Let's Stop Playing The Bob Arum Game

by Paul Magno

“Yesterday I was lying, but today I’m telling the truth.” -- Bob Arum

It's become an inside joke among boxing fans.

"There goes Arum again...he's up to his old shenanigans." This is usually accompanied by a shrug of the shoulders and a knowing smirk.

Bob Arum is definitely another colorful character in a long line of shady boxing personalities, but it's time we start recognizing the reality behind the campy cliche. Arum is no caricature, no lovable scoundrel and definitely no friend of those who love the sport and care about the fighters who risk their lives in the ring.

He's been doing the dance for longer than many fans have been alive, but nothing has really changed about the man or the way he chooses to do business.

Arum has engaged in just about every confidence game one can think of in boxing, from the simple bait and switch to flat-out bribery, as was established by the US Department of Justice when he confessed to paying a one hundred thousand dollar bribe to the IBF in 1995 for getting them to approve a George Foremen-Axel Schultz title defense. One of his favorite tricks, though, is what I like to call the "Done Deal" scam.

The "Done Deal" almost exclusively happens in bouts where his guys face the greatest risk; The modus operandi is always similar. Almost as soon as negotiations for the fights are rumored, Arum runs to the press (usually a certain boxing website with the initials "BS" whose editorial process can also be referred to as "BS."). The "friendly" media outlet jumps on the story and prints the requisite, "Arum says fight is a done deal" story which intimates that everything is hammered out and only the non-Top Rank fighter's signature is needed to complete the deal.

All of this is news to the other fighter's management, though, as they were most likely not even aware that negotiations had begun, much less concluded...

The end result is usually a win-win for Arum. If the other fighter's team balks and walks away or if the negotiations naturally fall apart, it looks as though they were the ones backing down and acting cowardly; Arum's fighter gets credit for the win while never having to fight. If the fight goes through, Arum has already painted the other guys into a corner and has likely been in control of the negotiations throughout.

The most recent example of this was the proposed Nonito Donaire-Vic Darchinyan rematch, which was really just beginning to touch on some heavy revenue issues when Arum declared the fight a "done deal." A day or two after the "Done Deal" statement in BS (of course), the fight collapsed over those same hotly-contested matters. The impression left on some casual, lesser-informed fans was that Donaire was already signed on to fight and it was Darchinyan who walked away.

The truth of the matter, though, was that negotiations were still ongoing when Arum, probably sensing a falling apart of the proposed bout, went to the press (in breach of professional protocol) with his statement. As a matter of fact, sources say that Darchinyan's signature was the only one on the contract and that the fight fell apart before Donaire could even have a chance to sign.

There were also the cases of Shane Mosley vs. Top Rank's Antonio Margarito and Paul Williams vs. Arum-backed Kelly Pavlik where Arum had gone to the press early and often with the same stories of deals being reached when nothing could've been further from the truth. In the case of Mosley-Margarito, talks were re-established and the fight got made. The Williams-Pavlik fight, however, fell apart completely, a few times. The goal was to paint Williams as the one backing down, but Pavlik had taken so many missteps by then that few really blamed Williams for the failure to make the fight. Still, Arum took the microphone after Pavlik's annihilation of Miguel Espino and tried to back-door the "Done Deal" scam by re-writing history.

And then there's Arum's hate campaign against Floyd Mayweather, which may be Arum's most complete piece of work to date.

Arum somehow convinced a lot of the media and too many fans that Mayweather was running scared from Top Rank's Antonio Margarito and passing up on an 8 million dollar payday when the fact of the matter was that such a fight was impossible; Mayweather had just left Top Rank, was suing Arum and had the option to fight the lineal welterweight champ, Carlos Baldomir, for the same amount of money under his own promotional banner.


The Mayweather-Margarito dust-up was especially well-played by Arum. He had Mayweather tried, convicted and executed for something that never could've happened and a fight which Arum never even began to try and negotiate.

