Many of 2012’s major storylines will be laid to rest this week, with champions crowned and players settled into their new teams. But for some, like Tebow and Howard, 2012 only cracked the lid on what’s expected to be a headline-filled future.

For Tebow, whose time with the Jets is mercifully reaching its conclusion, another NFL team likely awaits. For Howard, who finally found a new home outside Orlando, the Lakers may or may not be a long-term destination.

But waffling players aren’t the only stories that can be expected heading into the new year. In Major League Baseball, offseason spending sprees will change the ranks of the contenders (or will they?). In the NBA, the old guard is fighting hard to keep its spot as young upstarts like the Clippers start to make their moves. In the NFL, this year’s Super Bowl picture is starting to come into focus. And in the NHL — well, can we expect an NHL next year?

There’s plenty to watch for as the new year begins. See what we think will be the biggest stories the next time around.

Click here for the Top 10 stories to watch for in 2013>>

Manny Pacquiao

Pacquiao’s wife, Jinkee, was reportedly restrained after seeing Pacquiao go down, screaming and crying as he remained motionless for a couple of minutes.

It’s a sight she never wants to see again.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen him like that, lying on the canvas, and I was scared,” Jinkee said, according to USA Today. “I know he is still [capable] of fighting, but for me there is nothing to prove. He already has eight [title] belts. He can retire — stop — at any time. I want him to stop now.”

Pacquiao has made plenty of money in the sport and is also forging a career in politics outside the ring. At 33, he has had to put more time into training, and some speculated before the fight with Marquez that he wasn’t as prepared as he could have been. This may have been a wakeup call.

“He is the one who has the last say,” Jinkee said. “Boxers risk their lives. [Some] end up in wheelchairs. I don’t want that to happen to Manny.”

Pacquiao said after the fight that he is interested in a rematch with Marquez.

But it was not to be.

Marquez landed the punch of his life in the sixth round, knocking out Pacquiao and stunning the many people watching the fight.

While much of social media decided to mock how Pacquiao landed facedown after getting nailed (they’re calling it “Pacquiaoing,” like “planking”), we decided a brief sampling of a couple of the locals’ responses was more tasteful.

Red Sox third baseman Will Middlebrooks was watching and working on his puns.

Manny PacquiOW #hegone #zzzzz

—
Will Middlebrooks (@middlebrooks) December 09, 2012

Celtics star Paul Pierce was ready for the fight from the beginning, even after Boston held off the Sixers at home, although we’re not sure what he meant by “crakin.”

Got the PAC-man tonight who y'all got

—
Paul Pierce (@paulpierce34) December 09, 2012

Maaaan this fight is crakin

—
Paul Pierce (@paulpierce34) December 09, 2012

Stunnnned

—
Paul Pierce (@paulpierce34) December 09, 2012

Looks like no PAC Mayweather ever we can only dream

—
Paul Pierce (@paulpierce34) December 09, 2012

Feel like time has stopped still stunneddddd over this fight

—
Paul Pierce (@paulpierce34) December 09, 2012

While Pierce won’t have his hopes for Mayweather-Pacquiao fulfilled, he did suggest an alternative — and more than one person on Twitter thought maybe he was talking about teammate Avery Bradley (who would need more rehab time, considering he just had double shoulder surgery).

I wanna c a Bradley vs Marquez now that would b a good fight

—
Paul Pierce (@paulpierce34) December 09, 2012

But while Boston’s own were certainly entertaining as they watched the fight, no one can beat the response of former presidential candidate Mitt Romney, who redefined “shocked” with his reaction.

PIC: @MittRomney's face when Manny Pacquiao was knocked out. twitpic.com/bkdwft (via @lesamoursmusic)

—
Bryan Armen Graham (@BryanAGraham) December 09, 2012

In Romney’s defense, he probably thought the pregame pep talk he gave Pacquiao would spirit him to victory, just as Romney was pretty optimistic about being the next president. Shockers all around.

