Bob Arum Spoiling Pacquiao

There was a time when Manny Pacquiao was happy to be on board a commercial flight.

But times have changed. He is famous, rich and is the apple of Bob Arum’s eye, his energetic promoter.

The best luxury hotels, 24-hour security, any food and practically anything are at Pacquiao’s beck and call.

But the one thing that truly indicates that Pacquiao has arrived is the private plane that Arum has put at the Filipino boxer’s disposal.

Like a rock star and sports megastars in the category of Tiger Woods, a private plane is the transport of choice for the once poor boy from General Santos City.

So when Pacquiao and his entourage travel the three-hour flight to Dallas, Texas, on Monday, a plane will be waiting for him.

“Manny’s going to Dallas first thing in the morning of Monday, March 8th,” Arum said yesterday from Las Vegas.

Except for flights arriving in the US from the Philippines, Pacquiao has been riding private planes to fulfill countless appointments as though he owns one.

Not only that, Arum has also asked the management of Gaylord Texan Resort and Hotel in Grapevine, Texas, to build a makeshift gym at the basement so Pacquiao could train there in the final days leading to the fight.

Source : ManilaBulletin

What do you think? Does Arum really spoiling Pacquiao?

read more...

Size Does Not Matter

Being big, strong and durable do not make Joshua Clottey unbreakable.

This is the belief of trainer Freddie Roach, who tries to steer Manny Pacquiao to another victory on March 13 at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Acknowledging that Clottey could pose problems with his physique, strength and his chin that is said to be made of anvil, Roach said the Ghanaian banger “makes too many fundamental mistakes,” lapses that Pacquiao is sure to take advantage of come fight night.

Speaking to fightnews.com, Roach is confident Pacquiao will become the “first” fighter to knock the African out in their 12-round welterweight match before an expected sellout crowd.

Clottey has fought 38 times and despite losing three times on points, the 32-year-old has never been stopped although he suffered a flash knockdown in the first round against Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto in June last year.

Pacquiao is in the thick of training at the Wild Card in Hollywood, California, and had logged his 32nd round of sparring Saturday afternoon, racking up four rounds each with Ray Beltran and Mike Dallas Jr.

“There’s not even a small problem as far as Manny’s preparation is concerned,” said the fighter’s Canadian adviser Mike Koncz Sunday after handing the two sparmates their weekly pay.

This early, Team Pacquiao is finalizing the travel arrangements for the trip to Texas.

“Manny said he would like to travel to Dallas after he spars for the last time on the Monday before the fight,” said Koncz.

“I told him that it would be much better if we travel on Sunday, which is his day-off, but he told me it’ll be Monday.”

Pacquiao will likely be billeted at the Gaylord Texan Hotel – the official hotel of the Dallas Cowboys – in the city of Grapevine.

Source : ManilaBulletin

read more...

Tourists raid Pacquiao Stores

If there's anything you can't miss on a trip to General Santos City, it's a visit to boxer Manny Pacquiao's clothing and accessories stores.

This is according to Manila-based and foreign tourists who were seen browsing a Team Pacquiao store for signature jackets and t-shirts that double as tourist souveniers.

General Santos City, located in the southern part of the Philippines, became famous as Pacquiao's hometown more than its booming tuna fishing industry.

The city, located in South Cotabato, is home to many of the Pacquiao family's businesses, including coffee house franchises and boutiques by his wife, Jinkee Pacquiao.

"Ok ang store. [Ang dami ng] pagpipilian. Sinadya talaga namin pumunta dito. (The store is okay. There are lots of things to choose from. We really went out of our way to come here)," said tourist Aida Timbreza.

Team Pacquiao stores, located in both Robinson's Place Mall and the JMP building along Osmeña street in GenSan, are stocked with complete Pacquiao merchandise.

These include new slippers printed with Pacquiao's face, clothes for men and other accessories. Pacquiao, as a brand endorser for Nike, has signature t-shirts, shoes and jackets marked with a special seal.

'Money not an issue'

Dr. Wilma Heramil, who came from a neighboring municipality in South Cotabato called Polomolok, spent more than P5,000 on t-shirts and caps alone.

Heramil told ABS-CBN News that these apparel were specially requested by her relatives in San Diego, California.

