Boxing News Thread
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Please show me some proof that Manny agreed to random drug testing. LOL. You can't show any proof because Manny never agreed to random drug testing. Manny is still talking about a 18 day cut-off window. But random drug testing has no cut-off window. Manny fans are to dumb to tell the difference between random drug testing and drug testing with cut-off days of no testing for 18 days leading up to the fight. But keep on acting like Manny agreed to random drug testing. SMH..
Mayweather guaranteed $40 million for Ortiz bout
By Dan Ambrose: Unbeaten Floyd Mayweather Jr. is reportedly getting $40 million to fight WBC welterweight champion Victor Ortiz, according to the latest boxing news. That’s huge money for Mayweather, and to get that kind of bread you got assume that Golden Boy Promotions, Mayweather’s promoters, are expecting huge pay per view numbers for the Mayweather-Ortiz bout on September 17th.
I don’t know how Mayweather can make that much unless he’s getting a giant 90-10 purse split with Ortiz. Even then, I just don’t know how popular the Mayweather-Ortiz fight will prove to be among boxing fans. To be sure, Ortiz has a following among the large Mexican community in the United States but he’s only now starting to make a name for himself after beating WBC welterweight champion Andre Berto last April.
If Mayweather can get $40 million for Ortiz, then there really isn’t any point in Mayweather going through the hassles of trying to make a deal for a fight against Manny Pacquiao. I mean who needs Pacquiao if you can get $40 million fighting the likes of Ortiz. Mayweather wouldn’t have to deal with any weight penalties and would be able to get things slanted in his favor in terms of negotiations. Other issues like drug testing would also be a breeze for Mayweather. Ortiz and Mayweather are reportedly already on board for the Olympic style drug testing that Mayweather had wanted before he would face Pacquiao.
By Dan Ambrose: Unbeaten Floyd Mayweather Jr. is reportedly getting $40 million to fight WBC welterweight champion Victor Ortiz, according to the latest boxing news. That’s huge money for Mayweather, and to get that kind of bread you got assume that Golden Boy Promotions, Mayweather’s promoters, are expecting huge pay per view numbers for the Mayweather-Ortiz bout on September 17th.
I don’t know how Mayweather can make that much unless he’s getting a giant 90-10 purse split with Ortiz. Even then, I just don’t know how popular the Mayweather-Ortiz fight will prove to be among boxing fans. To be sure, Ortiz has a following among the large Mexican community in the United States but he’s only now starting to make a name for himself after beating WBC welterweight champion Andre Berto last April.
If Mayweather can get $40 million for Ortiz, then there really isn’t any point in Mayweather going through the hassles of trying to make a deal for a fight against Manny Pacquiao. I mean who needs Pacquiao if you can get $40 million fighting the likes of Ortiz. Mayweather wouldn’t have to deal with any weight penalties and would be able to get things slanted in his favor in terms of negotiations. Other issues like drug testing would also be a breeze for Mayweather. Ortiz and Mayweather are reportedly already on board for the Olympic style drug testing that Mayweather had wanted before he would face Pacquiao.
Mayweather shows pure genious by picking Ortiz to fight
By Dan Ambrose: Once again, Floyd Mayweather Jr. does one better than Manny Pacquiao by facing top WBC welterweight champion Victor Ortiz to fight next on September 17th. What makes this fight so good is that Ortiz is perhaps the number #3 guy in the entire welterweight division behind Mayweather and Pacquiao. Ortiz proved himself worthy of the #3 spot by beating Andre Berto in April in one of the most exciting fights of the year.
The bout draw big ratings and made Ortiz a star overnight. Pacquiao could have selected Ortiz to fight first before Mayweather chose him. Instead, Pacquiao will be facing 38-year-old Juan Manuel Marquez for a third time. That’s certainly a fight not to dismiss, but it’s not the same kind of fight that Mayweather-Ortiz is. The reason is simple. Marquez isn’t a welterweight, and he’s being asked to fight Pacquiao at pretty much the full weight of the welterweight limit minus three pounds at 144 lbs.
That’s not a good weight for Marquez, as he showed in his lopsided 12 round decision loss to Mayweather in 2009. And yet here Marquez is being asked to fight Pacquiao at 144. What it does is it takes away the excitement from the fight, because it puts Marquez in a bad situation where he’s likely going to struggle because of the added weight he’ll be forced to put. And that’s going to give Pacquiao, the younger fighter, an even bigger advantage.
