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Pacquiao vs Cotto: Firepower Will Beget Fireworks

Sunday, November 15th, 2009 Tags:, , , , ,

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Pacquiao vs Cotto: Firepower Will Beget Fireworks

by Troen Gonzales

It’s interesting to notice that Pacquiao’s pre-fight nights have become like Christmas Eve for me. Man, you’ve got to hand it to Manny. It seems almost everybody I meet on the street is talking up some Pacquiao strategy, or Pacquiao past fights, opinions, predictions, or Pacquiao this, Pacquiao that, or whatnot.

Lately, I’ve heard some news that extremist rebels in the south just released a captive priest simply so they could watch Firepower. If that’s not indicative of what Manny can do to the morale-boosted Filipino psyche, I don’t know what else does.

History beckons as fiery Filipino Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao dukes it out tomorrow with Puerto Rico’s pride Miguel Angel Cotto.

At stake, more than that ludicrous diamond belt prize WBO is dangling in front of the two fighters, is the pride of two warring countries (in the boxing arena of course), the distinction of being the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, and, for Pacquiao, a shot at immortality if he wins this extravagant fistic exchange over Cotto.

If victorious, Manny Pacquiao will hold the distinction of blazing through several weight divisions and claiming seven world titles in the process, a feat that no other boxer in the modern times has achieved. It’s just so surreal that, a while ago, we looked up to Henry Armstrong as the barometer of such a feat, having won three world titles in the 1930’s simultaneously.

Yet lately, an Asian from a third-world country wanted to defy the odds and outdo Homicide Hank’s achievements.

And defy them he did. Well, almost.

While Pacquiao approaches the crossroads of boxing history, Cotto is right in the middle of it. History will be determined in the nitty-gritty details of leather-exchange inside the ring.

Yes, Manny has undeniably heavenly assets in boxing skills and pure athleticism, but no one in his right mind should ever try to discredit what Cotto brings to the table. Despite that however, I think the major factors favor Pacquiao — and ever so slightly — to covet the Boricua’s welterweight belt.

Size

It does not matter. Yes, I am one of those (in the minority, perhaps) who doesn’t think Pacquiao is bothered by the breadth of Cotto’s midsections. Those who think that it does may have forgotten that Manny’s main sparring partner was Shawn Porter, who is a legitimate middleweight. The “Showtime” from Ohio may have decked Manny clean early in his training, but if you have been following Pacquiao’s relatively chaotic training camp, you would have known that it was Pacquiao who gave Porter the fits that made Roach smile for most of the training days.

Of course, others do point out the weight increase Cotto will bring on fight night. What’s up with the idea of Cotto weighing in more than 15 pounds than Manny? A fighter can only add so much bulk within a 24-hour period; experts believe that it’s unhealthy to gain more than 10% of a boxer’s contracted weight during fight night. Even if Miguel can handle the spike in poundage, will he be able to handle the sluggishness that comes with more weight?

Power

I may have to give this one to Cotto, for obvious reasons. Miguel mostly fights flat-footed, with torso-twisting strength and superior frame lending power to two bombs. Cotto is known to pummel his opponents with sledgehammer hooks to the body until the other boxer could handle it no more.

On the other side of the equation, Pacquiao has carried that same devastating power of his through the weight classes. He was a one-punch, one-knockout wonder before; now, his lethality consists of a barrage of power punches at unorthodox angles designed to weaken the opponent. Sparring partners have said he has the power of a middleweight.

Will Pacquiao KO Cotto? Maybe. Still I wouldn’t place my bet on that one, ‘coz it might be the other way around.

Speed

Much has been said of Pacquiao’s speed and outstanding footwork. I’m afraid Miguel might have to find a way to neutralize his speed, probably hammering away to Pacquiao’s body to take away his breath, or go like Marquez and counterpunch whatever Manny brings. At any rate, Cotto will have a heck of a time executing whatever counter-method he’ll dish out, as virtually no one in Pacquiao’s last several fights, save Marquez, has been able to get past his blazing speed effectively.

Heart

Is Cotto really damaged goods? Will he be able to fight Pacquiao with a “pre-Margarito” mindset? I’ll let that question linger up to the fight, where his mind/heart condition will be crystal-clear. The picture of guts he displayed during that Clottey fight wasn’t entirely convincing. Pacquiao’s heart on the other hand, has been clearly unquestioned ever since… he plunged himself into dirt-paying amateur fights in Manila. Notwithstanding the uncertainties, both fighters have undoubtedly the biggest hearts in today’s boxing, giving us the Firepower match the boxing world really needs right now.

I have Pacquiao giving Cotto a KO anywhere in the first six rounds of the fight. Other than that, I’d be more than happy to let anything go.


