Blame Enough For Everyone In The Foolish Failure To Deliver Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao

Written by Tim Starks


If you were holding on to the dream that Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao would fight in March, it's time to let it go. Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey is set for Dallas, and Mayweather's team, after insisting a deal could still be made, is now plotting Mayweather's next move. It’s actually moving from “unmitigated disaster” to “c.f.,” as right now, both fighters are planning to keep the March 13 date, which means dueling pay-per-views.

Everyone has their favorite culprit in the blame game for how each side walked away from an estimated total of $200 million and gave the sport of boxing and its fans the Abner Louima treatment. But I'm of the view that there's plenty of blame to go around. Everyone involved -- Top Rank, Golden Boy, Mayweather and Pacquiao -- is tarnished by this, and deserves deep, lasting scorn for it.


Top Rank

In an angry moment last year, promoter Dan Goossen said the practices of Top Rank boss Bob Arum were partly to blame for the long tailspin boxing had endured. Arum does a lot of things well, but it’s easy to see what Goossen means.

Toward the end, Arum always seemed more interested in prosecuting his personal grudge against Mayweather and Mayweather’s manager, Al Haymon, than anything else. What’s more, I never thought Arum was all that interested in having Pacquiao fight Mayweather. He has a tendency to milk his hottest commodities for years – see Juan Manuel Lopez – by avoiding putting them in risky fights that fans want to see, and I think he wondered whether Mayweather was worth the risk. Those two factors combined to make it so that when the fight hit the rocks over random blood testing, Arum appeared as if he’d rather rant and rave than work out any kinks.

His behavior was, for lack of a better word, hysterical. He kept making strange excuses, like saying Pacquiao was scared of needles, when Pacquiao’s body is covered in tattoos. (I am scared of needles. I have no tattoos.) He seriously misrepresented the other side’s positions on issues, fueling an unproductive war of words in the media and degenerating to name-calling, like saying Mayweather was a “coward.” He blamed the fight’s cancellation on insinuations from Mayweather’s side that Pacquiao was on steroids then turned his attention to making a fight with… Paulie Malignaggi, who’d insinuated that Pacquiao was on steroids. He kept acting like blood testing to detect performance enhancing drugs was a scientific hoax, when the consensus was that urine testing in conjunction with blood testing would catch more things than mere urine testing. And if the message he wanted to send was that cheating is beneath his side, it’s hard to fathom how he reportedly wanted to put Antonio Margarito (license revoked for loaded gloves) and Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. (likely to be suspended for testing positive for a banned substance) on the Pacquiao-Clottey undercard. For someone with a reputation for a fearsome intellect, none of this was the work of a smart businessman who cares about his customers.

Arum was doing some heroic work earlier this year when he castigated the media, in particular The New York Times, for ignoring boxing. But if the Times called, how would he defend his sport when he had a hand in killing the fight everyone in the world wanted to see more than any other? The Deadspin headline on this picture featuring Jerry Jones with George W. Bush read, “Just Two Horsemen Short Of An Apocalypse,” but in another picture, John Madden was hanging out with the Jones team, and you know who else was there? Arum.

Golden Boy

When Golden Boy started out, they talked a lot about doing things differently than other promoters, but everyone knows by now they’ve taken opportunities to do things the usual way. Their performance at one point during the negotiation in particular bordered on the thuggish.

Golden Boy boss Oscar De La Hoya used his blog on Ring magazine’s website to strongly suggest that Pacquiao was on steroids. Pacquiao’s punches, he said, felt like Shane Mosley’s and Fernando Vargas’, two boxers who without a doubt used actual PEDs against him in fights. Never mind how two-faced this was – early in 2009, De La Hoya insisted Pacquiao’s punches never hurt him, and I didn’t believe it when he said it – but consider how disgusting it is to make a claim like that out of nowhere. Compounding the horribleness is that he added another layer of tarnish to the publication he now owns – the self-described Bible of Boxing, and a publication with airs of integrity – by doing it. Doug Fischer recently defended De La Hoya’s blog to friend of the site Alex, saying that of course De La Hoya is advancing his interests as a promoter on his website, so what’s the big deal (he actually invoked the idea of Dana White writing a column on UFC.com or Oprah Winfrey writing a column in O magazine – I guess Ring doesn’t aspire to anything more than “house organ” any longer, if those publications are his point of comparison)? And, he said, Arum could have a blog on the website if he wanted, too. Except: 1. Arum doesn’t. And if one promoter is frequently offered prominent placement on Ring’s website to attack other promoters’ fighters, how fair is that? and 2. If any mainstream newspaper owner in the United States had a regular and prominent forum for advancing his own private business interests in the pages of his publication, he’d be ruthlessly criticized, and he’d deserve it.

