Watch HBO Mayweather-Marquez 24/7 Live Streaming | Watch HBO Mayweather-Marquez 24/7 Live

HBO Mayweather-Marquez 24/7, episode 1 special, Juan Manuel Marquez (50-4, 37 KO’s) summed up his September 19th opponent Floyd Mayweather Jr. pretty well, saying “ He’s a fighter that doesn’t like to be hit.” Marquez made it clear that he intends on hitting Mayweather as frequently as he can and he will be hoping to be one of the few fighters that have put hands on Floyd.
Before last night’s Mayweather-Marquez special, I gave Marquez, 36, little chance in the fight. But I’m seeing things differently now that I’ve seen Marquez in training and see the results of his training to add muscle to his previously small 135 pound frame.

At around 145, Marquez looks much more solid and powerful that he did while fighting as a lightweight. Just looking at how Marquez has put on muscle to his frame, I don’t think this is going to be an easy fight for Mayweather, If Mayweather is going to win this fight, he’s going to have to look much better than he has in long time.

The Mayweather that defeated Ricky Hatton and Oscar De La Hoya will likely have a lot of problems against this version of Marquez, simply because Marquez is so much better in terms of boxing skills and physically than either Hatton or De La Hoya were.

De La Hoya was an old 35 at the time of the fight with Mayweather, and was a part time fighter having fought only three times in the past three years when he stepped in the ring against Mayweather. De La Hoya had lost to Shane Mosley in 2003, beaten Felix Sturm under questionable circumstance in 2004, been stopped by Bernard Hopkins in September 2004, and then took two years off before coming back to beat Ricardo Mayorga in May 2006.

De La Hoya then took another year off before facing Mayweather. With that much time off, is it any wonder that De La Hoya lost the fight. Hatton never really did have sound boxing skills and his constant fluctuating weight seemed to be taking a lot out of him each time that he would enter a fight. Hatton and De La Hoya both had to take weight off in order to fight Mayweather.

Marquez, however, is having to put weight on, meaning that he’ll be stronger rather than weaker. This won’t be a weight drained fighter that Mayweather will be facing. Marquez is going to be the strongest that he’s been in his career and a lot more dangerous than Hatton, De La Hoya, Carlos Baldomir, Zab Judah, Sharmba Mitchell, Arturo Gatti and Henry Bruseles, all of which account for Mayweather’s last seven opponents.

Mayweather will need to be better than he was in the past, but with the disadvantage of coming off of a two year retirement for this fight. In watching Mayweather train last night on the 24/7 episode, Mayweather looks like he’s lost a little in terms of speed. And that’s just looking at him train. Mayweather likely has lost much more in the way of timing and stamina, and he’ll be facing someone that is going to be putting a lot of pressure on him in the way of Marquez.

“He’s [Mayweather] is a fighter that doesn’t like to be pressured,” Marquez pointed out last night. Obviously, Marquez is planning on pressuring Mayweather on September 19th. I expect Marquez to be much more calculated in the pressure he puts on Mayweather and won’t go blindly trying to throw leaping left hooks the way that Hatton did in his fight against Mayweather.

Marquez is much more disciplined that that, so Mayweather is going to have to earn whatever he gets from Marquez the hard way. Mayweather won’t be winning the fight by some cheap check hook gimmick, because that move won’t fly against Marquez’s style.

If Mayweather is going to win this fight then he’s going to have to outwork Marquez in a war, because Marquez is going to be landing and making Mayweather feel pain like he never has before.

Watch Live Stream Floyd Mayweather Fight | Watch Floyd Mayweather Fight

In the early 1900's there was a heavyweight who defied the status quo, refusing to be denied his shot at the worlds most coveted trophy, boxing's Heavyweight Championship. When he got his chance 'The Galveston Giant' wrested the Championship away from Canadian Tommy Burns and further cemented his hold on the title by defeating former undefeated champion Jim Jeffries in 'The fight of the Century' on July 4th 1910. African Americans rejoiced Johnson's victory even while race riots were going on all around the country sparked by Johnson's victory. Johnson flirted with and around the norms of 'the day', was flashy and boisterous, and always had something to say that many did not like or agree with.. Filmmaker Ken Burns while producing a documentary about Jack Johnson noted that "For more than thirteen years, Jack Johnson was the most famous and the most notorious African-American on Earth." Joe Louis who succeeded Johnson as a black Heavyweight Champion in the 1930's followed a different set of rules during his tenure as heavyweight champion and even refused to allow Johnson to become his trainer and opted instead for former fighter Jack 'Chappie' Blackburn himself a Johnson contemporary.

Fast forward to the 1940's when the up-and-coming lightweight soon-to-be welterweight prospect Ray Robinson hit the boxing scene. As Robinson ascended the boxing ladder going undefeated in his first 40 fights, his flashiness, outspoken demeanor and hard bargaining at the money table for fights branded him a troublemaker and many did not like him. Promoters looked for opponents who could wipe that smile off of Robinson's face, shut his mouth, 'ugly him up a little' and reduce his asking price which around that time was $300K a fight! Carmen Basilio a Robinson foe from the 50's was very upset with Robinson as were many fight fans for him failing to fight Basilio in the rubbermatch. As much as Robinson is loved and revered now he was disliked then because even though it wasn't the norm during those times he stood up for what he believed in and didn't bite his tongue or clench his teeth while doing so, he also drove a pink Cadillac.

