Boxing News Thread
- Thread starter heyzel
- Start date
i didnt even know oscar de la hoya had his own high school..
http://www.usnews.com/listings/high-schools/california/oscar_de_la_hoya_animo_charter_high
http://www.usnews.com/listings/high-schools/california/oscar_de_la_hoya_animo_charter_high
Posted by Dan Rafael
LAS VEGAS -- Another week, another fight, which means another edition of stuff I heard in the press room.
This week the MGM Grand is playing host to the biggest fight of the year -- Saturday's Oscar De La Hoya-Manny Pacquiao showdown -- and the media center has been bustling with a who's who of the boxing industry, especially during Thursday's special screening of the fourth and final episode of HBO's "De La Hoya/Pacquiao 24/7," which I thought was easily the best episode of the series. Just a tremendous piece of television. If you watched that episode and are not completely stoked for the fight, you're probably not a boxing fan.
In addition to media from around the world; the staffs from Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions; the outstanding PR team from the MGM; and HBO's top three boxing executives -- Ross Greenburg, Mark Taffet and Kery Davis -- there are also plenty of fighters around.
The roster is impressive. Ricky Hatton, who stopped Paulie Malignaggi here two weeks ago, returned from England with his father, Ray Hatton, attorney Gareth Williams and agent Paul Speak. Hatton is here, of course, because he is the obvious and likely candidate to be the next opponent for the winner of Saturday's fight.
Before I get to my discussion with Hatton, here are just a few of the other fighters I've seen in the media center mingling and doing interviews: Israel Vazquez, Rafael Marquez, Juan Manuel Marquez, Bernard Hopkins, Oscar Larios and Hall of Famer Daniel Zaragoza (who is part of De La Hoya's training team).
One of the things I enjoyed seeing was the friendly behavior between rivals Vazquez and Rafael Marquez, who have tortured each other for three consecutive fights. It seems like they're taking the Arturo Gatti-Micky Ward route of rivals, becoming friends, rather than the Marco Antonio Barrera-Erik Morales route of rivals who despise each other.
Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach has also been a regular in the press room, as has the legendary Angelo Dundee, one of my favorite people in boxing and a De La Hoya training consultant.
OK, on to Hatton. Yes, he wants to fight Saturday's winner and makes no bones about it.
"Without a doubt, I want to fight the winner," said Hatton, who doesn't look like he's been packing on too many pounds since his win two weeks ago. "Manny Pacquiao is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. There are a lot of good fighters at 140, but with no disrespect, they're not what you would call household names. If Pacquiao wins, he can fight me for my title. If Oscar wins, we can sit down and negotiate what weight that can be made at. I like to call him a friend. I've gotten to know him very well, but if the fight is made, it would be pure business. He'd be my sworn enemy."
Hatton said whether the bout were held in America or England, it would be a massive event.
"You've got the biggest name in boxing and the biggest ticket seller in boxing, so it can't help but be a blockbuster. Oscar has already said to me he would love to fight in England. Wembley Stadium, I reckon we could get easily 100,000 for a fight with Oscar De La Hoya."
• I had lunch with Top Rank boss Bob Arum, Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer and they told me that the Jan. 24 Antonio Margarito-Shane Mosley fight is on the move. Instead of taking place at Mandalay Bay (which really didn't want the fight because it will be the week before the Super Bowl, when the resort will bring in its best customers), a deal has been made to hold the fight at the Staples Center in Los Angeles -- which is where it belongs anyway. Arum and Schaefer said they got lucky because the arena -- home to the Lakers, Clippers and Kings -- had a rare open Saturday in January. A Tuesday news conference has been planned for a formal announcement.
• Arum said he closed a deal Thursday morning with British promoter Frank Warren for Michael Jennings to face Miguel Cotto on Feb. 21 in the first half of Top Rank's split-site pay-per-view card. Cotto and Jennings will fight for the title left vacant by Paul Williams. Arum also said the fight, originally ticketed for Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J., could instead wind up at New York's Madison Square Garden. The first three televised bouts will include Cotto and two other bouts from that venue. Arum said candidates to fight on that portion of the show are junior featherweight titlist Juan Manuel Lopez, who defends his title Saturday night, and junior flyweight champ Ivan "Iron Boy" Calderon. The main event from Youngstown, Ohio, is middleweight champ Kelly Pavlik defending against mandatory challenger Marco Antonio Rubio.
• Here's one more tidbit from Arum: junior bantamweight titlist Fernando Montiel will defend his title against Nonito Donaire in either the Philippines or Macau in March on Showtime. Donaire plans to vacate his flyweight title and move up in weight for the shot, Arum said.
• Winky Wright, who had to withdraw from a fight scheduled for Thursday because of a hand injury, probably will skip a tune-up bout and return to HBO in March or April for a notable fight, according to Golden Boy's Eric Gomez. Gomez said Wright is willing to fight a top opponent at 160 or 168 pounds, and that Golden Boy has been talking to representatives for super middleweight titlist Mikkel Kessler about a potential match. Wright would also be interested in fighting light heavyweight champ Joe Calzaghe (and would be willing to fight in Wales), assuming Calzaghe elects to continue his career.
• HBO's Jan. 17 "Boxing After Dark" card, which will be headlined by Andre Berto's mandatory welterweight title defense against Luis Collazo, may include a co-feature of interim junior middleweight titlist Sergio Martinez against prospect Joe Greene. The fight was close to being made Thursday.
