By NICK GIONGCO, Manila Bulletin
Boxing Monthy, the British-based magazine, has named Manny Pacquiao as its choice for Fighter of the Year for 2009.
In a decision that did not come as a surprise to everyone in the know, Pacquiao’s selection stemmed from his two victories against topnotch opposition, the second-round demolition of Englishman Ricky Hatton in May and the Filipino’s brutal stoppage win over Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto in November.
Pacquiao’s choice as 2009’s finest was made in the January 2010 issue of the monthly publication, where an image of him striking a fighting pose is splashed on its cover.
Even though he scored a savage kayo win over Hatton, a popular figure in the British sports scene, Pacquiao had endeared himself to UK fans when he came to visit London and Manchester two months before the fight as part of a publicity tour.
With Boxing Monthly beating almost everyone to the punch, other publications and internet sites are expected to come up with their own version of the annual awards for boxing soon.
Expected to release their own list are The Ring, regarded as the Bible of Boxing, and a bevy of sites dedicated mainly to boxing.
Even the prestigious Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA), which has named Pacquiao twice the recipient of the most coveted award, the Edward Neil Trophy (Best Boxer), is expected to announce its choice soon after votes are counted.
Pacquiao was BWAA top awardee for 2006 and 2008.
Source: mb.com.ph
Saturday 19 December 2009
Filipino boxer fights back from severe injury -- Las Vegas Sun
By Case Keefer, Las Vegas Sun
Seconds before Z Gorres collapsed, he enjoyed one of the proudest moments of his life.
Gorres, a 27-year old bantamweight boxer from the Philippines, scored a unanimous-decision victory against Colombian Juan Melendez on Nov. 23 at the House of Blues in Mandalay Bay.
Gorres circled the ring holding his home country's flag in celebration and asked his trainer, Edito Villamor, to grab a few loose items to keep as souvenirs.
"He was very happy," Villamor said through a translator. "He raised the Philippines flag. It was a lot of Filipino pride that he won."
But when Gorres returned to his corner, he realized he couldn't move his legs. He fell over, and ringside doctors immediately rushed to his side.
Gorres suffered a subdural hematoma, a form of brain hemorrhage, on the left side of his skull. A severe head injury of this kind in boxing usually occurs once per year, said Keith Kizer, Executive Director of the Nevada Athletic Commission.
It's a life-threatening injury, but Gorres was able to fight his way to stable condition. He's spent the month since the fight confined to a bed in isolation at University Medical Center.
The left side of Gorres' body is paralyzed, he can't speak and tubes help him breathe.
"Boxing was his way out of poverty," said UNLV assistant boxing coach Frank Slaughter, who has worked to raise money on Gorres' behalf. "This sickens me."
Born to fight
To understand Gorres' boxing career, it's important to understand where he came from.
Gorres grew up in the provinces of Agusan del Norte and Cebu in the Philippines, where boxing is king. He was drawn to the sport at a young age.
"I boxed with Z's older brother and he started going around with us at 6 or 7 years old," Villamor said. "He started boxing at 9 years old."
Gorres found immediate success. His feet were quick. His punches were precise. He picked up on some of the techniques his older brother, Jun, used.
His wife, Duchess, said he started getting impressive results at a young age, including three amateur national championships.
His professional career wasn't any less dominant. Gorres has a career-record of 31-2-2. Before his injury, he was considered a title contender.
Villamor said he always fought with heart for his country and the memory of his brother, who was stabbed to death in the Philippines four years ago.
Fight night
The second weekend of November shaped up to be monumental in the Filipino boxing community.
The MGM Grand would host a championship bout between perhaps the world's best boxer, Filipino Manny Pacquiao, and Miguel Cotto. But also, up-and-comer Gorres was one of the headliners on a Friday-night card across the street at Mandalay Bay.
Through the first nine rounds, the fight went perfectly for Gorres.
"He actually did really well," Kizer said. "Going into the 10th round, he was in complete control and really dominated the fight."
One punch, however, changed everything. Melendez connected with Gorres' head on a left cross.
Gorres went down with 30 seconds remaining in the fight, but got up after the referee reached eight on the 10-count.
"I was really worried because he got hit pretty bad with that one," Villamor said.
Although Gorres was visibly in trouble, he stayed up for the final few seconds to win the fight.
He listened to the announcer say he was the winner by unanimous decision and took his victory lap around the ring. Villamor will never forget what happened next.
