Las Vegas Boxing Examiner | Chris Robinson
Of the rare group of people who have gotten to observe Manny Pacquiao’s effect on the sport from as many angles as possible, one of them very well may be HBO’s unofficial ringside scorer, Harold Lederman. Lederman has been covering the sport for years as both a professional and ‘unofficial’ judge for the sport’s premier network and has witnessed many of Pacquiao’s actions up close, whether in or out of the ring.
When told that rumors have begun circulating about Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather agreeing to terms on a March 13th date, Lederman is just as excited as anyone in regards to what the showdown could mean to the sport. Before getting his initial thoughts on the clash I first charted back a bit to get his thoughts on being present during Pacquiao’s most recent fight, his November 14th stoppage over Miguel Cotto in Las Vegas.
“To tell you truth what I remember best about that night was surprisingly good Manny Pacquiao looked against a guy who everybody figured was much bigger and stronger,” an always honest Lederman stated. “I mean Manny was moving up a division to 147 and he just took apart a full sized Welterweight, and a good Welterweight at that. What surprised me was how easy he made it look. It was a great performance by Manny Pacquiao.”
As soon as Pacquiao dispatched of his brave Puerto Rican foe the MGM Grand arena started filling up with chants of ‘We want Mayweather’. During the post fight press conference it was also announced that Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum would shortly be in discussions with Golden Boy Promotion’s Richard Schaefer in an attempt at making the bout a reality. Lederman himself is adamant about just how meaningful the contest is.
“It’s the fight that everybody wants to see,” Lederman said getting straight to the point. “The minute that referee Kenny Bayless waived his arms and said the Cotto fight was over people starting talking about it. It was almost as if Floyd was standing in the ring saying ‘Now you got to get by me’. Never in my life ever have I witnessed a fight that people have wanted to see as much as this one.”
Strong words from Lederman, who has seen his share of title tilts all over the world throughout the years. When asked to elaborate further on the importance of the showdown Lederman didn’t let up or shy away from the bout’s potential magnitude.
“I think it will be the biggest thing in boxing since Ray Leonard came out of retirement to fight Marvin Hagler,” Lederman says reflecting on the memorable 1987 Middleweight clash. “Nobody wants to see anything else. The entire is sport is totally dominated by Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. People who don’t know a thing about boxing are talking about it. It’s become such an unbelievable happening that it is a fight that has to be made. It’s really amazing.”
The topic was then turned to what took place behind doors between Arum and Schaefer when ironing out the particulars to the mouthwatering showdown. While often having an insider’s point of view, Lederman admits to being just as much on the outside as anyone else, yet still marveled at how easily both sides were able to come to an agreement.
“I have no inside information about what happened because they obviously kept it very private,” Lederman says of Arum and Schaefer’s meeting. “I was fascinated by the fact that they were able to agree on something so quickly. I think that Ross Greenburg and HBO should get some credit because they were a very important part of making it happen. It got done in a record amount of time. You have two very independent and tough personalities in Manny and Floyd and I’m sure each one of them was angling to get as much as they could out of this deal so everybody deserves credit for putting it together.”
During the middle of the week it was reported that Arum was on his way to the Philippines in an attempt to come face to face with Pacquiao to see if the Filipino bomber would be interested in agreeing to terms on the bout. Arum’s absence was extremely notable, as Lederman got the exact sense of how important the situation is with Top Rank’s chief being out of town.
“I went to a Top Rank press conference yesterday, and generally speaking Bob Arum always runs Top Rank press conferences,” Lederman stated. “Yesterday I went to Madison Square Garden for the press conference for the January 23rd HBO Boxing After Dark show between Juan Manuel Lopez and Steve Luevano. Usually it’s Arum’s show but the fact that he wasn’t there shows how serious everything is. He was definitely in the Philippines talking to Manny, that’s for sure.”
If there is one person who has adamantly opposed the March 13th date it would be Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, who has insisted he would rather see the two fighters face off at a later date. Roach claims he needs a solid twelve weeks in camp with his fighter in order to get him ready for a fighter of Mayweather’s caliber. Whether or not the March 13th date goes through remains to be seen but Lederman can feel just how genuine Roach is with his claims.
“He knows how much time he needs in the gym with Manny to win the fight,” Lederman points out. “Freddie’s a pretty good trainer and he has proved it over and over again. I really believe that he knows exactly how many weeks he needs. He just needs Manny’s undivided attention for a certain amount of time. Obviously he knows the date of the election and what Manny’s plans are and that’s why he said what he said. He’s just figuring out how much time he needs. I think that’s what he’s basing his statements on.”
As the conversation came to a close Lederman was asked for any closing comments on the bout and who he feels will have the advantage. While obviously having great respect for both guys, the always modest judge sees certain things about both men that will never change, regardless of who they are in the ring against.
“I hate to pick a winner. In all honesty it’s hard to envision Manny Pacquiao changing. He gives you angles as a southpaw. He’s very good at keeping the fight off the ropes and in the center of the ring. He really doesn’t want Floyd taking him up on the ropes and hammering him. Floyd is a terrific defensive fighter so Manny and Freddie Roach have to figure out a way to get to Floyd Mayweather. Really I think Floyd is going to fight his usually defensive style and he will try to win with his fast hands and blazing combinations. And that rapid left jab he throws will be important for him. I think Pacquiao is going to try to give him angles. I think Manny is going to take it to Floyd very early. I think if there is going to be an aggressor in this fight it’s going to be Pacquiao.”
Source: Examiner.com
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