Bleacher Report - Boxing

Meldrick Taylor: Two Seconds Away From Greatness

PrimeTyme Koby — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:47:39 -0500

I was just five years old when Meldrick Taylor faced off with the legendary Julio Cesar Chavez.

Hearing my father and his friends always talk about Meldrick Taylor, I did my own research and came across the saddest story ever in Boxing.

Meldrick was a kid out of Philadelphia that rose through the ranks after winning a gold medal in the 1984 Olympics. Which would lead him to the biggest match of his life with Chavez.

The first time I saw this fight on tape, I watched it with my father. His reactions were as if the fight was live. I sat and watched as Taylor hit Chavez with combinations of a whirlwind and tornadoes. I couldn't believe what I was watching.

Chavez is probably the most revered Mexican fighter ever. His legend has no limit in the proud country.

The first nine rounds could have easily been scored for Taylor, but throughout the fight, I pointed out to my father that his face was becoming badly swollen from hard single shots from Chavez.

By the tenth round, Taylor sat in the corner, and his eyes were almost completely shut.

Chavez was throwing some bone rattling punches that systematically wore Taylor down. Despite the throws, he didn't win a round in my eyes, until the tenth round.

I knew the outcome of the fight and how disputed it was, but watching it for the first time, I still couldn't see where the drama would unfold, because of the sheer display of dominance that Taylor portrayed.

Then the 12th round ensued.

I heard my father say, "hear comes the b***s***." It amazed me how the outcome had resonated with him. The clock ticked down under a minute, approaching the forty second mark, and Chavez landed brutal blows to the head.

Winding down to twenty-five seconds left, Chavez landed a devastating right hand that rattled Taylor. They were in high pursuit of the title until the last secod.

Chavez floored Taylor with another flush right hand.

I heard the story for years, but still thought that Taylor would make it to the cards.

As the clock hit 10 seconds, and Taylor made his way to his feet, and he stood in front of referee Richard Steele. Taylor, obviously stunned by the knockdown, was asked by Steele "Are you okay?"

Simultaneously, what I later found out was trainer Lou Duva jumped onto the ropes,, which distracted Meldrick. Steele asked him quickly again, "Are you okay?" Taylor had previously quickly shook his head Yes. As Taylor went to look back at Steele, Steele waved his hands to stop the fight with TWO seconds left.

Shocked would be an understatement as to how I felt.

For a championship bout to be stopped with two seconds left, and both men standing on their feet, I felt that was the wrong call. Chavez however, fought a courageous fight, and deserved the accolades he received for sticking it out the way he did. A true champion.

Even in the aftermath of the fight and learning of the injuries that Taylor received, a true boxing fan can't help but think of him. It was the first knockdown of the fight.

A championship fight I might add.

He should have been allowed those Two seconds.

Thats the amount of time it would have taken for him to walk halfway back towards Chavez.

That's the amount of time it would have taken to walk onto the platform of greatness.

God Bless Meldrick Taylor.

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Manny Pacquiao vs. Miguel Cotto Gets 1.25 Million PPV Buys

King J — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:23:11 -0500

This just in from a press release from the producers of HBO to me:

Manny Pacquiao vs. Miguel Cotto did 1.25 million PPV buys in their super mega welter weight title fight last Saturday.

This makes Pacquiao vs. Cotto the highest grossing PPV event of 2009 generating $70 million in pay per view revenue alone.

The fight that took place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas was sold out and promoted by Top Rank Promotions.

Pacquiao vs. Cotto will be replayed this Saturday, Nov. 21 at 10:00 PM ET/ PT on HBO. The 12-round TKO triumph by Pacquiao marked his seventh world title in as many different weight classes.

Other HBO play dates of Pacquiao vs Cotto: Nov. 22 (10:00 AM) and 23 (11:40 PM).

HBO2 playdates: Nov. 22 (2:30 PM) and 24 (11:55 PM).

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Ricky Hatton Vs Juan M Marquez: Boxing Has No Place For This Fight

Richard Everett — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:08:37 -0500

Numerous reports have emerged this week that Juan Manuel Marquez and Ricky Hatton are in talks over the possibility of a showdown between the two next summer in the UK.

Promotions chief executive Gareth Williams told the Daily Express : "If Ricky does carry on it would be an ideal fight for him to take on Marquez. He is an elite fighter, just like Ricky, who will want to challenge the best. It makes far more sense to fight Marquez than some of the other names that have been bandied about."

Although ‘The Hitman’ himself has not confirmed the rumours, he did mention on Friday— after witnessing his brothers failed attempt to capture world championship gold—that he is considering a comeback

''Seeing [brother] Matthew and all the lads I'm promoting be successful has given me that itch back. Hearing that roar and seeing my fighters succeed, I might give it another go.''

During a recent interview with a Mexican radio station Marquez cemented his interest in a bout—but adding that his immediate preference lies with a third fight with Manny Pacquiao

''The first choice is Pacquiao, but they will negotiate with Mayweather. If that doesn’t happen I will consider going to England to fight Ricky Hatton.''

Hatton of course would come into this bout fresh of a two round annihilation at the hands of Pacquiao, the consensus pound for pound king.

Two fights previous to that he was outclassed and eventually knocked out in the tenth round by Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Likewise, Marquez would approach the fight having come straight from a one-sided beating and second round knockdown at the hands of Mayweather this September.

The savage beating Pacquiao imposed upon Hatton in May should mean that any mention of a Hitman return would shock even his most ardent supporters.

Those supporters that have still failed to remove their rose-tinted glasses will point out that Hatton’s two defeats came at the expense of the two best pound-for-pound fighters in the world.

Furthermore, Hatton can still draw crowds with the best of them, 60,000 at the City of Manchester Stadium for a Marquez bout would be a sight to behold.

They would add that the Marquez fight could be the prelude to a farewell tour, spanning the leviathans of United Kingdom sporting amphitheatres such as Wembley and the Millennium Stadium.

I, on the other hand, have long since removed my rose tinted glasses for fear of being blinded permanently.

I do agree that Hatton has only lost against the crème de la crème of the pugilistic art. Both of those bouts took place against the best fighters in the world. When Hatton has attempted to fight at such a level he has been left seriously exposed and flat on his back.

Floored five times in the fateful bouts with Mayweather and Pacquiao—and eventually knocked out in both—Ricky is too slow and predictable at that level.

Prior to the Pacquaio and Mayweather losses Hatton had gone ten years without defeat, and during his time in the ring he has amassed a 45-2 record with 32 coming by way of knockout.

When Hatton has fought at the tier below he has dominated—crushing Paulie Malignaggi, battering Luis Castillo and wearing down the seemingly indomitable Kostya Tszyu.

He remained the Ring’s Light welterweight champion for four years, defeating all contenders and pretender’s on his way to a prolonged domination of the weight class.

Unable to compete with the current elite and with nothing left to prove, Hatton's only motivation for a comeback should be based on padding his legacy. It is impossible for him to accomplish anything beyond what he has already achieved.

Juan Manuel Marquez pushed Manny Pacquiao twice and may be on the cusp of greatness. Unfortunately for Hatton, any credibility he would assume through victory would be instantly undermined -as was Floyd Mayweather's victory-by Marquez's unfamiliarity with the weight class.

Essentially a Hatton victory would prove nothing.

His perpetual weight fluctuations are also a major cause for concern. Another self-imposed starvation to make the 140 pound limit may lead to a very lethargic Hatton performance, and ultimately severe punishment at the hands of Marquez.

Richard Shaefer, Chief Executive at Golden Boy Promotions, cites that a light-welterweight fight between the two would be a great event.

"I think it would be a great, great all-action showdown so I'm frankly extremely excited if that fight could happen. I have had conversations with Juan Manuel Marquez on Monday here at my offices.''

''I have informed him of the possibility of a showdown in England, in Manchester, against Ricky Hatton and he immediately accepted the challenge, accepted the opportunity and would love to come to Manchester."

It pains me to say it, but the fight would be fuelled with a very transparent greed. Golden Boy—and kudos must go to them—have seen a marvellous moneymaking opportunity.

With a sixty thousand gate and perhaps one million pay-per-views to be sold, who could blame them? Yet I still feel strongly that other than lining the coffers of both the fighters and the promoters alike this fight serves no purpose on the boxing landscape.

It was of course the same boxing landscape which was once inhabited by Ricky ‘the Hitman’ Hatton as he ruled the light-welterweight division.

That memory of such a tenacious, resilient and strong champion is worth much more than the reality of a million dollar comeback.

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Antonio Margarito Was Beaten Before He Entered the Ring Against Shane Mosley

Carlo Miguel Narboneta — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:44:14 -0500

In everything that we do, we must always be prepared, mentally and physically. Without one of these, we would not be successful in what we want to do unless luck is smiling on us at that moment.

In sports preparation, it is very important before the athletes hit the big lights. In the NBA, NFL, or Major League Baseball to name some, they hold regular practices to prepare for the next game.

Other athletes do change their appearances that others may find intimidating just to gain that mental edge.

As with boxing, preparations may be different but still the result of getting the “win” turns out to be the same. Physical and mental preparations are the key elements to winning.

Boxers go through months of pain before a fight through routine conditioning exercises that sometimes makes the trainee bored and of course sparring. Though some fighters don’t spar a lot as to basketball teams who don’t engage in so much scrimmages during practice.

Trainers device a plan on how to condition the minds and physicals of their fighters before fight time. The two elements go hand-in-hand. If one is missing, the possibility of doom is inevitable.

Would you believe that Antonio Margarito was already derailed emotionally before entering the ring against Mosley?

Mosley's trainer, Nazim Richardson’s discovery of alleged illegal hardened plasters on Margarito’s bandage went straight to his head minutes before they stepped into the ring.

You are not human if you are not affected by that incident.

The said incident in the locker room was an intangible factor in Margarito’s defeat.

Who wouldn’t be affected by that. A fighter being looked up to by fans for being big and strong and might who bulldozes opponents away at will be branded as an alleged cheat with hardened plasters?

Imagine, someone catches LeBron James in the locker room eating some “power spinach” a la Popeye and putting some spring in his shoes. That would make you say “Oooohhh, that’s what make him so strong and jumps so high.”

Antonio’s presumed innocent until proven. But the gold bar that was lost here was R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

With Margarito, the respect that he once had will be clouded with doubt.

Because of so many things going on his mind minutes away before the big fight, directly or indirectly affected his performance that night.

He was blown away even before the first round bell sounded. The mental beating that he had did it for the night.

Mosley put on a hell of a show and credit is due to him. He bullied the bully into submission. He deserved the win. And Richardson deserves the same.

They capitalized on the advantage right from the start. They won the "chess" part of the game and eventually the physical followed.

