Arum says Pacman bout vs M'weather 'a matter of time'

MANILA, Philippines - Contrary to what others may say, Top Rank chief Bob Arum yesterday said it could be just a matter of time, and a lot of money of course, before Manny Pacquiao vs Floyd Mayweather could happen.

Arum, more than two weeks after Pacquiao’s close win against Juan Manuel Marquez, said they’re silently working on the super fight with the undefeated American for next year.

Pacquiao’s adviser, Michael Koncz, dropped by Mayweather’s gym a few days ago just to let it known to the newly promoted pound-for-pound champion they want the fight.

Arum spoke to Filipino radio station dzBB yesterday morning, saying efforts are being done to make the fight happen next year or on May 5 as earlier been reported.

   

The fight should involve more than $100 million in guaranteed purse for both boxers, and should break all the existing records in the sport, particularly in pay-per-view sales.

The standing record of 2.4 million buys was set in 2007 in a fight between Mayweather and Oscar dela Hoya. No other fight had ever come close to matching that feat.

Unless Pacquiao vs Mayweather happens.

“It’s a lot of money and we want to make the best deal possible. People are talking about putting up huge amounts of money to get involved in the fight and that’s what we’re exploring now,” said Arum.

The guru of boxing promotions was asked if indeed the fight could take place last year, and his straight answer was, “Yes.” Arum said they’ve been in touch with investment groups that could put up the money, but did not say whether it was the same group that’s been involved in previous talks.

Mayweather was previously offered $65 million by a group from Singapore but Arum said the former turned it down because he didn’t want to fight in Pacquiao’s turf.

Arum said Mayweather thinks that all Asians are the same, and anywhere in the region is considered Pacquiao’s home turf.

“We have been working diligently talking to investment groups,” Arum told dzBB. He said there’s no date yet for the fight, but what’s important is to get the ball rolling first.

“I don’t know when. That’s to be determined. We have to see if the people talking to us (can) come up with the money and we have to see if it’s acceptable to both sides. So it’s one step at a time. But these things take time,” he said.

For the meantime, Arum said their eyes are glued on the Mayweather fight, and only if nothing comes up will Pacquiao look at other opponents.

Pacquiao will turn 33 on Dec. 16 and he normally celebrates for a month. Last night he was scheduled to host a party for his fellow congressmen at Resorts World.

His grand birthday party is set in General Santos City although insiders said there could be a change of plan, and he may hold it in his newly acquired $8.8 million home in Forbes Park.

“They’re rushing things to have the house done in time for his birthday and house blessing,” said the insider.

source -Abac Cordero

Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez III official scorecard and punch stats

Here's the official scorecard from Pacquiao-Marquez III. The judges concurred on 6 of the 12 rounds – 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7.

The Telegraph had it as a draw, 114-114. I gave Pacquiao rounds 3,4,6,10,11 and 12; Marquez 1,2,5,7,8 and 9.

Here are the punch statistics:

Pacquiao ------------------ Marquez

578  TOTAL PUNCHES  436

176 TOTAL PUNCHES CONN 138

304 JABS THROWN 182

58 JABS CONN. 38

274 POWER PUN THROWN 254

117 POWER PUN CONN. 100

AVERAGE PER ROUND: Pacquiao landed 17 per round from 49 thrown, Marquez 11 from 36 thrown.

On final analysis, in a close fight there are always doubts. The judges make a decision based on individual rounds and hand their scores in each round. Over the generality of the fight, Marquez looked the more impressive; Pacquiao came on strong at the end. But all judging is subjective.


source

Pacquiao edges Marquez by majority decision

LAS VEGAS, Nevada: Filipino boxing star Manny Pacquiao edged Mexico's Juan Manuel Marquez by a majority decision Saturday, stretching his win streak to 15 fights with a narrow verdict in a thrilling slugfest.

Two judges gave Pacquiao the victory by scores of 116-112 and 115-113 while the third scored the fight a 114-114 draw.

The verdict had a crowd filled with Marquez supporters booing the outcome, in some ways doing little to settle the score of a rivalry that has seen Pacquiao win two close decisions after the first fight ended in a draw.

