It was this Examiner story that either incorrectly attributed the bible verse Leviticus 20:13 to Pacquaio, or just seemed to attribute it to him based on how it was written.

The author, Granville Ampong, wrote a detailed story that Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum discounted because it wasn’t written by an actual boxing journalist. The paragraph that Ampong is getting heat for is below:

Pacquiao’s directive for Obama calls societies to fear God and not to promote sin, inclusive of same-sex marriage and cohabitation, notwithstanding what Leviticus 20:13 has been pointing all along: “If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.”

Pacquiao has denied the quote, telling the AP that he didn’t say it and Mr. Ampong followed up in a second post that he added the verse, not Pacquiao.

Pacquiao also tried to restate his view, talking to Mario Lopez on Extra.

“To the gay community, I apologize. I’m against same-sex marriage, but I’m not condemning you. My favorite verse is ‘Love one another as you love yourself. Love your neighbor.’ So I love everybody!”

As expected, much of the public who disagree with him have taken him to task for his comments. Many of the comments I’ve read on Facebook and Twitter are more hateful than Pacquiao’s comments. In fact, I don’t find Pacquiao’s statements hateful. I just find them naive. What Manny Pacquiao, a superstar boxer, thinks about Floyd Mayweather or the use of a left hook is interesting to me. What he thinks about gay marriage isn’t interesting to me. However, that’s not how publicity works. Since he’s a public and political figure and celebrity, his opinions mean more to others than most.

Maybe the best thing I’ve read about this is by Laurel Fantauzzo via Grantland. As a gay Filipina American, Fantauzzo talks about her cultural background as it relates to religion. I have several Filipino friends who come from Catholic families. This quote from Fantauzzo is key:

I know, though, that you also don’t want me to be married. I know you think this is a perfectly reasonable, justified stand to take against me. You’re like a lot of Filipinos: Catholic. Powerfully, post-colonially Catholic. Catholic na Catholic.

And this:

When you grow up Filipina — or Italiapina, as I did — your parents give you Catholicism as a kind of heavy gift. A centuries-old guide for every life transition a human can go through. Birth, death, the burden of any wrongdoing, and, yes, marriage. But as I grew older and realized the dreaded word applied to me — lesbian — I realized the Church was what I’d have to feint and duck; the Church’s cruel, untrue dictates about me were what I’d have to dance with and defeat.

This comes from years and years of family and culture. Pacquiao hasn’t just decided that he’s against gay marriage. It’s been ingrained in him since he was a child. Even though I believe in equality and think gay couples should have the same rights as straight couples, I also don’t feel the need to bash Manny Pacquiao for having a different opinion on the subject than me. Maybe I’m more educated on the issue. Maybe he’s more educated on the issue. But because we disagree doesn’t make him a bad person, which is what I fear those who disagree with him are labeling him as.

Use his statements as a way to enlighten others if you feel the need to. But I’m not going to condone his comments simply because they’re different than mine. Maybe one day, our vision will be similar.

I said going into this one that the Prizefighter format was made for guys like Eamonn O’Kane – a fighter of ability, but one who needs to be fast tracked. What I didn’t mention however was the pressure he was under to deliver. No opportunity comes without risk, and for a celebrated prospect like O’Kane, there was massive risk involved. At 30 years old and still only a handful of pro fights, he simply couldn’t afford any slip ups. For his career to push on forward, he had to come through this and he did.

It was a gamble – something both O’Kane and promoter Eddie Hearn touched on after the show – but it was one that paid off. With time not on the former amateur star’s side, they can’t afford to hang around with him. He needs to start moving towards meaningful fights as soon as possible, and winning Prizefighter will have increased his profile and should start opening up some new doors for him.

The fact he won shouldn’t come as a surprise to too many people, but the way he won might. Most felt it would be O’Kane’s amateur skills which carried him through, but it was he who most fought in the “all in” type spirit of the Prizefighter tournament.

O’Kane himself described it as three tough introductions to the pro game. His opening round bout with Anthony Fitzgerald, he called a 12 round fight condensed to 3 – a statement I’m sure the punch stats will back up. These two guys left their boxing brains in the locker room and just let fists fly for nine minutes, and while not for the purists, it was one of the best brawls in Prizefighter history. O’Kane then overwhelmed Ryan Greene by first round stoppage in a rough semifinal, before out-hustling JJ McDonagh to take the trophy.

My feeling watching from ringside was that whoever survived the O’Kane/Fitzgerald quarter, wasn’t going any further. A huge amount went into that fight; O’Kane deserves enormous credit for his conditioning and being able to see his way through the rest of the tournament.