• Although Versus has not announced its 2009 boxing schedule, Golden Boy has been pitching fights, including former lightweight titlist Jesus Chavez against one of three fighters: former lightweight champ Joel Casamayor, former junior lightweight belt holder Jorge Barrios or all-action brawler Michael Katsidis. Let's hope Versus buys any of the three. They're all interesting fights.
LAS VEGAS -- Another week, another fight, which means another edition of stuff I heard in the press room.
This week the MGM Grand is playing host to the biggest fight of the year -- Saturday's Oscar De La Hoya-Manny Pacquiao showdown -- and the media center has been bustling with a who's who of the boxing industry, especially during Thursday's special screening of the fourth and final episode of HBO's "De La Hoya/Pacquiao 24/7," which I thought was easily the best episode of the series. Just a tremendous piece of television. If you watched that episode and are not completely stoked for the fight, you're probably not a boxing fan.
In addition to media from around the world; the staffs from Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions; the outstanding PR team from the MGM; and HBO's top three boxing executives -- Ross Greenburg, Mark Taffet and Kery Davis -- there are also plenty of fighters around.
The roster is impressive. Ricky Hatton, who stopped Paulie Malignaggi here two weeks ago, returned from England with his father, Ray Hatton, attorney Gareth Williams and agent Paul Speak. Hatton is here, of course, because he is the obvious and likely candidate to be the next opponent for the winner of Saturday's fight.
Before I get to my discussion with Hatton, here are just a few of the other fighters I've seen in the media center mingling and doing interviews: Israel Vazquez, Rafael Marquez, Juan Manuel Marquez, Bernard Hopkins, Oscar Larios and Hall of Famer Daniel Zaragoza (who is part of De La Hoya's training team).
One of the things I enjoyed seeing was the friendly behavior between rivals Vazquez and Rafael Marquez, who have tortured each other for three consecutive fights. It seems like they're taking the Arturo Gatti-Micky Ward route of rivals, becoming friends, rather than the Marco Antonio Barrera-Erik Morales route of rivals who despise each other.
Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach has also been a regular in the press room, as has the legendary Angelo Dundee, one of my favorite people in boxing and a De La Hoya training consultant.
OK, on to Hatton. Yes, he wants to fight Saturday's winner and makes no bones about it.
"Without a doubt, I want to fight the winner," said Hatton, who doesn't look like he's been packing on too many pounds since his win two weeks ago. "Manny Pacquiao is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. There are a lot of good fighters at 140, but with no disrespect, they're not what you would call household names. If Pacquiao wins, he can fight me for my title. If Oscar wins, we can sit down and negotiate what weight that can be made at. I like to call him a friend. I've gotten to know him very well, but if the fight is made, it would be pure business. He'd be my sworn enemy."
Hatton said whether the bout were held in America or England, it would be a massive event.
"You've got the biggest name in boxing and the biggest ticket seller in boxing, so it can't help but be a blockbuster. Oscar has already said to me he would love to fight in England. Wembley Stadium, I reckon we could get easily 100,000 for a fight with Oscar De La Hoya."
• I had lunch with Top Rank boss Bob Arum, Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer and they told me that the Jan. 24 Antonio Margarito-Shane Mosley fight is on the move. Instead of taking place at Mandalay Bay (which really didn't want the fight because it will be the week before the Super Bowl, when the resort will bring in its best customers), a deal has been made to hold the fight at the Staples Center in Los Angeles -- which is where it belongs anyway. Arum and Schaefer said they got lucky because the arena -- home to the Lakers, Clippers and Kings -- had a rare open Saturday in January. A Tuesday news conference has been planned for a formal announcement.
• Arum said he closed a deal Thursday morning with British promoter Frank Warren for Michael Jennings to face Miguel Cotto on Feb. 21 in the first half of Top Rank's split-site pay-per-view card. Cotto and Jennings will fight for the title left vacant by Paul Williams. Arum also said the fight, originally ticketed for Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J., could instead wind up at New York's Madison Square Garden. The first three televised bouts will include Cotto and two other bouts from that venue. Arum said candidates to fight on that portion of the show are junior featherweight titlist Juan Manuel Lopez, who defends his title Saturday night, and junior flyweight champ Ivan "Iron Boy" Calderon. The main event from Youngstown, Ohio, is middleweight champ Kelly Pavlik defending against mandatory challenger Marco Antonio Rubio.
• Here's one more tidbit from Arum: junior bantamweight titlist Fernando Montiel will defend his title against Nonito Donaire in either the Philippines or Macau in March on Showtime. Donaire plans to vacate his flyweight title and move up in weight for the shot, Arum said.
• Winky Wright, who had to withdraw from a fight scheduled for Thursday because of a hand injury, probably will skip a tune-up bout and return to HBO in March or April for a notable fight, according to Golden Boy's Eric Gomez. Gomez said Wright is willing to fight a top opponent at 160 or 168 pounds, and that Golden Boy has been talking to representatives for super middleweight titlist Mikkel Kessler about a potential match. Wright would also be interested in fighting light heavyweight champ Joe Calzaghe (and would be willing to fight in Wales), assuming Calzaghe elects to continue his career.
