50-0: Floyd Mayweather stops Conor McGregor in 10th round

LAS VEGAS — Floyd Mayweather Jr. figured out a 50th opponent, letting Conor McGregor have the early rounds before stalking him late and leaving the mixed martial artist defenseless and exhausted on the ropes.

Mayweather battered McGregor around the ring in the later rounds, finally stopping him at 1:05 of the 10th round Saturday night with a flurry of punches that forced referee Robert Byrd to stop the fight.

Before a pro-McGregor crowd that roared every time the UFC star landed a punch, Mayweather methodically broke him down after a slow start to score his first real stoppage in nearly a decade. He did it in what he said would be his final fight, against a fighter who had never been in a professional boxing match.

McGregor boxed surprisingly well early. But after landing some shots in the first three rounds, his punches seemed to lose their steam, and Mayweather went on the pursuit. McGregor backpedaled most of the way, stopping only to throw an occasional flurry as Mayweather wore him down.

“I think we gave the fans what they wanted to see,” Mayweather said. “I owed them for the (Manny) Pacquiao fight.”

McGregor had vowed to knock Mayweather out within two rounds, and he won the early rounds with movement and punches to the head. But the tide of the fight turned in the fourth round as Mayweather seemed to figure out what he had to do and began aggressively stalking McGregor.

“I turned him into a Mexican tonight,” McGregor said. “He fought like a Mexican.”

In a fight so intriguing that it cost $10,000 for ringside seats, McGregor turned in a respectable performance for someone in his first fight. But Mayweather’s experience and his ring savvy paid off as he executed his game plan to perfection.

“Our game plan was to take our time, go to him and take him out in the end,” Mayweather said. “I guaranteed everybody this fight wouldn’t go the distance.”

Mayweather was widely criticized for not going after Pacquiao in their megafight, and he didn’t make the same mistake this time. In a fight that could make him $200 million he seemed to stagger McGregor with a series of punches in the ninth round, then came back in the 10th eager to finish it off.

McGregor went over and hugged Mayweather. He seemed almost happy in the ring afterward, secure that he had given a good performance even in losing.

“I was a little fatigued,” he said. “He was composed in there, that’s what 50 pro fights can give you.”

Mayweather ran his record to 50-0, surpassing Rocky Marciano’s 49-0 record and giving himself a great parting gift. He repeated afterward that he was not going to fight again.

“This is my last fight for sure. 50-0 sounds good, I’m looking forward to going into the Hall of Fame,” Mayweather said. “I picked the best dance partner to do it with.”

Irish fans arrived by the thousands in the days before the fight, filling the arena for the weigh-in and boisterously cheering for their man. They even went off in the middle of the night and spray painted an Irish flag and “49-1” on a billboard on Interstate 15 promoting Mayweather’s businesses.

The capacity crowd at the arena cheered McGregor on, but they quieted as the fight progressed and Mayweather showed his dominance.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Mayweather, McGregor ready to rumble in much-hyped fight

LAS VEGAS — Conor McGregor has been kept pretty much under wraps ever since his fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. was announced, emerging occasionally to trash Mayweather only to disappear again behind the closed doors of the UFC training center.


It’s not by accident. The biggest selling point of the spectacle that is Saturday night’s 154-pound fight is the unknown.

Is McGregor good enough to land a big punch on Mayweather? Did he acquire enough boxing skills in just a few short months to make what should be a lopsided fight competitive?

Inquiring minds want to know, and there are enough of them to make this the most watched fight in history. Some 50 million people in the U.S. alone are expected to gather with friends and family to see it all unfold.

“I will be the king of both sports,” McGregor crowed. “I’m already the king of fighting, I’ll soon be the king of boxing.”

Not so fast, said Mayweather, who comes from a boxing family and famously began throwing punches before he could walk.

“After 21 years I’ve been hit with everything and I’m still right here,” Mayweather said. “If you give it you must be able to take it.”

It’s a fight that really makes no sense other than millions of people want to watch it. But the economics of the fight wouldn’t make any sense, either, if people saw McGregor — the UFC star who has never boxed professionally — in action and decided he just wasn’t good enough to be in the ring with a fighter like Mayweather.

No mystique, no 5 million buys on Showtime pay-per-view. That’s why there was never any chance of McGregor having a tuneup fight.

And that is why the only boxing anyone outside McGregor’s inner circle has seen was him hitting the heavy bag in a comical media day performance and a few seconds of a UFC clip purportedly showing him knocking down Showtime announcer and former fighter Paulie Malignaggi.