I get the sense with O’Kane that he wants to become an attraction. He’s already a popular draw locally and he came out of this show looking like a potential star. He seems to enjoy the crowd pleasing toe to toe stuff, and over the three round sprint distance, that was exactly what was required. He will need to find more of a balance between the boxing and the brawling as he steps up in competition, but there were plenty of positives to take from his performance in terms of fitness, work-rate, determination and toughness.

O’Kane will be probably looking at challenging for domestic titles before long, but first Matchroom want to get him more experience fighting in 8 and 10 rounders. He is expected to be back out again on a big Belfast card in September, if not before then. He’s an exciting TV fighter, now with a bit of a name, so it shouldn’t be difficult to find opponents.

More thoughts from this weekend:

- I wrote about Floyd Mayweather and what might be next for him after his jail stint for Popblerd. After writing about that last night, I think Canelo Alvarez might be next because of Oscar De La Hoya’s comments that he thinks he’s ready. But I’m not so sure about Mayweather fighting above 147. Duan agrees, but thinks it might’ve just been a good night for Cotto.

Duan said:

Floyd showed a great range of skills and an ability to adapt and fight in different styles. I don’t think that weight suits him still and I think he should steer clear of it in future. Although part of the reason he didn’t look as good at times was because Cotto was boxing so well.

- In fact, I’d love to see Miguel Cotto face Canelo next. That’d be a great fight.

- Kevin Iole thinks Mayweather’s next fight should be against Andre Ward. What? I like Kevin a lot, but man, I’d steer clear of Andre. He’s way too big.

- I was disappointed that Canelo didn’t put away Shane, but as one of the guys I follow on Twitter mentioned, he probably didn’t want to put someone away who once and may still have some stock in Golden Boy, or a future boss even. And Shane was all heart last night.

- Back to the UFC, I think it’s fine for Nate to wait to fight the winner of Ben Henderson and Frankie Edgar later in the year. Though, a fight between he and Anthony Pettis could be tremendous. Both guys deserve their shot.

- This UFC on Fox 3 show looks to have done a pretty bad rating. But that’s not unexpected based on the card.

- I really hope Josh Koscheck’s eye isn’t going to continue giving him problems. While I don’t think he beat Johny Hendricks, it was a competitive fight and I’d hate to see him have to retire because of his eye.

- I’m not really feeling the next UFC heavyweights show. The main event was once must-see, but with Frank Mir replacing Alistair Overeem, it’s now not so much.

Yesterday, Mayweather was an 8-1 favorite. I’m not sure what the line is right now.

Walking down the ring with Floyd is Triple H and Justin Bieber. Only Floyd.

Let’s just say that Cotto’s posse has more ushers than bodyguards.

R1
Cotto threw the most big shots, but didn’t land any of them and Mayweather outlanded him by jabbing. Mayweather’s round, but no one was in any sort of trouble. Just feeling each other out.

R2
Pretty good round. Cotto was able to trap Mayweather against the ropes and land some leather. But Floyd outlanded him on counter shots with his back against the ropes. Cotto’s right hand is telegraphed. Floyd’s landing his right hand too.

R3
Cotto gets his first round. Mayweather stood right in front of him, either thinking Cotto can’t hit him, or that he can’t hurt him. He kind of gave away the round. Cotto hit him with jabs and nice rights.

R4
Mayweather’s best round. He was landing his right hand pretty much at will and buckled him with a short uppercut. This round was much different than the last. It was like Mayweather was resting.

R5
Mayweather kept up a tremendous workrate and just smothered Cotto all round long. Cotto had some shots there, but couldn’t pull the trigger. Mayweather doesn’t look as crisp as he can be, but he’s still too quick.

R6
This was Cotto’s round for the taking. Mayweather is bleeding from the nose. Cotto started off the aggressor, but for whatever reason, decided to back track and get on his horse and Mayweather might’ve stole it. It was close.

R7
This is Cotto’s fight for the taking. He’s got a B version of Floyd Mayweather and seems to be fine with losing by not being the aggressor. If you’re a Cotto fan, you’re a bit frustrated. He needs to let his hands go.

R8
Best round of the night for Cotto. He kept Mayweather in the corner and was hammering him with right hands. I’m not sure how much of it landed, but it’s the first round of the fight in which Cotto out-landed him. Like I said, it’s Cotto’s fight for the taking. Floyd’s not on his A game tonight.

R9
That was a close round. It was close enough for Mayweather to feel like he needed to steal the round at the end. If you’re fighting this fight as a whole, Mayweather’s ahead for sure. But by round, Cotto is making it close. I still only have Cotto winning three rounds, but there are two others that are close.