Round by Round:

First round

The fighters are feeling each other out in the center of the ring. One minute in and no punch of significance has landed. Pacquiao darts in to attack Marquez's body, but Marquez evades it and misses wildly with a looping right. Pacquiao connects with a nice right hook but Marquez lands a quick one-two to the body before the Filipino can get out of range. Another looping right from Pacquiao just glances Marquez's head and Pacquiao cracks him with a one-two just before the bell rings. A feel-out round for sure, but edge to the champ. Pacquiao 10-9.

Second round

"Ole, Ole, Ole" chants from the crowd. Pacquiao triples up the right jabs, missing all three, but connects with a follow-up right. Nice one-two to the head from Marquez, but nothing too damaging. Fighters still feeling each other out, mostly in the center of the ring. Two good lefts from Pacquiao. Marquez already looking much better than he did in his lone previous fight at welterweight vs. Floyd Mayweaher in 2009. A nice left uppercut from Marquez! The Mexican is doing a good job of staying away from Pacquiao's power, smartly trying to avoid the type of bloodbath these two waged in 2004 and '08. Marquez 10-9.

Third round

Pacquiao having trouble getting inside and landing shots. He tries again there and -- another good left uppercut from Marquez! If you're looking for a model of how Floyd Mayweather might beat Pacquiao, you're seeing it now. Left to the body from Marquez. Marquez misses with a left power shot and the crowd behind him cheers loudly despite it not connecting at all. Pacquiao finds Marquez's face with a straight left near the end of the round and follows it up with a strong right hook. Pacquiao might have gotten Marquez after the bell there as the crowd roars. Manny looking better, Marquez starting to look a little more tired. Marquez 10-9.

Fourth round

Pacquiao leads with a left and lunges in with a right. Just 45 seconds into the round and the fighters are starting to let their hands go a little bit more. Now the pace recedes again but the crowd is starting to buzz with warring chants for both men. A left-handed missile from Pacquiao whizzes safely past Marquez's face. Smart footwork from Pacquiao lured Marquez into a vulnerable position there but Manny didn't make him pay. Good left from Pacquiao but Marquez counters with a right to the body. Huge right from Marquez seems to rock Manny backward during the last 10 seconds. Marquez 10-9.

Fifth round

More feeling out through first minute as Pacquaio observes his opponent and tries to crack the code. The crowd roars as Marquez lands a left uppercut. More Marquez chants: they know their man is ahead. Marquez leads with a straight left then connects flush with a big right that rocks Pacquiao backward again. Great work from Marquez: he is just dismantling Pacquiao, who is not getting his punches off. Marquez 10-9.

Sixth round

Pacquiao looking more apprehensive now, wary of the counters, but lands a great lead right after absorbing a strong body shot from Marquez. Another left-right combo downstairs from Marquez. Pacquiao darts in and absorbs a big left hook along the ropes. Marquez lands a very nice shot in the last 10 seconds and he is clearly in control He is fighting the more disciplined fight. Pacquiao did just enough to win a round that could have gone either way, but he is definitely going to need to step on the gas with this pro-Marquez crowd making themselves heard at every opportunity. Pacquiao 10-9.

Seventh round

Marquez continues to do great damage with the right hand. Pacquiao darts in, evades the counters and lands a punch but it doesn't do much. Pacquiao is doing nothing on the interior. Lead right from Marquez misses but the follow-up doesn't, and he punctuates it with a left. More gigantic right hands from Marquez. We could have an upset in the making: Marquez is up three rounds and showing no signs of slowing down. With five rounds to go, he has Pacquiao's number. Marquez 10-9.

Eighth round

Nice straight right from Manny, but Marquez keeps moving forward. Pacquiao seems to have fallen into a familiar pattern that Marquez is very comfortable with. What a chin Pacquiao is showing: he's eaten some very big shots from the Mexican. Manny letting his hands go now but nothing finding Marquez. Pacquiao fans trying to urge their man on and he complies landing a few rights. An off night for Pacquiao but the fight is still within his reach, at five rounds to three with 12 minutes left. Pacquiao 10-9.

