Braekhus, Mathis are Prepared To Go To War in Denmark

Team Sauerland is delighted to announce that the Nordic Fight Night will hit Frederikshavn on March 17, featuring the very best of Danish boxing as well the biggest fight in women´s boxing. At the Arena Nord, highly-rated WBO & WBA & WBC Female Welterweight Champion Cecilia Braekhus (19-0, 5 KOs) and top-ranked contender Anne-Sophie Mathis (26-1, 22 KOs) will determine the undisputed pound-for-pound queen. A full Danish card as well as a Danish main event will be announced shortly.

“We are thrilled to come to Frederikshavn,” promoter Nisse Sauerland said. “We will present an unforgettable night of exciting, high-class and dramatic boxing action.”

In one of the main fights of the night, Braekhus, the 30-year-old “First Lady” from Norway, and Mathis, the famed and feared French power-puncher with a KO record of over 80 percent, will battle out supremacy in women´s boxing. With unbeaten Braekhus holding three major titles and Mathis having destroyed pound-for-pound queen Holly Holm in December, the two are widely considered the best female boxers on the planet.

“This is the fight the world wants to see,” Braekhus said. “It´s the biggest challenge of my life. Mathis clinched a spectacular victory against Holm but her winning streak will come to an end when we meet on March 17. Only one of us can be the number one and that will be me.”

Braekhus will be counting on the home support of her Norwegian fans.

“This is the closest I have fought to my home country and I expect many, many fans to come over by ferry from Oslo and support me,” she added. “This will be a home match for me.”

Mathis, who travelled all the way to Albuquerque to knock Holm out cold, is ready for another spectacular victory.

“I have knocked out Holm in her backyard and I will also defeat Braekhus, no doubt about it,” she said. “It will be the first loss for the First Lady. I will show the world that I am the best.”

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=49439

WBO junior welterweight champion Timothy Bradley (28-0, 12KOs) doesn’t consider himself as “the smaller man” in the upcoming fight with Manny Pacquiao (54-3-2, 38KOs), the WBO’s champion at 147-pounds. During his amateur career, Bradley was fighting at 147, and then moved up to 152 when he tried to qualify for the U.S. Olympic team. Bradley previously fought at 147 in 2010 and won a twelve round decision over Carlos Abregu on HBO.

Bradley says that he walks around at 160, 165-pounds, while Pacquiao walks around at a lower weight. He says Pacquiao’s strong legs, where some believe his power comes from, is the only size difference.

“A lot of people think I’m the smaller guy, that I’m the little guy,” Bradley told hometown paper The Desert Sun. “This is what the public doesn’t realize, when I was 16, I didn’t fight at 118. I fought at 152 pounds when I was 16. I naturally walk around at 160, 165 pounds. Manny probably gets no higher than 155, maybe 150 walking around. I’m a naturally bigger guy even though I fought at 140 and he fought at 147.

“If you look at my muscle mass, his muscle mass, I’m the bigger guy. What Manny does have is bigger legs. His legs are ridiculous. Where he makes up for it is his leg, I make up for it with the top half of my body. I’m used to fighting guys 6-0, 5-10. So the whole power thing of me being the little guy, you can throw that out the window. That won’t be the case during the fight.”

By Edward Chaykovsky

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=49406

WBO Welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao has agreed to terms to defend his welterweight title against junior welterweight titlist Timothy Bradley Jr. on June 9 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Michael Koncz, Pacquiao’s adviser, told ESPN.com on Monday.

The Bradley side still needs to finalize its deal with promoter Top Rank.

“From our end, the fight is done,” Koncz said. “I just got off the phone with (Top Rank’s) Bob Arum and Manny, so we’re done. I don’t assume there will be a problem from the Bradley side. We came to terms with Top Rank on the fight and Manny has approved everything. This morning I had a number of conversations with Bob negotiating the June 9 fight and I relayed everything to Manny.”

Top Rank president Todd duBoef told ESPN.com that he is still working to finalize Bradley’s end of the deal.

“We are going to be having further conversations with Bradley and his management early this week and hopefully finalize the deal,” duBoef said. “But the truth is my (promotional) agreement with Bradley lays out certain parameters for a Pacquiao fight, so there is a framework already.”

The hopes for a long-anticipated Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight ended last week when, after the sides once again did not come to terms, Mayweather announced he would challenge junior middleweight titlist Miguel Cotto on May 5. Cotto had also been in the running to face Pacquiao in a rematch, but Pacquiao and Cotto could not agree on the weight for the fight. Pacquiao wanted the 147-pound welterweight limit, which Cotto said was too low for him, and he accepted a deal from Mayweather.

The other names in the running to face Pacquiao in the pay-per-view fight were junior welterweight titlist Lamont Peterson and Juan Manuel Marquez, who is 0-2-1 in three incredibly close and exciting fights with Pacquiao, including a majority decision loss to him in November.

Bradley would move up in weight to challenge Pacquiao for his title.

“We’ve been talking about this for over a month and we always had a Plan B in case Mayweather didn’t happen,” Koncz said. “Last time I went to the Philippines, I took Manny tapes of all of the opponents we were talking about and he watched them with his wife, Jinkee. Bradley was one of them, as everybody knows.”