Pacquiao has already got the advantage of youth and hand speed working on his side against Marquez, but now he gets the weight as well. That’s just too many cards stacked in Pacquiao’s favor and it takes away the excitement for this fight. Pacquiao and his team could have met Marquez halfway at 140 lbs, which would have at least given him a better shot at winning instead of asking him to come up to 144. But the Mayweather-Ortiz is better because Ortiz is younger and isn’t starting to deteriorate like the soon to be 38-year-old Marquez. Ortiz is at the same weight as Mayweather, and there won’t be any need for catchweight for this bout.
By taking Ortiz off the table, Mayweather removes one more fighter for Pacquiao that he could have fought. Naturally, that doesn’t mean that Pacquiao won’t fight Ortiz at a later day to get sloppy seconds. We’ve already seen that Pacquiao isn’t concerned about being labeled by some boxing fans as a fighter that takes on Mayweather’s lefthovers, as a result of Pacquiao’s fights against Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and soon to Marquez after Mayweather had already fought and beaten them all. Pacquiao can always face Ortiz after Mayweather beats him, but it might be the smartest thing for him to do. With Pacquiao facing guys like Miguel Cotto, Joshua Clottey, Antonio Margarito and Mosley, Mayweather may have upped the ante by facing a prime Ortiz rather than a handful of fighters that are arguably not the same fighters they once were due to the effects of age and terrible beatings.
By Dan Ambrose: Once again, Floyd Mayweather Jr. does one better than Manny Pacquiao by facing top WBC welterweight champion Victor Ortiz to fight next on September 17th. What makes this fight so good is that Ortiz is perhaps the number #3 guy in the entire welterweight division behind Mayweather and Pacquiao. Ortiz proved himself worthy of the #3 spot by beating Andre Berto in April in one of the most exciting fights of the year.
The bout draw big ratings and made Ortiz a star overnight. Pacquiao could have selected Ortiz to fight first before Mayweather chose him. Instead, Pacquiao will be facing 38-year-old Juan Manuel Marquez for a third time. That’s certainly a fight not to dismiss, but it’s not the same kind of fight that Mayweather-Ortiz is. The reason is simple. Marquez isn’t a welterweight, and he’s being asked to fight Pacquiao at pretty much the full weight of the welterweight limit minus three pounds at 144 lbs.
That’s not a good weight for Marquez, as he showed in his lopsided 12 round decision loss to Mayweather in 2009. And yet here Marquez is being asked to fight Pacquiao at 144. What it does is it takes away the excitement from the fight, because it puts Marquez in a bad situation where he’s likely going to struggle because of the added weight he’ll be forced to put. And that’s going to give Pacquiao, the younger fighter, an even bigger advantage.
Pacquiao has already got the advantage of youth and hand speed working on his side against Marquez, but now he gets the weight as well. That’s just too many cards stacked in Pacquiao’s favor and it takes away the excitement for this fight. Pacquiao and his team could have met Marquez halfway at 140 lbs, which would have at least given him a better shot at winning instead of asking him to come up to 144. But the Mayweather-Ortiz is better because Ortiz is younger and isn’t starting to deteriorate like the soon to be 38-year-old Marquez. Ortiz is at the same weight as Mayweather, and there won’t be any need for catchweight for this bout.
By taking Ortiz off the table, Mayweather removes one more fighter for Pacquiao that he could have fought. Naturally, that doesn’t mean that Pacquiao won’t fight Ortiz at a later day to get sloppy seconds. We’ve already seen that Pacquiao isn’t concerned about being labeled by some boxing fans as a fighter that takes on Mayweather’s lefthovers, as a result of Pacquiao’s fights against Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and soon to Marquez after Mayweather had already fought and beaten them all. Pacquiao can always face Ortiz after Mayweather beats him, but it might be the smartest thing for him to do. With Pacquiao facing guys like Miguel Cotto, Joshua Clottey, Antonio Margarito and Mosley, Mayweather may have upped the ante by facing a prime Ortiz rather than a handful of fighters that are arguably not the same fighters they once were due to the effects of age and terrible beatings.
Martirosyan wants a shot at Saul Alvarez
By Jason Kim: Number #4 ranked WBC junior middleweight contender Vanes Martirosyan (30-0, 19 KO’s) struggled to beat the hard hitting Saul Roman (34-9, 29 KO’s) last Saturday night in a 7th round TKO victory at the Staples Center, in Los Angeles, California. Martirosyan found out the hard way how tough Roman was, as Martirosyan was knocked down in the 1st round, cut badly under his right eye in the 5th and took a lot of hard shots from Roman throughout the fight until finally Martirosyan took Roman out with a furious assault in the 7th round.
