tom_babauta

Pacman's new bus! :thumbsupsmiley:

Pacquiao/Mayweather Superfight Depends on Pacquiao/Cotto PPV Numbers

Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer told Boxing Scene today that he thinks Mayweather should get the lion's share of the money in any eventual fight with the winner of the Manny Pacquiao/Miguel Cotto fight on November 14.

But he did add a caveat to that statement. If Pacquiao vs. Cotto does a million PPV buys or above, then he believes there is reason to consider a 50-50 split.

You know what? He's probably right about that, and the upshot is pure financial mathematics - Pac/Cotto does a million or higher, and we fight fans have a shot at seeing the Pacquiao/Mayweather superfight get made. Pac/Cotto falls short of a million buys, and it's never going to happen.

My sense is that Pac/Cotto not only needs to make a million buys, it needs to exceed that number. But not by too much. I would say, oh, maybe 1.2 million gets the job done nicely.

For the sake of discussion, I'm going to leave aside the possibility that Cotto beats Pacquiao and that we're talking about a Mayweather/Cotto fight on November 14th. The fact of the matter is that no matter what Pac/Cotto does at the box office, if Cotto wins and is in line to fight Mayweather next, it's a much easier negotiation. Cotto is going to get the short money, end of story.

Mayweather/Pacquaio is another kettle of moneyfish altogether. As it stands right now, both the Pacquiao and Mayweather camps say that they will not settle for a 50-50 split. Mayweather rests his argument on the fact that he did 2.4 mill against Oscar as opposed to the 1.25 mill that Pac did against Oscar, and he did 900K against Ricky Hatton versus the 850K that Pac did against Hatton. Add to that his recent take of a milly in the Marquez fight, and Money's argument for mo' money definitely seems strong.

Pacquaio's team argues that Pac is the ascendant star, a far bigger international celebrity, and the recognized pound-for-pound champion, a mantle that Floyd gave up with his retirement. Myself, I think right now that Floyd's argument is the better one for the bigger money, but I don't think it matters, because I don't see any way in which Pac's team gives an inch on this one, all arguments be damned.

The only chance that I think we have of a successful negotiation for Mayweather/Pacquiao is if both sides agree to equal money, and the only chance for that happening is if Pac/Cotto matches Mayweather/Marquez at the box office. These two bouts are an excellent barometer for where the two fighters at right now as PPV draws, leaving aside the x factors of Oscar, Hatton and the varying economic conditions in which their various fights have taken place. Marquez and Cotto are similar opponents, one the hero of Mexico, one the hero of Puerto Rico. I would say that Cotto is a little bigger star in the States but I think Marquez probably offsets that numbers-wise in that there are more Mexican fight fans buying PPV's in the U.S. than there are Puerto Ricans. You could say that there's still a slight advantage to the Pac/Cotto fight as a television draw because the May/Marquez fight was deemed such a mismatch by the boxing press. But I'm really starting to face the facts as far as the influence of the boxing press goes on PPV numbers - nobody pays any attention to us but diehard boxing fans, and they buy every frickin big PPV anyway.

I think if Pac/Cotto does a million buys, or even better, around 1.2 mill, it gives us at least a chance that Floyd will accept a 50-50 spilt. It's not a guarantee by any means, but at that point it would seem obvious to all involved that the two principals are neck and neck as PPV draws right now.

I have a sense that Pacquiao's side will be willing eventually to take 50-50. It's Floyd I'm worried about. Everything is a pissing contest with him, and to accept even money with Pac would be to accept him as an equal, period, something I don't think Floyd wants to do with anyone right now. He spent his whole career in the shadow of De La Hoya, and harbors great bitterness about that fact dating back to his tenure at Top Rank when Oscar was the Top Dog. Now Floyd feels like <i>he's</i> Oscar and can run the game accordingly. At that propitious moment, to acknowledge another fighter as being of his same stature just does not seem like something he's going to do.

Then again, by all accounts he's broke, and Mayweather/Pacquaio has the potential to match, if not exceed, De La Hoya/Mayweather money. Hell, people have speculated that a Pac/Money fight could do three million buys. So if Pac proves that he can really bring it by equalling or surpassing the Floyd/Marquez numbers, the pressure for the fight is going to be so great (assuming Pac beats Cotto, of course) and the argument is going to be so strong for a 50-50 split that I wonder if Floyd won't accept it. He could accept it and still save face by saying somethingl ike this: "All right, clearly I have to beat down this pretender just to prove it to you all again what time it is, so I'm gonna do it, but after I whup this fool… that's it. After that, you wanna fight me, you get 20 percent max, and that's if you're HUGE and I happen to like you."

Pac/Cotto does 800K, though, and the jig is up. Floyd will never budge on 60-40 at that point, and while I do think Pac's team would give in to 50-50 evenutally, I can't ever see Arum giving Floyd 60-40 to fight Pacquiao even if Floyd was holding all the cards.

Of course, there is another possibility to consider. My observation has been that the buzz for Pac/Cotto is already immense. Maybe my viewpoint is skewed, because I mostly converse with the hardcore fans, and there's no question that those folks are much more amped for Pac/Cotto than they were for May/Marquez.

That said, what if Pac/Cotto does 1.5 mill? Or 1.7? Then… then we got problems, people.

Pacman floors sparmate twice

Manny Pacquiao flooring Shawn Porter twice in sparring last Thursday doesn’t mean much for his chief trainer, Freddie Roach.

“Nothing,” said the three-time Trainer of the Year over the phone yesterday from Baguio City, right after another heavy, non-sparring day at the Shape Up Gym.

“It only means that he’s ready for the fight and that he’s doing very well,” Roach told The STAR, saying that Porter, the undefeated 21-year-old junior middleweight was floored twice by Pacquiao.

Roach said Pacquiao sparred four rounds with Porter, and caught the big and burly native of Ohio, a 2007 National Golden Gloves champion, with two powerful lefts in the third round of their skirmish.

“Yes, Shawn went down twice but he came back very well and caught Manny with a good hook. He came back very well,” said Roach, adding that Pacquiao also sparred four rounds with Jose Luis Castillo.