Ninth round

Cracking left hook from Marquez, but Pacquiao still looking good. Then an exquisite left-right-left combo from Marquez really moves Pacquiao back, but he doesn't look hurt. Pacquiao lunges in and connects with two shots, then two more. Tries again and gets tagged badly by Marquez, whose confidence is riding sky high. Unbelievable action near Pacquiao's corner! Textbook left uppercut connects with Pacquiao's chin and he manages nothing in response. The last time Pacquiao was seriously challenged in a fight was when he fought Marquez in 2008. It's happening again. Marquez 10-9.

Tenth round

Pacquiao just can't seem to find a way inside. Pacquiao lunges inside and Marquez meets him. It seems he's ready to step on the gas, sensing he may need a stoppage. But he needs to get going sooner than later. Good left from Pacquiao. Marquez starting to look like he's tired -- right now. Pacquiao is cut above his right eye (on a head butt), but it seems the tide could be shifting in the Filipino's favor. It's right there for him in the next six minutes. Pacquiao 10-9.

Eleventh round

Straight right from Pacquiao but Marquez ties him up before he can do any more damage. Pacquiao to the body for the first time in ages. An enormous left to the chin from Pacquiao seems to bother Marquez, but he's still in there, finish line creeping within view. Marquez loads up on a left but misses. Marquez face starting to look worse for wear but he is still being aggressive. Pacquiao's timing just looks awful tonight, but that's not an accident: credit to Marquez. Lots of folks on press row saying Pacquiao needs a knockout to win this fight, but I think we're looking at a draw if Pacquiao wins the 12th. Pacquiao 10-9

Twelfth round

Pacquiao lands two lefts, the first punches of consequence in the round. Marquez starting to back up a bit as Manny moved in. Four punch combo from Marquez, beautiful, none landed cleanly. Marquez's hands looking markedly slower than three rounds ago, the reality of being 38 sinking in. One minute left in this brilliant trilogy that's spanned 36 rounds and seven years. Referee Tony Weeks stops the action as Pacquiao's mouthguard falls out. Crowd jeers. Huge chants for Marquez, who throws four punches but can't do damage. Pacquiao moving forward with a big combo to end the fight. The final bell! And Marquez raises a fist to the fans. Climbs the turnbuckle and is carried around the ring. Pacquiao moves confidently back to his corner, but I think we're looking at another draw. Pacquiao 10-9.

FINAL

Michael Buffer announces the judges' scorecards: 114-114 first. Then 115-113 and 116-112 to the winner ... AND STILL ... WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao. U2's Beautiful Day plays loudly over the PA system but it can't drown out the lusty boos that are coming down over the floor.

You can't hear a word of Pacquiao's in-ring interview with Max Kellerman due to the boos cascading down from the fans who have stuck around the arena. Someone even threw a beer. They were even louder than the treatment Floyd Mayweather received after his unsportsmanlike knockout of Victor Ortiz in this same room two months ago -- and those were loud(ital). Feel badly for Marquez since his effort was nothing short of heroic, particularly given the dismal expectations many had for him, but the fight was awfully close. Maybe now he'll wear a shirt saying MARQUEZ BEAT PACQUIAO THREE TIMES!!

source sportillustrated, philboxing

Pacquiao vs Marquez: Shane Mosley Talks About Pacquiao's Unique Power

In an interview with Ben Thompson of FightHype.com, "Sugar" Shane Mosley discussed the unique power of Manny Pacquiao, the man he fought on May 7 of this year, and said that Pacquiao's technique is a bigger factor than raw power and speed:

"He has some different hitting power. He's not physically strong, but he hits pretty good, like he has a good snap or something. He's got something in his hands where he just, pop, and you can wobble. He can hurt you. ... It must be the way he throws his punches. he's not that fast... He has decent speed, but it's not like, 'Oh my God, this guy is so fast.' I felt Mayweather was faster than Pacquiao. ... With Pacquiao, he just touches you and you're already wobbling."

Watching his fights at 140 and above, I've wondered if Manny just has an abnormal ability to hit guys at exactly the right time. Now obviously the shot that knocked out Ricky Hatton was a monster blow, 100% clean and right on the button. But you see his knockdowns of the other guys, or the times he clearly hurts them, and it just appears to me that he's become a master of timing, at taking the right angles, and he does have some snap on just about everything he throws. Manny doesn't waste many punches, and he doesn't waste a lot of time.

