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NBA Finals : Miami HEAT VS San Antonio SPURS Game 7

2013-06-22T09:30:00.004-07:00

Miami Heat's LeBron James gestures to a teammate during the first quarter against the San Antonio Spurs in Game 7 of their NBA Finals basketball playoff in Miami, Florida June 20, 2013.

San Antonio Spurs point guard Tony Parker (9) talks with referee Greg Willard (57) during the second quarter of game seven in the 2013 NBA Finals

Miami Heat shooting guard Ray Allen (34) drives against San Antonio Spurs small forward Kawhi Leonard (2) during the second quarter.

San Antonio Spurs power forward Tim Duncan (21) drives against Miami Heat center Chris Bosh (1) during the first quarter..

Miami Heat small forward LeBron James (6) and power forward Chris Andersen (11) go after a loose ball .

LeBron James #6 of the Miami Heat looks to pass against Manu Ginobili #20 and Kawhi Leonard #2 of the San Antonio Spurs in the second quarter.

Bench scoring has its best-Ray Allen delivers

LeBron does almost everything well, so it is easy for him to contribute and help his team in a variety of ways. That said, the Heat need James to score big to win Game 7.

The Heat's Mike Miller and the Spurs' Danny Green react after LeBron James (helped up by Chris Andersen) is fouled as he makes a basket in the second quarter

Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade shoots over San Antonio guard Manu Ginobili during the first quarter of Game 7

first quarter

Danny Green puts up a shot over Dwyane Wade in the first quarter

Tim Duncan defends Dwyane Wade in the first quarter

Chris Bosh gets his shot blocked by Tim Duncan

Miami Heat's LeBron James defends San Antonio Spurs' Boris Diaw

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/06/20/3462337/nba-finals-game-7-heat-vs-spurs.html#storylink=cpy

Miami Heat power forward Chris Andersen (11) and point guard Mario Chalmers (15) and center Chris Bosh (1) celebrate after defeating the San Antonio Spurs in game seven in the 2013 NBA Finals at American Airlines Arena.

LeBron James (6) shakes hands with San Antonio Spurs power forward Tim Duncan (21)

Miami Heat small forward Shane Battier (31) and Mike Miller celebrate

Miami Heat players rush the court after winning Game 7

Miami Heat shooting guard Dwyane Wade (3) hugs San Antonio Spurs power forward Tim Duncan (21) as the Heat's LeBron James (6) and the Spurs' Tony Parker (9) looks on after Miami won Game 7

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra and Miami Heat president Pat Riley congratulate each other after winning Game 7 of the 2013 NBA Finals

LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh celebrate in the Heat locker room after winning Game 7

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Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/06/20/3462337/nba-finals-game-7-heat-vs-spurs.html#storylink=cpy

Cruise control: Miami dominating Game 3

2013-05-26T20:18:00.001-07:00

The Heat are well on their way to a 2-1 series lead against the host Pacers.

Some of Olympic's Smooches

2012-08-11T06:04:00.002-07:00

Misty May-Treanor of the U.S. kisses an unidentified man as she celebrates defeating Italy's Greta Cicolari and Marta Menegatti during their women's quarterfinals beach volleyball match at Horse Guards Parade during the London 2012 Olympic Games August 5, 2012. (REUTERS/Marcelo del Pozo)

Juliana Silva of Brazil climbs into the crowd as she celebrates winning the Bronze medal in the Women's Beach Volleyball Bronze medal match against China on Day 12 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Horse Guard's Parade on August 8, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Brazil's Juliana Silva, right, kisses Larissa Franca during the third set of a win over China in the women's Bronze Medal beach volleyball match at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2012, in London. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

Reese Hoffa of the U.S kisses his wife Renata (L) as he celebrates after placing third in the men's shot put final at the London 2012 Olympic Games in the Olympic Stadium August 3, 2012. Poland's Tomasz Majewski finished first ahead of Germany's David Storl who placed second and Hoffa who finished third. (REUTERS/Mark Blinch)

Sanya Richards-Ross of the U.S. kisses her husband, NFL player Aaron Ross, after she won gold in the women's 400m final during the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium August 5, 2012. (REUTERS/Phil Noble)

Britain's Victoria Pendleton kisses her fiance Scott Gardner after winning the track cycling women's keirin finals at the Velodrome during the London 2012 Olympic Games August 3, 2012. (REUTERS/Cathal McNaughton)

Britain's Mo Farah kisses his wife Tania and poses with his daughter Rihanna after winning the men's 10,000m final at the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium August 4, 2012. (REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach)

Mexico's Aida Roman kisses her silver medal during the victory ceremony for the women's individual archery event at the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Lord's Cricket Ground August 2, 2012. REUTERS/Suhaib Salem (BRITAIN - Tags: SPORT OLYMPICS SPORT ARCHERY)

Britain's Jessica Ennis (C) smiles as compatriots Katarina Johnson-Thompson (L) and Louise Hazel kiss her after she won the women's heptathlon 800m heats at the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium August 4, 2012. Ennis was the overall winner in the heptathlon. REUTERS/Phil Noble (BRITAIN - Tags: SPORT ATHLETICS OLYMPICS)

Germany's Dimitrij Ovtcharov kisses an unidentified companion after his men's team semifinals table tennis match against China at the ExCel venue during the London 2012 Olympic Games August 6, 2012. REUTERS/Darren Staples

Team USA kiss their gold medals at the victory ceremony after the women's eight finals rowing event during the London 2012 Olympic Games at Eton Dorney August 2, 2012. REUTERS/Darren Whiteside

France's basketball player Tony Parker kisses girlfriend Axelle at the men's handball Preliminaries Group A match between France and Iceland at the Copper Box venue during the London 2012 Olympic

Galen Rupp (L) kisses girlfriend Keara Sammons after winning the men's 5,000 meters final at the U.S. Olympic athletics trials

Great Britain's Peter Robert Russell Wilson kisses his girlfriend Adelle after winning the gold medal in the men's shooting double trap final at the London 2012 Olympic Games

Australia's Shane Perkins kisses his wife after the track cycling men's sprint bronze finals at the Velodrome during the London 2012 Olympic Games August 6, 2012. Perkins won both runs to win the bronze medal. REUTERS/Cathal McNaughton

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Juliana Silva of Brazil climbs into the crowd as she celebrates winning the Bronze medal in the Women's Beach Volleyball Bronze medal match against China on Day 12 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Horse Guard's Parade on August 8, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
France's basketball player Tony Parker kisses girlfriend Axelle at the men's handball Preliminaries Group A match between France and Iceland at the Copper Box venue during the London 2012 Olympic Games August 4, 2012. (REUTERS/Marko Djurica)
Andy Murray of Great Britain kisses his girlfriend, Kim Sears, after Murray defeated Roger Federer of Switzerland in the men's singles gold medal match at the All England Lawn Tennis Club at Wimbledon, in London, at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 5, 2012. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
Gold medal-winning British cyclists Laura Trott and Jason Kenny kiss whilst sitting in front of footballer David Beckham during the women's beach volleyball final at Horse Guards Parade during the London 2012 Olympic Games August 8, 2012. (REUTERS/Neil Hall)
Great Britain's Peter Robert Russell Wilson kisses his girlfriend Adelle after winning the gold medal in the men's shooting double trap final at the London 2012 Olympic Games on August 02, 2012.
Misty May-Treanor of the U.S. kisses an unidentified man as she celebrates defeating Italy's Greta Cicolari and Marta Menegatti during their women's quarterfinals beach volleyball match at Horse Guards Parade during the London 2012 Olympic Games August 5, 2012. (REUTERS/Marcelo del Pozo)
Sanya Richards-Ross of the U.S. kisses her husband, NFL player Aaron Ross, after she won gold in the women's 400m final during the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium August 5, 2012. (REUTERS/Phil Noble)
Jessica Hardy of the U.S. kisses her boyfriend Dominik Meichtry of Switzerland during a training session at the Aquatics Centre before the start of the London 2012 Olympic Games July 27, 2012. (REUTERS/Toby Melville)
Britain's Victoria Pendleton kisses her fiance Scott Gardner after winning the track cycling women's keirin finals at the Velodrome during the London 2012 Olympic Games August 3, 2012. (REUTERS/Cathal McNaughton)
Galen Rupp (L) kisses girlfriend Keara Sammons after winning the men's 5,000 meters final at the U.S. Olympic athletics trials in Eugene, Oregon June 28, 2012. (REUTERS/Steve Dipaola)
Italy's Federica Pellegrini (R) and Filippo Magnini kiss after training at the main pool at the Aquatics Centre before the start of the London 2012 Olympic Games in London July 26, 2012. (REUTERS/David Gray)
Reese Hoffa of the U.S kisses his wife Renata (L) as he celebrates after placing third in the men's shot put final at the London 2012 Olympic Games in the Olympic Stadium August 3, 2012. Poland's Tomasz Majewski finished first ahead of Germany's David Storl who placed second and Hoffa who finished third. (REUTERS/Mark Blinch)
Britain's Mo Farah kisses his wife Tania and poses with his daughter Rihanna after winning the men's 10,000m final at the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium August 4, 2012. (REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach)
Xiang Liu of China kisses a hurdle after getting injured in the Men's 110m Hurdles Round 1 Heats on Day 11 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at Olympic Stadium on August 7, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Gold medallist Michael Phelps of the United States kisses his medal following the medal ceremony for the Men's 4x100m medley Relay Final on Day 8 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Aquatics Centre on August 4, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
U.S. President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama are shown kissing on the "Kiss Cam" screen during a timeout in the Olympic basketball exhibition game between the U.S. and Brazil national men's teams in Washington, July 16, 2012. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
Yin Alvarez, coach and step-father of Danell Leyva of the U.S., kisses Leyva after he won bronze in the men's individual all-around gymnastics final in the North Greenwich Arena during the London 2012 Olympic Games August 1, 2012. REUTERS/Mike Blake (BRITAIN - Tags: SPORT OLYMPICS SPORT GYMNASTICS)
LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 08: Juliana Silva of Brazil climbs into the crowd as she celebrates winning the Bronze medal in the Women's Beach Volleyball Bronze medal match against China on Day 12 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Horse Guard's Parade on August 8, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Winner Missy Franklin of the U.S., who set a world record, receives a kiss from second-placed Russia's Anastasia Zueva (L) after the women's 200m backstroke final during the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Aquatics Centre August 3, 2012. REUTERS/Michael Dalder (BRITAIN - Tags: SPORT OLYMPICS SPORT SWIMMING TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)
Brazil's Juliana Silva, right, kisses Larissa Franca during the third set of a win over China in the women's Bronze Medal beach volleyball match at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2012, in London. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)
Vincent Hancock of the U.S. kisses his wife Rebekah as he holds their baby Brenlyn after he won the gold medal during the men's skeet finals at the Royal Artillery Barracks during the London 2012 Olympic Games July 31, 2012. REUTERS/Cathal McNaughton (BRITAIN - Tags: SPORT OLYMPICS SPORT SHOOTING)
Jamaica's Usain Bolt kisses his gold medal during the men's 100m victory ceremony during the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium August 6, 2012. REUTERS/Eddie Keogh (BRITAIN - Tags: OLYMPICS SPORT ATHLETICS)
Britain's Jessica Ennis (C) smiles as compatriots Katarina Johnson-Thompson (L) and Louise Hazel kiss her after she won the women's heptathlon 800m heats at the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium August 4, 2012. Ennis was the overall winner in the heptathlon. REUTERS/Phil Noble (BRITAIN - Tags: SPORT ATHLETICS OLYMPICS)
Dominican Republic's Felix Sanchez kisses a photo after he won the men's 400m hurdles final at the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium August 6, 2012. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez (BRITAIN - Tags: OLYMPICS SPORT ATHLETICS)
Britain's Andy Murray kisses his gold medal during the presentation ceremony after winning the men's singles tennis gold medal match against Switzerland's Roger Federer at the All England Lawn Tennis Club during the London 2012 Olympic Games August 5, 2012. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth (BRITAIN - Tags: OLYMPICS SPORT TENNIS TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)
Russia's Maria Sharapova blows a kiss as she celebrates after defeating Germany's Sabine Lisicki in their women's singles tennis match at the All England Lawn Tennis Club during the London 2012 Olympic Games August 1, 2012. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth (BRITAIN - Tags: OLYMPICS SPORT TENNIS)
Valentina Vezzali of Italy kisses the mat as she celebrates winning gold during her contest with Larisa Korobeynikova of Russia in the Women's Foil Team Fencing gold medal match against Russia on Day 6 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at ExCeL on August 2, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Hannah Johnston/Getty Images)
Brothers Bob Bryan (R) and Mike Bryan of the U.S. kiss their gold medals during the presentation ceremony after they defeated France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Michael Llodra in the men's doubles tennis final match at the All England Lawn Tennis Club during the London 2012 Olympic Games August 4, 2012. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth (BRITAIN - Tags: OLYMPICS SPORT TENNIS TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)
Iran's Navab Nasirshelal kisses weights after a successful lift in the men's 105kg Group A weightlifting clean and jerk competition at the ExCel venue during the London 2012 Olympic Games August 6, 2012. REUTERS/Grigory Dukor (BRITAIN - Tags: OLYMPICS SPORT WEIGHTLIFTING)
Gold medallist Gabrielle Douglas of the U.S. (R) kisses Russia's silver medallist Victoria Komova after the women's individual all-around gymnastics final in the North Greenwich Arena at the London 2012 Olympic Games August 2, 2012 REUTERS/Brian Snyder (BRITAIN - Tags: SPORT GYMNASTICS OLYMPICS)
During their synchronized swimming finals routine, Ukrainians Daria Iushko and Kysenia Sydorenko shared this quick and surprising kiss.
Team USA kiss their gold medals at the victory ceremony after the women's eight finals rowing event during the London 2012 Olympic Games at Eton Dorney August 2, 2012. REUTERS/Darren Whiteside

