Pacquiao vs Mayweather Official Thread...May 2nd!!!

[patscorpio]

Anyone putting money down on this?
I just can't imagine Floyd losing…but then again, boxing is just crooked as hell.

They have him at -225…which isn't that bad…get almost a 50% return on your money

The one sure bet im making is a draw until I see some prop bets. I gamble for a 100% or better return on my dough.

 

[iceberg_is_on_fire]

Anyone putting money down on this?
I just can't imagine Floyd losing…but then again, boxing is just crooked as hell.

They have him at -225…which isn't that bad…get almost a 50% return on your money

Anybody can lose breh. At this point in time with Floyd, I'd be scared if he were in the ring with someone like Julian Jackson, real 1 punch KO power because all it takes is one. I'm not a gambling person on things that I can't control. Pool or back in the day with Halo, I'd fade anyone. Outside of that

 

[jilla82]

The one sure bet im making is a draw until I see some prop bets. I gamble for a 100% or better return on my dough.

A draw? hmmm…thats interesting. How often does that happen in boxing though?

I sell things for a living…so a 45% return sounds good to someone like me (large retailers go as low as 1%-2%)...45% just looks like gravy to my virgin betting eyes.

It makes sense though to look for large payouts when the outcome has nothing to do w/ you.

 

[seemorecizzy]

Anyone putting money down on this?
I just can't imagine Floyd losing…but then again, boxing is just crooked as hell.

They have him at -225…which isn't that bad…get almost a 50% return on your money

A draw is the worst possible outcome and would bring everythng to square one
Hurts my head already
I'll be making a small bet on a draw just cause I no how boxing is
Remember a judge gave the fight to de la Hoya and one ruled his fight with canelo a draw
The odds are too good not to bet a little something on a draw

Most my money will be betting on a mayweather w tho

 

[iceberg_is_on_fire]

Dwyer talking betting lines

 

[GREENandYELLOW]

Dan's full recap of making Mayweather-Pacquiao:
http://espn.go.com/boxing/story/_/id/12408403/how-mayweather-pacquiao-was-made

When pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr. finally put pen to paper and showed the world a photo of the contract he signed on Feb. 20 for his long awaited mega fight with Manny Pacquiao -- a deal agonizingly in the making for more than five years -- it was a moment many thought would never happen and it was cheered by sports fans around the world.

Perhaps no one was happier than CBS Corp. president and CEO Leslie Moonves, the central figure in getting the deal done during a personal effort that lasted nearly a year.

It began with the help of a waiter and a boxing trainer. It involved bringing together enemies Bob Arum of Top Rank, Pacquiao's promoter, and Mayweather adviser Al Haymon. It included getting rival television networks Showtime, which Moonves oversees, and HBO to make a deal for a joint pay-per-view broadcast. And it ended with everyone counting down to May 2.

That is when Mayweather and Pacquiao will meet to unify their welterweight titles, to determine once and for all boxing's No. 1 fighter, pound for pound, and to crown the king of the era at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. It is perhaps the biggest fight since the first legendary showdown between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier on March 8, 1971, at New York's Madison Square Garden.

Moonves is hailed by those on both sides of the complicated deal as the steady, guiding force who was able to keep things from falling apart. One person involved referred to Moonves as "the adult in the room." Another called him "the straw that stirred the drink" when it came to dragging the talks over the finish line.

"I tip my hat to Les. This would not have happened without his perseverance and his unique relationships," HBO chairman and CEO Richard Plepler told ESPN.com. "We were more than honored and delighted to work closely with him to make it happen. It would not have been possible without his energy throughout the process."

Stephen Espinoza, executive vice president and general manager of Showtime Sports, and Arum don't agree on much, but they do when it comes to how critical Moonves was to making the deal.

"One of the main reasons why this deal got done, as opposed to deals in the past, was because Leslie Moonves was a part of the process," Espinoza said. "He was deeply committed to making this deal and was someone that all parties in this negotiation really respect. He was really the catalyst for seeing this through and refused to take no for an answer from any side."

Said Arum: "He was the guy who really wanted to make it happen. He has enormous experience and talent in this area. This wasn't his first rodeo. It never would have happened without him. Trust me, it would never happen.

"Les was the difference, in my opinion, on why it happened this time and not other times we tried. But you never look back at the road that you took. You always look at the result -- and we got a fight done didn't we? -- so yeah, it was worth it."

