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Tag: Timothy Bradley

  • Dionisia Pacquiao Gains Fame Through Ringside Antics

    The boxing world was quite alive this weekend as the highly anticipated rematch between Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley took place Saturday night in a packed MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. And, as many people had predicted following Pacquiao’s earlier contested loss to Bradley, the Filipino Congressman emerged victorious, defeating Bradley unanimously after 12 hard-fought rounds.

    Prior to their rematch, Pacquiao spent much time intensifying his traditional training regimen, going as far as hiring a new trainer and switching his entire boxing mentality: “… I have to be more aggressive than I had been. I have been working on being aggressive,” stated Pacquiao. Pacquiao’s coach, Freddie Roach, stated that Pacquiao “… wants to give people what they want, which is a knockout.”

    Unfortunately for Pacquiao and his camp, a knockout was not achieved Saturday night. While Pacquiao’s training may have factored greatly in his victory against Bradley, the internet is assured that someone outside the ring played a large role as well.

    During HBO’s telecast of the fight, much attention was given to one prominent audience member – Manny’s mother.

    Dionisia Pacquiao, better known as “Mommy D”, did her best to lead her son to victory Saturday night, emulating gestures which warranted claims of voodoo and hexes against Bradley from spectators.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRKZSbMm8JI

    After the fight was over, “Mommy D” entered the ring to either lift the supposed hex she placed on Bradley, or to simply give the formerly undefeated boxer words of support.

    In a television interview Monday morning, however, “Mommy D” gave away her secret. While the hex angle is a quite intriguing one, Dionisia Pacquiao stated that she was simply praying to Santo Santo Niño de Cebú, a statue of the baby Jesus which many Catholic Filipinos believe to be miraculous.

    “Sabi ko, tulungan ko ang kuya mo na hindi mapabagsak ni Bradley (I prayed that he help Manny not to be knocked out by Bradley),” stated “Mommy D”.

    Dionisia Pacquiao’s actions were most likely prompted by her recent disappointment in Pacquiao’s religious shift away from Catholicism and toward a new Christian movement in the Philippines.

    Following Pacquiao’s last loss against Mexico’s Juan Manuel Marquez, Dionisia replied, “That’s what he gets for changing his religion.”

    “Since the Protestant pastors came into his life, he has not focused on his boxing. They always pray, with Manny losing sleep,” stated “Mommy D”, adding that, “He lost because God wanted him to.”

    Following his victory Saturday night, Pacquiao stated that he thinks he “… can go another two years,” eschewing any thoughts of retirement from the Filipino.

    If Pacquiao doesn’t want to feel his face on the canvas once again, “Mommy D” may become a perennial force along the ringside, especially if the fans get the Pacquiao v. Mayweather, Jr. matchup they desperately want.

    Image via YouTube

  • Manny Pacquiao’s Next Fight: Will Floyd Mayweather Jr. Finally Man Up?

    At a press conference following Manny Pacquiao’s latest victory, Pacquiao’s agent Bob Arum said that he has an idea on how to get a Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather fight that will satisfy both their fans.

    “The only people that can make Floyd Mayweather fight Manny is the public, if they boycott the nonsense on May 3,” Arum yelled. The “nonsense” he was referring to was Mayweather’s upcoming fight against Marcos Maidana, which will be held in a few weeks.

    He continued to say that the media should tell the people not to purchase tickets or watch the fight on pay-per-view. “There is no other strategy. We are prepared tomorrow to sit down at a table with his people.” He also said that they are willing to talk and work out the conditions with Mayweather’s camp.

    With Pacquiao’s latest victory against Timothy Bradley, fans are now talking about a possible fight against Mayweather. If this is not possible, the next logical move is a fifth fight with Juan Manuel Marquez. The two have been in four fights, 3 wins for Pacquiao and 1 for Marquez wherein he knocked out Pacquiao.

    After the fight with Bradley, Pacquiao stated that he is willing to go in the ring with Marquez for a fifth fight, but it is ultimately Arum’s decision. This is more logical, as Arum promotes the two men, and they both generate a lot of money, both live and on pay-per-view.

    On the other hand, a Pacquiao and Mayweather fight has been anticipated by fans for years, and it would no doubt be a great fight between the sport’s two biggest names. It is not clear to many who is avoiding whom, but there are speculations that Mayweather has been avoiding the fight for wise reasons. Through the years, he has demanded conditions before fighting with Pacquiao, such as a greater profit, and enhanced drug testing. Pacquiao’s camp has obliged to comply with his requests. However, there is still no final agreement between the two sides.

    Mayweather’s list of excuses.

    Arum’s words on Sunday were fueled by the fact that there were signs and banners promoting Mayweather’s upcoming fight when he was also working on advertising a Pacquiao-Bradley rematch.

    Arum also called Mayweather a thug. “We’ll give you quality fights. But you want to close your eyes to thuggery in this sport,” he said. When asked about his use of the word “thuggery,” Arum only said that “the ring is square” and that rules for shepherding a fight are “immutable.”

