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Professional Manny wins twin ‘Fighter’ honors in US

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

MANNY PACQUIAO is last year's top boxer—and the decade’s finest as well. Taking into account the Filipino superstar’s awesome knockouts of his last two foes en route to a record seventh world title in as many weight divisions, the Boxing Writers Association of America on Sunday (Monday in Manila) chose Pacquiao as its 2009 Fighter of the Year and Fighter of the Decade.

The twin honors further buttressed Pacquiao’s reputation as pound-for-pound king and mirrored his earlier selection by ESPN.com and Ring magazine as 2009 Fighter of the Year.

Pacquiao, who will receive his fourth Sugar Ray Robinson trophy at the BWAA’s 85th annual banquet on June 11 in New York, topped the balloting among boxing chroniclers.

The vote noted the impact of his second-round demolition of Briton Ricky Hatton on May 2 and his 12-round annihilation of Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto on Nov. 14 for the World Boxing Organization welterweight crown.

Also nominated for Fighter of the Year were WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko of Ukraine, WBA super middleweight titlist Andre Ward of the United States, former two-time welterweight champion Paul Williams, also of the US, and Armenian-German super middleweight Arthur Abraham.

Pacquiao, who will stake his 147-pound title against Ghanaian Joshua Clottey on March 13 in Arlington, Texas, was also voted Fighter of the Decade (2000-09). The Filipino ring icon won six crowns in that span while taking over from Oscar De La Hoya as the face of boxing.

Other than De La Hoya, other sure future Hall of Famers who fell prey to Pacquiao’s punches were Mexicans Erik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera and Juan Manuel Marquez.

Bested by Pacquiao for the decade’s fighter honors were Bernard Hopkins, Joe Calzaghe, who retired last year, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Shane Mosley, Marquez and Barrera.

For turning Pacquiao from a one-dimensional boxer into a wrecking machine, Freddie Roach will be honored as Trainer of the Year.

Like Pacquiao, Roach is no stranger to the award having won it in 2003, 2006 and 2008.

WBA-WBO lightweight titlist Marquez, beaten by Mayweather last year, and former 135 lb titlist Juan Diaz will share the Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier award for Fight of the Year.

Krista Ranillo to watch Manny-Clottey fight?

Friday, January 29, 2010

source: mb.com.ph



“Definitely, no.”

This was Krista Ranillo’s answer to speculations that she fled to the United States via PAL PR 102 on Jan. 23 so she could watch Manny Pacquiao’s fight with Joshua Clottey on March 13.

The sexy actress cleared that she went there to visit her sister who will undergo surgery for her cleft palate condition.

“I’m just gonna leave to see my family. I’ll be back soon,” she said on “Showbiz Central.”

Mommy D: from dancer to singer

Mommy Dionisia Pacquiao is set to invade another stage: the concert stage.

Aside from being a ballroom dancer and a natural comedienne, Mommy D will show off her singing skills via a show with her idol, jukebox icon Imelda Papin.

Prior to that, the two already had their recording session in the States.

“Masaya [ako kasi] nagre-recording kami ni Imelda Papin. Matagal ko nang pangarap. Akala ko [pa nung una] wala na siya sa mundo. First time kong nag-recording sa Amerika,” she said on the “Don’t Lie to Me” segment of “Showbiz Central.”

Their concert is set for Jan. 30 at the Aliw Theater.

Kris’ sis defends the Austrias

Pinky Aquino-Abellada, elder sister of Queen of All Media Kris Aquino, clarified that the Austria family did not grant an interview to the media regarding Kris’ rumored altercation with one of their family members, Mayen.

“That’s so unfair. I understand ‘yung family nung girl [Mayen] hindi sila nagpa-interview, may nag-leak. So foul ‘yun. [May nagsabi sa akin] na ‘di [sila] nagpa-interview. So ‘yun ang hindi maganda dito, ‘yung private thing ginagamit ng ibang tao,” she told “Showbiz Central.”

Pacquiao vs Clottey: Set Up OR Sacrificial Lamb?

