Mayweather VS Marquez Fight Continues

Floyd Mayweather Jr. insists it's not all about the money.

Not totally, anyway.

"I guess I just missed boxing," Mayweather said Saturday. "Somebody's got to keep the sport up and running. Why not me?"

That was the question Mayweather asked himself as he took a break from the sport that has consumed his life from the time he learned to walk. He wasn't gone long, but his 11-month retirement was enough to make him realize that he wanted to fight -- and fight a lot more.

"I'm still the biggest draw in boxing," Mayweather said. "Everybody wants to fight me because they know I'm the cash cow."

Mayweather, 32, will return to the ring July 18 in a fight against lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez, who will move up two weight classes to get his share of the riches a Mayweather fight can produce. It will be his first fight since he stopped Ricky Hatton in the 10th round of their December 2007 bout.

"I left on top, and I came back on top," Mayweather said. "I'm here to fight and reclaim what's mine."

Indeed, when Mayweather announced his retirement last June he was generally regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, an honor now mainly given Manny Pacquiao. Mayweather's decision to retire instead of fighting a rematch against Oscar De La Hoya led to Pacquiao getting the shot that he capitalized on.

Mayweather announced his comeback plans in a theater at the MGM Grand hotel, just hours before Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton were to meet in a 140-pound fight in the hotel's arena.

Mayweather, should he beat Marquez, could get the winner of Saturday's fight in the fall, but he wasn't planning to stick around and watch it.

"I'm taking my daughter bowling tonight," he said.

Mayweather, who is unbeaten in 39 fights, brushed off questions about the state of his finances, saying he made $8 million last year without having a fight and that the rumors he was in financial difficulty were just that. But the lure of many more millions was in the back of his mind as he began sparring once again in recent weeks, the itch to fight returning.

Mayweather was always well known in boxing, but it was the HBO reality series "24/7" featuring his dysfunctional family before his fight with De La Hoya that really cemented his fame. He took advantage of it to appear as a contestant on "Dancing With The Stars," made an appearance as a wrestler in Wrestlemania and currently appears in an AT&T television commercial.

"I bring the most controversy to the sport," he said. "The others are too nice. This is a brutal sport."

Mayweather and his advisers were coy about the contract weight for the Marquez fight, saying it would be a welterweight bout. But De La Hoya, who will be promoting the fight, said it calls for a 143-pound limit instead of the 147-pound welterweight limit.

That was a concession to Marquez, who just last year weighed 129 pounds for a fight against Pacquiao and has only fought twice as a lightweight. Though moving up in weight, Marquez is still considered a dangerous opponent, and many thought he won both his fights against Pacquiao.

Pacquiao - Mosley Boxing Fight

Rampant rumors recently suggest the possibility of an October 17 showdown between Manny Pacquiao and Sugar Shane Mosley, but will the bout really happen? Odds are, probably not. The rumored match-up is theoretically slated to take place at an unknown catch weight somewhere between 140 and 147 pounds. According to reports, Pacquiao has agreed to fight Mosley and all that is left is working out the details of the contract. Even still, I believe the odds of this fight coming to fruition are very slim, mainly because of the looming interest in a proposed mega bout between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Junior.

Two things jump to mind as a result of these recent reports. First, Shane Mosley really wants this fight. In fact, he seems almost “desperate” to make this happen . Not only as he agreed to meet Pacquiao at an unidentified catch weight, but he has also eagerly conceded a 60-40 purse split favoring Pacquiao and has insisted that Pacquiao get an immediate rematch clause in the event of a Sugar Shane victory. Such concessions lead me to the other thing that jumps to mind—since Mosley is doing everything in his power to try and lure Pacquiao into the ring, he must be extremely confident that he can beat him .. Why else would he be willing to give up so much? Such a victory would almost certainly ensure a later date with Floyd, so with or without a Pacquiao rematch, Mosley is seemingly counting that, in the long run, a win over Pacquiao will be more lucrative for both bank account and legacy.

While Mosley's motivation is clear, Team Pacquiao's motivation is still unknown. There are several possibilities. On one hand, they might be genuinely interested in fighting Mosley, and perhaps this really is the prelude to a negotiations process that will give the fans a real treat in October. On the other hand, this might just be a way for Team Pacquiao to gain leverage for future negotiations with Mayeather, or perhaps even Juan Manuel Marquez. Another option still might be that they are simply hedging their bets so they can make the most lucrative deal possible in the aftermath of the July contest between Mayweather and Marquez. Whatever the underlying motive really is, at the very least, I suspect nothing will be set in stone until after Mayweather and Marquez do battle.

