Manny Pacquiao to face Shane Mosley

Pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao, unable to get even a response from Floyd Mayweather Jr. gauging his interest in a fight, instead will defend his welterweight belt against former champion Shane Mosley on May 7 in a pay-per-view fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

"We came to a meeting of the minds," Top Rank promoter Bob Arum told ESPN.com on Tuesday night after a final meeting with Mosley and his adviser, James Prince, at the Top Rank offices in Las Vegas. "[Top Rank matchmaker] Bruce Trample says it's a very difficult fight. I believe it will be an exciting fight. Shane knows how to fight and how to deal with the speed. Manny is in for a hellacious fight. I really believe styles make fights."


Arum said the fight will take place at the welterweight limit of 147 pounds.


"I know that they think I'm an old man and that Manny is going to beat me. Let them think that," said Mosley, a former lightweight, welterweight and junior middleweight champion. "I still have power and speed. They thought I was done before I knocked out [Antonio] Margarito, too. So they can think whatever they want. I know what I can do."


The deal is not unexpected. For weeks, Arum has been laying the groundwork for the match, an unpopular one with hard-core fight fans because many consider the 39-year-old Mosley (46-6-1, 39 KOs) to be past his prime after going 0-1-1 in his last two bouts.


He was routed by Mayweather in May and fought to a desultory draw with Sergio Mora in a junior middleweight fight in September.


"I hurt Floyd in our fight, but he's a great fighter and has great defense," Mosley said. "What can I do about Mora? Do you really think that was a draw? Come on. I won that fight. He ran from me all night. But Pacquiao? Come on, man. I'm a bigger guy than him and he gets hit. And you saw how I hurt Floyd. Manny is going to come forward and I will hit him on the chin at some point. His defense is not like Floyd's. Manny will come at me, and I will knock him out."


Mosley got the fight with Pacquiao over lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez and welterweight titlist Andre Berto. Arum had solicited term sheets from all three before going to the Philippines last week to attend Pacquiao's 32nd birthday party and to go over the particulars for all three potential opponents.

Arum said Pacquiao (52-3-23, 38 KOs) settled on Mosley during a meeting last week and that he wrapped things up with Mosley on Tuesday.
"I thought Mosley was the best draw of the three and it would do the best business," Arum said.


Although Arum was critical of Mosley after his performance against Mora, he was with Golden Boy Promotions -- Top Rank's bitter promotional rival -- at the time. Once he left Golden Boy to negotiate the Pacquiao fight on his own, Arum, who has known Mosley for years and promoted some of his fights, changed his tune.


"They had to be insane, putting Shane in the ring with Mora," Arum said of Golden Boy's decision to match Mosley with a fighter with a tough style who usually makes fights with little entertainment value. "With Floyd, Shane had him in real bad trouble in the second round, so he's capable of doing a really good fight with Manny and Manny knows that. He's talking to [trainer] Freddie [Roach] about doing five weeks of training in the United States rather than four weeks here and four weeks in the Philippines."


Roach said he preferred for Pacquiao to fight Marquez or Berto before Mosley, but said of the match when told it had been agreed to, "I think it's a good fight. I feel that Shane is one of the toughest guys left out there right now. He didn't get up for 'The Contender' guy [Mora], but he will get up for Manny Pacquiao. It's a difficult fight because Shane has speed and power.


"He's getting a little older, which is in our favor, but I expect Shane to be at his best because he's wanted this fight for a long time. I will get Pacquiao well prepared for this one."


Arum and Prince said they were able to make a deal fairly easily because they like each other and, as Prince said, "We're both straight shooters. We cut out all the BS and get straight to the point. I'm excited about the fight. I plan on having a lot of fun. I think it's a great matchup. I think Shane has the speed and power to deliver and I believe we're about to pull off the biggest upset in the history of boxing."


Berto was the long shot of the three because, despite his youth, power and speed, he is not well known and has yet to face a top opponent.


Marquez, however, gave Pacquiao two exciting and bruising fights, both of which ended in controversial decisions.


They fought to a draw in a 2004 featherweight championship fight and Pacquiao won a split decision win in a 2008 junior lightweight title fight. Pacquiao against Marquez for a third time also seemed to make sense because Pacquiao's fight date -- May 7 -- falls on the weekend of the Mexican holiday Cinco de Mayo, which is a traditional weekend for a major fight involving a Mexican star.


Arum said the promotion would kick off in early February with a four-city media tour beginning in Los Angeles, followed by stops in New York, Washington and San Francisco, which is home to a sizable Filipino population.


Mosley told ESPN.com that his guarantee for the fight is $5 million with the potential to make millions more from his take of the pay-per-view profits. He and Arum also said Top Rank has a promotional option on Mosley's next fight, win or lose against Pacquiao.


It seems as though Mosley's days with Golden Boy are over.


Under the terms of his deal with Golden Boy he will have to sell back his 4 percent stake in the company for $1,000, although they could wind up in court. Mosley was upset that Golden Boy was pushing Marquez, another Golden Boy fighter, to get the fight instead of him, so he went out on his own to secure the fight.


Mosley said although he owns a piece of the company, his promotional agreement is long over and he felt he was within his rights to try to secure the fight without Golden Boy's approval since it is no longer his promoter.


Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer was disappointed to hear that the deal for Pacquiao-Mosley had been made without even receiving a call from Mosley or Prince.


"Good luck. He's obviously no longer part of Golden Boy. That's all I'm going to say," Schaefer said. "I wish him luck."


