Lunas, Donaire, Pacman: 3 Pinoys for the world

It’s easy to believe that a major upheaval will hit Las Vegas on Dec. 6, based on the pronouncements of matchmaker cum laude Bob Arum.

At the rate Manny Pacquiao, called extremely amazing by Arum, has been loading up on power and speed, there should be lightning and thunder once the Filipino boxing superhero lands his biggest punch for the Pinoy.

Expect a power outage inside the ring at the MGM Grand, with the aftershock of Pacquiao’s shattering hammer blow being felt all over the world.

Hold it, please.

Uncle Bob also tends to be too generous with adjectives.

He easily gets carried away selling his fighters.

Of course, he readily got a stiff rebuff—a jab on the kisser—after he twitted Oscar De La Hoya for allegedly hiring the wrong trainer in Nacho Beristain.

Arum was reminded De La Hoya was not dumb to get somebody to cramp and change his proven sharp style.

Oscar will be at his meanest best, Arum was reminded, and Pacquiao better be ready because his only chance hinges on not getting hit.

Yes, things will never be equal once Pacquiao and De La Hoya proceed to tear at each other.

Pacquiao has, so far, proven easier to hit, and he’s also brittle around the brows.

However, De La Hoya has been seen to suffer from a graver fault.

He had regularly faded and steamed out in the closing rounds of his big battles.

All told, there’s this certainty of a knockout fast shaping up.

Experts were united in their prognosis: Hoya, if the stoppage comes in side six; Pacquiao, shaking up the boxing world in the ninth or maybe later.

They, definitely, will rock ’n roll up there at MGM Grand.

This said, there should be no waltzing for either of two more Filipino warriors in their respective world title fights this week.

He has been held back by promotional hassles.

But reigning IBF flyweight king Nonito Donaire tries to again electrify the ring in his second title defense at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas on Saturday (Sunday in Manila.)

Before that much-delayed outing by Donaire, dubbed the right-handed Gabriel “Flash” Elorde by prizefight maestro Rudy Salud, a relatively obscure warrior from Bicol fights for the WBA bantamweight crown.

Rolly Lunas, reigning OPBF 118-pound champ, tries to snap the string of setbacks by Filipinos against Panamanians.

He clashes with defending champion Anselmo Moreno (22-1-1) at the Centro de Convention Figali off the Panama Canal on Thursday (Friday morning in Manila.)

Then on Saturday (Sunday in Manila) Donaire takes on Moruti Mthalane, a dangerous mandatory challenger from South Africa.

What a thrill it would be if all three Filipino warriors, headed by Pacquiao, score resounding wins in the run-up to the holidays.

But, to repeat, Pacquiao won’t only be sending merry bells ringing if he puts the lights out on the Golden Boy.

It could be the brightest Christmas for his countless fans who continue to pray for their radiant, raging idol to gather enough tools and protection against expected early bombardment.

Dundee sees a bullfight in Pacman-Hoya bout

They obviously did not know enough about the man so they shrieked: What made him an authority on boxing?

That’s no longer surprising.

But you can bet majority of those who rejected Angelo Dundee when he said it would be “a cakewalk for Oscar De La Hoya” in his fight against Manny Pacquiao were unshakeable fanatics of the Filipino boxing superhero.

It’s also easier to conclude that, based on his mythical achievements, Dundee was being honestly objective in his prediction.

Here was how Dundee, 87, put it: “Oscar has fought and sparred with so many small guys. Oscar has knocked them all over the ring. I don’t think Manny can win that fight. I really don’t.”

That statement, given by the prizefight genius who goaded Muhammad Ali way up past Mt. Olympus, may not sound as profound as it should be.

But the brief quote was enough for Michael Marley of boxingconfidential.com, a tireless, inventive wordsmith, to drum it up for the world to stop and listen.

No, it’s not the sound of a locomotive chugging to where mesmerized Pacquiao fans are excitedly fixed

So who cares about this hairless old man and his predictions?

Well, in Dundee’s case, what he said should not normally be taken as a plain forecast.

It should’ve instead carried the weight and impact of a pontifical pronouncement.

Dundee, going by his worth, may have had earned enough merits to qualify him as the Pontiff of Pugilism.

Sorry, but there’s no such thing as the pope of prizefighting.

As a result, the morning after Dundee made his pronouncement, odds over the Las Vegas betting windows started to sway to Pacquiao’s side.

While there was a worrisome meltdown of Pacquiao’s stock at the start, the Dec. 6 bout no longer pointed to a sickening mismatch based on latest odds.

