Boxing Capsules: Pacquiao still mulling options for next fight
NEW YORK (AP) — Manny Pacquiao is mulling over options for his next fight, with three names still in the running for the lucrative shot at boxing’s biggest box office attraction.
Pacquiao’s adviser, Michael Koncz, told The Associated Press on Friday that no decision has been made on the opponent, although the bout will likely be May 7. Former welterweight champion Shane Mosley, welterweight champ Andre Berto and lightweight champ Juan Manuel Marquez are the options and all have made financial proposals for the fight.
"The situation is now that the date has been confirmed, it’s May 7, more likely than not, the venue would be Las Vegas," Koncz said. "But with regards to the actual opponent, all three of the guys named before are still live opponents."
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum was in the Philippines to celebrate Pacquiao’s 32nd birthday on Friday, and was expected to present him with the options at that time. There were reports that Pacquiao might announce his opponent, but Koncz said that was untrue.
"It’s the holiday season, Manny’s birthday, Bob’s here. We had discussions about the fight but nothing was finalized," Koncz said. "No rush."
Mosley is considered the favorite to land the fight based on his name recognition. The former titleholder has been in the ring with everyone from Floyd Mayweather Jr. to Oscar De La Hoya, and could conceivably draw the most casual viewers to the fight.
Mosley also considers himself a promotional free agent, and Arum is against co-promotions.
Marquez may represent the most fan-friendly option after looking good in a victory over Michael Katsidis a few weeks ago. He’s met Pacquiao twice before, fighting to a 12-round draw in 2004 and losing a close split decision in March 2008, but both of those outcomes could have gone either way. Some observers even insist that Marquez won them both.
If the fight happens May 7, Marquez could provide an additional incentive. He’s from Mexico and the Cinco de Mayo weekend is traditionally a major drawing card for Latino fight fans.
Berto is the dark horse, and perhaps the most dangerous of the three. He looked sensational in a first-round knockout of Freddy Hernandez on the undercard of Marquez’s last fight, but he is not widely known among casual fans.
The one fighter who won’t be facing Pacquiao is Mayweather, with their two camps repeatedly having failed to give fans what could be the richest fight in boxing history.
The undefeated Mayweather was arrested late Thursday on a misdemeanor warrant for allegedly poking a security guard in the face outside his Las Vegas home. He was released on bail less than 12 hours later but is due back in court next week.
Mayweather, who made headlines in September with an expletive-filled online video directed at Pacquiao, also faces unrelated felony charges stemming from a September dispute with his children and their mother. He could face up to 34 years in prison if convicted in that case.
Whoever the opponent, Pacquiao will almost certainly ensure they make a fortune.
The Filipino Congressman defeated Joshua Clottey and Antonio Margarito before huge crowds at Cowboys Stadium this year, generating massive pay-per-view numbers both times. The performances were enough for Pacquiao to finish third in voting for 2010 AP Male Athlete of the Year behind New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees and five-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson.
Those results, unlike his next opponent, were announced Friday.
"Nothing’s finalized. Bob will go back and talk to the opponents’ camps and then he’ll get back to Manny and then, you know, we’re in negotiations. I don’t want to give any indication of who’s ahead of who," Koncz said. "It’s not the way to negotiate, in the media.
"There’s no deadline per se, but who knows when?" Koncz said. "Maybe next week. Who knows?"
Hopkins ready to make history in ring
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Bernard Hopkins is fighting for all the fading middle-aged athletes everywhere.
For Brett Favre, whose shoulder finally gave out at 41. For Jamie Moyer, the crafty lefty who likely threw that final 80 mph "heater" at 47. For Chris Chelios, who had to hang up the skates at the age of 48.
Here’s Hopkins, trudging closer toward 46, still prepping for another historic fight. Hardly hobbled or slurring his speech like so many of his peers, Hopkins remains in elite physical condition and in the mix for championship fights.
His next one is a fight for the aged.
