SportsCenter will televise live the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao press conference on Wednesday, March 11, from Los Angeles’ Nokia Theatre at 4:30 p.m. ET. SportsCenter’s Lindsay Czarniak will anchor coverage from ESPN’s L.A. studio, and ESPN boxing analyst Teddy Atlas will be in L.A. providing insight and analysis. Neil Everett and Stan Verrett will co-anchor coverage from the Red Carpet outside the Nokia Theatre.

In addition, reporters Jeremy Schaap and Bernardo Osuna will be on site to interview both fighters before and after the press conference. Following the press conference, Czarniak will anchor the 6 p.m. SportsCenter from ESPN’s L.A. studio.

The much-anticipated Mayweather and Pacquiao welterweight title unification showdown will occur on May 2, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Manny Pacquiao will arrive in Los Angles on before his expected March 8 arrival for his May 2 mega showdown with Floyd Mayweather.

“Manny called me and said it’s been so crazy in the Philippines that he is going to come over here early and probably start at Wild Card on March 2,” Roach told ESPN.com on Thursday. “Having him early is really nice for me. We’ll have Justin Fortune doing strength work with him, and then we’ll begin the boxing part and start sparring.”

Roach will not be at the gym for the first several days after Pacquiao’s arrival because he is going to Macau on Friday. Roach will be with two-time Chinese Olympic gold medalist Zou Shiming (6-0, 1 KO) for his bid to win a flyweight world title from Thailand’s Amnat Ruenroeng (14-0, 5 KOs) on March 7 at the Cotai Arena.

With Pacquiao coming to camp early, Roach initially told him he was going to stay in California and have assistant Marvin Somodio, who has been training Shiming in Shanghai, finish camp and run the corner.

However, Roach said that Pacquiao “insisted that I go help Shiming. Manny said, ‘I can train for a few days by myself and with the staff.'”

So Somodio will fly from China to Los Angeles to oversee the first few days of Pacquiao’s camp at Wild Card.

“Manny told me I should be with Zou because he knows how important this fight is for him,” Roach said. “The thing is, Manny is that type of guy. He cares about other people. He knows Shiming has a better chance to win if I’m there with him.”

“I’m very happy, and I’m very confident we will win the fight,” Roach said. “I have a good game plan for Manny, and I’ve altered the game plan some over the last five to six years since this fight has been something everyone wanted to see. I’ve made adjustments to it since both guys are a little older. I’m watching tape on their last two fights each.

“They’re not the same as they were five years ago, but it’s a winnable fight for us if we fight the right fight. This is the biggest fight of my life. There’s a lot of pressure, but I’m not going to be nervous. Pressure is good. I want to perform, and I want my fighter to do the best he can.

We just need to have the right strategy to beat this solid fighter,” Roach said. “Mayweather is a slick guy, and he is not the easiest guy in the world to fight. He’s undefeated for a reason. He’s very smart. The thing is we have to attack him a lot and have that ring generalship, and Manny has to work on cutting off the ring. Everything will come together. Manny and me have already been talking about the strategy. Once he gets here, he knows what I want from him.”

Roach said he already has two sparring partners lined up for Pacquiao in 21-year-old pros Kenneth Sims Jr. (5-0, 2 KOs), a junior welterweight and former amateur standout from Chicago, and Rashidi Ellis (13-0, 10 KOs), a welterweight out of Lynn, Massachusetts, both of whom he said have worked out at Wild Card and caught his eye.

“They arrive on March 8,” Roach said. “I’m very impressed with their talent. I know they’re young guys, but they’re good. They have that Mayweather look a little bit. I have four other guys in mind for later on in camp.

“There’s a lot riding on this fight. It’s a big one. It’s exciting. People are congratulating me that we got the fight. I said, ‘Don’t congratulate me now. Congratulate me when we win it.'”

By Bart Barry–

The announcement came sometime Thursday, or maybe Tuesday, the announcement there would be an announcement coming soon from a professional athlete about a future sporting event. It was a reminder how unserious our time is that adults awaited such silliness, but there we were, men who are otherwise grandfathers, fathers, professionals, role models, even, collectively saying, “Whatever the petulant demands, just satisfy them, please, so we can have our event, finally.”

Now we will, May 2 at MGM Grand, when American welterweight Floyd Mayweather fights Filipino Manny Pacquiao.

It’s OK to be happy about this development. Boxing, like perhaps no other sport in the world, makes curmudgeons of its fanbase. All begin by reading bitter men unimpressed by any development in the sport, and all promise themselves they will not become like those men; I’ll stop following it long before I become cynical as those guys, one thinks.

But shortsighted greed – to which boxing’s failures universally reduce – eventually affects in some profound and detrimental way a fighter who enchants a new follower of our sport, and his innocence and hopefulness gradually gives way to distrust and an unseemly pride in knowing things. None of us is immune to this; some of us express more loudly our distaste with what machinations subvert generally our sport and specifically its fighters and fans, but all of us experience it.

Winston Churchill accurately reported about those of us in the States: “You can always count on Americans to do the right thing – after they’ve tried everything else.” Floyd Mayweather, in announcing he will fight Manny Pacquiao five years and two Pacquiao losses after he was supposed to, has satisfied Churchill’s report once more, agreeing to do the right thing, finally, because he is, quite frankly, out of palatable options – after he’s tried everything else.

One imagines CBS CEO Leslie Moonves, who is wealthy where Mayweather is rich, said he was done seeing his child network, Showtime, embarrassed by Mayweather. With each new fight in the Mayweather contract bringing less money than his 2013 match with Mexican Saul Alvarez, the onus on Mayweather to make a larger prefight spectacle grew, until in September Mayweather produced his way to a potsmoking harem and human dogfighting circuit, captured by Moonves’ cameras, then went before a government commission and said it was all fake, edited to inaccuracy by Moonves’ staff.

Whatever it might have cost CBS to break its ill-advised Showtime contract with Mayweather, CBS’ revenues in 2014 were $13.81 billion – that’s 13, followed by 81, followed by seven zeros – which is enough to pay Mayweather $120 million, every fight, for 115 fights, and precluding Mayweather from accelerating the erosion of CBS’ journalistic brand would have been worth whatever pennies it cost the corporation.

For a chuckle, though, do imagine the conversation promoter Bob Arum, age 83, and Moonves, 65, had about what nonfinancial terms of the contract were most important to Mayweather: That he, and no one else, be allowed to announce the fight, via crappy digital image on a social network. Like adults patiently watching a child open birthday presents before they head back to work, Moonves and Arum must have marveled at the euphoria such a trinket brought the little tyke.

Immediately after Mayweather’s historic announcement, the heads of the sports departments at Showtime and HBO held a joint call and bubbled with what enthusiasm generally attends the salvaging of one’s job. “This is the biggest boxing event of all time,” said the president of HBO Sports, in an ahistorical attempt, one hopes, to target the same teenage demographic Mayweather’s announcement did. Or maybe Mayweather insisted on scripting HBO’s announcement, too – he is an executive producer at Showtime, after all – and desperate to return its status from official network of the Soviet Bloc farm leagues to “Heart and Soul of Boxing”, HBO had little choice but do as it was told.

The hyperbole above will be justified in one way, though: Mayweather-Pacquiao will feature prognostications from more and more-uninformed sportsfans than any fight in history. And here’s why: Every time biggest boxing events of all time happened in the past, be they Lewis-Tyson or Frazier-Ali 1 or Louis-Schmeling 2, boxing had at least a small place in America’s consciousness. Persons accidentally saw a fight on “Wide World of Sports” or read about a local kid in the newspaper, at least, before sallying forth with an opinion.

There’s a fair chance last weekend 10 million Americans hatched fully formed opinions, opinions they are now eager to share, having watched no boxing since Lewis beat-down Tyson 13 years ago.

“Money is the best ever, like his hat says . . .”

“Manny fights with a mandate from God . . .”

“It’s like that time at Wrestlemania when Hogan and Savage . . .”

Fact is, this is the second-best time for this fight to happen, from an aficionado’s perspective. The best time, of course, was immediately after Pacquiao dashed through Miguel Cotto, the man Mayweather retired to avoid in 2008, when Mayweather-Pacquiao might have happened in Cowboys Stadium and launched a historic trilogy our grandchildren would talk about. After 2009, Mayweather took six fights intended not to imperil him in the slightest, and he was right five times, until Argentine Marcos Maidana repeatedly hit him with skyhook rights in 2014 and revealed Mayweather is either badly overtraining himself or much older in the legs than his string of sponsored sparring sessions anticipated.

Pacquiao took the opposite route, coincidentally, being chased in 2010 by the monstrous Antonio Margarito – whom Mayweather bought-out a contract to avoid in 2006 – being decisioned by Timothy Bradley and being iced by Juan Manuel Marquez, before making farcical matches in remote places with hopeless underdogs in 2013 and 2014. In other words, Pacquiao might be recuperated enough, and Mayweather might be worn enough, now, to make their May match a good one.

Or maybe not. Vegas knows boxing much better than America at large, and Vegas has Mayweather a comfortable favorite – watching, as Vegas did, the absurd size disparity between Mayweather and Marquez in their 2009 sparring session, and knowing, as Vegas does, Pacquiao is much closer in physical stature to his nemesis Marquez than he is to Mayweather.

Pacquiao will land left crosses on Mayweather, just as Marquez landed right crosses, but will they have any memorable effect? That is a question worth answering that will be answered in May. Rejoice.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

The following are some details and quotes according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“I am glad my decision to meet with Manny and discuss making this fight happen helped get the deal done,” Mayweather said, referring to a chance Jan. 27 meeting with Pacquiao at a Miami Heat game followed by a private discussion after the game. “Giving the fans what they want to see is always my main focus. This will be the biggest event in the history of the sport.”

The networks resultingly will come together to produce and distribute a joint pay-per-view telecast, which is expected to cost a record-high $89.95 (and probably $10 more for high definition).

“I am very happy that Floyd Mayweather and I can give the fans the fight they have wanted for so many years,” Pacquiao said. “They have waited long enough and they deserve it. It is an honor to be part of this historic event. I dedicate this fight to all the fans who willed this fight to happen and, as always, to bring glory to the Philippines and my fellow Filipinos around the world.”

“Boxing fans and sports fans around the world will witness greatness on May 2,” Mayweather said. “I am the best ever, TBE, and this fight will be another opportunity to showcase my skills and do what I do best, which is win. Manny is going to try to do what 47 before him failed to do, but he won’t be successful. He will be number 48.”

On Friday afternoon, Top Rank was notified and Mayweather made the announcement about an hour later, though the deal had been done for a couple of days with both sides having signed the paperwork. Contracts were also signed by broadcasters HBO and Showtime, who will team for a historic joint pay-per-view.

“It’s hasn’t been easy,” Top Rank promoter Bob Arum told ESPN.com. “But I think in some strange way the inability to get the fight done before now enhances its value and this is one event that the public all over the world has been talking about and discussing for years. The interest in the fight will be absolutely red-hot. I’ve been promoting boxing for nearly 50 years and there is nothing that has come close to this because there has been nothing that has been so difficult to come to fruition. As interest is concerned, this is akin to the first (Muhammad) Ali-(Joe) Frazier fight.

“You have to be grateful that this is finally happening. You can’t bemoan the false starts and the inability to do this before. It’s here now.”

“Everyone involved, including Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, knows this fight simply had to happen,” said Stephen Espinoza, executive vice president and general manager of Showtime Sports. “All of us are thrilled to be able to deliver this event to boxing fans around the world.

