Pacquiao Just on Right Track — Roach -- Manila Bulletin

By NICK GIONGCO, Manila Bulletin

BAGUIO CITY — Manny Pacquiao is "100 percent" in the punch mitts session but is only "50 percent" in sparring, top trainer Freddie Roach said on Tuesday.

But Roach remains confident that when they head back to the Wild Card in Hollywood, the Filipino pound-for-pound king would be in his element, punishing just about anyone put in front of him in sparring as the buildup for his Nov. 13 battle with Antonio Margarito takes a major step.

"We'll get by," said Roach just before Pacquiao sparred with Glen Tapia and Michael Medina behind closed doors, allowing only a few, like Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum, to watch the action.

Roach said this week and the coming week in the US would be "a big week for sparring" and the "toughtest two weeks of training camp."

"We are getting better and better," said the 50-year-old Roach, who still believes his fighter will have too much speed and ammunition to stave off the Mexican's challenge.

Team Pacquiao is slated to leave for the US this Saturday night and plans to motor down to Manila as soon as the weather permits.

Roach had initially wanted to go to Manila last Sunday for fear that the weather would hold them here and endanger their departure for Los Angeles.

As of Tuesday afternoon, howling winds and heavy rains were still being felt here and Roach shook his head when told about the possibility of being stranded in this mountain resort city.

"I told them we should have left Sunday but..." said Roach.

Once they set up camp in Manila, Pacquiao will work out at the Elorde Gym in Quezon City, venue of the first week of training.

Told about the seemingly wonderful time Margarito is having in his own training camp in Oxnard, California, Roach was convinced the 5-11 Margarito is indeed peaking just in time.

"He’s in great shape. He’s training like an animal," said Roach, who predicts that the fight will not go 12 rounds and that Pacquiao win on a late-round stoppage.

Source: mb.com.ph

Pacquiao's work ethic rubs off on sparmates -- PhilBoxing

By Rene Bonsubre, Jr., PhilBoxing.com

Baguio City - Team Pacquiao had another closed door sparring session Tuesday afternoon at the Shape Up Boxing Gym right inside the Cooyessan Hotel. Pacquiao sparred for four rounds against WBA jr. welterweight champ Amir Khan, four rounds with Glen Tapia and two rounds against Michael Medina.

Medina and Tapia, who are both up trying to make a name for them selves in the boxing business, are enjoying their stint here with the man considered as the best boxer on the planet.

"I'm learning from the best coach in the world and from the best boxer in the world." Tapia said after his sparring session. Tapia said his experience has inspired him and he wants to be a great champion someday.

The 20 year old lt. middleweight has a record of 7W-0L, 5 KO’s. He has a scheduled fight on October 30 in New Jersey against a still to be named opponent.

Medina echoed Tapia's sentiment, "I'm enjoying the experience of sparring with the best boxer in the world. I'm learning from the best coach. I am going to work as hard as he does. You will see a different Michael Medina when I get back to the States."

"I'm hoping for a world title shot next year," the 24 year old Medina added. His record is 24W-2L-2D, 19 KO’s. He once held the WBC FECOMBOX Lt. middleweight belt. He lost to John Duddy by split decision last March but won his last fight against Gilberto Hernandez by 4th round TKO last July.

Khan, who has beaten the likes of Marco Antonio Barrera and Paulie Malignaggi, is scheduled to fight Marcos Maidana this December 11 in Las Vegas.

Assistant trainer Nonoy Neri said that Pacquiao is peaking and his speed his back. Neri also said that Pacquiao is wearing a special sole support to protect his previously injured foot.

Pacquiao was unable to do his road work Tuesday morning due to the heavy rains brought about by Typhoon Juan. The team plans to return to Metro Manila after Wednesday's training session and will continue their regimen until they leave for Los Angeles on Saturday.

Pacquiao will fight Antonio Margarito on November 13 (Nov. 14 R.P. Time) for the vacant WBC superwelterweight (light middleweight) title at the Cowboy Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Top photo: Manny Pacquiao (R) and Amir Khan (L) with Roach have light moments during Monday's workout at the Shape Up Gym, Cooyeesan Hotel in Baguio City.

Source: philboxing.com

Khan: I want Mayweather -- Manchester Evening News

By James Robson, Manchester Evening News

Amir Khan wants a mega fight with Floyd Mayweather on British soil.

