Pacquiao skips press con to get '16 stitches'

Manny Pacquiao wasn't able to attend the post-fight press conference on Saturday (Sunday, Manila time) to get a cut fixed, promoter Bob Arum said.

Arum, the Top Rank chief executive, said Pacquiao needed "16 stitches" but didn't elaborate on the nature of the injury.

Pacquiao defeated Jessie Vargas to win the WBO welterweight championship.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Arum doesn't believe Pacquiao is retiring

Boxing promoter Bob Arum admitted that he is not totally convinced that Manny Pacquiao will be hanging his gloves for good after the Timothy Bradley fight this April.

“I can't come to grips with the feeling that this is his last fight,” Arum said in Boxing Scene. “Maybe he will retire. But I'm not gonna lose sleep on it.”

Why the skepticism? Arum noted that it is common for boxers to change their minds after taking a hiatus from the fight game, citing “Sugar” Ray Leonard, George Foreman, Antonio Margarito and even Floyd Mayweather Jr.

“Brandon Rios retired after his last fight [with Bradley]... and unretired half an hour later. Some of these fighters, they retire when they have one wife, and when they get another one, they un-retire,” he said.

Pacquiao has a different reason for retiring, however.


The boxing superstar and congressman is set on pursuing a political career and is running for senator in the May elections.

“If his first thing is gonna be politics then he has to do that as well if not better than he did as a boxer,” Arum said in a separate interview with Boxing Scene Radio Rahim. “If a political career will interfere with him boxing in the future, so be it... he has to look as to what he's gonna do for the rest of his life.”

“When he told me that this was gonna be his last fight, I took that with a grain of salt. But if it is his last fight, I'll acknowledge what a great ride it has been.”

But Arum said there are two things that could affect change Pacquiao’s mind about his imminent retirement. One is a stellar performance against Bradley; and two is the possibility of Mayweather coming out of retirement.

Nostalgia

The boxing promoter admitted that he could not help but get emotional about his friendship with Pacquiao.

What made the Filipino boxer so special, he said, is Pacquiao’s rise to superstardom in the US despite being a non-American.

“Think of where he came from,” explained Arum. “He was as obscure as you can get, a little guy, coming from half-way around the world. It is a tribute to him, but it is almost a bigger tribute to this country (the US), which accepted him, even embraced him. He couldn't speak English.

"If he had been Hispanic, or African-American, he might have had a leg up. But he wasn't.”

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Koncz assures Pacquiao still motivated to fight

Just because he has announced his retirement doesn’t mean Manny Pacquiao is no longer motivated to win in his farewell fight.

On the contrary, his adviser Michael Koncz said Pacquiao is already raring to go back to training to ensure a memorable final fight against Timothy Bradley on April 9.

“He told me that when he gets back from the press tour, he will begin training,” Koncz told Boxing Scene after his heart-to-heart talk with the fighting congressman.

The Canadian adviser wanted to check if Pacquiao still has in his heart to slug it out for 12 more rounds even as the Filipino boxer prepares to run for senator this May.

But Pacquiao assured him that he would be practically distraction-free when he starts training after the press tour in the US.


“I think that he will be going to the gym before the end of the month,” said Koncz.

Pacquiao will split his training camp between the Philippines and Los Angeles. The Bradley fight is supposedly his last before focusing on politics full time.

"He's always given us everything that he's ever had," Top Rank chief executive Bob Arum said of Pacquiao at a press conference in Los Angeles. "If this is truly the last time, Manny, it's been a great ride, and I want to thank you for everything."

Pacquiao, for his part, said he is happy with his decision to retire.

"I've been boxing more than 20 years, and I think it's enough for me," he said. "After this fight, I'm going to hang up my gloves and focus on my countrymen, to help the people."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Pacquiao-Khan showdown is possible: Arum

A bout between former sparring partners Manny Pacquiao and Amir Khan is possible for 2016, according to Top Rank chief executive Bob Arum.

Khan, who was snubbed by unbeaten American Floyd Mayweather Jr. for a September 12 fight date, has turned his attention to Pacquiao, his former stable mate back when they were both trained by Freddie Roach.

