By Chris Robinson, Examiner.com
In the weeks leading up their November 14th clash it was obvious that there was a certain amount of respect between Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto. In all of the pre fight festivities both fighters refrained from any disparaging comments towards the other and from the actions displayed by both men you could tell that animosity was the last thing that existed between them. Even during the final press conference, when both fighters were asked to stare at each other for a face off, neither man could look for more than a few seconds without cracking a smile.
On the night of November 14th Pacquiao would end up defeating Cotto by way of 12th round stoppage. After and insanely intense first four rounds that were competitive and action packed, the Filipino brawler would control the remaining stanzas brilliantly while administering some serious punishment on his Puerto Rican foil. Upon being halted by referee Kenny Bayless in the 12th and final round, Cotto would immediately rush over to Pacquiao, who was in ring corner in deep thought and celebration, and embrace him, giving him all glory and respect.
Despite suffering a heartbreaking loss Cotto was all class in the post fight interview, claiming Pacquiao to be one of the best opponents he had faced and giving him full credit for his victory. Their was no hatred stemming from either man and it is with no surprise that it was later revealed that Pacquiao would end up inviting Cotto to his own personal birthday bash in the Philippines, the 31st of his life.
Pacquiao’s upcoming birthday bash, which tentatively is scheduled to take place in General Santos City on December 17th, should be a joyous occasion as the seven division champion has been enjoying a run of success unlike anything seen in recent years in the sport. If Cotto would end up making a grand appearance it would be an even more festive event, one would feel.
After it was announced that Pacquiao had extended an invitation to Cotto for his party, many wondered whether or not the modest champion from Caguas would accept. Speculation run rampant but recently news has spread that Cotto is interested in attending the party, as evidenced by his recent actions online in the social networking site Twitter.
Top Rank had asked Cotto whether or not he would be interested in attending the event and the 3-Time Champion seems to be more than ready to make it happen.
“Yes, we are willing to complete all the logistics and we will go,” posted Cotto from his personal Twitter page in response to Top Rank as to whether he was willing to make the trek to the Philippines for Pacquiao’s birthday bash.
It’s nothing new for Pacquiao to invite previous opponents to his homeland, as he has extended invitations in the past to Erik Morales, David Diaz, and Juan Manuel Marquez.
It says here that Cotto’s acknowledgement of Pacquiao’s offer is yet another sign of his immense amount of class. Always a professional in and outside of the ring, it looks as though Cotto has found a way to accept his recent loss to Pacquiao as mere combat while also realizing the chance to get to know him on a completely different level outside of the ropes.
Both men have shown themselves to be genuine in the past and one can only wonder what will take place during the festivities. In years past it hasn’t been uncommon for past opponents to form some sort of camaraderie with one another and Cotto and Pacquiao seem like to the type who just might gravitate towards one another.
The respect they have shown towards each other so far just may lead to some kind of friendship, you never know. That in itself is worth celebrating.
Chris Robinson is based out of Las Vegas, Nevada. He can be reached at Trimond@aol.com, www.FaceBook.com/CRHarmony, and www.Twitter.com/CRHarmony. More of his work can be found HERE
Source: examiner.com
Monday 14 December 2009
Koncz: Floyd should go to church -- FightNews.com
By Nick Giongco, FightNews.com
The Canadian adviser of Manny Pacquiao said on Monday that “Floyd Mayweather simply has to go to church regularly to know where the Filipino’s vaunted strength and power come from.” Reacting to a statement made by Mayweather’s handlers that Pacquiao should undergo an Olympic-Style drug testing in the weeks leading to their March 13, 2010 fight, Mike Koncz said he welcomes Leonard Ellerbe’s demand that such tests be done to ensure that the two fighters are clean when they finally collide. “It’s amusing,” said Koncz from General Santos City, home of Pacquiao. “There’s no problem with that but if he wants to get an answer right away, he better visit the church so he’d know why.” Ellerbe is one of two key Mayweather advisers. The other is Al Haymon. Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions are in the final stages of finalizing the Pacquiao-Mayweather bout that is expected to break box-office and PPV records.
Sourc: fightnews.com
The Canadian adviser of Manny Pacquiao said on Monday that “Floyd Mayweather simply has to go to church regularly to know where the Filipino’s vaunted strength and power come from.” Reacting to a statement made by Mayweather’s handlers that Pacquiao should undergo an Olympic-Style drug testing in the weeks leading to their March 13, 2010 fight, Mike Koncz said he welcomes Leonard Ellerbe’s demand that such tests be done to ensure that the two fighters are clean when they finally collide. “It’s amusing,” said Koncz from General Santos City, home of Pacquiao. “There’s no problem with that but if he wants to get an answer right away, he better visit the church so he’d know why.” Ellerbe is one of two key Mayweather advisers. The other is Al Haymon. Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions are in the final stages of finalizing the Pacquiao-Mayweather bout that is expected to break box-office and PPV records.
Sourc: fightnews.com
ESPNSTAR.com's top ten stars of 2009
ESPNSTar.com
Manny Pacquiao, Ryan Giggs and Jenson Button. Here are the top ten stars of 2009.
