Pacquiao vs Margarito | Pacquiao Fight Updates

Pacman is ESPY’s best fighter

Posted on Friday, July 17, 2009 No Comments
Labels: Pacquiao, Pacquiao Award

MANNY Pacquiao added another prestigious award to his ever-growing list of international achievements—the Best Fighter accolade at the 2009 Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly awards known as the ESPY.

Pacquiao overcame the challenge from Mixed Martial Arts stars Lyoto Machida and Anderson Silva, along with World Boxing Association welterweight champion Shane Mosley, who has been hounding the Pacman to fight him in November, instead of World Boxing Organization champion Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico.

GMA News reported that Pacquiao earned the nod of ESPN’s online voters for his sensational

second-round knockout of Ricky Hatton and for pulverizing Oscar de la Hoya in December 2008.

It was also reported that Pacquiao’s knockout of Hatton, who was effectively separated from his senses by a cracking looping left hook, lost out in the Best Play award to the Ben Roethlisberger-to-Santonio Holmes last-minute touchdown, which gave the Pittsburg Steelers a dramatic win in Super Bowl XLIII over Arizona.

In winning the Best Fighter award, Pacquiao joins an elite list of some of the superstars of sport, including Beijing Olympic swimming sensation Michael Phelps, who attended the ESPY with his mother and won the Best Male Athlete and Best Record Breaking Performance award for his eight gold medals; Tiger Woods (Best Golfer), Beijing Olympics sprint king Usain Bolt (Best International Male Athlete) and LeBron James (Best NBA Player), among others.

The awards ceremony, which was held at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles, will be telecast over ESPN on Sunday. It was hosted by Samuel Jackson.

Pacquiao had earlier been named one of the 100 Most Influential People in the world by Time magazine and broke into the Top 10 list of Forbes magazine’s richest athletes in the world.

While the ESPN awards were going on, his adviser Michael Koncz said Pacquiao was “getting his commitments for endorsements and commercials out of the way,” so that when he signs the contract to fight Cotto at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in November, he would have eight weeks of undisturbed training.

Among those who attended the awards were former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson and the Williams sisters Serena and Venus.

http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/

PACQUIAO: POLITICS AFTER COTTO

Posted on Sunday, July 12, 2009 No Comments
Labels: Pacquiao

Manny Pacquiao, Filipino boxing idol closes out a ripping career by waging a 12 round war against Puerto Rico's Miguel Cotto in a year-ending stunner at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Viewed generally as his farewell fight before launching a second crack at politics, Pacquiao is locked in a frenetic maneuver to have his promoter(s) agree to an equitable sharing of revenues for the November 14 barn-boiler.

What is on the table for Manny and Miguel is the issue of purses with both camps still unable to come to terms on how large they are to be paid for their awaited face off.

A snag has delayed approval of their impressive-looking bout for now.

The crease however in negotiations gets resolved soon after lead promoter Bob Arum is done enjoying his European vacation.

GenSan's Pacman meanwhile is awaiting word on his counter offers as he gets set for his last fight prior to engaging in an archetypal race to be run in a disparate terrain.

Pacquiao, to repeat is at a tail-end of a 14-year ring journey confident of pulling out a theatrical win against Cotto, complemented perhaps with a coveted mandate from his new Sarangani constituents.

For now, he's getting ready for the Puerto Rican slugger, determined to install what's needed for a redoubtable training camp once an agreement is reached.

These days the Pinoy idol is devoting huge hours in his tight schedule looking for ways to beat a strong challenge from a rival who is backed by Sarangani's political elite.

Quite a spirited challenge for Manny's hold in his new polling domain.

But that's another story for another day.

http://philboxing.com/

PACQUIAO RECEIVES 3RD RING BELT

Posted on Friday, July 10, 2009 No Comments
Labels: Pacquiao, Pacquiao Award

Orlando, Florida (July 10, 2009) - On the eve of the Agbeko-Darchinyan world title fight, this writer recalled when Nigel Collins, editor-in-chief of The Ring Magazine, visited Manny Pacquiao in his suite and presented the Jr. Welterweight Ring Belt to him, being the current top man in that division. Pacquiao won this Ring Belt in May 2nd from the Englishman Ricky “the Hitman” Hatton. The belt ceremony incident occurred last June 13, 2009 at the St. Regis Hotel in Manhattan after coordinating with publicist Fred Sternburg and adviser Michael Koncz with lawyer Franklin Gacal during the PacMan’s most recent trip to the big apple. It was one of PacMan’s shinning moments.

In addition to his current status as pound per pound best boxer in the world, Manny Pacquiao is considered the undisputed champion of the 140 lbs. division. There were no sanction fees due for the belt and Ring Champions should lose their title when they are defeated in a fight, retired or moved to a different weight class. The Ring Magazine is esteemed as the “bible of boxing.”

According to Mr. Nigel Collins, a very pleasant boxing guru, this was Pacquiao’s 3rd Ring Championship Belt, which is a truly remarkable achievement.

