Legend has it the gambling term “chalk” precedes World War II. In the days when horsetrack bettors watched a chalkboard for odds, the action on a favorite would change so often, causing erasings and re-markings in such a frenzy, that a pile of chalk dust would accumulate on the favorite’s name, often obscuring it.

A bettor who walked to the window and took the chalk, then, might not even know the name of his horse – just that it was favored.

Today, the accumulated chalk dust that can obscure a fighter’s name is HBO. Bet the chalk for Saturday’s HBO pay-per-view scrap between Floyd “Money May” Mayweather and WBC welterweight titlist Victor Ortiz at MGM Grand. Wherever betting closes in Mayweather’s favor – the fight opened at 8-1 odds – the chalk bet will be a safe one for a couple reasons.

First, Mayweather is an astute handicapper. In all of boxing, only Top Rank matchmaker Bruce Trampler might have a better eye for prizefighters’ limitations. Mayweather opens as the favorite in every fight because professional gamblers, uninterested in opponents’ heroic biographies, trust Mayweather’s eye and know he does not fight anyone he isn’t sure he will beat.

Second, HBO televises mostly mismatches. A careful apologist surely could visit all of HBO’s recent offerings and explain the political intrigue and promotional connivance that made them what disappointments they were. But here’s something to keep in mind as a subscriber: It’s none of your business. Your only job as a customer is to enjoy a product.

The “24/7” documentary HBO uses to sell pay-per-view fights was, this time as always, one episode too many. An episode’s worth of time for each fighter and what the men will do to one another, really, is a proper model. That’s three episodes. Because “24/7” is an infomercial vehicle now on autopilot, we get four, and one of them invariably comprises robustly silly skits like Money May car shopping.

Money May, as we learned in episode 3, has lost interest in HBO’s hagiographic treatment of Victor Ortiz’s childhood. Touché. Something about the Kansan’s story does not feel well-reported. Ortiz is strikingly eloquent about the trauma of being left for dead by both parents before his 13th birthday. And when he says that, at age nine, he told all and sundry he would be the guy to beat an Olympic bronze medalist named Mayweather, well, he seems – borrowing Larry Merchant’s term – to be trying too hard.

Ortiz has always come across as an edgy suburban kid more than a street tough. In any other field of endeavor, of course, that would be a compliment. We spent a 15-minute bus ride to the Alamodome together in 2007. Ortiz showed none of the eyes-lowered wariness of most traumatized kids. Rather, he was gregarious, opinionated and bright. If he was merely eight years, then, from living on the streets, his transformation was indeed miraculous.

But if a product of wholesale poverty – pecuniary, spiritual, intellectual – is what you’re after, look no further than Money May’s made-for-TV chat session with American soldiers in the latest “24/7” installment. Racing through his mansion with a laptop, hyperactive enough to outpace the boundaries of his home’s wireless network, twice, Money May showed $30,000/year heroes his collection of meretricious toys. It was a concise report on American values.

If Victor Ortiz were to read what is written about him above, he would likely reply, “Whatever, dude, I don’t care if you believe me or not.” Mayweather, meanwhile, would go into a righteous fit, the reflexive lunacy of a man wrongly accused. Mayweather the businessman against Ortiz the trauma survivor, then, has all the congruity of a Shakespearean bed-switching caper.

So, we can agree the subplots for this event are mostly if not entirely contrived, but what about the fight itself?

It should not be close. Some of us may have forgotten the look on Ortiz’s face when he quit against Marcos Maidana in 2009, but rest assured Mayweather has not. That Victor Ortiz, and not the beast who decisioned Andre Berto in April, is the guy Mayweather expects to face Saturday.

Ortiz, who has learned from his handler Oscar De La Hoya the media is only useful as a lapdog, criticizes those who criticize him. He explains that we do not understand how much fire he has inside him, and he is likely correct. But Ortiz has yet to show Ricky Hatton’s fire in the ring, and we saw how Mayweather extinguished that.

But Ortiz is so much bigger than Hatton was!

Actually, Ortiz has exactly as many fights at welterweight as Hatton had when he was stopped by Mayweather four years ago. Ortiz has 1/7 as many fights at welterweight as Mayweather. Ortiz will bring exactly no power advantage to Saturday’s fight.

That leaves his awkwardness and youth. He is a southpaw, and he has 24 years to Mayweather’s 34. If aficionados agree Ortiz would have no chance against a prime Mayweather, their reason for purchasing Saturday’s show must be: Mayweather is no longer in his prime.

That may be. Certainly, the day Mayweather’s reflexes dull, nobody in his entourage will be the wiser. Mayweather’s trainer and uncle, at age 50, isn’t likely to catch his charge slipping with handpad tricks, and Roger Mayweather remains Floyd’s only chance at an honest appraisal.

For all his childishness, though, Floyd Mayweather might just be a genius of physical motion. If he had detected an erosion in training camp, he likely would have spent “24/7” taunting Ortiz instead of buying cars.

Alas, we’re supposed to be selling this fight in the hopes that next year will bring a fight to save boxing – “The World Awaited” – and so it behooves us to proclaim this match will be more than another tune-up for Mayweather. OK, then, probably . . .

Sorry, couldn’t do it. The chalk is right. I’ll take Mayweather: KO-10.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

The Mayweather gym opened it’s doors to writers, photographers, and videographers alike this past Tuesday with it’s traditional pre-fight media day.

The action kicked off with a workout from young, and undefeated prospect Jesse Vargas who worked the pads and heavy bag for the national and local media. Roger Mayweather fielded questions from the press at ringside, while p.r. specialist Kelly Swanson conducted interviews with fighters and trainers for Ustream.

Mayweather himself entered the room close to 3 o’clock, decked out in black, fielding questions from the press before changing into his workout attire. Commenting on everything from his father, to Victor Ortiz, to Manny Pacquiao, Mayweather reiterated the same points he has drilled home time and time again. When faced with a question regarding Ortiz’s thoughts on his financial carelessness Mayweather offered up his defense.

“People act like I just woke up and was a millionaire, I had a very tough upbringing. But people don’t want to hear the same thing over and over, 24/7 is about entertainment”

Nowhere to be seen was the original Floyd Mayweather, who was infamously involved in an eruption with his son just weeks ago. Mayweather Jr. was inevitably asked to comment on his father, and remained reserved in his answer, wishing his father well in his boxing ventures, and reaffirming his loyalty in uncle and long time trainer Roger.

Another inevitable question the former champion faced involved a certain Pilipino champion by the name of
Manny Pacquiao. Mayweather’s criticism toward Pacquiao on this particular day centered around the Pac-Man’s lawsuit.
“I figured that this was boxing, Ali used to criticize his opponents. I criticize my opponents, It’s boxing.”

The Grand Rapids native continued to insist that he has never outrightly accused Pacquiao of cheating, and stood by his stance on Olympic style blood testing.

The Mayweather gym houses more than just it’s future hall of fame namesake. The facility also serves as a breeding ground for several hopeful young champions. Among them is 25 year old Christian Thomas.

While Thomas has yet to make his debut, he calls himself the car that isn’t quite ready to come out of the garage yet, but when his number is called he’l be ready for the best at 168. The young fighter migrated west from Mayweather’s hometown of Grand Rapids Michigan, and notes that the gym functions as a team operation.

If Media day offered one consistent trend, it’s that Floyd Mayweather is not afraid to be hated, and when the spotlight is on him he is at his brightest.

After Lucas Matthysse fell ill earlier this week, Golden Boy Promotions scrambled to find an opponent for Erik Morales as part if the Floyd Mayweather Victor Ortiz undercard and they came up with undefeated Mexican Pablo Cesar Cano according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

“When Matthysse dropped out we looked at who the available contenders were and we wanted to still put on an exciting fight,” Golden Boy Promotions Richard Schaefer told ESPN on Friday night, just after the deal had been completed. “Matthysse against Morales would have been toe-to-toe action. We all know that. With Pablo Cesar Cano I know it will also be toe-to-toe action. And the rivalry between Mexico City (Cano) and Tijuana (Morales) continues.”

It turns out that the 21-year-old Cano (22-0-1, 17 KOs) is trained by Rudy Perez, who trained another Mexican star, Marco Antonio Barrera, for his all-time classic trilogy with Morales.

“Rudy Perez is excited about the opportunity. Cano is thrilled,” Schaefer said. “Rudy Perez told me has exactly the recipe to beat Morales. He’s done it before in (two of the three) Barrera fights. They are all fired up for this opportunity. Cano just fought a couple of months ago and he is in great shape and ready go. They really jumped on this.”

Schaefer said Morales (51-7, 35 KOs), 35, also accepted the fight immediately.

“He said, ‘I don’t care, just sign him up,’” Schaefer said. “He said, ‘I don’t care who I fight. Bring me King Kong.’ I know this is going to be an exciting fight. It was easy to get made and I’ll bet anyone it will be an exciting fight. When you have two Mexicans fighting each other — on Mexican Independence Day weekend — for a world title, I don’t think you see too many boring fights. These guys really want it.”

Dan Rafael of espn.com is reporting that Lucas Matthysse has fallen ill which will force him to opt out of next Saturday’s showdown with Erik Morales that would have been for the vacant WBC Super Lightweight title that was to be a part of the Floyd Mayweather – Victor Ortiz undercard.

“They did send us a certificate from a doctor but this is a situation where I don’t even need to see a certificate,” said Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy Promotions. “The guy was favored to go and win a world title against a legend like Erik Morales on the biggest pay-per-view card of the year. Who the hell would want to pull out of that?”

“He has a very severe virus, which totally dehydrated him and weakened him,” Schaefer said. “I was told he had to be admitted to the hospital to deal with the dehydration issues, but he is going to be OK.”

When Matthysse (28-2, 26 KOs) dropped out Schaefer said Morales’ first request was that Golden Boy try to line up a rematch with titleholder Marcos Maidana, who won majority decision against him in an April barnburner.

“Erik came to us and said he was looking forward to the fight with Matthysse and that he will fight anyone in his place,” Schaefer said. “He said, ‘Get me Maidana.’ So we reached out to Maidana, but he prefers to fight in Argentina at this point.”

Schaefer said there are three potential opponents for Morales, although he declined to name them.

“We should have something to announce in the next 24 hours,” he said.

“Erik Morales is always in exciting fights,” Schaefer said. “You could never see Erik Morales in a bad fight, so I am excited no matter who he fights.”

There are almost as many interpretations of the zero on the losing side of Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s ledger as there are victories in the column that betting odds say is about to go from 41 to 42. That 0 is a blank canvas. What adds up to nothing can amount to anything, maybe everything about Mayweather.

On one level, it’s baffling. Only in boxing can unbeaten mean unproven. Yet on another level, a fighter’s ability and character have always been measured in terms of how he deals with defeat. From Sugar Ray Robinson to Muhammad Ali, a loss makes them human and the comeback makes them great. Other than Rocky Marciano, those are the terms in the fine print that go into the creation of a legend.

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: Without a loss, it’s just hard to know what to make of Mayweather. Perhaps, that’s unfair. Perhaps, it’s just a sign that there aren’t any great fighters these days, but don’t tell that to Manny Pacquiao. The suspicion is that Pacquiao-Mayweather hasn’t happened, simply because Mayweather is protecting that zero.

True?

False?

How about: Who knows?

That’s the only conclusion I got out of a conference call this week with Mayweather in the build-up to his Sept. 17 bout at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand with Victor Ortiz, who is enjoying a spike in popularity because he came back from lingering doubts left in the wake of a 2009 loss to Marcos Maidana.