Then, of course, Arum and Floyd would cross paths later when a Pacquiao-Mayweather bout was being proposed. As usual, Arum was announcing a "done deal" just as the drug testing issue started to heat up. The intent was to make it look as though Team Mayweather suddenly brought up the issue after both sides had already agreed to fight. In reality, PEDs testing was on the table almost from the very beginning. The fact that Arum is keeping quiet about re-opened negotiations between Pacquiao and Mayweather is a good sign, but be wary of any "done deal" announcement from Arum that isn't accompanied by a similar announcement from Team Mayweather.

I don't necessarily blame the fighters for what their promoter has done in their name. Most are just trying to get the most of their short time in the sport and there are few promoters out there who will more viciously defend their fighters than Arum (Unless your name is Miguel Cotto and you're being fed to Manny Pacquiao, but that's a topic for another article.) Many fighters are probably unaware that anything shady is going on in their name. But, the fact of the matter is that every grease-ball move to advance one fighter is taking money from the pockets of someone actually doing it the right way.

And every shady "Done Deal" from Arum represents a fight being taken from the fans. It's an unprofessional, cynical attempt to "take his ball and go home" at the expense of everyone involved, from the fighters to the fans to the venues and cities that could benefit from the fight. It's Bob Arum putting himself and his ego ahead of everyone.

Boxing will never undergo a much-needed house cleaning as long as guys like Arum are in the driver's seat and, unfortunately, there are too many people, from fans right on down to media, who are more than willing to leave the driving to Arum.

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Was Boxing Partly At Fault For Valero's Madness?

by Dafs117

In February 2001, Edwin Valero was involved in a near fatal motorbike accident in which he fractured his skill and had surgery to remove a blood clot. Had he been wearing a helmet, his injuries would not be half as severe. Despite the life threatening injury, El Inca was cleared by Venezuelan doctors to begin his professional boxing career.

Three years and twelve first-round knockouts later, Valero signed with Golden Boy Promotions and was heavily tagged as the next big star. His recklessly aggressive style and consistent offense was reminiscent of Pipino Cuevas, who made the most of his abilities to successfully defend his WBA welterweight title eleven times before Thomas Hearns ended his champion run.

But his chances of emulating Cuevas’ achievements were slim when an MRI scan exploited the full extent of his injuries. He had the most traumatic of brain irregularity, a tear inside the cranium, which is the most fragile part of the brain and thus ending all chance of capturing an American boxing license to appear on the planned HBO Boxing After Dark card.

With the strict safety regulations in the sport, Valero should not have been able to continue with his condition. In my opinion, any fighter who suffers bleeding on the brain should never be allowed to ply their trade in the square circle, no matter how talented they are. But sometimes as is the case in boxing, promoters and advisers could see the dollar signs flashing and in interest of their own bank account, persuaded Valero to risk his life every time he stepped in the ring.

As he rose through the ranks picking up a 130 pound trinket on the way, Valero had established himself as a household name in his home country, building a strong relationship with President Hugo Chavez.

With everybody treating Valero like a king and Top Rank offering him a bumper contract, you could sense an aura of invincibility creeping in on Valero’s behalf. Soon after his destruction of Antonio Pituala to become a two-weight world champion, Valero began to find himself in hot water time and time again.

Allegedly, Valero has been involved in multiple incidents, including domestic violence charges against his mother, sister and wife, possession of illegal firearms, a long list of traffic infringements with a DUI charge in Texas, solvent abuse, and probably many more that the government turned a blind eye on and never got reported.

It was only last month that Valero was suspected for beating up his wife, who didn’t press charges and claimed to have fallen down the stairs. If only someone closer to the pair would have been brave enough to read the situation at the time, two lives could have been saved and two children would not be orphaned.

But how about if somebody had told Valero the day he received the results of the MRI scan that he would never be allowed to box again, and that simply ignoring his injury is a risk not worth taking?

When you have a condition similar to Valero, the last thing you should do as a profession is get hit in the head. Every punch that landed on Valero’s temple increased the percentage of him getting Dementia or Alzheimer’s in the future.

Unlike other parts of the body, the brain doesn’t heal. Our bodies don’t know how to repair the nervous tissue damage, and different to other organs such as skin and muscle where a scar will be marked, the damage area forms a clot in the aftermath to cut the loss of red blood cells. The consequence of that fragile clot tearing and causing the brain to bleed again is one that would have tarnish the sport had it happened in the ring, or even in training.

