EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: BOB ARUM

Top Rank bringing first fight to new Meadowlands!

GL: What's the latest with The Event, how's everything going? "It's going spectacular, tickets are flying out. There's a lot of excitement, a lot of celebrities are coming out, people from all over. We could fill up the place with all of the NFL owners coming to the fight, and coaches. It's really something very, very special."

GL: You were originally hoping to put Margarito on the undercard, that's not happening. Can you give us some thoughts on why that's not happening, and your opinion on his prolonged suspension?

The Bobfather: "Texas had the right to grant Margarito a liscense, they wanted to have a hearing. That was going to take too long, we had to get the card settled, so instead Margarito's going through the process of what he has to do to get his liscense. We're going to have him fight on May 8th, in Ocho Calientes. Part of a big festival in Mexico, and it will be shown in the United States on PPV."

GL: If Antonio Margarito wasn't with Top Rank, would you be lobbying for his lifetime banishment from boxing? Based on what transpired before the Mosley fight.

The Bobfather: "Absolutely not, because the finding of the California Comission was that he knew nothing of what was happening. The inspector said the same thing. They revoked his liscense for a year because they said he was the captain of the ship. He was responsible for what the trainer was doing, and we abided by that, and now we'll reapply for a liscense in California or some other state. Meanwhile, he's going to go back in action, and he is going to be fighting in Mexico on May 8th?"

GL: If things get resolved with California before May 8th, will he be in action in the States before May 8th? Or are those plans already solid gold?

The Bobfather: "Solid gold, he's headlining a big night in Mexico. You have to understand this festival in Mexico is an annual thing. It attracts over a million people from all over Mexico and Latin America. We put a fight on in the bullring in conjunction with the festival a few years ago and did 24,000 people, and we plan to do that again on May 8th as part of the festival."

GL: I read a story that there was a potential bar mitzvah being an obstacle in bringing the Cotto-Foreman fight to Yankee Stadium, now the AP reports that it's been resolved. How were you guys able to make that go away, and free up the stadium for Cotto-Foreman?

The Bobfather: "The bar mitzvah family had reserved the stadium and at least two lounges, and they wanted the screen. The Yankees talked to the family and worked it out, both the big fight and the bar mitzvah are going to occur on the same night. I think we're going to havek 50,000 people celebrating this kid's bar mitzvah, which is a lot more than those who celebrated mine."

GL: When can we expect a formal announcement of Cotto-Foreman?

The Bobfather: "I am going to coming to New York on Monday evening, and I'm going to be meeting with the Yankees at Yankee Stadium with the COO of the Yankees. We hope to finanlize a deal at that time."

GL: Pavlik and Martinez?

The Bobfather: That's already set for Atlantic City on April 17th. Rather than rush a press conference, with everything going on, we're going to have a press conference as part of a brunch on March 13th, in Dallas, with both fighters there to formally announce the fight. The tickets go on sale for the Convention Hall, in Atlantic City on Monday."

GL: I think you guys have the best matchmakers in the business, but I think Martinez could be a stylistic nightmare for Pavlik. Why make this fight?

The Bobfather: "It's a competitive fight, Kelly wanted to fight a competitive fight. We were willing to fight either Williams or Martinez. With Williams, we had a deal in place, it was terminated because Kelly was injured. Then they turned it around and said they wanted a 50/50 deal, which to me seemed to say they didn't want the fight. After all, Kelly is not only the middleweight champion, but also the attraction. Paul Williams can't sell 1000 seats anywhere in the country. He's a good fighter, I'd be willing to do the deal that we had in place before. His people felt otherwise."

GL: Will there be a rematch clause for Pavlik, if Martinez is victorious?

The Bobfather: "Yes."

GL: Other than that, does Top Rank have any futures on Martinez, or no?

The Bobfather: "No, no futures, except as we have said, if Martinez beats Kelly, there's an immediate rematch clause."

GL: Was part of your thinking to make the Martinez fight, other than you telling me it's always easier to make a fight that doesn't involve Al Haymon than one that does involve Al Haymon, to try to box them out as it relates to Williams?

The Bobfather: "We don't do box outs, we're not playing basketball. We do the best fight available for our fighter, the fight that can make everyone the most money, the most attractive fight. I really, really don't do these things on the basis of boxing out anybody. Once you start doing that, then you cease to be a good business person."

GL: Is Winky Wright about to become Top Rank's newest aquisition?

