Floyd Mayweather to show up with Don King at Alexander weigh in on Friday
There is breaking news to report regarding Saturday night’s ”Gateway to Greatness” event at Scottrade Center. Promoter Don King has announced that Floyd “Money” Mayweather, Evander “The Real Deal” Holyfield and “Iron” Mike Tyson will attend.
This story is blowing up in the boxing world. Don’s been courting Floyd “Money” Mayweather Jr. for the past few weeks, wining and dining with him in South Florida. Manny Pacquiao’s promoter, Bob Arum, says that if Don King signed “Money,” the superfight between Floyd and Pacquiao would get made.
Lightweight Legends
By Anson Wainwright
Back when things were in Black and white and Boxing had only 8 weights classes, Lightweight was one of the toughest division’s to make a name for yourself fast forward to today things haven’t changed much. Lightweight still has some of the elite performers in the game. Granted things aren’t as hot at 135 as they have been in the past years. That could all change this weekend when Juan Manuel Marquez heads back to the more cosy confines of Lightweight after his sojourn to a Welterweight catchweight against Floyd Mayweather. His opponent this time at least seems mortal, a rematch with Juan Diaz. Last February Diaz’s youth, size and strength seemed as though they would help him gain the biggest win of his career to date. Slowly but surely Marquez refined and tuned his considerable skills, creating gaps in Diaz defence until landing two howitzer right hands that dropped Diaz before conclusively ending the argument with a devastating right uppercut. It was ultimately one of the top fights of 2009.
Also on Saturday’s card will be Robert Guerrero & Joel Casamayor, though the fight is a few pounds above the Lightweight limit the winner will most likely look to fight the winner of the main event. Just a few pounds south at 130 Jorge Linares and Rocky Juarez duel in an intriguing fight in which the loser has no place to go. It’s not quite the Lightweight Lightening that took place last April when eight of the top Lightweights were scheduled to face off, though it never quite worked out. This could end up having more of an effect on the Lightweight demigraphic.
A few months ago Michael Katsidis scored possibly the best win of his career to date when he went into the lions den and stopped unbeaten Kevin Mitchell in three. Afterwards Katsidis declared he wants to fight the winner of Marquez-Diaz 2 this fall. The Lightweight confines also house the legendary Marco Antonio Barrera who recently ended a year long hiatus, he’s expected to return again in late summer before fighting another Mexican Humberto Soto for Soto’s WBC crown. Soto himself is angling for a big fight and would be a handful for anyone at 135.
In the past the Lightweight division has been the home to a murders row of greats including Joe Gans, Benny Leonard, Tony Canzoneri, Carlos Ortiz, Roberto Duran, Pernell Whitaker and Shane Mosley, even briefly Oscar De La Hoya, Floyd Mayweather & Manny Pacquiao.
Here’s a look at some of the guys who created havoc at 9 stone 9 pounds.
A year after Gans sad demise Benny “Ghetto Wizard” Leonard made his debut, losing a third round KO. It was hardly the start to a career that would make anyone forget Joe Gans. Over the next 6 years Leonard learnt his trade and stayed busy developing his skills. It was at this stage he won the Lightweight crown beating Freddie Welsh making 9 defence’s reigning from 1917-1925. In 1918 he even dared to go up to Welterweight where he drew with Ted “Kid Lewis, he again made that move in 1922 though lost a thirteenth round disqualification to Jack Britton, when he hit Britton while Britton was down. Leonard retired as the reigning Lightweight champion in 1925. Before briefly trying to make a return in 1931.
Like Leonard before him Tony Canzoneri fought out of New York. Canzoneri won the Featherweight world title in the late 1920’s before heading up to Lightweight where he demolished Al Singer in the first round in late 1930. He even went up to Light Welterweight where he beat Jack “Kid” Berg reigning at both weights consecutively. Canzoneri would reign until the summer of 1933 when he lost a majority decision to another Lightweight legend Barney Ross then losing a split decision 3 months later. It was at this stage he really showed his metal staying busy when most though he’d seen better days and winning his old Lightweight title back nearly 2 years later against Lou Ambers though he eventually lost it back to Ambers.
Puerto Rico Carlos Ortiz fought for 17 years and won the Light Welterweight crown four years after debuting in 1959 after one defence he lost the title. Ortiz then dropped to Lightweight where he had even more success beating Joe Brown for the title then reigning for 3 years making 4 defence’s before losing a very close decision Ismael Laguna in Panama. Not deterred Ortiz reclaimed the crown 7 months later outpointing Laguna in Panama making a further 5 defence’s until he lost to Carlos Teo Cruz in 1968. He continued until 1972 when he lost to Ken Buchanan.