The one wild card in all of this is Manny Pacquiao. He himself has stated that he is willing to fight Mosley. Since Manny has always seemed to be a man of the highest honor and integrity, it is conceivable that he really intends to fight Mosley next, but even if this is true, it is entirely plausible that Freddy Roach might be able to convince him otherwise. After all, unlike Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton, Roach knows that Mosley is a major threat to Manny. Roach is very perceptive when it comes to making match-ups that are favorable to his pride and joy fighter. He knew that Oscar was past it and unable to pull the trigger and he knew that Manny would have a field day with Hatton's defensive deficiencies.

Sugar Shane Mosley poses an entirely different type of opponent and Roach is fully aware of this. That is why Roach has refused to allow Manny to face Mosley at 147 pounds like he did Oscar. He is smart enough to realize the threat posed by Mosley, ergo, his insistence on Mosley coming down below 147. That Mosley is even willing to openly concede a 60-40 purse split and an immediate rematch clause for Manny probably makes Roach even more weary of allowing Pacquiao to square off against him . Unlike his last three opponents, Shane is still a very fast fighter, and he also posses a great deal of power and accuracy in his right hand—a punch that Manny has proven susceptible to in the past. Even still, Manny is a very special fighter and he would certainly have a good chance to beat Mosley, even if Shane does present several obstacles that were lacking in Pacquiao's last few opponents.

At the end of the day, I still think the prospects of a Manny-Floyd showdown will probably win the day, much to the dismay of Mosley. The number of casual fans who are already actively talking about the potential of this fight is truly amazing. I have never heard so many casual fans speak so enthusiastically about any fight, let alone a fight that has not even been signed yet. This indicates a strong probability that Mayweather-Pacquiao would generate more money than Mosley-Pacquiao, which probably means more money for Pac-Man. For Roach, the bottom line might become a matter of how Mayweather looks when he returns to the ring. At that point, Roach has to decide whether he believes Manny has a better chance against Floyd, the technically superior fighter, or against Mosley, the aging fighter with superior size and strength.

Personally, I would much prefer seeing Mosley and Pacquiao do battle. These two warriors have each represented something admirable amongst modern day fighters, and that is a constant desire to continuously prove himself against the best opposition available. In light of that, Mosley-Pacquiao is the fight with the best potential for excitement, so even though I have my doubts that this will happen, I have made my preference known. Will Pacquiao really fight Sugar Shane Mosley? Only time will tell.

Juan Manuel Marquez: First World Title

By the time of his second attempt at a world title Juan Manuel Marquez was in a peculiar position: he was one of the most respected fighters in the sport yet had never held a major belt. He was mentioned in quite a few top 20 pound for pound lists (like Maxboxing founders Steve Kim and Doug Fischer) and was considered, along with Floyd Mayweather and Bernard Hopkins as one of the best ring technicians in the sport. Yet superstardom eluded him. 

Though he was a fixture at the old Great Western Forum in Los Angeles and impressed with his devastating combination of defense and offense, he was still poorly managed and he was seen as a high risk-low reward boxer, which resulted in many of the top fighters in the sport not wanting to step into the ring with him (most notably Prince Naseem Hamed refused to fight him even though he was his WBO mandatory). However, after years of victories Marquez finally got his shot at a world title when he took on WBA Featherweight champion Freddie Norwood.. It was his chance to finally earn what many thought was his destiny, but in the end it wasn’t meant to be as Freddie Norwood won a unanimous decision in a fight that Marquez probably won. The loss was bad enough but the major problem lied in the fact that even though he was deserving of the belt he got knocked down then proceeded to give the audience a cautious and pedestrian performance in an utterly god-awful fight. In summary: Marquez not only didn’t hold a belt, but didn’t gain any fans which allowed him to be shut out from the big names around the lower weight classes. From that point he had to earn his way back to the top and went on a string of impressive victories, culminating in stopping future world champion Robbie Peden in 9 rounds to earn a shot at the vacant IBF Featherweight title against former world champion Manuel Medina. Three and a half years after laying an egg in his first title try, this was Marquez’s chance to not only win a world title and lead to bigger title fights. He not only needed to win, but show the world why he was indeed, as some were already proclaiming, one of the best pugilists in the game. And Marquez made the most out of his opportunity. 