In fact, out there in Mexico, Pacquiao has started to win admirers in big numbers.

They appear to like Pacquiao more over De La Hoya, reported Hesiquio Alderas Olivio, who added that fans he polled in his area were “72 percent in favor of El Pacquiu.”

It was also observed that Mexicans have started to warm up to Pacquiao because “he has the big heart and the fierce fighting stance of Mexican warriors.”

Now, to those who care to know, here’s why Dundee cannot be expected to join new-found Pacquiao devotees.

First, Dundee is American.

He also preaches the gospel of classic prizefighting that puts a premium on craft, ring generalship, overall wisdom and defense.

Based on their respective styles, it’s easy to conclude that Dundee also sees the ultimate makings of a bullfight in the Pacquiao-De La Hoya fight.

De La Hoya, taller with a classic overview fighting stance, will inevitably end up the matador.

Pacquiao, needless to say, will have no choice but take the role of an unstoppable, raging bull.

In closing, Dundee must’ve also seen the Dec. 6 Dream Match being fought the way the Thrilla in Manila of Oct. 1975 was fought.

That unforgettable bout was a classic between a matador, Muhammad Ali, and a fierce, unyielding bull, Joe Frazier.

Don’t ask Dundee who won, he must’ve forgotten.

Alcano, Luat post big US Open starts

Two-time world champion Ronnie Alcano shook off an uneasy start to down American Mike Brown, 11-7, in the opening round of the 33rd Annual US Open 9-Ball Championship on Sunday at the Chesapeake Convention Center in Chesapeake, Virginia.

Arriving just in time for the $250,000 week-long tournament, Alcano had a tough time against Brown, a veteran internationalist, before pulling through to show the way for the nine-man Filipino squad.

The prestigious event drew a total of 237 players from around the world.

Rodolfo Luat joined Alcano in the second round after posting an 11-5 victory over Louis Ulrich.

Four other Filipinos—Francisco “Django” Bustamante, Lee Van Corteza, Warren Kiamco and Jose “Amang” Parica—likewise advanced after drawing byes.

“Medyo pagod pa ako sa mahabang biyahe (I’m still tired from the long trip),” said Alcano, the former double world champion from Calamba, Laguna, who is vying for the $40,000 top purse.

“Mabuti na lang at gumanda ‘yung tira ko nung bandang huli (I was lucky that I found my shots in the end).”

He will next face another American in Matt Clatterbuck, an 11-5 winner over compatriot Billy Anderson.

Alcano, last year’s US Open runner-up, is eyeing his first major title since ruling the World 8-Ball Championship in March 2007.

Bustamante will open his bid against Keith Brinton, who won over Adel Al-Shatti, 11-9. Corteza will take on Abdullah El-Yousef, an 11-9 victor against Randy Labonte.

Kiamco, on the other hand, will meet Jason Klatt, who prevailed in his first-round encounter with Ketie Chuberko, while Parica will have Aki Heiskanen as his next foe.

Ramil Gallego was the first Filipino to lose, absorbing an 11-3 whipping from Sam Monday while Leonardo Andam and Joven Alba were still competing at presstime.

Andam was playing Markus Juva of Finland while Alba battled Chris Melling of England.

Also through to the next round were reigning world 9-ball titlist Darryl Peach of England, Thorsten Hohman of Germany and Americans Earl Strickland and Shane van Boening, the defending champion.

Oscar training hardest for Pacman bout

Oscar De La Hoya knows he will be facing the “best Manny Pacquiao ever.”

The scary thing is the 10-time world champion is doing something about it.

The Golden Boy’s boyhood buddy, GBP vice president Eric Gomez said his 35-year-old boss already knows of the plan to invade into his aging midsection, before bringing the juggernaut to his movie star face.

“Oscar’s preparing to fight the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. He’s getting ready with everything in mind, I mean, he’s [saying the Pacquiao is] gonna hit me in the body, my face, anywhere so I gotta prepare for that, so stuff like that doesn’t bother him. He’s a veteran,” Gomez told dzSR sports radio recently.

There won’t be any secret strategies to be kept anymore from boxing’s biggest marquee names, he said, and that everything will come to a head only when Pacquiao and De La Hoya finally meet on Dec. 6 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

“At the end of the day nobody knows what’s going to happen. They still have to fight each other. These guys, you can’t measure the size of their hearts. And that’s one thing that both fighters have,” added Gomez.

Gomez, who unlike GBP CEO Richard Schafer was cautious in making a prediction, acknowledged that Pacquiao is one of the best southpaws in the history of the game.

