Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Charles Barkley and Reggie Miller Goes Into Boxing, Trains with Manny Pacquiao


One thing is certain when Manny Pacquiao is training for a fight: He'll never be lonely.

Pacquiao, who is preparing to face Juan Manuel Marquez on Saturday at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas for a fourth time, always seems to host a flood of celebrities. He recently gave Basketball Hall of Famers Charles Barkley and Reggie Miller a taste of what it is like to train for a fight.

Barkley and Miller chronicled their experience working out with Pacquiao at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, Calif., for a half-hour special that will air Thursday on TNT following the network's NBA coverage.

Miller ran with Pacquiao through Griffith Park in Los Angeles. Both men got in the ring with Pacquiao at the Wild Card, while Barkley spent time with trainer Freddie Roach.

I haven't had a chance to get a sneak peak of the footage, but Pacquiao was chuckling as he was watching Miller throw -- or, to be more accurate, try to throw -- a jab.

"As a boxing fan, it was one of the coolest things I've ever done," Barkley said.

Hopefully, Barkley's boxing form is better than his golf swing. Miller, for all his technical faults, said he enjoyed the time with the Pacman.

"As a professional athlete, it's always interesting to hear how other elite athletes prepare themselves for competition," Miller said. "Training with Manny was an experience I'll never forget."

The half-hour show, called "Charles & Reggie: Toe to Toe with Manny Pacquiao" will air after TNT's doubleheader ends Thursday. TNT will show the Miami Heat against the New York Knicks at 8 p.m. ET, with Dallas at Phoenix following at 10:30 p.m. ET.

via Yahoo Sports, Kevin Iole

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Viloria Aims to be Undisputed Super Flyweight Champion

Fresh from unifying the World Boxing Organization (WBO) and the World Boxing Association (WBA) titles via his victory over Mexican Hernan Marquez last week, Filipino-American champion Brian “The Hawaiian Punch” Viloria is now setting his eyes on the World Boxing Council (WBC) and International Boxing Federation (IBF) crowns.

“There’s also the possibility for me to unify all four titles. So, I might as well go for four and I’m already halfway there. What’s two more, but we’ll see what the possibilities are,” Viloria told reporters during the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum on Tuesday in Manila.

If ever Viloria (32-3 win-loss record with 19 knockouts) accomplished the feat, he would ascend to the level of American middleweight champions Jermain Taylor and Bernard Hopkins who all won the WBO, WBC, WBA and IBF crowns.

“I will keep on fighting until I feel my body is not responding to the way I want it to then I am looking at hanging up my gloves,” said Viloria, who arrived in Manila on Saturday.

Viloria, 32, also dismissed the idea of moving up from flyweight to bantamweight, “I feel great. I don’t feel my age and I feel like I’m 23. I’m treating my body right and doing the right things at training camp. I see bigger challenges ahead,” he said, adding, “Thinking of going up to 115lbs, get a title then maybe go up to 118lbs. We’ll see. I’m taking it one step at a time. We don’t want to go too far ahead of ourselves.”

Viloria said that there is no final word yet on who his next opponent will be. 

via Ryan Songalia, RingTV

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Azkals Roar and Bite, Nips Vietnam 1-0


The Philippine Azkals rued a couple of missed easy first half chances against Vietnam in a game the Filipinos had to win but a perfect pass by towering Angel Guirado who came on in the second half to another substitute Chieffy Caligdong who blasted a left-footed kick to leave the Vietnamese goalkeeper beaten all ends up in the 85th minute put the Philippines on the brink of qualification for the semi final round of the AFF Suzuki Cup in Bangkok. 

The Philippines repeated their ouster of Vietnam in 2010 when they stunned the home side 2-0 to qualify for the semi finals where they lost to Indonesia in both matches which were played in Jakarta by margins of a single goal. 

It was a scrappy match until coach Michael Weiss who was seated in the stands after being banished in their game against Thailand for throwing the ball at a Thai player who was on the ground, rang the right changes pulling out the Younghusband brothers Phil and James who were nowhere near their best and sending in Guirado and Dennis Wolf and later Caligdong. 

