Pacquiao ‘in excellent spirits’ despite KO loss

LAS VEGAS, Nevada – Though bruised and battered, Manny Pacquiao said he felt “fine” on Sunday after his sensational sixth-round knockout by Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez and promised his fans he would return to the ring.

There had been speculation the 33-year-old Pacquiao might consider retirement after losing for a second time in his last three bouts but the Filipino southpaw made it clear he would be back to compete after taking a well-earned break.

“To all my fans, I would like to thank you for your prayers and assure you that I am fine,” Pacquiao said in a statement just hours after his stunning defeat in a non-title welterweight bout in front of a sellout crowd at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

“I am looking forward to a nice rest and then I will be back to fight. On behalf of (his wife) Jinkee and our family we would like to wish everyone a joyous Christmas and a happy and healthy new year.”

Pacquiao, who had won twice and drawn once in his three previous meetings with Marquez, was floored by a thunderous right by the counter-punching Mexican with just one second left in the sixth round of a high-energy bout.

The Filipino was also knocked down in the third round but fears of a possible concussion were put to rest after a precautionary CT (computed tomography) scan at nearby University Medical Center hospital after the fight ended.

“The results were negative,” said Michael Koncz, Pacquiao’s advisor. “We were in and out in just over an hour and Manny was in excellent spirits.”

Both fighters had much to prove in their heavily anticipated fourth showdown on Saturday.

Diminished powers

Marquez was determined to set the record straight after firmly believing he had been “robbed” by judges’ verdicts in their three previous fights while Pacquiao was eager to prove his powers had not diminished with age.

The Filipino had delivered a below-par performance against Marquez 13 months ago when he narrowly retained his WBO welterweight title with a controversial majority decision that was greeted by loud booing from disgruntled Marquez fans.

Pacquiao’s preparations for that fight were hampered by various distractions, including marital difficulties, but he has since patched up his relationship with his wife and become a much more disciplined boxer after giving up his former pastimes of cockfighting, gambling and nightclubbing.

In June, however, Pacquiao lost on a hotly disputed split decision to American Timothy Bradley, his first defeat since he was beaten by Erik Morales in Las Vegas in March 2005.

With his ego bruised and his stature diminished, the Filipino set his sights on bold vindication against Marquez, but once again he fell short in his bid.

“I want to congratulate Juan Manuel,” said Pacquiao, who slipped to 54-5-2 with 38 knockouts. “I have no excuses. It was a good fight and he deserved the victory. I think boxing fans who watched us were winners too.”

Pacquiao’s stunning loss has almost certainly written off any chance of a long awaited mega-fight between the Filipino and American Floyd Mayweather Jr., and he is now much more likely to take on Marquez for a fifth time.

“Yes, why not? It’s a good fight,” said the Filipino, who has won world titles in an unprecedented eight weight divisions. “If you give us a chance, we’ll fight again.”

source: interaksyon.com

Marquez fans drown out Pacquiao at weigh-in

LAS VEGAS — Hundreds of screaming Filipino boxing fans tried unsuccessfully to shout down their Mexican rivals at the weigh-in for Saturday’s welterweight fight between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez.

Chants of “Manny, Manny” were answered with even more boisterous calls of “Marquez, Marquez” from the dominant flag-waving Mexican supporters as a crowd of about 5,000 people squeezed into the MGM Grand Garden arena on Friday.

“I am happy to give honour to my country in boxing,” the 33-year-old Pacquiao told the crowd.

Pacquiao, 54-4-2 with 38 knockouts, weighed in at the division’s 147-pound limit while Marquez, 54-6-1 with 39 knockouts, came in at 143 pounds.

Pacquiao’s huge following in the Philippines was on display at the arena, with many of his supporters flying in from his home country and other parts of the United States.

With the 16,000-capacity arena sold out for Saturday’s fight, this is as close as many will get to the fighters in person. One eager Filipino couple, who flew in from Hawaii, started lining up in the wee hours of the morning 11.5 hours before the doors were scheduled to open.

The majority of the crowd was supporting Marquez, who walked to the scales first. He stood up there wearing nothing but a pair of boxer shorts, a thick gold chain around his neck and an orange paper bracelet. He still came in four pounds under the limit for the non-title fight.

“It is going to be a war,” Marquez told the crowd.

Pacquiao followed Marquez onto the scale, and then stepped off and posed like a body builder as his fans cheered and Marquez’s supporters booed.

Marquez’s fans successfully drowned out Pacquiao with a chorus of boos as he talked about trying to help the victims of a typhoon that devastated the southern Philippines this week, killing hundreds and displacing tens of thousands.

“This fight is dedicated to those fans,” Pacquiao said, adding that he would try to be better focused on Saturday.

When southpaw Pacquiao and Marquez enter the ring Saturday for their non-title bout, it will be the fourth time in eight years they have fought.

Pacquiao, who is eager to redeem himself after suffering a defeat in his most recent fight to Tim Bradley, is tired of Marquez blaming his failure to win in their three previous fights on biased judging.

