Muhammad Ali picks Pacquiao to win

{The following article is first published in ABS-CBNNews}

“The Greatest” has spoken and he picked Manny Pacquiao to win over Floyd Mayweather Jr.

The legendary Muhammad Ali is siding with the eight-division champion from the Philippines, according to his daughter Rasheda Ali.

“My dad is Team Pacquiao all the way!" Rasheda Ali told TMZ. "My dad really likes Manny. He's a huge fan of his."

She said Ali and Pacquiao have been friends for years. The two met when the Filipino superstar attended Ali's 70th birthday party in 2012.

According to Rasheda, her father is most impressed about how Pacquiao conducts himself outside the ring.

"He knows Manny's a great fighter ... but it's more about what he does outside the ring. He's such a charitable person," said Rasheda.

Ironically, it is Mayweather who has been emulating Ali’s flamboyant personality.

"My dad stood for things. Mayweather ... I don't think there's a comparison," said Rasheda.

Ali would have wanted to watch the super fight live, but the 73-year-old boxing legend is suffering from Parkinson’s disease and won’t be able to handle the stress and the crowds at the MGM Grand Arena.

Rasheda said her father will have to settle watching the fight on pay-per-view.

"There's no question he's going to order it. It takes my dad way back to when he was fighting," she said.

Ali’s other daughter Laila Ali, however, earlier predicted that Mayweather will beat Pacquiao.

Laila, a retired boxer, said the talent of the undefeated American will be too much for the Filipino superstar.

"I'll probably go with Mayweather because he is a skilled fighter. He is a superior talent," Laila told Boxing Scene. "Pacquiao is a great fighter, but I always go with skills over just being a brawler like Pacquiao.”

SEE ALSO: Enjoy watching the live streaming fight of Pacquiao and Mayweather on May 2 (ET).

{Image source}

The mega-bout between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. will be broadcast on free TV simultaneously on ABS-CBN, GMA 7 and TV5.

{The following article is first published in ABS-CBN News.}

For the first time in Philippine television history, three competing broadcast networks will unite to air the highly anticipated mega-fight between Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao and unbeaten American Floyd Mayweather Jr.

This was announced in a joint press conference held by the three networks together with Solar Sports Thursday at Solaire.

"Maraming, maraming salamat sa GMA 7, ABS-CBN, TV5 at sa Solar Sports sa pagkakaisa nila para maipakita (at) maipalabas sa ating mga kababayan ang fight na ito," Pacquiao, who is training in Los Angeles, said via video call.

"Natutuwa ako sa kanilang pagkakaisa na ang hinahangad ay para sa ating mga kababayan. Salamat," he added.

Dino Laurena, head of ABS-CBN Integrated Sports, said the unprecedented partnership among the networks will give Filipino fans the chance to watch the most important fight of Pacquiao's career.

Emmanuel Pacquiao said a few words during Solar Entertainment Corporation's presser earlier today. See what the Pacman has to say regarding Abs-Cbn, GMA Network, and TV5's "unity" in bringing the #PacFloyd fight to as many Filipinos in the PHL as possible.

Posted by philstar.com on Thursday, March 26, 2015

"Everybody will have an opportunity to watch Manny Pacquiao lay his claim that he is better than Mayweather," said Laurena.

Also present at the press conference was Sports5 chief Chot Reyes, who said: "We're thankful that we are going to be a part of it. We can't wait to show everyone when Manny beats Mayweather."

The Pacquiao-Mayweather fight will be aired on free television on a slightly delayed basis, while Solar Sports will air the bout on cable. The fight will also be broadcast live on radio via GMA's dzBB.

"The crime rate will be zero," said Laurena, "because everybody will be looking at screens that this aggregation of networks will provide."

All parties involved credited Pacquiao in making the deal happen, with Solar Entertainment chief executive Wilson Tieng saying it was the "Pacman" who wanted to unify the networks in showing his bout.

The deal took three weeks to finalize, Tieng also said.

"The good thing is magkakasama na lahat ng networks, as it was originally desired by Manny Pacquiao," Laurena also said. "Congressman Pacquiao really wanted everyone in the Philippines to watch this."

SM Cinemas will also show the bout in over 100 theaters nationwide, with tickets prices ranging from P600 to P1,000. SM will start selling tickets on March 27.

Sky Cable and Cignal are the official pay-per-view providers.

The fight will take place on May 3, Philippine time.

