Bleacher Report - Floyd Mayweather

Pacquiao-Foreman Could Be Next, Mayweather Fight Should Be Priority

Richard Everett — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:34:13 -0500

Somewhere out of left field, a new opponent for Manny Pacquiao's next bout has emerged.

His name is Yuri Foreman.

No, you are not suffering from hallucinations and yes, you are forgiven for not being familiar with the WBA light-middleweight champion.

Freddie Roach confirmed today the rumours that had been circulating over the weekend.

It appears the stumbling block for an immediate Pacquiao-Mayweather bout is the inability of both parties to agree a date.

Roach has accused the Mayweather camp of dragging their heels.

"We want to fight in March and we don't really want to wait," Roach said.

"Mayweather doesn't want to fight in March, so we might fight for the 154-pound title in March and move up for that eighth world title. I'm thinking about that still and it's something that I'm kicking around in my head right now."

Undoubtedly, if a Pacquiao-Foreman fight were to take place, the Brooklyn resident would put his WBA belt, a title he captured this month when he defeated Daniel Santos by a 12-round unanimous decision, on the line.

This would, of course, offer Pacquiao the opportunity to collect his sixth alphabet title in six different weight classes, and take the claim of becoming the first ever octuple champion.

Although this is a wonderful and potentially historic opportunity, it does not hold a smidgen of the allure as a bout between the "Pretty Boy" and "Pac-man".

Those that fear a bout with Mayweather may never materialise should not be totally disheartened. Roach added a telling caveat in his comments:

"Yuri Foreman might be the opponent. It is a possibility, and then Mayweather in September. If they guarantee me that, we'll do that, but I need more of a commitment from Mayweather because he's not negotiating too well. It has to happen and with the money they are going to make out of it, I feel it will happen. Mayweather can't make that money with anybody else."

The reasons for Pacquiao and his team requesting a March bout rather than a May fight, as the Mayweather team prefer, seem to be motivated by Pacquiao’s unyielding commitment to run for a congressional seat in Sarangani.

Pacquiao's lawyer Franklin "Jeng" Gacal told boxingscene.com that he was informed that Pacquiao had decided to run for Congress.

Pacquiao's longtime friend and sometime confidant Rex "Wakee" Salud also told them Pacquiao would run in Sarangani and that there is a good chance he would run unopposed, banking on an apparent effort by President Arroyo to appeal to the well-established Chiongbian family to withdraw from the congressional race. Salud said he was 99 percent sure that Pacquiao would run and win, no matter what.

On the other hand, Mayweather and his team's motivations for a May fight are unclear.

One thing that should be crystal clear to both camps is how a potential bout between the two has captured the imagination of the public.

The attention that the fight has grabbed over the past few weeks, or even since Mayweather's return from his self imposed sabbatical, has been astounding.

It has the whole boxing community captivated by the prospect of the two greatest fighters active today sharing the same ring and settling the seemingly endless argument of who is the greater fighter.

It also has the mainstream audience standing up and taking notice.

There is no time like the present.

Yet I do side with Mayweather's camp in that May would be the preferable date. Holding the fight in March, even though it is the earlier date, would hinder promotional opportunities.

People will say that it is the two greatest fighters in the world squaring off, so the promotion will take care of itself.

I disagree.

A fight of this magnitude deserves a world promotional tour. It should include whistle-stop tours of the fight epicentres of communities as well as a spattering of the greatest cities on this planet.

Also, as has been evident in the prelude to the initial negotiations that took place last week, compromise over the fighters' individual shares of the purse is cumbersome and will take time as both men are seeking the alpha male's cut.

This, in turn, means that promotion could not begin until late January, leaving only a month to publicise what is truly a mouth watering and potentially mesmerising encounter.

The alternative option, as alluded to by Roach, would be to hold the fight in the latter part of the year after both have taken further bouts.

In this writer's opinion, that idea should be discarded.

Further bouts for both men place them at risk. A loss for either would undermine that fighter's credibility and possibly demote one or the other from atop the pound-for-pound lists.

Although such an outcome is extremely unlikely considering their recent dominance over their respective opponents, it could result in both fighters losing a share of a potential $100 million pot.

Couple the prospect of either boxer losing with Mayweather's advancing years—he turns 33 in February—and it is feasible that when they both do face off, be it the end of year or beyond, we would not be witnessing the best of either fighter.

