LONDON (February 27, 2009) — Pound-for-pound boxing king and reigning Fighter of the Year Manny Pacquiao was in his hotel room throwing feathered darts onto a practice dart board on Friday night. “Just want to sharpen up little,” said Manny who will face Ricky Hatton in a darts competition at pub in Manchester on Saturday afternoon..
Pacquiao and his team on Saturday morning will take a train from London’s Euston Station to Manchester’s Piccadilly Station for a noontime press conference at the Trafford Centre – Great Hall. There they will talk about their upcoming ‘The East vs the West’ world title fight promoted by Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 2. Pacquiao vs. Hatton will be available on HBO Pay Per View.
Pacquiao’s chief trainer Freddie Roach said today that Hatton will be much more difficult than Oscar De la Hoya.
“Hatton is younger, fresher, believes in himself,” said Roach. “He’s a great body puncher. But we’re still going to knock him out. We will have a much different game plan than the one we used to beat De La Hoya.”
Roach said “Manny fought a very smart fight against De La Hoya.
“Manny is a quick learner. He did everything we trained to do against De La Hoya,” Roach said. “When we return to Los Angeles (on Tuesday) I will present the how-to-beat Hatton game plan to Manny.”
Pacquiao arrived with his team into London on Friday night. The pound-for-pound king ate a late-night steak while drinking hot tea in his hotel suite.
NONITO DONAIRE UPDATE
The Filipino Flash, Nonito Donaire, has a new date – April 18 – for his title defense against undefeated Raul ‘Cobra’ Robinson of San Antonio. The Donaire vs Robinson and Ulises Solis vs. Brian Viloria title fights were initially scheduled for March 21. The venue is the same, Araneta Coliseum, Metro Manila, Philippines. The Top Rank championship card will be on Pay Per View.
TIMOTHY “DESERT STORM” BRADLEY TAKES TIME OUT FOR A YOUTH CAREER DAY VISIT
Cathedral City, CA (February 27) – Earlier this week, WBC Super Lightweight Champion Timothy Bradley paid a visit to the children of Nellie N. Coffman Middle School.
“The message that I am trying to get across to young kids is simple; Focus on school and learning… The key is not only reading but understanding what you read, because later in life that is what you will need to make educated decisions.”
Timothy “Desert Storm” Bradley is scheduled to square off against Kendall “Rated R” Holt in a highly anticipated combat that will unify the WBC and WBO super lightweight titles on Saturday, April 4, LIVE on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING.
“I am living proof that with hard work and determination you can be a world champion not only in a sport but in your daily life,” said Bradley after visiting the children of the school located in his hometown of Palm Springs, California.
Bradley’s message was successfully delivered when the children expressed their enthusiasm of having him there for a visit. Explained a faculty member, “They are asking to have him return next year. He captivated them throughout his entire visit. He truly is an inspirational young man and he sets a new standard for kids all around him.”
Thompson Boxing Promotions to Produce 22 Shows for the Leading Hispanic Sports Network in 2009
FOX SPORTS EN ESPAÑOL FORGES EXCLUSIVE PARTNERSHIP WITH“BOXEO THOMPSON”
Orange, CA (February 27, 2009) – Fox Sports en Español, the most popular and widely-distributed Spanish-language sports brand in the U.S., announced today a partnership with Thompson Boxing Promotions to carry exclusive coverage of its fight cards through 2011. The exciting action begins in March with “New Blood III”, and will continue with 22 one-hour broadcast events in 2009. The competitive featherweight main event between undefeated WBC and WBA-rated Juan Carlos Burgos vs. Omar Lizarraga is scheduled to air on Friday, March 6 at 10:00 PM (PST), and another main event between Junior Welterweights Mauricio Herrera and Brian Gordon will air on Friday, March 20 at 10:00 PM (PST).
“We are thrilled to partner with Fox Sports en Español, providing our fans with exciting boxing action,” said Ken Thompson, President of Thompson Boxing Promotions. “The network provides an excellent vehicle to showcase the talented stable of fighters within our organization.”
“We hope boxing aficionados will share our excitement and make Fox Sports en Español their home for some of the most thrilling boxing coverage on television,” said David Sternberg, General Manager & Executive Vice President Fox Sports International.
“In forging this important alliance, we strengthen our position as the most popular and widely-distributed Spanish-language sports platform in the U.S., providing our loyal viewers with the exclusive and action-packed coverage they’ve come to expect from us,” affirmed Sternberg.