Photo credit: Tom Casino/Showtime -LAS VEGAS (May 8, 2011) – On the first Saturday of May, boxing’s top thoroughbred, global superstar and Filipino Congressman, Manny Pacquiao, won a resounding 12-round decision over Shane Mosley to retain his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title in the main event of a four-fight telecast produced and distributed by SHOWTIME PPV® and also available online at www.toprank.tv, http://sports.SHO.com, and www.sports.yahoo.com.
The one-sided victory before 16,412 at the sold-out MGM Grand Garden Arena was the 14th in a row for Pacquiao, of General Santos City, Philippines. An eight-division world champion, Pacquiao (53-3-2, 38 KOs) was victorious by the scores of 120-107, 120-108 and 119-108.
Three division champion Mosley, of Pomona, Calif., dropped to 46-7-1 with 39 KOs.
In other bouts on the telecast, Jorge Arce (57-6-2, 43 KOs), of Los Mochis, México, became the first Mexican boxer in history to win four world titles in four weight divisions when he scored an upset 12th-round TKO over huge favorite and defending WBO junior featherweight champion Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. (20-1-1, 17 KOs), of Bayamon, Puerto Rico, comebacking former world middleweight champion Kelly “The Ghost” Pavlik (37-2, 32 KOs), of Youngstown, Ohio, scored a majority decision over previously undefeated Alfonso “El Tigre” Lopez (21-1, 16 KOs), of Cut and Shoot, Texas, in a super middleweight scrap; and Mike Alvarado, of Denver, Colo., improved to 30-0 with 22 KOs with a third-round TKO over “Sugar” Ray Narh (25-2, 21 KOs) of Accra, Ghana, in a scheduled 10-round super lightweight match.
Pacquiao was the aggressor throughout. Each boxer registered a knockdown; Pacquiao dropped Mosley with a solid left hand in the third round. Mosley got credit for a knockdown in the 11th, but replays showed that southpaw Pacquiao went down from a push.
“We tried our best,’’ said Pacquiao, who is universally recognized as boxing’s No. 1 pound-for-pound boxer. “We both gave it our best effort. My legs tightened up during the fight. I couldn’t move. It’s the same thing that happened to me against (Juan Manuel) Marquez. It’s been happening to me more lately.
“Mosley is not slow. He’s fast and I had to be cautious of his counter-punch.’’
Regarding a possible fight with Floyd Mayweather, Pacman said, “For me, I don’t care about that fight. I am satisfied with everything that I have done in boxing. I want to fight because the people want the fight.’’
Mosley, who has never been knocked out and is one of the great lightweight champions of all time, had nothing but praise for Pacquiao afterward.
“You can’t blame age,’’ said Mosley, who, at 39, is seven years older than Pacquiao. “Manny is an exceptional fighter. He truly is the pound-for-pound king. He has speed and power that I have never felt before.
“It’s amazing. He’s cut from my cloth so I had to box tonight.
“He surprised me with that power, with that knockdown. That’s the most legitimate knockdown on me in a long time.’’
The crowd-pleasing Arce, a former world champion at 108, 115, 118 and now 122 pounds, was ahead by five points on one of the scorecards and even on the two others going into the 12th round of what had been an action-packed, fast-paced bout before it was stopped at 0:55 when Vazquez’s corner threw in the towel.
“I knew I could knock him out and I did,’’ Arce said. “My heart is too big. He’s a good, young champion with a big punch but my experience and my heart was too much for him.
“There was no other way than to bring the fight to him. I fought like a true Mexican warrior. I won it for Mexico. Now my name will forever be mentioned when you speak of Mexican fighters.’’
Vazquez was upset that the fight did not continue.
“I was fine,’’ he said. “They should have never stopped this fight. I feel that I would rather get knocked out and end up on the canvas than having it stopped the way it did. My father stopped it. He never should have.’’
Pavlik, making his first start since losing his WBC and WBO middleweight titles to Sergio Martinez on April 17, 2010, was triumphant by the scores of 99-91, 98-92 and 95-95. There were no knockdowns.
“I had ring rust, but I did win the fight,’’ Pavlik said. “I don’t know what happened on that one scorecard but I did win the fight.’’
Trainer Jack Loew was proud of his charge. “We had two wins tonight,’’ he said. “The first win was going up the steps, walking in the ring and competing after all the rehabs and everything he had been through. The second win was getting the win itself.
“There was definitely ring rust. That was obvious.’’
Lopez felt he deserved better.
“At the worst I definitely think I deserved at least a draw,’’ he said. “I think I connected with a lot more shots than he did. I knew the rounds were going to be hard to score but low blows affected me and I got tired at the end.’’
Alvarado was ahead on all the scorecards by 30-27 twice and 29-28 when a weakened Narh could not answer the bell for the fourth round.
“I was sick all night and throwing up,’’ Narh said. “I think I got sick after eating something after the weigh-in. I tried to get through it because I didn’t want to cancel the fight, but I had no legs and no snap on my punches.’’
Said Alvarado: “I was just getting started. I think he took the easy way out. After the first round I told my trainer ‘he doesn’t want to fight.’ He knew he didn’t belong in the ring with me.’’
The event was promoted by Top Rank, in association with MP Promotions, Sugar Shane Mosley Promotions, Tecate and MGM Grand.
The PPV telecast will re-air as follows:
DAY CHANNEL
Saturday, May 14 at 10 p.m. ET/PT SHOWTIME
Gus Johnson (blow-by-blow), Al Bernstein and Antonio Tarver (analysts) called the action with Jim Gray reporting from ringside. James Brown hosted the event. The executive producer was David Dinkins, Jr., with Bob Dunphy directing.
