Pacquiao-Valero Fight

Anyone still sulking about the collapse of Manny Pacquiao's blockbuster clash with Floyd Mayweather might just be about to perk up.

The possibility of a scrap between Pacquiao and Edwin Valero will drag even the most disillusioned fight fan out of the doldrums - a mouth-watering scrap rising from the ashes of the scuppered pound-for-pound play-off with Mayweather.

Valero, arguably the only fighter on the planet more exciting than the revered Filipino, has set his sights on what he rightly claims to be "the fight the world wants to see".

While a clash between pound-for-pound king Pacquiao and predecessor Mayweather must, for the good of boxing, happen at some point in the future, a Pacquiao-Valero tear-up would excite most boxing insiders more than any other fight in the last decade.

With a record of 27 stoppages from 27 fights, Valero is the most exciting and aggressive fighter on the planet. Pacquiao, meanwhile, is the most complete fighter of his generation having started out at light-flyweight before moving through the divisions and dishing out beatings to everyone put in his way.

While Pacquiao-Mayweather would be an intriguing and necessary clash pitting the world's top two against each other, a fight between the Filipino firebrand and Valero would be pure indulgence for the viewing public.

It promises a blur of furious violence so thrilling that nobody would complain about paying hefty pay-per-view fees for a fight likely to last barely a few rounds.

After dismantling tough challenger Antonio DeMarco to force a retirement after nine rounds last weekend, WBC lightweight champion Valero - who moved up a division last year to capture that belt - revealed his ambition to step up again and compete at light-welterweight.

To do so would be to head tantalisingly close to Pacquiao-infested waters.

And just the suggestion of a fight between the two is prompting many in the sport to get excited.

First, it seems likely Valero will jump in at the deep end by challenging WBO light-welterweight champion Tim Bradley and, should he come through, with Pacquiao meanwhile navigating his way past Joshua Clottey, a meeting between the two will move to the top of the agenda.

"That's the fight the world wants to see," Valero said after impressing against DeMarco.

"I demonstrated once again (against DeMarco) that I am a boxer, that I do side steps, and I'm technical. I've never said it, but all my team and the people around me know that I can box.

"It's just that a majority of the fights have been against boxers who have gone out early."

While it seems promoter Bob Arum - who also promotes Pacquiao - is keen to throw him in against Bradley, Venezuelan Valero is also eyeing hardman Juan Diaz.

"I hope that it can be in Texas against the 'Baby Bull' Diaz so I can prove I have power in this weight category," said Valero.

There, however, is the first of two stumbling blocks. Texas is the only place in America Valero can fight, because of an ongoing refusal to licence him elsewhere due to an old head injury suffered in a motorcycle crash early in his career.

Unless that changes - and it would be a suspicious coincidence for a change of heart to suddenly occur if such a massive fight was in the offing - the fight cannot be staged in Las Vegas or New York.

The other obstacle in Valero's way is his desire to hold onto his WBC lightweight belt, with the scrapper appealing to the governing body to allow him to move up to 140lbs while retaining his title.

Keen to keep one of their most marketable champions, they may cede to his request, while Pacquiao is fighting Clottey in Dallas anyway so why not stage a showdown there as well?

Valero's biggest challenge will be surviving such a dangerous 'tune-up' fight, however, be it against Diaz or Bradley.

Wherever their allegiance lies, fans of the sweet science will be rooting for both men to come through and remain on this most tantalizing collision course.

Source : SportingLife.com

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Pacquiao Afraid of Marquez

WBO/WBA lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez claims that he was in shock when he found out from Golden Boy Promotions that Manny Pacquiao passed on their trilogy fight and instead agreed to defend his WBO welterweight title against Joshua Clottey on March 13 at Cowboys Stadium in Texas.