JENSON BUTTON
Jenson Button did not do badly considering he faced being left without a drive for the start of the 2009 season due to the demise of his Honda team. Instead Button took a pay-cut to be part of the Brawn team formed from the ashes of Honda and the result was spectacular. Button, with just a solitary Grand Prix win to show from nine previous Formula One seasons, triumphed in six of the first seven races, giving him a championship lead which would prove unassailable. Ended the year by agreeing a lucrative move to McLaren, where he will link up with 2008 world champion Lewis Hamilton.
ANDREW STRAUSS
Strauss might have made an ignominious start to his career as England's new cricket captain as his team were bowled out for 51 by the West Indies. But by the end of a year which began with the controversy of Kevin Pietersen's resignation, Strauss had emphatically underlined his captaincy qualities with a number of tough tactical choices and a series average of over 50 which wrested the Ashes back from Australia's grasp.
MANNY PACQUIAO
The Filipino fought twice in 2009 and in the process underlined his status as the number one fighter in the sport today - Floyd Mayweather included. First Pacquiao stepped up to light-welterweight to hammer Ricky Hatton to a violent second-round defeat. Then he went up again to master the ferocious welterweight Miguel Cotto. A one-sided 12th-round stoppage win under his belt, Pacquiao now goes in search of a showdown with Mayweather.
JOHN SMIT
Having sat out much of the 2008 Tri Nations through injury, 2009 proved to be Smit's triumphant return. Smit led the Springboks to a series win over the British and Irish Lions before excelling in his return to Tri Nations competition as South Africa won five of their six matches, including three big wins against New Zealand. In doing so Smit set a new record as the most-capped captain in international rugby history - a mark now standing at 67.
YE YANG
South Korean golfer YE Yang is considered to have blazed a trail which plenty of others will follow in 2009, when he became the first Asian golfer to win one of the sport's four major titles. Earlier in the year, Yang had matched KJ Choi as Asia's only two regular PGA Tour winners. In August, he went one better, recovering from a two-stroke final round deficit to see off the considerable challenge of Tiger Woods and win the PGA Championship.
ANITA WLODARCYZK
Hers is not a name to roll off the tongue at the best of times. But the Polish hammer-thrower was indisputably the best female athlete of 2009. Stepping up from a bronze medal in the 2008 World final, Wlodarczyk started the year with a world team title. Then two personal bests in Biala Podlaska and Ostrava sent her to the World Championships in Berlin in top form. Wlodarczyk went on to hurl a new world record of 77.96metres. In doing so she became the first and only female athlete to set a new world record in Berlin.
RYAN GIGGS
Manchester United veteran Ryan Giggs has been written off many times in his career only to confound the critics. And never has he done so as emphatically as he did in 2009, when for the first time in his illustrious career he was awarded the prestigious PFA Footballer of the Year award. Giggs, who has now surpassed 700 appearances for United, remains as integral to the club's immediate future as ever.
KIM CLIJSTERS
Even mighty mother Kim Clijsters could have had no idea just how dramatic her return to the 2009 WTA Tour would prove to be. The Belgian returned from a two-year hiatus with promising performances in three tournaments before entering the US Open as a wild-card. Stunning wins over Venus Williams and her sister Serena in a controversial semi-final set Clijsters up to fulfil her dream comeback with a final win over Caroline Wozniacki.
USAIN BOLT
The extraordinary Jamaican sprinter did the almost-impossible in 2009, eclipsing his performances at the previous summer's Beijing Olympics and emphatically underlining how there is currently no other sprinter who can touch him. At the World Championships in Berlin, Bolt lowered his own 100m world record to 9.58 seconds. Then he left his rivals trailing as he repeated the feat in the 200m, shaving off 0.11seconds for a winning time of 19.19.
BETH TWEDDLE
Having suffered the agony of a fourth place finish at the Beijing Olympics, 2009 was the year in which British gymnast Beth Tweddle finally proved she deserved her place among the world's best. Two golds in the European Championships set her up for her home World Championships in London. After failing to qualify for the final of her favoured uneven bars, Tweddle responded brilliantly by going out and claiming unexpected gold for her floor routine.
Source: espnstar.com
Manny Pacquiao, Ryan Giggs and Jenson Button. Here are the top ten stars of 2009.
JENSON BUTTON
Jenson Button did not do badly considering he faced being left without a drive for the start of the 2009 season due to the demise of his Honda team. Instead Button took a pay-cut to be part of the Brawn team formed from the ashes of Honda and the result was spectacular. Button, with just a solitary Grand Prix win to show from nine previous Formula One seasons, triumphed in six of the first seven races, giving him a championship lead which would prove unassailable. Ended the year by agreeing a lucrative move to McLaren, where he will link up with 2008 world champion Lewis Hamilton.
ANDREW STRAUSS
Strauss might have made an ignominious start to his career as England's new cricket captain as his team were bowled out for 51 by the West Indies. But by the end of a year which began with the controversy of Kevin Pietersen's resignation, Strauss had emphatically underlined his captaincy qualities with a number of tough tactical choices and a series average of over 50 which wrested the Ashes back from Australia's grasp.
MANNY PACQUIAO
The Filipino fought twice in 2009 and in the process underlined his status as the number one fighter in the sport today - Floyd Mayweather included. First Pacquiao stepped up to light-welterweight to hammer Ricky Hatton to a violent second-round defeat. Then he went up again to master the ferocious welterweight Miguel Cotto. A one-sided 12th-round stoppage win under his belt, Pacquiao now goes in search of a showdown with Mayweather.