This is the type of bout that can raise boxing to its glories of yesteryear and perhaps beyond.

So I urge the negotiators of both parties to not prevaricate, for you should remember delay breeds danger, and to protract such a tantalising opportunity as this is often to ruin it.

Read more Floyd Mayweather news on BleacherReport.com

Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao: Atlas, Sugar and Kenny All Confirm

Clayton Holloway — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 19:08:57 -0500

I was doing my typical, daily YouTube browsing and I came across a great video. In this one minute long video uploaded a few days ago, the video confirms the potential Mega Fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. through some of boxings most famous analysts.

Bert Sugar, Teddy Atlas, Brian Kenny, and Max Kellerman all confirm the fight will take place in the spring. We all knew this fight was going to take place, it's inevitable. But it's good to know there is some validity and credibility to assure the fight will take place. This is very exciting news!

Oh, not to mention... Bob Arum is interviewed as well stating that Manny Pacquiao "will win by knock out!"

Anyway, check out the video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnNazJr8LrM

(I do not own the rights to this video)

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Floyd Mayweather Must Have the Donut: Manny Pacquiao's Coffee Will Remain Hot

PrimeTyme Koby — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 00:05:11 -0500

What's a morning without hot coffee and a donut?

The coffee keeps you coming back because of the caffeine. The caffeine makes you feel alive, and keeps you awake.

Most people can do without the donut, except for one person in particular:

Floyd Mayweather Jr.

As Manny Pacquiao has become the boxing world's version of caffeine, Floyd Mayweather's flawless career has become ever so dependent on that "donut" in the "L" column.

Pacquiao's cult-like following has increased and become stronger, as the fiery Filipino champion keeps providing the slugfest that most boxing fans crave.

The jury is seemingly out on Mayweather's credentials, as Pacquiao fans (or Floyd detractors) call him everything that an undefeated fighter should not be called.

The list of negative feedback that Mayweather receives is endless, as Pacquiao has gained the hearts of the majority of boxing fans across the world. It is overwhelmingly obvious that Floyd, even when "favored", will be the underdog in any fight for the rest of his career.

When the mega fight is scheduled, one thing is pretty clear:

Pacquiao has no chance of "losing."

The fans appreciate his heart and willingness to brawl so much, that even in a knockout defeat he will still be a hot ticket in boxing.

The same can't be said for Mayweather.

He is in a must win situation in any bout. Especially against a man in Pacquiao, that will be loved regardless of the outcome. The situation has become a bit personal in most boxing circles.

Both fighters styles are greatly appreciated on my behalf, but Floyd will have to win convincingly to garner any type of respect from those who despise his antics and way of life.

Pacquiao's string of electrifying victories against Oscar De la Hoya, Ricky Hatton, and Miguel Cotto, has the world calling him the best pound for pound fighter.

Mayweather was the previous pound for pound champion, and he lost that title without suffering a defeat.

The consensus is that his resume isn't impressive, and he ducks the best talent out there. With facts in plain sight, how can any unbiased analyst, writer, or fan come to that conclusion about his resume not being impressive? But in the same breath say that Pacquiao's resume is stunning.

Pacquiao's first fight that was above anything that Mayweather has accomplished was his last fight against Miguel Cotto.

De La Hoya was beaten by Mayweather a full 18 months before Pacquiao finished him off.

Ricky Hatton was knocked out by Mayweather almost 18 months before Pacquiao did the same to the Englishman.

Juan Manuel Marquez, in some boxing circles was considered the second best pound for pound fighter in the world because of his epic battles with Pacquiao.

Mayweather won a lopsided decision against Marquez, in which he possibly won all twelve rounds.

This all proves that Mayweather has nothing to gain, but the money he covets so much, and lots of it.

So much is dependent on him keeping that "donut", but truth be told, Mayweather to Pacquiao fans is his own variety of coffee. He's just not hot to them.

Mayweather is more like an Iced Latte, or a Frappuccino.

The Hot and Cold saga that is Mayweather-Pacquiao will provide all the "caffeine" any true boxing fan craves.

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Evaluating Potential Sites for the Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Fight

Nick Tylwalk — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 07:02:27 -0500

Now that negotiations for a Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather fight have begun in earnest, it's only natural to briefly stop wondering about whether or not it will get done and start considering where it will take place.

