Pacquiao vs Mosley Live Stream

Pacquiao vs Mosley Fight Video Replay

2011-05-09T19:26:00.000-07:00

Manny Pacquiao dominates Shane Mosley

2011-05-08T06:55:00.000-07:00

Manny Pacquiao dominated an overmatched Shane Mosley to retain his World Boxing Organization welterweight title via a lopsided unanimous decision at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas.

Pacquiao repeatedly peppered Mosley with sharp combinations, forcing the American to be on the defensive for much of the one-sided bout. The Filipino champion floored Mosley in the third round with a right straight-left hook combination from which Mosley never fully recovered. After tasting the sting of Pacquiao's punches, the former three-division champion rarely went on the offensive and spent much of the remaining rounds trying to anticipate where Pacquiao's next blows would come from.

The three judges scored it 120-107, 120-108, and 119-107.

Mosley was credited with a knockdown in the 10th round after Pacquiao fell back on his behind. Replays showed Pacquiao was pushed and it also appeared Mosley was stepping on Pacquiao's foot. But Pacquiao was so dominating that round that based on the official scorecards, none of the judges gave Mosley the standard 10-8 score.

Outside of that phantom knockdown, it was all Pacquiao. Mosley was never into the fight, unable to get any type of offense going and at times already cringing even before a Pacquiao punch landed.

Pacquiao saw his record improve to 54-3-2 while Mosley slipped to 46-7-1 with one no-contest. The fighting congressman from Sarangani is slated to face Juan Manuel Marquez on November 12, while the 39-year-old Mosley will likely retire after losing badly for the second time in his last three fights.

Watch Pacquiao vs Mosley Live Stream Online

2011-05-07T06:27:00.000-07:00

Watch Pacquiao vs Mosley Online as it will be the most explosive fight this year. Both fighters are training very hard to keep their gears on ready. Sugar Shane Mosley is now training in Big Bears, California, around 8,000 miles outside Los Angeles. He is all set up to defeat the undisputed pound for pound king to grab hold of his WBO Welterweight World title. The much awaited fight will happen in the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada this May 7.

So again, The boxing ring's pound-for-pound king Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao will go head-to-head with American veteran boxer "Sugar" Shane Mosley on May 7 (May 8 in the Philippines) at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The 32-year-old Pinoy southpaw and congressman will be defending his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title against his 39-year-old opponent who once beat Mexico's Antonio "Tijuana Tornado" Margarito. Be sure that you Watch Pacquiao Vs Mosley.

International singing sensation Charice will also make an appearance, as chosen by Pacquiao himself, to sing the Philippine national anthem. So don’t believe those talks as Pacquiao will be in tip top form when you Watch Pacquiao vs Mosley Live Stream.

Pacquiao, Mosley weigh in for WBO title fight

2011-05-07T06:09:00.000-07:00

Pacquiao vs Mosley Live Stream. Manny Pacquiao, the Filipino congressman who holds two world titles, puts his World Boxing Organization title on the line when he meets Shane Mosley in a welterweight bout on Saturday.

Pacquiao and challenger Mosley weighed in Friday for their title fight in front of a standing-room only crowd of about 6,500 at the MGM Grand Garden arena.

Pacquiao, who is a 6-1 favorite, tipped the scales at 145 pounds and American Mosley was 147 pounds.

The 32-year-old Pacquiao stripped off his red and blue track suit and stepped onto the scale wearing just his shorts and white socks as a roar went up from the mostly Filipino crowd.

"I believe Shane Mosley is a good fighter and he trained his hardest for this fight so I have had to train even harder," said Pacquiao, who is also the WBC super welterweight champion.

The two boxers shook hands and embraced but the congeniality ends here as they make final preparations for Saturday contest.

The 39-year-old Mosley is hoping to dethrone Pacquiao who is making the second defense of his WBO title he won by beating Miguel Cotto in the same arena in November 2009.

Mosley, who arrived wearing a light blue track suit, said he could hear the roar of Pacquiao's supporters back stage.

"There are a lot of fans here and I hear a lot of Manny's fans. It will be a big task tomorrow when I fight Manny," said Mosley, who is the only boxer to beat Oscar de la Hoya twice.

Pacquiao fans started lining up outside the front doors of the arena eight hours before Friday's weigh-in to get a glimpse of their boxing hero.

They came draped in Filipino flags and wearing yellow which is the color Pacquiao has asked them to wear on Saturday. Tickets were sold out five weeks in advanced for the fight. Many who were there didn't have tickets to the fight so this was their only chance to see Pacquiao in person.

By noon the crowd outside the front entrance to the Grand Garden had swelled to thousands and security had trouble at times keeping the walk ways clear and making sure no bottles got inside the arena. It was mainly a festive mood -- lots of alcohol but in plastic cups -- and no major incidents.

Thousands more who showed up too late were turned away and couldn't get in for the main event weigh-in which lasted only about 10 minutes.

Americo Canque flew in from Manila to see the fight. This is the fourth time he has traveled to the United States to see the Sarangani congressman fight.

"I think Manny will knock him out in seven rounds," said the 55-year-old electrician. "Manny has too much speed he is very strong. Mosley has the experience but he is too old."

Canque said the entire country of 96 million will come to a standstill when the fight happens.

"He is more popular than our president," Canque said.

Rose Regino was first in line Friday and part of a group of about 20 Pacquiao fans that showed up at 7 in the morning.

"Manny is going to fight like Bruce Lee," said the 40-year-old banker, who lives in Las Vegas. "We are so excited."

Las Vegas' Keo Moya is pulling for Mosley to win but he was definitely in the minority.

The 10-year-old from Las Vegas said the longer the fight goes, the better it is for Pacquiao.

"If Mosley has a chance, it is in the first three rounds," Moya said. "He is older so he needs to attack first. If that doesn't happen then Pacquiao will win."

Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, says this week he wants the Filipino southpaw to force the action enough to throw Mosley off his guard.

"Most older fighters go forward well but they can't go backwards in the ring," Roach said. "They can be aggressive but if you can get them on their heels and they are kind of lost. The legs don't get them out the way like they used to."

Roach insists this has been one of their best training camps ever for a title fight. He is hoping "Pac-Man" can do something no other boxer has ever been able to achieve and deliver the first knockout of Mosley in his 18-year career.

Mosley has rarely even been knocked down in a career that has seen him win four world titles.

Roach said one of the keys to beating Mosley is for Pacquiao to keep throwing punches at the end of exchanges instead of resisting the temptation to clinch.

"Shane likes to hit and grab. When he grabs he is reaching for you and that leaves him open for a punch," Roach said. "We worked on that a lot.

"I think that is where we are going to beat Shane -- down the middle."

Source: www.google.com

Juan Manuel Marquez expected at weigh-in, and as Pacquiao's next foe?

2011-05-06T20:40:00.000-07:00

Fight promoter Top Rank is expecting a visit from world lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez at its 3 p.m. weigh-in Friday for the Manny Pacquiao-Shane Mosley fight.

It's significant because it will be Marquez's first public step away from Top Rank's rival promoter, Golden Boy in Los Angeles, and because of the Mexican fighter's strong position to be Pacquiao's next opponent in November. [Updated 2:29 p.m. May 6: The date of the potential fight would be Nov. 12.]

Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum said Thursday night he believes Marquez is the front-runner to next fight Pacquiao, as long as the Filipino star does as expected Saturday and defeats 8-to-1 underdog Mosley at MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas.

Arum said a third Pacquiao-Marquez bout could be fought either in Las Vegas, or back at Cowboys Stadium in Texas, where Pacquiao fought twice in 2010.

Marquez (52-5-1, 38 KOs) fought Pacquiao to a 2004 draw as featherweights, and then dropped a narrow split decision in a 2008 super-featherweight meeting.

As Pacquiao has proceeded to overwhelming triumphs against the likes of Oscar De La Hoya, Miguel Cotto, Ricky Hatton and Antonio Margarito since, a nagging question has been his inability to return to the man who has given him such difficult tests.

Arum said Thursday he's willing to have a 144-pound weight limit for the welterweight title fight. As the 135-pound lightweight champ, Marquez, who turns 38 in August, previously was overwhelmed when he tried moving up in weight to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Golden Boy Chief Executive Richard Schaefer has said his company still has the right to attempt to match any offer Marquez receives for a fight through next year, but matching Pacquiao money will be quite a challenge, so Top Rank officials say they are confident Marquez can jump ship.

Schaefer said Friday perhaps "a fight against [Saul] 'Canelo' Alvarez," could generate the money Marquez will be offered by Top Rank.
Source: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/

Manny Pacquiao weighs in lighter than Shane Mosley

2011-05-06T20:25:00.000-07:00

Manny Pacquiao weighed in just two pounds lighter than American Shane Mosley after the Filipino was welcomed by deafening cheers from his supporters on the eve of Saturday's WBO welterweight title fight.

Pacquiao, 52-3-2 (38 knockouts), tipped the scales at 145 pounds in front of a boisterous crowd of about 6,500 at the MGM Grand Hotel's Garden Arena.

Mosley, 46-6-1 (39 KOs), was weighed first and was right on the 147-pound limit for the scheduled 12-round bout.

The two fighters were all smiles as they posed for the photographers for their pre-fight pictures and they embraced one another once that task was done.

"I am just so excited to be in this fight," Mosley, a 39-year-old veteran who is a three-division world champion, said on the stage. "The whole world is watching. It should be great."

Pacquiao, a 10-times world champion in a record eight weight divisions, is a 6-1 favorite to win but he has taken great pains not to underestimate his American challenger.

"I believe that Shane Mosley is a strong fighter, a good fighter," the 32-year-old Filipino said. "He has trained hard for this fight so I have to train hard and focus on this fight."

Pacquiao and Mosley are renowned for being ideal boxing ambassadors and have refused to indulge in any of the pre-bout trash-talking so common in the sport.

NO TRASH TALKING

"This is a good example for the boxing fans and for all the fighters," Pacquiao told reporters earlier this week.

"The fight will be happy and a good example for the children who are idolizing the fighters, especially Mosley and me."

The atmosphere was electric as the two fighters made their way on to a raised stage for Friday's televised weigh-in where former boxing great Roberto Duran and Britain's WBA world light welterweight champion Amir Khan were among those attending.

Shouts of "Manny, Manny" rang out before the tracksuit-clad boxers finally emerged, Pacquiao and Mosley each smiling and waving to the fans before stepping on to the scales.

There were also friendly boos for Mosley who, despite being born in nearby Pomona, California, had a much smaller number of supporters in the arena.

Pacquiao is fighting for the first time since he recorded a ruthless points victory over Mexican Antonio Margarito in November for his eighth world title in an unprecedented eight weight class.

Mosley has not competed in the ring since his draw with Sergio Mora in September.

Pacquiao, already acknowledged as one of the best offensive fighters of all time, is guaranteed $20 million from Saturday's bout while Mosley will earn a minimum $5 million.

Source: http://ca.reuters.com/

Pacquiao wants Mosley seeing yellow stars

2011-05-05T01:54:00.000-07:00

LAS VEGAS, Nevada — If Filipino pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao gets his way on Saturday, Shane Mosley will be seeing a blur of yellow at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino.

The eight-division world champion and Filipino congressman plans to wear yellow boxing gloves in the ring for his world title fight Saturday as a symbol of his struggle to end poverty in his native Philippines.

"All my life I have had to fight. At first as a child I had to fight just to get something to eat," said Pacquiao. "I believe this world needs new heroes. The biggest fight in my life is not in boxing but it is now to end poverty in my country.

"So this Saturday I will wear yellow gloves as a symbol of unity."

Pacquiao marks his return to Las Vegas for the first time since November 2009 by fighting America Mosley for the World Boxing Organization welterweight title.

Tickets for the scheduled 12-round fight at the Garden Arena sold out five weeks in advance. Millions more are expected to watch the fight from the Philippines and around the world on pay-per-view television.

Pacquiao and the four-time world champion Mosley stood side-by-side and posed for pictures at a news conference in the Hollywood Theater inside the MGM hotel on Wednesday.

They spoke briefly from the podium which also featured trainers, managers and support staff from both camps. Promoter Bob Arum said they are pleased bring Pacquiao back to Las Vegas after staging both of Pacquiao's fights last year at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, Texas.

"We had two fights in the stadium in Dallas we are happy to be back here in Las Vegas," Arum said. "Las Vegas needs to have these kinds of fights."

The outgoing mayor of Las Vegas Oscar Goodman and Canadian singer-songwriter Dan Hill were also in attendance. Goodman presented both fighters with "good luck mayor gambling chips". The Grammy-award winning Hill has teammed up with aspiring singer Pacquiao who regularly covers Hill's classic 1970's ballad "Sometimes When We Touch".

No doubt Hill will get an invite to Pacquiao's post-fight "Beach Party" at the nearby Mandalay Bay Hotel where 'Pac-Man' plans to perform with his band.

Pacquiao warmed up for the occasion by singing a line from the song at Wednesday's news conference.

The announcement of the Beach Party and Pacquiao's planned singing engagement immediately after the title fight drew chuckles from the Mosley camp. But there was no trash talking as the camps kept their distance.

The 39-year-old Mosley, of Los Angeles, may have a 3 1/2 inch height advantage and 7 1/2 inch reach advantage but he gives away seven years in age to the younger and heavily favoured Pacquiao.

Mosley said he doesn't mind being the underdog.

"That's fine. My goal is to get the victory and the win. We can talk about me being the underdog after the fight.

"I can do all the things I used to do five years ago. Don't ask me about 10 years ago because I can't remember back that far," Mosley joked.

Pacquiao said he had enjoyed one of his best training camps ever and is hoping to validate that by do something no other boxer has been able to achieve before: prevent Mosley from going the distance.

Mosley has gone 53 fights in his 18-year career without being knocked out.

The Filipino southpaw said the last time he trained this hard for a fight was 2008 when he fought Oscar de la Hoya and beat him in eight rounds.

"I am 100 percent and I would never underestimate Mosley," Pacquiao said. "He is not old. He moves like a 31-year old and he still has a lot of speed."

Pacquiao has won 13 fights in a row and has not lost in nearly six years. In that span he has dispatched such stars as de la Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto and Juan Manuel Marquez.

Pacquiao has also claimed world titles in eight weight classes. He typically divides his time training for a fight between the Philippines and the USA but for this fight they decided to make a change.

So they spent five weeks, instead of three, training in Los Angeles.

"We are ready for this fight," trainer Freddie Roach said. "This has been our best training camp ever and Manny is in the best shape. He has to be because we are fighting one of the most crafty fighters ever in Shane Mosley."

Source: www.google.com

Pacquiao ready for Mosley's best

2011-05-04T03:44:00.000-07:00

Great athletes need challenges. And in 1996, Roy Jones felt he was running out of them. So that June, the then-No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world decided to create one. On the afternoon of his super middleweight title fight against Eric Lucas, Jones suited up for the USBL's Jacksonville Barracudas. He played 14 minutes that day. Seven hours later, he made Lucas quit in 33.

"What would really be great would be to fight a true double-header -- two championship fights in the same night," Jones told The New York Times. "People would think I couldn't do it."

Manny Pacquiao doesn't need any new challenges. The No. 1 fighter in the world has plenty right in front of him. A day in the life of Pacquiao includes managing countless media obligations (which he rarely turns down), promoting his burgeoning singing career (his first U.S. single was released last week) and posing for pictures with the scores of fans that seem to follow him everywhere. Then there are his Congressional duties in the Philippines -- he met with President Obama in February -- and, oh yeah, training for the biggest fight of the year, Saturday's welterweight showdown with Shane Mosley (9 p.m. ET, Showtime PPV).

"That's my life, to keep busy," Pacquiao said. "I like to do a lot of things in my life. This is how I motivate myself [for] this upcoming fight."

Indeed, Pacquiao could probably use an extra dose of motivation. The selection of the 39-year-old Mosley has been roundly criticized, from the casual fans who continue to clamor for a deal with Floyd Mayweather to the diehards who insist Juan Manuel Marquez was more deserving. In his heyday Mosley was a feared fighter, but his recent resume -- a 12-round thumping at the hands of Mayweather and an uninspired draw with Sergio Mora -- suggests his competitive days are behind him.

Pacquiao, however, believes Mosley has something left in the tank.

"Shane Mosley is still very strong and he moves more like he's 30 years old," Pacquiao said. "I'm excited for this fight because Mosley can throw a lot of punches and he wants to fight toe-to-toe. He's a former pound-for-pound champion and he's a good fighter."

Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, agrees.

"Mosley brings speed, power and he has a good team behind him," Roach said. "I think we have a big challenge ahead of us. The way we go about attacking Shane is going to have a lot of thought behind it. If you just walk into Shane and attack him you just walk into the fire. He'll counterpunch the hell out of you and he has knockout power."

Ah, the knockout. That's more fuel for the fire. Pacquiao has leveled nearly every opponent put in front of him the last two years. Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto didn't make it to the final bell. (Antonio Margarito did, but only because Pacquiao took it easy when referee Laurence Cole ignored the Filipino's repeated appeals to stop the fight.)

Margarito had to table negotiations for a July fight with Cotto because his post-Pacquiao face had not healed enough for sparring.

Joshua Clottey went the distance with Pacquiao but only because he spent the entire fight using his arms as a shield.

Mosley won't do that. Power is the last thing to go in a fighter and Mosley has still got some pop. He knocked out the steel-jawed Margarito in 2009. He buckled the elusive Mayweather in the second round. Mosley is a come-forward, press-the-action fighter who isn't in many dull scraps.

There's another thing about Mosley: He has never been knocked out. It's a fact Pacquiao's team is keenly aware of and is using as a tool to further motivate their man for this fight.

"It would be incredible for Manny to be the first one to stop him and just prove to the world how much better he is than that guy [Mayweather] that couldn't stop him," Roach said. "I think Manny will fight at a fast pace. I don't know if (Mosley) will be prepared to fight at that pace but we're going to force the action and we're going to go for it this time. If it comes, it comes. I think Manny is definitely the guy to do it."

Pacquiao insists that the myriad potential distractions aren't an issue. He took a lengthy break from training after the Margarito fight to commit to his political career, a hiatus Pacquiao says has made him hungrier. Roach claims this has been Pacquiao's best training camp ("From Day 1 he has been on fire") and says they are "100 percent ready" with a game plan to beat Mosley. To avoid overconfidence, Roach has spent most of his time reviewing Mosley's best fights (specifically the one against Margarito) and not his most recent body of work.

"If Mosley brings his best we're ready for his best," Roach said. "I don't think there is any room for an upset. We've done everything we can to get ready for the fight."

Gone through everything, too. As Jones would probably agree, when it comes to challenges outside the ring, Pacquiao has more than enough.

Source: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/

No reason why Mosley won’t lose by KO

2011-05-03T04:07:00.000-07:00

ON May 8 (Manila Time), Manny Pacquiao is scheduled to climb the ring again.

But will he really fight that day?

I doubt it very much.

He’ll maul another sorry victim – that I’m sure of.

But that’s going ahead of the story.

The last time Pacquiao fought, in November 2010, he ended up with swollen knuckles. His hands ached.

First, because he had a bloated customer in Antonio Margarito.

Second, Margarito was not made of grains but of granite.

In that fight, the super-welterweight crown for 154-pounders was on the line.

But Pacquiao could only weigh 150 lb when the first bell rang. That was the heaviest Pacquiao could weigh, given that he’s barely 5-foot-6 and, basically, a natural lightweight (130-135 lb).

And because Margarito towered to almost six feet, he could easily go beyond 160 lb. In fact, he came in at 167, or 17 pounds heavier than Pacquiao.

That mattered.

So that the bout virtually pitted David against Goliath.

History repeating itself?

You bet.

Wasn’t Pacquiao the David when he slew his first Goliath in De La Hoya?

Wasn’t Pacquiao the David when he slew his second Goliath in Cotto?

Wasn’t Pacquiao the David when he slew his third Goliath in Clottey?

And then came Margarito.

You already know what happened to Margarito.

From being called “Mexican Tornado” before the fight, Pacquiao renamed Margarito to “Mexican Tomato” after the fight.

Pacquiao couldn’t floor Margarito as 17 pounds was just too much for his fists.

Still, Pacquiao’s fists feasted on the face all night that at fight’s end, Margarito’s face was so badly battered, it became as red as Mexican tomato. Bizarrely, it also resembled much of a smashed watermelon in summer.

Why the referee in that fight didn’t halt the carnage as early as the 10th shocked the world that it would quickly supplant the mystique of the sorrowful mystery.

Pacquiao’s unanimous 12-round points victory over Margarito merely validated the fact that, to the ring legend, both height and weight matter not.

Thus, even as Pacquiao would again be fighting a foe taller and heftier than him in Mosley, he’d still prevail. Easily again, I must insist.

Mosley is boasting of holding three world crowns, of having beaten such greats like De La Hoya, Vargas and even Margarito.

But all that is history now and, at 39 years of age, he is also history already.

In fact, Mosley’s remaining link to greatness – that of not having been knocked out in his 46-6-1, win-loss-draw career with 39 KOs – will be finally shattered by Pacquiao (52-3-2, 38 KOs) on Sunday.

If Mosley will survive Pacquiao and he loses merely on points to the 32-year-old Pacman, it would be by dint of luck.

Pacquiao’s conqueror has yet to be born.

Source: http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/

Fight Review: Shane Mosley's key bouts

2011-05-03T03:44:00.000-07:00

We can't predict what will happen Saturday in Las Vegas, but a review of several key fights in Shane Mosley's career may hint at how he'll match up against Manny Pacquiao.

1. Winky Wright I
When: March 13, 2004, Las Vegas
Result: Mosley loses by unanimous decision in 12
What it means: As an opponent, there's a lot that Wright doesn't have in common with Pacquiao. Pacquiao is explosive; Wright's style was always more like a muffler. Winky stood 5-foot-10½, four inches taller than Manny, and Wright is a career junior middleweight who fought as heavy as 170 pounds. The similarity? Like Pacquiao, Wright fights left-handed. From the southpaw stance, Wright handed Mosley two of his six career defeats.

In this first of their two bouts, Wright came out more aggressively than usual, outjabbing Mosley and using the jab to set up repeated hard lefts. Mosley was at 154 pounds for only the third time, challenging for Wright's junior middleweight title, and his best hope in combating Wright's size advantage was to outbox him. But Mosley was flustered and unable to set the pace. He couldn't penetrate and defended poorly, often circling to his own right, toward that pesky left hand, instead of away from it.

Part of Mosley's problem in the fight was Wright's size. But Pacquiao as a smaller southpaw will present a different (yet similar) problem. Size and speed both are a means for controlling space in the ring, and Pacquiao uses his blazing speed to compensate for his lack of size. He punishes opponents in skirmishes over space by moving in and out with brutal punches. Mosley has done better against other southpaws, handling journeyman Raul Marquez in 2003 and contender Luis Collazo in 2007 (though Collazo landed some solid lefts). Still, based on Mosley's troubles with Wright, Pacquiao's southpaw stance is likely to give Mosley one more thing to worry about.

2. Miguel Cotto
When: Nov. 10, 2007, New York
Result: Mosley loses by unanimous decision in 12
What it means: Mosley doesn't have past opponents in his portfolio who really simulate Pacquiao's dynamite. But Cotto, circa 2007, came close. Remember, Mosley fought a pre-damaged Cotto, before Cotto took a beating at the suspect hands of Antonio Margarito. Cotto was 27 years old. He was 30-0 with 25 knockouts, a pressure fighter with a killer body attack and underappreciated hand speed (though nowhere near as nimble as Pacquiao). Cotto is short like Pacquiao, too, at 5-7.

The 5-9 Mosley seemed comfortable fighting a shorter man. He stood in, traded flurries and scored with solid rights. Cotto gave back -- gave Mosley maybe the roughest fight of his career. Cotto, having built a lead, backed Mosley up with a lunging left to end Round 9. But Mosley turned Cotto's head with a cracking right to the jaw in Round 10. Round 11 was brutal, as both fighters landed body and head shots. Mosley surged to win the final round. A close decision went to Cotto. Mosley took plenty of punishment, but he didn't get stopped. He never has been. Against Cotto he demonstrated the chin, stamina and guts he'll most certainly need if he wants to keep that streak alive versus Pacquiao.

3. Antonio Margarito
When: Jan. 24, 2009, Los Angeles
Result: Mosley wins by TKO in 9
What it means: What can Mosley's mega-upset over Antonio Margarito tell us about Pacquiao-Mosley? Well, Margarito has something in common with Pacquiao, despite their physical differences. Like PacMan, Margarito was known for a relentless, come-forward attack and high-volume punching (he had thrown an insane 1,675 punches against Joshua Clottey). Against that style, Mosley was able to control the pace of this fight, keeping Margarito's output low by timing his rushes, sliding to angles, punishing him to the body, landing winging rights to the head and muscling him carefully in close. "Swim without getting wet," is how Mosley's trainer Naazim Richardson described the game plan to get in, punch and get out. It worked.

After a few rounds, Mosley had Margarito backing up. He floored him to close Round 8, and less than a minute into Round 9, with Mosley pounding Margarito on the ropes, referee Raul Caiz Jr. stepped in and stopped it. No one expects Mosley to handle Pacquiao like that, but with this giant win late in his career, Mosley showed that at age 37 he still could summon champion-caliber speed and finishing power. Now he needs to do it one more time.

4. Floyd Mayweather Jr.
When: May 1, 2010, Las Vegas
Result: Mosley loses by unanimous decision in 12
What it means: Every so often, Mosley comes out at the opening bell looking agitated and tightly wound, doing everything in a jerky, ultra-tense fast-motion. He seems to ramp it up like this when he's facing quickness and skill equal to his own. His first fight against Oscar De La Hoya was like that (it was likened to a game of speed chess), and so was his meeting with Floyd Mayweather Jr. last May. Expect the same intense, hair-trigger approach from Mosley against Pacquiao.

The amped-up electricity worked early for Mosley in this fight. In Round 2, he rocked Mayweather with a right, muscled out of a desperate Mayweather clinch and pursued him to the ropes. But Mayweather is a ring genius whose masterful defense (grabbing, parrying, rolling his shoulder) has yet to be cracked. Mayweather survives rare onslaughts, spends a few rounds figuring an opponent out, then dominates. Mosley was no exception: Mayweather made his mental notes, methodically turned the tables and took complete control.

If any opponent has prepared Mosley to face Pacquiao, it was Mayweather. But was the education too brutal? In Mosley's next fight, versus Sergio Mora, he was listless, and the battle was a dud. So the question that's left to ask about Shane Mosley: Did the drubbing he took from Mayweather ruin him? Or does he selectively save his super sauce for the super-fights? No doubt he'll come out tightly wound and ready to spring against Manny Pacquiao. Will it be enough?

Source: http://sports.espn.go.com/

Roach willing to bet everything on Pacquiao

2011-05-01T23:01:00.000-07:00

Prior to Manny Pacquiao’s fight against Mexican Antonio Margarito last year, chief trainer Freddie Roach announced he was willing to bet his house on the Filipino boxing icon, who was then perceived to be ill-prepared owing to many distractions that punctuated his preparations.

Two days before Team Pacquiao drives to Las Vegas, site of his World Boxing Organization welterweight championship bout with Shane “Sugar” Mosley, Roach said he is ready to lose everything if only to prove to all that his 32-year-old pupil is ready to rumble, defend his 147-pound crown and remain the world’s pound-for-pound king after their showdown on May 7 in Las Vegas.

“Yes, I’m willing to bet everything – my house, my car, everything I own – that Manny will beat the hell out of Shane this coming Saturday (Sunday in Manila) and emerge with his reputation intact,” the 51-year-old four-time ‘Trainer of the Year’ honoree told this writer right after Pacquiao ended his three-week training at Roach-owned Wild Card Gym in Hollywood.
Against Margarito, I told you that had I been married and had children, I would have bet them, too,” he recalled. “Now, find me someone willing to buy the soul of a 51-year-old trainer who believes that there’s nothing, not even the dreaded right hand of Mosley can stop Manny from keeping his six-year unbeaten record immaculate.”

Roach then reiterated that the camp, Team Pacquiao pitched, first in the pleasant Baguio City the in Los Angeles, has never been as perfect as it had been.

“I told you when we left Manila that Baguio was the best start we’ve had in our 10-year partnership. That ideal set up continued here in L.A. where we not only maintained the gains we accomplished in Baguio, we improved tremendously on them a lot” Roach assured.

“It’s too bad You didn’t see Manny sparred against three, four sparmates while we’re here, but I assure you, I never saw him packed power in both fists. I never saw him as fast in both his hands and feet. In short, this was the first time I saw Manny so focused, so determined and so hardworking in following his regimen and the things member of the coaching staff had instructed him,” Roach remarked.

“His execution of the game plan and strategies we mapped out was superb. Alex (conditioning coach Alex Ariza, and sparring partners Shawn (Porter), Ray (Beltran), David (Rodela), Rashad (Halloway) can all attest to that,” he pointed out.

“He’s a f-----g beast,” B“He’s a f-----g beast,” Beltran, who has been with the them for the past seven years and had sparred with Pacquiao for more or less 400 rounds, said with great emphasis, “like a monster, so intense.”

And for those who still doubt Pacquiao’s readiness should listen to Porter, who has been giving the eight-division kingpin the hardest sparring.

“Yes, Pacman is ready to go to war, “ Porter told this writer in a separate interview, recalling their intense sparring Thursday when they drew cheers from onlookers who were lucky to have sneaked through the strict closed-door session.

"We went five rounds. The fourth round, I got him on the ropes, I started throwing, he started exchanging, and I say I can't stop til' he stops,” Porter related.

“I guess he was thinking the same thing. We were there for about one minute, I didn't let him off the ropes, he tried to move, maybe one time he tried to move, and I didn't let him go anywhere, and we just stayed there for about a minute banging, and that was at the end of the fourth round and my dad said, 'Come on over you got to recover, we got one more' and that's how it is with Manny Pacquiao. You got to give it your all."
The 23-year-old undefeated NABF welterweight champion Porter (18-0-0, 13 KOs) is Pacquiao's chief sparring partner who has brought out the best out of the Pacman.

Saturday followed the same pattern in capping the Wild Card portion of the camp against Porter and Beltran against whom he displayed the explosiveness, speed, power and sharp reflexes that has been his trademark en route to nabbing eight world championship belts.