"If he (Mayweather) is not going to man up and fight me, then I'll have to fight Manny Pacquiao or someone like that," Khan said in a recent interview. "I really believe that fight can be made easily. I think Manny is a man and he would definitely take that fight."

In an interview with The Telegraph, Arum said he can make it happen.

"This kid, Amir Khan, keeps shooting his mouth off about Manny Pacquiao," he said. "I can arrange for Khan to fight Pacquiao."

"Amir Khan has been begging Mayweather for a fight, and now he can get a major fight. I'm not a hard guy to deal with. I'm not going to mess them around," he added.

But Arum made it clear that the fight can't happen in 2015 as Pacquiao is still recovering from the shoulder injury that he sustained while training for his May 2 "Fight of the Century" against Mayweather. It can be held next year in the Middle East, said the promoter.

"He'll fight early next year, and probably in the Middle East. Vegas is a possibility, but more likely in the Middle East. It won't be in Dubai, but it will be in the Middle East. If not, we'll do it in Vegas," said Arum.

One thing that Arum is sure of is that Pacquiao will win against Khan.

"It's a good fight. Manny beats him, though, in my opinion," he said. "Manny is getting up in age, so you never know what's going to happen. But I think he hits too hard for Khan."

Arum does feel that Khan should have been given the chance to fight Mayweather, and is disappointed that the unbeaten American chose Andre Berto as his opponent.

"That's a farce," Arum said of the Mayweather-Berto match-up. "Mayweather should have fought Khan next. It would have been an interesting fight."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Pacquiao to skip grand arrival ceremony

Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao won’t be attending the grand arrival ceremony for his May 2 super bout against Floyd Mayweather Jr.

The ceremony has been a tradition that kicks off high-profile bouts a week ahead of the event, giving fans a chance to see their favorite boxers while they walk toward the hotel.

But Top Rank Inc. chairman Bob Arum said the eight-division champion will skip the ceremony and will instead arrive in Las Vegas on Monday on a private bus. The Filipino won’t be staying at the MGM Grand, the host hotel, but will billet himself at the Mandalay Bay, which is also an MGM-owned property.

There, said Arum, Pacquiao will meet the press.

"We don't need a show for his arrival and we can do without all the hoopla," Arum told ESPN’s Dan Rafael.

"We'll keep it calm for Manny. We'll get a big room downstairs at Mandalay Bay, and Manny will talk to the press there in an orderly way and in a comfortable environment. I think that's a lot better for Manny and, frankly, it's better for the press. Why does he need a grand arrival when he's not even staying at that place?"

Pacquiao’s rival, Floyd Mayweather Jr., will do his grand arrival as planned.

Arum and the MGM management haven’t been in good terms for years. Further complicating their relationship was the ticket issue that was caused by a misunderstanding over the contract between Top Rank, Mayweather Promotions and MGM Grand.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Pacquiao opens camp to media

LOS ANGELES – After weeks of settling for limited access, some 300 media members packed the Wild Card Gym for Manny Pacquiao's media day on Thursday.

Pacquiao kept his promise to arrive early after seeing how his May 2 opponent, Floyd Mayweather Jr., kept the media waiting for nearly two hours during his own media day on Wednesday.

Pacquiao did a series of interviews that lasted for well over two hours, and proclaimed his faith whenever he had the chance.

"The Lord will always be there with me," he said. "I want them to remember that not only I inspired them, but in following God."

It was one of the most packed media days the gym has ever seen, with members of the press forced to pack the upper floor of the Wild Card Gym like sardines.

"Ito ang pinaka-grabe," said Fernandez.

Despite the big crowd and all the questions, Pacquiao's promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank, declined to give his latest estimate on how much money the so-called "Fight of the Century" can make, especially when it comes to pay-per-view numbers.

"Your guess is as good as my guess. How the hell do I know?" Arum said.

"I just know it will be a big number. Will it be three million? Will it be four million? How would I know?" he added.

As for tickets which are expected to finally go on sale, the Hall-of-Fame promoter offered an old-school solution.