The Bobfather: "Yeah, well we're going to do a series of fights for Winky, and I hope to have Winky fighting in Yankee Stadium on June 5th."

GL: That would be big. Obviously the idea behind getting Winky would be that him and Pavlik would be sharing a ring in the future. Correct?

The Bobfather: "That is absolutely correct."

GL: What else?

The Bobfather: "Everything else is going well. We are looking to fill in the dates for the three most exciting fighters in boxing, Juan Manuel Lopez, Yuri Gamboa, and Edwin Valero. The Valero fight, when it takes place, will be against Lamont Peterson. Juan Manuel is going to fight Barnabe Conception in the Phillipines, and Yuri Gamboa is going to fight Caballero. The point is you've got to make fights. In other words, people say Caballero is a really good fight. He is, and that's why we're doing the fight. I really have tremendous confidence in the fighters that fight for Top Rank, but you have to make good fights."

GL: Peterson could be wrong for Valero too.

The Bobfather: "Absolutely correct. If Valero can't handle a good boxer, then Peterson will lick him, but that's what people want to see."

GL: You've been in this game for years, and it's made you an animal. There's rules to this shit, so you wrote you a manual.

The Bobfather: "The manual is not to put your guy into the lowest possible risk fight. Sometimes you do that, when the guy is coming off of a loss, when you have to build his confidence back, but just because you can get away with a non-competitve fight doesn't mean that you do it."

GL: Closing thoughts.

The Bobfather: "I think we're really very active. This has been a great year for Top Rank, we have everybody in action. We have a tremendous event with Pacquiao-Clottey in Cowboy Stadium in March. In April, Pavlik-Martinez in Atlantic City, in May we have Antonio Margarito in title fight in Ochos Calientes, in Mexico. It's part of the biggest festival of the year in Mexico. In June, I'll be priviliged to do the first fight in the New Yankee Stadium, and that's fitting because Top Rank did the last fight, Ali-Norton, in 1976 in the old Yankee Stadium. Another arena we're looking at, hopefully next year, probably the spring, I want to do the first fight at the stadium in the Meadowlands, that the Giants and the Jets have just built. By the way, both Steve Tish and Woody Johnson of the Jets will be in Cowboy Stadium for the Pacquiao-Clottey fight."

Author: G. Leon

Source: boxingtalk.com

Manny's just like everyone else

JOSHUA CLOTTEY reckons it should not go down as an upset if he beats Manny Pacquiao.

Clottey, 32, is the clear underdog heading into his clash with the pound-for-pound king on March 13.

But the Ghanaian is confident he can defy the odds at the Cowboys Stadium in Texas.

Clottey said: "Pacquiao is a human being, like everyone else. He's just a really good fighter who is currently No1.

"If I win this fight, I will never feel like I beat the best fighter in the world.

"I will feel like I had a fight with the best fighter out there right now — and I won.

"I'll say, 'It's not an upset, just a win'."

Author: GAVIN GLICKSMAN

Source: thesun.co.uk

I'm not Josh-ing; 7 reasons why Clottey shocks Pacquiao

Seven Reasons Why Joshua Clottey Shocks Manny Pacquiao on March 13:

1.Low expectations favor Clottey. Coming in as the “B” side, it's not his face on the cover of Time magazine and he's not being trailed by a CBS “60 Minutes” TV crew. His chore is simplified, train and then fight with ZERO distractions. We always say and think distractions never distract Pacman but can it always be so?

2.Clottey may be physically stronger than Megamanny. If he bull Pacman around a bit, make the fight rough and tumble, his strength could wear on Manny. Look at Clottey's body and you might think his birth weight in Ghana was 147 pounds.

3.Fighting for his nation. Mental self talk can convince a fighter he can win against great odds. We just marked the 20th anniversary of James “Buster” Douglas talking himself into the belief that he could upset Leviathan Mike Tyson in Tokyo. He went out and did just that. Maybe Clottey can do the same. He's vowed to take a victory for Ghana, you know.

4.Using Miguel Cotto as a measuring stick, is Pacman that much better than Clottey? Had he not taken his pedal off the mettle in the closing rounds, Josh would've taken a decision victory over the brawny Puerto Rican battler.

5.Bad day at the office factor. I saw Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard and other ATGs have off nights. Sure, Pacman has been phenomenal but is it is possible if not probable that one of these nights he won't be at his best. If he is even slightly off kilter, Clottey could take advantage.

