Franchise Thoughts on... Adamek-Arreola, Williams-Cintron, Khan-Malignaggi and More

Dan Rafael of ESPN was nice enough to use his blog entry for today to spell out exactly what HBO had planned for the second quarter of 2010. At this point, just about anything would be better than the network's first quarter boxing schedule, though the cancellation of its biggest fight (Shane Mosley-Andre Berto) was obviously not HBO's fault.

Here are my thoughts on what is supposedly on tap:

April:

I was a little surprised to see that Berto will be matched with Carlos Quintana on April 10. There have been quite a few names kicked around for Andre, including everyone from Paul Malignaggi to Zab Judah. Berto himself sounded off on Twitter about a week ago and didn't seem too interested in either one of those guys. Also on that card will be personal favorite Tavoris Cloud facing Glen Johnson in what should be an action-packed fight. I like Cloud in that one, but Johnson will make it a tough night as always.

The next week on April 17 is planned to be a split-site doubleheader that features Lucian Bute-Edison Miranda in Montreal and Kelly Pavlik-Sergio Martinez in Atlantic City. Miranda is always dangerous and should be good for some entertaining trash talk if nothing else, but the most recent version of Bute we saw was also the best one. He should win. Pavlik-Martinez is a fascinating study in contrasts; I'm withholding my thoughts on the outcome until both guys actually sign on the dotted line.

Tomasz Adamek-Chris Arreola is apparently official for April 24, much to my dismay. Don't get me wrong, because I like the match-up. But Showtime just moved the Super Six fights to that date, and now HBO is putting a card on that date. That is bad for fans and the sport in general. Alfredo Angulo vs. Joel Julio is the co-feature, which doesn't do a whole lot for me.

May:

Paul Williams will be the headliner on May 8. Rafael says his most likely opponent will be Kermit Cintron at 154 pounds. I'm biased toward Cintron because he hails from a town about 30 minutes from the hometown of the BoxingWatchers. Nevertheless, I give the edge to The Punisher if he brings his 'A' game. Assuming Martinez really does face Pavlik, this is a good bout for Williams, so I hope it gets made.

Amir Khan-Paulie Malignaggi on May 15? Yes, please! Frankly, Malignaggi never made much sense to me as a foe for Berto, and even though I was intrigued by the possibility of Khan taking on Juan Manuel Marquez for the obvious "youth versus experience" storyline, this is better. Khan seems to be on the fast track to superstardom, but we've seen what can happen to young boxers who are tagged as the next big thing. Speaking of those guys, Victor Ortiz is likely to be in the co-feature against Nate Campbell. That's not too shabby either.

June:

There's nothing official for June as of yet. But there is growing talk about Miguel Cotto and Yuri Foreman fighting, either on June 5 in Yankee Stadium or June 12 at Madison Square Garden. I wrote about that potential title fight in more detail elsewhere, but to sum up, it should be one of those rare matches where we learn something about both men. If Cotto's losses to Antonio Margarito and Manny Pacquiao took something out of him permanently, Foreman seems good enough to let us know. Regardless, NYC is the perfect spot for this fight, indoors or out.

Posted by The Franchise

Possible Revenge for Miguel Cotto the Only Good Thing About Antonio Margarito Fighting Again

It's hard to think of another athlete from any sport, let alone another boxer, who went from likable to despised as quickly as Antonio Margarito. Maybe Ivan Drago to the Russians in Rocky IV, but a real life example escapes me.

One minute Tony was a hard-working welterweight who finally got his shot at the big time, and a few months later he's boxing's Public Enemy No. 1 thanks to the illegal plaster-like substance found in his hand wraps. It was a huge fall, but a deserved one for a man who was prepared to put Shane Mosley's well-being in danger.

And let's face it: that lack of respect for another man's health is what separates Margarito from the Mark McGwire's of the sports world. It's one thing to give yourself an edge and something else entirely when that edge could result in serious injury - or worse.

Margarito is set to return to the ring in less than two months on the undercard of the Manny Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey bout in Dallas. The setting is important, because it allowed Margarito to apply for a license in Texas instead of seeking reinstatement in California, where he was punished in the first place.

Kevin Iole's recent column on Yahoo! Sports explains why Tony should be allowed to box again. Iole doesn't like it, but he points out that the Tijuana Tornado is following the rules that are in place.

He served his suspension and switched trainers. He didn't apologize or admit any wrong-doing, but that's to be expected when the entire strategy for Margarito after the controversy was to pawn the whole thing off on former trainer Javier Capetillo.

For what it's worth, I agree with Iole's theory that there was no way Margarito didn't know about the wraps. I also don't think it was the first time he did it, and on that point I can speak from personal experience.

For over a decade, I worked at an amusement park where one of my main job duties was to uncover internal theft. Almost to a person, the employees we eventually caught red-handed tried to claim it was their first time. We were able to prove that most of them were lying.

That thought allows us to segue to the last man to lose to Margarito, Miguel Cotto. As most boxing fans know, Cotto suffered a brutal 11th-round stoppage, the first of his career and a beating from which some observers think he still hasn't recovered.

Was Margarito cheating on that night too? We'll never know for sure, but logic tells us there's a very good chance. Cotto has pretty much done everything but say he believes it.

With Tony active again, one gets the feeling that Cotto is licking his chops at the thought of avenging that defeat. Knowing what we do about what makes Miguel tick, I;d be surprised if he didn't.

Assuming Margarito wins his comeback bout and Cotto gets past his next foe (supposedly Yuri Foreman in June), expect the talk of the two of them facing each other again to heat up. On one hand, it stinks, because it will be a big payday that Margarito doesn't deserve.

But Cotto is a class act who is a credit to boxing. He's well worth rooting for, and if he's able to exorcise some demons, it will make up for the distasteful sight of Margarito fighting in the spotlight again.

It doesn't sit well with me that Tony is back. I'm a big believer in second chances, but not once you've proven to be so callous with another man's health, or at least his livelihood.

Still, if it gives Cotto a chance for some revenge and redemption, I'm all for it. That may be the only way this story has a satisfying ending.

Posted by The Franchise

Pacquiao-Cotto Shows Its Firepower With 1.25 Million PPV Buys

Admit it: you were waiting to see how many people bought the Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto fight on pay-per-view. And you certainly weren't alone.

According to ESPN's Dan Rafael, the numbers are in, and they are pretty darn good. Rafael says the fight did 1.25 million PPV buys, the most buys for 2009 and pretty much dead even for what Pacquiao did when he fought Oscar De La Hoya last December, when it was (probably correctly) assumed that the Golden Boy was the bigger draw.

The "boxing is back" crowd can take heart that it's the first time in ten years that two boxing cards have garnered 1 million-plus buys in the same year. The other one in 2009, of course, was the Floyd Mayweather-Juan Manuel Marquez bout in September. And that's what makes what's about to happen next so intriguing.

As anyone not emerging from suspended animation knows, negotiations for a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight for next year are likely to start in earnest very soon. Both men are probably going to make a case that they should get a slightly higher percentage of the purse, and now they both have some ammo.

Pacquiao's position is obvious, as he just outdid Mayweather's numbers a few months apart (Floyd came in at 1.05 million buys, give or take) without the help of De La Hoya. Money's camp can counter that Cotto actually brought plenty of fans to the table, certainly more than Marquez did - and since Rafael says Pacquiao-Cotto did more buys on Puerto Rico than any fight in history, there's probably some truth to that.

