Marquez-Pacquiao III a done deal

Manila (Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN) - Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao's confirmation, boxing pundits have long agreed, is as binding as a signed fight contract.

"Tuloy na po 'yun, abangan n'yo (It's on, wait for it)," Pacquiao said during an interview with ABS-CBN's Dyan Castillejo. The Filipino ring superstar was, of course, referring to his third clash with Mexican great Juan Manuel Marquez on November 12 in Las Vegas.

Marquez, the WBA and WBO lightweight champion, signed the contract--which assures him a personal-high $5 million purse plus a share in pay-per-view revenues--last May 19 at Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles.

Pacquiao's adviser Mike Koncz is to bring the contract to Manila for the pound-for-pound king's signature. Koncz has not arrived from the United States, though.

Under the fight's financial terms, Pacquiao will get $20 million--virtually the same amount he earned in his lopsided unanimous decision victory over Shane Mosley on May 7--plus a share in PPV revenues.

In their first tussle in 2004, Pacquiao settled for a draw despite knocking Marquez down three times in the first round. They met again in 2008 at 130 pounds with Pacquiao squeezing out a split decision on the strength of a third-round knockdown.

The trilogy is set at a catch weight of 144 lb with Pacquiao's WBO welterweight title also at stake. Marquez fought and lost to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the same catch weight in 2009.

If Marquez beats Pacquiao, a fourth fight will be held with the Mexican, who stands to receive $10 million.

The (ho-hum) Pacquiao-Mosley fight

To no one's surprise, Manny Pacquiao defeated Shane Mosley in their 12-round encounter last Sunday. What was surprising to me was watching a replay of the fight on TV5 instead of GMA-7. I suppose it was part of the perks that Smart, a sister company of the Kapatid network, wangled from the organizers for sponsoring the fight. The telecom outfit must have paid a premium because the ring announcer mentioned Smart as one of the sponsors and its logo was emblazoned on the floor of the ring.

Underwhelming bout

What was even more surprising was how underwhelming the whole bout turned out. I got more exciting moments from the RH bill debate on ABS-CBN which was aired at the same time. I would switch to this show during commercial breaks. Protagonists like Rissa Hontiveros-Baraquel, Esperanza Cabral, Joey Lina and Roilo Golez exchanged stinging verbal punches that evoked cheers from their supporters. At the MGM Grand Garden Arena, boos greeted the fighters in the middle of the bout because their fans expected more action than they were getting.

Action was what I looked forward to when Mosley was knocked down in the third round but the excitement was short-lived. I thought our hero would finish him off with punishing punches and go for a knock-out. After all, by boxing standards, this was an aging fighter, who was turning 40 in September this year. It was not to be as the two fighters seemed to be coasting along. They even touched gloves after every round, a friendly gesture I didn't notice in previous Pacquiao fights.

Too late

It was only in the 10th round when the referee ruled that Pacquiao was knocked down instead of pushed, did the Pacman react angrily. He started chasing Mosley then tried to finish him off in the 11th and 12th round. It was too late. Mosley was the slippery one avoiding Pacquiao's fists. The challenger managed to retain his record of not being knocked out in a fight.

For his colorless performance, Mosley earned at least $5 million with hardly a scratch on his face. Pacman's previous opponent, Antonio Margarito earned less but ended up with a battered face and a serious eye injury that required surgery. Pacquiao earned at least $20 million but did not work as hard as when he tangled with Margarito.

While many of the fans were disappointed, the sponsors of the TV coverage were quite pleased because the fight lasted the entire 12 rounds. They were able to air their innumerable commercials. In the Pacquiao-Hatton fight, Hatton was knocked out in the second round to the advertisers' dismay. Those who watched the bout on free TV had to make do with a much delayed broadcast. By 12:30 p.m, local time, the fight had already reached the 8th round but GMA-7 was still airing the preliminary fights.

Also very happy was the National Historical Commission which approved of the way Charice (pronounced Sharice by the ring announcer) interpreted the Philippine National Anthem. Perfect was the word the NHC used to describe her singing. Grammy award winner Tyrese Gibson did not have to follow rules on how to sing the Star Spangled Banner especially when he reached the last two lines "o'er the land of the brave and the home of the free." The Americans are more freewheeling when it comes to their national anthem.

Aksyon TV now on Sky Cable

I am finally able to watch the 24-hour news channel of TV 5. After several months, Sky Cable has allocated a channel for ABS-CBN's competitor. Aksyon TV which is on Channel 41 on free TV is now on Channel 61 on Sky.

Dick Gordon's "Duelo," Dong Puno's "Kalibre 41" and "Tayuan Mo at Panindigan" with Joey Reyes, Lourd De Veyra, Aida Sy and Carlos Celdran are some of the talk shows on the channel.

