Arum sees no mismatch in Pac-Algieri tiff

MANILA, Philippines - Over the past few weeks, Bob Arum had known Chris Algieri well for him to say that people who are predicting a mismatch in Macau on Nov. 23 are wrong.

Arum said they’re terribly wrong.

“These people don’t know what they’re talking about,” Arum told The STAR as the anticipated fight between Algieri and Manny Pacquiao moved closer and closer.

The fight is scheduled in three weeks at the Cotai Arena of The Venetian Hotel in Macau. Oddsmakers have placed Algieri as the heavy underdog.

They pick Pacquiao, 2-2 in his last four fights and 56-5-2 overall, as the clear favorite at -1400, meaning you need to put $1400 on him just to win $100.

In contrast, Algieri, undefeated in 20 fights, is at +800, meaning $100 on him wins $800. The odds are a tad closer in some betting stations at -1300 and +700.

Algieri is also younger and bigger.

Arum had seen how hard Algieri is training for this fight, which comes just five months after he stunned the Russian beast, Ruslan Provodnikov.

Algieri is so used to being the underdog.

“Algieri is a very dangerous opponent as he shows fight after fight after fight and when he goes in as an underdog and pulls off a victory,” Arum told The STAR.

“You have to remember that he hasn’t lost a fight yet. He’s determined to win this fight. And he has the style that could give Manny trouble,” he added.

In fact, Arum made sure that there was a rematch clause in the fight contract but would only be in effect if Algieri wins.

“I put a rematch clause that if Algieri wins I could force a rematch. That’s if Manny is willing to do it,” he added.

“You never know boxing,” Arum said.

Read more on The Philippine Star.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Pacquiao 'saw stars' after hard blow from Rios

MANILA, Philippines – Filipino boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao may have battered Brandon Rios in their welterweight showdown in Macau on Sunday, but the Pacman admitted that “Bam Bam” managed to sneak in a blow that stunned him hard.

Pacquiao set the tone right in the opening round, overwhelming Rios with multi-punch combinations and keeping his foe off-balance with his constant lateral movement.

Although he cruised to a unanimous decision victory, Pacquiao revealed that there was a moment in the fight when Rios caught him.

“May round doon na nasaktan ako ng left hook niya, at talagang biglang maraming star,” Pacquiao said on ANC's "Headstart" on Monday. “Tinamaan ako, tapos biglang may star.”

The blow – Rios’ best of the night – happened in the fifth round, Pacquiao revealed in the post-fight press conference. He shrugged it off, however, and stuck to his game plan.

“Sandali lang,” Pacquiao answered when asked how long he saw stars.

Rios was bleeding from a cut above his eye by the sixth round and his face was well-marked by the end of the fight, but he maintained that he was not fazed by Pacquiao’s power. Indeed, even after Pacquiao clearly snapped his head back with a straight, Rios smiled, stuck out his tongue and egged the Filipino on.

“I was never hurt,” Rios said in the post-fight press conference. “What got me was the awkwardness and speed. I haven’t fought a southpaw in a long time.”

“He got me a couple of times with the straight left,” Rios said, but also claimed that Pacquiao’s best punch was his quickness.

Pacquiao is convinced, however, that he hurt Rios repeatedly, even as he was impressed with the younger fighter’s toughness.

“Bilib ako sa tibay niya, kasi ang dami kong power punch na tumama sa mukha. Alam ko nasaktan siya, pero magaling siya magdala,” Pacquiao said.

“Alam ko nasaktan naman siya, kasi ‘yung kamay ko sumakit, ‘yun pa kayang mukha niya?” he added. “Magaling lang siya magdala. Kahit nasaktan siya, hindi siya nagpapahalata.”

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Why Pacquiao didn't knockout Rios

MANILA, Philippines – Filipino pride Manny Pacquiao marveled at Brandon Rios’ ability to take his punches throughout their 12-round bout in Macau.

Pacquiao, who is known for his blinding speed and heavy hands, landed a total of 281 punches against Rios -- or more than double the Mexican-American’s output.

But Rios has a world-class chin and was able to withstand Pacquiao’s assault.

