Manila Life Online - bits n pieces: Manny Pacquiao

Showing posts with label Manny Pacquiao. Show all posts

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Global 2012: Donaire blasts Arce into retirement

Donaire/Julaton/Donaire (Photo credit: Matt Ortega)

How about that for a little Filipino payback?

One week after Mexico's Juan Manuel Marquez knocked out Filipino legend Manny Pacquiao with one shot with one second left in the sixth round in a stunner, junior featherweight titlist Nonito Donaire evened the score in what is fast becoming boxing's best nationalistic rivalry.

Donaire, known as "The Filipino Flash," annihilated Mexico's Jorge Arce with a crushing third-round knockout -- with one second left in the round, on a huge left hook -- to retain his junior featherweight world title on Saturday night at the Toyota Center.

"I have a lot of respect for Mexico," Donaire said. "I hope I made the Philippines proud tonight."

Before a crowd of 7,250 -- largely made up of Hispanic fans rooting for Arce -- Donaire was dominant in retaining his 122-pound title for the third time and sending Arce into retirement.

With the victory, Donaire completed an impressive year that makes him the favorite to land fighter of the year honors. In an era when top pound-for-pound fighters rarely fight more than twice annually, Donaire (31-1, 20 KOs) fought four times in 2012 and easily beat four quality opponents as he moved up to junior featherweight and won two world title belts.

"I will leave it to the sportswriters and I will leave it to the people," Donaire said of the award. "It would be a great honor, and it would be an amazing Christmas gift to me."

In February, after giving up his bantamweight belts, Donaire moved up to 122 pounds, then promptly knocked down Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. and won a decision to claim a vacant belt.

Then, Donaire rolled past Jeffrey Mathebula, scoring a knockdown, breaking his jaw and winning a lopsided decision to unify two titles in July. Donaire later gave up one of the belts but followed with a two-knockdown, ninth-round stoppage of former titleholder Toshiaki Nishioka in October.

Then, Donaire blew away former titleholder Arce.

"I pretty much timed Arce," Donaire said. "I knew he would open up. He hurt me a little. My left hand is not completely healed. I needed to figure out the distance to get him to open up."

Donaire came into the fight with a balky left hand due to a nagging injury to a knuckle. He cut it open against Vazquez and did it again against Nishioka two months ago. Some in his camp didn't want him to take the Arce bout, but Donaire elected to fight, no doubt influenced at least somewhat by a career-high payday of $1 million coming his way.

"A lot of people said, 'You fought well this year.' I asked the doctor about my hand and he said it's not going to be 100 percent, but that I could fight if I was comfortable," Donaire said. "Tonight it didn't bleed, but I was kind of worried about it."

He needn't have been concerned. Donaire measured Arce for a right hand in the first round that landed clean, but Arce took it well. In the second round, though, Donaire knocked him down for the first of three overall in the fight.

Donaire landed a right-left combination as Arce went down a minute into the second round. In the third round, Donaire dropped him again with a right hand and a left uppercut. There seemed to be little chance that Arce would make it out of the round, but he wasn't about to give up.

He waded back into the battle, and Donaire unleashed a savage left hook that landed flush on Arce's chin. Arce crashed into ropes and then sprawled onto his back. Referee Laurence Cole didn't bother to finish the count, calling off the fight at 2 minutes, 59 seconds.

"I was a lot faster than Arce," Donaire said. "He knew I was a powerful fighter. He knew every mistake he would make would be a tremendous mistake, but Arce is a great fighter. It was difficult for me to get him in the beginning because he was wary of the left hook and he was ducking out of the way.

"The reason why people survive with me is because they are afraid to open up. I have a lot of respect for him. He wasn't afraid. He was aiming to surprise me. But when I can throw sitting down on that left hook, everyone will go down."

Arce came into the fight having rehydrated all the way up to 135 pounds, while Donaire weighed 129, according to HBO's fight-night scale. But Donaire still looked bigger and his punches clearly harder.

Arce was down for a couple of minutes as the doctors checked on him. When he was able to get himself together, he announced his retirement in his postfight interview with 81-year-old Larry Merchant, who was calling the final fight of his 35-year career with HBO.

The 33-year-old Arce (61-7-2, 46 KOs) earned a career-high $800,000, and if this is truly the end for him, he went out like the warrior he always has been. But he simply couldn't deal with the power, speed and size advantages of Donaire, 30, who lives in San Leandro, Calif.

Arce will go out having been one of the most exciting fighters of his generation and having won world titles in four weight classes (junior flyweight, junior bantamweight, bantamweight and junior featherweight), plus an interim belt in another (flyweight).