For those who want to watch it for free live online, click here.

Mike Tyson 'says: Manny Pacquiao will Hit & Hurt Floyd Mayweather more than Ever Before

Former heavyweight champion of the world MIke Tyson has already made his take about the Pacquiao and Mayweather fight on May 2.

Watch the live fight online for free by clicking the hyperlink below:

http://mannypacquiao-floydmayweather-stream.blogspot.com/2015/02/pacquiao-vs-mayweather-live-stream-free.html

He said that Manny will win because Mayweather hadn't fought any opponent that threw more than a hundred punches in every round.

Iron Mike said that it is very difficult for Mayweather to beat Manny because Manny will be punching all over the G*d damn place. Excuse the word. Bur that's what he said.

This time let us see and hear what he said on ESPN's First Take by Skip Bayless and Stephen Smith. Watch the video below.

How Floyd Mayweather Jr Can Beat Manny Pacquiao, According To Bernard Hopkins

{The article below is written by Rachel Corpuz of International Business Times.}

Bernard Hopkins is the latest to weigh in on the much-talked about fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquiao. The 50-year-old former light heavyweight titlist recently shared his thoughts about what Mayweather needs to do to beat the Filipino eight-division world champion.

In an article by CBS Sports, Hopkins claimed that if Mayweather gets past the first few rounds, the undefeated American fighter can certainly beat the Filipino. Hopkins sees that Pacquiao will try to devastate Mayweather with his trademark boxing style in the first six rounds or less.

Mayweather has proven in some of his past fights that he can easily make adjustments. Mayweather had made adjustments when he fought Shane Mosley, Oscar De La Hoya and Victor Ortiz. Hopkins reckons that Mayweather must be able to do the same thing and must learn how to adjust to the Filipino in their mega-buck showdown in Las Vegas on Cinco de Mayo weekend.

According to Hopkins, it is going to be an easy fight for Mayweather if he can adjust as far as distance is concerned. Mayweather will not only have to adjust his striking distance but he should also be able to prevent a threat when Pacquiao rushes at him. Hopkins also believes Mayweather should trade more punches with Pacquiao to win.

“Floyd has to produce more than he has before, in terms of punching,” Hopkins said. “He’s not fighting Hatton - Pacquiao can bring it all night so Floyd’s jab and counterpunching will be the key.”

Like many, Hopkins puts his money on Mayweather against the underdog Pacquiao. However, Hopkins said that winning the bout would not be a ludicrously easy task for Mayweather. He said that Mayweather can win as well as be beaten up and lose his 47-fight winning streak. As for his last words, Hopkins said Mayweather will beat Pacquiao by controversial decision.

Pacquiao has lost twice in his last five fights including his dramatic knockout loss to Juan Manuel Marquez in 2012. He has not scored a knockout since he let go of Alex Ariza, who is now with Mayweather’s camp. With less than a couple of months until fight date, both camps are shifting to high gears in their training camps as they continue their preparations for the superfight.

As the bout draws closer, ESPN reported that the superfight is projected to break all revenue records in the history of boxing. With ticket prices ranging from $1500 to $10,000, the fight will reportedly pull in an estimated $74 million at the gate. It will break the gate record from Mayweather’s fight with Canelo Alvarez, which amounted to $20 million.

Manny Pacquiao's speed you've never thought as fast as this one

Here's a speed of Manny Pacquiao you've never thought as fast as this one.

If you see his speed five years ago, it is exactly the same as it is now. Watch the video below.



Video courtesy of FightHub.

Mayweather declines $5-million fine for failed drug test

{The following article is written by Dan Rafael of ESPN.com}

Manny Pacquiao adviser Michael Koncz told ESPN.com on Thursday that Floyd Mayweather Jr. has declined to agree to terms for a penalty that would cost either man $5 million in the event of a failed drug test before or after their May 2 megafight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

"Today we were informed that Mayweather turned down the request," Koncz said. "Manny had requested that there would be a reciprocal fine of $5 million for a failed drug test."

Koncz said even though the agreements for the fight are signed, as is a separate agreement for the United States Anti-Doping Agency to oversee random blood and urine testing for the fight, they were still discussing terms for a substantial fine in the event of a dirty test. But Koncz said Mayweather attorney Jeremiah Reynolds sent a letter to Pacquiao attorney David Moroso on Thursday declining to enter into any agreements on a financial penalty for a failed drug test.

