Solis set to hit US!

FightNews.com, 05 Apr 2007
While Manny Pacquiao has been training at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, Calif., his April 14 opponent Jorge Solis has been quietly training in Guadalajara, Mexico. Today Solis took a flight to Tijuana, where he will train, then he and his team are heading to Los Angeles on Thursday. Solis has promised he will shock the world. "Pacquiao thinks Mexican fighters all have the same kind of style of fighting - but they don't, as I will show on April 14," Solis warned. Ticket sales are hot at The Ala
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Good Guy Manny Buys Building For Fellow Boxers Near Wild Card Gym!

By Salven L. Lagumbay, Boxing Confidential, 05 Apr 2007
It was business as usual yesterday for Manny Pacquiao at the Wild Card Gym, although his team has cut down on his sparring going into the next few days before he departs for San Antonio, Texas on Sunday for the April 14 defense of his WBC International super-featherweight crown against Mexican Jorge Solis. "Sharp na sharp na si Manny. If Solis is not on the same level, it's going to be early goodnight for him," said a member of Pacquiao's inner circle in a long-distance interview yesterday whi
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Palace: Airing of Pacquiao boxing match depends on poll body

Sun.Star Manila, 05 Apr 2007
MALACANANG on Wednesday said it is up to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to decide whether to air the pre-fight reports on the April 15 bout of boxer Manny Pacquiao with Mexican Jorge Solis. Pacquiao is running for congressman of South Cotabato under the administration coalition against reelectionist Representative Darlene Antonino Custodio of the Genuine Opposition. (GO) Custodio has said she will not call for the non-airing of Pacquiao's fight because it is not part of political
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Roach uncertain to be in Pacquiao’s corner

By Abac Cordero, The Philippine Star, 05 Apr 2007
American trainer Freddie Roach may or may not be in Manny Pacquiao’s corner when the Filipino superstar faces undefeated Mexican Jorge Solis on April 14 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. Despite Roach’s recent statement that he plans to fly to San Antonio from Puerto Rico just in time for the Pacquiao fight, reports coming in by the day would suggest that nothing remains definite. A report, which came out of Ringtalk.com, yesterday hinted that Roach, who’s been wi
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Solis having US visa problems; Roach at Pacquiao’s corner

By Nick Giongco, The Manila Bulletin, 05 Apr 2007
WILL MEXICAN Jorge Solis make it to next week’s slambang face-off with Manny Pacquiao in San Antonio,Texas? As far as Top Rank is concerned, the April 14 duel between Pacquiao and Solis is already a done deal at the Alamodome. However, Solis is still making last-minute arrangements for his visa to be released in his hometown of Guadalajara so he could finally be unveiled to the Los Angeles boxing press on Thursday afternoon. "He is in Guadalajara right now getting his visa," To
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NBI help sought in Sisnorio probe

The Philippine Star, 05 Apr 2007
The Games and Amusement Board yesterday sought the help of the National Bureau of Investigation in its probe of the death of Lito Sisnorio in an effort to determine and pin down those involved in the ring tragedy. At the same time, President Arroyo ordered the GAB to provide cash assistance to the family of the ill-fated fighter, who died of brain hemorrhage after suffering a fourth round knockout against Thai champion Chatchai Sasakul in Thailand last Friday night. In a special meeting,
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Stricter controls need to be placed on boxing

Bangkok Post, 05 Apr 2007
Since last week's column, two men have been beaten to death in a boxing ring. There are other, more subtle, ways to describe what happened to Lito Sisnorio and Deeden Kengkaroon but that is the stark reality of the situation. Filipino journeyman Lito died after being knocked out by former world flyweight champion Chatchai Sasakul in Thailand while details of Deeden's fatal match are still shrouded in mystery. Reports indicate he boxed in the Philippines then returned to Thailand before s
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Boxer’s girlfriend cries out for justice

