Ceblogger's Sports Blog » Boxing

Pacquiao Wins, Marquez Cries “Robbery”, Fans Argue

ceblogger — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 02:56:13 +0000

I tried to focus on the Pastor’s sermon as I sat at the back pew. “Encourage one another” he says. My mind rushes to and fro the Pacquiao – Marquez 3 fight but I knew that the main card will happen past 12 noon here in Philippines, an hour after the Sunday service. So I shutoff my twitter-connected celphone and listened intently to the preaching.

Right after service, I opened my laptop. Since the free livestream site that I used to frequent is down, I had no choice but to watch the match through Twitter’s eyes.

Pacquiao Wins

To my surprise, lots of people have become boxing experts, tweeting here and there that Marquez won this and that round. They even lambasted HBO’s Lederman for scoring it Pacquiao’s way. “Is he watching a different fight?” they asked.

My dad even proudly predicted a Marquez victory soliciting nods from his uninformed audience. I dared not oppose him at that point. Twitter users seem to agree with him though, so I just waited till the twelfth round is over.

Prior to the last round, a lot said that Pacquiao needs to knock out Marquez in order to win and the best he could do is salvage a draw. I refused to believe that because for a challenger to win, his victory must be emphatic – either a complete domination or a KO. Pacquiao is the title holder and experts are saying that the fight is close and could go either way.

Personally, I wanted Pacquiao to finish off Marquez within six rounds. But Marquez had solved the Pacman conundrum. He even appeared to be leading in the audiences’ eyes. So I have to see the fight replays, and good thing someone was swift enough to upload some videos in Youtube. However, before the views reached 100, these were taken down by the uploader, just right after I finished watching most rounds.

Obviously, Pacquaio was the aggressor and Marquez was counterpunching. Both landed solid punches. It could not be denied that Marquez won a few rounds, but the bout is a twelve rounder. Paquiao’s fault was that he wasn’t able to knock out Marquez, as promised. The Mexican was also quick in his retaliatory punches – connecting even.

When the result was announced, it sent shocks worldwide. The judges scored it 114-114, 115-113, 116-112 in favor of the Champion and pound for pound king, Manny Paquiao.

Robbery for the third time?

Marquez claimed he was robbed again. The first encounter was a draw, the second was a loss, and now this third? Days before, he proudly declared that he will not let the fight go to the judges’ table. But he failed to impress and the scores were left to the judges for the third time.

“They robbed me again,” Marquez said. “It’s hard when you’re fighting your rival and three judges, too… I’m frustrated. I’m really, really frustrated.”

Fans Divided

Some thirty Facebook friends of mine posted something about Manny Pacquiao. One says that Marquez deserves a win. It drew 9 likes. Perhaps he’s right. He deserves to win a medal of courage for standing toe to toe with the boxing phenom called the Pacman.

In twitter, some Filipinos wanted Pacquiao to admit that he lost. Nonsense! Paquiao admitted that it was his toughest fight so far. But to disagree with the judges, no way! The judges, who had the best seat, saw it clearly. In some boxing websites, experts who were also keeping tabs were divided. Some gave it to Pacquiao, some to Marquez.

My officemates today even argued of the results. Maybe even the Pacquiao camp, though thankful for the victory, may have second thoughts on the decision.

But we all have to agree that Marquez deserves another rematch.

Donaire vs Narvaez Boxing Fight Results: Nonito by UD

ceblogger — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 05:17:07 +0000

Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire defeated Argentina’s Omar “El Hurican” Narvaez in an unanimous decision to retain his WBO and WBC bantamweight title belts at the Theater in the Madison Square Garden.

Donaire wasn’t able to show his flash and excellent power and skills as the 5’3″ Narvaez was unwilling to engage throughout the fight. Remember the Pacquiao vs Clottey match? Seems like the Argentinian champ came up only for the money.

All the judges scored the bout for Donaire, 120-108. Now it’s time for Donaire to move up and find a worthier opponent.

Pacquiao vs Marquez 3: Fight Preview and Results Prediction

ceblogger — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 07:21:36 +0000

Pacquiao vs Marquez 3 this coming November 12, 2011 at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Most preview and results predictions favors the Pacman over the Mexican warrior. They just could not agree on what round. Will Marquez last the distance now that they are fighting at 144 lbs, a weight that favors Pacquiao?

Pacquiao vs Marquez I and II

The first fight was a draw, though most observers believed Pacquiao won. One judge admitted later his scoring mistake, and that could have been the difference.