I'm not exactly sure why Marquez would be surprised. He was coming off a one-sided loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr., and according to a report from Sports Illustrated - the Mexican champion demanded a 50-50 split on the money. And he followed Mayweather's lead by requesting random Olympic-style drug tests. You would think Marquez was the A-side fighter with those kind of requests. Marquez seems to think that he played a big role in the Mayweather pay-per-view producing a buyrate number of 1-million plus. I agree with Mayweather's opinion that he carried that buyrate number on his back with little help from Marquez. Just because you co-headlined a pay-per-view with Mayweather, it doesn't make you Mayweather.

Marquez on the other hand simply thinks Pacquiao is afraid of him.

"When the fight between Mayweather against Pacquiao fell through, De La Hoya told me that I was the next option [for Pacquiao] and I told him that I was ready to fight once more with him. He told me that he would speak with Bob Arum, but in the end they surprised me with his decision that he preferred to sign another fight, so once again he is afraid me," Marquez told The Record .

Marquez is coming back to action on May 1 in Las Vegas. If he wins, he may return to Las Vegas in September for a major fight. He seems to think a Hatton fight will not happen by May, but leaves September as a possibility for it.

"A lot of boxers want to fight with me, Edwin Valero, Michael Katsidis, Amir Khan, but I have to take a look at all of the options and choose the best one that makes the most boxing sense, and economic sense," Marquez said. 

Source : Boxing Scene


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Is Pacquiao really afraid to face Marquez again? What do you think?

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Who will Manny Pacquiao Fight Next?

There has been a lot of negotiations going on between the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight and I guess the drug test just go way beyond what's expected. So what's next for Manny Pacquiao? Will he still fight this March? 8countnews provided us some scenarios on what will happen to Manny Pacquiao's boxing career this year.

Floyd Mayweather Diet: Lots of 'Greens', More 'Beef'

Recent news hit the airwaves about a melee between Floyd Mayweather jr. and Miami-based rapper Rick Ross. Apparently, the two entourages crossed paths in a Las Vegas night club recently. With so much going on in the negotiations for his mega-fight with Pacquiao, one would think the last thing that Mayweather would have the time to do would be play in a club. We've all adapted to the often misleading ways of Floyd Mayweather, but what I think many of us find hard to swallow is the reasons behind a man this profoundly talented placing himself in the mist of such chaos? Granted, it was a chance encounter, but at the end of the day, there has to be a better way than senseless altercations. Bottom line....even though we live in an era where everybody wants to be known as the 'big cheese', few seem to realize that mixing that 'cheese' with low grade 'beef' gives you little in the end aside from a bad case of gas. And unfortunately it's not the same type (of gas) that they can expect to take them too far, either! Fellas, man up and squash that crap!

Mayweather/Pacquiao: One For The 'Money', Two For The 'Show'

Seems that the snag between Mayweather and Pacquiao won't come loose any time soon. After weeks of going back and forth, it seems the issue of randomized blood testing is in fact the one point of contention that will not change. Manny Pacquiao recently came out and spoke on the troubles that he had in the first Morales fight - as they relate to having to take the blood test. According to Pacquiao, the medical staff required him to take another blood test 2 days before the fight because his medical records were "lost". The main issue here was that Pacquiao had to make a much lower weight, so he was unable to drink the proper level of fluids and eat properly. In this case, such an issue shouldn't be the problem, as his walk around weight of 150 is very close to the weight he'll be fighting at (147lbs); wherein the last time they fought, he had to go from the mid 140's and make a weight of 130lbs. Considering that he has prior knowledge of this test and the fact that he doesn't need to cut his weight as much, such an issue shouldn't be a problem. That being said, we have one (firm commitment) for the money, but we'll need two for the show. Stay tuned.