In the 1960's a young kid from Louisville came along to grace the squared ring his name was Cassius Clay. This brash, outspoken kid followed Johnson, and Robinson to become a loathed figure in boxing. Clay even said that Jack Johnson was a better heavyweight champion than Joe Louis and that he would be also. Statements like this, his taunting of opponents and predictions of the rounds when he would end a fight had many seeing him as cocky and boastful making him a hated figure. The final straw was his conversion in 1964 to the Muslim faith and membership in Elijah Muhammad's-himself a hated figure, Nation of Islam; he also renamed himself Muhammad Ali. Most refused to recognize Muhammad Ali as his name and continued to refer to him as Cassius Clay. His refusal to be inducted in the Armed Forces during the Vietnam era further alienated Ali from boxing fans, Americans in-general and the American Government. Ali commented on his refusal to be inducted into the Army by saying "ain't no Vietnamese ever called me nigger"!! For this Ali was stripped of his titles and refused a license to fight in any state in America.

Winston Churchill once said "Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it". Much of the dislike for the boxing's current 'most hated' comes from his going against the grain, his self-confidence, his flashiness and outspoken views, sound familiar?? Everything from the opponents he chooses to fight and his personal life are topics of debate and criticism from without. No matter whom he faces and defeats it is NOT enough, there is always a disparaging viewpoint, this opponent is too small, that opponent was past his prime, he ran from this guy, he's afraid of that guy. While other guys who fought the same opponents are praised! Mayweather's upcoming fight against Mexican star Juan Manuel Marquez has been panned as another 'big man picking on the smaller man' fight! I wonder what would be said right now if Mayweather had REFUSED Marquez' challenge?? Or Hatton’s?? America has to have a bad guy and I guess that it'll just have to be 'Money May' until someone else comes along.

Watch Live Mayweather VS Marquez Fight | Watch Live Mayweather VS Marquez

Mayweather vs. Marquez: "Number One/Numero Uno" Fight Live will take boxing fans ringside to experience every jab and hook thrown during this ultimate showdown from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The historic match marks the return of boxing to movie theaters for the first time in nearly three decades.

Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions, will bring live world championship boxing to the big screen in high definition for the first time ever with the showing of the highly anticipated 12-round welterweight fight between six-time world champion in five weight divisions Floyd "Money" Mayweather and five-time world champion in three weight divisions Juan Manuel "Dinamita" Marquez and televised undercard on Saturday, Sept. 19 at 8:30 p.m. ET/ 5:30 p.m. PT in select movie theaters nationwide..

Tickets for Mayweather vs. Marquez: "Number One/Numero Uno" Fight LIVE are available at participating theater box offices and online at www.FathomEvents.com. For a complete list of theater locations and prices, please visit www.FathomEvents.com (theaters and participants are subject to change).

"We are extremely pleased to welcome Fathom into the Golden Boy family of sponsors as their interest in the Mayweather vs. Marquez mega-fight is another indication of the sheer magnitude of the fight itself," said Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. "Having the fight in high definition in movie theaters throughout the country is unprecedented and gives boxing fans another outlet to watch the compelling action of a big-time fight."

"Watching fights at the movies goes back to the 1940s," said boxing historian Bert Sugar. "It's the next best thing to being there. Seeing a fight at a movie theater is the ultimate virtual experience. You pretty much get everything but the sweat."

The first boxing match publicly shown in movie theaters was the Eric Boon vs. Arthur Danaher fight in London seen in only three theaters on Feb. 23, 1939. The first boxing match shown in U.S. movie theaters was the Joe Louis vs. Lee Savold bout from Madison Square Garden in New York on June 15, 1951. The last fight to be widely shown in movie theaters was Sugar Ray Leonard's victory over Roberto "Fists of Stone" Duran in the famous "No Mas" fight on Nov. 25, 1980.

A 1996 Olympic Bronze medalist for the United States, Floyd Mayweather (39-0, 25 KO's) has since gone on to strike gold in the professional ranks, firmly establishing himself as the best fighter of his era. Mayweather won his first world title - the WBC Super Featherweight World Championship - at the age of 21 in 1998. The Grand Rapids, Mich. native defended that title eight times before moving up to lightweight and taking the 135-pound belt in 2002. He went on to win the junior welterweight and welterweight world titles, respectively. Mayweather defeated Oscar de la Hoya in May of 2007 for the World Junior Middleweight Championship in a record-setting pay-per-view super-fight and in his last fight in December 2007, knocked out Ricky "Hitman" Hatton in the tenth round, handing the British superstar his first professional defeat. Mayweather announced his retirement from boxing soon after that fight. He went on to achieve crossover fame as a contestant on the hit show "Dancing with the Stars" and as a participant in WWE's "Wrestlemania XXIV."

"I can't wait to get back into the ring to reclaim my rightful place as boxing's pound-for-pound king while fans in movie theaters across the country experience it all live in high definition on 40-foot-screens," said Mayweather. "If you can't be ringside, this is another great way to see my return to the ring."

Mayweather vs. Marquez: "Number One / Numero Uno" will take place on what is historically considered boxing's biggest weekend - Mexican Independence Day or El Grito de Independence.

"Floyd has always wanted to appear on the big screen so this is just great," said Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions. "It's going to be a great night of boxing and watching it in high definition on such a large screen will be a great treat for the fans who go to theaters to watch it."

Mexico City's Marquez(50-4-1, 37 KO's) has long been revered by boxing purists as one of the best in the sport, having won 29 of his first 30 pro bouts before finally getting a world title shot in 1999. Following a loss in that fight, he didn't lose again for the next seven years. Marquez won the IBF Featherweight World Championship in 2003 and in the same year, also captured the WBA Featherweight title. Marquez would lose his belt via controversial decision in 2006, but he returned to win the WBC Junior Lightweight World Championship in March 2007. Marquez moved up to the 135-pound weight class in September of 2008 and won the Ring Magazine Lightweight World Championship. The 36-year-old added the WBA and WBO World Lightweight belts to his trophy case in his most recent fight on February 28, 2009.