Thursday, January 28, 2010

source: eastsideboxing.com

By P.H. Burbridge - The events of the last few weeks have left a lot of us wavering between frustrated to disillusioned to down right angry to hopeful. The fight we all wanted to see that once seemed just within our grasp was violently snatched away creating a void and also sparking the most hotly debated issue we’ve seen in a while. In the fall out two very distinct groups have emerged, the believers and the non-believers. Some have chosen to stand by Pacquiao and point to various scenarios while rationalizing his decision not to acquiesce while others view his refusal as absolute “proof” that he’s hiding something. The only people who know for certain what the truth is are Manny and his inner circle. Whatever the motivation we’ll all agree that some of us can accept it and others just can’t! So, regardless of which group you fit into it’s time to move on. At least, for now. There is some interest building for Manny’s March 13th title defense against former IBF welterweight champion Joshua Clottey (35-3, 20 KO’s) in Dallas, Texas but its hardly captured the fight worlds imagination. Perhaps another dose of HBO’s 24/7 will help convince some of us. Joshua Clottey is seen as one of those hard luck fighters who always seem just on the outside of the spotlight. He’s no slouch but he’s also not anybody’s secret weapon. We’ve seen him look good against decent fighters like Diego Corrales and Zab Judah but we’ve also been puzzled by his seeming inability to capitalize on opportunities against the likes of Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cotto. The old timers have a saying for fighters like Clottey, “He fights just hard enough to lose”. Everybody respects him because he’s likable and appears to have the required skill set to compete with anyone on any given night but he also has shown an inability to maintain a consistent attack at crucial moments in big fights. That’s what his history tells us and if you follow that line of thought then Joshua Clottey is the perfect opponent for Manny Pacquiao..

Especially now!

Once the Mayweather fight fell through Bob Arum needed a name fighter with decent credentials who he could easily and quickly deliver to Manny Pacquiao. He needed a man on short notice who would provide little to no resistance in negotiations.

Enter Joshua Clottey. A fighter who lost his last match against the man Manny Pacquiao just beat for the WBO welterweight title, Miguel Cotto. Clottey is someone who once showed great promise but who never made it to the next level. Clottey’s one loss away from boxing's point of no return where the names are referenced only in a “past” tense manner.

The boxing life cycle if you have a moderate level of success works as such, you go from being a hot prospect to a world champions to an ex-champion to a stepping stones in a blink of an eye in this sport. Some faster than others and for Joshua Clottey he might be cycling OUT!

On paper this seems like a safe fight for Manny because he has clear advantages in speed and pedigree. The size edge goes to Clottey but Joshua often time gives up his height so don’t expect that to be a major factor. Clottey is a snappy puncher but by no means a devastating puncher and being that Pacquiao has an excellent chin I don’t see any real danger here. The big problem for Clottey is that he often falls asleep at the wheel by doing more looking and blocking than punching and scoring. His punch out put goes from strong in one round to infantile in the next. This inconsistency has defined his career as much as his flashes of excellence. His stamina has also been questioned because his punch output drops significantly late in fights. Although he never appears outwardly tired his lack of aggression and lackadaisical manner suggests fatigue. This adds to his value as an opponent when you consider that Pacquiao appears to get stronger as fights wear on.

Joshua Clottey was chosen because he has acceptable credentials and everybody knows that the Mayweather fight is still just down the road. All they needed was a safe opponent so they could pivot out of this whole “I want your blood” controversy. In my opinion, they wouldn’t take an opponent they weren’t absolutely 100% convinced they couldn’t beat. That’s how this works and Manny isn’t the first to do it and he won’t be the last. Give the general public the “impression” that you’re taking on a serious challenger without putting yourself in too much jeopardy. Don’t worry Mayweather fans. Floyd will be doing exactly the same damn thing!

Both guys are taking “holding pattern” fights. It’s the business of big time boxing.

But, that doesn’t mean we wont be entertained by these fights. Manny’s fight with Clottey does offer some interesting possibilities.

Is it possible for Clottey to pull off an upset here at 32 years of age and emerge as a top ten P4P fighter? Sure but its HIGHLY unlikely. Manny appears to have too much of everything to create any real drama here and if he sticks to his normal in and out tactics he should be able to win a comfortable decision. I don’t see a knockout for either guy and my only concern for Pacquiao would be from a potential (and likely) head butt which seems to have become a staple of Joshua’s recent attacks. Could Manny lose this fight by his own hands? Yeah, he could if he goes for the knockout as Freddie Roach has hinted to in the press recently but, again he’s got a good set of whiskers and we haven’t seen anything in his recent history to suggest that he’s vulnerable in anyway. Plus Roach has a history of saying things in the press just to build fan interest. He’s too smart to tell us what he really has planned.

But, that doesn’t mean there aren’t any scenarios for Clottey to achieve some measure of success. There are!

