By Chris Robinson
The tides have definitely seemed to turn a bit in the ongoing drama known as Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather.
Never before has there been a fight so far from a reality that has caused so much commotion and the past two days have seen Mayweather take to his personal Twitter account to call out his Filipino rival.
Mayweather recently received a delay on a 90-day jail stint that was set to begin on January 6th, thus paving the way for his already-announced May 5th return to the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Pacquiao would serve as the most ideal opponent for Floyd but sides to both parties seem to already be working on other respective foes.
Bob Arum even went as far as to point out that the cut Pacquiao received over his right eye in his third fight with Juan Manuel Marquez in November is so bad that it will prevent him from sparring until April 1st, thus taking May 5th out of the equation. Arum also mentioned that he would prefer to get to work on a 45,000-seat arena in Vegas for a fight as big as Pacquiao-Mayweather, as it would mean increased revenue for all parties involved, and that such a project wouldn't be completed until late May.
So despite the fact that the wheels are in motion for the sport’s two biggest draws to continue on without one another, that didn’t stop Mayweather from issuing his verbal challenge online, a move that has again put his name atop boxing’s headlines.
And while Pacquiao hasn’t shown a strong comeback for Mayweather's words, as Floyd went as far as to label Manny a ‘punk’, it simply serves as an illustration of how different the two men are. Mayweather is braggadocios and outspoken while Pacquiao is much more subdued and never seems to engage in verbal warfare with much conviction.
Wanting to get a well-versed insider’s take on everything, I crossed paths with bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire earlier today, just moments before the Fil-Am star was set to begin another training session ahead of his February 4th meeting with Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. Donaire will challenge the brash Puerto Rican for the vacant WBO junior featherweight title in an HBO-televised duel in San Antonio, Texas.
Donaire, a low-key individual, weighed in on Mayweather’s recent Twitter callouts, revealed why he still hopes for the sport’s biggest fight to come to fruition, answered the recent trash talk coming from the camp of interim WBA junior featherweight champ Guillermo Rigondeaux, gave an update on his own camp, and much more.
Continue on for all of Donaire’s thoughts…
Acclimating to camp in Las Vegas…
“In the beginning of this camp we were just trying to organize everything, because everything is new out here. It was the first time working out, so it's just about trying to get the rhythm of it all from here on. And we’ve managed to do that and we’re just trying to do more from here on. Work on the game plan, because the weight’s not an issue.”
Feeling his body change after a few weeks in the gym…
“Definitely feel the changes in my body. I feel good being in this weight class because the injuries are less. I don’t feel like I’m hurting my body as much as when I was cutting down weight. So it’s been a different change but a good change.”
Mayweather’s recent Twitter antics…
“I think Floyd’s a very smart guy and he knows how to strategize. I think that’s one of his strategies, going in and trying to get the fight. And if it does, everybody’s going to be scrambling, while at the same time he’s the one driving the car. What Floyd is doing is just another ploy, another thing he does to get in people’s heads. That’s just Floyd. He likes it to happen on his terms and he knows how to get people by using words that are negative, to get their attention. And people with pride on both sides, they’re going to retaliate in their own way. It’s just Floyd being Floyd.”
Still hoping for Pacquiao-Mayweather…
“As much as people are saying it’s behind him, that’s a fight I want to see. But that’s a fight that it’s going to be hard to make within a few weeks, a few months. Being the size of the fight, how big this fight is going to be, you can’t just make it happen in a few months. Things like this happen in a year. It’s one of those things that Floyd is doing and just getting the crowd riled up. It’s good. He knows how to do his thing and like I said, Floyd’s a smart guy.”
Whether Bob Arum is to blame for the fight not happening…
“The thing is, everybody wants to make this fight happen. It’s just a matter of how it is business-wise. And how much they gain from it and how difficult it may be. It’s just one of those things; they’re both superstars and it’s not like they don’t have the voice. They do have the voice. It’s really not just Arum or the other promoters or this promoter or that. It’s up to the guys as well, because they have the voice. It’s just up to them to make it happen. Guys like Manny and Mayweather, they can make it happen. It’s a super fight, people will buy it. Networks will get it. That’s how big they are.”
Why he chooses to stay away from talking a lot of trash…
“Like I said, I grew up as a person that was bullied and made fun of in school. How hard I worked in the boxing world, and how hard and difficult it is to be a fighter, it took me seven or eight years to get there. And where I’m at now, to get to the top, the world championship-caliber, it took me many, many years. A long time. And it takes a lot of effort and a lot of determination for a fighter to get where they are at. Because boxing is a hard sport and that’s why I always respect people, or fighters. Being in a Filipino family, we’ve grown up to that type of mentality, that we need to respect the people that respect us or just the people all around us. They deserve respect unless they prove themselves otherwise not to be respected. And that’s just how I live my life. I always try to respect everybody as much as they respect me. If I don’t get the respect back then I don’t deal with anybody else. I don’t deal with all that stuff.”
Brushing off the verbal insults from the camp of Rigondeaux…
“I brush it off. The guy is unimportant to me right now. In his fight with [Ricardo], he was just running around and I didn’t say nothing. That’s why HBO’s not giving him much dates, because they gave faith on him and he blew it. And now they need my name. They need me. And Rico Ramos, [Jorge] Arce, they’re all calling me out. And that’s good. That’s what it’s all about. I just shrug it off, I don’t take anything from it. I take pleasure and I take pride that these guys are calling me out. And I welcome that.”
Going after the dream…
“When I moved up to 122, the two guys on my mind were Nishioka and Arce. And they gave me a very good fighter in front of me, which is Vazquez. I’m just settling in. That’s pretty much it. And once I settle in, I pretty much have that dream of becoming undisputed and I’m going to go after the belts if I’m able to.”
Not worried about the opinion of others..
“For me, I don’t really care much for other people’s opinions. That’s their opinion. And I have my own opinion. And if people say ‘Oh, he’s not that good”, I’m going to tell myself that I’m that good. If you downplay yourself, you shouldn’t be in the ring. If you start doubting yourself just because people are telling you that’s how you are. People have their own opinion and that’s fine. I just want to prove them wrong and I’ll take it as that.”
Photo-journalist Chris Robinson - Images from Vegas Examiner Chris Robinson as he captures the likes of Pacquiao, Mayweather, Cotto, Margarito, Donaire, Martinez, Khan, and several others
Behind the scenes at the Mayweather-Ortiz 'Star Power' event - Images of Mayweather's fiance' Shantel Jackson plus ringside shots of Floyd's victory and a look at the pre and post-fight pressers
