Pacquiao a Knockout on Jimmy Kimmel

By Lem Satterfield, FanHouse.com

When Manny Pacquiao emerged from backstage for Tuesday night's appearance on The Jimmy Kimmel Show, he was greeted by chants of "Manny, Manny," from what appeared to be a large contingent of his Filipino countrymen.

Near the end of the segment, Pacquiao, wearing a dark, button-down shirt and blue jeans, literally closed the show, singing along with the band as the members of the crowd, collectively, waved their arms.

Pacquiao (49-3-2, 37 knockouts) hopes to score a similar knockout performance on Nov. 14, when he challenges WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto (34-1, 27 KOs) at the MGM Grand at a catchweight of 145 pounds.

"I respect Miguel Cotto. I told him that he's a champion for this fight and I'm just a challenger," said Pacquiao, who is looking to become the first fighter to win a title in a seventh weight class.

"This is fight is very important to me," said Pacquiao. "It's going to be history in boxing."

Playing on Pacquiao's nickname, Kimmel asked the multi-belt champion if he knew what "Pac-Man" is, to which he answered, "My dog," adding, to the audience's delight, "I have a dog named Pac-Man."



At one point, Kimmel displayed a small poster of Pacquiao's soon-to-be-released movie, Wapak Man.

His powers "are a mix of Superman and Spider-Man," explained Pacquiao, who is depicted standing in front of three beautiful women in a full-bodied red suit with the hero's name spelled across his chest in yellow letters.

Pacquiao drew one of the many laughs on the night when he discussed his family, including his fourth child and youngest daughter, Queen Elizabeth, whom Kimmel referred to as "Queen Latifah."

Another subject was a unique training regimen used by Pacquiao to toughen up his arms and stomach, during which a member of his staff pounds those body parts with a cane-like stick.

Kimmel produced the stick, and pounded it on his desk.

"Yeah," said Pacquiao. "And it hurts."

Kimmel then had one of his assistants playfully feign the practice by lightly tapping it on Pacquiao's stomach.

"Now, how about you?" Pacquiao asked Kimmel, who allowed the fighter to do the same to him.



Paquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, said the technique has its roots in Thailand, where they "use it to deaden the pain so you can absorb a punch better."

"Manny's not getting whacked with it. It is just a small motion. We use it for sit-ups, but he is not getting whacked," said Roach.

"I don't know if I agree with it 100 percent, but Manny loves it. We've been doing it for five years now and it works for Manny," said Roach. "But if somebody is going to hit me with a stick, they better bring a big one."

Source: FanHouse.com

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I'll walk the walk, says Haye

Sky Sports

David Haye says he will prove he is more than a 'mouthy little Englishman' against Nikolay Valuev.

The Londoner has vowed to back up his taunts when he takes on the seven-foot WBA heavyweight champion in Nuremberg on Saturday night.

Haye has upset the Russian and his camp with his pre-fight taunts and was at it again at the head-to-head press conference at the Maritim Hotel, claiming the champion has fought nothing but fighters past their best.

Valuev's camp responded by claiming they would "shut his dirty mouth up", but the Brit remained unbowed and says he will back up those words when it really matters.



"He hasn't fought anyone of my calibre; he's never fought anyone in their prime or someone so fired up," he said.

"I'm not one of these guys he's used to fighting. I'm not over-the-hill, I'm not tainted, I'm not past my sell-by-date. I am fresh, I am ready.

"Training has gone great and I am gonna make him look silly on Saturday night. I am going to embarrass him, knock him out."

"He's never fought anyone as fast or who punches as hard as me, or as accurate. I know he feels I'm a little mouthy man from England, but he's gonna be in for a rude awakening when that bell goes."

Promises
Valuev, flanked by his trainer and representatives from Sauerland and Don King Promotions and speaking through a translator remained unruffled.

Haye's jibes are nothing new to a man who has had 52 fights, eight of them for the WBA title, and he says he will prove that talk is cheap come Saturday.

And he urged the Londoner to carry on making promises in the final countdown to fight night, insisting they have not bothered him one bit.

"It's nothing unusual, I've had it in most of my fights, it's not unusual to hear someone will knock me out," he said.

"To say something before the fight is easy, but you have to prove and show it in the ring.

"On Saturday we will see what you can show us. You've still got a few more days to tell us what you intend to do, but we will see on Saturday what will happen."

Source: skysports.com

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Manny Pacquiao - Miguel Cotto: The Next Super-Fight - Part 2: Why I Love Manny Pacquiao

By Bryan Brennan, East Side Boxing

At this point I think most know that Manny Pacquiao is one of the most exciting fighters in combat sports. That's right, not just boxing, but in all of the sports where two people square off to prove who's best. If you don't see it this way, you are 1 of 3 types of people:

1. In denial: You are so for Miguel Cotto on November 14th that you refuse to admit that Manny Pacquiao is not only a formidable opponent, but also an exciting customer at the Cotto counter..

2. New to boxing: You have never really been a boxing fan and are just starting to check it out. You peruse a few websites, and have heard of this "Pac-Man", but figure he's over-rated, and you're not going to give in to the hype.

3. A Moron: You are just in general not too bright. You probably mope through life disagreeing with pretty much whatever people say just to make them angry. You are also probably the person that is always in front of me when I'm driving.