Major changes in blood flow certainly has an effect on the body and changes many things, including your temperament. The reckless combination of excessive drinking and drug taking could have deteriorated his condition and weakened his brain function, making him irritable.

The theory is far-fetched, but not out of the question. Valero might be a nutcase that when drunk, as he was when he murdered his wife, that he spirals out of control and into a completely different character. Once the full weight of his actions crash down, Valero admits that his actions are wrong and often left off the hook by the Venezuelan police, but this was one weight too heavy.

Valero and his wife’s deaths have rocked the boxing world, and the sport needs to set out strict clear-cut safety guidelines for every country, state commission and alphabet organization to follow. Talented fighters should not be given passes or sneak through the back door as Valero did by fighting in Japan and Mexico. Boxing is a dangerous enough sport as it is, without possessive handlers pressurizing the flexibility of vital rules.

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10 Most Influential People In Boxing

More often than not, the most influential people in the industry are men or women who have never stepped between the ropes and traded punches.

But their opinions make a difference, from the match-ups being made to the unique ideas to revamp the sport. Here are the 10 most influential people in boxing.

1. Bob Arum, chairman, Top Rank - Top Rank has the best stable of fighters and is by far the most innovative. If Arum doesn't like the contact offered by Showtime or HBO, he'll spend the money to broadcast the fight on his own, Latin Fury and Pinoy Power to name just a few. We’ve all seen how Arum spins stories so his team can look good, and you can strongly argue that he controls the boxing media.

2. Oscar De La Hoya, promoter, Golden Boy Promotions - The Golden Boy is the most powerful individual former boxer in the sport. He's the head of Golden Boy Promotions, which, along with Top Rank, is one of the game's two leading promotional companies. De La Hoya pretty much gets what he wants when it comes to television dates, venues and opponents.

3. Ross Greenburg, president, HBO Sports - HBO are the best broadcasters in boxing, simple as. Greenburg controls the budget, which is four times larger than their closest rival. This allows Greenburg to choose whatever fights he wants to air on HBO.

4. Richard Schaefer, CEO, Golden Boy Promotions - Schaefer is Oscar De La Hoya's right hand man and has proven to be one of the best negotiators in the game. He’s one of the reasons Golden Boy Promotions are as successful.

5. Floyd Mayweather Jr., boxer - Mayweather argues that he’s the pound-4-pound king, which is unclear as of now, but he is definitely the biggest draw in the sport. As he charismatically says, “all roads lead to Floyd Mayweather.”

6. Al Haymon, manager – Haymon handles Mayweather’s career, giving him the best options for the least risk. He seems to have healthy connections with HBO, which not many managers and promoters can say in the game today.

7. Ken Hershman, vice president of Showtime sports - Hershman doesn’t have the budget Greenburg has, but some might argue he does a better job. The Super 6 Boxing Classic has earned him the highest respect from fans, easily making him one of the most influential men in the sport without mentioning other attributes.

8. Manny Pacquiao, boxer – Pacquiao has risen to become a box office hit, recognised as the best boxer on the planet at this point in time. His influence can be seen in his stranglehold in negotiations, with his contractual demands displaying his dominance over fighters. His large fanbase also gives him power.

9. Bruce Trampler, Top Rank Matchmaker – One of the masterminds behind Pacquiao’s rise is Trampler. His mapped plans for any Top Rank fighters are usually the best option possible, and Pacquiao is a prime example.

10. Jose Sulaiman, WBC President – The impact Sulaiman can have on promoters by just making a stance is ridiculous. Nobody appreciates his work to the extent of others on the list, but his reward for keeping the WBC afloat is power.

Knocking on the door: Cameron Dunkin, Manager; Leonard Ellerbe, CEO Mayweather Promotions; Don King, Chairman, Don King Productions; Larry Merchant, HBO broadcaster; Wilfred Sauerland, Sauerland promoter;

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Caballero Catalyst For Gamboa-Lopez

by Dafs117

Andre Berto might have headlined HBO’s first World Championship Boxing broadcast of the year, but it was Celestino Caballero who produced the most impressive display on the card, dominating previously unbeaten Daud Yordan to win a near shutout unanimous decision.

