Manny Pacquiao is ready to fight again, after he lost

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A true fighter, Philippine boxing icon and Saranggani Rep. Manny Pacquiao said he is ready to fight again after losing by knockout to Mexican boxer Juan Manuel Marquez.
In the sixth round of their non-title welterweight bout on Saturday (Sunday in Manila), Marquez finally got his first win over Pacquiao in four attempts.

The 39-year-old Mexican lost twice and drawn once in his three previous fights against the 33-year-old Pacquiao.

With just a second left in the round, Marquez's stinging right hand sent Pacquiao face first to the canvas.

In the post-fight interview, Pacquiao hinted he was not going to retire anytime soon, saying he  will rest for a while but "after a few months, back to training and back to fight."

Pacquiao's promoter Bob Arum also remained open to the possibility of a fifth fight against Marquez.
 
"Why not? People love this action." said Arum. "This fight will go down in history as a ring classic. If they wanna fight again, why not?"
 
Pacquiao too was willing to face Marquez again. "No problem. That's up to my promoter," the Philippine congressman said.

On being knocked out, he said that was part of boxing. Pacquiao admitted that he lost after becoming overconfident during the fight.

Second loss in a row

Pacquiao, who will turn 34 on December 17, is the first eight-division world champion, and the first to win the Lineal Championship in four different weight classes.

He is a three-time The Ring and BWAA "Fighter of the Year" (for 2006, 2008, and 2009) and the Best Fighter ESPY Award in 2009 and 2011.

Pacquiao was also named "Fighter of the Decade" for the 2000s by the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA), World Boxing Council (WBC) and World Boxing Organization (WBO).

However, his loss to Marquez is already his second in row after losing to American Tim Bradley in June this year.

The financial magazine Forbes said Pacquiao's loss "could negate a $100 million future payday for Manny which would be earned from a dream match-up against Floyd Mayweather that some estimate is worth $250 million in PPV (pay-per-view) sales."

According to a Forbes estimate, Pacquiao earned $62 million between July 2011 and June 2012, including around $6 million in endorsements.

'Boxing is my passion'

In an earlier interview with the news site LA Times, Pacquiao said "Boxing is my passion. Public service is my calling.”

He also explained why he had a strong motivation to help others.

“I know the life of nothing. I know what those who ask me for money are feeling," he said.

Pacquiao started his boxing career as a no-name boxer training at a shabby gym. He never gave up on his dreams and he is now among the richest men in the Philippines.

Despite his success, Pacquiao remains humble and approachable.

Recently, his wife Jinkee recently brought in a group of 20 friends who wanted to exchange pleasantries with Pacquiao during his training.

He didn't decline, causing the delay of one sparring session.

Some weeks ago, Pacquiao let a pastor preach to him and his friends until 2:00 a.m. before a training day.

This infuriated his trainer Freddie Roach who wanted to keep Pacquiao in top shape.

Fierce rivals

The Pacquiao-Marquez rivalry is said to be one of the biggest in the world of boxing.

Days before their fight on Sunday, during Pacquiao's training session at the University of Las Vegas oval track, the two rivals shared the track while training, according to a report of GMA Network's “News to Go” program.

They didn't talk with each other but Pacquiao shook the hand of Nacho Beristain, Marquez's trainer.

Although Marquez became bulkier, Pacquiao said that he wasn't the slightest bit nervous pointing out that boxing wasn't a body building contest.

Marquez on the other hand said he was more than ready for their fourth bout and that he trained not only his strength but also his speed. 

Manny Pacquiao knocked out in 6th round

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Juan Manuel Marquez recorded a shocking upset over Manny Pacquiao with a massive right hand in the sixth round that gave him his first victory over Pac-Man.
The fourth meeting between these two fighters generated a significant amount of hype, and the bout still somehow managed to exceed expectations.
It was clear from the start that Pacquiao was active, in shape and ready to fight. It only took until the second round for the announcers to start gushing over Pac-Man's legendary straight left hand.
But it was Marquez who landed the first blow, knocking down Pacquiao in the third round with a hard right hand. Nevertheless, the Filipino fighter was able to get up and regain control of the fight.
In the fifth round, he evened the score by catching Marquez with a straight left hand and knocking down the Mexican fighter.
With an advantage on the scorecard, Pacquiao just needed to avoid Marquez' lethal counter punches. But in the sixth round, Marquez found an opening when Pacquiao attacked and landed a vicious punch directly to Pac-Man's face.
The Filipino star dropped straight to the canvas, and the fight ended as a victory for Marquez via knockout. This is Marquez' first victory over Pacquiao and the first time any of their matchups ended early.
It was a shocking result and after an incredible bout, fans certainly wouldn't mind seeing a fifth fight.