Marquez claims he won all three fights — although two were scored in favour of Pacquiao and one ended in a draw.

“It is most important to show people who the best man is,” Marquez said Friday.

The boxers were joined on podium Friday by former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, promoter Bob Arum and their trainers, Freddie Roach for Pacquiao and Ignacio Beristain for Marquez.

Organizers announced Friday that more than $10 million worth of tickets have been sold for the fight, which is also being carried on both closed-circuit television at venues around Las Vegas and pay-per-view in private homes.

Pacquiao and Marquez joined an elite list of boxers who have met four times, including Sugar Ray Robinson-Gene Fullmer (1957-1961); Jersey Joe Walcott-Ezzard Charles (1949-1952) and Sandy Saddler-Willie Pep (1948-1951).

Pacquiao said earlier in the week that there won’t be a fifth fight, which would put them in the class of Gene Tunney-Harry Greb, who had five bouts between 1922-1925.

The undercard will feature one title fight, a 12-round IBF lightweight bout between Mercito Gesta of the Philippines and Mexican Miguel Vazquez.

Gesta, who has 26 wins and no losses, is fighting for his first championship belt.

Gesta’s father, Anecito, 49, is a former Muay Thai champion in the Philippines and also serves as a sparring partner for his son.

Former world featherweight champ Yuriorkis Gamboa is also on the undercard, fighting Filipino Michael Farenas in a junior lightweight bout.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Pacquiao fans travel far to see boxing hero

LAS VEGAS — Mele Stowers is part of Manny Pacquiao’s legion of dedicated supporters who think nothing of traveling lengthy distances to see their Filipino boxing hero in person.

Stowers, who flew to Las Vegas with her husband from their home in Honolulu, Hawaii, was first in line to get in the doors for Friday’s weigh-in for the Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez fight at the MGM Hotel’s Grand Garden arena.

Stowers started waiting at 2 a.m., 12 1/2 hours before Pacquiao was scheduled to take the stage for the weigh-in for Saturday’s non-title welterweight bout.

“Pacquiao is going to knock him out in the third round. Marquez is too old,” said Stowers, an accountant in Honolulu.

For many of the 5,000 people at Friday’s weigh-in, this is as close they will get to the boxers, as all 16,000 tickets to the fight have been sold.

The two boxers have fought three times, with Pacquiao winning twice and one bout ending in a draw. Marquez’s fans are convinced it is going to be different this time, with their man’s arm being raised in victory.

“Marquez will win in nine rounds,” said Octavio Valdez, 39, of Las Vegas. “Pacquiao will get knocked down in this fight, because Marquez is coming in stronger than before.

“I just hope Marquez keeps his guard up, because if he drops his hands then he will get knocked out.”

Jorge De La Garza, 32, of Monterrey, Mexico, said Marquez is determined to right a wrong.

“Marquez will win because he has unfinished business,” said Garza, who works security for an internet service company. “The last fight was stolen from him.”

American college student Gilbert Estanilla thinks Pacquiao is going for an emphatic knockout win to send as strong a message as he can.

“Nothing is impossible for Pacquiao,” said Estanilla, 21, of Henderson, Nevada. “He is mentally and physically ready. Marquez is scared, he is terrified of Pacquiao.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

Bradley shocks the world with split decision over Pacquiao

Unbeaten American Timothy Bradley ended Manny Pacquiao’s 15-fight winning streak with a controversial split decision victory over the Filipino ring icon on Saturday.

Judge Jerry Roth scored the bout 115-113 for Pacquiao, while C.J. Ross and Duane Ford both saw it 115-113 for Bradley, even though it appeared Pacquiao hurt Bradley throughout the fight — particularly with his straight left hand.

Pacquiao fell to 54-4-2 with 38 wins inside the distance, suffering his first defeat since he dropped a 12-round unanimous decision to Erik Morales in March 2005.

Bradley improved to 29-0 with 12 wins inside the distance and seized Pacquiao’s World Boxing Organization welterweight title.

Pacquiao, a world champion in eight weight classes who is reckoned the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, said he thought he had done enough to win.

“Absolutely, yes,” he said during a post-bout interview, to cheers from the crowd.

“He’s a strong puncher, he rocked me a couple of times in the fight, but I held my ground and fought to the end,” Bradley said. “This is boxing.

“Every round was pretty close. Pacquiao won some of the early rounds. I controlled the later rounds with my jab.

“I need to go home and review the tape,” he added.

Promoter Bob Arum called the decision “unfathomable” and “incomprehensible”.

“I want to congratulate Tim Bradley, he’s going to make a lot of money,” Arum said. “But I want to say I have never been ashamed as much to be associated with the sport of boxing as I am tonight.”

Bradley came out aggressive and got the better of the exchanges early in the first round before Pacquiao hurt the American with three straight lefts late in the round.

Pacquiao continued to get to Bradley with the straight left in the second and third rounds, connecting also with some right hooks to the body and the occasional over-hand left.

