Floyd Mayweather says he’s ready to fight Manny Pacquiao: ‘Let’s do it’

Floyd Mayweather said on Friday that he’s ready for the long-awaited megafight with Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao.

In an interview on the Showtime network during a fight card his company was promoting, Mayweather said he was willing to make the fight happen, even suggesting a May 2 date for the bout.

“We are ready. Let’s make it happen. May 2. Mayweather versus Manny Pacquiao. Let’s do it,” Mayweather said in the interview.

There has been clamor for the megafight since 2009, but concerns about drug testing and money matters have made the fight seem unlikely to occur.

The undefeated American boxer also said that it was not him that was keeping the much-anticipated fight from happening and pointed at Top Rank promoter Bob Arum instead.

Arum, though, has stated that Mayweather was “smart” and has avoided the fight because Pacquiao poses the biggest threat to his pristine record.

The fight is expected to be the richest fight in boxing history, though Mayweather is expected to demand a much larger purse than Pacquiao in the bout.

Pacquiao has been calling Mayweather out recently, saying he was ready for the fight after his recent win over Chris Algieri and trading barbs with his rival on Instagram and in a Foot Locker commercial.

source: interaksyon.com

Bob Arum blows top over Mayweather posters during Pacquiao-Bradley faceoff

LAS VEGAS – Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley faced off in the final press conference for their welterweight world title rematch on Saturday, but it was promoter Bob Arum providing the fireworks.

Arum thought there was far too much Floyd Mayweather in evidence at the MGM Grand, where signs and banners promoting Pacquiao-Bradley 2 were side-by-side with materials advertising Mayweather’s May 3 fight against Argentinian Marcos Maidana.

Arum introduced Richard Sturm, President of MGM Grand Entertainment and Sports, as “the president of hanging posters and decorations for the wrong fight”.

Sturm sidestepped the criticism, but he was still sitting next to the podium when Arum closed the press conference at the MGM’s Hollywood Theater with another blast at the venue.

“In the Venetian they wouldn’t make a mistake like this,” said Arum, the founder and chief executive of Top Rank Promotions who staged Pacquiao’s 2013 bout against American Brandon Rios at the Venetian hotel-resort in the casino haven of Macau.

“They knew what fight was scheduled in three or four days and they wouldn’t have a 12-1 fight all over the building that’s going to take place three weeks from next Saturday,” Arum said.

“But that’s why one company makes a billion dollars a quarter and the other hustles to pay its debt,” he added.

The broadside from the 82-year-old Arum was a sharp contrast to the restrained comments from Saturday’s combatants, even though both Pacquiao and Bradley have said they have plenty to prove.

Bradley was stung by the outrage that greeted his split-decision triumph over Pacquiao here on June 9, 2012, with even the World Boxing Organization saying that upon review, the decision should have gone to Pacquiao.

In the build-up to the rematch, Bradley has goaded Pacquiao, saying the 35-year-old veteran has lost the “killer instinct” that made him a world champion in eight weight divisions.

Pacquiao, whose loss to Bradley was followed by a brutal knock-out loss to Juan Manuel Marquez before he righted the ship with a convincing points win over Rios, promised an entertaining bout.

“Everything is all said,” Pacquiao said. “Both fighters are doing our best to do our job in the ring and make you guys happy and to give a good fight to make people happy.”

Added Bradley: “It doesn’t really matter what we say, it only matters what we do. Me and Manny Pacquiao basically went through hell in training camp to put on a great show for the fans.”

As he moved to sit down, Bradley asked Arum if he’d hit the right notes.

“Why don’t you ask the guy whose picture is up all over building (Mayweather) when he’s going to fight somebody real?” Arum said.

“I’m not going to say that,” Bradley said with a half-laugh. “You can say that.”

Wrapping things up, Arum pleaded age as his excuse for speaking his mind.

“If whatever I said was incendiary,” he said, “I’m an old guy and I apologize.”

source: interaksyon.com

After loss to Marquez, Mommy Dionisia wants Manny Pacquiao to hang up his gloves

Manny Pacquiao’s mother is at peace with the result of the boxer’s latest fight, a knockdown at the hands of old nemesis Juan Manuel Marquez Sunday at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas.

But Dionisia Pacquiao, in a televised interview after the match, said she wants her son to retire from boxing already, pleading with promoter Bob Arum not to ask Manny to fight anymore.

“Hindi hayop ang anak ko, tao siya,” said the elder Pacquiao, who had been imploring the fighter to hang up his gloves for good. Dionisia said Pacquiao has a lot of options, since he has already started a career in politics, representing Sarangani province in Congress.

Dionisia also hinted at problems brought about by the boxer’s involvement with born-again Christian pastors.

“Magulo ang mga pastor dito sa bahay,” said Dionisia, a devout Roman Catholic.

In the past year, the younger Pacquiao has undergone intensive bible studies with born-again pastors, although he has repeatedly denied leaving the Catholic religion. He has credited his newfound faith for his renewed commitment to his family, leaving his vices in the past.

source: interaksyon.com

Arum: Pacquiao vs Bradley to wait until Celtics-Heat play out

Die-hard basketball enthusiast Manny Pacquiao will not get into the ring to fight Timothy Bradley until he knows which team the Oklahoma City Thunder are playing in the NBA Finals.

A. Sherrod Blakely of Comcast Sportsnet New England reports that Pacquiao's promoter Bob Arum, CEO of Toprank, issued a statement that said the main event bout between Pacquiao and Bradley would not start until the final buzzer of Game 7 of the NBA's Eastern Conference Finals between the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat sounds.

Both events are slated for Saturday evening (Sunday morning, PHL time).

"Now Manny, the Heat, the Celtics, and sports fans watching the basketball game won't have to make a choice between events," said Arum. "They will be able to watch both."

The pay-per-view boxing special will still begin at 9pm (9am on Sunday, PHL time), starting with the undercard fights. On the other hand, the NBA playoff starts at 8:30pm (8:30am on Sunday, PHL time).

The Miami Heat forced a decider in the best-of-seven series last Thursday (Friday, PHL time) on Boston's home court, behind an explosive 45-point performance by LeBron James.

Blakely asked Celtics head coach Doc Rivers for a reaction to Pacquiao's desire to see the basketball game, and to which Rivers replied, "He's a Celtics fan. What do you expect?"

Pacquiao earlier in the week said in a video interview for USA Today that he thought the Celtics would be this season's NBA champions.

It is not yet known if Pacquiao would delay his fight further, should the game go into overtime. - AMD, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com