Some 6 weeks into the celebrated rematch. Manny Pacquiao is outpacing Marco Barrera despite a late start at his new training pad.

The Pacman is at it again, sharpening his skills for the Mexcan ‘assassin’ with intense energy induced by his irripressible corner.

If Manny starts out with his usual dose of non-stop punching, then a shortened evening is in store for the gritty Mex who’s in a grind himself sweating his butt off at a Guadalajara gym.

Midway into their hectic workouts, I still can’t see how Barrera can avenge his first knockout by Pacquiao. Unless he has grown a third arm plus an extra leg to boot.

Buoyed by the expert handling of Freddie Roach and Buboy Fernandez, the southpaw terror is on track to reassert his dominance of the former three-time champ.

At best, Barrera will find it discomfiting or at worst, difficult once Pacquiao opens up with his combos of stinging hooks and straights set-up by his wicked jabs.

“Any fighter who leads with the jab can execute the knockout drills polished in the workouts,” says Freddie.

That goes for Marco, I would think who’s been looking for ways to surprise Manny in their re-acquaintance shindig at Vegas’ Mandalay resort.

In their initial slugfest, Manny’s powerful strikes hurt Marco thus forcing his handlers to call it a night.He was bounced from a rain of mind-jarring blows in a run-away lift unleashed without let-up by the GenSan crackerjack.

In the October 6 return go, expect Marco to seek desperate means of making things difficult for his hard-hitting corrival.

To execute such plan, Barrera has to engage Pacquiao early and whack away at every turn for maximum damage else he’ll be in pasture posthaste.

Ironically, a defeat could revive Marco’s stalled drive of earning a law degree. An ardent wish sidetracked by his 11th round collapse at San Antonio’s Alamodome.

What the budding barrister confirmed at an Los Angeles presser was retirement if the Filipino ring idol deals him another mind-numbing set back.

All the better if he can put his mind back to his law books.

If Barrera gets blown out by Pacquiao again, perhaps he can seek solace in the successional defense of his future clients.

With Manny–he’s defenseless.

While Barrera was consistent in winning most of his fights, there’s something vital that he must do but did’nt in their first war.

A crucial error he must avoid is to stand in front of Manny and get an abundance of mighty jolts sans the obligatory counterpoise.

I’m sure Barrera’s handlers know about this boner by now.

While Marco scored little success in their first encounter, nothing hair-raising dazed Manny save for a left hook or two.

This is Manny’s first fight since getting clobbered in politics but that loss makes him more dangeous at this time don’t you think?

In the span the Philippine boxing hero has been honing his art at Wakee Salud’s camp, Manny Pacquiao is looking more like the right guy who’s at the right time and place for the vengeance-seeking Marco Antonio Barrera.

Anyone looking for an an enthralling encore?

By Hermie Rivera

These days, we find Manny Pacquiao resting from a failed political bid but come Oct. 6, millions of boxing fans will feast on a sure-fire slugfest with Marco Antonio Barrera.

While Barrera has grown a tad wiser than usual, his rout by Pacquiao at San Antonio’s Alamodome (11TH rd KO) has observers ruling out an upset in the rematch at the Mandalay Bay Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“Memories of that meeting, tough one to ignore” says the baby-faced assassin as he gears up for his climb to respectability.

Barrera has started training while Pacquiao has started shooting a film.

With Barrera’s headstart, who do think gets assassinated? The Pacman? Or will lefty Manny go back to his well of powerful deliveries to bomb sillier the transplanted Guadalajaran?

Methinks he will without a doubt.

Jorge Solis, the last Mexican Manny smashed (8th round ko) cautions his compatriot not to stay stationary and allow Manny to get off with his hefty shots. Calls Pacquiao’s speed special, adding that Marco will stay upright for as long as he can sneak in his solid licks. .

Barrera, honored by his selection as Pacquiao’s opponent is not throwing away the privilege of redeeming himself from that Texas fiasco.

It took him almost four years to get the rematch, winning all of his matches since that Lone Star debacle to include the World Boxing Council super-featherweight crown which was stolen on March 15 by Juan Manuel Marquez. Thanks in large measure to the inept-judging by the arbiters abeted by a sight-impaired referee.

