News: Manny Pacquiao on E:60 tonight; Mike Arnaoutis; Chavez Jr vs Vanda

The next edition of ESPN’s prime-time newsmagazine E:60, on Tonight!, Tuesday, October 28, at 7 p.m. ET, will include a profile of MANNY PACQUIAO, the five-division world boxing champion from the Philippines. Pacauiao, the reigning WBC lightweight champion moves up TWO weight divisions to take on six-division world champion Oscar De La Hoya in a 12-round welterweight battle. Presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Top Rank, De La Hoya vs. Pacquiao will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View, Saturday, December 6 from MGM Grand..

(From the ESPN release): Reporter Jeremy Schaap takes a look at Manny’s rise from poverty to national hero in the Philippines and, some would say, a fighter who is carrying boxing with his success and potential. Schaap is willing to do interviews with any media who might be interested in hearing about his time with Pacquaio – and things that might not make the final cut due to time restraints.

Here’s a brief overview of the piece:

Manny Pacquiao holds many titles. He is currently the WBC Lightweight Champion, was formerly the WBC Super Featherweight Champion, The Ring Featherweight, IBF Super Bantamweight Champion and WBC Flyweight Champion but as the first Filipino and Asian boxer to win five world titles in different weight divisions, his most prominent role might be as a hero/icon in his native country. This 29 year old from General Santos City, Philippines rose from the poverty of his country to be named by The Ring magazine as the top pound for pound boxer in the world in June, 2008 and is poised to become even bigger if he wins his December fight with Oscar De La Hoya. E:60 reporter Jeremy Schaap sits down with the world’s number one boxer to talk about Pacquiao’s big break in June, 2001, when he stepped in as a late replacement and beat IBF Junior Featherweight champion Lehlo Ledwaba by technical knockout. He has virtually destroyed most pugilists that have dared to step in the ring to face him since then and right now many experts agree Pacquiao is carrying boxing. With eight straight wins and a record of knockouts in terms of revenues from his recent pay-per-view fights, Pacquaio may be worth more than his weight in gold. According to Mark Taffet, senior vice president for HBO PPV, Pacquiao weighs 135 pounds (but) his PPV numbers look more like heavyweight numbers.” Tune in and find out why this fighter was able to generate a record $20.2 million in revenue for a featherweight class bout.

Click http://espnmediazone.com/press_kits/E60 for releases, correspondents and executive production team bios and video clips. For complete E:60 features and expanded versions of the reporter-producer meetings, click http://www.e60.com

ARNAOUTIS CONTINUES QUEST FOR CHAMPIONSHIP

On Wednesday October 29th Star Boxing’s The Pride of Greece, “Mighty” Mike Arnaoutis (20-2-2, 10KO) looks to continue his quest towards a 140 lb. world championship when he takes on tough Ben Ankrah (19-6-1, 9KO) in a ten round jr. welterweight contest at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City. The Arnaoutis vs. Ankrah fight will be the main event and will be shown live on GoFightLive.tv, along with the rest of the bouts that evening.

Arnaoutis is currently ranked in all of the major sactioning bodies top fifteen (WBO #7, IBF #10, WBA#11, and WBC #15). If Arnaoutis can get past Ankrah, he will be right in line to face the winner of the Kendall Holt vs. Ricardo Torres III fight for the WBO lt. welterweight championship, which is currently being held by Holt. Not only will a fight against Holt or Torres be a chance for Arnaoutis to win a world championship, it will also be a chance at redemption, being Holt and Torres are the only two men to have defeated Arnaoutis as a professional.

ARNAOUTIS WITH PROMOTER JOE DEGUARDIA

“Of course I am thinking about facing the winner of that fight, but first things first I know I have a tough fight in front of me on the 29th and I must take care of that fight first,” stated the USBA champion Arnaoutis. Regarding whom he would rather face Arnaoutis’s answer was simple, “Whoever has the belt that is who I want to face.”

