The year was 2001 when Miguel Cotto was on his way to the gym when he fell asleep in the car. It was 5am and he was driving at a high speed when his car crashed and broke his arm in return. It looks like a career ending injury but Miguel survived the accident and went on with his career raking consecutive wins on that same year. Much has been said about Cotto but when adversities and failures came up his heart and resiliency came out as his best traits. Cotto is like a ball no matter how hard you put him down he always bounce back. When he went down on the second round against heavy hitting Columbian Ricardo Torres and Cotto bounced back and dominated Torres the following two rounds before his hard left connected on Torres on the 7th round. When everybody thought he is a one dimensional fighter he dominated Demetrio Ceballos injuring the Panamanian with sweet combinations switching from Orthodox to Southpaw. When everybody suspect his defense he went against his former amateur tormentor Kelson Pinto with his hands in a high position instead of his aggressive orthodox style knocking Pinto out in the sixth round. Miguel Cotto is such an intelligent fighter that he can adjust anytime if needs to. If he needs to be aggressive or if he needs to be more defensively incline. Moving up in the Welterweight division questions have been haunting Cotto if he could take a Welterweight punch. Well if Carlos Quintana, Oktay Urkal, Zab Judah and Shane Mosley are not enough then you must be out of this world. After his lone defeat on the hands of Antonio Margarito everybody thought Cotto is damaged goods but Cotto bounced back beautifully defeating the undefeated Jennings in round five then took Joshua Clottey to 12 full rounds with a split decision win.
Going to the Nov.14 fight Miguel will be fighting the underdog status against pound per pound king Manny Pacquiao. Everybody is now talking about Pacquiao and Mayweather clash but that didn’t wavered Cotto because he comes to the fight with great determination. It gives him more determination against Manny and if I were Pacquaio I’d better be prepared because the boxer named Cotto is here to make a statement and prove to everybody they are wrong. Once again the ball is trying to bounce back.

Rashad Holloway’s 11-1-1 record maybe not that sterling but Rashad has a deeper resume compared to any other boxers out there. He fought against Mosley, Margarito and Pacquiao as sparring partner and prepares each fighter on their respective foes. The most underrated and unappreciated member of any boxing team and guys like Holloway took each opportunity and experienced as a stepping stone and make every occasion a learning experience to a path of greatness. A busted eye almost ended Rashad’s young career while sparring against a suspicious Margarito. Yes he was wearing a protective head and body gear but it doesn’t ensure protection on plaster hand wraps. All in a day’s work of being a sparring partner amidst the money and glamour win or lose when you wake up the next morning another session commence. It’s either you end up as a punching bag or just a good workout.
There are a hundred tales about sparring sessions and how it was kept secret when the outcome isn’t promising. Oscar De La Hoya the middle weight fighter who went down to welter weight to fight Manny Pacquiao went to a conference with a black eye. He credited Victor Ortiz a member of his promotion who inflicted his bruised eye but Edwin Valero begs to disagree as he sent Oscar all bloodied on their sparring session. He also spars with light flyweight Ivan Calderon on which his punches never connected. Those are just rumors a part maybe true but also some part maybe wrongly told. Manny Pacquiao used to spar with Gerry Peñalosa on closed doors on which either fighter having any advantage there are constant talks that they hit each other so hard people from a far could hear all the exchanges.
Choosing the right sparring partner needs a meticulous eye with someone who could imitate his opponents move or his vaunted bread and butter punch. Ivan Calderon was hired to be Cotto’s sparring partner to mimic some of Pacquiao’s move while Manny on the other hand hired the services of power puncher Urbano Antillon and the undefeated light middle weight Shawn Porter. Ivan can run and avoid Cotto’s punches but he couldn’t change the fact that Manny attacks in spurts moving side to side with fast combinations maybe Ivan is not a good idea after all but for sure Cotto has in store for power punchers who could imitate Manny.
Sparring partner isn’t only a job but it’s an opportunity to learn from the best. When Amir Khan got a TKO loss to Breidis Prescott he was invited by Freddie Roach to spar with Manny to prepare him against Ricky Hatton and it boost his confidence as he dominated former Pacquiao’s opponent and future hall of famer Marco Antonio Barrera on their WBO international lightweight title fight.
Rashad Holloway fought two fights after his eye healed having one draw and one unanimous decision. Maybe fighting all those marquee fighters could take its toll or maybe there are just fighters who are just good as sparring partners. For Rashad we hope not.