Manny Pacquiao cries for his lose

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HOLLYWOOD—Manny Pacquiao shed tears on Philippine television on Monday, saying he had let his country down.

But don’t count him out yet. A devastating knockout loss to his great Mexican rival Juan Manuel Marquez won’t make him quit boxing.

“I’m ready to fight in April,” Pacquiao told Manila-based sportswriters in a customized luxury bus that took them from Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas to Hollywood.

Pacquiao announced the date for his comeback fight to end all speculations about his boxing future following his sixth-round loss to Marquez in their fourth encounter on Saturday.

In Hollywood, the Pacquiaos were brought to their $2-million house near Hancock Park, where they were to spend the night. In  the garage were Pacquiao’s service car, a Mercedes Benz and his Ferrari 458 Italia, acquired just last year.

Interviewed on GMA network, Pacquiao indicated how deeply he felt the disappointment of his followers back home.

“The low morale, the sadness, I accept that. This is my job … But the reaction of the Filipinos, the many who cried, especially my family, it really hurts me,” he told the network.

The former eight-division world champion wiped tears from his eyes listening to his wife, Jinkee, make a tearful appeal on camera for her husband, who turns 34 next week, to hang up his gloves.

“When you see your husband get hurt, you cannot even sleep,” she said in the interview.

Asked if she wanted her husband to retire from boxing, she said: “You know the answer to that. He knows what I am asking him.”

In the bus, Pacquiao told the sportswriters that Saturday’s loss to Marquez “was similar to what happened to me against (Rustico) Torrecampo.” He was referring to his third-round knockout defeat on Feb. 9, 1996, when he was still fighting at 110 pounds.

“I got nailed by a sneaky punch that caught me in the chin coming in,” Pacquiao said in Filipino. “If it were in the jaw, I can withstand it.”

5th fight

Swinging as if he was shadowboxing, Pacquiao admitted he got careless with Marquez because he wanted to put up a strong showing to end the sixth round.

“I faked twice and he got me [with that right] as I stumbled,” he said.

Despite the one-punch knockout that left him motionless—face down on the canvas for over a minute—Pacquiao said he was raring for a fifth fight with Marquez to get even. “Yes, why not.”

“Marquez was lucky. The next fight, I’ll get him,” he said, adding that he had intended to finish his Mexican rival in the seventh or eighth round to give fans what they wanted—an explosive fight.

“I saw his nose bleeding and that he had difficulty breathing,” Pacquiao said. “I was also told that his corner was ready to stop the fight in the seventh.”

Pacquiao fell short as Marquez, dubbed “El Dinamita,” threw a dynamite right that exploded on his face and knocked him out cold.

Despite the loss, Pacquiao said he was satisfied he was able to give the fans an explosive fight.

“Don’t fight if you don’t want to lose,” he said. “That’s sports.”

As a routine procedure, he was taken after the bout to the trauma unit of University Medical Center, where he underwent medical tests, including a CT scan, to find out if he had suffered a concussion.

The result was negative and he was cleared to return to his penthouse suite at the hotel.

He will be under observation for three days, although he was allowed to make the five-hour trip to Hollywood, including a traditional stop at midpoint Barstow.

No fight with Mayweather

Since he suffered no major head injuries, Pacquiao is deemed fit to fight again next year. Against whom and when, there’s no clear development yet.

While a lucrative fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. is off the radar at the moment, the continuation of his ring saga with Marquez may be in the horizon.

Promoter Bob Arum, while hesitant to stage an immediate rematch because of the punishment sustained by both fighters, with Marquez suspected of having a broken nose, the 81-year-old big boss of Top Rank is reportedly being bombarded with requests for a Pacquiao-Marquez 5.

Another possible opponent, if Pacquiao’s original schedule of April 20 for his next fight is followed, is rising star Brandon “Bam Bam” Rios, a toe-to-toe fighter whose style should suit Pacquiao’s  just fine.

