Mayweather-Pacquiao Not Likely, Fewer Care

Published

12 years ago

December 8, 2012

Ron Borges

Manny was 147, Marquez 143 at the Friday weigh-in. (Chris Farina-Top Rank)

LAS VEGAS – Manny Pacquiao sat on a sofa surrounded by a gaggle of sportswriters earlier this week and for perhaps the longest period of time in years The Name did not come up.

Pacquiao talked at length about the long and winding road he has walked with Juan Manuel Marquez, one that will lead them both into the ring at the MGM Grand Garden Arena Saturday night for the fourth time with the differences between them yet to be convincingly ironed out.

He talked of a religious rebirth, of past transgressions, of Marquez’ possible use of performance enhancing drugs and the rumors swirling around them both in that regard, of the need for Marquez to change the counter punching style that has so confounded Pacquiao and the hope that this time the bout will end in a knockout, not another disputed decision.

Through all of this The Name never came up. Finally, Associated Press columnist Tim Dahlberg could take it no longer. He uttered it.

“Is this the longest you’ve gone (at a press briefing) without the name Floyd Mayweather coming up?’’ he asked.

Pacquiao laughed, nodding his head in affirmation. It wasn’t a nervous laugh but it should have been because underneath the question was a disturbing fact: nobody really cares any more if the two of them fight or not.

If eventually they do, the fight will still do big business. It may become the biggest pay-per-view sale in boxing history and would pack the house in Las Vegas or, if the two fighters are really smart, someplace like Cowboys Stadium in Texas where there are many more seats than on The Strip and no state income tax or unions to run up costs.

But if it does happen, which remains a long shot, it will also be like stale bread: something you’ll eat if you’re starving but the taste for it will be gone.

“That’s not going to happen,” growled Pacquiao’s ever truculent promoter, Bob Arum, this week, when asked about the possibility of the two finally squaring off in what was once seen as a future of boxing type of fight.

“Al Haymon (Mayweather’s manager) is just dangling Mayweather,” meaning Haymon is using Mayweather’s celebrity to drive business in the way Arum and Don King often did in the past with their top attractions.

In the midst of Pacquiao-Marquez IV week, Mayweather’s long-time advisor and confidante, Leonard Ellerbee, let it be known that the long absent Mayweather will return to the ring May 4, 2013, Cinco de Mayo weekend. He added that for the first time in several years Mayweather intends to box twice in 2013, leaving an unexpressed hint that the second fight could possibly be a September showdown with the man everyone once wanted to see him fight so badly but all that pronouncement really did was guarantee for fight fans at least one and possibly two weekends next year when it will be forced to choose between a Mayweather fight and one promoted by Arum because both Arum and Golden Boy Promotions, who still represent Mayweather in such matters for a fee, have contractual obligations to advertisers to stage shows on the two biggest Mexican holiday weekends of the year.

This has created conflict in the past, including earlier this year when the two sides resorted to schoolyard name calling and petulant arguments over who had what date first and who reserved what arena before the other and which one told cable operators they wanted to go on a certain date.

What this led to is what it has led to in the past: the fans got screwed. Welcome to big-time sports in the 21st Century.

Mayweather’s return to boxing will be welcomed to be sure because any event he is involved with becomes a big one. He has not fought since last May, forgoing a second fight after serving a brief jail sentence on domestic violence changes following that fight, instead spending his public time fighting with his former BBF, 50 Cent.

Fifty and he were supposed to partner in a new promotional company, an expansion of what both once called their family-like relationship. Well, it ended up being the Family Feud, the two splitting after Mayweather came out of jail.

Now Curtis Jackson (aka 50 Cent) not only has his own promotional company headlined by power punching Cuban exile Yuriokis Gamboa but a partnership with Arum, whom Mayweather hates with the kind of rage reserved normally only for someone who kills your dog or hurts your kids.

