Manny Pacquiao is surprisingly ahead of his training schedule, which is four days old, that he is now ready for sparring, the boxer’s American trainer said on Friday.
“This is our best start ever,” trainer Freddie Roach told The Bulletin on Friday after presiding over Pacquiao’s training at the Shape Up Boxing Gym at the Cooyeesan Hotel in Baguio City.
Roach is convinced that the Filipino is fit enough that he can start sparring sessions on Tuesday.
“Manny is going to be ready (to spar),” said Roach, who, in the past had to wait until 10 days or two weeks after the start of training camp before letting Pacquiao do some sparring.
Two sparmates -- unbeaten welterweight prospect Shawn Porter and lightweight star Urbano Antillon -- are arriving in the country tomorrow morning from Los Angeles and motor direct to Baguio from the airport.
While there is still seven-and-a-half weeks to go before Pacquiao faces Miguel Cotto on November 14 in Las Vegas, Roach believes they are not only right on track but a little bit ahead of schedule.
For the third straight day, Roach let Pacquiao hit the mitts for ten rounds after doing nine rounds on Tuesday, just hours after Roach landed in Manila from a 15-hour flight from Los Angeles and less than an hour after arriving in Baguio.
Pacquiao and Roach are camping out in the City of Pines possibly until the third week of October.
Meanwhile, over in Tampa, Florida, site of Cotto’s training camp, top trainer Joe Santiago expressed the belief that on fight night at the MGM Grand, the sheer size advantage of Cotto as well as his natural strength will prove to be very tough for Pacquiao to overcome.
“We have great respect for his speed and we take our hats off to what he’s done for boxing, but on the day of the fight, Miguel is going to be the stronger man in the ring,” Cotto taskmaster Joe Santiago told the Puerto Rican newspaper El Nuevo Dia.
Don’t be surprised if three-time Trainer of the Year Freddie Roach is grinning from ear to ear right on his first day in training camp with boxing star Manny Pacquiao.
Roach expressed surprise at how the boxing icon appears to be in shape with their eight-week training camp still to go the full grind.
The American trainer found this out after going nine rounds with Pacquiao working on the mitts.
“He was very sharp. If I didn’t know better, I would think he was in the gym for a month now," said the American trainer following the afternoon workout at the Shape-Up gym inside the Cooyesan Hotel along Naguillan Road in Baguio City.
“His combinations are fast and his power is already there. He wanted to make an impression on me and he certainly did."
Roach immediately went to work after arriving Tuesday in the summer hideaway shortly before noon, along with conditioning coach Alex Ariza and Wild Card Gym security head Rob Peters from a 14-hour flight from Los Angeles, California.
Initially hesitant to conduct training camp here because of the expected many distraction on Pacquiao, Roach appeared to be satisfied with the way things unraveled in his reunion with his prized boxer.
“It has nothing to do with the Philippines. The only problem I have is the jetlag and going back. So I want to make sure we’re going to have enough time to come back and adjust and be 100 percent," he said.
For the next four weeks, the country’s Summer Capital will be Team Pacquiao’s home as it primes up for a November 14 title fight with current World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight king Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico.
The 30-year old pound-for-pound best fighter in the world won’t start sparring until Tuesday next week, although Roach said training would be made closed-door in the coming days.
Shawn Porter and Urbano Antillon, handpicked by Roach to be Pacquiao’s sparmates, are coming by Sunday from the U.S.
Thursday next week, a media day is scheduled to be held at the gym in time for the arrival of Top Rank big boss Bob Arum.
Middle of October, Pacquiao, Roach and the rest of the team will fly to the U.S. and resume the final phase of training camp at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles.
And Roach couldn’t help but look forward to the coming days as he expects Pacquiao to get even better. “Without a doubt, this is our best start. He’s now in great shape and I’m fine with that."
MANILA, Philippines - Freddie Roach wants Manny Pacquiao to set the pace against Miguel Cotto at the MGM Grand on Nov. 14.
“We will try to set the pace and not allow Cotto to do it,” said the American trainer, who arrived in Manila from Los Angeles yesterday morning, and presided over the boxing icon’s 90-minute workout in Baguio City early in the afternoon.
Roach, who flew in with conditioning expert Alex Ariza, told scribes that they will focus on “how to parry” Cotto’s famous left hook, which the Puerto Rican welterweight champion loves to throw both to the head and body.
Roach said he expects a tough fight against the bigger, heavier and younger Cotto, and in fact had predicted the coming fight to last the distance of 12 rounds, when in their last few fights he had called for a knockout.
“Believe me when I say this is going to be his (Pacquiao) toughest fight ever,” he said.
Pacquiao worked out at the Shape Up boxing gym of the Cooyeesan Hotel of the country’ summer capital a little past 1 p.m., and Roach had the good impression that his prized ward isn’t leaving anything to chance.
It made Roach feel better, too, knowing that Pacquiao had worked out two days at the Wild Card Gym in Parañaque last week, and had gone out running in the morning even before he motored his way to Baguio last Sunday.
“He looks he can fight on Saturday,” said Roach.
He also said he liked the condition of the gym, which is located on the second floor of the hotel where Pacquiao is staying at, describing the place as “beautiful and clean” and fit for champions.
“I love it. The ring is nice,” Roach said.
Security, as the three-time Trainer of the Year wants, is tight. To get near Pacquiao, one needs to get past four checkpoints — at the main entrance of the hotel, in the second floor, the door to the gym, and another one closer to the ring.
The gym will be closed even to mediamen starting today. A media day, however, is being scheduled for Oct. 1, the day Top Rank president Bob Arum arrives to check on his boxer.
Roach said sparring should begin next week. The sparring partners, maybe three or four of them, will start coming in on Sunday, and will be given a couple of days to adjust before getting it on with Pacquiao.
For the second straight day, Pacquiao created a stir when he did his morning run at the famous Burnham Park where he checked out some grapes being sold, and joined some residents doing their Tae Bo aerobic workout in the park.
Pacquiao pulled off a stunt when he jumped into the motorcycle of his police escort on the way to a golf course being constructed near his hotel, where he now plans to do his morning runs.
Pacquiao will train in Baguio for four weeks, but plans may change, and he might even stay longer than that, and go straight to Las Vegas two weeks before what could be the biggest fight of the year.
Roach had no complaints whatsoever, none yet for the meantime, except mentioning that training in Baguio City, which is 5,000 feet above sea level, is much different than in Los Angeles or Las Vegas which is at sea level.
“There is the altitude to play with,” he said. “Maybe, he wanted to impress me.”
BAGUIO CITY — Manny Pacquiao’s training moved a notch on Tuesday with the arrival of Freddie Roach, who could not help but heap praises on his prized pupil after doing nine hard rounds with the mitts.
“Manny looked today as if he is ready to fight on Saturday,” said an amused Roach.
“Manny’s already sharp and he did what I wanted him to do. He moved as if he’s already been training the past two months.
“The power and the speed is right there today. I am very impressed,” added Roach, whose next concern is how to slow his hardworking fighter after a fiery start.
“He wanted to make an impression on me and he certainly did.”
Roach and conditioning coach Alex Ariza and Wild Card enforcer Rob Peters arrived in Manila from a 15-hour direct flight at 3:45 a.m. from Los Angeles and after clearing customs and immigration an hour later, they were driven to the Philippines’ summer capital on board a van driven by Enrico Tan of Avis. Also on board the van for the six-hour journey was this reporter.
“I am looking forward to working with Manny again,” said Roach, who will be here to spend four, five or even six weeks and help Pacquiao prepare for his November 14 showdown with Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico.
“It didn’t take long for Pacquiao and Roach to reconnect as they went through the motions of the punch mitt session just like the olden days when all the master needed was make eye contact and his pupil would respond with a blazing combination.
Pacquiao adviser Mike Koncz said that in the succeeding days, Pacquiao’s training will be closed for viewing and it will only be on Thursday next week that members of the media will be allowed to watch the proceedings with the arrival of Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum.
Koncz said former Ilocos Sur Gov. Chavit Singson will fetch Arum at the airport in Manila then will fly him on board his private plane for the media day scheduled that day, the only time that Pacquiao will let writers, photographer and broadcasters to see him train.
Pacquiao intends to train here until mid-October then move to the Wild Card in Hollywood for the final push but Roach said he won’t be surprised if his fighter opts to spend five or even six weeks here before heading to the US.
Roach, meanwhile, revealed that two sparring partners – Shawn Porter and Urbano Antillon – are flying in from the US this Sunday.
“If we spend more than four weeks here, I will ask one more guy to come over,” said Roach.
Roach said Pacquiao will kick off his sparring session on Tuesday or Thursday next week – depending on Manny’s condition – and not on the physical shape of the sparmates.
Among the Top 20 Fighters in the World of Boxing Vs Mixed Martial Arts, Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao holds the number 1 position in Boxing while Anderson Silva as the number 1 Pound for Pound Fighter in Mixed Martial Arts
LAS VEGAS -- There is no title at stake Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, but that didn't mean eyes weren't firmly glued to the scale Friday afternoon during the weigh-in for Floyd Mayweather Jr. in comeback fight against Juan Manuel Marquez.
When has a non-title weigh-in been this interesting? How about when neither fighter nor camp would cop to an actual limit beforehand, which has been the case in the weeks leading up to Saturday's HBO pay-per-view event.
The catchweight for this 12-round bout was allegedly set at 144 pounds -- a happy welterweight medium for the 5-foot-8 inch Mayweather (39-0, 25 KOs) and what amounts to a two-division jump in weight for the smaller, more wiry 5-foot 5 Marquez (50-4-1, 37 KOs).
After 45 minutes of buildup that sent a largely Latino and pro-Marquez crowd of about 15,000 chanting and screaming for the Mexico hero, Marquez weighed in at 142 pounds. That's actually heavier than many fight experts expected from a 36-year-old former WBA, IBF and WBO featherweight and super featherweight (126-130 pound) champion.
Mayweather weighed 146 pounds, and the folks at Mayweather Productions indeed had a contractual agreement with Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions to compensate Marquez if the self-proclaimed Comeback King came in over the agreed weight limit.
Unlike a welterweight title fight, in which the ceiling is 147 pounds, there's no sanctioning body that will step in here and fine Mayweather for being two pounds over the assumed 144-pound limit. This was written directly into the fight contract.
"During the promotion, the fight was contracted at welterweight and promoted at 147 (pounds), but the agreed-upon weight was 144 pounds and there were agreed-upon penalties if either fighter came in heavy," said Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer, who conceded there will be a "substantial" weight penalty for those two pounds. Schaefer wouldn't specify what the penalty would be.