• HBO's Jan. 17 "Boxing After Dark" card, which will be headlined by Andre Berto's mandatory welterweight title defense against Luis Collazo, may include a co-feature of interim junior middleweight titlist Sergio Martinez against prospect Joe Greene. The fight was close to being made Thursday.
• Although Versus has not announced its 2009 boxing schedule, Golden Boy has been pitching fights, including former lightweight titlist Jesus Chavez against one of three fighters: former lightweight champ Joel Casamayor, former junior lightweight belt holder Jorge Barrios or all-action brawler Michael Katsidis. Let's hope Versus buys any of the three. They're all interesting fights.
Jose Sulaiman Proud of Pacquiao's Win Over De La Hoya
By Rey Danseco
WBC president Jose Sulaiman is very proud of having Manny Pacquiao [as champion]. Sulaiman also congratulated Philippine president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and the Filipino people for having a great champion like Pacquiao.
“Congratulations to Mrs. Arroyo and to all the people of the Philippines. I’m very happy because a great star was born tonight,” said Sulaiman while his son, WBC executive secretary Mauricio Sulaiman was in control of his wheelchair in the crowded looby of the MGM Grand on their way out of the Garden Arena.
“And I’m very very happy and very proud (of having Pacquiao as WBC champ),” he said. “Tonight, Manny demonstrated that he is the very best in the world, no question. (We are) very proud, because he came to the arena with the WBC belt.”
Arroyo also extended his congratulatory message.
"Pacman" solidified his reputation as the world's best pound-for-pound fighter with a dominant performance that left De La Hoya, the 2-1 favorite, unable to come out of his corner for round nine in the non-title bout,” said Arroyo.
Manny Pacquiao has opted to pay the sanction fees with discounts in his last two fights to keep his prestigeous position as WBC lightweight champion.
Pacquiao’s legal adviser, Atty. Franklin “Jeng” Gacal made the arrangement of payment of $80,000 in sanction fees for Pacquiao’s March victory over Juan Manuel Manuel Marquez for the WBC lightweight title and the non-title fight against Oscar De La Hoya from Saturday night.
In the breakdown, the $30,000 will be paid for Pacquiao’s shot against Marquez while the remaining $50,000 will be the fee for his rematch against De La Hoya.
Originally, the Mexico-based WBC instructed Pacquiao to pay $100,000 for the planned inactivity of defending his title against anybody in the top 15 of his division. But Gacal asked to reduce the prize to $60,000, until it went down to $50,000. Gacal and Sulaiman resolved the issue last Friday.
For the meantime, Manny is retaining the belt,” Gacal said.
By Rey Danseco
WBC president Jose Sulaiman is very proud of having Manny Pacquiao [as champion]. Sulaiman also congratulated Philippine president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and the Filipino people for having a great champion like Pacquiao.
“Congratulations to Mrs. Arroyo and to all the people of the Philippines. I’m very happy because a great star was born tonight,” said Sulaiman while his son, WBC executive secretary Mauricio Sulaiman was in control of his wheelchair in the crowded looby of the MGM Grand on their way out of the Garden Arena.
“And I’m very very happy and very proud (of having Pacquiao as WBC champ),” he said. “Tonight, Manny demonstrated that he is the very best in the world, no question. (We are) very proud, because he came to the arena with the WBC belt.”
Arroyo also extended his congratulatory message.
"Pacman" solidified his reputation as the world's best pound-for-pound fighter with a dominant performance that left De La Hoya, the 2-1 favorite, unable to come out of his corner for round nine in the non-title bout,” said Arroyo.
Manny Pacquiao has opted to pay the sanction fees with discounts in his last two fights to keep his prestigeous position as WBC lightweight champion.
Pacquiao’s legal adviser, Atty. Franklin “Jeng” Gacal made the arrangement of payment of $80,000 in sanction fees for Pacquiao’s March victory over Juan Manuel Manuel Marquez for the WBC lightweight title and the non-title fight against Oscar De La Hoya from Saturday night.
In the breakdown, the $30,000 will be paid for Pacquiao’s shot against Marquez while the remaining $50,000 will be the fee for his rematch against De La Hoya.
Originally, the Mexico-based WBC instructed Pacquiao to pay $100,000 for the planned inactivity of defending his title against anybody in the top 15 of his division. But Gacal asked to reduce the prize to $60,000, until it went down to $50,000. Gacal and Sulaiman resolved the issue last Friday.
For the meantime, Manny is retaining the belt,” Gacal said.
Oscar De La Hoya - "Freddie Roach Was Right"
By Mark Vester
The words that sparked the "Dream Fight," trainer Freddie Roach telling reporters that Oscar De La Hoya could no longer "pull the trigger." De La Hoya was furious over those comments, and wanted revenge on Roach's star pupil, Manny Pacquiao. When they met in the ring at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Pacquiao handed De La Hoya a brutal beating before the fight was stopped after eight rounds.
After De La Hoya was humbled in the ring by the smaller man who moved up by two weight divisions, Oscar turned to Roach and let the trainer know that he was right.
"Freddie, you're right. I just don't have it anymore," De La Hoya said.
Roach said that after Pacquiao's quicker hands set the pace of the fight in the first round, he knew his fighter was going to win. He could see after three minutes that De La Hoya was an old, shot fighter who no longer had the strength to win.
