The Manny Pacquiao of the 70's

I found out about this great video from a boxing forum...



The star of that video is Ben Villaflor one of the former Pinoy boxing champions. He held the WBA world Junior Lightweight (now called Super Featherweight) championship during part of the 1970s. He won the wored championship belt by knocking out the champion Kuniaki Shibata in the first round (see the video above). The two combatants fought to a 15 round draw when they fought about seven months before the fight.

Some people describe him as the Pacman of the 70's because of his Southpaw style and his punching power. Of course, it might also be reversed it and we can also describe Manny as the Ben Villaflor of today.

Villaflor ended his career with a record of 54 wins (31 KO's) , 8 losses and seven draws. Six of his losses happened during the early part of his career. He fought for the last time when he lost the title to fellow 130 pound great Samuel Serrano by unanimous decision. Villaflor was never stopped in his career and stands among the best fighters in Philippine boxing history.

Pretty Boy KO's the Hitman

This weekend, "Pretty Boy" Floyd Mayweather scored an impressive win over previously undefeated British boxing star, Ricky "The Hitman" Hatton.

Mayweather's KO win was a surprise as most boxing fans did not expect Mayweather to go toe to toe with Hatton. Floyd utilized slick movement, quickness and hand speed to earn convincing decisions over his previous opponents. I personally felt that it would be unwise for him to engage Ricky Hatton in close quarters. However, Floyd's talent and underrated toughness allowed him to overcome Hatton's attack en route to scoring a knock out.

This win solidifies Mayweather's standing as the top Pound for Pound fighter in the world. This puts him well ahead of Manny Pacquiao who is considered by many to be the second man in the P4P list. The Pinoy boxing star can still catch up with Pretty Boy if he pulls off an impressive performance against Juan Manuel Marquez next year. However, winning against Marquez will be a difficult challenge for the Philippine boxing icon.

The next question would be what's next for Mayweather. A possible bout against Miguel Cotto is a boxing fan's dream. However, that is up to Mayweather who might just make good on his decison to retire from boxing. He is 30 years old which is not too old for his weight class and he is obviously at the top of his game. I hope that he will fight Cotto next year in another mega fight.

Pinoy Boxing Stars Score Impressive Wins

Philippine boxing was again in the limelight this weekend when three of its stars scored victories against Mexican opponents.

Filipino boxing star Nonito Donaire was out to prove that his KO victory over Vic Darchinyan was no fluke against Mexico's Luis Maldonado. Donaire, the reigning IBF and IBO flyweight ruler dominated mandatory challenger Luis Maldonado en route to a via eighth-round technical knockout victory at the Foxwoods Casino in Mashantucket,
Connecticut.

Donaire went off in an impressive start against Maldonado as he ripped the challenger with accurate and crisp left hooks and right crosses. Donaire's punches caused cuts in both of Maldonado's eyes and it seemed that the challenger would not be able to last the champions firepower. However, Maldonado was able to put himself together and scored with some big shots as Donaire began throwing wide punches in the hopes of finishing the bleeding challenger.

The challenger's hope were dashed when Donaire resumed his accurate counter punching barrage and neutralized his challengers attacks. Maldonado finally succumbed to the champions assault in the closing seconds of the seventh round. The brave challenger answered the bell for the eight round but was met with aggression and power punches from the champion. Donaire rained punches on his bleeding opponent as the challenger covered up along the ropes forcing the referee to stop the contest. This TKO victory proved that Donaire is no one punch wonder and has the talent to become successful in the flyweight division.

Filipino boxing prospects, Rey "Boom Boom" Bautista and AJ Banal also delivered wins for Pinoy boxing at a card held at he Araneta Coliseum. Bautista made the first step towards his comeback to contender status with a morale boosting unanimous decision win over Antonio 'Barrio' Meza of Mexico. The scores were 117-111, 116-112, and 118-110 for Bautista in his first win after being annihilated by Daniel Ponce de Leon.

AJ 'Bazooka' Banal, an undefeated Pinoy boxing prospect continued to impress with a brilliant performance against Mexican Jovanny Soto. The two fighters went against each other with desire to win but Banal's superior talent and power lead to a 9th round KO win for the Filipino boxer.

These victories will whet Pinoy boxing fans appetite for the super rematch between MNanny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez. The superfeatherweight stars produced a thriller in their first meeting and their long anticipated rematch has fight of the year potential.

Pacman Art Gallery!

This is a Manny Pacquiao portrait collection. These works of art are made by the Pinoy boxing star's inspired fans.





















I hope that this creative display of talent will also inspire you to create you own portrait. :)

Rare Double Knockdown!

This is a very exciting video of a rare double knockdown:



A double knockdown happens when two fighters were knocked down at the time. Of course in this video the referee mistakenly ruled that both fighters slipped maybe because both fighters got back up so quickly after being down.

The fighters involved in this uncommon occurrence are "The Contender" participant, Cornelius K9 Bundrage and contender Sechew Powell. The fight was over after only about 20 seconds. It seems K9 was more affected by the double knockdown than Powell.

Pacquiao-Marquez Purse Squabbles

I just read an interesting article from Michael Marley of boxing confidential.com. He wrote about the current fight purse negotiations for the rematch between Pinoy boxing sensation, Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez.

Here are the first few paragraphs of his article entitled No More Bargain Basement Deals

What’s fair is fair. Can Juan Manuel Marquez make a big purse with anyone other than Manny Pacquiao? I don’t think so, do you?

So let’s do the right thing if, indeed, this is going to be Megamanny’s March 15 fight. Let Pacman out of the financial strait jacket which says he can only get 57 percent of the total purse if his opponent is a Golden Boy fighter.

Let Oscar and his pals stretch what Manny gets to 70 percent and give 30 percent to the champ. Pacquaio is the name which will sell the PPV, not JMM’s. I mean even Stevie Wonder can see that.

You can read the rest of this article by clicking HERE

Personally, I don't really care about how much Marquez or Pacquiao will receive as the purse for this fight. As a boxing fan, all I want to see is for the rematch to happen. It's clear that this IS the best fight in the superfeatherweight/juniorlightweight division. Fans from both camps are begging for this fight to be made.

Of course, I understand that the percentage is important because it amounts to millions of dollars. However, we boxing fans do not want another canceled rematch between these excellent fighters because of disagreements over the purse. I guess Pacman will still be alright financially if the fight will not be made. He can still make great money by fighting at lightweight. But I don't think boxing fans will be satisfied with not seeing a rematch. I guess all we can do is hope that both parties can reach an agreement.

Darchinyan VS. Gorres on March!

Pinoy boxing prospect Z :the Dream" Gorres will have his second chance in the spotlight when he takes on the very Dangerous Vic Darchinyan next year.



Golden Boy Promotions and Gary Shaw Promotions have finally managed to secure the elimination bout after hard rounds of negotiation.

The fight will be not be staged in either fighter’s home soil much to trhe dismay of the fighter's teams. Instead the bout will be on the undercard of Israel Vasquez vs Rafael Marquez contest for the WBC super bantamweight title.

This promises to be an exciting fight from the perspectives of styles. Gorres is a skilled boxer who uses his skills to outpoint his opponent while Darchinyan relies largely on his power to pound his opponent to the canvass.

This will not be an easy one for Gorres, as Darchinyan though old and has little defense is an experienced fighter. Vic has fought good competition when he defended his IBF title several times. Gorres also has a tendency to fade in the late rounds and I don't think he has the power to KO Darchinyan. Vic also wants to regain his honor after Donaire shamed him. And what better way to do that than to KO a Filipino boxing top prospect like Gorres.

