Manny Pacquiao Quotes

“I would only spend a week or two in the Philippines, most probably the week during my birthday because I am planning to give away Christmas gifts to the poor people of General Santos just like what I did last year.”

“I'm completely focused on Velazquez, ... If he's able to go the distance, I think that will help me as far as my experience and stamina for Morales. But the only fight I'm thinking about right now is the next one.”

“If he wants a rematch, I will give him a rematch. There should be a third fight.”

“I think I had him sometime in the eighth round. I knew the body punches were wearing him down, and I knew that if I could keep landing them, I'd probably get him.”

“In the sixth round I knew he was getting tired when I hit him with one punch to the body. But I had to take my time with him because he's a great boxer, too. In the 10th, I tried to knock him out.”

“I could see he was having problems taking my punches. I had no problem taking his.”

“I know everyone in the Philippines is happy.”

“Maybe Manny can take Espinosa for his roadwork or as an adviser. As we all know, Manny shows no mercy even with his sparring partners.”

“I saw I hurt him every time I hit him in the body.”

“Every time Erik moved to his right, I couldn't see him.”

“All of my countrymen are hoping that I win this fight. If I beat Morales, it will be a great honor for me to go back to the Philippines with the victory. I want this very much for my country, it will be good for my country and my fans.”

Joe Calzaghe Believes He Can Beat Wladimir Klitschko

Is Joe Calzaghe punch drunk, just missing the spotlight, or does he think he can seriously compete with a behemoth heavyweight like Wladimir Klitschko? It's hard to tell with Joe Calzaghe. Joe recently told Walesonline, "I see the guys fighting now and I know I could beat them all. That's always the case. I'm Joe Calzaghe, I could beat anyone. I could step up and beat Wladimir Klitschko if I wanted."

Joe Calzaghe is probably just craving the spotlight, but I'll entertain the thought just for a moment; Joe Calzaghe Vs. Wladimir Klitschko? Calzaghe would be outweighed by 50 some odd pounds, and facing not just any heavyweight - he would be facing the most talented heavyweight on the planet. Joe wouldn't be able to get by Wladimir's jab. He'd get knocked out. Now, if Joe Calzaghe wasn't just stirring the pot, and really wanted the challenge of facing Wladimir Klitschko; that would be a mega fight for sure. Not gonna happen though.

As far as Joe Calzaghe competing against, and beating the 6 fighters in the super six (super middle weight tournament); that is definitely more realistic. He's been out of the ring for awhile, but he would have an excellent chance of coming out on top. Like him facing Wladimir though, it aint gonna happen.

I bet Mikkel Kessler is hoping Joe enters the fray.

Roy Jones Jr. Is Shot? My Final Prediction For RJJ Vs. Jeff Lacy

After cruising around and reading quite a few boxing message boards, the prevailing theme for Roy Jones Jr., is that he's 'shot.' Most boxing fans are judging this from Jones' fight with Joe Calzaghe. In that fight, towards the end of the fight, he did look shot. Roy Jones Jr., let's not forget, went on to look better than expected in his fight after the Calzaghe thumping; against a limited foe, yes. But as far as physical prowess; Jones didn't look like the Jones of OLD, but far from 'shot.'

Maybe the boxing fans that I disagree with have a different interpretation of the ring-lingo than I do. 'Shot' to me is "get out of the ring. You have NOTHING left." In Roy Jones' case, he still has something left. He is over the hill, not shot.

I'm expecting Roy Jones Jr. to beat Jeff Lacy by UD, or late round stoppage. Jones has too much talent for Lacy, even at this stage in his career.

David Haye Backs Out Of A Deal To Fight Vitali Klitschko!

After months of calling Wladimir Klitschko "chicken" and other disrespectful names, David Haye has outdone himself once again. It began with Haye backing out of a proposed (and done deal) fight with Wladimir; Haye claimed he had a back injury. Fair enough.