Bradley stayed in front of him and kept punching but didn’t appear to be hurting the champion.

In the fourth Pacquiao hurt Bradley with a series of blows. After one exchange that included a left to Bradley’s jaw the American stumbled back.

Pacquiao rocked Bradley with another left to the head in the fifth and in the sixth backed Bradley into the ropes, unleashing a barrage that included a strong right hook to the body.

A tenacious Bradley continued to challenge Pacquiao, and it was Bradley’s work in the final three rounds that turned the tide for the judges, even though by then he was complaining to his corner of pain in his right foot, which he had twisted in an earlier round.

Bradley appeared at the post-fight press conference in a wheelchair.

The announcement of the result was greeted by boos from the pro-Pacquiao crowd at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Pacquiao’s wife, Jinkee, and sons Manny jnr and Michael — watching their father fight in Las Vegas for the first time — looked stunned.

However, Pacquiao wasn’t prepared to criticize the judging.

“It’s part of the game,” said the fighter, who earned a controversial majority decision of his own over Juan Manuel Marquez in November to keep his winning streak intact.

Arum said Saturday’s decision was more of a shocker than Pacquiao’s narrow win over Marquez.

“It was close, everybody said it was close,” Arum said of Pacquiao-Marquez. “This wasn’t really a close fight.”

source: interaksyon.com

‘Tired, worn out’ Pacquiao will lose, says underdog Bradley

LAS VEGAS, Nevada – World champion Manny Pacquiao says he’s rejuvenated in body as well as spirit, but challenger Timothy Bradley says the Filipino ring icon is primed for a fall when they meet on Saturday.

“He’s worn out, tired, I can see it in his eyes, the wrinkles,” says Bradley, a 5-1 underdog despite his unbeaten record of 28-0 with 12 knockouts.

“This boy’s not ready for me.”

Pacquiao and Bradley weighed in on Friday before a raucous crowd of about 4,000 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, where Pacquiao’s World Boxing Organization welterweight world title will be on the line.

Pacquiao weighed in at 147 pounds (66.67kg) — the heaviest he’s been at a weigh-in.

In comparison, Pacquiao weighed in at just 144.6 pounds (65.58kg) when he fought Antonio Margarito in a super welterweight title bout fought at a catch-weight of 150 pounds (68.03kg) in 2010.

Bradley tipped the scales at 146 pounds (66.22 kg) and the challenger, who has presented a relaxed front in the build-up to the bout, was all-business at the weigh-in, scowling and moving in on Pacquiao in the photo-op staredown.

When Bradley gave an aggressive jerk of his chin, Pacquiao seemed to struggle to suppress a smile.

“I’m smiling,” Pacquiao said. “I’m happy.”

While Pacquiao is the favorite, he has, indeed, been doubted by pundits who point to his unconvincing majority decision over Juan Manuel Marquez in November, along with such signs of weakness as debilitating leg cramps in his more recent fights.

“I’m ready for war,” Bradley declared after the weigh-in in front of a pro-Pacquiao crowd. “Don’t matter getting booed. None of these people are going to be in the ring. It’s going to be me and Manny at the end of the night.

“I’m set out to prove everybody wrong.”

Pacquiao — who has won titles in eight weight classes and boasts a record of 54-3 with two drawn and 38 knockouts — has said his preparations for his last Marquez fight were hampered by marital strife, a thing of the past now that he has re-dedicated himself to God and spends his time in Bible study rather than gambling, drinking and womanizing.

“They’re as happy as can be,” trainer Freddie Roach said Thursday of Pacquiao and his wife, Jinkee. “He’s in a much better place than he was before his last fight.”

While promoter Bob Arum has characterized Pacquiao’s life as “careening off the rails” prior to his spiritual re-awakening, Roach seemed to think things weren’t that bad.

“He just got caught up in the limelight a little bit,” Roach said. “He took a step back and looked at his life and didn’t like it — and he changed.”

Roach said the change has carried over into the gym, but Bradley sounded a skeptical note this week.

“He’s here, he’s there, he’s fornicating and now he’s got his religion in place,” Bradley said. “I don’t have to throw religion in people’s face.”

Whatever the truth of Pacquiao’s spiritual quest and its impact on his physical abilities, Bradley’s trainer, Joel Diaz, said Saturday’s fight will come down to ring skills, pure and simple.

Diaz said that’s what will give his fighter a chance in what Bradley has acknowledged is the biggest bout of his life.

“Manny is a one-dimensional fighter,” Diaz claimed. “He unloads a lot of punches, but he’s reckless.

“He doesn’t focus on his defense. You can counterpunch him all night long. And Timothy’s a brawler who can move his feet and be smart enough to make any changes he needs to in there.”

Roach, not surprisingly, begs to differ.

He says Bradley isn’t a slick counterpuncher and won’t be able to match Pacquiao’s quickness.

“He’s the same fighter he was as an amateur,” Roach said of Bradley. “He makes the same mistakes. We’re going to take advantage of them.”

source: interaksyon.com