"We knew we had him after the first round," Roach said. "He had no legs, he was hesitant and he was shot
By Mark Vester
The words that sparked the "Dream Fight," trainer Freddie Roach telling reporters that Oscar De La Hoya could no longer "pull the trigger." De La Hoya was furious over those comments, and wanted revenge on Roach's star pupil, Manny Pacquiao. When they met in the ring at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Pacquiao handed De La Hoya a brutal beating before the fight was stopped after eight rounds.
After De La Hoya was humbled in the ring by the smaller man who moved up by two weight divisions, Oscar turned to Roach and let the trainer know that he was right.
"Freddie, you're right. I just don't have it anymore," De La Hoya said.
Roach said that after Pacquiao's quicker hands set the pace of the fight in the first round, he knew his fighter was going to win. He could see after three minutes that De La Hoya was an old, shot fighter who no longer had the strength to win.
"We knew we had him after the first round," Roach said. "He had no legs, he was hesitant and he was shot
Unfortunately Torres cancelled the triology with Holt, which I was looking forward to, but D-Hop has stepped up in place on short notice.
Kendall Holt To Defend Against Demetrius Hopkins
By Rick Reeno
As reported late last night on BoxingScene.com, Ricardo Torres withdrew from his trilogy bout with WBO junior welterweight champion Kendall Holt, scheduled for December 13 on Showtime. Torres pulled after indicating to Top Rank that an illness hampered his training for the fight. Torres saw no way that he was going to make the 140-pound weight limit. Undefeated Demetrius Hopkins, nephew of Bernard, will be taking his place on short notice.
Hopkins was originally scheduled to appear on the undercard against Germaine Sanders. Lou DiBella was contacted for the availability of Randall Bailey, another fighter who was in the running to take the place of Torres. Bailey was not in fighting shape and couldn't accept the opportunity without the proper time to prepare.
Kendall Holt To Defend Against Demetrius Hopkins
By Rick Reeno
As reported late last night on BoxingScene.com, Ricardo Torres withdrew from his trilogy bout with WBO junior welterweight champion Kendall Holt, scheduled for December 13 on Showtime. Torres pulled after indicating to Top Rank that an illness hampered his training for the fight. Torres saw no way that he was going to make the 140-pound weight limit. Undefeated Demetrius Hopkins, nephew of Bernard, will be taking his place on short notice.
Hopkins was originally scheduled to appear on the undercard against Germaine Sanders. Lou DiBella was contacted for the availability of Randall Bailey, another fighter who was in the running to take the place of Torres. Bailey was not in fighting shape and couldn't accept the opportunity without the proper time to prepare.
This is a dope read. Crazy how loved Pacquiao is in the Philippines. Even crazier they have to watch 15 MINUTES OF COMMERCIALS BETWEEN ROUNDS!!!!
ANGELES CITY, Philippines – For those few Filipinos with the money to afford cable or buy the pay-per-view telecast, or lucky enough to have a local politician put up a big screen in the town square, the beautifully shocking result of “The Dream Fight” gave rise to a pure ecstasy rarely experienced in these parts. Not only had their idol Manny Pacquiao beaten Oscar De La Hoya, he had brutalized the Golden Boy and made him quit. This was the amazing Filipino at his gallant best. And it happened live in front of almost the entire world.
For everyone else, those tens of millions of mostly poor urban and rural Filipinos, they had heard about it when it happened but had yet to see it. Warp-speed modern technology has reached even the remotest spots of this sprawling archipelago, where even itinerant farmers in far away provinces and the poorest of the poor in the urban slums get news in an instant. The Philippines has the widest cell phone coverage of any country per capita and is the texting capital of the world. Thus, news like this travels fast. And it was as if they themselves, the common Filipino, beaten down by circumstance, poverty and daily chaos, now, for a few moments, stood atop the planet.
But, of course, seeing is believing.
At a tricycle stand in the provincial town of Angeles City, 65 miles north of Manila, the rickety driver’s shed serves as today’s neighborhood town hall. Several tricycles – motorcycles with sidecars that serve as local taxis – stand parked outside, their operators not bothering to look for any passing fares. Instead, they and various passersby have gathered under the derelict tin roof to watch the fight. The fight has been over now for an hour and everyone knows the result, thanks to incoming text messages on their mobiles. Still, they all stand glued to the grainy picture showing Pac-Man on the
offensive in the round 2.
“Oscar surrender after round 8,” says one older man. “I bet on Oscar. He’s no good!” The rest of the people gathered laugh at him and continue to watch the fight.
As the round ends, a group of four guys sitting on a rickety wooden bench pick up a card game called ‘tong-its.’ They have plenty of time to complete a full game before the next round starts. When it comes to big fights on commercial television in the Philippines, the locals are forced to endure a form of torture that seems cruel by any standard. And when Pac-Man fights, it can feel like outright punishment.
At the end of each three-minute round, the TV station commences with 15 minutes of inane ads, often repeated only minutes apart. For this fight, the station cut to commercials even after each of the three national anthems and Michael Buffer’s introduction. The products being pitched are a mix of everything the common Filipino could want: beer, brandy, fast food, multivitamins, feed for your fighting cock, weight loss pills, car batteries, courier services and even some substance that will fix leaks in your tin roof. Most of the viewers who have tuned in happen to have tin sheet roofs, just like the tricycle stand. And in the Philippines, nearly every tin-sheet roof leaks.
