Fair Play: The fight will finally happen, yehey? I think
(This is my Fair Play column for Sun.Star Cebu's Feb. 4 edition)
IN THE murky world that is professional boxing, that truth sometimes depends on who's saying it and who's writing it.
And the players, just like in politics, sometimes change tune midway that you'd left asking, "wait what?"
Take a look at what's happening in the Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiap fight (or non-fight). It was a done deal just a week ago, an insider was quoted in several reports that he overheard Manny and Floyd fine-tune the details of the deal during a one-hour meeting at Manny's hotel.
That came after the much hyped first meeting between the two boxers at half-time of the Miami Heat vs. Milwauckee Bucks NBA game--an incident that the photographers of the major wire agencies, AP and AFP, missed.
So, as quickly as our hopes were buoyed that the May fight between the two of the world's best fighters this decade is finally coming true, the insider of all insiders Michael Koncz comes out and say, "How could he overhear what he said he overheard when he wasn't in the meeting?"
Calling the insider a liar, Koncz said no deal was reached.
Bob Arum, who, depending on who you're talking to is the man responsible for the fight not happening or the man who will make it happen, also said that a May bout is not feasible, and wants a June date.
This after we hear from the press that all that's needed for the bout to happen is Mayweather's signature? Did that contract that only needs Floyd's signature not specify when the fight would happen?
Aaah. Who's taking who for a ride? Are they fighting or are they not fighting?
We are as close to getting the answer as we were five years ago when this fight was first proposed.
If you think that hyped meeting between Floyd and Manny will help speed things up, just remember, it's not Manny who has the final say on who he will be fighting next, it's Bob Arum.
Don't you just love this greatest waiting game in professional boxing?
PBA MOVE. The PBA just canceled the Alaska vs. NLEX game in Polomolok, South Cotabato—my hometown—because of the Maguindanao incident, disappointing a lot of kababayans who were looking forward to the match.
That move makes as much sense as the suggestion in 2005—to cancel the country's SEA Games hosting because of the political turmoil in Manila.
But on a positive note, our sleepy town has the facility to host a PBA game, something the misnomer that is the New Cebu Coliseum can't.
IN THE murky world that is professional boxing, that truth sometimes depends on who's saying it and who's writing it.
And the players, just like in politics, sometimes change tune midway that you'd left asking, "wait what?"
Take a look at what's happening in the Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiap fight (or non-fight). It was a done deal just a week ago, an insider was quoted in several reports that he overheard Manny and Floyd fine-tune the details of the deal during a one-hour meeting at Manny's hotel.
That came after the much hyped first meeting between the two boxers at half-time of the Miami Heat vs. Milwauckee Bucks NBA game--an incident that the photographers of the major wire agencies, AP and AFP, missed.
So, as quickly as our hopes were buoyed that the May fight between the two of the world's best fighters this decade is finally coming true, the insider of all insiders Michael Koncz comes out and say, "How could he overhear what he said he overheard when he wasn't in the meeting?"
Calling the insider a liar, Koncz said no deal was reached.
Bob Arum, who, depending on who you're talking to is the man responsible for the fight not happening or the man who will make it happen, also said that a May bout is not feasible, and wants a June date.
This after we hear from the press that all that's needed for the bout to happen is Mayweather's signature? Did that contract that only needs Floyd's signature not specify when the fight would happen?
Aaah. Who's taking who for a ride? Are they fighting or are they not fighting?
We are as close to getting the answer as we were five years ago when this fight was first proposed.
If you think that hyped meeting between Floyd and Manny will help speed things up, just remember, it's not Manny who has the final say on who he will be fighting next, it's Bob Arum.
Don't you just love this greatest waiting game in professional boxing?
PBA MOVE. The PBA just canceled the Alaska vs. NLEX game in Polomolok, South Cotabato—my hometown—because of the Maguindanao incident, disappointing a lot of kababayans who were looking forward to the match.
That move makes as much sense as the suggestion in 2005—to cancel the country's SEA Games hosting because of the political turmoil in Manila.
But on a positive note, our sleepy town has the facility to host a PBA game, something the misnomer that is the New Cebu Coliseum can't.
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