March 7, 2014 – Fight fans eager for a unique inside look at the highly anticipated April 12th HBO Pay-Per-View® world welterweight championship rematch between undefeated 147-pound title-holder Timothy Bradley Jr. and the world renowned Filipino sensation Manny Pacquiao should mark their calendars to catch an all-new edition of “Face Off,” starring the two prizefighters. “Face Off With Max Kellerman: Pacquiao/Bradley 2” debuts Saturday, March 22 at 11:45 p.m. (ET/PT) on HBO.

Moderated by Max Kellerman, “Face Off” is an insightful and often gripping interview session in which the two fighters square off and answer Kellerman’s questions. The fighters also get the chance to address each other and their fans in this engaging format.

A “Pacquiao/Bradley 2” extended version of “Face Off” is set to air multiple times on HBO and HBO2 (schedule below). “Face Off” will also be available on the HBO On Demand® service, HBO GO® and at www.hbo.com/boxing as well as various other new media platforms that distribute the program.

HBO air times include: March 22 (11:45 p.m.), 25 (8:15 a.m. & 3:15 p.m.), 29 (12:30 a.m.), 30 (12:30 p.m.) and April 1 (2:00 a.m.), 2 (7:45 p.m.), 5 (2:15 p.m.), 7 (8:15 p.m.), 9 (9:15 a.m.), 11 (6:30 p.m.) & 12 (10:30 a.m.).

HBO2 air times include: March 23 (10:30 a.m.), 27 (1:00 p.m.,6:15 p.m.) 30 (1:05 a.m.) and April 1 (11:40 a.m.), 4 (10:30 a.m.), 10 (9:45 p.m.), 11 (12:30 a.m. & 2:15 a.m.) & 12 (4:30 p.m.).

All times are ET/PT.

“Face Off With Max Kellerman: Pacquiao/Bradley 2” kicks-off four consecutive weeks of original programming and features surrounding the first mega-fight of 2014. It culminates when Pacquiao vs. Bradley 2 takes place Saturday, April 12 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The fight will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/ 6:00 p.m. PT.

LAS VEGAS, NEV. (March 4, 2014) — Grammy Award-winning singer/ songwriter, actor and author ASHANTI will sing the National Anthem at the rematch between Fighter of the Decade MANNY PACQUIAO and undefeated two-division world champion TIMOTHY BRADLEY, JR. Pacquiao and Bradley will be battling for the World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title, Saturday, April 12, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. The world welterweight championship event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View, beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT.

“I’m such a huge fan of Manny Pacquiao! I have family in the boxing business — Howard Davis, Jr. and Dyah Davis,” said Ashanti. “When I found out we were sitting next to each other courtside at the Knicks game, I said to my Dad, ‘We should take a picture!’ I told Manny I was a big fan and was so excited when he asked me to sing the National Anthem at his upcoming fight and I can’t wait. I actually love boxing! Manny’s such a champion and I can’t wait to cheer him on!”

“Ashanti and I first met on February 5 in New York when we found ourselves sitting next to each other courtside at a Knicks game,” said Pacquiao. “I told her I was a big fan and asked her if she would sing the U.S. National Anthem at my fight against Timothy Bradley. She quickly checked her schedule and then said she could and she would. The Knicks may have lost that night but I felt like the biggest winner in the world when I walked out of Madison Square Garden.”

Ashanti’s forthcoming album, the highly-anticipated “Braveheart” will be released Today! Tuesday, March 4, on her label Written Entertainment, where she is the CEO, and distributed by eOne Music. The album features the heart-wrenching single, “Never Should Have,” that won the 2013 Soul Train Award for Best Independent R&B/Soul Performance. “Braveheart” also includes the tracks “I Got It” featuring Rick Ross and “First Real Love” featuring Beenie Man. Ashanti made her directorial debut for her video “The Woman You Love” featuring Buster Rhymes and produced by LT Hutton.

Ashanti burst onto the music scene with her smash hit, self-titled debut album “Ashanti.” It landed the No. 1 spot on both the Billboard Top 200 and R&B album charts, selling a whopping 504,593 units in its first week. Her first week showing set a SoundScan record as the most albums sold by any debut female artist in the chart’s history, granting her a spot in Guinness Book of World Records. With her hit song, “Foolish,” Ashanti also secured the No. 1 top spot on SIX Billboard charts simultaneously, including Hot R&B/ Hip-Hop Airplay, The Billboard 200, Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles and Tracks, Hot 100 Airplay, Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and Hot 100! “Foolish” stayed on the Billboard charts for 11 consecutive weeks. She made Billboard history by having her first three chart entries land in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 at the same time. She is the first female to accomplish this feat, previously only attained by the Beatles.

That year she was awarded eight Billboard awards. Her album “Ashanti” topped the Billboard Album Chart and also won the Grammy for Best Contemporary R&B Album. In addition, that year she won two American Music Awards and the Soul Train Aretha Franklin Entertainer of the Year Award. In addition to her Grammy, she’s also received multiple Soul Train Awards, a MOBO (Music of Black Origin) Award, a Comet Award (Grammy Equivalent in Germany), Lady of Soul Awards, a Teen Choice Award and Nickelodeon’s Kid Choice Award, along with many other nominations including an MTV movie award nomination and an NAACP Image Award Nomination for her role as Kera in “Coach Carter.”

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Pound for pound titans PACQUIAO (55-5-2, 38 KOs), the lone congressional representative from the Sarangani Province in the Philippines, and defending world champion BRADLEY (31-0, 12 KOs), of Palm Springs, Calif., will go mano a mano in their eagerly-anticipated WBO welterweight championship rematch. This will also be Pacquiao’s first fight in the U.S. since 2012.

When Pacquiao and Bradley rumbled the first time, on June 9, 2012 at MGM Grand, Bradley’s hand was raised via a controversial split decision, ending Pacquiao’s welterweight title reign as well as his seven-year, 15-bout winning streak. Though both fighters claimed victory neither was satisfied. Destiny may have played a hand in their first battle but it will be survival of the fittest that determines the winner of this exciting rematch.

Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with MP Promotions and Tecate, remaining tickets for Pacquiao vs. Bradley 2 are priced at $1,000, $800, $600, $400, $250 and $150, not including applicable service charges. There will be a total ticket limit of 12 per person with a limit of 10 per person at the $1,000, $800, $600, $400 and $250 price levels and a limit of two (2) per person at the $150 price level. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets will also be available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.
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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 #PacBradley to join the conversation on Twitter.

NEW YORK, March 3, 2014 – HBO Sports’ groundbreaking “24/7” reality franchise, which has captured 17 Sports Emmy® Awards and produced 18 multi-part boxing editions since 2007, will look at the upcoming world welterweight championship rematch between Manny Pacquiao and unbeaten titleholder Timothy Bradley Jr. with 24/7 PACQUIAO/BRADLEY 2, a set of three shows debuting SATURDAY, MARCH 29 (midnight-12:30 a.m. ET/PT). Spanning three weeks, the three unique programs will offer inside access to the two elite fighters and their camps as they prepare for their intriguing welterweight title showdown April 12 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

“‘Pacquiao-Bradley 2’ is the ideal event to take the ‘24/7’ franchise and develop new ideas and programming, while continuing to provide viewers a compelling look at the intensity of the fighters as they prepare for this highly anticipated showdown,” noted Bernstein.

The second edition of 24/7 PACQUIAO/BRADLEY 2, debuting SATURDAY, APRIL 5 (11:30 p.m.-midnight), will be a traditional “24/7” presentation. The third show debuts THURSDAY, APRIL 10 (8:30-9:00 p.m.) on location from Las Vegas two nights before the high-stakes welterweight bout and will capture the energy and intensity of fight week.

Debuting immediately after the “HBO Boxing After Dark” doubleheader that begins at 10:00 p.m., 24/7 PACQUIAO/BRADLEY 2 will chronicle the road the two fighters have taken since their controversial first meeting in June 2012 and show how they visualize their highly anticipated rematch.

Born amid poverty in the Philippines, Manny Pacquiao (55-5-2, 38 KOs), 35, has met every challenge to become a worldwide star, capturing world titles in eight different weight divisions. He is the lone congressional representative from the Sarangani province of his homeland, winning reelection to a second term last year. Now, Pacquiao is determined to overcome the setback he experienced in 2012 when he and Bradley first tangled on the Las Vegas strip.

Timothy Bradley Jr. (31-0, 12 KOs), 30, is battled-tested and fearless, having scored wins in his remarkable pro career over the likes of Devon Alexander, Manny Pacquiao, Ruslan Provodnikov and Juan Manuel Marquez. Bradley’s triumphs over Provodnikov (named the “Fight of the Year” by the BWAA) and Marquez last year propelled the undefeated champ into the elite fighter category.

Pacquiao is expected to surround himself with a trusted contingent of family and friends as he works in the Philippines and then in Hollywood, Cal. with longtime trainer Freddie Roach. Team Bradley, under the guidance of trainer Joel Diaz, will hold camp in Bradley’s hometown of Palm Springs, Cal.

“Pacquiao vs. Bradley 2” takes place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday, April 12 at 9:00 p.m. (ET)/6:00 p.m. (PT), and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View®.

Photos by Chris Farina / Top Rank

Photos By Chris Farina / Top Rank

Photos by Chris Farina / Top Rank

Fighter of the Decade Manny Pacquiao (55-5-2, 38 KOs) will appear in studio during tonight’s episode of Olbermann live at 11 p.m. ET. Pacquiao is in New York for a Thursday press conference to announce his much anticipated rematch between undefeated Welterweight title holder Timothy Bradley Jr. (31-0, 12 KOs). The fight will take place Saturday, April 12, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Bradley won a controversial split decision, ending Pacquiao’s Welterweight title reign, in their first fight back in 2012.

MANNY PACQUIAO QUOTES:

“I remember last time believing that I won the first fight against Tim Bradley. I thought I was leading after every round. I thought I won the fight easily. I controlled the fight every round.

“I had a feeling in training camp that he would run from me once he felt my power and he did…after the third or fourth round.

“To be honest, I wasn’t as motivated when I was training for our first fight. I guess I didn’t take him seriously enough.

“I was very surprised by the decision. But that’s part of the game. He got the decision and my title.

“Bradley was tough and strong. His style was different from mine.

“I am impressed with what Bradley has done since our fight. He is a different fighter now since we fought. He has more experience at this level and as a welterweight champion. He fought extremely well against Márquez. I knew Tim would beat him utilizing his speed. But I am still faster than Bradley.

“The only way Bradley can beat me this time is to knock me out. He cannot outbox me. I will be the aggressor. I will throw a lot of punches at him – more than I threw against Rios — and I will land them. Last time I was too nice. This time, I will finish what I start.

“I want to get back that belt he won off of me.

“Boxing has always been fun for me. This time the fun is secondary. This is a mission to prove I am the best.

“In my fight against Rios I proved I can still fight at the high level everyone expects from me. I showed I can still control a fight as well as I ever have.

“I’m excited to be back in Las Vegas fighting. Las Vegas attracts great boxing fans and I have great memories of fighting there.

“For training camp I intend to spend the first four weeks at my gym in General Santos City and the last four weeks at Wild Card in Hollywood”

TIMOTHY BRADLEY QUOTES

“This is all about redemption. I need Manny. He needs me. I’m going to beat him again. I am younger and a better fighter. Manny fights for the money. I have the hunger to win.

“I scored our fight eight rounds to four in my favor. No way he won that fight.

“Manny is great but he is also mortal. I’m not intimidated by him or his legend.

“Manny didn’t look the same against Rios. He didn’t have his usual killer instinct. That’s the first thing I noticed.

“I don’t think he has the hunger anymore and it’s never coming back. He no longer has his killer instinct. That’s the first thing I noticed in the Rios fight. Every time he backed Rios into a corner, Manny stepped back instead of going for it. He didn’t even try to put Rios away. That spoke volumes to me.

“When I fought Márquez I knew my quickness would come into play. I set traps and used my quickness. I fought with intelligence. I used my pure boxing skills.