While Pacquiao also has a score to settle with Timothy Bradley, who beat him by a dubious split decision, Arum is not keen on the proposition, as their fight in June was a disappointment at the gates and failed to generate a million PPV (pay-per-view) buys.

In contrast, the Pacquiao-Marquez 4 was a blockbuster, with a sellout crowd of 16,348, gate receipts of $10.5 million and an assured 1 million plus PPV hits, which could put Pacquiao’s total income for the fight at between $25 million to $30 million.

Pacquiao is willing to take on anybody Arum will put in front of him since he wants redemption for the humiliation he suffered in Marquez’s hands.

Pacquiao and wife Jinkee are scheduled to take the Monday flight to Manila, arriving in the Philippines on Wednesday for the birthday of their son, Jimwell.

On Dec. 17, Pacquiao will turn 34 and more celebrations are scheduled in General Santos City and Sarangani province, where he’s running unopposed for a second term as congressman.

Also in the bus, emblazoned  with his  image  and  a teaser  of  Pacquiao-Marquez 4, were several pastors, boxers Dodie Boy Peñalosa Jr. and Ernie Sanchez, who both won in the undercard of Saturday’s fight,  and  Michael Farenas, who put up a gallant losing stand against Yuriorkis Gamboa, as well as Filipino television crews.

Tough questions

Pacquiao now faces some of the toughest questions in his 17-year career—does his future lay in boxing, politics, show biz, religion, or is there a new challenge on the horizon?

“Being the king of boxing, being the highest paid athlete in boxing …  it goes with the territory,” boxing analyst Ed Tolentino said. “For Pacquiao, the fame was too much to handle. There was just too many things on his plate other than boxing.”

The distraction was costly for Pacquiao, who trained for only two months, compared to Marquez’s four and a half months.

During that time the Mexican fighter bulked up and became more muscular to withstand the Filipino’s trademark furious blows that were so damaging in their three earlier encounters, said boxing commentator Ronnie Nathanielsz.

Politicians, movie bit players and an assortment of hangers-on now form his huge entourage.

“You only need a Ferris wheel and his training camp would have been a circus,” Tolentino said.

“Among boxers, they don’t have the word retirement in their dictionary. It’s so hard to admit that all of sudden it’s over, especially for Pacquiao,” Tolentino said.

“His demotion was from the penthouse to the doghouse,” he added. “I think really there has to be a lot of soul searching. … He has to consult his family, his real entourage.” 

Pacquiao vs Bradley Fight Replay

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Donaire vs Nishioka Fight Replay (Full Video)

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2012-10-13 Nonito Donaire vs Toshiaki Nishioka by sweetboxing4

Donaire knocked out Nishioka in the 9th round

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CARSON CITY, California—Just when Nonito Donaire Jr. seemed headed for another lackluster championship win, the Filipino Flash delivered the kind of victory that should now make him a sought-after ring gladiator.

Donaire fired a short but vicious right straight to the jaw that toppled Japanese Toshiaki Nishioka in the ninth round to win by technical knockout and retain his World Boxing Organization (WBO) super bantamweight title on Saturday night (Sunday morning in Manila) at Home Depot Center.

Although Nishioka rose at the count of six and referee Raul Caiz Sr. allowed the still wobbly Japanese to resume the fight, it was obvious he was done for the night.

After a Donaire punch that missed his staggering rival, Caiz stopped the fight in one minute 54 seconds of the round.

“I know he’s a great fighter and that both of us can end the match with one punch. It boils down to who makes the mistake and he made that mistake,” Donaire said.

Donaire, 29, also decked his 36-year-old opponent with an uppercut late in the sixth round.

Power and skill

The Japanese, who was seeing action a year after giving up his World Boxing Council (WBC) crown, waged a tactical battle against the charging Filipino champion.

In raising his record to 30-1-0 with 19 KOs, Donaire earned $800,000 and inched closer to a possible pay-per-view fight. Top Rank boss Bob Arum plans to pit him with the popular Jorge Arce, a former bantamweight champion, in Mexico City possibly before the year is over.

Only the WBO belt was at stake as the International Boxing Federation (IBF) reportedly asked for a big fee to sanction the fight.

Nishioka had won 16 straight fights since March 2004, but couldn’t keep up with Donaire’s combination of power and tactical skill.