"Hopefully I've made the fight easy for him," Porter commented after engaging Pacquiao in a slugging contest, giving the champ all his best shots, throwing hooks and body shots that Mosley is expected to dish out on fight night.

Porter, who arguably punches as hard as Mosley and considerably moves as fast, has, according to Roach definitely set up Pacquiao for success, giving him the best work out of all the other sparring partners used.

Source: http://philboxing.com/

Pacquiao lighter, but still packs a wallop

2011-04-30T11:07:00.000-07:00

As he was jumping rope Friday afternoon, Manny Pacquiao was a bit concerned that his current weight is a bit low.

But the Filipino star quickly assured a handful of those listening that while he may be a bit underweight, his punches can still knock just anyone senseless, including Shane Mosley when they face off on May 7 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

“Payat nga ako pero mataba naman ang suntok ko,” said Pacquiao, who will not only be defending his World Boxing Organization welterweight crown but the mythical title of pound-for-pound crown as well.

Pacquiao, who started out as a light-flyweight (108 lbs) in the mid-1990s, said he could still make lightweight (135 lbs) since he is not cutting down on his eating habits.

“I can make lightweight if I want to,” said Pacquiao.

Still, Pacquiao’s ferocious showing was enough to give a smile on trainer Freddie Roach’s face all-afternoon long as the 32-year-old lefty pushed himself to the limit during training at the Wild Card Boxing Club.

“My concern now is how to slow him down (in training),” said Roach.

Pacquiao explained why he is asking Roach for an extra round, an extra minute, during the mitts session and in almost anything that he does.

“I am just trying to make sure that I will be in great shape when the fight comes,” Pacquiao told Manila-based scribes while he was dressing up for a gig at Staples Center later in the day.

“I am also pumped up for training,” said Pacquiao, who expects Mosley to be in excellent condition when they answer the bell before a sellout crowd at the 17,000-seat venue.

Roach said that while Pacquiao “is on fire the last two days of training and knows the gameplan,” he has “to slow him down, have him do fewer rounds so he could save it for the fight.”

Pacquiao is a heavy favorite to repulse Mosley’s challenge but Roach wants his fighter to do it in stunning fashion by becoming the first puncher to deal Mosley a knockout defeat.

Source: http://www.mb.com.ph/

The Modern Myth of Mosley

2011-04-30T10:36:00.000-07:00

In May of 2010 when Shane Mosley entered the ring against the finest defensive fighter of our time, Floyd Mayweather Jr it was widely believed that he would need to find ways to corner Floyd or cut off the ring in order to have any chance at success. Conventional wisdom told us that if he couldn’t stay close or get Mayweather to exchange with him that he would have little to no shot at winning.

By almost all pre-fight theories Mosley’s role clearly would be that of the aggressor and Mayweather’s of the methodical somewhat offensively passive boxer. That was the conventional wisdom going in to the fight. But, what was so surprising about what actually occurred in the ring was that Mayweather stood his ground and not only out punched Shane but he out fought him too. Mayweather did his own version of walking his man down and towards the end of that fight it almost appeared as if it would lead to a TKO. Mosley’s trainer, Nazim Richardson made it quite clear in no uncertain terms that if Shane didn’t find a way to limit the incoming shots or have some offensive success of his own that he would have to “do something he didn’t want to do”! He was right for warning Mosley and many who witnessed the fight agreed with that message. But, to listen to Shane now as he prepares for a May 2011 bout against the finest offensive fighter of our time, Manny Pacquiao there’s a kind of passive manipulation going on which borders on out right deception. Their logic is simple. Manny is more aggressive than Floyd and if you buy into what they’re suggesting apparently that will translate into more opportunities for Mosley. But, what they leave out is that Floyd pretty much took on the role of the aggressor which nearly all believed would play right into Shane’s hands yet it resulted (except for round 2) in a one way thrashing. The reality is that Mosley was out fought by a man who is defensive in nature and who fought in a style that was supposed to benefit him yet HE still could not capitalize.

The fact that his trainer was actually thinking about intervening against a man whose power has been questioned at welterweight and although an accurate puncher by no means a volume puncher tells us something very important about Shane and if you’re paying attention that message should not be overlooked. Now, Shane is heading into a match against a man who IS known for his offensive attack and who IS a volume puncher and whose power has not been questioned at welterweight yet many continue to hype this fight in an overtly optimistic fashion. But, for those of you who enjoy big time boxing but also hope for a little integrity you probably accept this match up for what it is. In other words, the 2011 version of Shane Mosley IS the perfect opponent at this stage for the 2011 version of Manny Pacquiao!

There is nothing but upside from Manny’s perspective. He stays active while not truly being threatened and he’s paid handsomely for it.

In 2009, Sugar Shane Mosley was deemed too dangerous for Pacquiao but in 2011 his trainer, Freddie Roach has given the proverbial “thumbs up!” There’s a reason for that and it doesn’t solely lie in the fact that Mosley’s promotional allegiance permits this fight now when in 2009 it would have been a little bit trickier. There’s no question that Shane’s recent break up with Golden Boy Promotions was another check mark on the “good side” but the driving factor is certainly Mosley’s clear and undeniable physical decline. They could sell this fight with the highlight footage of Mosley crushing Antonio Margarito and the suggestion that he does much better against fighters than he does against boxers. In this case, they leave out that Manny Pacquiao can do both pretty darn well so he doesn’t necessarily need to knock Shane out because he can out land, out speed and out maneuver him. That’s why he’s a safe opponent and Roach knows it. What Roach really see’s now that he didn’t see back in 2009 is that Mosley much like De La Hoya before him can no longer pull the trigger and for that reason doesn’t have the ability to capitalize against his man who does have defensive deficiencies but also has shown tremendous speed and maneuverability to overcome those technical flaws.

The “possibility” that Shane could once again turn back the hands of time and snatch victory from a certain demise is the theme Top Rank wants the consumer base to embrace. Those poor performances against Mayweather and Mora are being dismissed as just stylistic nightmares for Mosley but the reality is that Shane Mosley no longer has the reflexes or the ability to compete at this elite level. The fight against Mayweather may be forgivable considering the level of opposition but the draw against Mora is not.

This fight for many is more about simply watching arguably the best fighter in the world perform and not necessarily about seeing him be tested so its important to maintain that perspective if you’re a serious boxing observer. As a group we should scrutinize the matches of our best fighters agree to and expect that they will test themselves against the best opposition available while not falling into the trap that just about every major boxing superstar of the last 35 years has fallen into and that’s allowing the business side of boxing solely dictate the match ups.

Long term those fights don’t improve the star themselves and not only cheat us but tarnishes that fighter’s legacy.

From a fighter’s perspective, if the ultimate goal is fighting and beating Floyd Mayweather Jr these bouts against Clottey, Margarito and now Mosley do nothing to prepare him for the kind of technical challenges he’ll face against Mayweather.

Source: http://www.eastsideboxing.com/

“Manny should fight hard and fight smart” - Roach

2011-04-29T10:58:00.000-07:00

While he rules out an upset when World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao battles “Sugar” Shane Mosley, trainer Freddie Roach is worried about the Filipino ring icon’s penchant to mix it up if only to make fans who would watch the fight happy.

“Manny has always wanted to give the fans their money’s worth and for that, he makes himself open to whoever his opponent to hit him, thinking that he’s too fast to really be hit hard,” Roach told this writer in an interview after yesterday’s workout at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles.

“And that’s what I worry about. Remember (Antonio) Margarito? Well, Manny beat him black and blue, but Antonio was able to connect a few times to hurt Manny. I don’t want that to happen,” he said in reference to the Pacquiao-Margarito fight November last year. “The fact that Mosley knocked Margarito out only means that he’s more of a power puncher than Margarito.”

In that fight, held at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, Texas, the pound-for-pound king easily disposed of Margarito but not until after receiving some telling blows to the ribs as he willingly stood toe-to-toe against his bigger opponent in his desire to test how powerful the latter was and to please the more than 40,000 crowd.

“I don’t mind Manny engaging Mosley as he did in his previous opponents, but to avoid the taking a single knockout punch, which Mosley is capable of throwing, I kept telling him to fight hard, yes, but fight smart,” Roach said
Roach said the eight-division kingpin will always be open to extreme danger in the ring because he chooses to engage his opponents.

He said he doesn’t blame Manny for his style because that what makes him the most exciting fighter in the world today.
When he lets his hands go, he leaves himself open. There is no perfect defense.

Roach, meanwhile, disclosed that after doing the mitts, shadow boxing, working the double end and speed balls and conditioning exercises yesterday, Pacquiao weighed 151 pounds, well within the prescribed 147-pound for the welterweight fight against Mosley.

“As I have been saying, he’s been doing well, Roach assured. “Tomorrow (Thursday U.S. time) he’ll have eight or 10 rounds of sparring against (Shawn) Porter and Beltran, the same frequency on Saturday, his last sparring here in L.A. before proceeding to Las Vegas Monday (Tuesday in Manila),”

Going back to the fight, Roach said Manny is going to throw a lot of combinations and Shane will come right back at him. “That’s why this will be an exciting fight, But when he lets his hands go, he always leaves himself open. There is no perfect game, really.”

“We have a big challenge ahead of us,” Roach said. “Manny is motivated for a reason The way to go about attacking Shane is to have a lot of thought behind it. You walk in and attack him, you walk into fire. He’ll counter the hell out of you. And he has knockout power.”

Although Mosley has an impressive knockout rate – 39 KOs in 54 fights – he set that record primarily early in his career. He started 38-0, with 35 knockouts, but has been just 8-6-1 (with one no-contest), with four knockouts, since.

While he had a dismal performance against Floyd Mayweather Jr. in May of last year where he lost by a lopsided decision, he showed he still can hurt an opponent, wobbling Mayweather in the second round. His last two victories against Ricardo Mayorga and Margarito were both via stoppage.

Source: http://philboxing.com/

Mosley will play dirty -- Roach

2011-04-29T10:48:00.000-07:00

Desperate time calls for desperate measure.

And Freddie Roach exactly knows such approach is the only way for challenger Sugar Shane Mosley to stand a chance against welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao once they finally stand toe-to-toe in the ring 10 days from now.

As he worked the mitts for 12 rounds with the world’s top pound-for-pound fighter in the world Wednesday (Thursday, Manila time), Roach repeatedly reminded Pacquiao to be wary of Mosley’s dirty tactics.

“Bang! Bang! Bang! He’ll get dirty, he’ll get rough, but it won’t matter,” hollered Roach before a sparse crowd watching him and Pacquiao do their thing at the Wild Card gym here.

“He’ll get dirty. That’s the only way he can win this fight.”

Mosley, 39, remains a 6-2 underdog against Pacquiao in their May 7 fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas where the World Boxing Organization (WBO) 147-pound belt of the fighting congressman from the Philippines will be at stake.

Down to the final five days before training camp tapers down, both Roach and Pacquiao already know their fight plan like the palm of their hands, repeatedly going through the routine non-stop for more than half an hour.

So intense the workout was that not a few times, the 32-year-old Pacquiao staggered Roach, the four-time Trainer of the Year, with solid blows to the body.

But the 51-year-old trainer hardly minded it.

“You’re hurting me. Drive it hard,” Roach howled as he taunted Pacquiao to throw more punches at him.

At one time, Roach even had to use an improvised headband where a video camera -- provided by Showtime -- was placed in order to record up close the excessive workout.

Pacquiao later admitted that even against a 39-year-old opponent whose obviously, already way past his prime, he’s not about to take any chances.

“No way,” Pacquiao told Manila-based sportswriters as he was winding down with his two-hour training. “Kaya nga maaga tayo umakyat (sa Baguio) at nag-ensayo.”

The way training went through yesterday, Roach has no doubt that the eight-time world champion is now ready to take on Mosley head-on.

“We’re 100 percent ready for the fight. If Mosley brings his best, we’re ready for his best,” said Roach, who joined Pacquiao and Top Rank promoter Bob Arum in a media call earlier in the day.

“I don’t think there is any room for an upset, but in boxing you never know. We’re 100 percent ready on our end. We’ve done everything we can to get ready for the fight,” said Roach.

Meanwhile, Kenny Bayless has been named as the third man in the ring for the Pacquiao-Mosley slugfest even as Duane Ford, Dave Moretti and Glenn Trowbridge were appointed as the three judges who will score the bout.

This will be the ninth time Bayless will be calling the shot for a Pacquiao fight, the last of which came in 2009 during the WBO championship match between the Filipino and Miguel Cotto.

In other developments, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum refused to dwell on the offer reportedly made by his promotional outfit to Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez for a possible third fight with boxing sensation Manny Pacquiao this October.

The 79-year old veteran boxing executive stressed it is imperative to concentrate at the moment on the Filipino’s title defense of his welterweight belt two weeks from now.

In a media conference involving him, Pacquiao and trainer Freddie Roach, Arum said at the moment, his attention is solely pre-occupied by the coming fight pitting two of the best 147-pound fighters in the world today.

“Freddie and Manny are preparing for May 7 and we’re not looking past that,” said Arum.

Richard Schaefer, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Golden Boy Promotions, the rival outfit of Top Rank, was the first to disclose the offer first reported by ESPN veteran boxing columnist Dan Rafael.

Source: http://www.journal.com.ph/

Manny Pacquiao prepared to go 12 rounds, Not looking for Knockout

2011-04-28T10:58:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, Manny Pacquiao participated in a media conference call to promote his upcoming fight against Shane Mosley on Saturday, May 7th. In addition to Pacquiao, trainer Freddie Roach and promoter Bob Arum also participated. When asked about trying to KO Mosley in the fight, Pacquiao said that he wasn't looking for the KO and is prepared to go the distance. According to BoxingScene.com, Pacquiao made the following comments:

"We're not focused for the knockout. All we do is work hard and if the knockout comes, it comes. We've prepared ourselves for fighting 12 rounds"

For the last several months, Freddie Roach and Bob Arum have continuously hyped up the fight by talking about Manny's historical opportunity to knockout Mosley. Shane has never been knocked out before and Roach would love to see it. In fact, in the same conference call, Roach made the following comments about Manny going for the KO: "I think all fights should end in knockouts so I'm looking for a knockout."

Pacquiao last fought in November against Antonio Margarito. After the fight, Manny went on vacation for a while and then returned to his congressional duties. Pacquiao took time off from training. His time away from the gym rejuvenated his desire to fight, train, and get back into the boxing ring.
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By all accounts, Manny looks in great shape and had one of his best training camps in recent years. Manny is at an elite level of physical conditioning and looked tremendous in sparring. Roach said during the conference call that Manny had his best start ever to his training camp and that it may be the best camp he ever had.

Since the fight became official, Pacquiao has maintained that he will treat Mosley like he's the toughest opponent that he's ever faced. And if the results of his training camp are any indication, Pacquiao is focused on Mosley and any potential upset.

Pacquiao vs. Mosley will take place on Saturday May 7th live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The fight can be seen on Showtime PPV as the event has been sold out for the last month.

Source: http://www.examiner.com/

Mosley says power, not speed, will spell the difference

2011-04-28T10:44:00.000-07:00

For Shane Mosley, Manny Pacquiao's chances of beating him will depend on whether the Filipino legend can withstand his punches.

Mosley, still in his competitive form at 39, said his power will decide the outcome of their fight on May 7 (May 8 in Manila) in Las Vegas.

“People, they see my power and they know that it's going to be an exciting fight. They think that that's pretty much what it is. If they can get past the power, then they can win the fight. And the fans, you know, choose to see knockouts. They want to see people that have good power. They want to see some kind of risk being taken,” he recently told reporters in a conference call.

Not even Mosley's status as an 8-1 underdog would be enough for people to underestimate him.

“The fight is very risky for Manny Pacquiao, to fight somebody like myself, so when you get that, then you get a lot of people who want to see what's going to happen. Is Manny going to get knocked out or is Manny going to knock Shane out. What's going to happen?” the three-division champion added.

Pacquiao and Mosley posses granite chins, and the two fighters have not tasted the canvass for years. The last time Mosley got knocked down was in 2002, when he got decked twice by Vernon Forrest en route to a unanimous decision loss. Pacquiao, meanwhile, went down once in his first fight against Marco Antonio Barrera in 2003 – a knockdown that was supposed to be ruled a slip.

Mosley also brushed aside Pacquiao's advantage in speed, pointing out how they fared against a common foe in Antonio Margarito.

“Well, I look at different fights. I look at the Margarito fight and notice that Margarito landed the most punches ever landed on Manny Pacquiao,” Mosley said, referring to Pacquiao's 12-round beatdown of Margarito last year.

Mosley, for his part, knocked out the tough Mexican in the ninth round of their 2009 fight.

“Margarito couldn't land punches on me, so if Margarito is fast enough to land punches on Manny Pacquiao, then I know that I'm fast enough to land punches on Manny Pacquiao,” he said.

Source: http://www.philstar.com/

Mosley vows to force Pacquiao into defensive mode

2011-04-27T09:13:00.000-07:00

May 7 is less than 2 weeks away. Even though “Sugar” Shane Mosley says he will land big punches early in the fight, Manny Pacquiao says he is ready for what can be an epic battle.

“I work hard for this training camp and he work hard to so that's good, good for the fans, we're going to give them a good fight,” Pacquiao says.

In a telephone conference call with the media recently, Mosley said he'll force the usually aggressive Pacman to become a defensive fighter by landing the big punches early.

Mosley, who knocked out Pacquiao's last foe Antonio Margarito in 2009, is confident he has enough speed to upset the Pacman.

“I know Margarito landed the most punches ever on Manny Pacquiao. So if Margarito is fast enough to land punches on Manny Pacquiao, then I know I'm fast enough to land punches on Manny Pacquiao,” the 39 year-old American said.

Mosley even joked about the Pacman's new CD which will be released on Thursday. He says he's excited to hear it, saying it might bring him good luck.

"Yeah, last time I had fought a person with a CD was when I fought Oscar in 2000, and he came out with a CD and he came in the ring with the CD and I won the fight and things are looking good for me right now," he says.

In the meantime, the Pacman is hoping another singer can bring him luck as well—hand picking Charice Pempengco to sing the Philippine national anthem.

“Magaling na singer at para maikilala s'ya sa buong bayan Pilipino at sa makita ang galing niya magkanta,” the boxing champ says.

(She's a very good singer and we like to introduce her to the world, to show how talented she is.)

Source:http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/

Mosley don’t see regrets in fighting Pacquiao

2011-04-27T09:01:00.000-07:00

Shane Mosley knows that at 39, he's only as good as his last fight goes.

That's why the former three-division champion vows to pour everything he's got in his May 7 showdown with pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao.

He said he had erased the words "what if" from his vocabulary.

“There's not too many more fights on the horizon,” said Mosley during his conference call on Tuesday. “Each and every fight is very important. I have to make sure that when I leave the fight, there's no regrets.”

So Mosley guarantees to give 100 percent, or muster whatever is left in his arsenal, when he tries to wrest Pacquiao's World Boxing Organization welterweight crown at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Despite the 6-1 odds for Pacquiao, Mosley earnestly believes he has a good chance of ending the Filipino's 13-bout winning streak since 2005 and vaulting back on top of the world's elite boxers.

Having watched and then seen the fight replays on tape of Pacquiao's 12-round domination of his former victim, Antonio Margarito, last November, Mosley said he’s confident of tagging the smaller, lighter Filipino hero.

Mosley said that if the slower Margarito could land so many punches on Pacquiao, then all the more he could, with more devastating effect.

Even if in the course of the envisioned torrid exchanges of punches he’d wind up on the shorter end, Mosley said he would not mind for as long as he had done what should be done.

Meanwhile, Pacquiao sparred for 10 rounds at the Wild Card Gym here Tuesday afternoon with Mexican lightweight Raymundo Beltran and unbeaten American welterweight Shawn Porter (18-0).

A fired-up Pacquiao allowed Beltran to hit him deliberately in the body and ribcage.

Porter, on the other hand, was given a taste of the pyompang punch (hitting both ears at the same time with open palms), similar to the one Pacquiao employed against Joshua Clottey in a 12-round unanimous decision victory last year.

Among those present during the training session were show biz couple Cesar Montano and Sunshine Cruz.

Source: http://sports.inquirer.net/

"Nothing else matters right now" - Shane Mosley relishing an upset over Pacquiao

2011-04-27T08:52:00.000-07:00

Earlier today former five-time champion 'Sugar' Shane Mosley participated in an international media conference call in advance of his May 7th clash against WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao. Fighting inside of the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Mosley is heading into the bout a huge underdog yet has kept a reserved confidence about him during the lead up to the fight.

Fielding various questions from the assembled media who took their time to call in, Mosley was far from outspoken yet still candid about his chances in the fight, his poor performances in his recent outings, and his true feelings towards Pacquiao's ability as a fighter.

Mosley was questioned as to whether he felt it was necessary for him to start early and find a way to hurt Pacquiao in the opening rounds for a shot at victory but he refuted such thoughts.

"I don't buy into that. A lot of my fights I have knockouts where I have knocked people out late," Mosley opened up.

The Pomona, California fighter also shed light on to why he consistently finds himself in these type of high-profile super fights despite suffering six losses throughout his eighteen-year career.

"People know that they are getting an exciting fight," said Mosley. "If they can get past the power than they can maybe win the fight. This fight is very risky for Manny Pacquiao. Anything can happen."

Someone then asked Shane if he had the speed to deal with Pacquiao, whose fists are still blazing as he moves into the twilight of his career. Shane's counter was definitely effective, as he pointed to the results of Pacquiao's most recent fight, a twelve-round thrashing over Antonio Margarito last November at Cowboys Stadium.

"I look at the Margarito fight and I noticed that Margarito landed the most punches ever on Manny Pacquiao," Shane revealed. "If Margarito is fast enough to land punches on Manny Pacquiao then I know I am fast enough to land punches."

In May of last year Mosley rocked Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the second round of their match but was thoroughly dominated for each stanza afterwards, losing a lopsided decision. Four months later he squared off with former champion Sergio Mora in Los Angeles and had to settle for a majority draw in a fight that was boringly dreadful to watch.

Those two performances have had people screaming that the 39-year old is shot but Mosley points out that without his lackluster efforts against Mayweather and Mora than he might not have found himself where he is today.

"If it wasn't for those two fights I probably wouldn't be here fighting Manny Pacquiao today. So those two fights were needed," Mosley said sharply.

Adding to that, 'Sugar' noted that the underdog role he finds himself in now is of no concern to him.

"It gives me a lot of motivation, to overcome what people are saying," Mosley said. "I don't really care if I am an underdog or not. What matters is what happens in the ring. Nothing else matters right now."

Of course, defying the odds is something that Shane is all too accustomed to, as he has often produced some of his best stuff when his back was to the wall. Tijuana's Margarito was a clear favorite to upend Shane in January of 2009 and Mosley vividly recalls the detractors coming out to play before their fight, which ended with Shane seizing a 9th round TKO.

"The only thing I remember back when I fought Margarito was that everyone thought I was going to get killed and all this crap they were saying," said a bemused Mosley. "It kept motivating me. There were different things going on in my life and I just went to myself and motivated myself and came out with the victory. I just felt good and I had a great training camp that time."

I asked Mosley what his impression was of Pacquiao during his fighting days at 126 and 130 pounds when he was going up against some of the great Mexican pugilists of our era and I also was curious to know how shocked he was to see the Filipino star, who debuted at 106 pounds, move up in weight later in his career while still having great success.

"I thought that he was a very good fighter, even back then," Mosley said with admiration. "He had a lot of energy. And that was a tough division with Morales, Barrera, Marquez and Pacquiao. Then he moved up several weight classes and pretty much did the same thing. It's remarkable. You can only take your hat off to him. He's one of the greats of this era."

While Mosley is quick to pay respect, he doesn't hesitate when fascinating about a victory over Pacquiao on May 7th. He didn't delve into all of the weaknesses that he sees in Pacquiao, but sure enough, he has his reasons for being confident.

"Yeah, I have a lot of advantages, I believe, over him. All I gotta do is exploit them."

Source: http://www.examiner.com/

Manny Pacquiao – Sugar Shane Mosley: Sugar Shane Tells All in Boxing Interviews Of A Lifetime

2011-04-26T10:48:00.000-07:00

There are many books that are released about boxing, but very few have gotten the response of CEO/Publisher of RSR, “Bad” Brad Berkwitt’s “BOXING INTERVIEWS OF A LIFETIME,” featuring interviews with some of the biggest names in boxing and entertainment.

Shane Mosley, George Foreman, Ron Lyle, Vinny Paz, Roy Jones, JR., and the list goes on and on in this exceptional and unique book, combining the words of the fighters of past and present along with some of the biggest names in entertainment. This book has been called a “can’t miss” and “the greatest collection of interviews of all time,” and is available for purchase now.

The Washington Post said “Book Is Talk of the Boxing World”. Julius Stecker, respected boxing journalist called it: “The Best Boxing Book of this Boxing Generation.” It is a must have for any boxing fan.

Source: http://ringsidereport.com/

WOODS--Shane Mosley Admits That Retirement Might Be Option If He Loses In A Bad Way To Pacquiao

2011-04-26T10:27:00.000-07:00

We're all adults here. We know that this is the fight game, and the name of the game is making money. And sometimes, when people are trying to convince you to reach into your wallet, and transfer some of your wealth to them, they will say things that veer into hyperbole. I don't want to say they lie, but rather, they skillfully shade the truth, massage it, choose to accentuate one portion of a story over another. They play up evidence which suits their cause, and sometime ignore evidence which might cause the potential consumer to keep that wallet glued shut.

We've heard oodles of skillfully delivered hyperbole in recent months, since Shane Mosley signed on the dotted line to become Manny Pacquiao's next victim. Initially, you'll recall the howls from the keyboard tappers resonated across the universe. They--we---I--didn't like the matchup, believing that the nearly-40-year-old Mosley, God bless him, had deteriorated too far from his prime time, and would be too ripe to get picked off by Pacquiao's laser guided killshots. Fans too haven't really embraced this tangle, which unfolds on May 7 in Las Vegas. But the players involved, the promoters, the trainers, the fighters themselves, have done their part to try and steer the promotion out of the realm of the nattering nabobs of the fightwrite fraternity.

There is a conference call today featuring Shane Mosley which will no doubt feature a boatload of this skillful marketing language. But I have to say, I have been somewhat impressed with what I've been hearing from the fighter himself, from Mosley. I chatted with him a few days ago, and was happy that he wasn't overselling his chances. Yes, he told me he think Pacquiao is a good style matchup for him. He said that Pacquiao doesn't have the same skills as a pure pugilist as Floyd Mayweather does, so Pacquiao will be right there in front of him, ready to be hit. Our man Frank Lotierzo has already picked apart this assertion, noting that Mayweather didn't win his bout against Mosley with his feet. He was in front of Mosley, ready to be hit, but Shane's reflexes are only human. They have diminished and with that, his chance at beating Manny, in my mind, have diminished tremendously.

And you know what? When I asked Mosley in our chat if he would consider retiring if Pacquiao beats him, what I heard convinced me that Mosley knows what he has, and what he's lost. "That decision would have to be made on how I lost," he said.

I appreciated his honesty here. If he gets his butt handed to him, he implied, that will be it for him. I appreciate that he didn't try to BS his way through the question, offer false bravado, reject the possibility that on the night of May 7, his career might conclusively be finished.

See, while we are all adults here, I have to admit I'm a favorite of Barnum. I'm a sucker who gets convinced by the hyperbole. The more years I do this, the less easily I get convinced, but still. So I'm thankful when I see and hear the principals staying grounded in at least some realism.

My guess is that on the night of May 7, Shane Mosley will know after about six minutes that even though he's had a fabulous training camp, and his style matches up well with Manny's, and Manny has never fought anyone with his blend of speed and power, retirement is his obvious option.

Source: http://www.thesweetscience.com/

Pacquiao enters final two weeks of training

2011-04-25T02:19:00.000-07:00

With everything believed to have been put in place – physical condition, stamina, power and speed; world welterweight championship protagonists Manny Pacquiao and “Sugar” Shane Mosley enter the crucial last two weeks of their preparations aimed at applying the finishing touches on the game plans and strategies they will exploit in their May 7 (May 8 in Manila) encounter in Las Vegas.

Both Filipino 147-pound belt-holder Pacquiao and challenger Mosley have declared themselves in tip-top shape for what is expected slambang 12-round confrontation, each promising to destroy one another to justify the fight that has drawn flaks from experts and fans alike.

Pacquiao will, of course, seeking the distinction of becoming the first man to ever stop the American in his long boxing career, while Mosley will try to prevent that and himself attempt to cut short the Filipino ring idol’s string of 13 straight victory in the span of five years.

Except for the fact that Mosley is decidedly the bigger, heftier and the heavier boxer in terms of fight records, his camp has yet to divulge what their game plan is to accomplish his target.

As for Pacquiao’s chief trainer Freddie Roach, the way to attaining the goal no fighter has yet accomplish is simple – sapped the 39-year-old’s three-division champ’s energy by starting strong and fast in order not to allow Mosley use his huge advantage in terms of physical attributes.

Roach believes the key to winning is for his ward to pummel the challenger with body shots from the opening bell on to wear him down.

“I want Manny to box him and break his body down,” he said during last week’s m,edia day at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood. “While Everybody has usually gone after Mosley’s chin, I wasn’t Manny to go to the body, break that body down and take his legs away from him,.” Roach bared before media men.

“Shane has a strong chin and the plan is to stop him late in the fight with those body shots.We’ve been really concentrating on the body. That’s part of our game plan,” he expounded in an overseas interview with Malaya Business Insight. .

“Shane is a good boxer, good speed and uses a lot of techniques. He feints a lot, he gets you out of position, very clever and we just have to nullify that and take that away from him if we can,” he added.

Pacquiao, a lawmaker representing the province of Sarangani in the Lower House, for his part, said he’s ready for everything Mosley will dish out once the bell rings.

“I’m ready [for anything],” said Pacquiao. “Whatever his style in the ring. I’m ready for that.”

In his entire, soon-to-be Hall of Fame boxing career of 54 fights with six losses and 46 wins, 39 KOs, Mosley has never been defeated via stoppage. While most boxers his age have already gone downhill and suffered horrible knockout losses in the latter end of their career, Mosley has remained in good fighting form. Roach noted.