After bout of Twitter warfare between them over Mayweather’s reluctance to invest any of his own money in this joint promotional venture, they split. Fifty, who made his mark as a rapper but made his money out of an investment stake he held in Vitaminwater that was sold to Coca-Cola in 2007 for a reported number in the billions, not the millions, claims he still “loves him like a brother.’’
Perhaps so but sometimes brothers fight harder than others even when the possibility exists that had Mayweather relented and agreed to fight Pacquiao in Dubai a year ago, there might have been a $180 million pot to split.

Of course, it would have involved the sticky fingers of Arum, which Mayweather simply could not abide and so boxing stumbles along without its version of the Super Bowl.

As for Mayweather, according to Fifty: “He’s in the cycle that a lot of big fighters go through: get the money, spend the money and then fight again for some more money.”

Yet he and Pacquiao are in another cycle familiar to boxers, one that has thus far gone beneath the radar. To put it simply, both are slipping. At 36 and boxing infrequently, Mayweather has become a more flat-footed, less elusive target while Pacquiao hasn’t knocked anyone out since 2009.

Although he clearly beat Tim Bradley in his last outing even though the decision went the other way, Pacquiao did not do the kind of damage he used to and the fight before that he got a win he didn’t deserve over Marquez, who controlled the fight all night.

As for Mayweather, all one has to do is look back at his last performance. It was a struggle for him like never before to defeat Miguel Cotto. One fight later, Cotto was slapped silly by a kid named Austin Trout. Why didn’t Mayweather do that? Because he no longer can.

What this means is if Pacquiao-Mayweather ever does happen, which grows more unlikely by the day, it will be a fight between two shadows of what each once was. That might actually make it a more competitive and enjoyable match but it won’t reflect the best of either of them.

What seemed telling in all this was Mayweather’s ex-best bud claiming the theory that Mayweather would not face Pacquiao because he feared a loss on his record had some truth behind them.

“It’s all confidence when it comes to Floyd and his confidence wouldn’t be there,” said Fifty. “He kind of hand picks who he fights instead of taking the tough fights.”

That isn’t what he was saying when they were sharing private jets and gambling debts but so it goes in boxing. Friends come and friends go. So does the money, the absence of the latter usually being directly related to the disappearance of the former.

Regardless of that, Floyd Mayweather is apparently back in boxing on 2013 but not likely in a shared space with Manny Pacquiao. What he doesn’t know yet and Pacquiao is only beginning to realize this week is that not many people really care that much anymore if they ever do.

Post Views: 0

Share The Sweet Science experience!

Ron Borges

Jorge Garcia is the TSS Fighter of the Month for April

Published

1 day ago

April 28, 2025

Arne K. Lang

Jorge-Garcia-is-the-TSS-Fighter-of-the-Month-for-April

Jorge Garcia has a lot in common with Mexican countrymen Emanuel Navarrete and Rafael Espinoza. In common with those two, both reigning world title-holders, Garcia is big for his weight class and bubbled out of obscurity with a triumph forged as a heavy underdog in a match contested on American soil.

Garcia had his “coming of age party” on April 19 in the first boxing event at the new Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, California (roughly 35 miles north of San Diego), a 7,500-seat facility whose primary tenant is an indoor soccer team. It was a Golden Boy Promotions event and in the opposite corner was a Golden Boy fighter, Charles Conwell.

A former U.S. Olympian, Conwell was undefeated (21-0, 16 KOs) and had won three straight inside the distance since hooking up with Golden Boy whose PR department ballyhooed him as the most avoided fighter in the super welterweight division. At prominent betting sites, Conwell was as high as a 12/1 favorite.

The lanky Garcia was 32-4 (26 KOs) heading in, but it was easy to underestimate him as he had fought extensively in Tijuana where the boxing commission is notoriously docile and in his home state of Sinaloa. This would be only his second fight in the U.S. However, it was noteworthy in hindsight that three of his four losses were by split decision.

