Hasegawa vs Burgos, Tajbert vs Aoh Catching Steam

Source: Jhonny Gonzalez |  boxingscene.com

The announced doubleheader for November 26 at the Nihon Gaishi Hall in Nagoya, Japan is catching a lot steam from boxing fans in Japan and Mexico. The card will feature two important WBC title fights. The contests are tough to call as the boxers match up very well in each fight.

In first of the doubleheader, WBC super featherweight champion Vitali Tajbert (20-1, 6KOs) will defend his title against Japan's Takahiro Aoh (19-2, 9KOs). Aoh is a former WBC featherweight champion. He won the title in a rematch with Oscar Larios in March 2009 and lost the belt in his first defense against Elio Rojas in July of the same year.

The main event will be a battle for the vacant WBC featherweight title. The belt was declared vacant after Rojas suffered an injury that required surgery and lengthy recovery period. Former WBC bantamweight champion Hozumi Hasegawa (28-3, 12KOs) will rise by two weight divisions to face Juan Carlos Burgos (25-0, 18KOs).

It is Hasegawa first bout since losing his title by knockout to Fernando Montiel in April. Hasegawa suffered a broken jaw in the fight. Burgos is up against the biggest and most experienced test in his undefeated career.

FIBA Asia U-18: RP five rips Iraq, makes q'finals

Source: gmanews.tv

When push comes to shove, expect Kiefer Ravena to take over for the Philippine Youth basketball team.

Ravena banged in a game-high 23 points, besides posting two rebounds, four assists, a block and a steal in leading the Filipinos to an inspiring 68-59 triumph over Iraq in the FIBA Asia U-18 Championship at the 22nd May court in Sana’a, Yemen.

In winning their third in five games, the Filipinos have secured an outright quarterfinals berth. The team, which is supported by Nokia Philippines, has gained at least a tie for third place in its group.

Ravena drew inspiration from his parents, who flew to Yemen to support him and the rest of the Nationals. The second-generation player was the only double-digit scorer for the Pinoy quintet, but the rest of the squad did a little bit of everything to make the win possible.

Roldan Sara, while going scoreless in 19 minutes of play, racked up five of his team’s 10 steals to typify the Nationals’ resiliency on the defensive end.

The Filipinos struggled from the field and shot a relatively low 38-percent (25-of-65) shooting. Even their three-point shooting went sour as they made only three of 15 attempts.

Ravena made three of four free throws to break a 52-all stand-off in the early part of the fourth period.

A basket by Kyle Neypes touched off a 10-2 run by the 4:43 mark of the fourth period, giving the Nationals their first sizable lead, 65-54.

The Filipinos were never seriously threatened from there.

The Philippines’ win was their second straight in the second round. The team coached by two-time Philippine Basketball Association champion mentor Eric Altamirano earlier won over Japan, 75-57, Sunday. - KY/Rey Joble, GMANews.TV

RP wins trophy in Homeless World Cup

Source: abs-cbnNEWS.com

MANILA, Philippines – Team Jeepney Philippines posted its best finish in three years in the recently concluded Homeless World Cup in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The RP team ended its Homeless World Cup bid in 25th place out of 64 countries

It also took home the Host Cup Trophy, one of the 6 trophies at stake in the tournament, after defeating Norway 4-3 at the Copacabana Beach.

The Philippine team is composed of twins Hammid and Abdula Pasion (Laguna), brothers Mark and Lexter Maravilla (Quezon), Michael Quinlat and Tonie Mark Arinal (Talisay City), Revect Lagardo (Manila), and Leopoldo Aragon (Bacolod).

Norway scored the first goal before Leopoldo, Abdula and Toniemark scored goals to propel the Philippines to lead 3-1 at halftime.

Norway scored on a penalty but Leopoldo made a goal again.

The Homeless World Cup aims to raise awareness on the plight of the homeless and poor through football.