Having won Gold at the 1984 Olympics Pernell “Sweet Pea” Whitaker was long known for his outstanding boxing skills, fantastic defensive ability along with an uncanny knack of making Hall of Fame Fighters look like novices. Whitaker was so gifted that it was difficult to find rounds he would lose let alone fights. Whitaker like Duran would go on to become a 4 Weight world champion. Both fighters were poles apart with Whitaker a modest puncher at 135 though he would end up using his mastery to conquer 140, 147 & 154 defeating many good fighters including Azumah Nelson, Jose Luis Ramirez, Buddy McGirt and in the eyes of everyone except the two judges who scored it a draw he beat Julio Cesar Chavez Snr.
After a stellar amateur career in which “Sugar” Shane Mosley narrowly missed out on taking part in the 1992 Olympics he embarked on a pro career starting out at Lightweight. Though many insiders and Los Angeles aficionados knew Mosley’s potential fans and media alike seemed to miss out on the secret that was Shane Mosley. Infact he arguably didn’t gain his full adulation until he relinquished the IBF crown he had defended 8 times all inside the distance, going straight to Welterweight where he posted an outstanding victory over a prime Oscar De La Hoya. Mosley joined Duran missing out Light Welterweight and heading straight to 147.
HBO’s Greenburg acknowledges Pacquiao – Mayweather negotiations
According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, attempts to make a fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather did occur through intermediary Ross Greenburg of HBO despite denials from the Mayweather camp.
“Fights like Mayweather vs. Pacquiao are significant because of these fighters’ ability to connect with sports fans around the world. It’s unfortunate that it won’t happen in 2010,” Greenburg said in a statement. “I had been negotiating with a representative from each side since May 2nd, carefully trying to put the fight together. Hopefully, someday this fight will happen. Sports fans deserve it.”
Leonard Ellerbe, Mayweather’s other adviser and the public voice because Haymon refuses to speak to the press, said a few days after Arum outlined how the talks went that there had never been any negotiations.
He released a statement a few days after Arum’s teleconference that said, “Here are the facts. Al Haymon, (Golden Boy Promotions CEO) Richard Schaefer and myself speak to each other on a regular basis, and the truth is no negotiations have ever taken place, nor was there ever a deal agreed upon by Team Mayweather or Floyd Mayweather to fight Manny Pacquiao on Nov. 13. Either Ross Greenburg or Bob Arum is not telling the truth, but history tells us who is lying.”
Arum was pleased that Greenburg supported his version of events and cut him slack for taking a week to say so publicly.
“He works for a major public company and he has to clear this sort of thing with his bosses,” Arum told ESPN.com. “I understand that he had to get his statement cleared.
“The one you should all be taking to task is Schaefer for lying to the press,” Arum said. “You don’t do that. You can say ‘no comment’ or say nothing. Richard Schaefer owes an apology to the press, not to me, because I’ve written him off a long time ago. But now anything he says will be suspect. I don’t feel vindicated by Ross’ statement because that’s what happened. I knew what happened because I know I lived through the negotiations. I knew what I said about them was absolutely truthful so I didn’t give a damn who believed me. No skin off my back.
“Indeed, when I made the statement about the negotiations on the conference call, I wasn’t looking for controversy. I was kind to Mayweather. But Mayweather is the boss on his side and when he says, ‘jump,’ you’re supposed to ask, ‘how high.’ That’s why none of them have any credibility. Schaefer and Haymon and Ellerbe, they cling to the Mayweather boat because that’s the source of their riches. So the fact is that Ellerbe, who is not a bad guy, will do anything that Floyd asks, but Floyd is not quite a rational person. For Schaefer to be part of this drinking the Kool Aid is really pathetic. It’s really sad. Doesn’t he have any pride?”
“I think it’s unfortunate that Ross made that statement,” Schaefer told ESPN.com. “I fully stand behind the statement I made. I have not negotiated with Ross and I am not aware of any negotiations that have taken place.
“If Ross or Arum wants to go through a lie detector test, we can arrange that. I can only tell you I have regular contact with Al and Leonard and there were no negotiations going on. I don’t know exactly what Ross is referring to or what he is talking about. But I have been very consistent. There were none going on. Arum should just get a life and stop attacking me on a nonstop basis. This is really childish.”
Arum is now focused on finalizing the Pacquiao-Margarito fight, which if completed, will take place at a maximum weight of 150 pounds for the WBC’s vacant junior middleweight title. If Pacquiao wins, he would extend his record of winning world titles to an eighth weight class. Pacquiao has won titles from flyweight to welterweight.
“There’s a lot of pressure on me to get it done in Las Vegas from everyone in town,” Arum said. “The fight is important to the city. But I want it known that if it is not in Las Vegas, it’s not because of Bob Arum. I live there and I feel the town needs this. It’s not because of me if the fight is caused to go elsewhere.”
Call to discuss “super”fight, anything but
By Kyle Kinder
No news is good news. At least that has been the case for the last year and a half with regards to a possible Manny Pacquiao – Floyd Mayweather superfight.
