Tag: Manny Pacquiao

Freddie Roach Lists The Top Five Best Boxers in MMA and Talks GSP/Silva [VIDEO]


(That moment when you get hit so hard you shit your pants in front of the whole gym.) 

Having worked with everyone from Manny Pacquiao to Andrei Arlovksi, it’s fair to say that Freddie Roach knows damn near all there is to know about the stand up game.

So when he sat down alongside current WBA (super), WBC, and The Ring super middleweight champion Andre Ward on last night’s edition of Inside MMA, the inevitable question came up: who does he think are the top five best boxers in MMA?

Check out Freddie’s top five, along with his thoughts on GSP vs. A. Silva, after the jump.


(That moment when you get hit so hard you shit your pants in front of the whole gym.) 

Having worked with everyone from Manny Pacquiao to Andrei Arlovksi, it’s fair to say that Freddie Roach knows damn near all there is to know about the stand up game.

So when he sat down alongside current WBA (super), WBC, and The Ring super middleweight champion Andre Ward on last night’s edition of Inside MMA, the inevitable question came up: who does he think are the top five best boxers in MMA?

Freddie’s Top Five
5. K.J. Noons – ”K.J. is always in my gym and he’s very dedicated with his work ethic. I just love his tenacity in the ring. He comes to fight and he’s all about action.”

4. Nick Diaz– “Nick Diaz is one of the most exciting fighters in the world, today. He’s great with his hands. He gets sidetracked a little bit, like in his last fight, but I think he’ll a great comeback. I’m looking forward to facing him with “GSP” someday, ’cause there’s a lot of talk about that.”

3. B.J. Penn– “You know, B.J., he’s one of the best strikers I’ve ever faced, and that I’ve ever been in the ring with. It’s been quite a few years ago, and I think he’s close to retiring right now, but I’d call him the “James Toney of MMA,” because his weight would fluctuate quite a bit. He’ll fight from low weights to heavyweights. He’ll fight anyone in the world. He’s a good guy to be around, and he’s just a hard, hard worker and a great striker.”

2. George St. Pierre– “GSP’s one of the greatest guys in the world. He’s a real gentleman and one of the best students I’ve ever had. I asked him, ‘How long did you go home and practice in front of the mirror last night?’ Because if I show him a move, he comes back with it the next day, and you know he practiced all night in front of the mirror. So, I love the guy. He’s a good guy and a hard worker, and that’s what it’s all about it hard work.”

1. Anderson Silva– “I had the honor of working with Anderson Silva, when he was in our gym for about five or six days in a row. He told me, ‘I’m pretty good at MMA, but I’m not too goo at boxing.’ He’s just a real humble guy and very talented. He is one of the best guys that really understands distance and timing. He fights off the ropes a little bit. I told him that can be a little bit dangerous sometimes and to be careful, but he’ll suck you in, he’ll set you up, he’s one of the most intelligent fighters I’ve ever seen and have ever worked with.”

While you’re thinking your own lists over, check out part of the interview from last night’s episode, in which Roach and Ward break down the Dana White approved Anderson Silva vs. GSP match, their favorite aspects of MMA other than boxing, and boxing’s current decline, or lack thereof.

-J. Jones

Floyd Mayweather to Manny Pacquiao (In Best Soup Nazi Voice): No More Pay-Per-View Cut for You [VIDEO]


(How about $1 Million dollars and an autographed 8×10?”)

Manny Paquiao told reporters during a recent media scrum that Floyd Mayweather recently called him up and offered him a guaranteed $40 million purse, but said he wasn’t willing to share a cent of the pay-per-view cut.

“I spoke with Floyd on the phone. He called me on the weekend. I told him, ‘Let’s make the fight happen and I agree for 50/50 [on the pay-per-view] and whatever blood testing you want, as long as you agree for 50/50.’ And he said, ‘Let’s do this. I’ll give you this amount and no more pay-per-view for you,” Pac Man recalled with a chuckle. “After that, I gave it to my people [to handle]. He was very serious. It’s okay with me that he has a bigger guarantee and I have a smaller guarantee, but it’s 50/50 for the distribution of the pay-per-view.”

According to Paquiao’s manager, the final offer given to Mayweather was a $50 million guarantee for Manny and a 45-55 percent split of the pay-per-view revenue, but “Pretty Boy Floyd” just wasn’t having it.


(How about $1 Million dollars and an autographed 8×10?”)

Manny Paquiao told reporters during a recent media scrum that Floyd Mayweather recently called him up and offered him a guaranteed $40 million purse, but said he wasn’t willing to share a cent of the pay-per-view cut.

“I spoke with Floyd on the phone. He called me on the weekend. I told him, ‘Let’s make the fight happen and I agree for 50/50 [on the pay-per-view] and whatever blood testing you want, as long as you agree for 50/50.’ And he said, ‘Let’s do this. I’ll give you this amount and no more pay-per-view for you,” Pac Man recalled with a chuckle. “After that, I gave it to my people [to handle]. He was very serious. It’s okay with me that he has a bigger guarantee and I have a smaller guarantee, but it’s 50/50 for the distribution of the pay-per-view.”