No worries, said McGregor, who says his boxing talents shouldn’t be underestimated.

“I’ve been lacing up the gloves my entire existence,” McGregor said. “Of course, we will come with a different approach than people are used to, we will paint many pictures inside the ring. It’s not going to end well for Floyd. It’s not going to end well for all the people who are doubting me and are so convinced that this is what it is.”

McGregor weighed in at 153 pounds Friday to 149 ½ for Mayweather. A crowd that nearly filled the T-Mobile arena — many waving Irish flags — cheered loudly for McGregor while booing Mayweather.

McGregor’s fan base is driving this fight, united in their fervent hope that the Irish UFC champion can muscle Mayweather around the ring and deliver knockout punches to his head. Sports books in this gambling city have taken so many longshot wagers on McGregor winning by a knockout early that they will suffer their worst loss ever should it actually happen.

What should be a 100-1 fight began as 11-1 in Mayweather’s favor. Now it’s 5-1, though a lot of big money — including a few million dollar bets — has been wagered on Mayweather in recent days.

“I don’t see him lasting two rounds,” McGregor said. “He messed up with the 8-ounce gloves. Keep your hands up, keep them down. I don’t care. I’m going to break through whatever is in front of me.”

For the flamboyant McGregor the fight is a chance to make money he couldn’t dream of in the UFC and gain a fan base outside of mixed martial arts. Estimates vary, but he could take home $100 million for a challenge of Mayweather that seemed improbable when he first started talking about it two years ago.

He’s got youth on his side (he’s 29 and Mayweather is 40), and he’ll probably go in the ring much heavier than Mayweather after rehydrating following Friday’s weigh-in. He’s also got a reputation as a big puncher and the prevailing wisdom is he’ll try to maul Mayweather much like Marcos Maidana did in their 2014 fight.

Other than that, everything favors Mayweather.

He’s unbeaten in 49 fights as a pro and has a chance to pass Rocky Marciano on the perfect record list with win No. 50. Not only has he beaten every fighter put in front of him but he’s found ways to deal with big punchers like Miguel Cotto, Diego Corrales and Canelo Alvarez.

He’s also a pure boxer with an innate ability to adapt to any fighter put in front of him.

Mayweather is so confident of his chances that he’s spent much of the week before his fight having meet-and-greets in the early morning hours at the strip club he owns not far from the T-Mobile arena where they will fight.

Though he’s made hundreds of millions in the ring, Mayweather has a tax lien of $22 million to the IRS, so the lure of $200 million to come out of a two-year retirement and face a novice boxer was great. But he said this will be definitely be his last fight, and he wants to go out with a dominating performance.

“I gave my word to my children and once I did that it came to an end,” Mayweather said. “What better way to go out than with a bang.”

The fight is expected to match or surpass the 4.6 million pay-per-views sold for Mayweather’s 2015 fight with Manny Pacquiao at $99.95 a household. Industry observers say people across the country will use the telecast as an excuse to party in tense times and 10 people could watch each pay-per-view.

Tickets in the arena haven’t done nearly as well, largely because promoters wildly overestimated what people would pay to watch in person. Ringside seats were $10,000 and nosebleed tickets started at $2,500, though prices have been dropping rapidly as the fight approaches.

source: sports.inquirer.net

50 million could watch Mayweather-McGregor in the US alone

LAS VEGAS — Conor McGregor’s improbable challenge of Floyd Mayweather Jr. could be seen by a staggering 50 million people in the United States as fans and the curious gather in small and large parties.

The fight Saturday night threatens the pay-per-view revenue record set by Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao two years ago and could dwarf it in viewership as people use the event as a reason to have friends and family over for a little escapism and controlled violence.

“It’s a cultural event that crosses all demographics and all social and economic factors,” said Mark Taffet, who formerly ran pay-per-view for HBO. “People are getting together to have a great time and we surely need an excuse to have a great time.”

Taffet said that while an average of 5-6 people normally watches a pay-per-view, he wouldn’t be surprised if the fight averages 10 people a household. If it sells 5 million pay-per-views as widely anticipated, the fight could be watched by nearly one in six Americans.

The fight will also be seen by millions more worldwide, with promoters claiming it will be available either online or on a TV screen to more than 1 billion homes in 200 different countries.

“If you are in Manhattan or you are on a desert island somewhere, if you have Wi-Fi, you can buy this fight,” promoter Dana White said.