An Internet report said Castillo, the former WBC lightweight champion who came very close to beating Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2002, had blood on his nose after sparring with the hard-hitting Filipino.

As of Thursday, Pacquiao has logged a total of 46 rounds of sparring, and as the rounds increase to 10 and 12 over the next few days, he should have close to 150 rounds on the book before training ends.

Roach said Pacquiao has decided to cut short his stay in Baguio by a day. He said they should be in Manila on the evening of Thursday, instead of Friday, and train two days in a local gym before flying to Los Angeles on Saturday evening.

“It’s a little hectic coming down so we pushed the date a day ahead,” said Roach, referring to the terrible road conditions from Baguio all the way down to Manila due to the recent spate of typhoons to hit the country.

Pacquiao will hold sparring today against Porter and Castillo, who seemed to have impressed Roach with his style.

“I like his style because he likes to come in and tends to lean forward,” said Roach, close to saying that Castillo, who had two memorable fights with the late Diego Corrales, fights like Cotto.

A few days ago, there was a thread at Pacand, the highly popular Pacquiao website, saying that the Filipino pound-for-pound champion got knocked down in sparring.

But Nonoy Neri of Team Pacquiao was quick to brush it aside.

“Nothing like that. No knockdowns,” he said.

Not until Thursday, when Porter, not Pacquiao, hit the floor. Not once but twice.

KONZC MISSION: Arum Wants MP To Lose For TRILOGY

Bob Arum will earn so much money with the Pacquiao vs Cotto match.

Arum and Manny wont earn much with the Mayweather fight for theyll just split the earnings.

Bob Arum may have assigned Konzc to create distractions and divisiveness within Team Pacquiao

to give Cotto a chance to win the fight and start a trilogy between the two.

So far, the plan is succeeding:

1. Konzc was able to convince Pacquiao to do his training in Baguio wherein Konzc can easily

do his 'mission' and manipulate things.

2. Konzc was able to convince Pacquiao to bring in Castillo as sparring partner to distract

Roach concentration in preparing Manny. Roach is kind enough not to make any negative

comments on Castillo's presence in camp so as not to further distract Manny.

3. Konzc is succeeding in further distracting Roach's concentration by making divisive

statements like "Roach is just a trainer" with the media.

4. Konzc is succeeding to distract too Manny's conditioning coach Alex Ariza by letting

him known that he suggested to Manny to fire him out.

What will be Konzc's next move?

WHY ARUM IS CONDITIONING US That MP-PBF WONT HAPPEN

Pacquiao's fight contract with Cotto has a clause of an immediate rematch if Pacquiao loses.

If Cotto loses then there wont be a rematch.

Arum will earn millions of dollars more with a Pacquiao-Cotto trilogy.

So Pacquiao has to lose first in November.

Thats why Arum at first wasnt concerned with Cotto risking his title to Pacquiao

not giving importance to the record-breaking record no. of titles Manny can get

with a new title belt.

Pacquiao-Mayweather is a 50-50 split pot money and Floyd insisting he gets the bigger cut

and Arum dont want more headaches in the negotiation for he is old.

Arum is all about money, you see.

Michael Konzc is his inside man inside Team Pacquiao.

And Judas Iscariot comes to mind.

Ever wondered why Bob Arum is releasing statements that Pacquiao-PBF wont happen?

Pacquiao-Cotto rematches is lot lot more money and an easier task for Bob to hatch.

Roach predicts KO victory by Pacquiao!!! by 8th or 9th RD

Three-time Trainer of the Year Freddie Roach here Friday predicted Filipino boxing sensation Manny Pacquiao will win his seventh title when he collides with World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight champion Miguel Cotto next month.

Pacquiao and Cotto will be testing each other’s mettle in a blockbuster title bout on November 14 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

“Manny has been doing excellent work in his training here. We are confident we could finish the fight early to prevent Cotto from getting his second wind.” Roach stressed.

In his latest sparring session late Thursday afternoon, the 30-year-old world champion floored undefeated superwelterweight contender Shawn Porter in the second round of their four-round blistering encounter with a solid left straight to the latter’s jaw.

After knocking down Porter, Pacquiao also virtually mauled two-time world lightweight champion Jose Luis Castillo of Mexico as he displayed awesome speed and power.

Pacquiao is on his fourth week of rigid training in this mountain resort city in preparation for the Cotto fight. Team Pacquiao will be breaking camp here on October 23 in order to catch the late evening flight for Los Angeles the following day where he will be entering the Wild Card gym on October 26 for the final stage of his training.

“Manny is nearing his peak form. We are now regulating his training regimen so that he could maintain his excellent performance in the ring until the fight. We already got our game going with the help of his supportive sparring partners,” Roach added.

While admitting that Typhoon Pepeng had a slight effect on the pound for pound king’s roadwork, Roach claimed they are now taking advantage of the good weather to get back lost time although the gym work is way ahead of schedule.

Earlier, Roach predicted Pacquiao will knock out Cotto in either the eighth or ninth round but said the champion’s performance in recent days shows that there will be an early knockout victory for his favorite ward.

Since Cotto is known to be able to get his second wind in the later part of his previous fights, the American trainer claimed Pacquiao will be working aggressively in the early rounds in order to catch the champion off balanced to be assured of a victory.

Manny Pacquiao agent Michael Koncz: No hate for Freddie Roach

Before I let Michael Koncz explain and vent a bit more, let me say that anyone who resorts to death threats and other stupid acts concerning Manny Pacquiao’s self-chosen right hand man is not a Pacman fan.

Anyone who does this, even anonymously on the Internet, is an idiot.

Settle down, class. We’re talking about boxing. We’re talking about an athlete.

I certainly don’t encourage let alone condone such mindless activity.

Koncz is a human being. He’s got children. To hear him tell it, he does what Boss Manny tells him to do.

“I don’t worry about that stuff,” Koncz told me Friday. “I only worry about getting old, being in a wheelchair and my kids having to take care of me. I don’t worry about other things.”

Here’s the second and final part of Agent Koncz unplugged.

Let me remind the witness he remains under the sacred Examiner.com and Boxingconfidential oath.