According to Paquiao’s manager, the final offer given to Mayweather was a $50 million guarantee for Manny and a 45-55 percent split of the pay-per-view revenue, but “Pretty Boy Floyd” just wasn’t having it.

“Manny said,’ ‘Let’s make it a prize fight where the winner will get a prize less than 10 percent more than the loser,” he explained.

Paquiao revealed that the bout, if it does happen, could be his final fight and said that his family wants him to retire too.

“My kids — the youngest one is 11 years old and he said, ‘Daddy, I want you to retire, but, before you retire I have one request.’ I [asked him], ‘What is that? And he said, ‘Give me one [more fight]. Fight Mayweather, beat him, and then retire.’ Even my kids [want to see that fight happen].”


(Video courtesy of YouTube/P4PESCO)

Mayweather Calls Out Pacquiao for May 5 Pre-Jail Fight

Floyd Mayweather Jr. must be realizing that the number of fights left for him that people actually want to see at this point in his career are few and far between. Today the soon-to-be-incarcerated WBC, WBA, IBF and The Ring welterweight champion has agreed in principle to face Manny Pacquiao May 5 in Las Vegas.

“Money” took to his Twitter and Facebook accounts this afternoon to call out the WBO and WBC welterweight champ. Pacman’s camp has yet to respond to the challenge, but his promoter Bob Arum is said to be in the Philippines negotiating Manny’s next fight.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. must be realizing that the number of fights left for him that people actually want to see at this point in his career are few and far between. Today the soon-to-be-incarcerated WBC, WBA, IBF and The Ring welterweight champion has agreed in principle to face Manny Pacquiao May 5 in Las Vegas.

“Money” took to his Twitter and Facebook accounts this afternoon to call out the WBO and WBC welterweight champ. Pacman’s camp has yet to respond to the challenge, but his promoter Bob Arum is said to be in the Philippines negotiating Manny’s next fight.

There has been some talk from Arum recently that the cut Pacquiao sustained in his November bout with Juan Manuel Marquez may prevent him from competing until June. Analysts have hypothesized that this is either merely a negotiating ploy by Arum, who used to promote Mayweather, or his way of protecting his biggest asset from a possible defeat, which woul diminish future returns on his investment.

If Pacquiao doesn’t accept the bout, the two other candidates to face Mayweather are junior middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and lightweight champ Robert Guerrero.

Mayweather was scheduled to begin his 87-day jail term at the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas last Friday after being found guilty of battery domestic violence and harassment, but his attorney was able to convince the judge to delay his term until June 1 so he could fulfill a contractual obligation for the May 5 fight.

Come on, Manny. Don’t be scared, homie.

12 Boxers We’d Love to See Inside the Octagon

Since MMA went mainstream, one of the debates with regards to boxing is how would a prizefighter fare inside a steel cage with a fighter whom at the best of times also has the sweet science incorporated into their skill set? Well it has happened on mor…

Since MMA went mainstream, one of the debates with regards to boxing is how would a prizefighter fare inside a steel cage with a fighter whom at the best of times also has the sweet science incorporated into their skill set?

Well it has happened on more than one occasion, and with mixed results.

Former Olympic Gold medalist and WBO heavyweight champion Ray “Merciless” Mercer made his first foray into the mixed martial arts world, his opponent was former UFC employee and street fighting Internet sensation Kimbo Slice.

That said, Mercer lost the bout via Guillotine choke.

His second and last fight in an MMA capacity was a nine-second knockout of former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia (MMA rules weren’t applied).

Though, the highest profile boxer to set foot into a steel cage, in this instance the Octagon, was none other than three-division world champion James “Lights Out” Toney.

It was a disaster in the making or better yet, a disaster waiting to happen. With little or no MMA experience, Toney was clinically and systematically put to sleep via arm triangle choke, courtesy of Randy “The Natural” Couture at UFC 118.

Shocking as it might seem, Lights Out presently harbours thoughts of throwing down with Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and a certain Frank Shamrock.

With bated breath we wait, I think not.                             

Still, despite the shortcomings of the professional pugilist vis-à-vis everything MMA, some fans still entertain the idea of seeing the pugilist vs. the mixed martial artist.

Let’s take a look at some of those from the persuasion of the sweet science we’d love to see in the UFC’s Octagon.

Begin Slideshow

Pacquiao Defeats Marquez, Boxing Defeats Itself (Again)


Juan Manuel Márquez punches the face of boxing, figuratively and literally. Props: Fox News Latino

With all of the hype surrounding last night’s UFC on Fox, a quick finish in Velasquez vs. Dos Santos was far from ideal. As we’ve mentioned, it left fans, many of whom first time viewers, with an anticlimactic feeling. Immediately following the UFC’s debut on Fox was the main event of that other combat sport’s event from last night: A welterweight title fight between Juan Manuel Marquez and Manny Pacquiao.