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Floyd Mayweather, Jr. -Manny Pacquiao: Who Is the Best?

Cliff Eastham — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:17:56 -0500

What does Manny Pacquiao have that Floyd Mayweather, Jr. does not? The answer to that is a simple one-word response: respect.

Far too few boxing fans hold Pretty Boy Floyd in any respectful light, whatsoever. He has been called Moneybags, Motormouth, and worse, but the point remains that he is undefeated, without spot or blemish on his record. Pure (may I say?) as the driven snow.

How did Manny get such world-wide praise and adoration? Some say it is because he is a true warrior, content to fight anyone who is willing to become a sacrificial lamb to the boxing gods. Nothing could be more accurate.

These are my two favorite boxers who are currently throwing hands. So I will be delighted by the outcome, regardless of whose hand is raised at the end of the war.

The boxing world is chomping at the bit to see this fight made by the Muckety Mucks of the boxing world. It probably is dominating 99 percent of the boxing coverage, being talked to death by radio shows.

Writers, both professional and amateur are dangling participles all over the fruited plain in order to describe which one is better and why he will win.

If you came here to find that out, you have walked through the correct door, my good man, or lady.

Let us ponder for the next several moments which of these great fighters is the best, how they got here, and what will happen when their collision eventuates.

First, let us speak of speed. If there is a boxer with faster hands than Money Mayweather, I have yet to see him or hear his name called out from the far reaches of Boxing Lore. There have certainly been some fast ones, you can be sure. Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, Sugar Ray Robinson, and a host of others. I have watched film of each of these I have mentioned and can't see that any could best Pretty Boy.

Manny is a different cut of cloth altogether. He is fast, not super-fast like Mayweather, but faster than most. In most of his fights he is usually the one with the best hand speed, as Miguel Cotto found out much too painfully. If I were rating speed on a 10-point system, I would give the nod to Mayweather 10-8.

When we talk power, we must tread slowly. The first thing the tongue wants to say is that Manny is the better of the two. I concur, if we are speaking of one-punch ability. Mayweather punches in so many flurries that the recipient simply cannot block them all, thus the rub.

Neither of the two possess the punch that makes someone "starve to down bouncing" such as a Tommy Hearns (just think about his KO punch that floored the great Roberto Duran like an oak tree) or a George Foreman.

In the power profile, I would have to give Manny an eight and Mayweather a seven.

If you plan to examine fighters, you certainly cannot neglect to talk about defense.

Here, Pretty Boy stands alone. He, my friends, is the tallest tree in the defensive forest of professional boxing. If the man chooses to box, he will hit the opponent with so many left hands that the opponent will beg for a right.

In doing so, he doesn't make the mistake of many, by letting his defenses rest. If he doesn't see an exchange as a good idea, he will be on his toes throwing eight or nine punches and receiving maybe one in return.

Described in the least common of denominators, Floyd would have to be called Poetry in Motion. It is utterly fascinating to see him let his hands go. If you are a true boxing fan, and can't appreciate that, then I don't know what your source of boxing pleasure could be.

Manny, being southpaw, is very unorthodox to say the least. He gives his opponent different looks, but the impossible thing to overlook is his perpetual motion. He is throwing hands from the beginning to the end, non-stop. In that regard, he reminds me of Vinny Pazienza from a few years back. Vinny wasn't nearly as good or polished as Manny but he was non-stop.

You could say that Pacman's defense is his offense. It is hard to pick your shots when you are being hooked and overhanded from pillar to post. The first time I ever saw Manny or heard of him, was when he upset Marco Antonio Berrera. He did it in stunning fashion, knocking out Berrera in the 11th round winning Ring's Featherweight championship in the process.

My defensive ratings favor Mayweather, 10-7.

Pacman has reeled off 11 straight wins since losing a decision to Erik Morales in January of 2006. Along the way he avenged the loss to Morales with two knockouts. His skills are very good, he is a spectacular finisher. Once he smells victory, he releases the hounds, then the end comes.

Since Morales took him to school in '06 he has endeared himself to fight fans (myself included) and experts everywhere. Beating Manny would be no minuscule task. Mayweather will need to box, box and box some more. He will need to knock knots on Pacman's head faster than he can wipe them away, if he intends to close the deal.

The closest thing to a MoneyMay loss was a split decision win over the great Oscar "D" in May of 2007. I don't know what fight judge Tom Kaczmarek was watching, but that is neither here nor there.

Mayweather naysayers and detractors want others to think he was beaten by Jose Luis Castillo, but that is all speculation.

What is the comparison between opponents?

Some of the notable fighters Mayweather has beaten are Toney Pep, Angel Manfredy, Gregorio Vargas, Diego Corrales (undefeated), Carlos Hernandez, Jesus Chavez, Castillo (twice), DeMarcus Corley, Arturo Gatti, Sharmba Mitchell, Zab Judah, Carlos Manuel Baldomir, Oscar, Ricky Hatton (undefeated), and most recently Juan Manuel Marquez.

Manny's list of notorious victims include Marco Antonio Berrera (twice), Erik Morales (twice), Jorge Solis (undefeated), David Diaz, Oscar, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto.

Mayweather is undefeated at 40-0 with 25 knockouts, while Pacquiao boasts a record of 50-3 with two draws. His losses were to Rustico Torrecampo (third round KO), Medgoen Singsurat (third round KO) and Erik Morales. He had two fights which ended in draws. The first one was Agapito Sanchez and the other to Juan Miguel Marquez.

The notable common opponents are Oscar, Hatton and Marquez. They both defeated Oscar, Manny by TKO and Floyd by split decision. They both knocked out Ricky Hatton, Mayweather while he was undefeated and Pacman with a devastating two-round stoppage.

Marquez managed a draw with Pacman while Mayweather overwhelmed him with an unanimous decision.

The edge in common opponents goes to Manny, 10-9.

So, what can we look for when these two greats "get it on?"

If Mayweather fights tactically, hit-and-run style, he will win a decision. If he chooses to punch, I don't know if he can take it. The longer the fight goes, the edge goes to Floyd, in my opinion. Both times Manny was knocked out it came in round three.

If Pacman is overly confident or wades in without caution, he could easily be on the canvas wondering what happened.

It should be a fight that will go down as one of the greats. If Mayweather wins he will probably be forced to listen to hundreds or thousands of excuses as to why he won. If he loses, it will be a chorus of "see what happens when he fights a good fighter?"

If Manny can be the man who pulls the proverbial mask off the much scorned, so-called 'pretender", he will not only be the best pound-for-pound in the world, he will be one of the best ever to lace them up.

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Mikkel Kessler Will Defeat The "Son Of God"

Colin Linneweber — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:15:54 -0500

WBA super middleweight champion Mikkel “Viking Warrior” Kessler is scheduled to fight Andre “Son of God” Ward in the Super Six World Boxing Classic Saturday night at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, California.

No matter what the outcome of this weekend’s matchup, Kessler (42-1, 32 KOs), a Danish pugilist, will matchup against WBC super middleweight champion Carl Froch in the near future.

Ward (20-0, 13 KOs), who became the first American boxer in eight years to win a gold medal when he accomplished the feat as a light heavyweight at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, lives and trains in Oakland and he will inevitably have the hometown crowd in his corner over Kessler.

Ward, 25, is a tremendous talent and he exhibited some of his seldom seen power this past September when he defeated Shelby Pudwill by TKO in the third round.

Still, Ward remains largely untested as a professional and it will be difficult for him to overcome Kessler’s vast experience in the ring.

In November 2007, Kessler fought retired undefeated champion Joe Calzaghe in a super middleweight unification bout at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium in Wales.

In front of over 50,000 rabid fans, Calzaghe (46-0, 32 KOs) soundly defeated Kessler and was awarded a unanimous decision victory that still haunts the “Viking Warrior” to this day.

“I’ve come all the way over here to Oakland and I’m 150 percent ready for the fight. I’ve had good preparation and I am in unbelievable shape,” said Kessler. “I had a loss against Joe Calzaghe and it still tears me up today, so I’m not thinking about losing anymore.”

Ward said he has been waiting for this fight since he was a child and he knew he would enter the contest as an underdog.

“I want that WBA belt really, really, really bad,” said Ward, who was born across the Bay from Oakland in San Francisco. “You know I always seem to be the underdog but I embrace that.”

Ward has all of the necessary tools to be a champion prizefighter.

Unfortunately for Ward, he is too inexperienced as a professional pugilist to trump a seasoned prizefighter like Kessler.

Ward will remain very competitive with Kessler and the fight will likely be determined by the score cards.

However, Kessler is “not thinking about losing anymore” and he won’t be defeated again in three days.

Floyd Mayweather is a coward if he doesn't fight Manny Pacquiao

http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-23631-Boston-Boxing-Examiner~y2009m11d17-Floyd-Mayweather-is-a-coward-if-he-doesnt-fight-Manny-Pacquiao

New Muhammad Ali DVD is "The Greatest" documentary ever

http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-23631-Boston-Boxing-Examiner~y2009m11d11-New-Muhammad-Ali-DVD-is-The-Greatest-documentary-ever

Boston boxing fans should watch Cotto beat Pacquiao at the Sports Depot

http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-23631-Boston-Boxing-Examiner~y2009m11d13-Boston-Boxing-Fans-Should-Watch-Cotto-Beat-Pacquiao-at-the-Sports-Depot

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Boxing, Ballet, Basketball and Bureaucracy: The Anatomy of a Sport

Ben Olch — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:34:50 -0500

What is a sport?

There are so many activities, games, and competitions in our world today that it can be difficult to decipher what is a sport and what is not. Some may say that this is a relatively easy question to answer, “just throw on ESPN, if it’s on the World Wide Leader, it must be a sport” or, “find out what was included in the Olympics last time around, they include every sport.”

Right, because cheerleading, poker, and trampoline are definitely sports. But then again, maybe they are.

According to Dictionary.com, sport is defined as, “1: an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature, as racing, baseball, tennis, golf, bowling, wrestling, boxing, hunting, fishing, etc. 2: A particular form of this, especially in the outdoors.”

Sounds reasonable, a sport is basically an athletic activity (sorry poker, you’re out) that requires skill, is often competitive, and normally takes place outside.

But wait, if you put two ballet troupes in a park and judge their overall effectiveness, with a hefty check for the winner at stake, that’s a sport?

Obviously not all sports take place outdoors. I think we can all agree on that. We can play football inside a dome and outside in the snow—same sport, but with different surroundings.

So, if an activity does not have to take place outdoors to be a sport, is acting a sport? Let’s use live acting that is done on a large scale, the kind of stuff you see at the Tony’s every year, as an example.

