THE SUPER FIGHT IS OFF; MAYWEATHER CHICKENS OUT

The planned March 13 super fight between boxing hero and pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao and former No.1 Floyd Mayweather Jr is off after Mayweather chickened out despite Pacquiao accepting a compromise proposal to bring the blood test closer to the fight date from his original 30 day cutoff period to 24.

The Mayweather camp had demanded that Pacquiao undergo random blood tests to be conducted by the US Anti Doping Agency following unsubstantiated allegations that he was on performance enhancing drugs. The Pacquiao camp originally indicated it was ready to submit to blood tests one day before the kickoff press conference, 30 days before the fight and immediately after the fight in his dressing room stating that if Pacquiao was on any illegal substance it would surely show up in the post-fight test.

After the Mayweather handlers claimed Pacquiao had blood extracted from him 14 days before the Ricky Hatton fight in May 2009 as shown on the HBO 24/7 pre-fight series to put holes in his position of a 30-day deadline, Rick Reeno of boxingscene.com produced documents to show the blood test shown on HBO was actually done 24 days before the fight which Pacquiao agreed to as a compromise to help get the fight done.

Despite the mediation efforts of retired federal judge Daniel Weinstein who spent nine hours with both parties on Tuesday, nothing was apparently achieved except that both sides were placed under a gag order which prevented them from talking.

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum has steadfastly refused to divulge details of what transpired behind the closed doors of Judge Weinstein’s Santa Monica office except to confirm on Thursday (Manila Time) that the fight was off even as he blamed Mayweather for the collapse of a fight which millions of boxing fans around the world wanted.

Arum maintained that Mayweather’s refusal “established what I have always believed and that is that Mayweather never wanted to fight Manny because he was scared to death” which is what trainer Freddie Roach and conditioning expert Alex Ariza had said from the very beginning when they claimed Pacquiao would give Mayweather “a bad beating.”

Arum revealed that Pacquiao is likely to fight for his eighth world title in an eighth weight division against 154 pound champion Yuri Foreman. The renowned promoter who handles Foreman said “Yuri is ready and I’ll check to get confirmation with Manny,” indicating that should it push through the fight would be held on March 13 or 20 also in Las Vegas.

Pacquiao adviser Michael Koncz said that the immensely popular Filipino southpaw who has won every conceivable award in boxing and was recently featured on the cover of Time Magazine with a five-page spread said he was “disappointed at not being able to give the fans what they wanted and claimed Mayweather used this (blood testing) as an excuse to get out of the fight and we’ll just have to move on.”

Koncz himself posed the question “how does Mayweather go around claiming he is the best pound-for-pound fighter and the best fighter if he is not willing to engage the people’s choice as the best fighter?” noting that Pacquiao has also been endorsed by Ring Magazine and numerous other boxing publications and internet sites as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world today. Koncz added “this is all a sham.”

Pacquiao’s concern over blood being extracted too close to the fight stems from his experience before the first fight with Erik “El Terrible” Morales in March 19, 2005 when he was forced to have a blood test a couple of days before the fight after his medical records were allegedly lost in transmission.

However, a video tape from our personal archives of a heated discussion on the issue showed that the Executive Director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission at that time, Marc Ratner, pointed out that the blood test submitted had been taken in January which was too long before the fight and the NSAC commission set a cut-off of 30 days and emphasized that if Pacquiao refused to take the blood test the fight would have to be called off. Pacquiao reluctantly took the test and later said he had a headache and felt dizzy and attributed that to the extraction of blood too close to the fight which he lost on points.


It appears that Pacquiao’s original 30-day cut-off jibed with the requirements of the NSAC which has jurisdiction over the fights in Las Vegas and whose authority Pacquiao and his handlers want respected, which Mayweather, by demanding that the USADA undertake the tests refuses to do. Koncz pointed out that even when the chairman of the NSAC asked Pacquiao to take a urine test in the Philippines over which the Commission has no jurisdiction he took the test which was done by a doctor of the Philippine Olympic Committee, accredited by the World Anti Doping Agency and the International Olympic Committee.

www.insidesports.ph, Standard Today, Viva Sports and boxingscene.com understand that the Mayweather handlers led by Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer and Mayweather’s top adviser Al Hayman had tried to convince the fighter to agree to the 24-day blood test proposal which Pacquiao had agreed to and which medical experts had said was more than sufficient to detect any traces of performance enhancing drugs, but they were turned down by Mayweather resulting in the fight being called off.

Edgar Sosa Will Protest TKO Loss To Rodel Mayol

Former champion Edgar Sosa has spoken to the press in Mexico and disclosed his plans to file a full protest with Mexican Commission and the WBC to overturn Saturday's two-round TKO loss to Filipino Rodel Mayol in Chiapas, Mexico. Sosa won the WBC junior flyweight title in April 2007 with a decision over Brian Viloria. He made ten defenses of that title until Mayol shocked the world on Saturday.

The sticking point of the protest has to do with the bad clash of heads that took place in the second round of the fight. The head clash sent Sosa down and opened up a cut on his face. The referee Roberto Ramirez ruled it as an "intentional" foul and took away a point from Rodel. After a ringside physician ruled that Sosa could continue, Mayol jumped on Sosa and battered him until the ref stopped the contest.

"I did not recover from the headbutt. It was hard to fight because I was very hurt and could not focus. What happened was intentional," Sosa said. "There should have been a disqualification but they let it continue."

Mayol's camp will shoot back and ask why Sosa did not disclose any of this to the ringside doctor or the referee. Sosa's camp will shoot back and tell officials to take a look at Mayol's history. In Mayol's last two fights, both against Ivan Calderon, there were clashes of heads that forced an early end in both contests. In both fights Calderon was cut badly from clashing with Mayol's head.

Sosa suffered a fractured cheekbone from the head clash and wants the fight's result changed to a no-contest. It's already being reported that the WBC will order an immediate rematch but Sosa's injury will keep him away from the ring for several months.

