Pacquiao ‘not predicting’ KO vs Algieri

MANILA, Philippines — Manny Pacquiao hasn’t stopped an opponent in five years.

And rumblings about his diminished knockout power have resurfaced as his title fight with the undefeated Chris Algieri nears.

But despite that, the former pound-for-pound king doesn’t seem pressured at all to go for it and make a point that he still packs a punch by knocking an opponent out.

“I’m not predicting a knockout,” Pacquiao said in an interview before adding, “but I’m looking for a good fight and looking to prove I can still fight.”

The 35-year-old Pacquiao isn’t getting any younger and he’s closer to his retirement than to his boxing debut. The last time he won via stoppage was on November 14, 2009 when he defeated Miguel Cotto in the 12th round.

Since then, seven of his last eight bouts have gone the distance, one of which was the highly-controversial loss to Timothy Bradley in 2012, and the only fight that didn’t last the full 12 rounds was his brutal knockout loss to Mexican rival Juan Manuel Marquez.
That stunning defeat to Marquez ironically was the closest Pacquiao got to scoring at least a stoppage when seconds before he lunged towards that devastating counter punch in the sixth round, he was all over Marquez during that round. It was also revealed after the fight that Marquez’s nose was already broken at that point.

Pacquiao may not have been able to score a knockout as of late but he has proven that he can still dominate a fight in his victories over Brandon Rios last year and Bradley in their rematch last April.

And another dominating performance against Algieri on Nov. 23 at The Venetian in Macau could pave the way for the much-awaited megafight with Floyd Mayweather.

Talks about a Pacquiao-Mayweather bout, which could go down as the richest fight in boxing history, have come up anew and the sport’s only eight-division champion Pacquiao hinted at the possibility of it.

“As long as I’m still in boxing and Mayweather is still in boxing, then there’s always a chance for that (fight),” said Pacquiao in a separate interview.

“I’m willing to fight anybody. I’m not ducking anyone.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

Rios says he wasn’t hurt, lauds Pacquiao’s speed

MANILA, Philippines – Even with his face swollen from all the beating, Brandon Rios insisted that Manny Pacquiao didn’t hurt him throughout their 12-round welterweight bout Sunday at the CotaiArena at The Venetian Hotel and Casino in Macau.

“He never hurt me,” Rios, who sustained a cut just below his left eye, said during the post-fight presser after Pacquiao cruised to a trouble-free unanimous decision win.

But what the 27-year-old Rios, who folded under the bright lights of his first pay-per-view fight, couldn’t ignore was Pacquiao’s undiminished quickness and hand speed.

“What got me was just the speed and the awkwardness,” Rios admitted. “He’s very fast. He has a lot of different angles. He’s difficult to box against.”

“I put my heart and soul into this fight. The best Manny Pacquiao showed up tonight.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

‘Careful’ Pacquiao learns lesson from Marquez loss

The sellout crowd at Cotai Arena inside the grandiose Venetian Macau Hotel and Casino rose to its feet in anticipation of a knockout that never came.

And there’s a reason behind it as Manny Pacquiao would admit.

“I’m very careful. I learned from my last fight,” a victorious Pacquiao said in an interview with HBO’s Larry Merchant before breaking a smile.

Pacquiao, whose hand was finally raised after scoring a lopsided decision over hard-as-nails Brandon Rios, didn’t show any effects from his devastating knockout loss to rival Juan Manuel Marquez 11 months ago as he reverted back to old lethal form.

“Recovering from the knockout and putting on a good show like the young Manny Pacquiao,” he said of his stirring comeback performance.

There wasn’t a knockout, stoppage nor even a knockdown but Pacquiao’s performance nonetheless showed flashes of his old self as he circled around a flat-footed Rios after throwing combination after combination like that of his sterling showing in his 12th round stoppage of Miguel Cotto four years ago.

The only difference was the brash Rios stayed on his feet and repeatedly gestured he wasn’t hurt despite his head getting cocked back over and over from Pacquiao’s flurry.

“I didn’t see Rios as an easy opponent. He is tough,” Pacquiao, who turns 35 next month, commended. “He is one of the toughest opponents of my career, he took a lot of punches.”

The bell rang signaling the end of the 12-round bout with Pacquiao’s face draped in sweat while Rios’ showed a badly beaten fighter, his left eye deeply cut, his right eye swelling and nose bloodied.

The crowd sensed a knockout was looming in the dwindling seconds. It never happened and judging by how Rios looked as the bell sounded, Pacquiao perhaps didn’t need one.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Yolanda survivors rejoice after Pacquiao triumph

TACLOBAN, Philippines — Thousands of Filipino survivors of Typhoon Yolanda (international name Haiyan) erupted into wild cheers Sunday to celebrate their boxing icon Manny Pacquiao’s victory that gave them a brief respite from the enormous destruction and rebuilding that lies ahead.