"Ipadala ko doon. Gustong gusto nila. Suotin daw nila sa gagawing party. Reason ng gathering nila si Pacman. (I will send it there. They really want it. They will wear these for as party in Pacman's honor)," she said.

Heramil added that her relatives will be wearing these merchandise in time for Pacquiao's March 13 fight against Ghanian boxer Joshua Clottey.

The Team Pacquiao's store supervisor, Rex Aniero, says tourists often flock to the shop every time Pacquiao has an impending fight.

He said items that sell the most are signature items like boxing gloves and Victorinox wristwatches that each cost P30,000--the store's most expensive item.

Aniero said money is not an issue for die-hard Pacquiao fans who come into the store, most of whom are foreigners.

The Victorinox watches have reportedly sold out.

Expecting a new surge of clients in the days leading to the Pacquiao-Clottey match in Texas, Aniero said Team Pacquiao stores will carry special Pacquiao vs. Clottey t-shirts.

He's sure that, just like with other merchandise, these shirts will click with the Filipino boxing champion's fans.


Source : ABS-CBN News
-----------

We really like the idea that aside from boxing Pacquiao is generating more income thru his business.

read more...

Pacquiao versus Mayweather-Mosley Fight Winner Says Roach

Trainer Freddie Roach says Manny Pacquiao, should he beat Joshua Clottey on March 13, will be more than happy to fight the winner of May's mega-bout between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Shane Mosley. Roach sees the winner of Mayweather-Mosley as the best candidate for Pacquiao's next fight. Roach told BoxingScene.com that Mayweather should win the fight but it's going to be very tough for him.

"I like Shane. He's a good guy but I think Mayweather will outbox him. I think Mayweather will win that fight but it's a very competitive, good fight and I would like to see that fight," Roach told BoxingScene.

If Mayweather wins, Roach says a fight with Pacquiao will only happen under the rules of the governing commission. They will not agree to Mayweather's demand for unrestricted random drug testing. Pacquiao did tell BoxingScene's Robert Morales that he would consider taking random drug tests if the contract called for the random tests to stop 30-days prior to the fight. Pacquiao would also take a blood test immediately after the fight was over.

Mayweather is more concerned about the testing that takes place inside the 30-day time period. Mayweather has placed the test demands on Mosley, who accepted the terms. Mayweather and Pacquiao were unable to agree on the drug testing terms when they were negotiating for a tentative fight in March. Roach does think Mayweather fight will happen but under the right circumstances.

"When Mayweather loses a little more money gambling and he needs it, I think he'll fight us. I would like to see Pacquiao fight him under the commission rules and the counseling bodies but not under Floyd Mayweather's rules because who the f**k is he? We don't work for him," Roach said.

Mosley will be an easier fight to make because he doesn't care about random drug testing. He will fight Pacquiao with or without a clause that calls for random testing. Roach would love to have Pacquiao take that fight if Shane pulls off the upset.

"Shane would love to fight Manny. If he beats Mayweather...if he wins, we will fight him and that will be a great fight. Shane is a very good fighter and I respect him quite a bit," Roach said.

Source : BoxingScene

read more...

Fighter of the Decade Awarded to Manny Pacquiao

Elation written all over his face Bob Arum, by far the pre-eminent boxing  promoter in the world jetted to Mexico City with the owner of the Dallas Cowboys $1.2 billion state-of-the-art stadium Jerry Jones.

And created further excitement about ‘The Event” on March 13 which pits pound-for-pound icon Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines against Ghana’s tough former champion Joshua Clottey for Pacquiao’s WBO welterweight title.

The affair was given added prestige with the presence of WBC president Don Jose Sulaiman and his son and WBC secretary general Mauricio Sulaiman as well as well-known Mexican promoter Fernando Beltran and the added glamor of the gorgeous Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders.

Arum was obviously elated over his prized possession Pacquiao not just being voted as the “Fighter of the Decade” by the prestigious Bowing Writers Association of America but that he whipped his closest rival Floyd Mayweather Jr by a bigger margin than 2-to-1.

BWAA president Jack Hirsh told us earlier that he was looking at an international figure to present the award to Pacquiao and www.insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports learned that Arum was keen on having former US President George Bush who is apparently a huge Pacquiao fan do the honors.