Nobody complains, however, as the time given to ads is another reason to keep the festivities going. And Filipinos would clearly endure anything to watch their all-time hero, a man who has reached a level of popularity and adulation that no other Filipino in history has achieved.
“Manny Pacquiao fights for his country,” says smiling trike driver Gerry Soriano. “He gives money to charity. He stays with the people. He’s a family man. He fears God.” Soriano then puts particular emphasis on the next virtue. “And he’s the pound-for-pound best in the world!”
Several miles away, on the outer edge of the Clark Special Economic Zone – formerly the American Clark Airbase – the grimy provincial city becomes rural countryside. In the shadow of Mt. Pinatubo, which 18 years ago buried this area in mountains of grey ash still visible to this day, a small road crew spends their Sunday afternoon pouring pavement. Holding shovels, covered in dirt and dust, the handful of guys look like they should be miserable. This, however, is no ordinary work day.
“Pac-Man number one,” several of the young men say, flashing big smiles when asked about the fight. “Oscar surrender.” One man says they knew the outcome as the fight happened because they listened to the fight live a few hours earlier on the AM radio on his cell phone, which he pulls out of his pocket to show as evidence. Apparently, a radio station in Manila had two announcers watching the fight live and doing an old-time, second-hand play-by-play account.
Most of their fellow workers, though, had the day off, and more than 50 of them were gathered nearby, packed inside the open air, clapboard compound where they normally sleep. It was round four, and they sat or stood, fixated on the small television set sitting atop a rusted metal barrel.
The construction compound stands at the entrance to a small, dusty village of Aeta tribes people. The Aetas, or Negritos, as they are sometimes called, are considered the original Filipinos, their dark skin, kinky hair and small stature closely resembling Australia’s aboriginal people. Aetas live on the fringes of Philippine society, and are often discriminated against by more light skinned and more populace mestiza Filipino. Aetas mostly prefer to live off the land in the highland provinces, hunting, fishing, doing subsistence farming
and relying on donations from outsiders.
At the home of Aeta Lerte Sumilan, about a dozen people have gathered to watch the fight. Several kids play pool on the table outside but mostly everyone is piled into the house and riveted to the action on the small TV. Like all the houses in this village, the houses are simple, half finished grey hollow block, with tin GI sheet roofing. There’s no cable here. The old antenna sits atop a bamboo pole jutting out of the roof and into the sky.
Guys young and old sit on simple wooden benches, or on the floor on a dusty old carpet watching Pacquiao pound the Golden Boy into submission. They smoke cigarettes and munch on watermelon seeds as a pitcher of brandy and powdered iced tea makes its round. Several other people lean in through the open front door.
Even though they already know the outcome, they shout with giddy delight at every head snapping punch from their hero. “Yess!” they cry and clap in unison as Pac-Man pummels the Golden Boy in round 6. Lerte sits inches from the TV and touches the screen, pointing at De La Hoya’s grotesquely swollen eye, laughing out loud and clapping at the damage their hero has inflicted. In round eight, when Oscar tries to fight back and Pacquiao raises his hands in a ‘bring it on’ gesture, the Aetas jump up and go wild at the show of defiance.
The bell rings for the end of round 8, but the big celebration must be postponed because of 15 minutes of kitschy commercials. When the broadcast mercifully resumes and De La Hoya quits, the gathered throng shouts and jumps about the room as if it’s all happening at that moment.
“All Aeta people love Manny Pacquiao!” Lerte shouts as the others, including two little old ladies, celebrate and hold up their fists in triumph. “If he wants to visit us here, I will show him how to survive in the mountain. Manny Pacquiao is a friend to the Aeta. The Aeta is the original Filipino. Pacquiao is the best Filipino boxer in the whole world. Oscar surrender because the Filipino is the best in the world in everything! The Filipino is the best in boxing, basketball, volleyball, even golf.”
Clearly more than a little hyperbole, but who could blame him? These were the first Filipinos cheering on the God of modern Philippine society. Together they now stood atop the world.
Ted Lerner can be reached at [email protected]
http://www.thering-online.com/blog/110/pacman_fever_reaches_the_farthest_regions_of_the_philippines/
ANGELES CITY, Philippines – For those few Filipinos with the money to afford cable or buy the pay-per-view telecast, or lucky enough to have a local politician put up a big screen in the town square, the beautifully shocking result of “The Dream Fight” gave rise to a pure ecstasy rarely experienced in these parts. Not only had their idol Manny Pacquiao beaten Oscar De La Hoya, he had brutalized the Golden Boy and made him quit. This was the amazing Filipino at his gallant best. And it happened live in front of almost the entire world.
For everyone else, those tens of millions of mostly poor urban and rural Filipinos, they had heard about it when it happened but had yet to see it. Warp-speed modern technology has reached even the remotest spots of this sprawling archipelago, where even itinerant farmers in far away provinces and the poorest of the poor in the urban slums get news in an instant. The Philippines has the widest cell phone coverage of any country per capita and is the texting capital of the world. Thus, news like this travels fast. And it was as if they themselves, the common Filipino, beaten down by circumstance, poverty and daily chaos, now, for a few moments, stood atop the planet.
But, of course, seeing is believing.