In his last fight on Nov. 13, Pacquiao dominated Margarito in a lopsided decision win to claim a vacant junior middleweight belt and extend his record of winning titles in eight weight divisions.


Mosley knocked Margarito out in the ninth round in Jan. 2009, one fight before he lost to Mayweather, the opponent most want to see Pacquiao fight.


Despite Pacquiao-Mayweather looming as the richest fight in boxing history, Mayweather has steadfastly refused to take the challenge after two rounds of failed negotiations.


After Pacquiao defeated Margarito, Arum said he tried to gauge Mayweather's interest in coming back to the bargaining table, but could not get a response one way or the other from his camp.

PACQUIAO BEATS UP MARGARITO ALL NIGHT, CAPTURES 8TH TITLE IN 8TH DIVISION

COWBOYS STADIUM, ARLINGTON, TX -- Pound for pound king Manny Pacquiao (R) of the Philippines hits Antonio Margarito of Mexico with a right in this bit of action from their WBC Junior Middleweight Championship fight Saturday night here. Pacquiao, using his much vaunted speed, thoroughly beat up the much taller and heavier Margarito all night to win his 8th title in as many divisions thus establishing himself as one of the greatest fighters in the history of the sport. The judges' scores were 120-108, 119-109 and 118-110 all in favor for the Filipino boxing legend.

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Pacquiao and Margarito make weight

Moments ago Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito weighed in for their bout tomorrow night at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Margarito, the former champion from Tijuana, weighed in at the contracted limit of 150 pounds while Pacquiao weighed far less at 144.6. The discrepancy in weight was to be expected, as Margarito is by far the bigger fighter in this contest, which will be contested for the vacant WBC junior middleweight crown.

If Pacquiao is to win the bout, which is expected as he is a 5-1 betting favorite, then he will likely prevail because of his advantages in speed of hand and foot. Margarito is given a chance because of his size, ability to absorb punishment and aggressive style. Typically a fighter weighing five more pounds than his opponent would be alarming but Pacquiao has been accustomed to fighting seemingly bigger, stronger foes over the past few years.

Each man appears to be in tremendous shape and outside of all of the subplots and storylines regarding the fight we should be in for an interesting evening tomorrow night if anything else. Margarito was spotted in Las Vegas a few months back for his stable mate Brandon Rios' victory over Anthony Peterson and he appeared to be in tremendous shape at that point in time already. Some speculated that he would come into the Pacquiao fight weight drained but he appears to be in solid shape.

Las Vegas also happens to be the location of Margarito's greatest in as a pro, when he overcame an early deficit before stopping Caguas, Puerto Rico's Miguel Cotto in the 11th round at the MGM Grand. People are saying that if he is going to be successful agaisnt Pacquiao he will have to replicate that same blueprint, as he took control of the fight after weathering an early storm and eventually started breaking Cotto down over the second half of the fight with his aggression and body punching.

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Weight woes hound Margarito

AS fight night nears, it is getting clearer Mexican Antonio Margarito is struggling to make the catch-weight limit for his 12-round brawl with Filipino icon Manny Pacquiao.

In an overseas interview with Manila Standard, conditioning coach Alex Ariza bared Margarito may still be working out at night to burn whatever there is to burn just to lose those precious extra pounds.

“When I saw Margarito today when he did an interview, he look emaciated. He looked gaunt. It looked like he came from a run at 8 o’clock at night. This makes no sense to me,” said Ariza.

The Colombia native, California-raised Ariza admitted that he was for the most part worrisome as they saw in Margarito a legitimate threat to Pacquiao’s reign.

It was, however, only yesterday, when he had a close-up look at Margarito, that made Ariza feel much better about their chances.

“Margarito clearly is killing himself to make the weight, so now I’m even more confident that Manny is not going to have much of a problem,” said Ariza.

Though their 12-round bout is for the vacant World Boxing Council 154-lb crown, Margarito and Pacquiao agreed to a catch weight of 150 lbs with a penalty of $500,000 for every excess pound during the official weigh-in set Saturday morning (Manila time).

Ariza also agreed with the observation of Pacquiao’s British sparring partner and world super lightweight champion Amir Khan that Margarito may have already peaked some time ago.

In one of his most recent tweets, Khan said he noticed during HBO’s 24/7 TV special that Margarito looked ripped and already in tiptop shape way ahead of his Nov. 14 fight with Pacquiao, set at the billion-dollar Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

“I would never bring my fighter within six or seven pounds four weeks away from a fight. I mean, that’s just absolute idiotic,” said Ariza.

Pacquiao and Margarito made their final public workout yesterday at the Gaylord Texan Hotel, where they did several rounds of mitts, jump rope and shadow boxing in front of an appreciative crowd.

Fight promoter Bob Arum addressed the crowd by stating one of his few more remaining sales pitches, and that is to sell the hugely underdog Margarito as a live-wire opponent for Pacquiao.

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Margarito convinced he will knockout Manny Pacquiao

I spent a few days inside of the Margarito camp a few weeks ago, and there is no doubt that he's in good shape and will be ready to fight on November 13th.  Margarito has gone on the record several times now talking about how he will not only win the fight, but he will stop Pacquiao.  Coach Garcia is saying the same thing.  In fact, Garcia told 8CountNews.com that he predicts an 11th round knockout.

Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach predicts that his guy, (Pacquiao) will be the one knocking people out.  Roach, (who is pretty good at predictions), predicts that Manny will not only beat Margarito, but he will put him to sleep.