By Joaquin Henson, The Philippine Star, 05 Apr 2007
The late flyweight Lito Sisnorio’s embittered girlfriend Jonahmae (Lalang) Bacus yesterday called for a stop to the prostitution of Filipinos abroad and lashed out at the boxing brokers who arranged the mismatch that led to the 24-year-old fighter’s death in Thailand last Saturday. North Cotabato Gov. Manny Piñol, who is in Bangkok to claim Sisnorio’s body, described the exploitation of Filipino fighters as despicable and condemned it as an act of human trafficking. Bac
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Boxer’s grieving family blames Japanese promoter

By Jerry Campany
Inquirer News Service, 04 Apr 2007

KORONADAL CITY, Philippines -- The family of former World Boxing Council youth flyweight titleholder Angelito "Lito" Sisnorio Jr. wants justice for the fallen boxer. "We appeal to President (Gloria Macapagal) Arroyo to order authorities to run after his manager and game promoters. It's difficult to locate the Japanese promoter in Tokyo. He's responsible for the death of my son," Consuelo Sisnorio, 60, the boxer's mother, said in an interview with the Philippine Daily Inquirer on Tuesday. T
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WBC OFFICIAL DEFENDS SISNORIO-SASAKUL MISMATCH

By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com, 04 Apr 2007

Bangkok Post columnist and veteran sportswriter Edward Thangarajah who is a WBC official has attempted to defend the mismatch involving Filipino Lito Sisnorio and former WBC champion Chatchai Sasakul despite the fact that Sisnorio was knocked out in the fourth round and died after brain surgery. In an overseas telephone conversation with Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today, Thangarajah vehemently protested our branding the fight a terrible mismatch despite the fact that Sisnorio had a record Read Full Story >>>

Thais blamed for tragedy

By Joaquin Henson
The Philippine Star, 04 Apr 2007

Former WBC Youth flyweight champion Lito Sisnorio died of head injuries in Thailand early Saturday morning because Thai "mismatchmakers" choose to import inferior opposition for blood-thirsty local fans to enjoy a massacre by a hometown fighter. Sisnorio, 24, didn’t belong in the same ring as former world flyweight titlist Chatchai Sasakul when they fought at the Mathayom Wat Sing School in Samutprakarn last Friday night. He was only eight years old when Sasakul, 37, turned pro in 1991
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Is Thailand avoiding clash with Pinoy fighters?

By Kristel Satumbaga
The Manila Bulletin, 04 Apr 2007

THAILAND appears to be fast becoming the bane of Philippine boxing, both in the professional and amateur ranks. A month after a Thai newspaper floated news about Doha Asiad gold medalists Joan Tipon and Violito Payla using banned substance en route to the gold medal, organizers of the 29th King’s Cup International Amateur Boxing Championships derailed the participation of the Philippine team in the multi-nation event set April 4-10 in Bangkok. Saying the entry forms were late, th
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Manny Pacquiao: AMONSOT TITLE FIGHT ON ‘THE MAIN EVENT’

Manny Pacquiao: AMONSOT TITLE FIGHT ON ‘THE MAIN EVENT’

Pacquiao-Morales IV in the making?

By NICK GIONGCO

WILL THERE be a fourth fight between ring gladiators Manny Pacquiao and Erik Morales?

Although Morales badly lost the last two of his trilogy with Pacquiao, the 30-year-old Mexican revealed that there is a remote chance of facing the Filipino idol once again.

But that will only materialize once he succeeds in winning the World Boxing Council lightweight crown from David Diaz of the US in June.

Asked about the likelihood of a fourth meeting with Pacquiao in the 135-lb ranks, Morales was non-committal but gave a handful of scribes something to ponder about.

"When I was in the super-bantamweight division and decided to go up to featherweight, the fighters also went up to that weight," said Morales, who is in Manila as part of his promotional obligations with San Miguel Beer.

"Then when I went up to super-featherweight, the same thing followed. They also followed me," said Morales, who suffered two knockout losses to Pacquiao in January and November last year.
The last two years, Morales said he experienced difficulties making the super-feather limit of 130 lbs.

"But I think I will be very comfortable in lightweight," said Morales, who began fighting professionally in 1993.