I notice, though, that many of its shows like "Totoo TV," "Public Atorni," and "Dokumentado" also air on or have been moved from TV 5. Several shows like "Cristy Ferminute" and "Todo Bigay" are televised edition of radio shows.

I trust that in due time Aksyon TV will come out with more substantial public affairs programs that can compete with the other news channels, ANC and GMA-News TV.

Pacquiao easily beats Mosley to retain WBO title

LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines retained his WBO welterweight title by recording an unanimous points victory over a lackluster Shane Mosley at the MGM Garden Arena on Saturday.

The 32-year-old southpaw dominated all 12 rounds against his defense-minded American opponent to improve his career record to 53-3-2 with 38 knockouts. It was Pacquiao's 14th consecutive win since his loss to Erik Morales in Las Vegas in March 2005, and enhanced his status as the world's best pound-for-pound fighter.

Fighting for the second time since winning a seat in his country's national congress last year, Pacquiao gained one-sided verdicts from all three judges -- 119-108, 120-108 and 120-107.

"Sugar" Shane Mosley, an 8-1 underdog against the 10-times world champion, slipped to 46-7-1 with 39 knockouts.

Loud chants of "Manny, Manny, Manny" rang out in the Garden Arena before the two fighters made their way to the ring.

Mosley came out first, led by American rapper and actor LL Cool J, before Pacquiao followed suit with Jimi Jamison of U.S. rock band Survivor singing the group's 1982 hit "Eye of the Tiger."

Round one began with both fighters probing. Pacquiao connected early on with a left jab before Mosley landed a solid right-handed punch to the body.

TELLING COMBINATIONS

With the crowd again chanting "Manny, Manny, Manny" Pacquiao began to find a rhythm and he landed several telling combinations before ending the second round with a right hook followed by a straight left.

In round three, Mosley connected with another solid right before the Filipino sent the American crashing to the canvas with a crunching straight left set up by a right jab, only the third time Mosley had ever been knocked down.

Pacquiao began round four in the same vein, continually forcing Mosley to back-peddle, although the American connected with his first three-punch combination of the fight

In round six, Pacquiao kept moving forward and landed a solid upper cut before Mosley, mainly focused on defense, responded late on with a powerful right hook

The Filipino, wearing yellow gloves to give hope to those fighting hunger and poverty in the Philippines, kept Mosley on the retreat in round seven with his agile footwork and a series of probing combinations.

Pacquiao unleashed several accurate body and head jabs early in round eight against a tiring Mosley to maintain control as the crowd booed the American for his defensive strategy.

Mosley was initially more aggressive in round nine with his jab but the Filipino southpaw countered with a flurry of combinations before landing a crunching straight left on the American's chin.

Pacquiao, continually moving forward, forced Mosley back on to the ropes in the 10th round. The Filipino was surprisingly adjudged to have been knocked down after being pushed to the canvas by Mosley. Fired up, Pacquiao ended the round in aggressive mode, hitting Mosley late on with a withering left.

Sensing the chance of a knockout, Pacquiao kept coming forward in the final two rounds, pummeling his opponent at every opportunity and twice pinning Mosley against the ropes.

Manny Pacquiao vs Shane Mosley Fight Prediction

Last November 13, 2010, Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao rewrote the boxing record books one more time when he won the vacant WBC Super Welterweight World Title after beating Antonio Margarito’s face to a pulp for 12 rounds.

With the win, the current #1 pound for pound boxer in the world extended his mind-boggling record of eight world titles in eight weight divisions.

While Pacquiao has nothing left to prove, fans clamor for a superfight between him and the former #1 on the mythical pound for pound list, the undefeated Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

However, the guy seems to duck the man; choosing instead to engage Pacquiao in a homophopic and racist tirade – then seemingly wanting prison over a boxing ring just to keep his sterling boxing record clean.

So, instead of a superfight, fans are instead forced to see Manny Pacquiao face an aging has-been.

This May 7, 2011, Pacquiao returns to Las Vegas after last year’s two-fight stopover at Arlington to face “Sugar” Shane Mosley.

Filipino Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao (52 wins – 3 losses – 2 draws, 38 KOs) has won titles in a record eight weight divisions from 112 to 154 pounds beating the likes of Erik Morales, Juan Manuel Marquez, Oscar De La Hoya, Marco Antonio Barrera, Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito is on a 13-fight winning streak.

At age 32, he is at the peak of his career and has shown no signs of slowing down. It seems we see a different dimension of him in each fight and he just progresses with age.

American “Sugar” Shane Mosley (46 wins – 6 losses, 39 KOs) has won world titles in three weight divisions – Lightweight, Welterweight and Light Middleweight.

My results prediction?