Luisito "Lindol" Espinosa

Many Pinoy boxing fans may not know that before Manny Pacquiao became world famous, Philippine boxing was represented by two time world titlist, Luisito "Lindol"("Earthquake")Espinosa. Espinosa was the face of Filipino boxing while the Pacman was still honing his fist at the flyweight division.

Here he is in action against former super banatamweight champ, Kennedy McKinney. This is probably Espinosa's finest performance in US soil.



Espinosa won the WBA Bantamweight title by knocking out Khaokor Galaxy in the first round. I watched the video of the fight and was perplexed as to why Khaokor fell down even though Espinosa was at least two yards away from him. It might have been a delayed reaction from a body shot but the video was in Thai so I couldn't be sure. Anyway, Luisito successfully defended his tile twice before relinquishing it to Israel Contreras.

Espinosa bounced back from that painful loss to win WBC Featherweight title by outpointing Manuel Medina in 1995. He held the title for nearly four years before he lost it to Cesar Soto. Before losing his title, Espinosa lost a lot of money from a promotional dispute. He challenged Guty Espadas hoping to regain his title but lost a technical desicion. He fought past his prime before retiring in 2005 with a record of 47 wins 13 losses with 26 KO's. You can examine his boxing record here.

THis is Espinosa disposing of former WBS bantamweight champion Raul Perez in a single round:

Funny Pacquiao Pics Collection

Here is a collection of amusing Manny Pacquiao edited pics:


The new king of Pop




Pacquiao vs Tyson:




The Return of the Pacman



300



Pacquiao driving to the basket




Super Manny



Little Manny and Little Erik

The 2006 Fight of the Year!

These are the highlights of the fight that was awarded as the fight of the year for 2006. It was a battle for the WBA super bantamweight title between French champion,Mahyar Monshipour and Somsak Sithchatchawal of Thailand.



This was Monshipour's sixth defense of the title that he won against fellow Frenchman, Salim Medjkoune. He had a record of 28-3-2 with 19 knock out victories. He is a known slugger as indicated by his nickname,Little Tyson. On the other hand, this was Somsak Sithchatchawal's first crack at a world title. Coming into this fight of the year, he has compiled an excellent record of 45-1-1 with 37 KO's.

Another KO of the Year Candidate

The whole Round:



The Replay:


This KO of the year candidate for the year 2007 was caused by a devastating left hook from current IBF middleweight champion Arthur Abraham. This fight was Abraham's fifth defense of the IBF middleweight title he won from Kingsley Ikeke on December 10,2005.

The defending champion, Arthur Abraham had a record of 23-0-0 with 19 KO's coming into this great fight. He came into prominence following his battle against Edison Miranda. He won a unanimous decision despite suffering a broken jaw from the power punches of Miranda.

Ghevor on the other hand, had a decent record of 27-2-0 with 15 KO's before he challenged Abraham for the middleweight title. He had a winning streak of 16 straight wins but he hasn't faced any opponent of Abraham's level. He has also been knocked out by fellow contender Lukas Konecny so perhaps he has a suspect chin. But then again anybody who takes a shot like that will probably go down in a heap.

PacMan Victorious!

Philippine boxing sensation, Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao emerged victorious in his his long anticipated rematch with Mexican great, Marco Antonio Barrera. As most people predicted, Pacquiao came on top as he proved to be the busier and more accurate fighter. However, the fight was different than what most boxing fan expected.

In my observation, there were two main predictions for this long awaited rematch. The first scenario that people expected is similar to their first meeting, Pacquiao would overwhelm Barrera with his superior power and speed ending the fight via TKO. The second scenario was that a more prepared Barrera would use his superior boxing skills to use Pacquiao's aggression against him and earn a decision.

However, the fight was unlike what most boxing fans envision. The match was not the usual exciting and exhilarating Pacquiao fight. Barrera was unwilling to engage Pacquiao and he was waiting for the counter while Pacquiao seems to have abandon his usual attacking style and was more calculating. Pacquaio did not take a lot of risk and did not aggressively attack Barrera. In fact, he seems to be waiting for Barrera to attack. He was using feints and footwork to avoid Barrera's counter and win the decision with his aggressiveness and higher work rate.


In the end, Barrera's unwillingness to mix it up and the Filipino bosing icon's decision to not put a lot of pressure Barrera resulted in a fight that was fought in spurts. Except in a few of the rounds, the fighters would spend most of the round looking for an opening then exchange punches and clinch. Pacquiao was the more accurate and busier fighter in these exchanges and he was taking the fight to Barrera. Barrera seems to be in survival mode as he kept on backpedaling and gave most of the rounds to Pacquiao.

The last two rounds of the fight were probably the most exciting round of the fight. In the eleventh round both fighters opened up as if responding to the crowds hunger for action. Pacquiao manged to open a cut beneath Barrera's right eye. and the fighters end their furious exchange with a clinch. However, Barrera hit Pacquiao with a right hand as referee Tony Weeks was separating them. Pacquiao appeared to have been hurt with the foul as he walked into a neutral corner and one of his knees wobbled.

However, when I watched the replay, Barrera seemed to have only landed a glancing blow and that Pacquiao did a bit of an acting job. Pacquiao may have done a good job of appearing to be hurt because the referee deducted a point from Barrera. In the end, the deduction did not play a very important role other than convince some fans that Barrera can be a dirty fighter because Pacquiao was comfortably ahead in the judges scorecards. Judge Tom Schreck scored the bout 115-112 while judges Jerry Roth and Glenn Trowbridge scored the contest at 118-109 all for The Pinoy boxing star.


I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed with the fight. Perhaps it was because I was expecting Pacquiao to go after Barrera and I was waiting for the knock out in every round. Upon further reflection, I realize that Pacquiao made the smart choice by not rushing in against Barrera. The situation in this rematch is different than their first meeting. Manny is now a top fighter and does not need to take the same risks as he did before. He realized that he can probably win the fight by just being busier than Barrera since his opponent does not want to go toe to toe.

Most of his fans want to see the old Pacquaio who was willing to take the punishment in order to dish out his own. However, since he was against a dangerous opponent who wants to counter and survive, he has no choice but to choose the smart strategy. When the Philippine boxing start is up against an opponent who is willing to mis it up then we will see the old Pacmonster again.

4 World Champs for Philippine Boxing!

Donnie "Ahas" Nietes' hard fought win last weekend over Pornsawan Kratingdaenggym of Thailand for the the vacant WBO world Minimumweight Title, the Philippines currently has 4 world boxing champions. Pinoy boxing stars Florante Condes, Nonito Donaire,Gerry Penalosa, and Donnie Nietes now hold world championship belts. Well, technically they are not world champions because boxing has been split up into various governing bodies (WBC, WBA, IBF, WBO, IBO, WBU, etc...)that recognize it's own champions for every division. The proper term might be world titlist because they hold a part of the World championship. Unless these Filipino boxing champs cannot unify the world titles in their divisions, then I think they cannot be declared as true world champions.

Let us relive how this Pinoy boxing heroes bought glory to their country through this videos:

Let us begin with Nonito Donaire's impressive KO win over Vic Darchinyan:




Then we have Gerry Penalosa's liver shot KO win over Jhonny Gonzalez



This is the third round of the Condes-Rachman fight in which COndes captured the title by split decision. This round was a big one for Condes as he was able to knock Rachman down on his back.



And finally this is Donnie Nietes in action against the very tough Pornsawan Kratingdaenggym. This is the fourth round in which Nietes scored a knockdown on his way to a unanimous decision win.



