Archive for March, 2010

Norman Black is making a comeback in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) but not as a coach but as team consultant for the Manny V. Pangilinan-owned Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters.

The multi-titled mentor, who won 10 PBA championships and left the league more than five years ago, will help the Tropang Texters’ cause in the ongoing Fiesta Cup. Read the rest of this entry »

Coca-Cola finds itself in unfamiliar territory just a week into the KFC-PBA Fiesta Cup.

Used to lag behind their star-studded opponents the last six years, the Tigers of coach Bo Perasol leaned on the combined efforts of James Penny, Gary David and Chico Lanete in pulling off a 108-98 win over defending champion San Miguel Saturday night in the first Phoenix Fuel-PBA Tour game in Gingoog City, Misamis Oriental.
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At the Plaza Pueblo Antiguo in Ensenada, Mexico, Ulises “Archie” Solis (30-2-2, 21 KOs) stopped Bert Batawang (45-15-3, 37 KOs) in five rounds of action in an IBF junior flyweight eliminator.

After an action-packed first three rounds, Solis took over with the harder punches in the fourth to deck Batawang and battered him in the fifth round. Batawang was unable to come out for the sixth round. Read the rest of this entry »

PARIS—Coach Freddie Roach’s bits of brilliance are not limited to the square ring.

His intelligence goes beyond the funky four corners of the Wild Card Gym.

I’ve long thought, and told Roach so, that I think he could run a great boxing promotional company. Maybe we call it No Joke Coach Roach Promotions or Winter Hill Gang Boxing (sorry, that is a Boston in joke at least in gangland). Read the rest of this entry »

MANILA, Philippines – Manny Pacquiao, now busy campaigning in Sarangani, said the decision for him to hang up his gloves is his alone.

“I will make my own decision when I want to retire. Ako lang,” said the boxing icon, who flew to Sarangani the other day for the start of his campaign for a congressional seat in the May 10 national elections. Read the rest of this entry »

WITH STILL ABOUT FOUR MINUTES left in Friday night’s second game, fans started to file out of the Cuneta Astrodome, certain that Barangay Ginebra, trailing Sta. Lucia, 61-77, was doomed.

“It was a bad game to watch,” said coach jong Uichico of the Kings’s 72-86 loss to the Realtors in the PBA Fiesta Conference. Read the rest of this entry »

Ana “The Hurricane” Julaton fought like a wounded Filipino warrior but proved to be no match against the durable Lisa “Bad News” Brown.

Julaton, with blood flowing from both eyebrows, managed to survive 10 rounds with Brown, but suffered a unanimous decision defeat during their title bout for the vacant World Boxing Association (WBA) Read the rest of this entry »

Canadian Lisa “Bad News” Brown was indeed a bad news for Filipino boxing aficionados.

Working behind her vast experience and more solid combinations, Brown pummeled Fil-Am Ana “The Hurricane” Julaton to score a unanimous decision and capture the vacant World Boxing Association Female Super Bantamweight belt Sunday in Casino Rama in Ontario, Canada. Read the rest of this entry »

Bert “The Ninja” Batawang and Ana “The Hurricane” Julaton fight for country and glory in separate venues Sunday morning (Manila Time).

Batawang, who fights out of Cebu City, will face former IBF lt.flyweight champ Ulises Solis of Mexico in an IBF title eliminator in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico.The winner is scheduled to face current IBF champion Carlos Tamara of Colombia. Read the rest of this entry »

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines’ Francis Casey Alcantara blew a pair of match points in the second set and then succumbed to cramps in the decider to drop a heartbreaking 6-4, 5-7, 1-6 decision to Wang Chuhan of China in the 21st Mitsubishi ITF Junior Championships at the Rizal Tennis Center yesterday.

Late in the day, Fil-Am Raymond Sarmiento, likewise bowed out after he absorbed a 3-6, 6-1, 5-7, setback to qualifier Timur Neymatov of Russia as the host nation reeled with a shutout in the singles event. Read the rest of this entry »

MANILA, Philippines – Barangay Ginebra goes for a second straight win and the solo lead versus Sta. Lucia Realty even as Rain or Shine, reunited with prolific import Jai Lewis, looks for a grand debut in taking on Talk n Text in the 2010 PBA Fiesta Conference at the Astrodome today.

The Kings, runners-up to the San Miguel Beermen in this import-laden tourney last year, tackle the Realtors at 7:30 p.m. seeking a follow-up to their 97-90 whipping of the Texters on opening day. Read the rest of this entry »

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Sports Commission has started releasing the allowances of the national athletes who made the grade for the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games this November.

The government sports funding agency has actually released P3,185,000 covering the allowances of at least 267 Filipino athletes who are gearing up for the quadrennial meet where the country hopes to match, if not surpass, its four-gold haul in Doha, Qatar in 2006. Read the rest of this entry »

At least three Fil-Ams are expected to hit town in the coming months, looking for playing credits to gain eligibility for the next PBA draft.

Sports agent Caloy Allado said the other day he’s awaiting the outcome of talks involving a possible merger between the PBL and Liga Pilipinas before waving the green flag for the Fil-Ams to fly in.
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I was chosen as one of the Boxer of the Year awardees at the 10th Gabriel “Flash” Elorde Memorial Boxing Awards Thursday night, March 24, 2010 at Harbor Garden Tent of Hotel Sofitel and this is another event that made me proud that I chose to be a professional boxer.
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MANILA, Philippines – Barako Coffee’s Jerwin Gaco holds the distinction of being the only rookie to break into the ongoing PBA Fiesta Conference and for the 29-year-old forward who was snubbed in the 2005 draft, the long wait was worth it.

Gaco couldn’t believe it at first when Barako coach Junel Baculi offered a one-year contract and said he would be in the Energy Masters’ roster starting this conference. Read the rest of this entry »