“On October 29th you are going to see one exciting night of boxing,” stated Joe DeGuardia, CEO of Star Boxing. “We have put together a great card featuring “Mighty” Mike and Vinny Maddalone along with some of New York City’s top up and coming prospects. The best part about these shows is the atmosphere that surrounds the event. You have all of these Greek fans coming out to support Mike and waving their flags and singing their Greek songs and then you have all the Italians doing the same for Vinny. Then you have these other guys on the cards whose friends and family come from the different neighborhoods and boroughs in NYC and they are doing the same for them. It really is like going back in time to the golden days of boxing when these type of events were going on almost every single week. It’s great for boxing and it is also great for the city of New York. We look forward to seeing everyone at the show on Wednesday.”

With the fight just days away, “Mighty” Mike looked to be in tremendous shape, as he stated he had yet another great training camp leading up to his bout with Ankrah. “Boxing is my life, and I take it very seriously. It doesn’t matter who I am fighting I always put in my all in training camp as if every fight is for a championship. I am ready and excited to be fighting in front of all my Greek fans who are coming from Astoria and New York and New Jersey to support me. I want to thank my promoter Joe DeGuardia and Star Boxing for putting this fight together and I really hope everyone can make it out on Wednesday because I am promising I am going to put on a great show.”

Tickets are available for purchase immediately through all ticketmaster outlets or by going online to ticketmaster.com and www.starboxing.com. Or simply by calling (718) 823-2000 or (212)307-717. Tickets can be purchased for $200, $100, $75, or $40. A FEW EXCLUSIVE VIP TABLES WHICH INCLUDE DINNER AND PRIORITY SEATING ARE STILL AVAILABLE TO PURCHASE BY CONTACTING DOTTIE RAVEN AT STAR BOXING AT (718) 823-2000. Roseland Ballroom is located in New York City at 239 W. 52 Street between Broadway and 8th Avenue. Doors open at 6:30 PM with the first bout scheduled for 7:30.

JULIO CESAR CHAVEZ, JR / NONITO DONAIRE
JORGE ARCE / MATT VANDA
MATVEY KOROBOV / LAMONT PETERSON FINAL NEWS CONFERENCE LUNCHEON FOR “FINAL IMPACT” PPV FISTIVAL

LAS VEGAS (October 28, 2008) – Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum, and the stars of “Final Impact” — the five-bout Pay-Per-View Fistival — will host their final News Conference Luncheon Tomorrow! Wednesday, October 29, at the Border Grill, in Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, beginning at Noon PT.

Super welterweight contenders JULIO CESAR CHAVEZ, JR., and MATT “The Predator” VANDA; IBF/IBO flyweight champion NONITO “The Filipino Flash” DONAIRE and his opponent, No. 1 contender and mandatory challenger MORUTI “Baby Face” MTHALANE; WBA super flyweight interim champion JORGE ARCE, and his opponent, former WBO flyweight champion ISIDRO GARCIA; undefeated Top-Five super lightweight contender LAMONT PETERSON and his opponent LANARDO TYNER; and two-time World Amateur middleweight champion and 2008 Russian Olympian MATVEY KOROBOV will be available to media for interviews.

Chavez (37-0-1, 29 KOs), from Culiacan. Mexico, son of the legendary three-division world champion Julio Cesar Chavez, will risk his unbeaten record against Vanda (39-7, 22 KOs), from St. Paul, Minn., in a rematch of their close and hard-fought July 12 brawl, won by Chavez via a controversial split decision. Donaire (19-1, 12 KOs), from San Leandro, Calif. by way of General Santos City, Philippines, makes his Top Rank debut defending his titles against Mthalane (22-1, 15 KOs), of Durban, South Africa, making his U.S. debut. Arce (50-4-1, 38 KOs), from Los Mochis, Mexico, and Garcia (25-5-2, 8 KOs), from Los Angeles, rumble in a 12-round super flyweight battle. Peterson (25-0, 12 KOs), from Washington, D.C., currently world-rated No. 4 by the WBA and WBO, risks record and rating against Tyner (19-1, 11 KOs), of Houston, in a 10-round super lightweight bout. Korobov, recently signed by Top Rank and managed by BWAA “Manager of the Year” Cameron Dunkin, will be making his professional debut.

Promoted by Top Rank, this exciting event will take place This Saturday! November 1 at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino. The pay-per-view broadcast will begin at 9 p.m. ET /
6 p.m. PT.