But for a fourth meeting to happen, Pacquiao must first take care of unbeaten Jorge Solis on April 14 in San Antonio and rack up one or two wins against bigname super-featherweights like Juan Manuel Marquez, Marco Antonio Barrera or Joan Guzman.

While Pacquiao will sure feast on Morales as though the Mexican is a bowl of mouthwatering Sopa de Marisco El Diablo in the super-featherweight division, it remains to be seen whether the same thing’s going to happen once they square off in the lightweight class.

LITO SISNORIO DIES AFTER BEING KO’D BY SASAKUL

By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 02 Apr 2007

Super flyweight Lito Sisnorio, a former WBC Youth Champion has died some hours after he suffered a fourth round knockout at the hands of former WBC flyweight champion Chatchai Sasakul at the Wat Sing School in Thailand.

Scott Mallon, a well-known boxing writer reported the death hours after we posted a story on the defeat of Sisnorio in a blatant mismatch between the 24 year old Filipino who was coming off a fourth round TKO to reigning WBC flyweight champion Pongsaklek Wonjongkam in a ten round battle last January 26. It was the Filipino’s third succesasive defeat.

Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today learned that Sisnorio fell unconscious while going out for dinner several hours after he was knocked out. Doctors at Bangkok’s Piyamin Hospital said Sisnorio who underwent emergency brain surgery to remove a blood clot died on Saturday night after failing to regain consciousness. He had suffered serious head injuries.

It was clear to most boxing aficionados that Sisnorio fighting the former world champion was a terrible mismatch since aside from a far superior ring record Sasakul had won his last six fights, four by KO or TKO while Sisnorio had won only five of his eleven fights. Ringside reports disclosed that Sasakul nailed Sisnorio with a series of vicious right hooks who went down at 2:35 of the fourth round and was counted out. .

Sasakul is the same fighter who battered Filipino ring idol Manny Pacquiao for six rounds before Pacquiao caught him with a devastating combination to win the title by a sensational eighth round knockout in December 1998..

Games and Amusements Board boxing division chief Dr. Nasser Cruz told Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today he learned Sisnorio had “slipped out of the country without our permission or maybe he was there in Thailand for quite some time.”

Cruz said there was “this unscrupulous matchmaker from Thailand doing this” and the GAB had already informed the WBC Ratings Committee and the Thailand Boxing Commission about fighters who left the Philippines without the necessary clearance to fight.

The Manila Standard Today learned that one of the notorious Thais involved was a certain Panya who is known to most Filipino boxing people and it is suspected he works in connivance with Filipino identified as Bong Obero who was banned by the GAB but reportedly still continues with his illegal activities allegedly in connivance with some GAB officials past and present.

Dr. Cruz said they were trying to contact Sisnorio’s manager Jemmel Contayoso of Cotabato but said “he cannot be reached.”

AMONSOT TITLE FIGHT ON ‘THE MAIN EVENT’

By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 31 Mar 2007

Czar Amonsot’s big comeback fight for the vacant WBO Asia Pacific lightweight title against undefeated South Korean Daun Chung will be telecast on the top-rated weekly boxing show “The Main Event” on Sunday at 4:00 p.m. over RPN 9.

Sponsored by Tanduay, the No. 1 Rhum and supported by Pagcor and PCSO it is the flashy southpaw’s first fight after a shocking first round KO at the hands of Indonesia’s Simson Butar Butar last September 23 when an overweight Amonsot lost his title on the scales after clearly failing to train properly for defense of his WBO Asia Pacicic junior lightweight crown.

Amonsot entered the ring at the Lotte Hotel in Seoul with a ring record of 17-2-1 with 10 knockouts. His other defeat was also at the hands of Butar Butar when Amonsot lost a controversial 5th round TKO in Jakarta.

Amonsot who trained hard for his comeback fight after mending his ways and being accepted back into the famed ALA Gym by respected boxing patron Tony Aldeguer on condition he shaped up was determined to prove that he is still, at 21 years of age, one of the brightest prospects in the country.