Would a 50-50 split be unreasonable, considering both fighters have proven their popularity and the total amount of money to be split is going to be enormous? Probably. Will it easy to make two proud boxers at the height of their powers admit that? Not on your life, especially when you throw other strong personalities (Bob Arum, Richard Schaefer, Freddie Roach, etc.) into the mix.

Hold on from here, because the ride is about to get interesting.

Posted by The Franchise

20/20 Hindsight: Surprise! It was Manny Pacquiao's Power That Made the Difference Against Miguel Cotto

Even with a few days for it to sink in, I'm still doing a bit of mental digestion of Manny Pacquiao's 12th-round TKO of Miguel Cotto. It isn't the result (which I correctly predicted, if I may toot my own horn a bit), or the seven titles in weight classes, or even the hype already building as fans salivate over a possible meeting between Pac Man and Floyd Mayweather (the early line is already set!).

Instead, what stands out to me as something to ponder is that in what many people billed as a contest between speed and power, it was Pacquiao's power that was really the deciding factor. The telling quote in the aftermath of the fight came from Cotto trainer Joe Santiago:

"He hit harder than we expected and he was a lot stronger than we expected."

Think about that for a moment. It's a much different song than the ones sung by David Diaz or Oscar De La Hoya pointing to Pacquiao's quickness as the main cause of their defeats. Oscar even went as far as to suggest he didn't think Manny hit that hard.

For the first few rounds, though, Cotto was able to handle, if not completely neutralize, Pac Man's speed. He did so mostly by staying busy with his jab and capitalizing on his reach, plus throwing in the occasional counter shot.

Pacquiao had already started stepping it up toward the end of the second round, perhaps proving Freddie Roach's assertion that Manny wasn't following their preferred strategy. Still, it was only after Cotto tasted some flush shots - especially the left to the chin that dropped him in the latter stages of the fourth round - that he looked like he was lost, essentially fighting while going backward for the remainder of the bout.

Manny's high KO percentage and reputation as an action fighter somewhat obscure the fact that he didn't really have fearsome one-shot power at featherweight or super featherweight. He couldn't keep Juan Manuel Marquez down despite dropping him three times in their first meeting and lost to Erik Morales in their first fight. At 130, Oscar Larios, Marco Antonio Barrera and Marquez (again) all escaped with decision losses.

Since moving up to lightweight and beyond, though, Pacquiao has stopped everyone he's faced, suggesting his pure punching power is peaking. The punch that turned Ricky Hatton's lights out was just about the perfect evidence, and the knockdown shot from this past Saturday was a great Exhibit B.

That's not to say that Pacquiao's speed and knack for throwing punches from unorthodox angles didn't bother Cotto, because they clearly did. But for a guy that had already been in with Shane Mosley and Antonio Margarito, no slouches in the power department themselves (though Tony may have had some, um, help), to be so affected by shots landed by a man who had campaigned two weight classes lower the previous year is truly remarkable.

Should the megafight with Mayweather ever becomes a reality, it's that power that very well could prove to be the x-factor. Both men are exceptionally fast, meaning any edge in speed either way will be a tiny one. Floyd gets the nod in lateral movement and ring generalship, though Pacquiao has made vast improvements in both areas over a relatively short period of time.

If Pac Man can land clean shots against Mayweather - and yes, that's a big if due to Floyd's defensive wizardry - Money may very well find that he's up against the hardest hitting welterweight he's ever faced. A week ago, I wouldn't have believed it, but it's hard to discount that line of thinking now.

Posted by The Franchise

Manny Pacquiao vs. Miguel Cotto: Round By Round

The undercard is over and the big fight is about to get underway. Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto will go head to head for Cotto's WBO welterweight belt.

Magic Johnson, Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Derek Jeter, Roberto Duran and Sean "Diddy" Combs are among the big names on hand. There are three national anthems to get through before we start. La Diva handles the Filipino anthem, Ednita Nazario sings the anthem for Puerto Rico and Ramiele sings "The Star-Spangled Banner."

The tale of the tape shows Cotto with an inch and a half advantage in height and a slight reach advantage as well. Pac Man weighed in at 144 pounds, Cotto at 145.

Cotto is 34-1 with 27 KOs. He's won twice since his lone defeat at the hands of Antonio Margarito in July of 2008. Pacquiao is 49-3-2 with 37 KOs. A win tonight would be his 11th in a row.

There's an awfully long wait for the fighters to head for the ring. Pacquiao walks in first to AC/DC's "Thunderstruck," which then changes over to "Eye of the Tiger." He smiles and bounces on his feet as he acknowledges the crowd.

Cotto has the hood on his robe up as he comes out to Kanye West's "Stronger." His face is a sharp contrast to his opponent's; very businesslike.

Michael Buffer does the introductions and we're ready to go!

Round 1

Cotto flicks out the first jab. Now a double jab that lands. Manny gets smacked by another jab. Pac Man is reaching a bit. Cotto is really on with the jab. Manny tries his own jabs and gets caught jumping in. Nice counter left by Miguel. Pacquiao has to scramble to avoid getting cornered. Good feinting both ways. Manny is giving Miguel plenty of respect. One-two by Pacquiao and a nice counter after Cotto tries to answer. Cotto lands one right at the bell.

Franchise: 10-9 Cotto
Spartan117: 10-9 Cotto

Round 2

Manny tries to counter off Miguel's jab. Pacquiao tries to settle down behind the jab. Two-punch combo is blocked by Cotto. Manny gets in a few straight rights, but Cotto answers with a right of his own. Hard jab by Cotto again. Two nice lefts score for Pac Man. Big left hook by Cotto gets a crowd reaction. The ref tells Miguel to keep his punches up. Short left hands by Pacquiao as he dances around. Body shot by Manny as Cotto digs in. Miguel goes body and head but eats two lefts. Great action in the corner at the end of the round.

Franchise: 10-9 Cotto
Spartan117: 10-9 Pacquiao

Round 3

Manny waves Miguel in and he obliges with jabs. Pacquiao gets caught a bit coming in but Manny answers with a right hook that sends Cotto down. He's up quickly and doesn't look too hurt. Cotto turns southpaw and backs Pac Man up. Left to the body by Cotto; right hook to the head by Pacquiao. Manny holds and hits a bit in close. Cotto lets the jab flow but Pacquiao forces him to cover up. Nice left hook by Cotto that connects. Left uppercut connects and snaps Manny's head back. They wrestle to kill off the final five seconds.

Franchise: 10-8 Pacquiao
Spartan117: 9-9

Round 4

Cotto opens up with the jabs again. Manny misses a wild right hook. Miguel peppers Manny with lefts along the ropes. Counter left to the body by Pac Man. Both men score with short shots from their off hands. Combo punching by Pacquiao that Cotto tries to answer. Manny fires off lefts as he circles. Cotto ties up to catch a breather. Pacquiao gets backed up against the ropes and eats a right hand. He ducks away to get space. With 20 seconds to go, Pac Man lands a left that scores another knockdown. Cotto beats the count but looks a little more dazed this time.

Franchise: 10-8 Pacquiao
Spartan117: 10-8 Pacquiao

Round 5

We'll see where they stand pretty early here. Cotto is still coming forward. Manny fires short lefts and dodges to his right. Pacquiao's speed is bothering Cotto a bit right now. Right hook by Manny and he darts away. Cotto tries the body as he shoves Pac Man back. Manny continues to look fluid as he mixes up his punches. Cotto lunges to throw a three-punch combo, then uses an uppercut along the ropes. Left hook by Cotto. He has to scramble to avoid a final Pacquiao flurry.

