Sunday, April 5, 2015

Floyd Mayweather's odds are falling vs. underdog Manny Pacquiao

The bigger money is beginning to arrive at Las Vegas sportsbooks, a month ahead of the most anticipated fight the town has seen since Mike Tyson's heyday.

Undefeated champion Floyd Mayweather's odds are shrinking for his May 2 welterweight showdown with Manny Pacquiao at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. On Tuesday, a customer at the MGM Mirage placed two $50,000 bets on the underdog Pacquiao. The sportsbook responded by dropping Mayweather's odds to minus-180. He was an even smaller favorite at other books. When the fight was finalized in late February, Mayweather was listed as high as minus-275.

MGM assistant sportsbook manager Jeff Stoneback said that at his shop three times more money has been wagered on Pacquiao than on Mayweather. Sportsbook operator CG Technology reported overall bets were 6-1 in favor of Pacquiao.

There have been big bets on Mayweather, too. Two weeks ago, at the Westgate SuperBook, a casino guest placed a "large six-figure" wager on Mayweather at minus-190, according to assistant manager Ed Salmons. John Avello of the Wynn sportsbook reported taking a "small six-figure" bet on Mayweather.

Overall, though, Pacquiao is receiving the bulk of the action.

"Public on the 'dog," said Art Manteris, the sportsbook director of Station Casinos and a boxing expert. "Some of the best sports handicappers and guys I respect the most are on the favorite. I'm just not sure I agree with them this time."

The May 2 fight is taking place the same day as the Kentucky Derby on what promises to be an electric Saturday night in Las Vegas. Nearly a million dollars already has been bet on the fight at the MGM.

"For a month away, the handle is astronomical," Stoneback said.

More than $115 million was wagered on this year's Super Bowl at Nevada's sportsbooks. Avello, who has been a Vegas bookmaker for 20-plus years, says the amount wagered on the fight won't reach Super Bowl levels but will likely be the biggest fight he has booked.

"Hearns-Leonard, Tyson-Holyfield, those were big betting fights," Avello said. "It's different now. The whole biz feels different as far as boxing is concerned. But the action on (Mayweather-Pacquiao) is steady, big steady action. This is going to live up to the hype."

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

The Mayweather-Pacquiao Fight Is Already Breaking Records

The May 2 welterweight bout between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao is poised to be one of the most money-earning events in boxing history. ESPN has a round-up of the various records that the fight has already broken or will soon break. In short: The match's total revenue could surpass $400 million.

Here are some more takeaways from the report:

The "live gate" at MGM Grand Garden Arena will earn $74 million on the sale of roughly 15,000 tickets, with premium tickets selling for $10,000 a piece.
Very few of those tickets will be publicly sold—the vast majority are reserved for private sale by HBO, Showtime, and the MGM Grand.
More than 3 million pay-per-view buys are expected to sell for around $100 per piece, generating $300 million in domestic returns and an additional $35 million in foreign markets.
Tecate outbid Corona $5.6 million to $5.2 million to become the event's title sponsor, which is "by far the record."
The proceeds will be split 60/40 in favor of Mayweather's camp, which should help pay for Floyd's $1,000-a-plate personal chef.

Thursday, March 5, 2015

Manny Pacquiao’s hoops obsession puts Mayweather clash at risk

Manny Pacquiao is at it again, playing basketball before his big fight with Floyd Mayweather.
CNN cameras recently captured Pacquiao playing briefly on the professional team he owns in the Philippines. He emerged without injury, but it was reminiscent of when he came under fire last year for playing basketball in the weeks before his November bout with Long Island’s Chris Algieri.
While a sprained ankle or dislocated finger suffered playing basketball could have jeopardized the richest fight in boxing history, Pacquiao escaped injury-free as his team staged a comeback victory.
Pacquiao also hopes to be a victorious when he faces the unbeaten Mayweather for the welterweight championship on May 2 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
“I can say [this will be] one of the most important fights of my career,” Pacquiao
told CNN. “[It] has been five years in the making and finally it’s happening. I think the fans deserve it.”
Mayweather and Pacquiao will come face-to-face on Wednesday in Los Angeles, where the only press conference before fight week will be held.
Mayweather opened his training camp in Las Vegas on Tuesday and remains a 3-to-1
favorite. Pacquiao, who already has arrived in Los Angeles to begin training, said he plans to have his children at the fight.
“My son and my daughter, they really wanted this fight to happen,” Pacquiao said.
“Three years ago [they said], ‘Daddy, I want you to fight Mayweather. I want you to fight Mayweather.’ I said, ‘Why? It’s not my fault. He doesn’t want to fight.’ And now finally now it finally happened. They really, really want to watch the fight.”

Saturday, February 28, 2015

Manny Pacquiao has chance to beat Floyd Mayweather, says Teddy Atlas

The recent announcement that Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao finally will meet in the ring on May 2 in Las Vegas was a cause for celebration throughout the boxing world.

ESPN commentator Teddy Atlas says it's better late than never, but he believes the fight is "six years too late" from an athletic standpoint.

"I don't know if it will be a great fight, but it's going to be the biggest fight of all-time," Atlas told Newsday.

Referring to Pacquiao's Dec. 8, 2012 knockout loss to Juan Manuel Marquez, Atlas added, "Pacquiao was out cold, but the stars lined up right for him. The fans are happy because they're parched in the desert, and they think they see an oasis. But there's always a danger you're seeing a mirage."

In Atlas' view, Pacquiao isn't as big or as strong at age 36 as he was when he was knocking people out, which he hasn't done for his past 10 fights dating to a 2009 stoppage of Miguel Cotto. Atlas said Mayweather might have been right to demand testing for performance-enhancing drugs when the camps for the two fighters first negotiated in 2009.

"I'm not making any claims," Atlas said. "I'm using my eyes."

At the same time, he believes Mayweather also is diminished at age 38.

"Floyd has always been careful, and now, he's more careful than ever," Atlas said. "He showed that in his last fight against Marcos Maidana. He grabbed and ran."

But while neither fighter is as good as in his prime years, Atlas believes it could be a decent fight simply because Pacquiao is good enough to possibly end Mayweather's unbeaten streak of 47 fights.

"The greatest strength of Mayweather is his greatest weakness," Atlas said. "He's so defensive that he gives you a chance to go to work. Pacquiao's hand speed gives him an opportunity to outhustle Mayweather and grab some rounds ... Floyd's great, but Pacquiao has a chance."

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Pacquiao's Mayweather tactic? 'Use my left and right'

 Underdog Manny Pacquiao said Wednesday he has a simple tactic to beat American favourite Floyd Mayweather in history's richest fight by two longtime rivals for the planet's top "pound-for-pound" boxer crown.

"Use my left and right (fists)," the Filipino boxing hero told reporters when asked how he planned to deal with his undefeated foe's height and reach advantage, as well as famed defensive skills.

"If I hurt him I expect him to run. Otherwise he might fight me toe-to-toe."

The Philippines is in the throes of "Pacmania" as the 36-year-old, dubbed "The National Fist" by local media, is set to fly to the United States to train for the May 2 Las Vegas bout.

The 38-year-old Mayweather, tipped as the favourite by bookmakers after announcing the megabucks fight last weekend, has not lost any of his 47 fights, in which he has scored 26 knockouts.