Donaire’s strategy

Donaire, who failed to finish his last three foes inside the distance, stuck to his strategy of using jabs and throwing combinations, causing welts under Nishioka’s right eye by the fourth round.

By then, Nishioka was looking very much like headed for retirement. He barely threw punches and seemed content to just last the distance.

With the fans shouting for more action, Donaire slipped in a left uppercut to Nishioka’s face and floored him with 50 seconds left in the sixth round.

But the Japanese, who had survived knockdowns to win fights before, beat the count and finished the round despite taking heavy punches in the face.

Left hand hurt

Donaire outpunched Nishioka, 31-7, in that round, according to CompuBox statistics. But Donaire hurt his left hand in throwing the uppercut. He later showed a bleeding knuckle when he took his gloves off.

“My left was hurt, that’s why I slowed down a bit,” said the 29-year-old native of Gen. Santos City, also the hometown of his more illustrious compatriot, Manny Pacquiao.

“It was not because I was tired. It was because I was trying to find another way to cut him through,” he added.

What he found in his arsenal was his right straight, which eventually did the job.

In the ninth, Donaire—who has been waiting in the wings for super fights that could bring him to the A-list of pay-per-view stars—found an opening with his right hand and dropped the Japanese.

Nishioka beat the count, but Donaire charged like a bull and fired a looping left that grazed the head of the groggy Japanese. The referee stepped in and halted the fight.

Boxing greats

A paying crowd of 7,665 fans showed up at the 8,000-seat tennis stadium, most of them Mexicans who came to support their countrymen fighting in the undercards.

Boxing greats Julio Cezar Chavez and Marco Antonio Barrera were at ringside as commentators for a Mexican TV network.

Donaire’s impressive win came after a spectacular clash in the undercard between light welterweights Brandon Rios and Mike Alvarado for the WBO Latino title. Rios stopped Alvarado in 1:57 of the seventh round in a savage fight that sent the crowd roaring on their feet.

Rios lined himself up for a possible fight with the winner of the fourth Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez fight in December, if the winner agrees, according to Arum.

Best in the division

The Rios-Alvarado fight was so compelling the crowd started to boo Donaire and Nishioka in the opening bell as the two took time to size each other up.

In February, Donaire captured the vacant WBO 122-pound title, winning a gritty split-decision over former world champion Wilfredo Vazquez. Five months later, he added the IBF title with a unanimous decision over Jeffrey Mathebula.

Donaire had won his previous three fights on points, and so was pleased to stop his opponent. “I got the guy that I thought was the best in the division. Everybody is free fall,” he said.

Nishioka had been unbeaten for 16 contests going into the fight and had successfully defended the WBC 122-pound title seven times between 2009 and 2011.

Nishioka had not lost by knockout since the second fight of his career in 1995 and had not lost any contest since Thai star Veeraphol Sahaprom beat him in 2004. 

Championship belt of boxer Denver Cuello was returned

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Liam Neeson says Mayweather scared of Pacquiao

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MANILA – Hollywood actor Liam Neeson believes that the only thing holding back the Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr. mega fight is Floyd’s unwillingness to face the Filipino boxing superstar. 

In an interview with ESPN, the Oscar-nominated actor admitted being one of the fans waiting for the super fight to take place.

“I would pay any amount of money to be at that fight,” said Neeson, who is known for his performances in Hollywood films like Taken, Les Misérables, Clash of the Titans and The A-Team.

Neeson used to box in the amateur ranks during his teens in his native Ireland.

“I was OK, I was competent. I was a jabber, I had a good jab. I had about 40 fights and I won about maybe 30,” he said.

The now 60-year-old actor branded Pacquiao as one of today’s best boxers.

He even picked the Filipino to win over Juan Manuel Marquez on December 8. He said the fighting congressman has the attributes of a great champion.  

“Pacquiao is still amazing. He's getting a little bit older, but in the championship rounds, from 9 to 12, he just gets stronger and stronger and stronger,” said Neeson.

“That's the sign of a great champion.”

Neeson thinks Mayweather is a great fighter, too.

But the downside with Mayweather, he said, is the American boxer’s refusal to fight Pacquiao.

“I think he's scared of Pacquaio… I don't mean he is scared, like terrified of his life, but I think he thinks he can see in Pacquiao someone that could beat him.”

Donaire wants swift, vicious end this time against Nishioka

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He doesn’t guarantee a knockout, but Nonito Donaire Jr. promised to follow a fight plan that could result in an explosive, abrupt end.

