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Monday, September 28, 2009

Pacquiao raring to mix it up with his sparmates

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Manny Pacquiao’s sparmates Shawn Porter and Urbano Antillon had their work perfectly cut out for them.

Upon arriving in Baguio City where Pacquiao is currently holding training camp for his Nov. 14 fight with Miguel Cotto at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Antillon and Porter immediately climbed the ring and worked out a sweat.

Good for the two of them, according to assistant trainer Roger “Flash" Fernandez.

“Pinag-ensayo na agad namin para hindi masakit ang bugbog nila sa sparring," said the brother of long-time Pacquiao Filipino trainer Buboy Fernandez while flashing a big wide grin.


A day after taking a rest from training, Pacquiao was back to his relentless ways, working on the mitts, speed ball and double-end ball, while doing shadow-boxing and abdominal crunches for three straight hours.

“Ayaw paawat," said Fernandez.

Both Antillon and Porter, along with his dad Ken, arrived in the country last Sunday, but owing to the inclement weather, didn’t travel to the City of Pines until early Monday morning.

“We’re ready to go," said Antillon, a regular Pacquiao sparmate every time he has a fight.

Nonoy Neri, another Pacquiao assistant trainer, said Pacquiao is expected to spar four rounds Tuesday at the Shape Up gym inside the Cooyesan Hotel along Naguillan road, two rounds each with Antillon and Porter, a 2007 National Golden Gloves middleweight champion.

Neri said Pacquiao has been getting better and better as training camp in the summer hideaway enters its second week.

“Maganda na ang kilos," he pointed out. “Lumalabas na `yung bilis niya. Sa power wala namang problema kasi nandun na yun."

Pacquiao, as usual, is looking forward to the start of sparring session in training camp.

Informed of the arrival of Antillon and Porter, Pacquiao smiled and quipped, “can’t wait to see them."

Sparring will be held Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, the number of rounds gradually increasing by the day until it reaches a full 12 rounds per day.

As the 12-round fight nears, sparring gradually tapers off.

As had been the practice before, head trainer Freddie Roach may hold the sparring sessions behind closed doors.

Source: gmanews.tv

Pacquiao begins rigid sparring sessions

BAGUIO CITY — Filipino boxing sensation Manny Pacquiao will now enter the most difficult part of his five-week training camp in this mountain resort city as he starts holding sparring sessions with four foreign boxers chosen by three-time trainer of the year Freddie Roach.

Buboy Fernandez, Pacquiao’s assistant trainer, said the sparring mates of the Filipino world champion have moves similar to that of Puerto Rican welterweight champion Miguel Cotto to help Manny prepare necessary techniques to outwit and outbox the much bigger and powerful boxer.

Pacquiao and Cotto will be mixing it up inside the ring for the World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight crown held by the Puerto Rican on November 14, 2009 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The four sparring mates of Pacquiao include David Rodela; Shawn Porter, an African-American who was a former member of the US Olympic team; Urbano Antillon, WBO super featherweight champion who knocked down Manny’s brother, Bobby Pacquiao in a title bout early this year, and Raymond Tito Serrano, a Puerto Rican champion who could match the moves of Cotto.

Fernandez said the sparring sessions with the foreign boxers will be done in a staggered manner so as not to overwork the champion and to allow him to reach his peak form during the fight.

Team Pacquiao is confident their ward will be able to adjust to Cotto’s style with the help of his sparring mates to emerge victorious.

Source: mb.com.ph

Sparring partners ready for Pacman's fury

pacquiao vs cotto
MANILA, Philippines - Manny Pacquiao’s sparring partners, American Shawn Porter and Mexican Urbano Antillon, did not waste time priming themselves up for the beating up ahead.

They flew in from Los Angeles last Sunday but because of the poor weather were forced to spend the day in Manila. They were brought up to Baguio City yesterday.

Barely rested, Porter and Antillon joined Pacquiao at the gym, doing their own thing as the Filipino pound-for-pound champion worked out under Freddie Roach.

“Naghanda na din para hindi masaktan sa bugbugan bukas (They’re getting ready for tomorrow’s beating),” said Team Pacquiao’s Roger Fernandez of the sparring partners.

“Alam nilang mapapalaban sila, eh (They know they’ll be in for some roughing up),” added Fernandez of Porter, undefeated in 10 fights, and Antillon, a veteran of 27 fights.

Pacquiao was getting ready himself for the tougher days ahead, and instead of the normal two hours, he stayed at the gym for close to three hours.

“Ayaw tumigil. Alam mo naman si Manny (He wouldn’t stop. You know Manny),” said Fernandez, adding that Pacquiao worked out so hard as if he did not run in the morning.

Nonoy Neri, the assistant trainer, said Pacquiao is getting along so well, and barely a week up in Baguio has flashed the form you’d normally see him a month into training.

“Lumalabas na ang bilis. Ang power naman nandiyan na (His speed is starting to show and his power has always been there),” said Neri, who also dabbles as Pacquiao’s chef.

“Grabe ang ensayo kanina (It was a tough workout earlier),” added Neri. He said Pacquiao should kick off his sparring sessions with four rounds – two each with Porter and Antillon.

Porter, according to Freddie Roach, will try to imitate Miguel Cotto with his heavy left hooks to the body. Porter, a light-middleweight, can knock out a foe with a single shot to the body.

“I really like him in this camp,” said Roach of the 1997 National Golden Gloves champion in the US. He needed only 18 rounds to win his first 10 fights, with six knockouts coming in the first round.

Antillon is not new to the Pacquiao camp, having been there before. He’s a lightweight with a ring record of 26-1-0 with 19 knockouts, including one over Bobby Pacquiao.

Antillon knocked out the younger Pacquiao with a single body shot in the first round of their scheduled 10-rounder in March last year at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas.

Source: philstar.com

Roach not looking past Cotto, Mayweather

MANILA, Philippines - If famed American trainer Freddie Roach has his way, it would be wise for Manny Pacquiao to end his illustrious career with victories over Miguel Cotto and Floyd Mayweather Jr.

“If he retires after this (Cotto) fight I’ll be fine with that also,” Roach told the Inquirer over breakfast at the Manor Hotel in Baguio City Monday.

“If negotiations with Mayweather fail and Manny wins against Cotto, he’ll be having seven world titles. Nobody has done that before, so there’s nothing else to prove.”

Pacquiao is preparing to challenge Cotto for the Puerto Rican’s World Boxing Organization welterweight title on Nov. 14 in Las Vegas. And Mayweather, a recent winner over Juan Manuel Marquez, looms as the Filipino superstar’s possible next foe next year.

Roach, who considers Pacquiao not only as his best fighter ever but a true friend, said his fame as a trainer is strengthened by his association with the General Santos lefty.

“Even though I’d be losing my best fighter, I would love to see him retire on top of the world,” said Roach. “A lot of people tried to get rid of me along the way but not Manny Pacquiao.”

“He’s been very loyal to me and I to him. We’ve had a great relationship and we’re going to be friends for life, that’s for sure.”

Recently, American promoter Bob Arum said Pacquiao will be raking in more money if the Filipino ring icon wins a congressional seat in Saranggani province in next year’s elections.

The astute promoter even plans to christen Pacquiao “The Fighting Congressman,” a moniker which doesn’t excite Roach any.

Arum named Venezuelan knockout artist Edwin Valero, up-and-coming Mexican Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. and Sugar Shane Mosley as potential foes of Pacquiao next year.

“There are lots of good fighters out there,” said Roach. “And the way Manny’s going right now, I think he has maybe a year or two in him if he really wants to do that.

“But the thing is, if he wants to get into politics, he needs to do that full time because as a politician there’s a lot of work in there. That’s why I don’t need him to do both.”

Another concern for Roach—who endures Parkinson’s disease as a result of an extended ring career—is seeing Pacquiao end up being the springboard to fame of young, up-and-coming boxers.

“I’ve seen many sad stories about fighters staying around too long and end up getting beat and being the stepping stone [of others]. I won’t allow that to happen because he is such a great kid,” added Roach.

Meanwhile, Pacquiao’s sparring session is expected to start Tuesday with the arrival of sparring partners Shawn Porter, an undefeated American welterweight campaigner and Mexican-American Urbano Antillon over the weekend.

Source: inquirer.net

Pacman sparmates in Manila

pacquiao vs cotto
Unbeaten super-welterweight Shawn Porter of Ohio and lightweight hotshot Urbano Antillon of California arrived in the Philippines early Sunday morning after a 15-hour flight from Los Angeles. Porter and Antillon were selected by Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach to work with Manny Pacquiao, who is revving up for a Nov. 14 bout with Miguel Cotto at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Roach, who is camping out with Pacquiao in Baguio, said sparring could start as early as Tuesday afternoon. “We’re ready to go (sparring),” said Antillon, who is of Mexican lineage. Porter and Antillon are scheduled to travel to Baguio by land on Monday morning. They’ll be joined in the five-to-six hour journey by Shawn’s dad Ken. Porter, the 2007 US National Golden Gloves middleweight champion, is said to be a clone of Cotto. The Porters and Antillon were fetched at the airport by movie bad guy Cris Aguilar, who, in reality is a nice fellow. Aguilar used to be one of Pacquiao’s bodyguards. “Just give my regards to Manny,” said the hefty Aguilar. Bob Arum’s Top Rank Inc. is staging the Pacquiao-Cotto slugfest dubbed “Firepower.”