Pacquiao has 57 victories and five defeats to his name, including two suffered as recently as 2012. He has two draws and 38 knockouts.

But he exuded confidence Wednesday as he gave out free pizzas to supporters while preparing for his third game as a basketball player in the Philippines' top professional league.

His determination to play for his Kia Carnival team has raised fears he might get injured before the fight, which US media report could net him an $80 million pay cheque.

- Injury fears -

"I know what I'm doing," said the 1.69-metre (5-foot 6-inch) Pacquiao, a devout Christian who is also the shortest and oldest player in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

He said he would also hit the court again on Saturday, hours before his US flight.

"My Lord, my God, He is the Creator of everything. He knows everything," he added, pointing to the ceiling and repeating his mantra that God will keep him from harm.

Unlike his boxing, however, Pacquiao's basketball career has been underwhelming.

He has scored one solitary point, off a free throw, in his rookie season as player-coach for Kia Carnival.

"That's fine. What's important is my team won. I needed to play to inspire my teammates," he said Wednesday as his courtside struggles continued, going 0-2 with an airball in just under six minutes of play.

With him riding the bench for the rest of the game, his team beat the Talk N'Text team, 106-103, their third win against four defeats.

Pacquiao downplayed criticism by ex-National Basketball Association player Daniel Orton, who was fired by a rival PBA team last week for describing the boxing champ's basketball skills as a "joke".

"Poor guy," Pacquiao said, adding: "I will not react because I would be going down to his level.

"It's like this: No person has ever succeeded without being criticised."

His courtside fans also backed him.

"Everyone has a right to strut their stuff," 36-year-old housewife Ginalyn Lacsana told AFP as she cheered the Kia team from her ringside seat.

"You have to show respect," agreed Ramli de las Armas, 29, who went to the PBA games while on vacation from work abroad as a machine operator in Saudi Arabia.

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

What it could look like when Pacquiao or Mayweather win

The two tensest moments in a boxing match are ironically the moments when nobody is throwing a punch.

The moments preceding the first bell, when the referee is clearing the ring of entourages, and the two fighters and their chief seconds meet at center-ring for final instructions and the ceremonial touching of gloves.

Goosebumps raise from your arms waiting for the timekeeper's hammer to strike the bell as months of build-up come down to the next 48 minutes (or less).

The other is the moments right after the final bell, when both fighters have already made their case and await the verdicts of three judges whom will decide how history remembers that bout.

With so much on the line heading into the May 2 welterweight super-fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr., there will be much pressure on the judges assigned to the bout.

The Las Vegas SuperBook thinks the fighters will head to a decision, having installed the over-under prop line at -300 favorite for the 11 1/2 round for the over.

We won't know who will emerge as the victor until May, but we can get a glimpse at what it might look like thanks to some superb editing by the Facebook page Office Hansho Boxing.

In the first video, posted in August prior to Pacquiao and Mayweather's most recent fights, Pacquiao's hand is raised in victory. Apparently, according to the admin, he was "forced" to create a second video showing Mayweather being named the winner by "the hordes of butthurt Flomos."

And even if you know it's just a fan video, it's hard not to get excited hearing Michael Buffer's voice announcing a decision.

Monday, February 23, 2015

Marquez trainer picks Pacquiao over Mayweather

The man who successfully devised a game plan to defeat Manny Pacquiao is picking him to beat Floyd Mayweather Jr. in their May 2 super fight.

Ignacio “Nacho” Beristein, who trained Juan Manuel Marquez in his four fights with Pacquiao, is confident that the Filipino icon will emerge victorious against Mayweather in the match that’s expected to be the richest in history.

"Pacquiao will definitely win. Pacquiao is just too tough and too strong. Pressure and a lot of punches just beats Floyd up," Beristein recently told Mark Malinowski of Ring Observer.

Oddsmakers have installed Mayweather as a 2 1/2-1 favorite to beat Pacquiao, but Beristein believes the General Santos City-based southpaw will buck the odds.

Interestingly, the 72-year-old trainer was in Marquez’s corner when the Mexican legend fought and lost to Mayweather by decision in 2009. But it will be Beristein’s work against Pacquiao that will mostly define his legacy as one of the best trainers in boxing history.

Pacquiao and Marquez clashed four times, with their first three outings ending up closely. In their final clash in 2012, Marquez knocked Pacquiao in the sixth round to register the first conclusive result of their storied rivalry.

Sportshub ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1


Beristein just knows Pacquiao from head to toe that he believes the fighting congressman has the tools to end Mayweather’s unbeaten 47-fight run.

”I know very well Pacquiao. I’ve seen him fight many times. He’s very good. And everybody picks Mayweather to win the fight because he wins so much against easy fighters, but Pacquiao is just too tough, too strong,” he argued.

“Mayweather’s style – when he fights someone that pressures him and throws a lot of punches – he (Pacquiao) just beats (Mayweather) up,” Beristein added.

Beristein pointed out Pacquiao’s remarkable work ethic, saying it will be one of his keys to victory.

”He just works too hard. His training is too hard. He works very hard,” he continued.

Mayweather works hard as well, and in more than two months, the world will know who’s more effective.

Sunday, February 22, 2015

Floyd Mayweather Sr. eager to get son back in gym, stresses body work vs. Manny Pacquiao

Floyd Mayweather Sr. will spew 10 weeks of verbal bravado about his son's May 2 showdown with Manny Pacquiao, but the trainer knows it is the fight of all their lives.

Mayweather-Pacquiao, after five years of balky talks, finally is scheduled to happen this spring at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

"I don't think the fight has lost nothing," Mayweather Sr. said Saturday. "I think the fight will be as big as it ever was going to be, because you know what? If people anywhere are talking about anything on the planet, it's the fight. That's what they're talking about. Everybody is talking about it.

"My phone has not stopped ringing today. It's true. My phone woke me up this morning. A whole bunch of good is going to come out of this fight. It's going to be a good thing to see."

Mayweather-Pacquiao widely is projected to be the richest fight in history, and projects as one of the rarest of generation-defining boxing events, along with the likes of Sugar Ray Leonard-Marvelous Marvin Hagler in 1987, Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier I in 1971, and the most historically significant boxing event ever, Joe Louis-Max Schmeling II in 1938.

The welterweight unification bout was announced Friday.

Details have not been announced, but pay-per-view is expected to cost $100 including high-definition tack-ons, and ringside tickets are expected to run around $5,000 -- if you have the contacts to get any before the set-asides and resell market drive prices higher.

Mayweather Sr. offered the predictable prediction that his son will knock out Pacquiao, though neither fighter has scored an unsullied knockout in more than five years.

 He did offer some hints as to the strategy against the speedy, heavy-handed Pacquiao.
"If you've ever seen Pacquiao fight, against everybody, you never see nobody going to his body -- you never see nobody going to his body," he said. "So my thing would be is to tell Floyd, hit him with the straight right hand and left hook, and then go back to the body.

"A southpaw is definitely geared to be hit with right hands. I'm going to say that, along with the body work, it's going to be a good right hand and a left hook that's going to put him down."

Pound-for-pound king Mayweather (47-0, 26 KOs) risks his pristine legacy against Pacquiao (57-5-2, 38 KOs) -- but if he hadn't, it wouldn't have been pristine.

Mayweather Sr. said the fight will be equivalent to "just a good fighter sparring in the gym, that's all."