Garcia vs. Conwell was a robust affair. He and Conwell were credited with throwing 1451 punches combined. In terms of punches landed, there was little to choose between them but the CompuBox operator saw Garcia landing more power punches in eight of the 12 rounds. At the end, the verdict was split but there was no controversy.

An interested observer was Sebastian Fundora who was there to see his sister Gabriela defend her world flyweight titles. Sebastian owns two pieces of the 154-pound world title where the #1 contender per the WBO is Xander Zayas who keeps winning, but not with the verve of his earlier triumphs.

With his upset of Charles Conwell, Jorge Garcia has been bumped into the WBO’s #2 slot. Regardless of who he fights next, Garcia will earn the biggest payday of his career.

Honorable mention: Aaron McKenna

McKenna was favored to beat veteran campaigner Liam Smith in the co-feature to the Eubank-Benn battle this past Saturday in London, but he was stepping up in class against a former world title-holder who had competed against some of the top dogs in the middleweight division and who had famously stopped Chris Eubank Jr in the first of their two encounters. Moreover, the venue, Tottenham Hotspur, the third-largest soccer stadium in England, favored the 36-year-old Liverpudlian who was accustomed to a big fight atmosphere having fought Canelo Alvarez before 50,000-plus at Arlington Stadium in Texas.

McKenna, from the small town of Monaghan, Ireland, wasn’t overwhelmed by the occasion. With his dad Feargal in his corner and his fighting brother Stephen McKenna cheering him on from ringside, Aaron won a wide decision in his first 12-round fight, punctuating his victory by knocking Smith to his knees with a body punch in the 12^th round. In fact, if he hadn’t had a point deducted for using his elbow, the Irishman would have pitched a shutout on one of the scorecards.

“There might not be a more impressive example of a fighter moving up in class,” wrote Tris Dixon of the 25-year-old “Silencer” who improved his ledger to 20-0 (10).

Photo credits: Garcia/Conwell photo compliments of Cris Esqueda/Golden Boy; McKenna-Smith provided by Mark Robinson/Matchroom

To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE

Post Views: 0

Share The Sweet Science experience!

Chris Eubank Jr Outlasts Conor Benn at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Published

3 days ago

April 27, 2025

David A. Avila

Chris-Eubank-Jr-Outlasts-Conor-Benn-at-Tottenham-Hotsour-Stadium

Feudal bragging rights belong to Chris Eubank Jr. who out-lasted Conor Benn to
emerge victorious by unanimous decision in a non-title middleweight match held in
London on Saturday.

Fighting for their family heritage Eubank (35-3, 26 KOs) and Benn (23-1, 14 KOs)
continued the battle between families started 35 years ago by their fathers at Tottenham
Hotspur Stadium.

More than 65,000 fans attended.

Though Eubank Jr. had a weight and height advantage and a record of smashing his
way to victory via knockout, he had problems hurting the quicker and more agile Benn.
And though Benn had the advantage of moving up two weight divisions and forcing
Eubank to fight under a catch weight, the move did not weaken him much.

Instead, British fans and boxing fans across the world saw the two family rivals pummel
each other for all 12 rounds. Neither was able to gain separation.

Eubank looked physically bigger and used a ramming left jab to connect early in the
fight. Benn immediately showed off his speed advantage and surprised many with his
ability to absorb a big blow.Chris Eubank Jr Outlasts Conor Benn at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Benn scrambled around with his quickness and agility and scored often with bigcounters.

It took him a few rounds to stop overextending himself while delivering power shots.

In the third round Benn staggered Eubank with a left hook but was unable to follow up
against the dangerous middleweight who roared back with flurries of blows.

Eubank was methodic in his approach always moving forward, always using his weight
advantage via the shoulder to force Benn backward. The smaller Benn rocketed
overhand rights and was partly successful but not enough to force Eubank to retreat.
In the seventh round a right uppercut snapped Benn’s head violently but he was
undeterred from firing back. Benn’s chin stood firm despite Eubank’s vaunted power and
size advantage.