Boxing’s Pound-for-Pound King: An Equation Left to Satisfy

Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009 Tags:, , , , , ,

Category: The Inside Jab by Troen Gonzales 2 Comments »

Boxing's Pound-for-Pound King: An Equation Left to Satisfy

Cleverly-devised riddles nag anyone’s psyche like your mother did when you were seven. And to many boxing fans, there can be no greater riddle as to who is currently the top pound-for-pound king of this generation.

Does Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao retain that mythical — and largely debatable — title?

Or does former boxing champion Floyd “Money” Mayweather Jr. has stake to that claim?

For the last 20 or so months, the world bestowed Pacquiao its acknowledgement of the best fighter in the world, as Floyd tried to fade into the limelight convinced of his undying parting legacies to boxing. Ever humble as he is, the Filipino spitfire stepped up and received that title like a holy gift from God, cloaked in the proverbial mantle.

Unfortunately for Pacquiao, that riddle resurfaced when the Michigan Pretty Boy reemerged from his semi-”retirement” cocoon to beat the man widely considered to be the second best boxer in the world, Juan Manuel Marquez.

“El Dinamita” from Mexico gave Manny the fits in their last two fights, narrowly losing to the Pacman. You could consider him as Pacquiao’s kryptonite. Yet, as we witnessed last Sept. 19 at the Las Vegas MGM Grand, the Number One toyed with the Numero Uno, exactly what a cat does with its catch of mouse. Vitaliy Shaposhnikov of Diamond Boxing overheard someone in the crowd, “Mayweather, don’t play with your food!”

But enough of the fight. Now that you have two active, legitimate pound-for-pound title holders straddling a single peak, who gets to stand atop the summit?

It would be absurd to let the tension stay there, given the international boxing community’s adoration for the east Asian bomber, and Money’s super-bloated ego (probably as large as the Philippine population). There’s the demand for the fight too. A potential Pacquiao-Mayweather fight, as it seems to a large majority of fans and experts, would be boxing’s biggest draw since Ali and Frasier gave fans thrillas in Manila in 1975.

Forgive me if I have to give a flimsy analogy on why the riddle should be solved. In philosophy and metaphysics, the concept of an ultimate authority rests on the fact that there cannot be a higher authority than the perceived ultimate authority itself. (It’s okay, you can read that sentence again.)
With that said, it follows that there cannot be two or more ultimate authorities coexisting with one another.

These concepts are regularly and discreetly applied to arguments of governmental/organizational hierarchies, or to the concept of a Supreme Being itself. Two distinctly different entities that assert equal authority and power are contradictory and are bound to conflict each other. Think of all the national wars that have been waged just because two or more rulers thought they were ultimate authorities in a single territory.

Both fistic champions carry authority in the boxing world (not in the political sense of course, although Pacquiao would like to contest that). As improbable the circumstances are in creating that match in the first place, ardent boxing fans everywhere are acutely aware that these two opposing planets will someday collide.

The riddle cannot be solved by boxing pundits and fans alike in the forums, in websites, and in who-knows-where, by posting their own pound-for-pound lists, which is subject to a million subjective opinions and contested by hordes of biased followers.

Similarly, Shane Mosley was correct in saying that Mayweather cannot be the best just by saying “I am the best.” To be prove that beyond a doubt means he has to conclusively beat Mosley, Cotto, Pacquiao, and whoever else is trying to claim “ultimate authority” in boxing glory, so to speak.

The riddle demands to be answered, and it has to be solved in a boxing ring.


Boycott Mayweather-Marquez? Yeah Right.

Friday, September 18th, 2009 Tags:, , , , , , ,

Category: The Inside Jab by Troen Gonzales No Comments »

Boycott Mayweather-Marquez? Yeah Right.

It’s been quite a spectacle over at the Pacland forumers site, with one like-minded group trying to “boycott” (as if they could) the fistic advance between Floyd “Pretty Boy” Mayweather and Juan Manuel “Dinamita” Marquez this September 19 at the Las Vegas MGM Grand.

The ad hoc movement isn’t confined in that raucous forum alone. It seems that the nearer “Numero Uno vs. Number One” gets, the more intensified the activity is in various news commentary. The rest of the majority seem to throw up their hands in the air and mentally assign them to the category of “nutjobs” or whatever label they can come up with.

Yes, Marquez and Mayweather will not detract from their fighting styles. Technically, counterpunching is boring. Waiting. Running. Not getting hit. The style requires mental savviness, diligence, and patience to dish out damage when the opponent least expects it.

True, it does not have the fireworks of Manny Pacquiao’s style. Even Mexicans resent Marquez’s counterpunching propensities, as they claim “Mexicans do not fight that way”.

I will give you that.

But, puh-leeez. Get real. While many indeed agree that the resulting match would be a relatively “boring fight” — due to the style similarities between all-time greats — no one would doubt that this fight will be a very significant one.

The results I mean.