If Hopkins defeats WBC light heavyweight champion Jean Pascal on Saturday, he’ll become the oldest boxer to win a world title. He’s trying to knock out George Foreman from atop the record book: the grill guru was 45 years, 10 months when he knocked out heavyweight champion Michael Moorer in 1994.
"I want everyone to know this is unique," said Hopkins, who turns 46 on Jan. 15.
Unique — and certainly not impossible. Hopkins, an avid sports fan and caller into Philadelphia sports talk stations, realizes his contemporaries in other sports are hitting the mat and going down for the count. For now, Hopkins is the last man standing.
"Brett Favre got old," he said, laughing. "I’m by myself here. Guess what, I’m looking behind me."
Known as "The Executioner," Hopkins yaps like an athlete in his prime even if the Philly fighter’s best rounds in the ring are also behind him.
Hopkins, who once promised his mother he’d retire at 40, went to the scorecard to defeat journeyman Enrique Ornelas last December and won a grueling unanimous decision against Roy Jones Jr. in April. Hopkins did what he needed to do in each fight to win, even as he failed to inspire confidence that another lengthy title run was still ahead — he once had a perfect 10-year reign as middleweight champion.
Hopkins started boxing in a Pennsylvania state prison, where he served five years beginning at the age of 17. He turned pro in 1988 and won his first bout in 1990.
The fighter who boldly talked last year of retiring as the heavyweight champion has backed off that prediction. In fact, Hopkins has hinted that if he loses to Pascal in Quebec City, it might seriously signal the end of his 22-year career. For real, this time.
"If Bernard Hopkins don’t win this fight, and win this fight impressively, there’s nothing else to do," Hopkins said. "I won’t be a name for an opponent."
He was for the Haitian-born Pascal. The 28-year-old Pascal stood in the ring after his victory over Chad Dawson in August and proclaimed that he wanted to fight Hopkins next.
"It’s going to be a good start for me to beat a legend to become a legend one day," Pascal said. "Hopkins was the name out there, was the big name and that’s why I chose to fight him because I want to fight the best to prove that I’m the best."
There is a nearly 18-year age gap between Hopkins and Pascal — the biggest difference in B-Hop’s career. Hopkins had five bouts where his opponents had been more than a decade younger than him, including a 17-year gap in a victory over Kelly Pavlik in October 2008.
Pascal was only 5 years old when Hopkins turned pro in 1988.
"There’s a lot of 40 year olds running around, dropping their canes, putting their teeth in and rooting for me," Hopkins said.
For all the wisecracks about his age, Hopkins is about as serious and dedicated as any athlete in his training. His straightedge lifestyle includes no drinking, healthy eating and going to bed by 9 p.m.
"Instead of looking at 45 as a negative, I’m proud to say that as of today, I’m an example of good fortune and also taking care of your yourself," he said. "And knowing the art of boxing. The art boxing is plain and simple: Hit and not get hit."
Around Philly, he’s simply known as B-Hop. He’s stayed true to his roots, often training or holding workout camps at the various dingy, out-of-the-way gyms around the city. He has an apartment in the city, buys his groceries at the nearby market, and recites his exact running route which he hits daily without bodyguards or much fanfare. Hopkins offers a quick wave for fans who recognize him as he runs his way through the park.
"When they see me, they know it’s B-Hop coming through," he said.
He won’t be so popular in Canada. Quebec City is a couple hundred miles from Pascal’s adopted hometown of Laval, Quebec.
"I’m at my best when I know that I’m walking into another guy’s territory and the only thing he has to be is good," Hopkins said, "And I have to be supergood."
Hopkins claimed Pascal won’t lose a split decision near his hometown.
May as well go out and take care of business — and put his name in the record book.
"A lot of people are going to have to adjust their books after this fight, after this one-sided fight," Hopkins said.
-- Dan Gelston
Pascal hopes win over Hopkins raises profile
Jean Pascal is wildly popular in Canada, his adopted home country, so much so that he’s reluctant to fight elsewhere. Only once has he stepped into the ring in the United States, the main reason so few people south of the border know his name.