“Now, for the second time under his current deal with Showtime Networks, Floyd Mayweather has agreed to fight an opponent that many people thought he’d never face. We set an all-time pay-per-view record with the first event back in September 2013 (with Alvarez) and we look forward to another record-breaking performance on May 2.”

Said HBO Sports president Ken Hershman: “Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather have been the two most prominent fighters in the sport of boxing for the past decade, and fight fans around the world have been clamoring for them to face each other.

“And now, on May 2, in what everyone believes will be the biggest boxing event of all time, fight fans have been granted their wish. May 2 will be a signature moment for the sport of boxing and HBO Sports is thrilled to be a part of this spectacular event. I know the fighters and their teams will be primed to excel and we plan to work closely with everyone involved to deliver the same level of performance from a broadcast perspective.”

“The reason I like my guy’s chances so much is because of his speed, the tremendous number of punches he throws, the quality of his punches and the fact that he is left-handed,” Arum said. “Top Rank promoted Floyd Mayweather for 10½ years and we recognized that he had difficulty handling a speedy, left-handed fighter and that he and his father (and trainer, Floyd Mayweather Sr.) were insistent that we not match Floyd with a southpaw. I remember two fights he had with southpaws who didn’t have the ability Mann has but who gave him trouble — (DeMarcus) ‘Chop Chop’ Corley, who buzzed him and had him in real trouble and Zab Judah.”

Said Freddie Roach, Pacquiao’s Hall of Fame trainer: “Floyd should enjoy being the A-Side while he can because on May 2 Manny is going to put him on his backside.”

NEW YORK (Feb. 20, 2015) — It’s a done deal! Undefeated Floyd Mayweather (47-0, 26 KOs) will fight longtime rival Manny Pacquiao (57-5-2, 38 KOs) in a Welterweight World Championship Unification Bout live on Pay-Per-View on Saturday, May 2.

Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager of SHOWTIME Sports, and Ken Hershman, President of HBO SPORTS, were made available to the media just minutes after the fight was officially announced by Mayweather via his Shots account.

Here are highlights from what Hershman and Espinoza had to say Friday:

KEN HERSHMAN, President HBO SPORTS

“This is the biggest boxing event of all time, we’re confident of that. We couldn’t be prouder to be a part of it and help craft it.
“We look forward to May 2. It’s going to be a spectacular night for this sport and for HBO and SHOWTIME as well.

“The Mike Tyson-Lennox Lewis joint pay-per-view fight was a great roadmap for this fight. It showed that this can be done successfully. There’s a lot of mechanics that go into this when two networks are working together, and those mechanics carry forward in terms of how things operate behind the scenes.

“The fight will be held on traditional pay-per-view, nothing out of the ordinary on that front. We’re looking forward to getting going, there’s a lot of hard work ahead of us.”

STEPHEN ESPINOZA, Executive Vice President & General Manager SHOWTIME Sports

“We’re thrilled to be a part of what we expect to be a record-breaking event. This deal is a product of a lot of hard work with some blood, sweat and tears along the way.
“I took this job approximately three years ago; the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight has been a topic of conversation and a goal of not only ours, but of Floyd Mayweather’s since he came over to SHOWTIME a little less than three years ago.

“I believe that the direct line of communication between Floyd and Manny cleared up a lot of doubts on both of their minds and renewed their commitment to getting this fight done.

“We have had significant discussions as to who will make up the broadcast team; it will be an all-star team with a combination of talent from both networks.

“The meeting between Floyd and Manny at the Miami Heat game certainly greased the wheels in getting through the final stages of the process.

“One of the main reasons why this deal got done, as opposed to deals in the past, was because Leslie Moonves [President and CEO, CBS Corporation] was a part of the process. He was deeply committed to making this deal and was someone that all parties in this negotiation really respect. He was really the catalyst for seeing this through and refused to take no for an answer from any side.

“We believed this day would come, we worked hard to make it happen and we’re thrilled that it is here.”

Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President & General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports:
“Everyone involved, including Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, knows this fight simply had to happen. All of us are thrilled to be able to deliver this event to boxing fans around the world. Now, for the second time under his current deal with Showtime Networks, Floyd Mayweather has agreed to fight an opponent that many people thought he’d never face. We set an all-time pay-per-view record with the first event back in September 2013, and we look forward to another record-breaking performance on May 2.”

-Ken Hershman, President, HBO Sports:
“Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather have been the two most prominent fighters in the sport of boxing for the past decade, and fight fans around the world have been clamoring for them to face each other. And now, on May 2nd, in what everyone believes will be the biggest boxing event of all-time, fight fans have been granted their wish. May 2nd will be a signature moment for the sport of boxing and HBO Sports is thrilled to be a part of this spectacular event. I know the fighters and their teams will be primed to excel and we plan to work closely with everyone involved to deliver the same level of performance from a broadcast perspective.”

By Norm Frauenheim–

A nervous rash escalated to full-blown panic on social media Thursday when speculation about the Floyd Mayweather Jr.- Manny Pacquaio negotiations reached a new high. Or is that a low?

Whatever it was, the monster got fed, leaving the world atwitter with anxious expectations that at any minute, any second, Mayweather would announce the May 2 fight is a done deal.

As I write this late Thursday, I’m still waiting and wondering why I am. It’s a fool’s errand. But the endless speculation has become a show unto itself. It’s enough to wonder what will happen when it ends with either a real fight or just more futility. If the fight is on, opening bell might not be preceded by as much attention as the talks were.

The fight is five or six years too late. Still, it’s intriguing, still worth a look, although maybe not at a rumored pay-per-view price of $100. But the bout can’t ever live up to the negotiations. Mayweather played it for every tweet and mistaken headline it was worth. The bet here is that the fight would be a letdown.

Mayweather’s feet don’t move at the blinding rate they used to. Marcos Maidana, a wild puncher without precision, got to him repeatedly.

Those same punches from a better tactician would have hurt Mayweather more than they did throughout 24 rounds against Maidana. It’s just one sign that Mayweather would hold, clinch and shoulder-roll as often as possible against Pacquaio.

Then, there’s Pacquaio, whose punches from countless angles overwhelmed Oscar De La Hoya. Pacquiao’s power lifted Ricky Hatton into midair and dropped the Brit onto the canvas like a guy falling off a diving board.

But that fear factor and much of the power are gone. Pacquiao knocked down Chris Algieri six times. But he couldn’t knock him out. Brandon Rios is a sturdy brawler, but he’s no De La Hoya. Rios is hittable. Yet, Pacquiao couldn’t stop him, either. Without a resurrection of that old power, Pacquaio figures to practice caution against Mayweather.

It’s become increasingly evident that neither Mayweather nor Pacquiao is the fighter of five, six years ago. Nevertheless, social media has been ablaze, motivated by their celebrity and the memory of who they were instead who they are. In large part, that’s a pretty good reason to believe that the deal is done and that they’ll fight in May instead of a later date, say September.

If they chose to fight in the interim, there are a lot of emerging faces in a younger generation who might beat them. Against a Keith Thurman or an Amir Khan, they might lose a fight and their share of a total purse reported to be $250 million. If they don’t do it now, they risk throwing away a fortune.

Follow the money. It says the fight is likely, but it’s hard to imagine how it could ever be more exciting than the talks were.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, there is no imminent announcement for the much talked about fight featuring Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.

“The thing that really concerns me is that we are running out of time for May 2,” Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, who represents Pacquiao, told ESPN.com on Monday. “If you want to drag this out a little longer then move the fight to later in May — May 30 is a good date — or go in June. We agreed to go on May 2 because that is the date Mayweather is hung up on, but if we’re going to go on May 2 we need to get this done.”

“There are issues that should be solved in 10 minutes, but it’s a slow dance,” Arum said. “We send one draft to their side and their lawyer sends back a draft with something else that’s an issue. And there doesn’t seem to be any urgency about it on their side. It’s terrible.”

Arum has negotiated many of the deal points for the bout through CBS chief executive Leslie Moonves, who has acted as a go-between for Mayweather and his adviser, Al Haymon. Arum said he continues to remain in touch with Moonves and that they exchanged emails on Monday trying to work out the issues.

“I’ve asked Les to expeditiously handle the points there are issues with,” said Arum, who declined to go into the specific issues. “Moonves can handle it. The question is whether the Mayweather side will listen to him. If they’re sincere about trying to make the fight it shouldn’t be an issue, or are they playing a game? I don’t know. I go back and forth. I thought they were always playing a game, that Floyd didn’t want the fight.

“Then Manny and (adviser) Michael (Koncz) spent an hour or so with Mayweather in the hotel suite and they read it that, no, Mayweather really wants the fight. But I don’t know. If people were really concentrating on this it could be done in no time.

“There are unresolved issues on both the fighter deal and the network deal. (The fighters are) on the same page regarding basic deal points but there are lot of meaningful items still unresolved,” said one source involved in the negotiations.

Stung by recent media reports that it is holding up a deal, HBO, which has not even publicly acknowledged the negotiations in the first place, issued a surprising statement on Monday in which it essentially said that nobody should blame it if the deal doesn’t get done.

“We are not an impediment to this fight. We stand ready to go. The principals need to agree to terms and come to a deal,” HBO Sports said in the statement.

By Norm Frauenheim

Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao went one-on-one in an old-school way almost forgotten by all the methods offered by social media. Face-to-face. Imagine that.

What took so long? It’s a fair question, one that they probably will ask themselves if they finally sign a deal to fight. But Twitter didn’t get in the way of their chance meeting in Miami during and after a Milwaukee Bucks-Heat game Tuesday night.

They looked into each other’s eyes instead of simply engaging in an exchange of taunts through various digital platforms that have become today’s stage. It’s mostly about ego and entertainment, Hits and followers are like laughs and applause. Gain them with jokes and insults. But it’s no way to negotiate.

According to various media reports, Mayweather initiated the meeting by approaching Pacquiao at court side. Then, the real business was conducted in Pacquiao’s hotel suite, according to Pacquiao advisor Michael Koncz. Koncz told the Associated Press and www.ringtv.com that Tuesday’s two meetings were the first between the two rivals. That’s astonishing. They didn’t run into each other at the Ferrari dealership?

Boxing is a small community, after all But it’s also tribal. Fighters stay with those they trust. Loyalty is their first commandment. The second, third and fourth, too. So, yeah, it’s not beyond belief that Mayweather and Pacquiao have been avoiding each other like wary rivals circling the same prey.

Cheers to Mayweather for initiating the night’s first meeting and asking for the second one. Cheers, too, to Koncz for seemingly encouraging the personal exchange.

A snowstorm in the Northeast might have put Mayweather and Pacquiao in the same place for one night.

But the coincidence provided an opportunity and Koncz knew it. It was beginning to look as if negotiations for a May 2 showdown were dead on arrival. But that was before Mayweather and Pacquiao looked at each other during an hour-long conversation that they’ve never had. Suddenly, there’s optimism instead of the same old futility.

According to Koncz and Pacquaio promoter Bob Arum, there’s an agreement between the networks, Time Warner’s HBO and CBS’ Showtime. Each would produce a special on its own fighter – HBO with Pacquiao and Showtime with Mayweather.

It still isn’t clear who will do the blow-by-blow account and ringside analysis. But it sounds as if an agreement is in the works.

Would there be renewed hope — if not a real chance — for one if Pacquiao and Mayweather had not met?

