by Ronnie Nathanielsz
GOLDEN Boy Promotions chief executive Richard Schaefer flies to Las Vegas to begin negotiations with Top Rank promoter Bob Arum over lunch today in an effort to reach an agreement on a battle royale between reigning pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Arum told www.insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports what most people have said before and that is that both he and Schaefer are sensible guys and if they can’t work out a deal, nobody can.
He said they are looking for a fair deal. “There’s too much money for him [Mayweather] to avoid the fight.”
Mayweather’s chief adviser Leonard Ellerbe set the stage for the talks and reportedly formulated a negotiating plan which was relayed to Schaefer.
Arum himself indicated more than once that he’d rather negotiate with Schaefer, which Ellerbe apparently accepted, in an effort to avoid any conflicts arising out of his personal differences with the Top Rank promoter.
David Mayo of the Grand Rapids Press quoted Ellerbe as saying “we’re trying to make a deal, not break a deal.”
The boxing writer said Ellerbe told him “if a deal can be struck, this is the biggest fight ever. The fans want it and Floyd wants it. That’s all that really matters. That Floyd wants it. Now it comes down to does Manny want it? Manny will obviously be speaking through his promoter, because that’s his boss.”
For the record, Pacquiao has said he wants to fight Mayweather and Arum has insisted many times that the Filipino ring icon is the boss. This can be seen by the fact that Pacquiao many times disregards what both Arum and even trainer Freddie Roach want and does what he wishes even in terms of where to train and how long to train.
Differences have already surfaced in an obvious indication of negotiating postures, with both sides quoting pay-per-view numbers to help make a case for a bigger share of the revenues.
Ellerbe claims that Mayweather did bigger numbers than Pacquiao against common opponents in Oscar de la Hoya, Ricky Hatton, and Juan Manuel Marquez. He claimed that Mayweather outdrew Pacquiao in domestic (US) pay-per-view sales, clearly ignoring the international popularity of Pacquiao and believing that PPV sales in America was all that mattered.
Arum countered by underscoring the fact that Pacquiao’s fight against Miguel Cotto, which happened some one and a half months after Mayweather fought Marquez, “did so much better than they did. They did one million homes and we did a minimum of 1.25 million.”
Arum also noted that Ellerbe was quoting figures “before Manny Pacquiao became Manny Pacquiao. When he fought De la Hoya, it was not where Manny is now because when he fought De la Hoya, nobody gave him a chance to win.”
Ellerbe, in a somewhat bitter aside, told Mayo that the issue of who is the biggest star in boxing based on the numbers isn’t hard to figure out alleging that Pacquiao’s side has “a distorted perception of facts. But numbers don’t lie. People do.”
Schaefer told the Los Angeles Times that getting the two fighters together is a mega-fight that has to be made. “We’d be morons to not let this happen.”
Meanwhile, the Bureau of Internal Revenue, which has been hard-pressed to meet its collection target for the year, now looks at Pacquiao as another major source of revenues amid thinning collection from companies and minimum wage workers.
“We anticipate that his earnings will be bigger this year,” acting BIR commissioner Joel Tan-Torres told a television network over the weekend.
Tan-Torres also noted that Pacquiao also earns from other activities such as his endorsements, television programs and movies. With Roderick T. dela Cruz
Source
Monday, November 30, 2009
Sunday, November 29, 2009
The Pacman cometh
By Rodel Rodis
CALIFORNIA, United States—In his prize-winning play, The Iceman Cometh, Eugene O’Neill presents a drama about the human need for hope and illusion as a response to the conditions of despair.
If ever the Filipino people needed a distraction from the wearying conditions of despair that surround them, now is the time and Manny “the Pacman” Pacquiao is the man to provide the hope and illusion. He is our Iceman.
With his spectacular victory over Miguel Cotto on November 14, Pacquiao has won an unprecedented 7 titles in 7 weight class divisions. No one is ever likely to challenge that historic accomplishment—to go from a 112-pound flyweight prince to a 145-pound welterweight king in 10 years. Remarkably, it would have been 8 titles if he had won the light flyweight championship at 106 pounds when he started his fighting career.
With an electrifying performance that made believers out of even the most cynical of doubters, Pacquiao has cemented his claim as the best pound-for-pound boxer of our time. Whether or not his fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. materializes is immaterial to the claim because Mayweather has made a habit of avoiding the best boxers while they were at their prime (Margarito, Cotto, Mosley, to name a few). But not Pacquiao “the Mexecutioner.”
Pacquiao has also achieved the unimaginable for a Filipino. He is now up there in that rarefied territory of elite athletes who made history, achieved global fame, and transcended their respective sports. Think Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, David Beckham, and Michael Phelps. His promoter, Bob Arum, though often given to hyperbole, was really not exaggerating when he said Pacquiao is the best boxer of all time, better than Mohammad Ali.
