Boxing: Unbeaten Spence returns from horrific crash to dominate Garcia

WASHINGTON -- Errol Spence overpowered challenger Danny Garcia in his first fight since surviving a near-fatal rollover car accident to retain his World Boxing Council and International Boxing Federation welterweight titles on Saturday.

The 30-year-old Spence put on a virtuoso performance winning almost every round in a 147-pound homecoming fight at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas.

The undefeated Spence, who suffered serious injuries after being thrown from his car in the drunk-driving smash, won by a unanimous decision proving he is still the same boxer as before the accident in October 2019.

"The moment is surreal, especially coming back from my accident a year ago," Spence said. "Be patient with me. This was a comeback fight for me and I had to shake off some cobwebs."

After the fighters felt each other out during the first few rounds, Spence seized control in the middle rounds to win on all three scorecards by scores of 116-112, 116-112 and 117-111.

Spence improved to 27-0 with 21 knockouts while Garcia fell to 36-3, with 21 KOs.

Spence, a southpaw, monopolized Garcia with his jab and relentless pressure, not allowing the challenger to make use of his pre-fight game plan.

"He was breaking him down and taking the fight out of him. His jab is the key to everything," said Spence's trainer Derrick James.

Garcia had one of his best rounds in the second. They got into a heated exchange at the end of the round when Garcia hit Spence after the bell.

Spence hurt Garcia with a couple of punches in the third and by the fourth he was controlling the tempo.

"In training camp I knew I was going to be good. I am back," said Spence.

The 32-year-old Garcia had been hoping to carry some momentum over from his previous two straight wins and become champion again for the first time since 2017.

"He was just a better man tonight. No excuses," said Garcia. "I fought a hard, tough fight. He had a good jab and that was the key to the fight."

Garcia, a counter-puncher, was too conservative to do any serious damage. He spent the majority of fight on the defensive, blocking combinations and stepping sideways to avoid any huge shots.

By the eighth round Garcia was retreating to the ropes desperately trying to land any punches while Spence just kept up the attack.

Garcia's corner told him to go for the big punch but he seemed preoccupied with trying to just stay on his feet and preserve his record of never having been knocked down in his career.

Agence France-Presse

Boxing: Fury batters Wilder in TKO triumph in title rematch

LAS VEGAS -- Tyson Fury reigns again as a heavyweight world champion after battering Deontay Wilder on the way to a stunning seventh-round stoppage in their World Boxing Council title rematch.

Fourteen months after their dramatic split-decision draw, Britain's Fury dominated the American champion -- who had blood streaming from his left ear and leaking from his mouth when referee Kenny Bayless called a halt at the behest of Wilder's corner.

"The king has returned to the top of the throne," said Fury, who had dropped Wilder in the third and fifth rounds as he remained unbeaten -- and handed Wilder the first defeat of his career.

The self-styled "Gypsy King" from northern England -- who was borne to the ring on a golden throne -- had put on a boxing masterclass in their first fight, but he was clearly ready to brawl from the opening bell on Saturday.

A massive right from Fury knocked down Wilder in the third and Wilder struggled to regain his legs -- although when he went down again moments later it was ruled a slip.

A left to the body had Wilder down again in the fifth, and Fury was raining blows on Wilder when Bayless called a halt at 1:39 of the seventh round after Wilder's corner threw in the towel.

Wilder, 34, suffered his first defeat in 44 fights, falling to 42-1 with 1 drawn and 41 knockouts.

The "Bronze Bomber" was unable to surpass Muhammad Ali's record of 10 successful heavyweight title defenses.

"I just want to say a big shout out Deontay Wilder," said Fury, who improved his own unbeaten record to 30-0 with one drawn and 21 knockouts. "He manned up. he really did show heart of a champion.

"I hit him with a clean right hand and dropped him, and he got back up and battled on into round seven.

"He is a warrior, he will be back, he will be champion again."

