Decade."
the years 1920 through 1929. Popular culture dictates that The Sixties were over when 1970 began. The new millennium was celebrated as 1999 came
to an end.
As the '00s draw to a close, it's time to determine who deserves recognition as "Fighter of the Decade." Four men merit consideration.
Bernard Hopkins was an unlikely candidate as the decade began. On January 15, 2000, he turned 35 years old. He was the IBF middleweight champion
with a record of 36 wins, 2 losses and 1 draw. How much longer could he go on?
A lot longer.
In the decade that followed, Hopkins fought 17 times. On 14 of those occasions, he emerged victorious. His biggest victories were against Felix Trinidad,
Oscar De La Hoya, Antonio Tarver, Winky Wright and Kelly Pavlik. Those aren't just names. They're challenges. He lost close decisions to Jermain
Taylor on two occasions and was beaten by Joe Calzaghe.
"Bernard Hopkins," Donald Turner says, "does everything the way it should be done, in and out of the ring. Outside of his age, the only problem he has
is that he's not the bravest fighter in the world. Being too brave is foolish. Not being brave enough can cost you, like it did with Hopkins against Taylor."
Meanwhile, Hopkins proclaims, "Did you ever notice, when guys fight Bernard Hopkins, they always say afterward, 'I wasn't myself in the ring tonight.'
Like I don't have anything to do with it. It's like a baseball player who goes 0-for-4 and strikes out four times. Do you think maybe the pitcher had
something to do with that?"
Hopkins will turn 45 on January 15, 2010. He's the best over-40 fighter ever. "It's not about what you did yesterday," Bernard says. "You got to go into
every fight with the attitude, 'My legacy starts tonight.'"
Joe Calzaghe entered the decade with a 27-0 mark and the WBO super-middleweight belt firmly in hand. In late 2008, at age 36, he retired as an active
fighter with an unblemished record of 46 wins and 32 knockouts in 46 fights.
Joe Calzaghe entered the decade with a 27-0 mark and the WBO super-middleweight belt firmly in hand. In late 2008, at age 36, he retired as an active
fighter with an unblemished record of 46 wins and 32 knockouts in 46 fights.
Throughout his career, Calzaghe showed physical skills, heart and the ability to make all necessary adjustments during a fight. He beat some good
fighters (e.g. Chris Eubank, Jeff Lacy, Sakio Bika and Mikkel Kessler) who weren't great. And he beat a once-great fighter (Roy Jones), who was well
past his prime. His most impressive victory came against Hopkins.
After Calzaghe defeated Jones, Hugn McIlvanney wrote, "How can we do suitable honor to the wonderful boxing career of Joe Calzaghe while paying a
decent minimum of respect to that battered old punchbag historical perspective? We could start by admitting that what was feverishly hailed as a
triumph over a legend in Madison Square Garden looked rather more like the vandalizing of a relic. Roy Jones Jr. went to the ring in New York with his
once-beautiful talent blatantly burnt out. Calzaghe's only two assignments in America have confronted him with men whose aggregate age is eighty-two.
The years have piled up for him too, but his undamaged looks and physical freshness testify to the benefits of having spared himself the frequent
commitment to wars that has been the norm for Jones, Hopkins, and their kind."
Calzaghe doesn't pay much attention to pound-for-pound rankings and the like. He calls them "a mythical load of crap." Still, in gauging his greatness,
one must question whether Joe had the inquisitors that a fighter needs to be regarded as "Fighter of the Decade."Floyd Mayweather Jr. started the
millennium with 22 wins in 22 fights and the WBC 130-pound championship belt around his waist. Over the next 10 years, he had 18 fights and won all of
them. In the process, he captured titles at weights as high as 147 pounds and scored notable victories over Diego Corrales, Jose Luis Castillo (twice),
Zab Judah, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Juan Manuel Marquez.
Mayweather's public persona ("Money Mayweather") is a self-creation. Give him credit for good marketing on that. And he has the respect of his peers.
Zab Judah once remarked, "Floyd comes into every fight physically and mentally at 100 percent."
Some observers of the boxing scene complain that Floyd runs more than he fights. But Bernard Hopkins rebuts that notion, saying, "Floyd don't run
from nobody. I've seen Floyd counterpunch; I've seen Floyd move; I've seen Floyd use his speed, use his quickness. But I've never seen Floyd run."
And Mayweather himself notes, "Boxing is a beautiful sport. Boxing is art. The last time I looked, the sport was called 'boxing,' not '"toe-to-toe.'"
