Several major American cities want Pacquiao-Mayweather

James Carville is attempting to make a play that would bring Pacquiao-Mayweather to New Orleans. Several American cities want the fight.

The fight has barely started any negotiation at all and is mostly still in the press, but Bob Arum of Top Rank is fielding offer upon offer from major American cities that want to host a fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Las Vegas

Go back a few days and read Brick's breakdown of why this fight needs to be in Las Vegas. Also recognize that the reasons listed point to this fight almost sure landing in Vegas. I'd say it's 95% that Sin City hosts Pacquiao-Mayweather. It's the most likely, most logical, and most profitable. Arum is also said to be working with a group willing to build a 30,000-seat outdoor stadium on the Vegas Strip:

Perhaps it's fitting that Las Vegas officials and casino magnate Steve Wynn have already contacted Arum about staging Pacquiao-Mayweather on the Strip. One possibility would be to build a temporary, 30,000-seat outdoor arena on a vacant lot at the old Frontier, where there would be room for corporate hospitality tents and a Super Bowl-like atmosphere.

New York or New Jersey

Yankee Stadium, Citi Field (home of the Mets) and Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. (home of the NFL's Giants and Jets), have all been in contact. None are happening, and Arum explains why to FOX Sports:

"There's no conceivable way the fight can take place in New York City because of the tax structure."

In short, 15% of the purses would go to municipal, state and other taxes if the fight were in New York, and the Jersey taxes aren't much lighter. There is absolutely no way you convince Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao that this makes sense for them, because it doesn't make sense.

Los Angeles

The Staples Center has been in touch, reportedly. Pacquiao-Mayweather would surely obliterate the arena records set by Margarito-Mosley this past January, but they simply may not be able to afford it. In fact, it's beyond unlikely that they could outbid the casino folks in Vegas.

Dallas

Pacquiao hadn't even fought Miguel Cotto before this rumor started. The extravagant Cowboys Stadium could hold about 100,000 for boxing, and Texans have turned out in recent times, at least for Juan Diaz fights in Houston. Given that Pacquiao-Mayweather blurs most all fan lines, the fight could do very, very well, and would easily break Texas' record for live gate (which is Marquez-Diaz, by the way). But in the end, would they really make enough money? It'd be tough. But I still say you cannot count out Jerry Jones' desire for attention for himself, the Cowboys, Dallas and that damned mall stadium of his. Jerry might get reckless with the money just to have a trophy case sort of setup out in one of the halls of the stadium with lots of photos of himself standing too close to Mayweather and/or Pacquiao.

Texas also doesn't have those fight taxes.

New Orleans

James Carville -- yes, that James Carville -- is talking with Arum about bringing Pacquiao-Mayweather to The Big Easy, and sees it as a chance for poetry in violence:

"There is an incredible narrative here," Carville said. "This fight could signal a rebirth for boxing and the city of New Orleans. We could have one together."

The Superdome (home of the Saints) hosted the Leon Spinks-Muhammad Ali rematch in 1978, and capacity for that fight was 65,000. Officials say it would be about 70,000 now. Carville is speaking with the Louisiana Governor's office about getting the tax waived to try and help New Orleans' case. The Superdome was also the host for the "No Mas" Leonard-Duran fight. There's plenty of boxing history in New Orleans, but I don't think the juice is there to beat Vegas.

By the way, I went ahead and set up a coverage page to keep all of the Pacquiao-Mayweather talk together while we await what appears to be the inevitable, which is a fight made for May 1, 2010. If the date changes, I'll change the date. If it winds up not happening, the page goes away. But it's there for those interested.

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This is how big this fight is and the repercussion to the boxing industry if this boxing fight does not materialize. After the manhandling Miguel Cotto in 12 rounds, the crowds chanted "We want Floyd" [Mayweather]. And I am sure promoters will move both heaven and earth to make this boxing fight a reality. This is the fight all boxing fans are waiting for. But it's hard to imagine at first that Manny Pacquiao who started fighting professionally at 106 lbs. will now be defending his Welterweight Championship belt at 147 lbs. It does defies the laws of Physics, I may seconded other boxing writer's thoughts. Now that Pacquiao mentioned in an interview that he will fight Mayweather, let us hear the other camp and I hope he [Mayweather] will make the purse split an excuse to duck or avoid Manny Pacquiao. The boxing fans are waiting. Manny Pacquiao always guarantees that he will make the boxing fan's money worth it by letting them watch a fight like no other.