Last Friday, Top Rank boss Bob Arum held a conference call to update boxing aficionados on the latest happenings in the sorry attempt to put together the one fight that all boxing fans are dying to see.
As the story goes, Arum had set a deadline for Mayweather’s camp to get in touch with Top Rank and HBO get the ball rolling. The deadline put in place by Arum was Friday at midnight, Pacific Daylight Time.
The international conference call played host to journalists from all around the globe. Some woke up early or stayed up late, while others abandoned their daily routines and responsibilities all to call in and hear what Top Rank’s grill master had to say.
Further, Top Rank, along with other various media outlets, allowed for a live-streaming of the call on their websites giving boxing fans worldwide access to the call.
Unfortunately for all who possessed even the tiniest bit of hope that Arum would talk about progress, he filled the airwaves and telephone lines with disappointment almost immediately. Arum confirmed that he had yet to hear anything from Money May’s camp. As the deadline came and went, Mayweather and his team stayed silent.
But just when you thought all hope was lost, Arum dangled yet another carrot in front of boxing fan’s faces.
“People have asked me as well as others at Top Rank, does that mean the Mayweather fight is dead?” Arum said. “Even though Mayweather has not responded by the deadline, the deal is dead when we reach a deal with an opponent for Manny’s fight in November.”
To quote Jim Carrey in the 1994 film “Dumb & Dumber”: “Soooooo, you’re telling me there’s a chance!?”
Friday at midnight — on the west coast — marked the time when Arum stopped exclusivity with the Mayweather camp and announced his intentions to explore other options for Pacquiao.
Arum went on to declare that he is turning his attention to making a possible fight with the “Tijuana Tornado”, Antonio Margarito, or a possible rematch with newly crowned WBA Junior Middleweight champion, Miguel Cotto.
Needless to say, neither is remotely as appealing as a Pacquiao-Mayweather bout.
There is little intriguing about a rematch with Cotto, who Pacquiao thoroughly dissected just some seven-plus months ago.
If he were to fight Margarito, who is currently not licensed in Nevada after the infamous hand-wrap scandal, Arum said the fight would most likely take place in Monterrey, Mexico.
For some reason, I don’t see that happening. The number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world, traveling into another fighter’s backyard — potentially a hostile environment — where Mexican fans would be rampant in their support of their native fighter.
After Arum acknowledged his intentions to inquire about matching Pacquiao with either Margarito or Cotto, he speculated about the possible reasons Mayweather had stayed silent as the deadline passed.
“One of the reasons could be the uncertainty regarding Roger Mayweather and for people that don’t know, Roger Mayweather is scheduled for court in Nevada regarding criminal charges,” Arum said. “Now I know how Manny would feel if he had to go into a fight like this without the services of Freddie Roach and presumably Floyd would feel the same way going into a fight like this without the services of his uncle Roger who has been training him for a number of years.”
Two days later, the Mayweather camp finally released a statement via Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions.
“Here are the facts. Al Haymon [Mayweather’s manager], Richard Schaefer [CEO of Golden Boy Promotions] and myself speak to each other on a regular basis, and the truth is no negotiations have ever taken place, nor was there ever a deal agreed upon by Team Mayweather or Floyd Mayweather to fight Manny Pacquiao on Nov. 13. Either Ross Greenburg [President of HBO Sports] or Bob Arum is not telling the truth, but history tells us who is lying.”
After Arum read the statement, he responded by sticking to his guns, saying Greenburg told him he was active in talks with Haymon, who was relaying messages back and forth to and from Mayweather.
The he-said, she-said all sounds like a childish game of ‘telephone’ — rather than grown men, heads of companies negotiating what could amount to the most prosperous fight in boxing history.
Whatever it is — lack of communication or lies, it all amounts to negativity.
Enough is enough.
No more chasing the elusive carrot.
Arum, Ellerbe, Greenburg, or anyone else involved in the attempt to make this fight a reality should stay silent until legitimate progress is made.
Top Rank has a great stable of fighters and its upcoming bouts should be the focus of Arum’s dialogue, not the constant letdowns that seem to come with the Pacquiao-Mayweather negotiations — whether it be the fault of Team Mayweather or not.
No more conference calls to report disappointing news.
No more public cheap shots at Mayweather or Pacquiao and their teams. There is enough blame to go around for everyone.
Holding an international conference call and inviting the entire boxing world to listen in to disappointing news fails to positively serve the sport of boxing.
Next time there is disheartening news to report, save your breath and let us all move on from what could have been.
And on that note, if the next news out of the Top Rank camp does in fact have to do with a Pacquiao-Margarito bout, or Pacquiao-Cotto rematch, you can stay silent about that too.