"He just said he got hit, but he didn't mention he was dizzy or anything like that," Villamor said. "After that, he sat down and that's when he collapsed."
Meanwhile, Duchess was at home in the Philippines with the couple's four children awaiting the news from the fight.
Duchess' first indications were positive. It wasn't until later that she learned her husband was in critical condition.
"I got a text from a friend that Z won," Duchess said through a translator. "I went home and checked on the Internet and that's when I knew that Z collapsed. From reading the article, I knew it was that bad and that's when I started to worry."
The injury
Duchess' nightmare got worse when her phone rang.
It was Z's manager, who informed her that Z was being taken into the intensive care unit. No one knew if Z would survive the night.
"That's one of the worst things that's ever happened in my life," Duchess said. "I was really worried."
There was reason to be pessimistic. In 2005, two boxers in separate cases died in Nevada after suffering a subdural hematoma.
But Kizer said those incidents forced the Nevada State Athletic Commission to adopt tighter regulations and implement stronger emergency procedures — such as having three doctors ringside at all times during a fight.
Kizer said those changes could have played a role in saving Gorres' life. He said the response to Gorres' injury was the best he's seen.
"They got him to the hospital very quickly," Kizer said. "He was well-prepped. We've never seen that quick resolve. It was miraculous. That's coming from the hospital staff telling us he received some immaculate care."
Hospital staff admitted Gorres and he immediately underwent emergency brain surgery. It was successful and despite the odds, Gorres quickly was transferred out of the ICU and upgraded to stable condition.
Kizer said that although Gorres' situation was unfortunate, he didn't think anything else could have been done.
"At the end of the day, these guys are throwing hard strikes to the head," Kizer said. "That's why we have such strict requirements in the ring."
The recovery
Duchess Gorres arrived in Las Vegas 20 days after the fight to see her husband for the first time since the injury.
She said she heard in the Philippines all about the tubes he was connected to and was scared to walk into the room for the first time. Her fears quickly were alleviated.
"When I saw my husband, he was doing the act of trying to give me a hug," Duchess said. "But he couldn't do it because of his left side."
Duchess has spent every day since then at UMC with her husband. They communicate primarily by writing, as Z still has full use of his right hand.
She said he frequently asked about his children and the rest of his family back home. Sometimes, Z squeezes Duchess' hand as a sign of affection.
Duchess said she had seen steady improvement.
"He looks much better than when I got here," she said. "The problem is his left side is paralyzed."
No one knows how far Z's recovery will go. He will likely be paralyzed for the rest of his life, but there's no timetable for when he may be able to speak or breathe on his own again. Gorres will never fight again.
The focus now is getting Z healthy enough to take a medical flight back to the Philippines. Slaughter is trying to raise money to make the flight possible and is asking everyone who attended the Pacquiao fight the night before Gorres' injury to donate at least $5.
A PayPal account has been set up where the funds go directly to the family under the e-mail datchesgorres@yahoo.com.
"I want him to go back to the Philippines," Duchess said. "But I first want him to be stable."
Source: lasvegassun.com
Seconds before Z Gorres collapsed, he enjoyed one of the proudest moments of his life.
Gorres, a 27-year old bantamweight boxer from the Philippines, scored a unanimous-decision victory against Colombian Juan Melendez on Nov. 23 at the House of Blues in Mandalay Bay.
Gorres circled the ring holding his home country's flag in celebration and asked his trainer, Edito Villamor, to grab a few loose items to keep as souvenirs.
"He was very happy," Villamor said through a translator. "He raised the Philippines flag. It was a lot of Filipino pride that he won."
But when Gorres returned to his corner, he realized he couldn't move his legs. He fell over, and ringside doctors immediately rushed to his side.
Gorres suffered a subdural hematoma, a form of brain hemorrhage, on the left side of his skull. A severe head injury of this kind in boxing usually occurs once per year, said Keith Kizer, Executive Director of the Nevada Athletic Commission.
It's a life-threatening injury, but Gorres was able to fight his way to stable condition. He's spent the month since the fight confined to a bed in isolation at University Medical Center.
The left side of Gorres' body is paralyzed, he can't speak and tubes help him breathe.
"Boxing was his way out of poverty," said UNLV assistant boxing coach Frank Slaughter, who has worked to raise money on Gorres' behalf. "This sickens me."
Born to fight
To understand Gorres' boxing career, it's important to understand where he came from.
Gorres grew up in the provinces of Agusan del Norte and Cebu in the Philippines, where boxing is king. He was drawn to the sport at a young age.