The event, which was held from September 19 to 26, also aims to generate change in the lives of those trapped in extreme circumstances.

The Philippines lost its opening matches to eventual champion Brazil (2-9) and Chile (0-9).

But it was able to post wins over South Korea (14-4), Argentina (5-4) and Germany (8-6).

In 2009, the RP Team finished in 29th place out of 48 countries in Milan, Italy. It was the 37th team out of 48 nations in Melbourne, Australia in 2008.

The Homeless World Cup project in the Philippines works with homeless footballers aged at least 16.

Urban Opportunities for Change, the group behind Team Jeepney Philippines, offers to establish every year a squad that represents the Filipinos who are landless and poor.

The group said in a statement that it aims to form a people’s team—“one that the masses can identify with and hope for, one whose struggles mirror their own, a team who can overcome, and by overcoming, inspire others to overcome.”

FIBA Asia U-18: Pinoy cagers dump Japan

Source: gmanews.tv

The Philippines vented its ire on Japan and scored a whopping 75-57 triumph in the FIBA Asia U-18 Championship at the 22nd May court in Sana’a, Yemen.

Second-generation players Kiefer Ravena and Raphael Banal led the Filipino youngsters' onslaught as they combined for 32 points in leading the team to victory.

Ravena, son of former Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Rookie of the Year and now Talk N Text assistant coach Bong Ravena, finished with 18 points to pace the Nationals, who are supported by Nokia Philippines.

Banal, son of Alaska Milk assistant coach Joel Banal, added 14 points while Chris Tolomia and Roldan Sara added nine points apiece in a display of balanced firepower.

The Filipinos shot a steady 53 percent (31-of-58) from the field and a high 45 percent (9-of-20) from the three-point area. They also had seven steals, dished out 26 assists, and committed only nine turnovers to dominate their Japanese counterparts.

The Filipinos outscored the Japanese, 28-13, in the second period to turn a close game into a rout. The Philippines led, 44-28, at the half, and was never seriously threatened from there.

The closest the Japanese could come was within 12 at 49-61 on Takaya Sasama’s basket, 5:10 remaining, but Jeron Teng and Ravena conspired to keep their rivals at bay and put the Filipinos back on the winning track.

The Philippines lost to host Yemen, 69-76, on Saturday.

The Filipinos last won the Asian Youth championship in 1982 in Manila when the squad was backstopped by Hector Calma, the late Alfie Almario and Teddy Alfarero, Jong Uichico and Louie Brill.

American mentor Ron Jacobs, the same coach who handled the fabled Northern Consolidated Corporation, was the head bench tactician then. - KY/Rey Joble, GMANews.TV

Tim Coleman vs Patrick Lopez Set For Oct. 1 on ShoBox

Source: boxingscene.com

NEW YORK – Two fighters coming off huge wins and riding impressive winning streaks will meet in an all-important stepping-stone matchup in a 12-round junior welterweight main event on ShoBox: The New Generation on Friday, Oct. 1, LIVE on SHOWTIME® (11:45 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

Current USBA light welterweight champion, Tim “The Pit Bull” Coleman (17-1-1, 4 KOs) of Baltimore, Md., takes on two-time Venezuelan Olympian Patrick “El Elegante” Lopez (20-2, 12 KOs) at the Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez, Calif. In the co-feature, undefeated Archie Ray Marquez (9-0, 1 ND, 6 KOs) of Albuquerque, N.M., faces off against Juan “Chago” Santiago (13-4-1, 8 KOs) of Denver, Colo., in an eight-round lightweight bout.

Coleman, 26, is coming off a 12-round decision win against former world title challenger and hometown favorite Mike Arnaoutis in New York in his last fight on Dec. 3, 2009. He has won three fights in a row since his only loss in October, 2008. The steady southpaw Lopez, 33, was impressive in his third-round TKO win against previously undefeated prospect Prenice Brewer in his last fight on Aug. 6.