It does sort of beg the question: If big, iron-chinned Shane Mosley wobbles from being touched by Manny now, what shot does Juan Manuel Marquez have of surviving? 

source  Scott Christ

Juan Manuel Marquez Looks Explosive in Camp

Mexico City - With an impressive display of physical strength and condition, and foot work, juan Manuel Marquez offered a public workout at the Romanza gym in Mexico City. He was surprised by the legendary coach and member of Hall of Fame, ignacio Beristain. Marquez (53-5-1, 39 KO's) will face Manny Pacquiao (53-3-2, 38 KO's) on November 12th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Marquez sparred for ten rounds, three with Alex Dilmanghani, three with Ramses Agatho and final four with Mario Zaragoza.

Source:  Rafael Soto

On Nov 12th 2011 All doubts will be answered.. It will be an assurance of an explosive fight and there'll be a knocked out between the two..

Pacquiao facing the most difficult third fight with Marquez - Nacho Beristain

Brief Notes from recent encounter with Hot Potato via Hollywood, California  -  Smarting from the previous fights of Juan Manuel Marquez and Manny Pacquiao back in 2004 and 2008, both camps may have checked all angles and exhausted all means to develop strategies and to defeat each other.

But, for Marquez's trainer Ignacio 'Nacho' Beristain, he has seen Pacquiao's blunders, even from his recently improved fighting style.

"This fight with Juan (Manuel Marquez) against Pacquiao will not be forgotten," says Beristain as translated from Spanish."It's going to be the most difficult fight for Pacquiao of all his life."

"Marquez now has developed new skills to pin down Pacquiao of his mistakes.We will surprise him and this will become a fantastic trilogy, something never before seen in the history of boxing." Beristain adds.

FLOYD MAYWEATHER VS. VICTOR ORTIZ PRESS TOUR QUOTES

Tuesday, June 28 - New York City Wednesday, June 29 - Los Angeles FLOYD MAYWEATHER, Six-Time World Champion in Five Weight Divisions. 

"I want to thank Victor Ortiz for stepping up to the plate and taking the test. 

"I also want to say congratulations to Victor Ortiz. It's not easy to bounce back from a crucial loss. He bounced back like a true champion. I take my hat off to him. 

"It's not all about the money. We all know I am going to make a ton of money. He [Ortiz] is going to make some good money too. I earned the right to make the money that I make. 

"It starts here. Someone has to give him the opportunity to take the thrown. Why not let it be me? 

"I don't duck or dodge anyone. This is for the fans. This is for the Pacquiao fans too. Do I want the Pacquiao fight? Absolutely, if that is what the fans want. I want to give the fans what they want, but I have to take it one step at a time. I cannot overlook Victor Ortiz. 

"I don't want to hear about him [Ortiz] losing before. Right now he is the world champion. This is about me facing the world champion and fighting the best. 

"My main focus is Victor Ortiz. I want to go to camp and dedicate myself. 

"I want to give you excitement. I want to you to enjoy HBO 24/7. 

"Anything can happen in the sport of boxing. If you beat me I want you to earn it. I don't want it to be tainted. 

"This is not my last fight. Hopefully I can give you 10 more fights. I am closer to 40 than I am to 21, but I am not going anywhere. 

"[To Ortiz] On Sept 17, I know you are going to be there and you are going to bring your best, and me and my team are going to bring our best. 

"I have to have a lot of Mexican fans and I wouldn't be where I am today without them. 

"I want to thank HBO. We have a relationship that goes far back. I am loyal to the company that I am with. I have been with HBO since the beginning of my career. 

"My ultimate goal is to take the title from Victor Ortiz." 


VICTOR ORTIZ, WBC Welterweight World Champion 

"I realize there is a lot of love/hate going on here. Tell me one thing I haven't already heard. People who loved me left me. I have been through a bunch of bull. I am facing one of the best fighters of all of time. That was a dream of mine since I was a little kid. I am not supposed to be here according to statistics. 

"I am newly crowned [champion] and I am not ready to give that up. 

"It's not a challenge when you are a champion. 

"I have to thank my team for motivating me. The times they wanted me to go to war, I went to war. Mayweather is a beast, but I'm a monster. If Mayweather wants to box, I will box. If he wants to bang, I will bang. 

