Roach gives Pacquiao a passing mark -- GMA News

RCJ, GMANews.TV

With training camp for his upcoming title fight not yet formally on the go, Manny Pacquiao already got a passing mark from no less than trainer Freddie Roach.

Reunited with his famed boxer Monday after six long months, Roach was very satisfied with what he saw following a two-hour workout with the Filipino boxing icon at the Elorde boxing gym in Quezon City.

After doing seven rounds with the mitts, Roach came down from the ring convinced that the world’s pound-for-pound king hardly lost a step despite not being active following his unanimous 12-round decision over Joshua Clottey last March.

“We had a very good start," said Roach, who plunged outright into the ring less than 48 hours since arriving in the country Sunday.

“We didn’t rest in between rounds. Manny already knows what to do with that guy (Margarito)."

The showdown with the 5-foot-11 Margarito is set Nov. 13 at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, giving Pacquiao and Roach at least eight good weeks to train and be in shape for the bout where the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) light-middleweight title is at stake.

Training camp kicks off either on Wednesday or Thursday in the mountains of Baguio City, which will serve home for Pacquiao and his group for the next four weeks.

By mid-October, Pacquiao and Co., travel to Los Angeles, California and resume training at the Wild Card gym for the remaining weeks.

Roach came over with sparring partners Glen Tapia and Michael Medina, both of whom also worked out at the gym Monday.

Training had to be moved two hours later as Pacquiao was caught up in heavy traffic at the Southern Luzon Expressway since the boxing champion came all the way from his home in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.

But the hassle hardly affected the boxer-turned congressman as he was all smiles during the workout.

Shortly after, Pacquiao admitted he’s still a bit slow and has yet to get his timing, although he expects to get better once training camp gets into full swing.

Roach said sparring session starts next week and will be held every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.

Two more other sparring mates in Vanes Martirosyan and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. are expected to arrive here in two weeks time.

Source: gmanews.tv

Shane Mosley makes poor case for future fights -- Examiner

By Ricardo Lois, Examiner.com

Shane Mosley and Sergio Mora failed to electrify anyone on Saturday night during a twelve round junior middleweight bout scored as a draw at the Staples Center in Downtown Los Angeles.

Though Mosley seemed to do better work by attacking the body and being comparatively more active than Mora, the fight was tainted with lulls in action, holding, hugging, and a continual rain of cat calls expressing displeasure from the 13,59 fight fans in attendance.

After this lack luster performance and his one-sided May defeat by Floyd Mayweather, Mosley is showing clear signs of his athletic demise and it will become more difficult for the former pound for pound king to garner million dollar paydays in high profile fights.

Going into the the Mora fight it what whispered within boxing circles that with Mayweather in the midst of legal troubles that could put him behind prison bars for several years, a strong performance by Mosley could earn him a fight with current pound for pound king Manny Pacquiao in the near future.

Unfortunately for Mosley his performance highlights what many in boxing already knew, his days as an elite fighter have been over for a few years.

Looking to land a significant fight none the less, Mayweather mentioned another fading super star as a potential opponent - Puerto Rican Migue Cotto. The pair fought clashed in 2007 and it would seem that interest in a rematch has wained.

Golden Boy Promotions’, which promoted the event, top executive Richard Schaefer toyed with the media about a potential rematch between Mosley and Mora - now that is the worst joke boxing fans have heard all year.

Source: examiner.com

Playtime Over for Pacquiao as Roach, Sparmates Arrive -- Manila Bulletin

By NICK GIONGCO, Manila Bulletin

MANILA, Philippines – Playtime for Manny Pacquiao is over.

Top trainer Freddie Roach arrived in Manila early Sunday morning from Los Angeles accompanied by a pair of mean-looking junior-middleweights who will lend a hand in Pacquiao’s buildup for the Nov. 13 showdown with Antonio Margarito.

“We’re going to train tomorrow (Monday),” Roach told the Bulletin as soon as he emerged from a throng of well-wishers and fellow passengers at the Centennial Airport.

Roach came in with Glen Tapia (from the Dominican Republic) and Michael Medina (Mexico), who will be the other half of sparring partners that would also include Vanes Martirosyan (Armenia) and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (Mexico).

Tapia has a 7-0 record with five knockouts, while Medina has a 24-2 mark with 19 stoppages.

“We’re looking forward to working with Manny Pacquiao,” said Tapia, who got Roach’s attention as he shadow-boxed while waiting for their hotel keys at the lobby of the New World.

