MANILA, Philippines – A British newspaper has named Manny Pacquiao as the world’s top pound-for-pound fighter, beating nine other boxers and mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters.
To shed light on the issue, The Sun compiled a list of who they think deserve to be called “Top 10 fighters."
Pacquiao beat the already retired Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Anderson Silva, who is still undefeated and the reigning middleweight champion in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in a poll made by The Sun from both boxing and MMA fans.
Pacquiao earned the status after an eight-round demolition of Oscar De La Hoya in their “Dream Match" last December 7 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. He forced the Golden Boy to call it quits as the ninth round is about to start.
The Filipino boxing icon, who is celebrating his 30th birthday Wednesday, has only lost three times in his 53 fights where he won 48 times with 36 by way of knock out. He was twice held to a draw by Juan Manuel Marquez and Agapito Sanchez.
Mayweather, who is aiming to come out of retirement to fight Pacquiao, placed second while Silva placed third. BJ Penn, another MMA fighter who was the first non-Brazilian gold medalist in the Mundial World Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Championship came in fourth.
Marquez placed fifth and is challenging Pacquiao for a rematch after losing by split decision in their fight last March.
Rounding up the Top 10 pound-for-pound list are UFC’s Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (no.6) and Georges St. Pierre (no.7), light heavyweight Ring champion Joe Calzaghe (no.8), reigning World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight champion Antonio Margarito (no.9) and World Extreme Cagefighting bantamweight champion Miguel Torres.
Meanwhile, the World Boxing Council (WBC) – one of the largest boxing organizations in the world – also gave Pacquiao a grand recognition by naming him as “World Boxer of the Year."
A separate online survey made by ESPN Sports also showed Pacquiao as the fourth most favorite sports hero.
Pacquiao, in an interview with 24Oras, and his promoter Bob Arum were elated by the results. The ring icon, however, humbly said he does not want such recognition to get into his head. “Ayokong isipin yan, pasalamatan natin lagi ang Panginoon dahil sa kanya lahat ito (I don’t want to think about it. Let us just thank the Lord because these are all his)." – With Aie Balagtas See, GMANews.TV
Source: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/139938/British-paper-names-Pacquiao-as-world%E2%80%99s-top-fighter
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Showing posts with label The Dream Match. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Dream Match. Show all posts
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Pacquiao sheds tears in his thanksgiving Mass
MANILA, Philippines — The world’s pound-for-pound king Emmanuel “Manny" Pacquiao on Wednesday shed tears upon hearing that God heard his prayers during a thanksgiving Mass held for his 30th birthday.
QTV’s Balitanghali’s JP Soriano reported that Pacquiao was unable to hold back his tears when the priest celebrating the Mass explained in his homily how Pacquiao’s victory made him cry.
“Pinipigilan kong maiyak. Naiyak ako kanina kasi totoo ‘yung mga sabi ng pari na hindi dahil sa magaling ako, nanalo ako hindi dahil sa masipag akong mag ensayo, nanalo ako dahil napakinggan ng mahal ng Panginoon yung dasal ko (I was trying to hold back my tears from falling. I cried because what the priest said was true. I did not win because I am a great fighter, not because I train hard. I won because God always listens to my prayer)," Pacquiao said after the Mass.
The prelate also thanked him for the honor he brought to the country.
The Mass was held at Our Lady of Good Voyage Parish in Pacquiao’s hometown in General Santos City. During the Mass, he was accompanied by his mother - Aling Dionisia - and his supporters and well-wishers.
Right after the Mass, Pacquiao proceeded to Malungon, Sarangani to join his relatives and friends for lunch.
The report also said that it was "all systems" go for the grand birthday celebration Pacquiao.
The party would be held Wednesday evening at the convention center of KCC Mall – the largest in General Santos City.
About 1,500 people including President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Top Rank Promotions chief executive officer Bob Arum are expected to attend his “strictly invitational" Las Vegas themed birthday bash.
Pacquiao’s coach Freddie Roach and his defeated opponents Marco Antonio Barrera and David Diaz were also reportedly attending the celebration.
The Filipino boxing icon recently routed Golden Boy Oscar de la Hoya in their much-touted "Dream Match" in Las Vegas last December 6. Dela Hoya was reportedly invited to the birthday party but could not make it. - Aie Balagtas See, GMANews.TV
Source: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/139910/Pacquiao-sheds-tears-in-his-thanksgiving-Mass
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QTV’s Balitanghali’s JP Soriano reported that Pacquiao was unable to hold back his tears when the priest celebrating the Mass explained in his homily how Pacquiao’s victory made him cry.
“Pinipigilan kong maiyak. Naiyak ako kanina kasi totoo ‘yung mga sabi ng pari na hindi dahil sa magaling ako, nanalo ako hindi dahil sa masipag akong mag ensayo, nanalo ako dahil napakinggan ng mahal ng Panginoon yung dasal ko (I was trying to hold back my tears from falling. I cried because what the priest said was true. I did not win because I am a great fighter, not because I train hard. I won because God always listens to my prayer)," Pacquiao said after the Mass.
The prelate also thanked him for the honor he brought to the country.
The Mass was held at Our Lady of Good Voyage Parish in Pacquiao’s hometown in General Santos City. During the Mass, he was accompanied by his mother - Aling Dionisia - and his supporters and well-wishers.
Right after the Mass, Pacquiao proceeded to Malungon, Sarangani to join his relatives and friends for lunch.
The report also said that it was "all systems" go for the grand birthday celebration Pacquiao.
The party would be held Wednesday evening at the convention center of KCC Mall – the largest in General Santos City.
About 1,500 people including President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Top Rank Promotions chief executive officer Bob Arum are expected to attend his “strictly invitational" Las Vegas themed birthday bash.
Pacquiao’s coach Freddie Roach and his defeated opponents Marco Antonio Barrera and David Diaz were also reportedly attending the celebration.
The Filipino boxing icon recently routed Golden Boy Oscar de la Hoya in their much-touted "Dream Match" in Las Vegas last December 6. Dela Hoya was reportedly invited to the birthday party but could not make it. - Aie Balagtas See, GMANews.TV
Source: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/139910/Pacquiao-sheds-tears-in-his-thanksgiving-Mass
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Pacquiao pumped up for Las Vegas-themed bday bash
MANILA, Philippines – Filipino boxing champion Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao is excited for his 30th birthday celebration Wednesday evening, a radio report said.
A report over dzBB said Pacquiao started the day by attending a Mass at the Our Lady of Good Voyage in his hometown, General Santos City. The report said Pacquiao was also greeted by well-wishers in his mansion.
The pound-for-pound king’s Las Vegas-themed birthday bash will be attended by bigwigs in politics and boxing, including President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Top Rank Promotions chief executive officer Bob Arum.
Top Rank is Pacquiao’s promoter.
Pacquiao’s coach Freddie Roach and his defeated opponents Marco Antonio Barrera and David Diaz were also reportedly attending the celebration.
Pacquiao’s “strictly invitational” birthday party will be held at the convention center of KCC Mall – the biggest mall in General Santos City.
Some 1,500 top personalities from show business, politics and the boxing world have been invited to the party, organizers earlier said.
The Filipino boxing icon recently routed Golden Boy Oscar de la Hoya in their much-touted "Dream Match" in Las Vegas, USA last December 6. Dela Hoya was reportedly invited to the birthday party but could not make it. - Sophia Dedace, GMANews.TV
Source: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/139894/Pacquiao-pumped-up-for-Las-Vegas-themed-bday-bash
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A report over dzBB said Pacquiao started the day by attending a Mass at the Our Lady of Good Voyage in his hometown, General Santos City. The report said Pacquiao was also greeted by well-wishers in his mansion.
The pound-for-pound king’s Las Vegas-themed birthday bash will be attended by bigwigs in politics and boxing, including President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Top Rank Promotions chief executive officer Bob Arum.
Top Rank is Pacquiao’s promoter.
Pacquiao’s coach Freddie Roach and his defeated opponents Marco Antonio Barrera and David Diaz were also reportedly attending the celebration.