"Sometimes size matters and sometimes it doesn't. But the matter is all of that is contractually covered," Schaefer said. "It's a substantial amount of money and (Mayweather's) advisors and his team were quite upset that he has to come up with that substantial amount."
MANILA -- No less than the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC), which is the preeminent state sports body in the US, has cleared Manny Pacquiao of steroids claims made by controversial boxing trainer Floyd Mayweather, Sr.
“All I can tell you is that Pacquiao, every time he's fought here [in Nevada, has] been tested, as well as his opponents,” said NSAC executive director Keith Kaiser.
“He passed every drug test we did to him, every steroid test we did to him,” he added to counter allegations made by Mayweather Sr. that Pacquiao was into performance enhancement drugs.
Mayweather Sr. is the father of former world champion Floyd Jr., whom Pacquiao succeeded as the world’s top pound-for-pound fighter.
According to Wikipedia, the NSAC is regarded as the preeminent state athletic commission in the US because of Nevada's role as a center for combat sports. The commission regulates all boxing matches in the state of Nevada and has the final authority on licensing matters, having the ability to approve, deny, revoke, or suspend all licenses for boxing bouts.
Kaiser stressed that the NSAC conducts stringent drug tests on boxers before allowing them to fight within the jurisdiction of Nevada.
“[On] title fights [we have] tests for steroids and drug abuse. [We look out for] marijuana, cocaine,” said Kaiser. “We collect urine [for tests] before and after the fight.”
Still at it
Mayweather Sr., meanwhile, insisted that Pacquiao used “some sort of supplements” which is why he was able to maintain his punching power despite climbing several weight divisions.
“He's never been that kind of puncher and all of a sudden he's a gigantic puncher,” said Mayweather Sr.
Pacquiao, who first became a world champion as a flyweight, climbed the welterweight division and defeated Oscar de la Hoya in eight rounds. He also stopped Ricky Hatton, a natural junior welterweight, in two rounds.
“I felt that he was on steroids or some type of supplements or some type of enhancement drugs… believe me when I tell you, he's going to get caught,” said the controversial boxing trainer.
‘Liable for slander’
Pacquiao’s coach, Freddie roach, said a slander case s already in the works against Mayweather Sr.
"I am going to talk to my lawyer, there could be a slander case here, and we will sue him,” Roach told Brad Cooney of 8CountNews and Examiner.com.
The Hall-of-Fame coach said Pacquiao agrees with him that Floyd Jr.’s father should be held liable for his comments.
“I talked to Manny, and I talked to an attorney, and we are all on board here. This is all over the place now that Manny is on steroids, it's defaming his name," said Roach.
The Filipino boxer earlier said that he has also sought legal advice on Mayweather Sr.’s comments.
“Kinonsulta ko ang abugado ko para suriin [ang sinabi ni Mayweather Sr.] at kung lumabag siya ay kelangan niyang panagutan,” he said.
Pacquiao said he never considered using steroids and has consistently passed medical test for his fights in the Philippines and abroad.
“Lahat ng laban ko, lahat ng medical ko wala namang problema, pero itong si Floyd Mayweather [Sr.] parang may diperensya doon sa mga sinasabi niya,” said the boxer.
Freddie Roach, the trainer for Manny Pacquiao, denies that Manny takes steroids, saying in an interview at Boxing Fanhouse “Well, we [Pacquiao] have taken him a couple of times to be tested, and we haven’t tested positive yet…all Manny’s on is white rice.” Yesterday, Floyd Mayweather Sr. had mentioned to the Grand Rapids Press that Pacquiao might be taking steroids. The interview quickly caught on with a number of sites with some boxing fans wondering if Pacquiao had been juicing (using steroids) in the past to gain weight for his fights against Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton.
Some people are suggesting that Pacquiao has a much wider look to him and that his head looks bigger than it was before. Some growth hormones have a side effect of causing the user’s jaw and face to become larger, apparently. Roach thinks the whole idea is crazy, commenting “Steroids? Where in the hell did that come from? You know, these guys had to come up with a reason why they lost. They lost because [Mayweather Sr.] sucks as a trainer and I had a better fighter.”
Let’s hope that Roach’s denial of steroid use for Pacquiao suffices with boxing fans. As you know, boxing fans sometimes believe the worst and even when denials of guilt are given, many of them continue to believe the original rumor. Whether the accusations of Pacquiao using steroids are true or not, steroids aren’t something that could help Pacquiao in his fight against Miguel Cotto on November 14th. Steroids help for gaining weight and strength, but as Mayweather Sr. point out in his interview, steroids don’t make you a better fighter.
If Pacquiao is going to beat Cotto, he’s going to have to be better than him, period. Any size or strength that Pacquiao could get from steroids still likely wouldn’t be enough to put Pacquiao in the power and size class of bigger and stronger welterweights like Antonio Margarito, Andre Berto and Shane Mosley.
All the steroids would do is make Pacquiao slower, more hittable and mess with his stamina and flexibility. Steroids can help in certain sports like baseball, where they allow hitters to drive the ball much further. Since swinging a bat is something that doesn’t require endurance like boxing, hitters who take steroids are able to capitalize on using them to hit more home runs. In boxing, steroid use might help a fighter be more powerful for one or two rounds at best, but after that it’ll only lead to them getting tired quicker and running out of gas.
Floyd Mayweather Sr.: Manny Pacquiao on supplements, steroids
Manny Pacquiao is back in the Philippines early Thursday to prepare for this training against Miguel Cotto on November 14, 2009. The Police tightened security at the Teachers Camp Baguio City to prevent the people that might distract him from his training.
Watch the video where Manny Pacquiao is going to train for 4 weeks.
SAN DIEGO – Bob Arum knows too well that Nov. 14 is not going to be a picnic for Manny Pacquiao.
In fact, the big boss from Top Rank expects a real tough fight for the pride of the Philippines who’s scheduled to challenge Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico for the WBO welterweight crown at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
With a quick glance at the fight odds, Pacquiao at +250 (you need to bet $250 to win a hundred) and Cotto at -210, it’s not hard to say that the Filipino icon is favored to win a record seventh world title in different weight classes.
But Arum said it won’t be a walk in the park.
“One thing is for sure. If Manny wins it’s not going to be easy. It will be tough,” said Arum yesterday from the frontseat of the Suburban that was taking him to a three-hour ride from Los Angeles to the Petco ballpark in San Diego.
Joining the legendary promoter in the trip to the home of the Padres, where Pacquiao was to throw the ceremonial pitch in the game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, were Top Rank’s Lee Samuels and Bill Caplan.
“Believe me, this will be the toughest fight of his life,” Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, told the media during the “Firepower” press tour that took Pacquiao and Cotto to five key cities in the US the last six days.
The tour ended the other day at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles. Cotto has flown back to Puerto Rico, and should be ready to begin the hard grind in his camp in Tampa, Florida.
Pacquiao, on the other hand, stayed behind, and had to travel to San Diego at noon yesterday to be at the Petco Park. It was the third baseball stadium which he has visited the past week after the Yankee Stadium and the AT&T Park in San Francisco.
Arum said if Pacquiao gets past Cotto, and there’s no easy way he’s gonna do that, the reigning pound-for-pound champion will be back on the ring on March 15 against the lucky one who is picked as his next opponent.
“He doesn’t want to fight in February so we’re looking at March 15,” said Arum.
Pacquiao will seek a congressional seat in his hometown in Saranggani province in southern Philippines during the May 2010 elections, and a fight in March will be right inside the calendar.
“He can fight on March 15, and that gives him enough time to go out and campaign,” said Arum.
Among those being tipped as Pacquiao’s next opponent are Floyd Mayweather Jr., the undefeated ex-pound-for-pound champion who takes on Juan Manuel Marquez on Saturday (Sunday in Manila), Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., Shane Mosley or Edwin Valero.
Pacquiao said depending on the results of their fights, he and Mayweather could end up facing each other next year. But whether it will be the one prior to the elections remain uncertain.
Once the fight pushes through, Pacquiao could earn from $25 million to $30 million or roughly P1.5 billion, and Mayweather a little less.
“Kapag nanalo kami pareho ni Mayweather, kami na yan (If I and Mayweather prevail, then it should be us),” said Pacquiao. “Nag-uusap na. Basta. Nag-uusap na (Talks are on).”
LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - Floyd Mayweather Jr., who will take on Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez in a non-title welterweight bout on Saturday for his first fight since beating Britain's Ricky Hatton in December 2007, has belittled Manny Pacquiao’s win over the same Briton, saying his own win was of a higher quality.
The undefeated American, a former world champion at five different weights, has come out of retirement determined to reclaim the title of best pound-for-pound boxer which has passed on to Pacquiao largely on the heels of Pacquiao’s demolition of Hatton and Oscar de La Hoya.
Mayweather, however, believes his own victory over Hatton was of a higher quality and that his return to boxing will bring a much needed jolt of excitement to the sport.
''People seem to forget, I fought Ricky Hatton when he was undefeated and I laid down the blueprint for how to beat him,'' the flamboyant 32-year-old said.
''And again, when you look at the tape of when Hatton fought Manny Pacquiao, when Pacquiao hit him he wasn't even looking when he threw the punch. He threw a Hail Mary punch.''
Pacquiao demolished Hatton with a stunning second round knockout in May to claim the IBO light welterweight crown.
''I'm not saying Pacquiao's not a good fighter,'' Mayweather added. ''I'm not saying that I'm the only star in boxing. There are other stars in boxing. But there's only one mega-superstar.''
Mayweather credits a trip to the Bahamas with his mother for sparking his hotly anticipated comeback.
Shortly after his 10th round stoppage of Hatton in Las Vegas, Mayweather announced he would not fight again because he had lost his desire for the sport.
''I was going to the gym, playing basketball and partying a little,'' Mayweather told reporters on Tuesday about his various activities since retiring. ''I travelled a lot.''
It was on one of those trips, according to Mayweather, that his mother Deborah turned to him and said: ''Everyone on the whole island keeps asking when you're going to fight again.''
Having mulled over those words, the American returned to his home town of Las Vegas where he went to the boxing gym and sparred eight rounds. After sounding out several close friends, he decided to make his official return to the ring.
SAN DIEGO, California - A fight in mid-March 2010 is already being lined up for Manny Pacquiao by Top Rank chief Bob Arum assuming of course the Filipino fighter repulses Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico on November 14.
Arum is not looking past Cotto, telling reporters during a road trip here from Los Angeles on Tuesday that Pacquiao can’t afford to take his next fight as though it’s just a tuneup for his 2010 debut.
“One thing is for sure, if he wins, it won’t be easy. It’s going to be tough for Manny,” said Arum. “It’s going to be bloody.”