“Coleman-Lopez is a good boxer-puncher matchup, and it's coming at the right time,” SHOWTIME expert analyst Steve Farhood said. “Coleman is on the rise. This fight has real meaning as a crossroads matchup and the winner is going to be in commanding position to take the next step.”

The fifth-year pro Coleman is currently ranked No. 15 in the IBF and No. 18 in the WBC at 140 pounds and will be making the first defense of his USBA light welterweight title. He has been working with famed trainer Roger Mayweather in Las Vegas.

Coleman was reluctant to lavish praise on Lopez. He said, “I guess [Lopez] is a strong guy. He went to the Olympics twice. I don’t know; I feel like if I lived in Venezuela, I would have [gone] to the Olympics twice, too.”

Coleman’s only loss came on ShoBox on Oct. 3, 2008, against undefeated prospect James De la Rosa.

Lopez, also a five-year pro, honed his skills in the amateur ranks where he had 280 fights. He competed in the 2000 and 2004 Olympics and won a gold medal at the Pan American Games in 2003, beating Lamont Peterson in the quarterfinals. He is currently ranked No. 10 in the WBA at 140 pounds.

Lopez, who currently resides in Londonderry, N.H., has won five fights in a row since his last loss in April, 2009.

“I saw Tim Coleman fight Mike Arnaoutis,” Lopez’s manager and trainer Julio Pena said. “I have a lot of respect for every fighter. I know that he’s being trained by Roger Mayweather, which is pretty good. It makes me feel like I really want to work harder for this one because of all the respect we have for the Mayweather people. But at the end of the night, it’s not the trainers – it’s the fighters.”

The co-feature pits the unbeaten Marquez against Santiago in a match that Farhood says he’s looking forward to. “Marquez-Santiago is also a boxer-puncher type match,” he said. “Santiago proved his toughness on ShoBox against Vernon Paris, and Marquez will be looking to do what he does so well --moving and changing angles. This fight will be a very interesting contrast in styles.”

ShoBox fans last got a look at Marquez on Jan. 29, 2010, in his hometown of Albuquerque where he won an eight-round unanimous decision against Derrick Campos in a dominating performance and his biggest win to date.

Known for speed and versatility, Marquez always comes into fights in top condition and like Lopez, has a strong amateur background.

“I’d say I’m a boxer-puncher,” Marquez said. “Whatever they bring, I can adjust to it. I can jab and move around, use a lot of angles, and sometimes I go forward. It all depends what the fighter brings to me.”

Marquez, 22, is also familiar with the surroundings at Chumash as he fought there on Dec. 4, 2009, winning a six-round majority decision against Andres Ledesma.

Santiago, 25, has fought 12 times in his home state of Colorado and has some nice upset wins against the likes of previously undefeated Washington, D.C. prospect Ty Barnett (first round) and a seven-round unanimous decision against previously undefeated Jose Morales.

In his last fight on June 26, in Sheridan, Colo., he knocked out Donaldo Holguin. In his previous loss on ShoBox on May 14, he lost an eight-round split decision against Vernon Paris at Chumash.

The event is promoted by Gary Shaw Productions, LLC.

Paul Williams Blasts Floyd Mayweather: He Won't Fight Me

Source: Michael Marley | boxingscene.com

Paul Williams, in his 11th year in the professional boxing ring, is widely acknowledged as the world's third best fighter, pound for pound.

He's 6-3, freakishly tall and he's fighting WBC middleweight champion Sergio Martinez, also a power punching lefthander, in a Nov. 20 Atlantic City (HBO, not PPV) rematch simply because neither could persuade any other opponent to step up.

Their first fight was wild and wooly. Martinez got floored in the opening round and then the Argentinian decked the coltish PWill.

They traded hurt, they traded pain the rest of the way and, when it was over, Williams was tabbed the winner on two cards (119-110 and 115-113) while the third judge saw it a 114-114 draw.