There is a chance Marquez will fight Peterson next, with the winner of that bout getting a fall match against Pacquiao if a Mayweather fight still is not made.

Koncz flew to San Antonio last weekend to meet with Arum, who was there promoting Saturday night’s Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.-Marco Antonio Rubio middleweight title fight at the Alamodome, about the Bradley fight. Cameron Dunkin, Bradley’s co-manager, was also in San Antonio and met with Arum.

Bradley (28-0, 12 KOs), 28, of Palm Springs, Calif., does not have the kind of profile as the other opponents who were in the running, although he is widely considered one of the top 10 fighters in the world even though his most recent fights have not been hits.

Thirteen months ago, he won a sloppy, head butt-induced 10th-round technical decision in a heavily hyped junior welterweight unification fight against Devon Alexander. It did poorly at the gate and did not come close to the ratings expectations HBO had hoped it would achieve, despite spending millions on the fight and its marketing.

Then Bradley rejected a July fight he had called for with Amir Khan to further unify the 140-pound division, even though Khan, who brought far more economic muscle to the fight, offered him a 50-50 deal.

Bradley then split with co-promoters Gary Shaw and Ken Thompson and, despite litigation, signed with Top Rank, knowing a Pacquiao fight was possible.

Top Rank gave Bradley the high-profile co-feature slot on the Pacquiao-Marquez III pay-per-view card in November. Bradley stopped faded former lightweight champion Joel Casamayor in the eighth round of an uncompetitive, foul-filled fight.

But Bradley is in his prime, fast and experienced against good opponents, and he could give 33-year-old Pacquiao (54-3-2, 38 KOs) a competitive fight.

“Bradley is a young, undefeated fighter who deserves a chance,” Koncz said. “Manny is excited. Until we name an opponent, boxing is out of Manny’s mind. He’s busy working in (the Filipino) congress. But he gets interested in boxing again when he has an opponent and a fight. Now we know we have a date (and) an opponent and he’s excited.”

Koncz, who lives in Southern California, said he is flying to the Philippines on Tuesday night to meet with Pacquiao and go over logistics for the media tour for the fight.

Dan Rafael is a boxing writer for ESPN.com. Follow him on Twitter @danrafaelespn.

http://espn.go.com/boxing/story/_/id/7547798/manny-pacquiao-agrees-terms-fight-timothy-bradley-jr

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum and president Todd DuBeof are scheduled to meet with Manny Pacquiao’s adviser Michael Koncz and Cameron Dunkin, manager of undefeated WBA Junior Welterweight champion Timothy “Desert Storm” Bradley here in San Antonio, Thursday to hopefully finalize details of a June 9 title fight between WBO welterweight champion and pound for pound king Manny Pacquiao and Bradley.

In an interview with BoxingScene.com, Manila Standard and Dyan Castillejo of ABS-CBN, Arum said “we will sit down and try to thresh everything out and then Manny will be contacted in the Philippines and hopefully we will be able to make an announcement on Tuesday which is two days after the Super Bowl.”

The 28 year old Bradley has a record of 28-0 with 12 knockouts and will be coming off an 8th round TKO over former world champion Joel Casamayor last November 12, 2011.

Bradley won the WBC title with a 12 round split decision over Junior Witter on May 10, 2008 and added the WBO title with a 12 round decision over Kendall Holt on April 4, 2009. One of his more impressive wins was against newly crowned WBA/IBF champion Lamont Peterson on December 12, 2009 before Peterson won a controversial decision over Amir Khan. Bradley dropped Peterson in the third round en route to a comfortable decision.

Bradley’s manager Dunkin who also handles Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire told us he expects the Pacquiao-Bradley fight to push through even as Floyd Mayweather Jr announced he would fight 154 pound champ Miguel Cotto on May 5 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Mayweather made the announcement after the Nevada State Athletic Commission issued the fighter a conditional, one-fight license warning him he had to go to prison to begin serving a 90 day sentence on June 1 and had to stay out of trouble.

Arum said the Mayweather situation “is really bizarre, its really sad because its making a circus of boxing. Its obvious to anybody who has looked at this, that the fight isn’t happening because of Mayweather. For two years one thing was in stone — that was a 50-50 deal and now Mayweather has departed from it and thats ridiculous. Hopefully when our fight is set in June, his fight is now set for May, we will sit down sensibly without a lot of pressure and plan a fight if both (Pacquiao and Mayweather) are successful for November, hopefully.”

However, Arum cautioned “with these birds there is  no rational kind of thing. I know what Mayweather is up to. He’s trying to get some investor to put up a tremendous amount of money, pay Manny a fraction of that and keep the rest to himself. But I’ve been in this game too long to let that happen.”

Responding to Mayweather’s offer of $40 million to Pacquiao while he retains all the ay-per-view and other ancillary income Arum made a counter-offer of a guaranteed $50 million and said “its a no brainer. I’d give him $50 million in two seconds because each of these guys (Pacquiao and Mayweather) is going to make a lot more than $50 million once we get the fight on. I believe the fight will do about 3 million pay-per-view homes in the United States and Canada and the gate is going to be tremendous.”

