Manny Pacquiao: Chief Hostage Negotiator
Send Manny Pacquiao to be the chief negotiator.
Manny Pacquiao can afford any ransom made by any hostage.
When Manny Pacquiao steps into the bus, the hostage-taker will be so star-struck it will give enough ample time for the sniper to fire at least three times (should he miss the first two.)
If Manny Pacquiao gets close enough to the hostage-taker, his left hook will knock out the hostage-taker.
"Pacquiao is a bitch." - Floyd Mayweather Sr.
In a recent interview with On The Ropes Boxing Radio, Floyd Mayweather Sr. had this to say about our very own Manny Pacquiao if he ever had to face him face to face:
I’d tell him he’s a fagg*t. You know what I’d tell him. Go stick your head up under your dress. That’s what I would tell him. I’m being real with you. I’d tell him he ain’t nothing but a sissy and a little girl. They got, as a matter of fact I’ve seen a thing in one of these books. Hold on just a second. Hey Lloyd! Where’s that book at about all of those athletes? That book about all of the athletes? You know the one, it had Pacquiao in there and Kobe in there? Well you know what, I’ll tell you just like the book says it. Hold on one second here. Here it is right here, here’s the book. It has nothing to do with no sissy. Just hold on just a second. I got something right here. I’m trying to find something right here. This is exactly what I would tell him. It’s in this book here. It’s “The Twenty Biggest Bitches in the Sport”. That’s what it says, “The Twenty Biggest Bitches in the Sport”. Guess who’s right here? Manny Pacquiao. It says “Biggest Bitches in the Sport” and that’s what he is – a bitch.”
Floyd Mayweather Sr. – here’s something on behalf of the Filipino people:
“Puke ng ina mo ka!”
Manny Pacquiao Is BWAA Fighter of The Decade
The Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) will be awarding Manny Pacquiao as Fighter of the Year and Fighter of The Decade in an awards ceremony to be held on June 4 at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City, New York.
This award will be the third Fighter of the Year title from the BWAA for Manny Pacquiao, and will tie him with Muhammad Ali and Evander Holyfield. Certainly, those are some pretty big names in the history of boxing, and Manny Pacquiao is certainly in good company among the best in the sport.
But for now, Manny Pacquiao isn’t going to be busy in the ring. Apart from his TV sitcom called Show Me Da Manny, Manny Pacquiao will be busy as Congressman of Sarangani. One of his first tasks before sitting in the Philippine House of Representatives is to take a two-month course on Public Administration and Governance at the prestigious University of the Philippines Diliman. According to reports, Manny Pacquiao will be looking to learn about how congress runs and eventually what it will take for him to act as Sarangani’s representative.
On a personal note – I wasn’t really for Manny Pacquiao as congressman, but I’m really glad that he’s making great efforts in ‘training’ for his position as Congressman even to the extent of taking up a two-month course. It might not be much, but at least it’s a good way for him to improve himself in tackling the responsibilities in the Philippine House of Congress.
As far as boxing is concerned – yes, the Fighter of The Decade is well worth it. But more than that – I sincerely hope that we can watch the Fight of the Century with Manny Pacquiao vs Floyd Mayweather.
WBO Welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines will be putting his title on the line against former welterweight champion Joshua Clottey of Ghana.
Initially, there was a great hype over the supposed Mayweather vs Pacquiao Fight of The Century, but the deals between both camps regarding the drug testing procedures were not been abel to come to an agreement. As it is – the camp of Floyd “Chicken” Mayweather Jr. wants Manny Pacquiao to undergo random blood testing, suggesting that Manny Pacquiao was using performance-enhancing drugs.
Personally – the bottomline is that if Floyd Mayweather Jr.believes he has the boxing skills to get in the ring with Manny Pacquiao, then he has no excuse to come up with all sorts of farcical drug-testing complaints. Instead, Floyd Mayweather Jr. comes out a chicken, afraid to step in the ring with Manny Pacquiao. And what’s more – his ass and the stupid asses from the Golden Boy promotions camp are being sued for defamation, over their insistence that Manny Pacquiao had been taking performance-enhancing drugs.
Manny Pacquiao vs Joshua Clottey
In any case, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum has moved on and has booked a championship fight for Manny Pacquiao with former welterweight champion Joshua Clottey. The WBO Welterweight title fight between Pacquiao vs Clottey will be held at the Dallas Cowboys stadium in Arlington, Texas, on March 13, 2010.
Joshua Clottey has a prety decent record of 35 wins and 3 losses with 20 wins by KO. Some of his distinguished victories, include wins over Diego Corrales and Zab Judah. His last fight, however, was a split-decision loss to Miguel Cotto, whom Pacquiao defeated via TKO.
Joshua Clottey has never been KOed, but he has been put on the canvas when he fought Miguel Cotto. Many say that Joshua Clottey has a tough chin and some firepower, but it has yet to be determined if he will have the prowess to match with the speed of Manny Pacquiao, and if he can actually survive 12 rounds.
In any case, some experts believe that the Pacquiao vs Clottey fight will reach the distance, but I think it’ll be a pretty quick match. Manny Pacquiao will catch Joshua Clottey with a solid one, and Joshua Clottey will be expending his energy trying to recover. Before you know it – Joshua Clottey will be out cold on the center of the ring, and Manny Pacquiao will move on to a successful title defence.
Manny Pacquiao vs Joshua Clottey Tickets and Ringside Seats Are Available Here.
The Philippines is gearing up for its national elections on May 2010 with several notable politicians vying for the Philippine Presidency, and slots in the Philippine Senate, Philippine Congress and other local government posts.
Even boxing champ Manny Pacquiao has already field his candidacy to vie for a Congressional seat in his hometown district in Mindanao, and many were expecting that Manny Pacquiao‘s next bout was going to be in the political arena.
However, that’s all been sidetracked for the moment as Manny Pacquiao has just signed the fight contract to go up against the undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr. on March 13, 2010.
Manny Pacquiao recently won the WBO Welterweight belt from Miguel Angel Cotto via a 12th round TKO, and made history by being the first and only boxer so far to win 7 titles in 7 weight classes. Indeed, the feats of Manny Pacquiao inside the boxing ring have earned him the reputation of being the best pound-for-pound boxer in the history of the sport.
Manny Pacquiao Will KO Floyd Mayweather Jr
That reputation was also held by Floyd Mayweather Jr., who was also coined as being the best pound-for-pound boxer, and his recent demolition over Juan Manuel Marquez clearly showcases his capacity to be among the top fighters in the sport of boxing.
Of course, it wouldn’t take long for boxing fans to want to see a showdown between Manny Pacquiao vs Floyd Mayweather Jr., two of the best pound-for-pound boxers. And after a month or so of taunting and negotiations between the two camps, the deal has finally been sealed. Well, at least in the camp of Manny Pacquiao.
Freddie Roach, the trainer of Manny Pacquiao, has already confirmed that Manny Pacquiao has signed the fight contract, and the rest of the world excitingly waits for Floyd Mayweather Jr. to back up all his talk and sign his name on the dotted line.
Meanwhile, boxing promoters are already expecting the Pacquiao vs Mayweather fight to be one of the biggest pay-per-view events in the history of boxing, and will certainly put sales through the roof, to earn both fighters a very, very heavy purse. Not only that, many experts anticipate that the Pacquiao vs Mayweather fight will last more than just one bout, and will look to exasperate itself to a three-fight trilogy.
However, my opinion is that if Manny Pacquiao wins, he’ll just hang up his gloves, enjoy the fruits of his wins, and concentrate on his campaign for Congress, and if he wins that, then that’s where he’ll be busy for the rest of his life. Well, at least, while he’s still in Congress. Perhaps, this fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr., will be the culminating event to a colorful and illustrious career.
