BY: Vitaliy Shaposhnikov

A cascade of emotions raced through me as I witnessed the fall of one of the greatest pound for pound fighters to Floyd Mayweather Jr. There were of course expectations from Marquez, and even certain degree of hope. Unfortunately once the fight started, I realized that the tale of David and Goliath would not be replayed tonight.

Donald Trump once said: “Money was never a big motivation for me, except as a way to keep score. The real excitement is playing the game.” While I would not believe this before, thinking that Money Mayweather was in this sport only for the cash flow, I now do. Floyd Jr. came in prepared both mentally and physically, and looked superb. Not only was he bigger and faster than Marquez in this fight, he was also the aggressor, which is a rare way to fight for him. The first round of the fight was a déjà vu in a way, because he knocked Juan down with a left hook, almost a check hook some may say. It was both a Déjà Vu of the way he ended Ricky Hatton as well as the way Pacquiao disposed of Ricky: fast! He was toying with Juan throughout the whole fight. Someone in the audience kept yelling: “Mayweather, don’t play with your food,” which struck me hard. That’s exactly what it looked like. Mayweather was playing with Marquez like cats like to play with a mouse before the devour it. He smiled at Juan, threw wild lighting quick jabs, and moved around the ring with such ease and grace that it made it seem as though he was having genuine fun. Overall, Mayweather was able to land the whole spectrum of punches, catching Juan with hooks and straight rights.

Marquez on the other hand, had absolutely nothing to offer to the fans. He landed a nice left while Mayweather was on the ropes in the third round, and that was just about it. Floyd was too fast and too slick for Juan. Landing a head shot was something that Marquez just could not do, no matter how hard he attempted. At the end of every round, Juan flurried, which proved fruitless.

Nevertheless, Marquez went the whole twelve rounds, showing determination and heart. He knew that he was losing the fight, and there was very little chance for anything to change.

 

Now we all know the only person that comes between what would be the greatest boxing event of all time Pacquiao vs Mayweather is Miguel Cotto. Boxing fans will  hold their breath until Novemebr 14th, knowing the dream match for the p4p championship  can come true.

Mayweather vs Marquez Super Fight Photos

 

 

 

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BY: Dan Gabel

A few weeks ago, I was a fly on the wall for a discussion about boxing trainers. I observed a few opinions as I listened in. Floyd Mayweather Sr. seemed to get high praise for his strategic work with Oscar and now Ricky Hatton. His brother Roger for his tutelage of the once and potentially future champion, Floyd Jr. Nazim Richardson also got positive marks helping both Bernard Hopkins and Shane Mosley to recent upset victories over Kelly Pavlik and Antonio Margarito respectively. Hell, even Enzo Calzaghe received a few comments for his “unconventional, yet somehow effective” efforts in helping shape his son into a World Champion.

 

Given such laudatory praise (especially for the eccentric Calzaghe) I was more than a little surprised I didn’t hear anything of note about Manny Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach. I don’t think many appreciate the work the Roach does for the pound-for-pound king.  

 

I have always believed it’s not the collective skill, knowledge, and ability that make a good pairing between trainer and fighter, but rather the compliment of their talent and personalities. In this regard, Roach and Manny seem to be a perfect match for each other.

 

Freddie Roach’s simple and unassuming nature meshes well with the sometimes mercurial and unpredictable Pacquiao. He acts as father figure and confidant guiding Manny, rather than a task master constantly pushing and motivating. In the early to mid ‘90’s, trainer Teddy Atlas received much attention for his motivational work with former heavyweight champion Michael Moorer. He is noted for having pushed, pulled, cajoled, and berated Moorer…. basically dragging him kicking and screaming…. into a world title. However, a guy like Atlas wouldn’t fit with Manny.

 

I’m thinking Atlas wouldn’t tolerate Manny’s massive traveling circus of an entourage, probably clash with the sometimes headstrong fighter, and most likely end up “motivating” the pound-for-pound king right out of camp, on to a chartered flight (for his massive entourage), and right back to the Philippines.  

