Pacquiao Wins!

Manny Pacquiao finishes off Marco Antonio Barrera with convincing position in the ring. He's too fast for an aging opponent. The judges scores unanimously in favor of our people's champ.

Round 11: Marco Wobbles and Throws a Foul Shot

In the round when Marco Antonio Barrera was stop by Manny Pacquiao about four years ago, a repeat was likely to happen. Marco wobbles after receving a hard hitting left hand that shook him and could have knock him down have not he regain his balance.
Barrera bleeds and suffers a cut just below his right eye.
He then throws a hard hitting foul shot while referee breaks the lock sending Pacquiao dizzying around the ring.

Four Rounds Per Hour

Just by looking below the timestamps of earlier entries, it takes one hour to finish four rounds. Round 8 has ended and round 9 is about to start as I write this. I seems to take forever before this one closes out. The coverage of channel 7 is typical commercial biased broadcasting. Unlike last April, Jorge Solis versus Pacquiao, channel 2 had shown two successive rounds in between commercials. I hope that the next Pacquiao fight will be channeled by ABS-CBN.

Still, no one has kissed the canvass. Pacquiao remains powerful and full of life. Barrera looks aging and tiring-- half of what boxing analysts has predicted.

Barrera Starts to Run Away

Second half of the fight and it looks like Marco is tired of absorbing super fasts punches. Pacquiao continues to hurl him left straight punch, his primary weapon for this bout. And Barrera seems to enjoy receiving them. He backs away a couple of times in the ring getting away from Manny's relentless boxing.

I Feel Like I'm Watching A Rerun

Yes, you read me right. The fight begins to bore me at this point. This is what happens when commercials take control of the event.

I just wished I am watching in a bus station or in a tv repair shop where dozens of people share the same sentiment and cheer for Pacquiao. That would surely bring the excitement a notch higher.

Especially when the two are exchanging power fists straight into the head. Pacquiao overpowers Barrera in round 6. Barrera counters a good right. Pacquiao delivers effective punching at this round.

More Punches from Pacquiao

The phone rang the same time round 5 is taking place. It was my dad, asking about the status of the fight because broadcast in his location was unavailable. I told him what round it is though.

I wasn't able to pay attention closely but I think Pacquiao looked more the stronger fighter with series of punches clobbering Barrera.

Pacquiao Hits

Commentators talks about range.

Manny seemed to have just found his rhythm and found his punches received unnoticably by Barrera. One punch slipped through the close arms defense of Marco, that one shooked his head back and forth.

Still no knock down at this point, I just remember Pacquiao has promised a knock out win.

I still hate commercials.

Sharp punching from Barrera in Third Round

The crowd seems to be ruled by Mexicans. They've been cheering "Barrera, Barrera" and "Mexico, Mexico". I wonder where are the Filipinos in the audience?

Tough battle continues to be shown by both fighters. But Marco launches sharper punches that landed on Pacquiao's face.

It is still early to predict who's the clear winner. Judges should score this round in favor of Marco.

Barrera Takes 2

Barrera thrown more solid jabs and counter-punches that landed straight into Manny's face. There's an exciting exchange before the bell rangs but most of the time, Manny appeared hapless and shorthanded.
Pacquiao shook his head left and right showing he's not hurt. Probably, Marco's punch doesn't hurt him.
This one I think goes to Barrera.

Pacquiao Takes Round 1

Round 1 is boring.
I really thought someone is gonna get hurt at the opening round. But it appears more of a knowing each-other-phase.
Barrera twice hinged Pacquiao's head when the latter tries to go deep. Some punches were thrown and received.
Pacquiao appears his usual snappy and jumpy state at the beginning.
Marco looks dead-serious. I haven't seen his teeth come out yet. He must be seething inside for revenge.
And Quinito, Chino and some vice-governor seemed to have just taken a quick break. Their voices are back doing their thing.

Both Fighter Enters

Red is the color of the day.

Marco and his cohorts are all wearing red bathrobe-like dress with a mexican rock song heard across the coliseum.

Manny is dressed with white robe. Roach and the rest of the cast are on red. Bilog ang Mundo, Pacquiao's recent song is played on the background as he enters the ring. Upon hearing that song yesterday, it somehow feels good to be a Filipino if and if you're one of the persons belting their voices in the cheering crowd

I Hate Commercials; Kyla Sings Beautifully

Without commercials, I wouldn't be able see Manny and Marco go head to head for free.
But commercials eat a lot of air time three times more than the duration of a round. That's a hair splitting reality. I guess this is just one of things that don't qualify in the norm, "the best things in life are free"
What makes it more funny and irritating is the commercials between anthems.
At least Kyla sangs beautifully from deep within her more exceptionally than the previous singers of past Pacquiao fights and more excellently than that of Bautista's blooper.