Photo via Twitter/@BryanAGraham

Manny Pacquiao‘s near-sterling boxing record took just as hard a hit as the Filipino star Saturday night, with Juan Manuel Marquez landing a well-placed counterpunch to defeat the foe he had seen several times before.

Pacquiao had fought his way back into the round and seemed to have an edge on Marquez. But as he took a swing with his right hand in the sixth round, Marquez dodged and then unleashed a massive punch from his own right hand, knocking out Pacquiao, who fell face-first onto the canvas.

“I knew Manny could knock me out at any time,” Marquez said, according to Yahoo! Sports. “I threw the perfect punch.”

It was the fourth fight between Pacquiao and Marquez, and with Marquez’s victory, there’s already speculation that the two will meet again. Pacquiao, who turns 34 on Dec. 17, reportedly didn’t put as much time into preparation for this fight as he has for others. Marquez also packed on some more bulk before the two met this time around.

Marquez notched his upset in front of a crowd that included former presidential candidate Mitt Romney, Dodgers part owner Magic Johnson and rapper 50 Cent. Check out the deciding punch below.

Click here to see how Mitt Romney reacted to the knockout>>

Photo of the Day

Hey, some of those guys look like they could play for the Red Sox. David Ortiz is joined at his charity golf outing by Terry Francona, Kevin Millar, Tim Wakefield, Pedro Martinez and Johnny Damon.

Photo via Twitter/@bradfo

Quote of the Day

“I have been dreaming about this since I was a kid, running around the backyard pretending I was Doug Flutie, throwing Hail Marys to my dad.”
– “Johnny Football” Manziel, on winning the Heisman Trophy on Saturday

Tweet of the Day

And sometimes, you get knocked out.

“It’s a game. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.” Manny Pacquiao

—
JUDE ANGELES (@Judesinahon) December 09, 2012

Video of the Day

John Calipari doesn’t want anyone else joining in on his wild hand-waving and finger-pointing rage.

Manny Pacquiao

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney visited the welterweight fighter and said to him, “Hi Manny, I ran for president. I lost,” according to Greg Bishop of the New York Times. Romney and his wife, Ann, sat ringside for the fight, where they were guests of Nevada State Athletic Commission chairman Bill Brady, according to The Associated Press.

Pacquio is trying to fare better than Romney on Saturday night when he faces Marquez. This is the fourth fight between the two. Their first finished in a draw, and Pacman has won the last two fights in controversial decisions.

Manny Pacquiao

Pacquiao's free time is now spent revamping his personal life and working as a congressman in his native Philippines, while Mayweather is serving a jail sentence. But both are still in prime fighting condition, so even with recent roadblocks that have kept them from a bout, chances were still good that a fight would happen.

And what a fight it would have been. Mayweather is undefeated in the ring, a perfect 43-for-43 with 26 knockouts. Pacquiao had fought 60 times, winning 54 of those, 38 by knockout. His last lost was in 2005 — until Saturday night, that is.

In a decision that stunned Pacquiao and the boxing world, Timothy Bradley took down Pacquiao in a split decision, marring Pacquiao's sterling record of late.

The loss may also mean that the huge showdown between Pacquiao and Mayweather may never happen — or, if it does, may never matter.

Even people who knew nothing about boxing knew who Mayweather was as he rampaged through the last decade, and Pacquiao's name soon grew to similar prominence. If a casual fan knew only two boxers, it was Mayweather and Pacquiao. There was an expectation that they would fight, and there was a chance that getting them both in the ring would actually bring new people to boxing.

The years upon years of buildup helped. Mayweather seemed OK with the idea, then backpedaled with charges about Pacquiao's training and supposed drug use. Pacquiao refused to sacrifice his reputation — and a chance at an equal payday — for Mayweather's demands.

So, the chances for the fight dwindled, and any hopes went on hiatus as Mayweather headed to jail after his last win and Pacquiao prepared to fight Bradley.

