Pacquiao’s April fight still heading for Asia

pac62By Rob Smith: It still looks like Manny Pacquiao’s April fight will be staged in Asia, although Manila has been ruled out according to Philboxing.com. Pacquiao’s adviser Michael Koncz says they’re interested in putting Pacquiao’s fight in one of the following countries: Abu Dubai, Macau and Singapore.

There still isn’t an opponent picked out but Top Rank has 9 guys they’re looking at with the leading candidate being Vyacheslav Senchenko. The other notable fighters under consideration are Top Rank fighters Jessie Vargas and Brandon Rios. Senchenko is ideal because he was recently stopped by the light hitting Paulie Malignaggi, who was able to stop him by jabbing him all night long.

What Pacquiao probably doesn’t need is an opponent that will test his chin in any way and possibly KO him. A loss to in this tune-up fight would likely make it difficult for Top Rank promoter Bob Arum to sell a rematch with Juan Manuel Marquez this September. Pacquiao was knocked out viciously by Marquez last December in a fight where Pacquiao was knocked unconscious in the 6th round from a right hand from Marquez.

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Donaire’s wife pregnant, he doesn’t want to fight June, July or August

By Jeff Sorby: WBA super bantamweight champion Guillermo Rigondeaux may not like this news. WBO super bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire said on his facebook page his wife is pregnant and that he doesn’t fight in June, July or August because he wants to be with her during this time. Said he’d turn down even millions of dollars if it were offered to him.

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Roach: Pacquiao doesn’t need a tune-up fight in April

roach33By Rob Smith: Trainer Freddie Roach doesn’t see the point of Manny Pacquiao taking a tune-up fight in April against a still to be determined opponent. Roach believes that Pacquiao is fighting at such a high level now that a tune-up fight would serve no purpose in helping him.

Roach said in an interview at fighthub.tv “They’re talking about a fight in April in Macau right now, a tune-up with Manny. I really don’t want a tune-up right now. I don’t think a fighter like Pacquiao needs a tune-up fight. Manny was fighting the best fight [against Juan Manuel Marquez] I’ve seen in a long time.”

Roach sounds like an old school trainer. I’m not sure that he fully understands how badly Pacquiao was knocked out by Marquez last month in Manny’s 6th round knockout loss. Pretty much anyone that saw that knockout would have serious concerns about Pacquiao getting back in the ring only four months later.

A knockout like that could lead to Pacquiao getting hurt easier in his next fight, and you kind of want to take the cautious approach.

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Broner offers to help Rees out if he comes to his training camp

By Michael Collins: WBC lightweight champion Adrien Broner (25-0, 21 KO’s) has got a fight against an over-matched opponent Gavin Rees (37-1-1, 18 KO’s) that he’ll be taking care of in quick fashion on February 16th in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Broner recognizes that he has easy mark on his hands in this fight and he plans on getting the Brit out fast as possible instead of letting hang around needlessly.

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Pacquiao’s 3 Best Options For His Comeback Fight

pac562By Johnathan Culver: How does Manny Pacquiao regain status as an elite fighter and as a top-ten pound-for-pound fighter? He needs to fight a credible, respectable opponent, but also, he needs to WIN the fight. I’m a serious fan of Manny Pacquiao, but I don’t believe his next fight should or will be a pay-per-view-fight. I believe Pacquiao’s next fight will be televised live on the American premium cable/satellite TV network HBO, but I don’t think it should be a pay-per-view fight.

I give Manny Pacquiao a lot of credit for fighting top-ten, pound-for-pound fighters in his last 3 fights – Timothy Bradley and Juan Manuel Marquez twice. Pacquiao was competitive in his last 3 fights, but he didn’t dominate those fights and he didn’t win all of them. So where does Pacquiao go from here, after this low point in his career? I think Pacquiao should fight a rematch with Timothy Bradley for 3 reasons – Bradley has a world title, he is a (relatively) light puncher and he is an elite fighter, on the top-ten pound-for-pound list of many boxing writers and publications.

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Pacquiao & Marquez to choose between Senchenko and Vargas for April tune-up fights

By Rob Smith: Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez are being given the choice of between Jessie Vargas and Vyacheslav Senchenko for their tune-up fights next April. Pacquiao will be fighting on April 13th, and he reportedly will be given the first pick of the two, according to Manila Bulletin, and Marquez will be selecting whichever fighter is left over.

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Froch: My fight with Kessler will be the biggest fight in the UK in 10 years

froch453By Michael Collins: IBF super middleweight champion Carl Froch (30-2, 22 KO’s) sees his possible rematch with WBA super middleweight champion Mikkel Kesser (46-2, 35 KO’s) as being a huge fight in the UK, bigger than anything that’s taken place there in the past decade. It’s kind of hard to believe because there have been so many important fights that have taken place there during the last 10 years that would seem like much bigger fights than Froch-Kessler 2.

Froch said to thisisnottingham.co.uk “Everything is in place for what will be the biggest fight in Britain for the last ten years. It is the fight everybody wants.”

I think Froch is maybe overestimating the interest in the Kessler fight. Sure, it’s a decent fight but Kessler hasn’t exactly been fighting on a regular basis for the past two years, and he’s not been busy enough to make this a really huge fight.

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ShoBox Results & Photos: Rios, Arnett Triumphant

001RamosvsRiosIMG_7186Photos: Tom Casino/SHOWTIME – Ronny Rios (20-0, 9 KO’s), of Santa Ana, Calif., remained undefeated and captured the vacant NABF Featherweight Championship with a unanimous 10-round decision over former WBA Super Bantamweight World Champion Rico Ramos (21-2, 11 KO’s), of Los Angeles, in Friday’s main event on ShoBox: The New Generation from Fantasy Springs Resort Casino live on SHOWTIME®.

In a clash of unbeaten junior middleweights in the co-feature, Daquan Arnett (10-0, 6 KO’s), of Orlando, Fla., won an eight-round decision over hard-trying Brandon Quarles (10-1-1, 2 KO’s) of Alexandria, Va.

The doubleheader was featured on the first night of a Free Preview Weekend on SHOWTIME, which continues through tomorrow/Sunday, Jan. 13.

Rios, who turns 23 on Jan. 22, won his ShoBox debut and the biggest fight of his career by the scores of 100-90, 97-93 and 96-94. Arnett, 20, a Junior Olympic national champion, got the nod over Quarles by the scores of 78-73, 77-74 and 76-75. There were no knockdowns in either bout.

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Roach excited about Pacquiao vs. Marquez 5, thinks it’ll break all-time PPV mark

By Rob Smith: Freddie Roach doesn’t see the need for Manny Pacquiao to take any tune-up fights, and he just wants him back in the ring and ready to take on Juan Manuel Marquez for a fifth fight. Roach is excited about the fight because he thinks it’ll break the 2.4 million pay per view totals from the Oscar De La Hoya vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr. mark back in 2007. Those totals are the highest PPV mark ever in the sport, and Roach thinks Pacquiao-Marquez 5 will bust that record.

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