"The idea that tickets aren't on sale yet is ridiculous," he said. "Remember how it was in the old days, when you went to a baseball game, people would line up to buy tickets at the box office the day of the game?"

"Maybe that's what they'll do."

At the end of the three-hour day, one person was happy it was finally over.

"This is part of life," said chief trainer Freddie Roach. "We know we have to sell the fight. Well, not this fight, because it's already sold out."

"I haven't seen any tickets yet, but it's the biggest fight in the world and it's a real honor to have this many people in my gym," he added.

Pacquiao only shadow-boxed and did a few minutes on the mitts in the gym, but he was able to run at the Griffith Park in the morning and did some agility drills.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

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

2 out of 4 Pac-Floyd TV issues resolved, says Arum

MANILA - Boxing promoter Bob Arum has reportedly said that the Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight can still be worked out, with 2 out of 4 issues between HBO and Showtime already resolved.

In Tim Dahlberg’s report in Associated Press, Arum said that the rival networks have settled how to broadcast the super bout between Pacquiao and Mayweather.

The network war has been one of the biggest stumbling blocks to the mega bout. Mayweather currently fights exclusively under Showtime while HBO owns the airing rights of Pacquiao’s fights.

"We had four issues and we resolved two," said Arum. "Now we're working on resolving the other two. Unless something else comes up at the last minute, that's what my take is."

Stephen Espinoza of Showtime Sports said there is still no total agreement between the 2 networks.

Espinoza said they still have to resolve serious issues regarding the broadcast rights. Although he is confident that a deal can be worked out, he stressed that the negotiations are still far from being done.

"There are a few significant issues remaining on both the fighter side and the network side of this deal," Espinoza said. "While we are optimistic, it's a bit premature to say that the networks are in total agreement."

‘Arum part of problem'

Meanwhile, Yahoo! Sports’ fight analyst Kevin Iole said that Arum’s premature pronouncements may have been hurting the chances of the bout being done.

Iole said the negotiations are at a sensitive stage as the May 2 fight date quickly approaches.

“Arum's insistence on public comments are clearly an impediment to reaching a deal. That is one point that people on both sides of the aisles in these talks agree about,” he said.

“Top Rank president Todd duBoef is irate at Arum, his step-father, but has essentially thrown his hands up in the air and said he can't control Arum. Even Pacquiao's team has gotten upset at Arum's willingness to go on the record with comments that often don't add up.”

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Pacquiao, Floyd finally reach deal: report

Arum, Showtime exec deny report

MANILA, Philippines – Floyd Mayweather Jr. has reportedly agreed to fight Manny Pacquiao, according to an online report published Saturday.

Celebrity news site TMZ said Pacquiao and Mayweather, today’s top pound-for-pound fighters, have finally hammered out a deal after years of back and forth negotiations.

"Floyd Mayweather has agreed to fight Manny Pacquiao ... multiple sources tell TMZ Sports ... who say the two finally came to an agreement moments ago," the site wrote.



The report came out after the two boxers met face-to-face at an NBA game earlier this week. This was followed by another meeting when Mayweather visited Pacquiao at the latter's hotel room.

Both camps are said to have agreed to stage the fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 2.

The report, however, was disputed by Top Rank Inc. CEO Bob Arum and Showtime Sports boxing chief Stephen Espinoza.

Arum said they have yet to settle the finer details of the bout, hence the reason there has not been any official announcements.

"I'm aware of the report, but there are still some contractual issues to work out," the veteran boxing promoter told New York Daily News. "It’s close but not done yet."

Espinoza, for his part said the TMZ report was inaccurate.

"TMZ usually has good sources. This time, not so much," he said wrote on his official account on social media site Twitter.

But Arum said they could come out will a formal announcement in two days, in time for Super Bowl Sunday (Monday in Manila).

"We have two days, it could happen (Sunday)," he said. "That would be incredible, wouldn’t it?"

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

What Pacquiao, Floyd talked about in hotel room

MANILA, Philippines – It seems the highly anticipated mega fight between superstar boxers Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather will finally come to fruition after the two rivals finally met at an NBA game.