“I’m confident Manny will become the first person to knockout Mosley,” Roach said, reaffirming what he’s been saying right from the start ot training in Baguio City. “It’ll be icing on the cake for Manny and prove that he’s truly the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.”

Pacquiao, who has a knack for doing the impossible, has destroyed his rivals the past five years where he has moved up several weight classes and gone against the best of each division.

Pacquiao’s last loss occurred in 2005 in the first of a trilogy with Mexican legend Erik Morales. Since then, he’s fought 13 times and have stopped his opponents either by knockout or fight stoppage in 10 of those bouts, two of them involving Morales in their next two meetings.

Pacquiao, the reigning welterweight titleholder and an eight-division-world-boxing-champion, is much more reserved though than his outspoken trainer about the possibility of becoming the first person to knockout Mosley.
“Sa lahat ng naging laban ko, hindi ko inisip na manalo ng knockout,” the pound-for-pound king said. “Basta ako, focus lang, gawin ang lahat ng magagawa ko para manalo. Yung knockout dumadating yun.”

“Mosley can still fight,”Pacquiao said as he shows respect for his opponent. . “He’s fast. He moves fast and this time he trained real hard for this fight.”

“I know he’s really determined to shock the world,” he added.

Source:http://philboxing.com/

Mosley trainer confident

2011-04-25T02:13:00.000-07:00

Never at a loss for peppery quotes, trainer Naazim Richardson likens the upcoming world welterweight war between Manny Pacquiao and his guy Shane Mosley to a long-distance race.

“This is a marathon, its’ not a sprint. It’s not about who runs out the fastest. It’s gonna be who’s gonna finish up the proper way,” said Richardson, sounding upbeat that Mosley will outlast the seemingly-unstoppable Filipino star in their scheduled 12-rounder on May 7 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Despite the huge odds stacked against Mosley, the 39-year-old puncher insists he still has a lot of fight left in him as he revs up for his last chance at the bigtime since a loss would send him spiraling to the embarrassing level of a has-been.

Holed up in Big Bear, a high-altitude training camp around 100 miles from Los Angeles since early-March, Mosley has done nothing the past seven weeks but eat and breathe Pacquiao, something that has injected a sense of heavy optimism in his camp.

While Richardson remains tightlipped about their chances as he once praised Pacquiao to the high heavens as though Mosley will have to come up the ring with a crowbar that he will use to whack Pacquiao, Mosley sounds a bit more certain that he will “shock the world” next month.

“He hasn’t fought somebody like me,” said Mosley, who, even at his age, remains a livewire opponent owing to his vast experience, fast hands, punching power and durability.

To prepare for a best-conditioned and well-motivated Mosley, Pacquiao has also been doing his share in making sure he gets to keep his hold not only on the World Boxing Organization 147-lb title belt but on the mythical title--and most significant--of being the world’s pound-for-pound king.

Trainer Freddie Roach said this camp is the best and that he is looking forward to seeing Pacquiao become the first fighter to stop the iron-chinned Mosley.

Source: http://www.mb.com.ph

Pacman work ethic impresses visiting Azkals

2011-04-20T09:42:00.000-07:00

Manny Pacquiao was so impressive during sparring that the Azkals who came to visit him at the gym are now calling for a knockout.

“Maybe he’ll warm up at the beginning of the fight then maybe close it out in the seventh or eighth,” said Azkals skipper Aly Borromeo.

He came to the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood last Saturday and watched Pacquiao train for his highly-anticipated fight with Shane Mosley on May 7.

Borromeo, team captain of the overachieving soccer team from the Philippines, came with fellow Azkal Anton del Rosario, who’s based in California.

They watched Pacquiao spar 11 rounds with four different boxers, and left the gym awed by the boxer’s incredible ethic when it comes to training.

“Everything he did at the gym make me think he’s going to win,” said Del Rosario.

“He’s like a machine. A machine,” he added.

Borromeo said they were able to pick up some points on how Pacquiao, the world’s greatest boxer today, gears up for a coming fight.

“It should give us a different dimension to our workouts. How he gets out and gives a hundred percent every time,” said Borromeo in a post at Youtube.

“It was an awesome day. We got to hang out at the Wild Card and watch MP slug it out with four boxers. I have even more respect for this guy now. Such an amazing athlete,” he added.

A report that came out of ABS-CBN said Pacquiao was thrilled to have the Azkals around in the gym.

“It was an honor for me,” said Pacquiao, who’s fully aware of the recent accomplishments of the Philippine soccer team.

Source: http://www.philstar.com/

Shane Mosley — His Confidence Could Backfire on Him

2011-04-20T09:36:00.000-07:00

Recent reports have quoted Shane Mosley as saying he will not settle for a points win against pound for pound king Manny Pacquiao when they meet atop the ring on May 7, 2011 at Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. He said he will knock Pacquiao out. Can he do it? Mosley, nearing 40, has a record that tends to support that possibility. The problem here is that he is facing somebody whose own record shows that the more dangerous an opponent becomes, the more likely that he is going to fall.

“Yeah, I think I’m going to knock him out,” Mosley told Boxingscene when asked about his thoughts on the upcoming fight. “I don’t know what round it’s going to be in. But it will come in the first round that I can catch him squarely on the chin.”

Confidence, of course, is the inner spark that ignites all possibilities. It does not guarantee anyone success; but without it, nobody stands a chance.

But just how justified is Mosley, who is a 8-1 underdog, in taking such a positive approach to the fight?

The past couple of weeks should make him and all underdogs happy. Three days ago, challengers Orlando Salido (bantamweight) and Victor Ortiz (welterweight) toppled odds-on favorite Juan Manuel Lopez and Andre Berto, respectively. A week earlier, three-division champion and future Hall of Famer Erik Morales also showed in his fight against highly-regarded Marcos Maidana that counting a “has-been” could be an embarrassing proposition. And, like Morales, Mosley is a three-division world champion and a future Hall of Famer himself. In his prime, Mosley bested Oscar de la Hoya, another great competitor, twice. The Ring Magazine has recognized him as pound for pound champion in 2000 and 2001 during which time he outclassed, aside from De La Hoya, Antonio Diaz, Shannon Taylor and Adrian Stone.

Mosley’s record—46 wins, 6 losses, 1 draw, 1 no contest and 39 KOs—indicated that he could box as much as he could punch. He thrived both in long-distance and close-range combat. He packed power in both hands. In my book, “Manny Pacquiao: A Story Bigger Than Boxing,” the list of the world’s greatest fighters of all time distinguishes Mosley as second only to Mike Tyson in the category of hard hitters. Tyson’s KO rate was 88 percent while Mosley came close at 85 percent. Mosley went 39 and 0 before losing to the late Vernon Forrest, his tormentor way back in their amateur days.

At the time (January 26, 2002) of Mosley’s first defeat to Forrest (he lost again in a rematch 6 months later), he was already on the 9th year of his boxing career, and relatively old at 31. Either he started to show signs of wear and tear or the competition for him had become tougher to overcome, but by then Mosley seemed to have ceased being the Mosley that he used to be. His winning average declined, winning “only” 8 in his next 14 ring battles. The last two—a decision loss to Floyd Mayweather and a draw against Sergio Mora (both in 2010) were particularly unimpressive that, in the eyes of many in media, should have been enough to dash whatever merit he had in landing a lucrative fight against the current draw of boxing.

But not to be dismissed is a little attribute to Mosley’s success inside the ring: he has a knack for winning fights many people thought he had little chances of winning. Although undefeated after 24 fights, he was an underdog when he challenged Philip Holiday (also undefeated after 31 fights), for the lightweight title on August 2, 1997. He was also underdog when he clobbered De La Hoya for the first time. And then, in 2009, he too was not given much of a chance against Antonio Margarito to reclaim his welterweight championship. In all cases, he proved the doubters wrong.

Moreover, Mosley has yet to lose in a lopsided contest, much less an abbreviated one. His losses could have been considered to be competitive up to the final second of each bout. A few more gasping flurries from him could have swung the decision in his favor, and avoided one or two blemishes in his record. While he has already lost 6 times, only 4 fighters have actually beaten him (two—Forrest and Ronald Wright—have defeated him twice).

Aside from Morales, boxing greats like Bernard Hopkins, Roberto Duran and Sugar Ray Robinson have also shown remarkable success inside the ring at a time when they were supposed to have been past their prime. In 2006, Hopkins was already 41 and, like today’s Mosley, was far from impressive in his last two fights, having lost to Jermain Taylor twice in a row. But he came back to beat Antonio Tarver (the same man who had earlier beaten the great Roy Jones Jr twice) and, a year later in 2007, decisioned Ronald Wright.

In 1992, 41-year-old Roberto Duran lost his two previous fights (a UD loss to Sugar Ray Leonard in 1989 and a TKO 6 to Pat Lawlor in 1991), but came back to win his next 7 fights in a 2-year period.

In 1952, 31-year-old Sugar Ray Robinson lost by TKO to Joey Maxim in his attempt to win a world title at a higher division (from middleweight to light heavyweight), but came back to win his next fight by KO.

Hence if Mosley’s last two fights are indicative of his dwindling chances against the 32-year-old Pacquiao, the record of Morales and other boxing greats would seem to argue otherwise.

Unfortunately for Mosley, the possibility of his rising to the occasion might not augur well for his health, however.

Crowd favorite Manny Pacquiao has a total of 57 career fights. He has won 52 of them (38 via stoppage); lost three while 2 bouts ended in draws. Like almost all professional boxers who spend the first half of their careers honing their skills and building up their confidence (except probably Leon Spinks, who faced and defeated Muhammad Ali to take the latter’s world heavyweight title in only 7 professional fights), Manny’s first 24 fights could be considered to be easy fights for him, compared to his last 33 fights which, aside from being mostly title fights, involved physically bigger opponents.

Observers might think that Manny found no need to maim his relatively easy first 24 opponents, knocking out “only” 14 of the 23 he defeated (or a KO rate of 61 percent).

But when he started to chase a world crown in his 25th fight, against Thailand’s Chachai Sasakul for the latter’s WBC Flyweight belt, until his last fight against Margarito—where he faced not only future Hall of Famers in Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Juan Manuel Marquez but also bigger opponents in David Diaz, Oscar de la Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto, Joshua Clottey and Margarito—observers may also think that Manny Pacquiao felt there was a need to address a perceived threat with dispatch, knocking out 28 of his last 33 opponents (or a KO rate of 85 percent).

Against light opponents, Pacquiao entertains. But against dangerous opponents, Pacquiao rocks. The more Mosley succeeds in posing a threat, the more likely he will arouse the killer in his foe.

Source: http://www.nowboxing.com/

Recently, Mosley’s Been A Little Misleading About His Fight With Mayweather

2011-04-20T03:34:00.000-07:00

Recently, Shane Mosley 46-6-1 (39) has been saying that he'll look a lot better against Manny Pacquiao 52-3-2 (38) next month than he did Floyd Mayweather last year because Manny will engage him more than Floyd did when they fought. In other words Mosley is insinuating that Mayweather didn't win by fighting him straight up. And if you buy Mayweather ran from Mosley when they fought you must have missed the fight or don't know what you were watching.

Since Mosley was shutdown and out-thought and fought by Mayweather he was held to a 12-round draw by Sergio Mora in his next bout four months later. Ironically, in Mora's next fight he lost a split decision to Brian Vera 18-5 (11). Shane has blamed Mora practically being a middleweight and a defensive first minded fighter as the reasons why he wasn't impressive during the fight. And although that may be partly true, I believe it's more the case of how Mosley has regressed as a fighter.

Before Mosley's high profile bout with Floyd Mayweather in May of last year both fighters were subjected to Olympic style blood and drug testing. In the dressing room before going out to the ring the night of the fight, Mosley looked like an empty package shadow boxing and warming up. And it's my belief that Mosley had to give up a lot more blood for the testing before the fight than Mayweather did. No, I cannot prove it but with the suspicion being around Mosley more than Mayweather in regards to fighters using supposed performance enhancing drugs, that's what my instincts tell me. And when it comes to the behind the scenes goings on in professional boxing, I trust my instincts.

What I can speak to with impunity is what transpired over the course of the 12-rounds Shane and Floyd spent in the ring against each other. After a somewhat uneventful first round, Mosley almost put Floyd away with a right hand during the second round. Mayweather survived the round and seemed to be recovered by the bell ending it. Starting in the third round and all the way through the 12th and final round, Mayweather was in control of the bout. For 10 straight rounds Floyd out thought and fought Mosley - and he didn't do it by running and using the circumference of the ring in order to avoid engaging with him.

Actually, Mayweather stood right in front of Mosley and beat him with his jab. Once Floyd saw that he could stymie and disrupt Mosley's offense with just a jab, he picked it up and mixed in some one-twos. On top of being neutralized offensively, Shane was frozen mentally and physically. With him not being sure if it was smarter to try and lead or counter, Mayweather cut loose and gave him more to think about. And a lot of that had to do with Shane's physical decline as a fighter. In actuality, there was no reason for Mayweather to fight Mosley the way Roy Jones did Antonio Tarver during their rubber match. And that's what's so disappointing about Mosley saying he'll do better against Pacquiao than he did Mayweather because Manny won't avoid fighting him the way Mayweather did.

The fact is Mayweather did try to fight Shane. And for whatever the reason was, Mayweather stood right in front of him and got the better of it. It didn't matter what Mosley did or tried, Mayweather controlled the bout from a physical vantage point for the last 10 rounds. In fact he looked like the bigger and stronger fighter. Even when Mosley became desperate and attempted to impose himself physically over Mayweather, he looked unsure and out of sync.

Since he's turned pro Mosley has been a great ambassador for professional boxing. He's always been more than willing to fight the best available even when it wasn't the best move for his career business wise. It's great to see him getting his two biggest paydays at the end of his career. However, it's dishonest for him to reiterate that he matches up better with Pacquiao because Manny will engage him unlike Mayweather. If you really think about it, Pacquiao engaging him will probably be the reason why there's a good chance he'll be subjected to the worst beating of his career.

As of 2011 Manny Pacquiao's style is much better suited to thump Mosley more than Mayweather's was/is. On the other hand Mayweather is much better equipped to deal with Pacquiao than an almost 40 year old Mosley. At this stage of the game both Mayweather and Pacquiao can better Mosley via boxing, counter-punching or attacking him.

I don't think anyone would dispute that Shane Mosley was one of the two or three greatest lightweights since Roberto Duran ruled the division circa 1972-78. But if you buy that Shane looked so flat against Mayweather because he couldn't find him, you've been mislead or didn't see the fight. Mayweather held his ground and fought Mosley and got the best of it. Pacquiao will also be able to hold his ground and out fight him on May 7th.

Source: http://www.thesweetscience.com/

Why Mosley is dangerous

2011-04-19T07:55:00.000-07:00

Even as defending WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao has been installed a 9-1 favorite, he’s not taking Sugar Shane Mosley lightly in their 12-round bout at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 7 because all indications point to the classy boxer-puncher as a dangerous foe.

Here are some reasons why Mosley is a serious challenger.

• He has one-punch knockout power in either hand, particularly the right. In boxing, all it takes is a single connection and the fight could be over. Mosley boasts a knockout rate of 85 percent or 39 KOs of 46 wins, compared to Pacquiao’s 73 percent or 38 KOs of 52 wins.

• He’s the first African-American whom Pacquiao will face. If you’re not used to the rhythm and style of an African-American athlete, you could be in big trouble. Pacquiao has sparred with African-Americans like Shawn Porter, Rashad Holloway and Karim Mayfield but it’s a different atmosphere when the bell rings for a real fight on pay-per-view.

• He’s the only fighter to defeat the legendary Oscar de la Hoya twice.

• He’s the only fighter to knock out rugged Mexican warrior Antonio Margarito who went the distance with Pacquiao.

• He’s the only fighter to beat former world lightmiddleweight champion Fernando Vargas twice, both by knockout.

• He’s never been knocked out – all his losses were on points. And only Vernon Forrest was able to floor Mosley, doing it twice in the second round but Sugar Shane survived the threat to last the full route in losing a decision. In contrast, Pacquiao has been floored by Rustico Torrecampo, Medgeon 3-K Battery, Nedal Hussein, Serikzhan Yeshmagambetov and Marco Antonio Barrera (although the knockdown should’ve been ruled a slip as shown in a replay). Mosley’s strong chin is an obvious asset.

• He’s the “longest” fighter ever to battle Pacquiao with a startling 74-inch wingspan. That translates to a massive seven-inch reach advantage for Mosley. Two Pacquiao victims, Margarito and De la Hoya, both measure 73 inches in wingspan.

• He’s comfortable fighting in the 147-pound division. Mosley has weighed over 142 pounds for 22 bouts since 1999. Pacquiao has fought in only four fights weighing over 142 since 2008. Pacquiao scaled 142 pounds for De la Hoya, 144 for Miguel Cotto, 145 3/4 for Joshua Clottey and 144 1/2 for Margarito. Mosley will likely weigh five to 10 pounds more than Pacquiao when they square off. The edge in heft may be an advantage or a disadvantage for Mosley.

• He’s trained by the legendary Nazim Richardson who also takes care of Bernard Hopkins and IBF cruiserweight champion Steve Cunningham. Richardson is known in fight circles as a master strategist and tactician. Although he is not as renowned as Freddie Roach, Richardson can’t be considered a slouch. He’s an expert in spotting flaws and exploiting weaknesses. He’s a whiz in revving up old engines and transforming them into mean machines. To Richardson, age is all in the mind. Hopkins, his other ageless gladiator, remains competitive at 46.

• He’s intelligent and crafty. Mosley used a classic boxing style to confound De la Hoya, not once but twice. He even switch-hit to confuse the Golden Boy. Against Pacquiao, Mosley is expected to put pressure on the Filipino icon and force a slugfest. Mosley’s deadliest combination is a left hook to the body and a right hook to the head. Sugar Shane once said he emulates Roberto Duran in the ring.

• He has experience on his side. Mosley turned pro in 1993, two years before Pacquiao, and has boxed 376 rounds in 53 fights. Pacquiao has boxed 329 rounds in 57 bouts. Mosley has engaged in 19 world title matches and Pacquiao, 16. Mosley racked up a record of 38-0, with 35 KOs, before tasting his first defeat nine years after turning pro. Pacquiao raced to an 11-0 record, with only three KOs, before suffering his initial setback to Torrecampo in 1996.

• He knows how to deal with southpaws. Mosley has battled five lefthanders in his career and lost to only one – Winky Wright. Against Luis Collazo, he scored a knockdown and breezed to an easy victory on points.

• He fights like Juan Manuel Marquez. Pacquiao had difficulty against the Mexican in two bouts. Marquez, a technician, counter-punched and repeatedly found an opening for his right hand down the middle, into the heart of Pacquiao’s defense. Mosley will try to do the same on May 7.

• He’s still got heart. Against Sergio Mora last September, Mosley defied the laws of aging and turned back the hands of time to win the final two rounds in salvaging a 12-round split draw in Los Angeles. Sugar Shane’s display of endurance was an inspiration to all senior citizens.

Jeff Ryan of The Ring Magazine put the fight in perspective when he wrote: “At a battle-scarred 32 years of age and following 16 years in the ring, 57 fights, and a jump of about 40 pounds in weight throughout his career, Pacquiao is due to turn old overnight or at the very least, have an off-night, particularly if the absence of a Floyd Mayweather fight robs him of some motivation and his political career in the Philippines becomes more of a distraction...and if that night arrives this May, Mosley (even a 39-year-old version in decline) has the game, experience, strength, and chin to make things interesting.”

So in the final analysis, the Pacquiao-Mosley fight couldn’t be as one-sided as the odds indicate.

Source: http://www.philstar.com/

THE MOSLEY PUNCH THAT PACQUIAO SHOULD BE MOST CONCERNED ABOUT

2011-04-16T08:46:00.000-07:00

Tagbilaran City, Bohol – Barely three weeks to go before the much publicized and highly criticized faceoff between all-time boxing greats Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao (52-3-2, 38 KOs) of the Philippines and “Sugar” Shane Mosley (46-6-1, 39 KOs) of the United States, both camps are now in deep training, trying to perfect the strategies they have prepared that they think will give them the best chance of coming out victorious in this WBO welterweight title showdown. This bout takes place on the 7th of May at the historic MGM Grand Hotel and Casino of Las Vegas, Nevada. In this piece, we are going to cite a particular element of Mosley’s vast boxing arsenal that Team Pacquiao needs to be most worried about.

Throughout Mosley’s illustrious professional boxing career, the 39-year-old California native has fought only a handful of southpaws. To be exact, Mosley has practically traded mitts against two lefties by the name of Luiz Collazo and Ronald “Winky” Wright… three if we’d consider a three-round No Contest against the unheralded Raul Marquez several years back. Of course, he might have faced one or two or more southpaws way earlier in his pugilistic career, but who cares? Those bouts are insignificant as far as this scheduled clash with Pacquiao is concerned. Hence and rightfully so, we shall only consider Mosley’s bouts with Collazo and Wright in this discussion.
Boxing pundits will definitely see this as a major chink in Mosley’s armor, noting the fact that Pacquiao isn’t even your typical southpaw. Not having enough experience fighting against a lefty stance is one thing, but having to face someone with a stance as unconventional and as unusual as Pacquiao’s is another. On the flipside, this could very well cause Pacquiao’s camp to overlook the likelihood of one of Mosley’s most powerful weapons to cause more damage than they normally would against an orthodox fighter.

Esteemed boxing scribe Dennis ‘D Source’ Guillermo noted Mosley’s overhand right as a punch that “can surprise anyone.” We couldn’t agree more with Guillermo’s assessment. That dreaded overhand right was particularly effective against Antonio “The Tijuana Tornado” Margarito and most recently, in round two of the bout against “Pretty Boy” Floyd Mayweather, Jr, when Mosley clearly hurt his undefeated foe. That’s given and expected of Mosley come fight night. It might be important to note, nevertheless, that Mosley usually connects this vaunted punch if his opponent is standing in front of him flatfooted. Mayweather almost paid dearly for that. Apart from a few instances against Clottey and Cotto, however, with Pacquiao’s constant bobbing and weaving, there’s no way that the Pinoy is going to stay in front of Mosley and become a sucker for the latter’s overhand rights. Add the fact that Pacquiao is relatively shorter and often ducks low, the chances of him getting tagged with that punch is almost nil. But like Guillermo said, Mosley’s overhand right can definitely surprise Pacquiao… that is if the gloved congressman becomes complacent… only if Pacquiao becomes careless.
There is, however, one other punch that could very well pose a more potent threat to Pacquiao regardless of the Filipino firebomb becoming careless or not – the left hook to the body. In the exact words of HBO’s Jim Lampley while covering the Mosley-Collazo welterweight tussle a couple of years back, “Good left hook to the body by Shane. That was the punch that terrorized the lightweight division years ago.”

Pacquiao is superfast and there’s no freaking way that Mosley is going to catch him just by headhunting. The body is a bigger and less mobile target than the head. With Mosley’s advanced age and diminishing speed, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to predict Mosley’s strategy going into this fight. The grizzled veteran will try his best to close the gap and inflict damage where he has the best chance of connecting – Pacquiao’s breadbasket, specifically the right rib cage. It might also help his cause that Pacquiao is a southpaw, which correspondingly means that the target will be within striking distance most of the time. Pacquiao may have the uncanny ability to suppress or otherwise mask pain… but he certainly could have done a better job, though, when Juan Manuel Marquez tagged him with a vicious left hook just as when the overmatched Margarito landed the same on Pacquaio’s right rib cage. This is not to say that Shane is going to drop Manny with that vicious left hook. Nonetheless, Team Pacquiao still needs to watch out for it. That left hook is Mosley’s best weapon to eke out an upset. Therefore, it is but essential for Team Pacquiao to prepare for that and not leave everything to chance.

Source: http://philboxing.com/

HUGE INTERNATIONAL ENDORSEMENT DEALS LINED UP FOR PACQUIAO

2011-04-16T08:40:00.000-07:00

Pound-for-pound king and “Fighter of the Decade” Manny Pacquiao is about to cash in on what Top Rank promoter Bob Arum has described as “some enormous international endorsement deals.”

Arum and Top Rank president Todd DuBeof last February 25 circulated a letter to prospective sponsors stating that Pacquiao had authorized Top Rank to handle his endorsement deals and that they had appointed a former vice president of golf development and sales of the International Marketing Group –IMG- to handle all sponsorship deals.

Arum told the Inquirer that “it was the proper thing to do because he (Pacquiao) is now like a worldwide figure, like a Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan and he should have deals that reflect that.

The astute promoter said he would spend the next week in Los Angeles and had “a lot of meetings set up with Manny” because of the huge endorsement deals lined up.

Bill King of Sports Business Journal recently reported that Pacquiao lags well behind other current boxers in recognition according to the Davie-Brown Index which measures a celebrity’s attributes but noted that Pacquiao’s endorsement score ranks highest among current boxers.

Arum said “everything is going well thank God and I left Manny in good spirits.”

Strength and conditioning coach Alex Ariza said Pacquiao had another great day in his workout for the showdown against former three-time world champion Shane Mosley on May 7.

Ariza who has taken over in the absence of trainer Freddie Roach who is in England with WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan who defends his title against European champion McCloskey on Saturday said Pacquiao’s training “went really, really well. He did twelve rounds on the mitts with Filipino trainer “Buboy” Fernandez who despite the rigorous nature of the workout pushed through it.”

Ariza said Pacquiao ran in the morning along with Julio Cesar Chavez Jr and was “doing everything that he is supposed to do and looks very good.” He said Chavez is “such a big fan of Manny. Even Julio Cesar Chavez Sr showed up at the gym today and took some pictures with Manny.”

Source: http://philboxing.com/

Mosley insists he will beat Pacquiao

2011-04-15T01:39:00.000-07:00

MANILA, Philippines – If Manny Pacquiao thinks all he has to do to win on May 7 is show up on fight night, he is terribly mistaken.

Shane Mosley said it is not right to count him out against Pacquiao when they wage a 12-round welterweight war at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas for the simple reason that he looked dull in his last two fights against Floyd Mayweather and Sergio Mora.

“Do people have blinders on?” said Mosley as quoted by Michael Rosenthal of The Ring, who was in Big Bear, California, during an open workout held last Tuesday.

Mosley said he has all the physical tools to put an end to the rampaging ways of Pacquiao, who has terrorized those who dared to cross paths with him.

Counting on his size, speed and power, Mosley said that if a lumbering guy like Antonio Margarito can land his best blows on Pacquiao, what more if the guy in front of the Filipino pound-for-pound king is him?

“I have all the (physical) advantages,” Mosley said in a story that appeared in the on-line edition of The Ring.

“I’m the bigger man, I’m the fastest guy he’s fought. I have a longer reach. Everything is working in my favor,” said the 39-year-old Mosley, who has a wingspan of 74 inches, seven inches longer than Pacquiao.

Mosley also stands 5-foot-9 and is two-and-a-half inches taller than Pacquiao.

Still, Mosley said the buck doesn’t stop there.

“I just have to make sure I’m 100 percent. I can’t sit back and say I have all these advantages and not work on them. That’s what I’m doing; working on them.”

Meanwhile, Pacquiao appears to be not taking Mosley lightly as some sectors would like to portray it.

Although Mosley was given up for dead following his awful performance against Mora, Pacquiao likes looking at Mosley as someone who still has what it takes to bang big-time.

“It’s dangerous to take somebody for granted,” said Pacquiao.

Mosley toughens up with 'monster' sparmates

2011-04-15T01:31:00.000-07:00

MANILA, Philippines - Shane Mosley is taking a different approach gearing up for his May 7 fight with Manny Pacquiao.

Instead of using Pacquiao look-alikes, guys as small and as quick as the Filipino icon, Mosley has placed “monsters” in front of him in sparring.

This way, he told the Los Angeles Times during his media day yesterday, he won’t feel a thing when he gets to face the hard-hitting Pacquiao at the MGM Grand.

“Lately, I’ve been dealing with bigger guys, monsters. To have a guy with a smaller frame in front of me this time, he doesn’t intimidate me at all,” he said.

Mosley had great success dealing with smaller opponents, and will enjoy a couple of inches in height advantage against Pacquiao, barely 5-foot-7.

“Watching those tapes, I saw how I took it to the body and head, used my long jab,” Mosley told Lance Pugmire from his Big Bear training.

Around 50 members of the media took the bus up to Big Bear for Mosley’s media day. Pacquiao will probably host his own at the Wild Card Gym the next few days.

Mosley, who’s never been knocked out before, said he’d knock Pacquiao, and succeed where a lot others have failed.

Bob Arum, the promotional genius, is not laughing.

“Shane’s always at his best against fighters who come at him, and have you ever seen Manny retreat?” Arum was quoted as saying.

Meaning: It can be done.

And the boxing public may have sensed something because as of yesterday, four weeks to the fight, tickets are “officially sold out.”

“Well, this is a legitimate sellout. There is no ticket to be had. I mean, there are zero tickets available. You can’t get a ticket for the love of money. I mean, it is absolutely sold out,” Arum told www.boxingscene.com.

All 17,000 of them gone, and on the internet, a Floor E front-row ticket is being sold for $8,665 (P381,000) each.

And people are paying that much to get close to the action, and probably rub elbows with Hollywood stars like Denzel Washington or Mark Wahlberg.

A small group of Filipinos, who did not want to be identified, are dying to get there, but said they can only pay as much as $25,000 for their tickets.

Yes, they will cough up a million pesos – for four front-row seats.

Mosley clone 'Hard Hitta' Mayfield: Shane catches wicked beating from Pacquiao

2011-04-13T17:31:00.000-07:00

He's no casual observer -- when Karim "Hard Hitta" Mayfield speaks about the lightning speed and the brutal power of Manny Pacquiao, he speaks from first hand knowledge.

Mayfield, a 13-0-1 with eight KOs welterweight from San Francisco, was specially hired for the current Pacman camp by Coach Freddie Roach.

Mayfield has ended the unbeaten runs of two 8-0 fighters, Mario Norberto Lozano and Francisco Santana, and also handed 5-0 Rahman Yusubov and 2-0 Alejo Sepulveda their first pro defeats.

