Golden Boy vs Top Rank

Top Rank will certainly be going live from Arlington, Texas March 13 with Manny Pacquiao vs. Joshua Clottey. However rival promoter Golden Boy Promotions is threatening to go live also from the MGM Grand with Floyd Mayweather, Jr. vs. TBA.

Cowboys Stadium has a moto-cross the following weekend so it has to go on that date.

While certainly silly, this is not unprecedented in the annals of boxing and pay-per-view history.

I view this as some kind of medieval cry for help from Golden Boy to the world. I just don't know who Golden Boy appeals to anymore except for occasional challenge matches by Bernard Hopkins, Shane Mosley and other bullying tactics.

Mosley fights Andre Berto January 30 and Golden Boy has even started talking of a May fight between Mosley and Mayweather if Mosley beats Berto.

It seems like Golden Boy is just covering all its bases.

If the two companies actually do go toe to toe March 13, what's in play is who gets access to the successful HBO 24/7 series as the fight approaches. But it's probably not a deal breaker. HBO may decide to just sit it out March 13 to avoid any possible legal problems that might come its way.

While Top Rank will certainly be invited back to the MGM Grand, I doubt Golden Boy will ever be welcomed to Cowboys Stadium and many other venues will have contempt for them to say the least.

Clottey not Mayweather, for real...

It would be Joshua Clottey that Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao will be facing not Floyd Mayweather according to Top Rank's CEO Bob Arum as he had presumably closed a deal to be held in the Dallas Cowboys' Stadium on March 13 of this year.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said he is thrilled to land a bout featuring Pacquiao, who is widely regarded as the top boxer in the world. And while he’s disappointed he won’t be hosting a Pacquiao fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. as he had hoped, he said he doesn’t see Pacquiao-Clottey as a consolation prize.

“This is a very significant fight and I’m truly ecstatic,” Jones told Yahoo! Sports by telephone on Sunday. “From the time we began work on the stadium, I envisioned bringing boxing here. We have a very large Hispanic fan base surrounding us and they’re very loyal boxing fans. I think they’ll be thrilled with this event.”

Jones said he considered naming the stadium Vaqueros de Cowboys, which is Spanish for Dallas Cowboys, in homage to the many Hispanics in the area.

Arum and his stepson, Top Rank president Todd duBoef, attended the Cowboys’ playoff victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday and sat with Jones as his guests in his private box.

Arum said he met former President George W. Bush at the game, who said he would attend the fight if he does not have a speaking engagement that night.

“He was excited about the fight and he said to me, ‘Who needs [Mayweather]?’ ” Arum said.

Arum said he was amazed by the new stadium, which will initially be configured to seat around 45,000. That figure can increase, he said, if there is sufficient demand. The top ticket will be $700.

The ring will be placed at what would be the 50-yard line.

Clottey not Mayweather?

Floyd Mayweather Jr. is still pushing for a mega-fight with Manny Pacquiao, but key people around Pacquiao said Friday the Filipino star fighter's focus has shifted to a replacement foe, Joshua Clottey.

"If you concede to whatever Mayweather wants, that's giving him an edge," Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach said Friday. "We're bigger than Mayweather. We don't need him. We don't work for him.

"So, the way I feel now, we'll go fight Clottey, then we'll fight the winner of [Shane] Mosley and [Andre] Berto."

Welterweight Clottey (35-3) lost a close 2009 fight to Miguel Cotto, who was subsequently defeated by Pacquiao via a 12th-round technical knockout in November.

"It'll be a tough fight, not an easy fight, but better than some of the other names that were being thrown around," Roach said.

Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum went so far as saying he expects both fighters to verbally approve contracts sent to them in the Philippines and Africa, respectively. Arum will also tour Dallas Cowboys Stadium today, saying he expects to put Pacquiao-Clottey there March 13.

Behind the scenes, however, there is still movement in the Pacquiao and Mayweather camps to try to bridge the dividing line in their negotiations over when pre-fight random blood tests for performance-enhancing drugs should stop.

Pacquiao agreed to a blood test 24 days before a Mayweather bout planned for March 13 in Las Vegas, and another sample immediately after the bout. Mayweather wants the final blood test to come 14 days before the fight. "Isn't that reasonable?" asked Mayweather promoter, Richard Schaefer.

So there is a push to pitch Mayweather's blood test plan to Pacquiao once more before he arrives back in the U.S. to begin training Monday at Roach's Hollywood gym. Roach also said, "Mayweather can still say he's OK with the 24 days, and the fight's back on, right?"

That's not the case, according to Arum. "We have moved on," he said.

Schaefer is urging Mayweather-Pacquiao talks to continue, admitting a deal needs to be struck soon because of training schedules.

Arum's response: "He wants talks to continue. Who is he going to be talking to?"

Pacquiao-Mayweather is dead and a wish-fairy needed.

To the dismay of the millions of boxing fans who anticipated and hoped that the so-called 'fight of the century' that is more likely not to happen, I understand how you feel; I'm with you.