Ward Owns Kessler, Puts U.S. Back in The Super Six

In 2004, Super Middleweight Andre Ward unselfishly moved up in weight to make room for more talent on the U.S. Olympic team. He went home from Athens with the Gold Medal in the Light Heavyweight division.

On Saturday night, the 25-year old Ward (21-0, 13 KO) added professional gold in front of a rabid hometown crowd at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, California, to close the first round of the “Super Six World Boxing Classic” tournament. Fighting with poise and a bag of tricks as varied as any seasoned veteran, Ward used his hands, arms, feet, and head to dominate the man who entered the tournament as the de facto number one seed, 30-year old WBA titlist Mikkel Kessler of Denmark (42-2, 32 KO), winning a decisive technical decision after the contest was stopped due to cuts in the eleventh round.

Both men came into the bout in fighting trim, Kessler a pound beneath the division limit at 167 and Ward weighing in at 166 ½.

After an intense staredown where both men rocked back and forth, their eyes never off the other man, Ward stepped forward with a hard lead left hook at the opening bell. The blow missed but Ward made contact with some snapping jabs and a counter left over a lazy Kessler right. Switching to southpaw, Ward popped in a lead left to the body and he stayed at distance. Ward would continue to vary his stance while Kessler stalked, throwing little until attempting to unspool his jab in the final minute of round one.

Both men fired jabs to start the second, Ward also finding another blinding left hook. A pair of Kessler rights sailed over the shoulders of a ducking Ward, later joined by another missing right and a blocked left hook as Ward circled the ring. Kessler found contact with a pair of rights to the body, followed by a jab to the chest, as Ward skated near the ropes. In the closing thirty seconds, both men grappled in clinches, Ward bursting out with two left jabs and landing a measured right just before the bell. Ward missed with a big right seconds in the third then, after briefly clinching, opened up and landed to the body then with a right and left upstairs. As the round wore on, Ward continued to land with both hands, his speed overwhelming the aggressive but ineffective Kessler. Kessler headed to the corner with the beginnings of a swelling beneath his right eye.

The action heated up considerably in the fourth round of an already fast paced fight. Near the midway mark, Kessler landed a big left hook, stunning Ward who slipped the following right and clinched. Seconds later, Ward landed his own big right hand and forced a backwards step from Kessler. Ward, who was clinching often, was able to land in explosive bursts between holds.

Round five opened with another slashing Ward right hand but as the round wore on Kessler slipped more shots. Halfway through the round, Kessler landed a hard left hook and Ward a right almost simultaneously and in the final minute the titlist’s offense emerged as a factor. A hard right near the ropes slowed Ward’s output and the Californian appeared to lose a bit of steam as the closing bell approached.

Both men were at center ring well before the clang which initiated round six, both landing hard jabs before a hard Kessler left hook brought a motion of acknowledgement from Ward. It was a brief respite from frustration as Kessler continued to struggle with the speed of Ward’s clinch-throw-clinch approach. In the final minute, Kessler landed a right but found the left hook blocked only to be slowed again by rapid holding from Ward. Ward closed the sixth with two right hands to the face of Kessler as the Dane searched for answers.

Clearly behind at the bout’s middle, Kessler found the scoring hole only getting deeper, able to land a token left hook while being raked with right hands. By round eight, it was Kessler initiating clinches as he tried to catch his breath and stem the tide of leather raining onto his face. A short right early in the round and an early return of his jab were his only notable offense before a sneaky left in the final minute. Ward rocked his head back with rights to avenge the latter slight and Kessler trudged to the corner, blood streaming from a cut opened over his left eye during a late clash of heads.

For the second round in a row, Kessler complained to his corner that he couldn’t see but Kessler said no when asked if he wanted to stop. Told by his corner he needed a knockout to win, Kessler walked into a right and left to start the ninth. Attempting to measure Ward coming in while back pedaling for most of the round, Kessler would take steady punishment until landing a flurry of blows in the closing seconds. It was his most spirited, sustained punching effort of the fight to then.

Following a clash of head which brought an audible yelp from Kessler in round ten, and a fresh cut over the right eye, Kessler and Ward engaged in a heated exchange and Kessler took punches in multiple while hoping for a turn-around bomb. He ended the round slammed with a left hand to the mouth.

The championship rounds reached, Ward needed only to stay afoot for six minutes to claim his first major title as a professional…in theory. Just shy of two minutes into the eleventh, the cut over Kessler’s right eye worsened after another clash of heads and the ring doctor ruled the fight closed. The cuts having come via referee Jack Reiss’s ruling of accidental headbutt, the bout went to the cards where scoring was academic, judges Stanley Christodoulou and Steve Morrow favoring Ward in eight rounds at 98-92 and judge Mikael Hook giving Kessler the benefit in a single frame more at 97-93.

All of the scores appeared closer than the fight itself.

Ward was jubilant in celebrating the biggest victory of his career so far. Before commenting on the action in the ring, Ward reflected with faith. “I have to thank God for this because he constantly puts me up against giants. He puts me in situations where naturally I’m not supposed to overcome but, I’m telling you, that God…there’s nothing impossible with Jesus Christ in your life.”

Turning to the victory, Ward stated, “I just felt like it was my time. I wasn’t intimidated by Kessler’s record…I was surprised he didn’t make the adjustments. He kinda’ kept doing the same thing over and over. Taking nothing away from (Kessler), I know he’s a super champion and I know why he’s been champion for so long.”

A dejected Kessler remained frustrated after the bout with the holding tactics and head work of Ward. “I’m not used to that the referee don’t stop the fight when you’re holding. And he was using his headbutt all the time. Every time he got in, he head butted me. And every time I (attempted to break) he let him punch me. I’m not used to that…I think it was unfair with the headbutts, the holding, and the home judge referee.”

