“Money” Markets: How Mayweather Is Helping Sell Pacquiao…RASKIN

Published

13 years ago

November 10, 2011

It happened again last Thursday night. I was out to dinner with a group of guys, most of whom I’d never met before, so we were making the usual getting-to-know-you small talk, which inevitably includes the “what do you do for a living?” conversation. I identified myself as a sports writer. “What sports?” one of the guys asked. “Mostly boxing,” I said. I knew what was coming next.

The previous day, Floyd Mayweather had announced plans to fight on May 5, 2012 at the MGM Grand, and every single sports news show or screaming-head show (it’s time to drop the inaccurate “talking head” description) made time to ask the question, “Will Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao fight each other?” So I knew exactly what I was walking into when I defined myself as a boxing writer.

“So, are they gonna fight?” one of the guys at the table immediately asked, not even needing to specify who “they” were.

As much damage as Mayweather and Pacquiao have done to the public’s perception of boxing by not fighting each other, the reality is that neither has damaged his individual marketability yet, as their most recent pay-per-view figures illustrate. Pacquiao generated 1.3 million buys against Shane Mosley, a big-name opponent everyone knew was shot going in. Mayweather did 1.25 million against Victor Ortiz, an opponent with almost no mainstream profile before he signed to fight “Money.” In the past two years, since Pacquiao defeated Miguel Cotto and the first round of Pacquiao-Mayweather negotiations began, only one fight involving either of them felt like a superfight, and that was Mayweather vs. Mosley at a time when it seemed Sugar Shane had something left. The others have all been flawed matchups in one way or another. And still the PPV numbers hit seven figures every time.

When Mayweather announced his fight date last week, Pacquiao’s promoter, Bob Arum, railed against the not-at-all-coincidental timing of it and accused Mayweather of trying to steal Pacquiao’s spotlight in the final two weeks before Pac-Man’s PPV against Juan Manuel Marquez. But Arum had it all wrong (at least on the surface; more on what probably lurked below the surface shortly). He shouldn’t have been degrading Mayweather. He should have been thanking him. Mayweather and Pacquiao have been indirectly and inadvertently marketing each other for the last couple of years. When one fights, the other’s name lands in the headlines. When one mentions the other’s name, the PTI types start furiously debating who’s ducking whom.

So when Mayweather and his people claimed he wants to fight “the little fella” on May 5, that little fella got a lot of extra attention in the midst of trying to sell a fight. That guy I was out to dinner with last week who asked if Pacquiao-Mayweather was going to happen? Turned out he didn’t know Pacquiao had a fight coming up on November 12. Now he does. Complain all you want, Mr. Arum, but awareness is a big part of this game, and Mayweather builds awareness within mainstream sports fans a hell of a lot more effectively than Piers Morgan does.

Maybe Floyd Mayweather is a jealous, petty SOB whose intention is to steal Pacquiao’s spotlight. But if that’s the case, the intention and the outcome don’t much resemble one another. Whether he means to do it or not, when he opens his mouth Mayweather makes the spotlight shine brighter on Pacquiao, on the Marquez fight, and on all of boxing.

And say what you will about Bob Arum (I love “say what you will”—it’s such a great way to imply that a guy is an unsavory d-bag without actually putting yourself on the hook for levying such an insult), but the guy didn’t become a multi-millionaire Hall of Famer by being stupid. He’s a sharp guy. He understands that even when Mayweather blames Pacquiao for their fight not happening yet, Mayweather is promoting Pacquiao. That’s why I think Arum’s aggressively outraged reaction is an act. He’s playing along. He figures, if Mayweather gets the mainstream media meter moving by throwing a few daggers at Pac-Man and Arum, then Arum’s job is to keep the temperature rising by throwing something back. The more Arum says, “The fight will never happen,” the more it drives the conversation.

And if the conversation starts at Pacquiao-Mayweather, at some point it turns to Pacquiao-Marquez.

With or without Floyd inserting himself, Pacquiao-Marquez is a highly meaningful fight. Any Pacquiao fight is highly meaningful, for obvious reasons. But when Mayweather suggests that a Pacquiao fight is on his mind for next May—whether he means it or not—it makes Pacquiao-Marquez that much more meaningful. A win for Pacquiao keeps the most lucrative fight in boxing history on track (theoretically). A win for Marquez screws everything up. The stakes for the sport of boxing are higher if those stakes involve a certain undefeated, homophobia-spouting, sucker-punching superstar.