The WBA light-welterweight champion is hoping to step into the ring with the man many believe to be the pound-for-pound No.1 in the next 12 months.

And Bolton star Khan believes the bout could even sell out Wembley Stadium such would be the public interest.

Khan defends his world title against Marcos Maidana in Las Vegas in December – but is convinced he will be ready to take on the undefeated Mayweather before the end of 2011.

And he would love to do so in front of a UK audience.

“I always said I wanted a big fight in England,” said the 23-year-old. “I want to bring the big fights back to this country.

“The Floyd Mayweather fight would be one of those.

“I wanted to fight Maidana in the UK, but he wanted to fight in America.

“It wasn’t my decision, but I know my true fans are over here and I will come back after this one.

“The Mayweather fight could definitely happen in England.

“After he fought Ricky Hatton he said he wanted to fight over here and I am the only British fighter of the calibre to take him on.

“We could bring it to the UK and it would be massive.

“That fight could fill anywhere.”

Just last month Khan was talking up the possibility of a Battle of Britain with European lightweight champion, John Murray.

He also has designs on unifying the light-welterweight division by taking on the winner of Devon Alexander and Timothy Bradley, who hold the WBC, WBO and IBF titles between them.

But US promoter Golden Boy are now looking to fast-track a mouth-watering clash with Mayweather.

They fear they will never get official pound-for-pound No.1, Manny Pacquiao, and Mayweather in the ring together as negotiations continue to stall.

They see Khan – whose profile has sky-rocketed Stateside since his US debut against Paulie Malignaggi in May – as an ideal alternative and are hoping the clash will garner the same sort of worldwide interest as when Hatton took on Mayweather in 2007.

“In the next 12 months I will be ready to take on huge names,” said Khan.

“The biggest names are in the divisions and that excites me.

“When I went to Freddie Roach, people thought it would happen overnight, that I’d suddenly be ready to fight Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather.

“We put the suggestion out about Mayweather because in the next 12 months I will be more developed and stronger.

“Also styles make fights. I don’t think Mayweather has ever fought anyone as fast as me – and with Freddie Roach in my corner, I would be confident fighting him.

“People have seen how I’ve improved with my performances.

“For them to be talking about me and saying I should fight Mayweather, it shows how far I’ve come.

“The days have gone where people are saying I should fight John Murray. Now they are putting my name alongside Pacquiao and Mayweather.”

Khan has transformed his career since suffering a devastating first round knockout at the hands of Breidis Prescott in 2008.

In the space of 12 months he decamped to Los Angeles to work with super trainer Roach, and won his first world title with a comprehensive points win over Andriy Kotelnik.

He made a stunning first defence of the title with a first round knockout of Dmitriy Salita last December and followed that up with a hugely impressive stoppage of Malignaggi in New York this year.

It has made him one of the most talked about fighters on the planet and seen him tipped to be a future pound-for-pound No.1. Victory over Argentine knockout specialist Maidana would only see his reputation soar even higher in America.

MEN Arena

Khan puts all that success down to that crushing defeat against Prescott at the MEN Arena.

While Hatton has suffered with depression and problems with alcohol and drugs since his defeat to Pacquiao last year – Khan says he knew he could overcome a knockout that was every bit as brutal as the Hitman’s.

“It all happened so quickly after that,” he said.

“I always had dreams and ambitions and I knew I’d get far one day – but it was that defeat that made me realise how serious boxing is.

“Without that I wouldn’t be here today, so I want to thank him for that.

“I knew I made mistakes in the camp leading up to the fight, so I knew I could overcome it.

“If I hadn’t made any mistakes, it might have been different.

“When you know you’ve not given your best and there is so much room for improvement then you can move on.

“That’s why it hurt Ricky Hatton so much.

“But after the Prescott fight I changed everything.

“I got with the best trainer in the world and you can see how my style and body shape have changed over the past two years. And I can still get better.”

Khan is currently training with Pacquiao in the Philippines ahead of the Pacman’s clash with Antonio Margarito next month.

“Sometimes he gets the better of me, sometimes I get the better of him,” he says.

So can Khan see a day when the two of them step into the ring together for real?

“I don’t want to fight him,” he says.

“We are so close as friends now that it would be very difficult.

“But at the end of the day, boxing is a business, so anything can happen.”