I remember flipping channels a year or two ago and happening to come across a live performance of some show with a ton of physical and athletic men and women doing things that we are used to seeing Adrian Peterson and Kobe Bryant do. Which begs the question, is performing in a musical a sport?

This appears to be a bit of a ridiculous question. I mean, we are never going to see “West Side Story” performed on ESPN. But, for due diligence sake lets go through the definition provided by Dictionary.com.

1: “An athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess.”

Check, no doubt about it. And don’t sit there and pretend you have any better chance at performing in a Broadway musical then you do playing point guard at Duke. Because you don’t.

2: “often of a competitive nature”

First of all, I’m throwing out the “often” aspect. Sports are competitive. It’s a huge reason we love it and why tanking games is a criminal offense.

Is performing in a Broadway musical competitive? Yes. Maybe it’s not as easy to recognize as two teams lined up directly against one other, but performers and directors and producers are extremely competitive. Not necessarily with one another, but imagine rehearsals between a few hundred people who are making minimum wage on the side and vying for one or two spots. That is pure competition.

Beyond competition in rehearsals, any time an award, like Best Musical at the Tony’s or a Super Bowl Ring, is up for grabs, performers and football players work harder and become more competitive. Both sets of people hope for the same end result: glory, respect and money.

The entire production of a Tony worthy show is a competition for those three end results. Now, maybe not all actors perform for glory or money, maybe they just act because they love to act. The same can be said for football players.

Some football players just play because they’re athletic or because it’s all they can do. Not every football player wants to win. But, the great teams are different. Remember when the 2002 Patriots ran onto the field together before the Super Bowl instead of being introduced separately? That team may have had guys who were not playing to be the best, who were not as competitive as some, but as a whole, the most important thing for them was winning. They put there egos aside and focused on winning above all else.

The same can be said for a great musical production. A musical that wins the top prize at the Tony Awards is not going to have one great actor and a bunch of guys who are just there to collect their check and go home. That cast and crew are going to come together to attempt to produce something special. A great show, like a great team, has to have individuals who decide that they want to win.

They have to compete.

If people who perform in Broadway musicals are athletic, skilled, and they compete, then should we start clamoring for Sports Illustrated to write reviews of “Show Boat”? I don’t think so. But why? If musicals fall under the definition of sport, how are they not?

The biggest difference between football and musicals in terms of discovering the anatomy of sport is the way teams or cast and crew score points and eventually win.

In football, teams score points directly against their competition. If one team thinks they are better than another team that is getting more positive attention, they can prove it on the field.

However, in musicals, everything is judged. One cast and crew from a musical can’t prove their show is better than another by challenging them to a dance-off on the stage. No, musicals score points from reviewers and at the box office. It is completely based on opinion. The dichotomy between two shows may be so great that it would be nearly impossible to find anyone in their right mind who didn’t agree that one show was not far superior to another. No matter, it’s still all a matter of opinion.

Our working definition of sport says that the activity must be physical and competitive. It does not say anything about whether or not opinion should, or can be, the deciding factor for declaring a winner. However, in order to differentiate between football and musicals, between sports and a show, we have to add a third piece to our definition.

3: Opinion and perception cannot be the deciding factor for determining a winner of a sport.

Many so-called sports pick their winners purely by way of the opinions of judges. For example, divers and gymnasts win or lose medals in the Olympics based on how judges perceive their routines. These events are clearly physical and competitive, but using the third part of our definition, these events are no more sport than ballet.

Which brings us to boxing.

According to Wikipedia, something resembling boxing has been around for at least 7,000 years. Carvings that depict fist fights with spectators on site have been found in Mesopotamia, the cradle of civilization.

However, is this ancient activity a sport? Now that we have a working definition we can easily decipher the answer.

Is boxing physical and competitive? Yes, extremely. The biggest fighters have muscles bulging out of there bodies in 46 different directions and they normally try to destroy each other for a huge pay-day.

Does boxing determine its winner with opinion and perception as its deciding factor? Well, this is a bit of tricky question.

In boxing we have three possible outcomes: a knock out, a technical knock out, and a decision from the ringside judges.

If a KO or even a TKO (when the referee stops the fight to protect against one boxer from killing the other who has been beaten senseless) were the only two possible outcomes, this would be an easy question. However, most boxing matches come down to a decision from judges who probably couldn’t punch their way out of a paper bag.

If we are going to claim that competitive ice skating is no longer a sport because the winner is chosen based entirely on the opinion of judges, then how can we continue to consider boxing, one of the oldest and most physical events we have, a sport?

Based on our definition of sport, when the fight ends in a KO or TKO we have a sport, but when the fights goes to a decision, we are actually watching a show with a winner who has as much to do with his victory as an Oscar winner.

Which is fine, but it’s no sport.

The only problem with this view of boxing is that looks as if our definition advocates a fight that lasts as long as needed for one fighter to knock the other out. Is that really a sport? A fight to find out who can keep consciousness the longest? Probably not, but we cannot rule out a sport because of gruesome activity.

Although, whether or not men who try to destroy each other are sportsman (defined by Dictionary.com as "a person who exhibits qualities especially esteemed in those who engage in sports, as fairness, courtesy, good temper, etc.") is another debate.

Maybe you are saying, “wait a minute we have judges in every sport, referees in basketball, umpires in baseball, and so on.”

In reality, those sports have officials, not judges—a huge difference that can not be taken lightly. An official keeps the game and players in order and makes sure everything runs smoothly. Yes, they have to make many judgments (fair or foul, ball or strike, legal or not), but they do not make the final decision of whether they think someone did better than someone else.

In sports, we discover the answer to who is better by playing on the field. In entertainment, we can choose who we think does a superior job.

Imagine if referees gave Michael Jordan an extra point when he skied through the air before delivering a powerful dunk. It’s not going to happen, although judges do give points in the slam dunk competition. A show that is scored in much the same way as a boxing match.

It does not matter if you have to go to Hong Kong to find one person who disagrees that a boxer thoroughly dominated another for 11 of the 12 rounds and the judges all mark it the same way. It is still an opinion. Remember the French judge? It only takes one.

To conclude, we now know that a sport is an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess, competition, and a lack of opinion and perception as the deciding factor in who wins or loses.

To diving, trampoline, and boxing fans: don’t stop loving these activities, just understand that a sport cannot be judged. A sport is supposed to be pure and devoid of bureaucracy.

Sure, we will always have players who cheat and teams who spend way more money than the rest, but the players on the field won’t be judged by how fast they go or how hard they hit. They won’t get extra points for jumping higher or throwing harder. In a sport, a team or person wins by besting their opponent, in a show they win if someone else thinks they should win.

http://superiorcolumns.com/

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Pacquiao-Mayweather Looking for Undercards...Tyson-Holyfield 3?

PrimeTyme Koby — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:30:54 -0500

With all the rumblings of a Super fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, I started thinking of some interesting undercards for arguably the biggest fight of the century.

Tyson-Holyfield 3?

Since seeing Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield on Oprah, and knowing both of their careers are practically over, I thought it would be really entertaining to see them on the undercard to a Mayweather-Pacquiao fight.

No one in their right mind should want to see that type of fight on it's own merit, but I thought it would be great to see while you are sipping brew and eating chips and dip with your congregation.

I can't help but notice how the undercards are increasingly disinteresting, and no one who paid to see the fight live or on television sits through them.

Am I alone in wanting to see more than one fight for $60 on PPV??

These side show fights although humorous to most (including myself), would be great to watch.

I remember watching Roy Jones Jr. fight on the YES network, asking "Why couldn't this have been an undercard on a major ticket?

I know the undercards are supposed to be for up and coming fighters to get exposed to the big crowd, but truth be told, only boxing purest are watching. The seats are empty until Michael Buffer serenades the crowd with that million dollar trademark.

So I ask YOU, the fan, what matchup would you like to see that would hold your attention?

Serious contenders on the rise like Andre Berto, Paul Williams, and others are excluded. This would not make sense at all.

So I came up with other scenarios of fighters who would be great for each other, and are in, or past the twilight of their career.

How about Zab Judah versus Fernando Vargas?

Zab seems to hold NYC's attention win, lose, or draw. Vargas will attract the Mexican-American faithful who once thought he was the Golden Child. It would make for great entertainment. Even a Trindad-Vargas 2 would be intriguing,, but we wouldn't want to ruin a classic.

Ricardo Mayorga versus Antonio Margarito?

With all the controversy surrounding Margarito's handwraps it's obvious he has little to no chance to get on the main stage again. He would have to pay his debt to society by taking on brawlers for a little bit of money. Mayorga is always entertaining, I still can't get over him smoking and eating chicken at his weigh in. This would be action packed and set the table for the most anticipated fight of the century.

Edison Miranda versus Jermain Taylor?

After seeing Jermain suffer that devastating loss to Arthur Abraham, I feel he's back to undercard status now. Kelly Pavlik gave him a brain rattling loss as well, and I am sad to see him have to continue in the Super Six. His career may definitely not come out alive. Miranda is also someone who lost to Abraham in a very exciting fight in which Miranda broke Abraham's jaw early. I couldn't help but link these two together.

With PPV being $54.99, and in the case of a Hatton-Pacquiao where we only got to see five Minutes of fighting, that charge would average out to about 10 dollars a minute (because I didn't watch the undercard).

I wouldn't mind paying $59.99 to see one of these type of fights be added to the mix in exchange for whatever they were thinking to add to the line up. That extra $5 should be more than enough to cover the tab of the fighters. Especially if there are two million buys on PPV, which I think is a reality if fight fans across the world had undercards like this to watch.

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Hookercut: What Would Phil Jackson Do?

Carlo Miguel Narboneta — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 07:09:17 -0500

If Michael Jordan’s 1998 Chicago Bulls championship team were down by 50 points against Stockton and Malone’s Utah Jazz with two minutes left in the third quarter, what would Coach Phil Jackson do?

Phil probably would’ve taken out Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Tony Kukoc and Ron Harper. The starters would be warming the bench as the third unit takes over the basketball court to finish the game for formality’s sake.

It’s a lost ballgame anyway. And it’s not a shame by doing so. It’s part of the strategy.

Phil would do this move in order to preserve his players. There are more games left to be played, immediate or long term.

Why would he expose his best players to freak accidents if it can be avoidable? Injuries are similar to death. If God wants this to happen it’s up to Him. But if there’s a chance that we can avoid it in some little way then the opportunity should be grabbed. Makes sense? At least you tried.

I’m making a point out of last Saturday’s Firepower starring Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto. I’ve read reports from various writers that the fight should’ve been stopped earlier than the 12^th round and I totally agree.