"At the end of the day, I am walking away from this fight with that championship. I'll be damned if someone is going to take that away from me. 

"This is a dream to me. I am not going to put this dream down. I am going to run with it as long as I can. I want to be like Bernard Hopkins and hold my title for as long as I can. 

"I don't need to match Mayweather word for word. I am not a talker. I never have been. At the end of the day, we are going to have gloves and my punches are not as soft as my words. 

"I am Mexican to the fullest and I am going to show the world how the Mexicans roll. 

"I am tired of hearing that he is fighting Manny Pacquiao next. He is fighting me next!" 

"On September 17, there is going to be a repeat of what happened on July 7, 1985, when Roger Mayweather fought Julio Cesar Chavez." 


LEONARD ELLERBE, CEO, Mayweather Promotions 

"This is another Mayweather experience. 

"This is going to be the biggest fight of this year. 

"Floyd Mayweather doesn't need much of an introduction. He is the biggest star in the sport. He is the biggest attraction in the sport. He is the best fighter on the planet. 

"Talk doesn't win fights. Skills do. Last [time] I checked, there was only one undefeated fighter on this dais. 

"Mayweather has been the best in the sport since day one. He has been the biggest star in this sport since day one. 

"He [Mayweather] is a Six-Time World Champion in Five Weight Divisions and he is back." 


RICHARD SCHAEFER, CEO, Golden Boy Promotions 

"This is going to be a real fight. It is a dangerous fight for both fighters. 

"Year after year, Golden Boy Promotions and Mayweather Promotions have put together the biggest fights of the year. 

"Victor Ortiz has been surrounded by the same team. He believes in them and they believe in them. There is a friendship and a mutual respect there and that is the reason that they keep going from victory to victory. 

"I have to applaud Floyd for taking the fight with Victor Ortiz. He might have just challenged himself too much because he hasn't fought in 16 months. Victor Ortiz was active. He is 10 years younger. He can hurt Floyd Mayweather. He has the power and that is the story line. Is the star, the undefeated Mayweather going to remain undefeated, or is the power going to put a stop to that?" 


DANNY GARCIA, Ortiz's Trainer 

"Floyd Mayweather is one of the greatest champions ever, but I have the current champion and on September 17 I will have the best pound-for-pound fighter. 

"We are going to work very hard, we are going to have a good plan and fight a great fight. We expect Floyd to give a great fight too. 

"We want to dedicate this fight to the Mexican people. 

"About two months ago we became the welterweight champion of the world and we felt amazing. We will feel even more special when we become the pound-for-pound champion on September 17." 


ROLANDO ARELLANO, Ortiz's Manager 

"We are not making boxing history, we are making sports history. We would like to thank Floyd Mayweather for giving a young lion an opportunity to take over his pound-for-pound kingdom. 

"On September 17, we will declare war on Mayweather and Mayweather will declare war on us. 

"This fight is one the greatest fight in the history of boxing. It is going to have a local impact, a regional impact, a national impact and a global impact. If you live on the moon, when Ortiz knocks out Mayweather you will about hear it. 

"Victor Ortiz will change the course of boxing history, just as the Mexican warriors have before him." 


BOB HALLORAN, Director of Sports, MGM Resorts International 

"It took 16 months for Floyd to go 10 min away [from home]. 

"This is the biggest turnout of media and fans since guess when? The last time Floyd was in New York City. 

"Regardless of whom you are rooting for, one man made this fight happen [Mayweather]. The reason he [Ortiz] is here is because he is a world champion, and this man elected him to be his next opponent. 

"Mayweather is a minus 750 favorite and Ortiz is a plus 525 underdog." 

# # # 

"STAR POWER: Mayweather vs. Ortiz" is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions, and sponsored by Cerveza Tecate, DeWALT Tools and AT&T. The 12-round mega-fight, which will be contested for Ortiz's WBC Welterweight World Championship, will take place Saturday, Sept. 17 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nev. and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. 

An announcement regarding ticket availability will be made in the coming days. 