"I boxed with Z's older brother and he started going around with us at 6 or 7 years old," Villamor said. "He started boxing at 9 years old."
Gorres found immediate success. His feet were quick. His punches were precise. He picked up on some of the techniques his older brother, Jun, used.
His wife, Duchess, said he started getting impressive results at a young age, including three amateur national championships.
His professional career wasn't any less dominant. Gorres has a career-record of 31-2-2. Before his injury, he was considered a title contender.
Villamor said he always fought with heart for his country and the memory of his brother, who was stabbed to death in the Philippines four years ago.
Fight night
The second weekend of November shaped up to be monumental in the Filipino boxing community.
The MGM Grand would host a championship bout between perhaps the world's best boxer, Filipino Manny Pacquiao, and Miguel Cotto. But also, up-and-comer Gorres was one of the headliners on a Friday-night card across the street at Mandalay Bay.
Through the first nine rounds, the fight went perfectly for Gorres.
"He actually did really well," Kizer said. "Going into the 10th round, he was in complete control and really dominated the fight."
One punch, however, changed everything. Melendez connected with Gorres' head on a left cross.
Gorres went down with 30 seconds remaining in the fight, but got up after the referee reached eight on the 10-count.
"I was really worried because he got hit pretty bad with that one," Villamor said.
Although Gorres was visibly in trouble, he stayed up for the final few seconds to win the fight.
He listened to the announcer say he was the winner by unanimous decision and took his victory lap around the ring. Villamor will never forget what happened next.
"He just said he got hit, but he didn't mention he was dizzy or anything like that," Villamor said. "After that, he sat down and that's when he collapsed."
Meanwhile, Duchess was at home in the Philippines with the couple's four children awaiting the news from the fight.
Duchess' first indications were positive. It wasn't until later that she learned her husband was in critical condition.
"I got a text from a friend that Z won," Duchess said through a translator. "I went home and checked on the Internet and that's when I knew that Z collapsed. From reading the article, I knew it was that bad and that's when I started to worry."
The injury
Duchess' nightmare got worse when her phone rang.
It was Z's manager, who informed her that Z was being taken into the intensive care unit. No one knew if Z would survive the night.
"That's one of the worst things that's ever happened in my life," Duchess said. "I was really worried."
There was reason to be pessimistic. In 2005, two boxers in separate cases died in Nevada after suffering a subdural hematoma.
But Kizer said those incidents forced the Nevada State Athletic Commission to adopt tighter regulations and implement stronger emergency procedures — such as having three doctors ringside at all times during a fight.
Kizer said those changes could have played a role in saving Gorres' life. He said the response to Gorres' injury was the best he's seen.
"They got him to the hospital very quickly," Kizer said. "He was well-prepped. We've never seen that quick resolve. It was miraculous. That's coming from the hospital staff telling us he received some immaculate care."
Hospital staff admitted Gorres and he immediately underwent emergency brain surgery. It was successful and despite the odds, Gorres quickly was transferred out of the ICU and upgraded to stable condition.
Kizer said that although Gorres' situation was unfortunate, he didn't think anything else could have been done.
"At the end of the day, these guys are throwing hard strikes to the head," Kizer said. "That's why we have such strict requirements in the ring."
The recovery
Duchess Gorres arrived in Las Vegas 20 days after the fight to see her husband for the first time since the injury.
She said she heard in the Philippines all about the tubes he was connected to and was scared to walk into the room for the first time. Her fears quickly were alleviated.
"When I saw my husband, he was doing the act of trying to give me a hug," Duchess said. "But he couldn't do it because of his left side."
Duchess has spent every day since then at UMC with her husband. They communicate primarily by writing, as Z still has full use of his right hand.
She said he frequently asked about his children and the rest of his family back home. Sometimes, Z squeezes Duchess' hand as a sign of affection.
Duchess said she had seen steady improvement.
"He looks much better than when I got here," she said. "The problem is his left side is paralyzed."
No one knows how far Z's recovery will go. He will likely be paralyzed for the rest of his life, but there's no timetable for when he may be able to speak or breathe on his own again. Gorres will never fight again.
The focus now is getting Z healthy enough to take a medical flight back to the Philippines. Slaughter is trying to raise money to make the flight possible and is asking everyone who attended the Pacquiao fight the night before Gorres' injury to donate at least $5.
A PayPal account has been set up where the funds go directly to the family under the e-mail datchesgorres@yahoo.com.
"I want him to go back to the Philippines," Duchess said. "But I first want him to be stable."
