LOS ANGELES (April 20, 2011) – As eight-time world boxing champion Manny Pacquiao prepares for his May 7 World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title defense against Shane Mosley at the sold out MGM Grand in Las Vegas (Live on SHOWTIME PPV®), he’s also looking forward to a career move of a different kind: the release of his CD single/DVD Sometimes When We Touch, which will be available to the public next week, Thursday, April 28.
Last October, weeks before his astonishing 12-round unanimous decision victory over Antonio Margarito, Pacquiao interspersed his training in the ring with sessions in the studio to record the unforgettable iconic ballad Sometimes When We Touch with the same production team that brought the song to the top of the charts in 1977. With songwriter and original singer Dan Hill in his corner, and producers Matthew McCauley and Fred Mollin, Pacquiao delivers a passionate performance that shows the warmth and courage in the boxer’s heart.
Now one of the most-recognized names on the planet, Manny Pacquiao has been driven to achieve more than most people can even daydream about. He’s a devoted husband and father of four, an elected congressman in his native Philippines, an actor, a singer, and of course, one of the greatest boxers of all time.
Let Manny Pacquiao continue to amaze you with his knockout performance on this CD/DVD.
Check out a preview at www.mannysings.com
Get it Next Thursday! April 28, on iTunes and Amazon.com
Episode No. 2 of the four-part series Fight Camp 360˚: Pacquiao vs. Mosley, debuts on SHOWTIME This Saturday! April 23, at 10 p.m. ET/PT.
The Pacquiao vs. Mosley pay-per-view telecast, beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, has a suggested retail price of $54.95, will be produced and distributed by SHOWTIME PPV®. The telecast will be available in HD-TV for those viewers who can receive HD. For Pacquiao vs. Mosley fight week updates, log on to www.sports.SHO.com or www.toprank.com .
Bailey Ready For Showdown With Senkovs On 30th April
Slough’s Ian Bailey is set to face Mansfield based Latvian Pavels Senkovs at the Graham Earl, in association with TKO Boxing Gym, promoted ‘Return of the Mac’ event at Tattersalls Sales Rooms in Newmarket on Saturday 30th April 2011.
Bailey, who campaigns in the Super Bantamweight division, will be looking to reverse the run of losses incurred during the 2010 season. Saying that each fight last year were taken at very short notice and was against high flying unbeaten prospects Ryan Walsh, Carl Frampton, Kid Galahad and Michael Walsh.
Bailey is well known for his willingness to take on the best, even with just a few days notice, and that he always comes with the intention to fight for a win. So no surprise that when a prospect needs a stern test Bailey is called upon to provide it.
For those that see Bailey’s scintillating bout against Belfast’s Carl Frampton in June last year will understand this better than most. Throughout the bout Bailey pushed forward and tested his highly rated opponent, who is touted as a future World Champion by no less than former World Featherweight Champion Barry McGuigan.
After six all action rounds the King’s Hall crowd gave both fighters a standing ovation, not something you would normally expect from such a partisan crowd.
Frampton’s manager and mentor Barry McGuigan also complimented Bailey’s performance when he told the assembled media, “I thought it was absolutely ideal. It was six hard rounds and I knew that the kid wasn’t going to make it easy for him and that’s what he needs to do. Bailey was strong and had a tight defense.”
The ‘Return of the Mac’ event will be Bailey’s first fight, in six, that he has had more than just a few days to prepare for and also gives him his first ‘house fighter’ start since he faced Sid Razak in November ‘09, which coincidentally was also at Tattersalls in Newmarket.
To prepare for the 30th April show Bailey has been regularly sparring former European Bantamweight Champion Ian ‘Dappa’ Napa at the TKO Boxing Gym in Canning Town, London. The quality of sparring, and the rare opportunity to have four weeks to prepare for a full four weeks, are having a positive effect on young Bailey as is clear when he spoke earlier about the upcoming fight. “Yeah, looking forward to it, back in fight training, although I’m always ready and super fit so all’s good.
Been sparring with Ian Napa, which is always good and brings up my fitness levels. I’m not one hundred percent sharp yet, but getting there.
I’m looking forward to getting back to winning ways, after a bad year last year. I made a promise to myself that this year I’m not going to take fights at short notice just because of financial problems last year like I did. I don’t care if that means that this year I’ll only do two as I’m only taking fights if I get four or six weeks notice.
On short notice fights sometimes you may get one that’s close, but all that does is make you think if I had the eight weeks notice the other guy had I’d have won it. That’s the trouble that you end up getting a journeyman record, I’m not a journeyman so I aint going to let that happen.
Fighting is what I do, I love fighting and I’m going to put on a really good show on the 30th.”
Ian Bailey versus Pavels Senkovs is the main support to ‘Phat’ Pat McAleese versus AA Lowe, which headlines the Graham Earl, in association with Johnny Eames’ TKO Boxing Gym, promoted ‘Return Of The Mac’ Event at Tattersalls Sales Rooms in Newmarket, Suffolk on Saturday 30th April 2011.
