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Jul 24, 2005
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Mayweather Jr To Make "Announcement" Shortly Before Hatton-Pacquiao - "Money" Looking

by James Slater - It has been reported that the "retired" Floyd Mayweather Junior will make a big announcement regarding his fighting future tonight. "Money" is set to hold a press conference just hours before the huge Manny Pacquiao-Ricky Hatton super-fight in Las Vegas. With ESPN and The L.A Times reporting that Mayweather's anticipated return is planned for July, the 32-year-old great will in all likelihood confirm this tonight. Typical of the brash and unbeaten star, is the fact that he is holding his press conference on the very night his two possible rivals (once again rival in the case of Hatton) clash in a fight that is being billed as a pound-for-pound battle of supremacy..

Planning, no doubt, to steal the show tonight and leaving the media and the fans talking about him as opposed to what the two 140-pounders do in the ring, Mayweather is expected to announce a fight with the superb, but naturally smaller Juan Manuel Marquez. Tonight, then, is a really big night for the sport of boxing. Who will garner the most headlines tomorrow, Mayweather, or the Hatton Vs. Pacquiao winner?

It's no secret Mayweather is utterly convinced he is still the best fighter on the planet, pound-for-pound, even though right now that title rightfully and deservedly goes to the awesome Filipino southpaw who goes by the nickname "Pac-Man." And what the fans really want is for Mayweather and Pacquiao to get it on some time later this year (assuming, of course, that Pac can beat Hatton!).

ESPN reported yesterday that a Mayweather-Marquez fight is likely to happen in the summer, at an agreed catch-weight of 144-pounds. After Mayweather confirms this tonight, the hype will start for that clash of pound-for-pound masters. And assuming he wins against the brilliant Mexican, Mayweather against either Pacquiao or Hatton will almost certainly happen.
Hatton has said many times that he would relish another go at the only man to have thus far beaten him, but, with all due respect, it is a Mayweather-Pacquiao meeting that really gets the fans excited with anticipation.

Speaking about such a fight, "Pac-Man" said he'd definitely be up for it.

"I would fight him if he decided to fight again," Manny said. "I can fight at different weights. It depends on the fighter."

Pacquiao's trainer Freddy Roach also welcomes the fight.

"Manny is not afraid of anyone," Roach said recently. "Whatever comes next comes next. If Floyd comes out of retirement, okay."

Now awaiting the sublimely-skilled multi-weight champion's scheduled take to the microphone to let us all know officially that he is going to fight again, fans will be hoping Mayweather announces more than just a planned fight with Marquez. For though a win there would be a fine one for the 39-0(25) 32-year-old, a subsequent fight and a win over tonight's winner would really give us something to talk about
 
Jul 24, 2005
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Show me the Money...Mayweather!

By Coach Tim Walker – In the midst of the excitement that is proving to be Manny Pacquiao/Ricky Hatton and Freddie Roach/Floyd Mayweather Senior one of the main characters in this soap opera-esk mega-fight has been ominously absent. Sure there have been UFO-like sightings of Sir Pretty-ness but not nearly as much as might expect given the grandiose stage set before us. Of course you all know of whom I speak. Some call him “Pretty Boy” others call him “Money” but we all know him as Floyd Mayweather Junior aka Pound 4 Pound King. “How can he be the king?” you ask. Traditionally a king remains king until he is dethroned or dead. In the sense of him being neither dead nor having ever lost a professional fight it is safe, for me at least, to still consider him King of the Pound 4 Pounds.

I’ve checked websites, video footage, spoken with sources and no one seems to have so much as a recent quote or sound bite from Mayweather Jr. So where could Floyd be at this opportune time?

Maybe Mayweather isn’t entitled to be in front of the cameras right now. After all, he isn’t involved in this fight. Still, isn’t he the major player who either Pacquiao or Hatton will be looking to sign a fight deal with should they win Saturday night at the MGM Grand? Absolutely! While the obvious pay per view king is Oscar Dela Hoya the highest grossing pay per view fight of all time is Oscar’s clash with Money Mayweather (2.15 million buys grossing over $120 million in revenue). You would expect a little party crashing given that it is a typical strategy utilized by one fighter to lure another fighter into fighting. But Mayweather isn’t plagued with the curse of having to lure other fighters to the table. If anything he has 100 or 200 options at any given time.