He hopes to change that when he faces former champion Bernard Hopkins on Saturday night at the sold-out Pepsi Coliseum in Quebec City. Hopkins is aiming to become the oldest fighter to win a major world title, just shy of his 46th birthday.
It’s the kind of high-profile fight against a former champion that could elevate Pascal to superstar status and endear him to boxing fans in the U.S., home of the sport’s biggest purses.
At least, that was the grand plan before a final pre-fight press conference turned into an ill-tempered shoving match at Quebec City Hall this week.
Hopkins limited his statements to three words — "Enjoy the fight" — and Pascal refused to translate his remarks into English because "in this town, we speak French." Then a scuffle broke out when Hopkins refused to hand over the WBC light heavyweight title belt to the champ.
"Bernard Hopkins says that the smartest guy will win. He says he is the intelligent man and I am the idiot," Pascal said. "After the fight, everyone will know who the dummy really is."
The Haitian-born Pascal called out Hopkins in August, shortly after dethroning Chad Dawson and becoming the world champion. Hopkins joked that he was in his rocking chair, minding his own business, when he heard the challenge, and promptly "grabbed my cane — before I grabbed my teeth — and I called my promoters."
Regardless of what Hopkins believes, Pascal is no idiot. He understands that in a 175-pound division devoid of big names, a victory over Hopkins would take his own career to a new level.
Hopkins won his first championship in 1995 and spent 10 years reigning over the middleweight division. The usually loquacious fighter from Philadelphia also has won several high-profile fights since moving up in weight. Even though he is long past his prime, he’s still considered one of the most crafty and technically skilled fighters in the world.
It’s the kind of resume that the 27-year-old Pascal (26-1, 16 KOs) hopes to achieve someday, and knocking off Hopkins (51-5-1, 32 KOs) would be a significant step.
"Two months ago, Jean Pascal and Bernard Hopkins were like school friends," said Pascal’s promoter, Yvon Michel, this week. "Now it looks like that’s finished. They’ve had warrior’s faces."
Michel said the matchup could be the most successful ever staged in Canada, at least financially. The 16,000 seats at the Pepsi Coliseum sold out quickly, and the fight is being shown on Showtime in the United States and pay-per-view in Canada.
"No matter what happens Saturday, this fight will have a colossal impact on the career and the life of these two guys," Michel said. "Jean Pascal could have chosen anyone in his division, but he chose the riskiest, the most complicated opponent."
Pascal’s only loss came to Carl Froch during a super middleweight fight two years ago, and his list of victims since then is impressive: Adrian Diaconu (twice), Silvio Branco by knockout and a technical decision over Dawson, considered one of the pound-for-pound best fighters before their matchup in Montreal.
Pascal was ahead on all three scorecards when their fight in August was stopped in the 11th round because of an accidental headbutt, handing Pascal the title and Dawson his first loss.
After the challenge to Hopkins, the two ribbed each other mercilessly during a multi-city promotional tour . Tempers boiled over during their news conference this week, leaving their trainers to fill in the blanks.
That outlook on the fight was no less colorful.
"Be ready to see my athlete. He is ready like a powerful F-1 car," said Pascal’s trainer, Marc Ramsay. "When the fight starts, you will see a jalopy on the other side of the ring, and my F-1 will run him over."
-- Dave Skretta
Mayweather jailed, freed in Las Vegas battery case
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Floyd Mayweather Jr. spent a night in a Las Vegas jail before his release Friday on a misdemeanor battery warrant stemming from an allegation that the boxer poked a security guard in the face last month outside his home.
The second arrest in three months for the undefeated prizefighter drew allegations from his lawyer that police and prosecutors overreacted to a minor criminal accusation and that the 33-year-old Mayweather was getting "unequal punitive exaggerated treatment."
"This is a misdemeanor," attorney Richard Wright told The Associated Press. He noted that police usually write a ticket for a misdemeanor, or issue a court summons at the jail.
