Pacquiao retains crown in tight third battle with Marquez

‘Pacman’ now 2-0-1 against Mexican rival

Manny Pacquiao remains the WBO welterweight champion in an edgy trilogy bout with world lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez in a fight that could have gone either way.

The 32 year-old looked out of sorts for the first few rounds as Marquez, 38, frustrated the Filipino with his backfoot tactics and countered the champion supremely to gain the upper hand in the first half of the fight.

Pacquiao came on strong in the second half after taking a tongue lashing from trainer Freddie Roach who told him in no uncertain terms that he was losing the fight and his title.

‘Dinamita’ continued to limit the eight-time champion to only a handful of shots landing per round and could have easily won the fight by anything from two to four rounds.

As it was, Pacquiao was given a majority decision in the end to jeers from the crowd 114-114, 116-112 and 115-113 to retain his 147lb belt for the third time in his two-year reign.

A forlorn Marquez walked disgusted from the ring after the decision and avoided an after-fight interview with HBO in the ring feeling that he had been wronged by the result for the third time.

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Bradley fails to impress against 40 year-old Casamayor

‘Desert Storm’ takes out faded champion

WBO light-welterweight champion Timothy Bradley retained his title with a routine win over a lacklustre Joel Casamayor at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas by stopping the 40 year-old in eight rounds.

The 28 year-old took every round from the Cuban scoring two knockdowns in the process to improve to 28-0 and hopefully move on to bigger future challenges after a safe first fight under new promoters Top Rank.

Rival Amir Khan was ringside for the bout in his commentating role for UK pay-per-view broadcasters Primetime and seemed unimpressed with Bradley’s opponent, who didn’t offer much resistance to the champion.

Bradley and Khan could meet each other if the Briton comes through his next WBA and IBF title defence against Lamont Peterson in December, with the former Olympic silver medallist admitting that he wants to pursue a bout between the two next year.

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Jermain Taylor rescheduled to return on December 10

‘Bad Intentions’ back down to middleweight

Former world middleweight king Jermain Taylor (28-4-1, 17 KO’s) returns to his old weight after a disastrous spell at 168lbs on December 10th in his home town of Little Rock, Arkansas.

The 33 year-old had originally planned to make his comeback following a two-year semi-retirement in August but after concerns about his weight, the former Super-Six participant was forced to postpone and convince the boxing board otherwise.

‘Bad Intentions’ is now pencilled in to fight at the Verizon Arena against an as yet un-named opponent at 160lbs and hopes to rebuild his reputation after a series of bad performances led to concerns about his health.

Taylor has had brain problems in the past but was given the green light to resume his career after extensive tests and with all four of his losses coming in his last five contests, the former champion has a lot to prove to his doubters.

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Roach: Pacquiao vs Khan? Never say never, we’re running out of opponents

Trainer thinks bout unlikely but won’t rule it out fully

Top trainer Freddie Roach is insistent that he would never totally rule out a possible fight between gym-mates and world champions Manny Pacquiao and Amir Khan but does concede that a bout could be hard to make.

Roach, 51, is currently working with Pacquiao for his upcoming trilogy fight with Juan Manuel Marquez and as speculation continues to mount about a mega-fight between his two protégé’s, the coach refused to dismiss a fight entirely.

“My two fighters are really friendly with each other” stated Roach to the Philippine Star.

“I don’t think they’ll ever fight but the thing is we’re running out of opponents and you can never say never in this game.”

Khan, 24, is back in the ring in December in his final bout at 140lbs and will then move up to 32 year-old Pacquiao’s current division at welterweight, where the Filipino legend holds the WBO title.

The Bolton fighter will then fight in his native UK, possibly against Matthew Hatton in March before the WBA and IBF light-welterweight title-holder can then attempt to lure Floyd Mayweather into the ring in the latter part of 2012.

Pacquiao is also constantly linked to a bout with Mayweather although it is thought that Khan is the more likely of the two to meet ‘Money’ in a 2012 money-spinning title clash.

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Freddie Roach dismisses Tim Bradley bout for Manny Pacquiao

Trainer says 140lb champion hasn’t earned the right

Timothy Bradley’s hopes of gaining a money-spinning match-up with welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao have been scoffed at by the Filipino fighter’s trainer Freddie Roach, who believes that the American isn’t well known enough to warrant a potential bout.