It’s interesting in yet other ways that in that blog entry, De La Hoya invoked Mosley. Mosley is one of his business partners, and I wonder how thrilled he was about being used as a pawn in this debate. More importantly, Golden Boy’s Richard Schaefer in 2008 explicitly rejected a proposal that Mosley endure blood testing, arguing that Mosley was clean and state commission regulations would suffice. Why Mosley, a confirmed cheater, shouldn’t have to undergo tests that Pacquiao, for whom there is zero evidence of cheating, would, is hard to fathom. Mosley isn’t the only fighter Golden Boy promotes that the company has thrown under the bus – Golden Boy owns a small promotional interest in Pacquiao, too, and by undermining him and insisting no Golden Boy fighter would deal with Pacquiao without a drug test (I wonder what they’d do for Pacquiao-Mosley?), they’re hurting their bottom line. And for whom? Mayweather? Why? Mayweather has openly stated his desire to crush Golden Boy when he gets his own promotional company up and running, and he’s unreliable in other ways – they went to bat for him, and they came up empty-handed. Schaefer himself comes off as a pretty smart man, unencumbered by the extreme swings of emotion that rule the temperamental Arum, but this all was pretty stupid.

Pacquiao

Because Pacquiao usually is such a “good guy,” many are inclined to wash his hands for him of any guilt in the fight falling through. But Pacquiao is no innocent in this.

I don’t remember the last time Pacquiao didn’t turn into a complete prima donna during fight negotiations. He’s always making demands – catchweights! better purse splits! – and turning into a baby when he doesn’t get his way. This time, when someone made a demand of him – Mayweather wanting random blood testing – his refusal to accept it was the moment the fight became in jeopardy. It must be noted that Pacquiao’s team at first accepted random blood-testing, since trainer Freddie Roach said there would be no problem with Olympic-style drug testing, which by its nature involves random blood withdrawals. The official reason for rejecting the blood tests, so far as I can tell, is that he was “superstitious,” owing to him feeling drained after giving blood two days before a showdown with Erik Morales. OK. But the last offer on the table from the Mayweather side was 14 days, and we know for a fact that Pacquiao had blood withdrawn 24 days before the Hatton fight, and he wasn’t drained then; would 10 days have made that much of a difference? Then, Pacquiao made the fight yet more unlikely when he filed what looks to me like a frivolous defamation lawsuit that I expect to be thrown out in short order, complaining about things like Mayweather saying they have good PEDs in Pacquiao’s home country of the Philippines. So what. Man up. Life’s hard. Sometimes people are going to insult you. They may even insult your country. Get over it and do your job, which is to fight.

There’s been a lot of talk about how non-Filipinos don’t understand this “uniquely Filipino pride” that was at play, and I don’t doubt it was a factor. But while Pacquiao talks about fighting for the people of the Philippines, the fact remains that he allowed his wounded pride at being accused of cheating to take precedence over the $40 million or more he would have gotten from this fight, which would have bought a lot of flood relief for “the people.” And he definitely misjudged the culture of America, where many more people than before look upon him with suspicion because so many excellent U.S. athletes have later been busted for using PEDs. I want to be clear that I have no reason to believe Pacquiao is on any PEDs, nor do I think it’s a good thing for a society to assume someone is guilty for not agreeing to invasive tests. But if Pacquiao was concerned about his reputation, the fact of the matter is that he’s done some harm to himself by not agreeing to blood tests that might have vindicated him. And if it turns out that Pacquiao avoided this fight because he did have something to hide, he ends up the biggest villain of them all.