ON BEEFS WITH COACH ROACH: “No matter what you hear, there are no problems between Freddie and me. We had a good discussion earlier today. We agree this is Manny’s best training camp to date. Freddie, he’s Irish and we’ve had conflicts at times but it doesn’t mean we have to hate each other. My loyalty is to Manny. If Manny is happy, then I am happy. He’s my current employer. He pays me, no one else does. I have conflicts with (Bob) Arum at times also. I work only for Manny.”

ON RUMORS HE’S IRKED WIFE JINKEE: “Totally false. I totally respect Manny’s wife. I also handle some business affairs for her.”

ON ARIZA’S ASSERTION THAT HE PURPOSELY DID NOT RESERVE A ROOM AT MANNY’S HOTEL FOR COACH ROACH: “That is not true, either. Freddie was going to stay in a mansion that the governor over here was providing. We didn’t have the keys when Freddie arrived. Freddie went over to the Manor Lodge at Camp John Hay, a lovely resort that looks like it could be one in Colorado. It’s a super hotel. Bob Arum also stayed there when he came to Baguio.”

ON MANNY SHOOTING HOOPS: “This is Freddie’s rule. Freddie lets Manny play basketball up until four weeks before the fight. He played today (Friday) in the gym here and he will play Saturday but that’s it. He plays competitively, pickup games with his friends. It relaxes Manny but we know it’s a two-edged sword. We know he could get hurt doing it. But I can tell you right now Manny is very relaxed, very happy.”

ON THE BAGUIO OVER MEXICO TRAINING SITE DISPUTE: “Look, that was Manny’s decision. Freddie wanted Mexico. I went to Cancun and then Puerto Vallarta to check both places out. Manny sent Buboy (Fernandez) to Baguio. Manny didn’t want Mexico so we came to Baguio.”

ON HIS PRE TEAM PACQUIAO BACKGROUND: “I come from Alberta, a province in Canada. You ask too many questions. My personal life is not relevant.”

The witness, Agent 008 Michael Koncz, is now excused.

Bombs over Baguio: Pacquiao agent Michael Koncz denies TKO

Michael Koncz, center of extreme controversy in Manny Pacquiao’s circle and reportedly punched out by conditioning coach Alex Ariza in the Pinoy Idol’s Baguio hotel suite Thursday speaks to Examiner.com and to Boxingconfidential…

Finally, Michael Koncz is punching back.

I spoke at length with the native of Alberta, Canada, by telephone from Pacman’s quarters at the Cooyesan Hotel Friday evening (Filipino time) and, while he won’t concede that a furious Ariza clocked him with any punches, Koncz did answer any and all questions I posed.

I give Koncz full credit for, one, picking up the phone to speak to a guy (that’s me) who just ran an anonymous quote from somebody in Manny’s professional sphere who compares the agent to Adolph Hitler and, two, for not terming any inquiry to be off limits.

As much as possible, I want to restrict this report, in all fairness to the much maligned Koncz, to his answers without my usual knife twisting sarcasm and/or humor.

I've played Kick The Koncz long enough, now I'm giving him an open forum.

Mr. Koncz, please take the witness stand and swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but so help you, Manny Pacquiao.

My first question was whether he lost the opening and final round to Ariza, at 35 much younger than the mid or late 40ish Koncz. Did the judges call it 10-8, Ariza?

DUST UP WITH ARIZA: “Oh, yeah, I’m in the hospital right now with 45 stitches. Look, I have no problems with Alex, I have no problems with Freddie (Roach). You can say there was an incident but I won’t say it. You can believe what Alex is telling you if you want to. Look, Freddie and I had a good discussion just today and we agree that training camp here in Baguio is going great. Both Freddie and I agreed. We both said we wish the fight against (Miguel) Cotto was next week because Manny is ready.”

WHY PACMAN RETAINS HIM: “If I am such a bad guy, then why does Manny keep me? He is my employer, not Bob Arum. Manny talks about all this (rumors, gossip, innuendo), Manny laughs about. He says he doesn’t read it or listen to it and that we shouldn’t. Manny is a smart guy. I know that if you show Manny respect and show him loyalty, he will return it 10 fold.”

ON CRITICISM OF HIS HANDLING OF BOXERS OTHER THAN PACMAN: “I run Manny Pacquiao Promotions but Manny is the boss. No boxer I have ever worked with has ever made any allegation about me. I’ve been able to work with Rodel Mayol and Bernabe Concepcion. I’ve been able to get them world title shots, Bernabe is getting a second world title chance and Rodel is getting his fourth. A lot of fighters only get one opportunity for a world title. There must be reason no boxer have publicly complained about me.”

ON HOW DISTRACTIONS DON’T FAZE PACMAN: “Politics, lawsuits, whatever, Manny is very unique in that he can multi-task and none of this affects him. I don’t know he does it but he does. I know that it would beyond me to do the same. As far as what the media writes or says about me, I don’t really care. This so called ‘incident,’ Manny is still laughing about it. “

ON HOW JOSE LUIS CASTILLO IS WORKING OUT AS SPARRING PARTNER:

“Castillo has gone seven rounds with Manny. Freddie is very happy with him. I know there was lot of hoopla on this I never bring in sparring partners without first consulting Manny and then with Freddie. Jose is getting older, we know that. We didn’t bring him over here to work eight to 10 rounds sparring each day. But, if he gives three or four good rounds, we’re happy. Freddie put Jose in the ring immediately with Manny. Freddie said, ‘Let’s see what he’s got. We know he’s not duplicative of Cotto, that he’s not as strong and as quick as Cotto but he is providing good rounds.”

Manny Pacquiao go-fer Koncz: 'Like Hitler without charm, brains'

There seems to be no end to people connected to Manny Pacquiao who complain about the machinations of furtive Canadian agent Michael Koncz.

Koncz tossed gasoline on the already burning feud between himself and Pacman trainer Coach Freddie Roach when he uttered the famous line, “Roach is just the trainer.”

Now I’ve revealed how, according to strength and conditioning coach Alex Ariza, Koncz deliberately failed to reserve a room for Roach at the Cooyesan Hotel in Baguio where everyone except for the trainer is staying.

