Manny Pacquiao: "No Excuses"

“I want people who watch this fight to be satisfied. I don’t care about a belt and I don’t care about the money – I want to win in style.”- Manny Pacquiao

Juan Manuel Marquez better watch out. Manny Pacquiao is going to put the hurt tonight. But that will only happen if the Filipino boxing superstar is in top shape and true to his pronouncements.

We may say, Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez have fought for 36 rounds before, and the Filipino fighter managed to put the Mexican down four times but failed to finish him off; what else is new this time around?

For a change, the news that came out of his training camp was nothing but positive, encouraging and spectacular. They say that Manny Pacquiao is very focused and has worked very hard for this fight. Gone are the usual distractions: the booze, the gambling, the women and the late nights. They advertised that the fire in his belly is back and that he has knocked down several sparring partners this time around, a fact that has not been seen in his training camp since his preparation for the Miguel Cotto fight as proof.

Yet amid all these pronouncements and press releases, many of us remain skeptical since we all have heard this kind of news before, and we all have read this kind of script before, and we all have seen this kind of movie before.

Truth is, Manny Pacquiao has not been the same fighter inside the ring ever since he showed mercy on a bloodied Miguel Cotto in 2009. He then went out and had fun with Joshua Clottey and made mince-meat of Antonio Margarito a year later. And in 2011, instead of fighting, Manny Pacquiao engaged Shane Mosley in a 'touched-gloved' diplomacy and did not take Juan Manuel Marquez seriously in their trilogy.

And last June, Manny Pacquiao cruised and sleepwalked on Timothy Bradley, which he could have easily taken care of if he only cared enough to push for a stoppage. And so Manny Pacquiao paid the price for his lackluster performance by eventually losing the said fight albeit a controversial one.

Yes, Manny Pacquiao has been shamed and humbled by the Bradley debacle. And he is on a mission to bounce back and show the boxing world that he can still be a fireball inside the ring.

Yes, despite his age and the wear and tear, Manny Pacquiao wants to prove that he can still be the 'Typhoon from the Pacific' who can unleash a storm against his opponent. Yes, Manny Pacquiao wants to silence his critics and convince the skeptics and regain the stature that made him one of the most loved, if not the best fighter of his era.

Manny Pacquiao states that tonight, there will be "no doubts this time" when he hammers the final nail on the coffin on the Juan Manuel Marquez question.

However, all these talks about Manny Pacquiao's exploits in training camp would not matter if on fight night, Manny Pacquiao fails to deliver. All these press releases to be the 'old' Manny Pacquiao and knock out Juan Manuel Marquez will be for naught if he fails to pull the trigger.

So, if Manny Pacquiao hopes to 'win in style', then all he has to do is bear in mind that old famous Nike slogan, "Just Do It."

 Note: This article was previously posted on Detroit Fight Sports Examiner

Juan Manuel Marquez: In search of the holy "grain"

If we want to understand Juan Manuel Marquez's mentality as a fighter, we only need to look back in all the things that he did and the discipline that goes with them so that he can acquire "that little grain of difference" against his opponents.

And there is no other fighter that can make Juan Manuel Marquez shift into overdrive in preparation for a fight than Manny Pacquiao. He engaged the Filipino superstar in three brutal wars that could have gone either way, but he ended up on the losing end twice (2008, 2011) and managed to eke out a draw in one (2004).

And there is no other topic that can make Juan Manuel Marquez's blood curdle than the mention of his defeats to Manny Pacquiao. His setbacks to the Filipino fighter are what drive him to prepare harder and resort to unconventional methods just so he can have even the slightest edge over his nemesis.

Yes, in the mind of Juan Manuel Marquez, he believed that he has won all three of their fights, a belief that only adds fuel to his desire to finally get one over Manny Pacquiao. And tonight he will have his chance to finally end years of frustration, quiet all his detractors and unburden him of the weights on his shoulders.