Mayweather

If I blame anyone above all others, it’s Mayweather. If he hadn’t introduced this blood-testing regime proposal, the fight happens. It was a wholly unreasonable request. Mayweather should know better than anyone that a 16-year-old fighter can rise from 106 pounds to 147 pounds by the time he gets into his 30s and still be great, because like Pacquiao, he did it, too. The only evidence Mayweather had was the suspicion of his shady dad, which isn’t worth a damn. Even if Mayweather truly thinks Pacquiao is on steroids – and Mayweather seems to think lots of people are on steroids now, like Mosley, for whom there also is zero evidence of ongoing PED abuse – I’m not sure what he’s so worried about. He’s said many times he can beat Pacquiao with ease, because Pacquiao sucks, basically. If you can make $40 million easily beating someone, steroids or no, why not just do it?

Ascertaining the true motives of Mayweather in any affair is nigh-impossible. But here’s what I think most likely happened: Mayweather wasn’t all that interested in fighting Pacquiao (I’ll get to why in a second); he posited the drug-testing idea as a win/win for himself; if Pacquiao walked away, he could say once again that he wasn’t the hold-up in making a fight happen – it was the other guy; if Paquiao accepted the fight, he’d come in angry and reckless, and Mayweather will have scored one in the head games department; and if Pacquiao won, even if he tested negative for steroids, there’d be enough of a cloud hanging over Pacquiao that Mayweather would have an excuse for losing; but when it came time to negotiate and either set aside the blood testing and fight or hold firm on his demand, egomania won the day, since Mayweather thinks he’s so very, very important and everyone should bow down to his whims. How cynical a ploy is it to mount a campaign that hinted Pacquiao was a big cheater for any one of those reasons, let alone all of them? Very.

If Mayweather wanted to avoid Pacquiao, it would very much be in character. He clutches at and cradles his undefeated record like Gollum and his ring, thinking, falsely, that his “0” makes him superior to all other fighters. Of course, it’s easier to have a “0” when you avoid challenges. Since 2003, Mayweather hasn’t fought one person who could be considered the best opponent in his division. He inhabited the junior welterweight and welterweight ranks when numerous pound-for-pound top-10 fighters have crossed through them over that time – Kostya Tszyu and Ricky Hatton at 140, Miguel Cotto, Mosley, Margarito and Paul Williams at 147 – and one way or the other, whatever the motives, he found a way not to fight them when they had no trouble whatsoever fighting one another. Now we can add Pacquiao to that list. I’ve called Mayweather a “joke” as a fighter, and I don’t mean his skill level – I mean this kind of repeated refusal to confront the top challenges or some facsimile thereof, as the trial balloons from his team of fighting Saul Alvarez or pug Matthew Hatton next (and, only marginally more defensibly among recent options, Nate Campbell and Paulie Malignaggi) point toward. When Mayweather returned to the sport in 2009 after a brief retirement, I said it was both a blessing and a curse. Right now, it’s looking all curse.

Others

HBO was supposed to put all its might and muscle into forcing Mayweather-Pacquiao, but if it’s had any impact at all, I’ve missed it. I’m guessing the reason why is that Mayweather and Pacquiao never worried that they’d be welcomed openly back into the bosom of the industry giant. It’ll be interesting to see how they come down in the March 13 duel over that date from both sides.

If Arum wanted to prosecute his grudge against Haymon, there have been reports as well that Haymon wanted to needle Arum in all of this. Despite defending Mayweather’s health and safety from marauding steroid addict Pacquiao, he has shown no such sympathy for another of his clients, Andre Berto, in advance of Berto’s May 30 fight against Mosley.

Boxing’s passionate fans make the sport fun, but if the blindest Mayweather fans and blindest Pacquiao fans hadn’t taken the side of their fighter so unconditionally, and instead had put pressure on the pair to fight, maybe both sides wouldn’t have gotten so entrenched. I wish boxing fans counted fewer zealots amongst their ranks. They may have gotten screwed by all this, but they sure helped themselves get screwed.

After the Dust Has Settled – Pacquiao Still in Control

By T.K. Stewart

Right now, boxing fans are feeling like a victim of Ashton Kutcher’s old television show Punk’d.