The reflex action is to say it will be held in one of the Las Vegas casinos, and it's true that Sin City is still the fight capital of the world. But this is no ordinary boxing match, and the usual rules simply don't apply.

It's widely believed Pacquiao-Mayweather will shatter pay-per-view records, creating hefty paydays for both fighters regardless of the final negotiated split. Still, the PPV take is just one part of the overall revenue picture, and the people who put the fight together are going to want to maximize the live gate as well.

A normal boxing venue like the MGM Grand would sell out easily, even with high ticket prices. Why settle for around 17,000 fans, though, when a fight of this magnitude could sell many more tickets on top of that?

Staging the fight of the decade (and yes, 2010 i

s the final year of the decade we're in, not the first year of the next one) requires thinking outside of the box. Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports is reporting that Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum is already fielding calls from some surprising locales.

There's no telling where the fight will eventually end up at this early stage, but the speculation is part of the fun. Here's a look at the pros and cons for four venues that have already been mentioned in the mainstream sports media as potential landing spots for Pacquiao-Mayweather:

Proposed Outdoor Stadium—Las Vegas

What to do when the perfect facility to hold the fight doesn't exist? Build it, of course.

Casino mogul Steve Wynn is said to have floated the idea of building a 30,000-seat outdoor stadium to host the bout, and that rumor has been picking up steam. Iole says the Las Vegas officials are brainstorming ways to keep the fight on the Strip, with the former site of the New Frontier looking like the perfect amount of empty real estate.

Since Mayweather calls Las Vegas home and Pacquiao has fought there frequently, the city would seem to be the early front-runner. Hotel rooms certainly wouldn't be a problem, especially with MGM's massive CityCenter set to open soon.

The big obstacle could be the calendar. To have the fight take place in the first half of 2010, the stadium would have to be constructed in a matter of months. Even for a temporary facility, that's not a lot of time, so Vegas needs to get cracking to avoid having another city lure the fight elsewhere with the promise of more seats.

Yankee Stadium—New York

Talk about the newest incarnation of the "House that Ruth Built" as a suitable spot for Pacquiao-Mayweather began back when Manny was doing his press tour for his bout with Miguel Cotto. It's precursor saw the likes of Muhammad Ali, Ray Robinson, and Joe Louis all perform within its confines, so in a sense it would be returning the sport to its roots.

Capacity wouldn't be a problem thanks to 50,000-plus seats. The stadium just opened this past April, so few comparable facilities can match it in terms of amenities. That's important since large corporations are reportedly considering sponsoring the fight.

Spring or early summer weather could be an issue, at least for the fans since the ring can be covered. The larger question would be location, as Mayweather has fought only a few times on the East Coast (in Atlantic City, most recently against the late Arturo Gatti in 2005), and Pacquiao has been an exclusively Western U.S. attraction, where he's closer to his Filipino fan base.

There's little doubt that people would travel to Yankee Stadium and fill it up, but there's something to be said for sticking with what works. Here's a case where the romantic notion of putting on the fight in New York might be outweighed by the logistics.

Cowboys Stadium—Arlington, TX

Jerry Jones didn't spend $1.3 billion just to host eight Dallas Cowboys home games a year. The largest domed stadium in the world would be the grandest stage possible for what could be the biggest boxing match ever, and that's just the kind of show Jones would want to put on.

Well over 100,000 people could pack the ultra-modern facility, and even fans in the nosebleed sections would have great views of the action. That's because the stadium also boasts massive HD screens that hang over the field, which were the subject of intense scrutiny before the NFL season but would come in extremely handy for boxing purposes.

Texas has been the site of a number of world championship bouts over the years, but Pacquiao-Mayweather would blow all of the previous ones away. Cowboys Stadium is an intriguing option to play host, and one worth keeping an eye on if reports that its representatives have already reached out to Top Rank turn out to be true.

Superdome—New Orleans

Iole's column mentions that NOLA is trying to get into the Pacquiao-Mayweather derby, enlisting help from the likes of James Carville to pull it off. It's not a place that normally comes to mind when the sweet science is discussed, but the Superdome is certainly large enough (it should hold well over 70,000 configured for a boxing match) and has hosted numerous prominent sporting events in the past.

New Orleans is accustomed to entertaining tourists, and with the French Quarter, Bourbon Street and casinos around, it would provide some of the same atmosphere as Las Vegas. There's no reason to think fans of both fighters wouldn't be willing to travel there.