It is therefore crucial for Marco to stay unbeaten since another cataclysmal outing will end his colorful career.

It will be a violent contact between two of boxing’s finest with both warriors capable of ending it early once they spot an opening for their blasters.

Their styles excites. A collision of true belters that’s likely to conclude in a knockout.

This means the judges will not figure at all in deciding who wins it. Good.

So then, is it going to be a walk in the park for Manny? “Not so” says Marco’s backers. “There’s no one at the fight scene who can infuse drama and excitement better than our man.”

Indeed, it was dramatic and exciting watching Marco drop to the canvas like an uncontrolled yoyo in his first encounter with the Cotabato marvel.

With Manny’s cool demeanor bordering on savagery when needed, expect an excellent swaps of truculent wallops with our man getting the better of the exchanges.

The country’s pride is not thinking at all of a loss in the rematch.

He views a setback unacceptable while a repeat win will accentuate his popularity that could bolster his chances for another stab at politics.

This is not just about a fight of Manny Pacquiao, our slugging icon who stands to bag “tons of greens” in his return go with Barrera.

It is about what lies ahead for the Philippines’ preeminent unifier–a clear path to consummate stardom.

Awesome!

Manny Pacquiao is the world’s best fighter. He earned that rare feat from America ’s boxing writers, a distinction no Filipino or an Asian has ever achieved— Fighter of the Year honors.

Manny Pacquiao was feted by the Boxing Writers Association of America for outstanding ring achievements in its 82nd accolade since it started giving the prestigeful award.

The well-attended gala event was held at New York’s Copacabana, a fitting tribute to a deserving Dad who together with lovely wife Jinkee recieved the coveted plaque.

This took place place by the way after finding himself beaten by a lady rival for a congressional seat in his home district of Cotabato, Southern Philippines .

When the country’s boxing icon found himself in an odd terrain, battling a two- termer re-electionist, Manny must have wondered why he chose to become a participatory bet in a zone that’s just torrid for his liking.

A risky move that caused him to lose some of his boxing constituents.

Not to worry.

Pacquiao is likely to woo them back once he starts beating the dickens out of those wanting to test his moxie again.

No signs of ill-effects in his try at politics contrary to claims by his maudlin critics.

The GenSan boxing marvel showed no signs of regret once it was established he was trounced in an area foreign to his calling.

Indeed, Manny didn’t suffer what his career-faultfinders call ‘a fever of despair’ brought about by such an unexpected loss.

Admittedly, it was a costly blunder after submitting himself to the dictates of an arena fraught with trickery and deceit.

Now our idol is itching to return to his favored roped-square where he excels– battling the world’s true fighters.

Nothing but fistic woe to the guy he’ll take on right after that caper where he dropped a bundle.

And we’ve got a lot of names to go by.

First, there’s Marco Antonio Barrera who’s been begging for a rematch since his destruction by the Pacman at San Antonio’s Alamodome.

Manny wants the heavy-fisted Marco as the favored candidate in his list of October probables.

Asked why, the Pacman quoted an idol: “When there is no peril in the fight, there is no glory in the triumph.”

Then, there’s the new World Boxing Council super-featherweight boss, Juan Manuel Marquez who’s been aching to have another go with our hitman since that controversial draw in 2004.

I’m still trying to figure out how Marquez stole the crown from Barrera in that March hold-up at the MGM Grand. (Shades of Floyd Mayweather Jr)

Plus, a slew of other contenders wanting to have a slice at Pacquiao’s treasure sack; to include the unbeaten Joan Guzman of the Dominican Republic, Mexican Humberto Soto and Venezuela’s undefeated knockout artist Edwin Valero– who has iced all of his rivals in the featherweight division, or so his backers claim.

Impressive?

Yeah, but other notables tried against our smart punching terror only to wind up deserting Manny’s weight class to escape the killer blows of arguably the hardest hitting ex- politico.

Porbida!

After a brief respite from the fight scene, let me resume my watch on our hard-punching Manny Pacquiao coming after his smashing kayo of the ambitious Mexican, Jorge Solis at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.

