Floyd Mayweather Jr v Manny Pacquiao: $200m blockbuster inches closer

HBO and Showtime have agreed on how they would broadcast a fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquiao, promoter Bob Arum said on Thursday, leaving only two remaining issues to be settled before the much anticipated 2 May fight can be signed. Arum told The Associated Press the rival networks have come to terms on an announcing team and other details for the pay-per-view blockbuster, and that the major financial points of the fight have been agreed to, including a reported 60-40 split in the purse in Mayweather’s favour. Based on the fight doing a record $200m or more in revenue, Mayweather’s payday could be at least $120m. He also said that talks this week have narrowed the remaining differences between the two camps.

Ortiz vs. Berto: Fight of the Year? - In Pictures

In the wake of Maidana vs. Morales, boxing fans have a new option for the fight of the year discussion – Victor Ortiz vs. Andre Berto. Trading power shots and knockdowns, the two brought the fans at the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut to their feet throughout the evening. I had been telling my friends that if they did not already have HBO, they needed to get it for this fight. True, neither fighter has exceptional name recognition, but what they do possess is exceptional skill, power, speed, and athleticism.

Andre Berto (27-1, 21 KO's) never seemed to earn the fan base one would expect from a world champion with an undefeated record and high knockout percentage. Perhaps some of this was due to his trilogy of somewhat lackluster wins over Juan Urango, Luis Collazo and Steve Forbes. Though going the distance against Urango is no discredit, most thought Berto should have been able to get a stoppage against Forbes, and many felt that Collazo actually out-boxed Berto. Nevertheless, Berto owns some valuable wins over the likes of Carlos Quintana (TKO 8) and Freddy Hernandez (TKO 1) in his last fight in November. Berto is also an experience amateur with multiple National Golden Gloves titles an appearance for Haiti in the 2004 Olympics (his parents are Haitian, though Andre was born in Miami).





Victor Ortiz (29-2-2, 22 KO's) has also had to work on his fan base after a disastrous loss to Marco Maidana in 2009. Given Maidana’s recent exploits, this loss does not seem so detrimental on the surface; however, the manner in which Ortiz quit the bout after an eighth round knockdown, despite looking as if he could continue and being ahead on the score cards, certainly affected his “street cred.” That loss aside, Ortiz has had a terrific career since being abandoned as a child by his parents in Kansas and taking up boxing at an early age. After winning the 2003 Junior Olympics, Ortiz moved to Oxnard, California in order to train with former champion Roberto Garcia and turned pro at the age of seventeen in 2004. One of Ortiz’s losses was a disqualification after Ortiz knocked his opponent down while the referee had ordered a break. Ortiz possesses wins over former champions “Mighty” Mike Arnaoutis (TKO 2), Nate Campbell (UD 10), and Vivian Harris (KO 3). His last bout in December was a ten round majority draw with Lamont Peterson, a fight in which Ortiz had Peterson down twice in round three.

They both came out aggressively, then just over a minute into the round, Ortiz landed an illegal shot behind Berto’s head and Berto went down. He complained about the illegal punch as he got up and the referee called it a slip. As the fight went on, Ortiz came in more confidently. Then they traded power shots and Ortiz landed a hard right hook, sending Berto into a corner. Ortiz kept throwing and after landing an uppercut Berto went down. Berto was up quickly, though clearly concerned. Ortiz charged in like a bull and clobbered Berto with left and right hooks, and landed another great uppercut, though Berto made it through the round.

Ringside commentator Jim Lampley said in the second round, “Berto has a look of concern in his eyes unlike anything we’ve seen during his professional career.” Ortiz was stalking his man, when suddenly Berto caught Ortiz with a hard right counter which knocked Ortiz off balance. Ortiz fell backwards, and he used his glove to keep from falling over. The referee correctly ruled it a knockdown.






Berto landed a serious uppercut in the third and Ortiz responded like a warrior, going on the attack, landing an uppercut of his own and backing Berto into the ropes. Both men exchanged shots until the end of the round. Ortiz backed Berto into the ropes again in the fourth, really hurting Berto with power shots. Berto kept waving him forward. Berto tried to work behind the jab in the sixth, but Ortiz again backed him to the ropes and went to work once he was there.

In the sixth, Berto landed some very hard and accurate rights, and was off to the best start of any round thus far in the fight. With one minute left in the round, Berto landed a beautiful right counter and Ortiz went down. As he got up, Berto went in for the kill, pounding on Ortiz’s head with left hooks and straight rights. Then Ortiz landed a counter right hook and a counter left hook which stunned Berto. Ortiz immediately followed that left with another left hook and Berto hit the canvas!