Even though Manny Pacquiao is arguably the best boxer alive, many people felt that the 10-1 underdog Juan Manuel Marquez won their first two meetings. An exciting fight between Marquez and Pacquiao could have given boxing some much needed publicity after Dos Santos quickly knocked out Velasquez, and possibly have kept casual fans from jumping over to mixed martial arts. Frankly, the only truly damning result for the sport would be for the fight to end in a controversial decision that gets the crowd thinking that the fight was fixed.

If you’ve followed boxing at all over the past few decades, you already know where this is going.


Juan Manuel Márquez punches the face of boxing, figuratively and literally. Props: Fox News Latino

With all of the hype surrounding last night’s UFC on Fox, a quick finish in Velasquez vs. Dos Santos was far from ideal. As we’ve mentioned, it left fans, many of whom first time viewers, with an anticlimactic feeling. Immediately following the UFC’s debut on Fox was the main event of that other combat sport’s event from last night: A welterweight title fight between Juan Manuel Marquez and Manny Pacquiao.

Even though Manny Pacquiao is arguably the best boxer alive, many people felt that the 10-1 underdog Juan Manuel Marquez won their first two meetings. An exciting fight between Marquez and Pacquiao could have given boxing some much needed publicity after Dos Santos quickly knocked out Velasquez, and possibly have kept casual fans from jumping over to mixed martial arts. Frankly, the only truly damning result for the sport would be for the fight to end in a controversial decision that gets the crowd thinking that the fight was fixed.  

If you’ve followed boxing at all over the past few decades, you already know where this is going.

Marquez lived up to his reputation as a dangerous counter-puncher, causing Manny Pacquiao to look lost throughout the fight. When the fight was over, Pacquiao returned to his corner with his head down, as if he were ashamed of his performance. However, two of the three judges saw the fight in favor of Manny Pacquiao, while the third judge saw the fight as a draw. The fans in attendance booed the decision as they showered the ring with cans and bottles.

Perhaps Marquez summed it up best with this quote: “It’s hard when you’re fighting your rival and the three judges, too”. Yes, biased judging is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to problems with professional boxing. But once again, the sport had a golden opportunity with last night’s anticlimactic finish for the UFC’s debut on Fox, and failed to capitalize. After watching the fans react to last night’s decision, it was pretty clear that even the most diehard boxing fans are getting fed up with the current state of their sport.

It begs the question: How many more times can they be teased with Mayweather vs. Pacquiao before they embrace their inner homosexual skinhead?

 

Manny Pacquiao Beats Juan Manuel Marquez

Filed under: MMA BoxingIn an action-packed fight that lived up to the billing, Manny Pacquiao beat Juan Manuel Marquez by majority decision on Saturday night in Las Vegas, the third time these two boxers have battled for 12 rounds and fought a fight th…

Filed under:

Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez is the main event for a top boxing card in Las Vegas on Nov. 12.In an action-packed fight that lived up to the billing, Manny Pacquiao beat Juan Manuel Marquez by majority decision on Saturday night in Las Vegas, the third time these two boxers have battled for 12 rounds and fought a fight that easily could have gone either way.

One judge scored it a draw, 114-114, while one judge scored it for Pacquiao 115-113, and one scored it for Pacquiao 116-112. There will be some complaints — Marquez and his corner were furious after the fight — but this was too close a call for either fighter to have been confident he won. These boxers are essentially equals, but Pacquiao managed, for the second time against Marquez, to do just enough to win in the judges’ eyes.

“The fans of Marquez, of course they’re not happy,” Pacquiao said as the pro-Marquez crowd booed him after the fight. “But my fans are very happy because it’s clear I won the fight. … It’s very clear I won the fight.”

This was the third fight between these two great boxers, and the third time that it was a closely matched, exciting affair. Their first bout, in 2004, ended in a draw. Their second fight, in 2008, was a split decision win for Pacquiao. And now Pacquiao has a majority decision win as well.


This time there were no knockdowns and no points in the fight in which either man even looked like he was in any real trouble. Instead, it was just 12 rounds of close, competitive, exciting boxing. Pacquiao was the more active boxer, while Marquez tended to land with a little more authority when he did land, but neither fighter could say he definitively deserved the victory.

But that didn’t stop Marquez from saying afterward that he had been robbed.

“It’s the second robbery of the fights we’ve had, and I think this one was even more clear than the first,” Marquez said afterward. “It’s hard when you’re fighting against a rival and you’re fighting against three judges also.”

But no matter what Marquez thought, two judges went for Pacquiao, who improved his record to 54-3-2. Marquez falls to 53-6-1.

Pacquiao said he’d love to have a fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. — the fight that every boxing fan wants to see — but that he’d also be willing to step into the ring with Marquez a fourth time.

“Any time, any time,” Pacquiao said. “Let’s get it on, make the fight happen. Let’s give the people a good fight.”

Giving the people a good fight is what Pacquiao and Marquez have now done three times.

 

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