Pacquiao and Mayweather had a brief chat at halftime of the game between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Miami Heat, and the "Pacman" later said they exchanged phone numbers.

It was later revealed that Mayweather also visited the Filipino star in his hotel suite in Miami where the two supposedly discussed the details of their long-awaited showdown.

Speaking to Rick Reeno and Steve Kim of Boxing Scene, Pacquiao's adviser, Michael Koncz, provided some details of the meeting.

"(Mayweather) was very pleasant, very professional," Koncz said. "He indicated he was very eager to make the fight, which I believe, as of last night, he is."

"Whether or not that's the same tomorrow, I don't know," he added.

Koncz told Boxing Scene that Mayweather was most concerned about the issue of who will broadcast a fight, as the American has an exclusive deal with Showtime/CBS, while Pacquiao works with HBO and Time Warner.

"Manny and I both told him, 'If those are the only issues, those are simple and we can have those fixed in the morning,'" Koncz said. "And in fact, I've confirmed that they've been resolved."

Koncz revealed that Mayweather also connected Pacquiao to Showtime Sports boss Stephen Espinoza, who briefly talked with the "Pacman."

"Floyd put (Espinoza) on the phone with us. I told Floyd, and Manny agreed, if those are the only issues, then no problem, we can take care of it," Koncz said.

Koncz said that upon Pacquiao's instruction, he then called Top Rank chief executive Bob Arum, who had his own discussions with HBO chief executive Richard Plepler and CBS chief executive Les Moonves.

"Those issues are resolved now," said Koncz.

Arum, in a separate Boxing Scene report, said signs are pointing towards the fight happening, but warned that nothing is set in stone yet.

"I cannot assure you that it is going to happen, but certainly, with this development in Miami and from what I know about the finalization of papers and everything, I have to be optimistic," he said.

"And I know that everybody that I deal with, like Les Moonves of CBS and HBO's Richard Plepler, are all very positive of making this happen," he added.

Arum also told Boxing Scene that the broadcast issues between Showtime and HBO "were solved two weeks ago."

"I think everything is positive, and hopefully, if everything keeps going well, we'll get it wrapped up by the end of the week," he said.

Pacquiao and Mayweather's meeting in Miami happened purely by chance as the Filipino boxer's flight back to the Philippines was delayed due to a winter storm and he decided to watch the Heat game instead.

It was the first time that Pacquiao and Mayweather have ever met in person.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Days before deadline, Pacquiao confident Floyd fight will happen

MANILA, Philippines – Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao still remains confident that a fight between him and American boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. will happen, and insists that the unbeaten champion can no longer make any excuse to avoid him.

"I think it will happen, I believe that," said Pacquiao, as quoted by Boxing Scene. "If this doesn't happen now, I don't think it will, so now is the time."

"If you ask me what the percentage is, it's 80-20 (that it will happen)," he added.

Pacquiao has said in numerous interviews that he has agreed to all terms set by Mayweather, and that he and his camp are now just waiting for the American to put pen to paper and sign the contract.

Yet Mayweather has been reluctant to sign, saying last week that Pacquiao has no authority to sign off on anything as he is merely a "pawn" of Top Rank chief executive Bob Arum.

The "Pacman," however, believes that Mayweather is now feeling the pressure.

"He's got no alibi," said Pacquiao. "Blood testing is no longer a problem, Bob Arum – the promoter – is no longer a problem. Now there are no more problems."

"The fans are pressuring him," Pacquiao continued. "I tell them we have agreed to everything – the rules and regulations are not a problem."

Pacquiao said he is even willing to take a lesser share of the purse – long thought to be one of the primary sticking points in the negotiations between the two camps.

"I will take 40 (percent) to 60. I'm okay with that, for the sake of the fans," said the Filipino champion.

"We are just waiting for you to sign the contract," he stressed.

Mayweather has not spoken in public since last week, when he insisted that Pacquiao had "no say so" in the negotiations.