6.Mayweather Mania. Similar in scope to #5 in that I wonder if all the blather about and from Floyd Kill Joy Mayweather could be a distraction for Manny. Mayweather will be at owboys Stadium without physically being there.

7.Pilot error. This flight, I mean this fight, has been carefully scripted by Top Rank. Bossman Bob Arum “cleared” the match with trusted matchmaker (Hall Of Fame bound) and my onetime New York roommate, Bruce “Southland” Trampler. But even this Teddy Brenner protege has stubbed his toe from time to time. If he does it this time, it may require amputation of the foot.

Author: Michael Marley

Source: examiner.com

Assessing Steve Forbes as Pacquiao's sparring partner

In a BoxingScene article by Ronnie Nathanielsz it was noted that one of Manny Pacquiao’s chief sparring partners is former Jr. Lightweight champion Steve Forbes. Forbes is helping Pacquiao prepare for his upcoming March 13th bout with Joshua Clottey at the Dallas Cowboys stadium and is somewhat surprising of a choice because his style doesn’t completely reflect the Accra, Ghana fighter. While Clottey is a physically imposing bruiser, Forbes is much more of a slick boxer.

What’s slightly ironic is that of all the fighters today who Forbes’ style resembles, it would be that of Floyd Mayweather Jr., who Pacquiao was in discussion to fight originally on the 13th. It’s interesting to wonder how the sparring sessions are unfolding, as Pacquiao’s precise combinations from his unorthodox attack are surely tested against Forbes, who is a pro’s pro.

Trying to get some more insight into Forbes I broke him down as a fighter from a few different perspectives below…

A quick look at Forbes

Forbes is just a few days away from his 33rd birthday and he has compiled a respectable 34-7 record with 10 knockouts during his thirteen plus year career. He fought nine of his first twelve fights in Nevada while going undefeated as Jr. Lightweight and Lightweight contender. Forbes’ first loss was a March 2000 majority decision to former featherweight champion Alejandro Gonzales.

Forbes would bounce back in 2000 with victories over solid fighters in Ernesto Zepeda and David Santos before landing a shot at the vacant IBF title against rugged John Brown in December of 2000. While in reality it seemed as though Brown was starting to come on in the fight, the contest would be stopped when it was revealed that the stout fighter had a ruptured eardrum, as the blood began to pour following a Forbes connection. Despite trailing on two cards, Forbes was awarded the TKO victory after Brown was seen unfit to continue. In the immediate rematch Forbes would leave little doubt, taking a clear decision over Brown.

Forbes suffered an October 2003 loss to Carlos Hernandez and seemed to dip under the radar a bit. A few years would go by without as much noise but Forbes would end up making his presence known on an even grander scale by being a key participant on the second season of The Contender. Along the way Forbes would defeat the likes of Freddy Curiel, Nick Acevado, and Cornelius Bundrage before losing in the finals to Grady Brewer. Forbes’ appearance on the show also showcased his abilities in a new weight class, as his days at 130 pounds were a thing of the past.

In 2007 the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas was the host of Forbes’ only two fights that year, as he lost a slightly controversial split decision to Demetrius Hopkins in March before turning the tables to win a split nod against Francisco Bojado seven months later. Forbes was in the public’s eye again in 2008 as he performed respectably but still lost decisions to both Oscar De La Hoya and Andre Berto.

Forbes is currently slated to face Harrison Cuello this March 6th at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut. It’s unknown whether or not Forbes can still comfortably make 140 pounds, but either way he will surely have his eyes on the evening’s main event as Jr. Welterweight champions Devon Alexander and Juan Urango clash.

While Forbes may never have crossed the line towards being a star in the sport he has always been a capable fighter with great ring instincts, boxing ability, and a reliable defense. During his run on The Contender Forbes’ personality was also on display for the world to see and he has always come across completely down to earth and modest in his approach.

Mayweather’s view

One man who knows Forbes all too well is Las Vegas based trainer Jeff Mayweather, who trained the Oregon native on and off during key moments in his career. When Jeff was told the news that Forbes has been serving as Pacquiao’s sparring partner he was at first slightly surprised.

“I think Steve is an ideal sparring partner to help Manny get ready for Floyd,” Jeff states. "I really don’t know about Clottey though. It doesn’t seem that his style is at all similar to Clottey’s. Not sure how much he could help. I’m sure he is handling himself well. He may even be holding his own with him. Steve is a professional through and through.”

