Boxing archrivals Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. may not have shared a ring but they have been engaging the other in a constant strings of battles outside the squared circle. Mayweather, at a time the consensus pound-for-pound best fighter in the planet, found himself replaced by Pacquiao when the former went on his first hiatus after his 10-round TKO victory over then undefeated Ricky Hatton of England in December 2007.
Mayweather’s sudden retirement from the sport scuttled the planned rematch with Oscar dela Hoya in 2008, who lost to Mayweather via split decision in May 2007. Alone and without an opponent, Dela Hoya picked Pacquiao as a replacement fighter in a fight where Pacquiao. The fight took place on December 2008, with Pacquiao virtually ending Dela Hoya’s career inside eight brutal and punishing rounds.
The win further stamped Pacquiao’s legitimacy as the pound-for-pound best boxer, a mythical diadem Mayweather held a year earlier. Since then, Mayweather and his cohorts attacked Pacquiao, with the American claiming he is the boxing’s cash cow and the PPV-buys generator.
Although the argument may hold some water, Pacquiao held his own status as a legit PPV attraction, figuring in a number of events that generated more than a million buys. But Pacquiao’s upcoming WBO welterweight title clash with Juan Manuel Marquez on November 12th, 2011, may finally give Pacquiao the avenue to beat Mayweather in the PPV numbers arena and finally gain the upper hand in future negotiations, should both camps come together at the discussion table again.
Pacquiao versus Mayweather fan art
While there have been announcements that the Floyd Mayweather-Victor Ortiz WBC welterweight scrap reached 1.25 million PPV buys, many boxing observers believe that the figures are bloated. Why, wonders one boxing scribe, did the promoters took more than a month to release the PPV figures for the said match?
In an article by Ring Magazine, Golden Boy Promotions and Mayweather Promotions “officially” announced that Mayweather-Ortiz did well as far as PPV buys are concerned. However, a very meticulous observation from Don Donatello of Now Boxing will get every casual and hardcore boxing fans to conjure some second thoughts on the matter. Not only did it took the promoters more than six weeks to come up with the number, no HBO official has never made any “official” (pun intended) statement regarding the Mayweather-Ortiz numbers.
As Donatello puts it, “when HBO performs well in their boxing PPV event, an HBO official will have announced their PPV takes through the biggest sporting news media, ESPN.”
The Pacquiao-Marquez trilogy is selling like pancakes. Tickets almost sold out on the first day alone, which is a clear indication how much attention this fight is getting. A total of 17,000 fight fans are expected to fill in the MGM Grand on fight night. As for the PPV sales, the projected number is around 1.4 million buys. Pacquiao’s most recent event, a runaround fiasco versus former boxing superstar and champion Shane Mosley last May, garnered 1.3 million PPV buys, Pacquiao’s biggest since his fight with Dela Hoya.
Unless HBO makes an official statement that coincides with Golden Boy Promotions’ and Mayweather Promotions’ claims of reaching 1.25million PPVs, then there is no wonder why Mayweather, or his CEO Leonard Ellerbe in particular, finally wants a piece with the “little fella”.
Or so they say.
The boxing world has lost one of its greatest figures. Filipino Boxing Journal is one with the boxing community as we mourn the passing of Smokin’ Joe Frazier (1944-2011). May his soul rest in peace and God’s perpetual light shine upon him.
Photo credits: 3 Stars & The Sun Blog
Kenneth P. Ragpala is an award-winning sports blogger who has been covering the sport of boxing since 2008. His works have appeared in local newspapers in his home city in Cagayan de Oro and in several online publications abroad.
