Fight of the Century: Manny Pacquiao says his ‘killer instinct’ is as strong as ever
Floyd Mayweather is ‘biggest challenge of my life’ – Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach
A BALITA MEDIA Special Supplement APRIL 25, 2015
2
Visit www.Balita.com
WORLD TO WITNESS
Balita Media Supplement
Saturday, April 25, 2015
‘FIGHT OF THE CENTURY’ By Cecil Morella
M
anny Pacquiao’s face is on shirts, dolls and postage stamps, his life story is playing in movie houses and millions in the Philippines and where Filipinos reside all over the world get ready to party as the Philippine boxing hero’s “fight of the century” takes place on Saturday, May 2. Pacmania is sweeping the Southeast Asian nation of 100 million people ahead of the Las Vegas bout against unbeaten Floyd Mayweather Jr. to decide who is the best boxer of their generation. “The mood is upbeat. Of course, it’s the fight of the century,” Manila film producer Lucky Blanco told Agence France Presse. Blanco is a co-producer of the Pacquiao film: “Kid Kulafu”, now showing at scores of theatres across the country and a high-profile scene-setter for the world’s richest fight. For many, the 36-year-old Pacquiao, winner of an unprecedented eight world championships in different weight divisions, symbolizes their hope of escaping the grinding poverty that afflicts one in four of his countrymen. The movie tells the story of the runaway high school dropout who, years before becoming a ring legend, sold doughnuts on the streets and stacked shelves with “Vino Kulafu,” a cheap Chinese wine brand. Years later, as he became one of the world’s richest sportsmen and one of the most famous Filipinos, a Manila television network would give the left-hander another name: “The National Fist.” Pacmania always sweeps the Philippines ahead of his fights, but the intensity dropped in recent years after Pacquiao lost an unprecedented two straight bouts. He then had three wins, reviving excitement and hopes Pacquiao still has what it takes to be the world’s best. But Mayweather is the opponent his fans have always wanted him to fight. Souvenir frenzy Millions of Filipinos will don Pacman paraphernalia to cheer their idol on live television screens during the fight, which will take place on a Sunday morning in the Philippines. Baseball caps, T-shirts, $68 boxing gloves signed by Pacman himself, and $565 vinyl dolls of Pacquiao boxing against the Disney character Mickey Mouse are flying off shelves. “On fight day everyone wants to be seen wearing something that will symbol-
ise their support,” Joy Saransate, manager of a Pacquiao-owned Team Pacquiao memorabilia shop in Manila, told AFP. Government agencies have even been swept up in Pacmania, with the state postal authority this week releasing half a million stamps of a fighting Pacquiao. “This... is a fitting tribute to his exceptional character and ability that truly unites the nation whenever he fights,” postmaster-general Josie de la Cruz said. Pacquiao, a sometime actor, politician and professional basketball player on the
wings. “Pacquiao fights always pack them in, but this time we expect even more people to come because of the quality of the opponent,” restaurant manager Hershey Ebalo told AFP. Blanco, the Pacquiao film producer, said he expected the streets of the Philippine capital, a sprawling metropolis of 14 million, to be empty on fight day, with criminals also taking a day off. “Definitely there will be no crime on the streets, just like in past Pacquiao
PACMANIA SWEEPS PHL AHEAD OF MAYWEATHER CLASH
side, also released a video last week of a new song: “I Will Fight for the Philippines”, to be used for his ring entrance in Las Vegas, that is getting widespread publicity in the media. Whetted by saturation newspaper and television coverage, and primed by training clips fed through his official social media sites, Filipinos are clearing their schedules to make sure they will be able to watch the fight. It will be shown live on pay-per-view television, while local networks also struck an unprecedented deal to air it without ads and on a slightly-delayed basis on free television. However, in keeping with tradition throughout his career, many Filipinos will prefer to watch the fight in public places, including at gyms and parks across the country or in restaurants and watering holes. A popular pizza chain in Manila is taking reservations for 200 seats at $16 each so fans can cheer their hero on while swigging beer and munching on buffalo
fights,” he said. ‘Historic’ Mayweather-Pacquiao fight Boxing legend Marvin Hagler’s fabled clash with Sugar Ray Leonard was the superfight of its day – but the massively anticipated showdown between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather will eclipse it, he says. The 60-year-old said the fight between the world famous welterweights would be the “biggest fight in history”, regardless of who wins. The fight has echoes of Hagler’s 1987 showdown with Leonard, also staged in Las Vegas, which saw him lose on points in a decision which remains controversial to this day. “Whether Pacquiao loses in the first round, whether he knocks out Mayweather in the first round, it’s still going to be the biggest fight in history,” said Hagler. Mayweather, 38, has previously recalled watching the Hagler-Leonard clash. “I remember being a kid and saying there would never be another fight bigger than this,” Mayweather said in an inter-