"I know one thing, I know every move that Pacquiao does," he said. "That ain't no problem. He'll jump in with the jab, and when he jumps in with the jab, he ain't going to throw nothing behind it. He only throws one or two punches. When he jabs, because he jabs with his right hand, Floyd can pick it, or slide and dig to his body. There's all kinds of ways you can do things."

Though there are several pre-fight details to work out and training probably won't begin for a few more days, Mayweather Sr. said he would prefer it to begin this week for the biggest fight in a boxing-immersed family's history.

"It's time to get down to business," he said. "Don't cheat yourself or beat yourself, you understand?"

Friday, February 20, 2015

Computer glitch made MGM Grand appear sold out for Mayweather-Pacquiao fight

Still hoping to get tickets for the most highly anticipated fight of the year? You’re in luck!

Boxing’s mega-bout between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao is guaranteed to spark a mass influx of humanity into Las Vegas on the weekend of May 2 – and thankfully there’s still plenty of opportunity to get a room at the fight’s venue.

A computer glitch made it appear the host MGM Grand was sold out for May 1 and May 2 minutes after the announcement that Mayweather would fight Pacquiao, but the hotel was busily putting the word out Friday night that it has plenty of rooms available for the event’s weekend.

MGM Grand spokesperson Yvette Monet said the hotel was nowhere near being sold out and that if you log on to the hotel website at www.mgmgrand.com, a toll-free number would allow you to make reservations for the big weekend.

In recent days, as speculation that the two men would finally meet in the ring after more than five years of frustration and contractual wrangling, room rates for the MGM continued to rise, on what is already one of the most popular holiday weekends of the year.

On Thursday, when it appeared Mayweather was poised to make the announcement before keeping fans on tenterhooks for one day longer, prices climbed as high as $615 per night for May 1 and 2.

Even though the arena’s capacity can reach only around 17,000 – depending on any reconfiguration to try to accommodate more ticket holders – thousands of revelers are expected to flood into Sin City to take part in the associated festivities and watch on one of several closed circuits viewings at various casinos.

So, if early indications are anything to go by, even with rooms still available, nothing associated with this fight will come cheap.

The MGM Grand sold out the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight in 15 minutes

Boxing’s mega-bout between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao is guaranteed to spark a mass influx of humanity into Las Vegas on the weekend of May 2 – but boxing fans can forget about getting a room at the epicenter of fight week.

The MGM Grand, which will host the long-awaited contest between boxing’s two biggest names, appeared to have completely sold out within 15 minutes of the match-up being announced by Mayweather on the social media site Shots on Friday afternoon.

In recent days, as speculation that the two men would finally meet in the ring after more than five years of frustration and contractual wrangling, room rates for the MGM continued to rise, on what is already one of the most popular holiday weekend’s of the year.

On Thursday, when it appeared Mayweather was poised to make the announcement before keeping fans on tenterhooks for one day longer, prices climbed as high as $615 per night for May 1 and 2.

Even though the arena’s capacity can reach only around 17,000 – depending on any reconfiguration to try to accommodate more ticket holders – thousands of revelers are expected to flood into Sin City to take part in the associated festivities and watch on one of several closed circuits viewings at various casinos.

But, if early indications are anything to go by, nothing associated with this fight will come cheap.

Done deal: Floyd Mayweather will fight Manny Pacquiao on May 2

After years of frustration and disappointment, following many starts and stops, perhaps the most talked about boxing match in history is finally a reality.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. announced Friday that he's agreed to fight Manny Pacquiao in a welterweight bout May 2 at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas. It's a bout the public has been calling for since late 2009 and pits the two finest boxers of their generation in a historic event.

"I am glad my decision to meet with Manny and discuss making this fight happen helped get the deal done," said Mayweather. "Giving the fans what they want to see is always my main focus. This will be the biggest event in the history of the sport. Boxing fans and sports fans around the world will witness greatness on May 2. I am the best ever, TBE, and this fight will be another opportunity to showcase my skills and do what I do best, which is win. Manny is going to try to do what 47 before him failed to do, but he won't be successful. He will be number 48."
The bout is expected to set numerous records, including purse size, live paid gate and pay-per-view sales. The cost of the pay-per-view has yet to be determined and won't be until there are deals with the distributors.

Formal details on the agreement have yet to be announced, but it's expected that Mayweather will have a 60-40 split advantage on revenues, with Mayweather making at least $120 million and Pacquiao, who signed the contract for the bout Thursday, earning $80 million.

"Floyd should enjoy being the A-side while he can," Freddie Roach, Pacquiao's trainer, said. "Because on May 2, Manny is going to put him on his backside."

The two nearly came to terms around the Christmas holidays in 2009, a month after Pacquiao stopped Miguel Cotto at the MGM Grand. It fell apart, though, when Pacquiao and promoter Bob Arum balked at Mayweather's demand for drug testing run by the United States Anti-Doping Agency during training camp.

There were numerous attempts over the last five years to reignite the talks. In 2011, then-HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg tried to act as a mediator between Mayweather adviser Al Haymon and Arum, but that didn't come to fruition.

In 2012, Mayweather, who was in Las Vegas, called Pacquiao, who was at his home in the Philippines, and offered him a guaranteed $40 million but with no pay-per-view upside. Pacquiao declined that offer.

Mayweather jumped from HBO, which had him under an exclusive television contract for much of his career, to Showtime in 2013, which seemed to be the death knell for the fight.

Mayweather has fought four of the six fights on his record-breaking Showtime contract and didn't have an opponent out there who would have made the kind of show that would resonate with the public the way a Pacquiao fight would.

Pacquiao remains under an exclusive television deal with HBO, so that further complicated the attempts to match the fighters. Only once previously, in 2002 when Lennox Lewis (HBO) and Mike Tyson (Showtime) fought, have the two premium cable giants gotten together to do a pay-per-view.

This most recent talks began in November and were started by CBS Corp. CEO Leslie Moonves, a longtime acquaintance of Arum's. Roach actually got them together by speaking to a friend of his who owns a Southern California pizza restaurant that Moonves frequents.

Moonves and Arum were joined in the talks by HBO CEO Richard Plepler. And while there were many false alarms along the way, they were able to get the deal done.

Arum told Yahoo Sports on Jan. 13 that Pacquiao had agreed to terms for the bout and that all that was required was for Mayweather to agree.

But because Mayweather, the pound-for-pound king and the sport's biggest pay-per-view attraction, had the upper hand and was dictating the terms, there was a lot of skepticism and back and forth. Several times, Mayweather went to social media to announce that no deal had been reached.

Mayweather and Pacquiao spoke face-to-face for the first time during these negotiations Jan. 27 at American Airlines Arena in Miami at a Heat-Milwaukee Bucks game. Pacquiao had served as a judge at the Miss Universe pageant in Miami two nights earlier, but because of bad weather on the East Coast, his flight to Los Angeles had been canceled.


As a result, he went to the game to see the Heat because he’s friends with Miami coach Erik Spoelstra. Mayweather, who owns a home in Miami, also attended the game and walked over to speak to Pacquiao at halftime. Later, Mayweather went to Pacquiao's hotel room and they had further discussions.
That led to intense speculation of an announcement, but it took several more weeks before the deal could be consummated.

