Manny Pacquiao is down to 149 lb

MANILA, Philippines - Manny Pacquiao is down to 149 lb and in his morning workout yesterday sported a body that should be good enough to withstand anything Miguel Cotto could offer on Nov. 14.
“I’ve never seen him in better shape,” said conditioning coach Alex Ariza as Pacquiao, shirt off, was sprinting across the Rizal Memorial Stadium grounds, racing with his pet Terrier.
Pacquiao woke up a little late than usual and tipped the scales inside his hotel suite at 149 lb, just four pounds over the catchweight limit of 145 for his WBO welterweight title fight with Cotto.
Mediamen, including an HBO crew that crossed the Pacific to get a 24/7 glimpse of the Pinoy icon, had gathered at the parking lot outside the stadium as early as 6 a.m.
Pacquiao spent 20 minutes around the rubber-surfaced track with his sparring partner Urbano Antillon, the upcoming Rodolfo Sumabong of Cebu and “Pacman,” the three-year-old Jack Russell Terrier.
Pacquiao had to be restrained by his assistant trainer Buboy Fernandez from running another lap because chief trainer Freddie Roach, who was not around, had wanted no more than 20 minutes.
“That’s the problem with Manny. Once he breaks that sweat, he just won’t stop. He’s like that little thing that you turn on and it gets going and going and going – very difficult to stop him,” said Ariza.
Pacquiao then did his abdominal exercises as he lay on a mat and was shielded from heat of the sun by a towel held across by seconds, ex-world champ Dodie Boy Peñalosa and Jojo Sta. Terera.
He declared himself fit and ready for battle.
“So far, so good. I’m happy with my training,” said Pacquiao, even if he had to leave Baguio City in a huff before midnight of Sunday for fear that a new super typhoon might catch up with them up there.
“I’m faster that Cotto so I will use that speed the proper way,” said the 30-year-old champ, who had a brief rest back in his hotel before proceeding to the Gerry Peñalosa Gym in Mandaluyong for sparring.
Pacquiao is in his final days of workout in the Philippines, and by Saturday he would have done five weeks, and in the evening will push for Los Angeles where he’ll train two more weeks at the Wild Card Gym.
Ariza said the change of training venue will not stop Pacquiao from working hard.
“It doesn’t make a lot of difference to him. No difference. We don’t skip a beat here. Training is training. A few more days here then we take off and pick up from where we left off in LA,” he said.
In Baguio, the rains kept Pacquiao out of the road for a couple of days, but Ariza said that in a way it worked to their favor.
“Personally it did us some good because he got to rest a little bit more. On the day he skipped the run he sparred much better. Yesterday he did 15 rounds (with the mitts) and he wasn’t even breathing.
“He’s down to 149 but I want him to load up (with protein shakes) because I want him at around 151 by the time we leave for LA. He’s in the best shape I’ve ever seen him,” Ariza said.
share on: facebook

Manny would win over Mayweather

Let’s face it, the biggest match-up to be made in boxing today would be Manny Pacquiao v Floyd Mayweather – the reigning pound-for-pound king against his unbeaten predecessor, back from retirement!
Ricky Hatton, who fought them both, was in Johannesburg last month and I got a chance to interview him.
Hatton, stopped in 10 rounds by Mayweather and two rounds by Pacman, had this to say when I asked him who would win if Pacquiao and Mayweather were to ever get it on:
“I’d like to think Manny would win. I’d hope he’d win because he’s a gentleman, really nice guy, family man. Everything about him I really admire. But as much as I don’t like Mayweather, he’s one hell of a fighter. Mayweather would probably pip him.”
Of course, Pacquiao must first get past Miguel Cotto.
share on: facebook

Manny Pacquiao is still P4P

Despite Floyd Mayweather, Jr.’s blazing return to the ring last week, Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao is still entrenched in his position atop the mythical pound for pound (P4P) throne based on the latest rating list of The Ring Magazine.

The reputable magazine, considered the “Bible of Boxing," named Pacquiao No. 1 in its ratings released Sept. 20, a day after Mayweather hacked out a one-sided unanimous decision over bloated lightweight Juan Manuel Marquez in his comeback fight.

P4P king Manny Pacquiao

Mayweather, the former top P4P fighter prior to his retirement in 2007, was rated No. 2, dislodging Marquez from his old spot behind the Pacman. Marquez, who fought Pacquiao in two close encounters, dropped three notches to No. 5.