After the fight, Martirosyan’s trainer Freddie Roach called out WBC junior middleweight champion Saul Alvarez on Martirosyan’s behalf, saying “Everybody is talking about how great [Alvarez] is. I think Vanes would knock him out in one round. Vanes won the eliminator to face him. Let’s see how good Canelo really is.”
Roach seems to be trying to jump Martirosyan ahead of the line because Alvarez already has a fight coming up against Ryan Rhodes on June 18th, and after that Alvarez will likely go after a big name like Ricardo Mayorga for a nice payday. Mayorga is a bigger name than Martirosyan and much better at drumming up interest for a fight than him as well. If Roach is in a hurry to have his fighter get a title shot, he might want to try and get Martirosyan a fight with WBO junior middleweight champion Sergiy Dzinziruk instead.
Obviously, the money and the attention that Martirosyan would get for a fight against Dzinziruk would likely be less than for a fight against Alvarez. But besides that, Dzinziruk would be problems for Martirosyan because he’s got great boxing skills and he might be too good for him. Martirosyan didn’t look very special against Roman. Indeed, he looked skinny, easy to hit and not that big of a puncher. I think Alvarez would beat Martirosyan, as would Dzinziruk. If I was Roach, instead of calling out fighters that my fighter wasn’t ready to beat, I would try to teach him some defense and how to move his head. Martirosyan has got a lot of problems on defense that need fixing.
By Jason Kim: Number #4 ranked WBC junior middleweight contender Vanes Martirosyan (30-0, 19 KO’s) struggled to beat the hard hitting Saul Roman (34-9, 29 KO’s) last Saturday night in a 7th round TKO victory at the Staples Center, in Los Angeles, California. Martirosyan found out the hard way how tough Roman was, as Martirosyan was knocked down in the 1st round, cut badly under his right eye in the 5th and took a lot of hard shots from Roman throughout the fight until finally Martirosyan took Roman out with a furious assault in the 7th round.
After the fight, Martirosyan’s trainer Freddie Roach called out WBC junior middleweight champion Saul Alvarez on Martirosyan’s behalf, saying “Everybody is talking about how great [Alvarez] is. I think Vanes would knock him out in one round. Vanes won the eliminator to face him. Let’s see how good Canelo really is.”
Roach seems to be trying to jump Martirosyan ahead of the line because Alvarez already has a fight coming up against Ryan Rhodes on June 18th, and after that Alvarez will likely go after a big name like Ricardo Mayorga for a nice payday. Mayorga is a bigger name than Martirosyan and much better at drumming up interest for a fight than him as well. If Roach is in a hurry to have his fighter get a title shot, he might want to try and get Martirosyan a fight with WBO junior middleweight champion Sergiy Dzinziruk instead.
Obviously, the money and the attention that Martirosyan would get for a fight against Dzinziruk would likely be less than for a fight against Alvarez. But besides that, Dzinziruk would be problems for Martirosyan because he’s got great boxing skills and he might be too good for him. Martirosyan didn’t look very special against Roman. Indeed, he looked skinny, easy to hit and not that big of a puncher. I think Alvarez would beat Martirosyan, as would Dzinziruk. If I was Roach, instead of calling out fighters that my fighter wasn’t ready to beat, I would try to teach him some defense and how to move his head. Martirosyan has got a lot of problems on defense that need fixing.
Anthony Dirrell vs. Michi Munoz on 7/2
By Scott Gilfoid: Undefeated super middleweight Anthony Dirrell (21-0, 18 KO’s) will be facing Michi Munoz (23-6, 16 KO’s) next month on July 2nd at the Atwood stadium in Flint, Michigan. Dirrell, 26, is the younger brother of super middleweight contender and former Super Six tournament contestant Andre Dirrell. Anthony Dirrell has blazing hand speed like his talented brother Andre, but is more aggressive and willing to let his hands go in his fights.
