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Floyd Mayweather The New Crossover Star
By David A. Avila
In 2009 BMM, that’s Before Mayweather-Marquez, the world of boxing wondered who would be the next blockbuster pay-per-view star.
That’s no longer a question mark.
Floyd “Money” Mayweather has arrived with his pockets full of “make it rain money,” humongous body guards and a color coordinated entourage that know their duties better than front gate Hollywood security guards.
Mayweather, whether you like him or not, is the new “it” guy when it comes to attracting boxing fans, sports addicts and the general casual viewers who are intrigued by the “it” factor of whoever is “it” for the day.
Bob Arum, the king of the promoters and the guy who helped Oscar De La Hoya, Sugar Ray Leonard, Muhammad Ali and many others, at one time promoted Mayweather and was unable to keep the Las Vegas fighter.
Arum knows a thing or two about promoting boxing and deemed Mayweather unable to draw an arena full of fans. The Las Vegas-based promoter was confident that the fighter formerly known as “Pretty Boy Floyd” could not out-draw Manny Pacquiao or Miguel Cotto.
Then it happened.
Floyd Mayweather accepted Juan Manuel Marquez’s public challenge that was made during his post fight comments after knocking out Juan Diaz. Amid retirement, he saw a perfect opportunity to return to the sport.
The fight wasn’t the thing. Marquez was skillful, but too darn small. What was amazing was the ability of this fight to draw more than 1 million pay-per-views.
Top Rank’s Arum wanted to know the reason why and immediately set his army of creditable boxing people to find out why.
“Whatever it was, it was much greater than our expectations,” said Arum honestly about misreading Mayweather’s drawing power. “The reason is Mayweather is a celebrity now in the black community. That’s what drove the buys. The urban areas all over the country were tuned in.”
So for those people who think the black community doesn’t have interest in boxing, well, they’re sadly misinformed.
Arum also added that Mayweather has become a crossover athlete who is recognizable to the regular sports fans who aren’t necessarily boxing followers.
“He’s even in commercials now,” Arum said.
With Pacman and Cotto just around the corner, Top Rank now feels that the winner versus Mayweather would definitely make big business.
Arum is not hedging on who he feels will win the fight on Nov. 14.
“Manny Pacquiao might beat Cotto, but it’s a really tough fight,” said Arum by telephone from Cotto’s training camp in Tampa. “How can anybody think this will be a Pacquiao run over?”
Before Pacquiao accepted the fight, his trainer Freddie Roach considered Cotto the second most difficult opponent and Sugar Shane Mosley the toughest. He considered Mayweather the third most difficult opponent.
But money talks. Real Money.
Like him or not, Mayweather is the man, the pay-per-view man. And it looks like the winner of Cotto-Pacquiao will be facing the new pay-per-view king.
“All these promoters that are saying boxing is dead don’t know what they are doing. It’s a question of marketing,” Arum says. “Even with these resources due to the economy, it’s still doing tremendous.”
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goth:
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Floyd should fight a welterweight. Nuff said.
Friday Oct 16, 2009 02:11:21 AM
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Isaiah:
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I said many times before and I'll say it again, boxing isn't going to die so all the UFC lovers can get over it! Just you wait Mayweather lovers, your boy will lose soon if he's ready for a real fight with Mosley or Mayweather can just take on the Saul Alvarezez of the world while Manny Pacquiao makes the fights the fans want to see and takes over in making the most money. There's your real cross over star. Mark my words. If Mayweather fights some bum like Alvarez, his major money making days are over! I hope the Fraudweather does take this meanigless fight. The boxing world is better with him retired.
Friday Oct 16, 2009 04:36:35 AM
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jeff:
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nah...stupid article...how can you say he outdrew pacquiao cotto when pacquiao cotto hasnt even happened yet....and anybody who knows boxing knows mayweather doesnt have the "it" factor...he goes out of his way to create attention and the only reason people watch his fights is to see him lose or to watch who hes fighting...mayweathers a bum if anything else...as a matter of fact hes better of dead...if i want to talk about cross over stars...well theres this guy named manny pacquiao.
Friday Oct 16, 2009 06:10:31 AM
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Manboobs the great:
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Floyd has the love him or hate him thing going. There really is no middle ground with this guy. You either believe he could KO a prime Tyson or your just waiting for him to get scalped. Either way you wanna see him. He needs to take a fight his FANS and detractors want to see next or he may be outdated quicker than a gas station burrito. You can only ride a win against the Golden Boy so long before you have to do something else or become irrelevant to the boxing landscape. He's already like ODH at the end of his carrer, he just fights big money exhibition bouts.
