***OFFICIAL*** Pacquiao vs Mayweather Thread (1 Viewer)

[PinkydaPimp]

Floyd is really a POS!

Floyd Rips Manny in Racist Rant

 

[otello]

Stay classy, Floyd.

 

[No. 16]

Can't wait until Pac-Man beats the crap out of him.

I beginning to wonder if PBF is really this dumb or if he's playing mind games with Manny.

 

[Texasmouth]

Shocking that this hasnt really had that much attention in the media. If a white guy did this, going off on another person's ethnicity like this, he would be bashed through out the media. Imagine if a white fighter told Mayweather to cook him some fried chicken or bring him some watermelon. All hell would break loose.

I hate the double standard in this country.

 

[Ilov80s]

Shocking that this hasnt really had that much attention in the media. If a white guy did this, going off on another person's ethnicity like this, he would be bashed through out the media. Imagine if a white fighter told Mayweather to cook him some fried chicken or bring him some watermelon. All hell would break loose. I hate the double standard in this country.

I agree, Mayweather should be getting killed for this. Where is the outrage from the Asian community? Where is the outrage from the gay community? Or is this just another sign that boxing is beyond dead?

 

[KnowledgeReignsSupreme]

I was rooting for Mayweather up until now. Going on a rant like that, he sounds scared.

 

[otello]

Interesting article on ESPN by Granderson:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/commentary/...tory?id=5543201

 

[outlawassassins]

Mayweather is a scared chump..

 

[simmonjm]

The rant by Mayweather is simply a way to further boost the interest for the upcoming mega fight with Pacquiao. The rant is good news for boxing fans because it signifies that the fight is imminent.

 

[Tony Jabroni]

Interesting:

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/ne...tory?id=5551166

 

[No. 16]

Interesting article on ESPN by Granderson:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/commentary/...tory?id=5543201

Wow great article.

 

[KnowledgeReignsSupreme]

Looks like Mayweather didn't have a problem beating on his baby mama either.

 

[Moe.]

Things are looking up.

"I dont want to mislead anybody as anything concrete being discussed or decided," Arum said. "We still have these (investor) groups and I'm sorting through their offers and I imagine that Floyd is doing the same on his end.

"But I am really convinced at this point that Floyd wants to fight Manny next and Manny wants to fight Floyd next. When you have two fighters wanting do the fight, in my experience that's when a fight can come together quickly."

 

[tdoss]

Well...that piece of crap Arum is at it again.

When it looked like Mayweather may be incarcerated during the May 5th timeframe that PBF reserved...Arum was crowing about it happening.

Now the court postpones PBF's jail sentence until June and Arum is suddenly noticing that Manny has a cut that needs to heal from his last fight and they're looking to setup a Vegas bout in late May/Early June.

How has someone not shot Arum is beyond me.

 

[otello]

"Step up Punk."

 

[Big_Russel]

Arum knows Manny will lose very, VERY badly and most likely retire to politics forever.

 

[No. 16]

Wish Manny would ditch Arum and just fight.

 

[Big_Russel]

Wish Manny would ditch Arum and just fight.

He's not stupid. Better to hide behind Arum, than to leave on his legacy the images of Floyd beating the piss out of him.

 

[The Moz]

I maybe one of the few that actually likes Mayweather and would love to see him fight Pac.. IMO unless Pacman catches him and KOs Money Mayweather wins almost every round as if he thinks JMM is a good defensive fighter and counter puncher -- Money is the best there is and DESTROYED JMM - as I think he won every round that fight after a 2 year layoff.

 

[The Moz]

Wish Manny would ditch Arum and just fight.

He's not stupid. Better to hide behind Arum, than to leave on his legacy the images of Floyd beating the piss out of him.

I doubt Manny would run from anyone its not who he is. Mayweather ran from a Cotto fight by retiring. Arum just hates Mayweather and doesn't want his cash cow to lose and retire which he might do soon anyway.

 

[Dexter Manley]

Mayweather-Pacquiao saga plods forward with no end in sight Story Highlights

Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao would be the richest prizefight in history

Pacquiao's promoter Bob Arum just doesn't like the people backing Mayweather

Two rumored Floyd opponents (Robert Guerrero, Saul Alvarez) are mismatches

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Thus far, Manny Pacquiao (left) has deferred to his promoter Bob Arum (right) when it comes to who, when and where he fights.

APThe latest development in the neverending saga that is the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao negotiations -- Pacquiao telling a Filipino media outlet on Monday that he wants Mayweather to be his next opponent and plans to advise his promoter Bob Arum accordingly -- sparked another Internet debate about will this fight happen ... and who is to blame this time if it doesn't.

Let's delve into some of those topics, shall we, in this all-Twitter, all Pacquiao-Mayweather mailbag:

If Manny stands up to his daddy Arum, there is still a chance!

--@Tha_R

Talk is cheap, Chris. Is Manny willing to make Bob put the fight together?