My advice is simple;

Denial Guy: I understand how you feel. I have my favorite fighters as well, and I know you just don't like anyone challenging your man, but please admit to yourself, this is a great fight, between TWO great fighters. Now go put on your Cotto shirt, cross your fingers, and get ready for a solid fight. Trust me, you will live a happier life if you just give in on this (life might be a bit dramatic, but it will make the week and a half easier).

New to Boxing Guy: Go to Youtube, look up Manny Pacquiao, watch some of his fights, or at least some of his highlights. Read a little about him, maybe check out his Wikipedia page, and watch 24/7 on HBO, which will give you a little insight into his accomplishments and personality. Then if you still don't agree follow the Moron's advice.



Moron: I'm not sure how you even got this far in the article! You and I obviously have nothing in common, and I'm pretty sure I don't like you. You should go watch a different sport because you obviously can't tell when a fighter is exciting, and fun to watch. You're probably the type of guy that would dis Arturo Gatti too; Shame on you. Also, get off the road... you are always holding me up. My commute would be much easier without you!

Now that those morons are out of the way I will continue. My point is that we all know that Pacquiao is entertaining, talented, and one of the best parts of the sport we all love so much. We know that he has great reflexes, fast hands, and what seems to be an endless amount of energy. We hope that November 14th will be an explosive show, and that Pacquiao will once again give us an entertaining night of boxing.

That is why I want to tell you a few different reasons why I love Manny Pacquiao, something that maybe you can’t find somewhere else. I can only read so many articles about Manny and this fight before I start to get bored, but I am so excited for it that I can't help but write about it anyway! So here goes, I hope you enjoy it!

How I Love Manny Pacquiao, Let Me Count the Ways:

1. 106 pounds: I could honestly write that Pacquiao weighed 106 pounds in his first fight, and he is now fighting a guy at 145 pounds (a catch weight). That is amazing to me! How does a guy who once weighed 106 lbs. add that much weight and still be so good all along the way? (Or I could spell it weigh if I really wanted to be funny).



A fighter gets the most accolades when he moves up in weight to heavyweight, but this feat is as big an accomplishment, if not more. I will always be impressed by what guys like Chris Byrd, James Toney, and Roy Jones Jr. were able to do, start at Middleweight and win to heavyweight. (I picked these three because it's about the same amount of weight, and I personally watched them all do it. I’m not going to talk about Henry Armstrong because I was born in ’78, I didn’t watch him fight). The difference is, Byrd took advantage of the fact that he was the smaller, faster guy in a land of slow giants. Toney could have been better if he would've backed away from the table. Jones didn't test himself after he won the title. Pacquiao is not only moving up, he looks as if he has been getting better all along the way.

When a fighter looks as good as Pac-man has his past few fights, it's easy for people to discredit his opponents, but it's always after he destroys them that they are discredited, not before. Ricky Hatton looked like a new man when he stopped Paulie Malignaggi, now people talk about him as if he were an average club fighter and it’s all because of how Pac-man ended the fight. Weight drained, washed up, shell of a fighter, these are all the things Oscar De La Hoya was AFTER he fought Pacquiao, NOT before. I am finding a common theme to Pacquiao's opponents lately! Even when he fought Morales a few pounds ago, Morales beat Pacquiao fair and square in their first fight, then suddenly was washed up over night for their next two. Is it out of the question that Pacquiao is one of those special athletes that raises his game as he continues his career? He is only thirty, it's not like he is an old dog that can't learn new tricks, which brings me to my next one.

2. Manila Ice: The Hayemaker is David Haye's go to punch... his heavy right hand, yet naming it is cocky, arrogant, and in someway desperate. Yet Manny Pacquiao names his right hook "Manila Ice", and for some reason I think he's the coolest boxer to step foot on the canvas. In all seriousness, I think it shows how much both he and Freddie Roach really enjoy doing what they do, and that translates to fans watching his fights. They are having fun in a sport that can at times wear down its fans with all of its B.S. Manila Ice is such a cool name too, it should be Pacquiao's fighting name it's so good. (I may have exaggerated on Hayemaker, I actually kind of like that one too, what can I say, I'm a sucker for theatrics).



3. Swagger?: When I think of someone having swagger I think of cool, calm, collected, and confident, almost to the point of being uncaring. I think Jack Nicholson, Frank Sinatra, and Paul Newman. I would even say Miguel Cotto has that classic swagger that I am referring to, but not Manny Pacquiao. He has something different. He has a swagger that's all his own, that of a hyper kid from your elementary school days. You remember that one kid growing up that could never sit in his seat, always got in trouble, and was still somehow the coolest guy in class? That's Manny Pacquiao to a T. He's not cocky, but still confident, caring. Not worrisome, but is definitely cool in his own way. Come on, how many other boxers can get away with having a singing career?

4. Piano Solo: You can show someone why boxing is such a great, beautiful, and amazing sport just by having them watch a Manny Pacquiao fight (especially lately). He embodies all the great things that a famous piano solo should have: finesse, grace, and when the time is right, aggression. If I had to turn Manny Pacquiao into a song it would be a combination of Fur Elise, and Flight of the Bumble Bee. He is so fluid in his motions, even though he has a staccato and somewhat choppy rhythm. I am always amazed at how well he combines all the elements of aggression, speed, and power in an almost wreck-less manor, but rarely crosses that line to sloppiness.

5. Fighter: At the end of the day Manny Pacquiao is a fighter. He can sing all he wants, mingle and dabble in politics, do movies, commercials, and even appear on a postage stamp, but at the end of the day he knows he's a fighter. He is always prepared, always puts on a good show, and never lets his fans down.