Since Nov. 14, better known as the night that Manny Pacquiao scored an electrifying 12th- round TKO win over Miguel Cotto, anybody that follows the sport has had their appetite whetted by the mouth watering prospect of seeing a showdown between the world’s two top pound-for-pound boxers – Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

But with the negotiations for that fight now having imploded like the demolition of The Sands Casino in Las Vegas, boxing fans are left with nothing more than a cloud of dust as they try to make sense of what it all means and what will be next for both Pacquiao and Mayweather.

By any measure one wishes to use, there is no doubt that Pacquiao and Mayweather are ranked #1 and #2 – in that order.

Pacquiao is the best boxer on the planet and Mayweather is further down behind him – lower on the list in second place.

Never mind that Pacquiao is ranked #1 in the ratings by every reputable boxing publication or Internet boxing Web site in existence and that he has been honored by the Boxing Writers Association of America as the fighter of the year for the past two years in a row.

What is probably more important is that Manny is also #1 at the box office. And in the sport of boxing, better known as the business of boxing, that is his most significant achievement.

It is Pacquiao that draws fans in droves to his live events. For comparison purposes, Pacquiao’s recent bout against Miguel Cotto attracted a standing room only crowd of over 16,000 to the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas. Less than two months earlier, Mayweather met Juan Manuel Marquez at the same venue and they failed to draw a paid attendance of 13,000 to a relatively subdued affair.

Ticket brokers and scalpers were able to charge upwards of ten thousand dollars for one Pacquiao vs. Cotto ringside ticket. The Mayweather-Marquez fight was lucky to get half that amount for the same seat. The MGM Grand was forced to offer special packages to attract customers to the Mayweather vs. Marquez fight – everything from discounted fight tickets, free meals and free limousine rides to and from McCarran International Airport. On the other hand, Pacquiao vs. Cotto was sold out weeks in advance and the night of the fight brought the city of Las Vegas to a virtual standstill.

Mayweather calls himself "Money" – but it is Pacquiao that attracted more fans this year to Las Vegas. It is also Pacquiao that caused more fans to push the pay-per-view buy buttons on their television remote control. His fight against Cotto earned nearly $14 million more in pay-per-view revenue than Mayweather’s fight against Marquez.

So, since boxing fans will not have the matter settled as to who the best boxer on the planet is with a match-up of skills between Pacquiao and Mayweather – the only other measurable manner available to them is the rankings of the various organizations that keep track of such things - and the latest box office receipts.

Using both of those measuring sticks, it is Pacquiao that easily comes out on top.

Mayweather and his supporters will point to his 2007 fights against Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton as evidence of his supremacy on the pay-per-view front. However, the De La Hoya fight was nearly three years ago. The world was a different place then; money and credit were easy come and easy go. People thought nothing of making a weekend trip to Vegas or dropping a Grant on the pay-per-view. In the world economy of 2009, where funds were sparse, and folks searched for value in their entertainment dollar, they spent more in person and via their TV screens to see Manny Pacquiao.

Promoters spent an astonishing $20 million on marketing costs for the Mayweather vs. Marquez fight. The fight was also broadcast in 170 movie theaters around the country – yet Pacquiao still attracted more fans.

In the day and age of the Internet, any Web-site publisher will tell you that when a Manny Pacquiao news item or feature appears on their site, it is a good day for them in terms of the all important page views. Ask a boxing magazine publisher who sells more copies when Pacquiao or Mayweather appear on their cover and they will tell you that the Pinoy idol is "bank".

Mayweather and his backers will counter with the argument that both of his fights against De La Hoya and Hatton drew more than Pacquiao’s did – but again – we’re talking about numbers going on nearly three years ago.

Boxing would probably best be known as a sport of "What have you done for me lately?"

Using that simple question, it is Pacquiao that is clearly the more personable fighter/celebrity. Devoted fans flock to him, they smile, they pose, they rush to get an autograph or a picture.

Mayweather’s highly publicized open workout at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood in the days before his bout against Marquez barely drew a crowd of 200 people. On the other hand, in the same town, just around the corner and down the street, Pacquiao attracts that many people every single day to watch him simply walk in and out of Freddie Roach’s Wild Card Gym.

Whether one wishes to blame the non-happening of the Pac-May fight on Pacquiao’s refusal to submit to Mayweather’s demand for the unheard of Olympic style drug testing is their prerogative. However, they should remember that based on the most recent accomplishments it is Manny that is universally regarded as the best boxer on the planet, Manny that is the more popular person with the public and Manny that is the recent box-office champion.

