Can a boxer lay out the right game plan to beat a top-ranked opponent even while suffering a lopsided loss?
That's not a rhetorical question after what just went down in front of nearly 51,000 fans at Cowboys Stadium on Saturday night. Joshua Clottey didn't even manage to win three total rounds on the judges' scorecards while losing to Manny Pacquiao, and yet I couldn't help but think he did the right thing, given the tools at his disposal.
Ridiculous, you say? Bear with me here a moment.
Clottey obviously wasn't going to beat Manny at his own game. You simply don't beat Pacquiao to the punch, and the Grand Master's strengths are his tight defensive shell and accurate counterpunching.
So he stayed covered up and took his shots when and where he could. Clottey's real problem is that he doesn't have strong single-shot power, which is what you'd need to successfully pull off that strategy. Add in the fact that Manny really has a pretty decent chin and Clottey basically had no chance to win.
He certainly could have taken more chances and thrown caution to the wind a bit more, especially in the later rounds when it was clear there was no way he could win on the cards. But anyone who thinks he could have won the fight simply by throwing more punches is fooling himself.
The only time Manny hit Josh flush was when Clottey was throwing his own shots. Had he gone out of the guard more, there's a decent chance he may not have made it to the final bell.
Still, I think the combination of a tight guard (which did take Pac Man about four rounds to figure out) and legitimate power exercised at the right times could be the formula to beating Pacquiao. Looking at his potential opponents, though, I'm not sure there's someone out there with the correct combination of attributes to carry it out.
Floyd Mayweather has the correct defense/countering tools, though his defense is focused on slipping and avoiding punches more than picking them off. If he fights and beats Manny, I think it will be because his physical gifts are even more impressive than Pacquiao's own.
Shane Mosley would be the boxer to most likely fight fire with fire, trying to get off first at times and engage in more trading of punches. He's certainly knowledgeable on defense but not the type to make that a focus of his game plan.
In the end, I guess I think the criticism of Clottey's effort is a bit harsh. Some people are acting like he made a choice to lose, when honestly it seemed more like a choice between fighting his own fight and losing by decision or trying to be something he wasn't and getting knocked out.
Clottey had the right idea, but he wasn't the right man to take out the current version of Pacquiao.
More closing thoughts on "The Event":
* I'll add my voice to the chorus hoping that boxing will return to Cowboys Stadium. It just looked like a phenomenal atmosphere for a big fight, even though the view from some of the seats wasn't too sweet.
* Speaking of the cheap seats, Max Kellerman went out into the standing room section to demonstrate how hard it was to see from there. He also mentioned it was $50 for parking, which is flat out robbery. Yet as the Official Stepdad/Dad of the BoxingWatchers pointed out, it cost $85 combined for tickets and parking in standing room. That's still a lot cheaper than the worst seats at the MGM Grand for PPV cards.
* The undercard was rightfully panned. It didn't help that John Duddy has decided to forsake his action-first style or that Jose Luis Castillo was obviously there just to pick up a check. It's shameful, but the economic structure of boxing doesn't make it likely that undercards will improve any time soon, no matter how much lip service promoters pay to fixing them.
* Kellerman said during the broadcast that it would be a "crime against boxing" if Antonio Margarito is allowed to fight Pacquiao this fall as a Plan B for negotiations with Mayweather falling apart again. I agree with him in theory, because Margarito doesn't deserve the spotlight and the payday. But in practice I'm warming up to this idea because I'd just like to see Manny knock him around.
* Jim Lampley had his pompoms out big time during his soon-to-be-infamous "Bang! Bang!" call describing Pacquiao's non-stop punching. Thank goodness Emanuel Steward is there to balance things out, though I felt he almost went too far giving credit to Clottey for clean punching at times when it was clear the Grand Master was still losing rounds.
* It's easy for us to call for Clottey to go out on his shield from the safety of our own couches. But when other boxers are saying he should go for it, like Andre Berto was on Twitter during the fight, I take that a little more seriously.
* I'm not sure if Lenny De Jesus was the right trainer to get Clottey prepared for Pacquiao, but at least he gave Joshua the honest picture during the fight. De Jesus correctly told his fighter he was losing every round and that he would have to go for the KO at the end to have any chance of winning.
Posted by The Franchise
Showing posts with label manny pacquiao. Show all posts
Showing posts with label manny pacquiao. Show all posts
14.3.10
13.3.10
Manny Pacquiao vs. Joshua Clottey: Round By Round
We're about 15 minutes away from the main event at Cowboys Stadium featuring Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey. Over 50,000 people are on hand in a truly spectacular setting.
There are three national anthems to get through. Soraya Simons sings the anthem for Ghana and Arnel Pineda does the same for the Filipino anthem. Three of the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders sing "The Star-Spangled Banner." They look like they may be lip-synching.
The tale of the tape shows that Pac Man is one year younger, but Clottey has small and reach advantages. Clottey weighed in at just over a pound more yesterday but did not allow HBO to weigh him today.
Clottey heads for the ring first. He is 35-3 with 20 KOs, though his last fight was a narrow loss to Miguel Cotto. It's a long walk to the ring through the mammoth stadium.
The noise picks up from the fans as Manny makes his way out, smiling as usual. He has "Thunderstruck" by AC/DC playing, a tribute to the late Arturo Gatti, which then turns into "Eye of the Tiger." Pac Man is 50-3-2, with his last loss coming narly five years ago.
Rafael Ramos is the referee in charge of the action. Michael Buffer handles the introductions, and we're set for a scheduled 12 rounds for the WBO welterweight title.
Round 1
Both men miss their first punches. Clottey has his guard tight as expected. Manny tries a weak punch to the body. Pac Man lets go, but Clottey blocks most of the shots. Manny bounces back, then comes forward with both hands. Jab by Clottey is answered by a flurry. Clottey finally lands and eats an immediate counter. Pacquiao tries the body again. Nothing huge lands in the final 30 seconds.
Franchise: 10-9 Pacquiao
Spartan117: 10-9 Pacquiao
Round 2
Pac Man bangs away off Clottey's forearms. Both men score with jabs. Clottey comes forward with two shots upstairs. Manny picks away from the outside. The crowd tries to get Pacquiao into it. Good right hand by Clottey. He tries to come forward with a body shot or two. Manny unleashes a combo to the body, then a left to the head. More body work by Manny. Clottey finds the mark with two punches upstairs. Clottey blocks more shots right before the bell.
Franchise: 10-9 Pacquiao
Spartan117: 10-9 Pacquiao
Round 3
The ref cautions Pacquiao for leading with his head. Manny goes to the body with multiple shots. Uppercut by Clottey. Pac Man backs up his foe with another flurry. Clottey digs in and tries his own body work. Manny goes right back to work with 60 seconds to go. Clottey lands a hard right hand that makes the fans gasp a bit. Clottey is forced to cover up in the corner as Manny hits the gas. Clottey is landing some clean shots, but not enough of them right now.
Franchise: 10-9 Pacquiao
Spartan117: 10-9 Pacquiao
Round 4
Clottey comes forward but not behind any punches. A right hand is answered by several punches from Pacquiao. The Grand Master leaves a brief opening and has to right back on defense. The ref pulls the men apart for an unknown reason. Clottey tries a body shot and an uppercut. Joshua slows down for a moment and the fans react. Clottey weathers a storm and lands two to the body.
Franchise: 10-9 Pacquiao
Spartan117: 10-9 Pacquiao
Round 5
Manny circles as Clottey applies pressure. Clottey lands about four shots in his best sustained offense to this point. He reaches over Pacquiao's jab but also gets hit with a counter. Jab by Clottey. He tries to close in and is quickly tied up. Manny has his guard up right now as well. Clottey is warned for low shots as he tries the body. Manny finally turns it around and tries a flurry. Best round for Clottey, but probably still not enough to take the round.
Franchise: 10-9 Pacquiao
Spartan117: 10-9 Pacquiao
Round 6
Lots of circling to start this round. Clottey opens up with a nice combination. He goes back to the guard as Pacquiao fights off the ropes. Clottey tries more combo punching and Pac Man simply moves away. Both men score in a quick exchange. Manny flurries along the ropes, and even though Clottey blocks much of it, it probably looks good for the judges.
Franchise: 10-9 Pacquiao
Spartan117: 10-9 Pacquiao
Round 7
Clottey's corner asked him to take some more chances. We'll see if he does. He has a little spark at the beginning of this frame. A minute in, Manny flurries again. Josh reaches with a nice right hand. Pacquiao is actually blocking some punches too. Multiple Manny lefts open up a right to the body. The pace slows as Clottey keeps his arms up. Manny picks with the jab. Clottey rushes in and is tied up at the waist.
Franchise: 10-9 Pacquiao
Spartan117: 10-9 Pacquiao
Round 8
Pacquiao looks for an opening between Clottey's gloves. Body shots fly from both of Manny's hands. Clottey bounces and tries to respond in kind. The ref calls a halt to the action for a low blow from Clottey. Manny is sneaking a shot through the guard every so often. Pac Man unleashes a six-punch combination and keeps pouring it on right after that. Clottey is warned for holding and hitting right at the bell.
Franchise: 10-9 Pacquiao
Spartan117: 10-9 Pacquiao
Round 9
Clottey's trainer told him he has lost every round. Manny keeps Clottey at bay with jabs. It will probably take a knockout for Clottey to win at this point. He is scoring with the occasional right, but Manny is simply too busy. Pacquiao gets in, fires and backs away. Nice right hook by Manny after he blocked a few shots. A vicious combination along the ropes seems to make Clottey wince a bit.
Franchise: 10-9 Pacquiao
Spartan117: 10-9 Pacquiao
Round 10
The HBO crew thinks Clottey looks discouraged. Manny circles around and throws right hands. Left to the body by Pac Man; left upstairs from Clottey. Right hooks flowing from Pacquiao. There is a little swelling underneath Manny's right eye. More shots to the head and body by Pac Man. Clottey gets in some offense of his own, but Pacquiao responds in kind. Manny hooks around the guard ans fires to the body.
Franchise: 10-9 Pacquiao
Spartan117: 10-9 Pacquiao
Round 11
De Jesus is being very honest with Clottey, almost begging him to take a chance and try for the KO. He lets his hands go a bit as the round begins, but it quickly returns to its old pattern. Manny can see punches coming and is covering up when necessary. Clottey lands a right, but Pac Man pummels him to the body. Manny turns up the volume again, throwing about 12 punches in succession. The fans love it. Clottey scores with uppercuts in tight. Pacquiao goes right back to work. He is simply a machine.
Franchise: 10-9 Pacquiao
Spartan117: 10-9 Pacquiao
Round 12
The fighters hug before the final round. Both men try some hooks. Clottey gets a left hook in flush. The action starts for a clash of heads. Two two-punch combinations crash home for Pacquiao. Clottey scores with his own combo. Manny fires left hands and rights to the body. More body work by Manny before they clinch. Thirty seconds left. Some nice action down the stretch, but this should be a shutout or pretty darn close.
Franchise: 10-9 Pacquiao
Spartan117: 10-9 Pacquiao
Franchise: 120-108 Pacquiao
Spartan117: 120-108 Pacquiao
The judges score it 120-108 and 119-111 twice, all for the winner... and still WBO welterweight titleholder... Manny "Pac Man" Pacquiao.