Each pay-per-view sale means more money in the wallets of both fighters. Though estimates vary widely, Mayweather is expected to make some $200 million, while McGregor will likely pocket at least $100 million.

Though ticket sales have been slow in Las Vegas — largely because of astronomical prices — the fight is shaping up as must-see TV at a price of $99.95. People are expected to buy the fight in record numbers, with many sharing the cost of the telecast with friends and family they invite over.

Taffet said people will treat it much like a Super Bowl by getting together in larger numbers than usual.

“I think this is first and foremost a television event,” said Taffet, who oversaw 190 pay-per-views in his career at HBO. “The success of this fight in the financial record books of history will be made on pay-per-view. And I believe it’s going to deliver.”

Industry observers say it’s hard to judge how many homes will buy a pay-per-view until the day of the fight many times, as people often buy late. But the anecdotal evidence — primarily the chatter on social media — indicates a good likelihood of it smashing the 4.6 million record of pay-per-view sales set by the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight.

That’s largely because the matchup will likely cross over from being just a sporting event to a party night.

“We have definitely seen massive general market interest in addition to the sports fan,” said Stephen Espinoza, who heads sports for Showtime, which will televise the fight. “These general market viewers are often not part of the audience for even the biggest combat sports event. So the ceiling is pretty high.”

Espinoza said the very nature of the fight — a matchup between a UFC star who has never boxed as a pro against one of the greatest fighters of his time — will drive the pay-per-view sales.

“We believe this is an unprecedented event, quite frankly no one knows what to expect,” he said. “The element of these two outspoken personalities in one unprecedented event is compelling.”

An early indication of interest in the fight is the massive betting both in Nevada and in other places where it is legal. Bookmakers say it will be the biggest bet fight ever, with an overwhelming number of the early tickets on McGregor to pull an upset.

Still, there are plenty of tickets left in the arena itself, where prices originally ranged from $2,500 in the upper sections to $10,000 at ringside. Ticket prices have been dropping in the resale market — with some available for less than $1,300 on Tuesday — and are expected to decline more in the days before the fight.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Mayweather warns of hefty fine if McGregor kicks him in their fight

It’s just over a week away from one of the most anticipated bouts in boxing, as undefeated fighter Floyd Mayweather Jr. returns to the ring to face off UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor.

The former is known to be the ultimate boxing tactician, while the latter is a complete mixed martial artist, adept in using both his arms and legs in combat.

In a recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Mayweather was asked what would happen if his opponent decides to throw a kick or any other MMA technique during their 12-round boxing showdown on Aug. 26.

“That’s a fine, that’s a huge fine,” he told host Jimmy Kimmel.

“I don’t think he’d want to lose, probably 90 percent of his money or even more. I don’t know what it’s gonna be, but it’s gonna be a heavy fine,” he added.

Although it remains highly unlikely that McGregor would throw such a blatant illegal strike, the brash Irishman is known to be as unpredictable as it comes.

Aside from the probability of receiving a high kick, Kimmel also asked the 40-year-old boxing icon about the possibility of a second fight, this time inside the Octagon under MMA rules.

“As of right now, we gotta get past August 26,” Mayweather said. “Once we get past August 26, then we can talk about other things.”

A clip of Mayweather’s full interview is available.  /ra

source: sports.inquirer.net

Mayweather, McGregor take trash-talk tour to New York

NEW YORK—Floyd Mayweather was on the attack on Thursday, branding Conor McGregor a quitter as the four-stop tour hyping their cross-combat superfight hit New York.

“Eejit” and “Circus Clown” were the tamest epithets the former welterweight king, who retired from boxing with a perfect 49-0 record in 2015, threw at McGregor, one of the biggest stars of mixed martial arts.

“Gave up not once, not twice but three times!” said Mayweather. “Real fighters never give up.

McGregor, a two-division champion in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, has conceded three defeats in 24 bouts, all by submission.

The two men are set to face each other in a boxing ring in Las Vegas on August 26 in what could be the richest fight in history.

Thursday’s show at the Barclays Center, home of the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets, drew a pro-McGregor crowd of more than 13,000.

It was the third such production in three days, with one more scheduled for London on Friday aimed at pumping up interest in the bout — although both men seemed to be running short of inventive invective.

McGregor eschewed his sharp-tailored suits for a bare chest and white fur overcoat — which he swept from his shoulders as he took the stage to offer a flexed-arm pose that inflamed the crowd.

The Irishman then paced impatiently as Mayweather, draped in an Irish flag, made his way to the stage and they took their positions for the ritual staredown from opposite sides of the podium.