Source: fightnews.com

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Pacquiao’s sparring sessions set to roll with arrival of Porter, Antillon

Shawn Porter and Urbano Antillon arrived a day after tropical storm “Ondoy" dumped heavy rains and devastating floods in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

But they are bracing themselves for an even bigger storm named Manny Pacquiao once they made it to the City of Pines by Monday afternoon.

Sparring for the Pacman’s Baguio training camp for his Nov. 14 fight with Miguel Cotto is all set to roll with the arrival of Porter and Antillon from Los Angeles, California Sunday.

Due to inclement weather, the two American sparmates had to postpone their trip to the summer hideaway by one day as they were quickly whisked to a Quezon City hotel for a whole day rest.

They wouldn’t start sparring with the Filipino ring idol until Tuesday.

Bad weather condition also forced the 30-year old Pacquiao to put off his planned break in training to pay his last respect to the remains of former manager Rod Nazario.

Nazario died early Thursday following a year-long bout with lung cancer.

Pacquiao rested and didn’t train Sunday afternoon, but did road works in the morning at the Athletic Bowl and Burnham Park.

Accompanied by a throng of supporters, including conditioning coach Alex Ariza and his Jack Russell Terrier dog “Pacman," Pacquiao jogged around Burnham Park, after which, he bought grapes from vendors plying their trade around the famous tourist destination.

Following a quick shower at his unit at the Cooyesan Plaza Hotel in Naguilan Road, Pacquiao attended Sunday services at the Baguio Cathedral.

From there, he proceeded to Wright Park for some horseback riding, but put off his plan as rain began pouring. He later decided to just buy souvenir items at a local store.

Pacquiao and his entourage later had lunch at The Manor in Camp John Hay.

Intelligent fight

Meanwhile, trainer Freddie Roach said Pacquiao should work behind an intelligent fight against Cotto, whom he describes as a "very complete fighter with very few flaws."

“He’s very intelligent. He keeps his distance and timing pretty well. So we have to figure out way to throw that off," he said.

“He’s in his prime. He’s a complete fighter."

Roach also insisted on his earlier stand that it will be very hard to knock out the 28-year-old reigning World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight champion.

“We’re going in there looking for 12 hard rounds. You can’t look for the knockout with this guy because he’s very resilient," said the three-time Trainer of the Year.

Source: gmanews.tv

Mayweather Fight PPV Buys and Pacquiao vs. Cotto

pacquiao vs cotto
With news that the Floyd Mayweather Jr/ Juan Manuel Marquez managed to reel in some 1 million pay per view buys last week, online bookies are licking their chops over the potential betting volume that could spill in from the much anticipated Pacquiao vs. Cotto fight coming this November 14.

"It's all relevant," explains Don Shapiro of Gambling911.com. "You have this type of demand for a fight, the volume increases in terms of overall betting."

Pacquiao vs. Cotto should draw an even bigger audience for both PPV and online betting shops. PACQUIAO vs. COTTO will take place Saturday, November 14 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nev., and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View, beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT..It has a suggested retail price of $54.95.

Despite a fight many viewed as a mismatch between the bigger and faster Mayweather and the smaller and slower lightweight champion Marquez moving up in weight, the fight was a giant success on pay-per-view -- especially considering it went head-to-head with a UFC pay-per-view card. Many industry experts had expected a pay-per-view buy rate in the 600,000 to 700,000 range, according to ESPN.com.

The fight generated $52 million in domestic pay-per-view revenue and is only the fifth time in boxing PPV history that a nonheavyweight event has reached seven figures.

Manny Pacquiao is currently listed as a reasonable -278 favorite at Sports Interaction while Miguel Cotto would pay close to 2/1 odds if he were to upset Pacquiao.

This is expected to be the most bet on fight of the year.

Open an online betting account with Sports Interaction with $25 here using your credit card and receive a FREE MATCHING $25.

Source: gambling911.com

Jimmy Lennon Jr Interview: On Mayweather, Pacquiao vs Cotto, Tyson, Holyfield and so Much More!

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Jimmy Lennon Jr. is the regular Showtime Boxing Ring Announcer. Both he and his late Father, Jimmy Lennon Sr., are members of Boxing’s Hall of Fame. Ladies and Gentlemen, it’s Showtime!

David Tyler – Jimmy, I was a big fan of your Father’s work with boxing here in Los Angeles where he was the main announcer for boxing and wrestling events at the Olympic Auditorium. Is that why and how you got started in the business?

Jimmy Lennon Jr. – Yeah I grew up watching boxing whether it was on TV or going to the Olympic Auditorium. I thought it was a normal thing to see your Dad on TV so sometimes we would switch the channels. I was a boxing and wrestling fan as we went to the Olympic Auditorium regularly as a young boy.

DT – When you got started in this business did Showtime have a presence in our sport?

JL – When I started there was a Showtime but it really hadn’t got into boxing. So the first fights I did with my Dad at the Auditorium. He would open up the show and I did some of the undercard and he did the main event. So that was how I got my chops and got a lot of experience by doing a lot of amateur boxing off TV. I had already done many, many, fights before I started in TV work. I did a lot of fights at the Great Western Forum at that time the fights were on Fox Sports Net so that’s where I first started doing TV work. After that I got opportunities to do some fights on HBO, Showtime, and Saturday or Sunday fights. So, it just kind of grew from there.

DT – Ladies and Gentlemen, “It’s Showtime”. Where and how did you come up with that moniker?

JL – The first time I did it was at a Julio Caesar Chavez fight in Las Vegas at the Mirage Hotel. After that a few of us from Showtime got together and decided that it seemed clever to add that word Showtime since we were doing Showtime fights. I continued to do it more and more as I also did fights for other networks. I do it primarily for Showtime boxing here and overseas, but I have got to be careful not to do it while I’m on HBO.

DT – What’s the process of deciding who will be the ring announcer for a fight?

JL – Typically the promoter hires the ring announcer for the event. Some promoters have their preferences or their regulars. My situation is a little unique in the fact that Showtime hires me so I’m under the guidance of Showtime no matter who the promoter, Showtime is the one that takes care of me. Other times for some of the fights there are regulars and sometimes we trade off, Michael Buffer is sometimes on Showtime and sometimes I am on HBO. On October 17th, we have the World Super Middleweight Super Six tournament where on the same day one fight is in Berlin and the other in Nottingham, England which will require us both. I will do the fight in England.

DT – It’s tough to be in two places at the same time.

JL – Believe me I tried. The fight in Berlin takes place a few hours prior to the one in Nottingham, England. There is a private plane that could go from Berlin straight over to England after the fight. I was going to jump on that and do both fights but it was cutting things a little too close for comfort.

DT – So you get the fight with Carl Froch and Andre Dirrell and Michael Buffer gets the fight with King Arthur Abraham……

JL – and Jermain Taylor. What a night that will be for boxing. I think the fans in the United States will get to see a little of the wild enthusiasm or great enthusiasm for their local fighter and their support for boxing overall that the fans have in Europe. Just knowing the importance of this tournament I think it will be a big night for boxing fans on October 17th.

DT – I personally think this will be a great tournament and on paper we have some epic match-ups.

JL – Yeah on paper it looks like you can’t miss because of the great fighters and the brilliant thing is win or lose we will get to see them fight again. Andre Dirrell might upset Carl Froch because of his speed but then we are going to see Carl Froch fight again and Andre Dirrell fight again, win or lose and that’s what’s brilliant about it and makes so many in the sport excited about this tournament. It’s a ground breaking tournament and I hope it transcends into the general boxing fans as well because this is what could really bring out interest in all boxing fans.

DT – This tournament will last about 18 months and hopefully it will gather more and more interest as it moves along.

JL – Yes, it reminds me of a period of time when we had the fortune to see the great fighters fight each other when you saw Haggler, Hearns, Duran, and Sugar Ray Leonard and you can mix in some other great fighters, Pipino Cuevas. They would fight each other and you would see them more than once and they became virtually household names and I think we have the chance to do that with this tournament. These fighters deserve the exposure. Let me tell you something else, behind the scenes, I have heard only extremely positive things about all six of these fighters. They have been incredibly corporative with the production, and the promotion and being available. That’s a big task for these great, great, world champions. They’ve been nothing but corporative and that says a lot for their commitment to this event.

DT – I personally have interviewed Andre Dirrell. I just wish that King Arthur Abraham could speak English.