Anthony has less Matrix-like defensive skills compared to Andre, but he’s close enough to be very hard to hit. Both Dirrell brothers are like taller versions of Roy Jones Jr. and Floyd Mayweather Jr. in terms of their athleticism and boxing s
By Scott Gilfoid: Undefeated super middleweight Anthony Dirrell (21-0, 18 KO’s) will be facing Michi Munoz (23-6, 16 KO’s) next month on July 2nd at the Atwood stadium in Flint, Michigan. Dirrell, 26, is the younger brother of super middleweight contender and former Super Six tournament contestant Andre Dirrell. Anthony Dirrell has blazing hand speed like his talented brother Andre, but is more aggressive and willing to let his hands go in his fights.
Anthony has less Matrix-like defensive skills compared to Andre, but he’s close enough to be very hard to hit. Both Dirrell brothers are like taller versions of Roy Jones Jr. and Floyd Mayweather Jr. in terms of their athleticism and boxing s
Mayweather—Ortiz, A Compelling Fight Even If It Isn’t…
By Paul Albano: Alas, Vicious Victor Ortiz isn’t a pseudonym of Manny Pacquiao. And thus the biggest event in boxing remains the hypothetical it’s been for two years—which is a travesty, and quite frankly, embarrassing for the sport, the two fighters, their promoters, and everyone involved. Yet, none of that should obscure the fight that was announced Tuesday. Because, as booby prizes go, Mayweather-Ortiz not only isn’t half bad, but it just might be the most interesting fight of the year.
Regardless of which guy you may have sworn a blood-oath to, most Mayweather and Pacquiao supporters (or as they’re sometimes more poetically referred to, Flomos and Pactards) would agree that the recent opponents for both have been…well…somewhere between disappointing and crushingly disappointing. The common thread is that both fighters have sought out rivals that are either old, small, coming off a loss, Joshua Clottey, or some combination of the four—essentially acting like prospects trying to pad a record, rather than the champions willing to prove themselves against any and all comers that we want them to be.
(In fact, I’d guess Ortiz, 29-2-2, got the golden ticket because 1) Mayweather reportedly owes like a billion dollars in back taxes, 2) Ortiz is a newly minted star coming off an upset victory, and if you’re ever going to really get credit for beating him, now might be the time, 3) though Ortiz does have legit boxing ability, he’s most successful as a pressure fighter—one with little use for subtitles like jabbing—and Mayweather is by skill and temperament a counter-puncher tailor-made for pressure fighters, and 4) Ortiz isn’t hard to find, and while his jaw certainly isn’t glass, he’s no stranger to the canvass either.)
But all of that ambient noise belies the main point—this is still a great fight. And if it’s not that, it’s still damn compelling. Part of reason is the constant intrigue that Pretty Boy Floyd so generously provides. As a personality, Mayweather is engaging, brash, delusional, irreverent, ego-maniacal, confident/arrogant, narcissistic, funny, loquacious…and whatever else means the exact and total opposite of boring, humble, and self-deprecating. As a fighter, he’s the consummate practitioner of the sweet science—sickeningly athletic, a precise puncher with real power when he chooses to use it, and reflexes so sharp they border on prescience. Together, Mayweather is polarizing like politics, the Miami Heat, or one of those avant-garde art exhibits in New York City where an artiste dresses as Jesus and urinates on something. Yet, since beating the PPV kingmaker himself, Oscar De La Hoya in 2007, Mayweather has morphed into the Terrence Malick of boxers—producing fights that, though skillfully executed, are rarely exciting, and most maddeningly of all, pretentiously infrequent. So Mayweather against nearly anybody bears paying attention to, if for no other reason than we never know when, or if, his next fight will happen (though whenever he needs lots of money is probably a good guess).
Except the beauty of it all is that Ortiz isn’t just anybody. He’s not cannon fodder, or a feather-fisted tune-up, or a past his prime ex-champ cashing in on his name and legacy. Instead, Ortiz, 24, is a former blue chip prospect—a young, hungry, up and comer fresh off a significant win that redeemed his career and gave him a second chance at the greatness he once seemed destined for. He’s also physically bigger and stronger than Mayweather, and not totally overmatched athletically. Plus, Ortiz has knockout power in both hands, a willingness to throw meaningful punches, and as he proved against Andre Berto, the resolve to battle through adversity (which I honestly never thought I’d say about him). Add the intrigue of Mayweather, 34, entering his mid-thirties, and coming off of what will be a 16 month layoff, and the unbeaten record (41-0) he fetishes will be genuinely at risk. It still isn’t Floyd and Manny, but at least the fight scene is more interesting now than it was on Monday.