Manny Pacquiao is something special in boxing; a guy who is guaranteed to give you your moneys worth. I was a little upset that the Hatton fight didn't last longer, but that doesn't mean I wasn't impressed. I wish the De La Hoya fight had lived up to expectations, but I was still amazed at what Pac-man had done. I was rooting for him in the first Morales fight, but was satisfied with the night of boxing in the end. I love Manny Pacquiao because in this day and age when I have to pay fifty bucks for the sport I love so much, he gives me an entertainment guarantee... a boxing warranty if you will, and on November 14th I wait to cash it in.

Stay tuned for Part 3: The Prediction

Source: eastsideboxing.com

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Video: Cager Alex Carbonel serenades Manny Pacquiao

BoxingNewsWorld.blogspot.com









Watch her sings ala Taylor Swift here.

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Video: Manny Pacquiao sings on Jimmy Kimmel Live

BoxingNewsWorld.blogspot.com








(Source: YouTube.com)

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Amir Khan Interview on Salita, Pacquiao vs Cotto, Mayweather Jr, Mosley, Calzaghe, Hatton, Dislike of Carl Froch and More!

By David Tyler, Doghouse Boxing

Amir Khan is another prize pupil under the tutelage of trainer Freddie Roach. Amir currently wears the WBA Light Welterweight championship belt. Let’s welcome Amir into the doghouse.

David Tyler – Hi Amir, how are you doing?

Amir Khan – I’m alright man, thank you.

DT – The WildCard is a crazy place with Manny Pacquiao here does this hamper your workout?

AK – No, not at all. I am completely focused and my concentration is not affected.

DT – Amir, your title is on the line this December 5, when you fight Dmitry Salita at Newcastle, United Kingdom.

AK – That’s right.

DT – Amir, Salita is undefeated with one draw and you have one defeat?

AK – That’s right, I have one defeat and he is undefeated but he has never fought an Amir Khan.

DT – For sure. Salita has been very inactive between fights, when was your last fight?

AK – I fight frequently but I’ve been quite lucky from the Kotelnik fight when I won the world title it’s been the longest break I had. Normally I fight every three months so I have been quite busy.

DT – I know your trainer, Freddie Roach, wanted the Salita fight to be on the undercard of the Cotto/ Pacquiao fight.

Please read the rest of this Interview at DoghouseBoxing.com.

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A Conspicuous Mismatch: Inexperienced boxer gets annihilated by former champ

By Marshall N. B., BoxingNewsWorld.blogspot.com

On Saturday in Chonburi, Thailand, a boxer with only one win in five fights failed to make it through the first round with a former world champion.

Filipino Jilo Merlin, now 1-4-1 with 0 KO, was battered by Thai Pungluang Sor Singyu, now 25-1-0, 15 KOs, from the opening bell before finally being stopped at 1.32 of the very first round. The fight was scheduled for 10 rounds and the vacant WBO Asia-Pacific youth 118 lb title was at stake.

Merlin - flat on the canvas

(Photo by Onesongchai Boxing Promotion)

Sor Singyu, ranked number 55 in the world by Boxrec.com, is the former WBC World Youth bantamweight champion. He lost the title to Stephane Jamoye in a controversial decision in May in Belgium. He boasts an impressive 57.7% KO percentage in his 5-year, 121-round, and 26-fight boxing career.



Merlin, on the other hand, had fought all five of his pro fights in his homeland and was on a two-fight losing streak before traveling to Thailand to face the tough Thai. He only had 30 rounds in his resume and had never fought a 10-rounder in his young but unpromising boxing career prior to the fight.

One has to ask though… when will crazy, if not potentially deadly, mismatches such as this stop from happening in this sport?

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Related article:

Pungluang destroys Merlin in 1:32 (Fightnews)

(Help stop mismatches in boxing, please pass this story.)

Boxer Pacquiao holds hopes of the Philippines

By Mynardo Macaraig (AFP)

MANILA — For the Philippines, boxer Manny Pacquiao is more than a sports champion. His fans, the media and politicians see him as nothing less than a national hero whose feats can lift the nation.

"The hopes of an entire country are riding on me. That is why I cannot let myself fall," Pacquiao says in one television advertisment.

It is a heavy message for a shampoo commercial but it is one that many Filipinos have taken to heart as they cheer Pacquiao on in his improbable career that has seen him rise from deep poverty to six-time world champion.

"There is a great responsibility on his shoulders because his victories are the victories of all of us and his loss would be the loss for all of us," Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said when he awarded Pacquiao an "outstanding achievement" medal recently for his feats in the ring.

He lauded the 31-year-old for inspiring the 92 million people of this impoverished Southeast Asian nation.

Teodoro also referred to much-publicised security reports that rebel attacks and crime went down during Pacquiao's fights as guerrillas and criminals wanted to follow his fate on radio or television.

Both Pacquiao and the nation's faith will again be put to the test on November 14 when he faces hard-hitting World Boxing Organisation champ Miguel Cotto in a welterweight title fight in Las Vegas.

Pacquiao has a record of 49 victories with only three defeats. He has won 27 times by knockout to now be widely regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.

But the Philippines has produced many world-class boxing champs, such as Flash Elorde and Gerry Penalosa, and the adoration bestowed on Pacquiao is unprecedented.

