MANILA (November 30, 2018) — With speaking engagements to the students of the Oxford Union and the Cambridge Union and a whirlwind U.S. media tour to announce his WBA welterweight world title defense against former four-division world champion Adrien Broner behind him, boxer laureate Senator MANNY “Pacman” PACQUIAO is back in Manila, working three shifts and two jobs daily. For Pacquiao, it’s just another day in the office. Make that offices — his gym and the Philippine Senate.

Boxing’s only eight-division world champion and the BWAA’s reigning Fighter of the Decade, Pacquiao (60-7-2, 39 KOs), is putting in 14 to 16-hour days training for his upcoming fight against Cincinnati’s Broner (33-3-1, 24 KOs) and serving his constituents. Until the current Senate session ends, on December 12, Pacquiao’s typical work day begins at 6:30 a.m. with a 5.2-mile run followed by strength and conditioning work. After that it is breakfast and Senate work, followed by a two-hour gym session. Following a quick lunch, Pacquiao is off to the Senate where his second work day begins around 1:30 p.m. and usually ends no earlier than 8:30 p.m., where he heads home to dinner with his family.

On Monday, Pacquiao, one of the few senators to take on the cigarette/tobacco lobby, gave a speech to the plenary making another push for his Senate Bill 1599, which he first introduced in 2017, seeking to raise the excise tax on tobacco products.

Citing the benefits of “The Sin Tax Reform Act,” which was passed in 2012, and resulted in a significant decrease in the number of smokers, Pacquiao said, in a privilege speech, “The main objective for the proposal of this bill is to save lives. This goes to show that increasing tobacco tax works. However, because of increasing incomes and population, it is expected that, without any increase in the tobacco tax, we can expect one million new smokers by year 2022.” Additionally, Pacquiao said that the number of Filipino smokers would decrease by one million while generating 30 to 40 billion pesos in incremental revenues. Pacquiao’s entire text of his speech can be accessed via this link: https://senate.gov.ph/press_release/2018/1126_pacquiao1.asp.

Once the Philippine Senate session concludes, Manny will return to his home in General Santos City where he will continue training. There will be one interruption — his fortieth birthday celebration on December 17. Pacquiao and his team will depart for the U.S., on December 22, and begin phase two of his training at Freddie Roach’s Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, Calif.

Regarding Pacquiao’s first week of training camp, here is what the team had to say.

“It is good to be back home in the Philippines. It is time to get to work. I have to really focus and train hard for this fight,” said Pacquiao. “I am excited for January 19. Excited to be facing Adrien Broner. Excited to be back at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, my second home, fighting in front of my fans.”

“Training has been good so far. It is great to be back to training. After two weeks, we will be in very good condition. Manny is still very aggressive and still hungry. I have to make sure that we do our best as trainers to prepare Manny for Adrien Broner just like we did for the Lucas Matthysse fight,” said Buboy Fernandez, Pacquiao’s trainer.

Added Justin Fortune, Pacquiao’s strength and conditioning coach, “We have had good training sessions. We started the week off slowly with light training , but it has become stronger as the week progressed because Manny came into camp in great shape. He is very fresh and very strong.”

A three-time Fighter of the Year, Pacquiao, who hails from Sarangani Province in the Philippines, is the only sitting Congressman and Senator to win a world title. After serving two terms as Congressman, Pacquiao was elected to a Philippine Senate seat in May 2016, capturing over 16 million votes nationally. Pacquiao’s boxing resume features victories over at least seven current and future Hall of Famers, including Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Miguel Cotto, Shane Mosley, and Juan Manuel Marquez. In his last fight, with Philippine President Rodrigo R. Duterte and Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad in attendance (the first time two heads of state attended a championship boxing event), Pacquaio, 39, regained the welterweight title for a fourth time with a vintage performance on July 15 at Axiata Arena in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia, by knocking out defending WBA champion Lucas Matthyssee in the seventh round.

The Pacquiao vs. Broner world championship event will take place Saturday, January 19 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Pacquiao vs. Broner and its co-main event fights will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV® and presented by Premier Boxing Champions beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.

Promoted by MP Promotions, Mayweather Promotions and TGB Promotions in association with About Billions Promotions, remaining tickets to the Pacquiao vs. Broner welterweight world championship event are priced at $1,500, $1,000, $750, $500, $300, $200, $100, not including applicable service charges, and can be purchased online throughAXS.com, charge by phone at 866-740-7711 or in person at any MGM Resorts International box office.

**************************

About Showtime Networks Inc.

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, and also offers SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ ON DEMAND and FLIX ON DEMAND®, and the network’s authentication service SHOWTIME ANYTIME®. Showtime Digital Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of SNI, operates the stand-alone streaming service SHOWTIME®. SHOWTIME is currently available to subscribers via cable, DBS and telco providers, and as a stand-alone streaming service through Apple®, Roku®, Amazon, Google and Samsung. Consumers can also subscribe to SHOWTIME via Hulu, YouTube TV, Sling TV, Sony PlayStation® Vue and Amazon Channels. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks™, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution, which offers Smithsonian Channel™, and offers Smithsonian Earth™ through SN Digital LLC. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®. For more information, go to www.SHO.com

About Premier Boxing Champions

The Premier Boxing Champions series was created and is produced by Haymon Sports, LLC. It features the most accomplished and decorated array of international professional boxing talent across the most popular weight divisions.

About MGM Grand Garden Arena

The MGM Grand Garden Arena is home to concerts, championship boxing and premier sporting and special events. The Arena offers comfortable seating for as many as 16,800 with excellent sightlines and state-of-the-art acoustics, lighting and sound. Prominent events to date have included world championship fights between Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson as well as Floyd Mayweather vs. Canelo Alvarez as well as Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquaio; and concerts by The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Bette Midler, George Strait, Justin Timberlake, Beyonce, U2, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, Coldplay, Alicia Keys, Jimmy Buffett and the Barbra Streisand Millennium Concert. The MGM Grand Garden Arena also has been home to annual events including the Academy of Country Music Awards, the Billboard Music Awards, iHeartRadio Music Festival, Pac-12 Men’s Basketball Championship and Frozen Fury NHL pre-season games hosted by the Los Angeles Kings.

By Norm Frauenheim-

Manny Pacquiao’s return to the United States this week has a nostalgic feel. He stopped in New York. Then, Los Angeles. It was fun to see him.

That shy, enigmatic smile is still in place. His reunion with trainer Freddie Roach for a Jan 19 fight with Adrien Broner was the perfect touch, especially on Thanksgiving week. The family is back together. But I’m not sure it’ll mean much in a couple of months.

Does he beat Broner? Maybe. He’ll be 40 in a few weeks – Dec. 17. It’s tough to hazard a guess on how any 40-year-old fighter will do. Broner has speed and an overall skillset that Pacquiao didn’t see against Jeff Horn or a shot Lucas Matthysse.

But Broner also has shown – again and again – that he bails out at the first sign of adversity. Power is the last thing to go in any aging fighter. Pacquiao probably still has enough of that to force Broner into surrender or a hasty retreat into a scorecard defeat.

Then what? The widely-reported plan is for Pacquiao to then fight Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a rematch of their revenue record-setting bout in May 2015. Could it happen? Of course.

For Mayweather, celebrity and legacy are like T-shirts and caps. They are commodities, transactional in every way. He won’t turn away from a chance to cash in all over again. Reportedly, that’s what he and Pacquiao talked about weeks ago, supposedly in a chance meeting in Tokyo, where Mayweather’s on-again, off-again New Year’s Eve date with an unknown kick boxer is apparently on again.

By all accounts, Pacquiao is again in need of money. He reportedly earned between $160 million and $180 million for his decision loss to Mayweather in 2015. It’s anybody’s guess where all that money went within three-plus years. Bob Arum, Pacquiao’s ex-promoter, once said that the Filipino Senator was the Pacific Island nation’s only social welfare system.

To wit: He gives it away, apparently at such a rate he can’t even write a lot of it off. He has fought in the U.S for two years because of a reported IRS bill. Apparently, the IRS problem has been resolved. His spending habits, however, are still enough of question to wonder if he won’t still be fighting at 50.

Above all, there are reasons to think he and Mayweather have overestimated the market’s appetite for a rematch. It’s not as if the under-whelming first fight would ever sell a rematch anyway.

The other issue is that the overall market has changed. HBO is exiting after this Saturday’s telecast of Dmitry Bivol-Jean Pascal in Atlantic City. HBO, a key to Pacquiao’s international celebrity and huge purses, is leaving within two months of Pacquiao’s return. Gone are the nine-figure paydays.

Consider this: Terence Crawford, the best welterweight of the day, is earning between $3.0 and $3.5 million for each of his bouts under his current deal with Top Rank and ESPN. If that’s the new pay scale, Pacquiao can forget $160 million or $180 million. He has name recognition, but would anybody rank him among today’s five best welterweights?

On this list, Crawford is at No. 1, Errol Spence No. 2, Keith Thurman No. 3 and Shawn Porter No. 4. You could put Pacquiao at No. 5, but that would put him ahead of Horn, who beat him in a controversial decision. It also would put him ahead of Mickey Garcia, who is jumping two weight classes – from light to welter – to challenge Spence on March 16.

Garcia, who now has to considered at welterweight, never even mentioned Pacquiao as a possibility early in his dangerous pursuit of Spence. It’s not clear Pacquiao would have agreed to a date with Garcia anyway. But Garcia’s decision to bypass any consideration of the Filipino might say it all about what the market place thinks about Pacquiao’s value these days.

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. – November 20, 2018 – Boxing’s only eight-division world champion Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao and former four-division champ Adrien “The Problem” Broner were all business on Tuesday as they concluded their two-city press tour in Los Angeles announcing their Saturday, January 19 showdown for Pacquiao’s WBA Welterweight World Title. The event will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) from MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

Promoted by MP Promotions, Mayweather Promotions and TGB Promotions in association with About Billions Promotions, tickets to the Pacquiao vs. Broner welterweight world championship event will go on sale on Saturday, November 24. Tickets are priced at $1,500, $1,000, $750, $500, $300, $200, $100, not including applicable service charges, and can be purchased online through AXS.com, charge by phone at 866-740-7711 or in person at any MGM Resorts International box office.

Here are what the fighters and executives had to say on Tuesday.

MANNY PACQUIAO:

“This fight is going to be a good fight. I have to pass through him before fighting Floyd Mayweather. I want to prove to the boxing fans that Manny Pacquiao is still in the pack. You will see more fights with Manny Pacquiao here in the United States.