Pacquiao told the same writers on a private plane that brought them here from Los Angeles over the weekend that he is also keen on getting into the ring in the first quarter of 2010.
A victory in March against a soon-to-be-named foe should boost his political ambitions since he has already committed to run for congress in the province of Sarangani.
“Manny told me about the elections in May so he said March is okay (for him to fight again),” said Arum.
The identity of Pacquiao’s next foe remains a mystery and the result of two crucial fights – this Saturday’s match between Floyd Mayweather Jr and Juan Manuel Marquez and his own bout with Cotto – should give them an idea who is on the horizon.
Still, if a fight against the winner of the Mayweather-Marquez bout cannot be made, there are a couple of options for Arum and Pacquiao.
There is unbeaten Venezuelan knockout king Edwin Valero, who also fights under the Top Rank banner. The problem with Valero is the fact that he has yet to get his license to fight in the state of Nevada because of a medical condition.
Although Valero has secured a clearance to fight in the state of Texas, he remains banned in all the other states for a head injury he sustained several years ago in a motorcycle accident in Venezuela.
The five-city, six-day publicity tour for the Pacquiao-Cotto slugfest finally came to its conclusion here when Pacquiao threw the ceremonial pitch in a game featuring the Padres and the Arizona Diamondbacks at the Petco Park where the host ball club hosted a Filipino Heritage Night.
Pacquiao arrived at the ballpark two hours ahead of the scheduled game and was given the chance to chill out in one of the VIP rooms as he was awaiting the call to throw.
The Petco Park is the third ballpark Pacquiao visited during the tour after taking center stage at Yankee Satdium in New York and at the AT&T Park in San Francisco last Sunday.
From San Diego, Pacquiao and key members of his team were to be flown back to Los Angeles on board a private plane to catch a 10:30 p.m. Philippine Airlines flight bound for Manila.
BEVERLY HILLS – Conditioning coach Alex Ariza liked what he saw at the Beverly Hills Hotel here yesterday.
No, it wasn’t the elegance of the “Pink Palace” (as the hotel, built in 1912, is affectionately called), not its scroll of past celebrity guests like Charlie Chaplin, Rudolph Valentino, Marilyn Monroe, John Wayne or John F. Kennedy, and neither those gorgeous ladies walking the premises.
What caught Ariza’s sharp eyes was the shape Miguel Cotto was in, in the last day of the press tour that carried the Puerto Rican champion, and Manny Pacquiao, the reigning pound-for-pound king from the Philippines, to New York, Puerto Rico and San Francisco and LA over the last five days.
“Did you see him out there? He must be weighing 160 pounds,” said Ariza who came into the picture with the promise that he can keep Pacquiao moving up in weight and adding up more power without losing his speed. He introduced the Pinoy icon to the special program of plyometrics.
And they’re been extremely successful so far with big knockout wins over Diaz, Oscar dela Hoya and Ricky Hatton.
He said Cotto weighing as much (the WBO champion said a few days ago he was at 159 lb) gives him the feeling that the wide-bodied Puerto Rican might find it quite difficult making the catchweight limit of 145 lb. Pacquiao is just a little over 150, and with two months left is safely there.
“He (Cotto) must be 160 pounds and we’re fighting at 145 with only two months left. He’s got a lot more work to do than us. We also have work to do but Cotto has got to lose a lot of weight,” said Ariza, who’s hoping that at 145 lb, Pacquiao could be as sharp, as fast and as strong as he was in his last fights.
Cotto said he plans to climb the ring at 160.
“He weighed in at 142 for the Oscar dela Hoya fight (which was fought at 147 lb) and climbed the ring at 148 1/2. Now if we can put him in that shape I don’t see anyone who will be able to take his punches. He really looked exceptionally well at 142,” said Ariza, who’s coming over to Baguio City for the training.
Ariza said he’s not concerned at all that some people feel that Pacquiao is lagging behind Cotto in training. While the Puerto Rican is into his fourth week, Pacquiao will mark day one of his training on Sept. 21 at the earliest.
But Ariza said it doesn’t really matter because eight weeks have proven to be the perfect formula, and anything more or less than that won’t bring out the best in him.
“Believe me, once he’s in training nothing can disrupt him. And once he’s ready, he’d climb the gate just to fight,” he said.
At the press conference, Pacquiao said when he climbs the ring against Cotto he will prove the world “who Manny Pacquiao is.”
The 30-year-old icon is gunning for a record seventh world title in different weight classes.
Cotto capped the press tour by saying there’s nothing else to do now but train, and make sure that when the fight comes “you’re in your best shape.”
Cotto is scheduled to fly back to Puerto Rico, and in just a couple of days will be in Tampa, Florida for the big grind. Pacquiao, on the other hand, motors to San Diego today to do the ceremonial pitch in the Padres’ game before heading back to Manila later in the evening.
LOS ANGELES – Without really looking ahead of the Miguel Cotto fight, Manny Pacquiao yesterday said what seems to be his inevitable dream fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. is looming on the horizon.
Once the fight pushes through, Pacquiao could earn from $25 million to $30 million or roughly P1.5 billion.
But Pacquiao said it would all depend on the outcome of his fight with Cotto, the reigning WBO welterweight champion, in November, and Mayweather’s own match with Juan Manuel Marquez on Saturday.
Both Pacquiao and Mayweather are favored to prevail, and should no one spoil the fun, they could end up facing each other for what could be the fight of the decade or even greater than that, later next year.
“Kapag nanalo kami pareho ni Mayweather, kami na yan (If me and Mayweather prevail, then it should be us),” said Pacquiao on board the Gulfstream G200 eight-seater plane that took him out of San Francisco.
“Nag-uusap na. Basta. Nag-uusap na (Talks are on),” said Pacquiao who was joined in the 50-minute flight to Burbank in LA by trainer Freddie Roach, top-ranked publicist Fred Sternburg, Mike Koncz, Geng Gacal and Roger Fernandez.
Cotto took a separate plane, a private one as well, to Los Angeles and was joined by his father, Miguel Sr., lawyer Gabriel Penagaricano, coach Phil Landman, Top Rank big boss Bob Arum and his dynamic duo of Lee Samuels and Ricardo Jimenez.
Arum said Pacquiao stands to earn as much as $20 million for the Cotto fight, and while he has yet to confirm that there are indeed talks with the Mayweather camp, he’d rather have Pacquiao focusing on the coming fight.
At the AT&T Park in San Francisco earlier in the day, Pacquiao and Cotto came to watch the San Francisco Giants clobber the LA Dodgers, and for the fourth straight day the two boxers stood close to one another.
They were together up inside a VIP box, enjoying some cold drinks and hotdogs. They seem to like each other’s company but when they part in a couple of days, they should start training, thinking of ways how to beat each other.
After the match, played before a sell-out crowd of 40,000, Pacquiao and Cotto took over, holding a conference just off the Giants dugout, in front of some 3,000 fans who came to see the two world champions in the flesh, and not necessarily the ballgame.
A cold afternoon drizzle was not enough to shoo the crowd away as Pacquiao, Cotto and Arum fielded questions from the media and some of the fans, which occupied eight sections of the lower stands, as well.
Pacquiao hardly talked about his plans for the fight, and instead invited the fans to come to Las Vegas in November because “I’m going to hold a concert at Mandalay Bay after the fight.”
Cotto was bolder this time, saying he’d train as hard as he can because “it’s going to be war” out there at the MGM Grand.
Pacquiao played basketball with friends in San Francisco at noon before leaving for LA.
From the airport, Pacquiao was taken straight to his $2 million home at the plush Hancock Park, took some rest and enjoyed dinner of grilled angus beef and steamed rice.
Roach was asked about Pacquiao’s training, and said they will be ready to go 12 rounds against Cotto. But boxing’s hottest trainer today may have something else in mind when he said training will be held in “Boracay.”
He was quick in making the correction that it should be Baguio. Later on, before boarding the private plane, he had a good laugh about having mentioned Boracay, which he fondly remembers as the island paradise in the Philippines.
Notes: Tickets to the Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto “Firepower” in November are moving so fast that it you still don’t have one, chances are you’d end up watching the fight on pay-per-view or closed circuit or buying one for an incredible price on the black market. Of the close to 17,000 seats at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, only a few hundreds are left, those pegged at $1,000 and $750. “The $300s are gone,” said Top Rank’s Ricardo Jimenez. The tickets to the Pacquiao-Cotto fight are doing so great that Ringside A, Row A seats, where the stars belong, are being peddled on the Internet for $8,645 each or roughly P414,960, probably equivalent to a year’s salary of a bank manager in Manila. “It just shows how big this fight is and how the fans are looking forward to it,” said Pacquiao’s adviser, Mike Koncz. “For some fights, hotels in Las Vegas are on a discounted price, but for this fight, for Pacquiao fights, they’re jacking them up,” he said.
Promoter Bob Arum has handled the careers of both Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr., and he has respect for both as fighters.
However, he said they’re completely different in the way they approach the sport: Pacquiao seeks out real challenges that result in big paydays, Mayweather seeks out the least possible risk to earn the money he wants.
Arum still promotes Pacquiao. Mayweather, who faces Juan Manuel Marquez on Saturday in Las Vegas, now promotes himself.
“They’re different kind of people,” Arum said at a news conference Monday to promote the Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto fight on Nov. 14. “Manny is somebody who has great pride in himself and his country. He’s always looking for the next challenge. With Floyd, and he himself says it, he’s a businessman. It’s about money. For him, it’s risk vs. reward.”
And if that damages his legacy?
“I don’t think he gives a s--- about his legacy,” Arum said. “I think he cares about money in the bank. He says it himself; he’s “Money Mayweather.” If he can make a lot of money with little or no risk, that’s what he feels he should do.
“And there’s nothing wrong with that. But neither Manny nor Miguel have that mentality. They are really fighters. Marquez, too, no question.”
Arum also believes that fans gravitate to Pacquaio more than Mayweather because of his willingness to take risks in the ring.
“People want to see Pacquiao because he’s the most-exciting fighter in the world,” he said. “They know that when Manny Pacquiao fights, they’ll see great things. They see a guy who fights. Many fail to realize that people can look at a defensive fighter and say, ‘Hey, he has a lot of talent.’ But they don’t necessarily want to pay to see him fight.
“That’s the way it’s always been in boxing.”
Who wins Mayweather-Marquez? Pacquiao picks Mayweather.
“It’s a good fight,” he said, “but Mayweather is faster than Marquez.”
Freddie Roach, Pacquiao’s long-time trainer, was asked the same question and he responded with a smile: “Who cares? They’re counterpunchers. You’ll fall asleep.”