As his brother, LeRon Mayfield explained to SF Weekly in a profile:

"All of his fights have been with contenders,.Other big fighters fight bums, then fight hard fights. My brother was the other way around."

Mayfield's mission at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles, where he's already endured 12 sparring rounds against the Pound For Pound, is something like the second string pro football quarterback who emulates the signal caller for the next opponent.

But Mayfield's job is not to throw passes like a Tom Brady but to approximate the well-known but often unappreciated ring style of Pacman's May 7 foe, Sugar Shane Mosley.

To hear Mayfield tell it, he mixes things up, sometimes copying the 39 year old Mosley and sometimes being his 30 year old self.
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"That's why Freddie got me," Mayfield said by telephone Tuesday. "I've been a Mosley clone before. I helped Antonio Margarito get ready for Mosley and I did the same for Sergio Mora when he fought Shane."

The 30 year old Mayfield said he believes he's more than held his own but remains amazed at Pacquiao's speed of hand and foot, his work rate and how he walks down an opponent while still maintaining a solid defense. And, oh the amazing angles Manny's punches come from...

"It's been good for me, bro," Mayfield said. "I knew Manny was fast and he is definitely fast. I think he's going to beat the crap out of Mosley.

"I switch back and forth, from a Mosley style to my own style. Manny can definitely be frustrating to deal with. I use that pepper jab that Mosley uses and I throw a lot of right hands. Mosley has a tendency to hit and hold also.

"I don't hit and hold Manny but I do hit and smother him. I guess I am emulating Mosley and Freddie seems pleased so far."

Source: http://www.examiner.com/

Manny Pacquiao is Set to Fight Shane Mosley is Floyd Mayweather Next?

2011-04-13T17:22:00.000-07:00

Manny Pacquiao is set to take on Shane Mosley on May 7th. Allow me to join the masses and yawn. I have nothing against this fight.

In a vacuum, it may actually be interesting. But you are asking me to enjoy Knott's Berry Farm when Disneyland is right down the street. I am not ready to do that. I will take my churro and go home thank you very much.

What I want is Disneyland. In this instance, that means Floyd "Money" Mayweather. That's the fight. That's the good stuff right there. We essentially have it too, if Manny would relent to the very specific standards that Floyd has given him.

You can go the other way and say that Floyd could back down, and stop being such a stubborn ego-maniacal superstar.

Let me state, neither will happen.

This fight has been painted into a corner. Do not expect it to come out anytime soon. Boxing is all about posturing. One guy says "rabbit season." So the other is forced to yell louder, "duck season." It's an age old tale that gets heightened in this sport breed on testosterone.

These guys ain't budging.

There is news now that Floyd wants more than blood tests. ABS CBN News reported Floyd Mayweather refused an offer to fight Manny at $50 million.

Say it with me, these guys are not backing down. Floyd Mayweather wants Manny to beg. Manny is too proud to beg, as he should be.

What we have is a fight, a perfect one, that will never happen.

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/

BELLA GONZALEZ: "BEFORE THE 8TH ROUND, SHANE WILL HAVE A KNOCKOUT!"

2011-04-11T17:20:00.000-07:00

"I'm very confident that he's going to do it. I know that he's mentally very focused...I think Manny's good, but I saw the Margarito fight and I saw the Cotto fight and I think Shane has a great chance. I think people need to judge him on his past fights before those two because there were a lot of things mentally regarding a situation that was still occurring...Don't get me wrong, I don't think it's going to be an easy fight, but I think before the 8th round, Shane will have a knockout," stated the lovely Bella Gonzalez, the woman behind three-division world champion "Sugar" Shane Mosley. In this exclusive interview, check out what Bella had to say about her relationship with Shane, the upcoming May 7th showdown, and much more.

BT: So Bella, before we jump into things, tell the fans a little bit about yourself.

BG: Well, my background is I'm Cuban. My mom is Spaniard. I have 4 brothers and 2 sisters. I'm basically Southern. I've been living in Houston until recently when I moved out here [California].

BT: You said you were Cuban?

BG: Yes, I'm Cuban. I was born in Cuba. My dad is Cuban, my mom is Spaniard, so Spaniard and Cuban.

BT: How did you and Shane meet?

BG: I met Shane two years ago in March. He was out with his guy friends and I was out with my girl friends. He had to make an appearance at a fight that weekend. So I was out with my girlfriends and we had our table; we were just sitting there and his friends were all kinda like bothering me a little bit. They were like, "You have to come meet somebody." I was like, "Who do you want me to meet?" So they're telling me who he is and I was like, "Well, I'm Bella. Why doesn't he come meet me?" I guess a little bit of me not being so crazy about anybody, I guess that attracted him a little bit more to me. Right when we were beginning to talk to each other, we would go out with each other for lunch or we would just go on little errands or whatever together, so it came moreso as a friendship. Then he had left for a month and I went off for a month and he came back to Houston to look for me and he found me (laughing). So we had met back up and we just became friends and we got into a relationship afterwards. It took time.

BT: Well, it may have took time for you, but I'm sure he was ready to make a move the minute he saw you. I've never met you in person, but I've seen enough pictures of you to know that you are beautiful, fine, gorgeous; you name it and you're it.

BG: (Laughing) Thank you. You have to be precise. If you know what you like, then you need to stay true to what you like and not make exceptions. I wasn't really thinking about wanting to get into a relationship or wanting to have a boyfriend, you know? I just wanted to have a good friend and he was a friend of mine. So he figured out that what he wanted to do was this and I figured out what I wanted to do too.

BT: Judging from the pictures I've seen, you obviously do some modeling, right?

BG: I do. I've gotten to work with very good photographers, so I've been doing that, but I really want to get into acting. I'm taking acting classes very very seriously and I'm trying to make sure that when I come out, I'm sure about what I can do. I want to make sure that if I come out, I come out close to perfection.

BT: So you're not really looking for any opportunities until after you perfect your craft? You were in Mann and 50 Cent's video for Buzzin though, right?

BG: Yeah, I do videos as well. I mean, I have a lot of good friends that make music, but it's moreso what I like to listen to and whether or not it's a good representation of who I'm supposed to be. If I'm going to be in a video, I like to be the main person in the video. If I'm in a video, I don't want it to say anything about hoe this and that because that's not what I am and that's not what I'm going to represent. You know what I mean?

BT: Yeah, definitely. I respect that. Other women might jump at an opportunity to be in a video with 50 Cent no matter what he's talking about (laughing).

BG: I mean, that's cool. I'm cool with him [50 Cent] and he'll tell you the same thing. If were talking about a hoe and you expect me to be in the passenger seat, I'm not cool with that. I can listen to the song and I can like the song, but I'm not going to be the person in the song that you're supposedly talking to because if we're acting, that's me acting like that and I don't see myself anywhere close to that (laughing). Videos are just to have fun and keep busy, but if that were movies, I'd act it.

BT: No doubt. It sounds like both you and Shane are pretty busy and have a lot going on right now, although you did manage to squeeze in some time at a photo shoot together.

BG: He's just such a big support. Whenever he's not working, he comes to my shoots and he's very very supportive. What happened was I was working a lot with several photographers, but just one mainly and his name is Richard Franklin. If you look on the internet, he's like the Mt. Rushmore of photography. He is so good at what he does. He does everything himself. He's so hands on as to how he wants his pictures to look. So his thing is photography and I worked with him and American Curves, which is also MuscleMag and the diet magazine and fitness; it's like 5 magazines geared towards fitness modeling and people that are fit. So they bought the pictures and we did another photo shoot at our apartment. It's going to be me on American Curves and it's going to be me and Shane on MuscleMag. They should be out at the end of March.

BT: Speaking of fitness, you either eat absolutely nothing at all or you workout like crazy in order to keep a physique like that.

BG: I do, I do, I do. I do Brazilian workouts, like a lot of squats. I drink a lot of coconut water.

BT: Did you say Brazilian workouts? What the heck is a Brazilian workout?

BG: Like Zumba, like squats, lunges, certain lifts that you have to do with your arms. Basically you don't need any weights. Your body is the weight so you have to know how to use your body. Man, you can make your body so ridiculous if you eat the right things and know how to work out. And I know how to work out because my mom has been like a workout nutrition freak. She's a microbiologist though. She knows everything not to eat and she was always about vitamins and taking care of yourself. She would eat salad all the time and chicken. She wouldn't even eat red meat or smoke a cigarette, so that was good stuff that I learned from her. I constantly am doing Yoga and my Brazilian workouts, and me and Shane do our little team workouts whenever he's not working and I'm not working. He tries to beat me at basketball in the morning, he tries to box me when I'm making him breakfast, so I have to keep up with him.

BT: So do you follow boxing at all or do you just follow Shane's fights?

BG: My father, Carlos, used to be a boxer on the Cuban Olympic team. Boxing has been a part of my household forever.

BT: You seemed like you had a little boxing knowledge when you went in on Andre Berto on Twitter (laughing).

BG: Because this guy was talking so much. Do you know what's crazy to me? Let me tell you what's crazy. Sometimes people are so into themselves, they really don't understand that people will stand and question them like, "For real, why are you so into yourself? You're like nobody. Nobody knows you; nobody cares about you." He was just making himself seem absurd. Like who has he fought that's so serious like that? You [Berto] need to be surprised that this man [Mosley] is even referring to you or even mentions your name because you're not important like that. He comes out with some very childish remarks; grandpa this and grandpa that. Hey, grandpa these nuts, boo (laughing). He was talking so much noise and everybody was just clowning on him.

BT: So obviously Shane has a big fight coming up in May.

BG: Shane's big fight. It's scary. I don't like to see him get hit, but I'm very confident that he's going to do it. I know that he's mentally very focused. I did move out here for acting and I'm only an hour and half or two hours away from him compared to being over there in Houston. I feel it can ease him that I'm closer and more accessible. I try not to just seem like I'm right here and on top of him, so I'm constantly doing my stuff, but on the weekends, he comes down [from Big Bear] and we do our thing. It keeps our relationship new and I enjoy that. I try to be very supportive and I try to help him out in any way possible.

BT: So you've been to his fights before? Were you at the Mayweather or Mora fight?

BG: Yes, I was there for Mayweather; I was. Yeah, I was there for those two fights.

BT: Some people out there think Pacquiao is just going to run through Shane based off of those last two fights he had. What do you think about Manny Pacquiao and the opinion of some of those people?

BG: I think Manny's good, but I saw the Margarito fight and I saw the Cotto fight and I think Shane has a great chance. I think people need to judge him on his past fights before those two because there were a lot of things mentally regarding a situation that was still occurring. I mean, I don't really speak on that situation, but I just think that things outside of boxing had been a distraction to him.

BT: You're talking about the divorce I take it.

BG: Yeah, I'm talking about the divorce. I mean, I just don't...it's not my business. I don't speak about her and I don't speak about the situation because there's no reason why I should.

BT: Obviously you're expecting Shane to win on May 7th, but...

BG: Of course he's gonna win, and then after that, you're probably going to call me back and be like, "Hip hip hooray. We need to do a party because he won." And I'm going to be like, "I told you so!" And I'm going to see you at the party and I'm going to say, "I told you so and he won and we're going to celebrate!" And that's what we're going to do.

BT: Shoot, what are you talking about? I'm not going to call you because I expect to know where the party is before the fight even starts.

BG: Well yeah, but you gotta understand that sometimes we just gotta travel from here to do a party over there; do a party over there in Vegas and then a party over there in New York and then the party over there in Houston and then Miami.

BT: (Laughing) Well count me in for all of them. Do you have a final prediction for the fight? Is Shane going to get the knockout that he's looking for?

BG: Don't get me wrong, I don't think it's going to be an easy fight, but I think before the 8th round, Shane will have a knockout!

Source: http://www.fighthype.com/

Mosley tapers off; Pacquiao revs up

2011-04-10T23:48:00.000-07:00

Manila, Philippines - Shane Mosley is probably through the toughest part of training that on Tuesday he will open the doors to his training camp in snow-capped Big Bear in California.

Over in Hollywood, Manny Pacquiao continues to train behind closed doors, and select mediamen are only allowed in once the sessions are over.

Latest word that got out of the Pacquiao camp is that he nearly floored one of his sparring partners last Thursday, exactly a month before the May 7 fight in Las Vegas.

Mosley, according to Top Rank publicist Fred Sternburg, will hold a media day on Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila) along with his chief trainer, Naazim Richardson.

Pacquiao normally holds his media workout 10 days before a fight. For the Mosley media day, a couple of buses will take the media from Las Vegas and Los Angeles to Big Bear.

Mosley spoke to www.boxingscene.com recently and said he’d gone through Pacquiao’s most recent fights on tape.

The pride of Pomona is hoping to become the first boxer to beat Pacquiao in the last six years, only next to Erik Morales who outpointed the Pinoy icon in March of 2005.

Mosley said he knows how to do it, how to exploit Pacquiao’s flaws, if there’s any.

“We all have flaws. But are we able to capitalize on those flaws?” he told Robert Morales during an interview.

“With Pacquiao, he throws so many punches. He fights with so much fury. But I think I will be able to exploit them. I think it’s my speed, the power, even my size, will make it easy to get to those spots,” he said.

Still, Mosley is showing great respect for Pacquiao, whom he describes as a “phenomenal fighter.”

“This is a great challenge for me to prove I am one of the best out there,” Mosley said.

Pacquiao isn’t taking Mosley lightly as well, even if the 39-year-old boxer is coming off bouts that were far from impressive, including a draw against Sergio Mora late last year.

“I don’t think it’s because he’s older. I think he took Mora lightly because he’s not a popular fighter like Mayweather,” Pacquiao said in a chat with Brad Cooney.

“This time he is fighting me, and I know he will be doing his best to win the fight. I will be 100 percent ready for the fight.”
Source: http://www.philstar.com/

Mosley’s KO chances -- slim or zero

2011-04-10T22:33:00.000-07:00

"Lies often repeated morphs into a semblance of truth" --Goebbels of Hitler's Propaganda Ministry Nope. Sounds more like Shane Mosley who's been ranting in support of a knockout victory over Manny Pacquiao in their May 7 duel at the MGM Grand.

The Pomona three-time champion has been rattling his sword of deception (non-stop), catching the ire of some of our neighbors like the veteran columnist Recah Trinidad.

A drinking buddy has seen a change in Recah's analytical style after reading Mosley's bon mot, a clever declaration of a shortened war with the Pacman.

A disturbed boxing analyst who is ill at ease hearing Shane's bombast has emerged folks.

Thats how Recah is these days. Too much gin, less tonic?

Not to worry. Pacman’s megaphone Freddie Roach has surfaced to remind the 40-year-old Shane is no longer the sweet puncher who kayoed 39 foes that left ‘em prone on the floor.

Can't blame the veteran deadline-beater for being queasy as a result of Mosley's disjointed rambling less than a month into the fight at The Arena in Las Vegas.

Roach is looking at a midpoint stoppage of Mosley and talks of a Shane’s KO brag is “pure bunk”, said the multiple Trainer of the year awardee.

”Slim and none are Sugar’s hopes of knocking out Manny” insisted Freddie, adding that Slim will be out of town when the day of reckoning at the Grand happens.

My take is Pacquiao’s notoriety in the ring where most of his rivals succumbed to his lethal pounding has affected Mosley's psyche.

So cool it Mr. Trinidad and not allow Shane's boasts get into you else you'll wind up swallowing his propaganda, his lone prop that’s left in luring the waning fans back to his corner.

May I remind that there is this matter of jacking up the live gate attendance and pay-per-view buys, hence the constant bark of a first- round Pacman knockout by Bob Arum's latest PT Barnum barker from his line of fighters.

"Oh he'll fall if I catch Pacquiao flush on the jaw" the veteran from Pomona tells those who care to listen.

How can that happen if Manny cuts loose early with his violently fast deliveries? Right jabs (thump,thump), left straight (wham) and his coup de grace or coup de main---right hook (kaboombambang).

Ask Ricky Hatton if he still remembers those devastating combos he absorbed in his numbing second round collapse.

Ask Oscar de la Hoya how he felt after he quit in the 8th round. And David Diaz who was all praise for the greatest left handed mangler he's ever faced.

Watch during the first two rounds how Manny will handle's Shane's first round spring-up from his stool.

A brutal war breaks out once the GenSan Crackerjack reads Mosley's peremptory strike.

Stirring moments of the fight comes to life when the Pinoy Ace unloads his big bombs held in check while looking for openings.

Hang on to your seats as a cautious start erupts into a malevolent konfrontasi and that's when Manny zeroes in on Shane's defects, an offensive malstart the Pinoy battler usually spots in most if not all of his past bouts.

It's in his bag of tricks under the heading "know when thy enemy commits a bad move then strike fast”.

Ask Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margocheato este Margarito.

What was once viewed as a lackadaisical match-up is shaping out to be a catty brawl in a back alley.

The Pacquiao-Mosley when first dangled by Top Rank promotions started as a yawner.

Now, it’s looking like one that all boxing fans will crave for the taking.
Source: http://philboxing.com/

Pacquiao for the Good of Boxing

2011-04-08T14:39:00.000-07:00

The "sweet science" of boxing isn't so sweet when one delves into the very operation of it. Since the earliest days of the sport, boxing managers and promoters, like Tom O'Rourke and George "Tex" Rickard, have rightly deserved a reputation that would make a shady used car salesman seem saintly.

Granted, boxers past and present didn't create the business of boxing. They have just fought to be successful "playing the game" as required. However, many boxers have contributed to the sport's poor reputation with antics that would embarrass even those in a "sports entertainment event" akin to professional wrestling. The latest of which is Jean Pascal's "Take the test," rant during the pre-fight press conference with Bernard Hopkins which resulted in a short lived scuffle between the two fighters.

Was it Don Dunphy’s “creating the aura of a legend” that set in motion the demise of the “importance of being a sportsman.” To where, to be marketable, it became more important to be an “aura" than it was to be a classy winner?

Regardless, the science survives due to the ability of the best in it to still rise up through the muck and murkiness.

Enter the newest era of boxing. No other boxer at the world championship level, not even Muhammad Ali, has accomplished what Manny Pacquiao has in the ring--in belts, weight divisions, and sportsmanship. Yes, Sportsmanship! Even character! Yes, say it, even citizenship!

The world may be out of orbit. Instead of parents blocking boxing from their children's viewing for its past ugly example of self-promotion, self-adulation and vulgar rhetoric; they may now have them tuning in to watch an eight-time world, pound for pound champion to:

Hear humility: “My Fear is that I will forget to pray to God. What I have right now and what I achieve in life, that’s from God not from me; Boxing is not about killing each other; I’m satisfied and happy. I thank God for everything he gave to me.”

See as an example: A man that is devoted to helping and serving those less fortunate than himself, humble in spite of his accomplishments and growing worldwide fame; a man whose actions and behavior honors himself, his family, and his country and even elevates his sport in the eyes of the world.
Feel trust: Trust that it isn't misplaced in Manny Pacquiao to not go "bite an ear" off an opponent and that his actions outside the ring won't dishonor their faith in him; trust that as parents they won't have to explain "that's not how to act, talk, behave, or treat people." And finally, trust that their chosen example of "sportsmanship" and how a good citizen should act (that isn't an obsolete thought I hope) won't produce a rap sheet that will extend longer than one's list of boxing accomplishments.

The worldwide rise in the popularity of Manny Pacquiao should give us hope for the future of boxing when many are predicting its demise. It should give us all hope that “the good guy really can finish first” and that just being a good and decent person in one's life can subsequently improve the proverbial “human condition” at large.

Hopefully the sweet science will continue to maintain its prominence with the help of other boxers in the wings with displayed character like the Klitschko brothers, Bernard Hopkins, and Shane Mosley.

Can Pacquiao change boxing for the good, for good? Whatever the eventual impact of Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao has on boxing; he has already changed it for the good … at least for now. He's a shining example of unequaled achievement. Proof that "good guys" can finish first. We can only hope that his current influence and example, along with those of others now emerging, can make his era the start of greater things to come.

Boxing needs more examples like Pacquiao, Hopkins and Mosley thus insuring that the sweet science will live up to its name.

Source: http://boxscorenews.com/

What Next for Mosley After Pacquiao?

2011-04-08T14:35:00.000-07:00

If the articles about May 7th's bout between the Filipino phenom Manny Pacquiao and Sugar Shane Mosley are anything to go by, the consensus is nearly unanimous that Mosley is in for an ugly night. This is so much the case that some pundits (including our own Scott Levinson; and Jake Emen with his Pacquiao vs. Mosley preview) are behaving as if Mosley were already beaten and speculating on what Pacquiao should do next.

Usually this sort of thing begs for trouble, because one of the beautiful things about the sport of boxing is how a single punch can end a fight at any time, especially when fighters like Pacman and the Sweet One are in the ring. However, because Pacquiao is such a consummate professional, I don't like Mosley's chances and agree with the conventional wisdom. However, where I differ with the conventional wisdom is that I think what comes next for Sugar Shane is at least as interesting as what might come next for Pacquiao.

Let's start with the two major choices after the most probable outcome, namely losing to Pacquiao.

Retirement?

One option for Shane Mosley after losing would be to hang up the gloves. After all, Mosley is 39, and he will be 40 by the time he can put together another big fight. He was unable to pull the trigger with Floyd Mayweather and didn't look great against Sergio Mora. The smart call would be for Mosley to leave the game with his health reasonably intact, and perhaps enjoy a second career in boxing through some role sponsored by his share of Golden Boy Promotions. I can't see this happening, however. Mosley is too much the gladiator to retire with a 0-2-1 record in his last three fights. He will want to go out on a win, and a big win at that. A man like Sugar Shane only retires on his terms or when forced to by sheer necessity. A loss to Pacquiao would not be enough to force Mosley from the sport. Indeed, it might be the spurt Mosley needs to land his next big fight.

Soldiering On

There is only one big fight at welterweight for Shane Mosley in the wake of a loss to the Pacman, and that's against WBC beltholder Andre Berto. Mosley and Berto have already made a dance date once before, only to have Berto use the Haitian disaster as an excuse to cancel the fight. Ostensibly, Berto canceled because he wanted to spend time with his extended family in Haiti. Yet as soon as Mosley was scratched off his dance card, Berto was talking to Carlos Quintana. Why the Mosley fight could not be postponed is a question Berto has, to my knowledge, never answered.

The irony of all this is that Berto might find Mosley a more attractive target with a 0-2-1 record in recent fights. After all, Mayweather beat Mosley on the basis of speed and defensive prowess, and presumably Pacquiao's main threat is speed and offensive prowess. Berto might say "hey, I'm fast too!" and give Mosley a go. Ironically, losing to Pacquiao could get Sugar Shane into the ring with Berto at long last, and Andre Berto is a man Mosley could potentially beat.

What if Mosley Wins?

This one is obvious. If Mosley somehow either gets lucky or figures out how to neutralize Pacquiao's speed and manages to pull off a Rumble in the Jungle-style miracle, the only result will be an immediate rematch. In that event, I somehow doubt lightning would strike twice. Although Shane Mosley has a better record as a rematch fighter (even in defeat, he generally improves his performance), to pull off a win almost everything has to go right for Mosley. With his vastly superior speed, Pacquiao has more room for trial and error and to develop a Plan B, Plan C or even a Plan D. If he can't figure out what to do in fight #1, with Freddie Roach at his side, Pacquiao will surely figure it out for fight #2.

Yet going 1-1 with Pacquiao would be no mean feat. It would be the sort of accomplishment a man could proudly retire with. If Mosley does pull off a win in May, retirement had better enter his thoughts. I have a hard time seeing Berto or any of the young lions from 140 lbs wanting to get in the ring with him at that point, even if Mosley were 40 or 41. His only option would be to go back to 154 lbs and possibly cross swords with Paul Williams, a proposition even uglier than his May 7th clash with Pacquiao.

Source: http://www.proboxing-fans.com/

We'll deal Mosley first KO - Roach

2011-04-07T14:31:00.000-07:00

MANILA, Philippines - Shane’s Mosley’s chances against Manny Pacquiao are slim and none.

“I don’t see Shane having a chance,” Pacquiao’s chief trainer, Freddie Roach, told RingTV.com the other day in Los Angeles.

Roach, who was at the Staples Center as part of the promotion for Julio Cesar Chavez’ coming fight, said Mosley is going down.

“We’re going to knock him out,” he told Michael Rosenthal, even if the 39-year-old American hasn’t been knocked out before.

There’s always a first time, and on May 7 should be a first for Mosley.

“I doubt early (knockout). He has experience. He knows how to survive. We’ll make the fight at a fast pace, our pace. I’d say he’ll (Pacquiao) stop him in six, seven rounds,” Roach said.

“That’s the prize, to be the first to stop him, to show the world how much better we are than anyone else. That’s our goal,” added the celebrated trainer.

Mosley, no doubt, is a champion, but at 39, his best years, his best fights are behind him.

“He has a big punch ... relatively. Who has he knocked out? (Ricardo) Mayorga? Big deal. That guy can’t fight a little bit. I’m not going to say this will be a good fight to try and sell the fight,” Roach told RingTV.com.

Roach said there are very clear signs that Pacquiao will come out victorious on May 7 at the MGM, stretch his win streak to 14, and stay on as the world’s top boxer today.

Roach is very pleased with the way Pacquiao’s training in Baguio City went, and he couldn’t ask for anything more from the Pinoy icon in their last four weeks of training.

He said Pacquiao has kept his focus on the coming fight, and has kept his mind off his other occupation, being a congressman in his home province of Sarangani.

“Congress didn’t really get in the way this time. His mind was on training. I think the first time we were there he had just become a congressman. It was exciting and new. I think he realized that congress is pretty boring. They don’t do a lot,” Roach said.

Mosley is hiding in the snow-covered Big Bear in California, training hard for the fight scheduled for 12 rounds, pegged at 147 rounds.

Mosley said he’s confident of his chances, and that he will shock the world by knocking Pacquiao out.

But don’t tell that to Freddie.

Pacquiao shakes off jet lag and cold

2011-04-07T12:57:00.000-07:00

With the jet lag fully shaken off and Manny Pacquiao completely adjusted to climate change and time zone, trainer Freddie Roach expressed confidence the world welterweight champion’s training to go smoothly and in full throttle starting Thursday and on to the final four weeks in Los Angeles.

“Manny looked fully rested today during our routine regimen in the gym,” Roach said after Wednesday’s (Thursday in Manila) session at the Wild Card Gym he owned in downtown Hollywood.
Roach disclosed the ‘Fighter of the Decade’ was still suffering from cold he contacted in his three-week stint in Baguio City but added there’s nothing to worry about as it was caused by frequent change of temperature he experienced in coming down to hot Manila weather last weekend to much colder L.A. weather when Team Pacquiao arrived last Saturday.

“That’s usual when one is exposed to mixture of sudden changes of weather from hot-to-cold-to hot again and then cold again,” he explained. “Remember, while in Baguio, he went down to Manila to receive an award, then back to Baguio to resume training only to go down again to prepare for departure to the U.S.”

“But he’ll settle down completely. He’s taking medication and we still have a long way to go.
The Pacman fights three-time division champion and future Hall of Famer “Sugar” Shane Mosley with his WBO crown at stake on May 7 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Despite another busy day of doing the mitts with Roach, shadow boxing, working the big bag, double end and speed balls and conditioning exercises under coach Alex Ariza, Pacquiao even gladly obliged to pose for photos and sign autographs with numerous fans after his afternoon session in the gym.

“Hindi ko na nga sila naharap nang dumating kami sa LAX eh. Kaya naman ngayong nakapahinga na ako nang bahagya, hinarap ko na ang mga fans na karamihan naman ang mga Pilipinong naninirahan na dito sa Amerika,” Pacquiao told Malaya Business Insights.

Tens of fans, many of them taking day-off from their jobs waiting outside of the gym fronting the Thai restaurant where

Pacquiao and members of his team take their snacks after each training session has been a familiar sight at the Wild Card vicinity ever since the Filipino ring icon joined the Roach boxing stable some 10 years back.

“Hindi ko naman talaga matitiis ang fans na naghihintay. Kapag nakita ko na sila, tiyak pupuntahan ko sila. Lalo akong ginaganahan kung nakikita ko na walang sawa sila pagsuporta sa mga laban ko,” Pacquiao said.

“Kaya nga ang pakiusap so kanila at pati na sa mga kababayan natin na nasa Pilipinas na patuloy nila akong supurtahan sa pamamagitan ng kanilang panalangin para mabigyan ako ng sapat nba lakas na ipanalo ang labang ito sa isa nna naming mas malaki at mas malakas na manuntok na si Mosley,” he said.

Source: http://philboxing.com/

Watch MORALES vs MAIDANA Live Stream

2011-04-07T12:01:00.000-07:00

Morales vs. Maidana: On April 9, will the past or present prevail?

Once again, the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas, Nevada will be putting on another major boxing show. This time, on April 9th, headlining the event will be Mexican legend Erik “El Terrible” Morales, who will be facing off against the always dangerous Marcos “El Chino” Maidana, in a fight that can easily be a fight of the year candidate, depending on how much the old Mexican great has left.

Watch Erik Morales vs Marcos Maidana Live Stream here>>>

Morales vs. Maidana Tale of the Tape

Erik “El Terrible” Morales is 34 years old, with a legendary boxing record, consisting of 51 wins and 6 losses. He stands at 5 feet 8 inches tall, with a 72 inch reach, fighting out of the orthodox stance.

Marcos “El Chino” Maidana is 27 years old, with an excellent run thus far, consisting of 29 wins and only 2 losses. Maidana stands at 5 feet 9 inches tall, and he also fights out of the orthodox stance.

Morales vs. Maidana Preview

The Great Erik “El Terrible” Morales is the current WBC Silver light welterweight champion, and WBC International welterweight champion. Born in Tijuana, Mexico, Morales started boxing at the age of 5 years old, harnessing his skills from his father, who was also a boxer during that time. Morales had an excellent amateur boxing background with a record consisting of 108 and 6 losses, and over the course of his amateur days “El Terrible” won 11 titles in Mexico.

