Roach says Pacquiao’s weight would not be a problem

MIGUEL COTTO could climb the ring a couple of pounds over the agreed limit and still not have a chance against Manny Pacquiao, according to trainer Freddie Roach.

There are talks about the Puerto Rican welterweight possibly encountering trouble making the catch weight of 145 lb for the November 14 bout at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, but Roach believes he has the world’s best fighter and there would be no problem come fight night.

“I’m prepared for that possibility,” Roach said. “But that’s no problem. I’m not worried.”

“One or two pounds heavier, we are not worried. We have the best fighter here,” he said.

Talks arose anew over the weekend when the comebacking Floyd Mayweather Jr. weighed two pounds over the agreed 144-lb limit and went on to clobber a much lighter Juan Manuel Marquez of Mexico also at the MGM Grand.

But although Cotto may look much heavier—he is around an inch shorter than Mayweather—he has been able to trim down for his previous fights, weighing 146 in his fight earlier this year against Michael Jennings, who came in at 147.

Cotto has been fighting as a welterweight for three years. The Puerto Rican last fought under 147, when he took on Paul Malignaggi in a World Boxing Organization (WBO) light-weltwerweight title bout in 2006. He won the World Boxing Association welterweight crown after that and went on to claim the WBO belt.

Pacquiao, meanwhile, is only at 151 lb a week into his eight-week training program. He fought at 130 against Marquez just two years ago before recently moving up to fight heavier foes in Mexican-American light-weltwerweight David Diaz, American superstar Oscar de la Hoya and British brawler Ricky Hatton.

Roach arrived from the United States on Tuesday and immediately checked out the training facilities at Stand Up Boxing Gym in Cooyeesan Mall in Baguio City.

The American hadn’t even unpacked his things when he started training with the flamboyant southpaw from General Santos City.

Pacquiao is looking to train for around eight weeks and Roach said he will be satisfied with a five-and-a-half-week program in Baguio before the camp moves to the US.

“It’s a world class gym here,” said Roach, who had Mexico as first pick for Pacquiao’s training.

Roach said that the only problem for Pacquiao training in Baguio is jet lag and the altitude.

“There is the altitude to play with. Training in LA is at sea level (like Las Vegas) but here it is 5,000 feet above sea level,” he said.

Roach also criticized the recent performance of Mayweather, who many consider to be the best option for Pacquiao’s next fight.

“It’s (Mayweather-Marquez) a boring match. It did not get me out of my seat which is what boxing should be,” Roach said.

“Mayweather is not exciting for me. He did not get the job done as expected.” (With Mau Victa)

Source: http://businessmirror.com.ph/home/sports/16415-roach-says-pacquiaos-weight-would-not-be-a-problem.html

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Pacquiao begins preparing for Cotto fight

BAGUIO, Philippines — Philippines boxing star Manny Pacquiao entered his training camp here Sunday as the six-time world champion temporarily bid goodbye to show business to focus on his much-awaited blockbuster bout against Miguel Cotto in November.

"I need to focus," the "Pacman", 49-3 with two drawn and 37 knockouts, said as he checked into his hotel in this northern mountain resort, having cleared his busy schedule for product endorsements and television shows.

He said his wife and mother would not be allowed into his training quarters.

Pacquiao, boxing's pound-for-pound king after beating Oscar de la Hoya in 2008 and knocking out Britain's Ricky Hatton in May, will face Cotto, 34-1 with 27 knockouts, on November 14 in Las Vegas in a welterweight showdown.

The 30-year-old Filipino's American trainer Freddie Roach was expected to arrive in Baguio over the next few days.

"This place is ideal. My training runs would be intense," Pacquiao said. "Also, it's not too crowded."

He said his trainers have devised a plan to counter the Puerto Rican's superior size, but gave no details.

Filipino trainer Buboy Fernandez asked Filipinos to give his man some space as the left-handed boxer trains outside the glare of the public eye.

"We ask for the people's prayers," he said. "We will try our best to help Manny win."

Source: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gVFi3scfZqnMkRPp_wVyInOJGvPA

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Pacquiao not bothered by Cotto’s training headstart

It doesn’t bother Manny Pacquiao if Miguel Cotto had gone four weeks ahead of him training for their November 14 title showdown.

That has always been the case for him.

“Ganyan naman palagi. Nauuna mag-train ang mga kalaban natin," he said upon arriving at the JFK Airport in New York for the start of his five-city press tour to hype his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight fight with Cotto at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Pacquiao stressed eight weeks of training is just enough for him, as proven by his big wins over former world champions David Diaz, the great Oscar De La Hoya and most recently, Ricky Hatton.

