Hopkins eyes Haye while Jones vows victory in rematch

LAS VEGAS - Bernard Hopkins is talking about fighting heavyweight world champion David Haye of Britain while Roy Jones is talking about giving Hopkins his first knockout loss in their April 3 showdown.

The boxing legends spoke Wednesday in conference calls ahead of their fight at Las Vegas, which 41-year-old Jones said could be the capper to his career and 45-year-old Hopkins said could launch him into a bout with Haye.

"Start pumping that now. You're thinking like me," Hopkins said. "That scenario sounds good to me but I have got to do my thing on April 3."

Haye, the World Boxing Association heavyweight champion who is 23-1 with 21 knockouts, fights American John Ruiz on April 3 in England but hopes to next fight a Ukranian rival champion, either Vitali or Wladimir Klitschko.

Hopkins has been counted out in ring deals before, if never in the ring, but wears his age like a badge of pride as he plans for Haye and perhaps beyond.

"As I keep being reminded that I'm 45 like it's a death sentence, have I been fighting like I'm 45?" Hopkins said.

"I'm saying this fight is for my future career. I have to not only win this fight but win impressively. I'm setting up the next big thing to Bernard Hopkins."

Jones 54-6 with 40 knockouts, is a former heavyweight champion himself thanks to a victory over Ruiz. He won a unanimous decision over Hopkins, 50-5 with one drawn and 32 knockouts, in their first fight in 1993 at Washington.

"He was more of a young fighter trying to win by any means necessary," Jones said. "This time he's a little smarter. He doesn't take as many risks. He's more of an opportunist than he was back then."

Jones said no matter how the fight goes, it might be his last.

"It could be a way to end my career," Jones said. "I will have to see. If everything turns out well, then maybe. And if Bernard Hopkins can hurt me, it's time to hang it up."

Both fighters have something to prove. Jones suffered a first round knockout in his last fight last December to Danny Green and is 5-5 in the past six years while Hopkins has lost three of his past seven fights and beat Mexico's Enrique Ornelas last December in his only start for the past 18 months.

"He feels like I'm done. I'm washed up. I'm old goods. That's the only reason he's taking the fight now," Jones said.

"I'm going to give him my secret punch, guaranteed to stop him. He's going to sleep by knockout. There's nothing he can do to win."

Hopkins, naturally, disagrees.

"Roy ain't going to knock Bernard Hopkins out," Hopkins said. "He's one up on me. It's a personal vendetta. I've got something legitimate to me personally in this fight. That's how much animosity is there. That's how deep this thing is.

"Every punch is going to mean something for over 17 years so I've got to land a lot of combinations."

Hopkins called his first fight with Jones "a night that changed both of our lives. That fight there helped sculpture my psyche and character."

Jones sees no tarnishing of his legacy by continuing to fight beyond his prime.

"Ain't many of them who can do it as well as I still can so why should I not be doing it," Jones said. "I was smarter and slicker than him 17 years ago and I'm smarter and slicker than him now.

"I want to show him he's still not better than me. He has been hating me for 17 years because I beat him and he can go on hating me for another 17 years after I beat him again."

Pacquiao hurts Roach's chin in gym

HOLLYWOOD – For 15 rounds non-stop, Manny Pacquiao went for the kill.

And a good number of times, he caught his master, Freddie Roach, on the chin or just too hard on the body, and made his two-hour workout at the Wild Card Gym look like the real thing.

“Sorry coach, sorry,” said Pacquiao as he backed off after one of his right hooks glanced the chin of his trainer.

But Roach, who celebrated his 50th birthday Friday by putting on his three-inch body armor and working the mitts with Pacquiao, really didn’t mind. He’s gotten used to it anyway. Even if it hurts.

“He hurts me and knocks the wind off me sometimes,” he said.

But it’s all part of his job, and Roach would like to see Pacquiao do the same against Joshua Clottey on March 13 at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. In fact, he sees Pacquiao winning by knockout.

“Kill the body,” was Roach’s constant reminder during their 15-round session with the mitts. He believes that Clottey, bigger but older, has never been hit to the body as hard as Pacquiao would hit him.

On top of the ring, they worked on the different angles and on running rings around Clottey and at the same time planting solid blows to the side of the body and to the head which they hope would work.

“There’s nothing he can do when you’re not standing in front of him,” said Freddie during breaks that never lasted more than five seconds.

“There’s nothing he can do. Take advantage of that.”

They were almost whispering to each other as they map out the plan, always looking for something new, always looking for ways to make things better and making things worse for the opponent.

“We’re not going to leave a pattern,” said Roach on top of the ring. He wants Pacquiao to keep Clottey guessing all night, guessing where his punches are coming from and guessing what his next move would be.

Pacquiao was just having a good time on the ring when Roach, after 15 rounds non-stop, said it’s time to call it a day.

“Uno-mas. Uno-mas (One more. One more),” Pacquiao kept on repeating.

But Roach would have none of it.

“When will you ever get tired? Go get water. I need to rest,” he said.

And then it was over.

“Masaya kami (We’re happy),” said Pacquiao, who earlier in the morning ran up Mount Lee, the tallest peak in Los Angeles, and ended up looking down at the very famous landmark, the Hollywood Sign.