CompuBox had Pacquiao throwing over 1200 punches to just under 400 for Clottey. That's most of the story right there.
Max Kellerman asks Manny for his thoughts, and Pacquiao says it was a tough fight. Pac Man talks about the importance of using his jab and gives Clottey props for his toughness and power.
The boxers hug before Kellerman talks to Clottey. At the risk of understatement of the year, Joshua says Manny has a lot of speed. Clottey says this is the first time he really felt like he lost a fight.
Turning back to Manny, Kellerman asks the inevitable Floyd Mayweather question. Manny says he wants Floyd because it's the fight the people want to see. He also blames Mayweather for the fight not happening yet.
Pacquiao says if Mosley wins, maybe he'll fight Sugar Shane instead.
Freddie Roach makes a plea directly to Floyd to make the fight. Roach feels like his man can crush the vaunted Mayweather defense.
Pacquiao doesn't think Floyd's style is as difficult to solve as Clottey's was. He ends by thanking the fans and dedicating the win to his fellow Filipinos.
Posted by The Franchise
There are three national anthems to get through. Soraya Simons sings the anthem for Ghana and Arnel Pineda does the same for the Filipino anthem. Three of the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders sing "The Star-Spangled Banner." They look like they may be lip-synching.
The tale of the tape shows that Pac Man is one year younger, but Clottey has small and reach advantages. Clottey weighed in at just over a pound more yesterday but did not allow HBO to weigh him today.
Clottey heads for the ring first. He is 35-3 with 20 KOs, though his last fight was a narrow loss to Miguel Cotto. It's a long walk to the ring through the mammoth stadium.
The noise picks up from the fans as Manny makes his way out, smiling as usual. He has "Thunderstruck" by AC/DC playing, a tribute to the late Arturo Gatti, which then turns into "Eye of the Tiger." Pac Man is 50-3-2, with his last loss coming narly five years ago.
Rafael Ramos is the referee in charge of the action. Michael Buffer handles the introductions, and we're set for a scheduled 12 rounds for the WBO welterweight title.
Round 1
Both men miss their first punches. Clottey has his guard tight as expected. Manny tries a weak punch to the body. Pac Man lets go, but Clottey blocks most of the shots. Manny bounces back, then comes forward with both hands. Jab by Clottey is answered by a flurry. Clottey finally lands and eats an immediate counter. Pacquiao tries the body again. Nothing huge lands in the final 30 seconds.
Franchise: 10-9 Pacquiao
Spartan117: 10-9 Pacquiao
Round 2
Pac Man bangs away off Clottey's forearms. Both men score with jabs. Clottey comes forward with two shots upstairs. Manny picks away from the outside. The crowd tries to get Pacquiao into it. Good right hand by Clottey. He tries to come forward with a body shot or two. Manny unleashes a combo to the body, then a left to the head. More body work by Manny. Clottey finds the mark with two punches upstairs. Clottey blocks more shots right before the bell.
Franchise: 10-9 Pacquiao
Spartan117: 10-9 Pacquiao
Round 3
The ref cautions Pacquiao for leading with his head. Manny goes to the body with multiple shots. Uppercut by Clottey. Pac Man backs up his foe with another flurry. Clottey digs in and tries his own body work. Manny goes right back to work with 60 seconds to go. Clottey lands a hard right hand that makes the fans gasp a bit. Clottey is forced to cover up in the corner as Manny hits the gas. Clottey is landing some clean shots, but not enough of them right now.
Franchise: 10-9 Pacquiao
Spartan117: 10-9 Pacquiao
Round 4
Clottey comes forward but not behind any punches. A right hand is answered by several punches from Pacquiao. The Grand Master leaves a brief opening and has to right back on defense. The ref pulls the men apart for an unknown reason. Clottey tries a body shot and an uppercut. Joshua slows down for a moment and the fans react. Clottey weathers a storm and lands two to the body.
Franchise: 10-9 Pacquiao
Spartan117: 10-9 Pacquiao
Round 5
Manny circles as Clottey applies pressure. Clottey lands about four shots in his best sustained offense to this point. He reaches over Pacquiao's jab but also gets hit with a counter. Jab by Clottey. He tries to close in and is quickly tied up. Manny has his guard up right now as well. Clottey is warned for low shots as he tries the body. Manny finally turns it around and tries a flurry. Best round for Clottey, but probably still not enough to take the round.
Franchise: 10-9 Pacquiao
Spartan117: 10-9 Pacquiao
Round 6
Lots of circling to start this round. Clottey opens up with a nice combination. He goes back to the guard as Pacquiao fights off the ropes. Clottey tries more combo punching and Pac Man simply moves away. Both men score in a quick exchange. Manny flurries along the ropes, and even though Clottey blocks much of it, it probably looks good for the judges.
Franchise: 10-9 Pacquiao
Spartan117: 10-9 Pacquiao
Round 7
Clottey's corner asked him to take some more chances. We'll see if he does. He has a little spark at the beginning of this frame. A minute in, Manny flurries again. Josh reaches with a nice right hand. Pacquiao is actually blocking some punches too. Multiple Manny lefts open up a right to the body. The pace slows as Clottey keeps his arms up. Manny picks with the jab. Clottey rushes in and is tied up at the waist.
Franchise: 10-9 Pacquiao
Spartan117: 10-9 Pacquiao
Round 8
Pacquiao looks for an opening between Clottey's gloves. Body shots fly from both of Manny's hands. Clottey bounces and tries to respond in kind. The ref calls a halt to the action for a low blow from Clottey. Manny is sneaking a shot through the guard every so often. Pac Man unleashes a six-punch combination and keeps pouring it on right after that. Clottey is warned for holding and hitting right at the bell.
Franchise: 10-9 Pacquiao
Spartan117: 10-9 Pacquiao
Round 9
Clottey's trainer told him he has lost every round. Manny keeps Clottey at bay with jabs. It will probably take a knockout for Clottey to win at this point. He is scoring with the occasional right, but Manny is simply too busy. Pacquiao gets in, fires and backs away. Nice right hook by Manny after he blocked a few shots. A vicious combination along the ropes seems to make Clottey wince a bit.
Franchise: 10-9 Pacquiao
Spartan117: 10-9 Pacquiao
Round 10
The HBO crew thinks Clottey looks discouraged. Manny circles around and throws right hands. Left to the body by Pac Man; left upstairs from Clottey. Right hooks flowing from Pacquiao. There is a little swelling underneath Manny's right eye. More shots to the head and body by Pac Man. Clottey gets in some offense of his own, but Pacquiao responds in kind. Manny hooks around the guard ans fires to the body.
Franchise: 10-9 Pacquiao
Spartan117: 10-9 Pacquiao
Round 11
De Jesus is being very honest with Clottey, almost begging him to take a chance and try for the KO. He lets his hands go a bit as the round begins, but it quickly returns to its old pattern. Manny can see punches coming and is covering up when necessary. Clottey lands a right, but Pac Man pummels him to the body. Manny turns up the volume again, throwing about 12 punches in succession. The fans love it. Clottey scores with uppercuts in tight. Pacquiao goes right back to work. He is simply a machine.
Franchise: 10-9 Pacquiao
Spartan117: 10-9 Pacquiao
Round 12
The fighters hug before the final round. Both men try some hooks. Clottey gets a left hook in flush. The action starts for a clash of heads. Two two-punch combinations crash home for Pacquiao. Clottey scores with his own combo. Manny fires left hands and rights to the body. More body work by Manny before they clinch. Thirty seconds left. Some nice action down the stretch, but this should be a shutout or pretty darn close.
Franchise: 10-9 Pacquiao
Spartan117: 10-9 Pacquiao
Franchise: 120-108 Pacquiao
Spartan117: 120-108 Pacquiao
The judges score it 120-108 and 119-111 twice, all for the winner... and still WBO welterweight titleholder... Manny "Pac Man" Pacquiao.
CompuBox had Pacquiao throwing over 1200 punches to just under 400 for Clottey. That's most of the story right there.
Max Kellerman asks Manny for his thoughts, and Pacquiao says it was a tough fight. Pac Man talks about the importance of using his jab and gives Clottey props for his toughness and power.
The boxers hug before Kellerman talks to Clottey. At the risk of understatement of the year, Joshua says Manny has a lot of speed. Clottey says this is the first time he really felt like he lost a fight.
Turning back to Manny, Kellerman asks the inevitable Floyd Mayweather question. Manny says he wants Floyd because it's the fight the people want to see. He also blames Mayweather for the fight not happening yet.
Pacquiao says if Mosley wins, maybe he'll fight Sugar Shane instead.
Freddie Roach makes a plea directly to Floyd to make the fight. Roach feels like his man can crush the vaunted Mayweather defense.
Pacquiao doesn't think Floyd's style is as difficult to solve as Clottey's was. He ends by thanking the fans and dedicating the win to his fellow Filipinos.
Posted by The Franchise
Manny Pacquiao vs. Joshua Clottey Live Round By Round Updates Tonight
Manny Pacquiao is back in action tonight, so you know there's no way we would miss this one.
Pac Man has reached the point where people will tune in even with a relatively unknown opponent. But don't sleep on Joshua Clottey, a big, tough welterweight who is likely to present some brand new challenges to the Filipino superstar.
If you're unlucky enough not to be able to see the fight tonight, no worries. We'll keep you updated with posts throughout "The Event," including a live blog for the televised undercard fights and a round by round post for the lightweight title fight between David Diaz and Humberto Soto. And, of course, we'll have another live round by round post for the Pacquiao-Clottey fight.
Bookmark our home page and watch for posts starting shortly after 9 pm Eastern time tonight.
Posted by The Franchise
Pac Man has reached the point where people will tune in even with a relatively unknown opponent. But don't sleep on Joshua Clottey, a big, tough welterweight who is likely to present some brand new challenges to the Filipino superstar.
If you're unlucky enough not to be able to see the fight tonight, no worries. We'll keep you updated with posts throughout "The Event," including a live blog for the televised undercard fights and a round by round post for the lightweight title fight between David Diaz and Humberto Soto. And, of course, we'll have another live round by round post for the Pacquiao-Clottey fight.
Bookmark our home page and watch for posts starting shortly after 9 pm Eastern time tonight.
Posted by The Franchise
12.3.10
Manny Pacquiao vs. Joshua Clottey: Weigh-In Report
The Pacquiao-Clottey weigh-in is live on various outlets around the internet. Michael Buffer is on hand right outside Cowboys Stadium. He just announced the presence of Antonio Margarito to lukewarm applause. Buffer says it will be about 10 minutes until the fighters come out for the two featured bouts.
It's an interesting set-up for the people who are at the weigh-in in person. A bunch of people (one would assume the media) are up close to the stage. Then there's an empty aisle with no people and a bunch of on-lookers in another tier a bit further back,
Rich Marotta and Darren Woodson are on hand for Top Rank. Yes, that Darren Woodson, the excellent former Cowboys safety. He's apparently a big boxing fan, and he gives his opinion on the development of Pacquiao over the course of his career.
