Manny Pacquiao vs Yuri Foreman Highlights
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Thursday, December 31, 2009
Pacquiao vs Foreman is Still a Strong Possibility
According to Eric Pineda, Manny Pacquiao's business manager, undefeated WBA junior middleweight champiuon Yuri Foreman is still a strong possibility for them. After the proposed Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight fell apart over a random drug testing dispute, Top Rank's Bob Arum reached out to promoter Lou DiBella to obtain Paulie Malignaggi for the March 13 date.Pineda told The Philippine Star that besides Malignaggi, Foreman was still a stonrg possibility and Pacquiao had previously agreed to fight Foreman in March before the Mayweather fight came up.
"He has agreed to fight Yuri. But all these were swept aside when the Mayweather fight came up like it was a sure thing,” Pineda said.
Several weeks ago Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach was very interested in a Pacquiao-Foreman fight.
“We want to fight in March and we don’t really want to wait. (If) Mayweather doesn’t want to fight in March, we might fight for the 154 pound title and move up for that eighth world title. I’m thinking about that still and it’s something that I’m kicking around in my head right now. Yuri Foreman might be the opponent. It is a possibility,” Roach said.
Source: http://www.boxnews.com.ua/en/news/6347/2009-12-26/Pacquiao-vs-Foreman-is-Still-a-Strong-Possibility
Pacquiao vs Foreman Fight
CALIFORNIA, United States — I’ve always thought of George Foreman as one of boxing’s quirky success stories. He was the powerful, arrogant heavyweight champion who was humbled by the flamboyant Muhammad Ali. Later he reinvented himself as a humble, personable, and respected sports figure.
He and boxing great Manny Pacquiao will never meet in the ring, of course. But Foreman has unexpectedly played a bit role in Pacquiao’s incredible story when he predicted a Miguel Cotto upset win over the Filipino hero.
Most Filipinos, many boxing fans and experts will likely dismiss Foreman as crazy. And they may be right.
But what I found more striking than his prediction was Foreman’s own deeper insight into Pacquiao—and how his success may be turning into the Pinoy champion’s toughest opponent.
“Pacquiao has been riding high and has beaten some of the best in the world. And it leaves you kind of complacent when you're winning," he was quoted as saying in a story on CNN’s Web site. "Even if you don't want it to, sometimes you can't get up for a big fight.”
Foreman’s view was based on his own rise as the king of boxing in the early 1970s. I still remember watching with awe as he destroyed Joe Frazier, Ken Norton and other challengers. He was a powerful, scary, and seemingly invincible figure in the ring.
But then came Ali.
One of my most vivid memories as a child was reacting with my grade school classmates to news that Ali had knocked Foreman out. Most of us were rooting for Ali simply because he was the more colorful figure, but we were sure he didn’t stand a chance. We watched, stunned as Foreman tumbled to the canvas before the triumphant Ali.
“When I faced Ali, Frazier and Norton both had beaten Ali, and I had knocked them out pretty easily. So when I faced Ali, I had that confidence, and you think I surely can beat this guy,” Foreman, who later redeemed himself by becoming the oldest man at age 45 to win a world heavyweight title in 1994 when he knocked out Michael Moorer, said in the CNN story.
"So I know the feeling, and I think that will happen to Pacquiao.”
I certainly hope Foreman is mistaken both on his prediction and his take on Pacquiao's confidence.
After all, Manny Pacquiao has made us so proud. It would be a shame for us to see him lose, especially when most experts believe he is far better than Cotto.
But as others have noted, Pacquiao seems to be flirting increasingly with distractions that could eventually derail his career—from the seemingly overambitious plan to enter politics to the awkward launch of a showbiz career, underscored by a pretty awful debut as a star of his own sitcom.
To be sure, Pacquiao has every right to explore opportunities now available to him. Nothing wrong with that.
But as many experts have stressed, he should play to his strengths. Unfortunately, there are dangers that he may play to a false strength: celebrity.
As I mentioned, many experts still believe the fight is Pacquiao’s to lose. One of them is the legendary trainer and boxing expert, Teddy Atlas, who has worked with such champions as Mike Tyson and Moorer. Even he raised concerns.
“His speed, his confidence will carry him to a victory. So I would have to take Pacquiao by decision,” he said in an interview with Doghouseboxing.com.
But Atlas also pointed to risks. One is the obvious fact that Cotto is the bigger fighter. ”This bigger guy is a legitimate threat; this bigger guy is a much better fighter than Pacquiao has ever fought,” he said.
Then he also echoed Foreman’s point about how Pacquiao's run of victories and the spotlight have started to affect the Filipino.
“You have to explore the question: Is Pacquiao full of over confidence? We know he has a lot of self-confidence, but he could also suffer from over confidence because of his easy victories against lesser fighters who just weren’t in the class of Cotto.”
“I am going to hope that all the influences that could be bad influences out there—all the temptations that could beget (by) him being a superstar—(would weigh less than his) being a national icon in his country, being a great, great inspiration for the Filipino people,” Atlas said.
“But the negative side is all the distractions, the politics. He may not know anything about politics but he could be the mayor of any city, he could be a senator, or even president of the Philippines. He could be a major television star over there even though he doesn’t know how to act but the ratings would be off the charts. He certainly could star in a movie even though nobody would say he is Robert Redford, and the movie would make millions and millions of dollars because he is Manny Pacquiao. He could make an album of music and I doubt that he sings very well but that doesn’t matter, it would make him millions and millions of dollars. Everywhere he goes thousands and thousands of people come out just to get a glimpse of their national hero, it’s terrific.”
“But the negative of that is that it can start to weigh on him, it can start to digress him, and I’m wondering if some of that is not happening now. If you watch the 24/7 promotions on HBO, you get the feeling that the fame and fortune is starting to bang on that door. That door where it starts to deteriorate you, it starts to make you comfortable, it starts to make you less hungry, people always telling you how great you are, that you are unbeatable. It starts to make you take your eye off the ball a little, and I’m wondering if that’s not starting to happen. To me it’s just as great an enemy as any left hook or right hand if that happens.”
I hope Atlas is wrong. I hope Foreman is wrong. We all hope Manny really has his eyes on the ball, despite all the loud banging on the door.
Manny Pacquiao vs Yuri Foreman News
Trainer Freddie Roach has confirmed that Manny Pacquiao may move up to 154-pounds to target the world title shot against undefeated WBA Champion Yuri Foreman. Fore and Pacquiao are both promoted by Top Rank. Roach, who will be in Amir Khan's corner this Saturday, told British press that Floyd Mayweather J.r doesn't want to fight Pacquiao in March, and Manny doesn't want to wait until May or June to fight again - likely due to a possible philippine election.Mayweather doesn't want to fight in March, so we might fight for the 154 pound title in March and move up for that eight world title. I'm thinking about that still and it's something that I'm kicking around in my head right now - Roach said.
Yuri Foreman might be the oppponent. It is a possibility, and then Mayweather in September. If they guarantee me that, we'll do that, but I need more of a commitment from Mayweather because he's not negotiating too well. It has to happen, and with the money they are going to make out of it, I feel it will happen. Mayweather can't make that money with anybody else.
Manny Pacquiao will fight Yuri Foreman at 154-pounds Title to gain his 8 world title before he will fight Floyd Mayweather Jr.
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