Maybe he is getting ready for his July 18 showdown, or tune up depending on your point of view, with well established veteran fighter Juan Manuel Marquez. Yes that Marquez. The same Marquez who fought to a draw with Pacquiao then lost to the Pac-Man via the split decision in their rematch. The same fighter that many viewers felt beat the Pac-Man both times. The same Marquez who moved up a weight division then knocked out Joel Casamayor and Juan Diaz consecutively. The same Marquez who fight fans seem to think has no chance against Mayweather though they admittedly, with a bit of irony I might add, want to see Pacquiao face Mayweather though Pacquiao and Marquez seem to be at least in the same class as boxers given that both of their fights were close and controversially decided. Hmm, odd?

Maybe Mayweather is intentionally delaying his grand entry. Waiting on the perfect opportunity to strike like a well timed jab. Or maybe he is being respectful to their promotion. Or maybe he doesn’t want to boost their sales. Regardless of why we haven’t heard from Floyd Mayweather Junior we all know that he is on the minds of boxing public as well as both fighters. Expect to hear Floyd’s cheers and jeers in commentaries, post fight interviews and especially within the audience tomorrow night if he shows his face. After all somebody’s got to be the bad boy in this
 
Jul 24, 2005
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Team Martinez Protest To The WBC To Strip Forrest

By Rick Reeno

BoxingScene.com was advised that Sergio Martinez's handlers have sent a letter of protest to the WBC over the recent comments made by WBC junior middleweight champion Vernon Forrest. Martinez, the WBC's interim-champion, has been waiting to fight Forrest for a very long time. There have been numerous postponements and some doubt the fight will ever take place.

The two sides reached an agreement several weeks ago, where Forrest would take a tuneup fight before meeting Martinez at the end of the summer. Forrest was scheduled to take part in a non-title tuneup against Jason LeHoullier on today's televised ShoBox card. He withdrew from the fight in early April after suffering a rib injury during training camp.

Forrest's promoter Gary Shaw had told me on April 11th that a planned tuneup would be scrapped and Martinez would be the next fight for Vernon on a televised Showtime date in August. A few days ago, Forrest made it clear that he was not going to fight Martinez next. Forrest is going to ask the WBC for permission to take a tuneup before Martinez.

Martinez's side is tired of waiting and want the WBC to take action by stripping Forrest of the title. I'm not sure what ruling the WBC will make at this point. Plans to make this fight have been going on for far too long. Martinez's camp is making an argument that their fighter's career is being kept in limbo because he continues to wait for shot at Forrest. They want Martinez to be elevated to full champion status
 
Jul 24, 2005
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Floyd Mayweather: Don't Blink, I'm Back!

Las Vegas, NV (May 2, 2009) - Sixteen months after one of the greatest fighters ever to grace the sport of boxing had his last fight and subsequently announced his retirement, the former six-time world champion and 2007 Boxing Writers Association of America Fighter of the Year, Floyd "Money" Mayweather announced his return to the sweet science at a press conference today in Las Vegas.

"When I made my decision to retire last year, I felt like it was time for me to go as I had been boxing my whole life and felt like I had done all that I could do," said Mayweather, whose success and popularity in and out of the ring made him a household name and one of the sport's biggest attractions. "But after I had time to rest, enjoy life with my family and friends, I started to miss the competition and my fans. I am ready to return to boxing and give people another dose of the Mayweather experience.."

Much to the surprise of the sports world, Mayweather left the ring at the top of his game, having amassed an undefeated professional record of 39-0, 25 KOs and championships in five weight divisions. The then-recognized best pound-for-pound fighter in the world was coming off of back-to-back 2007 mega-performances with his historic May 5 victory over Oscar de la Hoya - in the highest grossing pay-per-view event in all of sports history - followed by his stellar December 8 tenth round knockout over the previously undefeated Ricky Hatton. These fights catapulted Mayweather near the top of the all-time money-earning list in the sport.