The Filipino ring icon also said weight would not be a problem this time as he currently tips in at 150 pounds, just five pounds over the catch weight of 145.

Upon arrival from the long 18-hour trip, Pacquiao checked in at Loews Regency in Park Avenue along with training assistant Roger Fernandez and advisers Mike Koncz and Franklin Gacal.

Cotto arrived in the fabulous US state hours later from Puerto Rico.

Although he’s been in training camp already for about a month, the WBO champion said they’re not into doing heavy stuffs yet.

The training, according to Cotto, was more on doing morning runs and some conditioning exercises, although he already sparred for at least three times.

“I just want the space for the hard weeks ahead. I don’t train the full week. And I just sparred like three times in those four weeks," Cotto said, admitting he’s about 161 pounds at this time.

He's not concerned too on Pacquiao's relatively late training regimen.

"It's not a matter for me but a matter for him (Pacquiao) if he doesn't train early. You know what kind of things you should do to be in shape," he said.

The press tour begins with a press conference at the Yankee Stadium Thursday (Friday in Manila), after which, the two fighters will have a photo shoot for the fight posters and commercials.

By Friday, the group heads for Puerto Rico, then flies to Atlanta the following day, San Francisco, and finally Los Angeles.

In L.A., both boxers will undergo medical at the Beverly Hotel before capping the tour with another presscon.

Pacquiao will stay in the Bay Area until Tuesday as he will do the ceremonial pitch for the Padres-Cardinals game at the Petco Park in San Diego.

He is expected to be back in the country Thursday to start his training. – GMANews.TV

Source: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/172042/pacquiao-not-bothered-by-cottos-training-headstart

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Pacquiao wants Edinburgh boxer

As Manny Pacquiao begins preparations for his next fight against Miguel Cotto, the Filipino has requested Edinburgh southpaw Gary McMillan as a sparring partner.

Pacquiao, a five-weight world champion, thinks highly of McMillan after sparring with him in the run up to his lightweight clash with David Diaz last year and has requested that McMillan return to aid him against Cotto.

McMillan will soon travel out to Freddie Roach’s Wildcard gym in Los Angeles where Pacquiao refines his trade.

The Lochend boxer’s coach Terry McCormack has a strong relationship with Roach.

“This invitation doesn’t surprise,” McCormack told Scotsman.com.

“Freddie rates Gary very highly. Besides, Manny wants McMillan because his next opponent, Miguel Cotto, is famous for being a switch hitter who moves from orthodox to southpaw.”

It has been reported that Pacquiao may only be able to train in the US for a limited period before his fight with Cotto due to a tax revenue law for non-nationals.

It is believed that the Filipino only has a month remaining before he will have to pay tax on his earnings which could cost the boxing superstar millions of dollars.

As a result, Pacquiao and his team may begin preparations outside the US, with Canada, Mexico and the Philippines being suggested.

Source: http://sport.stv.tv/boxing/118911-pacquiao-wants-edinburgh-boxer/


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Floyd says Marquez beat Pacquiao twice

MANILA -- Former pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather, Jr. claims Juan Manuel Marquez is the better fighter compared to Manny Pacquiao, which is why he picked to fight the Mexican champion.

“Marquez is one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. He was knocked down three times [by Pacquiao] and still got a draw. We all know who won there. I thought Marquez won the second time,” Mayweather said in a report by Boxing Scene.com.

Mayweather, who is due to face Marquez on September 19, said the Mexican’s ring prowess has prompted him to train hard for the fight.

“I picked the guy who won, not the guy who lost. That tells me to take this fight seriously and to train hard," he said.

Pacquiao and Marquez first fought to a controversial draw in 2004. The Filipino knocked down the Mexican champion thrice in the first round but Marquez fought back to even out the fight.

The two again faced each other four years later where Pacquiao secured a split decision. The Filipino scored a knock down against Marquez in the third round and this gave Pacquiao the victory.

Mayweather, meanwhile, is returning from a near two-year retirement. He will be facing Marquez at a catch weight of 144 pounds.

"I didn't want an easy opponent for my return and that's why I accepted the fight with Juan Manuel Marquez. Marquez is a great Mexican fighter and one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in boxing," said the former pound-for-pound king.

Source: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/sports/08/20/09/floyd-says-marquez-beat-pacquiao-twice

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Pacquiao in no hurry to open camp for Cotto

His rival, Miguel Cotto, has started training for their Nov. 14 showdown but Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao is in no hurry to commence his.

