Bugbog sa experience si Rigo, mag-ingat si Casimero

ni Gerard Peter - @Sports | July 14, 2021

Matinding paghahanda kontra sa istilong Cubanong boksing ang pinaghahandaang pirme ni World Boxing Organization (WBO) bantamweight champion “Quadro Alas” John Riel Casimero para sa makakaharap na si WBA (regular) titlist Guillermo “The Jackal” Rigondeaux sa Agosto 14 sa showtime televised main event sa Dignity Health Sports Park sa Carson, California.

Ito marahil ang malaking dahilan para tapikin ng 31-anyos mula Ormoc City ang dating Mexican discuss thrower na si Memo Heredia upang maging strength and conditioning coach dahil sa kaalaman nito sa mga Cuban boxers gaya nina WBA (Super World) welterweight champion Yordenis “54 Milagros” Ugas at dating IBF lightweight titlist Rances Barthelemy.

Tinutulungan ng 45-anyos na four-time Mexican Athletics Championship gold medalist ang 3-weight division titlist na gabayan kontra sa 40-anyos na 2-time Olympic champion, kasunod ng minsang naunsyaming laban kay Rigondeaux para magbigay daan kay WBC title holder “The Filipino Flash” Nonito Donaire, ngunit sa bandang huli ay sila rin muli ang pagtatapatin matapos hindi magkasunod sa doping programs.

“At first, we were working first against Rigonadeaux before Nonito came into the picture, but then that fight falls through and now Rigondeaux comes back again. We had to make some adjustments, but Casimero will come in there with a good physical platform, because we know Rigo is a great boxer, technical and intelligent,” wika ni Heredia kay writer George Ebro.

Kinakailangan umano na mas mag-ingat ni Casimero kontra sa Cuban boxer na simula bata pa lamang ay lumalaban sa amateur ranks, kung saan kabalikat nito ang gintong medalya sa 2000 Sydney at 2004 Athens Olympics. Aminado si Heredia sa lakas at built ng pangangatawan ni Casimero, subalit dapat na paghandaan ng Filipino fighter ang pagiging mautak ni Rigondeaux, na gaya ng ibang Cuban boxers ay hindi ito nakikipagsabayan ng banatan, bagkus ay madalas itong umiiwas sa dikitan.

Mas bigatin si Spence kaya pinili ni Pacman

ni Gerard Peter - @Sports | July 13, 2021

Sa edad na 42 ay target pa rin ang mga bigating kalaban ng 8th Division World champion na si Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao tulad nang pinili niyang makatapat na si unified IBF/WBC welterweight titlist Errol Spence, Jr. para sa unification bout sa Agosto 21 sa T-Mobile Arena sa Las Vegas, Nevada.

Pormal na nagkaharap sina Pacquiao (62-7-2, 39KOs) at Spence (27-0, 21KOs) sa kauna-unahang press conference kahapon para sa FOX pay-per-view. Nagpakita pareho ng ‘mutual respect’ na bukod sa 2 titulo ng 31-anyos na unbeaten American na nakataya ay pag-aagawan din ang bakanteng The Ring 147-pound title.

“There was a lot of opportunity to pick a — not easy fight, but a much easier fight compared to Errol Spence,” paliwanag ni Pacquiao. “But I decided to pick Errol Spence because I want to give a good fight to the fans, I want a real fight. I’m a fighter and boxing is my passion.”

Dalawang taon na natengga sa laban ang Filipino boxing legend at future Hall of Famer mula noong Hulyo 2019 nang makuha ang WBA (Super World) 147-lbs title laban kay Keith “One Time: Thurman. “It’s one of the biggest challenges in my career,” pahayag ni Pacman. “I cannot say the biggest challenge because I have been fighting the best fighters in the world — Keith Thurman, De La Hoya, Miguel Cotto, a lot of those fighters. But one of the best, I can rate (Spence).”

Aminado naman ang 2012 London Olympics quarterfinalists na si Spence na mahirap patumbahin ang Filipino boxing icon na minsan lang napatumba ni Juan Manuel Marquez sa 6th round noong 2012.

“I definitely have the ability to finish him, but for me it’s about winning the fight,” wika ni Spence. “It’s to stay focused and win the fight. When you go out there and rush it and try to go for the knockout, I feel like from my experience, even in the amateurs, you look sloppy and something goes wrong. You look like you’re trying too hard. For me it’s to go have my fight at my pace. If the knockout comes, go for it. If not, go for the victory.”

Binti ni McGregor, nabali, na-TKO ni Poirier

ni MC / Gerard Peter - @Sports | July 12, 2021

Tinalo ni American brawler Dustin Poirier si Conor McGregor via technical knockout sa kanilang trilogy fight na ginanap sa Las Vegas matapos mabali ang binti ng Irish fighter bago matapos ang opening round.

Opisyal na pinahinto ng doktor ang laban pagtapos ng first round matapos sumablay ang suntok ni McGregor at matumba patalikod kung saan naipit ang kanyang binti sa gilid ng octagon.

Agad naman dinaluhong ni Poirier ang walang kalabang-labang si McGregor, pinaulanan niya ito ng suntok at elbows hanggang ma-save si McGregor ng bell sa harap ng capacity crowd sa T-Mobile arena. “He fractured it on one of the checks at the beginning of the fight, then it broke on a punch, for sure,” wika ni Poirier sa post-fight interview ni Joe Rogan. “I pointed at him at the beginning of the fight, that's when I checked a kick, that's when it cracked.”

"This guy was saying he was going to murder me and kill me. I am going to leave here in a coffin," ani Poirier. "You don't talk to people like that. I hope this guy gets home safe to his beautiful family."

Ayon kay McGregor, may pangyayari talagang hindi mo inaasahan dahil hindi ito inexpect niyang magiging katapusan ng kanilang trilogy. Dahil sa pangyayari, inaasahang magkakaroon pa ng pang-apat na laban.

Sa kabilang banda, halatang hindi naging masaya o kontento sa laban si McGregor na ipinagdiinang ang desisyon ng kanilang laban ay doctor’s stoppage at hindi gaya ng inihatol na technical knockout. “I was boxing the bleeding head off him, kicking the bleeding leg off... this is not over,” wika naman ni McGregor kay Rogan. “If we have to take this outside for him, it's all outside, I don't give a bollocks!”

Ayon kay UFC President Dana White, nakatakdang operahan agad si McGregor ngayong umaga at nagpahatid ito ng malaking balita na tila hindi pa tapos ang naturang bakbakan sa oras na makabalik na muli sa magandang kalusugan si McGregor.