Sonsona vows to be ready vs Vasquez Jr.

Former world super flyweight champion Marvin Sonsona wants to become a world champion again. To do that, the former World Boxing Organization (WBO) super flyweight champion will have to go through Wilfredo Vasquez Jr. on February 27 in Bayamon, Puerto Rico.

“He is a very talented fighter,” Sonsona told FightNews.com, describing his Puerto Rican opponent.

Both fighters, who will slug it out for the vacant WBO super bantamweight title, remain undefeated in their young professional careers. Sonsona has a 14-0-1 record (with 12 knockouts) while Vasquez has 17-0-1 (with 14 KOs).

“I’m training extremely hard so that I can be victorious,” said the boxer from General Santos city. “I will be more than ready come February 27th.”

Sonsona said he is now getting comfortable with his move to super bantamweight.

The Filipino boxer was stripped of his WBO title after failing to make the 115-pound limit. This time, at the 122-pound division, he said it won’t happen again.

“It’s such a relief to not have to struggle to make weight anymore. I feel at home in the super bantamweight division,” he said.

Sonsona first came to the attention of local sports fans when he won the WBO super flyweight title by outpointing Jose “Carita” Lopez of Puerto Rico in September last year.

He, however, lost the title after coming in over the 115-pound limit against Alejandro Hernandez of Mexico during his first title defense last November.

Source: Dennis Gasgonia  | abs-cbnnew.com

Roach: Opening rounds hard for Pacquiao, Clottey

MANILA, Philippines – Although boxing coach Freddie Roach is confident that Manny Pacquiao will demolish Joshua Clottey, he sees a very hard fight for both boxers.

The prized trainer said he thinks the March 13 bout between reigning World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight champ Pacquiao and challenger Clottey might even turn out just like the Miguel Cotto fight last November.

“Just like the Cotto fight... the first half of the fight will be really, really hard for both guys,” Roach said in an interview with FightFan.com.

Roach, who oversees Pacquiao’s training at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles, California, acknowledges Clottey’s durability.

He, however, said the Ghanaian’s defense leaves much to be desired so he expects his Filipino ward to assert himself by the middle rounds.

“We will take over in the middle or late rounds,” said Roach.

Passive defense
Roach said he has patterned some of Pacquiao’s strategies against the Ghanaian’s “amateurish” defense.

“He's passive, he's way too passive,” he said while describing Clottey’s defensive stance. “That works in the amateurs. There's no counter punching in that defense. He waits for you to finish your combinations then he throws.”

Roach said the only way Clottey would be effective against Pacquiao is if the Ghanaian engages the Filipino into a full fight.

This means Clottey would have himself get hit before he can tag Pacquiao with power punches.

“For him to be effective, he has to hit while we're engaging also for him to land that power shot, but he seems like he doesn't do that a lot,” said the boxing coach.

Waiting for Pacquiao to get tired would only bring Clottey more trouble.

“[Because] Pacquiao… doesn't get tired,” said Roach.

Source: Dennis Gasgonia  | abs-cbnnew.com

After surviving crisis, PBL opens anew on Feb 16

After weathering a crisis, the Philippine Basketball League (PBL) is set to unfurl its new season with 8 teams. Now on its 27th year, the Philippines' oldest amateur league will open the PG Flex-UK Derm Open Conference on February 16, said PBL Commissioner Chino Trinidad.

Trinidad thanked Pascual Laboratories and Asia Brewery for saving PBL for fielding two teams each after league contenders San Miguel Corp., Harbour Centre, Hapee Toothpaste, and Toyota Otis took a leave of absence.

“Actually ‘yung ginawa nilang ito, ultimate sacrifice. This is not only for the PBL but also for the players,” Trinidad said during Tuesday’s PSA Forum at Shakey’s UN Avenue branch, Manila.

Under Pascual Laboratories are Ascof Lagundi and Parex B Complex. Playing under Asia Brewery’s banner are Cobra Energy Drink and Cossack Vodka.

The other teams are Add-Mix, Agri Nurture, Fern-C, and Excel Roof.

The PBL games will take place at the Makati Coliseum and will be aired through Basketball TV on Sky Cable's Channel 71.