“He’s young and he’s fast – and he’s fast with his mouth. There will be more action in the ring – we know what the people want. It’s going to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see a fight you will never forget.

“I continue my career as a boxer because boxing is my passion. When I hung up my gloves once, I felt sad not being in the ring and giving inspiration to people in the Philippines and boxing fans.”

On potentially fighting Floyd Mayweather again:

“I don’t think Adrien will agree with that, because I need to pass through him. This is not an easy fight.”

On working with Al Haymon:

“I have only good things to say about Top Rank – they helped me a lot. But I’m really thankful to be partnered with Al Haymon and have a chance to work with him.”

“[Broner’s] a funny guy. I think after his boxing career, he could have another career as a comedian. I don’t get upset about the jokes. I can’t help but laugh when I look at his face.”

Will the Mayweather rematch be next?

“I can’t give you an answer, but if you ask me, it would be good for me to have that fight.”

ADRIEN BRONER:

“January 19, I am coming to win. Screw the money, I’m going to be victorious. They keep talking about a Pacquiao-Mayweather 2, but I’m going to mess those plans up. I just don’t see Manny Pacquiao beating me.

“He’s still in great condition. He’s trained his ass off. I have to keep my composure and stay focused on my game plan. But I’m not going to tell you what that plan is.

“Hope isn’t my strategy – there will be no luck. I feel like he can’t beat me. Look at my resume – what do I do to southpaws? I stop them. Going into this fight, I’m very confident. I’m going to do what I always do to southpaws and dismantle him.”

STEPHEN ESPINOZA, President Sports & Event Programming, Showtime Networks Inc.

“These two fighters have resumes that you’re all familiar with. On the surface they seem very different, but they’re more similar than you’d think.

“They’re two of the most entertaining and popular fighters in the sport. They are also two fighters who are all heart. We’ve seen them in tough fights, and there’s one thing you know you’re going to get out of Manny Pacquiao and AB, and that’s 100 percent effort throughout the fight.

“When Adrien Broner and Manny Pacquiao fight, it’s a huge event. Add in Mayweather Promotions and MGM Grand and Las Vegas, and it’s one of the biggest fights of the year. There’s a lot at stake – this will be an all action fight. It will be a special weekend, and we can’t wait.”

JOE RAMOS, Head of MP Promotions

“We all know Adrien is hungry, but he’s fighting boxing’s only eight-division champion. Manny will show the world that he’s the best fighter on the planet come January 19. Don’t miss a chance to be part of history.”

LEONARD ELLERBE, CEO of Mayweather Promotions

“We know we have a great fight come Jan. 19. You’ll see a future Hall of Famer in Manny Pacquiao, and a guy in Adrien Broner who has never backed down from a challenge. He knows he has to be at his best to beat Manny Pacquiao. The style matchup with these two guys is very intriguing. I promise you this will be a great fight.”

RAVONE LITTLEJOHN, Co-Head of About Billions Promotions

“It’s going to be a great fight. If my man AB hits the right shot, it could be a short night. We’ve never been down for the count, and we’re not going to start now. We know the position we’re in. It’s a pleasure to fight a legend like Manny Pacquiao.”

RICHARD STRUM, President of Las Vegas Live Entertainment and Sports

“This fight kicks off another tremendous year of entertainment for MGM. I’d like to welcome Manny Pacquiao and Adrien Broner, two of the sport’s most iconic fighters, back to MGM Grand and Las Vegas.”

NEW YORK – November 19, 2018 – Senator Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao and Adrien “The Problem” Broner announced their Saturday, January 19 mega-fight during the first leg of a two-city press tour at New York City’s Gotham Hall on Monday. The welterweight championship showdown will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) from MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

Boxing’s only eight-division world champion, Pacquiao will end his two-year hiatus from a U.S. boxing ring when he returns to Las Vegas to defend his WBA Welterweight World Title against former four-division world champion and must-see attraction Broner.

Promoted by MP Promotions, Mayweather Promotions and TGB Promotions in association with About Billions Promotions, tickets to the Pacquiao vs. Broner welterweight world championship event will go on sale on Saturday, November 24. Tickets are priced at $1,500, $1,000, $750, $500, $300, $200, $100, not including applicable service charges, and can be purchased online through AXS.com, charge by phone at 866-740-7711 or in person at any MGM Resorts International box office.

Here are what the fighters and executives had to say on Monday.

MANNY PACQUIAO:

“I just want to prove that I’m still in boxing and my journey in boxing is continuing. I want to entertain people and give a good show on January 19. You don’t want to miss the opportunity to see this great and prestigious fight in the ring with Adrien Broner. I know my opponent is fast and a top caliber fighter, he’s good and we have to work hard and train hard for this fight so the people will be happy. We will give a good fight for the fans.

“I chose Broner because we can have a good fight and entertain the fans. Adrien is a top caliber fighter and a good boxer. We cannot underestimate him.

“When I met up with Floyd [Mayweather] in Japan, we talked and he said he wants to come out of retirement to challenge me. All I know is fighting in the ring and entertaining people. That’s my job. Floyd has come out of retirement and we’ll see after this fight, but we cannot underestimate Broner and this fight. We will discuss anything with Floyd Mayweather after that.

“I can fight at 140 pounds or 147 pounds and I want to fight the biggest fighters in the world and one of those is Adrien Broner. I can fight anybody.

“I expect more action in the ring, that’s what we want. We don’t talk too much outside the ring but we will do it in the ring.

“Yes, I still have the [knock out] power. In fact, I have learned how to develop that and by the grace of god, who has given me this power and with hard work and training, that technique is my weapon for this fight.

“I have already accomplished my dream and what I want to accomplish in this sport. I just want to continue in the top of boxing and give honor to my country.”

ADRIEN BRONER:

“I’m real thankful hearing that he was coming over to PBC, ‘Pacquiao’s Broner Crisis’. I’m happy – there are a lot of people that wanted this fight and god blessed me to get it. I guess I’m just the chosen one. What can I say about Pacquiao, he’s a future Hall of Famer.

“I had to call my momma after I looked in the mirror this morning. I had to let her know she has a beautiful son. We finally made it to pay-per-view at 29. I’m the only African-American do to that.

“It’s going to be a hell of a fight. I’m not coming to just pick up a check. I know when I win this fight, there’s more money to come.

“This fight means a lot to me. A win and I turn legend overnight. I got the whole hood with me just like he has the whole Philippines with him. I don’t even know how to spell that. But I have the whole hood with me: H-O-O-D.

“Of course I consider Manny one of the elite fighters at 147. The things he’s done in this game are unbelievable. I talk trash, I play but I know on January 19 I have to be on top of my game. This is his break-out fight to be on the A-side. I know he isn’t trying to look bad. But I’m here to knock him out. I feel like a bum trying to fight for a sandwich.

“I’m not worried about what Manny does. He has to worry about what I’m doing. I have three losses and he has eight. But he has been knocked out three times so we know he can go to sleep. He doesn’t need Nyquil for that, and I have the power to do it. He better be on his p’s and q’s because I’m trying to knock him out.

“If the knockout comes, it comes. I’m just focused on my win. I’m trying to win in good fashion. I’m going to train my ass off and give it my all.

“This fight is very important from a business standpoint and for About Billions. A lot of young fighters want to work with me and I have to show them the way. As a leader, if I win this fight it gives them something to brag about. I’m not only fighting for me, I’m fighting for my family and my kids. It’s the longevity, it’s for after boxing. I have a chance to set myself up so that my kids’ kids can live comfortably.

“We’re boxers. We’re not afraid of nobody. We bleed the same, we walk the same, we put our pants on one at a time. There’s nothing to be afraid of. I’m trying to knock this guy out. I might laugh, I might play around but I’m trying to get him out of here.

“Every fighter is different. I don’t compare fighters to each other. Every fighter has their good habits and their bad habits. All around, he’s a great fighter. He’s done something that nobody has ever done in the sport but it’s time to turn over a new leaf. Adrien Broner will be the biggest name in boxing.

“I feel good at any weight. I feel strong. I will let everything show January 19. It’s going to be a hell of a fight. I just want to beat the man in great fashion. It’s nothing personal, it’s just for me so I can wake up and say I beat Manny Pacquiao.”

STEPHEN ESPINOZA, President Sports & Event Programming, Showtime Networks Inc.

“SHOWTIME is thrilled to be hosting this press conference and to be bringing this matchup of two must-see fighters – there is a very short list of must-see attractions, and of course these two active fighters are on the top of the list.

“Boxing’s only eight-division world champion taking on the youngest boxer ever to be a four-division world champion. We would like to welcome Manny Pacquiao back to SHOWTIME, back to the U.S. as this is his first fight in the U.S. in two years. These two are perennial draws at the box office, ratings, and in the streets. Two of the most well-known, widely recognized boxers in the sport of boxing. Two of the most athletically gifted fighters in the sport – power, speed, quickness, they have it all.

“At this point, odds makers have favored Pacquiao. That’s understandable because he is a Hall of Famer with a Hall of Fame resume. But it would be a mistake to overlook Broner in this fight. Broner never backs down from a challenge. As long as I’ve known him and worked with him he’s never turned down a fight, not against bigger opponents like Shawn Porter, not against big punchers like Marcos Maidana, not against the guys that no one wants to fight. Broner gives them tough fights: 12 rounds against Porter, 12 grueling rounds against Maidana. So for those of you that think this is an easy fight, or easy bet because of the odds, think again. These are two of the most talented fighters of this generation, two of the most athletically gifted fighters of this generation. I guarantee this fight will be a must-see attraction.”

JOE RAMOS, Head of MP Promotions

“This is a fight that we’ve been trying to make for several years. Our new partnership with the great Al Haymon and the PBC has finally made this possible. I’d like to thank Al and his team for making this happen. I’d like to acknowledge our new partners in this fight, Mayweather Promotions and TGB Promotions, our broadcast partner SHOWTIME and Manny’s home away from home, the MGM Grand. To Team Broner, thanks for stepping up to the plate. I hope you have a great training camp and I wish you all the best. To Senator Manny, thank you for giving all your fans this opportunity to showcase your greatness and show you are still the best fighter in the world.”

LEONARD ELLERBE, CEO of Mayweather Promotions

“This is a huge fight. I can’t say enough about what I personally think will be the biggest fight of 2019. You have Manny Pacquiao, a future Hall of Famer, who’s fought everybody in this era against Adrien Broner, one of the most exciting fighters in the sport. He’s the biggest attraction with the biggest ratings and never shy about the cameras. This will be a great promotion. We expect the fans across the world to tune in to this great event. Will Manny Pacquiao be able to use his plethora of experience to defeat a young Adrien Broner whose still in the prime of his career? Or will Adrien Broner be able to utilize his outstanding speed and his skillset to defeat the legendary Hall of Famer, Manny Pacquiao? Tune in, SHOWTIME PPV on January 19.”