Besides, it might be the same if Floy Mayweather Jr. wins. If Floyd Mayweather Jr. defeats Manny Pacquiao, then the whole world can expect a mouthful of arrogance from Floyd Mayweather Jr., and certainly he would love to keep his undefeated record in tact, and will just retire to enjoy his fat paycheck.
One thing’s for sure, all of this will be settled in the ring on March 13.
My prediction for that fight – Manny Pacquiao will KO Floyd Mayweather Jr., and shut up that loud mouth once and for all.
The Philippines and all Filipinos around the world are still buzzing from Manny Pacquiao‘s recent victory over Miguel Angel Cotto, winning the WBO Welterweight title via a 12th round TKO.
Manny Pacquiao Knocks Down Miguel Angel Cotto
I got to catch the fight at Friday’s Alabang Town Center upon the invitation of Ryan Eigenmann and his fiance Cathy Bordalba, and took along my wife and kids to join some good friends. I personally cheered for Miguel Angel Cotto. Well, not because I didnt’ want Manny Pacquiao to win, but just to be different. In Tagalog – “Para lang maiba.”
But really – Manny Pacquiao is just plain awesome, and I wasn’t the least bit surprised that Miguel Angel Cotto got floored twice and that eventually the fight ended with a TKO. The face of Miguel Angel Cotto was beaten to a pulp, and at the end he wasn’t even throwing anymore punches, just running around the ring to try and avoid the onslaught of Manny Pacquiao, who seemed determined to knock out Cotto.
The victory gives Manny Pacquiao a historical world record by being the first boxer to win 7 titles in 7 different weight divisions. Of course, experts still say that it’s not really legitimate, considering that the Ring Magazine title of Manny Pacquiao is not an official belt. Whatever. It doesn’t disprove the fact that Manny Pacquiao will be a hall-of-famer, and a boxer that will forever be remembered around the globe.
So – now that Miguel Angel Cotto is done and over with, what’s next for Manny Pacquiao? A fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. is a possibility that the boxing world highly anticipates. Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. are two of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the history of the sport, and certainly a fight between the two will be a match that will certainly have the entire world watching. For sure – the Manny Pacquiao vs Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight will be legendary.
In the meantime – Manny Pacquiao will be looking to fight in the Philippine political arena, where he has ambitions to run for Philippine Congress in his home town of General Santos City. Manny Pacquiao tried his luck to run for Congress in the last elections, but lost miserably. If he tries again, I’m pretty sure he’ll lose. The citizens of General Santos know well enough that Manny Pacquiao is not built for Philippine politics, and they would rather that he spent his hard-fought cash to help out through charity rather than through a seat in Congress. Certainly, his lack of eloquence (and maybe even literacy) will make it difficult for him to even go through the many legislations and reports that a congressman must absorb as part of his responsibility, you know?
Manny Pacquiao can do what the hell he wants in Philippine showbusiness, even make albums and sing in a band, but for the sake of the country – he should really stay away from the political arena.
Anyway – I don’t want to rain on the parade of Manny Pacquiao. I’m happy for his victory. I’ll celebrate in the streets for that. I might even watch his upcoming movie Whapakman just to remind myself of how stupid some Philippine movies can be. I might even listen to him sing just because I’d love a good laugh. But to listen to him campaign for Congress? Well, I just might throw an egg at him.
Boxing champ Manny Pacquiao is gunning for a second round attempt for a seat in the Philippine House of Representatives in the upcoming 2010 elections. Manny Pacquiao will be looking to win a congressional seat in his hometown of General Santos City, you know?
Back in 2007, Manny Pacquiao already lost the election, and cited that he wasn’t prepared politically for his campaign due to his busy schedule with boxing fights and training. This coming 2010, Manny Pacquiao still has to train and prepare to fight Miguel Angel Cotto while in the midst of his campaign for congress. Apart from that, he still has a TV show, some movies, maybe another album and whatever. Whatever Manny Pacquiao gets himself into doesn’t surprise me anymore. Yes – even running for congress.
But really now – Do the Filipino people really want Manny Pacquiao in congress? Personally, I would rather he stick to what he does best – which is to fight in the boxing ring and not in the political arena. He may not be the best actor, but let him have his kicks in showbiz, but PLEASE – for the country’s sake – DO NOT RUN FOR CONGRESS, MANNY!
What qualifications do you have to run for politics? ZERO! Manny Pacquiao has spent his entire life as a boxer, and maybe too many left hooks has f***ed up bis brain, which might spur this STUPID decision to run for congress. Manny Pacquiao has no experience in Philippine politics whatsoever, and if he thinks that the politics in boxing is the same as congress, then he must really be out of his mind. I even doubt if Manny Pacquiao will have the time (considering the demands of his boxing and showbiz career) to read through the many resolutions and legislations that are passed in Congress. Can Manny Pacquiao even effectively deliberate in the halls of congress, or are we just going to hear him say, “You know?” – you know?
If Manny Pacquiao believes he can serve the country because of his deep pockets, then by all means do so. Manny Pacquiao can give to as many charities and come up with as many projects as he wants to help in the development of General Santos City and the Philippines without having to be a congressman.
Manny, Pacman, Champ, Idol – please lang… use your head.
Manny Pacquiao For Congress in 2010 - God Save The Philippines!
And to those supposed political friends and political advisers of Manny Pacquiao – Chavit, Noli Boy, Tolits, Madam GMA – knock some sense into him. He can’t even deliver a proper interview about what he is passionate about (boxing), and you expect him to enter the halls of Philippine congress to enact legislation that will serve our country. It’s not right, you know?
Anyway – I will put my faith on the Filipino people and the intelligent people of General Santos. I’m sure they know better, and it showed in the 2007 elections when Manny Pacquiao lost. And I certainly hope he will lose again, and let the voice of the people be heard that Manny Pacquiao‘s place is not in Philippine congress. You know?
I’m sure everyone has learned their lesson when they put the likes of Ramon Revilla and Robert Jaworski in the Senate, who didn’t even utter a word throughout the entire team that Senate convened. Well, except maybe to raise their hand and ask permission to use the toilet. You know?
The 2010 elections is a critical time for the country, and not only on the Presidential race, but in all levels of government that will be fought for and campaigned for. Please vote wisely. And to the people of General Santos City – I’m sure you have a more qualified candidate for Congress than a popular personality who doesn’t have an ounce of political experience, even if he is world-renowned.
You know better, you know?
Being a biased Filipino – my simple answer is NO.
I haven’t been the best fan of Manny Pacquiao. When Manny Pacquiao rematched Juan Manuel Marquez, my money was on Marquez. Well – the payout for the odds was much better, but even at the end of the fight, despite Juan Manuel Marquez kissing the floor, I still believed Juan Manuel Marquez did enough to win the fight. But oh well.
When Manny Pacquiao faced Oscar De La Hoya, I expected it to be a bloody battle that would push the fight to the last round, and eventually the judges favoring Oscar De La Hoya. And while I cheered for Manny Pacquiao, I didn’t feel that confident. I mean Oscar De La Hoya is THE Golden Boy. Well, I was wowed by Manny Pacquiao, and certainly I’m not alone there.
When Manny Pacquiao faced Ricky Hatton, I was thinking that Manny Pacquiao might be a bit too over-confident, and that he would eventually get tagged by the famous Ricky Hatton body shot to the liver. Once again, I was proven wrong.