In the second fight, despite being knocked down in the first round, Marquez fought his way back garnering the admiration of fans and boxing experts. In fact, he won on many unofficial boxing scorecards, including that of Yahoo!. But the judges looked at it differently and those opinions and unofficial scorecards didn’t matter at all. In my book, Manny Pacquiao won them all.

Juan Manuel Marquez

Juan Manuel Marquez (53-5-1, 39 Knockouts) is a Mexican-born boxer who won eight world titles in three different boxing weight classes. Currently, Marquez is the WBO, WBA and Ring Magazine Lightweight Champion. He fought Pacquiao twice. Some quarters believed he won both, though officially, he drew the first and lost the second.

Marquez had long wanted to get a rematch with Pacquiao. After their second encounter Golden Boy immediately offered the winning camp $6 million for a trilogy. But Bob Arum wanted it to be baked for a while. Pacquiao even stated that the “business” was over, obviously referring to their catchy promotional title “Unfinished Business”.

Marquez attempted to move up at welterweight and fought Floyd Mayweather Jr., in the latter attempt for a comeback. But the Mexican’s effort was put to null as the undefeated Mayweather showed more class and executed his more superior boxing skills. Marquez lost by unanimous decision.

Manny Pacquiao

Emmanuel ‘Manny’ Pacquiao (53-3-2 38 by TKO) is an elite boxer who is an eight-division world champion. He started fighting at the light flyweight when he was sixteen. He moved up in weight and captured titles after titles. He is the first boxer in history to win ten world titles, win in eight weight divisions, and win the lineal championship in four different weight classes.

Ring Magazine rated him no.1 Pound-for-pound boxer, above the likes of Floyd Mayweather Jr, and Sergio Martinez. The Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) also named Pacquiao as the “Fighter of the Decade” for the 2000′s. Accordingly, he is also a three-time The Ring and BWAA “Fighter of the Year”, winning the award in 2006, 2008, and 2009.

Pacquiao vs Marquez 3 Preview and Prediction

On paper, Pacquiao has the advantage at the heavier weight. He fought bigger guys like Cotto, Margarito and Mosley. His speed and power never deteriorated. Unlike Marquez, who admitted he lost the speed he wanted when he fought Mayweather at Welterweight, Pacquiao is at his best at 144 lbs.

A lot of boxing experts also pointed out that Marquez has a superior boxing intelligence, and it will be his key to victory against the Filipino fighter. Of course, Pacquiao fans will refute that. They were witness to what Manny did to erstwhile champions and future hall of famers like De La Hoya and Mosley. You can’t say intelligence will send you to victory when it’s the punch that will put you to sleep.

Age, speed and power will matter most here. Before Marquez can calculate his next strategy, Pacquiao will knock him out and put him to sleep not later than 3 rounds. Marquez should have believed Pacquiao when he said, “Business is over.”

Mayweather Schooled Ortiz in Round Four

ceblogger — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 01:16:14 +0000

Floyd Mayweather Jr. knocked out Victor Ortiz in the fourth round of their WBC Super Welterweight championship match in the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas Saturday night. But it wasn’t the conventional knock-out. It was obviously a controversial 1-2 punch that was, in the words of many observer, unfair and unsportsmanlike.

Ortiz, after charging an intentional headbutt, was apologetic in approaching Mayweather while referee Joe Cortez was instructing the judges of point deductions against the Champion. Ortiz’ hands were down, when Mayweather sprang his left hand then finished it with a straight right on the face before the young boxer could ever utter a word of complaint towards the referee.

Then Cortez counted Ortiz, even if it was obvious he wasn’t aware what happened prior to the knockdown. Then the crowd chorused in a loud uproar and boos cascaded down.

The fight was over when Ortiz failed to beat the count. What Mayweather did was basically legal. Unsportsmanlike, ugly, unfair,cowardice, so Gayweather, whatever you call it, Floyd was just living up to his reputation as the baddest and meanest undefeated boxer of them all.

Cortez, to justify his call, said afterward, “Time was in. The fighter needed to keep his guard up. Mayweather did nothing illegal.”

The first thing Mayweather said in the ring afterward was, “You have to protect yourself at all times.” True.

So there! Ortiz got schooled as he was not using his head the right way, and he put his hands down.

There won’t be any rematch unless the money is so big. But we all doubt it. Ortiz doesn’t have it. At least, the big O is still reserved for someone worthy.