By Paul Albano: Alas, Vicious Victor Ortiz isn’t a pseudonym of Manny Pacquiao. And thus the biggest event in boxing remains the hypothetical it’s been for two years—which is a travesty, and quite frankly, embarrassing for the sport, the two fighters, their promoters, and everyone involved. Yet, none of that should obscure the fight that was announced Tuesday. Because, as booby prizes go, Mayweather-Ortiz not only isn’t half bad, but it just might be the most interesting fight of the year.
Regardless of which guy you may have sworn a blood-oath to, most Mayweather and Pacquiao supporters (or as they’re sometimes more poetically referred to, Flomos and Pactards) would agree that the recent opponents for both have been…well…somewhere between disappointing and crushingly disappointing. The common thread is that both fighters have sought out rivals that are either old, small, coming off a loss, Joshua Clottey, or some combination of the four—essentially acting like prospects trying to pad a record, rather than the champions willing to prove themselves against any and all comers that we want them to be.
(In fact, I’d guess Ortiz, 29-2-2, got the golden ticket because 1) Mayweather reportedly owes like a billion dollars in back taxes, 2) Ortiz is a newly minted star coming off an upset victory, and if you’re ever going to really get credit for beating him, now might be the time, 3) though Ortiz does have legit boxing ability, he’s most successful as a pressure fighter—one with little use for subtitles like jabbing—and Mayweather is by skill and temperament a counter-puncher tailor-made for pressure fighters, and 4) Ortiz isn’t hard to find, and while his jaw certainly isn’t glass, he’s no stranger to the canvass either.)
But all of that ambient noise belies the main point—this is still a great fight. And if it’s not that, it’s still damn compelling. Part of reason is the constant intrigue that Pretty Boy Floyd so generously provides. As a personality, Mayweather is engaging, brash, delusional, irreverent, ego-maniacal, confident/arrogant, narcissistic, funny, loquacious…and whatever else means the exact and total opposite of boring, humble, and self-deprecating. As a fighter, he’s the consummate practitioner of the sweet science—sickeningly athletic, a precise puncher with real power when he chooses to use it, and reflexes so sharp they border on prescience. Together, Mayweather is polarizing like politics, the Miami Heat, or one of those avant-garde art exhibits in New York City where an artiste dresses as Jesus and urinates on something. Yet, since beating the PPV kingmaker himself, Oscar De La Hoya in 2007, Mayweather has morphed into the Terrence Malick of boxers—producing fights that, though skillfully executed, are rarely exciting, and most maddeningly of all, pretentiously infrequent. So Mayweather against nearly anybody bears paying attention to, if for no other reason than we never know when, or if, his next fight will happen (though whenever he needs lots of money is probably a good guess).
Except the beauty of it all is that Ortiz isn’t just anybody. He’s not cannon fodder, or a feather-fisted tune-up, or a past his prime ex-champ cashing in on his name and legacy. Instead, Ortiz, 24, is a former blue chip prospect—a young, hungry, up and comer fresh off a significant win that redeemed his career and gave him a second chance at the greatness he once seemed destined for. He’s also physically bigger and stronger than Mayweather, and not totally overmatched athletically. Plus, Ortiz has knockout power in both hands, a willingness to throw meaningful punches, and as he proved against Andre Berto, the resolve to battle through adversity (which I honestly never thought I’d say about him). Add the intrigue of Mayweather, 34, entering his mid-thirties, and coming off of what will be a 16 month layoff, and the unbeaten record (41-0) he fetishes will be genuinely at risk. It still isn’t Floyd and Manny, but at least the fight scene is more interesting now than it was on Monday.
Mayweather-Pacquiao could happen after all
By Kevin Iole, Yahoo! Sports
Floyd Mayweather Jr. gets beaten up a lot. In the media. On the Internet. By reporters. By fans.
But the erstwhile pound-for-pound champion has yet to be beaten where it matters – in the ring. Mayweather is 41-0-0, which, if you’d forgotten, is three fewer losses and two fewer draws than are on Manny Pacquiao’s record. And if you didn’t know that, just listen to Mayweather speak for a while. He’ll be quick to remind you of it.
The guy is a genius. He may not be the nicest guy you’ll run into and you definitely don’t want to draw the security patrol duty in his neighborhood, but he knows how to grab attention and sell himself.
When he announced on Twitter on Tuesday that he’s returning to boxing to face Victor Ortiz for the World Boxing Council welterweight title on Sept. 17, the news lit up boxing forums like Glitter Gulch, which is not far from the Las Vegas mansion in which Mayweather lives.