Moonves was right in the middle of getting the issues worked out between the Mayweather and Pacquiao camps as well as instrumental in hammering out a deal for the joint pay-per-view telecast between Showtime (which has Mayweather under exclusive contract) and HBO (which has an exclusive deal with Pacquiao). It's just the second time they have worked together on a pay-per-view fight, the other being the 2002 record-breaker between then-heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis (who was signed to HBO) and former champion Mike Tyson (who was signed to Showtime) in what was the highest grossing fight in history at the time.

Moonves, 65, described himself in an interview with ESPN.com as a boxing fan for "my whole life." As a kid, his favorite fighter was heavyweight champion Floyd Patterson. As an adult, it was middleweight champion Marvin Hagler.

"I remember listening to Floyd Patterson fights on the radio growing up in New York," Moonves said. "We listened in dismay as he got destroyed by Sonny Liston twice. I loved Patterson; my father loved Sugar Ray Robinson. And I liked Hagler a lot. I was a Marvin Hagler fan. I'm definitely a boxing fan."

Moonves is also one of the most powerful people in television and one of the few with the direct ability to help make the fight since CBS is the parent company of Showtime. Moonves also had a vested business interest in getting the deal done. Most see the fight as a slam dunk to break every revenue record in boxing history, and many estimate that it will gross more than $400 million. But Moonves said that in addition to business, as a boxing fan, he needed to see this fight made for the sake of the sport.

 

[GREENandYELLOW]

"This will be huge. So, yes, there was a business interest in getting this done," Moonves said. "But I also felt the importance of this fight for the boxing industry and for the sport. That kept me going. This was more than just a business deal to me.

"You'd have to be born on Mars not to know that the world wanted this fight. We have this deal with Floyd and it's in the back of everyone's mind: How do we make this deal happen?"

It wasn't easy, as past history has shown. Mayweather and Pacquiao were close to deals at various times, including the first time around in late 2009 and early 2010. Every deal point was agreed to except the method of drug testing, so the deal fell apart. Until 2013, both fighters were with HBO, albeit without exclusive contracts, but that did not help efforts to make the match.

In February 2013, Mayweather left HBO, his career-long network, and signed a six-fight, 30-month deal with CBS/Showtime. It was announced as the "richest individual athlete deal in all of sports," worth more than $200 million. Mayweather went about fighting other opponents, as did Pacquiao, and they looked like they might never get together. But their falling pay-per-view numbers and continued public demand for them to face each other kept the fight front and center, especially for Moonves, who still owed Mayweather two more fights that would pay him more than $30 million a pop. So last spring Moonves set his plan in motion to try to make the fight. He thought he could lure Pacquiao to Showtime, unaware that in May he signed a five-fight contract extension with Top Rank that included HBO exclusivity to his fights through the end of 2016.

This is where the waiter and trainer come in.

Moonves is a frequent diner at Craig's, a Los Angeles restaurant, where he has gotten to know the waiter who serves him regularly.

"He's always there. Nice guy, Gabriel Rueda," Moonves said. "One day he says, respectfully, 'I know you're a big boxing fan and I know you're involved with Showtime. My son trains with Freddie Roach. We've got to get this fight together. Freddie would love to get together with you.' I said, 'All right, let's set it up.'"

Roach, of course, is Pacquiao's Hall of Fame trainer and owner of the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, where Rueda's college-age son trained as an amateur boxer. Rueda told Roach that Moonves was interested in meeting with him. They met for a drink in late May, a few days after Memorial Day, at Scarpetta, an Italian restaurant in Beverly Hills.

"Freddie said, 'I want the fight to happen, Manny wants the fight to happen,'" Moonves said. "We had a good talk and I realized it wouldn't get done without Bob."

Roach said that Moonves was leery of Arum, whom he had known socially for many years -- even vacationed with -- but felt burned by him in a previous Pacquiao deal and hadn't spoken to him since. In 2011, Arum shook up the boxing industry when he took Pacquiao from HBO to Showtime for his PPV fight with Shane Mosley.

Roach said that Moonves told him he expected it to be the first of three Pacquiao fights, but after the Mosley fight Arum took Pacquiao back to HBO and there were hard feelings.

