By Percy Crawford | November 24, 2009
"I'm going to be honest with you man, watching him against Cotto, I don't even think he is a good fighter no more. You know what I took away from the Cotto fight? Pacquiao can't fight at all man. That man don't move his head…when Cotto still had his wits and was ducking underneath and moving his head, Pacquiao couldn't touch him. Pacquiao couldn't hit me if I was asleep. He is strong and fast, but that man can't fight…I'm going to tell you exactly what I saw out of Pacquiao. He throws the same combination…Lil Floyd is miles ahead of Pacquiao in the skills department! If they make that fight, Lil Floyd got something for him," stated world-renowned trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr. as he shared his thoughts on Manny Pacquiao's performance in his recent win over Miguel Cotto and what will happen if he does indeed face his son, Floyd Mayweather Jr. Check it out!
PC: How have you been feeling Big Floyd?
FM: I have been doing good man. Everything is going good right now.
PC: Last time we talked, you were getting into it with some Pacquiao fans at the weigh-ins. You are not very high on the Filipino Christmas card list. Did you end up okay from all of that?
FM: Oh, yeah, yeah! Man, you go to some of these fights and almost end up getting in a fight yourself. I wouldn't let it get to that, but you know how it is; they yelling stuff out and making a big commotion, but ain't nothing happen.
PC: Did Lil Floyd attend the Pacquiao-Cotto fight?
FM: Nah, he didn't go. Lil Floyd barely watches fights, let alone go to them. He was doing his thing. Like I said man, you go to those events and you damn near get into a fight yourself.
PC: I understand you were sitting next to Shane Mosley.
FM: Yeah! Me and Shane had a civil conversation man. We were talking about the fights.
PC: What did you think about the Pacquiao-Cotto fight?
FM: I think Cotto started the fight off well. He was using his jab well and outboxing Pacquiao early, but he couldn't maintain it and he let Pacquiao start walking him down. He tagged Pacquiao a couple of times, but Pacquiao walked through it.
PC: You told me before that you thought Pacquiao was a good fighter, but you just didn't think he could touch Lil Floyd. Do you still feel that way?
FM: I'm going to be honest with you man, watching him against Cotto, I don't even think he is a good fighter no more. You know what I took away from the Cotto fight? Pacquiao can't fight at all man. That man don't move his head for shit and when Cotto still had his wits and was ducking underneath and moving his head, Pacquiao couldn't touch him. Pacquiao couldn't hit me if I was asleep. He is strong and fast, but that man can't fight for shit man. I'm going to tell you exactly what I saw out of Pacquiao. He throws the same combination: right hook, right hook and drop a left hand behind that. That's it! Lil Floyd is miles ahead of Pacquiao in the skills department! If they make that fight, Lil Floyd got something for him.
PC: So you are even less impressed with Pacquiao's latest run?
FM: Man, let me tell you something man. Freddie Roach hasn't taught Pacquiao shit! That man still don't move his damn head and he still drops his hands after he throws combinations. He can try that Superman shit of putting his hands in the air if he wants to; he would be flying alright! Pacquiao can't fight man, I'm telling you!
this interview was done by fighthype.com not by me
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Sunday, November 22, 2009
ANDRE WARD: "THAT'S CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING"
By Simon Ruvalcaba | November 22, 2009
"I think the 2004 class is starting to rise up...it means the world, man. It means the world. I mean, I don't fully feel it all now, but this is tremendous. And to do it against a guy like that speaks volumes," stated newly crowned WBA super middleweight champion Andre Ward as he talked about his dominant and impressive victory over Mikkel Kessler in the final stage of the first round of the Super Six World Boxing Classic tournament. Check out what else he had to say about his performance and much more.
"I think the 2004 class is starting to rise up...it means the world, man. It means the world. I mean, I don't fully feel it all now, but this is tremendous. And to do it against a guy like that speaks volumes," stated newly crowned WBA super middleweight champion Andre Ward as he talked about his dominant and impressive victory over Mikkel Kessler in the final stage of the first round of the Super Six World Boxing Classic tournament. Check out what else he had to say about his performance and much more.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Team Mayweather Response: Pacquiao is Not a Bigger Star
Team Mayweather Response: Pacquiao is Not a Bigger Star
By Robert Morales
Leonard Ellerbe on Saturday had a strong response to a story that appeared on BoxingScene.com regarding negotiations for a fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao.
For one thing, Ellerbe said the suggestion that Pacquiao has become a bigger international star than Mayweather is off-base.
"When you are talking internationally, Floyd did the largest pay-per-view ever in England with over a million buys against Ricky Hatton and Pacquiao and Hatton did under 300,000 buys," said Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions, to BoxingScene. "And that was after Pacquiao had beaten Oscar De La Hoya."
Ellerbe also found interesting promoter Bob Arum's boasting about last Saturday's fight between Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto doing more buys than the fight in September between Mayweather and Juan Manuel Marquez. HBO announced this week Pacquiao-Cotto did 1.25 buys and Mayweather-Marquez did 1 million buys.
Here's the rub: Ellerbe points out to BoxingScene that Pacquiao had a good dance partner in Cotto and Mayweather did not in Marquez, who has never really been a big pay-per-view draw.
"That is not a compelling argument at all," Ellerbe said. "Hopefully, that is not their strategy because it is a very weak one at best. As I have stated a number of times, when America speaks, the numbers are quantifiable.
"It's not one manager's opinion, not one promoter's opinion. The numbers don't lie. If your argument is that you did a better number based on the Cotto fight, all you have to do is ask yourself this question: clearly, Cotto has a much better pay-per-view pedigree as evidenced by the success he has had on HBO pay-per-view in a number of high-profile fights with high-profile fighters such as Miguel Cotto, "Sugar" Shane Mosley and Zab Judah. Cotto has been the A side in every one of those fights."
For instance, Cotto-Antonio Margarito did about 500,000 buys in July 2008.
"When it comes to Marquez, even though he is a great fighter, he has had no success fighting on pay-per-view," Ellerbe said. "For example, the only time he was the A side he did less than 100,000 buys on HBO pay-per-view against Joel Casamayor. So if they are hanging their hopes on Pacquiao's success in his last fight against Cotto, it is a weak argument, at best.
"The numbers don't lie. Team Mayweather will continue to deal with the facts as they are quantifiable and irrefutable."
Ellerbe said he didn't want to discuss any purse percentages at this time.
One thing's for sure, these negotiations figure to bring some interesting conversation.
Copyright © 2003-2009 BoxingScene LLC. All rights reserved.
By Robert Morales
Leonard Ellerbe on Saturday had a strong response to a story that appeared on BoxingScene.com regarding negotiations for a fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao.
For one thing, Ellerbe said the suggestion that Pacquiao has become a bigger international star than Mayweather is off-base.
"When you are talking internationally, Floyd did the largest pay-per-view ever in England with over a million buys against Ricky Hatton and Pacquiao and Hatton did under 300,000 buys," said Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions, to BoxingScene. "And that was after Pacquiao had beaten Oscar De La Hoya."
Ellerbe also found interesting promoter Bob Arum's boasting about last Saturday's fight between Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto doing more buys than the fight in September between Mayweather and Juan Manuel Marquez. HBO announced this week Pacquiao-Cotto did 1.25 buys and Mayweather-Marquez did 1 million buys.
Here's the rub: Ellerbe points out to BoxingScene that Pacquiao had a good dance partner in Cotto and Mayweather did not in Marquez, who has never really been a big pay-per-view draw.
"That is not a compelling argument at all," Ellerbe said. "Hopefully, that is not their strategy because it is a very weak one at best. As I have stated a number of times, when America speaks, the numbers are quantifiable.
"It's not one manager's opinion, not one promoter's opinion. The numbers don't lie. If your argument is that you did a better number based on the Cotto fight, all you have to do is ask yourself this question: clearly, Cotto has a much better pay-per-view pedigree as evidenced by the success he has had on HBO pay-per-view in a number of high-profile fights with high-profile fighters such as Miguel Cotto, "Sugar" Shane Mosley and Zab Judah. Cotto has been the A side in every one of those fights."
For instance, Cotto-Antonio Margarito did about 500,000 buys in July 2008.
"When it comes to Marquez, even though he is a great fighter, he has had no success fighting on pay-per-view," Ellerbe said. "For example, the only time he was the A side he did less than 100,000 buys on HBO pay-per-view against Joel Casamayor. So if they are hanging their hopes on Pacquiao's success in his last fight against Cotto, it is a weak argument, at best.