It’s going to be a massive pay-per-view and likely will exceed the 1.4 million units that Mayweather sold for his May 1, 2010, drubbing of Shane Mosley. Given Ortiz’s win over Andre Berto and Mayweather’s ability to command an audience, it wouldn’t be a shock if the fight surpassed 1.5 million sales.
Generating revenue like that is why Mayweather can afford to make $100,000 bets on basketball games when he’s bored.
Under the circumstances, a Mayweather-Ortiz match is one of the best fights that could be made. Of course, the fight that everyone really wants to see is Mayweather against Pacquiao, rivals for the spot as boxing’s biggest draw and finest fighter.
Ortiz has long been a talented, though perplexing fighter. The whole was never seemingly as good as the sum of his parts. And then came April and Ortiz burst out in a big way when he routed Andre Berto to claim the WBC belt. That version of Ortiz, the fast, big, aggressive and mostly importantly, determined guy, is a legitimate threat to beat just about anyone in the world.
Don’t, for a moment, though, think he’s going to beat Mayweather. He’s not. Ortiz is good, perhaps even very good. Mayweather, though, like Pacquiao, is great. Don’t be surprised if the Mayweather-Ortiz fight turns out to be a replica of Mayweather’s signature performance, a Jan. 20, 2001, victory over the late Diego Corrales in which he knocked Corrales down five times.
A strong powerful puncher like Ortiz, much like Corrales more than a decade before, will be neutered by Mayweather’s defensive wizardry, ring awareness and precise punching. There is no one in the game today harder to hit with a combination than Floyd Mayweather Jr. But even more significantly, Mayweather is so in control of what goes on in the ring that he’s rarely hit with a punch he does not see.
Punches a fighter does not see are the ones which hurt them and wind up knocking them out. Most world-class fighters can absorb a punch they see coming unless they’re fighting someone who hits like Mike Tyson.
Mosley wobbled Mayweather in the second round of their bout last year, but he pretty much couldn’t land another blow the rest of the way. Mayweather may have been hurt one or two other times in his career – DeMarcus Corley briefly seemed to have him in jeopardy – but nothing else really obvious springs to mind.
The genius of this match with Ortiz is that it will come about two months before Pacquiao fights Juan Manuel Marquez on Nov. 12 in Las Vegas. Pacquiao will be in the early days of his training camp for Marquez when Mayweather climbs into the ring to face Ortiz, presumably at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, though that was not announced on Tuesday.
But Mayweather could invite Pacquiao to come to the fight as his guest. He could infuriate Pacquiao’s loyal legion of followers, who become irate if one says anything that could in any way be construed as remotely critical of Pacquiao, by taunting him and telling him to watch how a real professional operates.
Of course, you know he’ll taunt Pacquiao for picking at his leftovers. Mayweather won 11 of 12 rounds against Mosley in 2010 and won all 12 in a demolition of Marquez in 2009. He also beat Ricky Hatton and Oscar De La Hoya before Pacquiao did the same.
That will just up the ante for a fight between them, one that would almost certainly shatter every existing record in terms of revenue generated, paid gate and pay-per-views sold.
The thing that makes a Mayweather-Pacquiao match so fascinating is the great contrast in style. Mayweather is a defensive maestro and an underrated offensive fighter whose jab sets up a range of other punches, all of which are delivered with near-perfect precision and blinding speed. Pacquiao is an offensive machine whose overwhelming punching power and killer instinct make up for whatever small defensive holes he may have.
Golden Boy, which is promoting Mayweather, and Top Rank, which promotes Pacquiao, couldn’t have asked for anything better: Pacquiao sitting ringside at Mayweather-Ortiz on Sept. 17 and then Mayweather cheering on Marquez at ringside at Pacquiao-Marquez on Nov. 12.
The fact that Mayweather chose as his opponent Ortiz, a strong, powerful offensive fighter just moving into his prime rather than a fading Paul Spadafora, could be construed as a sign that he’s getting himself ready for the offensive onslaught he may see when he takes on Pacquiao.
The Mayweather-Ortiz fight is, by itself, a top-notch bout. It’s starting to look, however, as if it’s the first of two preliminary bouts – with Pacquiao-Marquez being the other – leading to an inevitable fight between them next year.
Let’s say Mayweather wins nine of 12 rounds against Ortiz on Sept. 17. Then Pacquiao finally exorcises the demons and puts Marquez away in the final third of their fight on Nov. 12.