This natural rematch comes a week after the Antonio Margarito-Manny Pacquiao HBO PPV bout and it figures to be equally engaging.

But, aside from Martinez, foes steer clear of Williams.

"They call him the 'Punisher' but Paul is the one who gets punished because these other guys won't fight him," manager-trainer George Peterson said at a New York press conference Thursday.

At age 29, with 40 pro bouts behind him, Williams' patience is growing thin.

"I don't think Floyd Mayweather will fight me anytime," Williams said. "Manny Pacquiao, he might do it, he might step up but not Floyd. I guess Floyd won't fight me because I don't have a vagina."

That X-rated shot, obviously, is a reference to the Baby Mama drama which briefly sent Mayweather to jail and led to domestic battery charges in Las Vegas.

Williams and Peterson don't think that Al Haymon's status as adviser to them, and to Mayweather, is what keeps the fighters apart.

"I was in the barbershop in (Washington) D.C., the other day and the guys were talking about it. They respect Floyd's skills like I do but they were saying they know he won't ever fight me," Williams said.

"If Floyd went to Al and said, "Hey, I want to fight Paul Williams, what can Al do? But Floyd is not going to ever say that. Pacquiao, he fights bigger guys, he's different than Mayweather so maybe I will get to fight him."

Like many others, Williams thinks Mayweather's obsession is being undefeated.

"Floyd ranks himself with Ray Robinson, with Joe Louis, all these guys..but all those great guys, they all lost sometime. Mayweather won't take a hard fight, he won't take the chance of losing."

Peterson's assessment is similar.

"Pacquiao, he loves to fight. Mayweather is his own manager, he's a smart businessman. Paul is not old enough for Floyd to fight. Floyd likes to wait until a guy is old. Pacquiao is more gutsy than Floyd is," Peterson said.

Williams notes that the structure of boxing is that the best often don't fight the best.

"I can make 147 (pounds) for Floyd or for Manny if I have to and I would," Williams said. "But this isn't like baseball or football where the best teams are mandated to play each other. In boxing, these guys don't want to give me the shot."

Peterson said their frustration is that Williams is not yet a PPV attraction and that he hasn't been able to show his considerable skills against the upper echelon.

"If Paul could fight about every months, he would become a real monster in boxing. Then the fans would see how sensational he really can be.

"I think Paul, at this stage, is like Marvin Hagler was at one point. He is vicious, he strikes like a cobra but guys run away from fighting him like they did with Hagler," Peterson said.

With Pacman being almost 32 and Mayweather turning 34 next year, Williams feels he will get to the Number One P4P position without them.

But, instead of proclaiming himself as a ring great, he wants to prove it.

I"d like to be the best welterweight and the best middleweight. I'd like to be up there with Ray Leonard, with Tommy Hearns but I can't get there if I don't get the opportunity."

Williams understands the system.

"If the fans demand it, then HBO will hear them," Williams said. "Maybe HBO can make the top guys fight me. If it's demanded by the public, then maybe. But, when these guys fight and then take the microphone after they fight, who do they mention?

"You never hear them say my name, do you?"

Williams record is 39-1 with 27 KOs while Martinez is 45-2-2 with 24 knockouts.

Margarito trainer: Pacquiao KO'd in 11th

Source: gmanews.tv

Robert Garcia, Antonio Margarito's soft spoken trainer, answered back and predicted the Mexican former two-time world champion would beat the hell out of Manny Pacquiao once they finally meet inside the ring on November 13 at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

And how he sees the 12-round fight?

"11th round knockout," said Garcia, who also trains former International Boxing Federation (IBF) flyweight champion Nonito Donaire Jr.

And then he emphasized how Margarito will win it.

"This isn't going to be just a win for Margarito. This is going to be a f….king beat down we'll put on him. A big-time beating is what we got for Manny Pacquiao," said Garcia.