Roach is deep in preparations with the WBO 147lb belt holder for his upcoming third fight with Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez and says Bradley needs to get his own house in order before looking at a bout with the eight-time champion.

“I think he’s involved in a lawsuit with two promoters,” Roach told the Philippine Star.

“Besides, he’s got to earn the fight with Manny. Bradley’s not well known. It’s premature to even consider him fighting Manny.”

Bradley, 28, is pencilled in to fight Cuban Joel Casamayor on the undercard of Pacquiao v Marquez III at the MGM Grand next month and is expected to move up to 147lbs in 2012 along with Pacquiao stablemate and fellow light-welterweight champion Amir Khan.

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Donaire takes every round from Narvaez in final fight at 118lbs

Filipino fails to ‘Flash’ at the MSG Theater

WBC and WBO bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire inflicted the first defeat on two-weight world champion Omar Narvaez last night in what turned out to be one of the Filipino’s less dazzling performances as he found it tough to penetrate the Argentinian’s tight defence.

The 28 year-old, who moves up to 122lbs for his next bout, looked for angles constantly in a vain attempt to stop the rugged super-flyweight champion but eventually took a landslide points win on all three cards.

The action heated up in the tenth as Donaire reacted to the boos from the lack of action but the contest reverted straight back in the eleventh to the almost 5,000 capacity crowd’s dismay.

The ‘Filipino Flash’ had hoped to wow the crowd in his last fight at the weight after eight months out of the ring but had to settle for a 120-108 score on all the cards as Narvaez seemed intent with taking Donaire the distance.

“I don’t know what’s going on in his head,” stated Donaire. “He didn’t want to fight.

“As great as he is in Argentina, he decided to shut down.”

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Mikey Garcia impressive as he stops JC Martinez in four

Featherweight now 27-0 with 23rd stoppage

California’s Mikey Garcia proved his credentials once again with a fourth round stoppage victory over Juan Carlos Martinez at the MSG-WaMu Theater in New York.

The 23 year-old, who has an 85% knockout rate, looked in control for the whole of the fight and apart from a swelling under the left eye, was never in any discomfort against the Mexican.

Garcia spent the first two rounds softening ‘El Pez’ up before dropping him with two sweet left hooks right at the end of the round and sense a finish before the bell saved Martinez.

In the fourth, with his eye worsening, Garcia stepped up his attacks and put Martinez down twice before the referee stepped in to save the 29 year-old from further punishment.

Garcia now has 27 wins under his belt and is looking at a world title in 2012, with talks of a potential challenge against IBF champion Billy Dib in the next few months.

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Alvarez v Cintron to form triple-header with Broner and Russell Jr.

‘Canelo’ puts his title on the line for a third time

Saul Alvarez will tackle former welterweight world champion Kermit Cintron on November 26th in what will now be broadcast as an HBO triple-header from Cincinnati, Ohio and the WBC light-middleweight title holder’s native Mexico.

The 21 year-old, who fights for the fourth time this year, amazingly participates in his 40th career bout in six years as a professional, without loss and is expected to finalize a venue in the coming days.

Cintron (33-4-1, 28 KO’s) will participate in his sixth world title fight after a spell as IBF 147lb champion between 2006 and 2008 when he eventually lost to Antonio Margarito, who had also beaten him three years previously in his first world title bout.

The contest will link up with the double feature from Cincinnati on the night as undefeated super-featherweight Adrien Broner challenges for his first world title against an opponent yet to be confirmed, but rumoured to be Vicente Rodriguez of Argentina.

The 21 year-old, who has a perfect 21-fight record with 17 knockouts, will attempt to gain the WBO title vacated by Ricky Burns, who has moved up to lightweight to fight Michael Katsidis on November 5th in London.

In chief support, is Maryland native Gary Russell Jr. who looks to move to 19-0 against an un-named foe at featherweight.

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Mundine takes unanimous decision win over Alvarez

‘The Man’ claims interim WBA title

Anthony Mundine overcame Mexican Rigoberto Alvarez at the Newcastle Entertainment Centre in New South Wales, Australia today with a unanimous points victory that was conclusive on two out of three cards to claim the interim WBA light-middleweight strap.

The 36 year-old was awarded the bout 117-111 on two of the judges’ cards and 114-113 on the third, to improve his record to 43-4, 25 KO’s and put himself in line to face American WBA champion Austin Trout in 2012.