However, the Superdome is older than the other stadiums on this list and a multi-million dollar renovation plan to return it to state-of-the-art status won't be complete until 2011.

That would seem to make it a big underdog to host the fight, but if there's one thing that New Orleans has proven, it's that you can never count the city out.

Nick Tylwalk is the editor and co-founder of BoxingWatchers.com . Follow his Twitter feed @Nick_Tylwalk.

Read more Floyd Mayweather news on BleacherReport.com

HBO Sports Finally Returns To Canada After Three Decades

King J — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 03:31:34 -0500

This Saturday HBO Sports returns to Canada for the first time in over three decades. Yes, it has been that long since 1977.

This Thanksgiving weekend HBO's Boxing After Dark brings us the highly anticipated rematch of Lucian Bute vs Librado Andrade II. Their first exciting fight ended in a controversial unanimous decision awarded to the IBF super middleweight champion Bute.

Lucian Bute (24-0-0, 19 KOs) is eager to prove to the world that it was no fluke and he is indeed a true champion in front of his home town crowd of Montreal. Librado Andrade (28-2-0, 21 KOs) is out to show the people of Canada why he should have been awarded the win in their initial October 2008 fight.

The opening fight is also a good one with undefeated Joan Guzman (29-0, 17 KOs) and Ali Funeka (30-2-2, 25 KOs) fighting for the vacant IBF light weight title. Joan Guzman fights almost exactly like top pound for pound undefeated American star Floyd Mayweather Jr mostly because of his trainer being Floyd Mayweather Senior.

Ali Funeka is a tall lanky fighter who won over many fans in his tough fight with veteran Nate Campbell.

It all takes place from the Colisée Pepsi in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada and it can only be watched on HBO Saturday November 28th at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT & 9:00 p.m. CT.

Other HBO playdates: Nov. 29 (8:45 a.m.) and 30 (11:40 p.m.) HBO2 playdate: Nov. 29 (6:15 p.m.) Times are ET/PT.

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Pacquiao vs. Mayweather: The Fight the World Wants To See

Keith Smooth — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:44:05 -0500

The crowd at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas had just laid witness to Manny Pacquiao's brutal beat-down of the hopelessly overmatched Miguel Cotto. They watched as Pacquiao triumphantly raised his arms the same way a quarterback raises his after he completes a touchdown pass. And it was at that moment that they began to chant, that they began to let the outside world know exactly what was in their collective hearts.

Who did the fans want Manny Pacquiao, the devastating Filipino fighter who had just won an unheard-of seventh world title in his seventh different weight class, to fight next?

Well, let's hear from them...

"WE WANT FLOYD! WE WANT FLOYD! WE WANT FLOYD!"

The Floyd they were chanting for of course is Floyd Mayweather Jr., the fleet-footed, undefeated tactical defender who, before he (briefly) retired a couple of years ago, was the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world.

Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs) and Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KOs) are the two brightest stars in a sport that has faded in popularity over the last 10-15 years. And that's why yesterday's news that negotiations between the two camps had begun has the entire sports world on edge. Because in reality, when was the last fight to come along to generate this much interest? When was the last time the sports world salivated at the prospects of the two most talked about boxers in the world getting it on in the ring?

I don't know the exact answer to the questions I'm asking. I only know its been a long time. I remember as a kid when these kind of fights seemed to be an annual event. I remember going to a neighbor's house who paid the pay-per-view fee and who invited everybody from the neighborhood to his house to watch.

As long as they bought either money or something to eat or drink (of course).

Since I'm an '80s baby, I vividly remember the super-fights of that decade that featured such superstars as Sugar Ray Leonard, "Marvelous" Marvin Hagler, Tommy "The Hitman" Hearns, and Roberto Duran. There are few sporting events that rival the intense excitement that a boxing super-fight can generate. It's a cultural event, one that attracts the attention of people who don't even follow the sport. Although the super-fights of the '80s happened more than 20 years ago and, although I was just a kid, I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing on those fateful nights when boxing history was made.

There are millions of people around the world who understand exactly what I'm talking about.