Sugar Shane Mosley Should Retire

ceblogger — Wed, 25 May 2011 03:57:18 +0000

We’ve read lots of write-ups calling for the old warrior to retire. That was not the battle-scarred prizefighter Sugar Shane Mosley we know of fighting Manny Pacquiao the other weekend. It was more like a chicken dancing inside the boxing ring, unwilling to engage, unwilling to give a fight. Fans’ resounding boos could not even move him. What has happened to this once great fighter who fought heroic battles against the likes of Oscar De La Hoya, Winky Wright, Vernon Forrest, Miguel Cotto, Antonio Margarito, and lately, Floyd Mayweather Jr?

Pacquiao, noticing the opponent’s lack of will to fight, had this to say at the post fight press conference:

“I was expecting him to fight toe to toe with me for at least five rounds so we can test our power but he just ran and ran.”

Yeah, we all expected him to fight, to engage, and box toe-to-toe. That’s what Shane Mosley said before the fight. He said he would shock the world, and promised a good show. I expected that his game plan would be to trade punches early just like what he did against Mayweather. Sugar-sweet talk eh! His head trainer, Naazim Richardson, also boasted of a strategy to beat Pacquiao. Every opponent of Pacquiao actually does that. The world is waiting for that secret formula to beat the Filipino Champion. So far, only Marquez came close. And that’s probably why there will be a third fight – to clear the air and erase all doubts.

Did you hear Mosley’s excuses? Lame, lame, lame! Who would believe he got blisters on his feet when he was running for 12 rounds? You can still throw punches, right? At least Margarito did better. Though bloodied, he engaged. Mosley wasn’t willing to let his girlfriend Bella Gonzalez see him battered and bruised after the fight. A boxer should box, right? So much for the record of not being knocked out!

If you saw the fight of Bernard Hopkins vs Jean Pascal yesterday, you should say the “Executioner” is fighting like he’s still on his prime. At 46, and fighting a champion 18 years his junior, he taught the young man how to box, and box to win. You cannot say that of Mosley who is younger than Hopkins by 7 years. Man, Mosley should learn from his ex-business partner.

“I thought I did a pretty good job.” Shane Mosley was quoted as saying after the fight. What good job is he talking about? My respect for the man has gone out of the window. Sugar Shane Mosley should hang up his gloves for good. That will be good for boxing too.

Morales vs Maidana Results: Majority Decision Win for Maidana

ceblogger — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 05:33:38 +0000

The Morales vs Maidana boxing fight results is out. Erik Morales fought his best but it was not enough as the judges scored a majority decision victory for Marcos Maidana. One judge drew it at 114-114, while two other judges scored it at 116-112.

The picture above showed Morales’ swollen right eye. Maidana (30-2 27KOs) inflicted the damage in the first round.

Some observers thought that El Terible Morales (51-7 35KOs) could have won the fight as he gallantly stood before the raging Argentine, and had connected punches midway and towards the end of the fight. The later rounds showed that Maidana lost steam, but he had conserved enough strength to survive the last round and put the decision on the judges table.

Despite the loss, Morales is still one hell of a fighter, as he displayed tremendous boxing skills despite the odds and being the underdog going into this fight.

Fight Camp 360º: Pacquiao vs Mosley Episode 1 (Video)

ceblogger — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 16:51:41 +0000

Fight Camp 360º Pacquiao vs Mosley is Showtime’s presentation inside the lives, outside the ring of two of the world’s top boxers today as they make preparations for their WBO Welterweight match this coming May 7, 2011 at Las Vegas Nevada.

Here’s the CBS trailer of this four-part documentary:

The premier show was televised in April 2, 2011. Below are the videos I found in YouTube of Fight Camp 360º: Pacquiao vs. Mosley:

Pacquiao vs. Mosley Fight Camp 360º Episode 1 (part 1)

Here’s part 2 of the Episode 1

There’s a lot of giggling and laughing here. Shane Mosley oftentimes looked serious by telling everybody that he’s going to knock out Pacquiao. But the latter just laughed it off. Who will get the last laugh when they square it off in the ring?

Manny Pacquiao’s Twitter Account

ceblogger — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 05:47:40 +0000

So what is really Manny Pacquiao’s twitter account? There was once the @CongMP, created in February 2011, which was said to be his verified account until it was deleted a month later because of some buzz and boos that did not sit well with the boxing champ. I wasn’t able to follow the tweets of @CongMP but I’ve read news about the controversial tweets.

Some criticized his grammar. Others took a swipe at his online behavior. Others demand that he should focus on his job as a lawmaker. Well, there must be cheers for him too. But when you are not that adept with twitter and you read the messages, especially those that mention you, you will somehow get lost in the conversation. Who says what? Who should I reply to?

