Diddy, Wahlberg bet $250K on Paquiao-Floyd fight

Hip-hop star Diddy and Hollywood actor Mark Wahlberg just put a lot of money on the line as they made a huge bet on the May 2 showdown between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr.

In an advertisement for the performance water company, AQUAHydrate, Diddy and Wahlberg are shown discussing the highly anticipated "Fight of the Century."

"Who you got in the fight?" Wahlberg asked.

Diddy picked up a "TMT" hat and announced: "I got Mayweather. Go with the Money Team, baby. Who you got?"

"Pacman," Wahlberg said.

The hip-hop mogul asked Wahlberg if he wanted to put $100,000 on the table, to which Wahlberg answered: "Why so little?", prompting Diddy to raise the stakes to $250,000.

Wahlberg, the star of the Academy Award-nominated film "The Fighter," is a huge boxing fan and visited Pacquiao earlier this month at the Wild Card Gym.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Manny keeps weight in check at 148-149

LOS ANGELES - After a full meal, Manny Pacquiao can tip the scales at around 148 to 149 pounds, according to his bosom buddy, Buboy Fernandez.

Safe and sound.

“He’s at 148 to 149. Just right on it,” said Fernandez in his hotel room at Park Plaza here in the northern side of Hollywood.

Fernandez had just unloaded his stuff from the gym after an aborted training session Friday afternoon.

Pacquiao, the pot-bellied Filipino boxing trainer said, poured it all during his morning run at Griffith Park he called it a day from there.

The eight-division champion, with the permission of his chief trainer, Freddie Roach, skipped the afternoon session at Wild Card Gym, just a couple of blocks away.

“We felt it was wise to just let him rest after that morning run. Besides, he sparred 11 rounds yesterday and will do 12 rounds tomorrow,” said Fernandez.

There’s no reason to worry.

In fact, Fernandez said everybody’s happy where Pacquiao is right now, inside two weeks to the Floyd Mayweather fight in Las Vegas.

“What he showed us earlier could be his peak condition. He ran up the mountains like he never did before,” he said.

Pacquiao covered the steep and elevated eight-kilometer terrain in just over 54 minutes.

“That was the toughest climb here. Mahirap yun. Grabe yung ginawa niya. So, we decided to give him a rest in the afternoon,” Fernandez told scribes.

“He showed that he’s at the peak of his training now,” he added.

Pacquiao will face Mayweather for all the worthy titles in the welterweight division on May 2 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Training had gone the way they want it, despite the fact that Pacquiao missed three consecutive sparring sessions last week.

“Baka ma-over (train),” said Fernandez.

Even by skipping those sessions and eating as heavy as he wants, Pacquiao had kept his weight in check.

Paccquiao eats as much when over a hundred people around him are starving themselves in a weight-loss challenge offering $10,000 to the champion.

“Bultu-bulto kung kumain (He eats a lot),” said Fernandez.

“But we’re on it. Right now he’s at 148-149,” he said.

Read more on The Philippine Star.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Pacquiao opens camp to media

LOS ANGELES – After weeks of settling for limited access, some 300 media members packed the Wild Card Gym for Manny Pacquiao's media day on Thursday.

Pacquiao kept his promise to arrive early after seeing how his May 2 opponent, Floyd Mayweather Jr., kept the media waiting for nearly two hours during his own media day on Wednesday.

Pacquiao did a series of interviews that lasted for well over two hours, and proclaimed his faith whenever he had the chance.

"The Lord will always be there with me," he said. "I want them to remember that not only I inspired them, but in following God."

It was one of the most packed media days the gym has ever seen, with members of the press forced to pack the upper floor of the Wild Card Gym like sardines.

"Ito ang pinaka-grabe," said Fernandez.

Despite the big crowd and all the questions, Pacquiao's promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank, declined to give his latest estimate on how much money the so-called "Fight of the Century" can make, especially when it comes to pay-per-view numbers.

"Your guess is as good as my guess. How the hell do I know?" Arum said.

"I just know it will be a big number. Will it be three million? Will it be four million? How would I know?" he added.

As for tickets which are expected to finally go on sale, the Hall-of-Fame promoter offered an old-school solution.