Clottey when he’s aggressive looks quite formidable and has an excellent jab when he uses it. IF he commits to the jab he has a chance here because he does have excellent defense and could conceivably frustrate Pacquiao by making him reach for his body while timing him with the jab and hitting Manny on the way out. Don’t underestimate a reach advantage. Yes, boxing is about timing but there’s a lot to say for a reach advantage and finding your range too. Clottey’s defense will at times create problems for Pacquiao like it did for Margarito, Corrales, Judah and Cotto. It forces fighters to aim for a very small target between his elbows and his flanks. This is a designed tactic to make opponents focus on a lower target so he can land his shots to the head. Ike Quartey was excellent at using this very same tactic. When Clottey gets his opponents to commit to those shots he unloads his half hooks - half uppercuts. Those are his most effective punches and he gets tremendous leverage on those shots when he’s moving forward. Pacquiao will have to be on high alert for that sequence and will no doubt move in and out of range accordingly. If Manny can manage that sequence then he’ll be just fine but if he has trouble shutting it down or getting out of range then you’re going to see him take some shots and that could be interesting.

Manny as he showed in the Cotto fight can be hit by the jab and he has also shown some lapses in his defense. He’s proven that he can take a good shot but what we learned in the Cotto fight is that his face starts to come apart a little. This is what you would expect from a fighter moving up in weight. The opponents punch harder so more damage is done by fewer shots. Pacquiao, although he beat Cotto in spectacular fashion left that fight with some significant abrasions to his face and his right ear. The ear damage was caused by Cotto’s left hook and an injury like that should it reoccur could potentially cause issues with his equilibrium.

Clottey will test that theory in their fight BUT it’s still a long shot.

If Clottey can replicate or create a similar level of damage and impose not so much his punching power but his overall physical strength then MAYBE he can wear Pacquiao down on his way to a TKO stoppage. (And that’s a big “MAYBE”) That’s really his best chance at winning. This is a Top Rank Promoted event in TEXAS where questionable judgments are not some distant memory so Clottey will need to take matters into his own hands to a large degree. If he can disrupt Manny’s timing and force him into a close quarters battle then his chances of wining increase significantly.

Roach knows this. Clottey, unlike Miguel Cotto has absolute confidence in his chin and will accommodate Pacquiao if he steps inside to brawl. Where Miguel ran away from Manny Joshua will run AT Manny. Again, I think Manny is too smart to engage this way and seriously doubt Roach would allow him to so get ready for a lot of spinning out of range. In this case, that’s absolutely the correct tactic. Although Joshua is not be as hard of a puncher as Miguel Cotto he does give out a more durable vibe which could give the overall impression that Pacquiao isn’t hurting him which might prompt Manny to stay in Clottey’s punching range in attempt to hurt him. That could be a mistake and Roach will work hard to keep him focused on fighting his normal fight at his normal pace. Don’t be a tough guy and don’t get discouraged especially if Manny’s not hurting Clottey. Just stay focused on landing volume shots and winning rounds.

For Clottey, he must do something he’s always had difficulty doing in big fights and that’s answer back! HE MUST ANSWER BACK!!

He can’t get into his usual head shaking “you didn’t hurt me” mode because the rounds will start whisking by and the next thing he’ll know it will be the 9th round and he’ll find himself in a serious hole on the score cards. He MUST increase his punch output and give the overall impression that HE’s forcing the action.

If he doesn’t establish that early and I do mean EARLY in the first 3 rounds then expect this to turn into a glorified sparring session for Pacquiao.

If Clottey fights like he’s just happy to be there rather than with the aggression he keeps promising then AFTER this fight you’ll know exactly what stage of the boxing life cycle you can find him.

STEPPING STONE…

Pacman tickets sold out

Monday, January 25, 2010



Pacman tickets sold out

source: abscbn

MANILA, Philippines - They’re selling like hotcakes and Manny Pacquiao hasn’t placed his orders yet.

Tickets to the March 13 fight between the Filipino pound-for-pound champion and challenger Josh Clottey are out, and with still 50 days left before the big day, promoters might be forced to have a few thousands more printed.

According to ESPN.com, more than 20,000 tickets were sold in the first three hours of sales Saturday. Because of the size of the venue, tickets prices were slashed more than half of what they used to be for Pacquiao fights.

The Dallas Cowboys Stadium, a $1.3 billion wonder, can seat more than 100,000 fans for a football game. But for this fight, the men behind the fight have decided to block off the outer sections and limit the capacity to around 40,000.