Former junior featherweight champion Caballero debuted at featherweight and on HBO, looking excellent and a clear threat to those who currently hold a position in the top 5. He displayed everything in his arsenal in throwing 1,248 punches, connecting with 325, ranging from jabs, to right uppercuts, to wincing body shots. The ‘Towering Inferno’ is a suitable alias considering his 5’ 11’’ frame, the same height as Joe Calzaghe, who fought 50 pounds heavier.

However, despite producing his best display since he crushed Steve Molitor in four rounds, it might hurt his chances of landing a big fight when the time comes to discuss his options.

He’s rumoured to face Cuban sensation Yuriorkis Gamboa on July 24, but I’ll prompt a guess that Bob Arum will hesitate matching one of his brightest stars against the awkward Panamanian after watching ‘El Pelenchin’ last night. The risk of fighting Caballero before the ‘Best Featherweight Showdown’ is one not worth taking in my opinion, and probably in Arum’s mind too.

The danger that Caballero possesses could force Gamboa and Lopez to meet up quicker than expected. The tentative announcement of Summer 2011 from Bob Arum might be brought forward, unless they are entirely convinced that Gamboa will beat Caballero.

One of Caballero’s reasons for moving up in weight was to find these career best paydays and major events, and this could be a real setback for him. Caballero has called out Lopez over and over to no avail, claiming the fight had been signed when it hadn’t. They’ve exchanged a few fiery comments, but it looks from an outsiders’ point of view that Lopez doesn’t want anything to do with Caballero. Why would he? The guy is a handful on a bad day, but he’s a mighty tough proposition for anyone when he’s on song.

If they do decide to avoid Caballero, the excuse for Top Rank is already out, as both camps are already disagreeing over money issues. Warrior Boxing, Caballero’s handlers, claim that they are a long way off reaching an agreement over purse percentage, giving Arum's PR more than enough to work with.

It was great to see Caballero at his best again, as he hadn’t been at the same level since the Molitor win. This conjures up more excitement in the already crammed featherweight division, which can only be good news for fight fans and Bob Arum alike.

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Why Blame Joshua Clottey?

by Paul Magno

Post Pacquiao-Clottey rout, the internet has been abuzz with Joshua Clottey critics and expressions of disgust at the effort he put forth at Cowboys Stadium on Saturday.

As someone who was crying "mismatch" from the moment the bout was first announced, I can't say that I was surprised nor will I feign modesty on the issue. This was a horrible stylistic mismatch featuring one guy who is a buzzsaw of activity in the ring against another who practically has to be cattle-prodded to throw punches.

Most experts and people "in the know" had to see the writing on the wall. Those who didn't, were either optimistically hiding their head in the sand in hopes of a great fight or, well, not so expert after all.

While it's easy to pick on Clottey for his non-performance, you have to accept the fact that nothing else was to be expected. Clottey is well-known for crawling into a shell for as long as he has an active opponent in front of him. He's always been a catcher more than a pitcher and it just wasn't realistic to expect him to completely turn his mindset around and suddenly become anything else.
 
Clottey's psychology and game plan was not exactly a secret...He flat-out told us what to expect:

“My body can take it. When he throws punches at me I will block him and that will confuse him...(Pacquiao will throw 30 punches, I will throw 4) and the four will connect while I will block most of the 30. I will wear him down for sure.”- Joshua Clottey to Boxingscene.com

The fact that Clottey would keep his hands up the entire time and look to negate and wait Pacquiao out was the worst kept secret in boxing and it was something that the organizers of the match-up surely had to be aware of as well.

So, if Clottey was just being Clottey on Saturday night, who deserves the public scorn?

That would be one Mr. Bob Arum, Top Rank boss man and bionic BS machine. It was Arum who purposely put this entire card together and peddled it as "The Event." It was Arum who took a small-venue card and stuck it in a state of the art megaplex. And it was Arum who essentially delivered a big "F-You" to 51,000 boxing fans who crowded Cowboys Stadium and to those who paid fifty bucks a pop via pay per view to see an entertaining, competitive bout and card.

Don't blame Joshua Clottey for being Joshua Clottey, blame the one who put him in the position to turn an "Event" into a non-event.

