Sunday, August 3, 2008
Squaring off with Oscar De La Hoya has become an obsession for Manny Pacquiao that the Filipino southpaw believes he is capable of shocking the world in the event they meet in the ring on Dec. 6.
"I know that winning against De La Hoya is going to be tough but I have full confidence in what I can do and I know I can score an upset," Pacquiao said during a brief break in his vacation with his loved ones in the United States.
While a De la Hoya fight will guarantee him the fattest paycheck of his career, Pacquiao said there’s a personal aspect in this fight that is being proposed for Dec. 6 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
"There’s going to be lots of money involved but I also have to settle something personal (with De La Hoya)," said Pacquiao, who did not elaborate, although ringsiders believe that De La Hoya’s disenchantment with the fighter began when Pacquiao turned his back on a contract that he signed with the Golden Boy.
Pacquiao has already met and discussed the merits of a De La Hoya fight with his promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank, and Arum has scheduled to meet with GBP Chief Executive Officer Richard Schaefer this Wednesday to determine whether a deal can be made between the two rival promotional outfits.
Recently, Pacquiao told a gathering of boxing beat writers, columnists and sports editors that he drools over the prospects of rumbling with a "legend like De La Hoya" and that he believes his trainer Freddie Roach is not out of his mind when he told the press that Pacquiao can get the job done even against a bigger fighter in De La Hoya.
Arum and Schaefer will deal with the revenue sharing not only in the pay-per-view, ticket sales and purse but likewise on the delicate issue of the weight limit and brand of the gloves that will be used.
Initial reports inside Team Pacquiao said the 29-year-old General Santos banger is asking million and De La Hoya has been quoted as saying that a fight involving himself would enable Pacquiao to earn up to five times the amount that he’s been getting.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Glenn Donaire, brother of flyweight king Nonito, vies for immortality today when he battles defending International Boxing Federation (IBF) light-fly champion Archie Solis in Hermosillo, Mexico.
In the event Glenn dethrones the heavily-favored Solis in their scheduled 12-rounder at the Palenque De La Expo, the Donaire fighting family will become a rarity as they’ll join the Penalosa family as the other pedigree that produced world champion brothers in Dodie Boy and Gerry.
During yesterday’s official weigh-in, Solis and Donaire both came in at a shade below the 108-lb limit.
Working the corner of Glenn will be his father Nonito Sr. and brother Nonito Jr., who currently reigns as the IBF 112-lb titleholder.
Glenn, according to Nonito Sr. trained like hell for his second crack at the world crown.
"Glenn worked on his stamina and I have a feeling he will be able to get the job done," said Nonito in an interview earlier in the week from their residence in San Leandro, California.
Holder of a 26-1-2 win-loss-draw card with 20 knockouts, two of Solis’ title defense victims were Filipinos – Rodel Mayol and Bert Batawang – who both got stopped by the muscular Mexican. Donaire shoots for history.
Glenn parades a 17-3-1 mark with nine stoppages.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
When two explosive world champions at the top of their game mix it up for the world title, it’s a “Lethal Combination!” Newly-crowned World Boxing Council (WBC) super featherweight champion MANNY PACQUIAO and WBC lightweight champion DAVID DIAZ will battle in a 12-round rumble with Diaz’s title at stake. Promoted by Top Rank, in association with MP Promotions, Pacquiao vs. Diaz will take place Saturday, June 28, at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View, beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT..
Remaining tickets for Pacquiao vs.Diaz, priced at $600, $400, $300, $200 and $100, can be purchased at the Mandalay Bay box office and at all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations (select Smith’s Food and Drug Centers, Macy’s West at the Fashion Show Mall, and Ritmo Latino). Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (702) 474-4000 or Mandalay Bay (702) 632-7580. Tickets are also available for purchase at www.mandalaybay.com or www.ticketmaster.com.
“This will be my hardest-fought battle,” said Pacquiao. “It’s been over three years since I have changed weight divisions and I will be doing it against the lightweight division’s world champion. I saw how he took the fight to Erik Morales in his last title defense and I’m expecting to see the same firepower out of him when we meet. But this is my drive for five. Five world titles in five different weight classes and I will not be denied. I am fighting for history, for destiny and for my people of the Philippines.”
