Manny Pacquiao Doesn’t Want To Give Juan Manuel Marquez A 50-50 Split

A lot of dominoes will fall when Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez finally announce that they are fighting each other again. Currently, three other boxers are patiently waiting for these guys to drop the charade, because their next bouts are impacted by whether or not Pacquiao-Marquez V comes to fruition.

Mike Alvarado, Brandon Rios and Timothy Bradley have all been mentioned as possible alternates for Pacquiao and Marquez should they fail to come to terms. Alvarado and Rios clearly want to fight each other again, but both would be willing to step in for others should the opportunity arise. Similarly, Bradley has expressed interest in fighting both Pacquiao and, to a lesser degree, Marquez.


Still, Pacquiao’s No. 1 option at this point is the man who beat him last December.

"My gut instinct on what is next? I want it to be Marquez, Manny wants Marquez, but Marquez wants a lot, lot, lot of money," Roach told The Sweet Science. "I think it's a little outrageous. It may not happen. We might have to go to Mike Alvarado or Brandon Rios or a Tim Bradley rematch could be made. I want Marquez right away, Manny and I both want it. But Marquez wants just about a 50-50 split. Manny brings butts in seats, pay-per-view-wise, Manny is the guy. Obviously Manny deserves more. I think a rematch will make a lot more money than the last fight. I think both sides can ask for more and Marquez deserves something, but not 50-50."

Marquez, meanwhile, insists that he isn’t interested in fighting Pacquiao. He says he wants Bradley.

"[Fighting Bradley] weighs more to me because he's a great fighter, he is the champion, so logically as a fighter you always want to fight the best and Bradley is the champion and you want the championship. If I decide to continue, Bradley would be a great opponent," he told Boxing Scene.

"I do not care about a fifth fight [with Pacquiao], after what happened in the first three fights where there were controversial decisions, controversial where we had actually won and in this fourth fight we had a great victory and I would be very satisfied to let the memory of that remain, and to keep that feeling in place for myself, and also, for the Mexicans. We must go forward, pursue new goals, new directions. And for me to have had four fights with someone they had rated as the best pound for pound - and I made it clear that he is not the best pound for pound - searching for new challenges is important."

So Marquez doesn’t want to fight Pacquiao, but he told Pacquiao he’d do it for a 50-50 split? Obviously Marquez is trying to use Bradley as a bargaining chip, much in the same way Floyd Mayweather Jr. used Devon Alexander earlier this year. Everyone knew he wouldn’t actually fight Alexander, and surely enough, he agreed to take on Robert Guerrero shortly thereafter. The same thing will happen here.

On the bright side, though, it sounds as though fans will get an answer one way or the other by the end of the week.

"...we'll have an opponent by the end of the week for Manny. I'm not going to negotiate in the media. They're all my fighters, so I'll talk to them privately, and then, we'll come to a decision," Bob Arum told Ring recently.

As soon as Pacquiao’s next bout is announced, the rest of the pieces will fall into place much more quickly.

Sources: Sweet Science, Boxing Scene, Ring

Manny Pacquiao Is Timothy Bradley’s Preferred Opponent, Not Juan Manuel Marquez

Manny Pacquiao would much rather fight Juan Manuel Marquez than Timothy Bradley, that much we know. From both a financial and legacy standpoint, a fifth showdown against his 39-year-old rival would allow Pacquiao to avenge his recent knockout defeat, all the while securing the biggest pay day imaginable. Whereas all of his bouts with Marquez have done over one million pay-per-view buys, including the last one where he was coming off a loss, Pacquiao’s lone showdown against Bradley did noticeably less in PPV sales.

While Pacquiao clearly has his sights set on a fight against Marquez, Bradley, apparently, really wants another crack at Pacquiao. Despite his pleas to the contrary, clearly the 29-year-old realizes that nobody considers his first win over the Filipino star a win – and he is looking to correct that. Coming off a very impressive victory over Ruslan Provodnikov, Bradley wants to building on the momentum by sending Pacquiao into retirement.


“I prefer Bradley versus Pacquiao over Marquez. I think he could settle a lot of things inside him, he'll beat Pacquiao good this time," Cameron Dunkin, Bradley’s manager, told ESPN recently.

That’s only noteworthy, really, because rarely do fighters ask for guys coming off a loss when they’re coming off a win. Much less a guy coming off two losses. Clearly Bradley sees unfinished business there, and he’s willing to do away with common wisdom if it means rehabilitating his image with all the fans he lost a year ago.

Pacquiao and Marquez will fight this year, but if the Bradley folks saw against Provodnikov was the one who showed up in a rematch versus Pacquiao, it could actually end up being a pretty interesting bout.

Source: ESPN

Manny Pacquiao Isn’t Even On Brandon Rios’ Radar

Brandon Rios, Mike Alvarado and Timothy Bradley have frequently been mentioned as possible end-of-year opponents for Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez. While it’s widely assumed by people in the know that Pacquiao and Marquez will actually end up fighting one another, in order for both camps to retain leverage in negotiations, they have to maintain the facade that there are plenty of potential foes for their guys to choose from.

In their first few fights together, Pacquiao and Marquez had relatively little trouble negotiating terms. The latter had no grounds to demand anything; the former was the world’s top pound-for-pounder. That made discussions fairly simple. What Paquiao said would happen is what ended up happening. Whatever sum of money he wanted, he got. Marquez was just happy to get the opportunity for a big pay day and a chance to establish his all-time greatness.


That all changed with Pacquiao’s back-to-back losses – particularly the second one. Suddenly, he no longer held all the cards. Really, Marquez had tons more leverage because, if he wanted to, he could just retire without giving his Filipino counterpart an opportunity to avenge his most recent defeat. And that’s why negotiations have moved along so slowly over the past few months: Marquez wants more and, understandably, Pacquiao doesn’t want to part ways with too much.

Inevitably, though, a deal will get worked out. If for no other reason than simply because, regardless of how much less money anyone gets, it’ll still be more than what they can earn otherwise.