Friday Oct 16, 2009 07:27:36 AM
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kountedout:
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mayweather is the cash cow for sure now. “If Pacquiao and Cotto sell the same amount of homes or more [as Mayweather], then we will have some things to discuss. But if Pacquiao and Cotto is going to sell 600,000 homes or whatever, then why should it be 50-50? Why? Because some boxing fans think it should be? Or maybe not even fans, because some media thinks it should be? It doesn't work like that. I think eventually that fight is going to happen. When it happens, it happens, but let it happen naturally,” Schaefer said.
Friday Oct 16, 2009 07:27:52 AM
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Anony:
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FLOYD WILL ALWAYS BE A CHICKEN BOXER.... If Cotto wins Pacquiao he will try to match with Pacquiao anyways saying "he is the bigger drawer" but reality is that he will be scare to face Cotto or any other welterweight. Still... Vitali Klitschko throws twice the punches Floyd did against JMM that shows how BORING his style is and ZZZZ.... ZZZZ... ZZZZ ohhh, forget it. He is not worthy.
Friday Oct 16, 2009 08:29:00 AM
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Anony:
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AND WHO LIKES THAT STUPID COMPUTER COMMERCIAL ANYWAYS? He impersonating "Forrest Gump" is like a joke from the executives of that computer company that made him look what he really is..... A DUMB. Have he thought about it? I guess not. He'll do anything for money BUT HE WILL NOT BOX WITH THE TOP WELTERWEIGHTS.
Friday Oct 16, 2009 08:34:47 AM
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Frank Z@ Anony:
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man... why the hate? you can say mayweather still needs to fight legit/p4p welterweights, but can you really blame him for doing anything for money? remember we're talking about boxing here. i'm just glad boxing has a crossover star to bring more attention to the other fighters and the sport.
Friday Oct 16, 2009 09:03:41 AM
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Anony:
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I'M NOT HATING ON FLOYD... just watch the commercial and tell me what he looks like. Those are the things people do for money... he loves to portray himself as a "though gangsta wise cat" but for money.. he will play Forrest.
Friday Oct 16, 2009 09:16:09 AM
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RG - calling a s_____ a s______:
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Nice "IT" article, TSS Bureau Chiefy D-Double-A! IT is what IT is. Money May is the boxer who brings da fight fans and everybody's fan running with PAY! Fanfaronades, poppycock-talking crusaders, faders and haters can sink into deep self-denial. Money May is no doubt causing more depression to that above crowd than the weakened economy, being financially broke and ill and sick could ever cause. Hate em or love em, I give every pugilist his props. Money May is the money-making cream of the crop. Dude is at da TOP! Will Cotto-Pacquiao bout outdo the MM-drawing power? I'm not convinced. I don't foresee how, but time will tell who is the phattest hurt bitnezz cashcow. The fan come running from near and far. From the Cotto-Pacquiao bout, will we see another "crossover star?" Holla!
Friday Oct 16, 2009 09:46:08 AM
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Alton Love:
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The only thing I have to say about (Mr. Money Maker) is that a boxer with an undefeated record a plethera of championship belts and promotes his fights as one of the greatest boxers of all time is a force to reckon with, the science of boxing is to hit without being hit, to out score your foe any way possible within the rules of boxing and if a KO comes all the better but not just to jump in the ring sluggin until someone falls is non productive to a boxers career and a everyone see's longevity and with no losses amounts to big bucks.
Friday Oct 16, 2009 10:51:29 AM
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#1 PacFan "KO's Cotto in 7":
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I agree with you Anony, the only way Pacquiao-Mayweather happens is if Manny loses. It would make it more difficult to negotiate with Arum if Manny prevails. He will prolly avoid Cotto and fight Pac anyways because that's what everyone wants to see. But why would I want to see Pac go up against a fighter like Floyd if he can't get by Cotto.
Friday Oct 16, 2009 11:15:21 AM
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#1 PacFan "KO's Cotto in 7":
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@Manboobs, they don't care who Floyd fights next but as long as he makes his money. You don't hear them pleading Floyd to really stand up and fight a real top contender in his division. The only way I can be convinced that Floyd is the cash cow or PPV king is if he goes up against a fighter who is not associated with Top Rank or GBP. If he can draw millions by himself then I will be a believer. Or even if he can draw big with Mosley who he says is not a big draw.