Let us hope that our Philippine boxing champions can defend their titles successfully follow in the footstps of Manny Pacquiao and other Filipino boxing legends.

Donnie "Ahas" Nietes' Chance for Glory

This Sunday, ALA Boy, Donnie "Ahas" Nietes will attempt to join Gerry Penalosa, Florante Condes and Nonito Donaire as world titlists. This Pinoy boxing prospect will face the equally impressive Pornsawan Kratingdaenggym of Thailand for the the vacant WBO world Minimumweight Title.

This is a video of Donnie Nietes (21-1-3 with 13 KO's) in action against Saengpetch Sor Sakulphan also of Thailand. The video shows why this Philippine boxing rising star is nicknamed "Ahas" or snake. He knocked out his opponent with an uppercut that resembled a snake strike (well at least from my view).



Nietes won't find it easy to win the title for Filipino boxing as the talented Pornsawan Porpramook Kratingdaenggym of Thailand is standing in his way. Kratingdaenggym has an impressive record of of 20 wins without any losses or draws with 15 knock outs.

A quick look of their records shows that Kratingdaenggym has faced better opposition. The Thailander has faced Heri Amol (21-5-3), Benjie Sorolla (21-11-3), and Sonny Boy Jaro (22-4-3). On the other hand, Nietes has only faced two opponents with decent records namely, Heri Amol (21-4-3) and Abrin Matta 18-3-2.

Pornsawan is also condfident of winning as he expressed in his opening statement to the media: "I'm very excited in my first trip to the Philippines. But I'm also very confident of beating Nietes. I've prepared long and hard for this fight,"

Well' the only way to determine who will come out on top is by letting these fine athletes perform in the ring. I hope that with the crowd behind him, Nietes can pull out a victory.

Nike Immortalizes Manny Pacquaio's Crest!

A Nike endorsement for Manny Pacquiao has added more glamor to The Pinoy boxing icon's superstar status. Pacquiao will be wearing a red-and-white robe with his personalized crest emblazoned at the back on Oct. 6 when he enters the ring to face Marco Antonio Barrera for the second time.



Mike Friolo designed the crest or coat-of-arms at the Nike Asia-Pacific headquarters in Beaverton,Oregon. The crest was then approved by Pacquiao. The conceptualization and execution process of the design took eight months. Nike also developed an identity mark or logo for the Philippine boxing superstar. The identity mark and crest are featured in Pacquiao dri-fit T-shirts.



Manny Pacquiao's crest is similar to Nike’s execution of the Michael Jordan anniversary shoe because it is full of graphic detail. The Filipino boxing star's 44 wins are depicted in the tattoo-style waves at the top of the crest. Pacquiao's national following is symbolized by six bare fists in arms and the left-handed gloved fist at the center that rises above the rest expresses his punching power. The Filipino flag is represented by the rising sun. The rest of the crest's symbols, as well as downloads,pics and more can be found at:

2006 KO of the Year Candidate!

This is a KO video of a knockout of the year candidate for this year. This KO was delivered by The "Ding-A-Ling Man", Darnell Wilson while the unfortunate victim was Emmanuel Chukwu Nwodo. The bout happened on The 29 of June of this year at the St. George Theater, Staten Island, New York. Coming into this fight, Darnell Wilson had a record of 21-5-3 with !8 KO's while Nwodo had a record of 21-3-0 with 16 knockouts.

2006 KO of the Year!

This is a video of another KO of the year. This time the KO is from in the heavy weight division and was awarded as the best knock out of 2006. The knockout happened on Feb. 25, 2006 at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Calvin "The Boxing Banker" Brock connected with a left hook to Zuri Lawrence's jaw.

Calvin Brock had a record of 27-0-0 with 21 KO's coming into this fight. The notable opponents he had defeated before facing Lawrence include Terry Smith, David Bostice, Jameel McCline and Clifford Etienne. After his devastating victory over Lawrence, Brock defeated Timor Ibragimov. He then challenged Wladimir Klitschko for the heavyweight title but was stopped in the 7th round. He has won two fights since his KO loss to Klitschko and is waiting for another shot at the title.

On the other, Zuri Lawrence had a decent 20-10-4 record when he faced Brock. Although he lacked punching power (none of his wins are by knock out), he had beaten heavy weight contenders Jameel McCline and Darrol Wilson. He has also faced contenders like Sultan Ibragimov, Tony Thompson, Ray Austin, and David Bostice. After his loss to Brock, Lawrence suffered a second run knock out loss to heavyweight contender, Dominick Guinn. He has fought twice and won against low-level competition after his loss to Guinn.

2005 KO of the Year!

This is the video of the Ring magazines' "Knock Out of the Year" for 2005. This brutal KO is more popularly called the "18 second knockout." It happened at the Buffalo Run Casino, in Miami, Oklahoma, during the bout between super middleweight contenders, Alan "Sweetness" Green and Jaidon "The Don" Codrington.

Coming into the fight, Green had a record of 17 wins no losses and draws with 11 knockouts while Codrington had a perfect record of 9 wins no losses or draws with all of his wins coming by way of knockout. Every one expected this bout to be exciting but no one expected it to end so brutally quick.

Fortunately, there seems to be no permanent damage to Codrington after his experience with the explosive fists of Alan Green. He has since recovered from the brutal knock out and has won 8 straight fights to improve his record to 17-1-0 1 with 13 knock outs.

On the other hand, Green's career experienced a few bumps after he victimized Codrington. For instance, he came in overconfident and careless against his former sparring mate, Donny McCrary. McCrary knocked down Green in the third round but Green managed to survived and went back and knocked McCrary out in the sixth round.

Green scored a big win by knocking out Olympian and fellow top contender Jerson Ravelo in the 8th round. However, he performed badly against Edison Miranda and lost by unanimous decision in ten rounds. Miranda was knocked down in the eight round but he dominated reen and knocked him down twice in the tenth round. Green has started his comeback with a first round knockout of journeyman Darrell Woods.

Manny Pacquiao's First Fight on Foreign Soil

As I mentioned in my previous post, I have been experimenting with posting videos in this Pinoy boxing blog. And so I decided to post another impressive Manny Pacquiao KO win. This video is a bit long because of the introductions but the fight itself was only one round. Pacquaio knocked his opponent with a left uppercut just as the bell sounded to end the first round.

This fight was Philippine boxing superstar Manny Pacquaio's first fight outside the Philippines. This fight was held at Korakuen Hall,in Tokyo, Japan. Pacquiao's record coming into this fight was 23-1 with 13 knockouts. He was the reigning OPBF flyweight champion having defeated Chokchai Chockvivat of Thailand for the title.

After this fight, Pacquiao traveled to Phuttamonthon, Thailand to challenge Chatchai Sasakul for the WBC world flyweight championship. He knocked out the highly skilled Sasakul in eight rounds and won thus winning his first world title.

His opponent was Shin Terao of Japan who held a record of 10-2-1 coming in to his nightmarish meeting with Pacquiao. After his loss to the Filipino boxing star, he went on to lose two more fights before ending his career with a record of 10-5-1 with a KOs. I observed that all of his losses were by knock outs so a boxing career was probably not meant for him.

Impressive Pacquiao KO Video

I've just began experimenting with posting videos on this Philippine boxing blog. I thought it would be more exciting as boxing is best exemplified by action on the ring. And so I decided to post more videos of Pinoy boxing stars and prospects as well as other exciting boxing bouts that do not involve Filipino boxers. I know that boxing fans love watching KO's so I will also post videos of the best KO's in boxing on my my future post.