During a recent interview with The Boxing Voice, Rios indicated that his attention was fully on a rematch with Mike Alvarado.

“We got to do it again, do the tiebreaker. Honestly I’m a warrior, why not it be next. If Cameron wants it again, I would love to do it next. If Cameron (Dunkin) and the promotion want it next, shit I’d love to do it again next. I told Cameron Dunkin I want to fight him again immediately. He said I’m going to talk to Bob Arum and make it happen,” he said

“He wants to take me to Denver, don’t matter where, as long as I get the fight. He said he went to my backyard which isn’t true because he was training in California. We went to Vegas, which is none of our backyards, we can go to his backyard, f**k it.”

Rios admitted that he would fight Marquez if that was the fight set up for him, but his preference is clear: he wants redemption for what happened two weeks ago. That leaves just Bradley for Pacquiao and Marquez to fight over. And the reality of the situation is: Bradley generates far less in PPV sales than Pacquiao and Marquez do.

In the end, money will win out, as it always does.

Source: Boxing Voice

Manny Pacquiao And Juan Manuel Marquez Are Doing Timothy Bradley A Disservice

Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez pretending as though they aren’t going to fight each other this September is fine. In theory, it doesn’t hurt anyone. Fans caught on to their little game a long time ago. The negotiators who will ultimately make this bout happen are currently hard at work doing just that, despite what either fighter says publicly. And barring some totally unforeseen catastrophe messing everything up, this thing is going down as planned at some point towards the end of 2013.

The only problem with all of this non-stop posturing and gamesmanship, really, is that it gives false hope to the potential opponents that Pacquiao and Marquez are using as pawns. Bob Arum noted that he was considering a pool of three people when determining possible alternative match-ups: Mike Alvarado, Brandon Rios and Timothy Bradley. Any of them, per the Top Rank boss, could be pitted against Pacquiao and Marquez this year. In all likelihood, though, the first two names on that list will fight each other again for a third time.


Realistically, the only real possible option for Pacquiao and Marquez if they opt not to square off against one another is Bradley. And both men are doing their part to make it seem like they’re seriously looking at him like a feasible option.

“It motivates me more to look for a fifth divisional championship. I believe that any sportsman or professional wants to achieve certain goals and that's why another belt inspires me more. And what's better than facing an opponent - who for me is a great fighter, tough and difficult, like Timothy Bradley." Marquez said during a recent interview with Boxing Scene.

He added: “My family has the last word [on my future]. I am not a puppet for anybody. I will not allow myself to move forward based on what a promoter or other [industry] people say. My decision [regarding the future of my career] is firm - if it is no then it is no and if it is yes, then it is yes. The surest thing is that there will not be a fifth fight with Manny Pacquiao, and yes there will be a [fight for a] fifth championship.”

Michael Koncz, Pacquiao’s long time advisor, said something very similar regarding his guy’s next bout: "[Timothy] Bradley had a very good showing his last fight out, and maybe [Mike] Alvarado, and there are some other guys out there. We haven't really sat down to finalize an opponent, because we're still working on the venue."

The reality is that neither of these guys will fight Bradley next. While the 29-year-old put up a valiant effort versus Ruslan Provodnikov, there is something to be said for his lack of PPV appeal. His bout against Pacquiao didn’t come close to doing what Pacquiao-Marquez III and IV did, and it’s unlikely that a showdown against Marquez would result in anything different.

At 34 and 39 years old, respectively, Pacquiao and Marquez need to maximize their paydays right now, not minimize them. Which means that while they’ll happily use Bradley for leverage as they're negotiating against one another, the odds of either fighting him right now are slim.

Bradley shouldn’t be used as a pawn in this little game Pacquiao and Marquez are playing. He is coming off a big victory and needs to capitalize off that with another good fight. If he and his reps are smart, they’ll come out and reject matches against both Pacquiao and Marquez right now, and they’ll look to set something up that will allow him to keep his hot streak going.

Manny Pacquiao And Juan Manuel Marquez Continue To Posture, Dismiss Each Other

Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez will fight each other this September, but that hasn’t stopped them from pretending as though they won’t. Despite the fact that the public caught on to their little game a while ago both, both men continue to act like they are seriously contemplating fighting other opponents this year.

The really funny thing about all of this horrible posturing, of course, is that they essentially have the same talent pool of alternatives to choose from. They can fight Timothy Bradley, Mike Alvarado and Brandon Rios. That it. Those are the options right there. And at the moment, in spite of what’s been said, an Alvarado-Rios rematch still looks very likely. That means Bradley is only real option available – and it’s a proven fact that he doesn’t bring in all that many PPV buys.


The question then becomes clear: will Pacquiao, 34, or Marquez, 39, fight Bradley and take less money, or will they fight one another and squeeze the biggest PPV total sales figure imaginable out of their next bout.

Obviously they’ll fight each other.

“It motivates me more to look for a fifth divisional championship. I believe that any sportsman or professional wants to achieve certain goals and that's why another belt inspires me more. And what's better than facing an opponent - who for me is a great fighter, tough and difficult, like Timothy Bradley. My family has the last word [on my future]. I am not a puppet for anybody. I will not allow myself to move forward based on what a promoter or other [industry] people say. My decision [regarding the future of my career] is firm - if it is no then it is no and if it is yes, then it is yes. The surest thing is that there will not be a fifth fight with Manny Pacquiao, and yes there will be a [fight for a] fifth championship," Marquez said during a recent interview with Boxing Scene.

In an effort to not be one-upped, Pacquiao’s advisor, Michael Koncz, said this of his guy’s next bout: "[Timothy] Bradley had a very good showing his last fight out, and maybe [Mike] Alvarado, and there are some other guys out there. We haven't really sat down to finalize an opponent, because we're still working on the venue."

Translation: We’re still working out the financial terms with Marquez’s camp.