Mayweather was his quick-silver self, which means he was entertaining, insightful, over-the-top cocky and annoying all at once. The zero said it all. We know zip about him.

He thanked the media. No kidding. Then, he turned his rhetorical venom on to his surrogate whipping boy, Oscar De La Hoya, while praising De La Hoya’s promotional CEO, Richard Schaefer.

“Can’t even call it Golden Boy Promotions anymore,’’ Mayweather said after ripping De La Hoya for talking about drugs, drinking and wearing women’s underwear in a recent Univision interview. “Got to call it Richard Schaefer Promotions.’’

Meanwhile, he sent up some more red flags about whether the left-handed Ortiz was in fact a step toward finally agreeing to a deal with Pacquiao, also a southpaw, for the only fight which interests casual fans, which means most people.

“If you’re the best, take the test,’’ Mayweather said in one of several references to the drug-testing demand that was the sticking point in the last round of abortive negotiations.

Mayweather repeated charges that could lead to a rocky start of renewed talks.

“It’s okay for (Pacquiao) to go from 105 (pounds) to 154 and he gets knockouts and they say: ‘You know what? It’ all natural,’ ‘’ he said. “But if I went from 147 to heavyweight and was knocking out heavyweights, would that be all natural? That’s what you got to ask yourself at the end of the day.’’

Mayweather compared himself to some of the best in his favorite pastime, basketball. Like LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson, Mayweather said he was well-known and considered a future professional star even when he was a high-school teenager. But Pacquiao, he said, came from nowhere.

“Suddenly at 25, he’s this good,’’ Mayweather said of the Filipino. “Come on.’’

Mayweather’s pointed questions were often offset by either common sense or a genuine sense that he cares. Remember, this is the same Mayweather who paid for Genaro Hernandez’ funeral in June. Hernandez helped launch Mayweather’s career in 1998 when Mayweather knocked him out in the eighth round.

“Hernandez gave me my first real opportunity,’’ Mayweather said during the conference call.

He said other things, both insightful and heartfelt.

On his notorious nickname, Money: “My health is more important than money.’’

When asked about possible distractions, he talked about alleged altercations, including one in which he was reported to have poked a security guard in the face.

“I don’t know no one who pokes somebody in the face when they’ve got a gun on them,’’ Mayweather said.

Anybody who has covered Mayweather through his long career has encountered this unexpected side to him. The man has money and moods. Yet in brief encounters away from a dysfunctional crowd that seems to egg on a personality that revels in being boxing’s bad boy, he can be a nice guy.

His legal problems include domestic abuse charges involving an ex-girlfriend, Josie Harris, also the mother of his children. In talking about that allegation, Mayweather talked about the night in 2006 when he beat Zab Judah. A brawl erupted, involving Judah, Yoel Judah, Zab’s dad and trainer, and Roger Mayweather, Floyd’s uncle-and-trainer.

Floyd Mayweather stood to one side, peaceful and under control in a ring where the violence threatened to become a riot.

The Mayweather of that night stands in sharp contrast to the one we often hear and the one we sometimes read about in stories that include a booking photo.

They don’t add up, just like that zero.

He’s either a surfer who happens to fight or a fighter who happens to be a surfer, snowboarder, golfer and tri-athlete. I have no idea. I’m not always sure Victor Ortiz does either. But Ortiz doesn’t waste time agonizing over perceptions about who he is or should be. He’ll leave the self-analysis to the media or perhaps Floyd Mayweather Jr.

“I have fun with this thing called life,’’ Ortiz said. “Apparently, that’s a sin in boxing. But I don’t care.’’

It was a comment, one of many, made by Ortiz Wednesday in a fascinating conference call that included a glimpse at layers to a personality that lacks only insecurity. The pieces don’t always seem to fit. To wit: The newly-minted welterweight champion calls himself “Vicious,” yet recalls he was repelled at the initial sight of fighters beating up on each other when he walked into a gym as a kid in Garden City, Kan., for the first time.

Contradictions make the man. They also make him interesting in a many-sided, yet distinct style that is defiant, humble, world-weary, child-like, cocky, funny, angry and always genuine. It’s the genuine part, I think, that fans have seen and seized upon since the dramatic resurrection of his career in a victory in April over Andre Berto and the ongoing build-up to Mayweather on Sept. 17 at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand.

The public likes him. So, too, does most of the media, at least for now. His relationship with the media ranks as one of the prime contradictions. His frustration with damning criticism started with his loss to Marcos Maidana and multiplied like a contagion in a regrettable case of piling on until he beat Berto.

I can’t blame him for not forgiving and forgetting the clichéd rips that always questioned his heart, yet ignored the story about how he had raised a brother after he was abandoned by his parents. Ortiz’ story is about heart, always on his sleeve and maybe too much of it.

On Wednesday, he talked about a visit seven months ago with his mom, Manuela, who left him when he was 7.

“I don’t really know her,’’ said Ortiz, whose dad, Victor, left him six years later. “But it seems like she’s a sweetheart. I forgave her for everything.’’

The media missed that heart, instead defining it by what it didn’t see saw in his 2009 loss to Maidana and his draw with Lamont Peterson in December.

Lingering bitterness flared Wednesday when Ortiz was asked about his move up to welterweight from junior-welter. He said he never had trouble making 140 pounds, despite what had been reported. Then, it became evident his only trouble was with the media.

“Of course, the media is very negative,’’ he said. “They sit around all day, feeling sorry for themselves.’’

The contradiction – an irony — is that Ortiz’ found the media to be his greatest ally before Berto. It gave him a cause, deepened a hunger to prove everybody wrong. It’s a trick older than even Bernard Hopkins, who has never let a slight, real or imagined, go unused in stoking the motivational fires.

The sudden surge in Ortiz’ popularity looms as problematic against Mayweather, who at last report was a 6-1 betting favorite. The bad guy has become a lifetime role for Mayweather. It was clear he was rehearsing for it once again in an ugly rant at his dad, Floyd Sr., in the first segment of HBO’s 24/7. By opening bell, Ortiz will play the good guy, an overwhelming fan favorite but not a favorite to win. He will have to guard against the public’s evident affection for him. If he allows himself to be seduced by it, motivation to score a stunning upset might be diminished.

Ortiz talks as if he knows that. Rather than popularity, he nurtures his lifetime role as underdog.

“For guys like me, this is not supposed to happen, not in a million years,’’ he said. “But I don’t believe in statistics. I’m trying to make my own statistic.’’

Just one would set some history on Sept. 17 if he could beat Mayweather. In 41 fights, nobody has. Ortiz is sure that he can.

“Cause Floyd is overdue,’’ Ortiz said. “He should not be a 147-pounder. I’m going to show him that. I never have thought he was that great, not even when I was a kid. …He’s in trouble.’’

Growing up, he said, favorites included his promoter, Oscar De la Hoya, Shane Mosley and Zab Judah.

But Mayweather?

“Not impressed,’’ Ortiz said.

Not even his 41-0 record?

“Forty-one fighters, none of them were me,’’ said Ortiz, who in a couple of weeks will step into a ring and a moment that will say a lot more about him than the media or even he can.

AZ Notes
· Phoenix prospect Jose Benavidez Jr., a junior-welterweight who continues to generate headlines in sparring with Mercito Gesta and Mosley at Freddie Roach’s Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles, has a scheduled opponent, 31-year-old Angel Rios, for a six-rounder on Sept. 17 at BlueWater Resort & Casino in Parker, Ariz. But Rios, of New York, also is scheduled for a bout on Sept.10 card featuring Yuriorkis Gamboa and Daniel Ponce de Leon in Atlantic City. If Rios (9-6, 6 KOs) is the foe, the 19-year-old Benavidez (12-0, 11 KOs) will encounter another fighter with experience against world-class opposition. Rios’ losses include one in 2001 to former lightweight champion Nate Campbell and another in 2003 to former super-featherweight champ Mike Anchondo.

· Alma Carrasco Canez enters the busy promotional market in Phoenix with a card Friday night featuring hometown super-bantamweight Alexis Santiago (9-1-1, 3 KOs) against Steven Johnson (7-3, 4 KOs) of Saint Joseph, MO. The card, at El Zaribah Shriners Auditorium, is scheduled for eight bouts. First bell is scheduled for 6 p.m. (PST).

LOS ANGELES (August 3)…The “STAR POWER: Mayweather vs. Ortiz” pay-per-view telecast is now complete with four star-studded fights from two sites all taking place Saturday, September 17 from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and STAPLES Center in Los Angeles. Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions announced today that Erik Morales vs. Lucas Matthysse and Jessie Vargas vs. Josesito Lopez have been added to the mega-event, which is being produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View®.

The out-of-this-world night of boxing will kick-off with a super lightweight bout featuring undefeated rising star Vargas in his HBO Pay-Per-View debut against hard-hitting Lopez, followed by the first of the night’s three world title fights as Mexican boxing legend Morales will face power punching Argentine Matthysse for the WBC Super Lightweight World Championship. The pay-per-view telecast will then go live to STAPLES Center in Los Angeles with Mexican boxing phenom Canelo Alvarez taking on Alfonso Gomez for the WBC Super Welterweight World Championship, followed by the main event welterweight championship mega-fight, Floyd Mayweather vs. Victor Ortiz, live from Las Vegas.

Fans in attendance at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas will be able to see the Alvarez vs. Gomez fight live, while those in attendance at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles will see Mayweather vs. Ortiz and Morales vs. Matthysse live. Following the showing of Mayweather vs. Ortiz at STAPLES Center, fans in attendance will see two special post-fight concerts performed by Los Tucanes de Tijuana and El Gran Silencio.

“The addition of Morales vs. Matthysse and Vargas vs. Lopez to the September 17 fight card makes ‘STAR POWER’ without a doubt the biggest night of boxing in 2011,” said Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions. “Mayweather Promotions is very excited about Jessie Vargas’ pay-per-view debut on such a huge event to really get his name out there and show the world what he can do.”

“Now that we have a complete pay-per-view card, the stage is set for the world to witness a real supernova of boxing,” said Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. “Three title fights in one night is something that we are very proud to bring to boxing fans around the world. Each of these championship fights could stand alone as their own main event and fans will be able to experience them all in one night. Adding undefeated Jessie Vargas in his pay-per-view debut and the legendary Erik Morales, who is fighting to make history as the first Mexican boxing warrior to win world titles in four weight classes, really strengthens the entire ‘STAR POWER’ event.”

Tickets for Mayweather vs. Ortiz, Morales vs. Matthysse and Vargas vs. Lopez at the MGM Grand Garden Arena are priced at $1,250, $1,000, $600, $300 and $150, not including applicable service charges. Ticket sales are limited to twelve (12) per person at the $1,250, $1,000, $600 and $300 price levels with a ticket limit of two (2) per person at the $150 price level. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

STAPLES Center tickets for Alvarez vs. Gomez are priced at $300, $150, $75, and $50, are on sale now and available for purchase online at ticketmaster.com, via Ticketmaster charge-by-phone lines at (800)745-3000. Tickets are also available at STAPLES Center box office.