RAVONE LITTLEJOHN, Co-Head of About Billions Promotions

“This is the biggest fight that we’ve been involved with, so I would like to thank everybody involved. Adrien knows what he needs to do. I’ve been with him since we were 18-years-old and we’ve been through a lot. I’ve never seen him back down from anything and anybody who’s watched him fight knows that. We look forward to bringing it and we’re going to bring it. I’m very happy to be in this position and we’re going to go far.”

About Showtime Networks Inc.

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, and also offers SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ ON DEMAND and FLIX ON DEMAND®, and the network’s authentication service SHOWTIME ANYTIME®. Showtime Digital Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of SNI, operates the stand-alone streaming service SHOWTIME®. SHOWTIME is currently available to subscribers via cable, DBS and telco providers, and as a stand-alone streaming service through Apple®, Roku®, Amazon, Google and Samsung. Consumers can also subscribe to SHOWTIME via Hulu, YouTube TV, Sling TV, Sony PlayStation® Vue and Amazon Channels. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks™, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution, which offers Smithsonian Channel™, and offers Smithsonian Earth™ through SN Digital LLC. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®. For more information, go to www.SHO.com

About Premier Boxing Champions

The Premier Boxing Champions series was created and is produced by Haymon Sports, LLC. It features the most accomplished and decorated array of international professional boxing talent across the most popular weight divisions.

About MGM Grand Garden Arena

The MGM Grand Garden Arena is home to concerts, championship boxing and premier sporting and special events. The Arena offers comfortable seating for as many as 16,800 with excellent sightlines and state-of-the-art acoustics, lighting and sound. Prominent events to date have included world championship fights between Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson as well as Floyd Mayweather vs. Canelo Alvarez as well as Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquaio; and concerts by The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Bette Midler, George Strait, Justin Timberlake, Beyonce, U2, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, Coldplay, Alicia Keys, Jimmy Buffett and the Barbra Streisand Millennium Concert. The MGM Grand Garden Arena also has been home to annual events including the Academy of Country Music Awards, the Billboard Music Awards, iHeartRadio Music Festival, Pac-12 Men’s Basketball Championship and Frozen Fury NHL pre-season games hosted by the Los Angeles Kings.

NEW YORK – November 19, 2018 – Senator Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao, boxing’s only eight-division world champion, will end his two-year hiatus from a U.S. boxing ring when he returns to Las Vegas to defend his World Boxing Association welterweight world title against former four-division world champion and must-see attraction Adrien “The Problem” Broner. The Pacquiao vs. Broner world championship event will take place Saturday, Jan. 19 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Pacquiao vs. Broner and its co-main event fights will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV and presented by Premier Boxing Champions beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

Pacquaio is coming off a vintage performance in July where he stopped Argentine slugger and world champion Lucas Matthysse inside seven rounds. Now, Pacquiao returns to the U.S. in his remarkable fourth reign as welterweight world champion. Broner, one of the most talented fighters in boxing, is aiming for his second stint as 147-pound champion. If victorious, Broner also will add a career-defining win against a future Hall of Famer to his already stellar resume.

“I have missed fighting in Las Vegas. It has been a second home to me,” said Pacquiao. “Returning to the MGM Grand Garden Arena to defend my world title against Adrien Broner is an exciting way to stage my homecoming. Adrien is a tough opponent with an accomplished record. But if I have learned one thing while serving in the Philippine Congress and Senate, it is problem solving.”

Broner said, “I have paid my dues in this sport, and now it’s time for me to get mines. I get more views than everybody when I fight. A lot of people are going to see me pack off Pacquiao into retirement, and without his belt.”

Promoted by MP Promotions, Mayweather Promotions and TGB Promotions in association with About Billions Promotions, tickets to the Pacquiao vs. Broner welterweight world championship event go on sale Saturday, November 24. Tickets are priced at $1,500, $1,000, $750, $500, $300, $200, $100, not including applicable service charges, and can be purchased online through AXS.com, charge by phone at 866-740-7711 or in person at any MGM Resorts International box office.

“Manny Pacquiao and Adrien Broner are two of the most gifted athletes in boxing today,” said Stephen Espinoza, President, Sports and Event Programming, Showtime Networks Inc. “Both men throw punches with eye-opening speed and carry significant power in both hands. These attributes have made them two of the biggest draws in the sport. Pacquiao is a proven pay-per-view attraction, while Broner has consistently delivered many of the highest-rated boxing events on television. This matchup promises explosive action from bell to bell.”

“MP Promotions is very excited about launching its new relationship with the PBC by presenting Senator Manny’s return to Las Vegas in the first defense of his WBA welterweight world title,” said MP Promotions head Joe Ramos. “Manny has a rich boxing history at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, and he will train hard to keep that title when he battles Adrien Broner on January 19. This will be another opportunity for Manny to add another highlight to his spectacular career and entertain his millions of fans. But more importantly, to prove to the world that he still belongs in the pound-for-pound discussion. It’s going to be a great night for the sport.”

“Mayweather Promotions is looking forward to working with our co-promoters and SHOWTIME to bring this spectacle between Manny Pacquiao and Adrien Broner to the fans at the top of the year,” said Leonard Ellerbe of Mayweather Promotions. “This is going to be one of the biggest fights of 2019 with Broner looking to defy the odds and shut everyone up when he steps in the ring on fight night. Pacquiao has faced everyone top fighter in this era and is looking to add another signature win to cap off his historic career.”

“This is an intriguing matchup between two highly skilled boxers who provide entertainment every time they step in the ring,” said Tom Brown of TGB Promotions. “Manny Pacquiao is an iconic future Hall of Famer with a resume that includes a Who’s Who of some of the greatest boxers of this generation. Adrien Broner has become must-see TV in winning world titles in four different divisions, and a victory over Pacquiao will move him back into the championship ranks and add luster to an already sterling career.”

Richard Sturm, President of Las Vegas Live Entertainment and Sports for MGM Resorts International, said, “We are excited to host this championship fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena which will kick off another great year of entertainment programming for MGM Resorts. This will be a terrific matchup between two great champions and we look forward to welcoming both of them back to the MGM Grand and Las Vegas.”

A three-time Fighter of the Year and the Boxing Writers Association of America’s reigning Fighter of the Decade, Pacquiao (60-7-2, 39 KOs), who hails from Sarangani Province in the Philippines, is the only sitting Congressman and Senator to win a world title. After serving two terms as Congressman, Pacquiao was elected to a Philippine Senate seat in May 2016, capturing over 16 million votes nationally. Pacquiao’s boxing resume features victories over at least seven current and future Hall of Famers, including Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Miguel Cotto, Shane Mosley, and Juan Manuel Marquez. In his last fight, with Philippine President Rodrigo R. Duerte and Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad in attendance (the first time two heads of state attended a championship boxing event), Pacquaio, 39, regained the welterweight title for a fourth time with a vintage performance on July 15 at Axiata Arena in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia, by knocking out defending WBA champion Lucas Matthyssee in the seventh round.

Pacquiao recently had the high honor of speaking to the Oxford Union and the Cambridge Union on the campuses of the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge, respectively, on consecutive days, another historic first in a career of historic firsts for the international sports icon. Pacquiao’s speeches about his life attracted standing room only crowds and huge ovations.

Cincinnati’s Broner (33-3-1, 24 KOs) is a former four-division world title holder and one of boxing’s most popular and colorful personalities. The brash and outspoken 29-year-old has faced some of boxing’s best en route to winning titles at 130, 135, 140 and 147 pounds, including Mikey Garcia, Paulie Malignaggi and Shawn Porter. Broner, who will face his 10th world champion in Pacquiao, scored a draw in his last fight in April on SHOWTIME against former two-division world champion Jessie Vargas.

About Showtime Networks Inc.

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, and also offers SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ ON DEMAND and FLIX ON DEMAND®, and the network’s authentication service SHOWTIME ANYTIME®. Showtime Digital Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of SNI, operates the stand-alone streaming service SHOWTIME®. SHOWTIME is currently available to subscribers via cable, DBS and telco providers, and as a stand-alone streaming service through Apple®, Roku®, Amazon, Google and Samsung. Consumers can also subscribe to SHOWTIME via Hulu, YouTube TV, Sling TV, Sony PlayStation® Vue and Amazon Channels. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks™, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution, which offers Smithsonian Channel™, and offers Smithsonian Earth™ through SN Digital LLC. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®. For more information, go to www.SHO.com

About Premier Boxing Champions

The Premier Boxing Champions series was created and is produced by Haymon Sports, LLC. It features the most accomplished and decorated array of international professional boxing talent across the most popular weight divisions.

About MGM Grand Garden Arena

The MGM Grand Garden Arena is home to concerts, championship boxing and premier sporting and special events. The Arena offers comfortable seating for as many as 16,800 with excellent sightlines and state-of-the-art acoustics, lighting and sound. Prominent events to date have included world championship fights between Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson as well as Floyd Mayweather vs. Canelo Alvarez as well as Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquaio; and concerts by The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Bette Midler, George Strait, Justin Timberlake, Beyonce, U2, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, Coldplay, Alicia Keys, Jimmy Buffett and the Barbra Streisand Millennium Concert. The MGM Grand Garden Arena also has been home to annual events including the Academy of Country Music Awards, the Billboard Music Awards, iHeartRadio Music Festival, Pac-12 Men’s Basketball Championship and Frozen Fury NHL pre-season games hosted by the Los Angeles Kings.

By Bart Barry-

Saturday brought yet another delightful multihour multiplatform celebration of a sport even weekly columnists feared might die four years ago (Pacquiao-Algieri, for bottomwatchers). The World Boxing Super Series delivered another pair of quarterfinal matches on DAZN, late afternoon, and ESPN+ presented an entertaining if not historic scrap from El Paso a few hours later. Our wonderful recrudescence continues Saturday with the return of Oleksandr Usyk on DAZN, in a match to ensure he is recognized as 2018’s best fighter.

Going last to first Mexican super featherweight Miguel Berchelt diswilled Mexican Miguel Roman in a Texas beating brutal as promised. Scottish super lightweight Josh Taylor denuded American Ryan Martin in Scotland. Nonito “Filipino Flash” Donaire benefited from an uncommon bit of bad luck when Northern Ireland’s Ryan Burnett lost his bantamweight title via searing backache.