Before his stunning loss to Butar Butar, Amonsot scored two impressive victories in Las Vegas. He scored a unanimous eight round decision over hard-hitting Cristian Favela in a bloody battle and then hammered Jose Reyes over ten rounds in what boxing writers described as an excellent showing.

The tall Daun Chung has a fine jab, throws lots of combinations and never backs off and fight fans are certain to enjoy the telecast.

Working the corner of Amonsot are trainer Edmund Villamor who during his ring career knocked out Rustico Torrecampo after Torrecampo had scored a sensational upset by knocking out present-day Filipino ring idol Manny Pacquiao.

SALUD SAYS ARUM LOOKING FOR MEXICAN TO BEAT PACQUIAO

By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 30 Mar 2007

WBC founding secretary general, lawyer Rudy Salud, said yesterday he is convinced Top Rank promoter Bob Arum is "looking for a Mexican to beat (Manny) Pacquiao" and pointed to Arum’s protégé Humberto Soto as the possible choice.

Salud noted that Arum’s request to the WBC to have Soto declared mandatory challenger to newly crowned super featherweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez indicated his intentions. Salud said Pacquiao, for all Arum’s statements, was not really his fighter and that since Arum depends largely on Mexican fighters and the fans they draw, he would look for a Mexican to end Pacquiao’s domination of the 130 pound division.

Arum said in the past when Erik "El Terrible" Morales was to begin his epic trilogy with Pacquiao that he would always support the Mexicans and nobody else until Pacquiao demolished Morales and Arum was left with no attractive fighter to draw the crowds and help him make money. Salud said he believes Arum wants "to stop Golden Boy from getting the Mexican fighters" even as Oscar De La Hoya only recently signed up another top ranked super featherweight contender Rocky Juarez, another Mexican.

Salud also indicated that Arum was probably a little wary of Pacquiao and his tendency to move from one camp to another having first signed a seven-fight deal with Golden Boy Promotions in mid-September and then two months later signed a four-fight deal with Arum, in the process receiving a $1 million bonus which was twice as much as De La Hoya gave Pacquiao. Salud said that because of this uncertainty, Arum was probably protecting himself.

Pacquiao’s close friend and confidant Rex "Wakee" Salud, no relative of the former WBC official, agreed with Salud's observations and indicated he too was concerned about Arum’s pushing for a Marquez-Soto mandatory title fight when Pacquiao himself was the mandatory challenger and had agreed to maintain that status in response to an inquiry from WBC president Jose Sulaiman.

IN-FORM PACMAN SPARS 12, SURPRISES OBSERVERS!

PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 31 Mar 2007

Showing tremendous conditioning and resolve, Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao resumed his sparring sessions yesterday, taking on three different sparmates for a total of twelve rounds as he declared himself to be raring and ready to go the full route if needed when he defends his WBC International superfeatherweight title against Mexican Jorge Solis on April 14.

This came two days after Pacquiao suffered a one-inch scratch after a sparring session, which was blamed on a thin headgear he had been using.

PACMAN GOES 12 ROUNDS Yesterday's sessions also brought Pacquiao's total hovering around the 100-round mark in his preparation for Solis, and he should have about 120 rounds under him before he flies to Texas.

Sources at the Wild Card Gym, however, also point out that Pacquiao's mind seems to be on his political plans, which was solidified the other day when his lawyer Franklin Gacal formally filed his certificate of candidacy for Congress in General Santos City.

After the 12-round sparring session yesterday, Pacquiao even had the stamina to hit the heavy bags for three rounds, spent ten minutes hitting the double-end bag, ten minutes with the speedball, and 12 minutes skipping rope.

"Excellent talaga ang lakas at resistensya ni Manny. Kundisyon na kundisyon talaga," a source at the Wild Card said, indicating that both Justin Fortune and Buboy Fernandez seemed impressed by their ward's performance at the gym.

After the heavy workout, Pacquiao did five rounds of shadow-boxing, and topped it off with a series of abdominal exercises.

"The only thing he needs to do right now is put himself in the right frame of mind, because it seems his mind is fully occupied with politics at this time," said another source.