As a pro-Fury crowd at the MGM Grand cheered, Wilder briefly protested the stoppage.

- 'A warrior' -

"I just wish that my corner would have let me went out on my shield," he said. "I'm a warrior."

Wilder had knocked Fury down twice in their first fight in Los Angeles -- the Briton miraculously climbing off the canvas in the 12th round to hang on for a share of the spoils.

With new trainer Javan "Sugarhill" Steward in his corner, and with more than 16 additional pounds on his 273-pound frame, Fury was on the attack early, backing Wilder up with his jab and landing several hard shots in the opening round.

He didn't produce the second-round knockout he'd predicted, but he was clearly in control.

The fight, the biggest heavyweight collision since Lennox Lewis bludgeoned Mike Tyson into submission on the banks of the Mississippi River in 2002, drew a star-studded crowd.

Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Patrick Mahomes was ringside, so were Mark Davis, owner of the NFL's Las Vegas Raiders and Raiders coach John Gruden.

Retired NBA greats Magic Johnson and Jerry West were on hand, as was current Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green.

With the rematch in the books, fight fans will be hoping to see Fury take on compatriot Anthony Joshua -- holder of the IBF, WBA and WBO belts -- in a heavyweight unification bout.

Agence France-Presse

Boxing: Duno falls to Ryan Garcia in just one round

Filipino boxer Romero Duno suffered a brutal stoppage defeat to young prospect Ryan Garcia in the undercard of the Canelo Alvarez-Sergey Kovalev bout, Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas (Sunday in Manila).

The 21-year-old Garcia landed a right hand that sent Duno to the canvas, just 98 seconds into the bout.

The referee stopped the bout despite Duno's attempts to recover. The Filipino dropped to 12-2 in his boxing career, losing for the first time since May 2016.

Garcia, meanwhile, rose to 19-0.

"All respect to Duno," Garcia said after the bout. "He came in shape. He caught me with that overhand right… I took it. From there, I knew I could just keep taking 'em and keep coming at him."

"When I took his best shot, I felt good," he added.

Garcia won the WBC silver lightweight title with his victory.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Boxing: Lomachenko adds WBC title in thriller with Campbell

LONDON -- Vasyl Lomachenko, widely regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, beat British challenger Luke Campbell in a thrilling bout to win the vacant WBC lightweight title in London on Saturday.

The 31-year-old Ukrainian, who had been world champion at three different weights in only a 14-bout professional career prior to the fight, won by a unanimous decision to add the WBC belt to his WBA and WBO titles in the weight.

Lomachenko's target is to have all four major belts with Ghana's Richard Commey holding the IBF version.

Lomachenko, whose record reads 14 wins and one defeat, acknowledged the toughness of the bout.

"Of course I'm happy," he told Sky Sports. "I want to thank everyone who came to support this beautiful fight and of course I'm happy this is my title."

Campbell, who like Lomachenko won Olympic gold in 2012 not far from the O2 Arena where they fought on Saturday, insisted he can still win a world title.

"He's a special fighter," Campbell told Sky Sports. "I trained to win but it is hard to fight someone like that who adapts so well. He is a special fighter.

"With the support I have had here I can go on and achieve anything. My time will come."

Lomachenko began landing effective punches from the third round, clearly hurting Campbell when he connected with his head in the third and one to the body in the fourth.

Saved by the bell

The punishment continued in the fifth with Lomachenko pummelling Campbell's head, who nearly went to the canvas but was saved by the bell as the Ukrainian moved in to finish him off.

Campbell, though, displayed great resilience and, having had a breather between rounds, took the fight to Lomachenko, landing a decent uppercut. 

Campbell maintained his momentum in the seventh round and hurt Lomachenko with a powerful body punch and one to the head, but just as the British fans rose to their feet, the champion fought back and landed a flurry of punches.

Both fighters showed no let up in their work-rate through the next three rounds, going toe to toe and keeping the spectators on the edge of their seats.