Weiss had challenged the Azkals to be warriors in a must-win game and they dutifully obliged often breaking up Vietnam’s attacking moves by clogging the box and tackling resolutely with skipper Rob Gier and Jason De Jong along with Juani Guirado defending solidly. 

Weiss told the Suzuki Cup website after the game “My team fought like lions and warriors and withstood the power attacks of Vietnam. You can not give Vietnam even a meter’s space - they would exploit it sooner or later.” 

The German coach admitted that he had “to employ an excessive defensive style with counter attacks which just came into full swing with the changes we made with fresh players coming on.” 

He commended the three substitutes and said “Angel Guirado, Emelio Caligdong and Denis Wolf changed the match but that would not have been possible without the great defensive display.” 

An elated coach praised his players for what he termed “a fantastic performance and we are back in the race. We now play a strong Philippines side and hopefully we can reach the semi-finals.” 

To ensure a semi finals slot the Philippines must beat Myanmar who later on lost to Thailand 4-0 giving the Thais the first spot in the semis with 6 points while the Philippines were in second with 3 points. 

The Azkals cannot afford to take Myanmar lightly because although Thailand was clearly the superior team, they played well and could be dangerous especially if the Thais consider the Philippines a bigger threat and rest their key players and allow Vietnam to score an unlikely victory which would put them on 4 points, one ahead of the Philippines unless the Azkals beat Myanmar. 

Vietnam coach Phan Thanh Hung said that his players froze and made too many mistakes. He told the official Suzuki Cup website “Our team today played the worst match since I became head coach.” 

He claimed that “when the match started so many players frooze and made wrong passes. And the goal it came from a wrong pass from one player.” He added that “it was difficult to pierce the packed Philippines defense. We could not create any good chances or do anything that could turn the game.” 

He magnanimously accepted responsibility for the loss. 

The Philippines made two changes from the side that lost 2-1 to Thailand as Jason De Jong replaced skipper Caligdong while Patrick Reichelt, playing with several broken teeth after a training ground injury, came in for Angel Guirado. 

The website report said the opening exchanges were fairly even although Vietnam had an early chance with a close-range shot from Le Tan Tai, but ‘keeper Eduard Sacapono saved comfortably. 

Both sides were struggling to find their rhythm but Vietnam’s Pham Thanh Luong displayed some nice touches with his cultured left foot. 

Vietnam’s Huynh Quoc Anh beat the offside trap in the 23rd minute but his shot went straight at the keeper. 

Philip Younghusband battled hard up front for the Philippines and he had his team’s first chance in the 23rd minute but his shot was comfortably saved by Duong Hong Son. 

For his efforts Younghusband also received a yellow card for simulation after going to ground too easily. 

Pham Thanh Luong remained Vietnam’s livewire and in the 30th minute he came close with a shot from just outside the area which sped past the right post. 

At the other end Philip Younghusband continued to work hard but could only muster a couple of half-chances. 

Paul Mulders, who scored against Thailand in the opening match, came closest for the Philippines when his cross-cum shot in the 42nd minute was tipped over the bar by Hong Son. 

That was the last of any serious goalmouth action in a largely forgettable first half. 

Vietnam began to slowly build up the pressure and in the 58th minute Le Tan Tai fired in a good effort from outside the area but unfortunately it was straight at the keeper. 

Despite dominating possession Vietnam were not creating any real chances and slowly allowed the Philippines back into the game. 

In the 66th minute Wolf came on for Philip Younghusband and almost immediately the Philippines attack appeared more threatening. 

Also adding some venom to the Philippines front line was substitute Guirado. Playing out on the right he caused all sorts of problems for the Vietnam defense which was showing signs of tiring. 

In the 81st minute Guirado went on a great run, cutting in from the right, and after forcing his way into the area was unlucky to see his goal-bound shot hit a Vietnam defender on the ground. 

But four minutes later it was a different story. Out on the right Guirado spotted Caligdong in space on the left. His pin-point cross was beautifully controlled by Caligdong who turned and blasted the ball home with his left foot. 

Vietnam were not going down without a fight, however, and within a minute Le Tan Tai blasted the ball goalkeeper Ed Sacapano almost miraculously tapped the ball against the crossbar and the Philippines cleared quickly. 