The Pacman counts 85 more days before “Firepower," his much-awaited tussle with WBO welterweight champion Cotto at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, which he said, will still provide ample time for his training camp.

“Don't worry, we have plenty of time (to train)... Everything is under control," Pacquiao wrote Thursday in his Kumbinasyon column for Abante and PhilBoxing.com.

At the moment, Pacquiao spends his time with his other passion – acting. The 30-year-old Pacquiao is shooting his movie project, Wapakman, and upcoming sitcom for GMA Network, Show Me The Manny with co-star Marian Rivera.

The reigning pound-for-pound king said he’s enjoying his showbiz forays, which he noted could be more taxing than fighting in the ring.

“Marami pa namang oras ang nakalaan sa pag-train para sa isa sa pinakamahirap na laban ng aking career at sa ngayon ay masaya ako at nalilibang sa aking mga proyekto kahit na minsan ay talaga ring nakakapagod," he said.

“Minsan nga, parang mas madali ang pagboboksing dahil ito ang aking nakasanayan at talaga namang mahal ko ang sport na ito," he added.

Manny Pacquiao as he trains for his showdown with Ricky Hatton last May. AP
While Pacquiao goes about his non-boxing activities, Cotto returned to the gym early August and announced that he would start full-time training for the Pacquiao fight on Aug. 24, according to BoxingScene.com.

Pacquiao plans to hit the gym by September yet but as always, he is expected to sink his teeth into getting into tip-top shape against Cotto, whom he considered a tough opponent.

The pride of General Santos City and Sarangani added that reports of “monstrous tickets sales" for “Firepower" had give him extra motivation to report for training soon. - GMANews.TV

Source: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/170261/Pacquiao-in-no-hurry-to-open-camp-for-Cotto

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Manny Pacquiao: The True Cash King of Boxing

In just two days, tickets for the anticipated welterweight championship battle between the current pound for pound king Manny Pacquiao and the Boricua Bomber Miguel Angel Cotto, billed as Fire Power, almost sold out; this is not so surprising because Cotto and Pacquiao are two of the best pugilists of the sports today.

Now there is another welterweight fight brewing prior to the Pacquiao-Cotto clash: the Number One/Numero Uno, which features the former pound for pound king Floyd "Money" Mayweather against the current WBA/WBO Lightweight champion Juan Manuel "Dinamita" Marquez. This scrimmage was originally scheduled on July 18, but it was almost scrapped due to Mayweather's unforeseen rib injury suffered during training. Despite the brief delay, the bout will now push through and it is now scheduled to air on HBO pay-per-view on Sep. 19, in conjunction with the independence day of Mexico. Still... the ticket sales are meager and slow.

Meanwhile the Fire Power match-up of Cotto and Pacquiao does not rely on undercards to sell. It is already perceived and recognized as an important and momentous saga in the history of boxing by most sports pundits even without the supporting bouts. This vintage skirmish is no doubt a best-seller: a novel so engaging that sports fans and HBO subscribers will never miss it even if it costs a fortune.

Floyd Mayweather constantly claims that he is the money-maker: the cash king of the Sweet Science, but figures and results do not lie--both facets point to the real cash king, the true money-maker, Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao. With his historic battle against Miguel Cotto, Pacquiao aims to solidify his legacy even further by capturing his seventh title in seven different divisions; a feat that has not been achieved by any pugilist: not the great Muhammad Ali, not the flashy Sugar Ray Leonard, not the legendary Sugar Ray Robinson, and definitely not the overhyped Money Mayweather.

So who is the certified cash King of boxing? It's none other than the pound for pound best and the new Golden Boy Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao.

Source: http://philboxing.com/news/story-26572.html

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If Pacquiao decides to train in RP, Roach wants Baguio

If Manny Pacquiao decides to spend the first half of training camp in the Philippines, trainer Freddie Roach said Saturday he doesn’t have a choice but follow what the big boss wants.

But Roach said he would like to make a simple request.

“If we train in the Philippines, I’d tell Manny to train in Baguio,” Roach told the Bulletin. “Not in Cebu. I heard the weather is fine up there (in Baguio) and there’d be less distractions (compared to Cebu or elsewhere).”

“Realistically speaking, I’d like to train (Pacquiao) outside the Philippines but…” said Roach, aware that Pacquiao has the final say on the matter.

With a little three months to go before Pacquiao faces Miguel Cotto on Nov. 14 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Roach is getting antsy as he has yet to get a call either from Pacquiao’s camp or Top Rank informing him of the latest developments.

“I have not heard from them,” said Roach, when asked about the other pertinent details of the Pacquiao-Cotto slugfest.

