Trash-talking Floyd Mayweather, Jr. is questioning the basis for the Boxer of the Decade award given to Manny Pacquiao by the Boxing Writers Association of America and recently said he should be recognized as the world’s greatest fighter ever, dismissing the exploits of Hall of Famers
Sugar Ray Robinson and Muhammad Ali.

Mayweather may be creating hype for his expected showdown with Pacquiao in November although nothing is certain about the much-awaited fight. Representatives from both camps are reportedly conferring to agree on terms that will make the bout a reality. Revenue splits and drug-testing are the main issues which need to be resolved before Pacquiao and Mayweather are good to go.

There is talk that Pacquiao is scheduled to leave for the US on July 1. The speculation is he will fly to meet Top Rank chairman Bob Arum and finalize a contract to face either Mayweather or Antonio Margarito in Las Vegas before the year ends. Mayweather is the priority as a fight against Pretty Boy will break pay-per-view records for sure. Mayweather and Pacquiao could rake in as much as $40 million apiece if they slug it out. Margarito is a competitive opponent but won’t be able to draw as much sales as Mayweather.

“I got respect for Sugar Ray Robinson,” said Mayweather, quoted by Ron Borges in Boxing Monthly (June 2010). “I got respect for Muhammad Ali. But I’m a man like they’re men. I put on my pants just like they put on their pants. What makes them better than I am? Because they fought a thousand fights? In my era, it’s totally different. It’s pay-per-view now so things change. It’s out with the old and in with the new. Ali was one hell of a fighter but Floyd Mayweather is the best. Sugar Ray was one hell of a fighter but Floyd Mayweather is the best.”

Mayweather, 33, took potshots at Pacquiao in downgrading the Filipino icon’s legendary status.

“Pacquiao struggled twice – which we really know he got beat – with (Juan Manuel) Marquez,” he went on. “We know he really lost, right? And we know he’s been knocked out twice. And he’s been outboxed by Erik Morales but they still gave him Boxer of the Decade so that’s something I don’t understand. We’re talking about what these guys are doing but I’ve been dominating since the ‘90s. That’s what I’ve been doing.”

Mayweather, who is unbeaten, went a step further in doubting the competence of TV commentators who are mesmerized by Pacquiao.

“You got to realize most of the commentators on HBO know nothing about boxing,” he said. “The only one who knows something about boxing is Lennox Lewis (whose contract as commentator recently expired). But I know where I stand. Pacquiao beat a Miguel Cotto who just got pummeled with a cast (Margarito) and he beat Ricky Hatton who got stretched by me. So I’m trying to find out what it really is. It’s not for me to put him in the Hall of Fame. All I’m saying is if you’re a clean athlete, take the test.”

Mayweather insisted that Pacquiao admit to random drug-testing, Olympic-style, as a condition for them to fight. His condition, however, is not a requirement by US state boxing commissions and fans are wondering why Mayweather keeps bringing up the drug bogey – is he looking for an excuse to avoid Pacquiao, knowing the Filipino will never agree to a blood extraction unless it’s 14 days before a fight?

“It’s only fairness I’m looking for because when it comes down to it on the night of the fight, all that matters is me and him,” he said. “We must be on an even playing field. Too many fighters are dying. Too many fighters’ families are suffering. I’m a clean athlete. I’m doing it the old-fashioned way.”

Mayweather claimed he doesn’t take drugs. “I don’t drink, smoke or do drugs,” said Pretty Boy. “No matter what anyone says, they aren’t God. Only God can judge me.”

Mayweather’s father Floyd Sr. once served a 5 1/2 year prison sentence for cocaine trafficking. But Mayweather has no history of drug use.

Mayweather hasn’t lost a fight since the 1996 Atlanta Olympics where he settled for the bronze medal. As an amateur, he compiled an 84-6 record, starting his career in 1993 weighing 106 pounds – Pacquiao’s same weight when he turned pro in 1995. Mayweather has a record of 41-0, with 25 KOs compared to Pacquiao’s 51-3-2, with 38 KOs.