Friday Oct 16, 2009 11:22:36 AM
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GOAT:
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Why give GBP and/or Top Rank credit for PBF's drawing power? Pacman uses top Rank and he still can't outdraw PBF. When Pacman fought ODH he didn't sell as many PPV's as PBF when he fought ODH. When Pacman fought Hatton....... When Pacman fought Marquez...... At some point ya'll are going to give PBF his props, but until then, THERE'S ONLY ONEEEEEE MAYWEATHER!!!
Friday Oct 16, 2009 12:03:09 PM
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RG -- 1:30 sa umaga heto nasa PI at di natutulog ako:
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Your copy is spot on, TSS West Coast Chiefy D-Double-A! I'm one curious sucka, so doing a few days before the Mayweather-Marquez bout I went up in the urban area -- of course with protection -- of San Diego. Those dudes and dudettes straight-up mad luv and hardcore support Money May. In that "black community" -- with a few whites, Latinos and even a couple of Asians -- Money May is a demigod. Superman and PacMan ain't got nuffin' on him in "da hood!" I guess you can call Money May Urbanman. This money cat may just be more popular in the hood than Goat Ali was back in da day. I'm a witness to both great men's fanpower -- the haters and the lovers. (I've never learn or accepted to hate any type of human being, so I can see clearly -- never been blinded by a inborn prejudice or stupid stereotyping.) Money May pretty is popular in the world too, nowadays. Dude could sell out arenas in Japan, China, India, the Middle East, South Africa and, of course, every spot in Europe. I know this, because those places are my stomping ground. People always ask me about that " American boxer -- Money May." In the words of his dad, Pops Joy May, "I must confess, (Money May) is the (big-crowd-drawing of boxing fans) best." A crowd - except for us Pinoys -- would not come to see PacMan beat Money May. They'd come to see Money May's display or would be haters hoping that he gets beat. My hope is that Money May catch a flu, sign to fight Manny at a catchweight and get overconfident. OMG! Manny would scorched that money butt. An unforgiving flu, a catchweight and overconfident are the recipe for whupping a Money May. Otherwise PRAY! But I see Money May thanking God all the time, so -- depending on what mood God is in -- those prayers just may not reach Da Big Guy! Holla!
Friday Oct 16, 2009 12:30:06 PM
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Yuvie:
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Americans certainly needed an american boxer they could cling on to. God forbid that a 'foreign' fighter could become 'the most popular boxer in the world'. Mayweather's alright but he won't get props from me till he gets himself into a fair fight. Meanwhile, Marquez got himself pimped out by Money, not just in the ring (at least he got paid well like a high class hooker), and now everyone wants to call Money the greatest boxer in the world today. How sad!
Friday Oct 16, 2009 03:05:31 PM
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Smiley C:
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Wow! The simple-minded bigots with their knuckles still dragging on the earth surface never stop trying to turn this Universe into one their bigoted ones fo' sure!
Friday Oct 16, 2009 03:07:38 PM
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Smiley C:
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*one of their bigoted ones.
Friday Oct 16, 2009 03:11:00 PM
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#1 PacFan "KO's Cotto in 7":
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How can this site approve of that MoneyMayweather character. Straight racist on his part. I know my fellow PacFans can get a little out of hand but atleast they don't post racist remarks like that. I'm outraged! I'm disappointed by this site!
Friday Oct 16, 2009 03:35:34 PM
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#1 PacFan "KO's Cotto in 7":
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I'm with you Yuvie, this Fraud don't get props from me until he proves me otherwise. @GOAT, you know darn well that Oscar was the reason why he is as popular as he is. Before that fight what kind of numbers did he put up? Not with Gatti, Baldo( by the way was held at MGM that sold less than 9,000 seats; I thought that arena seats about 16k), Judah, did he put close to those numbers.
Friday Oct 16, 2009 03:42:28 PM
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TotoyBato:
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Trickery, duping, smoke & mirrors, It's the american way.
Friday Oct 16, 2009 04:02:55 PM
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brownsugar@Anony:
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well Mayweathers computer commercial was far more dignified than the part Master P took (in a brief supporting movie role with Kirk Russle) when he turned snitch for a double cheese burger.....doesn't get any worse than that.... anyway Mayweather has been building towards this his whole career,.. now he'll need to continue to fight the kinds of fights necessary to perserve it....
Friday Oct 16, 2009 06:03:33 PM
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Rick:
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I watched, I was praying that Mayweather would get beat. By a little guy. Until this guy starts fighting guys his weight or bigger he will never get any respect....let him fight Pavlik, Mosley. There is no greatness in that kid. He fights guys at the end of their careers or small guys...big deal.