“I didn’t know he had that in him,” Eubank said.

Benn opened strong in the eighth round with furious blows. And though he connected
he was unable to seriously hurt Eubank. And despite being drained by the weight loss,
the middleweight fighter remained strong all 12 rounds.

There were surprises from both fighters.

Benn was effective targeting the body. Perhaps if he had worked the body earlier he
would have found a better result.

With only two rounds remaining Eubank snapped off a right uppercut again and followed
up with body shots. In the final stanza Eubank pressed forward and exchanged with the
smaller Benn until the final bell. He simply out-landed the fighter and impressed all three
judges who scored it 116-112 for Eubank.

Eubank admitted he expected a knockout win but was satisfied with the victory.
“I under-estimated him,” Eubank said.

Benn was upset by the loss but recognized the reasons.

“He worked harder toward the end,” said Benn.

McKenna Wins

In his first test in the elite level Aaron McKenna (20-0, 10 KOs) showed his ability to fight
inside or out in soundly defeating former world champion Liam Smith (33-5-1, 20 KOs)
by unanimous decision to win a regional WBA middleweight title.

Smith has made a career out of upsetting young upstarts but discovered the Irish fighter
more than capable of mixing it up with the veteran. It was a rough fight throughout the
12 rounds but McKenna showed off his abilities to fight as a southpaw or right-hander
with nary a hiccup.

McKenna had trained in Southern California early in his career and since that time he’s
accrued a variety of ways to fight. He was smooth and relentless in using his longer
arms and agility against Smith on the outside or in close.

In the 12 th round, McKenna landed a perfectly timed left hook to the ribs and down went
Smith. The former champion got up and attempted to knock out the tall
Irish fighter but could not.

All three judges scored in favor of McKenna 119-108, 117-109, 118-108.

Other Bouts
Anthony Yarde (27-3) defeated Lyndon Arthur (24-3) by unanimous decision after 12 rounds. in a light heavyweight match. It was the third time they met. Yarde won the last two fights.

Chris Billam-Smith (21-2) defeated Brandon Glanton (20-3) by decision. It was his first
fight since losing the WBO cruiserweight world title to Gilberto Ramirez last November.

Viddal Riley (13-0) out-worked Cheavon Clarke (10-2) in a 12-round back-and-forth-contest to win a unanimous decision.

To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE

Post Views: 0

Share The Sweet Science experience!

Avila Perspective, Chap. 323: Benn vs Eubank Family Feud and More

Published

5 days ago

April 24, 2025

David A. Avila

Avila-Perspective,-Chap.-323:-Benn-vs-Eubank-Family-Feud-and-More.jpg

Next generation rivals Conor Benn and Chris Eubank Jr. carry on the family legacy of feudal warring in the prize ring on Saturday.

This is huge in British boxing.

Eubank (34-3, 25 KOs) holds the fringe IBO middleweight title but won’t be defending it against the smaller welterweight Benn (23-0, 14 KOs) on Saturday, April 26, at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. DAZN will stream the Matchroom Boxing card.

This is about family pride.

The parents of Eubank and Benn actually began the feud in the 1990s.

Papa Nigel Benn fought Papa Chris Eubank twice. Losing as a middleweight in November 1990 at Birmingham, England, then fighting to a draw as a super middleweight in October 1993 in Manchester. Both were world title fights.

Eubank was undefeated and won the WBO middleweight world title in 1990 against Nigel Benn by knockout. He defended it three times before moving up and winning the vacant WBO super middleweight title in September 1991. He defended the super middleweight title 14 times before suffering his first pro defeat in March 1995 against Steve Collins.

