By Emilio Camacho, Esq: On Saturday September 8th, two of the top fighters in the sport will meet in the ring. This will be a great day for boxing fans. Both, Andre Ward and Chad Dawson, are in their prime, highly skilled, and tend to bring their best with them to the ring. What is interesting to me, and the main argument of this article, is that Pacquiao and Mayweather can learn something from Dawson and Ward. Let me elaborate on this point.
First, after Dawson fought Hopkins and he was asked what was next in his career, he clearly and unambiguously stated that he wanted Ward for his next fight and was willing to compromise to make the fight happen (regarding weight). He did not say, “…whatever my promoter wants…,” “…I need some rest and will think about it after a deserved vacation…,” “…I need to talk to my team…,” etc. Essentially, Dawson knew the type of match up that the public expects to see, and he delivered just that.
In comparison, Manny Pacquiao has often been asked what he wants next in his career and, most of the time, he defers to his promoter, Bob Arum. Many would argue that this is exactly the problem; the fact that Manny will not stand up for himself and tell Arum to make the best fight available—Pacquiao v. Mayweather. It would seem to some that this is Manny’s way to avoid the fight because the blame is shifted away from him and onto other people around him, such as Bob Arum. This is tragic when we are facing a fight of such a magnitude. In short, Manny could learn something from Chad Dawson and stand up for himself if he really wants the fight. His legacy will be deficient without Mayweather.
By Rob Smith: 39-year-old Juan Manuel Marquez (54-6-1, 39 KO’s) and Manny Pacquiao (54-4-2, 38 KO’s) have reportedly reached agreement to fight on November 10th, according to fightnews.com. It’s still not official but the word is that Marquez and Pacquiao have reached an agreement for a fourth fight between them, which will take place the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. Tim Bradley, the WBO welterweight champion, has been passed over for a rematch with Pacquiao, no doubt due to the poor pay per view figures that the Pacquiao-Bradley fight brought in last June.
By Rob Smith: Manny Pacquiao and his promoter Bob Arum still haven’t selected an opponent for a date for Pacquiao’s next fight. All that is known now is that the fight will take place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada on either November 10th or December 1st. We know that Pacquiao will chose amongst three fighters – Miguel Cotto, Tim Bradley or Juan Manuel Marquez – picked out for him to choose from by Arum but there’s still no word who that guy will be. Michael Koncz, the personal adviser for Pacquiao, had said that the name of the opponent could possibly be revealed this week, so hopefully they can finally say who the guy will be.
By James Slater – Whilst scanning the web for the latest boxing news, I came across an intriguing little ‘story’ (well, maybe not so little – at least the story won’t be if it turns out to be true!) that suggests ace-trainer Freddie Roach now wants to see his star pupils, Manny Pacquiao and Amir Khan, fight one another soon.
By Rob Smith: Former WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao (54-4-2, 38 KO’s) could still end up fighting on November 10th rather than December 1st, the date that his adviser Michael Koncz recently said Pacquiao’s next fight would be taking place. Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum wants him to fight on November 10th and he sees it as still possible if he can get someone to file for him in the upcoming elections in the Philippines.