Buffer calls the Stadium the "Eighth Wonder of the World." He introduces Jerry Jones for a quick bow.
Time for David Diaz and Humberto Soto to hit the scales. Diaz weighs in at 134 pounds. He looks like he's in good shape.
Soto weighs in at 134 1/4 pounds. He looks a little less cut than Diaz but still in great fighting form. They bring the fighters to the front of the stage to pose with the vacant lightweight belt for which they will be competing. They also shake hands.
Buffer brings out Robert Duvall for some reason. I love weigh-in time fillers.
You didn't think this was going to end without Jerry Jones getting a chance to talk, did you? He keeps it short, saying how proud he is to have boxing at Cowboys Stadium and thanking the fans.
Now it's time for a video package hyping the fight.
Bob Arum grabs the microphone to say his piece. He also thanks the fans and makes a prediction, in passing anyway, of a million buys for the PPV broadcast. He says the worldwide audience will be 80 million people, and I guess there's no way to really challenge that assertion.
Woodson hits the stage and gets the fans going for a second. Not surprisingly, there sounds like more Pacquiao fans are in attendance.
Down to business now. Buffer introduces the Grand Master first, followed by Pacquiao.
The challenger gets ready to step onto the scale first. Clottey weighs in at 147 pounds on the button. He is ripped as always.
Manny gets a lengthy introduction from Buffer and there is a throng of people around him as he makes his way out. Pacquiao weighs in at 145 3/4 pounds, and you never have to worry about him looking like he is ready to fight.
Arum steps in for the boxers to pose face to face. They certainly don't seem to have any personal dislike for each other as both of them laugh and joke around.
Woodson gets to talk to Clottey for a second. He's so soft spoken that it's hard to hear him give his answers. The gist is that he feels ready for the fight. Props to Woodson for asking about the visa problems of Joshua's trainer.
Weigh-ins for other fighters are proceeding in the background as Woodson tracks down Pac Man. Woodson asks about the various distractions, and though Manny says they aren't an issue, he immediately segues into talking about the after-party. He thanks the fans on his way out.
Posted by The Franchise
It's an interesting set-up for the people who are at the weigh-in in person. A bunch of people (one would assume the media) are up close to the stage. Then there's an empty aisle with no people and a bunch of on-lookers in another tier a bit further back,
Rich Marotta and Darren Woodson are on hand for Top Rank. Yes, that Darren Woodson, the excellent former Cowboys safety. He's apparently a big boxing fan, and he gives his opinion on the development of Pacquiao over the course of his career.
Buffer calls the Stadium the "Eighth Wonder of the World." He introduces Jerry Jones for a quick bow.
Time for David Diaz and Humberto Soto to hit the scales. Diaz weighs in at 134 pounds. He looks like he's in good shape.
Soto weighs in at 134 1/4 pounds. He looks a little less cut than Diaz but still in great fighting form. They bring the fighters to the front of the stage to pose with the vacant lightweight belt for which they will be competing. They also shake hands.
Buffer brings out Robert Duvall for some reason. I love weigh-in time fillers.
You didn't think this was going to end without Jerry Jones getting a chance to talk, did you? He keeps it short, saying how proud he is to have boxing at Cowboys Stadium and thanking the fans.
Now it's time for a video package hyping the fight.
Bob Arum grabs the microphone to say his piece. He also thanks the fans and makes a prediction, in passing anyway, of a million buys for the PPV broadcast. He says the worldwide audience will be 80 million people, and I guess there's no way to really challenge that assertion.
Woodson hits the stage and gets the fans going for a second. Not surprisingly, there sounds like more Pacquiao fans are in attendance.
Down to business now. Buffer introduces the Grand Master first, followed by Pacquiao.
The challenger gets ready to step onto the scale first. Clottey weighs in at 147 pounds on the button. He is ripped as always.
Manny gets a lengthy introduction from Buffer and there is a throng of people around him as he makes his way out. Pacquiao weighs in at 145 3/4 pounds, and you never have to worry about him looking like he is ready to fight.
Arum steps in for the boxers to pose face to face. They certainly don't seem to have any personal dislike for each other as both of them laugh and joke around.
Woodson gets to talk to Clottey for a second. He's so soft spoken that it's hard to hear him give his answers. The gist is that he feels ready for the fight. Props to Woodson for asking about the visa problems of Joshua's trainer.
Weigh-ins for other fighters are proceeding in the background as Woodson tracks down Pac Man. Woodson asks about the various distractions, and though Manny says they aren't an issue, he immediately segues into talking about the after-party. He thanks the fans on his way out.
Posted by The Franchise
Manny Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey: The Event Plus Undercard Predictions
The Franchise says...
It took a long, winding path to get to this point, but Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey will do battle in front of roughly 50,000 fans at Cowboys Stadium on Saturday. It's not the fight everyone expected to see, but it's got the potential to offer its own kind of intrigue.
Not much needs to be said about Pacquiao, the choice of many observers as the top pound-for-pound boxer in the world and winner of his last 11 bouts. His explosive offense and ever-improving movement and ring awareness combine with the wisdom of trainer Freddie Roach to form a package that has simply overwhelmed most of his recent foes.
But if Pacquiao is the proverbial unstoppable force, Clottey may be the immovable object. The Ghana native uses an airtight guard to blunt his foes' attacks before responding with his own array of accurate punches.
Clottey also should be the biggest man Pacquiao has ever faced once both boxers rehydrate for fight night. Though Manny has carried the extra weight well as he's risen through the weight classes, Clottey is a true welterweight that could easily outweigh him by 10 pounds or more when they hit the ring.
Manny will have the advantage in speed and raw power, but those don't count for much if his punches don't find their mark. Clottey's challenge will be to ensure he doesn't give away early rounds on activity level alone as he looks for his opening.
There is some danger in this fight for Pacquiao, and not just the kind that is manufactured to sell the pay-per-view broadcast. If he allows Clottey to hang around in a close fight, the difference in bulk could show up in the championship rounds.
The guess here is that it won't go down like that. Clottey will block many, possibly most of the incoming fire, but some shots will be delivered at speeds and angles that surprise even him.
Expect Clottey to earn the respect of many viewers who never heard of him before he took this fight. But also look for Pacquiao to continue his winning ways, with the cumulative effect of his punches earning Manny a late-round TKO.
The undercard is anchored by an interesting if not spectacular lightweight title fight between Humberto Soto and David Diaz. Both fighters come in off victories over the same man (Jesus Chavez), but Soto had a much easier time in his win.
Diaz is a solid, disciplined boxer with a strong amateur background. His problem is when he runs into opponents who simply have too much for him physically, as was the case in his lopsided eight-round TKO loss to Pacquiao in the summer of 2008.
While it won't be to the same degree, Soto has some of those same troublesome qualities. Watch for him to display the faster hands and more damaging power punches as Humberto pounds out a unanimous decision.
Also on the undercard, look for Jose Luis Castillo to have just enough left to get past Alfonso Gomez and John Duddy to slug his way by Michael Medina.
Uatu says...
Manny by UD. I see Manny being much more active and banging away at the guard of Clottey, while Josh goes into the shell and fires back infrequently.
Posted by The Franchise
It took a long, winding path to get to this point, but Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey will do battle in front of roughly 50,000 fans at Cowboys Stadium on Saturday. It's not the fight everyone expected to see, but it's got the potential to offer its own kind of intrigue.
Not much needs to be said about Pacquiao, the choice of many observers as the top pound-for-pound boxer in the world and winner of his last 11 bouts. His explosive offense and ever-improving movement and ring awareness combine with the wisdom of trainer Freddie Roach to form a package that has simply overwhelmed most of his recent foes.
But if Pacquiao is the proverbial unstoppable force, Clottey may be the immovable object. The Ghana native uses an airtight guard to blunt his foes' attacks before responding with his own array of accurate punches.
Clottey also should be the biggest man Pacquiao has ever faced once both boxers rehydrate for fight night. Though Manny has carried the extra weight well as he's risen through the weight classes, Clottey is a true welterweight that could easily outweigh him by 10 pounds or more when they hit the ring.
Manny will have the advantage in speed and raw power, but those don't count for much if his punches don't find their mark. Clottey's challenge will be to ensure he doesn't give away early rounds on activity level alone as he looks for his opening.
There is some danger in this fight for Pacquiao, and not just the kind that is manufactured to sell the pay-per-view broadcast. If he allows Clottey to hang around in a close fight, the difference in bulk could show up in the championship rounds.
The guess here is that it won't go down like that. Clottey will block many, possibly most of the incoming fire, but some shots will be delivered at speeds and angles that surprise even him.
Expect Clottey to earn the respect of many viewers who never heard of him before he took this fight. But also look for Pacquiao to continue his winning ways, with the cumulative effect of his punches earning Manny a late-round TKO.
The undercard is anchored by an interesting if not spectacular lightweight title fight between Humberto Soto and David Diaz. Both fighters come in off victories over the same man (Jesus Chavez), but Soto had a much easier time in his win.
Diaz is a solid, disciplined boxer with a strong amateur background. His problem is when he runs into opponents who simply have too much for him physically, as was the case in his lopsided eight-round TKO loss to Pacquiao in the summer of 2008.
While it won't be to the same degree, Soto has some of those same troublesome qualities. Watch for him to display the faster hands and more damaging power punches as Humberto pounds out a unanimous decision.
Also on the undercard, look for Jose Luis Castillo to have just enough left to get past Alfonso Gomez and John Duddy to slug his way by Michael Medina.
Uatu says...
Manny by UD. I see Manny being much more active and banging away at the guard of Clottey, while Josh goes into the shell and fires back infrequently.
Posted by The Franchise
11.3.10
Franchise Thoughts: To Watch Tape or Not to Watch Tape, and Are Cutmen the New Secret Weapons?
When he was doing our round by round blog for the Vic Darchinyan-Rodrigo Guerrero fight last Saturday, my brother Uatu mentioned that Vic watched no tape of his foe leading up to the fight. Perhaps rhetorically, my brother asked what the downside of watching tape would be. Why not at least familiarize yourself with what your opponent likes to do?
In Darchinyan's case, the thinking may have been that he was the better, more experienced fighter, so it made sense for him to focus on what he wanted to do, assuming he would dictate the way the fight unfolded. For the most part, that's exactly what happened.
Ah, but what if the roles are reversed and you are about to face one of the top boxers on the planet? Wouldn't it make sense to do some film study in the hopes of gleaning any little tidbit or tendency that might help you pull off the upset?
Apparently not. Or at least not for Joshua Clottey as he prepares to fight Manny Pacquiao this weekend. ESPN's Dan Rafael did a feature today on Clottey and trainer Lenny De Jesus, who revealed that he watched no tape of Manny while formulating a strategy.
Part of the reason is because De Jesus served as Pacquiao's cutman in the past, a point I will come back to in a minute. But even more telling is this quote:
I'm not a boxer or a trainer, so I don't know how much truth there is to that statement. I do follow the logic, at least.
Still, I go back to the question my brother posed on Saturday, "What would it hurt?" It seems to me that for the biggest fight of your boxer's life, you don't want to leave anything to chance. If you watch the tape and learn something, even something tiny that may help, it was worth it. If you watch the tape and learn nothing, you're no worse off than you were before.