Benn won the WBO middleweight title in April 1990 against Doug DeWitt and defended it once before losing to Eubank in November 1990. He moved up in weight and took the WBC super middleweight title from Mauro Galvano in Italy by technical knockout in October 1992. He defended the title nine times until losing in March 1996. His last fight was in November 1996, a loss to Steve Collins.

Animosity between the two families continues this weekend in the boxing ring.

Conor Benn, the son of Nigel, has fought mostly as a welterweight but lately has participated in the super welterweight division. He is several inches shorter in height than Eubank but has power and speed. Kind of a British version of Gervonta “Tank” Davis.

“It’s always personal, every opponent I fight is personal. People want to say it’s strictly business, but it’s never business. If someone is trying to put their hands on me, trying to render me unconscious, it’s never business,” said Benn.

This fight was scheduled twice before and cut short twice due to failed PED tests by Benn. The weight limit agreed upon is 160 pounds.

Eubank, a natural middleweight, has exchanged taunts with Benn for years. He recently avenged a loss to Liam Smith with a knockout victory in September 2023.

“This fight isn’t about size or weight. It’s about skill. It’s about dedication. It’s about expertise and all those areas in which I excel in,” said Eubank. “I have many, many more years of experience over Conor Benn, and that will be the deciding factor of the night.”

Because this fight was postponed twice, the animosity between the two feuding fighters has increased the attention of their fans. Both fighters are anxious to flatten each other.

“He’s another opponent in my way trying to crush my dreams. trying to take food off my plate and trying to render me unconscious. That’s how I look at him,” said Benn.

Eubank smiles.

“Whether it’s boxing, whether it’s a gun fight. Defense, offense, foot movement, speed, power. I am the superior boxer in each of those departments and so many more – which is why I’m so confident,” he said.

Supporting Bout

Former world champion Liam Smith (33-4-1, 20 KOs) tangles with Ireland’s Aaron McKenna (19-0, 10 KOs) in a middleweight fight set for 12 rounds on the Benn-Eubank undercard in London.

“Beefy” Smith has long been known as one of the fighting Smith brothers and recently lost to Eubank a year and a half ago. It was only the second time in 38 bouts he had been stopped. Saul “Canelo” Alvarez did it several years ago.

McKenna is a familiar name in Southern California. The Irish fighter fought numerous times on Golden Boy Promotion cards between 2017 and 2019 before returning to the United Kingdom and his assault on continuing the middleweight division. This is a big step for the tall Irish fighter.

It’s youth versus experience.

“I’ve been calling for big fights like this for the last two or three years, and it’s a fight I’m really excited for. I plan to make the most of it and make a statement win on Saturday night,” said McKenna, one of two fighting brothers.

Monster in L.A.

Japan’s super star Naoya “Monster” Inoue arrived in Los Angeles for last day workouts before his Las Vegas showdown against Ramon Cardenas on Sunday May 4, at T-Mobile Arena. ESPN will televise and stream the Top Rank card.

It’s been four years since the super bantamweight world champion performed in the US and during that time Naoya (29-0, 26 KOs) gathered world titles in different weight divisions. The Japanese slugger has also gained fame as perhaps the best fighter on the planet. Cardenas is 26-1 with 14 KOs.

Pomona Fights

Super featherweights Mathias Radcliffe (9-0-1) and Ezequiel Flores (6-4) lead a boxing card called “DMG Night of Champions” on Saturday April 26, at the historic Fox Theater in downtown Pomona, Calif.

Michaela Bracamontes (11-2-1) and Jesus Torres Beltran (8-4-1) will be fighting for a regional WBC super featherweight title. More than eight bouts are scheduled.

Doors open at 6 p.m. For ticket information go to: www.tix.com/dmgnightofchampions

Fights to Watch

Sat. DAZN 9 a.m. Conor Benn (23-0) vs Chris Eubank Jr. (34-3); Liam Smith (33-4-1) vs Aaron McKenna (19-0).

To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE

Post Views: 0

Share The Sweet Science experience!