Mayweather’s reentry into the prestigious ratings created changes from No. 2 down.

Sugar Shane Mosley, who had previously attempted to seal a fight with Pacquiao and even climbed up the ring to challenge Mayweather after the Marquez fight, went up to No. 3 from No. 4. Mosley switched places with previously third-ranked Bernard Hopkins.

After the fifth-ranked Marquez were Israel Vasquez at No. 6 (from No. 5) and Rafael Marquez at No. 7 (from No. 6).

Donaire at No. 8

The only other Filipino in the list, WBA interim super flyweight champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash" Donaire, Jr., slipped one place to No. 8.

Pacquiao’s rival on Nov. 14, WBO welterweight king Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico, occupied No. 9, a one-spot drop, while WBA and IBF junior featherweight champ Celestino Caballero completed the Top 10.

The dispute for the mythical P4P title is expected to be the main beef if and when a megafight is forged between Pacquiao and Mayweather Jr.

Exploratory talks have reportedly started for a possible big-money showdown between the two P4P superstars by next year.

But before that, the Pacman, who was impressed with Mayweather’s dismantling of an overmatched Marquez, would have to take care of his upcoming business against the tough Cotto first. - GMANews.TV
share on: facebook

Why Pacquiao can’t train long on US soil

Manny Pacquiao stands to pay millions in taxes to the Internal Revenue Service of the US if he insists in holding his entire training camp for the November 14 fight with Miguel Cotto on American soil.

Owing to an IRS regulation called the Substantial Presence Test, Pacquiao has been told by Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum to spend the first half of his eight-week training camp outside the US to avoid shelling out “millions of dollars.”

Arum’s promotional outfit Top Rank is staging the Pacquiao-Cotto bout at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and the Harvard-educated lawyer has informed the Filipino that he ought to set up camp in the Bahamas, Mexico or Canada.

Arum said if Pacquiao insists on training exclusively on US territory just like in the past, his earnings will be subjected to taxes.

“All of his income from around the world will be subject to tax,” said Arum.

But if Pacquiao follows Arum’s advise, “just his purse for the fight (with Cotto) will be subject to tax.”

Pacquiao lawyer Franklin Gacal said they knew all along that the IRS would one day knock on their door.

“We’ve been told about this even before so we’re not surprised,” said Gacal, who is likewise setting his sights on Vancouver as an option to host Pacquiao’s training camp.

Meanwhile, Team Pacquiao will come out with an announcement regarding the on-going negotiations the moment Gacal confers with Arum.

“I have been given instructions by Manny on the matter,” said Gacal yesterday afternoon after efforts to contact Arum proved futile.

Meantime, Cotto told the Puerto Rican press that for him to defend the World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight crown, the fight with Pacquiao should be at 147 lbs, and not at a catch weight of 145 lbs.

share on: facebook

Pacquiao doesn't need Cotto or his belt

Truth be told Manny Pacquiao does not need Miguel Cotto, nor his belt. Just based on both fighters' recent history, it should be Cotto crawling on all fours wanting to fight Pacquiao to revive his slumping career.

I don't know whether Cotto is posturing or is simply stubborn when he said he wouldn't put up his WBO welterweight belt against Pacquiao even if he had to vacate it. Fighting words from the gallant Puerto Rican, but why would Pacquiao care?

If that's the case then Cotto isn't really interested in the biggest payday and break of his career after all. If I was a Team Pacquiao adviser, I'd simply tell Manny to walk and explore his many other options.

Mosley is willing and waiting in the wings and would even go down to 140 and take 40% of the pot just to dance with Manny. Of course there's still the option of paying Marquez step-aside money as Floyd Mayweather Jr. himself suggested and get right down to business with "Money May". Or he can stay in his division and fight the winner of Timothy Bradley and Nate Campbell next week at the Agua Caliente Casino in Palm Springs. Call me T.I. because fact of the matter is Manny, "you can have whatever you like". Such are the rewards of being the best and most popular boxer in the planet. When Cotto actually locates his heart after Antonio Margarito beat the crap out of him and fighting the last four rounds of his controversial win against Joshua Clottey on skates, then he can start acting like a diva.

Really? He will vacate his title just so Pacquiao wouldn't be able to get a shot at it? That's simply disrespectful in my book. You wouldn't even give a much smaller person a shot at a belt he very well deserves if he beats you just because of two almost meaningless pounds? Even when it means you are to get the biggest payday of your career? Really?