“Obviously Oscar believes he is fighting one of the best southpaws in the history of boxing in Manny Pacquiao. You can put Manny’s name up there with Marvin Hagler,” Gomez said.

“You’re dealing with an Oscar now that’s not in his prime. He’s still good and he can still compete at a high level but he’s not in his prime anymore.”

While Gomez said De La Hoya has been studying all of Pacquiao’s fight tapes, the Filipino four-division champ may be headed for the wrong direction by studying the Golden Boy’s fights against fellow southpaws Pernell Whitaker and Hector Camacho.

“Those guys have very, very different styles. Those guys are boxers and weren’t as aggressive as Manny is. Manny’s much, much more aggressive,” Gomez said. Both Whitaker and Camacho lost to De La Hoya.

Meanwhile, two former middleweight champions Iran Barkley and Vito Antuofermo predicted a lopsided match in favor of De La Hoya.

“That is a fight that is going to favor De La Hoya. Pacquiao is coming up to be a big man but I have to go with De La Hoya,” Barkley told newsday.com. “I think Oscar will win. But it could be an interesting fight. Manny is nothing to sleep on.”
(By Marc Anthony Reyes; Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Weight gain will add power to Pacquiao’s punch

By Roy Luarca

Manny Pacquiao’s power is proportionate to his weight. As he gains poundage, so does the wallop of his punches.

Strength and conditioning coach Alex Ariza reportedly made the discovery during his stint at Pacquiao’s training camp in June, when the Filipino ring icon challenged and eventually beat David Diaz for the World Boxing Council lightweight crown.

Ariza, who also monitored Pacquiao’s nutrition, power and speed from Day One of training up to fight night in Las Vegas, affirmed that Pacquiao is endowed with superior strength.

And, unlike before when Pacquiao’s killer punches emanated mostly from the left, both hands now wield lethal power capable of knocking out even a heavyweight boxer.
In a Pacland Forum post Tuesday, Ariza supposedly measured Pacquiao’s power at the start of camp when the four-division champion weighed between 147 and 150 pounds.
The finding startled Ariza, who’d worked with other boxers, and turned him into an instant believer of Pacquiao’s widely recognized brutal power.

But as the training progressed, Ariza also made another startling finding: Pacquiao’s strength declines as he loses weight.

Fact is, in the same post, Ariza supposedly noticed that from being a heavy banger Pacquiao turned into a light hitter after the weigh-in, when he tipped the scales at 134.5 pounds. Expectedly, the decline in power of his developed right was even more pronounced.

Ariza, of course, can’t explain what happened in-between, when Pacquiao slowly stuffed himself with nutritious food, vitamins and drinks before he fought and knocked out Diaz in the ninth round.

Ariza merely concluded that Pacquiao is more dangerous if he doesn’t lose weight during training.

And since Pacquiao is slated to fight Oscar De La Hoya at 147 pounds on Dec. 6, he no longer needs to go on diet because he normally weighs 144-147 pounds.
Ariza may be at a loss to describe the phenomenon of losing and regaining power, but the explanation may have come from Pacquiao himself.

In an interview made before his WBC junior lightweight title fight against Juan Manuel Marquez early this year, Pacquiao likened himself to a sponge.
He can shrink fast, but also bulk up fast.

Against De La Hoya, Pacquiao needs to be just his natural speedy, deadly self.
Meanwhile, Pacquiao arrived in Los Angeles Sunday night to begin his long and arduous preparation for his megabuck bout against De La Hoya.
As always, Pacquiao will train at the Wild Card Gym of celebrated trainer Freddie Roach in Hollywood.

Pacquiao will also take time off to help promote the 12-round fight, a sure sell-out at the MGM Grand Grand Arena in Las Vegas and a certain pay-per-view blockbuster.

Mayweather: Pacquiao can’t win, no way..

Ain’t no way (Manny) Pacquiao can beat Oscar (De La Hoya). No way.”

Floyd Mayweather Sr. made this statement Tuesday to explain why he is not training De La Hoya for his Dec. 6 fight with Pacquiao at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, according to an article by Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports.

Mayweather Sr., wrote Iole, confirmed the split with De La Hoya after reaching him by telephone in Biloxi, Mississippi, where he is preparing Joan Guzman to face Nate Campbell in a WBA-WBO lightweight title bout on Saturday.

“Oscar doesn’t need me to beat Pacquiao,” said Mayweather, as quoted by Iole. “He really doesn’t. For this fight, Oscar can beat Pacquiao with just about anyone training him. When he hits him with that first left hook, it’s all going to be over.

