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BANNED! White Gorilla Michael Marley refused by Team Hatton for favoring Manny Pacquiao
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Mabuhay ka Manny!
OK, that’s as far as I go with Tagalog. But give me credit for trying.
I’ve been covering world title fights since I was age 14 starting with the rematch between my personal idol, Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston in 1965 in Lewiston, Maine.
I hate to admit it but I' closing in on 59 candles so it's almost 45 years ago that I got my start in the ringside press section. I have covered the greats, the near-greats and too many ingrates.
I scribbled about Ali’s sensational—some called it a fake—first round KO over the “Big Ugly Bear” for my neighborhood weekly newspaper, The Citizen-Item, in my rough and tumble section of working class Boston.
I can’t tell you how thrilled I was to see my byline on the story. That meant more than the ten dollars or whatever they paid me every month.
I was expecting to be ringside, or even up in the media hell rafters of the upper reaches of the MGM Grand this Saturday night for Ricky Hatton-Manny Pacquiao.
But I’ve been banned, refused a credential, by the direct order of the Hatton camp. Apparently some ribbon clerk in their entourage believes he's Lord Cromwell.
From 1965 to 2009, I’ve covered world title bouts all over the globe…from Jakarta to Italy and from Mexico to Tokyo…and never have I been refused a working press credential.
But the Hatton camp knocked me out of live coverage in the arena for Ricky-Manny.
An apologetic Pacman promoter, Bob Arum, told me he was “sorry” for the refusal but that it came directly from the Hattonites and was quickly co-signed by Golden Boy.
Come on, Oscar, say it ain’t so! I called you the President of Boxing. I lavished praise on you in the wake of your recent Pacquiao-induced retirement.
A fight publicist said, “I don’t know who in the Hatton camp you pissed off but they won’t even hear of you getting a press credential! The mention of Michael Marley had them breathing fire!”
I know a press credential for a big fight is a privilege and not a right. I also know that few non-Pinoy journalists have been as fair and firm with Megamanny as I have. Make that not few but none.
My site BoxingConfidential.com has been built mainly on supporters from Pacland and I appreciate them.
If I have to suck up to Hatton and his acolytes to get a free pass to the fight, with my record as a journalist at The Las Vegas Sun, The New York Post, ABC Sports and numerous boxing magazines including Boxing Scene and The Ring, then I’ll accept the refusal every time.
Maybe I’ve been too bold in backing the play of the Little Brown Guy from GenSan. Maybe I should have not so brazenly picked him to wreck Oscar in their fight.
Maybe I shouldn’t have said that I believe the tough Hatton is going to get chopped up by Megamanny.
But I follow no promoter’s script. I shine no promoter’s shoes.
Some in Pacland call me “the White Gorilla” but I think they mean it affectionately.
I guess the Hattonites consider just another monkey who can type on a computer keyboard.
I’m Banned In Vegas.
As Don King often says, if you can’t be on the scene, catch it on the scene.
I’m no boob but I will cover the Big Fight over the tube. I wonder if the Boxing Writers Association of America will support me on this.
Team Hatton does not believe in free speech or the First Amendment.
So a parting word of advice for all you scribes and pundits who did get credentialed, be careful what you say and watch what your write.
If you offend, you credential will be refused.
Team Hatton is calling the shots and their Golden Boys are in their corner.
Ban Michael Marley now! He writes too much, too favorably about Manny Pacquiao.
Marley is too pro Pinoy. Who needs him?
Let’s include him out.
Censorship never wins and Team Hatton can never stop me.
Mabuhay ka Manny!
I say that as an always opinionated but arguably fair boxing journalist.
Some ribbon clerk can refuse me a credential but my coverage will continue to be insightful and delightful to some and infuriating to others.
I will fight on fpr my right to write on.
May the best Filipino win this fight.
I'd rather be a lampost in Cebu than the Lord Mayor of Manchester anyway.
Michael is a former sports columnist at the New York Post. He was a criminal defense attorney and worked for sports legends Howard Cosell and Don King. Marley also operates BoxingConfidential.com. Email him your thoughts.
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