Showing signs of slowing down, Mayweather has scored only one knockout in his last six outings dating back to 2006. In contrast, Pacquiao – who is 31 – has won 11 bouts, including seven by knockout, since 2006. They’ve battled three common opponents – Oscar de la Hoya, Hatton and Marquez. Pacquiao stopped De la Hoya in eight while Mayweather beat the Golden Boy on points in setting a new record for pay-per-view buys at 2.4 million. Hatton went down in two to Pacquiao and lasted until the 10th round with Mayweather. Pacquiao fought Marquez twice, drawing once and winning a split decision in a rematch. Mayweather outpointed Marquez in his comeback fight after a 21-month layoff last year.

“My goal is to be one of the best who ever lived,” said Mayweather, quoted by Chuck Johnson in USA Today. “I feel I’m the best fighter to ever put on a pair of gloves. I have nothing but the utmost respect for Sugar Ray Robinson and Muhammad Ali but I’m in a sport to be the best.”

All Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. had to do was avoid stepping near a boxing ring. He would have had a relatively peaceful life and could have made his own path in his own chosen career path.

Instead, he chose to enter the arena that his father dominated. Indomitably, the comparisons started. But just as quickly as they began, they ended. Chavez Jr. had nowhere near the talent his father possessed, as he struggled with journeymen, getting some dubious decisions against Carlos Molina and Matt Vanda. A miserable showing against Midwestern hack Troy Rowland seemingly shut the door on the money making machine. A name can only take you so far.

Enter Bruce Trampler and Manny Pacquiao. Known as the best matchmaker and boxer in the world, together they convinced Chavez Jr. to train at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, California. Chavez Jr. had trained with his uncles up until this point, and had a reputation for laziness in training. In his fight against Rowland, he had to use a diuretic to make weight.

The final piece of the puzzle was Freddie Roach. Known as the top boxing trainer in the world, he had his hands full with Chavez Jr. With only four weeks, pundits wondered what transformation could take place in such a short period of time. Roach himself would tell the media Chavez Jr. was struggling to pick up moves he was teaching, and that he was losing every round in sparring. But the effort was there. How that translated on fight night would be the question.

A few years ago, John Duddy was supposed to be the next Irish dream. A good looking, charming Irish boxer, his fights were known for packing rollicking fans on both sides of the pond. He was a promoter’s dream, as long as he kept winning, the dollar signs would keep multiplying.

Then a funny thing happened along the way, Duddy hit a plateau as a boxer. He struggled mightily against shopworn Yuri Boy Campas, and with a title shot against middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik on the line, Duddy struggled and was sliced up against Canadian stepping stone Walid Smichet. Then, finally, Duddy lost to total unknown Billy Lyell. The dream was over.

His career was rebuilt slowly, as he won three fights in a row against mediocre opposition. Then, he got the opportunity he had always dreamed of. A main event fight against another undefeated fighter. Chavez Jr. and Duddy were put together for a fight card in San Antonio, two boxers who never reached their potentials, a perfect matchup.

A crowd of 8,172, mostly raucous Mexican fans, gathered for the occasion. Duddy looked mean and focused; Chavez still had the face of a twelve year old boy. But when he removed his robe, the results of his hard training were clear. Rippling muscles from a previously flabby body were clearly apparent. The hard work had paid off.

In the ring, what Chavez showed was remarkable. Suddenly he had become a marksman, throwing hard, accurate punches that sent Duddy’s head rocking back constantly. Boxing acumen had never been his forte, but suddenly he looked like a former Olympian.

