Roger Mayweather: Crack History 101

And the accusations still flies even after WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao moved on and laid his belt on the line against top welterweight contender Joshua Clottey. This time, Roger Mayweather now named the substance he “knows” Pacquiao is using – A-Side meth.

And Mayweather also threw in some history too. A-Side meth has been in the scene since for centuries now and was critical during the war between Filipinos and Americans that occur approximately 500 years ago. And get this, American were already using 45 calibers against Filipinos, but the bullets were just bouncing off them Filipinos’ backsides.

All these occurred 500 years ago.

While many would just pass this rambling as some figure of speech, Mayweather was really convinced that Pacquiao is indeed on A-Side meth, and that this performance-enhancing drug was used by Filipino soldiers against American forces. He was so convinced that he was speaking the truth and at the same time, dumb.

So to really put things in the light, here are some FACTS to help you judge whether Mayweather is right or otherwise.

The first time United States got tangled with the Philippine forces was in 1899, which was sometime around 111 years ago. Far from the 500 years Mayweather was pretty much bent on declaring.

45 caliber rounds were not widely used until 1911 when the US Army adopted the Automatic Colt Pistol as the standard small arms of the organization.

500 years ago, around 1510, the Philippines was not even discovered by Spanish explorers. The Spaniards landed on March 1521.

The list goes on. But it seems Mayweather allegations of steroid use by Pacquiao now borders on the ludicrous. But one thing is for sure, whatever lawsuit Pacquiao has thrown the Mayweathers, Roger is clearly undaunted.

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Mayweather: Fight or Flee

Can it get any better than this? Finally, Mayweather can’t say no without looking like a coward.

The pressure is now on Floyd Mayweather to fight Shane Mosley after Mosley’s intended opponent, Andre Berto, withdrew from the January 30th bout because of the loss of loved ones and the emotional burden he carries after a huge earthquake struck Haiti, his parents’ home country. If Mayweather ducks this one, the further damages the move would create to his already damaged legacy would be irreversible.

Mayweather, who used to call the shots and pick opponents who pose little or no threat at all, is now backed into a corner and the only way out is either he fights Mosley, or flees from the scene. The first option is his best choice. After the failed negotiations between his side and Manny Pacquiao’s camp, most of the boxing fans and a number of the boxing community blame him for the fallout.

To add more damage to his reputation, Pacquiao opted to fight and defend his WBO welterweight belt against former welterweight champ Joshua Clottey, a durable and tough boxer who is also considered one of the top ranking welters. Clottey is a high risk-low reward fight for Pacquiao and by taking him on, Pacquiao looked more impressive than Mayweather.

If Mayweather rejects to fight Mosley and decides to flee and look for easy matchups, then he might as well retire again and for good. Any other fight, unless it is Paul Williams, is utterly unacceptable and a great disservice to the sport and to the fans.

The Berto withdrawal have presented Mayweather with a golden opportunity. He better not waste it.

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Filipino Pugilists Trump Contenders in Cebu

Bakbakan sa Sinulog was a complete success with the Filipino pugilists sweeping through their foreign opponents convincingly and in very emphatic fashion. ALA Boxing Promotions’ prodigies and the event’s double-headers AJ “Bazooka” Banal and Milan Melindo have successfully trumped their opposition and further improve their records and their chances for a world stage.

Banal effectively used his height, speed, and strength advantage in dispatching Cecilio Boga Santos of Mexico in the fourth round of their non-title bantamweight bout. Santos landed some solid shots but was not quite consistent as he struggled with the young Banal’s physical advantages. The Filipino took no time in administering serious combinations with blistering speed to end the night for the Mexican Santos.

For the main event, Milan Melindo took on the young and slick California-native Anthony Villareal in a very exciting exchange. Villareal, the game champion, was very effective with his low-guard style until he got decked to the canvas by a solid right hook from the Filipino in the first round. Villareal was clearly stunned by Melindo’s power and was very careful throughout the fight.

Melindo was very patient and cool, although he kept on pressing the taller and bigger Villareal. Melindo concocted several combinations that would force the American champion to back down. But Villareal had his moments as well. He clearly won rounds 6, 8, and 10, evidently when he used his quickness and slick defense to slip Melindo’s punches and lands some solid shots of his own.