Pacquiao vs. Marquez is going to sell just fine regardless, of course. If Pacquiao can get applauded for a duet of a Bee Gees song with Jimmy Kimmel, then it proves people will eat up whatever he’s serving, no matter who his partner is. And Marquez happens to be a worthy partner; he surely fights a hell of a lot better than Kimmel sings.

This fight is going to sell over a million pay-per-views. That’s a guarantee. You could add Bernard Hopkins and Chad Dawson to the undercard at the last minute and I’d still offer that guarantee. But will it hit 1.2 million? 1.3? 1.4?

The more Mayweather talks, the higher it can go. Floyd is a brilliant self-promoter. And whether he means to be or not, he’s doing a solid job as a co-promoter of Pacquiao-Marquez.

Eric Raskin can be contacted at RaskinBoxing@yahoo.com. You can follow him on Twitter @EricRaskin and listen to new episodes of his podcast, Ring Theory, at http://ringtheory.podbean.com.

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Eric Raskin

Ever-Improving Callum Walsh KOs Dean Sutherland at Madison Square Garden

Published

3 hours ago

March 16, 2025

David A. Avila

Ever-Improving-Callum-Walsh-KOs-Dean-Sutherland-at-Madison-Square-Garden

Irish luck was not involved as Callum Walsh won the battle of hard-hitting southpaws over Dean Sutherland by knockout on Sunday.

One right hook was all it took.

“You’re never going to beat the Irish,” said Walsh.

In a contest between Celtic super welterweights Walsh (13-0, 11 KOs) retained the WBC Continental America’s title against Sutherland (19-2, 7 KOs) in quick fashion at the Madison Square Garden Theater in Manhattan.

Usually fights between southpaws can be confusing to both contestants. But Walsh had expressed a fondness for fighting lefthanders then vividly exhibited the reasons why.

Walsh, 24, a native of Cork, Ireland, now living and training in Los Angeles, quickly demonstrated why he likes fighting lefties with a steady flow of combinations from the opening bell.

He did not hesitate.

Sutherland, 26, had only lost once before and that was more than two years ago. Against Walsh the Scottish fighter was not hesitant to advance forward but was caught with lefts and right hooks.

After two minutes of scattered blows, Sutherland fought back valiantly and when cornered, Walsh tapped two jabs then unleashed a right hook through the Scottish fighter’s gloves that floored the Aberdeen fighter for the count at 2:45 of the first round.

“I’m feeling very good. Dean Sutherland is a very good opponent. I knew he was going to be dangerous. That was my best opponent,” said Walsh.

It was the fourth consecutive knockout win for Walsh who seems to improve with every single combat.

“I’m looking forward to the future. I’m getting stronger and stronger,” said Walsh who is trained by Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach. “Anyone that comes to me I will take him out.”

Other Bouts

Super featherweight Feargal McCrory (17-1, 9 KOs) survived a knockdown in the fourth to out-muscle Keenan Carbajal (25-5-1, 17 KOs) and batter down the Arizona fighter in the seventh and again in the eighth with volume punching.

Carbajal was deducted a point early for holding in round two, but regained that point when he floored the Irish southpaw during an exchange in the fourth.

Despite suffering a knockdown, McCrory continued stalking Carbajal and floored him in the seventh and eighth with battering blows. Referee Arthur Mercante Jr. stopped the fight without a count.

A rematch between two Irish super middleweights saw Emmet Brennan (6-0) remain undefeated by unanimous decision over Kevin Cronin (9-3-1).

Cronin started quickly with a pressure style and punches flowing against Brennan who resorted to covering and countering. Though it looked like Cronin was building up a lead with a busier style, the judges preferred Brennan’s judicious counters. No knockdowns were scored as all three judges saw Brennan the winner 98-92 after 10 rounds.

Dajuan Calloway (11-3, 9 KOs) emerged the winner by technical knockout over Thomas Carty (10-1) who was unable to continue after two rounds when his leg tangled and thereafter was unable to stand. Because he could not continue the fight was ruled a technical knockout win for Calloway in the heavyweight match.

Also

Cletus “Hebrew Hammer” Seldin (29-1, 23 Kos) defeated Yeis Solano (15-5) by majority decision after eight rounds in a super lightweight contest.