Pacquiao is being advised to train outside the US for the first four weeks to avoid shelling out millions in taxes.

Top Rank head Bob Arum is offering Pacquiao to train in utmost seclusion in the Atlantis resort in the Bahamas courtesy of a dear friend, while Pacquiao lawyer Franklin Gacal is training his sights on Vancouver, Canada.

Others being considered are Mexico and the Philippines with Manila and Cebu being mentioned as possible sites aside from Baguio.

While Roach is in the dark, the multi-awarded cornerman has already made a big step as far as the start of training camp is concerned.

“I have already contacted four guys who will be Manny’s sparring partners,” Roach, rattling the names of Raymond Serrano and Urbano Antillon as the two of the four he wants to see in training camp.

Serrano and Antillon helped Pacquiao in the buildup to the Ricky Hatton fight last May.

Meanwhile, World Boxing Council (WBC) president Jose Sulaiman said the WBC will not hesitate to sanction the Pacquiao-Cotto bout as a world title fight once Arum makes a request to the governing body.

“The WBC would absolutely authorize and approve it,” said Sulaiman, who recently revealed that a new belt, the WBC Diamond Belt, has been approved by the Board of Governors for the benefit of some of boxing’s most elite fighters like Pacquiao.

There is still trouble brewing over Cotto’s insistence that his fight with Pacquiao will just be a non-title fight and that his World Boxing Organization throne won’t be on the line as agreed upon earlier by the two camps and Top Rank as well.

Sulaiman said the WBC is more than willing to fill the void.

Source: http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/215005/if-pacquiao-decides-train-rp-roach-wants-baguio

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Manny Steward Says 'Miguel Cotto lo noqueará'

... Or, in English, “Miguel Cotto will knock him out.”

He’s referring, of course, to Manny Pacquiao, who Cotto is scheduled to fight on November 14. Steward, a Hall-of-Fame trainer who is best known for training Tommy Hearns and Lennox Lewis, is aggressively angling for the job of training Cotto for the Pacquiao fight. Yesterday, in an interview with the Puerto Rican daily Primera Hora, he stated flatly that if Cotto retains his services, there is no doubt in his mind that Cotto will knock Pacquiao out.

Of course, Steward wouldn’t be so publicly clamoring for the Cotto gig were it not for the fact that Cotto recently had an explosive split with his long-time trainer (and full-time uncle) Evangelista Cotto. Tensions that simmered between the two for years finally boiled over this past April, leading to a fistfight that started in a Puerto Rican gym and eventually made its way out to the parking lot, reputedly concluding with Evangelista hurling a cinder block through the windshield of his fighter-nephew’s Jaguar.

Since that incident, Cotto fired his uncle and promoted his nutritionist, Jose Santiago, to be his head trainer, a move that left many in the boxing world scratching their heads. Cotto is known to be very loyal to his circle, but how long can he expect to compete at the elite level without an elite trainer?

Manny Steward is about as elite as they get, and he clearly thinks the time is now for Cotto to step up to the A-list as far as his training goes. He told Primera Hora that he’s a big admirer of Cotto and that he believes there are many ways that he can improve the fighter. Should Cotto take him up on the offer, it definitely would raise the octane level of what is already shaping up to be the biggest and possibly best fight of the year. Not only would there be two superstar fighters in the ring, but each would have a superstar trainer in his corner. And just as Freddie Roach vs. Floyd Mayweather Sr. stole some headlines from the Pacquiao/Hatton fight, no doubt Freddie Roach vs. Manny Steward would become a major storyline for Pacquiao/Cotto.

Source: http://www.sportingnews.com/blog/the_sporting_blog/entry/view/29430/manny_steward_says_miguel_cotto_lo_noquear%C3%A1

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SUNDAY VIDEO FEATURE: Pac-mania @ The STAR

Youtube Link

I never leave my post during lunch breaks, simply for the sole reason that I hardly have lunch.

But before noon of July 28, The STAR’s 23rd anniversary, my boss approached me and informed me that Manny Pacquiao – yes, the Manny Pacquiao – will be gracing the company’s anniversary celebration.

Being a self-confessed rabid Pacquiao disciple, my insides rattled upon hearing the news. “Today I’ll be seeing face-to-face the best boxer in the planet today, pound-for-pound,” I discreetly told myself.

I was tasked to shoot Pacquiao’s once-in-a-blue-moon visit to the office, and I willingly obliged. I’ve never seen him up-close, although I saw his fight against Oscar Larios live at the Araneta Coliseum (if my memory serves me right, it was an Upper Box view).

