Besides the fact we had to wait over an hour for his grand arrival at a press conference that would top a Star Wars movie premiere, it was Mayweather holding court as fans cheered in the balcony area ,and the media who came out for a typical new school type of press gathering continued to wait. No questions asked at the podium, just Mayweather giving his account of the issues that have kept him out of the ring the past 16 months.

Never discount what Mayweather says, or for what he does. They said he is the best pound-for-pound- fighter in the business, but until he exchanges punches with Manny Pacquiao that issue will always be open to debate. However, when Mayweather returns it is always a production. The fight is being billed as “Star Power” to also promote what Ortiz has accomplished and will also be televised at closed circuit venues.

So disregard all the talk that Mayweather is avoiding Pacquiao. We waited for the anticipated first of a two-city press tour. Wednesday they take the production to Los Angeles, because Mayweather is holding his own forum. And if you could get a question or two in, when the proceedings were over, good luck. Mayweather was protected on the stage as he was bombarded with those who say they were media, and some of the imitators who claim they are.

There is the overall consensus if Maywether wins this fight, and if Manny Pacquiao holds his end of the bargain in November, against Juan Manuel Marquez, then the anticipated fight with the two becomes a reality. Not right away. Because Bob Arum, promoter of Pacquiao may have other plans for Pacquiao to fight Mike Jones after Marquez, and Ortiz, promoted by Golden Boy should not be counted out until the last punch is thrown in September. Adding to the puzzle is Mayweather and Arum still at opposite ends in their verbal war.

Here is Mayweather talking like he never did before. There wasn’t that trash talk, instead compliments thrown at his opponent.  His children were at the podium, though a few obscenities, unexpectedly, came from the mouth of Ortiz, maybe because this was the first time the champion was in the spotlight and he seemed to be enjoying the moment.

But those who saw Mayweather heard the difference. It may be psychological games what he said about the Pacquiao fight, why he has stayed away from the ring, because of family responsibilities. His adviser, Leonard Ellerbe refused to discuss all the legal proceedings surrounding Mayweather, saying “We focus on the business part and the boxing part. We let the attorneys handle the legal stuff.”

As Bert Sugar, boxing writer and historian said, “It was Mayweather on the couch talking to a psychologist and we listened and we should get some of his money for listening.” No kidding, it was Mayweather explaining where he is and what is taking so long to get a fight going with Pacquiao. We wanted the answer and perhaps it has become clearer.

“It’s not just Pacquiao, it’s sports period,” said Mayweather referring to the steroid issue. He and Ortiz have agreed to drug testing under the United States Anti-Doping Agency protocol which includes random blood and urine testing. That was what Mayweather and Schaefer insisted when the proposed fight with Pacquiao was scrapped. Since then litigation and defamation suits have not been dropped by Pacquiao, regarding allegations about Pacquiao from the Mayweather camp.

More from Mayweather about the steroid issue, and take it the way you want. “If you look at sports in the Olympics they’re cheating, everyone is cheating. And I never once said Manny Pacquiao was cheating. Only thing I said was this: Me and any other opponent I face must take the test.”

“I have never said that Manny Pacquiao was taking steroids. I never said he was taking enhancement drugs. I want to fight the best they got out there, not just him (Pacquiao) and if he’s on the list as one of the best guys, then absolutely. Do I want the Pacquiao fight, absolutely if that’s what the fans want.”

Two things here form the statements. If Mayweather can tell an audience how he feels about Pacquiao, then why could he not do that by failing to show for a court ordered deposition that still hangs in the balance? And if he believes Pacquiao is on the list as one of the best, why did he take on Ortiz now, which leads to more legitimacy that Mayweather has been ducking Pacquiao and all this steroid stuff was nonsense.

Though, there is hope. The first time, Richard Schaefer CEO of Golden Boy was at war with Arum. They came to a truce and seem to be in more contact and looking again to have a good working relationship. Mayweather respects Schaefer and is co-promoting, Mayweather Promotions, and that was evident Tuesday afternoon at a press gathering that lasted more than four hours.

Schaefer is also at peace that he and Arum are talking. It may be a part of business that boxing has been accustomed to seeing over the years, but either way, it makes it that much easier this time for Schaefer to be a part of the Pacquiao-Mayweather talks or involvement.