Ariza, of course, has had all he can stomach of Koncz trying to block like the Steelers offensive line and exploded on the agent’s head with four or five rapid fire punches in Pacman’s plush suite on Thursday. Beefy bodyguards saved the older man from a real beat down by grabbing Ariza to stop the assault.

Now a well-placed American source who is privy to the swirling soap opera which surrounds Megamanny tells me, on the condition of anonymity, that Koncz’s power grabs have spun completely out of control.

“Michael is like Hitler but without the charm and intelligence,” the source said. “His power trip has become so pervasive that he has now irritated Manny’s wife, Jinkee. He’s got Jinkee tripping out and that cannot help Koncz in the long run.

“Michael wants Manny to dump his whole team, including his staff in Los Angeles, because he wants to create his own Team Pacquiao, a situation where everyone answers to him.”

For the record, my repeated attempts to reach Koncz and get his side of the overall story and his side on the attack by Ariza have gone for naught.

I don’t want anyone saying that Tom Babauta operates under “I distort and I decide.”

You know my number, Agent Koncz, 917 853 4484.

“White Gorilla” operators are standing by.

Manny Pacquiao shoots hoops as entourage plays punch out

His strength, conditioning and nutrition guru Alex Ariza just jumped on his agent and go-fer Michael Koncz.

Manny Pacquiao’s beefy bodyguards had to pull an enraged Ariza off the older man in the living room of the boxer’s palatial suite at the Cooyesan Hotel in Baguio.

Ariza rained punches in the Canadian’s grill when Koncz told Coach Alex ”it’s none of your fugging business” in reply to a question about why the backstabbing and occasionally front stabbing agent was trying to persuade Megamanny to put him in his corner on fight night and remove the Freddie Roach assistant.

Ariza, 35, a young man with a solid background working with top level boxers and MMA athletes, told me Koncz has a history of messing him about.

“For the Ricky Hatton bout in May, Koncz made sure I didn’t get the wristband necessary to get past security into Manny’s locker room at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

“I had to go to (Top Rank president) Todd duBoef to get a wristband. Those are the kind of petty power games that Koncz likes to play.”

So what effect does all this swirling dissension have on Pacman? Not much, it seems although sources other than Ariza told me that Manny sat Koncz down and told him in no uncertain terms to keep his nose out of boxing issues.

“Manny was quite firm with Michael this time,” the source said. “Manny told him to only do what Manny tells him to do. But Michael seems to ignore these warnings because he then goes out and tries to sabotage everyone else. His real hatred is for Coach Roach as everyone knows.”

I tried to get in touch with Pacman Friday night but a man at the front desk informed the fighter and his Pacquiao Posse were unavailable because they were shooting hoops at the hotel’s basketball court.

His strength coach jumps on his agent.

And Manny works on his jump shots.

Isolated: No room at Manny Pacquiao inn for Freddie Roach

When Manny Pacquiao’s widely revered Coach Freddie Roach got to the Pinoy Idol’s training camp in Baguio, his arch rival Michael Koncz had a little surprise for him.

Most of the Pacman crew, including the fighter himself, were checked into the Cooyesan Hotel.

But, according to Pacman strength and conditioning guru Alex Ariza, there was no room at the inn for Roach.

Instead of bugging out and possibly upsetting the boxer, Roach accepted accommodations at the Manor Hotel.

“Koncz did that, he did that on purpose,” Ariza told me Friday by telephone from the Cooyesan Hotel.

Ariza physically attacked Koncz in Pacquiao’s suite when he discovered that the furtive Canadian agent—labeled only an “errand boy” by Ariza—was trying to change Pacman’s mind and have him replaced in the corner on fight night with, guess who, Koncz.

Ariza said shifting Roach to the other hotel and keeping him at a physical distance from Manny was a typical Koncz move.

“It’s all divide and conquer with this guy,” the 35 year old native of Colombia told me.

Ariza said Roach was initially upset to discover he had no room reserved at the Cooyesan after the long flight from Los Angeles to Manila and then on to Baguio.

“Freddie was like, ‘You’ve got to be fugging kidding me, I got no room here?’

“I went to the guy at the front desk and he was apologetic but he told me there was nothing he could because Koncz made the arrangements and that was it.

“It was a typical Koncz move. You just can’t reason with this guy because he’s always going behind your back.”

Coach Freddie Roach was relegated to the Manor Hotel at Camp John Hay, Baguio

Like many others who have observed Koncz, Ariza feels that the agent has some mental problems in dealing with other people.

Roach’s boxing credentials are beyond question. The ex-fighter is considered the premier trainer of his generation and is widely in demand.

For his own part, Ariza’s resume is strong in boxing and with MMA athletes. He’s worked for Diego Corrales, Amir Khan, Angel Manfredy among others.

Ariza is known as a “Roach guy” and he works seamlessly with the head trainer.

Ariza said his punch out of Koncz was a one off, that he usually gets along with everyone.

“I’ve never had a fight with any athlete, with any manager, with any trainer, with anybody but this guy is always trying to alienate people.”

More from the Explosive Manny Pacquiao Camp to follow…

Manny Pacquiao coach Alex Ariza: Why I punched out Michael Koncz

He couldn’t run and he couldn’t hide.

So, when Manny Pacquiao strength and conditioning guru Alex Ariza finally exploded in the “Collision at Cooyesan (Hotel)” in Baguio, the controversial Canadian showed his true colors.

Koncz didn’t lay down. He stayed down, taking about five solid punches to the face from Ariza, a 35-year-old usually even-tempered native of Bogota, Colombia.

Koncz did not even try to defend himself from the sudden physical attack.

I spoke at length with Ariza, who is prepping for his fifth major bout working alongside Pacman and Coach Freddie Roach, by telephone. Ariza was standing in the hotel lobby Friday night.

Ariza explained to me why he felt compelled to punch Koncz out.

“We were upstairs in the living room of Manny’s suite,” Ariza said of the Friday morning explosion. “He snapped at me, he got sarcastic and I did something not in my character.