Raul B. Romilla

Boxing Fanatico

Pacquiao tested clean following Nov. 14 TKO win over Cotto

NEW YORK (SI.COM) -- Seven time world champion Manny Pacquiao tested clean following his Nov. 14 TKO win over Miguel Cotto, SI.com has learned.

Pacquiao, who became the first boxer to win seven championships in as many weight classes, underwent urine tests twice -- before and after the fight -- and both came back negative, said Keith Kizer, executive director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission. It's the the 10th time the Filipino has turned in clean tests in Nevada.

Immediately following his win over Cotto, fans inside the MGM Grand Arena pleaded for a megafight with Floyd Mayweather Jr., who many have regarded as the top pound-for-pound fighter since his return in September. In response to the expected fanfare, Floyd Mayweather Sr. publicly accused Pacquiao of taking steroids.

Mayweather Sr., Floyd's father and trainer, told SI's Chris Mannix that he believed Pacquiao's ability to take Cotto's powerful shots and keep coming proved the champion was taking performance-enhancing substances. "I know Floyd is the best," said Mayweather Sr. "But when [your opponent] uses something illegal, even the best can get hurt."

Floyd Sr. offered no evidence to support his claim.

Since 2002, Nevada has required fighters to submit urine samples before every fight. Those samples test for 40 types of steroids, diuretics and masking agents. In his 10 Las Vegas fights, Pacquiao has never tested positive, and his conditioning coach, Alex Ariza, said the only substances his fighter took leading up to the fight with Cotto were whey protein and liver-support supplements, in addition to his 6,500-calorie diet.

Pacquiao has been bombarded with accusations of doping, having conquered seven weight divisions since entering the sport at 106 pounds when he was 16. And after Mayweather Sr.'s comments following the Nov. 14 bout, there has been speculation that if a megafight between Floyd Jr. and Pacquiao is agreed upon, Mayweather's camp may place stipulations in the fight contract that would require both fighters to take separate, mandatory drug tests in addition to the required tests by state athletic commissions.

But at 10-0 with his Nevada drug tests, Pacquiao has provided plenty of proof he cleanly fought his way to seven world titles.

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/mma/boxing/11/24/pacquiao-clean/index.html#ixzz0Xqe30DF7


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Take that Floyd Mayweather Sr. Take that Paulie Malinaggi and especially to you self-proclaimed "boxing expert" Liam Santiago aka Manuel Perez aka Saddam's Information Minister.

Is Manny Pacquiao too good to tell the world that Pacquiao is on steroids? Or that these poor excuse for a boxing expert is running out of excuses. Be original guys and I have several that you can use. Overdose of gamma radiation is one. What about checking Pacquiao's physiology, he might be of extra terrestrial origins. Well there is the super soldier serum that the Nevada State Athletic Commission is not yet aware of.

Really, these guys make me laugh. I can use a laugh or two and reading these guys articles has become my daily guilty pleasure I admit.

Floyd Mayweather Finally Loses

By Frank Lotierzo

40-0. A perfect track record of big-buy pay per views. Flawless manipulation of the public, the media, and damn near everyone else he’s ever encountered.

And then Floyd Mayweather managed to get taken down by a New York emcee named R.A. the Rugged Man, who outthought, outmaneuvered, and outslugged Money from the opening bell until it was all over. If I’d been Floyd’s cornerman, I’d have pulled the plug after the first few rounds. There’s no way he should have taken that kind of beating.

Mayweather was a surprise phone-in guest of the R.A, the Rugged Man’s Sirius Eminem’s Shade 45 Show. After a moment of feeling each other out, exchanging pleasantries, the normally cautious Mayweather walked right into a sucker punch that nailed him squarely on the chin, a mistake he's seldom made in the ring as a fighter.

“So Floyd, when you gonna fight somebody your own size in the top two?”

Maybe like a lot of fighters who get caught cold, Mayweather never recovered from the punch he didn’t see. Not to mention R.A. was Floyd's equal when it came to speed and thinking on your feet.

As it turned out, R.A. came armed with information - lots of it. This wasn’t some boxing-ignorant radio personality trying to drum up a little controversy. His criticism was pointed and entirely valid. Everything he threw at Mayweather is what many fight aficionados have thought about saying to him had they been presented the opportunity to. Mayweather’s response revealed a lot about how he thinks, how surprisingly easy it is to unsettle him, and the lengths he’ll go to in order to justify why he’s been avoiding certain fighters.

Here’s how he answered the question above.

“It’s not up to me. Boxing don’t work like that.” This comes from a guy who is always quick to point out that nobody tells him what to do, that he fights who, when, and where he wants, and that he’s not stuck in service to any promoter.