--@MisterRudolph

Pacquiao's longstanding unwillingness to demand certain opponents rubs a lot of people the wrong way. Of course, Pacquiao has put his faith in Arum, who has matched him well over the years and made him a truckload of money along the way. But if Pacquiao is really serious about fighting Mayweather in May -- something Arum has called impossible due to the slow-healing cut Pacquiao received during the Juan Manuel Marquez fight and financially irresponsible because a specially designed, 45,000-seat outdoor stadium in Las Vegas would not be ready in time -- he needs to make that clear.

Marquez, Tim Bradley, Miguel Cotto or Lamont Peterson might make Pacquiao some money, but it won't bring him a fraction of the attention a Mayweather fight would. Pacquiao has always said he is about giving the fans what they want. Now, he has a chance to prove it.

Arum is obviously afraid, he has come up with every excuse in the book not to make the fight

--@AbsolutVodka99

You don't know Bob Arum if you think he doesn't cares about money. It's ALL about money with Bob.

--@Layzie_Guy

I'm with a lot of you on this: I don't think Arum wants this fight. But it's not because of money. Arum is 80, worth hundreds of millions and Top Rank is in great shape with a well-stocked roster and bright executives Todd DuBoef, Bruce Trampler, Carl Moretti, Brad Goodman and Brad Jacobs running the show behind the scenes. It's not about not wanting to empower Mayweather anymore, either. Does it stick with Arum that Mayweather left him before signing on for his fight with Oscar De La Hoya? Yes. But Arum has promoted Ali. He has promoted Marvin Hagler, Tommy Hearns and George Foreman. Fighters come and fighters go. He may not like Mayweather, but that would not stop him from making the fight.

No, what matters to Arum now is the process. He still enjoys promoting. What he doesn't enjoy -- and has said this to me many times -- is working with the people at Golden Boy or with Mayweather advisor Al Haymon. Arum looks at them condescendingly. He doesn't believe they have a true understanding of the boxing business and knows he would not enjoy a four- or five-month mega-promotion with them. That's his resistance to making this fight. Nothing more.

Of course Arum is afraid. He is afraid to lose his cash cow.

--@jtorell

Here's another argument that I find absolutely ridiculous: If Pacquiao loses to Mayweather, he loses his box-office appeal. Come on. When did a fighter's record become the reason we watch a fight? Pacquiao is appealing because he has an aggressive, come-forward style that usually ends in a knockout. That's not going to change.

Besides, let's look into the crystal ball of Pacquiao's career: The plan, according to Arum, is for Pacquiao to fight four more times before his desire to be a governor (and, ultimately, the Filipino president) consumes his career. Say he fights Mayweather in May. Say he loses. Would that diminish the attractiveness of rematches with Marquez and Cotto? Or a fight with Brandon Rios? Or a possible all-Filipino finale in Manila against (and this may be wishful thinking) Nonito Donaire? I don't think so.

And I'm not even considering the possibility here that the Mayweather fight would be so competitive that there would be an overwhelming demand for a rematch. Bottom line: Losses are not relevant. Just ask Oscar De La Hoya.

Is Mayweather serious about fighting Robert Guerrero?

--@TheRealMikeJC

It's possible. I've been told that Guerrero -- who has been openly lobbying for a Mayweather fight and was said to be close to an agreement, according to an Internet report -- is under consideration. I've thought all along that Saul Alvarez was Mayweather's first choice. He's a popular Mexican with a junior middleweight title around his waist. When you're talking about fighting on Cinco de Mayo, that's important.

Personally, I think both Guerrero and Alvarez are horrible choices. Guerrero would be a joke. He's a lightweight (a lightweight) who is coming off shoulder surgery in August. He has no real fan base and his resume doesn't suggest at this stage of his career he would be anything but a punching bag for Mayweather.

Alvarez is more popular but, at 21, he's raw. In September, Alfonso Gomez outboxed Alvarez for a few rounds before Alvarez caught him with a crushing combination. Mayweather would box circles around him.

The only competitive fight for Mayweather is Sergio Martinez, the lineal middleweight champion who has said he would drop to 150 pounds for the fight and agree not to rehydrate to more than 164, the weight Victor Ortiz carried into the ring against Mayweather in September. But I've been told Martinez's people have not heard a whisper of interest from Mayweather's people.

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/chris_mannix/01/10/pacquiao-mailbag/index.html#ixzz1j6O1C9Xs

 

[No. 16]

So who's ducking who now?

These two need to get their damn acts together.

Mayweather: Pac-Man Not Getting 50/50

NEW YORK -- A trumpet blared a fanfare to introduce Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Miguel Cotto as fans at the Apollo Theater cheered the start of Tuesday's news conference to promote their May 5 fight in Las Vegas.

Still, there appeared to be far more interest in the fight that's not happening -- a matchup between Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. Mayweather made clear that whether they meet in the ring is about the money -- breaking down the shares in what could be boxing's richest fight ever.

"Just by speaking to Pacquiao on the phone, I mean, he's not one of the sharpest knives in the drawer," Mayweather said. "He faces Floyd Mayweather, he's not getting 50-50. Not at all. No one is getting 50-50."