David Haye's latest stunt came recently, when he back doored Vitali Klitschko, signing to fight Valuev at the last minute! Vitali Klitschko and Haye were set to face each other September 19. Who's the chicken? Who's the one running scared?

I thought David Haye was a fresh face, who would bring excitement back to the heavyweight division. So far he has brought a mouth - nothing more. David Haye has yet to prove himself at heavyweight. He had an opportunity to fight both Klitschkos, and he blew it.

Miguel Cotto vs. Manny Pacquiao Is On

It's official. Boxing fans can sit back and breath a sigh of relief. Miguel Cotto vs. Manny Pacquiao is officially signed and will take place Nov. 14.

It will take me a few weeks to make an official prediction on who I think will come out the winner. This fight can easily go either way. Miguel Cotto's size and power punching - along with his jab needs to be taken into consideration. On the flip side, Pacquiao's lighting quick hands and stamina could counter Miguel's advantages.

Right now, I'm leaning towards Miguel Cotto. He isn't washed up like De La Hoya was, is bigger than Ricky Hatton - and unlike Hatton, has a jab. This bout will be speed vs. power, like I've said in a previous entry. The X-factor in this fight is Manny's trainer, Freddie Roach; he's a real evil genius when it comes to creating a fight plan for his fighters. I have no doubt Roach will have Manny Pacquiao try to exploit Cotto's weaknesses. Whether Manny will be able to or not is another story.

But more time needs to be had, for me to make an official prediction. Let's just be thankful this fight was made. Boxing is in need of some much needed hype. We're finally getting it with Floyd Mayweather-Juan Manuel Marquez, and now Cotto-Pacquiao.

RIP Arturo Gatti

Boxing's ultimate blood & guts warrior, Arturo Gatti was found dead in Brazil at a hotel room he and his wife were staying at, reportedly bloodied when his body was discovered. Early reports are that it was a homicide.

What a shame; first Arguello, now Arturo Gatti.

I was shocked when I first read reports that Arturo Gatti was found dead. I'm still shocked now. Gatti was 37 years young. Much too young to die. Boxing lost a legend.

Much like the drama he surrounded himself with inside the boxing ring, outside the ring was no different. Arturo Gatti was known for drinking a lot and living in the fast lane of life.

I grew up watching Gatti. He was one of the fighters who got me interested in boxing way back in 1996, when I saw him on HBO. He leaves behind his family & friends, and many adoring fans who are wishing his soul rest.

Roy Jones Jr. To Keep Fighting After Jeff Lacy

Roy Jones Jr. has expressed his desire to take on Glenn Johnson, Bernard Hopkins and even Wladimir Klitschko.

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&id=20901

First of all, Roy Jones is nuts if he thinks he has a realistic shot at beating Wladimir Klitschko, who is a good 7 inches taller than him, with a longer reach. Klitschko would outweigh Jones by a significant margin. If (I doubt it would) the fight ever happened, I wouldn't be surprised to see Roy Jones Jr. get knocked out by one of Wladimir's powerful jabs. That's how much of a mismatch a fight between Jones & Wladimir would be. Joe Calzaghe had Jones flinching and gun shy, imagine what a skilled heavyweight with real power would do to him? With all that said, it was probably just antics from Roy Jones Jr. - about fighting Wladimir I mean. I believe him when he says he wants to face Hopkins or Glenn Johnson.

Many people are calling on Roy Jones Jr. to retire. Why? He didn't look too good in the second half of the fight against Joe Calzaghe - but he held his own in the first part of the fight before the cut. Besides, he didn't look THAT bad - past prime, definitely - but not "shot" as many people like to claim. Sure, Roy Jones Jr. is 40. So what.... he likes to fight and make money. Don't forget, Jones, after losing to Calzaghe, went on to look good against Omar Sheika.

Roy Jones Jr. will go on to face Jeff Lacy next month. I feel Jones will beat Lacy by late round TKO, or UD.

