by Mike Marley

Pacquiao Insiders Say Manny Not Keen on Humberto Soto Bout! 

Whatever Manny Pacquiao wants Manny Pacquiao gets right? 

You would figure that to be the case now that nearly all of the Everlast Einsteins have accepted and annointed Pinoy idol Megamanny as either the Philippine most entertaining fighter or, in Manny’s case as having achieved both of those exalted positions.

But a cadre of Pacman insiders including Boxingconfidential super-snooper Hermie Rivera are pounding the Pacman drums and the message is that there is a communication gap between Pacquiao and his promoter Bob Arum.

While the Top Rank top honcho said he wants what is best for Manny and ergo what’s best for his promotional outfit, there is real chasm in what’s in Uncle Bob’s Harvard Law School trained mind and the mental landscape as viewed by Pacquiao.

“Top Rank’s Bob Arum is trying to ram Edwin Valero or Humberto Soto or maybe both of them down Manny’s throat,” Rivera said. This is odd what with the David Diaz fight being a PPV fiasco with less than 200,000 buys. Manny and some of his closest advisers blame the turgid PPV TV numbers on the fact that Diaz was a little-known guy that no one could conceive of beating Manny.

In fact as it turned out, it was a brutal mismatch in which Manny shined. But no one dare label that boxing butchery competitive.”

So where does Manny’s personal and pugilistic agenda take a turn away from Arum?

Another Pacquaio insider tells Boxingconfidential that outside of boxing and his family aspirations, Pacman’s biggest dream now is to run for and get elected as governor of a newly-created state in the Philippines which is located near his hometown of General Santos city.This election is not until 2010. But Pacquiao wants to spend a lot of time and money seeding his second electoral try next year.”Maybe Bob does not get this part,”the Pacman confidante said, “and maybe Bob’s Pacquiao pipeline the Canadian Michael Koncz does not either. Winning this gubernatorial election is paramount on Manny’s mind. With this goal in mind, Manny does not want to fight Valero and then maybe Soto and make relative peanuts.

“What Manny wants is to fight the megafight with popular Ricky Hatton. Arum has explained to him that it can’t happen now because Hatton is fighting Paulie Malignaggi in November. Arum said a step-aside fee cannot be negotiated but Paulie’s promoter Lou DiBella said he has an open mind and open ears.

“Even if Manny accepts Arum’s story, he is still balking at what he percieves as a mismatch and a bout in which the American public knows so little about Valero.

Manny thinks Edwin’s windmill punching might provide some cool air to ringsiders but little else.

Manny thinks he can beat Valero perhaps even with more ease than when he thumped poor Diaz.

Manny thinks with his nimble foot and improved defense, Edwin could not hit him in the ass with a bag of rice.

As for Soto goes, he is no Mexican legend and he got beat by Joan Guzman.

So what does he bring to the table but toughness?”

This camp follower said that Pacman told Arum he wants to fight Hatton by February or March at the latest.

The source said Megamanny sees a megapurse of perhaps $15 million in that bout which is about double of what he can earn against Soto and Valero.

Whatever Manny wants, Manny gets?

No one said there is dissension in the air. It’s more along the lines of “Cool Hand Luke” and “a failure to communicate.”

Stay tuned as The Pacman turns.

by Hermie Rivera

—-Mr. Mike Marley, tell these haters of your Gal D’Pac that tickets and PPV buys for the June 28 ‘lethal’ card at the Mandalay Bay resort/casino have zoomed up.

Have them check the latest and they’ll be eating crow at the jump in sales at the tills.

An appreciated turn-around for Manny Pacquiao’s co-trainer Buboy Fernandez who wagered one of his passenger buses that his Pacman will allow David Diaz to see daylight only after the 9th round.

I don’t know how much head-trainer Freddie Roach will lay down for his ward but it could be substantial.

I myself would bet my carabao but the odds says it will take 550 of our country’s beast of burden to rake in 100 if your bet is on the favored Filipino idol.

But that’s not why I’m touching base. We are supposed to relish the result of a punch-for-pay outing of Manny the Pinoy sensation against David the MexAm title defender.

All is in readiness for the principals in case your wondering and not too busy firing your top-notch reporters.

The Pacquiao-Diaz championship card will have the fans winners of the acclaimed face-off of the colorful lightweights.

So there.

By Michael Marley

The old saying is to the victor go the spoils. I do not think anyone was thinking about rotten goat meat when they conjured up the phrase.