 

The job Freddie Roach does for Manny is in many ways like the job Joe Torre was asked to do for the Yankees for many years. Torre was not asked to take a team take a “rag-tag” bunch of players and shape them into perennial playoff contenders. Instead, he was given a roster brimming with marquee players, and then asked to channel this talent to produce winning seasons and World Series Titles. He was asked to manage personalities. Similarly, Freddie Roach was been given possibly the most naturally gifted and most explosive force in all of boxing. His job is to give Manny just enough structure, just enough boundaries, in order to channel his energies to focus on the task at hand.  

 

In many instances, it is the toughest of tasks to be handed a transcendent talent which carries with it the pressures and responsibilities of expectation.  Freddie Roach carries that responsibility everyday with him as he trains Manny for Ricky Hatton.If he wins, give the man his due.

 

 

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BY: Rota Em www.diamondboxing.com

2009 needs to be a year in which boxing is revived. I disagree with Joe Calzaghe, the sport isn’t dying but on the other hand it isn’t living in luxury either. We’ll leave it at hungry, not yet starving. One fight that can help to rejuvenate the sweet science is the “Hitman” going against the “Pacman”. No, it’s not a game although some children might confuse it for such and rightfully so. But it’s really a showdown to lay claim to the 140 pound division. Ricky Hatton has held his stake at the junior welterweight level his entire career and is set to face the current p4p kingpin Manny Pacquiao on May 2nd of next year. His two vacations outside his 140-lb home in the 147-lb division were lackluster performances, at best. 147 pounds is just too heavy.

Pacquiao is looking for a fourth victory in as many divisions. He’s already solidified his place in the hall of fame, but this win will surely add extra bragging rights– not to mention an open window to a ‘fight of the decade’ against Floyd “Money” Mayweather.

In “The Dream Match” it was speed that factored in most for the Pacman. For Oscar, it should’ve been his reach. You knew it, you called it. In this match-up, reach will play the biggest role. And by reach I’m referring to Manny’s left hand lead. In fighting David Diaz, who has a 69″ reach, Manny utilized his speed to chop down the, then, champion. In comparison, Pacquiao has a 5′6″ frame with a 67″ reach. Hatton is an inch taller but loses two inches in reach to Pacquiao. Now two inches isn’t much, just ask Diaz, but two inches with lightning in the form of the left hand behind it will do considerable damage. The last time Manny had a reach advantage was when he was mugged by Agapito Sanchez in a super bantamweight title fight in which I felt Sanchez should’ve been disqualified, this was 2001 and two months after 9/11. Or put it this way that was when Manny Pacquiao was not the consensus pound for pound king. So add a couple great trilogies and genuine championship experience, and you’ll be worried if you are a Hatton fan (like myself). I followed Hatton throughout most of his career and I felt he has always been a crisp puncher. He always seemed small, physically, in the ring but he sure had some pop behind his punches. The diving hook that put Carlos Maussa to sleep came straight out of the classis Nintendo game “Punch Out”. And the swirling sound your opponent made on his way to the canvas was what I heard when Maussa was draped across the ropes, helpless. Reach will do well for Manny, but Hatton has a good chance if he fights Pacquiao like he did Jose Luis Castillo. In that fight the “Hitman” stalked his opponent and slowly worked on the body. It took him only four rounds to stop the highly durable Castillo. The result: a one punch knockout to the body. It can happen. It has happened. It might happen again. Body shots are well a part of today’s sweet science.

Which “Hitman” will show up? And how will his rough-house tactics work against a speed driven brawler like the “Pacman”? We can answer this question through facts, past fights, and fighter comparison but it all comes down to styles. I cannot think of one opponent that Manny has faced that remotely compares to Ricky Hatton, in stat or in size. The closest would have to be Diaz but there was no power behind those cannonballs of his. Ricky has power. And I can see Manny doing exactly what he did against Diaz to Hatton, and that’s because the Tasmanian devil himself wouldn’t last in a fist fight with Pacquiao. He’s just too fast. You can’t hurt what you can’t catch.