JL – You and I share something in common and that’s a great fondness for Arthur Abraham. The way he fights is so entertaining. He can take a punch and deliver a punch as well. He is very colorful when he comes into the ring and I think we will see him learn a little more English and that’s going to be icing on the cake for him.

DT – Jimmy, you were the ring announcer during the second Mike Tyson/ Evander Holyfield fight that made history for all the wrong reasons.

JL – I was in the ring for that and I had the opportunity to do that fight. In fact I did many of Mike Tyson’s fights when he was with Don King. That certainly was one memorable night. No so much great memories. There was a drama that unfolded there and an unbelievable turn of events. It’s one for the record books.

DT – You were in the ring when all hell broke loose at the end of the fight. At any time were you in danger?

JL – No, I’ve been in plenty of riots, especially in LA at the Olympic Auditorium as we first started talking about, I have seen people fist fighting with police and tear gas being sprayed everywhere, total chaos all around so I’ve been part of those wild days in boxing. There were so many police in the ring and there was just one man who was going off. Security was completely in control of the situation. It probably looked worse on TV. It was chaotic in that a lot of us didn’t know what happened because we weren’t watching TV and didn’t have the luxury of seeing instant replay and when the fight was stopped the live audience didn’t know why for a long time. I couldn’t make the announcement for a while because they were interviewing Tyson and Holyfield so the live audience didn’t know why the fight was stopped. They didn’t know and I had people screaming and yelling asking why was the fight stopping? They simply didn’t know that Tyson had bit him a second time. It was 10 minutes later when I finally got to make the announcement. So there was a lot of chaos and confusion that night and that’s especially what I remember about that fight.

DT – Being the fourth man in the ring, you’ve had the opportunity to see a lot of good referees. Who are some of the best?

JL – Well, you go through the years and we were speaking of Holyfield and Tyson and Miles Lane was the third man there so he was of course a great referee. You know referees in Las Vegas were really great referees, Joe Cortez, Larry Cole, Richard Steele, Mitch Halpern; all those guys were good referees. I think that Raul Caiz Jr. who is from California is a really great referee. Some people might question this list of good referees, but they are all caught up in controversy because they are doing the big fights which get lots of exposure. It’s a very difficult job and when I watch different sports, baseball and football, I’m so impressed with how well officials do their jobs with instant replay it only helps.

Referees in this sport and of course any sport will make mistakes. They work very hard and I know personally how many seminars they are required to attend and workshops that are designed to tone their skills.

DT – How about New York referees?

JL – Arthur Mercante Jr. first comes to mind. A great referee coming from a lineage of great referees. What I like about him and his Father is that they kept themselves in such good physical condition, their very decisive, they make good judgments. What I like about Mercante Jr. is that if you’re a fan watching at home you don’t wonder if he made a mistake because he is so emphatic about his decisions that he must be right. I very much like his work and he has been consistent through the years.

DT – Your thoughts about the Mayweather/ Marquez fight last Saturday?

JL - Well, in retrospect it’s easy for us to say that Mayweather fought an opponent that’s two weight classes below him, he was faster, more brilliant a boxer. Some critics say that Mayweather should have knocked out Marquez, Freddie Roach being one of them, but I think going into the fight there was a lot of questions, Mayweather was off for a long period of time and Juan Manuel Marquez is one of the great fighters in the sport, but Marquez just didn’t have much of a chance, especially with not only the natural weight but just moving up in weight overall. I’m not sure that this was a good test for us to determine just how good Mayweather really is, especially against fighters who are bigger than him. It was a good comeback for Mayweather and for boxing when you study the buys for this fight, over one million buys, that’s very serious and one of the few non-heavyweight fights to sell a million.

DT – Let’s go down the road, in November, Miguel Cotto and Manny Pacquiao.

JL – I got to say that if Manny Pacquiao beats Miguel Cotto, especially in a spectacular manner, he has got to go down as one of the all time greatest boxers. Because he is taking on a huge task. In my mind he can’t miss because just moving up in weight and taking on a great champion is amazing. In truth I’m having a tough time with this fight, I think of upsets in the last two years in boxing and it makes me question my ability to understand the sport. This is one and I think Cotto has such a size advantage but I don’t put anything past Pacquiao so I’m having a tough time picking a winner.

DT – How would Pacquiao or Cotto fare against Mayweather?

JL – David I’m not sure. Cotto is certainly not too small, he is a big fighter. I think Mayweather’s speed and let’s not forget he is a tremendous defensive fighter, so it would be a good fight and the question would be if Cotto could get past Mayweather’s superb defense. With Pacquiao I think that’s a great fight. I think though again that Mayweather’s speed is his primary weapon and it will end at some point. Sometime during the fight he will slow down which will be enough to make him very beatable. So I would say that it would depend if his speed holds up in a fight with Pacquiao. Certainly this is a very close fight. But with Mayweather it’s been a very long time since we have seen a close fight with him and actually seen him lose some rounds.

DT – Jimmy, what is your feeling about the overall health of boxing?

JL – Well, I’m encouraged in many ways. There are people talking about the death of boxing and so forth, boxing has gone through its ups and downs a lot during the years. I am encouraged, I see these large numbers for the pay for view buyers, not only for the Mayweather/ Marquez fight but in the last couple of years we have seen a peak in the overall number of buys. What I see boxing doing is the networks getting together and making great fights. They really are doing a better job. They not protecting records, they are not protecting their golden goose. They are putting top fighters on such as the super six challenge in the Super Middleweight division, everybody’s excited about that because we have a number of great fighters in the tournament and they will all be fighting each other. So boxing is responding to the competition that Mixed Martial Arts is bringing and I think that’s a very good thing. I see boxing doing quite well south of the border, I go to Mexico regularly and other parts of South America the sport is doing quite well. I am concern about the lack of young fighters in America and very concerned about the coverage of boxing on TV, by that I mean the coverage of free networks where more could view the sport. I am also displeased about the lack of coverage in the Olympic Games and the judging in the amateurs has me concerned and that’s where we need to see the sport develop a following. Fans looking at the amateur boxing and the great Olympians. So I certainly have some concerns but I do like the way promoters are responding. I hope for the best with boxing and I hope it will continue on this positive track.

DT – Jimmy thank you very much for sharing your thoughts and opinions about our sport. Good luck with your future work on Showtime Boxing and we all look forward to seeing you often during the Super Middleweight tournament.

JL - David, it’s been my pleasure, let’s do it again sometime soon.

Source: doghouseboxing.com

Friday, September 25, 2009

Pacquiao ahead of training sked

Manny Pacquiao is surprisingly ahead of his training schedule, which is four days old, that he is now ready for sparring, the boxer’s American trainer said on Friday.

“This is our best start ever,” trainer Freddie Roach told The Bulletin on Friday after presiding over Pacquiao’s training at the Shape Up Boxing Gym at the Cooyeesan Hotel in Baguio City.

Roach is convinced that the Filipino is fit enough that he can start sparring sessions on Tuesday.

“Manny is going to be ready (to spar),” said Roach, who, in the past had to wait until 10 days or two weeks after the start of training camp before letting Pacquiao do some sparring.

Two sparmates -- unbeaten welterweight prospect Shawn Porter and lightweight star Urbano Antillon -- are arriving in the country tomorrow morning from Los Angeles and motor direct to Baguio from the airport.

While there is still seven-and-a-half weeks to go before Pacquiao faces Miguel Cotto on November 14 in Las Vegas, Roach believes they are not only right on track but a little bit ahead of schedule.

For the third straight day, Roach let Pacquiao hit the mitts for ten rounds after doing nine rounds on Tuesday, just hours after Roach landed in Manila from a 15-hour flight from Los Angeles and less than an hour after arriving in Baguio.

Pacquiao and Roach are camping out in the City of Pines possibly until the third week of October.

Meanwhile, over in Tampa, Florida, site of Cotto’s training camp, top trainer Joe Santiago expressed the belief that on fight night at the MGM Grand, the sheer size advantage of Cotto as well as his natural strength will prove to be very tough for Pacquiao to overcome.

“We have great respect for his speed and we take our hats off to what he’s done for boxing, but on the day of the fight, Miguel is going to be the stronger man in the ring,” Cotto taskmaster Joe Santiago told the Puerto Rican newspaper El Nuevo Dia.

Source: mb.com.ph

Pacquiao’s focus main concern for Roach

BAGUIO CITY — As if Miguel Cotto's left hook isn’t dangerous enough, trainer Freddie Roach also worries about how to keep Manny Pacquiao’s focus for his November 14 fight in Las vegas.

“There are too many distractions. Everybody wants a piece of Manny Pacquiao,” said Roach, who has banned all talks about politics while the Filipino ring icon trains at the Shape Up Boxing gym here.

But during the courtesy call on Baguio Mayor Reinaldo Bautista Jr. at City Hall on Thursday, Pacquiao was mobbed by reporters and employees and the question about his political plans cropped up.

