Crawford-Pacquiao fight binubuhay na naman ni Arum

ni Gerard Peter - @Sports | November 19, 2020

Para kay Top Rank CEO Bob Arum, nakahanda na sana ang salpukang pinaka-inaabangan ng unification title fight sa pagitan nina eight-division World champion at World Boxing Association (WBA) super welterweight titlist Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao at World Boxing Organization (WBO) at undefeated 147-pound title holder Terrence “Bud” Crawford, kung hindi lang napigilan dahil sa banta ng COVID-19 na maaaring ganapin sa Gitnang Silangang Asya.

“The money was there. It had been committed. It was a fight that was going to take place in a country in the Mid-East (naiulat na sa Qatar). And then the Minister of Health in that country said ‘you can’t do it,’ because I can’t guarantee that we’ll allow spectators (due to Covid 19 increasing worldwide). And, it would’ve been this week. So, he was right. Now, they’ve called us and said, if Terence is successful, we want to resume the talks in the Spring, either before or after Ramadan (Muslim holy holidays),” pahayag ni Arum sa panayam ng isang website.

Kasunod ng matagumpay na 4th round knockout victory ng undefeated American na si Crawford (37-0, 28KOs) laban kay dating IBF champion Kell Brook ng United Kingdom nito lamang weekend sa MGM Grand Garden Conference Center sa Las Vegas, Nevada, mainit na nag-aabang ng susunod na makakalaban si Crawford na nais muling buhayin ang naudlot na pagtatapat ng dalawang pinakamahuhusay na boksingero sa mundo.

Idinagdag pa ng dating 2006 Omaha Golden Gloves amateur lightweight silver medalist na walang ibang nais itong sunod na makalaban kundi ang Pambansang kamao. “I already said who I want {next}. I want Pacquiao,” saad ni Crawford. “I want to revisit that fight. That was a fight that should’ve happened right now. But being that the pandemic happened, and they weren’t going to allow fans in the Middle East, they had to put a hold to that. Everything was 95 percent done. We had a venue. The money was almost there. It wasn’t quite there. That was the only thing we were waiting on.”

Napag-alaman na sa isang report na aabot umano sa $23.5 million ang matatanggap ni Pacquiao sakaling matuloy ang laban kay Crawford, habang halos 2/3 lamang ang mapapasakamay ng American boxer, na maituturing malaking bayad na matatanggap nito sa kanyang karera bilang boksingero.

Bukod sa 41-anyos na Filipino Senator, puntirya rin ng 33-anyos na Omaha, Nebraska-native na maipagsama rin ang titulo nila ng wala pa ring talong si Errol Spence Jr. (26-0, 21KOs) na nagmamay-ari ng WBC at IBF titles, na kanyang itataya sa Disyembre 5 laban kay two-division champion Danny “Swift” Garcia (36-2, 21KOs) sa AT&T Stadium sa Arlington, Texas.

Hindi pa rin sigurado kung sino ang sunod na makakalaban ni Pacquiao (62-7-2, 39KOs) sa darating na taon, kung saan napabalita ring makakalaban nito si dating UFC two-division champ Conor “The Notorious” McGregor sa isang boxing match, na ang kikitain ay ipamamahagi sa pagtulong sa Covid-19.

Sakali namang hindi maging interesado si Pacquiao na labanan si Crawford ay susubukang hintayin ni Arum ang magwawagi sa buntalang Spence-Garcia, baka sakaling pumayag ang Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) na itapat ito sa bata ni Arum.

“Lemme tell ya something, and I mean this, Spence and Garcia are fighting December 5. If they really want to make a big PPV, I’ll put Terence Crawford in with both of them, one at a time. And, he’d beat both of them the same night.”

De Los Santos, naka-22nd gold medal sa Online Tourney

ni Gerard Peter - @Sports | November 18, 2020

Sinipa ni Karate online sensation Orencio James “OJ” De Los Santos ang ika-22nd gold medal at ika-apat na titulo ngayong Nobyembre sa katatapos lang na Athlete’s E-Tournament #2 upang patuloy na maghari sa men’s individual senior kata event sa panahon ng coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.

Kasunod ng kambal na panalo para sa kanyang ika-20th at 21st titulo sa World virtual online individual kata tournament sa Okinawa eTournament World Series #2 at Nox Dojo Markham City Open eTournament, isang araw pa lamang ang nakalilipas nang muling selyuhan ng 30-anyos na dating national team standout ang panibagong kampeonato sa paggaping muli kay Domont Matias Moreno ng Switzerland, 25.4-24.6 sa championship round.

Magkasunod na panalo ang kinuha ni De Los Santos laban kay Moreno na kanya ring tinalo sa Nox Dojo Open sa pamamagitan ng 25.3, 24.2 panalo.

“It feels great to win my 22nd gold after winning my 20th and 21st last time around . But I know that there's still more room to improve on my performance. I can't remain complacent,” pahayag ni De Los Santos sa panayam ng Bulgar Sports sa online interview.

“It makes me much happier seeing my MKKPI students winning as well,” dagdag nito ng magwagi rin ng medalya sa Okinawa tourney sina Julia Ian Marcos ng dalawang gold medal sa Individual Female Seniors at Individual Female U21; dalawang silver medal kay Fatima A-Isha Hamsain sa Individual Female U15 at U16 Kumite Mix; at Christina Karen Colonia bronze medal sa Individual Female U18.