"People just swarm (Pacquiao) to get a touch or a look. His countrymen love him," his American trainer, Freddie Roach, told reporters recently.

Pacquiao has parlayed his fame well, starring in two TV series and a movie, and appearing as a celebrity endorser for products ranging from luxury watches to milk and health drinks.

He is currently listed by Forbes magazine as the world's sixth highest-paid athlete, earning 40 million dollars in prizemoney, endorsements and business ventures for the 12 months beginning in June last year.

Even his mother, Dionisia Pacquiao, has benefitted from his celebrity status, becoming a television comedy star in her own right.

The concept of a sportsman becoming a marketing phenomenon is new to the Philippines, according to David Guerrero, chairman of BBDO Guerrero/Proximity Philippines, one of the country's leading advertising agencies.

"There are very few sports endorsers in this country compared to overseas where you have guys like Tiger Woods and David Beckham. The bulk of celebrity product endorsers here are from show business," he told AFP.

"It has taken someone like Manny to break through from a sports star to a mainstream celebrity."

Bill Velasco, host of "Hardball", the country's leading TV sports talk show, said Pacquiao's fame was partly due to his accomplishments.

"(It's) for the sheer volume of titles he has won. He is the first Asian to win four or more titles," Velasco said, but he added the sport of boxing itself was also an important factor.

"He has made good in a tough field that does not require technology, does not require schooling and does not require too much expenditure. It is basically his physical body. It is very primal, it strikes a chord with the Filipino.

"Additionally, he came along at a very good time. He came along when the economy was down, people were looking for a hero, and he won a world title, and he has been undefeated for four years."

Importantly, Pacquiao is also widely seen as a genuinely nice man who cares about others.

"He says all the right things, he does the right things, he does charity work, he does good things for his hometown. He plays his cards well, he is subtle in the way he handles things, He is very savvy," Velasco said.

Pacquiao plans to run for a seat in the nation's parliament in next year's elections, representing a district where he comes from in the southern Philippines.

This is one area where Pacquiao has failed before. Despite his widespread popularity, he lost to a veteran politician in his first bid for Congress in 2007.

"During the last election campaign, people were afraid that if he does win, he may not box anymore. That is the fear of most people," explained Velasco.

Copyright © 2009 AFP.

Source: Google News

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Puerto Rico's Miguel Cotto Hits A Hot L.A

By David A. Avila, The Sweet Science

WEST L.A.-Reeking of sweat, heat and the scent of more than 100 body odors in the small West L.A. boxing gym, Miguel Cotto seemed right at home as he used the ropes, shadow boxed, hit the mitts and chit chat with a few celebrities on Tuesday.

Cotto’s rare L.A. media workout brought out the journalists eager to capture the Puerto Rican bomber who defends his WBO welterweight world title against Pound for Pound champion Manny Pacquiao (49-3-2, 37 KOs) on Saturday Nov. 14.

The clash takes place in the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and will be shown on HBO pay-per-view.

Cotto spoke with television star Mario Lopez and posed with the Tecate girls before sitting down to speak with the several dozen fight reporters. On Wednesday it’s Pacquiao’s turn.

“I wouldn’t be here unless I thought I could beat him,” said Cotto (34-1, 27 KOs), who is soft-spoken as usual.

Standing in the corner away from the press was cut man Joe Chavez a long-time trainer in the gyms of East L.A. and perhaps the best hand wrapper and caretaker for boxers suffering gashes during a fight. Many attribute Cotto’s win over Joshua Clottey to Chavez’s ability to shut down the blood streaming down the Puerto Rican’s face.

One thing most people overlook is Chavez previously worked with Pacquiao too. Aside from hand wraps and cuts, the man also knows boxing. But don’t ask him who is going to win.

“I stay out of that,” said Chavez, who may work with Pacquiao in the future. “I just deal with the day to day stuff.”

But ask Chavez what Cotto does well?

“He’s a very strong puncher,” said Chavez. “And he’s a very good counter-puncher.

That’s what he does very well.”

When Cotto and Pacquiao meet next week it wouldn’t surprise me to see the Puerto Rican boxer force the Filipino superstar to attack. He’s probably seen dozens of tapes and evaluated what opponents like Juan Manuel Marquez, Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales were able to do successfully and throw out the strategies that didn’t work.

Told that Pacquiao has been talking about Mayweather, Cotto was succinct with his response.

“After I beat him then he can fight Floyd Mayweather all he wants,” Cotto said matter-of-factly of Pacquiao.

Most people forget that Cotto has only one loss. That came a year ago to Mexico’s Antonio Margarito. The issue of hand wraps though often given to Cotto as a scapegoat was not grasped.

“Nobody knows if his hand wraps were illegal or not,” said Cotto of Margarito.

Cotto is a man’s man. He would rather beat Margarito in the ring then have some commission reverse the loss of July 2008. He knows a win over Pacquiao would vault him to the top of the Pound for Pound standings too.

“I don’t know how fast Manny Pacquiao is but we’re going to find out,” said Cotto.

Source: thesweetscience.com

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Cotto 'won't leave anything to chance' against Pacquiao

By Greg Heakes (AFP)

LOS ANGELES — Miguel Cotto's handlers say they will carefully scrutinize the gloves and hand wraps of Manny Pacquiao before their World Boxing Organization welterweight title fight in Las Vegas.

Miguel Cotto Sr said Tuesday they blundered by not inspecting Antonio Margarito's gloves prior to Cotto's lone career loss in July of last year and vow never to let it happen again.