“It felt like I got my house back,” said street sweeper Ardel Nebasa, who lost him home in tsunami-like storm surges that ravaged Tacloban city on Nov. 8.

Officials hope that watching Pacquiao’s triumph against American Brandon Rios in Macau would help traumatized survivors take their minds off the horrific devastation wrought by the typhoon and inspire them to pick up the pieces from the storm that killed more than 5,200 people.

“I was so happy and I wanted to cry but there were too many people,” said Nebasa, who watched the match with his son and thousands of others on a TV screen set up in a public plaza in Tacloban city.

He added, “It would have felt like another storm has hit if he lost.”

Another survivor waved a cardboard placard that read: “We’re for Pacquiao, God bless, Tacloban will rise again.” Many jumped repeatedly in joy.

Thousands of residents also cheered at Tacloban’s Astrodome stadium and watched the fight on a giant screen, their view partly obscured by the light filtering through holes in the basketball gym’s ceiling. One man carried a Philippine flag.

Pacquiao, who defeated Rios by unanimous decision to take the WBO international welterweight title, has dedicated his comeback fight to storm victims and promised to visit Tacloban and outlying regions that the storm had turned into a corpse-strewn wasteland.

When the bell rang to signal the end of the 12-round match, many spectators in Tacloban threw their baseball caps, shirts and pieces of cardboard into the air, even before the result was officially announced.

Tacloban city folk, Nebasa said, would gladly await the visit of Pacquiao, who rose from poverty to become one of the world’s highest-paid athletes.

“We’ll be thankful if he can help us,” Nebasa said. “He came from the ranks of the poor and we identify with him and are happy for his triumphs.”

In Macau, the 13,000-seat arena at the Venetian casino was packed. Many in the audience were Filipinos who either lived and worked in Macau or nearby Hong Kong, or made the one-hour flight from the Philippines.

Some waved Philippine flags, and frequently chanted, “Manny, Manny.”

Businessman Bong Ferrer flew to Macau with a group of 11 others.

“Of course this is a high morale day to the Filipino people because of what’s happening to us back in the Philippines. It’s redeeming to us. It makes us feel in high spirits,” he said.

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Pacquiao is back, beats Rios in 12 rounds

MANILA, Philippines– With a fight that went the distance, eight-time world champion Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao made his comeback known with a convincing victory over Brandon “Bambam” Rios at their bout held at the Cotai Arena at the Venetian.

Dubbed as The Clash in Cotai, the 12-rounder saw Pacquiao dominate the bigger Rios landing uppercuts and straights, with the southpaw cruising to a unanimous decision victory, 120-108, 119-109, 118-110, adding the WBO International Welterweight Championship belt to his impressive trophy case.

Pacquiao, coming off two straight defeats, took a careful approach against the hard-hitting Rios who looked like a smaller Antonio Margarito after the southpaw landed quality power punches.

“I wanted to give a good show,” said Pacquiao who put on a methodical showcase throughout the 12 rounds.

From the opening bell, Pacquiao threw his left straights as if it were jabs, landing massive blows to the head of Rios who sustained a cut above his left eye in the fourth round.

A tired Rios only to land light jabs, relying on the clinch to hit power punches on the smaller Pacquiao with the former nursing a swollen right eye after his left brow blew open.

Continuous combinations opened up the match for Pacquiao as he took the driver seat as early as the fifth round then maintained his careful pace until the final bell.

Though Rios managed to bring the fight to the ropes, but Pacquiao’s evasiveness dwindled the Mexican’s chances of landing points in score card as Pacquiao’s constant counters proved too much.

In an act of pure sportsmanship from the Filipino, Pacquiao gave his felled opponent a hug after the bell signified the bout’s end.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Pacquiao career at stake vs ‘monster’

MACAU—An impressive victory by Manny Pacquiao over Brandon Rios on Sunday will serve a triple purpose.

It will bring joy to his countrymen reeling from the destruction wrought by Supertyphoon “Yolanda” and rekindle hopes of a dream showdown with Floyd Mayweather Jr.

These are apart from his personal mission to recover the luster of his ring career tarnished by his knockout loss to Mexico’s Juan Manuel Marquez late last year.

Manila’s GMA 7 network is setting up a free viewing of the fight in various places in Tacloban City so residents of the typhoon-ravaged area can watch the bout.

Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach believes Pacquiao is in prime shape to demolish the loudmouth Rios.

“He’s looking good and focused, with no distractions,” said Roach. “I can see no reason for Pacquiao to lose.”