Manny Pacquiao's adviser says Floyd Mayweather Jr. has declined a $5 million penalty for either fighter in the event of a failed drug test before or after their May 2 megafight in Las Vegas.
Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions and Mayweather's close adviser, said Koncz should have had those terms negotiated into the main contract.

"Michael Koncz is an idiot, and Manny Pacquiao should be ashamed to have him as his representative, in my opinion," Ellerbe told ESPN.com. "It's obvious he didn't read the contract. Why would he have his fighter sign something he was not happy with? The deal was negotiated up and down by his promoter [Bob Arum of Top Rank] on behalf of Manny with Floyd and Mayweather Promotions, and it's been well documented in the media for quite some time.

"If this moron didn't convey his fighter's wishes when the negotiation was going on, that's their problem. This is a lame-ass attempt to generate publicity."

Drug testing, of course, has been front and center throughout the five-plus-year saga to get boxing's most anticipated fight signed. When the sides first negotiated the bout in late 2009 and early 2010, they had agreed to all aspects of the deal except for the drug-testing protocol. Mayweather insisted on random, Olympic-style blood and urine testing, Pacquiao declined to agree to the specific form of drug testing and the deal fell apart.

Not long after that, Pacquiao sued Mayweather for defamation and slander for saying that he had used performance-enhancing drugs, which Pacquiao has always denied. The case was ultimately settled out of court with Mayweather paying Pacquiao an undisclosed seven-figure sum.

"They have made derogatory statements for years about Manny [supposedly using PEDs], and now we challenged them by asking for the $5 million fine, and they refused to do it. It's disheartening," Koncz said.

Mayweather has required himself and his opponents to be tested by USADA for all of his bouts since 2010, while Pacquiao has sometimes used the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association to randomly test him and his opponent in recent years.

For the May 2 welterweight unification bout, expected to be the richest fight in boxing history, Pacquiao agreed to Mayweather's demand for USADA testing, and they signed contracts with the agency about three weeks ago.

When asked why Pacquiao didn't negotiate the fine into the master fight agreement, Koncz said he was concerned with getting the fight signed and did not want to do anything to jeopardize very delicate negotiations. Besides, he said, both camps knew they would have to sign a separate agreement with USADA to outline the specific terms of the testing.

"We were still discussing the penalty. We've been going back and forth about it for the past three or four weeks. We hoped that we could sign that agreement around the same time as the agreement with USADA," Koncz said. "[The Mayweather camp] is saying, 'Why wasn't it brought up for the main contract?' Why does it have to be brought up for the main contract? Everything in the main contract pertains to the co-promotion and the promoters. You can argue all day if [a penalty agreement] should be with the USADA contract or the main contract. What do you have to lose or gain in that argument? It's a simple thing -- if you fail, you pay the other guy $5 million. The issue is simple -- are you willing to agree to a penalty of $5 million? The drug-testing terms and any penalty, that's between the fighters not the promoters.

"We have no recourse. We can't force Floyd into something. But we gave them an opportunity to put their money where their mouth is and they wouldn't. I won't speculate why. To me there is no legitimate argument. We know we're clean. That's why Manny said he would pay $5 million if he tested dirty. Manny was surprised [Mayweather refused]. He can't figure out why they wouldn't agree to it when Floyd is always talking about cleaning up the sport of boxing."

Added Ellerbe: "If Manny Pacquiao tested positive it is going to cost him a whole lot more than $5 million. All parties signed a contract agreeing to every term. Where has this idiot Koncz been? It sounds like he didn't read the documents they signed. No wonder why his fighter is always confused. It sounds like that idiot is suggesting there's a $5 million price tag if Manny comes up positive. That sounds suspicious. All I know is we welcome random testing as we always have."

Koncz said Pacquiao, who is training at trainer Freddie Roach's Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, California, has so far submitted to two random tests by USADA.

Ellerbe said he was unsure how many times Mayweather has been tested but said he has seen the specimen collectors around Mayweather's Las Vegas gym "three or four times" since he began training for the fight.

Mayweather Sr: Pacquiao vulnerable to getting knocked out

{The following article is written by Chris Williams: of BoxingNews24}

Trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr thinks that WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao will be vulnerable to getting knocked out when he gets inside the ring with WBA/WBC 147 pound champion Floyd Mayweather Jr (47-0, 26 KOs) in their fight on 5/2.