Pacquiao/Foreman: "Race For The 8th" (World Title)

Immediately following the Pacquiao/Cotto showdown, I was able to corner Freddie Roach off in the media room, and after congratulating him on a job well done, I asked could we expect to see Pacquiao make a race for the unprecedented 8th world title against someone like Yuri Foreman if the Mayweather fight falls through. Roach appeared very open to the option at the time, and as the Mayweather clock runs out, this possibility is looking more and more likely. At this point, there's no mention of a catchweight, which means Pacquiao may go from a 145lb catchweight fight, to facing a full fledged jr. middleweight with better than average boxing skills and like Floyd, an undefeated record. Foreman has never faced anyone of Pacquiao's caliber, but his range, height, and weight advantage on top of those skills could make this an interesting night.

Roy Jones Jr. Makes A Strong Case

Many people initially took the request of Roy Jones Jr. to have his fight with Danny Green reversed as a complete joke. Turns out, maybe it was, but it now appears that he who got the first laugh won't laugh last. Pictures which have recently surfaced of Danny Green in the locker-room after the fight seem to really make you wonder. It's unclear whether a Jones representative was on hand in the locker-room when the actual hand-wrapping took place, but one thing for sure, the wraps on the photo's released are without question 'abnormal' to say the least, (in my opinion). It's hard to believe that the fight would be reversed, but it will be interesting to see what happens when the committee actually sits down to review the findings. I'm no expert, but those hand pads look more like shoulder pads - (big and beyond durable). Stay tuned.

Maidana/Khan: Little Question, Big Test

Veteran trainer Freddie Roach is arguably the best in the business at what he does. We've seen the evolution of Manny Pacquiao, among many others under his tutelage, and recently, that wingspan has sheltered the rising talent of Brit Amir Khan. Although we've seen some great advancement from Khan, what we haven't seen is a test against someone durable enough to handle his power and land with their own. Salita didn't last long enough, but his chin is not that of Maidana's. In the one fight where Khan did test solid power, he left the ring with his sole career defeat. But of course, that was the pre-Roach era. If the proposed showdown goes forward, we'll have finally learn whether or not the evolution is closer to full circle than we've been recently led to believe. Khan is a great kid and a great talent, but as it relates to this potential showdown, there's little question this will be his biggest test yet.

Berto/Mosley: Does Berto Really Have A Chance?

The January 30th showdown between veteran Shane Mosley and rising star Andre Berto has left many with varying thoughts on who will get the job done in the end. Some lean towards the old lion, Mosley. While others think the long layoff and the speedy youth of Berto will be enough to get him the nod. It's hard to fathom a clear victory for Andre Berto against the likes of Mosley, but there are two things that have to be taken into account at all times. For one....Berto will enter the ring with a huge chip on his shoulder, eager to impress the masses out there who feel for what ever reason that he isn't as good as advertised. Secondly.....less than 2 years ago, the same Mosley that ran through the very durable but very hittable Margarito barely got the job done against the chain smoking Ricardo Mayorga. Had he not scored the late KO, some had Mayorga actually defeating him in that fight. So, this could all come down to which Mosley we actually see. Richardson appears to have his attention, but 'Father-time' has been known to surface when some least expect it. Does Berto have a chance? Absolutely.

Valero/DeMarco: Let The Truth Be Known

KO artist Edwin Valero seems to be primed and ready to roll for his showdown with an always 'game' Antonio DeMarco. Most would be hardpressed to name 3 people on Valero's resume, which makes most question his knockout power - as witnessed in him KO'ing every man he's ever faced. This will be more of a test than some know, as DeMarco is a very gutsy fighter who won't come to lie down. Hit or miss, the verdict will be officially in on Valero once the final bell rings. Still a few weeks til D-Day. Stay tuned.

Mayweather/Pacquiao: Pacquiao Promised, Floyd Favored

Filipino fight fans all around the globe are promising a Pacquiao victory, but according to recent polls, the money is on 'money'. Betting lines list Floyd Mayweather jr. as the small favorite over the fightin' Filipino, which really makes you wonder what's really goin' on in the minds of those who put their money where their mouth is. For now, it's an intriguing topic, but with no fight finalized, it's all trivial. Hopefully, that all changes real soon.

SOURCE

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So who do you think Manny Pacquiao will fight this March?

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