Pacquiao loses in split decision to Bradley

2012-06-09T22:29:00.001-07:00

MANILA, Philippines – American Timothy Bradley stunned the world and claimed the WBO Welterweight title by outpointing pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao via split decision Sunday (Manila Time) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

All judges scored 115-113, two in favor of the still undefeated Bradley and one for Pacquiao — who suffered his first defeat in seven years.

Bradley hung tough in the first few rounds and came out impressive in the final three, connecting with his lightning speed jabs and great combinations and making it ultimately hard for Pacquiao to get inside.

Bradley, who says he has never trained harder in his life, improved his record to 29-0-1 with 12 KOs while Pacquiao slid to 54-42 with 38 KOs.

With the loss, Pacquiao, who has not knocked out an opponent since 2009, snapped an impressive 15-fight winning streak. His last loss was to Erik Morales in 2005.

Pacquiao came out blistering in the first few rounds but Bradley has matched his intensity all throughout, and managed to elude the Filipino boxing great’s dangerous combinations and a knockout.

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Boxing: 'Worn out' Pacquiao primed for fall: Bradley

2012-06-08T16:44:00.000-07:00

LAS VEGAS, Nevada: World champion Manny Pacquiao says he's rejuvenated in body as well as spirit, but challenger Timothy Bradley says the Filipino ring icon is primed for a fall when they meet on Saturday.

"He's worn out, tired, I can see it in his eyes, the wrinkles," said Bradley, a 5-1 underdog despite his unbeaten record of 28-0 with 12 knockouts.

"This boy's not ready for me."

Pacquiao and Bradley weighed in on Friday before a raucous crowd at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, where Pacquiao's World Boxing Organization welterweight world title will be on the line on Saturday.

Pacquiao weighed in at 147 pounds (66.67kg) and Bradley tipped the scales at 146 pounds (66.22 kg).

While Pacquiao is the favorite, he has, indeed, been doubted by pundits who point to his unconvincing majority decision over Juan Manuel Marquez in November, along with such signs of weakness as debilitating leg cramps in his more recent fights.

Pacquiao, who has won titles in eight weight classes and boasts a record of 54-3 with two drawn and 38 knockouts, has since said his preparations for his last Marquez fight were hampered by marital strife, a thing of the past now that he has re-dedicated himself to God and spends his time in Bible study rather than gambling, drinking and womanizing.

"They're as happy as can be," trainer Freddie Roach said Thursday of Pacquiao and his wife, Jinkee. "He's in a much better place than he was before his last fight."

While promoter Bob Arum has characterized Pacquiao's life as "careening off the rails" prior to his spiritual re-awakening, Roach seemed to think things weren't that bad.

"He just got caught up in the limelight a little bit," Roach said. "He took a step back and looked at his life and didn't like it -- and he changed."

Roach said the change has carried over into the gym, but Bradley sounded a skeptical note this week.

"He's here, he's there, he's fornicating and now he's got his religion in place," Bradley said.

"That will help, but I don't have to throw religion in people's face. Go around saying 'Believe me' and then have three pictures of yourself and not God up there?"

Whatever the truth of Pacquiao's spiritual quest and its impact on his physical abilities, Bradley's trainer, Joel Diaz, said Saturday's fight will come down to ring skills, pure and simple.

Diaz said that's what will give his fighter a chance in what Bradley has acknowledged is the biggest bout of his life.

"Manny is a one-dimensional fighter," Diaz claimed. "He unloads a lot of punches, but he's reckless.

"He doesn't focus on his defense. You can counterpunch him all night long. And Timothy's a brawler who can move his feet and be smart enough to make any changes he needs to in there."

Roach, not surprisingly, begs to differ.

He says Bradley isn't a slick counterpuncher and won't be able to match Pacquiao's quickness.

"He's the same fighter he was as an amateur," Roach said of Bradley. "He makes the same mistakes. We're going to take advantage of them."

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WEIGHTS FROM LAS VEGAS: PACQUIAO - 147 LBS, BRADLEY - 146 LBS

2012-06-08T16:03:00.002-07:00

LAS VEGAS -- All systems go for tomorrow's big event at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino as Filipino superstar and WBO defending welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao (L) and his undefeated challenger Timothy Bradley of Palm Springs, California made weight during the official weigh-in held at the Garden Arena a few minutes ago. Pacquiao came in at the welterweight limit of 147 lbs, the heaviest weight he had in his entire career, while Bradley stepped the scales at 146 lbs. Photo by Dr Ed de la Vega.

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Arum says Pacman bout vs M'weather 'a matter of time'

2011-11-29T04:59:00.001-08:00

MANILA, Philippines - Contrary to what others may say, Top Rank chief Bob Arum yesterday said it could be just a matter of time, and a lot of money of course, before Manny Pacquiao vs Floyd Mayweather could happen.

Arum, more than two weeks after Pacquiao’s close win against Juan Manuel Marquez, said they’re silently working on the super fight with the undefeated American for next year.

Pacquiao’s adviser, Michael Koncz, dropped by Mayweather’s gym a few days ago just to let it known to the newly promoted pound-for-pound champion they want the fight.

Arum spoke to Filipino radio station dzBB yesterday morning, saying efforts are being done to make the fight happen next year or on May 5 as earlier been reported.

The fight should involve more than $100 million in guaranteed purse for both boxers, and should break all the existing records in the sport, particularly in pay-per-view sales.

The standing record of 2.4 million buys was set in 2007 in a fight between Mayweather and Oscar dela Hoya. No other fight had ever come close to matching that feat.

Unless Pacquiao vs Mayweather happens.

“It’s a lot of money and we want to make the best deal possible. People are talking about putting up huge amounts of money to get involved in the fight and that’s what we’re exploring now,” said Arum.

The guru of boxing promotions was asked if indeed the fight could take place last year, and his straight answer was, “Yes.” Arum said they’ve been in touch with investment groups that could put up the money, but did not say whether it was the same group that’s been involved in previous talks.

Mayweather was previously offered $65 million by a group from Singapore but Arum said the former turned it down because he didn’t want to fight in Pacquiao’s turf.

Arum said Mayweather thinks that all Asians are the same, and anywhere in the region is considered Pacquiao’s home turf.

“We have been working diligently talking to investment groups,” Arum told dzBB. He said there’s no date yet for the fight, but what’s important is to get the ball rolling first.

“I don’t know when. That’s to be determined. We have to see if the people talking to us (can) come up with the money and we have to see if it’s acceptable to both sides. So it’s one step at a time. But these things take time,” he said.

For the meantime, Arum said their eyes are glued on the Mayweather fight, and only if nothing comes up will Pacquiao look at other opponents.

