Big Fights in 2011

As early as now, two big fights are lined up for the top two Filipino pugilists of our time. The no. 1 pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao will face Sugar Shane Mosley on May 7. Before that, we will see rising Filipino sensation Nonito Donaire taking on Fernando "Kochulito" Montiel for the WBC and WBO Bantamweight title.

As a boxing fan, the author has been following the following the fights of the four above-mentioned fighters and he can say that they are quality boxers. But the public opinion regarding these two fights vary. As regards the Pac-Mosley bout, fight fans are quite disappointed with the decision two have this match-up due to the poor showing of Mosley during his last two fights. On the contrary, the boxing fans are excited to see what Bob Arum calls a potential 'Fight of the Year" candidate as two of the best Bantamweight boxers collide.

Breaking Down Pacquiao v. Mosley

The author is of the view that it is Andre Berto which presents the biggest threat to Pacquiao in the Welterweight division. Marquez has a case because he showed that he still has what it takes to present a good fight despite losing a controversial split decision against Pacquiao in their second fight. But whatever reaction we raise at this point in time, the Pac-Mosley fight is on.

Mosley has a solid record to bolster his claim of becoming the first fighter to beat Pacman since the last loss of the latter to Erik Morales. During his prime, he defeated Dela Hoya twice and knocked out Mayorga and Vargas who are both former world champions. However, the last two fights of Mosley were disappointing which makes the author wonder why he got this deal.

To be honest, this is good in paper and in terms of financial gain but the result of this fight is quite obvious.

In the first four rounds of this fight, Mosley will hit Pacman with some good shots. But as the fight progresses, Pacman will prove to be quicker, stronger and younger. His stamina will make the difference. On the other hand, Mosley is also fast but he is proven to fade in the later stages of the fight as evidenced by his two previous bouts.

It is believed that Mosley's chin has been tested so he won't go down easily. Nevertheless, this fight will still end by a stoppage due to Pacman's volume punches.

Prediction: Pacman by TKO in rounds 10-12.

Donaire-Montiel is too close to call.

The author agrees that the Donaire-Montiel clash is indeed a candidate for Fight of the Year. Both fighters are doing good in their campaign. Donaire proves to be a deserving star who is currently ranked no. 5 by the Ring Magazine. Montiel, on the other hand, showed the world that he can win even in hostile territory. Borrowing the words of Donaire, this will be fireworks!

The result of this fight is tough to call. Both boxers have power and their explosive nature is evident.

Donaire is a complete fighter. He has quick hands and feet. He has lateral movement which can evade Montiel's power blows. But what distinguishes him from most of the other boxers is that he has the flexibility to adapt to the style of his opponent and discern the latter's next move. That is what makes the Filipino Flash dangerous.

In comparison, Montiel is more of a slugger who is surely capable of shaking his opponent with just one punch. His resilience is beyond question and his determination to give the fans an exciting fight is indubitable.

Comparing the skills of both superstars, Donaire has a slight edge in speed and size. Both fighters have questions to answer. Donaire's chin has not yet been tested because he has not yet been hit with a real solid blow -- attributing it perhaps to his good defense. On the other hand, it is worthy of anticipation how Montiel will respond to the flexibility and ring intelligence of Donaire.

Prediction: Donaire by Unanimous Decision.

The Filipino Flash Dominates

Wladymir Sidorenko is a former world champion. He reigned for about three years. Before that, he was an olympian who defeated the likes of Daniel Ponce de Leon and WBO Flyweight Champion Omar Narvaez. He had a reputation for being durable as no one was able to stop him in 24 fights.

Well, it is very unfortunate because he faced a very talented and skillful fighter in the person of Nonito Donaire. After their fight, Sidorenko's face is a bloody mess. He got knocked down three times during the fight. The fight was stopped at the 4th round as the Filipino Flash sealed his destiny as the next opponent of WBC and WBO champ Fernando Montiel.

I would say that Donaire deserves to be in the pound for pound rankings. He is a complete fighter with almost all the technique needed to win a world championship. His speed is blinding. We are not just talking about his footspeed but also his handspeed. Nonito can also knock opponents out with one punch. He is also a thinking fighter because he can discern the next move of the opponent. Indeed, he is someone who can match or even outperform somebody like Montiel.

In addition, one thing that I admire so much about Donaire is his flexibility. He can shift from orthodox to southpaw in order to confuse the opponent.