Floyd Sr points out correctly that Pacquiao was knocked unconscious by Juan Manuel Marquez in 2012, and because of that, Pacquiao could be vulnerable to getting knocked out again if he gets caught with a big shot by Mayweather Jr on May 2nd at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“Of course, any time somebody’s been knocked ice cold like that, man, of course they can get knocked out again – quick, fast and in a hurry,” Floyd Sr said via Mlive.com.

The question is will Pacquiao be able to take the big shots that Mayweather nails him with on May 2nd? While Mayweather isn’t as big a puncher as someone like Marquez, he hits with close enough power to knockout someone who may not have the same punch resistance that he once had. What makes Mayweather even more dangerous is that he’s got a lot of hand speed, so he’s going to be catching Pacquiao with punches that he doesn’t see coming.

When you combine Pacquiao’s sloppy, overly aggressive style of fighting with that of Mayweather’s fast hands, it could lead to Pacquiao getting hit on the button by a shot that he doesn’t see coming. It doesn’t matter that Mayweather isn’t the most furious puncher in the welterweight division; if he catches Pacquiao with a good shot, he’s going to knock him out.

“I heard about what Freddie said about Roger’s better,” Floyd Sr said. “He can say that all he wants to say it. You want me to tell you what Freddie wants? He wants Roger in there because he knows I’m the man.”

I believe that that Roach wants Roger in there as the No.1 trainer for Mayweather mainly because Mayweather is a lot more aggressive as a fighter with Roger training him than he is with Floyd Sr. Roger has always been a guy who has encouraged Mayweather to mix it up with his opponents.

This could be due to Roger having been a dangerous knockout artist during his own pro career, so he wants to see a lot of offense. But with Floyd Sr, he’s focused more on the defensive side of the game. He doesn’t want to see his son Mayweather Jr take punishment in his fights. He wants him to win without getting hit.

What’s interesting about this is that Floyd Sr was a very aggressive fighter during his own pro career, and he wasn’t afraid to mix it up with his opposition, which led to him getting hit a lot, and taking losses when he stepped it up against better opposition during his career. But as a trainer, Floyd Sr is a completely different type of guy. He doesn’t want his fighters to get hit.

Roach obviously knows that Pacquiao stands a better chance if Mayweather is fighting aggressively compared to when he’s fighting defensively; hence we’re seeing Roach bad mouthing Floyd Sr while building up Roger Mayweather. It appears that Roach is trying to implant an idea into the head of Mayweather Jr that Roger is the better fighter in order for Mayweather to replace Floyd Sr before the May 2nd fight.

I don’t think it’s going to work, because it’s so transparent. There’s no way that Mayweather is going to replace his father with Roger at this point, because Floyd Sr has done a great job of bringing back Mayweather’s old style of fighting in which he was a more defensive fighter. Mayweather didn’t quite follow the scrip for his first fight against Marcos Maidana last year, but in his second fight, he was back on board with what his father wanted him to do in fighting defensively and winning without getting hit a lot.

“He [Mayweather] doesn’t care about the fans at all,” Roach said. He has to exchange more because his legs won’t take him out of the way. When he has to exchange with Pacquiao, I think that’s good for us. That’s why I think we’re going to win this fight.”

There it is. Roach is giving away what he’s really after in trying to create turbulence between Floyd Sr and Roger. Roach needs Mayweather to exchange with Pacquiao in order for him to have a chance of beating Mayweather. That’s just the way it is. The 36-year-old Pacquiao is too short, and his reach too limited for him to be able to fight Mayweather if he fights defensively and moves around the ring.

Roach is smart enough to realize this on his own. That’s why he’s hoping and praying that Mayweather fights Pacquiao in a toe-to-toe manner by standing perfectly still like Pacquiao’s last three opponents have done. That’s the only way Pacquiao can win, because he doesn’t have the reach to connect against a moving target.

How many punches can Manny throw in one minute while shadowboxing?

{Updated for corrections}

A very interesting question. I had always thought about it. I've imagined it, but never have actually counted or estimated it. Never researched about it.

There is no count as exactly how many punches Manny Pacquiao can throw while shadowboxing. Nobody ever tried to count.

So let's try to count, even though shadowboxing is faster than punching the opponent in the ring in a real fight. Even faster than punching a heavy bag. It depends how much a boxer will throw punches. So the stamina will determine the amount of punches a boxer can throw, whether in shadowboxing, punching a bag, or in a real fight.