A report by Steve Bunce on The Independent, however, claims that the American is set to make his announcement later this week, and that Puerto Rican star Miguel Cotto is the "heavy favorite" to land the fight.

Cotto has already fought Mayweather in May 2012, losing a competitive decision in an entertaining bout.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Floyd camp already finalizing deal, says insider

MANILA, Philippines – A member of Floyd Mayweather’s team has confirmed that the negotiations for the super bout with Manny Pacquiao are already close to being done.

After Top Rank’s Bob Arum announced that Pacquiao has already agreed to all the terms laid out by Mayweather’s camp, Sam Watson, a close associate of Mayweather’s adviser Al Haymon, said the announcement for a May 2 bout is already “imminent.”

“They’re putting it together now,” Watson said in The Guardian. “They’re going to do a Showtime-HBO [joint pay-per-view] like they did last time with Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson. They’re working on the monies now and everything they’ve got to work on to make it happen.”

“I can’t wait. It’s going to be huge.”

Watson made the statement following a news conference that announced a multi-year agreement between NBC and Haymon Boxing. It is Watson who spoke on behalf of Haymon, who is known to avoid the press despite his image as the most powerful figure in the boxing industry.

“I believe it’s going to happen. I believe that everybody involved wants it to happen. I know Floyd wants it,” Watson said regarding the most-awaited fight.

People have been clamoring for the super fight for several years now but negotiations between the two camps have repeatedly fallen apart over various issues, including drug testing and the purse split.

But interest for the mega bout has been revived last November when Pacquiao dominated a defense-conscious Chris Algieri.

The Filipino immediately called out Mayweather for the fight “everyone wants to see.” Mayweather responded through an interview on CBS’ Showtime, saying that he wants it to happen on May 2.

A laborious but progressive negotiation process immediately followed and on Wednesday, Arum said Pacquiao has consented to all the terms laid out by the Mayweather side.

Among the conditions reportedly agreed upon are that the bout will be held on May 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, and that the purse split will be 60-40, with Mayweather getting the upside of the share.

Pacquiao himself is waiting for Mayweather to formalize the deal.

“What I can only say is ano man ang mangyari sa mga susunod na araw, sisiguruhin kong magiging maganda ito para sa boksing at sa fans,” said the eight-division champion in a previous report.

“Hintayin na lang natin kung anong mangyayari. Ilang araw na lang naman,” he added.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Pacquiao: Let's wait and see

MANILA, Philippines – Now that Manny Pacquiao has agreed to all the terms set by Floyd Mayweather Jr., all he and fight fans can do is wait for the American champ to sign the contract.

Pacquiao said Mayweather’s decision is likely to come out in just a matter of days so he asked for a bit of patience from his fans.

“Hintayin na lang natin kung anong mangyayari. Ilang araw na lang naman,” the eight-division champion said in Eddie Alinea’s report to Philboxing.

“Baka kasi ma-preempt at mabulilyaso na naman.”

Pacquiao made the statement on Sunday, just a couple of days before his promoter Bob Arum announced that the Filipino superstar consented to all the conditions of the camp of Mayweather.

Among the terms they have reportedly agreed upon are the venue, the drug testing protocols and the purse split.

Yahoo! Sports reported that the target fight date is May 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. The purse split will be 60-40, with Mayweather getting the upside of the cut.

Mayweather reportedly stands to make $120 million in the fight.

“What I can only say is ano man ang mangyari sa mga susunod na araw, sisiguruhin kong magiging maganda ito para sa boksing at sa fans,” said Pacquiao.

Hi boxing trainer, Freddie Roach, said this is the closest they have ever been to making the Mayweather fight.

“I talked to Bob Arum.... I think I'm getting close to saying it's very close, I think we're very close,” said Roach earlier. ''It's close. I think I know for a fact that it's closer than ever.''

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Pacquiao camp sets deadline for Floyd

MANILA, Philippines – The camp of Manny Pacquiao has already set a deadline for the camp of Floyd Mayweather Jr. to seal the deal on the mega-fight boxing fans are waiting for.

According to Pacquiao’s adviser Michael Koncz, they want to closer the deal by the end of January.

