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UFC 143's Ed Herman still proving he's more than the guy from the reality show

2012-02-03T07:49:00.001-05:00

source: Steven Marrocco | mmajunkie.com

Reality TV is a powerful thing when you're on it for more than 10 minutes.

"I'm your biggest fan! I remember you from 'The Ultimate Fighter,'" one says.

"You're that crazy kid!" says another.

"Hey, you're that guy who used to fight in the UFC – here's an extra buck, man," a barfly tells Ed Herman.

It's 2009, and Herman has competed nine times in the UFC, fought tooth and nail to win the third season of the promotion's seminal reality show (before falling controversially short on points), and finished three of his opponents.

But after two blown ACLs, Herman is working as a bartender. He is a 29-year-old man working a job that was way more fun when he was in his early 20s. And he is seemingly frozen in amber to the millions of people who watched this fiery redhead try to win a six-figure contract with the UFC.

"Are you still fighting?" they ask.

"Well yeah, I'm still fighting," Herman told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). "You didn't see my last couple of fights?"

Things get awkward.

One one hand, Herman, now 31, is happy to have had the opportunity to be seen on such a powerful platform. For a fight career, nothing could be better than weekly exposure, even if it consists of you monkeying around a house in Las Vegas with free booze. Better name recognition means better sponsors, seminar appearances, signings, and the like.

"You get fans that stick with you for a long time and have that emotional attachment," he said. "Especially if you have a decent personality and you're a good-looking guy, like myself."

It also means he's that guy on "TUF."

Herman is out of the bar now. He returned to the cage this past June and knocked Tim Credeur senseless. Then, he torqued Kyle Noke's heel for a tap-out at UFC on Versus 5. But he's apparently still fighting to free himself from the images burned into the heads of casual fans from that show.

It's hard to say where he stands as a draw. On Saturday, Herman (19-7 MMA, 6-5 UFC) fights the unheralded Clifford Starks (8-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) on the first bout of UFC's 143 pay-per-view main card, which takes place at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. Starks has one fight to his UFC resume. He has a chance to bag a name, or Herman is adding a few seconds to his highlight reel for future use.

It's still work.

Pay-per-view costs money, and maybe Herman can't grow beyond his current role to those who watch the UFC on TV alone and maybe buy a few cards a year. You could say being known for something is better than being known for nothing, but the jump from the small screen to real life can suck. It gets tiring being known for an earlier version of yourself.

That first post-layoff victory put wind in his sails, and Herman said he's found his stride inside the octagon. You can surely see it in the two finishes he's put together since his time on the bench, which came after a rocky 1-3 stretch in the promotion.

Now, Herman just has to keep chipping away at the old him to replace it with the new.

"I feel like I've grown up a lot since then and proved to everybody that I deserve to be where I'm at," he said.

Brunson vs. 'Jacare,' Sayers vs. Smith added to 'Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey'

2012-02-03T07:46:00.001-05:00

source: mmajunkie.com

The fight card for Strikeforce's March 3 event in Ohio continues to fill, and a pair of middleweight contests were today added to the schedule.

MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) confirmed with sources close to the event that Derek Brunson faces former Strikeforce champ Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza, and Lumumba Sayers meets Scott Smith.

"Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey" takes place March 3 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, and coincides with the annual Arnold Sports Festival. The main card airs on Showtime, and prelims air on Showtime Extreme.

The bout order for the event has not been released, so it's unclear if either of the two fights will appear on the evening's main card.

The undefeated Brunson (9-0 MMA, 3-0 SF) takes a big step up in competition in his fourth fight under the Strikeforce banner. The 28-year-old former Division II All-American wrestler turned pro in May 2010 and has quickly jumped out to a 9-0 mark. His record includes Strikeforce wins over Nate James, Sayers and Jeremy Hamilton.

Souza (14-3 MMA, 4-1 SF), a submission ace, fights for the first time since surrendering his belt to Luke Rockhold this past September. The result snapped a four-fight winning streak for "Jacare" and served as his first loss under the Strikeforce banner.

Sayers (5-2 MMA, 1-1 SF) looks to build on the strength of an impressive 28-second win over Antwain Britt at this past November's Strikeforce Challengers 20 event. Through seven bouts as a professional, Sayers has yet to fight past the first round.

Smith (17-9 MMA, 3-4 SF) returns to middleweight after an unsuccessful two-fight stint at 170 pounds. The heavy-handed Smith has actually lost three-consecutive fights and is just 1-3 in his past four outings.

The night's full schedule now includes:

Champ Miesha Tate vs. Ronda Rousey (for female bantamweight title)
Mike Kyle vs. Gegard Mousasi
Paul Daley vs. Kazuo Misaki
K.J. Noons vs. Josh Thomson
Alexis Davis vs. Sarah Kaufman
Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza vs. Derek Brunson
Lumumba Sayers vs. Scott Smith
Caros Fodor vs. Pat Healy
Conor Heun vs. Ryan Couture

Dana White Talks UFC 143, FTC Investigation and Strikeforce

2012-02-03T07:43:00.002-05:00

source: Ariel Helwani | mmafighting.com

Feb 2, 2012 - LAS VEGAS -- UFC president Dana White met with the media following Thursday's UFC 143 pre-fight press conference. Among the topics discussed were Saturday night's main event between Nick Diaz vs. Carlos Condit, the FTC's investigation of Zuffa, and the future of Strikeforce. Watch the highlights below.

Mike Pierce Says Brock Lesnar Made Josh Koscheck Fight a Two Year Ordeal

2012-02-03T07:40:00.001-05:00

source: Erik Fontanez | mmaweekly.com

BURBANK, Calif. – It’s not exactly a love triangle, but Brock Lesnar, Josh Koscheck, and Mike Pierce are intertwined leading into UFC 143.

Had it not been for Lesnar’s unfortunate bout with diverticulitis, Pierce and Koscheck would have fought at UFC Fight Night 20.

How does Lesnar’s inner lining of his intestine have anything to do with whether or not Pierce and Koscheck fight? Like most fight cards bitten by the injury bug, the UFC has to shuffle things around in order for things to work out, and sometimes the organization is forced to shuffle more than one deck of cards.

Once Lesnar had to bow out of the UFC 106 main event against Shane Carwin, Pierce and Koscheck were asked to move their fight up to fill card space. Pierce, however, wanted ample time to prepare for a high-profile opponent, so he passed on moving the Koscheck fight two months ahead of when it was originally contracted for. “Kos” then fought Anthony “Rumble” Johnson at UFC 106.

As for Pierce, he got the chance to face Koscheck’s teammate, Jon Fitch, at UFC 107, and only had to move his fight up a month.

“Brock wasn’t able to compete, so there was some flip-flopping on the card,” Pierce told MMAWeekly.com. “They wanted to have me and Josh fight much sooner than was originally contracted. Taking a fight with a high-profile fighter like that, I wanted my time to prepare and come up with a solid game plan. It ended up getting scrapped and I ended up getting Jon Fitch instead.”

Like his fight with Fitch, Pierce faces another high-profile welterweight in Koscheck. A lot of people – both fans and media – were surprised by the UFC’s decision to match Koscheck with Pierce. The collective voice shouts that Pierce is too low on the rankings to earn such an opportunity. But the Oregon resident’s rebuttal is a claim that MMA rankings are a figment of the imagination.

“At the end of the day, they’re made up,” he said. “I think people think about the rankings too much. They mean nothing. People have their ideas of who’s No. 1, who’s No. 2 – it doesn’t matter to me as a fighter.

“Anybody can be beat on any given day.”

Like the aforementioned collective voice, Koscheck doesn’t particularly want this fight, according to Pierce. There is little to no upside for the American Kickboxing Academy standout. You think that bothers a guy like Pierce? No, it doesn’t. That’s nothing to worry about when the upside is all in his favor leading into the Feb. 4 fight.

He feels Koscheck is more intrigued by something like a third match-up against UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre. That might seem like he’s looking past Pierce, but it’s not taken in with any offense.

“He has everything to lose, and I have everything to gain. I don’t think this is a fight that he really wanted,” Pierce explained. “I don’t take it as any sort of disrespect. I think it’s a good opportunity for me and maybe not so great of an opportunity for him because I’m not a GSP or I’m not a contender fight to get back in that title picture.”

Now with the Koscheck fight just days away, Pierce eyes an opponent he first prepared to tangle with more than 24 months ago. Lesnar is now retired from mixed martial arts competition and won’t be forced to remove himself from any pending main events. Therefore, no shuffling of fight cards will prevent a Koscheck-Pierce showdown from happening at UFC 143.

It’s a fight two years in the making, and it’s finally going to happen.

“The opportunity came up again, so I just jumped on it.”

Friends say Pacquiao is a changed man

2012-02-03T07:37:00.001-05:00

source: Aquiles Z. Zonio | Inquirer Mindanao

GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Philippines—Boxing icon Manny Pacquiao is a gambling man no more and has even given up the nightlife, people close to him say.

He now keeps a mobile phone that has no passwords that would prevent other people, such as his wife, from accessing information stored in the gadget.

Pacquiao was previously perceived as a womanizer, a gambler and a heavy drinker. He reportedly did not have qualms about losing huge amounts of money to gambling and is reported to have lost P100,000 in a single billiards match.

He was also an almost regular fixture of the nightlife here and in other places.

Mayor Reynaldo Constantino of Malungon, Sarangani, a close political ally of the Sarangani representative, said that recently, Pacquiao sold a casino he operated in a five-star hotel in Manila and divided the proceeds among the affected employees.

He said Pacquiao then disposed of his fighting cocks at his sprawling MP Farm in Malungon.
“He gave all his game fowls to his close friends. The guy is really determined to change for the better,” Constantino said.

He said based on what Pacquiao had told him, the farm will be converted into a wildlife sanctuary.

Pacquiao’s fighting cock farm was a tourist destination in Sarangani simply because of the sheer number of birds he kept there.

Pacquiao, he said, has also decided to shut down his J-Mix restaurant and bar at the MP-2 Building on Aparente St. here. Pacquiao and his friends frequented the establishment for drinks and billiards.

Congressman Pacquiao is now a changed man. He has given up cockfighting, billiards and all other mundane entertainment,” Constantino said.

Jinkee Pacquiao, the pugilist’s wife, said the southpaw’s change was brought about by his current passion – reading the Bible, which Pacquiao himself recently discussed in a television/radio interview in which he said he had also given up on womanizing.

The power of the word of God has changed Manny,” Jinkee said in a text message to the Inquirer.
She said the Bible-reading sessions also made Pacquiao spend more time at home.

Another change, Jinkee said, was that her husband now had only one mobile phone. Unlike in the past, the remaining mobile phone has no user password that would prevent her from taking a look at what it contains.

Bishop Dinualdo Gutierrez told reporters here that a Protestant pastor was guiding Pacquiao but the pugilist had not changed religion.

“He told me that he is still a Catholic. He admitted that the one conducting daily bible service in his home is a Protestant pastor. So, I gave him a daily scripture guide and I directed a priest from a parish near his house to lead the conduct of a bible study,” Gutierrez said.

He said Pacquiao even offered to host a spiritual retreat of clergymen under the Diocese of Marbel in March.

Chavez Jr. - The Son of a Legend or a Worthy Successor?

2012-02-03T07:30:00.001-05:00

source: Thomas Gerbasi | Boxingscene.com

“He’s not his father.”

Having talked to a number of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.’s opponents over the years, that’s always the disclaimer, the exclamation mark on what usually starts out as a sentence of praise. “He’s a good fighter.” “He’s got a sharp left hook.” “He’s a tough out.”

But he’s not his father.

