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Watch Manny Pacquiao vs Timothy Bradley Rematch

Sports columnist Recah Trinidad expects an interesting match on Sunday (Saturday in the US) when Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley face-off again for the welterweight title.

Trinidad said the fight could go the stretch before it goes to Pacquiao either by decision or by knockout, as he proves he is truly the stronger fighter and should have won the first time.

"All points lead to a possible Manny win either by knockout or by points. Mas malamang mag-12 rounds. He's not supposed to jumpstart. Pag nagpilit ka ng maaga, ang tendency mawawala yung breathing. Yun ang nangyari sa kanya nung nakaraan," Trinidad said.

Trinidad added retirement is out of the picture for Pacquiao for now.

He also believes that Bradley, despite his posturing, does not have the power to knock-out the Pacman.

"Walang knock out power yung kabila. He's a push puncher. Sabi nila may secret weapon. Di ko naman alam saan kukunin yon. You can't develop a knock-out punch instantly. Ano yung secret weapon? Siguro magdadagdag ng paang tatakbo. If Bradley can be as sharp as he talks, I hope he's able to convert his anxiety into a fighting skill," he said.

On Friday (Saturday in Manila), the two boxers made weight for their rematch at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Pacquiao weighed in at 145 pounds while Bradley, at 145.5.

Source: ABS-CBN News

American boxer Timothy Bradley Jr. barely got any credit when he shockingly defeated Filipino icon Manny Pacquiao in controversial fashion in June 2012, but he rebounded with two solid victories in 2013. In March 2013, Bradley was nearly knocked out and fought with a concussion, but managed to outpoint Russian brawler Ruslan Provodnikov in one of the best fights of the year. In October, he took on Mexican legend Juan Manuel Marquez – who was then coming off a sensational sixth round knockout of Pacquiao – and claimed a split decision victory. In a conference call on Saturday, Bradley expressed his belief that the experience he gained in his two fights against Provodnikov and Marquez will help him when he defends his WBO welterweight title against Pacquiao in their rematch on April 12. “I have gained a lot of experience from my last two fights… one in particular, the one against Marquez, who is a great champion and a great fighter, legendary,” said Bradley. “And the fight against Provodnikov, the Fight of the Year.” “So I am a different fighter now,” he stressed. Bradley took on Provodnikov while still reeling from the backlash of the Pacquiao fight, and he has admitted that it affected his mindset and game plan. Instead of his usual slick boxing style, Bradley opted to go toe-to-toe with Provodnikov, and it resulted in him nearly getting knocked out. “I thought that fight was just pure heart,” Bradley said of his performance against the Russian. “I was in a bad place mentally for that fight.” “That’s the reason why I fought the way I fought that night with the controversy I went through, and that was my first fight back. I felt like I had a lot to prove to the fans and to myself, and prove to the world that I am a true champion that belongs at the top of boxing,” he added. “That’s the reason I fought that way. I wanted to showcase what I was made of.” Bradley said that against Provodnikov, he showed that he was “one tough cookie.” “Even on my worst day, I am hard to beat. So when I am 100%, it’s going to be harder to beat me. I am so mentally tough, no one can break me,” he boasted. The unbeaten American considers his October 2013 showdown against Marquez as his “best night” in boxing. “Marquez is one of the best counter-punchers in the game, and I out-fought this guy and out-counterpunched him. And Marquez has been in there against all the best fighters in the world,” he said. “That was a sensational boxing lesson I put on Marquez that night, and it was one of the best moments I have had in my career. I had fun in there. I enjoyed how I was working and I enjoyed the fight and what I did in the ring,” he added. Beating Provodnikov and Marquez in successive fights showed that he has grown as a fighter and is also capable of adjusting to any style, said Bradley. “I think everybody has seen me grow in the last two years, and they see how confident I am and my ability. I fought two different styles and I was able to come out victorious,” Bradley said. “So a lot of people are definitely getting behind me right now.” “They feel that Pacquiao is declining, and this is my time,” he added. Bradley’s trainer, Joel Diaz, said the boxer has “all of the weapons packed up and ready to go” against Pacquiao. “I know if Tim needs to go inside and brawl, he is going to do it. We are ready for everything. We are leaving nothing behind,” Diaz said. “There are going to be times when he is going to be on the outside, and times when he will be one the inside. That all depends on Manny and what he’s got, and we make adjustments,” he added. “If Manny’s going to bring it, we are going to be ready. If he’s going to hold back and box, Tim’s going to be ready. There is nothing we are going to be surprised about. We are going to have everything ready.”