I tried my best. I counted it based on this video below.



Take note that this video is his recent training video as of this date, his preparation for the May 2 fight. Imagine the speed he had 5 or 6 years ago. So, lets just try to base his speed now, his speed today.

I did my best, for maybe ten to 12 times repeating the video on the part where he's shadowboxing.

From the video I started at :16 seconds until :23 seconds, where he stopped. What I have come up was 50. 50 punches in 7 seconds. Could be a little less or a little more than 50. But that's the closest I can get.

It is really hard to count the punches since his hand speed is so fast you can't see the punches throwing. Even if you base it on his yell or the kiai (used in martial arts for short yell when attacking an opponent), it is very difficult to count. I wish I had the video on slow motion, but I can only play it in YouTube since it's not downloadable.

So that's I've come up. Manny Pacquiao can punch 50 in 7 seconds.

Considering Manny's gas is so tremendous, let us assume he can shadowbox in a minute. That will be 450 punches in one minute if he can maintain the phase. I've divided 60 seconds by 7 is equal to 8.5714. Let's round off to 8. 8 x 7 is 56. So let's cut off the 4 seconds that could have been 60 seconds, to make it a minute. Let's assume he stopped at 56 seconds.

So, for 50 punches in every 7 seconds, that would be 450 punches in 56 seconds.

What about you? Have you counted it? How much you've got?

{The article above is written by Nonoy Avellanosa, a Manny PAcquiao fanatic and a professional blogger. Follow him on Twitter.}

Guillermo Rigondeaux to spar Manny Pacquiao for Mayweather fight!

Latest report says that Gold Medalist Cuban boxer Guillermo Rigondeaux Ortiz is going to spar with Manny PAcquiao in the upcoming fight on May 2 against FLoyd Mayweather Jr. Watch the video bleow.

Latest Manny Pacquiao Sparring Videos for Mayweather Fight on May 2

Here is one latest sparring video of Manny Pacquiao in preparation for the upcoming fight on May 2 against FLoyd Mayweather Jr.

Enjoy!

Manny Pacquiao Sparring Videos

Here's a collection of Manny Pacquiao videos in the past. No new videos yet have been uploaded showing him sparring with partners for preparation for the upcoming May 2 fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr.

It's just so fun to watch these past videos, and see what would be the outcome come May 2. Here are the videos:

Kimmel asks Pacquiao: Will you beat up Justin Bieber, too?

Check out this video of the Jimmy Kimmel Show where Manny Pacquiao were invited to become guest.

So funny Jimmy asked Manny if he'll beat up Justin Beiber too since Floyd always bring the pop star out in the ring.

Jimmy asked Manny:

"Will you beat Justin Bieber up, too?"

Floyd Mayweather lands first psychological blow on Manny Pacquiao

{The article below is written by Gareth A Davies of TeleGraph. You can read the previously published article here.}


Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao made their one public appearance together at a press conference in Los Angeles last night to set the ball rolling on the richest fight in history, with a purse of $250 million (£170 million), in Las Vegas on May 2.

The two men, both dressed in suits, faced off, calm and serious. There were no smiles, but a little tension. No pushing and shoving either. There appeared to be great respect between the two fighters.

But it was Mayweather, cannily, who proved he remains a master of psychology.

"It's been a long road. But we are here now," said Mayweather. Thanking his entire team, and even appearing a little emotional, the unbeaten American added: "May 2, the fight of the century, the best against the best. And Pacquiao is one of the best of this era.”

“Our plan is to be smart and take every fight as they come like all 47 fights. I'm in the gym pushing myself to the limit, because I want to win this more than any other fight. But I know one thing about sport, and if you lose, it's in your mind. I have always been a winner."

Mayweather has never lost; Pacquiao has lost five times.

"I just want the fans to be satisfied," said Pacquiao, who spoke first. "I'm so happy we could make the fight happen. Thanks to the Mayweather Team and to Showtime and HBO. The fans of boxing were waiting for this for five years. We are both going to train hard and we will do our best on May 2 to make you happy."

Manny Pacquiao Tweets: "The fight is on and we are happy to bring this fight to the fans."

Manny Tweets in his Twitter Deck:

"The fight is on and we are happy to bring this fight to the fans."