With the world watching and the fans crowding in to see world-class boxing, Arum showed pure disdain for the sport by putting a "Latin Fury" undercard on a big ticket show and by picking a main event opponent for Pacquiao who was sure to disappoint.

Boxing had a chance to shine on Saturday, but instead, it was just another "ho-hum" night with the entire world watching...If you ask me, that's a lot worse than a defense-minded Joshua Clottey.

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Margarito, Forgiven?

by Paul Magno

If you look around cyberspace these days, there has been a subtle shift in the public wind as it pertains to Antonio Margarito and his indefinite suspension from boxing. Margarito's attempted use of illegal hand wraps for his January, 2009 contest with Shane Mosley seems a distant memory to some and, shockingly, a flat-out falsehood to more than a few.

A year ago, there was outrage and indignation in the public discourse. Now, articles are popping up in support of the return of Margarito's license and all sorts of conspiracy theories are springing up that would have one re-think their stance on "The Tijuana Tornado."

But, before we forgive and forget, let's take a look at the night Antonio Margarito wanted on January 24th, 2009.

If Margarito had his way, he would've been leaping for joy over a fallen Hall of Famer in Shane Mosley and his post-fight interview would've consisted of smug grins as he gave special thanks to God and all Mexicans everywhere. It was his intention to climb the ranks to mega-star status by battering Mosley to an ugly, bloody pulp, as he did against Miguel Cotto about six months earlier. And he would've done it with the full knowledge that he was sporting doctored, illegal hand wraps.

And please spare me the fantasy that Margarito had no idea that his trainer, Javier Capetillo, was loading him up with a "plaster-like" substance.

To think that a fighter would have no idea that two wet, cement knuckle pads were inserted into his hand wraps is silly. To buy into the fairytale of some sort of conspiracy against Margarito is patently ridiculous.

What would the California State Athletic Commission stand to gain from banning a popular Mexican fighter from their state? Why would a commission, with no vested interest, choose to outlaw the guy who just sold out the Staples Center? The fact of the matter is that the wraps confiscated on January 24th were personally reviewed by the commission members and even checked by an independent laboratory.

Even Capetillo, himself, when faced with the evidence, basically confessed and offered himself as a sacrifice. Yeah, I'll say it again for those who have come to doubt the evidence: Capetillo confessed to inserting illegal knuckle pads into his fighter's wraps, thus completely shooting down the recent claims regarding some sort of controversy as to whether the gauze was ever truly as illegal as initially reported.

Now, a little over a year later, Margarito happily prepares himself for a May 8th return in Mexico while talking about the eight figure November date with Manny Pacquiao promised to him by Top Rank's Bob Arum.

Other than an extended vacation from the sport and some early negative press, nothing really happened to him as a result of his infraction. He thumbed his nose at the authorities and at boxing itself and is almost guaranteed to fight again in The United States before the end of the year.

But before our sympathies and/or indifference get the best of us, remember this: Margarito was fine with putting the life of another fighter at stake...as long as it propelled him to where he wanted to go. That's the Antonio Margarito we need to remember...

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Pavlik Destroys Espino in 5...Can The Ghost Win Back His Fans?

by Paul Magno

Miguel Espino (2o-3-1, 9 KOs) showed up at the Beeghly Center in Youngstown, Ohio ready to go to war. Unfortunately, he was severely outgunned by reigning WBO and WBC middleweight champ, Kelly Pavlik (36-1, 32 KOs).

The fight itself was of the phone booth variety as both Pavlik and Espino traded shots on the inside. Pavlik scored the heavier blows to the body and head, but Espino, to his credit, kept firing back, even marking up the hometown fighter's face with sloppy, but scoring counters.

Referee Steve Smoger deducted a point from Espino in the first round for punching after the bell and warned him for low blows on several occasions as the battle started to heat up and Espino's punches started drifting down below the belt line.

In the fourth, Pavlik scored two wicked uppercuts that forced Espino to take a knee, but the challenger was able to survive. At the 1:44 mark of the fifth, however, Espino went down again and, this time, his corner waved off the fight.