True. But it begs the question, who is? Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. is a certified all-time great, a Hall of Famer and Mexican icon whose legacy is one that few can touch. His greatness was created out of desperation, poverty, and an unyielding will to rise from such humble beginnings to the top of his sport and into the hearts of his countrymen.

Junior didn’t have that issue. As son of one of Mexico’s greatest heroes, his life was much different than that of his father, and when he decided to pick up the family business, it was greeted with a mix of joy and skepticism – joy from those who hoped he would carry the Chavez line into the new era, and skepticism from everyone else.

And that skepticism was not only expected, but it was warranted. Chavez Jr. was the rawest of raw prospects when he began his pro career in 2003, and a steady stream of Pay-Per-View appearances didn’t exactly endear him to a public who were being asked to pay to see a fighter who was basically a version of Butterbean or Mia St. John in terms of being a novelty act, a curiosity. “Hey, look at the son of one of the greatest fighters of all-time for only $29.95.”

But the wins kept coming, the journeymen kept falling, and Junior’s record kept blowing up. By 2008, Chavez Jr. was 34-0-1, an almost obscene record for a fighter yet to face world-class opposition, and the daggers really started to come out from fans, the media, and his fighting peers. Again, the criticism was warranted, especially when it came from fighters who had spent years of toil on the club scene hoping for just an ounce of the attention and money Chavez Jr. was getting.

Here’s the rub though. If you were Chavez Jr. would you have requested a career fought in smoky rings in Tijuana and Culiacan? Would you have said, ‘no, I don’t want to be on television until I’ve proven myself?’ No, this is a business, and when it comes to the boxing business, few, if any, are better in moving and building a fighter than Bob Arum and Top Rank. If this was Julio Cesar Smith, you probably never would have heard of him, and when some of those close decisions would have gone the other way, you may have seen him say ‘okay, enough of this.’ But with the last name Chavez, Junior had a bargaining chip like none other, and Arum and his team took full advantage of what they had.

They also made sure that Junior would not get thrown to the wolves, and that he would be protected and matched carefully until it was time to make the big kill. By 2010, renowned trainer Freddie Roach was on board, Junior was competing at the seemingly manageable weight of 160 pounds, and then he made his move, winning a 12 round decision over Sebastian Zbik last June that earned him the green WBC belt that his father made famous. A fifth round stoppage of Peter Manfredo ended the year in November, and this Saturday he will make the second defense of his crown against the dangerous Marco Antonio Rubio.

This weekend’s clash against Rubio is the fight that the boxing world is watching closer than any other at the moment, and it has nothing to do with the fact that Rubio is the biggest puncher Chavez Jr. has faced to date, though that helps in terms of drawing in fans to the first broadcast of the Ken Hershman era at HBO. No, the reason everyone is looking at this fight with baited breath is because 2012 begins the “big kill” year for Junior and Top Rank. Should Chavez emerge unscathed from the Alamodome with his title belt in hand, we will finally see whether he’s a worthy successor to his father. At this point there is no more hand holding, no more soft touches. At 25, Junior will have to grow up this year.

The names thrown out already are all formidable - Sergio Martinez, Saul Alvarez, Antonio Margarito - and all, with perhaps the exception of the 154-pound “Canelo,” would likely be prohibitive favorites over Chavez Jr., who has vastly improved over the years, but has still not convinced the boxing cognoscenti that he’s the real deal.

And that’s unfortunate, because for all the soft touches he’s gotten over the years, he still gets into the ring on fight night and risks his health against those who would be able to make careers for themselves if they could just pin that first loss on his unbeaten record. That’s a lot of pressure without even counting the burden of carrying his father’s legacy on his shoulders every time out. Sure, being a Chavez has made him more money than he could have imagined if he was the son of someone else, but there is a price to pay for everything in this life, and having the weight of expectations to deal with is sometimes harder than dealing with a left hook or right cross aimed at your chin.

So for him to have made it this far is a testament to more than just good marketing and careful matchmaking. Chavez Jr. is a fighter, and while his sometimes cavalier attitude toward training and making weight has produced several red flags over the years, the beautiful part of this often sordid business is that you can’t fool everybody forever. No one gets out of here with a 100-0 record without being tested against the best the game has to offer. Eventually, the public will demand the best fights against the best opposition, and that’s where Junior sits today.

Rubio will be a test for him and his chin, but Junior’s speed and solid fundamentals should allow him to get out of trouble and retain his title. Martinez is the people’s choice for his next opponent, but that may be an option Top Rank pushes off for as long as possible, maybe to the end of the year, when Martinez is 37 and possibly on the wrong end of that dangerous number. Margarito, despite his one-sided loss to Miguel Cotto last year, is still a terminator in the ring and the type of dangerous, yet past his prime, opponent that can sell a fight but not be the one to beat the prized jewel of the promotional stable. Alvarez? It’s an All-Mexico superfight, but one that would be difficult to make given the frosty relations between Top Rank and Alvarez’ promoter, Golden Boy Promotions.

It’s a convoluted puzzle, to say the least, but one that must be solved soon if Chavez Jr. is to retain the public’s fascination with him and not just be a footnote in his sport’s lore. His surname got him here. Of that there is no doubt. But is he his own man? Will he demand the big fights that will never remove him from his father’s shadow but that will at least give him his own share of the spotlight in the history books? That’s a tough question to answer when your name alone gives you advantages that 99.9% of your peers will never enjoy. Then again, they’ve never had to deal with the downsides, the constant questions, and the eternal skepticism. So who knows, maybe dealing with the negatives has done more for Junior’s resolve than facing any of his previous opponents in the ring, and maybe we’ve been wrong about him all these years.

Luckily, boxing is the greatest lie detector there is. And 2012 will tell the tale of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

Team Cotto: Weight Was Breaking Point in Pacquiao Talks

2012-02-03T07:27:00.001-05:00

source: Rick Reeno | Boxingscene.com

Gaby Penagaricano, the legal adviser to WBA junior middleweight champion Miguel Cotto, spoke to BoxingScene.com about the issue of weight - which in the end was breaking point in a possible rematch with Manny Pacquiao. On Wednesday, Floyd Mayweather Jr. officially announced that he was fighting Cotto on May 5th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Mayweather, unlike Pacquiao, was willing to fight Cotto at the full junior middleweight limit.

"Mayweather agreed, from the first day of negotiations, to go up to 154. That was never an issue," Penagaricano told BoxingScene.com.

However, Pacquiao, who wanted to face Cotto on June 9th, also at the MGM Grand, was demanding the rematch take place at the welterweight limit of 147. Back in 2009, Cotto fought Pacquiao at a catch-weight of 145-pounds.

However, the situation was much different this time around. Cotto's promotional contract with Top Rank expired on December 31st. Because of his free agent status, he was able to freely negotiate for any possible fight. And because he was being pursued for a May date by Mayweather, there was no reason for Cotto to accept anything that made him feel uncomfortable.

"We have a good meeting in Las Vegas [to discuss a Pacquiao rematch], but the weight was an issue. I don't think we got that far ahead in the negotiations, mainly because of the weight," Penagaricano said.

"The situation was different [back then], in 2009, when he agreed to come down to 145. Today, the situation is much different. The overall situation [this time around] was very different. If [the rematch] happened....great, but he didn't need it."

In a recent interview with BoxingScene, Pacquiao's adviser, Michael Koncz, said a catch-weight of 148 would have likely been accepted to finalize the rematch .

Cotto, however, was not going to accept anything below 150-pounds.

"It would have absolutely not mattered. Miguel would have never fought at 148," Penagaricano said.

Should Cotto prevail on May 5th, the next obvious target is Pacquiao - provided the Filipino star is victorious in June - with Timothy Bradley as the probable opponent. Last December, Cotto avenged one of the two losses on his record, when he stopped Antonio Margarito at New York's Madison Square Garden. If he gets past Mayweather, Cotto would like to avenge his remaining blemish, a twelfth round TKO loss to Pacquiao.

"Yeah, that would be beautiful. Everybody would like to see that," Penagaricano said.

LEONARD SAYS HE, HEARNS WOULD KNOCK OUT MAYWEATHER, PACQUIAO

2012-02-03T07:24:00.001-05:00

source: Lem Satterfield | The Ring

"The fight was there, and the public wanted to see the match up. It was something we basically couldn't run from or get away from. You had to take on the next, upcoming opponent. And that's what I think that we're missing in the boxing world now. Back in the day, we weren't able to pick and choose who we wanted to fight.

"In the boxing business now, every one of the champions is able to pick and choose who they want to fight, and to duck who they don't want to fight. We had to take on everyone as they came, and that made the fight game very interesting."

Thomas Hearns, speaking in May of 2010 about his fight with Sugar Ray Leonard in September of 1981, for which he was paid $5.1 million to Leonard's $11 million. Hearns shared his thoughts in Las Vegas a few days before he and Leonard attended Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s unanimous decision victory over Shane Mosley.

RingTV.com caught up to five-division titleholder Sugar Ray Leonard, who, when pressed, unveiled his thoughts concerning six-time, five-division titlewinner Floyd Mayweatther Jr. and eight-division belt-winner Manny Pacquiao during a candid interview.

Leonard expressed his opinion on Pacquiao's disputed majority decision over 38-year-old RING lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez in November, this, after having previously battled through a draw and a split-decision win over Marquez.

Leonard also shared his feelings about what defines a true champion, the failures of Mayweather and Pacquiao to come to terms for a mega bout opposite one another, as well as how they would do against fighters such himself and seven-time titlewinner, Thomas Hearns.

A 1976 Olympic Gold medalist, Leonard, 55, compiled a mark of 36-3-1, with 25 knockouts, capturing his first major title belt with a 15th-round stoppage of previously unbeaten Wilfred Benitez for the WBC welterweight crown in November of 1979.

Leonard lost the title in his second defense by 15-round, unanimous decision to legendary former lightweight champ Roberto Duran in June of 1980, but regained it in their "No Mas" return bout's eighth-round TKO of Duran in November of 1980.

Leonard then rose into the junior middleweight class to earn the WBA belt with a ninth-round stoppage of previously unbeaten Ayub Kalule in June of 1981 before his 14th-round, come-from-behind knockout of Hearns added Hearns' WBA welterweight crown to the WBC version he already owned.

Five years later, Leonard ended a nearly three-year layoff by dethroning WBC midddleweight champion Marvin Hagler by split-decision in April of 1987.

Leonard then accomplished a coup by getting WBC light heavyweight titleholder Donny Lalonde to put his belt on the line at a catchweight of 168 pounds, with the WBC's vacant super middleweight title also at stake.

Leonard whipped Lalonde by the ninth-round stoppage for both belts in November of 1988 before closing out his career with a draw and a unanimous decision opposite Hearns and Duran, respectively, and consecutive losses to Terry Norris and Hector Camacho in ill-advised comeback bouts.

Bob Arum on Cotto’s move for Mayweather, staging Marquez-Peterson, more

2012-02-03T07:20:00.001-05:00

source: Chris Robinson | Examiner.com

For the first time in his professional career, WBA junior middleweight champion Miguel Cotto will be fighting outside of the Top Rank promotional umbrella as it was recently announced that the Puerto Rican will step into the ring with Floyd Mayweather Jr. this coming May 5th at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Cotto’s latest tenure with Bob Arum’s outfit came to a close at the end of 2011, shortly after his revenge victory over Antonio Margarito at Madison Square Garden, and he is now pushing forward with his career as a promotional free agent, as is the case with Mayweather Jr.

Cotto had been in talks for a rematch with Manny Pacquiao, who defeated him in November of 2009, but the fight fell apart because the two sides couldn’t agree on a contracted weight limit. The introduction of Mayweather into the equation was a move that figured to ruffle Arum’s feathers given the fact that he and Floyd haven’t been on the best of terms in recent times, but he has been insisting that isn’t the case.