Alvarez, 33, falls to his second consecutive interim title loss after suffering the fate to Trout in February and will now have to re-think his next career move as he drops to 27-4,20 KO’s.

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Ashley Theophane's take on Cleverly v Bellew and James DeGale

This weekend saw a night full of quality fights as James DeGale picked up the European Super Middleweight title in a very close fight that could have gone either way.

James demonstrated that he has heart as well as talent. He really must not be allowed to end up like former Olympic and World champion, David Reid, who was fast tracked and eventually badly burnt out within a few years of reaching the top.

There is no substitute for experience, no matter how good the ‘raw talent’.

James can be a World champion, but from where I sit, he really needs to be a little patient and gain the necessary experience. He desperately wants to fight for a World title by the London Olympics in 2012, but I feel he needs to wait a little longer maybe until 2013. Carl Froch, Andre Ward and Lucien Bute are quite a bit above him at this point in his career, but he can get there. Patience is the key.

The much awaited and angry local British affair for the WBO 175lb World championship saw Nathan Cleverly beat Tony Bellew in a war of attrition, nutrition and conditioning. Bellew has come down from being an amateur heavyweight and a professional cruiserweight, and has looked less than ‘honed’.

Bellew started boxing nicely and winning rounds but as he got tired, Cleverly’s better conditioning and experience took over, and saw him win by the smallest of margins (despite the insultingly wide margins by two judges).

Tony had talked a lot and loudly in the build-up to the fight and he certainly backed up his boasts, despite not winning. He clearly demonstrated that he is a talented fighter and with three ABA championships behind him he has the same quality amateur pedigree as Joe Calzaghe.

He will come again.

Nathan Cleverly was also very good, but perhaps not quite ready for the world’s best just yet. Bernard Hopkins, Chad Dawson, Jean Pascal and Tavois Cloud are the four top fighters in the division. Nathan is Europe’s best, but he has a way to go before he is in the league of the world’s best.

Frank Warren is very shrewd and not keen on risking his champions unnecessarily stateside, so I will be very surprised if Nathan fights any of the top four fighters in the near future.

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Crolla: Until I hear something different, Limond is next

British champion ready to defend in Scotland

After weeks of speculation about British lightweight champion Anthony Crolla securing a potential WBC title challenge against 140lb champion Erik Morales in December, the Mancunian has now confirmed that he will travel to Scotland next month and face mandatory challenger Willie Limond.

The 24 year-old, who fought an eight-rounder in Las Vegas last month after a bout with Morales fell through, had once again been linked for a fight against the Mexican legend in Tijuana but will now step up preparations to meet the Scot on his home soil after the world title fight failed to materialize for a second time.

"There are plenty of rumours out there but I have been told I am fighting at Ravenscraig next month,” Crolla told The Daily Record.

"If that is not approved it will be at Bellahouston but the fact is I am defending in Scotland in November and haven't heard anything else that tells me I won't be fighting Willie.

"I have to train really hard and be professional because I know if I don't take this fight seriously and start thinking about something else then I will be a goner."

Limond, 32, has himself shared the ring with Morales after managing six rounds with ‘El Terrible’ in September 2009 and has only fought once since, a six-round victory over journeyman Arek Malek.

The Glaswegian’s credentials grant him respect though as a former British, European and Commonwealth super-featherweight champion.

Limond also a brief spell as WBU belt holder at 135lbs in 2009 and has gone eight rounds with Amir Khan and Alex Arthur in his only other defeats in his 37 contests.

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Mares v Agbeko II, Moreno v Darchinyan paired on December 3

In a highly anticipated rematch of one of the year's most talked about and exciting fights, unbeaten rising star Abner Mares will defend his International Boxing Federation (IBF) and World Boxing Council (WBC) Silver Bantamweight Championship titles against the boxer he dethroned, former two-time IBF 118-pound champion Joseph King Kong Agbeko, in the main event on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING onSaturday, Dec. 3, live on SHOWTIME® (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) at Honda Center in Anaheim,Calif.

In the co-featured world championship bout, Anselmo "Chemito" Moreno will defend his World Boxing Association (WBA) Bantamweight Super Championship against Two-Division World Champion Vic "The Raging Bull'' Darchinyan.

Tickets for Mares vs. Agbeko II, priced at $150, $100, $50 and $25, are on sale now at all Ticketmaster locations, online at ticketmaster.com and via charge-by-phone at 800-745-3000. Tickets will be available for sale at the Honda Center Box Office beginning Tuesday, Oct. 18 at 10 a.m. PT.