All things were going well until the sixth round, when Duddy rocked Chavez with a combination. Chavez’s knees buckled, and he was truly hurt. He managed to escape the round, and from the seventh on, the domination continued where it had left off. In the later rounds, one wondered why it was even allowed to go on, and Duddy was simply taking unnecessary punishment, reeling around the ring numerous times after taking a hail of Chavez punishment. Yet, his pride forced him to continue until the final bell. The scores were academic: 120-108, 117-111, and 116-112, all for Chavez Jr.

The young man finally reached his potential, the older one showed his heart. A good night for boxing, and one that showed the old story holds true: all truths are exposed in the ring.

Source: doghouseboxing.com

The Yapping finally ends on Saturday night and UFC betting 114 is definitely heating up. It is difficult to say what is more important to these fighters – pounding their opposition unconscious or a Light Heavyweight title shot. This is a grudge match for the ages with the bonus being a shot at Shogun Rua for the Light Heavyweight belt.

UFC 114: Rampage vs. Evans

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (30-7-0): -120
Rashad Evans (19-1-1): -110

When: May 29, 2010
Where: MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada
How: Per-Per-View (Spike TV 9PM ET/6PM PT, PPV – 10PM ET/7PM PT)

The distain between these fighters is well documented but now is time to put the verbal jabs aside and figure out who will win this fight, from a championship title perspective and for a UFC betting perspective. While there is not a huge favorite in the fight, there appears to be one man who better prepared and one who has more motivation for victory.

Jackson is a true veteran of MMA who boasts some of the most powerful strikes in the division and has arguably the best killer instinct of any fighter in the UFC today. While there is not any question about Jackson’s power, there are many questions about his commitment to the sport and ultimately his future in the UFC.

Rampage is a banger who does well against other strikers. Well-rounded fighters are the ones that appear to give him the most trouble. In his last three fights, Jackson has defeated Wanderlei Silva and Evans’ best friend, Keith Jardine, while he lost to Forrest Griffin.

There is no secret as to what Jackson will try to do in this fight – strike. His move to England to train at Wolfslair MMA Academy has done absolutely nothing to help him improve upon his ground game. A one dimensional fight plan and a lengthy lay-off just may be his undoing in this fight.

Rashad Evans would love nothing more than to knock Quinton Jackson out early in their Saturday bout but he knows that his well-rounded game will be a ticket for success. Evans is a wrestler whose stand-up game has grown exponentially since his appearance on The Ultimate Fighter.

Evans works his stand up and ground game relentlessly but has thrown a new wrinkle into his fight preparation – the mental side of MMA. This mental side was on display with his win over a very tough Thiago Silva following his devastating defeat at the hands of Lyoto Machida in his defense of the Light Heavyweight belt. Evans is cerebral, focused and in the best shape of his career.

When evaluating this fight for UFC betting purposes, take into account all four aspects of MMA. The striking is about even between the two fighters, Rashad clearly has the edge in the ground game and Keith Jardine showed Evans that Rampage is susceptible to leg kicks. Give Rashad the edge in two of these three. Evans also has the edge in perhaps the most important intangible in this fight – the mental side. Rashad is hungry, focused and absolutely clear about what it is going to take to defeat Rampage.

UFC Betting Pick: Rashad Evans -110

Click here to bet on UFC 114 Jackson vs Evans!

- We have the new Welterweight power house Andre Berto taking on the future hall of famer, the brilliant Sugar Shane Mosley.

- There’s also the Super Six tournament to watch out for, as the contestants continue to battle it in the hope of becoming the king of the Super Middleweights.

- The Jr Welterweight division seems to be paving the way for some new and exciting fighters, as Timothy Bradley possibly leading as the divisions number one fighter. Behind him is Devon Alexander, the relentless Marcos Maidana, vicious Victor Ortiz, and the rejuvenated Amir Khan.

- The Heavyweight division for the first time in years, has seen the arrival of a fighter which it’s been craving for for a long time. David Haye’s success at winning his first Heavyweight title, paves the way for mouth watering clashes with the formidable Klitschko brothers.