"Manny Pacquiao has beaten many great fighters, especially Mexicans like Morales, Barrera, Marquez, Larios and Solis. That's why they call him “The Mexicutioner,” said Diaz. “I will shock the world and beat Pacquiao at his own game, power for power. He’s a great champion but he’s fighting in my division – lightweight. I have worked too hard for this world title and I will not give it up to him."
“Two world champions, at the top of their game, matching each other in speed, power, stamina and courage is a recipe for a great fight,” said Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum. “Manny has never felt the power thrown at this weight class just as Diaz has never gone toe-to-toe with such a human dynamo. But Manny possesses an inner strength from his fellow countrymen the likes I have never seen as a promoter with over 40 years of experience. Manny is more than a national treasure to the Philippines, he is the very symbol of its national pride. He doesn’t fight for himself, he fights for his people. It’s a responsibility that no other athlete could, or attempt to, accomplish.”
“Boxing fans recognize that in Pacquiao vs. Diaz you have one of the sport’s best fighters and biggest attractions moving up in weight to challenge a bigger, stronger champion,” said HBOPPV’s Mark Taffet. “It’s a very intriguing proposition and we look forward to the event."
Dubbed "Republica Enemy No. 1," Pacquiao (46-3-2, 34 KOs), from General Santos City, Philippines, has blitzed through the best fighters Mexico has had to offer since 2003 including Erik Morales (KO 3, TKO 10), Marco Antonio Barrera (TKO 11, W 12), Juan Manuel Marquez (W 12, D 12), Oscar Larios (W 12), Emanuel Lucero (TKO 3), Hector Velazquez (TKO 6) and Jorge Solis (KO 8). Pacquiao was named 2006 Fighter of the Year by the Boxing Writers Association of America and The Ring magazine for his two spectacular knockout victories of Mexican icon and three-division champion Morales, as well as his dominating 12-round unanimous decision over former world champion Larios. The hard-hitting southpaw has won 22 of his last 23 bouts including 2007 victories over Barrera and Solis. Pacquiao’s 12-round split decision victory over Marquez earlier this year not only avenged a disputed draw from their 2004 battle, it also made Pacman a four-division world champion.
Diaz (34-1-1, 17 KOs), from Chicago, will be making the second defense of his title. He successfully defended it against the three-division world champion Morales last summer winning a hard-fought unanimous decision over the future Hall of Famer. Although behind on the scorecards early, Diaz remained cool and rallied before the raucous hometown Chicago crowd of 10,000 to capture the decision. He swept the championship rounds and won the decision by scores of 114-113, 115-113 and 115-112. With the victory, Diaz cemented his place among the best lightweights in the sport and one of the most popular and respected athletes in the sports-crazy town of Chicago. A member of the 1996 U.S. Olympic team, Diaz, with 12 years of experience as a professional, is more than prepared to handle the pressures that come with battling boxing’s pound-for-pound most exciting fighter.
The Pacquiao vs. Diaz pay-per-view telecast beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT, has a suggested retail price of $49.95, will be produced and distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View and will be available to 71 million pay-per-view homes. The telecast will be available in HD-TV for those viewers who can receive HD. HBO Pay-Per-View is the leading supplier of event programming to the pay-per-view industry. For Pacquiao vs. Diaz fight week updates, log on to www.hbo.com.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Glenn Donaire of the Philippines will battle IBF lightweight champ Ulises "Archie" Solis in Aguascalientes, Mexico on May 17, Philboxing.com reported Friday.
The report said Donaire, the elder brother of IBF/IBO flyweight king Nonito Jr., is a last-minute replacement for Juanito Rubillar, another Filipino.
Bebot Elorde, Rubillar's manager, pulled out his fighter and opted to match him instead with Omar Nino of Mexico. The Rubillar-Nino clash will be an eliminator for the World Boxing Council light flyweight belt held by Mexico's Edgar Sosa.
Donaire's last attempt at a world championship belt was in 2006 against Vic Darchinyan.
Meanwhile, Solis's last two successful defenses were against two Filipinos -- Rodel Mayol and Bert Batawang.
Donaire has a 17-3-1 win-loss-draw card with 9 wins via knockout.
The Mexican champ, on the other hand, has 26-1-2 with 20 KOs.
Monday, April 28, 2008
David Diaz believes his coming showdown with Manny Pacquiao is the fight of his life.