“I know all about Manny. I went into the ring with him. I felt his best punches.

“Me, I am a different fighter than the one who fought Pacquiao in our first fight. I am more mature, smarter, and I now listen to what my corner is saying.”

LAS VEGAS, NEV. (February 4, 2014) – In a battle of pound for pound titans, undefeated two-division world champion TIMOTHY “Desert Storm” BRADLEY will defend his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title against Fighter of the Decade Congressman MANNY “Pacman” PACQUIAO. This will be Pacquiao’s first fight in the U.S. since 2012. Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with MP Promotions and Tecate, Pacquiao vs. Bradley 2 will take place, Saturday, April 12, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. It will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

Tickets for Pacquiao vs. Bradley 2, priced at $1,000, $800, $600, $400, $250 and $150, not including applicable service charges, go on sale Tomorrow! Wednesday, February 5 at 1:00 p.m. ET/10:00 a.m. PT. There will be a total ticket limit of 12 per person with a limit of 10 per person at the $1,000, $800, $600, $400 and $250 price levels and a limit of two (2) per person at the $150 price level. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets will also be available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

When Pacquiao and Bradley rumbled the first time on June 9, 2012 at MGM Grand, Bradley’s hand was raised via a controversial split decision, ending Pacquiao’s welterweight title reign as well as his seven-year, 15-bout winning streak. Though both fighters claimed victory neither was satisfied. Destiny may have played a hand in their first battle but it will be survival of the fittest that determines the winner of this exciting rematch.

“I want my title back and I am prepared to endure my hardest training camp ever to win this fight against Tim Bradley,” said Pacquiao. “It is very exciting to be returning to Las Vegas. And as always, I dedicate this fight to my countrymen throughout the world and to bring glory to the Philippines.”

“This fight is to get the credit I did not get the first time,” said Bradley. “I must beat Pacquiao as convincingly as I beat Juan Manuel Márquez.”

“Tim Bradley is one of the toughest guys in the world and I saw that up close when he fought Ruslan Provodnikov last year,” said Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach, who worked Provodnikov’s corner. “Tim looked even better in beating Márquez in his last fight. Tim is the champion and Manny and I know we have our work cut out for us to successfully challenge him on April 12.”

“This is a fight which will give us peace of mind after the controversy of our first fight,” said Bradley’s trainer Joel Diaz.. “We have to win and make it clear. It’s not going to be easy for Pacquiao if he thinks he can beat Bradley. I will guarantee that.”

“At long last a competitive super fight,” said Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum. “I am sure the sports books in Las Vegas are gearing up for huge two-way action.”

“Rarely do we see two marquee fighters wanting to fight each other in order to settle doubt,” said Todd duBoef, President of Top Rank. “Someone is going to be very disappointed after the fight.”

“Fight fans have been clamoring for a rematch ever since the decision of Pacquiao vs. Bradley I was announced on June 9, 2012,” said Mark Taffet, Senior Vice President, HBO Pay-Per-View. “These are two exceptional athletes, elite world class prizefighters, who do not hesitate to accept difficult challenges on the sport’s biggest stage. We can’t wait for April 12th at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.”

“It is an honor to host this international championship boxing event at MGM Grand in April,” said Richard Sturm, president of Entertainment & Sports for MGM Resorts International. “We look forward to another successful fight and know the rematch between Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley will be exciting for the fans in the Arena and watching on television worldwide.”

“Based on the results of their first fight and considering Bradley’s recent success against Márquez and Provodnikov, this fight’s price will be much closer than the first time,” said Jay Rood, Vice President of Race & Sports for MGM Resorts International.
“Our opening number is Pacquiao -180 and +160 for Bradley which means Manny is slightly less than a 2-to-1 favorite. This line may in fact move up and down with most of our action picking up during fight week in April.”

Pacquiao (55-5-2, 38 KOs), the lone congressional representative from the Sarangani province in the Philippines (he was reelected to a second term, running unopposed last year), is the only fighter to win eight world titles in as many different weight divisions. A three-time Fighter of the Year and the Boxing Writers Association of America’s “Fighter of the Decade,” Pacquiao’s resumé features victories over future Hall of Famers, including Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Miguel Cotto, Shane Mosley and Juan Manuel Márquez. From 2008 to 2010, five of his seven victories were world title victories in five different weight classes, from 130 to 154 pounds. No active boxer has sold more live tickets in the U.S. than Pacquiao, who is also credited with more than 12 million pay-per-view buys. He returns to the ring after a scintillating beatdown of former world champion Brandon Rios last November in Macau, China.

Bradley (31-0, 12 KOs), from Palm Springs, Calif., a two-division world champion who unified the junior welterweight titles twice during his previous four-year reign, returns to the ring after three consecutive career-best victories. After moving up in weight and beating Pacquiao in 2012, Bradley co-starred in the Fight of the Year on March16, 2013, winning a brutal 12-round decision over future world champion Ruslan Provodnikov though Bradley was suffering from a concussion throughout most of the fight. In his most recent fight, on October 12, Bradley gave a virtuoso performance in defeating three-division world champion and Mexican icon Juan Manuel Márquez proving that Bradley is indeed one of boxing’s elite pound for pound fighters.

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 #PacBradley to join the conversation on Twitter.

Photos by Chris Farina / Top Rank

Photos by Chris Farina / Top Rank

GOBBLER’S KNOB, (Groundhog Day 2014) — At approximately 7:25 A.M. ET today, Punxsutawney Phil — the Seer of Seers, Prognosticator of Prognosticators — emerged from his burrow at Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, PA, and proclaimed, in his native Groundhogese, that Fighter of the Decade MANNY “Pacman” PACQUIAO would regain the WBO welterweight title when he rumbles again with undefeated defending world champion TIMOTHY “Desert Storm” BRADLEY on Saturday, April 12, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas., Nev. Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with MP Promotions and Tecate, the world welterweight championship rematch between these pound-for-pound titans will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View®, beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT.