The November 14 fight between Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto dub as Fire Power is still a month to go but both fighters are now in their respective training camp trying to execute a perfect game plan for their fight. Cotto came in a month early for training against Manny to drain those extra pounds to make it to the weight limit on time. It is undeniable that team Pacquiao is thinking about an early knockout against Cotto since Miguel is a slow starter and comes out strong in the later rounds. It would be close to impossible for Manny to dominate Cotto when he got his second wind back. I think team Pacquiao knows very well that they are against an intelligent fighter. These are the reasons why team Pacquiao should not go for the knockout
-Cotto has a gifted chin
Ricardo Torres, Joshua Clottey and Antonio Margarito are not only power punchers but they are also pressure fighters who fought Cotto in the ring. The Margarito loss was a bit controversial while Torres ordeal only lasted 7 rounds and Clottey went for the knockout but stop punching towards the end of the fight. Bottom line is Cotto can take a punch from any welterweight out there he doesn’t only have a gifted chin he also has the resiliency to move forward.
-Cotto knows how to negate speed
Shane Mosley, Zab Judah and Paul Malignaggi are fast and quicker fighters whom Cotto fought. But Cotto gave them different angles to work and focus more on his body shots which is logically more hittable than the head. Miguel won all those fights because he figured it out how to move in against a faster fighter with precise body shots.
-Cotto is the bigger fighter
Although Manny has proven he can handle bigger fighters like Hatton and De La Hoya but Miguel Cotto doesn’t have the disadvantage both fighters have. He doesn’t have to go into the fight dehydrated or being bloated after nights of beer drinking he will be in tip top shape and will be fighting on his peak. Mayweather who believed to have gone up at 154lbs. on fight night against Marquez clearly dominated Juanma most of the fight. It was a clear mismatch of a small man being battered by a bigger and stronger fighter.

“He’s very intelligent. He keeps his distance and timing pretty well. So we have to figure out way to throw that off,” Freddie Roach said. “We’re going in there looking for 12 hard rounds. You can’t look for the knockout with this guy because he’s very resilient,” That says it all for Manny.
But given an opportunity why not… a KO win would be very rewarding but nonetheless Manny should prepare for 12 full rounds KO or not what is important is his arms raise at the end of the match.

It’s almost the end of September and I think it’s better to woke up the singer who sang “Wake me up when September ends”…
The excitement and the hype are increasing with only a month left before the NBA 2009-10 season begins. There isn’t much happening with the NBA lately other than Allen Iverson signing a one year deal with the Grizzlies. The Grizzlies is no title contender team this is a team who still are looking for their own identity. It’s very puzzling to see their roster with 8 players standing 6’9 to 7-foot plus up. Rudy Gay the 3rd year player out of Connecticut is definitely the team leader with some of the team’s under achiever and underrated veterans in Zach Randolph, Marko Jaric and Steven Hunter. Will Iverson be a bigger impact on the Grizzlies?
Pros
-Ok Mike Conley and OJ Mayo are definitely good backcourt players and their improving confidence and maturity is making the Grizzlies some stability on the backcourt but on pressure games it’s hard to expect them to show composure with both of them having only a year or two experienced in the NBA. That is where Iverson gets in. The former MVP and all time scoring champion is a reliable scorer and love the pressure of the lime light. He can compliment Rudy Gay in offense and can steal the ball in a jiffy. He can score 30 points or more if he wants to. He is just the complete offensive monster who shoots and drives the basket at will.
- Being one of NBA’s worst team it’s synonymous that ticket sales are not very promising. Logically would you spend a good number of dollars to see your team lose? The Grizzlies needs a superstar who can create enthusiasm to fans and generate a good number of ticket sales with his showmanship and killer crossovers. He may shoot all game long and hog the ball as long as he wants but Iverson gets the fans cheering a good marketing move for the Grizzlies.
-He maybe disgruntled about being a second stringer for the Pistons but this time he doesn’t have to worry about playing time with Rudy Gay playing the small forward and Mayo as shooting guard he would definitely be the starting point guard for this team. Expect to see a very flashy and fast breaking team and the Grizzlies could be one of NBA’s good defensive backcourt trios.
Cons
-With Iverson demanding minutes we would see a significantly decrease in playing time for Mike Conley. He may not have Iverson’s statistical numbers but what i like about Mike is that he is a reliable point guard who average 10 points and 8 assists per game. Promising stats for the second year guard who passes the ball and make good plays. He is definitely not a Chris Paul or Deron Williams in the making but he is the type of player every team wants to have, an unselfish point guard. Granting his situation Iverson’s arrival hampers Conley’s development. It’s either he will took this as a challenge or become like his teammate Marko Jaric.
- There is no “I” on a team but there is definitely “I” on Iverson. He is a one man team who fell in love with his offense that he forgets how to pass and become a team player. He doesn’t go well with his teammates back in Detroit and when coach Curry threatened to bench him he issued a statement that he will retire rather than sitting on the bench. I think there is a much deeper explanation on Curry’s decision giving confidence on Will Bynum rather than the former MVP champion. Yes past is past but you can’t teach old dogs new tricks either.