“It is good for boxing,” commented Schaefer when asked about his truce with Arum.” We have to work together. We are all in this together. Floyd said what he had to say today. Let’s get the Ortiz fight over with and go from there. Victor is a fine young man and deserves this opportunity.”

Mayweather returns to the ring for the first time since defeating Shane Mosley in May of 2010.  And that froum, what Sugar compared to him talking to a psychologist, also questioned why the media continues to attack Mayweather. His kids are older and they understand, so he said, that their father is under attack for things that are not true.

Mayweather said, “When you’re young, black and rich, you go through things in life. But I’m a strong individual. I can survive through anything.” But to be fair about the Mayweather situation, he causes his own demise, and the media, those legitimate to tell it, are doing their job as accurate reporters do.

For Ortiz, this is the opportunity, a champion now and looking to defend his title. He wanted to fight the best, whether it was Pacquiao or Mayweather. “I realize he is a great fighter,” said Ortiz. “I always said I wanted to fight Mayweather one day as champion of the world and check it out… It’s crazy.”

Yes Ortiz is the success story here and Mayweather will always be in the discussion with Manny Pacquiao. But Ortiz had the remark of the day before Mayweather had his time. “I’m fighting Pacquiao next. I’m the champion of the world and I’m not giving that up.”

And Mayweather has to remember that he is not the champion. Did the tide change with his remarks? That remains to be determined. At least we know the fight may be getting closer with Pacquiao, or is it?

Instead it was WBA super welterweight champion Miguel Cotto and two-time champion Ricardo Mayorga doing the talking for their upcoming “Relentless” title fight Saturday March 12^th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.  Showtime Championship Boxing will televise the event that will also include Yori Foreman taking on top ten- contender Pawel Wolak in a 10-round super welterweight bout.

There was King doing his thing. Flamboyant as ever, King who is no longer considered a major player, has his hopes that Mayorga will take the title away from Cotto. This was a fight under discussion last year even before Mayorga tested the waters in mixed martial arts.

Cotto is still a viable champion and if victorious could get his redemption against Antonio Margarito at Madison Square Garden in June. But looking ahead has never been a motive for Cotto. He leaves that to Arum, his promoter and is looking for another dominant fight after disposing Foreman at Yankee Stadium in New York last June.

So we saw a different type of Cotto at the podium. Mayorga has a habit of bringing out the best in an opponent especially when the lights and cameras are on. There was no cigarette in the mouth of Mayorga, or a liquor bottle in his hand that has been customary, just combatant words from Mayorga that had Cotto on edge and ready to respond when he had the opportunity.

And through it all, King was silent. Perhaps the one time most powerful promoter in the sport has seen age and less power take its toll. Mayorga did the talking, and so did Cotto in what could be an interesting and perplexing fight that was good enough for Showtime and not HBO to take an interest.

Mayorga predicted a fourth round knockout, and it got better. “I have been watching all your fights the past four months, you are punch drunk,” he said to the champion from Cagaus Puerto Rico. “You can’t take a punch anymore and I will retire him. You and your trainer (Emanuel Steward) will fall.”

And with those words, and much more, Cotto went to work. Much more of the fighting words not usually heard from the champion at one of his press conferences. Because Mayorga compared Cotto’s hands to a woman and said he never liked him as a fighter.

The tone from Cotto was much different and of course assertive   He has never backed down from a challenge and certainly not this one  “My job is to fight in the ring,” answered Cotto who has held a world title every year since 2004 winning 15 of the 17 world championship belts he has held. “Nobody wins a fight with their mouth,” he said.

Both fighters have been in the ring with some of the best including Manny Pacquiao, Felix Trinidad and “Sugar” Shane Mosley. “Like Margarito, after the Pacquiao fight, you will be thinking of retiring after I am done with you,” said the 37-year old Mayorga, (28-7-23KO’s).

There were references to Cotto being “as small as a kid,” and “I think my pants are taller than you.” Of course more fire coming from Mayorga. This should make the fight more interesting in the weeks ahead. King was smiling again, but Cotto wasn’t because references to retirement and the ugly loss to Margarito only make him more confident.

What to watch before March 12^th is how well Cotto works again with Steward who will be in his corner for the second time. The two adapted well when Cotto stopped Foreman.

“Mayorga is a very tough man physically and mentally,” said Steward. “Forget about boxing, he is a fighter. He is going to come out and throw punches from all angles. He will probably come into the ring about 170 pounds.”