“Without a shadow of a doubt, Bradley is going to get iced — Manila Iced — when he faces the Pacquiao Polar Vortex,” said the world’s No. 1 pound-for-pound quadruped during his annual news conference. “Pacquiao is going to Arctic blast Bradley off his world championship throne. Can Bradley win the rematch? He has a better shot of making it across the George Washington Bridge from Fort Lee in one day.”

Wearing a traditional Barong, El PHILipino was headed to Pittsburgh International Airport to catch a flight to Los Angeles International Airport where he will join members of the Pacman Nation in welcoming boxing’s only eight-division world champion when he arrives today on Philippine Airlines flight 102 at 6:40 p.m. PT.

When pressed for a definitive answer on whether Bradley had a chance to defeat Pacquiao, Phil astounded the media by answering in Tagalog and in English.

Quoth the groundhog, “Hinding-hindi na. Nevermore.”

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When Pacquiao (55-5-2, 38 KOs), the lone congressional representative from the Sarangani Province of the Philippines, and Bradley (31-0, 12 KOs), of Palm Springs, Calif., rumbled the first time, on June 9, 2012 at MGM Grand, Bradley’s hand was raised via a controversial split decision, ending Pacquiao’s welterweight title reign as well as his seven-year, 15-bout winning streak. Though both fighters claimed victory neither was satisfied. Destiny may have played a hand in their first battle but it will be survival of the fittest that determines the winner of this exciting rematch.

Both fighters will be hosting press conferences announcing their rematch fight this week in Los Angeles on Tuesday and New York on Thursday .

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 #PacBradley to join the conversation on Twitter.

Rematches can be predictable remakes, or tiresome redundancies, or just unnecessary. But Manny Pacquiao-Timothy Bradley is none of the above. It had to happen.

In some ways, April 12 is more of a resumption than a rematch of Bradley’s rancorous split-decision over Pacquiao on June 9, 2012. Once the controversy subsided to a dull roar, only questions were left in the debris. If this were business as usual, there would be no answers and only the futility that surrounds the never-never land of a Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr. possibility.

But Pacquiao and Bradley will pick up where they left off in the same MGM Grand ring where their first chapter ended in what ranks as boxing’s noisiest controversy during the Twitter era.

Economics and a collection of dwindling options probably had more to do with the agreement than anything. Robert Guerrero’s name popped up as a Pacquiao possibility, but Bob Arum quickly dismissed that one.

If Arum hopes to re-affirm Pacquaio as a pay-per-view star after a reported audience of 475,000-to-500,000 bought his victory in China over Brandon Rios, he needed an attraction. Guerrero would have been a tune-up, another Rios. But a rematch with Bradley represents compelling drama with stage and story already in place.

It’s a dangerous fight, especially for Pacquiao. Most of the momentum appears to be with Bradley. In announcing the rematch, Arum called Bradley a different guy. In the public eye, he is. He underwent a remarkable transformation in the months since he was unfairly portrayed as a villain for the scorecards that gave him the debatable decision over Pacquiao.

He displayed courage in beating former Pacquiao sparring partner Ruslan Provodnikov in the 2013 Fight of the Year. Then, there was his poise and patience in outworking Juan Manuel Marquez, whose one-handed stoppage of Pacquiao in December 2012 put him face down and face-to-face with doubts the Filipino has yet to knock out. He looked good in scoring a decision over Rios in November. Only against Bradley, however, can he really prove he’s still the whirlwind we remember.

There’s plenty of uncertainty about whether he can. Indications are that Pacquaio will be about 7-4 favorite. At opening bell in 2012, he was favored 4 ½-to-1. If the speed and angles employed by Pacquaio in the first fight are still there, Bradley is in trouble. At least, that’s the theory.

But a couple of things happened in 2012 . Bradley suffered injuries to both ankles then. He showed up at the post-fight news conference in a wheel chair. In a sport that has seen it all, there’s no record of the winner ever addressing the media while confined to a wheel chair.

It’s fair to assume that Bradley’s ankles will hold up this time around. What happens then? Bradley without limits on his mobility has a much better chance in what figures to be another close fight.

Meanwhile, close fights have become a Bradley trademark, if not identity. He’s won each of his last three by narrow decision – Pacquiao and Marquez by split and Provodnikov by one point on two cards and three on the third. Debate the scoring all you want, but they add up to a resiliency. The unbeaten Bradley finds a way. He’s a survivor, which means he won’t waste a second chance.

Pacquiao’s motivation is no secret. He has a right to think he was robbed in 2012. He’s anxious to correct the record, to claim what should have been his all long. That’s an intangible, yet powerful. Still, it’s hard to get a good read on just who Pacquiao is these days. There’s been plenty of evidence he has lost some speed and power. To wit: The Pacquaio of old would have stopped Rios within five rounds.

There’s also talk about money problems and reports about tax issues. Who really knows? But know this: Pacquiao could have told Arum to put a hold on Bradley. He could have demanded Guerrero in a dull, yet safe step that might have kept alive talk about Mayweather, who started his Showtime contract with tune-up victory over Guerrero.

Pacquiao’s contract with Arum is set to expire at the end of 2014. Could Arum have said no? Pacquiao apparently listened to Arum. In terms of the bottom line, Bradley makes sense. In terms of Pacquaio’s career, there was no other choice. He had to pick Bradley if he wanted the public to take him seriously. But it’s very dangerous. So know this too:

Pacquiao has a history of agreeing to perilous rematches. He gave Marquez three extra chances when he really didn’t have to. The third chance proved devastating. But it was also fair and fearless, just two more elements in a series that has it all and begs for more.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, the complete televised undercard for the April 12th rematch between Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley has been set.

In a WBA Super Lightweight title bout Khabin Allekhverdiev will defend against Jesse Vargas. Ray Beltran will take on Roman Martinez in a Lightweight bout and Bryan Vazquez will defend an interim 130 lb title against Jose Felix Jr.

“All three of them are competitive fights,” said promoter Bob Arum said. “So I guess whichever fight the press and the fans seem like most is the one we’ll make the semifinal. I think they’re all good fights. Beltran-Martinez is the one I want to see more than the others, so we’ll see if the press and the fans agree with me. But overall, I think we’re looking at some good, entertaining fights on the card.”