view before his 2007 fight against Oscar De la Hoya, then the highest-grossing fight. ‘Fight of my life’ The 36-year-old Pacquiao called the face-off with undefeated Mayweather “the real fight of my life.” Hagler was undisputed world middleweight champion for seven years until his fight with Leonard at Caesar’s Palace, which was dubbed “The Super Fight”. Reluctant to draw parallels with the Pacquiao-Mayweather clash, Hagler said that both fighters would just be focused on the result. “Once you start getting yourself into the fight, it’s not about the money, it’s about the win.” Hagler said it was too early to call a favorite, despite Las Vegas oddsmakers pegging Mayweather as having the upper hand, noting that “anything can happen from now until May.” “Mayweather, he’s using his head, he’s using his skills and strategy and let’s hope Pacquiao don’t fall into his tricks.” Hagler said that if Pacquiao won, he would be “a worldwide figure, bigger than what he expected.” Fight will be ‘great for the sport’ The superfight will be great for the sport of boxing, no matter what the outcome, Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach said. “It’s going to generate a lot of interest in boxing,” Roach told AFP. “I can see a lot of people are going to be coming in after that fight,” added Roach. Not that Roach is short of work. Despite battling the debilitating effects of Parkinson’s disease, he will be in the corner for two other fighters on the Amnat-Zou undercard Saturday, junior middleweight Glen Tapia from the US and China’s junior welterweight Ik Yang. “I still have a lot of young boxers coming through,” said Roach, despite the rising popularity of competing sports such as mixed martial arts (MMA). “There’s a total of 22 kids on the team and six who have a chance of winning titles. And there’s also a little girl called Christy, 16 years old and (she has) won the nationals something like five times now. She might be the best fighter in the gym,” added the man who was last week voted US trainer of the year for the seventh time. The gym won’t be throwing its doors open until after the megafight though. With ‘Pacman’ in training, Wildcard is now under security lockdown as Roach and his team try to plot their way to victory over Mayweather – in secret.(AFP)
Saturday, April 25, 2015
Balita Media Supplement
Visit www.Balita.com
3
4
Visit www.Balita.com
PACQUIAO, THE STREET KID WHO CONQUERED THE WORLD By Daniel Hicks
I
n 1992, a 14-year-old boy dropped out of school in General Santos City in the southern Philippines because of extreme poverty. With his single mother was unable to support him and his five siblings, he made his way to Manila and ended up living on the streets. When someone suggested to the young Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao that he divert his energies to a local boxing gym, it turned out to be a shrewd piece of advice. “I kept winning and almost became a boxer without knowing,” said the man who would go on to make history as the only winner of world titles in eight weight divisions.
He soon caught the attention of national amateur selectors and made the Philippines team. With lodging and subsistence provided, it proved the beginning of one of the most glittering careers the fight game has ever known. “Manny” (as he became known) Pacquiao’s natural talent and speed, coupled with a fearsome work ethic, saw him work his way up to being lauded as “the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world”. Pacquiao (56-5-2) will command a payday in excess of $20 million dollars after he dismissed Chris Algieri at the Venetian Macau, one of the world’s largest and grandest casino resorts, last Sunday morning – a far cry from his desperate beginnings.
Balita Media Supplement
It is perhaps memories of his younger impoverished days that prompt Pacquiao never to refuse requests from family and friends. His philanthropy and generosity are well known, and resulted in the Filipino icon paying for two Airbus A320s emblazoned with his face to fly his 300-plus entourage the two hours from General Santos to Macau for the fight. His fame and fortune in the ring also enabled him to study and finally pass his high school exams in 2007 at the age of 28. A college degree followed in 2009 and a further qualification in legislation and governance paved the way for him to be elected with 66 percent of the vote in May 2013 as a congressman in his wife Jinkee’s home province of Sarangani. He was re-elected unopposed in 2013. Back in his pomp Now just two weeks away from his 36th birthday he shows no little sign of slowing down his hectic life. Boxing and politics aside, he is also a singer, actor, church minister, army reservist and player-coach for Kia Motors in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), playing seven minutes of their season opener earlier in the tournament to the dismay of his long-time Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach. Pacquiao won his first world title at flyweight in 1998 and added a super
Saturday, April 25, 2015