Speaking to the media shortly after today’s Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.-Marco Antonio Rubio press conference in San Antonio, Arum spoke to the assembled press about his true feelings towards Cotto, what it would take to stage a fight between Mexican legend Juan Manuel Marquez and junior welterweight champion Lamont Peterson at Cowboys Stadium in Texas, the future of Chavez, and more…

In his own words, here are some select sound bites from Arum on Thursday afternoon…

No hard feelings towards Cotto…
“He has to look out for himself, his family; I have absolutely not the least bit of animosity to Miguel. Miguel took the position that he was a free agent. We didn’t contest it, so we’re free agents also and we’ll make the best deal possible for our company.”

Why Cotto-Pacquiao II never came about…
“We had a meeting. They came to my office first. Manny said he wanted to only fight at 147. They said they wouldn’t go an ounce lower than 150, so we couldn’t make the fight. There was no money issue.”

Why he isn’t interested in a fourth fight between Pacquiao and Marquez at the moment…
“But I would prefer not to do the Marquez fight right now, because I would think that in November, if Mayweather’s not available, that, if Marquez wins his fight, you could do it then. You have to put some air under it. If you come back with that fight now, you can’t do it. As a promoter, I’d be afraid to do it now.”

Whether it’s surprising for him to be working with Marquez, who he used to promote years back…
“No, fighters are free agents and they can go wherever they want. They go where they make the best deals. The point is, the fighters have to get in the ring and they have to fight. Who their promoter is may or may not make a difference. In other words, if its pay-per-view and we believe we can do the best job pay-per-view, that’s our belief. But a fighter doesn't necessarily believe that.”

Whether Antonio Margarito will be waiting in the wings for Chavez Jr. if hes successful on Saturday
“I don’t know if he’s next. Because Margaritos going to need some time, but eventually this year, we hope to make a Chavez-Margarito fight and if he gets by Margarito, then we’ll look at a [Sergio] Martinez fight.

Producing a match between Marquez and Peterson at Cowboys Stadium this summer…
“The whole trick, as we’re finding here, is pricing. You got to give him a good cut but you cannot price it. Texas is very, very affluent like the job market, they’re not hurting like the rest of the country, but to start charging people $300 [in Texas] where the casinos aren’t buying tickets is asking too much.”

Donaire looms large in debut at 122 Saturday, and he’ll win big

2012-02-03T07:16:00.001-05:00

source: Colin Seymour | Examiner.com

In our lingering image of Wildredo Vasquez Jr., he’s breaking down in the late rounds and getting caught by aged, overstuffed Jorge Arce last May. That’s reason No. 1 it’s difficult to imagine how Vasquez will avoid getting caught by Nonito Donaire on Saturday in San Antonio.

The bout on HBO marks the former flyweight and bantamweight champion Donaire’s debut as 122 pounds, with the WBO super-bantamweight title at stake. The Filipino Flash, by way of San Leandro and San Mateo, is a big favorite to dispatch Vasquez, whose 20-0-1 record with 17 knockouts before the Arce fight gave him an imposing image until the loss to Arce.

Some reports list Donaire (27-1, 18 knockouts) as a 12-1 favorite, but he has been emphasing that he won’t be overconfident, and his trainer, Robert Garcia, backs that up. “Sometimes a lot of people feel, oh, he lost to Arce, so he is no good,” Garcia told Glendale Boxing Examiner Igor Frank. “But a lot of fighters learn from those losses. So may be we are going to get a better Vasquez than before.

To that end, it would be tempting to invest a couple of sawbucks in Vasquez, because the odds should be more like 5-1.

But before you get excited about Vasquez, take a look at the photo (above left) of the two combatants together. And compare them in the photo of their scuffle Thursday brought on by an impudent email Vasquez’s wife sent to the Donaires.

Donaire towers over the guy, and it looks to be a man vs. boy mismatch much as Donaire’s fights at the lower weights always looked. Donaire looms very large at 122, which is only about 15 shy of his walking-around weight.

And he’s been sparring with featherweights and even lightweights frequently during the past two years.

Yes, people, it’s not like Donaire is straining mightily to gain weight, despite something to the contrary I read somewhere. At the lower weights in recent years, he’s reached a point where his weight loss was claiming muscle mass. He’s better off at 122 and he’ll prove it thunderously Saturday at the Alamodome.

Vasquez will win two or three rounds, but he’ll get hurt in an early round. Although Vasquez will survive into the late rounds, Donaire’s domination of the bout will force the Puerto Rican’s corner to toss in the towel. Say the ninth round.

Nonito Donaire Doesn’t Allow Sloppiness

2012-02-03T07:14:00.001-05:00

source: David A. Avila | The Sweet Science

As written by many a boxing writer, a good big man beats a good smaller man should they meet in the ring.

Recent exceptions have proven otherwise.

Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire (27-1, 18 KOs) climbs up another weight division to meet former junior featherweight titleholder Wilfredo “Papito” Vazquez (21-1-1, 18 KOs) for the vacant WBO title. Though Donaire once grabbed a world title at 112 pounds, he is the favorite to win on Saturday, Feb. 4 in San Antonio. HBO will telecast.

Lately, numerous and exceptionally talented prizefighters have strafed through several weight class divisions while gobbling up world titles along the way. Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather, Juan Manuel Marquez, Robert Guerrero and Bernard Hopkins are some of those weight hoppers.

The frightfully talented Donaire has one loss and that came in early in his second pro contest against Rosendo Sanchez in Vallejo, California. It was a five round fight and ended in a unanimous decision back in 2001. That fighter retired after winning one more fight and ironically now lives in Las Vegas where Donaire trained for this fight.

Puerto Rico’s Vazquez was seen by many journalists from that island to be the best Boricua boxer today. His bloodlines, boxing savvy, knockout power, speed and overall skill set had many raving about a long and prosperous future. Then he ran into that brick jaw of Mexico’s Jorge Arce and it all came tumbling down.

Many thought Arce would be target practice for the sharp-shooting Vazquez, and he was, but slowly the classy Puerto Rican boxer began to unravel under the Mexican’s pressure. By the 11th round Vazquez fought bravely but simply ran out of oxygen.

Speed has usually favored Vazquez in most of his prior bouts, but in this match Donaire may be a notch or two faster on the blue shift light spectrum.

Usually when Donaire cracks that left hook it prompts most opponents to look for a safe haven by seldom firing punches. That’s what happened when Omar Narvaez fought the Flash last year in New York. Once the Argentine was cracked he seldom mounted an offensive attack. He let Donaire dictate the fight and he dictated it all the way to a lopsided win. Narvaez blamed Donaire but in reality, you can’t win on defense alone.

Vazquez needs to understand that it’s all or nothing against Donaire, who has extraordinary hand and foot speed. It comes down to timing the attacks and that’s very difficult to do against the unorthodox style Donaire employs.

When Fernando Montiel fought Donaire he thought he could take the usual sloppy chances and found himself looking up at the Filipino Flash. Mistakes are not optional against the Northern Californian. Those looping right hands and double left hooks by the Mexican bomber were OK against sub par opponents. Against Donaire it was a fiery path to self destruction.

Vazquez needs a careful plan of execution where he uses his technical prowess behind a steady jab and combinations. He can’t allow Donaire to predict his offensive moves or it will end abruptly. The angles and step outs by the Puerto Rican are important, plus he must mount enough of an attack to keep Donaire on his toes. Otherwise it will be a swift and painful night.

Donaire is considered by many to be one of the top pound for pound prizefighters in the world today. One day he could be at the very top.

“I’m going to win no matter how” – Vazquez Jr. moments after Donaire fiasco

2012-02-03T07:12:00.001-05:00

source: Chris Robinson | Examiner.com

Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. and Nonito Donaire made quite the scene this afternoon when the two prizefighters came face to face, jawing at one another, during the final press conference to promote their bout this Saturday night.

Donaire and Vazquez face off on HBO for the vacant WBO junior featherweight belt inside of the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, and the fight has seen a little spice added to it over the past few days because of a war of words that broke out between both sides on their personal Twitter accounts.

The drama displayed today underlines how much tension will be in the air come fight night when these two meet and there is pure confidence coming from both sides.

I caught up with Vazquez moments after the presser had ended and tried to get a feeling where his mind is at with such a pivotal clash just a few days away.

"It's probably the most important fight of my career," Vazquez would tell me through his co-promoter Felix 'Tutico' Zabala of All Star Boxing. "With this fight I will be in a position a lot higher than what I think. And I prepared myself with confidence to do it."

Vazquez was a hot commodity coming into 2011 but saw his stock fall after an upset loss to Jorge Arce in May that saw him storm out to an early lead after scoring a 4th round knockdown but eventually wilt under the Sinaloa fighter's pressure. Bludgeoned along the ropes in the twelfth rounds, Vazquez saw the fight waived off by referee Joe Cortez and concedes that it was that performance that lead many to doubt him.

"Absolutely, yes," Vazquez agreed. "That was a learning experience for me. I proved to myself that I can do a better job and this is my opportunity to prove it."

And while not giving away any of his secrets that come along with his bold prediction of a knockout over the once-beaten Donaire, all Vazquez could do was stress that he will be ready when the moment presents itself.

"I'm going to win no matter how. I'm going to do my job round by round. When I have him ready, something will happen," Vazquez stated.

Cotto to Receive 65/35 Split and atleast $30 Million on the Upside

2012-02-03T07:09:00.001-05:00

source: Shawn Craddick | Boxing Socialist

Miguel Cotto chose 65/35 split and atleast $30 Million total after the PPV and Gate totals will tally in. It will be the most Cotto has ever made in a fight. We know that Cotto received $6 Million guaranteed purse against Manny Pacquiao but we don't know what his upside was. It could not have been that much because Toprank and MP Promotions got a nice share of the PPV and Gate.

It was a no brainer WHY Cotto chose Mayweather. Number 1 he wants to be the first fighter to dethrone the P4P King. Number 2 he will be making his biggest purse to date. Number 3 he did not want to weight drain himself again to fight Pacquiao. In the "147lb" welterweight showdown, Cotto had to come in "under" the weight limit and drain himself down to 145lbs. Even though Pacquiao wanted him at 147lbs this time, Cotto will not risk his health again.

Floyd Mayweather took a "indirect" shot at Manny Pacquiao by stating he will move up to Miguel Cotto's "comfortable" weight class of 154lbs to make sure it's an even playing field. Floyd is no stranger at 154lbs when he beat Oscar De La Hoya on Cinco De Mayo 5 years ago in 2007. Floyd walked away with the split decision victory. Will Floyd Mayweather's skills pay the bills or will the stronger Miguel Cotto land that lucky shot that every fighter trys to land on the defensive fighter? Tune in to May 5, 2012 to find out will it live up to the Hype.

Dan Henderson wants to wait for title shot, says UFC prez

2012-02-02T22:37:00.001-05:00

source: Steven Marrocco | mmajunkie.com

Former Strikeforce light-heavyweight champion Dan Henderson has put himself in limbo, according to UFC president Dana White.

"Dan Henderson's in a position right now where it looks like he wants to wait for Jon Jones," White said today.

Earlier this month, White said Henderson (29-8 MMA, 5-2 UFC) turned down a fight with Antonio Rogerio Nogueira at UFC on FUEL 2.

Henderson soon after defended his decision in an interview with Clinch Gear Radio, saying he thought it was undecided whether he or Rashad Evans would get the first crack at champ Jon Jones and that he didn't think a fight with Nogueira was interesting for the fans.

Henderson also clarified that he would have taken the fight had it been three rounds instead of the five-round length currently in place for headlining fights.

Of course, that was before Evans secured a title shot by beating Phil Davis at this past Saturday's UFC on FOX 2.