Source: lasvegassun.com
When do you say goodbye? -- Black Athlete
By Tom Donelson, Black Athlete
IOWA CITY (BASN) -- Lou Dibella has recently severed his ties to Jermain Taylor, hoping that he gets the message -- it is time to say goodbye. Taylor has suffered his fourth loss in his last five fights, three by knockouts.
These last five fights were brutal affairs that shorten careers and the question that remains -- how much is really left after tough losses?
In his bout against Arthur Abraham, Taylor suffered his worst defeat. From the opening bell, Abraham punished him and with seconds left, Abraham nailed Taylor with the perfect right hand that sent him down for the count.
This bout followed his defeat at the hands of English Super Middleweight Carl Froch, who was losing the fight going into the last round, but over the last half of the fight punished Taylor.
He knocked Taylor down twice, the final knockdown coming seconds left in the fight . Had he been able to stay standing, Taylor would have been one of the Super Middleweights champions.
Taylor's dilemma is that his participation in the Super Six and his upcoming against Andre Ward means a shot at another championship. His next two scheduled fights are against boxer-punchers, but not punishers and Taylor wants his last chance of championship glory.
What makes this difficult for Taylor is that he is not the oldest fighter in the tournament (just over 30) . Chronologically speaking, he's not old, but five brutal fights can age a fighter and his upcoming fight with Ward will determine how close Taylor is to the end.
It is not an easy decision for Taylor for he feels that he still has something left and his next two bouts are against fighters similar to his style.
Taylor has been a good fighter and had a streak of beating champions and former champions including Cory Spinks and Bernard Hopkins twice plus a draw against the slick Winky Wright, but his first lost came to Kelly Pavlik in a fight that he was winning.
Taylor nearly ended the fight against Pavlik early, but he couldn’t put him away and this cost him his championship. So does Taylor continue with the Super Six or does he say goodbye?
MORE EXAMPLES
Juan Diaz lost a close bout to Paulie Malignaggi, his third loss in his last five bouts.
Even his victory over Malignaggi in their first bout was close and could easily have been a lost. For Diaz, he has other career options with a college degree and goal of becoming a lawyer; so boxing is but one aspect of his life.
Diaz has been a champion and fought some of the best fighters in the lightweight division and he is not yet 30 years old. The thing is that he barely beat a fighter who lost decisive bouts to Miguel Cotto and Ricky Hatton.
Diaz is very good fighter but he is just short of being a great fighter so why continue to fight? He should have money in the bank and new opportunities. Of course, Diaz could simply say, “I still have something left and there are titles to fight for.”
When does a fighter say, it is time to turn a new page, especially when you have options? Finally for Roy Jones, it is time to say goodbye. Diaz and Taylor are still relatively young and can make cases to continue fighting; Jones can’t make the case any longer.
In 2003, Jones was at top of the world when he defeated John Ruiz. After winning a portion of the Heavyweight champion, no one would have forgiven him for saying goodbye nor would they if he had retired after narrowly escaping losing to Antonio Tarver by taking the last two rounds.
Instead, he went to the well once too often and got clocked in the second round by Tarver in their rematch. From that point, he was no longer the same as he followed that lost with a worst lost to Glen Johnson.
He defeated another fighter on his down side -- Jeff Lacy -- this past summer to set up a bout with Danny Green. The Jones-Green bout was scheduled to be a prep fight for a Jones-Hopkins fight, but Green slaughtered Jones in one round.
Now it is Green who is in line for a bout against Hopkins.
For Jones, it simply showed that the end is now. He hasn't been able to beat an elite fighter since his loss to Tarver. He has evolved into a top ten fighter, but not a championship caliber fighter.
Jones had been a great fighter, but he is no longer the Jones of old and he is no longer a championship fighter. He has moved into boxing promotional side and is a business man so he is not without options.
Like Oscar De La Hoya, he was businessman who fought but now it is time to be a businessman. He realized that after his loss to Manny Pacquiao, his days in the ring were over.
Jones' career in the ring is also over as well.
Source: blackathlete.net
IOWA CITY (BASN) -- Lou Dibella has recently severed his ties to Jermain Taylor, hoping that he gets the message -- it is time to say goodbye. Taylor has suffered his fourth loss in his last five fights, three by knockouts.
These last five fights were brutal affairs that shorten careers and the question that remains -- how much is really left after tough losses?