Franchise: 10-9 Pacquiao
Spartan117: 10-9 Pacquiao

Round 6

Harold Lederman gave that last round to Cotto. The HBO team doesn't think he got any tactical advice in-between rounds. Sharp left lands for Manny in tight. Left-right by Pacquiao gets the crowd to react; Cotto scores with a left hook. A left catches Cotto square in the face. Another left gets Cotto to wince. They stand and trade in the center of the ring. Cotto does a lot of ducking and has to grab Pac Man to avoid going down after a left hand late.

Franchise: 10-9 Pacquiao
Spartan117: 10-9 Pacquiao

Round 7

CompuBox really liked that last round for Pacquiao. Mean right hook after an exchange and Cotto is stunned again. Left-right by Manny before they tie up. Cotto backs Manny up but mostly fires jabs. Miguel ducks and covers and tries some body shots. Cotto still has a bit of bounce but Manny is picking off a lot of shots with his gloves held high. Pacquiao is answering jabs with power shots and that has him looking good.

Franchise: 10-9 Pacquiao
Spartan117: 10-9 Pacquiao

Round 8

Pac Man lands a left to the body and Cotto is doing a lot of retreating. Jabs are still Cotto's main weapon. Manny's timing is giving Cotto fits. Miguel does some dodging but can't escape a series of left hands. Cotto looks like he's trying to time Pac Man for one big shot. Pacquiao gets Cotto backed into the ropes and both men swing away.

Franchise: 10-9 Pacquiao
Spartan117: 10-9 Pacquiao

Round 9

Emanuel Steward thinks Cotto's corner should think about stopping things. He's still out there fighting, but unless he scores a KO he has basically no chance. He lands part of a combo and still has jump in his legs. Manny rips a three-punch combo and turns up the heat. Left hand shots smash Cotto and he looks to be in trouble. Manny walks through a left and Miguel is bleeding from somewhere on his face.

Franchise: 10-9 Pacquiao
Spartan117: 10-9 Pacquiao

Round 10

Cotto's corner says they will give him one more round. His family left after that last frame. Cotto goes for his last stand. Lederman thinks they should stop the fight, but Larry Merchant disagrees. Miguel is actually having a decent round, but Pac Man seems to have eased up on the gas a bit too. Now Manny fires some shots and makes his foe cover his right eye. Left by Cotto and more jabs. Two hard lefts by Pacquiao as they juke along the ropes.

Franchise: 10-9 Pacquiao
Spartan117: 10-9 Pacquiao

Round 11

Cotto is doing everything he can to see this through to the end. Body-head combo by Pac Man in the corner, and the ref takes a hard look. Cotto fires jabs back between the gloves. No questioning his heart today. Pacquiao just misses a huge left. Pac Man momentarily stops chasing Cotto and the crowd boos.

Franchise: 10-9 Pacquiao
Spartan117: 10-9 Pacquiao

Round 12

They touch gloves to start the 12th. Kenny Bayless is up close to make sure he shouldn't stop this. A "Manny" chant goes up from the fans. A big left scores for Pacquiao, and Bayless waves it off. It's all over.

The winner by TKO at :55 of Round 12... and new WBO welterweight titleholder... Manny "Pac Man" Pacquiao.

Merchant asks Pacquiao if the fight turned on the two knockdowns. Pac Man says the strategy was to be patient.

He was wary of Cotto's power, but he was trying to time Miguel looking for knockout shots in the early rounds. Pacquiao also talks about the dangers of Cotto looking for a one-punch KO once he got behind on the cards.

Manny laughs a bit and admits he expected the fight to be stopped in the 11th round. Here comes the Floyd Mayweather question... and he deflects it as best he can.

Pacquiao doesn't think he can go up past welterwight, saying 154 is too heavy. In a severe understatement Manny thinks Filipinos will be happy.

Merchant turns to Freddie Roach, who says he always thought Pacquiao would be able to break Cotto down eventually. Roach isn't shy about saying he wants Mayweather next.

Merchant thanks Cotto for staying around to talk. Miguel's pride really comes through as he answers the tough questions.

Cotto says he thinks Pacquiao is an all-time great. He does say he originally asked for the fight to be stopped after the 11th but changed his mind. Miguel has no plans to retire.

Lampley and Steward discuss Manny's future, and Emanuel believes it needs to be Mayweather next even though it will be tough to get the details nailed down. Merchant gets the last word in as always, stating that Pac Man deserves to be thought of very highly in terms of boxing history.

Posted by The Franchise

Pacquiao-Cotto: Firepower Undercard Live Blog

We're live on pay-per-view from Las Vegas for the big Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto fight. We've got a way to go before we get to the main event, with two 10-rounders and a 12-round bout on the televised portion of the undercard.

Jim Lampley talks a bit about the big fight before introducing the first televised fight, a welterweight contest between Alfonso Gomez and Jesus Soto-Karass. Gomez is 20-4-2, while Soto-Karass sports a record of 24-3-3. As you may expect, Michael Buffer is on hand to do the introductions.

These guys get right down to business, though both men are warned early for low punches. The first round is fairly even, but Gomez lands a few harder punches that probably give him the edge. Leaderman has Foreman up by 3 points.

Soto-Karass is having success with his jab but not getting a ton of follow-up shots to land with it. Gomez gets cut near his right eye about halfway through Round 3 that looks pretty bad. Jesus gets docked a point for a low blow.

The cut was ruled to have been caused by a headbutt. Harold Lederman has Gomez winning all three rounds, and Soto-Karass gets another point deducted in Round 4. Gomez is still fighting hard but the blood seems to be bothering him a lot.

It's possible Gomez could be up by six points after four rounds because of the deductions. Soto-Karass starts to step on it a bit with combination punching in Round 5.

Between rounds, we see Cotto enter the arena. Jim Lampley remarks that Cotto's team is always quiet when they first arrive, and he's actually sitting in the crowd watching the undercard fights.

The cut remains the big issue in this fight, and Lampley and Emanuel Steward discuss whether or not the fight should be stopped. The ref calls a halt to things with less than a minute left in Round 6, and we'll go to the scorecards.

The scores come back 58-54, 57-55 and 57-55, and Gomez wins a unanimous decision.

The second fight of the undercard is between Daniel Santos and Yuri Foreman.

It's off to a relatively slow start. Both fighters are feeling each other out in round 1. There's a lot of Yuri Foreman butt-kissing from the commentators. Foreman got caught with a huge counter in round two that buckled the legs of Foreman. Foreman was in trouble and clinched to stay up, then landed a huge left hook that dropped Santos. Santos complained that it was a punch to the back of the head. It looked clean to me.

Foreman is fighting a smart fight but he's not taking many risks. He's very hesitant to throw his power right hand. Foreman landed a huge right hand and Santos was in big trouble with about 20 seconds left in the 4th round. Santos clinched to make it out. Foreman is in total control of this fight. He's landing more right hands now and taking more risks.

A cut opened in the middle of round six over the eye of Foreman. It was caused by an accidental headbutt. It doesn't look that serious.

The cut continues to get worse. Ref, Jay Nady, had the doctor look at it. The doc says it's OK to continue. Leaderman still has Foreman up by 4 points going into the 8th.