Reflecting on Pacquiao’s achievements, Boxing Writers Association of America president Jack Hirsch put it best when he said “If there was any doubt that Manny Pacquiao is the biggest star of his sport, it was put to rest by members of the Boxing Writers Association of America. By an overwhelming margin, Pacquiao took home not only the BWAA's newly named "Sugar Ray Robinson Fighter of the Year" award, but went one better by also winning "Fighter of the Decade" honors. For Pacquiao, it was his third BWAA "Fighter of the Year" award, tying him with Muhammad Ali and Evander Holyfield for the most in the history of the organization.”

According to Pacquiao’s adviser Michael Koncz, the Filipino boxing hero was his usual humble self thanking the boxing writers for the honor bestowed on him which he dedicated to his country and people who have supported him all these years, and promising always to uphold the integrity of the sport and serve as an example to the youth.

Koncz said “everything is going perfectly. Manny did seven rounds of sparring and looked like he never left off from the (Miguel) Cotto fight. He stayed in physical condition by playing a lot of basketball in the Philippines and that helped.”

Respected boxing writer and television reporter James Blears of boxingscene.com reported out of Mexico that Jerry Jones revealed he wants to be right up there in the fray of competition for the chance to hold the Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr, should the difficult negotiations ultimately prove fruitful after he finishes with the March 13 sporting extravaganza..
Blears quoted the Dallas Cowboys owner who said “I want to earn that, and want to earn that with boxing and with the fans of boxing. I appreciate what Las Vegas has meant to boxing, and it’s been special. But fights of this stature can be shown when you have four or five times the amount of people and you can get the atmosphere too.”

Jones pointed out that the NFL “as great a game as it is on television, and it was built for television, would be nothing if it didn’t have the pageantry and crowds of the stadium. The crowds and the fan experience that comes your way through television are important to enjoy that game. You and I want to know they’re playing before thousands and thousands of people. Boxing can have that and we can have that at the cowboys stadium!”

Jones explained his pride and love for sports and spoke of his determination to put on the best show with Pacquiao and Clottey and indicated he was determined to make it a resounding success.:
Explaining the about the unsurpassed financial commitment in building the new stadium, Blears quoted Jones as saying “The bottom line- I emptied my bucket to build that stadium. Before they play, I tell the team, empty your bucket today. We have emptied our bucket to have Manny Pacquiao be the first fight in that stadium. We will do everything we can."

“We will take that huge screen that makes him seventy two feet tall, and we’ll hang it thirty feet above their heads. And when they’re in there competing and fighting, every fan in the stadium, will feel as if they’re in there with them!”

The astute Arum, banking on the support of Mexican fans who themselves have embraced Pacquiao despite the fact that he has demolished every Mexican legend, added up an exciting undercard which features Irish hope John Duddy and Salvador Sanchez - the nephew of the late, great world champion who died in a tragic car crash and a enthralling encounter between WBC Welterweight Intercontinental champion Alfonso Gomez and ring legend Jose Luis Castillo who battled Mayweather in two exciting bouts and served as one of Pacquiao’s sparring partners as he prepared for the Cotto fight last November.

Source : TeamPilipinas

read more...

Pacquiao not Angry with Mayweather

Manny Pacquiao is back in town. Boxing is like phases of the moon, and Pacquiao is in the training phase. There will be a fight, all right. But not the one the world wanted, nor Pacquiao and his trainer, Freddie Roach.

"I wanted Mayweather bad, real bad," Roach says.

"I'm not angry at Floyd," Pacquiao says. "I just feel disappointed in his allegations."

It is a Monday afternoon at Roach's Wild Card Gym in Hollywood. The air is stale, the noise often deafening and the entire place decorum-challenged, unless you are into wrinkled 1972 boxing posters. That's as it should be. They train boxers here, not ballerinas.

Pacquiao prepares for a March 13 fight that was to be between him, recently acclaimed fighter of the decade in a vote by the U.S. Boxing Writers, and Floyd Mayweather Jr., who would tell you the boxing writers got it wrong. Now, the fight will be between Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey.

Once Pacquiao and Mayweather parted ways in the well-documented drug-testing dispute, Mayweather agreed to fight Shane Mosley on May 1 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Mosley has signed the contract deal, but as of Monday night, Mayweather had not.