Few months (or even years) back we had wished that Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather would someday face each other inside the boxing ring and put on a great fight for the world to see; and also to, rather, once and for all prove who is the real pound-for-pound king in boxing. The answer to our wishes had shown itself, brought hope to a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight supposedly on March 13 of this year. Wasn't it great?

It was.

Now, the answer became a wish again. A wish with now a lesser chance to happen. It's like we need the greatest fairy of them all.



NEWS

The Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao proposal for March 13 is dead.

A source confirmed late Wednesday night that a mediation attempt Tuesday to resolve their differences failed when Mayweather, the Grand Rapids native, refused the proposed compromise.

Bob Arum, Pacquiao’s promoter, remained under a gag order imposed by the mediator, retired federal judge Daniel Weinstein.

Leonard Ellerbe, Mayweather’s adviser, could not be reached for comment.

But an independent source confirmed that the fight, which seemed fast-tracked for conclusion less than a month ago, collapsed under the weight of the Mayweather camp’s demand for random, Olympic-style drug testing.

War between 2 giants!

The March 13 fight between Manny Pacquaio and Floyd Mayweather Jr. is still hanging on a cliff, it might go down the drain. On the other hand, Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions are going to sit down with an arbitrator, break bread, and hopefully finalize the mega-fight of the century.

Though millions of boxing fans across the globe hope that a bout will be sign, sealed, and delivered for March 13, I know a few people who will cross their fingers and toes hoping the bout completely falls apart.

Paulie Malignaggi and Yuri Foreman have both been mentioned as possible opponents to replace Floyd and make the payday of their careers.

Do you think Paulie and Yuri are wishing they were flies on the wall of the office where this power meeting will take place?

Sure Malignaggi might think Pacquiao is a cheat, but that will not keep him from fighting the Filipino and while making a million dollars or two. Imagine all of the artificial braids and waxing creams Paulie can purchase with that sort of loot?

Foreman might have no pop in his fists, but he is a like-able lad and holds a title which could prove to be Pacquiao's eighth in eight divisions. Nobody said Pacquiao was looking for quality in the quantity of his crowns. Foreman vs. Pacquiao? The average Joe might think Big George is coming back out of retirement.

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.

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

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.

Vegas wants Pacquiao-Mayweather event

While big-time boxing promoters Bob Arum and Richard Schaefer had come up to some negotiations in ironing out a deal for a 2010 mega-fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr., officials in Las Vegas, Nevada are scrambling to keep the showdown in their state. A possible Pacquiao-Mayweather event would likely be the largest-grossing boxing match in history. Predictions for the pay-per-view sales alone have reached as high as 5 million.

The pride of the Philippines, Pacquiao, is the top-ranked fighter in most sports rating of the world's best boxers with Mayweather, of course, in 2nd. Both fighters are in their prime, Pacman is 30 and Pretty Boy is 31, and both fights at welterweight.

Pacquiao, who is 50-3-2 with 38 knockouts and holds the World Boxing Organization welterweight title, has been named the Fighter of the Year by the Boxing Writers Association of America in 2006 and 2008 and is almost certain to win it in 2009. Mayweather, who is 40-0 with 25 knockouts, was the BWAA’s Fighter of the Year in 2007.

Arum, who promotes Pacquiao, and Schaefer, on behalf of Mayweather, met in Las Vegas on Monday and agreed not to speak to the media.

The majority of the most lucrative boxing matches in the past 15 years have been held in Las Vegas either at the MGM Grand Garden Arena or the Mandalay Bay Events Center, both of which are owned by MGM Mirage. Officials of MGM Mirage would be interested in the fight and would likely be the frontrunner to land it for the MGM Grand if the bout is made.

Though Las Vegas has landed the majority of the major boxing shows in recent years, interest from venues outside Las Vegas in acquiring a Mayweather-Pacquiao megafight is very high. Arum has received inquiries from many venues, including New Orleans, and Democratic political strategist James Carville has phoned Arum about trying to broker a deal to bring the fight to the Superdome in New Orleans.

One advantage Las Vegas officials will have in landing the bout is that Mayweather resides in the city and Pacquiao has fought his last six fights, and nine of his last 12, there.

Richard Schaefer, Bob Arum won't comment on status of Mayweather-Pacquiao negotiations

Richard Schaefer and Bob Arum engaged a day of negotiations this week, related to a potential Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao fight next year, but don’t expect either one to divulge much about talks that could extend for several weeks. Read more...

May 2010 is the target of HBO for Pacquiao-Mayweather

Nine days after Manny Pacquiao's epic victory over the Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto, camps of Pacman and Floyd Mayweather had a meeting to negotiate for the two boxers to meet for the much anticipated fight of the century in the world of boxing. HBO's target date of the potential blockbuster between the two welterweights would be sometime in May 2010.

Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, is representing Mayweather in talks with Bob Arum, founder of Top Rank Inc. and Pacquiao's promoter, sources confirmed.