They cut in the action to show the Cotto corner in Manny's dressing room to observe the hand wrapping. On an interesting note, Manny wraps his own hands, which is very strange.

Foreman continue to fight a good fight. Santos is getting gassed down the stretch and Foreman is landing fast accurate punches. The HBO cast has their pom pom's out in full force. They are talking about all things Yuri Foreman and how great he is.

They are both swinging for the fences in the 12th. Santos is going for the KO. No Foreman starts to get on his bike. Foreman lands a quick left hand and drops Santos again with a minute left. Santos makes it up and waves in Foreman to come forward at the end of the round.

Foreman should win by unanimous decision. The judges score the bout 116-110, 117-109, and 117-109 all for the winner by unanimous decision Yuri Foreman.

The last undercard is in the middleweight division and is between Troy Rowland who is 25-2 with 7 KOs and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. who is 40-0-1 with 30 KOs. Chavez looks a lot like his father.

No feeling out round here. They are swinging away from the beginning of round 1. Both fighters are landing some good shots. Chavez is looking to land a big left hook. Rowland looks like he was put in there just to be a target for Chavez but he is giving Chavez a run for his money.

On an unrelated note, Will Ferrell is ringside to see the fight. As is Mark Wahlberg, Toby Maguire, Magic Johnson, and Derek Jeter.

Not much going on in the fight. Neither fighter is landing much of value. The crowd is getting a little bored and restless in anticipation for the main event. Chavez is landing some good body shots now. They crowd is quite hushed during the last round. Now they start to boo. This has been one stinker of an undercard for one of the years biggest pay-per-views.

The judges score the bout 99-101, 98-92, and 97-93 all for the winner by unanimous decision Julio Cezar Chavez Jr.

Manny Pacquiao vs. Miguel Cotto Live Round By Round Updates Tonight

Firepower is finally here!

Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto both made weight and looked healthy and ready to go, so we're all set for the biggest fight of the year. With two popular, action-oriented fighters and a number of intriguing storylines, it's hard to imagine there are any boxing fans anywhere who aren't interested in this one.

There are several great ways to watch the fight, including in person or on closed circuit TV in Las Vegas and, of course, on pay-per-view in many other places. If none of those options are available to you, we're here to be your last resort for keeping up with the action.

We'll have a live blog out on our home page for the (somewhat underwhelming) undercard, then we'll start a brand new post with live round by round updates of the Pacquiao-Cotto bout. Bookmark us and refresh often for the latest.

The televised undercard gets underway at 9 pm Eastern (even earlier fights can be seen at Yahoo! Sports) and my educated guess is that the main event may start around midnight. See you later tonight!

More on Pacquiao-Cotto:

In-Depth Preview
Predictions
Weigh-In Recap
What Happens If Pacquiao Loses?


Posted by The Franchise

Pacquiao-Cotto Weigh-In Recap

We had some technical difficulties getting linked up for the weigh-in festivities but we're ready to go now courtesy of HBO.com. We're still a few minutes away from seeing Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto step on the scales.

The MGM Grand looks to be pretty full for the weigh-in with fans supporting both boxers. Michael Buffer calls out to the Filipinos and Puerto Ricans in attendance. Buffer introduces New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs, who gets a mixed reaction from the crowd.

Jacobs says it's going to be a great fight and shills a bit for Top Rank. His role seems to be simply to hype up the fans even more.

Buffer gets in one final plug for the pay-per-view broadcast and segues into a video package that's basically a commercial for the fight. But Bert Sugar is in it, so it's all good.

More stalling from the stage. Buffer calls out Jeremy Piven for a little HBO-centric promotion. He makes a few lame weight jokes but at least seems to know a bit about boxing, and his excitement comes off as genuine.

Now it's time to get down to business as Buffer brings out Pacquiao. Freddie Roach leads Pac Man onto the stage to raucous cheers from his fans. Cotto gets tons of love too as he climbs the stairs on the opposite side.

Buffer points out that Pacquiao is the challenger tomorrow night, so he strips down to his shorts and climbs on the scale. He's looking in great shape as always and weighs in at 144 pounds.

Cotto is up next and he looks ripped as well. He weighs in right on the button at 145 pounds.

The fighters do the usual side-by-side posing as Piven grabs a microphone. Asked about cutting weight, Cotto says he ate well for training and doesn't think it will affect his power. He handles Piven's other lame questions well and addresses his fans in Spanish.

Some soccer chants start rolling through the crowd for some reason. ESPN has been talking to Pacquiao, but Piven manages to wrangle him over. Asked how long he abstains from sex before fights, Manny busts Jeremy's chops a bit. Pac Man plugs a post-fight party at Mandalay Bay where he'll sing eight songs with his band. He gives a brief bilingual shout out to his fans as well.

Buffer urges folks to call their pay-per-view providers again, and the Top Rank team speaks with Jacobs again. The big back jokes that he got Bob Arum to arrange the fight during the Giants' bye week. Jacobs talks a little bit about his background in the sport and picks Cotto to win, saying he thinks Miguel will end it early.

We get a brief replay of the fighters on the scales with a brief discussion about Cotto and the contracted weight of 145 pounds. This blogger concurs that Cotto looked healthy enough cutting to that weight. Weigh-ins for Daniel Santos and Yuri Foreman are still going on in the background but the announcer talked through the actual weights.

Posted by The Franchise

Manny Pacquiao vs. Miguel Cotto: Predictions

The Franchise says...

As it always does for a huge fight, it seemed like time was moving in slow motion over the last few weeks leading up to Pacquiao-Cotto. But it's finally here, and we'll soon see if it lives up to the hype.

Popular opinion seems to be suggesting that it won't. Pacquiao is a fairly large betting favorite, numerous observers are stating that Cotto isn't the same fighter he was before getting pummeled by Antonio Margarito, and there are questions about the skill of Cotto's corner. Pac Man trainer Freddie Roach (who, of course, may just be playing mind games) has changed his prediction to a first-round KO.

Yes, Manny will be faster than Miguel. It's possible he'll hit almost as hard too. But in boxing, everything is relative, and that's why I think this will be a closer, tougher fight than some believe.

Since Pacquiao has ventured above lightweight, he's fought two big names who in retrospect had no shot to beat him. Oscar De La Hoya was too old and too drained, while Ricky Hatton was way too slow and (surprisingly) too small as well.

Cotto is none of those things, so that alone makes me think he'll fare better than the Golden Boy or The Hitman. Inexperienced trainer or not, he's also capable of making mid-fight adjustments, though I am well aware that Manny's speed may render changes in strategy useless.

I think all outcomes are possible, though I think a Pacquiao KO is most likely and a Cotto decision least likely. I just see Cotto making Manny work really hard to earn this one, meaning I expect Pacquiao to win by late TKO.

Uatu says...

Nothing would shock me in this fight, but I would be surprised if there was a KO either way. I think Cotto is an excellent boxer and a tough guy, so I don't see Manny getting a KO, and for sure not in the first round.

I feel like Roach has gotten very cocky over the last few years, but then again, Manny has been backing it up, so you could argue he's just telling it like it is. Does he truly believe Manny is getting a first round ko? I am not sure. What I am sure of is, Roach is going to be the better of the two trainers.

So, with the Roach advantage, and the weight limit being the lower 145 amount, I see Manny by unanimous decision. I believe he wins fairly easily, too.

Spartan117 says....