But now, with this loss to Bradley, Pacquiao's record doesn't have the same shine. For Pacquiao, it's not a huge deal. He wasn't undefeated, and everyone who watched the fight knows what happened. He came out with his character intact. This could even help him in the long run.

But for Mayweather, this is a huge missed opportunity. Pacquiao was the final remaining elite fighter of Mayweather's generation — the only guy out there that people thought could actually beat Mayweather (another reason people said Mayweather was so loathe to fight). For Mayweather to prove he is the greatest boxer of this generation, he had to fight Pacquiao in his prime. Now, it seems the time has passed. He will not have a chance at Mayweather-Pacquiao when both fighters are so good and looking so unbeatable. Now, it will just be leftovers.

Pacquiao could still benefit from a fight with Mayweather, and he's right to stick to his guns until he feels comfortable with the preconditions.

But for Mayweather, stalling in scheduling this bout has marred any chance he had of showing definitively that he is the best fighter of this generation. He could have taken a challenge and beat all odds. Now another boxer has taken his glory.

That is, until the judges had their say.

In a stunning turn of events, the judges handed Bradley the victory in a split decision, despite nearly every statistic and pair of watching eyeballs seemingly leaning in Pacquiao's favor.

It led to a swift outcry from the online community, headlined by a large number of athletes offering their reactions to the ruling. Below are some of their more notable and colorful tweets.

Wow what just happened??????????????????????? What were they watching

— Deron Williams (@DeronWilliams) June 10, 2012

That is horrible. Unreal. Ridiculous. Stupid. Bogus. Etc.That fight wasn't close and I was pulling for Bradley.

— Aaron Rodgers (@AaronRodgers12) June 10, 2012

This is crazy.. Those judges n vegas need to be fired ASAP!!!! I never felt so cheated of my money in my Life!!!!

— Jared Dudley (@JaredDudley619) June 10, 2012

where is Ashton Kutcher this gotta be Punk'D bc Bradley didnt win maybe 1 or 2 rounds seriously though sheesh

— Ronnie Brewer (@RonnieBrewerJr) June 10, 2012

That really got me mad Smh the people who scored the fight need to fired

— Ray Rice (@RayRice27) June 10, 2012

Worst decision of all time

— Danny Granger (@dgranger33) June 10, 2012

I can't believe that decision! One of the biggest upsets in boxing history!!!!!

— Reggie Bush (@reggie_bush) June 10, 2012

thats it! im goin to the eye dr. first thing monday morning!!! idk what fight i jus watched….obv its not the one the judges did…wow!

— Greg Monroe (@MooseGM10) June 10, 2012

And then one more from Deron Williams. Tell us how you really feel, Deron.

Boxing is now the worst sport in the history of the world Im never buying a fight again

— Deron Williams (@DeronWilliams) June 10, 2012

Thumbnail via Twitter/@cesdrilon

Pacquiao, of course, had a hugely lopsided winning record coming into the match, and most watching felt he controlled the bout.

But two judges ruled otherwise, stunning Pacquiao and the crowd — and upsetting Pacquiao’s supporters.

What makes the decision even more curious is photos that have surfaced showing actual statistics.

Pacquiao seems to have dominated every hitting category, but as the final scorecard shows, Bradley got the upper hand.

Look at the scorecards below to judge for yourself.

Photos via Twitter/@sergiomach

If you're Arizona Cardinals All-Pro wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, you hang out with your buddy Steven Jackson ringside at the MGM Grand for the WBO welterweight title fight between Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley.

Fitzgerald, who signed an eight-year, $120 million contract last year, and Jackson, the star running back for the St. Louis Rams, were on hand to see the unbeaten Bradley win a controversial split decision, handing Pacquiao his first loss since 2005.

Fitzgerald was not shy about expressing his opinion regarding the outcome, tweeting the following after the fight: "Saw a robbery by the Nevada gaming commission 2night @ the MGM. Big ups 2 Manny 4 being a class act regardless of the circumstances."