The trainer of unbeaten boxer Timothy Bradley Jr. stressed the need for a clear victory over Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao in their April 12 rematch since he doubts that the American can get a decision for a second time.

Bradley infamously defeated Pacquiao when they first fought in June 2012, getting a controversial split decision that allowed him to annex the WBO welterweight championship.

Given the controversy generated by that fight, trainer Joel Diaz is not so sure that his fighter can leave the match to the judges this time around.

“In order to beat Manny, we have to do it very clear,” Diaz told Tha Boxing Voice. “We know for a fact that going to a decision with Manny Pacquiao again, and having it be close, we are not going to win.”

This does not mean that Bradley will be going for a knockout, as Diaz himself admitted that his fighter is “not a knockout artist.”

“But, you know, there will be a point in time where I see that if Manny is slowing down, if he’s maybe frustrated or tired, I can push Bradley to apply pressure and maybe force a stop, maybe a TKO,” said the trainer.

Diaz added that he and Bradley will be preparing for the “best Manny ever,” not the Pacquiao who stepped off the gas against Brandon “Bam Bam” Rios in November.

“We don’t look at Manny coming in with any weakness,” said Diaz. “We expect the best Manny ever. Manny’s always been a great fighter, he’s always been explosive, he has a lot of power in his fists, and he has speed.”

“So we expect the best Manny ever that night, so we gotta prepare for that,” he added.

At the same time, Diaz is confident that Bradley’s great campaign in 2013 has given his fighter a huge boost of confidence going into the rematch.

In March 2013, Bradley survived a war against Russia’s Ruslan Provodnikov in one of the most memorable matches of the year, then outpointed Juan Manuel Marquez.

“After going to war with Ruslan, one of the most vicious fighters in the sport right now, and beating him and then beating Juan Manuel Marquez, the guy that put Pacquiao to sleep – he built some confidence,” Diaz said of Bradley.

“It made him a more mature fighter, that’s the difference in this fight. He’s got the confidence, and I think he’s got the maturity. And he’s been in the ring with Manny already, and I think that’s gonna make a big difference,” he added.

Boxing trainer Freddie Roach expects Timothy Bradley to be evasive and avoid getting into a slugfest with Manny Pacquiao.

But the 2013 Coach of the Year said they will avoid getting outboxed by applying pressure on the WBO welterweight champion.

“We have to cut the ring off and he’s going to be moving trying to outbox us so we have to cut the ring off and make it a little smaller and force him to fight a little bit more,” Roach said in Boxing Scene.

Roach believes that once Bradley gets hit with a power punch, he’ll be force to slug it out with Pacquiao.

“I think he’ll box a little bit more but once he gets hit he’ll fight back and he’ll become his old self,” he said.

Bradley earlier said he wants to fight the Pacquiao of old, the one who demolished the likes of Oscar dela Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto.

But Pacquiao’s conditioning coach Justin Fortune warned Bradley that he might just get what he asked for.

“Bradley wants the old Manny, so we're going to give him the old Manny. We're going to give Manny his strength and his speed back,” Fortune said in a separate Boxing Scene report.

“His conditioning will come and we'll continuously change things up [in training], because he's 35 and training gets boring," he added.

Source: abs-cbnnews.com

Filipino boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao is back home from the US where he promoted his upcoming rematch with welterweight champion Timothy Bradley.

The two fighters promoted their fight in Los Angeles and New York.

The "Pacman" is set to begin training for the bout, where he will try to reclaim his WBO welterweight belt.

Pacquiao described his opponent as a respectful person. “Respetado din naman siyang tao. Marunong ring gumalang ng kapwa nya,” he said.

Bradley scored a controversial victory against Pacquiao two years ago.

Their rematch will take place on April 12 in Las Vegas, which means he has 10 weeks to prepare for the bout.

He will kick off his training in Manila before flying back to the States to spend most of his preparations at Freddie Roach's Wild Card Gym.

Source: abs-cbnnews.com

Source: GMA News

-- Former mixed martial artist and actor Quinton "Rampage" Jackson made the long trip up to Baguio just for an opportunity to have lunch with boxing icon Manny Pacquiao.

Jackson tweeted out Sunday, "I met the coolest fighter yesterday, I had 2 take a chopper n the mountains, I must b a big fan but I drove back 6 hours."