"The numbers don't lie. Team Mayweather will continue to deal with the facts as they are quantifiable and irrefutable."
Ellerbe said he didn't want to discuss any purse percentages at this time.
One thing's for sure, these negotiations figure to bring some interesting conversation.
Copyright © 2003-2009 BoxingScene LLC. All rights reserved.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Floyd Mayweather: Boxing’s Achilles “Heel”
November 17th, 2009 | by Jesse Campbell
Someone forgot to tell Floyd Mayweather how difficult it is to play the villain. Now at the height of his mainstream popularity, Floyd has been able to climb boxing’s lofty financial ladder by playing the ‘heel’ (In the world of Professional Wrestling, heels are the “bad guys”.). He has danced with the stars, wrestled ‘The Big Show’ at WWE’s biggest show, showcased his wealth on HBO’s hit series 24/7 and after earning boatloads of money from fighting Oscar De La Hoya, changed his moniker from “Pretty Boy’”to “Money”.
It looks like it is more fun to be the heel. The ultimate “good guy”, Oscar De La Hoya, protected that golden image. He had to speak, dress, and carry himself a certain way to continue the public’s perception of him as a good guy. Because he had the requisite boxing skills, it’s the image that sold the tickets and the pay-per-views.
But it looked as if Floyd was able to approach marketing himself in a completely different manner. He was able to be as boisterous, loud, and disrespectful as he wanted (going as far as to insult the very commentators who call his fights at HBO), it only fanned the flames of his popularity. The more trash Floyd talked, the more attention he was able to draw, and the more the mainstream public loved him.
However, beneath the surface, at the very same time, boxing critics and enthusiasts began to hate Floyd for all the same reasons the general public fell in love with him, and his legacy and image have taken a hit. Floyd has failed to realize that his legacy, the very same legacy he has fought so hard to create and sustain, can be distorted by biased writers, promoters and fighters in an attempt to re-create an alternate history that is much more harmful to the former pound for pound champ.
Floyd recently encountered a small taste of the effects of his heel turn, when he had an impromptu radio interview with hip hop artist R.A. the Rugged Man on Sirius satellite radio. R.A. asked several questions and pointed to various discrepancies in Floyd’s fight history in an attempt to discredit Floyd’s opponents, selection of fighters, business acumen and even his heart. The conversation was immensely popular on the internet message boards and has helped promote R.A.’s upcoming CD better than any traditional hip hop promotion. However, the fact remains, as much as Floyd’s antics in the public have made it difficult to feel sorry for him, how much truth was behind the allegations?
For instance, yes, Floyd fought a much smaller man in his comeback fight, in Juan Manuel Marquez. According to R.A. and 90% of the boxing “insiders”, this was a terrible idea from the start. But fighters take tune-up fights all of the time, so why should Floyd have to jump back into the competitive pool after an 18-month layoff?
Manny Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach was previously quoted as saying, “Marquez could give Mayweather a lot of trouble. I would have to say Marquez is the smartest fighter today. He’s like a scientist. Mayweather has never faced adversity like Marquez did when he was knocked down three times. He has always picked easy fights. He’s never faced adversity like Marquez.” Yet, as the fight rapidly approached, Roach’s stance on the fight changed, and by the time Floyd was standing at the winner’s press conference, Roach was sending condescending congratulations in an attempt to mock his return effort.
R.A. also contended that Mayweather ducked a fight with Antonio Margarito for $8 million to instead fight Carlos Baldomir. Once again showing that the boxing enthusiasts are choosing to either rewrite history or focus on certain elements of the truth in an attempt to disparage the villain. Mayweather, when rejecting then promoter Bob Arum’s offer to fight Margarito, did so to opt out of his contract with Arum to become a promotional free agent. According to Bob Arum, Mayweather preferred to await the outcome of the Oscar De La Hoya-Ricardo Mayorga fight, instead of committing to Margarito, because he preferred a fight with Oscar. R.A. and fellow Floyd critics have left out that there was a limited window in his contract with Arum to exercise his buyout option, and Arum had already gone on the record stating he didn’t want to have anything to do with a fight with Oscar (“I don’t want to because if I did that fight, I would be working for such a small percentage, it’s not worth it,” Arum said).
History changes over time. And history’s perception of Floyd has gone from the pound for pound king, to a timid, fight ducking, greedy coward. But the facts don’t support this argument. What the facts do support is Floyd wants to fight for the biggest purses on the biggest stages for the biggest share.
We do know that, just over the horizon, the potential Pacquiao-Mayweather mega-fight will provide the Mayweather with a stiff challenge and jaw-dropping paycheck.
There is no question who will play the villain in the mythical match of modern day boxing superheroes. The only question is: will the villain die in the end?
Someone forgot to tell Floyd Mayweather how difficult it is to play the villain. Now at the height of his mainstream popularity, Floyd has been able to climb boxing’s lofty financial ladder by playing the ‘heel’ (In the world of Professional Wrestling, heels are the “bad guys”.). He has danced with the stars, wrestled ‘The Big Show’ at WWE’s biggest show, showcased his wealth on HBO’s hit series 24/7 and after earning boatloads of money from fighting Oscar De La Hoya, changed his moniker from “Pretty Boy’”to “Money”.
It looks like it is more fun to be the heel. The ultimate “good guy”, Oscar De La Hoya, protected that golden image. He had to speak, dress, and carry himself a certain way to continue the public’s perception of him as a good guy. Because he had the requisite boxing skills, it’s the image that sold the tickets and the pay-per-views.
But it looked as if Floyd was able to approach marketing himself in a completely different manner. He was able to be as boisterous, loud, and disrespectful as he wanted (going as far as to insult the very commentators who call his fights at HBO), it only fanned the flames of his popularity. The more trash Floyd talked, the more attention he was able to draw, and the more the mainstream public loved him.
However, beneath the surface, at the very same time, boxing critics and enthusiasts began to hate Floyd for all the same reasons the general public fell in love with him, and his legacy and image have taken a hit. Floyd has failed to realize that his legacy, the very same legacy he has fought so hard to create and sustain, can be distorted by biased writers, promoters and fighters in an attempt to re-create an alternate history that is much more harmful to the former pound for pound champ.
Floyd recently encountered a small taste of the effects of his heel turn, when he had an impromptu radio interview with hip hop artist R.A. the Rugged Man on Sirius satellite radio. R.A. asked several questions and pointed to various discrepancies in Floyd’s fight history in an attempt to discredit Floyd’s opponents, selection of fighters, business acumen and even his heart. The conversation was immensely popular on the internet message boards and has helped promote R.A.’s upcoming CD better than any traditional hip hop promotion. However, the fact remains, as much as Floyd’s antics in the public have made it difficult to feel sorry for him, how much truth was behind the allegations?
For instance, yes, Floyd fought a much smaller man in his comeback fight, in Juan Manuel Marquez. According to R.A. and 90% of the boxing “insiders”, this was a terrible idea from the start. But fighters take tune-up fights all of the time, so why should Floyd have to jump back into the competitive pool after an 18-month layoff?
Manny Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach was previously quoted as saying, “Marquez could give Mayweather a lot of trouble. I would have to say Marquez is the smartest fighter today. He’s like a scientist. Mayweather has never faced adversity like Marquez did when he was knocked down three times. He has always picked easy fights. He’s never faced adversity like Marquez.” Yet, as the fight rapidly approached, Roach’s stance on the fight changed, and by the time Floyd was standing at the winner’s press conference, Roach was sending condescending congratulations in an attempt to mock his return effort.
R.A. also contended that Mayweather ducked a fight with Antonio Margarito for $8 million to instead fight Carlos Baldomir. Once again showing that the boxing enthusiasts are choosing to either rewrite history or focus on certain elements of the truth in an attempt to disparage the villain. Mayweather, when rejecting then promoter Bob Arum’s offer to fight Margarito, did so to opt out of his contract with Arum to become a promotional free agent. According to Bob Arum, Mayweather preferred to await the outcome of the Oscar De La Hoya-Ricardo Mayorga fight, instead of committing to Margarito, because he preferred a fight with Oscar. R.A. and fellow Floyd critics have left out that there was a limited window in his contract with Arum to exercise his buyout option, and Arum had already gone on the record stating he didn’t want to have anything to do with a fight with Oscar (“I don’t want to because if I did that fight, I would be working for such a small percentage, it’s not worth it,” Arum said).
History changes over time. And history’s perception of Floyd has gone from the pound for pound king, to a timid, fight ducking, greedy coward. But the facts don’t support this argument. What the facts do support is Floyd wants to fight for the biggest purses on the biggest stages for the biggest share.