Roach told Yahoo Sports in January that he'd already gotten bleary-eyed from watching film of Mayweather and coming up with a plan.

"It's a huge challenge for Manny, no question, but I think it's a fight that he can win," Roach told Yahoo Sports.

The intrigue in the bout comes about because they are not only widely regarded as the two best pound-for-pound fighters in the world but their styles are vastly different.

Mayweather is the brilliant tactician and one of the finest defensive fighters in the sport’s history. He has an innate sense of timing and can see punches coming that others can’t.

Pacquiao, a left-hander, is a powerhouse offensive fighter who has the speed and quickness to deal with Mayweather.

"I am very happy that Floyd Mayweather and I can give the fans the fight they have wanted for so many years," said Pacquiao. "They have waited long enough and they deserve it. It is an honor to be part of this historic event. I dedicate this fight to all the fans who willed this fight to happen and, as always, to bring glory to the Philippines and my fellow Filipinos around the world."

Former world champion Timothy Bradley, who has gone 1-1 in two bouts with the Filipino congressman and cultural icon, told Yahoo Sports last year that Pacquiao is an extraordinarily hard puncher.

"He hits hard, man," Bradley said. "It's a whole different level. You feel it when he hits you."

The result is the kind of boxer vs. slugger match that has long intrigued boxing fans.

And five years after it first was talked about, it's finally a reality, and the endless debates over who would win will be settled in the ring.

Monday, February 2, 2015

Mayweather, Pacquiao Discuss Terms In Private Meeting

The megafight that the boxing world has been clamoring for between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. should be finalized in "the next couple days," Top Rank promoter Bob Arum told the New York Post.

The sides have been negotiating what will certainly be the richest fight in boxing history, but no deal has been struck yet. The two fighters met privately for more than an hour on Tuesday in Miami.

"Everybody is doing the right thing," Arum told the Post on Friday. "We're looking to complete the paperwork. Everything is moving in the right direction. Hopefully, the next couple of days it will get done."

One of the issues is that Time Warner/HBO, which has a contract with Pacquiao, and CBS/Showtime, which has Mayweather under contract, need to hammer out terms for a joint pay-per-view telecast, which they did once before for the 2002 fight between then-heavyweight world champion Lennox Lewis and former champ Mike Tyson. They have been negotiating the terms.

"I think it helped a lot because we were all putting papers together, and there was still a question as to whether Floyd really wanted to do the fight or not," Arum told the Post of the Miami meeting. "Based on the meeting with Pacquiao in the hotel suite, Manny and [Pacquiao adviser] Michael Koncz were convinced Floyd absolutely wants to do the fight."

Pacquiao (57-5-2, 38 KOs), the 36-year-old Filipino legend, and Arum have repeatedly said they have agreed to all of the terms outlined by Mayweather (47-0, 26 KOs), who turns 38 in February, during talks with CBS CEO Leslie Moonves, who has served as the go-between on behalf of Mayweather and his adviser, Al Haymon.

Mayweather has said he intends to fight May 2 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, be it against Pacquiao or somebody else.

Thursday, January 29, 2015

Adviser decidedly more optimistic about likelihood of Mayweather-Pacquiao bout



A key member of Manny Pacquiao's staff told Yahoo Sports on Thursday he is optimistic an agreement can be reached to finalize a bout between the Filipino congressman and Floyd Mayweather Jr., the pound-for-pound top fighter in the world.

After a chance encounter between the fighters Tuesday at the Miami Heat-Milwaukee Bucks NBA game at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Mayweather visited Pacqiuao in his suite at the Trump National Doral hotel later that night.

Pacquiao adviser Michael Koncz called the meeting highly productive and said he is optimistic that the long-awaited fight can finally be made.

Pacquiao said earlier in January that he had agreed to all of Mayweather's terms and conditions. Executives for Showtime, which has an exclusive contract with Mayweather, and HBO, which has a deal with Pacquiao, have worked out many of the issues between them relating to the broadcast.

In the Tuesday meeting in Pacquiao's suite, Mayweather expressed concern about what Koncz called broadcast issues, but he said they were quickly resolved after a conversation with Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum and HBO CEO Richard Plepler.

"We talked to Bob and Richard and got that handled pretty quickly," Koncz said.

Koncz said he is more optimistic now than he was last week, when he accompanied Pacquiao to England for a meeting with Prince Harry. During that trip to London, Koncz and Pacquiao met with Amir Khan to see if he was interested in facing Pacquiao in the event a Mayweather-Pacquiao match couldn't be made. Khan said he was and indicated to Pacquiao that he was free and available to take the fight if it is offered.

Pacquiao had earlier this month said he would begin talking to other potential opponents in earnest in February if he didn't have a deal by with Mayweather by that point.

The chance meeting at the Heat-Bucks game seems to have reinvigorated the process. Pacquiao was supposed to have flown to Los Angeles that day after having served Sunday as a judge at the Miss Universe pageant, but because of the weather on the East Coast, his flight was canceled.
He is friends with Heat coach Eric Spoelstra, who is of Filipino descent, and went to the game. Mayweather also happened to attend and came over to speak briefly to Pacquiao at halftime.

"For the most part, it was just Floyd, Manny and I in the [hotel] room and it was a very good conversation," Koncz said. "I think Floyd is sincere about wanting the fight, I really do. I know Manny has wanted it and he's ready to fight and has been for a while. So I'm very optimistic. I really am.

"Nobody can stop this. I can't stop it. Bob can't stop it. HBO can't stop it. Showtime can't. [Mayweather adviser] Al [Haymon] can't. The only ones who can stop it are Floyd and Manny, and right now, they're both saying they want the fight."

Pacquiao is staying in the U.S. through the end of next week. He's going to spend the weekend in Los Angeles, but on Tuesday plans to fly Washington, D.C., to attend the National Prayer Breakfast with his wife, Jinkee, on Feb. 5. President Obama is expected to attend the event with the Dalai Lama.

The fight, if it is finalized, would be held May 2 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Many of the details of the fight are complete, including minutaie such as the type of gloves the fighters will wear, who will walk first to the ring and who will be announced last.

But Koncz said Pacquiao, who has agreed to a 60-40 financial split that favors Mayweather, is doing whatever he can to make the fight.

"We're treating him as the A side in this because we just want to get it done and we want to give the fans what they've been asking for, for years," Koncz said.

If the fight is made, the announcement will come from Mayweather. Mayweather has used social media, including Twitter and Shots, to announce his last several fights.

Koncz said Mayweather wants to make the announcement, and that he and Pacquiao agreed.

Monday, January 19, 2015

Despite Pacquiao concessions, De La Hoya thinks Mayweather still won't fight Manny


Until Floyd Mayweather puts his name on the dotted line, Oscar De La Hoya wouldn't believe that the unbeaten American champion wants any part of Manny Pacquiao.

The retired fighter made his pronouncement in light of news that Pacquiao and promoter Bob Arum had already agreed to all terms set for a fight with Mayweather.

"I'm not speaking to you as a promoter, I'm speaking to you as a fan. I want that fight to happen, but I have a feeling that it's not going to happen. Bob and Pacquiao already conceded to everything," De La Hoya told BoxingScene.com.

"They have their deal in place, so now they are waiting on Mayweather. I just don't think Mayweather wants to fight Pacquiao. I don't think it's going to happen."