With his usual confidence and careful choice of words, Donaire bared the strategy he will use against Japanese veteran Toshiaki Nishioka in their Oct. 13 WBO-IBF super bantamweight championship bout at Home Depot Center in Carson, California.

“When (the knockout) comes, it comes,” Donaire said at a press conference. “But the proper game plan will show my power, which is what I was known for—lightning-fast counters that were knocking people out because they never saw it coming.

“No matter how tough you are, if you don’t see where it’s coming from, you don’t expect it and it will knock you down.”’

The 29-year-old Donaire, born in Gen. Santos City but migrated to the United States at age 11, said he’s not taking Nishioka—who will be a moving, thinking opponent—lightly.

“I think I’m a lot faster than him,” said Donaire in another interview posted on boxing.com. “But like I said before, speed can be neutralized by perfect timing.”

His trainer Robert Garcia said Donaire is 100-percent ready for his 36-year-old foe but remained cautious about giving a bold prediction.

“I am not pushing or asking for the knockout, but in training he has been doing the right thing,” said Garcia. “If he performs like he did in training I will be happy with him.

“It won’t be easy against Nishioka, but at the beginning of training camp Nonito told me he wanted to come in and do it the way he used to do it— picking them apart little by little then knocking them out,” added Garcia who will be at the corner along with conditioning coach Mike Bazzel.

Garcia cited Donaire’s fitness and praised the fighter’s decision to drop his much criticized one-punch salvos.

Roach will change Pacquiao fight plan vs Marquez

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For trainer Freddie Roach, an overhaul of their fight straight strategy is in order if Manny Pacquiao is to finally knock Juan Manuel Marquez out on Dec. 8.

“We have Marquez three times using all kinds of strategy,” Roach told ringtv.craveline.com Wednesday (Thursday in Manila). “It’s time to throw logic out the window and start over.”

Roach wants Pacquiao to be much bolder and more relentless when he shows up for his fourth and last fight against the Mexican warrior at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

“This time Manny will go after him like the first fight,” Roach said. “Manny told me he knows he needs a knockout. He’s never said that before.”

Having put Marquez on the canvas four times—three in the opening round of their first fight in 2004 and once in the third round of Pacquiao-Marquez II in 2008—Pacquiao definitely has the power to knock out Marquez.

Roach said he needs “to re-ignite the killer instinct Manny has lacked in the last (two) fights with Marquez,” whom he narrowly beat by split and majority decision, respectively.

There was neither fire nor anger in Pacquiao’s eyes when he dominated Timothy Bradley early on only to lay back and allow the unbeaten American to steal a split decision.

Pacquiao and Marquez, whom Roach described as “the smartest fighter of his era,” will promote their fight in Mexico City on Friday.

Pacquiao still favored over Marquez

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MANILA, Philippines - If Juan Manuel Marquez thinks that three close fights with Manny Pacquiao could earn him the nod of the oddsmakers he better think again.

The betting odds for the fourth fight between Pacquiao and Marquez are out, and the great Filipino boxer is out of the starting gates at -400.

 

This means that Pacquiao remains as the favorite in his never-ending rivalry against Marquez, who was listed initially at +300 in the fight line provided by American pubicist Fred Sternburg yesterday.

In layman’s terms, you need to put in $400 just to win $100 if you’re for Pacquiao. On the other hand, a wager of $100 wins $300 if you’re for Marquez.

When they met for the third time, then supposed to be the last one, last November, Pacquiao started out at -700 but went to as high as -900 and even higher.

Marquez was at +500 close to the fight, and if you’d base your thoughts on the odds, the only way the Mexican could win is if Pacquiao didn’t show up at the MGM Grand.

But Marquez, now 39 and almost six years older than Pacquiao, proved a lot of people wrong. He gave the world one hell of a fight, and many thought he won the fight.

Pacquiao and Marquez were in New York yesterday for the press tour, and by the end of the week they head separate ways, straight to their respective training quarters.

The next time they will meet is perhaps on the week of the fight, in cold December in glittery Vegas.

Marquez is once again out to prove these people wrong.

Pacquiao, Marquez look for KOs in 4th rivalry fight

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BEVERLY HILLS, California — Three compelling bouts in eight years haven’t resolved the rivalry between Pacquiao and Marquez, so they’re stepping in the ring together for a fourth bout on Dec. 8 at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas.