R10
Probably Mayweather’s round again, but Cotto had his opportunities. He’s not capitalizing enough on them. He has to close these last two rounds strongly.

R11
That was a strong round by Mayweather. His strongest in a while. Late in the round, Floyd landed some terrific shots on Cotto, who has slowed down these last few rounds. Cotto needs to go for it.

R12
This was Floyd’s best power round of the night. Floyd buckled him twice and looked like he could’ve put him away. Cotto has a ton of heart and stayed on his feet.

Winner: Floyd Mayweather

Floyd won a unanimous decision by 117-111, 117-111, and 118-110.

Shane Mosley vs. Canelo Alvarez

R1
Not much action in the first. Alvarez didn’t throw a punch for the first 30 seconds. Mosley threw a lot of jabs. I’d give the round to Canelo as he started to hook to the body and landed the only real heavy shots.

R2
Strong round as both guys were throwing heavier shots. Canelo started to open up with hooks and uppercuts, but Mosley looked strong too. He’s letting his right hand go.

R3
Not a good round at all for Mosley. Canelo outlanded him at least 3-1. Mosley looks slow and tired already and he didn’t let his hands go at all. Their heads clashed at one point which opened Canelo up.

R4
This isn’t going to end well for Mosley, but he’s hanging in there. Canelo hit him with a right-left and Mosley either blinked, or he just didn’t see it coming. I hope he blinked.

R5
Bit of a slower round, but Mosley didn’t do anything that tells you that he’s going to get into this. In fact, Canelo’s power punch percentage is insane right now. He’s hitting Mosley at will.

R6
Mosley is just not avoiding these power shots. Canelo is patient and landing big shots. He needs to put more shots together because when he throws his combos, he’s rocking Mosley.

R7
Just as I thought Alvarez wasn’t really rocking Mosley, he nearly put him down, but Mosley held on. Mosley can take a punch for sure, but he’s taking far too many tonight.

R8
Mosley showed a little bit of life, but there was no power to his shots. Canelo can hit him whenever he wants, but he’s cruising.

R9
Yet another cruising round for Canelo. You’d like to see him pick up his pace and try to finish the fight. Mosley is there for the taking.

R10
This was another pretty decent Mosley round. Canelo keeps trying to load up with one shot. Mosley peppered him, didn’t hurt him, but scored on the cards. Might’ve won the round.

R11
I think I’d give Mosley this round too. He’s active, quicker, and he’s fought these last two rounds better than he fought earlier. Maybe Canelo is getting tired.

R12
Gotta give it to Mosley. He fought a really good last three rounds. The Shane Mosley who beat Antonio Margarito would’ve beat Canelo tonight.

Winner: Canelo Alvarez

The scores were 119-109, 119-109, and 118-110.

Floyd will tell you this is the biggest challenge of his entire pro career. He has himself made the argument for Cotto still being an undefeated fighter (weight drained against Pacquiao, cheated by Margarito). Where as he will be boxing the real deal Miguel Cotto, in his preferred weight class and at his best.

Mayweather also knows the value in presenting Cotto at his most dangerous. He understands for a win to matter you need to be beating someone. He can build him up, break him down, and again one-up Pacquiao. There may be a marketing spin behind his reasoning, it doesn’t take from the fact that there is also some truth to his words. I do believe the Miguel Cotto he will meet on Saturday is a better and more dangerous one than faced Pacquiao.

Sure, Cotto is undersized at 154, but he has made it his home and is boxing well there. Floyd’s only previous trip this far up the scales was for the De La Hoya bout back in 2007 and he struggled that night. Something was missing; it just wasn’t quite the Money May we are used to seeing. The argument could be made that Mayweather has matured naturally since then, and like Cotto, is better off fighting heavy, without the added burden of shedding those final few pounds. His physicality against Mosley and Ortiz in particular may have been an indication of that. I don’t expect Cotto to have an easy time in a bullying contest, but the 154 pound limit has to be viewed as a Mayweather gamble.

There are two other key differences between this Cotto and the version that fought Pacquiao, both of which should make him a trickier proposition. Firstly, the Cotto camp was chaos when he fought Pacquiao. The fighter/trainer relationship wasn’t there, and without it, he went into the fight strategically ill prepared. I think in Pedro Diaz he has again found somebody he trusts to work the corner and who is compatible with his style.

The other issue (and this is a huge variable) is the differing effect of the two Margarito fights on the Cotto psyche. I felt Miguel was still in recovery mode from his first professional defeat when the Pacquiao bout rolled around, and in truth, for a long time after it to. He remained a great talent, but I didn’t see the same fire or belief in him. He had the look of a guy who was just there to do his job and punch the clock.

