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Beckham's Galaxy wins MLS Cup, will soon play Azkals

2011-11-20T23:05:00.000-08:00

Source: GMA News

LOS ANGELES - David Beckham's Los Angeles Galaxy beat Houston 1-0 on Sunday to win Major League Soccer's MLS Cup, giving the English superstar the Hollywood ending he sought to his ground-breaking Galaxy deal.

Landon Donovan's 72nd-minute goal, from a pass by Irish international Robbie Keane, was enough to secure the victory for the Galaxy.

Beckham and his Galaxy mates will have little time to celebrate, as they are scheduled to embark on an Asian tour that will include a friendly match against the Philippine Azkals at Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila on December 3.

Their American championship adds even more buzz and prestige to the much-anticipated match in Manila. The Younghusband brothers from England, Azkals stars, idolized fellow Briton Beckham while growing up.

Beckham, who won six Premiership titles with Manchester United and a Spanish League title with Real Madrid, captured his first MLS championship in the final match of his five-year deal.

The triumph put the finishing touches to a season in which the Galaxy produced the best regular-season record in the league and were unbeaten at home.

The lone goal of the match came as Beckham headed a ball to Keane, who ran into the area and fed Donovan, who fired home.

When the final whistle blew, Beckham wrapped his arms around Donovan and lifted him off his feet in celebration.

Donovan paid tribute to his "warrior-like" teammate, saying Beckham injured a hamstring earlier in the week and was "playing on one leg."

Beckham himself was just happy to claim the title so widely predicted when he arrived Stateside to great fanfare in 2007 -- a move that raised the profile of MLS with US sports fans and opened the door for other marquee international players to follow.

"It's about time," said Beckham, who could yet have a sequel with the Galaxy if team officials can persuade him to return after his contract expires at the end of December.

Beckham, who is also being wooed by French club Paris Saint-Germain, preferred to celebrate rather than speculate on his future.

"I'm glad all the hard work of the season paid off," he said.

"I play the game to win. Whether I stay or not I've had an amazing five years," added Beckham, who was serenaded by chants of "We want Beckham" after the final whistle blew.

A record crowd of 30,281 turned out at the Home Depot Center, undaunted by the rain that pelted Los Angeles all day.

The fact that the stadium had been selected in advance to hold the championship match was a bit of serendipity for the Galaxy, making it a virtual home fixture for them.

Houston suffered another blow when they lost leading scorer Brad Davis to a torn quadriceps in the Eastern Conference championship match.

Los Angeles dominated play in a scoreless first half but couldn't capitalize.

Beckham delivered a corner directly to forward Adam Cristman's head in the 12th minute but Cristman -- replacing injured Chad Barrett in the starting lineup -- missed.

In the 27th, he was unable to finish another header after Beckham lofted a pass to him, and he then misplayed a ball from Donovan in front of the goal after slipping on the wet pitch.

Keane, who this month helped Ireland book their Euro 2012 berth, appeared to score in the 56th but the goal was ruled offside.

Pacquiao to critics: Magpakatotoo ka

2011-11-20T23:02:00.000-08:00

Source: Camille B. Naredo, ABS-CBN News

MANILA, Philippines - Eight-division world champion Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao is confident that he was the rightful winner of his last fight against rival Juan Manuel Marquez of Mexico, even if some boxing analysts continue to question the result of the fight.

Pacquiao defeated Marquez via a controversial majority decision, but his performance lacked the same explosiveness that he displayed in his previous fights.

In a brief press conference after he arrived in Manila, Pacquiao told his critics: "Sa mga ibang tao na naniniwala na hindi tama ang desisyon, magpakatotoo ka. Maging Pilipino ka."

Pacquiao said he knew he had won the fight even before the bell sounded in the 12th round.

"Ang paniniwala ko, bago pa natapos ang 12 rounds ay lamang ako at panalo ako," he said, but added that he was not completely satisfied with his performance inside the ring.

"Yung ine-expect ng mga tao at ine-expect ko rin na maibigay ko sa mga tao, hindi nangyaring ganoon," he said.

The boxer said that his fans have gotten used to seeing him dominate his opponents. Before his tough battle against Marquez, Pacquiao rose to the top of the boxing world by beating up and knocking out fighters who were naturally bigger than him

Pacquiao had knockout victories over Oscar de la Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto, as well as decision victories over Joshua Clottey, Antonio Margarito and Shane Mosley.

He was a heavy favorite against Marquez, as many felt that the Mexican boxer will not be able to deal with the additional weight and that Pacquiao had improved greatly since the two boxers last met in 2008.

'It's my fault'

"Kasalanan ko rin ang lahat ng pangyayari. Hindi ko masisising may doubts sa pagkapanalo ko, dahil sinanay ko kasi sila na palagi akong panalo ng knockout, o binubugbog ko ang kalaban ko," Pacquiao said.

"Baka naman payagan n'yo ako na pwedeng manalo kahit na close fight. Hindi ba ako pwedeng manalo ng close fight?" he said. "Kailangan ba ang panalo ni Manny Pacquiao laging one-sided fight?"

Pacquiao said that he suffered from foot cramps during the bout, which hampered his performance.

"'Yung kaliwang paa ko, tumigas ng third round, pinapisil ko kay Buboy (Fernandez) nung pang-apat na round dahil halos hindi ko maigalaw," he said, adding that the pain subsided in the last five rounds of the fight.

His lackluster showing in the bout cost him his place as the pound-for-pound king in the ratings of ESPN, Sports Illustrated and Yahoo! Sports, with undefeated American boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. taking his place at the top spot.

"Hindi ko alam kung saan lumabas yan," Pacquiao said of the pound-for-pound ratings. "Sa ibang mga tao lang siguro na hindi dugong Pinoy ang nag-iisip ng ganyan."

Pacquiao remains number 1 in THE RING magazine's pound-for-pound ratings.

Sinag five raps Thais, secures cage gold

2011-11-20T22:58:00.000-08:00

Source: Philippine Star,

JAKARTA – The country's amateur cagers proved more than enough to get the job done in winning the SEA Games men's championship, routing Thailand, 85-57, last night to complete their golden mission here.

Sinag Pilipinas, a mix of collegiate stars and PBA D-League mainstays, just won’t let the gold medal that mattered most slip away, posting an unassailable lead right in the first half en route to scoring another blowout win to cap a masterful five-game sweep.

"This means a lot to us, not just for me but the whole team. We're very happy to win the gold and make the country proud," said Sinag PH coach Norman Black.

FIBA Asia veteran Chris Tiu and his younger teammates, who trained together for only three weeks, twice tore apart the Thais, whose core members were part of the Thai team that ruled the last ABL (Asean Basketball League) championship.

They also fashioned out overwhelming victories over Cambodia, Vietnam and Indonesia earlier.

"What’s amazing about this team is it's a young team. It shows that we have a bright future ahead of us," said Black.

UAAP stars Greg Slaughter, Bobby Ray Parks and RR Garcia put in double-digit outputs to lead the Nationals to their gold-medal game conquest, stretching the country’s reign in SEAG men’s basketball to 20 years.

Meanwhile in boxing, with two gold medals and one bronze, the Philippine boxers bid for a finish of four golds as Charly Suarez and Dennis Galvan go up against Indonesian rivals in the finals of the boxing competitions today at the Basketball Hall at the heart of the city here.

Time for Pacquiao vs Mayweather

2011-11-19T03:24:00.000-08:00

Source: Nick Giongco, Manila Bulletin

MANILA, Philippines — It’s time for Manny Pacquiao to look for a new dancing partner.

After doing the tango with Juan Manuel Marquez three times, the Filipino has no choice but to dump the Mexican in favor of the flashy Floyd Mayweather Jr., a prominent figure inside Team Pacquiao said recently.

Cebu kingmaker Wakee Salud, who has been at ringside in Pacquiao’s US fights dating back to 2005, said a more lucrative trilogy awaits Pacquiao once he decides to abandon plans to face Marquez for the fourth time.

“Because this fight is so big, there’s going to be a rematch whatever happens in the first fight,” said Salud. “And the rematch could also lead to a rubber match.”

“Manny has nothing to prove anymore with Marquez as he has beaten him twice,” Salud said.

Pacquiao is coming off a close 12-round majority decision over Marquez but despite the win, his reputation has been affected and leading boxing media entities like Yahoo! Sports, ESPN and Sports Illustrated have demoted him to the No. 2 spot in their respective pound-for-pound rankings.

Only The Ring magazine has retained Pacquiao – barely – as its No. 1 fighter on the elite list.

Meanwhile, Marquez’s belief that he had been robbed by the judges was solidified further after he watched the video of the fight in Mexico City.

Marquez told fight scribe Salvador Rodriguez of Record that he is “even more convinced” of his win over Pacquiao last week at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Marquez added: “I beat him again and he knows that I did.”

And this is probably the reason why Top Rank chief Bob Arum is pushing for a fourth fight set for May 2012 even though key members of Pacquiao’s team are already talking about fighting Mayweather instead.

So, Jose score victories in chess

2011-11-19T03:21:00.000-08:00

Source: Marlon Bernardino, ABS-CBN News

MANILA, Philippines – Filipino Grandmaster (GM) Wesley So and Woman Fide Master (WFM) Rulp Ylem Jose each scored wins in the ongoing 26th Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) chess competition in Palembang, Indonesia.

So defeated International Master (IM) Jimmy Liew of Malaysia to gain a share of the lead in the Men’s Standard with GM Susanto Megaranto of Indonesia.

In the Women Standard category, 2-time National Open champ Jose upset Woman Grandmaster (WGM) Irine Kharisma Sukandar of Indonesia.

Jose now has 2 points, half point ahead of second-running Woman International Master (WIM) Nguyen Thi Mai Hung of Vietnam.

National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) President Prospero "Butch" Pichay Jr. is confident that the Filipino woodpushers will perform well.

"Confident ako na makaka kuha tayo ng 3 hanggang 4 na gintong medalya sa Southeast Asian Games. Maganda ang chances nina Wesley at Rulp Ylem," said Pichay.

Other players competing in the SEAG chess competition are GM Oliver Barbosa, GM Rogelio "Joey" Antonio Jr., GM Mark Paragua, and Beverly and Jedara Docena.

Chavez Jnr hopes to extend unbeaten WBC run

2011-11-19T03:19:00.000-08:00

Source: AFP,

World Boxing Council middleweight champ Julio Cesar Chavez Jnr aims to keep his unbeaten record intact when he defends his title for the first time on Saturday against Peter Manfredo.

The son of Hall of Fame boxer Julio Cesar Chavez will be defending the title he won in a unanimous decision over Germany's Sebastian Zbik five months ago.

"Once you become world champion, you accept the responsibility of training hard and getting better," Chavez said. "I want to be champion for a long time. I've never trained this hard for a fight. I want to give the people of Houston a great fight."

Chavez's (43-0-1, 30 KOs) first title defense was originally supposed to be against Ronald Hearns, son of another boxing legend.

Hearns, 32, is the son of Thomas "Hitman" Hearns, who is the first boxer to win four world titles in four divisions. They were supposed to fight in September, but Ronald Hearns had to back out after cutting his hand on a ceiling fan.

Manfredo (37-6, 20 KOs), has won six straight fights and is the fourth-ranked middleweight contender.

The 30-year-old American said he would retire if he loses to Chavez but if he takes the belt he wants to go out in style with a big payday.

"Knowing this is my last shot, I've trained extremely hard for this," said Manfredo, 30. "I'm ready to fight, and I'm ready to take this title back to little Providence, Rhode Island.

The 26-year-old Chavez, of Mexico, is now trained by Manny Pacquiao's corner man Freddie Roach. He feels he is more focused and works harder with Roach guiding him.

"I trained with my family for a long time, but it's different than training with a great trainer like Freddie Roach," Chavez said. "He has given me a lot of discipline. He has taught me a lot about being a professional. He's given me that dedication through training to get ready."

Pacquiao retains P4P title - barely

2011-11-17T01:14:00.000-08:00

Source: Angelo Gutierrez, Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines - Manny Pacquiao barely kept the coveted The Ring Magazine’s No. 1 pound-for-pound king title following his controversial win over Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez in Las Vegas last Saturday.

“Pacquiao survives as the Ring’s No. 1 fighter by a hair,” Ring Magazine’s Michael Rosenthal said in a statement posted on The Ring’s website.

Rosenthal said that the magazine’s editorial board nearly declared the No. 1 pound-for-pound position vacant after Pacquiao’s “sub-par performance” in his recent fight with Marquez.

“In the end, though, we decided to leave the pound-for-pound rankings as is for one simple reason: All but one member of the Ratings Advisory Panel who provided input and the entire Ring Editorial Board believed it was the right thing to do,” he said.

The No. 2 position is held by Floyd Mayweather Jr. followed by Sergio Martinez and Nonito Donaire. Marquez is at No. 5.

Rosenthal said that they will consider putting Mayweather ahead of Pacquiao if he turns in an outstanding performance in his next fight or if Pacquiao “stumbles again.”

He said that they also considered moving Marquez up the rankings, but they could not because Mayweather, Martinez and Donaire “don’t deserve to be demoted.”

Meanwhile, Rosenthal said that The Ring hopes that Pacquiao and Mayweather will agree once and for all to a face-off.

There are reports that the camps of Mayweather and Pacquiao are working for a May 2012 fight. Top Rank’s Bob Arum, meanwhile, said they are also trying to talk on a fourth fight between Pacquiao and Marquez on the same date.

In naming Pacquiao as the Ring’s pound-for-pound king, the prestigious magazine said the Filipino icon didn’t take on a chump, pointing out that Marquez is the No. 5.

“And Pacquiao beat him, at least officially. A great fighter shouldn’t necessarily be demoted because another great fighter has his number. We didn’t think less of Muhammad Ali because he had trouble with Ken Norton three times. The same with Willie Pep and Sandy Saddler,” said The Ring.

Feet off Rizal stadium pitch until after Dec. 3 Azkals-LA Galaxy game

2011-11-17T01:06:00.000-08:00

Source: GMA News

The United Football League (UFL) revealed on Wednesday that coming elimination matches originally scheduled at the Rizal football stadium will instead be at the University of Makati football field.

“In preparation for the LA Galaxy vs. Azkals Match, Rizal Memorial has advised the UFL not to use the pitch," the UFL said in a Facebook post.

UFL teams will return to the Rizal pitch on December 5 after the friendly game between the Philippine men’s national football team—the Azkals—and the LA Galaxy of the United States’ Major League Soccer.

The December 5 games will be for the semifinals of the current UFL Cup, wherein 28 football teams and clubs are competing in seven groups. The tournament is nearing the end of its elimination stage's Round of 16, with only six games yet to be played.

Dos Santos picks Lesnar over Overeem

2011-11-17T01:03:00.000-08:00

Source: ABS-CBN News

MANILA, Philippines - New Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos expects to make his first title defense against former champion Brock Lesnar.

Dos Santos won the heavyweight belt when he fought Cain Velasquez last Saturday via a stunning 64-second knockout, in what was UFC's debut on FOX network.

Lesnar, meanwhile, will battle Alistair Overeem for the right to face Dos Santos at UFC 141.

"I will be watching the fight. I don't know who will win, but I'll think I'll go with Brock," Dos Santos said in an ESPN interview.

He added, however, that he is not the one who chooses his opponent.

"I'm not thinking about that now. I want to go back to Brazil and make a big BBQ for all my friends and training partners," he added.

Dos Santos' first title defense may not be for a while, however, as he suffered from a torn meniscus and may have to undergo surgery.

Sinag PHL used balanced scoring to beat Thailand

2011-11-16T03:49:00.000-08:00

Source: GMA News

Filipino-American Cliff Hodge tallied 15 points to lead Sinag Pilipinas to a 103-69 thrashing of Thailand as the Nationals finished the group stages with an impressive 3-0 win-loss card.

Five other players finished in double figures as Sinag Pilipinas showed its balanced offensive attack

UAAP Season 74 Rookie of the Year Kiefer Ravena added 14 points while 2011 UAAP Finals Most Valuable Player Nico Salva scored 12.

The Norman Black-coached Sinag Pilipinas started strong outscoring Thailand, 37-21, after 10 minutes of play.

Thailand tried to rally back in the game but the Philippines survived the fightback and entered the halftime break enjoying a 54-34 spread.

It was almost the same story in the second half with the Philippines turning Thailand's 21 turnovers to 28 points mostly on open court action that included two dunks from Fil-Am Chris Ellis.

The scrappy and athletic Thai team out-rebounded the Philippines 32-28, but the Philippines played more as a team based on Sinag's 23-9 edge in assists.

Team Pilipinas also took care of the ball better, only committing 14 turnovers against Thailand's 21.

Scores:

Sinag Pilipinas 107—Hodge 15, Ravena 14, Salva 12, Slaughter 11, Ellis 11, Parks 10, Lanete 8, Garcia 7, Monfort 6, Tiu 6, Marcelo 3, Pascual 0.

Thailand 69—Apiromvilaichai (Darongpan) 12, Klahan 11, Kaedum 8, Kongkum 8, Sangthong 6, Lertmalaiporn 5, Kruatiwa 5, Dasom 3, Apiromvilaichai (Darunpong) 2, Ghogar 2.

Pacquiao didn't feel Marquez's footstomps

2011-11-16T03:45:00.000-08:00

Source: Steve Angeles, ABS-CBN News

LOS ANGELES, California - Filipino boxing champion Manny Pacquiao arrived in Los Angeles from Las Vegas at 6 a.m, Tuesday morning after delaying his trip back from Las Vegas in order to take time to recover from his most intense fight in years.

Pacquiao defeated rival Juan Manuel Marquez via majority decision last Saturday in Las Vegas, but it was far from his most dominant performance as the Filipino champion struggled all night against the Mexican counter-puncher.

Thankful for his victory, Pacquiao hosted a bible study in his LA condominium, with about 50 members of his entourage joining him in prayer.

Pacquiao also commented on the video of his fight which has since gone viral, wherein Marquez is shown stepping on Pacquiao's foot at least five times during the fight.

Fans believe Marquez may have done it intentionally in order to slow Pacquiao down, but the Filipino champion says he did not feel the foot stomps and is not taking it personally.

"Hindi naman ako mareklamong tao, okay lang," he said. "Kasama yan sa laro, part of the game. Kaya pinabayaan ko lang."

Pacquiao is also not complaining about the comments made by boxing analyst Ronnie Nathanielsz, who said that the boxer is too distracted with his numerous activities outside the ring.

He did not comment on Nathanielsz's statements.

Pacquiao spent his last night in Los Angeles with a victory party in Hollywood, where he also launched one of his newest endorsements: a magnetic power wrist band.

He will leave Los Angeles Wednesday night, and Pacquiao is expected to be greeted with a victory parade upon his arrival in the Philippines.

Undermanned TNT seeking 7th win

2011-11-16T03:42:00.000-08:00

Source: Waylon Galvez, Manila Bulletin

MANILA, Philippines — For a team that is already missing players like Jimmy Alapag, Rich Alvarez, Aaron Aban and Ali Peek, defending champion Talk ’N Text will play sans another key contributor in Ryan Reyes when it resumes its campaign in the PBA Philippine Cup Wednesday at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.

The Tropang Texters meet newcomer Shopinas.com Clickers at 5:15 p.m. without the five players, with the 6-foot-1 Reyes the latest to join the injury list with a strained left Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) he sustained in their previous game against Powerade.

The Texters won that game against the Tigers, 95-86, a week ago despite dealing with the shocking shooting incident on the burly 6-foot-4 veteran center Peek, who was shot in the nape last Oct. 7 by a still unidentified gunman in Mandaluyong City.

Peek, 36, is now in stable condition at the Medical City Hospital, although a surgery to remove the lodged bullet in his nape is not being considered by his doctors at the moment, according to TNT coach Chot Reyes.

Alapag, the reigning Most Valuable Player (MVP) is still recovering from a sprained right ankle. Aban tore his left Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) last week, while Alvarez is not yet available with a hand injury.

“We’re making do with what we have,” said Reyes, who is left with 10 players. “We’re trying to strike a balance by staying sharp without over extending the players in practice as we’re left with only seven of our regular players on the rotations.”

Of the seven players in his regular rotation, Reyes said that Ranidel de Ocampo and Harvey Carey are not in full strength after injuries, reason why Japeth Aguilar, Kelly Williams, Jason Castro, Jared Dillinger and Larry Fonacier must step up.

Against the Tigers, Aguilar led the Texters with 21 points and 13 rebounds, while Dillinger added 18 markers, and Williams had 12 points and 10 boards that improved their record to 6-1.

After Rain or Shine’s 80-90 loss to Petron Blaze last Sunday, Talk ’N Text regained the No. 1 spot in the team standings.

Sinag Phl crushes Vietnam

2011-11-16T03:37:00.000-08:00

Source: Nelson Beltran, Philippine Star

JAKARTA – Sinag Pilipinas had another light workout in preparation for the medal games, clobbering Vietnam, 107-53, in the 26th SEA Games men’s basketball tournament at the BritAma Arena in the Kelapa Gading shopping district here yesterday.

It was practically the same as in their game against the Cambodians Tuesday except that the Nationals pressed earlier this time, taking the opening quarter at 32-4.

The far more talented and skillful Nationals, contenders in the Asian level, virtually held a cage clinic for the Vietnamese as they did against the Cambodians, winning by more than 50 points in both matches.

Sinag Pilipinas hardly gave Cambodia and Vietnam a chance even as the Nationals, a selection of collegiate stars and PBA D-League talents, were still in the process of getting to know each other on the playing court.

“We’re still finding a good rhythm but I think we’re getting along well,” said Greg Slaughter.

The seven-foot Fil-foreign behemoth, who had trained with Smart Gilas Pilipinas and played with the team in a number of international jousts, led the team with 20 points, six rebounds and two blocks against the Vietnamese.