“I told him, ‘Get up out of the chair.’ He didn’t get up and I punched him. Three of Manny’s bodyguards pulled me off him.

“You can’t rationalize with him, you can’t be diplomatic,” Ariza said. “I’m here to do my job, to be there for Manny 24/7. Koncz really has no role except for errand boy.”

Ariza said he was angered when he learned that, despite being told personally by Pacquiao that he wanted him to work the corner on fight night against Miguel Cotto (Nov. 14) as a replacement for ex-Roach assistant and former heavyweight champion Michael Moorer, that Koncz was blocking the move.

Ariza detailed the background to the fistic episode.

“On Thursday, I met with Manny and with (aide) Joe Ramos. They were going over tickets and credentials for the Cotto fight. Manny said he wanted me to work his corner. This is something Manny decided so I was, like, that’s cool.

“That’s a decision that only Manny ultimately makes.”

According to Ariza -- who got his start in boxing working for weight challenged Diego “Chico” Corrales -- sometime later in the day Koncz went to head trainer Roach and informed him that he would be in the corner and Ariza would not.”

Fast forward to Friday morning and Ariza asked Koncz to explain the seeming contradiction of Bossman Manny’s direct marching orders.

Koncz got red faced and snapped, “None of your f***ing business!”

That’s when Ariza rained a five-punch combination on Koncz’s head.

“I hit Koncz and he started screaming. That’s when the bodyguards moved in and grabbed me, pulled me off him.”

Is the Manny Pacquiao camp riddled with dissent, a house divided which cannot stand much longer?

Based on what I have learned, I’d say Team Pacquiao is united, united against the machinations and bad attitude and conduct of divisive agent and manager wanna-be Koncz.

More to follow from the Explosive Manny Pacquiao camp.

Cotto will weigh-in at 147lbs?

Buoyed by the recent lopsided victory of Goliath over David, backers of World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior welterweight champion Miguel Cotto (34-1, 27 KOs) have egged the 28-year-old native of Caguas, Puerto Rico to adopt the strategy employed by Team Mayweather Jr. when he squares off against boxing’s best boxer pound-for-pound Manny Pacquiao (49-3-2, 37 KOs) on November 14 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Cotto will stake his belt when he collides with the 30-year-old Filipino reigning International Boxing Organization (IBO) light welterweight king in a “catch” weight: 144 pounds.

Since he appears to be slightly physically superior being a natural 147-pounder, some of Cotto’s backers thought he could overwhelm Pacquiao by using his size to buttress his force and ring prowess.

Analysts believed Floyd Mayweather Jr. was “too heavy” for hitherto lightweight campaigner Juan Manuel Marquez to handle, not to mention Mayweather’s natural talent and skills perfectly tailored for the welterweight class.

Cotto, however, will not be the first fighter to have breached the 140-pound level that Pacquiao will face.

In December last year, the four-time world titlist in four different weight divisions, brought down the biggest Goliath in fight business – Oscar De La Hoya – with a smashing 8th round technical knockout (TKO) win in Las Vegas.

And on May 2, this year, Pacquiao silenced the cynics when he tore to shreds in two brutal rounds another Goliath, Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton of Great Britain also in Las Vegas.

The three – De La Hoya, Hatton, and Cotto – sat comfortably for years carrying world boxing jewels in their heads above the 135-pound weight bracket where Pacquiao reigned with unmatched supremacy and ferocity at the same time as World Boxing Council (WBC) franchise holder.

PENALTY

Mayweather Jr. had reported to the weighing scale “over bloated” but was prepared to pay the $600,000 penalty in his 12-round September 19 conquest of Juan Manuel Marquez in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Mayweather has denied it was his “over” weight that tore to ribbons Marquez face even as he nearly made the gutsy “Mexicutioner” wipe the canvas with his face for good in the second stanza with a searing signature left hook.

Having survived what could have been an embarrassing trip to dreamland and stretched Mayweather to the limit, Marquez offered no excuses except to grumble that he was fighting a Goliath who outweighed him by as much as 20 pounds a day before the fight.

Marquez thought an upset win over Mayweather could bring him closer to a record fourth showdown against Pacquiao, the man he has been passionately chasing all the way from superfeatherweight to lightweight until his gallant effort was put to a screeching halt by the Mayweather Express.

Mayweather claimed there was no way for any visitor in his division to derail his comeback bid even after a 21-month layoff; he even refused to speculate on his next fight saying he is the one who is undefeated and, therefore, shouldn’t be the one to chase any marquee name.

Mayweather was referring to endorsements from matchmakers for him to next face Pacquiao, the successor of his “best boxer in the world pound-for-pound” honor.

If Pacquiao will successfully dismantle Cotto on Nov. 14, Mayweather cannot anymore avoid mentioning the Filipino’s name as his possible next opponent. After all, the Pacquiao-Cotto tussle had to be reset as originally scheduled after Mayweather’s camp sought for postponement of his fight against Marquez from July 17 to September 19.

The grapevine said both Mayweather and Pacquiao need tune-up fights against dangerous foes before the rich deal will be officially packaged in a multimillion duel in 2010.

Bos: If Cotto evades early dynamite, he beats Pacquiao

There’s no one, other than myself, whose boxing opinions I value more than that of legendary matchmaker Johnny Bos.

Add Bos to the growing list of ring experts who think that Manny Pacquaio’s ride of glory may get derailed by Miguel Cotto on Nov. 14.

Why does Bos’ voice matter? Because unlike, let’s say Manny Steward who was bucking to be hired as Cotto’s trainer, Bos has no agenda, no self interest in the fight between the Pinoy Idol and durable Puerto Rican.

To hear Bos tell it, there will be two fights and, if Cotto can survive early, his chances of victory will increase exponentially.

“I see Cotto’s danger period being the first two rounds. He can’t let Pacman explode on him quick like he was able to do against Ricky Hatton. I don’t put much stock in those victories over Hatton and de la Hoya because Ricky ruined himself with alcohol and Oscar was stupid in making the weight three weeks out from the fight date with Manny,” Bos said. “Cotto is a different type of animal as opposed to those two basket cases.