Mayweather also added that Forbes is a very solid fighter whose only glaring weakness has been a lack of power over the years. When looking back on Forbes’ 2008 campaign, Mayweather feels that his losses to De La Hoy and Berto weren’t about skill as much as they were about size.

“I thought he gave a very good account of himself against Oscar,” Mayweather claims. “He came out with a good game plan but I just think that Oscar was the bigger fighter. I also think that was the case with [Andre] Berto, Steve fought well but he was just the smaller guy in both of those fights.”

In giving his closing comments on his former charge, Mayweather seems to find it ironic that Forbes’ time as a champion was more overlooked than his recent years as a contender. While Forbes often came up short in some of his biggest contests Mayweather takes satisfaction in knowing that he was able to reap some financial rewards in recent times.

“I remember when he was a world champion at one time but he never was able to capitalize on it. That’s the whole point of being a world champion, you want to make some money after that. Luckily Steve was able to land those bigger fights later in his career. I’m very happy for Steve. He’s a good guy and we still keep in touch.”

Author: Chris Robinson

Source: examiner.com

Joshua Clottey: "I Will Wear Manny Pacquiao Down"

Former champion Joshua Clottey has no idea what all the fuss is about. He had a few setbacks against fighters like Carlos Baldomir, Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cotto. He doesn't think about those defeats. He still views himself as an unbeaten fighter. Clottey tellsLem Satterfield of AOL FanHouse that he won't view a win over Pacquiao as an upset, but just another win in the bank. Clottey faces Pacquiao on March 13 at Cowboys Stadium in Texas.

"I've never left the ring feeling like I lost. I feel like I'm undefeated. If I win this fight against Manny Pacquiao, I will never feel like I beat the best fighter in the world," said Clottey. "I will feel like I had a fight with Manny Pacquiao, the best fighter out there, and I won," said Clottey. "So even if I beat Pacquaio, and people talk about it like it's a big upset, I'll say, 'It's not an upset, but a win.'"

Some people treat Manny Pacquiao like a super hero. Not Clottey. He sees him as just another fighter and plans to beat him as such.

"Manny Pacquiao is a human being, like everyone else. He's just a really good fighter who is out there now who is No. 1 now," said Clottey. "I don't know how he's coming to fight me, but I can tell you that I'm a different fighter altogether than anyone else that he's faced. I'm a really difficult fighter, you see."

Clottey understands what he brings to the table, and what Pacquiao brings to the table. Pacquiao has the big advantage in speed. Clottey plans to stay in there and work Pacquiao over to wear him down. He wants to punish the Filipino fighter enough to slow him down.

"Pacquiao is coming from a smaller weight to welterweight, and he's going to have an advantage in speed already because he's a smaller guy. I can't throw a lot of punches like Pacquiao will do. But I will connect enough to make him slow down and wear down, and bring his speed down," said Clottey.

Author: Mark Vester

Source: boxingscene.com

Pacman tackles energy issue

ALABEL, Sarangani , Philippines – World boxing champion Manny Pacquiao is opposing the construction of a 200-megawatt coal-fired power plant in Maasim town by Conal Holdings because of potential damage to the environment.

Pacquiao, who is running for congressman in Sarangani, is executive director of Task Force Luwas Kinaiyahan (TFLK), or “save the environment” in the Cebuano dialect.

TFLK deputy director Boy Lim said the organization has the full backing of the People’s Champ.

“Manny is not backing down a bit because he has seen that there are alternative sources of sustainableenergy other than coal, which has been proved to be one of the major causes of global warming and climate change we are experiencing today,” Lim said.

Lim said power can be harnessed from biomass containing biofuel for industrial use, such as the jathropa plant.

He said biomass has less toxic emissions compared to coal.

“The gas emissions by coal-fired power plants will enter the atmosphere where it will gather in the clouds and drop back to earth in the form of acid rain,” he said.

He said the proposed coal-fired power plant in Maasim, would need a carbon sink of at least 7,000 hectares of trees to absorb the toxic emissions.

“But then again, this is no guarantee because gas emissions respect no boundaries and could waft across the atmosphere as far as North Cotabato and Davao del Sur, depending on wind direction,” Lim said.

The TFLK has joined the Diocese of Marbel and people’s organizations in opposing the construction of the power plant.

“Manny is for development, but not development at all costs, or at the expense of the health and wellbeing of the people,” Lim said.