Many speculated Henderson might have raised the ire of White by turning down the fight against Nogueira. But to hear the UFC president, it's the fighter's choice to wait.

In his most recent performance, Henderson served up an instant classic against Mauricio "Shogun" Rua at UFC 139, fighting five rounds of grueling back-and-forth action before claiming a unanimous decision. It was his first UFC bout after two years in Strikeforce, where victories over Renato "Babalu" Sobral, Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante and Fedor Emelianenko made him a champ and a hot commodity.

Jones and Evans are expected to fight at UFC 145, which takes place April 21 in Atlanta. That means a late summer or fall return could be in the cards for Henderson.

But for now, it's time to wait.

After UFC on FOX 2, White admittedly lost patience for those without patience

2012-02-02T22:35:00.001-05:00

source: Steven Marrocco and John Morgan | mmajunkie.com

LAS VEGAS – Dana White said he "wasn't in the mood" to attend the UFC on FOX 2 post-event press conference – after 10 years of not missing a fight and maybe missing only a handful of pressers.

"I usually try to skip press conferences where I know I'm going to," White said before someone offered, "get hammered?"

In so many words, yes. Three main-card fights went to a decision during the Jan. 28 event, and he knew naysayers would be out in force and that there would be much hand-wringing over the future of UFC on network TV.

He skipped it because he didn't want hear that. And he didn't want to say what he wanted to those who thought it was a lackluster event for the small screen: Shut up.

With Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller cued up for UFC on FOX 3 in May, it appears the promotion has a fight that should be exciting no matter what. But for all the criticism aimed at the most recent network event, and to observers who claim they saw a boring show coming, White couldn't restrain himself at a pre-event press conference for UFC 143, which takes place Saturday at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.

"There was so much hype for (Chael) Sonnen vs. (Michael) Bisping and the (Demian) Maia fight," he told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "Even after it changed, people were like, 'It's even more exciting now.' And then after, everybody's like, 'Aww, they set themselves up for these boring fights.' Shut up. People who come out after and say, 'Oh, we knew (this was going to happen),' you're a liar. You're a liar, you're an idiot, and you sound like an idiot when you say that.

"These fights all looked exciting. You just never know what's going to happen. Anything can happen on any given night."

White did concede that an unofficial streak of exciting fights over the course of several recent events was broken by UFC on FOX 2, but he said that was inevitable.

"You could have three fights go to decisions, or you could have three fights that you think are going to go longer and it lasts 60 seconds," he said. "It's fighting. The hardest part of the whole thing is figuring out production. How many fights can you schedule with the commercial load that you've got and all the other things that you have to do? We did a pretty good job of getting this thing dialed in after that first fight going 60 seconds."

And he said the shape of the current FOX broadcasts will continue to evolve.

"It's going to be more about fighting," White said. "FOX has a system that they use with sports, where it's like they come in to the big desk and, 'Here we go, and we're going to do this and that.' What people are used to with the UFC is [Mike Goldberg] and (Joe) Rogan are on camera for two seconds and we get right into fights. We end up getting 40 fights in in an hour."

So that night, White essentially lost patience for those without patience.

He scoffed at the idea of shuffling a card to avoid televising a fight such as Maia vs. Chris Weidman, which saw two exhausted men swinging Toughman-style after 10 minutes as the likely result of Weidman's 30-plus pound weight cut and a possible illness with Maia.

First-time fans who watched that affair may have been less than impressed by what they saw. But White isn't tweaking things for them.

"So what?" he said. "It's all part of the growing pains of the sport. When we started on Spike TV, everybody was acting like every fight we had on Spike TV was the greatest fight you've ever seen in your life. The streak has been broken. You're going to have some fights that you're going to turn off the TV and go, 'Eh, it's not the greatest fight I've ever seen.'

"Would I have turned off the show the other night and said that sucked? No, it didn't suck. The Bisping-Chael Sonnen fight was awesome."

White probably wouldn't argue with the notion that the rest of UFC on FOX 2's main card wasn't the greatest fight ever seen.

He just wasn't in the mood to hear it then. He's not too much in the mood right now.

UFC boss says top contender Alistair Overeem unlikely to be pulled from title fight

2012-02-02T22:33:00.001-05:00

source: Steven Marrocco and John Morgan | mmajunkie.com

LAS VEGAS – UFC president Dana White doesn't anticipate having to find a new heavyweight contender a week after the current one was charged with misdemeanor battery.

White said today that it's his understanding that the charge arose when Alistair Overeem was confronted outside the restroom of a popular Las Vegas club.

"I don't think he's in that much trouble," White said. "This isn't a situation where he beat somebody up; I don't think that's the case."

A citation issued by Las Vegas police in the early hours of Jan. 2 stated that Overeem "pushed or shoved" a woman in the face at XS nightclub in Wynn Las Vegas.

Overeem was not arrested at the time of the citation. He is scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 21, and if convicted, he faces a maximum of six months in county jail and a $1,000 fine.

White said he wasn't intimately familiar with the case but was told second-hand about the incident.

"He had to use the restroom – this is my knowledge of what happened – (and) security was going to take him," White said. "He said, 'I don't need security,' and sure enough he goes over there, and his side of the story is some lady started yelling at him and swinging at him and everything else."

If Overeeem (36-11 MMA, 1-0 UFC) were to be convicted, it would surely scratch a heavyweight title fight planned for this summer. Champ Junior Dos Santos (14-1 MMA, 8-0 UFC) is set to resume training soon after undergoing knee surgery, and the UFC expects him to meet Overeem.

White said he hasn't considered the possibility of Overeem being forced out of the fight.

"We're going to have to figure that out, but I'm planning on Alistair Overeem," he said.

UFC 143 Pre-Fight Press Conference Highlights

2012-02-02T22:30:00.000-05:00

Nick Diaz 'Sick' of Georges St-Pierre Overshadowing Carlos Condit

2012-02-02T22:28:00.000-05:00

source: Mike Chiappetta | mmafighting.com

Feb 2, 2012 - One thing can be certain after Thursday afternoon's UFC 143 press conference: Nick Diaz has a great deal of respect for Carlos Condit. Breaking custom, he even shook Condit's hand after the two posed for photographers at the conclusion of the event, held at the Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. It was a noticeable change for Diaz, who has flipped off, shoved and otherwise attempted to menace several prospective opponents in the days before a fight.

But this Diaz was different: quiet, mellow and reserved. There were no outbursts or complaints about respect. There were no scathing criticisms of anything surrounding the sport. In fact, he saved his only prolonged oration to defend his opponent.

Yes, Diaz came to the side of Condit, after being asked about Georges St-Pierre overshadowing Condit in the lead-up to UFC 143.

"Yeah, I think it makes me sick," he said. "This is Carlos’ time to be here, and to be a part of this main event. This is ... half of the show is built up around me fighting Georges St-Pierre. But that's not [right]. I’m fighting Carlos Condit. So, I don't like it."

As Diaz observed, St-Pierre has been noticeably visible during event week, even holding court with reporters on Wednesday to offer a status update on his injured knee. Of course, he also spoke about the UFC 143 main event, saying that he "hopes and prays" Diaz wins, so that he eventually gets to fight him.

Because of that, along with the contrasting archetypes the two represent, Condit has been something of an odd-man out, even though he has the chance to play spoiler to the story line and capture the interim welterweight title in the process.

Diaz reiterated his belief that Condit is actually a more dangerous foe than St-Pierre is, meaning that quite literally. As in, Condit is much more likely to do physical harm in an octagon than St-Pierre is.

"You’re more in danger of losing a decision to Georges St-Pierre," he said. "I think you’re more in danger of losing your teeth if you're fighting Condit here."

Aside from those two telling answers, Diaz seemed a bit unengaged in the proceedings, asking reporters to repeat questions on at least two occasions. Contrary to his normal, digressive speaking style, he was short and concise, rarely offering more than a one-sentence response.

Of course, that's not that unusual for fighters who are making their final weight cut, but Diaz is facing a whole new level of scrutiny as he's ascended up the welterweight rankings and become seen as a real threat to St-Pierre.

All of that buildup will essentially be wasted if Condit pulls the mild upset (Diaz is about a 2-to-1 favorite). Condit has won 12 of his last 13 fights, so the suggestion that the fight is a gimme for Diaz is a ridiculous assertion.

Condit himself admitted that at times, it's felt that the St-Pierre vs. Diaz fight is being planned "before this one even happens," but likes his chances of playing spoiler. Regardless, he suggested that while fans may be clamoring for St-Pierre vs. Diaz, they may be missing a gem right under their noses.

"I expect a war," he said. "Honestly, Nick is probably the toughest dude I've ever fought. He's well-rounded, he has a pretty dynamic skill set. He's pretty similar to me. We both come to fight. No matter who wins, fans are going to win because it’s going to be a phenomenal fight."

UFC President Finds Nick Diaz Fascinating (Video)

2012-02-02T22:25:00.001-05:00

source: mmaweekly.com

UFC president Dana White has been around the MMA game for a long team and dealt with all types of fighters, but still, even he finds Nick Diaz fascinating. MMAWeekly.com caught White after the UFC 143 Pre-Fight Press Conference, capturing his thoughts on Saturday’s main eventer.

Warning the language is a little bit colorful on this one…

UFC 143: The Fighters’ First Faceoffs (Video)

2012-02-02T22:23:00.001-05:00

source: mmaweekly.com

If you can’t wait for Friday’s UFC 143 weigh-ins, that’s okay, MMAWeekly.com was on hand at Thursday’s UFC 143 Pre-Fight Press Conference in Las Vegas where the main fighters from the card squared off for the first time.

Check out Nick Diaz facing Carlos Condit, Roy Nelson and Fabricio Werdum, and Josh Koscheck going face-to-face with Mike Pierce.

Nick Diaz Says Carlos Condit More Dangerous Than GSP (Video)

2012-02-02T22:20:00.001-05:00

source: mmaweekly.com

MMAWeekly.com captured Nick Diaz at the UFC 143 Pre-Fight Press Conference at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas as he talked about his upcoming fight against Carlos Condit.

“You’re more in danger of losing a decision to St-Pierre; you’re more in danger of losing your teeth to Condit,” said Diaz.

Check out what else Diaz had to say…

Carlos Condit Plans to Spoil GSP vs. Diaz (Video)

2012-02-02T22:18:00.001-05:00

source: mmaweekly.com

MMAWeekly.com caught Carlos Condit at the UFC 143 Pre-Fight Press Conference at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, where he talked about his upcoming fight against Nick Diaz. Condit says that he has “the opportunity to get in there and spoil those plans” in reference to the GSP vs Diaz fight.

Check out what Condit had to say…

Floyd: I can earn millions without Pacman

2012-02-02T22:14:00.001-05:00

source: Bev Llorente | ABS-CBN North America News Bureau

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- It was an hour of hearing and deliberation during the application of Floyd Mayweather Jr. to box in Nevada.

Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) officials grilled Mayweather, as his boxing license expired December 31 last year.

“I called him forward. Normally we wouldn’t call him forward but I called him forward because of the December 21 and January 6 matters in criminal court, because we needed explanation on this subject,” said NSAC commissioner Raymond "Skip" Avansino.

Five commissioners collectively decided to grant Mayweather a one-time-only license to step back in the ring.

However, Mayweather needs to comply with the conditions provided by the NSAC.

One of those conditions: Mayweather will not avoid or delay his set jail time on June 1 following the district judge’s order on the guilty plea charges of domestic battery charges.

“By having your commitment to the commission that you will serve your time starting on June 1st without any question, you’re not gonna enjoy it and I wouldn’t either and have the tendency to fight it but it will be a mistake from the perspective of the commission if you did that,” Avansino told Mayweather.

