Boxing needs to hype-ventilate

By Bill Dwyre, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar 2007
Against a backdrop of chaos found in boxing and on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Manny Pacquiao met the press in Los Angeles last week. He is a 130-pounder, a super-featherweight who Bob Arum says is "the most beloved fighter in the world today." Arum sells tickets and pay-per-view showings of his fights, so you may dismiss his hyperbole. Pacquiao, from the Philippines, is top-ranked in all of the "WB" groups, World Boxing Assn., Council and Organization. His presence draws a b Read Full Story >>>

The Gerrymandering of Gerry Penalosa

By Thomas Gerbasi, MaxBoxing.com, 25 Mar 2007
Sam Soliman whipped Winky Wright; Carlos Baldomir outhustled Floyd Mayweather Jr.; Oscar De La Hoya wisely danced the last four rounds against Felix Trinidad. And Evander Holyfield was jobbed when he drew with Lennox Lewis in their first match. If anyone agrees with these statements, they probably also think that WBO super bantamweight champion Ponce de Leon deservedly won 34 of 36 rounds on the scorecards of Nelson Vazquez, Chuck Giampa, and Dave Moretti when he faced Gerry Penalosa on Saturday Read Full Story >>>

BAUTISTA, BANAL LAND IN MANILA!

By Salven L. Lagumbay, PhilBoxing.com, 25 Mar 2007
Undefeated ALA Boys Rey 'Boom Boom' Bautista and Alex John 'Bazooka' Banal, together with their trainer Edito Villamor, have landed in Manila for their trip to Los Angeles tomorrow evening. The trio will train for one week at the Wild Card Gym in LA, before flying out to Puerto Rico where they will join their promoter Oscar De la Hoya and trainer Freddie Roach in training. Tonight, Bautista will receive an award at the Elorde Annual Banquet of Champions at the Elorde Sports Center in Paran Read Full Story >>>

ELORDE GETS ANOTHER WIN!

By Salven L. Lagumbay, PhilBoxing.com, 25 Mar 2007
Bai Elorde PARANAQUE CITY, PHILIPPINES--The grandson of the great Gabriel 'Flash' Elorde continues to show great promise in only his second pro fight. At Friday night's 'Boxing Kontra Droga,' Juan Martin 'Bai' Elorde took on Leo Albao, and came out firing. Elorde, who came into the ring cheered by relatives and friends, started strong in the opening round, and sent down Albao for the count in the dying secon Read Full Story >>>

Bring on Marquez vs. Pacquiao

By Michael Hirsley, Chicago Sports, 25 Mar 2007
Before Juan Manuel Marquez outslugged Marco Antonio Barrera in an action-filled bout last Saturday, neither of them could afford to look past that confrontation. But if either or both had another fighter in mind, it was likely Manny Pacquiao. After all, he was the major opponent they had in common. With his unanimous decision victory to take Barrera's WBC super-featherweight title, Marquez staked claim to a rematch against Pacquaio, a fight Barrera also had hoped to land. One thing is c Read Full Story >>>

HONORABLE JUDGES?

By Rico Navarro, PhilBoxing.com, 25 Mar 2007
One of the most stressful moments of a boxing match is when the fight goes the full route. When the final bell is heard, you can hear TV commentators say, "Well that's it fight fans. The boxers have given it their all, and it's all now in the hands of the judges. 'In the hands of the judges.' Why don't I like that line? For boxers, it's so hard to imagine how the winner of a match has to be decided by three different persons who are sitting there and not doing any of the punching. "I'm her Read Full Story >>>

Pacquiao challenges Marquez

By Dante Navarro, The Philippine Star, 25 Mar 2007
Manny Pacquiao, raring to re-stake his claim as the world’s best fighter in the 130-lb division, on Friday confirmed his acceptance as mandatory challenger to newly crowned WBC (World Boxing Council) super featherweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez. Rex "Wakee" Salud, Pacquiao’s long-time confidant, said Pacquiao had authorized him to accept the designation as mandatory challenger in response to WBC president Jose Sulaiman’s letter asking the Filipino boxing icon "to confir Read Full Story >>>

Marquez-Barrera pulls in $10.1 million in TV revenue

By Dan Rafael, ESPN.com, 25 Mar 2007
Juan Manuel Marquez's stirring junior lightweight championship victory last Saturday night against Marco Antonio Barrera generated 225,000 pay-per-view buys and $10.1 million in television revenue, according to figures released by HBO PPV. The total is expected to rise slightly once all cable system numbers are fully reported, according to HBO PPV. Facing his Mexican countryman in a long-anticipated bout, Marquez won the 130-pound title via unanimous decision in an action-packed fight at Read Full Story >>>

Who’s the Realest, “El Terrible” or the “Baby Face Assasin”?

By John Chavez, Boxing Confidential, 25 Mar 2007
After reflecting on what occurred this past weekend at the post-fight press conference I started to think. Imagine that, I used my brain. From speaking with those in attendance, either they were Marco Antonio Barrera fans or Erik Morales supporters. Sure there was Juan Manuel Marquez fans supporting their guy but the emotional rivalry to that of the Tijuana native just isn’t the same. Just to make it clear, I’m not talking about fans of the fighting style of both men, I’m t Read Full Story >>>