Bob Arum: Let Mayweather fight Lady Gaga, Pacquiao switches to Jewish Network

LAS VEGAS—Some boxing promoters run the gamut emotionally from A to B. But not almost 80 years old Bob Arum.

When his corporate affairs are running smoothly and look to be highly profitable, Arum is a man of mirth and merriment. When they are not, you can almost see the black cloud over his head.

Going into Friday's Official Weigh In for the Sugar Shane Mosley-Manny Pacquiao welterweight title bout at the MGM Grand Hotel, it's all pleasant Vegas early May weather, warm but not roasting temperatures and blue skies for the mercurial attorney turned fight organizer.

SPECIAL INVITATION TO ALL FOLLOWERS OF THE WHITE GORILLA

I will be at the bar at Diego's Mexican Restaurant 30 minutes after the Official Weigh In on Friday and your first cerveza is on me.

Diego's is just steps away from weigh in and fight site, MGM Grand Garden Arena and near the MGM Grand Food Court.

All boxing fans, even you Mayweather Mafia types, please come to meet, greet and chat with me, the White Gorilla, Michael Marley.

For further details, ring me at 917 853 4484.

For example, when I told him that website Fight Hype, which seems to have an insider relationship with Floyd Mayweather and his model fiance Shantel Ms. Jackson, reported Mayweather as saying he would spurn viewing Mosley-Pacquiao in order to catch singer Lady Gaga on HBO, Arum jumped on the topic.

“See, that is Floyd planning to fight again, that is his next fight...against Lady Gaga,” Arum cracked to the amusement of one table of jaded fight reporters.

Sensing Arum's happy mood, I asked a question I knew he would not answer truthfully. I asked whether he would continue on with Pacquiao on Showtime/CBS or go “back home” to archrival HBO beyond the Mosley match,

“Neither,” Arum said, again cracking wise.

"I got a new deal, I am putting Manny on the Jewish network.”

More laughs all around the table inside the Media Center.

The early PPV TV projections must indeed be rosy.

Maybe they've got Arum going Gaga so to speak.

Source: Examiner.com

Pacquiao Watch: What if Manny loses?

Filipino boxing fans have grown accustomed to seeing Manny Pacquiao win his fights and many see the 2005 loss to Erik Morales as a thing of the distant past.

Yet along with Morales and Juan Manuel Marquez, Shane Mosley possesses the skill set that could upend Pacquiao’s incredible winning streak.

Pacquiao however is facing a diminishing Mosley on Sunday – a rung or two behind the prime Morales and Marquez when the Filipino boxing icon battled them at the featherweight classes.

But although Mosley has slowed down over the last two years, he is still the fastest and the sturdiest welterweight Manny Pacquiao will ever face. Mosley has never lost a fight in a devastating manner. In fact, he has never been stopped. In all of his six losses, he was totally dominated only by Floyd Mayweather Jr but not before giving him the biggest scare of his life in the second round.

Manny is in the prime of his career and is now the best fighter on the planet. It will take a monumental Pacquiao collapse for Mosley to score the biggest upset in marquee boxing since Buster Douglas, a 40-1 underdog, knocked the senses out of Mike Tyson 21 years ago.

But what if Mosley defies father time and conventional wisdom?

What will be the landscape of boxing if he beats Manny Pacquiao in a decisive manner that leaves no doubt about the final outcome?

If there is anybody who will be happiest in a Pacquaio defeat to Mosley, it would be Mayweather. It will reinforce his self-belief that he is the best fighter out there. It will justify and solidify his refusal to fight Pacquiao.

A Mosley win will throw a wrench in the pound for pound rankings and it will rob Top Rank’s Bob Arum of his biggest cash cow.

It will radically alter Pacquiao’s future boxing career path and start the end of his reign as pound for pound king and eventually dry up the well of fortune for the greatest Filipino boxer ever.

A loss to Mosley will also finally give all anti-Pacquiao forces the opportunity to bash the Filipino boxing icon.