Pacquiao has agreed to details such as the date and venue. Rival American cable television networks HBO and Showtime are also holding negotiations to broadcast the fight together on pay-per-view.

Thursday, January 15, 2015

$120 million for Mayweather, $80 million for Pacquiao?


Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. could be part of the richest fight in boxing history, with reports indicating a purse of some $200 million.

According to Yahoo Sports sources, the two boxers could get a 60-40 share in favor of the American fighter, who could pocket $120 million. The Filipino boxing icon, meanwhile, could receive $80 million.

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum said Pacquiao has already agreed to all the terms of the fight following negotiations with Mayweather's representatives but the undefeated pound-for-pound king has yet to give his nod to the contract.

Arum said all they are waiting for now is for the Mayweather to agree to put down his signature, but he said he is not putting pressure on the American boxer by commenting publicly about the usually closed-door negotiations.

"I think Manny has been very reasonable and demonstrated that he wants the fight to happen," he told Yahoo Sports. "Now, we're waiting on Floyd. That's not to say that Floyd has been obstinate, that Floyd won't do it, but we're waiting on him."

Arum said he does wants to avoid another falling out after several failed negotiations in the past, adding that he wants everyone to be satisfied both with the show and the earnings.

"I think it will be a terrific event," he said. "That's what I want, and I've done everything in my power to make that happen."

Showtime exec: Mayweather wants Pacquiao more than ever

Floyd Mayweather Jr. wants a fight with Manny Pacquiao more than ever, a top Showtime executive said Thursday, and negotiations continue to make the long anticipated bout a reality on May 2.

Stephen Espinoza told The Associated Press that Mayweather has not wavered in his determination to fight Pacquiao in what would be the richest fight ever.

"Personally I've been involved in these negotiations continuously since the very first in 2009," Espinoza said. "I can say I'm not sure there's a point where I personally observed him wanting it more than over the last few months."

Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum said this week that his fighter has agreed to all terms dictated by the Mayweather camp and that all that stood in the way of the bout was the approval of Mayweather himself. But Espinoza said there were still some issues to discuss, though progress has been made.

"We're making meaningful progress but if we were running a race we would still have a ways to go," he said. "Everyone is trying to get to the finish line as soon as possible."

Espinoza, Showtime's executive vice president for sports, confirmed there have been parallel talks between Showtime and HBO over how the fight would be televised, and that those talks were ongoing. Pacquiao is an HBO fighter, while Mayweather would be fighting for the fifth time in a six-fight deal with Showtime.

The two deals are intertwined, he said, but declined to talk about the details of either negotiation.

"We all mutually agreed we're not going to negotiate in the press," Espinoza said. "There's been some misinformation out there and in general all sides realize that the less said publicly the better."

Arum said earlier that Pacquiao agreed to everything from the purse split (reportedly 60-40 in Mayweather's favor) to the gloves to who goes in the ring first in the welterweight title fight. His comments were seen as an effort to turn up the heat on Mayweather, who hasn't spoken publicly about Pacquiao since declaring on Showtime last month that he wanted to fight him on May 2.

Though there has long been tension between the two networks, it is unlikely that friction would hold up the fight. The plan would be for a joint pay-per-view broadcast like the one in 2002 when Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis met for the heavyweight title.

An HBO spokesman said he was not aware of any talks, and said no HBO executives would comment on the possibility of the fight.

The bout would be boxing's richest ever, delivering likely paydays of some $120 million for Mayweather and $80 million for Pacquiao. It would likely have the biggest pay-per-view price, too, expected to be in the $85-90 range.

Espinoza said he is confident that it will be a box office smash, despite the time that has gone by since it was first proposed.

"Hard core fans wish it would have happened five years ago but that doesn't mean they won't watch it," he said. "There doesn't seem to be any diminution of public interest in this fight even though it has taken awhile to get to this point."

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Floyd Mayweather’s team confirms deal to fight Manny Pacquiao is close

The richest fight in boxing history — a much-anticipated showdown between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao — appears closer than ever to happening.

Sam Watson, longtime confidant of Mayweather adviser Al Haymon and one of few in the fighter’s tight-knit inner circle, said Wednesday the final details are being worked out and an announcement for a May 2 fight is imminent.

“They’re putting it together now,” Watson said. “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.”

The remarks lent credence to previous reports of a deal-in-progress between the two most decorated fighters of their generation — and marked the first time Mayweather’s team has addressed the fight beyond abstracts.

Mayweather (47-0, 26 KOs) has two bouts remaining on his six-fight, 30-month contract with Showtime and CBS — the landmark deal worth a potential $250 million he signed in February 2013 — yet the supply of credible opponents is running dry. Pacquiao (57-5-2, 38 KOs), an eight-division champion, is aligned with HBO, though a rare detente between the network rivals could make the welterweight summit a reality.

Both fighters’ pay-per-view buy rates have trended down in recent outings as dissatisfaction over their refusal to fight one another has approached a critical mass.

Watson spoke on behalf of Haymon following a news conference at Rockefeller Center on Wednesday to announce a multiyear agreement between NBC and Haymon Boxing that marks the sport’s return to prime-time network television.


Haymon — a Salinger-level recluse who rarely ventures into public, refuses all interviews and has been said to have no office or answering machine — is widely regarded as boxing’s most powerful figure, not least for his role as architect of Mayweather’s rise to world’s highest-paid athlete.

He did not attend Wednesday’s announcement in Studio 8H, home of Saturday Night Live, though Watson wryly admitted he was in the building.

“He’s here,” Watson said, “but you don’t see him.”

Seldom do two fighters considered the best in the sport come from the same weight class — and rarer still are both roughly the same age. A superfight between Mayweather and Pacquiao was a fight the public made years ago and its failure to materialize has represented an indictment of a sport.

But while a deal should have been struck years ago when both were nearer their athletic peaks, there’s no question it remains the biggest fight that can be made today. If set for May, Pacquiao will be 36 and Mayweather will be 38, though both still rate among the world’s best fighters regardless of weight.

Better late than never.

“It’s a fight that’s going to break all records,” said five-division champion Sugar Ray Leonard, whose 1987 showdown with Marvin Hagler was subject to similarly laborious negotiations. “The numbers are going to be awesome, incredible.”

If it happens. But it’s looking better than ever.

“He’s my best friend, I work for him, I’m with him every day,” Watson said, stressing that he spoke for Haymon. “I believe it’s going to happen. I believe that everybody involved wants it to happen. I know Floyd wants it.”

Mayweather Vs. Pacquiao: By The Numbers

The much anticipated and long-delayed bout between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao is inching closer to fruition, according to multiple reports. Executives from Top Rank, which promotes Pacquiao, outlined the potential fight details to ESPN and Yahoo late Tuesday. Pacquiao and Top Rank have agreed to parameters around the date (May 2), location (MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas), network (Showtime and HBO would both broadcast the fight on pay-per-view), drug testing, boxing gloves and the all-important purse split (60/40 in favor of Mayweather).

While Pacquiao and Top Rank are on board with the terms of the bout, Mayweather’s camp remains publicly silent on the discussions. It remains a big question mark whether the bout gets made until the signatures of both fighters are on a contract. Pacquiao has publicly been itching for this fight for a couple years, including filming a humerous ad for Foot Locker FL -3.97% regarding the inability of the fighter to meet in the ring. Mayweather has shown less interest in the fight, although he opened the door a crack after his September bout against Marcos Maidana. “Manny Pacquiao needs to focus on the guy in front of him (Chris Algieri). Once he gets past him, he can look to the future. If the Pacquiao fight presents itself, let’s make it happen,” said Mayweather in his post-bout press conference.

