Paulie Malignaggi to fight Pacquiao?

Derailed by questionable terms for the blood-testing and if ever it would be 100% confirmed that the supposedly mega-fight between Pound-for-Pound Champion Manny Pacquiao and undefeated Floyd Mayweather is not going to happen on March 2010 it is more likely that the other option of team Pacquiao is former champion Paulie Malignaggi.

It has been said by Top Rank that they have already made an offer to Malignaggi. Now, this would rather be a good fight but Pacquiao-Mayweather would definitely be a great one. What can you say about it?

Mayweather's camp update their terms

It appears the Floyd Mayweather Camp is open to a compromise on their demand of random blood testing. “As long as there’s a blood test, as long as there’s a urine test and as long as it’s random, a cutoff date is agreeable to us,” Mayweather’s representative Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy Promotions told the LA Times Saturday. Meanwhile, Pacquiao wrote on his blog “I am still willing to Fight Floyd Mayweather Jr. I never said the fight was off or I do not want to fight him. I will fight anyone at anytime and my record and past fights prove that. I have never and will never dodge anyone. These are my specifications for this fight regarding blood testing. I have offered to give a blood sample the day of the announcement of the fight at the press [conference]. I have offered to give a blood sample 30 days before the fight. I am willing to give blood immediately after the fight is over inside my dressing room . I am also willing to give urine tests at anytime any where everyday leading up to the fight. The truth is taking blood out of my body does not seem natural to me and mentally I feel it will weaken me if blood is taken from me just days before the fight. That does not make sense to me why anyone would do that.”

Pacquiao-Mayweather: Duckers!

Calling off the supposedly fight of the century between Pound-for-Pound Champion Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao and Pound-for-Pound #2 Floyd Mayweather Jr. is not what most people would want it to be. We would definitely want the fight to go on no matter where it will take place. The location of the match would matter less to us, it can be done in Las Vegas or in Dallas, anywhere would do. Just get it on.

For the Mayweather camp, are you not satisfied with the drug tests being done by the Nevada State Athletic Commission for you are still wanting more? The Olympic style blood testing would have been good but to get blood samples from boxers just days before the fight is very much questionable. For me, the suggestions of Bob Arum about NFL-type of tests would be acceptable; go for it.

Now that Arum, [unofficially] calls it off, is saying that Pacquiao should move on and look for other opponents Golden Boy Promotions had some counters too; Richard Schaefer discloses that there will be no Golden Boy boxers to fight the Pacman.

One question in my mind would be "Who's ducking who?"

Money May has been claimed by many boxing fans and critics that he had been ducking some potential great fighters before; Shane Mosley, Paul Williams, and even Miguel Cotto. Was it all about the money and easy fights? Or is he just a ducker?

Well, it's all mind games. Maybe Mayweather Jr., doesn't really have the intention (that is if he's not afraid) to fight Pacquiao and just want to create a stir in the boxing world; setup a very questionable terms for blood tests so that the other fighter would opt out and in that sense he would inject the minds of the many that he's not the ducker. Floyd is one great strategist in or out the boxing ring no questions about that.

This is not what we, boxing fans, would want to happen for these two great fighters. We would definitely want them to face each other inside that boxing ring and prove who really is the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world. So for both camps, please make it happen.

Pacquiao-Mayweather Off?

Seven-time world champion Manny Pacquiao has merely laughed off the drug testing issue being raised by Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s saying that the former pound-for-pound king is just trying to excuse himself from the fight.

“Marami lang siyang dahilan, marami siyang dinedemand. Siguro wala pa ‘yong fight, takot na,” said Pacquiao.

The Filipino champion, who recently won the World Boxing Organization welterweight title from Puerto Rico’s Miguel Cotto, said Mayweather maybe getting nervous with the idea of trading punches with him.

Thus, American boxer came out with a statement demanding an Olympic-type of dope testing.