Author: Nonong Baliao

Source: philstar.com

ARIZA: WE CAN’T ASK FOR ANYTHING MORE

“Fighter of the Decade” and the world’s pound-for-pound hero Manny Pacquiao is doing so well in training for “The Event” against Ghana’s tough Joshua Clottey at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium on March 13, that conditioning expert Alex Ariza says “we can’t ask for anything more.”

Ariza told us that Pacquiao sparred nine rounds on Saturday with Steve Forbes who once fought Oscar De La Hoya and went the distance with him and also Raymund Beltran, a regular sparmate of “The Pacman.”

Ariza said Pacquiao showed “amazing speed and power and is ready to go anytime.”

He said it was obvious that Pacquiao was relaxed and happy and looking forward to the clash with Clottey.

After Pacquiao’s workout at the Wild Card Gym of trainer Freddie Roach, Ariza told us Pacquiao was “feeling good and Freddie was obviously happy and had a smile on his face and when they are happy, I am happy.”

Ariza believes there is no welterweight in the world today who could take on Pacquiao and beat him and that includes Floyd Mayweather Jr and Shane Mosley who are scheduled to face-off against each other in May.

author: Ronnie Nathanielsz

Source: philboxing.com

Showtime Analyst Steve Farhood speaks on boxing, objectivity, and the Mayweather-Pacquiao fallout

If you were ever looking for anyone whose life was consumed by the sport of boxing, Steve Farhood would be a fine choice. Currently serving as a commentator to Showtime’s very successful ShoBox: The New Generation series, Farhood’s life revolves around the sport in several different ways.

Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York until the age of twelve when he relocated to Manhattan, Farhood is a self-described ‘city rat’ who remembers playing ball as a youth while being a casual fan of boxing. He never had thoughts of pursing the sport but it was an avenue that unexpectedly presented itself.

“Boxing kind of picked me, I didn’t pick boxing,” Farhood claims. “When I graduated college in 1978 with a degree in journalism I tried to get a job at a newspaper and I got rejected all over the place. I ended up getting a job with a magazine company to put out boxing and wrestling magazines. I’ve been doing it ever since.”

During his initial foray into boxing Farhood was intrigued by not only the sport itself, but also the intimate nature in which he got to cover it. Boxers are rare breeds of athletes and unlike many other sports Farhood was able to see first hand how their lives revolved and what made them tick. That along with several other learning aspects began to fill Farhood’s time in the sport with much discovery.

“I grew up during the Ali era and of course boxing was in everyone’s consciousness,” Farhood notes. “What I liked about it right away was that as a writer, a member of the media, I found it fascinating to have access to these very special, different kind of athletes. To just have access to the sport was fascinating in terms of the boxing and business end of it. To be able to watch all of it happen without being financially involved, which is dangerous, was a pleasure and it still is 31 years later.”

Farhood’s involvement in the sport comes with its share of responsibilities. More than anything else his duties as an announcer come with the understanding that he must find a way to remain unbiased at all costs. Not always an easy task with the endless amount of engaging characters in the sport but for Farhood it was something that was instilled within him.

“Being objective is easy because I’m a trained journalist and objectivity is something we always strive for,” Farhood remarks. “I know that the fans sometimes don’t see it that way but I really don’t care who wins the fight. It doesn’t mean that I don’t have favorites, of course I do because I’m human, but once the fight starts it’s just a fight to me.”

Outside of being objective there is still much knowledge that needs to come from one looking to be a professional in the sport. From Farhood’s end it is important to know about the sport as a whole, from the fighters of this generation all the way to the storied history that has made the sweet science what it is today. Farhood was lucky enough to soak up much from some of the sport’s best as a youth.

“If you are smart enough when you are young, you shut up and listen,” he continues. “I was fortunate to learn from Eddie Futch, Angelo Dundee and others. In terms of breaking down fights, if you see enough of them, talk to enough trainers, and when you are young and learn from the best you can apply what you learn later on.”

Farhood points out that there have been an endless list of memories that he has collected along the way but points out that Holyfield-Tyson and Pryor-Arguello as well as matches with Ray Leonard and Muhammad Ali all left an imprint. The New Yorker also laments that keeping pace with the always evolving nature of the sport is a task in itself.

“Probably the number one thing I have learned is that I have a lot to learn,” a modest Farhood states. “You never learn everything. There is a lot about the business of boxing that is very interesting that I am still learning. Just watching fights ringside you learn a lot. Boxing changes, athletes change, training changes. It’s a liquid thing and it always changes. You have to stay on top of how it’s changing. That’s interesting in itself.”