"Les wanted to meet with Manny because he thought his contract with Bob was over, and so he reached out to me through [Rueda]. The waiter told me Les wanted to get a hold of me," Roach said. "We had our first meeting at a fancy Italian restaurant in Beverly Hills. He said, 'Let's go sit at the bar.' He ordered a drink and I ordered a bottle of water and we talked about Manny's future and he wanted to know if I could get Manny in front of him.

"I told him you can't do that because Manny is with Top Rank. He thought the contract was over. He said Bob promised him two more fights [after the Mosley fight] and 'I'm not going to meet with that mother f-----.' He was mad at Bob for not giving him the fights he thought he owed him. I told Les, 'It would be really good to talk to Bob. You need to let everything go and talk to him.' He said, 'I'm not kissing his ass.' It wasn't going very well. I told Les, 'Let's make this happen. You can make this happen.'"

After the meeting, Roach said, he called Arum to fill him in.

"I called Bob up and said, 'I met with Les and he wanted to meet with Manny but I told him Manny re-signed with you," Roach said. "Bob said, 'F--- him.' Bob was mad at Les too. But I said to myself if I can just get these two together that's the best way for the fight to happen."

Arum lives in Las Vegas but also has a second home in Los Angeles, not far from Moonves' Beverly Hills home and, ultimately, Roach helped set up a pivotal 45-minute meeting that took place at Arum's home in June.

"When we got there they shook hands," Roach said. "They were going over ideas and they agreed that they could work it out between HBO and Showtime and that Les could deliver Mayweather and, of course, Bob could deliver Manny. The only thing I said to them is that they should get somebody neutral to negotiate the fight, like Jimmy Carter or Bill Clinton. They told me to go f--- myself, but when we walked out they had their arms around each other and I said to myself, 'This fight's gonna get made.' They just needed to talk."

While Moonves and Arum stayed in touch -- with Moonves filling in those who needed to know at Showtime and Arum doing the same at HBO -- Mayweather and Pacquiao were both going to fight other opponents in the fall. Arum and Moonves agreed to reconvene after their bouts.

Mayweather (47-0, 26 KOs), 38, outpointed Marcos Maidana in their Sept. 13 rematch at the MGM Grand and Pacquiao (57-5-2, 38 KOs), 36, fought for the second time at the Venetian in Macau, China, knocking down Chris Algieri six times and winning a near-shutout decision on Nov. 22.

With both fighters winning and public and media demand for the fight still unrelenting, the next hurdle was to get Arum and Al Haymon, Mayweather's adviser, to negotiate terms of the bout -- not an easy task considering they despise each other.

Arum was Mayweather's promoter from the time he turned pro in 1996 until he left him in 2006, having done 35 of his first 36 fights. It was an acrimonious split with Arum feeling as though Haymon was responsible for coming between them. Haymon negotiated a clause in Mayweather's contract under which Mayweather could buy it out for $750,000, which he did, vowing to never work with Top Rank. For years, Mayweather and Arum have belittled each other in the media.

For most of the negotiation, Moonves dealt with Arum and Haymon individually, taking messages back and forth between them. In addition to having patched up his friendship with Arum, Moonves also has an excellent relationship Haymon, with whom Showtime has been doing most of its fights.

 

[GREENandYELLOW]

"Bob and I have been friends for a long time and, obviously, we have an extraordinary relationship with Al Haymon and done a number of fights with him," Moonves said. "He has been an extraordinary partner, always a gentleman to deal with. So I had the relationship with both sides and have a vested interest because of our deal with Floyd. Bob knew I was a fair broker. I was the one who was able to be a liaison."

They had gotten close on the major points but Arum and Haymon were eventually going to have to meet in person to really get it done. Moonves arranged it and for the first time in several years Arum and Haymon were face to face at a December meeting at Moonves' home. Haymon does not speak to the media. Arum described the meeting as cordial and productive.

"We shook hands. We were very professional," Arum said. "We went through everything, point by point, and we realized there wasn't any kind of big gap there on these points as far as how the promotion would run and the drug testing. Pretty much everything fell into place. Al had to talk to his fighter and I had to talk to Pacquiao, but when I left Les' house I assumed there was a deal.

"I never talked to Haymon after that meeting in Les' house. That meeting was strictly business, but there wasn't a shred of animosity."

Arum said he had been dropped off at Moonves house, so Moonves drove him home after the meeting. During the ride, Arum said both he and Moonves felt that the fight would get done.