Which reminds me that canny promoter Bob Arum did miss one cute trick when it came to the smartest member of the David Diaz camp, Billy The Goat. Years ago, the National Lampoon had a cover photo of a cute puppy. The cover line was something “if you don’t buy this magazine, we will kill the dog.”

Talk about an attention grabber. But back to the WBC lightweight champion’s pet cabrito or, as we say in Tagalog, “kambing.”

Yes, the Mandalay Bay is not kid-ding. Yes, the hotel-casino granted the nagging Billy a Team Diaz credential.

But the question I am debating with our imbedded Team Pacquiao correspondent Hermie “Chiz” Rivera is what is the fate of the tin can eater if, as we all expect, Megamanny Pacquiao dethrones Billy’s bossman.

It seems as though once Pacman slaughers Diaz, Billy gets slaughtered. I’d hate to be the one who has to relate this tragic news to Billy’s nanny!

Surely, there will be budget cuts for Team Diaz. I don’t want to get anyone’s goat but I bet Billy will be let loose so to speak when that happens.

Rivera said he has already discussed Billy’s dim future with Manny.

“We will immediately grab Billy by that beard of his, right at ringside,” Rivera said. “Then the only question is whether Billy is boiled, broiled, baked or steamed. His next destination is the nearest fiery pot. He will not return to Chitown unless he is frozen or burning on a skewer.

“Goat meat and a San Miguel beer is a typical Pacman treat when he is not in training,” Rivera said. “We put goat into our calderata and marinate it for kilawen. I’ve told Manny, ‘We must slaughter the goat for our victory party, for our celebration after you KO or stop David.”

Rivera, who reports that Manny will exit the lightweight class and move up to 140 for a Ricky Hatton fight next, said Billy only has one supporter on Team Pacquiao.

“It’s your Boston boy, Coach Freddie Roach,” Rivera said. “Freddie is an animal lover and wants to send Billy to a petting zoo for the kiddies. Freddie is opposed to our eating Billy in any form.

“Freddie told me, ‘Hey, Hermie, the goat is a Chicago Cubs baseball fan. Hasn’t he suffered enough?”

By Hermie Rivera
(Photos by Levi Gutierrez)

June 28 is when the Philippines boxing phenom Manny Pacquiao authors a bid for a fourth title when he takes on David Diaz for the lightweight championship of the planet.

The Mandalay Bay resort/casino in Las Vegas is is where the Filipino idol accosts the Mexican-American champ in a slugfest purists are betting won't go the distance.

A match-up of game finishers ends early or stopped in the late rounds.

Now, Manny who's on leave as a junior lightweight is looking at a meeting with Manchester's pride Ricky Hatton which David covets having garnered the Atlanta Olympic silver plus past triumphs as a 140 pound pro.

The privilege of competing with the new 'pound for pound king' is where Diaz is looking at right now.

Unaccustomed to fighting in the 135 pound limit, the Pinoy hotshot is assuring doubting devotees that he is not straying out of his comfort zone.

Diaz' fixation in retaining his title belt is legend. Chicago's pride wants Pacquiao's scalp real bad.

What makes this fight appealing is the bonanza the winner acquires.

So much is at stake and both warriors want a furious start that could only translate into a violent battle in sustained velocity.

This happens when a crowd-pleasing puncher like Manny is matched with a proven belter in David.

"I'm ready in case he tries to pull a fast one in our Mandalay party. I can't let my fans down who are rooting for a smooth acquisition of David's crown" Pacquiao assured

A marked improvement in ticket sales and PPV orders have been noted by the promoters as the lightweight sluggers start easing-off in their rigorous grind.

Now what?

Somewhere in the boardrooms of the world's leading promoters are stacks of proposal for a year-ending 'biggie' featuring England's Ricky Hatton and the Philippines' Manny Pacquiao.

Keep tuned.

By Hermie Rivera
Photos by Noel Rivera

Berkeley, CA– Manny Pacquiao, coming off a hard-earned win over Juan Manuel Marquez clashes with a heavier David Diaz in a face-off that’s certain to generate absolute thrill among fight fans.

The lightweight scrap at Vegas’ Mandalay Bay Casino is Pacquiao’s ticket for a fourth world title—one he hankers due to the failure of his compatriots in garnering such masterstroke.