The Boricua Bomber was competitive early in the fight. Then he took a flash knockdown in the third and a legit one from a left hookercut (can’t distinguish if it were a hook or an uppercut ) haymaker in the fourth round.

Cotto is a proud fighter. I’ve witnessed so many of his fights. He doesn’t back down from adversity. He may be handicapped in some of his fights but he just wouldn’t quit.

Look at his fight against Ricardo Torres, he was taking so much early in the fight but he refused to go down. He took everything from Ricardo before his body let go and touched the canvas. And yet he still managed to win the fight by an impressive knockout in the 7th.

Fights with Zab Judah, Shane Mosley and Antonio Margarito are notable ones for he refuses to lose even in adversity. Though he took a knee and quit against Margarito, nobody knows if there were hardened plasters used in that fight. It’s an exception.

Proud fighters will not quit. Cotto is one. Their heart neglects the limitations of the physical for pride and glory. The fighter will just go on. Fighters don't quit.

He deserves to be protected. He has to be protected.

Miguel Cotto did not need to take that much of a beating at the end. If the bout was stopped three rounds earlier, he could’ve saved Cotto roughly around 120 power shots from Pacquiao.

Miguel Cotto still has a good future, but he needs a good and better trainer.

What do you think would Phil Jackson do?

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Mikkel Kessler vs. Andre Ward: Super Six In-Depth Preview

Nick Tylwalk — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:38:44 -0500

"The Viking Warrior" Mikkel Kessler

Birthplace: Copenhagen, Denmark
Resides: Monaco
Height: 6' 1"
Reach: 73"
Current World Titles Held: WBA Super Middleweight (168 lbs.)
Former World Titles Held: WBC Super Middleweight
Professional Record: 42-1, 32 KOs
Record in World Title Fights: 8-1, 6 KOs
Record in Fights Going 12 Rounds: 4-1
Record at 168 lbs.: 26-1, 22 KOs

Notable Wins: UD12 Librado Andrade, KO3 Markus Beyer, UD12 Anthony Mundine
Notable Loss: UD12 Joe Calzaghe

Andre "S.O.G." Ward

Birthplace: San Francisco, California
Resides: Oakland, California
Height: 6' 1"
Reach: 73"
Current World Titles Held: None
Former World Titles Held: None
Professional Record: 20-0, 13 KOs
Record in World Title Fights: First world title fight
Record in Fights Going 12 Rounds: 2-0
Record at 168 lbs.: 11-0, 7 KOs

Notable Wins: UD12 Edison Miranda , TKO7 Rubin Williams

Analysis:

It may not seem like it right now, but the boxing world isn't on hold while it waits for Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather to decide if and when they are going to fight each other. Hardcore enthusiasts know there are a number of intriguing fights in the next few months—and the final first stage fight in the Super Six World Boxing Classic definitely qualifies.

Though Mikkel Kessler has fought most of his career in his native Denmark, he isn't viewed with as much suspicion by American fans as some of his European contemporaries. That's because the hard-punching yet technically solid Viking Warrior has taken on some solid competition and come out on top. His lone loss came while giving a prime Joe Calzaghe a good battle, and that's no easy task.

Andre Ward isn't at the same virtuoso level of the sport as Mayweather, but he does possess a similar ability to make aspects of the game look smooth and effortless. He's got very fast hands and is comfortable fighting in either an orthodox or southpaw stance. Ward's undefeated record includes just one bout that seemed like a true test, when he easily outpointed slugger Edison Miranda earlier this year.

Both men are well-rounded, but that doesn't mean the shape of the fight won't favor one more than the other. If Kessler can use his experience to turn it into a slugfest, he looks to have the upper hand, as Ward has questions about his power and a sometimes unreliable chin. S.O.G. probably wouldn't mind 12 rounds of boxing, because his youth and athleticism would be bigger factors.

Even though his fellow Americans both fell to defeat, Ward can take some solace in the fact that the first two fights in the World Boxing Classic were won by the men fighting in front of their home fans, and he'll be right in his backyard in Oakland.

This will be Kessler's first appearance in the U.S., but he did face Calzaghe in Wales and has enough rounds under his belt that it's unlikely that he'll be rattled.

Kessler's Winning Strategy: Get Inside

Usually it's a size differential that makes it imperative for one fighter to close the range, but in this case Kessler and his opponent are almost identical in all areas of the tale of the tape. The Viking Warrior has a good jab and enough skill to box from the outside, yet staying in Ward's face still seems like the sounder plan.

Kessler throws great uppercuts and body shots, both of which are best utilized in tight. As mentioned above, Ward may not have enough pop to keep Kessler honest, and if that's the case, Mikkel should look to back his man up against the ropes and attack with impunity.

Logic suggests that if this fight ends in a knockout, it's going to be Kessler who has his hand raised. The chances of that happening are that much greater if Mikkel can keep the average distance closer than Andre would like.

Ward's Winning Strategy: Let Your Hands Go

Stylistically, Ward doesn't bear that much resemblance to Calzaghe. But the only man to beat Kessler did lay out a game plan that he can use to earn a victory, providing he has the heart to pull it off.

JoeCal flummoxed Kessler at times with combination punching when he didn't expect it, capitalizing on his ability to get off first. Ward should be able to do that comfortably from the outside, using his jab and firing immediate follow-up punches. He'll want to do the same on the inside even though there is some risk involved due to Kessler's heavy hands.

What he should try to avoid is holding as often as he did against Miranda, because that won't cut it against the Viking Warrior. Outworking the other man seems like the way to go here, and Ward has to have the conviction that a high activity level will pile up the points and have him ahead on the cards at the end of 12 rounds.

Nick Tylwalk is the editor and co-founder of BoxingWatchers.com , where this preview originally appeared.

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KING J Bet On 12th Round TKO Manny Pacquiao

King J — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:29:51 -0500

This past Saturday night provided boxing fans with the biggest fight of the year. The highly anticipated super mega fight featured the sport's best pound-for-pound fighter Manny Pacquiao vs. the WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto.

The match was dubbed: “FIRE POWER.”

Even the most casual or ignorant fans were highly satisfied with the main event fight which had two exciting all-action fighters trade off and stand toe-to-toe in what turned out to be a candidate for fight of the year.

Top boxing columnist KING J predicted the correct winner for this fight like he usually does due to his objective, genius methods for predicting fights. But it was not only great that he picked the winner of the fight (Manny Pacquiao) but he also picked the exact round of the TKO as well (Round 12).

See the article photo of the actual winning bet ticket. A 12th Round TKO for Manny Pacquiao was at 12 to 1 odds. KING J, being the guru that he is, bet on the 12th Round for a Pacquiao TKO. You do the math, and you will understand that his new Louis Vuitton wallet has been quite puffy ever since.

KING J was approached at the lobby of the MGM Grand by two suspiciously ghetto fabulous fans who begged him to do an interview on their For the Love of Boxing Talk Show . Usually KING J does not agree to do free interviews but he felt bad for these two strange individuals and ended up agreeing to do their talk show in exchange for compensation in the form of the Bellagio Buffet, full tank of gas, and a Milli Vanilli CD.

The video version of the interview with KING J on the For the Love of Boxing Talk Show hosted by Chance Villain and REAL Serious is already a hit on YouTube.

YouTube: KING J Bet On 12th Round TKO Pacquiao

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Predicting a Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather, Jr. Outcome = Bad Math

Big Baller — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:26:36 -0500

I am not the first to write about this potential blockbuster matchup. And I won't be the last.

But as I wade through the great sports blogosphere looking for articles about Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr., I can't help but laugh at the number of bad math calculations attributed to this megafight-in-the-works.

Here's one:

Pacquiao struggled against Juan Manuel Marquez.

Mayweather dominated Marquez in every possible way.

Therefore, Floyd will dominate Manny, right?

Here's another:

Mayweather edged out De La Hoya on points.

Pacquiao crushed De La Hoya, leaving him on his stool.

Therefore, Manny will crush Floyd, no?

Not necessarily.

As sports fans, we do this all the time. We do it in every conceivable sport. It's a common practice of trying to predict who will win by attributing some quantifiable results into a formula. Sometimes it works but most often, it doesn't.

To use an old cliche, "that's why they play the games," folks.

And in this situation, the bad math just won't do it.

Try it again:

Mayweather took 10 rounds to finish off Ricky Hatton.

Pacquiao destroyed Hatton in 2.

Therefore Manny will destroy Floyd, right?

Wrong.

While this might seem logical, it really doesn't bode well in boxing.

The sweet science is all about style, training, and heart. Unfortunately those elements are tough to quantify, and impossible to put into a formula.

So while it may be tough to predict the outcome of this fight (should it actually happen), I think we can all agree that both fighters will bring their own formula of style, training and heart to the ring.

Manny's style brings speed, a great volume of punches, and angles that would make a physicist proud. We know he trains hard. And we know he brings alot of heart.

Floyd brings quickness, deception, and one of the great defenses in the modern era. He trains hard, is supremely fit, and has enough pride to fill a stadium.

But try and put this into a discernible formula and you're sure to get some fuzzy math.

Let's hope this fight happens so we can all ponder how Manny's TKO of Cotto in 2009 can be measured against Mayweather's dismantling of Gatti in 2005.

I'd like to see how that one adds up.

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Floyd Mayweather Is a Coward If He Doesn't Agree To Fight Manny Pacquiao

Colin Linneweber — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:55:10 -0500

IBO and Ring Magazine light welterweight champion Manny “Pac-Man” Pacquiao badly bludgeoned Miguel Cotto to capture the WBO welterweight championship by TKO in the 12th round Saturday night at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas.

Cotto (34-2, 27 KOs) showed tremendous moxie and determination and he remained very competitive with Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KOs) throughout the opening rounds.

Unfortunately for Cotto, Pacquiao ultimately proved to be too quick and strong for the native of Puerto Rico.

“He (Pacquiao) hit harder than we expected and he was a lot stronger than we expected,” Cotto’s trainer, Joe Santiago, said.

Cotto concurred with Santiago’s assessment and he admitted that Pacquiao’s quickness was extremely tough to overcome.

“I didn’t know from where the punches were coming,” said Cotto, 29, who refused to allow his corner to throw in the towel after the 11th round.

Pacquiao applauded Cotto’s valiant efforts and he acknowledged that he was cautious early of the former champion’s renowned power.

“Our plan was not to hurry, but to take our time,” said Pacquiao, 30, who is rated by Ring Magazine as the greatest pound-for-pound boxer in the world. “It was a hard fight tonight and I needed time to test his power.”

As soon as the fight concluded, the crowd began to chant, “We want Floyd! We want Floyd!”

Obviously, the audience was clamoring for a potential matchup that would pit Pacquiao versus former WBC welterweight champion “Pretty Boy” Floyd Mayweather, 32.

Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs), who was won six world boxing championships in five different weight classes, has been noncommittal at the notion of fighting Pacquiao.

“I don’t think it’s going to happen,” Pacquiao said about a lucrative battle with the man www.espn.com ranked #48 on their “50 Greatest Boxers of All-Time” list. “I’m sure he doesn’t want the fight.”

The President of HBO Sports, Ross Greenburg, said he couldn’t fathom why either Pacquiao or Mayweather would opt out of a fight against each other.

“Boxing fans demand it and the sport needs it,” said Greenburg. “If you’re an athlete, do you say that you don’t want to play in the Super Bowl?”

Pacquiao, who became the first fighter in history to win a belt in seven weight classes this past weekend, explained why he believes that Mayweather will cower and avoid a fight against him in the future.

“Boxing for him is like a business,” Pacquiao said. “Mayweather doesn’t care about the people around him watching. He doesn’t care if the fight is boring, as long as the fight is finished and he gets plenty of money. I want people to be happy. You have a big responsibility as a boxer.”

“Pretty Boy’s” father, Floyd Sr., attended last Saturday’s highly-anticipated bout.

Although Mayweather Sr. predicted that his son would decimate Pacquiao, he said he would advise him not to fight Pacquiao.

“I have my own personal reasons,” Mayweather Sr. said like the yellow clown pocket he has shown himself to be.

Floyd Mayweather, Jr. is truly a legendary pugilist and his superb defensive skills would create significant issues for Pacquiao.

Mayweather is essentially the very personification of a boxer.

On the contrary, Pacquiao is much more of a rugged brawler than he is strictly a pure boxer.

If Pacquiao doesn’t eventually scrap Mayweather, boxing will yet again be attempting suicide.

However, if they do actually matchup against one another, Mayweather against Pacquiao would be an epic battle for the ages.

As noted, Mayweather is much more artful in the ring than Pacquiao is.

Nevertheless, Pacquiao is also a gifted tactician and his heart will never be questioned.

If Mayweather has any testicular fortitude whatsoever, he will box Pacquiao and he will ultimately be defeated for the first time in his professional career by the “Fighting Pride of the Philippines.”

Boston boxing fans should watch Cotto beat Pacquiao at the Sports Depot

New Muhammad Ali DVD is "The Greatest" documentary ever

David Haye slays Russia's Goliath

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Did You Know That Miguel Cotto Is Really Fernando Vargas?

Cliff Eastham — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 09:46:31 -0500

A boxer's identity is something they have worked long and hard to achieve. Whether they want to be perceived as charming, polite, and gracious such as the identity crafted by the Golden Boy, Oscar de La Hoya; or a mean, frightful, vicious persona such as Ferocious Fernando Vargas.

The identity the boxer chooses is one that generally affects what the public perceives them to be. I think of Oscar and I think of something so pure it farts rainbows. On the other end of the spectrum when I think of Vargas I think of a monster who would rip your heart out and show it to you before your untimely demise.

The two fighters in this article, Vargas and Miguel Cotto, both like to present the feeling that they would absolutely die on their sword and be carried out on their shield rather than give up the conquest.

They both started out meteorically. Fernando Vargas reeled off 20 consecutive wins before sampling the acidic taste of defeat. On the other hand, Cotto had fought 32 times before his initial undoing.

Why do I draw comparisons between these two? What do they have in common?

Vargas and Cotto both fought some very good fighters on their way to the spotlight. Vargas was good enough to win a majority decision against Winky Wright in an IBF Light Middleweight title fight in 1999. That fight provided the impetus for Wright to go on a nearly seven-year streak where he didn't lose again.

Miguel Cotto's first fight with a marquee opponent, in my opinion, was in 2006 when he dealt Carlos Quintana his first defeat for the vacant WBA Welterweight title. Cotto beat Quintana into submission forcing him to retire in five rounds.

Vargas went on to beat Ike Quartey and Ross Thompson before giving us one of the most thrilling fights of the year when he succumbed to Felix Trinidad in a unification of the IBF and WBA Light Middleweight crowns. Vargas nearly fell on his own sword as Trinidad knocked him out in the 12th and final round. Both men had been down previously in the contest, Vargas twice in round one and three times in the final round. Trinidad was knocked down in the fourth.

After Cotto dispatched Quintana he went on to defeat Zab Judah, Shane Mosley and Alfonso Gomez before he met his "controversial" Waterloo. In a fight which he was being soundly whipped by Antonio Margarita, the corner threw in the towel near the beginning of the 11th round. Cotto's camp claimed that Margarita had used an illegal substance in his gloves during the fight. It certainly tainted a beautiful performance by Margarita, but meanwhile left Cotto's "superman" status somewhat deflated.

After Vargas was starched by Trinidad, he went on a successful two-fight rebuilding tour that brought him to the gates of Goldentown. That's right a war with the Golden Boy. Oscar beat him badly that night and Fernando was tested positive for steroids, resulting in a suspension of nine months and a $100,000 fine. Vargas denied the abuse of drugs but served the sentence and paid the fine.

Cotto knocked out Michael Jennings in a comeback cruise that was comprised of two fights. In the second fight he won a hard-fought split decision over Joshua Clottey in September of 2009, setting up what would be a fight for the ages with Manny Pacquiao, the pound-for-pound champion in the world.

Fernando Vargas went on to win against four handpicked opponents in the next two years and set up a big money fight with Sugar Shane Mosley. Mosley beat him like he stole something, twice actually, and then he lost a decision to Ricardo Mayorga, whose claim to fame was a three-round devastation of the late Vernon Forest, and for smoking a cigarette in the ring after the fight. Vargas retired after that fight realizing that whatever he had once was gone.

In Cotto's showdown with Manny it was evident that the beating he took at the hands of Margarito had taken its toll. He looked good for the first round or two but then was completely outclassed and ultimately disassembled by the non-stop action of Pacman.

There you have a portrait of two careers, both promising at the beginning. Both promoted highly by HBO and other puntiffs of the sport. Both fighters eventually revealing a chink in their proverbial armor, and both having it handed to them but a superior fighter.

Though Vargas' career is over, the light switch hasn't been turned off yet by Cotto. There is still millions to make, stiffs to fight, and much, much rebuilding to do if he should get another big money fight.

There is nobody left that Cotto can beat. Mosley would pick him apart this time, as would Pretty Boy Floyd Mayweather.

The end has come to Cotto's tenure of greatness just as it did with Ricky "Hitman" Hatton.

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Manny Pacquiao's Power the Key To Defeating Miguel Cotto

Nick Tylwalk — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 07:08:52 -0500

Even with a few days for it to sink in, I'm still doing a bit of mental digestion of Manny Pacquiao's 12th-round TKO of Miguel Cotto.

It isn't the result (which I correctly predicted , if I may toot my own horn a bit), or the titles in seven different weight classes, or even the hype already building as fans salivate over a possible meeting between Pac Man and Floyd Mayweather (the early line is already set ).

Instead, what stands out to me as something to ponder is that in what many people billed as a contest between speed and power, it was Pacquiao's power that was really the deciding factor. The telling quote in the aftermath of the fight came from Cotto trainer Joe Santiago.

"He hit harder than we expected and he was a lot stronger than we expected."

Think about that for a moment. It's a much different song than the ones sung by David Diaz or Oscar De La Hoya pointing to Pacquiao's quickness as the main cause of their defeats. Oscar even went as far as to suggest he didn't think Manny hit that hard.

For the first few rounds, though, Cotto was able to handle, if not completely neutralize, Pac Man's speed. He did so mostly by staying busy with his jab and capitalizing on his reach, plus throwing in the occasional counter shot.

Pacquiao had already started stepping it up toward the end of the second round, perhaps proving Freddie Roach's assertion that Manny wasn't following their preferred strategy. Still, it was only after Cotto tasted some flush shots—especially the left to the chin that dropped him in the latter stages of the fourth round—that he looked like he was lost, essentially fighting while going backward for the remainder of the bout.

Manny's high KO percentage and reputation as an action fighter somewhat obscure the fact that he didn't really have fearsome one-shot power at featherweight or super featherweight. He couldn't keep Juan Manuel Marquez down despite dropping him three times in their first meeting and lost to Erik Morales in their first fight. At 130, Oscar Larios, Marco Antonio Barrera, and Marquez (again) all escaped with decision losses.

Since moving up to lightweight and beyond, though, Pacquiao has stopped everyone he's faced, suggesting his pure punching power is peaking. The punch that turned Ricky Hatton's lights out was just about the perfect evidence, and the knockdown shot from this past Saturday was a great Exhibit B.

That's not to say that Pacquiao's speed and knack for throwing punches from unorthodox angles didn't bother Cotto, because they clearly did. But for a guy that had already been in with Shane Mosley and Antonio Margarito, no slouches in the power department themselves (though Tony may have had some, um, help), to be so affected by shots landed by a man who had campaigned two weight classes lower the previous year is truly remarkable.

Should the megafight with Mayweather ever becomes a reality, it's that power that very well could prove to be the x-factor. Both men are exceptionally fast, meaning any edge in speed either way will be a tiny one. Floyd gets the nod in lateral movement and ring generalship, though Pacquiao has made vast improvements in both areas over a relatively short period of time.

If Pac Man can land clean shots against Mayweather—and yes, that's a big if due to Floyd's defensive wizardry—Money may very well find that he's up against the hardest hitting welterweight he's ever faced. A week ago, I wouldn't have believed it, but it's hard to discount that line of thinking now.

Nick Tylwalk is the editor and co-founder of BoxingWatchers.com , where this piece originally appeared.

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Manny Pacquiao Entertains at the Post-Fight Conference

King J — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:51:13 -0500

Following the highly anticipated super mega fight of Manny Pacquiao versus Miguel Cotto was a long list of post fight events that took place right after the fight Saturday night.

The press media conference was one that was maximum capacity due to the higher attendance of international media from all around the world obviously largely from Puerto Rico and the Philippines was one of the most exciting and fulfilling post fight press conferences.

Unfortunately, Miguel Cotto was obligated to go straight to the hospital in accordance to the boxing commission and was not able to attend. This is similar to the post fight conference of Pacquiao versus Hatton where Hatton as well had to go to the hospital and was also absent.

Top Rank CEO Promoter Bob Arum made very high claims that he feels Manny Pacquiao is the best fighter he has ever seen even better in comparison to Ali, Leonard, and Haggler.

Manny as he often always is was humble and thanking all of his supporters, team, and god for his achievements. He told the media that he now refers to his trainer Roach as "master."

