RSSManny Pacquiao
Monday, October 08, 2007
HBO to Replay Pacquiao-Barrera
It’s a special edition of HBO Boxing After Dark when HBO Sports presents the exclusive replay of the super featherweight showdown Manny Pacquiao vs Marco Antonio Barrera II Saturday, October 13th, 11:00 p.m. (ET/PT) on HBO. The HBO Sports team, which was ringside for the live event at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, calls all the action.
The fight, which took place Oct. 6 and was carried live on HBO Pay-Per-View, featured the highly anticipated rematch. Pacquiao scored a unanimous decision victory.
Following the Pacquiao-Barrera II replay, HBO will present the previously announced HBO Boxing After Dark lightweight unification title matchup between Juan Diaz and Julio Diaz from Chicago.
HBO2 playdates for both fights: Oct. 14 (9:00 a.m., 4:45 p.m.) and 16 (11:00 p.m.). Times are ET/PT.
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Tuesday, April 24, 2007
EEC - April 24, 2007
News, Notes, and Rumors:
- Philippine broadcasting network ABS-CBN is reporting that one of Manny Pacquiao’s bodyguards shot and wounded a 10 year old boy yesterday. The boy was rushed to St. Elizabeth Hospital in General Santos City and is currently in stable condition. Doctors stated that the boy was shot in both of his hands.
There is a nationwide gun ban in the Philippines. So why did Pacquiao’s bodyguard have a gun? He was given approval to carry firearms after alleged kidnapping threats to Pacquiao and other members of his family.
- The WBC has ordered two mandatory title bouts: Edgar Sosa will defend his WBC Light Flyweight Title against Luis Lazarte and Jean-Marc Mormeck will make his first defense of his WBC Cruiserweight Championship against David Haye. The winner of the Mormeck-Haye bout will be forced to fight former WBC Cruiserweight title holder O’Neil Bell later this year.
- Corrie Sanders will face Kevin Monity on May 12…
- Amir Khan will take on Willie Limond at London’s O2 Arena on July 14. Steven Luevano and Nicky Cook will decide who gets the vacant WBO Featherweight Title that same night in the main event…
- Here are some quotes from the Litzau - Valtierra press conference that was held yesterday…
Bob Van Syckle (Litzau’s trainer): “This is a very important fight for Jason. A win in this fight will get him back in the top ten rankings and back on HBO in a revenge match with Jose Hernandez. Jason had his best training camp ever. At first I was a little apprehensive about training in his hometown of St. Paul with all the temptations nearby, but, Jason showed his professionalism by maintaining a strict training discipline. He trained 3 times a day, starting with a run around Phalen Lake at 6:00 am, sparring at Rice Street Gym in the afternoon and finishing up with strength and conditioning at Lifetime Fitness in the evening. You will see a new and improved Jason Litzau with an emphasis on Defense and smart, aggressive offense.”
Jason Litzau: “Since I was a little kid, I dreamed of fighting in the main event at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium in my hometown of St. Paul. Now, on April 25, my dream will become a reality. I hope we can sell out the arena because nothing motivates me more than 6,000 screaming fans. I know that this will be my toughest fight. My opponent has never been stopped, and he is coming here to stop me. I guarantee that I will give everyone in the stands and everyone watching on ESPN2 their money’s worth. My ultimate goal is to win a World Championship for Minnesota and to do it in the big arena, the EXCEL Energy Center.”
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Monday, April 16, 2007
EEC - April 16, 2007
News, Notes, and Rumors:
- Infamous boxing promoter Don King has a plan to crown an undisputed heavyweight champion through a series of fights before the end of 2008…
“I think the title should be unified. To have one undisputed, identifiable world champion would make everything better,” King told Reuters in an exclusive interview.
“It would restore the magic,” he said.
King made the statement one day after his latest heavyweight client, Nikolai Valuev, lost his WBA Heavyweight Belt to Ruslan Chagaev. He said that Valuev winning would have given him more power in making his plan a reality but is set on doing so anyway.
King said that it would take roughly $30 million in order to make the tournament happen and that it could be very easy to gather the money, even if it has to come out of his own pocket…
The outcomes of the Briggs-Ibragimov, Klitschko-Brewster, and Maskaev-Peter fights this summer will set up the beginning of the projected series of fights according to King.