With a video camcorder in hand, I rushed downstairs to join other excited STAR employees waiting to get a glimpse and rub elbows with the Philippines’ favorite son.

Then the rest was history.

I knew from the moment Pacquiao alighted from his black Hummer that this would be a remarkable day for STAR employees. As expected, the king was mobbed. Pandemonium broke. Work stopped as almost all employees left their posts to join the fray.

I managed to squeeze into the crowd and get a clear shot of boxing’s hottest commodity. Pacquiao, ever the gentleman, extended his hands out to everyone wanting to touch them.

Then the blessed hands found mine. It was my turn to shake Manny’s hands, the same lighting-quick, powerful weapons that knocked the senses out of Marco Antonio Barrera, Oscar De La Hoya and most recently, Ricky Hatton, among other tough foes.

Having touched those rough, hard hands, I had a glimpse of the countless hand-wrap and sparring sessions Pacquiao took every time he prepares for a fight. Those hands were the ones that put the Philippines to the worldwide spotlight. And it was an honor for me to shake them.

Pacquiao was given the opportunity to address employees in a prepared speech, something he delivered naturally and charismatically.

“I salute every editor, every writer, every worker, every leader at Philippine STAR. What you have are not just words but dedication to truth, convictions of integrity and passion for excellence,” he said, drawing constant applause from a still-star struck crowd.

“Parang SONA lang ah,” he joked, eliciting laughter from everyone.

He also reminded every employee that the day belonged to them, the true STARS.

“In closing, let me congratulate you for being the country’s number one newspaper. I greet you with all my heart on your 23rd anniversary. Mabuhay ang Philippine STAR.”

As Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao was being taken back to his hardcore Hummer by his security staff, he waved a final farewell to the crowd who continued to scream his name.

I didn’t think he realized that while many hands -- big and small -- waved back at him, his remain one of the biggest, most wonderful and most accomplished pair of hands to ever grace 13th Corner Railroad St., Port Area.

Hail, King!

Source: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=492071&publicationSubCategoryId=63

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Pacquiao may train in Canada

Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum is luring Manny Pacquiao to the Bahamas for the first half of his training camp for the November 14 duel with Miguel Cotto but the Filipino fighter might end up going to Canada, Mexico — or even the Philippines.

Owing to an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regulation called the Substantial Presence Test, defined as a calculation that determines the resident or nonresident status of a foreign national for tax purposes in the US, Arum said Pacquiao has to spend the first four weeks of training outside US territory and the Bahamas, which is 45 minutes by air from Florida, turned out to be perfect choice.

“Manny’s going to love it there,” Arum said on Wednesday, stressing that a high-ranking executive of the high-end Atlantis Resort in the capital city of Nassau, is more than willing to host Pacquiao and his training team.

“The weather is similar to that of the Philippines and everything there will be first-class,” said Arum, who turned a bit annoyed when told about the possibility of Pacquiao opting to stay in the Philippines.

Arum said he can also train in Mexico but the language barrier might turn Pacquiao off.

“Manny has to be near the US because we will maximize the pay-per-view,” said Arum, noting that “it will all be up to Manny” to decide where to train.

Even chief trainer Freddie Roach is not leaning towards a training camp in the country “because of too many distractions.”

Pacquiao lawyer Franklin Gacal said Vancouver in Canada appears to be a good choice, not only because it is also near the US but because of the large number of Filipinos residing there as well.

Roach wants an eight-week training camp for the Cotto fight and regardless of where Pacquiao spends the first four weeks, they would resume training at the Wild Card in Hollywood a month before the bout.

Source: http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/213335/pacquiao-may-train-canada

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Floyd’s trainer: ‘Pacquiao got guts to face Cotto’

MANILA -- There’s nothing new in recognizing Manny Pacquiao’s ferocity in facing guys bigger than him.

Unless the recognition came from Roger Mayweather, the uncle-trainer of former pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

In an interview with fight Fan.com’s Ace Freeman, Roger said it takes some serious guts for a small man like Pacquiao to face Miguel Cotto.

“Obviously if Pacquiao is taking the fight with Cotto, he thinks he can beat him. That should tell you right there… for a little guy, he’s got some balls,” said Roger.

Roger, who himself fought as a professional and was a former world champion in the late 80’s, also admitted that he may have underestimated Pacquiao in the past.

“Obviously he’s a much better fighter than I thought he was. Regardless of how he beat [Oscar] de la Hoya, he still beat de la Hoya. Regardless of how he beat Ricky Hatton, he beat Ricky Hatton. Obviously, he’s a better than I thought he was,” he said.