Pacquiao Coverage start 1309hrs on Free TV

From where I sit here, it's only on GMA7 where I could watch The Will To Win.

I had no time to spare in availing pay per view and it would cost probably around 300 bucks.

Anyway, during the pre-fights it was Filipino commentators who I hear from the background. As soon as the scenes of Pacquiao and Barrera getting amped for the fight are shown, unknown english voices beat out from the side audio boxes.

As a tradition, the national anthems of both fighters and that of America where the fight is being staged will be sang.

National anthem of Mexico came first sang by a brunette lady. I didn't catch her name though.

Let's Get It On

Today is the fight that the entire Philippines has been waiting for several months now.

Manny Pacquiao will go up against Marco Antonio Barrera. Dubbed as the Will to Win, Manny's objective is of course to further cement his stand and prowess against all super feather weights this world has to offer while Marco Antonio Barrera main driving point is to avenge his 4-year old 11 round knock out loss to the Pacman.

Since I am sitting home here in Angeles City, I will try to do a live blogging of his fight and show to you my round to round opinion once the fight started.

Historic

There is no other word I can describe the feat the University of the East Red Warriors has made last night other than the title.

Battling against a formidable foe, the Warriors swept the elimination round with 14 wins and undefeated. The last win came against the DLSU Green Archers, the kind of game I would describe as something like I-should-have-been-there skirmish between two teams who have a great chance of meeting again in the finals.

Except of course, the La Salle has to wade through the semifinals. The Warriors has earned themselves a rare reward by nailing the automatic championship berth when the final buzzer sounded in a game that went into overtime.

The Green Archers had the opportunity to deny victory to the opposing team, but it was all in the hands of their main guy JV Casio, who missed one of the pair of free throws in the dying seconds of the regulation. The game was tied at 77-77. And it was all UE all the way into the overtime. The Warriors trampled the Archers, 92-84 the final score.

Early in the game, there was a punch thrown and absorbed a minute left in the first quarter. A player was ejected, technical fouls were given out to both teams, but the commotion between competing players didn't stop the history from unfolding.

Warriors' Tale

Dindo Pumaren must be happy right now, and at the same time really nervous.

The University of the East Red Warriors are two games shy of sweeping the elimination round of the UAAP. They are the remaining team in the most celebrated collegiate basketball tournament that hasn’t tasted a loss. And if they continue to fire up the feat and turn out victors of the next and their last two games, they would catapult themselves straight into the Finals.

But it’s no easy task for Coach Pumaren and his roster of cagers. They still have to cruise past against winless University of the Philippine Fighting Maroons and the current second placer with 9-3 win-loss card, the La Salle Green Archers.

Winning those two would complement an astounding tale.

And in the end, winning the championship would mean putting the icing on the cake.

Let’s wait and see how the Warriors write the tale’s ending.

Boom Boom Knees Wobbles

I had to admit, I almost wept seeing Boom Boom falls in the first round. I was on my way to Antipolo for a photoshoot when the world cup of boxing between Mexican and Filipino fighters was unfolding.
While waiting for passengers in FX terminal in Edsa Central, I got a call from a friend about Gerry Peñalosa snatching the championship belt from his opponent Jhonny Gonsalez.
I was able to watch Gerry pummeled Jhonny in his ribcage because the bus I took from Laguna has a free tv on board. I was delighted that prior the main event, the Filipinos has won and taken the first 5 matches, leading the Mexicans team, 5 to nothing.
On the phone, I told Mark that I feel something is not right about Boom Boom's fight. He was facing Daniel Ponce De Leon, the same warrior boxer who trounced Gerry Peñaloza almost to retirement.
His call was just minutes before Rey Bautista, a promising and unbeaten boxer from Bohol, wobbles his knees into the ropes and on the verge of getting knocked down. He told me, its over.
I was dumbfounded. I never thought he would lost, not in the first round.
So I got out of the FX taxi and took a stroll were people had assembled like a mob just outside a goldilocks watching beneath the glass walls. They were peaking at a 14 inch tv with Boom Boom sullen face being shown.

Mayol Falls Down on 8

I have to write this, else, my mind will go ballistic trying to find the truth.