Well, Fernando Montiel, Wilfredo Vasquez, Jr. and even Juan Manuel Lopez should prepare as the next superstar from the Philippines is here!

Reflections Before the Megafight

First, let me congratulate Juan Manuel Lopez for stopping Rafael Marquez in the 8th round of their WBO Featherweight Championship fight. Although the volume punching of Lopez overwhelmed Marquez, the latter made his countrymen proud as he proved that Mexicans are warriors. However, I don't think that Marquez can defeat Juanma in a rematch allegedly at 130 as the age and the wars with Vasquez have taken their toll on the former.

Moving on, the Filipinos and Mexicans and even the rest of the world are awaiting for the highly anticipated match between Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito. The allegations of "lack of focus" and "taking the match lightly" have aroused suspicions of an impending upset. Nevertheless, the camp of Pacman allayed fears of the public by showing that "he knows best" -- an indication that the seven-time world champ knows when to step up.

But what should we expect from Margarito? With his ostensible height and reach advantage, this fight is indeed the "biggest so far". However, his heft would prove to be either an advantage or a disadvantage. His "heaviness" may be favorable because his punches are presumed to be heavier. On the other hand, the weight factor could affect his mobility and there are also observations that it is more difficult for him to cut down his weight -- the effects of which were seen in the Mosley fight.

Next question: What are the punches that we can expect from Margarito? One is the body punch which finished Kermit Cintron. Secondly, his uppercuts are also powerful as we saw in Margarito-Cotto fight. But in my opinion, Margarito's hook and straight should also be avoided by Pacman. While Margarito is slow and the hooks and straights are expected to be long, the least that we expect is a repetition of the knockdown that Pacman suffered in the hands of Nadel Hussein.

I still believe that the fighting Congressman from Saranggani will win by unanimous decision or a late stoppage due to volume punches. On the other hand, I also see this as a war. The key to this fight will be the setting up of the phase of the fight. If Pacman can keep his speed going and make Margarto miss, then we can expect a celebration. On the contrary, it will be a very gloomy Sunday afternoon if Margarito would be able to bully Pacman and place the fight away from the center of the ring.

The Square-off Experience

Well, what else can I say? It has been a remarkable experience to reach semi-finals. Although our campaign in square-off already came to an end, it was a big blessing just to be a part of it.

I am not posting to sour grape unlike others after tasting a defeat. I still believe that I already achieved a lot just by having an opportunity to face intellectuals from other law schools. I even learned from most of them.

It is also nice to be side-by-side with two talented teammates. To Al and Kaye, I really learned a lot from you guys. Congratulations to us.

I am also inspired by the support of my family, relatives, friends and churchmates. I am even receiving congratulatory comments in fb and e-mail from persons who I personally do not know. To Dean Nilo T. Divina, you motivated us to do greater things for our faculty not just through debate but in other endeavors as well.

To my parents and sister, you are my constant source of love and care.

To my Boo, sorry for not being physically there always. I know you are always praying for me. I love you and I always do despite my busy schedule.

Lastly, thank you Lord for always blessing me and giving me the opportunity to be the head and not the tail. I know you will not forsake me. You know my intentions. You know everything in me.

Until my next square-off.

Long Time No Blog

It has been weeks since my last post here on blogspot. Many things happened (both good and bad). Anyway, that is part of life. What is important is that we take every obstacle positively.

On a personal level, I feel so stressed, disappointed and burned out in connection with my performance in the preliminary examinations. The first semester of 3rd year is the most difficult so far. I also felt that I was not at my best while answering my examination booklets. Perhaps, the MCQs (which stands for multiple choice questions) contributed to the not-so-good results.

But I am a fighter. I will embrace this as part of my training. I will bounce back and pray more.

What is more disappointing is the recent hostage-taking incident that happened a week ago. It is sad that one member of our police force lost his cool because of a pending case before the Office of the Ombudsman. What is worse is the way the police handled their operations. The aftermath is both a tragedy and an embarrassment because many lives were taken and we are on the international spotlight once again.

All of us are well-informed about how the incident occurred. The important thing here is how we should reflect on this. I will not make any suggestion on the procedural and legal aspects because that is being addressed already. Instead, I would like to express my sentiment as a citizen.