The tortured negotiations between the two fighters have taken place on and off over the last six years, but this is the closest they have come to making the bout happen. The fight would most certainly shatter the records for PPV sales (2.5 million for Mayweather-Oscar De La Hoya), PPV revenue ($150 million for Mayweather-Canelo Alvarez) and live gate ($20 million for Mayweather-Alvarez). It would be a record payday for both fighters with Mayweather likely banking as much as $120 million. Here some of the numbers that define the two fighters.

Rank

Mayweather: No. 1; Pacquiao: No. 3 in The Ring’s current pound-for-pound ratings.

Record

Mayweather: 47-0 with 26 knockouts; Pacquiao: 57-5-2 with 38 knockouts.

Age

Mayweather: 37; Pacquiao: 36

Betting Line

Mayweather: -350; Pacquiao: +265 via Bovada (fight must take place May 2 or 3 for bets to be valid).

Twitter Followers

Mayweather: 5.5 million; Pacquiao: 1.6 million

Earnings

Mayweather: $105 million between June 2013-June 2014; Pacquiao: $41.8 million, including endorsements. Mayweather topped Forbes list of the world’s highest-paid athletes, while Pacquiao ranked No. 11.

Purse (last fight)

Mayweather: $32 million (Maidana II); Pacquiao: $23 million (Algieri)

Biggest Career Payday

Maywweather: $75 million (Alvarez); Pacquiao: $30 million (Marquez III)

Career Earnings

Mayweather: $420 million; Pacquiao: $335 million, including endorsements.

Career PPV Buys

Mayweather: 14.2 million; Pacquiao: 13.6 million

Career PPV Revenue

Mayweather: $860 million; Pacquiao: $755 million

Pacquiao Agrees To Fight Mayweather

The fight the world has wanted to see for the better part of six years -- a long-awaited summit meeting between welterweight champions Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao, the two top boxers in the world -- is not done, but it has cleared a major hurdle.

Pacquiao and Top Rank, his promoter, have agreed to terms for a May 2 bout, Top Rank vice president Carl Moretti told ESPN.com on Tuesday night, although Mayweather has not yet agreed to terms and it remains to be seen if he will.

"Top Rank and Manny have agreed to the terms on our side. I don't know about the other side," Moretti said.

Nobody from Mayweather's camp could be reached for comment. Yahoo! Sports initially reported the development.

Top Rank chairman Bob Arum has been negotiating the bout for the past couple of months through Leslie Moonves, the president and CEO of CBS, which has two fights left on a six-fight contract CBS and subsidiary network Showtime signed Mayweather to in early 2013. Moonves, according to Arum, has been acting as a go-between in trying to hammer out Mayweather's end of the deal with adviser Al Haymon.

According to a source involved in the negotiations, Pacquiao has agreed to a 40 percent cut of the revenue, leaving Mayweather with the remaining 60 percent of a fight most believe will shatter every boxing box office record, including the all-time pay-per-view buy record of 2.4 million (Mayweather-Oscar De La Hoya), the pay-per-view revenue record of $150 million (Mayweather-Canelo Alvarez) and the all-time gate record of $20 million (Mayweather-Alvarez).

If the fight is finalized, it would take place May 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Moretti said. Mayweather has had his past 10 fights there, and Pacquiao has had five of his past seven bouts there.

Top Rank initially wanted to go in June to leave May 2 open for another major fight it is trying to finalize -- middleweight champion Miguel Cotto against former junior middleweight titlist Alvarez, a date Alvarez desperately wants to fight on because it is Cinco de Mayo weekend and he is Mexico's most popular active fighter.

But Top Rank gave in on the date, one Mayweather has insisted on, along with a host of other aspects of the fight.

The sides are so far along that they have drafted contracts, according to the Pacquiao side. While the Pacquiao camp agreed to terms, the attorneys on Mayweather's side indicated there were still open issues, although what they are is not clear, according to a source.

According to the Pacquiao side, everything was agreed to, including the gloves and drug testing. As far as the gloves go, each fighter would be able to select their own brand of 8-ounce gloves. Mayweather typically wears Grant gloves and Pacquiao fights in Cleto Reyes.

The drug testing protocol was the one open item that caused the fight to fall apart when it was first negotiated in late 2009 and early 2010. Mayweather wanted Pacquiao to submit to random Olympic-style drug testing, and he declined to do the kind of testing Mayweather (47-0, 26 KOs), who turns 38 in February, wanted.

However, Moretti said Pacquiao (57-5-2, 38 KOs), 36, who has subjected himself (and his opponents) to random testing by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association for his recent bouts, has gone so far as to agree to use the United States Anti-Doping Agency, which has randomly tested Mayweather (and his opponents) for years.

"I think that Manny agreed to USADA testing shows you his eagerness to make this fight," Moretti said.

Mayweather and Pacquiao have been on a collision course since late 2009. Mayweather ended a nearly two-year retirement to easily outpoint Juan Manuel Marquez in September 2009, and two months later Pacquiao knocked out Miguel Cotto in the 12th round to win a welterweight title. Everything had been agreed to but the drug testing, including a 50-50 revenue split.

There have been various attempts over the years to try to make the fight, but it has never been as close as it was in 2009 as it is now.

Back then, Mayweather and Pacquiao were both associated with HBO, even though neither was under contract. In early 2013, Mayweather signed his contract with CBS/Showtime and still has two fights remaining with guarantees of at least $32 million per fight while Pacquiao is now under contract to HBO/Time Warner. Still, the networks are not an impediment to a deal.

Both networks have said that they are willing to work together for what would be a joint pay-per-view telecast, similar to what they did for another fight that had been demanded by the public for years -- the 2002 heavyweight championship fight between then-champion Lennox Lewis, who was under contract to HBO, and Mike Tyson, who was with Showtime.

Promoter says Manny Pacquiao has agreed to terms for a Mayweather fight

Promoter Bob Arum told Yahoo Sports on Tuesday that Manny Pacquiao has agreed to terms for a May 2 bout with Floyd Mayweather, and that the only thing in the way of the long-awaited fight occurring is Mayweather's approval.

Arum said Mayweather's representatives have also agreed to the deal but have not been able to get Mayweather's agreement. However, there is no verification from anyone representing Mayweather whether Arum's side is accurate.

On Friday, the Los Angeles Times reported that progress was being made on making the match a reality. Multiple sources told Yahoo Sports over the weekend that a deal for the two superstars to fight at the MGM Grand Garden was imminent.

The sources told Yahoo Sports that not only have the sides agreed for the fight to be May 2 at the MGM, but also on a 60/40 purse split that would favor Mayweather. Mayweather could make in the range of $120 million. An MGM spokesman told Yahoo Sports that there was no deal for the fight to be held at the Grand Garden as far as he is aware.

In order to pay the astronomical salaries the fighters will command, ticket prices will be scaled at an all-time high. The top ticket at the MGM Grand Garden is expected to go for $5,000 so that the arena can be scaled to produce a $40 million live gate.