“Sa akin walang problema kung gusto niyang lumaban. Fight kaming dalawa... pero kung medyo natakot siya -- palakasin muna niya loob niya,” said Pacquiao.

Pacquiao made it clear he has no qualm in undergoing tests. What he’s opposed against is having him to give blood so near the March 13 fight date.

“Require natin lahat pati blood test... pero ‘wag naman doon sa day of the fight, manghihina ka naman noon,” he said.

The Filipino boxing star added that the Mayweather camp may also be using the issue to just to distract him.

“Gumagawa lang siya ng paraan, strategy niya para magalit ako... para ma-distract ako sa concentration sa fight,” said the reigning pound-for-pound king.


Read more...

Arum: Mayweather-Pacquiao fight can be salvaged

Boxing promoter Bob Arum on Thursday told this newspaper there is one way the proposed fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. can be salvaged.

"Get rid of USADA, bring in one of the agencies that do the NFL and NBA and we'll tell them what kind of testing we want and they will do it for us and the fight will go on," said Arum, Pacquiao's promoter.

If not, Pacquiao will move on.

Arum said he already has reached out to Paul Malignaggi's promoter, Lou Dibella, about Malignaggi replacing Mayweather for the March 13 fight at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

"Lou wants the fight, but he has to get a hold of Malignaggi, who is with his family for Christmas Eve," Arum said.

Malignaggi is the former junior welterweight champion from Brooklyn.

Meanwhile, junior welterweight champion Timothy Bradley of Palm Springs has thrown his name into the mix. He said he won't ask Pacquiao to do any testing other than that already provided by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. It consists of a urine test before and after a fight - sometimes, but rarely, during training.

"I feel I'm more than ready for Manny Pacquiao," Bradley said Thursday. "I would not require no (other) drug testing. Manny Pacquiao ain't doing drugs, man. He is just on top of his game."

Pacquiao-Mayweather was expected to be formally announced any day.

But earlier this week the Mayweather camp, represented by Golden Boy Promotions, told Pacquiao's camp there would be no deal unless Pacquiao agreed to submit to Olympic-style drug-testing provided by the United States Anti-Doping Agency.

That would require eight to 12 urine samples and three to five blood samples that could be taken at random during the promotion.

Pacquiao never has tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs and has fought 11 times in Las Vegas. But Floyd Mayweather Sr. has gone on record as saying he believes Pacquiao, who has had success in seven weight classes, is using them.

"Manny is not opposed to testing. He just doesn't want to do blood right before the fight," Arum said. "We have never been against drug testing, we have been against drug testing close to the fight.

"Athletes around the world have complained that this blood testing close to the event really affects their performance."

Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy, said he is trying to save the fight. Arum said he would agree to a system that would require no more than three blood tests - one in early January, one 30 days before the fight and one directly after.

Freddie Roach, Pacquiao's trainer, said he would consider a blood test as close as five days before the fight but no closer.

Schaefer was told about Arum reaching out to DiBella.

"I guess he is going to do what he is going to do," Schaefer said. "But I don't give up easily. I still think we owe it to the sport and owe it to the fans to get this thing done."


Credits to sgvtribune.com

Pacquiao-Mayweather may not happen!

The proposed megafight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. was thrown into jeopardy Tuesday with a demand by Mayweather's camp that both fighters be subjected to Olympic-type drug testing in the weeks leading up to the bout.

Mayweather's manager said the fight would not go on if Pacquiao didn't agree to blood testing under standards followed by the United States Anti-Doping Agency.

"There is no fight without Olympic-style random drug testing," Leonard Ellerbe said.

Mayweather's camp claims it was told Pacquiao would not agree to have his blood tested within 30 days of the fight because of personal superstitions. But Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, said he could live with some testing, as long as it wasn't too close to the fight and wasn't overly intrusive.

"I will not let my fighter take a blood test the day before a fight," Roach said. "If they give me a five-day window or something like that I have no problem with it."