The real question at this point isn’t whether or not these two will fight each other in 2013, it’s when they’ll drop this pointless, stupid charade.

Source: Boxing Scene

Manny Pacquiao, Freddie Roach Offer Thoughts on Floyd Mayweather, Juan Manuel Marquez

When you are dealing with an established rivalry like the one Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez have, there are very few new storylines to work with. Fans know the players. They know the history. They understand the stakes. The reason that every quote Paquiao and Marquez have uttered to date sounds nearly identical to the ones they have repeatedly uttered before is because they are the same. (Their last two bouts, that is; obviously they’re very different from 2004.)

In nutshell, here is everything you need to know about this pair’s fourth showdown: Marquez thinks he was robbed on three separate occasions, but especially in last November’s bout against Pacquiao. The Filipino champ, conversely, thinks that it’s a bit insane for Marquez to suggest that he was robbed not once, not twice, but three times – particularly when mathematical, undeniable evidence exists suggesting that it was in fact he who was robbed by incorrect scoring on the first-go-round. Beyond that, though, Pacquiao has a certain desire to prove his naysayers wrong in this one – largely because he realizes that he didn’t perform to expectations in his last two bouts.

On Tuesday, Pacquiao, Freddie Roach and Bob Arum hosted a media conference to promote Pacquiao-Marquez IV. Some of the responses that Pacquiao and Roach offered were particularly interesting. (Big thanks to Fight News for transcribing.)

One of the major discussion points in the lead-up to this bout has been the question of Pacquiao’s intensity level. Would he go for the early knockout? Would he at least try to be more aggressive than he was last November, when he appeared to sleepwalk through the entire match? The Filipino champ and his trainer addressed that point head on yesterday.

“Right now my mind is focused on being more aggressive for this fight. If there is a chance in the ring during the fight, why not make the fight easy (knock him out) if I have the opportunity?” Pacquiao replied, when asked if he would seek out a knockout.

When pressed regarding whether he was concerned about Marquez’s strength, Pacquiao replied: "Our strategy for this fight is to be more aggressive. Develop strength more and focus on speed. I am not worried about his strength”

Freddie Roach echoed those sentiments.

“The thing is Marquez fought the fight at a slow pace the last time. We plan to fight the fight at a much faster pace this time like we did in the first fight in the early rounds – that’s where we had the most success. Going by all the tapes we have watched, we do our best when we are more aggressive. More hand speed. We are going to use a lot of that,” he said.

“I don’t think it is a factor. I don’t think muscle-men have a better chin. If anything, I think if you put a lot of muscle he will be a little slower than he used to be and we are going to take advantage of that.”

Pacquiao was also pressed on whether he was feeling any additional pressure heading into this one. Predictably, he kept his answer short and sweet: “No.”

Roach, thankfully, expounded on the point a bit.

“No, I just do the job the best I can to get Manny ready for this fight. I thought Manny won the last fight [against Timothy Bradley] 11 rounds to 1 so I don’t really consider that a loss. So it’s just business as usual.”

And finally, to the inevitable “if you can’t get Floyd Mayweather into the ring next year will you continue to fight?” question, Pacquiao had this response: “Yes, I will continue to fight through next year.”

There you have it. Regardless of what happens, barring a total massacre by Marquez, Pacquiao is sticking around to fight past this year.

(Kudos Fight News)

Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez IV Odds aren't Shifting

Manny Pacquiao will be the favorite heading into his Dec. 8 showdown against Juan Manuel Marquez. There are no questions about that. Unless the Filipino champ loses an arm or something, there is no way he doesn’t come into that bout as the guy who is expected to win. The question at this point, really, is just how much folks are expecting him to win.

Heading into their third fight last November, the lines looked a little something like this: Pacquiao -700 and Marquez +500. Fans were expecting a blowout victory – mostly due to the latter’s age and the former’s dominance over his opposition up to that point. Clearly things didn’t go according to plan, though. Pacquiao ultimately won, but he did so in very unconvincing fashion.

This time, odds makers are still giving Pacquiao the edge, but they’re doing so by a lesser margin. According to bookermaker.net, Pacquiao is -350 and Marquez is +280 heading into this one. That’s a pretty far cry from the -700 and +500 they were at, respectively, on their last go-round. Now, obviously the heart that Marquez showed in the pair’s third match has a lot do with that, but Pacquiao’s inability to put Timothy Bradley away this past June likely played a part, too.

About a month ago, ABS-CBN reported that Pacquiao was -400 heading into the fight, and Marquez was +300. Different odds makers will have marginally different lines, obviously, but the closeness of those numbers to the ones from bookmaker.net indicates that everyone is more or less on the same page regarding this match.

Recent reports out the Filipino champ’s camp indicate that he is training harder than ever right now. Insiders are stressing that their guy is well aware of what’s on the line in this one. And the fact that, for the first time in a long time, he actually has to prove himself is no doubt providing Pacquiao with some legitimate motivation.
Still, all that said, odds makers aren’t buying into the hype just yet. They believe this match will be close. (Sort of.) It will be interesting to see how the numbers shift as we creep closer and closer to the big day.


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Manny Pacquiao Wants to Make a Statement Against Juan Manuel Marquez

Manny Pacquiao went into his third fight against Juan Manuel Marquez with a lot of distractions hanging over his head. He admitted this much after the fact. And those distractions, ultimately, led to a performance that many people felt wasn’t as good as the one Marquez put forth. Pacquiao won the match officially, however, in the hearts and minds of a lot of viewers at home he wasn’t the rightful winner.

The Filipino champ vows to do better this time around.

Over the past few weeks, both Pacquiao and Freddie Roach have made it clear that they would be training harder than ever for Dec. 8’s showdown against Marquez. On top of that, both have indicated that they won’t simply leave this one to the judges – this match will end via knockout.

Now, it’s worth noting at this point: no Pacquiao versus Marquez match has ever ended with a knockout. Furthermore, Pacquiao hasn’t recorded a knockout in nearly three years. If he really plans to end the bout the way he says he plans to end it, his dedication to training has to reflect that desire.