Pacquiao’s pre-fight regimen was near perfect what with deputy trainors Justin Fortune, Buboy Fernandez and Nonoy Neri providing commendable training despite the absence of head coach Freddie Roach who eventually called the shots at fightnight resulting in a brutal knockout in the eighth round of the gutsy Mexican from Guadalajara.

Exacting dominant performance from his sparring mates, Manny did hang a tidy loss to the unbeaten Solis– claims to the contrary by his henchmen–notwithstanding.

Quite a convincing display of the Pacman’s fire power that virtually enhanced his political bid in the first congressional district of South Cotabato.

Solis insisted that not all of the attention paid to the relentless punching Pacquiao could deter him from pulling an upset.. But it did’nt pan out the way he wanted it as the boxer/politician made total wreck of whatever fight plans the game Mexican brought to the dance.

Solis is as good every bit of the hype that surrounded him when it was announced that he’s the genuine article– until he came face to face with the Pinoy marvel during his first media encounter at an L.A.gym.

“Solis with his undefeated slate had us a bit perplexed during his training. Turns out he ain’t as advertized,” cried a Pacquiao lieutenant after seeing the latest attempt to unsettle the congressional aspirant of the first district of GenSan,Cotabato.

Manny Pacquiao, was comfortable not only on his assignment with the audacious MexTex but more adjusted and relaxed on his other foe—Darlene Custodio, who’s defending her political hold in the first congressional district that includes General Santos, Polomolok, Tupi and Tampakan.

Manny was totally focused on his fight with Jorge and has started sorting out facets of his political strategy for the campaign after prevailing in the Alamo shootout.

“I beat my ring foe decisively and and will administer the same to my political rival” was the Filipino sensation’s parting shot before flying home to his supporters.

Seeing what the gifted slugger can do to what he calls his twin killings, I’ve no doubt he’ll come out unscathed after the political smoke clears.

None of his boast is big deal as they say except that we are talking of a campaigner who is odds on to become one of our country’s biggest names— fistically or politically.

By Hermie Rivera

Through most of 2006, Manny Pacquiao was in the spotlight, chased by boxing’s top guns for the right to stage his megabuck fights.

A flick of his fingers lines up guys to his mansion for his signature to multi-million dollar fight contracts.

Pacquiao chose Top Rank’s Bob Arum to act as his promoter— much to the consternation of Oscar de la Hoya, an early favorite in the tug of war of two of boxing’s prime movers.

While Arum snagged Manny’s support for now, the Pacman wanted Marco Antonio Barrera in a rematch but was shelved due to the proximity of Oscar de la Hoya’s ‘Cinco de Mayo encuentro’ with Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Marco Antonio, the current WBC super featherweight ruler fights for the Golden Boy Promotions. Fact is, he co-promotes his fights with Oscar and so with the rest of the GBP fighters.

Manny’s move to sign up with Bob Arum deprives Oscar’s outfit the opportunity of staging what Barrera fans have been clamoring for; a chance for redemption of their idol since his fall at the hands of the Filipino ring ‘incomparable’ at San Antonio’s Alamodome.

Pshaw! A rare treat for those aching for the rematch capped by an ‘adios’ fight Oscar has penciled against Floyd Jr. on May 5. One of de la Hoya’s treat for Filipino fans as it involves some of our country’s rising stars headed by Ray Boom Boom Bautista, Tony Aldeguer’s unbeaten star.

Pacquiao, last year’s huge boxing free agent is typically unaffected by all the fuss.

The Filipino boxing hero is busy cashing in on the huge outlay Arum has earmarked for our ring idol who, as of this writing, is awaiting Arum’s promised bonanza..

He’ll plunge headlong into training if his meeting with the Mexican champ is salvaged somehow.

A mean feat I say since the rift between Arum and de la Hoya has irretrievably widened what with the announced pairing of Juan Manuel Marquez and Marco Antonio Barrera in the March 17 championship card at Mandalay Bay resort in Las Vegas,Nevada.

I wonder how the guys at HBO are taking these mind-boggling developments.