Friday Oct 16, 2009 06:53:39 PM
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ali @ Yuvie:
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What fight would be fair? Then you know what's going to happen he's going to whoop who ever you name and your going to have a excuse.
Friday Oct 16, 2009 07:36:35 PM
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Fe'Roz:
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The expression that timing is everything has as many fathers as it has sons. Avila's article bears truth. Today. The problem is this article was written Today. in other words , too early. Because after Manny and Miquel, Floyd will have lost his PPV title. Prepare crow every possible way.....for the unlikely event that I am wrong. I will eat for all of us. Floyd Mayweather is about to lose his PPV title. He will lose his negotiating power. He will lose his moniker 'Money'. For all who question this, note the purse expectations for Manny Pacqiuao. In fact, look at Cotto's numbers. The latter even being more telling. $10,000,000. That's $10 million.... for Miguel Cotto. The same as Floyd made in his last fight. And.... take a good look at Manny's numbers. Twenty million large. That's right. $20,000,000 US Dollars. Floyd likes numbers. He should check these out. These are the purses awarded great fighters willing to fight great fights. Math is beautiful thing. Numbers are what they are. They speak for themselves. And never lie. Celebrity is like youth, beautiful for as long as it lasts. So, Mr Avila, prepare the crow. But if I'm right, prepare to write. The updated, abridged version of the above.
Friday Oct 16, 2009 08:39:19 PM
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Fe'Roz:
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BREAKING NEWS: Tom Delay, former pest exterminator, former House Minority Whip, and current disgraced politician ....has Crossed Over!! No, not the Jordan. On TV. He is now a celebrity. On Dancing for the Stars. The same 'star' vehicle that made PBF a household name. Since this is a boxing site not a fan club.....I'll go back to posting about fighters who fight great fighters. Meet you'all on another post.
Friday Oct 16, 2009 08:46:58 PM
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Isaiah@ali:
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Alright Ali! I'll tell you what'd be a fair fight and no, I don't have any exscuses if Mayweather wins. Shane Mosley.(The man has earned the right to retire with a huge payday.) Antonio Margarito or Miguel Cotto if he wins against Pacmam or Now get this... meet Paul Williams at Junior Middle. Now, READ MY LIPS... as Bush 1 used to say, LEGIT/ELITE/WELTERWEIGHT. Besides Paul Williams, that is if you must use the weight exscuse and then give credit to Mayweather for beating Marquez, you know... since this is Bizarro world, I've mentioned 3 elite Welters. Now tell Floyd to get crackin!
Friday Oct 16, 2009 09:28:55 PM
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DaveB:
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PacFan, I think Mosley/Mayweather could get good numbers because I think a lot of people would like to see that fight. I think we all would. I still don't think he has the drawing power the author of the article does and drawing power that of some of his fans thinks he does. I'm tired about hearing about him until there is some reason to talk about him at any rate.
Friday Oct 16, 2009 09:35:30 PM
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Isaiah@Anony:
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Hey man, just read your last comment on the Froch article down the page. Funny stuff man and so true. I got your back. Hey. Did you all see Joe Calzaghe coming back to fight.... his ex girlfriend because she's a stuck up b#### that is, HA!
Friday Oct 16, 2009 10:06:50 PM
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Frank Z:
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hey TSS, please remove moneymayweather's comment... since when is it cool to call a group of people monkeys?
Friday Oct 16, 2009 11:06:38 PM
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EM:
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Hey "MoneyMayweather," do me a favor and don't come to TSS with that garbage language.
Friday Oct 16, 2009 11:44:07 PM
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c0remaster:
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Another paid sports writer of GBP? We all know that GBP is grooming Floyd to be the next Dela Hoya. They'll do anything to sell him...they even bought his PPV sells when he fought Marquez to make him look good. People are not that stupid you know. This is big business, they invested money on him when they reported the fight made a million PPV buys.
Saturday Oct 17, 2009 03:02:38 AM
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Tony :
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Man Alive, how does he stay on top, while avoiding real welters?
Saturday Oct 17, 2009 03:44:07 AM
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donputo69 doing 500 pushups:
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Scareweather is the next big thing....."THE BIG CHICKEN".....I have nothing else to say about him...im already out of comments....lol...TSS already knows how i feel about him...anyway.....back to my pushups....445, 446, 447, 448, 449, 450, 451, 452, 453........holla back!!!
Saturday Oct 17, 2009 07:13:12 AM
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kizz:
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I love to see Mayweather Vs. Calderon.......please make it happen....Mayweather the best...