When the bell rang to begin the fight both went directly towards center ring and spent the first couple of seconds waiting the other out, yet it was Marquez who was the more aggressive of the two, starting off with firing straight right crosses and hooks to the body. Medina remained cautious in the opening stanza firing mostly a slow rangefinder jab. The problem was for all of his caution; Marquez was already beginning to solve him. He timed his occasional right cross with his head movement, and then when Medina went to the jab he would counter with his own jab followed directly behind a right cross. A minute into the fight Medina threw a jab, but Marquez immediately fired off a rocket fast left-hook-to-the-body, right-hook-to-the-body, and-a-double-left-hooks-to-the-head combination. The first punch was partially blocked but the last three landed flush and the last punch stunned Medina for a half second. Ten seconds later Marquez countered a Medina body-jab with a straight cross to the head then lead and connected with two lead left hooks to the body. With a minute left in the round Marquez’s offensive arsenal was beginning to fully emerge as he was countering to the head and the body with left hooks, right crosses, double jabs and uppercuts. The first round wasn’t even completed yet Marquez wasn’t having any problem countering and landing with his crisp combinations. The bell finally rang and gave Marquez a very easy round, and for Medina the worst was yet to come. 

The second round began and nothing of note happened for the first seconds until Medina threw a right cross. Marquez blocked it then turned his knuckles to land a follow up left hook that badly stunned Medina, then followed up with a massive right cross that sent Medina falling yet he was unfortunate to still be standing and Marquez connected with a left uppercut to the head. Medina fell over like he had been hit by a baseball bat. Yet event though badly hurt, he was able to regain his senses and got up at 8. Marquez began to advance trying to end it early, while Medina for a few seconds got on his bicycle. However, Medina made a massive mistake: he decided to fight. Instead of continuing to run or at least tie up Marquez, he elected to stand at center ring. This played directly to the hands of Marquez as he was able to play target practice. 

Marquez now back at center ring landed a lead left hook to the head followed by a right cross. Medina threw a jab, and again Marquez landed a left hook and a right cross then punctuated it with a left hook that slammed Medina’s head backwards. Medina then went into retreat against the ropes, but Marquez landed another right handed uppercut then a right cross. Medina was able to survive the onslaught and went back into center ring yet whenever he threw a punch, Marquez was able to counter him. And that round Marquez was seemingly landing with everything to all parts of his opponent’s body. The last minute of the round featured very little offense as Marquez, seemingly tired, going into a prevent offense while playing defense on the ropes. This allowed Medina a chance to get off on his offense, but Marquez was able to avoid most of his power shots by using his deft head movement and was still able to land some counters on his own. The second round ended with Marquez achieving a 10-8 round and assuming complete control of the fight. However, despite being totally dominant in the first two rounds of the fight, Marquez took his foot off of the gas pedal to start the third. 

For the entirety of the third round it featured Marquez intentionally going into a shell while Medina becoming the aggressor. The former champion began throwing more one-twos and was showing tremendous resolve and poise after taking so much punishment in the first two rounds. But there was a major problem: his aggression wasn’t effective. 

While he pressed forward and tried to get something flowing, Marquez, even in defense, was still landing the harder more devastating shots. Instead of a “second wind,” this was merely just an example on how even when he isn’t going at 100 miles an hour, Marquez was a legitimate ring artist. Then in the fourth round it was time for Marquez to get back to bringing the pain. 

Medina was playing the aggressor and landed his best punch of the fight, a right cross to face of Marquez, but in the mid point of the round Marquez landed a right cross that badly wobbled Medina. Medina tried to run away but then fell straight in line with Marquez’s follow up right hook. Both men were able to get back at the center of the ring, and again Medina regained enough of his senses to continue coming forward and throwing….and continually eating Marquez’s counters. Then when fifteen seconds to go in the round Marquez landed another counter right cross and was staggered yet again, but this time Marquez was going in for the kill. He landed a three punch combination while Medina was teetering on the brink of collapse. God only knows what kept him from getting knocked down, but he was able to hold on and survive the round, but when it was over his nose was pouring blood and his eyeballs were swelling. Marquez was now fully in control and his world title was in his sights. 

The next two rounds turned into a repeat performance as it was Marquez putting on an amazing performance. He was using the ring, spinning Medina around, using head movement to slip punches then firing back with those counters that always landed flush with damaging results. For people who had never seen him fight it was the proof why so many were afraid to fight him. As for Medina he was game and courageous, but he was getting the shit kicked out of him. That is how a lot of these title winning efforts seems to go for the pound-for-pounders; while the challenger is putting on an awesome show, the former champ or (other challenger for the vacant crown such as Medina) usually is forced to taken a brutal ass kicking. Medina was following that script to near perfection as he wasn’t even competitive. Round five was another clear Marquez round and round six was so one sided in favor for the soon-to-be-champ that it could have been scored a 10-8 even without a knockdown. At the end of the sixth, Medina’s right eye was totally shut and the end was near. 