Rumors swirled, speculation and downright misinformation abound as to the route Manny will take even as high-profiled promoters pursued him.

Not even Arum’s repeated claim of an airtight contract with Manny could dissuade other promoters from making a grab of what’s left to take.

Since Manny has no plans of growing heavier and is sticking to his current weight class. the rematch with Barrera remains the only option of Arum to make good his vow of generous commitment to our boxing great– else he is toast.

The other factor vexing Bob is the dearth of talents in his bull pen. Oscar has corraled most if not all of the viable super-featherweight contenders.

So that if one insists on a Barrera/Pacquiao rematch, de la Hoya’s group must be in the mix otherwise there’ll be no meaningful fight for the new year to begin with.

One of Arum’s fighters who is undefeated in 22 fights by knockout is the Venezuelan Edwin Valero.

He is being touted as Pacquiao’s opponent in Macau (courtesy of Steve Wynn) and so with a ringster named Humberto Sotto. The latest entrant to the Macau card is Korea’s InJin Chi.

Manny is not impressed at all.

“Valero’s KO victims” says the GenSan knockout artist are “certified tuktuk drivers of Bangkok.”

So there.

By Hermie Rivera

“The fight racket (boxing) since its rotten beginnings has always been the red light district of sports.” —Jimmy Cannon

AN ugly war continues.

We aren’t talking here of Manny Pacquiao’s rumble with Erik Morales in their third 12-round encounter at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas Nov. l8.

It’s about the Filipino ring idol’s conflict with his handlers who see dollar signs dancing on the boxer’s head any time of day or night.

While most of Manny’s managers have disappeared, two of his promoters are still around angling for employment possibilities.

Some characters out to strike gold have lulled themselves into thinking that they could get away with larceny—forgetting that somewhere are crusaders opposed to such form of chicanery.

Despite repeated raids on his treasury, Manny will continue to prosper unless he does something incredibly stupid that could set him in a trap by subordinates out to ruin him financially.

As for his peripatetic handlers led by Shelly Finkel, Nick Khan and Keith Davidson—perhaps we can oblige them for an iota of transparency since no one who’s outside the loop knows about the service they provided Manny for the $400,000 they took home from his fight with Oscar Larios.

And that doesn’t begin to touch the fees they treated themselves to—from the past Morales fights, the Hector Velazquez fight and the mother of all scores—-Pacquiao-Morales III.

Manny Pacquiao has been a star before Finkel, Khan and Davidson barged into the scene. All three Morales fights were in place with Bob Arum’s Top Rank long before the Filipino superman was even a gleam in the new management’s eyes.

So, it is a waste, seeing 20-25 percent of Pacquiao’s purses ending up as handler’s cuts—not to mention the quarter-million greenbucks pocketed by the promoter of the “tumble at the center.”

I gather that some $250,000 changed hands in that iniquitous deal.

Guess who footed the bill?

Keep in mind that the trio engineered the greatest escape act since Houdini—a flick of the finger and voila! ex-Muhammad Ali bodyguard Murad Muhammad and business manager Rod Nazario vanished from the Pacman’s screens.

Out of sight—out of mind for the twosome once deemed untouchables at Manny’s Eden.

Enter, Bob Arum, who has delivered a multimillion-dollar package with humongous extras thrown in as bonuses for the “participants.” Quite a bundle.

But let’s avail of the rest period between rounds so I can remind everyone of a firewall that’s etched in the Ali Reform Boxing Act barring promoters from having a direct or indirect financial interest in the management of a boxer—the proviso inversely applies to managers.

Manny’s clash with Erik in their “physical debate” as Recah Trinidad asserts in his Pacquiao tome—Pacific Storm— might be the last fight of the Pinoy hero prior to his entry into a deadlier combat—politics.

Hello Hizzoner Lito Atienza! Welcome Wakee Salud!

Manny Pacquiao is about to become a free agent and his confidant Rex Salud is moving fast to deliver our icon to Bob Arum who also promotes the Mexicano from Tijuana.

One last note to Uncle Bob; who’s coming in as Manny’s designated promoter in your Grand Finale?