"This fight against Floyd Mayweather is undoubtedly the biggest in my professional career," said Márquez. "The fact that this long awaited battle will be on the big screen in movie theaters across the United States is fantastic. I invite the fans everywhere to go to movie theaters so they can see everything live and in high definition on the big screen."

Mayweather vs. Marquez: "Number One/Numero Uno" Fight LIVEappears on the big screen in high-definition with Cinema Surround Sound in select AMC Entertainment Inc., Celebration! Cinema, Cinemark Holdings, Inc., Cobb Theatres, Goodrich Quality Theaters, Hollywood Theaters, Kerasotes Showplace Theatres, Malco Theatres, Marcus Theatres, National Amusements and Regal Entertainment Group movie theaters, as well as Arlington Theatre (Santa Barbara, CA), The Carolina (Asheville, NC), Palace Cinema 9 (South Burlington, VT) and Penn Cinema (Lititz, PA), through NCM's exclusive Digital Broadcast Network.

"NCM Fathom continues to offer something for everyone on the big screen and it does not get bigger than this," said Dan Diamond, vice president of Fathom. "This is the first boxing event offered through Fathom's network to a select number of theaters across the country and fight fans won't want to miss being ringside to see two of the greatest fighters of this era battle in a larger-than-life experience on the big screen."

Watch WBA Mayweather-Marquez:Number One/Numero Uno : September 19, 2009|Watch WBA Mayweather-Marquez

Marquez, who has also agreed to fight on the new date, is excited about appearing yet again on the time-honored tradition of El Grito de Independence.

Mayweather vs. Marquez: “Number One/Numero Uno,” which will still take place at MGM Grand in Las Vegas and be televised live on HBO Pay-Per-View®, will now take place on what on what is historically considered boxing’s biggest weekend, and falling on the time-honored tradition of Mexican Independence Day.

Sports fans around the world can breathe again as it was announced today that the highly anticipated 12-round welterweight showdown between Floyd Mayweather and Juan Manuel Marquez has been officially rescheduled for September 19, after Mayweather, who suffered a rib injury while training for the originally scheduled July 18 date, received clearance from his doctor to participate on the new date.

“I am relieved to be cleared to fight as I was already looking forward to getting back in the ring,” said Mayweather. “Trust me, September 19 is a great weekend for boxing, and all of my fans, of which there are many Mexicans too, can certainly hold on to their hats and sombreros when I get back in to the ring and show them what they have been missing these past 18 months. I will destroy Marquez and reclaim my rightful place as boxing’s pound-for-pound king all in one night. Don’t miss it.”

“I am happy that Mayweather has been cleared to fight and we can get down to business on September 19,” said Marquez. “This weekend is not just an important weekend for boxing, but even more so for all of the Mexican and Mexican-American people I will be fighting for who will have a great reason to celebrate my win over Mayweather, which will be for all of the people and for the entire country of Mexico that night. I am sure of victory and si se puede- yes we can and yes we will!”

Mayweather vs. Marquez: “Number One/Numero Uno,” is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions in association with Marquez Promotions and is sponsored by Cerveza Tecate and Southwest Airlines.

Floyd Mayweather: Is Manny Pacquiao Really Ducking Cotto?

Let's start off by looking at what has actually happened in Mayweather's career. He started out at 130 pounds at age 19. Two years later, he became champion by dominating and knocking out Genaro Hernandez in eight rounds. He successfully defended his title eight times. Three of those eight victims would later go on to win world titles.

The lack of objectivity concerning Floyd Mayweather first reared its head following the first Castillo fight, with many believing that the way to beat Floyd was to apply relentless pressure, and conveniently forget that he was injured and had no such problems in the return match when he was healthy.

Everybody in boxing, from the writers, commentators, "experts", and fans, has an opinion, usually a very strong one, on Floyd Mayweather. If you want to get an intense debate going in boxing circles, just mention his name, and you are sure to find sentiments ranging from him being the best boxer alive, to him being an over-rated loud mouth who hand picks opponents and refuses to fight anyone worthy..

Floyd then moved up to challenge Jose Luis Castillo for the 135-pound title. What we know, mostly because we have heard it over and over, is that it was his toughest fight, and he might even have been given a gift. What is not trumpeted so often or as loudly, is that he fought with a bad shoulder. Or the fact that he gave Castillio an immediate rematch, which he won convincingly.

It was that very instance that lead to Ricky Hatton getting knocked out silly, including getting his head bounced off the turnbuckle five years later. In light of Mayweather being in a WWE Wrestlemania match, the irony does not fail to escape or humor me.

Continuing to move up in weight, he moved to the 140-pound limit, with a solid win over DeMarcus Corley. Two fights later and it was on to his first pay-per-view fight and division title against Arturo Gatti. We all know what happened. It was a masterclass clinic. It was the worst beating I have even seen taken by a man who entered the ring as a world champion.

I've seen guys knocked out in the first, but this fight was six rounds, six rounds in which the champion did absolutely nothing that conveyed a sense of being the world champion. However, for Mayweather, it was his first fight on the big stage and he delivered.

At that time, Ricky Hatton had just beaten Kosta Tszyu, and was rightly seen as the true 140-pound champ. He beat the man who beat the man. There was talk of a Mayweather-Hatton fight, and with Cotto in the mix, the junior-welterweight division had three young, dominating, marquee fighters. Fans were salivating at the possibilities.

Those dream matchups were not to be, or so it seemed, when Mayweather moved up again in weight to 147, his second weight-division climb in two years. There were people saying he was ducking both Hatton and Cotto, and was not interested in a real challenge.