The Top Rank promoter also revealed that he and DuBeof had spoken to the MGM people who told him that they want to do an outdoor stadium where the Mandalay Bay Convention Center is. Arum noted “there is plenty of room to put the outdoor stadium up and you use that tremendously large convention center for a boxing experience so that people can come and see the old boxing memorabilia, films and everything. Its great for boxing and the press will have great accommodations and its all working but nobody is going to spend the money to put up an outdoor stadium unless they know there is going to be a fight.”

By Ronnie Nathanielsz

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=49178

According to Top Rank’s CEO, Bob Arum, the next opponent for WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao could be revealed as early as next Tuesday. Pacquiao’s return is scheduled to take place on June 9th, likely at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. While Arum refused to fully confirm the opponent, it appears Timothy Bradley (28-0, 12KOs) is going to secure the lucrative opportunity.

There were four names on Pacquiao’s list of potential opponents – Juan Manuel Marquez, Lamont Peterson, Timothy Bradley and Miguel Cotto. The first choice, by Pacquiao and Arum, was Cotto. But, the Puerto Rican star is now three fights forward as a full fledged junior middleweight and refuses to fight Pacquiao at 147. Arum is attempting to match Marquez and Peterson against each other  – which only leaves Bradley.

“We wanted Cotto, but he said that he can’t make 147. If the other two guys are fighting each other and Cotto can’t make the weight, then it only leaves one guy, but lets see what happens,” Arum told BoxingScene.com.

“We won’t announce anything until after the Super Bowl. I don’t want to take anything away from the Chavez fight [on Saturday]. We want to wait until after the Chavez fight, and after the Super Bowl [to make the announcement]….probably Tuesday.”

However, Arum believes anything can happen between now and next week.

“What if Cotto has an epiphany and suddenly calls and says he can make 147?,” Arum noted.

By Rick Reeno

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=49089

According to WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao, he was treated like an opponent during last week’s infamous telephone call with Floyd Mayweather Jr., Pacquiao claims he was offered a $40 million dollar guarantee – but nothing further- for a welterweight mega-fight on May 5th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Mayweather would retain 100% of the money generated from pay-per-view, and other various sources of revenue. Pacquiao turned the offer down and requested an even 50-50 split, which Mayweather rejected.

“He said he will guarantee me $40 million but I won’t have any share on the pay-per-view and other sources of revenue,” said Pacquiao to veteran reporter Nick Giongco of Tempo. “How can he leave me out of the pay-per-view when I generate more than him in pay-per-view sales? I am still praying that Mayweather gets enlightened because I believe that I am not being unreasonable.”

By Edward Chaykovsky

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=48942

Michael Koncz, the advisor to WBO welterweight beltholder Manny Pacquiao, told RingTV.com on Monday that he is in Las Vegas to speak with Top Rank Inc. CEO Bob Arum about Pacquiao’s next opponent.

Although WBA junior middleweight beltholder Miguel Cotto appears to be the current frontrunner, Koncz told RingTV.com that WBC welterweight titleholder Floyd Mayweather Jr. is not yet out of the picture.

Koncz would not confirm or deny whether or not he expects to meet with Mayweather, who lives in Las Vegas.

“I am in Las Vegas right now having various discussions and meetings with different people, and we have not closed the door on Floyd Mayweather,” said Koncz.

“I’m here in Las Vegas pursuant to Manny’s instructions trying to finalize his next bout. No doors have been shut on any of our options to this point.”

Pacquiao has been targeted for a return bout on June 9 in Las Vegas at either the Thomas & Mack Center or the MGM Grand, with the possibilities being Cotto, Mayweather, RING lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez IBF/WBA junior welterweight titleholder Lamont Peterson or WBO junior welterweight beltholder Tim Bradley

Cotto’s advisor, Gabby Penagaricano, has confirmed to RingTV.com that there have been talks with both Pacquiao and Mayweather, the latter regarding a fight on May 5.

Koncz and Mayweather have been in personal communication since late-November, when Koncz made a visit to the unbeaten fighter at his Las Vegas-based gym.

Last week, Pacquiao confirmed to the Filipino TV network ABS-CBNthat Mayweather had called him in the Philippines from Las Vegas and that they spoke by telephone

The conversation with Mayweather “went OK, the talk about the negotiation proceeds forward,” said Pacquiao, adding, “I said that the 50-50 was approved and there’s no problem. Anytime. It’s in your hands. We’ll just wait if it’s OK with you.”

Mayweather’s version of the conversation differed a bit.

“He asked about a 50/50 split and I told him no, that can’t happen, but what can happen is you can make more money fighting me than you have made in your career,” said Mayweather.

“I also let him know I’m in control on my side, but he needs to get on the same page as his promoter so we can make this fight happen.”

Mayweather is slated to begin an 87-day jail sentence staring on June 1, and has targeted May 5 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas for his next bout.

But Arum and Koncz have dismissed that date for Mayweather-Pacquiao, citing their camp’s desire to construct a 40,000-seat, temporary outdoor venue near the Las Vegas Strip in late May or early-June to maximize revenue.