JOHN SMIT
Having sat out much of the 2008 Tri Nations through injury, 2009 proved to be Smit's triumphant return. Smit led the Springboks to a series win over the British and Irish Lions before excelling in his return to Tri Nations competition as South Africa won five of their six matches, including three big wins against New Zealand. In doing so Smit set a new record as the most-capped captain in international rugby history - a mark now standing at 67.
YE YANG
South Korean golfer YE Yang is considered to have blazed a trail which plenty of others will follow in 2009, when he became the first Asian golfer to win one of the sport's four major titles. Earlier in the year, Yang had matched KJ Choi as Asia's only two regular PGA Tour winners. In August, he went one better, recovering from a two-stroke final round deficit to see off the considerable challenge of Tiger Woods and win the PGA Championship.
ANITA WLODARCYZK
Hers is not a name to roll off the tongue at the best of times. But the Polish hammer-thrower was indisputably the best female athlete of 2009. Stepping up from a bronze medal in the 2008 World final, Wlodarczyk started the year with a world team title. Then two personal bests in Biala Podlaska and Ostrava sent her to the World Championships in Berlin in top form. Wlodarczyk went on to hurl a new world record of 77.96metres. In doing so she became the first and only female athlete to set a new world record in Berlin.
RYAN GIGGS
Manchester United veteran Ryan Giggs has been written off many times in his career only to confound the critics. And never has he done so as emphatically as he did in 2009, when for the first time in his illustrious career he was awarded the prestigious PFA Footballer of the Year award. Giggs, who has now surpassed 700 appearances for United, remains as integral to the club's immediate future as ever.
KIM CLIJSTERS
Even mighty mother Kim Clijsters could have had no idea just how dramatic her return to the 2009 WTA Tour would prove to be. The Belgian returned from a two-year hiatus with promising performances in three tournaments before entering the US Open as a wild-card. Stunning wins over Venus Williams and her sister Serena in a controversial semi-final set Clijsters up to fulfil her dream comeback with a final win over Caroline Wozniacki.
USAIN BOLT
The extraordinary Jamaican sprinter did the almost-impossible in 2009, eclipsing his performances at the previous summer's Beijing Olympics and emphatically underlining how there is currently no other sprinter who can touch him. At the World Championships in Berlin, Bolt lowered his own 100m world record to 9.58 seconds. Then he left his rivals trailing as he repeated the feat in the 200m, shaving off 0.11seconds for a winning time of 19.19.
BETH TWEDDLE
Having suffered the agony of a fourth place finish at the Beijing Olympics, 2009 was the year in which British gymnast Beth Tweddle finally proved she deserved her place among the world's best. Two golds in the European Championships set her up for her home World Championships in London. After failing to qualify for the final of her favoured uneven bars, Tweddle responded brilliantly by going out and claiming unexpected gold for her floor routine.
Source: espnstar.com
Lennox Lewis: Only Pacquiao or Mosley can trouble Mayweather -- Examiner.com
By Michael Marley, Examiner.com
CHICAGO--Former world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis told me late Saturday night that he thinks that Manny Pacquiao can beat undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Lewis, working as a fight analyst for HBO on the Juan Diaz-Paulie Malignaggi main event at the University of Illinois, Chicago, made it sound as though he expects Money May to remain undefeated when the two little titans tangle, hopefully on March 13.
"I'd say that Manny is one of two guys who have a chance to beat Floyd," the dreadlocked Lewis said. "It's him and Shane Mosley, I can't think of anybody else who could even possibly beat Mayweather."
Lewis then said that Mayweather's strengths are the obvious ones, amazing hand and foot speed and an overall defense which seems impenetrable.
"It is amazing how fast Mayweather is, it really is," Lewis said.
"It should be a great thing for boxing when he and Pacquiao fight."
Hall Of Famer Lewis was born in England, grew up in Ontario, Canada, and campaigned as a professional fighter out of London after winning an Olympic gold medal for Canada in 1988.
Lewis ran up a 41-2-1 record with 32 KOs.
(mlcmarley@aol.com)
Source: examiner.com
CHICAGO--Former world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis told me late Saturday night that he thinks that Manny Pacquiao can beat undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Lewis, working as a fight analyst for HBO on the Juan Diaz-Paulie Malignaggi main event at the University of Illinois, Chicago, made it sound as though he expects Money May to remain undefeated when the two little titans tangle, hopefully on March 13.
"I'd say that Manny is one of two guys who have a chance to beat Floyd," the dreadlocked Lewis said. "It's him and Shane Mosley, I can't think of anybody else who could even possibly beat Mayweather."
Lewis then said that Mayweather's strengths are the obvious ones, amazing hand and foot speed and an overall defense which seems impenetrable.
"It is amazing how fast Mayweather is, it really is," Lewis said.
"It should be a great thing for boxing when he and Pacquiao fight."
Hall Of Famer Lewis was born in England, grew up in Ontario, Canada, and campaigned as a professional fighter out of London after winning an Olympic gold medal for Canada in 1988.
Lewis ran up a 41-2-1 record with 32 KOs.
(mlcmarley@aol.com)
Source: examiner.com
Malignaggi wins against Diaz but needs to stop steroid accusations against Pacquiao -- 8CountNews.com
By Mark Lorenzana, 8CountNews.com
Paulie "Magic Man" Malignaggi just won against Juan "Baby Bull" Diaz at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago Illinois in their much-awaited rematch. Last time the two fighters met was at Diaz's hometown of Texas. Prior to the fight, Malignaggi had voiced out his frustration regarding the judges. Malignaggi singled out Gale Van Hoy in particular, believing that he would not get a fair shake should the fight go the distance.