The buzz I'm hearing from the analysts that are siding with Cotto sounds strangely similar to what they said about Manny's fights with De La Hoya and Hatton. They're saying that Cotto is too big and too strong for Manny. I really don't see the size being an issue. Manny is just too fast and accurate for Cotto. I see Manny coming out hard early which will prove to be too much for Cotto towards the middle of the fight....Manny by mid round TKO

Franchise Thoughts: What If Manny Pacquiao Loses to Miguel Cotto?

The hearts of boxing fans everywhere are rightfully aflutter with anticipation for this weekend's collision between Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto. It's not hard to see why, because the fight features two popular champions from different countries who almost always bring crowd-pleasing action to their fights.

Pacquiao is the betting favorite (-300 at BetUS.com as of this morning) and seems like he can do no wrong right now. He's defeated some big names in his last few fights in impressive fashion, rapidly and successfully switching weight classes along the way.

With his speed, power and ever-improving boxing skills, Pac Man is the popular pick to win the bout as well. In some corners, it's almost a foregone conclusion that he'll beat Cotto, with fans already breathlessly discussing a possible showdown with Floyd Mayweather for pound-for-pound supremacy.

In other words, a lot of people appear to be looking past Cotto. That's a mistake, because even though this writer also thinks Pacquiao will win, it won't be a complete shock if he doesn't. At the very least, Cotto should prove the stiffest test Pac Man has had in quite some time.

So let's say that Cotto surprises the pundits and pulls off the victory. How would the fallout rearrange the boxing landscape for 2010?

For starters, you could forget about Mayweather-Pacquiao, at least for the time being. It wouldn't make sense for Floyd to fight Manny coming off a loss - or dollars either, and that's always a consideration.

That would make Cotto as likely as anyone to be Mayweather's next opponent. He'd be an even bigger name coming off an upset over Pacquiao, but not so big that he'd demand too much of the revenue. Big money, a favorable split and a credible foe would make a tempting proposition for Mayweather, and though Cotto has said he didn't think he was ready to face Floyd earlier in his career, he'd likely feel differently after defeating Manny.

If Mayweather went a different direction, Cotto would still have plenty of options. He could wait out the winner of January's Shane Mosley-Andre Berto fight or plan for revenge against Antonio Margarito, secure that he'd have some extra leverage in the negotiations.

As for Pacquiao, a loss wouldn't be the end of the world. He'd have his acting and singing pursuits to keep him occupied while he licked his wounds, and he's said to be contemplating another run at public office.

He'd still be a huge draw when he made his return to the ring, and that return could very well come against arch enemy Juan Manuel Marquez, who's been spoiling for another shot at Pacquiao for some time. JMM has a higher profile among the general public after he tangled with Mayweather earlier this year, and the fact that both men would be trying to rebound from losses would only add to the intrigue.

So if Miguel Cotto has his hand raised in victory early Sunday morning, it will raise some eyebrows and throw a monkey wrench in plans for the sport's next megafight. But a couple other big matches would undoubtedly still be the end result, and for boxing fans, that's never a bad thing.

Posted by The Franchise

Manny Pacquiao vs. Miguel Cotto: In-Depth Preview

Manny "Pac Man" Pacquiao

Born: Bukidnon, Philippines
Resides: General Santos City, Philippines
Height: 5' 6 1/2"
Reach: 67"
Current World Titles Held: 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: 49-3-2, 37 KOs
Record in World Title Fights: 9-1-2, 8 KOs
Record at Welterweight: 1-0, 1 KO
Record in Fights Going 12 Rounds: 3-1-1

Notable Wins: TKO2 Ricky Hatton, TKO8 Oscar De La Hoya, SD12 Juan Manuel Marquez II
Notable Losses: UD12 Erik Morales I, KO3 Medgoen Singsurat

Miguel Cotto

Born: Caguas, Puerto Rico
Resides: Caguas, Puerto Rico
Height: 5' 7"
Reach: 67"
Current World Titles Held: WBO Welterweight (147 lbs.)
Former World Titles Held: WBA Welterweight (147 lbs.), WBO Light Welterweight (140 lbs.)
Professional Record: 34-1, 27 KOs
Record in World Title Fights: 14-1, 11 KOs
Record at Welterweight: 8-1, 6 KOs
Record in Fights Going 12 Rounds: 4-0

Notable Wins: SD12 Joshua Clottey, UD12 Shane Mosley, TKO11 Zab Judah
Notable Loss: TKO11 Antonio Margarito

Analysis:

Promoter Bob Arum couldn't have planned for things to work out more perfectly than this: two of his Top Rank fighters facing off against each other in one of the biggest boxing matches of 2009.

Always appreciated by serious boxing fans and beloved by his Filipino people, Pacquiao blossomed into a mainstream star over the last two years with high profile knockouts of Ricky Hatton and Oscar De La Hoya. He's come a long way since his days as an exciting yet one-dimensional slugger, and his continued development has him justifiably earning consideration as the top pound-for-pound boxer in the world.

His opponent will be stepping into the brightest spotlight of his career as he attempts to etch his name onto the list of Puerto Rican legends. Cotto's career was sidetracked a bit when he was stopped in July of 2008 by Antonio Margarito, but he got himself back on track earlier this year by knocking out overmatched Michael Jennings and gutting out a tough split decision over Joshua Clottey.

Though both men have world class boxing skills, their offense-first mentalities and high KO percentages suggest an entertaining affair for as long as it lasts. Pacquiao has nearly unparalleled hand speed to go with nimble feet, but Cotto is a legitimate welterweight - in contrast to the smaller Hatton and weight-drained De La Hoya that Pac Man faced - who isn't exactly a slouch in the quickness department and will almost certainly hit Pacquiao as hard as he's ever been hit.

The road to this bout hasn't been 100 percent smooth, with Pacquiao dealing with an eventful camp and Cotto continuing to adjust to having relatively inexperienced Joe Santiago as lead trainer role after uncle Evangelista Cotto filled that role for most of his career. But each man has dealt with distractions successfully in the past, and smart money says both will draw enough extra energy from their vocal ethnic contingents to be in top form come fight night.

One interesting footnote is that even though the contracted fight weight is 145 pounds, Cotto's WBO welterweight belt will be on the line. That gives Pacquiao a chance to join De La Hoya as the only boxers ever to hold major world titles in six different divisions.

Pacquiao's Winning Strategy: Keep the Action in the Center of the Ring

Perhaps only Floyd Mayweather has quicker hands than Pacquiao, something a shell-shocked De La Hoya found out the hard way. Manny also has knockout power in both hands thanks to the development of a dangerous right hook to go with his cannon left, and so far it's translated to higher weights.

The problem with relying on just those traits this time is that Cotto is a naturally bigger man with a high boxing IQ, and he's not going to stand around and be Pac Man's punching bag. If Pacquiao gets lured into exchanges in tight spaces, Cotto has more than enough pop to make him pay.

Manny will need to use his lateral movement and increasingly impressive ring awareness to avoid getting trapped in the corners or along the ropes. Out in space, Pacquiao's fast hands and feet can be used to their greatest effect, and no one has found the answer for them in years.

Cotto's Winning Strategy: Cut Off the Ring and Attack the Body

Finding and catching Pacquiao seems to be a lot harder than it used to be, but Cotto is better equipped for the challenge than most. He's likely to have livelier legs than either of Pac Man's last two big name foes, and he's excellent at applying effective pressure.

