8 historic bouts before Pacquiao-Floyd

The super-fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. is considered the biggest in terms of popularity, drama and earnings. But there were other fights that came before the May 2 bout that also captured the heart and imagination of fight fans worldwide.

Let’s take a look at some of history’s most memorable fights.
1. Jack Johnson vs Jim Jeffries
'The 1st Fight of the Century'

The heavyweight title fight between reigning champion Jack Johnson and Jim Jeffries was the first boxing match of the 20th century that transcended the sport. It took place on July 4, 1910 in front of 20,000 people.

Johnson, the first black American to win the world heavyweight title, was a controversial figure due to his color, arrogance and inter-racial relationships. Jeffries, a retired heavyweight champion, was summoned from retirement and was pitted against Johnson as the "Great White Hope."

But Johnson was too simply much for Jeffries, who went down in the 15th round. Johnson earned $65,000 (roughly $1.6 million in today's money) for that bout.
2. Joe Louis vs Max Schmeling II
'US vs Nazi Germany'

The boxing rematch between "The Brown Bomber" and the "Black Uhlan of the Rhine" took place on June 22, 1938. That boxing match between Joe Louis and Max Schmelling became a symbol of the struggle between the US vs the Nazi Germany during the 1930s.

Louis, who got knocked out in their first meeting, was eager to finish Schmelling early in the bout. He did stop the German, knocking down his foe three times, for a first-round technical knockout.
3. Muhammad Ali vs George Foreman
'Rumble in the Jungle'

Considered one of the most memorable fights in boxing history, Rumble in the Jungle featured a fearsome George Foreman against the Muhammad Ali, who was making a comeback after being suspended for three-and-a-half years for his refusal to comply with the US draft. The bout was set on May 20, 1974 in Zaire (now known as the Democratic Republic of Congo).

Ali, who was already past his prime, was considered a heavy underdog against the younger and indestructible Foreman. But "The Greatest" was able to pull off a huge upset by using his right hand leads and the rope-a-dope tactic to out-psyche Foreman to topple his opponent in the eighth round.
4. Muhammad Ali vs Joe Frazier III
'Thrilla in Manila'
"Thrilla in Manila" was the third of the three 'Fights of the Century" between bitter rivals Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, who decided to conclude their fabled trilogy at the Araneta Coliseum on October 1, 1975.

Frazier beat Ali in 1971, but "The Greatest" was able to tie the score three years later, culminating to one of the best boxing trilogies in history. The lead-up to the Manila fight saw Ali repeatedly taunting Frazier, calling his former friend a "gorilla" in an effort to anger his foe ahead of their match.

As a result, the two engaged in 14 grueling rounds that badly damaged both fighters. After Frazier sustained massive lumps in the head and was already fighting with blind left eye, his coach Eddie Futch called a halt to the fight to give the victory to Ali.

Just before Futch signaled referee Sonny Padilla to stop the fight, Ali was ordering his cornerman to cut his gloves off and was ready to surrender the bout. The boxing great was later quoted as saying that that was the closest to dying he had ever been.
5. "Sugar" Ray Leonard vs Thomas Hearns
'The Showdown'

It was indeed a showdown between "Sugar" Ray Leonard and Thomas Hearns on September 16, 1981. Leonard and Hearns, the top welterweight of that era, fought before a live crowd of over 20,000 and a TV audience of 300 million.

Despite lagging behind the scorecards, Leonard was able to hurt Hearns in the 13th round. In the 14th, he was able to pin the taller boxer against the ropes and punished Hearns until the referee stepped in to stop the fight.
6. Marvelous Marvin Hagler vs Thomas Hearns
'The War'

The middleweight title bout between Marvelous Marvin Hagler and Thomas Hearns was considered to be one of the finest boxing matches in history due to the thrilling exchange between the two pugilists. The fight, set on April 15, 1985, pitted Hearns, then regarded as the hardest puncher of the time, and Hagler, the undisputed middleweight champion.

After the bell rang, the boxers immediately went at each other and traded heavy shots, disregarding defense and pacing. The round was so explosive that it was named as 1985's Round of the Year.

The pacing soon took toll on the lanky Hearns and when he was tagged with a right hook and a couple of uppercuts in the third round it was over. The bout cemented Hagler's status as one of the greatest middleweights of all time.
7. Mike Tyson vs Michael Spinks
'Once and for All'

It was a battle between undefeated heavyweight champions Mikle Tyson and Michael Spinks. The bout, which drew comparisons with the 1971 Fight of the Century between Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali, took place on June 27, 1988 to determine who between the unbeaten champions should be the undisputed heavyweight king. Tyson was the WBA, WBC and IBF champion, while Spinks was the Ring and lineal champion.