That same year, Mayweather's star-power and crossover appeal were reaching new heights. His appearances on ABC's Dancing With The Stars and his main event performance in the WWE's WrestleMania XXIV helped to elevate his worldwide recognition to even higher levels. Proof of Mayweather's staying power came with his recent appearance in an AT&T High-Speed Internet commercial that has been showing nationally, including multiple airings during CBS's coverage of this year's Masters Golf Tournament, despite him having been a retired athlete.

More importantly, while Mayweather stepped away from the sport, the world's top fighters continued to ask to fight him and fans everywhere were asking for him to come back to the ring.

"I retired from the sport, but it was as if I had never made an announcement," said Mayweather. "Fighters were constantly calling me out and fans would stop me all the time and ask me to make a return. It feels good to be back and trust me, I will deliver the same electrifying performances I always have throughout my career."

Mayweather makes his return against the dangerous and highly-touted five-time world champion in three weight divisions Juan Manuel Marquez, who is rated among the top fighters in the world today and considered to be a very aggressive selection by Mayweather for his first challenge after his long layoff. The bout will take place on Saturday, July 18 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be broadcast live on HBO pay-per-view

"I am not wasting any time with a tune-up fight," said Mayweather. "I'm going straight to the top. Marquez called me out immediately after his victory over Juan Diaz in February and now he gets his wish. What he is going to find out is that you should be very careful what you wish for."

Mayweather continued, "the rest of those fighters who called me out can get in line too because they are going to get their chance...one at a time and slowly but surely. It's going to be a great return and a wonderful 'experience.' Don't blink - I'M BACK!"
 
Jul 24, 2005
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Mayweather: "I Beat Fighters, Turn Them Into B*tches"

By Mark Vester

There is still no love between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Oscar De La Hoya. During the Saturday press conference to announce his fight on July 18 with Juan Manuel Marquez, Mayweather showed that even though he has been off since December 2007, he is just as cocky as ever.

In telling reporters just how terrific he is, he had this to say: “I beat fighters and turn them into bitches and they go out and put on fish-nets. That's what I do.”

That was a direct shot at De La Hoya, whose photos of him wearing fish-net stockings were all over the Internet in 2008. The photos were a huge scandal for the fighter when a New York stripper claimed they were real. An expert later testified that those photos were the result of clever photo-shop work.

De La Hoya and Mayweather are the co-promoters of the July fight with Marquez. Mayweather's company, Mayweather Promotions, is the lead promoter of the event. The press tour and the pre-fight hype should prove to be just as wild as some of the past events that involved Mayweather
 
Jul 24, 2005
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Mayweather-Marquez - Confusion Over The Fight Weight

By Robert Morales and Rick Reeno

The return of Floyd Mayweather Jr. was announced during an early press conference on Saturday at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Mayweather faces Juan Manuel Marquez in the main event of an HBO pay-per-view on July 18. The press conference was very strange because there were discrepancies about the weight at which this fight will be contested. Based on some of the information provided to the media, many have assumed the fight will take place at 143-pounds, but there appeared to be confusion at the actual press conference and different weights were floating around.

When BoxingScene.com spoke with Eric Gomez, Golden Boy matchmaker, and asked him for an answer on the exact catch-weight, Gomez said “143, give or take a pound.” When asked to clarify, he said “144 max.” But Oscar De La Hoya, Golden Boy president, disputed that by saying that 143 pounds was the limit.

BoxingScene would later ask Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy. and he said that he didn't know, that we would have to “go ask Leonard Ellerbe.” Ellerbe is CEO of Mayweather Promotions, which is actually the lead promoter for this fight.

According to Ellerbe - “It's a welterweight fight.” That means anything over 140 and no higher than 147. When asked to be more specific as to whether there is a catch-weight of 143 or 144, Ellerbe said, “It's a welterweight fight. The weight doesn't matter. It's going to be a great fight.”