The Sarangani congressman is currently in the midst of his high-altitude training in the summer capital of the Philippines.

It was just part of a hectic weekend for Pacquiao, who also had to shake off allegations of in-fighting within his camp.

Conditioning coach Alex Ariza abruptly left Baguio for Manila Saturday, allegedly because of conflict with business manager Michael Koncz and Top Rank CEO Bob Arum.

Other rumors have the Pacquiao camp displeased over Ariza prioritizing the training of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. for a June 16 bout.

But Pacquiao himself denied any problems with Ariza, saying that he had left notice with Pacquiao before leaving. "Marami sigurong inggit. I'll pray for them," Pacquiao said.

Pacquiao's next fight is scheduled for June 9 (June 10, PHL time) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, against challenger Timothy Bradley.

Source: GMA News

-- On an HBO TV special that aired Saturday (Sunday, PHL time) entitled, "Floyd Mayweather: Speaking Out," the current WBC welterweight titleholder did just that, touching on a variety of topics, including Manny Pacquiao, Jeremy Lin, and Barack Obama.

The special is part of the build-up to Mayweather Jr.'s bout against Miguel Cotto, scheduled for May 5 (May 6, PHL time) at the MGM Grand hotel in Las Vegas.

In a blog post on The Ring, writer Lem Satterfield published a transcript of some of Mayweather's many quotable lines.

The undefeated fighter reiterated his position towards the fight with Pacquiao, an offer of a flat $40 million dollars, saying, "Either you take it or you leave it. Like I've said before, Manny Pacquiao needs Floyd Mayweahter. Floyd Mayweather don't need Manny Pacquiao.

"I'm happy with how my career has gone. I have nothing else to prove in this sport to nobody. Do I want the Manny Pacquiao fight before my career is over? Absolutely. But if it don't happen, it don't happen."

Should the much-anticipated bout between the two fighters ever push through though, Mayweather has a special gimmick in mind for the pre-fight introductions.

"People want to know how much power Floyd Mayweather's got? ....If I could fight Manny Pacquiao, I would let [US President] Obama walk me into the ring carrying my belt. Can I make it happen? Absolutely."

Mayweather also discussed the comments he made about New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin, which led to many accusing him of being a racist.

"As far as the Jeremy Lin situation, I spoke my mind. I just said that Jeremy Lin was a good player....I said but all of the hype is because he's Asian.

"A lot of NBA players came to me and called my phone and said, 'Floyd, thank you, you've said what we've been wanting to say all along.' You know players have to be quiet, they can't say nothing."

Mayweather Jr. currently boasts of a 42-0 record with 26 KOs.

Source: The Philippine Star

-- Strength and conditioning coach Alex Ariza left Manila for Los Angeles last night to hook up with WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. who defends his crown against Andy Lee in El Paso, Texas, on June 16. Ariza was in the country for a month working with former WBA/IBF lightwelterweight champion Amir Khan and welcomed Manny Pacquiao to training camp in Baguio City last Tuesday.

Pacquiao is set to stake his WBO welterweight crown against unbeaten Timothy Bradley in Las Vegas on June 9 while Khan battles Lamont Peterson on May 19, also in Las Vegas, in a bid to regain the WBA/IBF crown the American wrested under dubious conditions last December.

“I spoke with Manny and Amir about Julio last Friday night and got their okay to leave,” said Ariza. “I then spoke on the phone with Julio’s father (Julio Cesar Chavez Sr.) who’ll meet me with Julio in Los Angeles on Sunday (today). Julio will train with Freddie (Roach) in Los Angeles, not Las Vegas. Manny’s the most understanding athlete in the world. When I asked his permission, he immediately told me no problem, to do what I had to do. He gave me his blessing. I’ll be waiting for Manny when he gets to Los Angeles in two weeks.”

Ariza said Pacquiao advised him to be patient, forgiving and follow the Lord’s teachings. “Manny’s devotion to God is very inspiring,” said Ariza. “Reading the Bible has given him peace. There’s an aura about Manny now. I don’t sense any stress. He focuses on his roadwork and training in the gym without distractions. It has made a positive difference.”