But don’t get me wrong – it’s not that I don’t want Manny Pacquiao to win. It’s just that I’m never 100% on Manny Pacquiao because he can be careless at times, and of course there are the equally awesome reputations of the fighters he’s faced.
Miguel Cotto Rocking Shane Mosley
But now – against Miguel Angel Cotto – I’m 100% behind Pacquiao. Miguel Angel Cotto may have an impressive 34 wins and 1 loss with 27 KOs – with some big wins against the likes of Shane Mosley, Zab Judah Oktay Urkal, Carlos Quintana and Alfonso Gomez, but in the world of boxing, you’re only as good as your last fight.
In the case of Miguel Angel Cotto, his last three fights include a TKO loss to Antonio Margarito, where he gave up his WBO Welterweight belt. Of course, Miguel Angel Cotto gained the WBO Welterweight belt back again when it was left vacant. This time he KOed Michael Jennings in the 5th round. In his last fight, Miguel Angel Cotto was able to defeat Joshua Clottey, but in a split decision. So, it’s not really that impressive.
Meanwhile, Manny Pacquiao has been more than impressive in his recent wins. And well, Miguel Angel Cotto looks to be another victim that will soon be added to those that Manny Pacquiao will run over.
The Manny Pacquiao vs Miguel Angel Cotto is scheduled for November 14, 2009 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The two boxers will be fighting at the weight of 145 lbs., which falls under the welterweight category. And although there has been no announcement that Miguel Angel Cotto will put his WBO Welterweight Title on the line, it is expected that the WBO Welterweight belt will definitely be on the line. Firstly, if Miguel Angel Cotto refuses to make it a title match, then he will be stripped off the belt, and the title made vacant, and eventually free for Manny Pacquiao to win. If Manny Pacquiao wins – it will be another championship in a record-setting seven weight classes.
Incidentally, Miguel Angel Cotto has expressed his intention to retire from boxing before he hits the age of 30. Currently, he is 28 years old. According to reports on Miguel Angel Cotto’s website, Cotto would like to retire to enjoy fatherhood.
“I have four little ones between the ages of 3 and 13 who require a father… because one wants to play an instrument, another wants to play tennis, if you ask another, golfing, and the small child is three years old and I do not know what he wants to do, but I need to be there,” Cotto explained.
As for Manny Pacquiao – he has a new sitcom TV series coming out on local Philippine TV called Show Me The Manny which will co-star the Philippines’ Queen of Primetime Marian Rivera. I guess if Manny retires, then he’ll have showbusiness to fall back on.
But in the case of the Manny Pacquiao vs Miguel Angel Cotto, I just hope I’m not wrong again. But something is telling me this could be a trilogy.
Manny Pacquiao vs Miguel Angel Cotto Tickets Available Here.
Manny Pacquiao vs Miguel Cotto Odds Here.
Online tickets tip: If you buy early, it costs less. If you buy closer to the date, it will be very pricey.
Ricky Hatton Is Next Victim of Manny Pacquiao
After the historical victory of Manny Pacquiao over Oscar De La Hoya, Manny Pacquiao will now be set to fight Ricky Hatton on May 2, 2009 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Freddie Roach – the trainer of Manny Pacquiao – has expressed that Manny Pacquiao will be beating Ricky Hatton via KO. Floyd Mayweather Sr. – the trainer of Ricky Hatton – thinks that Manny Pacquiao will not stand a chance against Ricky Hatton. Big words from both trainers who definitely show confidence in their fighters. But – in the end – all will be settled in the ring.
As a Filipino – of course, I’m rooting for Manny Pacquiao. I believe he is a great boxer, but then also like many Filipinos I believe there is still that big question mark looming in my mind about Manny Pacquiao. Trying to be an avid fan of Manny Pacquiao doesn’t come easy. I admire Manny Pacquiao as a boxer, but there are just other aspects of Manny Pacquiao‘s person that I can’t stand.
There’s Manny Pacquiao the actor. Damn! I can’t even believe he even tried his luck there. Lucky for him, he got to lock lips with screen siren Ara Mina, but I’d rather watch Manny Pacquiao on TV while boxing in the ring instead of looking like an idiot acting for some action flick. He’s not even eloquent enough to answer basic questions, and yet he tries to go one step more into delivering movie lines. Puh-lease!
There’s also Manny Pacquiao the recording artist and singer. You’ve heard him speak. You really think he can sing?
There’s also Manny Pacquiao the politician. I really dislike the fact that he wants to enter the realm of Philippine politics. I’m really glad that the people of General Santos didn’t vote him into Congress when he ran in the last national election. It just goes to show that even the most prolific of Manny Pacquiao fans have enough wisdom to know that Manny Pacquiao’s place is in the boxing ring and not the political arena. I’m pretty certain that his wealth may buy him a seat in Philippine politics, but then he can always do good for the country even without sitting in government. Forming a foundation or a non-government organization should be good enough for Manny Pacquiao without having to add the title Congressman or even Senator to his name.
Manny Pacquiao the gambler, the cock fighter, the billiard king and the poker player. Manny – do something better with your money!
Anyway – that’s among the things I don’t like about Manny Pacquiao. But when it comes to boxing. Well – of course – I’m there as a staunch supporter of Manny Pacquiao, and will be among the millions who will cheer for him in beating up the likes of Oscar De La Hoya, Juan Manuel Marquez, Marco Antonio Barrera, and now Ricky Hatton. After all, Manny Pacquiao has earned my respect with the talent he has in the boxing ring. And that’s what I like.
I guess the big question mark about Manny Pacquiao, and what makes me have second thoughts about thinking whether he can win or not is because he has all these other distractions in other “career moves.” This lack of focus on his boxing career has led me several times to question whether or not Manny Pacquiao will come out the winner. I had doubts about his performance against Juan Manuel Marquez (I still believe Marquez was the better boxer in their rematch), and I certainly had doubts against Manny Pacquiao versus Oscar De La Hoya. But nevertheless, I cheer for him – for country, for Philippine pride.
Of course, I also can’t help thinking that maybe all these other distractions around Manny Pacquiao will one day catch up with him. One day some boxer will knock the shit out of Manny Pacquiao because Manny would’ve just been too distracted with promoting Magic Sing and locking lips with leading ladies. And when that day is realized – eventually I will be forced to say that Manny Pacquiao is a joke. Give credit to where credit is due, and of course give credit to the fact that Manny Pacquiao will be a boxing legend around the world. At least he has that one good thing no one will ever take away. But if he continues to dabble into other distracting extracurricular activities – it’ll be difficult to put together a wholeness of respect for the total person of Manny Pacquiao.
Well – I have a feeling… Ricky Hatton is going to kick the shit out of Manny Pacquiao. But Manny – I’ll cheer for you nonetheless.
Mabuhay ka, Pac-Man!
Manny Pacquiao vs Ricky Hatton Tickets and Ringside Seats Available Here.
Oscar De La Hoya congratulates Manny Pacquiao
I won’t bother to give an update on the fight as I’m sure every Filipino out there already had the chance to see the fight, or at least the highlights. Or if you didn’t watch the fight, then at least you should know by now that Manny Pacquiao defeated Oscar De La Hoya via TKO at the end of 8 rounds.
I’m pretty certain everyone has their take on what happened about the fight – what went right for Manny Pacquiao and what went wrong for Oscar De La Hoya – and I also have my own opinions. And while I might not be a boxing expert, all I can say is that Manny Pacquiao was just too quick for Oscar De La Hoya. No matter how big you are or how far your reach is, if you can’t tag your opponent with a meaningful punch, then how do you ever expect to even win a boxing match? Well, in the case of Oscar De La Hoya, Manny Pacquiao was just the faster chicken, and he just couldn’t be touched.