His outburst was in reaction to an eighth round knockout trainer Freddie Roach predicted Pacquiao is going to administer against the controversial 32-year- old Mexican from Tijuana.

Actually, it was Margarito who first reacted negatively to the remark made by Roach, known for exchanging sarcastic comments in the past with the likes of Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather Sr.

"What does he see, he crippled or something?" Margarito responded during a recent appearance with Roach and Garcia in HBO's face-off with Max Kellerman.

Quick to the draw, Roach replied, "I saw your last two fights."

Of course, those two matches were among the worst in Margarito's pro career.

His last outing against Roberto Garcia was a mediocre 10-round unanimous decision four months ago.

Prior to that was Margarito’s notorious fight with Sugar Shane Mosley, the World Boxing Organization (WBO) title bout where the so-called 'Tijuana Tornado' was caught with loaded hand wraps shortly before the match.

Margarito lost it by a ninth round technical knockout. Shortly after, he was suspended from fighting for one year and his license revoked by the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC).

But Garcia believes all of these are behind Margarito, whom he describes as 'training like a monster right now.’

Slowly but surely, Margarito's trainer said they're beginning to unlock the mystery of how to beat Pacquiao, the world's top pound-for-pound fighter who has not lost a fight since suffering a unanimous decision against Mexican great Erik Morales in 2005.

"We've been watching a lot of Manny's fights and know exactly how to attack him," Garcia said. "Right now, Manny is considered the 'Man', but he’s also kind of overlooking us." – JVP, GMANews.TV

RP Youth routs Saudis in FIBA Asia U18 tourney

Source: gmanews.tv

Jeron Teng and Kiefer Ravena teamed up to lead the Nokia-Philippines Under-18 team to an 86-68 rout of Saudi Arabia in the FIBA Asia Under-18 Championships on Wednesday night at the 22nd May court in Sana’a, Yemen.

Teng scored 20 points while Ravena, who helped the Ateneo Blue Eaglets complete a rare three-peat in the UAAP, added 11 markers as the RP Youth team joined title favorite China, which scored an 82-48 thrashing of Syria, for the Group C lead.

The Nationals had a slim 22-21 lead after the first period but piled up nine straight points at the start of the second quarter while its zone and pressing defense neutralized the Saudis.

The Filipinos were never seriously threatened after taking a 47-36 halftime lead.

“We were able to neutralize them with our zone. We were able to bother them with our pressing defense," said RP Youth coach Eric Altamirano, whose team guns for a second win against Syria at 5 p.m. on Thursday (11 p.m. Manila time).

Teng and Ravena also combined for 11 of the Nationals’ game-high 13 steals while Jeth Troy Rosario finished with 10 points.

The team made five of 17 three-pointers for a decent 29 percent clip.

Altamirano hopes the youthful players can fully adjust to Yemen’s conditions when they face Syria, since the desert climate is proving to be a challenge for his wards.

“It was tough since we are still adjusting to the air. The Saudis also played a tough game," said Altamirano, whose team seeks to improve the Philippines’ seventh-place finish in 2008.

Mathna Almarwani paced the Saudis with 17 points and five rebounds while Marzouq Almuwalled tallied 12 markers and five boards.

Though the Nationals were beaten off the boards (39-27), they played more as a team with 19 assists compared to 11 by the Saudis. The Filipinos also shot better from the field, 36-of-63, for a 57 percent shooting clip.

The tournament offers three tickets to the 2011 FIBA Under-19 World Championship in Latvia. – KY/JVP, GMANews.TV

GSP: Floyd Mayweather afraid of losing to Manny Pacquiao

Source: Dennis Gasgonia, abs-cbnNEWS.com

MANILA, Philippine – Even visiting Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) superstar Georges St.-Pierre believes that Floyd Mayweather Jr. does not want to fight 7-division champion Manny Pacquiao.