- For those of you that are wondering, there hasn’t been an undisputed champion since right before Mike Tyson lost to Buster Douglas in 1990…
- The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation is apparently refusing to release the purse values of Manny Pacquiao and Jorge Solis from their featherweight bout on Saturday night to the public…
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Sunday, April 15, 2007
Pac-Man Stops Solis in Eighth
WBC International Super Featherweight Champion Manny Pacquiao stopped Jorge Solis with a right cross in the 8th round of their bout last night.
Pacquiao struggled during the first five rounds of the fight and his bad luck continued in the 6th round when he was cut by a head butt.
“He decided to move his head [in this fight],” Pacquiao said. “Every time he danced, he moved his head.
“When I got the cut, I decided to pressure him and make it a [slug] fest.”
From that moment forward it was Pacquiao who would control the remainder of the bout, driving Solis into the corner with multiple flurries. Pacquiao then knocked Solis down in the opening seconds of the 8th round. The next knockdown would be the final one as Pacquiao landed a hard right cross that put Solis down for good.
Despite being knocked out, Solis was content on bashing his opponent’s punching power after the fight:
“With respect to Manny Pacquiao, my wife hits harder,” Solis said. “He’s very fast, very quick, and I didn’t see those punches.”
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
EEC - March 6, 2007
Everyone remember to check for crusties in your eye before you start reading…
News, Notes, and Rumors:
- Freddie Roach has said that Manny Pacquiao should postpone his fight against Jorge Solis on April 14th because he feels that Pacquiao is distracted with his foray into politics and also because he hasn’t had enough time to train. Pacquiao responded in The Manila Standard Today, letting everyone know that he is ready…
In the face of criticism about his plan to run for the congressional seat of South Cotabato while at the same time preparing for his fight with Solis, Pacquiao said he is perfectly capable of handling both tasks.
- Max Kellerman is slowly making his way back into the spotlight…
Yesterday on his ESPN 1050 radio show, Kellerman stated that he believes the majority of the top boxers in the heavyweight division are on steroids and that no one should be shocked when they learn that a well-known boxer is linked to the giant Balco scandal.
Is he talking about Holyfield or someone else?
“Seven out of the 10 top heavyweights are on the juice,” Kellerman said. “Most of the top guys are (juicing).”
Some Good Reads:
ESPN: Pernell Whitaker: The undefined champion
Eastside Boxing: Bowe vs. Lewis: The Best Fights – Which ‘Never’ Took Place Part 1, Many of The Brightest Stars in boxing Today are One Dimensional
Boxing Scene: Barrera-Marquez: A super-featherweight’s burden
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Thursday, February 15, 2007
EEC - February 15, 2007
We focus on the lighter weight-classes this morning…
News, Notes, and Rumors:
- The Boxing Writers Association of America announced their annual awards yesterday. Who were some of the winners?
Fighter of the Year: Manny Pacquaio
Trainer of the Year: Freddie Roach
Fight of the Year: Somsak Sitchatchawal vs Mahyar Monshipour
Pat Putnam Award: Muhammad Ali
Broadcaster of the Year: Steve Albert
- Manny Pacquiao is now saying that he may wait for the winner of Marco Antonio Barrera and Juan Manuel Marquez before he fights again. That would mean his April 14th bout with Jorge Solis is now on hold…
- Speaking of Barrera-Marquez - Two of the undercard fights have been announced: Daniel Ponce De Leon vs Gerry Penalosa and Demetrius Hopkins vs Steve Forbes.
Some Good Reads:
Boxing Scene: Saturday’s Triple-Header: Quantity Over Quality?
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Tuesday, February 06, 2007
EEC - February 6, 2007
After a little hiatus that extended into the beginning of the week, we are back once again with the Early Eight Count…
News, Notes, and Rumors:
- The April fight between Manny Pacquiao and Jin Chi has been postponed until at least October according to Top Rank head honcho Bob Arum yesterday.
Arum informed ESPN that Pacquiao would still be fighting in April, but now he would be lacing up the gloves on April 21st against an opponent that has yet to be named. The fight will take place in the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.
“Manny will fight in San Antonio and we’ll have an announcement on the opponent in a couple of days,” Arum said.
Arum also announed that Jorge Arce and Jose Navarro will face off in the co-main event. Other fighters who could also possibly be added to the card in the near future are Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, Brian Viloria, and Edgar Sosa.