Pacquiao’s “strictly invitational” birthday party will be held at the convention center of KCC Mall – the biggest mall in General Santos City.
Some 1,500 top personalities from show business, politics and the boxing world have been invited to the party, organizers earlier said.
The Filipino boxing icon recently routed Golden Boy Oscar de la Hoya in their much-touted "Dream Match" in Las Vegas, USA last December 6. Dela Hoya was reportedly invited to the birthday party but could not make it. - Sophia Dedace, GMANews.TV
Source: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/139894/Pacquiao-pumped-up-for-Las-Vegas-themed-bday-bash
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Friday, December 12, 2008
'Dream' 2008's richest; Pacquiao earns P548M
NEW YORK - Boxing and the economy may both be struggling, but Oscar De La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao proved the biggest fights can still create a buzz.
Pacquiao's complete domination of De La Hoya last Sunday at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas generated about 1.25 million pay-per-view buys, according to numbers released by HBO on Wednesday. It's only the fourth time a non-heavyweight bout in the US reached at least one million, and De La Hoya has been involved in all of them.
The pay-per-view take generated about $70 million in revenue, HBO said, making it the most successful pay-per-view event in 2008.
Of that amount, HBO will get half the earnings and the other half will be split between Pacquiao and De La Hoya based on the estimated 30-70 split they had earlier agreed on. Pacquiao’s cut was pegged at least 32 percent.
That means Pacquiao will get an estimated gross amount worth $11.2 million or P548.8 million.
As stipulated in his contract, Pacquiao was guaranteed $11 million to fight De La Hoya. GMANews.TV learned that Pacquiao would only get the higher amount between the guaranteed clause and the PPV earnings, and not both.
"When it's all counted up, it will end up at 1.35 or 1.4 million [subscriptions]," Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank told ESPN.com’s Dan Rafael.
Rafael’s report noted that Pacquiao’s previous pay-per-view high was 405,000 buys registered in the Juan Manuel Marquez rematch last April.
De La Hoya owns the top four non-heavyweight pay-per-view earnings. Only his showdown with Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2007 (2.4 million buys) and a 1999 match versus Felix Trinidad (1.4 million) were higher than the weekend match.
"In this economy, our expectations were appropriately tempered," Mark Taffet, in-charge of HBO pay-per-view, also said on the ESPN report. “But 1.25 million buys shows tremendous support from boxing fans all across the country and reinforces the importance of continuing to present the biggest and best fights the sports has to offer."
The MGM Grand Garden was packed, with an announced attendance of just over 15,000.
Considered the top pound-for-pound boxer and a hero in his native Philippines, Pacquiao (48-3-2, 36 KOs) moved up two weight divisions to fight at welterweight. The one-sided bout was stopped after the eighth round when, with the fighter bruised and swollen, De La Hoya's corner threw in the towel. - AP, with GMANews.TV
Source: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/138745/Dream-2008s-richest-Pacquiao-earns-P548M
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Pacquiao's complete domination of De La Hoya last Sunday at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas generated about 1.25 million pay-per-view buys, according to numbers released by HBO on Wednesday. It's only the fourth time a non-heavyweight bout in the US reached at least one million, and De La Hoya has been involved in all of them.
The pay-per-view take generated about $70 million in revenue, HBO said, making it the most successful pay-per-view event in 2008.
Of that amount, HBO will get half the earnings and the other half will be split between Pacquiao and De La Hoya based on the estimated 30-70 split they had earlier agreed on. Pacquiao’s cut was pegged at least 32 percent.
That means Pacquiao will get an estimated gross amount worth $11.2 million or P548.8 million.
As stipulated in his contract, Pacquiao was guaranteed $11 million to fight De La Hoya. GMANews.TV learned that Pacquiao would only get the higher amount between the guaranteed clause and the PPV earnings, and not both.
"When it's all counted up, it will end up at 1.35 or 1.4 million [subscriptions]," Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank told ESPN.com’s Dan Rafael.
Rafael’s report noted that Pacquiao’s previous pay-per-view high was 405,000 buys registered in the Juan Manuel Marquez rematch last April.
De La Hoya owns the top four non-heavyweight pay-per-view earnings. Only his showdown with Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2007 (2.4 million buys) and a 1999 match versus Felix Trinidad (1.4 million) were higher than the weekend match.
"In this economy, our expectations were appropriately tempered," Mark Taffet, in-charge of HBO pay-per-view, also said on the ESPN report. “But 1.25 million buys shows tremendous support from boxing fans all across the country and reinforces the importance of continuing to present the biggest and best fights the sports has to offer."
The MGM Grand Garden was packed, with an announced attendance of just over 15,000.
Considered the top pound-for-pound boxer and a hero in his native Philippines, Pacquiao (48-3-2, 36 KOs) moved up two weight divisions to fight at welterweight. The one-sided bout was stopped after the eighth round when, with the fighter bruised and swollen, De La Hoya's corner threw in the towel. - AP, with GMANews.TV
Source: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/138745/Dream-2008s-richest-Pacquiao-earns-P548M
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Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Pacquiao-De la Hoya fight highlights
For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV"
Source: http://www.gmanews.tv/video/32876/Pacquiao-De-la-Hoya-fight-highlights
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Shutting the critics: Roach grades Pacquiao 'A-plus' for work vs de la Hoya
MANILA, Philippines - If this was school, Manny Pacquiao would be consistently on the dean's list.
Because after his brutal schooling of Oscar de la Hoya on Sunday, Pacquiao's long-time teacher is giving him another high grade.
Coach Freddie Roach was clearly satisfied with the way Pacquiao executed their game plan which resulted in an eight-round, technical-knockout victory over de la Hoya.
Asked to rate his student's performance, Roach said Pacquiao deserved an "A plus".
"Manny went out there and fought the fight we were supposed to fight," said Roach, who stressed during training camp the need for Pacquiao "to fight the perfect fight" against de la Hoya.
At 35 years old and with his better days behind him, de la Hoya was a step behind Pacquiao throughout the contest.
Needing to trim down to 147 pounds for the first time in seven years, the naturally bigger de la Hoya remained a heavy pick to roll past Pacquiao.
But Pacquiao, despite jumping 12 pounds higher in the last six months, used his vaunted speed and maintained his power to give de la Hoya his worst beating in his career.
Roach also previously gave Pacquiao high marks in his matches against David Diaz (last June) and the first time he fought Marco Antonio Barerra (2003).
"He (de la Hoya) got older overnight and looked like he could not pull the trigger. I think Manny had a lot to do with that," Roach said.
"He was flawless in his in-and-out motion. When he's on his toes, he is going in and out like that, you know where he's coming and going. He darts in so fast and it's hard for anybody to deal with it, but it was really hard for Oscar because he was very slow," the Hall of Fame trainer added.
Despite being confident about his chances - and bordering on cocky on more than a few occasions - Roach admitted he had his anxieties too, facing de la Hoya, a 10-time world champion and an Olympic.
"I had sleepless nights and that’s why I’m tired right now. I thought maybe I bit off more than I could chew. Maybe I'm wrong," Roach went on.
"Then I couldn't sleep at night thinking about the fight, but I told myself that my guy is faster and he (Oscar) has trouble with southpaws and Manny's on top of his game and by the time I went to bed, I had Manny winning again," he added.
But the moment the bell rang for the opening round and Pacquiao began hitting de la Hoya with those bombing left straights, Roach knew the fight was Pacquiao's.
"Oscar was hesitant all night long," he recalled.
Winning against a legend like de la Hoya ranks among Roach's best works. But defying the odds is the one that gives him the most satisfaction.
"You know what, my favorite thing is to all those people who said we can’t do it, I just want to smile at them because that says it all." - GMANews.TV
Source: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/138074/Shutting-the-critics-Roach-grades-Pacquiao-A-plus-for-work-vs-de-la-Hoya
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Because after his brutal schooling of Oscar de la Hoya on Sunday, Pacquiao's long-time teacher is giving him another high grade.