What would that lead to? Why, Mayweather-Pacquiao, on May 5, 2012.
Don’t point out all the potential pitfalls lurking that could prevent a Mayweather-Pacquiao fight.
By Kevin Iole, Yahoo! Sports
Floyd Mayweather Jr. gets beaten up a lot. In the media. On the Internet. By reporters. By fans.
But the erstwhile pound-for-pound champion has yet to be beaten where it matters – in the ring. Mayweather is 41-0-0, which, if you’d forgotten, is three fewer losses and two fewer draws than are on Manny Pacquiao’s record. And if you didn’t know that, just listen to Mayweather speak for a while. He’ll be quick to remind you of it.
The guy is a genius. He may not be the nicest guy you’ll run into and you definitely don’t want to draw the security patrol duty in his neighborhood, but he knows how to grab attention and sell himself.
When he announced on Twitter on Tuesday that he’s returning to boxing to face Victor Ortiz for the World Boxing Council welterweight title on Sept. 17, the news lit up boxing forums like Glitter Gulch, which is not far from the Las Vegas mansion in which Mayweather lives.
It’s going to be a massive pay-per-view and likely will exceed the 1.4 million units that Mayweather sold for his May 1, 2010, drubbing of Shane Mosley. Given Ortiz’s win over Andre Berto and Mayweather’s ability to command an audience, it wouldn’t be a shock if the fight surpassed 1.5 million sales.
Generating revenue like that is why Mayweather can afford to make $100,000 bets on basketball games when he’s bored.
Under the circumstances, a Mayweather-Ortiz match is one of the best fights that could be made. Of course, the fight that everyone really wants to see is Mayweather against Pacquiao, rivals for the spot as boxing’s biggest draw and finest fighter.
Ortiz has long been a talented, though perplexing fighter. The whole was never seemingly as good as the sum of his parts. And then came April and Ortiz burst out in a big way when he routed Andre Berto to claim the WBC belt. That version of Ortiz, the fast, big, aggressive and mostly importantly, determined guy, is a legitimate threat to beat just about anyone in the world.
Don’t, for a moment, though, think he’s going to beat Mayweather. He’s not. Ortiz is good, perhaps even very good. Mayweather, though, like Pacquiao, is great. Don’t be surprised if the Mayweather-Ortiz fight turns out to be a replica of Mayweather’s signature performance, a Jan. 20, 2001, victory over the late Diego Corrales in which he knocked Corrales down five times.
A strong powerful puncher like Ortiz, much like Corrales more than a decade before, will be neutered by Mayweather’s defensive wizardry, ring awareness and precise punching. There is no one in the game today harder to hit with a combination than Floyd Mayweather Jr. But even more significantly, Mayweather is so in control of what goes on in the ring that he’s rarely hit with a punch he does not see.
Punches a fighter does not see are the ones which hurt them and wind up knocking them out. Most world-class fighters can absorb a punch they see coming unless they’re fighting someone who hits like Mike Tyson.
Mosley wobbled Mayweather in the second round of their bout last year, but he pretty much couldn’t land another blow the rest of the way. Mayweather may have been hurt one or two other times in his career – DeMarcus Corley briefly seemed to have him in jeopardy – but nothing else really obvious springs to mind.
The genius of this match with Ortiz is that it will come about two months before Pacquiao fights Juan Manuel Marquez on Nov. 12 in Las Vegas. Pacquiao will be in the early days of his training camp for Marquez when Mayweather climbs into the ring to face Ortiz, presumably at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, though that was not announced on Tuesday.
But Mayweather could invite Pacquiao to come to the fight as his guest. He could infuriate Pacquiao’s loyal legion of followers, who become irate if one says anything that could in any way be construed as remotely critical of Pacquiao, by taunting him and telling him to watch how a real professional operates.
Of course, you know he’ll taunt Pacquiao for picking at his leftovers. Mayweather won 11 of 12 rounds against Mosley in 2010 and won all 12 in a demolition of Marquez in 2009. He also beat Ricky Hatton and Oscar De La Hoya before Pacquiao did the same.
That will just up the ante for a fight between them, one that would almost certainly shatter every existing record in terms of revenue generated, paid gate and pay-per-views sold.
The thing that makes a Mayweather-Pacquiao match so fascinating is the great contrast in style. Mayweather is a defensive maestro and an underrated offensive fighter whose jab sets up a range of other punches, all of which are delivered with near-perfect precision and blinding speed. Pacquiao is an offensive machine whose overwhelming punching power and killer instinct make up for whatever small defensive holes he may have.