That was to be Vietnam’s last real chance and the Philippines hung on for a precious victory, prompting understandable celebrations at the final whistle. 

via Ronnie Nathanielsz, Philboxing.com

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Monday, November 26, 2012

Berto Dropped by Guerrero Twice, Keeps WBC Welterweight Title, Floyd and Manny Next


n another one of the truly exciting slugfests that make boxing worth watching, Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero dropped former champion Andre Berto twice before going on to win a unanimous twelve round decision at the Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, California. 

Guerrero, showing amazing power at 147 pounds dropped Berto in both the first and second rounds but Berto fought back furiously in a fight that was nothing short of a war. 

Berto himself caught Guerrero with uppercuts and clubbing right hands but Guerrero refused to back off. 

In a ferocious twelfth round both fighters went toe-to-toe with Guerrero finishing strongly and staggering Berto. 

With the crowd on its feet yelling, the referee didn’t hear the bell ending the final round and a ringside official had to rush into the ring to stop the fight. 

All three judges Max DeLuca, Julie Lederman and Alejandro Rochin had Guerrero the winner by an identical 116-110 margin. 

Manny Pacquiao’s strength and conditioning coach Alex Ariza told the Manila Standard it was “another classic fight which reminded me of Brian Viloria’s TKO win over Hernan 'Tyson' Marquez” in their flyweight unification title fight at the Los Angeles Sports Arena. 

Ariza said these are the kind of fights that fans want to see and keep boxing alive. 

via Philboxing.com, Ronnie Nathanielz

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Thursday, November 22, 2012

Suzuki Cup Result Could Determine Fate of Azkal's Coach Weiss


BANGKOK, Thailand – A day before the 2012 ASEAN Football Federation Suzuki Cup, Filipino fans are looking forward to what could be the start of the country’s emergence as a dominant football nation in the region.

But all eyes will also be on Philippine national men’s football coach Hans Michael Weiss, whose stint with the Azkals may depend on their performance in the tournament, as his contract with the team expires shortly after the Suzuki Cup.

Whether his stay with the team will be extended or not, Weiss said he is ready for whatever the management decides.

“I’m prepared for either way,” Weiss said. “I have requests from other clubs, federations so I’m not worried too much.”

However, Weiss believes that the country should create a long-term program to develop football further.

“If you think globally, clubs and also the federations are successful to keep their managers for a longer time,” Weiss said. “If the evaluation of Michael Weiss is a good one, and for my point of view, it can only be good, they should think serious if they want to make a change or not.”

Weiss was hired shortly after the Azkals’ Cinderella run to the semifinals of the Suzuki Cup two years ago. Since then, they have had unprecedented success, recruiting foreign-born players of Filipino lineage and gaining more international experience.

The German coach said that although his current contract is ending, his job is still to set in motion plans for the future of Philippine football for the future.

Weiss said plans are afoot to increase international assistance to the Philippines, as the German Football Association will assign a technical consultant for the country’s development programs.

“Regardless of my position, whether my contract will be renewed or not, we will see. I have to plan for Philippine football for the next three to five years,” he said.

He admits that the Azkals’ performance in the regional tournament could decide whether he is retained, contends that the Suzuki Cup should not be the only basis for the decision on whether the Philippines should retain him as coach.

“People have to make their own evaluation of what has been done for the past years. I know outside the Philippines, wherever I go, people say, ‘What have you done? Are you a magic man?’” Weiss said.

“If we win it or lose it, it’s not the end of the world. It’s a continuous process. (But) for me, the Suzuki Cup is already over in my plans.