Pacquiao has already gave a counter-offer and are still waiting for the American’s response.

“We're waiting for word from Floyd. The issue is very sensitive. We're giving this until the end of the month,” he said in Boxing Scene.

So far, the eight-division champion has already agreed to some of the demands brought up by Mayweather, including the May 2 fight date that could affect the planned Cinco de Mayo weekend bout between Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Miguel Cotto.

Pacquiao has said the date won’t be an issue for him, so long as the elusive Mayweather signs the contract.

The Filipino has also agreed to take a lower cut in the fight expected to generate at $200 million to $300 million in revenues.

"Importante lang, kailangan muna matuloy," stressed Pacquiao, adding that he has no idea of where the venue for the bout will be as well.

Boxing promoter Bob Arum, who has been working out the fight with CBS' Les Moonves, admitted that the negotiations are proceeding at a slow pace.

"The talks are slow, but at least there is movement," Arum told veteran fight scribe Ronnie Nathanielsz, adding that he remains unsure if a deal will be reached.

"Until a deal is made and contracts signed, we'll never know," the veteran boxing promoter said.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Pacquiao expects Floyd fight update in January

MANILA, Philippines – Filipino boxing champion Manny Pacquiao expects to receive updates on the negotiations for his fight against Floyd Mayweather in January.

Top Rank chief executive Bob Arum, Pacquiao's promoter, has said that negotiations are still ongoing with CBS/Showtime boss Les Moonves, whose network exclusively broadcasts Mayweather's fights.

"Hintayin na lang siguro natin, kasi hindi pa ako naka-update," Pacquiao told ABS-CBN News on Sunday. "Hintayin natin 'yung update."

"Siguro, after ng New Year, after nitong mga holidays, malalaman natin," he added.

Pacquiao threw down the gauntlet when he called out Mayweather following his dominant win over Chris Algieri in late November, telling the American superstar to "step up" and fight him.

Mayweather responded by saying he "would love" to fight Pacquiao and set May 2 as their fight date.

Since then, the two fighters have been exchanging barbs through social media.

"Hintayin na lang natin makasa 'yung laban," said Pacquiao. "Pumirma siya ng kontrata." -- From a report by Francis Canlas, ABS-CBN News SOKSARGEN.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Floyd: Pacquiao's ducking the fight, not me

MANILA, Philippines – Floyd Mayweather Jr. claimed that it is Manny Pacquiao who is avoiding the super fight, contrary to what many fight fans believe.

The controversial boxer accused Pacquiao and his promoter, Bob Arum, of fooling the public into believing that Mayweather is dodging the Filipino superstar.

“Manny Pacquiao, Bob Arum, you guys have been ducking us for years," Mayweather said in an interview with Showtime’s Steven Farhood. "We're tired of you guys fooling the public, fooling the critics.”

“Money Mayweather” said his camp already made efforts to arrange the fight, which is expected to become the most lucrative bout in recent history.

He, however, claimed that Pacquiao’s refusal to accept his conditions has scuttled the mega bout.

“You guys didn't want to take random blood and urine testing, so that's why it didn't happen. Then I offered you $40 million, then you didn't want to make the fight happen,” said Mayweather.

Mayweather said he’s now willing to step into the ring with the eight division champion and mentioned May 2 as their fight date.

But the undefeated American said that there is no way that Pacquiao is getting the $40 million guarantee he earlier offered.

“You lost twice, now you coming back begging for the same money. That's not gonna happen,” he said.

Mayweather also cited that Pacquiao’s pay-per-view numbers has been sliding as of late, alluding that he is the bigger draw compared to the Filipino boxer.

It was the first time Mayweather made a statement regarding the super fight since Pacquiao called him out last month.

Boxing analyst Dan Rafael, meanwhile, said Mayweather failed to admit several facts during his interview with Showtime.

In his report to ESPN.com, Rafael pointed that Pacquiao has long accepted Mayweather’s drug testing demand.

The analyst also said that Pacquiao wasn’t the only boxer who suffered a slide in pay-per-view hits.