Coach Freddie Roach was clearly satisfied with the way Pacquiao executed their game plan which resulted in an eight-round, technical-knockout victory over de la Hoya.
Asked to rate his student's performance, Roach said Pacquiao deserved an "A plus".
"Manny went out there and fought the fight we were supposed to fight," said Roach, who stressed during training camp the need for Pacquiao "to fight the perfect fight" against de la Hoya.
At 35 years old and with his better days behind him, de la Hoya was a step behind Pacquiao throughout the contest.
Needing to trim down to 147 pounds for the first time in seven years, the naturally bigger de la Hoya remained a heavy pick to roll past Pacquiao.
But Pacquiao, despite jumping 12 pounds higher in the last six months, used his vaunted speed and maintained his power to give de la Hoya his worst beating in his career.
Roach also previously gave Pacquiao high marks in his matches against David Diaz (last June) and the first time he fought Marco Antonio Barerra (2003).
"He (de la Hoya) got older overnight and looked like he could not pull the trigger. I think Manny had a lot to do with that," Roach said.
"He was flawless in his in-and-out motion. When he's on his toes, he is going in and out like that, you know where he's coming and going. He darts in so fast and it's hard for anybody to deal with it, but it was really hard for Oscar because he was very slow," the Hall of Fame trainer added.
Despite being confident about his chances - and bordering on cocky on more than a few occasions - Roach admitted he had his anxieties too, facing de la Hoya, a 10-time world champion and an Olympic.
"I had sleepless nights and that’s why I’m tired right now. I thought maybe I bit off more than I could chew. Maybe I'm wrong," Roach went on.
"Then I couldn't sleep at night thinking about the fight, but I told myself that my guy is faster and he (Oscar) has trouble with southpaws and Manny's on top of his game and by the time I went to bed, I had Manny winning again," he added.
But the moment the bell rang for the opening round and Pacquiao began hitting de la Hoya with those bombing left straights, Roach knew the fight was Pacquiao's.
"Oscar was hesitant all night long," he recalled.
Winning against a legend like de la Hoya ranks among Roach's best works. But defying the odds is the one that gives him the most satisfaction.
"You know what, my favorite thing is to all those people who said we can’t do it, I just want to smile at them because that says it all." - GMANews.TV
Source: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/138074/Shutting-the-critics-Roach-grades-Pacquiao-A-plus-for-work-vs-de-la-Hoya
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Pacquiao wants a breather; no fights until June
MANILA, Philippines - Three fights. Three wins. Two championships. One legend downed.
Nobody can blame Manny Pacquiao if he decides to rest on his laurels.
After his eight-round demolition of Oscar de la Hoya on Sunday, Pacquiao looks to have an extended break and doesn't see himself getting back in the ring until middle of next year.
"Let's see if we can do it again may be May or June?" Pacquiao told reporters while he was signing autographs on Sunday just outside the press room of the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas.
For the fight with de la Hoya, Pacquiao trained for nine weeks, the longest he had in training camp.
He fought Juan Manuel Marquez and David Diaz in two title fights in a span of three months between April and June. In each of his meetings with Marquez, Diaz and de la Hoya, Pacquiao needed to go up in weight.
Trainer Freddie Roach, who admitted to also being exhausted, said he and Pacquiao both needed the rest.
"With Christmas coming up and his birthday party and he's going to have a baby soon," Roach said, "We'll need six months to rest before we start training again."
As who the next guy will be on line, Roach said it’s a toss up between hard-hitting Ricky Hatton and Floyd Mayweather Jr., the acknowledged pound-for-pound king before he retired recently.
Given a choice, Roach admitted he was leaning toward the latter.
"Hatton is the best fight out there for us right now, money-wise, style-wise. He's a hard guy. He likes to fight. It would be a very interesting fight. I think the world would love to see that and Manny has been always wants to give the world what they want," he said.
Then again, Roach pointed out he’s not the one to decide on it.
"A lot depends on what makes sense. The economy is bad right now and we can't wait too long because I want to see Manny fight Hatton and Mayweather and retire the greatest fighter of all time," Roach added.
But for now? "I just want to enjoy this for a while." - GMANews.TV
Source: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/138073/Pacquiao-wants-a-breather-no-fights-until-June
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Nobody can blame Manny Pacquiao if he decides to rest on his laurels.
After his eight-round demolition of Oscar de la Hoya on Sunday, Pacquiao looks to have an extended break and doesn't see himself getting back in the ring until middle of next year.
"Let's see if we can do it again may be May or June?" Pacquiao told reporters while he was signing autographs on Sunday just outside the press room of the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas.
For the fight with de la Hoya, Pacquiao trained for nine weeks, the longest he had in training camp.
He fought Juan Manuel Marquez and David Diaz in two title fights in a span of three months between April and June. In each of his meetings with Marquez, Diaz and de la Hoya, Pacquiao needed to go up in weight.
Trainer Freddie Roach, who admitted to also being exhausted, said he and Pacquiao both needed the rest.
"With Christmas coming up and his birthday party and he's going to have a baby soon," Roach said, "We'll need six months to rest before we start training again."
As who the next guy will be on line, Roach said it’s a toss up between hard-hitting Ricky Hatton and Floyd Mayweather Jr., the acknowledged pound-for-pound king before he retired recently.
Given a choice, Roach admitted he was leaning toward the latter.
"Hatton is the best fight out there for us right now, money-wise, style-wise. He's a hard guy. He likes to fight. It would be a very interesting fight. I think the world would love to see that and Manny has been always wants to give the world what they want," he said.
Then again, Roach pointed out he’s not the one to decide on it.
"A lot depends on what makes sense. The economy is bad right now and we can't wait too long because I want to see Manny fight Hatton and Mayweather and retire the greatest fighter of all time," Roach added.
But for now? "I just want to enjoy this for a while." - GMANews.TV
Source: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/138073/Pacquiao-wants-a-breather-no-fights-until-June
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Pacquiao: ‘It ain’t over yet, folks, more fights to come’
MANILA, Philippines - Fresh from his historic win over legendary Oscar de la Hoya, the world's pound-for-pound king Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao made this assurance Sunday: “It ain’t over yet, folks, I’m still up for a few more bouts."
GMA-7's Showbiz Central asked Pacquiao if his fight against De la Hoya would his last, and the 29-year-old boxing icon was quick to clarify: “May mga ilang laban pa (There are still more fights)."
Pacquiao, however, did not name his next opponent. For now, he said, he wants to enjoy his victory with his family, loved ones and countrymen.
Last September, Pacquiao’s business manager Eric Pineda said that Pacquiao is still good for a couple of fights. Pineda’s announcement came days after Pacman said he is set to retire by August next year.
Pineda said Pacquiao must face two of the world’s renowned boxers - Ricky Hatton on March or April 2009 and Floyd Mayweather, Jr. on July or August 2009 – regardless of the result of the Filipino boxing hero’s fight against De la Hoya.
Also last September, Pacquiao was officially sworn in as a member of the Kabalikat ng Mamamayang Pilipino (Kampi). Pacquiao said he plans to seek political office again in 2010. Kampi is the political party of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
Pacquiao ran but lost in the 2007 congressional elections.
During the interview, Pacquiao also thanked God for giving him strength to stand up against De la Hoya. He said the fight was not just for him but for the whole country as well.
Pacquiao plans to fly home Wednesday.- GMANews.TV
Source: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/138042/Pacquiao-It-aint-over-yet-folks-more-fights-to-come
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GMA-7's Showbiz Central asked Pacquiao if his fight against De la Hoya would his last, and the 29-year-old boxing icon was quick to clarify: “May mga ilang laban pa (There are still more fights)."
Pacquiao, however, did not name his next opponent. For now, he said, he wants to enjoy his victory with his family, loved ones and countrymen.
Last September, Pacquiao’s business manager Eric Pineda said that Pacquiao is still good for a couple of fights. Pineda’s announcement came days after Pacman said he is set to retire by August next year.