The post fight interview was highlighted by Pavlik's mocking of Paul Williams' status as "Most Feared Man in Boxing" and by promoter Bob Arum's offer to make the Williams fight Pavlik's first priority in 2010.

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Pacquiao agrees to terms for Mayweather fight!

Mayweather had already agreed...the ball was in Pacquiao's court. Bob Arum flew to the Philippines for Pacquiao's ok...and, apparently, he got it!

According to sources who've spoken directly to Arum, Pacquiao has agreed to terms on a March 13th bout with Floyd Mayweather Jr.. Some minor details need to be ironed out, but the heavy lifting is over.

Barring some unforeseen circumstance, the official announcement will be made next week.

Most fans and experts feared a long, nasty and frustrating negotiation process, but if Arum is on the level, this went surprisingly easy.

According to other sources: The money split is 50/50 and this will not be a catchweight encounter; The bout will be made within the boundaries of the Welterweight division...

Details regarding the venue are still being explored, although the leading candidates are: Dallas Cowboys Stadium and the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

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Sympathy for the Devil: Is Floyd Mayweather Jr. Being Treated Fairly?

by Paul Magno

It’s hard to defend anyone who “makes it rain” in night clubs or makes the kinds of ridiculous boasts that Floyd Mayweather Jr. does.

Yet, here I am, once again making the case for Floyd while leaving myself wide open for well-timed counters.

For me, likeability as a fighter and likeability as a human being are two very different things. I don’t need to see fighters as “Regular Joes” or “nice guys” in order to appreciate them. What Mayweather does and how he lives outside the ring is about as important to me as whether my butcher is a swell guy.

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Miguel Cotto: Boxing's Whipping Boy?

I've been racking my brain to remember a time when a defending world champion with as much credibility as Miguel Cotto has been treated so dismissively by his opponents, the sanctioning body he represents and the very promoter who is supposed to have his best interests in mind.

The disrespect tossed at Cotto has been a lesson for all those "good soldiers" in the sport who tow the company line and keep their mouths shut.

The first "dis" came following Cotto's brutal beatdown at the hands of Antonio Margarito.

As everyone knows, Margarito was found to be wearing hand wraps coated with a "plaster-like" substance prior to his bout with Shane Mosley. When people put two and two together many put a big question mark over all of Margarito's wins, most notably his brutal destruction of Miguel Cotto and the grotesque manner in which he battered Cotto's face.

Top Rank honcho and alleged member of Team Cotto, Bob Arum, spent most of the "Plaster Gate" scandal defending Margarito and denying the loaded wrap claims...at the expense of the feelings of probable victim, Miguel Cotto.

Cotto sat back and remained the strong silent type, only occasionally giving voice to the anger he felt inside for the possible cheat and the frustration of having his own promoter defend the fighter who may have, literally, stolen millions from him when his loss ruined the chance of a showdown with Oscar De la Hoya.

Then, after suffering a beating that may have been caused by an illegal substance and having his promoter turn his back on him, Manny Pacquiao jumps in and claims the glory that could very well have been his by knocking off Oscar.

Cotto is forced into a nothing fight with Michael Jennings and a tough battle with Joshua Clottey for a fraction of the pay he would've received from a De la Hoya bout.

All this leads to an eventual big money showdown with Manny Pacquiao where despite being the reigning champ, he is forced to give in to every one of Pacquiao's demands, including an arbitrary 145 lb. limit.

While the blame for this weak negotiating falls squarely on Team Cotto, it should be pointed out that the intermediary, Arum, never once lifted a finger to argue on Cotto's side of the table...despite having just lured Cotto to a two-year extension on his Top Rank contract.

Now, the latest indignity for Cotto is that he's being told to either put up his WBO Welterweight title for the Pacquiao fight or be forced to vacate.

Cotto's take on this and, in my opinion, the correct one, is that since a world Welterweight title is fought between 140 and 147, it is against the organization's rules to be forced to fight at an arbitrary catchweight for the title.

The WBO, of course, cares little about fair play and professionalism and decided to counter Cotto's correct assertion by making Pacquiao their number one contender at 147 despite only one win at Welter, against an unranked De la Hoya.