Roach said he hoped the issue wasn't brought up as a way to get Mayweather out of the fight.

"He's looking for a back door out," Roach said. "We're eager to fight."

The fight, which promises to be the richest ever, had widely been expected to be formalized this week, with an official announcement Jan. 6. It was expected to be held at the MGM Grand hotel, with the biggest live gate ever.

But neither fighter has signed formal contracts and there have been disputes between representatives of the two fighters ever since Mayweather's promoter pulled out at the last minute of a trip to Texas, where Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was to make a proposal to host the bout.

But Mayweather's promoter, Richard Schaefer, said all other issues have been agreed upon.

"The good news is we have agreed on all the other points," Schaefer said. "Depending on what Manny Pacquiao decides to do we either have a fight or we don't have a fight."

Schaefer said he is still hopeful of the fight happening, based on the fact Pacquiao himself has not publicly said he would not accept blood testing.

"I am still hopeful because I really believe this decision didn't come from Manny Pacquiao, it came from somebody else," Schaefer said. "It's up to Manny Pacquiao to prove me right or wrong." Read more...

Zab Judah is uncertain for Pacquiao

Former undisputed welterweight champion Zab Judah had commented about the upcoming mega-fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao next year. "If Floyd is going to fight the way he's supposed to fight then it would be an easy night for him," the former champ said. Well, Judah was defeated by Mayweather the last time they cross path. Zab claimed that Floyd is a great defensive fighter [which he is] and that the Pacman would have the hard time running to him and land those punches; he claimed that Pacquiao could not land those same punches that hit De La Hoya, Hatton and Cotto. "We're going to find out if Pacquiao is really the truth," Zab added.

Lewis: Pacquiao can hand Mayweather his first loss

International Boxing Hall of Fame inductee Lennox Lewis said it is possible for seven-division champion Manny Pacquiao to hand Floyd Mayweather, Jr. his first career loss when they clash next year.

Lewis, a former heavyweight champion, thinks that WBO welterweight champion Pacquiao (50-3-2, with 38 knockouts) can probably match the “amazing” speed and defense of the undefeated Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs).

“I'd say that Manny is one of two guys who have a chance to beat Floyd,” Lewis told Michael Marley of Examiner.com.

The other fighter is WBA welterweight super champion Shane Mosley, he noted. “I can't think of anybody else who could even possibly beat Mayweather,” commented Lewis whose professional record was 41-2-1 (with 32 KOs).

As for the Pacquiao-Mayweather clash, Lewis commented: “It should be a great thing for boxing when he [Mayweather] and Pacquiao fight.”

The Pacquiao-Mayweather fight, which is set to take place on March 13, will be officially announced on January in a press conference in the United States.

Top Rank Promotions big boss Bob Arum, the promoter of Pacquiao, confirmed to ABS-CBN News that both fighters agreed on a 50-50 purse split. Read more...

Las Vegas and Dallas still on for Pacquiao-Mayweather, L.A. is out

Boxing promoter Bob Arum expects to settle on a site for Philippine fighter Manny Pacquiao's bout with Floyd Mayweather Jr. by next week.

While Las Vegas is the front-runner, Arum claims it still might be Dallas -- and it definitely won't be Los Angeles.

The Top Rank boss spoke glowingly of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and his willingness to outbid Vegas for what might be the richest fight in boxing history. Arum also expressed frustration Saturday night with Golden Boy's Richard Schaefer, who assists Mayweather Promotions, for canceling a trip to Dallas because he doesn't want the fight in Jones' opulent stadium.

"I know Texas people, and I know that a first proposal doesn't mean it's the final proposal," said Arum, who promotes Pacquiao. "I'm saying that Dallas is a real live possibility, and I have a fiduciary responsibility to Manny Pacquiao to get him the most money."