"We knew we were on our way to finalizing a deal," said Arum, who added that he sometimes talked to Moonves five times a day down the stretch.

Said Moonves: "I think there was a lot that was decided in that meeting. Both guys were very respectful of each other and of me and an awful lot of things were put on the table and agreed to. That meeting went a long way to getting this fight made. There was a lot of back and forth. We needed to get in the same room together."

Many of the major issues were agreed to in that meeting or shortly thereafter. Major points included the date and site of the fight, revenue split (60-40 in Mayweather's favor), drug testing protocol (Mayweather's preferred random blood and urine testing conducted by the United States Anti-Doping Agency rather than Pacquiao's desire for it to be run by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association), the gloves each man will wear (they'll stick to their usual brands, Grant for Mayweather and Reyes for Pacquiao), who will walk to the ring last (Mayweather), who will be introduced last (Mayweather) and who will be billed first in the promotion (it's Mayweather-Pacquiao).

But there were still things that needed to be ironed out and contracts to be written, not to mention a TV deal to be made between HBO and Showtime. Arum got frustrated early this year over the pace of everything being put to paper, but again it was Moonves to the rescue.

"They'd get a draft from our lawyers and not answer for a few days and I'd go to Les, and they'd finally answer," Arum said. "I went a little batty, but I controlled myself. They'd get a response and it would take a week to get a reply. I said if Mayweather wants to do it at the end of June, we can relax a little bit. But if he is insisting on May 2, we got to get this f------ thing done.

"On the fundamental points, after we circulated the first draft, there was a deal. A lot of points raised back and forth were nonsense."

Neither side wanted to disclose what the final issues were, although one source with knowledge of the deal said that how to divide the roughly 16,000 tickets was the last sticking point. Ultimately, they settled on a split in which one third of the tickets will be controlled by Mayweather/Showtime, one third by Pacquiao/Top Rank/HBO and one third by the MGM. If there is any public sale of tickets it likely will be very few, perhaps 1,000 just for show. Whatever Arum and Haymon agreed to, it wouldn't mean anything if HBO and Showtime couldn't make a deal.

The ball really got rolling on Jan. 14 at the Lambs Club, a swanky Manhattan restaurant, where Plepler, HBO Sports president Ken Hershman, Showtime chairman and CEO Matt Blank and Espinoza met for lunch.

"I must say it was a terrific collaboration with Les and Matt," Plepler said. "I think, quite frankly, it would surprise people how smooth it went. Les called me back in August to plant the notion of putting this together. He made the first approach and I was thrilled to meet him halfway. I'm honored to work with he and Matt and make this the best event it can be, and that's what it will be."

The 2002 Lewis-Tyson deal served as a framework but there were a ton of issues to deal with, most notably which network's announcers would call the fight and which network would get the delayed broadcast rights.

"The Mike Tyson-Lennox Lewis joint pay-per-view fight was a great roadmap for this fight," Hershman said. "It showed that this can be done successfully. There's a lot of mechanics that go into this when two networks are working together, and those mechanics carry forward in terms of how things operate behind the scenes."

"There weren't a lot of disputes," Moonves said. "Rich Plepler at HBO is a friend of mine. We both said early on, 'Look, we're partners. We'll split it and work it out.' They've been a good partner."

Although the broadcast team has not been formally announced it is expected that HBO blow-by-blow announcer Jim Lampley will work with Showtime analyst Al Bernstein and HBO expert analyst Roy Jones Jr. James Brown, CBS' NFL studio host, is expected to host the telecast with HBO's Max Kellerman and Showtime's Jim Gray expected to handle the reporter/interview roles with other personnel from both networks also expected to be involved.

"Les and Matt and I worked out the final compromises [of the TV deal] on the phone. When we got to the final five issues we resolved them in literally 12 minutes," said Plepler, declining to detail any of them. "I couldn't be more delighted. I saw them in L.A. on Oscars weekend and we all kind of looked at each other and said, 'This is a wonderful event not just for boxing but for sports.'"

With respect to the delayed broadcast -- perhaps the toughest issue -- Moonves said they finally agreed to air simultaneous replays rather than going with the Lewis-Tyson model in which the network whose fighter wins the fight gets the replay rights and pays the other network $3 million.