After their first fight, it turned out that Malignaggi had been right all along. Sure it was a good fight with lots of action and arguably the decision could have gone to either guy. Personally I was leaning towards a Malignaggi win by split decision. I felt that Paulie did more than enough to win by effectively counterpunching Diaz, and I unofficially scored the fight in favor of Malignaggi, seven rounds to five. But, alas, the official decision left a bad taste in many fans' mouths. The fight was unanimously awarded to Diaz with one judge — Van Hoy, incidentally — scoring the bout a virtual shutout with a 118-110 scorecard in favor of the Baby Bull.
Plain and simple, Malignaggi was robbed. It wasn't even close. If all the judges scored the fight close like Raul Caiz did for instance, who scored it 115-113 for Diaz, then it would have been understandable. But to have scored it 10 rounds to two for Diaz as Van Hoy did, was just ridiculous. Judges awarding wins to the undeserving fighter has been around for decades and it's not helping boxing. For instance, take the recent fight between Ali Funeka and Joan Guzman last November 28 for the vacant IBF lightweight title. Funeka had punished and bloodied Guzman for the entire fight and even managed to stagger the latter several times. In the end Funeka had to settle for a majority draw.
With all of these said, Chicago had proven to be a neutral venue for the fight. And the judges, Mauro Di Fiore, Tom Miller, and Michael Pernick who all scored the fight 116-111 in favor of Malignaggi, proved to be consummate professionals.
Malignaggi actually showed great attitude after his first fight with Diaz by readily accepting his fate albeit showing his displeasure. Malignaggi in effect had no problems moving on so to speak, and he showed that he was indeed the winner in the first fight by dominating Diaz in their rematch. Paulie had realized that, to paraphrase Aesop, there's no use crying over spilt milk.
The bad thing is, to use another expression culled from Aesop, Malignaggi had been sour graping (along with two other boxing people) since reigning pound-for-pound champion Manny Pacquiao destroyed Miguel Cotto.
Let's get to the crux of the matter. After Pacquiao annihilated Cotto, almost everyone from casual and hardcore fans to boxing pundits and writers (heck, even other boxers, both new and established)had been in awe of the Filipino fighter. It seems that Pacquiao's annihilation of Cotto had solidified his spot at the top of the pound-for-pound list.
Of course, there are always those critics who say negative things about Pacquiao's accomplishments and refuse to give the guy his due credit. There's Floyd Mayweather Sr. talking on Fight Hype and Sports Illustrated:"Man, that guy is on something. There's no way in the world he's going to be walking back a big man like that...I know Floyd is the best, but when your opponent uses something illegal, even the best can get hurt."
There's Kermit Cintron talking to Ring Talk: "I just think that... I honestly think that he is taking something, because a lot of fighters coming up in weight like that, 40 something pounds... he just looks ripped like Bruce Lee. A lot of people who come up in weight like that don't look as ripped as he is, they hold a lot of water weight. I just believe he is taking something. I think he is taking something for sure. I don't know what it is, whatever he is taking, its not coming up in the drug test. I honestly believe he is taking something, no 112 pounder comes up to 147, to look the way he does, he is taking something. Definitely, people who come up in weight like that they look soft, they don't look as ripped like when they fought at the way they started. It's definitely questionable."
Then, of course, there's Paulie Malignaggi.
"I think there is something up with Manny Pacquiao. I am not going to get into it. I think people will understand what I am saying. Full blown welterweights don't take those type of punches from Miguel Cotto the way he took them with total disregard for his power nor do they hurt him with every punch they hit him with. These are full blow welterweights I am talking about. This guy is coming up in weight and doing all these things. There is something up with this guy but that's as far as I am going to go into it. Floyd Mayweather (Senior) has gotten into it a little bit. There have been other fighters who have mentioned it. I am not going to get into no controversy. I am going to leave it at that. There is something that seriously makes me feel weird about Manny Pacquiao. I am going to leave it at that," Malignaggi said in an interview with BoxingScene.
But there's more. In an interview with Fight Hype, Malignaggi continues his tirade against Pacquiao, and even questioned and criticized the drug and urine tests boxers regularly undergo to detect the use of prohibited performance-enhancing drugs. "We only have your standard urine tests here, so what are you really going to catch? What are you really going to catch if someone wants to beat it, you know what I mean?"
Then there are Malignaggi's most recent statements, courtesy of the Examiner's Michael Marley and an interview at The Boxing Truth Radio Show:"Look at what Manny is doing. He is absolutely crushing world class killers. And here he is, this little midget.
"He gets a broken eardrum and yet he is walking around afterwards like he was dodging spitballs. There are things (drugs) out there that can do that.
"You're hiding under a rock if you can't see what I am talking about. This is a guy who was life and death with Juan Manuel Marquez at 120 pounds and now he's got 15 to 17 pounds of muscle on him. Look at how short he is, he didn't get taller, did he?
"It's not about hating Manny or being jealous. I think other fighters use performance enhancing drugs. I don't mean diuretics because those are used to make weight, not to enhance your performance. I'd say the bigger men (heavyweights) are doing it because they are not worried about making weight.