His first fight at the weight was against Sharmba Mitchell, and in some circles, he was heavily criticized for "taking an easy fight". Those who leveled those claims didn't seem to have a problem with Kosta Tszyu fighting Mitchell twice, or take into account it was Mayweather's first fight at 147, and third weight class in two years.

He then began negotiations to fight "Super" Zab Judah for all the 147 pound marbles. Judah was fresh off a knock-out win over Cory Spinks, and was the linear champ. No one had ever questioned Zab's skill, it was his mental game that has always been suspect. After the Spinks win, it seemed as if he had finally put it all together, and had become the fighter most had long felt he had the potential to be.

So Floyd and Zab agreed to fight. Zab would have a routine tune-up and they would get it on. But even the best laid plans can go awry, and an unfocused Zab lost his belt and linear-champion status to Carlos Baldomir. Bet you didn't see that coming.

Funny thing, this sport of boxing though. Seems like Carlos couldn't pay a sanctioning fee, so he never got the belt he fought for and seemingly won. Where does that leave Floyd Mayweather?
Since the Judah fight was already planned, he went through with it and that decision lead to all kinds of criticism of him and the organizations that refused to give Baldomir the title. Let's stay focused on what actually happened.

Floyd fought a focused Zab Judah, who gave an excellent account of himself for about four or five rounds. Then Floyd picked him apart and was on his way to what I believe was a stoppage victory, and then Judah fouled him with a low blow, and all hell broke loose. Everyone in both corners lost it, except for one man, Floyd Mayweather.

When the smoke cleared, Floyd's trainer, uncle Roger Mayweather, was ejected, and eventually Roger, Zab, and Zab's father and trainer Yoel, would end up with suspended licenses. After that fight, Floyd fought and virtually shutout Carlos Baldomir to become the linear 147-pound champ. His trainer happened to be in jail at the time, and oh yeah, Baldomir weighed 163 on fight night.

Meanwhile, Miguel Cotto continued to impress at his new weight, knocking out good fighter after good fighter, showing some vulnerablity a la the Ricardo Torres fight, but improving, and most importantly, winning.

In my opinion it is impossible to be a boxing fan and not be a Miguel Cotto fan. He is that good, and embodies everything we love about fighters. Not to mention he now has great skills to match his toughness and grit.

Ricky Hatton had a different experience. He fought Luis Callazo, and squeaked out a decision many felt he did not deserve. It seems like the guy who relies on strength and pressure was not strong enough to handle the pressure at 147, at a time when Mayweather and Cotto were shining. He quickly went down to a weight were he would be able to bully smaller men, but not before making the most revealing statement ever made about the world of talent that divided him from Floyd Mayweather.

Right after the Collazo fight Hatton said, quote, "I am not ready for the likes of a Mayweather".

Unfortunately for his pride (and noggin), but fortunately for his wallet, he lost that objectivity, objectivity that came in the form of a 147-pound reality check. Little did he know then, objectivity would be partialy restored 19 months later.

As Cotto kept moving forward and Hatton moved back down, Mayweather got himself the biggest fight in history, a fight no boxer would turn down. Oscar De La Hoya, the "Golden Boy", and most lucrative opponent and future hall of famer. In all of the drama building up to the fight, what often gets left out, perhaps deliberately or just over shadowed by the other headlines, is that that fight might never had happened.

De La Hoya, who had built a reputation as a fighter who would fight anybody, didn't display that same attitude in the negotiations. He demanded that the fight take place at 154 pounds, seven pounds over Mayweather's weight, and 19 pounds heavier then Mayweather was just three years ago.

He demanded that they use gloves that would accentuate Floyd's brittle hands, logically in the hopes Mayweather would injure them. Another demand was that the fight take place in a smaller ring. All of these worked against Floyd, and De La Hoya refused to fight him if any of these demands were not met. Naturally, Floyd agreed to every one of them.

I've seen this fight several times, and what I see is a clinic. Let's not forget that Mayweather weighed 150 at the weigh-in and 148 on fight night. We don't know what Oscar weighed on fight night. I don't think many people would think it a stretch to say he probably weighed close to 160, but that's just speculation. He weighed-in at 154 pounds.

The scoring was close, but the CompuBox numbers seemed to back up a decisive Mayweather victory. He landed the cleaner shots, staggered De La Hoya, and showed superior defense, among other things. Again, this fight became a beacon for a lack of objectivity concerning Floyd Mayweather.
While not many people felt that Oscar had won, those who sought to detract from the win took it as some kind of "moral victory", even going so far as to say De La Hoya gave the fight away by not jabbing, and that the fight was really close.

What actually happened?

We saw a fighter step up to a weight he couldn't even make against a man who will go to the hall of fame, that had fought Bernard Hopkins at 160, and who had just beat a 154-pound champion. Other than Joe Calzaghe, most boxing people have not articulated the merits of that accomplishment. I’ve always felt that the greats do things that would seem unreasonable to ask the rest of the pack.
I will illustrate my point with this.

Kelly Pavlik has the middleweight title and we all seem to like him; he is a good, consistent, young fighter. But would you ask him to eventually step up to heavyweight and challenge for a title, let alone win one? That would seem ridiculous to even ask him to do that, yet that is exactly what Roy Jones did. And like Floyd, people do not want to acknowledge their accomplishments.

How many fighters could realistically do what Mayweather did to De La Hoya? Factor in the weight increases and the time period of those weight gains. Name to yourself how many guys, right now, could start at 130, jump to 135, and in three years win the 154-pound title. Keep in mind beating linear champs and Ring Magazine titles.