A three-division world champion and future Hall of Famer, Erik “El Terrible” Morales (51-7, 35 KO’s) ruled the boxing landscape for years, thrilling fans with his classic battles against Manny Pacquiao, Marco Antonio Barrera, Paulie Ayala, Wayne McCullough and In-Jin Chi. But when he returned from a nearly three year layoff in 2010, many wondered if the Tijuana native still had what it took to compete with the elite. Those questions were answered loud and clear with a three fight winning streak in 2010 and a Fight of the Year candidate in April of 2011, when he went to war for 12 rounds with Marcos Maidana before losing a razor-thin majority decision. Now, the 34-year old warrior is back in the ring and back in Las Vegas to face the concussive punching Matthysse as he vies to become the only Mexican fighter in history to win world titles in four weight divisions.

“This fight is the chance of a lifetime,” said Morales. “I have waited for this moment my entire career. To have the opportunity to win world titles in four weight divisions on Mexican Independence Day and on a night like this is a dream come true. I am going to train harder than ever to make the Mexican people proud and to be victorious on September 17.”

One of boxing’s hardest punchers, Lucas Matthysse (28-2, 26 KO’s) of Trelew, Argentina has made former World Champions Zab “Super” Judah and Devon Alexander see stars in his last two fights, knocking each of them down, only to lose both fights by controversial split decisions. The 28-year-old’s new role as the people’s champion is a good one for the crowd-pleasing standout, who has been delivering stellar performances from the time he turned professional in 2004. A former WBO Latino and WBO Intercontinental champion who counts “Vicious” Vivian Harris, DeMarcus “Chop Chop” Corley and Rogelio Castaneda Jr. among his vanquished foes, Matthysse, who has won 93 percent of his fights by way of knockout, is amped up and ready to trade blows with one of the sport’s modern greats, Erik Morales, on September 17.

“I cannot wait to get in the ring and fight Erik Morales,” said Matthysse. “I will do anything and everything I can to walk away from this fight as a world champion. I will work harder because I don’t want to pass up this magnificent opportunity.”

Jessie Vargas (16-0, 9 KO’s), who grew up in Los Angeles, now resides in Las Vegas and trains at the Mayweather Boxing Club with recently hired trainer Robert Alcazar, is coming off of an impressive second-round knockout win over veteran Walter Estrada on July 8. His extraordinary performance set off a national buzz among boxing writers and fans that the young prospect is on the fast track to boxing greatness. Appearing in the opening bout in his pay-per-view debut, Vargas has the chance of a lifetime to make his name and talent known around the world against a stiff test in Josesito Lopez.

“Floyd Mayweather and Mayweather Promotions have given me an amazing opportunity to fight on the biggest night in boxing this year,” said Vargas. “On September 17, I know I will be ready to show the world that all of my hard work and preparation has led to this opportunity. I am so excited to be a part of this event and I look forward to beating Lopez and keeping my undefeated record.”

Riverside, California’s Josesito Lopez (29-3, 17 KO’s) may only be 27-years-old, but he’s old school when it comes to his approach to the sport of boxing. This attitude has led him to nearly 30 pro wins, with his only losses coming via narrow decisions. Currently riding a seven-fight winning streak, Lopez showed off his veteran savvy in his most recent victory in January, when he tarnished hot prospect Mike Dallas Jr.’s perfect record by scoring a seventh round knockout.

“I am very excited to be a part of this event and to show the world that I am a force to be reckoned with in the ring,” said Lopez. “I haven’t lost a fight in over three years and I don’t plan on losing this one. Jessie Vargas might be undefeated now, but he won’t be after September 17.”

“STAR POWER” is a mega-event taking place on Saturday, Sept. 17 from two world-class cities with three world titles at stake. Floyd Mayweather and Victor Ortiz will face off in a 12-round fight for Ortiz’s WBC Welterweight World Title from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. Canelo Alvarez and Alfonso Gomez will do battle in a 12-round fight for Alvarez’s WBC Super Welterweight World Title from STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, Calif. Also live in Las Vegas, will be Erik Morales vs. Lucas Matthysse in a 12 round fight for the vacant WBC Super Lightweight World Title and an opening fight featuring undefeated rising star Jessie Vargas against top contender Josesito Lopez. The mega event is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Cerveza Tecate, DeWALT Tools and AT&T. Alvarez vs. Gomez is presented in association with Canelo Promotions and Morales vs. Matthysse is presented in association with Box Latino Promotions and Arano Box Promotions.”STAR POWER: Mayweather vs. Ortiz” will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

For more information, visit www.floydmayweather.com, www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.mgmgrand.com and www.staplescenter.com; follow on Twitter at @floydmayweather, @mayweatherpromo, @goldenboyboxing, @VICIOUSOrtiz, @terrible100, @Jessie_Vargas, @JosesitoLopez, @mgmgrand; or become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FloydMayweather, www.facebook.com/Mayweatherpromotions, www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing. Follow HBO Boxing newsat www.hbo.com/boxing,Facebook at www.facebook.com/hboboxing and on Twitter @hboboxing. Follow STAPLES Center on Facebook at www.facebook.com/staplescenter and on Twitter @STAPLESCenterLA.

The “STAR POWER” pay-per-view telecast, which begins at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT, will be produced and distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View and will be available to more than 92 million pay-per-view homes. The telecast will be available in HD-TV for those viewers who can receive HD. HBO Pay-Per-View®, a division of Home Box Office, Inc., is the leading supplier of event programming to the pay-per-view industry. For Mayweather vs. Ortiz fight week updates, log on to www.hbo.com.

HBO®’s Emmy® Award-winning all-access series “24/7” premieres an all-new edition when “24/7 Mayweather/Ortiz” debuts Saturday, Aug. 27 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. The four-part series will air for three consecutive Saturday nights before the finale airs the night before the welterweight championship showdown in Las Vegas.

Dan Rafael of espn.com is reporting that WBC Super Welterweight champion Saul Alvarez will defend his crown against Alfonso Gomez on September 17th in Los Angeles as part of a split site doubleheader that will be part of the Floyd Mayweather – Victor Ortiz televised undercard.

“It’s going to be an historic pay-per-view. It will be an amazing experience because the fans at Staples Center will be able to see the live feed from Las Vegas and also see Canelo Alvarez fight live that night, and the people in Las Vegas can see the live feed from the Canelo fight in the Staples Center,” Golden Boy promoter Richard Schaefer told ESPN.com.

“You’re going to have two HBO crews and they’ll give it back and forth between L.A. and Las Vegas. It’s going to be great,” said Schaefer, who is in Las Vegas promoting Saturday’s Amir Khan-Zab Judah junior welterweight title unification fight.

“To be able to see Mayweather-Ortiz and then add to that Erik Morales and Canelo Alvarez against Alfonso Gomez, and a young and emerging fighter who is tremendously talented in Jessie Vargas, it’s sort of like a little bit of everything on this pay-per-view,” Schaefer said.

“You can go to the fight at the Staples Center for as little as 50 bucks, which is the price of a closed circuit ticket (to see the pay-per-view view in Las Vegas). So you could see the pay-per-view on the big screen at Staples plus see Canelo Alvarez. That’s a pretty good deal, isn’t it?”

“For Gomez, he’s been waiting for an opportunity like this,” Schaefer said. “There was a time (in December 2010) when he was supposed to fight (Julio Cesar) Chavez Jr. but Chavez had to pull out. Now he gets to show what he’s all about against (another) big star from Mexico, Canelo Alvarez. I know Alfonso Gomez will come ready and will give Canelo a helluva fight. I told Canelo he better be ready because this guy is coming to win.”

NEW YORK CITY -In many ways boxing is theater. The fighters – the actors; the ring – their stage.

But when a press conference for one of the most anticipated fights of 2011 takes place in an actual theater, the Hudson Theater just away from Times Square, boxing isn’t just theater anymore…it’s THEATER.

For the two-plus hours I occupied my seat on the first floor of the triple-tiered playhouse, I was aching for popcorn, dying for a large soda.

The kick-off press conference for September 17 Floyd Mayweather – Victor Ortiz welterweight title bout had all the bells and whistles of a Broadway show.

The theater was dark, spotted lights littered the walls and ceiling. The closed red curtain on stage was used as the backdrop for a giant projector looped both Mayweather and Ortiz’s greatest hits, as well as scenes from outer-space — keeping in theme with the “Star Power” label given to the their upcoming scrap.

At about noon, the two hundred or so fans that had formed a line hugging the exterior of the theater on 44th Street were let in. They filled the two upper balconies. With the fans came buzz; excitement. Some of them had been there since 8:45 am. Two others drove all the way to the Big Apple from Virginia just to be in the same room as the man they consider to be the greatest active fighter.

Immediately after entering the theater, fans with dueling interests began belting out support for their respective fighters. Chants of “Ortiz! Ortiz!” were quickly drowned with boos from the pro-Mayweather crowd. The next round of “Ortiz!” chants were countered with triumphant choruses of “Money! Money!” It was as if we were watching some sort of musical — the kind where the actors ask the audience to clap and sing along to each song.

Then, at about 12:45 pm or so, a deep voice came over the speaker system as the theater lights got even dimmer.

“Please take your seats, the press conference will begin shortly.”

I swore he was going to ask if we could please remain silent throughout the duration of the movie.

Anyway, after a mini-documentary of Victor Ortiz was shown, a spotlight revealed Ortiz to be in the back of the theater. With music blaring over the speakers, he slowly made his way to the stage, stopping to shake a few hands, pose for a few pictures, and blow kisses to the fans up top.

The same went on for Mayweather. A mini-documentary followed by a WWE-like walk to the stage.

Once on stage, both fighters faced-off. We’ll call it a draw. Nobody blinked; it seemed like it lasted forever.

The red curtain finally went up, revealing a giant promotional banner and a podium, and just like that, Act I was underway.

Aside from the spectacular setting of this particular press conference, the content was typical. Mayweather was sold as the greatest active fighter; Ortiz billed as a heavy-handed rising star. Both can be debated, I suppose, but both have earned those reputations.

The opening Act did have two moments that had me at the edge of my seat, however.

The first came from the mouth of Victor Ortiz, who riled up the Mexicans in the crowd when he said this:

“I hope not offending anyone, but July 7th 1985 — there’s going to be a repetition on September 17th. It was Mr. Roger Mayweather vs. Mr. Julio Cesar Chavez!”

Ortiz slapped both hands on the podium and briskly walked away from the microphone. Only feet way, Floyd Mayweather remained expressionless.

When it was Mayweather’s turn to speak, he only threw one jab Ortiz’s way, perhaps in response to the JCC-Roger Mayweather dig. Money May just casually mentioned that he’d “a ton of money for this fight,” while Ortiz would make some “good money.”

He did throw some bigger shots toward the media, however. And after delivering those blows, he followed up by offering some praise.

“To the media, and everyone’s entitled to write what they want to write, and I just want to let you guys know that my children are a lot older now and are able to go on the computer and read the stories that you guys write,” Mayweather said.

He continued, “You turn the tables…do you want me to write negative things about you just because I won’t give you guys a story, so let me write my own stories and make up stories? It’s not right.”

Moments later, praised the media for keeping him relevant even when he is out of the ring.

Both points noted. Although, to his second point, I would just argue that his actions keep him relevant — the media are just writing their reactions.

The press conference had a little this, a little that. It was an eventful first scene.

At times it was over-the-top, flashy, and flat-out dramatic. The fans seemed to enjoy that, though — which of course is great.

I thought it was an above-average opening Act myself. It did what it was supposed to do: lay the groundwork for the rest of the performance, set the scene.

They’ll be other Acts along the way — other stops here and there. But ultimately, we’ll all have to wait a few months — September, in fact — to see how this particular piece concludes. The setting will have changed by then, too; to the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. A fitting place for the final Act of “Star Power” to take place.