Rafael's boxing blog

Rafael Get the latest scoop and analysis on the world of boxing from ESPN.com's Dan Rafael in his blog.

While Mayweather urged Pacquiao should "take the test," a reference to his demand for random drug testing, payout appears to be the real sore point between Mayweather on one side, and Pacquiao and Top Rank promoter Bob Arum on the other. Arum has said testing is not an issue.

"Bob Arum likes to match Top Rank fighters with Top Rank fights. He keeps all the money in house," Mayweather said.

This dispute has spilled into federal court. Pacquiao sued Mayweather for defamation in December 2009, alleging Mayweather falsely accused him of using performance-enhancing drugs. Pacquiao spent 12 hours in Las Vegas last week giving depositions in the case.

"If I offered him $30 million, he should be happy," Mayweather said. "If I offered him $30 million and I didn't give money on the back end, why should I? He's with Arum right now, and they're having problems. It's obvious he must not be getting money on the back end."

Mayweather says he's not ducking Pacquiao, who stopped Cotto in the 12th round of their November 2009 fight.

"If I'm scared and I'm a coward, why do you guys want to see me fight?" he said. "Do I want the Pacquiao fight? Absolutely. But it's going to be hard to make the fight because Arum is worried about getting money."

As boxing news conferences go, this was fairly tame. In the second of a series that began Monday in Puerto Rico and end Thursday in Los Angeles, Mayweather and Cotto praised each other and said they respected each other. Video projections proclaimed them "Ring Kings" and "Living Legends." They sat in tall chairs of red velvet with lions on the arm rests.

Mayweather was the snazzier, in white jeans, a black turtleneck sweater, sunglasses. There was bling on his left wrist, and the rapper 50 Cent was part of his onstage entourage. Cotto, who got the bigger cheers, was in a black suit, black shirt and striped tie.

Mayweather defended his Feb. 14 tweet, in which he said: "Jeremy Lin is a good player but all the hype is because he's Asian. Black players do what he does every night and don't get the same praise."

Mayweather said most of the focus was on the second sentence and the first was largely ignored.

"Do I regret what I said? Absolutely not. I stand by what I said, and I meant what I said," Mayweather said.

Cotto, who has stopped all three of his opponents since losing a welterweight title fight to Pacquiao, thinks the 154-pound weight limit will favor him over Mayweather, who has boxed at lighter classes.

"Power is going to be on my side," Cotto said.

The fight, for the WBA super welterweight title, will take place in Las Vegas and will be televised by HBO pay-per-view. HBO plans a four-episode series leading up to the bout, with the first part to air April 14.

Mayweather is to begin a 90-day jail sentence on June 1 stemming from a domestic violence case.

 

[tdoss]

Same old siht.

Arum won't deal. He keeps every fight in house. Look who Pacman is fighting next...without looking, we can all tell it's an Arum fighter. Just like like the last 10 or 12. Screw Arum.

Arum...with PacMan has singlehandedly found a way to burrow below that piece of living crap, Don King.

 

[The Doctor]

Mayweather is to begin a 90-day jail sentence on June 1 stemming from a domestic violence case.

Black players do what he does every night and don't get the same praise."

TYPICAL!!

 

[Carver]

I’m 100000% with Floyd now. Pacman and Arum are ducking because they know Manny can’t beat him and it COULD force him into retirement, ending the money train.

 

[mistersmith]

I’m 100000% with Floyd now. Pacman and Arum are ducking because they know Manny can’t beat him and it COULD force him into retirement, ending the money train.

Are you serious? Pacquiao's already conceded the whole blood test thing. Mayweather's not giving Pacman any pay-per-vew money.http://sports.yahoo.com/box/news?slug=ki-iole_manny_pacquiao_floyd_mayweather_negotiations_022012As for those who think it's an easy win for Mayweather because of Pacman's troubles with Marquez:http://www.eastsideboxing.com/forum/showthread.php?t=358733

 

[goldenchild]

“My health is more important than anything.”

 

[No. 16]

“My health is more important than anything.”

Haha.Wonder what tdoss will have to say.

Will Mayweather ever know when to keep his mouth shut?

 

[tdoss]

“My health is more important than anything.”

Haha.Wonder what tdoss will have to say.

Will Mayweather ever know when to keep his mouth shut?

At first glance, it looks to be a fairly written, unbiased piece of reporting.I'll have to give it a read when I get a chance.

 

[SHIZNITTTT]

The day boxing died! MMA is so much exciting. Sad because I believe that PAC/PBF fight would have been one for the ages.

 

[Chaos Commish]

“My health is more important than anything.”

Haha.Wonder what tdoss will have to say.

Will Mayweather ever know when to keep his mouth shut?

At first glance, it looks to be a fairly written, unbiased piece of reporting.I'll have to give it a read when I get a chance.

Don't bother with the article. The writer is a hack who went out of context.Here's the interview from which the quotes were pulled.

You may not like Floyd's way of negotiating, but he's sincere about it. Manny could have had the fight on Floyd's terms... and visa versa. How you feel about those terms is up to you. I wish they'd fight but Manny may regret fighting Bradley next.