One of the German philosophers, must’ve been Nietzsche, posited sympathy was the worst emotion because it required its possessor be unseemly superior to its object; a person may feel many emotions towards a person of circumstances superior to his own but sympathy be not one of them. One keeps such a teaching behind his lifelong thoughts after he reads it and especially as he watches prizefighting and especially especially as he watches prizefighting to write about prizefighting. Beatings, hundreds to thousands of them, he witnesses without perching himself highly enough to sympathize with the vanquished because, frankly, why should he? Even the loser of a prizefight has engaged in a display of public courage.

Still, Saturday brought a genuine and weird tingling of sympathy for Ryan Burnett. To see a fighter so dramatically reduced so rapidly through no decipherable fault of his own was unpleasant. So freakishly, too. One sees injured hands, eyes and noses enough to be immune their happenings. Where brittle hands are tragic they’re also to prizefighting what height is to a professional basketball player – sure, theoretically, you could make it to the NBA at 5-foot-9, but it is unlikely your destiny.

But to see a 26-year-old championship prizefighter slip a disk while throwing a cross?

Yet there was Burnett after 10 minutes of movement both mechanically correct and innovative suddenly near paralyzed across half his body. Donaire, having done nothing to cause the injury, had no choice but to exploit his opponent’s weakness unto unconsciousness if possible. Burnett didn’t allow that but neither was he allowed out his corner for round 5 and not too long – though excruciatingly – after that he was wheeled out the arena, unable to make the walk. One winces at thoughts of Burnett’s next week ambling about his house.

Weird and deep as went the pang of sympathy for Burnett, one suspects there was selfishness in the brew. The opening three rounds of Donaire-Burnett were fantastic compelling. Donaire was outclassed but giving an excellent account of himself, and Burnett was beginning to invent and transcend, hitting Donaire disrespectfully and unusually for a fighter his size.

Remember, the last time any aficionado saw Donaire at 118 pounds he was electrocuting Fernando Montiel and unilateraling Omar Narvaez; nobody at that weight who stood and swapped with Donaire did so without fear he’d be Darchinyan’d. Burnett did so fearlessly and creatively. Donaire’s seven years and 15 fights (11-4, 6 KOs) removed from his best bantamweight days, of course, but during lots of exchanges Saturday he was similar enough to prime Nonito – Victor Conte affiliate, future VADA posterboy – to make Burnett look awesome to trained eyes.

No one looked better in a mainevent Saturday than Burnett did those opening 10 minutes against Donaire. The creative way he used the lefthook to corral Donaire into a right uppercut, throwing the 3 as a wide lead, and the way he chalked Donaire with the cross. Then came the cross that felled Burnett, and if you didn’t immediately think “pre-existing condition” you’ve not spent sufficient time round boxers or Democrats. It’s the only sensible explanation that burst over the synapses: Burnett did some sort of campy crosstraining something, whether sledgehammering a tire or pulling a tractor, that made him unright a month out. But with massages, painkillers and pilates, hopes were high things’d hold up. And they did, too, enough for Burnett to move not-gingerly until the moment he was unable to move.

All that is merest speculation but more believable, anyway, than a fighter’s 10,000th thrown punch disconnecting his back from itself.

It was in the shadow of this climactic anticlimax Josh Taylor outclassed Ryan Martin. Readers are duly admonished to suspend judgement on Taylor, as he did nothing more than exactly what he was supposed to do Saturday and in unremarkable fashion. Oh, but his footwork is bewitching!

If that’s true it will manifest itself quickly enough in a tournament designed to reveal character. See, there’s no longer any need to be early on these things. There’s no longer a need to squint at the screen in the hopes of being the only one to see how special a fighter is before he’s proved it, lest he never have the chance to prove it. The WBSS proves it. If your guy is a great fighter he’ll win his season of the WBSS, and in so doing will justify for at least a halfyear your belief in him by being recognized as the world’s best in his weightclass.

Tournament boxing eliminates the matchmaking (cherrypicking) that brought so much misplaced anxiety and argument to Money May’s era and GGG’s middleweight reign. HBO’s gone now, too, so there’s no need to rehash the banal hypothetical hash that became the network’s lowly specialty once Larry Merchant left: Our middleweight champion just poleaxed a welterweight, which proves if he were to campaign at super middleweight he’d have no trouble dominating there, either.

That brings us to Saturday’s third mainevent and a commentary like: Blessed be Timothy Bradley among all ESPN mainevent commentators (Brian “Bomac” McIntyre is fantastic, too, but he does undercards) for realizing our beloved sport is moved on from HBO so there’s no reason to audition for Max Kellerman’s seat, there’s no need to interrupt insights about the present with cliched musings about fighters’ pasts, there’s no need to reargue and reheat and recycle whatever tiny detail your cohosts didn’t buy fully enough, there’s no need to unearth the human condition with every single punch.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

MANILA (November 1, 2018) — MANNY “Pacman” PACQUIAO has made a career out of taking opponents to school. He has done it 60 times inside a boxing ring. Now, boxing’s only eight-division world champion has accepted an invitation to return to school himself and speak at the Oxford Union on the campus of the University Oxford and the Cambridge Union, at the University of Cambridge on Monday, November 5, and Tuesday, November 6, respectively.

“To be invited to these beacons of higher learning to speak to their students is indeed a tremendous honor,” said Pacquiao. “I treasure moments like these where I can share my story and my culture, as well as exchange ideas, with the next generation of leaders.”

The Oxford Union has a rich history. Founded in 1823, it has grown to become the most prestigious student society in the world. The Oxford Union, the largest society at the University of Oxford, has hosted world leaders in every field, including Albert Einstein, Winston Churchill, Malcolm X, Mother Teresa, the Dalai Lama, Roger Bannister, and former U.S. Presidents Reagan, Nixon and Carter, to name a few.

Founded in 1815, the Cambridge Union is steeped in history, being the oldest debating and free speech society in the world, and the largest student society in the University of Cambridge. It too has hosted an impressive list of world leaders in every field, including Margaret Thatcher, Theodore Roosevelt, Stephen Hawking, Buzz Aldrin, Antonin Scalia, Ian McKellen, and Sebastian Coe.

Pacquiao (60-7-2, 39 KOs), who hails from Sarangani Province in the Philippines, is the only sitting Congressman and Senator to win a world title. After serving two terms as congressman, Pacquiao was elected to a Philippine Senate seat in May 2016, capturing over 16 million votes nationally. Pacquiao’s boxing resume features victories over current and future Hall of Famers, including Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Miguel Cotto, Shane Mosley, and Juan Manuel Marquez. A three-time Fighter of the Year and the Boxing Writers Association of America’s reigning Fighter of the Decade, Pacquiao regained the welterweight title for a fourth time on July 15 by knocking out defending WBA world champion Lucas Matthyssee. The fight took place at Axiata Arena in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia. Philippine President Rodrigo R. Duerte and Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad were in attendance, marking the first time two heads of state attended a championship-boxing event.

Pacquiao recently announced that he has entered into an exclusive agreement to work with manager / advisor Al Haymon. The new alliance will have team Pacquiao and Haymon working together to navigate the remainder of Pacquiao’s illustrious career. Pacquiao’s first defense of the WBA welterweight world title will kick off the new partnership and will have him appear on the Premier Boxing Champions series. Pacquiao’s promotion company, MP Promotions, will promote all of his upcoming bouts under this new alignment with Haymon. MP Promotions will also work with Haymon to bring some of the best fighters from the Philippines and Asia to the United States to appear on the PBC series.

MANILA (October 22, 2018) — Senator MANNY “Pacman” PACQUIAO, boxing’s only eight-division world champion, announced today that he has entered into an exclusive agreement to work with manager / advisor Al Haymon.The new alliance will have team Pacquiao and Haymon work together to navigate the remainder of his illustrious career. Pacquiao’s first defense of the World Boxing Association welterweight world title will kick off the new partnership and will have Pacquiao appear on the Premier Boxing Champions series. Pacquiao’s promotion company, MP Promotions, will promote all of his upcoming bouts under this new alignment with Haymon.

MP Promotions will also work with Al Haymon to bring some of the best fighters from the Philippines and Asia to the United States to appear on the PBC series.

“I’m very excited about this new chapter in my career and I’m looking forward to a fresh start. I’m reinvigorated by the prospects of bringing up new fighters under the MP Promotions banner,” said Pacquiao. “My team will work closely with Al Haymon for the remainder of my career to deliver the most anticipated fights with the top PBC fighters. Those are the fights the fans want to see and the ones I want to have to close out my career.”

“MP Promotions is very excited about this last phase of Senator Manny’s Hall of Fame Career. We look forward to launching this new relationship with Manny’s first world title defense,” said Joe Ramos, who heads MP Promotions. “I would also like to acknowledge matchmaker Sean Gibbons, legal counsel Tom Falgui, and Senator Manny’s aide Steve Jumalon for their tireless efforts and invaluable advice.”

Pacquiao, a three-time Fighter of the Year and Boxing Writers Association of America’s reigning Fighter of the Decade, will return to the ring early next year. The fight, which will be announced soon, will be co-promoted by MP Promotions and TGB Promotions.

With Philippine President Rodrigo R. Duerte and Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad in attendance (the first time two heads of state attended a championship boxing event), Pacquaio regained the welterweight title for a fourth time on July 15 at Axiata Arena in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia by knocking out defending WBA champion Lucas Matthyssee in the seventh round.

Pacquiao (60-7-2, 39 KOs), who hails from Sarangani Province in the Philippines, is the only sitting Congressman and Senator to win a world title. After serving two terms as congressman, Pacquiao was elected to a Philippine Senate seat in May 2016, capturing over 16 million votes nationally. Pacquiao’s boxing resume features victories over current and future Hall of Famers, including Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Miguel Cotto, Shane Mosley, and Juan Manuel Marquez.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Manny Pacquiao is close to a deal to face Adrien Broner on January 19th in Las Vegas.

Pacquiao made the announcement Thursday during an appearance at a news conference in Manila for the non-profit International Sports Promotion Society, which named him an ambassador.

Pacquiao said he would be fighting Broner next, either on Jan. 12 or Jan. 19. The fight, which Pacquiao termed “90 percent” done, would likely take place in Las Vegas. However, a source with knowledge of the deal told ESPN the fight would be Jan. 19, not Jan. 12, though a fight likely wouldn’t be formalized until he settled his tax issues with the U.S. government.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, the issue of Manny Pacquiao not receiving payment from Top Rank for the July 15th fight against Lucas Matthysse for the American Television rights is being solved.