Even before the Cotto fight, commercial interests were already voting with their dollars and lining up behind Arum’s post-fight statement. Nike’s famous swoosh was ubiquitous with special Pacquiao shoes selling briskly for $135 on retail and $500 on EBay. Even reputable publications like the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times featured articles about the Pacman. Time kicked it up a notch and put him on the cover of Time Asia.
But Pacquiao achieved something else very noteworthy: He has made his very ethnic, very indio-like, brown Filipino face—with no trace of any mestizo-ness whatsoever—seem “cool” and attractive to Filipinos. Consider all the TV and movie stars of the Philippines today, virtually all of whom showcase light European features. But now they all bow to the brown king Pacman.
Pacquiao’s appeal has crossed over to mainstream America. His easy smile with eyes that light up, the religiosity in his pre-fight motions, the charming grace under pressure, the humility in his words, have made Americans who have seen him on TV overlook his heavily accented and grammatically-challenged English. By all indications, the American public has been smitten with him as his appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live showed.
In the process, Pacquiao has instilled national pride among Filipinos who, at the same time, are also finding out on their own that with talent and tenacity, success is possible even with an ethnic face and an accented English. This pride is evident in shirts and jackets and accessories all proudly sporting Pacquiao’s image and Team Pacquiao logos. It is evident in water-cooler conversations all across America—with Filipinos talking of their sense of affinity and similarities of provenance with The Filipino People’s Champ.
How did this poor boy from the poverty-stricken streets of General Santos City in the island of Mindanao get to this point? For sure, he could not have done it in sports like golf or tennis for, although they too are individual sports, the monetary costs of achieving competence in those fields are prohibitive. He certainly could not have achieved it in the sport he loves, basketball, where height is a major factor in success.
Truth be told, savage and primitive though it may appear to some, boxing is probably the most democratic and most meritocratic of all sports. It is “cheap”: Poor kids dabbling in it just borrow gloves from each other and practice on their own without the need for any real expense. It is also capable of instant feedback: You get your butt kicked if you can’t hack it, and if you’re not willing to give it your all, you’re better off dabbling in something else before you get into real physical trouble.
For all the good things Pacquiao brings to the country, there is a dark side. In a country of 90-million plus, an overwhelming percentage of which is comprised of poor impressionable kids all dreaming of becoming the next Pacquiao, makeshift boxing gyms and unregulated boxing matches supposedly feeding into the hopes of these poor boys are on the rise all over the land. Most of the Pacquiao wannabes will discover, soon enough, that studying real science subjects in school is a lot easier than learning the “sweet science” of boxing.
In The Iceman Cometh, broken men with hopeful dreams await the arrival of the big-spending Iceman, Theodore Hickman. When he arrives, he encourages his cronies to pursue their ambitions, believing that only failure will make them face reality. “To hell with the truth! As the history of the world proves, the truth has no bearing on anything…The lie of a pipe dream is what gives life to the whole misbegotten mad lot of us, drunk or sober,” he says.
Let's ride this pipe dream as long as we can. All hail King Pacman!
Source
CALIFORNIA, United States—In his prize-winning play, The Iceman Cometh, Eugene O’Neill presents a drama about the human need for hope and illusion as a response to the conditions of despair.
If ever the Filipino people needed a distraction from the wearying conditions of despair that surround them, now is the time and Manny “the Pacman” Pacquiao is the man to provide the hope and illusion. He is our Iceman.
With his spectacular victory over Miguel Cotto on November 14, Pacquiao has won an unprecedented 7 titles in 7 weight class divisions. No one is ever likely to challenge that historic accomplishment—to go from a 112-pound flyweight prince to a 145-pound welterweight king in 10 years. Remarkably, it would have been 8 titles if he had won the light flyweight championship at 106 pounds when he started his fighting career.
With an electrifying performance that made believers out of even the most cynical of doubters, Pacquiao has cemented his claim as the best pound-for-pound boxer of our time. Whether or not his fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. materializes is immaterial to the claim because Mayweather has made a habit of avoiding the best boxers while they were at their prime (Margarito, Cotto, Mosley, to name a few). But not Pacquiao “the Mexecutioner.”
Pacquiao has also achieved the unimaginable for a Filipino. He is now up there in that rarefied territory of elite athletes who made history, achieved global fame, and transcended their respective sports. Think Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, David Beckham, and Michael Phelps. His promoter, Bob Arum, though often given to hyperbole, was really not exaggerating when he said Pacquiao is the best boxer of all time, better than Mohammad Ali.
Even before the Cotto fight, commercial interests were already voting with their dollars and lining up behind Arum’s post-fight statement. Nike’s famous swoosh was ubiquitous with special Pacquiao shoes selling briskly for $135 on retail and $500 on EBay. Even reputable publications like the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times featured articles about the Pacman. Time kicked it up a notch and put him on the cover of Time Asia.