 

[No. 16]

“My health is more important than anything.”

Haha.Wonder what tdoss will have to say.

Will Mayweather ever know when to keep his mouth shut?

At first glance, it looks to be a fairly written, unbiased piece of reporting.I'll have to give it a read when I get a chance.

Don't bother with the article. The writer is a hack who went out of context.Here's the interview from which the quotes were pulled.

You may not like Floyd's way of negotiating, but he's sincere about it. Manny could have had the fight on Floyd's terms... and visa versa. How you feel about those terms is up to you. I wish they'd fight but Manny may regret fighting Bradley next.

Oh. Will have to watch the vid after crossfit.

 

[tdoss]

The ultimate dodge

Even stronger than the Filipino blood demon that would've taken his soul if he tested 14 days prior to fighting...he's now evoking the almighty himself as the reason he'll not be fighting Mayweather.

 

[matuski]

The ultimate dodge

Even stronger than the Filipino blood demon that would've taken his soul if he tested 14 days prior to fighting...he's now evoking the almighty himself as the reason he'll not be fighting Mayweather.

Little men on drugs say crazy stuff!

 

[SacramentoBob]

The ultimate dodge

Even stronger than the Filipino blood demon that would've taken his soul if he tested 14 days prior to fighting...he's now evoking the almighty himself as the reason he'll not be fighting Mayweather.

His arms are too short to box with God.

 

[Evilgrin 72]

Boxing is finished.

Imagine if the NFL playoffs went on and then when we got to the AFC/NFC champs, the Super Bowl never took place because the two teams couldn't agree on a split of revenue? Ratings would drop 80% the following year. All that would be left are the absolutely fanatical die-hards who just want to watch guys knock the piss out of one another. that's what's happened to boxing.

They haven't felt the full brunt of it yet because there are still a lot of boxing fans in our generation and the ones before us, but today's kid is all about MMA. Almost no one under the age of 25 watches boxing because they've grown up around MMA and because for their entire lifetimes, almost every meaningful fight has carried a $60 price tag they can't or won't pay. As MMA continues to gain in popularity, that's where the money is going to be, and promising young fighters will increasingly turn to MMA and not boxing. The talent pool will diminish swiftly.

When us dinosaurs are finished walking the Earth, boxing is going to be toast. About 30-40 years from now, title fights will be back on ABC on Saturday afternoons and struggling to fetch a 2.0 rating. A Pacquiao/Mayweather fight wouldn't be a panacea, but at the very least, it could delay the inevitable - considerably so if it's a great fight and leads to a sequel or two.

 

[Zeff]

Nobody gives a crap about this any more. Both guys are over.

A few years ago, when these were two of the biggest names in sports, Floyd made every excuse in the book to duck the fight people actually cared about. That's his legacy. He'll be remembered as the biggest p4p ##### in the history of the once-proud sport. In ten years, he'll be sucking #### on a street corner to buy crack, and Manny will be God-Emperor of the Philippines.

 

[Dexter Manley]

Boxing is finished.

Imagine if the NFL playoffs went on and then when we got to the AFC/NFC champs, the Super Bowl never took place because the two teams couldn't agree on a split of revenue? Ratings would drop 80% the following year. All that would be left are the absolutely fanatical die-hards who just want to watch guys knock the piss out of one another. that's what's happened to boxing.

They haven't felt the full brunt of it yet because there are still a lot of boxing fans in our generation and the ones before us, but today's kid is all about MMA. Almost no one under the age of 25 watches boxing because they've grown up around MMA and because for their entire lifetimes, almost every meaningful fight has carried a $60 price tag they can't or won't pay. As MMA continues to gain in popularity, that's where the money is going to be, and promising young fighters will increasingly turn to MMA and not boxing. The talent pool will diminish swiftly.

When us dinosaurs are finished walking the Earth, boxing is going to be toast. About 30-40 years from now, title fights will be back on ABC on Saturday afternoons and struggling to fetch a 2.0 rating. A Pacquiao/Mayweather fight wouldn't be a panacea, but at the very least, it could delay the inevitable - considerably so if it's a great fight and leads to a sequel or two.

Meh, I've been hearing this for over a decade and I don't see it. The reason mma is so popular now is because the vast majority of the world's best mma fighters are under 1 promoter - Dana White, and he's done a brilliant job marketing his sport. Most people don't realize it, but right now we're in the golden age of mma. It's never going to be better than it is now. Once most of these fighters realize how underpaid they are and do something about it, mma will start down the same road and eventually end up at the same destination where boxing currently is.Boxing has finally caught on by doing some good marketing like the HBO 1/2 hour shows they do following the 2 fighters training up to their fight. Heck, my sister hates boxing/mma and she loves watching those shows. They're very good.

I don't see how the $60 price tag for big boxing fights is any different than the $60 price tag for UFC events. The one significant advantage boxing has always had over mma is that there are lots of great/good fights on subscription channels like HBO, Showtime, and Epix. That's how I became a boxing fan - because my parents had HBO. I got to see a boxer who most people consider to be one of the top 3 # for # fighters in the world on HBO last Saturday in a very exciting fight. Wake me up when UFC actually puts one of their top 3 # for # fighters in the main event on FOX.

