Blogamole › Manny Pacquiao

By Michael Lopez

There is no denying that Freddie Roach is one of the best trainers in the boxing biz. Known for offering signature moves to Manny Pacquiao and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., he's regarded as a legend in the ring. And now he's getting his own reality show, courtesy of Battleship director, Peter Berg.

On Freddie Roach premieres tonight on HBO and covers a lot more than just jabs and ducks. One of the most compelling components of the series is Freddie's struggle with Parkinson’s disease. Cameras will be filming Roach 24/7 as he interacts with his famous fighters and deals with his own debilitating illness.

"They'd catch me in good moods, and sometimes in bad moods," Freddie explained. "People really get to see what my life is about and how I deal with it. Parkinson's is always there, of course, but it's something I try to ignore as much as I can. I generally don't even think about that. Just work, work, work."

And he may have even more work on his hands in the coming months. News broke earlier this week that Roach's main man Manny will be fighting Floyd Mayweather before the end of the year.

Who do you think has the best trainer in boxing? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, boxing, Freddie Roach, HBO, Julio César Chávez Jr., Manny Pacquiao, On Freddie Roach, Parkinson's Disease, Peter Berg, Sports, Television

By Michael Lopez

Talk about a close call. Manny Pacquiao barely defeated Juan Manuel Marquez over the weekend in a 12th round decision that left many boxing fans crying foul. The judges' scorecards gave the Filipino welterweight champ a slight edge, particularly after a strong performance during the first round.

The problem is, many sports analysts believe that Marquez held the lead for remaining eleven rounds and were genuinely shocked when Manny was crowned the winner. People in the stands were so upset with the decision that drinks and food were thrown into the ring after the announcement was made.

"Honestly, the result of this fight has me thinking about retirement," Juan Manuel told reporters. "I've been doing this for 18 years. I prepared myself very well for this fight. I worked really hard. This was the biggest fight of my career. We were hoping that the judges would see the fight the way that it happened, not the way that they saw it."

Saturday's bout was actually the third time that Marquez and Pacquiao faced off in the ring. Each of their previous fights had gone the distance, leading to 12th round decisions and even a draw during their first battle back in 2004.

So, as you can imagine, anticipation was huge leading up to Saturday night. Juan Manuel bulked up to 142 pounds while he was training and he certainly delivered some devastating blows. Boxing analysts praised Marquez' swift moves and jab techniques during the match (he reportedly landed 176 of 578 punches throughout the 12 rounds).

Interestingly, Juan Manuel's finest performance came during the final round. His combos left Manny bruised and bloody by the time the bell rang. In fact, when it ended, Pacquiao literally knelt in the corner and began to pray while Marquez lifted his fists in victory.

But apparently the officials disagreed. Two out of the three judges favored Manny as the winner, leading Juan Manuel and his trainer to angrily storm out of the ring.

We imagine sports bloggers will be analyzing this fight for weeks to come, making the legendary rivalry grow even stronger. Pacquiao/Marquez rematch, here we come!

Do you think Marquez should have won the fight? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, boxing, Chisme, Juan Manuel Marquez, Manny Pacquiao, popnews, Sports

By Michael Lopez

There have been quite a few Latino boxers making headlines these days. Victor Ortiz made the gossip blogs for his underwear ads, Oscar de la Hoya just came clean about his own "lingerie modeling," and now Juan Manuel Marquez is bringing on the trash talk for his November bout with Manny Pacquiao.

Marquez made sure to divert attention far away from other boxers while speaking to the press this week. When asked about Floyd Mayweather (who happens to be fighting Ortiz in a few weeks), Juan Manuel quickly brought the subject back to himself.

"A lot of people say 'I want to see the fight, Pacquiao and Mayweather,'" Marquez said. "He needs to win [over] me [first]!"

Manny and Juan Manuel have become famous rivals over the years. This will mark the third time they've faced off in the ring. And as history has proven, Marquez always gives the Filipino fighter a run for his money.

As part of his "psyche out process," Juan Manuel is actually training in Pacquiao's Philippine homeland. And though he talks a lot of smack, Marquez did admit that he respects Manny's talents.

"Inside the ring, he’s a great fighter," he said.

You can see who's the "better" fighter when Pacquiao and Marquez square off in Vegas on November 12!

Do you think Marquez can take down Pacquiao? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Blogger: Michael Lopez, boxing, Juan Manuel Marquez, Manny Pacquiao, Sports

By Sharmaine Jones

When you're the first boxer in history to win 10 world titles in eight different weight divisions, you can pretty much do whatever you please, even if it means scheduling your next fight without choosing an opponent. Manny Pacquiao, a world-class fighter and a congressman in the Philippines, scheduled his next fight for May 7 to avoid conflicts with his congressional schedule, but still hasn't selected his opponent.