"We only commit the same error once," said Cotto Sr. "We will never make that mistake again."

The increased vigilance comes after Margarito was caught using "loaded wraps" in his following fight against Shane Mosley in January.

Unlike Cotto, Mosley's trainers entered Margarito's dressing room prior to the fight. There they noticed that a damp hard white powder had been placed in between the rows of wrapping and tape before Margarito put his gloves on for the fight.

It has never been proven that Margarito cheated by using a plaster of Paris type substance for the Cotto fight but suspicions are strong, especially in Cotto's camp and that's the reason for the stepped up inspections of opponents' gloves and wraps.

Cotto, of Puerto Rico, senses he has the public support on this one.

"A loss is a loss. Nobody knows for sure if he uses it with me, or not, just Margarito and his team," said Cotto, after a 90 minute workout at the Pound4Pound Gym in Beverly Hills Tuesday. "But it makes me feel better (about the loss). Boxing fans are knowledgeable. They are the judges."

A classic boxer in the true sense of the word, Cotto is 34-1 with 27 knockouts.

Cotto bristled Tuesday at suggestions by Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach that the first loss is one of the toughest for a previously unbeaten fighter to recover from.

Cotto denied that the loss to Margarito had any negative effect on his confidence in the ring.

"Why don't you ask Manny that question because he has had three losses I have just one," Cotto said.

"My commitment is with myself. In my last fight (Joshua Clottey) I could have stopped the fight (cuts) but I decided to stay in the ring because of my commitment to myself and my family."

"Sometimes when you lose you win. Since Margarito great things have come to my career.

"Where is Margarito right now and where is Miguel Cotto?"

Said Cotto Sr, "We have worked a lot with his mind and staying focused. Mentally he is a strong guy."

Roach is predicting that the November 14 fight at the MGM hotel and casino won't go the distance and that the favoured Pacquiao will knock Cotto out capture his seventh title in seven different weight classes.

"This is the problem," Cotto said. "Freddie Roach is not the guy who is going to climb into the ring. If he prepares Manny for just nine rounds then he has three more rounds.

"He (Roach) can say whatever he wants. One day he says the first round and the next day he says round seven. I'm preparing for 12 rounds and nobody is going to know what will happen until the night of the 14th."

Cotto said he is focusing on this 145-pound bout and doesn't listen to talk about Pacquiao (49-3-2, 27 KOs) possibly fighting Floyd Mayweather in a mega title fight if he beats Cotto.

"He can fight Mayweather as many times as he wants after I beat him," Cotto said.

Cotto respects Pacquiao for the way he has come from modest roots in the Philippines to become a world class boxer who is revered by Filipinos at home and abroad.

"He has earned everything he has," Cotto said. "Manny looked good against Oscar De La Hoya and (Ricky) Hatton. But I'm not Oscar or Hatton. Manny chose the right time to fight Oscar."

Cotto is looking forward to wrapping up training camp, heading to Las Vegas next week and says this is the biggest fight of his life.

"It is the most important fight of my career, but we'll have to see on the 14th if he is the toughest guy I have fought in my career," Cotto said.

Copyright © 2009 AFP.

Source: Google News

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Manny Pacquiao's Sparring Partners to Showcase Skills

By Lem Satterfield, FanHouse.com

If you want to see what Manny Pacquiao's been up against during his sparring sessions, check out rising 154-pounders Rashad Holloway and Shawn Porter in their upcoming bouts.

Holloway will take an 11-1-1 record that includes five knockouts into Wednesday night's junior middleweight clash with Francisco Figueroa (20-3, 13 KOs), and Porter a 10-0 mark with eight knockouts into his Nov. 21, junior middleweight matchup with Jerome Ellis (12-1-2, 10 KOs).

Trainer Freddie Roach said Pacquiao (49-3-2, 37 KOs) has gotten steady work from the duo during his preparation for a Nov. 14 bout against WBO welterweight titlist, Miguel Cotto (34-1, 27 KOs), at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

"We have some good sparring right now -- Rashad Holloway, Shawn Porter and Ray Beltran," said Roach. "So we are getting good use out of them. We got some fresh guys in there to keep Manny more focused."

A resident of Raleigh, N.C., Holloway, 28, will take a nine-bout winning streak into his fight with Figueroa, whom he will meet before what should be a partisan crowd in nearby Camp Lejuene.

A native of Puerto Rico who lives in the Bronx, Figueroa had won 12 straight fights, including seven stoppages, before April's fourth-round knockout loss to Randall Bailey.

Figueroa is a southpaw, as is Pacquiao.

Porter, 22, will meet Ellis at Fitzgerald's Casino and Hotel in Tunica, Miss., where the junior middleweight from Akron, Ohio, will be making his sixth appearance.

"Shawn Porter has a great left hook [as does Cotto,] and he's a puncher," said Roach. "We used him quite a bit with Manny and we worked on getting away from that shot. He worked out really well for us."

Source: fanhouse.com

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Rashad Holloway in action with Manny Pacquiao

(Image is from http://www.philboxing.com/news/columns.php?aid=1130&id=19525)

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Manny Pacquiao, Miguel Cotto Preparing for Boxing's Next Superfight

by Bryan Brennan, NESN.com

On Nov. 14, two of the biggest stars in boxing will face off for a pay-per-view superfight. Superfights are something special in boxing. They are the type of fight that get the general public to pay attention to the sport of boxing.