I think that it's fitting to begin with a Manny Pacquiao KO...



This is one of Pacquiao's most impressive KO. He knocked out Fahsan 3K Battery with a thunderous left uppercut which lifted the poor Thai's feet off the canvas.

As impressive as this knock out was Pacquiao was actually criticized for his performance. 3K Battery was meant to be a sacrificial lamb as Pacquiao wanted to perform in front of his country men. Perhaps it was because of this situation that he did not train seriously for this fight. Boxing analyst observed that Pacquiao was huffing and puffing by the third round indicating poor conditioning. Fortunately, The Filipino boxing icon was able to connect with power punches in the fourth round culminating with the perfect left uppercut that left 3K battery unconscious.

After his KO loss to Pacquiao, 3K battery has won fourteen straight bouts and has improved his record to 58-8-1 with 35 knockouts. His winning streak has allowed him to get a crack at the current IBF super bantamweight champion Steve "The Canadian Kid" Molitor in October. This will be a tough fight for Fahsan as Molitor is undefeated in 24 fights with 10 knockouts and is about six years younger.

Boxing Legends to Visit the Philippines!

Games and Amusement Board (GAB) chairman Eric Buhain announced a few days ago that some boxing greats are scheduled to visit the Philippines to attend the World Boxing Council (WBC) Convention slated from November 11 to 17. Among those scheduled to come is former world heavyweight king, Mike Tyson.

Boxing icons Oscar “Golden Boy” de la Hoya, boxing great Muhammad Ali, Marco Antonio Barrera, Julio Cesar Chavez, Larry Holmes and Evander Holyfield are also participating in the country’s hosting of the convention.

Needless to say, the presence of these boxing superstars will make Pinoy boxing fans happy. They may not see some of their boxing heores in action but meeting them alone or seeing them in person will make any Philippine boxing fan's day.

OF course, the convention is not just all about the boxing stars, as the GAB hopes that some of it's proposal will be approved during this event. The proposal on the imposition of a drastic change in a boxer’s contract involving multiple managers is one of the important proposals that the GAB will make.

Pinoy boxing fans will also be treated to 60 rounds of exhibition matches lined up under de la Hoya productions and in coordination with GAB and “WBC Cares.” This matches are meant to drumbeat the event and raise funds for the various projects and community services of the WBC.

Let us hope that this event will be able to help Filipino boxing, benefit our boxers and provide happiness to the legion s of Philippine boxing fans.

More Filipino Boxing Updates

Manny Pacquiao Training Camp


After reaching the halfway point of his training for his rematch against the great Marco Antonio Barrera, Pinoy boxing sensation Manny Pacquiao is on schedule with his preparations. Despite the minor distractions from his Philippine boxing fans and a bout of flu, Pacquiao's weight is now at 136 pounds. This means that he will be able to make the 130 lb. limit for the rematch with Barrera. Manny Pacquiao's current weight also places him way below the maximum 143 pounds or 64.864 kilos set by the WBC for a fighter to weigh 30 days before a fight under the super featherweight division.

According to WBC Rule 4.6, fighters should undergo compulsory "safety weigh-ins" 30 days and seven days prior to their fights. This rule was instituted in 1997 and was ratified during the 2nd WBC World Boxing Medical Congress last April 30 in Quintana Roo, Mexico. It addresses the safety concerns involved in a boxer losing too much weight during intense training.


Denoy Scheduled to Defend Title in Thailand

Reigning WBO Asia Pacific light flyweight Along Denoy will defend his title in a rematch with Kaichon Sor Vorapin that will be held in Bangkok on October 3. Denoy took the tile away from Kaichon last July 13 with a spectacular fifth round TKO win.

This will be the third meeting between Philippine boxing prospect, Denoy and Kaichon. Denoy lost by a sixth round technical decision in their first encounter on July 8, 2005. Denoy currently has a record of 15-6-1 with 8 knockouts while Kaichon who has a record of 25-10 with 9 knockouts.

Suico VS. Samejima Video

This video shows Pinoy boxing prospect, Randy Suico retaining his OPBF lightweight title by impressively knocking out tough mandatory challenger Koji Samejima of Japan in the eighth round. The OPBF lightweight championship bout was the main attraction of the “Battle for Supremacy” promoted by Rex “Wakee” Salud in cooperation with MP Promotions of Filipino boxing idol Manny Pacquiao.

Many Philippine boxing analysts say that the pressure is on Suico to perform well after being stopped in his first world title challenge. Well he was able to finish off Samejima impressively and he has power but he has still to improve in terms of speed and movement. The current world lightweight champions are above the level of Samejima so he has to improve if he wants to capture a world crown at the lightweight division. This victory will boost his morale and inspire him to improve so he still has a chance at bringing back a world title to the Philippines.

Early September Filipino Boxing Updates

Pacquiao Training Camp

Philippine boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao's training has hit another bump when he suffered flu like symptoms. As a result Pacquiao was unable to train for two days in order to recover from the flu and resume his training.

Fortunately for Pinoy boxing fans, Pacquiao seems to have recovered well enough from the flu and was even able to play a game of basketball with some members of the media. Once again, this brought new criticism on Pacquiao for risking injury by playing basketball when he should be recovering from the effects of the flu.

However, the flu did not seems to cause any serious damage as the Philippine boxing icon felt good enough on Monday and was able to do some sparring. He sparred a total of six rounds with Mexican Raymund Beltran and Filipino Arnel Tinampay at the RWS Gym. Pacquiao was also able run the flatland of the IT Park in front of the Waterfront Hotel in Lahug before his sparring session.


Gejon Fails to Dethrone Niida

Pinoy boxing prospect Eriberto Gejon failed in his bid to win a fourth title for the Philippines when he lost by unanimous decision to reigning World Boxing Association (WBA) minimum-weight champion, Yutaka Niida of Japan.

This bout was the second meeting between the two pugilist as tthey met for the first time on September 2005. Niida defeated Gejon by split decision in this first meeting when the fight was stopped in the tenth round due to a cut in Gejon's head.

Niida improved greatly from the first meeting and was able to repeatedly connected with strong left hooks and overhand rights throughout the contest which gave him the win. He improved his record to 22-1-3, including eight knockouts while Gejon dropped to 23-2-1, with 14 KOs.

All is not lost for Gejon, as he is till one of the top Philippine boxing prospects. He is also a tall fighter so moving upon in weight to the flyweight division is a good option. He will still retian his height and reach advantage in that division.


Nietes to Fight for World Title

Donnie Nietes, another Filipino boxing rising star, will try to win the vacant WBO world Minimumweight Title on September 30. He will battle undefeated Pornsawan Kratingdaenggym of Thailand at the Waterfront Hotel in Lahug, Cebu City.

The 25-year-old Nieties hails from Bacolod City and holds a record of (19-1-311 KO's ) He is the No. 1 WBO minimumweight contender and this will be his first title shot. His opponent, Kratingdaenggym has an impressive record of of 20 wins and is the WBO No. 3 contender.

This promotion is loaded with Pinoy boxing talent as it includes AJ “Bazooka” Banal who will take on Mexico's Jovanny “Bambino” Soto for the WBO Youth super flyweight championship. Robert Allanic will clash with In-Suk Song of South Korea in a WBO Asia Pacific bantamweight title fight. Also insluded is Philippine flyweight champion Rocky Fuentes defends his title against former Olympian Danilo Lerio.

Trouble in Pacquiao Training Camp!