Martirosyan and Chavez Jr., son of the legendary Julio Cesar Sr., are expected to hit town anytime this week in time for the start of training camp in Baguio City, according to Roach.

Roach said Rashad Holloway, who was tapped when Pacquiao revved up for Oscar De La Hoya in 2008, will be utilized once Pacquiao and the celebrated cornerman return to the familiar confines of the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood in the third or fourth week of October.

Roach had wanted to proceed immediately to Baguio City but Pacquiao’s adviser Mike Koncz said the pound-for-pound king plans to send a few more days or the rest of the week in Manila before going up to the City of Pines.

Baguio had been used by Roach and Pacquiao as training camp when they were preparing to face Miguel Cotto at around the same time last year.

Last week, Pacquiao trained briefly at the Elorde Gym on Del Monte Ave. in Quezon City before returning to General Santos City for a brief R&R.

Already in the country since last week is Alex Ariza, the revered conditioning coach and nutritionist of Pacquiao.

Source: mb.com.ph

Roach arrives with 2 big sparring partners for Pacquiao -- Philippine Daily Inquirer

By Ronnie Nathanielsz, Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines – Trainer Freddie Roach arrived at 3:45 a.m. Sunday, bringing with him with two big sparring partners for Manny Pacquiao, light middleweight Michael “ Murder Man” Medina ( 24-2-2, 19 KO’s) and undefeated welterweight Glen Tapia (7-0, 5 KO’s).

"We have a big fight ahead of us, we have some great sparring partners and we are ready to go to work,” he said.

Roach said he would meet pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao later on Sunday, after Pacquiao’s arrival from his hometown of General Santos City and “work everything out.”

While his plan has been to move the training camp to Baguio City “after a couple of days,” Roach stated emphatically “we will start training tomorrow (Monday)” at the Johnny Elorde Gym in Quezon City where Pacquiao trained for two days last week.

Roach said that “without a doubt,” he had enough time to get Pacquiao in shape to battle the bigger and much taller Antonio Margarito—five inches taller with a six-inch reach advantage—for the vacant WBC super welterweight title at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium on November 13.

“No problem at all,” he said. “We have seven good weeks and we’ll make the most of it.”

The celebrated trainer who has presided over Pacquiao’s amazing run of seven world titles in seven different weight divisions said Pacquiao wanted to train in the Philippines because “we had good luck here last time” referring to the successful title victory against WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto last November and the one-sided decision over Joshua Clottey in March.

Roach said he could train Pacquiao “any place I have a ring I’ll have no problem with. Give me a ring and I’ll get him ready.”

Roach emphasized that Pacquiao “has to be fit for Margarito or for any fight because the way Pacquiao fights his condition is the key. His style is nonstop and that’s why he is the best in the world today. We have to be in one hundred percent shape.”

A smiling Roach pointed at his two tall sparring partners Medina and Tapia and said they would be joined in the next couple of weeks by undefeated Vanes “Nightmare” Martirosyan and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr who are both six feet tall.

He said “these guys will get him (Pacquiao) ready for the height and reach advantage so we can take that away from these guys as well as Margarito. The ‘tornado’ is going to be downsized to a tropical storm I promise you.”

Source: sports.inquirer.net

Boxer Hatton denies cocaine problem -- AFP

AFP

LONDON — Former world champion Ricky Hatton on Sunday admitted his disgust at having taken cocaine, but stressed he did not think he had a problem.

Hatton was diagnosed with depression and a drink problem by a specialist on Monday after a newspaper published video footage of the boxer allegedly snorting cocaine.

The News of the World secretly filmed Hatton -- who has not fought since being knocked out in the second round of his May 2009 showdown with Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas -- supposedly using "industrial quantities" of the drug during a marathon 10-hour drinking session.

And the 31-year-old, who is to be investigated by police over his cocaine-usage allegations, told Sunday's edition of the News of the World: "I'm so angry I could knock myself out.

"I'm disgusted at myself for what I have done. I've had a wonderful career and am furious that I have tarnished it."

But he added: "I'm not the slightest bit worried about the cocaine. Problem? What problem?

"I have dabbled with the drug on a few sparing occasions. The only time I have ever done it is when I have been so depressed or drunk that it's a case of, 'Go on then'."

The boxer revealed he had been suffering blackouts, panic attacks and depression following his loss to Pacquiao.