Round seven began with Marquez and Medina being very tentative while the exchanged punches from a distance. Then Marquez went directly into the ropes, and Medina began throwing punches for ten seconds. But then Marquez spun the former champion around with a grazing left hook, then the follow up left hook landed flush, and sent Medina down again for a second time. Medina got up and was ready to fight on, but the referee, Robert Byrd walked Medina to the ring doctor to take a look at his swollen right eye. The doctor didn’t even hesitate and called the fight over and Marquez had earned a TKO in seven rounds and laid claim to his first world title. Yet more than the world championship that he won it was the culmination of a long road for the Mexican stylist. 

Nearly four years after laying an egg in the Norwood fight and three years of not getting his much deserved title shot at Prince Naseem Hamed, Marquez put forth the most dominant performance of his career when it mattered the most. Make no mistake either, while the fights with Marquez and Pacquiao were more significant, this was JMM at his most complete in terms of offense and defense. From that point on he was a legitimate star and the best was yet to come.

Bob Arum Says No Way Mayweather Will Get Even A 50/50 Purse Split For Pacquiao Fight

It seems there will be a long, hard road of tough negotiating ahead if we are ever to get the much sought after modern day dream fight that is Manny Pacquiao Vs. Floyd Mayweather Junior. Both fighters and their teams feel that they are the star attraction and the greater fighter, thus both Manny and Floyd argue they should be paid the lion's share of the bout's purse when and if the match-up takes place.

Reportedly, Mayweather Junior has said it will be "a cold day in hell" before he agrees to a 50/50 split with the man who took over his reign atop the pound-for-pound rankings. And Pacquiao and his promoter Bob Arum have rejected all talk of a 50/50 fight, Arum going as far as to say Mayweather would have to take much less. This may not be a case of greed, more a case of ego. Will this ongoing feud stop one of the best and most important bouts of the decade from taking place?

Usually in boxing, common sense comes to the fore in the end, when all parties concerned realise that the fight has to happen due to the sheer size of the event and of the money to be made from it. Let's hope this turns out to be the case with Pacquiao-Mayweather just as it was with Hatton-Pacquiao - another fight that looked to be off for a while due to disagreements over the monetary share the two fighters were to be paid. In the end, both sides came to their senses, but in an interview today with The Philippine Star, Arum made it clear Mayweather and his team will have to make a big concession if the fight we all want to see is actually made.

"You can tell Floyd Mayweather that Bob Arum says he's delusional," Arum said. "Floyd is not the attraction. Manny is the attraction. Floyd's got no idea what he's talking about. Floyd must be hallucinating when he said he wants the bigger purse and wouldn't agree to a 50/50 split. Even a 50/50 split with Floyd Mayweather is nonsense."

As firm as he is with his refusal to budge, Arum is basically putting the ball in Mayweather's court; but will Floyd ever allow himself to be paid less than any fighter he feels he is superior to? No date has been mentioned for the huge fight, but it won't be happening this year according to Arum.

In the article, Arum said Pacquiao will likely fight either Shane Mosley, Miguel Cotto or Edwin Valero in his next fight, scheduled for October 17th. Arum also confirmed that Julio Cesar Chavez, once a possibility for "Pac-Man," has been ruled out.

"But I'm not gonna come up with a name until after June 13th (the date of Cotto-Joshua Clottey)," Arum said. "Then he'll [Manny] be back in Los Angeles and I will meet him and Freddie [Roach] there. We will discuss all the options, and get everybody's input. There's no rush. There's Cotto, Mosley and Valero. We're not including Julio Cesar Chavez Junior because of the weight (Chavez Jr. can get no lower than 150) and he's fighting soon."

Despite the long series of negotiating ahead, as long as Pacquiao and Mayweather win their next fights the demand will go on for a clash between the two greats. Hopefully this demand will be satisfied.

eastsideboxing.com

A Worthy Semi-Final

With every great performance always comes the demand for an encore. Sports fans often wax poetic about their heroes going out on top, but it’s never truly enough. The more they succeed, the more we want to see them tested at least one more time.

Naturally, the moments following Manny Pacqauiao’s devastating second round knockout of Ricky Hatton were filled with the obligatory two word question that always follows every major event – “Who’s next?”