No.

It’s not the first time that the fighters themselves have broken what seems to be an impossible deadlock. Still, it’s a reminder that, in the end, there’s some real leverage in their dangerous hands.

For as long as there has been an opening bell, fighters have talked about taking the judges out of a fight. It’s one way of promising a stoppage. It’s another way of eliminating the subjectivity that has always haunted the sport. Controversial decisions are bad for business.

In effect, the Pacquiao-Mayweather summit is an attempt at exactly that: Eliminate the middlemen. Talks between CEOs, promoters, managers, advisers, trainers, broadcasters and conditioning coaches appeared to be going nowhere other than in the way.

In the end, only the talk between unlikely business partners might matter. In the end, only Pacquiao and Mayweather will throw punches at each other. Only they can agree to do so.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather held a private meeting inside of Pacquiao’s hotel suite on Tuesday night in Miami.

They met inside Pacquiao’s hotel suite and “it was very pleasant and very encouraging, and we give Floyd credit for coming over,” Pacquiao adviser Michael Koncz, who was present at the meeting, told ESPN.com on Wednesday. “That’s the first time they ever sat eye to eye. I’ve met Floyd many times, but he and Manny had never had a chance to meet. They talked at halftime, but this was a longer, more serious meeting. You could tell by their body language that this was very positive. It was for a good hour or more.

“It was a business meeting, but it wasn’t a tense business meeting. I think that’s because they both have mutual respect for each other. We’ll determine what will happen over the next couple of days.”

“I told Floyd I would call [Pacquiao promoter] Bob [Arum of Top Rank] in the morning, and I did that and discussed them with Bob, and he assured us they have been worked out. I took care of it,” Koncz said. “I said to Floyd, and Manny agreed, that if those are the only two broadcasting issues, we would take care of them.”

Koncz said Pacquiao and Mayweather also discussed other issues but that the broadcasting items were “the majority of the discussion. Floyd said, ‘I want the fight to happen,’ and Manny said he does, too. If the fighters both want the fight to happen, who can stop it? They both said they want it to happen, and we’re still looking to make it happen on May 2.

“I think people are just tired of all of this. Me and Manny, and maybe Floyd, we’re tired of the fans and everybody, everywhere we go continually asking us when the fight will happen. Boxing needs this fight to happen, and it needs to happen in May.”

“I don’t want to go on a worldwide tour. We don’t think it’s necessary,” he said. “Look, we could have stopped in seven cities and not gotten the kind of publicity we got from Manny and Floyd talking at halftime of the basketball game.

“I think we could do one city, perhaps two, New York and Los Angeles, and this thing will go viral. It will sell itself. We don’t need to go spending money on private jets to go to a lot of cities. Those tours are expensive. The money could go to the fighters instead. People want this fight and have wanted it for so long. I would have liked to see it happen three or four or five years ago, but hopefully we can get it done now. It will be the biggest fight in history.”

By Norm Frauenheim–

It’s hard to recall when there wasn’t talk about Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr. Brandon Rios and Mike Alvarado are about to fight for a third time. We’re still talking.

Gas prices fall from $5-a-gallon to less than $2. Cheap talk continues. A German Pope quits the Vatican and a pope from Argentina moves in. Still talking. Maybe praying, too.

It’s almost as if the talk has always been there, embedded in the public conversation. When a time capsule buried in a corner of the Massachusetts State House was opened about a month ago, newspapers were found alongside stuff left by Paul Revere in 1795.

Nobody opened up the old newspapers, which is lot like today’s newspapers. But I would love to see the headlines, just to make sure there was no mention of Pacquiao-Mayweather. I’m pretty sure, too, Revere didn’t shout “the fight is coming, the fight is coming’’ on that midnight ride more than two centuries ago. It just seems like it.

In an era defined by 140 characters, little has a shelf life longer than yesterday’s tweet. But Mayweather-Pacquiao is inexhaustible. It’s a virtual commodity, a little bit like Kim Kardashian’s posterior. It just never goes away, which also makes it hard to know what’s fantasy and what’s not.

The talk is as loud now as it was when it started more than half a decade ago. Other than the volume, however, is any of it real? Or is it just more exasperating buzz in another rhetorical sequel to the same old futility?

I was in Las Vegas last week for Deontay Wilder’s heavyweight decision over Bermane Stiverne at the MGM Grand. It was a good fight and a better story. But all of the talk was about you-know-what. There was more speculation in the media workroom than losing wagers in the casino. It’s happening; it’s not happening.

Anticipation has created a bubble and perhaps boxing’s version of Deflate-gate. There’s a growing sense that the air has begun to go out of the talks.

That said, there’s always another rumor, or maybe a daydream. According to one, the bout could be announced in the grandest style possible, say, during the Seattle-New England Super Bowl on Feb. 1. Buy a 30-second spot of advertising for $4 million and announce the Super Bowl of boxing.

A fanciful reach? Maybe. By now, everything about Pacuiao-Mayweather appears to be a reach. In terms of timing, however, it makes some sense. Pacquiao has said his deadline is the end of January. If he doesn’t get an answer from Mayweather by then, it looks as if he’ll move on, perhaps to a bout with former stable-mate Amir Khan.

Meanwhile, Mayweather loves the big stage and nothing is bigger than the Super Bowl.

He said during a radio interview in Australia that talks were ongoing. But red flags are everywhere. In the same interview from Down Under, Mayweather blamed Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum, his bitter rival, for the apparent stall in the reported negotiations.

There’s also plenty of renewed speculation about a Mayweather rematch with Miguel Cotto, whose talks with Canelo Alvarez for a May 2 bout are off the table. Alvarez promoter Oscar De La Hoya said last Saturday before Wilder-Stiverne that Canelo was looking for a different opponent after Cotto failed to accept an offer by Jan. 16. Now, talk is reportedly ongoing for Canelo-James Kirkland.

Going on, but going where? It’s been nowhere for longer than many can remember, or maybe long enough to just hope that it just goes away.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, the long awaited much anticipated mega battle between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather could be closer to happening as reportedly Pacquiao agreed to all terms of a proposed contract.

Pacquiao and Top Rank, his promoter, have agreed to terms for a May 2 bout, Top Rank vice president Carl Moretti told ESPN.com on Tuesday night, although Mayweather has not yet agreed to terms and it remains to be seen if he will.

“Top Rank and Manny have agreed to the terms on our side. I don’t know about the other side,” Moretti said.

According to a source involved in the negotiations, Pacquiao has agreed to a 40 percent cut of the revenue, leaving Mayweather with the remaining 60 percent of a fight most believe will shatter every boxing box office record, including the all-time pay-per-view buy record of 2.4 million (Mayweather-Oscar De La Hoya), the pay-per-view revenue record of $150 million (Mayweather-Canelo Alvarez) and the all-time gate record of $20 million (Mayweather-Alvarez).

If the fight is finalized, it would take place May 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Moretti said. Mayweather has had his past 10 fights there, and Pacquiao has had five of his past seven bouts there.

However, Moretti said Pacquiao (57-5-2, 38 KOs), 36, who has subjected himself (and his opponents) to random testing by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association for his recent bouts, has gone so far as to agree to use the United States Anti-Doping Agency, which has randomly tested Mayweather (and his opponents) for years.

“I think that Manny agreed to USADA testing shows you his eagerness to make this fight,” Moretti said.

By Norm Frauenheim–

Gennady Golovkin’s stop in Los Angeles Wednesday at the end of an international tour for his Feb. 21 bout with Martin Murray in Monaco was an anti-dote, timely relief from speculation about what’s happening or not happening in negotiations for Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Canelo Alvarez-Miguel Cotto.

Boxing is stuck in never-never land these days, but at least there’s Golovkin, who brings a clear sense of purpose and direction to what he’s doing.

Some of the best-known names continue to avoid him with a litany of tired excuses. The latest, Peter Quillin, said Golovkin just isn’t a draw. Huh? Didn’t he just sell out the Stub Hub Center in Carson, Calif., for his quick stoppage of Marco Antonio Rubio? Quillin wishes he could draw crowds like GGG.

But with that unflappable, what-me-worry grin, Golovkin moves forward, telling a news conference that he plans to fight four times in 2015. The Murray bout is intriguing and perhaps Golovkin’s toughest to date.

Murray knocked down Sergio Martinez and lost a 12-round decision to the then middleweight champ in Buenos Aires. The durable Murray promises to test GGG. But the guess here is that Golovkin wins in the late rounds for a 19th successive stoppage.

Then what? Some familiar names were mentioned Wednesday. Golovkin trainer Abel Sanchez continues to talk about Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Chavez, he says, has a style that would produce a dynamically dramatic bout with Golovkin. But Chavez’ contract problems with Top Rank could put him on the legal shelf for a while.

Here’s another idea: Go straight to Canelo Alvarez, the popular Mexican who is moving up weight for a shot at Cotto’s 160-pound title. Canelo has said he’s willing to fight Golovkin. Representatives for Canelo and Cotto are reportedly close to a deal for a May 2 bout, another potential classic in the great Mexican-Puerto Rican rivalry.

There was talk that the agreement would be announced Tuesday. Tuesday came and went with no news. As of Thursday, there was still nothing. A snag? Breakdown? Maybe not. But you never know.

If talks stall, Golovkin should let Golden Boy Promotions know that he’s willing and available for the May 2 date that Canelo wants, no matter happens with Mayweather-Pacquiao and Mayyweather’s attempt to take ownership of the Cinco de Mayo celebration. Mayweather, who calls the prized date Cinco de Mayweather, showed up at a Pacer-Lakers game on Jan. 5 at Staples Center in Los Angeles decked out in Mexican colors.

It was his way of courting Mexican fans. But it could backfire. Mayweather in the green, white and red might be seen as trespassing on Mexico’s historical turf. Meanwhile, Mexican fans already have begun to embrace Golovkin. Before GGG’s victory over Rubio in October, some of those same fans arrived at the Stub Hub Center wearing T-shirts that said: “Mexicans for Golovkin.’’

If Canelo-Golovkin gets done and Canelo wins, then a Golovkin bout could be negotiated for the September date that celebrates Mexican Independence. Mayweather wants to own that date, too. Golovkin could help Canelo in his fight to re-claim it.

New York, NY–January 8, 2015—NBC, Donald J. Trump and Paula M. Shugart, president of the Miss Universe Organization, announced today performers and some of the celebrities who will judge the 63rd Annual MISS UNIVERSE® Pageant, airing Sunday, January 25 (8-11 p.m. ET) on NBC. The Miss Universe contestants will be hosted in Doral, Florida and the pageant will air live from the FIU Arena. The pageant will also simulcast in Spanish on Telemundo.

The first group of judges to join the MISS UNIVERSE panel includes:

· Manny Pacquiao, Fighter of the Decade, eight-division world champion and Filipino Congressman
· Kristin Cavallari, TV host and shoe designer
· William Levy, TV and film actor who was previously named People En Espanol’s Sexiest Man Alive
· Lisa Vanderpump, Star of hit show “Vanderpump Rules” and “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills”
· Louise Roe, Fashion journalist, author, host of “Plain Jane” on MTV International and the upcoming TLC fashion series, “Style By Jury”

Multi-talented, platinum-selling solo artist, Nick Jonas will take the MISS UNIVERSE stage during the evening gown competition. The versatile performer will sing a three-song medley from his self-titled album that includes the first smash single and radio hit, “Jealous,” in addition to “Chains” and “Teacher.”