And Cotto kept talking as Mayorga did his usual interrupting. “I didn’t interrupt you, so don’t interrupt me,” he said to the challenger “The door is open there if you want to leave. With those little pants I beat Shane Mosley…do you remember him, Shane Mosley,” referring to how Mayorga  lost by knockout to Mosley in their title bout back in 2008.

Yes, a fight that will draw some interest and speculation as to who will prevail, and a win for King if his fighter Mayorga is victorious.  For Cotto a win leads to getting closer to a redemption fight with Margarito.

e-mail Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com

Now ask an astute boxing fan who holds the heavyweight title and it becomes a guessing game. There are four different champions that represent alphabet soup organizations known as sanctioning bodies. The WBC, WBA, IBF, and WBO, they did not exist when the old stadium hosted its last boxing card. A television audience was not a priority for promoters but getting people to fill the Stadium was.

Jack Dempsey defeated Jack Sharkey before a Yankee Stadium crowd of 77,283 in 1927.  No HBO cable or pay- per-view telecasts then, or for Ali, Norton, and the other prominent heavyweights such as Rocky Marciano and Archie Moore that fought there. They were known more from back page newspaper headlines that no longer exist unless tragedy hits the sport.

When there was a big time fight at Yankee Stadium it got attention. From 1923 to 1976 there were 49 professional boxing cards that made Yankee Stadium as famous as Ruth, DiMaggio, Gehrig, and Mantle hitting a baseball.

So here we are, Saturday evening, at the new billion dollar Yankee Stadium, pro boxing again in the new House that Ruth Built. Miguel Cotto (34-2, 27 Ko’s) the three-time champion as a welterweight moves up to 154 and challenges Yuri Foreman (28-0, 8 KO’s) for the WBA Super Welterweight championship.

Bob Arum of Top Rank who promoted that last card at Yankee Stadium is expecting about 30,000 enthusiastic boxing fans Saturday night in the Bronx. The cost of a ticket is much higher than the one purchased for Ali-Norton and HBO will telecast the fight   They, are calling this “Stadium Slugfest” and back then all they had to do is say that Ali and Norton were fighting for the heavyweight championship.

And at about 11:15pm, after an under card that begins at 6:45 PM, Cotto the popular fighter from Caguas Puerto Rico and Foreman, from Brooklyn, the first Orthodox Jewish fighter to hold a championship will enter a ring set up on a stage in right-center field.

It will be history again at Yankee Stadium. When they built this new palace in the Bronx it was always the intention of the Yankees organization to stage memorable pro boxing events again.  They also are committed to having football on their turf and this Fall, Army and a bowl game will be played there.

Madison Square Garden wanted Cotto-Foreman when this fight was first discussed a year ago.  It has always been Cotto time in New York, at the Garden this time of year.  He has defended his title four times in the month of June on the eve of the National Puerto Rican Day Parade.

The schedule was available again for Cotto at the Garden and he, along with his promoter Arum were welcome to come back. Arum though has been thinking bigger. The Stadium was a proper venue when the idea came to the table.  Arum got over 40,000 fans to attend the Manny Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey welterweight title fight earlier this year at the new Cowboys Stadium in Dallas Texas.

This fight certainly will lead to more at the new ball yard in the Bronx. The Yankees with their 27^th World Series championship christened the Stadium last November. Now, after Saturday night, the past becomes present and truly we can say boxing has returned where it belongs.

e-mail Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com

A source for Bob Arum of Top Rank, promoter of Pacquiao said last week that there is no way the fight will take place. He claimed, Arum, will no loner deal with Mayweather, or Richard Schaefer of Golden BOY Promotions who Mayweather hired to handle with promotion of the fight.

The sticking point is how testing procedures would be handled for both fighters. Arum has insisted that Pacquiao, the welterweight champion, and record six- division title holder will not go along with Mayweather and Schaefer demanding that their be random drug testing for both fighters before the fight.

And last week Pacquiao filed a defamation lawsuit in the U.S. District Court of Las Vegas against Mayweather and his camp, and also against Schaefer and Golden Boy claiming his reputation was damaged.  The allegations that Pacquiao is backing off form random testing in fear of being exposed for using body enhancement drugs.

Now a mediator has intervened, summoned by Arum and agreed to be used by Schaefer and Mayweather.  A former Federal judge, who by the way Arum trusts, once resolved a dispute that Pacquiao had when he was with Golden Boy and Oscar De La Hoya.