Now back to the whole cutman issue. Not only does De Jesus supposedly have some insight into the Pac Man from serving in his corner, but the same thing is also true in reverse, as Pacquiao cutman Miguel Diaz worked for Clottey in the past. It's high espionage on the part of the cutmen!
I'm going to have to go into full skepticism mode here. Yes, the cutman may see into the boxer's psyche a bit when he works on the guy between rounds, and he is watching the action from a pretty good seat. But the next time I see a fighter knock someone out and say, "Yeah, my cutman told me to look for that" will be the first.
I can't see the cutman having much input into a fighter's game plan either. Oh, unless the trainer is off watching tape, I suppose.
Posted by The Franchise
In Darchinyan's case, the thinking may have been that he was the better, more experienced fighter, so it made sense for him to focus on what he wanted to do, assuming he would dictate the way the fight unfolded. For the most part, that's exactly what happened.
Ah, but what if the roles are reversed and you are about to face one of the top boxers on the planet? Wouldn't it make sense to do some film study in the hopes of gleaning any little tidbit or tendency that might help you pull off the upset?
Apparently not. Or at least not for Joshua Clottey as he prepares to fight Manny Pacquiao this weekend. ESPN's Dan Rafael did a feature today on Clottey and trainer Lenny De Jesus, who revealed that he watched no tape of Manny while formulating a strategy.
Part of the reason is because De Jesus served as Pacquiao's cutman in the past, a point I will come back to in a minute. But even more telling is this quote:
"You can teach a fighter certain things, and when you get hit and get hurt you go back to your style."
I'm not a boxer or a trainer, so I don't know how much truth there is to that statement. I do follow the logic, at least.
Still, I go back to the question my brother posed on Saturday, "What would it hurt?" It seems to me that for the biggest fight of your boxer's life, you don't want to leave anything to chance. If you watch the tape and learn something, even something tiny that may help, it was worth it. If you watch the tape and learn nothing, you're no worse off than you were before.
Now back to the whole cutman issue. Not only does De Jesus supposedly have some insight into the Pac Man from serving in his corner, but the same thing is also true in reverse, as Pacquiao cutman Miguel Diaz worked for Clottey in the past. It's high espionage on the part of the cutmen!
I'm going to have to go into full skepticism mode here. Yes, the cutman may see into the boxer's psyche a bit when he works on the guy between rounds, and he is watching the action from a pretty good seat. But the next time I see a fighter knock someone out and say, "Yeah, my cutman told me to look for that" will be the first.
I can't see the cutman having much input into a fighter's game plan either. Oh, unless the trainer is off watching tape, I suppose.
Posted by The Franchise
9.3.10
Manny Pacquiao vs. Joshua Clottey: In-Depth Preview of The Event
Manny "Pac Man" Pacquiao
Born: Bukidnon, Philippines
Resides: General Santos City, Philippines
Height: 5' 6 1/2"
Reach: 67"
Current World Titles Held: WBO Welterweight (147 lbs.), Ring Magazine Junior Welterweight (140 lbs.)
Former World Titles Held: WBC Lightweight (135 lbs.), Ring Magazine, WBC Super Featherweight (130 lbs.), Ring Magazine Featherweight (126 lbs.), IBF Super Bantamweight (122 lbs.), WBC Flyweight (112 lbs.)
Professional Record: 50-3-2, 38 KOs
Record in World Title Fights: 10-1-2, 9 KOs
Record at Welterweight: 2-0, 2 KOs
Record in Fights Going 12 Rounds: 3-1-1
Notable Wins: TKO12 Miguel Cotto, TKO2 Ricky Hatton, TKO8 Oscar De La Hoya
Notable Losses: UD12 Erik Morales I, KO3 Medgoen Singsurat
Joshua "Grand Master" Clottey
Born: Accra, Ghana
Resides: Bronx, New York, United States
Height: 5' 8"
Reach: 70"
Current World Titles Held: None
Former World Titles Held: IBF Welterweight
Professional Record: 35-3, 20 KOs
Record in World Title Fights: 1-2
Record at Welterweight: 10-3, 1 No Contest
Record in Fights Going 12 Rounds: 2-2
Notable Wins: TD9 Zab Judah, UD10 Diego Corrales, MD12 Richard Gutierrez
Notable Losses: SD12 Miguel Cotto, UD12 Antonio Margarito, DQ11 Carlos Baldomir
Analysis:
Boxing fans worldwide had March 13, 2010 circled on their calendars as the night when Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather would do battle to determine supremacy of the ring and the box office. The former fell apart, leaving the first part of the latter to proceed on the same date with a much different opponent in the form of Joshua Clottey.
You can excuse some observers for comparing Clottey to someone hitting the lottery, because in some ways, he really did hit the jackpot by landing this fight. Coming off a loss to Miguel Cotto, albeit a narrow one that went to the scorecards, there was no logical reason to think the man known as Grand Master would end up facing the top draw in the sport.
Clottey is well respected in the boxing community but a relative unknown to the mainstream sports world. His profile will get a huge boost if he manages to find a way to upset Pacquiao, but that could be easier said than done since the Filipino fireball hasn't tasted defeat in almost five years.
Pacquiao took some hits to his image for his unwillingness to submit to Mayweather's drug testing demands, and there are legitimate questions about whether his mind may be more focused on Floyd or his political ambitions than Clottey. But even if his mental game isn't at 100 percent, he has the widest safety net of any boxer alive thanks to his natural talent, extensive world title fight experience and the savvy planning of trainer Freddie Roach.
The venue almost deserves mention as a third personality for this fight as it happens to be Cowboys Stadium, Jerry Jones' billion-dollar sports palace. Over 45,000 fans are expected to be on hand to watch the action unfold, most of whom will be pulling for Pacquiao to add another win to his ever-growing total.
Pacquiao's Winning Strategy: Push the Pedal Down and Keep It There
With his victories over Oscar De La Hoya and Cotto, Pacquiao provided definitive answers to anyone who doubted whether he'd be able to handle himself at welterweight after campaigning at much lower weight classes for most of his career. Even so, he's going to be facing an opponent who has height and reach advantages and is naturally bigger to boot.
Manny has been able to neutralize similar edges in the past by utilizing his superior hand speed and movement, dictating the tempo and the range of the action. Pacquiao will want to do that right from the opening bell against Clottey, as Cotto proved it's easier to get to the Grand Master early before he has time to get settled in.
That doesn't mean it should always be a race to see who gets off first for the Pac Man. Clottey can be susceptible to counters when he tries to set up his shots, and Pacquiao can deliver them from times and places that no one else can manage.
Regardless if he's taking the lead or countering, Pacquiao should push the pace high and not let up. When he combines the power of a true welterweight with the activity level of a smaller guy, it poses a problem that no one has been able to solve.
Clottey's Winning Strategy: Cover Up, Then Muscle Up
Mayweather's elusiveness may have given Pacquiao fits, but Clottey may present an equally tough defensive challenge thanks to his high, tight guard. He is very effective at picking off punches with his arms, causing opponents to waste energy on shots that never reach their target.
Conventional wisdom would suggest that Clottey should use his longer arms to jab and keep the fight on the outside, but standard operating procedure can pretty much be thrown out when it comes to a boxer like Pacquiao. Instead, Clottey should use the jab to move closer, as his uppercut is one of his more impressive weapons.
The Grand Master isn't known as a vicious knockout puncher, but he is strong and accurate and can really wear opponents down over time. He's got to pick his spots carefully against Pacquiao, but he seems heady enough to stay patient and look for his openings.
Weathering an early storm and going for the win later isn't easy against a whirlwind like Pacquiao. But it beats the alternative, which is trying to match Manny punch for punch and having the referee say he's seen enough.
Posted by The Franchise
4.3.10
Fresh Manny Pacquiao Silver Star Tees Just in Time for "The Event"
Can't make it down to Cowboys Stadium next weekend to see Manny Pacquiao take on Joshua Clottey in what's unimaginatively been dubbed "The Event?" I feel your pain, because I won't be headed there either. And I had my heart set on watching the action on the world's largest HD screen too.
Well, thanks to Silver Star we may be able to fool people into thinking we were there. That's because the company has rolled out two new t-shirts just in time for the big fight, and they're actually pretty understated by Silver Star standards.
First up is a shirt featuring both fighters and the fight's catchy (ahem!) nickname. It's blue and has a Cowboys Stadium logo at the neckline on the back.
For those of you who don't care for the Grand Master, there's also a red tee with just Manny's image, plus a facsimile signature and a stylized version of his name on the back. It's apparently available only at Cowboys Stadium and through the Silver Star website.
The shirts are $40 each. I've always had prompt shipping from Silver Star, so if you order now, I'd say you could be wearing one of these shirts while watching the fight on March 13.
UPDATE: Apparently I forgot about the ladies. Mea culpa.
The thing is, Silver Star didn't forget about you. See, they've also got a women's signature tee for "The Event" with a spiffy light blue and black logo on white, plus the Cowboys Stadium logo on the reverse.
Just like the men's shirts it is $40 and said to be available only online and at the fight.
Posted by The Franchise
Well, thanks to Silver Star we may be able to fool people into thinking we were there. That's because the company has rolled out two new t-shirts just in time for the big fight, and they're actually pretty understated by Silver Star standards.
First up is a shirt featuring both fighters and the fight's catchy (ahem!) nickname. It's blue and has a Cowboys Stadium logo at the neckline on the back.
For those of you who don't care for the Grand Master, there's also a red tee with just Manny's image, plus a facsimile signature and a stylized version of his name on the back. It's apparently available only at Cowboys Stadium and through the Silver Star website.
The shirts are $40 each. I've always had prompt shipping from Silver Star, so if you order now, I'd say you could be wearing one of these shirts while watching the fight on March 13.
UPDATE: Apparently I forgot about the ladies. Mea culpa.
The thing is, Silver Star didn't forget about you. See, they've also got a women's signature tee for "The Event" with a spiffy light blue and black logo on white, plus the Cowboys Stadium logo on the reverse.
Just like the men's shirts it is $40 and said to be available only online and at the fight.
Posted by The Franchise
8.2.10
20/20 Hindsight: Edwin Valero is Great, But Let's Not Get Too Carried Away About a Manny Pacquiao Fight Just Yet
Boxing fans who have been waiting for a good look at what Edwin Valero is all about got exactly that this past Saturday.
Valero showed just about every kind of crowd-pleasing attribute a boxer can have during his ninth-round TKO if Antonio DeMarco. He displayed a varied and powerful offense, which was sort of a given considering he had won every one of his professional fights by KO.
He showed heart and a willingness to battle through adversity, thanks to a nasty cut that had by brother Spartan117 saying he "thought he saw skull." And after he came out on top, he immediately called out the number one pound-for-pound boxer on most lists, so he proved he was ambitious as well.
Before this weekend, it was fair to wonder if Valero's amazing record was padded by fighting too many stiffs. Some of that wasn't his fault, since for various reasons he hasn't been able to fight against top competition in the Unites States for years.
But DeMarco was a quality opponent who did a lot of things right. He just couldn't match Valero in terms of strength and ferocity.