Ariza, 36, said down the road, he hopes Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, Jr. will face off in a fight the world wants to see. Mayweather has offered Pacquiao a $40 Million guaranteed purse without sharing in the pay-per-view revenues if they meet. Pacquiao, through adviser Michael Koncz, countered with a $50 Million guarantee plus a 55-45 share in the overage – or upside – of the pay-per-view income with the winner getting the bigger slice. Pacquiao’s counter-offer appears fair and more than reasonable, said boxing observers. The issue remains unsettled.

“My take is it’ll be a 50-50 fight,” said Ariza. “Mayweather rolls those shoulders like he was born doing it, like Manny was born to do his footwork. Mayweather’s hard to hit but he doesn’t have Manny’s power. It’ll be a close fight and I see Manny winning in the end.”

Ariza said Pacquiao’s optimal weight division is the 147-pound welterweight class although he fought Antonio Margarito for the WBC superwelterweight title at a catchweight limit of 150. Pacquiao faced Oscar de la Hoya and Miguel Cotto at a limit of 145, Juan Manuel Marquez (for the third fight) at 144 and Joshua Clottey and Sugar Shane Mosley at 147.

“It’s almost like a freak show in a circus when Manny fights bigger guys like he did against Margarito,” said Ariza. “It reminds me of David against Goliath. But what some people don’t understand and appreciate is the science that goes into taking Manny from one weight division to another without losing his speed or power.”

Ariza said nutrition plays a major role in preparing an athlete to achieve peak performance. “That’s 80 percent of an athlete’s performance,” said Ariza, a San Diego State graduate who took up kinesiology, biochemistry and nutrition in sports at the Health Science College of Medicine in Syracuse. “It’s like a car. No matter how well-made it is, if you don’t put the right high-octane fuel, it won’t go the way you want it to. We don’t deprive Manny of what he likes to eat but we do a balanced diet. I’ve got a team that tracks his nutrients, body fat composition and weight. My team includes Teri Tom, a certified dietician, and Henry Merchena. I employ the same approach with Amir and Julio who are both open to this scientific technology even if they’re old school when it comes to training in the gym.”

Ariza, the youngest of three children, migrated to the US from Colombia when he was 13 with his mother Rosalba and a brother and sister who are twins and 13 years older. His father abandoned the family when he was five. “I owe a lot to my mom who worked hard to put us kids to school,” he said. “She used to clean homes for a living. What I am now is because of my mom. In school, I played varsity baseball until I hurt my shoulder. The injury got me interested in strength and conditioning. I became a personal trainer at the Omni Health Club in Los Angeles and also did stunts in movies. I did several movies but got credits only in three. I was a stunt double and stunt driver. While at the health club in 1996, the bodyguard of Diego Corrales asked if I could help out Diego who was finding it difficult to make weight for a fight. I worked with Diego four days before the weigh-in and he made it. He knocked out his opponent. Then, my friend Ray Siegle introduced me to Freddie. Ray works out at the Wild Card and does stunts in movies, too. Freddie was looking for a strength and conditioning guy to replace Justin Fortune and I applied for the job. I had worked with Erik Morales and Angel Manfredy by then so I knew about boxing. I worked with Manny in preparing for his fight against David Diaz in 2008 and I’ve been with his team ever since.”

Ariza said he has no immediate plans of settling down but he’s dating a Filipina Ria Garcia, a popular singer in the hotel circuit. He took Garcia to watch Pacquiao’s fight against Marquez in Las Vegas last November.

Source: ABS-CBN News

-- Filipino boxing icon Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao is convinced that undefeated American boxer Timothy Bradley Jr. will give him one of the hardest challenges in his illustrious career when they meet on June 9 in Las Vegas.

Pacquiao will defend his World Boxing Organization welterweight belt against Bradley, who will be fighting in that weight class for the first time in his career.

In an interview with boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard, Pacquiao revealed that he is expecting a hard fight.

“Some people say he’s not a threat. What’s your take on Tim Bradley?” Leonard asked.

“He’s undefeated, he’s strong. This kind of fight, you cannot underestimate him,” Pacquiao said. “He’s strong and he’s a good fighter, so I consider this fight as one of my hardest fights.”

The interview was conducted in Pacquiao's last trip to the US, but was uploaded only yesterday.

Still happy to be a boxer

In the wide-ranging interview, Leonard noted that like Pacquiao, he was also involved in various commercials and TV shows during his heyday, which took some of his focus away from his boxing career.

But Pacquiao said that despite his numerous responsibilities outside the ring, he was still happy to continue with his chosen sport.