Source: menmedia.co.uk

Manny needs to resurrect 'old Pacquiao' - Arum -- ABS-CBN News

abs-cbnNEWS.com

MANILA, Philippines -- The “old Pacquiao” just has to resurrect himself to defeat Mexico's Antonio Margarito.

Boxing promoter Bob Arum assured this as 7-division world champion Manny Pacquiao trained in an open-media invitation Monday afternoon.

“The old Pacquiao would have no problem beating Antonio Margarito. He still has time to bring the old Pacquiao back when he is in LA,” he said in a report posted on Philboxing.com.

Arum is the founder and CEO of Top Rank Inc., which handles the promotion of Pacquiao's fights.

Arum, who arrived in the country Saturday morning to watch Pacquaio’s training that same afternoon, added that he himself doesn’t “interfere with where the fighter wants to train.”

He, however, stated that the Filipino boxing icon’s performance during Saturday's sparring session was “satisfactory.”

Amidst super typhoon Juan (International name Megi) hitting the northern parts of the country Monday, the Filipino champion went under a rigorous training in preparation for his World Boxing Council (WBC) super welterweight bout against Margarito at the Cowboys Stadium in Texas, on November 13.

Pacquiao worked under the supervision of trainer Freddie Roach, conditioning coach Alex Ariza and assistant trainer Buboy Fernandez.

The Filipino champ is reportedly scheduled to fly to the US on October 23. There, he will continue his training until his bout in Texas.

Defying gravity

Earlier, Arum warned Pacquiao that the Tijuana’s Tornado might be a threat, posing “very, very unique dangers,” to the Fighter of the Decade.

"He better step up his training because this guy (Margarito) poses very, very unique dangers," the Top Rank CEO affirmed.

"(Margarito) is in the best shape I have ever seen. He would be a big danger for any welterweight in the world,” he added.

Although, this doesn’t have to hamper Pacquiao, who will be at his heaviest of 151 pounds against Margarito, Arum also said earlier.

"Pacquiao is something special. No matter how big they are, Manny Pacquiao can handle them," Arum said.

Pacquiao, who started his training since last month, concentrated on regaining his old speed which he claimed to have lost after focusing on adding power. -- With reports from Dyan Castillejo, ABS-CBN News, and Rene Bonsubre, Jr., PhilBoxing.com

Source: abs-cbnnews.com

Margarito Gets Sponsored -- 411mania

By Joe Roche, 411mania.com

Well not really.

Antonio Margarito is not an overly popular guy right now. His recent history has left the one time hugely popular Mexican champion without a main sponsor for his Nov. 13th fight with Manny Pacquiao. The fact that Margarito could not find a sponsor for a Pacquiao fight is telling, especially when you consider how many eyeballs will likely fall on the Nov. 13th clash in Cowboy Stadium. One company though was made an offer that they simply could not refuse.

On Nov. 13th, Margarito will wear Affliction gear to the ring as his official sponsor. The catch – if he loses (and he will lose), Margarito will earn zero dollars and zero cents from the sponsorship deal. If Margarito wins (and he won't) he stands to earn a sum of money in the five figure range.

The deal if a no brainer for Affliction who is getting publicity simply for clothing the controversial Margarito, because it's very likely that this huge jump in publicity will come at a cost of zero dollars to the clothing company. As for Margarito – no matter what he says, the fact that he couldn't get a sponsor to pay him a dime for a fight against the biggest draw in boxing is more telling than all the denials he can muster.

Source: 411mania.com

Distracted Pacquiao fails to impress Arum -- GMA News

GMA News

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum went straight to the point, even if the object of his frustration was boxing champion Manny Pacquiao.

Arum expressed concern in Baguio City after seeing Pacquiao spar for nine rounds over the weekend, saying the 31-year-old Filipino stands to lose against Antonio Margarito if their Nov. 13 title fight is held right now.

“When I watched him on Saturday, I didn’t see the kind of speed that he would need to beat Margarito," said the 78-year-old Arum while holding court when media day was held in Pacquiao’s high-altitude training camp at the Shape-Up gym inside the Cooyesan Hotel on a stormy Monday afternoon.

“If the fight happened on Saturday, Margarito would win the fight."