Pacquiao’s selection process began on January 10 in his native Philippines, when Koncz and Arum presented the candidates to him.

Photo by Chris Farina, Top Rank Inc.

Photo by Tom Hogan, Hogan Photos/Golden Boy Promotions

by Lem Satterfield

http://ringtv.craveonline.com/blog/171215-pacquiaos-advisor-

There aren´t many big female fights regardless of weight division but come March, in Denmark, Sauerland´s First Lady, Cecilia Braekhus (19-0, 5KOs), WBO, WBA and WBC female welterweight champion, will take on Ann Sophie Mathis (26-1, 22KOs) from France. The fight is a done deal at both ends with date to be announced. Mathis comes in fresh from  a stoppage win over Holly Holm – and a rematch with Holm might come in June providing of course that Ann Sophie beats Braekhus.

By Per Ake Persson

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=48800

WBC welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. (42-0, 26KOs) is apparently not on board with WBO king Manny Pacquiao’s request for a 50/50 revenue split, which pertains to a potential May 5th mega-fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. As previously reported, Mayweather recently made a direct phone call to Pacquiao’s adviser Michael Koncz, who placed Pacquiao (54-3-2, 38KOs) on the phone with the undefeated star from Las Vegas. Pacquiao told Mayweather that a 50-50 split would seal the deal on a possible May fight.

But, during the latest episode of ESPN’s Sportscenter, Mayweather was quoted as saying the following:

“He asked about a 50/50 split and I told him no, that can’t happen, but what can happen is you can make more money fighting me than you have made in your career. I also let him know I’m in control on my side but he needs to get on the same page as his promoter so we can make this fight happen.”

If Mayweather does not agree to a 50-50 split, then Pacquiao will likely return on June 9th at temporary outdoor venue near the Las Vegas Strip.

Expect more in the coming days..

By Chris Robinson

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=48745

LAS VEGAS — Manny Pacquiao has chosen his next opponent, and it’s not Floyd Mayweather. In an interview at his office Wednesday, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum said Pacquiao has chosen his next opponent — whom Arum would only divulge was one of the four previously reported candidates, Juan Manuel Marquez, Timothy Bradley, Miguel Cotto or Lamont Peterson — and plans to make his return to the ring on June 9 at a new outdoor facility off the Strip.

Arum reiterated that the problem with making a May fight with Mayweather was the timing. Mayweather has insisted that the fight take place May 5, tweeting Tuesday that “the date can’t change.” Arum says construction on a 38,000-seat temporary facility cannot be completed until later in the month. On Wednesday, Arum said he met with construction officials as well as officials from the Wynn and Sands Hotel. Arum also visited the construction site, a 40-acre plot jointly owned by the two hotels.

“To be safe, they said they needed until the end of May to get it done,” Arum said. “Economically, it’s a problem that Floyd created. The amount that would be lost by moving it up to May 5^th is enormous. The fight is not going to happen on May 5^th. We’ll do the fight in November. There is no real magic in doing it in May.”

Arum says he plans to move forward with building the outdoor facility and test it out in Pacquiao’s next fight. Arum added that he and Pacquiao were on the same page as far as Pacquiao’s future.

“He realizes that economically the May 5^th date is not smart,” Arum said. “If you postpone it two or three weeks, you can make so much more money. Mayweather told the court he was committed to fight on May 5^th. I think they lied and said Pacquiao was ready to fight him. Now they are saying the judge ordered them to fight on May 5? Was the MGM behind this? If the judge says you have to surrender yourself on June 1^st, what the f— does it matter to the judge if you fight on May 5^th or two weeks later?”

A call and text message to Mayweather’s adviser, Leonard Ellerbe, was not immediately returned.

Chris Mannix

http://mma-boxing.si.com/2012/01/18/arum-pacquiaos-next-fight-will-not-be-against-mayweather/

Reports have begun swirling Wednesday evening of the official death to any chance of Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather squaring off the in the spring. The majority of the uproar stemmed from a breaking story by Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated quoting Bob Arum as saying Pacquiao’s return will come on June 9 in an outdoor stadium to be built on the Las Vegas Strip.

Whether Pacquiao returns on June 9 or in late May largely depends on whom he will be facing. An opponent has not yet been decided, mainly because they haven’t yet exhausted all options on what the Hall of Fame promoter insists is their primary goal.

“June 9 is our Plan B for Manny Pacquiao,” Arum told Boxingscene.com Wednesday evening. “Our Plan A is the same that it has been for the past few weeks, to fight Floyd Mayweather at the end of May.”

When exactly the fight can take place has become the latest hurdle in a superfight now more than two years in the waiting. Mayweather recently went on record during a Wednesday afternoon function to insist that he is obligated to fight on May 5 at the MGM Grand.

Arum, a Harvard-educated former lawyer, has a hard time believing that to be true, specifically from a legal precedent.

“No judge ever said that Floyd Mayweather has to fight on a certain day,” Arum states. “Sure, he has to fight before he goes to the clink on June 1. But any day in May is OK. You can read the transcript and the court minutes from that (January 6) hearing – you’ll see the judge never required his next fight to take place on May 5.”