So, has the Filipino champ been working out more intensely as of late? Yes, apparently. Check out this recent report by the good folks over at Boxing Scene:

"Fighter of the Decade" Manny Pacquiao hammered his sparring partner, welterweight  Anthony "Rocky" Marcial, in his first session and forced Marcial to quit.

Pacquiao's friend since his amateur days in General Santos City told BoxingScene.com/Manila Standard that Pacquiao has been training diligently every day, joging in the mornings and working out at his gym in the afternoons with childhood friend Restituto "Buboy" Fernandez, and also playing basketball to help improve his physical condition.

Golingan said Pacquiao appears to be "very serious and is training hard and looks good" in preparation for his fourth fight with Juan Manuel Marquez…

Look, making a guy give up during a training session doesn’t mean a whole lot. Nobody is trying to blow this out of proportion.

That said, it does show that Pacquiao isn’t as washed up as some seem to think he is. And it also shows that he is really dedicating himself into handling business against Marquez. Will he record a knockout on Dec. 8? It’s tough to say. Marquez is really crafty and, if Pacquiao couldn’t knockout Timothy Bradley, it’s tough to see him faring any better against a superior fighter. But if he trains hard and can actually manhandle Marquez throughout the entire match, he won't need a knockout.

Regardless of what ultimately happens, this is definitely the right way to kickoff fight prep.

Does Nonito Donaire Want to Fight Manny Pacquiao?

Manny Pacquiao and Nonito Donaire are generally considered to be among the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world. While their careers are obviously on different trajectories right now, the success that both have experienced over the past few years coupled with the love they get from their Filipino fans has led many to wonder: could these two fight at some point?

Donaire is coming off a dominant victory over Toshiaki Nishioka; Pacquiao, once he squares off against Juan Manuel Marquez this November, doesn’t have any specific opponents in mind for the coming year. Is this potential Dream Match doable?

Of course not.

During a recent interview, Donaire explained why the prospect of him and Pacquiao squaring off is ludicrous.

"He's like five divisions higher than I am," Donaire said (via ABS-CBN).

Beyond the physical disqualifier, there is also a certain respect factor at work.

"As a fighter, we are not afraid to fight anyone. But we are friends, and it has to be mutually agreed. But we don't seek for it, and it's not in my head," Donaire emphasized.

Frankly, The Filipino Flash is just honored to be a mentioned in the same breath.

"That's another step to where I want to be. You're being compared to one of the top guys, one of the top guys in history," he said. "That means I'm doing something good.”

Fantasy dream matches aside, a lot of people would love to see Donaire take on Jorge Arce next. It remains to be seen if the match will actually get put together, though. As far as Pacquiao goes, once he’s done with Marquez – Floyd Mayweather Jr. is the obvious choice. If that doesn’t work out, then Brandon Rios figures to be a reliable fallback option.


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Manny Pacquiao vs. Brandon Rios Continues to Pick Up Steam

Who will Manny Pacquiao fight in 2013? That seems to be the main question dominating any and all discussions involving Top Rank, the Filipino champ himself, and the general makeup of boxing's top pound-for-pound rankings.

Be it because we have already seen this dance before, or because people are just generally more intrigued by the unknown, it doesn’t seem like there is really all that much discussion going on right now about Pacquiao actual next bout. You know, that Dec. 8 showdown versus Juan Manuel Marquez that has generated next to no buzz over the past few weeks.


Obviously the preferred opponent for Pacquiao’s early 2013 fight would be Floyd Mayweather Jr. It goes without saying that, hands down, a Pacquiao-Mayweather showdown would be the one and only match-up that all boxing fans (casual and diehard) could agree they would happily drop pay-per-view dough on. But what if it doesn’t happen? This is a showdown that has been discussed for three years – yet it’s never actually materialized.

Is there a Plan B?

Yes, apparently.

Recently, Bob Arum came out and said that the winner of last Saturday’s Brandon Rios versus Mike Alvarado fight might get a shot at Pacquiao. Rios ultimately won that match, and he did so in dominating fashion. Afterward, both he and his camp did interviews indicating that they would love to square off against the Filipino champ in 2013.

The idea has picked up a lot of steam over the past few days. It has become so popular, in fact, that HBO announcer Larry Merchant actually took the time to weigh in on it during a recent interview with The Examiner’s Chris Robinson.

“A younger brawler against Pacquiao I think would be a fight everybody in boxing and people beyond boxing would like to see,” Merchant said.

“I’ve been saying for a while, that Pacquiao needs a fighter who will come to him and fight him.” Merchant continued. “But it’s also the kind of young, tough guy who you might not want to see in your face all night long. You don’t get the answers until you see the fight, I’ll just leave it at that. I think he’d be a great opponent for Pacquiao and vice versa.”

He might be right. Initially, the idea of Pacquiao-Rios in 2013 wasn’t especially tantalizing. Particularly when compared to the alternative. However, after seeing the way Rios performed last Saturday – it’s hard to say that he hasn’t at least earned consideration. He’s definitely a more interesting fighter than Timothy Bradley.

Obviously Pacquiao-Mayweather is what everyone wants to see. But if by some off chance it doesn’t happen – Pacquiao-Rios could end up being a really solid alternative.

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Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez IV: Limiting Distractions

Manny Pacquiao has acknowledged on numerous occasions that he wasn’t at the top of his game last November when he last fought Juan Manuel Marquez. For an assortment of reasons, both professional and personal, he came into the proceedings lacking the focus and concentration necessary to beat an opponent of Marquez’s caliber.

He vows to do better this time.

Thanks to a somewhat shocking and extremely unfair loss to Timothy Bradley this past June, Pacquiao’s back is against the wall. Folks could forgive a defeat to Bradley that wasn’t really even a defeat. If Marquez gets the better of him, however, there will be no excuses left for the Filipino champ.