Golden Boy, which is promoting Mayweather, and Top Rank, which promotes Pacquiao, couldn’t have asked for anything better: Pacquiao sitting ringside at Mayweather-Ortiz on Sept. 17 and then Mayweather cheering on Marquez at ringside at Pacquiao-Marquez on Nov. 12.
The fact that Mayweather chose as his opponent Ortiz, a strong, powerful offensive fighter just moving into his prime rather than a fading Paul Spadafora, could be construed as a sign that he’s getting himself ready for the offensive onslaught he may see when he takes on Pacquiao.
The Mayweather-Ortiz fight is, by itself, a top-notch bout. It’s starting to look, however, as if it’s the first of two preliminary bouts – with Pacquiao-Marquez being the other – leading to an inevitable fight between them next year.
Let’s say Mayweather wins nine of 12 rounds against Ortiz on Sept. 17. Then Pacquiao finally exorcises the demons and puts Marquez away in the final third of their fight on Nov. 12.
What would that lead to? Why, Mayweather-Pacquiao, on May 5, 2012.
Don’t point out all the potential pitfalls lurking that could prevent a Mayweather-Pacquiao fight.
Floyd Mayweather speaks out on why he picked Victor Ortiz
By Johnny Benz,
An official statement from Floyd Mayweather Jr. in regards to his upcoming Sept 17th boxing match against Victor Ortiz has been sent to us here at Doghouse Boxing.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. states: "I am ready to return to the ring and give my fans a fantastic night of boxing by fighting the best out there and for me, that is Victor Ortiz."
For fighting Ortiz next, Mayweather gives us his reasons, stating: "He is the current champion and an extremely talented fighter who showed amazing skills, and heart, in his last performance against Andre Berto. At this stage of my career, these are the challenges I look for, a young, strong, rising star looking to make his mark in boxing by beating me."
By Johnny Benz,
An official statement from Floyd Mayweather Jr. in regards to his upcoming Sept 17th boxing match against Victor Ortiz has been sent to us here at Doghouse Boxing.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. states: "I am ready to return to the ring and give my fans a fantastic night of boxing by fighting the best out there and for me, that is Victor Ortiz."
For fighting Ortiz next, Mayweather gives us his reasons, stating: "He is the current champion and an extremely talented fighter who showed amazing skills, and heart, in his last performance against Andre Berto. At this stage of my career, these are the challenges I look for, a young, strong, rising star looking to make his mark in boxing by beating me."
Mike Tyson calls Roy Jones Jr's actions "It's Just Ugly" and more
By Johnny Benz,
n a recent interview on ESPN's The Gridlock, Mike Tyson spoke out on Roy Jones Jr. still fighting in Boxing.
Tyson feels Jones Jr. still fighting is "just ugly" and wonders what kind of contract he has with HBO. (Writer's note: I am not sure myself the last time Jones Jr. was on HBO fighting... as I have stopped following Jones' career a long time now... but I don't think the cable network has shown any of Jones' most recent fights.)
In regards to Roy Jones Jr. still fighting, Mike Tyson tells the ESPN program: “I don’t know if HBO is paying the bills, I don’t know what kind of contract he receives at HBO. I don’t know, it’s just ugly. It’s bad enough when you see a great fighter die, but what’s even worse is when you see the skills die before he does. It doesn’t look good for him right now. He’s been knocked out cold on a consistent basis. Cold, not just boom, count to 10. I mean really knocked unconscious."
By Johnny Benz,
n a recent interview on ESPN's The Gridlock, Mike Tyson spoke out on Roy Jones Jr. still fighting in Boxing.
Tyson feels Jones Jr. still fighting is "just ugly" and wonders what kind of contract he has with HBO. (Writer's note: I am not sure myself the last time Jones Jr. was on HBO fighting... as I have stopped following Jones' career a long time now... but I don't think the cable network has shown any of Jones' most recent fights.)
In regards to Roy Jones Jr. still fighting, Mike Tyson tells the ESPN program: “I don’t know if HBO is paying the bills, I don’t know what kind of contract he receives at HBO. I don’t know, it’s just ugly. It’s bad enough when you see a great fighter die, but what’s even worse is when you see the skills die before he does. It doesn’t look good for him right now. He’s been knocked out cold on a consistent basis. Cold, not just boom, count to 10. I mean really knocked unconscious."