A giant step forward from each had them nose to nose and brought more cheers from the crowd before McGregor launched into a lewd, crude address.

“No one’s going to stop me walking around this place like I own it,” he said.

Mayweather, meanwhile, was all indifference until it was his turn to speak. After a little back-and-forth with the crowd, he showered McGregor with handfuls of dollar bills from his backpack — a day after McGregor mocked the paltry stash of cash “Money” had brought to their promotional stop in Toronto on Wednesday.

“They’re all ones!” McGregor said. “Because that’s all you’re worth,” Mayweather replied.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Mayweather remains undefeated after UD win over Berto

Floyd Mayweather Jr. cemented his place among the pantheon of boxing greats with a unanimous decision over fellow American Andre Berto on Saturday (Sunday, PHL time) in what he has repeatedly said would be the final fight of his career.

Mayweather, 38, outboxed his younger opponent over the 12 rounds to retain his WBC and WBA welterweight titles and improve his perfect career record to 49-0, matching the benchmark set by former heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano.

Five-division world champion Mayweather dominated most of the exchanges in the MGM Grand Garden Arena with his lightning jabs and agile movement about the ring to finish ahead on all three judges' scorecards.

Berto, a 30-1 underdog against one of the best defensive fighters of all time, dropped to 30-4 as he suffered his fourth loss in his last seven fights.

Back in the ring for the first time since May when he beat Manny Pacquiao in a 'mega-fight' that became the richest bout in boxing, Mayweather landed 232 of 410 punches while Berto connected with just 83 of 495.

However, it was a welterweight showdown that failed to capture the public's imagination given Berto's relatively low profile globally and his mixed run of results over the past four years, and it was low on entertainment value on the night.

Barely five hours before the start, the MGM Grand box office said "a bunch of tickets" were still available for the arena in the price range between $300 and $1,500, but many of those were snapped up by fight time. - RAF, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com

Mayweather farewell fizzles at box office

Hundreds of tickets were still available Friday less than 24 hours before Floyd Mayweather's welterweight world title defense, an embarrassing blow to the champion for what he says will be his last fight.

It is in stark contrast to the feverish anticipation for May's showdown with Manny Pacquiao, when all seats at the MGM Grand were snapped up in mere minutes.

Mayweather has attempted to drum up interest in Saturday's bout at the same venue in Las Vegas by declaring challenger Andre Berto -- rated by many pundits as a massive underdog -- a genuine threat.

Berto's respected trainer, Virgil Hunter, has talked up "personal issues" between the two fighters.

But it would appear that the paying public are not buying it.

The lukewarm interest from fight fans will be particularly galling for Mayweather, 38, because victory over Berto would put him equal with heavy legend Rocky Marciano with a perfect 49-0 record.

Ticketmaster was still offering several hundred tickets for between $150 and $1,500 late Friday and its website showed whole rows lying empty. —Agence France-Presse

source: gmanetwork.com

Manny Pacquiao wants rematch with Floyd Mayweather

Manny Pacquiao wants a rematch with Floyd Mayweather.

The Filipino ring icon made the pronouncement on Monday in a live interview on "24 Oras," a day after he lost via unanimous decision to the unbeaten American champion.

"Kung ako, gusto ko mag-rematch," said Pacquiao, adding that he wants to face Mayweather at his best. Pacquiao admitted to being affected by an injury during the fight after hurting his shoulder in training.

Pacquiao, however, doesn't know if Mayweather would want to face him again.

"Ewan ko sa kaniya kung gusto niya  mag-rematch," said Pacquiao, whose negotiations with Mayweather was off and on for five years before they finally agreed to have a fight.

There is no rematch clause in the contract of the two fighters.

Before looking at another fight with Mayweather, however, Pacquiao will undergo another magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exam to determine if he needs surgery on his shoulder.

Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach has already express willingness to go at Mayweather again.

"I thought we fought a good fight," said the Hall of Famer. "We’d love to do it again. Hopefully as soon in the future."

Mayweather, for his part, doesn't seem to be too keen on another faceoff with Pacquiao.

"I can quit boxing today and I’m a-okay," he said. "In my era I’m TBE (The Best Ever)." -- JST, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com

Las Vegas police on alert ahead of Pacquiao-Mayweather fight

LAS VEGAS, United States - Las Vegas authorities could take the rare step of barring traffic from the gambling hub's famous Strip this weekend as they brace the massive crowds expected to descend on Sin City for the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao super fight.