Accompanied by stepdaughter Dena duBoef, Arum arrived in the country’s Summer Capital Saturday and was personally at ringside when the `Pacman’ sparred with Michael Medina and Glen Tapia.

Pacquiao, according to Arum, was hardly impressive.

“To come into the ring with a lot of speed requires a lot of training and effort. That’s where you get your speed, from preparing," said Arum. “Manny’s success is based largely on hard work and focus. He’s skillfull and he has a lot of attributes, but without the hard work, it’s not gonna be there."

Pacquiao has been in training camp for about a month now, but had been distracted several times in his preparation by constant traveling back to Manila to honor several commitments as part of his job as congressman of the province of Sarangani.

The Filipino southpaw also missed some early-morning roadwork due to playing basketball at night, not to mention skipping one day in training after contracting sinusitis.

But with at least three weeks before fight time, Arum said Pacquiao still has time to get himself into shape.

"Absolutely, he has plenty of time to get into shape and be the old Manny Pacquiao," stressed the man who also promoted boxing legends Muhammad Ali, Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather Jr.

"He's got plenty of time back in Los Angeles to work on his skills and get ready for the fight," added Arum, who also stressed that he would have been happier “if he (Pacquiao) left for L.A. last Saturday."

Pacquiao is set to break camp tomorrow, resume training in Manila for a couple of days, and then fly to L.A. for the final phase of his preparation at the famed Wild Card gym of trainer Freddie Roach.

Arum added that Margarito is in "tremendous shape" as reported to him by Top Rank matchmaker Bruce Trampler.

But then he believes that a Pacquiao in tip-top shape would simply be too superior even against a top-caliber opponent in the mold of Margarito.

"If he is the old Manny Pacquiao, he’s too fast and too talented to get beaten by Margarito," Arum said. “But this Manny Pacquiao is not enough." - KY, RCJ, GMANews.TV

Source: gmanews.tv

Manny Pacquiao Weighing 148-Pounds Now, Says He Is “100-Percent Ready” For Margarito Fight -- Eastside Boxing

By James Slater, Eastside Boxing

Ring superstar and pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao is due to begin sparring for his upcoming clash with Antonio Margarito tomorrow, when the Filipino dynamo will go around three-rounds with Britain’s own superstar Amir Khan. The Manila Times also reports that Pac-Man is currently weighing 148-pounds ahead of the November light-middleweight title fight (scheduled to take place at a catch-weight of 151-pounds), but that he will add a further two or three pounds before fight time.

Fitness coach Alex Ariza says the additional pounds will not take any of Pac-Man’s phenomenal speed away, and that there will be no way, in his opinion, that Margarito will be able to cope with Manny’s pace and movement.

Pacquiao trained in Baguio City today, refusing to allow bad weather to impede his preparations for the fight that, if he wins, will see him win an amazing 8th “world” title in as many weight classes. And Pac-Man said he is feeling absolutely great right now.

“I’m 100-percent ready,” Pac-Man said. “The public has nothing to worry about since I’m feeling very good.”

Pacquiao’s reassurance to the public came after Top Rank promoter, in The Philippines until Thursday of this week, told the media there that he was somewhat concerned his superstar fighter was not looking as fast as usual in training.

“When I watched Manny on Saturday, I didn’t see the kind of speed that he would need to beat Margarito,” Arum said yesterday. “If the fight happened on Saturday, Margarito would win.”

Ariza, though, said today that while Manny’s progress was not what it could have been a while back, his charge is back up to speed now.

“We’re behind for a while but today we’re back to where we want to be,” Ariza said.

So it seems Arum and the rest of Pacquiao’s fans have no need to worry. The real story will likely be told tomorrow in sparring. Khan has worked with Pacquiao before, and the two work hard on speed and reflexes. Both men are set to fly to Freddie Roach’s famous Wild Card gym in L.A on October 23, rd, where more sparring will take place. Reports say Vanes Martirosyan may also spar with Pac-Man. Julio Cesar Chavez was originally set to travel to the Philippines to go rounds with the seven-weight champ, but this is not happening now.

Chavez Junior even suggested the reason may be because he is being looked at as a future opponent for Pac-Man!

Source: eastsideboxing.com

Worried Arum asks: Where's the old Manny? -- Philippine Star

By Abac Cordero, The Philippine Star

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – Bob Arum did not like what he saw at the gym.