Cotto is also an accomplished body puncher, something that can sap the quickness out of anyone. Concentrating on the body is never a bad idea, but against Pacquiao it could turn out to be especially vital for neutralizing his speed.

With Pacquiao likely to be able to get off first any time he wants, Cotto needs to get in tight so he can bring his size and power to bear. The best way to do that is to cut off Manny's escape routes so he can't stick and move. If Cotto can make Pacquiao fight with his back against the ropes, he'll be able to find out if Pac Man can take shots from a true welterweight – and he just may like the answer.

Posted by The Franchise

MGM Grand Offering Pacquiao-Cotto Closed Circuit Packages

The BoxingWatchers all enjoy the occasional gambling trip to Las Vegas or Atlantic City, so we are on mailing lists for a bunch of casinos. Every now and then something comes my way that is boxing-related, and that's the case today.

The MGM Grand is offering two different packages that include lodging and tickets to watch the Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto fight on closed circuit television. One includes two nights in a deluxe room for $409, and the other features two nights in a junior suite for $449. Both packages include a $75 food and beverage credit and two comp admissions to Studio 54 or Tabu.

You can book up to November 11, so if you are on the fence about heading to Vegas for the fight, this sounds like a pretty sweet way to watch amongst other boxing fanatics at a decent price. I think this link should get you to the reservation page.

Posted by The Franchise

Franchise Thoughts: If Manny Pacquiao Isn't Next for Floyd Mayweather, Then Who Is?

I have a confession to make: I haven't seen the Mayweather-Marquez fight.

It's not because I didn't want to, as I really was curious about how Floyd would look coming off his hiatus. I had to work, though, and had to head in right after the John-Juarez bout.

I've heard from several reliable sources that I missed nothing. Money was too good - on top of being too big - for JMM. End of story.

Even before Saturday's fight, fans and media members alike have been speculating about the possibility of Mayweather facing Manny Pacquiao some time next year. That talk is accelerating now, with some folks acting like it's practically a done deal.

I'm not as certain of that. For starters, Pac-Man has a big fight of his own coming up in November against Miguel Cotto, and even though I favor him to win, I wouldn't bet the ranch on it. Cotto is tough, craftier than he's often given credit for, and there's an excellent chance he'll be the strongest man Pacquiao has ever fought. I'll be surprised if Cotto wins, but I won't be shocked.

For what it's worth, if Cotto does beat Pacquiao, I think Mayweather may re-injure his ribs running to sign to face him. That's because Cotto is a big draw, meaning big bucks, and yet I could see Floyd seeing him (perhaps incorrectly) as an easy puzzle to solve. A large payday and a perceived low risk? That's right up Money May's alley.

Speaking of money, the sheer amount to be made from a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight means it makes the most sense for both parties if Manny gets by Miguel - but it could easily prove a sticking point too. Each man is going to see himself as the A side and negotiations aren't going to be easy. Bob Arum has already made that pretty clear with some of his comments.

Weight is another potential hurdle, as Team Pacquiao isn't going to allow the same hijinks that the JMM camp agreed to. Or, if you believe this guy, perhaps Freddie Roach will just throw up his hands, say "We can't beat him!" and that will be that.

Obviously, Mayweather isn't planning on heading right back into retirement, so if he doesn't agree to a fight with Pacquiao (or Cotto), what's his next move? Tim Starks recently laid out some possibilities at TQBR, but he's almost using too much logic in doing so, and we all know logic and the sweet science have a connection that's tenuous at best.

Because of that, I can't rule out Mayweather fighting yet another guy coming up in weight, though there isn't as obvious a candidate as Ricky Hatton or JMM once were. Assuming he's actually on fighting a welterweight at 147 pounds (crazy idea, I know), here are three names I'd expect to see kicked around, along with my thoughts on their chances of actually stepping in the ring with Floyd:

Shane Mosley: Sugar Shane just went from figuratively begging for a fight with Mayweather to literally begging for one. It was uncharacteristically crass for Mosley, and that's coming from one of his biggest fans.

Mayweather would probably let that affront slide if Shane was a big draw, but history has suggested that he's not. On top of that, for reasons Starks explains in that post I linked to above, Mosley is still good enough to pose at least a bit of a challenge for Floyd.

Shane probably didn't help his chances with his post-fight stunt, but I could still see this one coming together. Yet I could also see Mayweather pushing it off until Mosley is another six months to a year older.

Paul Williams: Even if The Punisher wasn't scheduled (I guess) to fight Kelly Pavlik in December, do you really think Floyd wants to subject himself to fighting someone with a ten-inch reach advantage who throws 100-plus punches a round? Williams is also even less of a household name than Mosley, despite his talent.

I'll never say never in boxing, especially after some of the match-ups we've seen over the past few years, but I'm not going to hold my breath for this one. I love Williams and would be thrilled if he got the shot, but in this case I wouldn't even fault Floyd for thinking the risk/reward ratio was all wrong.

Andre Berto: I'm surprised he isn't getting more consideration. Yes, he's less established than even Mosley and Williams, but he's likely to be considered less of a threat than either of them while still having accomplished enough to appear a credible opponent. In Floyd's world, those things count for a lot.

As the youngest fighter on this list, I'd guess Berto would be the most amenable to a lopsided split in favor of Money May, so if Floyd feels like his name would sell the fight (and really, that's not much of a stretch) he'd be okay with getting a super-sized slice of whatever pie there would be. If the Pacquiao-Cotto winner is out, Andre could get himself in the mix.


I honestly don't see anyone else at 147 who jumps out. If you think I've missed someone obvious, leave a comment and enlighten me.

Posted by The Franchise

Kelly Pavlik Not Yet Cleared to Train, Dec. 5 Date for Fight With Paul Williams in Jeopardy?

A week ago on this very blog, I made a little joke about not rearranging my work schedule to be able to attend the Kelly Pavlik-Paul Williams fight on December 5. At least I intended it as a joke, because I really would like to see that fight sooner rather than later.

Despite Bob Arum's happiness with the progress Pavlik and his troublesome staph infection are making, it appears we still shouldn't save the date just yet. The Cleveland Plain Dealer is reporting that Pavlik hasn't been cleared to train.

As per Mike Pavlik, official big brother of Kelly, Team Pavlik is "still looking at Dec. 5" but nothing could be made concrete until The Ghost received medical clearance. Reading between the lines, it sounds like the fight could get pushed back. Again.

If that happens, Pavlik could be looking at nearly a year of inactivity since he retired Marco Antonio Rubio this past February. Call me crazy, but I'm not sure I'd want there to be any chance I'd have ring rust when I stepped in against The Punisher.

Let's do some Shoe Shining...

SHOE SHINING

The always hilarious Michael Marley (often unintentionally so) spun a whole column, kind of, out of Freddie Roach's reaction to Juan Manuel Marquez drinking his own urine on 24/7. Somehow I doubt Manny Pacquiao will be downing a glass of his own pee any time soon...

In the wake of Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto making appearances at Yankee Stadium to promote their upcoming bout, the AP ran a story about the attempt to return boxing to the venue. Okay, it wouldn't technically be a return at this version of Yankee Stadium, but you get the idea. Also of note: Arum's comments that a meeting between the Pacquiao-Cotto winner and the Floyd Mayweather-JMM winner would be "unlikely." Just posturing, or something else?...

Could the continued rise of MMA as the hip combat sport make it difficult for aspiring boxers to find places to train? A boxing club in Sarasota, Florida is getting pushed aside so that the gym can be used for MMA training. As I've said numerous times, I enjoy both sports, but it would be a real shame if this kind of thing would become a trend.