Ragpala has written for several boxing websites, namely Fight Hype, 8 Count News, and Bleacher Report.
it will be a pac hatton part 2.. pac too strong lightning fast! I fear for marquezs life! I hope he does not end into coma or in funeral!
latest 690k ppv according to HBO/and SEC on the record for star power.
pac is singing with jimmy kimmel while maynever is being destroyed and humliiated on a radio interview hahahah!
http://www.boxingscene.com/mayweather-blasts-away-radio-war-words-erupts–45645
if maynever is the best why is pac fighter of the decade, 3 time fighter of the year, 8 div champ, 3 yyear nmber 1 pound for pound, time magazine cover, congresman, nike hp compaq henessy and many other endorser? maynever- criminal, fraud, surrounded by thugs and convicted drugpushers, will serve 30 years in jail, a complete garbage! pac doeasnt need that garbage!
he is just having nmbers coz he is an american and that’s his advantage!
now if maynever can achieve what pac has achieved I will agree with you! numbers mean nothing being the best fighter ahhahahaha! it is on your achievements like on what ive stated abovee and not on ppv nmbers!
they will talk about pacs reluctance on testing 30 yrs from now? and how do you think that boxing will require such BS random blood testing on every fight? it is only maynever who’s making such excuse to roadblock a pac figght! after that maynever retires, no one will be talking about that blood testing BS! that issue will only be remembered as his excuse to duck pac hahah! olympic blood test is so expensive, no boxing comission will make it as a requirement ahahhahaha.
maynever is doing everything just to negate pacs power on their fightnight! drawing blood on the night before a fight? drawing blood in the 5th round of their fight _wtf-! why not draw blood right exactly after the 12th round? as obvious that blood test BS is advantagous to gayfaggot coz he doesn’t need power on that fight coz he will basically just jab and run all night! while pac will need all his power to pour hundred strong punches to pressure faggot! drawing blood on the night of the fight is both psychological and physical advantage for maynever! pac need not to be mentally and physically distracted to beat him! its all about his mindgames! do you understand my point?
pac will never step back! he is not like maynever who always runs backwards ahahah.. my opinion is pac as a boxer is dominating not only one division unlike ali, pac has climbed up, he took the challenges , bigger taller heavier foes,.. centurys will pass and pac would still be the 8 div champ! no one can surpass it, your grandchildren wil ask you who won the most chmpionship in different div, youll say the once fighter of the decade pac, and who’s got the longest undefeated rec youll answer penito lopez 51-0 then marciano 49-0 43 ko and so forth, who’s got the most ppv youll say delahoya with maynever, ppv nmbers isn’t important! century from now maynever will never be remembered as the undefeated great coz there are greats who has a longer undefeated record lets face it come on , he’ll only be remembered as the greats along with sugar ray leonard, tommy hearns, hagler, duran.. pac will always be separated or will rank higher than them coz they didn’t achieve what pac has achieved 8 div champ, fighter of the decade and that will leave a mark on history books!
hahahah never been beaten BS! he lost to castillo on their 1st fight! marciano, calzaghe, penito lopez and so forth! zero means nothing! pac achievements fake? hahaha america gave those awards to pac! it is you who is refusing to see his achievements coz no black has evr been 8 division champ(could have been 10 if pac had not skiped 2 div) , coz pac got the fighter of the decade award over maynever, and pac is 3 time fighter of the year compared to maynevers one! just accept the fact and swallow that pac alone is whooping blacks asses! no one ever could break pacs 8 division record hahahahha no black will ever! hahaha
This is the best literary phrases put together into perspective that embodies truth and substance. Kudos amigo mio.
PAC, WOW you said it all, one of the best and true article ever written. More power to you!
Star Power #Floyd Mayweather jr/vs Victor Ortiz ,Floyd and his minions should be thankful to his heavy loaded cast supporting bouts;[1]Saul alvarez/ vs Eric Gomez [2]Erik Morales /vs Lucas Matthysse [3]Jhonny Gonzales /vs Elio Rojas.Remember these were all championship bouts .It could have been a gigantic backlash in ppv numbers without these supporting bouts.Out of 690k buys Floyd lone contrbution could have been 350k.
saul alvarez vs arturo gomez, eric morales vs pablo cesar cano, and jhonny gonzales did not fight in that card.
y’know what’s a good match?
Arum vs Schaeffer. mano a mano. the winner then calls a fight between the Fuck and the Monkey.
Pac vs Money…that will happen, finally…whoever wins between Arum and Schaeffer. you can put in Ellerbe to referee, if you please!!!
Another-Frustrated-Fan