“He is one of the toughest opponents in my career. He took a lot of punches, the right hands, the left hands, but he is still standing,” the Filipino told fight commentator Larry Merchant during the post-fight interview.

Nevertheless, Pacquiao took home the win, owing to his superior boxing skills.

The fleet-footed Filipino bobbed, weaved and circled around the slower Rios, who managed to land only 138 of his 502 punches on Pacquiao.

Pacquiao also admitted that he took a more cautious approach, which was why he wasn’t chasing a knockout victory over Rios.

He cited his defeat to Juan Manuel Marquez 11 months ago, which he said taught him to become more patient.

“I learned in the last fight… If the knockout comes it will come. I'm very careful laying out punches and counterpunch, that what I did in this fight,” Pacquiao said.

With the Rios fight now behind him, the fighting congressman will have time to visit the typhoon survivors in Tacloban, to whom he dedicated his latest win.

“Thank you for all the support, my fellow countrymen. And to the people affected by the typhoon, I will see you there. I love you so much,” he said.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Jessica Sanchez sings anthems in Pacquiao-Rios bout

MANILA, Philippines – Jessica Sanchez sang the Philippine and the US national anthems ahead of the Manny Pacquiao-Brandon Rios fight on Sunday at the Venetian Hotel, Cotai Arena in Macau.

Sanchez, who is half-Filipino and half-Mexican but was born and raised in the United States, sang “Lupang Hinirang” and "The Star Spangled Banner" a capella before a huge crowd of boxing fans from around the world who came to watch the fight.

Sanchez was wearing a long printed gown.

Pacquiao personally chose Sanchez to sing the national anthems.

In a rare kind of invitation, Pacquiao took to Twitter last Tuesday to ask Sanchez if she will “do me the honor of singing the national anthems before our fight?”

Sanchez later replied: “Yes! I’m honored!”

In an interview with ABS-CBN News last week, Sanchez said she feels honored to be singing the Philippine national anthem in Pacquiao’s fight.

“My grandma helped me with the pronunciation. I’ve been trying to listen to different versions and I’m going to keep it as traditional as possible,” she said.

This is not the first time for Sanchez to sing ahead of a Pacquiao match.

Sanchez, the runner-up in the 2012 edition of "American Idol," sang the American national anthem during Pacquiao’s June 2012 fight against Timothy Bradley Jr., which the Pacman lost.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

It's do-or-die for Pacquiao

LOS ANGELES – Bob Arum didn’t mince words when he talked about the importance of Manny Pacquiao’s coming fight against Brandon Rios.

“This is a very important fight for him to win,” the legendary promoter told The STAR from his Las Vegas home the other night.

Arum said Pacquiao, coming off back-to-back losses, really can’t afford a third straight.

Arum said it could mean everything for the Filipino boxing icon.

“It will certainly hurt him if he loses this fight,” said Arum of the welterweight showdown set Nov. 23 (Nov. 24 in Manila) at The Venetian Hotel in Macau.

And what if Pacquiao does?

“It may signify the end. It will be very devastating for him,” Arum, in his slow, familiar voice added.

Pacquiao is not too old at 34 but has gone through a lot inside the ring. He has fought guys much bigger and heavier than him and took their best shots.

But it’s the knockout loss to Juan Manuel Marquez last December that may have inflicted the biggest damage – if it really did.

Pacquiao went down in the third round after taking a sweeping right to the side of the head and sent Marquez down in the fifth.

He had Marquez in deep trouble in the sixth. And as Pacquiao went for the kill in the closing seconds of the round he ran smack into the Mexican’s big right.

He was knocked out and lay motionless on the canvas. It was a pretty scary sight.

Arum said the fight against Rios gives Pacquiao the opportunity to prove that his loss to Marquez is just a loss, a result of a lucky punch and a thing of the past.

And it’s not going to be easy.

“Brandon Rios is a very, very tough kid. And he’s very confident he can beat Manny,” said Arum from the other end of the line.

“Manny has to fight a good, intelligent and hard fight like when he fought (Miguel) Cotto and (Oscar dela Hoya) Dela Hoya and (Antonio) Margarito,” he added.

That’s what Arum wants.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com