“I have decided to run in the next elections and I’m willing to leave boxing,” said Pacquiao in Filipino.

But he quickly added that foremost in his mind is his coming showdown with World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Cotto.

“I have nothing else to prove,” he said.

There is, however, the much vaunted fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. waiting for Pacquiao supposedly in March to decide who’s the real pound-for-pound champion.

March also is in the middle of the campaign period if Pacquiao is set to run in the 2010 elections.

Roach is already excited about the Mayweather fight but insists Pacquiao should be rewarded well in that encounter.

“I have no problem fighting him. But if he thinks he’s going to get equal money with Pacquiao, he’s crazy,” Roach said of Mayweather.

“We already have a perfect game plan,” he added.

Meanwhile Pacquiao said that he is pursuing his defamation suit against Mayweather’s father, Floyd Sr., for saying that Pacquiao used steroids.

“He has probably lost his mind,” Pacquiao said of Mayweather Sr.

“He must have been embarrassed,” he added, regarding the successive losses of his wards against Pacquiao.

Other than political distraction, Roach has closed the gym to the public and the media so Pacquiao can concentrate on his training against Cotto.

Other aspects of the Mayweather fight may be cleared up when boxing promoter Bob Arum, founder and chair of Top Rank, Inc., comes to Baguio on Oct. 1.

Pacquiao will be in Manila on Sunday to attend the wake of Rodolfo Nazario, whom he considers as “his loving friend, father and manager.”

Meanwhile, Mayweather has reclaimed his position atop the monthly Yahoo! Sports pound-for-pound rankings, according to Kevin Iole on his coumnn on Sept. 24.

Mayweather reportedly earned 266 points and gained 15 of the 28 first-place votes by virtue of his unanimous decision victory over Juan Manuel Marquez recently. Pacquiao received 13 first-place votes and gained 265 points.

Source: inquirer.net

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Pacquiao Plans To Target Miguel Cotto's Body Early On

Trainer Freddie Roach sees a flaw in Miguel Cotto. He doesn't think the Puerto Rican star can take body punches. Manny Pacquiao challenges Cotto for his WBO welterweight title on November 14 in Las Vegas. Roach has studied some of Cotto's fights and saw that he doesn't like to get hit to the body. After his TKO loss to Antonio Margarito, Cotto said he was badly hurt by combinations to the body, and not the head.

“He’s not strong to the body," Roach told GMA News. “I think we have to break him down in the earlier rounds and work at the body a lot."

Cotto's advantage in size and strength is a big worry for Roach. He won't allow Pacquiao to engage Cotto in a fire fight but at some point the two fighters will trade some heavy punches. Cotto's money-punch is the left hook to the body. Roach's strategy may set the stage for a battle of body punches.

“It’s going to be a tough fight for us," said Roach. “He (Cotto) is a very strong fighter and puncher. We have to pay attention to that. That is my biggest worry."

Source: boxingscene.com

Cotto Underrated, Mosley Overrated, and Other Welterweight Truths

pacquiao vs cotto
By David Berry: Mayweather vs. Mosley? Mayweather vs. Pacquiao? Who knows? The return of Floyd Mayweather Jr. to the world of boxing has once again shaken up an already volatile welterweight division. Mayweather didn’t even make it out of his post-fight interview without the suddenly desperate Shane Mosley challenging him yet again to make him his next opponent. Of course, having Mosley as Mayweather’s next opponent has merit to it, but it also comes as an affront to those clamoring for a match-up between Mayweather and the fighter who inherited his pound-for-pound throne, Manny Pacquiao.

In light of Mayweather’s destruction of Juan Manuel Marquez on Saturday night, pundits now seem bent on deciding which candidate is most suitable as “Money’s” next opponent. In this case, though, the candidate that might be most suitable for Mayweather isn’t even being mentioned in the conversation. That candidate, of course, is WBO Welterweight Champion, Miguel Cotto. The same Miguel Cotto that Manny Pacquiao must overcome before he can even consider a fight with Mayweather.

The foregone conclusion that Cotto is simply Pacquiao’s stepping stone to a mega fight with Mayweather is flat out foolish. And to take nothing from Manny Pacquiao, who has looked absolutely brilliant in his last three fights, Miguel Cotto represents a challenge that Pacquiao simply has yet to encounter. On fight night, he will be the heaviest, hardest hitting opponent that Pacquiao has ever faced. And as a result, the Pacquiao vs. Cotto clash in November represents a formidable blockade to at least one of the potential mega fights on the horizon. Until the dust settles on November 14, any negotiations for a bout with Pacquiao are simply premature.

And what of Shane Mosley? Completely written off just a year ago, Mosley, in the eyes of many, is now the king of the welterweights, and justifiably so. After destroying Antonio Margarito in their January 2009 clash, Mosley looked nothing like an aging 37 year old on his last fighting legs. On the contrary, he made Margarito look like an overmatched amateur, a label that seemed absurd in July 2008 after Margarito beat Cotto into submission in the 11th round of their epic bout. Of course, anyone who picked Mosley to beat Margarito looked foolish, especially considering that the Miguel Cotto who outclassed Mosley in December 2007 was the same Miguel Cotto who was given a gruesome beating at the hands of Margarito.

So the question must be asked – exactly what kind of fighter is Shane Mosley? Is he the aging boxer who was out-boxed by Cotto, or is he the world beater who knocked out Margarito? The answer likely lies somewhere in between. Let’s not forget that in between his bouts with Cotto and Margarito, Mosley went tooth and nail with a washed-up Ricardo Mayorga, even losing on one judge’s score card before knocking his opponent out in the final second of the last round.

In his bout with Margarito, Mosley controlled the action from the start, with Margarito having difficulty getting his shots off against his noticeably quicker opponent. But isn’t that something that we already knew about Margarito? The Tijuana Tornado has and always will be vulnerable to a fighter with the hand speed necessary to drag him into a boxing match instead of a brawl. In fact, an argument can be made that if Cotto had stuck to his strategy of boxing and moving against Margarito, the outcome would’ve been different.

What I’m implying, of course, is that perhaps Mosley’s victory over Margarito is being held in much higher esteem than it should be. In the context of his last three fights, only against a flat footed Margarito did Mosley look like someone who could handle the elite fighters of the welterweight division. And as a result, it is my suspicion that against a defensive juggernaut like Mayweather, Mosley would look every single one of his 38 years. Not to mention that Mayweather has the hand speed to land shot after shot on Mosley who, with his hands at waist level, has always relied more on his speed than his defensive prowess to protect him.

Is that a knock on Sugar Shane? Absolutely not. His longevity as a fighter is truly a sight to behold. If he is unable to land another super fight before his retirement, it will do nothing to diminish his hall of fame career. At this current juncture, though, only two fighters are worthy of a bout with Mayweather. Don’t worry; they shouldn’t be hard to find. They’ll be in the same ring in Las Vegas on November 14.

Source: boxingnews24.com

Nazario's dying wish to Pacquiao: KO Cotto

Even at his death bed, long-time ring promoter Rod Nazario had nothing but boxing in his mind.

Nazario made two major wishes to boxing sensation Manny Pacquiao days before he passed away after a year-long bout with lung cancer.

The 74-year old boxing man admonished Pacquiao to often use his powerful left hand in his coming Nov. 14 title fight with reigning World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight champion Miguel Cotto, and then requested that Eden Sonsona – cousin of WBO super-bantamweight king Marvelous Marvin Sonsona – be added in the undercard of his bout against the Puerto Rican.

“Alam mo namang pag si Dolfo ang humiling kay Manny, hindi tumatanggi yun," Moy Lainez, Nazario’s long-time associate, said hours after Nazario passed away Thursday morning at the Perpetual Help Hospital in Las Pinas.

“Bago umakyat si Manny sa Baguio, nagbilin na siya (Nazario). Yung isang usapan nila tungkol sa laban niya nga kay Cotto. Sabi niya tandaan mo, `yung kaliwa mo ang siyang magna-knockout kay Cotto," Lainez recalled of the conversation between the two.

"Hiniling niya (Nazario) rin na sana mapasama si Eden Sonsona sa undercard ng laban niya against Cotto," said Lainez, whose friendship and association with Nazario extend back to more than four decades.

Pacquiao has since made special arrangement for the inclusion of Sonsona, a boxer of Nazario, in the boxing card for his coming fight with Cotto.

Nazario’s death came four days after Pacquiao entered training camp at the country’s Summer Capital.

A somber atmosphere shrouded Pacquiao’s training Thursday at the Shape Up gym at the Cooyesan Hotel along Naguilan Road as Nazario had been like a second father to the world’s top pound-for-pound fighter, according to Lainez.

In a statement, the 30-year old pride of Genera Santos City deeply consoled the loss of his former handler.