NCAA MVP Dave Marcelo, Nicolas Salva, Cliff Hodge, Jake Pascual and Chris Tiu grabbed at least four rebounds each as the Nationals tended the board well to fuel their transition offense.

“I’m trying to sell that if we play defense and get the rebounds, we can do what we want to do. I think we’re able to do that today,” said Sinag Phl coach Norman Black.

“We played well defensively most of the way, we got the rebounds and we’re able to run the floor. Those were the things we wanted done basically,” Black added.

Sinag Phl may finally get some challenge versus Thailand at the close of group plays today. The Filipinos and the Thais mix it up at 11 a.m.

Discovery Perlas Pilipinas tangles with Myanmar at 1 p.m., gunning for its second win in the ladies competition.

The Thai men have also gone 2-0 here, thumping the Vietnamese, 85-54, Monday and waylaying the Cambodians, 85-62, yesterday.

“I watched both games. The Thais are bigger than the two (the Vietnamese and the Cambodians),” said Black.

“They have three good players. I don’t know their names but I know their numbers. We’re little concerned with the matchups in the wings and in guards because they’re bigger than ours,” Black added.

Against the Vietnamese, the Filipinos proved far superior from the get-go.

Bobby Ray Parks, Garvo Lanete and Ellis were the others, aside from Slaughter, who finished in double figures.

PHL Azkals drop friendly match against Singapore

2011-10-08T04:05:00.000-07:00

Source: Roy Moore, GMA News

This time the Azkals failed to duplicate or even surpasstheir surprising draw against Singaporein last year's AFF Suzuki Cup.

The Philippines suffered a2-0 loss to the Southeast Asian powerhouse Lions, 2-0, in a friendly match atthe Jalan Besar Stadium Friday night.

Mohamad Shaiful Bin Esah Nain and Aleksandar Đurić scored the goals for thehosts in the 51st and 64th minute and Singapore foiled the Azkals'repeated attempts to tie the match.

The Azkals, thanks to Simon Greatwich's 90th minute goal in injury time, held Singapore to a1-1 draw in the Group stages of the 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup.

Azkals made Singaporework

Esah's shot cruelly deflected off Ray Jonsson in the 51st minute beforeĐurić flew past the Philippine defense to beat Neil Etheridge for the insurancegoal in the 64th.

The Azkals entered the game as underdogs with some bookmakers giving odds of9-1 for a Philippine win.

And despite having a population of only five million, Singapore (136) is one of the Southeast Asianheavyweights, ranked 30 places above the Philippines (166) in the FIFArankings.

First half

The Singaporeans built their play behind the 41-year-old Đurić in the firsthalf.

Chieffy Caligdong scored for the Azkals but the goal was ruled offside.

Fazrul Nawaz, receiving a pass from Đurić, nearly scored for Singapore but returning goalkeeperNeil Etheridge dove quickly to foil the chance.

Caligdong had another chance but his shot was wide. Phil Younghusband alsocurled a free-kick just wide before the halftime whistled sounded with theteams still goalless.

Second half

The Azkals played aggressively at the start of the second half as theycontinued to put pressure on the host's keeper Izwan Mahbud.

Singapore,however, broke the deadlock when Esah drilled in Shahril Ishak's corner. Playedshort, the ball took a huge deflection on its way into the goal and Etheridgehad it covered until it bounced off Jonsson and out of his reach.

Phil Younghusband then had the chance to equalize as he elected to shoot ratherthan pass across. Firing into the bottom right it drew a great save fromMahbud, who had replaced Lionel Lewis at half-time as the Singaporean keeper.

Singaporethen doubled their lead just past the hour mark. While there was a greatelement of luck about the way Singaporewent ahead there was no luck involved in the second as Shahdan Sulaiman slottedthe ball through the Azkals' defense to Đurić.

Đurić, the Tampines Rovers forward, burst past the Philippine defense and beatEtheridge. Singapore'ssecond goal silenced the wildly cheering Filipino crowd and the hosts used upthe clock after that.

Building momentum

International friendlies are, of course, just a way of experimenting andtrying to see where a team stands. Singaporeis preparing for the Third Round of the 2014 World Cup Qualification against ahighly ranked Jordan (83)side and their previous two games were a 2-0 loss to Iraq(107) and a 2-1 loss to China(73).

Yet the Philippines arecatching up to Singaporein terms of quality and results. In the 10 games leading up to this friendly Singapore have won four, drawn three and lostthree while the Philippineshave a 3-5-2 win-draw-loss record losing only to Kuwait.

Angel Guirado's injury is a thing of concern for the Azkals. TheFilipino-Spanish midfielder was replaced by Ian Araneta in the first half. NateBurkey then replaced Araneta in the second half when the Philippine Air Forceforward also got injured.

Guirado and Araneta will receive medical attention and are uncertain forTuesday's friendly against Nepal.

Learning curve

The Azkals are facing a steep learning curve and hopefully they can takemany things away from this result. Singapore has a well-developed domesticleague as all their 26 players for World Cup Qualification are based in theirnational league, the S-League.

The Singaporean fans, players and administration also have massive faith intheir Serbian coach Radojko Avramović who has been managing the National sidesince 2003 due to his 57 percent win record and steered the hosts to two SuzukiCup titles.

The Philippines,in contrast, have had seven coaches during the same stretch. Coach MichaelWeiss took over less than a year ago.

The Azkals will look ahead to Tuesday's (October 11) friendly against Nepal to bounceback from their loss.

Ranked one place higher than Singapore,Nepal(135) will be another threat but this time the Azkals will be playing at homeat the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

Missing Stephan Schrock and Anton Del Rosario, both due to injury, the Azkalsmade a good account of themselves despite the result and will hope Guirado andAraneta's injuries aren't too serious as they look to pull off a result againsta strong Nepalese side.

Always questioned, Jimmy Alapag finally answers

2011-09-21T01:28:00.000-07:00

Source: Mico Halili, GMA News

In a tournament dominated by elephants like Yi Jianlian, Hamed Hadadi, Ha Seung Jin and Joji Takeuchi, little Jimmy Alapag squeaked his way over, under and around taller defenders to be an end-game star. While Marcus Douthit, unmindful of his sprained ankle, tallied 25 points, 18 rebounds and three blocks, Alapag's performance against Japan likewise stood out. The Japanese can blame Marcus for losing to Gilas. They can also blame The Mouse.

People question a player's abilities. The player has no choice but to take it all in. Bakit siya ang PBA MVP? He's too old for Gilas. Why him? He can't play defense. Isn't he too small? I can name 10 players, based on statistics from the last PBA season, who can score more points, grab more rebounds and make more assists than Jimmy Alapag. I'm sure you can too. Redemption has no clock. A player can wait weeks, months, years before bouncing back from criticism. Redemption can also happen in a flash, as soon as a player is ready. Alapag, you see, is always ready."I'm just here to do whatever is needed for the team to win," Alapag shared after he scored 15 points including three three-point shots against Japan. "The guys have worked so hard the last few years! We have a great chance."People I know, men with unquestionable character, say Alapag, as far as they know, has unquestionable character. You can go by what they know or simply go by what you see. There's Jimmy with a nice pass to Kelly Williams. There's Jimmy with a booming triple. There's Jimmy driving into the lane for a layup. There's Jimmy with three crucial free throws to seal the game. It made us forget about Jimmy's MVP season of 2011. It made us remember his gutsy performance in the FIBA-Asia tournament of 2007."This experience is very different from 2007," Alapag admitted. "Different coach, system, and lineup, but both very good teams. I just wish we had Douthit in '07."Team Pilipinas didn't have Douthit then. Gilas has Jimmy now. I don't think Alapag wants to prove anything in Wuhan: that he deserves the PBA MVP trophy, or a spot in Gilas, or a place in the Philippines Basketball Hall-of-Fame, or our elusive admiration. Besides, we've seen this before. When the game is on the line, dikdikan ang laban, Jimmy wants to make the big pass, the winning play, the crucial shot. He's willing to be The Big Cheese."I just try my best to help the Gilas guys on and off the court," Alapag said. "Any situation I see where I can be of help, I try my best to show them. They're great guys and the country should be proud of how hard they've fought the last three years."The Mighty Mouse was not a unanimous PBA MVP. But against Japan, he was certainly a FIBA-Asia winner. Ateneo Assistant Coach Sandy Arespacochaga said it best, "Ang Japan dinaga."

UFC Rio: Rua seeks title shot vs Griffin

2011-08-27T02:20:00.000-07:00

Source: ABS-CBN News

MANILA, Philippines – Former UFC light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Rua” Shogun said his rematch against Forrest Griffin in UFC Rio isn’t just about vindication.

He said it is a key to get him closer to another title shot.

“Getting the record even is a big motivation,” said Rua, a former PRIDE middleweight title holder.

“But more importantly, Forrest is a great fighter and my dream is to get the belt again. I know that beating Forrest will get me closer to a title shot,” he added in an interview with UFC.com.

Rua lost to Griffin via rear naked choke in UFC 76.

“I think about it a lot,” admitted Shogun.

Rua wanted to make sure he won’t make the same mistake against Griffin.

“I'm training hard and doing as much as I can so I don't get tired. That was my biggest mistake in the first fight,” said the 29-year-old mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter.

Affion Crockett on Manny Pacquiao Skit Video

2011-08-18T03:03:00.000-07:00

'World's richest man offers Pacquiao $65M to fight Mexican'

2011-06-06T02:53:00.000-07:00

Source: ABS-CBN News

MANILA, Philippines – The world's richest person has reportedly offered Filipino boxing champion Manny 'Pacman' Pacquiao a whopping US$65 million to fight an undefeated Mexican boxer.

Boxingscene.com reports that Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim has offered a guaranteed $65 million purse to Pacquiao for a fight against Saul “Canelo” Alvarez.

Slim is allegedly negotiating now with Pacquiao’s team, including Ilocos Sur Governor Luis “Chavit” Singson.

Top Rank boss Bob Arum said that he will immediately contact Singson about the story.

“I saw the story and I don’t take it as gospel,” said Pacquiao’s promoter. “But Slim is one of the richest people in the world and Chavit, who I know so well, is a very serious guy.”

He added that he will call Singson on Monday.

According to Forbes.com, Slim made his fortune in telecommunications. He is said to be worth around $60 billion.

Pacquiao’s proposed opponent, Alvarez, is only 20 years old but carries a 36-0-1 win-loss-draw record.

Alvarez is being promoted by Golden Boy, which can cause some problems as Pacquiao is being promoted by Top Rank.

“Manny has the key third fight against Juan Manuel Marquez... and then we can discuss 2012,” said Arum. “I don’t know when Manny will want to fight next year.”

Arum said that Pacquiao may stick to a May and November schedule for his bouts, but it was ultimately up to the Filipino fighting congressman.

Arum earlier said that Floyd Mayweather Jr. had turned down a $65-milion offer to fight Pacquiao.

Heat regain home-court advantage by beating Dallas

2011-06-06T02:51:00.000-07:00

Source: Reuters

DALLAS - The Miami Heat recovered from their Game Two meltdown in the NBA Finals to beat Dallas 88-86 on Sunday and take a 2-1 lead over the Mavericks in the best-of-seven series.

Chris Bosh, who had been a big disappointment in the first two games of the series, provided the winning margin for Miami on a 16-foot jump shot with 39.6 seconds left to restore home-court advantage to the Heat.

Dirk Nowitzki carried the Mavericks in the final quarter with 15 of his 34 points but his potentially game-tying 18-footer at the buzzer hit the rim and bounced away.

"I moved on from this win already," said Miami guard Dwyane Wade, who paved the way for the Heat with 29 points, 11 rebounds and three assists.

"We did nothing but get home-court advantage back. But the next game is a big game. We have to bring our hard hats, understanding it's going to be tougher to win that game than it was to win this one. I believe in this team."

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said the series, which continues on Tuesday in Dallas, is far from over.

"It's just one," he said. "We're not going to make it more than what it is. We have two wins under our belt. We have to try to be greedy and get another one.

"But there isn't going to be anything easy that comes in this series for either team."

Nowitzki, who also grabbed 11 rebounds and had three blocks, scored the Mavericks' final 12 points but came up short with the game on the line.

"This definitely was a big game," Nowitzki said. "A very tough loss. Emotional game, fought back, and to fall short at the end is tough. But they need two more.

"Hopefully we can play a better all around game and finally get some shots to go down here. It's basically a must-win situation on Tuesday. We can't go down 3-1."

Miami's LeBron James scored 17 points but hit just six of 14 shots and had four turnovers.

The Heat blew a 15-point lead in the final six minutes of their Game Two loss to Dallas in Miami, giving the Mavericks the opportunity to win the title with three wins at home.

Battle back

Miami raced out to a 14-point first-half lead before the Mavericks clawed their way back. The Heat held a seven-point lead in the final quarter but Dallas once again battled back.

"We have to figure out how to get in front and play from up front," said Dallas guard Jason Kidd. "We've shown that we can come back. The big thing is we have to be able to make plays late in the game.

"In Game Two we made the plays. In Game Three we just didn't."

Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said it was too early to write his team's epitaph.

"It's seven games," he said. "Any notion that it was going to be easy would have been foolhardy by us or anybody else. Every game has been extremely difficult.

"We have to eliminate a couple of the turnovers that led to the quick points. It's extremely difficult when you're watching James go down the court and dunk the ball with his head over the rim. That makes it tough to win."

The Dallas defeat deflated the boisterous American Airlines Center crowd of 19,200 hungry to see the Mavericks move closer to their first NBA crown in the 30 years as a franchise.

Almost everyone donned an arena-supplied blue shirt that read "The Time is Now."

But it was the Heat players who seized the moment in the dying seconds.

"At this point there's no room to hold anything back," said James, seeking his first NBA title. "There's nine or eight days left in the season."

Arum: Floyd rejects $65 million offer to fight Manny

2011-06-04T04:40:00.000-07:00

Source: Dino Maragay, Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines – Floyd Mayweather Jr. clearly doesn’t want any part of Manny Pacquiao, as far as Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank Inc is concerned.

According to Arum, the brash Mayweather, who has been inactive for more than a year now, once again refused another offer to fight the Filipino ring icon.

The proposed fight purse: A staggering $65 million.

"I'm an optimist, and I always felt that they'd eventually fight. At this point, I really feel that they'd never fight,” Arum told Elie Seckback in a video interview released by ESNEWS yesterday.

Arum narrated how the fight offer reached Mayweather.

“Recently, as recent as this week, legitimate people from Singapore offered Mayweather $65 million to fight Manny Pacquiao and he turned it down,” said the promoter, who did not name those who initiated the said deal.

“$65 million is obviously a sum Manny Pacquiao would accept. So what does that tell you? It tells you he (Mayweather) doesn’t want to fight Manny Pacquiao," he added.

Mayweather, who hasn’t stepped in the ring since outpointing Shane Mosley in May last year, has successfully found ways to prevent a Mayweather-Pacquiao fight – expected to be the richest in boxing history – from happening.

There was his demand for Olympic-style drug testing, which Pacquiao initially refused but eventually accepted. The fight, however, still never came to fruition.

Then, when Pacquiao was training in Baguio City for the Mosley fight, news came out about Mayweather’s demand for a $100 million dollar purse to face the Filipino – an amount Arum described as “ridiculous.”

This time, with Mayweather rejecting another offer, Arum concluded that the undefeated boxer does not want to share the ring with Pacquiao.

"He doesn’t want to fight Manny. He's smart not to fight Manny because, truth be told, everyone who knows boxing know that Manny will beat him," he said.

And why?

"One thing about Floyd: Floyd knows boxing, and Floyd knows style. That's why Floyd was always reticent about fighting a southpaw. And a southpaw like Manny Pacquiao, he doesn't want no part of, because even if he protects himself from his left, he's going to bang him with his right hand," Arum continued.

Arum may have a point. Mayweather has had trouble fighting a southpaw, as evidenced by his welterweight showdown with Zab Judah in 2006. In that fight, Mayweather struggled in the first six rounds, thanks to Judah’s quick blows and southpaw stance, until he took control in the bout’s second half to earn a unanimous decision win.

Against a faster Pacquiao, Mayweather may be in trouble once more

Marquez must beat next foe or fight is off

2011-05-21T05:16:00.000-07:00

Source: Abc Cordero, Philippine Star

Manila, Philippines - Juan Manuel Marquez needs a perfect fall guy for his tuneup fight in July because if he loses then his trilogy with Manny Pacquiao goes down the drain.

Marquez had signed the contract to face Pacquiao on Nov. 12 in Las Vegas and at a catchweight of 144 pounds, and the Mexican said he wants a tuneup fight soon.

He’s looking at David Diaz, who lost his WBC lightweight title in Pacquiao in 2008, as his opponent either on July 2 or July 16, but it was reported yesterday it might not happen.

Marquez and Diaz, according to www.boxingscene.com, couldn’t agree on money matters.

But there could be another story to that since Marquez must think twice before facing Diaz, who said recently that he’s no tuneup fighter if that’s how Marquez looks at him.

“I’m not a tuneup fighter. I don’t plan to be. And that night, if it does happen, it will be a very interesting night,” Diaz told The Examiner when word got out Marquez wants him.

Diaz still has some power and a lot of pride in him he might try to spoil everything for Marquez.

Promoter Bob Arum said Marquez should win his tuneup match.

“If he loses, then we might look for another opponent,” Arum said.

Marquez had already signed the contract to fight Pacquiao, one that guarantees the Mexican counterpuncher the biggest paycheck in his life.

They’ve fought twice in the past, 24 bloody rounds in 2004 and 2008, and on both fights a lot of people think there was really no clear winner.

If the third fight happens, then it will be very good for boxing.

“It will be war in the ring,” said Pacquiao’s adviser, Wakee Salud, yesterday from Cebu City.

“Marquez is not scared of Pacquiao. And he will not run away. He also doesn’t know how to clinch. Bakbakan ito,” he said.

Salud also said Marquez should handily beat Diaz if their fight pushes through, but said he can’t blame the Mexican if he’s having second thoughts on this one.

“Maybe he’s making sure. Because if he loses in that tuneup fight, he loses everything. Better yet, he skips that tuneup fight and train harder instead,” said Salud.

Suzuki Cup

2011-05-21T05:11:00.000-07:00

Source: Francis Santiago, Manila Bulletin

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines – Claiming tournament officials made a mistake in their interpretation of the rules and regulation, the Iloilo Football Association has put its recent defeat to fierce rival Negros Occidental under protest.

Iloilo coach Marjo Allado protested Thursday’s 1-3 defeat in the Philippine Football Federation-Suzuki Under-23 Cup because of the 30-minute extra time imposed by league officials in the first leg of the home-and-away title duel.

The protest was lodged Thursday night, and match commissioner Augilbert Encontro said they were expected to act on the complaint late yesterday after a meeting with PFF and tournament officials. In a highly-physical match at the Central Philippine University in Iloilo, both teams battled to a 1-1 draw after regulation, but to the surprise of the players and coaches, an extra time was ordered.

‘Bata’ Reyes, Pagulayan exit US Open

2011-05-21T05:05:00.000-07:00

Source: Marlon Bernardino, ABS-CBN News

MANILA, Philippines – Efren "Bata" Reyes’ amazing run in the 2011 US Open 10-Ball Championship came to an end as he suffered back-to-back losses at the Riviera Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada on Friday (Saturday in Manila).

Reyes, former World Pool-Billiards Association (WPA) 9-Ball and 8-Ball champion, lost to Jonathan Pinegar of the US in the fifth round of the winners' bracket.

This was followed by another loss to David Alcaide of Spain in a do-or-die match in the losers’ bracket.

The ‘Lion’ exits

After 3 straight wins in the losers’ bracket against Matt Krah, Jesse Engel and Corey Harper of the US, Alex "The Lion" Pagulayan suffered a loss against 2008 World Ten-Ball kingpin Darren Appleton of Great Britain.

Pagulayan, a former WPA 9-Ball champion, Reyes and fellow Filipinos Jose "Amang" Parica and Jun Almoite were all eliminated.

Hohmann nips buddy Souquet, captures Philippine Open crown

2011-04-11T06:56:00.000-07:00

Source: Rey Joble, GMA News

Compatriots and bosom buddies Thorsten Hohmann and Ralf Souquet battled it out in a classic finale of the Philippine Open Pool men’s championship on Monday at the SM Megamall.

The two German former world champions, who were seeking their first-ever championship on Philippine soil, pushed each other to the limit up to the 21st and final rack.

In the end, Hohmann got the better of the match and claimed this year’s championship in a nail-bitter of an encounter, 11-10.

So the player who wasn’t supposed to join in this WPA event wound up victorious and capped an interesting story here.

Unlike in their first match in the quarterfinals where Hohmann was beaten soundly by Souqet, 2-9, the younger yet more determined player, who is now based in Jacksonville, Florida, dictated the tempo early. He led 4-1 and was about to break the game wide open.

Until Souquet turned the match into a see-saw battle and set up an exciting windup.

Souquet won four of the next five racks to level the score for the first time, 5-all, capped by a spectacular long bank shot that pocketed the 1 and 10 balls.

Fil-Aussie ties for 2nd in Masters

2011-04-11T06:54:00.000-07:00

Source: ABS-CBN News

MANILA, Philippines -- Filipino-Australian golfer Jason Day had an impressive stint in the just-concluded 75th Masters at the Augusta National in Georgia, US.

In his Masters debut, Day finished tied for second with fellow Australian Adam Scott.

“It's one of the most exciting tournaments I've ever played in. I'm very happy with how I played there,” said Day.

South African Charl Schwartzel birdied the last four holes to win the 75th Masters by two strokes over Day and Scott.

The 23-year-old Day was born to an Australian father, Alvin, and a Filipina mother, Dening, who met through letters and were employed as meat workers in Queensland.

Before his runner-up finish at the Masters, Day was the youngest Australian to win a Professional Golfers' Association (PGA) tour event.

