At the outset, it was impossible not to notice the significant size difference between the two: At 5-foot-11 Margarito is five inches taller than Pacquiao, and HBO said Margarito weighed 17 pounds more than Pacquiao when both stepped on the scale on Saturday night.

But once the action started, it was impossible not to notice the significant advantage in hand speed of Pacquiao: His punches were a blur, and Margarito was simply powerless to react.

By the end of the fifth round, Margarito’s right eye was almost swollen shut. By the end of the 10th, both of Margarito’s eyes were a mess. Pacquiao buzzed around the ring with ease and peppered Margarito’s face with punches whenever he wanted to hurt his outclassed opponent.

It would have been completely reasonable for Margarito’s corner or the referee to stop the fight early, but Margarito insisted he wanted to keep going, and he was allowed to take a beating for 12 rounds. By the end, Pacquiao looked like he may have been taking some sympathy on Margarito and easing up, rather than following through and potentially seriously hurting Margarito.

“I did my best to win the fight,” the soft-spoken Pacquiao said afterward. “I can’t believe it. He’s very tough and strong. I never expected that.”

The judges scored it 120-108, 118-110 and 119-109 for Pacquiao. I scored it 120-108 for Pacquiao, who said after the fight that he slowed down a bit in the final rounds because he felt sorry for Margarito.

“I felt pity to my opponent, looking in his eyes and his bloody face,” Pacquiao said.

The win improves Pacquiao’s professional boxing record to 52-3-2 and earns him the WBC light middleweight title — the eighth different weight class in which he has won a championship, an all-time boxing record. (Margarito falls to 38-7.)

This was Pacquiao’s night to shine, and to show once again that he’s the best.

via FanHouse, By Michael David Smith

Manny Paquiao did knock out Joshua Clottey and Floyd Mayweather Jr. won against Shane Mosley in their respective fights early this year. So now, this news:

Manny Pacquiao Now Willing to Do 14-Day Testing Window

In February, Manny Pacquiao ignored a Floyd Mayweather compromise that would have had their blood testing impasse met in the middle at 14 days prior to fight night. Now, after both men have won subsequent fights against Top 10 welterweights, Pacquiao has confirmed he would be willing to agree to the offer.

“14 days is ok with me, as long as [the blood test] isn’t done on the day of the fight, and only the right amount of blood will be drawn from me,” Pacquiao detailed to the Filipino press.

The quote is Pacquiao’s first statement on a potential Mayweather bout since his post-fight interview in March after defeating Joshua Clottey. At the time, Pacquiao refused to budge on Mayweather’s Olympic style drug testing demand, but stated his goal to fight the winner of Mayweather-Mosley.

Last month, Mayweather silenced critics by outclassing Shane Mosley to a blowout decision win. After that fight, Mayweather said the 14 day offer was now off the table, reiterating his stance from February after Pacquiao walked away from the negotiating table rather than compromise further on the testing. Before talks ended, Pacquiao’s final offer had been random testing no more the 24 days before the fight.

Despite several articles reporting otherwise, neither Floyd Mayweather nor his camp have released any statements since Pacquiao’s new stance on the testing. A few weeks ago, Pacquiao promoter and Top Rank CEO Bob Arum said that both sides will discuss business in private to prevent the media circus and pandering that helped sink the previous negotiation.

If terms are met, the fight will be the most lucrative in boxing history with a November target date.

via Allhiphop.com

The other big thing that happened to Manny: Last May 10, 2010, Pacquiao was elected as Member of House of Representatives in the 15th Congress of the Philippines representing the province of Sarangani. He established the record of being the first active boxer to become a congressman in the Philippines. (Wikipedia)

Mind you, Manny Pacquaio is originally from General Santos City where he also ran and lost a huge amount of own money to campaign in 2007. He changed residence so he could run for a seat in Sarangani province. I feel bad for Sarangani already…

I hope he hires ghostwriters and does not write his own speeches or agrees to any impromptu address in congress lest he wants to embarrass himself! While this video is cute and I am not making fun of him at all– but this only works in informal gatherings and venues NOT in the House of Representatives!!

Sports and Politics are like oil and water. Politics and Showbiz- same thing!! They do not mix together!!