It will be another great battle for the sport.

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Pacquiao (above) all smiles after his victory over De La Hoya.

 

 

BY:Robert Epstein

Thousands have voted in our poll, the results are in and by a slight margin boxing fans selected Ricky Hatton over Floyd Mayweather Jr. as the opponent they want to see in the ring next with Manny Pacquiao .The margin was very slim as 49 percent of the voters selected Hatton and 44 percent selected Mayweather.

So now the fans have spoken and the promoters Golden Boy and Top Rank are working on the details to put together Pacquiao vs Hatton. I am sure working out the details of the fight is a challenge for them however the fun comes when they select the title for this fight. It goes without saying and at this point in the year it has been written countless times that Pacquiao has achieved greatness in 2008. He is the official pound for pound king of the ring and deserves all the accolades after his victories over Marquez, Diaz and De La Hoya.

On the other hand Hatton did not have the superstar year that Pacquiao had. However, he was able to record two victories in his two fights and regain the momentum he lost after the Mayweather defeat in December 2007. Hatton under the guidance of Floyd Mayweather Sr. was able to put together a dominating performance over Paulie Malignaggi which catapulted him into the Pacquiao sweepstakes. So here we are with the books for 2008 about to close and new chapters about to be opened in 2009, with what maybe the most memorable boxing event in history about to be announced.

Ricky Hatton (above) in the media room at the Pacquiao - De La Hoya “Dream Match”

In years past both Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions have promoted great battles featuring the legends of the sport, each great fight also included a great title. As they think about the title for Pacquiao – Hatton here are some of their greatest event titles and battles from their past promotions to help spark their thought process:

1985 - “The Fight” - Hagler vs Hearns

1986 - “SuperFight” - Hagler vs. Leonard

1990 - “The Puncher and the Preacher” - Foreman vs. Cooney

1990 - “Once Is Not Enough” - Toney vs. McCallum

1991 - “Battle of the Ages” - Foreman vs. Holyfield

1993 - “Heavy Damage” - Foreman vs. Coetzer

1996 - “Ultimate Glory” - De La Hoya vs. Chavez

1997 - “Buster on Broadway” - Douglas vs. Ryan in NYC

1999 - “Fight of the Millenium” - De La Hoya vs. Trinidad

 2002 - “Bad Blood” - De La Hoya vs Vargas

2006 - “Sworn Enemies” - Mayweather vs. Judah

2007 - “War For Four” - Morales vs. Diaz

2007- “Fast and Furious” Cotto vs Mosley

2008 - “The Battle” - Cotto vs. Margarito

2008 - “Unstoppable” - Pavlik vs. Hopkins

2008 – “Dream Match” – Pacquiao vs De La Hoya

For Pacquiao first it was the epic rematch battle with Juan Manuel Marquez which was labeled as “Unfinished Business “sandwiched in between the De La Hoya “Dream Match” we had Pacquiao Diaz “Lethal Combination”. As for Hatton his fight with Malignaggi was called “Power vs Precision”. So what will the marketing geniuses at Top Rank and Golden Boy come up with for their megasode of Pacman vs Hitman?

 We have asked around and here are some of the suggestions we got         

“Battle of the Generation”

“Battle of the Planets”

” Total Collision”

” Clash of the Storms”

“Collision Course”

“Thunder vs Lightening”

“New Horizons”

My personal favorite title is Pacman vs Hitman “A Battle for the Fans” both fighters have huge fan bases in their own countries and beyond. When Pacquiao fights the Philippines is at a standstill so that they can watch their hero. Hatton fans travel by the tens of thousands to see him fight, which make him the leading box office draw. The fans provide the energy, support and desire they need to reach beyond expectations.  Pacman and Hitman inside the ring always demonstrate their loyalty to their fans with their attacking and never give up styles. So why not title this one Pacman vs Hitman “A Battle for the Fans      

 

Please email me your title suggestions to rob@diamondboxing.com

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Pacquiao’s supporters (above) cheer him on against De La Hoya.