During a recent interview with PhilBoxing, Freddie Roach expounded on why Marquez gave Pacquiao so much trouble on the last go-round.

"We had a great camp last fight (against Marquez) and everything fell apart before the fight, distractions of course. Manny got rid of all that stuff in his life. It's not going to happen this time," Roach said.

And how is the actual training process going to be different this time? Roach covered that, too.

"We'll have a great camp and Manny's attitude is great. I see no problems. I have to come up with a different type of strategy for Marquez. We decked him three times though, we had some success but not as much as I want. He told me that he will knock him out this time and I am going to hold him to do it," he said.

So all involved understand what the stakes are right now? According to Roach – yes.

"Manny understands that he needed that killer instinct back and that firepower. And that people want to see knockouts and not decisions. So, Manny knows that and he promised me a knockout for the first time ever and I'm going to remind him that every day."

December 8 is going to be very interesting.

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Brandon Rios is Not Intimidated by Manny Pacquiao

Even though Manny Pacquiao is scheduled to fight Juan Manuel Marquez this December, a lot of boxing fans seem to be more enthusiastic about how he'll start 2013 than how he'll end 2012. You can’t blame them. It’s not that Pacquiao versus Marquez IV is a bad match-up; in fact, it will probably be a lot more palatable than Pacquiao’s last fight.

No, the excitement regarding 2013 mostly stems from that the fact that the unknown is always more interesting than the known. We have a rough idea of what we’ll see in December; nobody knows what a fight between Pacquiao and someone he hasn’t squared off against yet would look like.

Last week, Bob Arum came out and publicly said that he wouldn’t mind seeing the winner of this past Saturday’s Brandon Rios versus Mike Alvarado fight take on Pacquiao. Well, Rios won that fight. And following the match, he was asked about what a showdown against the Filipino champ would mean to him.

"Tell me how you feel about fighting a fighter of that caliber," Max Kellerman asked (via RingTV).

"You see what happened to Mike Alvarado? I think I could do the same thing to them, too. Mike Alvarado, I think, he hits harder than them and he's more tougher.

"Pacquiao's an in and out guy. But you know what? Like I always do, Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. taught me very well. Break the body down and the head will fall down."

And so it starts.

Presuming Pacquiao wins his next fight, Rios will be (at best) a backup option. The first choice for early 2013, obviously, is Floyd Mayweather Jr. If that doesn’t happen, then you have to figure that Rios’ name gets thrown into a “potential opponents” pile that already contains Miguel Cotto’s and Timothy Bradley’s names.

Rios doesn't have priority over anyone right now.

That said, good for him. He’s 26. He’s a good fighter. He’s bold. There is no reason for Rios to bite his tongue, especially not after the sort of win he earned this weekend. Worst case scenario, this will make for some interesting back-and-forths in the event a fight between him and Pacquiao does actually come together.

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Bob Arum is Not Happy with Manny Pacquiao, Apparently

Manny Pacquiao and Bob Arum have always had a very interesting relationship. On one hand, Arum understands that Manny is his most prized fighter and that he opens up a revenue stream for Top Rank that no other boxer in the world can. On the other hand, Arum has been in this business for over 40 years – he’s past the point of kowtowing to his fighters. He prioritizes himself and his ego above all else whenever he can. And so, given that, it has to be difficult for him to deal with an international icon in Pacquiao sometimes.

This weekend it was reported that Pacquiao opted to delay his California-based training because of some pressing political issues that arose back home. According to the timetable that had previously been set forth by Top Rank, the Filipino champ was supposed to begin working out for his upcoming Juan Manuel Marquez fight starting today. Obviously that isn’t going to happen now.

When news of Pacquiao’s decision to delay the proceedings reached Arum, he didn’t handle it particularly well.

"Manny has to decide whether he is a boxer or he's a politician,” Arum told Ronnie Nathanielsz (via ABS-CBN).

“I would like for the next two months for him to be a boxer and then the politics will take care of itself when he finishes the fight with Marquez. But that's up to him."

It isn’t exactly a Floyd Mayweather-style rant, but it does get the message across. Arum isn’t happy – plain simple. His point of view is understandable; he wants Pacquiao at the top of his game versus Marquez. If Manny falls in this one, the amount of money he can demand for his next bout drops significantly. That, in turn, cuts Arum’s profits significantly.

It is worth noting, however, that a big reason for why Pacquiao is so huge is in part because of his political career. And seeing as Arum hasn’t minded cashing in on that career over the past few years, he probably shouldn’t be complaining now.

At the end of the day, is this a huge deal? No. Pacquiao recently re-upped with Top Rank for two more years. Arum is really the only one with enough clout to set up a Pacquiao versus Mayweather Dream Match. These two aren't breaking up. But it is interesting that less than two months out from fight night, we are beginning to see Top Rank folks get very, very antsy.

They know what’s at stake on Dec. 8.

Keep an eye on the dynamic that develops between Pacquiao and Arum over the next few weeks, it will tell you a lot about where both guys are mentally (nerves-wise) heading into the Marquez bout.

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Why Manny Pacquiao vs. Miguel Cotto II Never Happened

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Why Manny Pacquiao vs. Miguel Cotto II Never Happened

Everyone knows that Manny Pacquiao will fight Juan Manuel Marquez on Dec. 8 of this year. Similarly, everyone knows that he decided on Marquez after a long deliberation period during which he considered potential bouts against Miguel Cotto and Timothy Bradley. The latter option was ultimately ruled out because of Bradley's inability to draw enough PPV interest to make the fight worth it; the former, however, didn't happen because Cotto inexplicably took his own name out of the running about a week before Pacquiao made his final decision.

What nobody knows at this point is why Cotto did what he did. You will recall, about a week or so ago, Cotto did an interview with ESPN’s Dan Rafael in which he insisted that he did want to fight Pacquiao, but that Arum’s refusal to pay him what he was due got in the way. Some (read: we) weren't sold, noting that if Cotto had really wanted to make that fight happen, he would have made it happen.