We do know that, just over the horizon, the potential Pacquiao-Mayweather mega-fight will provide the Mayweather with a stiff challenge and jaw-dropping paycheck.
There is no question who will play the villain in the mythical match of modern day boxing superheroes. The only question is: will the villain die in the end?
Monday, November 16, 2009
Sunday, November 15, 2009
GOLDEN BOY GIVEN GREEN LIGHT TO BEGIN MAYWEATHER VS. PACQUIAO NEGOTIATIONS
GOLDEN BOY GIVEN GREEN LIGHT TO BEGIN MAYWEATHER VS. PACQUIAO NEGOTIATIONS
By Simon Ruvalcaba | November 15, 2009
Not long after Manny Pacquiao's impressive 12th round TKO victory over Miguel Cotto, the President of HBO Sports, Ross Greenberg, received a phone call from Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer, who informed him that he's been given the green light from Floyd Mayweather Jr. to begin negotiations for a potential Mayweather vs. Pacquiao showdown. "He plans on meeting next week with Bob to make the Mayweather fight," revealed Greenberg just minutes after the phone call. Arum would reiterate the news during the post-fight press conference.
Although Mayweather did not attend the bout, opting instead to watch from the comforts of his home, his father and world-class trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr. was in attendance to assess Pacquiao's abilities first-hand. "When it's time for us to fight, I'm going to show you all who the master is," he commented after the bout.
The fact that Schaefer was in contact with Greenberg less than two hours after the fight was over is a good sign that Mayweather is indeed eager to make the matchup. The question is will the two sides be able to come to terms with the purse split. Time will tell, but considering last night's performance and the anticipated success of the pay-per-view, which is expected to exceed the 1 million PPV buys of Mayweather-Marquez, Mayweather should consider himself lucky if he's able to get a 50/50 split.
With his win over Cotto, Pacquiao has now proven to be not only the more exciting and entertaining fighter, but also the bigger draw.
By Simon Ruvalcaba | November 15, 2009
Not long after Manny Pacquiao's impressive 12th round TKO victory over Miguel Cotto, the President of HBO Sports, Ross Greenberg, received a phone call from Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer, who informed him that he's been given the green light from Floyd Mayweather Jr. to begin negotiations for a potential Mayweather vs. Pacquiao showdown. "He plans on meeting next week with Bob to make the Mayweather fight," revealed Greenberg just minutes after the phone call. Arum would reiterate the news during the post-fight press conference.
Although Mayweather did not attend the bout, opting instead to watch from the comforts of his home, his father and world-class trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr. was in attendance to assess Pacquiao's abilities first-hand. "When it's time for us to fight, I'm going to show you all who the master is," he commented after the bout.
The fact that Schaefer was in contact with Greenberg less than two hours after the fight was over is a good sign that Mayweather is indeed eager to make the matchup. The question is will the two sides be able to come to terms with the purse split. Time will tell, but considering last night's performance and the anticipated success of the pay-per-view, which is expected to exceed the 1 million PPV buys of Mayweather-Marquez, Mayweather should consider himself lucky if he's able to get a 50/50 split.
With his win over Cotto, Pacquiao has now proven to be not only the more exciting and entertaining fighter, but also the bigger draw.
Pacquiao earns 7th title in 7th class
LAS VEGAS -- Manny Pacquiao's speed and power were way too much for Miguel Cotto's heart.
Pacquiao put on yet another dominating performance Saturday night, knocking down Cotto twice and turning his face into a bloody mess before finally stopping him at 55 seconds of the 12th round.
The Filipino star used his blazing speed and power from both hands to win his seventh title in seven weight classes and cement his stature as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. Cotto took such a beating that his face was a river of red from the fury of Pacquiao's punches, but he refused to quit even as his corner tried to throw in the towel after the 11th round.
"I didn't know from where the punches were coming," Cotto said.
The fight was billed as a 145-pound classic, and in the early rounds it didn't disappoint. The two went after each other with a vengeance and Cotto more than held his own as they traded punches in the center of the ring before a roaring sellout crowd at the MGM Grand arena.
Pacquiao dropped Cotto with a right hand early in the third round, but he wasn't badly hurt and came back to finish the round strong. But after Pacquiao put Cotto on the canvas with a big left hand late in the fourth round, the Puerto Rican was never the same again.
Cotto won two rounds on the scorecards of two ringside judges and just one round on the card of the third. The Associated Press gave Cotto just the first round.
"Our plan was not to hurry, but to take our time," Pacquiao said. "It was a hard fight tonight and I needed time to test his power."Cotto's face was marked early and he was bleeding midway through the fight as Pacquiao kept bouncing around and throwing punches in his unorthodox southpaw style. Cotto tried to keep taking the fight to Pacquiao, but by then his punches had lost their sting and his only real chance was to land a big punch from nowhere.
"He hit harder than we expected and he was a lot stronger than we expected," Cotto's trainer, Joe Santiago, said.
Cotto fought gamely, but in the later rounds he was just trying to survive as blood flowed down his face and Pacquiao came after him relentlessly. Santiago tried to stop the fight after the 11th round, but Cotto went back out to take even more punishment before a final flurry along the ropes prompted referee Kenny Bayless to end it.
Cotto's wife and child, who were at ringside, left after the ninth round, unable to watch the beating any longer. They later accompanied him to a local hospital for a post-fight examination.
"My health comes first. I just want to make sure I'm fine, but I feel great. I'm swollen but that's all," Cotto said.
His face swollen, Cotto was bleeding from his nose and his cuts, and he simply couldn't stop Pacquiao from bouncing inside and throwing both hands at will.
"Manny Pacquiao is one of the best boxers I ever fought," Cotto said.
Pacquiao, coming off of spectacular wins over Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton, added another one against Cotto, who had lost only once and held the WBO version of the welterweight title.
Pacquiao did it in his trademark way, throwing punches in flurries and from all angles until Cotto began to slow down. Then he pursued him nonstop until the end.
The fight likely will set up an even bigger one against Floyd Mayweather Jr., and many in crowd were already chanting, "We want Floyd! We want Floyd.""I want to see him fight Mayweather," trainer Freddie Roach said.
Mayweather may have second thoughts after Pacquiao did what no fighter has done before -- win a belt in a seventh weight class. More impressive, though, is how he has fought, dismantling opponents despite moving up consistently from 106 pounds to the 144 he weighed for the fight.
The welterweight ranks will be the last ones Pacquiao conquers, though.
"This is the last weight division for me," Pacquiao said. "It's history for me and more importantly a Filipino did it."
He was so dominant in the later rounds that Cotto was fighting backward most of the way, simply trying to survive. Pacquiao was credited with landing almost twice as many punches -- 336-172 --
as Cotto."I knew when Cotto started backing up, the fight was over," Roach said.
Pacquiao earned a minimum $13 million, while Cotto got $7 million.
Pacquiao was favored, largely off his last two performances in which he forced De La Hoya to quit on his stool and then knocked out Hatton with a huge left hook in the second round. Some in boxing, including Roach, thought Cotto had been slowed by his devastating loss last year to Antonio Margarito and would be further slowed by having to come in 2 pounds lower than his normal weight.
That wasn't the case early in the fight, with Cotto winning the first round and fighting well. Once he was knocked down by a big left hand late in the fourth round, though, he slowed noticeably.
Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press
Pacquiao put on yet another dominating performance Saturday night, knocking down Cotto twice and turning his face into a bloody mess before finally stopping him at 55 seconds of the 12th round.
The Filipino star used his blazing speed and power from both hands to win his seventh title in seven weight classes and cement his stature as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. Cotto took such a beating that his face was a river of red from the fury of Pacquiao's punches, but he refused to quit even as his corner tried to throw in the towel after the 11th round.
"I didn't know from where the punches were coming," Cotto said.
The fight was billed as a 145-pound classic, and in the early rounds it didn't disappoint. The two went after each other with a vengeance and Cotto more than held his own as they traded punches in the center of the ring before a roaring sellout crowd at the MGM Grand arena.
Pacquiao dropped Cotto with a right hand early in the third round, but he wasn't badly hurt and came back to finish the round strong. But after Pacquiao put Cotto on the canvas with a big left hand late in the fourth round, the Puerto Rican was never the same again.
Cotto won two rounds on the scorecards of two ringside judges and just one round on the card of the third. The Associated Press gave Cotto just the first round.