bantamweight title a year later, but it wasn’t until he teamed up with Roach in 2001 that his career really took off as they forged one of the most successful partnerships in boxing history. Pacquiao went on to win multiple world titles, sweeping aside the world’s best. Marc Antonio Barrera, Oscar de la Hoya, Juan Manuel Marquez, Erik Morales, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto were all demolished by the Filipino. Two defeats in 2012 – a devastating knockout against Marquez and a controversial points decision against Timothy Bradley – led some to think Pacquiao’s star was fading. But a year ago in Macau he regained his pomp with a comprehensive win against Brandon Rios, and then took Bradley apart in their rematch. There remains just one thing missing on his considerable CV – a megafight with the unbeaten American great Floyd Mayweather. The pair will finally touch gloves next year in the richest event in the history of sport – it will generate an estimated $1 billion. Pacquiao down to work for ‘fight of my life’ Pacquiao called his boxing showdown with Floyd Mayweather “the fight of my life” as he got down to work pounding the streets and gym in Los Angeles. “I have prepared hard for this fight to give the boxing fans the kind of entertainment they want. This is what I consider the real fight of my life,” said Pacquiao. Pacquiao (57-5 with two drawn and 38 knock-outs) will face Mayweather (47-0 with 27 knock-outs) has plunged into training after arriving from the Philippines, where his distractions include playing professional basketball and a seat in the national congress. Arriving at the airport, Pacquiao apologized for ducking a crowd of journalists at the Los Angeles International Airport after immigration officials whisked him out of a back door on Saturday. “The head of the immigration in LA led us to the backdoor. So I was not aware that many journalists were already waiting for us outside,” Pacquiao said. “My heartfelt apology to all of them.” Come Sunday, the devout Christian attended a Bible service before beginning his training in earnest the following morning. Whoever suggested that a scrawny Manila street kid should go to the gym could never have imagined where it would lead. (AFP) BALITA MEDIA INC. Luchie Allen, CEO Rhony Laigo
Liza Rafallo
Editor
Advertising Manager
Myrna Aquitania & Jannelle So
Myra Portez
Sub-Editors
Advertising Coordinator
Gary Escarilla
Benny Uy
Sales Manager
Photographer
Lyn Mendoza Office Manager
Pauline Catibayan
Ronnie Villo
Sales
Circulation Manager
Jomar Papica, Monica Bello & Jun Camacho
A devout Christian, Manny Pacquiao calls his boxing showdown with Floyd Mayweather “the fight of my life” as he got down to work pounding the streets and gym in Los Angeles. “I have prepared hard for this fight to give the boxing fans the kind of entertainment they want. This is what I consider the real fight of my life.” (BMI File Photo)
Graphics BALITA MEDIA INC 520 E Wilson Avenue Ste. 210, Glendale, CA 91206 • 818-552-4503 www.balita.com • www.usasianpost.com • facebook.com/BalitaMedia
Saturday, April 25, 2015
Balita Media Supplement
Visit www.Balita.com
5
PACQUIAO’S MAYWEATHER
TACTIC?
‘USE MY LEFT AND RIGHT’
Manny Pacquiao says he will “use my left and right (fists)” when asked how he planned to deal with undefeated American champion Floyd Mayweather who has the height and reach advantage, as well as famed defensive skills. “If I hurt him I expect him to run. Otherwise he might fight me toe-to-toe,” says Pacquiao. Photo: Chris Farina/Top Rank
By Cecil Morella
H
e may be the underdog Manny Pacquiao said Wednesday he has a simple tactic to beat American favorite Floyd Mayweather in history’s richest fight by two longtime rivals for the planet’s top “pound-for-pound” boxer crown. “Use my left and right (fists),” the Filipino boxing hero told reporters when asked how he planned to deal with his undefeated foe’s height and reach advantage, as well as famed defensive skills. “If I hurt him I expect him to run. Otherwise he might fight me toe-to-toe.” The Philippines is in the throes of “Pacmania” as the 36-year-old, dubbed “The National Fist” by local media, is set to fly to the United States to train for the May 2 Las Vegas bout. The 38-year-old Mayweather, tipped as the favorite by bookmakers after announcing the megabucks fight last weekend, has not lost any of his 47 fights, in which he has scored 26 knockouts. Pacquiao has 57 victories and five defeats to his name, including two suffered as recently as 2012. He has two
draws and 38 knockouts. But he exuded confidence as of late as he gave out free pizzas to supporters while preparing for his third game as a basketball player in the Philippines’ top professional league before flying to the U.S. for the fight against Mayweather. His determination to play for his Kia Carnival team has raised fears he might get injured before the fight, which US media report could net him an $80 million pay check. But naysayers could dismiss that for now. Injury fears “I know what I’m doing,” said the 5-foot 6-inch Pacquiao, a devout Christian who is also the shortest and oldest player in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). “My Lord, my God, He is the Creator of everything. He knows everything,” he added, pointing to the ceiling and repeating his mantra that God will keep him from harm. Unlike his boxing, however, Pacquiao’s basketball career has been underwhelming. He has scored one solitary point, off a free throw, in his rookie season as player-coach for Kia Carnival.