“I am deeply saddened by the passing of Rod Nazario, who was not only a loving father and husband, but a great loss to me and the sport of boxing. I will forever cherish our fondest memories in and outside the ring. We will terribly miss him," said Pacquiao.

“Si Buboy (Fernandez) nga raw iyak ng iyak," Lainez said of Pacquiao’s close buddy and Freddie Roach’s assistant trainer, who got his big break in boxing while working errands with the group of Nazario, Lainez and Lito Mondejar in the old L&M gym.

Gerry Garcia, another close friend of Nazario and partner in the top rating boxing show In This Corner also with Lainez and Mondejar, said Pacquiao is likely to take a break in training and pay his last respects to the late boxing manager by Sunday.

A day upon arriving from his whirlwind press tour for the Nov. 14 title fight with the 28-year old Cotto, Pacquiao visited the Wild Card gym in Paranaque, where he sweat it out for about an hour, before proceeding to the Perpetual Help Hospital in Las Pinas to check on Nazario’s condition, who had been confined there shortly after celebrating his 74th birthday last Sept. 12.

The following day, the boxing star visited his former manager once again prior to his trip to Baguio City.

Nazario handled Pacquiao from 1995 to 2005, and was the one responsible for giving the Filipino his U.S. break in 2001 when he stunned Lehlo Ledwaba to wrest the International Boxing Federation (IBF) super-bantamweight title.

It was also under Nazario’s tutelage when Pacquiao became a legitimate world champion after bagging the World Boxing Council (WBC) flyweight crown in 1998, scored his biggest win with an 11th round technical knockout of Marco Antonio Barrera, and cemented his status as a rising boxing star following that controversial draw with Juan Manuel Marquez in their memorable 2004 title fight in Las Vegas.

The two parted ways shortly after Pacquiao lost a unanimous decision against Mexican warrior Eric Morales.

Despite going their separate ways, the two remained close to each other, with Nazario and Co. even traveling to the U.S. last summer to watch Pacquiao demolish Briton Ricky Hatton inside two rounds for the International Boxing Organization (IBO) light-welterweight crown.

By that time, Nazario – who also undergone by-pass operation three years ago – had already been undergoing chemo-therapy for his lung cancer.

Source: gmanews.tv

Manny wary of left hook

BAGUIO CITY — Manny Pacquiao will have to resort to hit-and-run tactics to negate whatever advantages Miguel Cotto enjoys in heft, height and strength, according to the Filipino superstar’s American trainer, Freddie Roach.

Roach said Pacquiao’s speed will also ruin Cotto’s fighting style when the two collide for the Puerto Rican’s World Boxing Organization welterweight crown on Nov. 14 in Las Vegas.

“We have to make sure that he wouldn’t be able to put both his feet on the ground and land his punches,” said Roach, adding they are wary of Cotto’s left hook, said to be the most dangerous punch in his arsenal.

Pacquiao is also firming up his torso so that Cotto’s body shots will not sting as much, Roach said.

The General Santos City lefty has added “abs crunches” as part of his training regimen at the Shape Up boxing gym here, where Team Pacquiao is expected to stay for about six weeks.

Roach said they are also devising ways to outthink Cotto.

“Cotto’s got his great left hook and he’s smart,” he said.

Pacquiao said his training will focus more on strategy in thwarting the bigger Cotto.

“I am a boxer,” Pacquiao said. “I already know the power of my punches. I need more strategy.”

Roach said he wants his prized ward to dictate the pace of the fight and “not let Cotto do it.”

Pacquiao jogged at Camp John Hay yesterday, disappointing joggers and tourists who were expecting to see their idol again at Burnham Park.

Employees at the City Hall earlier mobbed Pacquiao when he and his team visited Mayor Reinaldo Bautista Jr. at past 10 a.m. yesterday.

At a news conference held after Pacquiao and his entourage left, Bautista said the boxer also inquired about good schools in Baguio.

“He may be considering transferring his children here to study,” said Bautista.

Source: inquirer.net

Baguio folks mob Team Pacman

BAGUIO, Philippines – Manny Pacquiao caused a work stoppage at the Baguio City Hall yesterday.

The boxing sensation, along with his coach Freddie Roach and members of Team Pacquiao, paid a courtesy call on Baguio City Mayor Reinaldo Bautista Jr. and was literally mobbed by cheering city hall employees who left their work just to have a glimpse of the Filipino champion.

By all indications, the excitement that started the moment Pacquiao arrived at the city hall before noon and until he left topped previous visits of VIPs and celebrities.

Pacquiao appeared so elated with the warm welcome and received a couple of mementos from the mayor – the city’s symbolic key, special centennial T-shirts, centennial mugs, and others.

Then hundreds upon hundreds of city hall employees tried to break into strict security arrangements, some fortunate enough to get Pacman’s signature and pictures with him. The others were just too glad to see him in person.

“I haven’t seen anyone visiting Baguio, even the President, who drew the attention like Pacquiao,” said Baguio contractor Brent Quangey, who himself broke into the security and managed to shake Roach’s hands.

“I did not shake hands with Pacquiao because I have colds. He might catch it,” he said.

“Hindi ugali ng taga-Baguio na dinudumog ang artista. Pero, iba ito (Baguio residents aren’t that excited over the movie stars but this is different),” said a resident.

Morning joggers at the Burnham Park Lake area have grown in numbers since Pacquiao arrived Monday for his roadwork.

Meanwhile, Roach dared Floyd Mayweather Jr., who came out of retirement to beat Mexican champion Juan Manuel Marquez in a one-sided fight last Saturday, to fight Pacquiao.

“It will be a difficult fight for us, but we have a gameplan,” Roach said.

However, a disagreement on the purse split may derail the dream showdown between two of the world’s best fighters.

“It all depends on the promoters. That’s how it is. How to get Mayweather into a contract, we do not know. But he’s the one who needs us, and it’s not us who need him.”

We can beat Mayweather,” Roach said.

Source: philstar.com

Interview with Teddy Atlas: On Mayweather's win, Pacquiao vs Cotto, Helping Others and Much More!

pacquiao vs cotto
Teddy Atlas, boxing trainer, fight commentator, and humanitarian, visits Doghouse Boxing for another round of Questions and Answers.

David Tyler – Hi Teddy, thanks for the call. You must be the busiest man on earth?

Teddy Atlas – Yeah Dave, sometimes I feel that way.

DT – Let’s start with Floyd Mayweather’s impressive victory over Juan Manuel Marquez.

TA – Not a complete surprise. Of course the question going in was how would Mayweather deal with the long layoff, how would that affect him and the other question how would the smaller Marquez deal with a bigger man, who was not only bigger, but one of the rarities in this sport or any sport is what took place there in that fight with that match-up. You had a smaller guy moving up in weight and the advantages that he usually enjoys and the advantages that they usually enjoy he didn’t enjoy. Because the fighters that have moved up like Mickey Ward, Pernell Whitaker, Roberto Duran, Mickey Walker, or the great Sam Langford, these guys had superior hand speed and solid chins. The smaller guys moving up were smarter, they were faster; they were slicker, than the big men they fought. So when the smaller man who enjoyed these advantages moved up they had all the advantages even though they were smaller. You had Marquez the smaller guy who moves up in weight to face the bigger Mayweather but Mayweather was faster. You could argue that Mayweather was smarter. Mayweather was more muscled. So one of the paradoxes in this fight and the reason I said we couldn’t be shocked with the outcome was that Mayweather had all those advantages as well as being the bigger guy. Again, the question of how would Marquez deal with that step up in weight class and how would Mayweather be affected by the time off because of the pace of the fight, because of the ability of Mayweather to control range, and I don’t know if many people realize how well he controls range. He draws a line in the sand so to speak but in the canvas. He controlled the business of where things started and where things ended. When you can do that you can control pace and you can control the rest of the bout. Because of that he controlled when something could be thrown, when something could not be thrown. Because of all this control the many months layoff never came into play. He could go to a place where maybe he had endurance because of the rest but he did such a great job of controlling range, controlling distance, which helps him control all the other elements of the fight. All the advantages of Marquez being shorter and moving up in weight never showed up.

DT – Did this fight change your opinion of the upcoming Manny Pacquiao/ Miguel Cotto bout?

TA – No, because Cotto is a smaller fighter who is not as good defensively as Mayweather. I don’t know how much patience had to do with it, but I do know one thing, Mayweather’s patience kept Marquez from getting back into the fight, it never allowed Marquez any hope, never allowed him any place to try and get a foothold because he was climbing a hill and he knew he was climbing that hill. He was never given a place to put his hands on where he could make that climb. That was because of the defense of Mayweather who just never allowed him to get back into the fight. You know Cotto is a different fighter; he is not as good defensively, not as quick. But he is a good body puncher which I think that he will have to bring to the plate to have a chance, so to speak, when he fights Pacquiao trying to take away some of his speed advantage. He doesn’t have the advantages of a bigger man; he is a bigger man in a smaller man’s body. Unlike the fight where Mayweather had such big advantages against a smaller man, that’s not going to be the case with Cotto. The smaller man Pacquiao will have all those advantages we were talking about earlier. Pacquiao will also have the advantage of being very confident where Coto’s confidence has been badly shaken since the Margarito fight.