But more than the highlights of the fight and Manny Pacquiao‘s excellent boxing form, what I appreciated most about the outcome of the fight was the end of the fight. When Manny Pacquiao told Oscar De La Hoya, “You’re still my idol.” and Oscar De La Hoya replied, “No, Manny, now you’re my idol.” – that for me was the defining moment which capped off an awesome promotion for the fight. After all was slugged out, that little bit of pride, respect and honor was definitely the icing of the Pacquiao-De La Hoya circus. It sounded like that scene in the movie Top Gun – Iceman says, “Maverick, you could be my wing man anytime.” to which Maverick replies, “Bullshit, you could be mine.”
Of course, I had expected so much from the fight, and was expecting bot fighters to be bloodied up. I didn’t expect it to be the one-sided massacre it turned out to be. I mean - Oscar De La Hoya was a clear favorite, and what took place against Manny Pacquiaob, I didn’t ever think that would happen to someone as talented as Oscar De La Hoya. But then, I guess Freddie Roach was a bit correct in saying that De La Hoya couldn’t pull the trigger. Anyway, there’s more to be said than what wasn’t said, but I leave that up to the real boxing columnists and critics.
On a personal note, I had a ball watching the fight. I watched the fight at noontime in the Philippines, waking up at 7am to make it to Handle Bar Makati early enough to grab our chairs. My huge thanks to Dustin Derkinderen for taking the initiative in reserving a table. I had so much fun just cheering with my 6 year-old son Kaj, shouting at the top of our lungs and banging on the table top. Then, of course, the chance to be with some awesome people like Albert Gaw, Angelo Alvendia and Dustin Derkinderen. Looks like we’re the Handle Bar regulars for fights, whether it be Manny Pacquiao or UFC. Cheers, boys!
Anyway, so now they’re saying Manny Pacquiao vs Ricky Hatton. All I have to say – Did you see what he did to De La Hoya?
Manny, maraming salamat sa maligayang pasko.
Manny Pacquiao Training With Freddie Roach
The Filipino People are getting excited with the upcoming boxing match between WBC Lightweight champion Manny Pacquiao vs Oscar De La Hoya.
Oscar De La Hoya, who has won 10 world titles in 6 weight divisions, is a slight favorite to win against Manny Pacquiao when these two great boxers clash on December 6 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. However, while the odds makers are favoring Oscar De La Hoya to win over Manny Pacquiao, boxing critics and boxing fans are excited of the prospect that Manny Pacquiao can certainly knock out Oscar De La Hoya.
Oscar De La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao will be fighting at the 147-pound welterweight limit. Speculations by boxing critics are saying that Manny Pacquiao will be out of his comfort zone at 147 pounds since Manny Pacquiao is so used to fighting at 135 lbs. Meanwhile, Oscar De La Hoya should be able to dominate the fight, considering his size and reach advantage, plus the fact that he is comfortable fighting at the 147-pound welterweight limit.
However, Manny Pacquiao is also expected to knock out Oscar De La Hoya, who hasn’t had a professional boxing fight since May 5, 2007 when he lost a split-decision to Floyd Mayweather Jr. and also lost his WBC welterweight championship title in the process. Oscar De La Hoya doesn’t seem to have the steam he’s had during his younger years, and it might be difficult for De La Hoya to even keep up with the energetic Manny Pacquiao, who is at the prime of his boxing career.
Manny Pacquiao might certainly be able to knock down Oscar De La Hoya, but might not have enough power to actually keep De La Hoya down for a ten count. In his previous boxing fights against the likes of Erik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera and Juan Manuel Marquez, Manny Pacquiao was able to successfully send these boxers to the canvas, and it was only Erik Morales who really felt the sting of Manny Pacquiao and was not able to recover from getting up on time to beat the ten count.
Manny Pacquiao has been KOed twice earlier in his career but that was way before he gained enough experience to become the boxing champion that he is. Meanwhile, Oscar De La Hoya has already suffered one KO against Bernard Hopkins Jr., who tagged De La Hoya with a left hook to the liver which was just unbearable for Oscar De La Hoya to recover from. As seen in Pacquiao’s previous fights, he turns into a monster when he gets hit, and when he gets fired up, his frenzy of combo punches are very solid. In the fight, if Oscar De La Hoya gets to hit Manny Pacquiao with 2 to 3 punches, you can expect Manny Pacquiao to come back with 4 to 6 punches of his own, and that area of Pacquiao’s fight strategy might be difficult for a slower De La Hoya to fend off. Definitely, Manny Pacquiao will be throwing more punches, and if a lot of them get in, it won’t be a surprise if Oscar De La Hoya will be seen picking himself up from the ring.
In any case, The Dream Match between Oscar De La Hoya vs Manny Pacquiao will be underway on December 6, and bets are available for the fight! Tickets for the fight have long sold out, and the only place left to get them are here.
Manny Pacquiao and fan Sofie Garrucho
It’s confirmed! Manny Pacquiao is involved in a striptease scandal!
Well, the big boys from the World Boxing Council (WBC) are getting all hyped up over Filipino boxing champion Manny Pacquiao, and have got Manny Pacquiao involved in a strip tease. The WBC is charging Manny Pacquiao $130,000 total to cover a $30,000 fighting fee or something, and another $100,000 for some other boxing fee. If Manny Pacquiao fails to comply with the request at a given deadline, then the WBC will have no choice, but to loosen the WBC Belts of Manny Pacquiao and strip him off it.
The WBC has made every effort to get in touch with Manny Pacquiao, who has been very busy training for the fight against boxing great Oscar De La Hoya, in what many boxing fans and boxing experts have dubbed as The Dream Match.
The Dream Match between Manny Pacquiao vs Oscar Dela Hoya is a non-tile fight, and takes place on December 9, 2008 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Pacquiao-De La Hoya Tickets and Ringside Seats are still available, but they’re getting to be more expensive as the date grows nearer. Why is that?
Anyway, Manny Pacquiao vs Oscar De La Hoya may not be a title bout, but then if Manny Pacquiao doesn’t settle his bill with the big boys of the World Boxing Council, he may not even have a title at all. Certainly, Manny Pacquiao has the cash to afford the $130,000. That’s just about the same budget Manny Pacquiao uses for his poker bankroll, and just about the same amount he gambles with at the billiard tables.
Dear Manny Pacquiao – neighbor, idol, champ – please pay your bill to the WBC. On behalf of the Filipino people, we don’t want you to get involved in a Manny Pacquiao stripper, strip-tease scandal involving the stripping of your belt. Di ka na champ niyan? Baka maging chump ka na lang!
This Is What They're Fighting For
The year 2008 is ending, and by the time Christmas 2008 hits, we’re going to be receiving a lot of 2009 Calendars from so many people, and I’m pretty sure that a bulk of them will be coming from politicians who are hopefuls to become the next President of the Philippines. By 2009, we’re going to have a lot more politicians making campaigns and hoping to get a lot of media mileage to highlight their achievements over the years in order to prepare their good reputation for the 2010 national election in the Philippines.
As early as now, there are already intentions being stated by many Philippine politicians as to their campaign plans for the upcoming 2010 Philippine elections. And of course, the big election post being sought after is none other than the position of President of the Philippines. Among those who have pretty much given their intention to take the seat from Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo include: Senator Dick Gordon, Vice President Noli De Castro, Senator Kiko Pangilinan, Senator Mar Roxas, Senator Loi Ejercito, Senator Ping Lacson and maybe even former ousted President Joseph ‘ERAP’ Estrada.