Pacquiao did not invent title fights at a catch weight, in fact great boxers like Sugar Ray Leonard have done it before him in the past. The welterweight limit is from 141-147 pounds, the 147 is just the maximum weight they can come in at the weigh-ins. Realistically, Pacquiao is really that small compared to Cotto so the two pounds only makes it sensible. Just a year ago, even Bob Arum himself said imagining Pacquiao in the ring with Cotto was ludicrous and he simply could not see it happening. That was then, this is now. And now all of a sudden it's ridiculous for Pacquiao to ask for a title-fight for asking Cotto to come down 2 pounds?

Let's put things in proper perspective. Pacquiao does not need Cotto right now. Actually, Cotto is fortunate that he is getting all this attention and publicity after his ho-hum victories and devastating loss to Margarito. A lot of people even consider him damaged goods and actually lost to Clottey. That's not to say I agree with that, I personally feel Cotto is still one of the toughest fights for Pacquiao out there but it doesn't mean it's the best fight for him necessarily especially if it would be a beltless fight and if Cotto would go out of his way just to not make it a title-fight. Pacquiao can fight Mosley who is a better sell for American veiwers and Pay-Per-View buyers anyway. You also finally get to see Pacquiao fight an African-American boxer, one of the best at that, as some people have been clamoring for. I know I'm starting to sound like a broken record but Pacquiao got options... Pacquiao got options....Pac-paca-pac-pa-pac-pac got chiki-chiki op-tions... Pacquiao got op-o-o-options. Broken record, scratch, scribble, dice and transform it, whatever it takes to send the message. Got it? Good. (By the way shout out to my boy DJ QBert, one of the best skratch DJs to have ever lived)

Perhaps somebody whispered something behind Cotto's ear for him to be confident of whatever happens at the moment. It's almost as if he is willing to just finish up his contract with Top Rank against whoever and jump ship to Golden Boy where promised greener pastures await. It makes sense. De la Hoya could have very well guaranteed Cotto a shot at Mayweather or a rematch with Mosley with some serious dough in tow. Nobody really believes that all Cotto and De la Hoya did was a round of golf a couple of weeks ago.

That's besides the point however. Last time I checked, Pacquiao hasn't signed any papers to fight Cotto yet. Cotto is a good opponent but there are better options for Pacquiao out there if Cotto insists on playing hard-to-get. He can go for Mosley's belts at 143 if he wants to rather than negotiate with a fighter people consider as "damaged goods".
share on: facebook

Sponge Bob Arum corrects worst career gaffe on Pacquiao

"I am filipino and I need to see Manny Pacquiao fight in Vegas for he is my generation's Flash Elorde, Elvis, The Beatles, King Rameses II, Genghis Khan, maybe even Seabiscuit."--MANNY PACQUIAO'S ARDENT FAN, FRANCIS V, WHO LIVES IN CALIFORNIA AND WHO DREAMS OF ATTENDING PACMAN VS. COTTO.


I can’t remember when savvy Bob Arum so badly misjudged a boxing situation.

This one goes down as the worst gaffe of his legendary career.

“Nobody cares in the US” about the WBO welterweight title being on the line Nov. 14 when Manny Pacquaio fights Miguel Cotto.

Then came the immediate worldwide backlash, including 17, 489 names who joined my protest here at Examiner.com.

Arum was getting ripped all over the place and our Indianapolis based scribe, Dennis Guillermo, chimed in with his thoughts on the matter.

Now, the always flexible, always versatile, promoter has folded up like a $5 umbrella in a windstorm.

Now, according to Arum, the title being on the line and Pacquiao having a chance to make history by being the first fighter to win seven weight division world titles.

Now Arum is schmoozing and not cursing WBO leader Francisco “Paco” Valcarcel.

And, in speaking to Filipino scribe Ronnie Nathanielsz, both Arum and Valcarcel have shifted the onus to champion Cotto.

Folks, there is no way out for the Boricua Bomber. Not when Arum has even gone so far as to publicly proclaim that he will pay the sanctioning fees, $150,000 each, for both fighters.

The only exit for Cotto would be for him to resign the title and you know he’s not going to do that. That would be like an admission that he can’t beat Pacman.

Common sense has prevailed.