Wright accused District Attorney David Roger of "going out of his way to treat (Mayweather) differently than anyone else."
Roger didn’t immediately respond to messages seeking comment.
Mayweather was arrested just before midnight Thursday at the posh Bellagio resort on the Las Vegas Strip and booked early Friday into the Clark County jail without bail.
Police initially said the boxer might remain in jail pending a Monday court date. But defense attorney Karen Winckler intervened, and Mayweather was freed less than 12 hours after his arrest.
The misdemeanor charge stems from a confrontation Nov. 15 during which authorities allege Mayweather poked a 21-year-old security guard repeatedly in the left cheek during a loud verbal confrontation over parking tickets. Mayweather’s attorneys have denied wrongdoing on his behalf.
The warrant was issued Dec. 8 by a Las Vegas justice of the peace, but he immediately recalled it. It was reinstated Dec. 13 after prosecutors complained that Mayweather was receiving preferential treatment.
The judge, Tony Abbatangelo, scheduled a Tuesday hearing to determine whether Mayweather should remain free pending trial. The misdemeanor case carries a possible six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Mayweather is one of the boxing’s richest and most recognizable figures, with 25 knockouts in his 41 wins. He goes by the nickname "Money," and earned more than $20 million in May from a single fight in Las Vegas against "Sugar" Shane Mosley.
But he has also been dogged in recent years by allegations of violence and confrontations at home and at Las Vegas clubs.
Mayweather has misdemeanor battery and assault convictions in Las Vegas and his hometown of Grand Rapids, Mich., and is facing a felony coercion, grand larceny and robbery case stemming from a September dispute with his children and their mother at her home.
He faces trial Jan. 24 in that case, and could face up to 34 years in prison if convicted.
-- Ken Ritter
Solis edges Austin by disqualification
MIAMI (AP) — Undefeated Odlanier Solis won a heavyweight title eliminator Friday night when Ray Austin was disqualified with a second left in the 10th after a clinch that nearly sent Solis over the ropes.
Solis (17-0) connected with combinations to the head in the 10th, with Austin (28-5-4) seemingly out on his feet and repeatedly holding Solis to avoid additional shots.
Solis, a 2004 Olympic champion from Cuba, earned a title fight against WBC champion Vitali Klitschko.
Despite Solis’ apparent dominance, one judge had the fight 85-85, another scored it 88-82 for Solis and the third 86-84 for Austin through first nine rounds.
Solis controlled the pace early with combinations to the head. Austin withstood Solis’ early punches until Solis connected with a solid left to the head that floored Austin in the fifth.
As soon Austin reached his feet, he looked toward his corner and indicated he had recovered from Solis’ shot. In fact, Austin stayed in the fight the following rounds, landing a lead left jab to the head.
Solis pressured Austin in the ninth and scored with rights to the head.
Solis weighed in at 260 pounds, 21 more than Austin.
Solis edges Austin by disqualification
MIAMI (AP) — Odlanier Solis won a heavyweight title eliminator Friday night when Ray Austin was disqualified with a second left in the 10th after a clinch that nearly sent Solis over the ropes.
Solis connected with combinations to the head in the 10th, with Austin seemingly out on his feet and repeatedly holding Solis to avoid additional shots.
Solis, a 2004 Olympic champion from Cuba, earned a title fight against WBC champion Vitali Klitschko.
Despite Solis’ apparent dominance, one judge had the fight 85-85, another scored it 88-82 for Solis and the third 86-84 for Austin through first nine rounds.
Cloud successfully defends IBF title
MIAMI (AP) — Undefeated Tavoris Cloud successfully defended the IBF light-heavyweight title, unanimously outpointing Colombia’s Fulgencio Zuniga on Friday night.
Cloud, from Tallahassee, landed effective shots to the head throughout the second defense of his 175-pound title, but couldn’t finish off Zuniga.
Cloud (22-0) had winning scores of 116-109, 117-108 and 118-108 from the three judges.
Zuniga dropped to 24-5-1.