And this time, they’re both looking for the only decisive ending to any fight: a stone-cold KO.

“I want to erase the doubt of the last three fights,” Pacquiao said. “There’s so many people still asking if I won the fights. I think to myself, ‘Something is wrong. I have to do it again.’ This time, I will train hard to put this fight up in the history of boxing. I want to make this fight short. I want to knock him out.”

Although they’re extending a rivalry to rare lengths in modern boxing, the fighters and promoters believe fans will warm to the matchup when they remember just how good the first three fights were.

Pacquiao and Marquez fought to a draw in 2004, while Pacquiao won by split decision in 2008 and again by majority decision last year. The bouts featured knockdowns, wild momentum swings and fascinating contrasts in technique — but Marquez and many fans still believe he won all three fights, while Pacquiao says he clearly won the last two.

“It’s been an incredible ride,” Top Rank promoter Todd duBoef said. “People ask me whether it’s going to be hard to sell a fourth fight. Did you see the first 36 rounds? There wasn’t a dull moment.”

With a combination of unfinished business and unmatched financial reward, Pacquiao and Marquez both had plenty of incentive to get together again. They have fought at 125, 130 and 144 pounds, and their fourth fight will be a straight welterweight contest at 147.

Pacquiao (54-4-2, 38 KOs) is coming off his first loss since 2005, a wildly disputed decision to Timothy Bradley. Still stinging from that embarrassment, he says he’s going back to the ferocious, relentless style of fighting that made him an eight-division champion. Pacquiao hasn’t stopped an opponent in more than three years, a once-unthinkable drought for a relentless puncher.

“I want to be the other Manny Pacquiao, like when I was 24, 25 years old,” Pacquiao said. “I want people who watch this fight to be satisfied. I don’t care about a belt. I don’t care about the money. I want the win.”

Marquez (54-6-1, 39 KOs) has tested Pacquiao more than any opponent, with counterpunching skills and comprehensive boxing knowledge that can negate many of Pacquiao’s strengths. But Pacquiao also is a nightmare matchup for Marquez, whose relentlessness hasn’t been enough to overcome Pacquiao’s once-in-a-generation combination of speed and strength.

While Pacquiao has a plan to recapture his best form, Marquez believes the only way to be sure he’ll finally get his hand raised is to stop the Filipino congressman. Marquez swore off the rivalry and nearly retired in frustration immediately after Pacquiao’s victory last fall, but agreed to return after a few months to cool down.

“I won all of the last three fights,” Marquez said. “I would like the referee to raise my hand. Everybody knows I won the fights, and I don’t know what happened with the judges. I have to take it out of the judges’ hands this time.”

Pacquiao won’t train in Baguio, the high-altitude northern Philippines city where he has traditionally started training camp before heading to trainer Freddie Roach’s gym for the final few weeks.

Instead, Pacquiao and Roach will be in Hollywood for their entire training camp, dramatically reducing the number of distractions for the Philippines’ most famous person.

Pacquiao and Marquez will join the short list of rivalries that couldn’t be contained by a mere trilogy, including Sugar Ray Robinson’s six fights with Jake LaMotta and Robinson’s four bouts with Gene Fullmer. More recently, Israel Vazquez’s sensational rivalry with Rafael Marquez, Juan Manuel’s brother, extended to four fights, concluding with Marquez’s third-round stoppage of Vazquez in May 2010.

Pacquiao - Marquez 4 is confirmed

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LOS ANGELES - Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao will fight Juan Manuel Marquez for the fourth time on December 8, promoter Bob Arum confirmed on Friday, September 14.

Pacquiao and Mexico's Marquez will embark on a three-city international media tour touting the fight starting on Monday in Beverly Hills, California.

Between them Pacquiao and Marquez have won world titles in 12 weight divisions and they will add another chapter to their intense rivalry when they fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas -- scene of their first and third fights.

Pacquiao (54-4-2, 38 KOs) was also in negotiations for a rematch against Tim Bradley, who claimed Pacquiao's welterweight world title with a controversial split-decision victory in Las Vegas on June 9.

Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto was also a possible opponent for Pacquiao, but he announced on Twitter last month that he would fight junior middleweight world champion Austin Trout on December 1 at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Pacquiao defeated Marquez in a majority decision in November -- a third gut-wrenching result for Marquez against his Filipino foe.