“This (Beltran – Martinez) is a really interesting crossroads fight,” said Top Rank’s Moretti said. “Both guys have had wars with Burns. Neither guy has ever been in a bad fight. Beltran is a strong puncher who makes good fights. Rocky has been in a lot of good fights. I expect fireworks. I wouldn’t be shocked if both guys hit the canvas.”

On Allekhverdiev – Vargas:

“This is the first chance we’ve had to expose Khabib in the United States since we signed him because of the injury and the mandatory, and he’s in with Jessie, who is dropping back down to 140 pounds,” Moretti said. “It’s an interesting matchup. The winner is probably going to get a big payday after this fight.

“I’ve seen Khabib on tape. He’s a very competent fighter and [Top Rank matchmaker] Brad [Goodman] has watched Vargas train in the gym and thinks he is doing marvelously,” Arum said. “We could see an upset.”

“We believe Jose Felix’s stock is on the rise,” Moretti said. “Hopefully, the card on April 12 will provide him a platform to show what he has against a more experienced, action fighter in Bryan Vasquez.”

NEW YORK (January 25, 2014) – Bob Arum and Todd duBoef, CEO and President of Top Rank, respectively, and Michael Koncz of MP Promotions are pleased to announce that an agreement was reached today for undefeated two-division world champion TIMOTHY “Desert Storm” BRADLEY to defend his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title against Fighter of the Decade Congressman MANNY “Pacman” PACQUIAO. Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with MP Promotions and Tecate, Pacquiao-Bradley 2 will take place, Saturday, April 12, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. It will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View.

Both fighters and their teams will embark on a U.S. media tour the week of February 3, including press conferences in Los Angeles and New York on Tuesday, February 4 and Thursday, February 6, respectively. Ticket information and other details on the promotion and the media tour will be released shortly.

When Pacquiao and Bradley rumbled the first time, on June 9, 2012 at the MGM Grand, Bradley’s hand was raised via a controversial split decision, ending Pacquiao’s welterweight title reign as well as his seven-year, 15-bout winning streak. Though both fighters claimed victory neither was satisfied. Destiny may have played a hand in their first battle but it will be survival of the fittest that determines the winner of this exciting rematch.

Pacquiao (55-5-2, 38 KOs), the lone congressional representative from the Sarangani province in the Philippines (he was reelected to a second term, running unopposed last year), is the only fighter to win eight world titles in as many different weight divisions. A three-time Fighter of the Year and the Boxing Writers Association of America’s “Fighter of the Decade,” Pacquiao’s resumé features victories over future Hall of Famers, including Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Miguel Cotto, Shane Mosley and Juan Manuel Márquez. From 2008 to 2010, five of his seven victories were world title victories in five different weight classes, from 130 to 154 pounds. No active boxer has sold more live tickets in the U.S. than Pacquiao, who is also credited with over eight million pay-per-view buys. He returns to the ring after a scintillating beatdown of former world champion Brandon Rios.

Bradley (31-0, 12 KOs), from Palm Springs, Calif., a two-division world champion who unified the junior welterweight titles twice during his previous four-year reign, returns to the ring after three consecutive career-best victories. After moving up in weight and beating Pacquiao in 2012, Bradley co-starred in the 2013 Fight of the Year last March, winning a brutal 12-round decision over Ruslan Provodnikov though Bradley was suffering from a concussion throughout most of the fight. In his most recent fight, in October, Bradley gave a virtuoso performance in defeating three-division world champion and Mexican icon Juan Manuel Márquez proving that Bradley is indeed one of boxing’s elite pound for pound fighters.

Never-ending speculation about Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Manny Pacquiao is boxing’s version of Groundhog Day, the 1993 film starring Bill Murray as a weatherman trapped in time, re-living the same day everyday until he gets it right.

Getting it right, of course, means an actual fight. Without one, we’ll only hear more of the same talk. I’d rather be a groundhog. More of the same seemed to be the message in Mayweather’s New Year’s missive in comments to FightHype. He ripped Pacquiao all over again. That’s not exactly news. On the surface, Mayweather made it sound as if there’s no chance that the two would ever agree to a fight.

But the timing was curious. Mayweather’s latest trashing of Pacquiao happened a few days after they actually agreed on something. Both dismissed an un-sourced story that reported they would fight in September.

Mayweather called the report “a lie.” Pacquiao said it was untrue.

Then, Pacquiao told Yahoo’s Filipino correspondent that they could only “talk about a possible fight next year” and only if there’s no new deal with Top Rank. Pacquiao’s Top Rank contract ends at the end of 2014. Within a few days, Mayweather delivered his rant. But why? Why now?

If Mayweather didn’t really want to fight Pacquaio, wouldn’t he’d quit talking about him? Wouldn’t he ignore Pacquiao altogether? If you’re not interested, why mention his name at all? But Mayweather chose that moment to re-ignite a possibility that had been muted throughout most of 2013.

Mayweather, who is as clever a promoter as he is a fighter, understands that the beginning of any fight starts with gaining the upper hand, a psychological edge, even before negotiations begin. He repeated a lot of the same old insults, but his comments were significant in what they indicated. If he’s talking about Pacquiao in any way, he’s probably thinking about a fight everybody still wants to see. Talk is the first step, but maybe a calculated one.

For Mayweather, Pacquiao appears to be something of a straw man anyway. Mayweather’s real target looks to be Bob Arum, Pacquiao’s promoter. Mayweather trashes Pacquiao to get at Arum. Mayweather says there’ll be no fight with Pacquaio as long as he is represented by Arum. It’s as if Mayweather is trying to get Pacquiao to leave Arum. The Filipino has been Top Rank’s biggest money earner for nearly a decade. Top Rank without Pacquiao is a promotional entity without its biggest star. In Mayweather’s bitter rivalry with Arum, that would rank as a significant victory for Mayweather.