Kessler sounded unsure about his future in the immediate aftermath of his loss. “I have to look at how the fight went on, see what I can do better, and see if I still got it.” Kessler’s only other defeat came in November 2007 when, while holding the WBA and WBC belts, he lost a unification battle with future Hall of Famer Joe Calzaghe of Wales.

The much anticipated “Super Six World Boxing Classic” tournament completes its first round with Ward joining Arthur Abraham and Carl Froch in the winner’s circle. The previous two bouts of the opening round occurred last month, on October 17th.

Based in Germany, the 29-year old Armenian Abraham (31-0, 25 KO), a former IBF Middleweight titlist, knocked out 31-year old former World Middleweight champion Jermain Taylor (28-4-1, 17 KO) of Little Rock, Arkansas, in the twelfth round in Germany.

The 32-year old WBC Super Middleweight titlist Froch (26-0, 20 KO), of England, won a narrow and debated split decision verdict against 26-year old 2004 U.S. Olympic Middleweight Bronze Medalist Andre Dirrell (18-1, 13 KO) in his hometown of Nottingham.

Under the points system utilized in the three preliminary rounds of the “Super Six,” Abraham leads the field with three points (two for the victory over Taylor, one for knocking him out), while Froch and Ward each trail Abraham with two points.

The second round matches, set to begin in early 2010, are currently slated as Kessler-Froch, Ward-Taylor, and Abraham-Dirrell.

Taylor has been a source of speculation as to whether he would continue in the tournament. The Abraham loss was his third suffered knockout in his last five contests; including stoppage defeats in the first of two fights with current Middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik in September 2007 and to Froch in a fight prior to the Super Six in April 2009.

Asked if he expected to see Taylor in the next round, Ward said, “That’s up to him. I read a Twitter where he answered his fans and said he was training and preparing, so that’s who we’re getting ready for. We fought the best in the world tonight…people though I got a bad draw but we told everybody, ‘no, this is the right draw.’ So, we beat the top guy, we’re gonna’ rest a little bit.”

Saturday’s contest was broadcast on United States premium cable outlet Showtime, promoted by Sauerland Events and Goosen Tutor Boxing. ....source

PACQUIAO HAD SOME INJURIES TOO

Las Vegas, NV: Manny Pacquiao won his 7th division world title fight with a magnificent TKO over a very strong and tough Miguel Cotto.

But he did not escape unscratched.

“Cotto’s punches hurt but I just pretended they did not so as to discourage him” Pacquiao was quoted as saying.

After the 12-round fight, Cotto was taken to the hospital upon advice of the Nevada Athletic Commission as a pre-cautionary measure for routine full body scan. Thankfully, it was announced later that his is fine and will box again another day.

Pacquiao did not have to go but he stayed at the dressing room for several minutes to be attended by a plastic surgeon. Bob Arum indicated that they had to “drain some blood from his right ear to prevent the so called “cauliflower” effect that is prevalent on boxers and wrestlers.

At the post fight press conference the ever smiling world champion came in sporting a huge bandage on his right ear.

But he did not seem affected as he answered questions from the media.

He even sang a few bars of the same song he sung at the Jimmy Kimmel Show a week ago and invited everyone to witness his concert. “Of course you will have to pay $40.00”, he said.

Cotto's Grand Arrival at the MGM Grand

Cotto was greeted by his countrymen about an hour after Pacquiao's arrival. The Boricua Bomber is looking lean and mean and ready to inflict as much pain he can on the Pacman this Saturday. Also present were his team members such as cutman Joe Chavez, strength and conditioning coach Phil Landman and best friend Brian Perez.

Funny Clip: Pacquiao talks smack about Marquez

"That's why he (Marquez) was not strong enough in the fight because he only drank urine, he has to eat his sh!t too" - Manny Pacquiao

Manny Pacquiao Arrives in Las Vegas

1/10/09, Las Vegas, Nevada -- Six-time world champion pound-for-pound king Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao, General Santos, Philippines is surrounded by hundreds of fans and media as he makes his 'Grand' arrival at the MGM Grand Tuesday for his upcoming "FIREPOWER" World Welterweight championship fight against three-time world champion and the pride of Puerto Rico Miguel Cotto, Caguas, Puerto Rico. Pacquiao vs Cotto is promoted by Top Rank, in association with MP Promotions,Cotto Promotions,MGM Grand and Tecate, will take place, Saturday, November 14 at the sold out MGM Grand in Las Vegas and will be available live on HBO Pay Per View.

Cotto's punching power against Pacquaio's speed

We are now days away before these two fearless fighters,Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto finally meet in the ring. Is there really anyone who believes this fight will go to decision? The probability of this fight resulting in a stoppage seems extremely high. This mega fight card was properly named,"Firepower" which both Pacquiao and Cotto possess.

Miguel Cotto is a true welterweight,many of Pacquaio's previous opponents have lacked the power he has. Cotto's impressive record speaks for itself 34-1. That one questionable loss coming from Antonio Margarito. Although he is not the same fighter,since suffering from that devastating loss. Miguel Cotto should not be underestimated.

Cotto has many strengths he is a smart,skilled fighter who is a very heavy handed puncher. He is also very weak in many areas. In Cotto's last fight with Joshua Clottey,he showed he can be easily hit and lacks speed. Pacquiao will not hesitate to capitalize on every weakness Cotto has.

Miguel Cotto must be ready to take punishment from Manny Pacquiao,who will use his overwhelming speed,and dish out relentless attacks. The same can be said for Pacquiao,who will get hit with forceful punches from a strong Cotto.

Pacquaio has many advantages over Cotto,with his ability to cut off the ring and apply pressure. This will prove to be a problem for Cotto,who has difficulty when under pressure. Cotto must be ready to defend,against Pacquiao's power and blinding combinations. Miguel Cotto's defense has been dismal of late.