"My career is over. He is the best man," said Arce, who is good pals with Donaire. "I have a family to take care of. I promised them I would leave the ring if I lost. He's very good. I am proud to have lost to the best. It fills me with honor.

"I will go home to watch the fighters on TV and to be a commentator."

There is a chance Donaire will move up to featherweight after having already won titles at flyweight, bantamweight and junior featherweight, plus an interim title at junior bantamweight. There are still attractive opponents at junior featherweight, however, in fellow titleholders Guillermo Rigondeaux and Abner Mares.

Rigondeaux (11-0, 8 KOs), the former two-time Olympic gold medalist, was supposed to continue to try to make his case for a fight with Donaire in the co-feature in a defense against former titleholder Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym (48-2, 33 KOs) of Thailand. However, the fight was canceled on Thursday after Kratingdaenggym failed a prefight blood test and was refused a license by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Instead, Rigondeaux sat ringside.

Mares is represented by Golden Boy Promotions, while Donaire is with Top Rank. The companies don't work together, making it very difficult to arrange the match.

Donaire said he is ready to fight either man, even though he might also go to 126 pounds and pursue another world title.

"Bring 'em all on," Donaire said. "Mares is my first choice because he's calling me out, but we have Rigondeaux ready if that fight cannot be made."

Whomever he fights, Donaire will find himself in another significant main event in 2013 as he continues to try to polish his pound-for-pound résumé.

That left hook of his has already brought him near the top.

"I sat down on it, and when I sit down on that left hook, I will knock out anybody," Donaire said.

http://espn.go.com/boxing/story/_/id/8751136/nonito-donaire-blasts-friend-jorge-arce-retirement

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Global 2012: Pacquiao-Mayweather superfight dream dies

Manny Pacquiao vs. Shane Mosley (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Juan Manuel Marquez carried more than eight years of frustration, disappointment and anger with him when he got into the ring with Manny Pacquiao on Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden.

After losing two and drawing one in three fights he had a right to believe he won, the bigger and stronger version of Marquez left no doubt this time around.

He concluded one of the year's best fights in stunningly brutal fashion, catching Pacquiao on the chin with a perfectly placed counter right hand, knocking the Filipino superstar out cold at 2:59 of the sixth round before an arena packed with his delirious fans.

It was the same right hand that Marquez landed repeatedly in their first three fights, shots that did little damage to Pacquiao. But after a year of building his body with conditioning coach Angel Guillermo "Memo" Heredia, Marquez had the zip he needed on his fastball to get the job done.

"We knew he was going to come out aggressive, so we had a fight plan that was more technique and we were able to capitalize on it," said Marquez, who broke his nose from a Pacquiao left.

As Pacquiao lay prone on the mat and Marquez and his fans celebrated, somewhere, Floyd Mayweather Jr. had to be kicking himself. The world's top boxer failed to sign a fight with Pacquiao that would have been the richest bout of all-time, haggling over seemingly minor issues with so much money at stake.

While it's not out of the question that Mayweather and Pacquiao could still fight, the bout will never have the kind of luster it had when they were 1-2 in the rankings and both seemingly invincible.

Mayweather's one-time close friend, hip hop star Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, knew as referee Kenny Bayless attended to Pacquiao that it was equivalent to flushing millions down the drain.

"That was a lot of money [going away]," he said.

The knockout also will be sure to raise numerous questions about how Marquez got so much bigger. Heredia is an admitted steroids dealer whose testimony during the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative case put track coach Trevor Graham in jail.

Marquez defiantly insisted all week that his work was natural, and he didn't address it on Saturday.

Rather, he was in the mood for a celebration after the biggest win of a sensational career. Marquez has been among the world's elite fighters for at least the past 15 years, but he's been forced to take a backseat, first to Mexican stars such as Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales and later to Pacquiao.

Few fighters were as skilled and technically sound, but he didn't capture the imagination of the fans the way his rivals did.

But on Saturday, when he ended a sensational back-and-forth battle in which both men had been hurt and hit the canvas, they were jubilantly on his side.

The fighters were true to their pre-fight promises to attack. Pacquiao made an adjustment and was able to keep his lead foot on the outside of Marquez's lead foot. As a result, Pacquiao was able to rake Marquez with a series of hard straight lefts.

When Marquez went down in the fifth round, it was the fifth time in the four fights Pacquiao had decked him.

This time, though, there was a difference. Marquez had the ability to blunt Pacquiao's attack with power of his own, which he lacked the first three fights.

He floored Pacquiao in the third with a right hand and wobbled him several other times.