The fight was over in just 91 seconds with Tyson winning by knockout.
8. Oscar De La Hoya vs Floyd Mayweather Jr.
'The World Awaits'

"The World Awaits" was the super fight that catapulted Floyd Mayweather Jr. to boxing superstardom. It pitted him against the "Golden Boy" Oscar De La Hoya on May 5, 2007 in what was described as the richest boxing match at the time.

Mayweather eventually eked out a split decision after 12 tightly fought rounds to snatch the WBC junior middleweight title from De La Hoya. It generated $130 million, making it the most lucrative fight at that time.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Why Pacquiao wants to fight Mayweather

MANILA, Philippines – Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao wants to fight American superstar Floyd Mayweather Jr. so they can finally determine who is the true No. 1 pound-for-pound boxer in the world.

Pacquiao has made it clear that he has agreed to all terms for a May 2 fight against Mayweather, and is only waiting for the American to put his name on the dotted line.

"The challenge is… we know he's undefeated and claiming he's No. 1 pound-for-pound in the world," Pacquiao said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times.

"I just want to prove who's really No. 1," he added. "If the fight is on, and he beats me, I'm really convinced me he is No. 1."

"If not, I'm No. 1."

Pacquiao has said Mayweather has until the end of the month to sign the contract for the fight, otherwise he will move on to Plan B.

Pacquiao told the LA Times that British boxer Amir Khan and "a lot of boxers" are potential opponents for him should a Mayweather fight fall through, but he genuinely wants to fight the American.

"We just want to make that fight happen," he said, "for the sake of the fans, for the sake of millions of people around the world who are excited to see that fight."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Bradley eyes Pacquiao rematch in 2014

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- Fight fans gathered at the lobby of the Wynn Hotel & Casino for the grand arrival of Timothy Bradley and Juan Manuel Marquez, the two boxers responsible for the two consecutive losses of Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao.

In an exclusive interview, Bradley said he is ready for a rematch with Pacquiao.

“That is definitely a chapter in my life that I definitely have to visit and revisit. I think the fans, everybody around the whole world wants to see that fight and they want to see who the true champion is,” he said.

Bradley showed off his rock-hard abs and muscular arms, saying he attained his muscles while on a three-month vegan diet.

Marquez and Bradley will slug it out this Saturday for the WBO welterweight championship.

While Bradley is ready to face Pacquiao again, Marquez doesn't want to fight the Filipino for a fifth time, even if it will earn him millions of dollars.

He said his knockout of Pacquiao is priceless, which remains the talk of the town among boxing enthusiasts.

“I don’t have reasons for the fifth fight. If I won a close fight or controversial decision maybe I give the fifth fight. I don’t have reasons, I win tremendous knock out and I want to keep this feeling all my life,” said Marquez.

Marquez said he trained heavily for his fight with Bradley, especially since the American boxer has remained undefeated.

“[It was] five months [of training] because if you rest maybe you lose the distance, you lose the ring. I keep training always. Five months for this fight specifically for speed and I feel very happy,” he says.

But Bradley just shrugged off Marquez’s training regimen.

“I been training for about 10 weeks. I haven't heard of any other fighter in the world training for five months especially at 40 years old. I don’t know why you need to train that long. I think its unheard of five months for a fight? I think it’s a joke,” Bradley said.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Boxers ready for SEAG war

MANILA, Philippines - The Filipino boxers are more than willing to take the cudgels for the Philippine delegation to the 27th Southeast Asian Games in Myanmar in December.

“I am confident with our boxing team,” said Ed Picson, executive director of the Association of Boxing Alliances of the Philippines, yesterday.

The ABAP official graced the PSA Forum at Shakey’s Malate where he was joined by coach Pat Gaspi. They both aired confidence in the coming SEA Games.

“I know they will come up with another good performance,” said Picson.

The Filipino boxers have been the perennial source of medals in international events like the SEA Games, Asian Games and even the Olympics.

In the 2011 SEA Games in Jakarta, the boxing team delivered four gold, one silver and one bronze medals, and was surpassed only by the taekwondo team with a haul of 4-3-5.