Round 12 proved to be a thrilling segment of the fight as Melindo, who was clearly ahead on points, decided to trade with the strong-punching Villareal. However, the Filipino proved to be a tough customer as Melindo and Villareal went for a knockout during the dying seconds of the fight.

Melindo won a rightfully-deserved unanimous decision. I scored the fight 7 rounds to 3 in favor of the new WBC Youth Intercontinental Flyweight champion.

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Anthony Villareal vs Milan Melindo Round by Round - Bakbakan sa Sinulog

Round 1

Both men are feeling each other out. Melindo stalks Villareal, who potshots him with jabs. Melindo catches Villareal with a right hook and sents him to teh canvas. Villareal clearly dazed and holds to survive the round.

10-8 Melindo

Round 2

Strong right hands from Melindo stagger Villarreal. Villareal recovers. Melindo clearly the busy fighter.

10-9 Melindo

Round 3

Villareal lands strong jabs and hooks. Melindo unfazed and fires back with power shots. Villareal caught a straight right and holds. Melindo all the way.

10-9 Melindo

Round 4

Back and forth action with Melindo giving out more. Melindo catches Villareal with another right hook. Villareal counters with his left.

10-9 Melindo

Round 5

Villareal tries to land some power shots but it's Melindo who is landing more meaningful blows. Melindo is dishing out punishmnet. Villareal is clearly running out of steam.

10-9 Melindo

Round 6
Villareal seems to come back in this round. He's landing cleaner shots now. Melindo gives out his share. Villareal fires a combo to end the round.

10-9 Villareal

Round 7

Both men went all-out. Hard round to decide. But I'll give it to Melindo since he lands the more telling blows.

10-9 Melindo

Round 8

Villareal is countering well in this round, catching Melindo wiith some serious shots on the way in. Melindo staggers Villareal with another strong right hook. Villareal displayed good defense.

10-9 Villareal

Round 9

Villareal owned the first minute with good defense and landing some counters. Melindo took over and unleashes some seriuous shots to the head and body.

10-9 Melindo

Round 10

Villareal looking for a knockout. Villareal unleashing more punches than Melindo. Villareal staggers Melindo with a left hook. Melindo stands his ground and trades back.

10-9 Villareal

End of Fight

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AJ "Bazooka" Banal vs Cecilio "Boga" Santos - Bakbakan sa Sinulog

Round 1

Santos starts with a jab. Banal retaliates with his own combinations. Santos fires with a couple of 1-2s. Banal finally established height and reach advantage and peppers Santos with jabs and power shots.

10-9 Banal

Round 2

Banal dishing a lot of punches. Santos fires back but not much. Santos covers up as Banal starts a body attack. Banal applies good pressure.

10-9 Banal

Round 3

Banal staggers Santos with a straight left. Banal unleashes combinations. Santos lands a few shots. Banal again with a straight left. banal with a left hook. Banal fires a 1-2 at the end of the round.

10-8 Banal

Round 4

Banal stings Santos with another straight left, Santos clearly hurt. Banal traps Santos in a corner. Barrage of punches from Banal knocks Santos out.

Banal winner by knockout.

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James Bacon vs T. Singwancha Round by Round

Round 1

Bacon uses his jab effectively. Bacon staggers Singwancha with a straight right. Bacon unleashes a combo and traps Singwancha on the ropes.

Singwancha struggles with Bacon's height and reach advantage.

Rd 1- Bacon 10-9

Round 2

Singwancha mounts a body attack and repelled by Bacon. Singwancha displays good tight defense. Singwancha slips. Both exchange blows. Bacon giving out more punches.

Bacon 10-9

Round 3

Singwancha knocks Bacon down. Ref rules it a slip. Both men exchange punches. Bacon staggers Singwancha with another straight right. Bacon lands three punches before the end of the round.

Bacon 10-9

Round 4

Relentless body attack from bacon. Singwancha falls and yields.

Bacon wins by TKO 55 seconds in the 4th.

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On The Verge of Living The Dream

I started out as an avid boxing fan.

My first memory that has anything to do with boxing was a classic Nintendo video game called Punch-Out! where you play a small boxer who had to whoop bigger boxers' asses. With my avid enthusiasm for the game, my dad bought me two pairs of boxing gloves for kids - one for me and another pair for those who chose to slug it out with me.

I never grew up to be a boxer, but I grew up practicing unholy idolatry for Mike Tyson, Riddick Bowe, Evander Holyfield, Oscar de la Hoya and Luisito Espinosa. I never really cared about the technical aspects of the games, weight categories and all. All I cared about was making sure I watch their fights and read the news about them.