Lest we get too carried away, Valero still has room to improve. His defense relies more on his athleticism than technique, and he can be hit a little more easily than you'd like for a top contender.
Of course once upon a time, you could also say that about Manny Pacquiao, the man Valero has his sights set on now. A Pacquiao-Valero fight would be dynamite indeed, but Edwin was probably guilty of a bit of hyperbole when he said after the fight, "That's the fight the world wants to see."
He's going to need to beat a few more tough foes before that's true. He'll also have to prove that he can easily keep going up in weight, which Manny managed to do but others haven't (see: Juan Manuel Marquez).
By the time those things happen, Pacquiao may not even be fighting any more. There are a lot of moving parts here, many things that would have to fall into place just right for Valero to get his wish.
Still, he's at least one step closer after his big win this weekend, and there's no reason he can't dream. And we boxing fans can dream right along with him.
Posted by The Franchise
Valero showed just about every kind of crowd-pleasing attribute a boxer can have during his ninth-round TKO if Antonio DeMarco. He displayed a varied and powerful offense, which was sort of a given considering he had won every one of his professional fights by KO.
He showed heart and a willingness to battle through adversity, thanks to a nasty cut that had by brother Spartan117 saying he "thought he saw skull." And after he came out on top, he immediately called out the number one pound-for-pound boxer on most lists, so he proved he was ambitious as well.
Before this weekend, it was fair to wonder if Valero's amazing record was padded by fighting too many stiffs. Some of that wasn't his fault, since for various reasons he hasn't been able to fight against top competition in the Unites States for years.
But DeMarco was a quality opponent who did a lot of things right. He just couldn't match Valero in terms of strength and ferocity.
Lest we get too carried away, Valero still has room to improve. His defense relies more on his athleticism than technique, and he can be hit a little more easily than you'd like for a top contender.
Of course once upon a time, you could also say that about Manny Pacquiao, the man Valero has his sights set on now. A Pacquiao-Valero fight would be dynamite indeed, but Edwin was probably guilty of a bit of hyperbole when he said after the fight, "That's the fight the world wants to see."
He's going to need to beat a few more tough foes before that's true. He'll also have to prove that he can easily keep going up in weight, which Manny managed to do but others haven't (see: Juan Manuel Marquez).
By the time those things happen, Pacquiao may not even be fighting any more. There are a lot of moving parts here, many things that would have to fall into place just right for Valero to get his wish.
Still, he's at least one step closer after his big win this weekend, and there's no reason he can't dream. And we boxing fans can dream right along with him.
Posted by The Franchise
15.1.10
Franchise Thoughts: Mayweather-Pacquiao Fatigue, Jones-Hopkins II and the Return (Sort of) of Televised Boxing
A while back, when I thought Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao were going to fight each other (silly, I know), I dreaded how much analysis there was going to be leading up to March 13. Everyone, and I mean everyone with even the slightest interest in the bout and access to a keyboard was sounding off on how it would go down.
That was back in December, by the way.
Now I've discovered something even worse. Floyd and Manny aren't fighting and we're still hearing about them, seemingly all the time, from all corners.
Look, I'm as upset as anyone that the fight fell apart. I've thrown my two cents in when I felt like I had something relevant to say, so I'm as guilty as anyone else.
But I'm just worn out by all of the coverage now. At this point, I don't care about who was more responsible for the fight disintegrating, how it's a big blow to the sport, or anything of that nature.
We, the boxing fans of the world, need to move on. Mayweather and Pacquiao may be the two best boxers on the planet, but they aren't the be-all and end-all of the sport.
I promise not to write any more about the fight that wasn't after today (though I will write about their replacement fights), and I vow to focus on all of the other great boxers who will be in action soon. I invite everyone out there on the internets to do the same.
This may not be the world's best segue, but Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr. have decided to go ahead with their rematch, Jones' recent KO loss be damned. Guess we'll just forget that Danny Green fight ever happened, eh Roy?
I really have no problem with this, as neither man looked to be in the running for a big money fight against anyone under 40. I hope cooler heads prevail and the fight won't be shown on pay-per-view, but I'm not holding my breath.
It's kind of amusing to see early fan reaction fairly split on who will win. B-Hop has done much better against tougher competition over the past few years, so in my mind he's a heavy favorite going in.
Hopkins' style has also aged better with time because it depends so much on fundamentals (including the dirtier type that aren't in the proverbial boxing textbook) than Roy's, built as it is/was around his superior quickness and athleticism. I'm not saying RJJ can't win, but I will consider it a fairly big upset if he does.
Finally, it occurred to me that I'd feel better about all of the above if people would start throwing punches at each other on live TV. We're still a week away from an HBO card, but Friday Night Fights and Top Rank's new Fox Sports Net show both get going this weekend.
Demetrius Andrade, Juan Carlos Burgos and Kassim Ouma might not be enough to make me forget about boxing's winter of discontent altogether, but they sure will help. Let the fights begin!
Posted by The Franchise
That was back in December, by the way.
Now I've discovered something even worse. Floyd and Manny aren't fighting and we're still hearing about them, seemingly all the time, from all corners.
Look, I'm as upset as anyone that the fight fell apart. I've thrown my two cents in when I felt like I had something relevant to say, so I'm as guilty as anyone else.
But I'm just worn out by all of the coverage now. At this point, I don't care about who was more responsible for the fight disintegrating, how it's a big blow to the sport, or anything of that nature.
We, the boxing fans of the world, need to move on. Mayweather and Pacquiao may be the two best boxers on the planet, but they aren't the be-all and end-all of the sport.
I promise not to write any more about the fight that wasn't after today (though I will write about their replacement fights), and I vow to focus on all of the other great boxers who will be in action soon. I invite everyone out there on the internets to do the same.
This may not be the world's best segue, but Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr. have decided to go ahead with their rematch, Jones' recent KO loss be damned. Guess we'll just forget that Danny Green fight ever happened, eh Roy?
I really have no problem with this, as neither man looked to be in the running for a big money fight against anyone under 40. I hope cooler heads prevail and the fight won't be shown on pay-per-view, but I'm not holding my breath.
It's kind of amusing to see early fan reaction fairly split on who will win. B-Hop has done much better against tougher competition over the past few years, so in my mind he's a heavy favorite going in.
Hopkins' style has also aged better with time because it depends so much on fundamentals (including the dirtier type that aren't in the proverbial boxing textbook) than Roy's, built as it is/was around his superior quickness and athleticism. I'm not saying RJJ can't win, but I will consider it a fairly big upset if he does.
Finally, it occurred to me that I'd feel better about all of the above if people would start throwing punches at each other on live TV. We're still a week away from an HBO card, but Friday Night Fights and Top Rank's new Fox Sports Net show both get going this weekend.
Demetrius Andrade, Juan Carlos Burgos and Kassim Ouma might not be enough to make me forget about boxing's winter of discontent altogether, but they sure will help. Let the fights begin!
Posted by The Franchise
11.1.10
Signed and Sealed: Manny Pacquiao vs. Joshua Clottey in Dallas on March 13
Jerry Jones may hope that fans don't see it as a consolation prize, but it's hard to see it any other way.
Numerous media outlets reported Sunday that a fight between Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey has been finalized for March 13 at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas. The bout will be on pay-per-view, though not necessarily distributed through HBO.
Under normal circumstances, this would be heralded by fans and media types alike as a great development. Pacquiao has reached must-see status, and Clottey is a dangerous and talented challenge to face on relatively short notice.
Of course, the circumstances are anything but normal, as everyone with even a remote interest in the sweet science was hoping to see Manny do battle with Floyd Mayweather on that date. Now it appears that the world's two best fighters may only engage each other through dueling broadcasts, as Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports says Mayweather could still end up fighting on March 13 in Las Vegas.
That isn't the kind of intrigue fans were hoping for, and it could actually damage chances of Mayweather-Pacquiao happening later in 2010, something I have long thought would happen. But it's not hard to see this latest development adding another layer of acrimony to any future negotiations, as the man whose fight performs better at the box office could well demand more than 50 percent of the purse.
It will also be interesting to see if there is backlash against both Pacquiao and Mayweather from disillusioned fans. You don't have to have your own boxing blog to see that the mood among folks on the internet is one of intense bitterness.
The big winner in all of this (and possibly the only one outside of Jones, who failed to land Mayweather-Pacquiao for his stadium) is Clottey, who must feel like he hit the jackpot. He's fought some notable names like Antonio Margarito, Diego Corrales and Zab Judah, but he's commonly thought of as someone to be avoided because he is tough and deceptively skilled.
After dropping a split decision to Miguel Cotto last June, Clottey probably gave up any hope he had of fighting Mayweather or Pacquiao. Now he stands to make a ton of money, and with all of the attention the fight will get (some of it for negative reasons, granted) he has a chance to put himself on the map with sports fans everywhere if he pulls off the upset.
Posted by The Franchise
Numerous media outlets reported Sunday that a fight between Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey has been finalized for March 13 at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas. The bout will be on pay-per-view, though not necessarily distributed through HBO.
Under normal circumstances, this would be heralded by fans and media types alike as a great development. Pacquiao has reached must-see status, and Clottey is a dangerous and talented challenge to face on relatively short notice.
Of course, the circumstances are anything but normal, as everyone with even a remote interest in the sweet science was hoping to see Manny do battle with Floyd Mayweather on that date. Now it appears that the world's two best fighters may only engage each other through dueling broadcasts, as Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports says Mayweather could still end up fighting on March 13 in Las Vegas.
That isn't the kind of intrigue fans were hoping for, and it could actually damage chances of Mayweather-Pacquiao happening later in 2010, something I have long thought would happen. But it's not hard to see this latest development adding another layer of acrimony to any future negotiations, as the man whose fight performs better at the box office could well demand more than 50 percent of the purse.
It will also be interesting to see if there is backlash against both Pacquiao and Mayweather from disillusioned fans. You don't have to have your own boxing blog to see that the mood among folks on the internet is one of intense bitterness.
The big winner in all of this (and possibly the only one outside of Jones, who failed to land Mayweather-Pacquiao for his stadium) is Clottey, who must feel like he hit the jackpot. He's fought some notable names like Antonio Margarito, Diego Corrales and Zab Judah, but he's commonly thought of as someone to be avoided because he is tough and deceptively skilled.
After dropping a split decision to Miguel Cotto last June, Clottey probably gave up any hope he had of fighting Mayweather or Pacquiao. Now he stands to make a ton of money, and with all of the attention the fight will get (some of it for negative reasons, granted) he has a chance to put himself on the map with sports fans everywhere if he pulls off the upset.
Posted by The Franchise
8.1.10
Franchise Thoughts: Why Floyd Mayweather is Doomed to Lose the PR Battle Over the Death of Mayweather-Pacquiao
Barring some kind of miraculous development at the eleventh hour, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao will not be standing across from each other in a boxing ring on March 13.
The fight that everyone wanted to see, that had the media and general public suddenly paying attention to boxing again, has fallen apart. And while it may be revisited again for the fall of 2010 or beyond–and indeed, I’ve gone on record saying that’s exactly what will happen–it’s dead for now, a fact that will leave a bitter taste in the mouths of many.
Smarter and more informed minds than my own will pick at the carcass and try to assign blame. There’s sure to be plenty to go around, as it’s a situation in which no one will really look good going forward.
