Pacquiao-Mayweather Set for March 13

For all intents and purposes, both fighters have now agreed to set the record straight and determine who the best fighter of this generation is. It is a fight I want, you want, hell, everybody wants. And it is going to happen.

Manny Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KOs), the current holder of the IBO light welterweight, Ring Magazine junior welterweight, the WBO welterweight titles and the WBC Diamond Belt, , is coming off from an impressive and convincing win against Miguel Cotto.

Pacquiao’s technical demolition of Cotto proves that the Pacman can fight anyone in the welterweight division and can take a true welterweight’s punch. The fight also showed that Pacquiao has the power to hurt and bring down a welterweight fighter.

Opposite Pacquiao is Floyd Mayweather, Jr. Flamboyant, loud, and oozing with braggadocio, Mayweather boasts of a pristine 40-0 record, with 25 wins by way of knockouts. After more than a two-year hiatus, Mayweather clinically outboxed a game but helpless Juan Manuel Marquez in his last outing.

The win only proved that Mayweather is as good as he was before he went into semi-retirement. Still slick and sneaky, with an almost impenetrable defense, Mayweather is perhaps the best boxer in terms of defensive and evasive skills.

So what we have here is battle of two different styles – one who presses on with unrelenting power and speed and one who extensively uses his defense as part of his offense. It's Pacquiao, who prefers an all-out, all–action battle, versus Mayweather, a defensive mastermind who selectively punishes his opponents with extreme precision and counters.

Who’s going to win? Too early to call, but I will make an analysis later on these two great warriors. But one thing is for sure, I am so hyped up for this fight.

Williams Survived Martinez Onslaught

Paul Williams narrowly escaped a loss after a close, grueling, and action-packed match with Sergio Martinez in a middleweight bout last December 5. That the most feared and most avoided boxer today was shown as vulnerable as any, Martinez exposed after going toe-to-toe with Williams.

Martinez was able to down Williams in the first round, cut him over the eye in the fourth, and perhaps outworked him the rest of the night. Williams may have done enough to survive the beating. Either way, both men could have won. It was very close. So close a draw would have been justified and rightly so.

But what transpired in the scoring is one reason why boxers should never leave it to the judges. Judge Julie Lederman scored it even (114-114), but Lynne Carter credited Williams with a narrow win (115-113). The most bizarre twist came from the third judge, Pierre Benoist, as he scored the bout with a very surprising (gasping) 119-110 scorecard.

Benoist either watched a totally different fight, or had placed a huge bet on Williams. Either way, that guy should not score a bout again.

I do believe Martinez deserves a rematch. But after the beatdown he dished to Williams, I doubt the “most feared” man in boxing would want anything to do with Martinez.

Unknown Champion Cuts Down Boxing Legend in Jones

Whether its age, ring rust, or long-term absence from the ring, the journey of Roy Jones is over. Jones, who was slated to fight arch-rival Bernard Hopkins sometime in 2010, may perhaps consider retirement his best option, after losing. To a virtually unknown boxer. In the first round.

Danny Green of Australia trapped Jones into the corner and then downed the boxing great with a right hook to the side of the head. The impact of the blow was obviously visible, as Jones struggled to get himself up on wobbling knees.

Jones, shortly after recovering, was on the bad side of the bargain as Green rushed to him and battered him with powerful shots to the body and to the head. All Jones could do was cover up and try to survive.

With the defeat, the possibility of a Hopkins-Jones rematch has been reduced to embers. Green, on the other hand, retains his IBO Cruiserweight title and improves to a 28-3 record, 25 knockouts.

As for Jones, a legend definitely has fallen.

Amir Khan Blasts Salita for an Easy Win

I really can’t understand why so many Brits love to loathe British boxing star Amir Khan. He’s a nice guy for crying out loud! He’s a great chap, hands down.

Born to Iranian parents, the current WBA World light-welterweight champion successfully defended his crown for the first time against the highly touted and undefeated Dmitry Salita. In what was a much hyped matchup, Khan only needed less than 80 seconds to dispose of the Ukrainian-American contender.

Ten seconds into the fight, Khan unleashed a powerful right straight that literally obliterated Salita out of the match. While the challenger held on to buy time, it was not enough to stop Khan from launching furious and rapid barrages.

With the win, the 23-year old Khan is obviously much better than the one Breidis Prescott knocked out September last year. Under the tutelage of Freddie Roach, who Khan hired after the Prescott loss and who also trains pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao, Khan is slated for higher heights.

“He can take on the world,” Roach said in the ring. “No one can touch him, I feel. Whoever wants to step up and fight, we’re ready.”

“I want to show the Americans that I have the talent, the speed, the power to do it,” he said in the ring immediately after the brief fight. “… I can only get better as I mature. I still haven’t hit my peak. I’m only 22, 23 on Tuesday.

If such thing is true, then Khan is a scary prospect for the contenders in his division. Pacquiao already admitted that Khan has the speed to match, or even surpass, his.

Z Gorres Out of Danger; Coach Roach Attacks Writer

My apologies again for not updating this blog as frequently as I want to. Been busy. Shoot me.

Now that apologies are aside, let me say that my prayers go with Z “The Dream” Gorres and his family. Z suffered a serious brain injury after defeating the hard-punching Luis Melendez last December 12th in Las Vegas. The Filipino boxer slipped into coma shortly after being declared the winner.

Z’s stable, ALA Promotions, has recently released a press report that the boxer is now out of the woods and slowly improving.

Kaya mo yan Z!

***

World-renowned trainer Freddie Roach is accused of assault and battery after he aggressively “approached” a boxing scribe who wrote an item on the famed boxing coach titled “Sick Roach Misses Concepcion’s Last Workout.”

Roach, who is known to suffer from Parkinson’s disease, is said to have felt degraded and demeaned by such title. Sources even said that Roach threatened to kill the writer if he does the same thing again.