Bleacher Talk

Bleacher Talk July 30, 2006 The Ring & Alphabet Bodies One of the most confusing things that boxing fans have to deal with is the presence of so many different “types” of world champions. Isn’t a world champion supposed to be the only champion for his weight division? Why are there so many so-called world champions claiming to be just that: world champions, but of the same weight? And why the presence of so many boxing organizations claiming to be the rightful “owners” of the real world champion? I remember the times as a kid when I was told by my father that the organizations that mattered most were the World Boxing Association (WBA) and World Boxing Council (WBC). But today, you also hear of the International Boxing Federation (IBF) and the World Boxing Organization (WBO). On the side, there is the IBA, IBO, WBF, etc., etc., etc! Confused? So am I! Let’s take Manny Pacquiao’s case as an example. Did you know that the Pacman is not even a world champion of ...

Bleacher Talk July 23, 2006 Suico in Limbo The country’s boxing fans were stunned as they watched with horror how Randy Suico was thoroughly outclassed by WBA lightweight champion Juan Diaz in a ninth round TKO loss last week. While Suico put up a gallant stand in absorbing Diaz’s punches and never went down, he was really never in the fight and was turned into a mere punching bag. To those of us (and all those boxing fans) who have followed Randy’s career, it was a sorry sight that we never imagined would happen. Was that the Randy Suico at whom we marveled when he was baptized as a “Golden Boy” and “Komo’ng Bato”? Was that the Randy Suico who bulldozed through all his wins, albeit against a bunch of no-names? What happened on top of that Las Vegas ring on July 15? Like all other Suico fans, I couldn’t believe how Suico’s defense was so absent that Diaz could’ve landed punches even if he was blindfolded. And I’m not exaggerating! I was also surprised not to see the later...

Bleacher Talk July 16, 2006 UAAP, NCAA & CESAFI With the PBA set to wrap up its All Filipino championship series and the PBL on its annual break, what time is it? Whose turn is it to shine on the basketball court? Welcome back college basketball! It’s that time of the year again when basketball gives way to that segment of the family that gives us fans a refreshing break from all that we’ve seen in the pros. College basketball has always had a market of its own, at times outselling the PBA in terms of ticket sales and popularity. While the pro league is always considered as the big league in any basketball family, college basketball purists believe that college ball is right up there with the pros. And they do have a point. A brief look at the collegiate scene will reveal that the UAAP and NCAA are acknowledged as the top two leagues of the country with all other leagues following behind. I’d like to put Cebu’s CESAFI up there with the “Big Two” but I’ll have to be ve...

Bleacher Talk July 9, 2006 TV & the Logos War The advent of sports made for TV couldn’t be better amplified these past days (or months) with the avalanche of big sporting events that have hit the boob tube. Unlike the past, it has now gotten to a point where almost the whole year is now filled with big TV sports events that shouldn’t be missed by the avid TV sports fan in all of us. The NBA Finals had us glued to our TV’s for two weeks. For the rabid NBA fans, this meant over a month of playoff games plus the 82-game regular season for the really loyal NBA addicts. Tennis had two weeks each of the French Open and the Wimbledon which ends tonight. Golf had the Masters and soon the British Open. And how can we forget the World Cup, a whole month of football from Germany. Even if it’s aired live only through private pay-pre-view telecasts, football fans have found a way to stay up early morning to catch all the action. On the local TV front, Game 3 of the PBA All Filipino Conference F...

Bleacher Talk July 2, 2006 Who’ll be Celebrating? MP? ABS? Or Both? At around noon today, Team Pacquiao will be having a grand celebration most likely at a five-star hotel for Manny Pacquiao’s knock-out win over Oscar Larios. Pacquiao’s closest aides, friends, business partners and media men will surely be there to join local boxing’s biggest party of the year. For Pacquiao, it’s going to be a double celebration. Not only will he rejoice in winning over Larios. More importantly, he’ll be celebrating his successful project as a boxing promoter, being head and owner of MP Promotions, the boxing promotions outfit that he established this year. Whatever way you look at it, the boxer and/or promoter is laughing is way to the bank with bottom line figures that has all of us boxing fans in awe. The rich really do get richer, don’t they? With a cool $1 million as fight purse, another $4 million going to MP Promotions for the staging of the fight card, plus a still undetermined amount from shar...