Just how the turnout of events can truly be unpredictable, the supposed biggest fight in boxing history between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, Jr. set for March 13th this year has come to an official end after the two parties agreed to all terms but one- the drug test. Now they are facing different opponents disappointing fans from both sides who were eagerly anticipating the big fight. Manny Pacquiao vs. Joshua Clottey and Shane Mosley vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr. on different occasions.

What was the contention in the fight that never happened?

Mayweather Jr along with his father Floyd Sr insinuate that Pacquiao is using performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) so they want to subject both Mayweather and Pacquiao to an Olympic-style drug testing before the fight. Floyd wants a random testing done by the United States Anti-Doping Agency but Manny refuses to have any blood testing within 30 days of the fight, because he believes it would weaken him. However, he agrees to have blood taken from him before the 30-day window as well as immediately after the fight. Mayweather offers a 14-day no blood testing window but Manny counters 24-day no blood testing. The two reached an impasse, one defending his pride and not giving in to ‘manipulation’ and the other insisting it is in the interest of fair play and leveling the playing field. In the end, both walk out to making history and a $40 million deal.

Interestingly, random blood testing is not required under the rules of the Nevada State Athletic Commission therefore technically Manny has every right to refuse. But as sportsman and professional athlete admired by millions all around the globe, doesn’t Manny owe it to his fans and to himself to prove that he is “clean”? If your name and honor is at stake (beside the huge money deal involved!), if you have nothing to hide, shouldn’t your goal be to clear your name and prove your accuser wrong? Instead, Manny files a lawsuit against Floyd Mayweather, Jr., Floyd Mayweather, Sr., Roger Mayweather, Mayweather Promotions, LLC, and Golden Boy Promotions executives Oscar de la Hoya, and Richard Schaefer seeking damages in excess of 75,000 dollars for making the false and defamatory statements.

Roach is quoted as saying: “if we had given in on the blood testing, it would have been like giving Mayweather the first round. Why would we do that?”

“Manny hates needles. He said that’s what cost him the first [Erik] Morales fight [March 2005]. We made a mistake on that one. Nevada has every boxer give blood once a year, and Manny hadn’t done that, so we had to do it the night before the fight, just like Mayweather wanted. Manny said it made him weak for three days. Even if they took blood from him 14 days before the fight, that would have meant I lose him on key sparring days 14, 13, and 12 days out.”

As I have mentioned in other occasions, I am a fan of Manny Pacquiao in the boxing ring (not his political or showbiz ambitions) because we hail from the same hometown, but to walk out of a deal because you are afraid of needles or you hate it is a weak argument. He has to be accustomed with blood work by now because this is SOP. The athletic commission does not require random but does require blood testing done annually or as scheduled prior to a fight. Fact is that Manny did have blood taken 14 days (what Mayweather wants) prior to his fight with Ricky Hatton, an event which was documented on HBO’s 24/7 reality show.

On the other hand, Floyd Mayweather Jr have been described all over the internet as the big mouth, cocky, arrogant boxer and certainly was out of line to demand such a procedure to his opponent when it is not even required by the Nevada Commission. So really, why should Manny give in to Floyd’s whim? Mayweather was making up excuses to withdraw from the fight because as the fight became more and more real, he realizes Manny Pacquiao could take him out and he could lose which means he will lose his winning streak, no loss record (40-0)! What better way to back out of a deal but to turn things to your opponent, by demanding something that targets your opponent’s apparent kryptonite or Achille’s heel? As though now, it is because of the opponent that the fight is no longer happening! In this case, Manny insisting on a 24-day window blood testing while Floyd wants 14-day window.

Upcoming Fight

The Event: MANNY PACQUIAO vs. JOSHUA CLOTTEY WORLD WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP!
SATURDAY, MARCH 13, 2010 :: 9PM COWBOYS STADIUM, Arlington Texas LIVE on PAY-PER-VIEW!

Ticket prices to see it in the stadium are: $50 (mezzanine, 300 level), $100 & $200 (main concourse, 200 level), $300 (Hall of Fame, 100 level), $500 (floor seating), and $700 (floor seating). “The Event” will also be televised on pay-per-view in high-def throughout North America on HBO with a suggested retail of $49.95. There will also be an international broadcast of the event.

