Pacquiao to go all out to beat Bradley

MANILA, Philippines - Fans should expect the Manny Pacquiao of old to show up in his rematch against WBO welterweight champion Timothy Bradley.

Pacquiao vowed to return to his fiery form when he takes on Bradley for a second time on April 12 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

The two fighters faced the media early Wednesday at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles to kick off their US press tour, with both fighters agreeing that they have unfinished business between them.

“One thing that I can assure: this is gonna be a good fight. Both of us have something to prove in this fight,” Pacquiao, sporting a red jacket, told a handful of media members.

The Filipino icon dropped a controversial decision to Bradley about two years ago, a fight he appeared to dominate. It was followed by another setback, a devastating knockout loss against Juan Manuel Marquez a few months later.

But the fighting congressman has returned to his winning ways with a lopsided win over Brandon Rios in Macau last November. Pacquiao hasn’t scored a knockout since stopping Miguel Cotto in 2011, and some boxing observers claim he has lost that killer instinct.

Pacquiao promised to come out with guns blazing this time and bring back the aggressiveness he is known for.

“I assure you, you will see the young and aggressive Manny Pacquiao on April 12,” he said.

Bradley, for his part, is raring to prove Pacquiao wrong.

“I’m gonna beat Manny Pacquiao and get credit I didn’t have the first time around,” the American declared confidently.

Top Rank chief Bob Arum said tickets will go on sale Thursday, with prices at are $1,000, $800, $600, $400, $250 and $150. The fight will be available on HBO pay-per-view in the US.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Whitney Houston died in Beverly Hills hotel room

Singer Whitney Houston died Saturday in Beverly Hills, according to law enforcement sources.

Authorities are trying to determine a cause of death. [Updated at 5:46 p.m.: She was found in the Beverly Hilton Hotel, where emergency medical personnel were called sometime Saturday, said the sources, who asked to remain anonymous because the investigation is ongoing.]

Houston, 48, was in the Los Angeles area for a musical tribute to music executive Clive Davis and had performed and spoken to reporters earlier in the week.

PHOTOS: Whitney Houston, 1963-2012

The performer had drug and alcohol problems for years, and in May her spokeswoman said she was going back to rehab.

Publicist Kristen Foster told the Associated Press on Saturday that Houston had died but did not provide further details.

According to AP:

At her peak in the 1980s and '90s, Houston the golden girl of the music industry and one of the world's best-selling artists.

Among her hits were “How Will I Know,” “Saving All My Love for You” and “I Will Always Love You.” She won multiple Grammys including album and record of the year.

Her success carried her beyond music to movies like “The Bodyguard.”

But by the end of her career, drug use took its toll as her record sales plummeted and her voice became raspy and hoarse.

source: latimes.com