“That’s fine. What’s important is my team won. I needed to play to inspire my teammates,” he said Wednesday as his courtside struggles continued, going 0-2 with an airball in just under six minutes of play. With him riding the bench for the rest of the game, his team beat the Talk N’Text team, 106-103, their third win against four defeats. Pacquiao downplayed criticism by ex-National Basketball Association player Daniel Orton, who was fired by a rival PBA team last week for describing the boxing champ’s basketball skills as a “joke.” “Poor guy,” Pacquiao said, adding: “I will not react because I would be going down to his level. “It’s like this: No person has ever succeeded without being criticized.” His courtside fans also backed him. “Everyone has a right to strut their stuff,” 36-year-old housewife Ginalyn Lacsana told AFP as she cheered the Kia team from her ringside seat. “You have to show respect,” agreed Ramli de las Armas, 29, who went to the PBA games while on vacation from work abroad as a machine operator in Saudi Arabia. (AFP)
6
Balita Media Supplement
Visit www.Balita.com
Saturday, April 25, 2015
MAYWEATHER SAYS PACQUIAO
TOO ‘RECKLESS’ TO WIN MEGAFIGHT F By Greg Heakes
loyd Mayweather says it will be two “hall-of-famers” in their prime when he and Manny Pacquiao clash in the richest fight in boxing history on May 2 at the MGM Hotel. In the only Las Vegas news conference he is giving ahead of fight week, Mayweather said Tuesday that he is not worried about spoiling his perfect 47-0 record. “He’s a future hall-of-famer. I am a future hall-of-famer and we are meeting at the pinnacle of our careers,” Mayweather said. “From the matchup, it is going to be a very exciting fight. “Our styles are totally different. I fight with smarts. Every move is calculated. Every move is thought about.” He also discussed how his training is progressing, Pacquiao’s strengths and weaknesses, retirement, and revealed that the thrill of boxing is gone and that at this point in his career, it just feels like a job. ‘Over all of that stuff’ “No. I don’t enjoy it like I once did,” said Mayweather, who was fashionably
late for his workout session. “It is at a point where it is business. It is my job. I go to the gym. I train. I know what I have to do,” he added, speaking from a tent outside his Las Vegas gym located in the middle of the desert city’s Chinatown district. “There was a time when it was fun but I am to a point now where I am really over all of that stuff.” The welterweight unification fight, which has been the subject of on-off negotiations for six years, will not only be the richest fight but it will go a long way towards determining who was the greatest fighter of the era. The fight is expected to shatter records for total revenue with Mayweather earning about $120 million, while Pacquiao could receive about $80 million. Mayweather did allow reporters to watch him work out Tuesday. He said he is trying to rekindle his passion for the sport by using some different training methods, like chopping wood and swimming laps. “I can have a good day in the gym and the sparring partners can have a good day
on me. That don’t count. It counts under the lights when it is for all the marbles,” he said. There was no sign Tuesday of the controversy that arose prior to his 2014 Marcos Maidana fight. In September, Mayweather was ordered to appear before the Nevada State Athletic Commission after being accused of forcing fighters at his gym to allegedly endure 31-minute training rounds without a break. Mayweather testified to the commission that the marathon sparring sessions were staged in order to boost pay-perview sales for his personal cable TV show to promote his next fight. In the episode Mayweather referred to his gym as the “dog house” adding “guys fight to the death. It is not right but it is dog house rules.” Mayweather is now being sued by two of the fighters in question, 18-year-old Shariff Rahaman and his brother, Hasim, 23, who allege battery, tortious assault, false imprisonment and negligent hiring and training. Still the “dog house” featured a carni-
val-like atmosphere that will continue to follow this mega title fight until May 2. Mayweather’s longevity in the sport has been attributed to his superb defensive skills. The May 2 fight is expected to be decided by Mayweather’s brilliant counterpunching skills or Pacquiao’s blazing speed and power. But Mayweather says he sees some flaws in the boxing style of Pacquiao. ‘Reckless fighter’ Mayweather described the 36-year-old Pacquiao (57-5-2, 38 KOs) as a “reckless fighter” who takes too many chances, referring to Juan Manuel Marquez’s knockout of Pacman in December 2012. “He fought very, very recklessly in the Marquez fight,” Mayweather said. “I could have had the same type of career but my career wouldn’t have lasted this long.” Mayweather is in the fifth fight of a six-fight contract with Showtime, and he says this year will be his last on the job. “My last fight is in September,” he said.(AFP)
good luck to Filipino boxing icon is now Manny Pacquiao! more mindful of mistakes
F
Come and visit our Fine Dining Restaurant with Mariachis!
Office: 310.397.9999
Fax: 310.397.4444
4500 S. Centinela Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90066
ilipino boxing star Manny Pacquiao has matured a lot since his six-round knockout loss to Mexican boxer Juan Manuel Marquez in 2012. “He has learned a big lesson out of that. He became more cautious and has matured a lot as a fighter,” says Restituto “Buboy” Fernandez, a long-time associate and the assistant trainer for Pacquiao. Fernandez said Pacquiao was winning the fight and was about to finish off Marquez when he became hasty. “He is a fearless fighter inside the ring. In his desire to end the fight in a convincing fashion just to make the fans happy, he went for the kill in the dying seconds of the sixth round. And he paid dearly for it,” recalled Fernandez. Now, Fernandez says, Pacquiao has remained ferocious but is no longer a careless fighter. “His punches now are sharper and harder than before. We’ve been training together for years and I can say it based on actual experience,” said Fernandez, who suffered a cut on his mouth during the punch mitts session at the Fortune Gym on Tuesday. Several times during the punch mitts session, Fernandez was dazed due to non-stop pounding from the Pinoy boxing superstar. “I was accidentally caught with his left
upper cut. His punches were controlled but coming from someone like Manny Pacquiao, you’d really be hurt,” Fernandez said. Fernandez believes that Pacquiao’s barrage of powerful punches will eventually break down Floyd Mayweather’s defense. The unbeaten welterweight Mayweather (47-0, 26KOs) faces eight-division champion Pacquiao (57-5-2, 38KOs) in Las Vegas on May 2 in the richest fight of all time. “Mayweather has not fought in his entire career a fighter with so much power, speed and a fearless heart like Manny Pacquiao. His defence would be shattered,” Fernandez said. Meanwhile, Pacquiao was unperturbed by reports that Floyd Mayweather’s camp was bribing his prospective sparring mates. “It’s okay. I’m not bothered. Coach Freddie (Roach) had already hired a few sparring partners who are Mayweather’s look-alike,” Pacquiao said. “During the fight, there’s no other guy atop the ring except the two of us. I know what to do. And that’s what we’re practising now,” Pacquiao said. Pacquiao vowed to pursue Mayweather relentlessly from pillar to post, adding that “He can run but he cannot hide.”(AFP)
Saturday, April 25, 2015
Balita Media Supplement
Visit www.Balita.com
7
Mayweather set for richest sports year ever – Forbes
F
loyd Mayweather’s blockbuster May 2 bout with Manny Pacquiao will help make the American fighter’s 2015 earnings shatter the all-time record for a sportsman’s annual pay, Forbes.com calculated on Thursday. Forbes noted that Mayweather will likely earn at least $150 million and Pacquiao more than $100 million for the welterweight world title showdown in Las Vegas. The financial news website said payouts could be higher still if more than three million pay-per-views are sold. Mayweather’s haul would represent the highest yearly earnings ever by an athlete, surpassing Tiger Woods’ inflation-adjusted record of $125 million in 2008, Forbes said. Woods currently occupies both first and second place on Forbes’ list of all-time highest paid athletes in a given year, adjusted for inflation, his adjusted earnings of $120 million in 2009 number two on the list. NBA legend Michael Jordan is next, with inflation-adjusted earnings of $115 million in both 1997 and 1998. Woods’ $113 million in 2007 and 2010 are next. The highest boxer on the list is former heavyweight world champion Mike Tyson, with inflation adjusted earnings of $112 million in 1996. Forbes said its figures were the result of 25 years of tracking athletes’ earnings. Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum has predicted that record-shattering revenue totals for the May 2 mega-fight could surpass $400 million.