Based on all of that – it is Pacquiao that was clearly in the drivers’ seat of the failed negotiations. It is also Pacquiao that clearly sits atop the boxing world as 2010 gets underway. For Mayweather to lay claim to anything he will have to get in the ring, fight and beat a contender of consequence and perhaps win a title. It will be the only way to turn the tide in his favor.

In the Corners

The latest news is that Pacquiao will likely face the always tough, durable and rugged Joshua Clottey on March 13 at Cowboys Stadium in Texas. The Ghanaian is perhaps the toughest and one of the most avoided welterweights in the world. I will say that unless Pacquiao is totally focused he will not beat Clottey, who is a larger man who can take a great punch. Clottey will likely be a middleweight by the time he steps into the ring on fight night and he has a tight defense...Meanwhile, rumors persist that Mayweather will meet the smaller and light punching Paulie Malignaggi - or even worse – Matthew Hatton, the limited younger brother of Ricky. My view is that since Mayweather needs to make a statement of supremacy and gain more leverage in any potential future negotiations for a Pacquiao fight, that he should face the winner of the Jan. 30 Shane Mosley vs. Andre Berto title fight…Nice to see the return of ESPN2 Friday Night Fights as well as the upcoming new series on FOX Sports. Who says boxing is dead?

Mayweather blames bout collapse on Pacquiao

By GREG BEACHAM


Floyd Mayweather Jr. blamed Manny Pacquiao for the collapse of their prospective bout Thursday, claiming the Filipino boxer refuses to accept a reasonable compromise on drug testing concerns.

Mayweather also says he's still ready to sign a deal for the fight, which was slated for March 13 at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas before Pacquiao promoter Top Rank declared it dead Wednesday night.

Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs) made his first public comments about the negotiations in a written statement that began with Mayweather saying he's "thoroughly disgusted" by Pacquiao's representatives' attempts to blame him for the collapse of what's likely to be the richest bout in boxing history.

"In my opinion it is Manny Pacquiao and his team who are denying the people a chance to see the biggest fight ever," Mayweather said. "I know the people will see through their smokes screens and lies. I am ready to fight and sign the contract. Manny needs to stop making his excuses, step up and fight."

The sides went to mediation on Tuesday in Santa Monica in an attempt to resolve the drug testing issues that are the only remaining conflicts in the negotiation. Mayweather's demands for frequent blood testing beyond the Nevada Athletic Commission's requirements — and Pacquiao's reluctance to agree to those requests — have derailed the bout.

Mayweather initially demanded repeated blood testing right up to the day of the fight, while Pacquiao asked for a 30-day cutoff before the bout. Mayweather now claims he agreed to a 14-day cutoff compromise before the mediation session began, but Pacquiao still wouldn't accept those terms.

"The truth is he just doesn't want to take the tests," Mayweather said.

Pacquiao has filed a lawsuit alleging Mayweather and most of his representatives, including Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer, defamed him by falsely accusing him of using performance-enhancing drugs.

Top Rank boss Bob Arum was brutally frank about his former fighter on Wednesday night, telling The Associated Press that Mayweather is "a psychological coward who doesn't want to fight anybody who has a chance of beating him."

After generating stellar pay-per-view revenue from their previous fights, both Pacquiao and Mayweather likely stood to make much more than $25 million apiece from their welterweight bout. Mayweather returned to the ring after a 21-month absence in September with a victory over Juan Manuel Marquez, while Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KOs) pounded Miguel Cotto in November for his 13th straight victory since 2005.

Pacquiao is widely considered boxing's pound-for-pound champion, an unofficial title held by Mayweather before his aborted retirement. Their proposed fight was seen as the biggest moment in boxing since Mayweather's split-decision victory over Oscar De La Hoya in May 2007.

Daniel Weinstein, the retired federal judge who oversaw the mediation, also issued a statement Thursday saying little about the actual discussions.

"In the end, the parties could not agree on a testing protocol acceptable to all," Weinstein's statement read.