What made this press conference different from the previous ones was that Manny appeared to seem more human with his visible battle scars and even a bandage around his right ear. However despite his painful looking wounds he was by far more humorous than usual almost doing a bit of a stand up comedy routine by promoting his concert that was taking place right after at the Mandalay Bay. He made it clear over and over again that everyone was invited but they must pay the $40 for tickets.

Of course Floyd Mayweather Jr. was the topic for the most asked question by all of the media and just as Manny evades and slips punches he avoided ever really commenting his personal thoughts on a potential future fight with the last reigning undefeated American pound for pound fighter.

He would just repeat that it is his promoter Bob Arum's job to negotiate and arrange his next fight not him.

While wearing his singer like fedora hat Manny gave in and even sang a sample of what was expected at his concert taking place right after the press conference. He sang a few lines from the hit song: Sometimes When We Touch as the press conference cheered and clapped for him.

This article was originally posted HERE

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Manny Pacquiao vs. Miguel Cotto Lives Up To the Hype

King J — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:09:37 -0500

It seemed the whole world had their eyes glued to what took place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas Saturday night in what was the biggest fight of the year: Manny Pacquiao vs Miguel Cotto titled: FIREPOWER. The sold-out MGM Grand arena (which holds just over 17,000 fans) was filled with some of the most famous celebrities in the world from movie stars such as Will Ferrell, to top athletes such as Derek Jeter.

The majority of the crowd was predominantly made up of the two fighters’ ethnic backgrounds of Filipino and Puerto Rican descent. It seemed over all there were slightly more Filipinos in attendance perhaps due to Las Vegas being located closer to the west coast where statistically the majority of Filipino Americans reside in the neighboring California state to the majority of Puerto Ricans being in biggest numbers on the east coast.

Regardless of ethnic background or pride all fight fans had something to cheer about as the bell finally rang at the beginning of this fight.

The first round seemed to go to the champion Cotto as he out landed and out boxed the challenger Pacquiao.

In round two Pacquiao began to obtain his rhythm as he started to unleash flurries to answer Cotto's clean jabs and left hooks.

In round three the tide really started to shift to the challenger Pacquiao as a blinding right hand sent Cotto down to the canvas as the MGM Grand reacted in screams and cheers.

In round four Pacquiao intentionally laid his back against the ropes and allowed Cotto to open up on him much like Ali had done to George Foreman in a rope-a-dope fashion. This confused most of the fans in the MGM Grand as many were questioning why Manny was doing this. Cotto landed some clean shots on Pacquiao to the body. Pacquiao escaped from the ropes to land another blinding left hand that Cotto never saw coming sending him down for the second time in the fight erupting the fans in the MGM Grand to cheer louder than the first knock down.

The majority of the rest of the fight Cotto fought on as a true champion refusing to quit or let his corner end the fight despite Pacquiao dominating round after round administering a one sided beat down shut out due to his superior speed and stronger punches to the weakening champion.

From rounds 10 on, Pacquiao at moments put both of his hands down to his side as if he was telling both Cotto and the referee why must we do this? Why must I punish this man further? This gesture confused the sold-out crowd as they began to boo whenever Pacquiao repeated this gesture to the end of the fight.

A legitimate argument could be made to stop the fight anywhere between rounds nine through 12 where Cotto seemed to fight in desperate surviving mode with the only possible intentions of finishing the fight.

In the 12th and final round referee Kenny Bayless watched very carefully for any moment to stop the fight if he saw Cotto taking any further punishment. Pacquiao unleashed what looked to be a multiple combination on Cotto as he pinned him against the ropes and that was when Bayless jumped into to waive off the fight. The MGM Grand jumped to their feet as if every spectator felt they had well received their money’s worth for this fight.

Many Puerto Rican fans even stood up to graciously concede their approval of Manny’s performance that night and still held their heads high and wore their Puerto Rican flag colors proud as if to say their fighter gave one hell of a fight and lost only to the best fighter in the world at the very end.

In the post fight interview Larry Merchant told Pacquiao he did not show any mercy towards Cotto by punishing him and going for the stoppage in the 12th round and Pacquiao said yes as he laughed and many of the thousands of fans who still stayed in the arena for the interview began to laugh as well.

Miraculously there were no fights among the 17,000 plus passionate crowd as if everyone was just happy to see such an amazing fight with two true champions who have always won over the crowds with their fan friendly exciting fighting styles. Pacquiao had booked a live singing concert performance with himself and his band at the Mandalay Bay that took place right after the fight implying just how confident he was on a victory that night.

Pacquiao improves his record to 50(38)-3-2 and making history as the only seven division champion ever.

Cotto falls to 34(27)-2.

Personally as a big fan of both of these two fighters, I like most true fight fans, could not ask for anything more. These again have been two of the very few fighters out there that have been keeping the sport of boxing alive during this so called slump, or even death, of boxing that many critics and media have been reporting in the last several years. It's because of fighters like these two who actually fight, who trade shots, who give the fans a reason to stand up and lift their own hands up in the air. And they continue to win new fans over and over again with their exciting, thrilling, fighting styles.

Both Manny and Miguel do not bore us to tears like so many other fighters out there do. These guys fight for the fans and that is why they have been keeping the sport of boxing alive and well.

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Why Is Floyd Mayweather, Jr. Hated By All Boxing Fans?

Cliff Eastham — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:38:16 -0500

It is difficult for me to see why so many boxing fans hate Floyd Mayweather, Jr. When I say "hate", i don't mean dislike, tolerate, detest or even abhor. I believe many would like to see Money dead.

What is at the core of all of this venomous outrage for such a talented boxer? Is it because he doesn't look beaten up like Jake LaMotta or Tex Cobb? Is it because he has so much money he could literally wipe his butt with $100 bills?

When Pretty Boy (I prefer that moniker to Money) began his pro career as a brash young man in 1996, I saw him as cocky, irreverent, and disrespectful. From that time until he demolished the resurrected Arturo Gatti and then took apart Sharmba Mitchell I wanted him to lose every time.

Finally it came to me, that I didn't really dislike Mayweather the boxer, I detested Mayweather the man, the talker, the mean mouth.

This braggart has beaten Zab Judah, the great Oscar de la Hoya, Jose Luis Castillo twice, and Diego Corrales.

He has outclassed everyone who had the stones to walk into the ring with him. He has the fastest hands I have ever seen. Period. Don't tell me Ali was faster, don't tell me Chad Dawson or Sugar Ray was faster. Don't even tell me Roy Jones threw hands faster than Mayweather. Don't lie to me.

He has developed power over the years to complement his hand speed. He is stronger and much more powerful than most fans will admit, if they are honest with themselves.

The simple fact is that he will not be hit if he chooses to fight completely defensive. If he chooses to slug he may get tagged occasionally, but will always be willing to trade five or six good shots to one grazer coming his way.

He demolished Ricky Hatton when the "Hitman" was at the top of his game. Then after a 21 month retirement he came back and had his way with Juan Manuel Marquez, beating him like a 12th century slave.

The only thing keeping him from being the best P4P ever is Manny Pacquiao, another favorite of mine. Without digressing deeply I would like to say how fulfilling it was to see Manny silence the Cotto crowd.

When they do meet, and they will, I look to see Pretty Boy box as only he can. He should attempt to keep the relentless Pacman at bay with his excellent jab and will mix it up only occasionally. If he does that he will win a tough fought decision, thus establishing his place in boxing lore.

You know I am right, whether you wish to admit it or not.

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Move Over Chris Rock Because Everybody Hates Floyd Mayweather

PrimeTyme Koby — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 18:07:55 -0500

One of my favorite television shows is "Everybody Hates Chris" written by Chris Rock.

A new show is being written by analysts, commentators, bloggers, and anyone else with a boxing opinion.

Everybody Hates Floyd.

One can't help but notice the amount of people who complain about Floyd Mayweather, Jr.'s resume, his toughness and, my favorite, "his antics outside of the ring."

The facts are in plain sight.

He is an UNDEFEATED boxer.

He clearly is a defensive fighter who counteracts his opponents actions. People complain about him being a "fraud" or "soft" because he doesn't get hit much. The name of the game is to win and avoid getting hit to keep the opponent from getting points.

The motives behind people's commentary seem a bit jaded by the fact that he likes to talk a lot of smack, he controls who he wants to fight, and he loves and spends a lot of money.

NEWSFLASH: Boxing is a sport, but ultimately it's a business. That business has no love for you when you suffer a devastating loss. See Roy Jones, Jr.

Jones, Jr. was one of the greatest. He actually defeated Antonio Tarver in the first fight, but his critics weren't satisfied. So he took on a rematch with a man who was hellbent on beating him since they were teenagers. BOOM!

One punch changed everything. As I watched Roy lay on that canvas, I couldn't help but wonder why he was in that ring in the first place. Especially after moving up to heavyweight class and beating John Ruiz for a title. I grew an enormous respect for Jones for giving Tarver that opportunity, but it doesn't mean it made any sense.

Floyd and his camp will not let anyone dictate who he fights, and he gets criticized for that. But above all he is a man who is used to providing a lavish lifestyle for himself and his family. What's wrong with wanting that?

In the wake of Manny Pacquiao's devastating victory over Miguel Cotto, the roars for the dream matchup are at their zenith. I am among those people roaring for it. Not because I think Floyd has anything to prove, but because it is the best fight available and it has run it's course. It makes sense for both fighters logically and monetarily.

Floyd can't and won't avoid this fight because the payday will be the biggest of his career. The guess would have to be that both fighters will earn upwards of $20 million each.

He earned $10 million for the fight with J.M. Marquez, who has been Pacquiao's toughest test since early in his career. More importantly, Floyd technically broke Marquez into pieces. The knock on that: "He was too small for Floyd."

Time is money, and I mention that because $20 million will equal two other less significant fights for Floyd. If the fight is good enough, he may be able to cash in close to $40 million in total if they opt for a rematch.

Makes perfect sense for a man who retired but came out of retirement because of alleged financial issues with the IRS.

No other fighter in the near future will generate as much revenue for Floyd as Pacquiao. Realistically, even if he were afraid of Manny, the money Mayweather would be looking for isn't available anywhere else.

I love seeing a slugfest, but I also enjoy a technical boxing match where the superior fighter takes advantage of the other fighter's aggression or lack thereof. Floyd is the master of that dojo.

While I understand how Manny Pacquiao's success could cause tension for those who oppose Mayweather, his legacy won't change regardless of the outcome. He's already won the hearts of many, including mine.

But Floyd has everything to lose in a world of boxing where most people love to hate him.

If he wins, people will have no choice but to say he is a great fighter. But they will grind their teeth in the process.

If he loses, there will be a chorus of "I told you so's" in reference to him not being one the most elite boxers of this generation.

The loss column on Floyd resume always reads ZERO, but ultimately he seems to be defeated by the high standard that he set for himself at such an early age.