    Image via YouTube

  • Manny Pacquiao Won’t Retire Soon, Even With Golf Clubs

    Manny Pacquiao says he’s not ready to retire just yet now that he’s defeated Timothy Bradley, even though some had their doubts as to how much he had left in him before Saturday’s match.

    “I think I can go another two years,” the 35-year old said

    Bradley said before Saturday’s match that he thought his opponent might have gotten in over his head.

    “I think he may lack fire,” he said. “His motivation is not there. He’s been at the top for a very long time. He has over 60 fights in the ring with all the best. Maybe this is one fight too late for him.”
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    Pacquiao can afford to take a little break now that he’s defeated the previously unbeaten Bradley and taken back the title he lost to the American athlete in 2012; he’s even got a set of golf clubs to use on vacation, if he chooses to take one. Callaway gave him a new set of clubs last week, which include a Big Bertha Alpha driver, Big Bertha 3-wood and 5-wood, X2 Hot hybrids, Apex irons, Mack Daddy 2 wedges, and an Odyssey White Hot Pro #1 putter.

    Bradley’s taunt that Pacquiao might have lost some of his fight seemed to have gotten to the Filipino boxer, who said he would bring some aggression this time around.

    “I’m so happy to be world champion again,” Pacquiao said. “Tim Bradley was not an easy fight.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Manny Pacquiao Ups Training for Bradley Rematch

    In the summer of 2012, Manny Pacquiao faced perhaps the most controversial decision of his two decade, 63 fight professional boxing career. At the end of the highly-anticipated bout between Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley, CompuBox scored punches landed as 253-159 in Pacquiao’s favor. Despite this overwhelming display of dominance with his striking game, the judges decided, in a split-decision, to award the victory to Bradley.

    Life after this controversial loss to Bradley did not improve for Pacquiao. In his next match-up against Juan Manuel Marquez in December of 2012, Pacquiao was knocked out in the sixth round.

    Despite the back-to-back losses, Pacquiao was able to rebound with a victory over Brandon Rios this past November. Since then, Pacquiao has been training like a man possessed to revenge the loss he suffered against Bradley in a contest slated for April 12.

    After conducting the first half of his training in the Philippines, Pacquiao has returned to Los Angeles to resume training with his coach, Freddie Roach.

    For his rematch against Bradley, Pacquiao and Roach have been working on a new strategy that relies upon being more aggresive: “I don’t think he’s going to try to go toe-to-toe with me, but I have to be more aggressive than I had been. I have been working on being aggressive,” stated Pacquiao.

    Part of that aggressive strategy involves Pacquiao throwing more jabs. While Pacquiao has questioned the strategy, stating “He’ll [Bradley] just block it and back away,” coach Freddie Roach believes that the jab is key to Pacquiao changing the end result this time around:

    “I told Manny the other day, ‘Manny, you have the best jab in the world and it drives me crazy that you don’t use it. He can knock guys out with his jab. It’s fast, hard and quick and I’ve been telling him he needs to use it more. In sparring, I’ve been getting him to double, triple and even throw four at a time. It sets up his left hand well.”

    In order to help Pacquiao throw as many jabs as he possibly can, the camp has brought in a new, yet familiar, trainer. Justin Fortune has rejoined with Pacquiao after the boxer parted ways with former trainer Alex Ariza.

    “Against Bradley, Manny will be strong and quick. (There will be) no problem with cramp issues, those will be addressed. He’ll be in the best shape of his life,” assured Fortune.

    While the Pacquiao camp may be exuding confidence, Timothy Bradley is not intimidated. The American boxer has been preparing for his rematch with Pacquiao as well and believes that he will emerge victorious once again: “I know he is gonna try to bring the pressure on me. It’s not gonna work. Right now, it’s not gonna work. He is gonna have to definitely out-think me in there. He has to be a lot faster,” stated Bradley.

    Bradley believes that “The only way he’s going to beat me is if he puts me to sleep and he’s not going to do it.” – a sentiment the Pacquiao camp shares:

    “A lot of times I tell Manny he needs to go for the knockout and he says, ‘Yeah, you’re right,’ and then in the fight, his compassionate side kicks in and he doesn’t do it. But the difference this time is that Bradley said it to him. Bradley said at that first press conference that Manny lost his killer instinct… That must have bothered him, because more than once, Manny has said to me, ‘Can you believe he said that to me?’ And you can see by the way he’s working, he wants to give people what they want, which is a knockout.”

    Pacquiao is training as if all of the chips are in, and perhaps they are. Before Pacquiao entered the ring against Brandon Rios, coach Freddie Roach advised the boxer to retire if he lost the fight. While Roach has yet to advise Pacquiao on what to do if he loses again, Bradley understands the importance of the fight:

    “Manny knows this is do or die for him. If Manny doesn’t win this fight then his career will be over. So this is a must-win situation for Manny Pacquiao.”

    Image via Twitter