Still, there's a chink in Floyd's armor. There's a school of thought that, for much of the decade, he ducked the tough fights, managing to avoid Shane
Mosley, Paul Williams, Antonio Margarito, and Miguel Cotto.
That brings us to Manny Pacquiao.
On January 1, 2000, Manny Pacquiao was 21 years old and virtually unknown outside of his native Philippines. During the course of the past decade,
he has fought 26 times and become the most famous fighter in the world. His opponents in that 10-year span included Erik Morales (three times), Marco
Antonio Barrera (twice), Juan Manuel Marquez (twice), Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto. In 10 fights against these six
Hall-of-Fame-caliber opponents, Pacquiao amassed 8 wins against 1 loss and a draw.
Moreover, unlike Hopkins and Mayweather (both of whom fought many of their biggest fights against smaller men), Pacquiao has consistently
challenged naturally bigger fighters. He has hurdled every major obstacle in his weight class and then some.
Unlike Mayweather and Calzaghe, Pacquiao has a less-than-perfect record for the decade. But when a fighter fights the best again and again,
sometimes he loses. When Sugar Ray Robinson was young and great, he lost to Jake LaMotta. Muhammad Ali lost to Joe Frazier and Ken Norton
before he got old.
History judges elite fighters in large measure by their record against other elite fighters and how they perform in their most difficult challenges.
Mayweather has talked the talk. Pacquiao has walked the walk. And Manny has out-of-the-ring intangibles as well. In that regard, he's similar to
Muhammad Ali: a great fighter, a good person and an important symbol for his people.
"I'm just doing my job to be a good fighter," Pacquiao said after beating Miguel Cotto earlier this year.
He's doing more than that. Manny Pacquiao deserves recognition as "Fighter of the Decade."
At 22 years old, Victor Ortiz was considered everybody's future Golden Boy—a can't-miss prospect with a winning smile and an exciting style of fighting.
Until he lost to Marco Rene Maidana on June 27. After the disappointing sixth-round TKO, Ortiz's stock has plummeted and he's been widely written off.
Is it wise to do that to a young boxer after just one loss?
History shows that many fighters have lost for the first time and then come back to be great champions. The difference with Ortiz is that he committed a
cardinal sin of boxing: Refusing to go home on his shield.
Max Kellerman says Ortiz's decision not to fight on after being knocked down and battered in round six by Maidana raises serious doubts about the
young fighter's heart. "If I had to guess I think it is more likely than not that he will quit again, based on his past behavior. But it is not written in stone."
Kellerman learned that lesson nine years ago when undefeated champion Vitali Klitschko quit on his stool before the seventh round after suffering a
shoulder injury against Chris Byrd. Kellerman recalls that "I said to myself, 'He is not willing to do what it takes to go through rough times.'"
It was a harsh judgment considering Klitschko had torn tendons in his left shoulder in the second round and fought on into the sixth until the pain
became unbearable. Despite the injury, Kellerman still felt Klitschko should have continued. He has since reassessed his thinking. "Only later did I
realize Klitschko didn't know what was expected of him," Kellerman said. "The fans in Germany were very negative to Vitali after that fight, so he came to
learn he was expected to go on. And that's what he did in his fight with Lennox Lewis." (Klitschko suffered a deep cut underneath his left eyebrow early
but kept fighting and was winning on all three scorecards, 58-56, when the referee stopped it.)
In the aftermath of the Maidana fiasco, Ortiz has certainly been told what is expected of him. Fans have battered him like a pinata on boxing forums and
writers have taken turns sticking poison pens in him. If Ortiz hasn't learned the lesson that Klitschko did, he probably never will, and could end up as just
another talented guy who amounted to nothing.
Kellerman did the stunning post-fight interview with Ortiz for HBO, and was as surprised as anyone that the young fighter decided not to keep going.
"Earlier in the fight Ortiz did deal with adversity when he got up from a first round knockdown and continued to fight. But I think after the second
knockdown in round six he said to himself, 'Okay, I got up and gave it my best but my best is not good enough tonight.' Ortiz is a smart kid and he
realized he wasn't winning the fight so why take a beating."
In the real world, nobody would crucify you for that kind of thinking. But boxing has its own culture and unwritten laws. "Most North American fans,
because of the nature of boxing, feel that if you can't impose your will on a fighter you still need to keep going. Fans want to see a fighter willing to risk
everything in order to win," Kellerman says.