Pacquiao will turn 33 on Dec. 16 and he normally celebrates for a month. Last night he was scheduled to host a party for his fellow congressmen at Resorts World.

His grand birthday party is set in General Santos City although insiders said there could be a change of plan, and he may hold it in his newly acquired $8.8 million home in Forbes Park.

“They’re rushing things to have the house done in time for his birthday and house blessing,” said the insider.

source -Abac Cordero

Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez III official scorecard and punch stats

2011-11-14T00:41:00.001-08:00

Here's the official scorecard from Pacquiao-Marquez III. The judges concurred on 6 of the 12 rounds – 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7.

The Telegraph had it as a draw, 114-114. I gave Pacquiao rounds 3,4,6,10,11 and 12; Marquez 1,2,5,7,8 and 9.

Here are the punch statistics:

Pacquiao ------------------ Marquez

578 TOTAL PUNCHES 436

176 TOTAL PUNCHES CONN 138

304 JABS THROWN 182

58 JABS CONN. 38

274 POWER PUN THROWN 254

117 POWER PUN CONN. 100

AVERAGE PER ROUND: Pacquiao landed 17 per round from 49 thrown, Marquez 11 from 36 thrown.

On final analysis, in a close fight there are always doubts. The judges make a decision based on individual rounds and hand their scores in each round. Over the generality of the fight, Marquez looked the more impressive; Pacquiao came on strong at the end. But all judging is subjective.

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Pacquiao edges Marquez by majority decision

2011-11-12T22:08:00.001-08:00

LAS VEGAS, Nevada: Filipino boxing star Manny Pacquiao edged Mexico's Juan Manuel Marquez by a majority decision Saturday, stretching his win streak to 15 fights with a narrow verdict in a thrilling slugfest.

Two judges gave Pacquiao the victory by scores of 116-112 and 115-113 while the third scored the fight a 114-114 draw.

The verdict had a crowd filled with Marquez supporters booing the outcome, in some ways doing little to settle the score of a rivalry that has seen Pacquiao win two close decisions after the first fight ended in a draw.

Round by Round:

First round

The fighters are feeling each other out in the center of the ring. One minute in and no punch of significance has landed. Pacquiao darts in to attack Marquez's body, but Marquez evades it and misses wildly with a looping right. Pacquiao connects with a nice right hook but Marquez lands a quick one-two to the body before the Filipino can get out of range. Another looping right from Pacquiao just glances Marquez's head and Pacquiao cracks him with a one-two just before the bell rings. A feel-out round for sure, but edge to the champ. Pacquiao 10-9.

Second round

"Ole, Ole, Ole" chants from the crowd. Pacquiao triples up the right jabs, missing all three, but connects with a follow-up right. Nice one-two to the head from Marquez, but nothing too damaging. Fighters still feeling each other out, mostly in the center of the ring. Two good lefts from Pacquiao. Marquez already looking much better than he did in his lone previous fight at welterweight vs. Floyd Mayweaher in 2009. A nice left uppercut from Marquez! The Mexican is doing a good job of staying away from Pacquiao's power, smartly trying to avoid the type of bloodbath these two waged in 2004 and '08. Marquez 10-9.

Third round

Pacquiao having trouble getting inside and landing shots. He tries again there and -- another good left uppercut from Marquez! If you're looking for a model of how Floyd Mayweather might beat Pacquiao, you're seeing it now. Left to the body from Marquez. Marquez misses with a left power shot and the crowd behind him cheers loudly despite it not connecting at all. Pacquiao finds Marquez's face with a straight left near the end of the round and follows it up with a strong right hook. Pacquiao might have gotten Marquez after the bell there as the crowd roars. Manny looking better, Marquez starting to look a little more tired. Marquez 10-9.

Fourth round

Pacquiao leads with a left and lunges in with a right. Just 45 seconds into the round and the fighters are starting to let their hands go a little bit more. Now the pace recedes again but the crowd is starting to buzz with warring chants for both men. A left-handed missile from Pacquiao whizzes safely past Marquez's face. Smart footwork from Pacquiao lured Marquez into a vulnerable position there but Manny didn't make him pay. Good left from Pacquiao but Marquez counters with a right to the body. Huge right from Marquez seems to rock Manny backward during the last 10 seconds. Marquez 10-9.

Fifth round

More feeling out through first minute as Pacquaio observes his opponent and tries to crack the code. The crowd roars as Marquez lands a left uppercut. More Marquez chants: they know their man is ahead. Marquez leads with a straight left then connects flush with a big right that rocks Pacquiao backward again. Great work from Marquez: he is just dismantling Pacquiao, who is not getting his punches off. Marquez 10-9.

Sixth round

Pacquiao looking more apprehensive now, wary of the counters, but lands a great lead right after absorbing a strong body shot from Marquez. Another left-right combo downstairs from Marquez. Pacquiao darts in and absorbs a big left hook along the ropes. Marquez lands a very nice shot in the last 10 seconds and he is clearly in control He is fighting the more disciplined fight. Pacquiao did just enough to win a round that could have gone either way, but he is definitely going to need to step on the gas with this pro-Marquez crowd making themselves heard at every opportunity. Pacquiao 10-9.

Seventh round

Marquez continues to do great damage with the right hand. Pacquiao darts in, evades the counters and lands a punch but it doesn't do much. Pacquiao is doing nothing on the interior. Lead right from Marquez misses but the follow-up doesn't, and he punctuates it with a left. More gigantic right hands from Marquez. We could have an upset in the making: Marquez is up three rounds and showing no signs of slowing down. With five rounds to go, he has Pacquiao's number. Marquez 10-9.

Eighth round

Nice straight right from Manny, but Marquez keeps moving forward. Pacquiao seems to have fallen into a familiar pattern that Marquez is very comfortable with. What a chin Pacquiao is showing: he's eaten some very big shots from the Mexican. Manny letting his hands go now but nothing finding Marquez. Pacquiao fans trying to urge their man on and he complies landing a few rights. An off night for Pacquiao but the fight is still within his reach, at five rounds to three with 12 minutes left. Pacquiao 10-9.

Ninth round

Cracking left hook from Marquez, but Pacquiao still looking good. Then an exquisite left-right-left combo from Marquez really moves Pacquiao back, but he doesn't look hurt. Pacquiao lunges in and connects with two shots, then two more. Tries again and gets tagged badly by Marquez, whose confidence is riding sky high. Unbelievable action near Pacquiao's corner! Textbook left uppercut connects with Pacquiao's chin and he manages nothing in response. The last time Pacquiao was seriously challenged in a fight was when he fought Marquez in 2008. It's happening again. Marquez 10-9.

Tenth round

Pacquiao just can't seem to find a way inside. Pacquiao lunges inside and Marquez meets him. It seems he's ready to step on the gas, sensing he may need a stoppage. But he needs to get going sooner than later. Good left from Pacquiao. Marquez starting to look like he's tired -- right now. Pacquiao is cut above his right eye (on a head butt), but it seems the tide could be shifting in the Filipino's favor. It's right there for him in the next six minutes. Pacquiao 10-9.

Eleventh round

Straight right from Pacquiao but Marquez ties him up before he can do any more damage. Pacquiao to the body for the first time in ages. An enormous left to the chin from Pacquiao seems to bother Marquez, but he's still in there, finish line creeping within view. Marquez loads up on a left but misses. Marquez face starting to look worse for wear but he is still being aggressive. Pacquiao's timing just looks awful tonight, but that's not an accident: credit to Marquez. Lots of folks on press row saying Pacquiao needs a knockout to win this fight, but I think we're looking at a draw if Pacquiao wins the 12th. Pacquiao 10-9

Twelfth round

Pacquiao lands two lefts, the first punches of consequence in the round. Marquez starting to back up a bit as Manny moved in. Four punch combo from Marquez, beautiful, none landed cleanly. Marquez's hands looking markedly slower than three rounds ago, the reality of being 38 sinking in. One minute left in this brilliant trilogy that's spanned 36 rounds and seven years. Referee Tony Weeks stops the action as Pacquiao's mouthguard falls out. Crowd jeers. Huge chants for Marquez, who throws four punches but can't do damage. Pacquiao moving forward with a big combo to end the fight. The final bell! And Marquez raises a fist to the fans. Climbs the turnbuckle and is carried around the ring. Pacquiao moves confidently back to his corner, but I think we're looking at another draw. Pacquiao 10-9.

FINAL

Michael Buffer announces the judges' scorecards: 114-114 first. Then 115-113 and 116-112 to the winner ... AND STILL ... WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao. U2's Beautiful Day plays loudly over the PA system but it can't drown out the lusty boos that are coming down over the floor.

You can't hear a word of Pacquiao's in-ring interview with Max Kellerman due to the boos cascading down from the fans who have stuck around the arena. Someone even threw a beer. They were even louder than the treatment Floyd Mayweather received after his unsportsmanlike knockout of Victor Ortiz in this same room two months ago -- and those were loud(ital). Feel badly for Marquez since his effort was nothing short of heroic, particularly given the dismal expectations many had for him, but the fight was awfully close. Maybe now he'll wear a shirt saying MARQUEZ BEAT PACQUIAO THREE TIMES!!

source sportillustrated, philboxing

Pacquiao vs Marquez: Shane Mosley Talks About Pacquiao's Unique Power

2011-11-03T06:34:00.000-07:00

In an interview with Ben Thompson of FightHype.com, "Sugar" Shane Mosley discussed the unique power of Manny Pacquiao, the man he fought on May 7 of this year, and said that Pacquiao's technique is a bigger factor than raw power and speed:

"He has some different hitting power. He's not physically strong, but he hits pretty good, like he has a good snap or something. He's got something in his hands where he just, pop, and you can wobble. He can hurt you. ... It must be the way he throws his punches. he's not that fast... He has decent speed, but it's not like, 'Oh my God, this guy is so fast.' I felt Mayweather was faster than Pacquiao. ... With Pacquiao, he just touches you and you're already wobbling."

Watching his fights at 140 and above, I've wondered if Manny just has an abnormal ability to hit guys at exactly the right time. Now obviously the shot that knocked out Ricky Hatton was a monster blow, 100% clean and right on the button. But you see his knockdowns of the other guys, or the times he clearly hurts them, and it just appears to me that he's become a master of timing, at taking the right angles, and he does have some snap on just about everything he throws. Manny doesn't waste many punches, and he doesn't waste a lot of time.