“I have a lot of responsibility. I need to give to my family, and of course the fans, my work and the job in the office,” he said, referring to his position as a member of the House of Representatives.

“But I’m still happy continuing my boxing career,” Pacquiao added. “You have to focus first, and give time to your family, and then the rest...”

“That’s your job, your responsibility of being a boxer, being a politician, responsibility to the fans. You have to manage your time.”

When asked about his work as a politician and a public servant, Pacquiao told Leonard that it was something that made him “relaxed and very happy.”

“I’m happy to help people, especially when you help them and they’re very thankful and they’re happy, it feels good,” he said. “Even if you’re busy or you’re tired, it makes you relaxed and very happy and I want to do that.”

“What God made me in boxing, I believe I can do as a public servant. I can be a champion in being a public servant,” Pacquiao added.

VHS tapes

Pacquiao admitted that when he started his boxing career, he never imagined that he will one day be known as one of the top pound-for-pound boxers in the world.

“I can’t imagine that it was ever going to be like this,” Pacquiao said, then added that he used to watch Leonard’s bouts before he became a boxer.

“I was just watching you. I have the VHS tapes – not really the DVD, just VHS – and I saw a lot of fights of yours before, and now I’m meeting you,” he said.

Pacquiao said that he was honored and amazed to meet not only Leonard, but also other legendary boxers like George Foreman and Evander Holyfield.

“I always praise God and give thanks for the blessings he has given to me. I’m so happy with what I have done right now,” he said.

Source: GMA News

-- Eight-division world champion boxer Manny Pacquaio arrived in Baguio City Tuesday night to begin his training for his upcoming fight against Timothy Bradley.

Pacquiao, the reigning WBO Welterweight Champion, is accompanied by his coach Freddie Roach and his trainer Buboy Fernandez.

Pacquaio is set to undergo a rigorous training to cover more styles and techniques. He is expected to be in top shape after the workout.

Roach had said in an interview with Bleacher Report that Bradley is “rough and dangerous.” He had also expressed concerns over Bradley’s reputation of being a “dirty fighter.”

Bradley, currently the WBO Light Welterweight Champion, bagged the fight against Pacquaio when negotiations for a possible fight between the Filipino ring icon and Floyd Mayweather Jr. had failed.

Source: The Philippine Star

-- Freddie Roach should be glad that even before he hooks up with Manny Pacquiao the latter has been sweating it out in a local gym in General Santos City.

The reigning WBO welterweight champ was back at the gym yesterday, training under his bosom buddy Buboy Fernandez.

He was at his norm.

“Manny’s moving well. But I’m not surprised anymore. It’s like he never stops training. Except for timing, he never loses his power,” said Fernandez.

Pacquiao worked the mitts for six rounds and did everything he normally does in training. It lasted almost two hours, just enough to keep his adrenalin going.

Roach arrived in Manila last Wednesday and has yet to sit down with Pacquiao. But he has his hands on Amir Khan who’s in town training for his next fight.

Pacquiao was supposed to be in Manila for this week’s training but it seemed he had decided to stay in General Santos City with his family.

Unless something comes up, Pacquiao will train this week in his home province before heading to Baguio City on Sunday.

Official training begins at the Shape-Up Gym on April 16 or almost eight weeks before Pacquiao faces his challenger Timothy Bradley.

Undefeated in 28 fights, Bradley said he’s got everything figured out with still two months to the fight.

“I already know what to do, it’s in my head already. I’ve watched all the Manny Pacquiao tapes and am already dialed in,” he told www.fightsaga.com.

“Whatever he wants to do, I’m gonna know from the first round.”

Source: ABS-CBN News

-- If undefeated American boxer Timothy Bradley Jr. manages to last 12 rounds against Filipino ring icon Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao, his life and career will change forever, even if he ends up losing.

This, according to Pacquiao's financial adviser, Michael Koncz.

In an interview with Examiner, Koncz revealed that "the truth of the matter is that Bradley doesn’t have to win this fight."

"As long as Bradley goes 12 competitive rounds with Manny, his life will change forever," Koncz continued. "He will be at the next level, and be the superstar and maybe take the torch from Manny when Manny retires."

Bradley was chosen to be Pacquiao's opponent for June 9 after a potential deal with Floyd Mayweather Jr. fell apart. Although Bradley has not lost in his career, he is not well known among casual boxing fans and this fight will be his biggest to date.