In a video clip, on the newspaper's website, Hatton said: "I'm currently in the Priory (rehabilitation centre) dealing with depression due to the fact that I have not been able to cope with my retirement from boxing.

"I have been binge drinking heavily and dabbling in other daft and silly things but it is going to be the toughest fight of my life and I'm here to win it."

The two-weight world champion was out with friend Emma Bowe, an Irish national senior women's boxing champion, when he was caught on camera.

Hatton has battled with drink and severe depression for "several weeks", according to his spokesman Max Clifford.

His father Ray said he had signed himself into the clinic for an indefinite period.

Greater Manchester Police said officers were aware of the story and planned to question him once his rehabilitation is complete.

Copyright © 2010 AFP. All rights reserved.

Source: google.com

Shane Mosley, Sergio Mora draw fire -- ESPN

By Arash Markazi, ESPNLosAngeles.com

LOS ANGELES -- It is often said a draw or a tie in sports is like kissing your sister. If that is the case the disgruntled crowd at Staples Center called the outcome of the painfully dull fight between Shane Mosley and Sergio Mora fairly early in their uninspired affair.

As Mosley and Mora engaged in their umpteenth clinch in a fourth round that more closely resembled a slow dance than a must-win match for both fighters, the crowd of 13,591 began to chant "beso!" -- Spanish for "kiss!"

The decision of a draw served as yet another black eye for a sport that doesn't have enough cut men in the corner to tend to the self-inflicted wounds.

It's easy to say Mosley should have won this 12-round bout with Mora. It's debatable whether he truly deserved to win. Saturday night's snoozer was probably the worst pay-per-view main event of the year and seriously hurt Mosley's ability to headline another pay-per-view card.

The fans at Staples Center -- some paying upward of $400 -- continually booed both fighters after each round.

They saved their loudest ovations for Magic Johnson, seated ringside next to Oscar De La Hoya, the ring girls and 20-year-old boxer Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, who knocked out Carlos Baldomir in the sixth round of an undercard fight.

This was a make-or-break fight of sorts for Mosley and Mora, for different reasons. Mora, the 29-year-old East L.A. native who won the first season of "The Contender" reality show five years ago, was trying to establish himself as a legitimate fighter after fighting only twice in the past two years. Mosley, the 39-year-old native of Pomona who had been one of the greatest pound-for-pound fighters in the world, was trying to re-establish himself as a contender after a listless loss to Floyd Mayweather four months ago.

In the end, no one got what they wanted. Everyone could agree the main event was a dud; even the promoters kept harping on how good the undercard was. In the end, the lone suspense was the final decision. Judge Kermit Bayless scored it 115-113 for Mora, David Denkin had it 116-112 for Mosley and Lou Moret had it 114-114.

Either way, the final result of the HBO pay-per-view event only highlighted a fight so bad that HBO will not air a replay as it normally does, choosing instead to show it on HBO Latino next Saturday night when hopefully most of their viewers are out doing almost anything else.

After the fight Mora (21-1-2, six knockouts) felt as if he had won, going so far as to say he may have eased up on Mosley (46-6-1, 39 KOs) late in the fight out of respect for him and because he felt as if he was ahead on the scorecards. But by all appearances, it looked as though Mora started fighting harder late in the fight, as if he knew he needed a strong finish to win.

"I thought I won the fight," Mora said. "I thought I should have gotten more points for my defense. I'm a defensive-minded fighter and I controlled the pace. Then again I forgot where I was fighting. … You guys want to see banging. You don't want to see defense."

The CompuBox statistics, which don't factor in defense, favored Mosley and highlighted how poorly both fared. Mosley connected on 161 of his 522 punches (31 percent) while Mora connected on 93 of his 508 punches (18 percent).

For an aging fighter who will need an opponent like Manny Pacquiao to salvage another pay-per-view payday after Saturday night's performance, Mosley didn't seem overly concerned by the result.

"I was expecting to get the knockout," Mosley said. "I believe I won the fight but it is what it is. That's what happens when you don't knock the guy out."

During the post-fight news conference that took place on the Staples Center floor, some fans again began to chant the name "Canelo." Mosley smiled.

"There's a lot of big fights out there for me," Mosley said. "Canelo is a great up-and-coming fighter. I'm looking at Pacquiao and [Miguel] Cotto right now. Maybe Canelo can be later in the future."

We can only hope not.

Arash Markazi is a columnist and reporter for ESPNLosAngeles.com. Follow him on Twitter.

Source: sports.espn.go.com