“Mayweather failed to mention that Pacquiao long ago agreed to be randomly tested. He also failed to mention that while Pacquiao's pay-per-view figures have indeed been soft in recent fights, Mayweather's have also plummeted,” he said.

“Three of the four fights that he has had so far under his six-fight contract with CBS/Showtime failed to reach even 900,000 buys.”

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Maidana remains open to Pacquiao fight

MANILA – Argentine brawler Marcos Maidana remains open to a possible clash against Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao sometime in 2015.

Maidana, who lost again to Floyd Mayweather Jr. during their highly bruising rematch last September, has been enjoying his vacation from boxing.

He said he will round up his team to discuss his next fight in 2015.

“Next year we will sit down with my team to discuss my future,” he said in Boxing Scene.

The discussions, he said, might include a future bout with the eight-division champion from the Philippines.

Maidana said Pacquiao looks to be an ideal opponent since he is sure the Filipino will "fight and not run" unlike Mayweather.

Prior to the announcement of the Pacquiao-Algieri fight, promoter Bob Arum floated Maidana’s name as a possible candidate for the Pacquiao sweepstakes.

The Argentine’s manager Sebastian Contursi said they are honored to be considered a challenger for the fighting congressman.

"We are honored that Bob Arum considers Maidana as a valuable opponent for Pacquiao, and we are open to that possibility," Contursi said.

"Every boxer in this weight class dreams to face both Mayweather and Pacquiao, since they are the icons of boxing. There is an inner desire to prove yourself against the very best," he added.

"And, of course, that comes with big paydays, so who wouldn't like to face Manny."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Pacquiao sees tough fight vs Algieri: Arum

MANILA, Philippines – Contrary to what most analysts believe, Manny Pacquiao won't be able to beat Chris Algieri that easy, according to boxing promoter Bob Arum.

The Top Rank Inc. executive said even Pacquiao himself knows it will be a challenge to face the taller, younger and hungry American boxer.

“Anybody who thinks that Manny Pacquiao is gonna have a cakewalk with Algieri has another thing coming,” Arum said in an interview on DZMM’s “Teka Muna.”

“Because the guy who has taken Algieri the most seriously is Manny Pacquiao.”

Arum said aside from Algieri’s physical advantages against the smaller Pacquiao, the American fighter has a fighting style that poses problems to the eight-division champion.

The 5'10'' tall Algieri possesses a longer reach and this complements his counter-punching strategy. This has worked well for the New York-based fighter, allowing him to win 20 fights in a row.

“Algieri is a terrific fighter, he's great conditioned, he has a marvelous jab. He's extraordinary intelligent in the ring,” said Arum.

“Manny realized that Algieri presents major problems and he schooled himself to meet those problems.”

This is why Pacquiao immersed himself into perhaps the best training camp he had in years, he said.

“He's worked hard. He's focused. He's put in more time. Sparring partners are better in this camp than have been in many few years,” said Arum.

The Provodnikov upset

The Long Island native won the Pacquiao sweepstakes when he unexpectedly gutted out a split decision upset against fancied Russian brawler Ruslan Provodnikov last June.

Arum said Algieri ruined their plans of staging a showdown between Provodnikov and Pacquiao because of his win.

“He upset Provodnikov and made it shift our plans to fight Algieri. That was an unbelievable, gutty ‘Rocky-like’ performance. He's knocked down in the first round, his eyes were closed, he came back and outboxed Provodnikov and won the fight. This is a real tough kid,” said Arum.

The Pacquiao-Algieri WBO welterweight title fight will take place at the Cotai Arena in the luxurious Venetian Macau.

Arum said tickets have already been sold out since a lot of Filipinos and several high rollers from the US flew in to watch the fight live.

The card is also expected to draw 300 million viewers in China, he said.

“The fight will be broadcast on Sunday morning on Chinese national television networks, 9 regional networks and 2 internet portals. So they're looking at an audience as large as 300 million viewers. Tremendous buzz in China not only for Manny but also for their superstar Zou Shiming,” he said.