"Our plan was not to hurry, but to take our time," Pacquiao said. "It was a hard fight tonight and I needed time to test his power."Cotto's face was marked early and he was bleeding midway through the fight as Pacquiao kept bouncing around and throwing punches in his unorthodox southpaw style. Cotto tried to keep taking the fight to Pacquiao, but by then his punches had lost their sting and his only real chance was to land a big punch from nowhere.
"He hit harder than we expected and he was a lot stronger than we expected," Cotto's trainer, Joe Santiago, said.
Cotto fought gamely, but in the later rounds he was just trying to survive as blood flowed down his face and Pacquiao came after him relentlessly. Santiago tried to stop the fight after the 11th round, but Cotto went back out to take even more punishment before a final flurry along the ropes prompted referee Kenny Bayless to end it.
Cotto's wife and child, who were at ringside, left after the ninth round, unable to watch the beating any longer. They later accompanied him to a local hospital for a post-fight examination.
"My health comes first. I just want to make sure I'm fine, but I feel great. I'm swollen but that's all," Cotto said.
His face swollen, Cotto was bleeding from his nose and his cuts, and he simply couldn't stop Pacquiao from bouncing inside and throwing both hands at will.
"Manny Pacquiao is one of the best boxers I ever fought," Cotto said.
Pacquiao, coming off of spectacular wins over Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton, added another one against Cotto, who had lost only once and held the WBO version of the welterweight title.
Pacquiao did it in his trademark way, throwing punches in flurries and from all angles until Cotto began to slow down. Then he pursued him nonstop until the end.
The fight likely will set up an even bigger one against Floyd Mayweather Jr., and many in crowd were already chanting, "We want Floyd! We want Floyd.""I want to see him fight Mayweather," trainer Freddie Roach said.
Mayweather may have second thoughts after Pacquiao did what no fighter has done before -- win a belt in a seventh weight class. More impressive, though, is how he has fought, dismantling opponents despite moving up consistently from 106 pounds to the 144 he weighed for the fight.
The welterweight ranks will be the last ones Pacquiao conquers, though.
"This is the last weight division for me," Pacquiao said. "It's history for me and more importantly a Filipino did it."
He was so dominant in the later rounds that Cotto was fighting backward most of the way, simply trying to survive. Pacquiao was credited with landing almost twice as many punches -- 336-172 --
as Cotto."I knew when Cotto started backing up, the fight was over," Roach said.
Pacquiao earned a minimum $13 million, while Cotto got $7 million.
Pacquiao was favored, largely off his last two performances in which he forced De La Hoya to quit on his stool and then knocked out Hatton with a huge left hook in the second round. Some in boxing, including Roach, thought Cotto had been slowed by his devastating loss last year to Antonio Margarito and would be further slowed by having to come in 2 pounds lower than his normal weight.
That wasn't the case early in the fight, with Cotto winning the first round and fighting well. Once he was knocked down by a big left hand late in the fourth round, though, he slowed noticeably.
Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: ANDRE BERTO
November 13, 2009
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: ANDRE BERTO
By G. Leon
Berto not biting his tongue heading into career defining fight!
GL: Boxingtalk getting the exclusive with Andre Berto as he's about to board a plan heading to Vegas. Tell us all about your big fight with Shane Mosley. "I'm on the plane and I'm ready to go enjoy the festivities over there in Vegas. I'm excited and this is definitely the opportunity that I've been waiting for, for a long time. This right here is going to be the kick-off."
GL: Can you tell us how your outlook has changed now that this fight has gone from discussion to reality?
Andre Berto: "It's like being a young kid and playing football and having that dream of going to the Super Bowl. I've been putting that work in and now I'm going to my Super Bowl. This is my big game and this is my chance to make a huge mark. I feel motivated because I know I'm about to make my stamp in boxing and it takes a big show like this to find out who you really are and what your place is going to be."
GL: The last time we had you on the record you said some pretty harsh things about Shane relating to his recent remarks, you touched on his newfound ability to speak for himself now that he's divorced, is that really how you look at him?
AB: "Yeah, definitely. That's exactly what it is. He's never spoken like he's been speaking, I guess that cage has been taken off his mouth and he's letting it loose. It's all good, now we're going to see what he's about. I'm going to see him in person real soon, so we're going to see if has those words to say to my face. I definitely want to see if it's real and then I'm going to go off that."
GL: Other than him saying he doesn't want to ruin you being insulting, does it lead you to believe that he's going to take you lightly?
AB: "Realistically, I don't think there's any way he's not going to take this fight seriously. I've always seen him at my past fights, and he knows what he's in with. He's told me that he's seen flashes of himself from back in the day and I know he's thinking about that. I'm going to be the fastest and strongest fighter he's ever fought in his career. Even though he has this experience edge on me, I've got a bunch of edges on him that people will see on January 30."
GL: Will we learn more about Andre Berto in this fight than we have in your career thus far?
AB: "Definitely. I'm definitely looking at it like that. Now that the talent is on my level, it's time to step it up and see what it is. We're stepping up the level of talent, I'm going to step up the level of performance. I think this is going to be a terrific view of where I am and now we're going to see what I come out with."
GL: In one of our many private discussions, you made it clear that you think too much was made of Mosley's victory over Margarito. Can you touch on that for Boxingtalkers now?
AB: "I'm not going to take nothing away from him. He fought a great fight. I feel like Margarito went into the ring with a lot of distractions. I feel like Margarito wasn't there the way he was supposed to be. Before he walked into the ring, he had to take his strength away. That's like taking away an AK-47 from a guy to give him a kitchen knife. I felt that was the situation, and he made Mosley look good by being slower and being a punching bag and not mentally being there. He knows that's not the case with me. He knows I have hand speed. He knows I'm strong, he knows I'm not going to stand right in front of him."
GL: Can you hurt Shane Mosley, we've only seen him hurt once against Vernon Forrest?
AB: "That was one time too many. I believe anything is possible, I'm going to say it's going to be an exciting fight. We're putting a plan together and we're going to be able to go at him more than one way, but it's all going to be action packed."
GL: Closing thoughts?
AB: "I'm on the plane now heading to Vegas. Everybody in Vegas should come out to the Mandalay Bay tomorrow morning at 11 for the press conference."
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: ANDRE BERTO
By G. Leon
Berto not biting his tongue heading into career defining fight!
GL: Boxingtalk getting the exclusive with Andre Berto as he's about to board a plan heading to Vegas. Tell us all about your big fight with Shane Mosley. "I'm on the plane and I'm ready to go enjoy the festivities over there in Vegas. I'm excited and this is definitely the opportunity that I've been waiting for, for a long time. This right here is going to be the kick-off."
GL: Can you tell us how your outlook has changed now that this fight has gone from discussion to reality?
Andre Berto: "It's like being a young kid and playing football and having that dream of going to the Super Bowl. I've been putting that work in and now I'm going to my Super Bowl. This is my big game and this is my chance to make a huge mark. I feel motivated because I know I'm about to make my stamp in boxing and it takes a big show like this to find out who you really are and what your place is going to be."
GL: The last time we had you on the record you said some pretty harsh things about Shane relating to his recent remarks, you touched on his newfound ability to speak for himself now that he's divorced, is that really how you look at him?
AB: "Yeah, definitely. That's exactly what it is. He's never spoken like he's been speaking, I guess that cage has been taken off his mouth and he's letting it loose. It's all good, now we're going to see what he's about. I'm going to see him in person real soon, so we're going to see if has those words to say to my face. I definitely want to see if it's real and then I'm going to go off that."
GL: Other than him saying he doesn't want to ruin you being insulting, does it lead you to believe that he's going to take you lightly?
AB: "Realistically, I don't think there's any way he's not going to take this fight seriously. I've always seen him at my past fights, and he knows what he's in with. He's told me that he's seen flashes of himself from back in the day and I know he's thinking about that. I'm going to be the fastest and strongest fighter he's ever fought in his career. Even though he has this experience edge on me, I've got a bunch of edges on him that people will see on January 30."
GL: Will we learn more about Andre Berto in this fight than we have in your career thus far?
AB: "Definitely. I'm definitely looking at it like that. Now that the talent is on my level, it's time to step it up and see what it is. We're stepping up the level of talent, I'm going to step up the level of performance. I think this is going to be a terrific view of where I am and now we're going to see what I come out with."
GL: In one of our many private discussions, you made it clear that you think too much was made of Mosley's victory over Margarito. Can you touch on that for Boxingtalkers now?