When the celebrated Carlos Ortiz ended the blue-ribbon reign of Joe Brown—no Filipino—to include the clever Gabriel ‘Flash’ Elorde succeeded in becoming a 135 pound ace.

Odds favor the Pinoy challenger over the Mex-Am titleholder. Not unlike the time Pacquiao succeeded in grabbing Marquez’s junior lightweight belt in a war that continues to torment followers of both camps claiming victory for their man.

No one is saying it loud but there are bettors who believe David Diaz can scratch out a win over the Philippines’ idol.

And why not if one is tempted to ask? David was only beaten once enroute to his lightweight throne. He foiled challenges with his unquestioned ability topped by a go-for-broke style of brash boxing.

Listening to David’s rants on how he’ll keep his crown, there just is’nt a way or so it seems for Manny to wiggle out from a trap Diaz is set to impose in their June 28th showdown.

Freddie Roach, Pacman’s coach warns David though that he is the one mired in a situation that entails difficulty—neutralizing Pacquiao’s lethal combination of speed and power..

Manny’s threat of a fast start that can end the brawl early is a reality that’s not easy for David to master.

Pacquiao repeated his intimidating plan even as Roach paraded him in a well-attended public workout at Berkeley’s Westwind School, showcasing Manny’s rythmic cadence with the mitts and the bags.

“David Diaz is in for a rough evening in this meeting of vaunted sluggers and my Manny will send him to dreamland only to awaken when gas prices goes down” adding “the end will come in the late rounds.” Roach concluded.

What started off as a pairing of hard-punching lefties is shaping up as one heck of a donnybrook involving worldbeaters with violent fistic traits.

And when Pacman’s roll of the dice finally shows crap for Diaz, England’s Ricky Hatton must gear up fast for a huge payday with arguably the planet’s hottest draw—Manny Pacquiao of General Santos, Cotabato.

By Hermie Rivera

Los Angeles, CA– He’s had 13 years in his harsh calling and Manny Pacquiao finally gets the chance to add a fourth title when he challenges lightweight champion David Diaz at the Mandalay Bay resort/casino in Las Vegas Nevada.

Pacquiao attempts to be the first Filipino champion in the 135-pound division. Others, notably Gabriel ‘Flash’ Elorde failed twice against the Puerto Rican Carlos Ortiz.

“Malaki ito at sisikapin kung maagaw yung korona ni Diaz (It’s the big one definitely and we’ll let it all hang out to grab the crown.),” the Filipino superstar declared at an L.A. presser.

In Diaz, the Pacman will be unleashing his ghastly blows against a fighter equipped with power shots as well.

“First round pa lang talagang upakan na, bakbakan at maganda ito para grabe ang action sa ring (an all out war starts in the early going so the fans will lap it up),” enthused the Filipino ring idol.

“It’s going to be a lovely brawl assured the GenSan mauler who’s not wanting in humility in projecting a decisive ending of his June 28 ring date.

Undefeated since his loss to Erik Morales, the new WBC junior lightweight champion’s last win was against Juan Manuel Marquez who remains steadfast in having another shot at the Pinoy idol. “But that won’t happen,” says promoter Bob Arum who ruled out a rubber bout between the bitter jr. lightweight rivals.

Manny’s inability to take out Marquez in their March duel has fueled the Mexican’s drive for a third match.

“We’ve put that fight behind us,” Pacquiao shrugged as he braced for a rough fisticuff with Diaz.

Diaz himself vowed not to let Pacquiao breathe in their war since, by his own reckoning, is in top shape.

“It’s all go,” boasted the defending champion as he let out a yell of gratitude to Manny for making the fight happen.

Quite a mean feat if the Chicago Mex-Am can do what no Mexican has ever done— stop Manny dead with a heart-pounding barrage.

A lot depends on how fresh the contending warriors will be feeling as they reach the final two rounds— if ever the fight goes that far.

Methinks it will not.

What’s your take?

by Joaquin Henson

THE WORLD’S TOP LADIES TENNIS STARS ARE RAVING  about the treatment they got from Destino Spa, a Filipino-owned Bay Area pampering haven that has catered to their off-court feminine whims in two Bank of the West tournaments at the Taube family stadium on the Stanford University campus.

Destino’s Filipina managing director Christine Rivera said the world’s No.2 player Kim Clijsters of Belgium is a “pet client and a very satisfied customer.” Clijsters won her fourth Bank of the West title via a straight-sets romp over Patty Schneider.

