“I feel no changes in my body…I think the changes are more experience now than 5 years ago…the speed and power, there’s no changes,” stated 8-division world champion Manny Pacquiao, who talked about how he’s changed in the 5 years since a showdown with undefeated pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather has been discussed.
Month: April 2015
Klitschko with huge ratings!
HBO ratings released today continue to confirm the success of his performance as the average number of viewers watching the telecast was 1,637,000, while peaking at 1,742,000, the top performing bout on premium or basic cable this year and the most watched HBO World Championship Boxing event since June 2012.
Peltz Remembers Gene Fullmer
Photo: IBHOF – Former world middleweight champion Gene Fullmer passed away April 27 at the age of 84. Promoter J Russell Peltz, International Boxing Hall of Fame class of 2004, recalls watching Fullmer on television as a kid.
I hated Gene Fullmer! He was one of the first fighters I saw when I began watching boxing on television with my dad when I was 13. This was late in 1959 and I remember seeing Fullmer defend his National Boxing Association (NBA) title against Spider Webb from the Cow Palace in San Francisco. I thought it was dreadful.
Fullmer was all shoulders and elbows and he had no style, just a bull rushing in, falling into unorthodox clinches, grabbing, turning, twisting, doing anything to disrupt the flow of the fight.
Final Glory Unveiled: Part 1 of 4: Mayweather vs Pacquiao
Until recent time this fight was confined to our fascination of a matchup between two incredible fighters. It is a fight that should have taken place five years ago but even today after all that has transpired it continues to arouse polarising opinion and passion in its potential audience. Boxing’s detractors have temporary halted their sermons of its demise. They have secretly purchased tickets, veiled in their backing yet contributing to the record shattering revenue of boxing‘s most lucrative fight ever.
Perhaps it has been with good reason that we have been kept waiting so long for this bout. These fighters are in final season of their prolific careers and this is going to be their most memorable bout. Although the demands and performance will force the clock hands back; the night’s close will usher in a curtain for one of these fighters’ careers. Neither fighter has faced an opponent with similar capabilities and standing. We would be foolish to assume that these fighters have no respect for each other’s ability, achievements and contributions to our beloved sport.
Broner (Predictably) Picks Mayweather/Betting $10k On A Stoppage
The ever divisive Adrien Broner (30-1, 22ko) has spoken to FightHype.com after a trip to the Mayweather gym to visit his friend and mentor Floyd in sparring.
Broner, who at his worst is a bare-faced Floyd imitator, has said Mayweather is sharp and very focused ahead of Saturday’s fight;
“It’s tunnel vision now. You can tell there’s only one thing on his mind.”
Carl Froch Breaks Down Mayweather Pacquiao / Hints At Retirement?
British WBA super-middleweight boss Carl Froch (33-2, 24ko) has this lunchtime (tue) spoken to Sky Sports News and become the latest in a long-line of fighters to wade in with a pick for Saturday night, offering his own tactical insight into what each man must do and also into whether or not his career has wound down to a natural conclusion.
Froch, a year removed from his stadium rematch with George Groves at Wembley, is certainly a fighter used to a big occasion. (Albeit not as big as this!)
Mayweather/Pacquiao – game plans last until the first big shot
Clichés like “key to victory” and strategic game-planning referring to the coaches’ insights and observations are a vital part of the mental preparation and the “psyche” of any pugilist. However even the most elaborate game plan is just a hypothesis, an intention that lasts until the first big shot is landed. In the late rounds when incremental damage piles up boxers fight on habit and instinct with rare moments of ingenuity and little regard of the initial game plan. They are creatures of habit like everyone and rarely act out of character especially under pressure. Hence the importance of style – an amalgam of habits and steady boxing skills replenished and honed over the years. Here is a review and comparison of the combatants’ fundamentals before the clash of epic financial proportions and yet-to-be-seen technical value.
The Prediction: Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao
Like many fight fans the coming days are going to be very long as we await the anticipated fight of the century. Ok it has taken 5 years in the making, but its hear and I for one cant wait. Actually this is a match makers dream, an attacking whirlwind fighter versus a master counter puncher, possibly one of the best if not the very best the spot has ever seen. Those that say we will see a boring fight, I beg to differ. This will be pure excitement. My prediction is based on the following factors backed by countless hours of analysing past fights among other things.
Arum -“Floyd has Megalomania”
Manny Pacquiao’s long time promoter and Floyd Mayweather’s friend, (only joking about the last part) Bob Arum, has spoken to Sky Sports ahead of Saturday’s super fight to offer his thoughts on Floyd’s recent statements about being better that Ali and Ray Robinson and his fighter’s chance’s.
The Top Rank chief, who has been at the helm of the organisation for almost 50 years said of Mayweather’s recent claims;
“Floyd Mayweather is an excellent, excellent fighter. He’s a great technician but to compare himself to Muhammad Ali, or Ray Robinson or Ray Leonard is a joke.”
The Artist and the Scientist
It only takes a few minutes of highlight footage to distinguish the scientist from the artist. In the parlance of the sweet science, one corner envisions the confrontation in a series of highly choreographed tactical moves embodied by perhaps one of the most gifted technicians in boxing. In the other corner however, is an unpredictable beast that manages to keep even the most seasoned of boxing experts in awe and have them constantly guessing of what comes next. The result of these contrasting styles is an unpredictable and exciting melange of fists and fury over the stretch of twelve rounds.