In his bout against Arthur Abraham, Taylor suffered his worst defeat. From the opening bell, Abraham punished him and with seconds left, Abraham nailed Taylor with the perfect right hand that sent him down for the count.
This bout followed his defeat at the hands of English Super Middleweight Carl Froch, who was losing the fight going into the last round, but over the last half of the fight punished Taylor.
He knocked Taylor down twice, the final knockdown coming seconds left in the fight . Had he been able to stay standing, Taylor would have been one of the Super Middleweights champions.
Taylor's dilemma is that his participation in the Super Six and his upcoming against Andre Ward means a shot at another championship. His next two scheduled fights are against boxer-punchers, but not punishers and Taylor wants his last chance of championship glory.
What makes this difficult for Taylor is that he is not the oldest fighter in the tournament (just over 30) . Chronologically speaking, he's not old, but five brutal fights can age a fighter and his upcoming fight with Ward will determine how close Taylor is to the end.
It is not an easy decision for Taylor for he feels that he still has something left and his next two bouts are against fighters similar to his style.
Taylor has been a good fighter and had a streak of beating champions and former champions including Cory Spinks and Bernard Hopkins twice plus a draw against the slick Winky Wright, but his first lost came to Kelly Pavlik in a fight that he was winning.
Taylor nearly ended the fight against Pavlik early, but he couldn’t put him away and this cost him his championship. So does Taylor continue with the Super Six or does he say goodbye?
MORE EXAMPLES
Juan Diaz lost a close bout to Paulie Malignaggi, his third loss in his last five bouts.
Even his victory over Malignaggi in their first bout was close and could easily have been a lost. For Diaz, he has other career options with a college degree and goal of becoming a lawyer; so boxing is but one aspect of his life.
Diaz has been a champion and fought some of the best fighters in the lightweight division and he is not yet 30 years old. The thing is that he barely beat a fighter who lost decisive bouts to Miguel Cotto and Ricky Hatton.
Diaz is very good fighter but he is just short of being a great fighter so why continue to fight? He should have money in the bank and new opportunities. Of course, Diaz could simply say, “I still have something left and there are titles to fight for.”
When does a fighter say, it is time to turn a new page, especially when you have options? Finally for Roy Jones, it is time to say goodbye. Diaz and Taylor are still relatively young and can make cases to continue fighting; Jones can’t make the case any longer.
In 2003, Jones was at top of the world when he defeated John Ruiz. After winning a portion of the Heavyweight champion, no one would have forgiven him for saying goodbye nor would they if he had retired after narrowly escaping losing to Antonio Tarver by taking the last two rounds.
Instead, he went to the well once too often and got clocked in the second round by Tarver in their rematch. From that point, he was no longer the same as he followed that lost with a worst lost to Glen Johnson.
He defeated another fighter on his down side -- Jeff Lacy -- this past summer to set up a bout with Danny Green. The Jones-Green bout was scheduled to be a prep fight for a Jones-Hopkins fight, but Green slaughtered Jones in one round.
Now it is Green who is in line for a bout against Hopkins.
For Jones, it simply showed that the end is now. He hasn't been able to beat an elite fighter since his loss to Tarver. He has evolved into a top ten fighter, but not a championship caliber fighter.
Jones had been a great fighter, but he is no longer the Jones of old and he is no longer a championship fighter. He has moved into boxing promotional side and is a business man so he is not without options.
Like Oscar De La Hoya, he was businessman who fought but now it is time to be a businessman. He realized that after his loss to Manny Pacquiao, his days in the ring were over.
Jones' career in the ring is also over as well.
Source: blackathlete.net
Pavlik back in ring after battle with hand injury -- New York Post
By George Willis, New York Post
Kelly Pavlik might be nicknamed “The Ghost” because of his pale complexion, but it also could apply to his absence from boxing in 2009. Pavlik hasn’t been seen in a ring since February, when Marco Antonio Rubio decided to quit after nine rounds of their fight in Youngstown, Ohio.
Two major surgeries on a staph infection to a knuckle on his left hand and a life-threatening reaction to an antibiotic kept Pavlik on the shelf, causing him to twice postpone and eventually cancel a fight with Paul Williams.
With his hand finally sound, Pavlik (35-1, 31 KOs) defends his WBC middleweight title tonight against Miguel Espino (20-2-1, 9 KOs) of North Hollywood, Calif. The scheduled 12-round bout takes place at Youngstown State University’s Beeghly Center and will be part of a four-bout pay-per-view ($39.95) double-header beginning at 9 p.m.