Going back to the good old days when Mayweather, Cotto, and Hatton were all at 140 pounds, and Mayweather supposedly ducked them by moving up, he now has fought Hatton and knocked him out. Hatton lost beacuse he became a victim of lost objectivity, and started to believe the hype.

He bought into arguments of Mayweather "losing" to Castillio, without looking at what really happened. He bought into the argument that Floyd "ducked" him by moving up to a weight class Hatton couldn't hang in. He bought into the argument that the Mayweather-De La Hoya fight was close. Now, he blames it all on the ref.

Let's look at the Cotto angle. Cotto has proven himself, no questions asked. But what are his biggest wins? Zab Judah and Shane Mosley. The same Zab Judah who Mayweather had already beat. Some will say that De La Hoya is old, so he shouldn't be considered a viable opponent. With that logic, neither is Mosley, as he is even older than Oscar.

We all know their history together. Do you really think that Cotto would turn down a De La Hoya or a Hatton fight? Maybe when he starts fighting for free, but as long as he is collecting purses, I feel it's safe to assume he would jump at those lucrative pay-days.

So based on what has actually happened, Floyd Mayweather has proven his
pound-for-pound status, from his 130-pound strap right up to junior middleweight. You can't knock a man for getting the most out of what his profession has to offer. He certainly didn't duck Hatton, and using that logic in light of what has actually happened, a tenable case of Mayweather ducking Cotto cannot be made.

If so, when? When he made eight figures fighting Oscar? Or Ricky? Or becoming the linear 147-pound champ? I won't even mention the other fighters he was accused of avoiding. They won't be going to the hall of fame, and have in the last year both lost to fighters who also won't be going to the hall of fame.

As long as Cotto keeps winning and Mayweather keeps fighting, it's safe to say that they will fight just as Floyd fought Ricky. If you bet on Hatton before, you already know the pain lack of objectivity brings.

So why is Mayweather fighting Marquez? To achieve the same effect on the public that Pacquiao has by beating De la Hoya and Hatton. Both of Pacquiao’s fights with Marquez could have went either way, so if Mayweather dominates Marquez the demand for a fight with The Pac Man is that much more hyped up, especially is Manny beats Cotto and it looks as if they are going to fight. If Pacquiao is the best fighter on earth Marquez is right with him. And if Pac Man is a worthy challenger for Mayweather, and I’ve heard some even say that Mayweather is ducking him then so is Marquez. Which is why Mayweather will fight him.

As for Mosley well he may have missed his chance, since Floyd wanted to fight him years ago and was put off. But the fighter we should be talking about is Paul Williams. Nobody mentions him probably because he is not promoted by Golden Boy, Bob Arum or Don King, but in my opinion he is the hardest fight out there and I can’t see Cotto, or Pacquiao beating him which is why they don’t mention him. But based on who he has beat and the lack of attention you know people are running from him because he is truly willing to fight not only anyone, but anyone near his weight.
The best welterweight since Mayweather's retirement is Paul Williams.

He beat Margarito and gave him more money then he ever made to do so. It was close and he still offered Margarito an immediate rematch, which was rejected.

Couldn’t have been over money because Margarito took less money to face Kermit Cintron, a man he had already beaten.

He actually had the grown man crying in the ring in five rounds. Now I know that Cintron had a belt and Margarito wanted one (he lost his to Williams), but for all of this most feared man in boxing crap I have to call him out.

Yeah, Cintron had a belt but why not take back the one you lost from Williams if you’re so tough?

He gave you the most money too. I don’t care how much you improve you don’t go from having a man make you cry tears on TV in five rounds to actually beating him.

Can you imagine what they would have said about Floyd if he had rematched Arturo Gatti. He’d never hear the end of it.

Williams went on to lose a shocker but he made it right in a hurry by taking out Carlos Quintana in round one.

After Margarito beat Cotto guess who he called out?

Think he wanted to avenge his loss? Hell no!

He went after Oscar de la Hoya.

When Mayweather fought de la Hoya, Margarito called him every name in the book, and said de la Hoya was not a real challenge.

Probably why he wanted him after Cotto.

Oscar didn’t fight him so he took on another fighter that everyone in the world except Roger Mayweather thought would be easy, Shane Mosley.

But Williams still wanted to fight him and offered him more money then Shane did.
And I will note that Williams stepped up to 160 to dominate Winky Wright who took out Mosley twice.

But I’m going to assume because of Margarito’s actions he would rather an easy fight that better money.

But you gotta love boxing (isn’t that why were here?) because it truly is the theatre of the unexpected.

Shane Mosley knocked out the so-called most feared man in the sport.

We even got two for one in the unexpected drama department, as Margarito got caught juicing his wraps with plaster of Paris. He has since been suspended. He was known for his power. Oh well.
Margarito beat Cotto, which I knew would happen, and in a nutshell here why it happened.

Cotto is good but he gets hurt a lot. Corley hurt him. Torres hurt him, Judah hurt him, and Mosley hurt him. Problem he faced with Margarito was that he couldn’t hurt him and we all knew Margarito could hurt Cotto.

And Margarito is not the kind of fighter to get him hurt and let him off the hook. With this hand-wrapping farce, I wonder how much Margarito can really hurt fighters on his own.

Beating Floyd Money Mayweather

Beating Mayweather up to this point has been something that no fighter has been able to achieve. Not even the Big Show from WWE fame was able to KO the slick tactician of the sweet science. Here is a formula and game plan that I believe if executed properly, could hand Mayweather his first defeat.