Juan Manuel Marquez's desperation bordering to obssession to finally beat Manny Pacquiao is one for the books; because of his unconventional approach in his quest for boxing's holy grail, Juan Manuel Marquez at one time or another has become the butt of jokes among fans and fighters alike.

After all, nobody in the boxing world has the mental toughness and intestinal fortitude that Juan Manuel Marquez has exhibited in preparation for a fight. His burning desire to have that wee-bit of an advantage once led him to drinking his own urine to no avail.

Juan Manuel Marquez has never shied away from using both traditional and new technology to enhance his chances of winning a fight. He uses the hyperbaric chamber to breathe 100% pure oxygen and has also incorporated 'cupping therapy' in his regimen to relax his 39-year old body.

And that search for "that little grain of difference" found him hooking up with Angel "Memo" Heredia, a trainer with a dark and shady past who once bragged in a 2009 interview that modern day testing for performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) in sports is 'laughable' -- Juan Manuel Marquez has made what many boxing observers believed to be a pact with the devil.

So, Juan Manuel Marquez with Angel "Memo" Heredia overseeing his strength and conditioning training has transformed himself into a hulking, muscular, well-chiseled specimen. He professes that he feels good and is ready to engage Manny Pacquiao in a no-holds-barred fight. He proclaims that his hard work and his new-found strength and speed will make the big difference in the fight. And he also vows that he will go for a knockout against Manny Pacquiao this time around.

But whether Juan Manuel Marquez has really found 'that little grain of difference' with Memo Heredia in his corner for this fight remains to be seen. Juan Manuel Marquez will still need to go out there and prove his mettle against Manny Pacquiao to earn the nod of the boxing public.  Juan Manuel Marquez needs to commit and take the fight to Manny Pacquiao to show the judges who is in charge inside the ring.  As they usually say, a warrior does not waste his time waiting for the enemy to commit mistakes and good fortune always favors the brave.

Tonight, a victory by Juan Manuel Marquez will be a vindication of his long quest and the road that he has taken for that elusive W against Manny Pacquiao. But another defeat in the hands of his traditional nemesis will not only be devastating but a bitter pill to swallow for the fighter from Mexico.

So, what would Juan Manuel Marquez do?




Note: This article was previously posted on Detroit Fight Sports Examiner

ESPN FNF Special Edition: Ray Beltran outslugs Ji-Hoon Kim in Las Vegas

photo credit: Chris Farina/Top Rank

In Thursday night's ESPN Friday Night Fights Special Edition main event, NABF lightweight champion Ray Beltran retained his belt via a 98-92, 98-92 and 97-94 unanimous decision victory over the very game Ji-Hoon Kim at The Mirage Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The wide margin in the scorecards does not mirror the brawl that ensued right after the opening bell, when both fighters traded knockdowns to usher the 10-round firefight.

It was a hard-earned win for Ray Beltran (27-6, 17 KO), who for years was Manny Pacquiao's main sparring partner, against one of the toughest brawlers in the division in Ji-Hoon Kim (24-8, 18 KO) of South Korea, who was on a three-fight win streak and ranked no. 3 by the IBF.

It was sweet victory for Ray Beltran, the perrenial "sparring partner" who for years was fighting for respect as a fighter. The Mexican fighter did not get his due against the likes of Sharif Bogere and Luis Ramos Jr. wherein he found himself at the short end of the decisions. He did not get the respect that he deserved even in a win against highly-touted Hank Lundy, who by the way, is still ahead of him in many sanctioning bodies' rankings.

But in this particular fight, Ray Beltran earned his due and got the respect that he deserved -- rankings, ratings and sanctioning bodies be damned.

The epic first round...

Ji-Hoon Kim immediately jumped into Ray Beltran right from the start with hard albeit wild shots, which Ray Beltran tried to evade by backtracking as he tried to time and counter his opponent. But with 1:44 in the round, Beltran found himself on the canvas after receiving a short left to the jaw from Kim.