Mares (22-0-1, 13 KO's) scored a hotly disputed 12-round majority decision over Agbeko (28-3, 22 KO's), to win the SHOWTIME Bantamweight Tournament and IBF title last Aug. 13 in Las Vegas.

The summer slugfest featured many two-way exchanges with numerous swings in momentum. Mares and Agbeko combined to throw 1,394 punches in the first fight. The fast-starting Mares connected on 318 of 732, while Agbeko landed on 231 of 662 and notably came on strong in the later rounds. Each fighter landed his share of big blows.

Their brave performances, however, were overshadowed by referee Russell Mora, who warned Mares several times for low blows throughout the fight yet never deducted a point. In the 11th round, the referee called a knockdown when Agbeko took a knee following a punch that appeared below the beltline.

When the final bell rang and the scores were totaled, Mares scored a majority decision victory by the scores of 115-111 twice and 113-113, however the controversy surrounding the fight was such that the IBF ordered an immediate rematch less than 24 hours after Team Agbeko had filed an official protest in the days following the fight.

Golden Boy Promotions' first homegrown world titlist, Mares showed no hesitation in giving Agbeko the rematch as he said he would immediately following their first fight. Mares said he relishes the opportunity to show that he is deserving of the championship he won this summer.

"I'm looking forward to December 3rd to clear the record and show that I deserve to be a world champion," said Mares. "I beat him the first time and I'll beat him again, but this time it will be easier. I'm going to make a statement in this fight."

Despite the Aug. 13 outcome, Agbeko's confidence has not wavered.

"As I said after our first fight, Abner Mares did not win my world title, the referee gave it to him," said Agbeko. "This is not to say Mares cannot win. His undefeated record shows he has boxing abilities. His challenge now is to prove he can beat me in a fair fight. The world and a new referee will be watching this young man to see if he can keep his gloves above the beltline. In a fair fight, I know I will prevail."

Mares, who turns 26 on Nov. 28, will be fighting for the fourth consecutive time on SHOWTIME; Agbeko, 32, will be appearing on the network for a fifth time in a row.

Moreno (31-1-1, 11 KO's), 26, of Panama City, Panama, will fight for the first time since he signed with Golden Boy Promotions last August. He will be making his United States and SHOWTIME debuts against Darchinyan (37-3-1, 27 KOs), 35, a Sydney, Australia-based Armenian who has appeared 13 times on the network.

Unbeaten since losing in his eighth professional fight in 2002, the 5-foot-8 Moreno captured the WBA title in May 2008 and was upgraded by that organization to Super Champion in November 2010. He's made a total of eight title defenses, including an eighth-round TKO over former World Champion Lorenzo Parra in his lone start this year on June 17 in Panama. All but six of Moreno's 33 professional fights took place in his homeland.

The aggressive-minded, crowd-pleasing Darchinyan, a former world champion at 112 and 115 pounds, is the current International Boxing Organization (IBO) 118-pound titleholder.

Darchinyan regained the IBO belt last April 23 with an impressive fifth-round technical decision over Yonnhy Perez on SHOWTIME. On Sept. 12, Darchinyan retained the strap by pitching a near-shutout in a lopsided 12-round decision over Evans Mbamba in Armenia.

The doubleheader is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions, Don King Productions and Gary Shaw Productions and is sponsored by Tecate, DeWalt Tools and AT&T. A full undercard will be announced shortly.

Steve Albert (blow-by-blow), Al Bernstein and Antonio Tarver (analysts) will call the action with Jim Gray reporting from ringside. The executive producer is David Dinkins Jr. with Ray Smaltz producing and Bob Dunphy directing.

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Nonito Donaire opens his gym doors to the media

World Boxing Council bantamweight champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire has had a well-attended workout at the legendary Gleason's Gym in Manhattan, New York which was attended by the media as well as members of the West Point women’s boxing team.

Donaire makes his New York debut at the WaMu Theater at famed Madison Square Garden when he defends his title against undefeated two-division world champion Omar Andres “The Hurricane” Narvaez of Argentina on October 23 Manila Time in a fight to be telecast “live” by ABS-CBN over its pre-eminent Channel 2.