Ito na ang ikatlong titulo ng De La Salle University Accountancy graduate ngayong buwan ng Nobyembre kasunod ng panalo nito noong nakalipas na 2 linggo para sa kanyang ika-19th titulo sa e-Champions Trophy World Series 2 laban kay Silvio Cerone-Biogioni ng South Africa; na nakatuon ang atensyon sa mga laban sa online competition kahit na magtapos na ang pandemya sakaling magkaroon na ng vaccine para sa lahat.

Matapos ang 7 buwan na pakikipaglaban para sa inaasam na numero-unong posisyon sa pandaigdigang kumpetisyon ay nakamit rin ng International Shotokan Karate Federation karateka ang No. 1 spot sa pamamagitan ng kampeonato sa 1st Euro Grand Prix Tournament, E-Karate Games 2020 at Golden League Karate E-Tournament Series 2, upang malampasan si Eduardo Garcia ng Portugal para sa kanyang ika16th at 15th at 14th title.

Ang iba pang mga titulo ng 6th-time Philippine National Games champion ay nagmula sa Hatamoto Kai Mitad Del Mundo E-tournament, SportData E-Tournament World Series 4th edition, Tokaido Maribor Open E-Tournament, E-Champions Trophy World Series, 2nd Dutch Open E-Tournament, Miyamoto Musashi – Five Rings E-Tournament, Sportsdata E-Tournament: Athletes E-tournament Cash Award Series 1 ranked event championship, Korokotta Cup 2020, Palestine International Karate Cup, Balkan Open E-tournament-Kata/Kumite Ranked at E-Karate Games 2020.

Makakalaban sana ni Donaire, WBC Champ Oubaali, nagka-COVID

ni Gerard Peter - @Sports | November 15, 2020

Ang inakala ng karamihan na visa issue lamang ang naging dahilan ng pag-atras ni WBC bantamweight champion Nordine Oubaali ng France laban kay four-division World titlist Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire; lumabas na nagpositibo pala ito sa mapamuksang novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19) na naging dahilan upang itigil ang pagsasanay at paghahanda.

Inihayag ni Bob Yalen, CEO at President ng MTK Global, na walang kinalaman ang usapin ng visa sa pagpapaliban ng laban ng dalawang boksingero para sa titulo, bagkus ay nahawa ang 34-anyos na French boxer kung kaya’t dalawang linggo itong hindi nakapagsanay para sa ikatlong title defense sa Dis. 12 sa Mohegan Sun Casino, Uncasville, Connecticut sa U.S.

“Oubaali is positive for Covid-19. That is why he is out of the fight. It has nothing to do with his visa,” pahayag ni Yalen sa panayam ni Dan Rafael ng boxingscene.com. “This is strictly for the health and safety of the boxer. He has the virus and he has not been able to train effectively for the past two weeks. Nordine was really excited about the fight. He was all fired up for the fight.”

Dahil sa pag-atras ng dating 2007 Chicago World Championships light-flyweight bronze medalist, itatapat na lang ang 37-anyos na Talibon, Bohol-native kay dating IBF bantamweight world title holder Emmanuel Rodriguez (19-1, 12KOs) ng Puerto Rico sa Disyembre 19 sa parehong lugar sa Connecticut. Wala pang tinutukoy ang WBC kung may paglalabanang titulo ang dalawang boksingero sa kanilang nakatakdang laban.

Ayon kay Yalen, patuloy pa ring panghahawakan ni Oubaali ang titulo na magbibigay daan kina Donaire (40-6, 26KOs) at Rodriguez na paglabanan ang interim title. Sakaling malakas at malusog na ang Frenchman boxer ay maaaring kalabanin nito ang magwawagi sa Donaire-Rodriguez bout.

Inamin ni Yalen na nakaranas nang sintomas si Oubaali nang magsimulang manghina ito at mahirapang makabalik sa pagsasanay. Ibinunyag rin nito na kagagaling lang sa Covid-19 ang kapatid ni Nordine na si Ali. “His trainer and brother, Ali, noticed that Nordine felt weak one day and said, ‘Hey, let’s tone down training for the day. But when it happened the next day and then three days in row they knew something was wrong. He got tested and it was positive for COVID,” wika ni Yalen.

Sa parte nina Donaire at Rodriguez, parehong naging biktima ang dalawa ni undefeated at unified WBA (super)/IBF/The Ring bantamweight champion Naoya “Monster” Inoue ng Japan sa World Boxing Super Series finals at semifinal round at kapawa naagaw ang WBA at IBF titles ng mga ito, ayon sa pagkakasunod.

Napagwagian naman ni Oubaali (17-0, 12 KOs) ang bakanteng WBC title via unanimous decision laban kay American Rau’shee Warren noong January 2019 sa sagupaan nina Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao-Adrien Broner undercard sa MGM Grand sa Las Vegas. Matagumpay na naidepensa niya ito kina Filipino Arthur Villanueva via 6th round referee stop at Takuma Inoue mula sa UD.