Joining Jonas in the musical lineup and performing during the MISS UNIVERSE swimsuit competition is twenty-time Latin Billboard Award winner, multi-platinum singer-songwriter Prince Royce. Latin music’s most successful young breakout superstar Prince Royce is set to perform his new English-language single entitled “Stuck on a Feeling” as well as Spanish-language hit song “Darte un Beso.” Royce is releasing his first English-language album on RCA Records this year. Jonas and Royce are the first of the musical acts to be announced for the three-hour telecast. Fans should stay tuned for more exciting performers.

Behind-the-scenes commentator Jeannie Mai returns once again to take viewers backstage to engage with contestants and talent throughout the telecast. Mai is best known as host of Style network’s two-time Emmy Award-nominated makeover series “How Do I Look?” and one of the five dynamic hosts of the nationally syndicated daytime talk show “The Real.” As previously announced, “TODAY’s” Natalie Morales and MSNBC’s Thomas Roberts will host the pageant.

The 63rd Annual MISS UNIVERSE® Pageant will feature 88 contestants from across the globe. They will be judged in three categories: swimsuit, evening gown and interview. Gabriela Isler, Miss Universe 2013 will crown her successor at the conclusion of the three-hour telecast. The MISS UNIVERSE beauty pageant is distributed to approximately 190 countries and territories.
ABOUT MISS UNIVERSE
The Miss Universe Organization (MUO) is a Donald J. Trump and NBCUniversal joint venture which uses its global grassroots reach to empower women to be self-confident and strive to be their personal best. MUO believes that every woman should be “Confidently Beautiful.” The MISS UNIVERSE®, MISS USA®, and MISS TEEN USA® beauty pageants provide an international platform through dedicated partnerships with charities, sponsors, and brands around the world. During their reign, our winners are given the tools to personally and professionally enrich others by providing humanitarian efforts to affect positive change, all while developing their personal career goals. For more information, and to learn more about Miss Universe’s official cause to raise awareness for HIV/AIDS education and prevention around the world, please visit: www.missuniverse.com.

For more information, visit: www.missuniverse.com; Facebook: www.facebook.com/MissUniverse; Twitter and Instagram: @MissUniverse #MissUniverse; YouTube: www.youtube.com/missuniverse

By Norm Frauenheim

It’s a year that will be remembered for what didn’t happen. There was still no Manny Pacquaio-Floyd Mayweather Jr., despite the resumption of tired talk. Andre Ward, in his prime and perhaps the sport’s greatest pure talent, didn’t fight at all.

Take 2014, put it in a hefty bag and bury it where nobody can ever find it. Please. It’s been a forgettable year.

“Fans are fed up,’’ Oscar De La Hoya said during a media round-table before Amir Khan’s victory over Devon Alexander on Dec. 13.

Declining pay-per-view numbers are proof of what De La Hoya said. Fans, who made Mayweather the highest earning athlete in the world, are headed for the exits. They’ve already forgotten 2014. The question is whether they’ve forgotten the sport, too. We’ll find out in 2015.

It was a lousy year, but it did produce resiliency that has always been there. Comebacks define boxing. Terence Crawford, Sergey Kovalev, Gennady Golovkin, Roman Gonzalez and Nicholas Walters are the leading names in what might be the beginning of another one. They displayed poise, power, skill and charisma throughout a year that ends with Pacquaio-Mayweather talk still dominating blogs and twitter.

It’s impossible to know whether Pacquiao-Mayweather will ever happen. It’s also reasonable to wonder why anybody should even care anymore. The good news is this: There’s a lengthening line of fighters who look as if they could beat either. Behind Crawford and Golovkin, there was a resurrected Khan and an emerging Keith Thurman.

A year from now, maybe we’ll wonder why we continued to even mention Mayweather-Pacquiao. Maybe, the troubled business can move beyond futile speculation that is more a symbol of what’s wrong than right.

If it happens, a look back at 2014 will include the seeds of the rebirth. Here’s a quick look back at what was right and what might make 2015 memorable:

Man of the Year: Bernard Hopkins. A fighter nearly 50-years-old did what a younger Mayweather and a younger Pacquiao have not. He took a huge risk, a chance against the feared Kovalev. He took a beating, too, in what stands as a tough lesson from a wise elder in how to do business.

Fighter of the Year: The collective (no pun intended) face of the fighter from the former Soviet Union. Without Kovalev, Golovkin, Wladimir Klitschko, Vasyl Lomachenko, Ruslan Provodnikov and others, the future would look a lot more uncertain than it does already.

Comeback of the Year: De La Hoya. He re-opened doors and renewed hopes for again doing business across promotional lines when the Golden Boy Promotions chief approached Bob Arum in a peace offering. It’s still not exactly clear how it will all shake out, especially when it comes to messy questions about who has legal contracts with which fighters. Golden Boy or Al Haymon? But De La Hoya’s initiative is a potential beginning.

Promoter of the Year: Kathy Duva. She had the courage to stand up to Haymon and then the Main Events chief staged Kovalev’s one-sided victory over Bernard Hopkins in a bout that represents a game changer, a model for a New Year and a way out of a very old one.

By Norm Frauenheim-

LAS VEGAS – Boxing’s chessboard is full of potential moves Saturday with dueling cards that include 18 bouts televised by competing networks and each promoted by rivals who are learning how to cooperate.

Look for more lessons than solutions, more possibilities than answers, for a business confronted by declining pay-per-view numbers and no resolution to the tired question about Manny Pacquiao-versus-Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Pacquiao-Mayweather is a riddle without an answer. Yet, it’s always there, taking the air out of the game and, worse, diverting attention from a generation of young fighters who might help everybody forget about what hasn’t happened.

Meet Keith Thurman.

Fight fans know him. So do fighters. But their awareness of him includes emerging fear. Thurman, a welterweight, is beginning to fall into that category occupied by middleweight Gennady Golovkin. He’s somebody to avoid.

Consider this judgment: Oscar De La Hoya was asked Friday to pick between Thurman and Golovkin.

Who’s better?

“Thurman,’’ said De La Hoya, whose Golden Boy entity is promoting the Showtime television card at the MGM Grand that includes Thurman in a co-featured bout before the main event, a possible Mayweather eliminator between Amir Khan (29-3, 19 KOs) and Devon Alexander (26-2, 14 KOs).

Thurman (23-0, 21 KOs), who faces Italy’s Leonard Bundu (31-0-2, 11 KOs), is unlike Golovkin in one key aspect. He isn’t shy.

Thurman might be in a secondary role Saturday night. But he was front-and-center at Friday’s weigh-in.

He mocked Mayweather’s power. Why-oh-why, he asked, should anybody worry about getting knocked out by the so-called pound-for-pound king. Mayweather hasn’t stopped anybody in nearly a generation.

“If anybody should be scared, it’s Floyd Mayweather,’’ said Thurman, who tipped the official scale at 146 pounds during a weigh-in in which everybody made the mandatory except Jose Ramirez (24-3-2, 15 KOs) , the opponent for featherweight Abner Mares (27-1-1, 14 KOs).

Ramirez was three pounds heavier than a catch-weight, 128. He faced a fine if he did not lose the excess pounds. Both Khan and Alexander weighed 147. Thurman’s opponent, Bundu, came in at 146.5.

If Thurman can’t talk his way into a Mayweather bout, he hopes for a chance at Timothy Bradley, who is the star at the top of Bob Arum’s promoted card Saturday at the nearby Cosmopolitan.

Thurman said he wants to be the first to knock out Bradley (31-1, 12 KOs), who faces Argentina’s Diego Chaves (23-2, 19 KOs) in an HBO-televised show.

The forthright Bradley might be the most reliable possibility for Thurman. He says he’ll fight anybody and there’s never been any reason to doubt him. His promoter, Top Rank, however, might have some other ideas. Kell Brook has been mentioned. So, too, has a rematch with Juan Manuel Marquez .

There are, after all, reasons to avoid Thurman. More reasons than even Golovkin, De La Hoya said.

Both possess dangerous power. But De La Hoya says that Thurman possesses an added dimension in his ability to move. Sure, Golovkin is strong.

“Very strong,’’ De La Hoya said. “When Canelo (Alvarez) was sparring him up in Big Bear (Calif.), he said how strong he was. But a lot of fighters are strong. There are ways of beating strong fighters. But one thing about Keith Thurman is that he knows how to move. He has lateral movement. He throws combinations. He thinks in the ring.

“Golovkin is a fighter who has to beat you with his power. He has to. He can’ beat you by moving side-to-side, or going back. The thing about Golovkin – something that I learned from studying him – is that if he moves back, he can’t fight. He can’t fight. He can’t.

“But try and move him back. Good luck.’’

But at least there’s a chance at doing that. Golovkin still represents optimism at creating new business. Same with Thurman. There’s a potential for good luck in both, unlike the Paquiao-Mayweather riddle. By now, we know where that one leads. Still nowhere.

Notes: Jose Benavidez Jr. came in looking hungry at the weigh-in for his first world-class out against Mauricio Herrara on the Bradley-Chaves undercard. The 6-foot Benavidez (21-0, 15 KOs) was 138.5 pounds Friday for the junior welterweight bout. Herrera (21-4, 7 KOs) was 139.5. “I’m ready, more than ready, ’’ said Benavidez, a Phoenix prospect. “ …Irish middleweight Andy Lee (33-2, 23 KOs) tipped the scales at 19.2. Matt Korobov ((24-0, 13 KOs) was 159.4 Korobov-Lee is on the Bradley-Chaves card. …Unpredictable Victor Ortiz was as unpredictable as ever at the weigh-in for his comeback on the Khan-Chaves card. After some verbal taunts from Manuel Perez (21-10-1, 4 KOs), Ortiz (29-5-2, 22 KOs) began to push his welterweight opponent across the stage with the same forehead he used to head-butt Mayweather.

By Norm Frauenheim–

Manny Pacquiao has spoken. Freddie Roach has spoken. Bob Arum and Oscar De La Hoya have spoken. They’re still speaking. We’ve yet to hear from the Republicans and Democrats, but even they’d agree. The bandwagon demand for a Pacquaio-Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight is back at the top of the noise meter. It’s as loud as ever. But it’s hard to say whether that means it’s any closer to reality or just back in the same old echo chamber.

Has anybody heard from Mayweather? Hello, Floyd, are you there? Hello, hello?

As of Thursday, there had been no public response from Mayweather, other than an Instagram mocking Pacquiao’s face-down knockout suffered against Juan Manuel Marquez. Zilch, nada, bupkus. It’s impossible to know why. Maybe, Mayweather is talking through back channels, through Al Haymon. That’s the optimistic take. Or maybe he spent Thanksgiving trying to make room for turkey by extracting the foot that has been in his mouth since September when he was ripped for saying that the NFL should not have increased its suspension of Ray Rice from two games to indefinite for a knockout punch of his then fiancé. That’s the cynical take.

The less Mayweather says to the media these days, the better. Over the last three months, the unbeaten Mayweather’s credibility has taken a beating. It continued when he threw Showtime and his own believability under the proverbial bus with comments to the Nevada State Athletic Commission that some segments in All-Access were more entertainment than real, more fiction than fact.

There’s no change at the top of the pound-for-pound debate. Mayweather is the consensus No. 1; Pacquiao is among the top five, depending on the rating. In terms of their public profiles, however, there’s no comparison anymore. Where there’s mistrust in Mayweather, there’s renewed credibility for Paquiao. Before and after his blow out of Chris Algieri, he picked up endorsements with Foot Locker and AirAsia. Mayweather’s endorsements? Zilch, nada, bupkus.