You just can’t imagine the countless stream of diagnosis and prognosis of a post-Pacquiao boxing reign after a decisive Mosley defeat. But you can be sure how fast his coterie and army of sycophants disappear into the oblivion.

It may also spell doom for Pacquiao’s future political ambitions. Those who are egging him to run for president in the Philippines will surely have the biggest disappointment of their lives.

And who will win biggest if Pacquiao loses to Mosley and eventually fades away from the boxing limelight? It will be wife Jinky and Manny’s five (?) kids. They will finally have family.

It will also be his constituents in Sarangani who will finally get to know Pacquiao, their congressman. And Pacquiao himself who will finally realize that there is no more Mt. Everest left to conquer in the world of boxing. For regardless of an unlikely loss to Mosley, Manny’s rightful place in the storied world of boxing has already been etched long before he even considered fighting Mosley.

But a Mosley win may only be a wishful thinking.

Source: asiancorrespondent.com

PACQUIAO – MOSLEY SPECIAL ON PINOY EXTREME, CABLEINK, TELMARC

An enthralling two hour special on the hugely anticipated showdown between pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao and former three-time champion Sugar Shane Mosley at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Sunday, Manila Time will be telecast over Pinoy Extreme Channel 83 on Destiny Cable at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday as well as Cablelink Channel 33 in Quezon City, Pasig, Paranaque and Las Pinas and also Telmarc Channel 30 in Rizal province.

The special will include highlights of Pacquiao’s and Mosley ‘s battles against common opponents such as Oscar De La Hoya, Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito in order to give viewers a chance to measure the two fighters performances, comparatively.

It will also include a flashback to Mosley’s winning his first title, the IBF lightweight crown against South Africa’s Philip Holiday and his second loss to southpaw Ronald “Winky” Wright in a rematch.

Special correspondent Jannelle So, host of the daily show “Kababayan” on LA 18 visited the training camps of Mosley and Pacquiao and provided a glimpse into their preparation for Sunday’s battle together with insightful interviews with Pacquiao, Mosley, trainer Freddie Roach and strength and conditioning coach Alex Ariza, Mosley’s trainer Naziim Richardson as well as Shane’s father.

Janelle also had a very interesting interview with former NBA superstar Jalen Rose and a fun segment where Filipino assistant trainer Nonoy Neri interviewed Buboy Fernandez.

American trainer Rick Staheli who was Manny’s trainer when he won his first world title, the WBC flyweight belt from Thai hero Chatchai Sasakul also gives his insights into the fight.

The Viva Sports special also includes exclusive footage provided by the leading US broadcast network CBS which will telecast the fight on “Showtime.”

The two hour special sets the stage for what may well turn out to be a classic battle between Pacquiao, the “Fighter of the Decade” and Mosley who at one time in his career was being compared to the all-time great Sugar Ray Robinson and will be the first African-American that Pacquiao will face.

Mosley has indicated he will bring some African-American rhythm to disrupt Pacquiao’s fighting style while Alex Ariza says Manny is fit and strong and ready to wage war if he has to.

Source: PhilBoxing.com

Pacquiao-Mosley: TWO DAYS TO GO

LAS VEGAS, Nevada) -- Filipino boxing hero Manny Pacquiao fights “Sugar” Shane Mosley Saturday (Sunday in Manila) in what could be a celebration of a decade long successful campaign in the United States on the way to becoming the only fighter to be crowned champions in eight weight divisions.

It was 10 summers ago when an obscure Filipino substitute beat Lehlohonolo Ledwaba in just six rounds to emerge the world super-bantamweight champion, his second after ruling, too the flyweight division a few years back.


That 12-round bout was one of the undercards of the Oscar De La Hoya-Javier Castilejo fight held in this same place and arena where Pacquiao and Mosley will try to destroy each other for the Filipino’s 147-pound crown.