Pineda said Pacquiao must face two of the world’s renowned boxers - Ricky Hatton on March or April 2009 and Floyd Mayweather, Jr. on July or August 2009 – regardless of the result of the Filipino boxing hero’s fight against De la Hoya.
Also last September, Pacquiao was officially sworn in as a member of the Kabalikat ng Mamamayang Pilipino (Kampi). Pacquiao said he plans to seek political office again in 2010. Kampi is the political party of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
Pacquiao ran but lost in the 2007 congressional elections.
During the interview, Pacquiao also thanked God for giving him strength to stand up against De la Hoya. He said the fight was not just for him but for the whole country as well.
Pacquiao plans to fly home Wednesday.- GMANews.TV
Source: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/138042/Pacquiao-It-aint-over-yet-folks-more-fights-to-come
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Saturday, December 6, 2008
Pacquiao Wins TKO 8
The fighters has decided... and it goes to Manny "The Pacman" Pacquiao, it's a TKO round 8.
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Pacquiao weirded by weigh-in difference
For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV"
MANILA, Philippines - Manny Pacquiao was sure he was at 146 pounds for the final weigh-in.
So it surprised him to see he came out four pounds lighter.
Pacquiao tipped the scales at 142 pounds, way off the weight he and his team were expecting.
"Yes, a little bit of a surprise. Seems the scale got calibrated," Freddie Roach told Manila-based journalists inside the press room on Friday after the weigh-in.
Shortly after the weigh-in, Pacquiao went back to his room and used a different scale. He came in at 145.5 pounds, the same weight he had in the morning after breakfast, according to Roach.
Pacquiao was amazed at the difference, disclosing the night before and just an hour before the official weigh-in that he both checked in at 146 pounds.
"I didn't do anything to reduce weight, so I don't know why I came in at 142?" Pacquiao said. "It's hard to be suspicious but as you can see, there's a difference between how I weighed out there and here."
Pacquiao said if there was a four-pound difference between his two "weigh-ins", it could be the same for de la Hoya. "So does that mean Oscar was at 149 pounds?"
A clause in the contracts signed by both Pacquiao and de la Hoya will have de la Hoya paying a $3-million penalty for every excess pound over 147 pounds.
Pacquiao said he didn't want to make a big deal out of the situation. "I don't want to make that an excuse for whatever happens."
Roach agreed.
"Maybe the scale … I'm not sure. But I'm not accusing anything (sic)," said Roach, who incidentally, also got a positive response from the Nevada State Athletic Commission later in the day, allowing the use of one-inch tape for the boxer's hands instead of two inches.
"But it really doesn't matter to me," he added. "The fight's on. The fight's here." - GMANews.TV
Source: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/137922/Pacquiao-weirded-by-weigh-in-difference
http://www.gmanews.tv/video/32826/Pacquiao-De-la-Hoya-official-weigh-in-contested
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Former Pacquiao prospect Valero culprit of De la Hoya black eye
MANILA, Philippines - Edwin Valero had nothing nice to say to Manny Pacquiao when he was hot on the heels for a shot at Pacquiao.
But tables have been turned since Valero was unceremoniously banished from Oscar de la Hoya's training camp.
Valero spoke to a handful of reporters on Friday just outside the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas and he said he was rooting for Pacquiao.
"Pacquiao will gonna knock Oscar out. I like Pacquiao," Valero, who hails from Venezuela, said through an interpreter.
Known as a vicious knockout artist, Valero was being built up by Bob Arum a few years back to go up against Pacquiao. He currently owns a 24-fight winning streak, 19 of those coming by way of a first-round knockout.
Valero, 27, taunted Pacquiao endlessly during that time and belittled Pacquiao's chances should their fight have pushed through.
On Friday, not only was he singing Pacquiao praises. He was also recalling his unpleasant experience at de la Hoya's Big Bear training.
Part of Valero's story? He admitted he was responsible for inflicting de la Hoya a black eye.
"I hurt Oscar a lot," Valero revealed. "I got kicked out after what I did. Oscar doesn’t want to spar with me anymore. They told me I couldn’t be there."
That black eye has posed a mystery to everyone who has seen it. De la Hoya would later say it was inflicted by welterweight prospect Victor Ortiz. Valero said it was "a lie".
Valero added that he was upset at the way de la Hoya treated him and that was the reason why he was "talking that way".
He even went on to say that De la Hoya did "not like to work out".
Valero, a southpaw like Pacquiao, sparred with De La Hoya for only eight rounds before he was promptly replaced after battering de la Hoya during their training.
Despite favoring Pacquiao, Valero said he still looks forward to meeting him in the future, even at a higher weight class.
"I've been waiting for years for Pacquiao. We can fight at 140 pounds if he likes to," he said. - GMANews.TV
Source: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/137920/Former-Pacquiao-prospect-Valero-culprit-of-De-la-Hoya-black-eye
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But tables have been turned since Valero was unceremoniously banished from Oscar de la Hoya's training camp.
Valero spoke to a handful of reporters on Friday just outside the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas and he said he was rooting for Pacquiao.
"Pacquiao will gonna knock Oscar out. I like Pacquiao," Valero, who hails from Venezuela, said through an interpreter.
Known as a vicious knockout artist, Valero was being built up by Bob Arum a few years back to go up against Pacquiao. He currently owns a 24-fight winning streak, 19 of those coming by way of a first-round knockout.
Valero, 27, taunted Pacquiao endlessly during that time and belittled Pacquiao's chances should their fight have pushed through.
On Friday, not only was he singing Pacquiao praises. He was also recalling his unpleasant experience at de la Hoya's Big Bear training.
Part of Valero's story? He admitted he was responsible for inflicting de la Hoya a black eye.
"I hurt Oscar a lot," Valero revealed. "I got kicked out after what I did. Oscar doesn’t want to spar with me anymore. They told me I couldn’t be there."
That black eye has posed a mystery to everyone who has seen it. De la Hoya would later say it was inflicted by welterweight prospect Victor Ortiz. Valero said it was "a lie".
Valero added that he was upset at the way de la Hoya treated him and that was the reason why he was "talking that way".
He even went on to say that De la Hoya did "not like to work out".
Valero, a southpaw like Pacquiao, sparred with De La Hoya for only eight rounds before he was promptly replaced after battering de la Hoya during their training.
Despite favoring Pacquiao, Valero said he still looks forward to meeting him in the future, even at a higher weight class.
"I've been waiting for years for Pacquiao. We can fight at 140 pounds if he likes to," he said. - GMANews.TV
Source: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/137920/Former-Pacquiao-prospect-Valero-culprit-of-De-la-Hoya-black-eye
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Hall-of-Fame trainers take back seat to Pacquiao, De la Hoya
MANILA, Philippines - Manny Pacquiao and Oscar de la Hoya will occupy the main billing.
But that doesn't mean their celebrity trainers don't deserve the star treatment.
Freddie Roach and Angelo Dundee are getting as much attention as their "bosses", their high-profile status adding yet another subplot to The Dream Match on Sunday (Saturday, US time).
Roach, who used to train heavyweight champions James Toney and Mike Tyson, is responsible for molding Pacquiao into the fighter that he is today.
Dundee, who worked the corners of Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard, was called on by de la Hoya to be his special trainer for this specific fight.
But even though they've had their share of print space and air time in the buildup to The Dream Match, they would rather let their wards be at the front and center.
"I am who I am right now because of Manny Pacquiao," Roach said. "I feel that he's my best work and I'm only good because he's been great."
"Hey, we don’t matter," Dundee added. "Trainers don’t matter. It's the guys on the stool."
Dundee has been exchanging notes with Nacho Beristain, a respected trainer from Mexico who has been tapped by de la Hoya as the lead cornerman.
When asked how far they thought de la Hoya would go, Dundee predicted a decision.
"I noticed (Marvin) Hagler, as great a fighter as he was, had to step before he punched," Dundee said. "Now this kid Pacquiao does that same thing. Oscar will tear him to pieces if he does that."
Roach has maintained that Pacquiao would win via ninth-round stoppage.
