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Mayweather makes his move
December 2, 4:43 AM
Las Vegas Boxing ExaminerChris Robinson
Late last night I was contacted by my fellow Examiner Michael Marley with the news that a potential Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao clash was near being reached.
The news was slightly surprising, as it had been rumored that Pacquiao was considering a showdown with WBA Jr. Middleweight champion Yuri Foreman in an attempt at a belt in an eighth weight division. But for as much fun as Yuri would have brought to the table nobody can deny that Pacquiao-Mayweather is the fight that everyone wants to see and it appears that Floyd Mayweather has made the first move in making the contest become a reality.
Marley would go on to tell me that the talk of a Foreman fight was simply smoke in the air, and that Arum was actually on his way to the Philippines to have a serious man to man discussion with Pacquiao about a showdown with Lil' Floyd. Marley went on to state that at 50-50 split seems reasonable and he also totally discounted the possibility that the proposed March 13th showdown would end up taking place anywhere in Texas, as it seems destined that this once in a lifetime event will be taking off in Las Vegas.
Later in the evening it was reported by other media outlets that Mayweather had indeed agreed to terms on the fight and it looks like the ball is now in Pacquiao's court. It seems almost surreal that a fight of this magnitude could be just around the corner but such is the way that boxing works. For as many mishaps that take place in this game all we can hope for is that this bout comes to fruition without any confusion. When looking at the recent turn of events a few things stand out...
Mayweather's Sincerity
After hearing of Mayweather reportedly agreeing to terms on the fight I touched base with some boxing insiders who had a pretty heavy opinion on everything that has beeng going on.
One scribe told me that that Mayweather was simply playing a game of poker, and that he was looking to 'bluff' Pacquiao by agreeing to terms that would end up being outlandish to the point that the Filipino icon wouldn't accept. The respected scribe went on to state that what would follow would be Pacquiao rejecting the offer and Mayweather claiming that Manny wasn't ready to step up to the plate.
Interesting stuff.
Another insider stated that Mayweather is only pushing for this fight in early 2010 because it coincides with Pacquiao's inevitable congressional run in the Philippines, and that 'Money' is hoping Pacquiao would be too distracted with everything going on to fully prepare for a fight of this stature.
A little bit of respect for Floyd
I'm not the type of writer who is accustomed to vocally expressing my opinon but I feel I should chime in on this occasion. I have always respected Floyd Mayweather's skills as a fighter but am the last person to be a fan of Floyd Mayweather's persona and attitude. I find the Grand Rapids, Michigan native a little too arrogant at times despite all of his accomplishments and talents.
Still, one thing I will never do is call Floyd Mayweather a coward. Whether you love him or hate him, Mayweather is a fighter at the end of the day. People may call him a 'runner' or 'heartless' but he has had the fortitude to step through the ropes time and time again, even if it isn't against the desired opposition that we wanted to see him against.
The type of hate Mayweather is getting reminds me of the exact negativity that was spread his way before his early 2001 encounter with Diego Corrales. Before that fight many were hoping and praying for Mayweather's downfall but inside of the MGM he produced one of the most impressive wins of the decade in completely befuddling and dominating his dangerous street-hardened foe from Sacramento. It was a showcase that was both impressive and noteworthy, one that made you realize that there was much more behind Mayweather besides all of his bravado.
I can only hope Mayweather is going into the Pacquiao fight with the same mindset. People can speculate all they want about what is going through Floyd's head but when pushed to the wall he is a dangerous fighter and could prove to be Pacquiao's toughest test to date, whether his critics like it or not. Here's hoping we get to see both men in the ring together this coming March. Only then will all of this speculation get put to rest.
http://www.examiner.com/x-22973-Las-...makes-his-move
December 2, 4:43 AM
Las Vegas Boxing ExaminerChris RobinsonLate last night I was contacted by my fellow Examiner Michael Marley with the news that a potential Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao clash was near being reached.
The news was slightly surprising, as it had been rumored that Pacquiao was considering a showdown with WBA Jr. Middleweight champion Yuri Foreman in an attempt at a belt in an eighth weight division. But for as much fun as Yuri would have brought to the table nobody can deny that Pacquiao-Mayweather is the fight that everyone wants to see and it appears that Floyd Mayweather has made the first move in making the contest become a reality.
Marley would go on to tell me that the talk of a Foreman fight was simply smoke in the air, and that Arum was actually on his way to the Philippines to have a serious man to man discussion with Pacquiao about a showdown with Lil' Floyd. Marley went on to state that at 50-50 split seems reasonable and he also totally discounted the possibility that the proposed March 13th showdown would end up taking place anywhere in Texas, as it seems destined that this once in a lifetime event will be taking off in Las Vegas.
Later in the evening it was reported by other media outlets that Mayweather had indeed agreed to terms on the fight and it looks like the ball is now in Pacquiao's court. It seems almost surreal that a fight of this magnitude could be just around the corner but such is the way that boxing works. For as many mishaps that take place in this game all we can hope for is that this bout comes to fruition without any confusion. When looking at the recent turn of events a few things stand out...
Mayweather's Sincerity
After hearing of Mayweather reportedly agreeing to terms on the fight I touched base with some boxing insiders who had a pretty heavy opinion on everything that has beeng going on.
One scribe told me that that Mayweather was simply playing a game of poker, and that he was looking to 'bluff' Pacquiao by agreeing to terms that would end up being outlandish to the point that the Filipino icon wouldn't accept. The respected scribe went on to state that what would follow would be Pacquiao rejecting the offer and Mayweather claiming that Manny wasn't ready to step up to the plate.
Interesting stuff.
Another insider stated that Mayweather is only pushing for this fight in early 2010 because it coincides with Pacquiao's inevitable congressional run in the Philippines, and that 'Money' is hoping Pacquiao would be too distracted with everything going on to fully prepare for a fight of this stature.
A little bit of respect for Floyd
I'm not the type of writer who is accustomed to vocally expressing my opinon but I feel I should chime in on this occasion. I have always respected Floyd Mayweather's skills as a fighter but am the last person to be a fan of Floyd Mayweather's persona and attitude. I find the Grand Rapids, Michigan native a little too arrogant at times despite all of his accomplishments and talents.
Still, one thing I will never do is call Floyd Mayweather a coward. Whether you love him or hate him, Mayweather is a fighter at the end of the day. People may call him a 'runner' or 'heartless' but he has had the fortitude to step through the ropes time and time again, even if it isn't against the desired opposition that we wanted to see him against.
The type of hate Mayweather is getting reminds me of the exact negativity that was spread his way before his early 2001 encounter with Diego Corrales. Before that fight many were hoping and praying for Mayweather's downfall but inside of the MGM he produced one of the most impressive wins of the decade in completely befuddling and dominating his dangerous street-hardened foe from Sacramento. It was a showcase that was both impressive and noteworthy, one that made you realize that there was much more behind Mayweather besides all of his bravado.
I can only hope Mayweather is going into the Pacquiao fight with the same mindset. People can speculate all they want about what is going through Floyd's head but when pushed to the wall he is a dangerous fighter and could prove to be Pacquiao's toughest test to date, whether his critics like it or not. Here's hoping we get to see both men in the ring together this coming March. Only then will all of this speculation get put to rest.
http://www.examiner.com/x-22973-Las-...makes-his-move
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