I would like to start off with saying that even though I don’t care a great deal for Floyd, I recognize and greatly respect his natural ability and god given talents that he’s been blessed with. He is easily the quickest and most dominant fighter that I have seen in the sport since Roy Jones Jr. in his prime. Both had the incredible talent to easily embarrass and out point they’re opponent while going virtually untouched through out the fight. My point being only a top tier opponent would be able to execute this game plan that I am about to put forth. This will only work for fighters like Marquez or Pacquiao who are phenomenal in they’re own right, but are considered by most to be less talented in comparison to a Mayweather, and therefore less likely to pull off a victory against him. B level opponents need not apply! Sorry Victor Ortiz.

This strategy even makes more sense now than it did a couple of months ago when the Mayweather vs. Marquez fight was first scheduled, and more than likely wont come as that big of a shock to any real followers of the sport. Supposedly the original fight date was postponed to the September 19th date due to a rib injury that Mayweather suffered early in training camp. Three words folks, “WORK THE BODY”! Kill the body and the head will follow as the say, and with Mayweather I feel that this would hold especially true.

Marquez would be an absolute fool not to try and test how well Mayweather’s rib has healed by launching a constant assault to the body. Even if there was no rib injury what so ever Marquez would be well served to focus the bulk of his efforts to the body of Mayweather. In fact for the at least the first six rounds of the fight Marquez should throw almost nothing but punches to the body, other than a jab upstairs.

Now this was supposed to be the strategy for Mayweather’s fights with De La Hoya as well as Ricky Hatton, but once in the ring with Mayweather both had trouble sticking to and executing that game plan. Maybe it was because they both disliked Floyd so much that they found it irresistible to try and damage Floyd’s pretty face. What ever the reason it didn’t happen and Floyd’s slick style and boxing skills prevailed.

I realize that Floyd’s incredible defense and great lateral movement is just one of the elements that make him so remarkably hard to beat, but that can be neutralized. Marquez must cut the ring off to combat Floyd’s constant movement rather than chasing him moving forward. He also needs to make it a rough physical fight when getting in close with Mayweather pressuring him into hopefully making a mistake.

After the sixth round or so Marquez could start going upstairs a bit more with his punches at a ratio of about 5/20. That’s five head shots for every 20 body shots thrown. Now nobody really knows how good Mayweather’s chin is since its never really been tested due to his defensive greatness but maybe just maybe Marquez could find out using the strategy I’m proposing?

At the very least using this formula he would be able to grind out a decision victory handing Floyd his first loss. The body is a larger and more stationary target than the head so it makes much sense to attack it with consistency while being aware of the counter punching Mayweather. Lets see how healed that rib is? This is truly the only path to victory for Marquez.

On September 19th Juan Manuel Marquez (50-4-1 37 KO’s) collides with the former pound 4 pound king and undefeated super star Floyd Money Mayweather (39-0 25KO’S). True boxing fans are routing for this to be a great fight that will answer two questions. One, does Mayweather still have what it takes to the reclaim his crown as the pound 4 pound king of boxing? Two, or does Marquez possess the skills & ability to pull off a major upset, and further his right to be regarded as the new pound 4 pound king?

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.

Mayweather-Marquez Fight Postponed

The highly anticipated July 18 fight between Floyd Mayweather and Juan Manuel Marquez has been postponed due to a rib injury sustained by Mayweather while training. The mega-fight was scheduled to take place at MGM Grand in Las Vegas and be televised live on HBO Pay-Per-View. "I am extremely disappointed that this fight has to be postponed," said Mayweather. "I was training very hard and looking forward to getting back in the ring on July 18th.."

"I was very disappointed to hear the news about the fight being postponed," said Marquez from his training camp in Mexico. "I will remain focused, in shape and ready to fight whenever the fight is rescheduled for." Information about rescheduling the fight will be made available as soon as possible.

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

Manny Pacquiao wants Mayweather

In the report on the local television news program, world boxing champion and pound for pound king, Manny Pacquiao was interviewed about his schedules on at the ring.

While Floyd Mayweather admires Manny Pacquiao's fighting style but re-assured himself that the latter cannot knock him down, Manny Pacquiao then takes the challenge. Manny said he wants to have Mayweather since he was really challenging, he wants him because people are talking this fight. He wants to prove something on Floyd Mayweather.

The tentative schedule was set on October 17, 2009 and he will challenge whoever wins between Mayweather and Marquez fight on July this year. The popular Filipino boxer who recently scored a second round knock out against Ricky Hatton of England said that he is willing to face Mayweather at any weight between 142-145 pounds.

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.

Marquez and Mayweather, at the Right Time- "De La Hoya"

Oscar De La Hoya believes that WBO/WBA lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez is catching Floyd Mayweather Jr. at the right time. De La Hoya promotes Marquez under his Golden Boy Promotions banner. The fight takes place on July 18 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
De La Hoya believes Mayweather has taken off for too long, and Marquez has the style to win. Mayweather last fought in December 2007, stopping Ricky Hatton in ten rounds. The fight will take place at a catch-weight below 145-pounds.
"Marquez will win thanks to his conditioning and his combination punching, especially his counter-attacks. This it is the perfect opportunity for Juan Manuel because Mayweather has been out of the ring for [almost] two years," De La Hoya was quoted by El Nuevo Dia.
"He will handle Mayweather's jab to the body. Marquez will be able to throw his uppercut. It is a strong and unique weapon for him"
De La Hoya lost a close decision to Mayweather in May 2007. He says the jab was winning the fight for him in the early rounds. He is advising Marquez to depend on the jab.
"During the first six rounds, I was dominating him easy thanks to the jab. I advised Marquez to utilize the jab, but with more aggressiveness. Mayweather does not like to get hit. I am positive that Juan Manuel will win", De La Hoya said.

Juan Manuel Marquez vs Floyd Mayweather Jr.