As the finger-pointing begins in earnest, I’m much more interested in the opinions of the fans than the experts. They are, after all, the ultimate losers in all of this, deprived of the fight that has captured their imaginations like no other in recent memory.
Since the fans are never going to be privy to a transcript of any of the negotiations or mediation sessions, the winner of the ensuing war of words is going to be primarily a matter of perception. This is fitting, in a way, since perception trumps reality in boxing more often than in any other sport.
Though I favor Mayweather to come out on top if and when the bout finally happens (which is difficult to admit since I’m a huge Pacquiao fan), there’s no way he can avoid losing the battle of public opinion. A majority of fans are going to think he’s to blame for scuttling the fight, and one can already sense that he knows that, as he quickly went on the attack to try to deflect the incoming fire back in his opponent’s direction.
It’s not going to work. At best, he’ll galvanize his own loyal followers, and perhaps a small percentage of neutral minds who are convinced Pacquiao had something to hide by refusing to bow to Mayweather’s drug testing demands.
Floyd’s problem is that he’s painted himself as the brash, supremely confident villain for so long that most people will have a hard time accepting that he’s the good guy in all of this. With that as the context, it’s easy to buy the line coming from Manny’s camp that he simply refused to accept the mediator’s proposed compromise.
A few years ago, I asked two respected boxing writers, Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports, and Doug Fischer, then of MaxBoxing.com, about what the real Floyd Mayweather was like for a piece I was doing for another site. Their answers could not have been more different.
Iole said that Floyd was basically a decent, generous person, and that his bad boy act was just that, a show he put on to sell tickets. I got the opposite opinion from Fischer, who claimed that Mayweather was a jerk whose fits of ego and insecurity were legit.
Which writer painted the truer picture? In this case it doesn’t matter, because Fischer’s version is the one that’s more commonly accepted.
On top of that, Floyd’s critics will simply use the disintegration of the Pacquiao match as more ammunition to back up their belief that he was too scared to fight Manny. To them, this is just the latest, greatest example of a career spent seeking slightly less than the top challenges available.
To me, it’s hard to swallow that Mayweather would be afraid to fight anyone, as his confidence in his own tremendous skills simply wouldn’t allow it. But again, the question is what fans will think, and put simply, this current turn of events won’t help.
None of this should come as much of a surprise. In addition to the differences between the two men in the way they embody the sport–Manny is raw power and aggression that’s been tempered over time, while Floyd has prodigious natural gifts and a mastery of the subtler nuances of the sweet science–there’s a similar dichotomy to the way they are perceived outside the ring.
Pacquiao is a beloved figure, carrying the hopes of an entire nation with him every time he fights. He comes across as affable and almost naïve despite his success, even though some of that is almost as certainly a show as Mayweather’s persona.
For Floyd, the most commonly encountered feeling among fans is respect rather than love, and often grudging respect at that. He’s embraced the villain role for so long that he’s more famous than popular, a small but important difference.
This saga is far from over, and there’s bound to be significant backlash against both men thanks to the legions of distraught boxing fans all around the world. Smart money says that more of it will be directed against Mayweather than Pacquiao, though, and short of unilaterally dropping his demands, there isn’t much Floyd can do at the moment to change that.
Posted by The Franchise
The fight that everyone wanted to see, that had the media and general public suddenly paying attention to boxing again, has fallen apart. And while it may be revisited again for the fall of 2010 or beyond–and indeed, I’ve gone on record saying that’s exactly what will happen–it’s dead for now, a fact that will leave a bitter taste in the mouths of many.
Smarter and more informed minds than my own will pick at the carcass and try to assign blame. There’s sure to be plenty to go around, as it’s a situation in which no one will really look good going forward.
As the finger-pointing begins in earnest, I’m much more interested in the opinions of the fans than the experts. They are, after all, the ultimate losers in all of this, deprived of the fight that has captured their imaginations like no other in recent memory.
Since the fans are never going to be privy to a transcript of any of the negotiations or mediation sessions, the winner of the ensuing war of words is going to be primarily a matter of perception. This is fitting, in a way, since perception trumps reality in boxing more often than in any other sport.
Though I favor Mayweather to come out on top if and when the bout finally happens (which is difficult to admit since I’m a huge Pacquiao fan), there’s no way he can avoid losing the battle of public opinion. A majority of fans are going to think he’s to blame for scuttling the fight, and one can already sense that he knows that, as he quickly went on the attack to try to deflect the incoming fire back in his opponent’s direction.
It’s not going to work. At best, he’ll galvanize his own loyal followers, and perhaps a small percentage of neutral minds who are convinced Pacquiao had something to hide by refusing to bow to Mayweather’s drug testing demands.
Floyd’s problem is that he’s painted himself as the brash, supremely confident villain for so long that most people will have a hard time accepting that he’s the good guy in all of this. With that as the context, it’s easy to buy the line coming from Manny’s camp that he simply refused to accept the mediator’s proposed compromise.
A few years ago, I asked two respected boxing writers, Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports, and Doug Fischer, then of MaxBoxing.com, about what the real Floyd Mayweather was like for a piece I was doing for another site. Their answers could not have been more different.
Iole said that Floyd was basically a decent, generous person, and that his bad boy act was just that, a show he put on to sell tickets. I got the opposite opinion from Fischer, who claimed that Mayweather was a jerk whose fits of ego and insecurity were legit.
Which writer painted the truer picture? In this case it doesn’t matter, because Fischer’s version is the one that’s more commonly accepted.
On top of that, Floyd’s critics will simply use the disintegration of the Pacquiao match as more ammunition to back up their belief that he was too scared to fight Manny. To them, this is just the latest, greatest example of a career spent seeking slightly less than the top challenges available.
To me, it’s hard to swallow that Mayweather would be afraid to fight anyone, as his confidence in his own tremendous skills simply wouldn’t allow it. But again, the question is what fans will think, and put simply, this current turn of events won’t help.
None of this should come as much of a surprise. In addition to the differences between the two men in the way they embody the sport–Manny is raw power and aggression that’s been tempered over time, while Floyd has prodigious natural gifts and a mastery of the subtler nuances of the sweet science–there’s a similar dichotomy to the way they are perceived outside the ring.
Pacquiao is a beloved figure, carrying the hopes of an entire nation with him every time he fights. He comes across as affable and almost naïve despite his success, even though some of that is almost as certainly a show as Mayweather’s persona.
For Floyd, the most commonly encountered feeling among fans is respect rather than love, and often grudging respect at that. He’s embraced the villain role for so long that he’s more famous than popular, a small but important difference.
This saga is far from over, and there’s bound to be significant backlash against both men thanks to the legions of distraught boxing fans all around the world. Smart money says that more of it will be directed against Mayweather than Pacquiao, though, and short of unilaterally dropping his demands, there isn’t much Floyd can do at the moment to change that.
Posted by The Franchise
7.1.10
This Time They Mean It: Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao is Off (For Now)
It looks like the fight everyone wants to see will not be seen, at least this spring.
Though the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao bout has been declared dead before, it looks like it's now been taken off life support. Multiple news outlets are reporting that the fight is off, and both men will look to make other matches for March.
For Pacquiao, this likely means Yuri Foreman and a really good shot at a world title in an eighth weight class. Let's be honest though: he comes off looking worse than his potential opponent after this, simply because it was his side that originally seemed unwilling to compromise on the drug testing.
I'm a huge Manny fan, but it's hard to discount his critics now. Even if he's clean, the perception that he wouldn't do the fight unless he got everything his way is bound to dog him.
Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports says Mayweather will most likely end up facing Paulie Malignaggi, who got a boost with a very impressive performance against Juan Diaz in his last fight. But Paulie was a light hitter even at lower weights, and his strengths are in areas Floyd is even better. I'm not sure how he has much of a chance.
Money doesn't exactly come out of this smelling like roses either, since it looks like he was the one that was unwilling to accept the mediated compromise. There are those who have always thought he was simply too afraid of the possibility of losing to fight Manny (though I'm not one of them), and now that chorus will only grow louder.
I've said before that I thought Mayweather-Pacquiao would still be revisited in the fall if it fell through for the spring, and I'd be surprised if that wasn't the case. Could both men really leave that much fame and fortune on the table?
If they do, maybe my man Shane Mosley will have a chance to land one of them later this year - assuming he gets by Andre Berto, of course.
Posted by The Franchise
Though the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao bout has been declared dead before, it looks like it's now been taken off life support. Multiple news outlets are reporting that the fight is off, and both men will look to make other matches for March.
For Pacquiao, this likely means Yuri Foreman and a really good shot at a world title in an eighth weight class. Let's be honest though: he comes off looking worse than his potential opponent after this, simply because it was his side that originally seemed unwilling to compromise on the drug testing.
I'm a huge Manny fan, but it's hard to discount his critics now. Even if he's clean, the perception that he wouldn't do the fight unless he got everything his way is bound to dog him.
Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports says Mayweather will most likely end up facing Paulie Malignaggi, who got a boost with a very impressive performance against Juan Diaz in his last fight. But Paulie was a light hitter even at lower weights, and his strengths are in areas Floyd is even better. I'm not sure how he has much of a chance.
Money doesn't exactly come out of this smelling like roses either, since it looks like he was the one that was unwilling to accept the mediated compromise. There are those who have always thought he was simply too afraid of the possibility of losing to fight Manny (though I'm not one of them), and now that chorus will only grow louder.
I've said before that I thought Mayweather-Pacquiao would still be revisited in the fall if it fell through for the spring, and I'd be surprised if that wasn't the case. Could both men really leave that much fame and fortune on the table?
If they do, maybe my man Shane Mosley will have a chance to land one of them later this year - assuming he gets by Andre Berto, of course.
Posted by The Franchise
4.1.10
Top 10 Pound-For-Pound Boxers: BoxingWatchers.com End of 2009 List
Yes, we're a few days into 2010 now, but sometimes it takes some time to have all the BoxingWatchers give some input on... well, anything really.
Anyhow, we only do a pound-for-pound list at the end of each calendar year, because things don't generally change too much in any given month to be worth voting again. After 12 months though? That's a different story.
For starters, we lost several men from our end of list. Joe Calzaghe retired, and Antonio Margarito lost his only 2009 fight and got suspended for cheating.
A notable addition to the top 10 is Floyd Mayweather, who was still "retired" at this time last year. And the rest of the deck has been shuffled somewhat as well.
Based on nothing but our own opinions, here's our list:
BoxingWatchers.com Top 10 Pound-for-Pound Boxers - End of 2009
(End of 2008 rank in parentheses)
1. Manny Pacquiao (Last year: 1)
2. Floyd Mayweather (NR)
3. Bernard Hopkins (3)
4. Shane Mosley (NR)
5. Juan Manuel Marquez (4)
6. Israel Vazquez (5)
7. Chad Dawson (NR)
8. Paul Williams (6)
9. Arthur Abraham (NR)
10. Timothy Bradley (NR)
Also receiving votes: Nonito Donaire
Dropped out: Joe Calzaghe (retired, last year: 2), Antonio Margarito (7), Kelly Pavlik (8), Ivan Calderon (9), Rafael Marquez (10)
Posted by The Franchise
Anyhow, we only do a pound-for-pound list at the end of each calendar year, because things don't generally change too much in any given month to be worth voting again. After 12 months though? That's a different story.