Shane Mosley is already 39 years old. That said, he is years away from his prime when he dominated the likes of Oscar De La Hoya, Fernando Vargas, Ricardo Mayorga and Antonio Margarito.

While there are many boxers past their prime that shocked the world by winning over younger fighters, I don’t see this happening with Mosley. His last fight with Sergio Mora was such a dud that judges declared it a draw because no one deserves to win such boring fight.

Pacquiao is simply too skilled, too intelligent and too fast for him. Pacquiao has proven that size don’t matter to him – he will just pepper you with thousands of punches until you simply can’t take it anymore.

The only question now is can Manny give Shane his ever career knockout loss? In fairness to Mosley, he possess a granite chin. That will work to his advantage because he will survive the Pacman onslaught.

Manny Pacquiao will coast to a one-sided Unanimous Decision after 12 rounds.

I will post here the Manny Pacquiao vs Shane Mosley fight video after the bout once already available.

Don’t forget to watch Pacquiao vs Mosley LIVE stream free on fight night, May 7, 2011 from the MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.

Check out list of Pacquiao vs Mosley pay-per-view (PPV) boxing TV providers and operators that will offer the bout.

Manny Pacquiao scores first global endorsement deal, named first House billionaire

Filipino boxing champion Manny Pacquiao has been tapped to promote HP's new TouchPad tablet, his first global endorsement deal, Pacquiao's promoter Top Rank told Manila Standard Today. According to the report, neither Top Rank nor HP divulged how much the deal was worth, but the website Campaign Singapore estimated it to be worth US$1 million per year.
Top Rank said they submitted Pacquiao's name to HP, who was looking for an endorser for its TouchPad tablet, reports Manila Standard Today. Pacquiao's campaign will include HP laptops, printers, smart phones and other products.

Campaign Singapore wrote, "Confusion surrounding Pacquiao's representation had left many international brands reluctant to sign the boxing superstar, despite his multi-million-dollar appeal and fanatical fan base... But because Pacquiao's sponsorship deals tended to be domestic within his native Philippines, he was free to embark (on) the HP deal."

Pacquiao has also signed a three-year contract to endorse Texas-based State Street Produce, a company that supplies restaurants in the US, reports Manila Standard Today. The trade name "Pacquiao's Produce" will be featured in advertisements, produce boxes, delivery trucks and more.
One of ESPN The Magazine's Best Paid Athletes of 2010, Pacquiao has also been named the first billionaire in the House of Representatives, reports Inquirer.net. Ricardo Bering, chief of the House records division, said yesterday that the Sarangani congressman reported a net worth of over P1 billion in his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth.

Complete Pacquiao vs Mosley Undercard Fights List

Complete Pacquiao vs Mosley Undercard Fights List
Top Rank President and head promoter Bob Arum announced the list of Pacquiao vs Mosley PPV undercard fights of the upcoming Manny Pacquiao vs Shane Mosleyon May 7, 2011. The announcement was held after the Donaire-Montiel bout. So fans, are you ready to know who were the fighters that will fill and give some more spices to the biggest boxing event this 2011?

The first undercard bout is a rematch of Humberto Soto vs. Urbano Antillon for the WBC Lightweight title. The belt is currently held by Soto who won unanimously on their last December 4 encounter.

The next bout is a championship fight between Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. and Jorge Arce for the WBO Super Bantamweight showdown. Vazquez Jr is the son of legendary boxer Vazques Sr. from Puerto Rico. He is undefeated and will defend his belt against veteran Arce of Mexico.

The Ghost of boxing is back! Kelly Pavlik returns to the boxing arena to face undefeated Alfonso Lopez III for 10 rounds in the Super Middleweight bout.

The fight list for the non-televised and televised will be updated on this post. So check it here for the latest update of the Pacquiao vs Mosley fight. Fight fans, don't miss to Watch Pacquiao vs Mosley Live with loaded of great lineup of fights.

Pacquiao - Mosley Fight Tickets Selling Like Hotcakes

Brokers and scalpers are making a killing in ticket sales for the May 7 world welterweight title fight between Manny Pacquiao and Shane Mosley, Hall of Famepromoter Bob Arum said from his lair in Las Vegas.

"People are making so much money from this fight," said Arum, the 79-year-old chief of Top Rank Inc, undoubtedly the leading promotional outfit these days. "People are waking up in the morning saying 'I want a ticket to the fight' and they would pay any amount to get one."

Demand for tickets to the 12-round war at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas that Arum said there's none available now.

"What we have now are three tickets...three tickets and by tomorrow, they would all be gone," said Arum in his trademark New York drawl.

Tickets - priced from a high of $1,000 to a low of $150 -were made available to the public two months ago.

Internet sellers are making huge profits with them low-priced tickets pegged as much as $350, while the high-end ringside seat is selling for as much as $3,800.

