Showing posts with label Pacquiao-Mayweather Fight. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pacquiao-Mayweather Fight. Show all posts
Friday, May 1, 2015
Mayweather plans to strike early against Pacquiao
Floyd Mayweather says he is going to come out swinging and be the aggressor early against Manny Pacquiao when they meet in Saturday's super fight in Las Vegas.
The 38-year-old Mayweather, who is putting his undefeated record on the line to fight Filipino icon Pacquiao at the MGM Grand, usually needs a few rounds to feel out and adjust to his opponent's game plan.
"I am going to approach it in a very, very aggressive way and go out there and press the attack early," Mayweather said Thursday night on the NBA on TNT.
"Of course I would love to win by knockout. I am pretty sure he is going to come at me extremely strong.
"I am facing one of the best fighters I have ever faced."
Mayweather was on the NBA television show with hosts Shaquille O'Neal, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson.
Mayweather's disclosure Thursday night that he will be the aggressor is welcome news to boxing fans who are being charged a hefty $100 for the pay-per-view to watch the fight in their homes. The 12-round welterweight unification fight is expected to generate a record $400 million in revenue.
Mayweather's longevity in the sport has been attributed to his brilliant defence and counterpunching skills but it also makes for some boring fights. Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach said Thursday he goes to sleep watching some of Mayweather's title fights.
Mayweather, who is the world's highest grossing athlete, said he would spend the next day and half before the fight doing light workouts, watching playoff basketball on TV and trying to stay focussed.
"I want to be real relaxed and real calm. I just try to have tunnel vision when I am on my way to the gym," he said.
Mayweather, who is 47-0 with 26 KOs, told the shows hosts the secret to keeping his unblemished record intact is that he never takes any opponent lightly.
"Even if I am fighting a guy they say is just a regular guy then I am still going to train extremely hard."
Mayweather told Barkley he doesn't watch tapes of his opponents because he learns all he needs to about them once they are trading blows in the ring.
"I never watch my opponent. I feel like you can have a certain game plan, but once you get inside that square circle the game plan changes," Mayweather said.
"Boxers may fight certain guys the same way, but they fight me different."
source: www.abs-cbnnews.com
Thursday, April 9, 2015
Pacquiao back in practice after one-day rest
LOS ANGELES – After a rest day, Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao was back in the ring Wednesday, hitting the mitts for 12 rounds.
"Maganda pala 'yun. (I'm) hungry, the fire is there. It's good. Happy ako sa training," said the "Pacman."
"I thought he was overdoing it a little bit, so we had a day off," chief trainer Freddie Roach explained. "Today, we opened the gates, and he kicked my a**. I must have gotten hit with a thousand and two punches today."
While a re-energized Pacquiao is happily back in the ring, his May 2 opponent, Floyd Mayweather Jr., is literally putting his money where his mouth is.
TMZ released photos of Mayweather's custom-made mouth guards, which reportedly costs $25,000. Some of the mouth guards have a real hundred dollar bill stuffed in it.
"Who really cares?" said Roach. "Mouthpieces protect your mouth. Who cares how much it costs? I can go to the 7-11 and get one for two bucks."
"Hopefully it will protect his teeth," said Pacquiao's publicist, Fred Sternburg. "I'm not sure if it will help with his chin."
Pacquiao, for his part, was not too concerned.
"That's his style," he said. "We know the truth; we know the right way. We know how to obey God."
As reports continue to show Mayweather's lavish expenses – including a $300,000 party bus – the boxer has also been showing his pre-fight preparations.
source: www.abs-cbnnews.com
Monday, March 23, 2015
Mayweather-Pacquiao revenue over $400M: report
LAS VEGAS -- Record-shattering revenue totals for Manny Pacquiao's upcoming boxing showdown with unbeaten Floyd Mayweather could surpass $400 million, promoter Bob Arum told ESPN in a report Monday on the sports network's website.
The welterweight title unification fight May 2 in Las Vegas will generate $74 million from just over 15,000 tickets at MGM Grand Garden Arena, Pacquiao promoter Arum told ESPN, flattening the old mark of just over $20 million for Mayweather's 2013 fight with Saul "Canelo" Alvarez in the same venue.