I go through a few different phases for super-fights:

Phase 1: Going into a big fight like this, I always envision an epic battle between two gladiators and blood-and-gut warriors with grit, sweat, anger and any other adjective that sounds tough and manly. I blog about what an amazing ballsy, kick-butt fight it will be. I talk to whoever will listen about my expectations, scientific analysis and true gut feelings. This is a great phase to be in.

Phase 2: Honey roasted peanuts are set out, Bud Lights are cold, my scorecard's ready, and my girlfriend is patiently waiting until fight night is over (because she's been listening to me for a month, she knows this one is important). I then proceed to suffer through two or three horrid undercard fights that, if I'm lucky, are complete mismatches and end quickly. If I'm not lucky, it's a Zab Judah mismatch that should have ended early. Instead, he once again doesn't live up to expectation and drags me through the miserable fight for 10 or 12 rounds. This is phase filled with anxiousness and yet a little aggravation.

Phase 2.1: The undercards were terrible, but that's OK. The main event will be so amazing it will make up for everything! I refill my peanut jar, double-check the fridge to make sure I have enough Bud Lights (because the main event will have me on the edge of my seat for at least 10 rounds). I answer a few text messages driving home my prediction, letting everyone on the planet know what an amazing boxing mind I have.

The Fight: The main event ends as soon as it started or is a patty-cake match for 12 rounds. On top of everything, the decision is a debacle. (Obviously, there is the diamond in the rough, but most do end in disappointment.)

Phase 3: Then comes the moping, tears, sadness and complaining about forking over $50 bucks "for that." After that, you swear off the sport forever because it's corrupt, doesn't treat its loyal fans with respect and bleeds you dry every time you are forced to spend your hard-earned cash. My girlfriend cues up Dancing With the Stars on DVR, and just yeses me to death until I finally stop my babbling and go to sleep in a Bud Light-induced coma. (She's very patient with me.)

Phase 4: I read on Eastsideboxing.com how the winner will square off against another huge name in the sport for what will inevitably be the fight of the year. Now that fight is going to be the best fight ever. I can't wait to blog about it, talk about it and pay money for it. I guess that means it's back to Phase 1.

Well, folks, I am here to tell you that I am knee-deep in Phase 1 right now. Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto are two guys who haven't ducked anyone, fight with true heart and put on fights for the fans. There is no way this one can let us down. I am so deep into Phase 1 that I decided one prediction blog wasn't enough for this showdown. I am going to write a three-part blog about this fight.

Part 1: Why I Love Miguel Cotto

Miguel Cotto has been one of the most consistent fighters in boxing over the past few years. There hasn't been another guy in boxing who has constantly taken on the best, fought entertaining fights and tested his own abilities quite like Cotto -- except maybe Manny Pacquiao.

The reason Cotto is so fun to watch is that he is beatable. I suppose that shouldn't be a reason why you love a fighter so much, but I think that was why Arturo Gatti was so popular. That's why every Diego Corrales fight was a must-see event, and it's probably why Floyd Mayweather Jr. has been trying for years to get a fan base. It's not that you root against a fighter. It's that you never really know how he will pull off the victory.

There is a crazy nervous feeling I get when Cotto steps into the ring with his opponent, because a lot of the times I've thought the other guy has the tools to beat him. Somehow, Cotto has figured out a way to overcome that adversity, and that is what fans want in their fighters. That ability to dig deep and muster some energy, or skill, that maybe even the fighter didn't know he had. It is what makes elite athletes so special.

Cotto for the most part looks like a machine when he enters the ring -- chin down, gloves high and his eyes glaring between his fists like a sniper peering through his scope. He is also very militaristic in the way he can systematically break an opponent down, as he did with Carlos Quintana, Paulie Malignaggi, Randall Bailey, Kelson Pinto, Lovemore N'dou and many others.

There have been many fights, though, where he wins using other tools in his arsenal. In 2005, Cotto faced off against Ricardo Torres and won that fight on pure heart. The two traded bombs in the center of the ring for several rounds, until Cotto was the last man standing. (The picture of Cotto at the end of that fight will always be a lasting memory for me.)

In 2007, Cotto proved to the world that he was an upper-echelon fighter when he disposed of two fast, capable fighters in Zab Judah and Shane Mosley. Against Judah, Cotto was taking on a heavy-handed fighter, who can beat just about anyone when his mind is in the game (of course, his mind is never really in the game). Cotto overcame a vicious uppercut early in the fight, and fought through a severely damaged lip to impose his will, stopping Zab in the 11th round. Fighting Mosley later that year, Cotto was beating the faster guy to the punch and showed off some magnificent boxing skills that many didn't believe he possessed. He outboxed Mosley in an extremely entertaining fight. Cotto showed the ability to break an opponent down and game plan and execute against another elite fighter.

In the lead-up to the showdown against Manny Pacquiao, all the talk has been about what the Pacman is going to bring to the table, and rightfully so. He has had a run unlike anything I have seen in a long time (not since maybe Tyson).

But because of Cotto's only loss (Antonio Margarito) and his last fight (Joshua Clottey), people seem to be forgetting what a solid fighter Miguel Cotto is.

In 2008, he took on the self-proclaimed "most avoided man in boxing," Antonio Margarito. The first half of the fight Cotto fought like he did against Mosley, dancing around the ring and putting on a splendid display of his boxing skills (I still wish he had focused on the body instead of the head, though). Then as the sixth round came and went, Cotto began to slow down, and Margarito's punches started to take their toll, forcing Cotto to take a knee in the 11th. Margarito was found with loaded hand-wraps in his next fight, against Shane Mosley, raising the suspicion that he may have had loaded wraps against Cotto as well.