Pacquiao to Sue Mayweathers and Golden Boy Promotions

SARANGANI, PHILIPPINES (Dec. 25)—Saying that his character and person has been questioned, maligned, damaged and tarnished by baseless and false accusations, pound-for-pound boxing king Manny Pacquiao and promoter Top Rank Inc. announced today the filing of a lawsuit within the next few days against the Mayweathers, Floyd Sr. and Jr., et al, and Golden Boy Promotions.

“Enough is enough. These people, Mayweather Sr., Jr., and Golden Boy Promotions, think it is a joke and a right to accuse someone wrongly of using steroids or other performance-enhancing drugs. I have tried to just brush it off as a mere pre-fight ploy but I think they have gone overboard,” said Pacquiao in Tagalog while celebrating Christmas with his family here..

“I have instructed my promoter, Bob Arum, head of Top Rank Inc., to help me out in the filing of the case as soon as possible because I have had people coming over to me now asking if I really take performance-enhancing drugs and I have cheated my way into becoming the No. 1 boxer in the world,” said Pacquiao.

Libel, slander and defamation suits are being readied against the accused to once and for all clear out Pacquiao’s good name and character.

This week, Mayweather and Golden Boy Promotions came out with a press release threatening to put a stop to the projected biggest fight in boxing history between the two top pound-for-pound fighters in the world, by asking too many unrealistic and unprecedented items on the bargaining table, including that of an Olympic-style drug testing.

“I maintain and assure everyone that I have not used any form or kind of steroids and that my way to the top is a result of hard work, hard work, hard work and a lot of blood spilled from my past battles in the ring, not outside of it,” added the Filipino champion who just turned 31 a week ago. “I have no idea what steroids look like and my fear in God has kept me safe and victorious through all these years.”

“Now, I say to Floyd Mayweather Jr., don’t be a coward and face me in the ring, mano-a-mano and shut your big, pretty mouth, so we can show the world who is the true king of the ring,” said Pacquiao, who has been contemplating on filing a case against Mayweather Sr. even before the start of his Nov. 14 fight with Miguel Angel Cotto. “I did not sue because I did not want to get distracted during that time because I was preparing for one of the toughest fights in my career.”

“Pretty Boy Floyd, face me instead on March 13 in Las Vegas and not in some talk show forum or in press releases written for you by people who don’t even know me. Face me in a fight where I get to punch back. You and your cohorts have accused me of using performance-enhancing drugs. Now, I say, the burden of proof should now come from you, not me,” said Pacquiao, the only seven-time, seven-weight division champion in the history of the sport.

Pacquiao said he is not against any form of drug testing mandated by any state athletic sports commission whenever, wherever he fights. He just finds it funny and stupid to change a system that has been set for decades now. Pacquiao undergoes drug testing and other medical examinations before and after every fight over the past 15 years and has never failed any of these tests.

“These people think they are doing the sport a great service. They are not,” added Pacquiao. “To Floyd, despite all these accusations, may your Christmas be merry and I will see you in court, soon, too.”

'Left-Hook Lounge': Vivek Wallace's Mailbag - Feat. Pavlik, Mayweather/Pacquiao, Khan, Judah, Campbell, and more!

by: eastsideboxing

Marc B. (Dallas, TX): What are your thoughts on the Mayweather/Pacquiao fight being hosted in Las Vegas as opposed to the Dallas Cowboys Stadium?

Vivek W. (ESB): I've gone back and forth about the location of this fight for quite some time, now. Las Vegas is to fights what the New York Yankees are to baseball. Without one, the other just isn't quite the same. That being said, this particular generation of boxing is totally deprived in the sense that many fight fans today have never witnessed the euphoria behind a stadium fight. It's a totally different arena (pun intended). I can remember as a child some of the fights that took place at the Orange Bowl, in my hometown of Miami, Florida, and those were amazing. Today, you have a 'new millennium' location like the Dallas Cowboys Stadium, and in a way, I'd love for the sport of boxing to announce to the world that "hey, we're baaaack"!, by doing a venue like this. It's tough to say. I'm a Vegas dweller to heart, but Jerry Jones made a point of contention that solidified my option - as it relates to the location of this fight. He said "for those that don't think they'll have a good seat to see the action, the fighters will be 72ft. tall, in high definition....You'll be able to see the sweat beads fly off of 'em from anywhere in the house"! OK, some of the old-schoolers have seen stadium fights, but NONE OF US HAVE SEEN IT WITH THIS MODERN TWIST! 3-D is the only thing that could ever compare. It truly is an amazing spectacle. Not only that, but at 100,000 plus in capacity, I think it's safe to say the asking price for the seats would have been far less, allowing a contingent that's typically priced out to take in on the festivities. Now that Vegas has been decided, a good amount of people will be forced to watch at home because at an estimated $25M plus/per fighter, there's no way in hell that ANY SEAT in the house will go for less than probably $2G's, or more. I could be wrong, but clearly, the hardcore fans will be priced out, while the 'Hollywood' crowd will be ushered in. So, long story short, Vegas gets the dollars, but Dallas clearly makes (the most) sense..