AB: "I'm not going to take nothing away from him. He fought a great fight. I feel like Margarito went into the ring with a lot of distractions. I feel like Margarito wasn't there the way he was supposed to be. Before he walked into the ring, he had to take his strength away. That's like taking away an AK-47 from a guy to give him a kitchen knife. I felt that was the situation, and he made Mosley look good by being slower and being a punching bag and not mentally being there. He knows that's not the case with me. He knows I have hand speed. He knows I'm strong, he knows I'm not going to stand right in front of him."
GL: Can you hurt Shane Mosley, we've only seen him hurt once against Vernon Forrest?
AB: "That was one time too many. I believe anything is possible, I'm going to say it's going to be an exciting fight. We're putting a plan together and we're going to be able to go at him more than one way, but it's all going to be action packed."
GL: Closing thoughts?
AB: "I'm on the plane now heading to Vegas. Everybody in Vegas should come out to the Mandalay Bay tomorrow morning at 11 for the press conference."
Friday, November 13, 2009
PACQUIAO 144; COTTO 145
Both Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto made weight for their highly-anticipated clash this Saturday at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. A ripped and ready Manny Pacquiao tipped the scales at 144 pounds while Cotto weighed in at 145. Both fighter looked to be in great condition and ready to go to war.
WATCH THE PACQUIAO VS. COTTO WEIGH-IN LIVE
WATCH THE PACQUIAO VS. COTTO WEIGH-IN LIVE
Don't miss all the action when Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto weigh-in today at 6:00PM ET/3:00PM PT for their highly-anticipated clash this Saturday, November 14th, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada and televised live on HBO Pay-Per-View.
CLICK HERE FOR LIVE WEIGH-IN COVERAGE AT HBO
Coverage begins on HBO at 6:00PM ET, but the fighters are expected to hit the scales at 6:15PM ET for live coverage on ESPN SportsCenter.
Don't miss all the action when Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto weigh-in today at 6:00PM ET/3:00PM PT for their highly-anticipated clash this Saturday, November 14th, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada and televised live on HBO Pay-Per-View.
CLICK HERE FOR LIVE WEIGH-IN COVERAGE AT HBO
Coverage begins on HBO at 6:00PM ET, but the fighters are expected to hit the scales at 6:15PM ET for live coverage on ESPN SportsCenter.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Haye wins WBA heavyweight title
Associated Press
NUREMBERG, Germany -- David Haye certainly backed up his brash prediction.
Haye used his superior quickness to surprise Nikolai Valuev, winning a majority decision on Saturday night and winning the WBA heavyweight title.
The British challenger came close to knocking down Valuev for the first time in his 16-year pro career during the final round, but had to settle for the decision. The scores were 116-112 on two of the judges' cards, and a 114-114 draw on the other.
"The key was my speed," Haye said. "People don't realize I am very fast. And I have a powerful punch. I'm athletic, and if I wasn't a boxer I would be playing football or rugby."
The former cruiserweight titleholder won his third fight at heavyweight, despite giving up nearly a foot and 100 pounds to the tallest and heaviest champion in history.
"Everybody thought I was crazy," Haye said, "but I knew I could make him miss."
Haye had spent months taunting fellow heavyweight champions Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko, and even embarked on a press tour to promote a fight against Wladimir Klitschko before it was called off. Now, he'll probably escape facing the two men considered the best in the division because his first defense of the WBA title is supposed to be against John Ruiz.
The former titleholder earned the shot by stopping Adnan Serin in the seventh round earlier in the night -- and already Haye is offering another prediction.
"He's a good fighter who is very underrated," Haye said of the American. "He is not the most spectacular, but I don't feel like I will struggle with him. He's about the same size as me and I think I will knock him out."
Valuev dropped to 50-2, and admitted that Haye was too quick for him.
"Tonight only one thing happened that I didn't expect," Valuev said. "It was like a marathon for me. It was like a track event. I wasn't ready to run that much.
"The judges made their scoring and I think the last round made the difference, especially the end of it."
Haye tried to keep Valuev on the move, opening with a left to the Russian's chin followed by a powerful combo. Valuev struggled to catch Haye, finding him only with left jabs.
Haye said he injured his right hand hitting Valuev in the head, likely in the second round.
"It was like punching a brick wall," Haye said.
Nicknamed "The Hayemaker," the Brit connected with big rights and lefts to Valuev's head to build up his points lead. Valuev finally came alive beginning in the fourth round, but in the sixth Haye landed a right-left combo and two solid lefts.
Haye continued to make Valuev work while finding holes, including a strong right followed by a left to Valuev's face in the ninth. After another big right in the 10th, Haye wrapped up the fight by landing two left hooks that left Valuev wobbly in the 12th.
Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press
NUREMBERG, Germany -- David Haye certainly backed up his brash prediction.
Haye used his superior quickness to surprise Nikolai Valuev, winning a majority decision on Saturday night and winning the WBA heavyweight title.
The British challenger came close to knocking down Valuev for the first time in his 16-year pro career during the final round, but had to settle for the decision. The scores were 116-112 on two of the judges' cards, and a 114-114 draw on the other.
"The key was my speed," Haye said. "People don't realize I am very fast. And I have a powerful punch. I'm athletic, and if I wasn't a boxer I would be playing football or rugby."
The former cruiserweight titleholder won his third fight at heavyweight, despite giving up nearly a foot and 100 pounds to the tallest and heaviest champion in history.
"Everybody thought I was crazy," Haye said, "but I knew I could make him miss."
Haye had spent months taunting fellow heavyweight champions Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko, and even embarked on a press tour to promote a fight against Wladimir Klitschko before it was called off. Now, he'll probably escape facing the two men considered the best in the division because his first defense of the WBA title is supposed to be against John Ruiz.
The former titleholder earned the shot by stopping Adnan Serin in the seventh round earlier in the night -- and already Haye is offering another prediction.
"He's a good fighter who is very underrated," Haye said of the American. "He is not the most spectacular, but I don't feel like I will struggle with him. He's about the same size as me and I think I will knock him out."
Valuev dropped to 50-2, and admitted that Haye was too quick for him.
"Tonight only one thing happened that I didn't expect," Valuev said. "It was like a marathon for me. It was like a track event. I wasn't ready to run that much.
"The judges made their scoring and I think the last round made the difference, especially the end of it."
Haye tried to keep Valuev on the move, opening with a left to the Russian's chin followed by a powerful combo. Valuev struggled to catch Haye, finding him only with left jabs.
Haye said he injured his right hand hitting Valuev in the head, likely in the second round.
"It was like punching a brick wall," Haye said.
Nicknamed "The Hayemaker," the Brit connected with big rights and lefts to Valuev's head to build up his points lead. Valuev finally came alive beginning in the fourth round, but in the sixth Haye landed a right-left combo and two solid lefts.
Haye continued to make Valuev work while finding holes, including a strong right followed by a left to Valuev's face in the ninth. After another big right in the 10th, Haye wrapped up the fight by landing two left hooks that left Valuev wobbly in the 12th.
Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press
Dawson wins light heavyweight title
Associated Press
HARTFORD, Conn. -- Chad Dawson, fighting in his home state, won an unanimous decision Saturday over an older and slower Glen Johnson to remain undefeated and win the interim WBC light heavyweight title.
The 27-year-old Dawson, who vacated his IBF title to fight Johnson for a second time, outboxed his 40-year-old opponent, who was never able to get close enough to land the hard punches that made their first fight in April 2008 so tight.
Dawson, a southpaw, used his right jab to score, while keeping Johnson away. He won the early rounds with the strategy, following the jab occasionally with a hard left or a speedy combination.
Midway through the sixth round, Dawson caught Johnson with a left hand that snapped his head back, but that was perhaps the hardest punch he landed.
"I tried to use all the tools to my advantage, and that was the difference in the fight," Dawson said. "I felt like I landed the big punches when I had to."
Dawson won a disputed decision over Johnson (49-13-2, 33 KOs) in their first fight. He said he took the rematch to see how much he had grown since then.
He dominated this one, even though Johnson was the one moving forward most of the time, especially in the middle and late rounds.
Johnson stalked Dawson across the ring to connect with his right hand, trying to pin Dawson to the ropes, but he never really caught him.
"He was able to escape some of my bigger punches," Johnson said. "He didn't try to fight like he fought the first time. He basically just stayed away from me."
The two stood toe-to-toe for the first time in the 10th round, exchanging combinations. But neither seemed to be able to hurt the other.
"I wasn't really thinking about knocking Glen Johnson out," Dawson said. "I wanted to go in there and put on a good boxing match."
Dawson (29-0, 17 KOs) now awaits the winner of the Dec. 11 bout between WBC champion Jean Pascal and Adrian Diaconu.