A $40 million live gate would be virtually double the existing record gate of $20,003,150, which was set at the MGM in 2013 by Mayweather and Canelo Alvarez.
Arum refused Tuesday to speak about details, but said Pacquiao was on board with all terms.

"I want to get some movement here, with bringing Mayweather to the table so we can go out and get everything signed and get the networks together and get the thing finished," Arum told Yahoo Sports on Tuesday.

Mayweather has an exclusive contract with Showtime and Pacquiao is obligated to HBO. It is not immediately clear which network will broadcast the fight, though it is expected that both will be involved. That was the solution worked out in 2002, when Mike Tyson (Showtime) fought Lennox Lewis (HBO) in Memphis, Tenn.

A Mayweather-Pacquiao bout first began to be seriously discussed in 2009. Mayweather ended a brief retirement by routing Juan Manuel Marquez at the MGM on Sept. 19, 2009. Two months later, in perhaps the defining performance of his career, Pacquiao stopped Miguel Cotto at the MGM in the 12th round on Nov. 14, 2009.

It was clear at that point that they were not only the best welterweights in the world, but also the two best pound-for-pound fighters, period. While Mayweather is now widely acknowledged as the No. 1 fighter in the world, there was some debate in 2009 after Pacquiao stopped Cotto. Pacquiao was on a streak of 11 wins in a row that included dominant one-sided victories over Cotto, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales.

An agreement was close in 2009 for a March 2010 bout, but it fell apart when Pacquiao declined Mayweather's last-minute demand for drug testing.

Former HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg tried to mediate a deal between the sides in 2011, and talks seemed promising at one point before it lost momentum. And in 2012, Mayweather personally called Pacquiao and offered him a flat $40 million for the fight. Pacquiao declined because there was a lot more money in the fight and he wouldn't have gotten any pay-per-view revenue.

Arum declined to speak on the record over the weekend when reached by Yahoo Sports to discuss the rumors circulating that the fight was on the verge of being made. But early Tuesday, he spoke to Brad Cooney of Examiner.com and told Cooney that Pacquiao had agreed to terms.

In a conversation later Tuesday with Yahoo Sports, Arum was asked if he were trying to force Mayweather's hand by speaking publicly after he was so tight-lipped and adamantly refusing to comment over the weekend.

"I'm not trying to force anybody's hand, I'm just saying, 'Hey, we've agreed to everything, period,' " Arum told Yahoo Sports. "The people we have talked to on Mayweather's side have agreed to everything. Now we need Mayweather to step up and say, 'Yeah, I'm on board. I agree.'

"I'm not going to put a deadline on there. I'm just going to hope that everybody does the right thing and we get this concluded. It would be really sad if we went through this stuff again like we did before."

Arum said he and Pacquiao were "ignorant about the drug-testing stuff," when Mayweather first made the request for testing in the 2009 negotiations. He said Pacquiao has educated himself on it and has no problem to being tested and readily agreed to testing as part of his deal in getting the Mayweather fight.
He declined to talk specifics on Tuesday about purses, venue and the like, but said his only goal was to get a deal consummated. Pacquiao is flying to the U.S. on Wednesday and has meetings with Arum and then is doing publicity for a movie.

Arum said he hopes to avoid getting close to a deal, getting hopes up and then having it dashed.

If that's his position, it doesn't make sense to talk publicly about private negotiations, but that's always been Arum's style.

"The point is that I don't want what happened the other times to happen again," Arum said. "I want this fight to actually happen. I want everybody to make a lot of money on the fight. I want the public to be satisfied. And I think it will be a terrific event. That's what I want, and I've done everything in my power to make that happen.

"I think Manny has been very reasonable and demonstrated that he wants the fight to happen. Now, we're waiting on Floyd. That's not to say that Floyd has been obstinate, that Floyd won't do it, but we're waiting on him."

Top Rank is also working on a middleweight title fight between Alvarez, the Golden Boy star from Mexico, and WBC champion Miguel Cotto. Promoter Oscar De La Hoya of Golden Boy is on record saying he wants Alvarez to fight on May 2, and Arum has agreed that it made sense to have Alvarez fighting on a Mexican holiday.

But Arum said that if fighting on May 2 meant that much to Mayweather, he would look to make the Cotto-Alvarez fight for some other date. That fight still isn't finalized, though, and it's no guarantee that it will be.

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Pacquiao camp sets deadline for Floyd

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.

BoxRec: Pacquiao vs Floyd on May 2

The super fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. has got everything on it – except the contract signed by both fighters.

The betting lines opened more than a month ago, putting the unbeaten Mayweather a 3-1 favorite over the surging Pacquiao.

Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia, has dedicated an entire page for the fight, the most talked about boxing contest that has yet to happen.

Yesterday, www.boxrec.com, the most extensive boxing website carrying the updated records of professional boxers, both active and retired, fanned the fire.

BoxRec posted yesterday morning (Manila time) the schedule of Mayweather vs Pacquiao on May 2, 2015. It’s got the venue, too, and it’s the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Boxing observers jumped on it and slowly, word spread.

The post was deleted a couple of hours later.

The question being asked now is: What made BoxRec post the fight schedule when no announcement had been made yet?

Or is BoxRec privy to the “ongoing” negotiations between Pacquiao and Mayweather representatives?

Has the fight been sealed?

BoxRec, which draws no less than 50,000 visitors and around a million page views each day since 2008, holds the record of 17,000 active and 345,000 non-active boxers in its database.

It has a massive reputation to hold.

“Anyone in boxing who says he doesn’t use BoxRec is either a complete imbecile or lying,” boxing promoter Lou DiBella once said.

But it may not be the first time BoxRec did it because someone (@boxingadvocate) tweeted that BoxRec once posted a Mayweather vs Pacquiao fight for March 13, 2010.

“Remember when BoxRec listed Mayweather-Pacquiao...for March 13, 2010?” was the tweet.

Around that time, the fight came close to happening.

But it didn’t.

Pacquiao fought Joshua Clottey on March 13, 2010 in Texas.

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

‘There Is Movement’ In Manny Pacquiao Vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr. Megafight Talks, Bob Arum Declares

In a remark sure to raise hopes that a long-awaited Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr. megafight will finally happen this year, promoter Bob Arum sounded a somewhat optimistic note Monday in an interview with the Philippine newspaper, the Manila Standard.

“The talks are slow, but at least there is movement,” Arum told the newspaper, in one of the first instances in which he has acknowledged that negotiations for the fight — anticipated to become the biggest money bout in boxing history — are actually making progress.

While Arum did not comment on the proposed May 2 date for the fight — a date which he had previously ruled out saying that, coming only three days prior to the Mexican-American Cinco de Mayo holiday, any major May 2 fight should include a Mexican boxer — he did reveal to the Standard the single issue holding up the talks. And indeed, the revelation was no surprise.

“It’s always about money,” Arum commented.

Mayweather called Arum’s stance on the May 2 date, the date proposed by Mayweather himself, an “excuse.”

“Bob Arum is trying to throw another excuse out there, talking about how they don’t want to fight on May 2nd,” said the fighter in a recent interview. “Why not? Let’s make the fight happen.”

Last week, Pacquiao adviser Michael Koncz, who acts as the Filipino fighter’s go-between with Arum, said that Mayweather and his camp had sent over a new counter-offer in response to the latest Pacquiao team proposal. But Koncz did not specify the terms of the counter-offer or the latest Pacquiao pitch.