Pacquiao’s commercial success gives him a media presence that Mayweather doesn’t have. That was oh-so evident in the entertaining Foot Locker ad that gave Pacquiao a subtle, yet effective way of talking about the Mayweather fight without mentioning Mayweather himself. It’s safe to say that one annoyed Mayweather, who was frustrated several weeks ago when a Jamaican woman in a London barbershop didn’t recognize him. The guess here is that she probably would recognize Pacquiao. She, like most people, sees more ads than pay-per-view boxing. The endorsements give Pacquiao a bully pulpit. Mayweather has Instagram.

But it’s hard to judge whether the power in Pacquiao’s endorsements and universal support will finally make the fight. This isn’t a democracy. Without Mayweather’s vote, it stays in never-never land.

The best guess here is that Mayweather, the cautious counter-puncher, is waiting on some leverage. As of Thursday, there had still been no reports on HBO’s pay-per-view number from Pacquaio’s six-knockdown demolition of Algieri in Macao. By the way, has anybody ever witnessed six knockdowns in what was supposed to be a major fight? Howard Cosell, remembered for Down Goes Frazier, would have ruptured a vocal chord. But we digress.

Disappointing PPV numbers would give Mayweather a potential edge at the negotiating table. That’s when he might begin talking. A civil claim by his ex-fiance, Shantel Jackson, is another potential factor. In a suit filed by legal gunslinger Gloria Allred, Jackson alleges assault, battery and invasion of privacy. TMZ reported Wednesday that Mayweather’s attorneys filed court documents asking for dismissal of some claims. According to the documents, Mayweather argues he did not violate her right to privacy when he reported through social media that they split because she had an abortion.

A judge has has yet to rule. Safe to say, however, the suit has the potential to be messy, explosive and expensive. There are unsourced reports in the Philippines that Mayweather could be guaranteed $100 million in a Pacquiao fight. A percentage of that speculated number represents a lot of money in an out-of-court settlement or a judgement against Mayweather for a piece of his future earnings.

Come to think of it, it says more than Pacquiao, Roach, Arum, De La Hoya and the media could ever say. It also might explain why Mayweather hasn’t said anything at all.

HBO’s hit late-night boxing franchise visits Omaha, Neb. for the second time in less than six months to present an all-action doubleheader of world title bouts when HBO BOXING AFTER DARK: TERENCE CRAWFORD VS. RAY BELTRAN AND EVGENY GRADOVICH VS. JAYSON VELEZ is seen SATURDAY, NOV. 29 at 10:00 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT) from CenturyLink Center, exclusively on HBO. The HBO Sports team will be ringside for the event, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.

Other HBO playdates: Nov. 30 (8:15 a.m.) and Dec. 1 (12:15 a.m.)

HBO2 playdates: Nov. 30 (5:45 p.m.) and Dec. 2 (12:15 a.m.)

Last June in Omaha, lightweight titleholder Terence Crawford (24-0, 17 KOs) made his long-awaited hometown debut on HBO, scoring a spectacular comeback KO victory over the previously undefeated Cuban star Yuriorkis Gamboa. The 27-year-old has fast-tracked through the 135-pound division, scoring three victories on HBO last year and adding a world title belt in March 2013.

Ray Beltran (29-6-1, 17 KOs) of Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico is a formidable opponent on a five-fight winning streak. No stranger to the spotlight, the 33-year-old fought on the Manny Pacquiao-Timothy Bradley Jr. undercard last April, winning a 12-round unanimous decision over Arash Usmanee.

The night from Omaha opens with two undefeated fighters hoping to become breakout stars when Evgeny Gradovich (19-0, 9 KOs) of Russia and Jayson Velez (22-0, 16 KOs) of Puerto Rico clash in a 12-round featherweight title fight. Making his fourth title defense, the 28-year-old Gradovich has shown a willingness to meet anyone, anywhere, having fought three times in Macau, China. Like Gradovich, the 26-year-old Velez has a fan-friendly style that should make for a compelling encounter.

The telecast begins with a replay of the Manny Pacquiao-Chris Algieri welterweight title fight from Macau that featured a dominant performance from Pacquiao in his 17th HBO Pay-Per-View event.

Follow HBO boxing news at hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/hboboxing and on Twitter at twitter.com/hboboxing.
All HBO boxing events are presented in HDTV. HBO viewers must have access to the HBO HDTV channel to watch HBO programming in high definition.

The executive producer of HBO BOXING AFTER DARK is Rick Bernstein; producer, Jon Crystal; director, Johnathan Evans.

By Bart Barry–

FORT WORTH, Texas – The understated perfection of architect Louis I. Kahn’s soft marble masterpiece, Kimbell Art Museum, known round the world as The Kimbell, is so palpable one cannot fathom hoarding its charms, if architectural charms were somehow hoardable, and feels a compulsion to share. Long a fan of friend and mentor Thomas Hauser’s accounts of meals enjoyed between his mother and sundry boxing personalities, I thought to have my own mother, with whom I shared The Kimbell’s charms Saturday, participate in this column in a sort of “Watching Pacquiao-Algieri with Mom” bent. I am evidently incapable with coordinating as this piece shall prove itself with the third-person.

Saturday Manny Pacquiao made an inspired sparring session in gray Macao or Macau, in the same country, China, whose capital is either Peking or Beijing, with Long Island junior welterweight Chris Algieri, a match Pacquiao won by a football-like points spread, dropping Algieri numerous times upon his metalblue trunks and allowing Algieri a chance to win the fight not once. Even before receipts are counted this event should be called plainly what it was for its hundreds of thousands of viewers: a failure.

But I was sound asleep by the time Manny Pacquiao began his long-awaited ringwalk through the cheering throngs of Cotai Arena. My laptop, whose volume I muted for the third undercard scrap, due mostly to my bottomless indifference for the future of Chinese boxing under Freddie Roach’s tutelage, flashed what high-definition images TopRank.tv sent its way, I do not doubt, as my mom, sporadically awake through the main event, later confirmed, in a faux if empathetic enthusiasm for her son’s favorite sport, “Pacquiao won!” But I saw none of it. I do not recall so much as stirring from my hardwon slumber, despite a Friday payment of $59 to Top Rank, to see the event for which I’d paid such a stipend because, truth be told, I paid that stipend for little but plausible deniability to you, dear reader, when I was unable to write intelligibly of the last meaningful fight of 2014, this, the most meaningless year of boxing I’ve yet covered.

And I will not cover three such years in-a-row.

Sometime after midnight, when I awoke to a shinyblue announcement from TopRank.tv my event had ended, I panicked for all of a second. Then my fright subsided, as I realized a column about not-watching Pacquiao-Algieri, at this point, likely would be more entertaining than watching Pacquiao-Algieri proved. Once panic subsided, again instantly since little written about this sport, anymore, would be consequential if you were paying to read it – which, coincidentally, you are not – I found a videostream on YouTube of a guy recording on his cell camera the very same TopRank.tv feed I purchased and used to remedy my hypothetical insomnia, as well as the hypothetical insomnia of my hypothetical children and their hypothetical children and so on for three generations more (if Twitter accounts of Pacquiao-Algieri are believed), and that stream, grainy and skipping, showed me what needed showing, which was very much not much at all.

Mark me down with the other naifs who believed Algieri might have a solution for Pacquiao, long and skittish as Algieri was, able with leftward wheeling as he was, and was a little surprised the Long Islander won nary an exchange, while losing quite a few rounds by more than his gentlemanly one point. Nothing about big-league kickboxing, as it turned out, prepared Algieri for big-league boxing, and what disparate rhythms and sophisticated traps a man of Pacquiao’s extraordinary experience and accomplishments might access in milliseconds in any ringside emergency – nothing of whose sort Algieri managed to create.

Disrupted. That was how Algieri looked on a video stream just as disrupted by whatever guerilla band succeeded several times in hijacking the internet server in whichever agrarian wasteland my anonymous YouTube postfight broadcaster uploaded his stream from; watching a master prizefighter like Juan Manuel Marquez time and occasionally neutralize Pacquiao, watching a fantastic athlete like Timothy Bradley survive Pacquiao’s onslaught after being rendered stationary, both, likely convinced Chris Algieri, who, in a nod to his entire generation thus far, has a greater competence for self-belief than another activity, his athleticism, for being greater than Marquez’s, and his boxing acumen, for being greater than Bradley’s, would help him jigsaw a puzzle Pacquiao couldn’t possibly piece together.

But Algieri and his witling chief second both had it all wrong, as we all now know. Pacquiao, even at this advanced stage of his career, is still a better athlete than Bradley; Pacquiao, even when reduced to savagery, is still nearly good a technician as Marquez (even if his tactics are not transferable or teachable as the Mexican’s). Algieri is not nearly the athlete Bradley is, and no better of a technician, and Algieri is not nearly the technician Marquez is, and no better of an athlete. Algieri is a C+ prizefighter who found a perfect stylistic mesh with Ruslan Provodnikov, a Siberian with A+ power and C- everything else, finagled it to a million-dollar payday and now will recede into supporting roles on HBO and then Showtime and eventually ESPN, however much sorrowful howling or barking or squeaking Algieri’s beloved fellow Stony Brook Seawolves make when they experience their grief at losing a smug nutritionist from the pack.

Oh, what could have been is not, and meanwhile, and frankly, who cares if Pacquiao ever does fight Floyd Mayweather? Regardless how good a match the men subsequently make now, it will serve mostly as a reminder how very much was squandered by all parties in the five-year hellbroth boxing’s powerbrokers began brewing of our beloved sport in the moments that followed Pacquiao’s 2009 stoppage of Miguel Cotto. Lots can change in five years, anyway, and let me provide further proof:

In 2009, like many another boxing writer, I might have reached for the easily grasped and metaphorical cliche of Pacquiao-Algieri putting me to sleep. But it’s now 2014, and my commitment to journalism is deepened. I am a participatory journalist, in the spirit of George Plimpton or Hunter S. Thompson, and Saturday night, as it pertains to the dull affair of Pacquiao-Algieri at least, I went full-gonzo.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

HBO Sports presents MANNY PACQUIAO VS. CHRIS ALGIERI, the replay of their high stakes world welterweight title fight, SATURDAY, NOV. 29 at 10:00 p.m. (ET/PT) on HBO. The HBO Sports broadcast team, which was ringside at the Venetian® Macao’s Cotai Arena in Macau, China, calls all the action. The telecast will be available in HDTV.
The highly anticipated and intriguing title showdown was carried live Saturday, Nov. 22 on HBO Pay-Per-View.®
The bout featured a worldwide icon in his 17th HBO Pay-Per-View event meeting the challenge of a fast-rising and determined underdog looking to defy the odds.
Paired with the replay will be the live HBO BOXING AFTER DARK® doubleheader from Omaha, NE with lightweight title-holder Terence Crawford headlining the Thanksgiving weekend card in his hometown versus challenger Ray Beltran.
Other HBO playdates: Nov. 30 (8:30 a.m.) and Dec. 1 (12:15 a.m.)
HBO2 playdates: Nov. 30 (5:00 p.m.) and Dec. 2 (12:15 p .m.)
® HBO BOXING AFTER DARK is a registered service mark of Home Box Office, Inc.