“So, I’ll be honest, Oscar doesn’t need to pay the price to get me in this fight, because he’ll win this with me or without me.”

According to Iole, De La Hoya—who was in Las Vegas promoting Saturday’s lightweight bout between Joel Casamayor and Juan Manuel Marquez—had confirmed reports that Mayweather was hired to train Ricky Hatton for his Nov. 22 fight against Paulie Malignaggi.

While De La Hoya did not say who would be in his corner against Pacquiao, Iole wrote that it was a good guess that Oscar would tap Ignacio “Nacho” Beristain, who has long been regarded as the best trainer in Mexico and whom De La Hoya holds in high regard.

Beristain is the same trainer of Marquez, who carved out a draw with Pacquiao in 2004 before losing by split decision to the Filipino ring icon in their WBC super featherweight title fight last year.

Iole said that Mayweather had intimated that the split was over money, but did not criticize De La Hoya.

“I respect Oscar and I did well with him,” Iole quoted Mayweather as saying, “but he did really, really super well by having me around. Oscar got rich, rich, rich by working with me and I made what I made.”

Besides, Iole said, Mayweather Sr. doesn’t believe De La Hoya will have trouble defeating Pacquiao, who won the WBC lightweight title on June 28 in Las Vegas when he stopped champion David Diaz.

Freddie Roach, who trained De La Hoya in his split-decision loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in May last year, will again work for Pacquiao.

“Floyd Sr. has obligations with Ricky Hatton,” Iole quoted De La Hoya as saying. “Am I disappointed? Absolutely, I’m very disappointed. I respect Floyd Sr. very much. I respect him as a person and as a trainer. Obviously, the door is always wide open for Floyd Sr., because I truly feel that Floyd Sr. can take me, after every single fight, to a whole new level.”

Iole said that the uncertainty over when De La Hoya would fight again was the reason Mayweather decided to sign up with Hatton, noting that the trainer needed work. (Steve Silva, contributor)

De La Hoya-Pacquiao fight a big hit

Philippines—Although he is salivating to be in Oscar De la Hoya’s shoes, Mexican icon Juan Manuel Marquez says the Dec. 6 battle between his tormentor Manny Pacquiao and his promoter Oscar De la Hoya is going to be “a great, great fight.”


Marquez was reacting to a question posed by the media as he prepares to challenge Ring Magazine lightweight king Joel Casamayor on Sunday at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.


“Well, I mean that’s (De La Hoya-Pacquiao) a fight that everybody wants to see, everybody is talking about it now,” said Marquez, who still insists that he beat Pacquiao in their two outings in 2004 and 2008.

“Obviously, I support the Mexican, I support Oscar,” added Marquez in the report on EastSideBoxing.com on Monday. “Oscar is my promoter and obviously I’m behind him. But, I think it will be a great, great fight.”

The 35-year-old Marquez, who went to the extent of flying to Manila in April to challenge Pacquiao for a third encounter, said he will prove to everybody that he can beat the world’s best lightweight in Casamayor.

Marquez was obviously taking a dig at Pacquiao, who beat former World Boxing Council lightweight champ David Diaz who was considered by many to be the weakest among the lightweight champs before the title fight.

“I chose to fight Joel Casamayor who, I’m telling you, has won the title as the best 135 pounder,” said Marquez. “Yes, fighting him and getting a victory against him—I just wanted to prove that I’m fighting the best like you mentioned,” said Marquez.

“Manny Pacquiao fought David Diaz, who was a champion yes, but not a top fighter in the 135 lb division.

“But I’m going to prove it. I’m going to prove it to myself, I’m going to prove to the people that I’m the best 135-pounder out there.”

Casamayor, for his part, has indicated that although he is not looking past Marquez, the bigger fight that awaits him will still be Pacquiao.

“I’ll tell you one thing, I’d like the chance (to fight) Pacquiao,” said Casamayor, a boxing gold medalist for Cuba in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

“I really like the 140 lb division. If it’s not over here, I’ll fight him over in England. It’s not a big deal. First off, while I’m against Juan Manuel Marquez, there is no other fight if we can’t get past him.”

Asked about the Pacquiao-Marquez fight, Casamayor took another dig at the Filipino ring hero.

“I’m a savvy guy in the ring,” he said. “I’m not a guy that goes out there like a robot, someone’s robot—nothing like that. I’m a guy that gets loose in the ring.

“When I get in there, I invent. I’m the guy that dictates the pace.” (Salven Lagumbay; INQ.net)