Alex O. (London): Is there any truth to the rumors of Amir Khan facing Nate Campbell?

Vivek W. (ESB): No, to my knowledge, that's the remnants of a probably not-so-well-thought-out statement made by boxing personality Steve Bunce. Recently, Bunce was quoted as saying that he thinks Khan should face someone "stepping up with a faded name, like Marquez or Campbell". A very intriguing statement, because despite being older, I think both men could present a very dangerous challenge for the evolving, but yet to arrive Amir Khan. Few sang the praises of Amir Khan like have lately, and when I had a chance to pull him aside at the Mosley/Berto press conference November, I told him precisely how great I think he looks. That being said, neither Marquez or Campbell are Salita, or a washed up Barrera. Neither man will go away so easily, and when you have a fighter who is still being put together (for lack of better terms), clearly, the last thing you want to do is test him against someone like these guys. Many have found a reason to look down on Campbell based on the results of the Bradley fight, but I would respond two ways to that perspective. First.....RARELY do we ever see decisions over-turned in the sport, yet this one was, which speaks of how obvious it truly was. Secondly, at the point of the stoppage, yes, Campbell may have been down in the fight, but if you review the Funeka and Diaz fights, you'll know that's fairly normal. Campbell is a grind 'em out type fighter who wears an opponent down over the longhaul and it takes a saavy veteran to handle one like this. I'm just not so sure that Khan is there yet. Roach is doing a helluva job, but I just don't see Khan there yet. Time will tell.

Jerry L. (Atlanta, GA): I ready your article about Kelly Pavlik last Friday, and I'd like to know how would you rate his performance, (if you were able to actually see the fight), and what do you see for him next?

Vivek W. (ESB): I did see the fight, and what I saw left me somewhere at the warm center. I didn't think the performance was too hot, but in stopping his opponent in the mid-rounds, I guess I can't be too cold, either. I don't know if Pavlik was just anxious to show the crowd that he can mix it up or what, but I thought he made the fight far more difficult than it should have been by fighting the other mans fight, (inside), rather than imposing his own strength, (outside), and subsequently took entirely too many punches as a result. Unfortunately, I don't think he has a "next gear" to switch too. Pavlik is one of those "rock 'em - sock 'em robots" that lives by the mantra "take a lickin' and keep tickin". I hate to sound cliche-ish, but truthfully, there are no special effects there. He comes forward, he punches and he gets punched. Some view that as a slight, but I can assure there's no condescending tone, there. The reality is that we can identify fighters like Mayweather, or Hopkins, who use a certain level of defensive skill to mount their offense. With Pavlik, his offense is his defense. He literally relies on being able to stop the guy before the guy can stop him. Good thing he has a chin, or he would have never gotten up against Taylor to subsequently stop him in that first fight.

The trouble with a guy like Pavlik is that when he can't hit his man as much as his man can get to him, it can present MAJOR issues. That's precisely why an older Hopkins was able to get a lop-sided victory. There's no way that a fighter with a low punch output like Hopkins should be able to outpoint a guy with a high punch output like Pavlik. The only way that happens is because Pavlik is far too easy to hit. His eye was busted within the first 2 rounds or so Saturday. Imagine if the guy could punch. Bottom line, his handlers need to implement defense soon, or the 'Ghost' could find himself fading away even quicker. As far as where he goes from here? I'm not so sure Williams is the right destination. Some saw Williams struggle against a slippery Martinez, but Martinez contained two things that Pavlik never will.....he's very good on defense, and he's a southpaw. Two things that will give any fighter troubles. Pavlik is orthodox and non-defensive. Against a guy like Williams, he'll be a sitting duck, and if Williams can withstand his power, (which he does have a solid chin and the heart to get up when it abandons him), Williams wins this fight on points, I'm inclined to say maybe even EASILY.