Kyle Kinder can be reached at Twitter.com/KyleKinder or KyleKinder1@gmail.com

Photo by Claudia Bocanegra

WBC Welterweight champion Ortiz talks about his September 17th bout with Floyd Mayweather

Pound for Pound King Floyd Mayweather talks about his September 17 bout with Welterweight kg Victor Ortiz

Floyd Mayweather and Victor Ortiz meet the media in New York to announce their September 17th showdown in Las Vegas

Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer breaks down the September 17th showdown between Floyd Mayweather and Victor Ortiz

Dan Rafael of espn.com is reporting that September 17th Welterweight bout between Floyd Mayweather and WBC champ Victor Ortiz will be televised by HBO PPV and will have some of HBO’s sister networks such as as TBS and TNT involved with promoting the telecast.

“We have finalized our deal with HBO. We obviously had very intense negotiations,” Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer told ESPN.com. “What we wanted to do is ensure that all the different Time Warner (HBO’s parent company) assets will be in play one way or the other, including the Turner Broadcasting assets and the Time Inc. assets, which is their magazines.”

t is a significant development for HBO, which was rocked earlier this year by the loss of pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao when Top Rank promoter Bob Arum took Pacquiao’s May 7 fight against Shane Mosley to rival Showtime, which handled the pay-per-view production and distribution.

Did that help Schaefer make a favorable deal?

“I’m sure it didn’t hurt,” he said. “Do I think HBO was especially motivated to get the biggest and widest exposure? Sure. HBO is very motivated, and Time Warner is very motivated to show the boxing world and public what they can do. I was negotiating with very willing partners.”

“We wanted to make sure all other assets that HBO has available will be fully utilized to support this fight and give it the widest possible exposure,” Schaefer said. “I am very happy that HBO Sports and HBO senior management were very open and that we had productive conversations, which fell on open ears. HBO seems very motivated and excited to show the world what they can do utilizing their vast array of assets.”

One concrete example of how the fight will gain wider exposure than just on HBO: The reality series “24/7,” which follows the buildup of major HBO PPV fights, will be replayed on one of the Turner networks, Schaefer said. The most likely would be TNT, TBS or truTV.

Schaefer said he did engage Showtime, which was interested in Mayweather-Ortiz.

“We had conversations with them,” Schaefer said. “We explored alternatives with Showtime, but we did not go that far.”

Schaefer also revealed the title of the fight: “Star Power.”

“Mayweather is the biggest star, and Victor Ortiz is one of the most powerful guys in the sport. He knocks everybody down,” Schaefer said. “You have a star fighting a guy with great power. You have a guy in Mayweather who attracts star power. You go to a Mayweather fight and it’s a who’s who showing up. It’s ‘Star Power.’”

“Floyd was very much involved as it relates to the marketing strategy. He came with very specific ideas and requests as it relates to what he wanted to see,” Schaefer said.

Schaefer also revealed that Saul Alvarez and Erik Morales could be part of a mega Pay Per View undercard lineup

“If we can get Canelo and Morales both on the pay-per-view, I think the sky’s the limit of what we can do in pay-per-view,” Schaefer said. “That would make it an even bigger event for the fans.”

LAS VEGAS, NEV. (June 17, 2011) – This morning, Floyd Mayweather, Jr. refused to appear for a court-ordered deposition in the defamation lawsuit filed by pound-for-pound champion and Congressman Manny Pacquiao in a Las Vegas federal court. Mayweather tried to postpone the deposition last minute, but Federal Magistrate Judge Robert Johnston denied his request and ordered Mayweather to appear for deposition today. Mayweather did not appear.

Pacquiao’s attorney, Daniel Petrocelli of O’Melveny & Myers, said, “Mr. Mayweather maliciously leveled false accusations about Mr. Pacquiao. We are anxious to examine him under oath about those statements. He is just dodging his deposition because he is afraid to testify, but he has no right to defy a Court Order.”

Floyd Mayweather Jr.-versus-Victor Ortiz: Tune-up or tease?

The tune-up, of course, is a widely-held interpretation of Mayweather’s Twitter-delivered announcement that he’ll fight Ortiz on Sept. 17. Mayweather can’t go to the corner convenience store without speculation about whether he’s closer to fighting Manny Pacquiao.

The Ortiz bout is full of reasons to guess Mayweather is once again moving in that direction. Top among them is that Ortiz is a left-hander, making him the perfect vehicle for a test flight before a showdown with the left-handed Filipino Congressman.

I’d like to believe it. I really would. But the guess here is that Mayweather is more interested in a payday than Pacquiao.

Anybody who calls himself Money needs a lot of it to live up to the nickname. By the time Mayweather answers an opening bell against Ortiz, 17 months will have come and gone since he collected a guaranteed $22.5 million for a decision over Shane Mosley.

His bills over that time are only a guesstimate, but if a reported $3.4 million debt to the Internal Revenue Service and betting slips are the fire, lots of cash has been going up in smoke. Mayweather proudly displayed a winning wager for $37,725.75 on a NBA bet in the last tweet that got him any attention. I didn’t see any losing slips in his tweet Tuesday about Ortiz. But I’m betting they are there.

Add to that, there are undisclosed legal bills. He faces four felonies and four misdemeanor charges for an alleged domestic abuse incident with his former girlfriend and mother of his kids. A preliminary hearing in Las Vegas is scheduled for Oct. 20.

Then, there are two misdemeanor assault charges for alleged incidents with security guards. One case is scheduled for trial on Sept.1, also in Las Vegas.

In Ortiz, the shrewd Mayweather has again calculated that he can earn the most money for the least risk. Ortiz won over a lot of fans with his gritty victory Andre Berto. Ortiz is an emerging star, which means he’ll generate pay-for-view business. But he looks to be a fight or two away from being able to contend with the accomplished Mayweather. If Berto could find openings to knock down Ortiz twice, the precise Mayweather figures to find many.

Ortiz will have some apparent advantages, including Mayweather’s long layoff and potential distractions that will force him to divide time and energy between court and gym.

Then, there’s age. At 24, Ortiz is 10 years younger than the 34-year-old Mayweather. Ortiz also won’t surrender any of the size that left Juan Manuel Marquez with no chance in a loss to Mayweather, who looked as if he was at least 160 pounds when he entered the ring after refusing to step on the scales for HBO. Ortiz was reported to be at 165 pounds on the night he beat Berto in a welterweight bout.

Yeah, Ortiz has a few chances. But his skills have yet to mature into the kind of threat that can upset the clever and careful Mayweather.

There’s speculation that Mayweather won’t fight Pacquiao until, or if, the Filipino gets old. Turn that theory upside down, and you might have a reason for facing Ortiz now: Mayweather is fighting Ortiz before he gets better.

If talk about Pacquiao helps sell the fight and thereby generate a bigger cut of the pay-per-view revenue, Mayweather won’t stop it. He’ll play along in another tease that will keep him out of debt and undefeated.
Remembering Genaro Hernandez

Genaro Hernandez lost his fight to cancer Tuesday with the quiet dignity and unshakeable courage that characterized him in and out of the ring.

“He was so damn brave,’’ said longtime publicist Bill Caplan, who accompanied Hernandez, nicknamed Chicanito, on eight trips to and from Houston for treatment during the last few years. “The cancer was in submission, but on the fifth or sixth trip to Houston it was back. Gernaro never complained. Never.
“Through it all, he was as gutsy as he ever was in the ring.’’

Caplan remembered Hernandez’ fight with Azumah Nelson in 1997 in Corpus Christi, Tex. Hernandez was leading on the scorecards when he was hit in the throat after the bell ending the seventh round. Referee Laurence Cole threatened to disqualify Nelson, who held the World Boxing Council’s super-featherweight title.

“If Genaro had stayed on the canvas, he would have won the fight,’’ Caplan recalled. “But he told Cole that he didn’t want Nelson to lose that way. He asked that the fight continue. Cole said OK. Genaro won a split decision.

“I’ve seen a lot of things, but never anything that noble.’’

Caplan started sobbing. He couldn’t say anything more. He didn’t have to.

Funeral services are scheduled for Monday, 11 a.m. (PST), at Resurrection Church, 3324 Opal Street in East Los Angeles. Hernandez was 45.

NOTES ON A SCORECARD
· Mike Tyson, Julio Cesar Chavez and Kostya Tszyu will be formally inducted to the Boxing Hall of Fame Sunday in Canastota, N.Y. Here’s hoping the ceremonies will include a Genaro Hernandez memorial.

· Instead of Jobing.com, an NHL Arena, in Glendale, Ariz., super-middleweight Jesus Gonzales’ next fight, scheduled for July 8 against Henry Buchanan (20-2, 13 KOs) of Maryland, has been moved to U.S. Airways Center, the Suns home, in downtown Phoenix. That means Gonzales (26-1, 14 KOs) returns to the scene of his only defeat, a loss by eighth-round stoppage to Jose Luis Zertuche in 2005. Gonzales has long wanted to avenge the loss to Zertuche. It doesn’t look as if he’ll get that chance, but he can alter a record in the only place he’s never been a winner.

Las Vegas, NV (June 7)…The wait is over and once again Floyd “Money” Mayweather delivers as the undefeated six-time world champion announced today via his Twitter account @floydmayweather that he will return to the ring on Saturday, September 17, to face the hard-hitting and explosive current WBC Welterweight World Champion “Vicious” Victor Ortiz in what is now the biggest international boxing event of 2011.

The announcement of the fight, which will take place on Mexican Independence Day weekend, widely considered boxing’s biggest weekend, sends shock waves across the sports pages as there is no denying that the younger, stronger and current champion Ortiz poses an extremely credible threat to Mayweather, who returns to the ring after a 16-month hiatus. It is a highly competitive and very dangerous match-up that will give fans a chance to see the sport’s biggest star against the sport’s newest star in one ring on one very special night of boxing action.

“I am ready to return to the ring and give my fans a fantastic night of boxing by fighting the best out there and for me, that is Victor Ortiz,” said Mayweather. “He is the current champion and an extremely talented fighter who showed amazing skills, and heart, in his last performance against Andre Berto. At this stage of my career, these are the challenges I look for, a young, strong, rising star looking to make his mark in boxing by beating me. Like the rest of my opponents, he is going to try to prove that he can beat me. I commend him for accepting the fight, but on September 17, Ortiz is just going to be another casualty, the 42nd one who tried and failed. Trust me, I will be ready.”

“I respect Mayweather because he has been a champion for many years and I know he will be ready, but so will I,” said Ortiz. “I’m a strong fighter and I have worked really hard to silence my critics. I’m a world champion for a reason and I am not going to let go of my title any time soon. This is going to be a great fight, but I will remain a world champion for many years to come.”

Floyd Mayweather (41-0, 25 KO’s) remains boxing’s biggest attraction, wowing crowds and generating record pay-per-view numbers each time he steps into the ring. In his last ring appearance on May 1, 2010, Mayweather dismantled Sugar Shane Mosley in a lopsided unanimous decision victory. Mayweather is no stranger to fighting on Mexican Independence Day weekend either, as prior to his sensational win over Mosley, he took on Mexican boxing star Juan Manuel Marquez on September 19, 2009, beating his opponent in spectacular fashion. During his extraordinary career, he has amassed wins over world champions such as Diego Corrales, Jose Luis Castillo, Arturo Gatti, Zab Judah, Oscar de la Hoya and Ricky Hatton.