In March 2004, Mr. Collins traveled to the Philippines to honor Pacquiao The Ring Championship Belt inside the Malacanang Palace, the official residence of the President of the Philippines. Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo hosted the event that was attended by many journalists and media personalities. Mr. Collins told us that he rates his trip to Manila as one of the most memorable experiences during his entire career as a boxing writer.

Manny Pacquiao earned the 1st one as a Featherweight when he defeated Marco Antonio “Baby Faced Assassin” Barrera in November of 2003. He earned his 2nd Ring Belt as Jr. Light Weight when he won via split decision, over another Mexican legend, Juan Manual “Dinamita” Marquez in March of 2008.

Mr. Collins told this writer that it was extremely rare for a boxer to earn 3 Ring Belts in 3 different weight divisions. He praised Pacquiao for being ring savvy and stated he was amazed at how much his right hand has improved thru the years despite being a southpaw, now having a devastating right hook, which was responsible for knocking down Ricky Hatton in the first round. Pacquiao delivered a perfectly timed left hook that KO’ed Hatton in the 2 min 59 sec of round two, hence ending the match in a brutal, shocking fashion.

“I am honored to receive the Ring Belt and I will proudly display it whenever I can,” Pacquiao later remarked.

Mr. Collins told Pacquiao, “I came to your “after-party” at the Mandalay Bay Hotel following the Hatton fight hoping to see you sing. Too bad, when I got there, you had already gone.” Pacquiao smiled and told him, “Next time, next time…maybe, you’ll see me sing again.”

http://philboxing.com/

Pacquiao tops the most exciting fighter list

Posted on Thursday, July 9, 2009 No Comments
Labels: Pacquiao

By: Albert Alvarez

Lately, I've been asked some tough questions from who are my favorite fighters to, whats next for Ricky Hatton and of course who are the most exciting fighters.Well I got all the answers to these and some more:

Do you really think that Agbeko will beat Darchinyan?- Yes, Yes, and Yes!!! If I said it I meant it, bite my tongue for no one. Darchinyan is a very awkward hard hitting bull, but to me Agbeko is just too tough to discourage. You must realize that Darchinyan is able to freeze you with his power, when he hits he discourages you from being able to do what you want to do. Agbeko is just too tough to discourage, think Nonito Donaire Jr.

Even at 147, Pacquiao will be too much for Cotto, So do you really think that Cotto can beat Pacquiao at 147?- The fact that this question is even being asked should answer your question. If Pacquiao was as confident as you are, don't you think that this fight would have already been inked? My Diamond Boxing Dream Team Member, Carl Hewitt, knocked it out of the park when he recently wrote that you must fight the best at their best, I couldn't agree more.

Have you, or anyone else heard anything about Ricky Hatton and his plans? Where is Ricky?- Your Guess is as good as mine, I have yet to hear anything about Ricky's where abouts, soon as I hear anything I will let it be known, if you hear anything before I do, Please hit me up.

Who are your Favorite fighters to watch right now?- My favorite fighters to watch right now are: Juan Manuel Lopez, Manny Pacquiao, Shane Mosley, Paul Williams, Miguel Cotto, Juan Manuel Marquez, Edwin Valero, Jorge Linares, Tomasz Adamek, Chris Arreola, Kelly Pavlik, Yuriorkis Gamboa, Nonito Donaire Jr., James Kirkland, Alfredo Angulo, Andre Berto, man just too many to name but these are the first to come to mind.

Who are the most exciting fighters fighting today in your opinion?- Manny Pacquiao for sure! Guys like Roman Gonzalez, Vic Darchinyan, Edwin Valero, Miguel Cotto, Shane Mosley, Katsidis, Gamboa, James Kirkland, Tavoris Cloud, Allan Green, Pavlik, each of these guys always come to entertain and to excite.

Bro, we need more top Mexican fighters, who do you see out there that can be the next ones?- I get this question asked all the time. The fighters I see that have heart and skill to be the chosen few are: Abner Mares, who I think has the tools to be an all around fighter like the Marquez brothers, Marvin Quintero, Marvin to me has what it takes to be the next Marco Antonio Barrera, Urbano Antillon, this guy can really fight. Saul Alvarez, my cousin [LOL] sure can hit!!! Saul can bang with the best of them.

http://diamondboxing.com/

Arum: Don’t retire yet

Posted on Friday, July 3, 2009 No Comments
Labels: Pacquiao

MANNY Pacquiao has vowed he will quit boxing for his political plans. However, his promoter, Bob Arum, believes it will be better for the Filipino icon to keep on fighting and at the same time, serve his constituents—that is if he wins.

“I hope he becomes a congressman,” Arum said in a report posted at abs-cbnnews.com. “The fact that he will become a ‘fighting congressman’ will enhance his promotability.”

Pacquiao is planning to run for congress in Sarangani in the 2010 elections.

“I don’t think that’s ever happened before in history, somebody who’s a congressional representative from his country fighting at the top level in boxing,” said Arum.

The 30-year-old General Santos fighter ran for a congressional spot last 2007 but lost by a landslide to political rival Darlene Antonino-Custudio.

Arum believes Pacquiao’s fights won’t be a hindrance to his job as a congressman.