Perhaps a big factor in Ortiz's decision was that he had knocked Maidana down three times with his best shots, and the guy just kept getting up like a
terminator and firing bombs. "No doubt about it; that affects a fighter psychologically," Kellerman says. "Any fighter will tell you the same thing. Ortiz's
behavior after the fight told fans what they didn't want to hear. He disappointed many people."
Kellerman says Muhammad Ali came close to doing that twice in his storied career, but trainer Angelo Dundee literally pushed him off his stool. In his
first fight with Sonny Liston, "Ali wanted to quit after the fourth round when he had a burning sensation in his eyes and couldn't see. He told Dundee to
cut off his gloves. Then in his third fight with Frazier, Ali was so exhausted he wanted to quit before the 15 round started even though he was winning."
But unlike Ali, Ortiz is not a proven warrior. He has the skills to become one and can win back fans, but Kellerman wonders if the young fighter's head is
in the right place. "With Ortiz, the question is how will he handle it? After a fighter quits, he wakes up the next morning and sees the world is still there,
the sun still rises in the sky, and he comes to the realization that if you quit it is not the end of the world. That makes it easier to quit the next time."
It is unlikely that Ortiz's heart will be tested in his December 12 fight with Antonio Diaz, a 33-year-old lacking the hands of stone that Maidana does. Diaz
is a former two-time welterweight title challenger who retired in 2005, came back three years later and has won all four of his fights against journeymen,
but none by knockout.
This bout is clearly designed as a confidence builder and a bridge back for Ortiz, but even an impressive victory will do little to erase lingering doubts.
Jack Dempsey once said, "A champion is someone who gets up when he can't." Until Ortiz shows he can do that, fans will question whether he has the
heart to be one.
Until he lost to Marco Rene Maidana on June 27. After the disappointing sixth-round TKO, Ortiz's stock has plummeted and he's been widely written off.
Is it wise to do that to a young boxer after just one loss?
History shows that many fighters have lost for the first time and then come back to be great champions. The difference with Ortiz is that he committed a
cardinal sin of boxing: Refusing to go home on his shield.
Max Kellerman says Ortiz's decision not to fight on after being knocked down and battered in round six by Maidana raises serious doubts about the
young fighter's heart. "If I had to guess I think it is more likely than not that he will quit again, based on his past behavior. But it is not written in stone."
Kellerman learned that lesson nine years ago when undefeated champion Vitali Klitschko quit on his stool before the seventh round after suffering a
shoulder injury against Chris Byrd. Kellerman recalls that "I said to myself, 'He is not willing to do what it takes to go through rough times.'"
It was a harsh judgment considering Klitschko had torn tendons in his left shoulder in the second round and fought on into the sixth until the pain
became unbearable. Despite the injury, Kellerman still felt Klitschko should have continued. He has since reassessed his thinking. "Only later did I
realize Klitschko didn't know what was expected of him," Kellerman said. "The fans in Germany were very negative to Vitali after that fight, so he came to
learn he was expected to go on. And that's what he did in his fight with Lennox Lewis." (Klitschko suffered a deep cut underneath his left eyebrow early
but kept fighting and was winning on all three scorecards, 58-56, when the referee stopped it.)
In the aftermath of the Maidana fiasco, Ortiz has certainly been told what is expected of him. Fans have battered him like a pinata on boxing forums and
writers have taken turns sticking poison pens in him. If Ortiz hasn't learned the lesson that Klitschko did, he probably never will, and could end up as just
another talented guy who amounted to nothing.
Kellerman did the stunning post-fight interview with Ortiz for HBO, and was as surprised as anyone that the young fighter decided not to keep going.
"Earlier in the fight Ortiz did deal with adversity when he got up from a first round knockdown and continued to fight. But I think after the second
knockdown in round six he said to himself, 'Okay, I got up and gave it my best but my best is not good enough tonight.' Ortiz is a smart kid and he
realized he wasn't winning the fight so why take a beating."
In the real world, nobody would crucify you for that kind of thinking. But boxing has its own culture and unwritten laws. "Most North American fans,
because of the nature of boxing, feel that if you can't impose your will on a fighter you still need to keep going. Fans want to see a fighter willing to risk
everything in order to win," Kellerman says.
Perhaps a big factor in Ortiz's decision was that he had knocked Maidana down three times with his best shots, and the guy just kept getting up like a
terminator and firing bombs. "No doubt about it; that affects a fighter psychologically," Kellerman says. "Any fighter will tell you the same thing. Ortiz's
behavior after the fight told fans what they didn't want to hear. He disappointed many people."
