Maharlikan Times

                                      By Granville Ampong

Ringside Report from Dallas Cowboy Stadium, Arlington, Texas, March 13, 2010 - Pound-for-Pound King Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao retains his WBO Welterweight title after the board of judges declared him winner by unanimous decision over the tough panther of Ghana, Joshua "Grand Master" Clottey.  

        The judges scored the bout: Levi Martinez 119-109; Nelson Vazquez 119-109 and Duane Ford 120-108.

        In the early rounds through ninth, Clottey kept his defense tight and was more reluctant to openly engage Pacquiao's non-stop aggression. Fiery shots that mostly landed on the gloves and blocked by the forearms of Clottey never stopped the latter from moving forward.  But, Pacquiao's surgical, abdominal  body shots heavily landed , mostly, on the left  quadrant  and a few to the  right  and mid-section as Clottey pressed on his defenses.

       "I lost this fight with Manny," Clottey said of Pacquiao  who threw more jabs in the first round making it the highest number of jabs he had thrown of his entire boxing career. "I did my best. But, Manny is fast."

        For the twelve rounds, Pacquiao threw 1,231 punches, landing 246 while Clottey landed 108 out of 399, showing the latter a much higher rate of accuracy. But, Pacquiao threw 682 power punches versus Clottey's 237.

        Clottey said, "He is extremely fast. That's the best thing about him...his speed."

        One judge scored every round for Pacquiao while the two gave round 3 to Clottey, giving Pacquiao a unanimous decision victory. In that victorious third round for Clottey, he launched two counter-attacks, of which he landed one to the forehead, another to the face and a distinguishing uppercut  which snapped back the head of Pacquiao.

        As manifested by Pacquiao's frustration over Clottey's insistence not to engage proactively and exchange leathers from the first through mid-rounds, Pacquaio, as well, made a sweeping record as the first fighter who fired Clottey with bilateral hands hammering simultaneously the temporal sides in the fourth round, prompting the referee to give him a warning of such illegal shots.

       The fifth round marked the point wherein Clottey started to attack Pacquiao sporadically. One uppercut had Pacquiao's head snapped back again, which the former successfully landed the same in the seventh.  But, the latter retaliated with body shots  and more jabs upstairs, mostly blocked, even in the  eighth and onward.

        Clottey showed himself as the aggressor right after the bell ranged in the tenth and got Pacquiao by uppercut, and three more sharp uppercuts in the eleventh. All were met by the latter's persistent counter-attacks, gunning  a barrage of punches that almost sent the former to the canvas.

        In the final found, Manny Pacaquiao took a deep breath, looked straight to Clottey, and stared up high and made a sign of the cross  - a kind of belief in a transcendent reality he invokes each time he fights - all as the twelfth round of boxing was about to start. But, as they met in the center of the ring they both hugged each other as the thunderous cheers of over 51,000 in attendance reverberated  in the $ 1.3 billion facility of gigantic proportion.  Then, the final event took the stand. Both fighters were equally active. But, Pacquiao landed more power shots after an accidental clash of heads in the middle of the round.

         And it went through with both fighters finishing the bout fresh and strong as if three more rounds were needed to reestablish a comparative historic mark of 15 rounds back to the times of Muhammad "The Greatest" Ali , Joe Frazier and Leon Spinks.

        Asked if Pacquiao hurt him with some of the big shots, Clottey said: "I was not hurt at all."

        Pacquiao thought Clottey is a very strong fighter.

       "I tried my very best for a knockout. But, Clottey is a very strong fighter and has a very good defense," said Pacquiao on his way to the locker room along with his escorts.

        Conversely, some fans wanted Pacquiao, who is running for Congress in the lone district of Sarangani this May 13, 2010 Philippine National Elections,  to fight again. Others hoped he will not.

        "I hope this would be the last fight of Pacquiao. Otherwise, he will face the same fate  of Muhammad Ali who lost to undefeated Larry Holmes by referee technical decision in round 10 and to Trevor Berbick by unanimous decision, both beat him badly after his glorious bout against Leon Spinks in 1978," said Jeff Reeves, one of Pacquiao's fans who drove from Michigan just to watch "The Event" live.

         But, most sportswriters, including this author,  and most fans, still hope Mayweather-Pacquiao fight will happen before the close of this year. And Pacquiao himself wanted the fight as well.

        "I want that fight, but it's up to him. I am ready to fight anytime," said Pacquiao. "Maybe if Mosley wins, I'll fight him." Pacquiao intimated to the outcome of  the match between Mosley and Mayweather this May 1, 2010 at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, to which both Top Rank Godfather Bob Arum and celebrated trainer of Pacquiao, Freddie Roach,  wanted  either fighters to fight Pacquiao based on whoever wins their match.

          "I want to see Floyd Mayweather, Jr. getting knocked out by Pacquiao and  it's going to happen," said Roach. "I don't want to hear any excuses from him."