Photo via Twitter/@LarryFitzgerald

In a fight Pacquiao seemed to have in hand, two judges decided otherwise, giving Bradley a split decision Saturday night and ending the Filipino fighter's remarkable seven-year unbeaten run.

Promoter Bob Arum fumed, the crowd at the MGM Grand arena booed, and Pacquiao seemed stunned when the decision was announced. Arum said there would be a November rematch, even though he blasted the way the decision went down.

"I've never been as ashamed of the sport of boxing as I am tonight," said Arum, who handles both fighters.

Bradley came on strong in the later rounds, winning five of the last six rounds on two scorecards and four on the third. He won 115-113 on two scorecards, while losing on the third by the same margin. The Associated Press had Pacquiao winning 117-111.

"I did my best," Pacquiao said. "I guess my best wasn't good enough."

Pacquiao tried to turn the fight into a brawl, using his power to hurt Bradley in the early rounds. But Bradley changed tactics in the middle rounds and used his boxing skills to win enough rounds to take the narrow decision for the welterweight title.

It ended a 15-fight winning streak by Pacquiao dating to 2005 that turned him into a boxing superstar and made him a national hero in the Philippines.

"I thought I won the fight," Bradley said. "I didn't think he was as good as everyone says he was. I didn't feel his power."

Ringside punching statistics showed Pacquiao landing 253 punches to 159 for Bradley, who vowed before the fight to take the 147-pound title from Pacquiao. The Compubox statistics showed Pacquiao landing more punches in 10 of the 12 rounds.

Bradley was so confident that he had oversized tickets printed up for a Nov. 10 rematch that will now likely happen.

Bradley seemed hurt in the fourth and fifth rounds, but Pacquiao had trouble landing big punches after that. Still, he seemed in control of the fight everywhere but on the judge's scorecards.

"Can you believe that? Unbelievable," Arum said. "I went over to Bradley before the decision and he said, 'I tried hard, but I couldn't beat the guy.' "

Bradley said he hurt his ankle in the second round, and that trainer Joel Diaz said he could either quit or try to take the fight to Pacquiao.

"I got my second wind in the sixth round," Bradley said. "I worked the angles, sticking and moving."

Pacquiao said he studied Bradley on tape before the fight and wasn't surprised by anything he did. He said he thought he was in control of the fight and was shocked when the decision went against him.

"He never hurt me with his punches. Most of them landed on my arms," Pacquiao said.

Pacquiao tried to brawl with Bradley and seemed to hurt him in both the fourth and fifth rounds. But Bradley started moving and counter-punching, although he never seemed to land any shots that hurt Pacquiao.

Pacquiao had vowed to look impressive against Bradley after struggling in his last outing with Juan Manuel Marquez, a fight many thought he lost. And he did early, landing good long left hands while beating Bradley to the punch on most exchanges.

"He hurt me a couple of times with his left," Bradley said. "He's a beast."

Trainer Freddie Roach told Pacquiao after the 10th round that he had control of the fight and urged him to fight hard the final two rounds.

"You have six minutes to go, son," Roach said. "It's your fight."

But it wasn't Pacquiao's fight, with Bradley getting credit for winning some of the close middle and later rounds. After the 11th round Bradley went back to his corner, and Diaz told him he needed to win the final round.

"I listened to my corner," Bradley said. "I got to give him a rematch now."

Arum said there will be one on Nov. 10, although he thought Pacquiao won easily, as did most writers at ringside.

"I'll make a lot of money off the rematch, but this was outrageous," Arum said.

It was the biggest fight of Bradley's career and it came with a minimum $5 million payday. The rematch will be even richer, although Pacquiao's loss could damage any plans for a fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Mayweather did not see the fight because he is serving a sentence on a domestic abuse charge at a jail a few miles from the MGM Grand.