“If you bring in a new coach, and he wants to make his style, and has a different idea, that’s not my decision.”

via InterAktv, Karl Decena

BANG! BANG! BANG! RATING BOXING’S HARDEST PUNCHERS (VOLUME IV)


Who hates the Transnational Boxing Ratings Board? Julio Ceja. Julio Ceja hates the Transnational Boxing Ratings Board, that’s who. For under its former guise and back when The Queensberry Rules’ annual guide to the hardest punchers in boxing relied solely upon the rankings of Ring Magazine in order to separate the sport’s swatters from its slapsies, Mexican bantamweight Ceja would have landed himself top of the pops with a teeth-jangling 90.48 kayo-to-fight percentage.
Times they are a-changin’ around these parts, though, pilgrims. We’re all fully-fledged disciples of the TBRB around here and unfortunately for Senor Ceja, the think tank behind the independent ratings just don’t care for him as highly as the fellas over at Ring (and if you aren’t world ranked with TBRB, you no longer figure).
The rest of the criteria remain the same: Knockout percentage is based on concussion-to-fight ratio for reasons best explained here. In event of a tie-break, the fighter with more total knockouts ranks highest.
1. Lucas Matthysse (Junior Welterweight)
Matthysse (pictured above) has bludgeoned another four opponents into mush since our last update. Judges must rock up at ringside for the Argentinean’s bouts wondering whether to bother pulling out a pen (which could actually explain those two iffy-looking decision losses to Zab Judah and Devon Alexander on his record to date).
Only six men have managed to last longer than five rounds with the Buenos Aires bomber, who hunts his opponents down mercilessly behind a hellacious left hook, debilitating body attack and a straight-as-a-die right hand that he blasts through the middle. His neighbour Marcos Maidana may have exited our power list (for the time being at least) but a prospective civil war between the two mullet sporting, tattooed badasses remains one of the most mouth-watering in world boxing.
Kayo to fight percentage: 88.24
2. Hugo Ruiz (Bantamweight)
Ruiz, Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico, clocked up 15 opening round knockouts in his first eighteen starts and he debuts here after a trio of stoppage wins dished out on his home patch. After engaging in an absolute humdinger with local rival Francisco Arce (kid brother to the more celebrated Jorge) in May 2011 (a punch-out that featured both men hitting the deck twice apiece -- including Arce being punched through the ropes in the 11th round), Ruiz, a hunkering pressure fighter first time around, switched to a more methodical counter-punching style for the re-run. The switch paid off. Ruiz zapped “Panchito” with a beautifully timed counter uppercut in round 3 and a series of follow-up raids led to an apoplectic Arce being yanked out by his corner in the very next round.
Ruiz subsequently made light work of Venezuelan Yonfrez Parejo and Nicaraguan Jean Sampson, yet he’ll have his hands full with the Japanese Koki Kameda next time out.
Kayo to fight percentage: 87.50 (28 KOs)
3. Gennady Golovkin (Middleweight)
Golovkin sent tremors through the middleweight ranks back in September when he ravaged the useful Pole, Grzegorz Proksa. The Stuttgart-based Kazak is well-balanced, measured and has horseshoes in his gloves.

“Triple G” is perfectly placed to become the star so many have pegged him to become. Explosive encounters against the likes of Sergio Martinez, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Dmitry Pirog can be made at 160 lbs., while the likes of Andre Ward, Carl Froch, Miguel Cotto and Saul Alvarez are but a plate of Besbarmak or two away. Next up could be Fernando Guerrero or Gabriel Rosado. Don’t bet on either being around to hear the final bell.

Kayo to fight percentage: 87.50 (21 KOs)
4. Vitali Klitschko (Heavyweight)
Britain’s Dereck Chisora cost Klitschko his top spot in extending the 41-year-old Ukrainian the full route back in February for only the fourth time in his career. Truly heavy-handed, Klitschko is remarkably well-preserved for his age, despite signs that he may be starting to rust.
Slipping in the polls here, Vitali’s UDAR party also missed out in the recent Ukrainian parliamentary elections, yet a political career could still lure him away from knocking people out. With the political landscape in his homeland uncertain, a decision on whether to take on long-time thorn in his ass David Haye has still to be made.
Kayo to fight percentage: 87.23