I hope Arum, turning 78 in December, has learned something about Pinoys as exemplified by the massive, loyal fan base that Pacquiao enjoys.


Paco Valacacel photo, Notifight.com.They are not docile. They are not chumps who pay their money and demand nothing.

Arum found this out the hard way.

Arum disregarded their feelings and disrespected their amazing support of Manny and of Arum’s Top Rank Promotions.

In four decades, I can’t recall Arum ever misreading something so completely.

His remarks were the height of arrogance.

But, give him credit now.

Arum was wrong, you Pacman fans made that loud and clear immediately, and Arum has taken corrective action.

It will be a snowy July day in steamy Las Vegas before Arum ever blows off the Pinoy fight fans again.

Arum cares because you care.

You threatened to lessen Sponge Bob’s bottom line and he knew it.

But, in this case the why doesn’t matter as much as the what does.

Pacquiao versus Cotto is on and the Puerto Rican will bring that belt into the ring with him.

Then it’s up to Pacquiao to take possession

share on: facebook

Pacquiao 2-1 pick in November fight vs Cotto

Odds had installed Filipino Manny Pacquiao as a 2-1 favorite in his scheduled 12-round November 14 face off with Miguel Cotto at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Now, even the surveys appear leaning on a Pacman win four months from now.

In an online poll conducted by ESPN boxing, at least 54 percent of the 38,011 people who voted see the 12-round fight ending in a knockout victory for the 30-year old General Santos City native.

People surveyed were asked the question ‘How will the Miguel Cotto/Manny Pacquiao match up be decided?’

Pacquiao being unbeaten the last four years and his impressive showing against former world champions David Diaz, Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton may have a lot to do with the high number of votes going for a KO win by the current world top pound-for-pound fighter.

His bout with the 28-year old Cotto also marks just the second time the Pacman is fighting above 140 pounds, the first being his December 6 showdown with De La Hoya which ended in a brutal eight round technical KO win.

In contrast, 21 percent believe Cotto will deliver a KO victory against the Filipino ring icon.

The Puerto Rican, reigning World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight champion, is coming off an unimpressive 12-round split decision victory against Joshua Clottey of Ghana at the Madison Square Garden in New York.

Even those who see the fight going the distance, Pacquiao still registered the higher percentage at 16 percent compared to the eight earned by Cotto.

Only one percent voted that the bout will end in a decision. – GMANews.TV
share on: facebook

Team Pacquiao Made a Weighty Mistake With Cotto - Boxing News

I’m excited about the Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto fight on November 14 and out of all the possible matchups to be made between Pacquiao, Mayweather, and Mosley, this one has the greatest potential to produce the magical fireworks of a legendary prize fight and will be well worth your pay-per-view dollars. 

That being said, Team-Pacquiao made a big mistake and after all the verbal sparring between Arum and Pacquiao’s representatives and the countless meetings that took place across the world’s different time zones, Manny Pacquiao’s advisors failed him and came away with a horrible deal that will negatively impact the final stages of his career. 

Now the financial split has yet to be announced and even though finances are always the priority, a good manager knows that sometimes the logistics surrounding a fight can change a fighter’s career more pervasively than a purse split.

When Sugar Ray Leonard challenged Marvin Hagler in 1987, poor Marvin thought that his team had controlled the negotiations because the Marvelous one received the lion’s share of the purse split, but Leonard’s brain-trust didn’t care about the money and put more emphasis on the fight’s particulars, “Hagler gave us everything we wanted, he was just worried about the money, but we didn’t care about the money, we wanted to win the fight, so we gave him the money and he gave us everything else,” commented Leonard’s career advisor, the astute Mike Trainer. 

And because Team Leonard made some financial concessions to Hagler, he got to decide on the size of the ring and the bout was sanctioned for twelve rounds instead of 15-rounds, which were still being sanctioned at the time, but were in the process of being phased out.

It’s pretty obvious that team Cotto followed a strategy similar to Mike Trainer’s and probably left some money on the table in order to put Miguel In a better position to win the fight.

So instead of haggling over an extra half-million or so, they conceded to Team Pacquiao’s financial terms and held steadfast in their demand that the bout take place at 145 pounds. 

Now I know boxing fans are thinking, “What’s the big deal, it’s just a couple of pounds,” but that’s just not the case. 