“Lumampas pa ako doon sa sign. That was my longest run in training and it took me more than an hour to get to the top. It was like running a marathon uphill. Grabe talaga,” he said.

Notes: The birthday song filled the Wild Card Gym after the two-hour workout, and Manny Pacquiao presented Freddie Roach with a birthday cake. Roach blew the candles and made a wish: Knock Clottey out...Each of the 87 persons who joined Pacquiao’s weight loss contest had to sign a waiver prepared by Dr. Allan Recto just to make sure that the boxing superstar won’t be held liable if something happens to any of them. Pacquiao has offered $3,000 to anyone who’d lose 15 percent of their body weight inside three weeks. Dr. Recto said it’s no joke. Most of those who joined the contest, you see, are non-athletes, just plain individuals, and trying to lose so much weight in so little time may cause them harm. Some of them are said to be starving themselves to death just to get the money. Based on Dr. Recto’s official list, there are those needing to lose as little as 15 lb and one as much as 40 lb. “We prepared the waiver to make sure no one sues Manny if something bad happens to him or her,” said Dr. Recto. As an icing on the cake, Pacquiao has offered another $20,000 to the one who will lose the most in weight, percentage wise. The final weigh-in is set Sunday. Get the ambulance ready.

Pacquiao to hold fundraiser for Z Gorres

MANILA, Philippines – Pound-for-pound king and seven-division champion Manny Pacquiao is all set to go the United States for the promotional tour and training for his March 13 fight against Ghanaian Joshua Clottey.

He will leave for Los Angeles Sunday night in order to make it to the press conferences scheduled on Tuesday in Dallas, Texas and Wednesday in New York.

Pacquiao will defend his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title against Clottey, a former International Boxing Federation (IBF) welterweight champion, at the Cowboys Stadium in Dallas.

Apart from his busy promotional schedule, Pacquiao is slated to hold a dinner fundraiser for fellow Filipino ZC Oliveros “Z” Gorres in Las Vegas, reported ABS-CBN correspondent Dyan Castillejo.

Gorres, won over Luis Melendez of Colombia in their 10-round bout in November by unanimous decision, went through an emergency brain surgery in November. The Filipino fighter suffered a left straight punch to the temple from Melendez in the 10th round which caused a blood clot in his brain.

According to PhilBoxing.com, he has been discharged from the University Medical Center (UMC) in Las Vegas after being deemed out of danger after undergoing his 2nd major surgery. (Read: Z Gorres undergoes 2nd major surgery)

Pacquiao’s adviser Mike Koncz said in a press conference that all proceeds will be given to Gorres to help him rebuild his life. He added that they are aiming to raise $500,000 for Gorres.

Returning to the ring as a fighter has been ruled out for the promising Filipino boxer because of the grave injury he suffered.

Still open to fight Mayweather

Meanwhile, Koncz added that they are not closing their doors on Floyd Mayweather, Jr., whom Pacquiao was supposed to face on March 13 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Negotiations for the Pacquiao-Mayweather super bout crumbled when the fighters’ camps disagreed on the drug testing protocol. Pacquiao even sued Mayweather and some members of his team for alleging that he was taking performance-enhancing drugs.

Koncz said Team Pacquiao believes that Mayweather did not want the fight that is why he brought up the drug testing issue.

Despite this, Koncz mentioned that they are still open to fight Mayweather just to give the fans the fight they want to see.

Pacquiao and Mayweather earlier agreed on a 50-50 split. Each fighter was estimated to earn at least $40 million to $50 million.

Koncz admitted that Pacquiao will earn less in his fight against Clottey, but it is still a “decent” amount.

Mayweather - I will defeat Pacquiao

Unbeaten American Floyd Mayweather, Jr. claims he will knock out WBO welterweight world champion Manny Pacquiao when the two boxing giants lock horns next year.

Speaking on HBO TV's Joe Buck chat show, the 32-year-old Mayweather -- who has an unblemished record from 40 fights -- said: "Pacquiao's a good fighter but I've been around the sport a long time and I've dominated boxing for around 15 years now.

"Nobody has defeated me yet so we'll have to see. The thing is, I don't want the fans to be really shocked by what will happen when we do happen to meet up -- because it's not going to be anything new for them."

"The things is, Manny has been knocked out before and he's taken losses. I'll be victorious."

Pacquiao will come into the fight following a remarkable 12 months which has seen him defeat Oscar de la Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto.

Meanwhile, Mayweather has fought only once in two years, a unanimous points victory over Juan Manuel Marquez in Las Vegas.

Although definitive plans for the mega-money contest are yet to be confirmed, a date of March 13 is widely rumored to be agreed, with three possible venues in the running to stage the contest.

The two fighters are regarded as the best pound-for-pound boxers in the world right now and the fight is expected to generate record levels of interest, easily surpassing the previous record of $18.4 million for gate receipts, which was generated for Mayweather's bout with de la Hoya in 2007.

Two NFL stadiums are reported to be bidding to host the fight. Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, home of the Dallas Cowboys, is competing with the Superdome in New Orleans, as well as the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

The two stadiums could accommodate up to 100,000 spectators, while the MGM Grand seats about 16,000.