That victory, which no one, except the Pacman himself and his team believe would happen, opened the door for what turned one of the most colorful career that saw the nation’s Pambansang Kamao hammered out a string of 13 wins, including one against De La Hoya himself whom he forced into retirement.
Not only that, he, likewise, made himself a congressman representing his wife Jinkee’s province of Sarangani in far south of the country.
Saturday’s date with Mosley will be Pacquiao’s first in this ‘Sin City’ and the MGM Grand, site of his many triumphs since 2009.
Both Pacquiao and Mosley vowed to prevail during the last press conference called for the bout, where the protagonists spoke nothing but admiration and respect for each other.
Pacquiao warned though that his rival is a dangerous opponent though there was no sign of fear in his appearance as he could not help chuckling and laughing when the two adversaries posed for photographers
"There has not been trash talk for this fight, and I am happy for that. It sets a good example for the children who idolize fighters. In my life, this is the best promotion I’d ever been involved in,” Pacquiao said in his statement before hundreds of media men from all over the world.

"I am looking forward to Saturday give a good fight for the fans. I am definitely not taking this fight lightly and I am not underestimating Shane Mosley. Mosley has good hand- and foot-speed and he moves like he is 31 or 32," he said by way of describing what he felts about his rival.

“All my life, I’ve had to fight. As a child I had to fight to eat. Now when I fight, the Filipinos call me a hero. I think the world needs more heroes. My biggest fight is not in boxing. My biggest fight is to end poverty in my country. I will be wearing yellow gloves into the ring on Saturday – as a symbol of unity in the fight against poverty,’’ he remarked betraying his sentiment about his countrymen’s plight.
And he'll do it wearing yellow gloves, because there are fights that are bigger than those taking place in the ring.
"All my life I've had to fight. As a child, I had to fight just to eat," Pacquiao said. "The biggest fight in my life is not in boxing. The biggest fight in my life is how to end poverty in my country."
The duo will wear a pair of yellow gloves to promote unity against poverty aren't just a symbolic gesture. Neither was getting elected to congress in the Philippines.Manny Pacquiao, right, arrives at a news conference, Wednesday, May 4, 2011, in Las Vegas. Pacquiao will defend his WBO welterweight title against Shane Mosley on Saturday.

Pacquiao, who looked splendid in his suit, then walked over to the edge of the stage in the showroom at the MGM, leaned over and shook hands with Mosley's father, Jack, and several other friends and family members.

Mosley, not to be outdone, was all praises for his opponent, saying: “Pacquiao is a short welterweight, but he’s not a small welterweight. He’s very powerful. This is like a Mike Tyson fight – we’re heavyweights out there. I’m looking to go out there, take charge and beat Manny Pacquiao."

"I can muster all that energy that I had against Margarito. This type of fight reminds me of when I was able to do a lot of damage in the lightweight division. It’s kind of like going back in time" Mosley, a former three-division kingpin himself, said.
Commenting on his 8-1underdog status the title pretender said: "I don’t know, that’s what the odds makers are saying. That’s fine with me. The main goal is to get the win and then we can talk about being an underdog. I don’t pay attention to that – I’ve been an underdog in a lot of my fights.

SIDELIGHTS:
“Eye of the Tiger,” theme song of Rocky III film starring Sylvester Stallone will be heard when World Boxing Organization kingpin Manny Pacquiao climbs the ring when he stake his crown against “Sugar” Shane Mosley Saxturday at the MGM Grand here.
It was Pacquiao himself who chose the entrance Survivor’s 1982 single, which Stallone also selected after failing to get right to use Queen’s classic “Another One Bites the Dust.”
Mosley, on the other hand, will be going with LL Cool J's classic "Mama Said Knock You Out," according to boxing writer Michael Marley who wrote the tune is one of the great songs in hip-hop history.
Marley also reported that Rick Ross may not be part of Pacquiao's entourage as previously reported.
Manny Pacquiao’s kin looked to have been given their own grand welcome upon their arrival in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 3 (US time) to watch the Filipino superstar’s fight with Shane Mosley on May 7.