Will Allen Iverson be the impact the Grizzlies are hoping for this season. It really depends on Iverson… this is a new lease on life for Allen and he is out to prove all the critics wrong. This is a hit or miss season for the Grizzlies. Good thing they are rebuilding.

What happens to people who brags to the world how great they are and suddenly eat up their own freaking words? Well they blame their antagonist taking steroids.
They did it on Lance Armstrong’s continuous wins in tour de France, they did it to Michael Phelps while capturing an Olympic record and now Floyd Mayweather Sr. openly accused Manny Pacquiao of taking up steroids. “I believe he’s on some type of supplements. I’m convinced about a lot of boxers,” Mayweather Sr. said. “That’s what they’re doing right now. Everybody should be checked a little bit more thoroughly. Sometimes people know what’s going on but they ain’t saying nothing.” Quoted Mayweather. There is even one writer who thinks Pacquiao is on steroids because of a growth hormone and notices Pacquiao’s enlarge head. Ok let’s try to set things up once and for all Pacquiao is not on steroids. First let us discuss about the enlargement of Pacquiao’s head. Our head is covered with thick skull if indeed his head got large would that mean his skull grow some inches too? I don’t think so unless Manny is still a kid. Kids skulls aren’t completely fused together until they get older so the skull can expand as needed but not the case of a 30 year old fighter who is on his peak.
Steroids adverse effects are hypertension, Cardiovascular and coronary diseases, Acne, premature baldness, Psychiatric effects, aggression and hypomania, depression and addiction. There is not even one effect Manny is facing right now. Pacquiao didn’t fight Oscar Delahoya overnight, he didn’t jump up from 105 lbs. all the way to 147 in just a couple of fights it was a gradual move after his body couldn’t keep up the weight limit. Team Pacquaio fought Oscar and Hatton because they saw some weaknesses that they could exploit. Manny wouldn’t fight Miguel Cotto if Cotto never showed some wear and tear after their Margarito fight. The bottom line is Floyd Mayweather Sr.’s talked are mere speculations and responded on his feelings without justifiable evidence.
“I don’t even know what steroids look like” said Manny. Even the Nevada boxing state gave Pacquiao a clean bill of health all throughout his fights in Vegas. Now Mayweather will have to face judgment in court. I wonder if Marquez knock Mayweather Jr. out… would Sr. accuse Marquez of illegal drinking of pee?

Mayweather is certainly back… Now you can watch the whole fight over again in HBO version just click the image below to download…
thanks to unifiedchamp.com
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There was a kind of uneasy atmosphere on Marquez’s locker as the camera focus on Juan Manuel’s worried face. Within minutes he will have to fight one of boxing’s greats and a former pound per pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr. The speed and power maybe something but Marquez is more anxious on the excess baggage that Mayweather weighs on the day of the tip in since Floyd was two pounds over on their stipulated contract weight at 144lbs even if Marquez is $600,000 dollars richer with $300k per pound per weight above the catch limit he would have love to see Mayweather make weight than the money. It was so crystal clear while touching gloves that Floyd is way bigger than Marquez It was like watching Ivan Calderon against a light weight fighter.

The fight… it was not even called a fight it was more like a sparring session for Floyd, Marquez was out-class, outhustled and frustrated with Mayweather’s brilliant footwork, defense and lightning quick reflexes. As soon as Marquez hit the canvass in the 2nd round it was more lopsided all the way to the 12 rounds. Mayweather never showed ring rust as he rolled his shoulders on defense and showed superb boxing skills. He wants his crown back and although a win against Marquez prove his back in the business he still has to prove to one small guy in boxing and that happens to be the current pound per pound champion Manny Pacquiao. But with still Miguel Cotto ahead Manny is in no hurry to fight Mayweather and personally he still needs a win against Cotto to prove he can fight the faster and bigger Floyd. Even if the fight would not materialize there are still a handful of fighters who can give Mayweather a fight let’s say someone with his own size?

It was understandable to see Marquez’s uneasiness maybe he already seen the last fight of his colourful career or maybe he already sense that Mayweather will never be an easy fight in any other way. Floyd can talk trashed, he can make you look bad the bottom line is he can talk the talk and walk the walk. He is definitely back and his taking it one small guy at a time.