HBO®'s Emmy® Award-winning all-access series "24/7" premieres an all new edition when "24/7 Mayweather/Ortiz" debuts Saturday, Aug. 27 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. The four-part series will air for three consecutive Saturday nights before the finale airs the night before the welterweight championship showdown in Las Vegas. 

SOURCE

Mavericks overcome James’ triple-double, lead 3-2

DALLAS (AP)—Dirk Nowitzki(notes) scored 29 points, driving for the go-ahead dunk with 2:45 remaining, as the Dallas Mavericks beat the Miami Heat 112-103 on Thursday to take a 3-2 lead in the NBA finals.

Five years after going up 2-0 on the Heat, the Mavs finally got that elusive third victory, and can wrap up their first championship in Game 6 at Miami on Sunday.

Miami’s LeBron James(notes), who called this game “now or never,” responded from his worst playoff performance with 17 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, and Dwyane Wade(notes) battled through a sore left hip after a first-quarter collision to finish with 23 points.

The Heat get the final two games at home, but history is against them as they try to win a title in their first season together: In the 26 previous times finals that were tied 2-2, the Game 5 winner won 19 of them.

The Mavs shot 60 percent through three quarters, briefly gave up the lead in the fourth, then controlled the final few minutes, just as they had in thrilling comebacks in Games 2 and 4.

This time, they got to play from ahead thanks to some sizzling shooting: 56.5 percent from the field, including 13 of 19 (68 percent) from 3-point range.

Jason Terry(notes) scored 21 points and J.J. Barea(notes) had 17 for the Mavs, with Nowitzki briefly throwing both arms in the air as he walked off the court surrounded by a sea of blue fans who hope he’ll bring home a championship trophy if they can pull out another victory in Miami.

James scored eight points, going just 3 of 11 in Game 4, the first time in 90 postseason games he didn’t hit double figures. It’s been a rough first finals in Miami for James, who has been accused of everything from “shrinking” to “checking out” in the fourth quarters, when he had just nine points through the first four games.

Trying to pump himself up, James wrote “Now or Never!!” on his Twitter page early Thursday morning, later calling this the biggest game of his career.

But they feel the same urgency in Dallas, where the slogan “The Time is Now” is printed on those blue T-shirts that surround the court, and where the Mavs are loaded with 30-somethings—late 30s, in Jason Kidd’s(notes) case—who could be on their last shot at an NBA title.

source

Pacquiao's $65 million offer from billionaire Slim will be explored, Arum says

When you see the names of moneymen such as Chavit Singson and Carlos Slim in the same sentence, you’ve got to pay attention, especially when a $65 million guaranteed purse for Pacquiao is prominently mentioned.


And, Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum just told me by phone from Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon, he certainly will check the story out, first thing Monday morning by speaking to Singson by telephone.


“I saw the story and I don’t take it as gospel but Slim is one of the richest people in the world and Chavit, who I know so well, is a very serious guy,” Arum said. “I will phone Chavit on this.”


Altough Alvarez, only 20 years old, (Alvarez, a welterweight with a record of 36 wins, no losses, and one draw) is promotionally tied to Top Rank’s familiar adversary Golden Boy, that shouldn’t be a problem if a one man bank like Mr. Slim is putting up the dinero for both fighters.

“Well,” Arum said, “they are talking about next year. Manny has the key third fight against Juan Manuel Marquez coming up on Nov. 12 and then we can discuss 2012. I don’t know when Manny will want to fight next year, whether we stick to May and November, because that’s up to Manny and his schedule, what he wants to do.

“But these are two serious people so I take it seriously. I know Chavit (governor of the province of Ilocos Sur and former national security adviser under President Gloria Marcapagal Arroyo) as a great guy and Slim happens to be one of the richest men in the world.”


Back in 2007, Slim, who made much of his fortune as an international telecommunications mogul, had a net worth estimated at between 59 billion and 67.8 billion dollars.


Alvarez, whose red hair led to his nickname of “Canelo,” has a huge and growing following in both Mexico and the United States but he would seem to be, at this stage anyway, hardly mature enough to be very competitive against Pacman, the Pound for Pound king of the sport.