The bout at the MGM is sold out and hotels are overflowing with guests as between 150,000 to 200,000 people are expected to pour into the desert city for the showdown being billed as the "Fight of the Century".

"We have handled events like this before where we had to shut down the Strip," Erik Newman, Deputy Fire Chief of Clark County Fire Department told Agence France-Presse. "What we are preparing for is the NBA all-star game in 2007."

Las Vegas officials are hoping to avoid a repeat of the chaotic February 2007 all-star game weekend which saw several people shot and around 400 people arrested.

Scattered fights broke out along The Strip and there were at least four shootings attributed to basketball fans.

That number includes three people who were injured outside the Minxx stripclub in a shooting that was connected to a group associated with National Football League player Adam "Pacman" Jones.

‘Whole world watching’

"The fight itself will be safe," said Newman. "Our big fear is the clubs and everything else. The problem is there are so many high-profile artists coming to town. We will have our hands full.

"We will have extra units out and metro (police) will have extra units out as well. We know the whole world will be watching."

Saturday's record-breaking spectacle, which will bring in $400 million to $500 million to the city's economy, has created its own set of security issues for law enforcement.

Larry Hadfield, spokesperson for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police, said they will be beefing up their staffing in and around the MGM Grand Hotel and stepping up patrols along the main casino strip.

Hadfield told AFP they started planning for the blockbuster bout the moment it was announced in February.

"We are planning for the worst. We are getting pretty good at doing these big events. We have a vast number of resources," he said.

Besides the hotel security, police will also be working with the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security.

Crowd control inside the 16,000 seat MGM's Grand Garden Arena is also a concern.

The Grand Garden has been the scene of two recent post-fight stampedes, including one after the Mayweather-Marcos Maidana fight last May that injured 60 people. The stampede was caused when a partition that fell in the lobby area sounded like gunshots to the crowd that was exiting the arena.

Another less serious stampede happened in the same lobby when the crowd was leaving the Mayweather-Maidana rematch fight in September.

In September 1996, the MGM was the scene of an incident involving the late rapper Tupac Shakur. After the Mike Tyson-Bruce Seldon fight, Shakur was caught on a video camera beating a man in the hotel's lobby area. Later that night Shakur was shot dead in a drive-by shooting in a killing that has yet to be solved.

"We're not going to let the criminal element take over and make our town unsafe," Roxanne McDaris, Lieutenant with the events planning section of the Las Vegas police, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal newspaper earlier this week. "We're doing everything in our power to make it safe."

Tim Jeffery, MGM's vice president of security, said security will be enhanced with their hotel employees supplementing the police.

Jeffrey also said they are going streamline crowd control after the fight and open more exit doors to prevent another lobby stampede.

"We are going to be directing people to specific exits to avoid that logjam," he said. "You will see a noticeable increase in the number of security." — Agence France-Presse

source: gmanetwork.com

Mayweather, a perfect fighter but flawed man, cashes in

LAS VEGAS - Floyd Mayweather Jr. describes himself as a perfectionist and inside the ring the boxer known as the 'Money Man' is just that, his flawless professional record of 47-0 a monument to perfection.

But outside the arena Mayweather's pursuit of an equally accomplished life ended long ago in defeat, the gunman of his own character assassination.

Over the last decade, Mayweather has been accused of assaulting five different women on at least seven different occasions, including a 2010 incident that resulted in a 90-day prison sentence.

But it is the perfect fighter not the flawed man some boxing fans will pay over $100,000 to watch on Saturday when Mayweather steps into the ring at the MGM Grand Arena to face the soft-spoken but stone fisted Manny Pacquiao in what is expected to be the biggest grossing prize fight of all time.

"I'm a little different from everyone else," Mayweather explained to reporters. "I am only human, I make mistakes. I try to be a perfectionist but no one is perfect.

"We don't know how this fight is going to play out but I believe in my skills."

Supreme confidence and self-belief are qualities that have never been in short supply for a boxer who has not tasted defeat since a controversial loss to Bulgarian Serafim Todorov in a semi-final bout at the 1996 Olympics.

That loss so stung Mayweather that he vowed never to lose again. He immediately turned professional and 19 years later has held true to his word, capturing 11 world titles in five weight divisions and amassed a fortune that last year put him atop Forbes' annual rankings of the highest paid athletes.

Win-or-lose on Saturday, the title of the world's best paid sportsman is one Mayweather is likely to maintain with a guaranteed payday of $120 million that some predict could top $180 million, depending on pay-per-view buys.