"I couldn't do any more than I did out there," Day said after a round of 68. "Adam [Sott] and I gave our best. Charl just had a little more. To be in the hunt to be the first Aussie to win the Masters was special."

Schwartzel finished 72 holes on 14-under par 274, two ahead of Day and Scott to claim the green jacket symbolic of Masters victory and $1.4 million while denying them the chance to be the first Aussies to win the Masters.

Nietes smashes Mexican foe in 1 round

2011-04-10T01:02:00.000-07:00

Source: ABS-CBN News

MANILA, Philippines – Filipino champion Donnie “Ahas” Nietes made a smashing debut as a junior flyweight by knocking out Mexico’s Armando Vazquez in just 1 round at the La Salle Coliseum in Bacolod City on Saturday.

Nietes tagged Vazquez with a crushing right hook, knocking down the Mexican during the main event of Pinoy Pride 5, according to a Philboxing.com report.

Vasquez failed to make the count, prompting referee Bruce McTavish to award Nietes the knockout victory 2:26 into the opening round.

Before landing that knockout punch, Nietes had to survive a stunning left hand he received from Vazquez.

With the feat, Nietes improved his record to 28-1-3 (16 KOs). Vasquez, on the other hand, settled at 18-6.

Nietes, the reigning World Boxing Organization (WBO) minimumweight champ, is now poised to face the winner of the WBO interim junior flyweight title bout between Jesus Geles and Ramon Garcia Hirales.

Other Pinoys prevail

Other Filipino pugs also bannered the country's flag after winning their respective undercard matches.

Jason Pagara, a Cagayan de Oro native, won the WBO Asia Pacific Youth lightweight crown by knocking out Tanzanian Deo Njiku in the 2nd round.

In the 1st round, Pagara dominated Njiku by sending the Tanzanian down the canvas twice.

Njiku survived the knockdowns and used his powerful rights to make the fight even.

Pagara, however, used a counter left hook to end the fight in the succeeding round.

The Filipino now has a record of 26-1-0 while Njiku dropped to 11-5.

Meanwhile, North Cotabato's Lorenzo Villanueva successfully defended his WBO Oriental featherweight crown against Indonesia's James Mokoginta via technical knockout (TKO).

Cebu's Roli Gasca also prevailed against Thailand's Ngaotawan Sithsaithong by TKO.

Gilas to decide PBA stint tomorrow

2011-04-10T00:03:00.000-07:00

Source: Joaquin Henson, Philippine Star

Manila, Philippines - A decision will be made tomorrow as to whether the Smart Gilas national team will play in the PBA Governors Cup and from all indications, it appears the squad will see action in no-bearing games only up the end of the single-round eliminations.

PBA commissioner Chito Salud confirmed the other day that the league has set a deadline of April 13 for Gilas to decide. The same deadline will apply for Toroman to submit a “wish list” of PBA players reinforcing the national team at the FIBA-Asia Championships in Wuhan, China, on Sept. 15-25.

Salud had earlier extended an “open invitation” for Gilas to play in the third conference which opens with two games in Dubai on June 2. The Governors Cup will begin its Manila schedule with a triplebill on June 8. The tournament will end Aug. 19 at the latest. The PBA draft is set Aug. 28.

A Gilas insider said two meetings were held last week to discuss the possibility of playing in the Governors Cup. Team owner Manny V. Pangilinan reportedly presided in the discussions that involved PBA governor Ricky Vargas, PBA alternate governor Patrick Gregorio, team manager Frankie Lim and Toroman.

The insider said it was not settled which PBA players to draft for the FIBA-Asia Championships. Toroman previously announced a wish list of 10 players – Kelly Williams, Ranidel de Ocampo, Jimmy Alapag, Ryan Reyes, Asi Taulava, James Yap, Arwind Santos, Joe De Vance, Sonny Thoss and Jay Washington.

“It’s possible only three PBA players will be added to the lineup,” said the insider. “Dondon Hontiveros’ name came up in late discussions. But if only three players are to be requested from the PBA, they will probably be Williams, Alapag and Taulava.” Regarding Gilas’ participation in the Governors Cup, the insider said it was 50-50.

Salud said he was told that the inclination is for Gilas to play only up to the end of the eliminations in the Governors Cup to allow for participation in the Jones Cup in Taipei in August. That means the team will play no-bearing games with its PBA reinforcements. Salud also mentioned that with Gilas’ success in the Commissioner’s Cup, it’s likely Toroman will request less than five PBA players to beef up the roster.

Gilas is safely in the Commissioner’s Cup semifinals where the national team will face the winner of the Barangay Ginebra-Rain Or Shine quarterfinal series. The problem is naturalized player Marcus Douthit is down for at least two weeks with a possible fracture in the right hand. Douthit injured the hand during the first quarter of Gilas’ overtime loss to Meralco in Tacloban last April 2. The hand isn’t in a cast but Lim said Douthit has been advised to rest until the injury heals.

Toroman said Douthit will be reevaluated this coming week but at the moment, he’s not practicing with the team. As to Gilas’ participation in the Governors Cup, Toroman said nothing is final, not even the list of PBA reinforcements, but promised a decision by tomorrow.

Because of the hand injury, Douthit may miss up to the first three games of the best-of-five semifinals, giving either Barangay Ginebra or Rain Or Shine a huge lift.

The Governors Cup will set height limits for imports depending on how the PBA teams performed in the first and second conference eliminations, using a weighted average of 60 percent for the Philippine Cup and 40 percent for the Commissioner’s Cup. San Miguel Beer, Barangay Ginebra, B-Meg and Talk ‘N’ Text will be allowed to recruit an import with a height limit of 6-2. Alaska, Air21, Meralco and Rain Or Shine will be allowed a limit of 6-4 while Powerade and Barako Bull, if it reactivates, a ceiling of 6-6.

The Governors Cup will start with a single-round elimination after which the top six finishers advance to play in the single-round semifinals carrying over their records. The top two semifinal placers advance to battle in a best-of-7 finals. A team that wins four of five semifinal games but fails to land in the top two because of a poor carryover record will gain a playoff for a finals slot against the No. 2 finisher.

If Gilas decides to play in the Governors Cup until the end of the eliminations, it will gain valuable experience generating chemistry with the holdovers and the PBA recruits moving towards the Jones Cup and eventually, the FIBA-Asia Championships.

Rookie phenom Ravena helps Ateneo beat San Beda in preseason meet

2011-04-09T23:49:00.000-07:00

Source: GMA News

Kiefer Ravena ended questions on whether the former high school phenom can live up to all the hype surrounding his young collegiate basketball career.

In his second collegiate game wearing the blue-and-white Ateneo uniform, Ravena gifted the Blue Eagle faithful with 25 points and four assists - including a pivotal alley-hoop pass to Greg Slaughter in the final seconds - to lift the Katipunan-based squad to a 90-87 win over San Beda in the Fil-Oil Flying V Preseason Premier Cup at The Arena in San Juan.

Ravena's timely feed to a streaking Slaughter, who made a two-handed slam, pushed Ateneo's lead to 87-82 with 25.3 seconds left in the game clock. More importantly, that play seemed to tell everyone that the former Blue Eaglet is living up to the hype.

"I think his game speaks for itself," said Ateneo coach Norman Black. "That's the reason why we strongly recruited him."

The 17-year-old son of ex-pro cager Bong and former volleyball player Mozzie, said that he was very nervous prior to the game although it didn't look that way as he shot 10-of-12 from the field, had three rebounds and two steals.

"Kinakabahan talaga ako pero good thing coach Norman gave me an opportunity to help the team win," said Ravena, who actually played his first summer game in the Fr. Martin Summer Cup against St. Claire days ago.

Slaughter paced Ateneo with 26 points and two blocks but only had two rebounds.

Ateneo has just begun preparing for the collegiate tournament in the third week of March with Black admitting that Slaughter doesn't know the system yet.

"We are not in good condition. This is just our second game this summer. Give us about a month and we will be in good shape," said Black.

The Red Lions were able to close in at 77-79, with two minutes and 30 seconds left in the game. Ravena took over for Ateneo after that.

A Ravena fade-away jumper and Nico Salva's two free throws gave Ateneo an 85-79 spread, 48.3 ticks left in the clock.0

Anthony Semerad drained a triple for San Beda for an 82-85 count, but Slaughter's jam, from a Ravena feed, sealed the outcome of the contest.

“Hindi pa talaga kami nakakalaro together pero iba talaga kapag malaki ka, kahit anong bato, masasalo," said Ravena, referring to his alley-hoop pass to Slaughter.

Nigerian Ola Adeogun had a game-high 30 points, while Garvo Lanete and Melo Lim scored 15 and 10 each for the Red Lions.

Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Sixto Brillantes and Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) executive director Renauld "Sonny" Barrios led the ceremonial toss to open the game with SBP president Manny V. Pangilinan at the sidelines to watch the game between the teams that he financially supports.

In the second game, University of Santo Tomas had a rousing Premier Cup debut in posting a 79-70 triumph over La Salle.

Jeric Fortuna finished with 20 points, shooting 4-of-9 from beyond the arc to go with his eight rebounds and seven assists.

"Kahit papano nahuhulog 'yung mga tira nila," said UST coach Pido Jarencio.

Carmelo Afuang added 19 markers and nine boards, while Clarke Bautista finished with 16 points despite a 4-of-13 shooting from the three-point range for the Tigers.

The Tigers enjoyed a 47-33 halftime spread, but allowed the Green Archers to cut the deficit to three points (68-65) in the final quarter.

Fortuna kept UST out of harms way when he buried a running shot, while UAAP juniors division MVP Kevin Ferrer drained a step-back triple to push the Tigers' lead back to eight, 73-65.

Jovet Mendoza led La Salle with 15 points, while Norbert Torres and Simon Atkins netted 11 apiece.

PH’s Banares eliminates 10-Ball champ Immonen

2011-04-09T23:39:00.000-07:00

Source: Marlon Bernardino, ABS-CBN News

MANILA, Philippines – Filipino billiards player Jerico Banares showed reigning World 10-Ball champion Mika Immonen the exit door in the Philippine Open Pool Championships with a 7-9 upset of the Finnish player on Saturday.

“Medyo binuwenas ako, magaganda rin 'yung break niya kaso hindi bumebenta,” said Banares shortly after their game at the SM Megamall.

A scratch off the break in the 16th rack, proved to be costly for Immonen as Banares immediately took advantage by running out the remaining balls en route to his win.

It was Immonen’s second loss in the World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) event.

Immonen suffered a 6-9 defeat in the hands of Chinese player, Li Wen Lo, during the first day of the competition.

Alcano vs Al Yousuf
Meanwhile, double world champion Ronnie Alcano also got eliminated after suffering a 9-4 beating from Kuwait’s Abdullah Al Yousuf.

Al Yousuf quickly piled a 5-0 lead before Alcano got his groove to take the next 3 racks.

The Kuwaiti bet bounced back to push his lead to 6-3 before both players were given a short break.

After the break, Al Yousuf got 2 of the next 3 racks.

Alcano survived on the 12th rack by engaging the Kuwaiti to a battle of safeties. He eventually cleaned up the table to trail 8-4.

He, however, scratched off the break in the next rack, allowing Al Yousuf to run out the remaining balls for the 9-4 win.

Prior to his defeat to Yousuf, the former World 9-Ball and World 8-Ball champion Alcano lost to Korea’s Hwang Yong, 4-9.

Manalo, De Luna
Two other notable Filipino players – Jeff de Luna and Marlon Manalo – also got the boot in the tournament.

De Luna lost his match to Nguyen Puc Long of Vietnam, 6-9, while Manalo dropped a 3-9 loss to fellow Filipino Carlo Biado.

Maidana Beats Morales But Not The Odds

2011-04-09T23:35:00.000-07:00

Source: Ed de la Vega, Philboxing

MGM Grand, Las Vegas:- Marcos Maidana took 12 long and hard rounds to beat Eric Morales here Saturday night and left him with a huge swelling on his right eye but he did not beat the odds.

Maidana was supposed to knock out Morales but much to his surprise, the Mexican legend gave him a huge run for his money.

Maidana won via a majority decision with the scores as follows: 116-112, 116-112 And 114-114.

Mayweather offered $50M but still refuses Pacquiao fight

2011-04-09T02:55:00.000-07:00

Source: Dennis Gasgonia, ABS-CBN News

MANILA, Philippines – Despite a guaranteed $50 million offer, former pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr. still refuses to enter the ring with Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao.

Manny Pacquiao’s Canadian adviser, Michael Koncz, revealed that $50 million was offered during their most recent negotiations with Mayweather’s camp.

“A country that I won't name offered us $100 million to bring the Mayweather fight there,” he told abs-cbnNEWS.com.

“So we, in turn, offered $50 million to Mayweather as a guarantee[d purse]. If the pay-per-view comes in higher, Manny and Mayweather would make more,” Koncz added.

He said negotiations went downhill after the flamboyant Mayweather, dubbed as “Pretty Boy Floyd,” demanded a staggering $100 million purse.

“He refused the $50 million… It means he don't wanna fight Manny at this point in his career. Very simple,” said Koncz.

Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum, earlier, confirmed that discreet talks with the Mayweather camp, through fellow promoter Don King, bogged down when Mayweather demanded a $100-million purse.

The $50-million offer is the highest in Mayweather’s 15-year professional career.

The controversial boxer made his biggest payday in 2007 when he fought boxing great Oscar de la Hoya for a guaranteed $25 million.

In his most recent fight against Shane Mosley in 2010, Mayweather earned $22.5-million.

Despite his multi-million dollar earnings, Mayweather still failed to fulfill his tax obligations.

According to The Detroit News, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), recently charged Mayweather with liabilities of up to $3.4 million.

This is the second time the IRS has charged Mayweather for unpaid taxes—the first time being in 2009, when he had $6.2 million in unpaid taxes since 2007.

Korean shocks Alcano

2011-04-09T02:49:00.000-07:00

Source: Jonas Terrado, Manila Bulletin

MANILA, Philippines – Former world double champion Ronnie Alcano was supposed to play the role of a teacher and not his unheralded Korean rival.

To his surprise and to everybody’s amazement, it was Hwang Yong who made the clutch shots, enough to power him to a 9-7 win over the Filipino hotshot in the second day of the 2011 Philippine Open Pool Championships on Friday at the Megatrade Hall of SM Megamall.

With the loss, Alcano, the former 2006 World 9-Ball and 2007 World 8-Ball champion, was thrown into the loser’s bracket where he needs to win twice in a row to stay in contention.

"Naunahan niya ako tsaka maganda ang tira ng bata kaya na-surprise din ako," said Alcano, who played Yong for the first time.

Alcano trailed 6-2 halfway into the match but won five of the next six racks to forged a 7-all deadlock before falling in the end.

He will face either Abdullah Al-Yousif or Chan Keng Kwang of Singapore in the loser's bracket.

Another upset also marred Friday's action when unknown Jundel Mazon beat Marlon Manalo, 9-4, to forge a match with compatriot Antonio Lining in the winner's bracket.

Mazon, a 34-year-old native of Marinduque, overcame a 3-0 deficit by racking up eight straight games for the win.

Lining, on the other hand, drubbed Indonesian Muhammad Zulfikri, 9-1, to set up a meeting with Mazon.

At presstime, Dennis Orcollo, who beat fellow Filipino Demosthenes Pulpul, 9-7, the other night, is battling compatriot Allan Cuartero.

Kings, Aces thump rivals, near Final 4

2011-04-09T02:46:00.000-07:00

Source: Nelson Beltran, Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines - Quarterfinals top seed Barangay Ginebra simply re-asserted its mastery over Rain or Shine, fashioning out a 100-91 win to move in the threshold of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Final Four at the Araneta Coliseum last night.

With a steady shooting and a good defense on Hassan Adams, the Kings foiled the Elasto Painters anew, making it 4-0 in their head-to-head duels in the season and 8-1 dating back to the 2009-2010 campaign.

Nate Brumfield, Mark Caguioa and Ronald Tubid poured in at least 18 points each as Ginebra repeated its 95-90 conquest of RoS in the elimination round and, thus, moved a win shy of a best-of-five semifinal showdown with Smart Gilas.

Limiting Adams to a personal tournament-low of 12 points was also a key factor as the Kings pressed their bid in the short best-of-three series.

“We tried to limit him the best way we can. Nothing technical; just best effort, and it helped that he had a bad night,” said Ginebra coach Jong Uichico.

“Ronald Tubid shooting well made the game easier for us. We got the first win but it’s just one win. Game Two is like the start of the series because Rain or Shine didn’t have enough time to prepare for tonight’s game,” Uichico also said.

Well rested, the Kings made good use of this advantage, stepping on the gas early before standing their ground on the Elasto Painters’ repeated comeback bids.

Behind a 16-4 closing run, Ginebra took the half at 50-34.

The Kings then sustained the momentum in their return from the halftime huddle, ripping the game wide open at 58-38 on an 8-4 opening tear in the third quarter capped by a Mike Cortez triple.

Ginebra took control early as the Kings dominated the boards, 29-22, and hit 46.5 percent of their shots compared to the Elasto Painters’ 35.7-percent shooting in the opening half.

The Kings converted 50 percent of their three-point tries with Tubid accounting for four of the team’s six conversions.

Tubid ended up with 18 points with 12 fueling their second-quarter breakaway.

Brumfield led all scorers with 24 points that went with five rebounds, four assists and one steal against one error in 37 minutes of play.

Mark Caguioa had significant contribution on an off-the-bench role, piling up 20 points, seven rebounds and two assists.

With Adams shackled down by the Ginebra defense, Larry Rodriguez and Gabe Norwood tried to carry the fight for the Elasto Painters, combining for 38 points.

LA Tenorio went 3-of-3 from the three-point area in the last two minutes and Sonny Thoss made the winning tip-in with four-tenths of a second left as Alaska Milk nipped Air21, 91-89, in Game One of their own best-of-three quarters showdown.

“Obviously, it’s not over till it’s over, but I would rather be 1-0 up than 0-1 down,” said Alaska coach Tim Cone.

Bulls head into playoffs as top seed in Eastern Conference

2011-04-09T02:44:00.000-07:00

Source: Reuters,

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Chicago Bulls' 93-82 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers Friday not only clinched the top seed in the Eastern Conference for the playoffs but also capped a transformation from up-and-comer to title contender.

The Bulls are assured of home court advantage through the Eastern Conference playoffs with the top seeding.

Chicago finished eighth in the East last season and were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs but with a 59-20 record this season under first year coach Tom Thibodeau are now one of the favorites for the franchise's first NBA title since the departure of Michael Jordan in the late 1990s.

"Our growth has been formidable," center Joakim Noah told reporters. "Last year, we qualified for the playoffs on the last day (of the regular season).

"Today, we are the number one seed. That feels pretty good."

Carlos Boozer, a free agent acquisition in the off-season, had 24 points and 11 rebounds Friday, while point guard Derrick Rose had a quiet game with 11 points and eight assists but remains the favorite to capture the league's MVP Award.

Orcullo seeks 10-Ball crown vs world best

2011-04-06T23:13:00.000-07:00

Source: Olmin Leyba, Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines - A free-for-all battle is expected as the world’s top cuemasters, including local aces led by Dennis Orcullo, slug it out for the crown in the Philippine Open Pool Championships beginning today at the SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City.

Fresh from capturing the world 8-ball title and the Derby City Classic 9-ball crown, Orcullo seeks to add a 10-ball diadem to his trophy room in the 64-man main draw of the $175,000 event.

A slew of tough foreign rivals are out to foil the pool whiz from Bislig, Surigao del Sur, headed by 2009 World 10-ball king Mika Immonen of Finland and 2008 World Ten Ball champ Darren Appleton of Great Britain, who both have won major pool events here.

Out to provide more fierce challenge are former double world champions Ralf Souquet of Germany and Ronnie Alcano of the Philippines, former US Open titlist Shane van Boening of the United States, and defending Phl Open champ Ricky Yang of Malaysia.

“It will be really, really hard because all the top players are here,” said Orcullo, one of three gold medalists for Team Phl in last year’s Asian Games in Guangzhou, China.

Immonen, a familiar face to Filipino fans, feels good about his chances for the $30,000 champion’s purse in the double-elims format tournament, a ranking event of the World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA).

“I’m coming off a win in the Masters 10-ball Championship in Virginia and I feel I’m in top form. I’ll give it a good shot, especially since I have a very good record here (Philippines), having won four major tournaments,” Immonen said.

Souquet, for his part, looks for his breakthrough win in Manila. “I still haven’t won a tournament in the Philippines so yeah it’s on top of my list,” said the German ace who finished runner-up four times in previous outings in the country.

Also carrying the Phl flag are Antonio Lining, Jeff de Luna, Marlon Manalo, Lee Van Corteza Roberto Gomez and Ramil Gallego, among others. Interestingly absent is reigning world 9-ball champ and current world No. 1 Django Bustamante, who backed out at the last minute.

Gillian Go, Geona Christine Gregorio and Reggie Ann Biagcong will represent the Phl against a tough 32-player field led by World 10-Ball champ Jasmin Ouschan of Austria, defending World 9-Ball titlist Fu Xiao-Fang of China, and former Amway World 9-Ball champion and 2006 Asian Games 8-Ball women’s pool champion Lin Yuan Chun of Chinese Taipei.

The Philippine Open is organized and promoted by Raya Sports in cooperation with the Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines (BSCP). TV5 will broadcast the games via a block time slot in IBC-13, 2-7 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 12-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and 2-7 p.m. on Monday.

PBA Result: Air21 vs. Alaska (July 6, 2011)

2011-04-06T22:56:00.000-07:00

Scores:
AIR21 92—Bangura 25, Hontiveros 18, Arboleda 17, Seigle 9, Urbiztondo 6, Sharma 6, Reyes 5, Najorda 2, Avenido 2, Pena 2, Juntilla 0, Artadi 0.

ALASKA 83—Williams 27, Tenorio 12, Thoss 8, Baguio 8, Custodio 7, Eman 7, Dela Cruz 6, De Vance 4, Bugia 4, Borboran 0, Cablay 0.