The Dallas bid was thought to be nearly dead after Schaefer skipped the trip on Wednesday to scout for Mayweather. But Arum, speaking after Top Rank fighter Lamont Peterson lost his title shot against Timothy Bradley, insists Schaefer must consider Jones' offer -- a guarantee of $25 million, according to the Los Angeles Times, which might go even higher.

"I think everybody involved has an obligation to see," said Arum, who has turned over the nuts-and-bolts negotiations to Top Rank president Todd duBoef because Arum gets too emotional.

"I know we can get the greatest offer in history from the Texas stadium," Arum said. "My position is whoever has the best deal for those two fighters, that's where I want the deal."

Arum might want this historic fight to happen in decidedly unhistoric Cowboys Stadium, or he might simply be attempting to leverage Jones' bid against the MGM Grand to get a better offer from the best fight site in boxing's capital city.

The MGM Grand likely could craft a bigger offer than $25 million based on closed-circuit tickets and the ancillary benefits of being in the gambling Mecca, but the casino likely can't match the possible Dallas gate -- and Arum wants a guarantee.

"I'm guaranteeing my fighter $25 million," Arum said. "I ain't going for pie in the sky on this."

Arum also says the fight will only be held in a state with generous tax laws, ruling out Los Angeles and apparently New Orleans, which expressed interest in putting the fight in the Superdome. Staples Center made a $20 million bid for the bout, but Arum scoffed at it.

Jerry Jones offers $25M for Pacquiao-Mayweather to be held in Dallas

The Dallas Cowboys officials are still interested in bringing the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao fight to Cowboys Stadium, multiple sources close to the football team and fight officials said Saturday night.

The Los Angeles Times reported Saturday that Jerry Jones offered to pay $25 million as a site fee.

"I'm working really hard to bring the fight down to Dallas," Bob Arum, Pacquiao's promoter said. "[It's] still alive"

Cowboys spokesperson Brett Daniels said Saturday night the organization wouldn't have a comment. However, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said he's interested in having the fight in Cowboys Stadium. "I'm willing to help in any way that I can," Cuban said in an e-mail to ESPNDallas.com. "I think it would be great for North Texas and Cowboys Stadium to host the fight. I have a call in to Floyd and have offered my assistance. We will see what happens."

On Wednesday, Cowboys officials were surprised that Richard Schaefer, Mayweather's promoter, pulled out of a scheduled site visit. Read more...

Mayweather Sr: My son's too much for Pacquiao

Floyd Mayweather, Sr. has always chosen Manny Pacquiao’s opponents to prevail over the pound-for-pound king, but the Filipino boxing icon always proved him wrong.

Not this time, though. Floyd Sr. predicted that his son, the undefeated Floyd Jr., will outpunch Pacquiao.

“Pacquiao could never beat something that came out of me,” Floyd Sr. told FightHype.com.

The outspoken trainer said Oscar de la Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto would get the better of Pacquiao, but the seven-division world champion conquered them instead.

Floyd Sr. was the trainer of Hatton for his fight against Pacquiao.

“With Pacquiao, it’s not even going to be a figuring out process. Pacquiao is terrible, man. The man don’t move his damn head, he jumps straight in,” commented the elder Mayweather.

“Lil Floyd hasn’t taken any damage in the fight game and Pacquiao knows he is fighting a different animal; ain’t going to take no damage,” he added.

Mayweather (40-0, 25 knockouts) and Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KOs) are slated to clash on March 13 in the battle between the world’s top ranked pound-for-pound fighters. It was reported that a press conference on January 11 will officially announce the fight and its details.

Pacquiao’s World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title will reportedly be at stake. It was also reported that both fighters agreed to a 50-50 purse split.

Pacquiao signs 50-50 deal to fight Mayweather

It has been finalized and the fight of the century is coming this 2010!

Philippines hero Manny Pacquiao has signed a deal to fight US star Floyd Mayweather on March 13, ESPN reported Saturday, saying there will be a 50-50 split in what could be boxing's richest fight.