"The idea that tickets aren't on sale yet is ridiculous," he said. "Remember how it was in the old days, when you went to a baseball game, people would line up to buy tickets at the box office the day of the game?"

"Maybe that's what they'll do."

At the end of the three-hour day, one person was happy it was finally over.

"This is part of life," said chief trainer Freddie Roach. "We know we have to sell the fight. Well, not this fight, because it's already sold out."

"I haven't seen any tickets yet, but it's the biggest fight in the world and it's a real honor to have this many people in my gym," he added.

Pacquiao only shadow-boxed and did a few minutes on the mitts in the gym, but he was able to run at the Griffith Park in the morning and did some agility drills.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

'Linsanity' meets 'Kid Kulafu' at Wild Card Gym

LOS ANGELES – Manny Pacquiao received a visit from fellow Christian athlete Jeremy Lin of the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday.

Pacquiao, coming off 12 rounds of sparring, had only words of praise for Lin, who was similarly complimentary of the "Pacman."

"I can relate in some ways, just being a Christian athlete, being an Asian athlete or just being in the spotlight," said Lin.

The two spoke about their Christian faith and life as two of L.A.'s most high-profile athletes, and even discussed another recent visitor – Tim Tebow, another athlete who is vocal about his faith.

"Tim Tebow is a strong guy," said Pacquiao.

"I'm not that close to him, but when I was in New York, I talked to him for a little bit," said Lin.

Of course, they also talked about basketball.

"It's cool to cross over to different sports and expand the game, whether it's coaching, playing or being in management and what he's done," said Lin.

"I've been able to follow and see that it's really cool, great for the country, great for the sport," he added.

While Los Angeles is a sports hubbub, it is also an entertainment capital, and Pacquiao was thrilled with the recent Philippine premiere of "Kid Kulafu," the Paul Soriano-helmed biopic about the boxer's early life.

"Maraming salamat sa lahat ng sumuporta at nanood ng 'Kid Kulafu.' 'Yan po ang story ni Manny Pacquiao before boxing, ang pangalan ko. Ako po si Kid Kulafu," said the "Pacman."

There's also been some Hollywood buzz that Pacquiao could appear in the next "Expendables" sequel.

On Monday, one of the stars of "Expendables 3," UFC champion Ronda Rousey, paid the boxer a visit.

"It would be amazing if he was on there. He'd probably beat every one up on there though. There would be no story, because Manny is just the end card," she said.

However, Pacquiao would rather leave the violence in the ring rather than portray it on screen.

"Depende, depende. Gusto ko naman ng Christian movies," he said.

The speculation could be traced back to Pacquiao's fight against Chris Algieri last year, when "Expandables 2" leading men Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone visited him in his locker room.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

LOOK: 'Brothers in Christ' Tebow, Pacquiao at Wild Card Gym

Celebrities continue to flock to the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood where Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao is training for his May 2 super fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr.

This time, it is former Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow who paid Pacquiao a visit.



On Instagram, Tebow said it was "awesome" to spend time with Pacquiao, whom he called his "Filipino and Christian brother."

Pacquiao posted a similar picture on his own Instagram page.

Tebow was born in Makati in 1987 and has opened a hospital in Davao City.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Roach satisfied after Pacquiao's first day of sparring

Chief trainer Freddie Roach was thrilled with what he saw from Filipino champion Manny Pacquiao after his first day of sparring.

ESPN.com's Dan Rafael reported that Pacquiao sparred for five rounds on Tuesday at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles, where he is holding his training camp for his May 2 bout against Floyd Mayweather.

He sparred for two rounds against Finland's Edis Tatli, then three more rounds against Kenneth Sims Jr., a welterweight prospect from Chicago.

"When Manny threw out the first punch, it felt like opening day of Irish spring training," Roach told ESPN.com. "Manny looked so fresh today."

"I'm very happy with what he showed me. You couldn't tell he had been away from the ring since the (Chris) Algieri fight in November. Manny is on fire in the gym," he added.

Pacquiao, for his part, said it felt great "to finally put on the headgear and spar."