“If Miguel can be wary and careful for the first two rounds, then I think he will be in the fight all the way and can beat Pacquiao. Cotto is bigger and stronger if not quicker than. But he has to watch out for first or second round lightning by Manny.”

Through 40 plus years in boxing, Bos has pegged more than his share of upsets. Like all of us, he has also been dead wrong from time to time.

What alarms me and should alarm any Pacfan is that Bos’ sentiments seem to be sweeping through the ranks of American boxing guys who do know a left hook from a fish hook.

Cotto is a danger man, to use the British expression, for anyone.

Bos knows boxing.

Bos says Pacquiao is in peril after six minutes of action are tolled.

Maybe Pacquiao should redouble that regimen in Baguio.

Bos is not a guy who cries wolf.

Marquez: Pacquiao does better than I did against Mayweather

Juan Manuel Marquez has a liquidity problem and it’s not related to his urine.

No, in the wake of losing 12 out of 12 rounds against a sometimes dazzling Floyd Mayweather Saturday night, the Mexican counter puncher’s obvious problem is he is still drinking promoter Golden Boy’s Kool Aid.

Why else would Juan Ma be babbling about fighting the Manny Pacquiao destroyed Ricky Hatton, a “punched ticket” who keeps talking as though he is retired, next?

I can’t say I feel sorry for Marquez because, as I wrote, he made his deal with the devils and took down at least $3 million for his trouble. But I do empathize with his new situation.

Face facts, he and Pacman will never engage in a third bout. These two trains are headed in different directions and running on different tracks.

I can also understand JMM not returning to 135 pounds so I guess the rest of his fading career will be at 140 pounds.

At least Marquez showed some independent thinking in speaking to HBO’s Jim Lampley, an interview the figher apparently initiated by going over to the broadcast position.

Asked how Pacman would do against the hand and foot speed of Mayweather, Marquez made sense.

“He’d do better,” Marquez said. “Manny is a guy who attacks and Mayweather is one who uses defensive techniques.”

Point well taken from a Hall Of Famer whose accomplishments were based or opponents to make mistakes and then quickly capitalizing on them.

But Marquez-Hatton? That smells like leftover meatloaf to me.

Maybe they can peddle it in the UK, I don’t know.

Maybe Juan Ma can stay at Mayweather’s house, the one he claims he is buying in England because the fans over there have shown him so much love and respect.

Marquez might like that warm British beer.

It might remind him of his training potions.

Roach belittles Floyd

There was one guy out there who was hardly moved by Floyd Mayweather’s masterful beating of Juan Manuel Marquez over the weekend at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

“Mayweather beat the best lightweight in the world,” said top trainer Freddie Roach, who didn’t even bother to watch the 12-round bout on pay-per-view, insisting that he knew what was going to happen.

“That’s exactly what happened,” said Roach, referring to the lopsided victory posted by Mayweather over the relatively smaller and much slower Mexican.

A noted observer of the fight game, Pacquiao conditioning coach Alex Ariza, said there was no way Mayweather was light when he answered the bell for Marquez.

“He was 158 (or even) 160 lbs),” said Ariza, stressing that even if Mayweather was three divisions heavier, “he couldn’t knock Marquez out.”

Ariza said that while Mayweather was hardly challenged by Marquez and Pacquiao went through rough times with Marquez, it doesn’t follow that Mayweather is going to pick Pacquiao apart.

“It’s different and you can’t compare,” said Ariza.

Ariza said the Mayweather-Marquez bout was a product of “poor matchmaking.”

Meanwhile, Roach and Ariza will arrive at 5:55 a.m. on Tuesday on board a Philippine Airlines flight from Los Angeles.

From Manila, Roach and Ariza will be brought to Baguio City so they could be there in time for Pacquiao’s afternoon workout at the Cooyeesan Hotel, where a well-equipped gym will play host to the fighter’s four weeks of training in preparation for the November 14 clash with Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico.

Purse may derail Pacquiao bout with Mayweather

Only one thing could prevent a Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Manny Pacquiao fight from happening – a disagreement on the purse split.

This early, the boxing world is looking at a big clash between the two pound-for-pound champions, one that could easily land as the fight of the decade.

It could happen next year, in the latter part perhaps, and yet, again, this early, how the Big Apple is to be divided between the two camps is the big question.

Mayweather, it seems, will ask for a bigger share if and when negotiations for a Pacquiao fight begins. And Bob Arum of Top Rank will certainly look the other way in favor of Pacquiao.

Arum, a couple of months back, described Mayweather as “delusional” if the comebacking ex-pound-for-pound champion who beat a smaller Juan Manuel Marquez thinks he deserves more than Pacquiao.

Mayweather’s adviser, Frank Ellerbe, had hinted that they won’t take a 50-50 split.

“It seems like there’s a lot of things working against this fight ever happening,” Pacquiao’s chief trainer, Freddie Roach, told Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times yesterday.

“It makes sense. It’d be a great fight, but it seems there’s a lot of distractions around it. I don’t think it’s going to happen,” said Roach.

While ticket sales for the Mayweather-Marquez fight weren’t as great, Golden Boy’s Richard Schaefer and Team Mayweather, according to the LA Times, are looking at a million pay-per-view buys.

Something that would exceed the 900,000 buys for the Pacquiao-Ricky Hatton fight last May.

“Floyd will have all the leverage if that’s the number. Love him or hate him, he’s the biggest name in the sport, and the biggest revenue stream doesn’t come from the Philippines. The US is the capital of boxing, and Floyd Mayweather is the president of the capital,” Schaefer was quoted as saying.

“If Arum says 50-50 is fair, it probably isn’t,” Schaefer also said.

Bet on it: Manny Pacquiao will be next to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr.

With his engaging smile and handsome face, Oscar De La Hoya exudes the aura of a gifted salesman, a top producer.

It has served him well as he has built his company, Golden Boy Promotions, into a major force in the boxing business since its inception eight years ago.

This was a tough sell, though.

De La Hoya was trying to convince an assemblage of irascible boxing types late Saturday night at the MGM Grand that Shane Mosley, rather than Manny Pacquiao, would make a better opponent for Floyd Mayweather Jr. in Mayweather’s next fight.