Kyle Kinder can be reached at Twitter.com/KyleKinder
Bob Arum, CEO Top Rank, Teleconference Transcript 3:00 A.M. ET / Midnight PT, Saturday, July 17, 2010
The purpose of this call is to bring you up to date to all that has happened. About two months ago, just after the Mayweather-Mosley fight, I got a call from Ross Greenburg, the president of HBO Sports, who asked me frankly whether myself and Manny Pacquiao wanted to do the fight against Floyd Mayweather and I assured him after talking to Manny that was the case. From there I have had a couple of conversations with Ross and I laid out all the terms that would be acceptable to our side and I also informed him about the concession that Manny had made about drug testing. He got back to me in a couple of weeks and told me he had discussions with Al Haymon, representing Mayweather, and that everything looked good. We were nearing a resolution. The subsequent conversations with Ross detailed to me discussions he had with Al Haymon. Nowhere were the names of Richard Schaefer or Golden Boy mentioned although I read, as you all did, Oscar’s statement that a deal was close, so I assume from that, that Haymon was keeping Golden Boy abreast of the situation.
Ross for the last month has been telling me that Haymon was working very hard to get the agreement done with Floyd. A couple of weeks ago I told him I wanted to do this fight very badly, as did Manny, but at a particular point in time we have to move on. By moving on I mean that I had agreed with Ross early on that we would not negotiate any fight with Manny and I have not had any negotiations with any other opponent, whether it is Margarito or Cotto. I have not had any discussions with either of them or their representatives regarding a fight with many Pacquiao. I told Ross that this Friday was the deadline of the end of the exclusivity period and I tell you that next week I’ll be talking to the Cotto and the Margarito camps regarding a fight with Manny Pacquiao.
People have asked me as well as others at Top Rank, does that mean the Mayweather fight is dead? Even thought Mayweather has not responded by the deadline, the deal is dead when we reach a deal with an opponent for Manny’s fight in November. Then we are contractually bound to do that fight and we would look hopefully to do a fight with Floyd next year. In the interim, while this was going on, if Floyd suddenly emerged and said he wanted to do the fight, there would be nothing opposed to getting together and doing the fight. That is our position and I hope it is as clear as I can make it. I don’t want to go into any conjecture as to why. I am just reporting what the facts are and now we can open it up for questions.
At what point while you are negotiating with others, how deep into it would you be willing to change if Floyd presented himself, do you need to have a signed contract with either fighter?
The answer is we wouldn’t need a signed contract if Cotto or Margarito committed to Manny Pacquiao or committed to me a deal. The signed contract would be later. While these negotiations were going on, while I was talking to Manny, if Floyd came to the table, that is the fight that we want more than all others, there is no question about it.
Have you had any direct contact with the Mayweather camp?
Strictly through Ross Greenburg. Ross was committed to making the fight happen and as the president of HBO Sports I felt that the best chance of making the fight happen was to do everything through Ross, almost like he was the mediator and I still believe it was the right way to go. It obviously didn’t work out, not because Ross didn’t do a good job because I think he did in talking to Al Haymon and myself. Obviously the problem was Floyd, for whatever reason, and I’m sure he has some valid reason, didn’t want to commit.
Why was the deadline today as opposed to next week?
Good question. You understand what the deadline is. It is the end of the exclusivity period because we now have to go out and secure an opponent for Manny Pacquiao assuming it won’t be Floyd and we have to mount a campaign and have to get in touch with In-Demand, DirecTV and Dish Networks and get everything in order. Time is going by and also we have to start scheduling press conferences because with Manny Pacquiao you are not dealing with the normal fighter. He is over in the Philippines and he has duties as a Congressman there. Therefore we are limited as to when we can schedule press conferences in the United States.
Has anyone reached out today to the Mayweather side to let them know this was going on?
The answer is no. We have never talked to anybody on the Mayweather side. All conversations have gone through Ross Greenburg and he reported all conversations on the Mayweather side from al Haymon.
You mentioned on June 30 that the deal was agreed to. Is that still your position?
Yes, that is based on my conversations with Ross Greenburg. Understand I have never talked to anyone on the Mayweather side. I have only spoken to Ross Greenburg who has represented to me certain things that he had discussed with Al Haymon on behalf of Mayweather.
Why would Margarito deserve a chance at many Pacquiao?
I am not going to take that up now. That is something you can editorialize when a fight is made.
Do you think if the fight is not made it will have a negative impact on the sport?
Wait a second…I am sure, without knowing, I am sure that there is a very good reason that Floyd Mayweather has for not committing to a fight at this time. I really and truly believe that. Now I am speculating that one of the reasons could be the uncertainty regarding Roger Mayweather and for people that don’t know, Roger Mayweather is scheduled for court in Nevada regarding criminal charges. Now I know how Manny would feel if he had to go into a fight like this without the services of Freddie Roach and presumably Floyd would feel the same way going into a fight like this without the services of his uncle Roger who has been training him for a number of years.
Could the deadline have waited another couple of weeks?