But it is more than deciding how this testing would be done, also under the supervision of the Nevada State Athletic Commission which would hold jurisdiction at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas.  The defamation lawsuit has made this a more nasty war out of the ring, and to say the least, even the Supreme Court would have a difficult time getting the fighters to come to an agreement.

So here we have it. The New Year is a few days old, boxing has undoubtedly the highest profile fight of all-time waiting to happen, and we are all in limbo.  First they had to agree on a date and that was resolved. Then there was the back-and-forth about a venue. From New York, to Dallas, finally the MGM because the source at Top Rank said that is where Schaefer had already made the deal.

There is also the known fact about the bitterness Mayweather and Arum have for each other. It goes back to the days when Arum promoted Mayweather, and now Schaefer gets in the mix, who works for De La Hoya, another former fighter that made plenty of money with Arum.

As soon as they finished trading jabs, Pacquiao the clear winner in the ring late Saturday night, Mayweather started to make some noise. “Pacquiao does not want to fight me or he would have said so himself,” said Mayweather. His people want ot get the fight done, so does Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach who called for the undefeated Mayweather immediately.

It has been explained to yours truly, from a source at Top Rank, the promoters of Paccquiao that the problem getting this fight together is dealing with Mayweather.  Bob Arum, promoter of Top Rank has a malicious attitude towards Mayweather his former fighter. So the negotiations that reportedly have started are going nowhere.

Mayweather wants more of the money form the purse to pay-per-view revenue. This has a potential to be the mega fight of this new boxing era, and could easily top the revenue of previous PPV fights that Mayweather and Oscar De La Hoya have accomplished. It is a fight that will keep boxing in the picture because these are two fighters now that generate that type of interest.

Not since we have seen Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hearns and Sugar Rey Leonard, the prime fighters of the 1980’s have we seen a fighter like Pacquiao. The Philippine sensation made boxing history Saturday night becoming the first seven-time division champion in the sport and easily dominated Miguel Cotto.

Cotto is now a second thought. What once was talked about, a trilogy between Cotto and Pacquiao, now can become a three- time deal with Pacquiao and Mayweather. Cotto can continue to fight and work his way back into the picture. Possibly a return bout with WBA welterweight champion Shane Mosley at Madison Square Garden in June, the place where Cotto reigns and always fights on the eve of the National Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York City.

But the fight boxing fans and the sport needs is Pacquiao against Mayweather. Arum said the past few days that it will have to happen.  How much each fighter will get has to be determined and where it will take place is another factor before the fighters sign on the dotted line.

The original idea was to stage Cotto again against Pacquiao at the new Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. Perhaps Cotto or Pacquiao opposing Mayweather there, however, Arum now has a change of thought because of a tax structure in the state of New York that would hinder the earnings of the fighters, promoters and pay-per-view outfit, most likely HBO Pay-Per-View.

Las Vegas is the most probable option. Promoters get rooms on the house, and the Nevada tax structure is so much easier to work with.  Then there is the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium being discussed as a possible venue for the fight. Unless the New York politicians give in, and their greed and bickering won’t allow it, Pacquiao and Mayweather is not coming to Yankee Stadium.

So where do we stand? Boxing fans want an answer soon because the sport is in need of this mega fight. They are looking at a date in May to get this done.  Reports are Dallas is the lead contender to host the fight. And the Cowboys Stadium has the largest video board for a sports venue that will allow those with the cheaper tickets to attend and see the fight from the upper rafters.

Arum, even with all his past animosity with Mayweather, knows also that the sport needs to stage this fight and is willing to put differences aside.  And though Pacquiao has not commented about an impending meeting with Mayweather, he too knows the significance of this potential fight to be.

After a vacation with family, Pacquiao with a clear mind and rest should be more than ready to make a deal.  Mayweather also needs to meet him half way and also knows differences with Arum will be put aside to get this fight done. It is for the betterment of the sport to make sure that Pacquiao and Mayweather touch gloves soon.

If not, the boxing world puts itself in the same situation. Less interest and fights of minimal value that carry no weight, or do nothing to bring the sport back to respectability. Cotto and Pacquiao gave us some hope that sparked some mainstream media interest again for the sport. Now we need Mayweather and Pacquiao to continue the process.

e-mail Rich Mancuso:  Ring786@aol.com