Whether the new counter-offer was what Arum meant by “movement” in the talks was not made clear, but given the timing, could well be what the 83-year-old veteran promoter, who made his reputation in the boxing industry staging such superfights as the classic 1985 showdown between Marvin Hagler and Thomas Hearns, was referencing.

Koncz also said that whether or not the Mayweather fight takes place in 2015, Manny Pacquiao is contractually bound to fight two times in 2015.

Arum added that unless the Mayweather negotiations come together soon, he will book a fight for Pacquiao in April, probably in a United States venue, where the fight will be broadcast by the pay cable network HBO.

Mayweather is under contract to rival pay cable channel Showtime, and must next fight in May — against Pacquiao or someone else.

Pacquiao himself gave an interview to the Philippine network ABS-CBN News over the weekend, in which he said that he is willing to fight on any date of Mayweather’s choosing.

“Of course if he wanted the May 2 date, that is no problem,” Pacquiao told the network, adding that he is pleased that the two sides are now actively negotiating. “It’s beautiful that we’re talking now. We’ve never had that before.”

Not only the date but the venue for any possible Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight in 2015 remains unknown, but the megafight would almost certainly be held in Las Vegas.

Team Pacquiao Give Mayweather Talks Until Month's End

The Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao negotiations will continue, at least until the end of month. Michael Koncz, adviser to Pacquiao, says the delicate terms are still being discussed for a pay-per-view welterweight unification between the two biggest names in the sport.

Mayweather intends to fight on May 2nd, which is perfectly fine with Pacquiao. If the two sides are unable to reach an agreement by the end of the month, then Pacquiao's team will be forced to explore other options for a likely title defense on a date in April.

“We’re waiting for word from Floyd,” Koncz said to the Manila Bulletin. “The issue is very sensitive. We’re giving this until the end of the month.”

Pacquiao's promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank, is working out the details with CBS CEO Les Moonves, who is negotiating for the Mayweather side.

Nobody but Mayweather? Pacquiao could slowly be running out of possible foes

Manny Pacquiao's list of possible opponents for 2015 is getting slimmer each day, even as his long-awaited showdown against Floyd Mayweather remains up in the air.

If the Mayweather fight falls through anew, the most ideal fight for Pacquiao would have been with light welterweight king Danny Garcia (29-0, 17KOs).

But while Garcia has also expressed his eagerness to fight the Filipino ring icon, promoter Oscar De La Hoya is looking to pit the unbeaten fighter in a unification bout against Lamont Peterson early this year.

"I will push for Garcia vs. Peterson for the first quarter of the year, the next fight that I want to make," De La Hoya told The RING.

Should negotiations with the Mayweather camp break down yet again and Garcia-Peterson get made, Bob Arum reportedly has a mismatch lined up next for Pacquiao against light welterweight world champion Jessie Vargas (26-0, 9KOs).

Monday, January 5, 2015

Pacquiao to fight twice in 2015

Whether it's against Floyd Mayweather or not, Manny Pacquiao is going to fight twice this year, according to his chief adviser, Mike Koncz.

“We’re under contract to have two fights,” said Koncz when asked of Pacquiao’s plans for 2015.

Pacquiao’s contract with Top Rank is good until the end of 2016, and it’s most likely hooked with HBO.

Mayweather, of course, remains the top priority. But if the American remains as elusive as before, then Pacquiao will have to look somewhere else.

His promoter, Bob Arum, said if it’s not Mayweather, then Pacquiao will fight someone else in April, and most likely the fight will take place in the United States.

Mayweather will return to the ring in May regardless of the opponent.

Koncz said a few days ago that negotiations are still on for the Mayweather fight, and Pacquiao is doing everything to make it happen.

Weeks ago, Koncz told Pinoy scribes the same thing.

“Manny said the fans deserve the Mayweather fight and we’re doing everything that we can possibly do other than say that we can fight for free to make it happen,” said Koncz.

“It’s really up to Floyd. If he wants to cement his legacy and pull his head up when he retires he’s got to give the fans what they want,” Koncz added.

Pacquiao, who has proven that he still has the speed, the power and the hunger, has gotten tired facing all the questions about Mayweather.

No matter where he’s at, the 36-year-old Pacquiao is asked when he’s going to fight Mayweather.

“Of course we’ll make substantial money but that’s not the driving force behind the reason Manny wants the fight. He’s an entertainer. He likes to entertain the fans,” said Koncz.

There’s a short list of potential opponents for Pacquiao, and they could be anyone among those in the 140 or 147 pound divisions.

Koncz is not throwing out any names because, “If the opponent knows we’re looking at them they’re going to jack up their prices.”

One thing Koncz could assure Pacquiao fans is that he’ll do two fights this year. They’re looking at Macau for the second one.

“Based on what we’ve discussed in the past I believe the way it stands now we’ll fight in Macau once a year – in November,” said Koncz.

Manny Pacquiao taunts rival Floyd Mayweather

In his last bout in Macau in November Pacquiao, an eight-division world champion, defeated Chris Algieri via a unanimous decision to retain his WBO welterweight crown.

After calling out Mayweather in the aftermath and the long-awaited clash between the two finally looking likely, Pacquiao and the undefeated American have been trading blows on social media ever since.

Pacquiao said on Monday: "Floyd brags about his lifestyle and everything! I don't care. I'm just waiting here for him to sign the contract."

Mayweather had touted May 2 as a possible date for the fight to take place but also insisted that the bout will only happen on his terms.

The pair had been due to meet in March 2010 before negotiations over drug-testing broke down.

Sunday, January 4, 2015

Pacquiao’s camp confirms Mayweather negotiations are ongoing

In an interview Ring Magazine’s Lem Satterfield, Manny Pacquiao’s adviser Michael Koncz confirmed that there are indeed negotiations for a mega-fight between the eight-division and current WBO welterweight champion versus the number 1 pound-for-pound fighter and WBC welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather.
“We’re still in negotiations with Floyd’s group through Top Rank. I spoke to Manny this morning. I gave Manny what is perceived to be a counter offer from the Mayweather people,” said Koncz.
“We discussed it and now I’ve given instruction to Bob to counter their counter. We’ve been going back and forth. Bob has been negotiating with the powers that be on Floyd’s side for the past couple of weeks. There’s been offers and counter offers, and a couple of days ago Bob called me and gave me allegedly where Floyd’s side is, and I discussed that with Manny two hours ago.”
Immediately after defending his title against Chris Algieri in Macau back in November, Pacquiao called out Mayweather. The undefeated American finally replied in an interview saying that he wants to fight Pacquiao on May 2.
“Now I’ve given Bob our response to that. I’m never overly optimistic until the contract is signed, but the good thing is that we’re still going back and forth,” Koncz ended.

Friday, January 2, 2015

Pacquiao's New Year message to Mayweather: #LetsMakeFistory

Manny Pacquiao sent another message to Floyd Mayweather in the last days of 2014, telling the brash American it was time to finally step into the ring.
The two camps have been negotiating for a megafight on and off for the past several years, but talks have repeatedly fallen through. But 2015 offers fresh hope that a fight between the two camps would finally happen.

Pacquiao has seemingly stepped up his jabs on social media against Mayweather. Earlier, he had a Christmas message for his unbeaten rival.