However, he thinks it will be a different story when Pacquiao meets Cotto, whom he described as the bigger guy and a very good puncher.

“I don’t think he’s going to beat Cotto. If he does beat Cotto, I’ll be amazed… I’ve got to see him beat Cotto… I’ve got to see it with my own eyes,” said Roger.

Pacman vs Floyd
Roger also said that he would also like to see how Pacquiao would fare against his nephew, Floyd.

“That would be the biggest fight in the world for Pacquiao. It would also be the biggest fight in the world for my nephew if they were to fight in the near future,” he said.

Roger, however, thinks it will only happen if Pacquiao beats Cotto.

Source: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/sports/07/28/09/floyd%E2%80%99s-trainer-%E2%80%98pacquiao-got-guts-face-cotto%E2%80%99

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Legacy matters to Manny Pacquiao fans worldwide

Bob Arum went on record stating that “nobody in the US’ cares whether Manny Pacquiao fights Miguel Cott for the WBO welterweight title on Nov. 14.

That inspired me, based on a reader’s suggestion, to call for a Pacquiao and a Cotto Fan Roll Call at my email address of mlcmarley@aol.com.

I only asked those supporting Pacman-Cotto as a world title bout, giving Megamanny a chance to garner a record seventh weight division title, to give name and where they reside.

Maybe “nobody in the US” cares about this issue but I’ve had thousands of responses in a few short hours and they come from all over the world.

News Flash to Arum: to Pacquaio's ardent fans, legacy matters.

Here are some of pugilistic precincts which are demanding Packy-Cotto have the belt on the line:

Cebu, RP

San Diego

Miami

Jersey City, NJ

Singapore

South Africa

Saudi Arabia

Dubai, UAE

Wicklow, Ireland

Metro Manila

Davao City, RP

Toronto

Perth, Australia

West Valley City, Utah

Columbus, Ohio

Waxhaw, North Carolina

Taiwan

What do you think of that, Uncle Bob?

But “nobody cares” right?

Last time I checked, North Carolina, Utah, Ohio, Florida and California had not seceded from the Union.

Keep those emails coming to mlcmarley@aol.com, mark them ‘ROLL CALL’ and give your name and where you live.

The fight goes on! the crusade continues!

Btw, my fellow Examiners are cordially invited to participate as are boxing scribes anywhere, especially the Pinoy stalwarts. Paging Messrs. Giongco, Lagumbay, Trinidad, Cordero and all the rest.

The more the merrier.

Source: http://www.examiner.com/x-5699-NY-Boxing-Examiner~y2009m7d26-Roll-call-for-Pacquiao-fans-draws-worldwide-response

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Odds too much in Pacquiao’s favor

Manny Pacquiao has been installed a -215 favorite over Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico in their November 14 super fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

This means that bettors will have to shell out at least $215 to win $100.

Cotto, in contrast, is the underdog at +175, meaning a $100 wager on him wins $175.

Pacquiao’s reputation as a winner has been growing by leaps and bounds following successive victories, including a sensational second-round knockout of Ricky Hatton last May.

Since making his US debut in June 2001, Pacquiao has rarely been installed the underdog, the exception being his bout with Oscar De La Hoya late last year where the Golden Boy was the favorite.

The Pacquiao-Cotto slugfest is being dubbed ‘Firepower’ owing to the explosive fighting styles of the two combatants, according to Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum, whose outfit Top Rank is staging the event.

The past two days, reports coming from Puerto Rico suggest that Cotto is not willing to stake his World Boxing Organization welterweight crown and Pacquiao lawyer Franklin Gacal said Cotto doesn’t have a choice but to put it on the line as part of the deal.

Pacquiao and Cotto have agreed to face off at 145 lbs, two lbs under welterweight.

The problem is, while both parties have agreed to fight each other, contracts have yet to be signed and the camps of both sides are expected to encounter a few disagreements along the way.

Cotto lawyer Gabriel Penagaricano told the Bulletin a few days ago that “they have agreed in principle” to fight Pacquiao, while Gacal told the same paper yesterday that Pacquiao hasn’t signed anything yet.

Still, it is expected that Arum will find a way--as always--to iron out the kinks.

Source: http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/212627/odds-too-much-pacquiao-s-favor

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Bradley takes shot at Pacquiao

Timothy Bradley is undefeated, a two-time titleholder and confident. He also seems to be frustrated about the perception of a particular fighter from the Philippines.

The product of the Southern California desert town of Palm Springs said a victory over Nate Campbell on Aug. 1 in neighboring Rancho Mirage will solidify his position as the top 140-pounder in the world. Then he remembered Manny Pacquiao.