"First and foremost, you talk to body builders they'll tell you themselves, it's very hard to put 15-17 pounds of body muscle in a year and a half. Let's remember Manny Pacquiao fought at 130 pounds against Juan Manuel Marquez in '08. He fought in November of '09 against Miguel Cotto 15 to 17 pounds heavier. He looked exactly the same out of "rippedness" and "shreddedness" his body did at 130 pounds. So you're telling me, this guy 6 foot 4, 6 foot 5, body builder telling me that it's impossible to put on that kind of muscle mass in a year and a half naturally.
"You're telling me this little midget, 5'5" or 5'4", 5'6" at the most, put on 15 to 17 (pounds) in natural weight and his team is going to try and explain it saying he eats 7,000 calories a day and he just burns it. If you eat 7,000 calories a day and you're 5'5", 5'6", my man you are not going to look ripped, you're going to look a little bloated."
You have to admit, these guys, especially Malignaggi have a few valid points, but there are also a few flaws in their arguments.
Regarding what Malignaggi said about what bodybuilders told him that it is difficult for someone to put on muscle in such a short span of time, it actually depends on a person's body type. Remember that there are three different body types: Ectomorph, endomorph, and mesomorph.
Ectomorphs are the classic hard gainers. They are lean and fragile and delicate. These people actually need to work hard for every ounce of muscle and every bit of strength they can gain.
On the extreme opposite side of the spectrum are those who have the endomorph body types, which are characterized as round and soft. Endomorphs gain muscle quickly but they also gain fat just as easily. For this body type, losing weight, specifically fat, is very difficult.
Then we have the mesomorphs. People who are characterized as mesomorphs have a hard, athletic, and muscular body and they gain muscle more easily than the two aforementioned body types.
If you are a follower of boxing the past few years, you will easily notice different boxers who have their own characteristic body types. For example, fighters who have ectomorphic tendencies include Erik Morales and Paul Williams. Both guys are lanky and relatively lean for their respective weight divisions. Morales in particular before he got older — and before his metabolism slowed down that he would gain weight in between fights— held on to his lean frame for the most part of his early career.
On the endomorph side, you have Juan Diaz, who, despite his dedication to boxing, still looks soft and chubby even during weigh-ins. Sure he makes weight every time, but it's plain to see that he has more body fat in him than muscle.
This leads us to the mesomorphs. These guys have no problem gaining muscle weight, and that's the category where you can easily put Pacquiao in. He eats protein, he takes in supplements, he puts in time at the gym, and he gains weight easily, most of which is pure muscle.
We also have to remember that although Pacquiao started at light flyweight, he was still 17 years old back then, with no access to proper nutrition, protein supplements, and scientific training. Needless to say, this of course changed as he began taking in bigger purses and was now able to afford better and nutritious food, not to mention the expensive supplements. Alex Ariza's physical training techniques also need special mention here. And we also have to remember that the first time Pacquiao drastically moved up in weight (from flyweight to super bantamweight), it was prompted by a knockout loss from Medgoen Singsurat who fought a severely weight-drained Pacquiao. So even then, we could see that Pacquiao's body was rapidly changing, and was growing as he began filling out. Here we also see a first glimpse of how Pacquiao's body was getting stronger whenever he went up in weight as he won his first fight at super bantamweight via TKO. He then went on a tear at 122, with eleven of his 12 opponents failing to reach the final bell. He left the super bantamweight division when he gunned for Marco Antonio Barrera's Ring Magazine Featherweight strap, and we all know what the Pacman did to the Baby Faced Assassin.
When you come to think of it, all these criticisms on Pacquiao by Cintron, Mayweather Sr. and Malignaggi actually cast a bad light on them, rather than on Pacquiao's accomplishments. The criticisms actually make them look like sour grapers. Cintron for his part, seems to lack the drive and perhaps the championship caliber to cross over into superstar status as he lost by TKO and knockout respectively in his two fights against Antonio Margarito for the latter's WBO and IBF welterweight titles. And in Cintron's first fight at light middleweight for the interim WBC light middleweight title against Sergio Gabriel Martinez, he only managed to get a majority draw.
Pacquiao, with help from Freddie Roach, embarrassed the trash talking Mayweather Sr. by knocking out Ricky Hatton. Remember that Mayweather Sr., in one HBO 24/7 episode prior to that fight, labeled Pacquiao a "mule", and Hatton a "racehorse". When you think about it, it was indeed Hatton who was the racehorse in that fight; he was faster. Faster in the sense that it was the fastest ever that he kissed the canvas in his entire career.
For Malignaggi's part, perhaps it's eating him that he was punished severely by Cotto in the course of 12 rounds in their fight for the latter's WBO welterweight title, the same Cotto that was later annihilated by this "midget" that goes by the name Manny Pacquiao?
Regardless, in a report over at Sports Illustrated, Keith Kizer, executive director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, says that Pacquiao underwent a couple of urine tests before and after his fight with Cotto and the Filipino passed with flying colors.
In any sport, criticism, especially of the constructive and positive kind, is absolutely welcome. In fact, it can actually behoove the athlete to work hard and improve on his or her performance.
But when the criticisms just border on the libelous and are just plain old batty despite strong evidence to the contrary, then that's another story.
I'm sure if Pacquiao were asked to comment on Malignaggi's win against Diaz, he'd gladly congratulate the Magic Man and even say that it was a good fight and a great performance.