Not really, because I am dealing with another situation. I am representing a fighter who is also a congressman. He has legislative duties and commitments in the Philippines and I have really short windows to do various aspects of the promotion. We will have to do press conferences a lot further out because he will be training for the fight while being a congressman and he will have to fit his training into the legislative sessions. I understand that the congress sits three days a week.
How long will it take to close a deal with Margarito or Cotto?
I have no idea. It may take a week. I have to discuss with Manny who he prefers then get everything put together. It will be Manny’s decision. I do not have a preference. I do not want to prejudice the situation. I want Manny to decide. He is a very intelligent guy and knows what the considerations are and whomever he selects is who we will go after and make the fight.
What is the deadline now for the Mayweather camp?
It would be in the next ten days.
How close do you feel you were to a deal and were there any hints from Mayweather?
The answer is no. They kept assuring Greenburg that an agreement was imminent and that Haymon was working on it and expected an answer shortly and it just never materialized. I don’t blame Haymon. I think he really tried based on what Greenburg said, Haymon really tried to put the fight together.
Did you get any indication Schaefer was on board?
Schaefer’s name was never really mentioned by Ross. It was all Al Haymon. The only idea I had that Golden Boy was involved or that Haymon was talking to Golden Boy was when Oscar said on television or radio that the deal was close to closing. So I assumed at that point Haymon had spoken to Schaefer and he talked to Oscar.
What about the drug testing issue?
I don’t want to get into specifics but I think that issue was resolved. Not as clear-cut as you may be saying it but I believe it was resolved.
But they agreed?
That’s what it seemed to me from what I was hearing from Ross. Remember, I never spoke to Haymon or to Schaefer or anybody else but Ross.
What would be the attraction for the Cotto rematch?
The attraction would be that many would be going for an eighth divisional world title, fighting at a higher weight and that Miguel would have in his corner Emanuel Steward – one of the great cornermen of our time. That certainly would give Cotto more ammunition than going into the fight last time.
And where do you go for the Margarito fight?
We have asked the Nevada commission, based on California, to give him a conditional license to fight in Nevada on the 13th of November and hopefully from Margarito’s standpoint they will agree to that. If not and Manny decides that he wants Margarito; we would do the fight in Monterrey, Mexico. There are big advantages for Manny to fight outside of the United States.
Does the congress have a recess?
Yes. It is complicated but one thing I know is when he fights, they go out of session for 3 weeks. So the idea would be that he would train in Manila and Freddie would be over there and he’s in session Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday so he is off Thursday, Friday and Saturday. He would still train on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday after the session has concluded. He would not come to the Wild Card to train until three weeks before the fight. That was the plan that was relayed to me.
Do you believe the fight will happen?
It would be a shame if it didn’t happen. I don’t think any of you guys should be too harsh on Floyd in this situation. I would have liked for him to communicate, but I really believe that this issue with the uncle has an affect. I would think that, putting myself in their shoes, that there would be a lot of reluctance of going into this big fight without my trainer. We are not going to know the outcome of this criminal situation for some time.
Are you giving Floyd an extension?
The fight that we want to do is Mayweather. We never said any different or acted any different. Manny wants to and has to fight in November. So we have to proceed in getting him an opponent and wrapping up a fight and if in the interim Floyd decides, despite the Roger situation, he’s ready to fight Manny…absolutely, that’s the fight we want.
Would you expect negotiations with Margarito or Cotto to go relatively smooth?
I would think so. I have never had difficulties with either camp in making a deal…when Cotto fought Manny last November, he agreed to a lesser guarantee than they wanted, but it was a good upside and he ended up making more money than he would have if he achieved that higher guarantee. There is a lot of credibility there – working a deal with a reasonable guarantee and a good upside. The same thing for Margarito when he fought Miguel he took a reasonable guarantee and made a lot of extra money on the upside.
This negotiation seems much calmer than the last time you tried to out this fight together…
Right now I understand Floyd’s position – I believe his position regarding Roger. We know about this serious issue regarding Roger. I can understand Floyd delaying any plans for a future fight until there is a resolution of the Roger situation. Once you understand that, how can you jump on the guy?
When would a press conference take place?
I can’t give an exact time, but it would take place in early August.
If in Monterrey, where would the fight take place?
In an arena. I believe they built a new arena in Monterrey. Our sponsor, Tecate, and the Governor of the state are all making major efforts to bring that fight to Monterrey. There is a tremendous advantage for Pacquiao staging the fight in Mexico because if the fight is in the United States, the withholding is 30% and we are not obligated to withhold anything if the fight is in Mexico. For a Cotto fight, the Abu Dhabi people came to me but nothing has been done there. I spoke to my friends at the UFC regarding the difficulties they had logistically – the people were very cooperative- but logistically doing their event there, and probably for Cotto I would look more to Cowboy Stadium or Las Vegas.