For more information on SHOWTIME Sports, including exclusive video, photos and news links on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING and STRIKEFORCE mixed martial arts telecasts, along with access to the SHOWTIME Sports Facebook® and Twitter® pages, please go to http://Sports.Sho.com.
In the undercard action:
Pier Olivier Cote TKO 4 Aris Ambriz
Karl Dargan UD 6 Randy Arrellin
Jose Benavidez TKO 5 James Hope
Rodel Mayol MD 10 Javier Gallo
Mike Alvarado RTD 3 Ray Narh
Kelly Pavlik MD 10 Alfonso Lopez
Jorge Arce TKO 12 Wilfredo Vazquez Jr
Come Down from Pacman Fever Sunday on NESportsTV.com PPV
To all boxing fans still coming down from Pacquiao fever and looking to get their fix on a Sunday afternoon, look no further than www.NESportsTV.com online Pay Per View this Sunday at 5PM ET / 2PM ET to watch Friday nights fights from Foxwoods Casino for just $9.99.
In the main event, see undefeated prospects Vladine Biosse (11-0, 6 KO’s), a native of Cape Verde now living in Providence, Rhode Island, take on Russia’s Denis Grachev (9-0-1, 5 KO’s), who now lives in San Diego, in a super middleweight main event.
Also featured on this special www.NESportsTV.com online PPV is former middleweight world title challenger Elvin Ayala taking on Washington D.C.’s hardnosed veteran George Armenta.
Former Cincinnati Bengals Defensive End Jevon Langford will step into the ring in a heavyweight fight as he takes on Macon, Georgia’s Tobias Rice.
In super middleweight action, unbeaten Ricky Dawson will take on Odias Dumezil. Dawson is the brother of former light heavyweight champion Chad Dawson. Dumezil is a former sparring partner of Andre Berto.
Christian Lao will take on Barrington House in a lightweight bout.
The always entertaining Thomas Falowo will take on the all action Zack Thomas in a super middleweight scrap.
Also, Massachusetts’ based prospect Jonathan Vasquez will meet Buffalo’s Andrew Jones in a welterweight fight.
Just login to watch on www.NESportsTV.com Sunday at 5PM ET / 2PM PT for just $9.99
MIKE PEREZ WINS FIRST EVER INTERNATIONAL PRIZEFIGHTER TITLE
Mike Perez was crowned the first ever Prizefighter International champion, blasting his way to victory with two first round wins on a knockout Heavyweight night at Alexandra Palace, London.
Irish-based Cuban Perez extended his unbeaten record to 16 fights and stopped American Tye Fields in just 42 seconds of the first round of the final with a typically savage attack that forced the referee to intervene.
The southpaw finalists ended their respective semi-finals inside the first round but Perez was a hot-favourite to see off Fields, and the 25 year-old amateur star looks like one to watch on the heavyweight scene and he is targeting big things after claiming the trophy and the £32,000 winner’s cheque
“I want to face one of the big names – the Klitschko’s, David Haye – I am good enough to win titles and whoever wants to fight me for their titles, I’m want to fight them,” said Perez. “I got better as the fights went on and I wanted to prove to those people who have helped me like my trainer and my family that they were right to back me.”
Perez had too much for Kerston Manswell in the opening bout of the night, firing into the Trinidad and Tobago fighter in the first 30 seconds forcing him to take a knee. Manswell battled gamely but Perez had too much for him and coasted to a unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring it 30-25 in Perez’s favour.
Giant Russian Evgeny Orlov and French heavyweight champion Gregory Tony clashed in the second quarter-final and in a red white and blue tricolour tussle, and one that France celebrated after Tony claimed the split-decision over his 6ft 9in opponent.
Another split-decision was needed as UK Prizefighter Champion Michael Sprott took on Fields in the third quarter-final of the night, with the tournament sparking into life in a topsy-turvy second round where Sprott rocked the American with a beautiful right hand but Fields then came right back at his English foe. Both men knew the final round would be decisive, and it was Fields’ work-rate that caught the judges’ eye and dumped the Prizefighter Heavyweights IV champion out of the tournament.
Konstantin Airich set up his semi-final with Fields after putting Romanian Lucian Bot down in the first round of the fourth quarter-final and that was decisive in the German taking Bot’s unbeaten record.
The semi-finals were over in a flash as Perez floored the Frenchman in just 15 second and the contest was all over inside a minute as the Cuban outclassed Tony. Anything Perez could do, Fields could certainly match though and a brutal body shot saw off the Airich in just 74 seconds for his 42 knockout to set-up the final with Perez.
Prizefighter returns on June 7 as the Welterweights II take over York Hall, Bethnal Green, with a full announcement on the line-up to be made soon.
RESULTS
Quarter-finals
Mike Perez beat Kerston Manswell – unanimous decision 30-25, 30-25, 30-25
Gregory Tony beat Evgeny Orlov – split decision 29-28, 28-29, 30-27
Tye Fields beat Michael Sprott – split decision 29-28, 28-29, 29-28
Konstantin Airich beat Lucian Bot – unanimous decision 30-27, 29-28, 30-27
Semi-finals
Mike Perez beat Gregory Tony – first round stoppage (54 seconds)
Tye Fields beat Konstantin Airich – first round knockout (1 minute 14 seconds)
Final
Mike Perez beat Tye Fields – first round stoppage (42 seconds)