“The situation is now that the date has been confirmed, it's May 7," Pacquiao's advisor Michael Koncz told the Associated Press on Friday. "More likely than not, the venue would be Las Vegas. But with regards to the actual opponent, all three of the guys named before are still live opponents.”

Those three guys are Shane Mosley, Andre Berto and Juan Manual Marquez. Marquez would be the best match for Pacman because he poses the biggest threat — the first of their two bouts ended in a draw and the second went to Pacquiao by one point. Scheduling the fight the weekend after Cinco de Mayo is just one more reason for the Mexican star to accept the deal. But Promoter Bob Arum told ESPN that probably isn't going to happen.

"The problem with Marquez is the number he wants is so damn high and he hasn't moved off it, and that's preventing the Marquez fight," Arum said. "We know what he got when he fought [Floyd] Mayweather and we feel that asking for double what he got for the Mayweather fight after he lost to Mayweather is a little bit much. Maybe he doesn't feel that way."

Although "Sugar" Shane Mosley is the most well-known of the potential challengers, his best days seem to be behind him after a lackluster loss to Floyd Mayweather in May and a draw against Sergio Mora in September. Andre Berto is the least-known of the trio, but asked for the least amount of money.

Whoever ends up in the ring May 7 better be prepared. If Pacquiao's defeat of Antonio Margarito is any indication, it's going to be a long night.

Who do you think Pacquiao should fight May 7? Tell us below or @MTV3.

Tags Andre Berto, boxing, ESPN, Juan Manuel Marquez, Manny Pacquiao, Shane Mosley

By Michael Lopez

You know you had one heck of a fight if the press is still talking about it five days later. Yes the Saturday (November 13) boxing match between Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito was phenomenal, but it’s the aftermath that’s keeping the sports blogs jumping.

Image : Getty Images

First, some details on the fight itself. Going the full twelve rounds, Manny pummeled the much larger Margarito, landing a total of 474 punches throughout the night (vs. Antonio’s 229). Over 4,000 screaming fans packed Cowboys Stadium, watching Pacquiao dominate round after round after round!

When it was all over, Manny spoke to the crowd, “I can’t believe that I beat someone this big and this strong. It’s hard. I really do my best to win the fight.”

And win he did, even sending Margarito to the hospital for facial surgery following the main event. Just this past Tuesday (November 16), Antonio underwent a complicated procedure in which doctors repaired his broken eye socket (ouch!) and stuck six stitches in his right cheek.

Throughout it all, Antonio maintained his Latino pride and even gave a nice little shout out to Manny,

“There was no way I was going to quit. I’m a Mexican; we fight until the end. [But] I would like to congratulate Manny Pacquiao for his win on Saturday night.”

Of course, the question on everyone’s mind is who will Manny fight next? Boxing fans everywhere are holding out hope for that dream bout with Floyd Mayweather, but it still looks like a longshot. That leaves 39-year-old "Sugar" Shane Mosley, who’s spoken very publicly about his desire to take on Pacquiao.

While Manny’s promoter says a Mosley fight is “a real possibility,” Pacquiao’s got plenty of other important things on his mind. Namely, his big 32nd birthday bash in the Philippines. There’s also that much-hyped appearance in the Fight Night Champion video game from EA Sports and a potential role in the next Sylvester Stallone movie.

As for Margarito, he’s back home in Tijuana, Mexico and under strict orders to take it easy for the next 60 days. And even though he probably won’t be winning any beauty contests in the near future, he’s now got an extra $3 million in his pocket to help soften the blows.

Source: [ESPN]

Who would like to see Manny fight next? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3!

Tags Antonio Margarito, boxing, Manny Pacquiao, Sports

By Michael Lopez

The press always likes like to label boxer Antonio Margarito as someone who plays dirty. Back in 2009, he was accused of filling his gloves with plaster to heighten the impact of his punches and now he got caught in a video mocking the trainer of his next contender, Manny Pacquiao.

Image: LatinContent/Getty Images

The clip (which caused an internet firestorm) has since been removed from the major video sites, but it showed Margarito making fun of those afflicted with Parkinson’s Disease. It just so happens that Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, suffers from the condition…along with over 500,000 others across the U.S.

When asked to respond, Margarito did acknowledge that he was mocking Roach, but claimed to not have known that his symptoms were related to Parkinson’s (does that still make it ok?). Regardless, he issued a public apology a few days later.