In a recent interview on ANC's "Headstart," Pacquiao was asked why he was fighting Bradley. The Filipino boxer answered, "Wala ng iba eh." (There's no one else.)

Despite this, Koncz insisted that Pacquiao was not underestimating Bradley, especially as Bradley clearly wants to make a statement against the Filipino champion.

"He is not underestimating Bradley. Manny was young. Manny was hungry at one time as a young fighter," Koncz said. "He knows that Bradley is undefeated."

"Bradley, from a physical aspect, he's got a tremendous body. He has skill and we know he is going to be in the best shape of his life and he is going to come there to win this fight," he added.

Moreover, Koncz is expecting Bradley to have a vastly different gameplan from many of Pacquiao's previous opponents.

"He is not going to come like (Joshua) Clottey," Koncz said, referring to Pacquiao's 12-round unanimous decision win over Clottey in 2010. Pacquiao could not knockout Clottey, who spent most of the bout in defensive mode.

Pacquiao also did not knockout Antonio Margarito and Shane Mosley, although he won both contests via unanimous decision. In his most recent bout, he struggled against Mexican rival Juan Manuel Marquez but managed to pull out a majority decision.

Even so, Koncz does not think that Bradley will have what it takes to give Pacquiao his first loss since 2005, when Erik Morales defeated Pacquiao via unanimous decision.

"Does he have enough to take Manny out? I don't know. I don't think so," Koncz said. "I hope for all the best for Bradley. It's going to be an exciting fight."

Source: ABS-CBN News

-- Hall-of-Fame boxing trainer Freddie Roach will start training Filipino boxing icon Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao on April 16 to prepare him for his June 9 fight date against undefeated American boxer Timothy Bradley Jr.

Roach arrived in the Philippines last week and has already started training British boxer Amir Khan, who has an upcoming bout of his own on May 19 against Lamont Peterson.

But Roach is already looking forward to working with Pacquiao.

"My wish is to get to Baguio as soon as possible, start preparing as soon as possible and get Manny in shape as soon as possible," he told PhilBoxing's Eddie Alinea.

"I want Manny to win by a knockout, and that's what we will be preparing for. How to win by KO," he added.

Pacquiao has not had a knockout victory since demolishing Miguel Cotto via a 12th round technical knockout in 2009.

He was widely expected to dominate Mexican rival Juan Manuel Marquez last November, but instead struggled and had to settle for a controversial majority decision.

Roach now wants the Filipino champion to get back to his hard-punching ways against Bradley, although he admitted that he will have to prepare Pacquiao for Bradley’s physicality.

Roach is also not concerned with Pacquiao’s renewed faith, saying "he knows how to deal with his being a preacher and a boxer."

The trainer believes that the changes Pacquiao made in his life will benefit his boxing career.

"Now that he is a self-proclaimed changed man, I see no more distractions that mark our previous preparations. Except basketball, of course, because outside of boxing, that's his world," Roach said.

Roach and Team Khan are expected to go to Baguio next week. The trainer will also be bringing Russian prospect Rusian Provodnikov to Baguio to serve as a sparring partner for Pacquiao.

Source: ABS-CBN News

-- Mexican boxing champion Juan Manuel Marquez has not given up hope that he will get a fourth bout against his great rival, Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao of the Philippines.

Pacquiao and Marquez have battled three times, with all three matches ending in controversy. Their latest bout, last November, was won by Pacquiao via majority decision.

But many boxing observers felt that Marquez should have won the last bout, as he once again gave Pacquiao great trouble thanks to his footwork and counterpunching.

"I considered retiring (after the third bout) because everybody knows I want to fight Manny again and that I won the last fight," Marquez admitted in an interview with the Los Angeles Daily News.

"I feel very angry about that decision," he added.

Instead of retiring, Marquez decided to instead pursue another world title, and he will fight Sergey Fedchenko next week for an interim junior welterweight belt. The Mexican boxer hopes that if he wins his upcoming bout, he will get another crack at his rival.

"The main reason for me to continue is that I want a rematch with Manny, and that is the main factor for me to come back," Marquez said.

"I think I won the last fight and I am looking for the rematch."

Although an immediate rematch against Pacquiao was briefly considered, it never came to fruition as the Filipino champion instead decided to fight American boxer Timothy Bradley Jr.

Even so, Top Rank chief executive officer and Pacquiao's promoter, Bob Arum, complimented Marquez for his desire to continue boxing.