Donaire said a knockout win over Narvaez would be most satisfying even as Top Rank promoter Bob Arum told us recently that a possible title fight against WBO super bantamweight champion Jorge “Travieso” Arce was a possibility early next year with a title shot at WBC champion Toshiaki Nisioka likely to take place in May or June.

Donaire who won the IBF/IBO flyweight championship with a sensational 5th round KO of Vic Darchinyan and then captured the WBA super flyweight interim title with wins over Rafael Concepcion and an 8th round TKO of Mexico’s Hernan Marquez won a third title when he smashed veteran WBC/WBO bantamweight champion Fernando “Cochulito” Montiel in less than two rounds last February at the Mandalay Bay Resort Hotel and Casino.

The classy Filipino fighter wants to follow in the path of Pacquiao who has won eight world titles in eight different weight divisions. Although he realistically aims for five or six titles going all the way up to lightweight, Donaire has made it clear he wishes to establish his own legacy as a fighter.

One of the admirers of Donaire as a fighter is American trainer Rick Stahely who trained Pacquiao when he won his first title - the WBC flyweight crown with a sensational 8th round knockout of Thai hero Chatchai Sasakul.

Stahely believes Donaire is capable of winning world titles in five or six weight divisions.

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WBN Video: Kimbo Slice 2nd pro fight Knockout (with results)

Electrifying heavyweight Kimbo Slice, aka Kevin Ferguson, needed only 1:52 to register a phenomenal knockout of Tay Bledsoe in tonight’s main event on the “Rumble In The Heartland” card, presented by Gary Shaw Productions and Legacy Communications, at Heartland Events Center in Grand Island, Nebraska.

Slice (2-0, 2 KOs), who is co-promoted by Gary Shaw and Tony Holden, continued to show improvement in the ring with world-class trainer John David Jackson in his corner. The former Internet combat fighting sensation came out fast and ended the night with a powerful, one-punch overhand right, stopping Bledsoe who remained motionless for several minutes. Slice’s first pro fight lasted only 17 seconds.

Washington D.C. heavyweight Maurice Byarm scored three knockdowns in the opening round, finishing veteran Clinton Boldrige in the first round (1:14) to remainunbeaten, while middleweight Abel Perry (16-5, 7 KOs) battled his way to a unanimous decision victory against Patrick Thompson (17-17-1, 7 KOs).

Full Results:

HEAVYWEIGHTS

Kevin“Kimbo Slice” Ferguson (2-0, 2 KOs), Coral Springs, FL WKO1 (1:52) Tay Bledsoe (2-4, 2 KOs), Omaha, NE

Maurice Byarm (13-0-1, 9 KOs), Washington D.C. WTKO1 (1:14) Clinton Boldridge (9-17-1, 7 KOs), St. Joseph, MO.

SUPERMIDDLEWEIGHTS

Sean Wilson (6-6, 1 KO), Cambridge, NE WDEC4 Reuben Rodriguez (3-7, 0 KOs), Kearney, NY

MIDDLEWEIGHTS

Abel Perry (16-5, 7 KOs), Colorado Springs, CO WDEC8 Patrick Thompson (17-17-1, 7 KOs), Lincoln, NE

LIGHTWEIGHTS

Brandon“Pit Bull” Quintana (4-7, 3 KOs), Kearney, NE WTKO2 ( ) Sook Suyajuck (2-7-1, 2 KOs), Kansas City, MO.

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Chad Dawson becomes WBC champion with foul move

Rematch on the cards after Hopkins ruled out injured

Bernard Hopkins’ first defence of the WBC light-heavyweight title descended into farce at The Staples Center in Los Angeles after challenger Chad Dawson, 29, picked up the elder champion in the second round causing him to fall awkwardly onto the ring apron and damage his shoulder.

The incident followed a cagey opening round and amazingly referee Pat Russell failed to rule what looked like a wrestling move a foul. After much deliberation and confusion, the bout was called a technical knockout and Dawson picked up the green belt to the amazement of the Californian crowd.

46 year-old Hopkins looked stunned as the decision was read out and called for a rematch with the new champion who announced that he would now target Jean Pascal to avenge his only loss.

“Of course he was faking it,” stated Dawson. “He fell on his back, how did he hurt his shoulder?”

“I want Pascal. He’ll be 47 by the time of a rematch so no, I don’t want to fight him again.”

Hopkins then blamed the referee for not calling the foul but was still confused how he could lose his title without being hit by a punch.

“It should have been a no contest,” said Hopkins angrily. “If they want me out of boxing this is the way to do it.”