Slim is an ardent boxing fan and, working with Don Jose Sulaiman and the WBC, has funded some sorely needed pensions for retired Mexican fighters, including many ex-world champions.


source

Wade, James lift Heat to 2-1 lead in NBA finals

DALLAS (AP)—Dwyane Wade(notes) kept soaring and scoring, doing everything he could to get the Miami Heat a crucial win towards an NBA title.

Chris Bosh(notes) and Udonis Haslem(notes) provided the final push to seal the key victory.

Bosh made a 16-foot, go-ahead jumper from the baseline with 39.6 seconds left and Haslem pestered Dirk Nowitzki(notes) the rest of the way as the Heat held on for an 88-86 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday night for a 2-1 lead in the NBA finals.

“This is a total win,” said Wade, who led Miami with 29 points and 11 rebounds. “You want to win the game on the defensive end of the floor and we got a stop.”

Recent history says this is a huge win for the Heat. The Game 3 winner in a tied finals has won the championship all 11 times since the 2-3-2 format began in 1985.

The Heat go into Game 4 on Tuesday night with a chance to do what they did in 2006: win it all on Dallas’ floor. They’ll need to win that game and the next, on Thursday night.

With all its star power, many expected Miami to be planning a victory parade by now, especially after a solid victory in Game 1. But the Heat blew a 15-point lead in the last quarter of Game 2, and nearly did it again this time, coughing up a 14-point lead.

Miami recovered to lead 81-74 with 6:31 left. Everyone knew Nowitzki would drive Dallas’ rally, but it didn’t matter. He still scored 12 straight points— six free throws, a layup, a dunk and a tough jumper—tying it at 86.

Shawn Marion(notes) pestered LeBron James(notes) into a 24-second violation that left Wade pounding both fists on his head in frustration. Jason Terry(notes) missed a chance to put the Mavericks ahead, then Bosh nailed his clutch jumper from the left side, a huge thrill for the Dallas native who’d been 0-8 in his hometown.

The Mavericks of course went back to Nowitzki on its last two chances, and his streak ran out. He tried passing out of a Haslem-led double team and threw the ball into the stands, then hit the back iron on a jumper over Haslem as time ran out.

Haslem anticipated what Nowitzki was going to do and walked the fine line between disrupting the shot while avoiding a foul.

“He’s a great player, 7 feet, so he’s going to shoot over me,” Haslem said. “I’ve got to make it tough on him.”

When the buzzer went off, Haslem swung his arms and screamed in delight while a frenzied crowd of 20,340 sighed in agony.

“It was a good offensive play, and a good defensive play,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “And he happened to miss.”

Wade and Bosh each scored seven points in the fourth quarter. Bosh, who played through a a swollen left eyelid caused by a poke during the first quarter, finished with 18 points.

James added 17 points and nine assists. He also had four turnovers, including a pair during the fourth quarter—not counting the shot-clock violation—that helped bring Dallas back.

Nowitzki scored 15 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter, but didn’t get much help.

Terry scored 15 and Shawn Marion had 10. Both were shut out in the fourth quarter. The only other scorers were backup point guard J.J. Barea(notes) early in the quarter and Tyson Chandler(notes) dunking off a rebound.

“We have to have somebody step up besides Dirk,” said Jason Kidd(notes), who had nine points and 10 assists, but also four turnovers. Giveaways haunted Dallas throughout the game, especially the first half, helping keep Miami comfortably ahead. “We have to figure out how to get up front and play up front. The big thing is we’ve got to be able to make plays late in the game. Game 2 we made the plays, Game 3 we just didn’t.”

Dallas was without backup center Brendan Haywood(notes) because of a hip injury. His absence meant more minutes for several frontcourt players, and it put Ian Mahinmi(notes) on the court for 8 minutes. He scored two points and committed five fouls.

Wade was at his dynamic best from the start, looking like the guy who soared and scored the Heat past Dallas and to the title in ’06.

Most of his baskets came in the paint—where the Heat outscored the Mavs, 40-22—and many of them were spectacular. But he also stemmed Dallas’ rally by hitting a go-ahead jumper over Kidd for Miami’s second-to-last basket.

James came in talking about being more aggressive, but wasn’t. He went more than 6 minutes before taking his first shot, but certainly made it worth the wait—a drive through the teeth of the defense for a powerful dunk. He also had a two-handed jam in the second half that put Miami up by 13.