The possibilities are endless for Pacquiao, who makes it that much easier to mix and match with his penchant for weight jumping. His amazing career has spanned ten weight classes, collecting belts in six of them, including an unprecedented four lineal world championships.

His past four fights have come in four separate weight classes, resulting in five knockdowns, four wins, three knockdowns and three championships. If the plan is to continue to maximize his earning potential – and by that, the realization that fighters are paid in dollars and not percentages – then the next trip will presumably come at welterweight.

There’s Shane Mosley, who deliberately sat on the sidelines following his upset thrashing of Antonio Margarito earlier this year for no other reason than to wait out the winner of Saturday’s monster event.

There’s Miguel Cotto, whom promoter Bob Arum is already threatening to stand at the head of the pack in the Pacquiao sweepstakes, though still lying ahead is a dangerous showdown with Joshua Clottey in New York City, next month.

Both fights are intriguing, and ones where Pacquiao enjoys the best of both worlds – clearing the lion’s share of the available license fee for the fight, which will undoubtedly net him a third straight eight-figure payday.

But thanks to the timely return of boxing’s previous pound-for-pound king, as well as the bravery of a former adversary, there’s only one future opponent that truly matters – the winner of the July 18 super fight between Floyd Mayweather and Juan Manuel Marquez.

It borders on hysteria that people are already finding reason to nitpick at this fight, obviously missing the forest for the trees.

Mayweather, who hasn’t fought since stopping Hatton in 10 rounds in December 2007, foregoes a traditional tune-up match in agreeing to a catchweight against one of the very best in the sport today.

Marquez steals a page out of his rival’s playbook, moving up 1 ½ divisions for what amounts to a win-win scenario: he collects by far the biggest payday of his career, and is already the considerable underdog going in, making a potential win all the more sweeter.

Both fighters could’ve gone the traditional route in chasing the money. Mayweather could’ve cherry picked from the Contender alumni directory in seeking a high-profile tune-up bout in which he’s able to keep 99% of the money. Marquez could’ve pursued a mandatory lightweight title defense, and would’ve certainly been forgiven for such a path considering the savage nature of his all-out war with Juan Diaz earlier this year.

Had either of the two traveled in such a direction, boxing fans (and media members) would’ve complained that their decisions lack originality, and is little more than marking time when bigger fights could’ve been made.

Instead, they face each other, in a rare superfight that produces far more than short-term results no matter the outcome.

The fear among those not exactly overcome with anticipation is that they believe an old boxing axiom to be true – a good big man always beats a good little man.

Oscar de la Hoya tried to alleviate such fears at Saturday’s press conference, pointing to his own career-ending knockout loss to Pacquiao as proof that fights don’t always play out as they’re suggested on paper. Of course, such a reference was met with the correction that in his case, a shot bigger fighter usually falls to a streaking smaller fighter.

It’s entirely possible that things play out as expected, and that Mayweather is simply too much for Marquez, whose as great as they come but has never before fought above lightweight, a division he only recently entered last fall. Mayweather left lightweight in 2004, fighting three times at 140 before spending his last five fights at welterweight or higher.

The only true wild card in this fight is how much Mayweather will have left at age 32 and coming off of a 19-month layoff. The undefeated former five-division titlist (including three lineal championships) is always in tip-top physical shape, but how sharp he will be against one of the very best technicians in the game remains to be seen.

Of course, the multi-million dollar question is how effective Marquez will be at a career-high weight. No matter how great a fighter may be, almost everyone eventually hits a ceiling. Winky Wright was regarded as one of the very best in the world thanks to his body of work at 154 and 160, but proved to be a fish out of water in his 170 lb catchweight bout with Bernard Hopkins a couple of years ago.

Though on the wrong side of his prime, Marquez appears to be every bit as effective at lightweight as he was years ago as a featherweight. The reason: he’s not only one of the best fighters, but also one of the smartest in the game, always showing a penchant for adapting on the fly. A case could be made that he should still be undefeated, with his three losses and draw all heavily disputed to this very day.

Considering the date, it’s hard to reason that Mayweather could’ve secured a better choice of opponent for a pay-per-view event.

Miguel Cotto is already facing Joshua Clottey a month prior.

Fights with Andre Berto, Paul Williams or even Vernon Forrest aren’t happening so long as they and Floyd remain under the advisory umbrella of Al Haymon

Shane Mosley has already made it clear that he intends to wait until at least the third quarter of 2009 for his next fight, believing that he could entice either Pacquiao or Hatton to move up to welterweight.