Mayweather was to begin a 90-day sentence on January 6, only for his legal team to plead his case to have his prison term delayed by five months in order to fight in May. Among the reasons cited were the amount of revenue his fights are able generate in the Las Vegas area.

With that in mind, Team Pacquiao continues to question why Mayweather would want to restrict what is suggested to be the most lucrative fight in boxing history, to one venue when another that boasts a much larger capacity would generate that much more money.

“The outdoor stadium we are working on, will seat 38,000,” says Arum. “My initial estimates were 40,000, but it’s a little less.  But you do the arithmetic – a venue more than twice the size of the MGM Grand means you bring in more than twice as much money. It’s a no-brainer.”

What’s not as cut and dry is why the fight can’t take place on May 5.

On the surface, some believe it to be just more posturing in a two-year run filled of both sides going big dick with one another and finding new reasons to not make the fight happen.

For Mayweather’s side, the insistence is that it’s May 5 or bust due to commitments on their end.

For Pacquiao’s side, it’s a matter of Rome not being built in a day.

“Why are we so insistent on the end of May – it’s a fair question,” Arum acknowledges. “We had the architects in here going over all of the plans. The earliest estimate for having the stadium completed is the beginning of May. But of course, you have to be conservative.

“A couple of extra weeks to ensure that it goes up with no lingering problems, it makes the end of the month a no-brainer, and gives Mayweather time to fight before he has to do his bit.”

The back-up plan remains the same four names in previous reports – a rematch with Miguel Cotto; a fourth fight with Juan Manuel Marquez; or challenges from 140 lb. champs Tim Bradley or Lamont Peterson, both of whom are willing to move up in weight for the fight.

Arum insists that he hopes for matters to not reach that point but plans to have a decision in the near future, one way or another.

“We’re going to be making a decision shortly. Hopefully it will be Mayweather. If not, then the other four remain possibilities.”

By Jake Donovan

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=48702

WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao has set his next date, and picked his opponent, and Floyd Mayweather Jr. is not on the menu. In a recent interview with Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated, Top Rank’s CEO Bob Arum revealed that Pacquiao was going to return on June 9th at a new outdoor venue on the Las Vegas Strip. Mayweather is scheduled to fight on May 5th at the MGM Grand. The temporary venue wil be constructed to seat 38,000 fans, says Arum.

Arum would not reveal the name of the opponent. Pacquiao selected his opponent from a list of four names – Juan Manuel Marquez, Timothy Bradley, Miguel Cotto or Lamont Peterson.

Fans were hoping to see Pacquiao fight Mayweather, but Arum will explore the fight in November. In an earlier interview on BoxingScene.com, Mayweather’s adviser, Leonard Ellerbe, said the date of May 5th wouldn’t change – because Mayweather was legally obligated to fight on that particular date. Mayweather’s 90-day jail sentence, for a domestic abuse charge, was delayed to June 1 in order to allow the boxer to fight on May 5th.

“If you postpone it two or three weeks, you can make so much more money. Mayweather told the court he was committed to fight on May 5th. I think they lied and said Pacquiao was ready to fight him. Now they are saying the judge ordered them to fight on May 5? Was the MGM behind this? If the judge says you have to surrender yourself on June 1st, what the f— does it matter to the judge if you fight on May 5th or two weeks later?,” Arum said.

By Edward Chaykosvky

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=48688

The Philippine Star reports that WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao has selected his next opponent – if a deal can’t be reached with Floyd Mayweather Jr. Pacquiao and his promoter, Top Rank’s CEO Bob Arum, sat down yesterday and the veteran promoter saidthe meeting took 30 minutes. There were four choices on the table – WBA/WBO lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez, WBA 154-pound champion Miguel Cotto, WBO junior welterweight champion Tim Bradley and IBF/WBA 140-pound champion Lamont Peterson. Arum would not disclose the name of the opponent.

“We got everything done in 30 minutes,” Arum said. “Yes, he has made the choice. But I’m not gonna talk about it. Now I’m going back and let’s see if we can make what Manny wants to happen. We need to be sure everything is secure and that things are done the way they should be done.”

Arum said Pacquiao is going to fight in the last week of May or the first week of June. If it’s not against Mayweather, then it will be against the opponent he picked.

“Don’t say that,” Arum told a Filipino reporter when asked if Mayweather is out of the picture.

Pacquiao’s adviser, Michael Koncz, expects Pacquiao to make his announcement by the end of next week.

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=48531

Manny Pacquiao could decide today or tomorrow whether he will fight Floyd Mayweather Jr. on May 5th — this according to Manny’s trainer.

Freddie Roach just told TMZ Manny and promoter Bob Arum are in the Philippines, figuring out if they can put off several deals to fight other boxers  … to clear the decks for a Mayweather fight in May.

Roach is scoffing at Mayweather’s tweet, in which he calls Pacquiao a “punk,” saying, “He should look in the mirror.  He’s been ducking us for 2 years.”

As for what weight class Pacquiao will fight Mayweather … Roach said 147 lbs — that’s the upper limit of welterweight.

Of course, even if Pacquiao can rearrange his schedule, both sides have to agree on a financial deal.  Roach says, “We’ll do it on even terms.”