Follow all the action live from Ringside as Manny Pacquiao defends the WBO Welterweight title against undefeated WBO Jr. Welterweight champion Chris Algieri. The show begins at 9 PM ET / 6 PM PT / 10 AM in Macau with a three fight undercard that will feature two world title bouts. Jessie Vargas defends the WBA Super Lightweight title against Antonio DeMarco. Vasyl Lomachenko defends the WBO Featherweight title against Chanlatarn Piriyapinyo. Zou Shiming takes on Kwanpichit OnesongchaiGym.

12 ROUNDS–WBO WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP–MANNY PACQUIAO 56-5-2, 38 KO’S) VS CHRIS ALGIERI (20-0, 8 KO’S)

Round 1 Pacquiao lands a couple of body shots and Algieri moves around the ring…10-9 Pacquiao

Round 2 STRAIGHT LEFT AND DOWN GOES ALGIERI..Algieri lands a right..Pacquial lands a left…20=17 Pacquizo

Round 3 Algier lands a right..Straight left from Pacquiao..good combo finished off by a right hook..body/head combo..30-26 Pacquiao

Round 4 Pacquiao beginning to get inside and land quick and effective combinations..40-35 Pacquiao

Round 5 Leadping left from Pacquiao..50–44 Pacquiao

Round 6 PACQUIAO SCORES KNOCKDOWNS WITH LEFt HAND and the 2nd a right hook to head..60-51 Pacquiao

Round 7 Pacquiao landing quick combinations…Algieri lands a left to the body…70-60 Pacquiao

Round 8 Pacquiao controlling the fight..Algieri gets in an occasional jab…80-69 Pacquiao

Round 9 HUGE LEFT AND DOWN GOES ALGIERI…HES HURT…PACQUIAO ALL OVER ALGIER…HE TAKES A KNEE…Pacquio looking for the finish but the bell rings..90-76 Pacquiao

Round 10 LEFT UPPERCUT AND DOWN GOES ALGIERI...100-84

Round 11 Pacquiao dominating and lands a hard left and right...110-93 Pacquiao

Round 12

119-103, 119-103 and 120-102 for Pacquiao

12 ROUNDS–FLYWEIGHTS–ZOU SHIMING (5-0 1 KO) VS KWANPICHIT ONESONGCHAIGYM (27-0-2, 12 KO”S)

Round 1 Shiming lands 1-2..10-9 Shiming

Round 2 Big flurry from Shiming…BIG LEFT HOOK AND DOWN GOES KO..BIG RIGHT AND DOWN GOES KP..Huge flurry on the ropes at the bell...20-16 Shiming

Round 3 Shiming contuing to land combinations..30-25 Shiming

Round 4 KO lands body/head combo..Terrific two way action,,39-35 Shiming

Round 5 Sneaky right from Shiming..Right buckles KO..2 hard rights...49-44 Shiming

Round 6 KO deducted a point for a low blow..COMBINATION AND A SLIP BUT RULED A KNOCKDOWN FOR SHIMING..Combination to head and hard right from Shiming..59-51 Shiming

Round 7 Shiming jumps in with a right…69-60 Shiming

Round 8 KO lands a right..Left from Shiming…right..straight right..Shiming left eye cut and swelling…combination..79-69

Round 9 Shiming boxing and moving…89-78 Shiming

Round 10 Shiming bleeding bad from left eye…KO tags with a hard right that sets off a furious exchange..uppercut from Shiming..right from KO..98-88 Shiming

Round 11 Shiming jumping in with thw right..KO chasing Shiming around the ring..108-97 Shiming

Round 12 Right from Shiming…The get tanGLED UP BUT RULED A KNOCKDOWN FOR SHIMING…118-105 SHIMING

119-106, 119-106, 120-103…ZOU SHIMING

12 Rounds WBO FEATHERWEIGHT TITLE–VASYL LOMACHENKO (2-1, 1 KO) VS CHONLATARN PIRIYAPINYO (51-1, 33 KOS’S)

Round 1 CP lands a right…Lomachenko lands a left to the body..1-2..hard left to the body..boy comboo..10-9 Lomachenko

Round 2 Lomachenko boxing…20-18 Lomachenko

Round 3 Good combinaton on ropes from Lomachenko..hard 3 punch combo…30-27 Lomachenko

Round 4 Right from CP…Lomachenko lands a left to the body..hard right hook..HUGE COMBINATION,,,BIG LEFT AND DOWN GOES CP…40-35 Lomachenko

Round 5 Big counter left from Lomachenko..step around left..50-44 Lomachenko

Round 6Hard combination on ropes..60-53 Lomachenko

Round 7 Good counter right from CP..Hard jab and follow up right from Lomachaneko..70-62 Lomachneko

Round 8 80-72 Lomachenko

Round 9 Lomachenko jabbing..90-81 Lomachenko

Round 10 Uppercut from Lomachenko…Body shot..left..Body shot from CP..right...100-90 Lomachenko

Round 11 Hard left uppercut from Lomachenko..110-99 Lomachenko

Round 12 Lomachenlo landing combo on the ropes..120-109

120-107 on all cards for Lomachenko

12 ROUNDS–WBA SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT TITLE–JESSIE VARGAS (25-0, 9 KO’S) VS ANTOINO DEMARCO (31-3-1, 23 KO’S)

ROUND 1 Straight left from DeMarco…Jab from Vargas..10-9 DeMarco

Round 2 Vargas lands a right…Vargas cut under left eye…19-19

Round 3 Vargas lands a counter right…right..counter right..DeMarco lands a right hook..right to the body..Straight right to body from Demarco..left uppercut…29-28 Vargas

Round 4 Counter left from Vargas..quick right..right to body..combo to head..left to body..hard counter right..right to body…39-37 Vargas

Round 5 2hqrd rights from Vargas..Vragas lands a combo on the ropes..lead right..49-46 Vargas

Round 6 Quick combo from Vargas.right to body..1-2..Combo from DeMarco..counter left from Vargas..59-55 Vargas

Round 7 Right to bidy from DeMarco..1-2…DeMarco bleeding around the right eye..Good exchange..Vargas working body…68-65 Vargas

Round 8 Jab from Vargas..Left from Deamrco..right from Vargas on the ropes..Body shot..3 punch combo..Straight left from DeMarco..left…Hard combo from Vargas….78-74 Vargas

Round 9 Right from Vargas…Hard left from DeMarco rocks Vargas into the corner..Great toe to toe action..hard 1-2 from Demarco..2 good uppercuts..hard left hook from Vargas...87-84 Vargas

Round 10 Left rocks Vargas..right from Vargas..right to body..uppercut from DeMarco..combo from Vargas…97-93 Vargas

Round 11 Jab from Vargas…counter right..107-102 Vargas

Round 12 Jab from Vargas..straight right..4 punch combo..117-111

116-112 on all cards for Vargas

MACAO, CHINA (NOVEMBER 23, 2014)–Manny Pacquiao dominated Chris Algieri by knocking him down 6 times en-route to a 12-round unanimous decision at the Cotai Arena inside Venetian Hotel and Casino.

Pacquiao looked quick and powerful and was able to catch up Algieri whose strategy was to move and jab at a great distance and use his nearly five inch height advantage. Algieri was dropped from a straight left in round two. Pacquiao began to land hard shots on the inside as early as round four and he cut the distance on Algieri. Pacquiao scored two knockdowns in round six as he landed a perfect that sent the previously undefeated WBO Jr. Welterweight champ to the canvas. Pacquiao continued to onslaught the challenger as he sent him down one more time in the round.

The second half of the fight was not much better for the native of Huntington, Long Island as he ate a perfectly placed left that deposited him hard on the canvas. Algieri looked in serious distress and Pacquiao jumped on him to score a 2nd knockdown from a hard flurry of punches. Pacquiao was looking to end the bout but the bell rang to save Algieri. Pacquiao put a stamp on the fight when he was sent to the deck for a 6th and final time from a hard uppercut in round ten.

Pacquiao, 143.8 lbs of the Philippines won by scored of 120-102 and 119-103 twice and he is now 57-6-2. Algieri, 136.6 lbs is now 20-1.

Chinese hero Zou Shiming scored an exciting yet lopsided 12-round unanimous decision over Kwanpichit Onesongchaigym in a Flyweight bout.

Shiming got off to a blazing start as he dropped Onesongchaigym twice in round two. The first from a left hook and the second from a perfect right to the chin. The two continued to land hard shots but Shiming had more options as he boxed and used his feet. In round six, Shiming was credited with a knockdown on what looked like a slip from the Pacquiao look-a-like. earlier in the round, Onesongchaigym was deducted a point from a debatable low blow.

In round eye, Shiming;s left eye began to bleed and close. The cut worsened in round ten, but Shiming who did endure some hard rights to the head was able to fight effectively down the stretch and even be credited with another knockdown in round twelve and he went to the victory by way of 119-106 twice and 120-103.

Shiming, 112 lbs of China is now 6-0. Onesongchaigym, 112 lbs is now 27-1-2.

Vasyl Lomachenko made the 1st defense of the WBO Featherweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Chonlatarn Piriyapino

Lomachenko dominated from the opening bell and in round four he landed a vicious combination that was capped off by a flush left to the face that sent Piriyapinyo to the canvas. Lomachenko dominated the bout despite injuring his left hand around round seven.

Lomachenko, 126 lbs of Odessa, UKR won by scores of 120-107 and is now 3-1. Piriapinyo, 126 lbs of Chonburi, THA is now 51-2.

Under the tutelage of first-rime trainer, Roy Jones Jr, Jessie Vargas retained the WBA Super Lightweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over former Lightweight champion Antonio DeMarco.

In round two, Vargas was cut under his left eye from a headbutt. In round three, Vargas started to surge ahead by landing some solid lead and counter rights. He also started mixing in body shots.

The action picked up in round seve with both landing good shots in the center of the ring. DeMarco was bleeding around the right eye. In round nine, DeMarco rocked Vargas with a perfect straight left that set off a terrific exchange. Demarco finished off the round landing some hard combinations.

Vargas, 140 lbs of Las Vegas won by scores of 116-112 on all cards and is now 26-0. DeMarco, 139.3 lbs of Los Mochis, MX is now 31-4-1.

Kuok Kun Ng scored a 6-round unanimous decision over Stphen Attard in a fight featuring undefeated Super Welterweights.

In round five, NG was cut in the middle of the forehead from a headbutt.

Scores were 57-56 twice and 59-54 for NG, 153.9 lbs of Macao, CHN and is now 6-0. Attard, 151.1 lbs of Preston, AUS is now 4-1-2.

Rex Tso scored a 8-round unanimous decision over Espinos Sabu in a Super Flyweight bout.

Scores were 79-73 and 78-74 twice for Tso, 114.8 lbs of Hong Kong, CHN and is mow 15-0. Sabu, 115.6 lbs of Manado, IND is now 8-3-1.

Jerwin Ancajas scored a perfect one punch knockout at 1:48 of round three of his scheduled 8-round Super Flyweight bout over Fadhili Majiha.

Ancajas landed a perfect left to the face that sent Majiha down for the ten count.

Ancajas, 115 lbs of the Philippines is 22-1-1 with 14 knockous. Majiha, 114 1/4 lbs is 15-6-4.

Photos by Chris Farina / Top Rank

LONDON (Nov 21) – Boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao believes that Chris Algieri is the most dangerous opponent of his career.