Roach wouldn’t mind having his fighter face the winner of Mayweather-Marquez, though. Pacquiao-Mayeather, in particular, would be a huge promotion.
“We have a tough fight ahead of his,” he said. “We’ll take care of this one and then hopefully negotiations will happen.”
How will Cotto win? Cotto was asked repeatedly how he will beat Pacquiao and he answered each time in generalities, saying he’d go to camp, study Pacquiao and then make the appropriate game plan.
He would say, however, that he has one significant advantage going in.
“He’s coming up to my weight,” he said, referring to the 145-pound catch weight. “He’s coming from 122 pounds, 126. If he thinks the same thing will happen that happened with (Ricky) Hatton, he’s wrong.”
Of course, Hatton said the same thing when Pacquiao fought him at 140 and we know happened there.
Manny the actor: Pacquiao has been busy in his acting career back home in the Phillipines the past few months. He recently completed a superhero film – yes, he’s the superhero – called “Wapakman,” which he compared to Spiderman and Superman. He said he flies in the film.
And he has a weekly sitcom on television called “Show Me the Manny.” (Laughs.)
He insists that he’s shifted his energy to boxing, dismissing more and more questions about whether he has too many distractions in his life.
“The last month, the last few weeks I didn’t think about boxing,” he said. “What I had in my mind was to do the movie and enjoy it. Now, OK, I put aside the movie thing or whatever and focus on boxing.”
Roach found a positive in Pacquiao’s acting career.
“He had to stay in shape for the movie so he’s skinny right now,” he said.
Cotto the linguist: Cotto is one of the few fighters from a Spanish-speaking country, Puerto Rico, to recognize the advantage of learning English to market himself and then actually learning it.
He has had English tutors in Puerto Rico but also has another learning tool: His South African conditioning coach, Phil Landman, speaks only English.
“The only way I have to talk to him is in English,” Cotto said. “And I talk to him a lot. … I want to speak for myself. I don’t want anyone else [a translator] saying what I want to say. In translation, you lose a lot.”
Tactical fight? Roach said more than once Monday that we might not see the brawl or quick knockout that some people might be expecting.
“Miguel knows how to nullify speed,” Roach said. “He did it with (Shane) Mosley. We’ll have to throw a curve ball at him. It could be a much more tactical fight than people think because he’s a very smart fighter. People say he’s just a strong, rugged guy, but he’s very intelligent. He knows how to distance himself well.
“We do also. It will come down to who will implement their game plan and use it to their fullest advantage. We have the speed advantage but we have to use it the right way.
And …
“We don’t underestimate anybody,” Roach said. “We train for a 12-round fight. If a knockout comes, it comes. If you go out looking for a knockout, you might get caught yourself. It will be very tactical. Manny Pacquiao, at this stage of his career, can follow a game plan for 12 rounds. He’s very intelligent. He’s learned a lot along the way.
“At one time, when he was a little bit younger, he might get a little reckless and try to kill you with his left hand. Now he’s a more-complete fighter. He’ll fight a very tactical, smart fight.”
Roach isn’t talking with the same bravado he did before other recent fights because he respects Cotto, who he said will be Pacquiao’s toughest test in quite a while.
“He’s in his prime, I think,” he said. “He’s young and strong. But listen, we fought the (Erik) Moraleses and other great fighters. This is another great fighter we’re going against. Manny right now wants to challenge the best out there. This will keep boxing alive.”
The odds: The odds on the fight at the MGM Grand are -250 for Pacquiao, +210 for Cotto, meaning Pacquiao is almost a 2½-1 favorite.
SAN FRANCISCO — Manny Pacquiao has already drawn up the scenarios for his Nov. 14 title fight with Miguel Cotto.
As he waited for the nine-hour flight out of San Juan, Puerto Rico to San Francisco via Atlanta yesterday, the Filipino crowd-drawer bared his deeper thoughts on the upcoming fight.
“Magandang laban (Good fight),” said Pacquiao, comfortably seated at the departure area, just after he had finished reading a few pages of the book “Builder of Dreams” by Antonio Meloto.
“Eto, ah, sasabihin ko sa inyo (This, I will tell you),” he continued.
“Tatakbo sa akin yan. If I press the fight I’m sure he would run. At kapag naghintay naman ako, papasok yan (And if I wait, he’ll come in),” said the reigning pound-for-pound champion.
In short, Pacquiao thinks that either way would be to his advantage, considering that he has both the speed, to catch Cotto somewhere along the way, and the power to put him down.
“Ganyan ang mangyayari, tumakbo man siya or pumasok siya, okay sa akin,” said Pacquiao, his pre-game analysis cut short by a line of Puerto Rican fans wanting to take pictures with him.
From fellow passengers to airport personnel and even the police, all of them wanted to be close to Pacquiao. One of them said, “I may be the only Puerto Rican rooting for you. Believe me. You’re a great fighter.”
It was around three in the afternoon, and a couple of hours earlier Pacquiao and Cotto were at the Centro de Bellas Artes de Caguas, right in the heart of the WBO champion’s hometown.
More than a thousand packed the theater, and they cheered wildly as Pacquiao and Cotto made a dramatic entrance, slowly rising through a hydraulic box that had kept them beneath an elevated stage.
Key members of both camps, along with some Puerto Rican officials, were introduced by Top Rank president Bob Arum.
Cotto, in an elegant brown suit, spoke in Spanish and was cheered on, while Pacquiao, more casual in a white shirt, blue jeans and running shoes, spoke in English.
Even the Puerto Ricans cheered him on, and there were even chants of “Man-ny! Man-ny!” as he took the microphone. He said, “I’m sure you will all root for Cotto because he’s your countryman. But thank you for supporting me, too.”
Before their explosive stage appearance, Pacquiao and Cotto held separate interviews in separate rooms with the Puerto Rican media. Cotto came with his lovely wife and four kids, while Pacquiao was with his lean entourage.
At one point, however, they ended up in the same room when they were not supposed to, and Pacquiao sat beside Cotto, shaking hands and again smiling, talking to one another like they were old friends.
Pacquiao and his men checked in at the trendy El San Juan Hotel and Casino past midnight Friday, and checked out of the hotel by the beach before 10 a.m. headed to the press conference and straight to the airport.
A line of black, heavily-tinted Ford Excursions, with burly bodyguards in dark suits, brought Pacquiao and Cotto to the arts center, and the convoy, with police motorcycle escorts, drove swiftly for 45 minutes like it was carrying the President.
Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, did most of the talking during the interview, and faced tough questions on the schedule of their training which won’t start until Sept. 21 in Baguio City, while Cotto has been training for four weeks now.
“No one dictates our time but Manny and me. If they already started I don’t care. I know my job and we know what we’re doing,” said Roach.
“We’ll be in great shape and we’ll be ready to go 12 rounds. We want to take the rounds one at a time and if the knockout comes then it comes. We know he (Cotto) has a good chin but we’re gonna take away his advantage and use ours,” he added.
Pacquiao could only agree.
Notes: Bob Arum hasn’t been to Baguio, and he won’t miss the opportunity to be there while Manny Pacquiao trains. He said he’ll be up there in the country’s summer capital for a few days. The legendary promoter was asking what he should do once he lands in Manila, when Pacquiao, his boxer, said, “Don’t worry Bob. I will arrange a private plane for you. Don’t travel by land.” Pacquiao will train for four weeks in Baguio, under Freddie Roach who’ll be coming in on the 19th or 20th with the sparring partners... The ongoing press tour of five key cities in six days is turning out to be a huge success, prompting Pacquiao’s Canadian adviser, Mike Koncz, to say that “Whatever we accomplished in the press tours in each of Manny’s recent fights is just 50 percent of what we’ve accomplished so far here,” said Koncz, noting that not even for the Dela Hoya fight last December did the press tour look like this one. “Before, all we did was come to the city, do the press conference and leave,” said Koncz. This time, there are side-trips that only keep the fans going, like Pacquiao taking early-morning runs at Central Park in New York, gracing pictorials with HBO and ESPN or showing up at the municipal hall of Caguas, Puerto Rico. Sunday, the boxers take to the AT&T Park here in Frisco for the Giants vs Dodgers game, and by Monday they should be at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles for another gig. On Tuesday, Pacquiao will be at the PETCO Park in San Diego for a game featuring the Padres, and later in the evening is scheduled to take the flight back to Manila.
With his rival, Miguel Cotto, already sweating it out at the gym since August, Manny Pacquiao finally opens his training camp on September 21, with trainer Freddie Roach expected to whip up his prized fighter to the same menacing warrior that brought down the likes of Juan Manuel Marquez, David Diaz, Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton.
Trainer Freddie Roach and Pacquiao set up training camp in Baguio City and will have eight weeks in order to find a solution to beat reigning World Boxing Organization (WBO) champion Cotto.
Unlike Pacquiao, Cotto began training in Puerto Rico and actually, had sparred three times already.
Despite such advantage, Roach still believes his famous ward would be able to overcome the 28-year old champion whom he describes as “solid and does everything consistently."
“I don’t think we’ll knock Cotto out (but) I think it’ll go the distance and we are going to win every round," he said.
Roach, after talking to Pacquiao Wednesday night on the eve of his press tour for the 12-round bout with Cotto, declared they’re now raring to go and get in shape. He is set to arrive in Manila either on September 19 or 20.
Pacquiao himself guaranteed his long-time trainer that there won’t be any distraction once training camp begins in the country’s official summer capital.
Roach earlier denounced Pacquiao’s plan of putting up training camp in the Philippines, worried that his eight-week preparation may be disrupted by the boxing superstar’s other activities outside of boxing.
Roach has kept Pacquiao away from any distraction when they train at his Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles.
The top pound-for-pound fighter in the world today has been prohibited to train in the US for a longer amount of time owing to tax issues.
The 49-year-old Roach will be bringing with him four sparmates in Urbano Antillon, Raymund Serrano, Shawn Porter and the ever-reliable David Rodela.
Unfortunately, former world champion Jose Luis Castillo is not on the list as suggested earlier by Pacquiao adviser Michael Konz.
“He’s a shot fighter. Castillo’s drunk," said Roach.
After a month of training in Baguio, Pacquiao shifts training camp in Los Angeles.
Freddie Roach sees Miguel Cotto as the biggest challenge in Manny Pacquiao’s illustrious career that he couldn’t help himself compare the reigning WBO welterweight champion to a famous fictional movie monster.
“We are about to fight King Kong," Roach exclaimed during the press conference for the Pacquiao-Cotto November 14 showdown in Cotto’s hometown of Caguas, Puerto Rico Saturday (Sunday in Manila).
“That’s how big he is. But we have a game plan, although it is going to be a hard fight," he added.