But Pacquiao achieved something else very noteworthy: He has made his very ethnic, very indio-like, brown Filipino face—with no trace of any mestizo-ness whatsoever—seem “cool” and attractive to Filipinos. Consider all the TV and movie stars of the Philippines today, virtually all of whom showcase light European features. But now they all bow to the brown king Pacman.
Pacquiao’s appeal has crossed over to mainstream America. His easy smile with eyes that light up, the religiosity in his pre-fight motions, the charming grace under pressure, the humility in his words, have made Americans who have seen him on TV overlook his heavily accented and grammatically-challenged English. By all indications, the American public has been smitten with him as his appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live showed.
In the process, Pacquiao has instilled national pride among Filipinos who, at the same time, are also finding out on their own that with talent and tenacity, success is possible even with an ethnic face and an accented English. This pride is evident in shirts and jackets and accessories all proudly sporting Pacquiao’s image and Team Pacquiao logos. It is evident in water-cooler conversations all across America—with Filipinos talking of their sense of affinity and similarities of provenance with The Filipino People’s Champ.
How did this poor boy from the poverty-stricken streets of General Santos City in the island of Mindanao get to this point? For sure, he could not have done it in sports like golf or tennis for, although they too are individual sports, the monetary costs of achieving competence in those fields are prohibitive. He certainly could not have achieved it in the sport he loves, basketball, where height is a major factor in success.
Truth be told, savage and primitive though it may appear to some, boxing is probably the most democratic and most meritocratic of all sports. It is “cheap”: Poor kids dabbling in it just borrow gloves from each other and practice on their own without the need for any real expense. It is also capable of instant feedback: You get your butt kicked if you can’t hack it, and if you’re not willing to give it your all, you’re better off dabbling in something else before you get into real physical trouble.
For all the good things Pacquiao brings to the country, there is a dark side. In a country of 90-million plus, an overwhelming percentage of which is comprised of poor impressionable kids all dreaming of becoming the next Pacquiao, makeshift boxing gyms and unregulated boxing matches supposedly feeding into the hopes of these poor boys are on the rise all over the land. Most of the Pacquiao wannabes will discover, soon enough, that studying real science subjects in school is a lot easier than learning the “sweet science” of boxing.
In The Iceman Cometh, broken men with hopeful dreams await the arrival of the big-spending Iceman, Theodore Hickman. When he arrives, he encourages his cronies to pursue their ambitions, believing that only failure will make them face reality. “To hell with the truth! As the history of the world proves, the truth has no bearing on anything…The lie of a pipe dream is what gives life to the whole misbegotten mad lot of us, drunk or sober,” he says.
Let's ride this pipe dream as long as we can. All hail King Pacman!
Source
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Pacquiao denies affair, apologizes to Ranillos
abs-cbnNEWS.com
MANILA – WBO welterweight champion Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao and his wife, Jinkee, have finally broken their silence on the raging controversy about the boxer’s alleged illicit affair with young sexy actress Krista Ranillo.
Pacquiao, who previously refused to address the issue, flatly denied for the first time the alleged affair between him and Ranillo.
He maintained that the actress, who is part of his upcoming film, "Wapakman," is just a close friend.
The pound-for-pound king also apologized to the entire Ranillo family.
"Pasensiya na at hindi ko naman ginusto na masira 'yong pamilya niyo. Dumating lang talaga 'yong pagkakataon na sinakyan ng [publiko] at nagkaroon ng isyu," Pacquiao said in his interview with another television network.
Jinkee’s take on the issue
Jinkee, on the other hand, admitted that many women now want to be closer with her husband following his success and fame.
"[Pero] di ba may family 'yong tao? May asawa at mga anak? We built this family. Naging masaya kami… Sana maisip nila na tulungan na maging masaya ang aming [pamilya] at huwag na nilang dagdagan ang problema,” Jinkee told “Showbiz Central” on Sunday.
In her first interview since the controversy broke out, Jinkee also did not deny that the rumor has caused friction between her and her husband.
However, she remains optimistic that she and Manny can hurdle what she considered the biggest problem in their marriage so far.
"Hindi naman tayo binibigyan ng problema ng Diyos kung hindi natin kaya. I'm sure maaayos din ito with the help of the Lord,” she said.
Jinkee was also grateful that a lot of people are supporting her in the midst of the storm, saying their love has made her “stronger as a person.”
But she called on the public to stop spreading the rumor for the sake of their four children. Instead, she said people should focus on Manny’s latest triumph over a formidable boxer, Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico, in the United States.
The beauty endorser also shared that she and Manny are now in speaking terms, and that they are trying their best to save their marriage.
Currently, Pacman and Jinkee are in their hometown, General Santos City, to spend time with each other and their children.
Jinkee also revealed that her husband, who is running for Congress in 2010 elections, had a meeting with some officials from Sarangani.
Source
MANILA – WBO welterweight champion Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao and his wife, Jinkee, have finally broken their silence on the raging controversy about the boxer’s alleged illicit affair with young sexy actress Krista Ranillo.