Known best for his epic trilogies with fellow Mexican superstar Marco Antonio Barrera and Philippine great Manny Pacquiao, “El Terrible” was a legitimate three division champion. Morales’ illustrious career started in 1993 at the age of 16, and he dominated the lower weight classes with his aggressive boxing style and remained undefeated for the first eleven years of his professional career. Morales suffered his first defeat unexpectedly in his second bout against Marco Antonio Barrera, in a fight where many critics felt that Morales won, although many thought Morales deserved the L in their first encounter.

Since the first loss to Barrera, Morales’ lost to him a second time, but also beat Manny Pacquiao in their first meeting back in 2005. He then lost his next four fights, two to Pacquiao by knockout, and retired in 2007.

Morales came out of retirement in March of 2010 after a 3 year layoff. Now the hidden dragon will look to face an ever so dangerous crouching tiger in Marcos Maidana. This is a serious test for the Boxing Hall of Fame bound Mexican warrior in his quest for boxing immortality.

Marcos “El Chino” Maidana, one of boxing's most avoided fighters as of late, has a huge punch and a fierce fighting spirit. The Argentinian’s professional boxing journey began in 2004, in which he won his first twenty-five fights with his all-action, slugging style. Maidana suffered his first professional defeat against Andreas Kotelnik. Kotelnik was awarded the close split decision victory despite Maidana busting up Kotelnik in the process. The best and most notable win of Maidana's career came when he stopped fast-rising prospect "Vicious" Victor Ortiz in a fantastic back and forth battle.

In Maidana’s last fight, he faced the Amir Khan in a fight where Khan dominated the early rounds with quick combinations and great work to the body, which led to a first round knockdown of Maidana. In the later rounds, as Khan started to slow down, Maidana began to walk Khan down, throwing a barrage of punches which led to Khan getting seriously hurt in round ten from an overhand shot. Khan was able to survive the last two rounds to get the twelve round unanimous decision victory.

Morales vs. Maidana Prediction

If Morales was five years younger, he would have the tools with his superior boxing and speed to beat Maidana at his own game and win a thrilling battle. Of course, Morales fought at 130 lbs five years ago, and Maidana was just beginning his own career. Given that this is the year 2011, and Morales has seen better days, I am not sure what kind of “El Terrible” we are going to see on April 9. Morales has strung together a few wins but none of those fighters can bring the kind of heat that Maidana will bring come April 9.

These are two fighters with similar styles that will equal fireworks, but again, how much damage can Morales afford to take before he is knocked down in a corner and winking at his Dad that he does not want any more like in his third fight with Manny Pacquiao? I expect both fighters to come out throwing bombs. Morales, being the world class veteran that he is, will pace himself during the fight, but in the end, I just feel that Morales will be too outgunned by a fighter who still feels he has a whole lot to prove to himself and the boxing world in hopes of world class supremacy.

Prediction: Maidana by eighth round knockout.

Watch Morales vs Maidana Live Stream here>>>

It’s now all business for Pacquiao

2011-04-06T13:06:00.000-07:00

MANILA, Philippines – It was all business on Monday at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, site of the second and final phase of Manny Pacquiao’s training camp for the May 7 showdown with Shane Mosley.

Except for a select few, only those with official business to conduct inside the sweatshop were allowed access by Freddie Roach, who is leaving no stone unturned in his bid to whip Pacquiao into fiery form for what he describes as a fight they’re not taking lightly.

After spending three weeks in high-altitude conditions in Baguio City, Pacquiao and Roach uprooted their camp and were back doing what is expected of them as soon as they set foot inside the Wild Card.

There was no sparring that took place on the very first day at the Wild Card but beginning Tuesday, Pacquiao will have to contend with just about anyone Roach orders to go up the ring thrice a week up to the final days before the Mosley fight.

Aside from Roach, conditioning coach Alex Ariza and local assistants Buboy Fernandez and Nonoy Neri, utility Roger Fernandez, Top Rank lesman Chris Farina and the crew from CBS that shoots segments for the Fight Camp 360, a documentary that is out to better the widely-acclaimed HBO 24/7, there was nobody in sight.

Roach and Pacquiao have more than one month to rev up for Mosley, who is also in the thick of preparations in Big Bear, a resort town two hours from downtown Los Angeles that has an elevation of close to 8,000 feet.

Aside from Pacquiao’s World Boxing Organization welterweight crown, most importantly on the line will be Pacquiao’s mythical title of pound-for-pound king.

“Mosley knows what’s in it for him if he beats me,” said Pacquiao.

And that’s the reason Pacquiao insists he is not looking past Mosley.

Source: http://www.mb.com.ph/

Will the Pacquiao-Mosley match be the Fight of the Year?

2011-04-06T13:03:00.000-07:00

Since Showtime is already pushing Pacquiao-Mosley as the Fight of the Year, I guess it’s not too early to promote this "made for greed" promotion at MGM on May 7.

I mean why else would Manny and his camp pursue the same route Floyd Mayweather went down a year ago when he made Mosley look slow and old after a second round scare?

This fight makes no sense other than it makes plenty of cents for Pacquiao because Mosley is the biggest name he can find who doesn’t threaten him. The ones that do threaten him (Sergio Martinez, Juan Manuel Lopez, Yuriorkis Gamboa, Paul Williams) his handlers want no part of.

Well, be careful what you wish for. Sugar Shane is most dangerous when not much is expected. Ask Oscar de la Hoya and Antonio Margarito. I have no clue what or who got into Mosley’s head in the Mayweather fight, but he had Floyd wobbly-legged in the second round and went into a shell.

It may not happen this way against Manny. This just may be a good fight. Manny is supposed to win, and big. He has everything to lose, nothing to gain. Those are dangerous fights.

I don’t expect Mosley to win, but I would certainly throw a few chips on him. Hopefully he’ll decide to fight 12 instead of two.

This Saturday at MGM we have Erik Morales facing Marcos Maidana in a 12-round junior welterweight bout. Also on the card is Michael Katsidis, James Kirkland, Paulie Malignaggi and Nate Campbell in separate matchups. None really worth talking about.

Morales is on the downside of his Hall of Fame career, which included a pair of epic trilogies – one with Pacquiao (Erik won the first, lost II and III) one with Marco Antonio Barrera. When Morales was knocked out by Pacquiao in 2006, he said maybe he should walk away.

He should have. Maidana is a bull and will handle the 2011 version of Morales.

Source: http://www.gamingtoday.com/

PACMAN FIRST DAY WORKOUT AT WILDCARD GYM

2011-04-05T12:29:00.000-07:00

Hollywood,Ca. -- Superstar Manny Pacquiao arrives at the Wildcard Boxing Club in Hollywood Monday to prepare for his upcoming World Welterweight mega fight against "Sugar" Shane Mosley on Saturday, May 7 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Pacquiao vs Mosley is promoted by Top Rank in association with MP Promotions, Sugar Shane Mosley Promotions, Tecate and MGM Grand.

The Pacquiao vs Mosley telecast will be available live on SHOWTIME Pay Per View.

Source: http://philboxing.com/

Fight Camp 360 Cannot Answer Why Shane Mosley Is Facing Manny Pacquiao

2011-04-05T12:26:00.000-07:00

Saturday saw the first episode in Showtime’s Fight Camp 360 series of hype specials for the forthcoming Manny Pacquiao vs. Shane Mosley. As an added bonus to the promotion of the fight it debuted not on the premium network but its network big brother CBS. The episode was as slick as you would expect but it couldn’t give a convincing answer to the question that has been hanging over this fight since before it was made; why is Shane Mosley challenging Manny Pacquiao?

When it comes to selling a fight its often the story that matters, hook people in with a compelling narrative and the money will follow. There are three tried and tested stories a promoter can use to add steam behind a title challenge. The first and most obvious is that the challenger is an awesome fighter and that they have earned their big match with a long sequence of victories.

In no way could Mosley claim to be such a fighter as he is coming off a terrible 2010 that saw him drop a one-sided decision to Floyd Mayweather before being frustrated and in many ways outboxed by crafty journeyman Sergio Mora. A 0-1-1 record is hardly the form you’d expect of somebody who is one half of boxing’s first superfight of 2011. In contrast, the likes of Andre Berto or Timothy Bradley may not been as big names as Shane Mosley but the story of a young fighter promising to prove themselves the best fighter in the world by beating Pacquiao would have been far more compelling.

Of course most of the fighters in the light-welterweight and welterweight divisions who are on top form are unkown and unproven, so one can almost forgive Bob Arum for overlooking them. It should also not be ignored that some of the greatest fights in boxing history weren’t justifable on pure sporting grounds. In such case its was the feud between the two opponent that allowed fans to overlook the fact that the challenger was unworthy. The best example of this is the most iconic fight in heavyweight boxing; Joe Frazier had done nothing since being destroyed by George Foreman to suggest he deserved a shot at the world champion but at the Thrilla in Manilla he and Muhammed Ali tore the house down in a violent end to their blood feud. Mosley’s fight against Mayweather was an lesser example of this tactic – with the longstanding low level sniping between the two welterweights going into overdrive when ‘Suga’ stormed ‘Money’s’ post fight celebrations in September 2009.

Arum actually had such a grudge match open to him with three-weight world champion Juan Manuel Marquez openly campaigning for the opportunity to face Manny Pacquiao. At both featherweight and super-featherweight the Mexican legend took Pacquiao to his absolute limit, with his highly technical counter-punching style perfectly suited to pick apart the wild Filipino brawler. Both the drawn first contest and the Pacquiao’s victory in the second are disputed by Marquez. A third fight in their classic series would be eagerly anticipated by fight fans due to the quality of the previous contests while to casual fans there’s a natural made story due to the previous history. This wider context would make most ignore the fact that in 2011 the fight is likely to be a mismatch, particularly if Pacquiao was to insist on the fight taking place at 147Ibs. Ironically that fight was rejected by Arum due to the biggest feud in boxing – Top Rank vs Golden Boy.

The last promotional tactic is to show how popular or important the challenger is and how the fans have been demanding that he gets the chance to prove himself one more time. A recent example would be Bernard Hopkins’ recent bout against Jean Pascal where the focus was firmly on how this would be a chance for a fighter to finish a wonderful career by making history by becoming the oldest ever champion. Equally the boxing world justified Mike Tyson getting a title shot at Lennox Lewis because Tyson was the most popular and interesting heavyweight in the world.

With all due respect to Shane Mosley, there is no such groundswell from fight fans. Mosley is a great servant of the game and fully deserved his shot at proving himself the best fighter in the world. But the fact is he got that shot last May when he fought Floyd Mayweather. Behind the glitz and glamour of Fight Camp 360, the network television adverts and nationwide press tours there is simply no good reason for Shane Mosley to be facing Manny Pacquiao.

Source: http://insidefights.com/

PACQUIAO AVOIDS THE CROWDS ON LA ARRIVAL

2011-04-04T12:24:00.000-07:00

As he did the last time, pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao avoided the huge crowds that gather to greet him on his arrival at the Los Angeles International Airport by sneaking out through a private exit leaving trainer Freddie Roach to meet the fans and answer the questions of a gathering of TV network reporters.

Pacquiao’s strength and conditioning coach Alex Ariza told the Inquirer that after a good but long flight aboard Philippine Airlines, Pacquiao slipped out to get some rest.

Pacquiao’s adviser Michael Koncz said the “Fighter of the Decade” slept through the entire flight and didn’t even eat because he was tired after working really hard in the Baguio City phase of his training camp. He said Pacquiao first visited his Palazzo Apartment and then “went to his home where it was quiet and decided to rest there.”

Ariza said that he would go over to meet with Pacquiao on Sunday and plan their training schedule beginning Monday when he is expected to jog in the morning before working out at the Wild Card Gym in the afternoon.

Ariza said “we’ll see what he has in mind for the next week. I have no doubt he will begin training on Monday” while Koncz said training will resume “full blast.”

There are those who believe, including Ariza, that Pacquiao may not say it publicly but that he is determined to put on an impressive performance against former three-time world champion Shane Mosley when they clash at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 7.

Pacquiao wants to outdo Floyd Mayweather Jr who was taken the full twelve rounds by Mosley in their last fight where Mosley even rocked Mayweather in the second round but couldn’t put him away.

The pound-for-pound No. 1 is also feeling the pressure of a challenge from the 2010 Boxing Writers Association of America “Fighter of the Year” Sergio Martinez who says that while he concedes Pacquiao should be No. 1 right now, if he doesn’t put on a dominating performance against Mosley he would be challenged at the top.

There are others who believe that with Nonito “The Filipino Flash” ranked No. 4 following a spectacular 2nd round knockout of veteran WBC/WBO bantamweight champion Fernando “KO-Chulito” Montiel, fans are also looking to Pacquiao to overshadow Donaire’s showing against Montiel.

Koncz also informed the Inquirer that former Oriental Pacific Boxing Federation featherweight champion Allan Tanada (10-1-2, 5 KO’s) from the Rommel Nazario stable and the Philippines junior flyweight champion Marlon Tapales (16-1, 5 KO’s) from the Rex “Wakee” Salud gym would fight on the Pacquiao-Mosley undercard. However, Tapales who is having problems making the weight plans to move up to super flyweight for the May 7 fight.

Source: http://philboxing.com/

Pacquiao starts “closed door” training at Wild Card

2011-04-04T12:21:00.000-07:00

No one, not even members of media will be allowed to watch World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao plunge into a more serious training starting Monday (Tuesday in Manila) at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles.

“Yes, the gym is closed except to those who have something to do with training,” Wild Card owner and Pacquiao’s chief trainer Freddie Roach declared rather emphatically yesterday.

“That’s the reason we’re staging the most crucial stage of our preparations here in the U.S. That’s why we’re here where distractions are little or none at all,” Roach told Malaya Business Insights in an overseas telephone conversation. “Manny knows this. We talked about it while we’re in Manila.

The 32-year-old Pacquiao, who along with his team landed in L.A. last Saturday (Sunday in Manila), agreed saying in a separate interview, he, indeed, has to be more serious in his preparations five weeks into the 12-round confrontation with “Sugar” Shane Mosley on May 7 in Las Vegas.

“Our team, I repeat, is not underestimating Mosley. He’s strong, bigger and possesses the big punch that can spell victory for him, “ Pacquiao said in Tagalog.

Asked if he’s pressured fighting another taller, heavier and heftier opponent, Pacquiao answered: Pressure? Yes, there is pressure because I’m putting my title on the block. But I can handle pressure as I have been doing before.”

Roach said the frequency in sparring will definitely be increased starting Monday but beg off from saying how much except saying it depends on Pacquiao’s condition after a long travel from Manila.

“We had just came from a tiresome travel from Manila and Manny can still be tired. So we’ll see first how much he recovered from that trip,” he said even as he assured that an additional pair of sparring partners – Rashad Halloway and up-coming welterweight Karim Mayfield -- will be joining Shawn Porter and David Rodela, the champ’s mates while in Baguio.

“We expect Mosley to be at his best comes fight time, so we will be doing everything to at our best too,” Roach said in reference to the fight where Pacquiao is staking his crown. “And when we say everything, it includes eliminating disturbances we encountered in Baguio, no matter how little they were.”

“They said Mosley is old, and is, in fact, a heavy underdog in betting (6-1). But that doesn’t make him less dangerous,” the four-time ‘Trainer of the Year’ honoree of the Boxing Writers Association of America quipped.
Roach, in fact, did not stop speaking highly of Mosley, a three-division champion himself, whom he said at 39 or 40 days before he turned 40, had enough experience to turn the tide and make his detractors eat their words.

“As I have been saying, Mosley has a lot of ring experience and experience is knowledge. You can’t just beat a wise fighter. He knows how to fight and how to win. His latest so-called lackluster performances cannot be used as gauge on the result of this fight, “he explained.

“His billing as near has been cannot be gauge, too, simply because, precisely, he’s got nothing to lose. He has everything to gain in winning by way of his savings in retirement age. That’s why I said he’s more dangerous, “ he assessed.

“He still got the big punch that almost floored one fighter I know,” he said referring to Floyd Mayweather Jr., whose name he refused to mention in interviews since the fight against Pacquiao fizzled out the first time it was thought of. “He had fought the best welterweight in the world and knocked out (Antonio) Margarito.”

Source: http://philboxing.com/

Pacquiao satisfied with Baguio training

2011-04-04T12:17:00.000-07:00

“So far, so good.”

This was how WBO world welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao assessed his short three-week training stint in Baguio City

“As I have been saying from the start of our preparations, maganda ang simula ng training camp,” Pacquiao, who along with his team flew to Los Angeles Saturday night to resume his training at the Wild Card Gym at downtown Hollywood, said.

The Filipino ring icon will be staking his World Boxing Organization welterweight belt against “Sugar” Shane Mosley May 7 in Las Vegas.

“I’m happy with my condition right now and with more than one month to go before the fight, marami na kaming na-gain,” he assured in an interview Saturday before he and his group boarded the Philippine Air Lines flight that would bring them to the United States.

“I have already regained my stamina. Nabawi ko na rin ang strength, power and speed ko at ready na ako sa mas extensive na training this coming five weeks sa L.A., “ the Pacman added as he thanked chief trainer Freddie Roach, strength coach Alex Ariza and assistant trainer Buboy Fernandez, who he said contributed much bringing him in his present condition.

“Bago lang kami umalis, muli ay nakikiusap ako sa mga kababayan natin na ipanalangin nila na manalo ako alangalang sa ating bayan at sa mga Pilipino,” he begged.

Roach concurred in, saying the eight-division champ’s brief stay at the Pines City had given him more than his previous times before facing and winning over Miguel Cotto and Joshua Clottey and Antonio Margarito.

“That is understandable because we stayed in Baguio for five weeks before those fights. Meaning there were more distractions then, especially the last one when we were preparing for Margarito,” he recalled.

“Manny had just been elected as Congressman then so that he had to attend to many things he was not used to do,” the four-time trainer of the year honoree of the Boxing Writers Association of America explained.

“This time, since we only had to stay in Baguio three weeks, Manny was able to concentrate on his training more. There were distractions, yes, but those were very minimal. As a result, we ended up very much ahead of schedule,” Roach stressed.

That, Roach continued, gave Pacquiao the luxury of skipping his scheduled workout last Friday, which could have been his last at the country’s summer capital, and Saturday to be with wife Jinkee, who kept him company since Wednesday last week, and their children.

“I noticed him to be a little tired, so I consented cancelling the scheduled two-day workouts to give him extra time to rest in preparation for a long trip to the U.S. and a more serious training in L.A.,” he projected.

“Well, we’re all very happy that training here came out well. Manny seems very happy to be back to the U.S. He’s more focused now than anytime in previous fights and more motivated,” he attested.

“We will be staying in the U.S. longer, five weeks, which is enough to work on his timing and how to keep himself at a distance, which remain our only problem,” Roach said even as reiterated that Pacquiao will be facing a very dangerous opponent in Mosley, himself a three-division titleholder.

Source: http://philboxing.com/

(Video) Fight Camp 360°: Pacquiao vs. Mosley Episode 1 Preview

2011-03-31T12:01:00.000-07:00

Manny Pacquiao the worlds most famous active boxer today, will defend his WBO welterweight title against the always dangerous Sugar Shane Mosley on May 7th, but first SHOWTIME and CBS networks will air several episodes of Fight Camp 360, a series that allows the audience a first hand look at what goes on behind the scenes and into the fighters everyday lives as they prepare for their fight on May 7th. SHOWTIME camera crews were allowed access by both fighters camps to follow them around during training camp, one crew is in the Philippines covering Manny Pacquiao’s training with Freddie Roach, another crew is in Big Bear, California covering Sugar Shane Mosley’s training camp with head trainer Naazim Richardson.

The series premiere of Fight Camp 360: Pacquiao vs. Mosley will debut on Saturday April 2, 2011 on CBS, Free for the entire public to see, at Noon ET/ 9AM PT before CBS’s coverage of the NCAA Men’s Final Four College Basketball Tournament.

Below are the show dates and times for FIGHT CAMP 360°: Pacquiao vs. Mosley

Episode 1 CBS Saturday, April 2 12 pm ET/9 am PT
Episode 1 SHO Saturday, April 16 10 pm ET/PT
Episode 2 SHO Saturday, April 23 10 pm ET/PT
Episode 3 CBS Saturday, April 30 8 pm ET/PT
Episode 3 SHO Saturday, April 30 10 pm ET/PT
Episode 4 SHO Friday, May 6 10 pm ET/PT
Episode 4 CBS Saturday, May 7 2 pm ET/11 am PT

Fight Camp 360: Manny Pacquiao vs. Shane Mosley Episode 1 video preview

Watch the Fight Camp 360: Pacquiao vs. Mosley debut live on CBS Saturday April 2 at 9AM PT/ 12PM ET.

Manny Pacquiao vs. Shane Mosley will air on SHOWTIME PPV on May 7, 2011 live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Source: http://www.nowboxing.com/

Apology to Manny Pacquaio key to promotional peace for Golden Boy, Top Rank

2011-03-31T11:57:00.000-07:00

It's been said that no one despises war like battle-scarred veterans.

When it comes to in the ring fights and courtroom battles, Top Rank's Bob Arum has won, lost and maybe had a few draws along the way through 45 years at the highest level of promotion.

So maybe it's not surprising that I detected a battle-weary tone to Arum's voice when we spoke early Wednesday morning about what has to be branded a Top Rank legal victory. It was the morning after Daniel Weinstein forbidding archrival Golden Boy from promoting runaway bantamweight champion Nonito Doniare Jr. until he completes his contractual obligations to Arum's outfit.

As I detailed earlier, Arum did not gloat. In fact, he sounded conciliatory towards the exciting Fil Am fighter and said he would seek only to promote and not to punish him for his seemingly now thwarted defection.

Beyond Donaire's fate and future, Arum offered an idea for something which he said might go a long way to “eliminate the warfare” between his company and Oscar De La Hoya's Los Angeles based promotional company.

According to Arum, squaring matters with his cash cow Manny Pacquiao is the key to peace between the fight game's top two promoters.

“The defamation case goes on for Manny,” Arum said, noting the recent defeat by Pacquiao attorneys of defense motions to dismiss the Pinoy Idol's defamation litigation. “They will be scheduling the depositions soon and then the case will make its way in front of a jury.”

Pacquiao has sued Golden Boy and others for, he said, making false accusations that he uses illegal drugs to better his ring performances.

“Manny Pacquiao is a sensitive guy. Manny Pacquiao values his good reputation. It was Oscar and (Richard) Schaefer who started this crap. It was they who continued to defame Manny.
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“Manny Pacquiao wants nothing to do with Golden Boy and neither would I.”

That probably reads more like a war chant than a peace directive but then Arum surprised me.

“I don't see all this as a war, really, because if Golden Boy, Oscar and Schaefer want to avoid eventually paying substantial damages to Pacquiao, they can apologize to him. They can say publicly that there was no factual basis for saying that Manny takes drugs....

“That would do a lot to clear the air here. That would do a lot to eliminate the warfare.”

Shifting back to Donaire, some have suggested that Nonito's strong-willed wife Rachel pushed her husband to look for greener promotional pastures.

Arum would not comment or even speculate on that topic but he did tell me a Marvelous Marvin Hagler anecdote I was not aware of.

Back when Hagler was Arum's cash cow, Arum said archrival Don King made a play to lure the baldheaded, lefthanded middleweight champion away from the Top Rank tent.

“King went with the racial pitch and he went through Marvin's mother, Bertha,” Arum said. “Pat Petronelli told me about King doing that. We were in Worcester (Mass.) where Hagler fought Tony Sibson and we had to go through a blizzard to get to the venue. (Feb. 11, 1983, Hagler stopped the Brit in six rounds).

“Marvin had a quiet talk with his mother and he told her, 'If you do anything to interfere in my business, I am not going to support you.”

Hagler remained with Top Rank up to and including his last bout, an undeserved decision loss to the also great Sugar Ray Leonard.

Soon after, he retired to Italy and lives La Dolce Vita, quite content in Milano I believe.

Source: http://www.examiner.com/

Mayweather gambles and laments American support while Pacquiao stays active

2011-03-30T14:52:00.000-07:00

Although he has been out of the ring for close to a year now, Floyd Mayweather Jr. chose last weekend to give an interview to the Afternoon Salon ESPN radio show, revealing what he's been spending his time doing, why he still won't fight Manny Pacquiao and to generally complain that as an American he should have more support from his countrymen.

As usual Mayweather avoided questions he didn't like the sound of, and as usual, the interviewers granted access weren't going to push him with any hard questions.

He wasn't asked why or whether he demanded $100 million dollars to fight Manny Pacquiao in South Africa. He wasn't asked when commenting yet again on drug testing procedure, why $100 million would have made some kind of difference. He wasn't asked why, if not Pacquiao, he doesn't fight someone else, Sergio Martinez for example. He also wasn't asked whether the recent rumors that he is in negotiations to fight Paul Spadafora are true.

(It should be noted that Jeff Mayweather, contrary to remarks from Spadafora's promoter, has denied that any talks are taking place)

What Mayweather did talk about at length was his habit of betting on sports, which he says he indulges every day, and why he doesn't think he's getting enough support from his fellow Americans.

“The thing is this I’m an American citizen and I represent this country with the red, white, and blue. The only thing I want is the people in my country to stand behind me. I’m in my own country and I have a lot of people against me. Our country is a great country, it’s a clean country, and all I ask him to do is take the test, that’s it. He takes the test and we got a fight.”

As far as American athletes go, Mayweather is certainly not supported as widely as those in other sports tend to be.

One of the main reasons however is because of his generally poor relationship with the media.

The boxing media tends to view him negatively because he could be doing so much more with the talent that he has.

The mainstream media doesn't pay him as much attention as they might because of all the negative things associated with him; the alleged assaults on women, the petty run-ins with security guards, the steroid accusations against fellow fighters.

In neither case has Mayweather strived to improve this situation.

Oddly Mayweather himself then touched on another major reason he isn't more well liked in his own country.

“Everybody is entitled to their own opinion. Floyd Mayweather goes out and makes money for Floyd Mayweather. Everybody is entitled to their own opinion. When it’s all said and done and my career is over, the fans don’t come pay my bills, the fans don’t put my kids through college, and the fans don’t put my kids through private school, I do. Through my hard work.”

The fans who pay to watch Mayweather's fights and have indirectly given him every dollar he has ever made aren't going to be paying his bills after he retires? An puzzling stance to take to say the least.

Photos: Yuriorkis Gamboa finishes Jorge Solis in four

Mayweather's chief rival Manny Pacquiao by comparison knows that when he fights, he fights for Filipino people everywhere, that he gives hope to all those who didn't make it out of the situation he himself was in when he was younger.

Mayweather fights for himself first and foremost, and aside from handing out turkeys at thanksgiving, a point he mentions a lot more often than necessary, doesn't seem to be motivated to action by his long suffering fans.

Even a fight between the pair notwithstanding, the fact that Pacquiao is an active fighter goes a long way towards his continued support.

Currently Pacquiao fights twice per year, regular as clockwork. Since 2007 Mayweather has fought twice, and it isn't ever clear to fans when he will next take to the ring.

On top of everything else though, the fact that Mayweather generates more U.S pay per view sales than any other fighter in the world today including Pacquiao would seem to suggest that he does have support.

Boxing is still in some respects a fringe sport in the United States at the moment having been without a real heavyweight star since the 90's, and generating well over a million pay per view buys is hardly the mark of a fighter who isn't still popular, despite what often look like his best efforts to the contrary.

Jose Santiago, Pitt: "Floyd is a nice guy in person but his egomaniac persona just turns people off and until he drops it and is just himself he won't get big support"

James Shipton, Harrisburg: "Even Spadafora would be something, I'm a Mayweather fan and all we've had for the last year is bad news. Getting arrested and bragging about sports betting isn't what professional athletes who represent their entire sport should be doing"

Source: http://www.examiner.com/

Sparring marks start of heavy training

2011-03-30T14:48:00.000-07:00

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines– Manny Pacquiao did four rounds with David Rodela yesterday and didn’t have a hard time impressing his trainer, Freddie Roach.

“He’s all right,” said Roach at the Shape Up Gym of the Cooyeesan Hotel here.

To the surprise of local mediamen, the celebrated trainer opened the doors to the spacious gym as long as everybody agreed that no pictures would be taken of the sparring session.

Roach had wanted closed-door sessions for Pacquiao, and over the last couple of weeks, except the media day that was held, mediamen were not allowed inside.

Yesterday was the first day of sparring for Pacquiao who will stake his WBO welterweight crown against American Shane Mosley in Las Vegas on May 7.

Pacquiao is expected to log in 15 days of sparring and around 120 rounds, even much lower than that, as he prepares against the fighter who’s never been knocked out before.

Pacquiao will spar again at the Shape Up Gym tomorrow, and on Friday they will break camp in the country’s summer capital to proceed to Manila.

The 32-year-old fighting congressman should spar somewhere in Manila on Saturday, and in the evening Team Pacquiao flies to Los Angeles.

He will train four weeks at the Wild Card Gym in LA with sparring to increase as the days go by, and will cap his training with another week of tapering off in Las Vegas.

Aside from Rodela, now up in Baguio as sparring partner is Shawn Porter, who was also there as Pacquiao geared up for the Miguel Cotto fight.

A couple more sparring partners will jump in when training resumes at the Wild Card Gym.

Roach said the $1,000 bonus is still up for grabs for the first one who can knock down Pacquiao in sparring. It’s been there for quite some time now, and so far no one has succeeded.

Source: http://www.philstar.com/

Q & A with “Sugar” Shane Mosley

2011-03-29T11:58:00.000-07:00

He may be in the Twilight of his career and zeroing in on his 40th birthday but “Sugar” Shane Mosley is still a tough night’s work for anyone. For a few years now Mosley has wanted to fight Manny Pacquiao, he has got what he wished for and takes on the Filipino Icon on 7 May in Las Vegas at The MGM Grand in front of millions on Showtime PPV. It’s a fight Mosley believes he can win; he has blind faith in his ability and left his position as a partner of Golden Boy Promotions to take up this challenge. Mosley 46-6-1(39) has fought many of the best fighters in the world from 135-154 winning 5 world titles in 3 weight classes. He’s been one of the standard bearers of the past 2 decades fighting 15 past or present world champions including Oscar De La Hoya, Miguel Cotto & Floyd Mayweather.

Hello Shane, welcome to 15rounds.com

Anson Wainwright – You are fighting Manny Pacquiao on 7 May in Las Vegas. What are your thoughts on the fight & how good do you think Pacquiao is?