BY: Robert Epstein www.diamondboxing.com

With victories over Marquez, Diaz and De La Hoya and the title of current pound for pound champion all accomplished in the twenty ninth stanza of his life. Pacquiao now looks ahead to his thirties and the final stages of his boxing career. Not to leave doubt in any ones mind that Pacquiao deserves to be listed as one of The Greatest Boxers of all Time he will now take on Ricky Hatton.  Forget about any rumors of bouts with Kendall Holt or Zab Judah these make no sense or no money and will do Pacquiao no justice. A pound for pound champ wants to fight the best and the best name out there right now is Ricky Hatton. A Hatton – Pacquiao bout if held in the U.K. will break all of the boxing attendance records. However, as negations enter the final stages it appears that the bout will take place in Las Vegas in order to achieve the best economic results.  

While Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton will due their battling inside the ring some time in May 2009, the fans of these two boxing warriors have already begun to square off outside the ring. The message boards the rebuttals, the polls have already started to heat up. The pre fight hype is on and the fan comradery alone will be a battle in it’s self.

Pacquiao with his aggressive boxing style, his offensive approach, always on the attack mentality makes him fan friendly and his recent destruction of De La Hoya has added believers to The Pacman Nation. If you add in Pacquiao’s kind hearted good deeds along with his generosity it becomes very difficult not to be a fan. Pacman has his country of 91 million strong behind him and with the additional support around the globe growing by leaps and bounds Pacman Nation is at its peak stronger than ever. Pacman Nation is ready to take on the Hatton Cult.  

Hatton (above) greets thousands of his fans at the MGM in Vegas before the Malginaggi bout.  

Hatton by far is the leading box office draw, without a doubt if this bout was held at Wembly Stadium 100,000 strong will come and maybe the stadium attendance record of 126,047 could be challenged. When Hatton fights no matter if its home in England or in his second home Vegas the cult comes out. In his last two Vegas bouts against Mayweather and Malignaggi the Hatton following hit the Vegas desert in droves, by the tens of thousands. The pre-fight weigh-in-in is an event in it’s self with over 6,000 Hattonnites strong. Oh yes Hatton has his own Elvis and lets not forget his brass band.

The interest in this bout has already reached a fever pitch, the bout has not been officially announced and the entire boxing world is buzzing with Pacquiao – Hatton thoughts. Pacquiao who has been installed as the 2 to 5 betting favorite to win the bout will also be the global fan favorite. However with his traveling army Hatton for sure will still have the larger on-site fan support.

De La Hoya (above) slumped in the corner at the end of the eighth round

As Pacman journeys to another era in his career one has to reflect back on the amazing past year Pacquiao had, fresh in the minds of all is Pacquiao’s destruction of the Golden Boy Oscar De La Hoya. Yes it was destruction from the opening bell to the lasting image of De La Hoya slumped on his stool in the corner at the end of the eighth round. That image will play in my mind for a long time as it wasn’t the end of De La Hoya’s career that I am thinking about but the beginning of Manny’s. I know Pacquiao has been boxing for over thirteen years, I know he has 48 victories and only 3 losses, I know he beat the likes of Barrera, Marquez and Morales all who may have been better boxers than De La Hoya. However, it’s the De La Hoya conquering that catapulted Manny as one of The Greatest Boxers of all Time.

Now Hatton must go face to face with the career ending giant Paquiao, if Pacquiao can achieve the same results and crush Hatton in De La Hoya like fashion Hatton’s cult will also be retired.