Floyd Mayweather vs Shane Mosley on SATURDAY, May 1, 2010 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Current Stats:

Joshua Clottey
Record: 35 W 3 L 0 D 20 KOs
Alias: The Hitter
Weightclass: Welterweight
Stance: Orthodox
Style: Boxer
Height: 5’8″
Reach: 70″
Nationality: From Accra, Ghana
Date of Birth: March 16th, 1977

Manny Pacquiao
Alias: Pacman / The Destroyer
Record: 50 W 3 L 2 D 38 KOs
Weightclass: Featherweight
Stance: Southpaw
Style: Boxer Puncher
Height: 5’6″
Reach: 67″
Nationality: From General Santos City, Philippines
Date of Birth: Born December 12th, 1978

Floyd Mayweather Jr
Record: 40 W 0 L 0 D 25 KOS
Alias: Pretty Boy
Weightclass: Jr Middleweight
Stance: Orthodox
Style: Boxer
Height: 5’8″
Reach: 72″
Nationality: Grand Rapids, MI, USA
Date of Birth: February 24th, 1977

Shane Mosley
Record: 46 W 5 L 0 D 39 KOs
Alias: Sugar
Weightclass: Welterweight
Stance: Orthodox
Style: Boxer Puncher
Height: 5’9″
Reach: 74″
Nationality: Lynwood, CA, USA
Date of Birth: September 7th, 1971

I’m guessing whoever wins in both of these fights will have to face off. Will we ever see a Mayweather vs Pacquiao fight? Not if Mayweather is still too chicken to face Pacquiao!

On a different note: Manny Pacquiao is still living his pipe dream to become a politician in the Philippines. After losing not only a congressional seat but a huge amount of own money for campaign in General Santos City in 2007, he changed residence so he could run for a congressional seat in Sarangani province in the upcoming 2010 Election in May. Pacquiao is up against a wealthy, political fixture in Sarangani who is tough to beat. I hope the people of Sarangani province will think hardly before putting the popular yet inexperienced Pacquiao into office.

UPDATE: Well, I’ll be dang! Manny won in Sarangani!! I feel bad for Sarangani Province already…

Think about this: would you really want a guy who once filed for a Php30 million libel suit against writers of Manila Bulletin then changing his mind because “pursuing the case would only cause inconvenience to him and his family,” representing you in government?

The article by the way Paquiao viewed as libelous, though NEVER proven, is still something that hangs over his reputation because the speculations remain and Pacquiao never addressed the issue. The 2007 article read “Pacquiao who spent millions in unsuccessful bid to win a congressional seat in his hometown in General Santos City is reported to be a compulsive gambler and is known to bet hundreds of thousand in casinos, cockfighting, and billiards.”

May I also remind the people of Sarangani: “would you really want Pacquiao, a guy who once signed a contract with Top Rank and then accepted a bag full of cash from Golden Boy to also sign with that company, representing you in government?” (ESPN Sports blog)

Well, I leave you with this amusing if not cute video of Manny speaking in front of a huge crowd in Dallas, Texas as he talked about defending his welterweight world championship against Joshua Clottey in true, definitive, Filipino accent fashion.

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Floyd Mayweather, Jr.’s (39-0 | 25 Knockouts) very much anticipated comeback to the ring up against Juan Manuel Marquez (55-4-1 | 37 Knockouts), hits MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada on September 19th live via HBO’s Pay-per-view.

In this video, reporter Mark Kriegel discusses Juan Manuel Marquez with Floyd Mayweather Jr. Find out why the ‘Pretty Boy’ isn’t ready to think about Manny Pacquiao.

I am very surprised to see Mayweather in this interview very subdued. He’s always been portrayed as (over)confident to being cocky. I didn’t see it on this interview and even the reporter commented that Floyd seem to be building up his opponent, Marquez. It’s nice to see a fighter not ‘talk trash’ his opponent. This psychological warfare tactic is so cliche and very movie-like anyway. What a good interview! Floyd has such respect for Marquez. Floyd is hinting very much of a possible Pacquiao-Mayweather fight if the “price” is right and HBO picks it up.

Below is an earlier video announcing the fight in May atop the Empire State Building in New York. Floyd ‘handpicked’ Juan Manuel as his opponent for his comeback fight. They were going to fight last July but it was postponed due to a rib injury Mayweather received during training. Manny Pacquiao’s name comes up again.