Victor Ortiz (29-2-2, 22 KO’s) is on fire. He is riding a six-fight undefeated streak including his sensational win over Andre Berto on April 16 of this year. The hard-punching southpaw proved himself throughout their 12-round battle when he survived a knock down in the sixth round and came back to drop Berto at the end of the sixth round in one of the most exciting fights in boxing this year. Ortiz, who was already known as one of the most powerful young fighters in the sport but was questioned in the past for his desire, showed the world that his heart matches his hands of steel when faced with the best in boxing.

“When Floyd fights, everyone stops to watch and this is an exciting time for boxing as it always is when Floyd steps into the ring,” said Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions. “There is no better showman than Floyd and he backs up his legacy with amazing, one-of-a-kind skills. Victor Ortiz has shown us that he is a great fighter too and for the two of them to meet makes for a gigantic night for fans all over the world. It’s always a thrill to see Floyd fight and it’s even better when he faces the best out there such as a true champion like Ortiz. This is going to be a fight to remember. Sports fans have a lot to look forward to on September 17.”

“There is no doubt that September 17 will again be this year’s biggest night of boxing worldwide,” said Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. “When Floyd Mayweather fights, it is an event which brings fight fans, sports fans and the general public together to see this truly gifted athlete perform. Every year Floyd sets the bar and standard for most pay-per-view buys and this year will be no different. In Victor Ortiz, he is facing a young, strong and highly motivated world champion who knows that a win over the pound for pound champion will catapult him into superstardom. The stage is set and I can’t wait for the showdown of the year.”

Mayweather vs. Ortiz is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions. A nationwide press tour is being planned for the week of June 20 with additional details about it and the fight to be announced shortly.

Knockout talk is pretty standard stuff in the build-up for any fight, especially one that Manny Pacquiao and Shane Mosley have transformed into an event. But it has a different tone this time around, because Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach hopes a stoppage will either lure Floyd Mayweather Jr. into the ring or provide Pacquiao an edge in an argument for the ages if the much-discussed fight never happens.

“ It would be incredible for Manny to be the first one to stop him and just prove to the world how much better he is than that guy that couldn’t stop him,’’ Roach said Wednesday during a conference call when asked about the chances at a knockout of the durable Mosley on May 7 at Las Vegas MGM Grand.

Not that anybody had to ask, but that guy, of course, is Mayweather, who on Thursday had a preliminary hearing on felony and misdemeanor charges from alleged domestic violence delayed in Las Vegas until July 29.

Translation: The Pacquiao-Mayweather fight isn’t any more likely today than it was a year ago when Mayweather was terrific and resourceful in surviving a rocky second round, yet characteristically cautious in settling for a one-sided decision over Mosley.

For now, Pacquiao has only the fights that can help him build his case while the prosecution for Nevada’s Clark County its own. Common opponents are poor comparisons, made unreliable by time, circumstances and styles. But Mayweather leaves the Filipino Congressman without options or even much of a clue as to what he intends to do.

“It’s hard to judge him,’’ Pacquiao said when asked if he thought Mayweather feared him. “I don’t know what the reason is. I really don’t have an idea. I can’t say something. We don’t know, so it’s hard to judge him.”

Instead, Pacquiao does what he always has done. He moves forward. There is a sense that he already is at work on the finishing touches to a legacy that would be incomplete without Mayweather, yet still as brilliant as any.

News broke in Mexico that Juan Manuel Marquez already has a Top Rank offer to fight Pacquiao for a third time sometime in the fall. Top Rank’s Bob Arum was annoyed at the Marquez questions. He dismissed them twice, first Tuesday in a conference call with Mosley and again on Wednesday.

But it only would be a surprise if Marquez had not been approached by Top Rank. Marquez, who has a draw with Pacquiao and a controversial loss by decision to the Filipino, represents a chance for Pacquiao to eliminate lingering doubts about his ability to beat the accomplished Mexican. It also is another opportunity to further build his case in the potential debate about whether he was better than Mayweather, who outweighed Marquez and dominated him for 12 rounds, yet again settled for a decision in September, 2009.

If Pacquiao could somehow be the first to knock out Mosley and the first to stop Marquez, he would win the debate no matter what Mayweather does or doesn’t do. It’s a risk, first and foremost in terms of the motivation it provides Mosley, who is a better bet to win by stoppage than Pacquiao, especially within the first three to four rounds.

Another cracking right in the early rounds might accomplish for Mosley what eluded him against Mayweather. It might finish Pacquiao in another spring stunner during boxing’s season of upsets, especially if the 39-year-old Mosley can summon up a will, way and maybe a big left hand. Against a stumbling Mayweather, Mosley was curiously unable to capitalize.

The guess here is that Mosley won’t squander that kind of an advantage again. If he does, Pacquiao will be on his way to a significant victory and perhaps a stoppage that could win an argument, which on Thursday looked more likely than a Mayweather fight.

NOTES, QUOTES
• Insightful Al Bernstein offered an intriguing possibility that could surprise Pacquiao. During a Showtime conference call Thursday, Bernstein said Mosley might unleash a potent left that has been dormant lately. “The left-hand,’’ Bernstein said. “I think that’s the secret.’’

• Boxing’s best, hidden on premium networks and pay-per-view for years, goes back to prime time for the first time in generations Saturday night when the third episode in Showtime’s Fight Camp 360, an inside look at Pacquiao-Mosley, will air on CBS at 8 p.m., Eastern and Pacific. There were mixed reviews for the first two episodes. The third figures to attract the biggest audience, meaning there is motivation for Showtime to make it the best of the four.

Photo by Chris Farina / Top Rank

He may be in the Twilight of his career and zeroing in on his 40th birthday but “Sugar” Shane Mosley is still a tough night’s work for anyone. For a few years now Mosley has wanted to fight Manny Pacquiao, he has got what he wished for and takes on the Filipino Icon on 7 May in Las Vegas at The MGM Grand in front of millions on Showtime PPV. It’s a fight Mosley believes he can win; he has blind faith in his ability and left his position as a partner of Golden Boy Promotions to take up this challenge. Mosley 46-6-1(39) has fought many of the best fighters in the world from 135-154 winning 5 world titles in 3 weight classes. He’s been one of the standard bearers of the past 2 decades fighting 15 past or present world champions including Oscar De La Hoya, Miguel Cotto & Floyd Mayweather.

Hello Shane, welcome to 15rounds.com

Anson Wainwright – You are fighting Manny Pacquiao on 7 May in Las Vegas. What are your thoughts on the fight & how good do you think Pacquiao is?

Shane Mosley – I think he’s a great fighter, he does a lot of good things. It’s going to be a terrific fight.

Anson Wainwright – Of course it has been much discussed you have left Golden Boy & will be fighting Pacquiao who’s a Top Rank fighter. How are things?

Shane Mosley – No, it’s moving pretty smoothly along with Top Rank. Everything I have asked for has been ok and I’m just happy.

Anson Wainwright – People will say that you haven’t won in your last two fights and not looked the best in your fights with Mayweather & Mora. What do you say to them?

Shane Mosley – I believe I will do a lot better than I did in those two fights. My mentality right now is I’m ready to go and fight and give my 100% all.

Anson Wainwright – It would of been easy for you to stay with Golden Boy where your were a partner and claim your reported 5% but you’re obviously still highly motivated despite being months shy of 40. What are your thoughts on this?

Shane Mosley – I’m very motivated and happy to be able to box at this age. I’ve been boxing for about 31 years and I’ve fought at this level a lot. I’m willing to go in there and prove that I’m still one of the best fighters and fighting Pacquaio will prove that and be a great accomplishment for me.

Anson Wainwright – The Mayweather fight wasn’t your finest hour in the ring. Could you talk us through the fight from your point of view along with the second round?

Shane Mosley – A lot of times I don’t look back on them or think about them (The fights). But it was a pretty good punch, I just couldn’t at that point do what I needed to do to win the fight to KO him but I’ve been working very hard to make sure I close the deal next time I get a person hurt.

Anson Wainwright – If I can take you back to the Margarito fight, going into that fight you had a lot going on outside the ring. The on fight night there was the gauzing that went into Margarito glove. How much of what was going on were you aware of or were you just focused on the fight?

Shane Mosley – Yeah I was just focusing on my game plan, because if he had concrete gloves on I didn’t care I was going to win that fight. I trained hard, I was determined to prove the critic’s and everybody wrong that I was to old and that his rhythm was to much for me and he was going to knock me out and retire me. And I did I stopped him and proved the critics wrong. I’m going to do that in this fight as well.

Anson Wainwright – Do you see this fight with Pacquiao similar to the Margarito one where you were also the underdog and have something to prove?

Shane Mosley – Yeah, I aim to do it again. I aim to shock the world and beat Pacquiao. Once again prove the critics wrong.

Anson Wainwright – How much longer do you think you can keep performing at the top of Boxing? Do you have any plans for what you’d like to do when your finish Boxing?

Shane Mosley – Well yeah I have my promotional company “Sugar” Shane Mosley Promotions and I’m looking to start signing fighters and get more active in the promotional field and help these young fighters become world champions and superstars. That would be another great challenge for me. After this fight I have another 3 or 4 fights in me, then I can start my promotional company.

Anson Wainwright – You’re son Shane Junior is also an up and coming boxer. How are things developing with him and his career?

Shane Mosley – He’s doing pretty good; he’s up here training with me now. Basically I’m just showing him the ropes right now what you have to go through to be world champion and that’s important mentally so he can see what it takes, realise if it’s for him or not. He’s doing good, his punches are pretty hard, and he’s getting faster and better as the days go by. I think he’s going to be alright.

Anson Wainwright – A chip off the old block hey?

Shane Mosley – Ha-ha I think so, he has the determination and he’s getting better and better as we go along.

Anson Wainwright – Has he had any amateur fights yet?

Shane Mosley – He’s had a few, I think I’ll start fighting him more so he can have the experience of fighting in the ring more. He’s been in the ring sparring a lot but not really fighting. There’s a difference between fighting and sparring, that’s what I aim to do a little more.

Anson Wainwright – You’ve fought many of the best fighters of the last 15 years. Who is the best fighter you’ve ever fought?

Shane Mosley – Styles make fights but the most difficult I’d say Winky (Wright) earlier in my career but later on Floyd (Mayweather) was a pretty good defensive fighter as well.

Anson Wainwright – To date what do you consider to be your proudest moment in Boxing?

Shane Mosley – I think the proudest moment was winning my first world title at Lightweight against Philip Holiday.

Anson Wainwright – What are your thoughts on the current Welterweight division?

Shane Mosley – I think there’s a lot of great challenge’s with Khan coming up. Me & Manny Pacquiao fighting, there’s others. The division’s good an exciting. There’s a lot of great talent out there.

Anson Wainwright – You’re known as one of boxing good guys but we don’t know to much about you away from Boxing. Can you tell us about other activities you are involved with? Also what are your hobbies & Interests?

Shane Mosley – Well I mean, I’m a family man, I have 4 kids. I like to play Basketball, snowboard, bowl. I’m a very active person, I’m an outdoors person. I like to get out and do things. Boxings in my heart so I don’t stray too far from that. I’m involved in a boxing programme and sponsor the kids in the community.

Anson Wainwright – Last year you teamed up with PETA to help stop dog fighting & the slaughter on Seal trade in Canada, it’s obviously something that’s close to your heart?

Shane Mosley – Well yeah, I have a few pets. Dog’s don’t have a choice to fight or not but we do. So I kind of got behind it and just spoke out about it.

Anson Wainwright – Finally do you have a message for your fans ahead of the Pacquiao fight?