For starters, we lost several men from our end of list. Joe Calzaghe retired, and Antonio Margarito lost his only 2009 fight and got suspended for cheating.
A notable addition to the top 10 is Floyd Mayweather, who was still "retired" at this time last year. And the rest of the deck has been shuffled somewhat as well.
Based on nothing but our own opinions, here's our list:
BoxingWatchers.com Top 10 Pound-for-Pound Boxers - End of 2009
(End of 2008 rank in parentheses)
1. Manny Pacquiao (Last year: 1)
2. Floyd Mayweather (NR)
3. Bernard Hopkins (3)
4. Shane Mosley (NR)
5. Juan Manuel Marquez (4)
6. Israel Vazquez (5)
7. Chad Dawson (NR)
8. Paul Williams (6)
9. Arthur Abraham (NR)
10. Timothy Bradley (NR)
Also receiving votes: Nonito Donaire
Dropped out: Joe Calzaghe (retired, last year: 2), Antonio Margarito (7), Kelly Pavlik (8), Ivan Calderon (9), Rafael Marquez (10)
Posted by The Franchise
30.12.09
BoxingWatchers.com 2009 Fighter of the Year: Manny Pacquiao
What, you expected someone else?
All three of the BoxingWatchers are big Manny fans - and only some of the reason is because we're part Filipino. Pacquiao delivered the goods both times he stepped in the ring in 2009, knocking Ricky Hatton silly with a single second-round punch in May and battering Miguel Cotto into a stoppage in the final round last month.
As you've no doubt read, Pacquiao won a world title in his seventh different weight class. That's an impressive achievement no matter how you slice it, and one we're not likely to see again any time soon, even in an age of many championship belts and fighters who switch weight classes all the time.
On top of that, Pacquiao is simply good for the sport. He fights with the entertainment value of the fans in mind, and he comes across as a humble guy, at least relative to his enormous success over the last few years.
I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that even though he's on top of the boxing world right now, there are some dark clouds on the horizon for the Pac Man. Assuming they get the wrinkles ironed out, his next (huge) fight will be with Floyd Mayweather, the one man on the planet I'm not sure he can beat.
And what about those steroid allegations? I don't put a lot of stock in the ones made by Floyd Mayweather Sr. or Paulie Malignaggi, but the behavior and requests made by the Pacquiao camp over the drug testing flap have been curious to say the least.
I firmly believe that Manny isn't taking stuff on a regular basis to get an edge. But I would not be stunned if one of his many hangers-on gave him something questionable without him telling Freddie Roach or doing enough research into it on his own.
Despite all that, Pacquiao deserves our Fighter of the Year nod for the second straight year. The difference this time is that I'm fairly confident someone new will take the crown in 2010.
Previous winners:
2008 - Manny Pacquiao
2007 - Kelly Pavlik
Honorable mentions: All hail King Arthur Abraham, who simply did what he always does in 2009: he went 3-0 with two knockouts. The level of his competition prevented him from more serious consideration... Speaking of level of competition, Paul Williams may have defeated two tougher challenges than anyone else, knocking off Winky Wright and Sergio Martinez. His drawback is that many folks think he was lucky to get the decision over Martinez... Vitali Klitschko continued his impressive run after his 2008 comeback, going 3-0 for 2009 with two KOs. Time to take on his little brother, perhaps?
Posted by The Franchise
All three of the BoxingWatchers are big Manny fans - and only some of the reason is because we're part Filipino. Pacquiao delivered the goods both times he stepped in the ring in 2009, knocking Ricky Hatton silly with a single second-round punch in May and battering Miguel Cotto into a stoppage in the final round last month.
As you've no doubt read, Pacquiao won a world title in his seventh different weight class. That's an impressive achievement no matter how you slice it, and one we're not likely to see again any time soon, even in an age of many championship belts and fighters who switch weight classes all the time.
On top of that, Pacquiao is simply good for the sport. He fights with the entertainment value of the fans in mind, and he comes across as a humble guy, at least relative to his enormous success over the last few years.
I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that even though he's on top of the boxing world right now, there are some dark clouds on the horizon for the Pac Man. Assuming they get the wrinkles ironed out, his next (huge) fight will be with Floyd Mayweather, the one man on the planet I'm not sure he can beat.
And what about those steroid allegations? I don't put a lot of stock in the ones made by Floyd Mayweather Sr. or Paulie Malignaggi, but the behavior and requests made by the Pacquiao camp over the drug testing flap have been curious to say the least.
I firmly believe that Manny isn't taking stuff on a regular basis to get an edge. But I would not be stunned if one of his many hangers-on gave him something questionable without him telling Freddie Roach or doing enough research into it on his own.
Despite all that, Pacquiao deserves our Fighter of the Year nod for the second straight year. The difference this time is that I'm fairly confident someone new will take the crown in 2010.
Previous winners:
2008 - Manny Pacquiao
2007 - Kelly Pavlik
Honorable mentions: All hail King Arthur Abraham, who simply did what he always does in 2009: he went 3-0 with two knockouts. The level of his competition prevented him from more serious consideration... Speaking of level of competition, Paul Williams may have defeated two tougher challenges than anyone else, knocking off Winky Wright and Sergio Martinez. His drawback is that many folks think he was lucky to get the decision over Martinez... Vitali Klitschko continued his impressive run after his 2008 comeback, going 3-0 for 2009 with two KOs. Time to take on his little brother, perhaps?
Posted by The Franchise
25.12.09
Franchise Thoughts: Call Me Crazy, But I Still Think Mayweather-Pacquiao Is Going to Happen
Well, this was an unpleasant Christmas present.
Like most of you, I've been following the drama surrounding the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao fight and the falling out between the two sides regarding drug testing. Like some of you, I assumed the rift would be solved through negotiation and we'd still be watching the bout everyone wants to see on March 13.
Now I think it's seriously time to revisit that line of thinking. When Bob Arum is talking about alternatives for March - and color me surprised that Paulie Malignaggi is at the top of the list - things are definitely looking a little grim.
I haven't really weighed in on the drug testing and steroid issue, mostly because of the holidays. It's interesting because it's not clear whether Mayweather's testing demands are gamesmanship, a true suspicion that Manny is on something, or (most likely) a little of both.
Likewise, it's equally hard to know whether Pacquiao has something to hide or is just playing his own game of hardball. Boxing fans and members of the mainstream sports media, just getting back into boxing for the first time since Mike Tyson's prime, have taken just about every point on the range of opinions.
Some have even tried to have it both ways. I'm talking about Dan Wetzel of Yahoo! Sports, whose most recent column says Floyd's request is ridiculous but Manny should agree to it anyway. Say what?
I think Wetzel is making the same mistake many sports writers make and assuming that the spectre of steroids will haunt Pacquiao if he doesn't agree, when the truth is most fans really don't care that much. If he tested positive, sure. But simply the suggestion that he might be juicing because he refused to cave to Money's demands? I think not.
In the end, the whole thing doesn't interest me as much as whether or not Pacquiao and Mayweather are eventually going to fight, and I think they still will. It probably won't happen in March as originally planned, but there's simply too much money involved and too much interest from the general public for it not to happen.
Interestingly, when we ran a poll asking when Mayweather-Pacquiao would take place a few weeks back, the easy winner was the second half of 2010. Our readers are pretty slick, because I could easily see that happening now.
So Pac Man will fight Paulie or Yuri Foreman or whoever, and Mayweather may need a stay-busy fight as well. When both fighters make good but not great money from those matches, they will find their way back to the negotiating table and make it happen for the fall.
Unless one of them loses a tune-up fight (ahem, Roy Jones!) or gets injured in the interim, you can take that to the bank.
Posted by The Franchise
Like most of you, I've been following the drama surrounding the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao fight and the falling out between the two sides regarding drug testing. Like some of you, I assumed the rift would be solved through negotiation and we'd still be watching the bout everyone wants to see on March 13.
Now I think it's seriously time to revisit that line of thinking. When Bob Arum is talking about alternatives for March - and color me surprised that Paulie Malignaggi is at the top of the list - things are definitely looking a little grim.
I haven't really weighed in on the drug testing and steroid issue, mostly because of the holidays. It's interesting because it's not clear whether Mayweather's testing demands are gamesmanship, a true suspicion that Manny is on something, or (most likely) a little of both.
Likewise, it's equally hard to know whether Pacquiao has something to hide or is just playing his own game of hardball. Boxing fans and members of the mainstream sports media, just getting back into boxing for the first time since Mike Tyson's prime, have taken just about every point on the range of opinions.
Some have even tried to have it both ways. I'm talking about Dan Wetzel of Yahoo! Sports, whose most recent column says Floyd's request is ridiculous but Manny should agree to it anyway. Say what?
I think Wetzel is making the same mistake many sports writers make and assuming that the spectre of steroids will haunt Pacquiao if he doesn't agree, when the truth is most fans really don't care that much. If he tested positive, sure. But simply the suggestion that he might be juicing because he refused to cave to Money's demands? I think not.
In the end, the whole thing doesn't interest me as much as whether or not Pacquiao and Mayweather are eventually going to fight, and I think they still will. It probably won't happen in March as originally planned, but there's simply too much money involved and too much interest from the general public for it not to happen.
Interestingly, when we ran a poll asking when Mayweather-Pacquiao would take place a few weeks back, the easy winner was the second half of 2010. Our readers are pretty slick, because I could easily see that happening now.
So Pac Man will fight Paulie or Yuri Foreman or whoever, and Mayweather may need a stay-busy fight as well. When both fighters make good but not great money from those matches, they will find their way back to the negotiating table and make it happen for the fall.
Unless one of them loses a tune-up fight (ahem, Roy Jones!) or gets injured in the interim, you can take that to the bank.
Posted by The Franchise
23.12.09
BoxingWatchers.com Boxer Power Rankings: End of 2009
Since everyone of consequence is done fighting for the year, I'm not even waiting for the end of the month to do the final set of power rankings for 2009. As soon as I can get input from the other BoxingWatchers, I'll also post our year-end pound-for-pound list as well.
Instead of my usual wanna-be pithy comments for each boxer, I'm simply going to include how they did in their 2009 appearances in a boxing ring. At the end you'll also find the final rankings from 2008 as a frame of reference.
More guidance on the philosophy behind these power rankings can be found here. Otherwise, sit back and enjoy.
