NACHO HITS POSSIBLE PACQUIAO-MCGREGOR FIGHT SAYS IT'S ALL FOR THE MONEY
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 28 Nov 2017
Beristain.
Nacho Beristain, the legendary Mexican boxing trainer, is attacking a possible Manny Pacquiao-Conor McGregor match. Pacquiao made headlines when he called out McGregor on Instagram, enticing the UFC superstat to a fight in 2018. McGregor has reaction yet on the invitation. But Beristain reacted negatively to the proposal. ?I would not lend myself to that type of thing,? he told ESPN Deportes. ?Boxing is more serious than people think."
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"I think it?s the need to make money, but money is not everything in life,? Beristain, added. McGregor, a UFC superstar fought as a professional boxer for the first time against Floyd Mayweather Jr. last August, and lost a boring fight that experts called a mockery of the sport. But the cross combat showdown earned a lot of money, reportedly $300 million for Mayweather and $100 million for McGregor. Although it failed to break the record of Mayweather-Pacquiao, pay-per-view sales and live gate receipts were staggering.
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Beristain said if Pacquiao is serious about fighting McGregor, there could be no other reason. ?Showing and an easy way to earn money is fine, but those of us who love boxing as a serious thing, we are against what is happening,? he said. Oscar dela Hoya, 44, who hasn't fought since the 2009 TKO loss to Pacquiao, also challenged McGregor to a boxing bout, saying he?s been ?secretly training? and that he can knockout the UFC fighter in two rounds. Jeff Horn and Paulie Malignaggi were also interested in facing the Irish UFC star.
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Russian champion Sergei Kovalev remains to be a dangerous foe for a lot of prospective opponents, even if he has many changes in his career and the lately change of coach, according to former world champ Bernard Hopkins. Kovalev went back to the ring on Saturday night at The Theater in Madison Square Garden where he demolished Ukrainian Vyacheslav Shabranskyy in two rounds to capture the WBO light heavyweight title. It was his first win after suffering back to back losses to arch rival Andre Ward.
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Kovalev dropped and dominated Hopkins in twelve rounds during their match in 2014, when they fought for a unification in Atlantic City. "Sergei had the first fight with Andre Ward, then they had a rematch in which Kovalev, unfortunately, could not win," said Hopkins. "But his career is not over, now he is rebuilding it and it's only in his power to do everything." He added that a lot of boxers want to be undefeated like Floyd Mayweather, but 90 percent of them will lose sooner or later.
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"Although he is certainly not the youngest guy, he is not an old man, he is still dangerous for a lot of opponents. Sergei can box at the highest level for at least four more years and be at the top," added Hopkins. In November 2016, Kovalev lost a controversial twelve round decision, and his WBO, WBA, IBF world titles, to Ward. In June this year, Ward won again, this time by an eight round stoppage. After those defeats, Kovalev then replaced his head trainer John David Jackson with Abror Tursunpulatov.
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December 2 will mark the farewell fight of four-division and six-time world champion Miguel Cotto (41-5, 33 KOs) as he is set to defend his WBO World Junior middleweight title against Sadam "World Kid" Ali (25-1, 14 KOs). The battle will take place at the Madison Square Garden, Cotto will make his 10th appearance at the World's Most Famous Arena. Cotto, a sure future first-ballot Hall-of-Famer, has wore world title belts in the super lightweight, welterweight, junior middleweight and middleweight divisions.
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The native of Caguas, Puerto Rico, Cotto has faced a who's who of elite world champions including Demarcus "Chop Chop" Corley, Paulie "Magic Man" Malignaggi, Zab "Super"Judah, Sugar Shane Mosley, Antonio "El Tornado de Tijuana" Margarito, Ricardo "El Matador" Mayorga, Sergio "Maravilla" Martineza, Floyd "Money" Mayweather, Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao and Saul "Canelo" Alvarez. In his latest fight, Cotto defeated Yoshihiro "Maestrito" Kamegai to win the WBO world junior niddleweight title.
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Ali, a 2008 U.S. Olympian from Brooklyn, has held multiple regional titles, will get his second attempt at a world title after gaining victories over top welterweights Francisco "Chia" Santana, Luis Carlos "El Potro" Abregu and most recently former interim WBA world super lightweight champion Johan "El Terrible" Perez. Cotto will look to defend successfully his WBO world junior middleweight title before a packed crowd of his loyal New York supporters as he closes the book on his legendary career.
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Four Celtics players namely Bob Cousy, Bill Russell, Dave Cowens and Larry Bird, have won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award for an NBA record total of 10 MVP awards. The Boston Celtics were formed on June 6, 1946, by Boston Garden-Arena Corporation President Walter A. Brown as a team in the Basketball Association of America, and later became part of the National Basketball Association in 1949. In 1950, the Celtics signed Chuck Cooper, becoming the first NBA franchise to draft a black player.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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