Clijsters, has been untouchable in the world’s oldest all-female tennis tournament since Destino was selected as the official spa sponsor. Kim has since retired when she married her fiance, ex-Villanova cager Bryan Lynch.

Christine, the fourth of six children, is the daughter of boxing scholar and former Philippine consulate press attaché in San Francisco Hermie Rivera. Her mother Cristina is a school teacher.

The Rivera’s relocated to Newark in the Bay Area in 1983. Hermie shuttles from Newark to Manila and back in search of Filipino ring prospects who could follow in the footsteps of his protégés, former world champions Luisito Espinosa and Morris East.

Christine earned her esthetic license at Fremont Beauty College and Therapy Center . She worked for a San Carlos spa before becoming an industrial partner at Destino.

She recently married her long-time fiance, Billy Cesano, a hotel management graduate of the University of Nevada at Las Vegas.

It’s no coincidence that Clijsters has played her best tennis in Stanford with Destino as the spa provider.

Destino has offered the tennis stars the ultimate luxury by transforming the players’ lounge into a spa haven with flowing water fountains, aromatherapy candles, facials, massages and hair, nails, waxing and foot treatments. It has also set up a courtside booth to provide chair massages and complimentary beverages to spectators.

A bonus for the players was the gift bag that Christine herself prepared. The bag contained items from Acqua Cures, A Sense of Scents, Baby Phat, Control Corrective Skincare, HMA Designs, ITOEN Teas, Nutek, Lalicious, Pure Inventions, Via Botanica Bodycare and Oral Fixation Mints.

“We are thrilled beyond belief to have been chosen by Bank of the West and the International Management Group for the second year in a row to participate in this first-class event,” said Christine. “They informed us that no other tennis tournament offers players a spa lounge or gift bags at this level so we are delighted that they have elected to place their confidence in us again.”

Tournament director Adam Barrett said Destino’s sponsorship was a hit  that the top players asked for a repeat sponsorship.

Destino was voted as the spa with the best massage and facial in Silicon Valley by Citysearch.com. A premier destination for physical rejuvenation and relaxation, it is located just minutes from Stanford University . Destino combines Eastern influences, ancient beauty rituals and rigorous service standards and offers a full range of spa services.

Clijsters once beat Venus Williams in the Bank of the West finals and went on to bag the US Open crown, her first Grand Slam title. She has been ranked No.1 in the world twice.

Bank of the West is the proud sponsor of the Stanford tournament. With $55 billion in its assets, it has over 680 branches in 19 states.

By Hermie Rivera
 
Boxing or what some call the Sweet Science is all about heart.
 
That’s why Manny Pacquiao eked out a well-deserved victory over Juan Manuel Marquez  due largely to a ticker twice bigger than Mexico’s external debt.
 
End of discussion?
 
“Not quite” says an esteemed colleague John Chavez who insists otherwise:  “While Pacquiao might possess a ticker twice the size of Mexico’s external debt, Marquez, at 34 years of age showcased an equally large heart twice the size of Manny Pacquiao’s stable of alleged mistresses.
 
In battling a prime “Pacman” possessing a five year youth advantage, the Mexico City counter-puncher fought gallantly picking himself up off the canvas in order to show the world that Mexican fighters are what truly drives the sport of boxing.

Unlike Pacquiao, Marquez is one of the many great fighters to come from a country that has redwood-like roots embedded within the sweet science.
 
While the bout between “Dinamita” and the Filipino legend has provided much fuel for controversy, you can’t take away from the future hall-of-famer who gave Manny all he could handle for every second of every round.

The fight itself was a beautiful specimen of counter-punching in Marquez and controlled aggression in Pacquiao.
 
For those spectators that favor the come forward style of a pressure fighter, they scored the bout for Pacquiao. For those that favor the tactical, but equally effective matador-type approach to boxing, they tended to favor the Mexican.

Being an aficionado of the sport, I appreciated the subtle effectiveness in Marquez’s ability to sneak his punches inside the slightest of openings as Manny showed a vast improvement in his defensive capabilities.
 
It was a magnificent display by “Dinamita” as he showed the world that there is more than one facet to Mexican prize fighting.

He showed that not only does the warrior blood pump fiercely through their veins but also that they are an extremely intelligent group of soldiers that can out-fight and out-think their opponents whoever they might be.
 
If you’ve been watching boxing for quite some time and genuinely have a firm grasp of the sport, you’d understand that Juan Manuel Marquez was the true victor in the March 15 rematch.
 