Quarters: 23-21, 42-39, 77-61, 92-83

PBA Result: San Miguel vs. Rian or Shine (April 6, 2011)

2011-04-06T22:50:00.000-07:00

Scores:
San Miguel 121 - Young 42, Santos 17, Ildefonso 17, Al-Hussaini 16, Cabagnot 16, Salvacion 5, Baclao 4, Miranda 3, Hubalde 1, Yeo 0, Tugade 0, Pennisi 0.

Rain or Shine 117 - Adams 20, Vanlandingham 18, Belga 18, Kramer 15, Rodriguez 14, Norwood 7, Chan 6, Jazul 5, Ibanes 5, Buenafe 3, Tang 2, Arana 2, Ferriols 2, Uyloan 0, Cruz 0.

Quarter scores: 30-23, 51-46, 82-80, 109-109 (regulation), 121-117 (OT).

LeBron James acquires minority stake in Liverpool

2011-04-06T22:46:00.000-07:00

Source: Reuters,

BOSTON — LeBron James acquired a minority stake in Liverpool soccer club on Wednesday after the two-time NBA most valuable player's sports marketing firm entered into a partnership with Fenway Sports Group (FSG).

FSG, owners of Liverpool FC, the Boston Red Sox, New England Sports Network (NESN) and 50 percent of NASCAR's Roush Fenway Racing, will partner with James's sports-marketing firm LRMR Branding & Marketing to become the exclusive world-wide representative for the Miami Heat All-Star.

Fenway Sports Management (FSM), the marketing arm of FSG that acquires sponsorships for FSG properties, will team up with LRMR to find global marketing and sponsorship opportunities for James, one of the sporting world's most recognizable people.

As part of the agreement, James will acquire an interest in Liverpool FC, ranked as the sixth most valuable soccer team in the world by Forbes.

Both parties declined to provide financial details or the size of James stake in the Premier League club.

"We don't see this as a talent representation or an athlete management deal given the structure of this relationship, FSM president Sam Kennedy told Reuters. "We see it more as a business partnership that we formed between our two companies.

"Our role will be business development and selling the LeBron James brand to the corporate market place as we go out to sell the Boston Red Sox, Liverpool, Roush Fenway.

"LeBron adds another blue chip brand to our portfolio."

LRMR chief executive Maverick Carter, a high school friend of the player, said the success of FSM had attracted them to the partnership.

"Everything these guys have gotten involved in has worked and has won," Carter told Reuters.

"The other thing is they are owners and that's what LeBron wants. ...They are owners and operators and really good at what they do."

FSG chairman Tom Werner said the partnership has targeted emerging international markets such as Asia, which presented opportunities that neither would have been able to realize alone.

"Our goal at Fenway Sports Group is to become the world's most prestigious sports and entertainment company and we took a huge step in that direction when we completed the Liverpool deal," said Kennedy.

"This was a chance to continue down that road to turn Fenway Sports Group into one of the world's most prestigious sports and entertainment companies."

PBA: Air21 secures last quarterfinal ticket

2011-04-06T22:42:00.000-07:00

Source: ABS-CBN News

MANILA, Philippines – The Air21 Express made it into the PBA Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinals by beating the Alaska Aces, 92-83, at the Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday.

According to PBA.ph, the Express finished the single-round-robin elimination phase with a 5-4 win-loss slate.

Air21 has an identical win-loss record with Barangay Ginebra and Alaska Milk but the Gin Kings and the Aces ended up 3rd and 4th, respectively, due to superior quotients.

“We’re just in the right place at the right time, and we’re so glad to make the playoffs,” Air21 coach Bong Ramos said in the report.

Alpha Bangura top-scored for the Express with 25 points. Dondon Hontiveros and Wynne Arboleda added 18 and 17, respectively.

The win gave the Express a chance to advance into the semifinal round if they beat Alaska in a best-of-3 quarterfinals match-up.

The 3-game showdown between Air21 and Alaska will start on Friday at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay.

Air21’s win also sent B-MEG Derby Ace (4-5) out of the Commissioner’s Cup race together with Meralco (3-6), Powerade (2-7) and San Miguel Beer (2-7).

B-Meg and Rain or Shine actually finished with identical 4-5 win-loss records.

But the Elasto Painters won the right to play against Ginebra in the quarterfinals when they beat the Llamados, 95-94, last February 23.

NBA: Spurs pull away in fourth to down Hawks

2011-04-05T23:03:00.000-07:00

Source: Reuters, R

ATLANTA — The San Antonio Spurs snapped a four-game road losing streak with a 97-90 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday.

The victory allows the league leading Spurs (59-19) to tighten their grip on securing home court advantage throughout the playoffs.

They entered the game with a 1-1/2 game lead over the Eastern Conference leading Chicago Bulls, who are playing the slumping Phoenix Suns.

Manu Ginobili scored 12 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Spurs, who held a one point advantage at the end of the third quarter.

Tony Parker led the Spurs with 26 points while Tim Duncan added 17 points. Joe Johnson led the Hawks with 21 points and Jamal Crawford scored 20 points off the bench.

5 PBA players OK'd for Gilas

2011-04-05T22:59:00.000-07:00

Source: Waylon Galvez, Manila Bulletin

MANILA, Philippines – There will be five PBA players in the Smart-Gilas national basketball team for the Olympic qualifier FIBA-Asia Championship in September in Wuhan, China.

The board gave the go-signal in a recent meeting and PBA Commissioner Angelico “Chito” Salud relayed the decision to newly appointed Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) Executive Director Renauld “Sonny” Barrios when the two met last Monday.

“The commissioner told me that the (PBA) board has approved already the lending of five PBA players to Smart-Gilas,” the 63-year-old Barrios said Tuesday in the PSA Forum held at the Shakey’s Restaurant in UN Avenue, Manila.

“However, there’s no formal identity yet on who those five players will be,” said Barrios, the PBA commissioner whom Salud succeeded some months ago.

In last year’s Asian Games, the PBA allowed three of its players – Asi Taulava, Kelly Williams and Sol Mercado – to reinforce the national team.

This time, the number has increased, and sources said that the 6-foot-9 Taulava and 6-foot-7 Williams are in the radar anew of Smart-Gilas Serbian head coach Rajko Toroman. Also reportedly being considered are former RP team players James Yap, Ranidel de Ocampo, Ryan Reyes and Jimmy Alapag.

Toroman welcomes the board decision to lend a maximum of five players, though he mentioned that they will assess if they really need five and who to get as reinforcement after the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.

“We’ll discuss that after our PBA participation. We still have to evaluate things,” said Toroman in a separate interview.

Nevertheless, Barrios said that the PBA decision is a good development.

What concerns Barrios is the country’s hosting of the FIBA-Asia Champions’ Cup, which will be held from May 28 to June 5 at the PhilSports Arena (formerly ULTRA) with an expected participation of 10 teams, including nine foreign squads.

“We have no choice but to do a good job,” Barrios said.

“When we host an event, it’s not just the face of the people organizing the event which is at stake, not the face of the association. Ang naka-taya dito mukha ng bayan natin. So we have to do a good job,” Barrios added.

Pacman begins heavy training at Wild Card

2011-04-05T22:39:00.000-07:00

Source: Abac Cordero, Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines - Manny Pacquiao, who had people waiting for him in vain at the Los Angeles International Airport last Saturday, showed up at the Wild Card Gym yesterday.

It was business as usual.

The doors to the famous boxing gym in Hollywood were closed to mediamen and fans, and it only shows that Paccquiao and his trainer, Freddie Roach, mean business.

Roach said it will stay that way in the coming weeks, when Pacquiao’s training for the May 7 title fight with Shane Mosley, will hit its toughest, most crucial stage.

Sparring gets heavier and should peak at 12 rounds two or three weeks from now, before it tapers off until the day Team Pacquiao leaves for Las Vegas on fight week.

Pacquiao arrived in LA the other night, and left people waiting outside the airport.

He was whisked away by airport police, sneaking out through secret passages only VIPs are shown. Most of those who waited for the Filipino champion went home disappointed.

But Pacquiao, who did the same Houdini Act at the LAX when he arrived for the press tour of the Mosley fight last February, was understandably tired from the long journey.

Besides, keeping him away from the media and the fans upon his arrival could be the idea of airport police, because they’ve seen how wild things could get each time Pacquiao is around.

Pacquiao rested the whole of Sunday and reported for work yesterday, fully charged. Again, he trained behind closed doors although one picture came out showing him greeting Roach inside the gym.

Roach gave Pacquiao the extra day-off last Saturday, the day they left for LA, even if it was supposed to be a sparring day.

“He made me rest because he was so impressed with my work in Baguio. I really punished myself for three weeks there,” said Pacquiao of their high-altitude training in Baguio City.

Roach described the Baguiao camp as the best they’ve had in recent years, much better than last year, an election year, when Pacquiao sneaked out a number of times to honor some political commitments.

Once he skipped training in Manila because he had to meet President Aquino, and another time when he had to be taken to the hospital because of a recurring foot problem.

Even when in LA, training for the Antonio Margarito fight last November, Pacquiao flew out under cover of darkness, to meet Senator Harry Reid, then in the middle of a campaign in Las Vegas.

Pacquiao is having none of these this time, even if in the coming days there will be numerous television appearances and promotional gigs lined up for him.

“We had a great start, he’s very motivated, his intensity is great, we’re just going to pick up the sparring a lot here and his motivation is going to be the same,” Roach told the press recently.

“He’s not taking this guy lightly, he knows that the guy has experience and experience is knowledge and we can’t underestimate Shane Mosley,” he added.

That should be good news to all Pacquiao fans, even to those who waited for him, in vain, at the airport.

WWE’s John Cena praises Pacquiao’s crossover appeal

2011-04-05T22:36:00.000-07:00

Source: ABS-CBN News

MANILA, Philippines – Another professional wrestling star has taken his hat off for Manny Pacquiao as he acknowledged the Filipino champion’s international stature.

World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) superstar John Cena said Pacquiao’s immense popularity inside and outside the boxing ring has made him a "crossover star."

“[He’s] very well loved not only in the boxing community," said the wrestler.

Cena said the charisma and crossover appeal being exuded by the Fighter of the Decade makes Pacquiao something special.

"[With] his popularity... you can transcend the industry you're in. He is doing something right," he said.

Cena, a former WWE title holder, knows the latest about Pacquiao’s boxing career.

He knows the Filipino champion will have his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title defense against Shane Mosley.

"He's (Pacquiao) got a big fight coming up. I think he's extremely skilled," said Cena.

Earlier, WWE superstar Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson also picked the Filipino boxer to win over Mosley.

"I love Pacquiao, love Mosley too as well [but] my nod goes to Pacquiao," he had said.

Filipino boxers shoot for titles in 'Pinoy Pride 5' undercard

2011-04-05T06:19:00.000-07:00

Source: ABS-CBN News

MANILA, Philippines – Two Filipino boxers are going after regional titles when they face their respective opponents in the undercard of "Pinoy Pride 5."

Jason Pagara and Lorenzo Villanueva will have separate matches against a pair of African fighters in the supporting bouts of the event, which headlines the light flyweight match between world minimumweight champion Donnie Nietes and Mexican Armando Vazquez.

Pagara will battle Deo Njiku for the vacant World Boxing Organization (WBO) Youth Asia-Pacific junior welterweight title.

The Misamis Oriental native Pagara, who has a record of 25 wins, 1 loss and 14 knockouts, is coming off a 1st-round knockout victory over Billy Sumba last January.

Meanwhile, the undefeated Villanueva will be fighting Ramadhani Shauri for the WBO Oriental featherweight championship.

The Filipino featherweight, who hails from Midsayap, Cotabato, has 20 wins.

Pinoy Pride 5, jointly promoted by ALA Promotions and ABS-CBN Sports, will take place at the La Salle Coliseum in Bacolod on Saturday.

PHL football can’t do without Fil-foreigners

2011-04-05T00:48:00.000-07:00

Source: Felix Codilla III, Business Mirror

ORMOC CITY—While the Philippines Football Federation (PFF) searches for young homegrown talent to develop for future competitions, its officials admit there is a need to reinforce the current seniors squad with players who grew up playing the foreign brand of football.

Azkals team manager Dan Palami and other officials are scheduled to conduct tryouts in England and the US and hold a training camp in Dubai, noting that the Philippines is years behind the Europeans and other football-mad nations.

“It’s this realization that requires us to look for Filipinos outside the country who have better training,” said Palami.

“I’m sure given the time and popularity the sport is having [here], there will come a time when our dependence on foreign-based Filipinos will be lessened. But at this point, we have no choice but to look for players outside the Philippines to augment our bench,” he added.

The Filipino-foreign recruits have also helped boost the Azkals off the pitch, drawing thousands, if not millions, of admirers.

And so female fans here were hugely disappointed when the team planed in for a two-day visit over the weekend without three of the most popular Azkals—brothers James and Phil Younghusband and Neil Etheridge.

The only Filipino-foreigner who came along was William Guerridon who was adopted by a family in Germany when he was five years old. The team is in Ormoc to grace the National Football Invitational Tournament, one of the events of the Terry Larrazabal Bike Festival.

Angie, one of the autograph-seeking teens waiting for the squad, said she is happy the players took time to visit their fans here but quickly added it would have been better if the other Filipino-foreigners joined the trip.

Asked about talks that suggest the squad wouldn’t have risen to fame if not for the Filipino-foreigners, Palami explained that football is a team sport and should be considered as such and that he believes the sport is bigger than any other nationality and goes beyond personality.

He noted that the Younghusbands have been with the team for years now but it was the semifinal run in the Asean Football Federation Cup that shot them to stardom.

“I would like to think that it is more the success of the team rather than the looks of individuals that make the team acceptable to the masses,” Palami said.

“Of course, we couldn’t discount good looks and good skills will always get a better number of fans. But I think there are a lot of fans who are actually educated in football already and their admiration for the team goes beyond a single person. That’s the more important thing,” he added.

Palami added that Phil Younghusband didn’t play in Myanmar.

“It’s not that he’s not important, but (my point is) the guys play as a team and that’s what it’s giving them success,” he explains.

He noted there are homegrown key players like Ian Araneta, who scored the first goal in Bangladesh and Yanti Barsales who hit a goal in Myanmar, among others.

Palami admits there are fans who know only stars and celebrities but noted they are those who are not really into the game but there are those who appreciate other aspects of the game and members of the team including the coaching and support staff.

He also concedes it will take a while for Filipinos in general to develop the love for football rather than the individual players.

Azkals eye Fil-Spaniard for qualifier

2011-04-05T00:39:00.000-07:00

Source: Francis Santiago, Manila Bulletin

MANILA, Philippines – Filipino-Spanish Juan Luis Guirado, a midfielder who plays in the Spanish Division III team Lermeno of Burgos, may join the Philippine Azkals in their bid to qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Juan, 31, is the older brother of Angel, an attacking midfielder who helped the Filipino booters advanced in the finals of the Asian Football Confederation Challenge Cup last month in Yangon, Myanmar.

Azkals coordinator Patrick Ace Bright said team manager Dan Palami is hoping to get the elder Guirado, who could be a big boost for the national football team seeking a huge victory in their World Cup qualifying first-round match against Sri Lanka on June 29.

“We’re hoping that he (Juan) could process his Filipino passport in time for the qualifier,” Bright said Monday.

Rafael Garcia, cousin of the Guirado brothers who worked as interpreter for Angel when he was in the country, said Juan has not yet declared himself available for team because of his commitments in Spain.

Juan works as freight handler for Pepsi Cola Spain in the morning and plays for his team in the afternoon.

“There’s a 50-50 chance he would make himself available for the Azkals tryouts,” said Garcia who coordinates with the Azkals officials. “We have given him (Juan) until the end of April to process his passport in Madrid. But if he couldn’t do it, then that means he could not join.”

Garcia said Juan would be a huge help for the Azkals’ bid the same way Angel had helped the team in the Challenge Cup.

Angel, who impressed Azkals coach Michael Weiss no end, scored two goals in the Filipino booters’ 3-0 demolition of Bangladesh in the last of the three Challenge Cup group elimination round matches in Yangon, Myanmar.

P300-M Palaro venues near completion

2011-04-05T00:32:00.000-07:00

Source: J.A. Rimando, Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines - Preparations for the staging of the 2011 Palarong Pambansa, including infrastructure works in various venues, is now almost complete five weeks before the annual sporting meet for public elementary and high school athletes is held May 8-14 in Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte.

The Palaro Executive Committee recently said some P300 million has been poured into the on-going infrastructure projects at the Jose Rizal Memorial State University which will serve as the main Palaro venue for the seven-day competitions to be participated in by over 10,000 athletes, coaches and meet officials from 17 regions.

PEC chair and former Zamboanga del Norte Rep. Romeo Jalosjos said preparations is now almost 85 percent complete with contractors pledging to finish all works at least one week before the start of the games, including the track oval’s P20 million asphalting, P10 million soft surface (ESR) and P2 million embankment.

The P40 million rubberized top surface, which was imported from China, is also about to be laid out while the P75-million, 120-meter long main pre-fabricated grandstand has been constructed in three phases with its foundation alone costing P30 million.

The Olympic-sized 25x50 meter, 10-lane swimming pool as well as the four-lane 12x25-meter warm-up pool are also about to be completed.

Dapitan City engineer Elmer Villoria, overall chairperson on Palaro infrastructure projects, also said the near completion of the P5 million roofing of the JRMSU gym, additional P5 million lawn tennis court, P3.2 million swimming pool shower room, P4 million perimeter fence, and the P5 million billeting quarters in various local schools.

According to Jalosjos, the various Palaro infrastructure projects are fully financed by local government officials of Western Mindanao, also called Zamboanga Peninsula.

US NCAA: UConn defeats Butler to win title

2011-04-05T00:29:00.000-07:00

Source: Reuters,

HOUSTON - Connecticut overcame a sub-par performance by All-America guard Kemba Walker with an inspired second-half rally to defeat Butler 53-41 on Monday and win the NCAA basketball tournament for the third time.

Connecticut (32-9) broke the game open when Jeremy Lamb scored 11 points during a 22-3 run that turned a six-point deficit into a 41-28 lead with less than six minutes to play.

Walker, the Huskies' leading scorer an average of 23.7 points per game, finished with a team-high 16 points on five of 19 shooting from the floor but missed all four of his three-point attempts.

Butler (28-10) hit only 12 of 64 shots (18.8 percent) to lose in the national championship game for the second consecutive year.

The Bulldogs' two best players, Shelvin Mack and Matt Howard, shot a combined five for 28, dooming Butler's chances of pulling off an upset of the Big East tournament champions.

Mack hit a 23-foot, three-pointer at the first-half buzzer to give Butler a 22-19 lead, the lowest combined point total in the opening 20 minutes since 1945.

The Bulldogs shot 22 percent in the opening half but had the advantage by virtue of hitting five three-pointers, while Connecticut missed all five of their shots beyond the arc.

Connecticut and their Hall of Fame coach Jim Calhoun won NCAA titles in 1999 and 2004.

Butler, a liberal arts school in Indianapolis with 4,200 students, lost the championship game to Duke last year 61-59 when a game-winning shot caromed off the rim at the buzzer.

The Bulldogs lost their best player from a year ago, Gordon Hayward, to the NBA and were widely believed to have little chance of repeating last year's success.

The Huskies were also underdogs of sorts, at least this year, having been picked to finish in the bottom half of the Big East.

Pacquiao to log 140 sparring rounds for Mosley fight

2011-04-04T00:54:00.000-07:00

Source: Dennis Gasgonia, ABS-CBN News

MANILA, Philippines – Eight division champion Manny Pacquiao is definitely not taking Shane Mosley lightly.

Proof of that is the number of sparring rounds he plans to go through while preparing for the Mosley fight on May 7.

“Three times a week kami nag-sparring,” Pacquiao told abs-cbnNEWS.com. “Tapos pahaba ng pahaba [ang rounds] hanggang maka 140 rounds kami ng sparring.”

(We spar three times a week. The rounds get longer and longer until we log a total of 140 rounds of sparring).

Pacquiao already sparred with boxers Shawn Porter and David Rodela in Baguio City.

He said he will spar with several more boxers at Freddie Roach’s Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles.

“Marami pa sa akin doon na naghihintay [na sparring partners] (There are more sparring partners waiting for me there),” said Pacquiao.

In his fight against Antonio Margarito last November, Pacquiao reportedly logged only 110 sparring rounds.

As a result, there were instances in that fight when the Filipino champion got tired in front of the Mexican giant.

Pacquiao won that bout with a lopsided decision.

He, however, said he wanted to be perfect against the 39-year-old Mosley.

“This time hindi ako nagbibigay kahit isang porsyento ng kumpiyansa sa kalaban ko (This time, I won’t underestimate my opponent, not even 1 percent),” said Pacquiao.

“Kelangan paghandaan ng mabuti ang laban namin ni Mosley, hindi siya easy opponent. Magaling siya na boksingero at malakas (I need to fully prepare for my fight against Mosley. He is a very good and strong boxer),” he added.

Despite his age, Mosley has a wealth of boxing experience.

He spent years as a boxing amateur before becoming a multi-titled world champion in 3 weight classes.

He also holds the distinction of being the only boxer who halted granite-chinned Margarito.

Heats clinch NBA division title

2011-04-04T00:47:00.000-07:00

Source: AFP,

NEWARK, New Jersey – The Miami Heat clinched the Southeast Division title with a 108-94 win over the New Jersey Nets behind 31 points and 11 rebounds from LeBron James.

"We don't want to be jaded," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "That's the first step. It's not our ultimate goal. We want to gobble up as many of those things as possible."

Heat's Dwyane Wade added 18 points and Chris Bosh had 16 as the Heat won their third straight and eighth in nine games.

The victory moved Miami (54-23) within 2 1/2 games of the Chicago Bulls in the race for the top spot in the Eastern Conference. Chicago has six games remaining and Miami five.