Finally, Schaefer and Al Haymon, Mayweather's business advisor, said there will be a special news release sent out announcing the agreed upon weight.
 
Jul 24, 2005
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Pacquiao vs. Cotto By December, Says Bob Arum

By Mark Vester

After Manny Pacquiao's two round destruction of Ricky Hatton on Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, promoter Bob Arum told reporters that Pacquiao's next fight will likely come against WBA welterweight champion Miguel Cotto in either November or December. He said Pacquiao will be in New York to sit ringside at Madison Square Garden for Cotto's fight against Joshua Clottey.

While many would expect a fight between Pacquiao and the winner of the July 18 bout between Juan Manuel Marquez and Floyd Mayweather Jr, Arum has a lot of heat with Mayweather and his manager Al Haymon. There could also be some very big problems with making the fight when it comes to the split of the money. Mayweather is sure to want at least 50% or more, and Arum has already said that Pacquiao will be getting the bulk of the money if the two sides every sit down to negoiate a possible fight. Since Arum promotes both Pacquiao and Cotto, it's a much easier fight for him to make
 
Jul 24, 2005
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Carl Froch: "If I Was Ricky Hatton, I Would Retire"

By Mark Vester

WBC super middleweight champion Carl Froch agrees with the opinion of trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr. and advised Ricky Hatton to retire from boxing. Hatton was badly knocked out in two rounds by Manny Pacquiao on Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

"I have to say, if I was in his position after last night's performance, I would definitely retire," Froch said. "But I can't speak for another fighter. He will decide what he's going to do."

After the loss, Mayweather Sr. had advised Hatton to retire.

"I would suggest he retire. At the end of the day, it's his decision," Mayweather Sr. said. "He tried twice. He failed twice. He lost to my son and to lose to someone below that, it's time to leave the ring. He made a good profit. Sometimes you have to go when your prime is still there."

Ray Hatton, father and manager of Ricky, said his son has made no decision on his future. He said the hospital checked his son out and there were no problems.

"He's perfectly all right," Ray Hatton told BBC Radio Five. "They've checked him out. He's had all the tests and everything. He's not got a mark on him. Obviously, we will support him in whatever he does and we'll leave that with him. At this moment in time, he's probably got a few mixed feelings about it. He'll make that decision whichever way he wants to and the family will support him."

"He just said, 'The old heart ruled the head again, Dad; steaming in, got my warning signs in the first round. Set off OK at the start of the second round, caught Manny with a few shots. Really worried Manny a little bit. Manny was just throwing wild shots.' He said, 'Then the heart ruled the head again and I went steaming in
 
Jul 24, 2005
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Floyd Mayweather Sr: "Ricky Hatton Needs To Retire"

By Mark Vester

Trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr. has advised his fighter, Ricky Hatton, to retire from boxing before he gets seriously injured. Hatton was blown out by Manny Pacquiao in two rounds on Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Pacquiao landed a left hand that knocked Hatton out cold and it took several minutes before the fighter was able to get to his feet. Following the event Hatton was taken to local hospital to get tested for any serious damage.

Floyd does not see a reason for Hatton to go on. The Manchester star has been stopped in two of his last four fights.

"I would suggest he retire. At the end of the day it's his decision. He tried twice. He failed twice. He lost to my son and to lose to someone below that, it's time to leave the ring. He made a good profit. Sometimes you have to go when your prime is still there," Mayweather Sr told Sky Sports
 
May 6, 2002
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Valero is acting like he's a big name. Why would any top tier want to fight this guy? You can call him dangerous if you want, that may be true, but it's a padded record. Impressive record, sure the guy poses a threat to anyone, but to have this type of attitude won't get him anywhere. He's essentially a no name. At least Prescott beat someone with a name.