Meanwhile, Pacquiao’s estranged father Rosalio arrived here to watch his son’s title fight. Mang Rosalio, who left his wife Dionisia and his brood of six when Pacquiao was only six years-old, arrived with daughter Isidra and picked up by fleet of luxury vehicles that which included a Rolls Royce with designated chauffeurs that too them to their hotels”
This will be the first time sincer Pacquiao rose to international prominence that Mang Rosalio will be watching his son fight. He, along with Aleng Dionisia, now popularly called ‘Mommy D’ was also at ringside during Pacquaio’s fight with Miguel Cotto two years ago.

Mommy D, who had been egging Pacquiao to retire, opted though to be left behind in Manila. She was at ringside during Pacquiao’s 12-round demotion of Mexican Antonio Margarito November last year.
Reports said she is currently preparing for her grand birthday celebration on May 15 in General Ssantos City ion South Cotabato.

Mang Rosalio, who already has a family, arrived together with Ilocos Sur Governor Chavit Singson, a close friend and avid supporter of the pound-for-pound king.

Reports also said that an open house at Pacquiao’s mansion in Binan, Laguna awaits his neighbors who would like to watch the fight

“Magpapakain kami. Nitong laban [na ito] mag-lechon kami,” a house helper, Analyn Candan, was reported to have said.

Source: PhilBoxing.com

Manny Pacquiao Vs. Shane Mosley: Keys To The Fight, Part I

Speed. Almost no matter whom Pacquiao fights, he's going to win this category. Maybe if Floyd Mayweather mans up and faces Pacquiao some day, or if Pacquiao decides to get bold-bordering-on-crazy and moves up to middleweight to face division champion Sergio Martinez, he'll get a challenge. Until then, his hands are too quick, his feet are too quick and probably every other part of him is too quick for any opponent. The quick of his fingernails are probably quicker than everyone else's. It's one of a few standout qualities that make him the special fighter he is.

Mosley himself used to be quicker than everybody else he fought, but it's no longer the case. Going back to 2007, he was out-quicked by Miguel Cotto, who hadn't been known for his speed. Yet even this version of Mosley is still going to be arguably the fastest man Pacquiao has ever fought. Pacquiao fought Cotto recently, but that was a version of Cotto who very well might have been slower physically than he was against Mosley owing to some grueling, career-shortening battles in the interim. Mosley's definitely more nimble of foot than any version of Cotto. It's one thing to be faster than Mosley, but as Mayweather discovered, when you're not used to facing men who are pretty fast overall, it can be a shock. Even Mosley's diminished speed will be an asset here, then, even though he's going to be significantly slower than his opponent. Edge: Pacquiao

Size. For several years now, size has been one of the best hopes of Pacquiao's opponents. Since 2008, he's come into the ring the physically smaller man. Every indicator is that he is a natural junior welterweight, but he was presumed to be smaller than David Diaz in a move up to lightweight and likewise against Ricky Hatton in a move up to junior welterweight. Since moving up to welterweight, though, he has suffered a little for lack of size. He's been slightly less effective due to it, but because of some of his physical gifts and other assets -- speed, power, strength, style, etc. -- size rarely has been decisive in the way his opponents would have liked. You might think you can box him from the outside with a size advantage, but everything about Pacquiao has thus far made that a losing proposition.

Mosley has some of this "size" stuff. Once about as overpowering a lightweight as you'll ever see, he is a full-fledged welterweight who's quite big for the division. He can fight effectively at junior middleweight, although it's not ideal for him. At 5'9" and with a 74" reach, he'll have three inches in height and seven inches in reach on Pacquiao. And it's not just that: Mosley is strong as an ox at welter, as he showed by bullying the seemingly bigger Antonio Margarito in 2009. If Mosley decides to try and implement the same hit-and-hold strategy against Pacquiao that he did against Margarito, this size could come in handy. Edge: Mosley

Power. This one's interesting. In some ways, it's a toss-up. Mosley has flashed one-punch power in spells, such as with his sudden out-of-nowhere 12th round knockout of Ricardo Mayorga in 2008, with his beatdown of a man in Margarito whose primary skill is getting hit and not going down, and against Mayweather in the 2nd round of their fight last year. If Mosley catches you flush, you might not wake up anytime soon.