The money will support a lavish lifestyle that includes a Las Vegas mansion, a fleet of exotic cars and a private jet that he says he will use after the fight to criss-cross the United States to watch the NBA playoffs.

Latest stop

The glitz of the Las Vegas Strip and Saturday's 'Fight of the Century' is the latest stop in a decades-long journey that began 38 years ago in the grit and grime of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Mayweather Jr. was born into a boxing obsessed family to a drug addict mother and it was there in the rust belt that his father, Floyd Mayweather Sr., who once fought Sugar Ray Leonard, would polish and hone his son's considerable boxing skills.

Over the years the Mayweather father/son, trainer/boxer relationship has been a stormy one, Floyd Sr. once using his young son as a human shield when a relative threatened to shoot him.

For all the strain and long periods of estrangement, however, the Mayweathers have so far developed an unbeatable game plan and on Saturday Floyd Sr. will be in his son's corner mapping out the strategy.

"From the beginning of my career, I've always had a game plan. It's just like chess," said Mayweather.

"We make calculated moves in the ring and outside the ring. I got with the right team and surrounded myself with the right chess pieces. I'm a lot older now, a lot wiser."

Indeed, the father of four appears to have undergone a noticeable personality change that hints at a new maturity ahead of the biggest fight of his career.

Gone, for the moment, is the brash, trash-talking Mayweather to be replaced by a reflective fighter more keenly aware of his legacy.

Now 38, Mayweather veered of topic during a pre-fight news conference to talk about the part a parent plays as a role model while declaring himself a pioneering anti-doping crusader for taking a stand against drugs and refusing fight Pacquiao until the Filipino agreed to out-of-competition blood-testing.

"Children should look up to their parents first," said Mayweather. "Parents should be the role model first before an athlete.

"We do certain things, I come out I speak loud, I have the flamboyant 'Money Mayweather' persona but that doesn't mean I hate anyone. It is all about entertainment. People want to be entertained." — Reuters

Sources: Unbeaten world champ Rigondeaux sparring with Pacquiao

Getting a world-class sparring partner who has a similar style to Floyd Mayweather is beyond difficult to find, but Manny Pacquiao may have found just the perfect guy for the job.

Sources told GMA News Online that unbeaten world super bantamweight champion Guillermo Rigondeaux has been tapped to spar with Pacquiao in preparation for his long-awaited showdown against Mayweather on May 2.

One source said that Pacquiao and Rigondeaux have already started to spar with each other at the famed Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles this past week. Pacquiao was said to not have worn a headgear during the sparring session while Guillermo was equipped with full boxing gears.

A pugilist who possesses excellent speed, power, footwork and boxing skills, the 34-year-old Cuban is a two-time Olympic gold medalist and a three-time amateur boxing World Cup gold medalist.

He has a perfect record of 15-0 with 10 knockouts and holds a dominant victory over Nonito Donaire in 2013.

Perhaps more importantly, Rigondeaux possesses the quick reflexes and defensive style that could help Pacquiao get an idea of how it would be to face Mayweather inside the ring.

Rigondeaux had previously trained under Roach, drawing high praise from the Hall of Fame trainer.

GMA News Online got in touch with Rigondeaux's manager Gary Hyde to confirm the report but he respectfully declined to comment on the matter. —JST, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com

Pacquiao's conditioning coach blasts Mayweather camp for dirty tricks

Manny Pacquiao's strength and conditioning coach Justin Fortune blasted the camp of Floyd Mayweather amid allegations that people close to the American fighter have been bribing fighters not to spar with the Filipino ring icon.

According to various reports, Mayweather's adviser Al Haymon is offering money to boxers not to pass on Pacquiao's camp, with the amount being offered said to be much more than what they would get as sparmates.

"It's childish, It's f---ing schoolyard. If I'm a sparring partner I'm not going to be bribed," Fortune told boxingscene.com.

Nevetheless, Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach has already found fighters willing to help the Filipino in preparation for his long awaited showdown against Mayweather. Still it doesn't stop Fortune from verbally jabbing the brash American's camp.

"Freddie has all his sparring partners lined up. So I'm sure these guys are with promoters and stuff like that," said Fortune.

"Al Haymon... it's just so stupid, so schoolyardish. If that's the extent of the mind games. I mean, they need to go back to school." —JST, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com

How Pacquiao can beat Mayweather, according to Juan Manuel Marquez

 

Juan Manuel Marquez has been in four wars with Manny Pacquiao, so he knows better than anyone what the Filipino fight icon is capable of inside the ring.