Here is exactly what was said:

"The only offer Top Rank ever made us was the same money as in 2009," Cotto said of Bob Arum’s insistence that he offered him $13 million plus another two or so. "[Arum] made the same offer he made in 2009, and we found it kind of funny. That was the reason we decided not to face Pacquiao. That, and they also wanted me to go down to 150 pounds and give him the same advantage that they gave Pacquiao in 2009, a catchweight."

The problem with that whole thing is that Cotto’s Dec. 1. bout against Austin Trout, inevitably, will net him less than he could have gotten fighting Pacquiao. So if this was really a money thing – he still would have gone with the first option, regardless of what Arum did or didn’t offer him.

But that may actually be moot because, according to Arum, Cotto was in fact offered $13ish million.

"No. 1, I never once talked to Cotto about the fight with Pacquiao," Arum said. "I talked to [Cotto attorney and adviser] Gaby [Penagaricano] and he was supposed to relay everything to Miguel. So now the first thing I establish was is Miguel amenable to 150 pounds? And the word came back that if we could agree on the [financial] numbers, he would agree to 150.

"Then we started talking about a proposal and, in essence, I offered him a deal based on the last fight that he had done with Pacquiao, where he wound up making like $12 million after all of the pay-per-view money. And then we further negotiated that he would make another million dollars more, so we loaded up a deal where I guaranteed $9 million plus an upside that would have gotten him to $13 million if the fight had done the same [PPV] number as the first fight [which was about 1.15 million buys]. And then we figured out that if we were able to raise that number by a couple of hundred thousand homes, which was not out of the question, that he would then make about $15 million."

So, who is telling the truth? It’s impossible to say. Arum’s ability to twist facts is a matter of public record. Along the lines – attorneys/boxing advisors aren’t exactly known for being beacons of truth and righteousness, so who knows what Gaby Penagaricano did or did not pass along.

That said, no matter who you believe, one fact remains unchanged: when you want something to happen, it happens. If you want to fight a particular person, you find a way to fight that person. Cotto, at one point, was the odds-on favorite to meet Pacquiao this December for a reason. He had the ability to make that bout happen – he opted not to. It’s fine that he didn’t, by the way. He is a veteran in the sport, he can do as he pleases.

But in the end, the decision started and ended with him. No matter what messages were passed along. No matter what sum of money was offered – Cotto had the final say.

And he wound up saying no.

End of story.

(Kudos ESPN)


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Is Manny Pacquiao Looking to Fight the Winner of Brandon Rios-Mike Alvarado in 2013?

Manny Pacquiao is currently focused on one fight and one fight only: his Dec. 8 showdown versus Juan Manuel Marquez. The rest of the world, however, can’t help but look forward and try to predict what lays ahead for the Filipino champ.

As of now, the general consensus is that Pacquiao will defeat Marquez for the third consecutive time. It won’t be easy. Marquez will put up a serious fight, no doubt about it. But in the end, if Pacquiao trains hard and gives it his all – it’s very hard to envision him losing.

You will recall, last June, Pacquiao absolutely worked Timothy Bradley. Bradley is 29 years old. Marquez is 39 years old. Yes, style makes fights, and yes, Marquez has a rich history of giving Pacquiao problems. That said, there is a reason Marquez has never actually earned that elusive W. That reason? He’s just not as good.

So let’s assume Pacquiao wins on Dec. 8; where does the Filipino champ go in 2013? The obvious answer is Floyd Mayweather Jr. Earlier today, we reported on some rumors floating around regarding the status of that Dream Match. It’s interesting but, as we noted, it’s not something that is verifiable. Stuff that’s on the record is verifiable. And the only thing we have on the record as far as Pacquiao-Mayweather goes is the former offering the latter a bigger split of the purse, and the latter never actually responding. That’s where the trail goes cold.

Today, Bob Arum spoke with the good folks at Boxing Scene about a different potential 2013 fight for Pacquiao. Via that report:

Arum told BoxingScene.com/Manila Standard in Los Angeles that a showdown between Pacquiao and the winner of the Rios-Alvarado battle "could be unbelievable."

He said the fight will be at 147 pounds and that Pacquiao, who recently extended his contract with Arum to December 31, 2014, told him that "he wanted to fight no later than the middle of April so he can come back (to the Philippines) for the elections" next May.

Arum said they went over the calendar and since April 13 is a holy week "he (Manny) agreed November 20 is the last week that he could fight but not that it has to be April 20. It could be a little earlier but April 20 is what we are looking at."

He said should Pacquiao win and face either Rios or Alvardo "the public will go crazy for that fight. Imagine Manny against either of these animals (Rios or Alvarado.) Manny will have to become an 'animal' himself. Absolutely. These guys will make him an animal."

That’s a pretty crazy twist, right? Look, Brandon Rios and Mike Alvarado are both fantastic fighters – but nobody wants to see either guy face off against Pacquiao. The public want to see Mayweather face off against Pacquiao. And Arum isn’t stupid, he is well aware of what the public’s reaction to either of these guys would be.

So why is he putting this information out there? Because he wants Mayweather to know that he isn’t the only fish in the sea. He wants the undefeated champ to know that it’s not just going to be Pacquiao trying to decide between Miguel Cotto and Timothy Bradley next year; he has other options.

The smart money says that Pacquiao won’t fight either Rios or Alvarado in 2013. Then again, with Bob Arum – you never know.



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Was Manny Pacquiao Promised a Fight with Floyd Mayweather in 2013?

A lot of signs have been pointing to Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. putting aside their differences and agreeing to a fight at some point in the foreseeable future.

It all started with a very noticeable change in tone from Mayweather following his release from prison. The usually outspoken undefeated champ has visibly limited the amount of barbs he has sent his arch rival’s way in recent months.

Then there was Pacquiao agreeing to give up 55 percent of the purse split to Mayweather in the event of a Dream Match – something he had previously refused to do.