There are plenty of reasonable ways to interpret what Mayweather says and doesn’t say, but it’s impossible to separate anything he does form the context of his Showtime contract, a 30-month deal for a possible six fights and a potential $250 million. For that kind of money, you’d think that Showtime would get some say-so. It’s safe to say that Showtime — and its bosses at CBS — would love to have Pacquiao-Mayweather.

On Feb. 19, Mayweather’s landmark deal with Showtime will be two fights and 12 months old. In 2014, let’s assume he fights Amir Khan in May and Marcos Maidana in September. If he wins both, Mayweather would be 47-0, two victories away from equalling Rocky Marciano’s 49-0 milestone.

Over the first six months of 2015, he could maximize the contract’s potential with two more fights, the second of which might be for his legacy against the very fighter he trashed a few days ago. It’s only trash talk if there’s no plan. The timing makes it look as if Mayweather has one.

A crystal ball is just another glass chin, which is one way of saying New Year predictions have no chance. They’re fun, but they’re also about as likely as Top Rank’s Bob Arum and Golden Boy’s Richard Schaefer wishing each other a Happy in any holiday season. More of the feud appears to be the only sure thing. But it also appears to be headed for a new level of acrimony, perhaps even a make-or-break confrontation, over Manny Pacquiao.

There’s potential for a lot of intriguing stories, but Pacquiao’s Top Rank contract figures to be the biggest in 2014. He has one year left on a deal extended in October 2012 through the end of 2014.

Leave it up to some other self-appointed Nostradamus to predict what Pacquiao will do. His loyalty to Bob Arum has been unshakable since 2006 when he spurned a Golden Boy offer, which reportedly included a suitcase stuffed with a $250,000 in cash. But loyalty is about as fragile as that crystal ball. In some ways, Pacquiao is to boxing what Peyton Manning was to the NFL after the Indianapolis Colts released him following a 2011 season on the injured list. The quarterback eventually signed a landmark deal with the Denver Broncos in March, 2012. Pacquiao’s potential free agency could also transform boxing’s landscape, at least for a while.

Pacquiao enters the final year of his Top Rank contract amid questions. He answered some, but not all, in his one-sided decision over Brandon Rios in November at Macao. Speed was still there. He didn’t appear to have any lingering effects from the crushing knockout he suffered against Juan Manuel Marquez in December, 2012. So far, so good, although Rios’ style proved to be the perfect comeback for Pacquiao’s skill set. The true yardstick for whether he is still the fighter of five years ago won’t be determined until — or if — he faces Marquez or Timothy Bradley in a rematch.

On the business side of the ledger, the bigger question is his drawing power. Pay-per-view reports for his victory over Rios put the Home Box Office audience at between 475,000 and 500,000. It’s a good number for anybody not named Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather Jr. More on that later. Arum predicted that the pay-per-view number would take a hit. It did, maybe because it was in China and away from the daily pre-fight media coverage in the United States. Again, maybe.

But Arum’s decision to bring Pacquiao back to the U.S., perhaps in April, doesn’t appear to be a coincidence. Without television’s traditional infrastructure and the daily headlines, the PPV number in Pacquiao’s first U.S. fight in more than a year will be a true test. If the PPV number disappoints, it might be a sign that Pacquiao and Top Rank will go their separate ways. If it’s closer to one million, look for Arum to introduce negotiations for another extension.

Thus far, there’s been no news that one is on the table. Pacquiao and Arum agreed to the additional year about 14 1/2 months before the old deal was set to expire at the end of 2013. When it comes to potential free agency, boxing isn’t any different than the NFL, NBA and major-league baseball. There’s plenty of speculation about any athlete, coach or manager entering the final year of a deal. It indicates uncertainty on both sides.

For all sides, money is the bottom line. For Pacquiao, there’s anecdotal evidence that it’s a potential issue There are reported problems with both the Internal Revenue Service and Filipino tax authorities. Perhaps, the stories are overblown. Perhaps, they’ll be settled before the first page in the new calendar is turned. But the ominous smoke is there.

If in fact Pacquiao needs money, the best way to get the most of it is in a fight against Mayweather. No secret there. There’s renewed speculation in an unsourced story about a Mayweather-Pacquiao fight happening in September. It’s about as believable as any other off-the-wall New Year prediction and as likely as Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. ever making weight. But it’s getting attention, which is a sure sign that it’s still the one fight everybody wants to see. Mayweather, of course, has repeatedly insisted he’ll never fight Pacquiao for as long as he is represented by Arum. Mayweather’s latest attack of Pacquiao via social media appears to be a poorly disguised attempt at badgering the Filipino Congressman into making a move.

In part, Mayweather is an example of how the best boxers can evolve as businessmen. Mayweather is now a promoter, an independent entrepreneur aligned with Golden Boy and under contract to Showtime. A better example is Miguel Cotto, who has avoided the bitter feuds and been able to do business with Top Rank, Golden Boy and any other entity in the promotional swamp. By the way, Cotto is friendly with Pacquiao, who beat him in 2009.

Will Pacquiao follow Cotto’s model? Split with Arum? Follow the money to Mayweather for a 2015 fight? Retire after losing to Bradley or Marquez? A New Year offers answers to 2014’s undisputed Story of the Year.

NEW ORLEANS (December 19, 2013) — Three weeks removed from his decisive victory over Brandon Rios in Macau, Manny Pacquiao earned an even more decisive win in a federal courthouse.

On December 18, the United States Court of Appeal for the Fifth Circuit, one of the highest and most influential courts in the country, affirmed the dismissal of a multi-million dollar lawsuit against Pacquiao filed by a startup Texas promotional company named Imperial ED Promotions. Imperial ED filed the lawsuit in November 2010, claiming that Pacquiao failed to appear at a promotional event in September 2010. Imperial ED didn’t tell the court that they failed to pay the Filipino star the full appearance fee that had been negotiated.

In July 2012, Pacquiao’s counsel, led by David Marroso a partner at O’Melveny & Myers LLP, questioned whether Imperial ED was the right party to bring the claim since the appearance contract had been signed by a different person. Imperial ED responded with a highly suspicious document that supposedly transferred ownership of the contract. Marroso and his team questioned the document and were granted the right to question Imperial ED’s principals under oath and to have one of the world’s foremost ink dating experts examine the document. After reviewing the evidence, federal judge Ricardo Hinojosa agreed with Pacquiao, found that the document had been falsely backdated, and threw out the case. On Wednesday, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the decision, putting an end to the three-year legal saga.