One would probably expect to: 1) yawn, 2) go back to your lunch, 3) heed the call of nature in the middle of the action, when you crowd yourselves at a local PPV venue. But no doubt there will be anticipation to finally know as to who deserves to challenge Pacquiao’s pound-for-pound crown. No matter how “boring” these fighters are, at the end of that fight, one of them understandably has all the right to tug at Manny shorts begging for a shot at the P4P mantle.

Face it. You’re secretly itching to watch a replay later on while denouncing that in the forums. Heck, you may even have a PPV ticket in your pocket right now.


Throwing Your Brains Out: In Life and In the Ring

Friday, May 8th, 2009 Tags:, , , , , , , , ,

Category: The Inside Jab by Troen Gonzales 1 Comment »

Throwing Your Brains Out: In Life and In the Ring

by Troen Gonzales, Boxingbulletin.net

True in typical Pacnuthugging fashion, various movie images get Photoshopped with astounding wit or predictable inanity.

For those of you who haven’t been icebroken with the term “Pacnuthugger”, you clearly haven’t been to the hotbed of Pacmania madness: the Philboxing forum, and its front act, mannypacquiao.ph.

Okay, we all know a nuthugger is someone who hugs… well…… that scrawny bundle containing little white ninjas that make you a man (or a father, if you got careless). It’s actually a metaphor for someone whose loyalty for someone else is so way up in the sky, it may exceed rational or logical constraints, and derails balanced opinion-making. It’s meant for one who ignores facts and bashes just about anyone who tries to denigrate his/her idol. The extreme types are bad-mouthed, bigoted, and sometimes overtly racist, and they usually frequent in forums because they don’t have the balls (pun intended) to personally square off with those who disagree with them.

Obviously, you know who a Pacnuthugger will die for.

But they have their good sides, like humoring us with the below picture for instance. (I’m not really sure if that’s a product of Pacnuthuggerism, but it’s a good one anyway and it got me floored.)

mannyrine

Manny just crossed over from DC Comics to Marvel.

Me? I’m just a really really big fan of Pacman, whom I see still has weaknesses in his boxing repertoire, despite his incredible, mind-blowing improvement. As fond as I am of him, I’m not just gonna throw my brains away.

———-

That’s right. And that’s something like what Hatton did against Manny. Once the Hitman was aggravated, he chose to revert back to an amateurish, 10-year-old strategy that worked against B-class fighters; a club fighting strategy that failed miserably against elite pugilists like Mayweather and Pacquiao.

If only Hatton held his right arm guard much higher, he would have lasted more rounds. Sorry man. Even if you had prior rifts with “Joy” Mayweather Sr., listening to your coach does really pay off.




Mule Pacquiao Trumps Italian Stallion Hatton

Tuesday, May 5th, 2009 Tags:, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Category: The Inside Jab by Troen Gonzales 1 Comment »

Mule Pacquiao Trumps Italian Stallion Hatton

by Troen Gonzales, Boxingbulletin.net

The proverbial London bridge fell down on Saturday as the current pound for pound king Manny Pacquiao put Ricky Hatton, the junior welterweight champion, out of commission with a devastating left hook that sent the Brit packing, and perhaps; possibly into retirement.

The knockout punch, a solid, overwhelming left hook flush to the Hitman’s chin, was delivered beautifully by the now-legendary Filipino fighter in the final seconds of Round 2. Call it picture-perfect punch, a painting, a portrait, a priceless film-reel moment, but it’s doubtful many adjectives will fail to describe that historic moment when an Eastern bomb rocked a Western iron-clad chin out cold.

Pacquiao’s handling of Hatton was complete and utter domination. Earlier in round one, Manny sent Ricky to the floor twice, punishing him for coming too close to him and trying to stand toe-to-toe with the pound for pound king. Loud-mouthed Floyd Mayweather Snr., Hatton’s trainer, had told him not to engage Pacman on the inside, but to box him intelligently. Yet, as Freddie Roach so accurately argued: box as he must; once Pacquiao does the aggravation, the Hitman will revert to the old “glorified club fighter” who mauls and brawls for a living; who is wide open to the Pacman’s arsenal of punches.

Or as Cus D’amato had it: square pegs do not die round.

Round 1 – Signs of Trouble

That fight night and the millions of fans glued to the bout absolutely found that argument true.

From the onset of the fight, Hatton tried to test the waters by staying true to Mayweather Senior’s gameplan. Pacquiao was slow at first but was just getting warmed up as well. When the Filipino phenom infused pressure by sending a barrage of combos, Hatton seemed to let his heart rule over his head, trying to bridge the distance by lunging himself to Pacquiao and hugging him for dear life.

Well-connected body shots didn’t seem to faze Pacquiao, who, in several times, glided away with little trouble from Hatton’s street fighting predilections. The General Santos native wisely covered his face with his forearms during the cuddling sessions, and if Hatton still wanted to stay intimate with accompanying body shots, referee Kenny Bayless untangled them up, wanting none of those.

pacquiao_right_straight

Pacquiao sets up a left for Hatton.