Photo via AP/Julie Jacobson

That’s considered highly unlikely, but he has hinted at retirement, citing a renewed religious fervor. Pacquiao said he's no longer comfortable pounding on his opponents. Plus many believe Pacquiao could be the future president of his native Philippines, where he is currently a congressman.

Pacquiao, on a 15-fight winning streak, will defend his WBO welterweight title against junior welterweight champion Timothy Bradley Jr. on Saturday night at the MGM Grand. Even Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, has said he would encourage his protégé to retire "if [Pacquiao] looks bad."

Pacquiao (54-3-2, 38 KOs) didn’t look great in his last fight, beating old nemesis Juan Manuel Marquez in a narrow majority decision in their third career fight against one another — all have been extremely close (one was a split decision) and could have gone Marquez's way. Pacquiao claimed that personal problems with his family affected his preparation for the last fight and that he underestimated Marquez.

It was hoped after Pacquiao-Marquez III that finally a mega-bout between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. could be finalized to once and for all determine who the best pound-for-pound fighter is right now. But, once again, the sides couldn't agree how to split the millions of dollars and instead Mayweather won a tough fight with Miguel Cotto last month in Vegas.

The other names in the running to face Pacquiao in this fight were originally Cotto, junior welterweight titlist Lamont Peterson and Marquez for a fourth time. Instead, Bradley got the deal and will move up in weight for easily the biggest fight of his career.

The 28-year-old Bradley (28-0, 12 KOs) really became known to casual boxing fans when he beat Devon Alexander thanks to head butt-induced 10th-round technical decision in a junior welterweight unification fight in January of 2011. Bradley then defended his WBO title against past-his-prime Joel Casamayor with an eighth-round TKO on the undercard of Pacquiao-Marquez III in November.

Bradley is widely considered one of the Top 10 pound-for-pound fighters but still doesn't have that signature win. Beating Pacquiao would certainly accomplish that. Bradley says he intends to take the gameplan that Marquez has used successfully against Pacquiao and that he is "10 times better" than Marquez.

The American is five years younger than Pacquiao — 10 years Marquez's junior — and will have a reach of about two inches over Pacquiao. It's always tough for a right-hander like Bradley to face a southpaw like Pacquiao as lefties usually present problems for righties because of the awkward stance and punches coming at different angles than what right-handers are accustomed to. But both Alexander and Casamayor were also left-handers. So in essence, Bradley has been preparing for lefties for 20 months or so.

Pacquiao is currently a -450 favorite at the book with Bradley at +325. That line has remained pretty steady. The over-under for rounds is 9.5. Pacquiao's past four fights have all gone the 12-round distance. Neither of Bradley's past two fights has gone the distance, but seven of the previous eight did.

The favored result at the book is Pacquiao via decision or technical decision at +110. Pacquiao by knockout, TKO or disqualification is at +160. The longest shot for Bradley is to win by KO, TKO or DQ at +900. Could we see the third draw in Pacquiao's career? That’s the longest shot on the board at +2,500.

In his latest call-out, Mayweather tweeted, "I'm ready to put my belt up. What about you Manny Pacquiao? Let's make history," along with an overhead shot of himself and his belt.

Mayweather called out Pacquiao on Tuesday, as well, asking him to "give the world what they want to see." Mayweather said that he wants to fight Pacquiao on May 5, a challenge that comes on the heels of accusations that Mayweather has been ducking a fight with Pacquiao for months.

Pacquiao's camp, led by promoter Bob Arum, has reportedly said that a bout is possible, but they are asking for a later date.

"June 9 is perfect," Arum told the Los Angeles Times. "May 5 is out. That's impossible."

May 5 or June 9; at this point, what's the difference?

Boxing fans, from the most casual to the most intense, want to see this fight happen. If we've learned anything from the past, though, it's that we're better off believing it if/when we finally see it.

Check out the photo Mayweather tweeted on Wednesday below.