Pacquiao, who previously refused to address the issue, flatly denied for the first time the alleged affair between him and Ranillo.
He maintained that the actress, who is part of his upcoming film, "Wapakman," is just a close friend.
The pound-for-pound king also apologized to the entire Ranillo family.
"Pasensiya na at hindi ko naman ginusto na masira 'yong pamilya niyo. Dumating lang talaga 'yong pagkakataon na sinakyan ng [publiko] at nagkaroon ng isyu," Pacquiao said in his interview with another television network.
Jinkee’s take on the issue
Jinkee, on the other hand, admitted that many women now want to be closer with her husband following his success and fame.
"[Pero] di ba may family 'yong tao? May asawa at mga anak? We built this family. Naging masaya kami… Sana maisip nila na tulungan na maging masaya ang aming [pamilya] at huwag na nilang dagdagan ang problema,” Jinkee told “Showbiz Central” on Sunday.
In her first interview since the controversy broke out, Jinkee also did not deny that the rumor has caused friction between her and her husband.
However, she remains optimistic that she and Manny can hurdle what she considered the biggest problem in their marriage so far.
"Hindi naman tayo binibigyan ng problema ng Diyos kung hindi natin kaya. I'm sure maaayos din ito with the help of the Lord,” she said.
Jinkee was also grateful that a lot of people are supporting her in the midst of the storm, saying their love has made her “stronger as a person.”
But she called on the public to stop spreading the rumor for the sake of their four children. Instead, she said people should focus on Manny’s latest triumph over a formidable boxer, Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico, in the United States.
The beauty endorser also shared that she and Manny are now in speaking terms, and that they are trying their best to save their marriage.
Currently, Pacman and Jinkee are in their hometown, General Santos City, to spend time with each other and their children.
Jinkee also revealed that her husband, who is running for Congress in 2010 elections, had a meeting with some officials from Sarangani.
Source
Friday, November 27, 2009
Pacquiao's earnings breach P1 billion
(The Freeman)
NEW YORK — HBO Sports reported here Friday that Manny Pacquiao’s 12th round TKO of Miguel Cotto was the top-drawing pay-per-view bout of 2009 with 1.25 million purchases worth 70 million dollars in revenue.
With his guaranteed purse of 13 million dollars from the bout and his shares from pay-per-view, Pacquiao stands to make about 22 million dollars in all.
At 47.100 pesos to the dollar at Friday’s close of trading, that is a whooping one billion, 36 million, 200 thousand pesos (P1,036,200,000) for the Filipino boxing icon.
Pacquiao, however, is not expected to enjoy all of that money. There will also be staggering amounts of money to be paid in taxes, as well as the shares of those who work for him.
As in previous bouts, his trainer Freddie Roach is expected to get 10 percent of Pacquiao’s earnings. Some 30 percent more could go to taxes.
But Pacquiao is assured of pocketing at least half of what he earned, which is to say he is going to net at least a cool half-billion pesos.
Cotto himself was expected to make some 12 million dollars in total after his share from the PPV sales also bumped up his guaranteed purse.
It was the second time a Pacquiao bout generated more than one million pay-per-view buys, further proof that the Filipino superstar, who trains in a Hollywood gym, is a box-office smash.
The Pacquiao-Cotto fight also did well at the live box office, with 15,470 tickets sold for a gate of $8.84 million at the MGM Grand hotel.
The numbers up the urgency for all parties to get together on a clash between Pacquiao and American Floyd Mayweather Jr., whose bout against Juan Manuel Marquez generated 1.05 million pay-per-view purchases in September.
While a Pacquiao-Mayweather match is what the boxing world wants to see, the latter’s insistence on getting the lion’s share of the pie is posing the greatest obstacle to the fight from happening.
Promoter Bob Arum said Pacquiao-Mayweather could fuel a resurgence of interest in the sport Stateside.
“The way I look at it now, boxing is really on a roll,” Arum said. “We would be idiots now to slow the momentum and the only way we can keep the momentum is to make this fight.”
Arum said he is ready to put the fight together and the likely division would be the 147-pound welterweight class. Pacquiao won the World Boxing Organization welterweight belt by beating Cotto at a pre-agreed weight limit of 145.
The 12th-round technical knockout by Pacquiao made him the first boxer ever to win seven world titles in as many weight divisions.
The strong numbers in the recent Pacquiao-Cotto fight in Las Vegas not only point to a resurgence in interest in boxing in the U.S. but add to the momentum for a possible fight next year between Pacquiao and Mayweather in what could be the richest ever in the sport.
“They have to deliver,” HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg told The Associated Press. “The American public wants that fight.”
Promoters for both fighters have already said they plan to begin negotiations soon for the bout, which would likely take place in early May.
Las Vegas casinos have the inside track on landing the megafight, though there has also been talk of holding it at the Dallas Cowboys’ new stadium, or even at Yankee Stadium.