"My sparring partners gave me good work today. They were perfect for testing the strategy Freddie and I have developed to beat Floyd Mayweather," said Pacquiao. "I was very happy with my stamina and speed today."

Roach is extraordinarily confident that Pacquiao will be triumphant on May 2, even though the Filipino is considered the underdog against the unbeaten American.

"I am confident May 2 will be celebrated for years to come as St. Manny's Day – the day he drove Mayweather out of boxing," said the trainer.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Roach to keep game plan vs Floyd 'secret'

MANILA – Celebrated boxing trainer Freddie Roach has had a game plan for Floyd Mayweather Jr. for several years now but refuses to divulge it especially as his prized ward, Manny Pacquiao, is finally set to face the American on May 2.

"I have had a plan for five years for this guy," Roach told Boxing Scene, referring to Mayweather.

This is likely because talks of a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight first surfaced five years ago, when both boxers were the undisputed top pound-for-pound fighters in the world.

But negotiations would fall apart, and then start again, several times over the next few years. It wasn't until late February 2015 that a deal for a May 2 bout was finally signed for what is likely to be the richest bout in boxing history.

Pacquiao and Mayweather are not the same fighters that they were five years ago when Roach first created his game plan, and the trainer said he has made some changes accordingly.

"It has changed a bit because both fighters have changed," Roach said. "But most of it is still intact."

"I know exactly what I want Manny to do," he stressed. "When I go home to training camp, we'll start working on it."

Roach has no plans of revealing what that game plan is, however, and even says that he plans to shut down the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles while Pacquiao is training there.

"I won't tell you what the game plan is, because that will be very silent," he said. "The whole Wild Card Gym will be shut down."

"We will work out Manny's best strategy, and nobody will watch it," he stressed. "The cameras are only allowed after sparring and after mitts."

Pacquiao is the underdog against Mayweather, who has a 47-0 record and is known as one of the greatest defensive fighters of his generation.

But Roach is confident, believing that Pacquiao is "the best guy in the world," and insists his fighter is "fresher and stronger" than the American champion.

"I studied (Mayweather) quite a bit. He's a good fighter, don't get me wrong, but he's a bit boring," said Roach. "We have to dictate the pace of the fight, we have to throw more punches. He's very defensive."

Pacquiao is already at the Wild Card Gym, and kicked off the Los Angeles phase of his training camp yesterday. Roach is currently in Macau where he is set to corner Zou Shiming as the Chinese star challenges Thailand's Amnat Ruenroeng for a flyweight title.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Wild Card Gym never the same without Pacman

LOS ANGELES – A couple of boxers, perhaps amateurs, were on the heavy bags, and another, who looked like a pro, sat on a wooden bench, wrapping his hands, legs spread, his back on the wall.

Others minded their own business. There must be a dozen boxers working out at the Wild Card Gym here on this sunny but cool Saturday afternoon. No one was inside the ring.

Somehow, the place looked empty.

The gym’s most famous client, Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao, was 7,000 miles away, training for a Nov. 24 fight against Brandon Rios in Macau.

Trainer Freddie Roach, who owns the gym, is in the Philippines with Pacquiao.

Pepper Roach wasn’t around either, and Rob Peters, the security officer, was nowhere in sight as well as Freddie’s assistant, Marie Spivey. Alex Ariza is no longer part of the team.

There was none of the old, familiar faces.

Roger “Speedy” Gonzales, a 28-6-0 fighter, now mans the desk, and welcomes people in.

Pacquiao’s absence is strongly felt because this close to a fight, he should be there working out, packing the gym, drawing all the attention.

People used to line up the metal stairs just to get a glimpse of Pacquiao, and Peters, a Red Sox diehard, had to shoo them away, politely. He closes the doors on them.

Fans would crowd the parking lot, flashing placards, seeking autographs or photographs with Pacquiao. One time, the LAPD had to draw the yellow line.

Hollywood celebrities would come to watch Pacquiao train. One day, Kobe Bryant stopped by.

Not this time.

The Manny Pacquiao merchandise store on the front side of the gray-walled property is gone. The new tenant said they took over the place four months ago and turned it into a nail spa.