At a tricycle stand in the provincial town of Angeles City, 65 miles north of Manila, the rickety driver’s shed serves as today’s neighborhood town hall. Several tricycles – motorcycles with sidecars that serve as local taxis – stand parked outside, their operators not bothering to look for any passing fares. Instead, they and various passersby have gathered under the derelict tin roof to watch the fight. The fight has been over now for an hour and everyone knows the result, thanks to incoming text messages on their mobiles. Still, they all stand glued to the grainy picture showing Pac-Man on the
offensive in the round 2.
“Oscar surrender after round 8,” says one older man. “I bet on Oscar. He’s no good!” The rest of the people gathered laugh at him and continue to watch the fight.
As the round ends, a group of four guys sitting on a rickety wooden bench pick up a card game called ‘tong-its.’ They have plenty of time to complete a full game before the next round starts. When it comes to big fights on commercial television in the Philippines, the locals are forced to endure a form of torture that seems cruel by any standard. And when Pac-Man fights, it can feel like outright punishment.
At the end of each three-minute round, the TV station commences with 15 minutes of inane ads, often repeated only minutes apart. For this fight, the station cut to commercials even after each of the three national anthems and Michael Buffer’s introduction. The products being pitched are a mix of everything the common Filipino could want: beer, brandy, fast food, multivitamins, feed for your fighting cock, weight loss pills, car batteries, courier services and even some substance that will fix leaks in your tin roof. Most of the viewers who have tuned in happen to have tin sheet roofs, just like the tricycle stand. And in the Philippines, nearly every tin-sheet roof leaks.
Nobody complains, however, as the time given to ads is another reason to keep the festivities going. And Filipinos would clearly endure anything to watch their all-time hero, a man who has reached a level of popularity and adulation that no other Filipino in history has achieved.
“Manny Pacquiao fights for his country,” says smiling trike driver Gerry Soriano. “He gives money to charity. He stays with the people. He’s a family man. He fears God.” Soriano then puts particular emphasis on the next virtue. “And he’s the pound-for-pound best in the world!”
Several miles away, on the outer edge of the Clark Special Economic Zone – formerly the American Clark Airbase – the grimy provincial city becomes rural countryside. In the shadow of Mt. Pinatubo, which 18 years ago buried this area in mountains of grey ash still visible to this day, a small road crew spends their Sunday afternoon pouring pavement. Holding shovels, covered in dirt and dust, the handful of guys look like they should be miserable. This, however, is no ordinary work day.
“Pac-Man number one,” several of the young men say, flashing big smiles when asked about the fight. “Oscar surrender.” One man says they knew the outcome as the fight happened because they listened to the fight live a few hours earlier on the AM radio on his cell phone, which he pulls out of his pocket to show as evidence. Apparently, a radio station in Manila had two announcers watching the fight live and doing an old-time, second-hand play-by-play account.
Most of their fellow workers, though, had the day off, and more than 50 of them were gathered nearby, packed inside the open air, clapboard compound where they normally sleep. It was round four, and they sat or stood, fixated on the small television set sitting atop a rusted metal barrel.
The construction compound stands at the entrance to a small, dusty village of Aeta tribes people. The Aetas, or Negritos, as they are sometimes called, are considered the original Filipinos, their dark skin, kinky hair and small stature closely resembling Australia’s aboriginal people. Aetas live on the fringes of Philippine society, and are often discriminated against by more light skinned and more populace mestiza Filipino. Aetas mostly prefer to live off the land in the highland provinces, hunting, fishing, doing subsistence farming
and relying on donations from outsiders.
At the home of Aeta Lerte Sumilan, about a dozen people have gathered to watch the fight. Several kids play pool on the table outside but mostly everyone is piled into the house and riveted to the action on the small TV. Like all the houses in this village, the houses are simple, half finished grey hollow block, with tin GI sheet roofing. There’s no cable here. The old antenna sits atop a bamboo pole jutting out of the roof and into the sky.
Guys young and old sit on simple wooden benches, or on the floor on a dusty old carpet watching Pacquiao pound the Golden Boy into submission. They smoke cigarettes and munch on watermelon seeds as a pitcher of brandy and powdered iced tea makes its round. Several other people lean in through the open front door.
Even though they already know the outcome, they shout with giddy delight at every head snapping punch from their hero. “Yess!” they cry and clap in unison as Pac-Man pummels the Golden Boy in round 6. Lerte sits inches from the TV and touches the screen, pointing at De La Hoya’s grotesquely swollen eye, laughing out loud and clapping at the damage their hero has inflicted. In round eight, when Oscar tries to fight back and Pacquiao raises his hands in a ‘bring it on’ gesture, the Aetas jump up and go wild at the show of defiance.
The bell rings for the end of round 8, but the big celebration must be postponed because of 15 minutes of kitschy commercials. When the broadcast mercifully resumes and De La Hoya quits, the gathered throng shouts and jumps about the room as if it’s all happening at that moment.
“All Aeta people love Manny Pacquiao!” Lerte shouts as the others, including two little old ladies, celebrate and hold up their fists in triumph. “If he wants to visit us here, I will show him how to survive in the mountain. Manny Pacquiao is a friend to the Aeta. The Aeta is the original Filipino. Pacquiao is the best Filipino boxer in the whole world. Oscar surrender because the Filipino is the best in the world in everything! The Filipino is the best in boxing, basketball, volleyball, even golf.”