All those months of technical training in the Las Vegas outskirts was thrown out the window like a bag of bricks as Hatton reverted back to his true form.

The Hitman got his first taste of the Rockstar logo below as he ate a short but thundering right hook from Pacquiao, just as he was cocking up with his left hook. He got up to his knees just before Bayless’ count ended. For a moment there, Hatton was in a brief reflective mood and probably wondered what the heck he had gotten himself into.

Many of Pacman’s opponents have regretted the hour when they stepped into the twilight zone of Pacmania.

Thereafter, the Filipino’s fury was unleashed before the helpless Hatton, whose face was now reddened by the continuous battering. Ropes to post. Post to center. A thrashing treatment did Hatton receive.

At the end of the tirade Pacquiao managed to send the Mancunian down with an oppressive left straight. Flicking his head like he was saying “tsk”, the gallant Brit beat the count once again but was timely saved by the bell from another occasion of chastisement.

Round 2 – The Concluding Stroke

Ricky seemed to be in his senses once again as he engaged Pacquiao on the outside. The two had rather heated exchanges, but again, Bayless warns Ricky about excessive holding. Manny desperately tries to get out of the body locks and sends a powerful message of his own, including a flurry of vicious left straights and swift hooks from unconventional angles.

With the old Ricky Hatton out, the Hitman didn’t stand a chance against Pacman’s blistering combos.

Manny Pacquiao finally buries all doubts about his lethality by knocking Hatton’s lights out before the round’s end. The spitfire of the Orient, sensing that Hatton already had an eye for his right hook, contributed to the Hitman’s possible retirement by feinting a right jab in front of Hatton’s face but following it up with a huge left hook, planting it square on his right chin. For a split second there, the bomb disfigured Hatton’s face and immediately shut him down, making him thud to the canvas violently to a prone position.

2:59 in Round 2 to be exact.

For Bayless, there was no need to count him out. He dismisses the fight as soon as he sees Ricky’s eyes lost in another world called Disbelief.

Hatton’s sprawled out, prone arrangement was his worst position of his career inside the ring. For many boxing pundits, it signaled the end of his once glorious career that destroyed the likes of Kostya Tszyu and Paulie Malignaggi.

Ricky’s career however, was farthest from the nearest throng’s minds as they saw concern for the Brit’s health. For many Filipinos, Hatton looked like a total mess; a fish out of water gasping for air. Ring physicians ardently checked him out. Fiancee Jennifer Dooley let out a heartbreaking scream. Hatton’s mom dared not to look. And the millions of Brits inside the MGM Grand, who were really better off as soccer fans, were upstaged by their Filipino counterparts, realizing that their own boxing son had finally hit a solid wall.

The Aftermath

Hatton spent the next several minutes on canvas hell while Pacquiao was up on limelight heaven.

Ring doctors were finally relieved that Hatton had the strength to walk away from the ring, albeit, in limping mode.

Mayweather Sr. was nowhere to be seen with the Hatton camp. Instead, Joy spent time signing autographs for the recognition he barely deserves. The rift in the camp beforehand became totally apparent as he pins the loss straight on Hatton, who he claims disobeyed his ring instructions to box and not engage; to fight with his head, not with a foolhardy heart.

Meanwhile, Pacquiao, ever his humble self, was surprised that it was all so easy.

Unsurprising words from someone who eats sparring partners for breakfast.

Nonetheless, his humility still shines through as he credits Hatton for being very strong and possessing significant lead punching.

Freddie Roach, in the post-fight conference, concedes being the best trainer only because of the Philippine’s National Fist.

And Bob Arum, with a smile of a Cheshire Cat, spouts off a load of seeming hyperboles of how Manny is one of the all-time greats.

Many a fighter would go gaga and bloat their heads over his declarations, but Pacquiao handles it quite well by not flinching and simply sipping from a bottle of mineral water.

Pacquiao Hatton Boxing

Pacman rides on to victory.

Certainly, Manny Pacquiao has erased all the doubting Thomases of the boxing world concerning his right as the pound-for-pound sovereign. Many fans expected Manny to win, but not at such a terrifying quickness and intensity. Against Ricky Hatton, all reservations about his elite skill — his vaunted power, lightning speed, ever-increasing skill set, and ever-improving defense — are conclusively laid to rest. No respectable boxing pundit from here on would dare try to belittle Pacquiao.

Not only that. Manny’s greatness also comes from the same humility, magnanimity, and spirituality, which are too astonishing to even think that they exist at his level of international and historical greatness. Muhammad Ali could’ve learned a thing or two from him if they were contemporaries.

With his victory last Saturday, Pacquiao may claim all the right to rise above the pound-for-pound mantle to be in one of the pantheon of history’s greatest boxers.