Most fans have never had to make weight for a sporting contest and don’t realize how difficult it is for a fighter to make weight.  The whole process is a tolling and debilitating experience and in this instance, those two pounds are going to make a huge difference. 

Cotto had a lot of trouble making the 140 pound limit and was visibly weakened throughout his entire campaign as the WBO 140 pound champion and regularly complained about the physical toll it took on his body and was dropped and almost stopped by Ricardo Torres and almost taken out by the ordinary DeMarcus Corley in front of his hometown fans.

Since moving up to 147 pounds in the fall of 2006 his ability to recuperate and absorb punishment has increased substantially.

Just look how his equilibrium withstood  all those shots from Antonio Margarito, a huge welterweight who may have had cement in his gloves and compare that to how Cotto was shaken up by a couple of punches from the light hitting DeMarcus Corley and it’s obvious that making the junior-welterweight limit weakened Cotto.

It’s because the process of having to lose six to twelve pounds two or three days before a weigh-in is so debilitating. 

Now you may think cutting weight is scientific in its methodology, but unfortunately the process of cutting weight is barbaric and has to do more with basic arithmetic than the scientific method.

Most of the weight is water-weight and fighters know all the little tricks of the weight-loss-trade. 

For instance, fighters know that after a good night’s sleep you generally weigh in one pound less in the morning.  They also know that you can shed two to three pounds of water weight during a hard work out.

Just for those of you who aren’t aware of the rigors of making weight let me go over a scenario that occurs regularly before almost every fight card in the world. 

Let’s say a fighter has to weigh in at 140 pounds on Friday at noon and its Thursday morning and they weigh 146.  They can work out at the gym and have a little bit of water.  144.  Then they can go home, rest, hopefully use the bathroom, sleep, and wake up in the morning. 142 ½. Then Friday before the weigh in they can work out and maybe use the sauna and weigh 140 pounds for less than an hour and make the contracted weight. 

Just try to fathom that experience for a moment and ponder the thought of having to complete two professional level workouts with very little water and hardly any food intake over a twenty-four hour period.

Now that scenario is something closer to what a mid to high level amateur experiences, some of the professionals have to make some insane sacrifices to make weight. Imagine having to go through that experience for three, four, or even five days before a fight. 

The simple fact of the matter is that making weight is tough and besides getting hit, it may be the most difficult thing a fighter has to deal with. 

Guys like Jake LaMotta and James Toney always had more problems with the scales than their opponents.  Henry Ramirez, who had over fifty amateur fights and trains a stable of fighters which includes Chris Arreola, is well aware of the problems fighters encounter at the scales and commented, “Everybody’s body is different and everybody cuts weight differently, but it’s a trying experience. I know a lot of fighters are so dehydrated that they dream about drinking the water when they are in the shower in the days leading up to a fight!”

Now Cotto moved up 147 pound in the fall of 2006 and will probably never fight at 154 pounds, he’s just too short and probably doesn’t have the length necessary to compete at the elite level in the higher weight classes. 

He’s a welterweight plain and simple and now he has to drop two extra pounds to fight the Pac-man. 

Now if Cotto were really struggling to make 147 I would say those two pounds would make a difference and that losing those extra 32 ounces would negatively impact his overall strength, but he makes the welterweight limit relatively easily, I mean he’s not like Felix Trinidad at welterweight or James Toney at Middleweight, and the two pounds shouldn’t have a negative impact on his physical state and that’s a bad thing for Manny Pacquiao.

>145 pounds is only two pounds below the welterweight limit. So those two pounds that were subtracted aren’t going to make much of the difference, but the four pounds had the bout been contracted at 143 pounds would have made huge difference because they would have sufficiently weakened Miguel, just like it did when he was fighting at 140 because even though it would have been three pounds north of the junior-welterweight limit, Cotto has been fighting at welterweight for the past three years and his body has matured and developed.  As a result the drop to 143 pounds in November may have even been more debilitating than making 140 had been because he’s bigger now.

I know people are going to say I’m a Pacquiao hater, that I wrote the article about Pacquiao avoiding black fighters, but I’m not and readily admit that I have underestimated the Philippine juggernaut a couple of times.

First I believed and predicted that De La Hoya was going to destroy him and then even though I picked Manny to win the fight with Rick Hatton, I never envisioned him taking the Hitman out in such a dramatic fashion so early in the bout.