After explaining how Bob Arum doesn’t want either Miguel Angel Cotto or Manny Pacquiao to fight him, Floyd begins bragging about his decision win over Carlos Baldomir. Could anyone envision Shane Mosley or Miguel Cotto trying to suggest how they're greater than Sugar Ray Robinson by highlighting they beat Carlos Baldomir?

“Oh man, Baldomir with eleven losses? How about this: why didn’t you fight Margarito when you were offered eight million dollars?”

And the guy who compared himself favorably to Sugar Ray Robinson begins hemming and hawing, arguing with a man he doesn’t know in an attempt to justify himself. He begins lying.

“Why would I fight Margarito for eight million when I could get twelve million fighting for the title?”

“Who’d you get twelve million for fighting? I don’t believe you.”

R.A. the Rugged Man is right about that. It wasn’t that he was simply trying to trash Mayweather. As a boxing fan, he was willing —even eager— to concede that Floyd was a great fighter. That was his point: he felt that Mayweather was squandering his legacy.

Floyd tries to suggest that neither Cotto nor Pacquiao is calling him out, but the Rugged Man cuts him off by saying that everybody wants to fight him. He mentions Shane Mosley, then adds that Paul Williams would “smack your ass.”

Floyd’s response is that people are “praying for his downfall.”

No dice. The Rugged Man points out that he was a big fan of Floyd’s. He cites the Diego Corrales fight as an example of what Mayweather could be at his best.

Things go downhill. Mayweather boasts about the miracle of coming back from a two year layoff. It’s pointed out that the layoff wasn't two years and was against a 36 year old featherweight. Floyd screams, “I’m in my 30s!”

He talks about Mosley’s past steroid use as a reason for not fighting him. At every turn, he shows weakness.

I’d always assumed that Floyd Mayweather talked the way he did because he’s a businessman first and foremost. And I thought that, at some level, he really believed he was the great fighter he presented himself to be. Coming from a fighting family and having lived his entire life in a boxing ring, I figured that he was completely secure about fighting anyone, and that it didn’t bother him when detractors challenged him on his legacy.

I was wrong. Floyd Mayweather knows he’s ducking Mosley, Williams, Margarito, and Cotto. It’s not about money. He wants money, but he’s heard the whispers and he’s worried that, once defeated, he will have irreparably tarnished his reputation. He’s made his name on being undefeated, and he’ll do anything necessary to stay undefeated, even if it includes embarrassing himself.

Floyd Mayweather has shown very few exploitable weaknesses in the ring. He’s fought a lot of good fighters, and he’s remained unbeaten. But he got knocked out by a radio deejay. And, in allowing himself to enter into a desperate argument in public, he showed a character chink in his armor that any future opponent may be able to take advantage of.

No other all-time great had to beg for accolades like Mayweather has. Can you imagine Roberto Duran, Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns, Marvin Hagler, or Bernard Hopkins arguing with a radio deejay about their legacy and all-time great status?

Frank Lotierzo can be contacted at GlovedFist@Gmail.com

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I do hope Floyd Mayweather finally loses inside the boxing ring.

Not that I'm a hater of Mayweather, but what is really ticks me off is that his mouth is faster than his mitts and it won't matter to me as long as there's sense in what's he's saying. All I hear from him since his return from his retirement are bull . . . . He's not ducking this fighter, he's the best and the number one pound for pound boxer and his numbers shows his popularity as the best fighter and the biggest draw. Ho-hum. There are his followers who believed him and and there's even a site where he was rated number one pound for pound by just defeating Juan Manuel Marquez. In his absence, Pacquiao has been pummeling opponents left and right and after his return bout against Marquez he instantly became number one in his list. Haha!

To Mayweather, why not just sell and not box anymore so you can keep your record blemish free. It's easy money and it would keep others from hitting your beautiful face. I don't care about your boxing style if it keeps you winning. But fight the legitimate contenders of your league and not someone who'll go up two divisions in your weight. The one you fought is not Pacquiao although he may be one of the greatest Mexican fighters, he's not Manny Pacquiao. Prove us wrong Mr. Money Mayweather.

I hope Manny Pacquiao wins and if he does that, I'm sure Mayweather will be stalking Pacquiao everywhere he goes and even bringing a contract and shoving it in front of his face just to let Mayweather fight him. Familiar scenario?

Raul B. Romilla

boxingfanatico.blogspot.com

Team Pacquiao 'not desperate' for Mayweather

by Ma. Rosanna Mina, abs-cbnNEWS.com

MANILA – Even as Manny Pacquiao is set to fight Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto on November 14 in Las Vegas, talks about his possible showdown with erstwhile pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather, Jr. are still going around and gaining the spotlight.