Dick Gordon has already started his campaign in Facebook with a profile page called Dick Gordon for President. Dick Gordon was once the controversial former SBMA Chairman, who battled it out against ERAP when he was told to step down as SBMA Chairman. Dick Gordon even had his own little People Power in Olongapo to prevent incoming SBMA chair Felicito Payumo from taking over when then President Joseph Estrada appointed Felicito Payumo for the position to replace Dick Gordon. Apart from that historical memory of Dick Gordon, many will remember how he inspirationally brought back Olongapo City and the rest of Pampanga as a city mayor just after Mt. Pinatubo erupted and devastated that part of the country. Of course, Dick Gordon will also be remembered as the Department of Tourism Secretary and his amazing Wow Philippines! campaign that put the Philippines back as one of the top tourist destinations in Asia. As a senator, Dick Gordon has been a loud voice in national issues that the senate had to address over his term, and many believe that his bullish charisma is the kind of leadership that Filipinos will want for the Philippine Presidential seat.
Vice President Noli De Castro is also looking to replace Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as president, and will hope for Arroyo’s blessing and nomination to be the party representative to run for President. Of course, at this moment of the Philippine republic, it’s not certain if a Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo endorsement might actually be enough for VP Noli De Castro to win, but it might be the only shot he has apart from his popularity as a former newscaster.
Senator Kiko Pangilinan has somehow given his intention to run as a presidential candidate for 2010. However, I have this eerie feeling that if Kiko Pangilinan does become the President of the Philippines, it’ll not be because most Filipinos would love to see Sharon Cuneta as the First Lady of the Philippines more than they want to see Kiko Pangilinan as President. Well, behind every great man is a woman, and definitely Sharon Cuneta has a big pull as a great woman behind a great senator as Kiko Pangilinan. And of course there’s also KC Concepcion.
Mar Roxas For President in 2010
Senator Mar Roxas has also given his intention to run for Philippine President in the upcoming 2010 elections. In fact, Mar Roxas already has a blog, showcased as the first blog on the 2010 Philippine Presidential elections. History may favor Mar Roxas as the grandson of former Philippine President Manuel Roxas and son to former Philippine senator Gerardo Roxas. Undoubtedly, Mar Roxas has Philippine politics in his blood, and will be hoping to make use of all that genetic political wisdom to impart on the Philippines. It might also help that highly acclaimed, popular newscaster Korina Sanchez is having a relationship with Mar Roxas, although the two have yet to get married if Korina Sanchez would become the First Lady of the Philippines. Mar Roxas was also a very instrumental Department of Trade & Industry Secretary, and did much to shape the economy and growing industries of the Philippines.
Senator Ping Lacson has not been as vocal as Mar Roxas or Dick Gordon in his intention to run for President in 2010, but the Philippine rumor mill has put out his name as one of the hopefuls to run for President in 2010 probably because Ping Lacson can afford to run. Of course, not just because of Ping Lacson‘s extensive financial resources, but also because of his keen connections in the ranks of the Philippine military and Philippine National Police, which are very essential in maintaining order and discipline in the country. As we’ve noticed in our history, without the backing of the military, it is easy to establish a coup d’ etat which eventually will have long term effects on the growth of the Philippine economy, and not to mention the distrust with with foreign investors and the ill-perception around the globe as a result of such ugly moments. In fact, military control is so important – that without it, a President can actually lose power as seen in the history of both EDSA People Power revolts. With former PNP Chief Ping Lacson in power as President, then perhaps the issue of law and order, and even civil unrest with the likes of the MNLF or Abu-Sayyaf, can be thoroughly addressed to promote a lasting peace in the Philippines, which all sectors definitely wish for.
Senator Loi Ejercito is also a candidate to run for President in 2010, but she hasn’t really yet stated her intentions. Of course, Loi Ejercito will be banking on the fact that several Filipinos are still loyal to former President Joseph Estrada, and having him as her endorser might be good enough to have her win the Presidential seat in 2010. However, that’s only if former President Joseph Estrada doesn’t run for President himself. Former President Joseph Estrada has already been quoted as saying that he will run for President if the Filipino people really want him to run, and if the opposition really doesn’t have a formidable choice to vie for the Presidential seat in 2010. According to former President Joseph Estrada, he hasn’t technically finished his term as President, and is qualified under the Philippine constitution’s election code to be eligible for re-election. However, becoming President again considering his tainted controversial past during his term of office, will be a hard obstacle to overcome, and thus Joseph Estrada might instead opt to endorse his First Lady Loi Ejercito instead of himself.
Let’s not also forget Eddie Gil, who just might come back in 2010 to try his luck again, probably with a different hairdo. Blonde na si Eddie Gil!
What about Manny Pacquiao for President in 2010? Well, he’ll certainly afford the campaign after his fight with Oscar De La Hoya. And maybe he’ll earn some more votes if he beats Oscar De La Hoya. However, he lost in the Congressional race last election at his home town in General Santos, and that’s already saying a lot about what people think of Manny Pacquiao entering politics. But who knows, maybe it’ll be different on a national level.
Smart Billboard Is A Waste of Space and Money
Smart Communications, Inc. is one of the biggest telecommunications providers in the Philippines if not the biggest. Well, SMART is on a pissing war with Globe Telecom and indeed they are fighting for every inch of space in order to promote and advertise their brands and product services.
Anyway, because of the advertising pissing war, SMART and Globe have gone all-out in their budget for things like 30-seconder ads, outdoor advertising, newsprint ads, magazine ads and all sorts of other gimmicks like events, concerts and what-have-you. Certainly, it doesn’t take much math to figure out that SMART and Globe probably spend billions of pesos on advertising just so that the simple Filipino consumer will eventually use their products and services, or to continue to do so.
First off – let’s get it straight. The supposed target market for a company like SMART includes every single FIlipino in the Philippines, with a big percentage of them being the masses. The masses comprise about 70% of the population, and fall under the socio-economic bracket of D or E, which is probably in the minimum wage to less-than-minimum wage income earner. Now, while they have the numbers in terms of sheer volume, the amount of money they earn collectively is nothing compared to the kind of cash raked in by the small 5% of those that belong to the A or B markets.
Notwithstanding, SMART spends billions to continue to advertise to the masses. In fact, SMART spends billions on advertising period – whether it be for the masses or for those that are better off. Of course, the strategy is to have SMART subscribers remain loyal to the brand, but in truth, THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS BRAND LOYALTY among the Philippine masses. For the basic Mang Pandoy, brand loyalty comes as a matter of convenience. In Aling Maria’s Sari-Sari store, I can purchase pre-paid accounts of either SMART or Globe, either through pre-paid cards or E-load because Aling Maria carries both brands, and even has two cellphones (one Globe, one Smart) to pass the load of whatever the consumer requires. In the same manner, because of the added value of texting Globe-to-Globe or Smart-to-Smart, or even making calls Sun-to-Sun, most people have afforded to carry with them two or even three phones, with one phone representing each of the major tele-com providers.
Anyway, the whole point is that it is pointless for SMART to spend unnecessarily on advertising. For one, they already have a near-monopoly on their captured market, which is the entire Philippines. The entire Philippines already knows about SMART, and probably has a cellular phone with a SMART line. There is no need for them to spend on TV commercials, daily newsprint ads, magazine ads and especially outdoor advertising! We don’t need another SMART banner beside yet another Globe banner in the same store advertising the availability of sim cards or pre-paid load availability.