Ray Beltran beat the count as Ji-Hoon Kim swarmed him, throwing wildly with power shots, but Beltran never panicked and and landed a counter left, smacking Kim in the jaw. Kim staggered backwards and smiled as he acknowledged the hard shot that he just received. It was a see-saw battle from then on as the two fighters tried to outland and outbomb each other.

With less than 10 seconds left in the round, Ray Beltran snuck in a left hook to the jaw that downed Ji-Hoon Kim. Visibly shaken while the referee administered the mandatory eight count, Kim was saved by the bell as he wobbly walked back to his corner.

For whom the bell tolls...

The second round found Ray Beltran and Ji-Hoon Kim continuing where they left off: Going toe-to-toe in the pocket; Beltran digging to the body and hooking upstairs. Kim, on the other hand, continued to head hunt. In the last 10 seconds, Beltran hurt Kim with several hard shots, but Kim was again saved by the bell.

Ray Beltran showed his patience while under fire (even absorbing a low blow with 2:12 minutes left in the round) and was very methodical and accurate with his punches when attacking the wild punching Ji-Hoon Kim. Still, Beltran has a cut above his left eye to show after the round, caused by one of the bombs that his opponent landed on him.

In the third round, a minor snafu in his corner did not deter Ray Beltran from engaging Ji-Hoon Kim in trench warfare. With the referee stopping the fight and ensuring that he had his mouth guard on him, Ray Beltran and Ji-Hoon Kim continued putting the hurt on each other. While Ji-Hoon Kim continued to head hunt, Ray Beltran began digging on his opponent's rib cage. And the Korean would wince every time Ray Beltran's right would land on his side with a thud.

And with 15 seconds remaining, Ji-Hoon Kim found himself on the receiving end of Ray Beltran's assault. Again, the bell played its spoiler role and Kim survived the onslaught.

From rounds 4-10, the trend of the fight was throwing bombs all the way. Every punch thrown was packed with mean intentions. Every punch landed with thunderous explosions.

The hardnosed battle showed both fighters trading hard shots in trying to outgun and outpower each other inside the pocket. But while Ji-Hoon Kim continued to come forward and head-hunt, Ray Beltran always varied his approach to the fight -- a right hook to the body, a left hook to the face -- tactics that proved a menace to Ji-Hoon Kim's cause in the end.

In a tit-for-tat war, Ray Beltran's very methodical approach negated Ji-Hoon Kim's wild hard punches. In the brutal exchanges, Jin-Hoon Kim's vaunted artillery failed him. Ray Beltran's investment in the body early took its toll on Ji-Hoon Kim's power and aggresiveness later on. In the end, Ray Beltran's accuracy in the trenches proved to be the difference, while Ji-Hoon Kim's weapons faltered when it mattered the most.


Note: This article was previously posted on Detroit Fight Sports Examiner

Jessie Magdaleno grabs NABO super bantamweight title in easy win over Jonathan Arellano

Prospect Jessie Magdaleno stamped his class over Jonathan Arellano during the ESPN Friday Night Fight Special Edition on Thursday night, sweeping the three judges' scorecards 80-70, 80-70, 80-69, for a unanimous decision win to keep his unblemmished record intact (13-0, 9 KO) and claim the NABO super bantamweight belt at The Mirage Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

Jessie Magdaleno brought the fight to Jonathan Arellano (13-2-1, 3 KO) right from the opening bell as he immediately unloaded on his opponent. But Arellano withstood the early barrage to escape the round unscathed.

The second round proved to be Jessie Magdaleno's best round of the fight as he put down Jonathan Arellano on the canvas with a well-timed right hook on top of the head with just 1:24 left in the round. Still, Jonathan Arellano regained his bearing on time and survived the round.

Jessie Magdaleno continued his double-fisted attack in the third canto: Pummeling Jonathan Arellano at every chance he got -- driving him into a corner, or pinning him on the ropes with a variety of shots. But Jonathan Arellano was able to counter with a left hook to the face that backtracked Jessie Magdaleno.