Richard Schaefer, chief executive of Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions, says he expects the Mayweather signature any minute. He also says that Mosley agreed to all the Olympic-style random testing , including blood testing right up to fight time, that Pacquiao had rejected.

There are attempts from all camps to portray this fallback outcome as just fine for boxing, maybe even better.

Roach says Clottey might give fight fans a better show than the tactical, defense-minded Mayweather because "Clottey comes forward and it could become a war." Pacquiao refers to the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium, where his fight will be held in front of an expected 40,000 people, as "a beautiful place" and the Top Rank camp of Bob Arum characterizes the new venue as an important step in bringing new fans to the sport. Schaefer says that, as great as the 40-0 Mayweather is, Mosley's stunning domination of Antonio Margarito 13 months ago at Staples Center proves how dangerous he is.

Still, the loss of the Pacquiao-Mayweather mega-fight, one that could have put as much as $40 million in each fighter's pocket, hangs in the Wild Card Gym like the smell of body odor.

"In the end," Roach says, "if we had given in on the blood testing, it would have been like giving Mayweather the first round. Why would we do that?

"Manny hates needles. He said that's what cost him the first [Erik] Morales fight [March 2005]. We made a mistake on that one. Nevada has every boxer give blood once a year, and Manny hadn't done that, so we had to do it the night before the fight, just like Mayweather wanted. Manny said it made him weak for three days. Even if they took blood from him 14 days before the fight, that would have meant I lose him on key sparring days 14, 13, and 12 days out."

The Mayweather camp will read that and chuckle. Those theorizing that Pacquiao must use steroids or he would have agreed to the extra drug testing will not be moved.

There is the issue of time running out on Pacquiao's boxing career. He will run for Congress in the Philippines in mid-May. Roach has said he doesn't think Pacquiao can be a marquee boxer and a politician at the same time. Asked about that Monday, Pacquiao says, "Why not?"

There is the issue of how much these next fights could mess things up. Were Clottey to win, might not Pacquiao see that as a perfect time to retreat to politics full time? Were Mosley to win, might that not do the same thing?

"Shane came to the gym twice to ask me to let him fight Manny," Roach says. "I told him no both times, and both times for the same two reasons: First, there isn't enough money there, and second, you're too good a fighter."

There is the issue of Pacquiao's current lawsuit against the Mayweathers for defamation. Pacquiao's attorney, Daniel Petrocelli, says that the case is in federal court in Nevada, is moving at full speed and can be in trial by year's end.

But the real issue remains lost money for the boxers and lost opportunity for the sport. For now, Pacquiao-Mayweather has gone away, but probably not forever.

Pacquiao is asked whether he is so angry at Mayweather that he will never be able to bring himself to step into the ring against him.

"No, I can fight him," Pacquiao says. "I'm just not sure he ever really wanted the fight."

Roach is asked whether the fight that didn't happen has now become like a burr in his saddle.

He nods.

Source : TeamPilipinas

read more...

Another Award for Manny Pacquiao

The awards are added to the many that has come Pacquiao’s way in recent years, particularly in 2008 and 2009. It is a testament to the recognition accorded to his dominance of boxing spread over a record-setting seven different weight divisions. His two victories last year cemented his status as a legitimate all-time great in the sport.

In May, he met British Superstar for the IBO and Ring Magazine Junior Welterweight title in Las Vegas, Nevada. His two-round annihilation of the Hitman stunned the boxing world which was expecting a grueling, competitive battle.

The Pacman followed that up with a 12th-round stoppage of Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto in his last fight in November, for the latter’s WBO Welterweight title, also in Las Vegas. The victory earned him his seventh world title in his seventh weight division – an unprecedented feat.

It is the third time Pacquiao won the award as Fighter of the year, after similar recognitions in 2006 and 2008. The award is named after the consensus greatest fighter of all time, Sugar Ray Robinson. Manny will most likely receive the trophy during the BWAA’s 85th banquet in New York City in June.

Topping it all off is the organization’s naming of the current pound for pound king as the Fighter of the Decade. He bested some of the sport’s biggest names on his way to that recognition. Pacquiao is currently training for his first defense of the welterweight crown against Joshua Clottey in March.

Source : Two Minutes News

read more...