Kellerman says Muhammad Ali came close to doing that twice in his storied career, but trainer Angelo Dundee literally pushed him off his stool. In his
first fight with Sonny Liston, "Ali wanted to quit after the fourth round when he had a burning sensation in his eyes and couldn't see. He told Dundee to
cut off his gloves. Then in his third fight with Frazier, Ali was so exhausted he wanted to quit before the 15 round started even though he was winning."
But unlike Ali, Ortiz is not a proven warrior. He has the skills to become one and can win back fans, but Kellerman wonders if the young fighter's head is
in the right place. "With Ortiz, the question is how will he handle it? After a fighter quits, he wakes up the next morning and sees the world is still there,
the sun still rises in the sky, and he comes to the realization that if you quit it is not the end of the world. That makes it easier to quit the next time."
It is unlikely that Ortiz's heart will be tested in his December 12 fight with Antonio Diaz, a 33-year-old lacking the hands of stone that Maidana does. Diaz
is a former two-time welterweight title challenger who retired in 2005, came back three years later and has won all four of his fights against journeymen,
but none by knockout.
This bout is clearly designed as a confidence builder and a bridge back for Ortiz, but even an impressive victory will do little to erase lingering doubts.
Jack Dempsey once said, "A champion is someone who gets up when he can't." Until Ortiz shows he can do that, fans will question whether he has the
heart to be one.
BUTE STAYS UNBEATEN WITH 4TH ROUND KO
The last time Lucian Bute fought Librado Andrade he won a unanimous decision that was tainted by a 12th round controversy. This time Bute beat
Andrade without any ifs, ands or buts, knocking out the Mexican with a brutal left hook to the body with three seconds left in the fourth round to remain
unbeaten (25-0, 20 KOs).
November 28th, 2009 - by Nat Gottlieb | Photos by Ed Mulholland
With the stunning memory of his 12th round knockdown by Andrade in their first fight clearly on his mind, Bute seemed to fight tentatively through the
first three rounds, boxing well enough to win on the scorecards, but appeared to lack aggressiveness and confidence. But after being backed into the
ropes by Andrade with just over a minute to go in the fourth round, Bute lashed out with a short left hook to the chin that dropped the Mexican for the
first time in his career and turned the fight around.
Andrade got up from the knockdown and seemed to be unhurt, but a minute later, with the sellout crowd of 16,500 at the Pepsi Coliseum in Quebec City
roaring, Bute found his groove and fired a left hook from hell that caught Andrade smack on the liver and sent him down for the second and final time.
Bute's victory made something of a sage of HBO commentator Lennox Lewis. In his pre-fight analysis, Lewis talked about his shocking knockout loss in
2001 to Hasim Rahman, saying that "I felt that wasn't the real Lennox Lewis." In an interview earlier in the week with HBO, Bute told Lewis basically the
same thing about his first performance against Andrade. In post-fight comments to HBO's Max Kellerman Bute said, "I felt exactly like Lennox felt. The
first fight was an accident. Tonight my fans saw the real Lucian Bute."
And what they saw was a budding international star that not only has impressive boxing skills and knockout power, but the heart of a champion. With this
victory over the top-five ranked Andrade, the door has opened to several lucrative and intriguing fights for the Canadian-based Bute. His camp has
talked about luring Kelly Pavlik up to 168, or Bute could go to 175 to take on fellow countryman and champion Jean Pascal in what would be a
tremendous fight attraction in Quebec. He could also challenge fellow undefeated champion Chad Dawson in what would be a fight with huge appeal in
North America.
In the co-feature, lightweight Ali Funeka seemed to win by a comfortable margin over Joan Guzman, but the fight was ruled a draw when two judges
scored it 114-114, while the third judge had it 116-112 for Funeka.
The last time Lucian Bute fought Librado Andrade he won a unanimous decision that was tainted by a 12th round controversy. This time Bute beat
Andrade without any ifs, ands or buts, knocking out the Mexican with a brutal left hook to the body with three seconds left in the fourth round to remain
unbeaten (25-0, 20 KOs).
November 28th, 2009 - by Nat Gottlieb | Photos by Ed Mulholland
With the stunning memory of his 12th round knockdown by Andrade in their first fight clearly on his mind, Bute seemed to fight tentatively through the
first three rounds, boxing well enough to win on the scorecards, but appeared to lack aggressiveness and confidence. But after being backed into the
ropes by Andrade with just over a minute to go in the fourth round, Bute lashed out with a short left hook to the chin that dropped the Mexican for the
first time in his career and turned the fight around.