One thing is certain: There is too much money at stake for either fighter to not make the fight happen. “The two best pound-for-pound fighters in the world in the same weight class in the prime of their careers,” Greenburg said. “It just doesn’t get any better than that.”
Arum, who represents Pacquiao, is expected to begin talks as early as next week with Richard Schaefer, who heads Golden Boy Promotions and will represent Mayweather in the negotiations.
Though each fighter believes he should get a bigger percentage of the purse, the total revenues will be so high that a 50-50 split may not be all that difficult to achieve.
The potential of a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight is so big that Arum said casino magnate Steve Wynn had already spoken to him about constructing a 30,000-seat outdoor arena on what is now a vacant lot across from his two resorts to host the bout, with other casinos joining in as partners. Outdoor arenas were a staple of the big fights in Las Vegas in the 1980s, beginning with the Muhammad Ali-Larry Holmes fight at Caesars Palace.
Greenburg said the numbers for Pacquiao-Cotto gave HBO its first back-to-back pay-per-view fights that sold more than 1 million homes
since 1999, when Lennox Lewis-Evander Holyfield and Oscar De La Hoya-Felix Trinidad did the same thing. The biggest pay-per-view ever was the 2007 fight with De La Hoya and Mayweather that got 2.4 million buys. — AGENCE FRANCE PRESS, ASSOCIATED PRESS/JST (FREEMAN NEWS)
Source
NEW YORK — HBO Sports reported here Friday that Manny Pacquiao’s 12th round TKO of Miguel Cotto was the top-drawing pay-per-view bout of 2009 with 1.25 million purchases worth 70 million dollars in revenue.
With his guaranteed purse of 13 million dollars from the bout and his shares from pay-per-view, Pacquiao stands to make about 22 million dollars in all.
At 47.100 pesos to the dollar at Friday’s close of trading, that is a whooping one billion, 36 million, 200 thousand pesos (P1,036,200,000) for the Filipino boxing icon.
Pacquiao, however, is not expected to enjoy all of that money. There will also be staggering amounts of money to be paid in taxes, as well as the shares of those who work for him.
As in previous bouts, his trainer Freddie Roach is expected to get 10 percent of Pacquiao’s earnings. Some 30 percent more could go to taxes.
But Pacquiao is assured of pocketing at least half of what he earned, which is to say he is going to net at least a cool half-billion pesos.
Cotto himself was expected to make some 12 million dollars in total after his share from the PPV sales also bumped up his guaranteed purse.
It was the second time a Pacquiao bout generated more than one million pay-per-view buys, further proof that the Filipino superstar, who trains in a Hollywood gym, is a box-office smash.
The Pacquiao-Cotto fight also did well at the live box office, with 15,470 tickets sold for a gate of $8.84 million at the MGM Grand hotel.
The numbers up the urgency for all parties to get together on a clash between Pacquiao and American Floyd Mayweather Jr., whose bout against Juan Manuel Marquez generated 1.05 million pay-per-view purchases in September.
While a Pacquiao-Mayweather match is what the boxing world wants to see, the latter’s insistence on getting the lion’s share of the pie is posing the greatest obstacle to the fight from happening.
Promoter Bob Arum said Pacquiao-Mayweather could fuel a resurgence of interest in the sport Stateside.
“The way I look at it now, boxing is really on a roll,” Arum said. “We would be idiots now to slow the momentum and the only way we can keep the momentum is to make this fight.”
Arum said he is ready to put the fight together and the likely division would be the 147-pound welterweight class. Pacquiao won the World Boxing Organization welterweight belt by beating Cotto at a pre-agreed weight limit of 145.
The 12th-round technical knockout by Pacquiao made him the first boxer ever to win seven world titles in as many weight divisions.
The strong numbers in the recent Pacquiao-Cotto fight in Las Vegas not only point to a resurgence in interest in boxing in the U.S. but add to the momentum for a possible fight next year between Pacquiao and Mayweather in what could be the richest ever in the sport.
“They have to deliver,” HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg told The Associated Press. “The American public wants that fight.”
Promoters for both fighters have already said they plan to begin negotiations soon for the bout, which would likely take place in early May.
Las Vegas casinos have the inside track on landing the megafight, though there has also been talk of holding it at the Dallas Cowboys’ new stadium, or even at Yankee Stadium.
One thing is certain: There is too much money at stake for either fighter to not make the fight happen. “The two best pound-for-pound fighters in the world in the same weight class in the prime of their careers,” Greenburg said. “It just doesn’t get any better than that.”
Arum, who represents Pacquiao, is expected to begin talks as early as next week with Richard Schaefer, who heads Golden Boy Promotions and will represent Mayweather in the negotiations.
Though each fighter believes he should get a bigger percentage of the purse, the total revenues will be so high that a 50-50 split may not be all that difficult to achieve.