After the stunning victory of Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao against Ricky "Hitman" Hatton, Saturday night, May 2, 2009. Pacquiao vs Hatton, the retired undisputed and undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr. announced his come back in the world of boxing and tries to claim his crown as the king of the ring. Mayweather will start his come back by an opening fight on July 18 against the mexican Juan Manuel Marquez at MGM Grand in Las Vegas where they will be fighting on 143 or 144 pounds weight category.

The same bragging mouth of the last Mayweather is still dominating in his every interview today and he is not really convinced that Pacquiao is the best fighter of all time. He claims that he have never been lost ever and the fighter that can produce millions in every fight. This fight between them will be the trigerring device for the coming future Pacquiao vs Mayweather match, if ever he wins this July fight against the Juan Manuel Marquez which is also aiming to fight again Pacquiao.

Mayweather Sr. Blames Hatton And Lee Beard For Loss To "Pac-Man"

I guess we always kind of knew the talented yet egocentric Floyd Mayweather Senior would not in any way accept that the disaster his fighter Ricky Hatton suffered at the hands of Manny Pacquiao was nothing to do with him and his ability as a trainer. No way would the man who calls himself the greatest trainer of all times come out and say he was the primary reason a fighter of his lost. And maybe Mayweather Senior is not the man to attach any blame to when it comes to the destructive 2nd round KO "The Hitman" fell to when he met "Pac-Man.."

However, Mayweather Snr. is sure who does deserve the blame, and he doesn't mind coming out with his opinion.

In an interesting article that has appeared in The Manchester Evening News, the 56-year-old trainer has been quoted as laying into both Hatton and his assistant trainer Lee Beard. Big Floyd argues it was the guidance and extra training provided by Beard that cost Ricky the fight; that and Hatton's own inability to listen to his corner during the short battle.
Less than two weeks on from the potentially career-ending fight, and Mayweather has made it clear he is not to blame and also that he will not work with Hatton again even if the 30-year-old decides to box on.

According to the Evening News feature, Mayweather Senior turned up late in Hatton's dressing room before the fight, and he had also done so for at least one of Ricky's pre-fight sparring sessions.

Floyd even spoke about the now well documented turmoil in the camp himself.

"You got to listen to your corner, simple as that," Mayweather said. "And like I said once before, there was turmoil in the camp. It showed up in the fight. Not because of me. It showed up in the fight because he had another person training him when I wasn't around and sometimes when I was around. He guided Ricky in the wrong way."

And though Beard has admitted that Hatton lost his head and got excited when the bell rang back on May 2nd, it's no way fair to blame him for the loss. Neither is it fair to blame Mayweather Senior, come to that, but he is the man now chucking culpability around. At the end of the day, as I'm sure Ricky Hatton would admit himself, HE is the only person who can be blamed for what happened.

As for the future of Britain's most popular fighter, his father, Ray, said his son still has to make up his mind but that when he does so he will stick to whatever decision he makes.

"He's taking his time. He is single-minded, stubborn if you like," Ray told M.E.N Sport. "And once he makes up his mind that will be it. Certainly he won't be a Frank Sinatra, forever making comebacks."

As of today, the majority of fans and experts feel Hatton should NOT fight again. One of these experts is, of course, Mayweather Senior himself. Though it's highly unlikely Hatton will be listening to anything he has to say anymore.

Juan Seriously After Floyd

WBA/WBO lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez, and manager/trainer Nacho Berestain have spoken out in the Mexican press about their position on fighting Floyd Mayweather Jr. After Marquez stopped Juan Diaz last Saturday in Texas, he called for a fight with Mayweather, who is technically retired and inactive since December 2007.

Berestain says their pursuit of Mayweather is real and not a ploy to lure Manny Pacquiao into a third fight. They don't deny their desire to fight the Filipino for a third time but they want a fight with Mayweather in September.

One of the main sticking points by Berestain is the weight. He says under no circumstances do they plan to fight Mayweather at the welterweight limit of 147-pounds. Nacho says a twelve-pound advantage is too much for Marquez. They are willing to meet Mayweather at a catch-weight of 143-144-pounds. Most insiders don't expect Mayweather to un-retire for Marquez. Richard Schaefer, CEO for Golden Boy Promotions, who promote Marquez, believes the fight can be made. He already reached out to Mayweather's adviser Al Haymon and their conversations have gone well.

That doesn't mean Floyd will actually return for Marquez.

He wanted a guarantee of $20 million to fight Shane Mosley. Even if he dropped his demand to an area between $10 to 15 million for Marquez, that is still a lot of money to make back and a lot of risk for Golden Boy. Maybe too much risk. Marquez is not a proven ticket seller or pay-per-view star. Mayweather, unless he has De La Hoya/Hatton on the other end, has done an average of 350-400 on pay-per-view. Considering the economic times, it would be very tough to get a million pay-per-view buys.

Marquez vs. Mayweather

According to the latest boxing news, Floyd Mayweather Jr. (39-0, 25 KOs) may be coming out of retirement for a September bout against boxing’s new number #1 Pound-for-pound star lightweight Juan Manuel Marquez (50-4-1, 37 KOs), who recently stopped Juan Diaz in the 9th round this past weekend at the Toyota Center, in Houston, Texas. Marquez, 35, called out Mayweather after the fight with Diaz on Saturday, saying that he’d like to move up to welterweight to face him there.

Oddly enough, Marquez said little about a third fight with Manny Pacquiao, other than to say that he’s going after Mayweather because “Pacquiao doesn’t want to fight me.” In that, it looks as if Marquez speaks the truth because since losing a controversial 12-round split decision to Pacquiao in March 2008, Manny hasn’t shown any interested in fighting him again, instead going after the soft Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton.