I would also give Roy Jones a good shot at beating Bernard Hopkins - mainly because of Hopkins' inactivity.

First things first; let's wait and see how Roy Jones Jr. looks against Jeff Lacy.

Proposed October Date For Pacquiao-Cotto Is Off

According to Boxingscene.com, Manny Pacquiao couldn't get the proposed October date to face Miguel Cotto:

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&id=20884

Just more boxing politics as usual. It is a shame every boxer couldn't promote and manage himself. If we cut out these promoters, etc, all the fights we've ever wanted to see would happen. Not that I'm suggesting Manny vs. Cotto will not happen, it just gets frustrating waiting for a bout to get signed, officially. There are too many damn politics in the sport of boxing.

A Look Back At Vitali Klitschko vs. Lennox Lewis

Would Lennox Lewis have gotten knocked out by Vitali Klitschko had the fight continued? Was Lewis out of shape? Would the outcome of the fight be different had Vitali Klitschko not gotten cut? Who would have won a rematch?

Those are some of the prevailing questions when it comes to the Lewis vs. Klitschko bout. These questions have been asked right after the fight, in 2003, up until this day. I can't answer all these questions - no one can - but it sure is fun to speculate.

First of all, to the questions of Lennox Lewis being out of shape. He was! But that was his fault. He came into the fight heavier than usual. Most people like to point out Lewis was out of shape because he was supposed to fight Kirk Johnson, then at the last minute Vitali Klitschko stepped in to fill the void. This is all true - but Vitali Klitschko was ALSO training to fight someone else at the time. And if I remember correctly, it was Lewis' people who offered Vitali the fight. He took it. This argument needs to be thrown out the window (about Lewis not being prepared for Vitali) because Vitali wasn't prepared for Lewis either. When you're the heavyweight champion of the world, coming into ANY fight out of shape is no excuse. Vitali came into the fight in shape, Lewis didn't. Both fighters were unprepared for each other.

Now that that is out of the way, onto the fight: Probably the most exciting heavyweight fight in a long time. It was full of drama and excitement.

Lewis was no doubt surprised at Vitali's aggressiveness in the first round. I'm sure he underestimated Klitschko's ability, as it showed in the first two rounds.

Round 2 Vitali Klitschko almost got Lennox out of there, landing a perfect right hand which went under Lewis' lazy jab. Lewis hung on for dear life, until his head was cleared. The remainder of the round saw Vitali roughing Lewis up.

Round 3 was much more even. Both men landed some good, solid shots. This is the round Vitali Klitschko got cut in - which, in my opinion, was Vitali's last round in which he had some serious momentum. It all went down hill from there for Vitali. Things started to swing back into Lewis' favor.

Rounds 4, 5 and 6 saw both men landing some clean shots; Vitali's jab was effective throughout - and Lennox's jab started finding its mark after round 3. Rounds 5 and 6, particularly, started to swing to Lewis' favor heavily. Lennox Lewis was dog tired, but there is no question, as the fight progressed he started to land with more regularity.

At the end of round 6, Vitali walked slowly to his corner, while Lennox slumped down onto his stool like a sack of bricks. Both men were breathing heavy. Both were exhausted.

This is where the debate is most heated; some say Lennox Lewis would have inevitably gotten knocked out had the fight continued. Others say the momentum had swung in Lewis' favor, and that Vitali's cut would have only gotten worse.....both sides make excellent points. In my humble opinion, Lewis was gaining momentum, landing with more regularity, etc. As the fight wore on it was Lewis' for the taking. That's what I saw.

Would the fight have turned out differently had Vitali not gotten cut? I think so. This was Vitali's first cut, and it was a bad one at that. It bothered him, no doubt about it. Be that as it may, Vitali did get cut; it's apart of boxing.