At welterweight and above, Pacquiao's one-punch power has been a bit less vaunted. He flashed it against Cotto, but his wins over Joshua Clottey and Margarito in 2010 were more prolonged beatings. Maybe he would have knocked out Cotto earlier if he hadn't decided to avoid contact after tasting Pacquiao's power; maybe he would have knocked out Clottey if he had engaged one whit; maybe he would have stopped Margarito with a more compassionate referee; but he didn't obliterate those men the way he did Diaz and Hatton. A key difference between Pacquiao and Mosley is that, in recent fights, Mosley's power exists only in the early rounds. Pacquiao's is around the whole fight. It's a close call, but I'd rather be a guy with really good power all fight long than a guy with really excellent power for only brief spells. Edge: Pacquiao

Chin. These are two men who can take a shot. Oh, they might get wobbled or beat up, but these weebles don't stay down. Long ago, that wasn't the case for Pacquiao. He was stopped twice and last in 1999, but it has zero relevance to today: He was struggling with weight then, and for several years now has been taking shots from bigger men without so much as staggering. A body shot from Margarito hurt him, but prior to that you have to go back to early 2008 to find any occasion in which he was in any trouble. His face has looked like he's gotten his ass kicked in his last three, however -- until you look at the other guy. It'll be interesting to see how he reacts to Mosley's power early, since Pacquiao hasn't faced anyone with Mosley's kind of one-punch power perhaps ever.

Mosley also hasn't been staggered in a while, a longer while than Pacquiao in fact. He got dropped by Vernon Forrest back in 2002, but has always shown a knack for withstanding power punches, maybe too many of them, if you listen to his voice slur here and there. One point of concern here for Mosley is that, against Mayweather, he began shying away from contact late in the bout. Maybe he didn't get staggered, but he clearly was feeling what Mayweather was dishing out. Mayweather hits harder than he's given credit for, but if you gave me a choice of being hit by Mayweather or Pacquiao, I'd take Mayweather. On the balance, both men have shown some dings, but they even out. Edge: Even

Condition. This is kind of a merged category of a boxer's ring wear, age, stamina and related factors. And things don't stack up great here for Mosley. At 39, he's looked his age in his last two fights. Prior to the Mayweather fight, I'd never seen him huffing and puffing. From the 3rd round of their fight on, it's pretty much all he's done, including almost the entire bout against Shane Mosley. He'll tell you it's related to having to chase opponents who thrive on movement, but I don't remember him huffing and puffing at any time prior against boxer-movers. And while his chin has held up, you get the sense it could give at any time, when you consider all the punishment he's taken over the years. As I mentioned earlier this week, Mosley has at times looked old and done before turning in a vintage performance, but that's not the ideal situation.

Pacquiao is 32 and by all measures still in his peak physically. He also has taken a ton of punishment in the ring, but he has not shown himself to be any worse for the wear because of it. Trainer Freddie Roach, who errs on the side of caution with his fighters due to his own ring career leading to his current Parkinson's, said Pacquiao has shown no signs of slowing down. And Pacquiao's stamina is one of the freakiest elements of his game that still is serially underestimated as a vital component of what makes him what he is. This is the clearest category advantage for Pacquiao in the fight, hands down. Edge: Pacquiao

Source: queensberry-rules.com

Exclusive: Watch the Pacquiao vs. Mosley Final Presser!

Watch exclusive video coverage of the final press conference for the May 7 mega fight between Manny Pacquiao and Shane Mosley that took place earlier this afternoon at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas!



Source: fightfan.com

5 reasons Mosley will beat Pacquiao

LAS VEGAS -- Epic is the best way to describe this Saturday's welterweight title fight between Manny Pacquiao (52-3-2, 38 KOs) and Shane Mosley (46-6-1, 39 KOs). As surprising or predictable as the result may be, it is quite unlikely for us to see anything new from these two all-time greats.