Speed Vs. Strength and size, a common match-up for Pacquiao.  He is used to this kind of thing, so what makes Margarito any different?  According to Margarito trainer, Garcia, the big difference is that his guy (Margarito) will be coming forward, and throwing punches for the entire time.  Garcia believes that Manny will have to defend himself if he has a big tall guy in front of him, coming forward, and throwing a lot of punches.

Pacquiao has had a camp filled with distractions, but it seems as of late that things have settled down.  A Pacquiao at 80 percent is like any other fighter at 110 percent.  Margarito should not bank on the fact that Pacquiao has had a difficult camp.  Manny's speed hasn't gone anywhere and Tony will have to deal with it in the ring. 

Someone is more than likely going to eat the floor.  Pacquiao has blinding speed, and he throws a ton of punches from crazy angles.  Margarito will have to deal with that, and sooner or later he will end up tasting Manny's speed and his power.  On the flip side, Margarito is a big strong guy with a much longer reach advantage. He will try to use his size and length against Pacquiao.

Margarito will have to catch Manny as he bounces in with something in order to knock him out. I don't see Margarito having the ability to slowly wear down Manny.  The pound for pound king can fight 30 rounds if had to.  He is in tremendous shape, so it will take a punch that is perfectly timed and placed in order to hurt Manny Pacquiao.

Mississippians that I have spoken to across the state, and in Hattiesburg for the most part feel as if Manny Pacquiao will win.  There are those that do feel Margarito will pull off the upset.  The fight is approaching soon.  Saturday November 13th, all of our questions will be answered.

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Team Pacquiao and Team Margarito talk retirement and respect as Dallas looms

The camps of both Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito have been covered in depth heading into their November 13th bout at Cowboys Stadium. By this point in time all of the hard work during training is in the rearview and the teams will make their way from Southern California to Dallas, Texas in just a few days time.

While there seemed to be some obvious harsh feelings coming from both camps last month, the tone during yesterday’s conference call was much more subdued as everyone realizes the need for any amount of trash talk is obsolete by this point. Pacquiao, his trainer Freddie Roach, promoter Bob Arum, Margarito and his trainer Robert Garcia all seem to be simply relishing the opportunity that awaits next weekend in one of the year’s biggest fights.

The two men are at different points in their careers. Pacquiao's last two years in the sport have been the stuff of legends as he has risen in weight and tore through a formidable list of opposition but there has been whispers that his time in the sport could be coming to a close if he can't secure a fight with Las Vegas based Floyd Mayweather Jr. next year. Margarito saw his career stumble after he was discovered to have elements of plaster of paris in his hand wraps prior to his January 2009 loss to Shane Mosley as was subsequently suspended by the California State Athletic Commission. He has been attempting to pick up the pieces ever since and seems to be riding a wave of confidence with Garcia in his corner.

During the conference call there were highlights such as Pacquiao’s future in the sport, Arum’s thought on promoting Pacquiao over the years, Margarito’s confidence heading into the clash, Roach’s plan on defeating the Tijuana fighter and much more.

This is what all parties had to say…

Freddie Roach on training in the Philippines…

“In the Philippines we had a pretty good training camp. It wasn’t our best. We did miss one day for the president but that is unusual. Comparative-wise we have never had a bad training camp. He is in great shape and since we have been here in the States at the Wild Card he has been running the mountains to the Hollywood sign and so-forth. Everything is on track now and we are 100% ready for the fight. Manny told me he will not disappoint me and I know that’s true I expect great things. He sparred nine rounds yesterday with three different opponents and did very well and we are starting to taper back now, cutting back each day and saving it for the fight at this moment.”

Bob Arum on the financial success of the fight…

“The response to the ticket sales has been great. We are tracking well ahead of where we were at the Clottey fight and I’m very optimistic. It’s a great area. The ball team in the World Series and the Cowboys trying to right themselves and there are great fans in the North Texas area. I think we will exceed it. The first fight we did 50,000 and change and I think this fight we will exceed it. I think we will do over 60,000.”

Freddie Roach on the up-and-up…

“I’m a professional and I do my job. There will be no tampering with hand-wraps this time. It’s not an issue – it’s in the past. We are past that now. We are fighting on equal terms. It helps the fight in general because of the press and the notoriety of the fight. But it doesn’t change the fight at all; it will be on the up-and-up. Both will be equal in hand-wraps and that’s the way it is.”

Manny Pacquiao on the size difference…

“In our training today we started hard against big guys, taller to give them that advantage. We had plans for this camp to train for him and prepared ourselves with that strategy so we will have no problem with him. We do our best in training. With our strategy, we are not worried about the size. I believe I can fight the bigger guys even though I am small compared to them but we always believe in our talent.

Manny Pacquiao not thinking of retirement just yet…

“No, the political career has not affected my boxing career. I have time for politics and I have time for boxing. Right now my focus is still into boxing. Once I get into training there is full focus on the fight so I am ready. No retirement. Not yet. I can still fight.”

Freddie Roach on how to defeat Margarito…

“I think we will overwhelm him with the punches he will land on him with the fast hands and combinations. In eight or nine rounds I think we will break him down. Margarito throws a lot of punches and he makes too many mistakes to beat us. He has bad habits and we are going to take advantage of all of them.”