"I'm really looking forward to the fight, but I just want to apologize to everyone. I hope that Freddie Roach and all of the people accept my apologies, and this goes to everyone with that disease. I want to tell you that I would never, ever in my life make fun of someone like that."

If anything, the video certainly raised the hype level for the Saturday (November 13) fight between the two boxers. Set at the massive Cowboy Stadium in Arlington, Texas, the winner will walk away with the WBC Super Welterweight belt! And something tells us that Freddie Roach is training Manny EXTRA hard for this battle.

Source: [USA Today]

Do you think Pacquiao will take down Margarito on Saturday night? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3!

Tags Antonio Margarito, boxing, Chisme, Freddie Roach, Manny Pacquiao, Parkinson's Disease, Sports

By Sharmaine Jones

It's official: The Manny Pacquiao vs. Antonio Margarito fight is on! We can thank the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation for that good bit of news.

photo via Getty Images Sport

Former welterweight champion Antonio Margarito, who was suspended for having an illegal plaster-like substance wrapped in his gloves in the fight against Shane Mosley, had his request for a license shelved in Nevada and he was denied a license to fight in California after a 5.5 hour hearing.  The state of Texas, however, does not require a hearing, so all Margarito had to do was simply submit an application – which he did on Monday (August 23). Yesterday, (Thursday) his request was granted. We guess third time's a charm?

William Kuntz – Executive Director of Texas Department of Licensing – released a statement which was posted to the department's website:

"After a thorough review of his application it was determined Mr. Margarito met the requirements of the Texas Combative Sports Act and Rules, based on the review of the above information, I have authorized the issuance of a license to Mr. Margarito."

So, as it stands, Antonio “Tijuana Tornado” Margarito (38-6, 27 knockouts) will fight arguably the #1 pound-for-pound best fighter in the world Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 knockouts) for the WBC junior middleweight title in Dallas Cowboys Stadium!

It's not quite as satisfying as news of a Pacquiao/Mayweather bout would be, but we're psyched nonetheless! Another person sure to be jumping for joy: Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. Why, you ask? Lets do the math: Dallas Stadium seats 80,000, Margarito has a large Latino fan base and there's a large Mexican community in Texas. Pacquiao's name alone will fill up seats and then you throw in fans of boxing in general – you've got yourself a major payday.

With the licensing issues now a thing of the past, a press tour has officially been announced for the upcoming Pac and 'Rito super fight on November 13th. Buena suerte muchachos!

Will the Pacquiao/Margarito bout live up to all the hype?  Tell us your thoughts below, or @MTV3!

Tags Antonio Margarito, boxing, Dallas Stadium, Floyd Mayweather, Jerry Jones, Manny Pacquiao, William Kuntz

By Sharmaine Jones

Manny Pacquiao holds a record 7 championship belts and is on a quest for an 8th. The intended target: Antonio Margarito. The two are set to battle it out for the WBC super welterweight title (vacated by Sergio Martinez earlier this year) on November 13.

Pacquiao initially wanted to fight undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr. but Mayweather's camp claims that negotiations never took place. Huh? According to Bob Arum, Pacquiao's promoter, they had concluded talks and were awaiting a decision from the Mayweather camp.

Pacman took the liberty of clearing up the whole mishap via Twitter:

Iole (@KevinI): "Welcome to Mayweather in Wonderland, where they try to convince you that up is down, the grass is blue & the sky is green."

Now it all makes sense!

Pacquiao settled for the bout with Margarito after an agreement could not be reached with Mayweather's camp. For those of you unfamiliar with the notorious Antonio Margarito, he's the guy that was caught putting an illegal hard “plaster-like” insert in his hand wraps before his welterweight title fight against Shane Mosley last year.

“Margacheato” and his former trainer were suspended for at least one year by the California State Athletic Commission, a decision still in effect and being upheld by other state commissions.

So where does this leave them? Convince Nevada to grant Margarito a boxing license so that the fight can be held in the MGM Grand Garden – Pacquiao's preference – or it will be held at a 22,000 seat facility in Monterey, Mexico. Either way, we're tuning in! The controversy before the fight just makes the bout that much more intriguing.

Margarito is a move forward, high punch output boxer but will be noticeably slower than the Filipino two-fisted buzz saw. Margarito (5'11'' with a 73'' reach) is much bigger than Pacquiao (5'6'' with a 67'' reach) and although Pacman has never fought above the welterweight limit, he looks better with each division he tries. Despite the size advantage, Pacquiao is still the favored to win.