Cedrick S. (Houston, TX): Zab Judah recently said that he would like to face Juan Urango. Who would you like if that fight were to happen?

Vivek W. (ESB): As odd as it may sound, I think that fight would be a great one to see, and it would test certain elements of both men. Judah has shown a certain weakness to the body during a grueling fight, and Urango is as committed to the body as anyone aside from the pre-Margarito Miguel Cotto. The thing with Judah is that he truly is a supremely talented fighter, despite the critical view of him out there. I have said in the past and I maintain that the only thing to separate Judah and Mayweather is discipline and defense. If Judah had those two things, he would be the Floyd Mayweather jr. we see today. He's an incredible talent. I haven't seen him at the 140lb level, but similarly to Floyd as well, I really think he could make it home, as neither man is known to walk around too far from this weight. I think Judah's southpaw stance and speed would present problems for Urango, but it would all come down to how well Judah slips those body punches. Urango has a beard, so he probably won't be hurt or KO'd in the fight. If Judah holds up, he can win on points; if the fight is stopped early, I have a pocket full of change that says Urango wins. (And I'm not even a betting man).

Leonard W. (Pompano, FL): What do you think of the possible Bernard Hopkin/Danny Green matchup?

Vivek W. (ESB): I think this is a huge miscalculation for Bernard Hopkins. Not to say that he'll lose, but there's literally very little upside in this fight, yet there's a ton to lose. Yes, Green just KO'd Roy, but I'm not so sure that says a lot now days. I don't think he'll KO Hopkins, but a not-so-good performance for Hopkins could signal the end at age 44 (soon to be 45). Green has power in both hands, and he comes to bring pressure with a pretty active workrate. The one thing that does look positive for him in this fight is that the few men Green hasn't KO'd were the ones he had a hard time hitting, and two of them etched out victories over him as a result. Hopkins is as hard as it gets to hit, but we haven't seen him at the cruiserweight level either. I just think that there's far too little upside in this fight to gamble on for a man 45. 35, even 38, I could see. 45....man, that's one and done territory. And that one and done scenario doesn't have to be a loss. If he bores the crowd to death being defensive like he can be, he'll never land on a PPV card as a headliner again. If I were his advisor, I'd lock my sights on Haye and/or Dawson. Those are the ONLY two fights out there that could add to his legacy. Both young stallions....One (Dawson) that has P4P implications, and the other (Haye) that treads uncharted territory, allowing Hopkins to do what Jones did, by moving up to the heavyweight division and winning a strap. That would be a nice cherry to place on top a masterful career.

Roach okays random tests on both camps

By Abac Cordero


MANILA
, Philippines - Freddie Roach doesn’t mind putting his fighter under random drug testing as long as the other camp goes through exactly the same procedure.

The three-time Trainer of the Year yesterday reacted to calls made by the camp of Floyd Mayweather Jr. to have Manny Pacquiao
, the hottest fighter out there, to random tests in the weeks leading to their March 13 encounter.

Mayweather’s father, Floyd Sr., has raised concerns that the Filipino pound-for-pound champion, whose amazing run of victories as he moved up in weight has baffled his critics, is into some sort of performance-enhancing drugs
.

Roach told The STAR that Pacquiao is a clean fighter, if not the cleanest.

“Yeah, we’ll do it but they have to do it as well. Manny fights clean. If they’ll do it, then we’ll do it,” said Roach as he expressed his willingness to have Pacquiao go through the random tests.

“I don’t have any problem with that. But no blood tests close to the fight. They can take urine tests,” said Roach, adding that it’s how they do it in the Olympics.

The Mayweather people said they want tests like the way it’s being done in the Olympics.

“I had a girlfriend who was in the Olympics in triple jump and that’s how it’s done. They get urine tests. They can come to her in the middle of the night and take urine tests but not blood tests,” Roach added.

He was asked where the heat is coming from and said it all started when Floyd Jr. started raising the issue.

“I don’t know. Maybe they’re just looking for an excuse,” said Roach.