Bradley is rated No. 1 at 140 pounds by THE RING, one notch below champion Pacquiao.

“Manny Pacquiao is the best fighter supposedly … whatever,” he said Thursday on a conference call, which included Campbell. “He’s the poster kid. He’s not fighting the best in the division, though. He’s fighting bigger fighters who are cutting weight and chopping them up because they’re weakened coming down in weight.”

Yes, it sounds like sour grapes. However, no one can say Bradley (24-0, 11 knockouts) is just sitting around complaining; he’s fighting hard to get to the top.

Case in point: He will have fought three of the best 140-pounders in the world in a 14-month period, an extremely impressive feat.

He went to England and narrowly beat Junior Witter in May of last year to win the WBC belt, he survived the only two knockdowns of his career to outpoint Kendall Holt and win the WBO version of the title, and he faces Campbell a week from Saturday.

He has a long way to go before he catches Pacquiao but he’s on the rise.

“To be the best, you have to beat the best,” Bradley said. “He’s one of the best fighters at 140 pounds, including myself. That’s the reason I’m taking the challenge. I want to be the best fighter in the world at 140. I have to beat Nate Campbell to do that.”

The fighters engaged in some spirited trash talking on the conference call but it was good natured. They seem to respect one another.

Bradley was asked what he thought of Campbell’s stunning split-decision upset victory over then-undefeated Juan Diaz last year in Cancun, Mexico. Clearly, he was impressed. And Campbell’s subsequent majority-decision victory over tall, hard-punching South African Ali Funeka? Again, impressive.

So what makes Bradley think he’ll fare any better against the seasoned old (37) veteran?

“Because I’m not Juan Diaz,” he said. “I’m not one dimensional. He’s one dimensional; he can’t move, he can’t box, he can’t adjust in the ring. What makes me confident is that I can pretty much do it all – box, bang, stand and trade. I can move and I can fight too.

“I can make adjustments in the ring. That’s what makes me feel a lot more confidence.”

Meanwhile, Campbell (33-5-1, 25 KOs) will be fighting for the first time in an official 140-pound bout.

He lost the 135-pound titles he took from Diaz when he failed to make weight against Funeka in February. He weighed in at 137½.

He said he was on weight Thursday.

“You’re able to shrink down when you’re young,” he said. “As you get older, you can’t shrink down as much; you lose strength. I’m feeling stronger than when I’ve been at a higher weight. I feel really, really strong. I’ll be here for a while.”

More disrespect: Bradley took a shot at the sport’s pound-for-pound king. Not to be outdone, Campbell took one at another well-known 140-pounder – Amir Khan.

Khan took the WBA’s version of the junior welterweight title when he easily outpointed Andreas Kotelnik last Saturday in the UK, only three fights removed from a first-round knockout loss to Breidis Prescott.

“Is that spelled CON?” Campbell said, purposely misspelling Khan’s name. “I don’t know how that boy got a title shot. That boy there shouldn’t fight for a junior title let alone a world title. Didn’t Prescott take his lunch money a few months ago?”

Bradley showed more respect for the talented Englishman, who is 22.

"He better hold onto the title as long as he can," Bradley said. "That's all I have to say. I don't have much to say ... congrats on winning the world title. He fought a smart fight. Congrats to him. Basically, that's all I can say. I can't say anything bad. He won a world title. He beat a good, seasoned guy. Kotelnik had been in the ring with Witter and so on. Good job. Congrats."

Source: http://www.ringtv.com/blog/912/bradley_takes_shot_at_pacquiao/

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Pacquiao to get P570-million vs Cotto

While Manny Pacquiao is getting a guarantee of $12 million (about P570 million) against Miguel Cotto in their November 14 super fight – the same amount he got against Ricky Hatton last May when they agree to a 50-50 revenue split – the Filipino stands to earn much more this time considering that he got the lion’s share of the money in the profit-sharing.

Sources within Team Pacquiao say that Pacquiao was granted a 65-35 share and that he stands to collect an extra in case the Puerto Rican fails to make the agreed weight limit of 145 lbs during the official weighin on the eve of the fight.

However, it could not be determined how much Cotto will be assessed assuming he is overweight.

Pacquiao got the bigger percentage owing not only to his status as boxing’s premier fighter but his proven track record in selling pay-per-view and tickets.

Pacquiao’s landmark bout with Oscar De La Hoya last year generated 1.25 million buys that amounted to $70 million.

Against Erik Morales in 2006, a provision in the contract stipulated that Morales pay $1 million for every pound in excess of 130 lbs. As it turned out, Pacquiao did not cash in on that one since Morales – severely dehydrated from the massive weight reduction – made the weight but eventually lost in a devastating manner.