“When Manny fights, Congress closes down anyway,” he said.

Pacquiao is scheduled to fight Puerto Rican world champion Miguel Cotto on Nov. 14 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
“I think he’ll fight for two more years…I would like to think he still has four fights left,” said Arum.

Arum is waiting for the deal of the Pacquiao-Cotto mega fight to be finalized and is still waiting for the nod from his prized fighter if he agrees with the terms offered.

“There is a huge problem. And it’s not so much concerning the weight, or money going to the two of them, or the percentages—no, this is not the problem. My problem is that I need to speak with Manny Pacquiao,” Arum said in another report at BoxingScene.com.

Arum believes that both fighters want to fight each other and that he thinks Cotto is the best fighter available for the pound-for-pound king.

“I think Manny wants that fight, Cotto wants this fight, the public wants this fight, I want that fight and the whole world wants that fight because in the ring will be the two best fighters on the planet,” he said.

World Boxing Organization President Francisco Valcarcel also wants the 28-year-old Cotto to defend his welterweight title against Pacquiao.

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/

Manny and Money: Today's Hottest Boxing Issues

Posted on Monday, June 29, 2009 No Comments
Labels: Pacquiao

After the Cotto-Clottey match held at the Madison Square Garden, two major boxing issues have dominated sports headlines; money and Manny. Money refers to the purse for the upcoming Pacquiao-Cotto match while Manny refers to the popular Filipino boxer.
Why is there a mad rush to land a fight with the Filipino boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao?

Top promoter Bob Arum gave an honest, straight forward answer. ‘They all want a taste of the money’.

Any rated boxer who lands a fight with Pacquiao at this time when the pound-for-pound king is on top of his career will make a substantial amount of money even if he shares just 30% of the purse.

Pacquiao is today’s hottest boxing property. The popular Filipino boxer is the highest-paid boxer in the world today. Any of the four top rated boxers (Mayweather, Marquez, Cotto and Mosley) will be assured of being called the second highest paid boxer in the world, even if he just share 30% of the fight purse.

Mbcom.ph reports:

Being the undisputed face of boxing, Pacquiao is a certified box-office and pay-per-view star and this is the main reason why Mosley, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Juan Manuel Marquez have been itching to be rewarded with a date with a Pacquiao fight, noted Arum, who inked Pacquiao to a lucrative contract in late-2006 following the Filipino’s twin demolition job on erstwhile Top Rank top talent Erik Morales

Meanwhile, negotiations for a Pacquiao-Cotto match are now in its final stages. Earlier, Freddie Roach was reported to have agreed with the camp of Cotto on the catch weight issue which was reported to be 144-145.

Michael Koncz, the Canadian adviser of Manny Pacquiao has just met with Bob Arum in Las Vegas, Nevada last weekend and got the proposal for presentation to Team Pacquiao when Koncz reports to Pacquiao on Tuesday.

The Pacquiao-Cotto match is being planned for November 14, 2009 at the MGM Grand garden arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

http://www.digitaljournal.com/

Manny Pacquiao still atop latest pound-for-pound rankings

Posted on Saturday, June 27, 2009 No Comments
Labels: Pacquiao, Pacquiao Award

The Ring magazine released their latest pound-for-pound rankings this week and it comes as no surprise that Manny Pacquiao is still at the top of their rankings. The magazine is known as the bible of boxing and is considered the ultimate source of boxing information for fighters and fans alike.

The pound for pound rankings have been around for years and are based on the premise that if all fighters were the same weight where would they rank. The current rankings include boxers, sluggers, veterans and two very exciting young fighters making their mark on the boxing scene.

Below are the current rankings as of June 21, 2009. Listed along with each fighter is their record , titles they hold , weeks The Ring have listed them in the top ten and any upcoming fight they may have. Please note that The Ring doesn't pay too much attention to alphabet trinkets. If a boxer has The Ring belt then he is considered the one and only world champion of that division.

1. Manny Pacquiao, Philippines, 49-3-2 (37), is currently The Ring junior welterweight champion after his destruction of former champ Ricky Hatton. Scheduled as now to fight Miguel Cotto on November 14. The Ring has had Pacquiao in their top 10 for an amazing 290 weeks.

2. Juan Manuel Marquez, Mexico, 50-4-1 (37), is The Ring lightweight champion after defeating Joel Casamayor last year. Marquez also holds the WBA and WBO lightweight belts. A July fight with former pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather has been rescheduled for September. Has been in the top 10 for 119 weeks.

3. Bernard Hopkins, Philadelphia , Pa., 49-5-1 (32), fights at light heavyweight and still hopes to get a fight with current cruiserweight champion Tomasz Adamek. As of now he has no fight scheduled. He entered the rankings 159 weeks ago.

4. Shane Mosley, Pomona , Ca., 46-5 (39) , is ranked number one at welterweight after dismantling Antonio Margarito earlier this year. He owns the WBA welterweight title. Mosley was hoping to secure a fight with Pacquiao or Mayweather , but nothing is scheduled. Mosley has been in the top ten for 22 weeks.