Bob Arum on Pacquiao’s impact…

“I have never promoted a fighter before that has so captivated a country and a people the way Manny has. He is idolized and followed by every Filipino, whether he is in the Philippines or anywhere else around the world. It is a phenomenon like I have never seen before. I promoted 25 Ali fights and other fights for Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler and George Foreman, but I have never seen the enthusiasm of a people towards a fighter the way I see the enthusiasm for Manny Pacquiao.

Antonio Margarito staying away from the negative…

“I try not to dwell on the negative. I know people will ask the questions and I have to answer the questions and I have no problem with them. To me, right now all I am concentrating right now is on the fight. I know it is going to be asked but for me I have to concentrate on the fight. Everything is in the past and I can’t wait until November 13.”

Bob Arum’s opinion on the Margarito hand wrap scandal…

“Everybody is entitled to their opinion. I am a trained lawyer and I believe in justice and I believe that Antonio Margarito was not treated fairly by the California Commission. I believe that Antonio Margarito did not know anything of what was in those hand wraps and did not have an opportunity to try that and that the revocation of his license was unfounded and I said that at the time before there was even a conversation about a Margarito fight against Manny Pacquiao. I am delighted that Antonio came through all of this and I am delighted that the Texas boxing commission read the record and saw what was in fact the true facts surrounding this situation and gave Antonio a license and I am delighted to be the promoter of this fight.”

Antonio Margarito on his relationship with Top Rank…

“I am very happy where I am. I have always been treated well by Top Rank. I have done everything I have been supposed to do. I never looked to go anywhere else. Why would I go anywhere else when I am with the best? I will end up my career with them.”

Robert Garcia’s admiration…

“I have always admired Pacquiao’s career. He has done good things in boxing. He is seven-time world champion. You can’t beat that. But watching his fights over and over we know he makes mistakes.”

Antonio Margarito assessing Pacquiao…

“I couldn’t tell you anyone that comes close to his style or the way he fights. I never fought anyone like that or anyone that comes close. I see his speed. I know he is a fast guy but he is a smaller guy also. I see some things there, but I would never consider it an easy fight or think I have big advantages over him because I don’t. He may think he can be a big puncher in this weight division, so I want to get up in the ring to see what we can do with each other.”

source Chris Robinson is based out of Las Vegas, Nevada. He can be reached at Trimond@aol.com

Celts beat Heat 88-80 despite 31 from James

BOSTON (AP)—LeBron James(notes) and the Miami Heat were showered with chants of “overrated!” They sure looked that way in their debut as a team formed to win a championship.

The old Big Three of the Boston Celtics, playing under the franchise’s 17 title banners, beat the new Big Three of James, Dwyane Wade(notes) and Chris Bosh(notes) 88-80 on Tuesday night.

The Heat, though, knew it would take time to jell.

“It’s a feel-out process,” James said. “When you have so many options, it’s something I’m not accustomed to, having that many threats out on the court at the same time.”

Celtics coach Doc Rivers is convinced the Heat will progress into a title contender.

“They’re going to be great,” he said.

Not yet, though. Wade and Bosh weren’t even all that good on opening night.

Wade was limited to 13 points on 4-of-16 shooting and Bosh added eight points and eight rebounds. The trio combined for 15 of the Heat’s 17 turnovers— eight by James, six by Wade and one by Bosh. And Miami was outscored 16-9 in the first quarter.

“This is one of 82,” said Wade, whose preseason action was limited to the first three minutes because of a strained right hamstring. “Sorry if everyone thought we were going to go 82 and 0. It just ain’t happening.”

James announced his intention to leave Cleveland for Miami, revealing “The Decision” on national television 110 days before the opener.

Tuesday’s decision went to the Celtics behind 20 points from Ray Allen(notes), 19 from Paul Pierce(notes) and 10 points and 10 rebounds from Kevin Garnett(notes). Rajon Rondo(notes) had 17 assists, two more than Miami had as a team.

Shaquille O’Neal(notes), James’ teammate last season and a member with Wade of Miami’s last championship team in 2006, had nine points and seven rebounds for Boston. The Big Shamroq was just another reason for all the excitement surrounding the game.

“I just said to Paul as we were coming in here,” Garnett said after taking his seat at the postgame news conference. “I said, `Are we in the finals already?’ You know, but it did have a lot of hype on it.”

Boston led 45-30 at halftime, but Miami cut that to 63-57 after the third quarter behind James’ 15 points in that period. A layup by James made it 83-80 with 1:10 left in the game. But Boston, which once led by 19, got the last five points on a 3-pointer by Allen and two free throws by Pierce.

James came back to the building where he lost the last game of his Cleveland career in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, the second time in three seasons that the Celtics eliminated the Cavaliers. He then became a free agent after seven seasons with the Cavaliers and signed with the Heat, who were beaten by the Celtics in the first round of last season’s playoffs.

Boston’s Big Three won the championship in their first season together, 2007-08, then made it to the seventh game of the NBA finals last season before losing to the Lakers in Los Angeles.

O’Neal said the Celtics weren’t making a statement that predictions of the Heat going to the finals are misguided.

“We just wanted to come out and win our first game,” he said. “We let you all worry about the hoopla and all of that.”

Boston held Miami to nine points in the first quarter, the first time since March 15, 2009, at the Philadelphia 76ers that the Heat scored nine points or fewer in a period. The last time James’ Cavaliers scored nine or fewer points in a quarter was February 2, 2007, when they managed nine in the second against the Chicago Bulls.