"We [CBS] are televising Super Bowl 50 next year," Moonves said. "A lot of people don't realize that Super Bowl I was on NBC and CBS."

Moonves was in constant touch with Blank and Espinoza during the talks as they dealt with Plepler and Hershman.

"Stephen did the bulk of the deal [on Showtime's end] and there was a lot of work to be done," Moonves said. "I didn't have time for every little detail because I was dealing with the two fighters and their promoters, besides the network deal. But I was involved in the broad strokes. I spoke to Bob, Al and Stephen regularly. This went beyond a deal. It was also fun. But a lot of days I'd go home to my wife and want to bang my head against the wall.

"We knew the negotiations would be tough but I am quite familiar with tough negotiations. This was tough and complex, especially with such strong personalities on both sides. But both Al and Bob behaved admirably. There was a lot of back and forth and a lot of respect from them both. They both wanted this deal to happen and Manny and Floyd wanted this deal to happen."

Arum was still a bit unsure in late January because he thought the remaining issues were simple to deal with. He had always questioned Mayweather's sincerity about making the fight until Mayweather and Pacquiao met briefly -- and very publicly -- at halftime of the Miami Heat-Milwaukee Bucks game in Miami on Jan. 27, exchanged cell phone numbers and then met privately for about an hour in Pacquiao's hotel suite after the game.

"I believe that the direct line of communication between Floyd and Manny cleared up a lot of doubts on both of their minds and renewed their commitment to getting this fight done," Espinoza said. "The meeting between Floyd and Manny at the Miami Heat game certainly greased the wheels in getting through the final stages of the process."

Said Arum: "The only time I was really convinced Mayweather was on board was when he had that meeting with Manny and [Pacquiao adviser] Michael [Koncz] in his suite in Miami. Before that this was trying my patience with the only explanation being that they couldn't get Floyd to agree.

"I think it reassured me and reassured Manny and Michael that this deal was going to happen. It didn't move the negotiation, but it made us relax. This was the most tedious and frustrating thing I've ever been through over nothing. The issues were really nothing, but I'm glad Les was able to guide us through everything."

Moonves didn't want to take any bows. When told that many involved in the deal, as well as boxing fans that followed every step of the negotiations, considered him a hero, he was modest.

"All I know is my father is very happy and proud," Moonves said. "He is 94 and he is going to the fight with me and he is very excited."

 

[krackdagawd]

I said it when @patscorpio mentioned it when the fight was first announced.......this fight is going to be closer than the stans on either side want to believe and a draw forces HBO and SHO to work together again because they have no plans on doing so at the moment(no rematch clause).

+Floyd keeps his zero

+big business again for Vegas

 

[Mac Casper]

Following her dominant, 14-second win over Cat Zingano at UFC 184 on Saturday night, UFC women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey was ready to spare no expense to land a ticket to the biggest boxing matchup in history as Floyd Mayweather takes on Manny Pacquiao on May 2 in Las Vegas.

Rousey earned $180,000 for her performance over Zingano and she was prepared to spend whatever it took to earn a seat as close to the ring as possible to see the highly anticipated boxing match.

But like Charlie Bucket scoring the magical golden ticket to visit Willie Wonka's chocolate factory, Rousey will sit ringside for Mayweather vs. Pacquiao as the only person in attendance to receive a complementary pass.

According tothe Daily Mail, promoter Bob Arum has been a fan of Rousey's for some time and after hearing that she so desperately wanted to attend the fight, he decided to gift her the only free ticket available for the fight card.

Tickets for the mega-fight haven't gone on sale yet, but prices are expected to reach astronomical levels once the coveted event becomes available to the public.

Prices on ticketsare expected to reachin the neighborhood of $22,000 for floor seats with upperdeck tickets going for around $2,300.

One can only imagine how much ringside tickets will cost.

Arum said originally because this event is so huge and expected to break every box office record in history, no tickets will be comped for celebrity guests such as Will Smith or Leonardo DiCaprio, who are regulars at boxing's biggest shows.

It seems being the baddest woman on the planet has its benefits because Arum will gladly hand the one free ticket he has to Rousey so she can watch the biggest boxing fight of all time.

I hope Mayweather knocks her up

 

[Mac Casper]

Bob Arum lays down the making of Mayweather-Pacquiao
Michael Woods
February 28, 2015

Photo by Richard Drew

All-time promotional legend Bob Arum has been at it since 1966, so when he is asked for the big-picture assessment of our Super Bowl fight, Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao, ears should perk up.