Mayweather will face Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto instead of Sarangani Congressman Manny Pacquiao.

“Without Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather is still gonna make $60-70 million in 30 minutes,” said Mayweather.

The most awaited fight of the century seems to be unfeasible, as both camps are not agreeing to the fight purse.

Mayweather admitted that he met with Pacquiao's camp through Michael Koncz.

“Tell him watch me and Miguel Cotto. I'm happy that I am my own promoter you know. I am my own promoter; there’s a lot of money that go around,” he said.

Mayweather is contented with the outcome of the hearing and believes that the commission’s decision was fair.

Now that the he has been granted a license to fight here in Las Vegas, he can now set-forth in gearing up to go against Cotto on May 5.

Koncz: Manny never ducked Mayweather

2012-02-02T22:12:00.001-05:00

source: ABS-CBNnews.com

MANILA, Philippines – Filipino boxing icon Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao never ducked a potential mega-fight against unbeaten American boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr.

This, according to Pacquiao’s business adviser, Michael Koncz.

Koncz spoke with RingTV and Boxing Scene to refute Mayweather’s assertions that the mega-fight did not happen because Pacquiao was “ducking and dodging” him.

“Contrary to Floyd Mayweather’s comments, Manny never ducked this fight, and I’ve been working on this fight for a substantial amount of time directly with Floyd,” Koncz told RingTV.

Mayweather confirmed that he offered Pacquiao $40 million to fight him, saying that it will be the most money the Filipino boxer will ever make in his career.

“We’re talking about a $10-million fighter that I tried to give $40-million to,” Mayweather said of Pacquiao.

But Koncz also refuted this, saying that “Manny is substantially more than a $10-million fighter, and records will prove that.”

Koncz also clarified in a Boxing Scene interview that Team Pacquiao would have been willing to fight on May 5 – Mayweather’s contracted fight date – if all other terms were agreed upon.

Pacquiao had already agreed to Mayweather’s previous demands regarding blood and urine testing.

“We were okay with the blood testing every day, except on the day of the fight,” Koncz said

Revenue split issue

Koncz also spoke about the issue of the revenue split, which became the main reason for the collapse in this round of negotiations between Mayweather and Pacquiao.

“(Mayweather) said that he wanted to pay us $40 million, $40 million wired within two days. I put Manny on the phone with Floyd. Manny told him that he had no problem with a 50-50 revenue split...I informed (Mayweather) that Manny would not accept a buyout of $4 -million, because that was what it was,” Koncz said.

“When I asked Floyd about the pay-per-view/revenue overage, he said, ‘I’m paying you guys $40 million, accept that first and then perhaps we can talk about something on the overage at the end.”

55-45 offer

Koncz said that Pacquiao refused to accept the $40 million outright, but instead offered to split the revenue 45%-55%.

“With 55 going to the winner of the fight,” Koncz added.

“I told Floyd that if you’re the best fighter in the world, then no problem, you’re going to get the extra 10%. On a fight of this magnitude, that’s $200 million and that’s an additional $20 million to you. It wasn’t accepted,” he added.

“So now it’s up for the fans to decide, who is really ducking this fight,” Koncz said. “Who made the initial attempt to negotiate? Who sent somebody thousands of miles to speak to Floyd again?”

“Who is giving the reasonable offer for the fight, versus an unreasonable offer to buy us out for $40 million?”

Pacquiao is expected to announce his next opponent by next week. Unbeaten junior welterweight champion Timothy Bradley is now believed to be the frontrunner as Cotto is out of the picture.

Donaire-Vasquez heats up; Chavez faces rugged Rubio

2012-02-02T22:08:00.001-05:00

source: Lem Satterfield | The Ring

Things got heated and physical during between Nonito Donaire and Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. during their face-off at Thursday's final press conference for their HBO-televised fight in San Antonio, Texas.

Donaire (27-1, 18 knockouts) is making his 122-pound debut against Vazquez (21-1-1, 18 KOs) at the Alamodome this Saturday following a one-sided unanimous decision over WBO junior bantamweight titleholder Omar Narvaez in the final defense of his WBC/WBO bantamweight belts last October.

"I know he has good power and decent speed. I respect him as a fighter. But in terms of overall skill, I have the advantage," said Donaire in an earlier interview with RingTV.com. "It's going to be a great fight. We both are coming to win and the fans are going to get their money's worth."

Donaire and Vazquez are fighting for the WBO 122-pound belt vacated by Jorge Arce, who took the crown from Vazquez by 12th-round stoppage last May before dropping down to earn the WBO's bantamweight belt with a unanimous decision over Angky Angkota last November.

Thursday's shoving match was started by Vazquez, according Rachel Donaire, who serves as her husband's business manager.

"They were face to face, and Nonito kept his hands to himself, and then Vazquez removed Nonito's hat. And then Nonito touched him back and they started touching each other and pushing," said Rachel Donaire.

"I don't know what Vazquez thinks that he's doing yelling at Nonito in Spanish, because he knows for damn sure that Nonito doesn't understand a word he's saying. He might as well have been talking in Pig Latin."

The intensity appears to be the result of a series of tweets, one of which was directed at Nonito Donaire by a member of Vazquez's camp, according to Rachel.

"They are trying to play mind games. The first mind game was that Vazquez's wife was twittering Nonito. She twittered him that he was 'scared,' and, 'I'll see you there.' So she basically challenged him," she said.

"But Nonito just said, 'you talk crap, but your husband doesn't,' because they hadn't said anything to each other. So she told Vazquez that Nonito was disrespecting her. So, that's what came up at the face off today at the press conference."

DONAIRE HAS WALKED THE WALK, IF NOT THE TALK

The last two fighters who trash-talked to Donaire wound up being knocked senseless.

Vic Darchinyan was 28-0 before Donaire stopped him in the fifth round in July of 2007, and Fernando Montiel was, likewise, stopped for the first time in his career by second-round knockout in February of last year.

"The first time Nonito was in a verbal fight was with Vic Darchinyan, but no one touched each other. The second time was with Fernando Montiel, and Montiel actually put his fist on Nonito's chin during the face off or the weigh-in," said Rachel Donaire.

"Both of those fights, well, we know how they ended. So even though it's not that common, you know, it's hard to frustrate Nonito. He's someone who is always going to give you respect. So that's why I think that Vazquez had to create something to get himself riled up."

Vazquez is a hard-punching junior featherweight himself, having stopped five straight opponents prior to the loss against Arce.

ULIO CESAR CHAVEZ'S STIFF CHALLENGE VERSUS MARCO ANTONIO RUBIO.

Top Rank Inc. CEO Bob Arum has some big plans for THE RING No. 5-rated middleweight Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (44-0-1, 31 KOs) should the WBC beltholder get beyond his fight against Marco Antonio Rubio (53-5-1, 46 KOs), the co-featured bout on Saturday.

Among them is a clash with former two-time welterweight beltholder Antonio Margarito, who is coming off a ninth-round stoppage loss to WBA junior middleweight beltholder Miguel Cotto last December.

Arum also said that Chavez will eventually target RING middleweight champion Sergio Martinez.

"[Rubio] is a real, real tough fight. I've been talking to [Top Rank Vice President] Carl Moretti, and, with Chavez, we want him to fight three or four times this year," said Arum.

"So Chavez is going to fight another HBO fight, and then we're looking to do a big pay per view fight in September agianst Margarito if he comes through."

But getting beyond Rubio could be a big 'if.'

Rubio is after his seventh straight knockout, his 10th stoppage in 11 consecutive victories, and is coming off a fifth-round stoppage of Matt Vanda in December.

Five of Rubio's most recent stoppage victories were accomplished last year, including an ESPN2-televised seventh-round knockout of hot 21-year-old prospect David Lemieux, who entered the fight with a mark of 25-0, with 24 knockouts.

More photos: Click here!

Berto will rehab without surgery

2012-02-02T22:03:00.001-05:00

source: Lem Satterfield | The Ring

Former IBF and WBC welterweight beltholder Andre Berto will avoid surgery and instead undergo rehabilitation as a result of having suffered a ruptured left biceps in training on Monday, which forced the cancellation of a rematch with Victor Ortiz that was scheduled for Feb. 11, his trainer, Tony Morgan, informed RingTV.com.

"No surgery. They're just going to try to rehabilitate it. We're not sure about the time frame because it's different for everybody, but we'll see how it goes," said Morgan, adding that he believed that it could be "eight-to-12 weeks" before Berto would be ready to return to activity such as throwing punches and sparring.

"Andre went to see a specialist on Tuesday. He ruptured a left bicep tendon, and I guess that because the tendon was so small that they didn't want to re-attach it because it would be a bigger pain than just rehabilitating it. I would say eight-to-12 weeks."

Morgan said that the injury occurred after Berto "heard a pop" while throwing a punch in sparring against Tureano Johnson on Monday.

"It was a short left hook, nothing out of the ordinary. Andre hit it, we heard a pop, and he screamed," said Morgan. "I saw the knot up there on the arm and I knew right away what it was."

The first bout with Ortiz (29-3-2, 22 knockouts), last April, featured two knockdowns by each fighter before Berto lost his WBC belt by a unanimous decision.

Ortiz was subsequently dethroned following a fourth-round knockout loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in September, the same month that Berto (28-1, 22 KOs) rebounded by beating IBF welterweight titleholder Jan Zaveck by fifth-round knockout.

Berto gave up the IBF belt to face Ortiz in a non-title fight, one which Morgan believed Berto was going to win easily.

"I truly believe that this wasn't even going to be a fight. If anyone were to see the way that Andre was looking, I think they would have said this was going to be a walk in the park," said Morgan.

"The sparring that I had in there was the best sparring that I had ever used. I had a guy that would have walked through Victor in two rounds, and I believe that Berto was going to walk through Victor."

Nonito Donaire could join the ranks of Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr.

2012-02-02T21:58:00.001-05:00

source: Kevin Iole | Yahoo! Sports

The story is familiar even to the most casual of boxing fans: The young fighter of Filipino descent starts off in the lightest weight classes, dominating opponents and picking up titles. One by one, he punches his way to world championships, leaving in his wake a collection of battered and beaten bodies.

He’s doubted at first, derided as “just a little guy,” but he eventually wins over the critics and becomes widely regarded as the best fighter in the world.

Manny Pacquiao was on that path about 10 years ago and is now, along with Floyd Mayweather Jr., by far one of the two best fighters in the sport.

Nonito Donaire (27-1, with 18 knockouts) is on that same path right now and it would hardly be a shocker if the three-division world champion wound up with belts in six or seven classes and was universally recognized as the greatest fighter in the world within a couple of years.

“He is already a great fighter and he has such great knockout power and overall fighting ability; he can still get a lot better,” said Freddie Roach, Pacquiao’s trainer. “I was talking with [ex-boxer] Jesse James Leija the other day and we were saying how hard this guy can punch. He’s really dangerous and he can knock you out with one shot.

“To me, even though maybe he doesn’t get the recognition like Manny does, or like [Mayweather], he’s already in the top five and I think he has the ability to move up.”

Donaire, who owns world titles at flyweight, super flyweight and bantamweight, will seek a fourth crown Saturday when he meets Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. at the Alamodome for the vacant World Boxing Organization super bantamweight belt in a bout televised by HBO.

Donaire is hardly caught up in the hype. He’s eager to fight, particularly coming off a bout in October in which Omar Narvaez sought to survive and didn’t engage, making for an ugly fight which drew hoots from the bloodthirsty crowd.

He’s looking forward to swapping blows with Vazquez in the kind of fight in which his speed and power almost always wins out, and insists he’s not thinking of what may lie ahead.

All the accolades are great, said Donaire, a good photographer who is frequently seen shooting fights at ringside, but they mean nothing until his career is complete.