The all-action Filipino has shared the ring with some of the biggest names in world boxing including the likes of Oscar De La Hoya and Miguel Cotto but now faces what he thinks is his trickiest test in the unbeaten Algieri, live on BoxNation this weekend.

A factor in the New Yorker’s favour leading up to the fight has been his notable size advantage and WBO welterweight world champion Pacquiao is of the belief that combined with Algieri’s slick skills it will prove a difficult task when they do battle.

“Chris Algieri poses many puzzles for me to solve. In terms of his height and reach, only Antonio Margarito surpasses him in the scope of opponents I have faced. Algieri is also the most scientific, fluid and fittest fighter I have ever opposed,” said Pacquiao.

“All of those factors, plus he is five years younger than me, make him the most dangerous opponent of my career.

“To me, boxing is a lot like chess. You don’t just move a piece and wait for your opponent to respond, you have to see the board and think 10 to 12 moves ahead and anticipate the variables your opponent may counter with. Algieri does that and he does that very well,” he said.

Prior to this summer the 30-year-old Algieri was unknown amongst the wider boxing community but his unexpected win over WBO light-welterweight champion Ruslan Provodnikov made everyone sit up and take notice.

Going into the fight he was expected to put up little resistance against his feared opponent but upset the odds by scoring a gallant points victory, his courageous performance something which did not go unnoticed by the great Pacquiao.

“If you look at his recent fights – against Mike Arnaoutis, Emanuel Taylor and Ruslan Provodnikov – each victory for him was considered an upset.

“Yet Algieri never considered himself an underdog, he went into each fight confident and with the right game plan and no matter what happened in the ring, he was disciplined enough to stay with that game plan. And it worked. He outfought them and out-thought them,” said a wary Pacquiao.

“Algieri’s reach and height will require me to work on closing the distance with him in the ring and I will need my speed more than ever to be able to score damaging blows to him while avoiding his own counters.

“I watched him fight Provodnikov and he fought the perfect fight against him. But I do not intend to fight Algieri’s fight. I intend on fighting my fight and more importantly, making him fight my fight,” he said.

Once again the odds are heavily stacked against the former world champion kickboxer Algieri but overcoming adversity is something which he thrives on and puts down to his mental ability.

“My 10th pro bout against Julius Edmonds I went into the fight with a sore right hand and then broke my left hand in the second round. Finding a way to win has always been a major part of my style and strategy,” said Algieri.

“I didn’t even tell my coaches I was injured until after the fight. I finished the fight with a fourth round knockout and that truly was one of the biggest obstacles if not the biggest I have ever had to overcome.

“And let’s not forget my previous fight against Ruslan Provodnikov. I made a mistake in the first round and I paid for it. I was forced to pay the price and fight the remainder of the fight with a badly swollen eye. But, I still found a way to win.

“Sticking to the game plan, and staying focused in times of adversity, that’s what separates me from other fighters. My mental make-up and my mental strength has always been the difference in my fights, and that’s what will propel me to victory against Pacquiao,” he said.

Pacquiao vs. Algieri is live on BoxNation (Sky 437/490HD, Virgin 546, TalkTalk 525) this Saturday night. Visit www.boxnation.com to subscribe.

-Ends-

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MACAO, CHINA (November 21, 2014) – FREDDIE ROACH and TIM LANE, trainers for undefeated World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior welterweight champion CHRIS ALGIERI and Fighter of the Decade Congressman and defending WBO welterweight champion MANNY “Pacman” PACQUIAO, respectively, hosted an international Media Conference Call on Thursday, from The Venetian Macao. Algieri (20-0, 8 KOs), from Huntington, NY on Long Island, has Bachelor of Science degree in Health Care Management, a Masters degree in Clinical Nutrition and a Ph.D. in Upsets Inside the Ring. Aspiring, to attend medical school when he concludes his boxing career, Algieri has become sports Horatio Algieri story! All of New York is riveted to its only world champion as he prepares to battle Pacquiao (56-5-2, 38 KOs), the lone congressional representative from the Sarangani Province of the Philippines, and boxing’s only eight-division world champion.

TIM LANE

It’s been quite a ride for you and Chris since beating Ruslan Provodnikov and becoming a world champion. What are your feelings headed into Saturday night’s fight?

TIM LANE: Looking forward to this weekend, it’s going to be a great weekend, Chris is in great shape, and yes we are looking forward to bringing that belt back to New York.

Adjusting to time change?

TIM LANE: It’s been great. Chris and I came over here for the world tour and we learned a couple things about what time we were going to fly and what we were going to eat and how we were going to do out workouts and we adjusted perfectly. It took Chris about one day to get on the time zone and it took me about two days. I couldn’t imagine it going any better or for Chris to be in a better spot considering the circumstances we are in right now.

Have there been any surprises during the promotion?

TIM LANE: What sticks out in my mind is how nice and generous people have been to us when it comes to the staff here at The Venetian, both in Las Vegas and Macao, to Top Rank to Star Boxing to Banner Promotions. The people here have been amazing – the respect and the love they have shown. Even the Filipino fans – we go to breakfast every morning and there have been mobs of people from all walks of life have shown so much love and that has surprised me. I thought we were coming to a battle-ground and were going to have to be kind of tough, and I would prefer not to be tough, I would prefer that when the bell rings we would take care of business and that outside of that we can all be human beings. It has been wonderful and that has been surprising to me.

How do you prevent being overwhelmed by the moment?

TIM LANE: Chris has prepared and dreamt about this night for many, many years and he has risen to the occasion of every event that he has been in and the greatest thing about Chris Algieri is the better his competition and the better his opposition, the better he is. He always rises to the occasion. What he did to Ruslan, he did it with one eye. I thought he would have a flawless victory against Ruslan. I did not think Ruslan would be our toughest challenge, but Chris ended up getting hit and hurt in the first round, and when we were offered the Manny Pacquiao fight, I believe that his is not as tough a fight as Ruslan. Styles make fights and Manny Pacquiao, being a lefty and what he brings to the table, I do not feel that to be as challenging as Ruslan. I feel that Chris will dominate Pacquiao more so than he did Ruslan — with two eyes.

You actually think Pacquiao is an easier fight than Provodnikov?

TIM LANE: Maybe not an easier fight, but a more simple fight. It is a simpler game plan for me to get across to Chris but the biggest thing is and people don’t know this, but Chris Algieri started his war in the ring with a lefty. He does better with lefties than he does with righties. I have been able to do certain things that have come out in his style against righties but against lefties, he is a totally different fighter.

Freddie is talking about a first round KO…

TIM LANE: And you know what? If I was in Freddie’s shoes I would be talking a lot too, because he knows what the outcome of the fight is going to be and he’s got to blow a bunch of smoke and I feel for them. I love Manny Pacquiao but he’s not beating Chris and I think Freddie is aware of that and that’s why he’s barking.

How is Pacquiao different than other lefties?

TIM LANE: Chris gained good experience in sparring with Zab Judah because he is very fast and arguably the best three or four round fighters ever in the world. You see what he did with Floyd Mayweather in the first four rounds. It’s all getting used to guys coming at you from that angle, but there’s no one out there that does it the way that Manny does it with his footwork and angles before he throws, but footwork and angles work when you are hitting a heavy bag and it looks really, really good and really, really fast and when you have zombies in front of you that don’t have footwork…you have a guy like Manny Pacquiao that looks amazing and you have a guy with footwork and is not there, those punches end up hitting air and missing and it ends up confusing him, so Manny’s footwork and his speed and his angles look good but Chris won’t be there and it’s going to be confusing for him.

What opponents of Pacquiao’s do you consider zombies (laughing)?

TIM LANE: I don’t want to disrespect anyone and say names but they were opponents that were big guys, or bigger than him, or who thought were bigger than him, that had no footwork. They were tough guys. The majority of the people in the boxing game are tough guys, because they are tough and they have come a long way, but they are the guys that don’t have footwork and stand in the middle of the ring and say ‘come on I am mucho macho.’ You can’t beat Manny Pacquiao like that. So yes, it’s the guys with no footwork.

Chris made a comparison to Margarito, who’s is about the same size as Chris, would that be a correct comparison?

TIM LANE: Good guess bro. Yes, Margarito is the guys who says, ‘come here in the middle of the ring and let’s trade, I’m tough, yeah, that’s the guy.’

Will Algieri be the ghost?

TIM LANE: Pretty much. He is going to be a master boxer. He is on top of his game. He is sharper than ever. He truly believes that this is The Chris Algieri Show, and so does his team. It’s going to be everything that should be great about boxing.

Do you foresee any surprises in the ring?

TIM LANE: I don’t know. There are a million things that could go on. I didn’t foresee Chris’ eye closing in his last fight. I don’t think about so many different variables because there are a million things to think about. I pretty much set my team up so that we can deal with anything. We have prepared Chris for any style that Manny brings. I have brought on the best cut man in the game. Whatever happens we are prepared for and anything could happen. I don’t itemize this and this and this because I would be going crazy thinking about it.

Could anything have been done better for the eye in the Provodnikov fight?

TIM LANE: I don’t know. Maybe it could have been done a little bit better but I had to make a decision that, we are coming to China, I need someone that travels well, I need someone that can deal with anything in another country. Stitch has been a good friend of mine for a long time, so when we made the fight I called him up and we had lunch and discussed a couple of things and I decided to go with him. Stitch brings a lot to the table other than being just a good cut man. He is a very vibrant human being that brings a lot of positivity to the table. I knew he would go well with the camp. I asked him if he could be in our camp every day he was in town to help wrap Chris and be part of the family and he has been just what I thought he would be as an addition to team Algieri.

This is the first time Chris has been able to train full time and not having his other jobs…

TIM LANE: The difference is he has been able to do his job. Get his rest. He and I have been able to go over his sparring and spend some good time together outside of training. Normally it’s like we train then he has to train somebody else and travel to another gym – he has to go here he has to go there. In this camp I would drive from my home in Las Vegas to The Venetian at 7 a.m. then I would stay there all day with him. We didn’t have to leave the building. Then I would go home at night. Then repeat. And on Sunday he would send me a shopping list and I would go get his food. It’s been great.

In closing…

TIM LANE: Tune in on November 22nd. Chris Algieri, the new era of boxing, is going to show you who he is. Welcome to The Chris Algieri Show.

FREDDIE ROACH

How was it training in the Philippines?

FREDDIE ROACH: It went really well. We had a great camp. Manny really buckled down the whole training camp and we are really ready for this fight.

Manny has mentioned this camp has been like old times…

FREDDIE ROACH: We brought back a lot of the old workout routines and with Justin Fortune, his old strength coach, being back on board. We went to the heavy bag a lot with really hard work. Not too much mitts where it is flashier – we got more strength. We wanted to get that fire back and start knocking people out again. It’s an old school approach. We did a lot of strength work, and heavy bag work and he is punching better than ever. He’s coming to a weight that is better for him – instead of fighting at 147 he’s fighting at 144. We are going to have our first knockout in a while.

Is there any remote chance he couldn’t get up for this fight?

FREDDIE ROACH: No not at all. He feels pressure from the public. He hasn’t knocked out anyone lately and he wants to get that fire back and he wants a knockout. It’s the first time he has ever told me that the old Manny will knock this guy out. He feels the pressure from the public that he hasn’t knocked anyone out in a while and at 144 the punch is coming back.

What does Algieri do well?

FREDDIE ROACH: He runs very well. He will run from Manny and he will have to cut the ring off and set traps. He will have to chase him down, but we will catch him.