Clearly more than a little hyperbole, but who could blame him? These were the first Filipinos cheering on the God of modern Philippine society. Together they now stood atop the world.
Ted Lerner can be reached at [email protected]
http://www.thering-online.com/blog/110/pacman_fever_reaches_the_farthest_regions_of_the_philippines/
WTF this is a crazy story!! I remember this guy appeared like he wanted nothing to do with Lopez and didn't even try to fight.
Sergio Medina Claims Death Threats Made Him Take a Dive
By Mark Vester
In a shocking story, Sergio Medina, who appeared as if he didn't really want to be in the ring with Juan Manuel Lopez during their WBO super bantamweight fight on the undercard to De La Hoya-Pacquiao from last Saturday in Las Vegas, has come out with shocking claims. During a radio interview with FM Aries, Medina made claims that his life was threatened during the weigh-in for the Lopez fight, which in turn forced him to take a dive in the first round. The story has been picked up overseas, including El Nuevo Dia, one of the largest media outlets in Puerto Rico. Medina alleges the threats came from people with Lopez, but also threw accusations all around.
"During the weigh-in they told me that if me didn't throw the fight in the first round, I wouldn't leave the United States alive," Medina said. "What hurts me more is that I was prepared for twelve rounds, but I had to throw the fight because I felt a lot of fear. I was nervous before the fight and did not want to fight. It is known that there was a certain amount of money being paid out if Juanma stopped me in the first round. I swear on my daughters that what I say is completely certain. They threatened me so I threw the fight."
No word if the Nevada State Athletic Commission will get involved to investigate the matter or go after Medina for taking a dive. It's going to be hard for Medina to back up the claims he's making. It's his story against the story of others.
Sergio Medina Claims Death Threats Made Him Take a Dive
By Mark Vester
In a shocking story, Sergio Medina, who appeared as if he didn't really want to be in the ring with Juan Manuel Lopez during their WBO super bantamweight fight on the undercard to De La Hoya-Pacquiao from last Saturday in Las Vegas, has come out with shocking claims. During a radio interview with FM Aries, Medina made claims that his life was threatened during the weigh-in for the Lopez fight, which in turn forced him to take a dive in the first round. The story has been picked up overseas, including El Nuevo Dia, one of the largest media outlets in Puerto Rico. Medina alleges the threats came from people with Lopez, but also threw accusations all around.
"During the weigh-in they told me that if me didn't throw the fight in the first round, I wouldn't leave the United States alive," Medina said. "What hurts me more is that I was prepared for twelve rounds, but I had to throw the fight because I felt a lot of fear. I was nervous before the fight and did not want to fight. It is known that there was a certain amount of money being paid out if Juanma stopped me in the first round. I swear on my daughters that what I say is completely certain. They threatened me so I threw the fight."
No word if the Nevada State Athletic Commission will get involved to investigate the matter or go after Medina for taking a dive. It's going to be hard for Medina to back up the claims he's making. It's his story against the story of others.
I think this Medina cat is crazy. Plus, if he said it happened during the weigh in, well there is a video of the weigh in and nothing funny happened.
Medina's Agent Says “No Threats” Came From Lopez/WBO
By Rick Reeno
In a story causing some major headlines overseas, especially in Puerto Rico, Argentinean fighter Sergio Medina, during a radio interview with hometown station FM Aires, claimed that he received death threats during the weigh-in for last Saturday’s Las Vegas clash with WBO super bantamweight champion Juan Manuel Lopez. The fight took place on the HBO pay-per-view undercard to De La Hoya-Pacquiao at the MGM Grand.
Medina not only accused Team Lopez, he also accused the actual sanctioning body, the WBO, of threatening his life and ordering him to take a dive in the first round.
"During the weigh-in they told me that if I didn't throw the fight in the first round, I wouldn't leave the United States alive," Medina said. "What hurts me more is that I was prepared for twelve rounds, but I had to throw the fight because I felt a lot of fear. I was nervous before the fight and did not want to fight. It is known that there was a certain amount of money being paid out if Juanma stopped me in the first round. I swear on my daughters that what I say is completely certain. They threatened me so I threw the fight."
When contacted for comment, Sampson Lewkowicz, Medina’s agent in the United States, was fully aware of the story and said he was “sick to his stomach” with the serious accusations that Medina was throwing around.
Lewkowicz strongly denied his fighter’s story and wanted to clear the air on everything that went on before and during the actual weigh-in.
“When he got his first opportunity to fight Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista and lost, he thanked me for the opportunity and asked me to get him another opportunity. He earned his next opportunity that was given to him by the WBO [to fight Lopez],” Lewkowicz said.
“When he came to America, to Las Vegas, - I personally picked him up and took him to the hotel. I normally don’t do that, but I thought this kid was very emotional and I treated him like my child. I never spent so much time with a fighter, but he is very emotional and thankful and I couldn’t resist being with him. Before the weigh-in, he was already worried about being overweight. We weighed him and I think it was a half pound over. I told him don’t worry about it. My own son went and bought him chewing guy and his father took him for a long walk and he spit. He went on the scale at the official weigh-in and made 122-pounds.”
“I was next to him at the time of the weigh-in and his father [Manuel Medina] was next to him. Nobody and I mean absolutely nobody said anything to him. Nobody was aggressive towards him as some people are during weigh-ins. Team Lopez was very professional. Nobody on the team talked to him and the only thing I heard was the WBO supervisor wishing both fighters good luck in Spanish.”