“Congratulations and good luck to Top Rank Boxing and ESPN on your 7-year partnership agreement,” Pacquiao wrote. “I know both of you have been very busy finalizing the deal. However, I have not received the U.S. rights payment for my July 15 fight against Lucas Matthysse that was broadcast on ESPN plus. Therefore, I am initiating legal proceedings against Top Rank and all other parties based on the non-payment and attempt to restrict my future rights. Thank you.”

“We read the Instagram post and [Top Rank attorney] Harrison [Whitman] handled it with Pacquiao’s attorney, and it looks like everything will be resolved,” Top Rank’s Arum told ESPN.

BROOKLYN (September 5, 2018) – Top welterweight stars of the past, present and future have weighed in with their thoughts on the highly anticipated matchup that pits former welterweight champions Danny Garcia and Shawn Porter against each other for the vacant WBC Welterweight World Title Saturday, September 8 in the main event live on SHOWTIME from Barclays Center, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING™.

The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and features a welterweight title eliminator between Cuba’s Yordenis Ugas and Argentina’s Cesar Barrionuevo and heavyweight action that pits unbeaten Polish slugger Adam Kownacki against former heavyweight champion Charles Martin.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions and DiBella Entertainment, in association with DSG Promotions, start at $50 and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased at ticketmaster.com, barclayscenter.com, or by calling 800-745-3000. Tickets can also be purchased at the American Express Box Office at Barclays Center. Group discounts are available by calling 844-BKLYN-GP.

Here is what a group of current and former welterweight fighters had to say about the Garcia vs. Porter world title showdown:

SUGAR RAY LEONARD, Hall of Famer & Former Unified Welterweight World Champion

“I feel the Danny Garcia vs. Shawn Porter fight has the makings of an exciting fight from what I’ve seen of both of these talented fighters. So here is my prediction based on what I feel both fighters bring into the ring

Garcia will win if he uses his jab to keep Porter at bay and off balance, but Porter gains a victory if he connects and hurts Garcia early and makes him abandon his boxing ability and fight like a slugger — as I did with my first fight vs Roberto Duran.

This is how I see this matchup which should be an exciting fight!”

ERROL SPENCE JR., Unbeaten IBF Welterweight World Champion

“I definitely want to fight the winner of Danny Garcia vs. Shawn Porter. That’s a close fight. I always picked against Danny Garcia in the past, and he always proved me wrong. Shawn Porter’s always a tough fight, because he’s going to come forward and give it his all. He’s basically trying to mug you. But for this fight, it’s hard to go against Danny Garcia. I pick Danny Garcia to win a split decision.”

KEITH THURMAN, WBA Welterweight World Champion; Former Unified Champion

“I honestly love this fight, and I consider it a tremendous battle and one of the best matchups of the year. For me, having fought both of them, I do believe that each is capable of hurting the other and getting one another out of there.

“I know most fans are going to lean toward Danny Garcia with his knockout power and the potential for that. Then there is Shawn, who’s got a decent punch, even though he focuses on his output more than his one-punch solid blow and has it in his arsenal to hurt Danny Garcia.

“I wouldn’t bet on Shawn getting the knockout, but I would on Shawn getting the victory, simply because of his output. I think Danny’s only chance of winning is by knockout, but even as a gambling man, I can’t put my money on Danny getting it. I’m taking Shawn Porter by decision.”

MANNY PACQUIAO, Multiple-Time Welterweight World Champion

“I’m going to give the edge to Danny Garcia. They’re both gritty fighters, but I think Garcia is a little more technical with a little more ring generalship. It should be a great fight, and there’s a possibility of me fighting the winner, but we’ll have to see what happens.”

MIKEY GARCIA, Four-Division World Champion

“I think this is a very good matchup. Shawn Porter is the kind of athlete who is always bringing the fight to you with pressure and volume punching. They both come to fight and they can both take it and dish it out.

“Danny Garcia can use his skills to box on the outside and work from a distance. I think Danny will be able to box a little more and win more of the tight rounds in a very close fight. I’m not sure if it will be a split-decision or a unanimous decision. I believe that Danny will use more of those tactics to win an exciting decision.”

YORDENIS UGAS, Top Welterweight Contender

“I have much respect for Shawn Porter, and I think it will be a great fight. ,
Danny Garcia has more technique and he’s also faced and beaten better opponents than Porter. I am leaning toward Danny Garcia to pull off the victory.”

ROBERT GUERRERO, Former Multiple Division World Champion

“This will be a very entertaining fight for the fans. I can see Danny putting up a good fight, but Porter is going to make the fight rough, and Garcia doesn’t like those type of fights. I’m going with Porter to win by split decision.”

VICTOR ORTIZ, Former Welterweight World Champion

“I think it’s going to be a fast-paced fight. Shawn will be pushing forward, making it rough on Danny, and Danny will be trying to control the distance. I’m going with Danny, giving him the slight edge and saying he wins by a decision.”

JAMAL JAMES, Welterweight Contender

“It’s a good one. Shawn is busier than Danny, more active and carries a lot of momentum when he fights. But that’s not always a good thing because Garcia has power with his timing, he might be able to catch Porter coming in. I’m thinking that Shawn Porter pulls it off. ”

BRANDON RIOS, Former World Champion & Welterweight Title Challenger

“That’s a really tough fight to predict. If Danny can counter really well and keep Shawn Porter off of him while Porter’s coming in, then I see Danny stopping him.

But if Shawn Porter is able to pressure Danny like he usually does, I don’t see Shawn Porter stopping Danny, or anything, but I see him winning by split-decision if he can be in his chest all night long. But if Porter gets nailed with one of those left hooks or a straight right hand, I say Porter goes down. I’m going to go with Danny because he knocked me out.”

BRYANT PERRELLA, Welterweight Prospect

“It could come down to how well Shawn Porter can take Danny Garcia’s punches in a fight that’s really hard to predict, and how well Danny can move, given that he’s not known for having fast feet similar to a guy like Keith Thurman.

But if Shawn can get close and smother Danny’s punches, he will make it a difficult fight. But Danny’s got really heavy hands and sits on his shots well, timing and counter-punching guys, so Porter could play into his hands.

Based off of clean, effective hard shots and giving him the edge in the close, competitive rounds, I’m leaning toward Danny Garcia. Shawn is tough as nails, so I see it going the distance, but just the slight edge to Danny.”

SAMMY VASQUEZ JR., Welterweight Contender

“I’m going with Shawn Porter. Not by stoppage, but Shawn creates too much pressure and Danny Garcia doesn’t throw enough punches and doesn’t deal with pressure. You saw that when he fought Guerrero, who wasn’t looking too bad in that fight.

“Danny can win by knockout if he catches Shawn with that hook, but Shawn’s a workhorse and he puts forth far more pressure than I think Danny’s ever seen in a fight. Shawn may not be susceptible to it if he doesn’t have the proper head movement, but I believe that he will.”

# # #

For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports,www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing, @DannySwift, @ShowtimeShawnP, @LouDiBella, @TGBPromotions, or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing and www.Facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment. PBC is sponsored by Corona, La Cerveza Mas Fina.

A couple weeks after being stopped by Manny Pacquiao has announced his retirement, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“Thanks to boxing for changing my life,” Matthysse wrote on social media in announcing his retirement. “I remember the Argentine national boxing team, where it was very hard but good. I remember in my life all of the kids that I met and the tremendous boxers who represented Argentina with good and bad results, but it was a great experience in my life that I will always remember.

“I came to Trelew (Argentina) at 21 years old. Me and my family, we decided to go back to Junin where I spent 11 years of my career with the great trainer Cuty Barrera and today, at 35 years old, I am once again back in Trelew. I am proud that I maintained my career for 10 years at the world level, where I fought with the best in boxing and I fulfilled my dream of being a world champion.”

“Thanks to all those who followed me in my career, for all of their love because that is the most beautiful thing in this sport of boxing, which is a nice environment,” Matthysse said. “Today, I decide to hang up the gloves because another stage in my life is coming. Many thanks to all of the people that I met thanks to boxing.”

By Bart Barry-

Saturday on the ESPN+ app Filipino Manny Pacquiao smelted Argentine welterweight titlist Lucas Matthysse in Malaysia. Saturday on no app whatever undefeated Russian cruiserweight Murat Gassiev will fight undefeated Ukrainian cruiserweight Oleksandr Usyk in Moscow to unify their division. If the latter’s lack of an American broadcaster is bizarre, the former’s broadcaster was indeed apropos.

A temptation at times like these is to hedge one’s SportsCenterish prepositional phrase. Y’all know the drill: “in recent memory” is the way you take credit for boldness one word before you walk things back with a comma. Not today. After Saturday’s 25-minute comain of commercials, junior-dev graphics and overwrought pontification, it’s time someone other than an ESPN employee asserts what so many of us feel.

Manny Pacquiao’s comeback tilt in Kuala Lumpur was the greatest ESPN+ fight in history.

Before its cancellation some years back ESPN’s “Friday Night Fights” consistently presented the weakest boxing on television, the sort of underbudgeted slop advertisers and reputable promoters skirred. Far from appearing on FNF himself Pacquiao wouldn’t consider permitting towelboy Buboy to chiefsecond even Manila minimumweights on the program. Yet here we are in 2018 and Pacquiao’s now fighting on the smartphone equivalent of FridayNightFights.com.

A word or two about that, actually. What the hell are commercials doing on a paid stream? Having charged us $5/month ESPN gave us at least a halfhour of commercials during its otherwise-inexplicable 150-minute prefight Pacquiao promotion, and had its commentary crew act like nothing was the matter. “Two revenue streams!” some pitchman inevitably proclaimed, but that’s all sorts of wrong because most Saturday viewers were on a free trial and won’t be renewing after the three hours of their lives they just gave ESPN+ for seven rounds of desired boxing. “But wait,” they say, “there are all those Muhammad Ali fights that come with your subscription!” – like either they don’t know about YouTube or figure we don’t.

Almost a decade ago one of promoter Top Rank’s leaders talked about a concept he called “brand of boxing” – encouraging his peers to imagine their sport as an ecosystem whose general health be far more important than any one of their events. Today an American aficionado spends monthly $25 for basic cable (ESPN), $10-$15 for Showtime, $5 for ESPN+ and soon $10-$20 for DAZN – and that $50-$65 monthly bill assumes both a savvy cordcutting bent for our aficionado and his cancellation of HBO some time ago. But here’s the brand-of-boxing punchline: That kind of money spent the first week of July, our aficionado looks forward to the year’s best fight this Saturday and finds to his amazement somehow not one of these sundry pay services is televising Murat Gassiev vs. Oleksandr Usyk to crown the rarest thing in our beloved sport – an undefeated, undisputed, unified champion of the world.