5. Israel Vasquez, Mexico, 43-4 (31) , is The Ring world champion at junior featherweight. Vasquez has suffered medical problems after his three wars with Rafael Marquez. He has not fought since last year. He currently has no fight scheduled and has been on the list for 99 weeks.

6. Rafael Marquez, Mexico, 38-5 (34), is the number one ranked junior featherweight. He lost the last two battles against Vasquez , but recently came back with a quick knockout in May. He currently has no fight scheduled. He has been ranked in the top ten for 57 weeks.

7. Nonito Donaire, Philippines, 21-1 (14), is the current IBF flyweight champ. His age and his style make him a fighter that could possibly move up in the rankings in the coming years. He is boxing's biggest kept superstar secret. He has a stay-busy fight scheduled against Hugo Fidel Cazares in August. He has been on the list for eight weeks.

8. Vic Darchinyan, Armenia, 32-1-1 (26), holds the WBA , WBC and IBF junior bantamweight crowns. He has a fight scheduled against tough Joseph Agbeko in July. He is ranked number one at junior bantamweight and has been on the list for 20 weeks.

9. Miguel Cotto, Puerto Rico, 34-1 (27), currently holds the WBO welterweight title and is ranked number two at welterweight. He is coming off a grueling fight against Joshua Clottey and is scheduled to fight Manny Pacquiao in November. He has stayed on the top ten list for 8 weeks.

10. Celestino Caballero, Panama, 32-2 (22), is the WBA and IBF junior featherweight title holder. He is another of boxing's best kept secrets. He currently has no fight scheduled and has been in the top 10 for 22 weeks.

Thanks to The Ring for maintaining and bringing class to the world of boxing. They do not play favorites and have no political agenda. So you can be assured that these rankings are as good as it gets.

http://www.examiner.com

THE THREE GUYS THAT BEAT MANNY PACQUIAO

Posted on Tuesday, June 23, 2009 No Comments
Labels: Pacquiao

VIDEOS OF TODAY'S SUPERMAN & EARLY KRYPTONITE

San Francisco, CA- There is no more popular and possibly better fighter in boxing today than Manny Pacquiao. The Filipino superstar who went from rages to beyond riches and fame as a prizefighter, Manny has a record of 49-3-2 with 37 KOs. In his last two outings Pacquiao hasn’t lost a moment (yes, I said a moment) in eight rounds with Oscar De La Hoya and less than two with Ricky Hatton last month.

PACQUIAO A PRO NOW FOR 14 YEARS

But there are three losses on his professional ledger and today we look at the three guys that beat the man most people think is the best fighter in all of boxing. But in order to do that, we need to go back to January 22, 1995 and the professional debut of Pacquiao. On this day he weighed around 107 lbs, this as he bested countryman Edmund Ignacio on points over four rounds in Mindero, Occidental. Pac would go 13 months and 11 fights before taking on a slightly more seasoned Rustico Torrecampo (then 11-4-4, 8 KOs) in February 1996.

PACMAN DOING A HATTON IMPERSONATION

A single straight left hand from southpaw Torrecampo caught Manny on the chin walking in as the shot was driven right between Pacquaio’s gloves. It was one of those knockouts in which a fighter is “short circuited” (medical term is concussed) neurologically. The Pacman would come back and win another 15 fights (13 by KO). In the process Manny captured the WBC 112 lb. title besting Chatchai Sasakul (then 33-1) in December 1998 with a KO 8.

THE DAY THE PACMAN COULDN’T MAKE WEIGHT

Set to defend in Thailand against undefeated Medgoen Singsurat (18-0), Pac never made the flyweight limit of 112. Officially, Manny weighed 113. After losing the first two stanzas, the Thai fighter was advancing on a weakened Pacquiao. A single right hand to the body ended matters in round three September 17, 1999.

PAC JUMPED UP THREE WEIGHT DIVISIONS

The weight drained Pacman moved up ten lbs. bypassing super flyweight (115) and bantamweight (118) to 122 and super bantamweight. Winning another six before stopping the favored Ledlo Ledwaba (then 33-1) for the IBF 122 lb. trinket, the Pacman had turned some heads. The first fight to Erik Morales (then 47-2) ended with a UD 12 win for the Mexican champion as it was 115-113 across the board (7-5 in rounds).

MORALES REMATCH NOT LIKE THEIR FIRST

Morales would grant Pacquiao, who was hampered greatly by a cut in their first encounter of March 19, 2005, a rematch less than a year in January 2006. Pacman demolished anything Morales had left as a boxer in this fight. They would clash a third time, and the blitzkrieg that was Pacquiao on this November 2006 evening stopped Erik in the third fistic frame.

WHAT’S ERIK UP TO NOW?

Morales would have one more fight in losing to David Diaz before retiring at 48-6 with 34 KOs. Erik likes Luche Libre, a Mexican style of professional wrestling and is involved in the business in Tijuana as his better half’s father is a promoter. He is 32 years of age.

RUSTY CAN ALWAYS RUN THE VIDEOTAPE!