Photo via Twitter/@FloydMayweather

Actually, Pacquiao's music career has gone surprisingly well, as his single, "Sometimes When We Touch" climbs the charts.

The song was originally done by Dan Hill, and on Tuesday, Pac-Man gave his fans — at least the ones who dig his music — a special treat.

Pacquiao and Hill kicked off a promotional news conference to promote Pacquiao's Nov. 12 fight with Juan Manuel Marquez by singing "Sometimes When We Touch."

See the performance in the video below.

After topping Raul Munoz in two rounds at the South Philly Arena before his hometown fans on Saturday night, Mike Jones (25-0) announced to the boxing world that he’s ready for Pacman, according to abs-cbnnews.com

“[Pacquiao] is such a great warrior,” Jones told abs-cbnnews.com. “Let’s see how he deals with my right hand. I am much more confident now, and I am ready for big fights.

“Pacquiao’s a true warrior who has beaten a lot of great fighters,” he added. “He gets the utmost respect from me. It’s not part of me to be a trash talker. He’s a gentleman too. It’d be an honor to get a chance to fight him. I would come to fight him and come to win.”

The unbeaten 28-year-old welterweight Jones is riding high after overmatching the 35-year-old Munoz.

“I feel as though I can beat anybody in the welterweight division. Pacquiao will bring far more than exposure,” Jones told BoxingScene.com. “Any time you fight a Manny Pacquiao you’re also going to see seven digits purse so that’s gotta be a dream come true for me and my family.”

“I’m 100 percent confident in myself to beat anybody out there. I can get a call any day to fight a guy like Manny Pacquiao so I gotta be in great shape all the time,” added Jones. “As for me, I feel I can beat him because I got 100 percent confidence in myself. It will put me a step closer to my ultimate goal of being the undisputed welterweight champion of the world.”

Jones beat Jesus Soto Karass on Nov. 13, 2010 on the undercard of Manny Pacquiao versus Antonio Margarito at Cowboys Stadium.

Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum tweeted recently that he will put Jones on the Pacman’s list for 2012, as seen below.

While most believe such a bout will never happen, others remain confident that the two will one day meet in the ring. Among those who believe the fight can and will happen in the future, is Pacquiao himself, according to ABS-CBN News.

His reason? Because Mayweather has chosen to fight a southpaw in Victor Ortiz.

"Maybe he's preparing for me because he chose to fight a southpaw," Pacquiao told ABS-CBN News' Ginger Conejero.

Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, felt the same way, admitting it was, "the first thing I thought," upon hearing the news of a Mayweather-Ortiz fight.

As for any trash-talking words for Mayweather?

"I wish him luck," Pacquiao said.

WBC Super Welterweight Champion Canelo Alvarez, who is 36-0-1 in 37 total professional fights, recently said that he'd likely be ready to fight the Filipino in about a year, as seen in the video below.

So when Pacquiao agreed to fight Juan Manuel Marquez in November, their third matchup in what already has been an epic series, everyone else started pairing up.

• Junior welterweight titleholders Amir Khan and Zab Judah found each other. They’ll meet in Las Vegas in a highly anticipated unification match in July.
• Former titleholder Devon Alexander lined up with hard-hitting Lucas Matthysse. They’ll meet in Alexander’s native St. Louis later this month.
• Floyd Mayweather Jr. announced plans to end a 16-month layoff this week. He agreed to face welterweight champ Victor Ortiz at a venue to be decided in September.

The combined record of those eight fighters: 290 wins, 19 losses, five draws. They also have about 30 world titles between them, depending on what you count.

“I really can’t remember any other weight class that has been so talent-loaded,” Golden Boy Promotions chief executive Richard Schaefer said, referring to the 140- and 147-pound divisions, by far the most exciting in boxing over the past few years.

Those are just the fights that have been finalized.

Golden Boy is close to a deal for lightweight champ Robert Guerrero to move up to 140 pounds against Marcos Maidana, another hard-punching contender. And former three-division champion Erik Morales is expected to return soon after taking Maidana to the brink in April.