Nacho Beristain Roots for Pacquiao

Sunday, May 3rd, 2009 Tags:, , , , , , , ,

Category: The Inside Jab by Troen Gonzales No Comments »

Nacho Beristain Roots for Pacquiao

by Troen Gonzales, Boxingbulletin.net

Top Mexican trainer and boxing sage extraordinaire Ignacio “Nacho” Beristain picks pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao to win over the current junior welterweight champion Ricky Hatton. The two pugilists will duke it out today at the Las Vegas MGM Grand.

The trainer’s vote of confidence in Pacquiao is considerably significant, given that Nacho has been at the helm of Pacquiao’s top opponents: Juan Manual Marquez and Oscar de la Hoya. So far, Nacho and his charges have failed to dismantle the Pacman’s boxing prowess. He and Marquez did come close to breaking the man though, when Marquez fought the Filipino national treasure in two of Pacquiao’s most controversial fights.

“I think Pacquiao is going to win… [P]acquiao is a lot faster and his left hand is lethal,” the legendary Mexican trainer admits, whose training of Marquez gave Pacquiao the most significant problems in the ring. Beristain is known as a fighter who applies old school training on his fighters. Just like Roach, Nacho improves on the fighter’s strengths, augments their shortcomings, and tries not to drastically change the fighter. He has trained with Mexico’s best, including Marquez and his brother, Rafael, Daniel Zaragoza, Gilberto Roman, and Humberto Gonzalez.

Careful not to dismiss with what Hatton brings inside the ring, Beristain says the Hitman is “very strong”, but balances it by saying he gets hit a lot. And no wonder. With Pacquiao’s phenomenal punch output rate, Hatton might taste the fury of a Philippine tropical storm: relentless and unforgiving.


All Smiles Now, Fist Trading Later

Thursday, April 30th, 2009 Tags:, , , , , , , , , , ,

Category: The Inside Jab by Troen Gonzales No Comments »

All Smiles Now, Fist Trading Later

by Troen Gonzales, Boxingbulletin.net

So far, boxing contenders for the top junior welterweight crown Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton have been so respectful and cordial to each other, the contrast will be all too apparent as the fighters will drum up total devastation on Saturday evening, May 2, at the MGM Grand.

Despite media concerns about Pacquiao’s overworking tendencies and his nagging worry about swine flu, the Filipino spitfire claims he is pumped up a 110 percent and is rearing to crack the British slugger’s ironman frame. Pacquiao’s celebrity trainer Freddie Roach thinks so too.

“He’s been the best I’ve ever seen him in training camp,” Freddie remarked. “He was so sharp… [H]e fought like four perfect rounds… [I]t was really good to see, I was so happy. He came back to the corner, I gave him a drink of water and I didn’t even have to say anything to him.”

Pacquiao’s mother, Dionisia, is in town to watch her son fight for the first time. Nanay Dionisia’s presence seems to have wound up Pacman’s spring dial a few notches tighter.

Even the Hitman was in physical, mental, and emotional peaks. “This is the best Ricky Hatton’s ever been… [I] haven’t lost too many rounds at junior welterweight, never mind fights, because I’ve been too strong,” he said.

The Mancunian has been rather too happy to acknowledge that he continues to be the huge underdog for this fight, saying that he had been in these occasions before. “I love it, I love it,” stated Hatton. “The way people are talking about Manny, you’d think he should be fighting Godzilla.“

In the final press conference at the MGM Grand Casino Resort, the two sensational pugilists only had mutual respect for each other, leaving all the trash-talking to their trainers. Roach characteristically harped on how he’d be disappointed if Pacquiao didn’t stop Hatton at round 3. Meanwhile, the Hitman’s sensei-come-poet Floyd Mayweather Sr. rhymed out his fight opinions, although in a more poetic flair.

In the ring, however, the two won’t be so nice to each other. Pacquiao, the pound-for-pound best fighter by consensus, is heavily favored and is expected to use his bread-and-butter superior punching speed and agile footwork for defense. Hatton, undefeated at 140 lbs., will certainly rely on brute strength and his size advantage over Pacman. The Hitman claimed he’ll certainly add more tactical flavoring to his pressuring and strength-based fighting style. He concluded, “They call this the Battle of East and West. And our worlds will collide in the ring on Saturday night.”

“We haven’t come here to tickle each other,” the Hitman said.


Pacquiao, Hatton Friend Khan Votes for Neither One

Thursday, April 16th, 2009 Tags:, , , , , ,

Category: The Inside Jab by Troen Gonzales No Comments »

Pacquiao, Hatton Friend Khan Votes for Neither One

by Troen Gonzales, Boxingbulletin.net

Rising pugilist star Amir Khan modestly says in essence, “I don’t really know“, when asked about the outcome of the Pacquiao-Hatton megafight come May 2. Khan echoed Manny Pacquiao’s unassuming view during the last promotional event, albeit of a more spiritual tone.