4-1 favorite

Pacquiao is a heavy 4-1 favorite to beat Rios in their fight in Macau and dispel the notion he’s on the decline. More important, it will give him a chance to seek a fight with Mayweather, who has dodged him for years.

“Pacquiao-Mayweather isn’t dead in the water,” Roach said. “All Pacquiao needs is to beat Rios and everything is possible.”

Roach, however, won’t be content with only a win over Rios. He wants a knockout. The quicker, the better for the American trainer, who holds a grudge against Team Rios.

First, for insulting him by mimicking his slurred speech and body tremors caused by Parkinson’s disease, in a video that leaked in 2010.

And second, when Rios’ conditioning trainer Alex Ariza kicked him in the chest in a prefight confrontation on Wednesday.

Roach told Pacquiao it would be a great favor if he knocked out Rios.

Being a gentleman, Pacquiao never uttered a word. But according to Roach, Pacquiao is showing him signs that he intends to do just that.

Shake off distractions

They’ve been together for so long that a wink or a nod is enough to send a message across:  Pacquiao wants Team Rios to pay the price for insulting his mentor.

More than that, he wants to make Filipinos happy.

But Pacquiao will need to shrug off the distractions from Yolanda and the physical clash between Roach and Ariza as he heads into the make-or-break comeback fight with Rios.

In Rios, the Filipino great will be facing a fighter who vows to be “a monster” in the ring.

The only man to have won world titles at eight different weights knows his career is on the line as he returns to the ring, just days away from his 35th birthday.

It is almost a year since Pacquiao was knocked out cold by Marquez, a defeat that came six months after a controversial split decision defeat to American Timothy Bradley.

A third loss in a row, in the World Boxing Organization (WBO) International welterweight title clash with America’s Rios tomorrow, and talk of his retirement would amplify into a roar.

Yet just 18 months ago, “Pac-Man” was revered as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, having only lost once in 31 fights dating back to 1999.

Hungry to win

Roach has admitted that if Pacquiao loses badly to Rios, a former lightweight world champion, he would not hesitate to tell him to retire.

But defeat is the last thing on the mind of Pacquiao, who has a record of 54 wins, 5 defeats and 2 draws, with 38 KOs in a professional career spanning almost 19 years.

“Brandon Rios says he’s hungry to win this fight and I also say I’m hungry to win this fight because I lost twice last year,” Pacquiao said.

However, the final days of Pacquiao’s buildup have been anything but smooth after Yolanda struck the Philippines, leaving thousands dead.

“I’m doing my best to win this fight and give a good fight, especially with what happened to my countrymen,”
he said.

“To all the people and the families who have been affected by the  typhoon—this fight is for you.”

Pacquiao was also unimpressed by a bust-up between Roach and Rios’ camp, which ended with Ariza kicking the 53-year-old, who is afflicted with Parkinson’s disease, in the chest.

As cameras rolled for a reality TV show, the two sides were heard hurling racial and homophobic insults and a torrent of expletives, while Ariza mocked Roach’s slurred speech.

No trash talk

“All I can say is both teams prepared for this fight. Let this finish in the ring and not in trash talk before the fight,” said Pacquiao.

“Let’s set a good example to all the people who admire boxing,” added the deeply religious fighter.

“All I can say is this is sports. This is nothing personal, we are doing our job in the ring. Anyone who has a grievance should forgive as the Lord forgives.”

The ebullient Rios is confident.

“This is the best shape I have ever been,” said the 27-year-old, who has a 31-1-1 record but has never boxed at welterweight, or fought anyone of Pacquiao’s pedigree.

Signs of decline?

“I’m nobody’s tune-up fight,” added Rios. “I’m nobody’s punching bag—a punching bag don’t punch back. Sunday, you’re going to find out I’m not going to stop. I’m a monster when I get in that ring.”

Rios, who at 5 feet 8 inches is nearly two inches taller than Pacquiao, is also unfazed by stepping up two weight divisions and 12 pounds in the past 18 months, saying 147 pounds is a “natural weight” for him.

Both fighters will have to cope with the unusual timing of around 11:30 a.m.  on Sunday, tailored to suit American pay-per-view audiences.

Win, and Pacquiao will seek a rematch with Marquez ahead of a dream meeting with Mayweather.

Lose, and the end of his career draws closer.

Robert Garcia, the trainer of Rios, said Pacquiao was showing signs of coming to the end of his career and would be vulnerable.

Pacquiao has not fought since his knockout defeat at the hands of Marquez. Garcia said he had noticed subtle signs of decline in the Filipino boxer.

No love lost

“Everybody’s end comes someday and it could be this fight,” Garcia said. “He does have a lot to lose in this fight, and that’s pressure not only for him but his trainer and everybody in his camp.”