Deron Williams finished with 18 points and 12 assists to lead the Nets, who have dropped six consecutive and 10 of 11.

Travis Outlaw added 17 points and nine rebounds, while Brook Lopez scored 16 points.

PFF Suzuki Cup U-23 stars to form core of SEAG team

2011-04-03T23:53:00.000-07:00

Source: Celest R. Flores, Philippine Inquirer

MANILA---National team manager Dan Palami is optimistic that the ongoing PFF Suzuki Cup Under-23 national championship will discover untapped talents for theSoutheast Asian Games.

“The lack of available talent locally is one of the problems we’re trying to address,” said Palami. “Competition such as this will allow players to really have a goal.”

With the popularity of the sport reaching an all-time high in the wake of the unprecedented performance of the national squad known as the Azkals, the support and interest for football—even on the grassroots level—also leapfrogged.

“It starts with interest. If they know something is happening, they will get interested in the game,” added Palami in a press conference during the Southern Luzon clusters kickoff at the University of the Philippines Los Banos last March 30.

The composition of the SEA Games’ under-23 squad will be selected from the winners of the PFF Suzuki Cup, but PFF president Mariano “Nonong”Araneta said that a number of Filipino-foreigners and foreign-based Filipinos have expressed interest in joining the squad.

Araneta said that Palami has received many applications to try out because “because their schedules will not allow them to play for a long period of time here locally.”

“But we have to start somewhere and look at the local players, then the foreigners later on, to make a good selection for our U-23 team."

For Azkals head coach Hans Michael Weiss, quality is top priority in the search for a player.

“We’re always looking for quality players who are physically strong, who have a good technique, who have a good sense to play football. Anyone who can prove himself has a chance to try out,” said Weiss.

This marks the first year that an elaborate competition for young booters is being staged, with Suzuki Philippines as the main backer.

Thirty of 33 football clubs all around the Philippines are represented in the competition, which will also be played in a home-and-away format during the regional eliminations where eight teams from Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao and the National Capital Region will slug it out.

Only Luzon and Mindanao are undergoing cluster eliminations, while two teams from NCR were already given two slots to the next round.

"This is a very big way of starting the process of selecting players for the national team. It’s a long term process,” Palami said.

Philippine Open Pool: Indonesian Rachmanto secures Qualifier No. 8

2011-04-03T23:45:00.000-07:00

Source: Rey Joble, GMA News

For two straight nights, Yoni Rachmanto of Indonesia was knocking on the door of the main draw of the Philippine Open Pool Championship.

On early Monday morning, he finally got what he wanted.

Rachmanto drubbed Filipino Jephtah Palencia, 9-5, in a marathon finals encounter that lasted for over two hours at the Star Billiards Center. The two players disputed Qualifier No. 8 before the clock strikes 11 p.m. Sunday. The match ended past 1 a.m. on Monday.

But for Rachmanto, it was worth the wait.

Denied of an opportunity to make it to Stage 2 late Saturday night by his compatriot, Mohamad Zulfikri, Rachmanto was able to vent his ire on the Filipino cue artist, who couldn’t pounce on several lapses of his Indonesian rival.

Perhaps, the worst among the miscues made by Palencia was when he missed the No. 10 ball of the 12th rack at the height of his rally. That missed shot was costly as it pushed the Indonesian on the brink of wrapping up the match, 8-4.

Still, Palencia was given another chance when Rachmanto missed an easy shot on No.4 at the corner. The Filipino was able to clean up the table for an 8-5 count in favor of the Indonesian.

Off a dry break in the 14th, Palencia saw another opportunity when Rachmanto was called for a foul. The Filipino player was able to develop some sort of a momentum when he scratched while taking on No.4. The Indonesian finished it off for the final tally.

Action in the Philippine Open Pool Championships resumes Monday at the Star Billiards Center as players from the men and women’s division dispute the last two seats of the qualifying stage.

Qualifiers No. 9 and 10 are up for grabs in the morning and afternoon matches of the men’s category while the third and fourth spots are on the line for the lady players

PBA Game Result: Talk N' Text vs Ginebra (April 3, 2011)

2011-04-03T23:23:00.000-07:00

Talk N' Text (102) - Harris 23, Reyes 15, De Ocampo 14, Carey 11, Fonacier 10, Alapag 10, Peek 8, Williams 6, Castro 5, Aban 0, Alvarez 0.

Ginebra (99) - Brumfield 26, Caguioa 25, Miller 11, Mamaril 10, Intal 6, Cortez 6, Hatfield 6, Labagala 5, Menk 4, Wilson 0, Tubid 0.

Quarters: 26-15, 59-41, 81-73, 102-99

PBA Game Results: Air21 vs. Powerade (April 3, 2011)

2011-04-03T23:20:00.000-07:00

Air21 (108) - Bangura 32, Seigle 23, Hontiveros 17, Urbiztondo 10, Juntilla 8, Arboleda 8, Sharma 4, Reyes 2, Artadi 2, Gonzales 2, Pena 0.

Powerade (98) - Zeno 37, David 18, Lanete 10, Calimag 10, Gonzales 9, Quinahan 4, Espino 4, Reyes 2, Macapagal 2, Cruz 2, Anthony 0, Rizada 0, Antonio 0.

Quarters: 18-22, 50-47, 76-79, 108-98

Mosley no easy prey - Pacquiao

2011-04-03T23:16:00.000-07:00

Source: Abac Cordero, Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines - Manny Pacquiao said he would treat each round as if it were the most important.

“Every round is difficult,” said Pacquiao prior to his departure for Los Angeles the other night. He arrived safely in LA and rested the whole day yesterday.

Training, the hard part, resumes today at the Wild Card Gym in Holywood. The number of sparring rounds will gradually increase as each day gets tougher.

Pacquiao was asked to comment on suggestions that Shane Mosley, his challenger on May 7 at the MGM Grand, will be dangerous only in the first six rounds.

“I don’t think about that. Bawat round ay mahirap,” he said.

After three weeks in Baguio, Pacquiao drove down to Manila last Friday, and was supposed to spar on Saturday somewhere in Metro Manila.

But Freddie Roach gave Pacquiao a rest day.

“They let me skip training for a day because they were already impressed with what they saw in Baguio. I really worked hard in training the past three weeks,” he said.

“I feel that I’m still hungry and thirsty for the championship. And Freddie Roach was happy with what he saw in Baguio. He’s happy with the condition I’m at,” he said.

Pacquiao said he knows what he’s up against, and that Mosley shouldn’t be underestimated.

“Mabilis si Mosley. Malakas. Malaki. (He’s fast, strong and big). He has the height advantage. But I’ve studied him thoroughly,” said Pacquiao.

He said he expects the best from Mosley on fight night.

“I heard he’s really training hard for this fight because he knows what happens if he beats Manny Pacquiao. He will be proud.

“I know his mindset – that it will be a great honor for him to beat Manny Pacquiao,” said the Filipino champion.

Fight Camp 360: Manny Pacquiao - Shane Mosley Episode 1

2011-04-03T23:12:00.000-07:00

Watch Fight Camp 360: Manny Pacquiao vs. Shane Mosley first episode entitiled "The Hype".

Part 1

Part 2

Meralco Bolts Defeat Smart Gilas 91-87 OT

2011-04-02T06:44:00.000-07:00

Meralco Bolts gave the National team Smart Gilas a second lost in this conference, with the score of (91 - 87 OT) which needed few more minutes to decide the winner...

Gomez, Mazon put on an all-Pinoy show in PH Open qualifiers

2011-04-02T04:00:00.000-07:00

Source: Marlon Bernardino, ABS-CBN News

MANILA, Philippines -- It was the Filipinos’ turn to put on a show on the second day of the Philippine Open Pool Championships qualifying stage.

Roberto Gomez and Jundel Mazon took turns in beating their respective finals opponents handily to advance to the main draw of this event late Friday night at the Star Billiards Center.

With Gomez and Mazon already securing 2 more slots in the main draw, only 6 seats remained up for grabs in the qualifying event for men.

Four seats will be disputed by the lady competitors on April 3 and 4 in the hope of joining the 28 other players who are already assured of spots in the main draw.

Current and past world champions in men's and women's division are already waiting in the main draw slated April 7-11 at the SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City.

Among the world champions who are already in the main draw include Dennis Orcollo of the Philippines (World 8-Ball champion), Mika Immonen of Finland (World 10-Ball champion), former world champions Darren Appleton of Great Britain, Ronnie Alcano of the Philippines and Ralf Souquet of Germany and current women world titlists Jasmin Ouschan of Austria (World 10-Ball) and Fu Xiao-Fang of China (World 9-Ball).

Gomez, runner-up to Daryl Peach in the 2007 World Pool Championship, exacted revenge against a younger yet equally confident opponent who defeated him a day earlier. The more experienced Filipino dealt 17-year-old Chinese sensation Wan Chan a sound 9-2 beating in Qualifier 4 finals.

Mazon, on the other hand, nearly swept his opponent, Dominic Ting of Malaysia, 9-1, in a match that was literally one sided right from the start. The first 7 racks were easily secured by the Filipino player, who was poised to bring out the broom.

Gomez quickly raced to a 5-0 lead before his rival won the next two racks. But the Filipino player engaged his younger rival in a battle of safety exchanges, a ploy which worked in Gomez’s favor.

The Filipino cue artist came through with another big run, taking the next 3 racks to move onto the threshold of wrapping up the match. During the exchanges of safety shots in the 11th rack, Chan saw a golden opportunity when he sank a difficult shot on ball No.6.

The Chinese player was about to complete his run when disaster struck – he missed the last ball on the table, ball No. 10, in the corner. The young competitor couldn’t hide his disappointment upon missing the shot that could have given him a chance to come back.

Gomez needed to sink the last ball on the table to formally clinch the victory, but Chan quickly offered his hand and conceded the match.

“I lost to him Thursday because I took him lightly. I thought I could beat him easily because he’s still young. When I was given a chance to face him again, I tried to be more cautious and play smart. I don’t want to give him a chance to win,” said Gomez.

Mazon said his finals match against Ting was a one-sided affair. At one point, 4 balls went in 3 of the 6 pockets of the pool table when the Filipino unleashed his powerful break.

It was a strong signal for the Filipino’s entry to the main draw. He barely showed signs of fatigue after being pushed to the limit by a crack semifinals rival in Wang Ming of China. Instead, he preserved his energy for the tough grind and showed too much class against Ting.

The Filipino player raced to a 7-0 lead and allowed his rival to break the ball only 3 times. None of those breaks were successful for the Malaysian player, whose first point of the match came only in the 8th rack after Mazon was called for a foul while taking on the No. 5 ball. Ting cleaned up the remaining table, averting a possible sweep by the Pinoy cue artist.

A dry break on the 9th by Ting enabled Mazon to get back to the table, and the Pinoy cue artist wasted no time sinking one ball after another for an 8-1 lead.

Ting missed another easy shot on ball No. 6 in the 10th rack, and Mazon put an end to the match by cleaning the remaining balls.

Chinese-Taipei’s Chang Yu Lung and Fu Che-Wei flourished in the opening day of the qualifying stage of the Philippine Open Pool Championship, but Jundel Mazon and Roberto Gomez came through with equally impressive victories late Friday night at the Star Billiards Center and took the spotlight.

“My confidence level is so high. I believe I can beat him easily. If ever he will beat me it should come on a day where I will play really bad," said Mazon.

'Bad boy' Rodman honored by Pistons

2011-04-02T03:57:00.000-07:00

Source: AFP,

DETROIT, Michigan – An emotional Dennis Rodman said it was hard to contemplate the honor of having his jersey number retired by the Detroit Pistons.

"I'm relieved that's over," Rodman said after a halftime ceremony in which a "Dennis Rodman 10" banner was raised to the rafters of the Pistons' Palace arena.

Rodman, who drew his share of critics with his outspoken ways in his playing days, will have to get used to such praise, however.

He said he was told Thursday to be in Houston for Sunday's announcement of inductees into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

It all seemed a bit strange to Rodman.

"It's a surprise to me that my number is being retired," Rodman said, although his former teammates were not surprised to see his name go up among fellow members of the Pistons' onetime "Bad Boys" teams -- Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, Bill Laimbeer and Vinnie Johnson.

"It's a well-deserved honor for Dennis," said Dumars, who is now the Pistons' president of basketball operations. "He was one of the great Bad Boys."

Detroit took Rodman in the second round of the 1986 NBA draft and he helped the team win NBA titles in 1989 and 1990.

He was then part of three of Chicago's Michael Jordan-era title teams, and also played for San Antonio, the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas.

Rodman averaged only 7.3 points a game, but his uncanny ability to guard point guards or centers and haul in rebounds at either end of the court made him a great.

He was a two-time defensive player of the year and two-time All-Star and set an NBA record by leading the league in rebounds over seven straight seasons.

With his changing hair colors and multiple tattoos he grabbed attention on the court, while his off-court antics -- from a relationship with Madonna to run-ins with the law -- also made headlines.

"In about four weeks, I'll be 50 years old," Rodman said. "I don't believe I made it to that."

Rain or Shine sinks import-less Alaska

2011-04-01T23:10:00.000-07:00

Source: Nelson Beltran, Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines - Rain or Shine simply outplayed an all-Filipino Alaska Milk side, pulling off a 113-97 win that boosted its playoff hopes in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Araneta Coliseum last night.

The Elasto Painters pounded the Aces minus import LD Williams and hacked out a key win that resulted to the eventual elimination of the Meralco Bolts B-Boys (2-6) and the Powerade Tigers (2-6).

With San Miguel Beer also out, Rain or Shine, Alaska Milk, Barangay Ginebra, B-MEG Derby Ace and Air21 were the teams left to dispute the four slots in the quarterfinals.

The Aces moved out of contention for an outright semifinals seat with their crucial loss to the Elasto Painters. They slid to joint third with the Kings at 5-3.

Hassan Adams led all scorers with 22 points while Beau Belga came through with a double-double game with 20 points and 10 rebounds as Rain or Shine checked its four-game skid and improved its win-loss record to 4-4.

“I’m not too sure what this win means to us. But I’m sure it gives us better chance to make the next round. When we make the next round, we don’t care what place we’re in. We’ll be ready to play whoever is matched up with us,” said RoS coach Yeng Guiao.

“This is a big break for us after four losses. We needed this to boost our confidence,” Guiao added.

Gabe Norwood, Jeff Chan, Doug Kramer and Jervy Cruz also stepped up in the contest helping the Elasto Painters beat the Aces with relative ease.

“We actually expected a hard game even with Alaska playing minus its import. Our worry was that they would hang around until end game,” said Guiao. “We tried to avoid that. Their cohesion and experience would be hard to beat. So we tried to put some distance as early as we can.”

Actually, the Aces even took control at the start, beginning the contest with a 13-7 run.

The Elasto Painters, however, got their act together towards the end of the first quarter and dominated the Aces the rest of the way.

Curiously, Rain or Shine put the game away with Adams resting on the bench in the fourth quarter.

Relievers Ronjay Buenafe, Josh Vanlandingham, Kramer and Jervy Cruz did the job, enabling RoS to break away for good at 102-82.

The Elasto Painters enjoyed their biggest spread a 103-82 as Adams knocked in a free throw upon his return to the floor in the last four minutes.

The Aces had a hard time filling in the void left by Williams who average 21.7 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists an outing.

He served a one-game suspension incurred for a flagrant infraction on Macmac Cardona in their last game.

Minus Williams, Joe Devance and Tony dela Cruz led the Aces with 19 and 17 points, respectively. The two also combined for 20 rebounds.

Roach still sees fire in Pacquiao's eyes

2011-04-01T23:03:00.000-07:00

Source: Nick Giongco, Manila Bulletin

MANILA, Philippines – Freddie Roach swears he can still see fire in Manny Pacquiao’s eyes.

“I am telling you Manny’s not taking this fight lightly,” said Roach Friday from Baguio City where they’ve been camping out the last three weeks to prepare for the May 7 collision course with Shane Mosley in Las Vegas.

Roach may sound like a carnival barker but the fact that they’ve only missed one workout is a sign that the 32-year-old Filipino pound-for-pound king means business.

And the fact that Pacquiao has decided to transfer his training camp to the more familiar confines of the Wild Card in Hollywood as early as next week is proof the fighter who has won eight world titles in as many weight classes hasn’t lost the desire to excel.

“He’s been working hard in training and he’s just right on track,” said Roach as he was keenly awaiting the arrival of his prized ward to show up at the gym Friday.

Pacquiao kicked off his sparring session with a four-rounder last Tuesday, racked up an additional five on Thursday and is expected to do another five or six Saturday afternoon just before Team Pacquiao departs for Los Angeles later in the evening.

Roach said Pacquiao will continue working with Shawn Porter and David Rodela at the Wild Card but a couple of more guys will be tapped as the number of sparring rounds begins to jack up.

The Mosley fight will be Pacquiao’s 20th outing on US soil since making his debut in June 2001 and marks his return to the MGM Grand after an absence in 2010.

Pacquiao has won 16 of those 9 fights in America, was held to a draw twice and lost only once – to Erik Morales – a defeat he avenged in the rematch and in their third encounter.

Texters join Nationals in PBA semis upon whipping Llamados

2011-04-01T22:59:00.000-07:00

Source: GMA News

Talk ‘N Text pounced on a luckless B-Meg Derby Ace team Friday night, carving out a 107-102 win to secure the second outright semifinals berth in the PBA Commissioners Cup at the Araneta Coliseum.

Already without top gunner James Yap (calf injury), the Llamados had the misfortune of losing import Courtney Beasley with just 27 seconds gone in the game after he was ejected from the playing court for committing a landing spot infraction against Harvey Carey.

That was the cue the Tropang Texters needed to assert their might over the Llamados.

Without Beasley, Talk `N Text import Paul Harris went berserk and finished with a game-high 37 points on top of 13 rebounds. Ranidel de Ocampo added 23 and Jimmy Alapag had 10 points.

The Tropang Texters extended their tournament-best winning streak to seven games and tied Smart-Gilas on top with a 7-1 record, becoming the second team after the Nationals to make the semifinals outright.

“We came out ready and prepared with or without Beasley there," said Harris.

The Llamados ended their campaign with a 4-5 (win-loss) record, their fate of whether they make the playoffs now depending solely on the outcome of Air21's and Rain or Shine’s final outings.

With Beasley out of the game, Kerby Raymundo took charge for the Llamados with 22 points, while also becoming the 33rd member of the league’s 2,000 defensive rebounds club.

Peter June Simon added 17 points.

Behind a 1-2-2 defense, the Llamados managed to stay along with the Tropang Texters, even briefly taking the lead twice in the third period, the last time at 73-72 with four minutes to go.

They last threatened at 93-95 on a basket by Gerwin Gaco in the final 4:09.

But forced shots and turnovers hurt Derby Ace. The team committed several turnovers, including one in the 1:31 mark when Jonas Villanueva lost the leather to Alapag when the Lllamados were still within striking distance, 95-100.

The error led to two Alapag free throws that made it a seven-point Talk `N Text lead.

Pacquiao finishes Baguio training, leaves for US on Saturday

2011-04-01T22:56:00.000-07:00

Source: ABS-CBN News

MANILA, Philippines – Fighter of the Decade Manny Pacquiao finished his high-altitude training in Baguio City on Friday as he prepares for his US trip the following day.

Pacquiao, who is set to defend his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title against Shane Mosley on May 7, was in high spirits while doing his final workout in Baguio.

He even spent time with his fans, who patiently waited at the Cooyeesan Hotel Plaza where the boxer was billeted.

The pound-for-pound king graciously signed autographs and took time for picture taking to the delight of his fans.

After his workout, Pacquiao and his team went down to Manila to rehearse for a planned after-fight concert in Las Vegas.

Pacquiao will have another training session on Saturday morning before eventually flying to California.

According to his new official Twitter account Pacquiao will board Philippine Airlines flight PR 102 which is set to arrive at the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on Saturday, 8:05 p.m. (Pacific time).

He will spend the rest of his training days at coach Freddie Roach’s Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles before heading to Las Vegas for the Mosley fight.

PFF eyes Rizal Memorial for WC qualifiers

2011-03-30T23:57:00.000-07:00

Source: Celest R. Flores, Inquirer

LOS BANOS, LAGUNA - The Philippine Football Federation is considering the historical Rizal Memorial Track and Football Stadium as one of the venues for the home games of the 2014 World Cup qualifiers starting in June said PFF president Mariano “Nonong” Araneta Wednesday.

With the first and second round of qualifiers for the World Cup played with a home-and-away format, the PFF started looking for other options aside from the Panaad Stadium in Bacolod.

“We will try to look at Rizal Memorial (today) and see how we can fix it,” said Araneta in the PFF Suzuki U-23 national championships in UP Los Banos in Laguna.

Rizal Memorial Stadium, with a capacity of 30, 000, was once home of the national football team and used to host major football matches since its creation in the 1930s.

But its rapid dilapidation throughout the years made it unfit for international standards, and eventually the national team, now widely known as the Azkals, had the constant problem with its practice and game venues.

In the first leg of the AFC Challenge Cup pre-qualifying against Mongolia last February, the Azkals played their first ever home game since their amazing run in the AFF Suzuki Cup in Bacolod's Panaad Stadium.

The stadium, with a standing capacity of 20,000, was brimming from the VIP area up to the bleachers by fans from around the Philippines who trooped there just to watch the Azkals.

The team before, though, had problems with the lack of stadium of top standard during the Suzuki Cup late last year and had to play both legs of the semifinals, which they eventually lost, in Bung Karno stadium in Indonesia.

But Araneta expressed said the PFF and the Azkals will not encounter the same difficulty because the AFC, the main governing body of football in Asia, does not have the same requirements like that of the AFF.

“Actually, the capacity only will be considered if the home country wants more gate receipts,” said Araneta. “The home game is actually to help the host country.”