In an interview with Sky Sport News.com, Khan marveled briefly at both fighters’ prowess in the ring and the weapons that they will bring to the canvass come fight night.

“Manny Pacquiao’s got that speed and explosiveness… and so is Ricky Hatton… [he] is explosive as well,” remarked Khan. “I don’t think Manny Pacquiao has been hit on the body by a good body puncher like Ricky Hatton… Once Ricky Hatton throw ‘dem body shots and bombs at the body… you don’t know.”

The young boxing upstart from England, who frustrated Marco Antonio Barrera last month under the tutelage of celebrated trainer Freddie Roach, muses on the strengths of both boxers’ skills, pointing out Ricky’s destructive body shots and Manny’s lightning speed.

“Can Manny handle the pressure? Or can Ricky handle the speed of Pacquiao? Both fighters are on the top of their game, they’re on peak, and they have good, good wins in their previous fights,” expressed Khan.

The British boxer will be fighting Ukrainian Andreas Kotelnik on June 27. For that fight, Khan will be stepping up to the 140-lb junior welterweight division. However, promoter Don King has been challenging and accusing Khan of harboring a tainted victory over Barrera, who lost via a technicality when he carried a bloody cut all the way to the fifth round.

The promising fighter from Bolton finally ended the speculation by saying, “I’m just gonna go there enjoy the night.”


Hatton Still Dangerous

Tuesday, April 14th, 2009 Tags:, , , , , , , ,

Category: The Inside Jab by Troen Gonzales 1 Comment »

Hatton Still Dangerous

by Troen Gonzales, Boxingbulletin.net

It is said that if you repeat an unproven assertion, a murky half-truth, or even an untrue statement at a certain number of times (probably between counts of 20 to 30), that claim, however false, becomes a fact in the minds of men.

Opinion polls and online surveys may have had a similar kind of effect on boxing fans, regular and hardcore alike. It’s not worth mentioning that I stand guilty too. Nowadays, when you land on a Pacquiao-Hatton Web page or on bread-and-butter boxing news sites, any number of them will not fail to sport a widget of some kind to gauge who among the polled favored either warrior. By and large, the Pacman comes out sitting on the higher end of the virtual seesaw.

It’s not difficult to see why Manny is cast in a favorable light over Ricky. Having demolished current Mexican legends Barrera, Marquez, Diaz, Morales, and the boxing icon Oscar de la Hoya, the Philippine national fist has earned the right to be the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. Not to mention the title of “Mexicutioner”.

Not only that, Pacquiao possesses a highly desirable fighting skill set (courtesy of Freddie Roach), a phenomenal punching power to back it up, nimble footwork to carry him through , and a lightning hand speed to die for.

Power, agility, speed. Plus a trail of strewn, knocked-out Mexicans. No wonder Pacman, in this match-up, is catapulted to be the huge overdog (if there’s such a term).

It’s terribly hard to extract hype from boxing. Hype is one of the pugilistic sport’s inexplicable innate natures, like what omniscience is to God, or what braggadocio dancing antics is to Naseem Hamed.

But with all the hype and the hypnotizing effect of opinion polls, it’s easy to overlook the Manchester native’s potency as a fighter.

Just last weekend, HBO released the first of its series aimed to showcase both the boxer’s personal lives, the relational dynamics with the closely-connected, and the delicate issues that have haunted or inspired them. One of the highlights of the first episode (aside from Hatton showing off his plump British-behind indiscriminately) was Floyd Mayweather Sr.’s assessment of Ricky when they first trained together.

Ricky’s Cons

No doubt, the Hitman is aggressive, said daddy Mayweather. Too aggressive for his taste, actually. According to the defensive specialist, Hatton was “overly aggressive” for him and “didn’t even know how to hit the pads”. It’s an expected appraisal of someone who uses brute strength predominantly to bulldoze opponents, like what he did with Kostya Tszyu and most of his challengers. After Hatton tried that stuff with his trainer’s son — “Pretty Boy” Mayweather Jr. — and lost, and after a less-than-stellar performance against Juan Lazcano, the Mancunian realized he had had enough of his previous trainer’s strength building routines.

Hatton opted for a fresh approach through Mayweather Sr. It was a welcome change for him, as the trainer-come-poet’s most profound advice to him was, “strength don’t mean nothin’ if you can’t find nothin’ to hit”.

Aside from Hatton’s propensity to hit like a truck and leave his bases wide open, the outspoken Mayweather may have to contend with Ricky’s all out, booze-consuming lifestyle, which nearly cost him the fight over Lazcano. Hatton’s alcohol binges in-between fights, some say, have negatively affected his stamina during matches.