Looking immediately above and below welterweight, there are plenty of intriguing options, but none that make a bit of difference at the box office.

With Mayweather-Marquez comes a fight where the next move can be planned no matter the outcome. Should Mayweather come out on top, fans will immediately call for a showdown with Pacquiao, a bout the boxing world has craved since well before Mayweather pondered a break from the sport.

Many a fan already craves a third fight between Pacquiao and Marquez. Just think of the buzz that would come with such a fight should Marquez upset the odds and become the first to hang a loss on Mayweather’s career.

Regardless of what comes out of July 18, the winner will be in direct line for a year-end banger with Manny Pacquiao. It’s the most lucrative fight that can be made today, not to mention one that once and for all cements the claim for the sport’s very best fighter in the world.

Perhaps “Number One/Numero Uno” borders on false advertising in describing Mayweather-Marquez, but it’s certainly the path the winner will travel, making their July 18 super fight as remarkable a semifinal act as you can ask for in the sport today.

CHECK YOUR FACTS – AND YOURSELF, MR. MERCHANT

When news first came down of HBO looking to replace long-time color commentator Larry Merchant with Max Kellerman in 2007, critics spoke out en masse against the move. Even Kellerman himself went to bat for Merchant, clearly (or at least publicly) uncomfortable with forcefully replacing a boxing personality whom he’s admired for so long.

There’s no question that when he’s on his game, Merchant as good as they get behind the mic. There are few as witty as the longtime boxing scribe-turned-announcer, who can turn a phrase better than just about anyone in the game today.

But then there also those moments where the more he talks, the more you wish the HBO brass ignored the public outcry and simply sent the Hall of Fame broadcaster packing.

Saturday night was an occasion for the latter.

As lead commentator Jim Lampley gushed over the aforementioned summer clash between Floyd Mayweather and Juan Manuel Marquez, Merchant didn’t hesitate to take shots at the former pound-for-pound king for whom he’s rarely had a kind word.

First came the quip that at age 32, Mayweather is only coming off his second retirement. Then as discussion picked up surrounding the fight, Merchant took it upon himself to dissect Mayweather’s knack for selecting opponents, and also for those whom he elects to not fight.

One of the names claimed to reside on the “avoid at all costs” list is Shane Mosley. Merchant claimed that Floyd once wanted such a fight when the three-division champ was thought to be at the end of his career, but now suddenly wants no part of a rejuvenated Mosley.

It would be a compelling observation – if there were any truth to it.

The point at which Mayweather passionately pursued a Sugar Shane showdown was in 2006, when Mosley scored back-to-back stoppage wins over Fernando Vargas, both at junior middleweight. Mosley was a mere 3-4-0-1 NC over a four-year stretch prior to 2006 and hardly on Mayweather’s mind at the time. It wasn’t until there was genuine worth in such a fight did he begin to pursue it.

Plans for such a match were eventually squashed when Mosley cited a toothache as cause to sit out the rest of 2006. Talks resurfaced in 2007, but two different bouts were instead made – Mayweather-Hatton and Cotto-Mosley.

Fast forward to 2009. Mosley destroys Antonio Margarito and is once again regarded as the best welterweight in the world. Rumors were already swirling of a Mayweather comeback.

Mosley-Mayweather, mid-2009. Sounds like a plan, right?

Not so fast.

Instead, it was Mosley who went on record for anyone who would listen (including these very Boxingscene.com pages - http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&id=18951 ) that a Mayweather fight didn’t interest him anywhere nearly as much as enticing either Pacquiao or Hatton to move up in weight. If that couldn’t happen, then perhaps a rematch with Cotto, provided that it takes place on the West Coast.

Mayweather? Mosley instead played Golden Boy stakeholder and campaigned for Marquez to land that fight.

In that vein, Mosley actually received his wish, or at least part of it. His guy received the fight of his dreams, leaving Shane free and clear to negotiate a fight with Pacquiao.

Perhaps it can be argued that the HBO production crew was pressed for time, and didn’t afford Merchant or anyone else on the broadcast to elaborate.

Then there’s the more likely scenario, where Merchant couldn’t stomach the thought of anyone, least of all his own broadcast partner, to heap any amount of praise in the direction of Mayweather, and instead took the opportunity to remind boxing fans how bitter he can be when given the space.