No more miscues—else—you’ll run into Yogi Berra wandering around Ed Wynn’s fabulous digs with his immortal ‘de já vu’ all over again?

Given the usual exploits of the combatants, the July 2 clash at the Araneta Coliseum between Manny Pacquiao and Oscar Larios could turn out to be one ‘hell of a fight’.

After a dearth of quality boxing events, the Big Dome roars back to life by staging Pacquiao’s first outing since destroying Erik Morales — this time against Larios–a former world champ who’s coming here to win and not to lose, according to his adviser Eric Gomez.

It took the arena’s top honcho Nene Araneta quite a time to re-discover the lure of boxing since it went on an extended leave.

The sterling wins registered by Manny moved Nene to bring big-time promos back to its home.

A huge turnout is expected when Manny re-enters the Coliseum where once the likes of Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, Larry Holmes, Flash Elorde, Luisito Espinosa and countless assets of the Sweet Science saw action.

The fight itself hung in the balance as a bunch of left-wingers
threatened to sow terror during contract negotiations.

The coup threat however was aborted and the country’s largest
broadcast network ABS-CBN salvaged the project after HBO, backed out.

Manny with his fine record on the line is hard at work at his camp. And the buzz is whether the gutsy Mex can withstand the bombardment the GenSan marvel is likely to unleash on fight night.

Fight nuts will support it. This, from a pledge by Larios of an exciting night of boxing.

Just who is this Larios anyway?

He’s a former World Boxing Council superbantamweight champion from Mexico who is managed by Oscar de la Hoya.

De La Hoya’s man Eric Gomez says Pacman’s decision to face their ward is not a smart move. “One he’ll probably regret taking” added Gomez

Fact is, HBO, the pay-per-view giant, wanted Larios against Pacquiao to insure a competitive match-up.

In addition to giving it all against the Pacman, El Mexicano is hoping to perform as well as he did during his successful reign as a champion.

What we will see when Pacquiao and Larios clash is their contrasting style of delivering
dynamic hits.

Both will be right in their alley, in front of each other with no
backward movement ’til the big blows start connecting.

If the fight turns out anything like Pacquiao/Morales II, expect one ‘helluva’ night to remember.

Adios Senor Larios.

Can our fight fans get that lucky?

The last time I filled a news space, I told everyone who cared how good Manny Pacman Pacquiao was despite his loss to Erik Morales.

Then quick as a jungle cat, the GenSan marvel went on to knockout journeyman Hector Velasquez in an aftermath of his bitter loss to the man they call El Terrible who he faces in a rematch on January 21 in Las Vegas.

The persistent query I’ve been getting is whether the South Cotabato sensation has what it takes to beat the smart-punching Tijuana native. In a meeting at Vegas’ MGM Grand, these macho super-featherweights served a delectable slugfest that compellied promoter Bob Arum to bring them back for an encore.

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LOS ANGELES, California — Manny Pacquiao and Erik Morales took center stage at the MGM grand for the first time last March, displaying their status as two of the world’s most powerful super featherweights to millions of fans.

On January 21, the rivals reprise their bloody encounter in “The Battle” at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas with Pacquiao favored by the oddsmakers to prevail this time over Morales, the Mexican they call El Terrible.

The “Pacman” starts on Monday the final phase of his rigorous sparring at Freddie Roach’s Wild Card Gym in Hollywood.

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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA—Bettors call it a “scalping” chance placing a bet on both sides of the ‘The Battle” which some gamblers say insures a profit assuming the odds posted at the time is even.

But you can throw this betting theory out of Steve Wynn’s fabulous hotel in Las Vegas with the re-assumption of the favored role by Manny Pacquiao who posted last night a definitive edge -betting wise- over his bitter rival Eric Morales.

Fifteen hundred dollars wagered on Manny Pacquiao can bring in one hundred ($100) while one hundred five crisp US notes placed on Erik Morales give a hundred dollar return.
But don’t go knocking on your neighbor’s doors betting your carabao lest you look foolish and dumb if you wind up making the wrong bet.(You can bring in the mascot with its apt comments.)

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