Still this bout is different.  Pacquiao is fighting a prize fighter in his twenties who has clearly established himself as one of the three best welterweights in the world with wins over Shane Mosley, Zab Judah, and Joshua Clottey.  And the boxing fraternity has put too much stock in his wins over De La Hoya and Hatton. 

De La Hoya was completely zapped after eating kangaroo meat and coming in at a weight he hadn’t been at in eleven years and Ricky Hatton just got caught by a fast southpaw. 

People think Pacquiao’s destruction of Hatton validated his win over Oscar, but it may have been an aberration, just a fast southpaw catching an orthodox fight, kind of like how Michael Nunn knocked out Sumbu Kalambay in 1989 in one round.

The thing is Manny Pacquiao is human.  He’s only had three fights above 130 pounds and now he is facing an elite welterweight in his twenties and only received a two pound weight concession.

Oscar De La Hoya made more concessions than Cotto and he was the sport’s pre-Madonna and was in his thirties and still agreed to drop to a weight he hadn’t fought at since Bill Clinton was President. 

Yes Cotto has looked vulnerable the past year with the shady win over Clottey and the loss to Margarito, but those guys are huge welterweights.  Clottey probably walks around at 180 pounds, we saw how he easily outmuscled Zab Judah and Diego Corrales and Margarito is such a big welterweight that he would be a good sized 154 pounder. That’s the point.  Those guys were bigger and stronger than Cotto and were able to back Miguel up and he doesn’t know how to fight going backwards. 

He’s just not adept at doing the boxing thing and looks like a fish out of water when he tries to box and use lateral movement, kind of like how Tommy Morrison looked when fought George Foreman. 
The simple fact of the matter is that Miguel Cotto is one dimensional.  He’s an offensive force and goes through guys like a hot knife through butter.  Besides Tyson, Chavez, and maybe Kelly Pavlik, I can’t recall too many guys that put that kind of pressure on, especially when it becomes apparent that he is the stronger fighter, which occurred when he bulldozed through Carlos Quintana and Alfonso Gomez.I know Manny Pacquiao is way better than those aforementioned fighters but he still is not going to be able to back Cotto up and that’s how you beat Miguel. 
If Pacquiao’s team of advisors had actually been capable managers, and not blow-smoke-up-your ass hanger-ons they would have demanded that Cotto reduced to 143 pounds. Those two extra-pounds would have meant at least an extra-day or two of drying out because the lower you go, the harder it gets to lose the water weight, which would have weakened him just little bit more and slowed him down just a tad bit which would have made him more susceptible to Pacquiao’s counters and power. 
Besides what was Cotto going to do?  Fight a rematch with Margarito or Clottey, two huge welterweights that already gave him hell and don’t bring the kind of recognition and financial compensation that a fight with Pacquiao brings.

Pacquiao’s advisors had all of the leverage and failed to make an agreement that would have leveled the playing field between Miguel and Manny. Even Freddie Roach is aware of the strength disparity between the two and that’s why throughout the early part of the negotiations he was unwavering in his desire for the bout to take place at 143 pounds.
People might think two pounds can’t make a difference, but those seven pounds Cotto added after moving up to welterweight sure did and unfortunately for Manny Pacquiao he’s the one that’s going to have to deal with the impropriety of the contract in November.
Notes:Favorite Quote: Shortly before the rubber-match with Mickey Ward, HBO awarded Gatti with a multi-fight contract and Executive Kerry Davis had this to say about Arturo, “There have been plenty of setbacks, sure, but the one thing that’s been consistent is that he’s always been exciting.  HBO is an entertainment company.  That’s really what we are and Arturo Gatti is pound for pound the most exciting fighter in the sport.” Rest in peace Arturo you are a true warrior in every sense of the word.
Everybody talks about the Ward fights, but the Wilson Rodriguez fight was awesome too as was the first fight with Ivan Robinson, and his fight with Gabe Ruelas.Dan Rafael mentioned a hypothetical bout between Diego Corrales and Arturo Gatti and concluded that he wasn’t sure who would have won it and not to disparage Gatti, but I think in terms of skills, Corrales was in another class and would have beaten him.

After reports surfaced that Miguel Cotto and Oscar De La Hoya bumped into each other on a Golf Course in Puerto Rico, do you think Cotto had to sign an extension of his promotional agreement with Top Tank in order to land the super-bout with Pacquiao?I’m picking David Haye to beat Valuev.  Hey if you can’t dominate Holyfield at his age, you are going to have problems with a young, talented, and motivated challenger.  And I don’t think Haye is going to pull out of this fight because he probably realizes that this maybe the only heavyweight title fight out there that he actually has a chance of winning.

