AJ Banal Falls, Benabe Concepcion Triumphs

Pinoy boxing has a taste of both sweet victory and bitter defeat this week. First let's take on the bad news first so that you'll feel better at the end of this post.

One of the brightest Pinoy boxing prospect has fallen. AJ Banal experienced his first defeat at the hands of Panama's Rafael Concepcion in front of the hometown crowd in Cebu City yesterday. According to reports Banal was in control during the entire match and was even leading in the scorecards by the ninth round.

However, the tough Concepcion was able to withstand Banal's attack and was able to outlast and finish the exhausted Banal in the tenth round. Banal was said to be extremely exhausted at he end of the fight that he had to be rushed to a hospital.

Now the question needs to be asked? Will Banal be able to bounce back from this loss? Some might question his stamina. I think this is his first time to fight in the late rounds. Perhaps he will end up like Z Gorres who performed well against Darchinyan and Montiel before losing steam and eventually losing or earning a highly controversial draw.

I mus admit that I was not expecting Banal to lose but this is a good lesson for him. He needs to work on his stamina. He has good power but he has to realize that he can't knock everyone out and he has to prepare to battle into the late rounds. Let's hope that he can recover and fully fulfill his potential.

Let's move on to some good news. Bernabe Concepcion another top Philippine boxing prospect and the current North American Boxing Federation (NABF) super bantamweight champion, defeated Adam Carrera in the third round. their match was part of the undercard for the Cotto-Margarito superfight.

Here's a video of the third round of the fight:



Bernabe Concepcion has been impressive in his international outings. His trainer Aljoe Jaro said that he is ready for a title shot. I agree with that but I would still like to see Concepcion domiunate a real contender before he challenges for a title.

Well, that's if for this post. i hope that our pinoy boxing prospects will have better luck next time.

Very Impressive Pacman Knock Out Video!

Today I felt a bit disappointed when I heard that Pinoy boxing prospect, Rodel Mayol suffered a KO defeat because he took a fight on short notice. Luckily I found this great Manny Pacquiao video to cheer me up.

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Manny really looked like a monster in this video. he was still at the 122 lbs. division in this stage of his career. He was punching so hard at super bantamweight that you can hear his punches hit Julio.

Anyway, back to Mayol. I followed Mayol's career since he was still a young ALA boy in Cebu. He had great power but made some costly mistakes in his first two world title challenges. This third devastating loss will likely derail his career.

The was that he had no choice but to take this fight because he needed the money. apparently his wife just gave birth and his purse will take care of his wife's expenses. Since this fight was taken at short notice, Mayol was out of shape and ultimately lost the fight. The sad thing is that Mayol is supposedly being scheduled for a third crack at a world title. He can say goodbye to that chance now.

This does not seem to be a good start for Philippine boxing. Earlier this year, Z Gorres did not have enough stamina to outbox Darchinyan en route to a controversial split draw. The only consolation we have is that Bernabe Concepcion defended his NABF title and won by unanimous decision.

I hope our Pinoy boxers can put an end to the shaky start we have this year. And I also hope you'll enjoy the KO video! :)

Now or Never Results in Controversial Draw!

The match between Pinoy boxing prospect Z Gorres and former flyweight champion, VIc Darchinyan ended in a disappointing and controversial draw.

I have to admit that I felt that Darchinyan deserved the nod in that fight. Gorres had a great start and was even able to score a knockdown when he dropped Darchinyan in the second round. He was also able to deftly avoid Darchinyan's predictable lunging attack. However, by the eight round it was clear that Gorres was fading and he was losing his legs.

I thought that Gorres would focus on his stamina and conditioning for this fight. It was his stamina that failed him in his title challenge against Montiel. But, against Darchinyan it seems that he had less stamina. I've read that Gorres also came two pounds overweight at the weight-in and that indicated that he was not in shape for his match against Vic.

I was also very disappointed at the behavior of some Pinoy boxing fans during the bout. Some fans got carried away by their emotion when they pelted the referee, Darchinyan, and the visiting trainers with plastic bottles, coins and other debris. The visiting referee did an awful job and Darchinyan used dirty tactics at that fight but it was still wrong for some of the fans to throw things at them.

Throwing coins can be dangerous and any debris and the ring can also cause harm to the fighters. The unpleasant behavior displayed by some fans may also bring a negative image to our country. Foreign champions will feel reluctant in defending their belts in the country and promoters may be discouraged in investing in fights held at the Philippines.

I was also a bit disappointed with the referee when he made a mistake by scoring a knockdown against Gorres in the first round instead of a slip. But, I had nothing but pity for him when he was hit by a water bottle. I mean how can we expect him to be a fair umpire when he feels that the mob will lynch him if he makes a call against Gorres.

It was clear to me that his judgment was affected when he did not call the legitimate knockdowns against Gorres on the last few rounds of the fight. Gorres went down several times in those rounds because he had clearly lost his legs. However, I think he went down a cvouple of times due to the impact of Darchinyan's punches.