The Heat just couldn’t put the Mavs away. Dallas would surge close or ahead, then Miami would turn it up again. The final 18 minutes played out with both teams realizing any possession could change the game and the series.

Nothing came easy for anyone. Shots were contested, bodies collided for every rebound and guys were flying into the stands after loose balls. Fans stood throughout, wearing their blue gimme T-shirts and fired up by videos such as one featuring encouraging words from Roger Staubach, Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Nolan Ryan and others.

Yet it was the visitors from Miami who walked off celebrating.

“Now we just have to move on,” Spoelstra said. “The tough part right now is amnesia. Both teams are highly competitive, this is a competitive series as you can see. We have to really gather ourselves in 48 hours and get right back and do this again.”

Spoelstra talked about wanting his guys to get back to their identity of being “an aggressive, attacking team that tries to get into the paint, to the rim, to the free throw line.” They followed that script to a 14-point lead late in the second quarter, then fell into the same bad habits they showed at the end of Game 2, letting Dallas get within 47-42 at the break.

Maybe Miami players just got bored because things were coming so easily.

James and Wade seemed to get whatever shot they wanted, whenever they wanted. But they kept trying to get others involved. They especially force-fed Bosh, even though his left eye was swollen from an early, accidental poke by Jason Kidd; he missed 7 of 9 in the first half.

The Heat also made things tough on Nowitzki by keeping him from even getting the ball. He took only two shots in the first quarter. He didn’t start getting free until Miami’s lead grew and guys were less intense on defense.

NOTES: Dallas fell to 8-2 at home this postseason. … The Heat and Mavs have each won a road game this series, which should be no surprise. They tied for the best road record in the NBA this season. … Bosh was booed as much as any Miami player during pregame introductions. So much for fans cutting the local kid some slack. … The Mavs fell to 2-1 this postseason in games officiated by Dan Crawford. Dallas came into this postseason having lost 16 of its last 17 playoff games he worked. … Aikman and Terrell Owens sat about 10 seats apart on the same row. Owens attended games in Miami, too. … Shades of the 2008 NCAA finals: Chalmers beat the first-quarter buzzer with a 3-pointer.

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Arum: Mayweather turned down $65 million this week to fight Pacquiao

"I'm an optimist, and I always felt that they'd eventually fight. At this point, I really feel that they'd never fight. Recently, as recent as this week, legitimate people from Singapore offered Mayweather 65 million dollars to fight Manny Pacquiao and turned he it down. 65 million is obviously is a sum Manny Pacquiao would accepted. Now what does that tell you?" -- Bob Arum

Nobody gets people in boxing talking like boxing reporter Elie Seckbach. Recently, Elie asked Top Rank CEO Bob Arum if he thinks that Floyd Mayweather Jr. will ever face Manny Pacquiao. Arum's answer was quite revealing.

Arum admitted that as much as he wants to be optimistic that the fight the world wants to see between Pacquiao and Mayweather will eventually be made, the series of roadblocks coming from the Mayweather camp since the initial negotiations for the fight back in late 2009 all the way to as recent as this week when he was offered $65 million to fight Pacquiao, he is convinced that Mayweather wants no part of the superfight.

"One thing about Floyd: Floyd knows boxing, and Floyd knows style. That's why Floyd was always reticent about fighting a southpaw. And a southpaw like Manny Pacquiao, he doesn't want no part of, because even if he protects himself from his left, he's going to bang him with his right hand," Arum told Seckbach.

 

Whether you take Arum's word or not, Mayweather's actions since this whole Pacquiao fight was thrown at him is definitely alarming. Mayweather flip-flops from bashing Pacquiao to mumbling and not even being able to say his name altogether. The money is there. The drug testing has been agreed upon. Why is Mayweather making things so difficult for this fight to be made?

With one contradicting statement after another, Mayweather is only making fools out of people that believe him, and a mockery of the sport that made him- unless of course if you ask his pom-pom girl and boxing blogger Ben Thompson of FightHype.com, who's site's slogan is "A Fight is a Fight" (Thompson's is to kiss a fighter's butt so the Twitter TMZ-style reporter can brag that they are BFFs). Unfortunately, Mayweather won't even fight.

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