Undefeated Mayweather had agreed to terms for the bout but it was not certain he had signed a deal and there have been reports that Pacquiao wanted minor changes that might need to be confirmed with the American's camp.

Mayweather, 40-0 with 25 knockouts, was regarded as the world's top pound-for-pound fighter before a 19-month layoff that ended last September.

Pacquiao, 50-3 with 38 knockouts, staked his claim on the pound-for-pound crown in Mayweather's absence by knocking out England's Ricky Hatton in the second round last May and stopping Miguel Cotto in the 12th round last month.

Each fighter's side was seeking a 60-40 share of proceeds and for a time it appeared the only mega-fight on boxing's horizon might never be made because there was not enough money to go around.

Instead, the Pacquiao-Mayweather showdown appears set and could bring record profits to break the mark set by Mayweather's split-decision victory over Oscar de la Hoya in 2007.

Pacquiao will risk a lesser sanctioning body welterweight crown, with the fight will be staged at that class' 147-pound limit and each fighter can select the brand of eight-ounce gloves he desires, ESPN reported.

The promotion, expected to carry Mayweather's name ahead of Pacquiao's but give Pac-Man's promoter Top Rank a higher billing over Golden Boy, is expected to be launched with a January news conference in New York.

Pacquiao is running for congress in his homeland and elections are in May, which scuttled plans for a May date for the fight.

The Filipino star is expected to begin training in his homeland and complete his workouts at trainer Freddie Roach's Hollywood gym.

An exact venue has not been set for the fight, with two Las Vegas sites, the new Dallas Cowboys stadium in Texas and the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans among those interested in hosting the bout.

Pacquiao-Mayweather: Pacman Agrees to the Terms

It's nearly done, should it be finalized!

ESPN is reporting that the Pacquiao vs. Mayweather fight is almost finalized. This comes just days after Floyd Mayweather agreed to the terms that promoters Bob Arum of Top Rank and Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy had agreed upon.

Following that breakthrough, Arum flew straight to the Philippines so he could meet with his star fighter, currently the number 1 pound for pound boxer in the world. Over a breakfast meeting, Pacquiao apparently was satisfied with the terms of the bout.

Could it be, a mega-fight in boxing that both stars have made extremely easy to navigate and negotiate? Anything can happen, and until the names are signed on those contracts, nothing is official. Still, this is extremely great news for boxing fans, considering the magnitude of the potential Floyd Mayweather vs.Manny Pacquiao bout.

If Pacquiao vs. Mayweather is to be finalized, it seems that a few more details have been worked out since the last news from earlier in the week. It now seems that March 13 is a near lock to be the date of the event.

Another issue that could have been a potential snag in negotiations seems cleared up as well. Apparently Pacquiao and his team are fine at fighting at the full welterweight limit of 147 lbs. This is a change in stance from Pacquiao's recent bout with Miguel Cotto.

The change in opinion could either be due to 1) the increased importance of this bout, 2) Mayweather's superior bargaining position as opposed to Cotto or 3) the fact that Mayweather is not a large welterweight, and so any weight or strength advantage would not truly be present in the bout.

One thing that remains unclear as to this point is where the fight will be held. As previously reported, Dallas, New Orleans and Las Vegas are all still in the running. If the fight lands in Vegas, a 30,000 outdoor stadium will likely be constructed to accommodate the masses.

Mayweather agrees to fight Pacquiao

MANILA, Philippines – Floyd “Money” Mayweather, Jr. has reportedly given the go signal to hold a face-off against Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao next year.

According to Dan Rafael of ESPN.com, multiple sources said Mayweather acceded to terms for a welterweight title fight. The bout will reportedly be fought at 147 lbs.

Pacquiao, the WBO welterweight champion, is the pound-for-pound king while Mayweather is the No. 2 pound-for-pound fighter in the Ring Magazine rankings.