Like it or not, Cotto will put up his hard-earned title and, without a doubt, it should be made clear that he's being forced to. If Cotto balks, he will find himself without the title and it will be Pacquiao's to win, anyway.

How's that for respectful treatment of a veteran champion?

Beaten with illegal wraps, Your cheating conqueror defended by your own promoter, your promotional company allowing you to be raped in negotiations and the sanctioning body you represent forcing you to ignore their own bylaws and put the belt on the line...Geesh!

It's no wonder guys like De la Hoya and Mayweather opted to be on their own as soon as they reached the top...there's just no loyalty among thieves.

The best revenge for Cotto is to come into the Pacquiao fight, saddled with every possible psychological disadvantage, and stop the insanity right then and there with a big win...but, even then, he has to contend with the officials, who are always up for a good screw job, especially if it's in favor of a fighter "about to make history" with seven titles in seven weight divisions.

Miguel Cotto deserves better.

- Paul Magno

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Cotto vs. Pacquiao: It's Official!

The announcement was made today that the long-rumored bout between Pound-for-Pound #1, Manny Pacquiao, and the Puerto Rican Welterweight King, Miguel Cotto is definitely going to happen.

CEO of Top Rank, Bob Arum, announced that the bout is signed for the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on November 14th and it will be broadcast on HBO PPV.

Although the buzz is that Cotto gained a moral victory by insisting the fight be made at 145 lbs., no details have been released regarding the agreement between both camps.

The official media campaign will kick off Labor Day with a multi-city, multi-country press tour.

*********

Discuss this Topic: Cotto vs. Pacquiao

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Can Golden Boy Survive the Decade?

You could feel the tension in the air as the tide started turning against Golden Boy prospect, Victor Ortiz, this past Saturday at the Staples Center.

And, when Ortiz eventually caved in under the pressure of Marcos Maidana in the sixth, the frustration exploded as Shane Mosley gave Ortiz a few tense words, shortly followed by a second tongue lashing from Golden Boy boss, Oscar De la Hoya.

But you could hardly blame them for their frustration. The Ortiz loss was just the latest in a series of unfortunate turns for De la Hoya and his promotional company.

2009 began in outstanding fashion for GBP as Shane Mosley shocked the boxing world by easily handling Welterweight kingpin, Antonio Margarito.

Now, just about six months later, momentum has shifted away from the promotional company that, at one point, boasted veteran legends such as Mosley, Bernard Hopkins, Marco Antonio Barrera, Juan Manuel Marquez, Ricky Hatton and De la Hoya himself.

The Golden Boy of the recent past was on top of the world, snatching up as many veteran names as boxing headlines and brokering a deal with HBO which would essentially give them carte blanche to fill a lion's share of the available TV dates with fights and fighters of their choosing.

The boxing world, literally, was thrown at their feet and they most definitely had a plan for world domination.

Even with De la Hoya having been retired by Manny Pacquiao at the end of '08, the strategy would be simple: Mosley and Hopkins would build off of their remarkable wins against Margarito and Kelly Pavlik respectively while the entire promotion crossed its fingers that Ricky Hatton could somehow find a way to beat Pacquiao.

In the downtime between headline-grabbing fights by future Hall of Fame inductees, Golden Boy would satisfy the fans by highlighting their next generation of stars, all on the verge of greatness...or so they would have you believe.

Leading the GBP surge for future dominance were James Kirkland, Victor Ortiz, Robert Guerrero and Abner Mares.

Unfortunately, the boxing world is often not the most predictable and in a matter of just a few months, GBP would find the heavy-handed Kirkland behind bars for parole violation, Mares being nursed back to health following eye surgery and Ortiz and Guerrero being tagged with the label of being quitters in what was to be their "coming out" parties on HBO.

And to make matters worse, their "bankable" talents, Mosley and Hopkins, have not been able to find the type of fight they feel they need at this stage of their careers. Mosley has been desperately searching for a fight with an indifferent Pacquiao while Hopkins' only legit attempts at a fight were a half-hearted offer to Cruiserweight champ Tomasz Adamek and a rumored bout with the UK's Super Middleweight world champ, Carl Froch.