Pacquiao himself admitted during the event held at the Centro de Bellas Artes that the 28-year-old Cotto, a natural welterweight, will be his hardest fight to date. Perhaps even tougher than Oscar De La Hoya, Juan Manuel Marquez and Erik Morales, three of boxing’s most revered fighters who suffered defeats at the hands of the Filipino ring icon.
“There is going to be a lot of action in the ring," Pacquiao told the crowd. “Cotto is big and strong. He has the size, he’s very smart and he’s big."
One thing going for Pacquiao is the 145-pound catchweight, a weight class where the Puerto Rican last fought in 2006 yet.
Other than that, everything appears to favor Cotto, who, unlike Pacquiao, has already begun to train for the 12-round fight as early as last month.
“Cotto is strong and bigger, he is at his prime right now," Roach admitted. “He is a game guy and he likes to exchange, so we have to be very careful."
“He is solid and does everything consistently."
The Puerto Rico stopover is the second in the week-long, five city tour by the two boxing superstars to hype up their “Firepower" title fight two months from now at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
The press tour began last Friday at the Yankee Stadium in New York.
Next on their agenda is a personal appearance in San Francisco on Sunday, a 10-hour flight from Caguas, where a similar gig will be held at the AT& T Park.
The following day it’s off to Los Angeles for the Pacquiao and Cotto entourage, where another press conference is set at the Beverly Hills Hotel.
The final destination is slated in San Diego at the Petco Park on Tuesday.
After all these, Pacquiao is penciled to open his training camp beginning Sept. 21 in Baguio City.
If the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Juan Manuel Marquez pay-per-view promotion isn’t successful, as some predict, it won’t be for lack of trying.
The promoters -– Golden Boy Promotions and Mayweather Promotions –- and HBO have unleashed a marketing campaign that might be unprecedented in the sport, by both traditional and cutting-edge means.
And their efforts aren’t meant solely for the Sept. 19 fight; they intend to take advantage of new ways to communicate in order to reach a larger audience and help the sport grow.
“Oscar De La Hoya was the engine of the sport for well over a decade,” Mark Taffet of HBO said on a conference call that also featured Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer. “He recently retired, which gave a number of us in the sport the motivation and impetus to prove the sport can continue to be vital and grow.
“… To do that, we need to utilize new outlets. We’re confident we have the right formula.”
Golden Boy and Mayweather have used traditional means of getting the word out, including news conferences. And HBO’s 24/7, a popular reality series designed to sell the fight, is in its sixth carnation.
That was only the start, though. As Schaefer said, “Where ever you turn, you’re going to see the fight one way or another.”
Promos are appearing before movies at 170 theaters across the country, which will show the fight live. Hotels are running promos on their default channels, meaning it could be the first thing you see when you turn on the TV. And, of course, HBO is airing commercials.
Sponsors have displays at retail stores. Tecate is offering customers rebates that can actually exceed the pay-per-view cost ($49.95). And the number of sponsors –- AT&T, Tecate, Dewalt, Affliction, Quaker State, Southwest Airlines and more –- is striking, particularly considering the past.
“When we formed Golden Boy Promotions five years ago, there were virtually no sponsors left in boxing,” Schaefer said. “What we had to do was start from scratch. I think there were a couple of beer brands left. Other than that, there were no significant sponsors. We had to get companies interested in the sport, convince them how great boxing is, that it’s not as bad as they thought or heard about.
“We’ve been developing relationships. And we’ve done a good job.”
The promoters seem to have broken new ground by using contemporary technology in an attempt to expand the sport’s fan base, particularly to young people who are more interested in Mixed Martial Arts than boxing.
For example, the weigh-in on the day before the fight -– hosted by comedian George Lopez -– will be shown live on AT&T mobile phones. Affliction, a trendy clothing company, is selling Mayweather-Marquez T-shirts before the fight as well as at it. HBO believes 24/7 reaches younger viewers in a way that hits home. And iTunes is including the favorites of Mayweather and Marquez on its celebrity playlists.
It’s all part of a plan to sell the event and grow the sport in the most up-to-date means possible.
“Hunger to Go Younger,” Taffet said. “That’s our mantra. We wear it every day on our sleeve every day as we push the sport forward.”
Some observers expect the Mayweather-Marquez promotion to fail, at least relative to other big events.
They acknowledge that Mayweather has been involved in some of the biggest pay-per-view events but only as the “B” side to opponents like Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton. They doubt whether he can carry a promotion.
And, they say, Marquez doesn’t help much. He has a fan base among Mexicans and Mexican-Americans but that will go only so far in terms of pay-per-view buys. Plus, UFC has a pay-per-view event the same night as the fight.
Schaefer was asked whether poor pay-per-view numbers would be particularly disappointing in light of the massive marketing campaign. He doesn’t seem to be worried.
“We feel very comfortable with the tracking of the big fight, the big showdown,” he said. “It’s a great card top to bottom. We have the right marketing behind it. I’m not really worried about being disappointed. And I don’t think anybody will be disappointed.”
NEW YORK (AP)—Manny Pacquiao stood face-to-face with Miguel Cotto on a makeshift stage set up along the first base line, the wind whipping off the facade of the new Yankee Stadium and sending a chill through thousands of partisan fans.
If only two of the best fighters in the world had gloves strapped on.
Pacquiao, considered the pound-for-pound best, and welterweight champion Cotto were there merely to announce their Nov. 14 fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. It’s a hotly anticipated ticket, and certain to lure a sellout crowd to the desert destination known in the boxing world as “Fight Town.”
Yet their presence Thursday was reminiscent of the days when New York City held that mantle, when major boxing events were common at Madison Square Garden and the old Yankee Stadium.
While there are still sporadic attractions at the Garden, most of the punches thrown in the Bronx the last three decades came from irascible former Yankees manager Billy Martin. All could be changing, promoters and team officials said, alluding to the possibility of major fights at the new, $1.5 billion stadium next year.
“We have a history of bringing big fights to the Yankee Stadium,” said promoter Bob Arum, who put on Muhammad Ali’s bout against Ken Norton on Sept. 28, 1976, a fight remembered more for the chaos caused by a police strike than anything else.
“It’s something we’d like to do again.”
Arum had approached the Yankees several times over the past 30 years about staging another event at the stadium, but George Steinbrenner and club brass were tepid about erecting a ring and seating on the immaculate infield grass.
With the new leadership of Hal and Hank Steinbrenner, and better means of protecting the field, Arum is hopeful that a fight will come off at the ballpark next year.
“I think one of the reasons we had the press conference here is a precursor for a big, big event,” Arum told The Associated Press. “Certainly a big fight is going to happen next year, and it’s going to happen at Yankee Stadium.”
The obvious megafight would pit the winner of Pacquiao-Cotto against the winner of next weekend’s showdown between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Juan Manuel Marquez—an idea that even appealed to Yankees chief operating officer Lonn Trost.
“There’ll be a winner of this fight and a winner of the Mayweather fight,” Trost said. “Where better to hold that fight than Yankee Stadium?”
Trost declined to say whether there have been negotiations about holding a fight in the “House that Jeter Built,” but the Yankees are eager to bring revenue-producing events beyond baseball to the stadium. Already, several college football games are scheduled for the next few years, including Notre Dame vs. Army in November 2010.
Arum said it’s unlikely that the Mayweather-Marquez and Pacquiao-Cotto winners would face each other, but it’s possible that Cotto could cede his traditional spot at Madison Square Garden on the even of the Puerto Rican Day parade to up-and-coming star Juan Manuel Lopez. That would free Cotto, who has a huge following in the Bronx, to headline in the ballpark.
“We’re going to get one here at Yankee Stadium,” said Melvina Lathan, the head of the New York State Athletic Commission. “We’ve got to come back and revisit Yankee Stadium.”
Great fights have been held in ballparks for decades, including some of the seminal moments for a sport that treasures its history.
Yankee Stadium, of course, is where Ray Robinson collapsed in the heat against Joey Maxim, and where Carmen Basilio shocked the world by beating Sugar himself. Joe Louis not only knocked out Max Schmeling under the twinkling lights, but struck a blow against Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany when he dropped the Black Uhlan of the Rhine in the first round.
Other ballparks have showcased big fights, from Louis winning the heavyweight title against James Braddock at Chicago’s Comisky Park, to epic battles at the Polo Grounds, Griffth Stadium, Ebbets Field and Fenway Park.
Some see those days as a bygone era, a moment in time that can never be replicated. Arum sees an opportunity to return boxing to the forefront of the American psyche, in one of its most hallowed sporting grounds.
“Yankee Stadium had a great tradition of boxing,” he said, “and hopefully with the new Yankee Stadium, we’ll start a new tradition.”
I’ve been in the ring with Floyd Mayweather Jr. and he’s vulnerable … very, very vulnerable. I was surprised at how easy it was. Actually, I was shocked. It was so easy the first half of the fight that I couldn’t believe it. If I would’ve kept up my jab, even doubling or tripling it, it would’ve been an easy fight. Power? I didn’t feel any power from him. Yes, he was fast but it wasn’t overwhelming. It was one of those fights that I lost and he didn’t win. Physically, I just broke down.
I was surprised that I was able to connect with my jab so easily. And he didn’t know what to do after the jab connected. It would stop him in his tracks. I was surprised that in 37 (previous) fights no one could figure that out. The simplest weapon, the easiest one to throw, is the punch that has the most effect on him. He just didn’t know what to do with it. He panics. And when you get him into a panic mode, that’s when you have him. Marquez knows that. Nacho Beristain [Marquez’s trainer] has studied Mayweather.
Can Marquez be as effective with the jab? I think he can. He is shorter than I am but I fought Mayweather short. That was another mistake I made. I fought at Mayweather’s height, maybe even shorter. I crouched down when I threw the jab. I didn’t use my height advantage. Marquez is one of those technicians who always fights at his height. He not only uses his full reach but turns his body to where the jab reaches you much faster, much easier.
Speed is going to be important. I think timing punches is what really counts in this sport, though. You can be the fastest fighter on the planet. If you don’t have the right timing, you’re not going to land. If an opponent can time your punches, he’ll be able to counter you. Marquez has that kind of timing. He knows how to feint, how to throw you off your game plan. And he’s also fast.
Everyone is in awe of Mayweather’s defense. And he does have great defensive skills but only when opponents are throwing 1-, 2- or 3-punch combinations. He can block those combinations but is vulnerable when you throw 3-, 4-, 5-punches at a time; he doesn’t know what to do. Marquez has to do that. And I think that’s his bread and butter.