Im pretty sure as hell Pacquiao won't say: "I think there is something up with Paulie Malignaggi. I am not getting into it, I think people will understand what I am saying. Boxers who have a 16.67 knockout percentage, boxers who can't even hurt a five-year-old kid can't knock down and win a unanimous decision against bull strong fighters like Juan Diaz. I am not going into no controversy. I am going to leave it at that. There is something that seriously makes me feel weird about Paulie Malignaggi after this win against Juan Diaz. I am going to leave it at that."
No, Manny Pacquiao is just too damn classy for that.
The same, however, cannot be said for those critics who accuse him of taking steroids or performance-enhancing drugs.
Those guys need attitude-enhancing drugs.
Source: 8countnews.com
Paulie "Magic Man" Malignaggi just won against Juan "Baby Bull" Diaz at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago Illinois in their much-awaited rematch. Last time the two fighters met was at Diaz's hometown of Texas. Prior to the fight, Malignaggi had voiced out his frustration regarding the judges. Malignaggi singled out Gale Van Hoy in particular, believing that he would not get a fair shake should the fight go the distance.
After their first fight, it turned out that Malignaggi had been right all along. Sure it was a good fight with lots of action and arguably the decision could have gone to either guy. Personally I was leaning towards a Malignaggi win by split decision. I felt that Paulie did more than enough to win by effectively counterpunching Diaz, and I unofficially scored the fight in favor of Malignaggi, seven rounds to five. But, alas, the official decision left a bad taste in many fans' mouths. The fight was unanimously awarded to Diaz with one judge — Van Hoy, incidentally — scoring the bout a virtual shutout with a 118-110 scorecard in favor of the Baby Bull.
Plain and simple, Malignaggi was robbed. It wasn't even close. If all the judges scored the fight close like Raul Caiz did for instance, who scored it 115-113 for Diaz, then it would have been understandable. But to have scored it 10 rounds to two for Diaz as Van Hoy did, was just ridiculous. Judges awarding wins to the undeserving fighter has been around for decades and it's not helping boxing. For instance, take the recent fight between Ali Funeka and Joan Guzman last November 28 for the vacant IBF lightweight title. Funeka had punished and bloodied Guzman for the entire fight and even managed to stagger the latter several times. In the end Funeka had to settle for a majority draw.
With all of these said, Chicago had proven to be a neutral venue for the fight. And the judges, Mauro Di Fiore, Tom Miller, and Michael Pernick who all scored the fight 116-111 in favor of Malignaggi, proved to be consummate professionals.
Malignaggi actually showed great attitude after his first fight with Diaz by readily accepting his fate albeit showing his displeasure. Malignaggi in effect had no problems moving on so to speak, and he showed that he was indeed the winner in the first fight by dominating Diaz in their rematch. Paulie had realized that, to paraphrase Aesop, there's no use crying over spilt milk.
The bad thing is, to use another expression culled from Aesop, Malignaggi had been sour graping (along with two other boxing people) since reigning pound-for-pound champion Manny Pacquiao destroyed Miguel Cotto.
Let's get to the crux of the matter. After Pacquiao annihilated Cotto, almost everyone from casual and hardcore fans to boxing pundits and writers (heck, even other boxers, both new and established)had been in awe of the Filipino fighter. It seems that Pacquiao's annihilation of Cotto had solidified his spot at the top of the pound-for-pound list.
Of course, there are always those critics who say negative things about Pacquiao's accomplishments and refuse to give the guy his due credit. There's Floyd Mayweather Sr. talking on Fight Hype and Sports Illustrated:"Man, that guy is on something. There's no way in the world he's going to be walking back a big man like that...I know Floyd is the best, but when your opponent uses something illegal, even the best can get hurt."
There's Kermit Cintron talking to Ring Talk: "I just think that... I honestly think that he is taking something, because a lot of fighters coming up in weight like that, 40 something pounds... he just looks ripped like Bruce Lee. A lot of people who come up in weight like that don't look as ripped as he is, they hold a lot of water weight. I just believe he is taking something. I think he is taking something for sure. I don't know what it is, whatever he is taking, its not coming up in the drug test. I honestly believe he is taking something, no 112 pounder comes up to 147, to look the way he does, he is taking something. Definitely, people who come up in weight like that they look soft, they don't look as ripped like when they fought at the way they started. It's definitely questionable."
Then, of course, there's Paulie Malignaggi.
"I think there is something up with Manny Pacquiao. I am not going to get into it. I think people will understand what I am saying. Full blown welterweights don't take those type of punches from Miguel Cotto the way he took them with total disregard for his power nor do they hurt him with every punch they hit him with. These are full blow welterweights I am talking about. This guy is coming up in weight and doing all these things. There is something up with this guy but that's as far as I am going to go into it. Floyd Mayweather (Senior) has gotten into it a little bit. There have been other fighters who have mentioned it. I am not going to get into no controversy. I am going to leave it at that. There is something that seriously makes me feel weird about Manny Pacquiao. I am going to leave it at that," Malignaggi said in an interview with BoxingScene.
But there's more. In an interview with Fight Hype, Malignaggi continues his tirade against Pacquiao, and even questioned and criticized the drug and urine tests boxers regularly undergo to detect the use of prohibited performance-enhancing drugs. "We only have your standard urine tests here, so what are you really going to catch? What are you really going to catch if someone wants to beat it, you know what I mean?"