And even though Pacquiao was ahead on the scorecards – all three judges had it 47-46 for Pacquiao – Marquez was always confident.

"I never thought he was going to beat me," Marquez said. "I was coming strong. He connected with me hard, he got me good, but I was falling. But I was ready to push hard through the later rounds."

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/boxing--pacquiao-mayweather-superfight-dream-dies-juan-manuel-marquez-gets-closure-085101776.html

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Global 2012: Should Manny Pacquiao Retire?

Manny Pacquiao vs Juan Manuel Marquez (Photo credit: audiovisualjunkie)

It's hard not to talk retirement when you see a fighter face first on the canvas with worried loved ones frantically pushing their way to the ring.

This is true, even for Mr.Everything, Manny Pacquiao, who has made a career of doing the impossible and whose life story is a testament to the idea that, sometimes, the underdog does win.

The Filipino icon managed to pull himself out of one of the poorest slums in the world and, with just his two bare fists and the burning will of a fighter, build an empire of riches that few can even imagine. At thirty-three years of age, Pacquiao has accomplished what few could even dream of doing. And, as a fighter, he has punched his way to all-time great status and a first ballot Hall of Fame entry as one of this generation's very best.

With so much accomplished and so many roads traveled, both literally and figuratively, Saturday's brutal knockout loss to arch-rival, Juan Manuel Marquez, seems like the perfect jumping off point for a stellar seventeen year career.

It's not like Manny will be dead broke without the fight game. Although, surely, the eight-figure paydays twice a year would be missed, the man has his Congressman pay, various TV and movie deals, real estate investments, and the easy work of big-money endorsements. Even without boxing, the Pacquiao empire should be just fine-- Unless, of course, the rumors of him being relatively cash-poor are true.

Professionally, any fighter would be sporting a bruised ego if forced to retire after two consecutive losses. And, in Manny's case, the two losses were especially tough.

Losing a controversial split decision to Timothy Bradley is one thing, but getting knocked unconscious by long-time nemesis, Juan Manuel Marquez-- in a bout he was actually winning up until the last punch-- has to be especially vexing for the eight-division world champ.

But looking back on a long and distinguished career, one has to wonder what's left for Pacquiao to accomplish. Perhaps a righting of the wrong via rematch with Bradley and, possibly, another run at Marquez to settle this latest, most crushing of defeats. Then what?

Outside of Bradley and the 39-year-old Marquez, who may be retired by the time Pacquiao gets around to setting up a rematch, there's not much else. The bubble has been burst on the hope of a Mayweather bout and while it's possible to push new generation guys like Brandon Rios in his path, these aren't the guys Pacquiao wants at this stage of his career.

For the record, though, Pacquiao has already told the media that he plans on returning to the sport that made him a national hero and a worldwide celebrity.

"To all my fans, I would like to thank you for your prayers and assure you that I am fine," Pacquiao told the media just hours after his crushing KO 6 defeat at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. "I am looking forward to a nice rest and then I will be back to fight."

The fact of the matter is that Manny Pacquiao should retire. He has nothing more to accomplish in boxing and, as a human being, he has already done more in one lifetime than most can even dream of attempting.

But Manny Pacquiao is a fighter at heart-- A warrior. And warriors rarely retire to a nice, quiet suburban life while red-hot blood is still flowing through their veins. To a warrior, life is about the battle. Unfortunately, this is the reason so many boxers wind up staying in the sport too long, suffering damage that was ultimately unnecessary.

In the case of Manny Pacquiao, it's hard to argue that he should hang up the gloves when he can still beat 95% of the fighters out there. It's understandable that the fire would still burn bright. But, as a father, husband, and trusted politician, maybe it's time to focus on other things.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/manny-pacquiao-retire-180200654--box.html

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Global 2012: Manny Pacquiao Knocked Out by Juan Manuel Marquez

English: Manny Pacquiao, right before the Erik Morales fight. (original text) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Juan Manuel Marquez absolutely crushed Manny Pacquiao with a straight right hand at the end of the sixth round of their epic fourth fight, sending him careening to the canvas, face down and unconscious, and scoring a massive victory that completely alters the state of boxing today.

In Pacquiao's last fight, the controversial outcome led to a wave of outcry and attention. Here, the outcome is decisive, but even more buzz-worthy. The Pacquiao vs. Marquez results were brutally shocking, leaving everybody watching the fight, ringside or at home, shaking their head in awe and surprise.

Many people were siding with Marquez to win the fight, including myself, but a knockout victory was completely off the table. Yet, in boxing, one punch can change everything, and a pinpoint Marquez right hand did just that.