SMART already has the power of direct marketing. If they want information shared to their subscribers, then they have the capability of sending whatever information directly to the cellular phones of their consumers without the need to become redundant through print ads, TV commercials or outdoor advertising. Now, if they have a new service or product to endorse that might need a bit of introduction – say SMART money – then perhaps that could be used. But still, all those services cannot be explained in a 30-seconder, or in a catchy newsprint ad. The best way to explain all that information is still in the form of step-by-step instructions, especially if their target market is the masses who cannot comprehend beyond the creativity of a 30-seconder ad.
Next, SMART is wasting away money on their celebrity endorsers. So what if Angel Locsin is the number one thing happening in the country? Her face on a SMART billboard won’t increase sales, or improve the image of SMART. Perhaps an Angel Locsin endorsement might be good for beauty products, but for a telecommunications provider – it just isn’t necessary.
I would rather SMART re-allocated their budget for advertising to developing other businesses or other services, or maybe even for a worthy charity beyond what they normally give out for charity.
For example, I would love for SMART to allocate a budget in the development of a world-class stadium that can perhaps host huge sporting events, such as the SMART Philippine Open Tennis Tournament, which could be part of the Men’s and Women’s ATP Tour, and have the likes of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Maria Sharapova and Ana Ivanovic play tennis at our shores. Or maybe be able to invite the likes of Real Madrid or Manchester United to have an exhibition match. Or maybe even have the Los Angeles Lakers go up against the Talk N’ Text Phone Pals.
I would also love for SMART to sponsor let’s say the Ati-Atihan Festival, but instead of spending their money on their collaterals, banner placements, billboards and video screens – to just cover the entire production cost of the Ati-Atihan Festival, and not even have a single SMART logo advertised on the site. SMART will just merely send a text message to their subscribers saying that the Ati-Atihan Festival is free for everyone, and that they will be feeding and giving out drinks to everyone who goes, and then when everyone goes there – they won’t even find a single SMART ad or logo advertised anywhere. Angel Locsin can perform, and everyone would know already who brought them the party without the need to say it over and over again on the PA system, or to have banners at every street post.
Or maybe SMART can invest their profits or re-allocate their advertising budget for other things like a desalination plant, or for alternative energy sources, which they can eventually use to power their telecommunications equipment scattered all over the country.
At a rate of say 1 peso per text message sent, and the millions that they can easily earn on a daily basis, SMART indeed has a lot of profit at their disposal. While it may take also millions of pesos for operating costs of all their infrastructure, spending for unnecessary advertising is just a waste of profit. There are other things of greater concern. Eventually, SMART shouldn’t be the one advertising, but should be the one controlling the advertising, especially for products who might want their brand marketed to the subscribers of SMART. A hard-sell text message everyday about a particular shampoo might be an annoyance for their subscribers, but then it’s a paid text message ad from the shampoo company, and hard-sell is what they do anyway when they put up billboards and daily newsprint ads. Change focus, change strategy. DON’T WASTE MONEY.
I seem to have gotten carried away, and still have more to say on this topic. Eventually, I would really like to back up this claim with actual figures on advertising expenses, or maybe give a real insight on the kind of numbers that can be played with by a giant company like SMART. I do understand that SMART has other programs that include community partnership in regards to developing education facilities in small towns, disaster relief and even helping out with environmental causes. But then, maybe a shift on focus and budget could be made for those projects even more.
In totality, it’s not just about SMART, or Globe, or Sun. Every company should really re-think their budget for advertising, especially with bigger companies who have a monopoly on the market industry they represent. Everyone would drink San Miguel Beer on a daily basis even if Manny Pacquiao didn’t endorse it. Everyone would drink Coke or Pepsi regardless of the well-thought of tagline by the ad companies who do their ads. And besides, if Coke was the drink available on the sari-sari store next to my house, then that’s what I’d buy. I am practical enough not to have to travel 3 blocks to the next sari-sari store just to show my loyalty to Pepsi. I’m sure I’ve driven the point across.
Anyway – I’m sure there are other smart things that SMART can do, and I don’t need to be the one to say it. But hey – I’m just sharing my two cents worth, and that’s not even the price of a text message.
After several huge boxing matches with the likes of Juan Manuel Marquez, Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales and David Diaz, Manny Pacquiao has already earned himself quite a lot of money. I’m sure everyone has heard rumors of how he’s spent his money, including a stint to compete for a congressional seat in the Philippine House of Representatives.
We also know of his many endorsement bonuses from Nike, No Fear, San Miguel Beer, Alaxan and even Magic Sing!
Anyway, let’s just say Manny Pacquiao is very well-off (to put it lightly).
Now, Manny Pacuqiao is set to fight Oscar De La Hoya in what could possible earn him $23 Million Dollars. With a 40 peso exchange rate to the dollar (and that’s being crude), that would be something like – 920 Million Pesos. Ho hum, now what to do? At this point, you may space out for a bit and give yourself some time to imagine.
If you’ve decided to continue reading…
Manny Pacquiao – 23 million dollars/920 Million Pesos!
Eto lang iyan, Sir Pacman:
Manny Pacquiao, you should invest 20 Million Pesos to live it up in Las Vegas for a while, and work on the possibility of getting Daniel Negreanu, Phil Helmuth, Barry Greenstein, Phil Ivey and Howard Lederer to teach you some texas hold’em, and you could probably earn at least 20% investment on your 20 million pesos each month.
On the remaining 900 million pesos, Manny Pacquiao should put up a corporation that would handle a group of companies that would specialize in: (1) providing alternative energy solutions for the Philippines; (2) constructing and managing a world class 100,000 seater stadium and sports center that can host big sporting events and possibly be the kind of secure and developed Philippine venue that U2 would agree to play on; (3) building and managing a desalination plant that could transform the surrounding Pacific Ocean to drinkable, potable water for the 7,200 islands of the Philippines; (4) promoting boxing fights and not just for Philippine boxers, but the good fights; (5) managing assets on co-ownership of a professional sports team like maybe the Boston Celtics or something that could use some improvement like the New York Knicks; and (6) produce Hollywood blockbuster movies, preferably by Pixar.
Manny Pacquiao Should Invest In Alternative Energy For The Philippines
It might sound like the bills might go over budget from 900 million pesos, but then that’s where the business sense of Manny Pacquiao should kick in along with the wheeling and dealing that is needed to transform 900 million pesos into something even bigger and greater. And while my list may seem a tad bit too far-fetched and exaggerated, there are some bright ideas there that I’m sure Manny Pacquiao can start with in order to provide a positive and worthwhile contribution to the development of the Philippines, and not just build his certain legacy, but also provide a sustainable thriving business that could multiply his money.
Oh, and Sir Pacman – if you ever need anyone to help you run such a cooperation, I would be honored to submit an application.
Meanwhile, our thoughts go with you in your next match against Oscar De La Hoya. They may not be favorable thoughts for you, but at least $23 Million dollars. Manalo, matalo – malayo na mararating niyan, diba?
Pacquiao vs Dela Hoya Tickets and Ringside Seats Available Here.
No Fight If Oscar De La Hoya Is Overweight
Philippine boxing champ Manny Pacquiao and Golden Boy Oscar De La Hoya have already signed a contract to fight on December 6, 2008 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. However, there is still a possibility that the fight might not happen.
It is stipulated in their contract that Oscar De La Hoya will pay Manny Pacquiao $3 Million per pound that goes over the 147 welterweight limit. And if Oscar De La Hoya doesn’t make the weight and reaches 150 lbs. during the weigh-in, then Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach will just have to pull the plug on the fight, and that’s that.