The last of the four part series… watch the Mayweather-Marquez HBO 24/7.. click the image to download.
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Night time is the only time that I get to stretch my whole body and turn the whole atmosphere to lazy mode with only my fingers doing the exercise, holding the remote controller in my hand as I was scanning all the channels on our cable T.V. I was so damn bored with endless issues on politics and basketball replays but when I was about to shut my eyes closed, I saw the Marquez-Mayweather advertisement. Thoughts were passing through my mind… Is it happening this Saturday already? Nah…. I brushed off the thought and went drooling in my sleep.
Maybe we we were just so into Pacquiao that we are not hyped up between the Marquez and Mayweather fight. In reality, watching two defensive boxers in the ring is not that exciting to look forward to but with only two days left before fight time, I have this small nagging feeling who will come out as the winner. Maybe curiousity is brushing some of the hype on me. Will Marquez’ special drink make a difference? Or will Mayweather’s long lay-off take its toll?
Speed
Definitely goes to Mayweather. When Marquez fought the speed demon Manny Pacquiao in two full fights, it was his counterpunching that made much damage and got him to full distance despite 4 knockdowns on both fights. But Mayweather is no Pacquiao. He doesn’t want to engage in a telephone booth. Having a mentality of hit and not be hit I find it difficult for Marquez to catch up with Floyd.
Power
The style of Mayweather is using his opponent’s momentum and hitting them with precise speed to score a knockout his 39 fights with only 25 by KOs is a good KO rate approximately 64.1 % but definitely he is not a power puncher. It’s just not his style to overpower opponents with brute strength but winning the fight with finesse and style. As for Marquez he was a knockout artist while he was still campaigning on the 120-something division but going up in weight his knockout wins became scarcely available. But his TKO victory against Juan Diaz and Joel Casamayor was quite impressive. The question would be how will his power fare off in the welterweight division? Mayweather has been campaigning on this division for most of his career I’m sure he can handle the power of a lightweight contender.
Forecast
Granting Marquez came out the winner it would be very entertaining to watch him fight Pacquiao for the third and final time right? But what if Cotto wins against Manny? Will Marquez fight Cotto? Anyways we can never question Marquez’s heart and determination he fought caliber fighters and certainly knows how to win but when speedster’s like Juan Diaz and Manny Pacquiao fought Marquez it was certain he had difficulties in disposing them. He almost got into trouble against Casamayor before Joel got careless and he almost lost to Diaz before Diaz lost steamed. Mayweather will breeze to this fight unharmed but I don’t discount Marquez Mexican heart.
Mayweather by Unanimous decision

I don’t think this fight would be that exciting as being hype but the result will be quite interesting… Oh well wake me up when it’s over.

Days after his loss against journeyman Heriberto Ruiz, Rey “boomboom” Bautista was seen on his hometown in Candijay Bohol and one brave gentleman approached Bautista and asks him what transpired on his fight against Ruiz and Rey angrily responded “Kamo ba naa didto” (Are you the one fighting?) if he was an ordinary person he would have my sympathy and understanding but being a public figure and an aspiring Pacquiao prodigy it was unlikely for him to say those things especially to his fans. We all remember how he boasted about taking up Ponce De Leon’s punches “If an older Gerry Penalosa can take his punches I’m sure I can take it”. Oh well we all know what happened after that. We thought he has learned his lesson in humility but when he fought Ruiz and took his opponent lightly it resulted in another setback. Bautista never admitted his flaws and mistake when he told the press he was bothered by his left hand while on training. Manny Pacquiao after his loss against Morales never made excuses even if he was fighting on a blistered foot. Fast forward 11 months after with his left hand operated and fully healed he will fight again on Oct.16 against Thailand’s Rachamongkol Sor Pleonchit another sacrificial lamb who has a decent 8-1 record with fights mostly fought in his hometown. It was no secret his promoter is protecting his ward like a father to his son… Boomboom’s career right now is so fragile and one loss can mean an end to everything. Rey has only fought one caliber fighter on his 28 fights and fall short on Ponce De Leon. It was his ultimate test and when he failed also to get a win against journey man Heriberto Ruiz I think it’s high time he thinks about his future. This is where we separate the men from the boys. I wouldn’t give even a modest chance for Bautista to win against the king of his division Juan Manuel Lopez it would be like putting a defenseless rabbit into the lion’s den. Rey has the heart but he also has an attitude I think it’s high time his promoter got a reality check. Give Bautista quality and caliber opponents instead of building his record and putting the young boxer in high delusion. I’m sorry to say this to you Rey you will never be the next Manny Pacquiao and there will never be…. The hype is over… reality now sinks in.