Andrade got up from the knockdown and seemed to be unhurt, but a minute later, with the sellout crowd of 16,500 at the Pepsi Coliseum in Quebec City
roaring, Bute found his groove and fired a left hook from hell that caught Andrade smack on the liver and sent him down for the second and final time.
Bute's victory made something of a sage of HBO commentator Lennox Lewis. In his pre-fight analysis, Lewis talked about his shocking knockout loss in
2001 to Hasim Rahman, saying that "I felt that wasn't the real Lennox Lewis." In an interview earlier in the week with HBO, Bute told Lewis basically the
same thing about his first performance against Andrade. In post-fight comments to HBO's Max Kellerman Bute said, "I felt exactly like Lennox felt. The
first fight was an accident. Tonight my fans saw the real Lucian Bute."
And what they saw was a budding international star that not only has impressive boxing skills and knockout power, but the heart of a champion. With this
victory over the top-five ranked Andrade, the door has opened to several lucrative and intriguing fights for the Canadian-based Bute. His camp has
talked about luring Kelly Pavlik up to 168, or Bute could go to 175 to take on fellow countryman and champion Jean Pascal in what would be a
tremendous fight attraction in Quebec. He could also challenge fellow undefeated champion Chad Dawson in what would be a fight with huge appeal in
North America.
In the co-feature, lightweight Ali Funeka seemed to win by a comfortable margin over Joan Guzman, but the fight was ruled a draw when two judges
scored it 114-114, while the third judge had it 116-112 for Funeka.
WILLIAMS WINS HARD-FOUGHT MAJORITY DECISION AGAINST MARTINEZ
Paul Williams has been one of boxing's most avoided opponents, but the towering southpaw met an unfazed foe Saturday night who likewise was itching
for a fight.
December 5th, 2009 - by Chuck Johnson | Photos by Will Hart
The result was an action-packed, nonstop-punching thriller at Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall as Williams survived a valiant upset bid by Sergio Martinez
to win a 12-round majority decision.
Showing why they're considered two of the world's best junior middleweights, Williams and Martinez moved up a few pounds to meet in the middleweight
non-title bout, and it didn't take long before they started connecting.
Both fighters scored knockdowns in the first round to set the tone for an ebb-and-flow donnybrook that ended with judge Julie Lederman calling the fight
even 114-114 while judges Lynne Carter 115-113 and Pierre Benoist 119-110 both gave the nod to Williams.
"It was a good fight, a war,'' said Williams, who spent most of the bout nursing a profusely-bleeding cut over his left eye that was opened by a
combination of punches and an apparent head butt.
"This fight wasn't easy, but I wasn't trying to box him,'' Williams said. "I wanted to make it a war."
Williams (38-1, 28 KOs) landed a left to the temple that dropped Martinez in the first round, but the 6-foot-1 slugger from Aiken, S.C. found himself on
the seat of his pants moments later when Martinez unloaded a hard right to the jaw.
"He stunned me, like I stunned him, but I had to show him what a warrior is made of," Williams said. "I had to show him what a true champion is."
Martinez (44-2-2, 24 KOs) made a good account of himself by landing right hands that found their mark quicker than Williams' defense could react.
In turn, Williams used punishing left hands and a furious pace to dictate his offensive assault as Martinez was barely able to stand late in the fight
because of fatigue. "It was a great opportunity,'' said Martinez, an Argentina native who fights out of Oxnard, Calif. "I had the most feared fighter in the
world in front of me but I had no fear whatsoever."
Martinez was gracious in assessing the one judge's lopsided score that had Williams winning by eight points, calling it simply "a true error," while one of
his handlers described it as "a travesty."
Both fighters said they would welcome a rematch. "Of course, he's a great fighter,'' Martinez said. "If they want to do it again, I'm all for it,'' said Williams.
In the co-featured fight, America's top heavyweight prospect Chris Arreola lifted his record to 28-1 with his 25th knockout, a TKO at 2:40 of the fourth
round against undersized Brian Minto.
Arreola was eager to get back in the ring after suffering his first defeat just 10 weeks ago at the hands of heavyweight titleholder Vitali Klitschko. The
Riverside, Calif. native made good on his vow of a triumphant return despite a game effort from Minto.