Donagh Keary (1-0) defeated Geral Alicea-Romero (0-1-1) by decision after four.

Light heavyweights Sean O’Bradaigh (0-0-1) and Jefferson Almeida (0-1-1) fought to a majority draw after four.

Photo credit: JP Yim

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Nick Ball Wears Down and Stops TJ Doheny Before the Home Folks in Liverpool

Published

1 day ago

March 15, 2025

Arne K. Lang

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Fighting in his hometown, Liverpool’s five-foot-two fireplug Nick “The Wrecking” Ball stopped TJ Doheny after 10 progressively more one-sided rounds to retain his WBA belt in the second defense of the featherweight title he won with a hard-earned decision over Raymond Ford in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Referee Michael Alexander, with the assent of Doheny’s corner, waived it off following the bell ending Round 10, much to the chagrin of the brave but mildewed Doheny who burst into tears. But then, Doheny’s right eye was closed shut and he was plainly exhausted. This may be the end of the line for the 38-year-old campaigner from Perth, Australia via Portlaois, Ireland who was 26-5 heading in following his first loss inside the distance which came against pound-for-pound king Naoya Inoue.

There were no knockdowns, but Ball (22-0-1, 13 KOs) was docked a point in round nine for throwing Doheny to the canvas after having previously been warned for this infraction. Earlier, both he and Doheny were warned for an incident that could have ended the bout prematurely. At the end of the first round, Ball extricated himself from a headlock by kicking Doheny in the back of his knee. The challenger’s leg appeared to buckle as he returned to his stool.

Going forward, Ball has many options. The 28-year-old Liverpudlian purportedly relishes a unification fight with WBC belt-holder Stephen Fulton, but the decision ultimately rests with Ball’s promoter Frank Warren.

Other Bouts of Note

In a 12-round bantamweight contest that was close on the scorecards but yet a monotonous affair, Liverpool’s Andrew Cain won a split decision over former WBC flyweight title-holder Charlie Edwards. The scores were 116-112 and 115-114 favoring Cain with judge Steve Gray submitting a disreputable 115-113 tally for Edwards. At stake were a trio of regional titles.

The science of boxing, they say, is about hitting without getting hit. Charlie Edwards is adept at the latter but the hitting part is not in his DNA. He was on his bicycle from the get-go, a style that periodically brought forth a cascade of boos. Cain, who trains in the same gym with Nick Ball, was never able to corner him – Edwards was too elusive – but Cain, to his credit, never lost his composure.

In improving to 14-1 (12), Cain achieved a measure of revenge, in a sense. In his last documented amateur bout, in 2014, Cain was defeated by Charlie’s brother Sunny Edwards, also a former world title-holder at the professional level. Heading in, Charlie Edwards (20-2, 1 NC) was unbeaten in his last 13 which included a comfortable decision over Cristofer Rosales in his flyweight title fight. Charlie relinquished that belt when he could no longer make the weight.

Showboating Cuban lightweight Jadier Herrera, who fought 13 of his first 14 pro fights in his adopted home of Dubai, advanced to 17-0 (15 KOs) with a seventh-round stoppage of spunky but outclassed Mexican import Jose Macias (21-4-2). The official time was 2:31 of round seven.

An all-Liverpool affair between super flyweights Jack Turner (11-0, 10 KOs) and Ryan Farrag (23-6) was over in a jiff. The match, which went next-to-last in the bout order, ended at the 42-second mark of round two. A barrage of punches climaxed by a left hook sent Farrag down hard and the referee waived it off.

The noted spoiler Ionut Baluta, whose former victims include Andrew Cain, forged another upset with a 10-round split decision over local fan favorite Brad Strand. The judges favored Baluta 98-91 and 96-94, out-voting the Italian judge whose 97-93 tally for Strand was deemed the most accurate by the TV pundits.

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Avila Perspective, Chap. 317: Callum Walsh, Dana White and More

Published

3 days ago

March 14, 2025

David A. Avila

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As Callum Walsh stood on the observation deck at the top of the Empire State Building with fists clenched, it harked back to actor Jimmy Cagney, an actor of Irish descent, yelling “Top of the world, ma,” in the 1949 motion picture White Heat.

The Irish-born Walsh brings that kind of attitude.

Once again Walsh (12-0, 10 KOs) returns to New York City and this time faces Scottish warrior Dean Sutherland (19-1, 7 KOs) in a super welterweight match set for 10 rounds on Sunday, March 16, at Madison Garden Theater.