Things got so bad for the Heat in the first half that O’Neal, a notoriously poor free throw shooter, made the first two he tried as a Celtic. That boosted the lead to 41-22 with 2:13 left in the second quarter.

“I think everybody was just a little bit anxious and wanting to make it work so much,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said.

Miami then got a brief burst, scoring six straight points to make it 41-28. The last basket in that surge was a dunk by James on a backward pass from Eddie House(notes), whose steal started their 2-on-none break.

That drew cheers from two Heat fans—one wearing a T-shirt with James’ name on the back and the other with a jersey bearing Wade’s name—but a fan wearing a green Celtics T-shirt, yelled, “He’s supposed to do that. That is not impressive.”

It was considering how poorly the Heat shot in the first half against a quick, aggressive Celtics defense.

Miami missed 30 of its 41 shots, a paltry 26.8 percent. Boston went 17 for 38 (44.7 percent).

The Celtics lost Pierce with 4:32 left in the third period when he hit the floor and hurt his back as he was charged with a blocking foul on James, who made two shots and cut the lead to 55-45. Pierce returned with 10:43 left in the game with Boston ahead 64-57.

And he finished the scoring with his two free throws with 22 seconds to go.

“It was a big game. It was a fun game,” Rivers said. “They’re going to be a lot better when we see them again. And, hopefully, we are as well.”

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With Miller sidelined, Heat sign veteran Stackhouse

Once denied a championship by Miami, Jerry Stackhouse is resuming his chase of a title with the Heat.

Stackhouse joined the Heat on Saturday, one day after the NBA championship hopefuls learned that they'll be without injured swingman Mike Miller until possibly January. Stackhouse, who turns 36 next month, averaged 8.5 points in 42 games as a reserve with the Milwaukee Bucks last season.

"This is a very exciting time in my basketball career," said Stackhouse, a two-time All-Star who's now with his sixth NBA club and worked out with the Heat on Saturday, the same day Dwyane Wade returned to full work with the team for the first time since straining his right hamstring on Oct. 5.

"I am ready to compete at the highest level," Stackhouse said.

Stackhouse often said during the summer that he wanted a chance to join LeBron James, Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami, believing it would give him the best chance at winning his first NBA title.

Stackhouse was with the Mavericks when Wade carried Miami to the 2006 title in six games.That was the series when Stackhouse became a bit of a villain in Miami, after he leveled Shaquille O'Neal in Game 4 and was forced by the NBA to sit out the next game. Wade jumped in O'Neal's way after the play to keep him from retaliating, but on Saturday, the MVP of those finals welcomed his newest teammate.

"He's a very productive player," Wade said Saturday, about an hour before Stackhouse completed the process of going through physicals and actually signing his deal. "He's a guy who's a matchup problem in the post. Also, he can stretch the floor, shoot the ball very well. It's a good option ... to be able to have the luxury of a guy like that out there that you can add to your team."

So in an offseason replete with huge moves by Miami - keeping Wade and Udonis Haslem, then adding James, Bosh, Miller and others - the Heat used the final weekend before Tuesday's regular-season opener to add one more All-Star name in Stackhouse.

He'll practice in Miami for the first time during what's expected to be a full-contact session on Sunday, then accompany the team to Boston on Monday afternoon.

"He's a proven guy, a proven in this league," James said. "A guy that can score, if he's in the starting lineup or even if he's coming off the bench."

Miami's roster is now at 17, meaning two moves will need to be made before getting down to the league-mandated total of 15.

Miller is recovering from a broken right thumb as well as ligament damage, hurting his shooting hand in a freak accident at practice Wednesday when he got tangled in a teammate's jersey during a post drill. He had surgery Friday, will remain in a cast for four weeks, then in a brace for a few more weeks, and the Heat don't expect him back on the court before January.

"Right now, we're short at that position, obviously, with Mike out," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "We have James (Jones) really coming off the bench with size, and really that's it."

Stackhouse started with Philadelphia in 1995, and has also played with Detroit, Washington, Dallas and Milwaukee. He's a career 18.0 point-per-game scorer, though hasn't averaged more than 13.0 points in a season since 2004-05.

Stackhouse joined the Heat on Saturday, one day after the NBA championship hopefuls learned that they'll be without injured swingman Mike Miller until possibly January. Stackhouse, who turns 36 next month, averaged 8.5 points in 42 games as a reserve with the Milwaukee Bucks last season.

"This is a very exciting time in my basketball career," said Stackhouse, a two-time All-Star who's now with his sixth NBA club and worked out with the Heat on Saturday, the same day Dwyane Wade returned to full work with the team for the first time since straining his right hamstring on Oct. 5.

"I am ready to compete at the highest level," Stackhouse said.

Stackhouse often said during the summer that he wanted a chance to join LeBron James, Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami, believing it would give him the best chance at winning his first NBA title.

Stackhouse was with the Mavericks when Wade carried Miami to the 2006 title in six games.

That was the series when Stackhouse became a bit of a villain in Miami, after he leveled Shaquille O'Neal in Game 4 and was forced by the NBA to sit out the next game. Wade jumped in O'Neal's way after the play to keep him from retaliating, but on Saturday, the MVP of those finals welcomed his newest teammate.

"He's a very productive player," Wade said Saturday, about an hour before Stackhouse completed the process of going through physicals and actually signing his deal. "He's a guy who's a matchup problem in the post. Also, he can stretch the floor, shoot the ball very well. It's a good option ... to be able to have the luxury of a guy like that out there that you can add to your team."