"I go through scenarios before I go to bed every night," Roach said. "I can't sleep until I come up with the right ending. And it always ends with Manny knocking him out." - GMANews.TV
Source: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/137919/Hall-of-Fame-trainers-take-back-seat-to-Pacquiao-De-la-Hoya
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But that doesn't mean their celebrity trainers don't deserve the star treatment.
Freddie Roach and Angelo Dundee are getting as much attention as their "bosses", their high-profile status adding yet another subplot to The Dream Match on Sunday (Saturday, US time).
Roach, who used to train heavyweight champions James Toney and Mike Tyson, is responsible for molding Pacquiao into the fighter that he is today.
Dundee, who worked the corners of Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard, was called on by de la Hoya to be his special trainer for this specific fight.
But even though they've had their share of print space and air time in the buildup to The Dream Match, they would rather let their wards be at the front and center.
"I am who I am right now because of Manny Pacquiao," Roach said. "I feel that he's my best work and I'm only good because he's been great."
"Hey, we don’t matter," Dundee added. "Trainers don’t matter. It's the guys on the stool."
Dundee has been exchanging notes with Nacho Beristain, a respected trainer from Mexico who has been tapped by de la Hoya as the lead cornerman.
When asked how far they thought de la Hoya would go, Dundee predicted a decision.
"I noticed (Marvin) Hagler, as great a fighter as he was, had to step before he punched," Dundee said. "Now this kid Pacquiao does that same thing. Oscar will tear him to pieces if he does that."
Roach has maintained that Pacquiao would win via ninth-round stoppage.
"I go through scenarios before I go to bed every night," Roach said. "I can't sleep until I come up with the right ending. And it always ends with Manny knocking him out." - GMANews.TV
Source: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/137919/Hall-of-Fame-trainers-take-back-seat-to-Pacquiao-De-la-Hoya
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Up-and-comer to share RP spotlight with Pacquiao in Dream Match
MANILA, Philippines – Richie Mepranum hopes to share the boxing spotlight with fellow Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao when the pride of Maasim town in Saranggani defends his World Boxing Organization (WBO) Oriental flyweight title against Cesar Lopez on Sunday (Saturday, US time).
Mepranum, who tipped the scales at 113 lbs in the final weigh-in Friday, will be the lone Filipino boxer besides Pacquiao that will be climbing the ring at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, QTV reported Friday.
The Mepranum-Lopez fight is one of the eight undercard matches lined up prior to the Pacquiao-de la Hoya main event.
This will be Mepranum’s first shot to international fame as he goes up against the El Paso, Texas-native Lopez, who weighed in at 114lbs, in a scheduled eight-round fight.
Mepranum, also a lethal lefty, said he imitates Pacquiao’s style inside the ring. “I likened my style to Manny (Pacquiao). I go in, out and in, out," he said in Filipino.
“I am very excited with this fight since this will be my first visit to Las Vegas. I will do my best," said Mepranum, who is also a southpaw like Pacquiao.
But aside from aiming to beat Lopez, Mepranum’s biggest challenge is to win the hearts of boxing-loving Filipinos who will be watching him fight around the world.
He started boxing as a teenager and at age 14, with his blitzing hands and fancy footwork inside the ring, already caught the attention of local scouts when he joined a boxing tournament in Maasim.
His trainer and coach Nathan Tinangsak said he saw Mepranum’s potential when he scouted him in a local tournament. “I saw the speed of his jab and the strength of his straight shot. That I think are the main weapons that caught his opponents by surprise."
Boxing analyst Ronnie Nathanielsz believes that if Mepranum is in the same shape like he was when he beat Rocky Fuentes last December he is "likely to beat" Lopez, who is an energetic young fighter which also had something to prove.
This will be the second fight on foreign soil for Mepranum, who holds an 18-1-1 fight record with seven knockouts, after losing to Denkaosan Kaovichit in Thailand in September last year.
Lopez, who lost his last three fights with two against Brian Villoria and Glenn Donaire, boasts of 24 wins with six losses. – GMANews.TV
Source: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/137916/Up-and-comer-to-share-RP-spotlight-with-Pacquiao-in-Dream-Match
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Mepranum, who tipped the scales at 113 lbs in the final weigh-in Friday, will be the lone Filipino boxer besides Pacquiao that will be climbing the ring at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, QTV reported Friday.
The Mepranum-Lopez fight is one of the eight undercard matches lined up prior to the Pacquiao-de la Hoya main event.
This will be Mepranum’s first shot to international fame as he goes up against the El Paso, Texas-native Lopez, who weighed in at 114lbs, in a scheduled eight-round fight.
Mepranum, also a lethal lefty, said he imitates Pacquiao’s style inside the ring. “I likened my style to Manny (Pacquiao). I go in, out and in, out," he said in Filipino.
“I am very excited with this fight since this will be my first visit to Las Vegas. I will do my best," said Mepranum, who is also a southpaw like Pacquiao.
But aside from aiming to beat Lopez, Mepranum’s biggest challenge is to win the hearts of boxing-loving Filipinos who will be watching him fight around the world.
He started boxing as a teenager and at age 14, with his blitzing hands and fancy footwork inside the ring, already caught the attention of local scouts when he joined a boxing tournament in Maasim.
His trainer and coach Nathan Tinangsak said he saw Mepranum’s potential when he scouted him in a local tournament. “I saw the speed of his jab and the strength of his straight shot. That I think are the main weapons that caught his opponents by surprise."
Boxing analyst Ronnie Nathanielsz believes that if Mepranum is in the same shape like he was when he beat Rocky Fuentes last December he is "likely to beat" Lopez, who is an energetic young fighter which also had something to prove.
This will be the second fight on foreign soil for Mepranum, who holds an 18-1-1 fight record with seven knockouts, after losing to Denkaosan Kaovichit in Thailand in September last year.
Lopez, who lost his last three fights with two against Brian Villoria and Glenn Donaire, boasts of 24 wins with six losses. – GMANews.TV
Source: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/137916/Up-and-comer-to-share-RP-spotlight-with-Pacquiao-in-Dream-Match
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Pacquiao on verge of history, ready to reign over Dela Hoya
MANILA, Philippines - The last of the formalities has been formalized.
A final weigh-in, as usual, officially ended the training period and began a 24-hour wait for the main event. This final weigh-in, as expected, was trouble-free.
Manny Pacquiao tipped the scales at 142 pounds on Saturday (Friday, US time) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Oscar de la Hoya came in at 145 pounds.
Both were well within the welterweight (147-pound) limit set for their match.
Now that that has been set aside, everybody knows what time it is. Game time.
"There's nothing more we can do. Now Manny knows he’s going there to do his job," Freddie Roach, Pacquiao's trainer, said.
"If you have a fighter who is going to come at me and has the heart to fight as hard as he can, then I welcome it," de la Hoya said. "I open up the door and I let them right into my home. Hey, let's fight."
Pacquiao (47-3-2, win-loss-draw) clashing with de la Hoya (39-5-1, win-loss-draw) was unthinkable only earlier this year.
But then Pacquiao got bigger, looked far more improved in terms of his skills, and began to string up one world title after another.
At the same time, de la Hoya, who was ready to hang up his gloves, was looking for a bankable high-profile opponent who would give his stellar resume a pretty, final entry.
Pacquiao-de la Hoya, why not?
After the paycheck kinks were ironed out (to satisfy Pacquiao) and the playing weight was established (to entice de la Hoya), the date was penciled and the venue was booked.
With all that being set aside, everybody knows what time it is. Time for the biggest boxing event of the year.
"It's going to be boxing history if I win this fight," said Pacquiao. "I believe my power and my speed can beat him."
"This type of fight calls for a knockout," said De La Hoya. "I may box, but if Manny Pacquiao hits me with a good shot, let's fight. Bite into my mouthpiece and let's get down to it."
Pacquiao has been on a roll. He came out of his rematch with Marco Antonio Barrera in October 2007 a winner by unanimous decision. He outlasted Juan Manuel Marquez in their own sequel last March and won via split decision.