Saturday Oct 17, 2009 08:02:24 AM
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george pottot:
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hey! dr david avila your discrediting the tacate rebate and juanma and mexican fans what a silly commentary!
Saturday Oct 17, 2009 09:54:26 AM
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ali @ Isaish:
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I see you didn't say Pac why not is it because you know he can't beat Mayweather
Saturday Oct 17, 2009 10:15:17 AM
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isidro:
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I really admire the business side acumen of Mr. Bob Arum,very smart and witty not to mention successfully rich from all his endeavors(probably not all).As soon as Schaefer send a coded signal for Mayweather the wind shifted it's direction;but who wouldn't want a Pacquiao vs Mayweather fight,very few definitely.
To follow the latest development in Mayweather's financial gauge ,still to break even basing it on those previous reliable articles written by reliable writers ie ESPN etc.A mega fight with Pacquiao win or lose will add extra extra smile on his face and might cry too openly.
Saturday Oct 17, 2009 10:19:38 AM
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monkeyweather:
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he should be...he's in his homeland..it's a disgrace to him if he can't make his countrymen watch him fight...this bulls@#% about pbf being the ppv king is really stupid...how in the world will you have non-americans dominating a foreign country in pay-per-view???..well unles you're damn too good...and that's what delahoya and pacquiao is doing...which is really remarkable...
Saturday Oct 17, 2009 10:48:41 AM
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esee:
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after the cotto fight, pacquiao will fight mosley, margarito or berto and other fighters that mayweather refuse to fight.... well golden boy are very proud of saying maywether next oponent is is teenage red head... keep up the good record ugly boy mayweather!!!!..... dont forget your dad steroid he might need it......
Saturday Oct 17, 2009 07:38:49 PM
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Eastar:
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Always knew Money Mayweather would prove his doupters wrong, And, as long as people keep doupting, fans will continue watching. PEACE.
Saturday Oct 17, 2009 08:02:52 PM
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@jeff:
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Couldn't have said IT any better.
Saturday Oct 17, 2009 09:23:17 PM
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Pete steward:
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Moneys has always been a STAR it's just knuckle head so called boxing writers and braodcasters like Larry " Why won't Somebody SHOOT HIM?" Merchant keeps hating on him because he's not a good little boy. Like Jack Johnson and Ali before him Mayweather Thinks for himself (HEAVEN FORBID LOL!) and does things his way. The bottom line he's the man he's the star and he's the money.
Saturday Oct 17, 2009 10:01:37 PM
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TotoyBato:
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Pretty Floyd is the court JESTER in a court of FOOLS.
Sunday Oct 18, 2009 09:13:14 PM
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brawler:
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pac-mayweather will not happen cause manny will try to win 8 division so his name will be numero uno, mayweather will be numero 2 in boxing history for life!
Tuesday Oct 20, 2009 06:37:27 AM
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jun:
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why doesnt floyd mayweather take on bigger opponents? a unbeaten record in the professional ranks means nothing a lot of fighters have unbeaten records and if they retired they would fit the same shoe as floyd. rocky marciano, calzaghe did it, but they are nowhere near the upper echeleons of boxing legends, now pacquiao did something better than those before him. he had his signature on the contract before mayweather came up with the devious ploy of repeating the scenario of the first eric morales vs manny pacquiao fight. they found what manny will never agree to do and they exploited this to their own devices. now for him to gain any credibility he should fight a genuine welterweight contender and not somebody who has not proved to be a worthy opponent for him. at least someone who has a good chance at beating him if they meet in the ring. that is why he was forced out of retirement in the first place, but when the time came to step up to the plate, seemed he became the chicken man. look at all the pictures of him endorsing the perfect classic american dinner Kentucky Fried Chicken. seems he is a perfec pitchman for this product, and if you could see a picture of Pacquiao chasing chicken floyd around the ring, seems more real than all his trash talk.
Friday Jan 8, 2010 10:35:31 PM
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jun:
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floyd is only no. 2 in the p4p ratings, but nowhere in the overall ratings, at least manny is no. 2 overall all time list.
Friday Jan 8, 2010 10:37:12 PM
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Angie And Goody...23 Years Later
Twenty three years later after they seconded Marvin Hagler and Ray Leonard in Las Vegas, Goody Petronelli and Angelo Dundee crossed paths again. This time, it was at Foxwoods. Photo/friend of TSS "The Iceman" John Scully reports there were only pleasantries exchanged. Goody didn't debate the split decision victory enjoyed by Leonard, which to this day Hagler disputes.
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