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=48384

“I‘ve said this over and over before and I’m saying this again,I want Floyd Mayweather Jr. to be my next opponent and I haven’t changed my choice despite recent developments.”

Thus World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao declared by way of reacting to reports in media partly blaming him should the projected mega-fight not materialize.

“I am meeting with my promoter, Bob Arum on Tuesday and I will insist that the fight with Mayweather be given the preference than the four others in the list I will fight next,” Pacquiao told this writer in Tagalog in a long distance telephone conversation yesterday from General Santos City.

Asked where and what time his meeting with Arum, will be held, except to say that the American Hall of Fame promoter is arriving today .

“It’s not really fair for some quarters to blame me if, in the long run, the fight wouldn’t push through,” the 33-year-old RING MAGAZINE pound-for-pound best quipped. “As I have also been saying many times before, I fight for the fans. I want the fans to be happy always.”

“Whoever the fans want me to fight, I will face him atop the ring. I don’t choose fight. It is my promoter who does because it’s his job. My job is to fight, everybody must realize that,” Pacquiao, a lawmaker, a singer, movie actor, television host and a columnist, emphasized.

“Whoever says I’m ducking this fighter or that fighter, doesn’t know me, or just plainly wants to put me in bad light,” he surmised. “I never dodged from fighting anybody. If I did, I won’t be where I am now.”

The Pacquiao-Mayweather confrontation, the fight all of the boxing world wants to see, looked to have cleared of the impediments that aborted previous tries for it to materialize after Nevada Justice of the Peace Judge Melissa Saragosa deferred the unbeaten American welterweight 90-day incarceration she herself handed down shortly before year 2011 ended.
Statements coming from Arum though beclouded its realization in May as Mayweratherr himself wants leading every Tom, Dick and Harry to finger-pointing and blaming all those concerned, including the eight-division kingpin. The Harvard graduate Arum wants the Pacquiao-Mayweather showdown held in November instead.

One of the arguments Arum advanced was that since the fight could be biggest in the history of boxing in terms of economics, he wants the fight held in a bigger arena he’s proposing to be constructed in the sing city of Las Vegas rather than the MGM Grand the World Boxing 147-pound belt holder had, in fact, reserved.

“After we’ve met, there will be negotiations between my promoters and his counterpart in whoever I’m going to fight. And you and I know that many things can happen in a negotiation,” he related. “If we agree that I will face Mayweather, then my promoter will talk to his counterpart in the Mayweather camp.”

“When Arum sits in the negotiation table, he will be laying on the table all the conditions we want, which , everybody knew already are simple. That I will abide by his demand for drug testing. I am even agreeable to get lesser purse just so the fight would push through,” he recalled. “In other words, as far as my side is concerned, there will be no problem.”

“We know, too, that Mayweather has no promoter. He negotiates by himself. So if the fight won’t be realized, it’s no longer because of me,” Pacquiao said.

By Eddie Alinea

http://philboxing.com/news/story-65006.html

Veteran trainer Nacho Beristain believes WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao (54-3-2, 38KOs) will possibly select Juan Manuel Marquez (53-6, 39KOs) as his next opponent. In the next few days, Pacquiao is going to hold a meeting with his promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank. Arum is going to present Pacquiao with four possibilities – Lamont Peterson, Miguel Cotto, Timothy Bradley and Marquez. A June return is expected for Pacquiao.

After three close fights, all smeared with controversy, Nacho expects the Filipino star to strongly consider his fighter for a fourth bout.

“Pacquiao is obsessed with beating Juan,” Nacho said.

Their last bout came on November 12th. Pacquiao won a close twelve round majority decision, with many at ringside disputing the final verdict. Nacho saw a few things that Marquez could correct for a fourth meeting.

“I thought Juan Manuel was a little slow, but he was very strong. He will work on that aspect. With more explosive speed, I’m sure Juan would have taken Pacquiao down. It was clear that Pacquiao was desperate [in the third fight], and at times he was attacking [Juan] with everything, but he couldn’t knock [Juan] out,” Nacho said.

There are several problems to prevent a fourth meeting. Marquez refuses to face Pacquiao in Las Vegas, but doesn’t have a problem with Texas. There are finances. Pacquiao has already made comments that he wants a guaranteed purse of $28 million for a fourth bout with Marquez. Marquez doesn’t have a problem with Pacquiao’s requesting a high purse, as long as both parties are taken care of. But with Floyd Mayweather Jr. reserving Cinco De Mayo weekend on HBO pay-per-view, Pacquiao’s return is forced to the month of June where a Marquez fight might not be a profitable.

By Miguel Rivera

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=48276

Speculation persists that WBO world welterweight champion Manny “Pac-Man” Pacquiao and WBC world welterweight titlist “Pretty Boy” Floyd Mayweather will meet May 5 in Las Vegas at a venue to be determined.

Pacquiao (53-3-2, 38 KOs), the first pugilist in history to win 10 world crowns in eight separate weight divisions, earned an extremely controversial majority decision victory over WBA, WBO and The Ring lightweight king “Dinamita” Juan Manuel Marquez in their third fight last month at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

In stark contrast to Pacquiao, Mayweather (42-0, 26 KOs) badly outclassed, and essentially embarrassed, Marquez (53-6-1, 38 KOs) with a shutout unanimous decision triumph in September 2009.