UFC Fight Pass will stream the 360 Promotions event.

Flanked by master trainer Freddie Roach and managed by Dana White it brings questions as to the direction that Walsh will be steered. It was just revealed that White will head a new boxing promotion outfit with big plans to make a more UFC type of organization.

Is Walsh part of the plans?

It’s a lot to digest as the hot prospect from Cork, Ireland proceeds toward world championship dreams. Can he cleanse his mind of this major distraction?

Walsh and Sutherland are both southpaws who are meeting at the crossroads in the heart of New York City. At this point of their careers a loss can mean rebooting and taking a few steps backward. The winner moves on to the next crucial step.

Sutherland, 26, hails from Aberdeen and has never fought outside of his native Scotland. It’s a lot to ask of someone whose country’s population of 5 million is dwarfed by New York City’s 8.2 million inhabitants all packed together.

Ireland’s population is also 5 million. So basically, both Walsh and Sutherland are on even terms when they enter the prize ring on Sunday.

Who knows what kind of competition Sutherland faced in Scotland. He beat two undefeated fighters and also conquered two foes who each had more than 100 losses on their resumes.

Meanwhile, Walsh has faced only one undefeated fighter but handled veterans like Benjamin Whitaker, Ismael Villareal and Carlos Ortiz Cervantes. But you never know until they meet face to face. Anything can happen in a prize ring.

Walsh has a three-fight knockout streak. Sutherland has slept two out of his last three foes. They will be joined by several Irish fighters on the card plus Cletus “The Hebrew Hammer” Seldin.

Dana, Turk and TKO

The announcement earlier in the week that Turki Alalshikh together with TKO Group Holdings that include Dana White and Nick Khan formed a new boxing promotion company.

White, who does not own UFC but guides the MMA ship, works for Endeavor, the parent company of UFC and WWE. Their events are all shown on ESPN, the powerful sports network (albeit WWE’s flagship weekly show “Raw” recently moved to Netflix). It seems Endeavor has decided to allow White to guide its boxing program too.

Where does that leave Top Rank?

It seems the partnership plans to rid boxing of the many sanctioning organizations and have only one champion per division. The champion will be given a Ring Magazine belt. Recently, Turki Alalshikh purchased The Ring magazine from Golden Boy Promotions. This seems to have been the plan all along.

Is this good for boxing?

Mark Shapiro, the president of TKO Group Holdings, said:

“This is a strategic opportunity to re-imagine the sport of boxing globally. TKO has the deep expertise, promotional prowess, and longstanding relationships. HE Turki Alalshikh and Sela share our passion and vision for evolving the current model. Together, we can bring the sweet science back to its rightful place in the forefront of the global sports ecosystem.”

DAZN all day

Three boxing cards take place on Saturday beginning with WBA featherweight titlist Nick Ball (21-0-1) the human cannonball, defending against former champion TJ Doheny from Liverpool, England. The first bout begins around 9:30 a.m. (Pacific Coast Time). Ball likes to charge forward and punch. Doheny is no slouch and has experience.

Later, Matchroom Boxing presents a show from Florida that features Edgar Berlanga (22-1) fresh off a solid contest against Canelo Alvarez. He fights undefeated Jonathan Gonzalez-Ortiz (20-0-1) in a super middleweight match. Also, Ammo Williams (17-1) returns to face dangerous Patrice Volny (19-1) in a middleweight clash. The card starts at 3:30 p.m. (Pacific Coast Time.

Saturday evening MarvNation presents Amado Vargas (11-0) meeting Eduardo Hernandez (8-2) in a super lightweight contest at Thunder Studios in Long Beach, California. Start time is set for 8 p.m. (Pacific Coast Time). The son of the great Fernando Vargas remains undefeated.

Fights to Watch

Sat. DAZN 11:30 a.m. Nick Ball (21-0-1) vs TJ Doheny (26-5).

Sat. DAZN 3:30 p.m. Edgar Berlanga (22-1) vs Jonathan Gonzalez-Ortiz (20-0-1) ; Ammo Williams (17-1) vs Patrice Volny (19-1).

Sat. DAZN 8 p.m. Amado Vargas (11-0) vs Eduardo Hernandez (8-2).

Sun. UFC Fight Pass 3 p.m. Callum Walsh (12-0) vs Dean Sutherland (19-1).

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