However, Lomachenko reacted to a good punch from Campbell in the penultimate round by landing one which forced the Briton to go down on a knee and once up, he only just managed to hold on to the bell.

Campbell landed a below-the-belt blow in the final round but Lomachenko brushed that aside and landed a few legal blows of his own without putting the challenger down -- the two exhausted men hugging each other at the end.

The other world title bout on the undercard saw WBC flyweight titleholder Charlie Edwards retain his belt after replays declared it a no contest.

Edwards was knocked out by challenger Julio Cesar Martinez, but although the Mexican celebrated, he had laid one punch on the champion when he was down on a knee and it was ruled a low blow. 

"This is the right decision," he told Sky Sports. "I took a knee for a purpose. He finished me off with a body shot and I could not recover.

"Cheaters never prosper. We get in this ring to abide by the rules."

Promoter Eddie Hearn said it was blatantly obvious it was a low blow.

"The shot was not late it was next week," he told Sky Sports. "It is a blatant low blow."

Alexander Povetkin -- whose last bout in the UK ended with defeat at the hands of Anthony Joshua -- took a step towards another world title tilt by beating Tyson Fury's cousin Hughie by a unanimous decision.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Golovkin destroys Martirosyan to defend middleweight titles

LOS ANGELES -- Gennady Golovkin equalled the record of 20 straight world middleweight title defenses with a devastating second-round knockout of Vanes Martirosyan on Saturday to retain his WBA and WBC belts.

Golovkin ended the fight with a vicious series of right and left combinations that floored the heavy underdog Martirosyan, who appeared doomed from the outset of the hastily arranged fight at the StubHub Center.

"The first round I was just looking, because I know he is a good fighter," the 36-year-old Golovkin said. "The second round it was true business."

Martirosyan was in big trouble from the beginning of the second round as Golovkin rendered the challenger helpless by landing a right uppercut on the chin. 

He followed with a few stinging jabs and then a full throttle left hook and straight right on the ropes that put Martirosyan down for good at 1:53 of the round.

The American tried to get up before the 10 count but slumped forward, ending up face down on the canvas. Golovkin, who is boxing's longest-reigning current world titleholder, is now unbeaten in 39 fights, including 34 by knockout. 

Martirosyan was a last-minute replacement following the cancellation of the Kazakh's much anticipated rematch with Canelo Alvarez of Mexico.

The rematch was cancelled because of Alvarez's two failed drug tests in February, followed by his suspension by the Nevada State Athletic Commission on April 18.

Alvarez will be free to fight once his suspension ends in August.

Saturday's event was moved from Las Vegas to south central Los Angeles and Golovkin fought for a fraction of the money he would have received for a fight against Alvarez.

With the victory he now joins Bernard Hopkins for the division record of 20 successful title defences. Golovkin (38-0-1, 34 KOs) is now in line to surpass Hopkins in the fall when he hopes to finally get that rematch with Alvarez.

"I want everybody," said Golovkin. "It doesn't matter to me. I am still the champion .... guys come and take my belts."

The 31-year-old Martirosyan, who normally fights at light middleweight, was completely outclassed as he stepped up a division to face the hard-hitting Golovkin.

"It was like being hit by a train," Martirosyan said. "That is the hardest puncher I have ever faced. He surprised me with his power. He is a hell of a fighter."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Donaire dominates Garcia Hernandez to win WBC silver belt

Former world champion Nonito "The Filipino Flash" Donaire made a victorious return to the ring as he comprehensively outpointed Ruben Garcia Hernandez in a ten-round featherweight bout in San Antonio, Texas.

The three judges scored the bout 100-90, 97-93, 99-91, all in favor of Donaire, who bounced back from a controversial loss to Jessie Magdaleno in November 2016.


With the win, Donaire secured the WBC silver featherweight title, and put himself back in the conversation for future world title fights.

"I boxed very well, which is something I haven't' done in a long time," said Donaire, as quoted by Boxing Scene. "I moved my legs well and maintained it throughout the whole fight."