DT – So, you’re still predicting Pacquiao in an early round kayo?

TA – I don’t know if it will be the early rounds but I think Pacquiao will win the early rounds and depending on how Cotto handles himself, can he make the necessary adjustments. If he doesn’t like he did in the Clottey fight, he will not make it to the late rounds but maybe Cotto needed that Clottey fight in order purge himself of those moments in a fight where he loses focus. Maybe he has learned more about himself because of the Clottey fight. Maybe he needed those moments to sort of suffer a little bit. Maybe the Clottey and Margarito fights toughen him up and we will see a classic fight. I’m not so sure we will but if he is back psychologically and mentally then maybe we will get the fight everyone wants to see.

DT – Teddy, Pacquiao has just started training in the Philippines and Cotto has been training hard for over a month. Will the short training time hurt Pacquiao’s chances in this fight?

TA – Well, you never know, but then again Pacquiao did not fight that long ago and the guy keeps himself in shape. His normal weight is around 145 or so and that relieves him of the burden of having to lose weight quickly. There’s not that much difference in two months training as opposed to three months of training for a guy like Pacquiao. It’s still early and it will not take Pacquiao that long to get back in shape to go the distance if he has to in this fight. You know, Pacquiao is a big star in the Philippines and he makes movies, does endorsements, but he has always done this and it doesn’t appear to have affected him mentally or psychologically in his preparation for a fight.

DT – Now that Mayweather has shown that the long layoff seems to have no affect on his skill level how would Manny Pacquiao matchup against him?

TA – Interesting matchup, Pacquiao is able to bring things in a better way than Marquez was able to bring. Pacquiao is a lot faster than Marquez and will probably match Mayweather with speed. He is obviously very confident right now and I think the stage will be different than that for Marquez. Pacquiao is busier than Marquez and does a lot more than just put his hands together. I just think that Pacquiao does more things than Marquez does as a smaller guy going up in weight. Pacquiao will present a speed advantage which Mayweather will not have as he did against Marquez. I think a lot will have to do with how he gets through the Cotto fight, if he gets through the Cotto well, then I think all systems will be going perfect and I think all systems must be working perfect for him to go into the biggest fight of his life against Mayweather.

DT – Teddy, Mayweather looked almost unbeatable to me and I would point to his superb defensive skills as his top asset. What kind of fighter can beat him?

TA – Well, Marquez for all his attributes doesn’t have good defensive skills. Somewhere along the line a fighter with these skills, and also blessed with good body punching skills to cause Mayweather to lower his hands, will present problems. You need that kind of thinking and Pacquiao may have these skills. Also Mayweather is a bit of a magician in there, a bit of a trickster, a little like David Copperfield. When he works the magic tricks he diverts you attention everywhere and keeps you from looking at the spectacle. Mayweather keeps you looking at his head movements and diverts your attention from the body. If Pacquiao looks at the bottom half or the body of Mayweather and starts unloading he will begin to control the action. Pacquiao brings great speed and if used in the proper way he will be successful. I’m sure Freddie Roach will have him prepared because he has studied many of Mayweather’s fights as he prepared Oscar De La Hoya for his bout with Mayweather.

DT- I have interviewed Freddie Roach many times and he seems extremely confident that Pacquiao will destroy Mayweather.

TA – David, again, I am hesitant to make a prediction until he gets past Cotto. However, if he looks good and gets past Cotto with relative ease, then the fight with Mayweather will be very physical, much more physical than the Mayweather and Marquez fight turned out to be.

DT – Teddy I kept a promise to you and wrote an article for our doghouseboxing.com website about your foundation started in the name of your Father, Dr. Theodore Atlas Foundation. I ask our readers to simply mail one dollar to the foundation. Yesterday I ask your Director, Kathy Zito, if anyone had sent a dollar. NOT ONE SINGLE DOLLAR WAS SENT BY OUR READERS. That made me extremely sad for several days. Why?

TA – David, I can’t tell you why, so all I talk about is people like you who do contribute and I feel good about that and I’m satisfied with that and I feel good about that. I understand that some people don’t understand the importance of giving something or helping others and have trouble with that maybe these people simply don’t want to deal with the issues of helping those less fortunate because it takes them to a place that’ out of their comfort zone and that’s okay. I am not disheartened with the ones that don’t come through I am very pleased and happy with those that do come through and contribute their time, efforts, and money to help those less fortunate. Those that don’t contribute have not been to a time or place where they have experienced the need of help from others. They haven’t seen the good that their help can be for others who would not be able to survive without help. These are life changing experiences and maybe some people have to go through these type experiences and then they start to help others and understand the importance of helping in a spiritual sense. I am very happy with those that do contribute and want them to understand how important even the smallest contribution can provide a way and means for those less fortunate.

DT – Teddy, my late Mother was a person much like your Father, who went out of her way to help others less fortunate. She contributed money, volunteered her help, joined support groups, and was very active in Church affairs. I never appreciated her efforts for others when I was young. Almost 11 years ago she died from breast cancer. I made her the promise that I would try to live my life more like she lived hers and help others. It is impossible to describe the feeling of helping others. The spiritual and psychological benefits are enormous. The very human feelings of self-worth, confidence, self-esteem, all benefit from these actions of helping others.

TA – That’s exactly what I’m talking about. You have been to that time and place where you understand why you must, why you need, to help others.

DT – Teddy Atlas, thank you for your time. The previous two part interview was a great success. You views about our sport are somewhat controversial but that’s okay, don’t change. Boxing needs more people like you. As for your humanitarian efforts, may God continue to heap his blessings on people just like you!

TA – Thank you David. That really means a lot to me. Let’s stay in touch.

Source: doghouseboxing.com

Santiago: “Pacquiao is a bloated 126 pounds”


By Manuel Perez: Miguel Cotto’s excellent trainer Joe Santiago had some insight into Cotto’s opponent Manny Pacquiao, saying to El Nuevo “Manny Pacquiao is a bloated 126 pounds. He’s a fighter who started at 108 pounds and has reached 145. It is very bold and so far has gone well, but on November 14, it’ll be different.” This is the first person that has come forward and said exactly what I’ve thinking for a long time about Pacquiao since he started moving up in weight.

Pacquiao looks like he’s eaten too much food and is about to explode. He’s not made to put on that kind of weight and something has got to give. As soon as Cotto attacks Pacquiao’s midsection, I expect the Filipino to weaken rapidly and maybe go down early. To me, Pacquiao looks like a fighter that has gone too far with his eating and needs to back off and step away from the dinner table.

“We have great respect for his career and hats off to him for what he’s done in boxing, but on that day Miguel will be the stronger man in the ring,” Santiago said. I absolutely agree with you, Mr. Santiago. I couldn’t have said it better myself. I have lots of respect for Pacquiao as a fighter. He’s accomplished a lot beating fighters, many of them I’ve never heard of, and captured this and that titles along the way.

But on November 14th, Cotto is going to put Pacquiao in his place and knock him back down to the super featherweight division where he belongs. It’s nice that Pacquiao was able to beat an old weight drained war horse like Oscar De La Hoya and take advantage of an overrated Ricky Hatton, but on November 14th, Pacquiao will be facing the real deal in World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Miguel Cotto and he’ll be in way over his head.

The weight that Pacquiao has put on, roughly 20 pounds of useless muscle, will only slow him down as it did the valiant Juan Manuel Marquez in his battle against the huge Floyd Mayweather Jr. And we will then see Pacquiao likely getting battered around the ring like a human piƱata for Cotto.

Pacquiao has received credit for beating Hatton and De La Hoya, but the people who are all over Pacquiao, patting him on the back 24/7 and saying how great he is, seem to have lost track of who Pacquiao really beat to get all the praise. They need to focus for a second and clear their heads about Pacquiao’s so-called greatness and realize that he didn’t beat Paul Williams, Shane Mosley, Cotto or even Andre Berto.

Pacquiao beat De La Hoya and Hatton. There’s a big difference between beating up Hatton, De La Hoya and winning a questionable 12 round decision over the great Marquez, than there is beating a top welterweight who fights at that weight, isn’t drained from making weight and isn’t over the hill. I see pain, a lot of it for Pacquiao on November 14th against Cotto, and it doesn’t matter if Pacquiao eats himself up to 145, he’s just going to make a louder impact when he gets dropped by Cotto.