The first guy that beat Pac, Rustico Torrecampo, he retired from boxing in 1997. He is now 36 years old. His being a Filipino national that once beat Manny has to earn him a little extra respect from his countryman, although the Manny that Rustico stopped in 1996 was green like a well watered lawn.

GUESS WHO’S STILL FIGHTING A DECADE LATER?

Medgoen Singsurat, who beat Manny ten long years ago, the Thai is still active as a boxer. He lost the WBC flyweight title he took from Pacquiao after one successful defense to another Filipino in unbeaten (10-0) Malcolm Tunacao. From that point forward, Singsurat has been an above average “regional” fighter. Now 31, Singsurat last fought in May and is now 62-5 with 44 KOs.

PAC’S TWO LOSSES FEW PEOPLE HAVE SEEN

Below are two links to short videos of the Torrecampo and Singsurat fights. In closing, Manny Pacquiao proved that he could overcome the adversity of a couple of early losses to rise to his position today as “the best fighter in boxing.”

IDEOS OF TWO LOSSES FROM LAST CENTURY

Here are the two setbacks to Rustico Torrecampo and Monserat Singsurat.

CLICK HERE FOR PAC-TORRECAMPO VIDEO

CLICK HERE FOR PAC-SINGSURAT VIDEO

http://ringtalk.com/

November fight may be the last for politics-bound Pacquiao

Posted on No Comments
Labels: Pacquiao

MANILA, Philippines – Manny Pacquiao appears bent on entering the political ring that he is seriously contemplating leaving the boxing ring for good.

The reigning pound-for-pound king declared he is good for one last fight, his projected November 14 gig at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas intended to be his swan song.

“Siguro last fight ko na ito para magserbisyo naman ako sa mga tao," Pacquiao said in an interview on 24 Oras.

“Ang mama ko nga ayaw na niya akong lumaban pero sabi ko, kaya ko pa naman, isa pa," added the two-time Fighter of the Year, whose camp is currently in negotiations with WBA welterweight champion Miguel Cotto for a possible showdown.

Pacquiao is eyeing a congressional post in Saranggani Province in next year’s elections and he has already set the wheels in motion for this bid by forming his own local party, the People’s Champ Movement, and setting residence in the province.

Siguro last fight ko na ito para magserbisyo naman ako sa mga tao. Ang mama ko nga ayaw na niya akong lumaban pero sabi ko, kaya ko pa naman, isa pa.
– Manny Pacquiao, boxing icon

Over the weekend, he graced the celebrations for the founding anniversary of the district of Malapatan, where he publicly expressed his intention to serve them as congressman.

“Itong mga kamao ko na ginamit ko pang-knockout sa mga kalaban sa boxing, gagamitin ko para makatulong sa inyo," he told his highly-appreciative “constituents."

To show his seriousness to help the townsfolk, Pacquiao, one of the highest-paid athletes in the world according to Forbes magazine and one of the most influential people based on a list by Time magazine, donated an ambulance and fire-truck for the district’s use.

This would be the Pacman’s second attempt at a House seat after getting knocked out in 2007 by incumbent Rep. Darlene Custodio over in South Cotabato district.

But before Pacquiao could train his 100 percent attention to politics, he has to take care of one more business in the ring first.

Currently, his promoter is in talks with fellow Top Rank fighter Cotto for his “lash hurrah."

The Filipino ring icon himself had greenlit the negotiations with Cotto after personally seeing the Puerto Rican fight and escape with a split decision win over challenger Joshua Clottey in New York last June 13.

Top Rank boss Bob Arum had expressed confidence he would get Pacquiao and Cotto to sign on soon for what he described as a terrific fight. Among the issues still to be ironed out are the purse split and possible catch weight.

GMANews.Tv

Pacquiao won't stay idle, likely to fight in the fall

Posted on Monday, June 22, 2009 No Comments
Labels: Pacquiao

Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s rib injury, which postponed his comeback fight against Juan Manuel Marquez next month, also might have altered Manny Pacquiao's immediate bout options.

The tempting matchmaking scenario had Pacquiao facing the Mayweather-Marquez winner for his next fight. But now that Mayweather will likely fight Marquez after Mayweather heals from his injury, Pacquiao doesn't expect to remain idle the rest of the year.

Pacquiao, the sport's top pound-for-pound fighter according to most experts, probably will fight again in the fall, perhaps within the window of the still non-rescheduled Mayweather-Marquez match.

If Pacquiao, now an established pay-per-view performer, opts for a marquee bout, Shane Mosley or Miguel Cotto looms as the logical opponent.

Although Mosley representatives recently announced a Pacquiao-Mosley bout, Pacquiao denied such a fight has been signed. Nonetheless, Mosley certainly warrants an opportunity at facing Pacquiao.

Mosley, 37, dispelled any notion his career was on the descent after a ninth-round technical knockout victory over Antonio Margarito in January. The convincing performance earned Mosley a welterweight title and lofty status again in the talent-deep welterweight class.

Cotto also has reason to deserve a bout against Pacquiao. The Puerto Rico native made significant separation from his lone career loss against Margarito last July with a hard-fought, split-decision victory against Joshua Clottey on June 13.

