Pacquiao ends Baguio training with 11 furious firepower rounds with Amir Khan, Glen Tapia, Medina

Manny Pacquiao, a hero to millions across the Philippines and around the world and the world’s pound-for-pound king is thrilled about his fight for the ages against undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr, the former pound-for-pound maestro. An exuberant Pacquiao met us at the lobby of the New World Hotel early Saturday morning after returning to his hotel following an all-night shooting of his movie “Wapakman” and a few racks of pool and said “come on, let’s go up to my room” which happened to be a suite. He raised his T-shirt to show us his finely chiseled abdomen and had us feel his upper arms which were like rock and then covered up like he did at times in his “Fire Power” showdown with WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto and said “come on Mayweather, lets see what you’ve got.”

By Alexey Sukachev
WBA super lightweight champion Amir Khan (22-1, 16 KOs) destroyed previously unbeaten Dmitiry Salita (30-1-1, 16 KOs) in the first round on Saturday night at the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle, England. Khan decked Salita immediately with a right hand, and Salita was sent down again from a …

“Manny is strong right now. His right hand is just as strong as his left right now and it's ridiculous. Now I see how he knocked Hatton out. I mean, he hit him with a left hand, but I see how he hurt him with the right hooks. Manny has really been working on that right hook. I'ma tell you, Manny is going to shock a lot of people…Miguel is the bigger, stronger guy, more physical, but I tell you what, Manny's so explosive with his power, it's ridiculous,” stated rising welterweight Rashad Holloway as he talked about his sparring with Manny Pacquiao just days before his own fight tonight on ESPN against Gato Figueroa. Check it out!

Philippines, give it up for your boy Manny Pacquiao because I’ll be damned he just officially conquered Hollywood.

By golly he just turned The Jimmy Kimmel Show into a Filipino Karaoke Extravaganza, and if you ask me, he sure hit that ball out of the ballpark. Pacquiao is definitely a once in a lifetime athlete and personality in the mold of Muhammad Ali. It’s amazing how he owned the stage as if he was simply working the boxing ring. To put it succinctly, like Kanye West, got me singing, “it’s amazing!”

As if the hoards of Hollywood’s biggest celebrities lining up to get their glimpse of the Filipino icon isn’t proof enough of his status as the sport’s most revered fighter, Pacquiao mesmerized his fans once again this time on network television as he flashed his pearly whites, joked with Kimmel and did his rendition of Dan Hill’s classic love song “Sometimes When We Touch”.

The same way that Freddie says he has seen weaknesses in Miguel, we know the weaknesses of Manny. If there's any doubt, just review the eighth round of his second fight with Juan Manuel Marquez,” stated Joe Santiago, trainer of WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto, as he responded to recent comments made by world-class trainer Freddie Roach. Confident in their gameplan and their preparations in training, Santiago believes that Pacquiao showed some vulnerabilities in his rematch with Marquez that Cotto will be able to take advantage of come November 14th.

After reviewing footage, it's clear that Marquez did have some of his best success against Pacquiao in the eighth round of their rematch. A straight right hand down the middle from Marquez would open up a cut over Pacquiao's eye that appeared to bother him for the majority of the round. A left hook to the body also looked like it may have got the attention of the Filipino superstar. That being said, is that truly enough to formulate a gameplan to exploit any perceived weaknesses that Pacquiao may have shown in that one round? A couple of right hands that opened up a cut, a body shot or two and some decent uppercuts showed weakness?

I have huge respect for trainer Freddie Roach, but I can’t agree with his prediction that Manny Pacquiao will knock out Miguel Cotto in the first round next Saturday night.

I don’t dispute Pacquiao has incredible speed, and I accept that he carries fantastic power, but even so, one look at Pacquiao’s record will tell you that he seldom wins fights in the first round. The last time he achieved that was more than seven years ago, when he was still a junior-featherweight. That is 17 fights and 130 rounds ago!