It does sort of beg the question: If big, iron-chinned Shane Mosley wobbles from being touched by Manny now, what shot does Juan Manuel Marquez have of surviving?

source Scott Christ

Juan Manuel Marquez Looks Explosive in Camp

2011-11-02T06:11:00.000-07:00

Mexico City - With an impressive display of physical strength and condition, and foot work, juan Manuel Marquez offered a public workout at the Romanza gym in Mexico City. He was surprised by the legendary coach and member of Hall of Fame, ignacio Beristain. Marquez (53-5-1, 39 KO's) will face Manny Pacquiao (53-3-2, 38 KO's) on November 12th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Marquez sparred for ten rounds, three with Alex Dilmanghani, three with Ramses Agatho and final four with Mario Zaragoza.

Source: Rafael Soto

On Nov 12th 2011 All doubts will be answered.. It will be an assurance of an explosive fight and there'll be a knocked out between the two..

Pacquiao facing the most difficult third fight with Marquez - Nacho Beristain

2011-10-31T06:42:00.000-07:00

Brief Notes from recent encounter with Hot Potato via Hollywood, California - Smarting from the previous fights of Juan Manuel Marquez and Manny Pacquiao back in 2004 and 2008, both camps may have checked all angles and exhausted all means to develop strategies and to defeat each other.

But, for Marquez's trainer Ignacio 'Nacho' Beristain, he has seen Pacquiao's blunders, even from his recently improved fighting style.

"This fight with Juan (Manuel Marquez) against Pacquiao will not be forgotten," says Beristain as translated from Spanish."It's going to be the most difficult fight for Pacquiao of all his life."

"Marquez now has developed new skills to pin down Pacquiao of his mistakes.We will surprise him and this will become a fantastic trilogy, something never before seen in the history of boxing." Beristain adds.

FLOYD MAYWEATHER VS. VICTOR ORTIZ PRESS TOUR QUOTES

2011-07-01T21:45:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, June 28 - New York City Wednesday, June 29 - Los Angeles FLOYD MAYWEATHER, Six-Time World Champion in Five Weight Divisions.

"I want to thank Victor Ortiz for stepping up to the plate and taking the test.

"I also want to say congratulations to Victor Ortiz. It's not easy to bounce back from a crucial loss. He bounced back like a true champion. I take my hat off to him.

"It's not all about the money. We all know I am going to make a ton of money. He [Ortiz] is going to make some good money too. I earned the right to make the money that I make.

"It starts here. Someone has to give him the opportunity to take the thrown. Why not let it be me?

"I don't duck or dodge anyone. This is for the fans. This is for the Pacquiao fans too. Do I want the Pacquiao fight? Absolutely, if that is what the fans want. I want to give the fans what they want, but I have to take it one step at a time. I cannot overlook Victor Ortiz.

"I don't want to hear about him [Ortiz] losing before. Right now he is the world champion. This is about me facing the world champion and fighting the best.

"My main focus is Victor Ortiz. I want to go to camp and dedicate myself.

"I want to give you excitement. I want to you to enjoy HBO 24/7.

"Anything can happen in the sport of boxing. If you beat me I want you to earn it. I don't want it to be tainted.

"This is not my last fight. Hopefully I can give you 10 more fights. I am closer to 40 than I am to 21, but I am not going anywhere.

"[To Ortiz] On Sept 17, I know you are going to be there and you are going to bring your best, and me and my team are going to bring our best.

"I have to have a lot of Mexican fans and I wouldn't be where I am today without them.

"I want to thank HBO. We have a relationship that goes far back. I am loyal to the company that I am with. I have been with HBO since the beginning of my career.

"My ultimate goal is to take the title from Victor Ortiz."

VICTOR ORTIZ, WBC Welterweight World Champion

"I realize there is a lot of love/hate going on here. Tell me one thing I haven't already heard. People who loved me left me. I have been through a bunch of bull. I am facing one of the best fighters of all of time. That was a dream of mine since I was a little kid. I am not supposed to be here according to statistics.

"I am newly crowned [champion] and I am not ready to give that up.

"It's not a challenge when you are a champion.

"I have to thank my team for motivating me. The times they wanted me to go to war, I went to war. Mayweather is a beast, but I'm a monster. If Mayweather wants to box, I will box. If he wants to bang, I will bang.

"At the end of the day, I am walking away from this fight with that championship. I'll be damned if someone is going to take that away from me.

"This is a dream to me. I am not going to put this dream down. I am going to run with it as long as I can. I want to be like Bernard Hopkins and hold my title for as long as I can.

"I don't need to match Mayweather word for word. I am not a talker. I never have been. At the end of the day, we are going to have gloves and my punches are not as soft as my words.

"I am Mexican to the fullest and I am going to show the world how the Mexicans roll.

"I am tired of hearing that he is fighting Manny Pacquiao next. He is fighting me next!"

"On September 17, there is going to be a repeat of what happened on July 7, 1985, when Roger Mayweather fought Julio Cesar Chavez."

LEONARD ELLERBE, CEO, Mayweather Promotions

"This is another Mayweather experience.

"This is going to be the biggest fight of this year.

"Floyd Mayweather doesn't need much of an introduction. He is the biggest star in the sport. He is the biggest attraction in the sport. He is the best fighter on the planet.

"Talk doesn't win fights. Skills do. Last [time] I checked, there was only one undefeated fighter on this dais.

"Mayweather has been the best in the sport since day one. He has been the biggest star in this sport since day one.

"He [Mayweather] is a Six-Time World Champion in Five Weight Divisions and he is back."

RICHARD SCHAEFER, CEO, Golden Boy Promotions

"This is going to be a real fight. It is a dangerous fight for both fighters.

"Year after year, Golden Boy Promotions and Mayweather Promotions have put together the biggest fights of the year.

"Victor Ortiz has been surrounded by the same team. He believes in them and they believe in them. There is a friendship and a mutual respect there and that is the reason that they keep going from victory to victory.

"I have to applaud Floyd for taking the fight with Victor Ortiz. He might have just challenged himself too much because he hasn't fought in 16 months. Victor Ortiz was active. He is 10 years younger. He can hurt Floyd Mayweather. He has the power and that is the story line. Is the star, the undefeated Mayweather going to remain undefeated, or is the power going to put a stop to that?"

DANNY GARCIA, Ortiz's Trainer

"Floyd Mayweather is one of the greatest champions ever, but I have the current champion and on September 17 I will have the best pound-for-pound fighter.

"We are going to work very hard, we are going to have a good plan and fight a great fight. We expect Floyd to give a great fight too.

"We want to dedicate this fight to the Mexican people.

"About two months ago we became the welterweight champion of the world and we felt amazing. We will feel even more special when we become the pound-for-pound champion on September 17."

ROLANDO ARELLANO, Ortiz's Manager

"We are not making boxing history, we are making sports history. We would like to thank Floyd Mayweather for giving a young lion an opportunity to take over his pound-for-pound kingdom.

"On September 17, we will declare war on Mayweather and Mayweather will declare war on us.

"This fight is one the greatest fight in the history of boxing. It is going to have a local impact, a regional impact, a national impact and a global impact. If you live on the moon, when Ortiz knocks out Mayweather you will about hear it.

"Victor Ortiz will change the course of boxing history, just as the Mexican warriors have before him."

BOB HALLORAN, Director of Sports, MGM Resorts International

"It took 16 months for Floyd to go 10 min away [from home].

"This is the biggest turnout of media and fans since guess when? The last time Floyd was in New York City.

"Regardless of whom you are rooting for, one man made this fight happen [Mayweather]. The reason he [Ortiz] is here is because he is a world champion, and this man elected him to be his next opponent.

"Mayweather is a minus 750 favorite and Ortiz is a plus 525 underdog."

# # #

"STAR POWER: Mayweather vs. Ortiz" is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions, and sponsored by Cerveza Tecate, DeWALT Tools and AT&T. The 12-round mega-fight, which will be contested for Ortiz's WBC Welterweight World Championship, will take place Saturday, Sept. 17 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nev. and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

An announcement regarding ticket availability will be made in the coming days.

HBO®'s Emmy® Award-winning all-access series "24/7" premieres an all new edition when "24/7 Mayweather/Ortiz" debuts Saturday, Aug. 27 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. The four-part series will air for three consecutive Saturday nights before the finale airs the night before the welterweight championship showdown in Las Vegas.

SOURCE

Mavericks overcome James’ triple-double, lead 3-2

2011-06-09T21:18:00.000-07:00

DALLAS (AP)—Dirk Nowitzki(notes) scored 29 points, driving for the go-ahead dunk with 2:45 remaining, as the Dallas Mavericks beat the Miami Heat 112-103 on Thursday to take a 3-2 lead in the NBA finals.

Five years after going up 2-0 on the Heat, the Mavs finally got that elusive third victory, and can wrap up their first championship in Game 6 at Miami on Sunday.

Miami’s LeBron James(notes), who called this game “now or never,” responded from his worst playoff performance with 17 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, and Dwyane Wade(notes) battled through a sore left hip after a first-quarter collision to finish with 23 points.

The Heat get the final two games at home, but history is against them as they try to win a title in their first season together: In the 26 previous times finals that were tied 2-2, the Game 5 winner won 19 of them.

The Mavs shot 60 percent through three quarters, briefly gave up the lead in the fourth, then controlled the final few minutes, just as they had in thrilling comebacks in Games 2 and 4.

This time, they got to play from ahead thanks to some sizzling shooting: 56.5 percent from the field, including 13 of 19 (68 percent) from 3-point range.

Jason Terry(notes) scored 21 points and J.J. Barea(notes) had 17 for the Mavs, with Nowitzki briefly throwing both arms in the air as he walked off the court surrounded by a sea of blue fans who hope he’ll bring home a championship trophy if they can pull out another victory in Miami.

James scored eight points, going just 3 of 11 in Game 4, the first time in 90 postseason games he didn’t hit double figures. It’s been a rough first finals in Miami for James, who has been accused of everything from “shrinking” to “checking out” in the fourth quarters, when he had just nine points through the first four games.

Trying to pump himself up, James wrote “Now or Never!!” on his Twitter page early Thursday morning, later calling this the biggest game of his career.