Less than three months later in June, Pacquiao blew by David Diaz en route to a technical knockout win in Pacquiao's rousing debut at 135 pounds, his heaviest to that date. That gave Roach, Pacquiao's father figure of a coach, the confidence to tinker with a Golden Boy face-off.
De la Hoya has gone the opposite direction. He has fought only four times in the last four years, splitting the results. That gave Roach the confidence to call de la Hoya a fighter who "can't pull the trigger".
That wasn't his only jab at de la Hoya. He called him "old". He predicted Pacquiao would knock him out in the ninth round. He said he was using all that he knew about de la Hoya (from the time he trained him a year ago) against him.
And he wasn't through.
"Oscar's so tight," Roach said. "I've never seen a fighter who is so experienced so tight before a fight."
Pacquiao, who has constantly reminded his team to relax, has never been in a fight as big as this.
De la Hoya is Pacquiao's biggest opponent ever. De la Hoya isn't only at least four inches taller than Pacquiao, he is some 15 pounds naturally heavier than he is.
Figuratively, nobody among active boxers is as big as de la Hoya. He is an Olympic gold medalist. He is a six-division world champion. And he will leave the sport as the richest pay-per-view fighter in history.
There's no telling how high up the heavens Pacquiao's status will shoot up if he takes down de la Hoya.
"If you sacrifice and dream about a fight, you can win," Pacquiao said. "It's hard to explain how happy I am right now."
He'd have a harder time explaining how happy he will be when this fight is over. Win or lose, Pacquiao is guaranteed $11 million or some P539 million, easily the biggest purse won by any Filipino athlete ever.
Barring a killjoy, recession-stricken US economy, Pacquiao stands to earn more in pay-per-view sales.
"We know based on those early numbers and based on experience the event will perform extremely well," Bob Arum of Top Rank Inc., who promotes Pacquiao, said.
To cushion the blow that a grim economy might bring, the promotions side led by Arum and de la Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions went on overdrive.
There was a crosscountry media tour that began at The Statue of Liberty. Several international press-conference calls were held. HBO Sports, which holds the PPV rights of the match, produced a four-part special that chronicled the camps of both fighters during their training. Major web sites were constantly flooded with news, updates, tidbits and blogs. Hollywood celebrities and stars from other sports were regular visitors during training camp.
A "Mexicans for Pacquiao" movement was even launched. De la Hoya, on the other hand, called this bout personal and reminded Pacquiao of how he "dishonored" him in a botched deal between them two years ago.
With all the hype, the intense buildup and the exposure, it can't get any better than this for Pacquiao. Well, yes it can. If he goes on to beat de la Hoya.
"I go through scenarios before I go to bed every night," Roach said. "I can't sleep until I come up with the right ending. And it always ends with Manny knocking him out."
Recent news reports showed that this bout won't any be different from the ones the country used to see on a Pacquiao red-letter day. Cops expect zero crime. The roads will be empty. Pacquiao's General Santos City hometown will be rocking. His family, especially his mother Dionisia, will be waiting with bated breaths and a rosary in hand. Moviehouses, hotels and bars with pay-per-view access will host dozens of fight fans.
The only difference may be that Pacquiao's wife Jinkee, who is pregnant, will not be at ringside. Her husband advised her to stay in their suite.
Jinkee and her mother-in-law Aling Dionisia did say they were concerned about Pacquiao facing de la Hoya. "Because Oscar is big," each said on separate interviews.
De la Hoya reminded the two and the 80 million other citizens of Pacquiao nation the challenge that lies ahead.
"I will be extremely, extremely disappointed if this fight doesn't end in a knockout," De La Hoya said. "It will be a total disaster for me."
Now that that has been said, everybody knows what time it is. Game time. - GMANews.TV / With AP
Source: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/137895/Pacquiao-on-verge-of-history-ready-to-reign-over-Dela-Hoya
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A final weigh-in, as usual, officially ended the training period and began a 24-hour wait for the main event. This final weigh-in, as expected, was trouble-free.
Manny Pacquiao tipped the scales at 142 pounds on Saturday (Friday, US time) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Oscar de la Hoya came in at 145 pounds.
Both were well within the welterweight (147-pound) limit set for their match.
Now that that has been set aside, everybody knows what time it is. Game time.
"There's nothing more we can do. Now Manny knows he’s going there to do his job," Freddie Roach, Pacquiao's trainer, said.
"If you have a fighter who is going to come at me and has the heart to fight as hard as he can, then I welcome it," de la Hoya said. "I open up the door and I let them right into my home. Hey, let's fight."
Pacquiao (47-3-2, win-loss-draw) clashing with de la Hoya (39-5-1, win-loss-draw) was unthinkable only earlier this year.
But then Pacquiao got bigger, looked far more improved in terms of his skills, and began to string up one world title after another.
At the same time, de la Hoya, who was ready to hang up his gloves, was looking for a bankable high-profile opponent who would give his stellar resume a pretty, final entry.
Pacquiao-de la Hoya, why not?
After the paycheck kinks were ironed out (to satisfy Pacquiao) and the playing weight was established (to entice de la Hoya), the date was penciled and the venue was booked.
With all that being set aside, everybody knows what time it is. Time for the biggest boxing event of the year.
"It's going to be boxing history if I win this fight," said Pacquiao. "I believe my power and my speed can beat him."
"This type of fight calls for a knockout," said De La Hoya. "I may box, but if Manny Pacquiao hits me with a good shot, let's fight. Bite into my mouthpiece and let's get down to it."
Pacquiao has been on a roll. He came out of his rematch with Marco Antonio Barrera in October 2007 a winner by unanimous decision. He outlasted Juan Manuel Marquez in their own sequel last March and won via split decision.
Less than three months later in June, Pacquiao blew by David Diaz en route to a technical knockout win in Pacquiao's rousing debut at 135 pounds, his heaviest to that date. That gave Roach, Pacquiao's father figure of a coach, the confidence to tinker with a Golden Boy face-off.
De la Hoya has gone the opposite direction. He has fought only four times in the last four years, splitting the results. That gave Roach the confidence to call de la Hoya a fighter who "can't pull the trigger".
That wasn't his only jab at de la Hoya. He called him "old". He predicted Pacquiao would knock him out in the ninth round. He said he was using all that he knew about de la Hoya (from the time he trained him a year ago) against him.
And he wasn't through.
"Oscar's so tight," Roach said. "I've never seen a fighter who is so experienced so tight before a fight."
Pacquiao, who has constantly reminded his team to relax, has never been in a fight as big as this.
De la Hoya is Pacquiao's biggest opponent ever. De la Hoya isn't only at least four inches taller than Pacquiao, he is some 15 pounds naturally heavier than he is.
Figuratively, nobody among active boxers is as big as de la Hoya. He is an Olympic gold medalist. He is a six-division world champion. And he will leave the sport as the richest pay-per-view fighter in history.
There's no telling how high up the heavens Pacquiao's status will shoot up if he takes down de la Hoya.
"If you sacrifice and dream about a fight, you can win," Pacquiao said. "It's hard to explain how happy I am right now."
He'd have a harder time explaining how happy he will be when this fight is over. Win or lose, Pacquiao is guaranteed $11 million or some P539 million, easily the biggest purse won by any Filipino athlete ever.
Barring a killjoy, recession-stricken US economy, Pacquiao stands to earn more in pay-per-view sales.
"We know based on those early numbers and based on experience the event will perform extremely well," Bob Arum of Top Rank Inc., who promotes Pacquiao, said.
To cushion the blow that a grim economy might bring, the promotions side led by Arum and de la Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions went on overdrive.
There was a crosscountry media tour that began at The Statue of Liberty. Several international press-conference calls were held. HBO Sports, which holds the PPV rights of the match, produced a four-part special that chronicled the camps of both fighters during their training. Major web sites were constantly flooded with news, updates, tidbits and blogs. Hollywood celebrities and stars from other sports were regular visitors during training camp.