Lewkowicz believes his fighter might be suffering from some form of a mental sickness. It’s the only explanation that he can rationalize for Medina making such wild accusations. Lewkowicz plans to head out to Argentina and demand that the local commission suspended Medina’s boxing license to conduct a thorough medical examination to determine if the fighter is mentally stable.
“I don’t accuse Sergio Medina as being a liar. What he says is too big to be called a lie. I accuse him of most likely having a sickness. Besides him losing his hearth on the first punch [of Lopez], I think the man is sick. The only thing in his favor is that he is a hero in his hometown of Buenos Aires and I think the reporter who first interviewed him, asked him if he was threatened and that opened the door for him to create that story,” Lewkowicz said.
“On Monday I will be in Argentina to clarify the situation and will ask for a full investigation of the person who interested him and ask for the commission of Buenos Aires to suspend Medina to evaluate his state of mind. He needs to be checked by a doctor to see if there is anything wrong with the kid. I can guarantee to you, my personal guarantee, that the WBO wished him nothing but good luck, that was all, and the second thing – Team Lopez conducted themselves in a very professional manner. There was absolutely no conversation whatsoever and I was between both of them.”
“I expect that Sergio Medina will apologize to everyone involved and this will close the scenario forever and then he should retire. He committed [career] suicide with this story. Maybe he would have gotten another shot in the future, but not anymore. Not after something like this. He should retire.”
Medina's Agent Says “No Threats” Came From Lopez/WBO
By Rick Reeno
In a story causing some major headlines overseas, especially in Puerto Rico, Argentinean fighter Sergio Medina, during a radio interview with hometown station FM Aires, claimed that he received death threats during the weigh-in for last Saturday’s Las Vegas clash with WBO super bantamweight champion Juan Manuel Lopez. The fight took place on the HBO pay-per-view undercard to De La Hoya-Pacquiao at the MGM Grand.
Medina not only accused Team Lopez, he also accused the actual sanctioning body, the WBO, of threatening his life and ordering him to take a dive in the first round.
"During the weigh-in they told me that if I didn't throw the fight in the first round, I wouldn't leave the United States alive," Medina said. "What hurts me more is that I was prepared for twelve rounds, but I had to throw the fight because I felt a lot of fear. I was nervous before the fight and did not want to fight. It is known that there was a certain amount of money being paid out if Juanma stopped me in the first round. I swear on my daughters that what I say is completely certain. They threatened me so I threw the fight."
When contacted for comment, Sampson Lewkowicz, Medina’s agent in the United States, was fully aware of the story and said he was “sick to his stomach” with the serious accusations that Medina was throwing around.
Lewkowicz strongly denied his fighter’s story and wanted to clear the air on everything that went on before and during the actual weigh-in.
“When he got his first opportunity to fight Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista and lost, he thanked me for the opportunity and asked me to get him another opportunity. He earned his next opportunity that was given to him by the WBO [to fight Lopez],” Lewkowicz said.
“When he came to America, to Las Vegas, - I personally picked him up and took him to the hotel. I normally don’t do that, but I thought this kid was very emotional and I treated him like my child. I never spent so much time with a fighter, but he is very emotional and thankful and I couldn’t resist being with him. Before the weigh-in, he was already worried about being overweight. We weighed him and I think it was a half pound over. I told him don’t worry about it. My own son went and bought him chewing guy and his father took him for a long walk and he spit. He went on the scale at the official weigh-in and made 122-pounds.”
“I was next to him at the time of the weigh-in and his father [Manuel Medina] was next to him. Nobody and I mean absolutely nobody said anything to him. Nobody was aggressive towards him as some people are during weigh-ins. Team Lopez was very professional. Nobody on the team talked to him and the only thing I heard was the WBO supervisor wishing both fighters good luck in Spanish.”
Lewkowicz believes his fighter might be suffering from some form of a mental sickness. It’s the only explanation that he can rationalize for Medina making such wild accusations. Lewkowicz plans to head out to Argentina and demand that the local commission suspended Medina’s boxing license to conduct a thorough medical examination to determine if the fighter is mentally stable.
“I don’t accuse Sergio Medina as being a liar. What he says is too big to be called a lie. I accuse him of most likely having a sickness. Besides him losing his hearth on the first punch [of Lopez], I think the man is sick. The only thing in his favor is that he is a hero in his hometown of Buenos Aires and I think the reporter who first interviewed him, asked him if he was threatened and that opened the door for him to create that story,” Lewkowicz said.
“On Monday I will be in Argentina to clarify the situation and will ask for a full investigation of the person who interested him and ask for the commission of Buenos Aires to suspend Medina to evaluate his state of mind. He needs to be checked by a doctor to see if there is anything wrong with the kid. I can guarantee to you, my personal guarantee, that the WBO wished him nothing but good luck, that was all, and the second thing – Team Lopez conducted themselves in a very professional manner. There was absolutely no conversation whatsoever and I was between both of them.”
“I expect that Sergio Medina will apologize to everyone involved and this will close the scenario forever and then he should retire. He committed [career] suicide with this story. Maybe he would have gotten another shot in the future, but not anymore. Not after something like this. He should retire.”