I believe that this should be viewed holistically. Rolando Mendoza did what he did because of a pending case. This reflects on the kind of persons who are occupying positions in the police force and even in the civilian offices. If somebody commits a wrongdoing, he will not try to be answerable using the legal processes. Instead, he will attempt to use other means to be absolved from liability. He will not rely on the merits of his case. In its place, violence or other corrupt means will be utilized.

On the other hand, it could also be viewed as a manifestation of distrust in our institutions. It could be that Mendoza is innocent but some high ranking officials are pushing his back against the wall. People tend to do radical things and even dangerous methods to let others know of one's grievances. An example would be the Oakwood mutiny involving men also in uniform (they are soldiers).

Well, the bottomline is the problem lies on personal and institutional corruption. Personal because Captain Mendoza was not able to use his moral and mental capacity in order to weigh the consequences of his acts. Institutional, on the other hand, because this incident reflected a high level of distrust, anomalies and blatant incompetence in our institutions. As a result, the national dignity and honor are once again jeopardized.

This is a wake up call this Heroes' Day. This is a challenge for us to eradicate the evils within us so that we will not be able to infect others. The motives of Mendoza was personal. But what he did had local and international impact.

It's Official! Pacman v. Margarito!

Based on different sources available, Bob Arum has already confirmed the clash between the Manny Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito. The venue for this event is yet to be decided by the Top Rank Chief Executive. Nevertheless, I just wonder whether this is the best possible fight available for the no. 1 pound for pound fighter in the world. I am not saying that he will not win but the risk is too high with a very low reward.

Why did I say that the risk is too high? It is because from the looks of it, Margarito will enjoy about four and a half inches advantage in height. That is not all, there is also a tendency that Margarito may escape with another "anomalous" handwrapping strategy. On the contrary, Margarito's credibility and popularityhas been sliding down mainly due to the plaster found in his hands after the Mosley fight. Hence, defeating Margarito will add little to Pacquiao's already impressive credentials.

But as a boxing fan, a fight is a fight. Since Margarito has physical advantages in height and reach, this may test the resilience and perhaps the inner greatness in Pacman. With the fight at super welterweight, this is way beyond Pacman's weight (I believe that he is a natural lightweight at most). Manny has superior speed and activity rate. The question is can he bring his power to super welterweight?

My humble submission is that Manny may have some power at super welterweight but this will not be enough to drop Margarito. Except for Mosley, no one was able to really stop the Tijuana Tornado from launching his attacks. Manny, however, is still the favorite to win the fight but only by way of a unanimous decision at most. He may outbox Margarito by using his speed (assuming that he brings it at 154). He can use his handspeed and ability to punch by utilizing different angles. He may capitalize on his own advantages so that Margarito will be confused. In the end, I foresee Margarito swinging while hitting nothing.

The threat here is when the power (natural or with the aid of cheating devices) of Margarito comes into play and hurt Manny. Pacman has to avoid this to seal the victory.

My prediction as of now: Pacquiao by unanimous decision.

Abe v. JuanMa: My Analysis

The fight is on. The Filipino pugilist Abe "The Real Deal" Concepcion will face his toughest opponent in his career. Juan Manuel Lopez is the heir to the throne of Miguel of Miguel Cotto as the King of Puerto Rican boxing. This is a difficult fight for Abe and here are some points to consider.

1. JuanMa is bigger and has power - We saw how dominant JuanMa was during his fights against Ponce De Leon and Gerry Penalosa. In this fight against Concepcion, he will enjoy a height and reach advantage. The burden of Abe is to show than he can take JuanMa's power and overcome the hooks and jabs.
2. Abe is slightly faster - I like Abe's foot speed. I also believe that he owns a slight speed advantage over JuanMa. What Abe needs to do is to move in and out and use effective head movement to avert the dangerous bombs of Lopez. He has to get his timing and balance early because JuanMa can capitalize on just one major mistake.
3. JuanMa will fight in his own country - This is a big advantage. Aside from the fact that he is the champion, he will fght in front of his countrymen. Abe has the onus of taking the fight to Lopez and try his best to go for the kill. Merely outboxing JuanMa will not do because Abe can still lose via a hometown decision.

As for my prediction, I am giving Abe 40% chances of taking the title. JuanMa is physically and statistically favored. Nevertheless, the beauty in boxing is that one punch can change everything. Upsets are always possible. Abe has power but I don't know if it is sufficient to put JuanMa's ass in the canvass. We will see tomorrow.