The quality of the pitch, the lighting, air-conditioned dressing rooms, security within the area, and media rooms, though, are among AFC’s top concerns, according to Araneta.

“If it’s televised and the field is up to international standards then the game will be better,” Araneta added.

Whether Rizal Memorial will live up to these requirements, the PFF will only find out after its ocular inspection of the field today.

The Azkals, drawn against Sri Lanka in the first round of the qualifiers, will play the first leg in the opponents turf in June 29 before shifting back to the Philippines on July 3.

Episode 1 Manny Pacquiao - Shane Mosley Fight Camp 360 Preview

2011-03-30T23:50:00.000-07:00

Watch the preview of the first episode of CBS Fight Camp 360 featuring Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao and Sugar Shane Mosley

Top Rank takes Donaire tug-of-war

2011-03-30T23:41:00.000-07:00

Source: ABS-CBN News

MANILA, Philippines - Just as Bob Arum had predicted, Top Rank will keep its hold of Filipino superstar Nonito Donaire Jr. At least for the meantime.

“This is a massive victory. A huge victory,” Arum, the chief of Top Rank, told boxingscene.com after arbitrator Daniel Weinstein yesterday ruled that Top Rank, and not Golden Boy, has the rights over Donaire.

The former judge also ruled in favor of Top Rank in a similar tug-of-war with Golden Boy over Manny Pacquiao in 2007. In this case, he said Top Rank is on the side of the law.

An email from Top Rank publicist Fred Sternburg said Weinstein has enjoined Golden Boy from promoting Donaire for the duration of Top Rank’s promotional deal with the boxer.

A couple of weeks ago, news broke out that Donaire, just on his way to superstardom, had signed a four-year promotional deal with Golden Boy, headed by Oscar dela Hoya.

Under the deal, Donaire is bound to receive much more than what he got from Top Rank, starting off with the scheduled May 28 defense of his world bantamweight crown.

But Arum contended that Donaire’s contract with Golden Boy won’t stand because the Filipino fighter still has a live contract with Top Rank up to middle of 2012 or early 2013.

Donaire said his contract with Top Rank had been breached because of the latter’s failure to give him three fights a year since 2008.

But Arum was firm that there was no breach, and that Donaire didn’t get the number of fights he wanted because of several suspensions due to injury.

Technically, Arum said Top Rank and Donaire are just entering the third year of their contract.

Based on Weinstein’s ruling, Top Rank “can promote Donaire’s next bout and continued career,” something that was being worked on until Donaire inked a pact with Golden Boy.

But Golden Boy said the battle over Donaire isn’t over yet, saying that their next move is to establish the fact that Donaire’s contract with Top Rank had been breached.

Because if it was, then Donaire can lay claim that he was already a free agent by the time he signed the deal with Golden Boy.

“They got a preliminary ruling, not that Top Rank’s contract is valid, but that pursuant to a term sheet between Top Rank and Golden Boy, that Golden Boy did not have the right to sign Donaire without a ruling that Donaire was, in fact, free,” said GBP lawyer Judd Burstein.

“That’s the only ruling. So now we’re going to be fighting over whether or not Donaire is free. It’s an open skirmish,” Burstein told boxingscene.com, adding that all that the arbitrator ruled is that because of the peculiar agreement between Top Rank and Golden Boy, neither can sign one’s fighter until it is determined that the contract is no longer binding.

“Our next move is to get a finding that the contract (between Donaire and Top Rank) is no longer binding,” Burstein added.

Still, the Top Rank side said it feels like winning round one of the heavyweight match.

“We are pleased with Judge Weinstein’s carefully considered decision. Top Rank hopes it can put the lawyers and legal fight behind it and return to doing what it does best -- promoting the most talented boxers and the most entertaining boxing matches in the world today,” said Top Rank lawyer Daniel Petrocelli of O’Melveny & Myers LLP in Los Angeles.

Donaire and his wife, Rachel, left Manila for the United States last Saturday to confer with his own lawyers but did not leave any word behind regarding his sticky situation.

Rose, Bulls get back on track vs. Timberwolves

2011-03-30T23:35:00.000-07:00

Source: AP,

MINNEAPOLIS – Derrick Rose had 23 points and 10 assists in three quarters and the Chicago Bulls blew out the Minnesota Timberwolves 108-91 on Wednesday night.

Carlos Boozer had 24 points and 14 rebounds and the Bulls recorded 31 assists on 41 field goals to stay 2 1/2 games ahead of Boston and Miami in the race for the top seed in the Eastern Conference.

Kevin Love had 16 points and nine rebounds, but was limited to 27 minutes in his first game back from a strained left groin. The Timberwolves (17-58) lost their eighth straight game and have sunk to the bottom of the West.

The Bulls, who were missing starting center Joakim Noah because of a sprained right ankle, bounced back in a big way after a humbling loss to Philadelphia.

Two nights after the 76ers snapped Chicago's 14-game home winning streak, the Bulls attacked the Wolves from the start, playing a beautifully unselfish brand of basketball that was on an entirely different level than the home team.

Rose had 13 points and five assists in the first quarter — Wolves point guard Luke Ridnour had 11 points and two assists in the entire game — and Chicago had 17 assists on 22 baskets in the first half.

The ball movement created wide-open shot after wide-open shot, a cohesive unit dominating a group of individuals in every way, shape and form.

The Bulls shot 50 percent for the game, pulling away in the third quarter with a 3 by Rose and a drive-and-dish from Luol Deng to Boozer that gave them an 86-62 lead.

Love and Rose have played against each other for years, dating to their high school and AAU days in California and are close friends. The two worked out together, along with Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook, at a Los Angeles gym over the summer and the hard work clearly paid off. All three players are having career seasons, with Love and Rose emerging as the faces of their respective franchises.

Love earned his first All-Star appearance and leads the NBA in rebounding, but it is Rose who has quickly asserted himself as one of the game's elite players.

His blend of strength, quickness and pure speed has proven too much for the league to handle, and his selfless attitude has transformed the Bulls from a middling playoff team to a legitimate contender and the current No. 1 seed in the East.

"You look at what he's done with his team, it's tough to argue D-Rose isn't the MVP," Love said.

He is also exactly what the Timberwolves are missing. Love is a wonderful supporting player, but they need a leader, a superstar, a competitor like Rose if they are ever going to lift themselves from the Western Conference basement.

While Rose had the Bulls humming, with the ball moving, the defense squeezing and the jumpers falling, the Timberwolves wilted into a one-on-one mess.

They had just 12 assists for the game and too often settled for jumpers or wild drives to the basket.

Notes: Technically, two of Love's 16 points weren't his. Bulls forward Taj Gibson knocked the ball into his own basket with just over eight minutes to play in the second quarter, and Love was credited as the nearest player to the ball. ... Veteran Kurt Thomas started for Noah and hit his first three jumpers. He finished with six points and eight rebounds. ... Timberwolves C Nikola Pekovic missed his second straight game with a hip injury.

Team Pacman puts accent on endurance

2011-03-30T23:28:00.000-07:00

Source: Artemio Dumlao, The Philippine Star

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – Manny Pacquiao, who’d gone 12 hard rounds in each of his last three fights, is making sure he’ll have enough steam against Shane Mosley.

As he trains up in Baguio for the May 7 fight at the fabled MGM Grand in Las Vegas, the 32-year-old Filipino superstar is putting premium on endurance.

“We’re trying to build up his endurance,” said Pacquiao’s conditioning coach Alex Ariza after yesterday’s morning workout at the Sta. Lucia Golf and Country Estate.

“That will be a big factor during the fight,” added Ariza, who’s been around Pacquiao, making sure he’s at his best for each fight, since the David Diaz fight in 2008.

Pacquiao has won his last 13 fights, eight of them by stoppage. But there’ve been tough ones as well, fights where he could have given in if not for his excellent condition.

There was his 12-round battle with Juan Manuel Marquez, and most recently the ones against bigger, heavier guys like Miguel Cotto, Joshua Clottey and Antonio Margarito.

Pacquiao said his fight with Margarito, who fought like a heavyweight last November at the Cowboys Stadium, was the toughest of all.

He said the huge difference in size made it very difficult for him to put the Mexican down. Pacquiao also took some big shots against Margarito and felt them days after the fight.

Ariza said they cannot take Mosley lightly because at 39 pushing 40, the pride of Pomona in California, who’s never been knocked out before, still has the speed of a 30-year-old.

Mosley also showed he’s still got the power, knocking out Margarito in 2009 when Pacquiao can’t, and the ability to hurt an opponent with one punch, the way he did against Floyd Mayweather last year.

“We’re preparing for the Mosley that defeated Margarito,” said Ariza.

“We’re expecting him to be at his best.”

No wonder Ariza, the strength and conditioning guru from Colombia, is making sure Pacquiao is doing everything that’s needed in training.

2014 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifier Match Round 1 To 2

2011-03-30T06:58:00.000-07:00

Round 1

1. Malaysia vs Chinese Taipei
2. Bangladesh vs Pakistan
3. Cambodia vs Laos

4. Sri Langka vs Philippines

5. Afganistan vs Palestine
6. Vietnam vs Macau
7. Nepal vs Timor Leste
8. Mongolia vs Myanmar

Round 2

1. Thailand vs Winner Play-off 5
2. Lebanon vs Winner Play-off 2
3. China PR vs Winner Play-off 3
4. Turkmenistan vs Indonesia

5. Kuwait vs Winner Play-off 4

6. Oman vs Winner Play-off 8
7. Saudi Arabia vs Hongkong
8. Iran vs Maldives
9. Syria vs Tajekistan
10.Qatar vs Winner Play-off 6
11.Iraq vs Yemen
12.Singapore vs Winner Play-off 1
13.Uzbekistan vs Kyrgyzstan
14.UAE vs India
15.Jordan vs Winner Play-off 7

Douthit returns, lifts Gilas past Gin Kings

2011-03-30T06:25:00.000-07:00

Source: GMA News

Marcus Douthit capped his return to active roster with a 30-point, 17-rebound effort and powering Smart Gilas past Barangay Ginebra, 111-104, to clinch the first outright semifinals seat in the PBA Commissioner's Cup Wednesday night at the Araneta Coliseum.

Missed the last time after suffering a sprained left ankle in the Nationals' 90-98 defeat to Derby Ace, Douthit readily made his presence felt behind those huge numbers and was responsible for two key plays down the stretch that decided the outcome of the match Smart Gilas led from start to finish.

The 6-foot-11 center completed a three-point play off a follow-up miss by Japeth Aguilar from three-point land, extending a six-point lead to 89-80.

Then, he made an emphatic follow-up slam off another three-point miss by Mac Baracael for a 103-95 Smart Gilas edge in the final 58 seconds.

"To be in the semi-finals is great for us. Probably nobody expected we can play at that level. We played a great game," said Nationals' coach Rajko Toroman. “I think we showed that this team has character in difficult moments. We plated an amazing defense in the first half and we were aggressive.

Marcio Lassiter backed up Douthit with 21 points on 3-of-4 shooting from three-point range, while JV Casio added 16 and Chris Lutz 15 as the three more than made up for the absence of team captain Chris Tiu, out with a left shoulder injury.

"For now, we want to improve more on our confidence going into the FIBA-Asia Championships (in September) and in the Champions’ Cup (in May)." Added Toroman.

Import Nate Brumfield, Willie Miller and Mark Caguioa finished with 21 points each, but not enough to save the day for Ginebra, which saw its four-game winning run came to an end.

The Kings fell to 5-3, but still have a good chance of making the playoffs.

Rookie Rob Labagala made his pro debut and finished with eight points for the Kings, who also got 10 points and 10 rebounds from Rudy Hatfield. Douthit was 12-of-20 from the field, 6-of-8 from the free-throw line and also had five assists and two block shots for the Nationals, who led by as many as 79-60 on a three-point play by Aguilar in the third period.

The Kings however, trimmed down the gap to 79-69 behind a 10-0 run just before the quarter ended.

They eventually cut the deficit to within five, but the Nationals always had a ready answer for them.

The Nationals fired 13 three-point shots out of 23 attempts, and waxed hot behind a 52.7 percent shooting from the field on 40 of 76 tries.

NBA Cavs finally beat James for a dose of revenge

2011-03-30T06:17:00.000-07:00

Source: AFP,

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Cleveland Cavaliers averted a season sweep by Miami and exacted a dose of revenge against LeBron James by beating the Heat 102-90 on Tuesday.

Cleveland took a whopping 23-point lead, then lost it and had to storm back late in the game with a 12-0 run for the victory and a dose of revenge against former teammate James.

It was the second trip back to Cleveland for James since the all-star decided to become a free agent in the offseason and make the switch to Miami. The Heat won both games in Miami against the Cavs this season.

But James took the loss in his stride.

"Anytime we play anybody, we know we're going to get the best out of them," James said. "They came out and played extremely well. It was a good win for them."

JJ Hickson had 21 points and Anthony Parker netted 20 for Cleveland, who were embarrassed by Miami 118-90 on December 2 when James scored 30 points. That night Cleveland fans heckled and booed James throughout the contest.

"The first time we played them here, we were embarrassed and they took a little from us," Parker said. "This is the night that we wanted to get that back, for us, but more for the fans. That was great getting it back for them."

James still had a triple double Tuesday, finishing with 27 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds but couldn't get the win. Dwyane Wade had 24 points and six assists for the Heat, who had a five-game win streak halted.

Miami's Mike Bibby made a season-high seven three-pointers.

Cleveland fans have not forgotten James' snub but they weren't as outwardly angry towards James as they were in December. James was booed throughout but there were no blatant incidents. Cavaliers management also stepped up security for Tuesday's game.

James said things weren't as hostile as his previous visit.

"I expect the worst," he said. "But worse than last time, December 2? No."

Miami fought back from 23 down, and tied it 83-83 on Bibby's seventh three-pointer with 7:03 left. The Heat then went scoreless for the next four minutes.

The Cavaliers shot 56 percent from the field to post their 15th win and their most lopsided victory this season.

Baron Davis made his first start since coming to Cleveland in a trade and finished with 10 points.

Centre Ryan Hollins also made his presence known with 13 points and blocking three shots.

Philippine Azkals to face Sri Lanka in World Cup qualifiers

2011-03-30T06:13:00.000-07:00

Source: ABS-CBN News

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Azkals will play against Sri Lanka in the first round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

This was announced in a draw held at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Wednesday.

The home-and-away qualifying series will take place on June 29 in Sri Lanka and July 3 in the Philippines.

The Philippine Azkals team is currently ranked No. 151 in the FIFA world standings.

Sri Lanka, on the other hand, is ranked No. 173.

The Azkals’ qualifying match against Sri Lanka is the first of 4 qualifying rounds the Philippines will have to go through before landing a spot in the prestigious World Cup.

If the Azkals successfully hurdle the Sri Lankan team, they will next face Kuwait, which is ranked 103rd.

The reigning World Cup champion is Spain.

The Philippines recently qualified for the 2012 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Challenge Cup tournament proper via their successful stint in the group stage.

Azkals team manager Dan Palami said German coach Hans Michael Weiss will make sure that the Filipino squad will be fully prepared when they take on the Sri Lankans.

“We will prepare for Sri Lanka like they were Spain,” Palami told ABS-CBN’s Dyan Castillejo.

Sport analyst Christian Soler said in his Twitter account that Sri Lanka has an impressive record in the Challenge Cup.

“Sri Lanka has an impressive Challenge Cup resumé, finishing runners-up in 2006 and qualifying in 2008 and 2010,” he said.

Mosley best choice for Pacman, financially

2010-12-23T03:35:00.000-08:00

Source: Dennis Principe, Manila Standard Today

-- EVENTUALLY, American promoter Bob Arum decided to choose a fighter, who’s name not only rhymes with money, but will actually make loads of it.

Yesterday, Arum stated that they have reached a verbal agreement with former three-division world champion Shane Mosley to be the next opponent of pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao.

The announcement did not come as a surprise as Arum has been vocal about his choice of Mosley, saying the American can still sell tickets and pay per view buys, though the veteran promoter initially had bitter Mexican rival Juan Manuel Marquez and undefeated welterweight champion Andre Berto in the mix.

Last week, he personally attended Pacquiao’s birthday bash in General Santos City, bringing along two prized possessions of his -- his wife Lovee and Pacquiao’s million-dollar fight proposal.

In the end, Arum pushed for the 39-year-old Mosley as the boxing impresario believes the American boxer’s name and accomplishment can still create some buzz.

Though Mosley has agreed to the deal that will reportedly guarantee him a minimum of $5 million and the upside of the Pay-Per-View buys, Top Rank president Tod Duboef sounded more prudent about the fight agreement.

“There are no signed agreements with Shane Mosley or Manny Pacquiao for a bout on May 7. Terms have been agreed to and contracts are with the lawyers,” said Duboef.

Mosley was represented by his friend rap artist and James Prince during the meeting at Top Rank’s Las Vegas office.

The still-to-be-signed bout between Pacquiao and Mosley is set on May 7, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

If ever, Mosley would be Pacquiao’s first black American opponent after the Filipino feasted on well-known Mexican fighters the last couple of years.

A more prominent black American boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. was the original choice of majority of boxing fans, but the former pound-for-pound champion, has been eerily quiet about the challenge. He has also been recently dealing with several brushes with the law, the latest of which was a 12-hour jail stay after being accused of poking the face of a 21-year-old security guard during a Nov. 15 parking ticket argument.

Pacquiao’s bout with Mosley may be needing a lot of hard selling since the choice of the American fighter has been met by critical remarks from experts and aficionados.

Mosley is coming off a dull 12-round split draw against Mexican-American middleweight Sergio Mora last September. Previous to that in May, Mosley dropped a one-sided, 12-round verdict to Mayweather at the MGM Grand Garden.

Azkals among SI's top football stories of 2010

2010-12-23T03:31:00.000-08:00

Source: Jon Perez, GMA News

-- The Philippine national men's football team’s gallant effort in the recent ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Suzuki Cup 2010 earned for them a spot in the Top 10 Football stories of Sports Illustrated's online edition.

The Nationals, more popularly known as the Azkals, made the list at number 10 after its stunning 2-0 upset of deposed champion Vietnam in their Group B match in the Suzuki Cup.

The Azkals reached the semifinal round but lost to Indonesia in the two matches they played at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta.

Spurs beat Denver for 10th win in a row

2010-12-23T03:28:00.000-08:00

Source: AFP,

SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Argentina's Manu Ginobili scored 22 points and Gary Neal came off the bench to add 22 more as the San Antonio Spurs stretched their win streak to 10 games by beating Denver 109-103.

The Nuggets lost while playing without star playmaker Carmelo Anthony, who was absent due to a death in his family. His return timetable is uncertain. Denver's next game is on Christmas Day at Oklahoma City.

"It brings us down to earth," Nuggets coach George Karl said. "Basketball isn't the most important thing."

The Spurs, who improved their NBA-best record to 25-3, are two triumphs shy of matching their longest win streak of the year. The Nuggets fell to 16-11, sixth in the Western Conference.

Ty Lawson and J.R. Smith each scored 22 points to lead Denver while Kenyon Martin made his season debut after missing 26 games after knee surgery, scoring eight points in 17 minutes.

Richard Jefferson scored 16 points for the Spurs while Brazilian rookie Tiago Splitter contributed 12 points and nine rebounds.

The Nuggets led 89-80 entering the fourth quarter but Denver connected on only two shots in the last five and a half minutes and connected on only 17 percent of their shots in the final period.

"It was a huge fourth quarter," Ginobili said. "I'm still kind of in shock by the way we won it."

Denver missed a chance to avenge a loss last week to the Spurs in which they had appeared to win on an Anthony basket with one-third of a second to play, but the basket was waived off by officials.

Anthony, 26, is averaging 24 points and 8.3 rebounds this season but has been the subject of trade rumors for months after rejecting a three-year offer worth 65 million dollars from the Nuggets.

Matt Bonner added 13 points for San Antonio, which also had 11 points and a game-high nine assists from French guard Tony Parker and nine points and nine rebounds from Tim Duncan.

Azkals’ win 10th top soccer story of Sports Illustrated

2010-12-23T03:25:00.000-08:00

Source: ABS-CBN News

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Azkals’ quarterfinal victory over Vietnam in the 2010 ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Suzuki Cup made it to Sports Illustrated’s Top 10 soccer stories this year.

The Azkals' 2-0 win over Vietnam early this month is ranked No. 10 on the list compiled by Sports Illustrated columnist Georgina Turner.

“This year's tournament produced arguably the biggest upset in its history: Defending champion and federation powerhouse Vietnam lost 2-0 to the Philippines, ranked 151st in the world and without so much as a point off Vietnam in nearly 20 years,” Turner said in her column “Inside Soccer”.

The Azkals defeated Vietnam in front of 40,000 Vietnamese spectators at the My Dinh National Stadium on December 5.

Chris Greatwich scored the opening goal for the Azkals in the 38th minute. This was followed by Phil Younghusband’s precision strike at close range with 10 minutes remaining.

The victory made the Azkals instant celebrities in basketball-crazy Philippines.

It also sent Vietnam’s Portuguese coach Henrique Calisto fuming mad over the Philippines’ defensive style of play.

"If the Philippines think they can win playing that way then my dear, poor, poor football in this region," he said in an interview published on the tournament's official website.

The Philippines went on to score a draw against Myanmar and seize a semifinals slot.

The Azkals, however, failed to advance into the Suzuki Cup finals after bowing to Indonesia in two semifinal games.

Roach insists on Mosley drug test

2010-12-20T02:39:00.000-08:00

Source: Joaquin Henson, Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines – Boxing trainer Freddie Roach will insist on Sugar Shane Mosley taking a drug test before battling Manny Pacquiao in case they face off in a WBO welterweight title fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 7.