There are a lot of what ifs when it comes to this fight. My ruling is that if Vitali Klitschko came out to face Lewis in the 7th round, he would have been grinded down, if not in the 7th round, the 8th or the one after that. It was only a matter of time.

After losing to Lennox Lewis, Vitali Klitschko made quick work of Kirk Johnson, destroying him in 2 rounds. The loss to Lewis actually gave Vitali a lot of confidence. And I think Lennox Lewis sensed this. Maybe Lewis himself thought "What if Vitali didn't get that cut?"

Shortly after the Kirk Johnson vs. Vitali Klitschko fight, Lewis retired. I can't say I blame him. "What if Klitschko doesn't get cut in the rematch?"

I posted the full fight between Klitschko-Lewis - so you can judge for yourself.

Full Fight - Lennox Lewis vs. Vitali Klitschko

Floyd "Money" Mayweather Jr. Has Money Problems?

In the following article, it is referenced that Floyd Mayweather Jr. has financial problems:

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&id=20820

If true, could this be the main reason Floyd Mayweather Jr. is making a comeback? And if true, how can we be sure that Floyd Mayweather's heart and head are truly into boxing, and not the money? Last but not least, if true, should those of us giving Mayweather the early, *inevitable* win against Marquez revise our predictions? Some important questions to answer.

It is total irony that Floyd "Money" Mayweather Jr. seems to have financial problems....then again, most prize fighters do.

Eddie Chambers Beats Alexander Dimitrenko

Heavyweight contender, Eddie Chambers beat Alexander Dimitrenko by majority decision in Germany Saturday, to inch his way ever closer to a match-up with WladimirKlitschko and/or Wladimir's brother, Vitali.

Eddie Chambers came into the fight leaner than ever before, weighing 209 pounds. He also looked better than ever before by knocking down Alexander Dimitrenko twice, ultimately to win by what SHOULD have been a UD (one judge scored the fight a draw).

If ever there was a blue print of how to beat the giant Wladimir Klitschko, Eddie Chambers drew it when he beat Alexander Dimitrenko. Dimitrenko is no Klitschko, but they both share height and reach; Chambers was able to get inside of Dimitrenko at will it seemed.

This win marks Chamber's 5th in a row. Before facing Dimitrenko, Eddie Chambers beat Samuel Peter in impressive fashion.

Eddie Chambers definitely put himself into the top contender mix after beating Samuel Peter - and now Dimitrenko. Chambers says he wants to stay busy before facing Wladimir Klitschko. Unlike David Haye, Chambers has the right attitude.

Before Eddie Chambers challenges Wladimir Klitschko for the top man in the division-title, I'd like to see him re-match the man who last beat him, Aleksander Povetkin. Eddie has made enough improvements lately that if the re-match happens with Povetkin, I'd pick him to win.

Has American boxing finally got a heavyweight fighter to rest their hope in? It is too early to tell - but Chambers looks promising, and I think, is the top American heavyweight prospect of the lot.

Boxing Lost A Piece Of Itself - Alexis Arguello Dies

A sad day for boxing. Nicaraguan boxing legend Alexis Arguello was found dead in his home yesterday. He reportedly committed suicide by shooting himself through the heart. He fought a lot of demons inside the squared circle. For Arguello, it was no different outside of the ring.

Another sad ending, another tragedy for boxing and a man gone before his time. Alexis Arguello will be missed but not forgotten.

RIP champ.

Miguel Cotto vs. Manny Pacquiao One Step Closer To Being A Done Deal

According to Bob Arum, Top Rank's boxing promoter, Miguel Cotto vs. Manny Pacquiao is one step closer to being a done deal. Arum recently said, "everything is fine."

Right now the proposed date for the bout between Miguel Cotto vs. Manny Pacquiao, is November 14 in Las Vegas.

Take Bob Arum's "everything is fine" comment whatever way you want, but it's nice to hear a little reassurance, considering all the bouts that have been canceled within the last year.