After the heavy sparring sessions, Pacquiao and his entourage took their late lunch at the nearby restaurant, where the Filipino boxing icon had some shrimp soup, beef brocolli, salmon, chicken chopsuey, white rice and fried chicken. He did not order any soft drink, but drank mineral water instead.

Barrage of punches awaits Pacquiao – Solis

By NICK GIONGCO

THE VOICE on the end of the line was loud, crisp and clear. It even sounded determined.

At the end of the line was Jorge Solis, the Mexican fighter whom Pacquiao will meet on April 14, who was talking from his high-altitude training camp in the Otomi mountains.

And his message for Manny Pacquiao was that the Filpino icon must be prepared to accept a defeat.

Solis, the 27-year-old underdog from Guadalajara, said yesterday morning that an upset is going to take place on April 14 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.

"I am going to come out firing lots of punches," Solis told the Bulletin in a conference call that was arranged by ace Top Rank publicist Ricardo Jimenez, who served as the interpreter in the 15-minute conversation.

"It’s not a question of me hitting Pacquiao with just one punch. I am going to hit him with lots of punches and you would all going to see who I really am," said Solis, who was unperturbed that a lot of people, most especially those from the Philippines, see him as a serving of a tasty Mexican dish that Pacquiao will feast on.

"I am not bothered by what they’re saying because they don’t know me," said Solis, who has and impressive record of 32-0 win-loss with 23 knockouts and a No. 2 ranking in the featherweight division by the World Boxing Council.

Solis began training for the fight as early as January around the same time when Pacquiao, who holds a mark of 43-3-2 with 34 stoppages, was still fulfilling commitments and pondering over his political plans.

"I have sparred 300 rounds and today, I did 10 rounds," said Solis, who works out with four men including teenage phenom Humberto Gutierrez and the wiry but crafty Tomas Rojas, who lost to Gerry Peñalosa last year.

Assisting him in training are his father Aurelio and brother Ulises, who is also an active fighter.
In charge of his conditioning is Raul Robles, who had also worked with Erik Morales.

In contrast, Pacquiao has logged more than 80 rounds of sparring at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood under the watchful eyes of Australian conditioning coach Justin Fortune, subbing for Freddie Roach, and training assistants Buboy Fernandez and Nonoy Neri.

A father of two kids, Jorge Jr. and Dominique, Solis bragged that "Pacquiao hasn’t faced anyone like me."

Long-armed and an owner of a potent right straight punch, Solis is listed at 5-10 and will be the tallest foe thus far Pacquiao will face in his storied career.

"I am very excited about this fight and I know it’s going to be tough but I have prepared well and hard and I won’t let this slip away," added Solis just before hanging up.

Morales tells Pacman: Be wary of Solis

By June Navarro
Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines -- A priceless tip for Manny Pacquiao from a man who had come face to face with Jorge Solis in the ring: Don’t take him for granted.

This advice came from Erik Morales, whom Pacquiao defeated in a thrilling WBC super featherweight fight in Las Vegas last year.

Morales revealed that Solis was one of his spar mates while preparing against Pacquiao in 2005.
“He’s (Solis) a good fighter,” said Morales yesterday in an interview on the 25th floor of the Diamond Hotel in Manila, where the Mexican star held a mini press conference.

“He (Solis) is fast and strong, so Manny needs to take him seriously.”

But Morales revealed a weakness that Pacquiao could pounce on.

“There’s only one problem—his fighting spirit,” said Morales of his countryman. “He gives up easily in a tough fight.”

Morales is in the country for a series of promotional gimmicks for San Miguel Beer.
Pacquiao will stake his WBC International super featherweight title against the unbeaten Solis on April 14 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.

Asked if he has a prediction on the Pacquiao-Solis fight, Morales said: “I don’t have any. No prediction.”

Morales also feels that there is nothing more in store for him in the super featherweight division.
After tucking three world championships under his belt, Morales is now moving up to the 135-pound division in a bid to become the first fighter to capture four boxing titles in different weight categories.