By Izah Morales

IT was not yet Friday but many have gathered at the Black Nazarene Church in Quiapo not to hear mass. They were there to catch a glimpse of the victorious Manny Pacquiao.

At around 8:00 in the morning, the siren went off in Plaza Miranda as Pacquiao and his entourage arrived.

The once solemn atmosphere in the Church was quickly filled with cheers as Pacquiao entered. People who were seated in the Church silently, stood up. Others even forgot they were inside the Church as they climbed on top of pews to have a better view of the boxing champion. The police took about 30 minutes to settle the rowdy crowd inside the Church.

After priest gave his final blessings, Pacquiao was asked to give a message to the people.
During his message, Pacquiao thanked the people and attributed his success to God. He talked about the criticisms he got from some sportswriters before his bout with Oscar de la Hoya. But he said he did not lose hope as he kept his faith in God.

Pacquiao told the crowd, “Don’t tell God that [you] have a big problem. [B]ut tell your problem [that you] have a big God.”

As he went out of the Church, people brought out their phone cameras and took photographs. They followed him until he got into his land cruiser. One man screamed, “Idol kita, Manny!” as if saying that Pacquiao has always been their champion.

(Video courtesy of Solar Sports)

IT was a lopsided fight with Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao dominating every round.

At the end of the eight round, Oscar “The Golden Boy” De La Hoya threw in the towel, and the fight was over. Pacquiao won via technical knockout over De La Hoya.

Pacquiao proved to be the better fighter. His straight left proved an efficient weapon against De La Hoya who was unable to shake off Pacquiao. The Filipino fighter who was landing punches at will was just too fast for De La Hoya.

You can read the round-per-round updates of the fight from here.

[Read the rest of this entry »]

MANNY Pacquiao and Freddie Roach were swarmed by journalists for closer personal shots and interview right after the final media presentation of both fighters at the Hollywood Theater, inside the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

“The Dream Match: Dela Hoya vs. Pacquiao” is slated December 6 (morning of December 7 in the Philippines) at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Here are more pre-fight videos on the upcoming Pacquiao-Oscar De La Hoya fight.

Three days before the Dream Match, oddsmakers still favor Oscar dela Hoya over Manny Pacquiao but Richard Stern, President and COO of MGM, Mirage Entertainment and Sports, says the difference between the two fighters is getting slimmer and that other factors might reveal themselves on fight night itself.

Top Rank CEO Bob Arum presents Team Pacquiao to the media on December 3. Manny “The Pacman” Pacquiao is joined by, among others, trainer Freddie Roach, Wakee Salud and Luis “Chavit” Singson.

Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao who is going up against Oscar “Golden Boy” dela Hoya in a match the world is anxiously anticipating, is clad in a dark suit and tie during a press briefing. Pacquiao says that the fight is “nothing personal,” that he is “just doing his job,” and will do his best to give the viewers a good show.

We also asked our fellow Filipino fans about the upcoming fight, and guess who they favor

You can find the latest stories, video, running account and updates from the The Pacquiao Files.

Photo and video taken by INQUIRER.net US Sales Director Esther Misa-Chavez.

BOXING fans now have an opportunity to watch the Oscar De La Hoya versus Manny Pacquiao fight.

Limited seats have been made available following an arena reconfiguration for “The Dream Match” at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

The match will feature two of boxing’s biggest attractions: Olympic gold medalist and 10-time world champion De La Hoya and current Ring Magazine No. 1-ranked pound-for-pound champion Pacquiao.

They are scheduled to fight on December 6 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.

MGM said tickets are now on sale and available for purchase here and here.

The bout will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9 p.m. EST/6 p.m. PST.

With the match between Oscar De La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao nearing (December 6), expect to hear more analysis and word war between the two camps. Will it be Pacquiao or De La Hoya? Is Pacquiao ready to face the bigger De La Hoya? Will the predictions or speculations turn out in favor of one? But what are the people saying about this match. Here are some samples we’ve gathered so far through e-mail.

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Freddie Roach, who has been a consistent handler of boxing champ Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao surely knows his fighter and the science of boxing. Freddie Roach’s prediction that it will end on the 9th or 10th round is 95 percent sure. Let’s all bet on our national treasure even at 10:7. On the other hand, the camp of De La Hoya is lead by a new handler who has a good track record but his fighter is new to him. Antonio Iturralde, Zamboanga City, via e-mail

Even though I’m a naturalized American citizen now for many years, I still have that Filipino roots and upbringing with me so naturally I always root for Pacquiao whenever he has a fight. But I want to tell you that this time I’m not rooting for anyone. Why? It is not because the Golden Boy is a Mexican. From the boxing standpoint, Pacquiao can’t win. I’m no boxing genius but I have this feeling that Pacquiao will have his first defeat at the hands of the Golden Boy. And, I think it will be bloody. I have never seen such confidence from the Mexican population here in New York. And their points aside from being practical are mostly based on statistics. One thing they always point out is it should be quick and easy. Golden Boy will finish Pacquiao in the 3rd round or it will be a draw. Mariano Beltran, New York City, via e-mail

We also welcome other opinions about this bout through this blog.