Shane Mosley – I think he’s a great fighter, he does a lot of good things. It’s going to be a terrific fight.

Anson Wainwright – Of course it has been much discussed you have left Golden Boy & will be fighting Pacquiao who’s a Top Rank fighter. How are things?

Shane Mosley – No, it’s moving pretty smoothly along with Top Rank. Everything I have asked for has been ok and I’m just happy.

Anson Wainwright – People will say that you haven’t won in your last two fights and not looked the best in your fights with Mayweather & Mora. What do you say to them?

Shane Mosley – I believe I will do a lot better than I did in those two fights. My mentality right now is I’m ready to go and fight and give my 100% all.

Anson Wainwright – It would of been easy for you to stay with Golden Boy where your were a partner and claim your reported 5% but you’re obviously still highly motivated despite being months shy of 40. What are your thoughts on this?

Shane Mosley – I’m very motivated and happy to be able to box at this age. I’ve been boxing for about 31 years and I’ve fought at this level a lot. I’m willing to go in there and prove that I’m still one of the best fighters and fighting Pacquaio will prove that and be a great accomplishment for me.

Anson Wainwright – The Mayweather fight wasn’t your finest hour in the ring. Could you talk us through the fight from your point of view along with the second round?

Shane Mosley – A lot of times I don’t look back on them or think about them (The fights). But it was a pretty good punch, I just couldn’t at that point do what I needed to do to win the fight to KO him but I’ve been working very hard to make sure I close the deal next time I get a person hurt.

Anson Wainwright – If I can take you back to the Margarito fight, going into that fight you had a lot going on outside the ring. The on fight night there was the gauzing that went into Margarito glove. How much of what was going on were you aware of or were you just focused on the fight?

Shane Mosley – Yeah I was just focusing on my game plan, because if he had concrete gloves on I didn’t care I was going to win that fight. I trained hard, I was determined to prove the critic’s and everybody wrong that I was to old and that his rhythm was to much for me and he was going to knock me out and retire me. And I did I stopped him and proved the critics wrong. I’m going to do that in this fight as well.

Anson Wainwright – Do you see this fight with Pacquiao similar to the Margarito one where you were also the underdog and have something to prove?

Shane Mosley – Yeah, I aim to do it again. I aim to shock the world and beat Pacquiao. Once again prove the critics wrong.

Anson Wainwright – How much longer do you think you can keep performing at the top of Boxing? Do you have any plans for what you’d like to do when your finish Boxing?

Shane Mosley – Well yeah I have my promotional company “Sugar” Shane Mosley Promotions and I’m looking to start signing fighters and get more active in the promotional field and help these young fighters become world champions and superstars. That would be another great challenge for me. After this fight I have another 3 or 4 fights in me, then I can start my promotional company.

Anson Wainwright – You’re son Shane Junior is also an up and coming boxer. How are things developing with him and his career?

Shane Mosley – He’s doing pretty good; he’s up here training with me now. Basically I’m just showing him the ropes right now what you have to go through to be world champion and that’s important mentally so he can see what it takes, realise if it’s for him or not. He’s doing good, his punches are pretty hard, and he’s getting faster and better as the days go by. I think he’s going to be alright.

Anson Wainwright – A chip off the old block hey?

Shane Mosley – Ha-ha I think so, he has the determination and he’s getting better and better as we go along.

Anson Wainwright – Has he had any amateur fights yet?

Shane Mosley – He’s had a few, I think I’ll start fighting him more so he can have the experience of fighting in the ring more. He’s been in the ring sparring a lot but not really fighting. There’s a difference between fighting and sparring, that’s what I aim to do a little more.

Anson Wainwright – You’ve fought many of the best fighters of the last 15 years. Who is the best fighter you’ve ever fought?

Shane Mosley – Styles make fights but the most difficult I’d say Winky (Wright) earlier in my career but later on Floyd (Mayweather) was a pretty good defensive fighter as well.

Anson Wainwright – To date what do you consider to be your proudest moment in Boxing?

Shane Mosley – I think the proudest moment was winning my first world title at Lightweight against Philip Holiday.

Anson Wainwright – What are your thoughts on the current Welterweight division?

Shane Mosley – I think there’s a lot of great challenge’s with Khan coming up. Me & Manny Pacquiao fighting, there’s others. The division’s good an exciting. There’s a lot of great talent out there.

Anson Wainwright – You’re known as one of boxing good guys but we don’t know to much about you away from Boxing. Can you tell us about other activities you are involved with? Also what are your hobbies & Interests?

Shane Mosley – Well I mean, I’m a family man, I have 4 kids. I like to play Basketball, snowboard, bowl. I’m a very active person, I’m an outdoors person. I like to get out and do things. Boxings in my heart so I don’t stray too far from that. I’m involved in a boxing programme and sponsor the kids in the community.

Anson Wainwright – Last year you teamed up with PETA to help stop dog fighting & the slaughter on Seal trade in Canada, it’s obviously something that’s close to your heart?

Shane Mosley – Well yeah, I have a few pets. Dog’s don’t have a choice to fight or not but we do. So I kind of got behind it and just spoke out about it.

Anson Wainwright – Finally do you have a message for your fans ahead of the Pacquiao fight?

Shane Mosley – This is going to be the fight you don’t want to miss. I’m definitely giving everything I’ve got. You wont be disappointed so come and check it out or watch it on PPV Showtime. It’s definitely going to be a knock out. Also follow me on Sugar Shane on Twitter.

Thank you for your time Shane, it’s been a pleasure.

Anson Wainwright

Source: http://www.15rounds.com/

PACQUIAO STARTS SPARRING

2011-03-29T11:54:00.000-07:00

BAGUIO CITY – Manny Pacquiao sometimes has the tendency to be lax in his training, but when he plunges seriously into it, he sort of kills himself.

This was again proven on his first day of sparring when the world welterweight champion missed his routine roadwork as he slept twice in the morning before facing 10th ranked welterweight Shawn Porter and lightweight David Rodela in the afternoon in two rounds skirmish each.

After the day’s session though that included six round of working with the mitts, extra rounds with the big bag, double end ball, speed ball and conditioning exercises, chief trainer was all praises with the way the day went.

“It’s a great day. He’s not 100 percent okay yet, especially in his timing,” Roach said in what he saw in a four and-a-half hour sweat session. “He’s a little bit cautious with his moves, but that’s understandable. I can see him improving a lot before we leave for Los Angeles on Saturday.”

Their plan, according to the 51-year-old trainer, is to increase the frequency of sparring from four rounds yesterday and today with Porter and Rodela having two rounds each, to five Thursday and possibly six and seven Friday and Saturday.

“That’s what he usually does following a miss in a training regimen. He did not run this morning, but look how he almost killed himself this afternoon, “ Ariza, for his part, observed.

“Actually, what he did today was what he requested. He did not need the big bag, but he wanted that. And so were the double end and the speed ball. That only meant one thing, he’s serious in whatever he wants to do in training,” Ariza added.

“Well, kailangan talaga bigay-todo sa ensayo, marami tayong dapat ma-recover matapos ang mahabang pahinga mula noong laban ko okay (Antonio) Margarito. Pero ayos lang naman,” Pacquiao, on the other hand, said.

“Excited na ako sa laban at ngayon pa lang ay gusto ko nasa kondisyon na. Pero siymepre malayo pa naman. Tama si Freddie nangangapa pa ako sa timing ng suntok. Di ko maibigay agad kahit gusto ko. Ma-adjust naman agad yun,” he said.

Despite what he lacked, Porter, a former candidate to the U.S Olympic team, and Rodela along with a throng that filled the Cooyeessan Hotel Shape Up Gym despite earlier announcement that the session was closed door were impressed with Pacquiao’s performance in his first day of tasting a mocked fights.

“He’s still a bit rusty. We both are, but he still possesses the power and speed like before,” Porter one of the men who helped Pacquiao prepare in his fight against Miguel Cotto, assessed.

“I challenged him to toe-to-toe and he accepted the dare. He amazed me as usual, he said.

“Yeah, same with me. I wanted to mix it up with him and he obliged,” Rodela said.

Source: http://philboxing.com/

KELLY PAVLIK VS ALFONSO LOPEZ ON PACQUIAO-MOSLEY UNDERCARD

2011-03-29T11:43:00.000-07:00

Former World Middleweight Champion KELLY "The Ghost" PAVLIK will make his long-awaited return to the ring when he takes on undefeated World Boxing Council (WBC) Continental Americas super middleweight champion ALFONSO "El Tigre" LOPEZ, Saturday, May 7, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nev. The 10-round Pavlik-Lopez rumble will headline the Manny Pacquiao vs. Shane Mosley World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight championship undercard. Promoted by Top Rank, in association with MP Promotions, Sugar Shane Mosley Promotions, Tecate and MGM Grand, the four-fight Mosley-Pacquiao pay-per-view extravaganza will be produced and distributed live on SHOWTIME PPV®.

The pay-per-view card will also feature WBC lightweight champion HUMBERTO SOTO (55-7-2, 33 KOs), of Los Mochis, México, defending his title against URBANO ANTILLON (28-2, 20 KOs), of Maywood, Calif., in a rematch of their 2010 Yahoo! Sports Fight of the Year, which took place in December. The pay-per-view broadcast will open with WBO junior featherweight champion WILFREDO VAZQUEZ, JR. (20-0-1, 17 KOs), of Bayamon, Puerto Rico, in his Las Vegas debut, making his third title defense, against five-time world champion JORGE ARCE (56-6-2, 43 KOs), of Los Mochis, México.

"We are delighted to add a fight for Kelly Pavlik on this card. He has been inactive for awhile but we envision his return as coming back better than ever," said Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum.

Pavlik (36-2, 32 KOs), of Youngstown, Ohio, captured the World Middleweight title and the sporting world's imagination when he knocked out the previously undefeated and undisputed middleweight champion Jermain Taylor on Sept. 29, 2007, in a bout selected as the "Fight of the Year" by the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA). Pavlik defeated Taylor handily in their non-title super middleweight rematch in February 2008 to solidify his claim as one of boxing's top pound for pound fighters. During his 30-month title reign, he successfully defended his title three times, all by knockout, with two of those victories coming against mandatory challengers, before losing it to BWAA 2010 Fighter of the Year Sergio Martinez via a 12-round decision. But it was also a title reign marked by a persistent and near-fatal staph infection on his left hand as well as a battle with alcohol which led to two separate rehab stints, at the Betty Ford Center and The Ranch Recovery Center, in January and September 2010, respectively. Clean and sober, Pavlik has returned to training with a vengeance, working daily with trainer Jack Loew, where he will now battle as a super middleweight, forgoing once and for all, starving himself to make the middleweight weight limit.

Lopez (21-0, 16 KOs), from Cut and Shoot, Texas, who has won five of his last seven bouts by knockout, boasts an impressive victory by knockout percentage of 76%. Known for his heavy hands and excellent ring savvy, Lopez returns to the ring fresh from knocking out Romero Johnson to capture the vacant WBC Continental Americas super middleweight title. Lopez is the most prominent boxer to emerge from Cut and Shoot since undefeated Roy Harris unsuccessfully challenged World Heavyweight Champion Floyd Patterson in 1958 at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles. Harris scored a second-round knockdown of the champion in a fight that was eventually stopped by Harris' corner after the 12th round. Henry Harris, Roy's brother, is Lopez's chief trainer.

Remaining tickets to Pacquiao vs. Mosley, priced at $1,000, can be purchased through Ticketmaster. To charge by phone, with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster (800) 745-3000. Tickets are also available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com. Ticket sales are limited to 10 per person.

Closed circuit tickets, priced at $50, are on sale now and available at all Las Vegas MGM Resorts properties.

The Pacquiao vs. Mosley pay-per-view telecast, beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, has a suggested retail price of $54.95, will be produced and distributed by SHOWTIME PPV®. The telecast will be available in HD-TV for those viewers who can receive HD. For Pacquiao vs. Margarito fight week updates, log on to www.sports.SHO.com or www.toprank.com.

Source: http://philboxing.com/

Pacquiao vs. Mosley: Will the casual boxing fans purchase this fight in big numbers on PPV?

2011-03-28T13:54:00.000-07:00

By Chris Williams: Thus far the interest among hardcore fans in the May 7th fight between 39-year-old Shane Mosley (46-6-1, 39 KO’s) and Manny Pacquiao (52-3-2, 38 KO’s) has been lukewarm at best. If you look around the net, you’ll notice boxing fans aren’t even talking about this fight in boxing forums. Sure, pro-Pacquiao sites are talking about the Pacquiao vs. Mosley fight everyday but it’s not being discussed in boxing forums. The reason why is pretty simple.

Pacquiao is facing a guy who hasn’t won a fight in two years since the start of 2009 and has looked absolutely horrible in his two fights since then. The fight will be advertised like mad on CBS, a non premium channel with several Fight Camp 360 episodes being shown to the casual boxing fans. However, you have to wonder whether these same fans will be interested in purchasing this mismatch in big enough numbers for this fight to measure up to some of the recent big PPV fights of Pacquiao.

If the fight doesn’t bring in big numbers, it may be a wake up call for Pacquiao that it’s time he start stepping it up against better fighters that are winning and not struggling or fighting at catchweights. It’s been ages since Pacquiao fought what I consider his last tough fight against Juan Manuel Marquez in 2008. I would love if Pacquiao were to start taking on better fighters if his fight with Mosley brings in poor numbers but I’m not thinking that will happen. We could end up seeing a rematch with Miguel Cotto soon in another mismatch and I can’t believe fans will want to see that again.

Source: http://www.boxingnews24.com/

Manny Pacquiao Vs the 1990s: Felix Trinidad, a Prime Shane Mosley & More take on “The PacMan”

2011-03-28T13:40:00.000-07:00

The nineties were an exciting time for the welterweight and the light welterweight divisions. Great battles were waged; from the ashes of the old titans new stars were born. The old guard of the eighties held on as long as it could, in the futile struggle against time, eventually plunging into the abyss of forgetfulness. Somewhere in the middle of it, Julio Cesar Chavez’s age finally caught up with him, and the proud legionnaire reluctantly released his throne: it was time for the new blood to fill the void. In the shadows, there teemed young, hungry warriors, ready to jump into the vicious fight for supremacy at a moment’s notice. Their many unforgettable clashes created a legacy that is forever etched into the subconscious core of our memories.

A select few of that decade have been able to secure their spot in history: Tito Trinidad, Oscar De La Hoya, Shane Mosley, Vernon Forrest and Kostya Tszyu. Each of these fighters had made the best of use of his natural gifts, achieving tremendous feats in the ring. The time-defying Shane Mosley is still a considerable force in the division, not so long ago defeating the likes of Luis Collazo and Antonio Margarito.

Yet, despite their impressive resumes, these accomplishments are eclipsed by the near-blinding light of a relatively new star. It is a star that rose in the East, in the City of General Santos, Philippines. The man in question is, of course, Manny Pacquiao. He is a world champion in 8 different weight classes, and as time goes on, he only seems to get better. Today, we will delve into the realm of theory, by briefly evaluating how each of the prime versions of these boxers would have performed, if pitted against Manny of today? Keep in mind that these are bare conjectures.

Felix Tito Trinidad:

This is your classic boxer puncher, with a very textbook approach to boxing. I see Pacquiao confusing him with angles, and swarming him with the sheer volume of punching, sweeping him right off those brittle chicken legs of his. He gets up five or six times, before the referee, tired of the Puerto Rican version of Nevalyashka, calls a halt to the action.

Oscar De La Hoya:

This would have been an awesome bout.

Unlike the older, stiff, tight and hesitant version of himself, I see Oscar attempting to control Manny with the Jab, and trying to pressure him against the ropes and, once there, throwing huge shots to the head. Pacquiao responds by overwhelming De La Hoya with speed, and rendering his jab ineffective by lateral movement and superior footwork. Hurts him repeatedly after the fifth, knocks him down, but no knockout comes.

Shane Mosley:

A prime Shane Mosley, who is lightning fast, tireless and hard-punching will attempt to box Manny as well as trade blow for blow, when necessary. I think, in terms of talent, these two are most evenly matched: about the same speed, blazing fast footwork. Manny is clearly superior when it comes to throwing volume punches, especially when he is off-balance, but Shane’s counterpunching ability negates some of it, creating issues for the Filipino in the process. This one is a classic for the ages, with plenty of dangerous moments for both of them. It ends with a split decision for Pacquiao, as he outpoints Mosley with his aggressiveness.

Vernon Forrest:

Yuck. That’s the first thought that comes to mind. Forrest creates a dogfight, sticking his longer jab in Pacquiao’s face, and tying him up when he gets close. We are talking elbows in the neck, the works. Pacquiao pulls out a very tough, draining decision, as he manages to outpoint the opponent due to his vastly superior work rate.

Kostya Tszyu:

Tszyu has perfected the art of timing his opponents, maximizing the opportunity when it presented itself, as in the case of Judah. Like Manny, Zab was also lightning fast and swarmed and dominated Kostya who was no match for him in terms of speed and power, for the first round and a half.

Tszyu, the ultimate hunter, emotionlessly deposited himself in the bushes, and launched a nuclear bomb the very millisecond he saw an opening. Given Pacquiao’s propensity to get hit (it’s hard to argue that Pacquiao is hard to hit, and even get hurt at times: even the plodding Margarito was able to get to him on more than one occasion), a knockout is a plausible outcome. In all fairness though, Tzsyu, despite his excellent pedigree, never faced anyone the caliber of Pacquiao, not even close. Also, Roach and Pacquiao would have likely prepared for Tszyu’s tricks, and trained to fight a much more careful, controlled fight. I see the Filipino pulling out a 12 round UD in a boring fight, with neither man really hurt or challenged, for that matter.

In short, even though these are all dream match-ups, a thoughtful compartmentalization of these fighters’ and their fighting styles will reveal that Pac-man would have had the ability to defeat, or at the very least, hang in, with the best of them. You do not have to be a Pac-fan, to give credit when it is due. The man does not have a heart of a lion, he IS a lion. And the so-called “lion tamer”, wherever he is at the moment…seems to be more concerned with beating his women, and poking security guards in the eye, than proving to the world he can stick his head into the lion’s maw and come out alive. But the world is watching…

Source: http://ringsidereport.com/

MOSLEY AT WAR WITH PACQUIAO ON TWITTER, BUT DOES MANNY EVEN KNOW?

2011-03-28T13:31:00.000-07:00

Three-division world champion "Sugar" Shane Mosley has started the battle early with pound-for-pound champion Manny Pacquiao as a one-sided war of words has erupted on the popular social media platform known as Twitter. The battle began one week ago when Mosley first announced to his followers that he was done being "Mr. Nice Guy" and he was compelled to let the world know how he really felt about the Filipino superstar. Throughout the week, a series of tweets would follow where Mosley would take subtle jabs at Pacquiao's hair, the supplements that he uses, and much more. Take a look at some of Mosley's comments.

I need to tell the world how I feel about CongMP ...no more Mr Nice Guy.... it's #sugartime
6:33 PM Mar 21st via web

Hey Pacquiao (@congMP), I'm going to beat you so hard that you're going to need botox just to take the worry off your face! #SugarTime
Tue Mar 22 2011 15:27:48 (Eastern Daylight Time) via web

MANNNNNNYYYYYYYYYYYYYY ......... #sugartime
Tue Mar 22 2011 17:00:38 (Eastern Daylight Time) via web

Forget #tigerblood... I got SUGARBLOOD. It's #SugarTime
7:27 PM Mar 22nd via web

All the vitamins in the world is no match for my Sugar It's #SUGARTIME
Tue Mar 22 2011 20:59:14 (Eastern Daylight Time) via web

SUGAR is bad for your health - on May 7th Manny you're gonna be SICK!!! #sugartime
Wed Mar 23 2011 12:25:10 (Eastern Daylight Time) via web

Just cause u have the bieber hair style doesn't mean u can sing like him, NO WORRIES, Ill beat you and have you singing right... #SugarTime
Wed Mar 23 2011 17:27:30 (Eastern Daylight Time) via web

Perhaps unbeknownst to Mosley, however, just one day after he began his war of words on Twitter, Congressman Pacquiao deleted his own account, @CongMP, after being heavily criticized for comments that he made regarding his absence during the House impeachment proceeding of Ombudsman Meceditas Gutierrez. For that reason, the verbal attack that Mosley continues to direct towards the eight-division world champion has gone largely unnoticed. Furthermore, it's unclear as to whether or not the comments being made are directly from Mosley himself. Last Tuesday, a press release was sent out by a company called Ad.ly, who revealed their intention of securing endorsements deals for Mosley by leveraging social media to engage fans on Twitter.

"For the first time, fans are part of the pre-fight battle of wits and can directly connect with the world's top boxers on Twitter," said Arnie Gullov-Singh, CEO of Ad.ly. "Shane could win this fight before it even starts, and brands want to associate themselves with this moment in history." According to the press release, the company was already in discussions with brands that want to work with Mosley for endorsements on Twitter. So is this pre-fight smack talk really Mosley's feelings towards Pacquiao, or is it simply a cheap means to try and drum up more interest in the fight?

Source: http://www.fighthype.com/

Trash Talking Starts Early as Pacquiao vs. Mosley Fight Approaches

2011-03-27T21:07:00.000-07:00

"If Mosley can get in shape to fight for 12 rounds, I'm saying that Shane Mosley could beat Manny Pacquiao…” Larry Merchant

The fight between eight-division champion boxer Manny Pacquiao and former five-time champion Shane Mosley isn’t scheduled until May 7. But according to reports, the trash talking from both sides has already begun.

AOLNews.com reports that Pacquiao’s legendary trainer, Freddie Roach, recently suggested that his fighter would be the first to knock out 39-year-old Mosley in his long, decorated career (46-6-1 overall record).

"Shane is a tough guy. He has a good chin and he's dangerous," Roach told AOLNews.com. "He is faster than [Antonio] Margarito, and he's a much better boxer. But I don't think he's going to last the distance. I think my guy will knock him out."

But Mosley isn’t surprised by Roach’s claims. He knew there would be criticism when he first agreed to the fight back in December 2010.

"I know that they think I'm an old man and that Manny is going to beat me. Let them think that," Mosley told ESPN.com. "I still have power and speed. They thought I was done before I knocked out [Antonio] Margarito, too. So they can think whatever they want. I know what I can do."

Famous boxing commentator Larry Merchant agreed with Mosley, suggesting that he could be a very dangerous opponent for Pacquiao (52-3-2 overall record).

"If Mosley can get in shape to fight for 12 rounds, I'm saying that Shane Mosley could beat Manny Pacquiao. But I'm not saying that he will,” Merchant told AOLNews.com. “A Mosley at 75 percent has way more offensive skills than somebody like Antonio Margarito or the previous guy Pacquiao fought, Joshua Clottey. That, to me, means that he's a dangerous guy.”

Pacquiao has knocked out several opponents who were larger than him, so a bigger Mosley doesn’t scare him. But one attribute Mosley possesses that Pacquiao’s former opponents didn’t is speed.

“I'm a bigger guy than [Pacquiao] and he gets hit. And you saw how I hurt Floyd [Mayweather],” said Mosley mentioning the bruising hook he landed on Mayweather during their fight last year. “Manny is going to come forward and I will hit him on the chin at some point. His defense is not like Floyd's. Manny will come at me, and I will knock him out."

Source: http://www.afro.com/

Manny Pacquiao already in tremendous shape early on in training camp

2011-03-26T07:38:00.000-07:00

If anyone doubted Manny Pacquiao's commitment for his upcoming fight with Shane Mosley, you better think again. On Friday morning, Bob Arum gleefully praised about the incredible shape that Pacquiao is already in. Like a kid opening presents on Christmas morning, Arum spoke with Examiner.com and shared some details about Manny's current conditioning level.

"In the morning, he runs an hour and a half, including 45 minutes running up a mountain. In the afternoon, he's at the gym and he trains for three hours continuously." said the excited Bob Arum "Then, at night, he plays with his semi-pro basketball team and he plays the entire game, he never goes to the bench.

Pacquiao is almost 3 weeks into training camp and the comments about his conditioning level are very encouraging, especially compared to the early stages of his last fight camp heading into the November bout against Antonio Margarito. That training camp was marred with reports of Manny being sick, injured, and lacking commitment.

Pacquiao has maintained all along that he was going to train for Mosley like Shane was the toughest fighter he's ever faced. Arum's comments further reflect Manny's commitment to this fight and his respect for how dangerous he thinks Mosley really is.

However, if I were Mosley, I would be seriously concerned about the reports of Manny's conditioning level. Pacquiao already has the advantage over other fighters in conditioning. By all accounts of his current shape, he's on pace to come into the fight against Mosley in arguably the best shape he's ever been in. Which, could equate to a quick fight for a victorious PacMan.

Source: http://www.examiner.com/

Report from Blissful Baguio: Manny Pacquiao hitting on all cylinders

2011-03-26T07:28:00.000-07:00

Bob Arum began regaling me with his first-hand report card from Pacland when he was still going through US Customs at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas.

"I can't really talk here," Arum said. "I will call you back when I am clear."

At the finish line of two flights, Manila to Vancouver and then Vancouver to his home town, Arum had spent about 14 hours in the air.

But the 79 year old, indefatigable promoter of Manny Pacquiao was eager to report that his prized pupil was in outstanding mental and physical condition five weeks in front of his May 7 MGM Grand Las Vegas bout against Sugar Shane Mosley.
"This may have been my most pleasant trip ever to the Philippines," Arum said. "Everything, how Manny looked, my discussions with him about business, the weather and the people I met was great. There were no typhoons or other weather problems."

Arum spent about five days at Pacman's training camp in Baguio City and he marveled at what he saw.

"Manny does things that are incredible even when you see them up close," Arum said. "In the morning, he runs an hour and a half, including 45 minutes running up a mountain.

"In the afternoon, he's at the gym and he trains for three hours continously.

"Then, at night, he plays with his semi-pro basketball team and he plays the entire game, he never goes to the bench. He also never passes the ball. I mean, who does all that in one day and day after day? I don;t know any human who can do that."

I asked if the veteran promoter of such great ring talents as Muhammad Ali and Marvelous Marvin Hagler feels that Pacquiao, at age 32, is coming into his true prime time.

"Who can say? I do know he is still learning, still picking up new tricks working with Freddie Roach and you rarely see such an accomplished fighter adding to his repotoire like that. It's really something to see."
Click here to find out more!

Arum revealed that he got Megamanny to agree to relocate to Los Angeles and Roach's sweat mecca, the Wild Card Gym on April 2 in order to maximize publicity opportunities with Showtime and its broadcast partner CBS.

"Showtime had its Fight Camp 360 team in Baguio and the CBS owned and operated stations also had something over there," Arum said.

Arum said the mood in the large Pacman camp, usually rife with dissension and disharmony, was blissful.
"It really is, everybody is getting along nicely. I mean, usually you have some backbiting and problems with some people, but not now. Team Pacquiao is really working together and it is different from past camps."

While in Baguio, Arum took some verbal shots at recent Top Rank defector Nonito Donaire and his wife, sexy Rachel Marcial Donaire, including slamming how Mrs. D dresses.

I asked Arum if he regretted his remarks, which Golden Boy's Richard Schaefer termed comments of a "low life."

"No," Arum said, "all I was doing was putting it in context. These are things the Filipinos are saying and I just put in context. She was the one who commented on how Manny's wife, Jinkee, dresses."

When the most controverisal incident at a Pacquiao training camp is a commentary on the revealing couture of another fighter's wife, well Arum is right.

That's not normal for Pacland.

Arum makes it sound all positive for Pacquiao.

The lingering question is then, is all this good news from Pacland all bad news for the Mosley camp up in the rarefied mountain air at Big Bear Lake?

Source: http://www.examiner.com/

Manny Pacquiao vs. Shane Mosley: Don't Believe the Hype

2011-03-25T09:34:00.000-07:00

Shane Mosley can hurt Manny Pacquiao.

How often have you heard that since the reigning pound-for-pound champion decided to take a fight with a guy coming off of a stink-fest draw and a decisive loss to the pound-for-pound No. 2 guy?

"Shane Mosley can hurt Manny Pacquiao," uttered by some as a disclaimer and others as an endorsement, but it's basically like saying "in a boxing ring, anything can happen." Hell, a guy parachuted into the ring once. Bizarre scenes unfold in boxing rings ALL the time. So why can't we suggest that Mosley, a solid puncher in his prime who knocked out many worthy foes in the past, has something more than the hopeless "puncher's chance" that his last two performances suggest?

Because it's cheap, that's why.

Anyone can say "I wouldn't rule him out, if he hits Manny with a big right, he could hurt him." It's a low-risk, high-reward argument to make. If the odds hold up, and Manny lives up to his billing as a 7-to-1 favorite and growing, then you say "Shane just couldn't connect on a clean shot, oh well." No one calls you out. But if Mosley pulls the miracle, then you're the guy who just predicted the impossible. You're a genius! Well, not me. I pretty much ruled out Shane Mosley in this fight the minute I heard it was made.

First of all, the Pacquiao-can-be-hurt-by-a-big-guy argument has been made in several of his last few fights.
Which fight would you rather be watching May 7th?
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De la Hoya didn't have as much left as we thought he did. Cotto landed some big hits in the first couple rounds, but Manny absorbed them and took advantage of his offensive-minded opponent's vulnerability and landed with some vicious counters, dropping Miguel twice. Hatton was supposed to be a big-hitter. Margarito "could hurt" Manny was an oft-heard refrain leading up to that fight. And what happened? Margarito hit Manny with solid shots on a few occasions. And Manny gave him a violent beating in return.

I respect Shane Mosley immensely for what he's accomplished in the ring. He's a sure-fire Hall of Famer, one of the best of his generation and one of the classiest gentlemen outside of the ring that the sport has ever produced. But in my mind, the Mayweather fight was, or should have been, the last hurrah for Sugar Shane. Floyd's supreme defensive skills and speed turned that affair into a one-sided romp, with Mosley either too tired or too slow to engage Floyd beyond the second round.

Watching the Mora fight, which I actually thought Shane narrowly won, it seemed clear that Mosley was not at the peak of his powers. I don't see what he brings into this fight with Manny that makes this a competitive bout.