His Statement:

WBC lightweight champion Edwin Valero (25-0, 25 KOs) has denied that he will fight contender Breidis Prescott on July 25th. “No one from Top Rank has discussed me fighting (Breidis) Prescott or me fighting on July 25th,” stated Valero. “The first time that I learned of the Prescott fight was when someone in my camp informed me that the fight was listed on the internet.” Valero had hoped for a unification megafight with WBO and WBA lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez but Marquez was recently announced as the foe for Floyd Mayweather Jr. in his July 18th comeback. “I only want to fight big names for big money,” outlined Valero. “A fight with (J.M.) Marquez for all of the titles would have been a big fight for big money but the fight is no longer possible. Prescott is not a big name and a fight with Prescott is not a big money fight.” Valero’s manager Jose Castillo outlined several possible challengers to his fighter, including Joel Casamayor, Zorrita Soto, Urbano Antillon or Juan Diaz. “I will fight anybody but the money has to be right,” stated Valero.
 
Aug 31, 2003
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www.ebay.com
Flores dies five days after fight

DALLAS -- Boxer Benjamin Flores has died five days after he was hospitalized following a title bout with Al Seeger in a Dallas hotel.

Bout supervisor Bob Lenhardt says the 25-year-old Flores died Tuesday at Parkland Hospital.

Referee Laurence Cole awarded the victory to Seeger in the eighth round of the North American Boxing Federation fight Thursday night at the Hilton Anatole hotel.

Lenhardt said the Houston fighter was helped to his stool before lying down. Lenhardt said doctors rushed to his side and Flores appeared unconscious when removed on a stretcher.

The fight was for the vacant NABF super bantamweight title. Flores was 19-3 and weighed 122 pounds. Seeger is from Savannah, Ga.

_______

Always sad to hear news like this. R.I.P.
 
Jun 12, 2003
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Valero is acting like he's a big name. Why would any top tier want to fight this guy? You can call him dangerous if you want, that may be true, but it's a padded record. Impressive record, sure the guy poses a threat to anyone, but to have this type of attitude won't get him anywhere. He's essentially a no name. At least Prescott beat someone with a name.

His Statement:

WBC lightweight champion Edwin Valero (25-0, 25 KOs) has denied that he will fight contender Breidis Prescott on July 25th. “No one from Top Rank has discussed me fighting (Breidis) Prescott or me fighting on July 25th,” stated Valero. “The first time that I learned of the Prescott fight was when someone in my camp informed me that the fight was listed on the internet.” Valero had hoped for a unification megafight with WBO and WBA lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez but Marquez was recently announced as the foe for Floyd Mayweather Jr. in his July 18th comeback. “I only want to fight big names for big money,” outlined Valero. “A fight with (J.M.) Marquez for all of the titles would have been a big fight for big money but the fight is no longer possible. Prescott is not a big name and a fight with Prescott is not a big money fight.” Valero’s manager Jose Castillo outlined several possible challengers to his fighter, including Joel Casamayor, Zorrita Soto, Urbano Antillon or Juan Diaz. “I will fight anybody but the money has to be right,” stated Valero.
the truth
 
Jul 24, 2005
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Ricky Hatton: " I Never Recovered From The First Punch"

By Mark Vester

Ricky Hatton says that he never recovered from the first punch that Manny Pacquiao was able to land last Saturday in Las Vegas, the counter right hand, that sent the Manchester fighter down for the first time in the fight, not long into the first round of their bout at the MGM Grand.

Pacquiao knocked him out cold in the second round. The first loss of his career, a tenth round TKO to Floyd Mayweather Jr in December 2007 was tough. The second loss is proving to be just as tough to take.

"I am absolutely devastated. My head is in bits. I didn’t think I could cry anymore than after the Floyd Mayweather Jnr loss, but I certainly have. Pacquiao knocked me down from practically the first punch he threw and I never recovered," Hatton told The Sun.

"Maybe my attitude was wrong because I always wear my heart on my sleeve and I was straight in there. Maybe if I had gone a few rounds I could have won, but there was nothing I could do about it. I have felt worse after hard 12-round fights, because it was over that quickly and physically I have never felt better."

It was said to the paper by Hatton's mother, that Ricky wants a farewell fight in England.