Promoters first aimed for $40 million, then boosted the ticket prices from $1,000 to $1,500 at the low end and $5,000 to $7,500 for the best seats due to huge demand for the ducats, Arum said.
But organizers have now shuffled the number of seats in various price ranges and boosted top seats to $10,000 to raise the live gate total from $50 million to $74 million.
"It's crazy, but it is what it is," Arum told ESPN. "It's amazing."
And few if any seats will be available for public sale, with promoters, telecasters HBO and Showtime, the fighters and the host venue each taking a share of the tickets.
"We'll probably have a handful of tickets that will go on sale to the public next week," Arum said. "It's mania."
There will be only about 1,100 seats at $10,000, none of them for public sale, according to the report.
Boxing's record for pay-per-view purchases is the 2.4 million buys from Mayweather's 2007 split-decision victory over Oscar de la Hoya, but with Mayweather-Pacquiao having taken more than five years to come together with the planet's top pound-for-pound fighters, expectations of 3 million pay-per-view buys at about $100 each could bring $300 million in sales for US, Puerto Rican and Canadian markets alone.
"We wouldn't have gotten a fraction of these numbers if we made the fight five years ago," Arum said. "It turned out that we're doing the fight at the right time, I guess, not that we're geniuses for waiting this long."
Global rights are expected to ring up another $35 million, with a record $10 million already spent for rights in the Philippines, where Pacquiao is a Congressman as well as an iconic figure.
"Between the gate, the foreign television sales and the closed circuit, which we can't even calculate yet, you're looking at over $120 million. And that's before one pay-per-view has been sold in the US," Arum told ESPN.
Arum said Tecate beer, a long-time Pacquiao sponsor, won title sponsor rights with a $5.6 million bid, $400,000 more than rival Corona, a long-time backer of Mayweather.
"We've never see anything like that on a beer sponsor," Arum said. "Both companies were after it. It's a huge number."
Mayweather's camp receives 60 percent of the revenue with Pacquiao's side taking home 40 percent.
Arum said the contract gives Pacquiao the choice of who sings his homeland's national anthem before the bout while Mayweather decides who will sing "The Star Spangled Banner."
source: www.abs-cbnnews.com
Jinkee gives P. Diddy's mansion a thumbs up
MANILA, Philippines – Sarangani Vice Governor Jinkee Pacquiao gave the Beverly Hills mansion her seal of approval and hopes their family can move into the property in April.
Jinkee and the Pacquiao children arrived in Los Angeles yesterday where they had a reunion with Manny Pacquiao, who had a day off from training ahead of his May 2 showdown against Floyd Mayweather Jr.
The entire family visited the Beverly Hills mansion today, with the children obviously thrilled with swimming pools.
"The swimming pool is amazing," her daughter Princess Pacquiao said.
"Thumbs up," Jinkee said. "Approve naman. Okay lang maganda ang bahay talaga, maaliwalas."
Pacquiao has already signed the contract for the house and paid a downpayment.
"Tinatrabaho na," said the "Pacman."
The mansion originally belonged to hip-hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs, who owned in it 1998 back when he was still dating pop diva Jennifer Lopez. He sold it in 2001.
The property had a listing price of $11.9-M.
"Siguro madalas ang punta dito, kasi sayang naman ang bahay sa laki kung hindi titirahan ng matagal," said Jinkee.
Jinkee says they want to move in before the May 2 fight. "First week of April siguro if ever, para at least ma-enjoy naman 'yung bahay for a month bago pumunta ng Las Vegas," she explained. -- From a report by Dyan Castillejo, ABS-CBN News.
source: www.abs-cbnnews.com
Sunday, March 22, 2015
LOOK: 'Brothers in Christ' Tebow, Pacquiao at Wild Card Gym
Celebrities continue to flock to the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood where Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao is training for his May 2 super fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr.
This time, it is former Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow who paid Pacquiao a visit.
On Instagram, Tebow said it was "awesome" to spend time with Pacquiao, whom he called his "Filipino and Christian brother."
Pacquiao posted a similar picture on his own Instagram page.
Tebow was born in Makati in 1987 and has opened a hospital in Davao City.
source: www.abs-cbnnews.com
Friday, March 20, 2015
Pacquiao, Mayweather camps at odds over doping penalty
LOS ANGELES - Tension appeared to be rising around the long awaited welterweight world title fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, with the fighters' camps reportedly at odds over a proposed doping penalty.