“Knowing that Pacquiao is a big, big threat, he doesn’t want to have that fight because he might have a lot to lose,” St.-Pierre said.

The UFC welterweight champion from Canada met the press at the ABS-CBN compound on Thursday.

St.-Pierre, known as "GSP", believes that Pacquiao has the upper hand against the unbeaten American boxer, which is why Mayweather refuses the fight.

“I’ve seen Mayweather’s last fight, he got rocked by [Shane] Mosley. I think Pacquiao is really untouchable right now. If they fight like tomorrow, I think Pacquiao would win,” he said.

Although he admitted understanding Mayweather’s reason for shying away from the Filipino, he said the American boxer owes that match to his fans.

“I understand in a way that he doesn’t wanna have that fight. But I think he should do it for the fans, the fans want to see that fight,” said St.-Pierre.

Several boxing observers have said that Mayweather doesn't want to fight Pacquiao. (Click here for related story.)

Pacquiao is presently preparing for a super welterweight fight against Mexico’s Antonio Margarito on November 13.

Mayweather, on the other hand, is facing legal problems for allegedly beating up his former girlfriend Josie Harris. He could face more than 30 years in jail if convicted.

The Pacquiao-Mayweather fight was negotiated twice in the past, but it did not push through because of irreconcilable demands.

GSP is in the country to promote the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA) among Filipinos.

GSP likes Manila

St.-Pierre's Manila visit, coordinated by ABS-CBN's Balls TV Channel, is part of UFC's effort to promote the sport of MMA in Asia.

“It’s a long flight but I made it. It’s perfect,” he told the media after his arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

“It’s my first time and I already like it. Weather is great and people are very nice,” he added.

His Manila tour will culminate with a meet-and-greet with local fans at the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City on Saturday, where he will hold an open training to show how he typically prepares for an MMA fight.

For more UFC action, watch SkyCable TV’s Balls Channel and visit www.abs-cbnNEWS.com/ufc.

UFC sets sights on Asia

Source: Dennis Gasgonia, abs-cbnNEWS.com

MANILA, Philippines – The Manila visit of mixed martial arts (MMA) superstar Georges St.-Pierre is part of Ultimate Fighting Championship’s (UFC) plan to widen its fan base in Asia and promote the fast-rising sport of MMA.

Mark Fischer, UFC managing director for Asia, said that they are currently studying several options on helping Filipino and other Asian MMA fighters get involved in UFC.

“One of them is certainly taking some of the best [fighters] in bringing them over the [United] States and even maybe having some exchange. The second one would be possibly in the future, establishing some sort of UFC Asia League,” said Fischer.

Another opportunity they are looking into is the establishment of several MMA camps in Asia, which will compete against each other.

“So there’s many interesting possibilities, we’re really just scratching the surface with the sport with the UFC brand here. And we’re very fortunate really and thankful we have partners like ABS-CBN that’s really helping us get off the mark here in the Philippines,” said Fischer.

He added that once they successfully expand the exposure of MMA in Asia, they may be able to hold fights here.

UFC is currently being aired via ABS-CBN’s Balls Channel and Studio 23.

Balls Channel earlier worked on bringing to the country UFC fighters like Filipino-American Brandon Vera and MMA legend Chuck Liddell to promote the UFC brand.

This time around, it is St.-Pierre’s turn to tour Manila to promote MMA.

“He is the most recognizable UFC fighter in the world at this time, and we are very happy that he is here with us to share some time with his Filipino fans,” said Balls Channel head Jojo Neri-Estacio.

Balls Channel is the home of the biggest sporting events in the word. The channel successfully aired all 64 matches of the 2010 FIFA World Cup as well as the French Open, the US Open, The PGA Championship and the UEFA Champions League. This October, Balls will broadcast the full coverage of the 2010 Ryder Cup.

For more UFC action, watch SkyCable TV’s Balls Channel and visit www.abs-cbnNEWS.com/ufc