A word or two about that, too, actually. Gassiev-Usyk is a fascinating cruiserweight culmination of World Boxing Super Series’ inaugural season. Former Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer is associated with the WBSS and repulsive. There’s no history needed to make that assertion; if we, as men, were taught to trust our intuition the way mothers do, we’d all have heeded our genuine first impressions of Schaefer 14 years ago. But while Schaefer once combined visibility and repulsiveness in a unique way he’s not otherwise repulsively unique and definitely not repulsive enough to keep us from enjoying what exceptional cruiserweight matches WBSS gave us in its semifinal round. But Schaefer or somebody affiliated with him appears to have repulsed American broadcasters sufficiently to keep Gassiev-Usyk off even our smartphones.

Which makes brand-of-boxing, for the next week at least, toxic.

Writing of which, how about that Lucas Matthysse? We already knew power punchers kept prizefighting’s frailest psyches, but Matthysse’s comportment these last few years makes one consider the symmetrical possibility a boxer’s mental hardiness is inversely proportionate to his punching power.

Five years ago while writing The Ring cover story mentioned on Saturday’s broadcast I came across an exquisite Argentine boxing writer named Osvaldo Príncipi whose Spanish prose and presence make him something like South America’s Hugh McIlvaney. During our correspondence he attributed a whole lot of things like Mathysse’s tattoos to a divorce. I felt for Matthysse then; by all accounts the guy does little in his life but love his daughter, play with his dogs, avoid the media and fight.

Saturday’s second knockdown, though, is hard to excuse. It’s one thing to realize you’re in over your head and race towards unconsciousness, but it’s something else entirely to court it so wishfully – to hope a punch cuts the lights, find it didn’t, then in full consciousness genuflect to your opponent. Let’s move on.

Saturday’s iteration of Manny Pacquiao was a pleasant return to what belligerence once endeared him to so many of us. A return to the man who dealt swiftly and disproportionately with anyone who caused him a sting, a man who didn’t collect grievances or connive but rather sought instant redress – that’s who we saw go after Matthysse each of the three times the Argentine did something offensive to Pacquiao. And it was electrifying.

So Pacquiao fights on. One can’t seriously entertain the possibility GGG is a great middleweight – hard stop – and begrudge Pacquiao three or four farewell tours against career 140-pounders like Matthysse or a talented lightweight like Vasyl Lomachenko. In fact, Pacquiao-Lomachenko in Helsinki might make a great Christmas present for ESPN+ subscribers.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

.

People were expecting an old Manny Pacquiao, but what they got was the Old Manny Pacquiao as he stopped Lucas Matthysse in seven one-sided rounds to capture the WBA Welterweight title at Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia.

Pacquiao displayed handpeed and power that he has not displayed in at least half a decade which led him to land at will on Matthysse.

In round three, Pacquiao landed a perfect lead left uppercut to the chin that Sent Matthysse to the canvas.  In round five, it was a right hook to the head that momentarily wobbled and then Matthysse took a knee.

Pacquiao ended things in round seven, when it was another uppercut that sent Matthysse to the canvas.  Referee Kenny Bayless called a halt to the action at 2:43.

Pacquiao is now 60-7-2 with 39 knockouts.  Matthysse is 39-5.

“You have to love what you do in order to do what I still do as a
39-year-old fighter,” said Pacquiao, who trained hardest despite his
age, pushing himself to the limit.

“Do I look old,?” asked Pacquiao laughing in front of the members of
media at the post-fight press conference.

“Not today,” said Pacquiao, who was cheered on by Philip[pine
president Rodrigo Duterte who watched in the presidential suite with
new Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. “Of course, it was an
extra motivational tool for me to fight well and careful.”

“We will take a rest for now before we decide what to do next,” said
Pacquiao, who goes back to work this week as the Philippine Senate
opens its sessions.

Jhack Tepora won the vacant interim WBA Featherweight title with a 9th round stoppage over Edivaldo Ortega.

Tepora dominated the action, and landed a hard left uppercut that sent Ortega to the canvas,  Tepora opened up on Ortega, and the fight was stopped at 2:38.

Tepora is now 22-0 with 17 knockouts.  Ortega is now 26-2-1.

Carlos Canizales won the the WBA Light Flyweight title with a 12th round stoppage over Bin Lu.

Canizales dominated the fight as he peppered Lu with hard rights throughout the contest.  Canizales dropped Lu in round 11 and again at the end of round 12.  The bout was stopped at 2:59.

Canizales is 21-0-1 with 13 knockouts.  Lu is 1-1.

Moruti Mthalane won the IBF Flyweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Muhammad Waseem.

Mthalane controlled the action until he was dropped with a combination in round 11.

Mthalane won by scores of 116-110 and 114-113 to raise his mark to 36-2.  Waseem is 8-1.

Follow all the action as Lucas Matthysse defends the WBA Welterweight championship against the legendary Manny Pacquiao in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.  The action starts at 9 PM ET / 6 PM PT / 9 AM in Malaysia/Philippines and 10 PM in Argentina with 3 more world title bouts that will see Jhack Tepora vs Edivaldo Ortega for the Interim WBA Featherweight title; Moruti Mthalane vs Muhammad Waseem for the IBF Featherweight title and Carlos Canizalez vs Bin Lu for the WBA Light Flyweight title

NO BROWSER REFRESH NEEDED; THE PAGE WILL UPDATE AUTOMATICALLY

Round 1: Left from Pacquiao..Left to body..Right from Matthysse

Round 2 Overhand right from Matthysse..Good jab..double jab/straight left from Pacquiao..Right hook..Jab from Matthysse

Round 3 UPPERCUT AND DOWN GOES MATTHYSSE…Hard straight left..

Round 4  Uppercut and left from Pacquiao..jab from Matthysse..Double jab from Pacquiao..Body shot from Matthysse…

Round 5 Right hook from Pacquiao…Left hook from Matthysse..Body shot from Pacquiao..Combination from Matthysse…SHOT TO TOP OF HEAD AND MATTHYSSE TAKE A KNEE

Round 6 Matthysse hits Pacquiao with a low blow..Hard left uppercut from Pacquiao..Right hook and body shot..Uppercut from Pacquiao…right hook/left hand…

Round 7 Lead left from Pacquiao..UPPERCUT AND DOWN GOES MATTHYSSE..FIGHT S OVER

Round 1 Winginh shots..Left to body from Tepora…Right from Ortega

Round 2 Uppercut from Tepora..Left from Ortega..Left from Tepora..1-2 to the body..Right hook from Ortega..

Round 3 Body shot from Tepora..Body

Round 4 Left to body from Tepora..

Round 5 Jabs from Tepora

Round 6  Hard left from Tepora.

Round 7 …2 lefts from Ortega

Round 8 Body shot from Tepora..

Round 9 HARD UPPERCUT AND DOWN GOES ORTEGA…HARD RIGHTS AND LEFT..BIG COMBINATION AND THE FIGHT IS OVER

Round 7: Nice right from Mthalane..Counter right

Round 9: Mthlane lands a right..Nice counter right

Round 10 Both land right hands…counter from Mthalane…Right..Right at the bell

Round 11 Waseem cut over the left eye..Left From Mthalane..HARD COMBINATION…DOWN GOES MTHALANE

Round 12 Left from from Mthalane…Jab…Good exchenge..Hard right from Mthalane..Left from Waseem

114-113 twice and 116-110 for MTHLANE

Round 1 Canizales lands a right..Left..Body..Left to body

Round 2 Right from Canizales…Right..Right

Round 3 Counter left and right from Canizales..Good body shot..Trading uppercut..Left from Lu

Round 4 Combination from Lu..Left to body from Canizales..

Round 5 Body and from Lu…Counter right from Canizales.Right..Straight left from Lu..Right from Canizales..Combination from Lu

Round 6:  Round to body from Canizales..1-2..Left to body..Combination

Round 7 Straight left from Canizales

Round 8 Good combination from Lu..Straight left..2 rights from Canizales..Good exchange..

Round 9 Hard right from Canizales…Hard right..3 punch combination..Hard right rocks Lu..

Round 10  Hard right from Canizales

Round 11:  Canizales lands a hard right..He is hurting Lu..Left and Right DOWN GOES LU

Round 12:  Big right hurts Lue..3 more rights and a jab...HUGE RIGHT AND DOWN GOES LU…FIGHT IS STOPPED

https://www.facebook.com/gmanews/videos/10156668063841977/?t=5

HAZARDS OF THE JOB. WBA welterweight challenger Manny Pacquiao is so
anxious to get into the ring on Sunday, July 15 (July 14 in the US)
against champion Lucas Matthysse of Argentina that a little flick of
his fist went a little, too much. That punch actually hurt trainer
Buboy Fernandez during mitts sessions at the Le Meridien Hotel boxing
gym. Fernandez ended up with a chipped tooth. On Saturday, Pacquiao
and Matthysse will tip the scales at the Malaysia International Trade
and Exhibition Center.
MITEC is located at 8 Jalan Dutamas 2, Kompleks Kerajaan.

Pacquiao Expected to Easily Hurdle Today’s Weigh-in Ahead of Matthysse

KUALA LUMPUR–Manny Pacquiao is expected to easily hurdle today’s
weigh-in ahead of WBA champion Lucas Matthysse at the Malaysia
International Trade and Exhibition Center (MITEC) Saturday (July 14)
morning here.

Weigh-in starts at 8 A.M. and will be free to the public. “Fight of
Champions,” the biggest boxing event ever to be shown in Malaysia in
the last four decades, will have 10 more additional bouts in the
undercard three of which are for world titles.

Pacquiao has been one of the smallest welterweight champions in
history and has been tipping the scales three or four pounds lighter
than the 147-pound (66.68 Kg.) limit since he first fought in the
division 10 years ago.

Matthysse, the sledgehammer-fisted Argentine who has won 36 of his 39
victories by knockout (against 4 losses), will be fighting only for
the third time as a welterweight after winning the WBA crown early
this year.

For the 10th time, Kenny Bayless will be the referee starring
Pacquiao. Bayless, 68, first officiated the second meeting between the
Filipino and the legendary Erik Morales in 2006.