Donaire improved his career record to 38 wins with four losses, while handing Garcia Hernandez his third professional loss.

"I'll go look at this fight and see what I should have done to improve," said the 34-year-old Donaire. "It's great to get the victory and get a great learning experience under my belt."

This is Donaire's first fight under the banner of Richard Schaefer's Ringstar Sports.

You can catch the prime time telecast of Donaire versus Hernandez tonight at 7:00 PM on ABS-CBN Sports and Action channel 23.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

U.S. celebrate their first WBC title

The United States won their first World Baseball Classic title with an 8-0 victory over Puerto Rico in Los Angeles on Wednesday behind the stellar pitching of Marcus Stroman and a 13-hit attack.

Puerto Rico came in with a spotless 7-0 record in the 16-team tournament but the Americans (6-2) were not to be denied and the losers finished runners-up for the second straight WBC.

Stroman was sensational, throwing six no-hit innings after yielding six hits in a row in a four-run first inning to Puerto Rico in a 6-5 second-round loss.

The Toronto Blue Jays starter faced the minimum 18 batters through six innings with Carlos Beltran the only man to reach, after a walk leading off the second inning. Beltran was erased when Yadier Molina bounced into a double play.

Stroman, who struck out three, had his no-hitter snapped in the seventh when Angel Pagan led off with an opposite field double, and the right-hander exited to a standing ovation from a crowd exceeding 51,000.

The U.S. team jumped to a 2-0 lead off starter Seth Lugo in the third inning when Ian Kinsler crushed a two-run homer to left-center.

The Americans doubled their advantage in the fifth on run-scoring singles by Christian Yelich and Andrew McCutchen.

They tacked on three more runs in the seventh, on a two-run single by Brandon Crawford and an RBI-single by Giancarlo Stanton, and McCutchen drove home the last with an infield single in the eighth.

The United States had advanced to their first WBC title game with a 2-1 semi-finals victory over Japan, winners of the first two tournaments.

(Reporting by Larry Fine in New York; Editing by Nick Mulvenney)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Golovkin edges Jacobs in rare decision to defend titles

NEW YORK - Gennady "GGG" Golovkin, the most fearsome knockout artist of this era, was pushed to the limit by Daniel Jacobs before retaining his world middleweight titles by decision at Madison Square Garden on Friday.

Jacobs, known as "Miracle Man" since coming back from bone cancer five years ago, ended the unbeaten Golovkin's streak of 23 knockouts in a row in a battle that went to the scorecards for the first time since 2008 for the Kazakh champion.

Two judges scored it 115-112, with the third making it 114-113 in favor of Golovkin, who retained his WBC, WBA, IBF and IBO middleweight crowns.

Golovkin knocked Jacobs down in the fourth with a double dose of rights, but as the fight wore on Jacobs confused the Kazakh by sliding into a southpaw stance, scoring on stinging combinations, holding his own against the dangerous power of the champion.

After a cautious, feeling out in the first two rounds, the bout blossomed into a fascinating battle with the fighters engaging freely in a thrilling duel to the finish.

Golovkin improved his record to 37-0, while Brooklyn native Jacobs dropped to 32-2.

(Editing by Sudipto Ganguly)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Crawford crushes Molina, calls out Pacquiao

OMAHA -- Champion Terence Crawford easily defended his WBO and WBC belts by stopping brawler John Molina in the eighth round of their junior welterweight title fight on Saturday.

Crawford dominated the fight from the opening bell landing precision head shots and bruising body blows through the first seven rounds then taking out the challenger with a series of rights late in the eighth round.

"I showed everything in this fight," said Crawford, who improved to 30-0. "Give credit to John Molina because he came to fight."

The 29-year-old Crawford was rarely tested in his third fight of 2016 in front of his hometown fans as he landed 109 punches through eight rounds compared to just 22 for Molina.