So what was the reason for the change? It’s hotel problems…
“We found out that because of certain delays there are only about 4,000 decent hotel rooms in Macau, and that is not enough to handle demand for this event,” Arum said. “They have a whole group of properties that are coming on line that we were expecting to be open by the end of April, but they aren’t going to make it. By the fall there will be 10,000 rooms. There will be plenty to handle the people in the fall.”
- Yet another boxer arrested…
Undisputed Cruiserweight Champion O’Neil Bell was arrested in Big Bear, California after assaulting his training partner, Larry Slayton.
37-year-old Larry Slayton, was helping Bell train for his March 17 rematch with Jean-Marc Mormeck in Paris, France. Slayton claims that Bell became angry with him during a workout session in the woods, and threw a hatchet at him. Bell was carrying the hatchet for protection against bears. At that point Slayton ran as Bell allegedly began to pelt him with large rocks. Arden Wiltshire, spokeswoman for the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, said that Deputies found Slayton with cuts from running through the brush and “fearful for his life.”
He is currently out on bail…
- Miguel Cotto has been named fighter of the year by the Puerto Rico Boxing Commission…
Some Good Reads:
ESPN: From gridiron to ring, Rossy’s rising fast
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Thursday, February 01, 2007
EEC - February 1, 2007
Your morning boxing news coming at ya…
News, Notes, and Rumors:
- The Milburn family of Windsor, Ontario has donated a pair of Joe Louis’ gloves that he used in his historic battle with Max Schmeling in 1936 to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. The Milburn family originally received the gloves from relatives who were close with Louis’ long time manager.
- WBC President Jose Sulaiman thinks that it’s time for Erik Morales to hang up the gloves…
“When someone loses hunger, he loses the desire to win,” Sulaiman said. “I think fighters lose the motivation to get up at 4 a.m. in the morning and go running, and the motivation to go on a diet. And I believe in that regard, Erik has not taken care of himself. He put himself through inhuman levels to lose weight, and he has picked the best to fight with the least amount of conditioning, and that is why he is in the situation that he is.”
Sulaiman also thinks that Morales needs one last fight…
“But my opinion is that he wants to retire with a victory, and he believes he can win the championship at lightweight. Erik doesn’t want to go out a loser in the way that he lost against Manny Pacquiao. He doesn’t want to go out in the minds of the people thinking of him on the canvas. So there are two motivations for him: his fourth world title and his leaving boxing with a different image for fans who’ve seen him for so many years.”
What does this all mean? Since Joel Casamayor will fight Acelino Freitas, that leaves David Diaz open for Morales’ taking. Look for a WBC Lightweight Title fight in either March or April…
- Floyd Mayweather Jr’s advisor, Leonard Ellerbe, has told The Las Vegas Review-Journal that Freddie Roach’s training methods aren’t going to have an impact on the fight between Mayweather and Oscar De La Hoya:
“Oscar had two chances to win this fight, slim and none, and slim just left town when he hired Freddie,” Ellerbe said. “I have a lot of respect for Freddie as a great trainer, but to compare Freddie Roach as a trainer to Mayweather Sr. is like comparing (Manu) Ginobili to Kobe Bryant.”
- Manny Pacquiao has not yet decided whether or not he wants to run for mayor of his hometown or for a seat in the House of Representatives in the Phillipines.
Some Good Reads:
FOX Sports: The big time has called Kelly Pavlik
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Saturday, January 20, 2007
EEC - January 20, 2007
Vlad Klitschko and Ray Austin are going to clash on March 10th. Is this fight the beginning of the next wave of heavyweight bout signings? We will find out next week…
News, Notes, and Rumors:
- Is Junior Witter going to stop talking? Honestly, he hasn’t stopped once this week. I normally would go ahead and post away with the gossip but it’s different with Witter. See it’s just like he’s come out of nowhere, trying to steal the spotlight from the other three big fights this weekend.
He’s not even on the same level as the names he is throwing out there and the best thing about this - He has a fight tomorrow night. With his mind elsewhere I hope Witter loses and then cries like a little girl, serves him right for going Hollywood and not focusing on his opponent…
- Joe Frazier’s left hook is still just as fast, I promise…
Smokin’ Joe is still quick with a counterpunch.