- Then of course we have the super rich mega bout between former P4P king Floyd Money Mayweather, and 7 weight ring legend Manny Pacquiao. A fight which without doubt break all PPV records, and finally settle the dispute as to who really is the best fighter in the world today.

- Also in the mix are Miguel Cotto and Juan Manuel, who will be looking to bounce back from their crushing defeats to Pacman and Mayweather. It will be also interesting to see if the exciting Gamboa breaks through into the mainstream, and whether the world will discover the myth that is Edwin Valero.

Source: http://www.youtube.com/user/GP732676

Set your Gymboss to 0:00

Press ‘Start’ and begin a race to 100 burpees. No rest. See how long it takes you to get to 100 burpees.

6-7 mins= pretty well conditioned athlete
5mins=advanced conditioned athlete
4(and below)=very good condition

The first time took me 7 mins. Eventually I got it down to 4:36. I haven’t passed that mark yet.

Another option is the: 10 minute Burpee Challenge.

Simply set your Gymboss to 10 minute rounds (so it will ring every 10 mins). Press “Start” and begin your burpees. See how many burpees you can do in 10 minutes. Each time you do this excercise, strive to beat your previous record.

These workouts are both very challenging and perfect if you are pressed for time.

- Mike

Las Vegas has finally crossed the finish line to land the March 13 megafight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao, sources close to both fighters said Saturday.

The MGM Grand Garden, despite a seating capacity of only 16,200, appears to have won out over the new Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, which could seat 100,000 for the bout.

Top Rank president Todd duBoef said late Saturday the deal with the MGM Grand is not complete.

A source close to Mayweather said: “Nothing is signed. The talks are ongoing. It’s getting close, but there’s no deal in place yet.”

DuBoef’s boss, Top Rank founder and chairman Bob Arum, said last week he wanted to have a site for the fight locked up before Christmas. DuBoef has been handling site negotiations with Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer for the past 10 days, since Schaefer abruptly canceled a planned trip to Dallas on Dec. 9 to meet with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.

Jones had made an initial offer of $25 million. Dallas Mavericks owner and fellow billionaire Mark Cuban was interested in partnering with Jones to bring the fight to Texas. It is not known whether Jones had sweetened his offer.

While the MGM Grand cannot compete with the Cowboys’ massive stadium from a seating standpoint, it can pool resources with other MGM Mirage properties to have as many as 50,000 seats available between the live gate and closed-circuit seating. Closed-circuit locations could include the MGM Grand conference center, the Mandalay Bay Events Center and venues at the newly christened CityCenter.

MGM Mirage can offer hotel rooms, food and beverage capabilities and other amenities that Jones can’t. Another factor in the negotiations is the MGM Grand’s longstanding business relationship with Top Rank and Golden Boy, as well as Mayweather’s promotional company.

Mayweather Pacquiao fight bound for MGM

Richard Sturm, president of entertainment and sports for MGM Mirage who has been negotiating with duBoef and Schaefer, said through a spokesman that it is not an appropriate time to comment.

The Grand Garden has hosted both boxers’ most recent fights: Mayweather’s return Sept. 19 when he defeated Juan Manuel Marquez after a 21-month layoff, and Pacquiao’s 12th-round TKO victory over Miguel Cotto on Nov. 14.

Arum, who like Mayweather lives in Las Vegas, has said from the beginning of the negotiations he would like to see the fight in his hometown. However, Arum said it was important to consider all bidders, especially after Jones’ huge $25 million offer. But it appears that despite having the smaller venue, the MGM is going to win out to play host to boxing’s biggest fight in years.

“When we’re ready to release a statement, we will let everyone know,” duBoef said.

Source: http://www.lvrj.com/sports/mayweather-pacquiao-fight-bound-for-mgm-79750342.html

By Ross Enamait – Published in 2005

The Magic 50 is one of many routines contained within the Infinite Intensity training manual. The workout is listed below.