The 2014 fighter of the year said he wants his next fight to be against Filipino champion Manny Pacquiao.

"I would love to fight Pacquiao, but it is a business. Right now I want to fight anyone with a title. I want them belts.

"If I can't get Pacquiao, I want the belts."

Molina showed determination and big heart but he was no match for the quick hands and smooth footwork of Crawford who was the heavy favourite coming into the fight at CenturyLink Center arena.

Crawford pinned a defenceless Molina in the corner, then landed three straight right hands before the referee stepped in and stopped the slaughter as the challenger slumped to the canvas.

Crawford started 2016 with an impressive fifth-round knockout of Henry Lundy in February and followed it up five months later with two knockdowns while cruising to a one-sided decision over Viktor Postol to unify the titles in Las Vegas.

The 33-year-old Molina dropped to 29-7. He earned a shot at the titles by upsetting former champion Ruslan Provodnikov in June.

But Molina did not come close to making the 140-pound weight for his title shot so he would have been denied the belts if he had done the impossible and won.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Wilder retains WBC title with Szpilka knockout

American heavyweight world champion Deontay Wilder defended his WBC title with a knockout of Artur Szpilka at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on Saturday.

More drama followed the contest when WBA and WBO Heavyweight champion Tyson Fury climbed into the ring and said he wanted to fight Wilder in a unification bout.

Szpilka, who was bidding to become Poland's first world heavyweight champion, made it a close battle before absorbing a tough right hand to the chin with 2:24 left in the ninth round.

Szpilka (20-2) was unconscious for a few moments before recovering following the bout.

Wilder (36-0) displayed his power yet again and has now knocked out 35 opponents in 36 fights.

"He was definitely a crafty guy," Wilder told reporters. "I haven't competed against a southpaw in three years. He was a tough competitor, but you're fighting for a world title. It's not supposed to be easy. I'm surprised it took that long, but we had 12 rounds and they all can't be pretty."

Wilder is the first American heavyweight champion in nearly a decade.

In an earlier showdown, Charles Martin won the IBF Heavyweight World Championship after Vyacheslav Glazkov suffered a reported torn right ACL injury in the third round and had to retire from the match.

Martin (23-0-1) becomes the second current American heavyweight titlist.

Glazkov (21-1-1), a previously unbeaten Ukrainian, slipped early in the third and never recovered. He fell to the canvas later after throwing a punch.

"I still wanted to fight," Martin said. "We trained for 12 rounds and we were going to get stronger as the rounds went on. I'm sorry for him. It's unfortunate he couldn't continue the fight."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Defeated Berto struck by Mayweather's IQ in the ring

LAS VEGAS -- For Andre Berto, Floyd Mayweather's boxing IQ was the most impressive attribute on show at the MGM Grand on Saturday as the five-division world champion ended his professional career with a perfect 49-0 record.

Berto, a 30-1 underdog, could do very little against his fellow American as Mayweather once again delivered a consummate tactical display in the ring to retain his WBC and WBA welterweight titles on a unanimous decision.

"He's smart, really smart," twice former welterweight world champion Berto told reporters after being beaten for a fourth time in his last seven fights to slip to 30-4.

"He knows how to con his way in certain situations to keep his distance or to use that moment to get some rest time or to use clinches to breathe and come back with a few punches.

"I used a lot of speed but he was really crafty, he was using little things to kind of get me out of my rhythm. We pushed him to the limit but we fell short."

Berto, who described himself as a man 'on a mission' during the build-up to Saturday's fight, was asked to assess Mayweather's standing among the pantheon of boxing greats.

"He's sharp but it's hard for me to say because I haven't been in the ring with Muhammad (Ali) or (Rocky) Marciano," the American said of Mayweather, who is regarded as one of the best defensive fighters of all time.

"But right now, for him to be 38 years old and still have that speed and that timing, it's unheard of. I definitely commend him for that.