Even the closed-circuit viewing is starting to catch on following the unavailability of tickets to the 17,000-seat venue.

"So far, there's been a sale of 3,000 tickets to closed-circuit and all the MGM-Mirage operated hotels and resorts will be showing the fight," said Arum.

"We still have a full month ahead and everything's great about the promotion," added Arum.

Where are all the Manny Pacquiao vs. Sugar Shane Mosley promotional commercials on CBS that Bob Arum and writers were boasting about? Wasn’t it part of the Showtime/CBS deal to heavily promote this boxing event for May 7, 2011?

I’ve been watching March Madness NCAA college basketball and I haven’t seen any commercials regarding the Pacquiao-Mosley Showtime pay-per-view for May 7th. I’ve been watching Survivor, CSI, and Criminal Minds during the highest watched primetime hours, and I haven’t seen a single commercial for Pacquiao vs. Mosley.

I also noticed that the FIGHT CAMP 360 for Pacquiao-Mosley will debut April 2 on CBS at 9:00 am in the morning and it will be 20 days before the second episode airs, this will make viewers lose interest in the fight having to wait so long for a second episode. HBO 24/7 airs 4 episodes every week near fight time to keep us updated.

Who watches TV during the early morning hours on a Saturday? Most people sleep in after a long week of hard work they want to rest on Saturday and not wake up early. I doubt the Fight Camp 360 will have high ratings or even be seen by enough people to make a difference in pay-per-view buys.

There isn’t much talk about this fight, and it’s already a match-up that the boxing fans are boycotting. I think the jump to Showtime will backfire on Arum and Pacquiao because HBO is still the king of boxing pay-per-view.

With the lower than expected PPV numbers of 250,000 buys for the Miguel Cotto vs. Ricardo Mayorga fight, I don’t see the Pacquiao-Mosley fight doing well at all, especially with the lack of promotion leading up to the fight.

I predict the Manny Pacquiao vs. Sugar Shane Mosley PPV will fall around the 500 to 600,000 pay-per-view buys range, it definitely won’t hit a million buys or the exaggerated prediction of two million buys that some obsessive die hard Pacquiao fans predict.

This could prove to people that Manny Pacquiao’s star power is overrated.

TRAILER:

Manny Pacquiao

Manny Pacquiao is a household name in Philippines and so much so that a movie has been produced on his life and released on June 21, 2006. The title is Pacquiao: The Movie and the lead role has been played by Jericho Rosales and is directed by Joel Lamangan.

Born on 17 December 1978 and codenamed Pacman, Manny Pacquiao can pack a real mean punch. Pacman a.k.a Emmanuel Dapigran "Manny" Pacquiao was born in Bukidnon, Mindanao, Philippines. He has been nicknamed the destroyer. His achievements are extraordinary as he is the reigning WBC International Super Featherweight Champion. In Philippines, he has the status of superman and is referred to as ang Pambansang Kamao or the national fist. Pacquiao’s feats and achievements talk much louder than words. He is the former Ring People's Featherweight Champion from 2003-2005, WBC Flyweight Champion from 1998-1999, and IBF Super Bantamweight Champion from 2001-2004. An impressive career record, the destroyer has 43 wins, 3 losses, and 2 draws, to his name out of which 33 wins came through knockout punches.

Manny ‘Pacman’ Pacquiao entered the professional boxing ring for the first time in 1995 with a weight of 106 lbs. During this time, he was far from being famous and had to be satisfied with boxing fights in small venues. These were usually broadcasted on a boxing show called Blow by Blow and it was hosted by John Ray Betita. But he was still far from the actual BIG Games. Meanwhile Pacquiao lost a few fights to Singsurat and Torrecampo and since his weights had also increased by 7lbs, he had to shift to the bantamweight division. The bantamweight division changed his boxing career as Pacquiao went on to win and defend it five times.

One such fight in the Bantamweight division changed Pacquiao career for good. Pacquiao was defending his title for the fourth time when he came face to face against the Mexican boxing champion, Marco Antonio Barrera. Pacquiao defeated Barrera in the 11th round through a technical knockout at the Alamo dome, San Antonio, Texas.

Six months down the line, Pacquiao was face to face with another top Mexican boxer, Juan Manuel Marquez, who was also the World Boxing Association and the International Boxing Federation Featherweight champion. The fight took place at the MGM Grand and finished with a controversial draw. Pacquiao had knocked down Márquez three times in the first round itself.

The moment of glory finally touched his gloves on September 10, 2005. Pacquiao knocked out Hector Velázquez, and went on to become the WBC International Super Featherweight champion at Staples Center, Los Angeles, California. A true champion, Pacquiao is also the owner of Pac Man Gensan, the Mindanao Visayas Basketball Association in General Santos City.