And doesn't it always seem like these super-fights have fantastic behind-the-scenes drama that only heightens the suspense? As even a casual fan will tell you, boxing is a sordid and dirty sport. No one who gets involved is ever the same, not with its behind the scenes manipulations, unethical business dealings, public name-calling, and overall sliminess. And the (inevitable?) Mayweather/Pacquiao fight has a juicy storyline that only adds spice to the overall narrative.

Pacquiao's promoter, Bob Arum, is the president of Top Rank, the promotional company that Mayweather fought for until 2005 when he ended his contract because he believed that Arum was Don-Kinging him (meaning Arum took money out of his purse).

These type of accusations are nothing new in boxing, of course. And it does seem as if Arum is willing to put his considerable distaste for Floyd Mayweather aside in order to make this fight happen. He said as much to the Los Angeles Times when he was quoted as saying that a deal between the two fighters will not hinge on whether or not he likes Mayweather because, in his words, "I don't."

And then there's Mayweather's father, Floyd Sr., who when it comes to celebrity dads who gets on people's nerves, is somewhere between Jon Gosselin and Michael Lohan. In one breath he says that he's confident his son would "whup" Pacquiao. And in the very next breath he says he doesn't think his son should fight him before insinuating (once again) that Pacquiao, the only boxer to win seven world titles in seven different weight classes, and who is now 40 pounds heavier than he was at the beginning of his career, is using performance-enhancing drugs .

Does he have proof?

Of course not! But when did proof ever stop the loquacious Floyd Sr. from speaking his mind?

And when did one side totally monopolize the trash-talking?

In response to Floyd Sr., Alex Ariza, Pacquiao's strength and conditioning coach for the last five years delivered his own salvo shot:

"When he first started saying that stuff, I didn't really address it because it was coming from Floyd. But things like that can snowball. I'm not saying this to be demeaning, but Floyd never finished high school and I'm not sure he knows the difference between steroids and supplements, which can be confusing. Nouns, subjects, and verbs can also be confusing. I'm just not sure Floyd knows the difference."

As Dave Chappelle used to say on The Chappelle Show,

"Awwwwww SNAP!"

Don't you just love when someone says "I'm not saying this to be demeaning" right before they say something that is totally demeaning?

And like all great fights, the two (inevitable?) combatants could not be more different.

Pacquiao, the polite boxer who packs a powerful punch, is a national treasure who is beloved in his home country of the Philippines. Meanwhile, Mayweather is probably more loathed in America than loved due to his brash, cocky personae and to his look-at-me-I'm-rich-and-you're-not opulent style of living.

To the surprise of no one, the biggest obstacle will come down to, in the words of the Wu-Tang Clan, "dollar, dollar bills ya'll." Pacquiao's defeat of Miguel Cotto sold a yearly high of 1.25 units on pay-per-view and grossed $70 million. Mayweather's return to the ring and subsequent defeat of Juan Manuel Marquez in September sold slightly over a million buys on pay-per-view. It is the first time since 1999 that two fights hit the million dollar benchmark in the same year.

It is very likely that their (inevitable?) showdown would break the all-time record of 2.44 pay-per-view units sold for Mayweather's 2007 defeat of Oscar De La Hoya. Both fighters have $150 million reasons to make this happen. It is widely believed that financial issues was the prime motivator for Mayweather's return. And Pacquiao has a hard-charging lifestyle that he needs to accommodate as well.

But ego and greed are two sides of the same coin and should never be discounted.

Will Mayweather accept a 50-50 split? It is perhaps unlikely, since he thinks he's the bigger star. And he may just raise the stakes to something ridiculous like say, 65-35, so that he can purposely negotiate himself out of the fight because deep down he knows that, even though his record is unblemished, and even though he has prided himself in being so good defensively that he's never really been hurt, Pacquiao can hurt him. And he knows Pacquiao can most certainly beat him.

Perhaps Mayweather is asking himself, "Why should I run the risk of damaging my legacy?"

Boxers are a prideful bunch, and someone with as superb a resume as Mayweather would, and I would assume rightfully, question the merits of getting into the ring with a foe who is every bit his equal.

Will the stain of not fighting Pacquiao be stronger than the stain of defeat?

Only Mayweather knows the answer to this question.

The questions that we the desperate fans have is,

When? And Where?

Will it be in May before Pacquiao's reported run for office (in his native Philippines). And will the fight take place on the Vegas Strip, in Yankee Stadium, or in that spaceship Jerry Jones calls a football stadium in Dallas?