There will be two bouts televised from Ciudad Obregon, Mexico, where WBA interim bantamweight champion Neomar Cermeno (18-0, 10 KOs) of Venezuela defends against Alejandro Valdez (22-3-2, 16 KOs) of Ciudad Obregon.
Pavlik will be defending his middleweight crown for the third time and said he is eager to close out a difficult year on a good note.
“It’s been a long year for me, very frustrating because of a series of setbacks,” Pavlik said. “First it was a hand injury, then it was an infection, then it was a bad reaction to the antibiotic, and then the rehab therapy for the original injury. But now I’m back. I feel great. I have a huge hunger to get back into the ring. It will be bombs away!”
Though he still can’t make a totally closed fist, Pavlik said his hand “is feeling good.”
“There is no pain and everything is fine,” Pavlik said.
He bristles at the notion he intentionally ducked out on a scheduled Dec. 5 fight with Williams, who eventually won a close decision over Sergio Martinez.
“The people that know about the sport know the truth,” Pavlik said. “It bugs my team and it bugs my family. They’re the ones that get really worked up about it. I had a setback like everyone has. Football players get staph infections all the time. I got one and I will still fight twice this year. I still stayed somewhat active in ‘09. I know what we have planned for the future and know what track we are on.”
Espino is ranked No. 3 by the WBC but is best known for appearing on the television series “The Contender.” His game plan will be to pressure Pavlik and make the champion fight backing up.
“Kelly is tall, lanky and hits hard,” Espino said. “The key for me is to stay focused throughout the fight, stay calm and stick to the game plan. It’s a good one designed to exploit Kelly’s flaws. I have every intention of making the most of this opportunity.”
The UFC is headed back to the Prudential Center in Newark for the first time in three years. UFC 111 is set for March 27 with Georges St-Pierre defending his welterweight title against England’s Dan Hardy. It also is being reported that Frank Mir will face Shane Carwin for the interim UFC heavyweight title while Brock Lesnar recovers from a bacterial infection. Frankie Edgar of Tom River, N.J., also could be added to the pay-per-view card.
Negotiations continue on a site for the proposed March 13 bout between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. When and if the deal is finalized, Mayweather said he is confident he will be victorious.
“I just know nobody [can] beat me,” Mayweather told the Post. “It is what it is. For 14 years they’ve been trying to find a fighter that can beat me and they’ve come up short every time.”
george.willis@nypost.com
Source: nypost.com
Kelly Pavlik might be nicknamed “The Ghost” because of his pale complexion, but it also could apply to his absence from boxing in 2009. Pavlik hasn’t been seen in a ring since February, when Marco Antonio Rubio decided to quit after nine rounds of their fight in Youngstown, Ohio.
Two major surgeries on a staph infection to a knuckle on his left hand and a life-threatening reaction to an antibiotic kept Pavlik on the shelf, causing him to twice postpone and eventually cancel a fight with Paul Williams.
With his hand finally sound, Pavlik (35-1, 31 KOs) defends his WBC middleweight title tonight against Miguel Espino (20-2-1, 9 KOs) of North Hollywood, Calif. The scheduled 12-round bout takes place at Youngstown State University’s Beeghly Center and will be part of a four-bout pay-per-view ($39.95) double-header beginning at 9 p.m.
There will be two bouts televised from Ciudad Obregon, Mexico, where WBA interim bantamweight champion Neomar Cermeno (18-0, 10 KOs) of Venezuela defends against Alejandro Valdez (22-3-2, 16 KOs) of Ciudad Obregon.
Pavlik will be defending his middleweight crown for the third time and said he is eager to close out a difficult year on a good note.
“It’s been a long year for me, very frustrating because of a series of setbacks,” Pavlik said. “First it was a hand injury, then it was an infection, then it was a bad reaction to the antibiotic, and then the rehab therapy for the original injury. But now I’m back. I feel great. I have a huge hunger to get back into the ring. It will be bombs away!”
Though he still can’t make a totally closed fist, Pavlik said his hand “is feeling good.”
“There is no pain and everything is fine,” Pavlik said.
He bristles at the notion he intentionally ducked out on a scheduled Dec. 5 fight with Williams, who eventually won a close decision over Sergio Martinez.
“The people that know about the sport know the truth,” Pavlik said. “It bugs my team and it bugs my family. They’re the ones that get really worked up about it. I had a setback like everyone has. Football players get staph infections all the time. I got one and I will still fight twice this year. I still stayed somewhat active in ‘09. I know what we have planned for the future and know what track we are on.”