PBL-Liga Pilipinas merger

PBL chairman Jappy Pascual of Pascual Laboratories, meanwhile, said it is premature to talk about the “merger” with Liga Pilipinas.

Liga Pilipinas is a regional basketball league sanctioned by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, the country's national basketball federation.

“It’s premature to call it a merger because we do not know what the proposal of Liga Pilipinas is,” he said.

Pascual, however, said the PBL board is open to anything that will benefit the league.

“If it’s a merger or putting up a new league or an alliance, we’re open to listening to all of the proposals and then we’ll make a decision as a board,” he said.

Officials of PBL and Liga Pilipinas reportedly met last week in Makati City to pursue a possible merger.

Source: Dennis Gasgonia  | abs-cbnnew.com

Smart Gilas has 80-game sked for Asian Games

MANILA, Philippines – Smart Gilas-Pilipinas is looking at a very hectic year ahead following their impressive finish in the 21st Dubai Invitational Championship.

Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas executive director Noli Eala said the Philippine developmental team will go through 80 international games for exposure against some of the world’s best ball clubs.

“Ang estimate ko po, we’ll be playing about almost 80 games, international games. That’s more than what the PBA gets,” said Eala.

In March, the Filipinos will head to Australia to face several pro-clubs from the National Basketball League. This will be followed by a trip to Serbia and Belgrade for a check on the improvement of their game.



Between April and May, the RP squad will do training in Las Vegas in the US before heading to Canada to face the Canadian national team. In May, Gilas will compete in the FIBA-Asia Champion’s Cup.

In June, they will fly back to Manila for a series of games with teams from Iran, New Zealand and possibly Japan and Korea. This will prepare the RP squad for the Jones Cup competition in July.

In August, the RP team will compete in the Fiba-Asia Stankovic Cup in Beirut, Lebanon before heading to the US again for a series of games against several NCAA teams. This will wind up their training program for the 16th Asian Games in November.

“That’s really some fantastic exposure for the national team,” said Eala.

The SBP chief said he hopes the Filipino players will be thoroughly prepared for the Asian Games after going through the 80-game schedule.

“Sana po lahat ng laro na ito, matututo ang players so by the time we go to Guangzhou in China, handang handa na ang Smart Gilas to play versus the top teams of the Asian championships,” he said.

Source: Dennis Gasgonia  | abs-cbnnew.com

Nietes, Jaca KO ‘Boxing at the Bay’ foes

Donnie Nietes and the returning Jimrex Jaca scored consecutive knockout wins over separate foes in two more undercard bouts in the “Boxing at the Bay: Collision Course" event Saturday at the Astrodome in Pasay City.

Nietes, the reigning World Boxing Organization minimumweight champion, hacked out a 10th round technical knockout win against Mexican challenger Jesus Silvestro in a non-title fight.

The end came in the last 1:37 of the final round when Silvestre spit out his mouthpiece and refused to wear it back even when insisted upon by his corner prompting referee Ver Abainza to stop the fight.

Nietes, who had to initially shed off a pound before tipping the scales at the 107-lb limit during Friday’s weigh-in, scored the fights lone knockdown when he sent Silvestre down the canvass with a wicked right uppercut 40 seconds left in the opening round.

Jaca, in an earlier match, did not disappoint his Filipino fans and hammered a similar KO win against Indonesia’s Ramadhan Weriu in their 10-round lightweight duel.

A perfectly set right uppercut, which Jaca capped with a left hook enabled the returning Jaca to complete the KO win in the 2:58 mark of the fifth round.

It was an amazing comeback for Jaca after a 15-month hiatus from fighting. His last fight was on Oct. 22, 2008 where he suffered a second round TKO loss against Thailand’s Saddam Kietyongyuth in a 12-round bout for the WBC Asian Boxing Council lightweight crown.

In another undercard match, Philippine lightweight champion Jason Pagara eked out a majority decision win over Indonesian challenger Eddy Comaro in a scheduled 10-round fight.

The two judges scored the fight at 96-94 and 98-92 in favor of Pagara while the third judge saw the match 95-95.

The three are undercard fights in the scheduled 12-round main event between reigning International Boxing Federation (IBF) light-flyweight champion Brian Viloria and Colombian challenger Carlos Tamara.

Source: Dennis Gasgonia  | gmanews.tv