If it pushes through, fans and critics alike said the Pacquiao-Mayweather clash will surely be a blockbuster fight.

But Pacquiao, for his part, told the LATimes.com and Associated Press that the mega fight might not happen because for Mayweather, it is all about the money.

“You know obviously I’ve had minor discussions,” Canadian Mike Koncz, Pacquiao’s adviser, revealed to abs-cbnNEWS.com. “Manny's focused on this fight. We have a number of options for the next fight.”

Koncz said that their options include Shane Mosley and Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. “It’s not just Mayweather,” he reminded.

“Do we wanna do Mayweather? Of course we wanna do Mayweather,” stated Koncz. “But we won’t be railroaded and pushed around, bullied around.”

“I think the economics of the fight has to be right for us to agree,” he continued. “Do we need Mayweather? We don’t need Mayweather. If Manny gets past Cotto in great fashion, I don’t believe it makes a difference who he fights next.”

Great for fans

The Canadian adviser said if Manny wins on November 14, his popularity would surge just like what happened when he overpowered Oscar de la Hoya in 2008 and Ricky Hatton in May.

“We'd love to make the Mayweather fight. I think it will be a great fight for the fans. I think the fans want to see it. But again we're not desperate for it,” he declared.

“We’ve had open line communications with their people over the last year so they know what terms we're looking for… We’re not gonna chase Mayweather, absolutely not.”

Mayweather, who came out of retirement in May, won over Juan Manuel Marquez, in September by unanimous decision.

“They know where we’re at and I know where they’re at so hopefully we’d come to a place where we can all agree,” said Koncz.

Pound-for-pound

Meanwhile, Pacquiao was asked about claims made by critics saying that Mayweather deserves to be the world’s best pound-for-pound boxer.

“Nagkaroon naman ng botohan. Lahat ako pa rin ang pinili. Pero sabi ko nga sa kanila okay lang kahit i-claim pa niya na siya ang [pound-for-pound king], walang problema sa akin,” Pacquiao told abs-cbnNEWS.com.

The Filipino boxing superstar (49-3-2, with 37 KOs) is No. 1 in the Ring Magazine pound-for-pound ratings while Mayweather (40-0, with 25 KOs) is No. 2.

“Alam naman ng tao, alam ng lahat kung ano ang na-achieve ko sa boxing, nagawa ko sa boxing,” said Pacquiao, who is gunning for his 7th world title. He said he hopes to make history by becoming the first boxer to win 7 titles in 7 different weight divisions.

“Sila na mag-compare. Ayoko namang buhatin ang sarili kong upuan. Okay na ako na ganito lang ako, simple lang,” he added.

Koncz, meantime, said he thinks WBO welterweight champion Cotto is better than the undefeated Mayweather.

“You know on paper at least I think Cotto has fought a lot more compelling fights than Mayweather. Mayweather seems to handpick his opponents while Cotto will fight anybody and everybody,” he said.

“So to me I feel Cotto is the much stronger fighter than Mayweather,” noted Koncz. -- Report by Ma. Rosanna Mina, abs-cbnNEWS.com

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The Money man Mayweather always thinks he's the biggest boxing draw and the boxing industry lives and dies with him.

If I am to choose which fight I'm willing to pay to watch, hands down it's Manny Pacquiao's fight. Boxing experts once joked that when you watch Floyd Mayweather's bouts, you can sleep in between rounds and just wake up upon announcement of the judges decision.

Well in Manny Pacquiao's case, you can't do that for anything will happen and if you blink, you might not see that perfect punch that kayoed boxing's best. Let us thank the wonders of technology for we have instant replays that we can watch it over and over again.

Back to Mayweather, I don't seem to catch the reasons why he fought little man Manuel Marquez instead of opponents of his built and class. Yes, I do believe Marquez is a great champion and yes, he did give Manny Pacquiao the fits during their two fights. But it doesn't mean he's the best opponent for him and he'll earn the boxing fan's respect in defeating this guy. The fight was greeted by sneer by most fight fans.

In Oscar De La Hoya's fight "The Dream Match" with Manny Pacquiao, he talked about the need to win by knockout, claiming it would be a disaster if he didn’t. To cement his (Dela Hoya) legacy, a convincing knockout must be witnessed by people and not by judges scorecards.

Mayweather simply won one knockdown and a unanimous decision to Juan Manuel Marquez.

Big deal.

Raul B. Romilla

boxingfanatico.blogspot.com