In the meantime, HBO has been saddled with mostly luke warm events that generate mediocre ratings and cost a relative fortune to stage. With the exception of Mosley-Margarito and Golden Boy/Top Rank promoted Pacquiao vs. Hatton, you'd be hard-pressed to find any positive Golden Boy events on HBO.

Don't think this fact is lost on HBO executives and don't think it's lost on Golden Boy's promotional rivals, either.

“They [HBO] gave their dates to one promoter, who's stable has now been wiped out. They made a bad mistake. They are not evil people, and I can't blame Golden Boy for grabbing those dates, but it shows that it wasn’t the wisest thing for them to do,” said Bob Arum of Top Rank.

Another blow to GBP is the fact that, in order to make the marquee fights for their established stars, they will need the cooperation of the other promoters who, at this point, have been driven to resentment by Golden Boy's perceived status as HBO's pet promotion.

So, with their best and brightest pretty much taken out of the equation and legit future stars, Erislandy Lara and Danny Jacobs, still too far away to be a factor, questions about the immediate future of Golden Boy have to be raised.

Will HBO grow frustrated with the poor showings and make Golden Boy go back to booking dates on a fight by fight basis?

And if HBO does this, will GBP be able to compete with a company like Top Rank who has a much deeper roster and a keener matchmaking eye at this point?

Can Oscar's company survive the decade? Probably, but expect a major re-tooling of the promotion and a reluctant admission from them that they do indeed need to co-exist with the other promotional companies in order to stay afloat.

2010 will be an interesting year for the sport and a crucial one for Golden Boy.

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Is Mayweather Going Straight at Pacquiao Next?

Sometimes, in Boxing, the best stories are the ones between the lines.

Following the announcement that Mayweather-Marquez was off, The BTBC couldn't help putting the clues together that would lead to the theory that Mayweather is planning on going right into a Manny Pacquiao fight without the benefit of a tune up.

Mayweather's rib injury came right after Bob Arum just surprisingly announced that he would be willing to make a 50/50 split on a Pacquiao/Mayweather bout...Also, with Cotto suffering a deep gash over his eye, an October Cotto/Pacquiao bout is not realistic and, by all accounts, Manny is not at all interested in fighting Shane Mosley.

That would leave Mayweather as the only major money bout available to the Pacquiao camp.

On Mayweather's side, early indications had to point to the fact that his bout with Marquez would not be selling as well as previously thought and, with the help of the Golden Boy brain trust, a change in plans had to be made in order to save an embarrassing spanking at the box office and among PPV buyers.

Don't be surprised if Mayweather-Marquez is called off soon and Mayweather-Pacquiao is announced...Also, if that happens, expect Juan Manuel Marquez to be tossed the consolation prize of a bout with Edwin Valero and a promise to fight the winner of Floyd vs. Manny.

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BTBC Boxing News Wire (6/12/09)

(Updated Throughout the Day)

Pacquiao wants Mayweather, nobody else
Mayweather demands absurd - Arum
Mayweather Jr & Marquez make a Special Invitation
Doniare-Mthalane Rematch is Unlikely To Happen
Froch poised for Pavlik fight!
Criticism of Haye is unfair
Ricky Hatton's Decision on Future is Over Due
Joshua Clottey Wants to Make it Here
Guerrero Vows a Better Ghost Story For Hometown Fans
Fernando Lumacad Plans To Test Jorge Arce's Will, Skill
Javier Castillejo retires!
ABC balks at Mercer-Silva!
Sylvester vs Simon Set For Abraham Card on 6/27
Tyson Fury Contest Scrapped Due To Back Injury
Miguel Cotto: "I'm Ready For Anything Clottey Brings"
Hatton Camp Troubles Continue To Point To Floyd Sr.

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Bob Arum is a Big, Fat Liar

Last Week, Arum was insisting that the Pacquiao/Hatton PPV would not only do "much better than expected," but that it could very well break the Top 3 all-time list and possibly even reach the 2 million mark.

Well, now that the dust has settled and real, trusted industry sources have had a chance to get their hands on the numbers, the real buy rate is likely between 800,000 and 900,000. Still above expectations, but well below the top events of all-time and even behind Mayweather/Hatton in '07.

The BTBC apologizes for taking Bob Arum at face value...It won't happen again.

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