A "Mexicans for Pacquiao" movement was even launched. De la Hoya, on the other hand, called this bout personal and reminded Pacquiao of how he "dishonored" him in a botched deal between them two years ago.
With all the hype, the intense buildup and the exposure, it can't get any better than this for Pacquiao. Well, yes it can. If he goes on to beat de la Hoya.
"I go through scenarios before I go to bed every night," Roach said. "I can't sleep until I come up with the right ending. And it always ends with Manny knocking him out."
Recent news reports showed that this bout won't any be different from the ones the country used to see on a Pacquiao red-letter day. Cops expect zero crime. The roads will be empty. Pacquiao's General Santos City hometown will be rocking. His family, especially his mother Dionisia, will be waiting with bated breaths and a rosary in hand. Moviehouses, hotels and bars with pay-per-view access will host dozens of fight fans.
The only difference may be that Pacquiao's wife Jinkee, who is pregnant, will not be at ringside. Her husband advised her to stay in their suite.
Jinkee and her mother-in-law Aling Dionisia did say they were concerned about Pacquiao facing de la Hoya. "Because Oscar is big," each said on separate interviews.
De la Hoya reminded the two and the 80 million other citizens of Pacquiao nation the challenge that lies ahead.
"I will be extremely, extremely disappointed if this fight doesn't end in a knockout," De La Hoya said. "It will be a total disaster for me."
Now that that has been said, everybody knows what time it is. Game time. - GMANews.TV / With AP
Source: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/137895/Pacquiao-on-verge-of-history-ready-to-reign-over-Dela-Hoya
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Friday, December 5, 2008
No one to blame if De La Hoya loses this time
LAS VEGAS — Oscar De La Hoya might have beaten Floyd Mayweather Jr. had he stayed with his jab and found a way to land a left hook or two. He would have beaten Felix Trinidad if he hadn't decided to run instead of fight in the last few rounds, and he might have gotten the best of Shane Mosley if he hadn't faded late in their two fights.
One common theme emerged after all of those losses — it always seemed to be someone else's fault.
"It's his nature," trainer Freddie Roach said. "He's never been a man who blames himself. He'll always blame someone else."
There will be plenty of blame to spread around on Saturday if De La Hoya can't beat an undersized Manny Pacquiao in a 147-pound (67-kilogram) non-title fight even the oddsmakers expect him to win. Unlike De La Hoya's fight last year against Mayweather, though, Roach won't be a target of it because he'll be in the opposite corner doing everything possible to carry Pacquiao to victory.
He'll settle for a decision win. But what Roach would really like is a knockout that could bring an end to De La Hoya's long career.
"I go through scenarios before I go to bed every night," Roach said. "I can't sleep until I come up with the right ending. And it always ends with Manny knocking him out."
Part of Roach's confidence comes from the knowledge that Pacquiao is supremely talented, so good that many in boxing have given him the mythical title of the best pound-for-pound fighter in the game. The other part comes from training De La Hoya for several months to fight Mayweather, and seeing what happened just before his fighter went into the ring.
"He's so tight," Roach said. "I've never seen a fighter so experienced be so tight before a fight."
De La Hoya vigorously disputes that, of course, and points to a number of wins in big fights against Julio Cesar Chavez, Fernando Vargas and Pernell Whitaker, among others. But he hasn't won a significant fight since knocking out Vargas six years ago. At the age of 35, De La Hoya needs a spectacular performance against Pacquiao if he expects to keep fighting for the huge purses he has been so accustomed to getting every time he steps into the ring.
De La Hoya the fighter knows that. Just as important, so does De La Hoya the promoter.
"I will be extremely, extremely disappointed if this fight doesn't end in a knockout," De La Hoya said. "It will be a total disaster for me."
De La Hoya hopes to avoid that disaster by trading often and frequently against a fighter who has built a career on coming forward with little regard for his chin. Pacquiao has been extremely successful doing that, but will be moving up two weight classes and be forced to face a fighter who will not only have a height and reach advantage but an edge in strength, too.
Pacquiao weighed 142 pounds (64.4 kilograms) at Friday's weigh-in, well below the welterweight limit, while De La Hoya was 145 (65.7).
The scheduled 12-round fight at the MGM Grand hotel-casino will be lucrative for both fighters, thanks to a $54.95 pay-per-view price tag that will generate millions of dollars even in a bad U.S. economy. Pacquiao (47-3-2, 35 knockouts) is guaranteed $11 million (8.7 million euros), while De La Hoya (39-5, 30 knockouts) could easily double that with his percentage of the profits.
After trying to chase a slippery Mayweather for 12 rounds, De La Hoya may have found a perfect opponent for this time of his career.
"If you have a fighter who is going to come at me, a fighter who is going to throw strong punches with full force and is going to stay in front of me and has the heart to fight as hard as he can, then I welcome it," De La Hoya said. "I open up the door and I let them right into my home. Hey, let's fight."
Pacquiao knows no other way to fight, ever since his debut 13 years ago as a 106-pounder (48-kilogram fighter) in his Philippines homeland. He's won his first title at 112 pounds (50 kilograms) and his last at 135 pounds (61 kilograms) when he stopped David Diaz in the ninth round in June in his first fight at lightweight.
But he's never been in the ring against a fighter as big as De La Hoya, who has fought as high as 160 pounds (72½ kilograms) and is coming down to welterweight for the first time since stopping Arturo Gatti in 2001.
"It's going to be boxing history if I win the fight," Pacquiao said. "I believe my power and my speed can beat him."
So far that's been the case in most of Pacquiao's fights, and an entire nation will be holding its breath on the outcome of this one. Pacquiao is a national hero, mobbed everywhere he goes and beloved for staying close to his humble roots even while becoming the country's biggest sports star.
"You sacrifice and dream about a fight you can win," Pacquiao said. "It's hard to explain how happy I am now." - AP
Source: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/137884/No-one-to-blame-if-De-La-Hoya-loses-this-time
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One common theme emerged after all of those losses — it always seemed to be someone else's fault.
"It's his nature," trainer Freddie Roach said. "He's never been a man who blames himself. He'll always blame someone else."
There will be plenty of blame to spread around on Saturday if De La Hoya can't beat an undersized Manny Pacquiao in a 147-pound (67-kilogram) non-title fight even the oddsmakers expect him to win. Unlike De La Hoya's fight last year against Mayweather, though, Roach won't be a target of it because he'll be in the opposite corner doing everything possible to carry Pacquiao to victory.
He'll settle for a decision win. But what Roach would really like is a knockout that could bring an end to De La Hoya's long career.
"I go through scenarios before I go to bed every night," Roach said. "I can't sleep until I come up with the right ending. And it always ends with Manny knocking him out."
Part of Roach's confidence comes from the knowledge that Pacquiao is supremely talented, so good that many in boxing have given him the mythical title of the best pound-for-pound fighter in the game. The other part comes from training De La Hoya for several months to fight Mayweather, and seeing what happened just before his fighter went into the ring.
"He's so tight," Roach said. "I've never seen a fighter so experienced be so tight before a fight."
De La Hoya vigorously disputes that, of course, and points to a number of wins in big fights against Julio Cesar Chavez, Fernando Vargas and Pernell Whitaker, among others. But he hasn't won a significant fight since knocking out Vargas six years ago. At the age of 35, De La Hoya needs a spectacular performance against Pacquiao if he expects to keep fighting for the huge purses he has been so accustomed to getting every time he steps into the ring.
De La Hoya the fighter knows that. Just as important, so does De La Hoya the promoter.
"I will be extremely, extremely disappointed if this fight doesn't end in a knockout," De La Hoya said. "It will be a total disaster for me."
De La Hoya hopes to avoid that disaster by trading often and frequently against a fighter who has built a career on coming forward with little regard for his chin. Pacquiao has been extremely successful doing that, but will be moving up two weight classes and be forced to face a fighter who will not only have a height and reach advantage but an edge in strength, too.
Pacquiao weighed 142 pounds (64.4 kilograms) at Friday's weigh-in, well below the welterweight limit, while De La Hoya was 145 (65.7).