Whatever the case, shame on HBO for not curbing his enthusiasm, especially on a night when we’re supposed to be celebrating everything that was right with the sport. Merchant could’ve ignored the comment altogether, and demand that his broadcast partners to instead focus on the evening’s main event, the year’s first true super fight.

Mayweather Talks About Pacquiao, Hatton

The Floyd Mayweather-Juan Manuel Marquez hype show rolled into London yesterday, and as usual 32-year-old "Money" Mayweather had plenty to say. Speaking primarily about two fighters, in Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton - the former being a potential rival for the future, the latter being a conquered foe - Mayweather had some interesting stuff to say.

Floyd knows only too well the majority of fans worldwide want him to meet up with the man who took over his spot at the top of the pound-for-pound pile, and the 39-0(25) master said yesterday that if and when he and the Filipino superstar do meet he will beat him.

"If the Pacquiao fight presents itself after this one [Vs. Marquez], then I'll lay the blueprint on how to beat him," Mayweather said yesterday.. "Pacquiao's a good fighter but he can be got. He was knocked out twice before and I'm a slick, smart boxer. I would tie him up. There's a science to this game and I could adapt to any style. Pacquiao was out-boxed by Erik Morales."

Pacquiao may well have been stopped twice before, but on both occasions the southpaw was still very much a work in progress and fighting in a much lower weight class. Mayweather is right when he says "Pac-Man" was out-boxed by Morales, though. Clearly that fight makes the unbeaten great believe he can do the same thing to Manny. It would be an entirely different fight though. Let's hope we do get to see it. At least Mayweather is talking about the possibility.

As he was in Britian, the subject of Ricky Hatton was bound to come up. Mayweather pulled no punches while discussing "The Hitman's" fighting future - he said he has not got one.

"Ricky's career was over in 2007 when he met me," Floyd said. "He was a gutsy, tough champ but there's a time in every boxer's career when they must hang it up. He was knocked out twice - by me and Pacquiao. They were two devastating defeats. He's been in a lot of tough fights and taken some big shots.

"Gaining weight and drinking - you can't have that sort of lifestyle in boxing. You have to take your job seriously. I don't think Ricky should fight again. I wouldn't fight him again, even at Wembley. It would be like picking on a guy we call gun shot. His head won't be the same."

Hatton, as fans know, was very much dreaming of having an opportunity to get revenge over Mayweather, very possibly at Wembley some time next year; but this was ruined when Pacquiao destroyed him in just two rounds.

Speaking on the May 2nd fight, Mayweather said his father, who trained Hatton for the fight, of course, should not be in any way blamed for what happened.

"I don't want everyone over here ripping my father to shreds," Floyd said with regards to Hatton's quick KO loss. "It wasn't my dad's fault. My dad told him to go out, relax, use his jab and be smart. There's this other trainer, Lee Beard, and Ricky was listening to him. No disrespect to Lee but has he fought? A lot of the time trainers try to tell fighters what to do without having been in combat. My dad has been in combat before."

Speaking respectfully about his father as he did, Floyd made a lot of sense. The word is the two Mayweathers are back on good terms. Maybe Senior will work Junior's corner in the fight he is currently hyping up?

Marquez-Mayweather: The Weight is Over

In anticipation of the July 18th clash between Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and Juan Manuel Marquez, many boxing fans and sports writers have become transfixed with the number 147. Of course 147 refers to boxing’s welterweight division where Mayweather reigned as lineal champion before retiring unexpectedly in 2008. Considered the best pound-for-pound fighter when active, Mayweather returns to face #2 ranked Juan Manuel Marquez; at stake is not simply a win or loss but a claim for the pound-for-pound title and perhaps a chance to face the current best fighter in the world, Manny Pacquiao.