“As Manny’s popularity increased, he has become a target,” observed Marroso. “People file meritless lawsuits against Manny hoping cash in on his success.” Pacquiao hopes the Court’s decision will cause future plaintiffs to pause before filing frivolous lawsuits and trying to cheat the system, according to Marroso. Pacquiao advisor Michael Koncz added that “Manny took a stand in this case and vowed to fight until his name was cleared.”

SAN ANTONIO – Brandon Rios’ strength-and-conditioning coach Alex Ariza was surprised at a ringtv.com report Friday that Rios tested positive for a banned stimulant after Rios lost a unanimous on Nov. 23 to Manny Pacquiao in China.

“It’s been three weeks, and then, all of a sudden, something like this comes out,’’ Ariza told reporters Friday at the weigh-in for the Adrien Broner-Marcos Maidana card Saturday night at the Alamodome. “He tested four times through the whole camp, and then, nothing. We showed them everything, and we disclosed everything that we were using. They never said anything or complained about it. Now, all of a sudden, this comes out? It just seems a little bizarre to me.”

Rios promoter Bob Arum told ringtv.com that Rios tested positive for dimenthylamylamine, a substance found in controversial over-the-counter supplements.

In the ringtv.com story, Dr. Margaret Goodman of VADA confirmed that Rios tested positive in one of five tests. VADA conducted the testing before and after the welterweight bout in Macao. Goodman told ringtv.com that Pacquiao, also promoted by Arum, passed all five tests.

“It’s some kind of dietary supplement that can be obtained over the counter, so I don’t know any details,’’ said Ariza, who joined Rios after a fallout with Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach. “Everybody takes stuff that they sell at GNC or at vitamin shops and stuff like that.”

Rios trainer Robert Garcia also was surprised. He said he had never heard of the banned substance.

“I have no idea what it is,’’ said Garcia, also Maidana’s trainer. “We’re dealing with some words that I’ve never heard before.”

Dimenthylamylamine is considered dangerous, according to a warning issued by the Food and Drug Administration. The substance has been linked to fatal heart attacks.

It wasn’t known Friday whether Rios faced any consequences. China’s introduction to pro boxing includes a new commission, but its rules and enforcement powers aren’t clear.

It’s a holiday treat for HBO Boxing fans. Over five consecutive nights in late December, the HBO2 service will present 10 of the year’s standout fights, spotlighting some of the biggest names in the sport in riveting performances. Featured are signature wins by Manny Pacquiao, Miguel Cotto, Timothy Bradley Jr. and Carl Froch plus breakout victories by rising stars Gennady Golovkin, Adonis Stevenson and Sergey Kovalev.

Starting Monday, Dec. 23, HBO2 will replay 10 major league showdowns from this year over five consecutive nights. Each night the doubleheader of action starts at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT. Fight fans will get to revisit the most memorable, most significant and most compelling bouts that were televised on HBO, including a couple of slugfests that are clear favorites for “Fight of the Year” honors.
The “Boxing’s Best” lineup includes:
Monday, December 23 at 11:00 p.m.
Carl Froch vs. Mikkel Kessler II
Sergey Kovalev vs. Nathan Cleverly
Tuesday, December 24 at 11:00 p.m.
Timothy Bradley Jr. vs. Ruslan Provodnikov

Miguel Cotto vs. Delvin Rodriguez
Wednesday, December 25 at 11:00 p.m.
Brandon Rios vs. Mike Alvarado II

Gennady Golovkin vs. Matthew Macklin
Thursday, December 26 at 11:00 p.m.
Timothy Bradley Jr. vs. Juan Manuel Marquez

Adonis Stevenson vs. Chad Dawson
Friday, December 27 at 11:00 p.m.
Manny Pacquiao vs. Brandon Rios

James Kirkland vs. Glen Tapia

*Winners names are in italics.
All times are ET/PT.
“Boxing’s Best” will be available on HBO ON DEMAND® and HBO GO®

2013 Highlights:
HBO Boxing traveled to four continents this year (North America, Europe, South America and Asia) illustrating the sport’s global appeal and reach. Fight fans were presented live fights from exciting destinations in Macau, Moscow, Montreal and Buenos Aires.
The roster of elite fighters appearing on HBO in 2013 included: Sergio Martinez, Manny Pacquiao, Andre Ward, Gennady Golovkin, Timothy Bradley Jr., Wladimir Klitschko, Mike Alvarado, Juan Manuel Marquez, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., Miguel Cotto, Carl Froch, Mikkel Kessler, Brandon Rios, Nonito Donaire and Mikey Garcia.
Emerging stars who made their HBO debut this year, launching an impressive wave of new attractions on the network included: Ruslan Provodnikov, Adonis Stevenson, Sergey Kovalev and Terence Crawford.
The two top-rated boxing series on cable television are on HBO, the leading television platform for the sport in the U.S. HBO Boxing has delivered 21 of the top 25 bouts on cable television in 2013.

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According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, the November 23rd bout between Manny Pacquiao – and Brandon Rios did about 500,000 buys on Pay Per View.

“The numbers are coming in like we expected,” sais Top Rank’s Bob Arum Arum. “There was a little delay because of Thanksgiving, but it will be somewhere in the area of 500,000 buys. We ran all our numbers on something a little less than 500,000 but figuring we’d do around 500,000, and that’s what we’re going to wind up doing. It means 490,000 or 510,000, something like that.”

“It’s very, very difficult when you’re not doing the fight in the United States,” Arum said. “But the deal we structured with (the Venetian Macao, the host casino) was to make up for that.

“The [pay-per-view] industry told us when you do an event that far away you can expect to do maybe 30 percent of what you would ordinarily do on the fight. We did a lot better. We performed better than that, so I think it was a big success. We had a huge audience on television in China.”