In his last fight, Cotto took on the very tough and vastly underrated Joshua Clottey. Cotto looked strong early on before getting cut in the third round, and Clottey put on the pressure. Cotto had to dig deep in the championship rounds to pull off the split decision. The fight could have gone either way, but it seemed like Clottey just stopped fighting in those last rounds, and Cotto was able to walk away with the razor-thin decision.

Is Cotto still haunted by the loss, and beating to Margarito? Maybe, I know I would not be able to overcome something like that.

Did that affect Cotto in the Clottey fight? I don't think so. I think Clottey is an underrated fighter who will only be beaten by the best fighters in the world. Let's not forget that Clottey’s only other loss is to Antonio Margarito, in which Clottey was making Margarito look very human for the first half of the fight, before he stopped boxing in the second half.

This brings up a few questions. Were Clottey’s hands hurt as he claims? If so, he is quite a tough, rugged fighter. Were Margarito's hands also loaded then? Were Clottey's hands fine, and he just has a habit of slowing down and not fighting toward the end of fights, as he did with Cotto? Either way, Clottey is no pushover and can beat any fighter on any given night.

I love Cotto for many reasons, but one stands above all the others: He comes to fight (I also like some of his new tattoos, but mostly because he comes to fight). Whether he's the wrecking ball that ran through Quintana, Branco and Malignaggi; the Rocky Balboa who survived Ricardo Torres; or the finesse boxer who outpointed Shane Mosley, Cotto shows up and entertains on fight night. I have yet to watch Miguel Cotto step in the ring and not be entertaining, and I don't see him letting me down on Nov. 14.

Stay tuned for Part 2: Why I Love Manny Pacquiao.

Source: nesn.com

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TSS As PI: Searching 24/7 For Clues To Cotto-Pacquiao

By Michael Woods, The Sweet Science

Examining HBO's 24/7 for clues which might affect the outcome of the upcoming fight is one of the most enjoyable aspects of watching the expertly crafted infomercial. In the second installment of the Pacquiao-Cotto docudrama miniseries, TSS played PI, and looked for anything in the fighters' actions, physiques or behaviors that might inform a fight fan what is likely to unfold on Nov. 14, when Manny Pacquiao tries to secure a seventh title in a seventh weight class from WBO welterweight titlist Miguel Cotto in a 145 pound "catchweight" clash.

In the previous installment, we saw Cotto mixing business with pleasure; it looked like his training camp in Florida, away from distractions in his native Puerto Rico, took a load off the fighter with the frequently furrowed brow. In contrast, Pacquiao's camp was a picture less tranquil. He chose to stay in Baguiao, a region beset by severely foul weather, causing his trainer Freddie Roach to firmly request that the fighter switch up his plans, and decamp to a safer spot, free from typhoons, and perhaps, leeching politicians hoping to get a bump in the polls with a endorsement from Manny.

In the second episode, viewer saw a previously perturbed Roach in Manila, having made the eight-hour trek from Baguiao without Pacquiao. They hugged it out, it was made clear, and got back on track preparing for Cotto. Or, they got back on track as much as Manny's demigod status allows—fans clamor to touch the fighter whenever he exits Gerry Penalosa's gym. But Pacquiao seems to be able to clear his mind of distractions. And Roach makes sure of it, offering a $1,000 bounty to any sparring partner who dumps Manny on his can. So far, Shawn Porter and Jose Luis Castillo haven't been able to get that extra spiff in their envelope, but the added impetus gives Pacman more reason to stay on message in training, and tells viewers that at this juncture, at least, it certainly appears that all the money and adoration he enjoys hasn't swelled his head, and won't pave the way for a fall to Cotto.

Back to Cotto—the Puerto Rican hitter welcomed Miguel the 3rd to Tampa, for a week-long visit to see pop do his thing. That includes pre-dawn workouts at a local track. Perhaps the "stamina thing," Cotto's supposed tendency to fade in the last third of fights, will not be an issue come Nov. 14, if these track workouts have been installed, or modified, to speak to his gas-tank woes? Team Cotto did manage to get some chill-time in, going golfing, and viewers with old-school values might wonder if Miguel is splitting his focus too much, taking too much time with his son, instead of eating, breathing and sleeping Pacquiao 24-7.

Then again, Manny does manage to have a varied life during training camp. Witness Pacman's duet with a female vocalist on the 1977 Dan Hill classic "Sometimes When We Touch," which he filmed for a Filipino TV network as part of a farewell concert. That went swimmingly, but there was still the matter of the conflict within his crew. Fitness coach Alex Ariza and advisor Michael Koncz haven't been getting along, and snipe at each other in front of Manny, who stays above the fray, seemingly untouched by the chaos. Can Manny truly be as unruffled by the beefing as he appears?

A viewer watching this installment might wonder whether Cotto's sparring partners are of a lesser breed than Pacquaio's and be left to think that Pacman's camp is that much more effective than Miguel's. Cotto gets work in with 9-3-1 southpaw Kenny Abril, from Rochester, NY, and 7-1 Georgian lefty Fred Tukes. Contrasted with Pacman's crew, which included 26-1 Mexican Urbano Antillon, 10-0 Shawn Porter from Ohio and former lightweight champion Jose Luis Castillo (60-9-1), it does seem like Cotto's getting gypped in this department. Perhaps the time spent studying films of Pacquiao on the part of Miguel's dad Miguel Sr. and 32-year-old trainer Joe Santiago will compensate.