Their styles are battle-tested, their strengths and weaknesses are well known, and they have accomplished enough to open their own private Hall of Fames out of the garages of their mansions. With rare exceptions, the fights that they may make after this one will be done, regardless of the outcome of this fight and without it being a determining factor in the ensuing negotiations. This is one of those rare fights in which the worst-case scenario is a fight well above the current average, and in the best possible case it will be an epic and historic performance.

There are several ways this fight can play out. Here are five potential reasons Mosley could win:

Size does matter

1


Mosley was one of the most dominant lightweight champs in recent memory, and his great physique has carried him up to welterweight and beyond without losing steam, speed, mobility or ability to absorb punishment. Regardless of how much he has grown, Pacquiao is a fighter who has seen his best years at and around featherweight, and he is simply stretching himself too thin (or too heavy, in this case) in his search for opponents worthy of his skills and his box-office appeal. If Mosley is able to impose his longer reach and larger frame, he will have an additional advantage to go with his agility and world-class boxing skills.

Mosley never quits

1


He was counted out too many times, as recently (and as wrongly) as in the days prior to his annihilation of Antonio Margarito in his prime. He was handed a one-way ticket to retirement on several occasions, and the fat lady was summoned ringside for the long-awaited curtain call once too many. But the truth is that Mosley fights on as if his career was in its best days, with total disregard for his critics. The recent news that Pacquiao is already planning his next fight (a proposed fight in the fall against Juan Manuel Marquez) could faze anyone else, but Mosley never takes notice of such signs of disrespect toward his chances. Anybody else would have settled for a clear and less risky decision victory against Margarito or Ricardo Mayorga, but Mosley laid it all on the line as if he was the one with something to prove. If he can maintain his intensity against the whirlwind of unpredictable activity that is Pacquiao, he will probably be able to surprise the Filipino great toward the end of a stressful and difficult fight.

The future is today

1


In spite of what we have said earlier, and as laudable as is Mosley's approach toward boxing's adversities, the truth is that a well prepared and trim 39-year-old body is still a 39-year-old body. As the division he fights in gets crowded with younger, faster and tougher contenders, with each fight Mosley gives up energy and youth he will never possess again. Because of his attractive style and his complete devotion to the sport, he has been able to fight the most outstanding fighters of his time. But those opportunities grow more scarce, and his current situation cannot tolerate one more defeat. This fight represents his last chance to achieve the type of economic and professional reward that he deserves, and if he makes good use of this chance he may reach an even greater level of respect from the boxing world.

His legacy could use a more solid foundation

1


One year ago, Mosley was decisively winning the second round of a 12-round fight against boxing's pound-for-pound king, Floyd Mayweather Jr. Since then, he has fought 22 more rounds that could easily be considered between mediocre and acceptable, preceded by two brilliant performances against Margarito and Mayorga. In sum, Mosley is 2-2-1 in his last five outings. If he wants to leave behind a legacy worthy of his talent, Mosley know he has to weather everything Pacquiao offers him and up the ante on every minute of every round, with the minimum goal of an honorable defeat in mind, and with the ultimate goal of pulling the upset and looking dominant in the process.

This is his last shot at true greatness

1


In this fight, Mosley will manage the rare feat of being one of the very few fighters to face one of the world's best fighters twice in a 12-month span. Last May 1, Mosley faced Mayweather, who was then perceived as boxing's pound-for-pound king. It ended in an honorable but clear defeat for Mosley. Mayweather has not fought since that day. Pacquiao (perceived by many as the second-best in that mythical list during those days, or even a step higher) has now moved to the top spot. In spite of being defeated against a younger and faster fighter that night, Mosley showed flashes of his former self (especially in the fateful second round, in which he had Mayweather on the brink of a knockdown, or perhaps something worse). We do not exaggerate if we say Mosley had the tools to put on a much better performance that night. He still has another chance. In spite of being the underdog, he has the tools to pull off the upset that could bring him back to the top -- and on to true, everlasting greatness.

Source: sports.espn.go.com