The official time of the stoppage for the Pacquiao vs. Marquez results was at 2:59 of Round 6, ending a back-and-forth battle that had already seen each man touch the canvas. Marquez knocked Pacquiao down in the Round 3, and Pacquiao returned the favor in Round 5, in a spectacular round of action.

In the sixth, Pacquiao seemed to be taking control of the fight. Marquez had blood streaming from his nose and splattered all over his face, and seemed to be in increasingly serious trouble.

However, just a tick before the bell, Marquez landed that monster counter right hand. Pacquiao was instantly out. The fight was waved off, and Pacquiao remained motionless for several minutes afterward. Eventually, Pacquiao would sit up on the canvas, in a clear state of disbelief and disgust.

All three judges had the fight scored 47-46 for Pacquiao at the time of the stoppage, as did I when I was watching the fight. He had clearly won the first two rounds before he suffered the knockdown, and then was assuming control of the fight before that thunderous right hand landed.

For Marquez, it's the biggest win of his career, the culmination of eight years of close calls, near misses and mental anguish, and a likely Knockout of the Year as well.

As for Pacquiao, in the build-up to this fight, I wondered what would happen if Marquez won the fight. The two most likely outcomes were that a Pacquiao vs. Marquez 5 fight would take place, or that Pacquiao would retire. Never though did I imagine that Marquez would win via a brutal one-punch knockout.

After the fight, Pacquiao seemed hesitant to commit to anything when interviewed by Larry Merchant. However, he did seem open to yet another match taking place between the two legendary rivals.

The Pacquiao vs. Marquez results provide a huge jolt to the boxing landscape. Everything will be radically different moving ahead, in terms of which fighters are at the top and regarded as untouchable, and which are further down the totem pole.

The fight and the knockout were reminiscent to me of when Roy Jones, who was a commentator for Pacquiao-Marquez 4 coincidentally, got laid out by Antonio Tarver in their rematch. It was a sudden and dramatic one punch ending not only to a fight, but to an aura of invincibility, and it was an immediate line of demarcation for when a legendary fighter no longer had it.

If Pacquiao chooses to continue fighting, he'll still be one of the best fighters in the world. But he will no longer be "Manny Pacquiao", pound for pound champion.

Tonight will be a night that boxing fans, hardcore and casual, will always remember. The image of Pacquiao face down on the canvas, Marquez himself in disbelief standing on the other side of the ring, is something I'll never forget.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/manny-pacquiao-knocked-juan-manuel-marquez-epic-fourth-063400880--box.html

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Global 2012: Pacquiao vs Floyd Mayweather... up to "Money"

Floyd Mayweather, Jr in a WWE ring. Bradley Center, Milwaukee, WI. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The burden, finally, is fully and entirely on Floyd Mayweather Jr. to make a fight with Manny Pacquiao.

Pacquiao agreed Thursday during appearances on two separate television shows on ESPN to give Mayweather a 55-45 advantage on a financial split should they fight, as the public has been demanding since late 2009. A match between them is expected to be the most lucrative bout in boxing history.

Pacquiao, who meets Juan Manuel Marquez for a fourth time on Dec. 8 in Las Vegas, had been demanding a 50-50 split. Without such a split, he’d said repeatedly over the last 18 months that he would not agree to a fight with Mayweather.

The other major hurdle blocking the fight between the two men regarded by many as the two best in the world was Mayweather's demand for Olympic-style drug testing. Initially, Pacquiao balked at the testing. He has since changed his stance and has said repeatedly over the last year he would fully comply with the tests, just as Shane Mosley, Victor Ortiz and Miguel Cotto have done in Mayweather's last three fights.

In a telephone interview with Yahoo! Sports on Monday, Pacquiao made no mention of a purse split, but he was as optimistic about the possibility of a fight with Mayweather as he had ever been.

"I think Mayweather will be next," Pacquiao said, declining to specify why.

But by agreeing to give Mayweather the lion's share of the purse, Pacquiao has shifted the onus to Mayweather.

If Mayweather raises new objections, then it becomes obvious he's not serious and is playing some sort of game.

But at this stage, with the demand for the bout seemingly waning a bit because of all the inaction and drama that has surrounded the talks, it would be a miscalculation for Mayweather to add more conditions.

Mayweather is very much aware of his place in history and wants the fight badly because he doesn't feel as if he's received enough credit for his achievements. He’s 43-0 with 26 knockouts. He won a bronze medal at the 1996 Olympics, though his loss in the semifinals was an outrageously bad call. As a pro, he's won world titles at 130, 135, 140, 147 and 154 pounds.