Freddie Roach stated that if Oscar De La Hoya weighs in at 150 lbs., it will just be an unfair fight for Manny Pacquiao. According to Freddie Roach, it doesn’t matter if Oscar De La Hoya will pay $9 Million for the overweight, but fighting at 150 lbs. is a totally different story altogether. Oscar De La Hoya already has the height and reach advantage over Manny Pacquiao, and the weight will be the true equalizer for both boxers. If Oscar De La Hoya comes in heavier, then it just really stacks up the odds against Manny Pacquiao, and Freddie Roach is just being a wise trainer in protecting his boxer.
Freddie Roach thinks that if Oscar De La Hoya really wants this fight to happen, then De La Hoya should really do his best to meet the weight requirement. After all, it was Oscar De La Hoya who called out Manny Pacquiao to fight at 147 lbs., albeit after hearing that Freddie Roach said that De La Hoya couldn’t pull the trigger against Pacquiao. Hmmm… boxing trash talk.
Anyway – Manny Pacquiao and Oscar De La Hoya stand to make huge amounts of money from this fight should the fight push through. In fact, after all the bills have been collected from ticket sales of the MGM Grand Garden Arena, the pay-per-view broadcasts, the sponsors and what-have-you – it is estimated that Manny Pacquiao can earn as much as $23 Million. Oscar De La Hoya stands to make more. It might come out to be the biggest purse in boxing history for a single fight.
Well, we have to wait first if Oscar De La Hoya makes the weight to see if there will be any fight at all. Yo, Golden Boy, stay away from those cream puffs!
Pacquiao-De La Hoya Tickets and Ringside Seat Tickets Are Available Here.
The Golden Boy Oscar De La Hoya gave his comments about his upcoming 12-round non-title bout versus Manny Pacquiao on December 6, 2008 at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. He had some pretty fair stuff to say about Manny Pacquiao, but of course included a bit of trash talk, and other talk about his career and the other fights that could’ve been had Manny Pacquiao backed out of the deal. I came across Oscar De La Hoya‘s comments, by accidentally stumbling upon this You Tube video.
There’s even some Floyd Mayweather Jr. trash talk on the video with him showing off 1 million dollars. “Put your money where your mouth is. I’ve got a big mouth, and I’ve got big money.” Well, from what I recall, Mayweather did beat De La Hoya via split decision.
Anyway, Oscar De La Hoya also discusses his take on Manny Pacquiao’s style of boxing versus his own, and also talks about Pacman’s insatiable hunger for his share of the fight purse. Or can I say gluttony? Well, Manny Pacquiao just probably wants more money to make up for the few million pesos he’s leaked from “bad” investments. Kasi naman, Manny, tama na yung high-stakes betting sa billiards at sa poker.
Anyway, it’s an exclusive interview with Oscar De La Hoya who explains everything that’s going down on the fight against Manny Pacquiao, including a preview of the awesome under card for the night.
I won’t give out too much information, just listen to what Oscar De La Hoya has to say.
Manny Pacquiao – any response? Can we use this quote on your behalf – “Sana maka-chamba ulit parang kay Marquez.”
Manny Pacquiao Is An Underdog Against Oscar De La Hoya
It is now official!
The Philippines very own boxing sensation, WBC lightweight champion Manny Pacquiao has agreed to fight six-time boxing world champion Oscar De La Hoya for a 12-round non-title bout at the welterweight limit of 147 pounds on December 6, 2008 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada!
The Pacquiao vs De La Hoya fight is expected to be the biggest fight of the year, and will be a sure blockbuster pay-per-view event. Promoters Bob Arum of Top Rank and Richard Schaefer have already shook hands, but the share of the purse for this main event has yet to be announced. The Pacquiao vs De La Hoya match took three weeks of negotiations. Initially, Manny Pacquiao wanted 40% share of the purse while Oscar De La Hoya offered 30%. Eventually, the two parties agreed to something in between. 35% maybe?
The Mirage Hotel and Casino odds makers already opened a betting line for the Pacquiao vs De La Hoya fight, and odds makers are making Oscar De La Hoya as an 8-5 favorite over Manny Pacquiao. Well, that seems normal as Oscar De La Hoya has had experience fighting at 147 pounds even though he hasn’t fought at that weight since 2001. Meanwhile, Manny Pacquiao hasn’t found above 135 pounds, and it will be interesting to see how Manny Pacquiao gains the weight to match up against the size of Oscar De La Hoya.
Of course, being a Filipino – I am excited to cheer for Manny Pacquiao to beat one of the world’s greatest boxers in history in Manny Pacquiao For Oscar De La Hoya, this may be his last fight before he considers retirement at the age of 35. Oscar De La Hoya has wanted to fight Manny Pacquiao ever since he watched Pacquiao destroy the likes of Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Juan Manuel Marquez and David Diaz. Oscar De La Hoya‘s desire was even pushed further after reading statements from Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach who said that Oscar De La Hoya will not be able to ‘pull the trigger’ against Manny Pacquiao.
Oscar De La Hoya Wants Manny Pacquiao for
“I felt challenged, especially from an expert trainer like Freddie Roach… If he thinks I can’t pull the trigger, then we’ll see on December 6,” said Oscar De La Hoya.
Freddie Roach was in Oscar De La Hoya‘s corner in his fight against Floyd Mayweather, so maybe there is some basis of truth for the statements of Freddie Roach.
Meanwhile, Manny Pacquiao thinks that he has the advantage in speed and technique, predicting that he would beat Oscar De La Hoya in the same way he clinically defeated David Diaz where Pacquiao chopped down David Diaz until he won via a 9th round TKO.
“I’m faster and stronger than him, and I’m younger… He has an advantage in the height… but I believe I’m stronger,” was Manny Pacquiao’s statement.
On a personal note, I believe in Manny Pacquiao that he may be faster and stronger, but then there is no questioning the resiliency of Oscar De La Hoya. After all, De La Hoya is a six-time world champion, and has loads of experience in the boxing ring. I doubt, however, that Manny Pacquiao will be able to send Oscar De La Hoya to the canvas unlike he’s done with all his previous opponents. I also don’t think Manny Pacquiao will be able to be as successful in getting past the reach and height advantage of Oscar De La Hoya. I don’t really want Manny Pacquiao to lose, but then maybe this is the time he finally takes a loss and ends his winning streak. Eto na yung kasabihan na ma-humble siya ni Lord. Besides, Manny Pacquiao is entering the ring as the underdog, and there’s a reason why the favorites win most of the time.
In any case, I hope Manny Pacquiao wins. It would be a good Christmas present for the Filipino people in all parts of the world. If not, then at least it’ll be a good conversation piece over Noche Buena. Whatever happens, Manny Pacquiao will have deeper pockets, and hopefully a lot of Christmas presents for all of us.
Manny, ok na ako sa limang E-Jeepney. Gamitin natin dito sa neighborhood natin sa BF Homes, Paranaque. At X-Box 360 kung may natirang barya. Palagi naman din ako nananalo kapag ikaw ginagamit ko sa Fight Night 3. Kahit si De La Hoya at si Evander Holyfield, walang sinabi!
Philippine Olympic Committee President Jose S. Cojuangco Jr.
I went through the comments in my recent blogpost about the Philippine Olympic Team Ready To Win Gold At 2008 Beijing Olympics, and received a lot of comments about alleged corruption by the Philippine Olympic Committee, which apparently leads to the fielding of only 15 athletes for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
The summary of the concern is – “Why only 15 Filipino athletes? Why wasn’t there more financial resources put in to add more athletes? And why is it that the support entourage outnumbers the athletes 3:1 including a Manny Pacquiao?”
Comment from Californian said something like, “Unfortunately, Philippines will not win any gold medal in Beijing Olympics. This does not mean that we do not have the best athletes in the world but that we do not have the best training facilities and the best training programs. This is a result of the the widespread corruption in the country where most of the governmental programs only exist in paper but are way far from achieving their goals.”