 

The proud Mexican champion has also fought against Floyd Mayweather, giving Marquez a unique perspective about the upcoming mega-fight on May 2 in Las Vegas.

 

And unlike most observers, Marquez sees Mayweather struggling with Pacquiao.

 

"Floyd Mayweather isn’t really used to fighting with southpaws," Marquez said on the Mexican show Golpe Y Golpe. 

 

Marquez detailed how Pacquiao can break through Mayweather's vaunted defense.

 

"We know how Floyd Mayweather uses his shoulder roll, so with an orthodox fighter he can dodge many of those shots and wait for openings in his opponents than counter. Manny Pacquiao on his part has to use his speed, and lateral movement and in turn do not give Mayweather any space or minimal space to make him uncomfortable on that very stance," said Marquez.

 

The Mexico City native also took note what punches Pacquiao could use to bother Mayweather.

 

"The right hook will be key as a lefty for Manny Pacquiao.  can set it up by using a left jab to the body and following it up with a hook from the outside and repeating a double hook and he can finish it off with a straight left. The repetition will be key in landing those combinations and Pacquiao has to change it up for Floyd not to adapt," said Marquez, adding that Mayweather's boxing IQ makes the brash American formidable.

 

"He sets traps and throws nice uppercuts from long distance, and he will use that reach advantage to do so. He will follow that up with counter rights and straight lefts from range because of that advantage." —JST, GMA News

 

source: gmanetwork.com

Pacquiao has chance if he could slip through Mayweather’s defense – ESPN

Veteran ESPN commentator Teddy Atlas has picked Floyd Mayweather Jr. to win over Manny Pacquiao in the much-anticipated superfight scheduled on May 2 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Atlas said in a video that Mayweather has the size advantage as the bigger fighter, standing an inch taller and having a longer reach than the smaller and lighter Pacquiao.

Pacman's knockout loss to Juan Manuel Marquez in 2012 also adds a psychological upper-hand to the unbeaten pound-for-pound king, according to the former boxing trainer.

"The edge goes to Mr. Mayweather, the Money man," he said. "He is the better defensive fighter, the guy that will take advantage of reckless aggression of Pacquiao."

Atlas, however, said that Pacman still has a chance if he could slip through the American boxer's seemingly impenetrable defense, which won him 47 fights in his professional career.

"Pacquiao needs to understand that sometimes Mayweather gets intoxicated with his defense," he said. "He starts slipping and sliding a little too much sometimes and allows you to get into him."

Still, Mayweather will be brimming with confidence as he never had a single taste of loss, according to Atlas. The eight-division champion needs to utilize his speed, his greatest weapon, in order to land some shots and steal rounds.

"Pacquiao can match Floyd just about with hand speed," he said. "He’s a little busier than Floyd. Pacquiao will have opportunities with Floyd when he is in the defensive mode a little too much." — Marisse Panaligan/LBG, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com

No rematch clause, no problem for Arum: Pacquiao will beat Mayweather

Bob Arum is not bothered that there is no rematch clause in the deal for the megafight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on May 2.

The Top Rank promoter is confident that the eight-division champion will defeat the yet unbeaten Mayweather in the single-bout affair.

"I tell you, there's going to be one winner from this fight, and it's gonna be the congressman from Sarangani, Manny Pacquiao," Arum told 24 Oras in an interview.

The fight was officially announced by Mayweather on his Shots account on Saturday (PHL time), ending five years of on-and-off negotiations.

The talks to make the happen took months after Pacman called Mayweather following his demolition of Chris Algieri in Macau in November.

According to Arum, the negotiations were stalled due to the "mistrust" between the two camps and the "lies" spread by the press.

"The negotiations were very difficult," he said. "A lot of it was impeded by some elements of the Philippine press who were reporting lies that had no basis in reality but impeded the negotiations." — Marisse Panaligan/JDS, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com

Roach: All Mayweather has to do is sign the contract

Hall of fame trainer Freddie Roach is puzzled as to what it'll take to get Floyd Mayweather inside the same ring with his top pupil Manny Pacquiao

Tired of Mayweather's unending list of demands, Roach vented his frustration when he recently spoke to Boxingscene.com.

"I really don't know what it's going to take to get Mayweather to the table. I mean he doesn't want Bob Arum involved, Buboy (Fernandez) can't work the corner, I mean, this guy thinks he runs the f----- show," said Roach.