Arum, age 83, has put together or been part of the craftmaking crew for some legendary affairs, among them 27 Muhammad Ali fights, 20 Marvelous Marvin Hagler bouts and his branding expertise helped build the resume of Oscar De La Hoya. So, again, antennae should be erect when he’s asked about the public reaction to #MayPac. He helped package 1971’s Ali vs. Joe Frazier at Madison Square Garden, did the 1987 Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Hagler Super Fight and was all over the Fight of the Millennium in 1999, Oscar vs. Felix “Tito” Trinidad.

The Brooklyn-born, Vegas-based deal-maker, known for being a loose cannon at times – God bless his soul; we media love his rants – chatted with ESPN’s Joe Tessitore on Friday night. Portions of the talk ran on “Friday Night Fights,” the series which runs out in a few months, word is, with it being replaced by fare put together by Al Haymon.

Arum said a meeting between him, CBS chief Leslie Moonves and Haymon at the end of December, was crucial because deal points were clarified then. In two hours at Moonves’ house, things came together to a large extent, he said. The CBS titan then reached out to HBO big chief Richard Plepler, who got on the same page as Moonves in “12 minutes, solved most of the issues, all of the big issues, regarding the broadcast.”

Tess noted that Arum used to promote Mayweather. “How is their relationship now?” Tess asked Arum, who, in the not-too-distant past, compared some of Floyd’s behavior in supposedly dodging a “Pac-Man” fight to a certain demonic dictator from Germany and was the focus of Floyd’s ire. Mayweather said if Arum was part of a deal with Pac-Man, there would be no deal. Those happenings have faded from memory, it seems, as Arum said, “Well, I’ve never had any problem with Floyd. A lot of people made an issue of this great feud that Floyd and I had with each other but that wasn’t the case.” He said Floyd is friends with his stepson, Todd duBoef; they embrace when they see each other. “Floyd has peculiarities and so do I; everybody does,” Arum continued. Mayweather handled his side of the negotiations well, the Vegas promoter said. Floyd and Top Rank Promotions parted way in 2007, with Floyd complaining that Arum “wouldn’t let me be me.” Earlier this month, Arum visited the Sirius radio show hosted by Teddy Atlas and Wallace Matthews and admitted that he was behind the times and didn’t properly market Mayweather to the demo which now follows his in and out of the ring exploits so faithfully. Arum has done well, some of the people surrounding him will tell you off the record, keeping his teeth tucked in and not counter-punching when given openings, such as when Mayweather told FightHype.com that, “A lot of guys are forced to do things that they don’t want to do. I honestly believe that; at this particular time, even if Pacquiao didn’t want to fight, he has no choice because his back is against the wall.” Certainly, that assertion could be grounds for debate if nothing else but Arum has chosen the road not as oft-taken, tucking of teeth…for now anyway.

Arum, a Harvard law man who worked in the US Justice Department before transitioning to the less-ethically nuanced milieu of boxing, said ticket demand for this Big One “is the greatest by far that I’ve seen.” He said maybe it’s because “Money doesn’t really mean anything,” with the “one percent” having so much loot that it loses proper context.

How many pay-per-views will they do? Between four and five million, Arum said, which would double the existing mark on the high end (the record is 2.4 million buys for Mayweather-De La Hoya in 2007).

Arum was asked what each man would pocket. He said the pot will be maybe $300 million, with Floyd getting 60% and Manny getting 40%. Some of that of course will go to others involved, including Arum and the cable companies and the platform providers, Showtime and HBO, so the exact math is a bit more complex than that.

All in all, fun stuff, as always from “Brooklyn Bob.” One subplot to the Fight will be the interplay, or lack thereof, between Mayweather, never shy about speaking his peace toward someone he thinks has done him wrong, and Arum, as candid an exec as you will see if and when his Irish emerges.


http://ringtv.craveonline.com/news/382311-bob-arum-lays-down-the-making-of-mayweather-pacquiao




Alot of fluff info that most of us Hardcore fans already know, but maybe interesting background info for those of you who dont follow Boxing as religiously:salutekobe:

Keith Thurman sees no threat in Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Andreas Hale
February 27, 2015

Keith Thurman (L) vs. Leonard Bundu on Dec. 13, 2014. Photo by Ed Mulholland/Golden boy Promotions-Getty Images.