Speaking further, Farhood elaborates how the sport is constantly in moderation. Unlike years past when the coverage of the sport was strictly in print, today’s modern era has allowed us to get a look at fighter’s who would have otherwise been obscure in the past. For Farhood it is a constant grind, but one very much full of passion.

“There’s never a day that goes by that I somehow don’t work on boxing,” Farhood says. “It’s a full time thing for me. I have to watch a lot of tapes and obviously I can’t watch every fight live. I DVR a lot of tapes and try to watch most of what’s on television. I go to Youtube because there are a lot of fighters who haven’t been on television. The internet has changed boxing because now you can become familiar with fighters who haven’t been on television that you may not have ever seen before. When there is a show that I have to cover I do my research, look at my old notes, watch tapes of those fighters specifically, and I still write also. You put it all together and it’s still a busy time.”

Two fighters who Farhood doesn’t have to go online to get a first look at are Floyd Mayweather Jr. and ‘Sugar’ Shane Mosley, who are scheduled to face each other this May 1st at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. In hearing Farhood speak on the contest it’s obvious that he is very much anticipating it, with hopes that it will lead to something greater down the road.

“I’m excited by it,” Farhood states. “Would I rather see Mayweather and Pacquiao? Yes, like everyone else. I think Mayweather-Mosley is a fight we all secretly wanted for a while. We’ve wanted to see Mayweather fight the best Welterweights and Mosley proved in the Margarito fight that he has plenty left. I still think Mayweather will beat him but I still think it’s a great fight, especially if it leads to Mayweather-Pacquiao, which I hope it does.”

There were initial hopes of Mayweather and Pacquiao meeting on March 13th but it has been well documented how their situation fell apart over the now infamous Olympic style drug testing fiasco. Looking back on how everything played out, Farhood still speaks with a little bit of disbelief in his voice.

“First of all I was shocked when they came to an agreement financially and the fight still didn’t happen,” Farhood claims. “Nine times out of ten the problem is money and here it wasn’t money. I’m surprised when two guys could have made that kind of money and it still couldn’t happen. With that said I blame both fighters and both camps but I blame a little bit more on Mayweather because I think in requiring what he was requiring in drug testing he was asking for more than the standard. If he has no proof that Pacquiao is cheating in any way than he has no right to do that. He was asking for a little too much.”

Pacquiao will still be fighting on March 13th but has his sights set on bruising Accra, Ghana fighterJoshua Clottey, a very capable pugilist in his own right. While this may not be the fight that we have all hoped for, Farhood finishes off by saying it is one that certainly has its share of danger attached to it.

“I think it’s dangerous because when you think you are going to be fighting the biggest fight of your life and you don’t get it, of course it’s only natural that there will be a little bit of a letdown. But you know we’ve been waiting for a letdown from Pacquiao and it’s never happened. He brings the same intensity and if anything he’s getting better. I think he could have a little trouble but I think he’s too fast and the amazing thing is that every time he fights he gets a little bit better. That’s rare for a fighter at his level. I think he’ll win but I could see him having some bumpy moments along the way.

Author: Chris Robinson

Source: examiner.com

Do the public perceive Clottey as a big enough challenge for Pacquiao?

One of the biggest factors when it comes to selling a fight is whether people think the fight will be a close, competitive encounter.

Despite the fact that he has never been stopped, Joshua Clottey is regarded by many as being not enough of a challenge for Pacquiao at this stage. The fact is that he is a credible threat, although of course perception is everything when it comes down to the all pay per view sales.

There are plenty of people who will buy a Pacquiao fight no matter who he faces. As one of the most exciting fighters in the game today, there is rarely any disappointment with one of his fights win or lose. But there are others who will only pay to watch something which they think will be competitive.

Austin Bailey, Pittsburgh PA: "Is Clottey out of his depth or has he just been unlucky when he's fought the best fighters?"

Well the short answer is probably both, while he was unlucky against Cotto and Margarito, (his other loss being a disqualification to Carlos Baldomir), that doesn't mutually exclude the fact that he might look out of his depth against Pacquiao. Miguel Cotto who beat Clottey in a close fight last year had nothing for Pacquiao, and he was regarded as the man to beat in the division. As good as Pacquiao is at the moment, there might not be many people outside someone like Floyd Mayweather who can give him much trouble.