Top Rank Promotions big boss Bob Arum left the US Tuesday night to meet with Pacquiao in the Philippines.

Arum has been negotiating with Mayweather’s representative, Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer. They have remained tightlipped on the status of their negotiations.

March or May

The ESPN.com report added that Mayweather is allegedly amenable to the proposed fight dates of March 13 and May 1.

Arum earlier told The Los Angeles Times that the fight schedule depends on Pacquiao’s congressional bid in Sarangani Province.

“If he has to run against an opponent, then he'll have to start campaigning for the May 10 election on March 25… If that's the case, then Mayweather would have to be willing to fight March 13,” Arum told the Times.

Pacquiao and his opponent, Roy Chiongbian, filed their certificates of candidacy (CoC) Tuesday.

The Top Rank head honcho also revealed that he, Mayweather and “many others” would rather hold the fight on May 1. Read more...

Marquez|Hatton|De La Hoya

The names of Juan Manuel Marquez, Ricky Hatton and Oscar De La Hoya are all great boxers, also they all have fought Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. All great fights!

We all know that Marquez and Pacquiao had fought twice already, the results: 1 draw and 1 split-decision lost for JMM. These two fights have been very controversial; the first fight was decided to be a draw after one ringside judge scored 1-point more for Marquez. The second meeting was ruled split decision in favor of Pacquiao; of which many boxing critics said it should have been the other way. On the other hand, Marquez had fought Floyd Mayweather Jr last September 19, it was the first fight (comeback fight) of Pretty Boy Floyd after a 21-month retirement. It was an action-packed bout, lot of punches and counter-punches were exchanged, but on the end it was Mayweather who came out victorious.

Boxing legend and tycoon Oscar De La Hoya, also, had fought Mayweather and Pacquiao; both fights considered mega-fight though he lost the bouts De La Hoya earned a lot. Mayweather defeated Oscar via split-decision while the Pacman had made De La Hoya retire in 8 (TKO).

Ricky Hatton is a great boxer from the United Kingdom. He had fought Mayweather last December 2007 in an event called "Undefeated". It was then the biggest welterweight showdown of two undefeated fighters since Oscar De La Hoya and Felix Trinidad met in their 1999 superfight. Hatton was handed his first lost via 10-round stoppage. On the other hand, Manny Pacquiao had also fought Pacquiao in an event called "The Battle of the East and West". Pacquiao had unleashed a devastating left-hook in the 2nd round that sent Hatton out-cold on the canvass. The Pacman,in this win, claimed the IBO and Ring Magazine light welterweight titles (as well as the lineal light welterweight title), at the MGM Grand Las Vegas.

Both Pacquiao and Mayweather had defeated those three boxers by their own way. Would this be enough for us to say who is the underdog when they are going to square-off?

Floyd Mayweather, Jr: Last 5 Fights (part 2)

Previously we tackled Floyd Mayweather's matches, against Zab Judah and Carlos Baldomir, of which we obviously know that he won both (of course, he's undefeated right). Next up, Floyd's fights against Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Juan Manuel Marquez.

De La Hoya vs. Mayweather|The World Awaits

Mayweather's next match was the long-anticipated superfight against six-division champion and current WBC Super Welterweight titleholder Oscar De La Hoya on May 5, 2007. De La Hoya's belt was on the line, which required Mayweather to move up in weight from 147 pounds to 154.

Despite De La Hoya's insistence that money was not a factor, the Mayweather-De La Hoya bout set the record for most PPV buys for a boxing match with 2.7 million households, shattering the record of 1.95 million for Evander Holyfield-Mike Tyson II. Around $120 million in revenue was generated by the PPV, which set another record. With the percentages factored in, Oscar De La Hoya ended up earning $58 million for the bout, the highest purse ever for a fighter. The previous record was $35 million, held by Tyson and Holyfield. Floyd Mayweather earned about $25 million for the fight.