Pacquaio seems to get better with every fight,in his last 5 fights he is 5-0. His stamina is ridiculous. This also is a huge advantage,because Cotto seems to look fatigued in later rounds..
Pacquaio's speed and exceptional footwork also has to be carefully looked at. Pacquaio will unleash solid strikes on Cotto,and get away before Cotto has an opportunity to retaliate.

Pacquaio is much smaller which gives Cotto a huge advantage.. Cotto is an excellent counter puncher and Pacquaio's defense must be solid. Cotto's powerful punches if landed can inflict damage on Pacquiao. Can Cotto surprise the world,and upset the Filipino sensation,with the odds clearly stacked against him?

Both fighters have a tremendous amount of heart. Cotto must man up to have a chance against Pacquaio. As seen in Cotto's previous fights he tends to run when under pressure. Pacquiao will not give him any breathing room,and will chase him. It is highly unlikely neither fighter will give up and quit. This will be a battle of who can outbox each other.

If Cotto can neutralize Pacquiao's lightning speed and land key punches it is a strong possibility he could win.

If Pacquiao can survive those tough punches from Cotto and land some ruthless combinations it is a strong possibility he could win.

In my 8CountNews exclusive interviews with Joshua Clottey and Alfonso Gomez last month. The two opponents who faced Miguel Cotto gave me their predictions on this upcoming fight.

Joshua Clottey: If Pacquaio can take all of Cotto's punches he will win.

Alfonso Gomez: This fight is for Pacquiao to win. He is fast and strong. Pacquiao should win.

No one can really predict what may happen in this fight. All we can do is continue to analyze the weakness and strengths of both fighters. It has to be said that the advantage is for Pacquaio speed,accuracy,stamina,and strength is a winning combination,but as i stated Cotto should never be underestimated.

This is the most anticipated fight of 2009. We will soon have a clear winner and the speculating will be over. November 14 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas,the pride of the Philippines and the pride of Puerto Rico will meet and only one will emerge victorious.

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COTTO: "I'm Completely Recovered From The Margarito Fight"

After so many press conferences, there‘s not much left to say. All the good questions have been asked and answered. And asked again and answered again. So what else is there? It’s late - just over a week until fight night - and if there’s a good question out there that still needs to be asked, no one has heard it. And it might be too late for second chances. Besides, it’s not like Miguel Cotto is running for office, trying to sway undecided voters to his side just before the midnight hour. You have to figure by now, all the important questions have been asked and sides picked. Most have been asked a dozen times or more, stuff like, “How are you going to deal with Manny “PacMan” Pacquiao’s speed,?” Or, “What have you been working on in the gym?” Or, “How is your weight situation?” Good questions, but tired questions. Cotto is not going to convince anyone to come over to his side, not now, not when it’s this close to the Big Night. He must be tired of repeating himself. But that’s part of the fight game and Cotto will play his role in it, quietly and politely answering even the most foolish questions, the ones that have been asked a dozen times already. So on a conference call Thursday night, just nine days before his fight, Cotto went through the drill one more time, if not to win voters, maybe to get more pay-per-view viewers. “I plan on going home to Puerto Rico as the winner,” he said, again. “We wouldn’t have taken this fight (with a 145-pound catch weight) if we didn‘t think I‘d be at my best.” To the many Manny supporters out there, I can promise you this: Cotto is a very confident fighter. And he seems to easily ignore the wild predictions of Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, who says his fighter will win by an early knockout.. Maybe round one. . A great trainer, Freddie is a heck of a psychologist. Asked what he thought about Freddie’s prediction, Cotto didn’t miss a step. “Forget about what Freddie Roach says. He’s not going to be (fighting). All he can do is train Manny the best he can. No matter what Freddie says, I have a very strong mind, but I’m not going to (play mind games) with Freddie.” Might have been fun. The facts of the fight are this: Cotto (34-1, 27 KOs) , of Caguas, Puerto Rico, will put his WBO welterweight title on the line when he faces Pacquiao (49-3-2, 27 KOs) of the Philippines at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Nov. 14 (HBO, pay-per-view). Cotto is expected to make $10 million and Pacquiao will take home about $20 million before taxes. But the guaranteed winner in this fight is promoter Bob Arum, who handles both fighters. “My job as a promoter is to put my fighters into those fights where they can make the most money,” he said on the conference call. “In that regard, I’ve done my job.” In spades. It doesn’t seem right to call this just a fight. It deserves something bigger, something better. But then you think back to other great fights - Ali and Frazier, Micky Ward and Arturo Gatti, Diego Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo - and you realize some fights don’t need any help. They don’t need nicknames, or gimmicks, though they are calling this fight, “Firepower,” which doesn’t have the same ring to it as the “Thrilla in Manila,” or the “Rumble in the Jungle.” While Cotto is defending his WBO belt, Pacquiao is going for his seventh title. Asked what he thought about that, Cotto again didn’t hesitate. “If he thinks he’s going to win a seventh title, he picked the wrong fighter to do it against.” As for Pacquiao’s legendary hand speed, Cotto wasn’t giving out any secrets, but he did say “his speed is not going to be the factor everyone thinks it’s going to be.” Asked if he’s a better fighter since his close win over Joshua Clottey in June, Cotto said he fought nine rounds with a huge gash over his eye against a worthy opponent. How can that not make you a better fighter? “And I won,” he said. “I learned how to deal with huge problems during a fight.” He’ll have to deal with another huge problem on the night of the 14th. Finally, he was asked - again - if he is the same fighter today that he was before he was stopped in a brutal, controversial fight against Antonio Margarito in July 2008. It’s his only loss. “I’m completely recovered from the Margarito fight,“ he said. He’d better be.
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The Meaning of Manny