5. Mikey Garcia (Featherweight)
Garcia (real name Miguel Angel) is an oddity – a knockout artist with the patience of Job. Trained by older brother Robert, Garcia dismantles his opponents piece by piece, unhurried, unflappable and unstoppable thus far. A graduate of the Ventura Police Academy, Garcia is aiming to pick up the sheriff’s badge at 126 lbs. when he shakes down the division’s top man, Orlando “Siri” Salido, early in the New Year.
Garcia has a beautiful right cross yet exhibited an equally sweet left hook in his eight round win over Jonathon Barros a couple of weeks back. With a piercing jab and high-handed defence, opponents are left with very little to exploit. And while they’re pondering over their predicament, Garcia is already lining them up for the finisher. It’ll take a whirling dervish to break his composure.
Kayo to fight percentage: 86.67
6. David Haye (Heavyweight)
A mere bit-part fighter these days, well, more bit-part than he already was, Haye remains once of boxing’s more explosive punchers. With only a single appearance since our last update -- a highlight-reel smack down of fellow rude boy Dereck Chisora -- Haye nudged his numbers up a few decimals and little more.
Despite vowing he would never fight again unless a Klitschko brother throws him a knotted rope, Haye is as fond of a pound note as the next man. He’s also keen on the limelight (hence his current stint on a reality TV show), and it wouldn’t be an astonishing turn of events to see him piggyback onto an anticipated David Price-Tyson Fury media frenzy, perhaps next year, trash-talking his way into taking on the winner. Price, by the way, only needs to crack the heavyweight top ten (with another kayo) in order to leapfrog Haye here.
Kayo to fight percentage: 85.71

7. Juan Manuel Lopez (Featherweight)
Lopez has been a stalwart on this chart since the get-go.  “Juanma,” though, has been the recipient of more dizzy spells than those he has meted out in recent years. Lopez has never quite lived up the promise he showed in offing Daniel Ponce De Leon back in 2008. The Puerto Rican struck with the suddenness of a cattle gun and the panache of a matador that night yet hasn’t been able to soar as high since.
Rogers Mtagwa, Bernabe Concepcion, Rafael Marquez and Orlando Salido have all shown Lopez the black lights, Salido stopping him twice (his only two defeats to date). A mooted match-up with Wilfredo Vazquez, Jr. appears to have gone for a Burton with the feuding pair unable to agree on a weight, so Lopez may head north into junior lightweight, where a couple of easy ones wouldn’t go amiss.
Kayo to fight percentage: 84.85
8. Carlos Cuadras (Junior Bantamweight)
I’ll wager I wasn’t the only one unfamiliar with the work of Carlos Roberto Cuadras Quiroa. “Principe” (Prince) hasn’t fought at the same level as his counterparts here and in fact punked a debutant in his nineteenth outing (predictably doing away with poor Sakchai Sor Tanapinvo within a couple of minutes). This could be a brief pit-stop then, should the Mexican elect to move up in class.
 
Only compatriot Alberto Chuc has had the temerity face Cuadras twice and, after lasting the full eight round trip first time around, he was soundly thumped in a rematch. Trained by Nacho Beristain, Cuadras commits to the body as though felling a tree and uses the momentum gained to set up his pet punch, a scorching right uppercut. As an amateur, Carlos took gold at the 2007 Pan-American Games, yet lost out to Manchester’s Joe Murray at the World Championships that very same year.
 
Kayo to fight percentage: 84.62

9. James Kirkland (Junior Middleweight)
Broadcaster Clive James famously remarked that Arnold Schwarzenegger resembled “a brown condom full of walnuts”, and I’m reminded of that wisecrack whenever I see Kirkland. The very definition of brawn, it’s easy to see where his power emanates from although he’s brittle with it (a bit like a brown condom full of walnuts).
“The Mandingo Warrior” had to swallow a disqualification win last time out against Carlos Molina which cost him a top three berth (the Mexican was thrown out in round 10 after one of his seconds entered the ring while he was being administered with a standing count). He may fall behind, get out-boxed, even knocked down in fights, yet Kirkland will remain dangerous while he’s still falling. There isn’t much not to like in a guy like that.
Kayo to fight percentage: 84.38
10. Roman Gonzalez (Junior Flyweight)
Gonzalez dropped the ball this past weekend when he found himself faced with tougher-than-expected competition in the shape of unheralded Mexican Juan Francisco Estrada. Not that it prevented the baby-faced Nicaraguan from attempting to steamroller Estrada in his inimitable style (Gonzalez, unbeaten in 34, had to settle for a unanimous decision).
Always enthralling, Gonzalez is proof positive that sizeism remains alive and kicking in boxing in 2012. As Larry Holmes, covering the Estrada bout from ringside, clumsily summed up: “Guys like that don’t look like they can punch, but they’d knock your brains out.” It’s the looking like they can’t punch bit that stymies their exposure and, ultimately, their earning potential. Maybe Gonzalez, with his relentless pressing and thunderous rib-punching, can change all that but he’ll need to keep knocking them into the stalls to even stand a chance.
Kayo to fight percentage: 82.35
via Andrew Harrison, Queensberry Rules