Posted by The Franchise

Franchise Thoughts: Looking at the Second Half of the 2009 Boxing Schedule, Plus the Debut of Shoe Shining

After a pretty hot start to the year in boxing, we hit a bit of a lull during the middle of the summer months. Something similar happened in 2008, but at least then we had Olympic boxing to watch (plus bitch about its ridiculous scoring system).

Anyway, we're past that now, and even if it's not necessarily pedal to the metal for the rest of 2009 - September could still use a few more fights, for one - as Jim Ross would say, business is about to pick up.

With that in mind, here are some highlights for the rest of the calendar year. This isn't intended to be an exhaustive list, and some of these fights aren't set in stone yet, but these are dates to keep in mind moving forward.

Aug. 15 - Nonito Donaire vs. Rafael Concepcion, Steven Luevano vs. Bernabe Concepcion (PPV); Roy Jones vs. Jeff Lacy (PPV)

Dueling pay-per-views are always a bummer, simply because they force you to make a choice. It will be interesting to see who has more (or more properly who has less) left in the tank between Roy and Jeff, and that event will probably sell better because of Jones' name. The little guys will be the better value pick though, and fans on the internets seem to be in love with Bernabe, so the Luevano bout should be a good one.

The Jones PPV also has Danny Green, B.J. Flores and Jason Litzau on the card, which is at least an attempt to give viewers some bang for the buck.

Aug. 22 - Juan Diaz vs. Paulie Malignaggi (HBO)

This is a nice matchup between two eminently watchable boxers; Diaz for his entertaining fighting style and Paulie for his personality. Both men are trying to get careers that kind of came off the rails in 2008 back on track, so motivation shouldn't be an issue.

The rest of the card is also loaded, with Robert Guerrero facing Malcolm Klassen and Daniel "Call me Danny" Jacobs taking on Ishe Smith. The Golden Child has been pretty defensive on Twitter about criticism of Smith as an opponent; maybe he'll channel that aggression into something impressive.

Aug. 28 - Tavoris Cloud vs. Clinton Woods, Juan Urango vs. Randall Bailey (ESPN2)

Friday Night Fights goes out with a bang with two title fights. I think the hard-swinging Cloud is on the verge of making a name for himself, but he's been off for a year and Woods is no stiff, or at least he hasn't been in the past. Urango-Bailey doesn't excite me a ton but is better than most FNF main events.

Sep. 12 - Mikkel Kessler and Andre Ward (Showtime)

No, they aren't fighting each other, but tuning up and fulfilling sanctioning body obligations before the World Boxing Classic kicks off (probably, see below!). Nervous Showtime execs will be watching with crossed fingers.

Ivan Calderon also headlines a PPV the same night if pro wrestling-style squash matches aren't your thing.

Sep. 19 - Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Juan Manuel Marquez (PPV)

So many questions to be answered here. Was Floyd really hurt and will he be rusty after his brief retirement? Will JMM handle the step up in weight? What weight is this fight being contested at, for that matter?

Unlike many HBO PPV cards, this one could end up really stacked. Already on is round two between Chris John and Rocky Juarez. Zab Judah will fight someone. And Dan Rafael has mentioned Allan Green-Sakio Bika as a possibility as well. If you're going to fork over your hard-earned money for just one PPV this fall, you could do a lot worse than this.

Oct. 10 - Juan Manuel Lopez and Yuriorkis Gamboa (PPV)

Again, these two guys aren't fighting each other, but will be in action on the latest Latin Fury card. Juanma is starting to become must-see TV for any boxing fan, and wins for him and Gamboa enhance the chances of a showdown in 2010.

Oct. 17 - Carl Froch vs. Andre Dirrell, Arthur Abraham vs. Jermain Taylor (Showtime)

Anticipation will likely be at a fever pitch as the most exciting concept to hit the sport in some time, the Super Six World Boxing Classic, gets underway. Not much more needs to be said, as every fight in the tournament is worth watching.

Nov. 7 - Chad Dawson vs. Glen Johnson II (HBO)

This is one rematch plenty of fans want to see. Johnson pushed Dawson to his limits last time and hasn't shown signs of aging yet. If Bad Chad wins convincingly, it could go a long way toward reversing some of the negative feelings regarding his lack of killer instinct. And could a certain Executioner be waiting for the winner?

This is also the date that David Haye fights Nikolai Valuev. You know, if Haye actually decides to fight.

Nov. 14 - Manny Pacquiao vs. Miguel Cotto (PPV)

How can you not like this match? It pits two popular fighters with large ethnic followings and styles that usually result in action-packed fights against each other, and it will be an excellent show to attend live.

The rest of the card is still coming together, but Edwin Valero, Humberto Soto and Alfonso Gomez are all likely to be fighting.

Nov. 21 - Mikkel Kessler vs. Andre Ward (Showtime)

Assuming nothing goes awry in September, Kessler and Ward will finish off the first group of round robin matches here. My personal opinion is that S.O.G. drew the toughest initial bout, but the beauty of the World Boxing Classic is that there are no easy fights, so he might as well see how he measures up right away.

Nov. 28 - Lucian Bute vs. Librado Andrade II (HBO)

Bute is the guy who has the most reason for being upset about not being included in the World Boxing Classic, and apparently he wasn't even asked. That should be enough to put a chip on his shoulder, but there's also the fact that he was the beneficiary of some home cooking by the referee in Montreal during his first fight with Andrade.

It's tough to envision a second ending as dramatic as the twelfth round of Bute-Andrade I, but since this could very well be the last significant fight of 2009, maybe these guys will figure out a way to put an exclamation point on another good year for the sweet science.

SHOE SHINING...

Any good blog worth its salt needs a cutesy name for links and short commentary not big enough to warrant full posts, and I finally settled on shoe shining. Because who doesn't love a showy burst of uppercuts, right?

And if some boxing blogger out there has already thought of this one, I apologize. Just remember imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. On with the show...

Except for Floyd's dispute of reports that he owes the IRS a boatload of money, thus forcing him to come out of retirement, we haven't had too many appearances from Mayweather family members in the headlines for a bit. That changed over the past 24 hours when Roger Mayweather was arrested on charges of attacking a female boxer he used to train. I'm sure Floyd Sr. will have a comment or two on this one...

From the "say it ain't so" file comes Dan Rafael's blog entry mentioning how a lawsuit from Kessler's former promoter could derail the Super Six before it even gets going. To which I say, oh, hell no...

Here's a good little piece on how the Agua Caliente Casino Resort put a big effort into promoting the Timothy Bradley-Nate Campbell card. It's just nice to see boxing discussed as something to use as a draw for guests...

Andrew Walker at East Side Boxing discusses what it would take for the U.K. to get a TV channel devoted to boxing. My heart says that would be incredible for the U.S. too, but my heart knows that niche channels in general don't seem to be doing that well, and boxing's audience is too small to make that possible.

Posted by The Franchise

Manny Pacquiao, Miguel Cotto Reach Agreement to Meet Nov. 14

Miguel Cotto has officially won the Manny Pacquiao sweepstakes.

Though numerous boxers have been campaigning to take on the Filipino dynamo, the fight that promoter Bob Arum claimed he favored all along is the one that materialized. As reported by ESPN's Dan Rafael and the Associated Press earlier today, Pacquiao and Cotto will face off on November 14.