By Howard Chua-Eoan and Ishaan Tharoor

Manny Pacquiao is going through his throwing motion at Yankee Stadium. With easy deliberation, he shows off the form he says he perfected playing elementary school baseball in the dirt-poor southern Philippines before boxing took him over completely. His shoulder slips back, his torso pitches smoothly forward, left hand and arm torquing an imaginary ball into the depths of the air-conditioned players' cafeteria, where he is waiting to take the field for an announcement. The diamond stud in his ear catches the light. The baseball pose has a balletic grace at odds with the savage power that the best pound-for-pound professional boxer on earth exhibits in the ring. "Best pound-for-pound" is the mantra intoned with every story about Pacquiao. It sounds strange because he has never been bound by the laws of physics. In the past eight years, he has risen through six weight divisions to win just as many world championships. At the stadium, his promoters have arranged for the Filipino to make official his plan to fight Puerto Rico's Miguel Cotto for a seventh title, the welterweight, which has a maximum limit of 147 lb. (67 kg). That is a 40-lb. swing up from the 106 lb. Pacquiao weighed at the start of his career. He carried increased poundage through his past two jaw-droppingly awesome victories: demolishing Oscar De La Hoya in December 2008 and knocking out Ricky Hatton in two rounds in May. This is how Pacquiao's coach Freddie Roach describes his skill: "He'll throw a combination at you. You'll think he's done, but then he'll keep pounding you. And there's not a dense hardness to his punch. It just jumps on you. It explodes." Roach, who has worked with boxing luminaries such as De La Hoya and Mike Tyson, offers a little poetry when he recalls the time in 2001 when Pacquiao first came into his gym. "I just did one round with mitts with him, and I thought, 'Man, can this motherf______ fight.'" At Yankee Stadium on this September day, the Puerto Ricans who have come out to cheer Cotto are jeering Pacquiao, but for all that physics matters, the Filipino is the favorite for the Nov. 14 Las Vegas bout. His payday, it is said, will be about $18 million. Back in the Philippines, you can pun on Pacquiao with pakyaw — a verb, pronounced the same way, that means "to monopolize, to corner the market, to take everything at wholesale in order to maximize profit." Pacquiao knows he wants more than he has, more than boxing can give. At the stadium, he retails anecdotes from his life to a couple of Filipinos and repeats what seems to be both an assertion and a lesson learned. "'Di ako bobo," he says in Tagalog. "'Di ako bobo." "I'm not stupid." A Face for the Selfless Manny Pacquiao, now 30, is the latest savior of boxing, a fighter with enough charisma, intelligence and backstory to help rescue a sport lost in the labyrinth of pay-per-view. Global brands like Nike want him in their ads. He made the TIME 100 list this year. West Coast baseball teams invite him to throw out the first pitch in order to attract the Filipino-American community. He has even become an object of desire: ESPN the Magazine has his naked torso in its Body Issue, which explores the engineering of several athletic physiques. In the Philippines, Pacquiao is a demigod. The claim goes that when his fights are broadcast live, the crime rate plummets because everyone in the country is glued to a screen. His private life as well as the ins and outs and ups and downs of his training regimen are tabloid fodder; his much brooded political ambitions are a dilemma many Filipinos feel as existentially as Hamlet's soliloquy: To be or not to be ... a Congressman?
....read more

Roach bets on Pacquiao victory by KO

HOLLYWOOD — The joke among journalists huddled around trainer Freddie Roach Tuesday afternoon at the Wild Card gym was that they were betting on Manny Pacquiao stopping Miguel Cotto either in the first, ninth or 10th round.

Anybody hoping to make a little money on the side knows that Roach has been spot on with his predictions concerning the Filipino champion lately.

And “I put a thousand on the first, ninth and 10th rounds,” said Roach.

Pacquiao hunts for Cotto’s WBO welterweight belt on Nov. 14 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and the cerebral Roach believes his ward will snatch the crown from an opponent pasted to the canvas.

“Cotto gets hit early and once we hit him early, we’ll take him down,” Roach said.

Pacquiao, who is tapering off as fight night approaches, fought eight more rounds of sparring with Raul Beltran and Urbano Atillano and Roach hopes to have just 10 more rounds—six on Thursday and four on Saturday—of simulated matches before Team Pacquiao heads for Las Vegas.

After the session, Pacquiao went off to his first nationally televised appearance in the United States via the Jimmy Kimmel show where, according to Top Rank in its official website, the reigning pound-for-pound champ even belted out a ballad.

Pacquiao is slated to hold his media workout Wednesday afternoon at the Wild Card gym.

“I’m happy with everything and he’s where I want him to be,” said Roach, who has been on target with his predictions in Pacquiao’s last two fights.

Against Oscar De La Hoya in December 2008, Roach predicted a knockout by Pacquiao in the ninth round. After helplessly staying on the receiving end of a relentless barrage, De La Hoya did not answer the ninth-round bell.

Five months later, Roach predicted a second-round KO victory by his ward over British sensation Ricky Hatton. True enough, Pacquiao ended Hatton’s night—and possibly the Briton’s career—in the second round with a powerful left which his current foe, Cotto, described as a punch that could have brought down even Mike Tyson.

Roach said the only way Cotto is going to escape the fury of Pacquiao is to fight dirty, but the multiawarded mentor said he is counting on Kenny Bayless to keep things clean on fight night.

Roach said the game plan is to stay off the ropes and to keep the fight in the middle of the ring. The American has also tipped off Pacquiao on a Cotto mannerism that may help in fulfilling his predictions.

“Cotto cocks the left hook before he throws it,” Roach said of the Puerto Rican champ’s pet punch. “He basically tells you it’s coming.”

Behind the Scenes at David Haye's Training Camp

David Haye's trainer and manager, Adam Booth, claims only minor adjustments were made to the training regimen in preparation for Saturday's WBA heavyweight title fight against Nikolai Valuev, who stands over seven feet tall and weighs north of 300 pounds.