Dawson vacated his IBF title this year after the sanctioning body refused to grant an exception to an immediate defense against Tavoris Cloud, a bout that would have generated far less money and TV interest than one against Johnson.
Johnson, a former "Fighter of the Year" in 2004, had won seven of his last nine fights, but will celebrate his 41st birthday in January.
"I don't know what else is out there for me," Johnson said. "I'll wait and see if anybody wants to put me back to work."
About 5,200 people showed up for the bout at the 16,500-seat XL Center, which is about 40 miles north of where Dawson grew up in New Haven.
Many booed when it appeared Dawson had chances to mix it up with Johnson, but instead backed off and boxed.
"I don't let that bother me," Dawson said. "They're not the ones in the ring. They've never been hit before."
Dawson entered the ring wearing a number 6 on his robe to honor slain Connecticut football player Jasper Howard. There was also a traditional 10-bell salute for Howard, who was stabbed to death Oct. 18.
On the undercard, Alfredo Angulo knocked out Harry Joe Yorgey just over a minute into the third round to take the interim WBO junior middleweight title.
Angulo knocked Yorgey down in the second round. He landed 63 percent of his power punches, including 30 of 35 in the final round, catching Yorgey with a hard left hook to end the fight.
Yorgey's camp complained he was hit twice in the back of the head in the second round and twice while he was on the ground.
Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press
HARTFORD, Conn. -- Chad Dawson, fighting in his home state, won an unanimous decision Saturday over an older and slower Glen Johnson to remain undefeated and win the interim WBC light heavyweight title.
The 27-year-old Dawson, who vacated his IBF title to fight Johnson for a second time, outboxed his 40-year-old opponent, who was never able to get close enough to land the hard punches that made their first fight in April 2008 so tight.
Dawson, a southpaw, used his right jab to score, while keeping Johnson away. He won the early rounds with the strategy, following the jab occasionally with a hard left or a speedy combination.
Midway through the sixth round, Dawson caught Johnson with a left hand that snapped his head back, but that was perhaps the hardest punch he landed.
"I tried to use all the tools to my advantage, and that was the difference in the fight," Dawson said. "I felt like I landed the big punches when I had to."
Dawson won a disputed decision over Johnson (49-13-2, 33 KOs) in their first fight. He said he took the rematch to see how much he had grown since then.
He dominated this one, even though Johnson was the one moving forward most of the time, especially in the middle and late rounds.
Johnson stalked Dawson across the ring to connect with his right hand, trying to pin Dawson to the ropes, but he never really caught him.
"He was able to escape some of my bigger punches," Johnson said. "He didn't try to fight like he fought the first time. He basically just stayed away from me."
The two stood toe-to-toe for the first time in the 10th round, exchanging combinations. But neither seemed to be able to hurt the other.
"I wasn't really thinking about knocking Glen Johnson out," Dawson said. "I wanted to go in there and put on a good boxing match."
Dawson (29-0, 17 KOs) now awaits the winner of the Dec. 11 bout between WBC champion Jean Pascal and Adrian Diaconu.
Dawson vacated his IBF title this year after the sanctioning body refused to grant an exception to an immediate defense against Tavoris Cloud, a bout that would have generated far less money and TV interest than one against Johnson.
Johnson, a former "Fighter of the Year" in 2004, had won seven of his last nine fights, but will celebrate his 41st birthday in January.
"I don't know what else is out there for me," Johnson said. "I'll wait and see if anybody wants to put me back to work."
About 5,200 people showed up for the bout at the 16,500-seat XL Center, which is about 40 miles north of where Dawson grew up in New Haven.
Many booed when it appeared Dawson had chances to mix it up with Johnson, but instead backed off and boxed.
"I don't let that bother me," Dawson said. "They're not the ones in the ring. They've never been hit before."
Dawson entered the ring wearing a number 6 on his robe to honor slain Connecticut football player Jasper Howard. There was also a traditional 10-bell salute for Howard, who was stabbed to death Oct. 18.
On the undercard, Alfredo Angulo knocked out Harry Joe Yorgey just over a minute into the third round to take the interim WBO junior middleweight title.
Angulo knocked Yorgey down in the second round. He landed 63 percent of his power punches, including 30 of 35 in the final round, catching Yorgey with a hard left hook to end the fight.
Yorgey's camp complained he was hit twice in the back of the head in the second round and twice while he was on the ground.
Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Websites that hate floyd mayweather...this is very personal
the writers at Fighthype.com dont know anything about boxing. you can tell in how they write they have more mma knowledge than boxing knowledge. which is a shame cause mma writers should stick to what they know. besides that they have a vendetta against floyd because of how he carrys him self. they dont like a young guy talkin shit and BACKIN IT UP...he walks the walk and talks the talk. as a writer which i am. an article should not be bias. unless you post that you are for or against someone. im not on a floyd mayweather band wagon. i am just a student of boxing as well as a writer. and i write what i see. and being that i have boxed before, my grand father boxed for the army in the korean war and i have pro fighters in my family and i grew up in upstate ny a town over from where mike tyson used to train boxing is all i know and love. so when we get lucky to have a guy like floyd mayweather in our era its amazing. and i dont care what he does out side of the ring unlike most people. inside the ring he is the best and will not get beat. he wont get beat because he trains the hardest. period. any one who knows boxing knows that the harder you train and the more work you do in training the better you are going to be as a fighter. and being that in floyds gym there is no bell which means he doesnt stop. there is not "set" schedule which means he trains 24/7 ...and hes been doing it since he was a child...a baby...and what people also dont realize is he is the only fighter who was active while there uncle was active as well...what other champion has a family member who as fought the great julio cezar chavez and sugar ray lenard...and his dad went the distance with sugar ray lenard. no one...you cant name a figher today with that type of bloodline...so to say floyd hasnt fought the best...when hes been champ since he was 20 and beat the best in that era of the 90s is nonsense and stupid. but people will hate on any fighter who talks a lot of trash...they will want to "shut them up" or the "i told you so" but with floyd it just wont happen...you gong to have to face facts...not on paper or any thing else can any figher out there beat floyd on any giving night...you will never ever in your life ever see vegas have floyd mayweather jr as the underdog...because they already know that no matter who he fights the chances of him loosing are that slim to none....study boxing and you will see what i am talking about...if julio cezar chavez had of retired at 80 and 0 he would be the greatest fighter of all time...floyd is on that track...weather you like it or not floyd is on that track...he will fight cotto,pac,mosley,berto and then you guys will have another fighter who you will say he cant beat but it will b to late....because then your going to have to put your foot in your mouth and say wow he really is the best i cant believe i said he sucked.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Judah is looking Great!
While on twitter Zab "Super" Judah tweeted that he would be going live for a sneak peak into his training session for his up coming ppv fight. And man was it a show. He looked fast, sharp on time and ready to put on a show come November 6th against Ubaldo Hernandez in a 10 round welterweight fight. Zab was also hitting the mits with what looked like Floyd Mayweather sr. It also seems like father Yoel Judah is back in training camp with Zab judah because he also helped his son with hitting the mits.
Zab finally looked to be having a lot of fun. Every now and then he looked at the computer to answer some of his fans questions. And even read a question that I asked. I was so pleased and happy. Being new to this business any time a boxer answers a question I have I get excited because I feel that much closer to them. And one day I hope to stand next to the greats and give an in depth interview with them. And not say stupid things like " do you think you can beat Manny Pacquiao" to the likes of Floyd Mayweather Jr. Or ask why people wont fight Shane Mosley when the man has 5 losses and is at the end of his career. I would ask real questions and give respect to the real fighters that are really doing there thing in the sport of boxing.
Zab finally looked to be having a lot of fun. Every now and then he looked at the computer to answer some of his fans questions. And even read a question that I asked. I was so pleased and happy. Being new to this business any time a boxer answers a question I have I get excited because I feel that much closer to them. And one day I hope to stand next to the greats and give an in depth interview with them. And not say stupid things like " do you think you can beat Manny Pacquiao" to the likes of Floyd Mayweather Jr. Or ask why people wont fight Shane Mosley when the man has 5 losses and is at the end of his career. I would ask real questions and give respect to the real fighters that are really doing there thing in the sport of boxing.
Monday, November 2, 2009
FREDDIE ROACH: "MANNY IS A CARRIER OF THE M1P1 VIRUS - PACMAN FEVER"
By Press Release | November 02, 2009
Three-time Trainer of the Year World-Famous Freddie Roach issued a medical warning to World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight champion Miguel Cotto, the pride of Puerto Rico, who will be defending his title against boxing's No. 1 pound for pound fighter and box office attraction Manny "PacMan" Pacquiao.
