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

Manny Pacquiao admits: ‘I was overconfident’

Manny Pacquiao admitted he was ‘overconfident’ when he walked into a punch from Juan Manuel Marquez to suffer a knockout in their fourth fight Sunday at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas.

“I was starting to get overconfident,” Pacquiao said shortly after the bout. “I never expected that punch.”

Despite suffering a knockdown in the third round, Pacquiao looked like he was in control of the fight. He knocked down the Mexican in the fifth round and busted up Marquez’s face, with television announcers wondering if he had a broken nose.

Pacquiao brought the fire in the sixth round, but caught a perfect straight right from Marquenear the end that knocked him out cold.

“He got me, a good shot. That’s boxing. Sometimes you get hit,” said Pacquiao, who didn’t seem to entertain any thoughts of hanging up his gloves.

“After a few months back to training. Back to fight,” he said about his future plans.

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