Boxing

Pacquiao-Marquez 2011 Fight

Filipino pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao and arch-rival Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez (right) pose for photo opportunity during the launch of their World Press Tour 2011 at the Fiesta Pavilion of the Manila Hotel on Saturday (September 3, 2011).

Pacquiao-Marquez 2011 Fight

Also in the photo at extreme right is boxing promoter Bob Arum. The much-awaited Pacquiao-Marquez III bout will be held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA on November 12 (November 13 in Manila).

Edrin “The Sting” Dapudong : Filipino WBC Super Flyweight Champ bound for US on Sept. 4

World Boxing Council (WBC) Silver Flyweight champion Edrin “The Sting” Dapudong is set to leave for the United Sates on Sept. 4 along with his training team for the final preparation of his fight against Mexican and NABO flyweight champion Wilbert Uicab.

The Dapudong–Uicab bout is slated in Cancun, Mexico on Sept. 17.

Dapudong, 25, a shy farm boy known as the Barefoot Boxing Prince who shocked Mexican boxing when he knocked out former world No. 1 ranked flyweight Jesus Jimenez in the first round last June 19, will spend one week of training with coach Justin Fortune at the Fortune Gym in South Hollywood near Los Angeles before flying to Mexico on Sept. 12.

The fight against the hard-punching Uicab, called the “Hurricane” by his handlers, will be Dapudong’s first defense of the silver flyweight crown, a new title which replaced the WBC Interim Championships.

The bout would also serve as a tough test for Dapudong, which will determine whether North Cotabato’s first world boxing champion deserves the No. 3 Pound for Pound Filipino fighter title bestowed on him by boxrec.com, after boxing icon Manny Pacquiao and Nonito Donaire Jr.

Dapudong, who stands 5’5 and is considered big for a flyweight, will be accompanied by his manager, former North Cotabato Governor Emmanuel Piñol and chief trainer Noli Piñol.

The team would stay at a flat provided by Pinols’ friend, Los Angeles-based Fil-Am nurse and Pacquiao friend, Jeff de Guzman. Read more…

Jakarta 2011 South East Asian Games to have 40 sports events

Forty sports, 15 more than those contested last year in Laos, have been initially approved by the Southeast Asian Games Federation to be included in the calendar of events to be disputed in the 26th edition of the biennial conclave next year in Jakarta.

This was reported Friday by athletics president Go Teng Kok, who represented the Philippine Olympic Committee in the SEA Games Federation meeting held May 29 in Jakarta during the SCOOP Sa Kamayan weekly session at the Kamayan Restaurant-Padre Faura.

“There actually 42 sports that was recommended and approved by the assembly, but futsal was placed under football and soft tennis under lawn tennis, thus reducing the number to 40,” the controversial sports leader said during the public service form.

As in the past Games, disciplines to be contested have been categorized into three – compulsory sports athletics and swimming under Category I, other sports played in the Olympic Games and Asian Games under Category II, those not played in the Olympics and Asiad under Category III and those indigenous events but played in several countries in the region.

Bodybuilding, which was listed under Category III, was also approved for inclusion although on condition that all the cases brought to the Federation for settlement because of rampant drug abuses perpetrated by many athletes.

“In other words, body building can only be officially included upon positive reports on the investigations that are on-going,” Go said, adding that the total number of sports can still be increased as host Indonesia intimated it wants as many sports as possible,” he said. Read more…

Dr. Ironfist Vitali Klitschko eyes David Haye or Nikolai Valuev after defending title

Ukraine’s WBC Heavyweight Champion Vitali ‘Dr. Ironfist’ Klitschko reaffirmed his willingness to face either David Haye of Britain or Russia’s Nikolai Valuev after defending his title in Sunday’s fight against Albert ‘Dragon’ Sosnowski of Poland.

“I have enough gunpowder left. Now it is either Haye or the Russian Giant [Valuev],” he was quoted as saying by Germany’s RTL channel.

Sunday’s event at the Veltins Arena was the fourth defense of the WBC title Klitschko won in October 2008.

38-year-old Klitschko (40-2, 38 KOs), who had a significant size advantage over his 31-year-old opponent, won by a technical knock-out in the 10th round.

“I am very happy about defending my title. Applause for Albert Sosnowski, he was very good. He fought very well, but I was in top form.

I noticed Sosnowski’s mistakes, and took advantage of them. Experience plays a very important role,” Klitschko said after the fight.

The fight was called off as Sosnowski (45-3-1, 27 KOs), who is 13 cm shorter and 23 lbs lighter than his opponent, crumpled to the canvas after a thunderous overhand right hand.

“I’m a bit sad. I showed a good fight, but it was not enough. Vitali is a great boxer,” Sosnowski said.

Klitschko, who announced in February his plans to abandon professional boxing this year, repeatedly said he hopes to fight Haye before his retirement.

WBA Heavyweight Champion David Haye (24-1, 22 KOs) surprised boxing fans by repeatedly insulting the Klitschko brothers over the last three years. Last year, Haye scheduled a bout against Wladimir Klitschko, aged 34, and later against Vitali but for various reasons withdrew from both fights.

Talks on the WBC heavyweight title bout between Klitschko and former two-time WBA heavyweight champion Valuev (50-2, 34 KOs) have stalled after a promoter for the ‘Russian Giant’ demanded a sum of $ 4 million for the fight.

Freddie Roach congratulates Manny Pacquiao

Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao has yet to be proclaimed as congressman of lone district of Saranggani province but world’s best pound-for-pound boxer has started to receive congratulations from the boxing world.

Famed American boxing coach Freddie Roach expressed his elation over his prized fighter’s electoral victory against Roy Chiongbian, considered as heavy weight of local politics in the province, during last Monday’s elections.

“Congratulations Manny. I am happy. Great job,” Roach said in message forwarded to philboxing.com writer Ronnie Nathanielsz on Tuesday.

WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan also conveyed his congratulations to Pacquiao. Khan was a sparring partner of Pacquiao in his previous big fights.

Based on GMA television network’s partial and unofficial tally, Pacquiao enjoys an insurmountable 29,422 lead over Chiongbian who is trailing the seven world division champion with only 24,305 votes against Pacquiao’s 53,272 votes. Read more…