“Well, we hung the bags a bit higher, we had him punch upward at an angle,” Booth told BoxingScene.com during a brief telephone interview on Tuesday after an open workout in Nuremberg, Germany. “I wore what I call 'wedge boots' when we worked on the pads. We had some life-sized photos of Valuev in our gym which put his height into perspective and helped to remind David of the enormous task in front of him. But to tell you the truth, besides that, there was nothing major that we have done differently.”

Haye trained at a specially constructed private gym in South London just around the corner from the Park Plaza Hotel, which served as his home base. Most visitors were kept at a distance and locked out of training sessions. Haye often trained late at night and into the early morning hours to mimic the time the fight between he and Valuev is set to begin.

Booth admitted that part of their strategy revolved around making Valuev angry by insulting him and calling him names. The hope is that Valuev will be more aggressive than he has been in recent fights which they feel will play right into their hands.

“There has been a lot of talk, back and forth, and yes, some of it has been done by me,” said Booth who chuckled a bit. “David wound him up because he wants a fight, not a boxing match. We want the knockout. The hope is that Valuev won't jab and grab as he has been doing in the recent past.

“After 23 fights, to have this fight and for David to be in a position where he could choose which champion he could challenge, is definitely a testament to how exciting he is,” said Booth.

The primary sparring partner for Haye was 6'7” tall Danny Watts, 36, who retired in 2002 with a 10-2, 7 KOs record as a pro. Watts was the 1994 and 1996 English ABA super heavyweight champion when he boxed for the British army. His fighting weight was in the vicinity of 250 pounds but he now tips the scales at close to 300. Watts, who hails from Aldershot, about an hour's drive from London, has been in camp for the past three months. He also worked with Haye prior to the aborted Wladimir Klitschko fight.

Those who witnessed the sparring between Haye (who is weighing around 225 pounds) and Watts noted that the sessions were very productive. Watts watched many hours of fight tape on Valuev and he was able to closely emulate the Russian's moves. He also proved invaluable with the pad work and wearing the body armor as Haye was able to punch the big man with full force – something that was not possible to do with the smaller Booth.

ROACH WANTS PACQUIAO TO TRAIN IN BAGUIO IN HIS NEXT FIGHT

Baguio City, yes. Manila, no.

This was how famed trainer Freddie Roach answered a query whether he would again allow Filipino boxing hero Manny Pacquiao to establish his training camp in Baguio for his future fights.

“Baguio is very good. The weather is cold and very pleasant. It’s an ideal place for altitude training needed by any fighter to prepare for a bout,” Roach said after the world junior- welterweight wound up his five-week training stint Saturday at the Gerry Penalosa Gym in Mandaluyong City.

“The most important thing is in Baguio, there were no disturbance,” he said.

“Had it not for the typhoons that hit the city, we could have stayed there for five weeks and attain fully what we planned to accomplish,” he said, reiterating that if he will have his way and Pacquiao again decides to train here, he will recommend it.

The 49-year-old Hall of Famer added though that Manila, where Pacquiao undergone the last week of his preparation, will be his last choice, if ever the capital city will again be considered owing to what he said were distractions that, in one way or the other, affected Pacquiao’s training.

Roach was referring to a pair of workouts that were canceled because of sign of tiredness on the part of his boxer, which he attributed to his staying late at night entertaining visitors, mostly politicians and movie personalities.

“There’s just too much going on in Manila, but we were forced to be here because of the typhoons,” Roach said.

Despite the disruptions Roach assured that the preparations went well and that whatever delay incurred, the training team will make up when the group arrive in Los Angeles where Pacquiao will stay for two weeks before proceeding to Las Vegas where he will battle world welterweight champion Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico.

The welterweight championship fight titled “Firepower,” is set November 14 at the MGM Grand Arena.

“I’m not really worried. He’s (Pacquiao) in great shape he just got to get his mind on track and we’ll have no problems,” said Roach hours before they left for the United States Saturday evening.

Pacquiao himself expressed satisfaction with the way his training went.

“Gumanda ang kondisyon ko. Pagkatapos ng lamig sa Baguio, init naman dito sa Maynila. Medyo nakatulong sa endurance ko,” he told GAZETTE.

Pacquiao opted not to train in Hollywood because he is nearing the limit of his maximum allowable stay, as a non-US resident, in the United States.

Under the Substantial Presence Test, Pacquiao, if he stays beyond the limit, would have to pay taxes based on his earnings worldwide.

Meantime Pacquiao arrived in Los Angeles Sunday morning (Manila time) where he will undergo two more weeks of training at the Roach-owned Wild Card Gym in Hollywood starting today.

Top photo: Six-time world champion pound-for-pound king Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao (R), General Santos, Philippines gets help with his gloves from chief trainer Freddie Roach (ctr) and members of Team Pacquiao at the Wildcard Boxing Club in Hollywood Monday during his first day of training since arriving in the United States on Saturday. Pacquiao is preparing for his upcoming "FIREPOWER" World Welterweight championship fight against three-time world champion and the pride of Puerto Rico Miguel Cotto, Caguas, Puerto Rico. Pacquiao vs Cotto is promoted by Top Rank, in association with MP Promotions,Cotto Promotions,MGM Grand and Tecate, will take place, Saturday,November 14 at the sold out MGM Grand in Las Vegas and will be available live on HBO Pay Per View.

Pacquiao versus Cotto: The Firepower Mega-fight

If you are involved in real estate business, you are very much familiar with the housing adage "location, location, location." Not surprisingly, in boxing today there is a similar tune and that is "prediction, prediction, prediction." This is the most common topic in every boxing forum and every boxing website on the Internet: Who can accurately predict the outcome of the much anticipated, mega welterweight showdown between the pound for pound king Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao and the current WBO welterweight champion Miguel Angel Cotto of Puerto Rico? Boxing fans from all over the world and of course, boxing experts (analysts, promoters, trainers, journalists, etc.) have something to say about this incredible and exciting match-up between the two best ring gladiators of the Sweet Science.