The irony is funny however. Mayweather Sr. has been reported eating out at a popular fast food chain in Las Vegas, apparently having contracted a petty habit of Hatton to indulge on fast food. “Three weeks with me and he’s on the KFC,” remarked Hatton. “I see that as a personal victory.” Earlier, the two met halfway on the fast food eating issue.

Ricky’s Improvements

Now, as he gears up for his fight against the current pound-for-pound king, Ricky Hatton trains with an intensity and fervor unlike any of his previous campaigns.

The desired changes in fighting details have come quick according to the duo. In Episode 1 of HBO’s pre-fight series, Hatton looked alarmingly fast when he sparred with Mayweather.

“It has been miles better this time with Floyd,” said the Manchester brawler. “I’m faster now than how I was at the end of the last training camp.”

In the show, Mayweather disclosed that his training approach with Ricky circled on a basic principle: hit, and not get hit. In addition, the defensive trainer is concentrating more on the Hitman’s “speed and sharpness”.

“It was a case of, after seven weeks in training camp, ‘bang, look at me, a new fighter,’ ” Hatton declared. Some pundits have asserted that Hatton may very well be past his prime. Hatton stated that his current training under Mayweather Sr. “showed [he] wasn’t past it.”

Don’t lose your sights fight fans. Hopefully the polls haven’t gotten the best of us. Hatton remains a menace to be reckoned with.


A Round of Applause to HBO

Monday, April 13th, 2009 Tags:, , , , , , , , ,

Category: The Inside Jab by Troen Gonzales No Comments »

A Round of Applause to HBO

HBO Releases First of Several Series on 24/7 Pacquiao vs. Hatton

by Troen Gonzales, Boxingbulletin.net

Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton opened up a whole new level of their personal lives and ongoing career moments to the hungry public when the boxing telecasting giant HBO released the first episode of its much-awaited 24/7 Pacquiao vs. Hatton documentary on April 11, Saturday.

For Pacquiao, the world’s pound-for-pound boxing champ, having an HBO crew filming his training regimen seems to be — in corporate lingo — in the ordinary course of business. The Pacman rubbed elbows with the HBO guys in the weeks leading up to his previous fistic exchange with the Golden Boy Oscar de la Hoya.

For the Hatton camp, the ongoing revelation must have dealt quite an adjustment for them. All that talk about his saddening loss to “Pretty Boy” Floyd Mayweather Jr., that painful separation with long-time trainer Billy Graham, or the initial inelegance of the dialogues and bantering Hatton had with his trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr. felt somewhat discomfiting. Especially when you get to shamelessly show the cheeks of your behind (and the lacy thongs in between) for all the public to see.

Still, the relational dynamics in both camps have bubbled up to the surface courtesy of HBO’s documenting prowess. The audio-visual narratives showcase the richness of their stories and experiences, only serving as irresistible appetizers for fans and luring even the most boxing-disinterested folks to the MGM Grand’s square canvas on May 2.


The Charging Pacman: Bulldozing Through a Myriad of Hitmans

Friday, April 3rd, 2009 Tags:, , , , ,

Category: The Inside Jab by Troen Gonzales No Comments »

The Charging Pacman: Bulldozing Through a Myriad of Hitmans

- by Troen Gonzales, Boxingbulletin.net

It seems Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton isn’t the only one possessed with a true bullying spirit.

Nearly two months into his arduous work outs, Manny Pacquiao has left a trail of injured practitioners in his training battle grounds at the Wild Card Gym. Just don’t mention the firestorm of controversies he left in his wake back home.

Legendary trainer Freddie Roach is continuing to stack up a roster of sparring mates who own similar fighting styles as that of the Manchester hero. Pacquiao will need all the help he can get to prepare himself defending against a solid wall of Hatton aggression.

Junior lightweight fighter Urbano Antillon was picked off as the leading sparring partner for Manny. Antillon sports an impressive 25 wins and no losses, 18 of those wins attributed to knockouts. The Californian was selected to condition the General Santos native since his style mimics best the bulldozing antics of the Hitman.

During his sparring sessions with the main man, the Filipino has been known to verbally challenge Antillon whenever the latter lands clean shots to the body. “C’mon,” says the Pinoy champ through his thick headgear. “I like the body.”

These sessions have come as a comforting thought for Pacman fans. Several critics of the pound-for-pound king continue to pound away at Pacquiao’s suspect midsection.

Super featherweight fighter David Rodela is also on the spot to pressure Pacquiao every now and then. Rodela has sparred with Ricky Hatton in the past, and looks forward to sharing Hatton’s styles with Pacquiao.

Roach had thrown in differently-styled fighters into the fray, such as the crafty Jorge Linares, or the muscle-bound light heavyweight southpaw Michael Moorer.

The principle behind the variety of fighters, as Manny writes in his regular Philboxing.com column, is to prepare for whatever style Hatton is going to dish out at the MGM Grand canvas.