In the 4th round, Jessie Magdaleno boxed beautifully, timing and countering with hooks everytime Jonathan Arellano tried to mount an attack. But in this round, Jonathan Arellano would not be denied as he landed three consecutive hard left hands on Magdaleno just before the round ended.

With 1:08 left in the 6th round, Jessie Magdaleno pummeled and downed Jonathan Arellano to the canvas. Magdaleno tried to finish him off but was able to grab for dear life to survive the round.

Both fighters bartered shots throughout the 7th with Jessie Magdaleno sneaking several uppercuts, while Jonathan Arellano landed some left hooks of his own. But Jessie Magdaleno was way ahead in all the scorecards, and barring a freak knockout, is already assured of victory.

The last round was anti-climactic as Jessie Magdaleno elected to fight in spurts as he easily cruised to a unanimous decision victory over the overmatched Jonathan Arellano.

"Charles & Reggie: Toe to Toe with Manny Pacquiao" explodes on TNT tonight

We all know that Manny Pacquiao loves basketball and is a big fan of the NBA. It is well-known that on numerous occassions, he would defy his trainer Freddie Roach's order not to play the game during training just so he can play pick-up basketball with his friends.

But if there is any doubt left about the Filipino boxing superstar's passion for the game, we only need to remember his fight with Timothy Bradley last June wherein Top Rank head honcho Bob Arum decided to delay the start of the main event so that Pacquiao could watch Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat.

We also know that NBA Legends and Hall of Famers Charles Barkley and Reggie Miller are big boxing aficionados. They are also regular fixtures at big time fights in Las Vegas. And NBA fans have seen Charles Barkley figured in a scuffle with fellow TNT analyst Shaquille O'Neal eons ago during one of their games, but if we are talking about Sir Charles' boxing skills, that's another story.

On numerous occasions, both Charles Barkley and Reggie Miller have been very vocal about their love of prizefigting as well as professing their admiration for Manny Pacquiao during their coverage of NBA games on TNT.

And in last week's Thursday night telecast of the Miami-San Antonio game, Charles Barkley and Reggie Miller spoke about their experience working out with Manny Pacquiao.

Charles Barkley: “We spent a day with Manny Pacquiao and Freddie Roach, and let me tell you something — one of the great days of my life. “

"I don’t wanna brag, but there’s no doubt in my mind I could knock Manny Pacquiao out."

To which, Reggie Miller disagreed, “No, you can’t. Manny (Pacquiao) call me, let’s set this up.”

Now, there is no doubt that Reggie Miller is one of the best shooters to ever play in the NBA. Yes, there is no doubt that Charles Barkley is one of the best talkers, if not the best bruisers to ever play in the NBA. And there is no doubt that Manny Pacquiao is one of the best boxers to ever display his wares in the ring. Aside from their common love for Boxing and Basketball, all three are funny and hilarious in their own special way.

Charles Barkley and Reggie Miller gave us a hint of what we should expect from the 30-minute TNT wherein they went toe-to-toe with Manny Pacquiao.

 "As a boxing fan, it was one of the coolest things I've ever done," Barkley said.

"As a professional athlete, it's always interesting to hear how other elite athletes prepare themselves for competition. Training with Manny was an experience I'll never forget," added Miller.

It will be interesting to see how Charles Barkley, Reggie Miller and Manny Pacquiao talk shop, interact, and literally and figuratively throw jabs at each other -- a welcome respite from all the monotony and serious talk about the fourth fight between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez, subjective odds, analysis and all, being peddled to every boxing fan by boxing scribes during fight week.

Let us keep our fingers crossed and hope that the well-adverstised TNT special will not only be explosive but a knockout; Laugh-wise, that is.

Tonight, TNT will air  "Charles & Reggie: Toe to Toe with Manny Pacquiao" after the NBA double-header between the Miami Heat and the New York Knicks at 8 p.m. ET, with the Dallas Mavericks at Phoenix Suns following at 10:30 p.m. ET.

 Note: This article was previously posted on Detroit Fight Sports Examiner