Mincing no words, the legendary promoter expressed his disappointment over the way Manny Pacquiao has been training for his explosive Nov. 13 matchup with Antonio Margarito.

“When I watched Manny on Saturday, I didn’t see the kind of speed that he would need to beat Margarito,” said Arum yesterday before Pacquiao held a media workout at the Shape Up Gym.

Arum flew in three days ago and will fly out on Thursday. He said he’s hoping that Pacquiao puts a little more focus on the fight because if the fight were held this week he’d certainly lose.

“If the fight happened on Saturday Margarito would win the fight,” he said.

The 78-year-old chief of Top Rank Promotions called it the way he saw it but said he doesn’t plan to sit down with the pound-for-pound champion because it’s not really his job to deliver the pep talk.

“It’s not my place to stand in between the trainer and the fighter. But he’s got to focus and stop all these non-sense. But if Freddie (Roach) needs my help I’d be happy to do it,” said Arum.

Of course, he’s not blind to all the reports coming out that Pacquiao seemed to be taking things lightly, skipping road work and staying out of the gym, and playing too much basketball.

Sunday evening, Pacquiao was holed up in one of the function rooms of his hotel, rehearsing the songs he would sing at the after-fight concert in Arlington, Texas on Nov. 13.

It looks like Margarito, the bigger fighter, is doing everything Pacquiao is not.

“Antonio Margarito is a very focused fighter. With all the problems he has had, he knows that if he wins this fight then sky’s the limit. He’s got no problems at all getting focused,” said Arum.

“He’s done everything possible for him to be ready physically and mentally,” said Arum of Margarito, also a Top Rank fighter.

Arum said when he arrived in Manila, he placed a call to his office in Las Vegas and got hold of his matchmaker, Bruce Trampler, who had just been with Margarito in his training camp in Oxnard, California.

“Bruce said he was tremendous when he sparred 12 rounds with four different partners,” said the Top Rank chief, adding that should Margarito win this one, then everything turns gold.

“He knows that if he beats Pacquiao then sky is the limit,” said Arum.

He said he has no problem with Pacquiao training in Baguio.

“I never interfere with where a fighter should train. That’s between Manny and Freddie. I think training in Baguio is okay but I think I would have been happier if Manny has left last Saturday to go to Los Angeles instead of this Saturday.”

Arum is definitely not giving up on Pacquiao.

“Can he win this fight?” he was asked.

“Absolutely, he has plenty of time to get into shape and be the old Manny Pacquiao. And if he’s the old Manny Pacquiao he’s too fast and too talented to get beaten by Margarito.

“But this Manny Pacquiao is not enough. That’s all,” Arum said.

Source: philstar.com

Pacquiao admits need to work on speed -- ABS-CBN News

abs-cbnNEWS.com

MANILA, Philippines – Seven-division world champion Manny Pacquiao has an additional training regimen as he prepares for his fight against Mexican Antonio Margarito in November.

“The Pacman” is using a rattan stick in a routine which he says is painful but needed for his training.

“Maganda ‘yon para sa mind conditioning. Ginagamit talaga namin bawat laban. Malaking bagay kasi ‘yon, nakakatulong,” the Sarangani province congressman said.

The world-renowned Filipino boxer said he is confident that he already has the stamina and strength although he needs to gain more speed for his upcoming fight.

“Kailangang bawasan yung fly matrix. Medyo mabagal nang konti ‘yung reaksyon ng katawan at mga punches. Last 3 weeks, focus kami sa speed,” he said.

He and Margarito will clash for the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) super welterweight crown on November 13 at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

But it was not just all work and no play for Pacquiao in Baguio City.

Aside from getting ready for the Margarito bout, the champion boxer-congressman is also gearing for a post-fight event.

He said he is also preparing for his upcoming concert in the United States after his fight with Margarito.

After his practice on Saturday, Pacquiao spent time with his fans, singing and playing the organ along with his wife, Jinkee, and friends.

Jinkee and Top Rank Inc. big boss Bob Arum watched Pacquiao’s training session on Saturday.

Arum, who serves as Pacquiao’s promoter, stated that the Filipino boxing icon’s performance was “satisfactory.”

“At this point, you don’t want to turn it all on, you want to save it for the fight,” added Arum. – With reports from ANC and Dyan Castillejo, ABS-CBN News

Source: abs-cbnnews.com