Those are the only questions we care about. And we pray they get answered.

HBO Sports President Ross Greenburg called Pacquiao's 12-round destruction of Miguel Cotto, and Floyd's defeat over Marquez "the semifinals."

If that's the case (and it most certainly is), then the "Pac Man" and the "Pretty Boy" will be The SuperBowl of boxing, a worthy prelude to the World Cup, and the most heavily anticipated fight in a generation.

John Whisler, a sports columnist for mysanantonio.com, said it perfectly,

"Someone's going to have to get awfully stupid for this fight to not happen."

What we want is the fight the world wants to see. It was Washington Post columnist Thomas Boswell who said that "boxing is about pain. It is a night out for the carnivore in us, the hidden beast who is hungry."

That hidden beast is not just hungry, it's starving. And this fight is only thing that will curb its appetite.

Read more Floyd Mayweather news on BleacherReport.com

Is Floyd Mayweather, Jr. the Best Boxer of All Time?

Cliff Eastham — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:22:59 -0500

That may be a foolish question to some boxing fans, experts, and enthusiasts.

There have been scores of great fighters, hundreds of very good fighters, and thousands of good fighters.

It is impossible to accurately say that one fighter would beat another fighter from a different era. It is, however, one of the things that makes boxing one of the most debatable and colorful sports there is.

There are obviously fighters in the past, and even currently, who possess(ed) more power than Floyd. Some would be willing to get hit seven or eight times to be able to launch one bomb.

Floyd is virtually unmarked as a fighter, hence the moniker Pretty Boy Floyd. He looks more like a movie star than a pugilist.

While drinking a pint in a tavern, nothing whiles away the time better than a good old fashioned discussion about how Ali could have knocked out Marciano, or how Willie Pep could have given a boxing lesson to Manny Pacquiao (when he was a featherweight).

Thus, we have two factions warring against one another. Old school fans and experts tend to want to give the edge to the guys that they grew up idolizing or following closely.

Secondly, we have the new age fans, who can't seem to imagine how anybody could be better than the current field. Advanced training methods with bigger, stronger, and faster fighters make today's competition much more fierce than in days gone by.

I suppose I would be called old school because of my age, however, I am making a case today for the current best in the world, Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

I have thought about it for some time, and have finally pushed myself to a decision. I believe Pretty Boy is the best "boxer" in the history of the sport.

I said boxer, not fighter. Let me illustrate. When you look up the word "boxer" in the dictionary, Wikipedia, or whatever, you should see an image of him right there on the page. He epitomizes the word.

I have seen boxers since the late fifties and there have been some dandies. Cassius Clay (the caterpillar who turned into the butterfly Muhammad Ali), Floyd Patterson, Archie Moore, Emile Griffith, Joe Frazier, George Foreman (twice), Sugar Ray Leonard, Sugar Ray Robinson, Tommy Hearns, Julio Caesar Chavez, Salvador Sanchez, Alexis Arguello, Aaron Pryor, Bobby Foster, Roberto Duran, and Larry Holmes, just to name a few.

I watched those fighters while they were still active and I saw films of most of the other great ones.

There is not one, in my opinion, who is or was superior to Floyd Mayweather. If there ever was a complete package in one boxer, he would be it.

His defense is beyond description, he is as hard to hit as a bat flying in front of you at night.

He has the fastest hands I believe I ever saw. His punch placement is as good or better than Ali's. He wastes no gas. He is as effective with his punches as anyone ever has been. He has developed a respectful portion of power over the years.

It is a joy to watch him as he commands the ring, dictating how the fight goes. His stinging jabs keep the brawlers off balance and measures them for a strong right hand.

Do I think he could have beaten fighters of other eras? Yes, I do. I think he could have won decisions over Robinson, Leonard, and any other fighters who were in his weight classes.

Pound for pound, he is the best ever. I realize this is speculative at best, and everybody has their own opinions, but I believe he is the one.

There have been other fighters who have retired undefeated. The great Rocky Marciano and even more recent than he, Joe Calzaghe (who quit just in time considering he was down in round one and barely won a split decision over Bernard Hopkins).

Money has beaten everyone who had the stones to throw with him. Some of today's best have witnessed his hand being raised at the end of their bout with him; Oscar De Le Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Zab Judah, Diego Corrales, Arturo Gatti, Jose Luis Castillo, Chop Chop Corley, Sharmba Mitchell, and Juan Manuel Marquez.