The landscape of boxing will change after May 2 when Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. square off after years of teasing fight fans with the biggest showdown of this generation. The aftermath will leave the sport looking for its next big superstar as both Mayweather and Pacquiao will likely hang their gloves up.

Entering his name into the discussion is none other than 26-year-old Keith “One Time” Thurman. The heavy-hitting product of Clearwater, Florida, has seen a steady rise in popularity over the past year and will get his opportunity to further push himself into boxing stardom when he faces Robert Guerrero on NBC in the first edition of “Premier Boxing Champions.”

Thurman, who once claimed to be one of the most avoided fighters in the sport, has been impressive as he sports a 24-0 record. More important than the victories is the way he has dispatched of his opponents; he’s accumulated 21 knockouts during his professional career. But there are some that don’t believe the hype, namely Jeff Mayweather, uncle of boxing’s current pound-for-pound king.

In an interview with Hustle Boss, Mayweather offered his opinion on “One Time.”

“I think he’s average,” Mayweather said. “He’s a guy that can punch a little bit but he hasn’t fought anybody. Go and beat Guerrero and then you can say you beat somebody. … Keith Thurman is going to get nobody’s stamp of approval until he beats a Guerrero or somebody with a name. He hasn’t done anything.”

Fair or unfair, the assessment of Thurman drew a response from the fighter and he didn’t mince any words about Jeff or Floyd Mayweather.

“I don’t think Floyd fights anybody but average fighters so let’s talk about that,” Thurman responded when asked by RingTV about Jeff Mayweather’s comments. Thurman cited an older Shane Mosley as well as Guerrero and Victor Ortiz, who both beat Andre Berto to earn their shot.

“Call me average if you want to,” Thurman continued. “My punching power and knockout ratio are not average. My ring intelligence isn’t average. We’ll prove it on March 7th. We have an opportunity to out-perform Mayweather and we’re going to do so.”

Thurman has made it very clear that he would love at shot at Mayweather. And if Manny Pacquiao wants a piece, he can get some too. But he doesn’t believe that either will accept the challenge.

“I don’t know if either of them would fight me,” Thurman explained. “I would simply ask them and they’d probably beat around the bush. I would love to set myself up for one of them at the end of this year.”

Thurman has been eyeballing Mayweather for a long time and says that after he dispatches Guerrero, he’ll set his sights on Marcos Maidana. And once he get through Maidana, he’ll have two common opponents with “Money” Mayweather and believes he’ll be in prime position to land the biggest fight of his career. As for how the fight would go, the confident Thurman doesn’t believe that Mayweather has anything to offer that would derail “One Time” and his plans to add another victim to his knockout record.

“I don’t see somebody like Mayweather – who hasn’t had a knockout for several years – as a threat,” Thurman said flatly. “What’s he going to do? Poke me and beat me on points? Come on! I am dangerous!”

As for Pacquiao, Thurman believes that the Filipino just might be a bigger threat than Mayweather and would make for a better fight.

“At least Manny Pacquiao has power to bring to the table. He can hurt you.”

Ultimately, Thurman is all about taking on the biggest challenges possible. He maintains that he’s not overlooking Guerrero to any degree. But he’s all about taking the toughest challenge, whether that is Mayweather, Pacquiao or somebody else.

“I want to get beat!” Thurman exclaims. “I want to meet the man who can beat Keith “One Time” Thurman. … Like I always say, I have an ‘0’ and I ain’t afraid to let it go. I’m ready to fight whoever, whenever and for whatever.”



http://ringtv.craveonline.com/news/382213-keith-thurman-sees-no-threat-in-floyd-mayweather-jr





#Thurminators is coming at Roid Mayweather's neck?


"What's he gonna do? Poke me and beat me on points? Come on!"

 

[iceberg_is_on_fire]

Damn, there were real issues between both camps.

 

[GzUp]

So roach was the one who made it happen.

Also the waiter who helped to get it started.

 

[L68]

les moonves the boxing whisperer

 

[LauderdaleBoss]

Keith Thurman sees no threat in Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Andreas Hale
February 27, 2015

Keith Thurman (L) vs. Leonard Bundu on Dec. 13, 2014. Photo by Ed Mulholland/Golden boy Promotions-Getty Images.