"The run he's had for 19 years, being world champion and continuing to move forward to greatness. As a fighter, not too many people can do that."

Many pundits have doubts over Mayweather's insistence that his career is now over, and point to the American's unexpected U-turn when he came back from a 21-month retirement to fight Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez in September 2009.

For Berto, Mayweather has earned the right to do whatever he wants.

"It's up to him," he said. "I'm not Floyd. He has done tremendous things for the sport, he's accomplished so much, he has broken all those records and made a shit-load of money.

"If he wants to retire, he can do what he wants to do. This sport is brutal by itself.

"If he wants to retire, he should be able to. If he wants to come back, that's on him as well."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Mayweather beats Berto in ring farewell

LAS VEGAS -- Floyd Mayweather Jr. cemented his place among the pantheon of boxing greats with a unanimous decision over fellow American Andre Berto on Saturday in what he has repeatedly said would be the final fight of his career.

Mayweather, 38, easily outboxed his younger opponent over the 12 rounds to retain his WBC and WBA welterweight titles and improve his perfect career record to 49-0, matching the benchmark set by former heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano.

Five-division world champion Mayweather dominated most of the exchanges in the MGM Grand Garden Arena with his lightning jabs and agile movement about the ring to finish ahead on all three judges' scorecards.

Berto, a 30-1 underdog against one of the best defensive fighters of all time, dropped to 30-4 as he suffered his fourth loss in his last seven fights.

"Andre Berto has heart, a tremendous chin, he wouldn't lay down," Mayweather said in a ringside interview. "It was a good fight.

"I knew he would be a tough competitor. Experience played a major role tonight. He is a very athletic boxer. What can I say? I was the better man tonight."

Asked if he might be tempted to come back for a 50th fight, Mayweather replied: "My career is over. It's official.

"You've got no one to hang it up, so I think it's about time for me to hang it up. I'm not going to be doing it now. I'm close to 40 years old, I've been in this sport 19 years, been world champion for 18 years, I've broken all records.

"There's nothing left to prove in the sport of boxing.

Back in the ring for the first time since May when he beat Manny Pacquiao in a "mega-fight" that became the richest bout in boxing, Mayweather landed 232 of 410 punches while Berto connected with just 83 of 495.

However, it was a welterweight showdown that failed to capture the public's imagination given Berto's relatively low profile globally and his mixed run of results over the past four years, and it was low on entertainment value on the night.

Barely five hours before the start, the MGM Grand box office said "a bunch of tickets" were still available for the arena in the price range between $300 and $1,500, and the official attendance ended up at 13,395 -- 3,000 short of full capacity.

"I was in shape but he was difficult to hit, experience played a big part," said Berto, a 32-year-old twice former welterweight world champion who overcame a career-threatening shoulder injury in 2013 to knock out Josesito Lopez in March.

"I was coming forward, I used a lot of speed but he was really crafty, used little things to get me out of my rhythm.

"Tonight I felt like we put on a great performance. We pushed him to the limit but we fell short. He's where he is for a reason. Floyd is definitely one of the best out there for sure."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Mayweather plans to relinquish all title belts

Floyd Mayweather Jr. will relinquish all of the championships that he currently holds sometime soon, and his last fight – scheduled for September – may end up being a non-title fight.

Mayweather made the announcement in the post-fight press conference following his unanimous decision victory over Filipino legend Manny Pacquiao that solidified his status as the best boxer of his era.

"I'm gonna relinquish all my belts," Mayweather said. "I made a decision at the back that my last fight may not be a championship fight. I'm gonna give up all the belts."

"It's still gonna be a 12-round fight, but I'm gonna relinquish all the belts," he added.

Mayweather may give up his titles as early as Monday although it may also take a couple of weeks, the fighter said.

The victory over Pacquiao allowed Mayweather to annex the WBO welterweight belt, adding it to the WBA (Super), WBC and The RING welterweight titles that he retained. Mayweather also owns the WBC and WBA light middleweight championships.