Things could go wrong for Marquez if he plays the waiting game. If he stands there and doesn’t do anything, he could have problems. He has to stay active, whether you’re feinting him, whether you’re moving on your toes, whether you’re flicking your jab out there. He has to do something. He has to count to three and do something. He can’t wait for Mayweather to throw back. If he does, obviously, Mayweather will pick him off with shots and box him all night.
I look back on my fight with Mayweather as an easy fight that got away. As it was, I only lost by one or two rounds. What makes it easier for me to accept is that I was able to compete with the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world at that stage of my career. Some people thought I won and a lot say it was close. Hearing that eases the pain.
And now it’s Marquez’s turn. Here we have a guy who many people believe beat Manny Pacquiao twice and Pacquiao is considered the best pound for pound. We’ll see how he does on Sept. 19. Styles make fights and, as I’ve said, I think he has the style to pull an upset.
NEW YORK — On the way to the gate at Hong Kong airport for the connecting flight to JFK International on Wednesday, Manny Pacquiao made a startling admission as he prepares for a five-city press tour for the November 14 fight with Miguel Cotto that kicks off at noontime Thursday at Yankee Stadium.
“Kung ngayon kami maglalaban ni Cotto, talo tayo (If Cotto and me fight today, I’d lose),” said Pacquiao in-between stopping for pictures with giggling Filipino passengers.
Of course, it’s been common knowledge that while he has yet to begin training camp, Cotto has been training in Puerto Rico the past month.
“Medyo nasa kundisyon na ang kalaban pero tayo papasok pa lang (My opponent is already feeling good in training while I haven’t started mine),” said Pacquiao, who is being joined in the tour of New York, Puerto Rico, San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego.
As Cotto was sweating it out under the watchful eyes of trainer Joe Santiago and conditioning coach Phil Landman, Pacquiao was spending countless nights in front of the camera, fulfilling all his showbiz commitments so that when he enters training camp as soon as he gets back to the Philippines, there’ll be no more distractions.
Still, Pacquiao remains upbeat that eight weeks of punishment in Baguio will be more than enough to propel him past another marquee name in the sport.
“Partida ko na sa kanya na hindi pa ako nag-eensayo (I am giving him a big plus by not training early),” added Pacquiao.
Pacquiao is billeted at the Loews Regency Hotel on Park Ave., while Cotto is staying at the Le Parker Meridien on Ave. of the Americas and 57th Street.
To make it a memorable stay, Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum went to the extent of getting his flagship fighter a suite that has a piano.
Before leaving for Puerto Rico for a press conference there on Saturday, Pacquiao will drop by the New York Times office on Friday for a round-table discussion also featuring Arum and trainer Freddie Roach.
Times staffer Greg Bishop is doing a story on Pacquiao, according to publicist Lee Samuels, who has also received requests for interviews from Time magazine, Wall Street Journal and other outfits.
NEW YORK — Miguel Cotto doesn’t give much attention to what Manny Pacquiao is up to, and that includes not being concerned by the fact that until now the Filipino hasn’t broken a sweat to train for their November 14 fight in Las Vegas.
“He knows what to do to get in shape for this fight,” Cotto told Filipino scribes in passable English at the lobby of the Le Parker Meridien on Wednesday afternoon after a four-hour flight from San Juan, Puerto Rico.
“I told you it’s not a matter for me but a matter for him if he don’t train (early),” said Cotto, who sounded as though he felt slighted by the fact that Pacquiao continues to spend more time attending to shooting film and commercials.
“I am just training for my own benefit and what’s best for my career,” said the 28-year-old Cotto, who emerged from a full-sized black SUV looking unruffled and fit in a long-sleeved light-colored shirt, slim-fit jeans, and black leather shoes.
Cotto was very accommodating to the Filipino reporters, telling them that while it’s been widely reported that he’s neck-deep in training, it wasn’t really so.
“I haven’t really been training the whole week, but just training lightly. Yeah, I sparred but only a few times. Hard work will start when I go to my training camp in Tampa (in Florida). I just wanted to be prepared for the tough training weeks that lie ahead.”
Cotto, who barely scraped past Joshua Clottey of Ghana last June, said he currently weighs “between 159 and 161 lbs” and is not even worried that he won’t be able to drop down to the agreed catch weight of 145 lbs without sacrificing strength.
Joining Cotto in the tour are his lawyer Gabriel Penagaricano, aide Bryan Perez, and conditioning coach Phil Landman.
This afternoon at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, Pacquiao and Cotto engage in a staredown and assess their respective chances to the delight of fight fans followed by a series of photo shoots and interviews.
After the Big Apple, Pacquiao and Cotto will fly to Puerto Rico for another event at the Centro de Bellas Artes in Cotto’s hometown of Caguas. Then the tour makes a stop in San Francisco, Los Angeles and finally to San Diego.
Bob Arum, Manny Pacquiao’s promoter, said he was never worried about trainer Freddie Roach’s inability to reach the fighter in the Philippines.
Roach, who wanted to discuss the location of their training camp for the Nov. 14 fight against Miguel Cotto, apparently had his calls intercepted by Pacquiao’s advisors. Camp will be set up in Baguio, in the northern part of the Philippines.
“This always happens with a big, superstar fighter,” Arum said. “People around him want to protect their territory. Manny loves Freddie but he’s also loyal to these guys as well. When Manny is in training camp, Freddie’s the boss. These guys don’t want Freddie to be the boss when he’s not in training. They think that usurps their territory.
“I just sit back, watch it all and try to keep peace. I try not to get too excited.”
Arum also defended Mike Koncz, Pacquiao’s Canadian advisor, with whom Roach has been at odds. Roach said Koncz kept him from speaking to Pacquiao and quoted him as saying to the fighter, “You don’t have to talk to Freddie Roach. He’s just the trainer.”
“(Koncz) is a good guy in a thankless position,” Arum said. “When Manny says something, he has to jump, to make it happen.”
Pacquiao must train all but three weeks outside the United States for the bulk of camp to save on taxes here. He will begin training camp in Baguio, move to Roach’s Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, Calif., for two weeks and then go to Las Vegas for the final week of preparation.
The fight will take place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and will be televised on pay-per-view.
By the looks of Chris Arreola’s body and activity at a media workout on Wednesday, it’s clear that reports of his slothful training habits were greatly exaggerated.
The undefeated Mexican-American heavyweight contender, who challenges Vitali Klitschko for the giant Ukrainian’s WBC title on Sept. 26, was rumored to be out of shape and under-motivated to the point of not showing up to the gym.
There’s been so much talk of the Great Brown Hope being overweight in recent weeks that I was half-expecting to see a 300-pound blob walk through the doors of Joe Goossen’s Ten Goose gym in Van Nuys, Calif., the site of the open workout and Arreola’s training camp.
However, I’m pleased to report that Arreola (27-0, 24 knockouts) looked physically solid and technically sharp as he shadow-boxed with light hand weights, hit the mitts with his trainer Henry Ramirez and pounded one of the heavy bags in Goossen’s sweltering gym.
If you’re a Klitschko fan, don’t misread this report. I’m not pleased because I’m rooting for Arreola, a 6-to-1 underdog in some places, to pull the upset. I have nothing against Klitschko. In fact, I have a lot of respect for THE RING’s No.1 heavyweight contender.
I’m pleased that Arreola appears to be in shape (by his standards, mind you) because I want to see a good fight at L.A.’s Staples Center in two and a half weeks.
I began to have doubts about how competitive Arreola would be with Klitschko after watching the 6-foot-7 heavyweight shake out in an L.A. gym last week. Klitschko, 38, moved about like a man Arreola’s age while onlookers gossiped about the pudgy contender’s laziness.
However, after talking to Ramirez and Arreola’s conditioning coach, Darryl Hudson, on Wednesday, I once again believe that fans are going to be treated to something special on Sept. 26.
“Of course fans are going to get a fight,” Arreola insisted. “The only thing I can do is go in there and put on a great fight for the fans in Los Angeles.
“Am I in the best shape of my life? Come Sept. 26, I will be.”
He didn’t understand what all the concern was about. That’s because the 28-year-old L.A. native hasn’t been following the rumors on the internet.
Ramirez has, and what he’s read hasn’t put him in a good mood.
“I read that Chris is weighing 280 pounds, I read that he went AWOL for a few days and that his head’s not in this fight, all that crap,” he said. “All I can tell folks is that he’s definitely under 280 pounds, he’s in shape and he’s ready to fight.
“He went nine hard rounds with three good sparring partners yesterday -- Malik Scott, Lance Whitaker and Cisse Salif -- and he got stronger in the late rounds. He threw more than 80 punches in the ninth round, so what does that tell you?”
It tells me that Arreola is not out of shape. So where did the rumors about his skipping out on training start?
“The speculation as to why he missed a day is probably my fault,” Ramirez said. “Chris had the flu two weeks ago. I let some writers come to the gym and watch him train on a day when the flu got the better of him. He didn’t show up and I didn’t tell them why he didn’t show up because I figured it was nobody’s f---ing business.”
Arreola didn’t appear to suffer any lingering weakness from his illness during Wednesday’s workout. He hit the pads and the heavy bag with more power than I’m used to seeing from him.
However, his bout with the flu may have set the camp back a week in terms of where his weight is supposed to be at this time.
Arreola, who looked solid in a tight, colorful Remetee T-shirt, said he weighed around 258 pounds (but he’s probably in the low 260s). Ramirez said he plans to have Arreola come in around the 245-247 pound range for the weigh-in.
They have enough time for that to be a realistic goal, but Ramirez admits that they will push hard in the final two weeks of training.
“We’re up to nine rounds in sparring now, we’ll hit 10 rounds on Saturday and do two 12 rounders next week,” Ramirez said. “We’ll spar the Monday of fight week.”
This isn’t out of the ordinary for an Arreola camp. The Riverside, Calif., resident typically hits his peak late in training. That might just be the way his big body works, but part of the reason is his lifestyle between fights. Let’s just say Arreola leans more towards the James Toney school of preparedness than the Bernard Hopkins school.
“He was heavy at the start of this camp,” Ramirez admitted. “He wasn’t 300 pounds like some people are saying, but he got pretty big after the (Jameel) McCline fight (in April), and I’ll be honest with you, he was a p---k to deal with at that time and he looked like s--t for the first two weeks of sparring.”
Part of the reason for Arreola’s grumpiness and lack of form early in the camp, which began five weeks ago, was the new conditioning routine he was being put through by Hudson, who has worked with such world-class boxers as Winky Wright, Jeff Lacy, Lamon Brewster and (infamously) Shane Mosley.
Hudson’s leg and core strength drills, mixed with sprint and middle-distance intervals, took a toll on Arreola’s muscles. He was probably more sore than he’s ever been at the start of this camp.