End of story.”
 
Wow! Son of a real gun!
 
Careful John, you might just re-ignite another Filipino-Spanish war with that kind of anti-Pinoy belligerency.
 
Ask Recah Trinidad.

Showing Fans That There’s More to Boxing Than Just Winning

By John Chavez

This past Saturday at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez showed the world exactly how true prize fighters “get down”. Both men displayed what they do best with “Dinamita” playing the role of matador to the ever aggressive bull-style of the “Pacman”.

It was a bout that showcased why boxing encompasses all of the drama and developments of an award-winning script.

It was plain to see in the early evening hours on Saturday that this fight would most definitely surpass the electricity felt from Pacquiao’s most recent bout with Marco Antonio Barrera in October of 2007. You could sense that the stakes were much higher being that many people considered Marquez to be the last Mexican standing in addition to being overly determined to avenge the defeats of his fellow countrymen in Morales and Barrera.

The entire country of Mexico was riding on the Mexico City resident’s 130 pound frame.

As for Manny Pacquiao supporters… there were several of them in attendance.

More like several tens of thousands as they flocked in droves to Sin City in order to cheer and support their hero to victory.

In the opinion of this hack labeled “The Boxing Bookie”, this rematch solidified the greatness of both Marquez and Pacquiao being that they showed the world that boxing is a tremendous blend of science, grit, heart, dedication, focus, and a whole lot of balls.

The crowd brought the flint and the combatants brought the flame creating an atmosphere on par with any of the most dramatic fights in recent times.

While Marquez attempted to utilize his well developed counter punching tactics throughout the night, Pacquiao showed his development as a fighter leaving only the slightest of openings for “Dinamita” to capitalize on. While I had officially predicted the Mexican to defeat Pacquiao by decision, it was a bout that could have easily gone either way for each participant being that several rounds, especially the seventh and eleventh were extremely close in terms of scoring.

While supporters of both warriors will argue until their death as to who was the clear victor this past Saturday night, it’s boxing as a whole that came out as the definitive winner.

The sweet science needs more action-filled championship bouts such as Marquez-Pacquiao II in order to leave each paying customer satisfied with their purchase. The fight itself delivered in every aspect and most of those tuning in will probably continue to follow the career paths of both men including the sport as a whole.

Other News and Notes from Las Vegas:

Apparently Erik “El Terrible” Morales is enjoying retirement with little chance of returning to the ring anytime soon being that he’s been seen hovering around the super middleweight limit if not more. Hopefully “El Terrible” will leave his legacy intact and continue to engorge his body with foods he deprived himself for years while having to boil down to unnatural weight restrictions. Piles and piles of carnitas anyone?

Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions seem to have a friendly and at times not-so friendly rivalry in the air as both Richard Schaefer and Bob Arum let off some verbal jabs and right crosses at one another during the post-fight press conference. It’s great to see some fire in the promotional firms as it livens up the atmosphere and let’s the world know that competition will always remain fierce in boxing.

Steve “Two Pounds” Forbes seems very focused on upsetting the “Golden Boy” this coming May as he’s looking to surprise Oscar with his strength and toughness. Forbes gave much praise to both Marquez and Pacquiao for their great performances but is looking to outdo both of them as well as the Vazquez-Marquez trilogy bout by giving fans a “Fight of the Year”-type battle in just a few short months.

Michael “White Gorilla” Marley laughed all the way to the cashier at the Mandalay Bay sports book as the crazed individual cashed in what it seemed like 7 or 8 winning tickets on the closely contested rematch. Good move by this amusing individual as it now seems that he’ll be able to raise the wages of myself and Ricardo Lois by at least double if not triple.

Hermie Rivera attempted to leave the “Boxing Bookie” in a comatose state, foaming at the mouth with his deeply appreciated present of two extremely large bottles of Crown Royal and Belvedere. Thanks Hermie… my liver feels as though the “Pacman” himself used it as target practice.

Preston Wada conceded that although he lost over $30,000 betting on Marquez this past weekend, Manny has vastly improved as a fighter and deserves his pound-for-pound status. He has no qualms about the decision stating, “That damn Manny is one bad ass m$%#$@#@!”