Philippine boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao's training camp experienced a bit of trouble a few days ago. The cause of the trouble was the huge turnout of spectators who came to the gym to watch Pacquiao in training. Pinoy boxing fans numbering over a hundred flocked the Rex 'Wakee' Salud gym, raising questions as to why they were allowed inside the heavily-guarded gym while Pacquiao was training.

Understandably, highly respected boxing trainer Freddie Roach was not pleased with the distractions to Pacquiao's training. Roach was so frustrated with the lack of security in the gym that he has threatened to pull-out and return to Los Angeles. Although Roach appreciate the love and support of the fans, he has no choice but to limit the number of gym spectators.

In response to Roach's complaint, Gym owner Rex 'Wakee' Salud, promised to impose a "No Pass, No Entry" policy. Roach has expressed that Salud should keep his promise to prevent fans from jamming the gym and effectively distracting Pacquiao or he will go back to the US. He is also implementing a no-video camera policy when it comes to Pacquiao's sparring sessions.

Fortunately, Rex 'Wakee' Salud has made good on his promise to keep the fans away from Pacquiao's training. Those who were not part of Team Pacquiao were kept outside the gym when Filipino boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao started his 3PM workout with Freddie Roach.

This is exactly why many Pinoy boxing fans were concerned when Pacquiao decided to train in the Philippines. We know that Pacquiao couldn’t focus on his first fight against Erik “El Terrible” Morales and eventually lost when fans crowded the Wild Card Gym.

I am also concerned with reports that Pacquiao is playing basketball while in the midst of his training. He may suffer an unnecessary injury and this kinds of activities will divert his focus from his upcoming bout. Let us hope that Pacquiao will focus all his energies into his training and get into the best shape possible when he meets Marco Antonio Barrera for the second time.

Suico KO's Samejima to Retain OPBF Title

Last weekend, Pinoy boxing prospect, Randy Suico retained his OPBF lightweight title by knocking out mandatory challenger Koji Samejima of Japan in the eighth round. The OPBF lightweight championship bout was the main attraction of the “Battle for Supremacy” promotion that was held at the sprawling Mall of Asia open car park. This boxing event was promoted by Rex “Wakee” Salud in cooperation with MP Promotions of Filipino boxing idol Manny Pacquiao.

A brutal left hook from Suico decked Samejima in the sixth round. In the eight round, the Japanese challenger was also nailed by another left hook that was followed by a vicious right straight that sent him flat on his back. It was clear to international referee Bruce McTavish that the Japanese was out cold and there was no need for a count.

In the other bouts, Philippine boxing prospect Jimrex Jaca retained his WBO super featherweight title over Japan’s Ryu Miyagi with a controversial technical draw. The fight was halted in the second round when the ring physician ruled that Jaca couldn’t continue because of two nasty cuts. However, the technical draw decision became controversial when the replays suggested that the second cut was caused by a punch.

This ending disappointed the Pinoy boxing fans as it was an action-packed bout. A perfect straight right from Miyagi dropped Jaca in the opening round. The challenger followed up the knock down with a flurry of punches which forced the referee to give Jaca a standing eight count. However, the Filipino boxing prospect gained control of the fight by connecting with a perfect left that decked the Japanese challenger. The referee stopped the action when he detected the cuts on Jaca's face which led to the end of the exciting bout.

I hope that the results of these bouts will help propel these fine Philippine boxing prospects to world title fights. Both of them failed in their first world title bids but if given a second chance, they will surely do their best to bring world titles back to the Philippines.

Philippine Boxing Prospects to Face Tough Japanese Opponents

After witnessing the World Cup of boxing, Pinoy boxing fans will once again be treated to another boxing promotion that will feature our homegrown boxing talents. This weekend, Randy Suico the reigning Orient and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) lightweight champion will headline a blockbuster 78-round card at the Mall of Asia.

This boxing event will include four fights between Filipino boxers against Japanese pugilists making it seem like the beginning of an Asian Cup. This boxing promotion is a project of MP (Manny Pacquiao) Boxing Promotions and is projected to be a regional version of the World Cup, which Philippine boxing dominated with a 5-1 score over Mexico in Sacramento.

In the main event, Randy Suico will stake his OBPF 135-pound crown against Koji Samejima. Jimrex Jaca will also be defending the WBO Asia-Pacific superfeatherweight championship against challenger Ryu Miyagi. Philippine boxing prospect Wyndel Janiola will faces Hirotaka Hisataka in a ten round bout while Jun Plasidad meets Noriyuki Komatsu in a six round match.

Boxing analyst sees Samejima as a major test for Suico as the lanky Japanese has won his last four bouts. The tall and lanky Samejima has dropped down to lightweight in order to battle Suico and avenge the setbacks of four countrymen who were defeated by the Filipino.

Miyagi will also be a handful for Jaca as the Japanese fighter has won his last four outings. His current record stands at 16-1, with 12 KOs. He seems to be a fast starter as 10 of his knock out victories were inside three rounds. Miyagi's only loss happened two years ago as he took a 20-month layoff before returning to the ring last year.

Hisataka is no pushover opponent for Janiola as he once stopped highly regarded Philippine champion Bert Batawang in two rounds. Hisataka is also hungry for a win as he is coming off two losses on points. Histaka’s record is 15-5-1, with 5 KOs.

Early August Philippine Boxing Updates

Manny Pacquiao Training Update:

Pinoy boxing superstar, Manny Pacquiao has began the sparring phase of his training for his scheduled rematch against Mexican legend, Marco Antonio Barrera. Pacquiao sparred three rounds with David Rodela at the RWS Gym. The Philippine boxing hero is slowly picking up the tempo in preparation for his upcoming megabout against Barrera and weighed around 137 pounds after his workout.

Celebrated American boxing trainer Freddie Roach gave his brightest pupil a satisfactory grade in his first sparring session yesterday. However, he admitted that the Philippine boxing hero still has a lot of things to work out in order to emerge victorious in his upcoming match.

Roach commented that Manny, "got hit several times, but we're not rushing things for him. He'll get better. We've got a couple of guys coming in. I'm very happy though for the first day. He's very good."

However, Roach said that the game plan this time is to gog for the kill against Marco Antonio Barrera using body shots. He explained that, "Breaking fighters down is the key. I think that's how we gonna win this fight, with body shots"

I hope that everything works well with Manny's training and that he can finally focus on how to win his upcoming fight. There has been many delays with his training and holding his training in the Philippines may not be the best option for him. He still holds the advantage over Barrera but he needs to have a good training camp to ensure victory.

Pacquiao-Barrera II Undercard

It has been announced that two outstanding Pinoy boxing prospects from the Southern Philippine Island of Mindanao will see action in the undercard of the Manny Pacquiao-Marco Antonio Barrera rematch.

Glenn Gonzales and Jundy Maraon will be included in the preliminary bouts. Glenn Gonzales is a 22 year old featherweight prospect with a record of 6 wins, 1 draw, 4 KO's. He is the reigning World Boxing Organization (WBO) featherweight Asia-Pacific Interim champion. On the other hand,Maron is a 22 year old bantamweight with a record of 11 wins, 1 draw, and 9 KO's. Pacquiao wants to give these promising boxers a chance to get a break in the lucrative American boxing market.

Freddie Roach Arrives In The Philippines

World Class boxing trainer Freddie Roach has arrived in the Philippines to supervise the training of Pinoy boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao. Pacquiao is currently training at Wakee Salud's gym in Cebu.

Roach was met by Wakee Salud at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport. He was then immediately whisked on a waiting SUV to the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel. Pacquiao and Buboy Fernandez are also housed at the same hotel. On Sunday, the two sparmates for Pacquiao are expected to arrive.