“It won’t be an easy fight for Manny,” said Roach who arrived here to celebrate Pacquiao’s 32nd birthday and was scheduled to leave Manila for Los Angeles last night. “I think he’s a tougher opponent than (Andre) Berto or (Juan Manuel) Marquez. He can punch with either hand. But if the fight pushes through, I’ll insist on a drug test. He’s been known to take steroids and it shows in his body.”

In 2003, Mosley admitted in a US grand jury testimony that he took the performance-enhancing drug EPO or erythroprotein by injection to prepare for his fight against Oscar de la Hoya. EPO supposedly increases the volume of red blood cells and the oxygen-carrying capacity in the blood. Additionally, BALCO Labs founder Vince Conte once testified that Mosley has used two types of designer steroids. Mosley’s former trainer Darryl Hudson confirmed it. Designer drugs are created “to get around drug laws by modifying molecular structures of existing drugs to varying degrees.” A government raid on BALCO facilities yielded evidence of Mosley’s drug use.

But Mosley has never tested positive for drugs. “I know in my heart that I’m a clean guy and a good guy,” he said, quoted by Tim Smith in the New York Daily News. “All the fighters, promoters and even the boxing writers know what type of person I am, what type of fighter I am and I don’t need that type of edge. My record speaks for itself on this matter. I’ve always been a clean fighter and I have nothing to hide. That one little hiccup should never have happened and it won’t happen again.”

Mosley’s “little hiccup” referred to his grand jury testimony.

Roach said it’s difficult to explain why the 39-year-old Mosley let Floyd Mayweather Jr. off the hook when he rocked him with a pair of rights in the second round during their bout last May. “Mosley could’ve taken out Mayweather but he froze,” said Roach. “I don’t know why he let him go. Maybe, it was a result of having taken drugs in the past. That kind of thing does something to your brain. But he looked good in knocking out (Antonio) Margarito.”

Mosley dropped Margarito twice en route to scoring a ninth round technical knockout in Los Angeles last year. Pacquiao couldn’t floor Margarito in their recent bout and settled for a win on points.

Roach said Mosley, a 4-1 underdog, was devastating in trouncing Margarito and won’t be easy prey for Pacquiao even if he lost to Mayweather and drew with Sergio Mora in his last two outings.

Roach ruled out Marquez as Pacquiao’s next opponent. He earlier said Pacquiao would shut Marquez up for good in a possible third meeting after they fought to a draw in 2004 and the Filipino icon won by a split decision in 2008. “I heard Marquez wants double than what he got for fighting Mayweather,” said Roach. “I don’t think that’s right. Marquez wants something like $5 million.” Mayweather decisioned Marquez last year.

As for Mayweather, Roach said Pretty Boy hasn’t mentioned anything about fighting Pacquiao lately. Mayweather has been embroiled in legal problems. The consensus is he’s afraid to risk his unblemished record in a fight against Pacquiao but with his legal woes and pressure to cough up settlement money, the mega-buck showdown is inevitable.

Roach said once Pacquiao is done with his May 7 appointment, next in line could be the winner of the Jan. 29 lightwelterweight unification bout between WBO champion Tim Bradley and WBC titlist Devon Alexander at the Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan. Bradley, 27, has a 26-0 record, with 11 KOs, while Alexander, 23, boasts a 21-0 mark, with 13 KOs.

Roach said WBA superlightweight champion Amir Khan of England and WBA welterweight ruler Viacheslav Senchenko of Ukraine could be future opponents even as he trains both fighters.

“Amir showed a lot of heart in beating (Marcos) Maidana (last Dec. 11),” said Roach. “He even finished with a flurry in the 12th round. Amir does a lot of things that Manny does, like bang his gloves together. I don’t think they’ll ever fight but if they do, I see Amir winning the first four rounds, mainly because of his speed, then Manny will take over and break him down.”

As for Senchenko, Roach said he doesn’t know if the Ukrainian will ever fight Pacquiao. “Never say never,” continued Roach. “If they fight, of course, I’ll be in Manny’s corner and Senchenko’s old trainer will be in his. There’ll be something to fight for because Senchenko has a belt.”

Roach was in Senchenko’s corner when he beat Charlie Jose Navarro on points to retain his WBA 147-pound crown in Donetsk last August. Roach was paid $10,000 a week to train Senchenko for six weeks and also received 10 percent of his purse.

Roach said there is talk that WBA superwelterweight champion Miguel Cotto will stake his crown against his unbeaten protégé Vanes Martirosyan, an Armenia native, with the winner to face Margarito. “Vanes has a chance against Cotto because of his length, youth, speed and skills,” said Roach. “But Cotto is the type who comes right at you. Vanes has a tendency to run away from trouble. I’ve told him if he wants to beat Cotto, he’ll have to stand his ground.”

Roach said he recently released one of his hot prospects, 18-year-old lightwelterweight Jose Benavidez who has a record of 9-0, with 9 KOs. “He’s back in Phoenix,” said Roach. “It was difficult to deal with his dad.”

When does he think Pacquiao should retire? “After beating Mayweather, that should be it,” replied Roach.

Azkals noble in defeat, as Indonesia advances to Suzuki Cup finals

2010-12-20T02:28:00.000-08:00

Source: GMA News

-- The dream is over, but it was even better than simply good while it lasted. And Philippine football may well thank the 2010 national team that competed splendidly in the AFF Suzuki Cup for the likely revival and advancement of the game in the Azkals' home country.

The Philippines lost the second leg of the semis match against Indonesia by the same score as in the first leg three days ago, 1-0 — a testament to its determination in defense and the remarkable quality it has shown on the field as a marked improvement for Philippine football.

With the win, Indonesia earned the right to face Malaysia, which beat Vietnam in the other semis match-up, in the home-and-away finals slated on December 26 and 29.

INA's Gonzales delivers anew

Picking up from where he left off in the previous game, Christian "El Loco" Gonzales delivered anew for Indonesia on Sunday at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta.

It was a brilliant strike by the Uruguayan-born Gonzales in the 43rd minute, from 25 yards out against a phalanx of defenders, the ball soaring high to the right corner of the goal, barely past the post and above the outstretched arms of a leaping Neil Etheridge, PHL's superb 20-year-old goalie.

Gonzales had also delivered the game-winning goal, a header, in Indonesia's 1-0 victory in the first leg. This time out, he unleashed a left-footed bullet after his first long-range kick was deflected back to him.

Both sides had numerous chances at the goal in a highly entertaining, up-tempo game throughout the first half, but the Indonesians' swift forays were evidently more dangerous.

Etheridge held his own against severe bombardment, and on the counter-offense, the Azkals managed to create several opportunities, which only lacked the fortune of a finishing touch.

Yellow cards were issued to Azkals Ian Araneta (22nd) and Rob Gier (37th), which may have discombobulated the Azkals and had their defense turning shaky in the last seven minutes of the first half.

In making his second goal in the semis match, Gonzales sent Indonesia two aggregate goals up by halftime, and put the Azkals in a bind, needing to come up with at least two goals in the next 45 minutes to send the game to extra time for the match decider.

The second half saw the hosts honorably mounting the same quick-passing attacks, when they could just have held back in defense to assure themselves of advancing to the Finals against Malaysia, which ousted defending Vietnam Saturday.

Etheridge again made a number of crucial saves, while his teammates desperately went into the attack themselves, also creating dangerous opportunities.

Corner kicks and long throw-ins by the Filipinos had the Indonesian backline and goalie scrambling for lucky saves on several occasions.

In the 57th minute, Chris Greatwich had a golden opportunity with a well-timed header as he rose above the fray, only to see the ball land on the top of the net.

In the 69th minute, Anton del Rosario unleashed a powerful shot from the middle, 15 yards out, only to see the ball bounce against the chest of the Indonesian goalie.

With pressure building up, emotions ran high on both sides.

Greatwich received his second yellow card and had to leave the field in the 86th minute, while Del Rosario engaged the Indonesians in trash talk.

The Azkals' offensive effort eventually proved futile, even as the hosts kept taking chances with their fluid forward thrusts until time ran out.

In the end, it was still a magnificent effort by the Filipinos, who gained the respect of the region by advancing to the semifinals with a stunning win against Vietnam and holding their own for draws with Singapore and Myanmar.

Forced to play its two-leg semis match away from home due to the lack of an adequate stadium in the Philippines, the Azkals had to endure the ear-splitting cheers and jeers of a home crowd of some 80,000 Indonesians.

After Indonesia, the Philippines conceded the fewest number of goals in the tournament, only three in five glorious matches that saw the Azkals rise nobly to the occasion to win the hearts of their countrymen and the admiration of opponents.

Watch Philippine Azkals vs Indonesia Livestreaming

2010-12-19T04:29:00.001-08:00

Bernard Hopkins Versus Jean Pascal Full Fight

2010-12-18T23:26:00.000-08:00

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Suzuki Cup: Malaysia draws Vietnam to enter finals

2010-12-18T22:04:00.000-08:00

Source: ABS-CBN News

MANILA, Philippines – Malaysia scored a 0-0 deadlock against Vietnam at My Dinh Stadium in Hanoi on Saturday to advance into the Finals of the ASEAN Footbal Federation (AFF) Suzuki Cup.

According to the tournament website, the Vietnamese team was unable to get past the Malaysian's defense because player Pham Thanh Luong was ousted on a second bookable offense, leaving his Vietnamese team shorthanded for the last 18 minutes of the game.

Vietnam, the Suzuki Cup defending champion, suffered a 2-0 loss to Malaysia in the first leg of their semifinal duel in Kuala Lumpur's Bukit Jalil Stadium last Wednesday.

The victory has sent Malaysia to its first Suzuki Cup finals appearance in 14 years.

Malaysia will be waiting for the semifinals winner between the Philippines and Indonesia.

The Philippine team is raring to get back at the Indonesians, who scored a 1-0 victory in the first leg of their semifinal duel last Thursday.

The Philippines and Indonesia will again fight it out on Sunday at the Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta.

The game will be aired live by ABS-CBN Studio 23.

NBA: Magic add Arenas, Richardson, Turkoglu in trade

2010-12-18T22:00:00.000-08:00

Source: AFP,

ORLANDO, Florida – Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard gained a new supporting cast Saturday (Sunday, in Manila) with hopes 2 major trades will lift the NBA club alongside Miami and Boston as an Eastern Conference title contender.

The Magic, 16-9 but losers in five of their past six games, added Turkish forward Hedo Turkoglu and playmaker Jason Richardson from the Phoenix Suns and controversial long-distance shooter Gilbert Arenas from the Washington Wizards.

"We needed a little bit more punch," Magic president Otis Smith said. "All those guys coming in have an ability to move the ball. After looking at our team through 25 games, we were missing a little something. I thought change was needed."

Orlando traded Rashard Lewis to the Wizards for Arenas, best known for being banished for 50 games last season for bringing guns into the Wizards locker room and faking an injury to avoid playing in a pre-season game last October.

"We have a tendency not to forgive people in this country," Smith said. "We have a tendency to hold onto things a little bit longer, particularly if they play professional sports."

Arenas has struggled with knee injuries and the suspension that have kept him to only 47 games over the past three seasons, but he has averaged 17.3 points and 5.6 assists a game this season.

Arenas scored a season-high 31 against Orlando three weeks ago.

Orlando's major reshaping came by obtaining Richardson, Turkoglu and Earl Clark from the Suns in exchange for US veteran Vince Carter, French guard Mickael Pietrus, Polish center Marcin Gortat and a first-round pick in the 2011 NBS Draft plus three million dollars.

The Magic, trying to entice fans to their new 18,500-seat arena, have fallen from first to fourth in the Eastern Conference, with the Miami Heat, 20-8, and Boston Celtics, 21-4, surging on double-digit winning streaks in December.

Turkoglu has averaged 12.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists a game in 10 NBA seasons and played a key role in helping Orlando make the 2009 NBA Finals but was traded to Toronto last year in a move that proved to be a blunder.

"I don't think it's admitting a mistake," Smith said of reacquiring Turkoglu. "I don't regret breaking up the finals team. I think it was the right decision at the time."

The Wizards gladly ditched Arenas, enabling the team to make this year's top draft choice, John Wall, their focus and escaping their former star's pricey contract.

"We're totally in a rebuild," Wizards coach Flip Saunders said. "We've said that. We were in a situation where we had three of our top players play pretty much the same position in John and Gilbert and Kirk (Hinrich)."

The Suns, 12-13, added height and defensive skill to try to compete with the reigning NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers and NBA win leaders San Antonio and Dallas in the Western Conference.

"Carter and Pietrus give us a great defensive presence on the perimeter and they should be extremely dynamic offensively," Suns president Lon Babby said. "And Gortat is really someone that we've had our eye on."

Losing Gortat leaves the Magic without a true backup for big man Howard.

"We think it was worth the gamble," Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said.

Heat boost win streak to 12 edging out Wizards

2010-12-18T21:54:00.000-08:00

Source: AFP,

WASHINGTON - LeBron James scored 32 points and added 7 rebounds and 6 assists as the Miami Heat rallied in the final seconds to edge Washington 95-94 and extend their NBA win streak to 12 games.

Dwyane Wade, who hit the deciding free throw with 7.9 seconds remaining and Chris Bosh each scored 20 points for the Heat. Bosh, who scored 12 points in the fourth quarter, also had nine rebounds.

Nick Young scored 30 points and Andray Blatche added 20 points and 12 rebounds but late turnovers and missed free throws left the Wizards frustrated and mired in a seven-game losing skid.

The Heat improved to 21-8, second only to Boston in the Eastern Conference, while the Wizards fell to 6-19, worst in the conference.

US President Barack Obama had been expected to attend the game at one point in the afternoon but extra security precautions were withdrawn hours before the game as he did not make an appearance, missing a stellar rally by the Heat.

James stole the ball and slammed down a breakaway dunk to pull Miami within 89-86 but the Wizards answered with 32 seconds to play on a jumper by Josh Howard, making his season debut after missing 24 games with a torn left knee ligament.

Bosh answered with a 3-pointer to pull the Heat within 91-89 but Howard hit a key free throw, grabbed his own miss from the line and sank 1-of-2 from the line again after being fouled to give Washington a 93-89 edge.

Bosh was fouled on a 3-point attempt by Blatche with 16 seconds to play and the Miami forward went 2-of-3 from the line to lift the Heat within 93-91.

But Young lost the inbounds pass and after the turnover, Young fouled Miami's James Jones, who sank two free throws with 13 seconds remaining to pull the Heat level at 93-93.

Kirk Hinrich, the first Wizard to play every minute of a game since 2007, hit 1-of-2 from the line with 12 seconds to play.

But Wade was fouled on a drive to the hoop with 7.9 seconds to play and made two free throws to give Miami a 95-94 lead, their first advantage since early in the third quarter.

Hinrich missed a last shot and Miami's win streak remained intact while Washington's futility continued in heartbreaking fashion.

Blatche sank a jumper at the buzzer to give the Wizards a 74-72 lead after three quarters and ignite a 10-2 Washington run that put the hosts ahead 82-74 as late as 6:20 from the finish.

Chris Bosh had a basket and a free throw as Miami pulled within 84-77 but the Heat struggled to close the gap as Hilton Armstrong blocked a Dwyane Wade shot inside and LeBron James was called for a charging foul.

Bosh rebounded a blocked Wade shot to pull Miami within 84-79 with 4:10 to play. Washington's Blatche hit a free throw but Bosh answered with two of his own from the line to trim the deficit to 85-81 with 3:32 remaining.

James missed a 3-pointer on Miami's next possession and Young answered for the Wizards with a jumper.

James followed with two free throws for Miami but Blatche hit a jumper to give Washington an 89-83 edge with 2:10 to play, setting up the final drama.

Vic Darchinyan Versus Abner Mares Full Fight Video

2010-12-16T06:26:00.000-08:00

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Indonesia breaks RP Azkals’ unbeaten streak in Suzuki Cup

2010-12-16T06:13:00.000-08:00

Source: ABS-CBN News

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Azkals’ unbeaten run has come into a halt after meeting Team Indonesia in the first leg of the 2010 ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Suzuki Cup semifinals.

The Indonesians scored 1-0 to claim the first semifinal match against the Filipino booters at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta.

Cristian Gonzales of Indonesia made the goal in the 31st minute.

It was the first time the Azkals lost a game in this year’s Suzuki Cup.

In the qualifiers last October, the Filipinos beat Timor Leste, 5-0, then drew with Laos (2-2) and Cambodia (0-0).

They went on in the quarterfinals to score a 1-1 draw against Singapore and a 2-0 win over defending champion Vietnam.

The Azkals eventually qualified for the semifinals by drawing with Myanmar, 0-0.

The Philippines still has the chance to redeem itself from the loss to Indonesia in the second leg set on December 19. It can still win the tie if it scores a 2 goal difference in the second leg.

The Filipinos next semifinal game against the Indons will also take place at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium.

The game will be broadcast live by ABS-CBN Studio 23.

Pacquiao expected to name next foe on birthday

2010-12-16T05:22:00.000-08:00

Source: ABS-CBN News

MANILA, Philippines – World champion Manny Pacquiao is expected to announce his next opponent during his 32nd birthday celebration in General Santos (GenSan) City on Friday.

Pacquiao, an 8-division champion who currently reigns as World Boxing Council (WBC) super welterweight and World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight king, has three potential opponents to choose from.

They are former welterweight champion “Sugar” Shane Mosley, lightweight champion WBO and World Boxing Association (WBA) lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez, and WBC welterweight champion Andre Berto.

Pacquiao has already met his promoter, Bob Arum, who brought along the proposals of the potential opponents.

Although the most logical opponent for the Filipino, according to most boxing analysts, is Marquez, Arum has indicated that Mosley has the strongest chance to fight Pacquiao.

Arum earlier said Marquez is asking for too much money, while Mosley is the most marketable among the three boxers.

“Marquez's proposal was so out of line for anything that he got before… I don't think Manny is going to pay any attention to it,” Arum said in an interview with FanHouse.com.

Berto has the least chance in the Pacquiao sweepstakes because he is largely unknown to common fight fans.

Pacquiao will celebrate his 32nd birthday in GenSan in a lavish party that will be attended by at least 1,500 guests.

Among the expected guests, aside from Arum, are his coach, Freddie Roach, Puerto Rico’s Juan Manuel Lopez, and friends in politics and showbiz.

Fans and friends alike expect the Filipino boxer and Sarangani congressman to name his next opponent, whom he will face on May 7.

Pacquiao busy as a bee
The Filipino champion had a hectic schedule on the eve of his birthday.

According to ABS-CBN correspondent, Dyan Castillejo, Pacquiao attended several commitments in both GenSan and Sarangani province.

After being a guest of honor during the Distinguished Visitors’ Program of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Regional Police Office 12 in GenSan, Pacquiao went straight to Malungon, Sarangani to open a coffee farm, which serves as a livelihood program for his constituents.

He then went to the Sarangani Capitol to sign an agreement between the provincial and municipal governments for their fight against human trafficking.

After the signing, he headed to a basketball game where he handed 18,000 volumes of books from SM Group of Companies to the local public libraries.

Azkals better off in enemy territory

2010-12-15T02:55:00.000-08:00

Source: Mico Halili, GMA News

-- As a fan, I hate to see the Azkals hit the road to play a "home-game" on foreign soil. It's a cruel way to enjoy the advantage they richly earned. But it isn't time to crucify the scoundrels responsible for the Azkals' ironic banishment just yet. The spotlight is best reserved for men on the pitch. Besides, I don't think it's the worst thing to play the biggest games of their lives away from their biggest enemies here at home: fair-weather friends, grandstanders, posers, leeches.

They come in all shapes and forms. Some are new. Some, especially the most prominent ones, have been stalking this team from the start (I suppose these are the true die-hards). I suspect the ones who profess their undying love for goal-keeper Neil Etheridge on Facebook pose less harm than the ones who profess new-found devotion to football through privilege speeches and photo-opportunities. I don't doubt the sincerity of all who wish to chip in. The Azkals, after all, inspire us to forget about left hooks and slam dunks for a moment and understand what aggregate goals mean. It’s the latest sports "bayanihan" movement.

Look, I am likewise new to the cause. I will never claim otherwise. I only learned how to correctly pronounce and spell McMenemy yesterday. I know the Azkal legend was created back in 2005. I also know the legend has grown a thousand times since. Yet I don't believe everything I hear – who to praise for what, who to blame for which. Neither should you. Politics can make dreamers into cynics. It also pushes recalcitrant crooks to act like renaissance men. It's all smoke and mirrors. I'd rather concentrate on the real deal.

Why should our Azkals set sail into hostile territory anew? Because they're better off focusing on the real deal too. It's not the extra-curricular activities off the pitch that matter. After looking at some of the personalities who are scrambling to join the parade, I'm even more convinced.

I know Bacolod is heart-broken. Panaad devotees deserve to host a Suzuki Cup match and shout themselves hoarse. But I worry about the barong-tagalogs out to steal limelight or steal, period (which they often do). I worry about unreasonable demands for the Azkals' time. I don't worry about the pressure of playing at home and winning for the benefit of a riotous home crowd. They won in Vietnam. They can win in Jakarta too. These Azkals thrive on duress. But not the kind of duress created by individuals who care little about the game and more about the benefits of media exposure.

Maybe I'm unpatriotic since I think the Azkals can adeptly play before 80,000 non-believers. Maybe I'm unpatriotic because I want the best thing that has ever happened to Philippine football to stay as far away from the political circus as possible. Maybe I'm unpatriotic for wanting the Azkals to prove they can win against anyone in this tournament, anytime, anywhere. Maybe I'm being unreasonably unpatriotic because I believe.

Nuggets pull away late to beat Magic

2010-12-15T02:52:00.000-08:00

Source: AP,

DENVER —The Denver Nuggets pulled away in the final five minutes to beat the Orlando Magic, 111-94, in the NBA on Tuesday, with Carmelo Anthony scoring 35 points.

With Denver leading 92-91, Arron Afflalo’s 3-pointer jump-started the Nuggets on a 19-3 run to close out the game.