At Roach's Wild Card Gym, Pacquiao looks trim and on message. He doesn't seem put off by the absence of Michael Moorer, who helped Roach while Manny got ready for Ricky Hatton, and rubbed Manny the wrong way with his brusque manner. The Wild Card looks cramped but homey, while Cotto's training zone in Tampa looks roomier, but more complicated. Viewers see his wife Melissa, who he'd been estranged from, is back in the picture. She comes to the gym, with two more kids, and Miguel's mom, who wears an expression none too joyous. Perhaps those relationships don't siphon an ounce of Cotto's mental energy, perhaps he is relieved to be unburdened from the presence of his uncle Evangelista, who he split from in the spring. But we saw Miguel's dad admit he and his bro have severed ties totally, one wonders if having all these sticky family issues in his face benefits Cotto two weeks before his big bout.

Viewers-readers, feel free to share any insights you've picked up watching 24/7 in the comments section.

Source: thesweetscience.com

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Roach Has The Recipe: Don't Allow Cotto To Get Momentum

By Frank Lotierzo, The Sweet Science

As the Pacquiao-Cotto fight gets closer, Pacquiao's head trainer Freddie Roach has been very obliging to the media and fans with continuous quotes and statements to stimulate more interest in the fight. In one of his more recent quotes he said Pacquiao had to "start fast and finish strong" when he confronts Cotto on November 14th. This is probably the best game-plan that Manny can try to implement versus Cotto when they meet in a little less than two weeks.

“We need to be fast and aggressive at the start,” Roach said. Then mentioned how Cotto is a slow starter and very well could be disrupted and bothered by Manny jumping on him at the opening bell.

Roach went on to say, "We must not give him (Cotto) the momentum because he gets stronger.” And then went into how Cotto was in trouble versus Zab Judah in the early going of the first round, and said Judah is not Pacquiao and believes if Pacquiao plants him with something big he'd be in even bigger trouble than he was versus Judah.

It's hard to dispute what Roach has said. However, there's one thing that went unsaid by Roach, and of course it's something that you'll never hear from the Pacquiao faction. And that's the fact that Cotto is not the same fighter who fought Judah two and a half years ago. There's just no getting around that. Since beating Judah, Miguel has had three physically taxing fights, with Shane Mosley, Antonio Margarito and Joshua Clottey.

In those three bouts Cotto was hit hard and forced to fight in retreat during many of those 35 rounds. In his last bout with Clottey it was easy to see, regardless of the competitor and warrior Miguel is - he was trying to run the clock out and do just enough to win. He's just not the same fighter who fought Judah mentally or physically. Not to mention he is bothered psychologically by getting hit more at this time then he was in 2007.

The other thing that's simply not a given is the belief that Pacquiao is a greater puncher than Judah was in June of 2007. Maybe he is but it's not beyond questioning. Which is a lot different than saying Judah is/was a better fighter than Pacquiao, something he's clearly not. Pacquiao is without a doubt a greater fighter and has clearly exhibited more heart and guts than Judah ever has. Zab was/is more of a front runner and when the going got tough at the world class level he sometimes cracked. Whereas Manny loves to fight and really is a fearless guy. That's what really separates them as fighters.

The reason Pacquiao is perceived as being such a great puncher at 140-145 is based on his last fight with Ricky Hatton. And because of the spectacular way the fight ended with Pacquiao crashing a beautiful overhand left against the incoming and wide open Hatton's chin, it's assumed that he's a great puncher at welterweight. But in reality Mayweather stretched Hatton with one punch before Pacquiao did. And nobody considers Mayweather a big one shot banger at welterweight, do they? It may have took Floyd longer to do it, but that's a matter of styles more than anything else.

No one can argue that Zab Judah's a greatly skilled fighter and accurate puncher. He also has very fast hands and was in the fight early against Mayweather. The difference was Floyd broke Zab mentally more than he did physically, and that's what really set them apart. Granted, there's nothing on Judah's record to suggest he's a life-taker, but Pacquiao's not a proven puncher at welterweight any more so than Judah. Had Judah fought the versions of De La Hoya and Hatton that Pacquiao did, is it a reach to envision him taking them apart in a similar fashion as Pacquiao did?

The Cotto-Judah fight is the main fight everybody has been looking to for a comparison as to how Pacquiao matches up with Cotto due to the similar styles between Judah and Pacquiao. But that fight provides two tales. The first being Cotto is hittable and capable of being hurt and shook early. And the other conformation is that against a average size welterweight, something both Pacquiao and Judah are, Cotto can be a monster when he gets through and beats on his opponents' body. No fighter ever made Judah look for a way out the way Cotto did once he started banging on him.

And that's why Roach couldn't be more correct in suggesting Pacquiao jump on Cotto at the bell for the first round. Along with that Cotto doesn't appear to be the finisher late in the fight that he was two plus years ago. Actually in his last fight it looked as though he was counting down the seconds and barely crossed the finish line. Then again if Cotto can take a little out of Pacquiao by going to the body, if he can get to it, he may not have to be the finisher he used to be.

Frank Lotierzo can be contacted at GlovedFist@Gmail.com

Source: thesweetscience.com

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