It was his first officiating job in foreign soil and the violent reactions of the crowd obviously had an effect on him. Had he scored the knockdowns for Darchinyan, it would have been a clear cut victory for the former champion.

Well, this is how I feel. I know that some Philippine boxing fans may feel differently towards the fight and I respect their views. I hope that Filipino boxing fans can control their emotions and never throw any debris in the ring again.

Now or Never: Gorres vs. Darchinyan

The exciting bout between Z "the Dream" Gorres and Vic "the Raging Bull" Darchinyan is only about 12 hours away at the writing of this post.

Will this be a big win for Gorres or will this be the start of a come back for Darchinyan. I guess we'll see tonight.

I'm excited that's for sure. Of course I'm rooting for the Pinoy boxing prospect since I'm Filipino. But that doesn't min that I'm sure Gorres will win. Darchinyan is a very dangerous opponent especially because of his power. He is also a former champion who wants to get back to his former glory.

The Raging Bull has declared that,“If I catch him I will knock him out and twelve rounds is a long time to run.” That probably sums up Darchinyan's strategy for this fight. He will rely heavily on his punching power and attempt to knock Gorres out.

Gorres has his advantages in this fight. He probably has the advantage in speed and technical skills over Darchinyan. Then there is also his age. He is 25 years old while Darchinyan is 32 which is old for a super flyweight. Maybe Darchinyan's chin has still not recovered from Nonito Donaire's left hook. And of course, Gorres will have the support of Philippine boxing fans in Cebu.

I think the key to winning this fight for the Filipino boxing prospect is to box smartly, have enough stamina to avoid Darchinyan's bombs, and exploit his opponents leaky defense.

Well, i think I can say nothing more but good luck to both fighters. i hope that they will bring boxing fans an entertaining fight.

Pacquaio Training Updates and Other Pinoy Boxing News!

Pacquiao Training Camp

It seems that Manny Pacquiao is training religiously for his rematch against Juan Manuel Marquez on March 15 at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. Well, he very well should kill himself in training. This rematch against is a very important fight at this stage of his career.

His training camp appears to be on schedule ans a set of sparring partners has been lined up when he begins sparring this week. Danny Cervantes, Roger Gonzales, David Rodela and Adrian “A-game” Gallon will be given the task of sparring against the Pinoy Boxing star.

Observers who witnessed Pacquaio pounding the mitts described his power as explosive. The sound of the Philippine boxing icon's fists striking mitts sounded like exploding firecrackers. Other writers also describe Pacquiao as "very dangerous" due to the power he displayed in the early part of training.

Well, Pacquiao always has reliable punching power. However, he needs more than power to beat Marquez. He put Marquez down on the deck thrice in their first encounter but it was not enough to give him the victory. He needs to develop other areas and skills if he is to defeat Dynamita.


Other Pinoy Boxing News

Darchinyan Lands in Cebu

Vic "Raging Bull" Darchinyan and his team has finally arrived in Cebu. Team Darchinyan is confident that their fighter can beat Z Gorres when they square off at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel in the 12-round main event this upcoming weekend.

Darchinyan is scheduled to hold a public workout to display his boxing prowess as well as to prepare himself for Gorres. Vic has plenty of time to adjust to the warm Philippine climate and is fully prepared to unleash his full arsenal against his Pinoy opponent.


Ganoy To Fight Julio Diaz


Ranee “KO Kid” Ganoy a Sydney-based Filipino boxing prospect will face a huge test in his boxing career as he is scheduled to exchange blows with former IBF world lightweight champion Julio Diaz.

The bout is one of the supporting matches of the IBF/IBO flyweight title fight between Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire and Australia’s Hussein Hussein. This boxing promotion will be held in Dubai on April 4 of this year.

Ganoy is a powerful puncher and has been on a roll following a string of successive wins. His biggest win so far is a KO victory over Robbie Peden. He is now being trained by former multi-division world champion Jeff Fenech. Fenech described him as the best pure puncher I have seen.”

Well I hope everything works out great for our Pinoy boxers. If they train hard then perhaps it will be another good year for Filipino boxing.

RJJ Triumphant Plus Pinoy Boxing Updates

Roy Jones Junior emerged victorious over fellow faded superstar, Felix "Tito" Trinidad in their light heavyweight match up last weekend.

Jones proved to be the dominant fighter and scored two knockdowns during the fight. The final scored tallied 116-110 twice and 117-109 all for RJJ.

Well, I think the outcome was really no surprise at all. I was hoping Trinidad would win because I am a Tito fan but Jones was really to big for him. Tito was dominant at 147 while Jones managed to win a heavyweight belt.

Trinidad also had difficulty against P4P fighters who were heavier than him. He Hopkins, Wright ans now Jones has proven that Trinidad did not have the explosive power he possessed at welterweight.