Then there are Malignaggi's most recent statements, courtesy of the Examiner's Michael Marley and an interview at The Boxing Truth Radio Show:"Look at what Manny is doing. He is absolutely crushing world class killers. And here he is, this little midget.
"He gets a broken eardrum and yet he is walking around afterwards like he was dodging spitballs. There are things (drugs) out there that can do that.
"You're hiding under a rock if you can't see what I am talking about. This is a guy who was life and death with Juan Manuel Marquez at 120 pounds and now he's got 15 to 17 pounds of muscle on him. Look at how short he is, he didn't get taller, did he?
"It's not about hating Manny or being jealous. I think other fighters use performance enhancing drugs. I don't mean diuretics because those are used to make weight, not to enhance your performance. I'd say the bigger men (heavyweights) are doing it because they are not worried about making weight.
"First and foremost, you talk to body builders they'll tell you themselves, it's very hard to put 15-17 pounds of body muscle in a year and a half. Let's remember Manny Pacquiao fought at 130 pounds against Juan Manuel Marquez in '08. He fought in November of '09 against Miguel Cotto 15 to 17 pounds heavier. He looked exactly the same out of "rippedness" and "shreddedness" his body did at 130 pounds. So you're telling me, this guy 6 foot 4, 6 foot 5, body builder telling me that it's impossible to put on that kind of muscle mass in a year and a half naturally.
"You're telling me this little midget, 5'5" or 5'4", 5'6" at the most, put on 15 to 17 (pounds) in natural weight and his team is going to try and explain it saying he eats 7,000 calories a day and he just burns it. If you eat 7,000 calories a day and you're 5'5", 5'6", my man you are not going to look ripped, you're going to look a little bloated."
You have to admit, these guys, especially Malignaggi have a few valid points, but there are also a few flaws in their arguments.
Regarding what Malignaggi said about what bodybuilders told him that it is difficult for someone to put on muscle in such a short span of time, it actually depends on a person's body type. Remember that there are three different body types: Ectomorph, endomorph, and mesomorph.
Ectomorphs are the classic hard gainers. They are lean and fragile and delicate. These people actually need to work hard for every ounce of muscle and every bit of strength they can gain.
On the extreme opposite side of the spectrum are those who have the endomorph body types, which are characterized as round and soft. Endomorphs gain muscle quickly but they also gain fat just as easily. For this body type, losing weight, specifically fat, is very difficult.
Then we have the mesomorphs. People who are characterized as mesomorphs have a hard, athletic, and muscular body and they gain muscle more easily than the two aforementioned body types.
If you are a follower of boxing the past few years, you will easily notice different boxers who have their own characteristic body types. For example, fighters who have ectomorphic tendencies include Erik Morales and Paul Williams. Both guys are lanky and relatively lean for their respective weight divisions. Morales in particular before he got older — and before his metabolism slowed down that he would gain weight in between fights— held on to his lean frame for the most part of his early career.
On the endomorph side, you have Juan Diaz, who, despite his dedication to boxing, still looks soft and chubby even during weigh-ins. Sure he makes weight every time, but it's plain to see that he has more body fat in him than muscle.
This leads us to the mesomorphs. These guys have no problem gaining muscle weight, and that's the category where you can easily put Pacquiao in. He eats protein, he takes in supplements, he puts in time at the gym, and he gains weight easily, most of which is pure muscle.
We also have to remember that although Pacquiao started at light flyweight, he was still 17 years old back then, with no access to proper nutrition, protein supplements, and scientific training. Needless to say, this of course changed as he began taking in bigger purses and was now able to afford better and nutritious food, not to mention the expensive supplements. Alex Ariza's physical training techniques also need special mention here. And we also have to remember that the first time Pacquiao drastically moved up in weight (from flyweight to super bantamweight), it was prompted by a knockout loss from Medgoen Singsurat who fought a severely weight-drained Pacquiao. So even then, we could see that Pacquiao's body was rapidly changing, and was growing as he began filling out. Here we also see a first glimpse of how Pacquiao's body was getting stronger whenever he went up in weight as he won his first fight at super bantamweight via TKO. He then went on a tear at 122, with eleven of his 12 opponents failing to reach the final bell. He left the super bantamweight division when he gunned for Marco Antonio Barrera's Ring Magazine Featherweight strap, and we all know what the Pacman did to the Baby Faced Assassin.
When you come to think of it, all these criticisms on Pacquiao by Cintron, Mayweather Sr. and Malignaggi actually cast a bad light on them, rather than on Pacquiao's accomplishments. The criticisms actually make them look like sour grapers. Cintron for his part, seems to lack the drive and perhaps the championship caliber to cross over into superstar status as he lost by TKO and knockout respectively in his two fights against Antonio Margarito for the latter's WBO and IBF welterweight titles. And in Cintron's first fight at light middleweight for the interim WBC light middleweight title against Sergio Gabriel Martinez, he only managed to get a majority draw.
Pacquiao, with help from Freddie Roach, embarrassed the trash talking Mayweather Sr. by knocking out Ricky Hatton. Remember that Mayweather Sr., in one HBO 24/7 episode prior to that fight, labeled Pacquiao a "mule", and Hatton a "racehorse". When you think about it, it was indeed Hatton who was the racehorse in that fight; he was faster. Faster in the sense that it was the fastest ever that he kissed the canvas in his entire career.