Asked if he had any birthday wishes for Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier came right back.
“Whose birthday?” he said.
Never mind that Frazier was appearing at Madison Square Garden to help promote a documentary about the 50 greatest moments in Madison Square Garden history and that his first fight with Ali on March 8, 1971, was listed among the top five.
After good-naturedly pointing out that he also deserved birthday greetings for having turned 63 last Friday, Frazier wished Ali, “Happy birthday.”
- It’s offical: Manny Pacquiao will face Injin Chi of South Korea on April 28…
- Reports are saying that the price for the De La Hoya-Mayweather PPV on May 5th may be as much as $54.95.
- Anyone wondering what Hasim Rahman is up to? Here’s the latest…
Former two-time heavyweight champ Hasim Rahman (41-6-2, 33 KOs) will fight once-formidable contender Ray Mercer (34-6-1, 25 KOs) on Feb. 22 (Versus) at Mountaineer Race Track in West Virginia in his first fight since losing his belt via 12th-round knockout to Oleg Maskaev in August. Top Rank promoter Bob Arum said Rahman was going to fight Mercer rather than go to Germany in March for a proposed bout with former title challenger Luan Krasniqi. Arum said the fight in Germany might be made for late spring if Rahman beats Mercer, who hasn’t fought since Shannon Briggs knocked him out in the seventh round in August 2005.
Some Good Reads:
TSS: Is Boxing More Dangerous Than Football?
FOX Sports: Hatton’s Vegas tango with Urango
MaxBoxing: Compubox Analysis - Hatton vs Urango
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Thursday, January 18, 2007
EEC - January 18, 2007
Another birthday wish goes to Ali. There won’t be any recap news or anything like that in this edition, I think we covered everything in our giant post yesterday…
News, Notes, and Rumors:
- Want to see Mayweather-De La Hoya on May 5th? I’m not kidding, there are still tickets left, about 4,000, well that’s all that’s left after every sponsor, celebrity, fighter, politician, promoter, employee, and official related to the fight took what they needed. (They needed 12,832 tickets by the way…)
The tickets go on sale January 27th at 10 AM. The prices? Tickets are priced at $2,000, $1,500, $1,000, $750, $350 and $150 and the tickets that are priced from $350 down are limited to only two per person. Everything else can be purchased to a maximum of six tix per human being.
- How about an update on this drama involving Floyd Mayweather Sr. and whether or not he is going to train De La Hoya for his fight against Mayweather Jr. No deal has been made between the two sides yet but there is an interesting twist that has been revealed.
The New York Daily News is reporting that Jack and Shane Mosley would be interested in helping De La Hoya train for the bout:
Jack Mosley stated. “I’ve got the plan to do the job. I can tell him what he needs to do. I can show him. If I can’t show him, then Shane can definitely show him. He’ll have two people who can advise him.”
- Anyone need a car? Frank Bruno is selling his...
For the price of $42,318, you can be the lucky owner, assuming we don’t beat you to the punch, of former heavyweight champion of world Frank Bruno’s BMW X5. The 2002 model SUV is powered by a 4.4-litre V8, producing 320bhp and 324 lb/ft of pulling power. It accelerates from 0 to 60 in 7.8 seconds, useful if one is being chased by rapid fans or belligerent creditors, and has a top speed of 137 mph for quick getaways.
The set of wheels is fully-loaded with sat-nav, front and rear TV screens, DVD player, a PlayStation, you name it. Other features include full leather interior, climate and cruise control and huge 22-inch AC Schnitzer alloy wheels.
- WBC President Jose Sulaiman stated earlier today that Marco Antonio Barrera and Manny Pacquiao will most likely fight after everything in court is settled after the summer…
- Undefeated WBA Heavyweight Champion Nikolai Valuev is determined to break Rocky Marciano’s ancient record of 49 straight wins. He gave his thoughts when asked about the possibility of going after the record at a news conference today promoting his fight with Jameel McCline this weekend…
“I definitely want to break his record,” the undefeated WBA champion vowed at today´s press conference in Basle. “If there´s the chance to get your name in the history books with such a great record, it is of course my aim to accomplish it. But that does not mean I will fight weak opponents.”
Some Good Reads:
ESPN: Hatton finds Las Vegas stage is his calling
FOX Sports: Hatton makes big sacrifices, Valuev, McCline set for clash of titans