          On the other hand, Arum  remained apprehensive of the tactical play  the Mayweather camp will employ relative to extraneous issues on drug testing by a series of random blood draws inside 30 days of the fight date.

          "The issue of drug testing is not for one fighter to raise in negotiations. It doesn't belong there,"  Arum said. "There are applicable people who are charged with a policy of administering items like drug testing."

           "We believe that Floyd Mayweather, Jr. raised that issue to duck Manny Pacquiao," Arum added.

           Meanwhile, Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboy Stadium, expects another fight of Pacquaio to happen this year.

           "It's been an ambition of mine and an ambition of ours to have a great fighter of Pacquiao's stature to fight with another great fighter here in Dallas Cowboy Stadium again this year," said Jones. "This is an amazing history for all of us."

          "I am very happy of the outcome, and it helps the stadium to easily promote future boxing events," Jones added.

             Pacquiao, 31,  improves 51 wins inclusive of 38 knockouts, 3 losses  and 2 draws while Clottey, 32,  scores 35 wins inclusive of 20 knockouts, with 3 losses, of which the latter maintains zero knockout loss as against the former with 2 knockout losses, of their respective entire boxing careers.

Watch Manny Pacquiao vs Miguel Cotto Replay in Sports  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com 

By Granville Ampong

Saturday, 14 Nov 2009

 PACQUIAO WON BY STOPPAGE IN FINAL ROUND

 by Granville Ampong

EDITORIAL : The Decline of Confidence in the California Athletic Commission

By Granville Ampong, Manila-US Times, Nevada Examiner and Philboxing.com

STAPLES CENTER, LOS ANGELES, California - I witnessed what took place of that glorious night at the Staples Center almost a year ago. It was glorious in the sense that  a victory over in what could be deemed as an evil ploy and a potential infamy was about to unfold, had Antonio Margarito's illegal hand-wrapping remained unexposed!

        What if Nazim Richardson, Mosley's veteran trainer, failed his urging to convincingly pressure State Athletic Commission inspector Che Guevara, to unwrap the hands of Antonio Margarito  just before he entered the ring in that eventful night at the Staples Center  last January 24, 2009?

        There could have been no glory for Mosley thereafter. And, in fact,   upon his knowledge of that controversial hard shell pads discovered atop of Margarito's fists as they were to be unwrapped for rewrapping as scrutinized, Mosley's confidence  went sky high and his energy of madness and ingenuity in the ring surged but,  of course,  not in the case of  the boxing public's confidence toward the California Athletic Commission.  

        This said Athletic Commission must prove once more tonight that it can do its job without the urgings of other parties from two extremes.

         Cris Arreola versus Vitali Klitschko, for tonight's event at the Staples Center in their WBC Heavyweight Championship fight, and the undercards, should be a case through which the California Athletic Commission must lift those clouds of doubts in the minds of the aficionados and boxing fans about questions of  incompetence over its authority in making sure fighters are truly cleared of illegal use of any kind and medically cleared of health issues.

          Notwithstanding the crescendo of criticisms that ushered out this year of having a fighter on  a March 7 mixed martial arts card in Tulare, according to the letter of warning through Los Angeles Times dated September 25, 2009, allowed to fight without an HIV blood detection screening , the California Athletic Commission must distinguish its aggressive role in matters of safety for all the fighters.

         According to Dave Thorton, former director of the state of the medical board and current interim executive officer, the incident  is "a lesson learned" for  him and the commission and he promises that they "will do better in the future".  And, hopefully, he said "this type of incident will not occur again".

         Meanwhile, the general public of sports and  every citizen of the State of California have every right to ask the California Athletic Commission to achieve positive ends of its role in supervising and re-evaluating, if not intensely scrutinizing, the effectiveness of its protocol, that its team must do so to a degree the private party could not accomplish, and that the level of unreasonable waste of energy and abuse and slackness be limited.

                                                by Granville Ampong

LAS VEGAS, Nevada, May 2, 2009 - Unto the canvas, he fell down like a helpless tree, as if struck by a lightning bolt – unconscious in fact before he landed straight on his back  and flat with his eyes rolling back up. Then, both of his arms involuntarily unfolded to his side. And motionless - in fact - as Referee Kenny Bayless knelt by his side assessing his countenance for about ten seconds, as if forgetting to count. Then, Bayless raised his own right hand waving, signaling a full stoppage of the fight that took place at 2 minutes and 59 seconds into round 2.

       That was the fallen brave heart of England, Ricky Hatton, now the former IBO Junior Welterweight Champion.                                                                                            

REFLECTION:

       And that was  probably the breaking moment that Pacquiao left his opponent behind, unmindful of his unconscious foe -  vindicated perhaps.

       But, what was prompted to that scene may have been Hatton’s willful fastening of Pacquiao’s right forearm while punching the latter to the kidney and upstairs on several occasions.

       Pacquiao became fired-up toward Hatton, hammering with his right hook that dropped the latter kneeling with his own elbows to the forefront as if bowing for prayer in the first round.