Shane Mosley – This is going to be the fight you don’t want to miss. I’m definitely giving everything I’ve got. You wont be disappointed so come and check it out or watch it on PPV Showtime. It’s definitely going to be a knock out. Also follow me on Sugar Shane on Twitter.

Thank you for your time Shane, it’s been a pleasure.

Anson Wainwright

15rounds.com

Midweek Thoughts – Yuriorkis Gamboa looked sensational blowing away Jorge Solis on Saturday. Solis was no mug he was a very solid guy, he just couldn’t deal with the Cuban’s power and speed. Hopefully Juanma Lopez looks just as impressive in a few weeks and Top Rank can get these two together in what would surely be a barnburner…Mikey Garcia kept his unbeaten record but took Matt Remillard’s when Remillard’s corner mercifully stopped the fight at the end of the tenth. Garcia is only 23 but has the look of a man far more experience. He systematically broke down Remillard. Outside of Gamboa & Lopez, Garcia is right in the fight with anyone at Featherweight right now…I haven’t had chance to see it yet but the Kennedy-Diaz fight appeared to be a cracker…Disappointing to see Erislandy Lara on Friday night not really perform, all credit to Carlos Molina…On Saturday Leo Santa Cruz scored a very impressive KO over Stephane Jamoye, it’s the biggest win of Santa Cruz career & proved he can go place, I’m looking for him to have a big year now…I’ve been told Ricardo Mayorga dislocated his thumb in the Cotto fight. He’s also on the short list to fight Saul Alvarez in September provided “Canelo” wins in a June fight possibly against Ryan Rhodes. I’ll say this much if Mayorga does decide to give it another go and not retire a fight with “Canelo” would be a fun promotion. Alvarez wont ever of seen anything or anyone quite like Mayorga.

On Friday night it was the final of the WABA (Welsh Amateur Boxing Association)

Female

54kg Lynsey Holdaway beat Catherine Gillen after the referee stopped the action with Holdaway 20-1 up in the fourth and final round.

60kg Rebecca Price beat defending champion Ashley Brace 14-10.

Male

49kg Ben Baker beat Annes Rashid in the second round Rashid took two standing 8 counts before being stopped

52kg Two time European Bronze medallist Andrew Selby returned from his duty on the British squad to show the gulf in class as he stopped Andrew Perry in the second after Perry had two standing 8 counts in the first.

56kg Daniel Chapman run out 14-1 winner against last years Flyweight champion Jay Harris

60kg Zack Davies outpointed Craig Woodruff 16-4

64kg Chris Jenkins the Welsh representative in last years Commonwealth games beat Ashley Appleby when the referee stopped the action in the second. Jenkins was 9-0 up at the time of the stoppage

69kg Fred Evans who also went to the Commonwealth games won 18-8 against Jamie Evans.

75kg Liam Williams outpointed warren Sinden 19-4

81kg Charlie Moseley narrowly outpointed Tom Lloyd 13-9

91kg Lloyd Davies impressively overwhelmed Robert Penn and after 3 standing 8 counts the fight was called off in the second round.

91+kg Dorian Darch beat Andrew Wyn Davies 16-9 stopping Davies winning the title for the 5th consecutive year.

If you would like to hear from any particular fighters please e-mail me on elraincoat@live.co.uk

It’s hard to know what Manny Pacquiao thinks about all the mixed signals coming from Floyd Mayweather Jr. these days.

First, Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum tells the Filipino media that Mayweather wanted $100 million in undisclosed talks for the biggest fight nobody has yet to see.

Then, Mayweather brags on twitter by displaying a winning ticket for $37,272.75 on a bet that the Atlanta Hawks wouldn’t outscore the Chicago Bulls by six or more points in the second half.

If accurate, Arum is 100 million times right in interpreting Mayweather’s demand as just another way of saying — no, hell no — he won’t fight.

But the winning ticket from Las Vegas’ M Resort looks like another good bet that Mayweather is going to need more than a nickname to pay his bills. He calls himself Money, but he won’t have much of it if gambling is a habit and criminal lawyers are a necessity.

Let’s just say that it’s safe to assume Mayweather isn’t tweeting anything that ever looks like a losing ticket. For anybody who has invested part of a paycheck at a Vegas’ book, it is also a good bet that the losers outnumber the winners.

Does Pacquiao even care? If he doesn’t, then there are 100 million more reasons to believe the long-awaited showdown will happen only in a video game. Pacquiao already is well into his second career as a politician. As the public and media grow weary of the continuing speculation, Pacquiao appears to already have moved on and beyond.

Sometimes, however, money – or the urgent need for some – creates big fights. There continues to be talk that Shane Mosley, who faces Pacquiao on May 7 at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand, has to fight to pay for his divorce. That price is as cynical as it is steep. It is also dangerous. But it has always been there.

Mayweather, who faces eight criminal charges for an alleged incident involving a former girlfriend, has countless ways of saying he won’t do this and he might do that. It’d be no surprise if he soon denies that Arum’s latest story about negotiations that heretofore had gone unreported. It would be a lot harder for him to deny that he wants $100 million.

But Mayweather’s words don’t really matter. It’s what he shows us. The latest offering is several zeroes short of what his nickname claims and one reason to think that Pacquiao-Mayweather will happen.

NOTES, QUOTES
· The best hope for a resurrected heavyweight division is an NFL work stoppage that lasts, say, a couple of years. Baltimore Ravens safety Tommy Zbikowski, who fights Saturday night in Atlantic City on the Yuriorkis Gamboa-Jorge Solis undercard, is as skilled and athletic a prospect as there is on the side of the world that does not include a Klitschko. Zbikowski is evidence that America’s best heavyweights are in the NFL. “Yeah, it might be true,’’ said Zbikowski, who says Ravens defensive lineman Haloti Ngata could be a great one. “The Klitschkos are the best right now and they’ve been the best for a long time. Just because they’re in Europe doesn’t mean there are not great heavyweights. I think a lot of the American heavyweights right now are playing football. Boxing is honestly one of the most athletic things you can do. To be a good boxer, you have to be very athletic. Right now, you’re seeing the top athletes go to college to get an education. I think if you have boxing back at the collegiate level, you might have some more American heavyweights.”

· And another shot in the Golden Boy-Top Rank feud could be fired next week. Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer said Wednesday that he is planning to meet with Juan Manuel Marquez. There is rampant speculation that Marquez will jump from Golden Boy to Top Rank. That might be the only way he gets a second rematch with Pacquiao. “We don’t know what Márquez’s plan or plans are,’’ Schaefer said during a conference call for an April 9 card topped by Erik Morales-Marcos Maidana and will include Robert Guerrero, Michael Katsidis and James Kirkland at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand. “I am actually scheduled to meet with him next week in Mexico and see what he is planning on doing.’’

Floyd Mayweather was arrested on Thursday night and charged with offenses related to an incident with a security guard last month.

According to TMZ.com, Mayweather arrested at a casino on the strip when a security guard recognized him and called the Las Vegas police.

Mayweather, who was all smiles in his latest mugshot, is still in custody.

A security guard patrolling Floyd’s gated community claims the boxer poked him in the face when confronted about a parking violation.

If convicted Mayweather faces a maximum of 6 months in jail

The Internet is atwitter with speculation about what Manny Pacquiao will do. Shane Mosley, Juan Manuel Marquez, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Filipino politics and more, much more, is out there, everywhere. There’s no way to know what will unfold. Even Pacquiao doesn’t know where he’ll be next. But here’s one place he should be:

On the cover of Sports Illustrated.

SI is scheduled to announce its coveted award, Sportsman of the Year, on Nov. 29. The nominees – retired Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner, Canadian Olympic hero and Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby – are worthy. But Pacquiao’s ascent from third-world streets to wealth, international celebrity and a seat in the Filipino Congress is singularly astonishing.

A year ago, this corner nominated him for the SI prize, as well as the Associated Press version, Male Athlete of the Year. Since then Pacquiao beat Joshua Clottey at Cowboys Stadium, won a Congressional seat, served on committees, authored legislation, trained and beat a much bigger man, Antonio Margarito, in what he called his toughest fight, also at Cowboys Stadium.

Last year, this nomination for the awards was an effort just to get his name into the mix. It belonged there then, although he was roundly snubbed. Derek Jeter, perhaps the most popular Yankee since Mickey Mantle, was SI’s choice. NASCAR’s Jimmie Johnson was the AP winner according to votes cast by sports editors, many of whom didn’t know how to spell Pacquiao’s name a year ago. I hope that’s changed, although I have my doubts about the boxing abolitionists among those newspaper editors, some of whom would vote for a spare tire before they’d vote for a boxer.

Pacquiao’s dynamic combo of skill, speed and energy has already put him alongside legends such as Henry Armstrong, Roberto Duran and Sugar Ray Leonard, the SI winner in 1981. After his stunning dominance of Margarito Saturday, Bob Arum said Pacquiao was the best fighter he has ever promoted in his rich career, which includes Leonard and Muhammad Ali. I’m not sure about that one and I may never be, because the defining fight, Pacquiao-Mayweather, might never happen.

But Pacquiao has put himself into the argument. That’s enough to ensure his place in a debate that is as current as it is ancient. That said, Pacquiao’s evolution as fighter is just one reason he was the best of 2010. There is a fundamental goodness about him, and it revealed itself once again late in the devastating decision over Margarito.

Margarito, who suffered a fractured orbital bone beneath his right eye, was hanging onto nothing more than his pride after nine rounds. In the 11th, Pacquiao looked back at referee Laurence Cole as if to say it’s time to stop this.

In a cruel business, Pacquiao was worried about his opponent, whose apparent mocking of trainer Freddie Roach’s Parkinson’s in a controversial video had prompted some ringside ghouls to urge the Filipino to exact revenge with a sustained beating. But that’s not Pacquiao. There is a genuine concern for even a dangerous rival, whom Pacquiao said hurt him in the sixth. After his victory, Pacquiao conceded that he backed off, pulled his punches, because he didn’t want to do any more damage.

In Ali – history’s greatest for a Baby Boom generation that grew up watching him, there was a streak of cruelty displayed in his punishing attack in 1967 of Ernie Terrell, who had mockingly called him by his birth name, Cassius Clay. What’s my name, what’s my name? Ali asked again and again, punctuating the question with cutting combinations. Against Joe Frazier, Ali expressed his cruelty with trash talk that portrayed the proud Frazier as an Uncle Tom.

In the ring and at news conferences, Pacquiao has done neither. After victories over Erik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera and Marquez, the media started calling him “The Mexican Assassin.’’ Pacquiao said, please, don’t call me that. He knows about assassinations. He has seen them in The Philippines. Assassins wage war and murder. Reporters and headline writers needed Pacquiao to remind them that boxing isn’t either one. It’s a sport.

Against Margarito, there was no vengeance against a heavy-handed puncher who appeared to mock his beloved trainer. In September, there was a racist rant in a video posted by Mayweather, who called him a “little yellow chump.’’ Pacquiao did not respond in kind or even in anger.

A few months ago, I was skeptical of Pacquiao’s comments that he only wanted to help his people. It sounded like a cliched load of more political bull from another candidate on the campaign trail. But against Margarito, his gesture of concern told me he really means it. Naive? Perhaps. Politics might corrupt Pacquiao in ways that boxing never could.

But I have this memory of him from 2005 before a loss, his last one, to Morales at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Roach talked about how Pacquiao slept on the floor while training at home in the Philippines. Growing up, he often slept on the streets.