"It was a great fight,'' said Arreola, who knocked down Minto twice in the fourth round before Eddie Cotton stepped in to end the scheduled 10-rounder.
"I take my hat off to Brian Minto. He's a tough (expletive deleted). I hurt my hand on his head."
Minto (34-3, 21 KOs) was sent to the floor on his hands and knees by Arreola's right hand early in the fourth round, but the Butler, Pa. fighter struggled
to his feet and came up swinging. With both fighters trading wicked punches, Arreola's size and two-fisted power eventually proved too much as Minto
was in no condition to continue after the second knockdown.
Having rebounded from his loss by 10th-round KO against Klitschko, Arreola, 28, is looking to get back in the mix for another title shot.
"I hope I sent a good message that I'm still a man to be reckoned with,'' Arreola said. "Regardless of my previous loss, I'm still a top-five heavyweight. I
want to fight again as soon as possible."
Thankfully, my job only requires me to choose the Yahoo! Sports Fighter of the Year for 2009 and not select a runner-up, where there are several very
good candidates.
Picking the Fighter of the Year for 2009 is easy. Who, other than Manny Pacquiao, could it possibly be?
There were many brilliant individual performances in 2009, but no boxer accomplished as much in the year as Pacquiao did with his devastatingly quick
knockout of Ricky Hatton and his 12-round bludgeoning of Miguel Cotto. In fights in which there were more than a handful of knowledgeable boxing
experts who thought he might lose both of his fights, Pacquiao breezed to dominant victories in each.
Pacquiao confirmed in 2009 what many began to suspect in 2008: He deserves to be considered among the greatest boxers of all time.
Burt Sugar, a boxing historian whose book “Boxing’s Greatest Fighters” is a list of his choices of the top 100 fighters ever, said Pacquiao deserves to be
considered one of the 25 greatest fighters of all time.
That’s quite a statement considering the men that Sugar’s book includes in the top 25 – names like Sugar Ray Robinson, Henry Armstrong, Willie Pep,
Joe Louis, Harry Greb, Benny Leonard, Muhammad Ali, Roberto Duran, Jack Dempsey, Jack Johnson, Mickey Walker, Tony Canzoneri, Gene Tunney,
Rocky Marciano, Joe Gans, Sam Langford, Julio Cesar Chavez, Jimmy Wilde, Stanley Ketchel, Barney Ross, Jimmy McLarnin, Archie Moore, Marcel
Cerdan, Ezzard Charles and Sugar Ray Leonard.
Sugar said Pacquiao is likely the greatest Asian-born fighter ever as well as arguably the best left-hander in history.
“I think he’s clearly done enough to get into the top 25, going through all those weight classes and winning the fights in devastating style,” Sugar said.
“He reminds me a lot of Henry Armstrong. He’s got nonstop power punching and he moves and gives angles.”
Pacquiao wins the award in 2009 based on unexpectedly one-sided victories over Hatton and Cotto, each of whom spent time in the pound-for-pound
top 10 at some point in their careers.
Few doubted going into the Hatton fight that Pacquiao was the more-skilled, more-talented fighter. Despite his victory over Oscar De La Hoya five
months earlier, however, there were many questions surrounding Pacquiao’s ability to fight and defeat a naturally bigger man in his prime.
After Pacquiao destroyed De La Hoya in 2008, the consensus was that De La Hoya was over the hill. Such was not the case about Hatton as he
prepared to fight Pacquiao in Las Vegas on May 2. Those who supported Hatton felt he would prove to be too big and too strong for Pacquiao to handle.
Their belief was that Pacquiao’s punches wouldn’t have the impact they had against De La Hoya and that Pacquiao might have difficulty with Hatton’s
physical strength and mauling style. Pacquiao dispelled that myth quickly, knocking out Hatton with a wicked left to the chin that left Hatton prone in the
center of the ring for several minutes.
Pacquiao then agreed to face Cotto, a powerful welterweight who had lost just once in 35 bouts and who was in his prime. Again, the question of
whether Pacquiao could withstand Cotto’s pressure, particularly his relentless body assault, was raised. And yet again, Pacquiao answered those
questions.
His promoter, Bob Arum, called Pacquiao the best fighter he’s seen in 45 years in the boxing business. Sugar said that’s not far off.
“Obviously, you have to take Arum’s opinion somewhat with a grain of salt considering his job, but when you think about it, it’s not that horribly wrong,”
Sugar said. “OK, the bulk of Ali’s career came during that time, but when you consider the vast majority of guys who competed in that time, see how
many guys you come up with who you say are hands down, unquestionably, better than this kid. I’m betting that you don’t come up with a real long list.”