Experience? Manny's been fighting on a world-class level for almost a decade.

Power? Mosley might throw a bigger punch, that's debatable, but Manny throws a lot of them, and usually connects from all angles with overwhelming accuracy.

Speed? If the Mosley who was in the ring against Floyd and Mora shows up on May 7th, Manny will run circles around him.

So...why bother even watching it? Because I'm a boxing addict, Manny Pacquiao is fighting—the best in the world and always a pleasure to watch—and yes, Shane Mosley could hurt Manny Pacquiao.

It's a boxing ring, anything can happen. Don't say I didn't tell you so, when it does.

Source: http://www.blogger.com/

Showtime's Al Bernstein speaks on Manny Pacquiao and his transcending ways

2011-03-25T09:25:00.000-07:00

May 7th is fast approaching.

On that date the sport will once again slow down as its premier star, Manny Pacquiao, returns to the ring to face off with Shane Mosley inside of the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Defending his WBO welterweight crown for a second time, the Filipino star will look to add to what has been an incredible run up the higher weight classes over the past few years.

In an interesting twist, Showtime Pay-per-view will be televising the event, a change of pace from the numerous HBO showcases that we are used to seeing Pacquiao grace. Al Bernstein, analyst to the network since 2003, is a man of insight on many levels and he is welcoming the change with open arms.

"You always want to be a part of something if you know that everybody is going to be looking at it," Bernstein told me earlier this week. "The thing about a Pacquiao fight is that everybody in the sport, and many beyond that are just casual fans, end up watching a Manny Pacquiao fight. That being said, it's very exciting to be able to do it because you want to be a part of it."

Pacquiao became boxing's first eight-division champion last November when he decisioned Antonio Margarito in Dallas, Texas for the vacant WBC junior middleweight crown but that particular win is only a small part to the incredible story he has produced the last two and a half years. I asked Bernstein just how important of a figure Pacquiao has been during that time.

"I think the person we can most easily compare him to is Oscar De La Hoya," Bernstein claimed. "Because Oscar De La Hoya was probably the last person in the sport to transcend the sport. To reach out to casual fans. Floyd Mayweather's a great fighter [but] I don't know if he ever did that. He might have done it, to some degree, but not to the degree that Pacquiao has done. I think Pacquiao has meant a lot to boxing. Boxing always has to always have one marquee fighter that for some reason transcends the sport. He's the one that occupies that space right now."

If you take a look back at Pacquiao's career five or six years ago it's astonishing just how much more refined his arsenal has become. I questioned Bernstein on what exactly his impression was of Pacquiao during his run between 122 and 130 pounds, a time when he was gaining notoriety by challenging the likes of Marco Antonio Barrera, Juan Manuel Marquez, and Erik Morales.

It was then that the General Santos City fighter endeared himself to the American public and Bernstein admits just how much that period moved him.

"Well, there's two things," he continued. "First of all, let me say that the era of Pacquiao, Morales, Marquez and Barrera, I think that those four men created an era that equals Leonard, Hearns, Hagler and Duran. That's how good I think those men were. Having said that, Manny Pacquiao back then was about 70% of the fighter he is now. Maybe 60%. After that period he completely reinvented himself and became the very definition of a boxer-puncher and added so much more to his repertoire."

Pacquiao made a huge splash with his December 2008 thrashing of Oscar De La Hoya, a fight in which he moved up from the lightweight to welterweight class. It was a resounding performance that thrust him to super stardom but Bernstein never could have imagined him pulling off such a feat.

"I thought it was a mistake," Bernstein said bluntly. "I thought 'Oh my God'. It was a big jump and I thought it was too big of a jump. Even though De La Hoya of course wasn't at his very best. If I remember I think he was going into that fight a favorite. Obviously it turned out to be the right decision."

I finished our talk off by asking Bernstein what exactly he attributes Pacquiao's ability to fight at the higher weight classes to and he was adamant with his answer. While many have pointed their finger towards the 32-year old while hurling accusations at him of taking performance enhancing drugs, the modest Bernstein simply believes we are witnessing a fighter with uncommon ability and a man who is still evolving late into his career.

"Obviously some people think he's enhancing that with, whether it's steroids or some other designer drug that helps him with it, I personally don't think so. I think that what's made him a great fighter at these higher weights is not extra strength, even though he's powerful; it's been the way he fights. He knocked out Ricky Hatton with one punch but other than that he's not knocking people out with one punch. He's hitting them with hundreds. The reason he's hitting them with hundreds is that he's worked very hard to alter who he was. When I weigh in on that debate I think that going up in weight has been achieved through hard work and he's kind of a freak of nature. He's able to function at those higher weights."

Source: http://www.examiner.com/

Mosley out to shock world

2011-03-24T06:29:00.000-07:00

MANILA, Philippines – Looking forward to a bruising battle on May 7 in Las Vegas, Shane Mosley has a message to Manny Pacquiao.

“Be ready,” Mosley told the Bulletin on Wednesday (Tuesday in the US) from his snow-capped mountain training camp in Big Bear, California.

In an interview facilitated by Suzanne Summerville, Mosley’s Filipino-American publicist, the highly-accomplished Mosley said he is raring to get in the ring with the pound-for-pound king “and shock the world again” just like when he beat a prime Oscar De La Hoya two times.

Mosley has been in Big Bear, a resort city 100 miles from Los Angeles that is 7,800 feet above sea level since early March and working his butt off morning and night.

While Mosley admits that there’s been nothing special about his training regimen, he is going the extra mile in preparing for what could be the defining moment of his storied 18-year career.

“I pretty much do the same things (in training) but I am working doubly hard,” said the 39-year-old Mosley, stressing that even his diet remains the same, “taking on chicken, beef, salmon and some fruits.”

Up against a fighter whose style has perplexed even the most skillful ring artists, Mosley would not concede that Pacquiao will be the most difficult fighter he will have ever to deal with but readily gave in to the belief that he “expects a hard and strenuous fight” when they square off at the MGM Grand.

Age, Mosley’s age, that is, won’t be a factor even if the fighter admits he will be four months shy off his 40th by the time he trades power shots with the Filipino fireball.

“Yeah, I will be almost 40. But it won’t be a factor. I still feel great and still have a lot (of fight) left in me.”

Mosley is so upbeat about his chances against the heavily-favored Pacquiao that retirement is not even in his mind yet.

“I am giving myself three to four more years,” said Mosley.

Before hanging up, his caller thanked Mosley for giving a Manila-based paper the opportunity to speak to him and after the interviewer wished him luck and kidded him to train hard, Mosley assured him his training is not skipping a beat.

“I will,” he said when told to be ready as well.
Source: http://www.mb.com.ph/

Shane Mosley: “I know what I am getting into as I prepare to face Pacquiao”

2011-03-23T13:46:00.000-07:00

What’s good Shane, Thanks for the call. I am watching the video of Berto/Ortiz presser right now it looks like Berto is second guessing himself in the staredown. Have you seen it yet?

SM- No, I haven’t seen that yet. When was the presser?

It was this past Friday, March 18th at the Foxwoods. Berto’s face expression looks like what it did when you two were facing off when your fight was supposed to happen. I’m sure you remember that right?

SM- [Laughing] Yeah I remember that. I kept thinking to myself that this kid was really afraid of me. That fight between Ortiz and Berto is going to be a real good fight though. Berto looks to be real strong, but I tell you what, Ortiz is a lot stronger than people give him credit for.

But Shane, Ortiz is coming up in weight to have his first 147 pound fight against a strong speedy fighter like Berto. Am I under estimating Ortiz by thinking that Berto is going to have his way against Ortiz?

SM- Well don’t get me wrong, Berto is a fighter that has a lot of great qualities but he is also a fighter that has a lot of insecurities because of the way that he has been matched. Berto is also the type of fighter that has doubts because of his chin, which is why he wasn’t so eager in facing me and he knows that Ortiz is a very strong fighter that is also fast himself so all that is coming into play in Berto’s mind.

So what comes into play in your mind as you get ready to face Manny Pacquiao?

SM- I know what I am getting into as I prepare to face Pacquiao. A lot of other fighters that faced Pacquiao in the past looked at their fights with Pacquiao and thought only size. They figured that just because they were bigger than Pacquiao that they could beat him. The difference between them and me is that I am much faster than Pacquiao’s last opponents and I know that the way to beat him is to take his heart away.

Pacquiao is such a busy powerful vollume puncher, and I know that you have seen very active fighters across from you your entire life like the Zack Padillas of the world. But what do you say to those that say that sparring with a Zack Padilla when you were in your 20’s is not the same as fighting Pacquiao now that you are 39 years old?

SM- What I say to that is that the experience that I’ve gained in sparring and fighting that certain style for all those years can never be forgotten. At times being so busy in there can also work against you. Just look at Marquez, the style that Marquez has will always give Pacquiao problems and why do you think that is?

I feel that Marquez gives Pacquiao problems because as Pacquiao fires away, Marquez is right there punching with him by unloading combinations. You got to keep a born fighter thinking to force him into retreat mode.

SM- That’s it.. you got to back him up and attack his body at will because I have been watching a lot of his fights and Pacquiao does not take shots to the body very well. Marquez hurt him to the body in the second fight and Margarito also hurt him, I am just not sure why Margarito didn’t keep going to Pacquiao’s body after that. This is why I say that you got to go out there and take his heart away.

How upset were you when fight fans and media members were mad that Pacquiao will be facing you instead of Floyd Mayweather Jr.?

SM- It didn’t really bother me because I was getting the fight that I have always wanted. Besides if Mayweather really wanted to fight Pacquiao it would be taking place right now. But you see Floyd doesn’t really like facing southpaws at all.

So is that why Pacquiao/Mayweather has not happened yet?

SM- That could be a reason. All I know is that with me, I am a real fighter so it don’t matter to me if you are bigger, stronger, or a southpaw. I will get in there and fight because that is what I signed up for when I entered the fight game. This is what I am. That’s why I respect fighters like Pacquiao because he is also a fighter. I just know that after I beat Pacquiao that Mayweather and his fans are going to say well you see Floyd beat Shane and Shane beat Pacquiao so Floyd can beat Pacquiao also. Because in this sport, styles make fights. I feel that I have the style to beat Pacquiao and I also have the heart as well. Floyd is a very smart boxer but at times he is too defensive and if he were to fight Pacquiao the judges could award Pacquiao the fight because Pacquiao could be out working him. I’m not saying that Pacquiao can beat Floyd but all I’m saying is that styles make fights so we will not know what will happen until you sign on and face the man.

What makes Mayweather such a hard person to beat? I could be looking too much into it but it seemed to me that Floyd was forcing you to over think thus forcing you to have too much nervous energy that ended up winding you. Was that the case?

SM- I t was a lot of stuff going on that I would rather not get into right now. All I can say is that Floyd is a very good defensive fighter with great footwork and a good jab. It’s not a great jab but it’s accurate and being in there with him I was able to see the things that make him very good. I was also able to see some things that can be exploited so trust me when I tell you that if Floyd and I get to meet again, you will see me beating him.

I have always been a big fan of yours but the flicking jab that you use bothers me because it’s more of a stay off me jab, you should use it as a dagger jab. Meaning you should stab them with it. But I guess your flicking jab works because Robert Guerrero has told me about how much it hurts. Would you agree that a hard stiff jab must be on display in order to help you defeat Pacquiao?

SM- [Laughing] Ghost, yeah Robert Guerrero and I have sparred many times before and everyone that I face can tell you about how it may look like it’s not damaging but it really is. And yes, I will be using it often because when Marquez and Cotto flashed the jab in Pacquiao’s face it was working out pretty good.

Will you be looking to get some pointers from Bernard Hopkins for this fight, because Hopkins has a great record when facing southpaws?

SM- Yes, I will be talking with Bernard a lot. Naazim also trains Hopkins as you already know so they talk often so yeah for sure you can bet that I will be talking to Hopkins. I’m just going to keep working hard with Naazim and come fight night everything will come together.

Who do you think will win if Sergio Martinez were to face Floyd Mayweather?

SM- I think Sergio may be too big for Floyd. besides Sergio is a southpaw and a slick one at that so Floyd may not want to do that.[Laughing] Floyd may be a little bit more skilled than Sergio by a hair but Sergio is the stronger fresher fighter right now. I don’t think the fight will happen because ..well you know.

Alright Shane, well I know that the cards are stacked against you heavy and you are a huge under dog so my brother tells me that he is placing it all on the line so he can get that nice flashy ride.

SM- [Laughing] That’s what’s up. You got a smart brother, tell him thanks for the support, I won’t let him down. What ride is he looking to get?

Not sure, but if I were him I would get the brand new A8..Out here in Phoenix you got a lot of fans..Any closing thoughts before I let you go?

SM- Yes that A8 is a really nice car, and it’s really fast. I like that. I want to say thank you to all my fans and supporters. And since you are in Phoenix, I know that there are a lot of my Mexican fans out there and fans in general. So since Pacquiao is the Mexicutioner, I will get him back. Azucar..Alright man I will see you out in Vegas. And please fight fans from every where, I encourage you all to follow me SugarShaneM on Twitter.

Source: http://www.diamondboxing.com/

Special Report: Roach and Pacquiao are in perfect sync after 10 years

2011-03-23T13:39:00.000-07:00

As the buzzer sounds inside the modern and clean Shape Up Gym in Baguio City, the two partners work on a veritable playbook of combinations and strategies. They discuss where to be and where not to be. They plot, clash, strategize and even laugh in a breathtaking dance of power and violence.

Freddie Roach and Manny Pacquiao have performed this dance on the mitts together countless times before. In fact it was a brief mitt session that started it all 10 years ago when this unknown skinny kid with the funny name walked into the Wild Card Boxing Club in Los Angeles with his Filipino managers and asked for a tryout. Roach obliged his visitors and worked Pacquiao on the mitts. After a few rounds, Roach couldn’t believe the raw power and speed he was absorbing in the ring and knew he’d just discovered gold. Pacquiao also liked the vibe and immediately rushed over to his manager, telling him, ‘Boss, he’s the one. He’s good.’

Since then the pair have collaborated on a run of epic proportions, with Pacquiao compiling a 19-1-3 record that includes 13 consecutive victories over some of the best competition in the world. Now, as the pair enter their second decade together, the dance they perform is only getting better, more refined and nuanced, more fun.

To watch Manny Pacquiao and Freddie Roach work the mitts together is like watching tango partners who’ve been at it for many years. With a long history together, the dancers have become accustomed to each other’s quirks and know each other’s styles by instinct. Their movement together seems as natural as breathing. While their roles are delineated by tradition – one leading, the other following – they have in fact meshed into equals, continually feeding off of each other. One doesn’t shine without the other.

And so it is with Pacquiao and Roach as they set out down the long road preparing for Shane Mosley, the opponent on May 7 in Las Vegas. Roach is often portrayed as the master and Pacquiao the student. And, yes, the trainer has surely molded that raw power he experienced 10 years ago. Roach also is the one up there telling Pacquiao which combinations to try and what to look out for from Mosley. But Roach also readily admits that it’s Pacquiao uniqueness and superb innate boxing ability that makes the trainer look like a genius.

altRoach, sans glasses and wearing his dark green body protector, pretends to be Mosley and talks through the intricacies of each sequence. The first part comes in slow motion .

“Right hand,” says Roach, thrusting his right mitt forward to simulate Mosley’s best punch. “Now you go down, to the left, now throw the combination.” Pacquiao, listening as he bounces on the balls of his feet, repeats the task in slow motion.

“Now fast,” orders Roach, quickly throwing the right toward Pacquiao’s head. Pacquiao avoids the incoming right, ducks down and moves left, then rips a thunderous combination, then moves out of the way just as quickly. It all happens in the blink of an eye.

Roach repeats the drill, this time with a four-punch combination. With blinding speed, backed up by ferocious power, Pacquiao executes the sequence, then as he turns away, he slams a left into the side of Roach’s protector, simulating a shot to Mosley’s liver.

“That’s your best punch right there,” says Roach, pointing his mitt to his liver. “Don’t forget that.”

The pair continues on. The pace is fast. The bell signaling the end of rounds goes unnoticed. Pacquiao keeps going without so much as a breather. Roach maintains the drill. First the instruction. Then Pacquiao executes the move in slow motion. Then he unleashes the full fury.

A right-left, duck under and away. Another right-left, followed by a blinding right hook that lands with bad intentions.

“I think we have to be ready for anything,” says Pacquiao, pulling up for a moment between ferocious flurries, “Mosley’s going to mix it up.” This prompts Roach to work on yet another combination.

A double jab … left upper … right hook … duck under and away, out of range, and nowhere to be found for a counter.

“That’s good. We have to mix it up too,” Roach tells him.

The basics of the plan they are working on appear to be the same as always, with added emphasis for a boxer like Mosley. Pacquiao is the ultimate in two-fisted perpetual motion. Strike, get out, strike again while on the way out. Don’t let Mosley have one second rest or let him get away with anything. Take advantage of every moment. Create angles.

Roach keeps focusing on Pacquiao’s vaunted left hand. Much has been said over the last few fights about the southpaw Pacquiao having developed a right to go with his natural bomb of a left. It seems in this fight Roach wants Pacquiao to bring the left back, perhaps to try to finish Mosley with it, especially when Pacquiao’s moving away and is at one of those angles he creates.

Roach falls back on the ropes and shows Pacquiao what to do when he’s pinned down. Right-left, then slide away, then nail Mosley to the body with the left while moving away. Pacquiao rips into Roach’s mitts, slips sideways and smashes Roach’s protector from a sharp angle. The sequence sends a booming sound across the gym.

“Good, now don’t walk into this,” Roach warns Pacquiao, as he holds up his right hand. “That’s his best punch.”

After 10 intense rounds on the mitts, Roach tells Pacquiao it’s time to call it quits. Pacquiao clearly wants to go more. This session took place on only Pacquiao’s fourth day of training, but he already looks fit and sharp. The mood in the gym is buoyant, confident and the whole team seems to be having fun. Roach is, too, as he and Pacquiao share some laughs. But he doesn’t want to overheat the engine. And so he sends Pacquiao out of the ring to finish the workout on his own.

“He looked really sharp, especially for just our fourth day of training camp,” a heavily perspiring Roach says right after climbing out of the ring as Pacquiao tears into the heavy bag. “We’re way ahead of schedule. Usually I average him about 12 rounds (on the mitts). I mean we’ve done 18 before. That’s why today I talked a little bit, kind of bullsh---ed my way through it so I could rest a little bit. I have experience.”

While elaborating on the on the techniques they had just been working on, Roach also revealed that the teaching process between the two sometimes works both ways.

“Manny knows all the combinations already,” he said. “What we’re doing is after the combinations, we’re working on where Manny ends up. That’s the important part. Instead of being right in front of him [Mosley] in the pocket and he [Pacquiao] gets hit with the uppercut, he’s on an angle. Manny’s developed that over the years. I did a lot research. If you can obtain an angle on your opponent, it makes the fight that much easier. That’s why I’m teaching a lot of fighters right now to use angles. It goes back to Napoleon (Bonaparte). He didn’t fight head on, he fought with angles, that’s why he won most of the time.

“I have an athlete that is so capable of making these moves and doing what I ask. Manny was the one making the angles, and I said well, we can even make that a little cleaner on both sides, that’s why he’s been so dominant the last couple of years. That’s why he can dominate different weight divisions, because we’re fighting off angles.”

However, teaching others how to use angles, Roach says, and actually getting them to try the angles in a fight are two different things.

“Manny’s very efficient,” Roach says. “Most guys can’t do that because they’re afraid of getting tired. Manny Pacquiao doesn’t fear getting tired because he works hard. His work ethic today is probably better than when he first started.”

Roach is asked about the apparent focus on Pacquiao using his left hand. The left was the only punch Pacquiao had when the two started together a decade ago. Roach confirmed that they are planning on giving it a comeback.

“His right hand has become so well used over the last couple of fights because we didn’t have that before, so he was trying to use that one a little bit more,” he said. “I want to use the right to set up the left now at this point, which will be a perfect set up for Mosley. One thing about Mosley is that he doesn’t have a lot of experience with southpaws. I’m even having trouble getting tapes of him fighting southpaws. I have a couple coming but they’re a little bit old.”

Ultimately a Pacquiao victory, if it comes, won’t be a case of which punch, but how many punches, especially the ones coming from places Mosley can’t see.

“I don’t think Mosley can stand our work rate,” Roach says. “That’s why I told Manny, ‘Don’t forget the body in this fight because the body shots will take those legs away quicker.’ Obviously when you go to the body, sometimes you open yourself up a little bit, so again we’re going to a little more scientific about it and work off that angle. We’re turning the guy into the shot instead of just standing in front of him and trading with him.

“When you’re a guy that goes for it like Manny, you’re going to get hit back, but that’s why we’re doing the angles, trying to put ourselves in better positions after we land and not be right in front of the guy.”

For Pacquiao, the just-completed session with Roach had gone exceptionally well. After completing his workout, he was in a good mood.

“I’m happy in my training,” Pacquiao said. “I rested yesterday because of body pain. Now I’m good, the pain is gone. I’m excited and enjoying the training. Mosley is not an easy opponent. He’s strong, he moves fast. I have to train hard and study hard about his style and create different techniques I can use in the fight. Angles and speed and footwork.”

The long time partners were clearly dancing to the same tune.

Source: http://ringtv.craveonline.com/

Manny pays no heed to latest Floyd uproar

2011-03-23T13:21:00.000-07:00

Manny Pacquiao wants to focus on his May 7 fight with Shane Mosley and steer clear of any distraction that he doesn’t want to talk or hear anything about Floyd Mayweather Jr.

“At this stage, my concentration is on my fight against Mosley,” Pacquiao told reporters who sought his reaction on Mayweather’s alleged demand of $100 million for him to fight the Filipino icon.

“I’m not thinking about it (fight with Mayweather) although somebody is trying to fix it maybe in November or probably next year,” said Pacquiao.

But Top Rank top honcho Bob Arum said Mayweather’s “asking price” could just be a ploy not to make the fight possible since the flamboyant American fighter is said to be afraid of staking his unbeaten record against a fighter of Pacquiao’s caliber.

“We had some negotiations before with Don King but the talks never pushed through because Mayweather is asking for a figure so high that even Pacquiao would get nothing from the fight,” Arum said.

Talks of the Pacquiao-Mayweather clash was previously shelved after the 32-year-old Mayweather demanded that he and Pacquiao undergo an Olympic-style drug testing.

With Mayweather out of the equation, Top Rank is currently negotiating for Pacquiao’s third fight with Juan Manuel Marquez, who has an issue to settle with the Filipino champion following the outcome of their first two meetings in 2004, which ended in a draw and 2008 which he lost in controversial fashion.

Meanwhile, in his 10th day of training yesterday, Pacquiao did another road workout in the morning at Sta Lucia Golf and Country Estates and took on mitts in the afternoon. – Artemio Dumlao

Source: http://www.philstar.com/

Miguel Cotto - I gave Manny Pacquiao the key to victory

2011-03-22T14:26:00.000-07:00

Stoic Puerto Rican warrior Miguel Cotto is a man of few words, usually short with answers and leaving his future to promotional firm Top Rank.

This weekend during a visit to ESPN Deportes' Golpe a Golpe, Cotto was more than happy to share thoughts on a November 2009 loss to Manny Pacquiao.

According to Cotto, a lapse in strategic fighting was his ultimate downfall against the dangerous Filipino.

"I was doing well the first few rounds by boxing," said Cotto. "But when he knocked me down in the third, I stopped doing what was working and went blow for blow with him."

In in that choice, he handed the fight to Pacquiao.

"I gave him the key to victory by exchanging blows," said Cotto.

Cotto eventually lost via a 12th round technical knock-out after being downed in the third, fourth, and and taking a beating through out the evening.

Maybe Cotto's uncharacteristic dialouge were the beginnings of a campaign to rematch with Pacquiao in late 2011, or 2012 - one that few believe the Puerto Rican could win.

Next for Miguel Cotto is a likely Summer rematch against Antonio Margarito at New Jersey's New Meadowlands Stadium.

Source: http://www.examiner.com/

Arum: Pacman ready vs Mosley

2011-03-22T14:17:00.000-07:00

MANILA, Philippines - Top Rank boss Bob Arum is so pleased with how Manny Pacquiao looks and moves in training camp that a good six weeks before fight night, he already declared the Filipino icon ready to mix it up with Shane Mosley.

“He looks terrific. He looks very, very good,” said Arum, who flew in to Baguio to check on the high-altitude training of the pound-for-pound superstar under Freddie Roach at the Cooyesan Hotel’s Shape Up Gym.

“This is so early, and look how great he is. He can fight next week, probably,” exclaimed the 79-year-old promoter.

The fighting congressman from Sarangani is set to defend his World Boxing Organization welterweight title against Mosley on May 7 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Arum said he’s quite impressed with how the 32-year-old Pacquiao, a feared southpaw with tremendous KO power, is fast developing a new weapon – his right hand.

“I like the way he’s been using that right hand, because I really believe that the right hand is gonna tell the story of the fight,” said Arum.

“Everybody knows that the left hand is his power hand, so Mosley’s gonna be looking for that left hand. But I think he’s using his right hand tremendously and that’s gonna be his big weapon,” he added.

Arum arrived in the Philippines early Monday accompanied by step daughter Dena Duboef, and two of Pacquiao’s sparmates, Shawn Porter and David Rodela.

From Manila, they were flown to the City of Pines on board the private plane of former Ilocos Sur Gov. Chavit Singson, just in time for the public workout of Pacquiao yesterday.

Arum said Pacquiao’s Baguio training camp, now on its second week, is running smoothly, unlike the previous build-up for the Antonio Margarito fight in which the Pacman looked sluggish.

“He’s just incredible. He’s really looking very, very good,” said Arum, leaving for the US on Wednesday night with no concern whatsoever on the way Pacquiao gears himself up for the showdown with Mosley.

Meanwhile, Shawn Porter and David Rodela, Pacquiao’s sparmates, arrived yesterday although Roach said the sparring sessions will only start next Tuesday.

While expressing satisfaction with the progress of Pacquiao’s training early in the camp, Roach said the Filipino icon remains far from reaching peak form to let him go sparring with Porter and Rodela, who have been with Team Pacquiao in past campaigns.

“He’s been off for a while, he still has some bad timing,” said Roach. “We’re not ready to fight yet.”

Sparring is scheduled every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday with two more sparring partners, who fight like Mosley, on standby in Los Angeles and ready to join the camp any moment.

Source: http://www.philstar.com/

Clark Kent can outpoint Sugar Shane Mosley but Super Manny Pacquiao requires KO

2011-03-22T14:11:00.000-07:00

Come May 7 when Shane Donte Mosley answers the bell against peak of performance Manny Pacquiao, it really won't be satisfactory for the Pinoy Idol to just breeze his way to a unanimous, 12 round decision over the much older fighter.

It really won't be enough for Pacman to win on points even if it is a numbers romp.

Such is the predicament, such are the demands placed on those few upon whom super hero status is bestowed. Not to say that Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao has not earned his super hero status for surely he's more than worthy of his widspread adulation.

But Manny is due, maybe I should say overdue, for a statement fight, the kind of special victory that keeps separating him from all others including the laying in the cut Floyd Mayweather Jr.

For Manny to go beyond the ho-hum, to surpass what Mayweather did last May 1, he will have to something that has never happened to the redoubtable but graying by the minute Mosley before in this, his 55th professional bout.

There, I've said it.

To keep his perch on boxing's Mt. Olympus, to ward off the other claimants to the mythical but so much fun Pound For Pound crown, Pacquiao has to knock out or stop Mosley.

(This Sergio Martinez character is eyeing Manny's perch like a hot to trot burglar, have you noticed? He's as eager as Mayweather is dormant. Unfortunately, Martinez has no real viable targets to make his own statement(s) against through no fault of his own.)

Vernon Forrest outpointed SSM twice. Ditto for slick southpaw and bigger man Ronald "Winky" Wright. Two thirds of Shane's six pro losses came at their more than capable, more than fast hands.

Mr. Mayweather and Miguel Cotto, still a potent force, also decisioned the Pomona Kid who is no longer a kid.

By starching or stopping the rusting Mosley, Pacquiao adds a flourish like the great artists do.

He needs to make a statement like he did back to back to back, retiring cocksure De La Hoya on his stool, flattening overconfident Ricky Hatton in less than six minutes and cooking with hot grease at the finish to TKO Boricua Banger Cotto in their 12th and final stanza.

Pacquiao UD 12 Mosley does nothing for history, not really.

If you're a Picasso of pugilism, a Rembrandt of the ring, and you're in your primetime like we all think Pacquiao is, then in your 58th pro bout, you don't leave the conclusion in the hands of three strangers with scorecards.

You take control, you take command, you make a statement.

Putting a KO or a TKO on the result won't frighten Mayweather away. Sometime next year, when all his silly court cases are concluded, he will come looking for the $40 or $50 million paynight of a lifetime.

There's little drama to Mosley-Pacquiao, especially if you saw a dithering Mosley in with Sergio Mora and/or saw how Mayweather hurt him brielfy in their round two.

Winning 11 or 12 of the rounds, in effect whitewashing Mosley, is not enough.

The statement would be battering Mosley in a way that neither Mayweather nor any other foe ever has.

Any other outcome is, I said trying to stifle a yawn, is just another day at the office, another Joshua Clottey or Antonio Margarito thumping.

I remind you of the Robert Kennedy line about to those whom much is given, much is expected.

That's Pacquiao on the night of May 7.

A KO or TKO of Mosley puts an exclamation point on this outing.

A mere points victory, well that is just not super hero stuff.

A decision victory is OK for the Clark Kents of the world but not enough for Super Manny.

Source: http://www.examiner.com/

Manny Pacquiao must KO Shane Mosley to make fight exciting

2011-03-22T14:01:00.000-07:00

With so many critics speaking out against and possibly protesting the Manny Pacquiao-Shane Mosley fight, members of Team Pacquiao are trying to hype up the fact that Manny Pacquiao can become the first fighter ever to KO Shane Mosley. In a Tuesday interview with Fighthype.com, Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach continued his public "war cry" that the PacMan will be the first ever fighter to knockout the future HOF'er Shane Mosley:

"Manny Pacquiao doesn't take anyone lightly. His training methods and training desire is unbelievable...he better sharpen them up and be ready because we're coming for him. Manny Pacquiao is the best fighter in the world and we're going to be the first fighter to knock Shane out,"

Another 12 round dominant performance by Manny Pacquiao is an undesirable outcome for this fight. We've seen him do that too many times now. With an older fighter that most consider an easier fight for Manny, a UD is already a foregone conclusion. In fact, many of these critics are even frowning on this notion.