Until this camp, Arreola’s idea of training was to show up to the gym, shadow box a few rounds, spar his ass off, bang the heavy bag and then hit the showers. It’s been enough for Arreola to win 27 fights without a loss, most by knockout. But his flabby appearance and 250-plus pounds fight weights drew criticism from boxing writers. A very shaky (but thrilling) shootout with Travis Walker last November sent a big fat red flag to Team Arreola’s upper management (promoter Dan Goossen and manager Al Haymon), which suggested the addition of a strength and conditioning coach might be overdue.
Enter Hudson, who is impressed with Arreola’s attitude and effort.
“He was open to trying new things, which is all I ask,” Hudson said. “He’s never done anything like what we are doing in this camp, and it’s been hard on him. He’s had to change his lifestyle and bad habits. He’s had to follow a controlled diet. He’s had to do two-a-days for the first time.
“It’s tough. He had a meltdown on me last week. His body hit a wall. It was OK. I was waiting for that to happen. It happens all the time. It lets me know it's time to change the routine up, and once again, he was open to that.
“Chris has shown me that he’s an athlete, a professional. He’s a strong dude who is more agile than he looks and he works hard.
“People shouldn’t judge him by his body type. He’s never going to look like the prime Evander Holyfield, he’s no Adonis, but I think in time his body will look harder and more sculpted that it does now. The important thing is his conditioning, which is there, and getting the strength he’ll need to battle Vitali on the inside. He’s getting that.”
Hudson’s strength and conditioning routine works in conjunction with Ramirez’s strategy, which is to either have Arreola chest to chest with Klitschko, inside the veteran’s reach, or all the way outside moving away from the giant’s range-finding left jab. They don’t want Arreola to get caught mid-range like most of Klitschko’s opponents.
“We’ve been working on foot speed through agility drills,” Hudson said. “We want him to be able to close the distance fast when he chooses to. We’ve had him do upper-body movement exercises to quicken the bob-and-weave movement he’ll need to slip Klitschko’s jab on his way in. We’ve been doing a lot of leg resistance work that will help him apply pressure but also change height (bend and crouch) as he moves in.
“And there’s been a lot of core work so he can handle himself on the inside. That’s one of Henry’s main concerns. We know it will take energy just to get close to Klitschko. He’s got to have strength and energy to let his hands go once he’s there.”
Ramirez concedes that Klitschko has looked formidable in his last two outings following his four-year hiatus, his title-winning stoppage of Sam Peter last October and his ninth-round TKO of Juan Carlos Gomez in March. However, Ramirez adds that the Nigerian slugger and Cuban southpaw made Klitschko’s job easy by standing in front of him.
“People who think Chris is going to stand right there and throw one punch at a time like Sam Peter are crazy,” he said. “We have a plan and it includes pressure, but intelligent pressure. And when we aren’t able to get in close, we’re going to surprise people by moving around him.
“I told Chris to take his time and don’t be surprised if we’re 0-3 on the scorecards after three rounds. We’re not going to be in a rush, we’ve got 12 rounds to work with and he’s going to be in shape to go 12 rounds come fight time.”
Ramirez and Arreola plan on testing Klitschko’s conditioning by setting the tempo of the fight. Arreola isn’t just going to be in shape to move and stay upright for 12 rounds if need be. The plan is to attack the older man, particularly his body, in every round.
“Everyone says Vitali’s got a good chin,” Ramirez said. “That’s good but we’re banging his body. We’re hitting his stomach, ribs, chest, arms, shoulders, whatever is there for us. The object is to fold the man in half, not to knock his head off.”
If Arreola peaks in two weeks and sticks to Ramirez’s plan of attack on fight night, win or lose, fans are going to get something special on Sept. 26.
In anticipation of a bruising battle with Miguel Cotto, a rugged Mexican welterweight will be tapped to travel to Baguio and whip Manny Pacquiao into form for the November 14 showdown with Cotto at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Former world champion Jose Luis Castillo has been notified that he will be part of Pacquiao's training camp that should kick off in Baguio in less than two weeks time, the Filipino fighter's Canadian adviser Mike Koncz said on Tuesday.
"When I went to Mexico recently, I bumped into (Mexican promoter) Fernando Beltran and he suggested that Castillo be used as sparring partner and when I got back, I told Manny about it and he approved it," said Koncz.
Beltran promotes Castillo, a battle-tested 35-year-old who is expected to push Pacquiao to the limit in sparring owing to his attacking style.
The 5-8 Castillo, who holds a 59-9-1 win-loss-draw card with 51 knockouts, is fresh from stopping Christian Solano last August 22.
Castillo figured in one of the most action-packed fight in all of boxing when he engaged the late Diego Corrales in an epic clash at lightweight in May 2005.
Aside from Castillo, also being tapped by chief trainer Freddie Roach are Raymund Serrano, Shawn Porter, and Urbano Antillon.
Roach hasn't been consulted about getting Castillo.
Meanwhile, Pacquiao will take a Cathay Pacific flight bound for New York via Hong Kong this morning to attend the five-city press tour that kicks off at Yankee Stadium on Thursday (Friday in Manila).
Pacquiao will come face-to-face and mano-a-mano with Cotto in New York then the two will proceed to Caguas in Puerto Rico on Saturday, San Francisco on Sunday and finally to Los Angeles on Monday. Another gig will be held in San Diego on Tuesday but Cotto won't be there as he will fly to his training camp in Tampa, Florida.
Pacquiao will be back in the country on September 17 or 18 and will proceed immediately to Baguio to begin training camp. It's not yet sure if Roach will join him right away or will just follow within the month.
I was more than a little intrigued by the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Juan Manuel Marquez matchup when talks for the fight began earlier in the year.
What wasn’t to like about it? It matched two future hall of famers with comparable skill, technique and experience.
Marquez was coming off a performance (his come-for-behind KO of Juan Diaz) that in my not-so-humble opinion solidified him as one of the best Mexican fighters of all time, and Mayweather had returned to the sport after retiring as the consensus pound-for-pound king last summer.
Of course this was before the deal was finalized, the day before the Ricky Hatton-Manny Pacquiao fight, and the bout was revealed to be in the monotone words of Mayweather’s right-hand man Leonard Ellerbe “a welterweight bout”.
I had assumed, along with most, that Mayweather-Marquez would be contested at a suitable catchweight, ideally the junior welterweight limit of 140 pounds. That way Marquez would step up one weight class and Mayweather would drop down one.
Having Marquez travel more than five pounds north instantly turned a showdown for both fighters into a showcase for Mayweather in my mind.
Mayweather-Marquez at welterweight was comparable to the recent Roy Jones Jr.-Felix Trinidad fight that took place at 170 pounds. Jones-Trinidad had name recognition and solid pay-per-view drawing power (it did around 500,000 buys domestically). But the contracted weight, which was 10 pounds heavier than Trinidad had ever competed at, removed the competitiveness of the matchup.
It was basically a high-profile tuneup for Jones, who was eying a showdown with Joe Calzaghe. And true to the script, Trinidad was the perfect foil for Jones, who dropped the Puerto Rican icon twice while showboating his was to a unanimous decision.
How could I (or any knowledgeable hardcore fan) not think the same fate that Trinidad suffered was in store for Marquez, who will be fighting Mayweather 10-12 pounds heavier than he's ever weighed for a prize fight?
However, as the Sept. 19 fight date approaches, I’ve given the matchup more thought and discarded the Jones-Trinidad comparison for a couple of reasons.
Trinidad had been inactive for 2½ years going into his bout with Jones. That’s not the scenario for Marquez, who has been busy against quality opposition while Mayweather enjoyed a brief “retirement”.
And where as Trinidad’s seek-and-destroy mentality played into all of Jones‘ strengths, Marquez’s versatile counter-punching style is bound to present Mayweather with some problems.
The more I thought about the matchup, the more questions popped up, and since the big fight is less than two weeks away I thought I’d share them.
So here they are, 10 crucial questions going into Mayweather-Marquez:
1. Is Marquez too small for Mayweather? This is by far the most crucial question, one that is connected with two other factors -- speed and power -- and it all boils down to whether Marquez can fight effectively above lightweight. The former three-time featherweight title holder has never fought above 135 pounds (and to my eyes he appeared to be pushing his body to the limit at lightweight).
We know Mayweather, the former welterweight champ, fights comfortably above 140 pounds; he’s fought at 146 pounds or more since stepping up to welterweight against Sharmba Mitchell in November of 2005. Mayweather has defeated Mitchell, Zab Judah, Carlos Baldomir and Ricky Hatton at welterweight. He outpointed Oscar De La Hoya at junior middleweight (and didn’t lack for speed or reflexes in that bout).
While it’s true that Marquez is a better boxer than Mitchell, Judah, Hatton and even De La Hoya, I have to ask myself if he could beat those fighters at welterweight -- or even in junior welterweight bouts -- and to be honest, I’m not sure. Ask me after Sept. 19.
2. Can Marquez handle Mayweather’s speed? Everyone agrees that Mayweather has faster hands than Marquez, and that blazing speed is the main reason most fans, media and insiders are picking “Money” to win the fight.
However, Marquez, a natural featherweight, possess more speed than most of Mayweather’s recent opponents, certainly more than the likes of the painfully slow Baldomir and the 35-year-old version of De La Hoya.
Judah, the last speed demon Mayweather has faced, gave him fits for the first five rounds of their 12 rounder, and the Brooklynite doesn’t have near the focus or the complete game Marquez possesses.
The key question is whether Marquez will be able to retain his usual hand speed and reflexes fighting at an unnaturally heavier weight. Some unverified reports out of Marquez’s camp suggest that the added bulk has slowed him down enough to concern his trainer, Nacho Beristain.
Both Beristain and Marquez denied that the extra poundage is weighing him down -- the trainer went so far as to declare that his fighter is looking “faster than ever” (yeah, right) -- in a recent media conference call.
But it doesn’t seem likely that Marquez can carry his speed above 140 pounds. He appeared a step slower than usual in his two lightweight battles against Joel Casamayor and Diaz, both of which were up for grabs before he lowered the boom and took them out.
Marquez supporters say the Mexican master’s timing is sharp enough to deal with Mayweather’s speed. After all, they point out, he neutralized the quick mitts of Manny Pacquiao, who is at least as fast as Mayweather. Not so, says Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach.
“Marquez gave Pacquiao trouble because he knows how to fight a southpaw,” Roach told RingTV.com recently. “Whenever Manny hurt Marquez or dropped him in both bouts it was because his speed allowed him to get through.”