Watch Video: Manny says Floyd's scared and much more in this honest interview

Earlier today at ESPN First Take's Stephen Smith and Skip Bayless asked some questions to Manny Pacquiao about the mega fight come May 2.

Manny Pacquiao actually said that he believes that FLoyd Mayweather Jr. is scared to death with him.

Check it out from the video below.

Manny Pacquiao shows off shadow boxing skills on the streets on 8th day of his training.

8th division boxing champion Manny Pacquiao starts to show off his shadow boxing skills in the streets of L.A on his 8th day of training. Many spectators come to see the people's champ as they come to take pictures and video of him.

Here are the videos that show what shadow skills is all about.

Ooops. Be careful. Don't come close. Watch out for the speed.



The second video shows him jogging up the hill.



{source}

Cotto: This secret weapon will help Pacquiao beat Mayweather

Miguel Cotto is picking Manny Pacquiao to defeat Floyd Mayweather when the two meet May 2 in Las Vegas. Why Pacquiao? Because Freddie Roach, his own trainer, will be in Pacquiao’s corner.

"After working with Freddie I think Freddie is going to be huge in the fight," Cotto said. "I’m going for Manny."

Continue reading here.

Mayweather taps sparring partner Judah to mimic Pacquiao

{The article below is from CSBSports}

No fighter has beaten Floyd Mayweather Jr. Few have provided even mild irritation.

Brooklyn-born veteran Zab Judah at least reached the latter status upon meeting the then-"Pretty Boy" in Las Vegas nine years ago, winning three of 12 rounds on one scorecard and four of 12 on another en route to a unanimous decision loss for the IBF and IBO welterweight title belts.

And though the fight is best recalled for a late melee that followed a flagrant low blow, it's also worth recalling because Judah had enough early success to put Mayweather in a degree of competitive peril.

Judah, then 28, was one of the few foes to rival Floyd's hand speed, and, combined with an awkward left-handed style and stinging one-shot punching power, he landed well enough to take three of the first four rounds before the still-unbeaten Mayweather upped his own work rate and took control.

Read more of this news here.

Roy Jones Jr. offers help for Pacquiao to become his sparring partner

Former middleweight and light heavyweight world champion Roy Jones Jr. has recently offered help to become a sparring partner of Manny PAcquiao in his training against FLoyd Mayweather Jr. on May 2.

Pacquiao's manager Michael Koncz confirm this, said that he will send one of his boys to bring him in. He said in an interview:

"We will try him out for a day and if he’s good, we will keep him."

Moreover, Fight Saga, has recently reported that among those reportedly selected to spar with Manny PAcquiao are Rashid “Speedy” Lewis and Kenneth “Bossman” Sims.

{news source}

Freddie Roach denies rumors on ordering security guards at his Wildcard gym in Los Angeles to carry guns

A UK newspaper reported that Freddie Roach had personally ordered security guards at his Wildcard gym in Los Angeles to carry guns so "people respect them."

But Freddie Roach denied media reports published Friday that he had ordered armed guards to protect Manny Pacquiao at his Hollywood gym.

Read more of this news here.

{image via armoryblog.com}

50 Cent says he’s betting $1.6 million that Floyd Mayweather will beat Manny Pacquiao

The following article is written by Marissa Payne of WashingtonPost.


Rapper 50 Cent hasn’t always been nice to his former friend and business partner Floyd Mayweather. It was just last August when the entertainer pledged to donate $750,000 to charity if the boxer could prove he could read.

Mayweather did not take the challenge. Instead, he tweeted out pictures of two checks totally over $70 million and told 50 Cent to donate his money to Michael Brown’s family, referring to the young black man who was shot and killed by police in Ferguson, Missouri, last year.

Well, flash forward a few months later, and there might be hope for the pair’s friendship after all. 50 Cent went on “The Breakfast Club” on New York’s Power 105.1 FM Tuesday morning to report the two are on speaking terms again after meeting by chance at a Chris Brown show earlier this month. Not only that, but 50 Cent boasted he plans to bet $1.6 million on Mayweather to beat Manny Pacquiao when the two are scheduled to fight on May 2 in Las Vegas.

“Champ gonna smoke him,” 50 Cent said, referring to Mayweather, who holds both the WBC and WBA welterweight titles. 50 Cent then went on to describe Mayweather as “super focused,” and said, “It’s gonna look like [the fight] was pumped up for no reason.” He was downright nice!

