“Invasion – Philippines vs The World”

This weekend, Pinoy boxing will once again showcase its pugilistic talent in a loaded promotion that features Philippine boxing prospects and champions. The promotion is headlined by WBO bantamweight champion Gerry Peñalosa who will face former world champion Ratanachai Sor Vorapin for the second time.

Peñalosa defeated Sor Vorapin by KO in their first meeting but will he able to to beat him again to defend his title? We'll find out this weekend. Sor Vorapin will not enter Philippine territory to lose. I expect him to be hungry and wary of committing the same mistakes against Gerry.

Filipino boxing prospect, AJ Banal will also face another test when he battles Caril “El Raton” Herrera. Herrera is an undefeated fighter out of Uruguay with an impressive record of 21-0, 13 KO’s. However, a quick look at the quality of his opponents show that Banal will probably be his toughest opponent yet. Nevertheless, on paper he seems like a fine opponent for AJ Banal.

Rey "BooM Boom" Bautista continues on his comeback journey when he faces Mexico’s Genaro Camargo. Bautista's opponent has a record of 13 wins, 3 losses with 10 KO's. It's not a very impressive record but it shows that Camargo can punch and hurt Bautista.

The other bouts included in this promotion include Ciso “Kid Terrible” Morales against South Korea’s Yoo Shin Kim, Bert Batawang against rugged Indonesian Heri Amol and Michael Domingo against Thepnimit Sor Chitpattana.

This looks like a very entertaining promotion. I hope our boxers can perform well and display courage on the ring. They will have the support of the local fans (and maybe the judges) so I think they will put on a good show.

PacMan Wins by Split Decision!

After twelve rounds of hard fought rounds, two of three judges gave the nod towards Pinoy boxing icon, Manny Pacquiao. With this close win, Pacquiao solidifies his claim as the top 130lb fighter in the world.

Personally, I thought Marquez won. I thought that Pacquiao did not work hard enough to win the last two rounds to secure the victory. If he had been more active in the eleventh and twelfth rounds, then I don't think that a lot of people would argue that Marquez won. Then again, maybe I'm not just satisfied with Manny's performance so I came under the impression that he was not active enough in the last couple of rounds

It was a close fight so it's understandable that boxing fans have different opinions about who won. The knockdown scored by Manny in the fourth round probably won him the match but I admire Juan Manuel Marquez for getting up and surviving the fifth round. I really thought that Pacquiao would finish him off since he was very unsteady when he came out at round five.

I can also understand that Marquez felt that he was robbed again. The fight was close so I can't blame him for thinking that he won. I also know that he has a lot of pride so losing this fight is hard for him to accept.

I think the more important matter to think about now is a third bout between these warriors. Arum said that an immediate third fight between the two would not be profitable. That means the best we can hope for is that Pac-Marquez 3 will be at the final months of the year. Arum wants to match Pacquiao against David Diaz next so I'm not sure if a third match between Manny and Marquez will happen this year.

All we can do is hope that a third match between them will indeed happen. It might be at light weight but I'm sure that they will bring us another classic.

Last Man Standing

The much anticipated rematch between Pinoy boxing icon, Manny Pacquiao and his rival, Juan Manuel Marquez is less than two days away. And I know all you boxing fans can't wait to see the fight.

Pacquiao certainly has a great influence in the Philippines. When he fights, everyone in the country are sure to be glued to the TV screen. Everything stops when Manny fights, even crime.

The Philippine National Police are predicting zero crime when Pacquiao fights this Sunday. It's an easy prediction to make. Virtually no crime occurred, when he fought his last few fights. Still, its a remarkable feat. The only other man who was able to bring crime in the Philippines to a halt is the late Pope John Paul II.

When the pope visited the country as part of the World Youth Day celebration, crime in the country dropped dramatically. That phenomenon happened more than a decade ago, but it is being duplicated whenever the Philippine boxing superstar performs. Even feuding politicians agreed to a truce so that all parties can give their attention to the fight.

Some boxing fans have declared that March 15 will be a sad day for the Philippines if Marquez emerges triumphant. I have agree with that statement. The outcome of this rematch will have a significant effect on the country. A loss for Pacquiao will make Filipinos feel bad.

However, Pacquiao will be able to come back, even if he loses. He is already one of the most widely recognized fighter and he can sell tickets. Their are still plenty of attractive fights that can be made in the case that he losses. Of course, winning will give him bigger opportunities and paybacks. Promoter Bob Arum has made announcements that Pacquiao will challenge David Diaz for his light weight title in June. That means Manny will be moving up in weight. However, Marquez is a huge hurdle to overcome.

I guess there's nothing more to say but to bid each fighter good luck. I hope that they will give us an exciting fight. All we can do now is wait for the bell to ring and find out who will be the last man standing.

PacMan vs Dynamita!

In the last couple of weeks, boxing and Pinoy boxing fans witnessed great fights. Rafael Marquez and Israel Vazquez fought for a third time and gave every boxing fight a wonderful fight. Juan Diaz and Nate Campbell also gave us a memorable bout at the lightweight division. And less than a week from now, Pacquiao and Marquez will meet for some unfinished business.

To whet your appetite for the fight you should check out Pacquiao's most Significant Fights by Don Steinberg of ESPN. This will lead you into a journey though the Pacman's most memorable fights.

The article also provided a little history of Pacquiao's career including his losses and hiss greatest triumphs. Juan Manuel Marquez is already a part of Pacquiao's story and we will see another chapter this weekend. Many Philippine boxing fans are expecting this to be one of the greatest rematches of all time.

Both fighters fought a very entertaining and controversial bout and this rematch has been well anticipated. In fact, it may have gone too long that some people say that Marquez is no longer in his peak. He still has the skill to beat Pacquiao but he may not be in top form.