So in an offseason replete with huge moves by Miami - keeping Wade and Udonis Haslem, then adding James, Bosh, Miller and others - the Heat used the final weekend before Tuesday's regular-season opener to add one more All-Star name in Stackhouse.

He'll practice in Miami for the first time during what's expected to be a full-contact session on Sunday, then accompany the team to Boston on Monday afternoon.

"He's a proven guy, a proven in this league," James said. "A guy that can score, if he's in the starting lineup or even if he's coming off the bench."

Miami's roster is now at 17, meaning two moves will need to be made before getting down to the league-mandated total of 15.

Miller is recovering from a broken right thumb as well as ligament damage, hurting his shooting hand in a freak accident at practice Wednesday when he got tangled in a teammate's jersey during a post drill. He had surgery Friday, will remain in a cast for four weeks, then in a brace for a few more weeks, and the Heat don't expect him back on the court before January.

"Right now, we're short at that position, obviously, with Mike out," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "We have James (Jones) really coming off the bench with size, and really that's it."

Stackhouse started with Philadelphia in 1995, and has also played with Detroit, Washington, Dallas and Milwaukee. He's a career 18.0 point-per-game scorer, though hasn't averaged more than 13.0 points in a season since 2004-05.

Margarito will fall like a tall tree – Roach

Mexican Antonio Margarito would definitely “fall like a tall tree” when he receives the rapid solid punches of world’s pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao in their scheduled 12-round bout, according to American trainer Freddie Roach.

Roach said Pacquiao (51-3-2 win-loss-draw with 38 knockouts) could finish Margarito so fast in round six rounds. 

“We’ll keep him a little more active and a little more focused,” said Roach, noting that Pacquiao has improved a lot since the first day he started training late September. “Speed, as what I’m telling everyday, is the key to off set Margarito’s height and reach advantage.”

Roach is confident that Pacquiao will devastate Margarito with strong massive punches which he never experienced before. Pacquiao will be training away from everything not related to boxing by closing down his gym to keep the outsiders away.

“I’m closing the gym down from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.,” he said. 

Personal trainer Buboy Fernandez also said they are doing all their best to increase Pacquiao’s superb stamina and improve his counter-punches that could easily whip Margarito’s ass, when they face on November 13 at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Texas.

“We want to increase Manny’s [Pacquiao] stamina and at the same time improve his footworks because we know Margarito always attack and attack,” said Fernandez. 

Pacquiao and Margarito will fight for the vacant World Boxing Council junior middleweight belt. 

Strength and conditioning coach Alex Ariza, in an interview by ABS-CBN over the weekend, said Pac-quiao, the Fighter of the Decade, has three more weeks to improve everything at Roach’s Wild Card gym. 

“He knows when we get to LA [Los Angeles], it’s gonna be a different ball game. There are no excuses there are no outside distractions no appointments,” explained Ariza. “We’re three weeks away and we still have a lot of time.”

Pacquiao, for his part, said: “I’ll do everything to win. I will be training everyday in LA.”

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Manny Pacquiao-Antonio Margarito Face Off

There will be a number of things at issue on Nov. 13 at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium when ex-titlist Antonio Margarito takes the ring for an HBO televised, Top Rank Promotions battle against WBO welterweight (147 pounds) king Manny Pacquiao.

The 31-year-old Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 knockouts) will take a 12-fight winning streak into the bout, this, as he pursues an eighth title in as many different weight divisions and the WBC junior middleweight (154 pounds) belt.

The 32-year-old Margarito (38-6, 27 KOs) is looking to erase the stains left on his reputation as the result of a hand-wrapping scandal that has tainted his legacy.

In this HBO video, boxing analyst Max Kellerman, Pacquiao, Margarito and their respective trainers, Freddie Roach, and, Robert Garcia, faceoff to address some of the issues heading into the big fight. 

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Pacquiao-Margarito May End Up Like Judah-Tsyzu

Come November 13^th, seven-division world champion Manny Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 KOs) will strut his wares against the hard-hitting mauler Antonio Margarito (38-6, 27 KOs). Both guys come forward. Both boxers are high-output volume punchers. Aside from the size and reach, the obvious difference is that Pacquiao is an elite speedster while Margarito is a topnotch power puncher. Their upcoming bout is another case of speed versus power, no doubt about it.

And many people are thinking speed will carry Manny through en route to an 8^th title in as many weight classes. And it is quite understandable why. But if you care to look at history, speed winning over power is not always the case.

Nine years ago, a same high profile clash of champions occurred and it ended in a major upset. Speed demon and heavy favorite Zab Judah, then the IBF light welterweight champion, slugged it out with Australia’s heavy bomber and then WBC and WBC light welterweight titlist Kostya Tszyu.

Judah, brash and undefeated, was Tszyu’s superior in speed, skills, ring savvy, and whose power was nearly equal to Tsyzu’s,  at the time. Many predicted a big victory for Judah, but Tsyzu would end the night in a very surprising and emphatic fashion.

Tsyu, a bruiser who relies mostly on his power, was getting bruised up by Judah in the first round. The American exploited Tszyu’s slow reflexes and tagged the Australian almost at will. If anything, the first inning showed that Judah is too fast and too quick for the heavy hitting albeit slow Kostya Tsyzu. The second round was relatively the same as the first. However, something happened that nobody really was bracing for.

TSZYU KNOCKED OUT JUDAH. AT THE DYING SECONDS OF ROUND 2.