Providing the gold medals in 2011 were lightweight Charly Suarez, light-welterweight Dennis Galvan, pinweight Josie Gabuco and light-flyweight Alice Kate Aparri.

There’s no official lineup yet for the Philippine boxing team to Myanmar.

In the 2009 SEA Games in Laos, the Pinoy boxers brought home five gold, one silver and three bronze medals.

Picson said he expects the same level of performance from the boxers who will have to deliver in the absence of the other medal sources for the country.

The Philippines will not send teams in golf and chess while the sport of tennis is out of this year’s calendar.

“We’d rather not think about it (pressure). We’ll just do what we need to do and hopefully come up with something the country will be proud of,” said Picson.

“It’s hard to make a projection. Unlike the pros, we do not know who our opponents will be until the last minute. I have no idea on how it will go. It’s very difficult to make an educated guess.

“But I’m confident with the ability of our boxers. They’re training hard and I know they will be ready in the SEA Games,” added the ABAP executive-director.

Five Pinoy boxers led by Olympian Mark Barriga will lead the country’s campaign in the AIBA World Boxing Championship in Almaty, Kazakhstan next month.

Barriga, the lone Filipino boxer in the 2012 London Olympics, will see action in the light-flyweight category of the Oct. 11-27 tournament featuring the finest fighters around the world.

Also on the team are Roldan Bongcales (flyweight), Mario Fernandez (bantamweight), Junel Cantancio (lightweight), and Dennis Galvan (light-welterweight).

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

'Arce wants more than he deserves' – Donaire

MANILA, Philippines – Unified super bantamweight champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire claims Mexican boxer Jorge Arce is asking for far more money than he deserves, which led to the breakdown in negotiations between the two camps.

Donaire was reported to be fighting Arce on December 15, with the Filipino champion even willing to fight in Arce’s hometurf of Mexico City.

The talks fell apart, however, after Arce priced himself out of the bout.

“It’s just that he wants to get paid,” Donaire said in an interview with PTV Sports, as quoted by Examiner. “That’s what he wants. He wants more than what he deserves.”

Donaire pointed out that this was not the first time negotiations fell apart between their camps.

“We already tried to ink the fight five or six times,” he revealed. “But they keep on demanding everything. I have the belt and yet they’re still demanding?”

“Arce knows I’m going to his lair. They know that I’m fighting though I’m still injured. Yet they still don’t want to get the fight done,” Donaire added.

Earlier this year, it was rumored that Donaire and Arce were close to meeting inside the ring, but talks reportedly broke down due to Arce’s financial demands.

Donaire wound up fighting, and beating, top Japanese boxer Toshiaki Nishioka last October 13 in California.

Aside from the financial issue, Donaire believes there is one more reason for Arce’s reluctance to fight him.

“I’m a pretty dangerous opponent,” he said. “I have power. I can hurt him when I choose to.”

source: abs-cbnnews.com

Liam Neeson says Floyd scared of Pacquiao

MANILA – Hollywood actor Liam Neeson believes that the only thing holding back the Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr. mega fight is Floyd’s unwillingness to face the Filipino boxing superstar. 

In an interview with ESPN, the Oscar-nominated actor admitted being one of the fans waiting for the super fight to take place.

“I would pay any amount of money to be at that fight,” said Neeson, who is known for his performances in Hollywood films like Taken, Les Misérables, Clash of the Titans and The A-Team.

Neeson used to box in the amateur ranks during his teens in his native Ireland.

“I was OK, I was competent. I was a jabber, I had a good jab. I had about 40 fights and I won about maybe 30,” he said.

The now 60-year-old actor branded Pacquiao as one of today’s best boxers.

He even picked the Filipino to win over Juan Manuel Marquez on December 8. He said the fighting congressman has the attributes of a great champion.

“Pacquiao is still amazing. He's getting a little bit older, but in the championship rounds, from 9 to 12, he just gets stronger and stronger and stronger,” said Neeson.

“That's the sign of a great champion.”

Neeson thinks Mayweather is a great fighter, too.

But the downside with Mayweather, he said, is the American boxer’s refusal to fight Pacquiao.

“I think he's scared of Pacquaio… I don't mean he is scared, like terrified of his life, but I think he thinks he can see in Pacquiao someone that could beat him.”

source: abs-cbnnews.com

Pacquiao is no "Superman"

Manila, Philippines - The smoke has cleared and the Pacquiao-Marquez trilogy is done and over with. Or is it?