Legendary boxing trainers like Angelo Dundee and Emanuel Steward predict that Cotto's skills and power will earn him a victory over the most exciting fighter in the world in Pacquiao, while Pacman's astute trainer Freddie Roach and conditioning guru Alex Ariza boldly claim that Cotto will not last against their fighter's blinding speed and vaunted power. Many popular fighters, who either currently have a championship title or have held one in the past, like Bernard Hopkins, Mike Tyson, and Floyd Mayweather, Jr., agree with Roach and Ariza's assessment. Hopkins believes that Cotto's youthful face will be "busted up" in this fight; Mayweather states that Pacquiao "is a quick starter" and he leans toward the latter in this showdown; and Mike Tyson undoubtedly forecasts, "Pacquiao will win." There are countless predictions made by different, knowledgeable boxing experts for this championship duel and the fighters truly deserve all the accolades and recognitions because they amazingly stand out amongst all the fighters of today: two gallant warriors ready to face and destroy each other with their limitless arsenal of "Firepower."

On November 14th, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, we will witness a boxing classic unfolds before our very eyes, between the fighting pride of Puerto Rico, Miguel Angel Cotto and of the Philippines, Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao. The former (Cotto) eying to dethrone the pound for pound champion and the latter (Pacquiao) ready to defend his title as the best fighter in the planet and to cement his legacy as one of boxing greats, if not the greatest, by winning an unprecedented seventh title in seven different weight divisions. Regardless of the outcome, worldwide fans of the Sweet Science can proudly boast that they witnessed the greatest fight of all time in their generation: The Firepower Championship of Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto.

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Haye Gets Under Valuev’s Skin

David Haye set out to unsettle WBA heavyweight champion Nikolay Valuev as soon as their November 7 heavywieght title bout was offically announced. A few weeks on and it appears that Haye’s continual insults appear to have had the desired effect. According to the giant 7ft 2, 360lbs champion’s German promoter Kalle-Sauerland, Valuev is finally getting wound up despite his claims the Englishman’s insults had no effect on him. Speaking to Sky Sports Sauerland said: "Niko has laughed at what Haye has been saying but he didn’t like the image of Haye punching his head off a cardboard cut out of himself. "He promised me that he’s going to knock Haye out, which he doesn’t normally say about opponents. "I think Haye has got to him a little bit. I don’t think he appreciates being called some of the things Haye has said. "He(Nicolay) has lost just once in fifty one fights and fought everyone out there available, so if he is a circus act like Haye says he is, I want to go the circus," added Sauerland.

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GORRES FACES COLUMBIAN KNOCKOUT ARTIST ON NOV. 13

CEBU CITY -- Z 'The Dream' Gorres, who will headline the Nov. 13 card at the House of Blues in Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, will face Columbian knockout artist Luis Melendez, ALA President Michael Aldeguer has informed.

The 29-year-old Melendez has 30 fights to his credit winning 26, 21 by KOs, with 3 losses and 1 draw. Melendez challenged Fernando Montiel's WBO superfly title on Oct. 4, 2007 at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas and lost by 12 round TKO. Melendez last fought on Sep. 9, 2009 against Rafael Salgado which he won by 3rd round TKO.

Gorres (30-2-2 19KO), who last fought and won in Tepic, Mexico on Sep. 12, 2009 against former world champion Cruz Carbajal, is now in Los Angeles training at Freddie Roach's Wildcard Gym in preparation for the fight.

The Top Rank promoted 'night before the big fight event', a prelude to the Pacquiao-Cotto superfight the following day, also features Filipino welterweight prospect Mark Jason Melligen (16-1-0 12KO) who will go against Michel Rosales (24-3-0 21KO) of Mexico and another Filipino in Federico Catubay (25-15-3 13KO) who will go up against Juan Alberto Rosas (30-5-0 25KO) of Mexico for the IBF superfly title eliminator.

Ward, Kessler React To Abraham-Taylor, Froch-Dirrell

Mikkel Kessler and Andre Ward were just spectators and fans on Saturday night as their fellow Super Six World Boxing Classic competitors battled in the first stage of the groundbreaking tournament, but the two fighters have plenty of thoughts about the exciting fights.

Kessler is eager to begin the tournament and enjoyed what he saw ringside at the o2 World Arena in Berlin, Germany, but Ward, who watched the fights from his training camp in Oakland, Calif., admits that he now feels a little added pressure to represent America after his fellow countrymen Taylor and Dirrell lost in Group Stage 1.

"I think that both fights Saturday night in Berlin and Nottingham showed the great potential of the Super Six,” Kessler said. “Both Abraham-Taylor and Froch-Dirrell left no doubt why these guys are a part of the Super Six tournament - they are all great fighters. I am really looking forward to enter the tournament now!

"I enjoyed myself at the o2 World Arena with a brilliant Super Six setup, a great fight and, of course, tactical notes for my future fights against Taylor and Abraham later on in the tournament. For now though, my focus is on the fight against Ward Nov. 21. I have a great feeling about that fight and the tournament in general."

With Taylor losing by 12th round knockout and Dirrell winding up on the losing end of a split decision, Ward is the sole unbeaten American in the tournament.

“It’s unfortunate what happened to Jermain,’’ Ward said. “I thought he was fighting well through the first half of the fight. Abraham came on late and started to close the show. I think the punch he got hit with was a technical mistake. I think he thought Abraham was coming with a looping right hand, the kind of right hand that Abraham was throwing all night. This time he brought it down the middle and Jermain squeezed his gloves together and closed his eyes so he didn’t see it. Nevertheless, it was a great win for Abraham to start off the tournament and the Super Six and I congratulate him. I’m happy that Jermain is up and doing well and happy he’s doing better.