Still, that’s more than twice as big as when Pacquiao fights in Las Vegas, whether it’s the MGM Grand or the Mandalay Bay, where ringside tickets are given a face value of $1,500. In Dallas, the choice seats will go for just $700.

The cheapest tickets for this WBO welterweight clash will go for $50, just the equivalent of dinner and good bottle of wine in a nice restaurant. In previous Pacquiao fights, fifty bucks can’t even get you past the entrance of the fight venue.

“Ross Greenburg (president of HBO Sports) and I are very gratified that the public has responded like they have, and we are happy for our partner (Cowboys owner) Jerry Jones,” Top Rank chief Bob Arum told Dan Rafael in New York Saturday.

Arum was at the Madison Square Garden for his own boxing card. He added that if the demand continues, then the stadium’s capacity can be increased. Pacquiao fights over the last two to three years were always sold out.

“It’s going to be quite a night. And Jerry isn’t just a one-event guy. If he sees this as a success you can be sure he’ll do more boxing in that great stadium,” added Arum.

By the time Pacquiao places his orders, promoters might just consider that because the 31-year-old punching machine, winner of his last 11 fights, is also known for his legendary generosity when it comes to giving away tickets.

For the Miguel Cotto fight last November, insiders said he spent more than $300,000 buying more than 800 tickets for family and friends. That’s more than two percent of his guaranteed purse. But he loves what he’s doing.

“It’s my way of thanking these people who continue to support me,” he’d often say.

Pacquiao vs. Clottey prediction

Sunday, January 24, 2010

source: boxingnews24.com
Pacquiao vs. Clottey prediction: Look for Joshua to shock the world by stopping Manny


By Esteban Garduno: I hate to say this but I think Manny Pacquiao has finally met his match against 32-year-old Joshua Clottey. This is a case of Pacquiao facing someone too big, too strong and too skilled defensively for him to win. Think of Clottey as tank with heavy armor and Pacquiao as an infantry soldier with rifle, a knife and a shovel. With those crude tools, there’s no way that a soldier is going to be able to get through the armor of that tank without the use of a mine or rocket propelled firing weapon.

Okay, so Pacquiao isn’t going to have any of those tools on March 13th with him when he enters the ring against the tank-like Clottey, and this fight is going to quickly result in a massive route of epic proportions. I don’t know why, but this fight makes me think of the Napoleon’s last battle in Waterloo.

Clottey may be a beatable fighter against tough welterweights like Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito. The reason those guys were able to beat Clottey is because they knew how to get to his soft underbelly and beat him by out-working him with a massive amount of punches. In doing so, Cotto and Margarito took an enormous amount of punishment from Clottey in beating him.

Margarito’s face was a blood red by the time the fight ended from all of Clottey’s shots he hit him with, and Cotto’s face was a bloody mess from the punches he took from Clottey. In both cases, Margarito and Cotto had to pool every ounce of energy they had in their bodies to beat Clottey. It wasn’t easy but they got the win. But I think Pacquiao’s small body won’t be able to hold up under the heavy fire from Clottey and I see a break down occurring.

In moving up weight to take on bigger and bigger fighters, Pacquiao has pressed his body to the upper limits of what it’s capable of in beating Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Cotto. He’s done a remarkable job with beating these bigger fighters. But I think Pacquiao is going to enter into his equivalent of a Waterloo in facing Clottey and will find himself being beaten back by Clottey’s powerful armament.

Here’s how I see the Pacquiao-Clottey fight going:

Pacquiao’s shots will bounce off the gloves and the hard head of Clottey without making a dent. If anything, I see Clottey smiling though his gloves at Pacquiao after being hit with his shots, letting him know that he’s not affected by his shots. In the meantime, Clottey will continue to walk Pacquiao down and rain hooks and right hands on Pacquiao.

I see this fight getting quickly out of hand early on after Pacquiao sees that his punches have no effect on Clottey. I’d say by the 3rd or 4th round, Clottey will start softening Pacquiao up with laser right hands to the head that will have Pacquiao face starting to bruise and turn red. Freddie Roach, Pacquiao’s trainer, will frantically bark at him telling him to stay away from Clottey’s massive power shots.

But instead of playing it safe on the outside, Pacquiao will tempt fate by going straight into the teeth of Clottey’s offense and find himself taking withering fire from all angles from the bigger and stronger Clottey. Things will quickly get out of hand at that point with Clottey backing a now retreating Pacquiao across the ring hammering him with shot after shot to the head.