1. Arthur Abraham - 26.13
2009 fights: March 14: W UD12 LaJuan Simon, June 27: W TKO10 Mahir Oral, October 17: W KO12 Jermain Taylor
2. Juan Manuel Lopez - 20.73
2009 fights: April 25: W TKO10 Gerry Penalosa, June 27 W TKO9 Olivier Lontchi, October 10: W UD12 Rogers Mtagwa
3. Kelly Pavlik - 20.13
2009 fights: February 21: W TKO9 Marco Antonio Rubio, December 19: W TKO5 Miguel Espino
4. Manny Pacquiao - 18.99
2009 fights: May 2: W KO2 Ricky Hatton, November 14: W TKO12 Miguel Cotto
5. Celestino Caballero - 17.49
2009 fights: April 30: W SD12 Jeffrey Mathebula, August 29: W TKO8 Francisco Leal
6. Wladimir Klitschko - 17.07
2009 fight: June 20: W TKO9 Ruslan Chagaev
7. Lucian Bute - 16.76
2009 fights: March 13: W TKO4 Fulgencio Zuniga, November 28: W KO4 Librado Andrade
8. Nonito Donaire - 16.60
2009 fights: April 19: W TKO4 Raul Martinez, August 15: W UD12 Rafael Concepcion
9. Felix Sturn - 15.25
2009 fights: April 25: W TKO7 Koji Sato, July 11: W UD12 Khoren Gevor
10. Tomasz Adamek - 14.61
2009 fights: February 27: W TKO8 Johnathon Banks, July 11: W TKO4 Bobby Gunn, October 24: W TKO5 Andrew Golota
The next 10: Vitali Klitschko, Robert Guerrero, Andre Ward, Timothy Bradley, Fernando Montiel, Chris John, Carl Froch, Chad Dawson, Vic Darchinyan, Paul Williams
Power Rankings - End of 2008
1. Arthur Abraham - 24.96
2. Wladimir Klitschko - 23.67
3. David Haye - 21.07
4. Celestino Caballero - 20.72
5. Manny Pacquiao - 20.62
6. Vic Darchinyan - 17.00
7. Andre Berto - 16.34
8. Paul Williams - 15.89
9. Kelly Pavlik - 15.36
10. Antonio Margarito - 15.30
Posted by The Franchise
Instead of my usual wanna-be pithy comments for each boxer, I'm simply going to include how they did in their 2009 appearances in a boxing ring. At the end you'll also find the final rankings from 2008 as a frame of reference.
More guidance on the philosophy behind these power rankings can be found here. Otherwise, sit back and enjoy.
1. Arthur Abraham - 26.13
2009 fights: March 14: W UD12 LaJuan Simon, June 27: W TKO10 Mahir Oral, October 17: W KO12 Jermain Taylor
2. Juan Manuel Lopez - 20.73
2009 fights: April 25: W TKO10 Gerry Penalosa, June 27 W TKO9 Olivier Lontchi, October 10: W UD12 Rogers Mtagwa
3. Kelly Pavlik - 20.13
2009 fights: February 21: W TKO9 Marco Antonio Rubio, December 19: W TKO5 Miguel Espino
4. Manny Pacquiao - 18.99
2009 fights: May 2: W KO2 Ricky Hatton, November 14: W TKO12 Miguel Cotto
5. Celestino Caballero - 17.49
2009 fights: April 30: W SD12 Jeffrey Mathebula, August 29: W TKO8 Francisco Leal
6. Wladimir Klitschko - 17.07
2009 fight: June 20: W TKO9 Ruslan Chagaev
7. Lucian Bute - 16.76
2009 fights: March 13: W TKO4 Fulgencio Zuniga, November 28: W KO4 Librado Andrade
8. Nonito Donaire - 16.60
2009 fights: April 19: W TKO4 Raul Martinez, August 15: W UD12 Rafael Concepcion
9. Felix Sturn - 15.25
2009 fights: April 25: W TKO7 Koji Sato, July 11: W UD12 Khoren Gevor
10. Tomasz Adamek - 14.61
2009 fights: February 27: W TKO8 Johnathon Banks, July 11: W TKO4 Bobby Gunn, October 24: W TKO5 Andrew Golota
The next 10: Vitali Klitschko, Robert Guerrero, Andre Ward, Timothy Bradley, Fernando Montiel, Chris John, Carl Froch, Chad Dawson, Vic Darchinyan, Paul Williams
Power Rankings - End of 2008
1. Arthur Abraham - 24.96
2. Wladimir Klitschko - 23.67
3. David Haye - 21.07
4. Celestino Caballero - 20.72
5. Manny Pacquiao - 20.62
6. Vic Darchinyan - 17.00
7. Andre Berto - 16.34
8. Paul Williams - 15.89
9. Kelly Pavlik - 15.36
10. Antonio Margarito - 15.30
Posted by The Franchise
17.12.09
More Manny Pacquiao T-Shirt Goodness From Silver Star
The guys and gals at Silver Star are busy cooking up more shirts for Manny Pacquiao, which is good because though I have the previous one, I have two preschool children who don't necessarily need to see their dad walking around with crossed pistols on his chest.
Anyway, the new Pacquiao shirt is called "Rising Son" and has boxing gloves on the front done up with gold foil. I'm not sure what the back looks like yet because the Silver Star site doesn't have a pic.
The shirt will be available on December 23 (so not in time for Christmas unless you can convince the jolly guy to bring it by sleigh) in black, white and red, and a blue version will be sold exclusively at Journeys.
Posted by The Franchise
13.12.09
Maybe Dallas Isn't Out of the Running for Mayweather-Pacquiao Just Yet
The Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao fight isn't going to be held in Cowboys Stadium near Dallas.
Or is it?
Despite word that Golden Boy's Richard Schaefer turned up his nose at the idea without even checking the place out, Jerry Jones can be a stubborn sort. Just ask Cowboys fans.
ESPN reported yesterday that Dallas isn't dead yet, citing a Los Angeles Times story that suggested Jones would pony up $25 million for the privilege of seeing Money and Manny do battle. Bob Arum's quotes in the piece make it sound like at least Team Pacquiao is still interested.
And there are 100,000 reasons to at least hear out Jones' pitch. That's how many fans could potentially watch in person at Cowboys Stadium, with the ungodly huge HD screens allowing even people seated a mile off the field to be able to see the action with no problem.
Yes, the MGM Grand is used to hosting boxing matches like this. But while this may not be a once in a lifetime fight, it's the kind that doesn't come around very often. if the hype that already surrounds the bout is any indication of the interest that will build between now and March 13, you have to think the fighters would at least weigh the financial benefits of a live gate five times the size of what a casino arena could provide.
Smart money says the fight will still end up in Las Vegas, but I wouldn't count Jones and his facility out of the running until it's officially announced that it will take place somewhere else.
Posted by The Franchise
Or is it?
Despite word that Golden Boy's Richard Schaefer turned up his nose at the idea without even checking the place out, Jerry Jones can be a stubborn sort. Just ask Cowboys fans.
ESPN reported yesterday that Dallas isn't dead yet, citing a Los Angeles Times story that suggested Jones would pony up $25 million for the privilege of seeing Money and Manny do battle. Bob Arum's quotes in the piece make it sound like at least Team Pacquiao is still interested.
And there are 100,000 reasons to at least hear out Jones' pitch. That's how many fans could potentially watch in person at Cowboys Stadium, with the ungodly huge HD screens allowing even people seated a mile off the field to be able to see the action with no problem.
Yes, the MGM Grand is used to hosting boxing matches like this. But while this may not be a once in a lifetime fight, it's the kind that doesn't come around very often. if the hype that already surrounds the bout is any indication of the interest that will build between now and March 13, you have to think the fighters would at least weigh the financial benefits of a live gate five times the size of what a casino arena could provide.
Smart money says the fight will still end up in Las Vegas, but I wouldn't count Jones and his facility out of the running until it's officially announced that it will take place somewhere else.
Posted by The Franchise
4.12.09
Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao: Almost a Done Deal for March 13
I'd resisted posting about this earlier because I didn't want to jump the gun and because every other website with even a remote connection to sports has been (and will continue to be) talking about this nonstop. But it looks like we will see the two men who have risen to be the top pound-for-pound boxers and the biggest draws in the sport do battle early in 2010.
As reported by the AP and Fox Sports, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao have agreed on most of the important details to face each other. Those include the date (March 13), the weight (147 pounds, the welterweight limit) and, perhaps most importantly, the purse split (50/50).
Still to be decided: the site and the weight of the gloves to be used. Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach said in the Fox piece that Manny prefers eight-ounce gloves - the better to knock you out with, don't you know - while Money's camp would like 10-ounce gloves.
Fox Sports also cited an unnamed source claiming that Las Vegas and Cowboys Stadium near Dallas are the leading choices to host the fight. Earlier reports had mentioned Yankees Stadium and the Superdome in New Orleans as other possibilities, but Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum had already dismissed the former because of unfavorable tax conditions, and it seems to be mostly wishful thinking on the part of the latter.
Many news outlets have discussed the possible implications of Manny returning to the ring relatively quickly after his battle with Miguel Cotto on November 14. But let's be honest: Pacquiao didn't exactly suffer a serious beating in that fight, and though he's more commonly gone five or six months between fights over the past few years, he's certainly capable of performing at a high level with less time off.
Most notably, Pacquiao returned to action after his 12-round March 2008 rematch against Juan Manuel Marquez (a fight in which he took his fair share of flush shots) in less than four months to face David Diaz. Despite moving up in weight, he had little trouble with Diaz, stopping him in nine rounds.
There are no such worries for Mayweather, as it will be nearly six months after his own fight with JMM when he steps in against Pac Man. And since he was enjoying his brief retirement for nearly two years before that, he should be well rested come March.
I have to admit I'm surprised that the fight came together so quickly, but it's a pleasant surprise as it will shine the spotlight on boxing in a way that hasn't happened in years. Just remember that there are other good fights (Shane Mosley-Andre Berto in January, for one) between now and Mayweather-Pacquiao.
Posted by The Franchise
As reported by the AP and Fox Sports, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao have agreed on most of the important details to face each other. Those include the date (March 13), the weight (147 pounds, the welterweight limit) and, perhaps most importantly, the purse split (50/50).
Still to be decided: the site and the weight of the gloves to be used. Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach said in the Fox piece that Manny prefers eight-ounce gloves - the better to knock you out with, don't you know - while Money's camp would like 10-ounce gloves.
Fox Sports also cited an unnamed source claiming that Las Vegas and Cowboys Stadium near Dallas are the leading choices to host the fight. Earlier reports had mentioned Yankees Stadium and the Superdome in New Orleans as other possibilities, but Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum had already dismissed the former because of unfavorable tax conditions, and it seems to be mostly wishful thinking on the part of the latter.
Many news outlets have discussed the possible implications of Manny returning to the ring relatively quickly after his battle with Miguel Cotto on November 14. But let's be honest: Pacquiao didn't exactly suffer a serious beating in that fight, and though he's more commonly gone five or six months between fights over the past few years, he's certainly capable of performing at a high level with less time off.
Most notably, Pacquiao returned to action after his 12-round March 2008 rematch against Juan Manuel Marquez (a fight in which he took his fair share of flush shots) in less than four months to face David Diaz. Despite moving up in weight, he had little trouble with Diaz, stopping him in nine rounds.
There are no such worries for Mayweather, as it will be nearly six months after his own fight with JMM when he steps in against Pac Man. And since he was enjoying his brief retirement for nearly two years before that, he should be well rested come March.
I have to admit I'm surprised that the fight came together so quickly, but it's a pleasant surprise as it will shine the spotlight on boxing in a way that hasn't happened in years. Just remember that there are other good fights (Shane Mosley-Andre Berto in January, for one) between now and Mayweather-Pacquiao.
Posted by The Franchise
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