He has spoken of being rated the greatest fighter ever, and to do that, he'd have to beat the best opponent of his era. Without question, for Mayweather, that is Pacquiao.

To make the fight, though, Mayweather must also stay out of further legal trouble. He was paroled in August after serving just under two months of a six-month sentence for misdemeanor domestic violence. Part of the sentence was suspended, but he could be required by Las Vegas judge Melissa Saragosa to serve that time if he has another incident with the law.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/manny-pacquiao-floyd-mayweather-55-45-financial-split-superfight.html;_ylt=Am5TVSnKsnrZRbpv4n2q01KUxLYF;_ylu=X3oDMTQxdGRxNTlnBG1pdANGRUFUVVJFRCBNZWdhdHJvbiBCT1hJTkcEcGtnAzFkNWE1NjQ2LTgwMTUtMzA2Ny1hMWM4LThkNDVkYmRlM2FhNQRwb3MDMQRzZWMDbWVnYXRyb24EdmVyA2M2MWRiOGIzLTAzODAtMTFlMi05ZmZmLTJmYjc0YTg4NzY1Yg--;_ylg=X3oDMTFraHV2ZXY5BGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdANib3hpbmcEcHQDc2VjdGlvbnM-;_ylv=3

Friday, October 5, 2012

Global 2012: Manny Pacquiao's willingness to 55-45 financial split puts onus squarely on Floyd Mayweather

LAS VEGAS, NV - MAY 05: Singer Justin Bieber, Rapper Lil Wayne, boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr., rapper Curtis '50 Cent' Jackson and guest pose after Mayweather Jr. defeats Miguel Cotto by unanimous decision in their WBA super welterweight title fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 5, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Global 2012: Mayweather told to pay $114,000 in Pacquiao case

English: Floyd Mayweather, Jr. at the DeWalt event on June 29, 2011. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
A federal judge has ordered boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. to pay about $114,000 for avoiding questioning from rival fighter Manny Pacquiao's lawyers in a Las Vegas defamation case.

Attorneys for Pacquiao earlier lost a bid to end the lawsuit with a more severe sanction - a default judgment for Pacquiao.

But on Monday they won more than $113,000 in legal fees and $774 in costs for what U.S. District Judge Larry Hicks bluntly called ''Mayweather's obviously intentional decision not to appear for his court ordered deposition.''

Pacquiao, a Filipino fighter against whom the undefeated Mayweather is frequently measured, has alleged that Mayweather defamed him by suggesting Pacquiao used performance-enhancing substances.

Pacquiao has denied the claim. He filed the lawsuit in Las Vegas in December 2009 and has sought unspecified damages.

''Calling a professional athlete a cheater is the most serious charge one can make,'' the lawsuit said. ''Accusing an athlete of using performance-enhancing drugs - however baseless and lacking in evidence - is toxic.''

The two boxers have never fought in the ring, and the court saga playing out in Las Vegas has been seen as an impediment to a much-anticipated bout.

Mayweather lawyers Mark Tratos and Laraine Burrell in Las Vegas, and Pacquiao lawyers Daniel Petrocelli and David Marroso in Los Angeles didn't immediately responded Wednesday to messages about the court order.

News of the ruling came at the same time Las Vegas police reported handing a residential disturbance call involving Mayweather at his daughter's mother's house last week. No one was arrested and no criminal charges were filed in the Sept. 9 incident.

A Mayweather business entity owns the property, according to county records, and Melissa Brim, the mother of Mayweather's daughter, lives there, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.

Attempts by The Associated Press to reach Brim on Wednesday were unsuccessful.

Police found no evidence of a physical altercation, Las Vegas police Officer Bill Cassell said, and no one in the house wanted to file a police report. Cassell called the case closed.

With no police report, an aide to Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson said the incident had no bearing on an unrelated domestic battery case for which Mayweather served two months this summer in a Las Vegas jail. He was released Aug. 3, and is not currently on probation.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/mayweather-ordered-pay-114k-pacquiao-184100273--spt.html

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Global 2012: WBO: Pacquiao defeated Bradley

BEVERLY HILLS, CA - FEBRUARY 21: Manny Pacquiao attends a press conference announcing his upcoming World Boxing Organization welterweight championship fight against Timothy Bradley at The Beverly Hills Hotel on February 21, 2012 in Beverly Hills, California. (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)The World Boxing Organization (WBO) ruled Wednesday that Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao should have won his controversial bout against American fighter Timothy Bradley and recommended a rematch.

Bradley won a split decision at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on June 9 that prompted disbelief from the sporting world and had many calling the outcome corrupt.