Can we assume Ross Greenburg did not communicate with you any messages?
There was no message – you are correct.
Will Ross continue to talk to the Mayweather camp?
That I don’t know. You’d have to ask him.
The Margarito fight would either be at the MGM in Las Vegas or Monterrey, Mexico. The Cotto fight would either be at Cowboy Stadium or the MGM Grand.
Where does a guy like Tim Bradley or anyone else stand?
Bradley is fighting Saturday. Tim Bradley is a tremendous fighter and he’s a great young man. But the problem with a guy like Tim Bradley is that even though you and I know what a superb fighter he is, the public really doesn’t know. That’s why a lot of these promoters are shouting out names of very good fighters. We spend hundreds of thousands of dollars building up our fighters and publicizing them so they are pay-per-view attractions. Losing money on a lot of events making them. The other promoters don’t really promote their fighters. They take money form HBO or Showtime or a little Indian casino and they think they’re doing the kid a big service. I’m not going to give them a free ride on the work we have done.
Paul Williams is a tremendous fighter – a great fighter. But he hasn’t been promoted correctly. He doesn’t have any following, can’t sell any tickets. Nobody is financing the pay-per-view fight. On a HBO fight – HBO pays the money. I’m the one that’s financing the pay-per-view and don’t want to give anyone a free ride.
Would HBO be committed to another fight without Mayweather?
Obviously there would be great disappointment and there is great disappointment not having a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight – no question about it. But they would be interested in being a distributor on Pacquiao’s fight either against Cotto or Margarito. I think I am right about that. Showtime is very interested. That’s something that doesn’t really concern me.
The boxing fans are going to be disappointed but they have to realize they have to cut Floyd Mayweather some slack. I can see his reluctance to commit to a big fight with Manny Pacquiao without having the services of his uncle. If the boxing fans begrudge that – Floyd Mayweather is not saying he will not ever fight Manny Pacquiao. There is always next year. It is something that is bad for the Mayweather family and we all have to understand it.
How much would Pacquiao, Margarito or Cotto make in those fights?
These negotiations will be starting in the next couple of days and right now I have adhered to my promise to Ross and I haven’t negotiated with anybody, Manny or either of those fight camps about a fight in November because we have focused on a fight with Mayweather so now I have to start talking with them and I can’t answer those questions until I do.
Would Cotto have an edge since he was such a big part of the first fight that did so well in Las Vegas? It was reported to be their biggest day in three years.
No, the Asian gamblers came because they perceived Manny to be in a very good fight. I think they would have the same feeling whether it is Margarito or Cotto in November.
Why do you think there has been no communication from the Mayweather camp?
I can’t answer that without speculating. I know the Roger situation, now why Floyd has not addressed it I have no idea and can’t answer it.
Are you disappointed from the non-communication?
Who knows the reason for it and it is unfathomable. I am not surprised. Nothing Surprises me. I just can’t figure it out. But there are a lot of things I can’t figure out, especially as I get older.
Deadline passes with no word from Mayweather
By Norm Frauenheim
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum said early Saturday that he had not heard from Floyd Mayweather, Jr., by a midnight deadline about whether he would fight Manny Pacquiao on Nov. 13, but Arum said the fight could still happen on the proposed date.
Arum said the deadline – midnight Friday in Las Vegas – was only the end of a period of exclusive negotiations for Mayweather-Pacquiao. Arum said he will now embark on talks with Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cotto.
“The fight we want to do is Mayweather,’’ Arum said. “We haven’t said anything different. We haven’t acted any different. …Absolutely, that’s the fight we want.’’
Mayweather-Pacquiao could still happen if Mayweather says he wants it during talks for an alternate bout, also on Nov. 13, with either Margarito or Cotto. Arum said he expects those talks to last 10 days.
“Floyd, for whatever reason and I’m sure he has a valid reason, did not want to commit,’’ Arum said after minutes after the midnight deadline passed without a decision from Mayweather
Arum said he was told by Ross Greenburg, president of HBO Sports, that Mayweather had agreed to terms, including a timetable for random drug testing. A deal for Pacquiao-Mayweather last March fell apart late last year when Pacquiao balked at Mayweather’s demand for Olympic-style blood-testing.
Arum said he heard from Greenburg a few days after Mayweather’s victory over Shane Mosley in early May. Arum said Greenburg then spoke to Mayweather advisor Al Haymon. It’s no secret that that Mayweather-Pacquiao could set pay-per-view records for HBO. It’s estimated that each fighter could earn between $40 million to $50 million each.
Arum continued to speculate that Mayweather might not want to fight this year because his uncle and trainer, Roger Mayweather, is facing a trial on an assault charge. If Mayweather decides not to fight in November, Arum has said he hopes the bout will happen in May.