Promoters are obviously the biggest problem with boxing. The next biggest problem has been that the heavyweight division has been a disaster since Lennox Lewis retired. The Klitschko brothers have dominated the division since and obviously won't fight each other. And kids with the size and ability to be HW boxers are all playing football and/or basketball in this country. All of these HW's in the UFC must really suck at boxing because they could make a gazillion $$$ more as HW pro boxers than they do in the UFC.

Sure, mma is more popular now in the US, Brazil, Japan, etc., but boxing is still king in Latin America and Europe. When countries like Mexico start producing more elite mma fighters than boxers, then I'll start worrying.

 

[JuniorNB]

Nobody gives a crap about this any more. Both guys are over.A few years ago, when these were two of the biggest names in sports, Floyd made every excuse in the book to duck the fight people actually cared about. That's his legacy. He'll be remembered as the biggest p4p ##### in the history of the once-proud sport. In ten years, he'll be sucking #### on a street corner to buy crack, and Manny will be God-Emperor of the Philippines.

Agreed. These two idiots let the window close on what would have been one of teh all-time great fights in boxing history. Gone are the days when the Durans, Leonards, and Hearns wanted to fight each other and settle once and for all who was better. At this pooint, both are past their prime and it went from a 100 on the 'give a crap' meter to about a 50.

 

[slayer666]

Boxing isn't dead. The heavyweight division is DEAD.

I watched two fights that I had DVR'd over the past couple of weeks this weekend: Sergio Martinez vs. Matthew Macklin and Orlando Salido Rivera vs. Juan Manuel Lopez. Both fights were very competitive and ended in stoppages. The 9th round of the Salido/Lopez was one of the greatest in the history of the sport. Anyone saying boxing is dead, just isn't looking for the competitive fights in the lower weight divisions. I do agree that boxing will not regain it's stature until it can assemble a a quality and competitive heavyweight division.

 

[Da Guru]

Nobody gives a crap about this any more. Both guys are over.A few years ago, when these were two of the biggest names in sports, Floyd made every excuse in the book to duck the fight people actually cared about. That's his legacy. He'll be remembered as the biggest p4p ##### in the history of the once-proud sport. In ten years, he'll be sucking #### on a street corner to buy crack, and Manny will be God-Emperor of the Philippines.

Agreed. These two idiots let the window close on what would have been one of teh all-time great fights in boxing history. Gone are the days when the Durans, Leonards, and Hearns wanted to fight each other and settle once and for all who was better. At this pooint, both are past their prime and it went from a 100 on the 'give a crap' meter to about a 50.

I agree that they are both getting too old for this to be a good bout. Mayweather just turned 35 and Manny 34 and the fight is not going to happen this year. So they will be at least 36 and 35 if it happens next year.

 

[No. 16]

Nobody gives a crap about this any more. Both guys are over.A few years ago, when these were two of the biggest names in sports, Floyd made every excuse in the book to duck the fight people actually cared about. That's his legacy. He'll be remembered as the biggest p4p ##### in the history of the once-proud sport. In ten years, he'll be sucking #### on a street corner to buy crack, and Manny will be God-Emperor of the Philippines.

Agreed. These two idiots let the window close on what would have been one of teh all-time great fights in boxing history. Gone are the days when the Durans, Leonards, and Hearns wanted to fight each other and settle once and for all who was better. At this pooint, both are past their prime and it went from a 100 on the 'give a crap' meter to about a 50.

I agree that they are both getting too old for this to be a good bout. Mayweather just turned 35 and Manny 34 and the fight is not going to happen this year. So they will be at least 36 and 35 if it happens next year.

Yah. Both are ##### for not making this fight happen when they were in their prime.

 

[JuniorNB]

Nobody gives a crap about this any more. Both guys are over.A few years ago, when these were two of the biggest names in sports, Floyd made every excuse in the book to duck the fight people actually cared about. That's his legacy. He'll be remembered as the biggest p4p ##### in the history of the once-proud sport. In ten years, he'll be sucking #### on a street corner to buy crack, and Manny will be God-Emperor of the Philippines.

Agreed. These two idiots let the window close on what would have been one of teh all-time great fights in boxing history. Gone are the days when the Durans, Leonards, and Hearns wanted to fight each other and settle once and for all who was better. At this pooint, both are past their prime and it went from a 100 on the 'give a crap' meter to about a 50.

I agree that they are both getting too old for this to be a good bout. Mayweather just turned 35 and Manny 34 and the fight is not going to happen this year. So they will be at least 36 and 35 if it happens next year.

Yah. Both are ##### for not making this fight happen when they were in their prime.

It may have been the only fight in the last ten years that I'd have been willing to pony up PPV money for. Not anymore.

 

[slayer666]

Nobody gives a crap about this any more. Both guys are over.A few years ago, when these were two of the biggest names in sports, Floyd made every excuse in the book to duck the fight people actually cared about. That's his legacy. He'll be remembered as the biggest p4p ##### in the history of the once-proud sport. In ten years, he'll be sucking #### on a street corner to buy crack, and Manny will be God-Emperor of the Philippines.