Derek Milham of Queensland, Australia will join 74-year-old Stanley
Christodoulou of Johannesburg, South Africa and Glenn Feldman of
Connecticut, USA in scoring the match should it last the full 12
rounds.

The “Golden Boy,” himself, Oscar Dela Hoya, will be on hand for the
weigh-in of Matthysse, a boxer promoted by Golden Boy Promotions.

Unbeaten Jhack Tepora of Cebu City, Philippines, (21-0, 16 KOs) will
vie for the vacant World Boxing Association featherweight title
against Edivaldo “Indio” Ortega (26-1-1, 12 KOs) of Tijuana, Mexico in
the main supporting bout.

Carlos “CCC” Canizales of Venezuela (20-0-1, 16 KOs) will try to
prevent Lu Bin of China from becoming only the first boxer in history
to win a world title on his second bout. They will fight for
Canizales’ WBA light flyweight belt.

Veteran Moruti Mthalane of South Africa and Muhammad Waseem of
Pakistan will lock horns for the vacant International Boxing
Federation (IBF) flyweight title–the last of the four exciting world
championships offered by MP Promotions headed by Pacquiao, himself.

The explosive card will open with Thailand’s Ratchanon Sawangsoda
(12-2, 12 KOs) facing Juan Miguel “The Boss” Elorde, grandson of the
great Filipino “Flash” Elorde in a six-round junior featherweight
match.

Malaysia’s local hero Theena Thayalan (5-0, 2 KOs) will battle
Siddarth Ravindra Varma of India (4-1, 1 KO) in the second bout.

Right after the Pacquiao Vs Matthysse battle, five more exciting
matches spice up the star-studded event that is expected to be beamed
to 200 territories throughout the world including Japan’s Yuuki
Kobayashi (17-1, 8 KOs) battling flyweight Vincent Astrolabio of the
Philippines (10-1, 7 KOs) over 8 rounds.

Other matches include Australia’s shining lightweight George Kambosos
Jr. (14-0, 8 KOs) against Jay Ar Magboo, (17-1, 8 KOs); Eleftherios
Tzouramanis (19-3-3, 3 KOs) fighting Jayar Inson of the Philippines
(15-1, 10 KOs); Youngquiang Yang (10-0, 7 KOs) of China facing
Harmonito Dela Torre (19-1, 12 KOs); and Abdi of Indonesia (5-2, 2
KOs) facing Aiman Abu Bakar of Malaysia (7-0, 3 KOs).

(Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Center (MITEC) is located
at 8 Jalan Dutamas 2, Kompleks Kerajaan.)

By Norm Faruenheim-

Manny Pacquiao is just the latest example of how boxing makes fools out of everybody who sticks around too long. Inevitably, the pro ring collects sad clichés like debris around a clogged drain.

I’m not sure how Pacquiao became just another one. Maybe, he needs the money. Maybe, he’s nostalgic for the good old days, although he might have a tough time recalling them if he continues to fight.

Nearly eight years ago, it was hard to imagine that Pacquiao would be poised for still another fight, this time against Lucas Matthysse in Malaysia on ESPN+ Saturday (9 pm. ET/6 p.m. PT) in the Filipino Senator’s 69th pro bout.

He’ll be 40-years-old later this year, Dec. 17. He’s been fighting for nearly a quarter century. His first recorded bout was Jan. 11, 1995, but that formal record doesn’t include all those other unregulated fights on Filipino back streets for a few pesos, or a meal, or just for the hell of it.

Pacquiao had come so far, so fast, that it was easy to think he would be different. His ascendancy from Filipino street kid, to international celebrity, to national hero was like spontaneous combustion. From karaoke to pro basketball, he’s done it all.

For a few years, much of the world stopped and watched on a night when Pacquiao fought.

He could even stop a war.

I recall his victory in a second rematch with Erik Morales on Nov 18, 2006 at Las Vegas’ Thomas & Mack Center. I was seated next to a Filipino journalist who pointed to his computer and showed me reports from Manila on how a civil conflict on one of the nation’s many islands would cease for as long as the bout lasted. Opposing soldiers wanted to see Pacquiao fight before they resumed their own fight.

The truce lasted only three rounds. The soldiers resumed their fight after he finished his. But it occurred to me that Pacquiao’s dangerous hands were rare weapons. They could knock out opponents and wars. Then, the boxing ring looked to be just a stepping stone for a Fighter of the Year on his way to a Nobel Peace Prize. There was no reason to think he would stick around. There was so much more to do. There was too much ambition. But I was wrong, just another one of those aforementioned fools.

Like so many for so long, another opening bell has become an irresistible siren song for Pacquiao. Guess here is that he needs the money. He always needs the money.

Top Rank’s Bob Arum once said he was the only social welfare system in the Philippines. He bought homes and fishing boats for poor Filipinos who asked. Depending on the source, Pacquiao collected between $120 million and $180 million for his loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2015. That’s huge money, but not a national budget.

Now, however, Pacquiao is not the attraction he was a decade ago. The beginning of his decline can be traced to one punch in one of his greatest fights. Midway through the sixth round of a November, 2010 fight in front of more 41,000 at Cowboys Stadium in the Dallas Metroplex, Antonio Margarito left him doubled over in pain with a vicious body shot to his left side. Pacquiao went on to win the fight for his eighth world title, scoring a courageous unanimous decision, despite 17-pound disadvantage. But he was never the same, never again the smiling warrior, always as happy as he was fearless.

In the rearview mirror, that would have been the time to think about retirement. But Pacquiao continued, despite that first sign of real vulnerability.

He’s made money, spent money.

He’s won fights and lost a few notable ones – Timothy Bradley, Juan Manuel Marquez, Mayweather and – in his last outing – Jeff Horn.

In the controversial loss to Horn in Brisbane, Pacquiao (59-7-2, 35 KOs) looked like a shrunken version of his former self. He still showed some speed and perhaps enough quickness to win on the scorecards. Matthysse (39-4, 36 KOs) looked shot in his last outing, yet the Argentine had a big punch and power is always the last thing to go Pacquiao’s footspeed might be critical.

The troublesome aspect to the Matthysse bout is talk about Pacquiao’s next move if he wins. There’s already speculation about a bout with lightweight champion Vasiliy Lomachenko, the pound-for pound favorite who is recovering from shoulder surgery. The good news is that there is less talk about Pacquiao against newly-minted welterweight Terence Crawford, whose one-sided stoppage of Horn on June 9 showed just how much Pacquiao has declined. Lomachenko is very good, but Crawford is dangerous, perhaps more dangerous than anybody in the ring today.

Crawford could leave Pacquiao with long-term damage. Lomachenko beats him bad. Those aren’t options. They are a fool’s choice.

https://www.facebook.com/MannyPacquiao/videos/1884248125212538/UzpfSTE0MzgyODkyNTcyMTU1OToxNjg2NzczMTg0NzYwNDUx/

GENERAL SANTOS CITY–Challenger Manny Pacquiao sparred for five rounds
Saturday while WBA champion Lucas Matthysse doubled up the effort as
the main combatants to “Fight of Champions” ground it out with eight
more days before their monumental clash in Malaysia.

Pacquaio, fighting for the first time after losing a controversial
bout with Australian bruiser Jeff Horn last year, looked calm and
happy with the way his preparations have transpired thus far.

The 39-year-old legend of boxing feels rejuvenated. He hopes to win an
unprecedented 11th world title in his 23rd year of boxing come July 15
(July 14 in the US) at the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur.

Standing in his way is “The Machine” Matthysse, who is leaving no
stone unturned in his own bid of retiring Pacquiao at all cost, even
hinting of giving up his own life in trying to defend the crown he won
early this year.

Pacquiao sparred for two rounds with compatriot Jheritz Chavez and
another three with unbeaten Australian lightweight George Kambosos
Jr., as training sessions started to taper down.

In stark contrast, Matthysse’s corner is showing a different route of
training as they closed out sparring sessions also on Saturday.
Trainer Joel Diaz was satisfied with his ward’s condition and speed
and was convinced his fighter is ready to fight at any moment now.

Matthysse and his team planed in two nights ago from Los Angeles,
California in hopes of acclimatizing early in his bid to retain his
welterweight belt against the only eight-weight division boxing
champion Pacquiao.

But Pacquiao’s think-tank remain unfazed. Chief trainer Buboy
Fernandez thinks his boyhood friend has done enough in training to
dethrone Matthysse.

“He (Pacquiao), himself, said that he is happy with how training camp
is about to end. He is happy with the coaching staff’s cohesion and
cooperation. Even (Australian) coach Justin (Fortune), his cooperation
being the strength and conditioning coach has rubbed off good vibes
within the camp,” said Fernandez.

Pacquiao is gunning for his 60th victory. He has lost seven time and
drew twice (38 KOs) in his storied career. Retiring is far from
Pacquiao’s mind as he showed moves which he has employed against a
bevy of opponents in the past, when he was a lanky flyweight moving up
to the ranks of bantamweights and even as high as a super
welterweight.

(JULY 7, 2018) ? The next chapter in the storied career of former eight-division world champion and future first-ballot Hall of Famer, Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao, will stream live and exclusively in the United States on Saturday, July 14 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN+ — the recently-launched multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International segment in conjunction with ESPN. This will be Pacquiao’s first fight since headlining cable television’s highest-rated and most-watched boxing telecast since 2006, when he fought Jeff Horn in July of 2017 on ESPN.

Pacquiao will challenge Lucas “La Maquina” Matthysse for the WBA welterweight title at the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. In addition, in the world championship co-feature, Filipino power puncher Jhack Tepora (21-0, 16 KOs) will face Edivaldo “Indio” Ortega (26-1-1, 12 KOs) for the vacant WBA featherweight title. Pacquiao and Matthysse are expected to enter the ring at roughly 11:30 p.m. ET. ESPN+ is available to all fans on the ESPN App and ESPN.com.

Pacquiao-Matthysse will cap a full day of boxing on the ESPN family of networks, as Regis “Rougarou” Prograis will defend the WBC Diamond super lightweight title against Juan Jose Velasco, and lightweight sensation Teofimo Lopez will face William Silva, live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes at 7 p.m. ET and via streaming on the ESPN App from the Lakefront Arena in New Orleans. Undercard action from New Orleans will stream live on ESPN+ starting at 4:30 p.m. ET.

“I am very happy that all of my fans in America will have a chance to watch my next fight on ESPN+, and I am looking forward to putting on a show,” Pacquiao said. “Matthysse is a great opponent. I am training with all of my heart because I want to be champion again.”