Mayweather reportedly wants to return to the ring by the end of the year and what better way to do it than to face a much smaller Marquez instead of a bigger, arguably more dangerous fighter like Miguel Cotto. Even against a smaller fighter like Marquez, Mayweather would be faced with a very difficult fight because Marquez specializes in counter punching much in the same way that Mayweahther does and he will no doubt make Mayweather pay for any shots he wants to land in the fight.

Source: boxingnews24.com

Floyd "Pretty Boy" Mayweather

Perhaps the premier pound-for-pound boxer of this era and without question the most talented, "Pretty Boy" Floyd Mayweather brings an intriguing mix of speed, power, and a warrior's instincts into each of his bouts-a combination that has translated to 38 wins without a loss, 24 knockouts, and world championships in five weight classes.

Fresh off his historic victory over "The Golden Boy" Oscar De La Hoya in their record-breaking May 5th battle at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, and with a newly added junior middleweight title to his trophy case, Mayweather is comfortable being at the top of the sport.

"My goal is to be one of the best fighters who ever lived," he said. "My career and legacy are very important to me and I feel I am already ranked among the best there ever where in the sport."

Born and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Mayweather was born into a boxing family. His father, Floyd Sr. was a former welterweight contender who fought Hall of Famer Sugar Ray Leonard, and his uncles, Roger and Jeff, were also pro fighters, with Roger - Floyd's current trainer - winning two world championships in his prime.

Fitted with boxing gloves while he was still a toddler, Floyd started boxing at the age of seven, and his acumen for the hardest game was obvious from the start. He would go on to compile an 84-6 amateur record while earning three Michigan Golden Gloves titles, three National Golden Gloves titles, PAL and National Championships, and an Olympic Bronze medal in the 1996 Games.

In those Atlanta Games, Mayweather roared through his first three foes, including Lorenzo Aragon of Cuba. With that win, Mayweather became the first US boxer in 20 years to defeat a fighter from Cuba. But in the semi-finals, Mayweather would drop a highly controversial 10-9 decision to Bulgaria's Serafim Todorov, a bout most observers believed he won.

He has not lost since.

Turning pro in the super featherweight division on October 11, 1996, Mayweather blitzed Roberto Apodaca in just two rounds, and his journey to greatness was underway. After one more win in 1996, Mayweather went 10-0 with 9 knockouts in 1997, and added five more wins to his ledger in the first half of 1998. Fight fans were chomping at the bit to see the ultra-talented Mayweather in with the elite at 130 pounds, and on October 3, 1998, they got their chance when the 21-year old faced off against Genaro Hernandez for 'Chicanito's WBC world championship.

It was no contest as Mayweather battered the veteran with blinding combinations, pitching a near shutout before the fight was stopped after the eighth round. Floyd Mayweather was a world champion.

But any great champion will tell you that winning a title is one thing - defending it is another, and Mayweather, despite his physical gifts, showed his desire for greatness by outworking his opponents in the gym and gaining a reputation as one of the hardest workers in the sport.

This work paid off as Mayweather defended his super featherweight title eight times from 1998 to 2001, defeating Angel Manfredy (TKO2), Carlos Rios (W12), Justin Juuko (KO9), Carlos Gerena (TKO7), Gregorio Vargas (W12), Diego Corrales (TKO10), Carlos Hernandez (W12), and Jesus Chavez (TKO9). Corrales, Hernandez, and Chvez would all go on to win world titles after their one-sided losses to Mayweather.

With 130 pounds cleaned out, Mayweather sought new challenges at 135 pounds, and he got it in his WBC lightweight championship match against Mexico's tough Jose Luis Castillo on April 20, 2002. But after 12 hard-fought rounds, Mayweather had won his second world crown.

"I was outboxing him easy," said Mayweather. "He was tough and it was a good learning experience for me."

Fight fans clamored for a rematch though, and "Pretty Boy" Floyd answered their call in his very next fight less than eight months later, repeated his 12 round decision win over Castillo.

"I told you it would be easy this time," said Mayweather. "My plan was to box more, no power shots, be smart."

He went on to defend the lightweight title twice more, over Victoriano Sosa (W12) and Phillip N'dou (TKO7), before testing the waters at 140 pounds.

In the junior welterweight division, Mayweather immediately made his presence known with a dominating 12 round decision win over former world champion DeMarcus Corley on May 22, 2004, and after an eighth round stoppage of Henry Bruseles to kick off 2005, Mayweather made his debut as a pay-per-view headliner on June 25, 2005, and he walked through rugged Arturo Gatti in just six rounds to win the WBC 140-pound championship.

"I told the fans I prepared for this physically and mentally," said Mayweather. "I respect Arturo Gatti for giving me the chance. He's a tough guy, strong guy, but tonight I was the better man. I boxed, stuck to the game plan, and got the victory."

Mayweather didn't spend much time at junior welterweight though, as he immediately jumped up to the welterweight division to take on the best in yet another weight class. Floyd kicked off his 147-pound campaign with a sixth round TKO of former world champion Sharmba Mitchell on November 19, 2005, and on April 8, 2006, he would face former friend Zab Judah in a highly-anticipated grudge match. But despite the bad blood between the two, Mayweather was a cool customer in the ring as he cruised to an easy 12 round decision win to earn the IBF welterweight title.

Not satisfied with just one belt, Mayweather finished off a stellar 2006 campaign with a 12 round near-shutout over Carlos Baldomir to add the WBC welterweight crown to his resume. His last fight, the epic conquering of De La Hoya in their May 5 super fight, launched an incredible 2007 crusade destined for history books. Now he will finish out the year with a challenge against the formidable British icon Ricky Hatton on Saturday, December 8 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, in an attempt to continue his brilliance and boxing legacy.

Source: HBO Mayweather Bio