“We’ll have Manny fighting back in the United States with Zou Shiming on the undercard and do a pay-per-view in China, where it will be on Sunday morning,” Arum said.

As for Pacquiao’s opponent in April, Arum said there are three names under consideration: a fifth fight with Marquez, a rematch with welterweight titlist Timothy Bradley (who claimed a highly controversial split decision against Pacquiao in June 2012), and newly crowned junior welterweight titlist Ruslan Provodnikov of Russia.

“It’ll be one of those guys,” Arum said. “We’re gonna get it done sometime this month I hope. I want to start promoting it. What we’re hoping to do is get Manny over here in January to do press conferences for the fight and also to do rallies in places like Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Washington, D.C., for relief for the victims of the typhoon in the Philippines.”

UEBEC CITY – Saturday’s HBO Boxing telecast airs at 10:15 p.m. (ET/PT). The telecast begins with the replay of welterweight superstar Manny Pacquiao’s dominant win over Brandon Rios on Nov. 23 in Macau.

The live HBO telecast from Colisée Pepsi in Quebec City features undefeated 175-pound title-holder Sergey Kovalev vs. Ismayl Sillakh in a 12-round title match that serves as the evening’s co-feature.

Sillakh and Kovalev face off at weigh in
Photo Credits: HBO/Ed Mulholland

The main attraction from Quebec City, a 12-round light heavyweight contest, features title-holder Adonis Stevenson as he defends his crown against challenger Tony Bellew.

Official Weights from Quebec City:

Adonis Stevenson: 174.4 lbs.

Tony Bellew: 175 lbs.

Sergey Kovalev: 174.6 lbs.

Ismayl Sillakh: 174.4 lbs.

Join the conversation on Twitter:

#StevensonBellew and #KovalevSillakh

There’s terrible irony in news that the Philippines has frozen Manny Pacquiao’s financial assets and placed a lien on the Filipino Congressman’s home over allegations that he owes $50.2 million in unpaid taxes. Pacquiao fought Brandon Rios in China to avoid U.S. taxes, yet he finds himself in a tax fight at home just a few days after a convincing decision over Rios in Macao.

There’s been a lot of talk about whom Pacquiao will fight next. Juan Manuel Marquez, Timothy Bradley and Ruslan Provodnikov have all been mentioned. No matter where and when the next one happens, however, the taxman could be there in what might be Pacquiao’s toughest and longest fight.

The Filipino Bureau of Internal Revenue’s claim against him is as confusing as the IRS long form. In a prepared statement, Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum said U.S. taxes have been paid for five fights during the two years in question, 2008 and 2009. Under Filipino law, Pacquiao would not be have to pay the Filipino taxes on money already taxed and paid in the U.S., Even there, however, a potential problem has emerged. The U.S. tax rate in 2008 and 2009 was 30 percent. The Filipino rate was 32 percent. In some news reports, Filipino authorities have suggested that Pacquiao might be liable for the two-percent difference.

Arum said that Top Rank will prove that Pacquiao paid his U.S. taxes. Documentation, certified by the IRS, will be made available, Arum said. But you might get on to the Obamacare website before those documents get done. Filipino tax commissioner Kim Henares said she has been waiting for them for two years. Expect this mess to drag on. And on.

Meanwhile, Pacquiao has alleged harassment. Maybe. He’s a politician, after all. Alleging tax evasion has always been one way to attack a political opponent, in the U.S. and everywhere else. If the political version of a low blow is in the mix, however, it only makes things messier than they already appear to be. It also means it will be there, in one form or another, for as long as Pacquiao stays in politics

Politics and money, often inseparable, have become the two-headed distraction that the multi-tasking Pacquaio cannot control. Against Rios, Pacquaio showed he still can fight at a level that can generate more money in a career already estimated to have grossed $300 million. He looks to have a couple of years, three or four more fights, left in the bank. In a somewhat surprising announcement, Arum said Pacquiao will be back in the U.S. for a fight in April.

There had been talk that Pacquiao would never set foot in a U.S. ring again because of President Barack Obama’s 39.6-percent tax rate. Even with that, however, the U.S. still might be the best place to maximize Pacquiao’s income because the pay-per-view infrastructure is in place. In China, it’s not and won’t be for perhaps another year. Pacquiao can’t wait and HBO won’t. In Macao, Pacquiao’s guarantee was $17 million. The guess is that he’ll wind up with about $20 million after he gets his cut of the pay-per-view, still undisclosed. If those projections stand up and the Filipino tax man takes 32 percent, Pacquiao winds up with $13.6 million.

In his loss by a lethal stoppage to Juan Manuel Marquez last December in Las Vegas, Pacquiao grossed about $30 million. At the old IRS rate of 30 percent, he netted $21 million. Under the new rate of 39.6 percent, his net would have been $18.12 million, or $4.52 million more than he was projected to collect in Macao. Follow the money. Arum always does. His Chinese venture looks to be an investment in the future. In time, maybe the money will be there. For now, however, it’s where it’s always been.

At 34, money is probably more important than ever for Pacquiao. He has just a more few opportunities to make the big bucks. Although confusing, the Filipino tax claim only adds a sense of urgency to the final stage in his career. In part, the tax controversy isn’t exactly a surprise. There has been anecdotal evidence for at least year that Pacquiao is under some financial pressure. There have always been stories about Pacquiao’s generosity. Arum openly joked about it. Then, worried about it.

Pacquiao gave it away to poor people on Filipino streets. Then, he spent lavishly on political campaigns for himself and wife Jinkee. In August 2013, he put his Los Angeles home up for sale at $2.7 million. A longtime associate, Wakee Salud, was quoted in Filipino media as saying that Pacquiao was going broke. For now, it’s impossible to know if he is. Or he isn’t. But the tax controversy is a sign that money will motivate him as much as it does Floyd Mayweather Jr., who has the “Money” nickname and more of it than anybody.

Maybe, money will finally make the Mayweather-Pacquiao showdown. Don’t bet on it. But if it ever does, don’t be surprised if the Filipino taxman is there, demanding most, if not all, of Pacquiao’ share in what could be $100-million fight.