De La Hoya knew he was pushing for Mosley only because Mosley is a member in good standing of the Golden Boy stable. The crowd knew it. De La Hoya knew the crowd knew it, and the crowd knew De La Hoya knew the crowd knew it.

The poker table was filled with professionals and everyone saw the bluff developing.

Nevertheless, De La Hoya gave it a shot.

“Mosley has a strong case, let me tell you,” De La Hoya said, clearly struggling for words to back up his assertion, repeating the same phrase but stressing a different syllable each time. “Mosley has a strong case. Mosley has a very strong case.”

He sounded like one of those concert emcees at Shea Stadium in 1965 given the thankless task of hyping the appearance of Sounds Incorporated when the crowd was obviously wired up to see the Beatles.

De La Hoya’s pitch was greeted by a confused silence and then a couple of catcalls, until someone politely suggested that Pacquiao would present a more desirable match.

After all, during Mayweather’s hiatus of nearly two years from boxing, Pacquiao claimed the consensus if mythical title of best active boxer in the world at any weight.

Mayweather regained the distinction with a brilliant performance in his 12-round dismantling, a near shutout, of Juan Manuel Marquez on Saturday at the Grand Garden Arena.

Prediction: Team Golden Boy’s lobbying notwithstanding, Mayweather-Pacquiao will be made. Negotiations will be hard and marked by all manner of posturing and name-calling. The proposed fight will be supposedly “on,” then “off again,” then “back on,” and this cycle will repeat two or three times. We’ve seen this show before. The promoters will inform us repeatedly that the lucrative fight “transcends boxing,” whatever that means. But it will be made.

Mayweather, despite intense questioning — he accurately pointed out that he was being asked the same thing over and over again in various ways — did not address his next fight. About the Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto fight scheduled for Nov. 14 at the MGM Grand, Mayweather said only that he hopes the best man wins.

His father, Floyd Mayweather Sr., cast his vote for a fight with Pacquiao over Mosley, though he thinks his son would win either fight handily.

“Mosley just wants a big payday, and Floyd shouldn’t give him one,” Mayweather Sr. said. “I want him to fight Pacquiao. Floyd can definitely whoop Mosley. Pacquiao? He’s probably even easier. He’s not in Floyd’s league.”

Although their relationship has been contentious in the past, father and son embraced in the ring just before Little Floyd went to work on Marquez (50-5-1).

“I gave him some good words of wisdom in there,” said Mayweather Sr., evoking the memory of Michael Jackson by sporting a showy military-style jacket on fight night. “I wanted him to protect himself, to keep his hands up, to win. I just wanted to give him some fatherly advice.”

Much has been made, with good reason, of Mayweather’s lopsided advantage in the punch statistics and on the official scorecards, where he won 120-107, 119-108 and 118-109. (I found it in my heart to award Marquez one round and had it 119-108.)

Just as impressive were the nuances in Mayweather’s execution, the way he controlled the ring and took Marquez out of his game — a difficult assignment Mayweather made look effortless. In his first fight since December 2007, Mayweather enhanced his reputation as a thinking fan’s fighter, someone best appreciated by those who enjoy the finer points of the sport: defense, the art of elusion, tactical maneuvering.

Loyal to the end, Marquez’s supporters filled the arena with cheers on every attempt by their man to put together a flurry of punches. More often than not, though, Mayweather picked off shot after shot thrown by Marquez, like the Japanese monster Grogan swatting down a fighter jet on the old SCTV sketch. The defining image of the fight might be a frowning Marquez fan posing for a photo in the lobby afterward, looking downcast but defiantly holding up a Mexican flag with Marquez’s name spelled out on it in silver lettering.

“He was trying to go to the body, but when I am in the ring I can see every shot that is coming,” Mayweather (40-0) said.

Mayweather went off as a minus 350 betting favorite (risk $3.50 to net $1) at the MGM on Saturday after a late line move toward the underdog. In betting odds updated Sunday at all Lucky’s sports books in Nevada, Mayweather is listed as a minus 170 favorite against Pacquiao and as a minus 300 favorite against Mosley.

Mayweather Sr. saw at least a little room for improvement in his son’s dominant showing Saturday and expects him to be sharper in his next fight — a sobering assessment for either Pacquiao or Mosley.

“Rust means a lot,” Mayweather Sr. said. “I don’t care what anybody says. You ain’t fought in two years and you fight again, it’s going to feel different. If Floyd had never took time off, he would have stopped him. He would have been in fighting shape, no rust.

“He wasn’t rusty like completely gone. But he didn’t let his hands go. If he did, you would have seen a different ending to the fight. You would have seen a stoppage.”

pacman is around 150 or lbs right now. he doesn't need to "work-out" that much to make the weight. kaya siguro 2 months lang ang tinitignan nila. but i haven't heard or seen anything from ariza, 'yung physical trainer/nutritionist nya (?)...

Ariza still sees KO win for ‘PacMan’

Unlike in his previous major fights, the key members of boxing superstar Manny “PacMan” Pacquiao—his trainer Freddie Roach and conditioning coach Alex Ariza—have a somewhat different outlook of PacMan’s coming clash with Miguel Cotto.

Ariza is still optimistic Pacquiao would still find a way to stop the Puerto Rican World Boxing Organization welterweight champion on November 14.

Ariza, who is scheduled to fly to Manila with Roach and four sparring partners sometime this week, did not say what round such a stoppage is going to take place.

Roach, on the other hand, has publicly stated that Pacquiao-Cotto is likely to go the distance. This is quite a departure to his bold knockout predictions in Pacquiao’s previous fights against David Diaz, Oscar De la Hoya and Ricky Hatton.

Those predictions proved to be self-fulfilling prophecies almost up to the exact rounds the stoppages were going to take place.

However, Roach maintains that Pacquiao, considered boxing’s best pound-for-pound, is too fast for Cotto and that advantage would carry his prized fighter to a points victory.

Although forced to make the most of a seven-week training camp, the three-time Trainer of the Year tries to sound that such time would be enough to whip Pacquiao into shape for what they admitted would be their “toughest fight.”