“I don’t think about it,” he says of the similarities to Pacquiao’s career path. “I enjoy boxing for the moment. I love the excitement and the competition. I am content to leave it to the fans to decide my place in the sport’s history.”

Donaire, 29, is right about where Pacquiao was at the same age. Pacquiao turned 29 on Dec. 17, 2007, and was regarded as a top-10 fighter by that stage.

Pac-Mania was in full force in the Philippines by then, but it hadn’t really caught on as much in the U.S. He’d just come off a convincing win over a faded Marco Antonio Barrera and was poised to fight Juan Manuel Marquez for a third time in a bid for the super featherweight belt.

It was that split-decision win over Marquez on March 15, 2008, that started Pacquiao collecting belts like Christmas ornaments. After winning the super featherweight title from Marquez, he won the World Boxing Council lightweight title from David Diaz in his next outing. After a non-title bout with Oscar De La Hoya, Pacquiao then won super lightweight, welterweight and super welterweight titles in his next four matches.

Currently, Donaire is fifth in the Yahoo! Sports ratings, behind Mayweather, Pacquiao, Sergio Martinez and Marquez.

If he wins on Saturday – and he’s a heavy favorite to do so – it will be his fourth championship, and a jump to featherweight would be looming fairly quickly.

“He doesn’t have the body to go much beyond [super featherweight], I don’t think,” said his manager, Cameron Dunkin, one of the game’s most astute observers. “But if he can pull that off – and it’s a lot to ask of anyone – and goes through 122, 126 and 130, when you put that together with what he’s already done, it’s pretty amazing.”

Donaire’s biggest competition for the top spot, once Mayweather and Pacquiao leave the scene, is probably his close friend, super middleweight champion Andre Ward.

Ward, the 2004 light heavyweight gold medalist, is a brilliant tactician who is just now emerging as a complete fighter. Ward, ranked sixth in the Yahoo! poll, has the defensive ability, the power and the punching accuracy, and, most significantly, the quality opponents to make him ascend to the top spot.

Bruce Trampler, the Hall of Fame matchmaker from Top Rank, raves about Donaire, but said if there is something that may keep him from earning legendary status, it’s the quality of opposition he ahead.

“He’s already an exceptional talent,” Trampler said. “He has a chance to be a great, great fighter, but when you think of the all-time greats, Sugar Ray Leonard had [Marvelous Marvin] Hagler, Tommy Hearns, [Roberto] Duran, [Wilfredo] Benitez, guys who were great in their own rights.

“You think of Ray as great, and he was because of the great fighters he beat. That’s the one question about how this kid will be remembered, but he is without a doubt a tremendous talent.”

Koncz: We offered Floyd $50 million

2012-02-02T21:56:00.001-05:00

source: Abac Cordero | The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines - Floyd Mayweather Jr. was offered much more than what he had offered Manny Pacquiao, and yet the undefeated American refused to make the fight happen.

Pacquiao’s adviser, Mike Koncz, yesterday said he’s been in constant communication with Mayweather in hopes of making the fight that the whole planet wants to see.

But the fight has been shelved, and yesterday Mayweather announced that he’s taking on Miguel Cotto on May 5 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

An Associated Press (AP) report said Mayweather will fight Cotto after Nevada’s athletic commissioners granted him a conditional license for one fight before he goes to jail in June.

Koncz told ESPN.com that he, with the knowledge of both Pacquiao and Top Rank chief Bob Arum, offered Mayweather $50 million for the fight.

On top of that, Koncz said he also told Mayweather of a 55-45 split of the revenues, and that the winner gets the bigger share. But these were not enough to move the American superstar.

A couple of weeks ago, Pacquiao and Mayweather spoke on the phone, and later on it was revealed that Pacquiao asked Mayweather if they could do it at 50-50.

But Mayweather was quick to turn it down, and in return offered Pacquiao a guaranteed purse of $40 million but that the Filipino champ will get nothing from the pay-per-view sales.

Some branded Mayweather as greedy for making Pacquiao such an offer, and most people thought that at 50-50 split is just in the right direction.

“I’ve been talking to Floyd directly and I made a commitment to keep it out of the media, but with him saying all the things that he’s been saying – that Manny ducked the fight, that Manny is only a $10 million fighter. I am compelled to talk to the media and say what really happened,” Koncz, still in the US, told ESPN.com.

Koncz said as part of the offer, both Pacquiao and Mayweather would be guaranteed $50 million each, and that Pacquiao no longer has any problems with the drug-testing procedure.

“Manny agreed to everything, whenever anyone wanted, except on the day of the fight. Floyd said, ‘Ok, that’s great.’ My discussions with Floyd were cordial, professional and during our discussions we both treated each other with the utmost respect.”

Koncz said that while Arum was looking at the last week of May or June 9 as the date of the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight, they never really ruled out May 5, if that’s what Mayweather would want.

Pacquiao will soon make his announcement as well regarding his June 9 fight, either at the Thomas and Mack Center, also in Las Vegas, or at the MGM.

Leading the pack of potential opponents for Pacquiao is the undefeated Tim Bradley. It seems that the two others, Juan Manuel Marquez and Lamont Peterson, are bound to fight themselves.

With Pacquiao out of his way, at least for May or June, Mayweather can now say whatever he wants.

“I’m fighting Miguel Cotto on May 5th because Miss Pac Man is ducking me,” he said.

Arum has big plans for the fast-rising Donaire

2012-02-02T21:53:00.001-05:00

source: Lem Satterfield | The Ring

At the press conference following October's one-sided unanimous decision over WBO junior bantamweight titleholder Omar Narvaez, Nonito Donaire wasted no time in pressing Top Rank CEO Bob Arum about their future plans together.

Donaire (27-1, 18 knockouts) grabbed a microphone and began interviewing Arum himself.

The names brought up included WBC junior featherweight titleholder Toshiaki Nishioka (39-4-3, 24 KOs) of Japan and former WBO junior featherweight beltholder Jorge Arce (59-6-2, 44 KOs) of Mexico.

Arum also likes a potential bout against two-time Olympic gold medalist Guillermo Rigondeaux, whose last fight -- only the ninth of his pro careeer -- was a sixth-round knockout of previously unbeaten Rico Ramos to win the WBA junior featherweight title on Jan. 20.

But first, Donaire has to get beyond HBO-televised fight with Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. (21-1-1, 18 KOs) at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, on Saturday. Donaire-Vazquez is the co-feature to Julio Cesar Chavez Jr's WBC middleweight title defense against Marco Antonio Rubio.

"If Nonito wins the fight, then his next fight will be against Arce," said Arum. "We were discussing that today, and I would think probably some place in Texas or El Paso or something like that. Nishioka's involved and factors in, and Rigondeaux factors in. It's a hot, hot division."

Donaire will make his 122-pound debut against Vazquez for the vacant WBO junior featherweight belt that was vacated by Arce, who took it from Vazquez in May before dropping down to earn the WBO's bantamweight belt by unanimous decision over Angky Angkota in November.

The RING's No. 4-rated pound-for-pound fighter, Donaire had trouble making the 118-pound weight limit for the match up with Narvaez, and ballooned to 131 pounds just a few hours after the weigh-in.

"We're not concerned about the weight. We know that he will handle that. But he's got a very, very difficult fight against Vazquez to concentrate on," said Arum.

"Let's see how he handles that fight, and once he comes through... then we'll definitely match him with Arce and then Nishioka. I want thim to fight four times this year. Whatever it takes. I don't want him fighting only twice a year.

Below is a Q&A with Donaire regarding his bout with Vazquez:

RingTV.com: Is the weight-cutting for this fight different than it was before your last fight with Narvaez? Is it easier to make 122 pounds than it was at 118?

Nonito Donaire: It's been great. I eat everything I want. I'm eating an omelet for breakfast today and had a nice dinner last night. My power is still there. My speed is still there. I feel very confident.

RingTV.com: What are your thoughts on Vazquez's weight-cutting issues?

ND: I only worry about myself. If Vazquez has weight-cutting issues that's his worry, not mine. It's only an issue if he is over the weight limit at the weigh-in.

RingTV.com: Knowing what Vazquez might be going through, do you see any advantages or things that you might be able to take advantage of given Vazquez's problems making weight?

ND: I don't know if Vazquez has a weight issue. I know he has good power and decent speed. I respect him as a fighter. But in terms of overall skill, I have the advantage.

RingTV.com: Do you have a prediction?

ND: It's going to be a great fight. We both are coming to win and the fans are going to get the money's worth. The fans in San Antonio know their boxing. I am so happy to be fighting for them.

Pacquiao vs. Mayweather: The Fight of the Century Ain't Gonna Happen Again

2012-02-02T21:50:00.001-05:00

source: TIME.com

During their storied boxing careers Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao have always claimed to fight for the entertainment of their fans. For more than two years those fans have been clamoring for the two men, the most popular and greatest boxers in the world today, to face each other in the ring. Like a pugilistic version of Waiting for Godot, the two men have never fought, content to make a variety of excuses, fight a string of easy opponents, and blame each other for the megafight never occurring. Both men appear to have worked in concert not to fight each other — even though that event would be the most lucrative of all time, possibly paying each fighter $40 million. Both men have probably realized that by not fighting each other, they can make almost as much money taking on less risky opponents while preserving their aura of invincibility.

That is why Floyd Mayweather Jr. will face Miguel Cotto on May 5 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Manny Pacquiao, who defeated Cotto by TKO in a ferocious display of speed and power in 2009, will fight a yet-to-be-determined opponent on June 9 at the same venue. And once again, after another tiresome round of taunts and teases, they will not face each other. Not that they won't exploit the situation. On Wednesday afternoon, shortly after the announcement of his fight, Mayweather tweeted: "I'm fighting Miguel Cotto on May 5th because Miss Pac Man is ducking me."

A few weeks ago, news of negotiations for the unrealized megafight had given boxing fans a sense of hope. In late December Mayweather was sentenced to 90 days in jail after he pleaded guilty to a reduced battery domestic violence charge and no contest to two harassment charges. The case stemmed from a September 2010 hair-pulling, punching and arm-twisting incident between Mayweather and his ex-girlfriend Josie Harris. Mayweather, 34, was supposed to start his jail sentence in early January, but the judge agreed to postpone the sentence to June 1. The undefeated boxer was cleared to fight on May 5 — which is Cinco de Mayo, a Mexican-American holiday and a popular boxing date. A Mayweather fight could bring millions of dollars to the city's coffers through increased tourism and gambling. Fans wondered: would Mayweather finally fight Pacquiao?

Not long after his sentence was delayed, Mayweather took to Twitter and challenged Pacquiao, a Congressman and sometime game show host in the Philippines. "Manny Pacquiao I'm calling you out let's fight May 5th and give the world what they want to see." "My Jail Sentence was pushed back because the date was locked in. Step up Punk."

Pacquiao, who has openly expressed a desire to be the president of the Philippines one day, countered that he indeed wanted to slug it out with Mayweather. Then the fight negotiations grew comically if expectedly complicated. Earlier this month, Bob Arum, Pacquiao's promoter traveled to the Philippines with a list of five potential opponents, including Mayweather, to present to his prized client. Nevertheless, when Arum was in the Philippines, he told TIME that fighting on May 5 would not work for Pacquiao. Arum insisted that he wanted to build a temporary 45,000-capacity outdoor arena, across from the Wynn on the Las Vegas Strip, to stage a mega-showdown. The ticketbuyers to the new venue would create an additional $30 million for the fighters, said Arum.

By refusing to fight on May 5 and proposing a new venue, however, Arum put "Money" Mayweather into an awkward position. As part of his argument for a delayed sentence, Mayweather had promised the judge that he would fight on May 5. Arum threw in another wrinkle, saying that the fighters would demand multi-million dollar guarantees. Arum would put up the guaranteed money for Pacquiao but Mayweather, who acts as a free agent, would need to get a group of investors together for his own money guarantee.