“These are some big names, some great matchups,” Schaefer said this week. “They bring name recognition, so not only fight fans tune in, but sports fans as well.”

The pool of fights reminds Schaefer of the 1980s, when the quartet of Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hearns and Roberto Duran were reaching their peak — four fighters of the same elite caliber who came together for a series of slugfests, nine in all.

They’ve stood the test of time.

There was Leonard making Duran call “no mas” at the Louisiana Superdome. Hagler-Hearns in April 1985, in the old outdoor stadium at Caesar’s Palace, still considered the greatest three-round fight in boxing history. And the rematch between Leonard and Duran in December 1989, the fight that effectively closed the chapter on the memorable era.

The series of fights scheduled to take place over the next six months may not live up to those lofty standards, but they should provide another jolt of intrigue to a sport that has been trying to recapture the public’s imagination.

“It’s like those great fights in the 1980s, great timing,” said Freddie Roach, who will have a hand in several of the matchups as a trainer of Pacquiao and Khan.

“Even Mayweather is getting in there. I think he picked a southpaw, maybe he’s getting ready for Manny,” Roach said. “It kind of excites me. I’m glad the fight is happening.”

There are a few fights that aren’t happening, and a few fighters left out.

The most notable is unbeaten welterweight titleholder Timothy Bradley, who backed out of a proposed unification fight against Khan and a reportedly career-high payday. Now that just about every other marquee name has locked up a fight, Bradley is left without a dance partner.

“My whole goal is to fight Bradley, and then he pulled out. But it’s one of those things,” Khan said. “They just didn’t want the fight. He said, ‘I don’t want to fight Amir,’ but by the time he gets back in the ring, it’ll be over a year off.”

Bradley’s loss ended up being Judah’s gain.

The former undisputed welterweight champion has been making a comeback at 140 pounds, his more natural weight, and has been impressive in rattling off five straight victories. His most recent win earned him the vacant IBF junior welterweight title.

Now he’s set to face Khan, the talented Brit with the fast hands, at the Mandalay Bay in what could be the most exciting fight the rest of the year.”We never expected this, but God is good,” Judah said earlier this week. “It’s a great opportunity, let’s me become six-time champion of the world. So I’m looking forward to going out there and doing what I need to do.”

That sum, though, apparently isn't enough to convince Floyd Maywearther Jr. to fight Manny Pacquiao, according to Bob Arum.

Mayweather received such an offer, but turned it down. Arum believes that means only one thing: He has no interest in stepping into a ring with Pacquiao. Mayweather, Arum says, knows boxing very well, and knows how much trouble he would be in against Pac-Man.

He also went on to suggest that you may as well add a loss to Mayweather's career record, given how he's been ducking the bout.

See all that he had to say in the video below.

Terms of Pacquiao's settlement with fellow boxer Oscar de La Hoya and Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy Promotions were confidential, attorney Daniel Petrocelli said.

Messages left with Schaefer and de La Hoya attorney Jeffrey Spitz weren't returned.

Pacquiao claimed in his suit that he has never tested positive for any performance-enhancing drugs, but that de La Hoya and Schaefer — along with boxing rival Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Mayweather's father and uncle — embarked on a campaign to make people think he used drugs.

Petrocelli said Mayweather and his family members weren't involved in the settlement and that the suit would continue against them. Mayweather lawyer Mark Tratos didn't return a call.

News of the settlement came about six weeks after a federal judge in Nevada rejected a defense motion arguing that Pacquiao's case lacked merit and asking for its dismissal.

The current pressing matter of state in the island nation is that of whether or not to allow government-supported contraception programs.

Pacquiao, part of the country's overwhelming Catholic majority, has come out in opposition of the program, saying, "God said, ‘Go out and multiply.’ He did not say, just have two or three kids."

See Pacman in congress in the video below.