3. Can Marquez hurt Mayweather? One of Mayweather’s most underrated attributes is his toughness. The five-division titleholder has seldom been hurt in a prize fight and he’s never been down (unless you count the technical/off-balance knockdown Judah scored in the second round of their bout, which referee Richard Steele missed).
Mayweather’s defensive prowess enabled him to completely avoid the best shots from bombers like the late Diego Corrales and Arturo Gatti, but he absorbed more than a few shots from the hard-punching likes of Phillip N’dou, Jose Luis Castillo, Judah, De La Hoya and Hatton without missing a beat.
If those naturally bigger fighters couldn’t hurt Mayweather, what chance does Marquez have?
I’m probably in the minority but I think Marquez can threaten Mayweather provided the extra weight hasn’t slowed him down too much. The reason is the accuracy of his textbook power punches.
Blunt force wildly directed at Mayweather’s head won’t do much because of his ability to block and turn with punches, but clean shots to the point of the chin can yield results.
DeMarcus Corley isn’t known for his punching power, but he’s a sharpshooter with hand speed, and this combination enabled the lefty to buzz Mayweather early in their 2004 encounter. Marquez might be the best precise-punching boxer Mayweather has ever faced. His uppercuts are like heat-seeking missiles that find the soft spot on his opponent’s chin.
Recently, Marquez has been planting his feet more than did in the past in order to get more leverage on his combinations. The result has been sensational knockouts of fighters who previously had never been stopped, such as ultra-tough Thai Terdsak Jandaeng, Casamayor and Diaz. Marquez’s 11th-round TKO of Casamayor was especially impressive given that the iron-chinned Cuban vet had survived the best bombs of Acelino Freitas, Castillo and the late Corrales.
And if he finds he can’t dent Mayweather’s chin there’s always the defensive wizard’s body, which leads us to the next question…
4. How bad is Mayweather’s rib injury?
The original July 19 date for this matchup was postponed when Mayweather sustained a reported rib injury in training during the second week of June. The rumor was that Mayweather’s ribs were injured during a sparring session, something the fiercely proud fighter vehemently denies.
Mayweather will not provide details to how the injury occurred, simply calling it a “freak accident,” but he has repeatedly told media that it didn’t happen in sparring. However, boxing writer David Avila reports that one of Mayweather’s sparring partners, a junior middleweight journeyman named Juan Pablo Montes De Oca, took credit for the injury.
“Mayweather hired him for his pressure and his durability,” Avila, who covers boxing for the Riverside (Calif.) Press-Enterprise, told RingTV.com. “He doesn’t win much, but he’s tough as nails and he’s a good body puncher. I asked him about the sparring session after a fight he had Las Vegas in early July (a 10-round loss to Carlos Nascimento) and he told me it happened. I’m not positive, but I think he said that it was a left to the body that hurt Floyd.”
If this is true, Mayweather is going to have to be careful in protecting his mid section. Rib injuries, especially fractures and cartilage tears, are very painful and they usually take at least six weeks to properly heal. Avila’s gym information is almost always reliable, so if Marquez fans have been praying for an Achilles heel that their man can exploit, this might be it.
5. Is Marquez getting old? The Mexico City native celebrated his 36th birthday last month, and that’s not just a number. Marquez has been around a long time (16 years in the pro ranks) and he’s had a lot of fights (55) that have taken their toll.
Once upon a time Marquez dominated his foes with such poise and precision that he was labeled a “boring” fighter. Not anymore. Age and wear and tear from his grueling 12-round battles with Pacquiao have had an impact on him. Marquez is still a master technician but he’s no longer able to go unscathed against elite fighters. In fact, he had to take his lumps and work hard to knock out second- and third-tier fighters like Jandaeng and Jimrex Jaca.
However, despite his life-and-death battle with Diaz, Marquez should not be viewed as shopworn by any stretch of the imagination. Clean living and a Spartan work ethic has preserved him to an extent.
This is not like Julio Cesar Chavez’s first fight with De La Hoya, where the older fighter was burned out from 98 pro bouts and a wild lifestyle while the younger man was 10 years the vet’s junior and in his absolute physical prime. At 32, with almost 13 years in the pro biz, Mayweather is no spring chicken. And many wonder how sharp he will be at this stage of his career after more than a year layoff, which leads to the next question…
6. Will Mayweather be rusty? Since turning pro in 1996, Mayweather has never had more than eight months off between fights -- until now. How will almost 21 months off (his last fight was against Hatton in December of 2007) effect a boxer who relies so much on reflexes and speed?
Mayweather and his team say the layoff was just what the doctor ordered. He insists that the time away from the ring and training camps gave his chronically sore hands and often-injured shoulders a chance to heal. You know what? I believe him.
I don’t think Mayweather will show too many signs of inactivity on Sept. 19 because I don’t believe he ever intended to stay retired. (He simply wanted to avoid the pressure of defending his welterweight crown against the Miguel Cotto-Antonio Margarito winner and wait for the right opportunity to come back and make the most money with minimal risk). Thus, I don’t think he ever left the gym during his “retirement” or hiatus or whatever you want to call it (I call it a strategic withdraw), and reports I’ve received from his camp for Marquez support my hunch.
The trainer of one Mayweather’s current sparring partners recently emailed me with this gym report (sorry for the caps):
“FLOYD IS MORE THAN READY FOR MARQUEZ. HIS HAND SPEED, REFLEXES, CONDITIONING, TIMING AND RHYTHM ARE ALL THERE.
"MY FIGHTER TOLD ME THAT LAMONT PETERSON SHOWED UP AT FLOYD’S GYM TWO WEEKS AGO TRYING TO MAKE A NAME FOR HIMSELF. AFTER VERBALLY ABUSING EACH OTHER FOR 30 MINUTES WHILE PUTTING ON THEIR HANDWRAPS, THEY WENT EIGHT 4-MINUTE ROUNDS WITH 15 SECONDS REST, WHICH WAS A SPARRING SESSION WORTH PAYING FOR ACCORDING TO MY FIGHTER. AFTER EIGHT ROUNDS, LAMONT COULDN'T GO NO MORE BECAUSE OF FATIGUE. THAT’S WHEN FLOYD REALLY STARTED TAUNTING HIM SAYING TO HIM ‘ANOTHER ROUND, ANOTHER ROUND!’ WHEN LAMONT REFUSED TO GO ANOTHER ROUND, THAT’S WHEN THE VERBAL ABUSE WENT TO RECORD LEVELS IN THE MAYWEATHER CAMP. NAME CALLING AND VERBAL ABUSE CONTINUED TO BE DIRECTED AT LAMONT FOR ANOTHER 10 MINUTES.”
Nice to hear that Mayweather hasn’t lost his competitive edge.
And by the way, Floyd, I know you’re a secretive sort, but there’s no escape from my gym sources. (But hey, at least it’s positive news.)
7. Who wants it more? There’s been a lot of talk about Mayweather’s motivation for this fight. Some have suggested that the only reason Mayweather has returned to the sport is because of a financial crisis headed by his $6.2 million debt to the IRS.
I’ve been more than happy to add to this line of thinking by unofficially changing his nickname from “Money” to “Needs Money” in my mailbags, but the truth is that Mayweather is one of the proudest boxers I’ve ever covered. He approaches the sport and his career with the utmost seriousness. While he probably does “need money,” I don’t believe that he would ever take a fight just to get paid. Mayweather will always be a competitor and his pride pushes him to train just as hard for the likes of Henry Bruseles as he does for De La Hoya. Nobody cherishes Mayweather’s undefeated record more than he does.
There’s no way Mayweather isn’t hungry to win this fight.
And since we’re on the subject fighting just for money, it should be noted that Marquez’s career-high payday was the main reason he and Beristain conceded to the bout’s contracted weight.
However, Marquez is every bit as proud as Mayweather, and unlike the 1996 U.S. Olympian, he has an entire nation rooting for his victory on Sept. 19 (which falls on Mexican Independence Day weekend). I think it’s safe to say that he’s properly motivated for this fight.
8. Who has the better corner? Beristain has trained 12 world titleholders, including Marquez and brother Rafael, as well as hall of famers Ricardo Lopez and Daniel Zaragoza. Aside from Floyd Jr., Roger Mayweather has trained … um … Cornelius Lock… and um, Wes Ferguson?
Roger can talk all the garbage he wants about Angelo Dundee at press conferences. Dundee is in the hall of fame (deservedly so) and there’s no way Mayweather’s getting in as a trainer.
The edge in corners obviously goes to Marquez but the recent reconciliation between Floyd Jr. and Floyd Sr. is definitely a plus for Mayweather.
The presence of the father, who laid the boxing foundation for his son, in Mayweather’s camp will add focus to Junior's defensive preparation, which is bad news for Marquez.
9. Who is the superior boxer? I consider Mayweather and Marquez, along with Bernard Hopkins and Ivan Calderon, to be the best active boxer-technicians in the game. So who’s style will prevail on Sept. 19?
Mayweather has the edge in defense. Marquez has the better offense. Mayweather is quicker and more fluid, but Marquez is more active and accurate. However, Mayweather has the better legs and lateral movement, and this ability might decide the fight.
Two of Marquez’s four losses were 12-round decisions to mobile boxers -- Freddy Norwood and Chris John. Marquez fans will tell you that those losses were controversial (and the Mexican won both fights on my very unofficial scorecard) but there’s no denying that he was troubled by their lateral movement and lack of forward aggression.
Well, we all know that Mayweather is not afraid to stink out an arena in order to ensure that he gets the “W.” He did it with Castillo (in the second fight), Baldomir and De La Hoya. Why wouldn’t he do it with Marquez if he finds the smaller man to be tough enough to take his best shots?
So what if he gets booed or criticized by “hater” boxing writers like Yours Truly? He’ll stay undefeated and set up even bigger events for 2010, which leads us to the last question.
10. What does a win mean for either? Beating a well-known, undefeated U.S. Olympian is better than winning a world title for Latino warriors (as Chavez learned after beating Meldrick Taylor and Trinidad was happy to discover after his victories over De La Hoya, David Reid and Fernando Vargas).
If Marquez beats Mayweather he will finally one-up his contemporaries, Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales, and may very well approach Chavez-level reverence in Mexico.
If Mayweather defeats Marquez, he will have accomplished what most expected of him, which means he probably won't receive the credit he will undoubtedly believe he deserves. However, if he absolutely dominates Marquez -- or is the first fighter to stop the proud Mexican -- he might earn that No. 1 pound-for-pound consideration he so covets. But if he outpoints Marquez over 12 rounds, clearly winning seven or eight rounds while surviving a few rough spots, Mayweather merely makes his undefeated record sparkle a little more and sets himself up for a much bigger fight with the Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto winner.
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