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I’m not a huge Boxing follower but when Manny Pacquiao is on, I am sure to watch every fight. I am from General Santos City, Philippines and so is Pacquiao so I can’t help but be a fan. Mind you, only when he is in the ring fighting. What he does outside I am not so sure about– his mad ideas going into acting, heck singing and say that again? Politics?!! C’mmon! Manny Pacquiao needs better advisers not people who take advantage of his popularity and money.

Of late I have become curious of Juan Manuel Marquez ever since that rematch fight he lost with Manny Pacquiao in March 2008. I still hope somehow someday in whatever weight class, Manny and Juan Manuel will encore that rematch! That fight was so very close, it wasn’t truly and fully Manny’s to claim.

I had a chance to meet Juan Manuel Marquez up close in his surprised visit to the Philippines in April 6th during the star-studded ABS-CBN produced Boxing fight: “INVASION, Philippines vs. the World at the Araneta Coliseum. (A month after his fight with Manny, there are still visible marks on his face from that bout.)

Thanks to our dear friends, sisters Sunshine Pestaño and Goody Peñalosa- wife of another great Philippine boxer, Gerry Peñalosa, we were part of the “Team Penalosa” that day! One of the best experiences of my life! Thanks very much to them! I still have to make a full article of that happening and it’s been over a year old. Procrastination at work…

with Entrepreneur Goody Llido-Penalosa

Juan Manuel Marquez is such a reserved, shy guy. Uber friendly and accommodating- always there for the camera and to whoever wants a photo with him! No air of arrogance at all. To those who hates his guts for wanting to fight Manny again, I really think Manny owes it to the Boxing fans and to himself. Going back to the whole fight, nobody expected Manny to win that- At best, people expected a draw or a Juan Manuel win but Manny edged it by a hair. You could see on the tape, Manny was even partially surprised he was announced the winner! We can’t blame Juan Manuel if he wants to finish off the business with Manny.

Moving forward to the present, Juan Manuel is facing a tough opponent in Floyd Mayweather, Jr. come September 19. I am rooting for Juan Manuel of course! Fingers crossed. Good luck, Juan Manuel! Hope our paths cross again.

with my BFF and Tatay Pepe’s Restobar Co-owner, Jaz Descalzo

8. I learned that Decathlete Bryan Clay of the United States is the world’s greatest athlete but nobody gives a S***t about him. If your name is Michael Phelps however, the whole world knows who you are and you’re set for life! You get to have multi-million dollar contracts, appear on cereal boxes for the next 3 years, endorse products left and right, and kids would call you their hero. Still, others would even claim you are the world’s greatest athlete when you can only do one sport- swimming!!

7. I learned no question that Michael Phelps is the world’s greatest swimmer today! He has the most number of medals than any other swimmers in history or any other athlete period! He managed to surpass, Mark Spitz’ 7 Olympic Gold medals and now has 14 Olympic Gold medals total! He holds 7 world records up for challenge in 2012!

6. I learned that in Women’s Gymnastics, you can land on your knees in the Vault and still get a Bronze medal!! You can even be in a tie and lose the Gold, despite the fact that your opponent had more visible errors than you!! How can one explain judging errors in the Olympics?!

5. I learned that the Olympic coverage you get and care about depends on where you are in the world! In the US, all television channels cover about the US athletes and how they fared. In China, well of course it’s all about the Chinese Team. My sister who lives in the UK couldn’t care less about the United States contingents, she was all: “Go Great Britain!!” While all that mattered to me was: TEAM USA!!!

You’d have to look on the internet to get news about your home country standing. As I stated in my previous post on the Olympics, the Philippines is only on 8 games out of the 34 sporting events! I didn’t bother to look nor find out anything about how (embarrassingly) the Philippines fared. Don’t even get me started on the politics of sports in the Philippines!! It’s as corrupt as the government it serves! Let’s face it, the Olympics isn’t our strongest area. There are plenty of other things the Filipinos can excel and are making everyone proud already especially in the lines of Boxing and Entertainment! I’ve written about those in my other posts! However, we’re talking about the Olympics!

It is unfortunate that we don’t have the DISCIPLINE, the money and the machinery to train athletes reach their full potentials high enough for Olympic standards!