Manny Pacquiao must KO Shane Mosley and prove to the critics that this fight is still worthy to add to the PacMan's resume. Additionally, Pacquiao will do something that Floyd Jr couldn't do when he fought Mosley last year. A KO should also silence the critics because nobody has ever KO'd Mosley before.

Despite Manny's choice in fighting Mosley, most of us still want an exciting fight. In my opinion, a 12 round UD would not be that exciting based on the previously mentioned reasons. Only a KO will make this fight exciting.

Do you readers think Manny needs to KO Mosley?

Source: http://www.examiner.com/

Pacquiao vs Clottey Replay Video

2010-03-14T21:55:00.000-07:00

Manny Pacquiao defended his WBO welterweight title with a runaway unanimous decision at sold-out Cowboys Stadium, but Joshua Clottey could take some solace in becoming the world’s best boxer’s first opponent in two years to hear the final bell, as well as the only Pacquiao foe weighing more than 130 pounds to go the distance.

Two judges scored the fight 119-109 for Pacquiao, while a third scored it 120-108, according to the WBO.

Watch Pacquiao vs Clottey Live Stream Online

2010-03-13T08:18:00.000-08:00

THE EVENT: MANNY PACQUIAO vs. JOSHUA CLOTTEY World Welterweight Championship. On Saturday, March 13, 2010 pound-for-pound best Manny Pacquiao takes his talents to one of the biggest stages in sports, Cowboys Stadium, where he will face No. 1 contender and former world welterweight champion, Joshua Clottey.

The iron-chinned Clottey is as tough as they come, a rock-solid puncher with a career packed of thrilling victories and ferocious battles. Pacquiao, with a blistering array of speed and power, has captured his last three world championships by knockout. Both fighters are guaranteeing victory!

HBO Pay-Per-View is excited to present "Boxing: Pacquiao vs. Clottey" Saturday, March 13, 2010, Live on Pay-Per-View!

Pacquiao vs Clottey Weigh In Video

2010-03-12T21:33:00.000-08:00

Seven-time world champion and "Fighter of the Decade" Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao and challenger Joshua Clottey weigh in (Pacquiao 145.75 lb, Clottey 147 lb) at Cowboys Stadium Friday for their upcoming World Welterweight championship on Saturday, March 13 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington,Texas on HBO Pay-Per-View.

Photos: Pacquiao vs Clottey Weigh-In in Texas

2010-03-12T21:22:00.000-08:00

Pacquiao vs Clottey

Arlington,Texas — (L-R) Seven-time world champion and "Fighter of the Decade" Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao and challenger Joshua Clottey weigh in (Pacquiao 145.75 lb, Clottey 147 lb) at Cowboys Stadium Friday for their upcoming World Welterweight championship on Saturday,March 13 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington,Texas on HBO Pay-Per-View. — Photo Credit : Chris Farina - Top Rank

Source: mannypacquiaovs.com

WEIGHTS FROM TEXAS

2010-03-12T21:06:00.000-08:00

Pacquiao vs Clottey

ARLINGTON, TX -- The fighters for the “Event” scheduled on Saturday night at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington had the official weight in this afternoon.

The following are the weights:

FOR PACQUIAO'S WBO WELTERWEIGHT BELT:
Manny Pacquiao - 145.75 lbs.
Joshua Clottey - 147 lbs.

FOR THE VACANT WBC LIGHTWEIGHT TITLE
David Diaz - 134 lbs.
Humbert Soto - 134 lbs.

FOR THE WBC CONTINENTAL AMERICAS WELTERWEIGHT TITLE
Jose Luis Castillo - 144 lbs.
Alfonso Gomez - 145 lbs.

Source: PhilBoxing.com

Clottey Updates, Pacquiao vs Clottey Weigh In Weights: Manny Pacquiao 145-Pounds, Joshua Clottey 147

2010-03-12T20:49:00.000-08:00

The year’s first big event – aptly named “The Event” is officially under way.

Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey both made weight for their welterweight fight at Cowboys Stadium on Saturday evening (HBO PPV, $54.95).

Pacquiao checked in at a chiseled 145 ¾ lb, while the finely-tuned Clottey weighed in at the division limit of 147 lb.

The fight marks the first truly big event of 2010, though with plenty more in queue.

At stake is the alphabet welterweight title Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38KO) violently annexed in his 12th round stoppage of Miguel Cotto last November.

The title-winning effort led to Pacquiao –widely regarded as the best fighter in the world, pound-for-pound - securing Fighter of the Year honors in 2009. The award was the third in the past four years for the Filipino southpaw, in addition to being named the top fighter of the past ten years and establishing himself as the biggest draw in the sport today.

Clottey (35-3, 20KO) plays the role of hard-luck challenger hoping to cash in on the opportunity of a lifetime that landed in his lap. The Ghana-born, Bronx-based welterweight enters the fight on the heels of a nine-month layoff. His last fight came in his close, disputed points loss to Cotto last June in New York City.

The last time Clottey has seen the win column was August 2009, when he won a vacant title against faded former two-division champ Zab Judah.

However, the opportunity came about after plans for a Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather showdown fell through due to an unresolved dispute over the handling of drug tests for the fight. Clottey willingly stepped in the moment he was contacted by manager Vinny Scolpino.

No additional drug testing beyond what’s required by the Texas Boxing Commission has been demanded by either side for this event.

A crowd of 45,000 is expected to file in to the newly renovated state of the art Cowboys Stadium for this event, a testament to the drawing power of Pacquiao considering that Clottey is only known in hardcore boxing circles, save for the features dedicated to him for this particular event.

Source: boxingscene.com

Manny Pacquiao plays head games with Joshua Clottey

2010-03-12T20:36:00.000-08:00

Pacquiao vs Clottey

MICHAEL MARLEY'S POST WEIGH-IN EXCLUSIVE: THE FIGHTS BEHIND THE FIGHT AND THE STORIES BEHIND THE STORY

GRAPEVINE, TEXAS--Don't let his Smiling Jack, giggling public persona fool you. Manny Pacquiao loves to play psychological games with his opponents.

Muscular Joshua Clottey, who could climb into the Cowbooys Stadium ring late Saturday night as heavy as 164 pounds (or so manager Vinny Scolpino told me seconds ago as our hotel rooms are adjacent at the Gaylord Texan Hotel here), is no exception to Manny's penchant for trying to infect the mind of his foes.

A source who witnessed it told me that, upon their very first face to face meeting in the initial press conference hosted by Cowboys owner and billionaire Jerry Jones, Pacquiao shook hands with the study Ghanaian and leaned in close as if to share a special secret.

I'm reminded of the O'Jays song about "Smiling Faces..." (Top Rank, Chris Farina Photo) as Joshua Clottey made the welterweight limit of 1467 while Pacman was 145 3/4 at Friday afternoon outside the front gates of Cowboys Stadium

"I did you a favor," Pacman said to the African fighter. "I beat up Miguel Cotto for you."

Nudge, nudge and wink, wink. It was Pacman's obvious mental jab, his way to say I beat the rugged Puerto Rican and he beat you.

Pacquiao was at ringside in Madison Square Garden last June when Cotto pulled out a split decison over Clottey.

Did Clottey take Manny's bait?

According to the eyewitness, Clottey just kept grinning.

On the HBO telecast, look for lead announcer Jim Lampley to mention accurately how Pacman tries to "befriend" all his foes, never badmouthing them and then inviting some over to the Philippines as his personal guest...after he gives them a thorough beating.

Will Clottey be the next guy to get a free roundtrip to Manila? David Diaz, who fights on the undercard here, coould tell him how much fun and how lucrative it can be being a beaten down Pacman foe who lost graciously.

Source: Examiner.com

PACQUIAO-CLOTTEY SPECIAL ON 'THE MAIN EVENT'

2010-03-11T21:38:00.000-08:00

Pacquiao vs Clottey

A one hour pre-fight special on “The Event” featuring pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao and former world champion Joshua Clottey of Ghana will be telecast on the top-rated weekly boxing show “The Main Event” over RPN 9 at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday.

Hosted by veteran boxing commentator Ronnie Nathanielsz, the special sponsored by Tanduay, the No.1 Rhum will provide viewers an insight into both fighters, their training camps and the launch at the spectacular $1.2 billion state-of-the-art Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Texas with famed ring announcer Michael Buffer as host.

Highlights of Pacquiao’s title fights and Clottey’s showdowns with Miguel Cotto, the late Diego Corrales and Zab Judah will also be part of the special

The Pacquiao-Clottey special will set the stage for what many believe will be an intriguing contest and although Pacquiao is an overwhelming favorite to win Clottey’s trainer Lenny De Jesus has warned Pacquiao and his legions of fans not to underestimate the tough, strong and bigger fighter from Ghana.

The fight will be telecast on Sunday, Manila Time by Solar Sports and GMA 7 while it will be shown on a pay-per-view basis at the Araneta Coliseum where the giant four-sided screens create an atmosphere that makes viewers feel they are actually at special ringside at the venue.

The fights will also be telecast at all SM, Robinson and Rockwell Cinemas and in numerous other venues including restaurants and clubs across the country.

Manila Mayor Fred Lim has also guaranteed that city residents in the various congressional districts will be able to follow the action on big screens strategically located in the various districts free of charge.

The giant broadcast network ABS-CBN will telecast the fights on a pay-per-view basis over its widely watched global channel TFC in the Middle East, Europe and Australia with well-known commentators Bill Velasco and Ed Tolentino handling the coverage.

Source: PhilBoxing.com

Pacquiao – Clottey: Keys to Victory + Predictions

2010-03-11T21:31:00.000-08:00

Pacquiao vs Clottey

We are now just a few days away from one of the biggest fights this year and the boxing world is buzzing once again. After a very quiet couple of months with nothing much happening, we find ourselves on the edge of our seats once more eagerly anticipating an all-out war between Pound for Pound king Manny Pacquiao and rough and rugged Ghanaian, Joshua Clottey. Coming into the fight, most observers didn’t give Clottey much of a chance to upstage Pacquiao, even going so far as to dub Clottey the equivalent of a “Miguel Cotto Lite”. And rightfully so in my opinion, Joshua Clottey though easily the largest fighter Pacquiao will have ever fought to date is a perfect opponent to showcase the Filipino’s extremely aggressive style. For those of you that don’t know, Clottey is a safety-first fighter and tends to cover up during attacks. He employs a shell defense that though can be very effective in deflecting shots, is not the ideal way to combat Pacquiao’s ultimate offense. Anyone who knows boxing, knows that the only way to beat Pacquiao is by counter-punching, a department Clottey lacks talent in. The result is lopsided betting odds in favor of the Philippine’s finest.

Manny Pacquiao’s Keys to Victory:

Already expected to win, Pacquiao is the overwhelming favorite. What’s left to discover about him? We all know how explosive he is, how his blinding speed suffocates and hits you from all these unconventional angles. In his last fight with Miguel Cotto we discovered how durable he really is in the Welterweight division. All Pacquiao has to do is be himself, and that is the two-fisted beast that Freddie Roach created. Pacquiao’s strength and conditioning coach Alex Ariza pointed it out that the blueprint to defeating Clottey would be the same as when they fought Cotto, and he was right. Clottey is Miguel Cotto minus the mobility but with better defense. And just like what happened in his last fight, Pacquiao’s offense will throw Clottey off his game and completely frustrate the guy. Pacquiao’s foot speed and volume punching is key here. He will have to dart in and unleash his combinations, then dart back out before the retaliation comes in, just like he has done so brilliantly in the past. He will have to make Clottey work every minute of every round, constantly on the offensive, beating Clottey to the punch. Another tactic that he and Roach had perfected is when he throws a right hook and simultaneously slips a counter-punch by stepping to the side, spinning his opponent and out of harm’s way, a sequence that shows unbelievable coordination. This should be very effective against a plodder like Clottey. Will we see a knockout? That may be difficult but Pacquiao is notorious for trumping the odds and defying the logical. I don’t see Clottey being knocked out cold, but a referee stoppage would not be surprising if he isn’t able to defend well against Pacquiao’s crazy angles.

Joshua Clottey’s Keys to Victory:

Clottey has to use his size advantage. He simply has to. I know Pacquiao’s previous opponents all tried but failed, but for Clottey to have any chance at beating Pacquiao, he will have to be the first to effectively rough Pacquiao up and win the fight on the inside. Clottey needs to use his strong Welterweight jab to keep Manny off balance and rush in quickly to close the gap. Once he is in position he has to score clean shots, preferably to the body in the early going to slow down Pacquiao. Easier said than done as Manny is a quick little guy and is very hard to catch. Most importantly however, Clottey cannot be content with just covering up. He has to counter-punch, which is a tall task, since he is not a counter-puncher by nature. Everytime Pacquiao launches himself forward for an attack, Clottey will have to catch him with his strong jab. He needs to make use of his 3 inch reach advantage to do some damage. If Pacquiao tries his rope-a-dope on Clottey the way he did against Cotto, Clottey will have to take that as a sign from god to move in for the kill. That is a golden opportunity to deal out some real hurt. Make every opportunity count and we could be seeing Pacquiao in a real fight since his battle with Marquez.

Prediction:

I foresee a very exciting match with great back and forth action. Clottey is a tough customer and will not bow down easily. I go for a referee stoppage by the 10th round in favor of Pacquiao. I believe Clottey will be tired from all the defense he’d be playing up until that time and against a guy with boundless energy like Pacquiao, it will be his downfall. He will take too much damage without dishing out his own that the referee will have no choice but to stop the fight. Score another TKO for the Pacman. Pacquiao by TKO 10.

I went around and asked a couple of my boxing friends what their predictions are and here’s what they had to say. Fight fans from all the way over here in the Philippines!

“Of course Manny Pacquiao will win, but I hope Clottey lasts more than 4 rounds. Clottey is a hard and tough fighter, but we are only human, if you get hit multiple times on the chin you’re going down.” –Adz Garcia, Computer Expert/Pro Gamer

“I see Pacquiao winning by ref stoppage in the 9th, if Paquiao catches Clottey clean on the chin, we could see a real knockout but I doubt it. What we’ll be is seeing speed, speed and more speed, bunches of punches against a guy who stops throwing punches after the 6th round. I do think that Clottey’s chance to get Pacquiao is if he hits him hard to the body. I think Clottey is a harder body puncher than Cotto. Pacquiao has to stay off the ropes.” –Hans Visitacion, Call Center Trainer/Athlete/Boxing Enthusiast

“Contrary to popular belief, I think Pacquiao is stronger than Clottey. Speed and more importantly strength will be in favor of Pacquiao. I do think Clottey is a tougher fight than Cotto, but Pacquiao should catch him with something he doesn’t see in and around rounds 10-12. Clottey’s only chance is to land a lucky punch. Pacquiao by stone cold knockout.” –Elijah Ortiz, Tech Support Agent/Pacquiao Fan

“I think either Pacquiao wins by late round stoppage or on points. There is absolutely no chance that Clottey can win on points, his punch output is way too low and he only fights for half a round as opposed to Pacquiao, who fights the full 3 minutes. People, even judges nowadays want to see offense. We are tired of seeing ‘impressive defense’. We have enough of that with Floyd Mayweather. Look for Pacquiao and Clottey to redefine what throwback fighters are all about, expect a war on the most impressive stage of them all, the Dallas Cowboys Stadium, with Pacquiao staking his claim as Boxing’s biggest and brightest star!” –Marco Garcia, Long time boxing fan

Source: officialscorecard.com

Pacquiao-Clottey: The People’s Eyebrow

2010-03-11T21:21:00.000-08:00

Pacquiao vs Clottey

Prior to the 2001 baseball season, baseball pundits and fans alike could reasonably conclude the following about Barry Bonds:

1.) Barry Bonds was an exceptional baseball player

2.) Barry Bonds was physically achieving what many people thought impossible for someone his age, but as suspect of an achievement as it may have been, it was still explainable and therefore celebratory.

Then, the 2001 season happened. Bonds hit 24 more homers than the previous season and broke Mark McGwire’s single season record. He batted .328 with 137 RBI’s and a slugging pct. of .863, an astounding accomplishment for a 36-year-old. At an age where most players’ statistics begin to plummet, he rewrote the baseball record books.

The 2001 season was so disproportionate to his previous achievements that it served as an “eye brow raiser.” At that time there wasn’t any conclusive evidence linking Bonds to steroids, but when you looked at the numbers, his age and what he achieved, you at least raised an eye brow.

Manny Pacquiao placed a microscope on his achievements this past winter when he declined to accept Floyd Mayweather’s contractual request to submit to Olympic-style random blood testing. Whether you believe Manny is reasonable when he says he feels drained after such tests, the amount of money left on the table for declining such a request is enough to give pause.

Still, all of Manny’s achievements up to this point are explainable and reasonable. Is it suspicious that in March 2008, he was in a war with Juan Manuel Marquez at 130lbs and by November of 2009, he was crushing an established and bigger Miguel Cotto at 145lbs? Sure. But Manny is an exceptional workhorse whose training regime is second to none. Up to this point, his achievements should still be celebrated.

This Saturday, Pacquiao is set to face Joshua Clottey in what could be his “2001 season”. Clottey has never been stopped inside of 12 rounds. He is a much bigger Welterweight than Pacquiao, has a solid chin and is a defense-first boxer. His three losses come from a disqualification, a decision to Antonio Margarito and a very questionable loss to Miguel Cotto.

Yes, Manny Pacquiao is arguably the best boxer, pound for pound, on the planet. His last three wins illustrate a type of streak that is incomparable to any recent fighter. On the surface, this fight should serve no other purpose other than to showcase Pacquiao’s skill set, Dallas’s new venue and help magnify the public’s desire for a fight with Floyd Mayweather. But a closer look at the Pac Man’s last three tornado wins should lead someone to the following three facts:

1) Oscar De La Hoya was not only in the twilight of his career but was physically and mentally drained prior to the start of the fight.

2) Ricky Hatton is not, nor was he ever, an elite boxer. He was a very good fighter whose most notable win was against a much older Kostya Tszyu. In his two opportunities to fight on the grand stage, he was knocked out.

3) Cheaters never prosper, but they sure can hurt you. Miguel Cotto was badly beaten and battered in his 2008 loss to Antonio Margarito, who would later lose his boxing license for tampering with his hand wraps prior to his 2009 fight with Shane Mosley.

This fight with Clottey is an entirely different animal. Clottey is still on the rise, he hasn’t been unceremoniously battered into a pulp like Cotto and he’s not going to drop his hands and engage in a pub fight like Ricky Hatton.

Manny is by far the superior fighter. He has the faster hands, and his pace is likely to frustrate and confuse Clottey. A unanimous decision win for Manny would be nothing more than a stamp on a hall of fame career. However, I cannot help but realize that going into this fight, the following states are relevant:

1.) Manny Pacquiao is an exceptional boxer.

2.) Manny Pacquiao is physically achieving what many people thought was impossible for someone his size, but as suspect of an achievement as it may be, it’s still explainable and therefore celebratory.

Maybe Manny is telling the truth and has absolutely NO idea what a steroid even is. Maybe he’s a once-in-a-lifetime fighter.

As a longtime boxing fan, I know anything can happen in a fight, but then again, a knockout of a very game, very big, very underestimated Clottey on Saturday should at least…be cause to raise an eyebrow. Or two.

Source: newyork.fighthype.com

Promoter's anger at MGM/Mirage could keep Manny Pacquiao out of Las Vegas

2010-03-11T21:17:00.000-08:00

Pacquiao vs Clottey

The animosity that exists between Manny Pacquiao's promoter, Bob Arum, and Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s camp extends to MGM/Mirage, the company that operates the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

That arena will be dark Saturday night, when it could have been the site of Pacquiao's world welterweight title defense against Joshua Clottey.

In an interesting column Thursday by The Times' Bill Dwyre, Arum addressed his anger at Mayweather promoter Golden Boy Promotions and at MGM/Mirage, which has staged several of Oscar De La Hoya's bouts as a fighter and as a promoter, including the upcoming April 3 fight between Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr. and the May 1 Mayweather-Shane Mosley bout.

In January, Arum said he extended MGM/Mirage the opportunity to host Pacquiao-Clottey, while Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones bid to do the same. During that period, Arum said he had a discouraging conversation with MGM/Mirage President Richard Sturm, while checking to see if Pacquiao could fight at the MGM Grand for a fourth consecutive time, after bouts against De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto.

“They said the date’s booked,” Arum said, referring to a prior request filed to the Nevada State Athletic Commission by Golden Boy Chief Executive Richard Schaefer to keep the March 13 date open for Jones-Hopkins first, then Mayweather-Pacquiao.

"Golden Boy had told me at the time that they planned to bring in Mayweather versus another opponent -- [Paulie] Malignaggi at the time," Sturm told The Times on Thursday. "It's industry practice to honor whoever has the first hold on the date. Bob called me, I explained that situation, and the rest is history."

When Mayweather ultimately opted to fight Mosley May 1 at MGM Grand, the March 13 request was dropped.

The MGM explanation, as Arum said he interpreted it, was that the company had more loyalty to Golden Boy fighters than Arum’s.

Last week, at a lunch with The Times, Arum said this: “We’ll never have Manny fight at MGM again. Manny brings in more business to Las Vegas than any other boxer, more than anyone since [Mike] Tyson. Manny’s a boon to the gaming tables. A casino guy once told me, ‘Manny’s Frank Sinatra times 20.’ So MGM just [hurt] themselves, and all the other casinos in Vegas.”

Sturm said he hopes that's not true.

"We had no idea March 13 was going to open," Sturm said. "Had I known, I'd be more than excited to have Manny come back here, and I'd love to have him back."

Sturm said he plays no favorites among promoters.

"We don't book promoters; we book fights," he said. "Bob is entirely wrong to say there's anything more to our relationship with Golden Boy than that."

For now, however, Arum is talking of taking his business elsewhere.

After Dallas, Arum said he is going to stage light-middleweight world champion Yuri Foreman’s first title defense against ex-welterweight champ Miguel Cotto June 5 at the new Yankee Stadium, and he’s promising another Dallas show later this year, along with a spring 2011 event at the new Meadowlands in New Jersey.

On Thursday, Arum mildly softened his stance to say he'd "never say never" to another Pacquiao fight at the MGM Grand.

"But Pacquiao is disillusioned after the way they disrespected him," Arum said.

Sturm said he's willing to extend an olive branch.

"I wouldn't have a problem picking up the phone and expressing my interest in having Manny back here soon," Sturm said.

-- Lance Pugmire

Source: latimesblogs.latimes.com

PACQUIAO, CLOTTEY FINAL PRESSER

2010-03-10T19:27:00.000-08:00

Surrounded by the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders, seven-time world champion and "Fighter of the Decade" Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao (L) and challenger Joshua Clottey(R) pose during the final press conference Wednesday for their upcoming World Welterweight championship on Saturday, March 13 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas on HBO Pay-Per-View. -- Photo Credit: Chris Farina - Top Rank.

Source: PhilBoxing.com

Pacquiao-Clottey tiff headed for sellout

2010-03-10T19:06:00.000-08:00

GRAPEVINE, TEXAS—For billionaire Jerry Jones, Manny Pacquiao is the money man of boxing.

This is the reason why the owner of the Dallas Cowboys and the $1.2 billion Cowboys Stadium is co-promoting The Event between Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey on March 13.

The 67-year-old Jones, who struck it rich in oil and gas exploration, is on target in his belief that any fight featuring the Fighter of the Decade will be saleable.

Bob Arum of Top Rank, which is co-promoting Pacquiao-Clottey, said that only 4,000 out of 45,000 tickets are left for Saturday’s fight.

Arum and Jones remained confident of a sellout due to the interest the fight has generated, not only among Filipino-Americans but Hispanics, Mexicans and Americans as well.

“It’s like a Super Bowl,” said Jones of his first major boxing promotion.

Jones, who drew 2,500 fans in his first fight promotion in 1984 in Little Rock, Arkansas, said he admires Pacquiao as a great athlete and a great person.

“The main reason that I wanted the Pacquiao-(Floyd) Mayweather (Jr.) fight was Manny,” said Jones of the botched negotiations between the current and former pound-for-pound kings. “He (Pacquiao) is the draw.

“And so certainly when that didn’t work I still had the interest of getting him here at all cost and whoever he fights,” added Jones.

This early, Pacquiao-Clottey is certain to break attendance records in Pacquiao’s previous fights in the United States, way over the 18,276 paying fans who watched Pacquiao-Erik Morales III in Las Vegas in 2006.

Source: sports.inquirer.net

Pacquiao's Final Fight?

2010-03-10T19:02:00.000-08:00

Fort Lauderdale, Fla.- After Manny Pacquiao's dramatic stoppage of Miguel Cotto in November 2009, the scribes of the sweet science proclaimed that boxing had peeled itself off the canvas. Once again, there was a boxer who, like Mike Tyson and Oscar De La Hoya, could command the interest of the general sports fan.

Soon after the Filipino sensation's victory over Mr. Cotto, the public was clamoring to see Mr. Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 knockouts) and the undefeated, recently unretired Floyd Mayweather Jr. (40-0, 25 knockouts) battle for the unofficial title of best pound-for-pound pugilist on the planet. But boxing has a knack of clobbering itself on the chin.

A couple of months ago, Messrs. Mayweather and Pacquiao were poised to ink contracts when Mr. Mayweather insisted on Olympic-style drug testing. Mr. Pacquiao took umbrage and sued Mr. Mayweather and his promoters for defamation of character. When attempts at mediation failed, the two welterweight giants stomped away from what could have been the biggest payday in boxing history.

Still, Mr. Pacquiao, who has garnered titles in a record seven different weight divisions, was intent on fighting in March, as he is set to begin campaigning for Congress in the Philippines in April. Instead of facing Mr. Mayweather, Mr. Pacquiao will be tapping gloves with Joshua Clottey (35-3, 21 knockouts), the No. 1 welterweight contender from Ghana. The fight, which has already sold more than 38,000 tickets, will take place on Saturday at the new Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Mr. Clottey, who now in lives in New York, began boxing on the streets at age 6 in his hometown of Accra, Ghana. He made it to the quarterfinals of the Commonwealth Games in 1994 and turned professional in 1995. A broad-shouldered man with an endearing smile and laid-back body language, Mr. Clottey is a rugged and highly competent combatant who has the respect of his peers and the boxing press. But the 32-year-old former world champion has yet to win a mega pay-per-view fight. He came close in June 2009, losing a split decision to Mr. Cotto. Many observers believed that Mr. Clottey should have had his hand raised after that bloody 12-round contest, but virtually everyone agreed that he would have won the fight had he brawled with less caution.

After a brisk workout at his Florida gym, the soft-spoken Mr. Clottey gushed: "This fight is a dream come true, I can hardly believe it. I'm so excited. Right now, Manny is the best of the best. He is the man. I know that I can beat him, but I have to fight the whole time. I have to keep busy. But unlike some of the other guys that he has fought, I will not underestimate his power. One punch from him can take you out. So I also have to stay calm and think in there as well as fight." While reasonable enough, that note of caution would land like a punch on elements of Mr. Clottey's boxing braintrust.

In this pivotal contest, Mr. Clottey will be without his trainer, Godwin Dzanie Kotey, who could not get a visa to come to the U.S. Mr. Clottey's veteran cutman, Lenny De Jesus, will work the corner instead and told me: "You have to take risks in there to be a great champion, and that is what Joshua has to learn to do in this fight. I used to work with Manny, and he is not afraid of losing."

While the elite of the elite in boxing have very special powers of concentration and reservoirs of motivation, Mr. Clottey, for all his virtues, has yet to show that he can hit the internal switch, turn his tempo up a notch, and take over a close fight.

Mr. Clottey is quick, coordinated, strong and gritty. While not an overpowering puncher, his blows are fast, direct and flinty. He boasts a solid straight right, which he likes to chase with a left hook to the body. The combination of right uppercut and left hook is also essential to his slugging syntax. Watching Mr. Clottey work out, one gets the impression that his camp believes their man needs to make the Pac Man pay for his hyperaggressive tendencies with hooks to the body.

Freddie Roach, Mr. Pacquiao's famous trainer, assessed his antagonist: "Clottey is a big welterweight [5 feet 8 inches, compared with 5 feet 6½ inches for Mr. Pacquiao]. He is a great fighter. He has good skills. He has some power. He can take a punch. But I have watched a lot of films of him and he is not versatile. He does not move his head. He is easy to hit." For weeks now, Mr. Roach has been saying that "Manny will be the first one to knock Joshua out."

For his part, Mr. Pacquiao says: "The victory is always the most important thing to me. If I get a knockout, it's a bonus. But a knockout has never been a goal for me for any fight." But then he adds, "Freddie has his own opinion on the outcome of the fight with Clottey, and I will try not to disappoint him."

The diminutive dynamo with the impish smile unleashes hellfire in the ring. He seems to delight in the utter destruction of the opponent whom he will hug and praise after the fight.

Mr. Pacquiao, recently voted the Fighter of the Decade by the Boxing Writers Association of America, is still improving. In boxing, he who is not busy learning will soon be busy losing. When I asked Mr. Pacquiao what lessons he was working on for this fight, his maestro, Mr. Roach, was quick to answer for him: "Manny has to stay off the ropes and continue to work from his strengths—and that is throwing punches from different angles and to keep moving. . . . Manny's speed is the key to winning any fight. People think I mean the speed of his hands, but what I really mean is the speed of Manny's feet. He has the best footwork in the game."

Mr. Roach, who has Parkinson's probably brought on by too many bouts during his own boxing days, warned that this might be the last time we see his champion in the ring, especially if Mr. Pacquiao wins a seat in Congress. His stellar charge has had a long, tough career. And if Mr. Pacquiao wins and Mr. Mayweather does not quickly agree to terms, Mr. Roach says, "there will be nothing left for Manny to prove." There will only be bales of money.

Mr. Marino writes about boxing for the Journal.

Source: online.wsj.com