Have the sparring partners emulated his style, as Algieri would fight?

FREDDIE ROACH: I think Postol does the best; he is a guy with a very good jab. And once he established that jab and gets going he is very difficult to deal with so he was the best sparring partner style-wise. But everyone worked out well. Mike Jones worked well for strength, if this guy wants to come at us; he took it to Manny a little bit. So whatever this guy brings to the table we are ready for.

What round is this going to end in?

FREDDIE ROACH: About three.

Is Mayweather on anyone’s mind?

FREDDIE ROACH: Sometime I tell Manny you don’t want to beat up Algieri too bad because then Mayweather is just going to run a little bit more. He is scared of us know and he is going to be more scared after we destroy this guy. But Mayweather may show some balls and step up to the plate.

Are you worried he will look too good and scare Mayweather away?

FREDDIE ROACH: Definitely. For sure.

FREDDIE ROACH: I was with Manny for seven weeks and Justin was there two weeks prior to that. Ten weeks all together. His strength and power is really there. Five, six, seven rounds a day on the heavy bag. We have been together a long time and things were getting too repetitive, so we went old school. Hard work and he responded greatly.

FREDDIE ROACH: Algieri thinks he is going to be the faster guy in there – he is going to be overwhelmed by Manny’s speed. You can’t judge Manny’s speed by watching him on TV. Once he gets in the ring, he’ll be shocked. That’s why this guy isn’t going to last more than three rounds.

Manny has not put guys away recently – do you think he will listen to you this time?

FREDDIE ROACH: I do – he knows that sportswriters and the public have questioned his power and lost his punch and so-forth. He is aware of that and not going to let this one slip by. Explosion and power is much better. I need a thicker body suit. I think it is the speed. The speed and power together means knockout and that’s what he has always done. At 147 he was fighting guys going into the ring at 160 who are more durable. He is going in at 144 and he will be faster. Next fight will be at 140 and I think he is a more natural 140 than 147.

Do you or Manny feel pressure for a KO?

FREDDIE ROACH: I don’t think it is pressure I think it is something that Manny wants. We know he can’t go out there looking for a knockout – you have to set it up and let it happen. With his speed and power and the way he is punching I believe it will happen. We are not just going out there looking to just get an early KO. We will set it up and it will be ready by design. Not by luck.

Will you be satisfied with a decision win?

FREDDIE ROACH: I am absolutely expecting a KO. He fought Ruslan Provodnikov who is a young fighter and Manny is an eight-division world champion. He is in way over his head.

FREDDIE ROACH: I want a great performance, but I want the Mayweather fight to happen, so maybe we will let it last a couple more rounds.

Does Manny talk about Floyd during training camp?

FREDDIE ROACH: We do talk about Floyd. The more time that goes by the more he talks about it. He wants the fight badly and after watching Floyd’s last couple fights he wants it even more. He wants to prove that he is the best fighter in the world and he will take that zero and give him his first one.

With a win, do you think Manny could be Fighter of the Year? It would be his second victory or the year over an undefeated world champion.

FREDDIE ROACH: I think we would need better opponents. When Manny knocks out Mayweather, he will get Fighter of the Year.

You have said you don’t think the Mayweather fight will happen…

FREDDIE ROACH: It’s been 3½ years that we have been waiting for this fight and I like challenges. He is a challenge and a good fighter but I am just so tired of people asking me if the fight is going to happen because I can’t give them a real true answer because this guy keeps running away, running away and running away. If he is the best fighter in the world, step up to the plate.

You have three fights on the PPV card. It’s going to be a busy night for you

FREDDIE ROACH: I have two great helpers and the staff works really hard. It’s a busy night – no doubt about that. Just wrapping hands will keep me really busy. My guy will be warming up Manny while the Shiming fight is going on then when it is over, I will go to the dressing room and do final warm-up with Manny. It’s part of being busy. It makes me work hard and I’ve lost about eight pounds – I was getting a little chubby – I like working and I like what I do.

What do you think about the undercard?

FREDDIE ROACH: DeMarco may steal the show. People think he’s washed up but he’s not, he punches real strong and he’s going up against a very good opponent who hasn’t looked really good in his last couple fights. People thought he may have lost those fights and got gifts but Christmas is not coming early this time, DeMarco is coming to knock you out. Shiming is fighting a guy with a great record but he’s not very well known because he is a Thai fighter, but he is a Manny Pacquiao look-a-like, but I doubt he can fight like Pacquiao and I am looking for Shiming to make a statement in this fight and get the title fight afterwards.

How was DeMarco’s camp, was it tough knowing his sister has cancer at home?

FREDDIE ROACH: We had some tough days. He would start thinking about that and almost cry. He cares about his sister and family a lot and it was very hard for him to be so far away in the Philippines and not being able to care for her and I told him that the best way to care for her is to win this fight to get her life back. I think we turned it into a positive thing and De Marco is in great shape and punching really hard and I expect big things about DeMarco.

Thought on Roy Jones the trainer?

FREDDIE ROACH: He was a great fighter, maybe he will retire soon, which I think he should and get into training and share his knowledge with the rest of the world. He was a great fighter and should be a great trainer and he knows the game and it will be a great competition no doubt about that.

Do you have advice for Jones for his training career?

FREDDIE ROACH: He knows if you work hard then good things happen. Teach them what you know. He was a very slick fighter and to have a guy like that in your corner can’t hurt. A guy like Jones is so talented they expect you to pick up things real quick but he’s got to be patient because no one was as good as he was. He can’t expect fighters to do what he wants right away. Take your time and they will learn it but not as fast as maybe you did.

What punch do you see Manny ending this fight with?

FREDDIE ROACH: His left hand. He knocked me down with it in training and I did a somersault.

How long do you foresee Manny fighting at a high level?

FREDDIE ROACH: As long as he is training like he is I don’t see an end yet. His dedication and desire to work is really unbelievable. He trains harder than any fighter I have ever known. As long s he keeps that up it is endless at this point. He stays in great shape and he trains really hard and I think this may have been the best training camp ever. His desire and focus has been really good for this training camp.

What do you think of Danny Garcia as an alternative to Mayweather?

FREDDIE ROACH: Garcia is a tough guy and one thing about Garcia is he will throw. He is a heavy puncher. He knocked out Amir Kahn. I think he is a very good opponent for Manny Pacquiao. I think Manny would box a little more and not exchange as much. It’s a fight I would like to see and a fight the fans would love to see and that’s what we want to give the people – good fights.

If Manny and Cotto both fight in the spring, will you do a joint camp?

FREDDIE ROACH: No I don’t think we are going to do a joint training camp. I need to keep those guys separate at Wild Card. They both deserve individual time. I just spoke to Cotto last night and he said December 7 he will be in my gym to get a head start on what we look forward to. Manny’s next fight will not be in China, it will be in the United States from what we see and that means training camp will be at the Wild Card. They both will be training at my gym in LA, but they will not be training together. It will be two totally separate training camps. We have done that before.

Would you want Cotto to stay at 160 or move down?

FREDDIE ROACH: There is great competition at 160. The fight we hope would be coming up is Alvarez and if he wins that fight Triple G is out there. Everybody is talking about he’s got nobody to fight. I think Miguel Cotto will kick his ass. I think he can outbox that guy. I don’t think he is unbeatable. He is a good fighter I know, but we love challenges and that’s a great challenge for us at 160.

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Promoted by Top Rank® and Sands China Ltd., in association with MP Promotions, Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing, Banner Promotions and Tecate, the Pacquiao-Algieri world welterweight championship event will take place This Saturday! November 22, at The Venetian® Macao’s Cotai Arena, and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View®, beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo, or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, or twitter.com/hboboxing. Use the Hashtag #PacAlgieri to jo
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Photos by Chris Farina / Top Rank

By Norm Frauenheim–

Chris Algieri has had tougher fights than Manny Pacquaio, Algieri trainer Tim Lane said Thursday before Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach said the Filipino would score a a knockout within three rounds.

From opposite corners, the trainers had widely — wildly too — different views on how things will play out in a 144-pound bout scheduled for midday Sunday in the Chinese gambling mecca of Macao and Saturday night (9
pm EST/6 pm PST) on HBO pay-per-view.

If Lane is right, it’ll be the biggest boxing upset in Asia since Buster Douglas’ 1990 knockout of Mike Tyson in Tokyo. If Roach is right, it’ll be a quick end to what would be Pacquiao’s quickest finish since a third-round stoppage of Erik Morales in 2006 and his first stoppage of any kind since a 12th-round TKO of Miguel Cotto in 2009.

In a conference call from China, there wasn’t much agreement, other than the respective degrees of difficulty. Neither corner is expecting it to be too tough. That wasn’t a surprise from Roach, who all along and in so many ways has been saying that Algieri is overmatched. But it was a surprise from Lane.

Pacquiao is Algieri’s greatest opportunity. But, Lane said in a matter-of-fact tone, Ruslan Provodnikov was a tougher fight.

“What he did to Ruslan, he did with one eye,” Lane said of a June 14 bout in which Algieri got up from two first-round knockdowns and fought with his left eye swollen shut for a stunning split decision over the favored Russian. “I thought he would have a flawless victory against Ruslan. I did not find that to be our toughest challenge. But he wound up getting hurt in the first round. When we were offered the Manny Pacquiao fight, I believed that this was not as tough a fight as Ruslan. Styles make fights. Manny Pacquaio, being a lefty and what he brings to the table, I do not find that to be as challenging as it was with Ruslan.

“So, I believe Chris will dominate Pacquiao more so than he did Ruslan. With two eyes.”

Safe to say, Lane’s bold comment was an eye-opener.

Algieri is at least an 8-to-1 underdog. That’s not quite the 42-to-1 underdog Douglas was nearly a quarter of a century ago. Nevertheless, it still means that Algieri’s chances are thought to be somewhere between slim and none.

“I’m absolutely expecting a KO,” Roach said. “He’s in way over his head.”

Algieri has advantages in height and reach. His educated footwork, Lane said, will allow him to elude Pacquiao’s power, which he launches from countless angles. But Roach said that Algieri has never encountered Pacquiao’s kind of speed.

“Once he gets in the ring, he’ll be shocked,” Roach said. “That’s why it won’t last more than three rounds.”

Pacquiao has beaten fighters bigger than he is. But Lane called them “zombies.” They were tough guys who didn’t know how use their feet in the subtle dance that takes thinking fighters out of harm’s way, Lane said. When asked if would he identify some of the zombies, Lane declined. Then, he was asked if he was talking abut Antonio Margarito, who was bigger than Pacquiao, yet lost a bruising unanimous decision to the Filipino four years ago at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas.

“Yeah, that’s the guy,” Lane said.

Roach’s confidence in an early KO is rooted in what he saw and felt in training. Pacquiao worked harder than he has in years on the heavy bag, Roach said. Renewed energy and power were so evident in sparring that Roach said that he jokingly warned Pacquiao not to stop Algieri too quickly. Talk about a Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather showdown has been re-ignited in the build-up for the Algieri fight. If Pacquiao scores a quick and impressive KO, would Mayweather back away from the rumored possibility?

“Definitely, definitely,” Roach said.

No matter what’s next, however, Pacquaio might not be able to contain his power. Roach said the Filipino knocked him down with a left hand in training.

“Hit me in the chest,” Roach said.

The power, Roach said, was enough to launch him into a somersault, which also might have been one way to
celebrate an old feeling.