In the undercard fight of the War for 4: Erik Morales vs. David Diaz, Rodel Mayol received a devastating punch 1:13 left in the clock at 8th round from Ulises Solis for the IBF Mini Flyweight championship.

Ulises Solis is the brother of Jorge Solis whom Manny Pacquiao stopped also in the 8th round last April.

I didn't actually see this fight start and end.

I only saw the flashes of their fight in Channel 2, with the usual Spanish speaking host Diane telling the report.

Undoubtedly, the replayed scenes of Mayol kissing the canvass left him no chance of adding another title belt to the growing number of Filipino boxing champions. What caught my attention was when the host reportedly said, in reference to her after-fight interview, that Rodel admitted having less practice and preparations in challenging the current champion Solis.

Earlier Sunday, the sports page of my fave broadsheet had a news clipping telling a completely different story, that Mayol had prepared so much coming to this fight.

Suddenly, there is a knot in my head that let my hand scratch it quickly. Which news media is telling the story? I can't accussed anyone of them to craft a different scenario, because what purpose would it be if they change slightly the facts behind Mayol's plight.

The news reports was made on entirely different schedule. The broadsheet story came out before the fight, whilst the tv newsflash was shown hours after the bout concluded. There is greater chances that an interviewee would respond to questions with made-up answers before the battle, than reason out a humbling loss in an after-the-bout interview. Logically, losing in the 8th round would mean less practice and exercise in the gym.

Nonetheless, I feel sorry that Mayol had lost. It would have been a varied story, overall, had he snatched the title belt and strapped it in his torso.

Erik Morales Fails to Make History

It was reading my favorite Sunday newspaper that I got reminded that today is the day Erik Morales will try his fate to making a history.

The El Terrible has tasked himself to become the only Mexican to win 4 championships in different divisions. A feat that not even Julio Cesar Chavez has accomplished during his time.

Come 12 o'clock in the afternoon, I turned on the television and press the channel 9. It was already the Round 8. Replays of the early rounds has been flashed repeatedly as the fight went along.

This time, there were shorter commercial breaks in between rounds which made watching a lot better.

But watching Erik exhausted himself, he was denied the history he's about to make. The fight was decided unanimously in favor of his opponent, Dangerous David Diaz. It was his first title defense and his uppercut was his main weapon in trumping Erik. Probably the reason that let the judges decide on matters was his unconvincing stance that he can take care of Diaz. He just became powerless in the end.

Erik Morales, a Mexican, now 48 wins - 6 losses, has deserved to land a story in Pinoy Balls for the following reasons:

• He is the contra-bida of Manny Pacquiao during their trilogy fight last year and regarded by some as one of the best fights in history.
  
• He has brought the best of Manny and that alone is worthy of a reason
• El Terrible has a commercial with Manny and Freddie Roach that still runs as I write this. With that, Erik Morales has become a household name in our country.
• He patronized our beaches in Palawan when he came here.

After the fight, news reports tells the end of Erik's boxing career. But to me, he will remain an adopted son of Philippine boxing.

End of the Road

Pinoy Balls was created about a couple of months ago with hopes in providing information, insights, updates and opinions about the sports that the Filipinos partake. One of its core mission is to deliver news and highlights about the quest of the quintessential team that was built to catapult themselves in the elusive Olympic dream.

This blog has several times unable to deliver that goods. And I apologize to a lot of would be readers who are hungry for content regarding our National Team.

They've gone through several contests in preparation for the FIBA Asia tournament. For Asian ball players, this is the one chance where they can prove themselves to join and compete with the best of world basketball by placing at least runner up. It's only the elimination round and already, Team Pilipinas didn't make it.

Yes my dear friends. After a lot of practice, after so much hard work, and after a dozen of players' interviews viewed on tv and read on a lot of newspapers of their stories and personal testament to the countries quest for an Olympic glory, the national team will go home winless and empty handed.

They put their best performance but the end results tell a different story. They still have a chance and did not vow out of the Olympic qualifying tournament by yielding their first game to Iran.

They managed to keep alive the fragile string of hope by edging China in their second outing. But a team whose name is similar to the greatest basketball player ever to grace this side of the universe, has drain all hopes of the Filipinos to repeat what was made 35 years ago. The feat was the highest for an Asian country by placing third in the Olympics.

The reality now is that we are faced yet again with what are our limits. Basketball is a game where towering human beings usually rule. This loss could either signal an end of an elusive dream. Or it could also spark the fire again to dream and aim high.

I would like to be there when that time comes.