Judah was backing down from an attacking Tsyzu when the Australian caught Judah with a huge right cross to the chin, sending Judah to the canvass. The power of the Tszyu’s cross was too strong that a wobbly Judah fell to the mat one more time after trying to beat the referee’s count.

Lucky shot? Maybe. But there is no doubt that power owned speed in that fight.

Fast forward to nine years later. Pacquiao will definitely exhaust his speed advantage against the much slower yet durable and heavy pounding Margarito. Now, this is no prediction that Pacquiao will lose. Both men can lose or win.

And supporters from each side can present a valid argument. There is no doubt that Pacquiao-Margarito will be a war of speed against power. A classic matchup that will definitely hook in fight fans all over the world.

Will Pacquiao’s speed fully capitalize on Margarito’s slowness? Will Margarito heavy shots find their target? The answers will surface come fight night. But as the lessons of Judah-Tszyu taught us boxing fans, better brace yourself for a different result.

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Margarito Guarantees Knock Out Victory Over Manny Pacquiao

On November 13 former world champion Antonio Margarito will fight for the WBC Super Welterweight title against one of boxing’s fiercest warriors and heavily favored multi-division champion, Manny Pacquiao live from Cowboy’s Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Pacquiao is looking to dispatch Margarito and win a record eight championships in as many weight divisions while Margarito has an eye on derailing the Pacquiao Express by late stoppage, thus becoming only the third man in Pacquiao’s career to do so.

“ Pacquiao won’t stand up to my punches,” said Margarito, “he’s been shook by smaller fighters than me and he will find out the hard way that his punches won’t hurt me.”

With an overwhelming majority of people having already discounted Margarito’s chances of winning much less stopping Pacquiao this fight, one would think there’s no reason to pay the asking price for this HBO PPV event.

Why tune into a fight that the public has already deemed an automatic victory for the Filipino Bomber?
Robert Garcia, Margarito’s trainer, has an answer.

“I know what I’ve got in Antonio Margarito. He’s a fighter’s fighter. He comes to not just work, but to improve on what he has been learning since training camp has started.”

“Antonio isn’t going to be the same pressure fighter from before; he’s going to be a pressure fighter that applies his will smarter and with more patience and defense.”

After recently speaking with Antonio, I now believe that his goal of not just beating Manny Pacquiao, but stopping Manny is a high probability that may come to fruition.

Margarito is training like a demon possessed, but not overly tense. He is seemingly calm and relaxed, but more importantly unphased by the taunts from the naysayers, including Pacquiao’s famed coach, Freddie Roach.

“I know that everyone’s saying that I’m going to lose and get knocked out and that I’m no match for him (Pacquiao),” Margarito continued, “I heard that Roach even said I was going to be just like a punching bag and that Manny would stop me early.”

“I think that’s fine to let people say what they want, but they have to remember that there’s only two of us getting into that ring and fighting for that title.”

“Manny’s not going to have everyone’s help in there (ring); he’s going to fight me and me only. He won’t have anywhere to go once I start to apply the pressure and throw my punches at him. I will knock out him out because of this.”

“And as far as what Roach says….I don’t have much to say about him except for thinking that he needs to keep his f**king mouth shut and that because he talks too much that his fighter’s going to pay the price by getting a serious beating by me. His career is over; he needs to be a trainer instead of talking too much. I’m going to shut his f**king mouth by stopping Manny in eleven rounds.”

Garcia and Margarito both believe that Manny has had trouble with fighters that pressure him and believe that the uppercut is a major key to Margarito’s victory.

Said Garcia, “we’re not going to just get in there and throw punches in volume; we’re going to set it up with jabs, angles, and then go in for the attack.”

Margarito added, “ I’ve seen other guys hit him and give him pressure, but then they don’t continue their attack. I am going to go nonstop if I see or think he’s hurt and I’m not going to stop until he’s on the floor.”

“The way he (Pacquiao) fights, he is open to uppercuts. He’s going to be eating mine and when he does, he won’t want to come inside.”

Garcia and Margarito are so confident in their victory over Manny Pacquiao that Antonio told me that he agreed to let Pacquiao come in under the initially approved weight of 149-150 pounds.

Margarito stated, “he wanted to come in lighter than what was agreed on and so I said, ‘OK’, because it’s not going to matter in the end when I’m weighing in and with the game plan I have . I think he’s going to weigh probably around 145, 146(lbs.) I know what he’s doing, but it’s not going to work.”
If you think that Margarito is fighting for redemption, you’re wrong.

According to Antonio, he doesn’t feel any added pressure to dispel the stain of being caught with his hands illegally wrapped prior to his bout with Shane Mosley in January ’09 which led to a lengthy suspension that he was forced to serve.

“I don’t feel like I have to prove anything extra to everyone because of my suspension. I know that I’m a great fighter and a good boxer. People will see that again when I beat Manny Pacquiao. My fans have been behind me through all of this and this victory will be for them.”

Though Antonio says he feels no pressure in wooing the audience, he is a tad concerned about the judges.

“I know that Jerry Jones, Bob Arum, HBO, and everyone else wants Pacquiao to win. They have their ideas on future plans so I do feel that going to the scorecards is not good for me. I can’t chance a bad decision so I’m making it my job to knock him out before there’s any chance of a controversy happening.”

So as the media frenzy continues to descend on Team Pacquiao, Antonio Margarito and his trainer, Robert Garcia, quietly go about their business of honing Antonio’s skills and biding their time until November 13 when they plan to deliver a Texas sized upset to Top Rank and Jerry Jones and win the WBC Super Welterweight title and effectively end Manny Pacquiao’s status as the “Mexican Assassin.” 