At the comfortable MGM, Roach said he entered Pacquiao’s room and saw that the bed was still made. He saw Pacquiao curled up in a corner, sleeping on the floor. I’m not sure he sleeps on any floors anymore. But I am sure he hasn’t forgotten it or the people who are still there, either. For 10 rounds of sustained fury against Margarito followed by two more marked by concern for a beaten business partner, Pacquiao showed that his generosity is as genuine as his punching power.

He cares.

SI and the AP should too.

Photo by Chris Farina / Top Rank

According to tmz.com, Floyd Mayweather had an alleged run-in with a member of his own security detail

Law enforcement sources told tmz.com a private security guard who was patrolling inside Floyd’s gated community drove up to Floyd’s house a few hours ago to confront the boxer about a parking situation.

We’re told the security guard rolled down his window to talk to Floyd … and that’s when Floyd allegedly unleashed his finger — striking the guard in the face.

Cops were called to the scene and knocked on Floyd’s door — but we’re told the boxer refused to open up.

We’re told since Floyd was only suspected of a misdemeanor battery — and because the alleged incident didn’t take place in front of a police officer — cops merely took a report and did not make an arrest.

Law enforcement sources tell us cops plan to turn the case over to the D.A., who will decide whether or not to press charges.

The last month has been about Floyd Mayweather Jr,’s arrest and racist rant, Ricky Hatton’s trip to rehab after looking like a drug cartel’s favorite customer and another lawsuit in the Golden Boy-Top Rank war-without-end.

I didn’t mention Sergio Mora-Shane Mosley. I didn’t see it. I fell asleep.

When I woke up, I was tempted to look for the closest exit. Then, November appeared without a turkey on the calendar.

It begins on Nov. 6 with the rescheduled Juan Manuel Lopez-versus-Rafael Marquez bout at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand, followed by Antonio Margarito-Manny Pacquiao on Nov. 13 beneath the Jerrytron at Dallas Cowboys Stadium, then Paul Williams-Sergio Martinez II on Nov. 20 at Atlantic City and Juan Manuel Marquez-Michael Katsidis, also at Vegas’ MGM.

If that’s not enough, the banquet continues on Dec. 11 with Amir Kahn-Marcos Maidana at Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay.

The sudden sequence of compelling fights, a timely relief to mounting frustration, is also a timely reminder of the game’s inexhaustible quality. Resiliency defines the business, keeps it in business, a lot like the Mickey Ward or Aruro Gatti or Michael Carbajal or any of the other stubborn legends who got up from knockdowns and came back from defeat. .

Make no mistake, nothing in November will mend the damage left by the fractious and failed negotiations for Pacquiao-Mayweather. That’s the one fight that could push the sport off the fringe and back into the mainstream for a few days or maybe a week. But it wouldn’t have won over casual fans or newspaper editors who have never liked it anyway. They would have gone back to ignoring it altogether.

Pacquiao-Mayweather might still happen one day, although reasons for doubt lurk in the four felony counts facing Mayweather, who also was charged with four misdemeanors more than a week ago and within days of a racist video directed at Pacquiao. Meanwhile, an apparent political career is just beginning for Filipino Congressman Pacquiao. Elements are falling into place for a change, which was also evident Saturday in 39-year-old Mosley, whose age seemed to be as much of an opponent as Mora in a dull draw.

The good news about November is that the business can move past Pacquiao-Mayweather, which has been sucking the wind out the sport for all of this year and some of last. The new guard is there, poised to step into the vacuum with a restoration of punches and promise instead of criminal charges and lawsuits.

Martinez promoter Lou DiBella said it best Thursday during the formal announcement of the rematch with Williams.

“We’re fading as an industry,’’ DiBella said. “There are some days I wake up and wonder if the sport is going to be around five years from now. This is the kind of fight the sport needs.”

This is the kind of month it needs, a November which is an appropriate time to say thanks for resiliency that so far has always been there.

The self-proclaimed face of boxing was captured last week in a booking photo. Floyd Mayweather Jr. looks as if he has a chance to go to the senior prom instead of prison. He’s smiling.

Or is that a sneer? Whatever it is, it’s no joke.

It turned deadly serious Thursday with news that the Clark County Attorney’s office in Las Vegas has charged Mayweather with four felony counts of coercion, robbery and grand larceny in addition to four misdemeanor counts on battery and harassment for an alleged incident involving former girlfriend Josie Harris on Sept. 9.

Just a couple of months ago, it looked as if Mayweather, who faces 34 years behind bars if convicted on all charges, would be busy in early November. He will be, but not against Manny Pacquiao. Mayweather is scheduled for arraignment in Las Vegas on Nov. 9, four days before he was supposed to have Pacquiao on his schedule.

Instead, Pacquiao faces Antonio Margarito on Nov. 13 at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas. Instead of a record-setting payday against Pacquiao, Mayweather has a chance at being O.J. Simpson’s roommate. Why-oh-why is he smiling? There’s a theory that none of this would have happened if Mayweather had agreed to the fight. He would have been in training. The regimen would have keep him busy and out of trouble.

It’s a good argument, but not convincing, at least not from this corner. He is always training. It’s routine, Mayweather’s lifestyle. So, too, is trouble, which has always lurked like a bad rumor. Yet, Mayweather has been able to elude serious consequences, including assault complaint in 2003 from Harris, who backed off the allegation at a trial in 2005. Oscar De La Hoya, a regular target of Mayweather’s trash-talk, has taken the high road, expressing sympathy for his former rival and current promotional client.

Maybe, Mayweather’s troubles are a cry for help, De La Hoya said while promoting the Shane Mosley-Sergio Mora fight Saturday night at Los Angeles’ Staples Center in a week-long celebration of the 200-year anniversary of the Mexican Revolution.

Maybe, but Mayweather’s self-destructive spiral might be a symptom of something predicted a couple of years ago by Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum, Mayweather’s former promoter. Months before two rounds of failed negotiations, Arum said Mayweather wouldn’t fight Pacquiao because the welterweight didn’t want to take a chance at jeopardizing his unbeaten record.

Late last year, Mayweather suddenly shattered an apparent agreement for a bout in March by parroting unconfirmed gossip that Pacquiao used performance-enhancers. The deal fell apart with Mayweather’s demand for random, Olympic-style drug-testing.

A couple of months ago, there was a flurry of speculation, including a midnight media call with Arum. Again, there was no deal, yet many denials from the Mayweather camp about whether there were any talks at all.

A couple of weeks ago, Mayweather unleashed a racist, homophobic video directed at Pacquiao. The alleged incident at the Harris’ residence in Las Vegas quickly followed.

If there is a parallel, maybe it is Mike Tyson. During his days of rage, commentator Teddy Atlas, who also trained the retired heavyweight, theorized that Tyson’s behavior was the expression of a fighter doing everything he could not to fight.

Sound familiar? It’s beginning to.

Mayweather acts as if he is doing all he can not to fight Pacquiao.

Maybe that explains the smile.

Boxing and decorum have always been strangers, but even by standards of a sport without one, the last seven days have been staggering.

Within a week, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and David Haye managed to offend more people than Mike Tyson did at the height of his ear-splitting rage. First, Mayweather offended all of Asia with his racist video Friday about Manny Pacquiao. Then, Haye offended women Tuesday at a London news conference by saying his heavyweight bout with Audley Harrison on November 13 would be “as one-sided as a gang-rape.’’

Somehow, Mayweather and Haye didn’t include middle-aged white guys or the handicapped, but they’ll get around to both sooner than later if their recent capacity to offend most of the people on this planet is any indication.

I’m not sure who is more offensive, Mayweather or Haye. You decide. Mayweather’s problems might just be starting with news Thursday that Las Vegas police want to question him about domestic battery alleged by the mother of three of his children, former girlfriend Josie Harris, who said she lied about a Mayweather assault in 2005. On Thursday, he was a suspect. Tomorrow or next week, law enforcement may get answers that will clear Mayweather.

In the court of public opinion, however, suspicions will stay with Mayweather like a scar. His video went viral in the worst way. It has infected his career and, to a lesser degree, the sport which he says he defines. In the public mind, Haye’s remark about a gang-rape raises the disgust by another outrageous octave or two. You can hear what people are thinking: What’s wrong with these guys? You can also anticipate their next move: That sport won’t be getting my pay-per-view money.

Speaking of money, Mayweather might as well be amending his nickname to Money Lost. In calling Pacquiao “a yellow chump,’’ maybe he was trying to call the Filipino gutless. But it is safe to say that any Asian will hear it and think only of a racial slur, no matter how many times Mayweather apologizes. The only chump here is Mayweather, who knocked out any chance he might have had at a rich endorsement from a Chinese company.

What Mayweather, the self-proclaimed face of boxing, and Haye fail realize is the potential devastation left in the wake of their attempt at some headline-grabbing rage. Boxing, once an American pastime and now mere nostalgia, is increasingly sustained by international interest. Sorry Floyd, but Pacquiao is the face of that market. The Filipino Congressman also knows not to offend it. Publicly, at least, Pacquiao did not express outrage at the Mayweather video. He was smart not to. Wade into that cesspool, and he’d only get dirty.

What’s more, it was a further display of Pacquiao’s consistent respect for opponents in game that sometimes is a clash of cultures. After beating one Mexican hero after another, Pacquiao was the first to ask that, please, don’t call him The Mexican Assassin.

Pacquiao still might get a chance to take Asia’s collective rage out on Mayweather in a fight that increasingly seems unlikely. If Mayweather hasn’t been talking himself out of it, he is talking the public into looking somewhere else for an event without the ugly edges, which now includes an unapologetic Haye and – as of Thursday – Mayweather as a police suspect.

Mayweather is unbeaten. Haye has been beaten only once. But a D should be attached to each of their records. We’re not talking about a draw here. With some luck, the damage in that D will be limited to only Dumb and Dumber.

NOTES, QUOTES

· Oscar De La Hoya says junior welterweight Saul “Canelo” Alvarez gets rock star-like television ratings in his hometown, Guadalajara, and throughout Mexico. A rock star deserves a big stage and it sounds as if that’s exactly where Alvarez wants to be after his date on Sept. 18 with Carlos Baldomir at Staples Center in Los Angeles on the Shane Mosley-Sergio Moro card. “This fight has me so motivated, so hungry for the bigger fights, that I’m talking a little bit,’’ said Alvarez, who during a conference call asked De La whether the winner of the Baldomir bout would get a title fight. De La Hoya sounded as though he was taken aback by Alvarez’s bold query. Said De La Hoya: “We’ll just have to wait and see what happens.’’

· Jose Benavidez Jr. (7-0, 7 KOs), a junior-welterweight prospect from Phoenix, stays busy Saturday night against Manuel Delcid (4-2) of Los Angeles on the Yuriorkis Gamboa-Orlando Salido card at The Palms in Las Vegas. Benavidez had been scheduled to fight Sept. 18 on the Rafael Marquez-Juan Manuel Lopez card, which was postponed until November by a hand injury sustained by Marquez. The promising Benavidez, who turned 18 in May, is still at the apprenticeship stage, which figures to proceed without interruption against Delcid, who lost his last bout and 1-2 over his last three.

According to TMZ.com, pound for pound best fighter, Floyd Mayweather may have been involved in an incident this morning in Las Vegas.

Multiple cop cars from the Las Vegas Metro Police Department showed up at Mayweather’s home early this morning. We’re told cops received a call at 5:03 AM from Floyd’s baby mama, Josie Harris, who claimed the boxer attacked her.