The scheduled 12-round fight at the MGM Grand hotel-casino will be lucrative for both fighters, thanks to a $54.95 pay-per-view price tag that will generate millions of dollars even in a bad U.S. economy. Pacquiao (47-3-2, 35 knockouts) is guaranteed $11 million (8.7 million euros), while De La Hoya (39-5, 30 knockouts) could easily double that with his percentage of the profits.
After trying to chase a slippery Mayweather for 12 rounds, De La Hoya may have found a perfect opponent for this time of his career.
"If you have a fighter who is going to come at me, a fighter who is going to throw strong punches with full force and is going to stay in front of me and has the heart to fight as hard as he can, then I welcome it," De La Hoya said. "I open up the door and I let them right into my home. Hey, let's fight."
Pacquiao knows no other way to fight, ever since his debut 13 years ago as a 106-pounder (48-kilogram fighter) in his Philippines homeland. He's won his first title at 112 pounds (50 kilograms) and his last at 135 pounds (61 kilograms) when he stopped David Diaz in the ninth round in June in his first fight at lightweight.
But he's never been in the ring against a fighter as big as De La Hoya, who has fought as high as 160 pounds (72½ kilograms) and is coming down to welterweight for the first time since stopping Arturo Gatti in 2001.
"It's going to be boxing history if I win the fight," Pacquiao said. "I believe my power and my speed can beat him."
So far that's been the case in most of Pacquiao's fights, and an entire nation will be holding its breath on the outcome of this one. Pacquiao is a national hero, mobbed everywhere he goes and beloved for staying close to his humble roots even while becoming the country's biggest sports star.
"You sacrifice and dream about a fight you can win," Pacquiao said. "It's hard to explain how happy I am now." - AP
Source: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/137884/No-one-to-blame-if-De-La-Hoya-loses-this-time
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(Update) US pay-per-view buys for Pacquiao-De la Hoya looking good, report says
MANILA, Philippines - Pay-per-view buys less than 24 hours before The Dream Match between Manny Pacquiao and Oscar de la Hoya showed promising figures, a USA Today online report said on Saturday (Friday, US time).
The report was based on DirecTV and Dish Network cable companies which were monitoring the PPV purchases.
Match promoters were looking to break the PPV record of 2.4 million buys until a global economic crisis dampened their outlook.
Recently, Bob Arum of Top Rank Inc. said getting "at least" 1.6 million buys would be realistic.
"We know based on those early numbers and based on experience the event will perform extremely well," Arum, who promotes Pacquiao, said on USA Today. "If I had to guess, anywhere between 1.6 million and two million homes ... is a home run."
How well the Pacquiao-de la Hoya match does in PPV sales is crucial to each fighter's earnings. De la Hoya has a 60-percent cut in the sales, while Pacquiao has a 30-percent stake. - GMANews.TV
Source: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/137879/(Update)-US-pay-per-view-buys-for-Pacquiao-De-la-Hoya-looking-good-report-says
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The report was based on DirecTV and Dish Network cable companies which were monitoring the PPV purchases.
Match promoters were looking to break the PPV record of 2.4 million buys until a global economic crisis dampened their outlook.
Recently, Bob Arum of Top Rank Inc. said getting "at least" 1.6 million buys would be realistic.
"We know based on those early numbers and based on experience the event will perform extremely well," Arum, who promotes Pacquiao, said on USA Today. "If I had to guess, anywhere between 1.6 million and two million homes ... is a home run."
How well the Pacquiao-de la Hoya match does in PPV sales is crucial to each fighter's earnings. De la Hoya has a 60-percent cut in the sales, while Pacquiao has a 30-percent stake. - GMANews.TV
Source: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/137879/(Update)-US-pay-per-view-buys-for-Pacquiao-De-la-Hoya-looking-good-report-says
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(Update) Pacquiao weighs in at 142lbs; De la Hoya 145lbs
MANILA, Philippines - Manny Pacquiao tipped the scales much lower than expected, coming in at 142lbs during the official weigh-in on Saturday (Friday, US time) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Oscar de la Hoya was also well within the welterweight (147lb) limit after he registered at 145lbs.
Pacquiao might enter the ring not weighing heavier than 150lbs, as advised by trainer Freddie Roach. Being bigger than that, Roach said, would take away Pacquiao's most important weapon - his speed.
Some 7,000 fans attended the official weigh-in, Philboxing.com reported. - GMANews.TV
Source: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/137874/(Update)-Pacquiao-weighs-in-at-142lbs-De-la-Hoya-145lbs
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Oscar de la Hoya was also well within the welterweight (147lb) limit after he registered at 145lbs.
Pacquiao might enter the ring not weighing heavier than 150lbs, as advised by trainer Freddie Roach. Being bigger than that, Roach said, would take away Pacquiao's most important weapon - his speed.
Some 7,000 fans attended the official weigh-in, Philboxing.com reported. - GMANews.TV
Source: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/137874/(Update)-Pacquiao-weighs-in-at-142lbs-De-la-Hoya-145lbs
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De La Hoya, Pacquiao make weight
Oscar De La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao made weight with room to spare on Friday in Las Vegas for their highly anticipated megafight.
De La Hoya weighed 145 pounds, two under the contractual limit for the bout. Pacquiao weighed 142.
Weight has been a hot topic surrounding Saturday's 12-round fight at the MGM Grand Arena as it being fought at a catchweight.
Pacquaio, 29, has spent most of the past five years weighing in for 126 or 130 pounds, although through rehydration he has usually weighed 10 or more pounds heavier by the time the fight begins.
He fought for the first time at 135 pounds in June, battering usually durable David Diaz over nine rounds.
There have been questions as to whether De La Hoya, 35, will be too dried out to perform effectively. He was last forced to make 147 in 2001 when he stopped Montreal-born Arturo Gatti.
The Mexican-American came in the lightest he's been since 1997.
Pacquiao (47-3-2, 35 knockouts) is guaranteed $11 million US for the fight.
De La Hoya, whose Golden Boy company is co-promoting the fight with Bob Arum's Top Rank, will make at least $15 million and possibly higher due to a percentage of pay-per-view buys.
Pacquiao reportedly agreed to join De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions fighting stable in 2006 but had a change of heart and re-upped with Arum.
As well, Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach worked with De La Hoya last year for his unsuccessful challenge against Floyd Mayweather.
Roach insists the size won't be an issue due to De La Hoya's diminishing reflexes and the speed and peak abilities of the Filipino icon.
De La Hoya has countered by hiring trainer Nacho Beristain. Juan Manuel Marquez, trained by Beristain, has battled Pacquiao to essentially even terms over two highly regarded bouts.
Montreal's Pascal ready to go
Jean Pascal of Montreal weighed in under the limit on Friday for his bout in Nottingham, England with Briton Carl Froch.
The two undefeated fighters will be battling on Saturday for the vacant World Boxing Council super-middleweight title, which was relinquished by Joe Calzaghe when he moved up to light heavyweight.
Pascal weighed just under the 168-pound limit, with Froch about a pound lighter.
Pascal, 26, is looking to recapture some of the flair that saw him beat fellow Canadian Kingsley Ikeke over 15 months ago.
The talented boxer has struggled at times in recent bouts, leading his braintrust away from a fight with powerpuncher Edison Miranda that had been planned. Pascal last fought in January, winning a 10-round decision over Omar Pittman.
Pascal (21-0, 13 knockouts) said his right shoulder has been a reason for the less-than-optimal displays of late.
"The shoulder is 100 per cent," Pascal said.
Froch (23-0, 19 knockouts) has stopped his last seven opponents. The 31-year-old carries his hands low, using his reflexes to overcome the stylistic flaw.
His stoppages have predominantly come from an accumulation of punishment, as opposed to single powerful shots.
Despite Calzaghe leaving, the division is heating up. The winner will able to call out the likes of Jermain Taylor, Mikkel Kessler and Montreal's Lucian Bute, who holds the World Boxing Association title.
Source: http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=3558298
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