Battle for Supremacy

On August 25, OPBF lightweight champion Randy Suico and WBO Asia Pacific superfeatherweight title-holder Jimrex Jaca will face separate Japanese prospects. The promotion is called 'Battle for Supremacy: Philippines versus Japan' and will be held at the Mall of Asia in Manila.

Randy Suico will have defended his OPBF lightweight title against mandatory challenger, Koji Samejima. Japanese challenger Ryu Miyagi will attempt to wrest the WBO Asia Pacific superfeatherweight from Jaca in the other 12-round bout. I hope these two Philippine boxing prospects can retain their titles.

Wyndel Janiola will take on Japanese Hiroyuki Hisataka in a 10-round brawl, and Noriyuki Komatsu will go up against local boy Jun Piasidad in the undercard. The rest of the bouts include Marvin Tampos against Danilo Pena; Roel Laguna against Mervin Batolina; Jonathan Baat against Eric Rapada.

Pinoy Boxing Team Captures Boxing World Cup!!!

The Philippine boxing team won five of the six bouts at stake at the 'World Cup' of Boxing held at the Arco Arena. The grand boxing event was held in front of a highly-partisan crowd of 4,469 screaming fans for both countries.

Pinoy boxing has solidified its position as the world's boxing superpower by snatching the title away from long-reigning Mexico. As you probably know, Mexico has been the breeding ground for great boxing talents for several decades.

Gerry Penalosa contributed the biggest win when he wrested the WBO bantam title from Mexican champ Jhonny Gonzalez with a come-from-behind knockout win. He hit Gonzales with a paralyzing body shot in the seventh round.

However, it was Z Gorres who sealed the Filipinos' victory. He stopped former WBC champ Eric Ortiz with an eighth-round technical knockout to earn the fourth win for the Philippine boxing team.

Diosdado Gabi of Davao City was the first winner for Team philippines by earning an eight-round unanimous decision over Mexico's Jose Angel Beranza. Michael Domingo then followed it up with a six-round masterful unanimous win over previously unbeaten Miguel Roman. The Domingo-Roman bout was considered one of the most exciting fight of the night and really excited the crowd for the main event.

Cebu's AJ 'Bazooka' Banal completed the five victories needed to secure the World Cup trophy by stopping Jorge Cardenas in the third round of their scheduled six-rounder. He dis[played great power and skill as he repeatedly hit his Mexican opponent with flushed shots culminating with an explosive counter that dropped Cardenas. Cardenas seems to have twisted his knee preventing him from standing up and continuing the fight.

However, the Pinoy boxing team did not sweet all six matches as Rey "Boom Boom" Bautista experienced a very painful first round KO defeat at the hands of Daniel Ponce de Leon. Bautista has expressed a desire to retire after this defeat so we have to wait and see if he decides to return to the ring. I hope he decides to continue his career as he is still young and this setback can make him a better fighter.

Marquez Wants Pacquaio After Juarez

After WBC Super Featherweight Champion Juan Manuel Marquez's upcoming defense against Rocky Juarez, he wants to have a re-match against Pinoy boxing superstar, Manny Pacquiao.

Manny and Juan have unfinished business to revolve according to Ignacio Beristain, the manager of Marquez. According to Beristain, it shouldn’t be too difficult to arrange now that the problems between Golden Boy Promotions and Top Rank are resolved. Interestingly, it was Beristain who refused the offer for a rematch between Pacquiao and Marquez after the boxers fought to a draw.

Of course, Juan has to defeat Rocky Juarez at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on September 15th, if he wants a rematch against Pacquiao. Rocky Juarez is the replacement for Jorge Barrios, who showed eye troubles after a medical examination and had to withdraw. Juan Manuel marquez will be on the United States until Sunday because he will be leading the Mexican team which will contest the Boxing World Cup against the Philippines.

Manny Pacquiao, on the other hand, has began his training at the famed Wild Card gym. He has finally arrived in Los Angeles last night to begin the 7 week training for his rematch against Marco Antonio Barrera.

Pacquiao started his first day of training with a short jogging stint around his apartment at the La Brea district in Los Angeles. Pacquiao and his trainers, Buboy Fernandez and Nonoy Neri proceeded to the Wildcard Gym to begin his official training after the Pacman had a short rest and a light breakfast. His training sessions consisted of stretching, single and double speed bag, shadow boxing and body conditioning.

Manny's Arrival Relieves Freddie Roach

Upon hearing that Filipino ring idol Manny Pacquiao will be in Los Angeles today, celebrated trainer Freddie Roach can now ease his worries. He is currently with Team Philippines in Sacramento as the Pinoy boboxing starts prepares for the World Cup showdown with Mexico at the Arco Arena this weekend.

According to Rob Peters, one of Roach’s assistants at the Wild Card Gym, he was going to pick up Pacquiao at the airport. Freddie Roach and all the people at the gym were reportedly "very happy" that Pacquiao was finally in Los Angeles and ready to begin training for the rematch with Marco Antonio Barrera on October 6 after so many postponements.

It is estimated that Pacquiao will be able to get in shape for Barrera in seven weeks. Since Manny works so hard when he is in training camp, seven weeks will be enough. Meanwhile, Barrera is said to have already begun training and was also "considering going up to Big Bear" where he used to train before. This is unexpected since Barrera had to abandon the training camp because of raging forest fires in the area prior to his first clash with Pacquiao.

"World Cup" of Boxing Update

It has been announced that the Bert Batawang-Gerardo Verde IBF eliminator has been canceled. Since Verde did not pass medical test due to detached retinas, he cannot compete in the event. This means that the World Cup will only have six fights.

Gorres Will Fight in the "World Cup" of Boxing

Z "The Dream" Gorres has been cleared to fight in the World Cup this upcoming Saturday. Since, Gorres' injury has completely healed, Dr. Steinschriber, the eye specialist has given the go signal for him to fight this Saturday.

Gorres' participation in the World Cup was nearly canceled after it was found that his retina a minor tear. Gorres had been advised to return to Dr. Steinschriber's clinic today for a final clearance, after being examined and treated by the eye specialist.

Meanwhile, Team Philippines has arrived in Sacramento. The Pinoy boxing team members are confident of pulling off an upset when they challenge Mexico's dominance in the World Cup of Boxing to be held at the Arco Arena on August 11. Mexico currently holds the title after thrashing Thailand in the inaugural staging of the World Cup.

Manny Pacquiao Update:

Pinoy boxing superstar, Manny Pacquiao has finally left Manila for Los Angeles to begin training for his rematch against Barrera. Pacquiao's trainer, Buboy Fernandez is accompanying him on this trip. They are expected to land in LA Tuesday evening.

Pacquiao's departure for the US has been postponed at least four times. The scheduled press conference of his upcoming fight with Barrera at the plush Beverly Hills hotel jointly organized by Golden Boy Promotions and Top Rank has been canceled due to these delays.

Mayol Losses, Conception Wins Impressively

July was a lucky month for Pinoy boxing but August does not seem to be a very auspicious one for Philippine boxing. Rodel Mayol's painful KO loss to Ulises Solis is an example of the ominous boxing results fort this month.

It was a painful loss, as Mayol seems to be in control of the fight. However, he made one crucial mistake and paid a heavy price for it. IBF light flyweight champion Ulises Solis nailed Mayol him with a cracking right hook that sent him crashing to the canvas as he was going after the IBF champion.