Knicks Defense Suffocates as Mavs Run Offensive Machine


CHICAGO -- Early in this young season, the New York Knicks own the stingiest defense in the NBA, surrendering only 91.4 points per game and allowing the opposition to shoot just 43.6 percent from the field. 

But the stingy New York defense was overly generous to the Dallas Mavericks, who rattled off 65 second half points on the way to a 114-111 victory over the Knicks Wednesday night at the American Airlines Center in downtown Dallas. 

O.J. Mayo and Vince Carter provided a double dose of headache for a lumbering Knicks defense that showed fatigue after playing back-to-back nights. Mayo drilled 10-of-17 field goals and ran rings around his defenders en route to 27 points. Carter, meanwhile, played with the smarts of a 14-year pro who belied his 35 years, scoring 25 points on 9-for-17 from the field. 

Dallas' lineup still doesn't have forward Dirk Nowitzki, who continues to recover from a knee injury. But the Mavericks didn't miss their superstar on a night when they made 43 of 85 shots (49.4 percent) and 13 of 29 triples (44.8 percent). The Mavericks also outrebounded the Knicks, 42-37. 

Carmelo Anthony led the Knicks with 23 points but the All-Star forward struggled with seven turnovers and was plagued with foul trouble. Anthony also flubbed a long range jumper that could have given the Knicks the go-ahead basket with 4.8 seconds left to play. 

Knicks center Tyson Chandler had a terrific night on the boards, securing 13 rebounds to go along with his 21 points. Raymond Felton had 18 points and 11 assists while Jason Kidd scored 17 off the bench. Rasheed Wallace added another 11. 

Despite their loss, the Knicks still maintained the best record in the Eastern Conference. But at 8-2, they only hold a narrow margin over the streaking Miami Heat who sit at 9-3 with a three-game winning binge. (Homer D. Sayson) 

via Philboxing.com

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Golden Fist Batters Tough Gallo, Francisco Ready for the Big Boys

t was a grand coming out party for the Philippines’ Drian Francisco, a monster punching super bantamweight, earlier this evening in Los Angeles in a jaw dropping fight seen on the Viloria-Marquez undercard on Wealth TV. In a barn burner of a preliminary bout, Francisco got everything he could handle from Tijuana’s Gallo who jumped all over the Filipino in the opening round putting it on his man like white on rice. Gallo’s pressure was relentless and he was going for the kill in Round 1, but the sharp punching Francisco countered well off the back foot with hard knockout caliber punches. Gallo ate some hellacious punches that would have knocked most men out and somehow managed to continue pressing forward at an insane pace. Equally remarkable was Francisco’s ability to withstand Gallo’s tenacious output. Both men hammered away at an inhuman rate in the first three rounds which thrilled the local crowd in attendance.

Francisco’s blows were so hard everyone watching seemed to feel Gallo would go down at any moment, but the Mexican continued to take everything the Filipino dished out.

Finally in Round 4 the tide seemed to turn and it looked like Gallo’s terminator showing was going to break Francisco down who started to show signs of wearing. Gallo showed no signs of slowing down and he won the fourth round convincingly.

In Round 5 both men picked up where the left off but suddenly Francisco stormed back and for the first time in the bout began to walk Gallo back.

The crowd was going insane as the five round war began to intensify. Suddenly the ultra durable Gallo showed signs of breaking and Francisco smelled blood. He began to throw haymakers in succession until a big left hand punished Gallo into the ropes at the end of the round. Perhaps betrayed by his own ability to take punches without going down, the referee wisely stepped in and saved Gallo from himself, giving Francisco the sensational stoppage win.