Marquez seems to have become more hittable in his last outings. however, that may also be due to his effort to attract more fans to his fights. Despite his considerable boxing prowess, Marquez has been unable to draw a large crowd. A victory against Pacquiao will certainly encourage boxing fans to watch his fights.

This fight is also very important for the Pacman's career.He has been training hard for this encounter because he realize that Marquez is very difficult to beat. If he wins against Marquez, then he will be the undisputed top fighter in the 130 lbs division. Some analyst say that Pacquiao is ready for the lightweight division. His size could prove to be an advantage against Dynamita and some think that he could simply overpower Marquez.

If Manny wins he could fight for a title in the lightweight division or schedule a bout against Hatton or Dela Hoya. Both of these superstars have expressed that they would welcome a bout against Pacquiao.

Well, I guess there is nothing we can do but wait. We only have a few days of waiting before these great fighters exchange leather in the ring. I hope that they will give us a memorable battle.

"Hurricane"

I like to read. When I have nothing else to do, I usually look for a book to give me some entertainment. I went to a book sale a few days ago to look for a new novel. But a hard bound book caught my eye. It was a book entitled Hurricane.

Now, I know about a famous boxer nicknamed Hurricane, and so I decided to examine the book. To my surprise it was about the boxer that the book reminded me of. It was a biography of Rubin "hurricane" Carter, a top middle weight contender in the sixties who was imprisoned after being accused of a crime he did not commit.

I have been reading the book and I'm glad to say that I enjoyed it. It was inspiring to read about a man fighting to be free from a punishment that he did not deserve. Carter never gave up and fought for his freedom. I decided to look for videos on his fights to see him in action. The book described him as a scary, intimidating fighter with a vicious left hook.

Luckily, I was able to find some videos of Rubin Carter in action. I was glad when i found a video of Carter's biggest win. He was able to knock out Emile Griffith, a Hall of Famer and the reigning welterweight champion of the world at the time. Carter displayed the viciousness of his vaunted left hook in this bout. Here is the video:



Carter's life inspired the writing of books, documentaries and movies. Denzel Washington portrayed him in the latest movie about his life. I also found a video of Bob Dylan singing "Hurricane", a song written to help gather support for Carter's struggle towards freedom. Click here to watch the video. Let me end this post with a part of the lyrics of the song:

Rubin could take a man out with just one punch
But he never did like to talk about it all that much.
It's my work, he'd say, and I do it for pay
And when it's over I'd just as soon go on my way
Up to some paradise
Where the trout streams flow and the air is nice
And ride a horse along a trail.
But then they took him to the jailhouse
Where they try to turn a man into a mouse.

Pacman Mobbed in San Francisco!

Hundreds of adoring fans mobbed Pinoy boxing superstar, Manny Pacquiao when he arrived at the Titanium Training Center. The boxing star is scheduled for a public workout at the venue prompting fans to flock at the location.

The Philippine boxing icon was moved by the reception that he expressed a desire to schedule a bout in San Francisco. Manny said, "I want to fight in San Francisco. It thrills me that so many people are here. I'm going to ask Mr. Arum to do a fight in San Francisco."

Manny Pacquiao also assured his fans that he will have no problems in making the weight limit for the super featherweight division. Even though he was reported to weigh in at nearly 140 lbs in the WBC-mandated 30-day weigh-in, Pacquiao said that he can slim down to 13o lbs in time for the showdown.


Nonito Donaire Begins Hard Training

Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire the IBF/IBO flyweight champion has began training seriously for his scheduled title defense in Dubai. He will face Australia’s Hussein Hussein, a tough fighter who has experience in big fights.

Donaire arrived in Las Vegas a few days ago. He decided to train in the gambling capital of the world after scrapping his original plan of making his preparations for his title defense in the Philippines. His manager has reportedly prepared some Mexican sparring partners to help him prepare for the fight in Dubai.

I hope that our Filipino boxing stars can train well for their upcoming battles. The pride of their country is at stake in these bouts. Let us hope that they can perform well and bring honor to their country.

Pacquiao-Marquez II Training Updates

Pinoy boxing star,Manny Pacquiao and rival, Juan Manuel Marquez are deep into their training camps. Both fighters will put their boxing careers and pride on the line when they meet in less than a month for their much anticipated rematch.

Mexican star, Juan Manuel Marquez has reportedly hired a trio of Mexican southpaws to help him prepare for Manny. These tough Mexican sparring partners will help him cope with the speed and style of his left handed opponent. Observers of his public workouts say that he looks incredible. This is good news for fight fans because they want both fighters to be at their best on March 15.

Marquez began his fight preparations before Christmas and already weighs in at 132 which is well on target for the 130 pound limit. Marquez expresses his confidence at winning the fight with this statement. "I am 34 years old but I feel 25 and as far as experience is concerned I’m as smart as a 48 year old. The important thing for me is supreme conditioning and I’m in the best shape of my entire career because for me, this is the most important fight of my career." You can get an idea of Marquez's training routine in this article.

Meanwhile, Manny Pacquiao is also training hard for his upcoming fight. The Filipino boxing icon is fully focused while training tin the Wild Card gym in LA. Freddie roach seems to be satisfied with his progress and is confident that his ward will be ready on the big night.

A point for concern though is Pacquiao's weight. There were reports that he is having problems with passing the super featherweight limit in his lat few fights. The Philippine boxing star has also weighed at least 140 lbs at fight night and some people have expressed that it may be time for him to move up in weight. Some people have also pointed out that his bigger frame will be an advantage against Marquez.

Well, there is nothing we can do but wait for the opening bell come fight night.