“I felt like Dirrell definitely won the fight and I felt like he deserved the nod. This fight is definitely going to take Dirrell to another level because he knows he can compete at the highest level. I definitely feel like I’m back in Greece all over again and even though the Americans fought well, unfortunately we were unable to get a victory in the first two fights. I’m definitely inspired to bring America their first victory in the Super Six tournament.’’

Kessler feels the added pressure now that his fellow Europeans have earned points in Group Stage 1.

"Of course I feel the pressure, now that Abraham and Froch have won their fights - but with a 43-fight record - I know all about pressure - you learn to live with it,” Kessler said. “The Ward fight is not different from any other fight at this level. I have my routines, and I know exactly how to deal with pressure. But, of course, a 3-0 European lead would make a statement on the global boxing scene."

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Typhoon may force Pacquiao to flee Baguio

American trainer Freddie Roach reported from Baguio City that boxing idol Manny Pacquiao is about 75 percent ready for his Nov. 14 showdown with Miguel Cotto after completing a third of his required 160 sparring rounds.

“No worries as far as his conditioning is concerned,” said Roach as he was awaiting word if they will uproot their training camp later in the day in anticipation of heavy rains and howling winds with the arrival of a new typhoon in Northern Luzon.

“We just can’t jeopardize Manny’s training so we might just go down to Manila and resume training there,” said Roach, who will fly to Los Angeles this Saturday for the most crucial stage of preparation beginning next Monday (Oct. 26) at the Wild Card in Hollywood.

Pacquiao had initially wanted to train in Baguio right until the day he was scheduled to leave for the US and then made a slight alteration when his handlers disclosed that they will instead leave for Manila on Thursday afternoon.

But owing to the devastation that the new storm is threatening to leave, Pacquiao is seriously considering an early departure for Manila so it would much easier for them to go to the airport.

If indeed Team Pacquiao heads for Manila way ahead of schedule, Roach said the ultra-important sparring sessions would resume Tuesday with three rounds each against Shawn Porter, Jose Luis Castillo and possibly against either Urbano Antillon or Danny Escobar.

“On Tuesday, it’ll be nine rounds total and nine again on Thursday and 10 rounds on Saturday before we leave for the US,” said Roach, who has been camping out in Baguio since Sept. 21 presiding over Pacquiao’s preparation with the help of conditioning coach Alex Ariza.

Pacquiao will train at the Wild Card from Oct. 26 until Nov. 9, the day Team Pacquiao will roll on to Sin City.

Meanwhile, Kenny Bayless has been appointed by the Nevada State Athletic Commission to referee the Pacquiao-Cotto 12-round welterweight title match. Also picked to score the fight are Duane Ford, Dave Moretti and Adalaide Byrd. All are from Nevada.

Pacquiao-Cotto 24/7 Debuts Oct. 24

Number 1 pound-for-pound boxer in the world Manny Pacquiao will be making his third appearance in the HBO documentary series “24/7”. The Emmy Award-winning series will feature the preparations leading to the “Pacquiao vs Cotto” match this coming November 14 at the MGM Grand Las Vegas, Nevada.

The new four-episode series will debut in the US on October 24 with the remaining episodes on October 31, November 7 and the final episode will air on the eve of the fight, November 13.

“The ‘24/7' franchise provides an engaging and accurate look into the lives of boxers as they toil and sacrifice to get ready for a huge showdown in the ring,” Ross Greenburg, president of HBO Sports.

“Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto are dynamic individuals in and out of the ring, and our cameras will be there to capture all the drama prior to their fall face-off,” he added.

Manny Pacquiao was first featured in the 24/7 series when he was preparing to fight boxing legend Oscar de la Hoya whom he defeated last December 2008. His second was with Ricky Hatton whom he knocked out last May in just 2 rounds.

More on Pacquiao-Castillo

Proving that last week’s bad weather was never an issue in training camp, Manny Pacquiao dominated his sparring partners Tuesday at the Shape-Up Gym in Cooyesan Hotel in Baguio City. Pacquiao sparred with highly touted former two-time world lightweight champion Jose Luis Castillo of Mexico for three rounds. Pacquiao is preparing for his upcoming world welterweight with Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto set for 12-rounds at a catch weight of 145lbs scheduled on November 14 at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas, Nevada. In his anticipated sparring with Castillo, Pacquiao used his vastly improved lateral movements in trying to avoid the Mexican’s uppercuts and body shots. Pacquiao stalled Castillo’s aggressive attacks with three to five punch combos and counter left straights.

The 35-year-old Castillo (60-9-1, 52 KOs) ended his first day of sparring with specks of blood in his left nostril.

“I can’t see his left. It’s very fast and strong. I think that will be a big problem of Cotto,” Castillo told Fightnews after the work out.

Chief trainer Freddie Roach, who at first seemed cautious when it comes to having Castillo as a sparring partner now expressed his contentment in having the Mexican inside the gym.

“Castillo looked to be off a little bit and he’s never sparred as fast as anyone like Manny. But I like his movement because he moves similar to Cotto. Overall it was a great workout and I was very happy,” said Roach.

In sparring with Porter, Pacquiao again worked on his footwork and stiff combinations while moving out of harm’s way.

“That will one of Manny’s best assets. His ability to throw strong punches while moving out of the ropes,” said two-time world champion Dodie Boy Penalosa who now works as one of Pacquiao’s assistant trainers.

Meanwhile Roach denied reports circulating on the internet that Pacquiao was knocked down in one sparring session last week.

Roach said no one has come close to flooring Pacquiao in any of their sparring sessions in their Baguio training camp.

Last weekend internet forums were deluged with queries and reports that Pacquiao got tagged by American sparring partner Shawn Porter.

“That’s a lie. I would know because I would have to pay. He’s getting hit but he’s never been floored ever. Not in eight years. The money is still in my pocket,” said Roach.

Roach has promised $1,000 for anyone among the sparring partners who could put down Pacquiao during sparring.