The story goes like this.

Jose Catillo was too sound of a boxer for him. Diego Corrales was too big for him. Gatti was too fierce and too much of a warrior for a young Floyd. Carlos Baldomir was definitely too big. De La Hoya would finally give him a defeat. Marquez is one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world.

All of that was said just to be put in reverse as to why they weren't good enough in the first place.

The hate will sadly never end.

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Pacquiao v Cotto: Unbelievable

Christopher Falvello — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 10:19:54 -0500

Pacquiao isn't just good, he's scary good. He possess the kind of talent that sends chills down your spine.

Going into this fight, everyone felt that Cotto might be too big and talented. He's the first complete fighter that Pacquiao has fought on his pound-for-pound campaign. Some believed that "Pac-man" would sting and strafe, but that eventually Puerto Rico's favorite son would catch the Filipino with a solid shot and then we'd see what Pacquiao was really made of.

I tried to explain this to all of my layman friends. They all thought that Pacquiao would win within three rounds. They were right.

The first round was what you might expect, Pacquio strafed and stung. Using footwork and timing he was able to land on a somewhat regular rate. Cotto proved his power, though, as before the pacific typhoon could let fly, Cotto would back him off with a good, stiff jab. I gave Cotto the round, it wouldn't the last.

The second round was much of the same, but more intense. The two traded shots and neither backed down. After their chilling showdown, Pacquiao went back to a more calculated strategy and did enough to win the round.

The third was one of the most revealing as Pacquiao lived up to his reputation and went right after his man. A fast, sharp flurry by Pac-man, punctuated with a signature right hook, put Cotto on the canvass. It was a surprise to me. All my friends, who know nothing of Pacquiao besides the De Lahoya and Hatton fights, were expecting it.

Pacquiao effectively won the fight in the fourth, when after an exchange on the ropes, Pacquiao backed off just a bit and timed a vicious right uppercut that caught Cotto perfectly, leaving him on the mat for the second straight round.

From there on out is was a slow finish in waiting. The pound-for-pound champ pounded his man, going for the knock out round after round. We were waiting to see who would cave first, Cotto's trainers or referee Kenny Bayless, who let the fight go on far too long. Things got so bad that Cotto's wife and child had to leave the arena.

Cotto, though, wanted to finish. He is still a warrior and it takes a certain kind of courage and will to fight it out the way did. Eventually, though, enough was enough, and Bayless mercifully ended it in the twelfth.

I respect Manny Pacquiao, I have him at ten on my pound-for-pound all-time list.

I respect Miguel Cotto. I think he is one of the better welterweights in the world right now.
But last night was unbelievable. The only explanation for the shock and awe that was that fight is that Pacquiao is more than good, he's incredible. He's spent his last four fights utterly destroying larger, talented opponents. Granted, Diaz, Oscar, and Hatton all had their flaws, but they were not bums. Then against a legitimate welterweight contender, Pacquiao showed us once again just what he's capable of—absolutely anything.

Next up on Freddie Roach's opponent hit-list? "Money" Mayweather. And you know what? I'll be betting the farm on Manny because he's simply unbelievable.

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That Damned Good: Defeat Of Cotto Makes It Seven Titles for Manny Pacquiao

Nelson Estupin — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 04:58:22 -0500

At fifty-five seconds of the 12th round, Manny "Pac-Man" Pacquiao solidified his place in boxing history, becoming the first fighter to gain a title in seven weight classes.

He completed this unprecedented feat at the demise of Miguel Cotto, who put up a valiant effort in the defense of his title.

Using his unparalleled speed and power in both hands, Pacquiao dismantled the WBO Welterweight titlist, knocking him down once in the third round with a quick right hand and once again with a heavy left in the fourth round.

Through the remaining rounds, Pacquiao asserted his dominance, often times calling in the beaten champion to mix it up with him.

What this writer saw different in Manny Pacquiao this time around was a fighter who had everything working for him.

He was fast, he was powerful, he had a corner that was managing his fight plan well, his jaw was strong and was able to absorb Cotto's best, and his conditioning was unbeatable.

Cotto on the other hand looked beaten before he finished the fourth round. His face looked more and more bruised, bloodied and swollen as he cornered at the end of each succeeding round.

It seemed like the only punch he could land on Manny with any accuracy or bite was his jab, and that lost its mustard as the fight went on.

Pacquiao said, "It was a hard fight tonight, and I needed time to test his power."

Test his power indeed, Manny. He took Cotto's best and seemingly walked right through those punches with relative ease.

What seems to be a Pacquiao pattern, he fights a fight based on his strength and speed, hitting his opponents from angles they cannot see until they slow down. Then he just keeps going until they're beaten.

You do have to give it to Miguel Cotto for hanging in there and making it a great fight. A solid 147-pound welterweight, he did bring the size advantage and a history of beating great fighters.

Cotto could also transform himself in those fights. But, he was no match for the best pound-for-pound.

The later rounds prove futile for Cotto who seemed to be on his bicycle, fighting backwards just trying to survive. At the end of the 11th round, Joe Santiago, Cotto's trainer, was ready to throw in the towel, but was convinced otherwise.

At times, Manny seemed frustrated, calling Cotto in to mix it up some more until that 12th round when referee Kenny Bayless stops the fight, a TKO win for Pacquiao.

"Manny Pacquiao is one of the best boxers I ever fought," Cotto said.

What we learned about Manny "Pac-Man" Pacquiao in this fight, more than any other and what solidifies his place in the history books is that he can trade with a legitimate welterweight, he can absorb the welterweight punch, he can lay true leather on a true welterweight and put some sting behind it.

Out of his last few fights, with Diaz, De La Hoya, Hatton, and now Cotto, Pacquiao absorbed the most punches from Cotto and was never hurt, a testament to his chin.

He just kept coming back to trade and at the end of the fight dominated the Puerto Rican by nearly doubling his punches landed statistics 336-172.

By making it seven titles in seven weight classes, Pacquiao, the Pambansang Kamao (National Fist) said, "It's history for me and more importantly a Filipino did it."

With this fight, he proved why he deserves the best pound-for-pound title. Manny Pacquiao is just that damned good.

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Pacman Sevenfold: The Legend of Manny Pacquiao Grows Once Again

Jo-Ryan Salazar — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 02:48:22 -0500

The big question now for Manny Pacquiao is not the how the customary parades, speeches, and celebrations will be planned. That has been partially answered with the subsequent concert with his band at the nearby Mandalay Bay.

The question is this: will Floyd Mayweather Jr. finally challenge a seven-time world champion whose legend continues to flourish to the point that it can never be tainted or destroyed, no matter what happens now and into the future?

Just about everyone at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nev., knew that it had to be inevitable.

Even Miguel Cotto knew that he was facing the greatest Filipino fighter in the history of boxing.

Pacquiao stopped Cotto in the 12th round to win the WBO welterweight championship belt, adding to his collection of titles.

After a early firefight from Cotto in the first round, Pacquiao rebounded in the second. And while Cotto did all he could to bounce back he was unable to match up to Pacquiao's speed, power, and head movement technique.

Pacquiao wore Cotto down, round after round, draining the Caguas native with a series of power punches. Knockdowns in the third and fourth rounds added to the misery. By the end of the ninth round, it seemed like the Puerto Rican fighter was trapped.

And the genius of trainer Freddie Roach continued to grow with the legacy of the Pambansang Kamao (National Fist).

"They should have stopped it three rounds earlier, when Cotto started to run," Roach said when interviewed by HBO's Larry Merchant. "We will just start right out and overwhelm him with Manny's speed. We need to break him down."

In fact, the fight should have been over in the eighth. But for Cotto, common sense was no match for pride. And pride can sometimes become a man's downfall, no matter what the intention.

Pacquiao, a street urchin of General Santos City in his youth turned sporting icon in his prime, has faced many greats in his time.

Barrera. Morales. Marquez. De La Hoya. Hatton. All tried. And all failed.

And now Miguel Cotto falls in line with the fallen.

"I have fought all the greatest welterweights," he said, "and Manny is the best."

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Manny Pacquiao Vs. Miguel Cotto: Round By Round

Nick Tylwalk — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 01:04:09 -0500

The undercard is over and the big fight is about to get underway. Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto will go head to head for Cotto's WBO welterweight belt.

Magic Johnson, Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Derek Jeter, Roberto Duran and Sean "Diddy" Combs are among the big names on hand. There are three national anthems to get through before we start. La Diva handles the Filipino anthem, Ednita Nazario sings the anthem for Puerto Rico and Ramiele sings "The Star-Spangled Banner."

The tale of the tape shows Cotto with an inch and a half advantage in height and a slight reach advantage as well. Pac Man weighed in at 144 pounds, Cotto at 145.

Cotto is 34-1 with 27 KOs. He's won twice since his lone defeat at the hands of Antonio Margarito in July of 2008. Pacquiao is 49-3-2 with 37 KOs. A win tonight would be his 11th in a row.

There's an awfully long wait for the fighters to head for the ring. Pacquiao walks in first to AC/DC's "Thunderstruck," which then changes over to "Eye of the Tiger." He smiles and bounces on his feet as he acknowledges the crowd.

Cotto has the hood on his robe up as he comes out to Kanye West's "Stronger." His face is a sharp contrast to his opponent's; very businesslike.

Michael Buffer does the introductions and we're ready to go!

Round One

Cotto flicks out the first jab. Now a double jab that lands. Manny gets smacked by another jab. Pac Man is reaching a bit. Cotto is really on with the jab. Manny tries his own jabs and gets caught jumping in. Nice counter left by Miguel. Pacquiao has to scramble to avoid getting cornered. Good feinting both ways. Manny is giving Miguel plenty of respect. One-two by Pacquiao and a nice counter after Cotto tries to answer. Cotto lands one right at the bell.

Franchise: 10-9 Cotto
Spartan117: 10-9 Cotto

Round Two

Manny tries to counter off Miguel's jab. Pacquiao tries to settle down behind the jab. Two-punch combo is blocked by Cotto. Manny gets in a few straight rights, but Cotto answers with a right of his own. Hard jab by Cotto again. Two nice lefts score for Pac Man. Big left hook by Cotto gets a crowd reaction. The ref tells Miguel to keep his punches up. Short left hands by Pacquiao as he dances around. Body shot by Manny as Cotto digs in. Miguel goes body and head but eats two lefts. Great action in the corner at the end of the round.