Fortunately, there also some bright moments for Pinoy boxing in this early part of August. Bernabe Concepcion of the Aljoe Jaro stable shined in an impressive 4th round TKO win over Gabriel Elizondo (23-3 10KOs) at the All-State arena in Rosemont, Illinois. He dominated Elizondo and finally put him down in the fourth.

The brave but out matched Elizondo wanted to continue despite being hurt and even asked the referee for an eight count. However, it wss clear that he was being dominated by the much stronger Concepcion and would only get hurt if the referee allowed the fight to continue.

Elizondo now has a 23-3 10KOs record after his loss. One of his notable wins was against Glen Donaire the older brother of current IBF champ, Nonito Donaire. On the other hand, Concepcion improved his record to 22-1-1 with 12 KO's.

Pacquiao's Delayed Arrival does not Worry Freddie Roach

Pinoy boxing superstar, Manny Pacquiao’s delayed arrival in Los Angeles to begin training for his rematch with legendary Mexican Marco Antonio Barrera on October 6, does not worry top boxing trainer Freddie Roach.

He revealed in an overseas telephone conversation with Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today that Pacquiao was scheduled to arrive in the US on August 4. This date appear to match the announcement that Pacquiao will depart on Sunday aboard a Philippine Airlines flight for LA with trainers Buboy Hernandez and Nonoy Neri.

Pacquiao's departure had previously been postponed no less than four times. He is said to be shooting a movie with sexy star Ara Mina. He was also seen playing pool at a Japanese-owned pool hall in Mabini, One Side.

However, Roach indicated that Pacquiao having late nights playing pool and shooting a movie is not a big concern since he is the most dedicated athlete in the world when he gets into the Wild Card Gym.

It's also important to note that Top Rank promoter Bob Arum and Golden Boy Promotions was forced to re-set a news conference at the Beverly Hills Hotel which Pacquiao and Barrera were scheduled to attend last week due to Pacquiao's failure to leave for the US.

End of July Pinoy Boxing Updates

World Cup of Boxing

The members of the Philippine team has stepped up their training with the Philippine vs. Mexico World Cup of Boxing just two weeks away. On August 11, the boxing special between top Filipino and Mexican boxers is set to explode at the Arco Arena in Sacramento.

Top boxing trainer, Freddie Roach of the Wildcard Gym said the Philippines teams training habits are great. According to him, all the Filipino fighters train over 110 percent so he has no worries over their upcoming bouts. He also describes them as very good, very disciplined, and very conditioned.


Gorres' Eye Injury

If eye specialist Dr. Steven Steinschriber finds that the tiny tear in Z Goress' retina has healed, then Gorres will go ahead with his IBF super flyweight eliminator against Gerson Guerrero in the Philippines-Mexico boxing World Cup.

It was discovered that Gorress had a tear in one of his retinasduring a routine medical checkup for the Filipino boxers deep in training for the classic showdown. Dr. Steinschriber subsequently performed laser surgery to correct the tear and said that depending on his checkup on August 6the flashy southpaw may still be able to fight.


Manny Pacquiao Update

Pacquiao has filed a P30-million libel case against sportswriter Nick Giongco of the Manila Bulletin. An article written by Giongco in the newspaper’s July 25 issue triggered the filing of the case in General Santos City.

The phrase, “he is reported to be a compulsive gambler and is known to bet hundreds of thousands in casinos, cockfighting and billiards” is just one of the items that caught the ire of the Pinoy boxing superstar.

Gorres may Still Fight on The "World Cup" of Boxing Despite Eye Injury

After a routine medical check up conducted on the seven Filipino boxers scheduled to battle Mexican opponents at the Arco Arena in the eagerly awaited “World Cup” of boxing, it was discovered that Z Gorres has a small tear in one of his retinas.

This discovery prompted the California Commission to withhold approval of the IBF super flyweight eliminator between Gorres and Gerson Guerrero. The current plans for the event are for to trim the number of fights in the World Cup to six and former IBF flyweight challenger Diosdado Gabi to replace Gorres.

Top Pinoy boxing trainer Edito “Ala” Villamor described Gorres as being depressed after respected boxing patron Tony Aldeguer called up Gorres and broke the sad news to him. Since he was eagerly looking forward to the fight and a chance to help the Philippines win the World Cup, it was understandable that he is feeling depressed.

Fortunately, Z “The Dream” Gorres may still fight in the World Cup in Sacramento on August 11 according to the eye specialist who performed laser surgery to correct a tiny tear in his retina. However, indications are that the flashy southpaw will not fight.

The doctor said that the operation performed on Gorres “supposed to protect the eye and cure it in sixteen days but he would know if Gorres can fight on August 11 after checking him out on August 6.”

Blog Directory

"World Cup" of Boxing Updates

According to Ed de la Vega, the Pinoy boxers that will be competing on the "World Cup" of boxing are all doing well with their training. Top Filipino boxing trainer Edito Villamor said, They" are all where they should be in terms of their preparation and weight.”

The Pinoy boxers are feeling less homesick because the heat wave in the Los Angeles basin is creating a muggy and humid weather. According to de la Vega, Michael Domingo shy and reserved since he is a first timer at the Wildcard Gym. However, he is keeping his focus on getting his job done at the bags and during sparring. Rey "Boom Boom" Bautista on the other hand, is eagerly looking forward to his title fight. Let us hope that his enthusiasm will translate into a win against Ponce de Leon.

There are a few changes to thebouts of the "world Cup" of Boxing. First Bert Batawang of Cebu will now take on Gerardo Verde in a 12-round IBF junior flyweight eliminator. Batawang was originally scheduled to face Francisco Rosas but that has been changed. Verde sports a record of 15-4, with 11 KO's.

It was al;so announced that Diosdado 'Prince' Gabi will face Mexican Jose Angel 'Pepe' Beranza in an 8-round encounter.The hard-hitting Beranza has a record of 30 wins, 9 losses, 2 draws with 25 KO's. He decisioned Filipino Vernie Torres in his last fight.

More on Amonsot

Czar Amonsot will be released from the hospital later this day after a series of tests was conducted by specialists at the Valley Medical Center. Two CT Scans were conducted on Amonsot and one of those test showed that there was a little bit of bleeding.

This probably means that the Nevada State Athletic Commission won’t clear Amonsot to fight again. This is due to the stringent enforcement of regulations to protect fighters. Amonsot is currently being “indefinitely suspended” because of the medical findings and will not be licensed to fight again in Nevada.

However, the story does not end there. A few boxing writers have expressed their concern on the actions of Dr. David Watson, the ring side referee during the Katsidis-Amonsot fight. Richard Lois of Boxing confidential wrote about how Doctor David Watson set dangerous precedent in Katsidis’ bloody Saturday night victory and that improper boxing officials should be investigated.

Richard Lois has in fact taken it to another level by taking the liberty of starting an online petition asking the Nevada State Athletic Commission to investigate Watson's actions. If you want to support the petition, then just click here.

The brutal encounter between Amonsot and Katsidis has also triggered James Slater to compile a list of some of the worst cuts and facial wounds in recent boxing history in an article at Eastsideboxing.com. If you want to relive some of boxing's bloodiest moments, then feel free to read Mr. Slaters' Badges Of Honour article.

Update on Ala Boys' Training and Amonsot's Condition

In preparation for the August 11 'World Cup' of boxing at the Arco Arena in Sacramento, California the ALA Boys are doing all the hard work at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood. As they want to bring honor to Pinoy boxing and world title back home to the Philippines, the Pinoy fighters are giving it their best.