The WBO met with five international judges to evaluate video of the match and they unanimously scored the fight in favor of Pacquiao, though they do not have the power to overturn the initial ruling and the result will stand.

Pacquiao has indicated that he would prefer a rematch to Bradley forfeiting the belt, according to Bob Arum, the promoter for both fighters.

Pacquiao said he will not accept the WBO welterweight crown from Bradley if the American gives it back to him after the five WBO judges who re-scored the controversial fight had the Filipino winning by a mile.

“Kung ibigay naman nina (Bradley), hindi ko naman tatanggapin. Baka isipin ng tao inaagaw ko ang belt (If they give it back I won’t accept it. People might think I’m grabbing it),” the Filipino ring icon said in a radio interview yesterday.

Bradley, the underdog, took the title away from Pacquiao via a controversial split decision after two of the three judges had him winning, 115-113. The third judge had Pacquiao winning by a similar score.

The results of the WBO re-scoring cannot reverse the decision.

The names of the five WBO judges, who did an individual re-scoring of the fight a few days ago, were withheld. But they all scored the bout for Pacquiao, 117-111, 117-111, 118-110, 116-112, and 115-113, contrary to what the two judges saw at the MGM.

It’s just impossible for these five WBO judges to get it wrong all at the same time.

The STAR spoke with Arum yesterday morning, and the ageless boxing promoter who helped put up the 1975 “Thrilla in Manila” said he’s not surprised at all.

“It doesn’t surprise me because most people scored it for Pacquiao. One thing is sure, though. Unless they find any criminal wrongdoing, they are not going to change the verdict,” said Arum over the phone.

There was an outrage right after the decision was announced, from the thousands who watched the fight live at the MGM Grand, to the millions from around the world. Even those who used to criticize Pacquiao felt he deserved the win.

Floyd Mayweather Sr., who can say all the bad things about Pacquiao, and Mexican boxer Juan Manuel Marquez, as well as boxing’s golden boy, Oscar de la Hoya, said the 33-year-old congressman from Sarangani won the fight.

Pacquiao said instead of Bradley giving the belt back to him, the WBO could declare the title vacant, and order a rematch to be held on Nov. 10. Pacquiao said that’s the way he prefers to take the title back.

“Kung ibibigay ni Bradley, ibakante na lang ang belt, wala nang champion diyan, kasi parang inaagaw rin (If Bradley will give it up, just declare it vacant, with no champion, since it would seem like to he grabbed it),” said Pacquiao, who was in Vigan yesterday, visiting his friend, Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis “Chavit” Singson.

Two days after the fight, Pacquiao said that if a rematch is held, “There will be no need for judges.”

Francisco “Paco” Valcarcel, the president of WBO, stressed even before the judges did the re-scoring, it was not meant to reverse the decision or to ask Bradley to surrender the belt.

The farthest the WBO can do is to call for an immediate rematch.

While his promoter, team members, family, friends and supporters raised a howl over the verdict, Pacquiao said after the fight that he respects the decision. He asked everyone to move on, and just look forward to the possible rematch.

Pacquiao also welcomed calls for an investigation of the circumstances surrounding the judging of the fight. He said an investigation should help boxing save its image and regain the trust of its fans following the unpopular decision.

Pacquiao said he was not surprised that the five WBO judges scored the fight in his favor.

“Hindi na ako nagulat dahil alam na natin sa puso natin kung sino ang nanalo (I was not surprised because we all know in our hearts who won the fight),” Pacquiao told radio station dzBB just as news about the results of the WBO re-scoring broke out.

“Pasalamat tayo nagkaroon ng ganyang desisyon. Mahalaga ang dangal natin at totoong nangyari ay lumabas din. Huwag sila mag-alala, makukuha rin natin ‘yan (Let’s all be thankful of this decision. Our pride is important. The truth is out. Don’t worry, we will get it back),” Pacquiao also said.

During the post-fight interview at the MGM Grand, Bradley came in and left on a wheelchair, saying he sprained his left ankle and hurt his right foot. He said he thought the judges were fair, and that he deserved the victory.

Pacquiao looked calm and collected after the loss, giving Bradley the credit and hardly criticizing the judges who scored it for Bradley.

But Pacquiao has said more than a couple of times he wants a rematch, and it’s up to his promoter.