That’s when he stopped Fahprakorb Rakkiatgym of Thailand two minutes 46 seconds into the first round. His previous first-round stoppage came in June 2000 against South Korea’s Seung-Kon Chae, then an unbeaten fighter.

In his days before becoming a world champion, Pacquiao scored four first-round KOs for a career tally of six. But his best round for finishing an opponent is the second, which he’s achieved seven times.

As the 2nd episode of HBO 24/7 Pacquiao/Cotto finished up, it is evident that Manny Pacquiao is not focused and enjoying his life as a celebrity more than being a boxer. Miguel on the other hand is focused, hungry, and a great family man.

When you get a glimpse of some of Manny Pacquiao’s training and sparring you can see his lack of focus. Last episode you could already see his unraveling by disobeying roach on training location. This episode you see him getting toyed with in sparring against Shawn Porter and Jose Luis Castillo, Pacquiao was getting beat up on the ropes and hit clean.

Roach had to scold Pacman for his lazy performance as the red faced Pacquiao could barely look in Freddie’s eyes out of shame.
Another moment when you see Manny act out of character was when he is doing his conditioning training with Alex Ariza, Manny tells Ariza “Shut the F— up Alex” and keeps using the curse word while laughing at him. The lack of respect for Ariza and Roach was captured by the HBO crew.

This came as a shock since Pacquiao is a devout Christian and rarely cursed before.

When I spoke with jr. middleweight prospect Shawn Porter on Halloween day, he had just gone 4 rounds with Manny Pacquiao, the man who many consider to be the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. “Manny is the man,” stated Porter, who's grown accustomed to leaving the Wild Card Gym and seeing hundreds of people waiting in the parking lot for a chance to meet their hero.

Having witnessed firsthand the superstar status of Pacquiao, Porter considers it business as usual for the sparring partner of such an iconic figure. “It was like a scene from Coming To America when a row of limos were going down the one-way street with escorts,” Porter recalled of his time in the Philippines. Describing the experience as being surreal, Porter thoroughly enjoyed his time there. “My time in the Philippines was nice,” he commented.

After twelve solid rounds of sparring at the Wild Card Gym on Saturday, pound-for-pound phenomenon Manny Pacquiao looked at conditioning expert Alex Ariza, smiled and said “easy.”

That’s how Pacquiao, chasing a world title in a record-breaking seventh weight division against WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto felt after taking on undefeated Shawn Porter (10-0, 8 KO’s) over five rounds, four rounds with tough welterweight Rashad Holloway (11-1-1, 5 KO’s) and three rounds with super featherweight Raymund Beltran (22-4, 14 KO’s).

Conditioning expert Alex Ariza told us “I stake my reputation on this. Manny is going to be bigger and stronger than even Cotto.”

He said Pacquiao weighed in at 148 ¾ pounds prior to sparring and should have no problems at all in making the catch-weight of 145 pounds.

Freddie Roach and conditioning expert Alex Ariza can’t seem to run out of superlatives to describe how Manny Pacquiao is doing in preparation for his “Fire Power” showdown with World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Miguel Cotto at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Nov. 14.

Pacquiao sparred 12 furious rounds at Roach’s Wild Card Gym on Friday (Manila Time), going five rounds with undefeated 22-year-old light middleweight Shawn Porter (10-0, 8 KOs), four rounds with former sparring partner Rashad Holloway, a welterweight with an 11-1-1, 5 KO record and three rounds with another former sparring partner, super featherweight Raymund Beltran (22-4, 14 KOs).

“When the 10th round came, Freddie just smiled at me and said ‘Look, it’s 10 rounds and Manny is not even breathing hard, despite the rigorous workout,’” said Ariza. “Manny was phenomenal today. We, Freddie and I are both excited about this. He makes us a feel good because that’s the Manny that we know and love to watch.”