Agreed. These two idiots let the window close on what would have been one of teh all-time great fights in boxing history. Gone are the days when the Durans, Leonards, and Hearns wanted to fight each other and settle once and for all who was better. At this pooint, both are past their prime and it went from a 100 on the 'give a crap' meter to about a 50.

I don't think the 'give a crap' meter is at 50 yet, but it's fast approaching it. These two ####### need to get in the ring this year.

 

[Cliff Clavin]

Boxing is finished.

Imagine if the NFL playoffs went on and then when we got to the AFC/NFC champs, the Super Bowl never took place because the two teams couldn't agree on a split of revenue? Ratings would drop 80% the following year. All that would be left are the absolutely fanatical die-hards who just want to watch guys knock the piss out of one another. that's what's happened to boxing.

They haven't felt the full brunt of it yet because there are still a lot of boxing fans in our generation and the ones before us, but today's kid is all about MMA. Almost no one under the age of 25 watches boxing because they've grown up around MMA and because for their entire lifetimes, almost every meaningful fight has carried a $60 price tag they can't or won't pay. As MMA continues to gain in popularity, that's where the money is going to be, and promising young fighters will increasingly turn to MMA and not boxing. The talent pool will diminish swiftly.

When us dinosaurs are finished walking the Earth, boxing is going to be toast. About 30-40 years from now, title fights will be back on ABC on Saturday afternoons and struggling to fetch a 2.0 rating. A Pacquiao/Mayweather fight wouldn't be a panacea, but at the very least, it could delay the inevitable - considerably so if it's a great fight and leads to a sequel or two.

Meh, I've been hearing this for over a decade and I don't see it. The reason mma is so popular now is because the vast majority of the world's best mma fighters are under 1 promoter - Dana White, and he's done a brilliant job marketing his sport. Most people don't realize it, but right now we're in the golden age of mma. It's never going to be better than it is now. Once most of these fighters realize how underpaid they are and do something about it, mma will start down the same road and eventually end up at the same destination where boxing currently is.Boxing has finally caught on by doing some good marketing like the HBO 1/2 hour shows they do following the 2 fighters training up to their fight. Heck, my sister hates boxing/mma and she loves watching those shows. They're very good.

I don't see how the $60 price tag for big boxing fights is any different than the $60 price tag for UFC events. The one significant advantage boxing has always had over mma is that there are lots of great/good fights on subscription channels like HBO, Showtime, and Epix. That's how I became a boxing fan - because my parents had HBO. I got to see a boxer who most people consider to be one of the top 3 # for # fighters in the world on HBO last Saturday in a very exciting fight. Wake me up when UFC actually puts one of their top 3 # for # fighters in the main event on FOX.

Promoters are obviously the biggest problem with boxing. The next biggest problem has been that the heavyweight division has been a disaster since Lennox Lewis retired. The Klitschko brothers have dominated the division since and obviously won't fight each other. And kids with the size and ability to be HW boxers are all playing football and/or basketball in this country. All of these HW's in the UFC must really suck at boxing because they could make a gazillion $$$ more as HW pro boxers than they do in the UFC.

Sure, mma is more popular now in the US, Brazil, Japan, etc., but boxing is still king in Latin America and Europe. When countries like Mexico start producing more elite mma fighters than boxers, then I'll start worrying.

Uh, current champs and consensus top 5 P4P guys Jose Aldo and Jon Jones have both fought on free TV a number of times. You may have also missed the HW title fight that was free on Fox. Or Rashad Evans who is a top P4P fighter was recently on Fox. Pretty much every free card has a number one contenders fight featuring the top fighters in the world at that weight class. Not sure what else you can ask for.

 

[Evilgrin 72]

Dexter, for the record, I love boxing and I LOVE the 24/7 shows. I'm not one of these "MMA rules, boxing sucks!" guys - I've always been and always will be a fan of the sweet science. I watch little to no MMA.

I'm just seeing the sea change. I look around my town and I see Affliction shirts, various MMA gym stickers, bars promoting the next UFC event, etc. I can't remember the last time I heard someone under the age of 30 talking about boxing. The only hope boxing has to save itself is to make the mega-fights, and Pacquiao/Mayweather is about all they've got at the moment that's going to actually draw in the casual fan. The fact that the window for this fight is darn near closed and we haven't seen it yet doesn't bode well. I can easily see boxing being like horse racing in the near future - you'll always have the diehards, but it will be nowhere near what it was even 20 years ago, let alone its heyday. The sport is dying, and the sad part is that they're killing themselves.

 

[Dexter Manley]

Boxing is finished.

Imagine if the NFL playoffs went on and then when we got to the AFC/NFC champs, the Super Bowl never took place because the two teams couldn't agree on a split of revenue? Ratings would drop 80% the following year. All that would be left are the absolutely fanatical die-hards who just want to watch guys knock the piss out of one another. that's what's happened to boxing.