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=819695&publicationSubCategoryId=63

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Global 2012: Nevada judge defends Bradley card

LAS VEGAS, NV - JUNE 08: Boxer Manny Pacquiao (C) and boxing promoter Bob Arum are interviewed during the official weigh-in at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on June 8, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Pacquiao will defend his WBO welterweight title against Timothy Bradley on June 9 in Las Vegas. (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)
It could have been a slip of the tongue for Duane Ford, one of the two judges that had Timothy Bradley beating Manny Pacquiao at the MGM Grand more than a week ago.

But the 74-year-old boxing judge from Nevada certainly didn’t do a good job trying to explain how he had Bradley beating the heavily-favored Filipino superstar, 115-113.

“What I personally saw that night is that the first six rounds, clearly Pacquiao was the winner. It was an exciting six rounds,” Ford told HBO commentator Jim Lampley during the boxing program “The Fight Game.”

If he gave Pacquiao the first six rounds, it would have been impossible for him to score the bout, 115-113, for Bradley, who left the arena on a wheelchair, and the new WBO welterweight champion.

Ford went on to explain.

“But what I saw in the fourth round is that Pacquiao clearly won that. He hurt Bradley. But the Manny Pacquiao that I’ve judged in the past would have finished him.

“(But) He let him off the hook. And then in the later rounds, I thought he (Pacquiao) tired; his punches were, were missing a bit. Bradley’s punches were missing to the head, but Bradley was scoring. He was scoring well on the body,” said Ford.

Judge CJ Ross also had Bradley winning, 115-113, while Jerry Roth had it for Pacquiao, 115-113. All three scores were a poor reflection of the fight which was never close.

The result was a split decision for Bradley, a 5-1 underdog. After ring announcer Michael Buffer announced the verdict, cries of protest filled the air.

It’s not the first time Ford scored a Pacquiao fight in the United States. He was at ringside when Pacquiao fought Shane Mosley (120-107), Joshua Clottey (120-108), Miguel Cotto (108-99), Juan Manuel Marquez in 2008 and Erik Morales in 2006.

Ford had Pacquiao beating Marquez in their second encounter, 115-112.

An investigation is being sought through the efforts of Top Rank chief Bob Arum and WBO president Francisco Valcarcel who has tapped five judges to re-score the fight.

But Valcarcel stressed that they are not out to reverse the decision but to boost their efforts in calling for a wider pool of judges when it comes to major fights.

Filipino election lawyer Romulo Macalinta, a regular fixture in Pacquiao fights in the United States, has also filed a formal letter of complaint before Nevada’s Atto rney General’s office.

Macalintal said that while Pacquiao is not aware of his actions, he is requesting the Attorney General’s office to conduct an inquiry surrounding the circumstances of the scoring.

“I have summarized the various scorings made by world renowned sportswriters, columnists and sports agencies showing how Pacquiao won convincingly over Bradley.

“Wikipedia has recorded 51 such writers and agencies for Pacquiao with only three for Bradley. Fight Score Collector.com collected a total of 265 for Pacquiao with only 10 for Bradley and a total of 46 Boxing Press, Fan Forum and Boxing Site for Pacquiao with only one (1) for Bradley,” he said.

Pacquiao said he welcomed these moves, but maintained that he has nothing to do with it.

“Sila kung mag-ibestiga sila siyempre natural lang para hindi masira yung image ng boxing (Of course it’s natural for them to investigate so it will not destroy the image of boxing),” said Pacquiao.

http://ph.sports.yahoo.com/news/nevada-judge-defends-bradley-card-160618325--spt.html

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Manila 2012: Pacquiao returns to help flood victims

LAS VEGAS, NV - JUNE 08: Boxer Manny Pacquiao (C) steps on the scale as Joel Diaz, Timothy Bradley's trainer, looks on during the official weigh-in for their bout at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on June 8, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Pacquiao will defend his WBO welterweight title against Bradley on June 9 in Las Vegas. (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)
Manny Pacquiao returned to the Philippines on Saturday to help flood victims in his home province, a week after his loss to Timothy Bradley.

Pacquiao was showered with confetti Saturday, although his homecoming was much less festive than usual because of his split-decision loss in the welterweight title fight in Las Vegas.

He cut short a vacation with his family in the United States to help thousands of victims of floods that hit Sarangani province, the area he represents in congress.

''Let us forget what happened, let us accept it wholeheartedly for God has a plan for us,'' Pacquiao said at a news conference where men dressed as gladiators lined up as his honor guards.

Later, he told GMA television he had asked supporters to skip the traditional ''hero's welcome'' for him and instead focus on helping those affected by the floods. He said he has already sent relief supplies.

Pacquiao went to the Roman Catholic church in Manila's Quiapo district where he addressed worshippers, urging them to accept the judges' decision and shun anger.