Source: boxingnews24.com

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Roach: Pacquiao very sharp

pacquiao vs cotto
If Manny Pacquiao were to fight Miguel Cotto this weekend, there is no doubt in the mind of Freddie Roach the Filipino boxing sensation could still win the highly-anticipated bout. This was how Roach described Pacquiao’s conditioning as soon as the two linked up for the first time since their 2nd round demolition of Ricky Hatton last May in Las Vegas: “He was very sharp. If I didn’t know better I would think he was in the gym for a month. His combinations are fast and his power is already there. His mindset, we’re on the same page that we know how to fight Cotto,” said Roach moments after their training.


The legendary trainer arrived Tuesday morning in Manila along with conditioning coach Alex Ariza and immediately proceeded to Baguio City where they arrived just before lunchtime.

Wearing a T-shirt with the face of national hero Jose Rizal, Roach took charge right away in Cooyeesan Hotel’s Shape-up Gym.

“Without a doubt, this is our best start. He’s now in great shape and I’m fine with that,” said Roach.

The whole time they were inside the ring, Roach and Pacquiao apparently were trying to work on the fighter’s counter shots as well as his footwork.

From time to time though Roach and Pacquiao discussed about their technique by whispering at each other.

After their more than two hours of work out Roach cleared to Fightnews that training in Baguio was never an issue in their previous discussions.

“It has nothing to do with the Philippines. The only problem I have is the jetlag and going back so I want to make sure we’re going to have enough time to come back and adjust and be 100%,” said Roach.

Roach insists they have to be back in the United States at least two weeks before the fight.

“That’s the minimum and we might go straight to Las Vegas and skip Wild Card because going from one gym to another gym and another gym gets a little bit crazy,” said Roach.

This weekend four sparring partners led by American undefeated boxer Shawn Porter who are scheduled to arrive and all, according to Roach, are capable of simulating the style of Cotto.

“Porter is my main guy right now. He’s 11-0 with 10 knockouts and is a light middleweight who’s got a strong left hook,” said Roach.

Pacquiao ( 49-3-2, 37 knockouts) will battle Cotto (34-1, 27 KOs) for 12-rounds with the Puerto Rican’s World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight crown at stake on November 14 at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas. Both combatants agreed to fight at a catch weight of 145lbs.

pacquiao vs cotto

Source: fightnews.com

Roach says Pacquiao’s weight would not be a problem

pacquiao vs cotto
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: businessmirror.com.ph

Pacquiao vs. Cotto on the minds of fight fans

Almost everyone who loves the sport of boxing, including some MMA enthusiasts, is now focusing on the Nov. 14 Welterweight Championship fight between Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Although the fight is eight weeks away, tickets are virtually sold out with only a few remaining at the box office. More than 10,000 closed-circuit television seats will also be made available for public sale in Las Vegas at various MGM properties. Additionally, pay-per-view distributors are anticipating record sales for the telecast of the eagerly awaited match. While the promotional drums beat louder and louder, the real heavy lifting is being done by both boxers, who are now in vigorous training for the biggest fight in each of their respectable careers.

More than a week ago, Cotto left his familiar confines in Puerto Rico and set up camp in Tampa, Fla. The Fight Factory Gym, where Miguel is training is a state-of-the-art facility located in the Tampa Bay area, on the Gulf Coast. For most of his prior fights, Miguel trained in Puerto Rico. For this, his greatest challenge, he wanted to train away from home in order to avoid distractions which he has encountered in the past in Puerto Rico.

I plan to visit Miguel at his training camp during the week of Oct. 11, and I will provide you with a candid appraisal of Miguel’s training and conditioning. I always like to see world-class fighters work out, and make my own assessments as to how they approach the job at hand.

Pacquiao generally trains in Los Angeles at Freddie Roach’s Wild Card Gym; however, because of certain IRS tax rules he is training outside the United States for the next four weeks and will then move his camp to the Wild Card Gym.

For those of you curious about such things, IRS rules provide that Manny would have a “substantial presence” in the United States and would therefore be subject to tax on his worldwide income – not just his US-based income – under the following circumstances:

If one-sixth of his days spent in America in 2007, plus one-third of the days spent in our country in 2008, are added to 100 percent of the days he was here in 2009, and if the resulting figure equals or exceeds 183 days (roughly six months, or half a year), that would establish what IRS calls a “substantial presence” and subject his worldwide income to U.S. income taxes.

That may be a good thing for our economy and trade deficit, but not so good for Manny and his missus. By training outside our borders for the next four weeks, Manny will avoid the dreaded “substantial presence” designation.

Manny has set up training camp in Baguio, a mountainous summer resort in the Philippines, about 250 kilometers north of Manila. Pacquiao chose Baguio because of its elevation and his belief that he would be able to train in seclusion because of its remote location.

Wrong. He was mobbed by thousands of fans upon his arrival and greeted by a full Philippine media contingent. It looks like Manny will be training amid the usual chaos he is familiar with at the Wild Card Gym where LA-based Filipinos attend his workouts.

Next Tuesday, Sept. 29, I will be on a plane to the Philippines to see for myself how Manny is doing in Baguio and will report back to you. Why go halfway around the world on a 15-hour flight, when I know Manny will be back in the States in just over a month?

Simple. Because to observe Manny in training is to witness something I have never seen in my 44 years of boxing. His workout is conducted full speed for five hours, without any breaks. No athlete in any sport engages in a routine as vigorous as Manny’s, and he does it six days a week for more than seven weeks of training.

This kid plays hard and he works even harder, which more than anything accounts for his unbelievable stamina in the ring on fight night. The drills and workout sessions that Manny endures under the watchful eyes of trainers Freddie Roach, Buboy Fernandez, and Nonoy Neri are a wonder to behold.

Veteran trainers have always been wary of their boxer “leaving his fight in the gym,” which is to say that an athlete can overtrain and be flat and stale come the night of his bout. Too much work can be, well, too much for even the most well-conditioned prizefighter. After all, we’re talking about the human body and the possibility, or indeed the likelihood, of it breaking down.

But Roach and Fernandez trust the experienced Alex Ariza, Manny’s conditioning coach, who knows when to say “when.” Unlike any other fighter I have ever seen, Manny’s “when” comes hours after most boxers have showered, dressed, and left the building.

Pacquiao, who weighed only 138 pounds for his last fight and has only once gone over 140, is amazing in that he has to eat constantly to maintain a higher weight. While his trainers won’t tell us how many pounds Manny may drop in a workout session, it has to be considerable.

Now while appear to be gushing at the time and energy expended by Pacquiao once he gets to training camp. Cotto also does not mess around. He is dedicated and serious when he trains, a study in lethal concentration and fierce resolve, but Cotto’s regimen more closely resembles that of other elite fighters. Manny’s work rate is simply mind-blowing, but Cotto’s is deadly serious. Nothing interferes with Miguel’s focus on his work. There is no entourage, no crowds of howling fans, just a hard man who has won several world titles and is bearing down on his preparations.

It’s fun to watch Pacquiao train. It’s scary to observe Cotto in the gym.

This fight between Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto will be something special. It promises to be a match between two proud warriors who have trained well for the violent war of attrition this contest promises to be. Each man knows the risks involved, and both understand that somebody is liable to get hurt.

But that’s how these guys roll. Two great champions, one great fight. I can’t wait.

Source: lasvegassun.com

Cotto a smart boxer – Roach

pacquiao vs cotto
BAGUIO CITY – Freddie Roach admits Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto has lots in common with Briton Ricky Hatton.

Roach said both boasts of jaw-breaking left hooks, both are big and strong, ultra-aggressive and love to go to the body to soften up their foes.

There is one huge difference, though, Roach believes and this one makes Cotto a far more dangerous rival than Hatton for the 30-year-old Filipino fireball.

“Miguel Cotto is a lot smarter than Ricky Hatton,” said Roach, the celebrated trainer who arrived in the country on Tuesday to supervise Pacquiao’s training camp in preparation for the November 14 showdown with Cotto at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

“Cotto’s got this great left hook and he’s smart,” noted Roach.

Hatton had been fancied as a true test for Pacquiao but the Filipino hardly broke out a sweat as he demolished the rugged Manchester native in less than two rounds, flattening him with a left to the jaw that remains a strong candidate for knockout of the year for 2009.

Roach said if Pacquiao thinks he is in for another easy stint, he could be terribly mistaken.

“It’ll be a tough fight for us,” said Roach, who will be here for a minimum of four weeks or a maximum of six depending on Pacquiao’s progress in training and promotional schedule.

During Roach’s first session with Pacquiao at the Shape Up Boxing Gym inside the Cooyeesan Hotel, the residence of Team Pacquiao for the entire duration of training camp, the 49-year-old Boston-born cornerman immediately fell in love over the amenities available at the gym as well as its overall appearance.

“Whoever built this gym did a great job,” said Roach, who owns and operates the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, California, best-known as the home of boxing’s best pound-for-pound.

Meanwhile, Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum is arriving on October 1 to check on the progress of Pacquiao’s preparation for Cotto, whose World Boxing Organization welterweight crown will be on the line in the bout aptly dubbed Firepower.

