‘Boxing is dead’ is a term I read, and heard, frequently in recent years. If any truth lay in that statement, 2013 proved to be boxing’s resuurection. Drama, brutality, courage and the art of boxing, 2013 provided every element, when combined, makes this the greatest sport in the world.
Pacquiao vs. Rios
Pacquiao-Rios Notebook: Beijing Edition
Before embarking on the massive climb, Rios and Garcia ducked into a souvenir stand and emerged wearing cowboy hats. “The rancheros have hit Beijing,” exclaimed Rios to the delight of the hundreds of tourists visiting and the media covering.
Brandon Rios towers over Pacquiao in face-off in Macao
Manny Pacquiao (54-5-2, 38 KO’s) could be facing the equivalent of a better version of Antonio Margarito when he steps inside the ring against Brandon Rios (31-1-1, 23 KO’s) on November 23rd at the Cotai Arena, Venetian Resort, Macao, Macao S.A.R., China.
The two fighters met today in Macao, China in their media tour in China to start publicizing their November 23rd pay per view fight. When the two fighters stood face to face, you could see immediately the size difference between them.
Rios, 5’8”, not only looks a lot taller than the 5’6 ½” Pacquiao, but he also looks a lot heavier as well. Pacquiao could be dealing with a younger, more active version of a Margarito-like fighter. This is coming at a wrong time for the soon to be 35-year-old Pacquiao, because he took a lot of punishment against Margarito, but he did it when he was three years younger. Now nearing 35, it’s not good timing for Pacquiao to be facing this kind of puncher in Rios.
Pacquiao vs. Rios tickets go on sale
Tickets, priced from $1,275 to $115, and various ticket-hotel packages at Sands China’s Cotai Strip Resorts Macao, go on sale, This Monday! July 29, at 10:00 a.m. local time (Sunday, July 28, at 10:00 p.m. ET). Boxing fans can purchase tickets online and get complete information at www.venetianmacao.com/manny.
Roach says he has a great plan for Pacquiao to beat Rios
Freddie Roach thinks he’s got the perfect airtight strategy for his fighter Manny Pacquiao (54-5-2, 38 KO’s) to end his two-fight losing streak and beat former WBA lightweight champion Brandon Rios (31-1-1, 23 KO’s) on November 23rd at the Cotai Arena, Venetian Resort, Macao, Macao S.A.R., China.
Roach isn’t saying what this so-called perfect strategy is, but you can imagine it’ll be something similar to what Mike Alvarado used to defeat Rios by a 12 round unanimous decision last March in their rematch in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Roach: “it’s over” for Pacquiao is he loses to Rios
Trainer Freddie Roach says he’s going to tell Manny Pacquiao (54-5-2, 38 KO’s) to retire if he loses to former WBA lightweight champion Brandon Rios (31-1-1, 23 KO’s) in their fight on November 23rd at the Cotai Arena, Venetian Resort, Macao, Macao S.A.R., China.
Roach says he already has an agreement with Pacquiao that he’ll hang up his gloves when he tells him he’s no longer got it and needs to retire. Roach doesn’t say whether Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank knows about this deal or if he’d agree with it if Roach told his #1 money fighter he needs to retire.
Arum plans on having Zou Shiming fight on Pacquiao-Rios undercard in November
In a not surprising move, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum will be sticking unbeaten Chinese flyweight Zou Shiming (1-0) on the undercard of the November 23rd Manny Pacquiao vs. Brandon Rios pay per view card from Macao, China. Shiming, 32, has a fight scheduled 6-round bout this month against Mexican novice Jesus Ortega (3-1, 2 KO’s) that Shiming has to take care of first at the Venetian Casino & Resort in Macao, China.
Shiming’s fight on the Pacquiao vs. Rios card will be an 8 round bout, and following that Arum wants to move Shiming up to 10 round bouts. The idea here is to quickly move the former two-time Chinese Olympic Gold medalist quickly so that he can fight for a world title by next year provided he keeps winning and looking good in his bouts.
Floyd may struggle vs. Canelo; Pacquiao can handle Rios
(Photo credit: Esther Lin) Despite the emergence of a Gennady Golovkin, what’s something special about the famous boxing “duo” which we can’t find in other boxers of this generation, so much so that the sport would seem to dim and weaken if they retire?
What is in Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao that keeps the sport “buzzing and oozing” notwithstanding the former’s disdained, manipulated “unbeaten” record and the latter’s recent heart-breaking “defeats”?
Roach says he’ll tell Pacquiao to retire if he loses to Rios
As far as trainer Freddie Roach is concerned, 34-year-old Manny Pacquiao (54-5-2, 38 KO’s) is a do or die situation in his next fight against former WBA lightweight champion Brandon Rios (31-1-1, 23 KO’s) on November 23rd at the Cotai Arena, Venetian Resort, Macao, Macao S.A.R., China.
Roach says he’s going to tell Pacquiao to retire from boxing if he loses that fight because it’ll have been Pacquiao’s third straight loss and obviously a clear sign that he’s over-the-hill as a fighter.
Roach said in an interview with ESPN “Yeah, if he loses I will tell him to retire. If you lose three in a row it’s your time. He’s up there in age, I’ve got to keep a close eye on him. I will do the right thing. I don’t want him to be a stepping stone.”
Rios: I’m going for the kill against Pacquiao
Brandon Rios (31-1-1, 23 KO’s) is very happy that he was picked out by his promoter Bob Arum to fight Manny Pacquiao (54-5-2, 38 KO’s) on November 23rd at the Cotai Arena, Venetian Resort, Macao, Macao S.A.R., China. Rios, 27, doesn’t plan on wasting his opportunity. He wants to knock Pacquiao out and get the praise that will come with a victory over the 34-year-old former 8-division world champion.
Rios said to esnewsreporting.com “I’m going to win this fight. I’m going to knock him out. [Juan Manuel] Marquez kicked his a**. I’m going for the kill.”
With Pacquiao having lost his last two fights, it’s hard to say who precisely will win this fight on November 23rd. If you were to throw Rios in the ring with Pacquiao in 2009, it would be like feeding Rios to a hungry Velociraptor, but a lot of things have changed since then.