They haven't felt the full brunt of it yet because there are still a lot of boxing fans in our generation and the ones before us, but today's kid is all about MMA. Almost no one under the age of 25 watches boxing because they've grown up around MMA and because for their entire lifetimes, almost every meaningful fight has carried a $60 price tag they can't or won't pay. As MMA continues to gain in popularity, that's where the money is going to be, and promising young fighters will increasingly turn to MMA and not boxing. The talent pool will diminish swiftly.

When us dinosaurs are finished walking the Earth, boxing is going to be toast. About 30-40 years from now, title fights will be back on ABC on Saturday afternoons and struggling to fetch a 2.0 rating. A Pacquiao/Mayweather fight wouldn't be a panacea, but at the very least, it could delay the inevitable - considerably so if it's a great fight and leads to a sequel or two.

Meh, I've been hearing this for over a decade and I don't see it. The reason mma is so popular now is because the vast majority of the world's best mma fighters are under 1 promoter - Dana White, and he's done a brilliant job marketing his sport. Most people don't realize it, but right now we're in the golden age of mma. It's never going to be better than it is now. Once most of these fighters realize how underpaid they are and do something about it, mma will start down the same road and eventually end up at the same destination where boxing currently is.Boxing has finally caught on by doing some good marketing like the HBO 1/2 hour shows they do following the 2 fighters training up to their fight. Heck, my sister hates boxing/mma and she loves watching those shows. They're very good.

I don't see how the $60 price tag for big boxing fights is any different than the $60 price tag for UFC events. The one significant advantage boxing has always had over mma is that there are lots of great/good fights on subscription channels like HBO, Showtime, and Epix. That's how I became a boxing fan - because my parents had HBO. I got to see a boxer who most people consider to be one of the top 3 # for # fighters in the world on HBO last Saturday in a very exciting fight. Wake me up when UFC actually puts one of their top 3 # for # fighters in the main event on FOX.

Promoters are obviously the biggest problem with boxing. The next biggest problem has been that the heavyweight division has been a disaster since Lennox Lewis retired. The Klitschko brothers have dominated the division since and obviously won't fight each other. And kids with the size and ability to be HW boxers are all playing football and/or basketball in this country. All of these HW's in the UFC must really suck at boxing because they could make a gazillion $$$ more as HW pro boxers than they do in the UFC.

Sure, mma is more popular now in the US, Brazil, Japan, etc., but boxing is still king in Latin America and Europe. When countries like Mexico start producing more elite mma fighters than boxers, then I'll start worrying.

Uh, current champs and consensus top 5 P4P guys Jose Aldo and Jon Jones have both fought on free TV a number of times. You may have also missed the HW title fight that was free on Fox. Or Rashad Evans who is a top P4P fighter was recently on Fox. Pretty much every free card has a number one contenders fight featuring the top fighters in the world at that weight class. Not sure what else you can ask for.

I see your point, although Jones wasn't considered a top 5 #4# guy in any of those free fights as far as I can recall and the UFC has obviously gobbled up the WEC since those Aldo fights took place.The first 2 free FOX broadcasts have been pretty terrible, imo, especially the Rashard Jones fight. And people really consider Rashard Jones as a top #4# guy? Seriously? I think Jon Jones would destroy him.

Personally, I think the HW division in UFC is nearly as bad as the HW division in boxing. And I think this just reinforces how hopeless the boxing HW division is because if any of these UFC HW's were very good at boxing they could make a gazillion dollars more by plying their trade in the sweet science instead of the UFC.

I know we aren't even a year into the new Fox/FX/Fuel deal with UFC, but thus far I'm not impressed as compared to what HBO puts together with it's boxing cards.

Another thing is whenever HBO has a big PPV boxing match, they'll have a live card the following Saturday with a replay of the PPV fight from the previous weekend, something which the UFC doesn't do either.

FTR, I do enjoy watching the UFC nearly as much as I do boxing.

 

[Dexter Manley]

Dexter, for the record, I love boxing and I LOVE the 24/7 shows. I'm not one of these "MMA rules, boxing sucks!" guys - I've always been and always will be a fan of the sweet science. I watch little to no MMA.I'm just seeing the sea change. I look around my town and I see Affliction shirts, various MMA gym stickers, bars promoting the next UFC event, etc. I can't remember the last time I heard someone under the age of 30 talking about boxing. The only hope boxing has to save itself is to make the mega-fights, and Pacquiao/Mayweather is about all they've got at the moment that's going to actually draw in the casual fan. The fact that the window for this fight is darn near closed and we haven't seen it yet doesn't bode well. I can easily see boxing being like horse racing in the near future - you'll always have the diehards, but it will be nowhere near what it was even 20 years ago, let alone its heyday. The sport is dying, and the sad part is that they're killing themselves.