Pacquiao’s favorite restaurant, Nat’s Thai Food, was near empty. The owner of the place, Tina, jumped on this scribe, and immediately asked how Pacquiao is doing.

The Filipino superstar loves Thai food, and over the last seven years or so, he would spend a couple of hours inside the restaurant after training.

Business in this Thai restaurant, known for its spicy chicken, deep-fried fish and crab rice, bloomed with Pacquiao who would spend as much as $700 a day for everybody’s meals.

But Pacquiao’s hasn’t been around since December last year when he fought Juan Manuel Marquez. The place had seen better days.

“We really miss him,” said Tina, who would close shop for a couple of days and take her entire family to Las Vegas or even Dallas to watch Pacquiao’s fights.

They all had become friends with Pacquiao. The walls inside this Thai restaurant are adorned with Pacquiao posters and pictures.

Tina knows that Pacquiao is doing his next fight in Macau, and said they were all wishing him the best. It’s the first time since 2006 that Pacquiao is fighting outside the United States.

During a conference call last Thursday, Pacquiao said it’s up to his promoter, Bob Arum, whether he’d fight in the US once more. Well, actually, it’s up to him. If he beats Rios, then the possibility is there. Or it may be all gone.

“I really don’t know yet,” said Pacquiao.

A lot of people are hoping and praying for that possibility.

“We will pray that he wins. We hope he fights here again. We really miss Pacquiao. We love him,” said Tina before heading back to the kitchen.

She kept her tears from falling.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Pacquiao big part of Roach's Hall of Fame journey

LAS VEGAS - Manny Pacquiao's world title fight against Timothy Bradley on Saturday (Sunday, PHL time) is just one event in a whirlwind weekend for trainer Freddy Roach, who will be inducted into boxing's Hall of Fame on Sunday (Monday, PHL time).

Roach said he wouldn't miss the ceremony in Canastota, New York, calling it a "once in a lifetime deal."

"Part of the reason I'm going in the Hall of Fame is Manny Pacquiao," he added.

The two teamed up in 2001, when little-known Pacquiao needed a place to train in the United States and tried Roach's Wild Card Gym in Hollywood.

The two had a connection immediately, Roach recalled.

"It was the first time we met each other," Roach said. "I didn't miss a beat on the mitts. It was like I knew him his whole life. He couldn't even speak English back then."

Pacquiao has since evolved into a global superstar, a world champion in eight weight classes who is a hero -- and congressman -- in his homeland and a money-spinning celebrity in the United States.

Through it all, Roach said, his relationship with Pacquiao has evolved as well, from a father figure in the early days to their current close friendship.

"It started off immediately," Roach said of the friendship. "We had a lot of respect for each other. That's never changed. Our roles have changed."

Now that Pacquiao is older, with a family of his own, he doesn't rely on Roach for advice about his life.

Even when it comes to boxing, Roach said, they now meet on equal terms.

"I don't coach him as much as I used to," Roach said, adding that Pacquiao was an astute student of boxing.

"Sometimes he's my coach at this point. It's 100 percent collaboration."

So it's no surprise that even with the Hall of Fame honor beckoning, Roach will be in Pacquiao's corner on Saturday night.

He sheepishly explained he'd rented a private plane -- cost $26,000 -- to take him and others from Las Vegas to New York soon after the bout.

"I'm not too happy about it," he said.

Roach will be joined on the plane by his mother and other family members, along with ring announcer Michael Buffer, who will also work the Pacquiao fight and also be inducted into the Hall on Sunday.

Roach fought as a lightweight for eight years, building a record of 40-13 before retiring in 1986.

He is being inducted into the Hall for his work as a trainer.

Pacquiao's overall record of 54-3-2 includes a line of 22-1-2 in 25 fights with Roach.

Roach has also brought along young fighters, guiding Virgil Hill to a 31-0 record before they parted ways and training flyweight champion Brian Viloria and the late Johnny Tapia.

One thing Roach said he hadn't quite planned out for the weekend was his induction ceremony speech.

"It's going to be a short speech," he predicted.

Sunday's other honorees are Thomas Hearns, Mark "Too Sharp" Johnson, broadcaster Al Bernstein and writer Michael Katz. - AFP

source: gmanetwork.com