Franchise: 10-9 Cotto
Spartan117: 10-9 Pacquiao

Round Three

Manny waves Miguel in and he obliges with jabs. Pacquiao gets caught a bit coming in but Manny answers with a right hook that sends Cotto down. He's up quickly and doesn't look too hurt. Cotto turns southpaw and backs Pac Man up. Left to the body by Cotto; right hook to the head by Pacquiao. Manny holds and hits a bit in close. Cotto lets the jab flow but Pacquiao forces him to cover up. Nice left hook by Cotto that connects. Left uppercut connects and snaps Manny's head back. They wrestle to kill off the final five seconds.

Franchise: 10-8 Pacquiao
Spartan117: 9-9

Round Four

Cotto opens up with the jabs again. Manny misses a wild right hook. Miguel peppers Manny with lefts along the ropes. Counter left to the body by Pac Man. Both men score with short shots from their off hands. Combo punching by Pacquiao that Cotto tries to answer. Manny fires off lefts as he circles. Cotto ties up to catch a breather. Pacquiao gets backed up against the ropes and eats a right hand. He ducks away to get space. With 20 seconds to go, Pac Man lands a left that scores another knockdown. Cotto beats the count but looks a little more dazed this time.

Franchise: 10-8 Pacquiao
Spartan117: 10-8 Pacquiao

Round Five

We'll see where they stand pretty early here. Cotto is still coming forward. Manny fires short lefts and dodges to his right. Pacquiao's speed is bothering Cotto a bit right now. Right hook by Manny and he darts away. Cotto tries the body as he shoves Pac Man back. Manny continues to look fluid as he mixes up his punches. Cotto lunges to throw a three-punch combo, then uses an uppercut along the ropes. Left hook by Cotto. He has to scramble to avoid a final Pacquiao flurry.

Franchise: 10-9 Pacquiao
Spartan117: 10-9 Pacquiao

Round Six

Harold Lederman gave that last round to Cotto. The HBO team doesn't think he got any tactical advice in-between rounds. Sharp left lands for Manny in tight. Left-right by Pacquiao gets the crowd to react; Cotto scores with a left hook. A left catches Cotto square in the face. Another left gets Cotto to wince. They stand and trade in the center of the ring. Cotto does a lot of ducking and has to grab Pac Man to avoid going down after a left hand late.

Franchise: 10-9 Pacquiao
Spartan117: 10-9 Pacquiao

Round Seven

CompuBox really liked that last round for Pacquiao. Mean right hook after an exchange and Cotto is stunned again. Left-right by Manny before they tie up. Cotto backs Manny up but mostly fires jabs. Miguel ducks and covers and tries some body shots. Cotto still has a bit of bounce but Manny is picking off a lot of shots with his gloves held high. Pacquiao is answering jabs with power shots and that has him looking good.

Franchise: 10-9 Pacquiao
Spartan117: 10-9 Pacquiao

Round Eight

Pac Man lands a left to the body and Cotto is doing a lot of retreating. Jabs are still Cotto's main weapon. Manny's timing is giving Cotto fits. Miguel does some dodging but can't escape a series of left hands. Cotto looks like he's trying to time Pac Man for one big shot. Pacquiao gets Cotto backed into the ropes and both men swing away.

Franchise: 10-9 Pacquiao
Spartan117: 10-9 Pacquiao

Round Nine

Emanuel Steward thinks Cotto's corner should think about stopping things. He's still out there fighting, but unless he scores a KO he has basically no chance. He lands part of a combo and still has jump in his legs. Manny rips a three-punch combo and turns up the heat. Left hand shots smash Cotto and he looks to be in trouble. Manny walks through a left and Miguel is bleeding from somewhere on his face.

Franchise: 10-9 Pacquiao
Spartan117: 10-9 Pacquiao

Round 10

Cotto's corner says they will give him one more round. His family left after that last frame. Cotto goes for his last stand. Lederman thinks they should stop the fight, but Larry Merchant disagrees. Miguel is actually having a decent round, but Pac Man seems to have eased up on the gas a bit too. Now Manny fires some shots and makes his foe cover his right eye. Left by Cotto and more jabs. Two hard lefts by Pacquiao as they juke along the ropes.

Franchise: 10-9 Pacquiao
Spartan117: 10-9 Pacquiao

Round 11

Cotto is doing everything he can to see this through to the end. Body-head combo by Pac Man in the corner, and the ref takes a hard look. Cotto fires jabs back between the gloves. No questioning his heart today. Pacquiao just misses a huge left. Pac Man momentarily stops chasing Cotto and the crowd boos.

Franchise: 10-9 Pacquiao
Spartan117: 10-9 Pacquiao

Round 12

They touch gloves to start the 12th. Kenny Bayless is up close to make sure he shouldn't stop this. A "Manny" chant goes up from the fans. A big left scores for Pacquiao, and Bayless waves it off. It's all over.

The winner by TKO at :55 of Round 12... and new WBO welterweight titleholder... Manny "Pac Man" Pacquiao.

Merchant asks Pacquiao if the fight turned on the two knockdowns. Pac Man says the strategy was to be patient.

He was wary of Cotto's power, but he was trying to time Miguel looking for knockout shots in the early rounds. Pacquiao also talks about the dangers of Cotto looking for a one-punch KO once he got behind on the cards.

Manny laughs a bit and admits he expected the fight to be stopped in the 11th round. Here comes the Floyd Mayweather question... and he deflects it as best he can.

Pacquiao doesn't think he can go up past welterweight, saying 154 is too heavy. In a severe understatement Manny thinks Filipinos will be happy.

Merchant turns to Freddie Roach, who says he always thought Pacquiao would be able to break Cotto down eventually. Roach isn't shy about saying he wants Mayweather next.

Merchant thanks Cotto for staying around to talk. Miguel's pride really comes through as he answers the tough questions.

Cotto says he thinks Pacquiao is an all-time great. He does say he originally asked for the fight to be stopped after the 11th but changed his mind. Miguel has no plans to retire.

Lampley and Steward discuss Manny's future, and Emanuel believes it needs to be Mayweather next even though it will be tough to get the details nailed down. Merchant gets the last word in as always, stating that Pac Man deserves to be thought of very highly in terms of boxing history.

Nick Tylwalk is the editor and co-founder of BoxingWatchers.com, where this recap originally appeared live.

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STILL IN PROGRESS AT PRESS TIME...

Christopher C. Wuensch — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 12:22:00 -0500

Unless you’re playing hockey in Manitoba’s Selkirk Arena—aptly nicknamed “the Barn”—sports and farm animals rarely intertwined.

Manny Pacquiao summoned bovine intervention in the final moments of his Welterweight bout against Oscar de la Hoya last December.

As the Fightin’ Filipino rejoiced his victory over the Golden Boy on the Las Vegas canvas, HBO commentator Jim Lampley dubbed Pacquiao as the “bell cow” of his pugilistic generation.

The Bell Cow leaves the barn again tonight when Pacquiao climbs back into the ring for another Welterweight bout; this time versus Miguel Cotto .

Old McDonald gives his pre -fight assessment of Lampley’s Bell Cow:

“Pundits who say that Manny Pacquiao is nothing more than a

“wolf in sheep’s clothing” really gets my goat.

There are some folks who tell us—those of us that think the Filipino is the cock of the walk—that we shouldn’t count our chickens before they hatch. They say that ‘even a blind pig finds an acorn every once in a while.’

Hold your horses. His career 49-3-2 record suggests an endless row of lambs being led to the slaughterhouse.

You’ll see tonight that Pacquiao is the best pound-for-pound fighter when he grabs the bull by the horns.”

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Z Gorres Fights for His Life

Carlo Miguel Narboneta — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 04:41:39 -0500

The Philippines is a country proud of its boxing heritage. The country has produced world champions since the early 1900s, with Elorde, Villa, Penalosa, Espinosa, and Pacquiao to name a few.

To become a champion, you have to start from zero.

You can’t fight at a top level on your first few fights. You have to begin from the grass roots to build the foundation for the future.

This is where ALA Boxing comes in. ALA boxing is in Cebu City, an island of the Philippines south of Manila. The group has many fighters in its stable, from beginners to veteran fighters on the development stages of their careers.

From all the boxers in its stable there were three that stood out: Rey Bautista, AJ Banal and Z Gorres.

Of the three aforementioned fighters, in my opinion, Z Gorres is the one who stands out.

Bautista and Banal fight with power, charging forward using the brute strength of their punches to take out opponents.

Z Gorres fights with finesse and strategy. He is a clinical fighter and tactician in other words. He’s got some good footwork and decent speed. He fights using his brain and adapts to the style of his opponent.

He is called “The Dream,” for many people think that his time will come to be included in the list of world champions from the Philippines.

While the country is very excited to see Manny Pacquiao fight Miguel Cotto, Z Gorres fought behind the shadows on the eve of the year’s super fight.

Gorres faced Luis Melendez of Colombia and won via unanimous decision in a 10-round 118lb contest. Gorres was in control the whole fight and on the verge of an easy win until Melendez landed a flush punch that sent Gorres down to the canvass with 10 seconds left in the fight.

He survived the shocker. But instead of celebrating, the ring was blanketed with fear.

On a sudden twist of fate, after the verdict was announced and photographers were about to finish taking pictures, Gorres collapsed in the corner and was taken out on a stretcher.

According to boxingscene.com and philboxing.com, Gorres suffered a subdural hematoma and had to undergo emergency surgery to relieve the swelling of the brain.

Gorres was placed in a medically induced coma and is scheduled to have further tests over the weekend.

Z has done his part to bring pride and honor to his country. He has served his country well.

My prayers are with Z and his family for his immediate recovery.

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Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto Weigh In Circus

King J — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 22:03:51 -0500

The weigh-in for Manny Pacquiao versus Miguel Cotto, the biggest fight of the year, was a circus. The MGM Grand reached maximum capacity well before the actual weigh-in took place as fans mostly of Puerto Rican and Filipino descent flooded the MGM Grand hoping to get in.

MGM Grand security made a human fence of security guards blocking off the entrance from hundreds of yards away to keep hundreds of fans outiside.

In house it was a maximum capacity crowd cheering at the top of their lungs with over 7,000 people in attendance.

The most important thing was Miguel Cotto did indeed make the contractual catch weight of 145 pounds weighing in at 145 exactly. Pacquiao came in at 144 pounds.

This is the heaviest Manny has ever weighed in for a fight. In the Oscar De La Hoya fight he weighed in at 142 pounds.

Other fighters in attendance were: Nonito Donaire, Roberto Duran, Julio Ceasar Chavez Jr., Antonio Margarito, and Juan Manuel Lopez.

Entourage actor Jeremy Piven took the stage and made the crowd laugh as he asked funny questions to both fighters and to the crowd.

As of now, Pacquiao is still the significant betting favorite at minus-300. Miguel Cotto is listed at plus-250.

Both fighters appeared to look ripped and strong and ready to go to war.

Once again, it's on!

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