I hear you and agree that boxing will never be like it was in its heyday. For it to be as popular as it was 20 years ago we would need to have around a half-dozen stud HW's that fight each other. It's pretty simple. The last several years, however, we have seen a golden age of the welterweight division. So we've got that going for us.But yea, I agree these 2 guys need to fight within the next 15 months, tops.I'm curious as to how much bars are charged to carry a UFC fight vs. a big boxing match. BWW's carries all the UFC fights and they don't charge a cover. Meanwhile, the last Mayweather fight we found a bar carrying it and they charged a $30 cover. Heck, I remember going to the casino bar to watch Trinidad-DeLaHoya back in the day and the cover was $20. That's another issue - I think all these boxing PPV's are pricing themselves out of the market wrt bars.

 

[Cliff Clavin]

Boxing is finished.

Imagine if the NFL playoffs went on and then when we got to the AFC/NFC champs, the Super Bowl never took place because the two teams couldn't agree on a split of revenue? Ratings would drop 80% the following year. All that would be left are the absolutely fanatical die-hards who just want to watch guys knock the piss out of one another. that's what's happened to boxing.

They haven't felt the full brunt of it yet because there are still a lot of boxing fans in our generation and the ones before us, but today's kid is all about MMA. Almost no one under the age of 25 watches boxing because they've grown up around MMA and because for their entire lifetimes, almost every meaningful fight has carried a $60 price tag they can't or won't pay. As MMA continues to gain in popularity, that's where the money is going to be, and promising young fighters will increasingly turn to MMA and not boxing. The talent pool will diminish swiftly.

When us dinosaurs are finished walking the Earth, boxing is going to be toast. About 30-40 years from now, title fights will be back on ABC on Saturday afternoons and struggling to fetch a 2.0 rating. A Pacquiao/Mayweather fight wouldn't be a panacea, but at the very least, it could delay the inevitable - considerably so if it's a great fight and leads to a sequel or two.

Meh, I've been hearing this for over a decade and I don't see it. The reason mma is so popular now is because the vast majority of the world's best mma fighters are under 1 promoter - Dana White, and he's done a brilliant job marketing his sport. Most people don't realize it, but right now we're in the golden age of mma. It's never going to be better than it is now. Once most of these fighters realize how underpaid they are and do something about it, mma will start down the same road and eventually end up at the same destination where boxing currently is.Boxing has finally caught on by doing some good marketing like the HBO 1/2 hour shows they do following the 2 fighters training up to their fight. Heck, my sister hates boxing/mma and she loves watching those shows. They're very good.

I don't see how the $60 price tag for big boxing fights is any different than the $60 price tag for UFC events. The one significant advantage boxing has always had over mma is that there are lots of great/good fights on subscription channels like HBO, Showtime, and Epix. That's how I became a boxing fan - because my parents had HBO. I got to see a boxer who most people consider to be one of the top 3 # for # fighters in the world on HBO last Saturday in a very exciting fight. Wake me up when UFC actually puts one of their top 3 # for # fighters in the main event on FOX.

Promoters are obviously the biggest problem with boxing. The next biggest problem has been that the heavyweight division has been a disaster since Lennox Lewis retired. The Klitschko brothers have dominated the division since and obviously won't fight each other. And kids with the size and ability to be HW boxers are all playing football and/or basketball in this country. All of these HW's in the UFC must really suck at boxing because they could make a gazillion $$$ more as HW pro boxers than they do in the UFC.

Sure, mma is more popular now in the US, Brazil, Japan, etc., but boxing is still king in Latin America and Europe. When countries like Mexico start producing more elite mma fighters than boxers, then I'll start worrying.

Uh, current champs and consensus top 5 P4P guys Jose Aldo and Jon Jones have both fought on free TV a number of times. You may have also missed the HW title fight that was free on Fox. Or Rashad Evans who is a top P4P fighter was recently on Fox. Pretty much every free card has a number one contenders fight featuring the top fighters in the world at that weight class. Not sure what else you can ask for.

I see your point, although Jones wasn't considered a top 5 #4# guy in any of those free fights as far as I can recall and the UFC has obviously gobbled up the WEC since those Aldo fights took place.The first 2 free FOX broadcasts have been pretty terrible, imo, especially the Rashard Jones fight. And people really consider Rashard Jones as a top #4# guy? Seriously? I think Jon Jones would destroy him.

Personally, I think the HW division in UFC is nearly as bad as the HW division in boxing. And I think this just reinforces how hopeless the boxing HW division is because if any of these UFC HW's were very good at boxing they could make a gazillion dollars more by plying their trade in the sweet science instead of the UFC.

I know we aren't even a year into the new Fox/FX/Fuel deal with UFC, but thus far I'm not impressed as compared to what HBO puts together with it's boxing cards.

Another thing is whenever HBO has a big PPV boxing match, they'll have a live card the following Saturday with a replay of the PPV fight from the previous weekend, something which the UFC doesn't do either.

FTR, I do enjoy watching the UFC nearly as much as I do boxing.

I was just trying to convey that the UFC does put its big fighters on free TV. Maybe Evans isn't quite a top P4P guy but he is a top 3 LWH in any organization.The cards may have ended up being dull but that'll happen with boxing/MMA/any other sport. They looked fantastic on paper but never panned out.

 

[SacramentoBob]

MMA cards tend to be better than boxing cards top to bottom.