The potential of a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight is so big that Arum said casino magnate Steve Wynn had already spoken to him about constructing a 30,000-seat outdoor arena on what is now a vacant lot across from his two resorts to host the bout, with other casinos joining in as partners. Outdoor arenas were a staple of the big fights in Las Vegas in the 1980s, beginning with the Muhammad Ali-Larry Holmes fight at Caesars Palace.
Greenburg said the numbers for Pacquiao-Cotto gave HBO its first back-to-back pay-per-view fights that sold more than 1 million homes
since 1999, when Lennox Lewis-Evander Holyfield and Oscar De La Hoya-Felix Trinidad did the same thing. The biggest pay-per-view ever was the 2007 fight with De La Hoya and Mayweather that got 2.4 million buys. — AGENCE FRANCE PRESS, ASSOCIATED PRESS/JST (FREEMAN NEWS)
Source
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
WAPAKMAN Trailer
The latest picture from Topel Lee, Wapakman stars real life boxing champ Manny Pacquaio as a normal man who becomes a superhero and must battle - in this trailer alone - a woman with supersonic breasts, a man made of lava and, of course, a giant crab. Goofy? Hell, yes. Fun? You bet. If the finished film delivers on the promise of the trailer this could be the biggest cult hero title since Takashi Miike's Zebraman.
No national party yet for People’s Champ
Joseph Jubelag
GENERAL SANTOS CITY—Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao said he has yet to choose the presidential candidate he will support in the 2010 elections, but said he will run for Congress next year representing Sarangani Province.
“I have not made any commitment with any political party in the national level,” Pacquiao said, but confirmed that he was talking to Senator Manny Villar about the possibility of merging his People’s Champ Movement with the former Senate president’s Nacionalista Party.
Pacquiao was warmly welcomed by local officials and supporters here last Saturday. He was joined by his wife Jinkee, mom Dionisia, city Mayor Pedro Acharon Jr. and Rep. Darlene Antonino-Custodio in the motorcade that took them around the city.
From here, Pacquiao motored to Kiamba town where he called on the people to support his campaign to eradicate poverty in Sarangani.
“I am appealing to you to join me in my fight against poverty and my campaign for sustainable environment,” Pacquiao said at his welcome party.
Yesterday, Pacquiao led the proclamation of all candidates running under the ticket of People’s Champ Movement local party at the Isla Parilla Resort in Alabel, Sarangani.
Source
GENERAL SANTOS CITY—Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao said he has yet to choose the presidential candidate he will support in the 2010 elections, but said he will run for Congress next year representing Sarangani Province.
“I have not made any commitment with any political party in the national level,” Pacquiao said, but confirmed that he was talking to Senator Manny Villar about the possibility of merging his People’s Champ Movement with the former Senate president’s Nacionalista Party.
Pacquiao was warmly welcomed by local officials and supporters here last Saturday. He was joined by his wife Jinkee, mom Dionisia, city Mayor Pedro Acharon Jr. and Rep. Darlene Antonino-Custodio in the motorcade that took them around the city.
From here, Pacquiao motored to Kiamba town where he called on the people to support his campaign to eradicate poverty in Sarangani.
“I am appealing to you to join me in my fight against poverty and my campaign for sustainable environment,” Pacquiao said at his welcome party.
Yesterday, Pacquiao led the proclamation of all candidates running under the ticket of People’s Champ Movement local party at the Isla Parilla Resort in Alabel, Sarangani.
Source
Monday, November 23, 2009
Manny Pacquiao Wants to Fight Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Manny Pacquiao Wants to Fight Floyd Mayweather Jr. - Right after Manny Pacquiao won the fight against Miguel Cotto, Mayweather in an interview issued a challenge to Pacquiao:
Floyd Mayweather Jr.: He's a fighter, what does he want to do? I want him to step on the camera, on the world. I don't want him to get behind the scene, and tell an article in the Philippines 'I want to fight Mayweather.' When you get on the camera, and they ask you a certain question, that's when you say it."
Obviously, Mayweather doesn't know that Pacquiao was recorded in the camera on various occasions in 2009, saying that he wanted to fight Mayweather.
So Emmy award-winner Cher Calvin, a reporter for a Los Angeles TV station KTLA, took to the task, and asked the question to Manny Pacquiao directly, right before his Highlands Holywood Victory Party.
Cher Calvin: For the record, do you want to fight Mayweather?
Manny Pacquiao: For the record, yeah.
Roach: Sign the contract, Floyd!
ABS-CBN
It has only been four days since the biggest fight of the year, “Firepower,” took place between seven-time world champion Manny Pacquiao and Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto.
But Floyd Mayweather, Jr., the fighter everyone is clamoring for to be Pacquiao’s next opponent, has already thrown the first blow on Team Pacquiao.
In an interview with Sky Sports, the former pound-for-pound king called out the current pound-for-pound king Pacquiao.
“The thing is with Pacquiao I don't see any versatility as a fighter; he's a good puncher but just one-dimensional... If he wants to fight Floyd Mayweather, all he has to do is step up to the plate,” he said.