Asked why he plans to relinquish all of his titles, Mayweather said: "Other fighters need a chance… I'm not greedy."

"I'm world champion at two different weight classes right now. I'm undisputed welterweight champion, I got the WBC and the WBA at super welterweight… it's time for other fighters to fight for the belt," he explained.

In his 19-year career, Mayweather has won 11 world titles in five different weight divisions.

He will fight his last fight in September to fulfill a six-match deal with Showtime and CBS, but Mayweather admits that his passion for boxing has waned over the years.

"I don't really think I'm gonna miss this sport," he said. "I don't really watch boxing."

"At one particular time, I loved the sport of boxing. I wanted to go to every fight, I wanted to be at every boxing event," he added. "But throughout the years, I just lost the love for the sport."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Pacquiao can bounce back after KO loss, says Duran

MANILA – Another ring legend has bared his observations regarding the coming Manny Pacquiao-Brandon Rios fight.

Panama’s Roberto Duran, widely regarded as one of the best fighters of all time, said Pacquiao is capable of coming back and that Rios may be in trouble.

Duran said in an interview on Ring TV that the Filipino’s knockout loss to Juan Manuel Marquez may even make Pacquiao a difficult foe for Rios.

"Sure, he's embarrassed because of the Marquez loss, and because it happened in front of millions of people, and he feels that he needs to redeem himself. So Brandon needs to be very, very careful," said "Manos de Piedra" or Hands of Stone.

Just like Pacquiao, Duran suffered back-to-back losses to Marvin Hagler and Tommy Hearns in the 1980s.

Against Hearns, he fell flat on his face after getting clipped with a big right hand in the second round.

Years later, he was still able to win the WBC middleweight title by outscoring Iran Barkley.

"I was knocked out ... but I was able to come back and win the title, so by no means can you count out Manny Pacquiao,” said Duran.

He said in order for Rios to survive, the Mexican-American will have to give Pacquiao an intelligent fight.

“I just give Brandon Rios the advice to go in and attack and to not hesitate, because he can win if he just fights intelligently," said Duran.

Earlier, Duran's rival "Sugar" Ray Leonard said Pacquiao's knockout defeat could be a factor in the coming bout.

Leonard added that if Pacquiao loses to Rios, then it might be the end of the road for the fighting congressman.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Pacquiao, Mosley make weight; fight inevitable

source: gma

The welterweight championship fight between Filipino boxing icon and Sarangani Rep. Emmanuel "Manny" Pacquiao and Sugar Shane Mosley on Sunday (Manila time) is a go, after both fighters passed their weigh-in Saturday.

Pacquiao, 52-3-2 (38 knockouts), tipped the scales at 145 pounds while Mosley, 46-6-1 (39 KOs), made the 147-pound welterweight class limit, according to a report on dzBB radio early Saturday.

Most of the 8,000 plus crowd at the weigh-in at the MGM Grand Arena – about 70 percent – were Filipinos, the report added.

And since the weigh-in ceremony was free admission, some fans even lined-up as early as 8 a.m. to get good seats for the 3 p.m. event.

Pacquiao, whose supporters even held signs proclaiming him the sport's pound-for-pound king, was clearly the crowd favorite as fans reacted strongly and chanted his name when weigh-in ceremony emcee James Brown introduced the eight-division world champion.

Those present at the weigh-in, however, greeted Mosley with a mixture of "friendly" boos and applause prompting Top Rank CEO Bob Arum and Brown, urging the packed crowd at the MGM Arena to give the Pomona, California native fighter his due.

"(Mosley is) one of this generation's greatest fighters. (He's) an all-around great guy and humanitarian," said Arum.

Pacquiao 'The Great'

But Arum, who also promoted the likes of Sugar Ray Leonard, Muhammad Ali and Oscar De La Hoya, reserved his highest praise for Pacquiao.