It's bigger than when he won the World Boxing Council lightweight crown and bigger than when he bested Mexican legend Erik Morales.
"This is the kind of fight people will talk about long after you're done and gone," Diaz told Ron Borges of TheSweetScience.com. "This is the biggest fight of my life. Bigger than when I won the title. Even bigger than beating a legend like Morales."
Diaz (34-1-1, 17 KO) said this is because Pacquiao, the Filipino WBC super featherweight titlist, is in his prime.
"He's a guy who's been beating up people in different weight classes. Now I have a title he wants and he's trying to put me on the mat. It's one of those fights where you got to prove yourself to yourself," added Diaz, who has opened his training camp in Chicago for his showdown with Pacquiao on June 28 in Las Vegas.
Pacquiao is still in Gen. Santos City, getting back into shape by running in the morning and playing basketball in the afternoon.
Initially bent on touring Olympic venues in Beijing upon the invitation of the Chinese government, Pacquiao had a change of heart.
Saying he needs to fulfill numerous commitments at home, Pacquiao intends to leave for Los Angeles only on May 10 for full-blast training at Freddie Roach's Wild Card Gym.
Pacquiao said seven weeks of intense preparation would be enough for him to reach peak form.
Diaz admitted that he wants to fight Pacquiao because it will also give him the biggest purse of his career.
"I'm finally getting paid what champions get paid," said Diaz. “This is a fight where I can set up my kids for college. It's about making their life better but win this one and next fight maybe I can set up David Diaz."
Diaz also rebuffed skeptics who think he doesn't stand a chance against Pacquiao after a so-so performance against Ramon Montano in the under card of the Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez rematch won by the Filipino.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Gerry Peñalosa of the Philippines beat challenger Ratanachai Sor Vorapin of Thailand to retain his World Boxing Organization (WBO) bantamweight title on Sunday at the Invasion: Philippines vs The World boxing event at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City.Peñalosa won after the referee stopped the fight with 29 seconds remaining in the eighth round. Peñalosa knocked down the Thai thrice, in the fifth, seventh, and earlier in the eighth before the referree stopped the fight.
It was in the fifth round that Peñalosa started punishing the Thai with a series of combinations that nearly knocked him down, at one point sending him down on his knees. Vorapin, however, managed to put his arms around Peñalosa's waist to break his fall.
The event featured four Filipinos, who won all their matches.
In the third bout, Rey "Boom-Boom" Bautista of the Philippines knocked out Genaro Camargo of Mexico in the second of a 12-round match to retain his World Boxing Organization (WBO) inter-continental super bantamweight title.
Bautista knocked down the Mexican twice in the first round and sent him down for the third and final time 57 seconds into the second round.
In the second bout, Ciso Morales of the Philippines also defeated Yoo-Shin Kim in a 12-round match, which the referee stopped in 2:24 of the fourth round, seeing that Yoo-Shin, face bloodied with a cut on the left eye, had taken enough punishment from the Filipino, who successfully retained his WBO oriental super bantamweight title.
In the first bout, A.J. "Bazooka" Banal of the Philippines defeated Caril Herrera of Uruguay in a referee-stopped fight in the fourth of a 12-round bout.
Herrera had to take a standing eight-count in the third round after being brought down to his knees by a series of face punches by Banal. The fight, ruled a technical knockout in favor of the Filipino, was stopped at 1:18 into the fourth round.
The first match was an eliminator for the the International Boxing Federation (IBF) move up to the No. 1 spot.
Among the spectators at the event were Sen. Ramon Revilla; Manny Pacquiao, the new World Boxing Council super featherweight champion, with wife Jinkee; Juan Manuel Marquez, the Mexican WBC former super featherweight champion whom Pacquiao just defeated; and Luisito Espinosa, former World Boxing Association bantamweight champion.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
The main event is the title fight between reigning WBO bantamweight champion Gerry Peñalosa and challenger Ratanachai Sor Vorapin of Thailand. The undercard will feature three title fights:
Rey “Boom-Boom” Bautista versus Mexico’s Genaro Camargo
AJ “Bazooka” Banal versus Uruguay’s Caril Herrera
Ciso “Kid Terrible” Morales versus Korean Yoo Shin Kim
“Invasion” Philippines vs. the World which was slated at the Araneta Coliseum will be aired live on April 6 on ABS-CBN.