He is in fact, the best boxer in the history of the sport.

What are your thoughts?

Read more Floyd Mayweather news on BleacherReport.com

Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Should Agree on 50-50 Purse Split

Carlo Miguel Narboneta — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:08:35 -0500

If reports are true that a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight will be worth $150 million, then why should the percentages of sharing an issue?

Is this too much greed on the part of the fighters, handlers, and hangers? I need some time to suck it in.

For superstar fighters, it’s some kind of "ego-istic" that they wanted the bigger share.

It seemed like they have taken the first round of the fight if they get the percentage that they wanted.

They think that they’re the one who are more popular, more superior, fighter of the masses, generates more money, and economically important.

Understanding the situation is simple, actually.

The fighters are missing the point that the larger piece of the pie really doesn’t matter if they can have half of the pie factory for each of them.

It would be bigger than the normal that they usually have.

If the budget is around $30 million, then it’s understandable that each man wants to jockey for position to earn more profit. Who doesn’t want to be settled for the rest of their lives, but $150 million? Come on! That’s plenty of money for even two lifetimes.

Having a 50-50 split on $150 million is way better than having a 60-40 split on $30 million.

Agreeing to fight on equal terms will be the biggest purse for both fighters, and the biggest one in the history of the sport of boxing.

Perhaps the biggest amount that an athlete can be paid for in a day at a major sporting event.

Imagine, $75 million for each fighter? But there’s more…

There’s no doubt that the fight would be a pay-per-view hit.

Assuming, there’ll be three million subscribers at $55 per pop. That’s a whopping $165 million!

That’s $82.5 million for HBO, $41.25 million for the promoters, and an additional $20.6 million more on both fighter's gross.

They could make an incredible $95.6 million! Would you believe that?! No one's gotten paid for a single day with that amount.

When negotiations start for the fight there will be a lot of trash talking from the Mayweather posse and from Pacquiao’s camp, but they have to keep in mind that machismo is inside the ring and not on the negotiating table.

Quit thinking that the superior fighter gets the lion’s share if both fighters can buy their own jungles.

Never mind previous pay-per-view buys in the US, if the whole world will actually watch them.

All the fans want is for this mega event to happen next year while both fighters are still at their peaks.

Strike whilst the iron is hot.

Stating these assumed, or should I say fantastical figures, is like selling something on Home Shopping Network. It gets bigger and bigger! It never ends…

I just hope the ending would be Pacquiao-Mayweather in 2010.

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Negotiations for Manny Pacquiao's Fight vs. Floyd Mayweather in Talks

Christopher Chavez — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 20:19:07 -0500

The negotiations for a great fight between boxing's current pound for pound best, Manny Pacquiao and Floyd "Money" Mayweather have begun. According to the CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, the two sides have started to negotiate a deal for a fight in early 2010.

Richard Schaefer, the CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, was in Las Vegas Nevada's MGM Grand to see if he could strike a deal with Pacquiao's promoter. Mayweather has said that he is very serious about fighting Pacquiao and hopes it can happen in the near future.

Just imagine all the business and revenue records that this fight can break because of the presence of these two boxing stars in the same ring. The biggest fight of 2009 was the recent Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Coot fight. In that fight, the Philippine sensation was able to knock-out Puerto Rico's finest in 12 rounds. Because of that fight,Pacquiao has been able to set a record of being able to win seven titles in seven weight divisions.

The Pacquiao and Cotto fight brought in more than $70 million in pay-per-view revenue. There were approximately 1.25 The all-time record stands at 2.44 million buys of the Pay-Per-View fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Oscar De La Hoya.

Mayweather has only fought once since having a short Brett Favre-like retirement. In that one bout, he was easily able to beat Juan Manuel Marquez with a unanimous decision.

The fight would be a big one if Schaefer can pull it off.

Floyd "Money" Mayweather Jr. would enter with an undefeated record of 40-0 with 25 KOs. Manny Pacquiao might not have an undefeated record but recently he has been the best and on fire. If the fight were to happen, Pacquiao would enter with a record of 50-3-2 with 38 KOs.

It is definitely must see television if this were to happen and hopefully it will. Mayweather puts his undefeated record on the line against of one best right now, while Pacquiao is out to prove that everything said about him is not just hype.

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