Zab Judah seems to have mellowed out in his “old” age as he was rather subdued throughout the press conference announcing his May 31 bout with “Sugar” Shane Mosley. Hopefully this won’t translate into a lack of fire when the two speedsters square off as I’m picking “Super” to upset the veteran Mosley being that he’s recently opened up as a slight underdog at the MGM Mirage sports book. Nasty left hand my friends…

A big shout out goes to TouchPoint Marketing for assisting in giving boxing fans a break from the Pay-Per-View rampage due to their superior relationships and ability to bring on corporate sponsors such as Tecate, Southwest, Rockstar, and Cazadores. Hopkins-Calzaghe and De la Hoya-Forbes will take place on regular HBO rather than HBO Pay-Per-View which is based on the increased level of corporate sponsorship for both shows.

In closing… Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez deserve all the credit in the world for putting together two magnificent performances that brought together two nations to celebrate a sanctioned war. They represented their proud countries to the fullest and showed the world why boxing’s health has much more to do with the quality of the bouts rather than the heavyweight division. Both men should hold their heads extremely high as there was nobody on earth that could have competed with either man on Saturday night based on the elevated level of skill and prowess that they showed.

It was one for the record books, one for the ages, and one to look back on as one of the best of 2008.

Boxing isn’t back…. it never went anywhere. It’s just here bringing us the best and hungriest of what the sport has to offer.

I can’t recall a better time to be a boxing fanatic and this past weekend gave me much ammunition to continue pushing the fact that there is nothing on earth that compares to a highly anticipated fight that delivers on all cylinders.

Thank you Juan Manuel, Manny, and all those that made the fight a reality.

PS. Big props to all the Pacquiao and Marquez supporters for letting their warriors do the fighting in the ring. While the Mexico-Philippines rivalry has grown to an exorbitant level over the past several years, they still maintain a level or respect for one another which is great to see. There’s no need for an immediate rematch as of this moment but I’m sure we’ll see another hungry Mexican attempt to dethrone the absolute beast of a man that is Manny Pacquiao. I have to hand it to you Pac-maniacs… your guy is one tough nut to crack.

Pacquiao Insider Rivera: Marquez Can Only Win With Lucky Leprechaun Punch!
By John Chavez

LAS VEGAS–They may not run in the same social circles, given their age difference, but Boxingconfidential.com has two cracked, I mean crack reporters in the San Francisco Bay Area. One is John Chavez and the other is veteran Pinoy reporter Hermie Rivera.

While I have been tied up on important business at The Playboy Club and Ghostbar at The Palms, Chavez and Rivera has been covering the daily doings of Team Pacquiao and Team Marquez nearby at the Mandalay Bay like seven eighths of the world is covered by oceans. Me, I am like one of those social parasites who arrives fashionably late at the party.

Anyway, our Roving Rivera, who seems magnetized to Pacman whenever Megamanny lands on U.S, shores, phoned up to give his last-minute take on the Big Rematch. Hermie’s been reading his tea leaves like a psycho, er I mean a physic, and he likes what he is seeing.

“The weight is perfect,” Rivera said. “Manny told me in Los Angeles that he wanted to surprise everyone by coming in just a bit under the limit so 129 is a very good weight as that was right at his target. I think Manny said he would make 128 but he is only one pound above that. Now he will eat and replenish himself with plenty of fluids so he will be a monster when he climbs into the ring.”

As far as the outcome of the bout, being a loyal Pinoy and Manny pal, he sees MP winning either by knockout or by decision but definitely winning.

What shocked me, the jaded veteran, was Rivera’s mentioning that Marquez can also win but can only win in one manner.

“Lucky punch, if he can catch Manny coming in to attack and he nails Manny with a lucky punch,” Rivera said. “That is really only the one way that the Mexican fighter can win, can score the big upset here.”

But Rivera said Pacman’s marked improvement from their May 2004 first bout makes that occurrence something that cannot happen.

“This is not the same Manny that Marquez fought four years ago. If you watch the tape, you will see Manny hopping all over like a grasshopper and so often really off balance. Four years later, he is so much more polished and has much better technique. I simply don’t see Manny leaving such an opening for Juan Manuel to score the KO with such a lucky blow.”

When last seen, Rivera and Chavez were inhaling vodka shots in the Russian Vodka Room, singing “Manny Boy” to the tune of Irish tearjerker “Danny Boy” and proudly wearing their “Let’s Get Ready To Stumble” tee-shirts.

For Hammering Hermie, the Lucky Leprechaun in this fight will be the guy who speaks Tagalog.