For Malignaggi's part, perhaps it's eating him that he was punished severely by Cotto in the course of 12 rounds in their fight for the latter's WBO welterweight title, the same Cotto that was later annihilated by this "midget" that goes by the name Manny Pacquiao?
Regardless, in a report over at Sports Illustrated, Keith Kizer, executive director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, says that Pacquiao underwent a couple of urine tests before and after his fight with Cotto and the Filipino passed with flying colors.
In any sport, criticism, especially of the constructive and positive kind, is absolutely welcome. In fact, it can actually behoove the athlete to work hard and improve on his or her performance.
But when the criticisms just border on the libelous and are just plain old batty despite strong evidence to the contrary, then that's another story.
I'm sure if Pacquiao were asked to comment on Malignaggi's win against Diaz, he'd gladly congratulate the Magic Man and even say that it was a good fight and a great performance.
Im pretty sure as hell Pacquiao won't say: "I think there is something up with Paulie Malignaggi. I am not getting into it, I think people will understand what I am saying. Boxers who have a 16.67 knockout percentage, boxers who can't even hurt a five-year-old kid can't knock down and win a unanimous decision against bull strong fighters like Juan Diaz. I am not going into no controversy. I am going to leave it at that. There is something that seriously makes me feel weird about Paulie Malignaggi after this win against Juan Diaz. I am going to leave it at that."
No, Manny Pacquiao is just too damn classy for that.
The same, however, cannot be said for those critics who accuse him of taking steroids or performance-enhancing drugs.
Those guys need attitude-enhancing drugs.
Source: 8countnews.com
UFC 107: Mir copied ‘The Pacquiao punch’ to KO Kongo -- Telegraph.co.uk
By Gareth A Davies, Telegraph.co.uk
The unique style and use of angles to punch employed by Manny Pacquiao, who has won world titles from flyweight to welterweight, is crossing over into other combat sports.
‘The Pacquiao’ was used in a mixed martial arts fight on Saturday night – to stunning effect. One of Pacquiao’s trademark punches, where he dips his shoulder and head throws an overhand left-cum-hook, was used by Las Vegan UFC heavyweight Frank Mir in Memphis on Saturday night to deliver a devastating knockdown of his French opponent Cheick Kongo.
Mir, the former UFC heavyweight champion, who strikes from the south paw stance, delivered the same punch Pacquiao hit Ricky Hatton with in May 2009. Mir set the move up in the same way. He feinted to get Kongo moving into the direction of the left punch, and kerpow – the long left landed.
Mir explained: “It’s something we’ve been saying the whole training camp. We call it “The Pacquiao,” because Manny Pacquiao will step off as a southpaw and throw the overhand left. As soon as I hit Kongo I went to catch him with the uppercut and I didn’t see him, he was on the ground.”
“I knew I had the capability of beating Kongo based on what I could do in sparring. It’s just something I had to make sure crossed over. I charged him a little too aggressively (once he was down). I should have passed and established the under hook. Instead he was able to rotate and get back to his knees for a takedown which could have been a major mistake on other opponents like Cain (Velasquez) or Shane Carwin. But instead he gave me his neck and I train with Robert Drysdale on a daily basis. If I get someone’s neck in the heavyweight division, it’s over with.”
Mir’s submission win over Kongo – in the co-main event of Penn vs. Sanchez at UFC 107 could propel the Las Vegan into a fight against Shane Carwin while Brock Lesnar recuperates on the sidelines after stomach surgery.
ENDS
Source: blogs.telegraph.co.uk
***
The unique style and use of angles to punch employed by Manny Pacquiao, who has won world titles from flyweight to welterweight, is crossing over into other combat sports.
‘The Pacquiao’ was used in a mixed martial arts fight on Saturday night – to stunning effect. One of Pacquiao’s trademark punches, where he dips his shoulder and head throws an overhand left-cum-hook, was used by Las Vegan UFC heavyweight Frank Mir in Memphis on Saturday night to deliver a devastating knockdown of his French opponent Cheick Kongo.
Mir, the former UFC heavyweight champion, who strikes from the south paw stance, delivered the same punch Pacquiao hit Ricky Hatton with in May 2009. Mir set the move up in the same way. He feinted to get Kongo moving into the direction of the left punch, and kerpow – the long left landed.
Mir explained: “It’s something we’ve been saying the whole training camp. We call it “The Pacquiao,” because Manny Pacquiao will step off as a southpaw and throw the overhand left. As soon as I hit Kongo I went to catch him with the uppercut and I didn’t see him, he was on the ground.”
“I knew I had the capability of beating Kongo based on what I could do in sparring. It’s just something I had to make sure crossed over. I charged him a little too aggressively (once he was down). I should have passed and established the under hook. Instead he was able to rotate and get back to his knees for a takedown which could have been a major mistake on other opponents like Cain (Velasquez) or Shane Carwin. But instead he gave me his neck and I train with Robert Drysdale on a daily basis. If I get someone’s neck in the heavyweight division, it’s over with.”
Mir’s submission win over Kongo – in the co-main event of Penn vs. Sanchez at UFC 107 could propel the Las Vegan into a fight against Shane Carwin while Brock Lesnar recuperates on the sidelines after stomach surgery.
ENDS
Source: blogs.telegraph.co.uk
***
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