With Floyd Mayweather recently stating that he deserves a bigger share of the purse if he and Shane Mosley sell more than Manny and Clottey, pay per view sales are more important as ever for Top Rank. If they sell less, then Mayweather will have a built in excuse for not making the fight happen. The reason being that it's very unlikely Pacquiao would accept the smaller cut of the purse than Mayweather.

Therein Floyd Mayweather and his May dance partner Shane Mosley might have a distinct advantage. While most experts think Pacquiao will have too much for Clottey in the later rounds, opinions are more divided on Mosley being outclassed by Mayweather.

The Cotto fight by contrast was intriguing because there was the fact that Pacquao was moving up in weight and facing a genuine champion, and not everyone was sure he could do it. He'd beaten Oscar De La Hoya, but many regarded the ultra popular Golden Boy promotions founder to have passed his best.

During the training camps for March 13th's 'the event', Pacquiao has been described by various figures from within his inner circle as being close to ready a month ahead of fight time. At the same time Clottey was struggling with snow and visa issues in his New York training camp. Neither will probably amount to much difference at fight time, but it certainly can't be good press to make the fight seem one sided.

Perhaps Top Rank thinks that fans of the sport will know how good Clottey really is regardless of whatever happens i the background. Similarly they might also be hoping that fans of Pacquiao will buy any fight he's in and that the opponent isn't that important.

Pat Harris, Pittsburgh PA: "Do you think this pay per view stuff from Mayweather is just his usual bluster and a play for more money, or another excuse for him not to fight Pacquiao?"

It could well be both, if there's one thing Floyd Mayweather likes its getting richer, and fighting Manny is the quickest way to make that happen. In the end though, probably only a 50/50 split will have much chance of making the fight happen.

Les Brightmore, Pittsburgh PA: "Surely Clottey's a step down from Miguel Cotto who he beat and this win doesn't do much for Pacquiao?"

Well in terms of rankings Clottey is a step down from Cotto, but pretty much everyone would have been excluding Shane Mosley who was already fighting. What Clottey does bring to the table is a stylistically difficult fight for Pacquiao, who does his best work against aggressive fighters. Compare the Juan Manuel Marquez fights to when he fought either Hatton or Cotto and its easy to see which type of fighter Pacquiao struggles more against.

Author: Scott Heritage

Source: examiner.com

Manny Pacquiao would fight Mayweather Jr for FREE, ‘Winner takes all’. Will Floyd accept?

In a startling announcement from Manny’s famed trainer Freddie Roach, the PacMan would be willing to fight Mayweather Jr for free with the winner getting the entire purse. Yes, that’s exactly what Freddie told the media. But would Floyd accept this challenge?

“We’ll fight him for free. Winner take all.”Freddie Roach, KTLA.com

Christopher Mayes Sacramento, CA “What do you think of the challenge that Roach made to Floyd?"

Some say it’s a media chess match between the camps of Manny and Floyd. Well, with the latest quote from Freddie, Manny’s camp just put Floyd in “check”. Now the question is, “how will Floyd respond?” Al Williams Sacramento, CA “Does Floyd just simply ignore this challenge from Roach?”

Unless Floyd can spin this scenario into something that makes him look good, then I think he will ignore this challenge from Roach. However, if he does ignore it, thenRoach and Manny’s camp need to go in for the kill with this like a shark that smells blood in the water.

This challenge is a perfect media shot that will bring the “public pressure” back on Floyd. When Floyd and his “thugs” tried to smear Manny in the media by accusing him of taking PEDs, it did put a lot of “public pressure” on Manny. Pacquiao has had to defend his innocence and file a defamation suit. It was an effective strategy by the Mayweather camp because Manny’s public image did take a small hit. But now, Freddie’s challenge will turn things around for Manny and Mayweather will once again feel the brunt of criticism.

Once the public starts chewing over what Roach said, they will start calling for an answer from Mayweather. The longer Floyd “runs” from this challenge the more foolish he would look and then his critics can jump up and shout “See, he’s always been scared to fight Manny.”

Folks, Roach’s challenge was ‘Brilliant’. He took it to Mayweather on the stage that Mayweather has made his personal playground, the media.

Mayweather recently said that it’s not about the money that it’s about an equal playing field; well let’s see if he will truly stand by those words when he realizes that he has a chance to make around $100 million if he were to win “Roach’s Challenge”.

Hey Readers, how do you think Floyd will respond?

Author: Rick Rockwell

Source: examiner.com