As to why 50 Cent has decided to bet $1.6 million, as opposed to, say, a more round number like $1.5 million, 50 Cent says he’s “been thinking this out” and that he’s “gotta make a real bet.”

Now he just needs his newly (again) found friend to come through.

Why Manny Pacquiao Is More Dangerous for Floyd Mayweather Now Than in 2010?

{The following article is written by Kelsey McCarson of bleacherreport.com.}

Manny Pacquiao isn’t quite as explosive as he used to be. But that doesn’t mean he’s become a less complete fighter, or one that is less dangerous in 2015 to Floyd Mayweather’s reign atop pound-for-pound rankings.

{Image from Chris Hyde/Getty Images.}

No, Pacquiao’s best chance to defeat Mayweather is right now.

Skeptics will tell you that it’s not true. They’ll point to the destructive version of Pacquiao who ran roughshod over naturally larger opponents from 2008-2011, fighters such as Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto.

Pacquiao was a force in 2009.

They’ll argue Pacquiao’s impressive one-punch power, the type that laid waste to Hatton in the blink of an eye, is gone forever, never to return. They’ll tell you that the power itself was laid waste by the nefarious onslaught of old age.

Gone too, they’ll probably add, is Pacquiao’s otherworldly speed. They’ll admit that he’s still supremely fast, just not blindingly so.

These well-meaning critics of the 2015 version of Pacquiao aren’t altogether wrong. At age 36, Pac-Man isn’t quite the supreme physical specimen he once was. He is not in his physical prime.

If one is to only examine factors like how fast and how powerful a man is to determine his fighting prime, then surely the 2010 version of Pacquiao would be the top candidate for such an honor.

That Pacquiao, the one that came oh-so-close to meeting Mayweather in a proposed March 2010 superfight, had just come off of his most fantastic performance ever, a one-sided, 12th-round stoppage of Cotto.

That Pacquiao had separated the lineal champion at 140 pounds, Hatton, from both his championship and his senses two fights prior in just two rounds.

That Pacquiao had made De La Hoya look like a rank amateur just three fights before, and had sent the Golden Boy to his stool after eight brutal rounds of pummeling him, never to return to the life of a prizefighter again.

But here’s something that’s lost in all the hubbub about how great a destructive force Pacquiao was back then. The very quality that made him such an obliterator of famed fighting men could very well have also been his undoing against the premier counterpuncher in boxing at that time, Mayweather, a man who was also in his physical, and perhaps even fighting, prime.

Pacquiao’s lesson on just how risky unbridled aggression can be to a fighter came in 2012.

After appearing a bit lackluster in wins over Shane Mosley and Juan Manuel Marquez, and after being on the wrong side of one of the more egregious robberies in boxing history against Timothy Bradley, Pacquiao met Marquez for the fourth time in his career in December 2012.

This version of Pacquiao appeared anything but lackluster. This was classic Pac-Man, the one whose mission was to seek and destroy whoever stood in front of him. This was the fighter fans had seen ruthlessly dismantle De La Hoya, Hatton and Cotto. He was just as fast, just as powerful and just as reckless.


Pacquiao appeared to be on his way to a win over Marquez in the fourth fight.
This was vintage Pacquiao.

Even though Marquez’s power had suddenly reached superlative heights, and even though Pacquiao was knocked down by a glancing blow he partially blocked in Round 3, Pacquiao seemed to be on his way to annihilating Marquez the very same way he had done so to other great fighters just a few years prior.

Pacquiao knocked Marquez down in Round 5 and was going in for the kill at the end of Round 6 when the bloodied and bruised Marquez delivered the perfect counterargument to Pacquiao having his best shot against Mayweather in 2010.

With one punch, Marquez demonstrated that Pacquiao would probably have been too aggressive for his own good against Mayweather had the two met before this night. Marquez knocked Pacquiao out cold with one wonderfully delivered right-hand blow as Pacquiao hurled himself forward. Mayweather might have done the same.

It was a tough lesson, but an important one.

Marquez landed the perfect punch in Round 6 to score the KO.
If Mayweather did not exist, it is Marquez who would be considered the best counterpuncher of the era. That isn’t to say the men fight in the same style. They do not. But both rely on landing punches on their opponents as the other man tries to mount an offense of his own.

And both men are exceptional at it.

The version of Pacquiao who rose from the ashes of the sixth-round knockout is not the same man he was then. He is not the hyper-aggressive barbarian out for blood no matter what the cost.