I see Roach losing his senses completely as he rapidly spits out useless directions in rapid fire succession that Pacquiao won’t hear because of the screaming from the thousands of fans in the Dallas Cowboy stadium. What was thought to be a good thing by crowding a 65,000 backsides into the stadium will work against Pacquiao and Roach, because Pacquiao won’t be able to hear Roach’s priceless pearls of wisdom, such as ‘cover up’ and ‘get out of there’.

It will be no use. Clottey, sensing that he has a weakened prey, will pounce on Pacquiao and batter him to pieces with one huge shot after another as Pacquiao tried to cover against the ropes. Finally, after Clottey lands a finishing left hook to the head, it will send Pacquiao down on the canvas where he will quickly be counted out by the referee.

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  100. RT @amFIX: "Are you looking for loved ones in Haiti?" - http://bit.ly/6KAzmZ
  101. Pres. Obama plans could hinge on Senate race. http://bit.ly/6YXAmZ
  102. RT @Soledad_OBrien: http://twitpic.com/yrh0f - In the midst of the chaos, caught a ride with Vin Diesel.
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Estrada gets laughs, Teodoro, the ladies

Saturday, January 23, 2010

source: inquirer.net

CEBU CITY— Deposed President Joseph Estrada elicited the most laughs. Sen. Benigno Aquino III surprised with his eloquence. Senators Manuel Villar and Richard Gordon trumpeted their track records. Former Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro drew the most cheers from the women. And evangelist Eddie Villanueva said he was not beholden to anyone.

This was how six presidential candidates performed at a presidential forum, “Choices and Voices for 2010: An Encounter with the Presidentiables,” held Friday at the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) in Mandaue City.

The candidates tried to get on the good side of the Cebuanos, praising them for their fearlessness and entrepreneurial skills.

The Cebuanos responded with applause ranging from enthusiastic to polite.

Estrada elicited the most laughter when he asked moderator Bunny Pages that his “jingle” should not be taken out of his 3 minutes.

Estrada used up 1 minute and 30 seconds greeting the organizers and the sponsors. By the time he got around to answering the question, “Why should Cebuanos vote for you,” he had only 9 seconds left.

The audience was also amused when, asked how he proposed to end corruption in the country, Estrada quipped, “I’ve been there.”

Aquino surprised the audience with his eloquence, speaking smoothly without any awkward poses whenever he responded to a question.

A liberated zone

Villar and Gordon stressed their track records, while Aquino said he was one who kept his word no matter what.

Aquino also recalled his first visit to Cebu after the assassination of his father, Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr.

“It seemed fear did not exist (in Cebu). Even if it was still martial law, I felt that the whole of Cebu was already a liberated zone,” he said.

He was warmly applauded when he thanked the Cebuanos for keeping his mother, President Corazon Aquino, “safe in 1986.”

Jesus Is Lord Movement founder Villanueva pointed out that his party, the Bangon Bagong Pilipinas, was the only party not beholden to any political, business

or foreign power.

Teodoro, wearing a dark jacket over denim pants, was the obvious favorite of the women.

The audience also broke into enthusiastic applause when Teodoro said Cebu was a model for the rest of the country.

Teodoro wins mock polls

It was also Teodoro who came out the winner in the mock polls conducted at the forum.

Out of 935 votes cast, Teodoro got 456, Aquino a far second with 296, followed by Villar (88), Gordon (45), Villanueva (29), Estrada (19) and Perlas (2).

It was noted, however, that Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, a Teodoro supporter, had brought with her the administration mayors, their relatives and staff who vastly outnumbered the crowd brought by Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes.

Only those inside the plenary hall where the forum was held were allowed to vote in the mock polls.

Cebu Business Club president Gordon Alan Joseph and Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Eric Ng Mendoza said they were impressed with the way Gordon and Teodoro had answered the questions.

Still ‘great hope’

But Mendoza said he still felt that Aquino was “the great hope” of the country.

Both said they were “confused” about who to vote for.

The candidates entered the CICC plenary hall at the same time at exactly 4:30 p.m., followed by their entourages. Some were accompanied by their senatorial candidates.

Some 2,000 people filled the plenary hall, while another 1,500, made up mostly of the candidates’ supporters, were gathered at the summit hall where a video screen had been set up to allow them to watch the proceedings.

The forum was jointly organized by the province’s three major business chambers—the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI), the Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) and the Cebu Business Club (CBC)—and the Aboitiz Equity Ventures and the Visayan Electric Company (Veco).

With reports from Dale Israel and Aileen Garcia-Yap, Cebu Daily News

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