Espino is ranked No. 3 by the WBC but is best known for appearing on the television series “The Contender.” His game plan will be to pressure Pavlik and make the champion fight backing up.
“Kelly is tall, lanky and hits hard,” Espino said. “The key for me is to stay focused throughout the fight, stay calm and stick to the game plan. It’s a good one designed to exploit Kelly’s flaws. I have every intention of making the most of this opportunity.”
The UFC is headed back to the Prudential Center in Newark for the first time in three years. UFC 111 is set for March 27 with Georges St-Pierre defending his welterweight title against England’s Dan Hardy. It also is being reported that Frank Mir will face Shane Carwin for the interim UFC heavyweight title while Brock Lesnar recovers from a bacterial infection. Frankie Edgar of Tom River, N.J., also could be added to the pay-per-view card.
Negotiations continue on a site for the proposed March 13 bout between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. When and if the deal is finalized, Mayweather said he is confident he will be victorious.
“I just know nobody [can] beat me,” Mayweather told the Post. “It is what it is. For 14 years they’ve been trying to find a fighter that can beat me and they’ve come up short every time.”
george.willis@nypost.com
Source: nypost.com
Buyer's remorse slams Mayweather as he inks Pacquiao contract -- Examiner.com
By Michael Marley, Examiner.com
Psychologists refer to it as a form of cognitive dissonance.
They call it “buyer’s remorse” and I am thinking that, when Floyd Mayweather inks his bout contract for Manny Pacquiao, it will hit him like a ton of bricks.
Maybe, Floyd will think, I should have waited for Sugar Shane Mosley, so much older than Pacman, after he beats upstart Andre Berto.
Or maybe, Mayweather may ponder, I should have looked for easier opponents such as Tiny Tot Juan Manuel Marquez. Maybe I should always be a welterweight fighting puffed up lightweights.
Here’s how Wisegeek.com describes buyer’s remorse:
Buyer's remorse takes many different forms, most of them typified by a high level of anxiety, usually about having made the wrong decision. Sometimes buyer's remorse strikes when a person makes a purchase they may not have actually had the money or credit for, and after buying it they begin to realize that they were living well outside of their means, and worry begins to grow over the consequences. This is especially true of purchases such as buying a new home, which is one of the most common triggers for buyer's remorse, due in no small part to the huge amounts of money usually involved.
Buyer's remorse may also focus on the worry that a purchase was made at the wrong time, and that by waiting a better deal could be had. This type of buyer's remorse is especially common in the technology sector, and in automobiles, where new generations of products are released regularly. A person might make a purchase and then immediately begin wishing they had waited for the next generation to come out, as their product will soon be outdated. This type of buyer's remorse is largely unfounded, since the same case can be made at any point in time, as new generations are constantly being rolled out. It is especially prevalent when a new generation of a product is immediately released, however, leading the buyer to wish they had waited a week or two before committing to a purchase.
Buyer's remorse may also express itself as extreme guilt over the buying act itself. Especially with people who may have a problem with over-consumption, after making a purchase they may begin to feel regret for having once again succumbed to an addiction. This may also manifest as a concern for how others will view their purchases, especially if they may easily be viewed as frivolous or in bad judgment.
Psychologically, buyer's remorse makes perfect sense. A consumer switches from one state to another when making a purchase, where the state before they've made the purchase has enormous positive influence, and the purchase afterward loses a great deal of that. Before making a purchase, a buyer is faced with a great deal of choices, giving them a sense of agency and power in the world. They have money or credit to spend, and get to exert their dominance over the marketplace by placing their purchasing power.
(mlcmarley@aol.com)
Source: examiner.com
Courtesy of Art Garcia, MannyPacquiao.Ph
Psychologists refer to it as a form of cognitive dissonance.
They call it “buyer’s remorse” and I am thinking that, when Floyd Mayweather inks his bout contract for Manny Pacquiao, it will hit him like a ton of bricks.
Maybe, Floyd will think, I should have waited for Sugar Shane Mosley, so much older than Pacman, after he beats upstart Andre Berto.
Or maybe, Mayweather may ponder, I should have looked for easier opponents such as Tiny Tot Juan Manuel Marquez. Maybe I should always be a welterweight fighting puffed up lightweights.