Though the boxing world is energized for Mayweather’s return the agreed upon weight of 143-144 has dominated the headlines. Throughout many online boxing communities which include websites, forums, and message boards, Marquez supporters have made their displeasure with the weight agreement heard. They argue that Marquez is too small for 144, he is too short, never fought above lightweight, unproven at welter, or that his power would be diminished at the higher weight.. In addition, boxing writers like Ring Magazine’s Michael Rosenthal has focused on the weight issue in the aptly titled article “Marquez's Disadvantages Are Increasing.” In the report he states that the fight will in fact be held at 147 however that could simply be a misinterpretation. His reasoning is that the fight will be held at welterweight which has a 147 lb. limit, however even if the fight were held at 143-144 it would still be considered a welterweight fight. The match was originally announced at a catchweight below 147 and that is where it likely will remain.
Amidst the concern for Marquez’s perceived disadvantages boxing media has lightly considered his overall skill and abilities. Marquez has often been described as a natural 130 lb. fighter yet he moved up to lightweight (135) and scored knockouts of former champions Joel Casamayor and Juan Diaz, two of the best fighters in the sport. In contrast, he did not stop and even struggled with Rocky Juarez, Marco Antonio Barrera, and Manny Pacquiao, fighters he fought at his so-called natural weight of 130 lbs. It can be argued, based on these two impressive wins, that Marquez actually has more power at the higher weights and will likely carry his power with him to welterweight. In general, writers and fans are shortchanging Marquez and they have readily offered weight as the culprit for his fan anticipated loss. Perhaps a simple answer would be that Mayweather is just that good. Weight advantages have never been the secret to his or Marquez’s success and it is doubtful that weight will be the determining factor in this fight. Skill, ability, heart, and determination will always be the real reasons a fighter succeeds and though both guys possess a ton of skill, ability, and determination, only Marquez has consistently shown his heart.

So why have fans, writers, and reporters raised so many objections to the weight agreement? Would it be different if Marquez was moving up to face a different opponent? What if he was fighting Manny Pacquiao at 140 or moving up to fight Oscar De La Hoya at 147? What if he was chosen to be Ricky Hatton’s final opponent or landed a fight with Miguel Cotto at 144? How would the argument change? A cynical view suggests that weight is only an issue because he is fighting Mayweather and as mentioned in my previous article there is a double standard when it comes to him. Versus any other opponent the higher weight would be acceptable because Marquez would be seen as having a better chance against a less-skilled fighter. The reality however is regardless of opponent, Marquez from this point onwards will move up in weight. There are no more big fights or better yet, no big money opportunities left at lightweight and if he wants to stay relevant he moves up. He is not alone, former lightweight champions Nate Campbell, Joan Guzman, and of course his arch rival Manny Pacquiao have already made the leap.

For a fighter, jumping divisions and competing at higher weights is a personal challenge and fans, writers, and reporters can not save them from their boxing destiny. Whether they succeed or fail is up to how well they prepare and execute the task at hand. There have been many instances were the smaller man has been victorious and even in cases where they were not it is hard to target a fight where a catchweight has come under as much fire as this match-up. Pacquiao-De La Hoya initially comes to mind but Oscar moving down to 147 was viewed as a neutralizer. In most cases however, there is not a sustained attack on the heavier fighter as there has been on Mayweather. Bernard Hopkins was not vilified for fighting middleweight opponents Winky Wright and later Kelly Pavlik at 170. No one is criticizing heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko for significantly outweighing cruiserweight David Haye. Also no media proponents seemed to have had a problem with Mayweather being outweighed by De La Hoya at 154. What the majority of these fights have in common is that it is often the smaller fighter who voluntarily moves up and issues a challenge to a larger foe; Juan Manuel Marquez is no exception.

There are many examples of overcoming the odds decorating boxing history but in the end this is why pound-for-pound champions are celebrated and distinguished above the average fighter. Marquez understands that defeating Floyd Mayweather, Jr. will make him an all-time great and fans, writers, and reporters fixed on weight should realize that you can not stop, change, or prevent boxing history; let Marquez determine his own fate. The weight is over.

Mayweather-Marquez is ON

On July 18, Floyd “Mainstream Money” Mayweather and Juan Manuel Marquez meet on a PPV card billed as “Number One/Numero Uno” at MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The bout was officially announced today. “Credentials don’t lie and the record speaks for itself,” said Mayweather. “When it comes to July 18, I don’t need to tell you what I’m going to do. A small man will never retire me. I’m here to stay. I’m here to fight and reclaim what’s mine. I’m the king and nobody has taken my throne. Tonight, any man can win. Its a gamble. But when you are betting on Floyd, that’s for sure money. Keep your money under your mattress until July 18.” Marquez countered, “If I want to be the best fighter in the world and I need to beat the best. The best fighter is Floyd Mayweather. This fight is for who is the #1 fighter in the world.” Promoter Oscar de la Hoya commented “Can we believe that now the bigger man is always going to win? When I fought Floyd it was competitive. When I fought Manny he stopped me. When Juan fought Manny - I don’t care what they say - Juan beat him. So I believe Juan can beat Mayweather. Marquez can never be counted out.” Mayweather manager Leonard Ellerbe proclaimed “The king is back! Floyd has truly transcended the sport. Wherever he goes - the malls, the grocery stores, even the strip clubs - they all ask ‘when is Floyd coming back?.’”