Also on the show is another of Bailey’s TKO Gym mates, Cheshunt’s exciting, unbeaten in seven, Welterweight Bobby Gladman, who takes on the highly experienced Matt Scriven from Nottingham.
Ipswich Super Middleweight debutante Henry Bacon gets his first professional outing against New Milton, Hampshire’s ‘Dangerous’ Danny Goode.
Further bouts are expected to be announced later this week.
Tickets for the Graham Earl, in association with TKO Boxing Gym, Promoted ‘Return Of The Mac’ event at the Tattersalls Sales Rooms in Newmarket on Saturday 30th April 2011 are now on sale and priced £30 (Unreserved) or £50 (Ringside).
For tickets call: 07960 850645, book on-line at www.tkoboxoffice.com or call in person at The TKO Boxing Gym, Gillian House, Stephenson Street, Canning Town, London E16 4SA.
Latimore targets Paul Williams for summer showdown & predicts KO victory
ST. LOUIS (April 20, 2011) – Fresh off of his dominant victory by eight-round decision against veteran Dennis Sharpe last Saturday night on the Victor Ortiz-Andre Berto card at MGM Grand Theater at Foxwoods, International Boxing Federation #6-rated junior middleweight Deandre “The Bull” Latimore (22-3, 17 KOs) has targeted Paul “The Punisher” Williams for a summer showdown, predicting a career-defining win by knockout for himself.
Williams (39-2, 27 KOs), once known as the most avoided man in boxing, reportedly needs a solid opponent for his July 9 return on HBO, in which he will attempt to rebound from his devastating Knockout of the Year loss last November to Sergio Martinez. Latimore is more than up to filling that slot if Williams is truly serious.
“I will knockout Paul Williams,” Latimore confidently forecasted. “I take nothing away from him. He’s still one of the best fighters in the world but I’m near my prime and still getting better every day. It’s time for me to break through and beating Williams on HBO is the way to do that. I think me and Williams makes for a great TV fight, one that fans want to see, and it should be easy to make, too. I’m looking for a big opportunity on one of the major networks to showcase the new, complete Deadre Latimore. Williams says he is the most avoided fighter in boxing. Well, I’m not avoiding him, and he needs to put up or shut up. Let’s do it!”
St. Louis-bred Latimore, who now lives in Las Vegas, stopped Sechew Powell (23-1) for his signature victory to date, nearly three years ago by seventh-round technical knockout, setting the stage for an All-St. Louis title fight April 24, 2009 between Latimore and Cory Spinks for the vacant IBF strap. Spinks (36-5) won a controversial 12-round split decision (115-112, 113-114, 112-115) and two fights later in a rematch, Latimore dropped a 12-round majority decision to Powell in an IBF title eliminator. Powell, as the No. 1 contender, is now set to challenge IBF champion Cornelius “K9” Bundrage on June 25, ironically, right in Latimore’s hometown of St. Louis.
Latimore is co-promoted by Rumble Time Promotions and DiBella Entertainment.
“We know we have a finished Deandre Latimore,” Rumble Time Promotions President and CEO Steven Smith noted. “He went through a lot of trials and errors, but he’s with the right trainer now, Ray Franklin, who was Kenny Adams’ assistant when he trained Latimore. When Deandre turned pro, he had that big punch, but not a lot of movement. Now, he does it all using jabs, angles and defense with a lot of movement and, as the boxing world knows, he can flat-out punch. He’s also in the best cardio shape of his life because of Ray. When Deandre knocked down Spinks in the first round, he faded in the later rounds, but he doesn’t have that problem anymore. Ray absorbed everything when he worked with Adams and strength and conditioning has always been his major strength.
“Power and movement is why Deandre will beat Paul Williams. It is the same combination that Sergio Martinez used to knockout Williams. I think we’ll do the same thing with the same result. Paul Williams wasn’t just knocked out in his last fight, he was demolished, and we think he’s mentally done. A fighter never gets over something like that. As soon as he feel’s Deandre’s power, he will fold-up again. If Williams fails to accept our challenge, we’ll fight Erislandy Lara any place, anytime.”
The 25-year-old Latimore pitched a complete shutout against the battle-tested Sharpe, winning each of the eight rounds on all three judges’ scorecards by identical scores of 80-72. From start to finish, the stylish southpaw repeatedly displayed his full arsenal of punishing punches landing on Sharpe’s head and body, ranging from left upper cuts to right hooks and everything in between. Before entering the ring to fight Latimore, Sharpe had fought some of the top, young 154-pounders in the world such as Andy Lee, Pawel Wolak, Giovanni Lorenzo and Peter Quillin.
“I give myself an A+ grade for my last fight,” Latimore added. “I did everything we had worked on in training camp. I wanted to show HBO and everybody else what I can do; not only can I knockout people, I can box, move, not get hit and still be punishing. Paul Williams will find that out for himself if he fights me July 9th.”
Go online to www.RumbleTimePromotions.com for more information about Latimore or any of his Rumble Time Promotions stable-mates.