Pacquiao's controversial loss has prompted one of boxing's major sanctioning bodies to review Bradley's victory, the first step toward what promoter Bob Arum hopes will be ''clarity'' in the judging of the fight.

WBO President Francisco ''Paco'' Valcarcel said in a statement this week that the WBO's championship committee will review video of the fight with five ''recognized international judges'' and make a recommendation. He said the WBO does not doubt the ability of the scoring judges.

Most observers thought Pacquiao had easily defended his welterweight title against Bradley.

Pacquiao interrupted his vacation with his family in the United States following the bout with Bradley to help thousands of victims of flash floods that hit his province.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/pacquiao-returns-help-flood-victims-044005211--box.html

Monday, June 11, 2012

Global 2012: Timothy Bradley's win over Manny Pacquiao was a joke, but it wasn't bad for boxing

LAS VEGAS, NV - JUNE 08: Boxer Manny Pacquiao (C) and boxing promoter Bob Arum are interviewed during the official weigh-in at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on June 8, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Pacquiao will defend his WBO welterweight title against Timothy Bradley on June 9 in Las Vegas. (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)
It was unfair, unjust and just plain wrong. But, contrary to what many might say, this was no bad night for boxing.

Timothy Bradley's controversial split-decision victory over Manny Pacquiao on Saturday in their World Boxing Organization welterweight title fight at the MGM Grand Garden was one of the best things that could have happened for the sport.

It was a fast-paced, back-and-forth scrap between a pair of quality boxers at the peak of their professions.

That Bradley won a decision the vast majority of those in attendance and watching on television around the world thought was laughably wrong is hardly the "death knell" for boxing that promoter Bob Arum said it was seconds after the verdict was read.

Controversy sells. The bigger the controversy, the bigger the rematch.

This rematch will be bigger than Saturday's bout by a wide margin. Bradley will become a star; he's already a charismatic guy who performed well when he finally got his chance on the big stage. And Pacquiao's legion of fans will rally to his support, believing he was wronged and demanding justice in a second fight.

"Some rounds, I took off and relaxed and didn't throw so many punches," Pacquiao said. "I could give him three rounds, and almost every round I hurt him. I know he felt that."

Judge Jerry Roth had it 115-113 for Pacquiao, but he was overruled by his counterparts, C.J. Ross and Duane Ford, who had it 115-113 for Bradley. Ross gave Bradley the final three rounds and five of the last six. Ford scored five of the last six for Bradley as well.

Yahoo! Sports had it 117-111 for Pacquiao. The vast majority of reporters covering the fight at ringside had it for Pacquiao, the No. 2 fighter in the world in the Yahoo! Sports rankings. HBO's Harold Lederman, a former professional judge, scored it 11 rounds to one for Pacquiao.

Arum was outraged, at one point referring to the judges as "The Three Blind Mice," while he was introducing Pacquiao at the post-fight news conference.

"Can you believe that?" Arum said. "I had it 10-2! After I got into the ring after the fight, I went over to Bradley and said 'You did very well.' He said, 'I tried hard, but I couldn't beat the guy.' This is crazy. You talk about killing boxing? All three scorecards you throw out."

It was unfair to Pacquiao, who deserved to win.

But bad for boxing? Not in a million years. More people were talking about the fight when it ended than would have been had Pacquiao gotten the wide verdict most had expected.

It's created a lucrative rematch for November and helped turn Bradley into a star.

Even to those who felt Pacquiao won, there had to be a respect for Bradley, who fought a spirited, high-paced battle despite injuring both of his feet. He attended the news conference in a wheelchair.

Manny Pacquiao prays after his fight against Timothy Bradley. (Getty)

"Going into the last rounds, my corner was telling me I had to win the last couple of rounds to win the fight," said Bradley, who said he felt something snap in his left foot in the second round and injured his right in the fifth.

The only loser in the event was probably the state of Nevada, which likely won't get the opportunity to host the rematch. Arum said the rematch will be held in a "non-tax state," meaning it's likely headed to Texas.

That will cost Nevada millions in tax income, but the impact of not having the fight in the state is the only bad thing to come out of the fight.

Arum called the scoring "unfathomable" and offered to get the judges medical assistance.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/boxing--timothy-bradleys-win-over-manny-pacquiao-was-a-joke-but-it-wasn-t-bad-for-boxing.html;_ylt=Am8wVTeOXqRZzIVrL7JJME2UxLYF

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Related articles

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Related articles

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Related articles

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Related articles

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Friday, October 5, 2012

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Related articles

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Related articles

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Related articles

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Related articles

Monday, June 11, 2012

Related articles