The victory improved the big punching Filipino to 24-1-1 (19 KOs) while Gallo slips to 18-6 (10 KOs).

FightFan.com’s good friend Dr. Ed de la Vega was working Francisco’s corner as cutman and did the translation for the post fight interview.

via FightFan.com

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Hawaiian Punch Viloria Punches Out Tyson Marquez, Unifies Flyweight Titles


LOS ANGELES — Brian Viloria stopped Hernan Marquez in the 10th round to add Marquez's World Boxing Association flyweight world title to his own World Boxing Organization belt.
Filipino-American Viloria knocked down Marquez with a right late in round one and continued to dominate the early rounds on Saturday.
Mexico's Marquez came alive in the fifth, unleashing a battery of blows, but Viloria weathered the storm and sent Marquez to the canvas again.
"I knew it looked bad but I wasn't hurt," Viloria said. "I knew he was going to get tired."
When Viloria sent Marquez down a third time in the 10th with a left to the head, Marquez's corner threw in the towel and the referee stopped the bout at 1:01 of the round.
"I think my left hook was too fast for him," said Viloria, who had won the WBO title with a victory over Julio Cesar Miranda in July 2011.
Viloria, coming off a technical knockout victory over Mexico's Omar Romero in the Philippines on May 13, stretched his winning streak to six fights since a defeat to Carlos Tamara in 2010.
He took his record to 32-3 with 19 wins inside the distance, while Marquez fell to 34-3 with 25 knockouts.
In an action-packed bout on the undercard, Nicaragua's Roman Gonzalez retained his WBA light flyweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Juan Francisco Estrada.
Gonzalez remained unbeaten, taking his record to 34-0 with 28 knockouts.
One judge scored it 118-110 while two others saw it 116-112 in favor of the champion.
Mexico's Estrada fell to 21-2 with 18 knockouts.
With the win, Gonzalez may have given himself a chance to step up in weight and take on Viloria.
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Thursday, November 15, 2012

Azkals Bite Off Singapore 1-0, Sacapano Plays Tight Goalkeeping

The Philippine Azkals concluded their preparations for the AFF Suzuki Cup with a rousing 1-0 victory over the visiting Singapore Lions at the jampacked Cebu City Sports Complex.

Substitute Marwin Angeles scored the match’s lone goal in the 55th minute off a one-touch pass from Patrick Reichelt following a cross from Phil Younghusband from the right flank. Singapore had several chances to find the back of the net, but goalkeeper Eduard Sacapano put on a superb performance, parrying several good Singaporean shots, including a big save of a penalty kick in first-half injury time.

“Focus lang sa bola, at maghanda lang sa sarili na makuha ang shots nila,” said Sacapano, a Philippine Army stalwart who will most likely be the Azkals’ first choice keeper in the Suzuki Cup following the unavailability of Neil Etheridge.

The win was the Azkals’ second straight over Singapore, following a 2-nil win over the Lions last September 7 in Singapore. It also augurs well for the team as they plunge into action in Thailand next week when Group A action of the AFF Suzuki Cup gets underway in Bangkok.

Singapore controlled the action for much of the first half, creating more chances and shots on goal, but Sacapano proved up to the task, coming up with huge save after huge save and capping off his first-half performance by saving a penalty kick awarded to Singapore in the second minute of injury time following a dubious foul called on Jeff Christiaens at the edge of the penalty box.

The back four of Rob Gier, Juani Guirado, Cebu native Ray Jonsson and Christiaens also came up big for the entire match, thwarting several Singaporean attacks.

The Younghusband brothers Phil and James sat out the entire first half but were finally fielded in for the second half along with Angeles, and almost immediately the pace of the Azkals' attack quickened, and they finally broke through with that goal by Angeles. Dennis Wolf had a number of chances to double the score, but his header the bar on one occasion and was brilliantly deflected by the Singaporean keeper on another late in the match.
 
Azkals coach Hans Michael Weiss was effusive in his praise for his keeper, saying after the match, 'If Etheridge or (Roland) Muller are available for the Suzuki Cup that's a big plus, but with Ed we are in good hands."

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