Despite the setback against Margarito, Cotto remains one of the top and exciting fighters in the sport. A Pacquiao-Cotto bout will command attention.

And while Mosley's accomplishments also merit a fight date with Pacquiao, Cotto has one distinct advantage that could help him land the bout. Bob Arum promotes Pacquiao and Cotto, eliminating the promotional conflicts that have killed many potentially appealing bouts through the years.

BOXING CARD IN JULY

Deerfield Beach-based promoter Don King will have his second card of the year at BankAtlantic Center on July 11. The show will be headlined by a world bantamweight title fight between defending champion Joseph Agbeko and Vic Darchinyan.

A native of Ghana, Agbeko (26-1, 22 KOs) will make the second defense of his International Boxing Federation crown. Darchinyan, a native of Armenia and an Australia resident, will seek his third belt in a separate class after title reigns in the flyweight and junior-bantamweight divisions.

Darchinyan is 32-1 with 26 knockouts.

King's first show at BankAtlantic Center on Feb. 14 attracted more than 10,000 fans. In the main event, Jacksonville's Nate Campbell defeated Ali Funeka but lost his lightweight title after failing to make weight the 135-pound weight limit.

Pacquiao’s wallet to grow bulkier

Posted on Friday, June 19, 2009 No Comments
Labels: Pacquiao

Manny Pacquiao is likely to increase his already formidable financial portfolio as he lines up more bouts this year and next.

If Pacquiao eventually decides to face Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto on November 14 in Las Vegas, Top Rank chief Bob Arum said there’s a big possibility that Pacquiao will end up earning the biggest paycheck of his illustrious career.

“Because,” said Arum in his typical New York drawl, “Manny’s got a bigger percentage in this fight.”

Pacquiao had to settle for a 33-67 revenue split when he fought and stopped Oscar De La Hoya in December 2008 and agreed to a 50-50 split with Ricky Hatton last May although Arum had to dig deep into his own pocket in adding an ‘‘extra’’ to make Pacquiao feel like a king.

Against De La Hoya, Pacquiao was guaranteed $10-million, while against Hatton it was $12-million, plus share in the pay-per-view and other revenue-generating schemes.

Forbes magazine reported a few days ago that Pacquiao’s victories over De La Hoya and Hatton totalled $30-million with revenue from more than two million pay-per-view buys in the US and England included, making him the sixth-highest paid athlete in the world.

According to Forbes, Pacquiao has amassed $40-million this year and last, trailing perennial topnotcher Tiger Woods, who earned $110-million. Ranked sixth overall, Pacquiao is just behind such luminaries as NBA star Kobe Bryant, the retired Michael Jordan and F1 ace Kimi Raikkonen, all tied for second spot with $45-million.

British soccer icon David Beckham got $42-million for solo fifth place.

Pacquiao is bunched at sixth with another NBA hotshot, Cleveland Cavaliers’ Lebron James and golfer Phil Mickelson and ahead of tennis idol Roger Federer and Nascar star Dale Earnhardt Jr.

When ranged with the salary and other perks of some of the country’s top athletes, Pacquiao’s earnings do not compare with the highest-paid professional basketball player taking just P500,000 ($10,000) a month, the undisputed king of billiards lucky taking home $100,000 in prize money from a competition overseas and a pair of US-based women parbusters occasionally striking pay dirt but nowhere near Pacquiao’s.

http://www.mb.com.ph/

Pacquiao Looking to Take a Page Out of the De La Hoya-Mayweather Playbook

Posted on Tuesday, June 16, 2009 No Comments
Labels: Pacquiao

Throughout his career, Oscar De La Hoya was often criticized for conning fighters in to make concessions which would perceivably give him an advantage in a bout.

On the way up from super featherweight (130 lbs) to junior welterweight (140 lbs), he was criticized for making smaller fighters move up to face him in a weight class he was more comfortable at.

At welterweight (147 lbs), he continued the trend by making Julio Cesar Chavez, a smaller past prime great, move up to welterweight for their rematch.

At middleweight, he attempted to gain the upper hand by enticing Bernard Hopkins to put up his middleweight titles while weighing several pounds below the middleweight limit (160 lbs).

In 2007, he convinced Floyd Mayweather Jr., to move up to junior middleweight (154 lbs) for the first time in his career, hoping this tactic would again work out to his benefit.

In his last fight prior to announcing his retirement, he thought he’d pull a fast one by convincing Pacquiao (a 135 lb lightweight at the time) to square off against him in the the welterweight division.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. continued the trend by convincing Ricky Hatton, a prime junior welterweight, to move up to welterweight to challenge him for his welterweight title.

Now officially unretired, for his comeback bout, Mayweather has suckered Juan Manuel Marquez, the past prime featherweight (126 lbs) Mexican great, to move up four weight classes (to the welterweight division) from where he was fighting at just a few years ago.

Now Pacquiao is looking to take a page out of the De La Hoya-Mayweather playbook as Freddie Roach has stated that potential fights against top welterweights like Cotto and Mosley would have to be fought at a catch weight, somewhere between 141-146, preferably 142-144.