Margarito has yet to regain a license in the United States since his California license was revoked for altered hand wraps discovered before a loss to Mosley in January, 2009 at Staples Center in Los Angeles. The Nevada State Athletic Commission tabled a Margarito application last week. Arum said he will again try to get Margarito licensed in Nevada. If successful and there is still no word from Mayweather, Margarito-Pacquiao could happen in Las Vegas. If unsuccessful, the fight could happen in Monterrey, Mexico.
If Cotto gets the nod and there still is no decision from Mayweather, possible sites are Las Vegas, Cowboys Stadium in Dallas and Dubai.
Tick-talk-tick-talk, Mayweather on his own clock
By Norm Frauenheim
NOTES, QUOTES
How about a test of any kind?
Mayweather-Pacquiao: Talks are back at a familiar crossroads
By Norm Frauenheim
Nevada, USADA meeting is first step in a renewal of talks for Pacquiao-Mayweather
By Norm Frauenheim
The silence isn’t exactly deafening. But it is encouraging. Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer isn’t saying anything at all. Bob Arum is commenting only on location- location- location, which was one piece of real estate agreeable to all before negotiations for Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr. got messy enough to demand that everybody go straight to drug testing.
It even looks as if Mayweather has sidestepped questions about Pacquiao by saying he has retired all over again. Yeah, right. Believe that one and you’ll believe British Petroleum’s early assertions that spewing oil from the Gulf of Mexico’s sea floor was as easy to fix as a leaky toilet.
After a noisy and abrupt end to talks late last year, the absence of chest-thumping, defiant headlines is as good a place to resume as any. The mystery is whether there been any substantive talk at all about a proposed fight on Nov. 13 in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand or Thomas & Mack Center.
The guess here: Not much.
But the beginning, a, potential foundation, of a deal looks to be in the works where it should have been all along:
The Nevada State Athletic Commission.
On Wednesday, the Commission heard from U.S. Anti-Doping Agency CEO Travis Tygart, former chief U.S. Olympic Committee medical officer Dr. Robert Voy, commission physician Dr. David Watson and others about random blood testing, the deal breaking issue in December.
Then, the Commission got about as much respect as a tar ball when Mayweather suddenly demanded Olympic-style testing and Pacquiao balked. Despite the Nevada’s agency’s regulatory duties, it didn’t appear to have much of a role months later in the USADA-supervised blood-testing before Mayweather’s victory over Shane Mosley on May 1. Mayweather and Mosley were represented by the same entity, Golden Boy, instead of feuding promotional concerns.
There was progress in Mosley-Mayweather, perhaps, because the random testing went on with few complaints from either fighter. But it will never work in negotiations between Top Rank-promoted Pacquiao and representatives for Mayweather without a supervisory agency that so far only conducts urine testing.
It will be very hard – make that impossible — to put together a deal without a buffer between USADA and Mayweather, whose demand initiated talk ,if not momentum, for Olympic style testing in boxing. If Mayweather can take himself – retire his mouth – from the process long enough for he Nevada Commission to make some kind of accommodation with USADA, then there’s chance.
Some of what was said Wednesday was intriguing. In boxing circles, random blood testing for a variety of drugs is often described in terms that make it sound unbeatable. Voy pointed out that it is not.
Testing for human growth hormone (HGH), he said, is unreliable and impractical. For anybody who has spent times at the Olympics, those are two words often used at pool side during the swimming or at the track between heats.
Instead of guarantees, there are only suspicions.
But a framework for blood-testing sanctioned by the Nevada Commission could create a springboard for negotiations between Arum and Schaefer, Pacquiao and Mayweather. The meeting Wednesday was only a beginning. Between Arum and Schaefer, Pacquiao and Mayweather, there is no room for compromise over the method or the timetable or even the concept. We already know that.
However, Pacquiao has said he would be willing to undergo a blood test within two weeks of opening bell, or within the reported window when HGH can still be detected.
Pacquiao has shown signs that he willing to compromise. But he also has shown that he will just say no to demands from Mayweather or Schaefer or Mayweather advisor Leonard Ellerbe.
For now, he must like what he is hearing.
Or not hearing.
Pacquiao wins the election, but he still has to get Mayweather’s vote
By Norm Frauenheim
Campaign promises in politics are like noses in boxing. They are there to be broken. But Filipino Congressman-elect Manny Pacquiao has one promise he can’t break:
He has to fight Floyd Mayweather, Jr.
If the Mayweather promise wasn’t exactly stated in Pacquiao’s successful run for the seat representing the Sarangani province, it was there, everywhere. Few would have paid as much attention otherwise. Just ask Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum, who a few days ago returned from the Philippines so upbeat that it was as if his flight through time zones included a stop at The Thrilla In Manila.
“It’s amazing how many people came up to me as I was leaving the Philippines and asked me: When is the Mayweather fight going to happen?’’ Arum said Wednesday in a conference call with a few media members. “That’s the fight people want to see. That’s the fight that I’m going to do my darndest to make happen.