The rematch with Margarito turned that switch back on. It brought out an almost unsettling intensity and aggression in him, and perhaps he will again need that in this fight. The Margarito demons have been exercised, and whether or not Mayweather thinks him an unbeaten fighter, Cotto will feel like one himself.

Mayweather’s detractors will say that Cotto is stylistically made to order for Floyd – another example of his cherry picking the right opponent at the right time – and they might be right. If Cotto can’t take something out of him in the first three rounds, I see him having a rough evening. He needs to rattle Floyd early and take the sting out of the fight. Otherwise he’s just going to be beaten to the punch and frustrated all night.

I expect a monumental effort from the Puerto Rican and I will tell you why: this is the last fight out there that can increase his legacy. He is hall of fame bound no doubt, but this is the fight which can take him above that, and it’s probably his last shot. The Pacquiao fight is gone, the step up to middleweight seems a bridge to far, so Floyd is the one career defining fight left out there. He will give it hell, but ultimately he will be found too slow and too easy to hit to outscore Mayweather.

Prediction: Mayweather on the cards

I use the word faded as it’s an accurate term to describe the 37 year old Corley. Past his best; certainly, but not ‘gone’ or ‘shot’, just faded. His recent record doesn’t glisten, but it also has a tendency mislead. While Corley has lost more than he’s won since dropping his title to Zab Judah back in 2003, he’s also the b-side in pretty much every fight he takes these days and generally does better than expected.

Corley brings huge experience to this fight having fought everybody at light welterweight at one point of another. There have been occasions where he’s been unlucky with the judges, times when he was flat out robbed, and others where he was simply bested by a better fighter, but it’s a testament to his character that he’s maintained a winners mentality through it all. He will go into this fight like he does every other; expecting to upset the applecart.

Lucas Matthysse is the only guy who has really overwhelmed Corley in the last few years. He gave Marcos Maidana a torrid time in 2010 before losing a decision, and is coming off his best win in years – an upset victory over then undefeated prospect Gabriel Bracero back in January. Chop Chop knows a win now over McCloskey would put him back in the hunt for titles himself.

This is a potential banana skin fight for McCloskey. Corley comes in as a replacement for Julio Diaz, but should realistically prove a much stiffer test than the shop worn and recently inactive Diaz. This is by no means a gimmie opponent, and a loss here would be a major setback for the Dungiven southpaw. If he wants to force his way into another shot at world honours, this is a guy he needs to beat and beat well.

Last time out he struggled to a close decision over the big punching Breidis Prescott. It was an incredibly gutsy performance from the Irishman, but one he freely admits was not his best. In it he showed a frustration left over from having his first world title opportunity waved off courtesy of a headbutt – the normally elusive McCloskey choosing to war with his more physically imposing opponent, and in the process, giving himself a mountain to climb. Tonight he will want to make a statement and prove that amongst the divisions best is still where he belongs.

I expect a game effort as always with Corley, but I see McCloskey starting to boss the fight in the middle rounds once he has settled into his rhythm. When it begins to flow for McCloskey he’s a very accurate puncher and underrated finisher. Chop Chop at 37 is less of a mover and will be there to be hit. I look for McCloskey to take him out in style in the final quarter.

Prediction: McCloskey by KO in the 10th.

The go-home episode begins with yet another contrast of the two fighters. Cotto is shown at home celebrated by his fanbase. Maywather is shown under the covers joking that it’s not a guy with him (it’s Miss Jackson), taking a small shot at Cotto and his buddy Bryan Perez.

We finally see Oscar De La Hoya who says that he can finally pass the torch in boxing to Saul “Canello” Alvarez. How? Alvarez doesn’t even speak English and his fanbase is hugely Mexicans, not Mexican-Americans. Oscar appealed to everyone, but mostly Americans. His fanbase isn’t much different than Manny Pacquiao’s US fanbase. That was a weird comment. Alvarez and Shane Mosley is the semi-main.

Floyd says that he tries to turn all negatives into positives, including his upcoming jail term.

Verdict: There wasn’t much to this show, but the visuals were good. If you can buy Cotto as a legit possibility to upset Mayweather, then they did a really good job with this show. Cotto didn’t say a lot. But they showed his desire. You really get the sense that Floyd is in a top class and if Cotto can beat him, he can join that top class. I still don’t know how much I believe that can actually happen, but they tried to contrast each guy and give you the idea that maybe Floyd is over-looking him. But it’s the same story they’ve been telling and it hasn’t happened yet.