Here’s how Wisegeek.com describes buyer’s remorse:
Buyer's remorse takes many different forms, most of them typified by a high level of anxiety, usually about having made the wrong decision. Sometimes buyer's remorse strikes when a person makes a purchase they may not have actually had the money or credit for, and after buying it they begin to realize that they were living well outside of their means, and worry begins to grow over the consequences. This is especially true of purchases such as buying a new home, which is one of the most common triggers for buyer's remorse, due in no small part to the huge amounts of money usually involved.
Buyer's remorse may also focus on the worry that a purchase was made at the wrong time, and that by waiting a better deal could be had. This type of buyer's remorse is especially common in the technology sector, and in automobiles, where new generations of products are released regularly. A person might make a purchase and then immediately begin wishing they had waited for the next generation to come out, as their product will soon be outdated. This type of buyer's remorse is largely unfounded, since the same case can be made at any point in time, as new generations are constantly being rolled out. It is especially prevalent when a new generation of a product is immediately released, however, leading the buyer to wish they had waited a week or two before committing to a purchase.
Buyer's remorse may also express itself as extreme guilt over the buying act itself. Especially with people who may have a problem with over-consumption, after making a purchase they may begin to feel regret for having once again succumbed to an addiction. This may also manifest as a concern for how others will view their purchases, especially if they may easily be viewed as frivolous or in bad judgment.
Psychologically, buyer's remorse makes perfect sense. A consumer switches from one state to another when making a purchase, where the state before they've made the purchase has enormous positive influence, and the purchase afterward loses a great deal of that. Before making a purchase, a buyer is faced with a great deal of choices, giving them a sense of agency and power in the world. They have money or credit to spend, and get to exert their dominance over the marketplace by placing their purchasing power.
(mlcmarley@aol.com)
Source: examiner.com
Pacquiao's Conditioning Coach Tells Mayweather to Just Get in the Ring with Manny -- 411mania.com
By FJ Parlan, 411mania.com
Alex Ariza, who puts stuff into Pacquiao's body, is confident there's nothing illegal there. So he tells Mayweather to stop the posturing.
You hear everywhere that the pound-for-pound showdown of Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. is "all but set." Yes, the camps of both parties have agreed in principle, but there are some details to be ironed out.
Such as Mayweather's request to conduct Olympic-style drug tests for the fight.
To Alex Ariza, Pacquiao's conditiong coach, those are just all postures, which might be delaying fight negotiations.
Having no issue with a more thorough Olympic drug test, Ariza said "no matter where they try to look for something, at the end of the day Mayweather is going to have to get in that ring and he is just going to have to show up. All the posturing about Manny getting knocked out or being on steroids…all of that s—t, he is going to eventually have to step into that ring and he's going to have to fight. There's not going to be any excuses."
The Mayweathers have been coming out in the open to accuse Pacquiao of taking performance-enhancement drugs, while Ariza has always been open about the substances he ingests into Pacquiao's body.
Ariza assures that he is totally responsible and in charge of what Pacquiao's body intakes, and it's the same natural stuffs that he gives other fighters like Amir Khan (who will be Pacquiao's main sparring partner for the fight) and Vanes Martirosyan. No steroids or anything illegal.
Ariza directly tells Mayweather, "don't look for excuses, don't run, just show up to fight."
Source: 411mania.com
Alex Ariza, who puts stuff into Pacquiao's body, is confident there's nothing illegal there. So he tells Mayweather to stop the posturing.
You hear everywhere that the pound-for-pound showdown of Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. is "all but set." Yes, the camps of both parties have agreed in principle, but there are some details to be ironed out.
Such as Mayweather's request to conduct Olympic-style drug tests for the fight.
To Alex Ariza, Pacquiao's conditiong coach, those are just all postures, which might be delaying fight negotiations.
Having no issue with a more thorough Olympic drug test, Ariza said "no matter where they try to look for something, at the end of the day Mayweather is going to have to get in that ring and he is just going to have to show up. All the posturing about Manny getting knocked out or being on steroids…all of that s—t, he is going to eventually have to step into that ring and he's going to have to fight. There's not going to be any excuses."
The Mayweathers have been coming out in the open to accuse Pacquiao of taking performance-enhancement drugs, while Ariza has always been open about the substances he ingests into Pacquiao's body.
Ariza assures that he is totally responsible and in charge of what Pacquiao's body intakes, and it's the same natural stuffs that he gives other fighters like Amir Khan (who will be Pacquiao's main sparring partner for the fight) and Vanes Martirosyan. No steroids or anything illegal.
Ariza directly tells Mayweather, "don't look for excuses, don't run, just show up to fight."
Source: 411mania.com
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