Instead, Pacquiao has wisely adopted a less aggressive, but more effective approach of mitigating risk with his feet and relying on his still-excellent hand speed and punching power to carry the day.

Pacquiao’s last three fights are evidence of a changed man. Yes, Pacquiao is still aggressive and a tremendous offensive fighting machine.


Pacquiao is a smarter, better fighter now.

But against the two fighters with punching power he had to respect, Brandon Rios and Timothy Bradley (in the 2014 rematch), Pacquiao consistently made a point to step away from his opponents throughout the fights so as not to get caught by a powerful counterpunch.

Even against Chris Algieri, Pacquiao coasted to the decision win after realizing somewhere among the six knockdowns of his opponent that he could rattle Algieri’s bones at will. But why give Algieri the only chance he had of pulling out the win by giving him opportunities to land a bout-altering counterpunch?

Pacquiao is a smarter fighter now. He won’t rush into Mayweather’s offense foolhardily. He won’t leave himself open to counterpunches that he’ll never see coming. He’ll keep the fight right where it should be, at the proper distance, where Pacquiao can let his hand speed, power and volume punching carry the rounds for him.

Pacquiao still may not defeat Mayweather. He’s naturally smaller than his opponent and the ringside judges are used to awarding Mayweather wins at the MGM Grand in his adopted hometown of Las Vegas.

But Pacquiao has a better shot at a victory in 2015 than at perhaps any other time during his career. If timing truly is everything in life, Pacquiao is right where he needs to be heading into the biggest fight of his career.

Manny Pacquiao Wears 'Pac-Man Eating Money' Shirt Training for Floyd Mayweather

WBO shared a picture in its official Twitter account showing Manny PAcquiao wearing a shirt that has a Pacman eating a Dollar sign, which obviously referring to himself eating FLoyd 'Money' Mayweather.

What do you think about WBO Champion Manny's t-shirt? Do you like his chances against Mayweather on May 2? pic.twitter.com/lnYUdOebBF

— WBO (@WorldBoxingOrg) March 2, 2015

SO funny that almost all boxing fans in Twitter reacted, retweetd this particular picture. Retweets reached to 414 and 235 Favorites as of this minute.

See the tweet by clicking the source link below.

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Mayweather Sr: Ain't no way Pacquiao can whoop Floyd!

{Article below is written by Nick Giongco of the Manila Bulletin.}


In the eyes of Floyd Mayweather Sr., the May 2 clash between his son Floyd Jr. and Manny Pacquiao is going to be a massacre. Speaking to FightHype, Mayweather Sr. downplayed Pacquiao's chances, saying the scheduled world unification welterweight 12-rounder "is going to be a one-sided deal."

"Pacman gets his ass whopped, simple. I'm just telling you what it is...Everybody all hyped and geeked, they will see how easy this fight is going to be. I'm just telling you right now and I'm saying this right now, ain't no way he can whoop Floyd."

Mayweather Sr. is also a part of the team of trainers and is adamant that his son, who turns 38 today, "is smarter than Pacquiao, he's faster than Pacquiao, and like I said, Floyd is just too damn smart for him, period."

Pacquiao is a 3-1 underdog and Mayweather Sr. is not surprised that oddsmakers have installed his unbeaten son as the big betting favorite.

"Floyd is going to make him look like a baby. Believe me. Floyd can hit him with a jab and stuff easy. He's the most hittable man in the world. You gonna see that...Floyd will dominate him bad."

Mayweather Sr. has actually gone up close with Pacquiao.

In May 2009, Mayweather Sr. was in the corner of British pride Ricky Hatton against Pacquiao.

Pacquiao destroyed Hatton in less than two rounds, something that Mayweather Jr. couldn't do when he had the chance to meet Hatton in December 2007.

Mayweather Jr. is expected to plunge into training with Los Angeles-based Colombian Alex Ariza lending a hand in training camp.

Ariza, who served as Pacquiao's strength coach from 2008 until 2012, severed ties with the Filipino star after a falling out with chief trainer Freddie Roach.

Manny Pacquiao arrives in LA to start training for May 2 Mega Fight

Pacquiao posted a picture on his Instagram account:

"Just arrived here in LA excited to focus training for the May 2 fight, thank you Lord for the guidance and protection and you up hold me with your righteous right hand," he said.

Watch the video below.