Pacquiao adviser Michael Koncz told the Los Angeles Times on Thursday that he was "a little puzzled and dismayed" that Mayweather wouldn't agree to the $5 million penalty Pacquiao had proposed should either fighter test positive for a banned drug.
Mayweather Promotions chief executive Leonard Ellerbe, however, told the newspaper that the drug testing protocol for the May 2 fight in Las Vegas had been "rigorously negotiated" by Pacquiao promoters Top Rank.
In comments to ESPN.com, Ellerbe called Koncz an "idiot."
"If this moron didn't convey his fighter's wishes when the negotiation was going on that's their problem," Ellerbe said. "This is a lame-ass attempt to generate publicity."
Drug testing was an issue in attempts to put a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight together in late 2009 and early 2010.
Mayweather wanted random Olympic-style blood and urine testing, but Pacquiao objected to some of the protocols and the deal disintegrated.
Mayweather later accused the Filipino ring icon of using performance-enhancing drugs, a charge which Pacquiao denied.
Pacquiao sued Mayweather over the accusation and the two settled out of court.
Drug-testing differences have been just part of the long and winding road to the May 2 match-up between the two fighters widely considered the best pound-for-pound fighters of their generation.
The bout has required rival telecasters Showtime and HBO to work together to produce a fight considered a lock to break all records for pay-per-view viewers and revenue.
Pacquiao, a two-term Congressman from Sarangani province in the Philippines, is 57-5 with two drawn and 38 knockouts while Mayweather is 47-0 with 26 knockouts.
Last week, the US Anti-Doping Agency said both fighters had agreed to undergo Olympic-style random drug testing prior to the bout.
Mayweather has submitted to USADA testing for all of his bouts since 2010.
Both fighters must provide USADA with their whereabouts and make themselves available for blood and urine tests for drugs including human growth hormone (HGH) and the blood-boosting erythropoietin (EPO).
Pacquiao first suggested the reciprocal fine for a failed drug test as extra insurance that a doping issue wouldn't scupper the fight that fans worldwide have clamored for.
But Ellerbe charged the arrangement was an attempt to "put a $5 million price tag if Manny tested positive."
"It will cost Manny a lot more than some $5 million if he comes up positive," Ellerbe said.
source: www.abs-cbnnews.com
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Roach fires shots at 'nervous' Floyd Sr.
The ongoing rivalry between trainers Freddie Roach and Floyd Mayweather Sr. is among the more interesting stories surrounding the highly anticipated May 2 showdown between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr.
The elder Mayweather has been a fixture at his son's corner ever since the two mended fences a couple of years ago, and has been the champion's chief trainer while Roger Mayweather – the unbeaten boxer's uncle and trainer – dealt with health issues.
Roach and Mayweather Sr. have exchanged insults over the years and the two are expected to escalate their word war as their fighters are set to finally face off after half a decade of on-and-off negotiations.
On the Jim Rome Show, Roach got the ball rolling again, saying he is more impressed with Roger Mayweather as a trainer.
"The dad gets so nervous in between rounds. He has trouble getting the words out," Roach said, as quoted by Boxing Scene. "He kinds of stutters halfway through it, and he doesn't really get the information across to the fighter."
"I mean, I'm really happy he's in the corner because the kid's going to be fighting by himself," he added.
Roach fully expects Mayweather Sr. to succumb to the pressure of the mega-fight, leaving his son to fend for himself – something the boxing champ has done all his life.
"He grew up in the gym," said Roach of Mayweather. "I've known him since he was five years old. He was a good fighter at five."
"But the thing is, he's always taught himself, and he's never really been taught the correct way to do things, and I don't think his father can deliver that," he added.
Mayweather Sr., for his part, has recently said that Roach "doesn't know what the hell he's talking about."
"Freddie Roach was talking about my son, talking about Roger getting in the corner. Hey, he don't want the master in the corner. That's what it is," he said.
"He don't want the master in the corner because you know what the master's gonna do? The master's gonna tell him to do some things that he ain't never seen before."
source: www.abs-cbnnews.com
Friday, March 13, 2015
Kimmel asks Pacquiao: Will you beat up Justin Bieber, too?
Check out this video where Manny Pacquiao pays a surprise visit to Jimmy Kimmel's show.