Or maybe he forgot that his tweets are seen by all, not only by his followers. The controversial tweets happened so fast that Pacquiao’s fans were not able to defend him and make counter attacks. Twitter wars that would have been, aborted by the account deletion.

So why did Manny hopped in to the twitter bandwagon? There are lots of superstars on twitter, right? Probably because Shane Mosley (@SugarShaneM) is also in twitter and started to engage him. “”Hey Pacquiao @congMP, I’m going to beat you so hard that you’re going to need botox just to take the worry off your face! #SugarTime” was his first salvo. I don’t think he got a reply from Manny. Not yet.

But in an article I read today, Manny Pacquiao is said to be back on twitter using @MannyPacquiao. I followed it a couple of days ago even though I read in the news that he initially denied owning that account. But maybe his handlers are the ones managing this one, for PR purposes. It already has plenty of followers so why don’t we all follow that too. Maybe we’ll get more glimpses of a future superfight vs Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Female Boxing Reality Show: Todas Contra Mexico

ceblogger — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 17:39:19 +0000

The first all-female boxing reality show, “Todas Contra Mexico” (All Against Mexico) kicked off Monday with a press conference in Chiapas, Mexico.

The 16 boxers, 8 from Mexico and 8 from other parts of the world, were dressed to the nines to answer questions from the media. Female boxing star Maureen “The Real Million Dollar Baby” Shea and well-known Mexican actor Paulo Quevedo will host the show which will be produced by MapiTV. The show will be aired in Mexico and the United States.

The team captains, Irma Garcia for the Mexican team, and Bolivian Jennifer Salinas for the international team, were also announced.

Here’s a short video I found in YouTube:

A Fil-Am boxer, Crystal Hoy (5-4-3 2KOs), is included in the line-up. (Don’t blink while watching the video above). She intends to make a name for herself, just like Pacquiao and Donaire, as she battles against the other great female boxers.

The winner of the show will receive $100,000 as well as the WBC International Female featherweight title.

Nonito Donaire vs Fernando Montiel Boxing Fight Preview and Results Prediction

ceblogger — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 01:54:56 +0000

Nonito Donaire vs Fernando Montiel is big boxing fight this February 19, 2011 at the Mandalay Bay Casino and Resort in Las Vegas Nevada (February 20 for Philippine viewers). It’s Philippines vs Mexico once again! Who do you think will come out victorious between these two ferocious fighters?

Preview

Nonito Donaire (25-1-0 with 17 kos), also known as the “Filipino Flash” is a California-based, Philippine-born two-division boxing world champion. He currently holds the WBC Continental Americas Bantamweight Title, a title he won lately against Wladimir Sidorenko. He is also the former WBA Super Flyweight Interim World Champion, IBF World Flyweight Champion and IBO World Flyweight Champion. The Ring Magazine currently rated him as the no. 5 pound-for-pound boxer in the world. For the boxing fans worldwide, he is the second best boxer to come from the Philippines lately – Pacquiao being the no. 1.

Donaire’s last three fights were won by knockouts, with none going beyond 8 rounds. The win over Sidorenko was his first in the Bantamweight division after successfully defending his WBA Interim Super Flyweight title twice. His decision to move up the weight ladder must be due his desire to fight big name fighters like Montiel.

Fernando Montiel (44-2-2 with 34 kos) is currently the WBO and WBC Bantamweight champion. He is also the former WBO Flyweight and Super Flyweight champion. His last four fights were won by knockouts, none braving it beyond four rounds. Montiel is also rated by The Ring Magazine as the number seven pound-for-pound boxer in the world, two notches behind Donaire.

Tale of the Tape

If height and reach matters, Donaire has the slight advantage.

Results Prediction

Donaire confidently declared the fight is not going to last for 12 rounds. Albeit predicting that he will win via knockout. Montiel, on the other hand, has his record to speak for himself. It took the Mexican 3 rounds to down Rafael Concepcion, but it took the Filipino flash 12 rounds to eke out a decision. Both fighters surely want to end this fight early on.

Both had their share of memorable upsets as underdogs. Montiel upstaged Hasegawa, while Donaire trashed Darchinyan despite being a 7-1 underdog. Both are quick and willing to dominate. My prediction is for the Filipino Flash to take down Montiel in five, if he is able to throw and hit those strong punches. Should the fight goes to the judges, Montiel’s hand might the one raised by the referee.

Donaire vs Montiel is one hell of a fight you should not miss.