De La Hoya and Mayweather have both been heavily criticized for making fights where their opponents agreed to make certain concessions that would potentially put them at a level or two below their best.

If Pacquiao does challenge Cotto, Mosley, or whomever, at a catch weight for a welterweight title, Pacquiao would also be subject to the same criticism.

Pacquiao may have won his first title at flyweight, but from 112-140, he’s proven to be vastly better than the majority of his opponents. At 140, he looked better than ever as he flattened Ricky Hatton in two rounds.

Therefore, is the welterweight division really that much more dangerous?

Why not defeat welterweights at welterweight and go down as an even greater fighter? Who wants an asterisk next to an accomplishment? Who wants detractors to diminish a victory?

Defeating a weight drained welterweight at 142-144 for a welterweight title will diminish the quality of the victory.

Pacquiao’s bitter rival, Juan Manuel Marquez, only moved up several years ago from 126 lbs to 130-135 lbs to chase Pacquiao. After conquering the lightweight division, he’s now moving up two more weight classes to face Mayweather at welterweight.

That’s right. No catch weight. Mayweather will be able to weigh as high as 147 because it’ll be a welterweight bout. This is unreal considering Mayweather is a more dangerous opponent than any fighter Pacquiao has faced to date.

Many feel Marquez is in way over his head, but one cannot fault him for displaying great courage and tackling such a monumental task considering he’s a natural featherweight. Win or lose he’s earned everyone’s respect, and should he win, there won’t be an asterisk diminishing the accomplishment.

Perhaps Pacquiao should take a page out of the Juan Manuel Marquez playbook.

However, if Freddie keeps getting his way, you can scratch that idea out.

Should Marquez lose to Mayweather whenever that bout finally takes place, you can bet Freddie will definitely advise Pacquiao to stick with the De La Hoya-Mayweather playbook. And with Pacquiao and Mayweather both playing by the same rules, expect negotiations for that bout to be as dfficult as the U.N. dealing with North Korean President Kim Jong II.

http://boxingfanatics.com/

Cotto: Pacquiao one of the greatest

Posted on Tuesday, June 9, 2009 No Comments
Labels: Pacquiao

Floyd Mayweather, Jr. is at it again.

The undefeated American fighter (39-0, 25 KOs) downplayed the greatness of pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao, saying that he also beat Oscar de la Hoya and Ricky Hatton before they were “over the hill.”

“They forget that when I fought de la Hoya, I was in my 30s and he was in his 30s, but when I beat him—they say he was over the hill,” Mayweather told Mark Vester of BoxingScene.com.

He continued, “But all of a sudden, when Pacquiao fights him, they say ‘Oh man, we can't believe what just happened.’ Ya'll just said he was over the hill, which one is it?”

“Pretty Boy Floyd” also talked about Ricky Hatton whom he defeated in 2007 by TKO in Round 10. “The Hitman” was beaten by Pacquiao recently via KO in the second round.

“I beat Ricky Hatton two years ago when he was an undefeated fighter and I dominated. He was finished after that. He was already finished before the fight with Manny Pacquiao,” said Floyd.

“But Pacquiao beats him and you say he's the best,” he complained.

“He didn't listen to my father in the corner. If he did, it would have been a different fight,” he noted. His father, Floyd Mayweather, Sr., trained Hatton for the “Battle of East and West.”

The former No.1 pound-for-pound boxer even said that critics who praise Pacquiao should be more familiar with boxing.

“You have to learn about the sport of boxing. People forget that Erik Morales boxed the sh*t out of Manny Pacquiao,” he said.

Floyd, meantime, expounded on his victories over the Hitman and Golden Boy.

“The gloves that de la Hoya gave me were pillows. They had a chance to fight with 8-ounce gloves and they had a chance to fight at 147,” he said of the de la Hoya-Pacquiao “Dream Match.”

“For me, he said he was absolutely not coming down to 147 and he said that he didn’t want me to wear 8-ounce gloves,” he shared of what de la Hoya told him.

“And then on the other hand, I face Hatton and they say I'm too big for Hatton but then they say Hatton is too big for Pacquiao, but they want to see me and Pacquiao fight,” he added.

“Then Pacquiao and Marquez fight twice, but when I beat him [Marquez] they are going to say I'm too big for him.”

Mayweather is set to return to the ring on July 18 to fight Mexico’s Juan Manuel Marquez at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“We can't overlook this guy, Marquez. He earned the right to fight Floyd Mayweather. They had him in the background for so many years, just like me. Somebody has to give him that chance,” he noted.

http://abs-cbnnews.com

Pacquiao ‘greatest southpaw ever’

Posted on comments (1)
Labels: Pacquiao

MANILA, Philippines - Proven wrong by Manny Pacquiao's two-round demolition of Ricky Hatton on May 2 in Las Vegas, boxing historian Bert Sugar added a new entry to the Filipino ring icon’s lengthening list of honors.

The 73-year-old Sugar, who picked the Briton to win, tagged Pacquiao as “the greatest lefthanded fighter of all time” in a recent chat with ESPN.