"Juan Manuel's wanting to continue is a sign of being a great fighter," Arum said, comparing Marquez to boxing legend Roberto Duran.

"Look at Duran, the second time he lost to (Sugar Ray) Leonard, he didn't just pack his bags and go away," he said.

Arum said Marquez impressed him with his professionalism.

"He is a smart man and he knows what it’s all about and he knows that complaining, once the judges render the decision, doesn’t change the result," Arum said. "So you pick yourself up and continue your career."

Source: ABS-CBN News

-- A charitable foundation of boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao has been sued for allegedly refusing to foot a $35,000 bill for the shipment of several containers of used clothes to the Philippines.

Celebrity website TMZ reported that the Manny Pacquiao Foundation was sued by a logistics company hired by the foundation.

Pacquiao's foundation reportedly hired the company to ship several containers filled with "relief goods" to the Philippines country back in 2009.

"The containers were inspected by the Philippines authorities and found to have contained used clothing rather than relief goods and have held such containers as a violation of Philippine laws," according to the complaint.

The logistics company, which was not identified by TMZ, said the used clothes were confiscated by Philippine officials.

The company implied that the Manny Pacquiao used the incident to dodge the $35,805.36 bill for the shipment.

The firm asserted that it was the foundation's responsibility to correctly label the goods.

The Philippine government banned the importation of used clothes several years ago in a bid to stop smuggling via commercial ukay-ukay (used clothes) outlets.

Pacquiao to revamp foundation

Meanwhile, Pacquiao has decided to revamp the foundation’s board of directors in view of the lawsuits filed.

Philboxing’s Ronnie Nathanielsz reported that the fighting congressman has decided to bring into his foundation Top Rank promoter Bob Arum; Las Vegas hotel, real estate and casino magnate Steve Wynn; lawyer David Marroso, and a group of doctors from the Cleveland Medical Center.

Source: ABS-CBN News

-- Filipino boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao was featured in one of Hennessy’s "Wild Rabbit" promotional advertisements.

The ad, which made references to Pacquiao’s rags-to-riches story, is part of the cognac company’s thrust to show an individual's effort to reach success.



The video showed a young Pacquiao chasing a wild rabbit in the fields, which signified his constant pursuit of accomplishment.

The ad also illustrated several stages of the boxer’s life -- from his humble beginnings in Manila up to his success in the international stage.

Other icons who were also part of Hennessy’s Wild Rabbit ad were acclaimed film director Martin Scorsese and mucisian Erykah Badu.

Pacquiao’s agent Lucia McKelvey of Top Rank Inc. said the Filipino champion was a perfect brand ambassador for Hennessy.

“They wanted that athlete who did a lot more than just excelled in his sports field. They wanted an athlete who did a million other things, and obviously, Manny Pacquiao's that guy," she said in RingTV.

“He identified well with the brand of Hennessy, which has grown, and grown, and grown and never wants to stop growing. In tandem, they've held hands and they're growing together. Chasing a wild rabbit is about chasing your dreams and never stopping and never settling."

Source: ABS-CBN News

-- Veteran boxing trainer Emanuel Steward said today’s fight fans are transfixed on seeing only one major fight: the Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr. mega-bout.

Steward said this is bad for the sport of boxing.

"Boxing's not in good shape. It's more of a business now and it's hurting boxing. We need to return to an era when the best fight the best and it wasn't all about money and egos,” Steward told BBC.

"There's only one major fight the public is interested in - two little fellas, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, who most likely will never fight.”

Steward believes the Pacquiao-Mayweather saga keeps the fans’ attention away from potential boxing superstars.

Clamors for a super fight between the two pound-for-pound champions have been going on for more than three years.

Still, the camps of Pacquiao and Mayweather fail to reach an agreement due to drug testing and purse split issues.

"Unless some drastic changes come about, I don't like the way things are looking for boxing. There's not one dream heavyweight fight - you've got Wladimir Klitschko and Vitali Klitschko and nobody else. That's not good,” said Steward.

The boxing trainer, who mentored fight legend Tommy Hearns, said that back in the 1980s, it was easier to negotiate a fight.

He said the Hearns-Ray Leonard bout in 1981 took less than a day to negotiate.

"The money is there [for Mayweather-Pacquiao], the two guys would make a minimum of $50 million apiece, and it still can't be made because of egos. Times have changed and it really frustrates me because I remember how easy it was for me to make the fight with Ray."