Ok. There were also a lot more said, and the basic question is where the hell is the funding for the Philippine Olympic Team, and why is there not enough to develop the training or to send more athletes? Is it really a case of government corruption?
Well, I’m not sure what the allocated budget is for the Philippine Olympic Committee, but the Philippine Olympic Committee has memberships from all sorts of national sports associations, or what they call as NSA’s. There are 38 regular member NSA’s of the Philippine Olympic Committee. Some of these NSA’s include the National Golf Association of the Philippines, National Chess Federation of the Philippines, Philippine Karatedo Federation, Philippine Amateur Baseball Association, Basketball Association of the Philippines, Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association, Philippine Football Federation and more. The full list of recognized and accredited national sports associations by the Philippine Olympic Committee is available here.
I’m not certain, but it is my belief that for them to be accredited and recognized by the Philippine Olympic Committee, they have to be able to show a national program in the development of their specific sport, and not just on paper, but by actually executing the program in a national level. One of the tasks of the NSA’s is to find smaller associations, and monitor and support them in the local programs they have for that particular sport.
For example, the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) is the national sport association that governs football in the Philippines and organize the Philippines National Football Team. The PFF also hosts the PFF National Men’s Open Championships, which is a national tournament that helps in the development of national football, and eventually acts as a stage with which to pick out the best players to represent the Philippines.
Now, the PFF has members from the Provinicial Football Associations for regions around the Philippines. There are about 30 of these Provincial FA’s from all over the Philippines. OF coures, each PFA has also its own member football clubs and associations. For example, the NCR FA has among its members – Kaya FC, Diliman FC, Philippine Army FC, San Beda College, Makati FC, Ateneo FC and more. Some are school-based teams, and some are extra-curricular clubs.
Now, competitions are held at the provincial level among the clubs registered with that PFA, then the top players are then invited by the PFA to represent that particular PFA in the National Tournament. That’s where the politics may begin, but then the decision to include anyone in the PFA, in this case the NCR FA, is really based on talent and hard work. It is usually awarded to the athlete who can dedicate their efforts and talent to training and hard work, and then once the National Tournament comes along, the picks on who will represent team Philippines for international competition will then be considered.
Once again I’m not sure, but the funds allocated to the Philippine Olympic Committee by the government budget will somehow have to trickle down to the National Sports Associations (NSA’s) of a particular sport, and then will trickle down again to the Provincial Sports Associations, to the schools or to the extra-curricular clubs who participate.
The funding is usually spent for coming up with tournaments and competitions at every level from provincial to national. And then, what remains will be left for training and for representation in international competition.
Now, to get to the Olympic stage is not just as easy as paying for a ticket and a registration fee, and saying I want to compete. Eventually, there are qualifications for entering the Olympics in other international competitions, such as the Southeast Asian Games or the bigger Asian Games. Of course, doing well in the SEA Games means you earn a trip to the next level, which are the Asian Games, and then if you do well there you get a spot to play in the Olympics against the rest of the other continents.
So, while we all hear of Filipino athletes bagging golds left and right in the SEA Games against the likes of Cambodia, VIetnam and Thailand, some of them drop out of their Olympic dream when they reach the stage of the Asian Games, where the competition includes the likes of China, Japan, Korea, Israel and more.
Of course, the qualifying process is different for every sport, but eventually the task of getting picked to go to the Olympics is not one that is made by the Philippine Olympic Committee itself. The Philippine Olympic Committee still has to go through the channels and deal with the various NSA’s, who in turn have to deal with all sorts of Provincial Sports Associations or Regional Sports Associations, and from there move on to the international qualification stages for the Olympics.
Another commenter on the post, taexrhs83, suggested going down to the grass roots level to develop sports training and such. Well, the grass roots in this case would be the schools, a huge percentage of them which are public schools, who can’t afford to pay the teachers or the renovation of classrooms, much less improve the school yard for a proper baseball field, or a proper basketball court. The local public school solicits from its local city mayor, and eventually the city mayor releases some funds, but of course, the school principal in charge of the funds prioritizes the purchase of textbooks instead of baseball gloves.
The city mayor and the congressman of the district pull together some funds to build a park, equipped with tennis, basketball and badminton courts, and sometimes that’s all they can do. The rest is left to the citizens of that area if they want to go get a badminton/tennis racket, or pick up a basketball. Sure, the young kids do it, and hopefully when they get to high school they won’t give in to the peer pressure of drinking and smoking, both of which are readily available in the nearest sari-sari store. And while the law says you can’t buy these products under the age of 21, who the fuck are you kidding?
Even little kids sell the cigarettes per piece for 2 pesos, and little boy Junior will always be asked by his uncle to go next door to get Emperador from Aling Nene, and Aling Nene will oblige little boy Junior.
Yup, the problems intertwine with all sorts of other things. Poverty mainly being the cause of what would stop one from being a successful athlete. Most parents can’t even afford a decent meal, let alone the proper shoes an athlete would require just to even run.
Of course, I’m just trying to give an objective view into how it works here in the Philippines. Give me time to do some research, and maybe we can get someone from the Philippine Olympic Committee give a better, more comprehensive explanation to answer for the allegations of corruption or under-developed athletes.
However, based on the results of these 2008 Beijing Olympics, while the Philippines may not have a medal – some of the Filipino athletes who’ve competed have made a remarkable feat by improving their personal best. And sometimes that’s all you can hope for – that each individual comes out of this experience a better person, with better energy, with more wisdom – and eventually that what they accomplish will be an inspiration for someone to be determined to do better. Of course, all in the name of the Philippines.
However, I’d still like to know if the POC paid for Manny Pacquiao’s ticket? Anyone, anyone?
The Philippine Olympic Team at 2008 Beijing Olympics
Here is the list of 15 Filipino athletes who will be representing the Philippines as part of the Olympic team that will compete in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Athletics: Marestella Torres and Henry Dagmil
Boxing: Harry Tanamor
Diving: Sheila Mae Perez and Rexel Ryan Fabriga
Swimming: Daniel Cockley, Ryan Paolo Arabejo, Miguel Molina, James Walsh and Joan Christel Simms
Weightlifting: Hidilyn Diaz
Shooting: Eric Ang
Archer: Mark Javier
Taekwondo:Toni Rivero and Tshomlee Go
Apart from these athletes, there are also coaches, Olympics officials, Olympic committee members, and even Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was in attendance. Oh yes, and even boxing champion Manny Pacquiao was around to lift the flag for the Philippines during the opening ceremonies at the Bird’s Nest stadium. There are also 5 Filipino athletes who will be participating in Wushu as a special event of the Olympiad.
In any case, the best bet to win an Olympic Gold Medal is Harry Tanamor, who will compete in the boxing event.
I’m not sure if we will be able to access some of the Philippines’ Olympic action on our TV/Cable channels. If there is any information on that, then please share it with the Philippines Fun Wall. But then, while we do support our fellow countrymen in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, we’re also excited to watch Robinho, Ronaldinho, Pato and Kaka play for Brazil in Men’s soccer; Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony and Lebron James for USA in Men’s Basketball; Ana Ivanovic (Serbia), Roger Federer (Switzerland) and Rafael Nadal (Spain) for Tennis; Michael Phelps of USA in swimming, and Usain Bolt of Jamaica in running!
It’ll be great to watch the greatest names play well in their respective sports. Of course, it’ll be greater if the Philippines can win an Olympic Gold Medal and prove that they are among the best athletes in the world in that sport. So anyway – GO PHILIPPINES!!!
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