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Why Antonio Margarito will Stop Manny Pacquiao in 10 Rounds

Antonio Margarito is just too big and too strong for Manny Pacquiao. Prime example, Sugar Shane Mosley vs Vernon Forest. Shane had all the speed and finese, but Vernon's range and height was just too much for him. Same thing is going to happen to Manny Pacquiao. We are not trying to take away any credit from Manny but we must be honest here.

Let's take a look at the stats first of all. Antonio Margarito is 5'11 Age 32 Reach 73 Record 38-6, 27KO's. On the opposite side of the ring we have Manny Pacquiao 5'6 Age 31 Reach 67 Record 51-3-2, 38KO's. Keep in mind that Pacquiao is moving up in weight to chase his 8th World Title and it will be no easy task. Come fight night Manny will be mostly 152lbs and Antonio will most likely be 160lbs. Big height advantage, reach advantage and power advantage all goes to Antonio Margarito. The only thing Manny has going for him is speed. The problem is how will he be able to land shots on a taller fighter that likes to fire back.

Freddie Roach is a skillful trainer and what he tells Manny during the fight must be dead on point in order for him to win. Any deviation and it could be a short night for Manny. Manny admitted himself that Cotto packs some power and he was hurt a few times but weathered the storm. Antonio hits hard even without loaded gloves. Antonio has great conditioning just like Manny has. Pacquiao has to fight him inside to win. There is no way he can stay on the outside even with his great footwork. If Antonio starts landing those punches with long range, it will not be a good night for Manny. Antonio has a pretty decent chin as well. His only stoppage was from Sugar Shane and anybody would have went down the way Shane was fighting that night. This is the worst match up of all time.

The loss for Manny would be devestating for any possible Floyd Mayweather match. Then again Floyd has a bigger fight once his case goes to court. More than likely there will be settlement. Then again, there is a chance that Uncle Roger might not be there depending on where his case heads. If there is going to be any knockout during their fight it will be Antonio Margarito putting Manny Pacquiao down which is something that hasn't happen for a long time. Stay tuned for Nov 13, 2010 as many of you will see the upset of your life.

Prediction: Antonio Margarito by 10th Round KO.

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Question for Miami Heat: Who gets the ball?

SAN ANTONIO — If a choice is to be made, a player anointed, a hierarchy established, Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra coach gives no indication of which direction he leans.

LeBron James? Dwyane Wade? One of them must have the ball in his hands at the end of a close game. One of them must be the guy everybody else plays through. One of them must be the man.

Those were issues raised by inquiring minds when James, a one-man band in Cleveland, bolted for Miami to form a supergroup with Wade and Chris Bosh.

Three preseason games don't reveal much. Wade left with a strained right hamstring three minutes into the first game. He has yet to return.

Spoelstra said no choice is necessary.

"Whoever's open," Spoelstra said before the Heat's 90-73 loss to the Spurs, in a preseason game Saturday night.

Spoelstra goes further, pointing out that in his continuity offense — which includes elements of the triangle used by Phil Jackson with the Los Angeles Lakers — the ball moves continually from side to side. "Everybody's involved," Spoelstra said.

He's right — to a point. Jackson used the triangle in Chicago, encouraging Michael Jordan to share the ball. The same with Kobe Bryant in Los Angeles. Even so, Jordan would take control when necessary, or when we wanted to. Bryant does that now.

James and Wade will likely face such decisions in Miami. Won't somebody have to take command?

Wade did not speak to media after the game Saturday.

As for James, he recently said, "I can't defer. I'm always in attack mode."

Spoelstra's offense is new to James.

"I was the No. 1 and 2 option at times in Cleveland," said James, who scored 12 points in 12 minutes Saturday. "Here, if it's late in the game, we have sets where we can get it to us in our sweet spots. We both know we can go get it if we need it.

"I think people get caught up in saying who's gonna take the last shot, or who's gonna make the last shot. It's about who's gonna make the right play."

That was often James' approach in Cleveland. Though James said deference is not natural to him, he is given to passing the ball. He's one of the best.

In Cleveland, he was occasionally criticized for passing to teammates, who then missed shots in critical situations.

"Sometimes we lost the game," James said. "Sometimes we won the game. But I always tried to make the right play. No one said anything when I made the same play and we made the game-winning three."

James has received a new round of criticism since he opted for a dog-and-pony show on ESPN to announce that he was taking his talents to South Beach. His Q score, a national popularity rating , has dropped dramatically since January.

On the other hand, James and the Heat will not be ignored. Their first preseason game received the highest ratings on Sun Sports in the Miami/Fort Lauderdale market since the Heat's playoff game against New York in 1998.

And NBA general managers, in a survey, predicted that the Heat would appear on TV well into June, when they will lose to the Lakers in the finals.

Some will regard James as a failure if he does not produce multiple NBA championships after hooking up with Wade and Bosh. Heat president Pat Riley has given them a chance to succeed, surrounding his stars with complementary players who can help.

Rugged forward Udonis Haslem took less money to stay in Miami than he could have received elsewhere. Newcomer Mike Miller can fill the basket. The 7-3 center Zydrunas Ilgauskas followed James from Cleveland. Veterans Juwan Howard and Eddie House signed on as well.

"I think Pat and the coaching staff did an unbelievable job assembling this team," James said.

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