The eight-division champion has become a regular guest on ABC's late-night show, but this time, he just dropped by to say hi.
Kimmel and Pacquiao also talked about Justin Bieber posing with Floyd Mayweather Jr. during their press conference for the May 2 fight.
"I noticed that Floyd keeps bringing Justin Bieber out in the ring, did you see that?" asked Kimmel.
"Will you beat Justin Bieber up, too?"
source: www.abs-cbnnews.com
Thursday, March 12, 2015
WATCH: Justin Bieber crashes Pacquiao-Mayweather presscon
MANILA - Canadian pop star Justin Bieber showed up at the press conference of Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao in Los Angeles on Thursday (Manila time).
Bieber, a long-time fan of Mayweather, suddenly appeared on stage as Mayweather, Pacquiao and their respective teams were posing for photos.
Wearing sunglasses, Bieber gamely posed with Mayweather. But the pop star ignored Pacquiao, who looked surprised at his presence.
In 2012, Bieber made headlines as he posted memes making fun of Pacquiao’s downfall at the hands of Juan Manuel Marquez.
Last year, Bieber gamely posed for a picture with Pacquiao when they accidentally met in Los Angeles.
Umagang Kay Ganda, March 12, 2015
source: www.abs-cbnnews.com
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
Roach: We'll kick Mayweather's ass
LOS ANGELES -- Manny Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach drew first blood in the war of words with Floyd Mayweather on Wednesday as the countdown to the biggest boxing bout in history got under way.
In remarks to a packed press conference attended by an estimated 600 journalists, Roach said Pacquiao's eagerly awaited May 2 title fight with Mayweather in Las Vegas represented the biggest challenge of his celebrated career as one of boxing's most respected trainers.
But Roach did not mince his words as he wrapped up his comments with a blunt assessment of Pacquiao's task.
"We're fighting the best fighter in the world -- and we're going to kick his ass," Roach said to cheers from sections of the audience, with Mayweather sitting just a few feet away on the stage in Los Angeles.
"I love challenges and this is the biggest challenge of my life," Roach said. "It's finally here. I've been looking forward to this fight for years.
"It's the toughest fight of our life. I'm going to get my fighter as ready as possible."
Pacquiao's bout with the unbeaten Mayweather represents the climax to years of will-they won't-they speculation surrounding the possibility of a showdown between the two rivals, widely regarded as the finest fighters of their generation.
The fight finally became a reality earlier this year when Pacquiao and Mayweather met informally at an NBA basketball game and expressed a mutual desire to make the contest finally happen.
"It's been a long road, but we're here now," Mayweather said. "It's all about the best fighting the best, and Pacquiao is one of the best."
May's fight is expected to be the highest-grossing bout in history, with Mayweather reportedly set to collect a staggering $120 million while Pacquiao will pocket a cool $80 million.
source: www.abs-cbnnews.com
Liam Neeson to Pacquiao: Can I have 2 tickets?
Academy Award-nominated actor Liam Neeson is backing Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao to make history on May 2 and hand American boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. his first-ever professional loss.
"I'm definitely in Manny's camp. Yeah, sure, I want him to beat this guy," said Neeson, who plays hitman Jimmy Conlon in his latest movie, "Run All Night."
"This could be (like) the Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier fight of 1971," he added.
Neeson's "Run All Night" co-star, Joel Kinnaman, who will play his estranged son, is not as sure, however.
"It's hard because I love both these fighters, and I think had it been five years ago, I think Pacquiao would have won," Kinnaman said. "Now, I think Pacquiao is more past his prime than Mayweather."
Neeson famously lent his voice to Pacquiao's documentary, "Manny: The Movie," which was released earlier this year.
"I do know he's gone into politics," Neeson said of the "Pacman." "I think he'd be great for Philippine politics. Get this fight over with. Completely retire. He's made his money."
But for now, Neeson has only a simple request to ask Pacquiao.
"Manny," he said, "Two tickets, buddy, two tickets."
Tickets to the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight are expected to be scarce, and highly expensive. Initial estimates have pegged ringside seats to cost as much as $5,000, and sell for more than twice that amount in the secondary market. -- Report from Don Tagala, ABS-CBN News North America.
source: www.abs-cbnnews.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)