For instance, Rey 'Boom Boom' Bautista and AJ Banal are doing daily rounds on the punchmitt and on the hitting the heavy bag. They are undoubtedly inspired the valiant display of courage by Czar Amonsot in his losing effort against Michael Katsidis. Amonsot showed great heart in getting up after two knockdowns and making Katsidis work hard for twelve rounds to keep his title.

However, he has to be confined in the ICU at a Las Vegas Hospital after a CT Scan detected what appeared to be a “little blood clot in his brain.” The doctors in charge of his care decided to administer three more CT Scans on Czar Amonsot following initial findings that he may have had a little blood clot in his brain.

Fortunately, Tony Martin, Amonsots' cut man said that Czar is in great spirits. He was also informed by the medical staff that Czar will have one more test and he will be released with a clean bill of health should the results all be well.

He also explained that Czar has had so many tests plus the hospital because the Nevada Athletic Commission are very strict. They need to be one hundred percent sure that Amonsot is well before they can release him so that they can comply with the legal side of things.

Goodluck Czar!

WBO Asia Pacific lightweight champion Czar Amonsot will attempt to continue the Filipinos winning streak this upcoming weekend. He wants to add one more world title to the IBF crowns won by the classy Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire and the rugged Florante “The Little Pacquiao” Condes earlier this month.

However, Amonsot has to overcome the current WBO interim champion Michael Katsidis. Katsidis is regarded as one of the most exciting fighters today and a certified knockout artist who has an undefeated record of 22-0 with 20 KO’s. Furthermore, he has won thirteen fights in a row within the distance.

Despite his opponents fearsome record and reputation, Amonsot is very confident that fight fans can't ask for more from him during this fight. Amonsot has sparred more than sixty rounds and is in top condition. He also realizes that he can't afford to let his chance go by.

At the present, he weighs a very trim 134.6 lbs, a shade below the lightweight limit. this means that he is all set for the official weigh-in set tomorrow at the Mandalay Bay.

Well, there is nothing more we Pinoy boxing fans do but pray and hope for Amonsot's victory. We know that he will give it his best and showcase the courage and determination of Pinoy boxers.

Amonsot and Katsidis Plus Other Boxing Updates

The reigning champion Michael Katsidis of Australia and Filipino challenger Czar Amonsot of the ALA Boxing Gym are making their final preparations for their upcoming bout. The fighters have both arrived at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

The pugilists will battle it out for the WBA interim lightweight title in a 12-round war underneath the Bernard Hopkins-Winky Wright superbout. According to reports, both of them are in top shape for their upcoming battle. Let us hope that Amonsot can sustain this month's run of big wins of Pinoy boxers.

Pongsaklek Losses Title!

In another shocking upset, Pongsaklek Wongjongkam of Thailand lost his WBC flyweight title with a decision loss to Japanese Daisuke Naito. This is truly shocking as Pongsaklek has defeated Naito twice and knocked him out in record time during a title defense. In fact, many journalist have criticized this match up as a mismatch based on what happened in their previous meetings. This just shows that anything can happen in boxing.

Judges Bruce McTavish and Stephen Blea both scored the bout 116-113 while Hubert Minn saw it 115-113 all for the now champion Naito. Wongjongkam loses the chance for a possible unification duel with IBF flyweight champ Nonito Donaire of the Philippines because of this unexpected loss.

Santillan KO's Marumoto to Regain OPBF Crown

It seems that July is really a great month for Pinoy boxing as Rev 'Gentle Giant' Santillan has just regained the Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) welter title. He did it impressively via a in the sixth round one-punch technical knockout victory over defending champion Taesei Marumoto at the Archaic Hall in Amagasaki, Hyogo, Japan.

Marumoto was conveniently ahead on all the three judges’ scorecards entering the sixth round of the 12-round championship when Santillan unleashed a lethal left to the jaw. The punch sent the Japanese champion down, the ropes protected him from falling out the ring.

Australian referee-judge Brad Vocale administered the mandatory count as the defending OPBF champion struggled to his feet. However, Matsumoto couls not regain his balance fell to the canvas flat on his back for good. Santillan improves to 24 wins, 3 losses, 1 draw, 17 KO's with this very impressive win.

I am very proud of Rev, since I am also from Iloilo. I have also monitored his boxing career when i was still studying in Cebu. I also met him twice in person. The first time was aboard a ship bound for Iloilo when he was apparently accompanying a relative who was going home. I also meet him at inside one of the shops in Iloilo city when i was buying glass beads. However, I did not have the courage to approach him.

Well, he is a very physically imposing person. He stands nearly six feet tall and has bulging, rock hard muscles. They call him the "Gentle Giant" but he does not look very gentle in person. Anyway, I am happy that he has regained his title and I hope that he will continue to dominate the welter weight division in the Orient.

Mid July Pinoy Boxing Updates

This is a continuation to the last I made yesterday. It was meant to be an update but I decided that the story on Nonito Donaire and Wonjonkam's possible bout was enough.

This seems to be a great month for Pinoy boxers as ALA Boy Along Denoy took the WBO Asia Pacific light-flyweight crown with a shock l knockout victory over Kaichon Sor Vorapin in Thailand just a few hours ago. Denoy stopped Vorapin at the 2:40 mark of the fifth round to snatch the title away from Vorapin.

The ALA boy drew first blood early, knocking down Vorapin in the second round. He then continued his domination when he knocked Vorapin down twice in the fourth stanza. The fight was over when he scored two more knockdowns against Vorapin in the fifth round.

Meanwhile in japan, OPBF welterweight champion Taesei Marumoto and Filipino challenger Rev Santillan tipped the scales easily at 66.6 and 66.65, respectively for their 12-round championship fight. Their bout will be held tomorrow at the Amagasaki in Hyogo. Let us hope that Rev can regain the OPBF title and add to the success of Pinoy in this month. He has a good chance as he has beaten Marumoto three years ago.

Wonjongkam Willing to Fight Donaire for the Right Price

Here are some of the current updates on the Pinoy boxing world. Most of these are the result of the impressive wins of Florante Condes and Nonito Donaire.

Let us begi8n with the "Filipino Flash." It seems that things are starting to heat up between him and WORLD Boxing Council (WBC) flyweight champion Pongsaklek Wonjongkam of Thailand. The Thai World flyweight champion has also expressed his willingness to defend his crown against fellow titleholder Nonito Donaire Jr. in the Philippines.

Piyarat Vachirarattanawongse, the manager of Wonjongkam, told the Bangkok Post that a lucrative offer may lure Wonjongkam to fight outside of Thailand and challenge the General Santos City-born Donaire in a unification bout.

Well, this will be an exciting one as undoubtedly pinoy boxing fans want to witness the demise of Wonjongkam. Wonjonkam took the title by knocking out Malcolm Tunacao in Thailand so seeing him beaten by a Filipino would be very sweet.

Newly-crowned Filipino IBF Minimumweight Champion Agrees to Rematch

Florante Condes, the newly-crowned IBF minimumweight champion has declared that he will agree to a rematch with former champion, Indonesian Muhammad Rachman, regardless of where the fight is held. Of course, the price has to be right, which is fair since he is now the champion.

The champion’s manager Aljoe Jaro, explained that, “There was no option clause in our contract because Condes was the mandatory challenger but we’ll do a rematch depending on the offer.” He added that, “We don’t care if we fight in Jakarta or anywhere else. Condes will beat Rachman again and again.”

Meanwhile, the champion is now preparing himself for his new found fame. He realizes that he needs preparation to face the media and numerous interviews after he steps out of a Philippine Airlines flight. He also know that this is a good time for him to improve his English speaking skills because he knows would be very useful especially when he meets the international press.