“Bad” Chad improves to 31-1 whilst Hopkins drops his sixth loss in 61 contests and seemingly has nowhere to go without a rematch.

One possibility could be a WBO challenge against the other winner on the night Nathan Cleverly, with Frank Warren keen on bringing ‘The Executioner’ over to the UK.

The main event certainly lived up to it's name 'Believe it or not!'

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"Speed and Quickness is the Key"Alex Ariza

According to the strength and conditioning coach Alex Ariza, there is no change of strategy for Pacquiao against his fiercest rival Juan Manuel Marquez. Team Pacquiao still investing on speed and quickness on their training regimen in Baguio city. Ariza said that it will carry Pacquiao to victory that he been using to destroy his opponents.

Though Marquez is the smarter fighter, he believed during fight time Pacquiao will overwhelm with blinding speed from weird angles. And would love to Pacquiao to make a statement by stopping Marquez this time.

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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.

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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.

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Mosley’s last stand

When Sugar Shane Mosley climbs into the ring on Sunday (Manila time) to battle pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao, it could very well be his last fight. At 39 and coming off two very unimpressive performances, Mosley is a lopsided loss away from retirement. I can't imagine any boxing promoter wanting to include him on any major boxing card if he loses big to Pacquiao, as most experts expect him to do. A loss to Pacquiao would give Mosley a 0-2-1 win-loss-draw record over his last three fights. He dropped a lopsided unanimous decision to Floyd Mayweather, Jr. in May last year, then looked uninspired in a draw against Sergio Mora four months later. If he's looking for redemption, then beating Pacquiao would certainly do it. If only it were that simple though. Pacquiao's blinding hand speed will make it difficult for Sugar Shane to win a round, let alone the fight itself.
Regardless of what happens in the ring on Sunday, it's safe to say Mosley has had a colorful — and sometimes controversial - career. On the plus side, he's won titles in three weight divisions, he never ducked anyone, and he fought and defeated an in-his-prime Oscar De La Hoya not once but twice. In perhaps one of the biggest upsets this decade, he knocked out a heavily-favored Antonio Margarito in 2009. That was the bout where Margarito was caught with an illegal substance in his hand wraps.
But losses to the late Vernon Forrest (twice), Miguel Cotto and Ronald "Winky" Wright (twice) have kept Mosley from being in the discussion of this era's greatest fighters, even though he was once briefly considered the best pound-for-pound fighter. He did win his first 38 fights, but has gone 8-6-1 since. Plus, he has publicly admitted to taking performance-enhancing drugs in the past, although he claims he did so unknowingly. (No one believes him, of course.)
Which is what makes this fight against Pacquiao his most important yet. He pulls off a big shocker, and everyone forgets about his losses and steroid use. He'll be known as the man who beat The Man. Which would make him The New Man, if that makes sense.
But does he really have a chance? I'd say his attacking style makes him tailor-fit for Pacquiao, who prefers opponents who slug it out with him because it makes them easier targets. Mosley's punches still have some sting in them, though, as he showed when he wobbled Mayweather in the second round of their fight. Pretty Boy was in serious trouble but Mosley just couldn't finish him off.
Pacquiao was also in trouble in the sixth round against Margarito, when the big Mexican caught him with a huge blow to the body that nearly sent Manny to the canvas. Later, Pacquiao admitted he was really hurt and could've easily gone down if Margarito had connected one more time. Now, Mosley has a higher knockout percentage than Margarito and is generally regarded as a pretty strong puncher, so you could say he literally has a puncher's chance against Pacquiao. And while Pacquiao loves slugfests, so does Mosley. When Pacquiao goes on attack mode, it will leave him open to Mosley's punches. With Pacquiao, he won't be facing a fighter who will go on defensive mode the way Mayweather and Mora did, which would be to his liking. Plus, Mosley has never lost by knockout, although he has been floored, which speaks to his ring savvy and ability to go the distance against tough opponents.
Expect both fighters to go toe to toe right away, until Pacquiao's relentless attacks either forces Mosley to backpedal the rest of the way, or knocks him out within five rounds. Mosley has a reputation for having a strong chin, which would help explain why he's never been knocked out, but he's also never fought anyone with the rapid-fire punches of Pacquiao. It should be a fun fight to watch for the first three or four rounds. After that, if the fight isn't over yet, it will be all Pacquiao.

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