In the build-up to that fight, Marquez had taunted Pacquiao with claims that he was the true winner of their first two clashes -- a 2004 draw and a 2008 rematch that went to Pacquiao by a single point on a single scorecard. 

Bradley begging Pacquiao for a rematch

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 He sent the boxing world down laughing hoarse on the floor with an invitation to his rematch with Manny Pacquiao well ahead of their world welterweight championship fight in Las Vegas last June 9.

Sorry, but after the unthinkable happened, reigning world welterweight boxing champ Tim Bradley has been going through desperate times selling himself to Team Pacquiao.

Remember how Bradley had cried out that Pacquiao was scared of him.

That was indeed a dreadful way of selling Tim Bradley, the undefeated boxer.

Knowing the old Pacquiao, the Filipino boxing superhero would have jumped up and told tipsy Tim: “Lace on (those gloves) bum!”

* * *

Pacquiao, renewed, has remained unmoved.

Last heard of, Bradley was obviously on the bottom of the Pacman lottery list.

It’s like this. The announcement of Pacquiao’s next foe has been rescheduled again for early next week. Now, with Bradley feeling terribly threatened by Miguel Cotto and Juan Manuel Marquez, not necessarily in that order, the (cheaply) assumed world welterweight title-holder has gone begging on his knees.

“Pacquiao can choose anyone he wants to fight, but I don’t know how he can pick anyone other than me,” Bradley told Lance Pugmire of the LA Times.

“I am the champion. If he wants the belt back, he has to come through me to get it. He relinquished it to me. Regardless of what everyone might think of how I beat him, I’ve got a win on my resume over Manny Pacquiao, and it’s going to be in the history books that way.”

* * *

Bradley was neither asking nor begging. He was already twisting other people’s arms in trying to sell his dubious worth.

Of course, he has a problem. Pacquiao didn’t have to be told it was not himself but the blind judges who relinquished the world crown to the often-retreating American.

Another thing: Pacquiao is fully aware that picking Bradley (as his next opponent) would be foul, dirty as approving of the June 9 fraud, the way the blind Nevada State Attorney General has swept the on-ring robbery of the century under the rug.

* * *

Continued salesman Bradley: “There [were] less than a million PPV buys last June 9, but we’ll meet a number everyone will be happy with because of the controversy. People know who I am now because of the controversy. I didn’t get crazy beat in that fight. It was competitive.”

Meanwhile, Pugmire added Bradley will report back to his Indio camp for the first time since the June 9 bout on Monday after his broken foot and twisted ankle had healed.

There was one commentary which yesterday stated Pacquiao handlers were being “super cautious because of how bad the Pacman’s last two fights have been.”

Of course, it’s also worth noting that the last bout did drag but only after Bradley, who had called Pacquiao scared, shifted to a cheap cowering mode in the second half.

Pacquiao fight date and opponent will be known soon

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MANILA, Philippines – After weeks of speculation, the fight date and opponent of Filipino boxing icon Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao will be announced early this week, according to the fighter's promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank.
In an interview with Eight Count News last week, Arum revealed that they would decide on all the details by the weekend.
"I have had meetings with everyone and by Monday afternoon, we will announce the place, the opponent and the date," Arum said.
Pacquiao was initially scheduled to return to the ring on November 10, a date that has been in place since last June, even before his fight against Timothy Bradley.
But it was reported last week that the fight had to be moved to December 1 for various reasons, including Pacquiao's filing of candidacy for the upcoming elections.
"Don't go overboard on this statement that the fight has to be on December 1st because of Manny's election," Arum said.
"The election commission just ruled in the Philippines that Manny can authorize somebody to file for him. He doesn't have to be back in October. Manny can have an authorized representative file his papers for him," he added.
Arum confirmed that the November 10 fight date was still in play, but ended any speculation that Pacquiao could fight unbeaten American boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. this year.
"From what we best can gather, Mayweather is not going to fight this year," he said. "We hope to meet with them as soon as possible to work out an arrangement for a fight with him and Pacquiao for the spring of next year."
Pacquiao is choosing among rematches against Bradley, Mexican rival Juan Manuel Marquez and Puerto Rico's Miguel Cotto.
He is coming off a stunning split decision loss against Bradley last June, which followed a controversial win over Marquez in November 2011.