And that is to say nothing of the little things that have happened over the past few months: Pacquiao’s developing relationship with 50 Cent, Bob Arum’s apparent openness regarding setting the bout up, performance-enhancing drug (PED) testing issues being resolved, etc.

It goes without saying that we have been down this road before only to ultimately be disappointed, however, it does feel like we’re actually creeping towards this thing finally happening.

On Wednesday, Fight Hype  (by way of Bad Left Hook) reported that Pacquiao agreed to an extension with Top Rank. The extension is interesting in itself, obviously, but this part of the report really stuck out:

According to an eyewitnesses on the scene, Dena duBoef, Vice President of Marketing and the daughter of Bob Arum, escorted Pacquiao to a private room where he had a closed-door meeting with Arum, Koncz, and 50 Cent. It's unclear as to exactly what was discussed, however, our source strongly believes that Pacquiao was given a verbal guarantee that, with the help of 50 Cent and Tommy Smalls, an April fight with Floyd Mayweather would indeed take place, convincing Pacquiao to sign the contract extension. "He thinks he has that fight coming, but that fight isn't ever going to happen," our source added.

Clearly this all hearsay and impossible to verify, but it’s pretty huge regardless of Top Rank’s intentions. Whether they want to do it or not, Pacquiao is going to be expecting a bout against Mayweather early next year. And if he doesn’t get it? Well, then he’ll just retire. Top Rank gets paid so long as the Filipino champ fights; if he hangs up his gloves, nobody gets paid. They can’t just stall this thing – it won’t work this time.

Stay tuned. We may be moving slowly, but we're definitely moving towards something.

(Kudos Fight Hype, Bad Left Hook)


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Is Floyd Mayweather Jr. Scared of Manny Pacquiao?

Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. have been discussing a potential Dream Match for three years now. When their talks began, it seemed inevitable that the pair would come to an understanding sooner rather than later and ultimately give the fans what they so desperately wanted.

Seemed is the key word there.

Instead we got legal drama, back-and-forth sniping, and bunch of different fights against an assortment of foes that nobody actually cared about.

Last month, Pacquiao made a pretty big gesture when he offered to give Mayweather 55 percent of the purse from their super fight. Seeing as purse split had been major point of contention between them in the past, this was seen as a somewhat monumental turning point. We’ll see, though. Mayweather hasn't really offered much of a reaction to date.

Earlier today, HBO’s Larry Merchant appeared on ESPN’s First Take and offered his take on all things Pacquiao versus Mayweather. And while a lot of people have obviously weighed in on the topic before, what made Merchant’s opinion all the more interesting is the fact that it a.) came bias free and b.) addressed the question: is Mayweather truly afraid of his Filipino counterpart?

“Mayweather thinks he can defeat Manny Pacquiao, and he would be the favorite leading into that fight should it ever take place. But what Mayweather is more afraid of than anything is getting that ‘L’ on his record,” Merchant said (via Joseph Herron of Eastside Boxing who was cool enough to transcribe the interview).

“He has marketed himself as this undefeated and unbeatable fighter. And to a lot of new boxing and unsophisticated fight fans, this is a big, big deal. To anyone who is familiar with the history of the sport, a single loss has never been a big deal. Because if you fight enough good, young fighters, history tells us that eventually someone’s going to beat you.”

So does that mean Mayweather is scared? According to Merchant – no.

“The problem is not that Floyd’s afraid of Pacquiao, but he does recognize Pacquiao as being the greatest threat to him at this time. So considering the Risk vs. Reward equation, why take a risk fighting a tough style match-up who will demand an equal amount of money, when you can make 40 million dollars fighting a more favorable style match-up who will only demand maybe 3 or 4 million dollars?”

And therein lays a great point. It’s not so much that Mayweather is afraid of getting beat up by Pacquiao (like Miguel Cotto was when they were discussing a rematch), he just doesn’t view the reward as something that is worth the risk. He thinks that the damage a loss would do to his legacy and bank account is greater than the damage not fighting would do. Is he right? Who knows. A fighter’s legacy is determined at the end of his career, not during it.

What do you think: is Mayweather scared of Pacquiao? Or does he simply think that it’s a dumb business move (because of the risks involved) to fight his arch rival? Or is that a distinction without a difference?

(Kudos Eastside Boxing)


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Freddie Roach Acknowledges that Manny Pacquiao Needs to be More Impressive

Manny Pacquiao’s wins and losses record from the past two years doesn’t really tell the whole story. If you just look at the numbers, here is what the Filipino champ’s totals over the past 24 months look like: three wins, one loss. Of course, anyone who actually saw those four fights would tell you that it's not really that simple.

For one thing, Pacquiao absolutely dominated Antonio Margarito and Shane Mosley in November of 2010 and May of 2011, respectively. The beating he handed Margarito was so bad, in fact, that Margarito had to be transported to the hospital immediately afterward because there was so much concern about his fractured orbital bone. It never got as gruesome in the Mosley fight – but only because Mosley spent most of it running away from Pacquiao. It was a shameful display, really, but it did go some ways in reaffirming how dominant the champ was at that time.

Unfortunately, things took a turn for the not-so-good last November when Pacquiao accepted a third fight versus his arch rival, Juan Manuel Marquez. Although Manny ultimately emerged from that bout victorious, he did not emerge unscathed. A lot of people felt as though he should have lost the match and, more importantly, his lack of dominance throughout made some fans question whether or not he was beginning to slow down.

This past June, Pacquiao was handed his first defeat in about eight years when a couple of inept judges gave Timothy Bradley an undeserved victory over him. While nobody doubts that Pacquiao deserved to win that match, there is also no denying that he didn’t look as crisp as he used to. He should have knocked Bradley out early. The fact that he didn’t (or couldn’t), says a lot about where he is right now.

During a recent interview with Boxing Scene, Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, broke down his guy’s upcoming showdown versus Marquez. In doing so, he also acknowledged that Manny needs to make a statement in this one – something he hasn’t done in a very, very long time.