Pacquiao’s American trainer, Freddie Roach, seemed perturbed about Mayweather’s latest statement about his protégé.
“Sign the contract, Floyd. Don’t be a %$#@^,” declared Roach.
He even revealed that he already knows how to teach Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 knockouts) in order to beat the undefeated Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs).
Tough negotiations
Despite the fact that fight fans want to see a Pacquiao-Mayweather bout, Pacquiao’s promoter, Bob Arum, and Roach said they expect a tough negotiations with Mayweather.
Mayweather believes he is the attraction and deserves more money, but Roach pointed out the fact that Pacquiao has all the leverage in the match.
Roach also said his ward’s boxing style brings in the viewers. The pay-per-view numbers are not yet in for “Firepower” but Roach is expecting over 1.5 million buys.
And if Mayweather does not come to the table, Roach said Pacquiao has other options.
“The winner of [Shane] Mosley and [Andre] Berto would be a good fight. [Juan Manuel] Marquez is out there. He wants a rematch. We have options if Floyd doesn't want to come to the table and negotiate we'll go somewhere else,” he stated.
He also responded to Mayweather’s statement about him after the fight: “Well Floyd said afterwards that if I didn't have Pacquiao, I'd be a %$#@^ trainer. Floyd, go %$#@^ yourself, that's all I have to say to him, and his dysfunctional family.”
Source from Yahoo Sports.
-----Is Floyd scared?
It has only been four days since the biggest fight of the year, “Firepower,” took place between seven-time world champion Manny Pacquiao and Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto.But Floyd Mayweather, Jr., the fighter everyone is clamoring for to be Pacquiao’s next opponent, has already thrown the first blow on Team Pacquiao.
In an interview with Sky Sports, the former pound-for-pound king called out the current pound-for-pound king Pacquiao.
“The thing is with Pacquiao I don't see any versatility as a fighter; he's a good puncher but just one-dimensional... If he wants to fight Floyd Mayweather, all he has to do is step up to the plate,” he said.
Pacquiao’s American trainer, Freddie Roach, seemed perturbed about Mayweather’s latest statement about his protégé.
“Sign the contract, Floyd. Don’t be a %$#@^,” declared Roach.
He even revealed that he already knows how to teach Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 knockouts) in order to beat the undefeated Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs).
Tough negotiations
Despite the fact that fight fans want to see a Pacquiao-Mayweather bout, Pacquiao’s promoter, Bob Arum, and Roach said they expect a tough negotiations with Mayweather.
Mayweather believes he is the attraction and deserves more money, but Roach pointed out the fact that Pacquiao has all the leverage in the match.
Roach also said his ward’s boxing style brings in the viewers. The pay-per-view numbers are not yet in for “Firepower” but Roach is expecting over 1.5 million buys.
And if Mayweather does not come to the table, Roach said Pacquiao has other options.
“The winner of [Shane] Mosley and [Andre] Berto would be a good fight. [Juan Manuel] Marquez is out there. He wants a rematch. We have options if Floyd doesn't want to come to the table and negotiate we'll go somewhere else,” he stated.
He also responded to Mayweather’s statement about him after the fight: “Well Floyd said afterwards that if I didn't have Pacquiao, I'd be a %$#@^ trainer. Floyd, go %$#@^ yourself, that's all I have to say to him, and his dysfunctional family.”
Source from Yahoo Sports.
-----Is Floyd scared?
Friday, November 20, 2009
Pacquiao versus Mayweather a dream duel for fans
By Mark Lamport-Stokes
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Barely seconds after Manny Pacquiao had completed a ruthless demolition of Miguel Cotto in Las Vegas on Saturday, the crowd began chanting "We want Floyd, we want Floyd" in the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
Pacquiao's commanding win over Puerto Rican Cotto to claim the WBO welterweight title has left the boxing public hungrily awaiting a showdown between the Filipino southpaw and unbeaten American Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Pacquiao and Mayweather are widely viewed as the two biggest names in contemporary boxing and their confrontation in the ring would finally settle the argument over who is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.
The path to this dream duel, however, is far from easy and its success hinges on their respective promoters being to able to strike a deal.
Both fighters are known for demanding the lion's share of any negotiated figure and Mayweather has, so far, shied away from committing to a mouth-watering clash with the pride of the Philippines.
The Pacquiao camp expressed its eagerness to take on Mayweather shortly after Saturday's fight was halted by the referee early in the 12th and final round.
"I want to see him fight Mayweather," Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach told reporters when asked who was the next name on his wish list.
Pacquiao, whose victory over Cotto earned him a seventh world title in an unprecedented seventh weight class, deferred to his promoter Bob Arum.
"My job is to fight in the ring," the 30-year-old said after improving his career record to 50-3-2 with 38 knockouts. "It's my promoter's job to make the fights."
Arum told Reuters on Monday it was now up to the Mayweather camp to express interest in going forward with negotiations.