That includes $74 million from just over 15,000 tickets at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. The foreign rights to the fight sold for a record $35 million, according to Arum. As Forbes noted, the big X-factor in a final revenue figure is pay-per-view sales. Boxing’s record for pay-per-view purchases is the 2.4 million buys from Mayweather’s splitdecision win over Oscar de la Hoya. The record for pay-per-view receipts is the $152 million set by Mayweather’s 2013 bout with Saul ‘Canelo” Alvarez. Mayweather-Pacquiao, a fight more than five years in the making between the men considered the best pound-for-pound fighters of their generation, is expected to “crush” both pay-perview numbers, Forbes noted. The Wall Street Journal has reported that the pay-per-view price for the fight will be a record $99 for the high definition feed, with a standard definition version costing a slightly cheaper $89. Mayweather-Pacquiao revenue over $400-M Promoters first aimed for $40 million, then boosted the ticket prices from $1,000 to $1,500 at the low end and $5,000 to $7,500 for the best seats due to huge demand for the ducats, Arum said. But organizers have now shuffled the number of seats in various price ranges and boosted top seats to $10,000 to raise the live gate total from $50 million to $74 million. That is if you can find any tickets for sale.(AFP)
Writing on his Instagram “Help me out with a caption,” Floyd Mayweather Jr. has nicknamed himself as Floyd “Money” Mayweather. He is currently the lone athlete to have earned the most money in sports history.
8
Visit www.Balita.com
Balita Media Supplement
Saturday, April 25, 2015
Saturday, April 25, 2015
Balita Media Supplement
Visit www.Balita.com
9
10
Balita Media Supplement
Visit www.Balita.com
Saturday, April 25, 2015
MITSUBISHI SUPER STORES GOT YOUR BACK, MANNY! Abbas Ahmadi, Owner, President & CEO of Mitsubishi Super Stores (with shades), a great friend and supporter of Manny Pacquiao, shows his love for the great boxer, who’s always by Manny’s side during fight nights, trainings or even just hanging out with friends and staff of Mitsubishi Super Stores as can be seen in these photos.
Pambansang Kamao, Pambansang Pangulo?
D
espite receiving support from Vice President Jejomar Binay and even former US President Bill Clinton, world boxing champ and Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao has yet to decide on his political plans for the 2016 polls. Recently back in General Santos City, Pacquiao said he will make up his mind if he will seek a higher government post at “the right time.” “Wala pa naman. Ngayon, enjoy ako sa pagiging congressman. Enjoy ako sa pagiging boksingero. Enjoy ako sa pagiging father sa mga anak ko. Pagisipan natin iyan at the right time,” Pacquiao told reporters during the press conference. Pacquiao has said he was considering running for a position in 2016 but he first wanted to focus on the task at hand as the congressman of Sarangani province. “I’m considering it, 2016, but it’s still too far away,” Pacquiao said after his victory parade with Makati Mayor Junjun Binay. “My decision, though, is not yet final if I will run for a national position.” Clinton said he hopes Pacquiao “goes right on up the ladder” in his political career. Vice President Binay, who is eyeing the presidency in the 2016 polls, said that he was planning to tap Pacquiao as one of his senatorial candidates. Binay earlier said he was courting the “Pambasang Kamao” to run as senator under his United Nationalist
Alliance. Pacquiao said, however, he would first concentrate on the matter at hand and not the near future. For now, the Filipino boxer said he just wants to spend time with his family and in prayer. “I must fulfill my responsibilities as a congressman, as a boxer and as a family man.” The “Pacman” was pummeled by Filipino politicians and on social media after he told Agence France Presse in Macau in 2013 that he aspired to be president, with critics saying this meant he planned to run in 2016, chief of staff Franklin Gacal told AFP. “He knows very well that he will not be qualified to run for president in 2016 because of the age requirement,” Gacal said. The constitution says a presidential candidate must be at least 40 years old on election day. Gacal insisted Pacquiao, 36, a world champion in eight weight divisions who is now serving a second term in the lower house of the Philippine parliament, knows his law. He said Pacquiao was “saddened” by the ferocity of criticism over his comments, which were made to AFP while promoting his November fight with American Brandon Rios in Macau. “He was ridiculed on the Internet as somebody who does not know his law,” he said.(MNS)
Saturday, April 25, 2015
Balita Media Supplement
Theannytime has come to trade blows Pacquiao pronounced himself “Fans like an exciting fight. Our sport
M
ready to fight Floyd Mayweather, saying he’s willing to engage the unbeaten American in the middle of the ring if that’s what it takes to win. The eagerly-anticipated May 2 welterweight unification showdown in Las Vegas promises to be the most lucrative fight in boxing history. “I am very excited,” Pacquiao said Wednesday at the Wild Card gym in Hollywood. “My training and my conditioning is good. I can feel it. I am ready.” Pacquiao says that is why he is training harder and with more drive and determination than for any other fight in his career. “I know this is one of the biggest fights ever in boxing,” he said. “I am not saying it is the biggest, because that would be insulting to the other fights that have been done already. “But it is one of the biggest.” Pacquiao defended his aggressive style after Mayweather, 38, on Tuesday called the 36-year-old Filipino superstar a “reckless” fighter whose careless actions leads to knockouts. Pacquiao said boxing fans appreciate a fighter who comes to box and put on a good show. “Reckless fighter, that is how people like me and love me,” Pacquiao said.