“This extraordinary event only affirms ESPN’s commitment to providing boxing fans with the biggest and best fights in the sport,” said Bob Arum, Top Rank’s founder and CEO. “Manny Pacquiao is one of the greatest champions in boxing history, and his fight against Matthysse promises to be a sensational one.”

“This matchup is a perfect example of the world-class caliber of events we envisioned for ESPN+ when we announced our agreement with Top Rank,” said Burke Magnus, ESPN Executive Vice President of Programming and Scheduling. “Pacquiao vs. Matthysse, which will stream live and exclusively on ESPN+, shows the commitment we have to delivering fans the best of boxing year-round on our direct-to-consumer platform.”
Pacquiao (59-7-2, 38 KOs), the living legend from General Santos City, Philippines, will look to score his first knockout victory since 2009. Before losing the WBO welterweight world championship to Jeff Horn via controversial unanimous decision last July, Pacquiao recaptured the title on November 5, 2016 by defeating then-champion Jessie Vargas at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. In a career that has spanned more than two decades, Pacquiao has victories against legendary fighters like Oscar De La Hoya, Miguel Cotto, Juan Manuel Marquez, Shane Mosley, Erik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera, and Ricky Hatton.

Matthysse (39-4, 36 KOs) won the vacant WBA welterweight title Jan. 27 in Los Angeles with an eighth-round knockout over Thailand’s Tewa Kiram. One of boxing’s best punchers, pound-for-pound, he is an all-action brawler who has participated in multiple Fight of the Year contenders, including an 11th-round knockout win over John Molina in 2014 and a 12-round majority decision victory over Ruslan Provodnikov in 2015. Matthysse has won two straight since a 10th-round knockout loss to then-undefeated Viktor Postol on Oct. 3, 2015.

Upcoming exclusive boxing on ESPN+ includes the July 28 battle for the vacant World Boxing Organization 130-pound title as Puerto Rican Star Christopher Diaz faces Masayuki Ito at the Kissimmee Civic Center. Diaz-Ito will stream live and exclusively in the United States at 9:30 p.m. ET with undercard action starting at 6:30 p.m. ET.

For more information visit: www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo, facebook.com/espndeportes; Twitter:twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, @ESPN @ESPNBoxeo,@ESPNDeportes. Use the hashtag #PacquiaoMatthysse to join the conversation on social media.

About ESPN+
ESPN+ is the first-ever multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International segment in conjunction with ESPN. It offers fans thousands of additional live events, on-demand content and original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks.

The ESPN+ lineup includes 18 exclusive, live Top Rank events per year, dozens of fights from other Top Rank undercards, an unmatched library of the greatest fights in boxing history, and two exclusive, original boxing programs: The Boxing Beat with Dan Rafael (Tuesdays) and In This Corner (twice monthly).

It also features hundreds of MLB, NHL and MLS games, Grand Slam tennis, PGA TOUR golf, college sports, international rugby, cricket, the full library of ESPN Films (including 30 for 30) and more. Fans can subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) and cancel at any time.

ESPN+ is an integrated part of the completely redesigned ESPN App. Already the leading sports app, the new ESPN App is the premier all-in-one digital sports platform for fans and is a showcase of the company’s culture of innovation. With a richer, increasingly more personalized experience, the new ESPN App curates all of ESPN’s incredible content into an experience unique to each fan’s individual tastes. ESPN+ is also available through ESPN.com.

KUALA LUMPUR–It’s going to be “war” in Malaysia as WBA welterweight
champion Lucas Matthysse didn’t hide his intentions of defending his
championship belt by retiring boxing’s living legend Manny Pacquiao 10
days from now here.

Just right after landing from a grueling 18-hour journey from the
other side of the Pacific, Matthysse and his team buckled down to
work, hitting the gym and tried to shake the effects of jet lag in his
system.

Fight day will be on July 15 at the Axiata Arena (July 14, 8 PM in the
US) and three other world championship fights are scheduled to add
drama to the roadshow presented by Pacquiao’s own MP Promotions.

So focused is Matthysse that he only has Pacquiao on his mind. How to
beat the fighting Senator from the Philippines, the only eight-weight
division champion of boxing, is the only order of business for him.

“Manny Pacquiao. I want to defeat a legendary fighter like Manny. This
is not Judah, Alexander, Postol or Garcia,” said Matthysse, who planed
in together with manager Mario Arano, trainer Joel Diaz, Golden Boy
Promotions PR man Ramiro Gonzalez and three others who are helping out
in training.

Matthysse has a 39-4 win-loss record with 36 of these fights ending by
spectacular knockouts. Incidentally, (Zab) Judah, (Victor) Postol,
(Devon) Alexander and (Danny) Garcia are the only boxers who have
beaten the 35-year-old fighter in the past.

For Arano, Matthysse has gotten over these losses and has become a
more dangerous and complete fighter since last losing to Postol in
2015.

His lean but mean entourage pales in comparison to Pacquiao’s own
team, which will arrive on Monday–a whole plane-load of trainers
flying on a chartered flight from General Santos City, including
utility persons and fans and supporters.

Matthysse’s early arrival signified his desire to leave nothing behind
and ensure victory for Argentina. “This is Manny Pacquiao, and this is
the quest for anyone in boxing (to defeat Pacquiao,)” said Matthysse.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, all financial requirements have been satisfied for the July 14 (In the US–July 15 in Malaysia) for the Manny Pacquiao – Lucas Matthysse fight to go forward.

“The fight’s a go. There were some bumps in the road but everything is now in order and we’re excited. It’s a great opportunity for Lucas,” said Matthysse Promoter Eric Gomez of Golden Boy Promotions said. “This is his dream fight. It’s the fight he’s been talking about for five years now. Anytime you can fight a legend like Manny Pacquiao it’s a win.

“The money is in place. The money was supposed to be in an escrow account in the U.S. and now everything is good. It’s customary practice when you are fighting overseas to have the money in an escrow account and now the money is there. We’re excited to be working with Manny and his company, MP Promotions, and commend him for putting this fight together and making sure it comes off.”

“I didn’t really pay attention to it, but I saw the headlines (of the fight being in jeopardy),” Matthysse told ESPN, through a translator, about the money issues. “I read a little bit about it, but I just kept training with the same desire I always have. I knew the fight would happen so I didn’t really pay attention to what was going on. I feel good and I am happy to be heading out there to Malaysia to defend my title.”

Bob Arum of Top Rank, who is handling the American distribution of the fight said, “That money paid last week to Top Rank, anywhere between $350,000 and $500,000,” he said. “We then immediately [went] to contract with Manny’s company, which would enable the fight to push forward in the U.S. for the telecast.”

“Our card in New Orleans will be over by 9 p.m. ET and ESPN could go with Manny’s undercard like it would be a normal telecast at that time and make it a night of boxing,” Arum said.

BOXING LEGEND Manny Pacquiao is gunning for one of four world titles
at stake against WBA champion Lucas Matthysse in the “Fight of
Champions” roadshow that promises to electrify the Axiata Arena on
July 15 from start to finish.

Playing the unlikely role as challenger in an inspired bid to win an
unprecedented 11th world title, the only eight-weight division boxing
champion Pacquiao (59-7-2, 36 KOs), is training to dethrone the
dangerous Matthysse of Argentina (39-4, 36 KOs).

The World Boxing Association has recently ordered for Jhack Tepora of
the Philippines (21-0, 16 KOs) to fight Edivaldo “Indio” Ortega of
Mexico (26-1-1, 12 KOs), for the vacant “regular” WBA featherweight
title.

Tepora, the explosive 25-year-old Cebu native, will get his hands full
against the 28-year-old Ortega of Tijuana, Mexico. Tepora is looking
to deny Ortega the pleasure of beating another Filipino in his quest
for the world title. Ortega has beaten Drian Francisco in his last
fight.

This will be Ortega’s first match outside Mexico and his major title
shot. Tepora, who has previously won minor titles, is just too eager
to show his wares in a larger stage as he has scored knockouts in his
last five outings.

“Fight of Champions,” which has a total of 11 fights, will be beamed
live throughout the world. MP Promotions, the promotional company put
up by Pacquiao to give back to boxing, loaded up the card with boxers
raring to showcase talent and potential.

Pacquiao did not scrimp on assembling the best boxers from around the
world and offer it to Malaysian fight fans as China is looking to
break an elusive boxing record. Lu Bin (1-0), the talented Jinan,
China boxer with a sterling amateur career, has been given the title
shot by the WBA to face light flyweight champion Carlos “CCC”
Canizales of Venezuela.

Should Lu Bin upset the heavy-handed Canizales, (20-0-1, 16-KOs), he
will become only the first boxer in history to become world champion
in his second fight.

Moruti Mthalane of South Africa, the 35-year-old veteran (35-2, 24
KOs), is unbeaten in his last 12 fights since losing to Nonito Donaire
Jr. in November 2008. Mthalane will square off with Pakistan’s
legendary amateur Muhammad Waseem, (8-0, 6 KOs) for the International
Boxing Federation flyweight crown.

Waseem has had a run of victories for more than seven years as an
amateur. He is a two-year pro who has won his last three fights by
knockout and successfully defended once the WBC silver flyweight title
in 2016.

Two Australians will be in the undercards. Pacquiao, who has lost to
Australian Jeff Horn in a controversial match, has invited his
Australian sparring mate George Kambosos Jr. (14-0, 8 KOs), to fight
Filipino JR Magboo (17-1, 8 KOs). They battle over 8 rounds at
lightweight.

Another Filipino world title hopeful, Jayar Inson of Davao will face
Terry Tzouramanis of Australia in another eight-round welterweight
match.

Malaysia’s welterweight phenom Theena Thalayan (5-0, 2 KOs), will
battle India’s Siddharth Varma (4-1, 1 KO) in a six-round battle while
Kuala Lumpur native Ailman Abu Bakar (7-0, 3 KOs) battles Indonesian
Abdi (5-2, 2 KOs) for four rounds in the 126-pound division.

Harmonito dela Torre of General Santos City, Philippines, (19-1, 12
KOs) will have his hands full against an unpredictable and unbeaten
Chinese talent, Yongqiang Yang (10-0, 7 KOs) in a 10-round lightweight
clash.

Other Filipinos seeing action include bantamweight Vincent Astrolabio
(10-1, 7 KOs) fighting Yuuki Kobayashi of Japan (13-7, 7 KOs) and Juan
Miguel Elorde (25-1, 13 KOs) facing Ratchanon Sawangsoda of Thailand
(12-2, 12 KOs).