Pacquiao, named “Fighter of the Decade” for the 2000s by the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA), is an extremely powerful puncher with lighting-fast hands.

Nevertheless, Pacquiao’s legendary trainer, Freddie Roach, told abs-cbnnews.com Wednesday that he cautioned his fighter that Mayweather may possess even slightly quicker fists.

“I will bring in a whole new crew of sparring partners, guys that can imitate Floyd well,” said Roach, 51, a native of Dedham (Mass.) who was voted Trainer of the Year on four occasions by (BWAA). “There isn’t a lot of guys in the world that are like Floyd, so it would be tough to find them. We would prepare for his counter punching ability, and his speed, which is maybe equal to Manny’s, if not better.”

Mayweather, a spectacular talent who has captured nine world titles in five different boxing weight classes, has essentially dominated the sport of boxing since he made his professional debut with a second round TKO victory over Roberto Apodaca in October 1996.

“Pretty Boy” is a man whose ample abilities have primarily allowed him to avoid facing adversity in the ring.

In all likelihood, Mayweather is a better boxer than Pacquiao and he would be a decided favorite if the two ever clash in the future.

Still, Roach is confident that Pacquiao could exploit Mayweather’s flaws and overcome the dominant loudmouth.

“I think we can take advantage of those habits,” said Roach. “He does have some bad habits that can be exposed.”

One of Mayweather’s “bad habits” may not actually be a visual fault.

Unlike Pacquiao, Mayweather has never been in a violent struggle and his tenacity has been questioned by some critics.

To emerge victorious over the more complete Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao “can take advantage” of his oversized heart and attempt to vanquish “Pretty Boy’s” willpower as the rounds pass.

As 42 other prizefighters have discovered, such a simple plan may be prove to be utterly complex.

http://www.examiner.com/boxing-in-boston/roach-says-pacquiao-can-take-advantage-of-mayweather

Sebastian Lujan, from Rosario, Argentina, put up a hard fight against rising star, the undefeated Mike Jones, 25-0 (18 KOs), but was ineffective and Jones had little trouble copping a unanimous decision and earning the right to face KO artist Randall Bailey for the vacant IBF Welterweight belt. He also successfully defended his NABO and NABA belts on the undercard of Cotto-Margarito at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Using his long arms and four inch height advantages to their fullest, Jones, a Philly fighter, completely dominated Lujan, 146 pounds, throughout except for the seventh when Jones appeared to take the round off.

Very simple; Jones, also 146 pounds, had too much of everything but courage over Lujan who never stopped trying. It wasn’t a beat down, but Lujan had little more the heart to fight the talented Jones.

Round after round Jones used jabs and uppercuts often throw from outside, to control and batter an ever pressing Lujan. Late in the eleventh Lujan, 38-6-2 (24 KOs), was hurt from a left hook/straight right combination. The bell sound right after Jones landed a similar combination again.

Lujan’s punches were wide and wild, so Jones found them easy to avoid and land his own, more accurate, punches. The referee was Steve Willis.

The scores of the officials were 118-110, and 119-109 twice, all for Jones on this Top Rank promotion.

By: SecondsOut

http://www.doghouseboxing.com/DHB/SOut1206e11.htm

El campeón latino welter de la Organización Mundial de Boxeo (OMB), el invicto bonaerense Diego “La Joya” Chaves, está satisfecho luego de haber obtenido una de las victorias más importantes de su carrera, al fulminar con un contundente gancho al hígado en el tercer asalto al experimentado cordobés Jorge “El Chino” Miranda, defendiendo así por quinta ocasión su corona, el pasado sábado en el patinódromo del Club Vélez Sarsfield, de la ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.

A pesar de haber tenido enfrente un rival con amplia trayectoria internacional y que antes de subir al ring lo triplicaba en cantidad de combates (57 contra 19), Chaves (20-0, 16 KOs) dominó ampliamente las acciones y castigó duramente a Miranda (44-13-0-1 sd, 16 KOs) previo a la categórica definición. Sin embargo, quien fuera reconocido como el Boxeador Latino del Año por la OMB en su 24ª Convención Anual de Puerto Rico, prefiere no saltear etapas. A pesar ocupar el 4to. lugar en el ranking welter de la OMB, 5to. de la Asociación Mundial de Boxeo (AMB), y el 15to. de la Federación Internacional de Boxeo (FIB), prefiere seguir haciendo su trabajo. No se apura. Pero si una oportunidad mundialista se concreta, estará listo.

“Fue una de las peleas más importantes de mi carrera. La victoria y de la forma que se dio fue algo importante. Sabía que era un rival fuerte y con experiencia, pero también sabía que a medida que me fuera soltando con mis golpes al cuerpo lo iba a sentir y se iba a ir aflojando. Pero no creí que fuera tan rápido”, afirmó “La Joya”, durante una comunicación telefónica mantenida en la noche del domingo en el programa radial “Ring Side en el Aire” , que conduce Carlos Irusta, por Radio La Red, de Buenos Aires, Argentina.