is called boxing, people like a boxer.” Pacquiao was speaking in Hollywood at the final news conference he is giving before he heads to Las Vegas for the fight at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino. The boxer said he doesn’t need a blockbuster fight with Mayweather to define his legacy, that winning titles in eight divisions has far exceeded his expectations. “My entire career defines my legacy. Everything I have done in boxing,” he said. “I have had some great, great accomplishments and achievements in my career. I won titles in eight different weight divisions.” His hall-of-fame career has surpassed anything he could have imagined when he got into sport after someone told him he could earn 100 pesos (about $2) for a fight. The 12-year-old used the money from that first decision victory to buy rice for his poverty-stricken family in the Philippines. “I don’t want to boast and talk about the eight different weight divisions, but that accomplishment is amazing. Beyond my expectation,” he said. “When I started boxing, I never imagined it.” Pacquiao spoke to a small group of reporters in the basement of the Wild Card
Visit www.Balita.com
11
“I will try my best to make this a thrilling and entertaining fight. But I doubt if he’s gonna engage me in a slugfest,” says Manny Pacquiao, winner of an unprecedented eight world titles in different weight classes. “You all know his fighting style. Most of his previous fights, if not all, induced us to sleep,” said Pacquiao from his southern Philippines home city of General Santos.
gym in Hollywood. He then went upstairs to the main gym for a workout in front of a standing-room only crowd of photographers and television cameras. Pacquiao began his workout with a shadow-boxing session without gloves. Wearing a grey t-shirt with the words Team Pacquiao on the back, he worked out on his own for several minutes, while trainer Freddie Roach watched from the corner as the throng of media pressed up against the outside of the ring. Failed test penalty Pacquiao said the fight would have never seen the light of day if he hadn’t agreed to a 60/40 split of the purse, with Mayweather getting the bigger share.
He sought, but failed to get Mayweather to agree on a $5 million penalty for anyone who fails a drug test in the buildup to the fight. Mayweather had previously accused Pacquiao of using performance-enhancing drugs, which became one of the stumbling blocks that helped scuttle previous negotiations. “I suggested it. I was surprised he turned it down,” Pacquiao said. “I was surprised because I was not the one making accusations. They were the ones blaming me because I didn’t want to drug test.” Pacquiao said he has already been tested about six times since the May 2 fight was announced.(Greg Heakes, AFP)
12
Balita Media Supplement
Visit www.Balita.com
Saturday, April 25, 2015
Mayweather is ‘biggest challenge of my life’ – Freddie Roach By Daniel Hicks
H
all of Fame trainer Freddie Roach, who turned 55 on Thursday, has seen it all during a legendary career as a cornerman to the world’s greatest
fighters. But he told AFP Thursday that training Manny Pacquiao to face the unbeaten Floyd Mayweather in boxing’s most lucrative fight yet will be “the biggest challenge of my life.” Roach has trained a string of world champions such as Bernard Hopkins, Julio Cesar Chavez and Oscar De La Hoya. He has been in Pacquiao’s corner for 15 years, been voted US trainer of the year seven times, and endures a constant battle against Parkinson’s disease. Yet he still insisted in an exclusive interview that beating Mayweather would top all that. “It’s the biggest challenge of my career, by far,” the American said in Macau, where he is preparing China’s Zou Shiming to challenge Thailand’s Amnat Ruenroeng for the IBF flyweight championship at Cotai Arena on Saturday. “Floyd’s undefeated. He’s talented, He’s unique. Here’s a guy I first saw when he was five years old in the gym. And he was a good fighter then,” Roach said. The unbeaten welterweight Mayweather (47-0, 26KOs) faces eight-division champion Pacquiao (57-5-2, 38KOs) in Las Vegas on May 2 in the richest fight of all time. “He’s trained himself his whole life. He’s a natural fighter and he makes the moves himself, I mean Floyd is a self-made fighter. He was born into this sport. He just grew with it. “I’m happy this fight is here. Yes, it’s the biggest challenge of my life but I think it’s going to be the greatest moment of my life also.” Roach spoke to AFP straight after getting off the phone to Los Angeles, when he had received a special greeting. “I just talked to Manny,” said Roach. “He wanted to call me. He sang ‘Happy Birthday’ and he had the whole gym singing to me!” Roach said Pacquiao could beat Mayweather but cautioned it would take a near-perfect performance and supreme concentration from ‘Pacman.’ ‘No room for error’ “The strategy to win the fight is very complicated and very precise,” said Roach. “Manny has to make the right moves at the right time to win the fight and this time there is no room for error. “Mayweather is very good at moving and when he gets you to follow him he will walk you into shots, score
Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach, seen here with Weekend Balita columnist Jannelle So, says the fight will be his most lucrative fight yet will be “the biggest challenge of my life.” His ward Manny Pacquiao will face the unbeaten Floyd Mayweather on May 2.