There were several exceptional performers in 2009, but it’s hard to consider most of them for Fighter of the Year. Shane Mosley and Floyd Mayweather
Jr. were dominant in their fights, but each man only competed once.
Paul Williams nearly shut out Winky Wright in April and then won an excellent bout against Sergio Martinez on Dec. 5. Timothy Bradley defeated Kendall
Holt and Lamont Peterson, each of whom is a quality fighter, in championship bouts and had a no-decision with Nate Campbell in a fight he appeared en
route to winning.
Either Williams or Bradley would be a terrific choice in a year other than one in which Pacquiao established himself as the world’s top pound-for-pound
boxer. But by being so dominant against elite competition, Manny Pacquiao has cinched the spot as the Yahoo! Sports Fighter of the Year for 2009.
Paul Williams has been one of boxing's most avoided opponents, but the towering southpaw met an unfazed foe Saturday night who likewise was itching
for a fight.
December 5th, 2009 - by Chuck Johnson | Photos by Will Hart
The result was an action-packed, nonstop-punching thriller at Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall as Williams survived a valiant upset bid by Sergio Martinez
to win a 12-round majority decision.
Showing why they're considered two of the world's best junior middleweights, Williams and Martinez moved up a few pounds to meet in the middleweight
non-title bout, and it didn't take long before they started connecting.
Both fighters scored knockdowns in the first round to set the tone for an ebb-and-flow donnybrook that ended with judge Julie Lederman calling the fight
even 114-114 while judges Lynne Carter 115-113 and Pierre Benoist 119-110 both gave the nod to Williams.
"It was a good fight, a war,'' said Williams, who spent most of the bout nursing a profusely-bleeding cut over his left eye that was opened by a
combination of punches and an apparent head butt.
"This fight wasn't easy, but I wasn't trying to box him,'' Williams said. "I wanted to make it a war."
Williams (38-1, 28 KOs) landed a left to the temple that dropped Martinez in the first round, but the 6-foot-1 slugger from Aiken, S.C. found himself on
the seat of his pants moments later when Martinez unloaded a hard right to the jaw.
"He stunned me, like I stunned him, but I had to show him what a warrior is made of," Williams said. "I had to show him what a true champion is."
Martinez (44-2-2, 24 KOs) made a good account of himself by landing right hands that found their mark quicker than Williams' defense could react.
In turn, Williams used punishing left hands and a furious pace to dictate his offensive assault as Martinez was barely able to stand late in the fight
because of fatigue. "It was a great opportunity,'' said Martinez, an Argentina native who fights out of Oxnard, Calif. "I had the most feared fighter in the
world in front of me but I had no fear whatsoever."
Martinez was gracious in assessing the one judge's lopsided score that had Williams winning by eight points, calling it simply "a true error," while one of
his handlers described it as "a travesty."
Both fighters said they would welcome a rematch. "Of course, he's a great fighter,'' Martinez said. "If they want to do it again, I'm all for it,'' said Williams.
In the co-featured fight, America's top heavyweight prospect Chris Arreola lifted his record to 28-1 with his 25th knockout, a TKO at 2:40 of the fourth
round against undersized Brian Minto.
Arreola was eager to get back in the ring after suffering his first defeat just 10 weeks ago at the hands of heavyweight titleholder Vitali Klitschko. The
Riverside, Calif. native made good on his vow of a triumphant return despite a game effort from Minto.
"It was a great fight,'' said Arreola, who knocked down Minto twice in the fourth round before Eddie Cotton stepped in to end the scheduled 10-rounder.
"I take my hat off to Brian Minto. He's a tough (expletive deleted). I hurt my hand on his head."
Minto (34-3, 21 KOs) was sent to the floor on his hands and knees by Arreola's right hand early in the fourth round, but the Butler, Pa. fighter struggled
to his feet and came up swinging. With both fighters trading wicked punches, Arreola's size and two-fisted power eventually proved too much as Minto
was in no condition to continue after the second knockdown.
Having rebounded from his loss by 10th-round KO against Klitschko, Arreola, 28, is looking to get back in the mix for another title shot.
"I hope I sent a good message that I'm still a man to be reckoned with,'' Arreola said. "Regardless of my previous loss, I'm still a top-five heavyweight. I
want to fight again as soon as possible."