The proclaimed Philippine national treasure has already made a bloody mess of two sparring partners in the past weeks. Pacquiao dealt a cut to Art Hovhannesyan’s left eyelid despite the latter’s protective headgear. Gary Young recently fell victim to the champ’s combinations, leaving the gym with a bloodied-nose and his name crushed out from the training list.

Whatever the tactical scenario on May 2, the quicker and smarter bulldozer will have the aces on his sleeve.


Puh-leeez Silence the Critics

Thursday, April 2nd, 2009 Tags:, ,

Category: The Inside Jab by Troen Gonzales No Comments »

Puh-leeez Silence the Critics

- by Troen Gonzales, Boxingbulletin.net

Manny Pacquiao’s errant dealings with two giant network juggernauts were bad enough distractions to his training regimen and his focus on disassembling Ricky Hatton on May 2. Unfortunately for us, many of boxing fans, and the Philippine public in general, were unavoidably in for a wild ride.

A ride to what?

A ride to the biggest bag of money, that’s what.

Before you go and slap your palm to your forehead and regret you’ve started reading this supposed Pacquiao-bashing article, I only want to let you know that the grievances against Manny’s blunder and finger-pointing have not ceased into non-existence.

Far from diminishing into oblivion, most Filipinos and foreign observers have escalated their tirades against Pacman’s seeming “greed” that was inevitably exposed when he kissed Solar Sports on the cheek and received thirty silver coins from ABS-CBN; so to speak.

For some, his current gaffes have reinforced his propensity to making erroneous judgments in the business side of things.

As it turned out, either the Pinoy Phenom got the facts wrong or someone from the Philippines’ largest network station sweetened the deal for him.

Tell you what.

I’m not even going to delve into all of the intricacies of his decision-making, or what his flip-flopping signified about his intentions for the Filipino people and all that jazz. I guess I’m more tolerant of Pacquiao’s foibles. We all scr*w up anyway.

From now on, how should we look at this nagging blight we know as the Solar Skirmish? Come May 2, I reckon that even the most vocal of the hurt ones will be silenced by their hidden giddiness when Pacman finally makes it to the MGM Grand.

When the prodigious Pacquiao steps up into the canvas amidst the roaring cheers of his countrymen; when the national anthem stirs up a swell of pride among Filipinos; from the moment he lands the first of his crushing left straights to a blurring typhoon of combinations; when he grimaces gladly at a downed Hatton; when he finally straddles the ring corner as if all of heaven and earth converged to celebrate his victory; all of the nosy intrigues and misgivings and qualms will fade away from the dazzling limelight as Pacquiao steps up to once again reclaim pure, true, unabashed pride and glory for him and for all Filipinos worldwide.

Guess what? Manny’s Solar faux pas will be as bygone as an abandoned wild western town.


Manny Pacquiao vs. Ricky Hatton – The Battle of the East and West

Wednesday, April 1st, 2009 Tags:, , , ,

Category: The Inside Jab by Troen Gonzales No Comments »

Manny Pacquiao vs. Ricky Hatton - The Battle of the East and West

- by Troen Gonzales, Boxingbulletin.net

A mega-rumble between two nations’ banner-waving prize fighters is only a lunar period away.

My, how time flies by. It feels like waking up with Oscar de la Hoya’s dismantling just a day fresh in my thoughts.

Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao, considered the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world and treated like a god in the Philippines, will square of with Mancunian Ricky “Hitman” Hatton, the pride of Manchester and the confident bet of the Brits and the Western World.

The Hitman is nearly unbeaten in his professional record (45-1-0, 32), the only potato blight in his career being that lone loss against Floyd Mayweather, Jr. Manny Pacquiao, on the other hand, has had a handful of losses in the middle of his career (48-3-2, 37), but has been catapulted to the top pound-for-pound honor simply because of his sweet annihilative work of Mexico’s greatest warriors in less than a decade.

The two history-making pugilists will brawl to their hearts’ content within MGM Grand’s square canvas in sultry Las Vegas, on May 2, 2009, at 9:00 p.m. (Sunday, the morn of May 3 in the Philippines).

Probably more than the Manchester-native, the Filipino will carry with him the entire hopes of the nation. Literally. Crime rates drop in the country and even in some places crime is non-existent on the day of battle. Online public opinions indicate Pacman as the heavy favorite of the match-up.

In contrast, Hitman is set to reclaim the glory he lost in his tussle with Mayweather, and to cement his claim to greatness by destroying the current pound-for-pound king. He is unbeaten at the 140-pound junior welterweight division, rendering his bragging rights towards victory completely legitimate and substantive.

Possessing tightly-knit but vastly different styles, both will likely have a hard time with each other. It remains to be seen which of the two will dispatch the other to kiss the canvas. Whoever the winner is, the bout will go down as one of the most significant in boxing history.