What did some of the Philippine team members do? They have the audacity to admit that they only started training MONTHS before the Olympics. Are you kidding me?! That is like a slap in the face to the best athletes all around the world!! They train their WHOLE LIVES for the Olympic games. It’s in their very hearts and souls. And you have some athletes coming out saying, “oh I’ve only trained for months to compete in the Olympics!!” Que horror, que barbaridad!!

Michaels Phelps trains for five hours, seven days a week, his entire life!! He doesn’t stop. While I’m writing this piece, he’s already had days of non-stop training for the LONDON Olympics in 2012. Yes, that’s four years away! US gymnasts train for 35 to 40 hours a week since they were 6 years old!! It’s a full time job for most of these athletes who want the Gold. We just don’t have that because nobody can offer to sponsor an athlete to JUST train and do nothing else! What we have is last minute cramming preparations at most, the year before the Olympics! That will never work out when the best athletes in the world TRAIN THEIR WHOLE LIVES!!

I learned that China spend millions on their athletes to get the best training possible. The kids who show winning qualities are taken away from their homes and placed in training camps as young as 6 years old! The training is strict and rigid. Some parents get to see their kids only after four years!! The kids has no communication to the outside world. They breathe and live to train alone everyday for hours until they perfect their field and they’re ready.They’re brainwashed trained to think that WINNING IS EVERYTHING. If you don’t win, you’re nothing. You can just see the frustration and sometimes fear in the eyes of the Chinese athletes who failed in their sport in this Beijing Olympics! It’s the end of the road for them and whatever “rewards” the Chinese government has given them, it will be taken away.

That’s the basic and simple reasons the Philippines can not compete in the Olympics! We don’t have the discipline, money and machinery to train our athletes! We can’t rely on the government because personally, I’d rather they prioritize health care or education over giving budget to the Philippine Sports Commission. My suggestion is: Those really great Philippine athletes MUST FIND a rich benefactor to help them. That’s the only way. Without money, there’s no proper and right training.

3. I learned that the most watched Olympic sport for both men and women has got to be the BEACH VOLLEYBALL! (see exhibit photo!) I would never understand why in every start or half time game, about a dozen bikini-clad women would just stand there by the sideline- pretending to be either dancing or cheering. They serve no purpose other than have the male audience in the crowd ogle at them- BUT they’re already feasting TOO much just from watching the women’s volleyball athletes in the field! Why put more distractions?!

4. I learned that the first rule in Taekwondo is: you can NOT kick the referree in the head!!

3. I learned that China spent OVER 42 billion US dollars in the Olympics. Can you even imagine how hugely extravagant that is?!! All to impress the world, all for China to say that they are now the superpower of the world! To put it in perspective: The Philippine foreign debt currently stands at $54.9 billion. There are over 10 million Filipinos around the world. They sent $14.7 billion to the Philippines via remittances in 2007. The Philippine budget for 2008 is approved at $29.7 billion. We exported $49.32 billion and imported $57.56 billion in 2007 (est).

2. I learned that if you are the host country, you can lie, cheat, manipulate results and get away with it! You can even fake some things and the whole world just shrugs.

1. I learned that I would forget about the Olympics as soon as I finish this article BUT would be looking forward to the next Olympics four years from now as my family made a pact to have a grand reunion of sort in London in 2012!!

What about you? What did you learn from the recently concluded Beijing Summer Olympics?

I AM!! From the countdown on the right, it’s about 10 days left to the games.

Ever since I could remember following the Olympics, I’ve always rooted for the United States contingent. I guess I speak for most Filipinos like myself that of all the countries we could cheer other than the Philippines, we choose to support the United States.

Perhaps it stems from that long love-hate relationship with the US that spans over a hundred years. Perhaps we’ve always seen them as allies, we have to support them! Perhaps it is the fact that the Philippines constantly compete with other Asian countries every year for various Asian games that we just see them always as rivals! Or perhaps it really is that the United States produce THE best athletes in the world, we want to associate ourselves with winners! Yay!

The United States Summer Olympic stats is very impressive with 2,197 medals total since 1896! Sov. Union/Unified Team comes in far second with 1,122 medals. Great Britain ranks third with 677 medals. The Philippines has a mortifying seven (7!) medals since we first joined in 1924.