Asked what was so spectacular about Pacquiao’s sparring, Ariza replied “he was just on point again. His timing is there. He knows when the punches are coming. He’s slipping, he’s moving and hitting the guy when he wants to hit him. He looked really good.”

Ariza disclosed it wasn’t a closed-door sparring session. “There was a bit of a crowd there, including an HBO TV crew that was reportedly impressed with what they saw. Pacquiao was smiling and felt good about his sparring. Freddie felt good and we are all happy.”

Earlier today, Floyd Mayweather Jr. got into an impromptu and heated debate about his boxing career with rapper R.A. the Rugged Man during an appearance on satellite radio station Shade 45. An avid follower of boxing, R.A., who recently signed a book deal that will be co-authored by Ring Magazine's Doug Fischer, wasted no time in calling out Mayweather's selection of opponents over the past few years and questioning the merits of Floyd's victories.
 
Boxing fans will no doubt appreciate The Rugged Man's line of questioning as he echoed the sentiments of many of the sport's faithful, lettting Floyd know that although his skills are great, his selection of opposition has left something to be desired. Applying the pressure outside the ropes, no punches were pulled by the Long Island emcee, who wasn't afraid to get loud with Mayweather, putting the flashy and flamboyant undefeated champion in his place. Check out an excerpt of their conversation: 

PHASE 1: Going into a big fight like this I always envision an epic battle between two gladiators, blood and guts warriors, grit, sweat, anger, and other adjectives that sound tough and manly! I blog about what an amazing ballsy, kick-butt fight it will be. I talk to whoever will listen to my expectations, scientific analysis, and true gut feelings. This is a great phase to be in.

PHASE 2: Honey roasted Peanuts are set out, Bud Lights are cold, my scorecards are ready, and my girlfriend is patiently waiting until fight night is over(because she’s been listening to me for a month, she knows THIS one is important). I then proceed to suffer through two or three horrid under-card fights, that if I’m lucky are complete mismatches and will at the very least end quickly. If I’m not lucky it’s a Zab Judah mismatch that should have ended early, but he once again doesn’t live up to expectation and drags me through the miserable fight for ten or twelve rounds. This is phase filled with anxiousness and a little aggravation..

PHASE 2.1: The under-cards were terrible, but that’s OK, the main event will be so amazing it will make up for everything! I refill my peanut jar, double check the fridge to make sure I have enough BL’s (because the main event will have me on the edge of my seat for at least ten rounds). I answer a few text messages driving home my prediction, letting everyone on the planet know what an amazing boxing mind I have. THE FIGHT: The main event ends as soon as it starts or is a patty cake match for twelve rounds, where on top of everything the decision is a debacle!(obviously there is the diamond in the rough, but so many do end in disappointment).

by eric dimzon
Immediately after Manny Pacquiao’s spectacular win against a much bigger opponent in Las Vegas, Floyd Mayweather Sr. accused the Filipino boxer of using steroids.
Manny, obviously caught by surprise by the accusation, immediately told Philippines media that he does not know what steroids are - much less what …

HBO Boxing has released a series of preview videos on youtube with interviews and insight from boxing analysts, the fighters, and the coaches of Pacquiao and Cotto. HBO 24/7 Pacquiao/Cotto continues Saturday, Oct. 31 (Halloween) with episode 2 of the 4 part series. The fight takes place on Nov. 14th at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

HBO Boxing: Pacquiao vs. Cotto – Fight Preview (HBO)

HBO Boxing: Pacquiao vs. Cotto – Heart, Courage & Determination (HBO)

HBO Boxing: Pacquiao vs. Cotto – Size Up The Opponent (HBO)

HBO Boxing: Pacquiao vs. Cotto – Fighter Strategies (HBO)

LOS ANGELES — Manny Pacquiao believes the biggest potential fight in boxing will never happen because Floyd Mayweather Jr. wants no part of him.
Pacquiao is training in Hollywood for his meeting with Miguel Cotto on Nov. 14 in Las Vegas, but the pound-for-pound champion spared a moment on Thursday to evaluate his chances of fighting Mayweather, the unbeaten pay-per-view king. Although the matchup almost certainly would be a financial bonanza for both fighters, Pacquiao thinks fans shouldn’t hold their breath.