Source: mb.com.ph

Pacquiao ready for heavier Cotto

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines - Boxing coach Freddie Roach believes Puerto Rico’s Miguel Cotto would "do a Floyd Mayweather" and said he has prepared Manny Pacquiao for that.

"I'm prepared for that possibility," Roach said about Cotto, the World Boxing Organization welterweight champion, going two pounds heavier than the required catch weight of 145 pounds when he fights Pacquiao at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Nov. 14.

Mayweather Jr. weighed 146 pounds, instead of the agreed catch weight of 144 pounds, when he pummeled Mexico's Juan Manuel Marquez last Saturday.

Roach said that in the contract they had with Cotto, the Puerto Rican would not be heavily penalized financially if he went beyond the catch weight.

Boxing analyst Frank Lotierzo, writing for sweetscience.com, said "emulating Mayweather" is the Puerto Rican's only realistic chance of beating Pacquiao.

Lotierzo said Pacquiao could easily handle fighting boxers above his normal weight.

"The truth is Pacquiao has handled the move up in weight much better than Marquez. In fact, Manny is one of the few fighters who's carried his big punch into the higher divisions he's fought," Lotierzo said.

Mayweather paid Marquez $600,000 for weighing two pounds over the catch weight.

"But that's no problem," Roach said. "I'm not worried."

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

Roach did not even remind reporters gathered at the Shape Up Boxing Gym at Cooyeesan Mall here that the last time Pacquiao fought, his opponent (Ricky Hatton) was also two pounds heavier than Pacquiao during their weigh-in last May.

Hatton weighed in at 140 pounds, the catch weight for the light-welterweight division, while Pacquiao weighed 138 pounds. Pacquiao demolished Hatton in only two rounds.

At this early stage, Pacquiao weighed in at 151 pounds. Roach said that the way Pacquiao is training now, it would be an easy time for him to get to the proper weight

Source: inquirer.net

Roach wants Pacman to slow down

pacquiao vs cotto
MANILA, Philippines - Freddie Roach is facing the same old problem in training camp: how to prevent Manny Pacquiao from overworking and overdoing things.

“I have to slow him down,” said Roach who presided yet another workout at the Shape Up Gym in Baguio City where the Filipino icon is in the thick of training for his Nov. 14 match with Miguel Cotto.

Mediamen, however, were kept away from the gym yesterday. But Mike Koncz, the boxer’s adviser, said the doors will re-open on Oct. 1 when Bob Arum of Top Rank arrives for a three-day visit.

Roach said he lives a life of “negotiations” with Pacquiao in training. When he says it’s done for the day the 30-year-old boxer would always ask for more, probably an extra round or two with the mitts or in sparring.

“I have to pull him back because I want him to stay hungry in training,” Roach would often say. But most of the time, he gives in to the boxer’s request, and this training camp is no different that the previous ones.

Pacquiao blew into town last Sunday while Roach, along with conditioning coach Alex Ariza and Rob Peters, who normally handles the security at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles, came in the other day.

“Maybe he wants to impress me,” said Roach, and by the three-time Trainer of the Year’s words, the reigning pound-for-pound champion is doing a very good job.

Barely in his fifth day at the gym, Pacquiao has shown tremendous speed like he’s been training for a month now. The first two days of workout were held at the Wild Card in ParaƱaque last week.

“Manny is very sharp,” Roach observed.

“He showed me his speed, his footwork. As if he has been training for a month. I’ve never seen a fighter this fast,” said Roach who even said Pacquiao “can fight on Saturday.”

The inner circle of Team Pacquiao held a brain-storming Tuesday evening, mapping out the fightplan for what could be the Filipino’s toughest fight. They plan to train in Baguio for five weeks before flying to the US.

“We are not worried,” said Roach. “We will make sure that Cotto cannot use his weight to his advantage.”

Pacquiao knows the kind of fight he’s getting into, and is not leaving any stone unturned in training.

“Malakas si Cotto (He’s strong),” he said.

Source: philstar.com

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Manny Pacquiao - The Last Man Standing by Gorilla

Pacquiao's tip-top shape surprises trainer Roach



Don’t be surprised if three-time Trainer of the Year Freddie Roach is grinning from ear to ear right on his first day in training camp with boxing star Manny Pacquiao.

Roach expressed surprise at how the boxing icon appears to be in shape with their eight-week training camp still to go the full grind.

The American trainer found this out after going nine rounds with Pacquiao working on the mitts.

“He was very sharp. If I didn’t know better, I would think he was in the gym for a month now," said the American trainer following the afternoon workout at the Shape-Up gym inside the Cooyesan Hotel along Naguillan Road in Baguio City.

“His combinations are fast and his power is already there. He wanted to make an impression on me and he certainly did."

Roach immediately went to work after arriving Tuesday in the summer hideaway shortly before noon, along with conditioning coach Alex Ariza and Wild Card Gym security head Rob Peters from a 14-hour flight from Los Angeles, California.

Initially hesitant to conduct training camp here because of the expected many distraction on Pacquiao, Roach appeared to be satisfied with the way things unraveled in his reunion with his prized boxer.

“It has nothing to do with the Philippines. The only problem I have is the jetlag and going back. So I want to make sure we’re going to have enough time to come back and adjust and be 100 percent," he said.

For the next four weeks, the country’s Summer Capital will be Team Pacquiao’s home as it primes up for a November 14 title fight with current World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight king Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico.

The 30-year old pound-for-pound best fighter in the world won’t start sparring until Tuesday next week, although Roach said training would be made closed-door in the coming days.

Shawn Porter and Urbano Antillon, handpicked by Roach to be Pacquiao’s sparmates, are coming by Sunday from the U.S.

Thursday next week, a media day is scheduled to be held at the gym in time for the arrival of Top Rank big boss Bob Arum.

Middle of October, Pacquiao, Roach and the rest of the team will fly to the U.S. and resume the final phase of training camp at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles.

And Roach couldn’t help but look forward to the coming days as he expects Pacquiao to get even better. “Without a doubt, this is our best start. He’s now in great shape and I’m fine with that."

Source: gmanews.tv

Roach hooks up with Pacman

MANILA, Philippines - Freddie Roach wants Manny Pacquiao to set the pace against Miguel Cotto at the MGM Grand on Nov. 14.

“We will try to set the pace and not allow Cotto to do it,” said the American trainer, who arrived in Manila from Los Angeles yesterday morning, and presided over the boxing icon’s 90-minute workout in Baguio City early in the afternoon.

Roach, who flew in with conditioning expert Alex Ariza, told scribes that they will focus on “how to parry” Cotto’s famous left hook, which the Puerto Rican welterweight champion loves to throw both to the head and body.

Roach said he expects a tough fight against the bigger, heavier and younger Cotto, and in fact had predicted the coming fight to last the distance of 12 rounds, when in their last few fights he had called for a knockout.

“Believe me when I say this is going to be his (Pacquiao) toughest fight ever,” he said.

Pacquiao worked out at the Shape Up boxing gym of the Cooyeesan Hotel of the country’ summer capital a little past 1 p.m., and Roach had the good impression that his prized ward isn’t leaving anything to chance.

It made Roach feel better, too, knowing that Pacquiao had worked out two days at the Wild Card Gym in ParaƱaque last week, and had gone out running in the morning even before he motored his way to Baguio last Sunday.

“He looks he can fight on Saturday,” said Roach.

He also said he liked the condition of the gym, which is located on the second floor of the hotel where Pacquiao is staying at, describing the place as “beautiful and clean” and fit for champions.

“I love it. The ring is nice,” Roach said.

Security, as the three-time Trainer of the Year wants, is tight. To get near Pacquiao, one needs to get past four checkpoints — at the main entrance of the hotel, in the second floor, the door to the gym, and another one closer to the ring.

The gym will be closed even to mediamen starting today. A media day, however, is being scheduled for Oct. 1, the day Top Rank president Bob Arum arrives to check on his boxer.

Roach said sparring should begin next week. The sparring partners, maybe three or four of them, will start coming in on Sunday, and will be given a couple of days to adjust before getting it on with Pacquiao.

For the second straight day, Pacquiao created a stir when he did his morning run at the famous Burnham Park where he checked out some grapes being sold, and joined some residents doing their Tae Bo aerobic workout in the park.

Pacquiao pulled off a stunt when he jumped into the motorcycle of his police escort on the way to a golf course being constructed near his hotel, where he now plans to do his morning runs.

Pacquiao will train in Baguio for four weeks, but plans may change, and he might even stay longer than that, and go straight to Las Vegas two weeks before what could be the biggest fight of the year.

Roach had no complaints whatsoever, none yet for the meantime, except mentioning that training in Baguio City, which is 5,000 feet above sea level, is much different than in Los Angeles or Las Vegas which is at sea level.

“There is the altitude to play with,” he said. “Maybe, he wanted to impress me.”

Source: philstar.com