Thankfully, my job only requires me to choose the Yahoo! Sports Fighter of the Year for 2009 and not select a runner-up, where there are several very
good candidates.
Picking the Fighter of the Year for 2009 is easy. Who, other than Manny Pacquiao, could it possibly be?
There were many brilliant individual performances in 2009, but no boxer accomplished as much in the year as Pacquiao did with his devastatingly quick
knockout of Ricky Hatton and his 12-round bludgeoning of Miguel Cotto. In fights in which there were more than a handful of knowledgeable boxing
experts who thought he might lose both of his fights, Pacquiao breezed to dominant victories in each.
Pacquiao confirmed in 2009 what many began to suspect in 2008: He deserves to be considered among the greatest boxers of all time.
Burt Sugar, a boxing historian whose book “Boxing’s Greatest Fighters” is a list of his choices of the top 100 fighters ever, said Pacquiao deserves to be
considered one of the 25 greatest fighters of all time.
That’s quite a statement considering the men that Sugar’s book includes in the top 25 – names like Sugar Ray Robinson, Henry Armstrong, Willie Pep,
Joe Louis, Harry Greb, Benny Leonard, Muhammad Ali, Roberto Duran, Jack Dempsey, Jack Johnson, Mickey Walker, Tony Canzoneri, Gene Tunney,
Rocky Marciano, Joe Gans, Sam Langford, Julio Cesar Chavez, Jimmy Wilde, Stanley Ketchel, Barney Ross, Jimmy McLarnin, Archie Moore, Marcel
Cerdan, Ezzard Charles and Sugar Ray Leonard.
Sugar said Pacquiao is likely the greatest Asian-born fighter ever as well as arguably the best left-hander in history.
“I think he’s clearly done enough to get into the top 25, going through all those weight classes and winning the fights in devastating style,” Sugar said.
“He reminds me a lot of Henry Armstrong. He’s got nonstop power punching and he moves and gives angles.”
Pacquiao wins the award in 2009 based on unexpectedly one-sided victories over Hatton and Cotto, each of whom spent time in the pound-for-pound
top 10 at some point in their careers.
Few doubted going into the Hatton fight that Pacquiao was the more-skilled, more-talented fighter. Despite his victory over Oscar De La Hoya five
months earlier, however, there were many questions surrounding Pacquiao’s ability to fight and defeat a naturally bigger man in his prime.
After Pacquiao destroyed De La Hoya in 2008, the consensus was that De La Hoya was over the hill. Such was not the case about Hatton as he
prepared to fight Pacquiao in Las Vegas on May 2. Those who supported Hatton felt he would prove to be too big and too strong for Pacquiao to handle.
Their belief was that Pacquiao’s punches wouldn’t have the impact they had against De La Hoya and that Pacquiao might have difficulty with Hatton’s
physical strength and mauling style. Pacquiao dispelled that myth quickly, knocking out Hatton with a wicked left to the chin that left Hatton prone in the
center of the ring for several minutes.
Pacquiao then agreed to face Cotto, a powerful welterweight who had lost just once in 35 bouts and who was in his prime. Again, the question of
whether Pacquiao could withstand Cotto’s pressure, particularly his relentless body assault, was raised. And yet again, Pacquiao answered those
questions.
His promoter, Bob Arum, called Pacquiao the best fighter he’s seen in 45 years in the boxing business. Sugar said that’s not far off.
“Obviously, you have to take Arum’s opinion somewhat with a grain of salt considering his job, but when you think about it, it’s not that horribly wrong,”
Sugar said. “OK, the bulk of Ali’s career came during that time, but when you consider the vast majority of guys who competed in that time, see how
many guys you come up with who you say are hands down, unquestionably, better than this kid. I’m betting that you don’t come up with a real long list.”
There were several exceptional performers in 2009, but it’s hard to consider most of them for Fighter of the Year. Shane Mosley and Floyd Mayweather
Jr. were dominant in their fights, but each man only competed once.
Paul Williams nearly shut out Winky Wright in April and then won an excellent bout against Sergio Martinez on Dec. 5. Timothy Bradley defeated Kendall
Holt and Lamont Peterson, each of whom is a quality fighter, in championship bouts and had a no-decision with Nate Campbell in a fight he appeared en
route to winning.
Either Williams or Bradley would be a terrific choice in a year other than one in which Pacquiao established himself as the world’s top pound-for-pound
boxer. But by being so dominant against elite competition, Manny Pacquiao has cinched the spot as the Yahoo! Sports Fighter of the Year for 2009.
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