At the start of the seventh, Jim Lampley said what everyone watching was thinking, “The phrase ‘fight of the year candidate’ is perhaps a bit overused, but…” Both men were trading hard shots, though Berto was obviously looking for the right hand. Ringside commentator Larry Merchant joked, “Does anyone think we’ve seen the last knockdown in the fight?”

The action slowed a bit in rounds eight and nine, with the referee warning Ortiz about punching behind the head. Ortiz then landed a punch behind the head in the tenth and the referee was forced to take a point. Ortiz came on strong, not wanting to suffer a 10-8 round in such a close fight and it made for great action with both men going toe-to-toe at the end of the round.



Ortiz was surprisingly aggressive in the eleventh and Berto’s corner told him he needed a knockout to win before the start of the twelfth and final round. Both men were swinging, though Ortiz’s aggression certainly won him some fans if not the fight. The judges scored the match 115-110, 114-112 and 114-111 (I had it 115-111) all for the new WBC Welterweight Champion Victor Ortiz.

Ortiz has now defeated several former and current world champions and should be given the credit he deserves as a fighter. And as a result of this fight, in overcoming such adversity, Victor Ortiz just took a humongous step towards erasing the image of him as quitter in the minds of fans. If nothing else, his vicious aggression will make him a marketable commodity in the sport of boxing.



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Andre Berto Vs Victor Ortiz

Here is what Berto had to say in an interview with ESPN


What can you tell us about your training for this fight?
Training has been good. We've had some tremendous sparring. I had some really strong guys come in, and it's been very intense. It's probably been one of the most intense training camps I've had. I am definitely prepared and feeling good, ready to go.

Have you made any adjustments to prepare for Ortiz's southpaw stance?
Definitely. I've fought a few southpaws lately. In fact, three of my last four opponents [Carlos Quintana, Juan Urango and Luis Collazo] have been southpaws, and I've had some great sparring to get ready for this. I'm ready to do it.

Do you think a victory over Ortiz will earn you the recognition you need right now?
Definitely. Victor is a strong, hungry kid that has speed and power, and he has a good chin too. After all the fights that didn't get made, he stepped up to the plate and took our offer. He can punch, I can punch. He's hungry, I'm hungry. He's been in there with [Nate] Campbell and [Marcos] Maidana, so I'm preparing for a tough fight. Ortiz is tough. He's had a few tough fights, so ... he will come in good shape and he is going to come ready to fight. He took a lot of criticism, and he has a lot of doubters, and this is going to be a great opportunity for him to redeem himself, so I'll have to stay focused.

You're right behind the Big Three of Floyd Mayweather Jr., Manny Pacquiao and Shane Mosley at 147 pounds. What would it take for you to break into that group? Would a victory over Ortiz do it?
I just need an opportunity. If I just keep doing what I'm doing and I beat Victor Ortiz in a good performance and then I continue to improve my game and I stay unbeaten, and if I continue knocking guys out, then all I will need is an opportunity. If one of those guys wants to fight with me, they know what to do. So I will have to be consistent and just continue winning.

Other than someone in the Big Three, which opponent would bring you the recognition you want?
Right now, I believe Ortiz is that guy, and all that matters is to continue winning in impressive fashion. I'll have bigger fights to come, but right now I believe I have to continue showing my best skills to the boxing public.




How do you respond to criticism that you are overprotected by HBO?
You know, boxing fans are never happy unless you fight the best right now. They can say whatever they want to say, but I will continue proving myself. I fought some of the best competition out there -- guys like David Estrada and Carlos Quintana, who beat Paul Williams, and some fighters of that caliber. But I understand that everybody has great expectations for me, and they want to see me fight the best. And I don't think they'll be satisfied until I am in there with a Shane Mosley or a Mayweather or Pacquiao. And I believe this speaks a lot to the expectations that I generate with my style.

On the flip side of that, how do you feel about what happened after your trip to Haiti? You missed a great opportunity to fight Mosley, yet it seems you never got the proper credit for that act of selflessness.
I believe everything happens for a reason. The opportunity was there, but other things were happening and we had to take a different route. But my opportunity will come back; it's just a matter of continuing doing what I do, and just continue winning.

Some observers seem to think they have your number, that they have your style all figured out. Is there anything new that we're going to see from you in this fight?
A lot of people think that. They see a few things repeated from one fight to the other, and they think they have me figured out and they know how to beat me. And then when they are in front of me and taste my speed and my power, they know they are in a completely different situation. I continue learning different things and I bring them into my fights little by little, showing different new things every time I get in the ring.

How do you see the fight unfolding Saturday night?
I am not sure. We're going to try different things, we're going to see what he brings and what mistakes he makes that we can use in our favor, and go from there. And if the opportunity comes, I will try to knock him out.