To this day, people still stand divided on the outcome of the said bout, something that has already been justified in a scientific way but unaccepted by people who believe otherwise.

Many say that Saranggani Congressman Pacquiao was not deserving of the win, booed and seemingly a recipient of backlashes that have somehow tarnished his credibility.

Known experts have shared their sentiments. They say that he has slowed down and that he was outboxed by the 38 year old Mexican boxer, Juan Manuel Marquez.

Some claim there is a mafia going on, others say that is bad for boxing. But is Pacquiao really guilty of anything?

After the statistics were released, some sanity may have come out of it all. Pacquiao’s crime may only be that he vowed to beat up Marquez which technically he did as we could see in Marquez’ battered face when the bell rang.

Everyone was looking for a knockout, or even perhaps just a knockdown. It never happened. From the looks of it, one knockdown may have changed how people saw it.

Pacquiao said it straight that people cannot expect him to dominate all the time. Actually he does have a point considering that not all boxers have their shining moments in the sport.

Just look at Mike Tyson and "Marvelous" Marvin Hagler for example. They had their ups and downs, plus losses too right?

MB Online asked some experts on their thoughts. First up was renowned Boxing Anchorman and sportscaster Noel Zarate:

“At first, I was shocked that Manny won coz I had it at 115-113 for JMM. But looking back, there were a few rounds (3, 6, 7, 8, 12) that could have been coinflips. Plus when the compubox results came in, it showed Pacquiao ahead” said Noel.

“Now I believe that Manny won but not by much--even Roach was not satisfied, even Arum hinted at a 4th fight because this was even more controversial than the previous 2. Now I think this even did more good for Marquez because many will now view him as a robbed victor” he added.

“I believe pagnahimasmasan yan paguwi, he'll see it in this light. For Pacquiao, this not so convincing showing may even make Mayweather believe that he can defeat Pacquiao. So instead of viewing this now as a botched job by the judges, it may even work out well for those involved.”

For Hardball sports talk show host and sports analyst Mr. Boyet Sison:

“Unfortunately, the result had a lot of us unconvinced with the win, and the drama continues. Marquez showed what a brilliant fighter he is, and Pacquiao, though he won, was not the same fighter we all love to watch. For national pride, i'm happy, but for the sport of boxing, I am not.”

Last is Mr. Butch Maniego, a long-time figure in sports:

“I felt that as the defender, Marquez has to beat the champion, Manny Pacquiao, convincingly. failing that, the champ should keep his title. yes, Marquez boxed very well but not well enough”

Let’s take a look at the other side of the fence. Did Marquez knock down Pacquiao? Yes he did leave a nasty cut to Pacquiao’s eye but look at him. Wasn’t he banged up as well?

Pacquiao may not be at his fastest in this fight, with this one to which his camp revealed that the Filipino boxer was suffering from cramps.

People say that is seems weird that Pacquiao was making excuses but he is still human after all. Give him the benefit of the doubt if his leg cramped up.

Was Marquez robbed of a victory? Well statistics don’t lie and looking at it from another angle, judges did not rely solely on sound judgment and what they saw. To that they should be commended.

Yet despite all these points here and there, many are still unconvinced that Pacquiao won the match was fair and square which may eventually lead to a Pacquiao-Marquez IV.

Will this happen? It all depends though. For one, Marquez said that he might retire, or not. Everthing is still up in the air.

If not, many feel that this could all the more lead to a much awaited Pacquiao-Mayweather fight. Filipinos are waiting for Floyd to say his piece on the fight and perhaps lay down the cards for a much wanted fight.

To date, Floyd Jr. has been strangely quiet.

Then there is Tim Bradley as well who bared that he deserves a shot at Pacquiao.

But as per Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum priority is to give Marquez another crack at Pacquiao, that is if he still wants one.

Marquez deserves respect for sure. He showed it. However, beating a champion like Pacquiao may take more than boxing him for 12 rounds.

He is the challenger but if he was able to knock down Pacquiao even just once, then perhaps the outcome may be something truly controversial.

How about a draw?

Perhaps. But with statistic on punches, jabs and powerpunches to rely on, there is no question how the three judges came up with the supposed “controversial” decision.

It was not a typical Pacquiao fight but regardless, he still came out the winner.

Questionable? Then before we go to Mayweather, give Marquez one more chance to show fans who the clear victor really is then move forward.


Source: mb.com.ph