points and win rounds. “But he does make mistakes here and there. Not a lot, but a couple and that’s something a southpaw like Manny can take advantage of.” Roach clearly admires the ringcraft of Mayweather, but said the man known as ‘Money’ left a lot to be desired as a person. “I think Manny will do the world a public service to beat this guy because he’s not a good role model,” said Roach. “Manny’s a really good role model – he’s someone I would want my kids to look up to.” Stay or go? Pacquiao, who has carved out a parallel career in politics, arrived in training camp at Roach’s Wildcard gym in Los Angeles last Saturday, just as Roach was about to leave for China with Zou. Roach revealed his first thoughts were to stay behind to help ‘Pacman’ prepare for Mayweather, but the Filipino superstar was having none of it.
“He came to camp early because the Philippines is crazy,” said Roach of the media and fan circus that follows the adored Pacquiao around. “So I said to him: ‘I’ll see you on Monday’. “And Manny said: ‘No, I’ll see you when you get home from Shiming’s fight. Go help Shiming win the world title. Because with you there he has a much better chance of winning. I can train myself for five days. I’m OK.’ “I think I should be with Manny who’s got the biggest fight of his life coming up but so has Zou. Not too many guys would do that but Manny’s such a nice person.” Roach directed a blast at Mayweather’s father, Floyd Snr, who will be in the opposite corner come May 2. Roach believes Mayweather would be better off with his uncle, Roger Mayweather, as his trainer. “He was a really good fighter at five and I saw him grow up with his uncle Roger. I’m kind of happy that Roger is not the trainer anymore because the father isn’t as good,” said Roach.(AFP)
Pacquiao says ‘killer instinct’ as strong as ever Los Angeles, United States, AFP – Manny Pacquiao said Wednesday his “killer instinct” and will to win is as strong as ever, rejecting suggestions he is past his prime for the May 2 blockbuster bout with Floyd Mayweather. The Filipino was speaking in Hollywood at the final news conference he will give before he heads to Las Vegas for the eagerly anticipated welterweight unification showdown with the unbeaten Mayweather, set to be the most lucrative in boxing history. Boxing fans say the two men are getting it on five years too late, with Pacquiao now 36 and May-
weather two years older, and both showing tentative signs of slowing down in recent fights. Pacquiao, who has also faced accusations that he has neglected his boxing and concentrated too much on his political career, hit back, saying: “I feel very motivated. “The inspiration and determination is back and the killer instinct is there. I love it. I like it.” Pacquiao described the upcoming fight as one of the biggest ever and said that more people are interested in it now because it took years of on-off negotiations to put together. “It is a good thing that it is happening now
rather than five years ago because more people are informed,” he said, denying that the outcome of the Las Vegas fight would define his glittering career. “My entire career defines my legacy. Everything I have done in boxing,” he said. “I have had some great, great accomplishments and achievements in my career. I won titles in eight different weight divisions.” Pacquiao spoke to a small group of reporters in the basement of the Wild Card gym in Hollywood. He then went upstairs to the main gym for a workout in front of a standing-room only crowd of photographers and television cameras.