But they feel the same urgency in Dallas, where the slogan “The Time is Now” is printed on those blue T-shirts that surround the court, and where the Mavs are loaded with 30-somethings—late 30s, in Jason Kidd’s(notes) case—who could be on their last shot at an NBA title.

source

Pacquiao's $65 million offer from billionaire Slim will be explored, Arum says

2011-06-06T06:34:00.000-07:00

When you see the names of moneymen such as Chavit Singson and Carlos Slim in the same sentence, you’ve got to pay attention, especially when a $65 million guaranteed purse for Pacquiao is prominently mentioned.

And, Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum just told me by phone from Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon, he certainly will check the story out, first thing Monday morning by speaking to Singson by telephone.

“I saw the story and I don’t take it as gospel but Slim is one of the richest people in the world and Chavit, who I know so well, is a very serious guy,” Arum said. “I will phone Chavit on this.”

Altough Alvarez, only 20 years old, (Alvarez, a welterweight with a record of 36 wins, no losses, and one draw) is promotionally tied to Top Rank’s familiar adversary Golden Boy, that shouldn’t be a problem if a one man bank like Mr. Slim is putting up the dinero for both fighters.

“Well,” Arum said, “they are talking about next year. Manny has the key third fight against Juan Manuel Marquez coming up on Nov. 12 and then we can discuss 2012. I don’t know when Manny will want to fight next year, whether we stick to May and November, because that’s up to Manny and his schedule, what he wants to do.

“But these are two serious people so I take it seriously. I know Chavit (governor of the province of Ilocos Sur and former national security adviser under President Gloria Marcapagal Arroyo) as a great guy and Slim happens to be one of the richest men in the world.”

Back in 2007, Slim, who made much of his fortune as an international telecommunications mogul, had a net worth estimated at between 59 billion and 67.8 billion dollars.

Alvarez, whose red hair led to his nickname of “Canelo,” has a huge and growing following in both Mexico and the United States but he would seem to be, at this stage anyway, hardly mature enough to be very competitive against Pacman, the Pound for Pound king of the sport.

Slim is an ardent boxing fan and, working with Don Jose Sulaiman and the WBC, has funded some sorely needed pensions for retired Mexican fighters, including many ex-world champions.

source

Wade, James lift Heat to 2-1 lead in NBA finals

2011-06-05T21:32:00.000-07:00

DALLAS (AP)—Dwyane Wade(notes) kept soaring and scoring, doing everything he could to get the Miami Heat a crucial win towards an NBA title.

Chris Bosh(notes) and Udonis Haslem(notes) provided the final push to seal the key victory.

Bosh made a 16-foot, go-ahead jumper from the baseline with 39.6 seconds left and Haslem pestered Dirk Nowitzki(notes) the rest of the way as the Heat held on for an 88-86 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday night for a 2-1 lead in the NBA finals.

“This is a total win,” said Wade, who led Miami with 29 points and 11 rebounds. “You want to win the game on the defensive end of the floor and we got a stop.”

Recent history says this is a huge win for the Heat. The Game 3 winner in a tied finals has won the championship all 11 times since the 2-3-2 format began in 1985.

The Heat go into Game 4 on Tuesday night with a chance to do what they did in 2006: win it all on Dallas’ floor. They’ll need to win that game and the next, on Thursday night.

With all its star power, many expected Miami to be planning a victory parade by now, especially after a solid victory in Game 1. But the Heat blew a 15-point lead in the last quarter of Game 2, and nearly did it again this time, coughing up a 14-point lead.

Miami recovered to lead 81-74 with 6:31 left. Everyone knew Nowitzki would drive Dallas’ rally, but it didn’t matter. He still scored 12 straight points— six free throws, a layup, a dunk and a tough jumper—tying it at 86.

Shawn Marion(notes) pestered LeBron James(notes) into a 24-second violation that left Wade pounding both fists on his head in frustration. Jason Terry(notes) missed a chance to put the Mavericks ahead, then Bosh nailed his clutch jumper from the left side, a huge thrill for the Dallas native who’d been 0-8 in his hometown.

The Mavericks of course went back to Nowitzki on its last two chances, and his streak ran out. He tried passing out of a Haslem-led double team and threw the ball into the stands, then hit the back iron on a jumper over Haslem as time ran out.

Haslem anticipated what Nowitzki was going to do and walked the fine line between disrupting the shot while avoiding a foul.

“He’s a great player, 7 feet, so he’s going to shoot over me,” Haslem said. “I’ve got to make it tough on him.”

When the buzzer went off, Haslem swung his arms and screamed in delight while a frenzied crowd of 20,340 sighed in agony.

“It was a good offensive play, and a good defensive play,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “And he happened to miss.”

Wade and Bosh each scored seven points in the fourth quarter. Bosh, who played through a a swollen left eyelid caused by a poke during the first quarter, finished with 18 points.

James added 17 points and nine assists. He also had four turnovers, including a pair during the fourth quarter—not counting the shot-clock violation—that helped bring Dallas back.

Nowitzki scored 15 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter, but didn’t get much help.

Terry scored 15 and Shawn Marion had 10. Both were shut out in the fourth quarter. The only other scorers were backup point guard J.J. Barea(notes) early in the quarter and Tyson Chandler(notes) dunking off a rebound.

“We have to have somebody step up besides Dirk,” said Jason Kidd(notes), who had nine points and 10 assists, but also four turnovers. Giveaways haunted Dallas throughout the game, especially the first half, helping keep Miami comfortably ahead. “We have to figure out how to get up front and play up front. The big thing is we’ve got to be able to make plays late in the game. Game 2 we made the plays, Game 3 we just didn’t.”

Dallas was without backup center Brendan Haywood(notes) because of a hip injury. His absence meant more minutes for several frontcourt players, and it put Ian Mahinmi(notes) on the court for 8 minutes. He scored two points and committed five fouls.

Wade was at his dynamic best from the start, looking like the guy who soared and scored the Heat past Dallas and to the title in ’06.

Most of his baskets came in the paint—where the Heat outscored the Mavs, 40-22—and many of them were spectacular. But he also stemmed Dallas’ rally by hitting a go-ahead jumper over Kidd for Miami’s second-to-last basket.

James came in talking about being more aggressive, but wasn’t. He went more than 6 minutes before taking his first shot, but certainly made it worth the wait—a drive through the teeth of the defense for a powerful dunk. He also had a two-handed jam in the second half that put Miami up by 13.

The Heat just couldn’t put the Mavs away. Dallas would surge close or ahead, then Miami would turn it up again. The final 18 minutes played out with both teams realizing any possession could change the game and the series.

Nothing came easy for anyone. Shots were contested, bodies collided for every rebound and guys were flying into the stands after loose balls. Fans stood throughout, wearing their blue gimme T-shirts and fired up by videos such as one featuring encouraging words from Roger Staubach, Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Nolan Ryan and others.

Yet it was the visitors from Miami who walked off celebrating.

“Now we just have to move on,” Spoelstra said. “The tough part right now is amnesia. Both teams are highly competitive, this is a competitive series as you can see. We have to really gather ourselves in 48 hours and get right back and do this again.”

Spoelstra talked about wanting his guys to get back to their identity of being “an aggressive, attacking team that tries to get into the paint, to the rim, to the free throw line.” They followed that script to a 14-point lead late in the second quarter, then fell into the same bad habits they showed at the end of Game 2, letting Dallas get within 47-42 at the break.

Maybe Miami players just got bored because things were coming so easily.

James and Wade seemed to get whatever shot they wanted, whenever they wanted. But they kept trying to get others involved. They especially force-fed Bosh, even though his left eye was swollen from an early, accidental poke by Jason Kidd; he missed 7 of 9 in the first half.

The Heat also made things tough on Nowitzki by keeping him from even getting the ball. He took only two shots in the first quarter. He didn’t start getting free until Miami’s lead grew and guys were less intense on defense.

NOTES: Dallas fell to 8-2 at home this postseason. … The Heat and Mavs have each won a road game this series, which should be no surprise. They tied for the best road record in the NBA this season. … Bosh was booed as much as any Miami player during pregame introductions. So much for fans cutting the local kid some slack. … The Mavs fell to 2-1 this postseason in games officiated by Dan Crawford. Dallas came into this postseason having lost 16 of its last 17 playoff games he worked. … Aikman and Terrell Owens sat about 10 seats apart on the same row. Owens attended games in Miami, too. … Shades of the 2008 NCAA finals: Chalmers beat the first-quarter buzzer with a 3-pointer.

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Arum: Mayweather turned down $65 million this week to fight Pacquiao

2011-06-03T17:39:00.000-07:00

"I'm an optimist, and I always felt that they'd eventually fight. At this point, I really feel that they'd never fight. Recently, as recent as this week, legitimate people from Singapore offered Mayweather 65 million dollars to fight Manny Pacquiao and turned he it down. 65 million is obviously is a sum Manny Pacquiao would accepted. Now what does that tell you?" -- Bob Arum

Nobody gets people in boxing talking like boxing reporter Elie Seckbach. Recently, Elie asked Top Rank CEO Bob Arum if he thinks that Floyd Mayweather Jr. will ever face Manny Pacquiao. Arum's answer was quite revealing.

Arum admitted that as much as he wants to be optimistic that the fight the world wants to see between Pacquiao and Mayweather will eventually be made, the series of roadblocks coming from the Mayweather camp since the initial negotiations for the fight back in late 2009 all the way to as recent as this week when he was offered $65 million to fight Pacquiao, he is convinced that Mayweather wants no part of the superfight.

"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 told Seckbach.

Whether you take Arum's word or not, Mayweather's actions since this whole Pacquiao fight was thrown at him is definitely alarming. Mayweather flip-flops from bashing Pacquiao to mumbling and not even being able to say his name altogether. The money is there. The drug testing has been agreed upon. Why is Mayweather making things so difficult for this fight to be made?

With one contradicting statement after another, Mayweather is only making fools out of people that believe him, and a mockery of the sport that made him- unless of course if you ask his pom-pom girl and boxing blogger Ben Thompson of FightHype.com, who's site's slogan is "A Fight is a Fight" (Thompson's is to kiss a fighter's butt so the Twitter TMZ-style reporter can brag that they are BFFs). Unfortunately, Mayweather won't even fight.

source

Nowitzki rallies Mavs to win that ties NBA finals (series tie 1-1)

2011-06-02T21:24:00.000-07:00

MIAMI (AP)—Dirk Nowitzki(notes) and the Dallas Mavericks put a stunning end to their misery in Miami.