"Geez, gimme a f----- break. We're doing everything possible to make this fight happen on our side and that's all we can do."

Exasperated yet hopeful, Roach still believes that the long-awaited showdown can materialize.

"It's getting out there again, there's an audience out there and everybody is getting interested again because Mayweather came out and finally said something back to us. So now all he has to do is sign the contract." - RAF, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com

With fight talks ongoing, Mayweather takes another jab at Pacquiao on social media

 

Floyd Mayweather hasn't expressed whether he would finally fight Manny Pacquiao, but the unbeaten American took another jab at the Filipino ring icon on social media.

 

On Wednesday, Mayweather posted on his official Facebook page a video of Pacquiao getting knocked out by Juan Manuel Marquez.

 

 

 It isn't the first time the brash fighter has taken this tack. Last September, Mayweather also posted photos of that same knockout.  

The latest stunt comes amid news that talks for a much-awaited fight between Mayweather and Pacquiao are back on.

After Pacquiao demolition of Chris Algieri this past weekend, the pressure is on Mayweather to finally say yes to a fight. Pacquiao's promoter Bob Arum said American television bigwigs are taking the lead to make the fight happen. — JST, GMA News

 

source: gmanetwork.com

Manny Pacquiao to Floyd Mayweather: 'It's time to say yes'

"It's time to say yes."

That's Manny Pacquiao's plea to Floyd Mayweather to finally make the much-awaited fight between the two top fighters in the world happen.

Pacquiao was coming off a rousing victory over Chris Algieri on Sunday in a one-sided fight that saw the American fighter hit the canvas six times.

Predictably, Pacquiao was asked about the possibility of finally fighting Mayweather just moments after his hand was raised. 


"It's a good thing that we talk about that fight. It's time to say 'yes,'" Pacquiao said in the post-fight press conference.

"It's been a long time since I wanted that fight."

Pacquiao's promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank said the Mayweather fight was the top priority for their camp.

"Enough is enough. Let's make the fight happen," said Arum.

After years of frustration in making a fight between the two top fighters in the world, there was some light earlier this week after news leaked out that Mayweather was finally open to a fight, according to his network Showtime. No less than CBS Corporation CEO and president Les Moonves is reportedly spearheading the negotiations to make the fight happen. — JST, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com

Mayweather slowing down, can be beaten by Pacquiao, says Golovkin trainer

Abel Sanchez, the trainer of world middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin thinks that father time is starting to catch up with pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather.

Mayweather toppled Marcos Maidana with ease in his last fight but showed signs of decline according to Sanchez.

"I thought Floyd won easily, but Floyd is slowing down," told Sanchez in an interview with fighthype.com. "He's getting old like everybody that is at that level for such a long time."

Sanchez thinks that Pacquiao is on the right track since suffering a brutal knockout loss to Juan Manuel Marquez in 2012.

He even gave Pacquiao a better chance of beating Mayweather now should the much-awaited showdown finally come to fruition.

"In the past I thought that Mayweather would win the fight easily. I think the knockout by Marquez on Pacquiao kind of rejuvenated his career, his mentality, his efforts, his commitment to the gym," said Sanchez.

"Sometimes a loss like that could be a blessing. Now I see it more as an even fight." — JST, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com

Freddie Roach's choice for next Manny Pacquiao opponent: not Floyd Mayweather

Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach already has a top prospect for Manny Pacquiao's next fight after Chris Algieri — and it's not Floyd Mayweather.

"My first choice for Manny's next fight is Danny Garcia," Roach told Boxingscene.com. "I know it's out there. I would love to fight Garcia, it's a great fight for Manny at 140 or 147."

Danny Garcia is the reigning light welterweight king who holds an impressive record of 29-0 with 17 knockouts and is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions.

As Top Rank and Golden Boy expressed their desire to work together again as of late, the fight may very well happen down the line and the weight class shouldn't be a roadblock either.

"The thing is right now Manny is fighting at 144 for this fight. If he feels good at 144, we'll go to 140. If he doesn't then we'll go to 147. But Manny is a more natural 140 pounder. His walk around weight is 142," added Roach.

Talks for a highly-anticipated fight with Mayweather has long been on the table for Pacquiao, but negotiations have repeatedly broken down.

Pacquiao earlier confirmed that there were ongoing negotiations for a fight against the brash American fighter.

But Roach has expressed his frustration with Mayweather's antics, underscoring his doubt that the mega-fight would push through. — JST, GMA News/Reuters photo

source: gmanetwork.com