Saturday, April 25, 2015
Balita Media Supplement
Visit www.Balita.com
13
14
Balita Media Supplement
Visit www.Balita.com
Saturday, April 25, 2015
Where Rep. Manny Pacquiao sees himself ten years from now
By Jannelle So
H
e trains hard from Monday to Saturday. But on the Lord’s day, Sunday, Philippine fighting congressman Manny Pacquiao focuses on his family and his faith, making it a point to attend Sunday worship service at Westside Shepherd of the Hills. “Before I came to this church, I was praying and crying to the Lord. ‘Lord, I don’t know where I’m going. Where will I go every Sunday, what will I do?’ The Lord brought me here,” said Pacquiao who has been attending this particular church since he was introduced to it by his Aunt Lillia. Pastor Dudley Rutherford, leader of the church, had this to say about meeting the 8-division world boxing champion: “I know that God has the future lined up for both of us. I don’t know when he’s done fighting, if I’d see him again. If I’ll go to the Philippines, to help start a church over there. But I do believe that God put it in my heart just to help him. I don’t want anything from him. I don’t need anything from him. I just want to help him. I want to help him grow spiritually. Because so many people are pulling on him. And I just want to help him to be the man God
wants him to be.” The one-on-one live interview Rutherford had with Pacquiao, started with the Filipino pride narrating how he started in boxing. He said that at a young age of 12, even without knowing what boxing was, he put his name in a signup sheet, “because all I know [sic] is you can get money. And I needed money to give to my mother to feed our family.” He said that he ended up actually winning that day, earning himself PhP100; “that’s $2,” he said, with his popular smile. The crowd cheered. “If you lose [sic], you get [sic] PhP50. That’s $1.” Rutherford also showed clips from the “Manny,” the movie about Pacquiao’s life, documenting his rise to fame and fall to vices, “gambling, drinking, girls and womanizing,” Pacquiao said. Through the whole hour or so of the interview, Vice Governor Jinkee Pacquiao got emotional while watching her husband’s testimony. “Kasi naiisip ko ‘yung buhay namin dati and now; more on the happiness side. Answered prayers talaga, na ‘yung mga pinagdaanan namin, nakayanan namin,” she said in an interview, after the service. And even offered an advice to people going through hard times: “Be strong. If you
Y! N N A GO M
Manny Pacquiao says he has renewed his faith and given up vices following an “encounter with God” during a dream. Now immersed in Bible study, he now spends more time when not in training with wife Jinkee and his children. Photo was posted on Jinkee’s Instagram account @ jinkeepacquiao.
have a relationship with God, you can do everything when you have God by your side. Just never give up.” As for their family, husband and wife agree in separate interviews that their
future includes serving God. When Rutherford asked him where he saw himself 10 years from now, Pacquiao replied: “Serving God and serving the people.”
Saturday, April 25, 2015
Balita Media Supplement
Visit www.Balita.com
15
IS THIS MANNY’S SWAN SONG?
By Allen V. Estabillo
D
ays before even meeting Timothy Bradley in their rematch, world boxing sensation and Sarangani Rep. Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao has considered giving up his boxing gloves for good in favor of his faith and “Bible-centered” life. Pacquiao has disclosed that he was seriously leaning on retiring from boxing after his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title fight against American brawler Timothy Bradley in Las Vegas, Nevada. But instead of hanging up his gloves, he went on to demolish Chris Algeri and now will face Floyd Mayweather in the “Fight of the Century” on May 2. “Hindi maganda na nagse-share ako ng salita ng Panginoon tapos nananakit ako ng kapwa (It’s not right that I share God’s word and at the same time hurt other people),” he once told reporters after gracing the oath-taking of newly-promoted personnel of the Army’s 73rd Infantry Battalion in Maasim town in Sarangani. The Sarangani lawmaker, who already made a good fortune from his boxing exploits since his ring, said he wants to concentrate more on sharing his faith and at the same time on helping his poor constituents. “I’ve gained more than enough blessings these past years so I think it’s time for me to return the favor,” he
said in Filipino. Earlier, even Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank was reported in the media as saying that the former supposedly planned to retire from boxing by the end of 2013 after running for governor of Sarangani province. Pacquiao’s mother Dionisia had asked him several times to quit boxing and just focus on his businesses and budding political career but to no avail. On the other hand, Pacquiao said he would only retire from boxing once his famed trainer Freddie Roach sees him slowing down or his vaunted punching power waning out. Mayor Reynaldo Constantino of Malungon, Sarangani, a close ally of Pacquiao, has said the latter has so far become a “changed man” as a result of his new found passion for studying the Bible. Pacquiao, who made the headlines in the past for his alleged affairs with other women as well as his gambling and drinking habits, has reportedly sold a casino that he operates in a Manila hotel and disposed of his fighting cocks. He also shut down recently his J-Mix restaurant and bar, where he used to treat his friends for drinks and billiard games. Pacquiao also accepted an offer from the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines to become the Church’s “Bible ambassador.” The influential Catholic church in the Philip-
pines said it had asked boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao to follow in the footsteps of NFL heroo Tim Tebow and become a “bible ambassador”. Bishop Pablo Virgilio David said Pacquiao could follow the example of the Philippineborn National Football League star Tebow, a devout Christian dubbed by some in the press as “God’s quarterback.” “Tim Tebow became very popular by promoting the word of God,” David said. “Some have referred to Manny Pacquiao as the Tim Tebow of the Philippines.” Tebow was born in Manila in 1987 to a Baptist missionary couple. In an interview with Philippine TV station ABS-CBN this month, Pacquiao said he had recently renewed his faith and given up vices following an “encounter with God” during a dream. In the dream, Pacquiao said he found himself in a forest, where a bright light shone, believed to be God, asking the fighter why he was veering away from Him. “I woke up crying. I remember I was crying in my dream and when I touched my pillow, it was wet,” he said. “If I had died last year or in the last two years, I’m sure I would have gone straight to hell. My faith in Him was there, 100 percent, but behind it, after prayers, I would still do evil things.” (Philippine News Agency)
Photo: Darren Decker Miss Universe 2014
16
Visit www.Balita.com
Balita Media Supplement
Saturday, April 25, 2015