Be prepared for an explosive all-out brawl that is sure to entertain (sorry Manny Marquez, you'll just have to wait your turn).

Will Margarito be a worthy opponent for Ring Magazine's “Number 1 pound-for-pound best boxer of the world”? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3!

Tags Antonio Margarito, boxing, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Manny Pacquiao, MGM Grand, Shane Mosley

By Michael Lopez

It seems like just yesterday we were hyping the skills of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., but the Latino boxer all eyes were on this past weekend was Juan Manuel Marquez. The Mexican lightweight from Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy promotions put on a killer fight at the Las Vegas Mandalay Bay.

The Saturday battle could have been (and some say should have been) Juan Diaz' moment to shine. At age 26, he’s a full 10 years younger than Marquez and in perfect fighting shape. But as history had shown, Houston’s “Baby Bull” just couldn’t keep up with “Dinamata.”

Juan Manuel Marquez (file photo)

Boxing mag The Ring called the first Marquez/Diaz matchup 2009’s “Fight Of The Year” and they couldn’t have been more right. A dramatic Marquez KO in the 9th Round must have eaten Diaz alive all these months. Could he achieve the ultimate comeback in front of the millions of Latinos cheering them on?

Not quite, it seems. Once again, Marquez proved his staying power with a unanimous victory (and over 280 landed punches) in the Mandalay ring. Believe it or not, Juan Manuel currently holds both the World Boxing Association (WBA) and the World Boxing Organization’s (WBO) championship lightweight belts and is rated the #3 pound-for-pound boxer in the world!

So what’s left for Mr. “Dinamata”? Manny! Marquez’s true arch enemy. Manny Pacquiao has fought Juan Manuel twice and both times have ended with controversy. Fight 1 was scored a draw, but Fight 2 saw “Pac-Man” (don’t you love all these nicknames?) take the Super Featherweight Championship belt via split decision.

It’s obvious that Marquez has been stinging from that loss ever since. Right after the Diaz win he grabbed the mic with this challenge, “The trilogy with Pacquiao is what I want. It’s good for all fight fans, for the Mexicans, the Filipinos. Everyone wants to see it. That’s the most important fight for me now.”

Are you listening Manny? Because for Latinos, this could be an even better match up for you than Floyd Mayweather Jr.! Everybody loves a trilogy and having Marquez/Pacquiao Part III would send those Pay-Per-View profits through the roof!

Source: [Yahoo News]

Who do you think Juan Manuel Marquez should fight next? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3!

Tags boxing, Golden Boy Promotions, Juan Manuel Marquez, Manny Pacquiao, Oscar de la Hoya, Sports

By Michael Lopez

There’s something about famous Juniors! Carrying the name of a superstar Dad isn’t always easy, but in the Latino world, it’s led to some pretty big success stories: Actor Freddie Prinze Jr., skateboarding stud Paul Rodriguez Jr., and now Julio César Chávez Jr.

You’ve got to admit it would be tough to live up to a boxer who won six titles in three weight divisions and was once named best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. Especially if you chose to follow in the same field! But Julio Jr.’s pulling it off and getting some major media attention.

In the eight years that he’s been boxing professionally, 24-year-old Julio’s never lost a fight and last month delivered some major havoc to Irish Middleweight John Duddy. Going the distance to 12 Rounds, Chávez earned tons of notoriety for the high-profile win.

“John is the toughest fighter I’ve faced so far,” Chávez said. “He kept the pressure on and really pushed me farther than I’ve been to this point in my career. But I knew coming in that he was going to be challenging, and I was happy to walk away with the victory.”

What made the Duddy victory so noteworthy? Well, for one thing, Julio Sr. was at his side when he entered the ring. Secondly, it was at the historic Alamodome, where papa Chávez battled Pernell Whitaker back in 1993. And third, it was his first fight with trainer Freddie Roach.

Who’s Freddie Roach? Well, besides being voted Trainer of the Year by the Boxing Writers Association of America since 2008, he also trains golden gloves golden boy Manny Pacquiao. Not a bad resume, and a great addition to the Chávez team.

With De La Hoya and Julio Sr. retired and gone, it’s great to have a new Latino ring king to root for.

On September 11, 2010 Julio will fight on a card with Mexican legend Erik Morales.
Best of luck Julio César Chávez Jr., we can’t wait to see you kick butt!

Source: [Yahoo! Sports]

What do you think of Julio César Chávez Jr.? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3!

Tags boxing, Julio César Chávez Jr., Manny Pacquiao