Perform 5 circuits of the following:

* 5 Dumbbell Snatches Per Arm
* 5 Dumbbell Swings Per Arm
* 10 Burpees
* Rest 60 seconds and repeat

Continue until you have performed five complete circuits. Limit rest to 60 seconds or less between each circuit. Advanced athletes will work through the entire routine with minimal rest (ex. 30 seconds between rounds). As for eliminating rest entirely, refer to this discussion from the forum for more information.
Workout Summary

The total workout consists of 50 dumbbell snatches, 50 dumbbell swings, and 50 burpees. This routine is brief, yet extremely intense. If the workout does not pose an adequate challenge, you should increase the weight of your dumbbell. More iron always equals more intensity.

You can use one or two dumbbells for this routine. Certain individuals may snatch much more weight than they can swing. In these instances, you can set up two side-by-side stations. The heavier dumbbell will be used for snatches. You will then side step to your second station and perform swings with the lighter dumbbell.

If you do not possess a considerable strength difference between snatches and swings, stick with one dumbbell. It will allow for a faster transition between movements. Whether using one or two dumbbells, choose the heaviest load that you can handle. The key to this workout’s success is to move from one exercise to the next, as fast as possible. If you use two dumbbells, limit time between movements.

You will start by snatching the dumbbell five times with each hand. Start with your non-dominant hand (ex. left hand snatch x 5, then right hand snatch x 5). After completing the snatches, perform five dumbbell swings with each hand (no rest between movements). Quickly drop the dumbbell and perform 10 explosive burpees. Focus on maximum exertion with each effort.

Recover quickly and continue with another pass through the circuit. At the conclusion of five circuits, your heart will be beating like a drum. Continually challenge yourself to reduce the total time required to complete the circuit. This routine will do wonders for work capacity and explosive endurance.

Conditioning workouts need not be lengthy. Intensity is much more important than the duration of the workout. For example, one boxer may jog for 40 minutes to satisfy his “roadwork” requirements. The athlete who stays home and performs The Magic 50 routine will finish his workout in half the time. He will achieve far more benefits from this brief circuit.

As Napoleon Bonaparte once said,

“Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.”

When you step inside the ring, your opponent is the enemy.

This workout can be performed 1 to 3 days per week depending on your condition and weekly workload. This workout is just one of many that is featured in the Infinite Intensity text. A complete 50 day program is also included, with details on how to construct a routine specific to your goals.

Saturday night at the Beeghly Center in Youngstown, Ohio, Kelly Pavlik defeated Miguel Espino. Pavlik won the fight when Espino’s corner threw in the towel during the 5th round and referee in charge of the action, Steve Smoger stepped in at 1:44 to halt the fight.

With the victory, Pavlik who owns the WBO and WBC middleweight titles, record improves to 36 wins, 1 loss with 32 KOs. Espino’s record drops to 20 wins, 3 losses and a draw with 9 KOs.

A spirited effort by both fighters, but Espino hit the deck 3 times during the fight. It was obvious that Pavlik who was coming off a long lay-off (10 months) due to a staph infection in his left hand, was not going to lose.

Source: Fox.com

He was America’s next great hope, remember? Kelly Pavlik first burst onto the national boxing scene in 2007 with a best boxing knockout of Edison Miranda and captured the countries hearts with two decisive victories of unified middleweight champion Jermain Taylor. With an entertaining back story and a concussive right hand, this tire-whacking, dart-playing, sleeping-on-his-mother’s-couch kid from Youngstown, Ohio was quickly tabbed as the next American to thrust his name into a globalized sport that was being dominated by champions with the last names of Klitschko, Pacquiao and Marquez.

Tabbed, that is, until an almost jaw-droppingly swift fall from grace.