The landscape of boxing will change after May 2 when Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. square off after years of teasing fight fans with the biggest showdown of this generation. The aftermath will leave the sport looking for its next big superstar as both Mayweather and Pacquiao will likely hang their gloves up.

Entering his name into the discussion is none other than 26-year-old Keith “One Time” Thurman. The heavy-hitting product of Clearwater, Florida, has seen a steady rise in popularity over the past year and will get his opportunity to further push himself into boxing stardom when he faces Robert Guerrero on NBC in the first edition of “Premier Boxing Champions.”

Thurman, who once claimed to be one of the most avoided fighters in the sport, has been impressive as he sports a 24-0 record. More important than the victories is the way he has dispatched of his opponents; he’s accumulated 21 knockouts during his professional career. But there are some that don’t believe the hype, namely Jeff Mayweather, uncle of boxing’s current pound-for-pound king.

In an interview with Hustle Boss, Mayweather offered his opinion on “One Time.”

“I think he’s average,” Mayweather said. “He’s a guy that can punch a little bit but he hasn’t fought anybody. Go and beat Guerrero and then you can say you beat somebody. … Keith Thurman is going to get nobody’s stamp of approval until he beats a Guerrero or somebody with a name. He hasn’t done anything.”

Fair or unfair, the assessment of Thurman drew a response from the fighter and he didn’t mince any words about Jeff or Floyd Mayweather.

“I don’t think Floyd fights anybody but average fighters so let’s talk about that,” Thurman responded when asked by RingTV about Jeff Mayweather’s comments. Thurman cited an older Shane Mosley as well as Guerrero and Victor Ortiz, who both beat Andre Berto to earn their shot.

“Call me average if you want to,” Thurman continued. “My punching power and knockout ratio are not average. My ring intelligence isn’t average. We’ll prove it on March 7th. We have an opportunity to out-perform Mayweather and we’re going to do so.”

Thurman has made it very clear that he would love at shot at Mayweather. And if Manny Pacquiao wants a piece, he can get some too. But he doesn’t believe that either will accept the challenge.

“I don’t know if either of them would fight me,” Thurman explained. “I would simply ask them and they’d probably beat around the bush. I would love to set myself up for one of them at the end of this year.”

Thurman has been eyeballing Mayweather for a long time and says that after he dispatches Guerrero, he’ll set his sights on Marcos Maidana. And once he get through Maidana, he’ll have two common opponents with “Money” Mayweather and believes he’ll be in prime position to land the biggest fight of his career. As for how the fight would go, the confident Thurman doesn’t believe that Mayweather has anything to offer that would derail “One Time” and his plans to add another victim to his knockout record.

“I don’t see somebody like Mayweather – who hasn’t had a knockout for several years – as a threat,” Thurman said flatly. “What’s he going to do? Poke me and beat me on points? Come on! I am dangerous!”

As for Pacquiao, Thurman believes that the Filipino just might be a bigger threat than Mayweather and would make for a better fight.

“At least Manny Pacquiao has power to bring to the table. He can hurt you.”

Ultimately, Thurman is all about taking on the biggest challenges possible. He maintains that he’s not overlooking Guerrero to any degree. But he’s all about taking the toughest challenge, whether that is Mayweather, Pacquiao or somebody else.

“I want to get beat!” Thurman exclaims. “I want to meet the man who can beat Keith “One Time” Thurman. … Like I always say, I have an ‘0’ and I ain’t afraid to let it go. I’m ready to fight whoever, whenever and for whatever.”



http://ringtv.craveonline.com/news/382213-keith-thurman-sees-no-threat-in-floyd-mayweather-jr





#Thurminators is coming at Roid Mayweather's neck?


"What's he gonna do? Poke me and beat me on points? Come on!"

#Thurminator knows that Floyd hasn't really punched with any authority since the Cotto fight. Floyd doesn't put his hip/weigh into his shots or turn his fist over as much as he use to. He basically uses his reflexes and timing to nullify your offense by arm punching accurate as hell. It's just that a lot of dudes lack the skill/talent/ability to overcome that or if they have that, they don't have the heart and courage to overcome that.

Floyd's skills be discouraging nikkas. Thurman's basically saying that he doesn't mind getting tagged with laser accurate bytch slaps in order to implement his game plan to win the fight.