Cotto might not undergo the harrowing experience Morales had years ago since he actually weighed 146 lbs in his last fight last June.

Still, Team Pacquiao is not discounting the possibility that Cotto might have to shed off some excess poundage in the hopes of preventing a massive fine.

Cotto plans to start training in late-August in Puerto Rico before moving to Tampa, Florida.

Pacquiao sets to rekindle his successful partnership with Freddie Roach in the middle of September after attending the three-city press tour that kicks off Sept. 9 in Los Angeles.

Source: http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/212434/pacquiao-get-p570million-vs-cotto

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Ali trainer admits Pacquiao's the best

MANILA, Philippines - Twice proven wrong, legendary trainer Angelo Dundee has finally acknowledged Manny Pacquiao as the best there is today.

“I think Pacquiao is the best fighter today,” the former cornerman of champions like Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard told The Sweet Science as he tried to break down the coming fight between Pacquiao, the reigning pound-for-pound champion, and Miguel Cotto, the WBO welterweight king.

Dundee was part of Oscar dela Hoya’s training camp when the Golden Boy faced Pacquiao last December, and was away when the Filipino boxing icon took on light-welterweight champion Ricky Hatton last May. Twice in both fights, Dundee predicted that Pacquiao was on the losing end of the fight.

And twice he was proven wrong.

Dundee said the Pacquiao-Cotto fight, set on Nov. 14 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, should be a very good one, and for a change he seemed to be on Pacquiao’s side.

“This is going to be tremendous. It is a match made in heaven.” Dundee told The Sweet Science. “I am looking forward to Pacquiao-Cotto. This fight will catch your imagination because Cotto keeps coming, and this other kid Pacquiao, is so good, so slick. I think Pacquiao is the best fighter right now and this is a great fight.”

No contract has been signed yet by both fighters although there’s been a verbal agreement between them and Top Rank president Bob Arum, who holds the rights over Pacquiao and Cotto.

The fight is set at a catchweight of 145 lb with Pacquiao sure to be getting the bigger slice of the purse. What remains uncertain, though, is if Cotto, the pride of Puerto Rico, would stake his WBO welterweight contract.

According to boxing chronicler Michael Marley, Cotto’s lawyer, Gabriel Penagaricano Jr., has already stated that “Cotto has no desire to risk his belt against Pacman.”

Fight fans, however, wouldn’t really mind whether or not there’ll be a title at stake. Dundee must feel the same way, too.

“To me, it is probably Pacquiao’s toughest fight,” said Dundee.

“Styles, Cotto never stops coming. We will see a great fight. I will probably end up going to that fight because I want to see it,” he added.

Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, is once again going for the knockout.

“We’re going to knock out Cotto,” he told FightHype.com.

“I don’t have anything bad to say about Cotto. I believe he’s an excellent athlete that is always well-prepared for his fights but I have trust in the abilities of Manny and I believe we’re going to knock out Cotto,” said Roach.

Source: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=489655&publicationSubCategoryId=69

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For Pacquiao, the list has gotten really short

Jim Lampley once remarked during a fight, "Manny Pacquiao is a storm!"

That was years ago. Lampley nor anybody else knew just how devastating the Pacquiao storm would become in the following years. Here we are in 2009, and the former flyweight champion of the world currently sits on the 140-pound throne, has retired Oscar de la Hoya, been involved in two straight "Event of the Year" fights, demolished a game Ricky Hatton in under two rounds, and overall done things that would've been unthinkable even a few years ago.

On November 14, he'll go up to a 145-pound catchweight to try and capture Miguel Cotto's WBA welterweight title. I've said already that Cotto is a seriously dangerous opponent, no matter what anyone else might think, and he should be treated as such. A Pacquiao steamroll job would be jaw-dropping in this fight.

I also remarked at the end of the article that to some, it seems like all that would be acceptable is a time-traveling Pacquiao that battles Sugar Ray Robinson for all-time supremacy. In some ways, it's understandable that Pacquiao's opponents will be downplayed. There are precious few fighters that present a great danger to him these days. He's become that good. Sure, welterweight is legitimately the highest he could possibly go (I mean it has to be, right?), and bigger guys than that could have their way with him simply on size. I joked after the Hatton fight that if Pacquiao challenged 6'2" middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik, I'd pick Manny. But realistically Pavlik would take his head off at some point (he'd have to, right?).

Read full story: http://www.badlefthook.com/2009/7/23/959696/for-pacquiao-the-list-has-gotten

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