Roach observed that Pacquiao is tenacious in training, pushing himself to a rigorous regimen of four-hour daily training routine six days a week, with Sunday as rest day.

But then, Roach had earlier requested vainly for training camp to be set up away from the Philippines, where PacMan has a hundred and one ways to be distracted. This happened with Pacquiao’s preparation in Cebu for his rematch with Mexican lightweight star Marco Antonio Barrera.

Pacquiao rose to boxing fame with a knockout win over the heavily-favored Barrera on November 15, 2003. During their rematch four years later on October 6, 2007, PacMan trained in Cebu for that rematch, and he was not nearly as sharp in winning a unanimous decision because of distractions.

Pacquiao seems unperturbed by the fact that his Puerto Rican foe has been training for a full month even before he could officially begin training camp.

But boxing pundits believe that against a natural welterweight like Cotto, whose ring resume includes wins over elite fighters like top welterweight Shane Mosley, an under-trained Pacquiao could be in for a shock, especially if the fight goes 12 rounds.

Freedie "He's Just the TRAINER" Roach's Prediction on Pacman vs Cotto

"Well you know his size and strength are a problem. He is very big. He nullified Shane Mosley’s speed. He is a very intelligent fighter. Anyone that says this is an easy fight is a fool. This is the hardest fight of our life. I believe that 100%. I don’t think we can win by knock out this time. I think we will win via a decision. This guy is a game, tough guy. He has already been in camp for three weeks. If he wins this fight everything bad that has happened in his career goes away. This is the fight of his life. Anyone that expects anything different would be a fool." - Freedie "He dont know s@%t about boxing " Roach

News Flash! Freddie's Prediction!

Manny in NYC

Let's not make Miguel Cotto out to be something more honorable and classy than he is once the bell rings. Truth be told, we all know Miguel Cotto is a dirty fighter, and an unabashed dirty fighter at that.

It's not that Miguel glorifies his "roughhouse" tactics. He doesn't. But when Miguel has had the chance, or when the temper has flared, or when he's simply needed a momentum swing, we've seen him take advantage.

Low blows against Zab Judah. A near bodyslam on Joshua Clottey. He'll lift his elbows when he has to.

When Manny Pacquiao stands across the ring from Cotto on November 14, he better be prepared for exactly that type of fight.

Cotto is an excellent fighter, a guy who adapts to his opponents as well as anyone in boxing today. After arguing and giving it thought, I might be underestimating the size advantage that Cotto will have against Pacquiao, though I still feel it's overstated by many. Bottom line, I don't think size will win the fight for Cotto. He'll have to earn it with skill.

Pacquiao, lightning fast, very strong, and very intelligent, will make Cotto work. He's a southpaw with a distinct advantage in hand speed, much like Judah was against Cotto. When Zab challenged Miguel, some vicious low blows came into the equation. Cotto, iceman that he is, showed no emotion over his foul play.

It is what it is.

What happens when Miguel brings these tactics to Pacquiao? Could this be a not-so-secret weapon to try and turn the tide should Manny's speed dominate the early going?

I think you have to expect it, and I think Pacquiao and Freddie Roach have to prepare to combat it, and to stay out of the wheelhouse, as it were, as much as they possibly can. What Cotto may not have in speed, he might make up for by getting into Pacquiao's head and taking him into a fight he simply doesn't want.

As if Manny doesn't have enough to worry about against Cotto, the fighter Freddie Roach is calling the toughest Manny has had to date.

Can Cotto Defeat Pacquiao, But Lose On A 'Wild-card'?

Much speculation has brewed recently in the underground Puerto Rican community about the odds of Miguel Cotto finding himself on the opposite end of a 'gift decision'. After so many times where many thought he unfairly got the nod, (Clottey and Mosley fights), there's room to believe that streak may finally end, giving him a dose of the same unfortunate reality. This seems impossible when you consider that Cotto isn't gonna be as easy to hit (or find) as many people think, making it somewhat harder to score a fight in Pacquiao's favor. Dela Hoya and Hatton were easy targets, and neither has ever been known to have even a little bit of defense, but Cotto (on the other hand) has learned quite well how to slip quick punches, and his fights against Mosley, Judah, and Malignaggi, all speak this truth. With the world literally awaiting a Pacquiao/Mayweather showdown, is there truth to the growing speculation of those who wonder if Cotto can actually get a points victory in this fight? We know he's gonna be the aggressor, as Pacquaio won't make the mistake of trying to walk him down for 12rds. We know that he (Cotto) has basically all of the size related advantages coming into the fight. We know that he brings the power advantage into the fight as well, but what difference does all that make in the end if the true money fight hinges on the victory of his opponent? Hopefully this is all speculation and not reality. A poor decision on the biggest stage the sport has seen in years would be fatal to a sport many think is already on its last leg. Stay tuned.

Pacquiao-Cotto: Manny's Weight Shows Size Difference

Manny Pacquiao's recent statement about his weight shows a clear picture of the size difference going into the fight. Miguel Cotto has already been in training in Puerto Rico for the last few weeks for their November 14 bout at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. There has been some concern from Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach because his fighter has not begun his training as of yet.

Cotto began training early because he has to work a lot harder to work off the extra weight and the fight is scheduled for a catch-weight of 145-pounds. Cotto usually walks around at 165-pounds. Pacquiao stated that his current weight is 150-pounds, or 5 pounds away from the November catch-weight. The weight shows the obvious size difference. Pacquiao is fighting close to his walking weight. Cotto is expected to put on at least 10-pounds after the weigh-in.

Pacquiao has already started running and plans to start camp after the media tour that begins on September 10. There is a still a question mark as to where Pacquiao will hold his camp.

145 pounds - WBO Welterweight Class -fight is scheduled for a catch-weight of 145-pounds

165 pounds - WBO Supermiddleweight Class - Cotto usually walks around at 165-pounds.

150 pounds - WBO Juniormiddleweight Class - Pacquiao stated that his current weight is 150-pounds..

155 pounds - WBO Middleweight Class - Cotto is expected to put on at least 10-pounds after the weigh-in.