It has been less than two years since Pavlik won his second fight with Taylor. In that time he has defended his middleweight crown twice, in knockout wins over unheralded “contenders” Gary Lockett and Marco Antonio Rubio. But he failed in his test against light heavyweight champ Bernard Hopkins and could not come to terms on the only fight anyone really wanted to see: a matchup with heavy handed IBF middleweight champion Arthur Abraham. Most recently, Pavlik was forced to withdraw from a scheduled date with Paul Williams due to a lingering staph infection in his left hand.

“No question,” Top Rank promoter Bob Arum said. “The shine has come off Kelly’s career.”

Pavlik’s first attempt to restore that shine comes Saturday, when he steps in the ring for the first time since last February and defends his titles against Miguel Espino in Youngstown (9 p.m ET, Top Rank PPV). The opponent isn’t especially challenging: Espino (20-2-1), a sparring partner of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., has little power (nine knockouts) and has never fought for a major title. But for Pavlik, Espino represents the first step in what Arum believes will be a yearlong comeback.

“I feel I have to go out there — especially after the layoff — I feel we have to look good,” said Pavlik in a conference call. “If there are critics now, there are going to be a lot more if I don’t dominate.”

Critics, who were few and far between when Pavlik first won the titles, have swarmed like vultures on Pavlik since the loss to Hopkins. His win over Rubio, the WBC No. 1 contender, was dismissed as a joke. And when Pavlik pulled out of the Dec. 5 fight with Williams and made the Espino fight for two weeks later, there were some who questioned whether Pavlik was ducking the fight.

“[The criticism] doesn’t bother me because some people know absolutely nothing about boxing,” said Pavlik. “They don’t know how the sport works or what goes on in the sport. So the people that said he is now fighting two weeks later, they don’t understand the story and have no idea what was behind it. I’ve got my own things I’ve got to worry about on the 19th and that’s where my focus is right now, on that fight.”

“It really makes me want to cry because people like that saying what they say [about Pavlik's injury],” said Arum. “They have absolutely no factual basis for what they are saying. We knew what Kelly went through physically and how close he was to not making it at all, not just to fight, but not making it at all, and to have those statements made. Like the genius that trains Williams [George Peterson] claiming that Kelly was faking the injury. When I hear that I feel so embarrassed for the sport. I’m 78 and I’ve put my whole life into this sport and to hear morons like that talk when they have no basis for what they are saying really makes me sad.”

Indeed, there are some questions as to whether Pavlik should have agreed to this fight. He claims his hand is 100 percent but when pressed he admits that he still can’t close it all the way and that the only reason he agreed to fight Espino was because he didn’t want to risk being stripped of his titles.

“It has been crazy, the hand,” said Pavlik. “The problem with the hand was time-consuming. People wanted to fight and everything was supposed to get done. After the first surgery we thought we would be ready to go. After I got the stitches out, it opened up again and the puss started coming out and they did a re-culture on it and an MRI and it got worse. Finally we were on a new antibiotic and that wasn’t doing the job so we went back in and did another surgery and after that everything was fine. The infection eventually went away with new antibiotics. After it went away we got a new reaction from the antibiotics. That put me in the hospital for four days with a very serious problem. At the end of the day we had two major surgeries within two months of each other and the tendons were coming out of the hand. So we had irritation and stiffness and I had therapy to get movement back in the finger. We wanted to fight, that is the main thing. We told the people to push the fight back. We had to hurry up a little bit, pile everything into five weeks.”

Arum said both he and Pavlik understand that Pavlik needs a monster 2010 to reclaim his career, which is why they are targeting a rescheduled date with Williams — whose oft-mentioned status as “the most feared fighter in boxing” is a source of irritation for Pavlik — and possibly a move up to 168 pounds to fight one of the emerging contenders there.

“My career has been in a little bit of limbo,” said Pavlik. “[But] there are plenty of big fights in the future. I had a setback like everyone has. Football players get staph infections all the time, I got one and I will still fight twice this year. I still stayed somewhat active in ’09. I know what we have planned for the future and know what track we are on.”

Source: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/chris_mannix/12/18/pavlik/