Roach, who is training Pacquiao at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, promised to go viral. "Manny is a carrier of the incurable M1P1 Virus – PacMan Fever. It has a short incubation period. Once Cotto is exposed to it on November 14 the prognosis is not good. In fact, he'll be cooked -- laid out within nine rounds. Even Louis Pasteur couldn't create a vaccine to protect Cotto from this!"
Check out Roach's video interview with Mark Kriegel of FoxSports.com, where Roach breaks down the upcoming fight and predicts a ninth-round knockout victory for Pacquiao.
In a testament to Pacquiao's worldwide appeal, Pacman will appear on Jimmy Kimmel Live Tomorrow! Tuesday, November 3, beginning at 12:05 a.m. ET/PT on ABC.
Pacquiao (49-3-2, 37 KOs), of General Santos City, Philippines, has won six world titles in as many different weight divisions ranging from 112 to 140 pounds. Cotto (34-1, 27 KOs), from Caguas, Puerto Rico, has sold more tickets to Madison Square Garden in this millennium than any other fighter. He has held a world title every year since 2004.
Promoted by Top Rank, in association MP Promotions, Miguel Cotto Promotions, MGM Grand and Tecate, FIRE POWER: COTTO vs. PACQUIAO, will take place, Saturday, November 14, at the soldout MGM Grand in Las Vegas, and will be produced and distributed live on HBO Pay-Per-View, beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.
HBO's® fast-moving reality series "24/7 Pacquiao/Cotto" returns with an all new episode This Saturday! November 7 at 9 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. PT. The four-episode series chronicles the preparations and back stories of both fighters as they train for their November 14 pay-per-view showdown. Episodes one and two are available on HBO ON DEMAND.
exert from fighthype.com not written by me
Three-time Trainer of the Year World-Famous Freddie Roach issued a medical warning to World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight champion Miguel Cotto, the pride of Puerto Rico, who will be defending his title against boxing's No. 1 pound for pound fighter and box office attraction Manny "PacMan" Pacquiao.
Roach, who is training Pacquiao at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, promised to go viral. "Manny is a carrier of the incurable M1P1 Virus – PacMan Fever. It has a short incubation period. Once Cotto is exposed to it on November 14 the prognosis is not good. In fact, he'll be cooked -- laid out within nine rounds. Even Louis Pasteur couldn't create a vaccine to protect Cotto from this!"
Check out Roach's video interview with Mark Kriegel of FoxSports.com, where Roach breaks down the upcoming fight and predicts a ninth-round knockout victory for Pacquiao.
In a testament to Pacquiao's worldwide appeal, Pacman will appear on Jimmy Kimmel Live Tomorrow! Tuesday, November 3, beginning at 12:05 a.m. ET/PT on ABC.
Pacquiao (49-3-2, 37 KOs), of General Santos City, Philippines, has won six world titles in as many different weight divisions ranging from 112 to 140 pounds. Cotto (34-1, 27 KOs), from Caguas, Puerto Rico, has sold more tickets to Madison Square Garden in this millennium than any other fighter. He has held a world title every year since 2004.
Promoted by Top Rank, in association MP Promotions, Miguel Cotto Promotions, MGM Grand and Tecate, FIRE POWER: COTTO vs. PACQUIAO, will take place, Saturday, November 14, at the soldout MGM Grand in Las Vegas, and will be produced and distributed live on HBO Pay-Per-View, beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.
HBO's® fast-moving reality series "24/7 Pacquiao/Cotto" returns with an all new episode This Saturday! November 7 at 9 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. PT. The four-episode series chronicles the preparations and back stories of both fighters as they train for their November 14 pay-per-view showdown. Episodes one and two are available on HBO ON DEMAND.
exert from fighthype.com not written by me
HBO PUTTING TOGETHER A JR. WELTERWEIGHT TOURNAMENT
By Ben Thompson | November 02, 2009
Sources close to the information have just informed us that HBO is currently working on putting together a 140-pound tournament that would feature jr. welterweights Victor Ortiz, Marcos Maidana, WBC champion Devon Alexander and WBA champion Amir Khan. Although contracts have yet to be put together or signed, reports are that representatives for all the fighters have been contacted and are willing and eager to participate. HBO's Jr. Welterweight tournament would be similar to legendary promoter Don King's Middleweight Championship Series held back in 2001, a four-man tournament that pitted champions Bernard Hopkins, William Joppy, Keith Holmes and Felix Trinidad against each other to produce the first undisputed middleweight champion since Marvin Hagler.
Unlike the Super Six Super Middleweight Tournament currently being staged by Showtime, HBO's tournament would take place in a much shorter timeframe, with a winner being crowned in a matter of months as opposed to a couple of years. The first round of fights would feature the two champions defending their titles. The tentative matchups include WBA champion Amir Khan versus Marcos Maidana and WBC champion Devon Alexander versus Victor Ortiz. The winners would move on to face each other in the final bout.
Obviously, the tournament champion would hold 2 out of the 4 major titles in the division, which could set up future bouts or even a second tournament with current IBF champion Juan Urango and/or the winner of the upcoming clash between WBO champion Timothy Bradley and challenger Lamont Peterson. The ultimate goal, however, is to build a future star and worthy challenger for the top pound-for-pound fighters in the sport, including Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr.
not written by me...exert is from fighthype.com
Sources close to the information have just informed us that HBO is currently working on putting together a 140-pound tournament that would feature jr. welterweights Victor Ortiz, Marcos Maidana, WBC champion Devon Alexander and WBA champion Amir Khan. Although contracts have yet to be put together or signed, reports are that representatives for all the fighters have been contacted and are willing and eager to participate. HBO's Jr. Welterweight tournament would be similar to legendary promoter Don King's Middleweight Championship Series held back in 2001, a four-man tournament that pitted champions Bernard Hopkins, William Joppy, Keith Holmes and Felix Trinidad against each other to produce the first undisputed middleweight champion since Marvin Hagler.
Unlike the Super Six Super Middleweight Tournament currently being staged by Showtime, HBO's tournament would take place in a much shorter timeframe, with a winner being crowned in a matter of months as opposed to a couple of years. The first round of fights would feature the two champions defending their titles. The tentative matchups include WBA champion Amir Khan versus Marcos Maidana and WBC champion Devon Alexander versus Victor Ortiz. The winners would move on to face each other in the final bout.
Obviously, the tournament champion would hold 2 out of the 4 major titles in the division, which could set up future bouts or even a second tournament with current IBF champion Juan Urango and/or the winner of the upcoming clash between WBO champion Timothy Bradley and challenger Lamont Peterson. The ultimate goal, however, is to build a future star and worthy challenger for the top pound-for-pound fighters in the sport, including Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr.
not written by me...exert is from fighthype.com
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Floyd Mayweather jr. Interview with Ra Ra the Rugged Man
By Carl Adams
First off. I was not even going to comment, or write about this. But after a few days I felt that I had not choice but to give my opinion on the recent interview that went down on Shade 45 radio between underground hip hop artist Ra Ra the Rugged Man and Floyd "Money" Mayweather Jr. First off who the hell is Ra Ra the Rugged man. Second where does he get off being able to give any type of boxing interview with one of the greatest fighters of all time. Something has got to change in the sport of boxing. People want this man Floyd Mayweather to fight the top people but give the man no credit or respect at all.
The interview started off pretty well until Mr. Rugged man decided to disrespect the champ and say that he wont fight any of the top fighters of our current time. Which does not make any since to me because before his 18 month lay off Floyd did fight the best that was out there. He moved up from 140 to fight the top guys at 147. And at that time the top guys at 147 were Zab Judah and carols Baldimir. And Floyd beat them both very easy. After those fights who else was out there? Shane had lost and when he was asked to fight Floyd he said that his tooth hurt and that he wanted to take a vacation. This was also before his divorce with his wife who managed and ran Shane's career his whole life.
Miguel Cotto and bob arum both thought that they were not ready for a Mayweather fight because cotto was still on the rise. Paul Williams was on his way up but did not have a name like he does now. And as for manny pacquiao. He was not even in the same sentence as Floyd Mayweather. He had just lost to Erik Moralles and then went on to win a few more victories over Morralese and other fighters.