When I reached college, I initially went for a engineering degree but decided that journalism is my path. I have always hoped that I could practice sports journalism. However, life took me on a different route and ended up in making articles for various websites, ranging from healthcare to real estate.

So I am became a boxing blogger, on the side.

So yeah, being a sports journalist became a distant, far-fetched possibility for me. I decided to channel my frustrations in writing articles about boxing, hoping it would vent any disappointments in the basement.

Call it a stroke of luck or fate, somebody did took notice. And from there, I started contributing to popular boxing websites. At the very least, my name is getting out.

And then, I got my first live assignment - go to Cebu and cover the first major boxing event in the Philippines. Well, tomorrow is fight night. But now, I can safely say, I am Frustrated Analyst no more.

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On The Clottey-Foreman-Pacquiao Debate and What Mayweather Can Do To One Up Pac

Anybody who says that Yuri Foreman is a better challenge for Pacquiao than Joshua Clottey is wrong. Dead wrong.

For starters, Clottey is one of the most avoided welterweights today, a reason why he has fought only once last year - against Miguel Cotto in a fight where it could have gone either way or ended in a draw. Here is where Clottey ranked among the top welterweights today (this is my ranking by the way):

1. Manny Pacquiao
2. Shane Mosley
3. Andre Berto
4. Miguel Cotto
5. Joshua Clottey

Now, you might wonder why Pretty Boy Floyd is not included in the top five. Simple. Ask and answer yourself this question: "When was the last time Mayweather fought a true and legitimate 147 contender?"

If you dig really deep and look past behind his performance against Juan Manuel Marquez, who was a bloated lightweight during their fight (no disrespect to the Mexican warrior), it was Carlos Baldomir back in 2005. Baldomir was not even a top contender but he did campaigned extensively at the 147 territory.

Fact be told, Clottey is a dangerous route for anyone within the 147-154 range. True, Foreman could have been another historical notch for Pacquiao, an easy one, I might add. But opting to fight the formidable Clottey instead, Pacquiao has proven he is out there taking on all the best challenges available.

The native of Accra, Ghana poses a serious threat to Pacquiao. He is a strudy welterweight with solid and hard punches, an almost impregnable defense, a granite chin, and a large and towering physique which he rally puts into play. And he has never been stopped before. Cotto may have won that fight, but Clottey sure did made it a hell before losing to the Puerto Rican.

On the contrary, Foreman is not much of a threat to Pacquiao. Size may be a factor, but that's really arguable. Pacquiao has fought bigger guys and bested all of them, from David Diaz all the way to Cotto. But lest you forget, the Filipino already stated that he will stop at welterweight.

Foreman, undefeated as he is, is not really much of an exciting fighter. He has always been playing it safe. He effectively fights at a distance and prefers to potshot the other guy rather than oblige in a trade. In other words, it is going to be a long and boring night, regardless of who he is fighting. And with the physical advantages he has over the seven-division champion, it's going to be a looooong night indeed for the Filipino.

While some can and will deny that Clottey is a perfect choice for Pacquiao in the light of the failed negotiations with the Mayweather camp, it is very hard to argue that Pacquiao has taken the easy route.

And with such move, this forces Mayweather to a corner and think of options that are available to him if he wants to make a better something grander than what Pacquiao has recently done. And fights with either Matthew Hatton, whose campaigns at the welterweight division are so abysmal that he is ranked somewhere in the 30s, or Paulie Malignaggi, who is slick, fast, and brash but whose punches can hardly make an impact on anyone, are just ammunitions for more criticisms and damage an already hurting legacy.

Truth is Mayweather's is now in a position where he cannot pick a severely inferior opponent, claim another quick payday, and brag that he is the greatest. If he wants to do better than what Pacquiao has done, and that is challenge someone with serious and potent threat, then all Money May has to do is pick a fight with someone who is more menacing and more threatening than Pacquiao's choice. And to name a few, he could call out Paul Williams or Sergio Martinez, that is if he wants to battle it out in March.

Or he could weather the itch to fight (if he has it) and pick on the winner of Shane Mosley-Andre Berto. If he wants to save his legacy, that is if he still cares about such thing, considering that legcay does not pay the bills, he has to name one, top caliber opponent that can possibly beat the living daylights out of him. And win.

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