“I don’t think it’s going to happen,” Pacquiao said. “I’m sure he doesn’t want to fight.”

Mayweather has been circumspect about his plans for his next bout, saying only that he has never ducked anybody and would consider any opponent. In his comeback bout from a 21-month layoff, Mayweather demolished Juan Manuel Marquez on Sept. 19 in a fight that generated more than 1 million pay-per-view buys.

Mayweather’s advisers claim they haven’t ruled out a bout with Pacquiao, likely among the world’s few fighters who could match the American’s speed. But the Filipino champion has surprisingly strong opinions about why it won’t happen.

“Boxing for him is like a business,” Pacquiao said. “He 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.”

You don’t need to hear Rob Peters bellowing out,” IT’S PACQUIAO TIME!!!’, in mid-day at the Wild Card Boxing Club to figure out that Manny Pacquiao has made his way back to his familiar haunts in Hollywood to finish out his final preparations for his November 14Th date against Miguel Cotto. Hours before he steps through those doors, you see the congested gym in the morning hours replete with various fighters( who hope to get their days work in before the facility is shut down for ’the Pac Man’) and the usual array of on-lookers and stragglers who stick around hoping to catch a glimpse of the Filipino icon.

When Pacquiao arrives in Los Angeles for his fights, parking spots at the Wild Card becomes harder to find than on the streets of New York, clients of the gym line up for occupied heavy bags as if they were waiting for their ham-on-rye at a famous deli( the only thing missing it seems, is that they don’t issue you tickets with a number on it), photographers roam the premises as if they were the paparazzi and you have HBO’s ever-expanding crew and their high priced equipment setting up to cover every step that Pacquiao takes inside the gym. Then there are the various stars, celebrities and VIP’s that drop by to see boxing’s biggest international superstar.

fightnews.com

Manny Pacquiao’s flight will arrive tonight (Saturday) one hour earlier than expected. Philippine Airlines Flight 102 will arrive at 6:55 pm at Los Angeles International Airport. Fight fans are invited to come and welcome Pacman at LAX Terminal 4 upon his arrival for his Novemver 14 showdown with Miguel Cotto in Las Vegas.

Pacquiao selected Baguio — six hours north of Manila by car — as the site of his training camp because he could do road work in the mountains. But the rains made it nearly impossible to run, so instead, HBO has nice shots of him swimming in an indoor pool while it’s storming outside.

Also, according to reports from the Philippines, Pac Man’s entourage has grown, which always makes things entertaining.

Joining us for lunch was HBO’s Ray Stallone, who said that the ratings for 24/7 continue to rise. “Anytime [Floyd] Mayweather is involved, we see a spike in ratings,” said Stallone. “And it’s going up in the 18 to 35 demographic. That’s so heartening. These are our new fans.”

There are a certain generation of people who are forever hooked on boxing because they watched the “Friday Night Fights,” with their dad in the 1950s. Perhaps 24/7 has the same impact. Greenburg hears from all kinds of individuals who watch the series, including a lot of celebrities. One of them, NASCAR champ Jimmie Johnson, will soon have his own 24/7 experience.

Before he stepped into the ring against Antonio Margarito in July 2008, Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto was undefeated and considered one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world.
The then-WBA welterweight champion — who will fight current pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao on Nov. 14 in Las Vegas — was a powerful and punishing body-puncher, and his handlers were eying a future mega-fight against undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr., if they could coax him out of retirement.

But Cotto fans were stunned as Margarito administered an 11-round beating before Cotto’s corner threw in the towel after Cotto, bloodied and battered, twice took a knee in an attempt to slow the Mexican’s onslaught.