The point i am trying to make is. If Floyd did not leave to let these other fighters come up and get there shine then he would of had to leave the weight division to find someone to fight. Oh yea that's right he did. When he went up to 154 to fight Oscar De la hoya. And even after that fight when he came back down to 147 there was no one else with cred and that people wanted to see besides a fight with Ricky Hatton. He was young, undefeated and people really thought that he had a shot to beating Floyd. Pacquaio, Cotto, Margarito, Mosley did not get there shine back until Floyd Mayweather left the game. Then these guys were able to blossom by beating each other and trying to clam top welterweight status once again.
Because face facts people. If Floyd had of stayed he would of just kept knocking these guys off left and right for barley no money. So he did boxing a favour by stepping back and letting other fighters have some shine while he rested his body. Now that he's back people want to name names and call Floyd out. But the only fighters that are calling Floyd out is Shane Mosley. You have never heard Cotto or Pacquiao call Floyd Mayweather out. They wont. In fact , Freddie roach says that he doesn't thing that if Pacquiao beats Cotto or looses to Cotto that they will fight floyd next. They will go after Shane Mosley. Why would they go after Shane Mosley cause shane cant fight boxers and it would be an easy win for Pacquiao.
I mean some people just cant see through all the bullshit. And when fighters with as many losses as Shane Mosley calls out Floyd Mayweather it sickens me. How can you say your the top welterweight but you just got beat by Cotto? Because of your win over a paper champion? As the great Ed Lover would say "C'Mon Son!. It makes not since at all. We all know Floyd will beat any of those guys out there. what people want to see is him fight these guys to give the illusion that there might be a slim chance that Floyd could loose. But like I always say. You will never in your life ever see in Vegas the betting odds against Floyd Mayweather. Because the real people know that Floyd will never loose. It may be close. But it will always be in favour of Floyd because he is the best and betting people know that.
Opinions are like ass holes, everybody has one. But in my case its my job to study boxing and know boxing through and through. And when i hear people saying that Floyd is not fighting the best out there it makes me sick to my stomach. Because he has already beat the best the world has to offer. And with today's fighters the best is at best at a level 7, maybe a level 8. But that is no where near on Floyd's level which is a level 29-30. I don't play favourites. I just see and know talent. And as a former boxer with pro boxers in my family, i grew up knowing when a fighter is at his best and when a fighter is over rated. And fighters like Mosley and Pacquiao and Margarito are over rated.
You will notice how no one ever talks about Andre Berto. On twitter Shane Mosley was talking a lot of trash to berto but we all know that he does not want to fight Berto because then Berto will have 2 belts and be that much closer to a undisputed welterweight champion chip fight with Floyd Mayweather sometime at the end of the year.
In closing. My thoughts are based on fact. Not on who I like or don't like. And I am also not one to give a fighter credit for loosing a fight. Case in point. Shane Mosley is not and never will be at the top of my pound 4 pound list. Nor should he be at the top of any bodies p4p list. Because he has lost to too many fighters in his prime. And cant seem to win when it counts most. Yea he has some knock outs over decent fighters. But when it comes to the best he has always lost. They also mentioned Bernard Hopkins. They must of forgot that Jermain Taylor beat Hopkins twice. And now look at the man, he is being knocked out left and right. And that Joe Calzaghe was knocked down and came back to beat Hopkins. Now Hopkins is riding the coat tails of this fight with Pavlik. You didn't fight Pavlik at 160 you fought him at 170 which is not a good weight for Pavlik any way.
I am tired of hearing, seeing, people down these great fighters based on what they do in there personal life. You may not like how Floyd is flashy and how he spends his time out side the ring. But he is bar none the greatest fighter to ever put on gloves and we will all notice that after he leaves the sport of boxing and they compare the new fighters to him.
First off. I was not even going to comment, or write about this. But after a few days I felt that I had not choice but to give my opinion on the recent interview that went down on Shade 45 radio between underground hip hop artist Ra Ra the Rugged Man and Floyd "Money" Mayweather Jr. First off who the hell is Ra Ra the Rugged man. Second where does he get off being able to give any type of boxing interview with one of the greatest fighters of all time. Something has got to change in the sport of boxing. People want this man Floyd Mayweather to fight the top people but give the man no credit or respect at all.
The interview started off pretty well until Mr. Rugged man decided to disrespect the champ and say that he wont fight any of the top fighters of our current time. Which does not make any since to me because before his 18 month lay off Floyd did fight the best that was out there. He moved up from 140 to fight the top guys at 147. And at that time the top guys at 147 were Zab Judah and carols Baldimir. And Floyd beat them both very easy. After those fights who else was out there? Shane had lost and when he was asked to fight Floyd he said that his tooth hurt and that he wanted to take a vacation. This was also before his divorce with his wife who managed and ran Shane's career his whole life.
Miguel Cotto and bob arum both thought that they were not ready for a Mayweather fight because cotto was still on the rise. Paul Williams was on his way up but did not have a name like he does now. And as for manny pacquiao. He was not even in the same sentence as Floyd Mayweather. He had just lost to Erik Moralles and then went on to win a few more victories over Morralese and other fighters.
The point i am trying to make is. If Floyd did not leave to let these other fighters come up and get there shine then he would of had to leave the weight division to find someone to fight. Oh yea that's right he did. When he went up to 154 to fight Oscar De la hoya. And even after that fight when he came back down to 147 there was no one else with cred and that people wanted to see besides a fight with Ricky Hatton. He was young, undefeated and people really thought that he had a shot to beating Floyd. Pacquaio, Cotto, Margarito, Mosley did not get there shine back until Floyd Mayweather left the game. Then these guys were able to blossom by beating each other and trying to clam top welterweight status once again.
Because face facts people. If Floyd had of stayed he would of just kept knocking these guys off left and right for barley no money. So he did boxing a favour by stepping back and letting other fighters have some shine while he rested his body. Now that he's back people want to name names and call Floyd out. But the only fighters that are calling Floyd out is Shane Mosley. You have never heard Cotto or Pacquiao call Floyd Mayweather out. They wont. In fact , Freddie roach says that he doesn't thing that if Pacquiao beats Cotto or looses to Cotto that they will fight floyd next. They will go after Shane Mosley. Why would they go after Shane Mosley cause shane cant fight boxers and it would be an easy win for Pacquiao.
I mean some people just cant see through all the bullshit. And when fighters with as many losses as Shane Mosley calls out Floyd Mayweather it sickens me. How can you say your the top welterweight but you just got beat by Cotto? Because of your win over a paper champion? As the great Ed Lover would say "C'Mon Son!. It makes not since at all. We all know Floyd will beat any of those guys out there. what people want to see is him fight these guys to give the illusion that there might be a slim chance that Floyd could loose. But like I always say. You will never in your life ever see in Vegas the betting odds against Floyd Mayweather. Because the real people know that Floyd will never loose. It may be close. But it will always be in favour of Floyd because he is the best and betting people know that.
Opinions are like ass holes, everybody has one. But in my case its my job to study boxing and know boxing through and through. And when i hear people saying that Floyd is not fighting the best out there it makes me sick to my stomach. Because he has already beat the best the world has to offer. And with today's fighters the best is at best at a level 7, maybe a level 8. But that is no where near on Floyd's level which is a level 29-30. I don't play favourites. I just see and know talent. And as a former boxer with pro boxers in my family, i grew up knowing when a fighter is at his best and when a fighter is over rated. And fighters like Mosley and Pacquiao and Margarito are over rated.
You will notice how no one ever talks about Andre Berto. On twitter Shane Mosley was talking a lot of trash to berto but we all know that he does not want to fight Berto because then Berto will have 2 belts and be that much closer to a undisputed welterweight champion chip fight with Floyd Mayweather sometime at the end of the year.
In closing. My thoughts are based on fact. Not on who I like or don't like. And I am also not one to give a fighter credit for loosing a fight. Case in point. Shane Mosley is not and never will be at the top of my pound 4 pound list. Nor should he be at the top of any bodies p4p list. Because he has lost to too many fighters in his prime. And cant seem to win when it counts most. Yea he has some knock outs over decent fighters. But when it comes to the best he has always lost. They also mentioned Bernard Hopkins. They must of forgot that Jermain Taylor beat Hopkins twice. And now look at the man, he is being knocked out left and right. And that Joe Calzaghe was knocked down and came back to beat Hopkins. Now Hopkins is riding the coat tails of this fight with Pavlik. You didn't fight Pavlik at 160 you fought him at 170 which is not a good weight for Pavlik any way.
I am tired of hearing, seeing, people down these great fighters based on what they do in there personal life. You may not like how Floyd is flashy and how he spends his time out side the ring. But he is bar none the greatest fighter to ever put on gloves and we will all notice that after he leaves the sport of boxing and they compare the new fighters to him.
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