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Khan pounds the mitts of Freddie Roach at the Wild Card Gym (above)

BY: Robert Epstein - Latest Boxing News www.diamondboxing.com

On December 6 Amir Khan will enter the ring again exactly three months removed from his first professional defeat. Khan back on September 6 suffered a first round stunning 54 second knockout at the hands of Breidis Prescott in a bout held at MEN Arena in Manchester. The new Khan, fresh off several weeks of training at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles, California under the watchful eye of his new trainer Freddie Roach is set to face Oisin Fagan and his pressure style.

Prior to the Prescott lose Khan replaced trainer Oliver Harrison with Miami-based former Cuban Olympic coach Jorge Rubio. With his chin still in question Khan now looks towards the experienced Roach for help. Roach who is committed to be in the corner of Manny Pacquiao on December 6 in Vegas, will not be in Khan’s corner for the Fagan bout, however has a lot of faith in Khan who he believes is a world champion in the making. While at the Wild Card Gym, Khan spent three hours a day with Roach working on various techniques including his defense.

Khan gets instructions from Roach (above).

When asked if the KO lose to Prescott hurt his confidence Khan responded “Not at all to be honest, yes it put a big dent in my career but I’m back and more confident than ever”. “I’ve got a point to prove now, and it’s actually made me a better fighter, I’ve changed a lot of things and maybe it was a good thing what happened in the last fight, otherwise I probably wouldn’t have been training in the States with the best”.

While training in the U.S. at the Wild Card Gym, Khan had the opportunity to train alongside the pound for pound champion Manny Pacquiao as he prepares for his Dream Match with Oscar De La Hoya.For Khan sparring with Pacquiao can go along way in the soon to be 22 year olds boxing career, especially when observing the machine like workout routine of Pacquiao. When recently visiting the Wild Card Gym, Diamond Boxing asked Roach if training with Khan has helped Pacquiao in any way. Roach immediately perked upped and responded “Khan has a great, great jab and it’s faster than Oscar’s and better than Oscar’s” “If Manny can deal with Khan’s jab he can deal with anybodies jab”.

Khan works on his defense as he prepares for Judgment Day (above).

While December 6 is the Dream match for Pacquiao and De La Hoya it’s Judgment day for Amir Khan. He has been shown the canvas not only by Prescott but by the likes of Michael Gomez, Willie Limond and Rachid Drilzane, Khan on December 6 is looking to calm his critics who have labeled him as having a soft chin.  

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The Pacman looking fit demonstrated to the media today at the Wild Card Gym in L.A. his speed and power. Pacquiao looking great at his current weight of 151 pounds pounded the mitts of head trainer Freddy Roach in an intense workout session attended by Diamond Boxing. Pacquiao is in deep preparation for his December 6 clash with the Golden Boy Oscar De La Hoya.

Full Media Day Photo Coverage

Pacquiao pounds the mitts

Pacman focused and ready for De La Hoya on Dec. 6th as he trains with Roach

Pacman is ready to go on December 6th

Manny practicing his defense

Manny says this is the hardest he ever trained for a fight

Manny Pacquiao says he is ready for De La Hoya

Manny warming up before workout

Pacquiao power shot

Manny showing the press how he is going to pound De La Hoya 

Pacquiao super quick on the speed bag

Manny jumping rope to get down to 147 pounds

Amir Khan getting ready for his training session at the Wild Card Gym in L.A.

Amir Khan focused as he gets ready for his December 6th bout in the UK 

Amir Khan pounding it out with Freddy Roach

Pacquiao takes a bow

Manny Pacquiao all business

Pacquiao after his workout on media day

Manny in deep thought while getting stretched out

Pacquiao gets ready for his workout on media day

Manny stretching it out prior to his workout

Manny smiles when talking about what he is going to do to Oscar

Bobby Pacquiao training at Wild Card Gym in L.A.

Not Double vision it’s Bobby Pacquiao training at Wild Card Gym in L.A.

Manny Pacquiao taking questions from the press on media day

Freddy Roach talking it up with Al Bernstein

Bobby Pacquiao preparing for his bout against Robert Frankel on November 20

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