Anthony hit 14 of 21 shots from the floor and pulled down 11 rebounds. Nene had 10 points and 10 boards for the Nuggets, who improved to an NBA-best 11-1 at home.

J.J. Redick scored a career-best 29 points for Orlando.

Pacquiao’s next fight moved to May

2010-12-15T02:49:00.000-08:00

Source: ABS-CBN News

MANILA, Philippines – Eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao has decided to move his next fight from April to May 2011 to give him more time to attend to his duties as lone representative of the southern Philippine province of Sarangani.

Boxing promoter Bob Arum earlier set an April 16 fight date for Pacquiao, the reigning World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight and World Boxing Council (WBC) super welterweight champion.

But given Pacquiao’s tight schedule in the Philippines, the fight date has been moved to May 7 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“Sa May 7 na ‘yong next fight ko (My next fight will be on May 7),” said Pacquiao.

The pound-for-pound king said he has yet to decide on his next opponent, pending his meeting with Arum.

Pacquiao has been busy preparing for his 32nd birthday celebration on Dec. 17 (Friday), which will take place in General Santos City.

Arum is expected to present the offers of “Sugar” Shane Mosley, Juan Manuel Marquez and Andre Berto.

Tax issues

Pacquiao also answered queries about his reported failure to settle his taxes for his fight earnings in 2009.

“’Yung mga kinita ko sa America hindi pa kasi pumasok. May kaunting problema pa pero inaayos na ‘yon (My earnings in America have not yet come in. There are slight problems but everything is being settled),” he said.

Pacquiao had two prize fights in 2009, both of which he won. The Filipino fighter knocked out British boxer Ricky Hatton on May 2 and then followed it up with a TKO over Puerto Rican pugilist Miguel Cotto on November 14.

In the Hatton fight, Pacquiao earned a reported $12 million for just 2 rounds of boxing. He also got an estimated $22 million for the Cotto fight, which included his fight purse and pay-per-view earnings.

However, Pacquiao paid only P7.41 million (approximately $168,918) in taxes for 2009, according to the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) records.

He assured the BIR his documents are already being processed.

“Nakakahiya naman kasi. Isa tayo sa number one taxpayer tapos ganun, maayos din ‘yan (This is embarrassing. We’re one of the top taxpayers then this happens. Everything will be settled),” said Pacquiao.

Amir Khan Versus Marcos Maidana Full Fight

2010-12-12T23:17:00.000-08:00

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Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Part 8

Part 9

Part 10

PHL's Olympic gold medal possible in 2012

2010-12-12T02:44:00.000-08:00

Source: GMA News

-- National boxing coach Roel Velasco is confident that the present crop of athletes discovered by the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP) has a strong chance of winning the country’s first Olympic gold medal in the 2012 London Olympics.

Velasco, a bronze medalist in the 1992 Barcelona Games, said that brothers Rey (flyweight) and Vic Saludar (lightflyweight) are among the boxers that ABAP hopes may finally deliver the long-awaited Olympic gold.

"The core of our national pool are young and determined in their quest to give honor for our country. I believe our first Olympic gold can come from this batch," said Velasco, who also mentioned Charly Suarez and Annie Albania as two other gold-medal prospects.

"Bukod sa determinado, masunurin sa mga itinuturo ng kanilang coach, kaya naman nagiging successful sila. Wala pang ere sa katawan," he added.

Rey, the elder of the Saludar brothers, said their quest for glory did not end in winning medals in the Asian Games.

"And target po namin noong kami ay mapili sa national team ay ang makamit ang minimithing Olympic gold medal. Kaya ito ang pipilitin naming maabot hanggang kaya namin sa pamamagitan ng puspusang preparasyon," the 23-year-old Saludar said.

Bowler Biboy Rivera and world billiards champion Dennis Orcollo supported the Guangzhou Asian Games gold medalist’s statement.

Rivera, who won the singles gold in the recent Asiad, said that with the schedules of coaches finally settled, he can now prepare and train without any more interruption.

"The Philippine Bowling Congress has allowed me to train exclusively with my personal coach, Madoka Amano, so wala nang sagabal sa ensayo ko. Nahirapan kasi ako nitong nakaraang taon dahil sa ensayo sa personal coach ko tapos ensayo na naman sa national team coach, kaya medyo naapektuhan ang laro ko," he said.

For his part, Orcollo said that he will be competing in several international events as his preparation for the 2011 Southeast Asian Games in Indonesia.

"Ang unang paghahandaan namin ay ang World Pool Masters in Las Vegas later this year. Then I’ll also compete in several world-class tournaments in the US para paghandaan na rin ang SEA Games.

Heat dump Kings, post 8th straight win

2010-12-12T02:40:00.000-08:00

Source: AP,

SACRAMENTO, Calif. —Dwyane Wade came flying down the lane, grabbed a miss with his right hand and slammed it home in one motion.

If coach Erik Spoelstra wanted the Miami Heat to end a West Coast trip with an exclamation point, Wade provided the proper punctuation.

Wade’s fourth-quarter dunk highlighted his 36-point night and led the Heat to their season-best eighth straight win, 104-83 over the Sacramento Kings on Saturday.

Two weeks after having a team meeting in Dallas following their fourth loss in five games, the Heat are finally clicking the way people expected when they added LeBron James and Chris Bosh last summer.

“We have a different mentality both off the floor and on the court as well," Wade said. “That team meeting really propelled us to where we are now. We understood and knew November was a tough month for us. But with that adversity there was a lot of growth going on. It was just about when it was going to click and right now it’s clicking for us."

James scored 25 and Bosh added 14 points and a season-high 17 rebounds as the Heat broke open a close game in the third quarter to complete a perfect four-game road trip.

Miami has won every game during this winning streak by double digits.

“It’s two weeks to the night when we were walking out of Dallas’ locker room and we did not feel that great about ourselves as a team," Spoelstra said. “Now, two weeks later it feels like a different feeling in the locker room."

The Kings, who have lost 15 of 17 and have the second-worst record in the NBA, offered little resistance to James, Wade, Bosh and Co.

Khan keeps crown via narrow decision

2010-12-12T02:34:00.000-08:00

Source: ABS-CBN News

MANILA, Philippines — British boxing prodigy Amir Khan successfully defended his World Boxing Association (WBA) light welterweight crown after routing Argentine Marcos Maidana by a unanimous but close decision Saturday (Sunday, in Manila) at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

Khan prevailed in their 12-round bout, with scores clocked at 114-111 (from 2 of the judges) and 113-112.

The 24 year-old fighter came out of the fight strong leading round-by-round against an enduring Maidana.

Khan used a series of combinations to the head and powerful body shots to survive the toughest test of his boxing career to successfully defend his 140-pound title.

"I was hit by his best shots and I am still there," he said.

"I know I made mistakes, but I worked hard and came back stronger than ever," he added.

"He's a strong fighter, and he hits hard. My chin was tested. I'm not taking anything away from him. He's a great champion. I proved today I've got a chin," he also said.

Khan (24-1, 17 KOs) started quickly, knocking Maidana down late in the opening round but it proved to be the lone knockdown of the fight at the Mandalay Bay hotel and casino.

The relentless Maidana (29-2) regrouped and by the 10th round he bloodied and buckled Khan's knees, almost sending the British champion to the canvas.

Khan responded with a flurry of punches in the 11th and 12th rounds to take the fight on all 3 judges' scorecards.

The Bolton fighter, who is based in California, finished the fight with blood flowing from his nose.

Judges Jerry Roth and C.J. Ross scored the bout 114-111 for Khan, and Glenn Trowbridge favoured Khan with 113-112.

Maidana was not happy with the judges' scores, saying he did enough to recover from the knockout and score points in the later rounds to earn the title.

"I thought I won it," the Argentine fighter said. "I did enough in the final rounds but they gave him the decision."

Maidana, who has a reputation as a dangerous and sometimes dirty fighter, had one point deducted by referee Joe Cortez in the fifth round after he tried to elbow Khan during a break in the action. The elbow missed and instead hit Cortez in the chest.

The 27-year-old Maidana made Khan work every round for the victory as the 2 brawled in the center of the ring with very few clinches or back-peddling from either fighter.

Khan suffered his only loss in 2008 -- a shocking defeat as he was knocked out by Colombia's Breidis Prescott.

Khan, a 2004 Olympic silver medalist, said he chose to fight Maidana because he wanted to show he was prepared to go up against the toughest in his weight class.

"I made a mistake in my past now I am a different fighter thanks to (trainer) Freddie Roach," Khan said in the ring after the fight.

Khan was fighting for just the second time in the United States. He stopped Paulie Malignaggi in the 11th round of a one-sided fight last May in New York.

Both Khan and Maidana fought Andreas Kotelnik in 2009. Maidana, who has 23 KOs in the first three rounds, had won four consecutive fights since dropping a split decision to Kotelnik in February. Just five months later, Khan beat Kotelnik in 12 rounds for the WBA title.

Arum sees Pacquiao rejecting Marquez's proposal

2010-12-08T00:47:00.000-08:00

Source: Dennis Gasgonia, ABS-CBN News

MANILA, Philippines – Boxing promoter Bob Arum will submit to Manny Pacquiao proposals from three possible opponents of the new World Boxing Council (WBC) super welterweight champion when he meets his ward at his birthday bash next week.

However, this early, the Top Rank promotions chief said Pacquiao is likely to ignore Marquez’s proposal.

“Marquez's proposal was so out of line for anything that he got before… I don't think Manny is going to pay any attention to it,” Arum said in an interview with FanHouse.com.

The Mexican champion has repeatedly been asking for a third fight against Pacquiao, who knocked him down 4 times in their 2 previous meetings.

For a third installment of a Pacquiao-Marquez fight, Arum said Marquez is demanding a purse twice as big as he received when he fought Floyd Mayweather Jr. in September 2009.

Marquez reportedly received a guaranteed $2 million fight purse in a bout where he was defeated in a lopsided fashion.

“He lost that fight, but at least, that's the starting point: ask for every dollar you made on the Mayweather fight and now we can start talking, but don't ask for double what you made in the Mayweather fight and expect anybody to pay attention,” said Arum.

The other proposals he is expected to submit to Pacquiao are from “Sugar’ Shane Mosley and Andre Berto.

Mayweather fight

Arum also branded as silly Oscar dela Hoya’s reported claim that he has been preventing Pacquiao from fighting unbeaten Floyd Mayweather Jr.

“That's totally nonsense because you can argue over the first situation, the first go-around, they had one position, we had another. But on the second go-around, we gave in to every one of their positions,” said the veteran boxing promoter.

During the first round of negotiations, the camps of Pacquiao and Maywather failed to reach an agreement when the American demanded Olympic-style drug testing.

Pacquiao eventually gave in to this demand in the second round of talks, but Mayweather’s camp denied that negotiations had been on-going in the first place.

“We were so anxious to make the fight and Mayweather didn't want to fight, and even today, we will do the fight unconditionally, unconditionally! And all Mayweather has to do is say he wants the fight,” said Arum.

“So, to say that we don't want to make the fight or we are preventing the fight to happen is a little silly. All he has to do is have Mayweather get up and make a statement 'I'm ready to fight',” he added.

Historic victory leaves McMenemy bewildered

2010-12-05T21:53:00.000-08:00

Source: AFF Suzuki Cup

Hanoi: Philippines coach Simon McMenemy was in a state of disbelief after seeing his team hand defending champions Vietnam a stunning 2-0 defeat in Group B of the AFF Suzuki Cup on Sunday evening at the My Dinh Stadium.

Chris Greatwich and Phil Younghusband scored the goals as the Philippines claimed their greatest win in recent history and remarkably moved to the top of the group standings ahead of Singapore on goal difference.

"I'm pinching myself, I'm not sure we have done what we have done," said McMenemy. "I keep thinking I'll wake up in bed in the Sheraton hotel and we'll still have the game to play.

"We knew we could defend, we knew we were disciplined enough but we didn't know if we could go up the other end and score goals. We knew that would be our issue so we worked hard in training on simple things like converting breakaways when we are on the run."

McMenemy hailed his team's performance but admitted to being bewildered by the result.

"I came in here the other day and said I was proud of my boys, but I don't know how we've done that," he said.

"That was an incredible feat considering they are the Philippines and where they have come from. To go and turnover a powerhouse like Vietnam is incredible.

"We rode our luck throughout the game but I said to the guys at halftime: 'You have to keep putting yourself in a position for good things to happen to you and you have to keep working hard'.

"If you keep working hard the luckier you get. We had three chances and scored twice. This won't sink in for quite a while."

Vietnam coach Henrique Calisto was angered by the nature of the Philippines' win and was heavily critical of the style of play used by the Filipinos.

"Football is not this, football is not putting eight players in front of the area with no offensive system," said the Portuguese coach. "They were fighting and I respect the players but if you think this is football then you are wrong.

"My way is different. You can play and lose but you can lose with honour. They put the bus in front of the goal and shoot, shoot, shoot and they pray. They didn't have an offensive system.

"I told my players that the Philippines defend very well but they don't care about counterattacking, they only pay attention in defence. Until you score one goal, our job is very difficult and I told the players that.

"If you look at possession of the ball, if you look at shots, if you look at crosses maybe there was 70 or 80 percent for Vietnam and 20 or 30 percent for Philippines.

"If they think they can win the championship based on that then poor football. If the Philippines think they can win playing that way then my dear, poor, poor football in this region."

Heat stars finding their form as win streak hits 4

2010-12-05T01:23:00.000-08:00

Source: AFP,

MIAMI – Chris Bosh scored 27 points and Dwyane Wade added 26 to power the Miami Heat to their fourth consecutive NBA victory, an 89-77 triumph over the Atlanta Hawks.

Two-time NBA Most Valuable Player LeBron James added 22 points for Miami in his first game since an emotional homecoming victory at Cleveland two nights earlier, where "King James" was booed by the fans he spurned to come to Miami.

Miami improved to 13-8 to pull into a share of second place in the Southeast division with the Hawks, who saw their five-game win streak snapped.

Only Orlando and Boston have better records in the Eastern Conference, the Heat appearing to have found the form expected of them when Bosh, James and Wade were assembled as a superstar trio.

"We're figuring it out," James said. "We're figuring out what it takes for us three to be successful and to have the team win."

The Heat scored 11 points in a row in the dying minutes to deny Atlanta after the Hawks rallied to make it tight.

"It's just a better feel in the locker room, away from the game, but also on the basketball court," Wade said. "We're starting to 'get it' with each other.

"It's making a world of difference."

Wade and Bosh each grabbed 10 rebounds for Miami, who saw their lead trimmed to 74-72 with 4:39 to play. But the Hawks missed their next six shots and Miami went on their run, which included a slam dunk by James, for an 85-72 edge.

James supporters chanted "Miami loves you" -- a response to Cleveland chants of "Akron hates you" in a reference to the hometown of James.

"We got the crowd into it and we won," Bosh said.

Al Horford led Atlanta with 22 points, hitting 10-of-11 from the field, while Jamal Crawford and Josh Powell each added 12 for the Hawks, who trailed by as many as 17 points in the first half.

"They are a tough team," Hawks coach Larry Drew said. "Anytime you have three guys that can potentially be 20-plus (points) every night, you have got your hands full."

Nonito Donaire Jr. Versus Wladimir Sidorenko Full Fight

2010-12-05T01:11:00.000-08:00

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Part 2

Bring On Fernando Montiel; Donaire Sends a Message

2010-12-05T01:07:00.000-08:00

Source: Jake Donovan, Boxing Scene

-- The message was sent loud and clear – Fernando Montiel, time to brace for Nonito Donaire.

There is still a bit of unfinished business before their February 19 superfight becomes a reality, as Montiel has a December 11 tune-up scheduled against fringe contender Eduardo Garcia.

But the unified bantamweight titlist can go into his fight knowing that future opponent certainly lived up to his end of the bargain.

In what was supposed to be the stiffest test of his young career, Donaire made it look easy in systematically picking apart former bantamweight champion Wladimir Sidirenko. The Filipino standout scored three knockdowns and beat his foe to a bloody pulp before stopping him in the fourth round of their televised co-feature Saturday evening at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA.

It was clear from the outset that Donaire had every intention of making good on his pre-fight promise to become the first to stop Sidirenko. The size difference was overwhelming enough; so too was the disparity in power – Donaire threw nearly every punch with mean intentions while Sidirenko punches like he’s apologizing.

Donaire took advantage, to the point of bulling the former titlist. A combination midway through the round rocked Sidirenko and drove him into the ropes. It was a lot better than what he would experience by rounds end. Donaire scored with a left uppercut, overhand right combination to floor the Ukrainian.

The knockdown came late enough in the round to where the bell spared Sidirenko from further punishment. Donaire tried to capitalize in round two, bouncing confidently and shooting his jab while trying to create an opening for something big.

It wouldn’t come at that particular moment, but it didn’t discourage Donaire from applying the very same formula in the third. His persistence paid off, as Sidirenko was floored for the second time in the fight, this time courtesy of a counter left hook.

Things wouldn’t get any better for Sidirenko, though the good news was that he would soon be put out of his misery.

Donaire closed the show in the fourth, butchering and bloodying his older, shorter foe before finishing him off with a classic one-two. Sidirenko staggered before dropping to a knee for a delayed reaction knockdown, Referee Marcos Rosales began his mandatory eight count, but recognized a finished fighter in front of him and waved off the contest.

The official time was 1:48 of the fifth round.

With the win, Donaire improves to 25-1 (17KO) and reasserts himself as one of the very best in the sport. The talent was always evident, but the competition was lacking.

Not the case here, as Sidirenko came with stellar credentials – a three year tour as bantamweight champ, though he’s falling on hard times. This was the third loss in his last four fights as the 34-year old falls to 22-3-2 (7KO).

Meanwhile, Donaire keeps rolling. The lone loss of his career came in his second pro fight, as he extends his current win streak to nine-plus years and 24 fights.

This win was by far his biggest since his breakout performance three years ago when he stopped Vic Darchinyan in five rounds for the flyweight crown.

Donaire now has a chance to trump both of those wins with the Montiel fight up ahead. Some fighters tend to fall apart when booking big fights too far in advance. Donaire never once took his eye on the prize, instead more determined to make a statement against Sidirenko.

“I’m really motivated for the Montiel fight,” states Donaire, who will finally make his long awaited HBO debut once that fight officially airs. “I wanted to win. I was motivated enough to know that I can dominate anyone.”

Though he pretty much won every second of the fight, it still took a little longer than Donaire expected. Though he didn’t predict an early exit going into the fight, the pace of the bout once the opening bell rang led him to believe it would be a quick night’s work.

It wasn’t exactly a grueling task, but Donaire insisted that it was a lot tougher than was perhaps suggested to be the case.

“He’s a tough guy. I looked in his eyes in the first round – I always know when I hurt someone, and I knew that I hurt him, but he kept coming.”

Sidirenko eventually wilted, officially stepping out of the way and clearing a path for Donaire to truly prove his worth as one of the very best in the sport. He’s already regarded as high among the best little big men in the sport, though the only remaining dispute over were he ranks in the pecking order comes down to who he’s beaten.

Sadly, there was a considerable drop off in competition in the period in between the Darchinyan bout and Saturday evening’s contest.

His most notable win in that span was a fourth round knockout of Raul Martinez earlier last year – further proof that with the right fight and motivation, you get the best out of Donaire.

There’s no better opportunity for Donaire to showcase his A-game than what lies ahead in just over two months. To his credit, Donaire himself recognizes the fight as his chance to validate any praise that has already been heaped upon him.

“I still have to beat Montiel before I’m worthy of (pound-for-pound status), but I’m honored that anyone thinks of me in that regard.”

Carl Froch Versus Arthur Abraham Full Fight

2010-11-27T23:35:00.000-08:00

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Roach favors Marquez to fight Pacquiao at 147 pounds

2010-11-27T22:34:00.000-08:00

Source: ABS-CBN News

MANILA, Philippines – Boxing coach Freddie Roach said anyone who would like to fight Manny Pacquiao, including Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez, will have to do it at the welterweight division (147 pounds).

In a report by Boxing Scene.com, Roach said he won’t let Pacquiao fight any lower than 147 pounds because that is the Filipino boxer’s natural weight.

“It's 147 (pounds). We found that, when Manny can eat, he's comfortable and doesn't have to worry about making weight. Manny weighed in at [144.6] for his fight with [Antonio] Margarito, and I know that," he said.

Some of the boxers calling out for a bout with Pacquiao belong to the lower weight classes.

Devon Alexander and Timothy Bradley both campaign at the junior welterweight division (140 lbs.). Marquez, meanwhile, is the World Boxing Association (WBA) and World Boxing Organization (WBO) lightweight (135 lbs.) champion.

"We would have to fight at 147, or else, those fights won't happen. I'm not going to let Manny fight below welterweight,” said Roach.

Other boxers being considered to fight Pacquiao include former world champion Shane Mosley and World Boxing Council (WBC) welterweight champion Andre Berto.

However, Roach sees the most attractive Pacquiao fight in Marquez.

"Because they have history between them. You know, they've fought twice, and they were close fights. They were very good fights for boxing and very competitive. Manny beat him and fought him to a draw, and Marquez knows Manny and knows what gives Manny trouble," he said.

Pacquiao first fought Marquez in May 2004. The match ended in a draw despite the Filipino scoring 3 knockdowns over the Mexican.

A rematch took place in March 2008 when the Filipino champion again decked the gutsy Mexican for a split decision.

Both fights ended in controversial fashion.

“Marquez is a very durable guy and he's got an audience and a fan base behind him. So he's marketable," said Roach.

Marquez is scheduled to defend his titles against Australian brawler Michael Kastidis on Saturday (Sunday in Manila).

Another alternative opponent for Pacquiao, and probably the first choice of most boxing fans, is unbeaten boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Mayweather, however, still has legal problems to settle after being accused of beating up his former girlfriend Josie Harris.