"Manny Pacquiao, and I said this two years ago and it’s even more true today, is the greatest fighter I’ve ever seen," said Arum.

"He’s fast, both with his feet and his hands. He has great ring intelligence and he can punch equally well with both hands. That’s like a Major League Baseball pitcher who can throw equally well with either hand."

No thrash talking

According to a Reuters report, the two fighters were all smiles as they posed for the photographers for their pre-fight pictures and they embraced one another once that task was done. There was no trash talking between Pacquiao and Mosley.

Both fighters could not keep a straight face when they face-off at the center of the stage. Pacquiao and Mosley are renowned for being ideal boxing ambassadors and have refused to indulge in any of the pre-bout trash-talking so common in the sport.

"I am just so excited to be in this fight," Mosley, a 39-year-old veteran who is a three-division world champion, said on the stage. "The whole world is watching. It should be great," Reuters quoted the American boxer as saying.

Pacquiao, a 10-time world champion in a record eight weight divisions, is a 6-1 favorite to win but he has taken great pains not to underestimate his American challenger, the report said.

"I believe that Shane Mosley is a strong fighter, a good fighter," the 32-year-old Filipino said. "He has trained hard for this fight so I have to train hard and focus on this fight."

Mayol in undercard bout

Former World Boxing Council (WBC) light flyweight champion Rodel Mayol, who is being promoted by Pacquiao’s MP Promotions, will be fighting in one of the undercard bouts against Mexican Javier Gallo.

The Mandaue City, Cebu native Mayol weighed in at 112 lbs for his eight-round bout against the Tijuana-born Gallo, who tipped the scales at 114 lbs.

Mayol, 29, holds a ring record of 27 wins (21 by KO), five losses and two draws. He is also aiming to win his second straight fight after losing his title to Omar Nino Romero by decision last year.

Gallo (17-3-1, 9KOs) is coming off his best win to date over Jose Luis Araiza (29-3) last month.

Well attended

Among the boxing personalities in attendance where former five-division champion Roberto "Manos de Piedras" Duran, Marco Antonio Barrera and current International Boxing Fedration (IBF) cruiserweight title holder Steve Cunnigham of America.

Former Filipino champions Gerry Peñalosa, Morris East and Rolando Bohol were also among those on the scene.

Floyd Mayweather Sr. and World Boxing Association (WBA) lightweight champ Juan Manuel Marquez, who Pacquiao defeated in a split decision in 2008, were also present.

Surge of excitement

Reuters reported that the atmosphere was electric as the two fighters made their way on to a raised stage for Friday's televised weigh-in where former boxing great Roberto Duran and Britain's WBA world light welterweight champion Amir Khan were among those attending.

Shouts of "Manny, Manny" rang out before the tracksuit-clad boxers finally emerged, Pacquiao and Mosley each smiling and waving to the fans before stepping on to the scales, the report said, adding there were also "friendly boos" for Mosley who, despite being born in nearby Pomona, California, had a much smaller number of supporters in the arena.

Pacquiao, already acknowledged as one of the best offensive fighters of all time, is guaranteed $20 million from Saturday's bout while Mosley will earn a minimum $5 million.

Meanwhile, Pacquiao fans in the Philippines have been busy making ready some public venues that would show for free the awaited bout.

Some cities in the southern Metro Manila were reported making ready their gymnasiums, covered courts and other public places for the free viewing.

Also, the Armed Forces of the Philippines readied more venues to give soldiers a free showing of Sunday's bout.

Facilities were set up at the AFP Wellness Center in Quezon City; the Camp Aguinaldo Grandstand; the Philippine Navy multi-purpose hall; and the Philippine Air Force gymnasium at Villamor Air Base, radio dzBB's Divine Caraecle reported early Saturday.

The report said even soldiers confined at the V. Luna Hospital may benefit from facilities set up there for a free screening of the bout. – with reports from Ryan Songalia and Mico Halili, OMG/LBG/JVP, GMA News

Source: gmanews.tv