"[Marquez] will be more hittable and not so much a counter-puncher. I think we need a knockout to secure his number one spot in the world. He needs to be impressive and a knockout would be impressive," Roach told Boxing Scene.

"In the first one [Pacquiao] was aggressive in the beginning of that fight. In the second fight we had one knockdown and in the third fight we had none. He just lost that killer instinct. In the first fight he was trying to knock him out, but Marquez is very resilient also. You have to take that factor in also. We need to bring back that killer instinct where he finishes guys like he used to."

He’s right.

One way or another, Pacquiao will send a message with how he performs on Dec. 8. That message will either be that he is still the most dominant pound-for-pounder in boxing today, or that he is passed his prime and needs to retire ASAP.

Which one will it ultimately be? We’ll all find out together in slightly less than two months.

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Freddie Roach Explains Why Manny Pacquiao Chose Juan Manuel Marquez over Timothy Bradley

Manny Pacquiao is a better fighter than Timothy Bradley. Everyone knew that heading into the pair’s June 9 bout, and everyone knew it coming out. Two judges inexplicably ruling that Bradley won a match that he clearly hadn’t won did not change anyone’s perception of either man. All it did, really, was create a terrible excuse for a rematch – a rematch that 99 percent of the boxing world didn’t want to see.

Thankfully, Pacquiao decided against fighting Bradley again this December. When presented with the option of either squaring off against Juan Manuel Marquez for a fourth time or Bradley a second time, he opted for option No. 1. And while seeing the same fight four times obviously has its drawbacks, most boxing aficionados recognized that this was the best option available.

The one sticking point about Pacquiao’s decision, however, was nobody really knowing why he made it. Whereas the general consensus was that Marquez got the nod because of what a weak pay-per-view (PPV) draw Bradley is, Pacquiao’s advisor, Michael Koncz, fought back against that reasoning. He maintained that Manny made the decision that he made because he wanted to put on the best fight possible for fans.

“It’s all about the fans,” Koncz said last week. “Styles make fights. Manny felt there’s more entertainment value for his fans fighting Marquez rather than Bradley.”

Most fans took that with a grain of salt. Athletes love their fans, sure, but they love their money a lot more. The only thing about fans that Pacquiao and his team contemplated prior to deciding on Marquez was how many of them would be willing to dish out dough for PPVs – not what the best course of action for maximum fan enjoyment would be.

During a recent interview with Boxing Scene, Freddie Roach more or less confirmed that notion.

"[I wanted Pacquiao to face] someone else. To me [Marquez] was the third [choice]. I'd like to get that Bradley [rematch] out of the way and redeem ourselves there and all we need to go is get two new judges," Roach said, admitting that he was hoping for a different Dec. 8 showdown.

"This does [make more business sense]. Bradley sold six tickets last time and he'll sell less next time. That's about [the size] of his audience. That's why we are not fighting him, there's no business [in that fight]. There is no money in that fight.”

And there it is – the Marquez fight is happening because it makes more business sense. Not because it will be more entertaining for the fans. If the situation were reversed and Bradley was a great PPV draw but Marquez would make for the more interesting opponent, who do you think Pacquiao would have selected as his next foe?

Again, it’s fine. We all understand that this is a business. But it would just be nice if these folks didn’t put on an act. Everyone knows what’s what. Everyone knows that money is the most important thing.

Just be honest with the fans – they won’t hold it against you.



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Pacquiao to Stop Freddie Roach's Losing Streak with Win over Marquez

As he prepares the welcome mat for Manny Pacquiao at his Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach will be nursing a four-fight losing streak.

Obviously Pacquiao, who ended a long-running winning streak of his own with his controversial loss to Timothy Bradley last June 9, will try to stop his trainer's four consecutive defeats.

But the only way to stop Roach's seemingly unstoppable downturn is for Pacquiao to win impressively or knock out Mexican counter-puncher Juan Manuel Marquez in their fourth encounter on Dec. 8 at the MGM Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Roach's three defeats were handed to him by his former favorite pupils, Amir Khan and Julio Cesar Chavez, who both deserted him after failing to win over their respective opponents.

Khan started Roach's four-fight losing streak when the British idol lost to Lamont Peterson in Washington, D.C., in December 2011 and to Danny Garcia in July this year.

Chavez lost his WBC middleweight title to Sergio Martinez on Sept. 15 at the Thomas & Mack Center via a unanimous decision.

Both Chavez and Khan claimed they did not receive proper training (for lack of time) from Roach, who had to shuttle to the Philippines to train Pacquiao.

Roach's fourth coaching loss since last year was courtesy of Pacquiao, but it was more of a paper loss as fight fans believe the judges erred in their scoring.

Seemingly, Pacquiao is out to stop his trainer's four-fight losing streak and to let the boxing world know as well that he is still a force to reckon with in boxing 

During the Sept. 11 press conference to kick off the press tour for the Marquez fight, Roach said via The Ring, Pacquiao seems agitated with Marquez' constant claim of being robbed of his victory.

"The one thing that Manny did at the press conference in LA that was different from any other time is, when I was sitting there with him, he scratched into the cloth on the table, 'We need a knockout to win,'" said Roach.

"I mean, he spelled that out, and he's never said that to me before a fight in his life. So I told him, 'I'm going to hold you to that.'"

Roach, who is banking on Pacquiao's words on his upcoming fight with Marquez said they are of the same page.

"We need a knockout to win. There's no way that we're going to win a decision this time," said Roach. "That's what Manny wrote, 'We need a knockout,' and that's what he meant. So that's why I say that we're on the same page."

On Friday, Pacquiao filed his certificate of candidacy for reelection as lone district congressman of Sarangani province in the Philippines.

Assistant trainer Buboy Fernandez has started training and conditioning works for Pacquiao in General Santos City since last week in preparation for his formal training with Roach in the US.

He is expected to leave for training at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood on or before Oct. 13.