Boxer champion Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao from my hometown General Santos City, will be the flag bearer of the Philippine Team at the opening Ceremony on a historic lucky day 8-08-08. No, he will not be competing. Out of the 34 different sports, the Philippines will only be competing in eight (8!) games namely: Archery, Athletics, Boxing, Swimming, Diving, Taekwondo, Shooting and Weightlifting.

I’m surprised that we are not competing in Badminton since it has become highly popular in the Philippines in recent years. I would have thought we’d have produced great, competitive players in that area by now. For sure lack of formal training and monetary support (or otherwise) from the government and NGOs are key factors, same goes as to why we’re only joining in 8 sporting events!!

I will be following Swimming, Gymnastics, Basketball, Diving, Rhythmic Gymnastics, Synchronized Swimming and maybe Track and Field. Yes, I will be cheering for Team Philippines very shortly and TEAM USA! The Olympics coverage in the United States is provided by NBC Television. (I went to check the Official Beijing Olympic website and it suck! All the images doesn’t load and it took forever to connect and I’m using Broadband! Grrrr!!). I got more information on what’s happening at the NBC website!

Are you looking forward to the Olympics? Who are you supporting and what will you be watching?

It is truly sweet victory for them for it is not only their 17th Title but their first one in 22 years! The last time they won was in 1986 against Houston Rockets. It is also the 11th time they face the Lakers in the finals.

Last night’s game was one of Boston Celtics’ finest moments! They beat the Lakers with a final score of 131-92. They practically humiliated the Lakers making them look like amateurs as the Celtics keep scoring and further widening the score gap. The C’s defense was remarkable.

…The Celtics were playing like a real basketball team instead of playing individual basketball…

They were on top of the situation getting turnovers from loose balls, steals and rebounds! Their assists were impressive! You can see the desperation play of the Lakers by the end of third quarter and they can’t control the situation anymore. The Celtics was unstopable at that point.

The Celtics were playing like a real basketball team instead of playing individual basketball. That’s the problem when you have probably the current best basketball player in the world in your team in the person of LA Lakers’ Kobe Bryant and the team depends solely on him. While on the other, the entire team depends on each other’s strength to lead them to victory. Well, Bryant isn’t Superman afterall.

Boston Celtics’ Paul Pierce unquestionably deserve the Most Valuable Player award for the playoffs but you can name at least five other Celtics players who did really well in getting them the championships. You have the magnificent shooting guard Ray Allen, power forward Kevin Garnett and Leon Powe, small forward James Posey, and point guard Rajon Rondo giving their share. Whereas the LA Lakers has Kobe Bryant, Kobe Bryant and Kobe Bryant with some help from Pau Gasol and maybe Lamar Odom.

Congratulations Boston Celtics! Congratulations Boston Celtics fans!!

I was going to watch the NBA Finals at the historic TD Banknorth Garden, Bostons premier Sports arena- in my dreams! The tickets were literally outrageous if you can get them! I searched online in Craigslist and saw one person selling his 2 floor tickets for $40,000.00!! WTF?!! A real nice SUV with the works costs 40 grand! Why would anyone spend it on a 3-hour game and then the money is gone?! I wanted to ask if it included a night out with the whole team after the game considering the ridiculous price! I wouldn’t be surprised though if some brainless but filthy rich person actually pay for it!

My next shot was Ebay. I looked and saw the bids going between $720.00 and $10,500.00!! Click on the above photo to peak. At that instant, I was resigned to just watch it on television. Sigh. Perhaps in the opening season and in the early games, I could afford the tickets. I am a basketball fan but not that diehard… or I should just stick to watching sports on TV.

photo credits of the Celtics lifted from ESPN.com

UPDATED: September 09, 2008.

In my four years stay in the US, I have never watched a professional sporting event. Other than the fact that season tickets are way beyond my budget, (talk about spending hundreds of dollars to watch one game of players throwing and hitting balls!), they’re almost always impossible to get, and I am not a huge fan of sports except swimming and watching the Olympics.