Throughout this posturing, the interested parties weren't actually talking with each other. Arum wasn't in contact with long-time concert promoter Al Haymon, Mayweather's key advisor, and he refused to call Golden Boy Promotions, which Mayweather hired to promote his fights. Arum claimed Golden Boy didn't have the resources to come up with a guarantee. Arum also happens to be in a longstanding feud with Golden Boy's principals, Richard Schaefer and Oscar de la Hoya, who Arum once promoted. De la Hoya seems to spend many of his waking hours bashing Arum on Twitter. "The public, ourselves, Mayweather, we're tired of the games," says De la Hoya.

"Everyone wants to make the fight happen except for Bob Arum."

"In all the years I have been in boxing, I have never seen anything like this," says Arum, 80. "Am I completely blameless? No, but the time for crapping around on all sides is over. The blame game is pointless. Of course I want to do the fight. I would like to sit down and negotiate, in good faith, but who speaks for Mayweather? His friend [rap star] 50 Cent? Does Mayweather want to sit down and negotiate for himself? Fine. Let's negotiate. There is a point in time when you have to do this fight, and the time is now."

Arum and Pacquiao have a traditional fighter-promoter arrangement, but Mayweather tends to keep his own counsel and his unpredictable negotiating style has led to odd diversions. In the past, he has insisted that Pacquiao take blood tests apart from the regular drug testing done by boxing's ruling bodies. Paquiao has never tested positive for Performance Enhancing Drugs (PEDs). When the Filipino agreed to take the Mayweather mandated tests, Mayweather continued to tell people that Pacquiao refused testing. Pacquiao was so insulted by Mayweather's insinuation of PED use that he sued his rival for defamation. Many observers openly said that the bloodtesting issue was likely a stalling tactic by Mayweather, whose perfect 42-0 record looked vulnerable to Pacquiao's then-vaunted quickness and power.

Indeed, before Pacquiao took on a string of has beens and never weres, he looked like one of the best boxers to ever enter the ring and he hasn't lost in seven years. But the Filipino boxer has had two lackluster performances in a row and now looks vulnerable himself. After the PacMan's last fight, a tepid, even controversial, win against Juan Manuel Marquez, 38, in November 2011, Mayweather became more anxious to face Pacquiao. "I like Pacquiao, I really do," says De la Hoya, who has fought and been beaten by Mayweather and Pacquiao. "But I truly feel that Mayweather will beat him easy."

Two weeks ago, perhaps in an attempt at detente, Mayweather placed a call to the Philippines to talk with Pacquiao's business manager. The manager handed the phone to Pacquiao, 33, and the two men chatted for a few minutes. Mayweather, who once went on a racist rant in which he called Pacquiao a "little yellow chump," gave Pacquiao two conditions for a fight: Mayweather said it needed to happen on May 5 — and adding his own deal-killing wrinkle — that the American deserved a bigger share of the purse. Most observers believe both fighters deserve a 50-50 split and any other notion, growls Arum, is "insane."

As the weeks passed by without any real negotiations, it became obvious that the fight wasn't going to happen in May or early June. Arum came to the conclusion that it would be impossible to properly promote an event of such magnitude, probably the biggest in boxing history, unless the fight happened in the fall. He says he approached cable operators, satellite providers and sponsors who told him that even a fight staged in June wouldn't allow them to properly promote it, and they suggested that each fighter have interim spring fights and sign a contract that they would, at last, agree to meet each other on November 9, 2012. "If it doesn't happen in November," says Arum, "it's not ever going to happen."

Given that the two men have been negotiating, or at least pretending to, for the last two years many boxing fans are starting to feel like they are being strung along by two confidence men. Diehard boxing people will settle for watching Mayweather and Pacquiao fight anyone. Both will earn millions of dollars for themselves and their minions, and they will both be prohibitive favorites to win their respective May and June fights. However, the boxers who claim that their utmost desire is to please their fans have once again let them down.

Roger Mayweather rips Miguel Cotto, says he can’t do sh!t with Floyd Jr.

2012-02-02T21:47:00.001-05:00

source: Chris Robinson | Examiner.com

It was announced earlier today that undefeated superstar Floyd Mayweather Jr. has targeted WBA junior middleweight champion Miguel Cotto for a May 5th fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.

While the fight may not serve as the bout everyone wanted to see Mayweather in, that being a dream fight with his rival Manny Pacquiao, Cotto still represents one of the best options available.

A three-division champion and one of the biggest draws in the sport, Cotto has bounced back very well from a November 2009 defeat to Pacquiao by winning three straight over former title holders Yuri Foreman, Ricardo Mayorga, and most recently Antonio Margarito in a grudge rematch this past December 3rd at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Upon hearing the news of the Mayweather-Cotto announcement, I paid a stop to Floyd Jr.’s personal gym in Las Vegas and caught up with his Uncle and trainer Roger Mayweather to get his take on the bout.

Never one to be easily impressed, Roger shot down the threat of Cotto instantly.

“He can’t do sh!t with him anyways,” Roger said of Cotto. “Because he don’t know sh!t. You seen Pacquiao whoop his a** didn’t you? Shane Mosley whooped his a** too. I thought he should have got the decision but they were fighting in New York, that’s why he didn’t get it.”

Cotto looked solid in busting up Margarito’s right eye last month and forcing a stoppage seconds into the tenth round. Margarito was the first man to hand Cotto a defeat three and a half years ago and while his vindication was cause for applause in some circles, Roger couldn't have cared less.

“F*** no, get the hell out of here,” said Roger when asked if he was impressed by Cotto’s display. “I don’t give a f*** about Margarito. Margarito aint sh!t. Margarito aint a pro.”

Roger was asked what his nephew would bring to the table that Cotto hasn’t seen before and his response was concise.

“Everything he aint never seen. He knows what the f*** he’s up against,” Mayweather added.

Roger finished up by pointing out that he expects Floyd to be in training camp by the end of the month.

Expect much more from Uncle Roger in the coming weeks leading up to the fight.

Mayweather calls Pacquiao 'Miss Pac Man': It's official Cotto vs Mayweather

2012-02-02T21:44:00.000-05:00

source: Granville Ampong | Examiner.com

After he failed to capture a serious bid from Top Rank to face off WBO Welterweight Champion Manny Pacquiao and as soon as the Nevada State Athletic Commission granted him the license to fight, Pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather, Jr. announces a few moments ago via his official tweeter account, saying: "I'm fighting Miguel Cotto on May 5th because Miss Pac Man is ducking me."

Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, confirms the same that boxing superstar Mayweather will return to the ring and challenge the heavier three-division World Champion Cotto for his WBA Super Welterweight World title on Saturday, May 5 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. and will be televised live on pay-per-view.

Unlike Cotto-Pacquiao bout which was fought at 145-pound catchweight, Mayweather, a seven-time world champion in five weight classes, makes no reservations and will fight Cotto at full 154-pound limit for the latter's super welterweight title.

"Miguel Cotto is a world class fighter who can never be taken for granted and continues to prove he is one of the best in boxing," said Mayweather, whose only other fight at super welterweight came in a World Boxing Council (WBC) world title win over Oscar de la Hoya in May 2007.

"It will be a challenge for me to compete with him at this weight, but this is the type of test I thrive on and gives me the motivation to train even harder. I have no doubt in my mind that my title belt collection will increase once again and Cotto's reign as champion will come to an end on May 5."

Cotto, fresh from a spectacular tenth-round technical knockout win over Antonio Margarito in December 2011, believes he much stronger at his current weight class and sees Mayweather as the most competitive fighter to date.

"I am here to fight the biggest names in boxing," says Cotto. "I've never ducked anyone or any challenge in front of me. I have accepted everything to give the fans what they like...great and exciting fights. That is what the sport of boxing is all about; making the fights that the fans want and deserve to see. On May 5, stay tuned, because I will convincingly beat Floyd Mayweather."

Both Cotto and Mayweather have agreed to Olympic-style drug testing for the fight, a successful crusade by the son of Grand Rapids which somehow revolutionizes the outlook of the new era of boxing.

"Floyd always asks us to find the best available competition for him to fight and we have found that in Miguel Cotto," said Leonard Ellerbe, CEO, Mayweather Promotions. "This is a very risky fight for Floyd as Miguel is a solid 154-pound champion who has already proven to have great boxing abilities and to be a very competent and strong puncher. This is a big test for Floyd, but as always I believe, he is the superior fighter with unmatched skills. This will make the difference and lead to another Mayweather victory the night of May 5."

"What we have here are two champions of amazing caliber set to meet in the ring on May 5 and give boxing and sports fan one of the most compelling match-ups in the sport's history," said Richard Schaefer, CEO, Golden Boy Promotions. "Floyd Mayweather has already achieved worldwide recognition as one of the best fighters ever and Miguel Cotto is one of the greatest fighters of this era. I commend both fighters for agreeing to the fight each other on one of the biggest weekends for boxing and also commend them for agreeing to participate in Olympic style drug testing, a precedent set by Floyd, which continues to uphold the integrity of the sport."

Mayweather vs. Cotto, a 12-round fight for Cotto's WBA Super Welterweight World title, is presented by Mayweather Promotions, Golden Boy Promotions and Miguel Cotto Promotions. More information on Mayweather vs. Cotto, including ticket prices, pay- per- view information as well as press tour dates and cities, will be announced shortly.

Why Pacquiao is better off now that Cotto is going to fight Mayweather instead

2012-02-02T21:42:00.001-05:00

source: Geoffrey Ciani | The Mushroom Mag

With the official announcement that Floyd Mayweather Junior (42-0, 26 KOs) will be facing Miguel Cotto (37-2, 30 KO) on May 5, curious fans will now turn their attention to Manny Pacquiao (54-3-2, 28 KOs). Who will Pacquiao’s next opponent be? With Mayweather and Cotto now officially eliminated from consideration there are basically three names left: Timothy Bradley (28-0, 12 KOs), Lamont Peterson (30-1-1, 15 KOs), and Juan Manuel Marquez (53-6-1, 39 KOs). Although many from Pacquiao’s camp felt as if Cotto would have been an ideal opponent for Pac-Man at this time, that was strictly looking at things from a financial perspective. Fans don’t care about boxing finances, though. They care about seeing good fights where the outcome is difficult to determine beforehand. As such, Pacquiao’s remaining three options all represent more interesting challenges for Pacquiao than Cotto.

There was simply no reason for a Pacquiao-Cotto rematch! When they did fight Pacquiao defeated him decisively. He proved he was beyond a doubt the better man that night. Rematches are typically reserved for extremely close fights, contests that end with a controversial decision, or both. None of that was applicable here, and even though Cotto was competitive through the first four rounds he was also dropped twice during that duration. From that point forward, Cotto more or less went into full retreat mode. He was reluctant to fight. Now some fans might claim losing two extra pounds to make the 145 catch contractual catch weight drained Cotto and weakened him. While there might be some truth in this, the average fan that purchased the fight will likely not care. They will simply remember Pacquiao’s dominance and nothing more. Cotto’s unwillingness to fight during the final eight rounds made this an unappealing contest for those who remember the first fight.

Timothy Bradly is an undefeated elite level boxer, and the fact that he is undefeated makes a potential fight with Pacquiao inherently intriguing. After all, there is no blueprint to beat Bradley. Timothy is an athletic fighter who usually applies pressure to systematically break down his opponent, but he can also box well. He is a tremendous body puncher who has exhibited great mental strength inside the squared circle. Some detractors might claim that Bradley is too small for Pacquiao, but that is certainly not the case. Bradley has already previously tested the waters at 147 and made a strong account of himself, and Pacquiao is probably best suited for junior welterweight anyway. That makes Bradley an ideal opponent for Pacquiao at this juncture, and with Bradley’s aggressive style a Pacquiao-Bradley matchup is sure to bring fireworks!