Rajon Rondo admires Pacquiao's dedication and passion

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MANILA, Philippines – Rajon Rondo, the Boston Celtics' All-Star point guard, still remembers the first time he watched Filipino fight king Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao in action.
"I met Pacquiao a couple of years ago," Rondo related in an exclusive interview with ABS-CBN News Monday at the Titan basketball store. "I think he beat up (Miguel) Cotto really badly."
Rondo is referring to Pacquiao's crushing 12th round knockout victory over the Puerto Rican Cotto in 2009, which for many people solidified the Filipino's standing at the top of boxing's pound-for-pound list.
"I went back to the locker room, and I saw Cotto walking back, and then I saw Pacquiao come back and he was smiling," Rondo said. "So from that point on, I started watching his fights and following him."
Rondo, like many of his teammates in the Celtics, is a fan of Pacquiao. The admiration is mutual as Pacquiao is a well-known supporter of the Boston squad, even reportedly watching the team's Game 7 against the Miami Heat prior to his fight against Timothy Bradley last June.
"Definitely, definitely," Rondo said when asked if he was a fan of Pacquiao. "He actually autographed a couple of gloves for our entire team, so we're big fans of Pacquiao, big supporters."
Rondo said that he watches Pacquiao when he is featured on the HBO reality series "24/7" and admires the boxer's work ethic.
"It's his competitiveness. He works hard at what he does," Rondo said. "I've seen '24/7,' so I've seen the time that he puts in, and the dedication and the love and passion for his craft."
Rondo is visiting Manila for the first time to check out the local basketball scene as a prelude to the Philippine leg of Red Bull’s King of the Rock tournament, which will kick off next year.
He will conduct a skills clinic for top UAAP and NCAA players today, and watch the game between the Ateneo Blue Eagles and the Far Eastern University Tamaraws Wednesday.
Rondo will also be the guest of honor in the unveiling of a restored basketball court in Corazon de Jesus in San Juan City.

Filipino Olympian boxer Barriga's family hope he can win gold in 2012 London Olympics

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MANILA, Philippines – The relatives of Filipino Olympic boxer Mark Anthony Barriga are hopeful that he can end the country’s long medal drought and bring home a medal from the 2012 London Olympic Games.
Barriga’s relatives in Panabo City, Davao del Norte, watched as the 19-year-old boxer took on Italian Manuel Cappai in his first fight in London.
His brother Edmil was happy to see that Barriga made good use of his training, as he unleashed several combinations on Cappai.
Meanwhile, one of Barriga’s neighbors, Maquizo Buenaventura, compared the young boxer to Filipino fight king Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao.
His aunt, Alma Palma, said she was praying the rosary even while watching Barriga’s fight.
Barriga trounced Cappai, 17-7, to advance to the round of 16, where he will face Kazakh fighter Birzhan Zhakypov.

Election lawyer Romulo Macalintal files suit over controversial decision in Pacquiao-Bradley fight

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MANILA, Philippines – A Filipino lawyer has filed a complaint before the Nevada Attorney General’s Office questioning the result of the Manny Pacquiao -Timothy Bradley fight.

Election lawyer Romulo Macalintal said his complaint addressed to Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto “may also be treated as a class suit on behalf of those boxing fans who also deserved to be heard of their complaint and grievances and whose number is so huge that it is impracticable to include them in this letter-complaint.”

The complaint was dated June 15 and emailed to reporters on June 17.

Macalintal said he was one of the millions of boxing fans “whose right to a fair and credible verdict in any sporting event is entitled to the protection by the state where the said event is held.”

Macalintal watched the fight inside the MGM Grand Hotel Boxing Arena and was seated at Seat No. 4, Row E, Floor Section. He has been a boxing fan since the 70s. He has a scrapbook of the fights and life of boxing legend Muhammad Ali whom he personally met in 1975 in Manila.

He said his own personal scorecards were similar to other fanatics and experts, which showed that Pacquiao won the fight over Bradley.

“It is (my) humble submission that whatever will be the results of the investigation or inquiry…will surely be of great help and guidance in future sports activities sanctioned by the State of Nevada for the protection of all sports enthusiast and those who have all the rights to demand and claim fair and credible system of officiation,” Macalintal said.

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum has also submitted a request for inquiry to the Nevada Attorney General.