’’ This corner, like several others, has been skeptical about chances that Arum or anybody else has at putting together a rare fight that can captivate worldwide attention. Yet, that rare potential is still there, despite the buzz-kill that came with the noisy, then dreary negotiations that fell apart just five months ago. It’s hard to pinpoint what exactly re-invigorated interest. Maybe, the interest was always there anyway.
Whatever it was, Arum re-discovered in his trip to the Philippines that the appetite for Mayweather-Pacquiao is as keen as ever. If there were any misgivings still with him in the wake of the feud, that baggage wasn’t with him upon his return. In part, I suspect, that’s because it’s so easy to get caught up in the phenomenon that is Pacquiao, whose ability to surprise is seemingly endless.
The word after his one-sided decision over Joshua Clottey on March 13 in Dallas was that he couldn’t win in a return to the political ring against a wealthy, well-entrenched rival. Even Filipino writers who chronicle his every move, made it sound as if Pacquiao’s chances at defeating Roy Chiongbian were about as good as Clottey winning a rematch.
Like coming back from a loss to Erik Morales in their first fight, however, Pacquiao learned from defeat, adjusted and added a right to the left for an uninterrupted run of 12 successive victories since 2005. There are no lasting losses for Pacquiao. There are only lessons. If the 31-year-old Filipino can adjust, so can the 78-year-old Arum.
This time, Arum promises not to negotiate in the media, which late last year was like a flame to a fuse. It blew up egos that are never far from exploding.
“Once you start negotiating through the media, it becomes ego driven,’’ said Arum, who is talking about Nov. 13 or Nov. 6 at either Las Vegas’ MGM Grand or Cowboys Stadium in the Dallas metroplex. “People can’t wait to give a statement to the press. The flames just shoot up and there is no real opportunity for rational behavior to take over. Everyone is so interested is setting forth his position to the media that it becomes the contest. That involves me as well as everybody else.’’
Arum’s acknowledgement of his role in the blowup represents a promising sign. But it’s reasonable to remain skeptical about whether he can rein in his quick temper, which has been great for the media but often a deal breaker in negotiations, especially involving a fighter, Mayweather, he doesn’t like.
For Arum , a good starting point – a symbol of good will – would be to drop a lawsuit filed against Mayweather, Golden Boy President Oscar De La Hoya and others. It charges that Pacquiao, who has never failed a sanctioned drug test, was defamed in what was said and written in the debate over Mayweather’s demands for random testing. If the public didn’t suspect Pacquiao as a user of performance-enhancers before, it does now. That, at least, is the allegation.
Arum said Wednesday that “the lawsuit is still being actively pursued.” However, he also said: “All these issues are on the table and they will be negotiated and nothing cannot be discussed.
’’ OK, can we talk about taking that lawsuit off the table?
It’s a beginning, a tentative step in trying to find out whether Mayweather is really interested. He says is. Then again, he says a lot of things. It’s also reasonable to be wary of Mayweather, a man of many motives, moods and roles. A kinder, gentler and better Mayweather showed up in the pre-fight build-up to his brilliant victory on May 1 over Shane Mosley.
At news conferences during the two weeks before opening bell, he dropped the profanity. It was hard to tell whether he was playing his own brand of politics in Las Vegas while Pacquiao was running a political campaign on the other side of the world. But a likable Mayweather, before, during and after the fight, emerged. That, too, looms as a promising sign for a deal.
Still, the imminent renewal of talks could all be for naught if the impasse over random, Olympic-style drug testing remains unresolved. It’s hard to see how Mayweather, who underwent eight tests before his decision over Mosley, can compromise on that one. He has said he won’t. If he does, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, which supervised the testing for Mayweather-Mosley, will surely criticize him.
Meanwhile, there are reports that Pacquiao, who has said blood-testing weakens him, might be willing to soften his stand of no testing within a couple of weeks of opening ball.
Without some sign of compromise from either or both camps, forget it. There’s no reason to even begin talking.
If the drug-testing issue is resolved, another one looms over the money. Before a proposed March 13 fight, they had agreed to a 50-50 split. But the equation has changed. Mayweather ‘s pay-per-view numbers are harder to debate now than they were before he beat Mosley. His victory over Mosley generated 1.4 million customers, or twice that of the 700,000 who bought the HBO telecast for Pacquiao’s victory over Clottey. Depending on the projection, Pacquiao and Mayweather could set the pay-per-view record, meaning their purses could be a split of $100 million.
If the agreement isn’t 50-50, the devil is in the percentages. If Mayweather demands 55 percent, the additional five percent means $55 million for him and $45 million for Pacquiao, who might need some money after spending a reported $6.5 million on his Congressional campaign. The difference amounts to 10 million reasons to fear that the fight won’t happen. For now, however, I’ll bet on the optimism.
It’s the only way to vote.
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