At one time, Floyd Mayweather, Sr., Mayweather, Jr.'s father, was in talks to train Oscar De La Hoya and be in his corner during the fight but he decided to train with Freddie Roach.

Mayweather won by split decision in 12 rounds, capturing the World Boxing Council (WBC) title though most saw the fight as being fairly one-sided on his behalf.



Mayweather vs Hatton|Undefeated!

Floyd Mayweather decided to relinquish his WBC junior middleweight championship and kept his WBC welterweight championship. On July 28, 2007, it was announced that Mayweather would come out of his short retirement to fight light welterweight champion Ricky Hatton which was promoted by Oscar De La Hoya's promotion company Golden Boy Promotions and Floyd Mayweather's "Mayweather Promotions." The bout was labelled "Undefeated" and took place on December 8, 2007, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, in a fight which was the biggest welterweight showdown of two undefeated fighters since Oscar De La Hoya and Felix Trinidad met in their 1999 superfight. In the build up to their fight, Mayweather claimed that he was the greatest boxer ever, saying: "I respect what Robinson and Ali did for the sport. But I am the greatest, and this is my time."

Mayweather controlled the fight from the start and knocked Hatton out in the 10th round to retain the welterweight championship. Hatton suffered a cut over his right eye in round three from the punches of Mayweather, and it seemed that it was at this point that his pace and movement began to slow. In round six Hatton lost a point for punching the back of Floyd's head as he was caught draped on the ropes. Mayweather had a huge eighth round, landing a number of clean, effective power shots.

In the 10th round Hatton was caught with a check left hook thrown from Mayweather's hip, fell forward head first into the turnbuckle and hit the deck.

Hatton managed to make it to his feet, but was clearly dazed. Two more big lefts in a flurry put Ricky down again and Cortez stopped it at 1:35 of round 10.

After the fight, Mayweather said that Hatton was one of the toughest fighters he had ever fought, that he just kept coming and coming, and that he wants to promote fights, with Hatton being his first client. Mayweather announced a two-year layoff from boxing to concentrate on his promotional company.

On March 18, 2009, it was reported that Mayweather was "ready to dance again" according to a source from within the Mayweather camp. Announcing his return to the ring seemed to be somewhat of a formality at this point, as even his estranged father, current trainer of Ricky Hatton, Floyd Mayweather Sr. stated, "He's gonna fight again."



Mayweather vs Marquez|Number One/Numero Uno

On May 2, 2009, it was confirmed that Mayweather was coming out of a 21-month retirement to fight lightweight champion Juan Manuel Márquez at a catchweight of 144 lbs. on July 18 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on HBO PPV. The fight was postponed due to a rib injury Mayweather received during training. HBO's reality series 24/7 was also postponed to start on August 29. Mayweather/Marquez 24/7 turned out to be one of the best shows of the series. The fight took place on September 19, 2009 in conjunction with Mexican Independence Day, traditionally a big boxing weekend.

During the official weigh in for their 144 lb bout, Mayweather failed to meet the required limit by weighing in at 146 lbs, two pounds heavier than Marquez. He was subsequently fined as a result. However it was later revealed that the contract was changed so that Mayweather could make weight within the welterweight limit of 140-147 lbs as long as Marquez received a large guaranteed sum of money. Mayweather won a unanimous decision after 12 rounds in one of the most statistically lop sided fights between 2 world class opponents. Marquez only managed to land 12% of his total 583 punches while Mayweather landed 59% of 490 total punches.

This fight marks only the fifth time in boxing history that a non-heavyweight fight sold more than 1 million pay-per-views, with the official HBO numbers coming in at over 1 million buys equaling a total of approximately $52 million. Four of those fights all featured Oscar De La Hoya as the main event, making this fight the one of two events where a non-heavyweight fight sold over 1 million PPVs without Oscar De La Hoya. The other fight was seven-division world champion Manny Pacquiao versus Miguel Cotto which sold 1.25 million PPVs.