Now they can win their first NBA title without ever coming back to South Florida.

Nowitzki made the tie-breaking layup with 3.6 seconds left, and the Mavericks roared back from 15 points down in the fourth quarter to beat the Heat 95-93 on Thursday night and tie the NBA finals at one game apiece.

Capping a furious rally by scoring Dallas’ final nine points, Nowitzki’s final two baskets were left-handed—despite a torn tendon on that non-shooting hand. He finished with 24 points.

Dwyane Wade(notes) had 36 points for Miami, but his desperation 3-pointer was off at the buzzer.

Game 3 is Sunday in Dallas.

Seemingly out of the game when the Heat led 88-73 with 7:15 remaining, Dallas held the Heat to just one field goal from there, a 3-pointer by Mario Chalmers(notes) with 24.5 seconds that tied it just 2 seconds after Nowitzki’s 3 had made it 93-90.

But after a timeout, Jason Kidd(notes) ran the clock down before getting the ball to Nowitzki, who drove into the lane, spun back to the left and made the layup.

Jason Terry(notes), largely silent since the first half of Game 1, fueled the comeback with a couple of jumpers and finished with 16 points. Shawn Marion(notes) had 20 points for the Mavericks, who had lost four straight finals games in Miami since taking a 2-0 lead in the 2006 series.

They were about to go down 2-0 this time before Nowitzki, who insisted his injured finger wouldn’t hinder him, led a rally even more amazing than the one that won Game 4 of the Western Conference finals, when the Mavs trailed Oklahoma City by 15 in the fourth quarter before pulling it out in overtime.

LeBron James(notes) scored 20 points for the Heat.

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James, Wade lead charge as Heat eliminate Bulls

2011-05-26T21:13:00.000-07:00

CHICAGO (AP)—LeBron James (notes), Dwyane Wade (notes) and Chris Bosh (notes) joined to win a championship. Well, now they have their shot. James scored 28 points, Wade added 21, and they led a furious rally in the final minutes as the Miami Heateliminated Derrick Rose (notes) and the Chicago Bulls 83-80 in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals on Thursday.

James and Wade were simply spectacular down the stretch, each scoring eight during a game-ending 18-3 run as Miami wiped out a 12-point deficit to win the series.

Now, the Heat are headed back to the NBA finals for the first time since 2006, and in a fitting twist, they’ll be facing the Mavericks. Back then, with Wade leading the way, Miami beat Dallas to capture the championship. This time, it’ll be James and Dirk Nowitzki (notes) going for their first rings.

The Heat will host Game 1 on Tuesday night.

For Miami’s Big Three, this was the plan right from the start. The Heat had their difficulties along the way, but look at them now.

They just knocked off the team that won more games than any other, that boasted the league’s MVP in Rose and sent expectations soaring around Chicago in a way not seen since Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen were racking up championships.

Rose led Chicago with 25 points but hit just 9 of 29 shots. He fouled Wade on a key four-point play and missed a tying free throw with 26.7 seconds left.

James had 11 rebounds and six assists. Wade’s late surge helped negate his nine turnovers. Bosh added 20 points and 10 rebounds as the Heat pulled out a dramatic win.

The Bulls looked like they were in good shape up 77-65 with about three minutes to go, but Wade started the deciding run with a runner and layup. A 3 by James pulled Miami within 77-72 with 2:07 left. Rose then scored on a spin move in the lane, but fouled Wade as he nailed a 3, resulting in a four-point play.

Then, after a miss by Rose, James tied it at 79 with another 3 with 1:01 remaining, sending a loud groan through the arena.

James buried another jumper to put Miami ahead 81-79 with 29.5 seconds left. Rose immediately got fouled by James, but missed the second free throw after making the first.

Kurt Thomas (notes) then tipped the inbounds pass, but the Heat recovered, leading to two free throws for Bosh. The Bulls still had one more chance to tie it, but Kyle Korver (notes) got doubled up top and passed to Rose on the wing. His 3-pointer got blocked by James, with Udonis Haslem (notes) doubling him as time expired.

Now, James and his gang have their title shot.

He came close with Cleveland, getting all the way to the finals in 2007 but never could win it all. His surge at the end capped a terrific series in which he repeatedly made big shots and helped contain Rose at times.

For Chicago, it was simply a bitter end.

After losing out on their bid to land two of the Big Three in free agency, they built a solid team that leaped to the top of the Eastern Conference with a league-leading 62 wins. That’s probably little consolation after they let this one slip away.

They took the opener 103-82, but the series soured for them after that. They were in every game and led this one for much of the way.

Things were looking good in the early going, with Luol Deng (notes) scoring 14 points as they built a 45-38 halftime lead. That included a highlight reel sequence late in the first half, when he stole a pass from James and threw down a vicious one-hander over him on the break, getting fouled in the process.

He missed the free throw, but Rose scored on a layup after a miss byMike Bibby (notes) to put Chicago ahead 16-15. And the Bulls outscored the Heat 15-6 over the final four-plus minutes of the period to take a 25-21 lead.

The lead reached 12 midway through the second after a two-plus minute stretch in which Chicago ran off seven straight and the Heat committed four turnovers—three by Wade. Two of his turnovers led to baskets for Chicago, with C.J. Watson (notes) stealing his dribble and feeding Ronnie Brewer (notes) for a fast-break layup and Carlos Boozer (notes) nailing a jumper to make it a 12-point game midway through the quarter.

Notes: Not since the Houston Rockets dropped Game 1 to Phoenix in the 1995 Western Conference semifinals had a team won a best-of-seven after dropping the opener by more than 20. Twenty-three teams had lost Game 1’s in that situation and gone on to lose the series before the Heat eliminated the Bulls. … Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau had high praise for rookie center Omer Asik (notes), who missed the game with a season-ending broken left fibula. “He wasn’t a typical rookie, in the sense that he had been in a lot of big games (for the Turkish national team) and he had played against a lot of NBA players before. I think he’s got that quiet confidence, he’s very smart, he’s got a great work ethic. And you could see the second time around in the league, how much improvement he’d made, how he studies and prepares himself to play. He’s got a great future. He’s done a terrific job for us.” With Asik out, veteran Brian Scalabrine (notes) was active.

source

Pacquiao Takes Decision, but Doesn’t Win Over Fans

2011-05-07T23:55:00.000-07:00

LAS VEGAS — For much of his welterweight title defense on Saturday, Manny Pacquiao heard from the MGM Grand crowd a unified sound rarely belted at his boxing matches. As Pacquiao and Shane Mosley tapped gloves, made small talk and generally engaged in a glorified sparring session, the crowd, once rowdy, once standing, once into it, simply booed.

When it ended, Pacquiao (53-3-2), the winner by unanimous decision, hung his head in victory. He did not look happy. Neither did the crowd.

Pacquiao counts “I want to entertain the fans” among his favorite phrases, and for much of the bout, he tried. He knocked down Mosley (46-7-1-1) in the third round and stalked him throughout. But this felt more like a first date than a typical night featuring Pacquiao’s furious fists. He retained his World Boxing Organization belt, but without the usual panache.

As the decision was announced, his wife smiled nervously on the arena big screen. Even Gus Johnson, perhaps broadcasting’s most excitable announcer, shrugged and shook his head as he walked from his front-row seat.

“We tried our best,” Pacquiao said. “We both tried our best.”

The signs of the fight’s pacing and style came early, perhaps as early as the sixth round, when someone in Mosley’s corner yelled, “He’s not your friend, Shane!” Still, Mosley continued to engage far less than expected. Of course, Pacquiao tends to have that effect on opponents. To engage is to walk willingly into the fastest hands in boxing, which, by the end of the sixth round, had swollen Mosley’s face.

In Round 10, Mosley registered his own knockdown, which appeared on replay more like a push. This actually qualified as action. Mosley spent much of the final two rounds pedaling backward like an N.F.L. cornerback. Ultimately, the event again begged an answer to boxing’s most important question: when, if ever, will Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight?

“I don’t care,” Pacquiao said. “I’m satisfied with what I’ve done in boxing. I want to fight Mayweather because the people want it.”

Afterward, Mosley agreed he had taken too few risks. He said he had never planned to be aggressive. He also said a blood blister opened on his foot.

Pacquiao said his legs had tightened in the fourth round, which he described as a problem throughout training camp. This hampered his movement and leverage. Given that, his trainer, Freddie Roach, labeled his performance as “gutsy.”

Mosley also tossed compliments at his opponent, while declining to address his thoughts on retirement. “I just fought the best fighter in the world,” he said. “He has power, exceptional power, that I’ve never been hit with before.”

Before the action, Pacquiao greeted Senator Harry Reid and the entrepreneur Steve Wynn in his dressing room, multitasking right up until the fight. He entered to the theme song from “Rocky” before an audience of 16,412, which included Tyrese, Jamie Foxx and Paris Hilton. Mosley sauntered in first, to L. L. Cool J.’s hit song “Mama Said Knock You Out.”

Despite the inaction early, Pacquiao kept stalking, kept charging, kept chasing Mosley around the ring. Late in the third round, he blitzed Mosley, landing a right hand, then a straight left that dropped Mosley to the canvas. The crowd, sensing a knockout, rose to its feet. Mosley looked dazed afterward, and stumbled back to his corner, limping.

At the start of the fourth round, Mosley appeared confused. Pacquiao continued his assault, overwhelming his older, slower opponent with typical speed and precision, when possible at least. Mosley’s corner implored him to go forward, but he seemed simply overmatched.

Earlier Saturday, Pacquiao was involved in a fender bender, as first reported by TMZ and confirmed later by his camp. Those close to him described the accident as minor and Pacquiao as unharmed. But Pacquiao is extremely habitual by nature. He fights on the same days, follows the same routines and makes no secret of his superstitions. Even a missed meal makes him grumpy.

Thus the question lingered. Would this disruption, however minor, affect his mind-set? (No.)

In recent months, Pacquiao served in Congress in the Philippines, collaborated with the singer-songwriter Dan Hill on seven versions of Hill’s “Sometimes When We Touch,” visited Washington for the first time and met President Barack Obama. Basically, a normal month.

On Saturday, he returned to what he does best, annihilating foes inside a boxing ring, perhaps better than any current fighter on the planet. For this fight, Pacquiao received $20 million guaranteed; Mosley, $5 million.