La definición con gancho zurdo al hígado en el tercer round dejó al “Chino” arrodillado en la lona por varios segundos, sin atisbo de reacción. “Entró con justeza -continuó-. Ya lo había tocado un par de veces con la derecha al plexo y lo había sentido. Pero el gancho al hígado fue algo muy justo”.

El festejo tuvo como cuota extra el hecho de estar combatiendo por tercera vez en su casa, Vélez Sarsfield, club al que representa y del que es simpatizante (además de haberse desempeñado como futbolista en las divisiones inferiores, hasta la cuarta). Otro velezano que brilló en la noche del sábado fue el campeón superwelter OMB, el también bonaerense Javier “La Bestia” Maciel, quien estrenó su corona con otro fulminante gancho al hígado para noquear en 35 segundos al uruguayo Néstor Faccio. Por ello, la alegría de los fanáticos fue más que completa. Incluso, ya se menciona la posibilidad de montar una velada al aire libre en el estadio José Amalfitani (de fútbol) que tiene capacidad para más de 50 mil personas, con combates de amplia trascendencia.

“Sabíamos que ganarle a Miranda iba a ser algo importante. Y de la forma en que lo hicimos, lo hizo aún más especial. Por eso el festejo”, señaló el nacido en San Miguel hace 25 años, quien agregó: “Creo que estamos devolviéndolo a Vélez lo que nos da con las victorias contundentes que estamos teniendo. Con Javier estamos súper contentos por todo el apoyo que nos el club. Estamos a la expectativa, esperando que nos toque una chance. Pelear en el estadio sería algo muy especial e importante para los dos. Estamos muy contentos también por el esfuerzo que está haciendo nuestro representante, Mario Margossian, y todos nuestros sponsors. Ojalá más clubes se contagiaran a Vélez y colaboraran con el boxeo para sacar más chicos de la calle”.

En relación a su futuro, a pesar de poseer el cinturón latino OMB welter, “La Joya” es consciente de que quien reina en la categoría, el filipino Manny Pacquiao, está varios escalones arriba. Si bien como todo boxeador se ilusiona con llegar a lo máximo, se concentra en su actualidad.

“Manny Pacquiao está muy por encima nuestro. Estamos haciendo una buena carrera, y debemos ir de a poco. En algún momento tendremos una chance y no habrá que desaprovecharla. Pero hay que vivir el momento, y seguir tranquilo, paso a paso”, aseguró.

“Día a día tengo que esforzarme más. Ahora las peleas van a ser cada vez más duras y más complicadas. Hay que trabajar el doble de lo que se trabajó hasta hoy. Creo que mi desempeño el sábado fue algo muy bueno y de muy buena calidad de boxeo. Creo que demostré mi crecimiento arriba del ring. Así que a seguir esforzándome al máximo y dando lo mejor de mí día a día en el gimnasio, para después llevarlo al ring. Así, cuando la oportunidad llegue, tendré que estar listo“, culminó.

http://www.notifight.com/artman2/publish/Entrevista_6/Joya_Chaves_aguarda_mayores_desaf_os.php

In the 12 round main event Saturday night, unbeaten WBO Latino Welterweight champion Diego Chaves (20-0, 16 KOs) of Argentina spectacularly stopped countryman Jorge Miranda (44-13, 16 KOs) in round 3 at the patinódromo del Club Atlético Vélez Sarsfield, in Buenos Aires, Argentina to retain his WBO latino title.

WBO Latino Jr. Mddleweight champion Javier Maciel (20-2, 13 KOs) of Argentina easily dispatched Néstor Faccio (15-4-2, 9 KOs) of Uruguay in less than one round in the co-feature. Maciel valiently dropped a competitive decision to current world champion Dmitry Pirog earlier this past March in Pirog’s native Russia. The event was promoted by Mario Margossian.

http://www.fightnews.com/Boxing/chavesmaciel-stop-foes-102875

WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquaio is confident that he won a twelve round decision in his trilogy fight with Juan Manuel Marquez on November 12th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Probably since the second fight with Marquez in 2008, Pacquiao has dominated the competition – including lopsided wins over Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Joshua Clottey, David Diaz, Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito.

The third bout with Marquez was another close fight. Pacquiao won a twelve round majority decision, scores of 114-114, 116-112 and 115-113. There are many people who scored the fight in favor of Marquez. Because of his recent string of wins, Pacquiao told Filipino reporters that everyone expects one-sided performances in every fight but boxing doesn’t work like that.

“I believed that before the bout was over, I was ahead and winning. [But] I was not convinced in my performance and I wasn’t able to deliver what the people expected of me. That’s boxing. There are instances where you don’t win through a one-sided fight. You can’t always beat your opponent in a lopsided way. They also have fists. It so happened that my fight was a close fight,” Pacquiao said.

By Pawel Pronishev

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=46280

WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao returned home to the Philippines and as usual he was mobbed by the local fans, who greeted the boxer as he arrived from the United States. Pacquiao won a twelve round majority decision over Juan Manuel Marquez on November 12th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Pacquiao would later attend mass at the Quiapo Church in Manila.

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=46263