I used to enjoy watching professional basketball in grade school up ’til High School. Thanks to my ‘famous’ Uncle back in the Philippines who introduced us to basketball early on, all my cousins including me fell in love with the game! My Uncle breathes and lives for basketball. It wasn’t hard to have the same devotion when you’re exposed to it. We met big names in basketball, rubbed elbows with the players and basketball hotshots in exclusive parties, saw them come and go at my Uncle’s house where I spent most of my summers growing up and having lived with him and his family during my High School days in Manila. But I was young then and didn’t really care that much. And then I grew up. Suddenly interests change. I was watching less and less basketball until I watched no more. My Uncle is still huge in the Philippines! He is the longest-serving Governor and Team Manager in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), the Philippines’ counterpart to NBA in the United States. His team Sta. Lucia Realtors, entered the professional league in 1992 and still currently among the best Philippine Basketball teams out there. In fact they just won this year’s 2008 Philippine Cup championship!

Fast track to present day. I was browsing through channels on cable last week and Game 1 of the National Basketball Association (NBA) Championship was on between the Los Angeles (LA) Lakers and Boston Celtics. I sat through the entire game very excited and memories of my ‘love’ for basketball came rushing! I think I am hooked again! And what great timing to be back on when the Boston Celtics are making a great comeback after all these years of not being on the championships. The Celtics won Game 1 and won two more games after that. They’re up 3 to 1 against the Lakers and they only need to win one more of the best of 7 playoffs!

photos from: ESPN.com

Game 5 is on this Sunday, June 15th (Father’s Day!) at the Staples Center in LA. I almost wish the Celtics will lose so I might have the chance to watch Game 6 at home court here in Boston at the TD Banknorth Garden. I’ll scalp for tickets if I have to to get in! If they win this Sunday’s game- it’s all over. If not, then they will play Game 6 and 7 here in Boston. Holy cow, if they win, they are going to be victorious after 23 years of drought and their 17th NBA championship! They have to win. They should win and regain its glory.

My NBA teams have been Chicago bulls, LA Lakers and Boston Celtics but since the Lakers and Celtics are rivals this year, I’m rooting for Boston just because I live here and I love underdogs. I love comebacks. The LA Lakers come only second (Boston is first) overall carrying 14 NBA titles but they have dominated the NBA over the last 20 years. It’s time for Celtics to reclaim the crown and redeem themselves as champions.

Get the championships! Go Boston Celtics!

Photo lifted from HBO file

In what seemed like Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao’s closest fight ever, he wins last Saturday’s rematch with Juan Manuel Marquez by a hair’s breadth. The fight lasted 12 rounds with the two champions still standing despite blood gushing into their eyes and faces.

Ultimately, it was Pacquiao’s strong left hook hitting Juan Marquez in the face in the third round that proved to be the deciding factor where two judges (Tom Miller and Duane Ford) favored Pacquiao, 114-113 and 115-112 against that of Judge Jerry ROth’s 115-112 in favor of Marquez. The ferocious hit knocked down Marquez for a few seconds. He immediately regained his composure and continued to exchange equal blows with Pacquiao.

with friend Jaz and Michael

I watched the game at the Lagao Gymnasium, live via satellite in Pacman and mine’s hometown in General Santos City, Philippines. It was hard to tell who really won until the final announcement. For a while there, we thought Marquez would have won it- if not for that knockdown he received from Pacquiao.

Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez waited four years for the rematch last March 15, 2008 yet somehow it is still hanging. In their first match in 2004, it ended with a draw. Now, Pacquiao wins by split decision. The decision victory for Pacquiao is somewhat hard to accept because depending on which side you are, you’d think that the other party lost and your bet won. In the other party’s camp, they feel they won and you lost.

General Santos City and all of Philippines and OFWs are rejoicing yet when all the fun fare is gone and we regain our composure, why do I- along with some, feel reluctant to jump up and down in jubilation?!

I have full respect for Manny and his craft and because I am from General Santos, I am for Manny Pacquiao. Nonetheless, it would have been sweet victory for Manny and the rest of us if he won it clear cut by a knock out. All doubts in our minds especially those not convinced that Pacquiao won it- would have been eased.

I say there should be another rematch in the future. As to how, when and what’s at stake? I don’t know. But to answer the question: is the Pacquiao-Marquez business really finished? I think not.

Congresswoman Darlene Custodio-Antonino after watching the match at the Lagao Gym

Notre Dame University and Lagao Gymnasium, General Santos City
Video Replay: Announcement of Manny Pacquaio as new World Boxing Council (WBC) superfeatherweight title holder

Video Replay: Round Three of “Unfinished Business” Match between Pacquiao and Marquez
http://www.livevideo.com