"Speaking for Manny and Freddie, we are looking forward to doing that fight (with Mayweather)," Arum said. "Now the question is working out the terms for both sides.
SIGNIFICANT STEP
"And that is a significant step because we are not sure whether it is Mayweather's decision."
Arum added: "If Mayweather is interested, he will send a letter to (television channel) HBO saying that he is interested in doing the fight and who he wants to negotiate for him."
Mayweather, who improved his career record to 40-0 (25 KOs) with a unanimous points win over Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez in September, has criticised Pacquiao for deferring to his promoter.
"Tell Manny Pacquiao to be his own man and stop letting everyone, including his loudmouth trainer, talk for him," Mayweather said in a statement released by his promotions company on Monday.
"I am my own boss, speak for myself and tell it like it is. If Manny Pacquiao wants to fight me, all he has to do is step up to the plate and say it himself.
"I have yet to hear him actually say: 'Yes, I want to fight Mayweather.' Manny Pacquiao doesn't say anything directly about fighting me because he might just know it's not a fight he can win."
Mayweather was widely regarded as the world's best pound-for-pound fighter when he stopped Britain's Ricky Hatton in the 10th round of their 2007 encounter.
However, the flamboyant American then retired from the ring before returning 21 months later, during which time the mythical 'pound-for-pound' tag passed to Pacquiao.
The brash-talking Mayweather, one of the best defensive fighters of all time, has continually bragged he is the greatest fighter of his era.
For the boxing public, that argument can only be settled once Mayweather enters the ring with Pacquiao.
Source from REUTERS AFRICA.
----A fight against Floyd Mayweather will go down as one of the biggest fights in boxing history. Two pound for pound king at some time of their career, two considered as the savior of boxing. One with speed and power, the other speed and defense.
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Barely seconds after Manny Pacquiao had completed a ruthless demolition of Miguel Cotto in Las Vegas on Saturday, the crowd began chanting "We want Floyd, we want Floyd" in the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
Pacquiao's commanding win over Puerto Rican Cotto to claim the WBO welterweight title has left the boxing public hungrily awaiting a showdown between the Filipino southpaw and unbeaten American Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Pacquiao and Mayweather are widely viewed as the two biggest names in contemporary boxing and their confrontation in the ring would finally settle the argument over who is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.
The path to this dream duel, however, is far from easy and its success hinges on their respective promoters being to able to strike a deal.
Both fighters are known for demanding the lion's share of any negotiated figure and Mayweather has, so far, shied away from committing to a mouth-watering clash with the pride of the Philippines.
The Pacquiao camp expressed its eagerness to take on Mayweather shortly after Saturday's fight was halted by the referee early in the 12th and final round.
"I want to see him fight Mayweather," Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach told reporters when asked who was the next name on his wish list.
Pacquiao, whose victory over Cotto earned him a seventh world title in an unprecedented seventh weight class, deferred to his promoter Bob Arum.
"My job is to fight in the ring," the 30-year-old said after improving his career record to 50-3-2 with 38 knockouts. "It's my promoter's job to make the fights."
Arum told Reuters on Monday it was now up to the Mayweather camp to express interest in going forward with negotiations.
"Speaking for Manny and Freddie, we are looking forward to doing that fight (with Mayweather)," Arum said. "Now the question is working out the terms for both sides.
SIGNIFICANT STEP
"And that is a significant step because we are not sure whether it is Mayweather's decision."
Arum added: "If Mayweather is interested, he will send a letter to (television channel) HBO saying that he is interested in doing the fight and who he wants to negotiate for him."
Mayweather, who improved his career record to 40-0 (25 KOs) with a unanimous points win over Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez in September, has criticised Pacquiao for deferring to his promoter.
"Tell Manny Pacquiao to be his own man and stop letting everyone, including his loudmouth trainer, talk for him," Mayweather said in a statement released by his promotions company on Monday.
"I am my own boss, speak for myself and tell it like it is. If Manny Pacquiao wants to fight me, all he has to do is step up to the plate and say it himself.
"I have yet to hear him actually say: 'Yes, I want to fight Mayweather.' Manny Pacquiao doesn't say anything directly about fighting me because he might just know it's not a fight he can win."
Mayweather was widely regarded as the world's best pound-for-pound fighter when he stopped Britain's Ricky Hatton in the 10th round of their 2007 encounter.
However, the flamboyant American then retired from the ring before returning 21 months later, during which time the mythical 'pound-for-pound' tag passed to Pacquiao.
The brash-talking Mayweather, one of the best defensive fighters of all time, has continually bragged he is the greatest fighter of his era.
For the boxing public, that argument can only be settled once Mayweather enters the ring with Pacquiao.
Source from REUTERS AFRICA.
----A fight against Floyd Mayweather will go down as one of the biggest fights in boxing history. Two pound for pound king at some time of their career, two considered as the savior of boxing. One with speed and power, the other speed and defense.
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