The bout will be held in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand and shown on pay-per-view by HBO. Rafael also wrote that while Pacquiao and his team tried to get the fight to happen at 143 pounds, it was eventually agreed that the two men will meet at 145 pounds.

Those two pounds don't seem like a lot, but they may have been key to making the fight come together. While Pacquiao has moved around in weight for each of his last three fights, Cotto has fought exclusively at welterweight since June 2006.

Pacquiao's only previous fight above 140 pounds came last December, when he surprisingly carried more weight into the ring than Oscar De La Hoya, who he knocked out in eight largely one-sided rounds. Cotto has never tipped the scales at less than 146 pounds in any of his eight career welterweight fights.

Arum, who promotes both men, told Rafael that tickets would go on sale for Pacquiao-Cotto in August, with a three-city press tour to promote it kicking off right after Labor Day.

Posted by The Franchise

BoxingWatchers.com: Boxer Power Rankings - July 2009

As we move into a bit of a summer lull in an entertaining year in boxing, it's time for the July power rankings. There was some shuffling around since last month, but since it was mainly among guys already in the top six, it's pretty much a case of the rich getting richer.

If this is your first time reading this, you are about to experience something so cold, man. Er... I mean, if you aren't familiar with how we do these, here's a quick primer. The lesson, as always, is that these aren't pound-for-pound rankings.

Without further ado...

1. Arthur Abraham - 24.53 - Arthur remains king of our rankings after taking care of Mahir Oral. He said all the right things after the fight about taking on Kelly Pavlik or moving up for a real challenge at super middleweight.

2. Juan Manuel Lopez - 22.59 - JuanMa added another KO to his growing total last month. Right now his biggest problem seems to be finding a real challenge.

3. Wladimir Klitschko - 21.02 - Dr. Steelhammer had little trouble with Ruslan Chagaev and has now KOed seven of his last eight opponents. I'd still be interested in seeing him fight David Haye.

4. Celestino Caballero - 20.38 - The Panamanian should be back in action in the fall, but a date and opponent haven't been finalized just yet. He doesn't seem to be on the radar of other top super bantamweights like JuanMa or Rafael Marquez.

5. Manny Pacquiao - 19.27 - Reports say a huge fight with Miguel Cotto isn't quite a done deal. But BoxRec is obviously feeling confident it will come together.

6. Kelly Pavlik - 18.13 - The Ghost has a new deal with Top Rank and apparently is not in rehab. Now if he'd just fight Abraham this fall, everything would be lovely.

7. David Haye - 17.00 - An injury prevented him from getting the shot at Wladimir Klitschko that he seemed to want so much. If he doesn't log a win by the end of 2009, he'll fall so far he may not even make honorable mention in these rankings.

8. Nonito Donaire - 16.00 - The flyweight ace will take to the ring in Las Vegas in August. He'll move up one division to take on Rafael Concepcion on a card that also features Steven Luevano versus Bernabe Concepcion, plus Odlanier Solis and Anthony Peterson.

9. Juan Manuel Marquez - 15.46 - JMM's showdown with Floyd Mayweather got pushed back from the summer to the fall. Fighting the Saturday after Mexican Independence Day should have him even more psyched than before, if that's possible.

10. Miguel Cotto - 13.20 - Cotto may be biting off more than he can chew by chasing Pacquiao. But if he wins, his star will be as bright as any in the sport.

The next 7: Paul Williams, Andre Berto, Chris John, Vic Darchinyan, Carl Froch, Chad Dawson, Tomasz Adamek

Posted by The Franchise

Officially Official: Floyd Mayweather vs. Juan Manuel Marquez Rescheduled for Sep. 19

Rib injuries, a postponement and whispers of slow ticket sales had become the stories, but boxing fans can take heart that Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Juan Manuel Marquez will finally be getting down to boxing each other this fall.

The date rumored to be in the works since the initial July date was pushed back was made official today, as Mayweather-Marquez will take place on Sep. 19 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

With Mexican Independence Day taking place on Sep. 16 and Mexican fans accustomed to seeing Oscar De La Hoya in action around that time, the new weekend makes perfect sense. Some pundits have also pointed to the difficulty of selling a fight in the desert in the middle of the summer, and getting it out of the 100-plus degree heat has to be a relief for fans thinking about watching in person.

But was slow business at the gate at least partially responsible for the move (the official reason remains Floyd's rib cartilage injury)? Shane Mosley recently suggested it was, but the AP story contains a flat out denial by Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer. Both men have vested interests in their versions of the story, so the truth may be somewhere in-between.

This also means that fans hoping for a Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao clash will have to wait until spring of next year at the earliest. There was a school of thought that maybe Floyd would try to wriggle out of facing JMM to go for the truly huge money against Pac-Man, but that's dead now.

Assuming Mayweather defeats Marquez and Pacquiao finalizes plans to meet Miguel Cotto in November, we won't be seeing a Floyd-Manny bout until at least April 2010.

Posted by The Franchise

Manny Pacquiao - Miguel Cotto - November 14th

ESPN is running on the crawl that Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto will be fighting November 14th, with weight and purse to be worked out later.

They have been wrong before and jumped the gun, as when they ran that Manny and Shane Mosley were fighting, and it sounds far from a done deal with no purse or weight determined, but there it is.

Update: The report was from the LA Times, and the location is to be Vegas.

Posted by uatu

20/20 Hindsight: Does Narrow Cotto Win Plus Mayweather Injury = Pacquiao-Cotto?

I've said it before, but it bears repeating after what went down this weekend: boxing is a funny sport sometimes.

Miguel Cotto doesn't look great, but he guts out a split decision against a very game Joshua Clottey. Floyd Mayweather hurts himself training and has to push back his bout with Juan Manuel Marquez, possibly until September.

And the end result is Cotto getting the biggest fight and payday of his career against pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao this fall?

Michael Marley says yes (big ups to Tim Starks at The Queensberry Rules for that one). And whether he's correct or not, the pieces really did fall into place.

Though the boxing world is waiting for Pacquiao-Mayweather, that's obviously out until 2010 - unless Floyd simply tells JMM to take a hike, but that doesn't seem likely.

A decisive win by Cotto may have made him the most likely candidate to face Pac-Man next. But his squeaker probably helped him even more.

As Max Kellerman stated during the post-fight on HBO, it's Cotto's mix of courage and vulnerability that make him so compelling. In four of his last six fights (sorry Michael Jennings and Alfonso Gomez), it's almost like he won or lost in the most difficult way possible.

He came out on top against a quicker, more accurate foe on Saturday, overcoming a nasty cut over his left eye in the process. Yet it's not hard to imagine Pacquiao sitting out there thinking to himself, "Yeah, I can beat this guy."

Other boxers probably think so too. Andre Berto hit up his Twitter feed watching the replay and said he'd beat Cotto to the punch every time.

Good enough to win titles and amass lots of fans, but not quite formidable enough to scare people into ducking him. That's the package that Cotto brings to the table, and it's got him in line for a big prize.

There will be weight and money issues to be worked out, for sure. The location of the fight will also be intriguing, as Manny is pretty much a Las Vegas exclusive at this point, while Cotto draws his followers from the East Coast.

You have to think that having Bob Arum promote both men will help smooth some of those bumps out, and fans will travel to see what is the biggest fight that can be made next to Manny-Floyd.

Yeah, boxing is funny, and Cotto may be laughing all the way to the bank come November.

Posted by The Franchise