Interestingly, Shiming will be figuring in a flyweight title eliminator against Thailand’s Kwanpichit Onesongchaigym, who looked like a “carbon copy” of Pacquiao.

The bout is also well-covered by the US press, which has shown interest in Algieri’s story.

“We have a marvelous tour out from the US, Chris is a New York boy from Long Island and every single New York paper is here in Macau so the coverage from all over the US, the LA Times, Reuters, I mean it's almost like the Filipinos’ coverage for Manny Pacquiao,” said Arum.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Why Roach isn't optimistic of Pacquiao-Floyd fight

MANILA, Philippines – More than ever, boxing promoter Bob Arum is positive that Manny Pacquiao will get to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr. sometime in 2015.

The Top Rank Inc. CEO said he had conversations with CBS executive Leslie Moonves who reportedly had talks with his counterparts in HBO regarding the mega bout.

It looks like the TV networks are working it out to make sure that the fight gets done next year.

“I've had a number of meetings with the chairman of the board of CBS, Leslie Moonves and he's reported back to me about his meeting with Mayweather camp,” Arum told ABS-CBN’s Dyan Castillejo.

“We're getting very, very close, I can't reveal anything, I am really optimistic that we'll get this fight done for first 6 months of 2015.”

“The optimism is justified because I'm not talking to some low level guy... I'm talking to the chairman of the board of CBS, whose had conversation with HBO... all signs for me, it's going to be a go.”

But Pacquiao’s coach is not so optimistic.

Freddie Roach said the bout should have happened a couple of years ago.

"I hope it's true, but I don't see it happening. I don't see it," Roach said in ESPN.com. "It's been three to four years. It should have happened by now. What makes it different this time?”

He added that Pacquiao is bound to hurt Chris Algieri this Sunday and this, he believe, will further scare Mayweather.

“If Manny looks good against Algieri, it will make Mayweather say no even more, so I just laugh at all this. Negotiating the money alone won't happen. They'll never agree on the split Mayweather wants. There's a lot of work to be done, and I don't think it's possible," said Roach.

Arum admitted that Mayweather will have to say “yes” for the multimillion-dollar bout to actually happen.

If it doesn’t push through, Arum said he will meet with Pacquiao’s team to discuss their next move.

“I hope the Mayweather fight does happen... that's the fight we've been looking at for 5 years so it's about time that we make it happen. I hope we make it happen for next year, if not I'll meet with Manny, Freddie and Michael and we'll figure out what we're gonna do,” he said.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Arum sees no mismatch in Pac-Algieri tiff

MANILA, Philippines - Over the past few weeks, Bob Arum had known Chris Algieri well for him to say that people who are predicting a mismatch in Macau on Nov. 23 are wrong.

Arum said they’re terribly wrong.

“These people don’t know what they’re talking about,” Arum told The STAR as the anticipated fight between Algieri and Manny Pacquiao moved closer and closer.

The fight is scheduled in three weeks at the Cotai Arena of The Venetian Hotel in Macau. Oddsmakers have placed Algieri as the heavy underdog.

They pick Pacquiao, 2-2 in his last four fights and 56-5-2 overall, as the clear favorite at -1400, meaning you need to put $1400 on him just to win $100.

In contrast, Algieri, undefeated in 20 fights, is at +800, meaning $100 on him wins $800. The odds are a tad closer in some betting stations at -1300 and +700.

Algieri is also younger and bigger.

Arum had seen how hard Algieri is training for this fight, which comes just five months after he stunned the Russian beast, Ruslan Provodnikov.

Algieri is so used to being the underdog.

“Algieri is a very dangerous opponent as he shows fight after fight after fight and when he goes in as an underdog and pulls off a victory,” Arum told The STAR.

“You have to remember that he hasn’t lost a fight yet. He’s determined to win this fight. And he has the style that could give Manny trouble,” he added.

In fact, Arum made sure that there was a rematch clause in the fight contract but would only be in effect if Algieri wins.

“I put a rematch clause that if Algieri wins I could force a rematch. That’s if Manny is willing to do it,” he added.

“You never know boxing,” Arum said.

Read more on The Philippine Star.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com