Manny Pacquiao is a legend and has to be considered one of the twenty or twenty-five greatest fighters to ever lace up a pair of gloves.  And if he can beat Cotto, I’ll put him in the top twelve! Seriously how many guys have fought and made their presence felt in so many of the eight traditional weight classes? Not too many.  Brent Matteo Alderson, a graduate of UCLA, has been part of the staff at BoxingScene.com since 2004. Alderson's published work has appeared in publications such as Ring Magazine, KO, World Boxing, Boxing 2008, and Latin Boxing Magazine. Alderson has also been featured on the ESPN Classic television program “Who’s Number One?”
share on: facebook

Does Bob Arum consider Pacquiao fans irrelevant?

Without the WBO belt, Pacquiao-Cotto's Nov. 14 bout will flop.

Mark my words, if Bob Arum insists on staging a beltless Pacquiao-Cotto bout on November 14, the returns will be significantly less than he expects it to be and burn him a lot more than the $150,000 sanctioning fees the WBO demands for him to pay for the bout to have Cotto's title on the line.

See it's not really about the luster of the WBO belt. We all know the value of ABC belts in boxing have depreciated similar to houses all across the US but the fact is, Pacquiao is on the verge of making history.

Besides, haven't we been here before? Wasn't it just a few months ago when Pacquiao's value was being underestimated during discussions about the purse-split between him and Ricky Hatton? At the time Arum was also quoted expressing his disappointment with Pacquiao asking for more than a 50/50 split when he could've very well fought for his ward. We all know what happened in that one and after his destruction of Hatton and how he made the proud Brit look like a bum sparring partner, one has to wonder how Hatton was even paid remotely anywhere close to 50 percent of the pot against Pacquiao. Okay I get it, The Hitman has a huge buying fan base, but the theme is increasingly disturbing as to how Pacquiao's fan base, arguably the most active followers of the sport today, is being taken forgranted once again.

After all, without great fighters that always provide great fights, nobody will buy Pay-Per-Views anyway. Manny Pacquiao by far is the best in the business of doing that right now. Floyd Mayweather Jr. may have suckered people in the past into buying his fights next to more popular dance partners like De la Hoya and Hatton, but a lot of those same fans know better now to stay away from purchasing his fights because of his boring style. There's a reason why nobody is really talking about Mayweather-Marquez right now.

It's a slap on Pacquiao's face and his fans to say that nobody cares that he wins a seventh divisional crown, something nobody else in history has ever done. Perhaps Arum is banking on Pacquiao's newfound non-Filipino related US boxing fanbase to pull thru in terms of buying the fight card because I'm guaranteein you right now, Filipinos from all around the world will not purchase this fight if they continue to belittle their significance in the grand scheme of things.

So nobody cares in the US cares about Pacquiao making history? You can either interpret that as saying America simply wants to see Pacquiao fight Cotto regardless of what's at stake or that Bob Arum considers Pacquiao's fans in the US as "nobodies". Truth be told, all you have to do is have Michael Marley forward you a copy of the 18 thousand names and signatures he received in a span of 24 hours expressing their desire for Pacquiao and Cotto's fight on November 14 to be for all the marbles.

It's not even about weight. Two pounds under 147 is acceptable and is a far-cry from the 143 Pacquiao said to have wanted. Even Floyd Mayweather's trainer Roger Mayweather gave props to Pacquiao saying he has "some major balls" to have the audacity and move up to challenge Cotto. For one, his nephew never even bothered take that challenge and opted to fight the smaller Juan Manuel Maruez instead.

Perhaps Arum’s master plan is percolating as we speak. Maybe this is a publicity stunt as some people say it is, but one thing's for sure, if Arum wants this fight to exceed expectations in terms of PPV sales, he needs to throw Cotto's belt in the mix which isn't such a bad promotional tool either. The people have spoken, and I do not condone ripping these fights off and watching them for free on online stream sites but I know how these things go. Filipinos know how to use their technology and fight back when they are being pinned against the wall and signs are pointing towards a boycott of Pacquiao-Cotto if they don't feel like they will get what they and their idol deserve. The ball is in your court Bob. Make the right move!
share on: facebook