The promotion lacked the usual, often manufactured, boxing animosity, as if the fighters were competing to win dual Mr. Congeniality awards. On Friday, after Pacquiao weighed in at 145 pounds and Mosley tipped the scale at 147, they even hugged.

Their boxing bromance stood in stark contrast to the action expected in the ring. In Pacquiao’s last fight, a battering of Antonio Margarito last November, he threw more than 1,000 punches, according to CompuBox. In four of his last five fights, Pacquiao bludgeoned Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Joshua Clottey and Margarito, none of whom have fought since.

On Wednesday, Pacquiao’s promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank Boxing, noted that Margarito had been told “by a number of doctors he will never be able to fight again,” a result of the still-not-healed orbital bone Pacquiao had fractured. “Look at the careers he ended,” Arum said.

Will Mosley be next in line? He did not say. But Saturday marked his third straight lackluster fight. He started his career with 38 wins. His record since: 8-7-1-1.

News from Pacquiao’s training camp helped make Mosley an underdog in the 7:1 to 9:1 range. Roach declared the camp Pacquiao’s best ever. Roach said Pacquiao had never been in better shape.

Early into fight week, word leaked that Pacquiao planned to fight Juan Manuel Marquez for the third time in his next contest. Yet afterward, Arum said, “Nobody is going to beat this guy.” So why not put him against Mayweather, the other candidate for best boxer on the planet?

source: New York times

Manny Pacquiao weighs in lighter than Shane Mosley

2011-05-06T17:52:00.000-07:00

LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - Manny Pacquiao weighed in just two pounds lighter than American Shane Mosley after the Filipino was welcomed by deafening cheers from his supporters on the eve of Saturday's WBO welterweight title fight.

Pacquiao, 52-3-2 (38 knockouts), tipped the scales at 145 pounds in front of a boisterous crowd of about 6,500 at the MGM Grand Hotel's Garden Arena.

Mosley, 46-6-1 (39 KOs), was weighed first and was right on the 147-pound limit for the scheduled 12-round bout.

The two fighters were all smiles as they posed for the photographers for their pre-fight pictures and they embraced one another once that task was done.

"I am just so excited to be in this fight," Mosley, a 39-year-old veteran who is a three-division world champion, said on the stage. "The whole world is watching. It should be great."

Pacquiao, a 10-times world champion in a record eight weight divisions, is a 6-1 favorite to win but he has taken great pains not to underestimate his American challenger.

"I believe that Shane Mosley is a strong fighter, a good fighter," the 32-year-old Filipino said. "He has trained hard for this fight so I have to train hard and focus on this fight."

Pacquiao and Mosley are renowned for being ideal boxing ambassadors and have refused to indulge in any of the pre-bout trash-talking so common in the sport.

NO TRASH TALKING

"This is a good example for the boxing fans and for all the fighters," Pacquiao told reporters earlier this week.

"The fight will be happy and a good example for the children who are idolizing the fighters, especially Mosley and me."

The atmosphere was electric as the two fighters made their way on to a raised stage for Friday's televised weigh-in where former boxing great Roberto Duran and Britain's WBA world light welterweight champion Amir Khan were among those attending.

Shouts of "Manny, Manny" rang out before the tracksuit-clad boxers finally emerged, Pacquiao and Mosley each smiling and waving to the fans before stepping on to the scales.

There were also friendly boos for Mosley who, despite being born in nearby Pomona, California, had a much smaller number of supporters in the arena.

Pacquiao is fighting for the first time since he recorded a ruthless points victory over Mexican Antonio Margarito in November for his eighth world title in an unprecedented eight weight class.

Mosley has not competed in the ring since his draw with Sergio Mora in September.

Pacquiao, already acknowledged as one of the best offensive fighters of all time, is guaranteed $20 million from Saturday's bout while Mosley will earn a minimum $5 million.

source: Mark Lamport-Stokes

PACQUIAO - 145 LBS, MOSLEY - 147 LBS

2011-05-06T17:43:00.000-07:00

May 6, 2011, Las Vegas, Nevada -- (L-R) Filipino Superstar Manny Pacquiao (L) weighed in at 145 lbs and "Sugar" Shane Mosley came in at 147 lbs for their World Welterweight championship fight Saturday, May 7 (Sunday May 8 in Manila) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Pacquiao vs Mosley is promoted by Top Rank in association with MP Promotions, Sugar Shane Mosley Promotions, Tecate and MGM Grand. The Pacquiao vs Mosley telecast will be available live on SHOWTIME Pay Per View.

source: phil.boxing

Manny Pacquiao declares war....

2011-05-05T08:46:00.000-07:00

LAS VEGAS, Nev. - Manny Pacquiao (52-3-2) and Shane Mosley (46-6-1) held a final pre-fight press conference on Wednesday at the MGM Grand for their welterweight title fight on May 7. Plato once said that "the measure of a man is what he does with power."

On Wednesday, the 5' 6.5" former flyweight, who wields power in boxing and politics, announced his intention of giving poverty a black eye. "All of my life, I’ve had to fight," said Pacquiao. "As a child I had to fight to eat," Pacquiao said.

"Now when I fight, the Filipinos call me a hero. I think the world needs more heroes." Video: Final pre-fight press conference

The World Bank estimates that 45 percent of the population live on less than $2 per day. Sarangani, where Pacquiao serves as congressman, is considered one of the poorest provinces in the Philippines.

"My biggest fight is not in boxing. My biggest fight is to end poverty in my country, Pacquiao added. "I will be wearing yellow gloves into the ring on Saturday – as a symbol of unity in the fight against poverty."

"In Manila, Manny would wake up at 5:30 in the morning and jog around the city wearing only slippers," Ben Delgado, Pacquiao's former trainer, told Examiner.com. "He would eat only three tiny pieces of pandesal (bread) for the entire day. That was all he could afford. I really pitied him. But he was never discouraged," said Delgado.

Victory at all costs; victory however long and hard the road. For Pacquiao, there was no survival without victory.

Speaking of his desire to help, Pacquiao said: "I hope to help them . . . . I was just thinking, imaging that I could help them. I could feel what they are feeling because I’ve been there."

PacMan Yellow >

The PacMan urged his fans to wear yellow this Saturday. The color is a symbol for happiness, joy and optimism - traits that hardly escape a man who began his fighting career at 98 lbs., and who now transforms into a fearsome whirling dervish inside the ring. Someone rival Floyd Mayweather Jr (41-0) wants no part of.

Pacquiao has a guaranteed purse of $20 million while the Pomona-native has a $5 million guarantee with both able to share on financial incentives from pay-per-view revenue.

Manny Pacquiao:

"I’d like to thank everyone involved with this promotion – the MGM, Top Rank, SHOWTIME and CBS. It’s my first time on CBS. It’s good to be back in Las Vegas. I miss being in Vegas for a big fight.

There has not been trash talk for this fight, and I am happy for that. It sets a good example for the children who idolize fighters. In my life, this is the best promotion I’ve ever had (been involved in).

I am looking forward to Saturday and making a good fight with Shane Mosley for the fans. I am definitely not taking this fight lightly and I am not underestimating Shane Mosley. Mosley has good hand- and foot-speed and he moves like he is 31 or 32.

Both of us have worked hard and had great training camps. We will both be doing our best, which should make for a lot of action and make the fans happy. I will be happy if this happens."

Shane Mosley:

"Pacquiao is a short welterweight, but he’s not a small welterweight. He’s very powerful. This is like a Mike Tyson fight – we’re heavyweights out there. I’m looking to go out there, take charge and beat Manny Pacquiao.

We’re going to go out there and not take our foot off the gas pedal.

I can muster all that energy that I had against Margarito. This type of fight reminds me of when I was able to do a lot of damage in the lightweight division. It’s kind of like going back in time.

I think I can do all the things I could do in the ring five years ago. Ten years ago, I can’t think back that far.

I’m a great fighter but I’m a regular person at heart. I think that’s why a lot of people are attracted to me

I don’t know, that’s what the odds makers are saying. That’s fine with me. The main goal is to get the win and then we can talk about being an underdog. I don’t pay attention to that – I’ve been an underdog in a lot of my fights.

Every time I fight my goal is to give a great fight. I always want to do my best, whether I knock him out in the 12th, 10th, whatever.

I think living healthy and living clean, keeping myself active even when I’m not fighting (is what keeps me young). I think that’s why I’m still able to do this. Maybe it’s good genetics, too. I still feel good, I still feel young. I feel like I could fight for years.

That’s great. Floyd does what he does and he says what he says. But, for the most part, we’re all friendly with the Mayweather family and I think that’s why he’s pulling for me."

Bob Arum:

"It’s no secret we’ve been out of Las Vegas with Manny Pacquiao fights for over a year. We had two fights in Dallas but I’m happy to say we’re back because Las Vegas needs an event like this. Hundreds of millions of dollars will be brought into Las Vegas with this event.

The way we’ve conducted this promotion is something new to the sport of boxing. The pairs of eyeballs that watch Fight Camp 360 is well over three million and by Saturday it will be well over four million.

The measure will be that more people will be able to know and do know about this fight than any other fight in recent memory.

Everybody loves “Sugar” Shane Mosley because he respects his opponent and he respects the sport. But when he gets in the ring he has a fire in his belly. When the opponent gets in the ring and is ready to fight nobody is braver than Shane Mosley."

Freddie Roach:

"I’m very proud of Manny and the training camp he just went through. He said at the start that this was a tough fight and he has trained his butt off since Day 1.

This is definitely a tough fight but Manny is 100 percent ready. We have a great team. I want to thank the entire camp for helping make this the best camp ever.

Manny is in the best shape ever. He knows he has to be. We are facing a determined guy who is extremely crafty and experienced.

We anticipate a sensational championship event this weekend and we know the fans in the sold-out arena and those watching on TV will witness a battle between two of the sport’s greatest champions.

Manny Pacquiao will return to MGM Grand for the first time since 2009 and looks to earn his fourth straight win inside this arena. He will once again bring his high-energy action to the ring while entertaining his supporters not only from the Philippines but those around the Globe.

It’s also a pleasure to welcome back Shane Mosley to MGM Grand, where he fought exactly one year ago. Mosley has had tremendous success here and in Las Vegas over the course of his career. We are obviously anxious once again to see the skills and exceptional speed he brings into the ring each time he fights."