So what does this mean for both fighters? For Roy Jone Junior, well this victory will probably open the possibility of another fight for Roy. He has a lot of fans and he has a big name so promoters will be willing to find a lucrative bout for him.

And for Tito? Well, retirement is probably the best option. He has lost his last two fights and he will not be able to attract promoters to set him up for another big payday. He should not surrender the spotlight to fellow Puerto Rican, Miguel Cotto.

Filipino Boxing Updates

Donaire to Help Gorres

There have been reports that Donaire will help Gorres as he train for his match up against Vic Darchinyan. I think this is a good idea because Nonito is the only fighter to have beaten Vic. His experience will be valuable in helping Z Gorres deal with Darchinyan.

Darchinyan's main weapon is his power while Gorres has superb boxing skills. If Gorres can dodge Vic's power punches, exploit his opponent's poor defense and use the hometown support then perhaps he will deliver Vic's second career loss. However, if Darchinyan can use his power to derail Gorres' game plan then he will probably win by knockout.

Gorres has been impressive in his workouts so perhaps he will be fully prepared in this fight. His conditioning failed him against Fernando Montiel and cost him a world title. Let's hope he will be able to avoid or deflect Vic'c bombs through out the fight.


Local Fights

The ALA gym continues to produce talented fighter as one of the vaunted ALA boys displayed his boxing prowess in the ring. Ala boy, Jomar Omaz passed his acid test when he tangled against tough veteran Pedro Malco.

Malco has the same number of wins as his losses but he has experience against world class competition. He has lasted the distance against top Thai fighters including, Terdsak Jandaeng and Ratanachai Sor Vorapin.

Omanz scored a knockdown in this match up but did not escape unscathed as Malco landed his own share of power punches. Omanz's skill and talent proved to be the difference in this fight and came out the victor with a unanimous decision victory.

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.

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.

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.”

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" World Cup" of Boxing Updates

In an interesting twist, the battle between Z “The Dream” Gorres’ battle and Mexican Gerson Guerrero has been elevated to an IBF title eliminator. This bout will be among the six fights on the much-awaited “World Cup: showdown between the Philippines and Mexico. This means that should Gorres win this fight, he will have a good change of having a title shot against the IBF title holder.

Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today was informed by respected boxing patron Tony Aldeguer that Golden Boy Promotions had verified that the fight will be a title eliminator with the winner getting a crack at the IBF crown.

RP bantam champion Michael Domingo has also just been given his American visa at the US Embassy in Manila. The Filipino champion immediately warned Mexican Miguel Roman of a tough night ahead when they tangle in an 8-round showdown in one of the under cards of the "World Cup" of boxing .

The “World Cup” will take place at the Arco Arena in Sacramento, California on August 11. It will be headlined by what promises to be a classic between undefeated Filipino ring sensation Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista and reigning WBO super bantamweight king Daniel Ponce De Leon. Former world champion Gerry Penalosa will challenge WBO bantam champion Jhonny Gonzales in the other world title bout, .

Bert Batawang will then take on Francisco Rosas also in a 12-round IBF eliminator under the junior flyweight category. The sixth match features unbeaten youngster AJ 'Bazooka' Banal against ex-WBC light flyweight champion Eric Ortiz.

Gorres vs. Guerreo Added to World Cup of Boxing

After his failed bid for the WBO super flyweight world title in the classy presentation of “The Moment of Truth” at the Cebu City Sports Complex last February, Z “The Dream” Gorres wants to gets back into contention for a shot at the IBF title. However, he has first to get over Gerson Guerrero of Mexico on August 11 in Sacramento, California.

According to respected boxing patron Tony Aldeguer, Golden Boy Promotions had informed him that the fight contract had been signed and the bout will be part of the “World Cup” of boxing between the Philippines and Mexico.

Gorres' oponent, “El Nene” Guerrero has a record of 33-7 with 25 knockouts. He is coming off back-to-back KO victories over Julio Grimaldo and Lupillo Sanchez. He is known to be a tough fighter who could give Gorres problems. However, Gorres should prevail and set himself up for an IBF title shot if he demonstrates the superb skills he showed against WBO champion Fernando Montiel .

Included in the "World Cup" of boxing card is the eadly young southpaw AJ “Bazooka” Banal. He will fight former WBC light flyweight champion Eric Ortiz on the undercard. The WBO super bantamweight battle between undefeated emerging ring sensation Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista and reigning champion Daniel Ponce De Leon will be the main bout of the World Cup.

Former WBC super flyweight champion Gerry Penalosa clashes with WBC bantamweight champion Jhonny Gonzales in the other title fight on the six-fight extravaganza for the $500,000 trophy studded with diamonds. World-rated Bert Batawang will also slug it out against Francisco Rosas in an IBF light flyweight eliminator while Philippine bantamweight champion Michael Domingo will face Miguel Roman in a super bantamweight bout in the " World Cup" of boxing.