Garcia added:  “There are things I’ve seen in his last two fights that maybe a lot of people who haven’t fought don’t see. I went through those things and I already see them. There were things I was embarrassed about, that I was afraid to tell my family and to tell my trainers. A lot of fighters go through the same things, they don’t even tell their wives, but I can see it in him.”

Roach bristled when told of Garcia’s comments.

“When does he watch my guy? Does he see my guy train every day, does he see the sacrifices my guy goes through, does he see the roadwork we do every day?” Roach said.

“I hope they are overconfident because Manny is going to destroy this guy.”

Journeyman at best

The undercard for the fight at The Venetian casino begins at 8 a.m. with the main event expected around three hours later.

Roach acknowledged Pacquiao’s recent failure to knock out opponents but said the Filipino fighter was eager to do so tomorrow as a way of announcing his return to the peak of the sport.

“I don’t feel Rios can go the distance with a guy with the talents of Manny Pacquiao. It’s a world-class fighter going in against a guy who is a journeyman at best.” With reports from AFP and AP

source: sports.inquirer.net

Pacquiao’s career on the line against Rios

MACAO – Filipino great Manny Pacquiao will need to shrug off the distractions of a deadly typhoon and a physical clash involving his trainer as he heads into a make-or-break comeback fight against Brandon Rios Sunday.

The only man to have won world titles at eight different weights knows his career is on the line as he returns to the ring in Macau, just days away from his 35th birthday.

It is almost a year since Pacquiao was knocked cold by Mexican arch-rival Juan Manuel Marquez, a defeat that came six months after a controversial split decision defeat to American Timothy Bradley.

A third loss in a row, in the World Boxing Organisation (WBO) International welterweight title clash with America’s Rios on Sunday, and talk of his retirement would amplify into a roar.

Yet just 18 months ago, ‘Pac-Man’ was revered by many as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, having only lost once in 31 fights dating back to 1999.

Trainer Freddie Roach has admitted that if Pacquiao loses badly to Rios, a former lightweight world champion, he would have no hesitation in telling him to retire.

But defeat is the last thing on the mind of Pacquiao, who has a record of 54 wins, five defeats and two draws, with 38 KOs in a professional career spanning almost 19 years.

“Brandon Rios says he’s hungry to win this fight and I also say I’m hungry to win this fight because I’ve lost twice last year,” Pacquiao said.

However, the final days of Pacquiao’s build-up have been anything but smooth after Supertyphoon “Yolanda” (international name:  Haiyan) struck the Philippines, leaving about 5,500 people dead or missing.

Pacquiao’s training base in General Santos City escaped the storm but the Filipino congressman had to be talked out of interrupting his preparations to visit the disaster area.

“I’m doing my best to win this fight and give a good fight, especially with what happened to my countrymen,” he said.

“To all the people and the families who have been affected by this storm, the typhoon – this fight is for you.”

Pacquiao was also unimpressed by a bust-up between Roach and Rios’s camp, which ended with conditioning coach Alex Ariza kicking the 53-year-old Parkinson’s disease-sufferer in the chest.

As cameras rolled for a reality TV show, the two sides were heard hurling racial and homophobic insults and a torrent of expletives, while Ariza mocked Roach’s slurred speech.

“All I can say is both teams prepared for this fight. Let this finish in the ring and not in trash talk before the fight,” said Pacquiao.

“Let’s set a good example to all the people who admire boxing,” added the deeply religious fighter.

“All I can say is this is sports. This is nothing personal, we are doing our job in the ring. Anyone who has a grievance should forgive as the Lord forgives.”

Although Roach says Pacquiao’s intense eight-week training camp has put the 10-time world champion in his best shape for years, the ebullient Rios is confident.

“This is the best shape I have ever been,” said the 27-year-old, who has a 31-1-1 record but has never boxed at welterweight, or fought anyone of Pacquiao’s pedigree.

“I’m nobody’s tune-up fight,” added Rios. “I’m nobody’s punching bag – a punching bag don’t punch back. Sunday, you’re going to find out I’m not going to stop. I’m a monster when I get in that ring.”

Rios, who at five feet eight inches is nearly two inches taller than Pacquiao, is also unfazed by stepping up two weight divisions and 12 pounds in the past 18 months, saying 147 pounds is a “natural weight” for him.

Both fighters will have to cope with the unusual timing of around 11:30 am (0330 GMT) on Sunday, tailored to suit American pay-per-view audiences.

Win, and Pacquiao will seek a re-match with Marquez ahead of the dream meeting with Floyd Mayweather that fight fans have longed to see. Lose, and the end of his career draws nearer.

source: sports.inquirer.net