Sugar, former editor in chief of The Ring who has written over 80 fight books, had earlier labeled Pacquiao “the greatest Asian fighter of all time” after his eighth-round stoppage of Oscar De La Hoya last December.

That time, Sugar, inducted into the boxing Hall of Fame in 2005, had the odds even for the fight.

In giving Pacquiao his vote as the best southpaw ever, Sugar put the world’s best pound-for-pound fighter above such lefties as three-time light heavyweight champion Marvin Johnson, former middleweight king Marvin “Marvelous” Hagler and former three-division titlist Pernell Whitaker.

Pacquiao is also the only fighter in history to jump divisions in his last four fights (130 lb against Juan Manuel Marquez, 135 against David Diaz, 147 against De La Hoya and 140 against Hatton) and win them all.

With that feat, Pacquiao surpassed all-time great Henry Armstrong’s accomplishment of ruling the featherweight, welterweight and light welterweight divisions in succession in the same year.

http://inquirer.net

Pacquiao To Challenge The Best Before He Retires To Become The Greatest!

Posted on Monday, June 1, 2009 No Comments
Labels: Pacquiao

Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao, the pound for pound king has two to three more fights left before he enters once again the political arena in the Philippines come 2010. He is seeking to win a congressional seat for the second time after losing to Darlene Antonino during the 2007 Philippines national elections..

To put an exclamation mark to Bob Arum’s statement he made after the May 2 annihilation of Pacquiao to Britain’s Ricky Hatton, that his boxer is “the greatest boxer who have ever lived”, the pound for pound king has to fight who the fight fans wants him to fight.

Obviously, fight fans wants Pacquiao to challenge the best boxers before he retires, particularly those who are calling him out.

There are four or at least three possible opponents that Team Pacquiao may consider. Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Juan Manuel Marquez have to be counted as one, since the winner of their July 18 bout; hopefully will be challenged by the Pacman.

Instead of a five month rest for the October 17 comeback fight, Pacquiao should fight as early as August for a tough “tune-up” fight against Edwin Valero, the undefeated WBC lightweight Champion.

Pacquiao and Valero have been trash-talking for quite some time. It can be recalled that Valero accused Pacman as a taxi driver dominator pointing out that he has dominated weak opponents during the early years of his career.

Pacquiao in return reacted and stressed that Valero’s perfect record was all but scratch because his past opponents were “tuktuk” drivers.

Even if Valero was a VIP at Pacquiao’s grand birthday celebration December last year and are stable mate under Top Rank promotions, there is still bad blood among the two boxers.

After the two rounds demolition over former boxing champ Antonio Pitalua several months ago, Valero using an interpreter called out on Pacquiao to give him a challenge this year.

He called Pacquiao “the monster from the Philippines” adding that “no one can take my punch”. If this fight happens, it will surely be a mega-fight. It’s not a “tune-up” fight after all. Valero has all the skills that could knock anyone who has the same weight that he has.

But Valero should now train to move his head. He has the tendency of a Hatton fight-style who has cement stocked between his neck and his head. Pacquaio would surely love that target.
But to settle all the trash-talks and see who has a better punching power, this fight surely has to happen.

Recently, WBA welterweight champ Sugar Shane Mosley made a statement that he is ready to reclaim his No. 1 pound for pound status calling out Pacquiao to give him a challenge.

This certainly is also a must fight before he retires. The pound for pound king versus a former pound for pound king who held that position several years ago.

Mosley is definitely a tough warrior who is in the pound for pound list and is ranked No. 4 which is similar to the list I gather every week.

Mosley’s power cannot be taken for granted as he possesses a high knockout ratio which consists of 46 wins, 39 of this coming by way of knockout. His last victim early this year was former champ Antonio Margarito.

Pacquaio and Mosley could meet up and slug it out at the catch weight of either 143 or 144 pounds. Can Mosley avenge the loss of his business partner Oscar De la Hoya? We will have to find that out when they face each other.

But, before Pacquiao takes politics seriously next year a fight with whoever emerges as the winner between Mayweather and Marquez is a big “must”.

Like Valero, Mayweather have been badmouthing Pacquiao for many months. To zip that mouth up, Pacquiao really needs to put up with this challenge. He has to challenge Mayweather who believes that he is “still” the pound for pound king.

The Pretty Boy is still undefeated and continuously boasting about his greatness as a boxer. Can Pacquiao stain that unblemished record of Mayweather?

If ever Marquez scores a win over Mayweather, the trilogy of Pacquiao and the Mexican warrior must take place.

Their first two fights are very close and controversial as to who should have been victorious. Boxing analysts worldwide are halved with conviction who really won the first and second fight. It could have gone either way.

To settle the issue once and for all, a third fight between the two explosive fighters must occur should Marquez beat Mayweather on July 18.

So to be called the greatest fighter who has ever lived, Pacquiao needs to fight these warriors in the boxing ring. He has to settle the issues and defeat those who are calling him for a challenge.

But is should be a win-win situation for Pacquaio, because if he fails, it could affect his bid for congress in the May 2010 elections in the Philippines.

http://www.eastsideboxing.com

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