Sources tell TMZ Harris went to Southern Hills Hospital in Las Vegas at some point after the incident and has now left.

Law enforcement sources say police were unable to find Floyd and are now looking to interview him.

Cops want to speak to Floyd before determining if they will arrest him.

TMZ was told Harris is going to court today to get a restraining order against Mayweather.

In 2003 Harris accused Mayweather of punching and kicking her inside a Bentley in Vegas. Charges were filed but dismissed in 2005 after Harris testified she lied to cops because she was angry that Floyd had left her for another woman.

This hasn’t been a particularly good week for Mayweather as he released a profanity laced tirade last week against Manny Pacquiao that drew criticism from the boxing community and various ethnic groups around the world

We are, in a sense, in between bouts at the moment and I find myself thinking about Charlie Goldman and the rantings of Floyd Mayweather, Jr. Best known as Rocky Marciano’s trainer, Goldman fought as a bantamweight and pushed his mashed nose into more than 400 fights back around the early 1900’s.
Sporting a derby hat and always good for a quote, when asked about women and marriage, Goldman replied that he preferred to live “a la carte.”

In a picture which graced a trading card from the Mecca Cigarette Company, 1910, Goldman looks small and tired as he rests, legs splayed, on the stool in his corner—which is propped on what appears to be a wooden plank floor. It is not surprising that he looks tired, roughly 22 years old in the card, by his own account Goldman began to box professionally at the age of nine. A citizen of Brooklyn, he fought Terrible Terry McGovern’s brother in a series of three round smokers orchestrated by Sam Harris—George M. Cohan’s partner in the theatre. Of the fights, Goldman is quoted by the great A.J. Liebling as saying: “We learned a lot that way… they always had a bet going so you had to take it serious.”

Liebling goes on to give a bit more of Goldman’s chronology: “By the time he was fourteen he was traveling around the country, arranging his own fights and collecting his purses whenever possible.”
With what were said to be brittle hands (who can know, 400 fights!), Goldman never won a championship himself. He did, however, train five.

When asked about the problem of a lack of “artistic competence” in boxing, many during Marciano’s reign blamed TV, which had killed the farm system of the neighborhood fight clubs. Goldman, however, told Liebling that

“It is compulsory education,” he says. “You take a kid who has to stay in school until he is sixteen, he is under a disadvantage. All the things he should have learned to do when he was young he has to start at the beginning. How to move his feet, slip a punch, throw a hook—like finger exercises on the piano. A fighter shouldn’t have to think about those things, he should think about how to use them. A kid learns them before he begins to think about girls, they are the most important things in the world to him. Sixteen is too old, especially the way kids are today.”

Norman Mailer, speaking of the great boxers of his era, wrote of a kind of non-intellectual or kinesthetic intelligence—a brilliance of the body—a knowing of the nerves. Mailer also suggested that intellectual learning could impede that bodily brilliance— books and words essentially getting in the way of synaptic cognizance.

Or perhaps it’s just a zero sum game: time doing homework is not time in the ring, and vice versa.
Either way, Floyd Mayweather, Jr. has been boxing since he was 7. And it is, perhaps, safe to say that his recent comments about Manny Pacquiao prove that outside the ring, he simply was not the victim of a compulsory education.

It didn’t bode well when last Christmas the entire Boxing world’s focus was on whether or not Floyd Mayweather Jr & Manny Pacquiao could work things out for them to fight in May. As we know it didn’t turn out well with arbitrations and law suits being thrown around ever since not to mention relations between the lead promoters of both fighter Golden Boy (Mayweather) & Top Rank (Pacquiao) are at an all time low.

We hoped that after both Pacquiao took care of business with Joshua Clottey in Texas & Mayweather put on a clinic against Shane Mosley that the two best practioners on the planet at the moment would settle there difference’s in the ring and not the court room this fall.

Unfortunately once again Mayweather-Pacquiao hasn’t come to fruition with all sorts of rumours spread. We can only hope things finally work out for next spring…don’t hold your breath though, if we’ve learnt one thing in the last year or so it’s that if one thing can stop two superstars meeting for around $40M apiece it’s ego’s.

Another unfortunate casualty of the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight is that the two promoters are one again engaging in a bitter battle that has some in the media dubbing it “The Cold War”. Of coarse the one’s who really suffer is the fans who don’t get to see both promoters pit there other best fighters together which they had done for a couple of years prior to the latest setback.

As if the break downs in negotiations that has marred 2010 between Mayweather & Pacquiao aren’t enough and believe me there pretty bad. Things have steadily gotten worse as the years gone on. Though it was completely understandable after the tragic lives of many in Haiti were lost (Including 8 relatives of Andre Berto) the first big fight of the year Mosley-Berto was cancelled a week out.

At Middleweight Paul Williams priced himself out of a Championship fight with number then one Kelly Pavlik. On the back of several impressive performance’s Sergio Martinez fought and beat Pavlik. While you would think a good looking, talented personable guy would find acquiring future dates relatively easy, however the dearth in contenders at 160 made that difficult and then neigh on impossible when Williams initially baulked at a rematch, thankfully he has since come to his senses and looks like accepting parity for the 20 November clash.

The Middleweight division isn’t likely to make anyone forget the Golden years of the 60’s and 80’s which is all the more reason the few top fights that can be made need to be made.

When one of the possible future stars Edwin Valero lost his life in a tragic turn of events back in April it taught us once again how you should cherish every moment of your life because you never know quite what is around the corner. It was reported that Valero had battled both drink & drug addiction, it was to see him completely unravel almost in front of our very eyes with various pictures and reports coming from South America. Many in Boxing believed Valero was the man to not only take down Pacquiao & Mayweather but also earn legendary status. Sadly that wasn’t to be the case and even more tragically Valero & his also deceased wife left behind two young children who will have to deal with the loss of there mother & father for there whole lives.

The Featherweight class is on the cusp of a Golden era like it has in the mid to late 90’s into the 2000’s. With any combination of Chris John, Celestino Caballero, Yuriorkis Gamboa, Elio Rojas, JuanMa Lopez & Rafael Marquez highly entertaining fights. As the fall calendar fills out it doesn’t look like any of them will of fought each other. John hasn’t fought in 2010 as yet, nobody wants to fight Caballero who is the most avoided fighter in Boxing. Cuban Gamboa has won two fights and looks to unify with tough Orlando Salido. Elio Rojas recently picked up and injury that will keep him out for several months meaning his one appearance so far in 2010 is likely to be his only fight in this year. It looked as if Lopez & Marquez would clash in a much anticipated fight on 18 September, however that was postponed when Marquez injured a thumb.

A couple of weeks back we heard that not only was Mikkel Kessler pulling out of his fight with Allen Green which was scheduled for the end of September but he was withdrawing completely from the Super 6 which has been beset by postponements in the past year since Ken Hershman’s brain child started. The sad news came through that Kessler would be on the sidelines due to an eye injury for 9 months.

We’ve also had talented fighters spend time on the sidelines in the prime of there career’s for no apparent reason. One of the names that springs to mind is Tim Bradley who had done so well in fights at 140 last year that he ended up waiting until July for a fight and then he had to head to Welterweight for a fight with the stronger but not as versatile Luis Abregu. Another who had to wait around was Chad Dawson who went without a fight until the middle of August when he lost to Jean Pascal.

Over the past 2 years we’ve all watched David Haye talk the talk but fail to back it up with a fight with either of the Klitschko brothers. Even when he cleared the way beating mandatory challenger John Ruiz in April rather than seek out a Klitschko it appears as though he fight Audley Harrison.

After the doom and gloom that has been 2010 a year that has no clear candidate for fight of the year that honour would probably go to Mikkel Kessler & Carl Froch who took part in a scintillating battle in April. What can we expect from the remaining part of the year or even 2011.

Just to prove I’m a half glass full type of guy here’s a few things that may light up the Boxing calendar over the next few months.

While the Klitschko brothers look light years ahead of the completion any combination of David Haye, Alexander Povetkin, Tomasz Adamek & Chris Arreola would prove entertainment.

It looks as though we could have a Super 6 at Cruiserweight which if word is true will kick off with Steve Cunningham fighting Marco Huck in a rematch from 2007.

Jean Pascal changed the Light Heavyweight landscape when he beat Chad Dawson it now looks like he will not satisfy himself by just staying busy and enjoying his new found fame as he will take on Bernard Hopkins on 18 December.

The fall will hopefully see the two Andre’s Ward & Dirrell square off and Carl Froch & Arthur Abraham meet in what could be a fight of the year type of fight with neither guy taking a backward step. The two winners then meeting in a huge fight which will also unify the WBC & WBA titles. It was agreed when Kessler pulled doubt that he would fight the winner of the Super 6 in late 2011.

Finally Martinez-Williams will rematch on 22 November. Dmitry Pirog came out of the shadows when he stunned Daniel Jacobs hopefully he’ll be kept in the spotlight and let us not forget a come backing Kelly Pavlik.

Any time Manny Pacquiao fights it’s cant miss TV and he’ll be looking to become a 7 weight world champion fighting Antonio Margarito on November 13. Miguel Cotto reinvigorated the Light Middleweight division when he moved up 7 pounds stopping Yuri Foreman looks like he many face Julio Cesar Chavez Jr on 4 December. The winner of that could face Pacquiao-Margarito next year. Alfredo Angulo & a come backing James Kirkland also make there home at 154.

Traditionally one of Boxing stronghold division’s is Welterweight and that shows no signs of slowing down. We can all hope that Pacquiao-Mayweather can come together finally next year. Shane Mosley may not be getting any younger but he’s still more than capable. Andre Berto looks the future at 147.

Seems like Amir Khan may face Marcos Maidana on 11 December and six weeks later Tim Bradley could face Devon Alexander. Cross everything that the two winners clash by next summer.

Wisely Juan Manuel Marquez decided not to move up from Lightweight for a fall clash with Khan instead it looks as though he’ll face Michael Katsidis in a fight that could be a fight of the year candidate.

Scotland’s Ricky Burns became his countries twelfth ever world champion following in the footsteps of Benny Lynch, Ken Buchanan & Jim Watt when as a 3-1 underdog he showed considerable resolve to take the title from Roman Martinez in a thrilling fight.

JuanMa Lopez will square off with Rafael Marquez on 6 November in what could be a changing of the guard fight or further enhance Marquez stature as one of the best lighter weight fighters of his generation. Cuban whirlwind Gamboa fights Saturday, one thing with Gamboa is that he’s always in exciting fights.

Since Israel Vazquez, Marquez & Caballero moved up to 126 the Super Bantamweight division hasn’t been as strong as in bygone years Thailand’s pocket dynamo Poonsawat Kratchingdaeng always provides entertaining fights as does Toshiaki Nishioka who meets Rendall Munroe in what has the makings of a brilliant fight. Coming through in the next six months or so will be legendary Cuban amateur Guillermo Rigondeaux who has signed with Top Rank who are sure to give him the opportunities to show his considerable talent.

There is talent galore at 118, we hope to see Fernando Montiel meet Nonito Donaire in the next half year or so. It’s a fight that would likely see the winner move into the top 5 on many pound for pound lists. Showtime is putting up the money for an exciting clash between Vic Darchinyan-Abner Mares & Yonnhy Perez-Joseph Agbeko on 4 December with the winners meeting further down the line.

As you can see while 2010 hasn’t quite been the year we had hoped it maybe there are still plenty of things going on and in the works for this fall and early next year.