Lamont Peterson is a red hot commodity coming off his upset victory against Amir Khan. That was a fight where Peterson was down early, he was having trouble with Khan’s style, and things were looking especially good through a third of the fight. Then Peterson showed the fortitude and heart of a champion as he persevered and battled his way back to beat Khan. With Khan and Pacquiao both being trained by world class trainer Freddie Roach, this potential fight already has a built-in storyline that would be sure to generate a strong buzz amongst fans.

Then of course we have Juan Manuel Marquez. Three times him and Pacquiao have fought, and three times they have engaged in competitive battles where choosing a winner is not always easy. These guys just have that certain clash of styles that is always bound to make for a close fight. A lot of fans and members of the media did not believe Pacquiao did enough to deserve the victory last time around with Marquez. That in itself makes Marquez a worthy foe for Pac-Man. After all there is unfinished business here. This is a totally different situation than when Pacquiao scored a one-sided late round stoppage against Miguel Cotto. It is also worth noting that if the dream fight between Mayweather and Pacquiao does have a possibility of perhaps happening later this year in November, a guy like Marquez would make the best preparation for Pacquiao to face a guy like Mayweather.

Personally I feel that Bradley is the best option for Pacquiao right now. A fight between Pacquiao and Bradley would undoubtedly bring out the best in two guys who are both superb athletes with incredible strength of mind and will. They are both volume punchers who focus far more on offense than they do defense. This is a recipe for excitement and drama for fight fans! A battle between Pacquiao and Bradley might not outdo Mayweather and Cotto at the box office, but it should easily surpass it in terms of raw entertainment value.

At the end of the day boxing fans all over the world are disappointed that Pacquiao and Mayweather will not finally square off in the first half of 2012. It is what it is. Mayweather is fighting Cotto on May 5, and Pacquiao has three guys to choose from. Given the current state of affairs, it is better for Pacquiao to take on one of those guys than it would have been for him to have a rematch with Cotto. Likewise, it makes sense that Cotto is fighting Floyd instead of Pacquiao. We already know what happened when Pacquiao and Cotto squared off, so it will be interesting to see how things play out when Mayweather faces Cotto. Styles make fights.

Bradley-Pacquiao bout grows likelier

2012-02-02T21:39:00.001-05:00

source: Leighton Ginn | MyDesert.com

Boxing superstar Floyd Mayweather announced Wednesday he will fight WBA super welterweight Miguel Cotto, leaving Cathedral City boxer Timothy Bradley as the lone logical candidate to fight the sport's other big name, Manny Pacquiao.

Mayweather was working on a mega-fight with Pacquiao for weeks. Pacquiao's promoter Bob Arum said if the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight couldn't be made, he would select from four other fighters, which included Cotto and Bradley, the WBO light welterweight champion.

The other two fighters being considered are WBA and IBF champion Lamont Peterson and Mexican superstar Juan Manuel Marquez. But Arum announced earlier this week that a fight between Marquez and Peterson is in the works for May or June.

Bradley, 28, long has coveted a fight against Pacquiao, considered one of the two best pound-for-pound fighters in the world with Mayweather. Last fall, Bradley signed with Arum and Top Rank to improve his chances to fight the Filipino superstar.

If Bradley secures the fight with Pacquiao, it would be June 9, likely at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Michael Koncz, Pacquiao's adviser, told ESPN.com that one concern about a fight with Bradley is his tendency to lead with his head, a situation that could be exacerbated because of how sloppy fights can be between a right-hander such as Bradley and a lefty like Pacquiao.

“I've watched a couple of Bradley's fights and he's a skilled fighter but my only concern is he has comes in with his head and when you have a left-hander against a right-hander head butts happen even more,” Koncz said.

Top Rank president Todd duBoef told ESPN.com that a Bradley vs. Pacquiao fight would be attractive.

“I think it's a very interesting fight. Bradley is a really good boxer, very skilled in the 140-pound division,” duBoef said. “Manny is a small welterweight and the guys match up really well. It's a really solid fight. Our job as promoters is to get people to know Bradley. That was one of the reasons we put him on Manny's card in November, to start that process, to get him out there and start building the Tim Bradley brand. His skills have been fantastic, but when you're not under the right guidance they don't get exposed, and that's what we excel at.”

Watch our live chat with Tim Bradley from November of last year.

Mayweather-Cotto Not Terrible, Not Great

2012-02-02T21:37:00.001-05:00

source: Sean Morehouse | The Boxing Tribune

One of the unfortunate truths about boxing is that a match-up between two great fighters does not always make a great fight. The May 5th bout in Las Vegas between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Miguel Cotto is a perfect example of why not.

It would be hard to deny either of these two men the “great fighter” label . Mayweather (42-0-0, 26 KOs) of course has the undefeated record that speaks for itself. Make no mistake either, despite what some of his more vocal detractors might insist, “Money” didn’t get where he is by picking on 42 tomato cans. Among those victims are 16 men who have held some version of a world title and at least three sure-fire hall of famers. Floyd has been among the elite pound-for-pound rankings for well over a decade without ever losing a fight, a feat that obviously puts him in rare company.

Cotto (37-2-0, 30 KOs) may not quite have the pedigree of a Floyd Mayweather, but he’s certainly a very accomplished prizefighter. With championships in three separate weight classes and a 17-2 record in title fights, the Puerto Rican star will almost assuredly find himself in Canastota, New York giving a hall of fame acceptance speech once his career comes to an end.

Why then is this fight being met with a collective shrug of the shoulders from boxing fans and members of the media?

Well for starters, Mayweather fighting Cotto means that Mayweather isn’t fighting Manny Pacquiao. The super-fight between boxing’s two biggest names has once again been put on the back burner due to failed negotiations, and the disappointment that goes along with that will leave boxing fans with a bitter taste in their mouths regardless of who the two rivals are matched up with instead.

Another issue is that as good as Cotto is, it is generally assumed that Mayweather is much, much better. Like is always the case in any Mayweather fight, Floyd will be a strong favorite for good reason. The fact that Cotto has been badly beaten twice since this fight was first discussed years ago certainly doesn’t help the perception that he doesn’t have much chance.

To play devil’s advocate though, there is some reason to think that this older version of Cotto could have as much chance to be competitive with Mayweather as he would have had in his “prime.” Since losing twice Cotto has dedicated himself more to using his boxing skills and movement, and has avoided getting into the kind of wars that lead to him being so badly damaged in the past.

At the end of the day, though, that argument really is more about making a case that Cotto wouldn’t have had a chance in 2007 than saying he does have a chance now. A younger Cotto likely would have been too aggressive, an open book for Mayweather’s counter punching, while the more experienced Cotto will probably try to stick and move more, leading to a slow death instead of a quick knockout. While Mayweather likely would have dominated even an undefeated Cotto, that fight at the very least would have had more potential for action and the hype that always comes from seeing two unbeaten boxers face each other.

So why be excited about this fight? Well there are a few decent reasons. For starters, as mentioned above, these are two of the best fighters of this generation. Anytime you have a chance to see two great boxers in the ring together it is a good idea to take it. Secondly, the bout taking place at the 154 pound limit would seem to give Cotto some advantage. He has fought at jr. middleweight three times now and looked very comfortable, while Mayweather’s only previous fight above 147 pounds was a relatively ordinary performance in a split-decision win over Oscar De La Hoya. While it isn’t unreasonable to assume that Mayweather will be better adjusted to fighting at the higher weight on his second try, there are at least some question marks about how comfortable he will be.

Finally, the fight will be a major event. Cotto is one of the few active fighters (outside of Mayweather and Pacquiao) that interests casual sports fans, which is certainly the main reason Floyd chose to fight him. The fight will make a lot of money and get plenty of hype from the mainstream media, which is never a bad thing for the sport.

Considering that a month ago it looked like Floyd would be in jail this spring and not fighting at all, it is hard to get too upset about hearing he’s going to be sharing the ring with a fellow superstar in what will be a big event for the boxing world. While it might not be wise to get expectations too high concerning the bout, it is at the very least better than nothing.

Boxing legend Angelo Dundee dies at 90

2012-02-02T21:35:00.001-05:00

source: Santos A. Perez | The Miami Herald

Angelo Dundee, the Hall of Fame trainer who guided Muhammad Ali’s career, died of a heart attack Wednesday night in Clearwater. Dundee was 90.

Dundee had been admitted to a Clearwater-area hospital after suffering a blood clot following his return trip from Louisville to celebrate Ali’s 70th birthday two weeks ago, said his son, Jim Dundee. After spending a few days in the hospital, Dundee was transferred to a rehabilitation center, where he died.

“He was recuperating and coming along quite well,” his son said. “He was already making plans to take a trip to Las Vegas for another event in two weeks.

“Thankfully, the whole family was with him. We have lost a great man,” he said.

Dundee’s legendary training career spanned six decades. He worked with 16 world champions but most notably Ali, the iconic heavyweight champion, whom Dundee guided from his early 1960s fights through his first-title winning performance against Sonny Liston, the three epic fights with Joe Frazier, the knockout win over George Foreman and final career bout in 1981.

LONG CAREER

Dundee’s 40-year link of guiding champions stretched from Carmen Basilio in the 1950s, through Sugar Ray Leonard 1980s dominance and to Foreman’s title-winning performance at age 45 in 1995.

“My dad led a wonderful life,” Jim Dundee said. “Sadly, many of the great people from that generation are gone. This is the end of an era.”

Dundee fondly remembered his father’s special attribute of making friends.

“My dad had a very common saying, ‘it doesn’t cost nothing to be nice,’ ” his son said. “He didn’t just say it. He lived it.”

Dundee and his brother and promoter, Chris, made South Florida a boxing destination when Chris opened the 5th Street Gym in Miami Beach in the early 1950s. For the next 30 years, Chris promoted shows at the nearby Miami Beach Auditorium and Angelo trained many of the fighters who worked out at the Gym and fought in his brother’s cards.

In addition to Ali, other Dundee-trained fighters who trained at the 5th Street Gym and also became world champions included Luis Rodriguez and Willie Pastrano.

“Angelo was a mentor to me,” said South Florida-based promoter Ramiro Ortiz. “When we first started doing shows in the 1980s, he gave us tremendous advice and support.

“About a month ago we had a long talk and he kept saying, ‘Ramiro we had a lot of fun.’ Now that I look back it seemed as if that was his way of saying goodbye.”

Born Angelo Mirena in Philadelphia, he and Chris took the surname Dundee after his older brother, Johnny, used it to promote his own boxing career. Angelo moved to New York in the 1940s, where he began his training career and later settled in Miami Beach, where he joined Chris.

GRAND RE-OPENING

The Gym was torn down in the early 1990s but re-opened in the same location of Washington Avenue and 5th Street two years ago.

Dundee and Ali led the list of luminaries who attended the gym’s re-opening.

“Although he moved away, Miami was always in my dad’s heart,” Dundee said. “When he went back to the new gym you could tell how much he was touched by that.”

More than 10 years ago, Dundee and his wife, Helen, moved to Clearwater to be closer to Jim and their daughter Terri Dundee Coughlin. Helen Dundee died in 2010.

Although he retired from training fighters after he moved to Clearwater, Dundee remained involved in the sport and made repeated appearances at many boxing-related events.

Dundee was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1992.

In addition to his son and daughter, Dundee is survived by six grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Funeral services are pending.

Nonito Donaire vs. Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. Live Streaming 1

2012-02-01T22:57:00.007-05:00