Naazim Richardson:

"I’m very protective of my athletes. You have to protect them and look out for their best interests.

Margarito took shots early in the fight from Shane Mosley that, to this day, I’m still surprised. Margarito is a special athlete and what Shane did still surprises me.

We tend to overlook the high IQ that Shane has in boxing.

It’s not about him trying to be like Pacquiao. This is a legend. This is “Sugar” Shane Mosley. He doesn’t have to be like Pacquiao. He has to be “Sugar” Shane Mosley. If he can be the best “Sugar” Shane Mosley then Manny Pacquiao is going to have problems.

Shane Mosley is a great person; he just happens to know how to fight his ass off.

source:

You’re not talking about an ordinary guy getting older. You’re talking about a legend. “Sugar” Shane Mosley doesn’t have to match Manny Pacquiao because he’s bringing his own weapons."

Filipino singer Charice Pempengco from TV show “Glee” thrilled to sing anthem at Pacquiao-Mosley bout

2011-04-27T07:38:00.000-07:00

MANILA, Philippines — Charice Pempengco of the hit TV show “Glee” says she has been chosen to sing the Philippine national anthem ahead of Manny Pacquiao’s fight against Shane Mosley in Las Vegas next month.

The Philippine-born singer, who is known best by the single name, Charice, says she’s thrilled that Pacquiao chose her to sing at the opening ceremony for the May 7 bout at the MGM Grand Garden.

The teenager tweeted Tuesday that she feels “really blessed” for the opportunity.

Pacquiao traditionally hand-picks the singer of the national anthem at his bouts.

Why Shane Mosley will lose this fight after the 5th round by Alex Ariza

2011-04-25T06:49:00.000-07:00

Most people think high altitude training is the way to train. They feel that by getting their endurance to the level they want in an environment that is producing less oxygen will make the body perform better when the body is introduced back to lower climates when the body is introduced back to higher amounts of oxygen for every breath they take.

In high altitudes, the amount of oxygen in the blood is reduced because there’s less oxygen in the air. To compensate for reduction of oxygen in the air, the kidneys secrete more of a hormone called erythropoietin, which causes the body to create more red blood cells.

However the increase in red blood cells comes at a cost – having too many blood cells makes the blood thicker and can make blood flow sluggish. This makes it harder for your heart to pump blood throughout the body, and can actually decrease the amount of oxygen getting to where it is needed.

At very high altitudes (>5000m), weight loss is unavoidable because your body actually consumes your muscles in order to provide energy. There is even a risk that the body’s immune system will become weakened, leading to an increased risk of infections, and there may be adverse changes in the chemical make-up of the muscles. Additionally, the body cannot exercise as intensely at altitude. This results in reduced training intensity, which can reduce performance.

Besides Shane Mosley loosing muscle tissue and his body becoming depleted Shane Mosley has the biggest set back of all. By the time Shane Mosley steps in the ring, his body will already have become accustomed to the lower altitude. Everything his body built in the area’s of endurance up in Big Bear mountain are now gone. The body has already adjusted back to it’s natural environment. It is not like Shane Mosley is sitting there with all this extra energy that he will be able to display for everyone in the ring.

Shane’s body will automatically get used to the higher levels of oxygen that you breathe in the lower climates. Their will be no benefit to what Shane tried to accomplish. Shane Mosley will have achieved no advantage. All Shane Mosley did was sacrificed muscle, strength, and speed for no reason.

The only reason I put this article out now is because it is too late for Shane to go backwards. He has damaged his body enough that those effects are non-reversible. (in the short time left to the fight on May 7th.)

I remember watching Tito Ortiz years ago when he was at the top of his game, but then he changed his training to Big Bear. He thought it would help him, but Tito started gassing in the 2nd round. That was simply because he actually weakened himself during training and his opponent was able to over power him during the second round.

Same thing will happen to Mosely. Shane has depleted himself. That is why you saw what you saw in the Mayweather fight. That is why you saw what you saw in the Sergio Mora Fight.

On the other hand, my fighter Manny Pacquiao is training as hard as he possible can in the environment he will actually fight in. He is eating and building muscle everyday. He is getting faster, stronger, while Shane is getting weaker and weaker.

This fight will not go the distance. I hardly ever predict fights. Freddie Roach is better at that then I am, but you will see many advantages for us in this fight, but the biggest one you will see will come in the fifth or sixth round and beyond; that is strength, endurance, speed, and power.

Shane will not be able to handle this.

source: Alex Ariza @ MPBoxing.com

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Some of Olympic's Smooches

Juliana Silva of Brazil climbs into the crowd as she celebrates winning the Bronze medal in the Women's Beach Volleyball Bronze medal match against China on Day 12 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Horse Guard's Parade on August 8, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

France's basketball player Tony Parker kisses girlfriend Axelle at the men's handball Preliminaries Group A match between France and Iceland at the Copper Box venue during the London 2012 Olympic Games August 4, 2012. (REUTERS/Marko Djurica)

Andy Murray of Great Britain kisses his girlfriend, Kim Sears, after Murray defeated Roger Federer of Switzerland in the men's singles gold medal match at the All England Lawn Tennis Club at Wimbledon, in London, at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 5, 2012. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Gold medal-winning British cyclists Laura Trott and Jason Kenny kiss whilst sitting in front of footballer David Beckham during the women's beach volleyball final at Horse Guards Parade during the London 2012 Olympic Games August 8, 2012. (REUTERS/Neil Hall)

Great Britain's Peter Robert Russell Wilson kisses his girlfriend Adelle after winning the gold medal in the men's shooting double trap final at the London 2012 Olympic Games on August 02, 2012.

Misty May-Treanor of the U.S. kisses an unidentified man as she celebrates defeating Italy's Greta Cicolari and Marta Menegatti during their women's quarterfinals beach volleyball match at Horse Guards Parade during the London 2012 Olympic Games August 5, 2012. (REUTERS/Marcelo del Pozo)

Sanya Richards-Ross of the U.S. kisses her husband, NFL player Aaron Ross, after she won gold in the women's 400m final during the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium August 5, 2012. (REUTERS/Phil Noble)

Jessica Hardy of the U.S. kisses her boyfriend Dominik Meichtry of Switzerland during a training session at the Aquatics Centre before the start of the London 2012 Olympic Games July 27, 2012. (REUTERS/Toby Melville)

Britain's Victoria Pendleton kisses her fiance Scott Gardner after winning the track cycling women's keirin finals at the Velodrome during the London 2012 Olympic Games August 3, 2012. (REUTERS/Cathal McNaughton)

Galen Rupp (L) kisses girlfriend Keara Sammons after winning the men's 5,000 meters final at the U.S. Olympic athletics trials in Eugene, Oregon June 28, 2012. (REUTERS/Steve Dipaola)

Italy's Federica Pellegrini (R) and Filippo Magnini kiss after training at the main pool at the Aquatics Centre before the start of the London 2012 Olympic Games in London July 26, 2012. (REUTERS/David Gray)

Britain's Mo Farah kisses his wife Tania and poses with his daughter Rihanna after winning the men's 10,000m final at the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium August 4, 2012. (REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach)

Xiang Liu of China kisses a hurdle after getting injured in the Men's 110m Hurdles Round 1 Heats on Day 11 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at Olympic Stadium on August 7, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Gold medallist Michael Phelps of the United States kisses his medal following the medal ceremony for the Men's 4x100m medley Relay Final on Day 8 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Aquatics Centre on August 4, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

U.S. President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama are shown kissing on the "Kiss Cam" screen during a timeout in the Olympic basketball exhibition game between the U.S. and Brazil national men's teams in Washington, July 16, 2012. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

Yin Alvarez, coach and step-father of Danell Leyva of the U.S., kisses Leyva after he won bronze in the men's individual all-around gymnastics final in the North Greenwich Arena during the London 2012 Olympic Games August 1, 2012. REUTERS/Mike Blake (BRITAIN - Tags: SPORT OLYMPICS SPORT GYMNASTICS)

Brazil's Juliana Silva, right, kisses Larissa Franca during the third set of a win over China in the women's Bronze Medal beach volleyball match at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2012, in London. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

Vincent Hancock of the U.S. kisses his wife Rebekah as he holds their baby Brenlyn after he won the gold medal during the men's skeet finals at the Royal Artillery Barracks during the London 2012 Olympic Games July 31, 2012. REUTERS/Cathal McNaughton (BRITAIN - Tags: SPORT OLYMPICS SPORT SHOOTING)

Jamaica's Usain Bolt kisses his gold medal during the men's 100m victory ceremony during the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium August 6, 2012. REUTERS/Eddie Keogh (BRITAIN - Tags: OLYMPICS SPORT ATHLETICS)

Dominican Republic's Felix Sanchez kisses a photo after he won the men's 400m hurdles final at the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium August 6, 2012. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez (BRITAIN - Tags: OLYMPICS SPORT ATHLETICS)

Russia's Maria Sharapova blows a kiss as she celebrates after defeating Germany's Sabine Lisicki in their women's singles tennis match at the All England Lawn Tennis Club during the London 2012 Olympic Games August 1, 2012. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth (BRITAIN - Tags: OLYMPICS SPORT TENNIS)

Iran's Navab Nasirshelal kisses weights after a successful lift in the men's 105kg Group A weightlifting clean and jerk competition at the ExCel venue during the London 2012 Olympic Games August 6, 2012. REUTERS/Grigory Dukor (BRITAIN - Tags: OLYMPICS SPORT WEIGHTLIFTING)

Gold medallist Gabrielle Douglas of the U.S. (R) kisses Russia's silver medallist Victoria Komova after the women's individual all-around gymnastics final in the North Greenwich Arena at the London 2012 Olympic Games August 2, 2012 REUTERS/Brian Snyder (BRITAIN - Tags: SPORT GYMNASTICS OLYMPICS)

During their synchronized swimming finals routine, Ukrainians Daria Iushko and Kysenia Sydorenko shared this quick and surprising kiss.

Team USA kiss their gold medals at the victory ceremony after the women's eight finals rowing event during the London 2012 Olympic Games at Eton Dorney August 2, 2012. REUTERS/Darren Whiteside

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Why Shane Mosley will lose this fight after the 5th round by Alex Ariza