       But, Hatton got up to beat the count and then, as the fight resumed, another barrage of punches came through heavily from Pacquiao’s right hand and devastatingly from left. At this time Hatton fell to the canvas again, on his back toward his corner.

       But,quickly he regained his composure and delivered brief exchanges with the Filipino superstar 5 seconds before the bell rang to end round 1.

       Then, round 2 opened up with Hatton assaulting Pacquiao with good jabs and a quick shot to the head. That slightly stunned the latter.

       But, Pacquiao took hold of the brief exchanges tactically avoiding Hatton’s game plan to wrestle him again, firing lots of right hooks upstairs – some missed - and then that gruesome lightning left bolted to Hatton’s right jaw punctuating the end of the fight, and the raucous crowd of 16,262 at the MGM Grand Arena and millions more watching all over the world momentarily shifted their haste in a catatonic state -  shocked at what they saw – while the Hatton family had their eyes fixed toward  their own hero stretching flat in the middle of 20 x 20 foot canvas that the world was anxious to see.

        And the chanting in the melody of “Winter Wonderland” by the Britons that began, “There is only one Ricky Hatton”, vanished in thin air. Then new lyrics of the same reverberated across the arena: “There is only one Manny Pacquiao.”

        “That was astonishing!” said my seatmate, one of the sportswriters from UK. “I am amazed at Pacquiao’s speed and power – unbelievable!”

        Freddie Roach said:” I had watched hours of film of Hatton - I knew him better than my own fighter. “Hatton pumps his fists before he throws…Hatton was wide open for the right hooks.”

         “I knew Pacquiao will take him down within three rounds.” He added.

         Pacquiao landed 73 of 127 punches in just five minutes and fifty-nine seconds against Ricky Hatton, including 34 of 53 power punches in the second round. Hatton connected on only 18 of 78.

          Pacquiao captured the IBO Lightweight Welterweight Championship belt and still the Ring Magazine Junior Welterweight title holder. His record improved to 49 wins, 3 losses, 2 draws and 37 knockouts while Hatton dropped to 45 wins, 2 losses and 32 knockouts.

                                By Granville H. Ampong

LAS VEGAS, California, May 2, 2009 – It's about 2 0' clock in the morning. And, soon enough Ricky “Hitman” Hatton will reassert his supremacy at 140 pounds against Ring Magazine Champion and Pound-for-Pound King Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao,  for the former’s IBO Light Welterweight Championship belt in the forefront of the world stage at this luxurious MGM Grand Garden Arena.

       While each spectator anticipates to join the roaring crowd at the beginning of the night, this date, and just a few hours from now and to try to inspire with madness and chanting for their respective favored fighter just when that illusive time comes,  Pacquiao and Hatton rather have found their respective solitude for better composure, if not contemplation.

        As these two great men prepare for the “Battle of the East and West” and cool off their minds in their own rooms, or try catching up their raising thoughts, boxing prophets are still delving into heated debates, if not exchanging friendly notes of predictions, at the hottest boxing forums and corners of the earth. And, it seems like the pundits and fans have crossed their paths and have exhausted all arguments as of this writing. The momentum has shifted to some sort of “wait-and-see” introspection.  

         Nevertheless, nobody has really given a clear-cut reading of the crystal ball. Even this writer would surely fail to give a near perfect clue despite his boldness in many instances.

        But, forget about predictions for now. It’s amazing to note what many see from both fighters this moment, is an intriguing aura. It is the sense of serenity that they both embrace before they will enter into that potentially stormy 20 x 20 foot canvas set on stage which has been painted with black and blue masterpiece that the world is anxious to see.

         The anticipation of this fight is probably a record breaking one that may surpass the Mayweather-Hatton fight and possibly the Pacquiao-De la Hoya fight as well, all  because of the prospect of excellent marketing mix by the promoters and the support this event gets from the wide range of audience across the continents, nonetheless. Tickets for the boxing arena are sold out. And, tickets for close circuit viewing are fast selling to almost sold out, too, according to the Top Rank officials.

         Despite the fact that I am rooting for Pacquiao, I am not discounting the possibility of an upset.

         Hatton does have plenty of fire to nullify the odds-makers. He already has tasted the bitterness of his first defeat in the hands of Floyd Mayweather, Jr. on December 8, 2007 at 147-pound division. Such defeat rather has been his lesson-book and springboard of motivation as a matter avoidance of pain. Hatton is a pragmatic optimist in his own right. And he is motivated more than ever, probably more than Pacquiao’s content.

          Hatton’s lone mission: To default the tectonic shift in boxing that the Pacman has bolted across the Pacific to this land of milk and honey.

          Now it’s our turn to enter into the apparent twilight zone – a moment of prediction, a dawn of reflection – in fact.

           But, will the Pacman Era be cut-short?

Manny Pacquiao, a symbol of the return of Maharlikan? by Gareth A. Davies>>>full story...

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