Yes, He KHAN!

Amir Khan’s convincing win over WBA light- welterweight crown-holder Andreas Kotelnik at the MEN Arena in Manchester Saturday night to become one of the youngest world champions in British boxing history proved once again that there is life after a devastating knockout loss with the right formula.

And the right stuff that help Amir Khan’s remarkable comeback to the top (after being knocked out cold by Breides Prescott in less than a minute in the first round 10 months ago) was Freddie Roach.

They wrote him off after that bitter loss as nothing but a pretender with a glass chin; a product of British media hype long hungry for another boxing hero. But he did the right decision when he left England to hook up and train with the venerable trainer in his Wild Card Gym in Hollywood right after his loss to Prescott.

And he showed improvement in his arsenal since then. Still, his win on a technicality over Marco Antonio Barrera was branded a fluke because of the Mexican Hall of Famer’s cuts and many thought that he, fighting for the title just 10 months and three fights off his knockout loss was premature.

But Roach said that his ward will be ready and will win the title come fight night. And Khan did not disappoint and proved the skeptics wrong when he fought a calculated, slick and effective fight on the way to victory against Kotelnik, a fellow Olympic silver medalist from Ukraine.

Obviously he gained a lot of confidence by holding his own with Roach's prized fighter P4P- King Manny Pacquiao in their sparring sessions at the Wild Card Gym. And with that kind of exposure, any boxer worth his salt will come out a lot better fighter than expected.

He showed his improvements in various departments: his footwork was great; his lateral movements were a sight to behold; his defense improved; his hand speed was fast and his jabs were effective. But Khan certainly needs to pack more power in his fists if he wants to be considered an elite fighter and be in the hunt for bigger prize money in the future.

Amir Khan’s chin will always be suspect until he face and overcome a heavy-handed hitter like his fellow Brit Ricky Hatton. But for now, he showed that he was able to handle a big fight and overcome the pressure of being in the ring with a veteran like Kotelnik. Surely, he is not yet in the Pacman’s class at this stage of his career but he is surely taking some small baby steps in the right direction.

After all, he is only 22 and still has a lot to learn to improve his game. And with Freddie Roach beside him, we can only see a bright future in the ring for this young lad from Bolton.

Byváy Andrei ?

Andrei Arlovski, the Belorussian former UFC Heavyweight champion suffered a humiliating loss in the first round to unheralded Brett Rogers in a Strikeforce card at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri last night.

Arlovski, whom celebrated boxing trainer Freddie Roach once proclaimed as the best boxer in the MMA and has hopes of invading the ranks of professional boxing was exposed by Rogers and was never in the match as he took a left-right-left combination to the head and dropped on all fours to the mat that forced referee Big John McCarthy to call for an early stoppage.

Truly, after his brutal knockout loss to Fedor Emelianenko, Arlovski is a different fighter now. And with his glass chin, he should reconsider his ambition of boxing full time with or without Freddie Roach in his corner.

So, is it Byváy (goodbye) Andrei?

Lights Out

Saturday Night. Two fights. Same results.




Lyoto Machida's dismantling of the previously undefeated Rashad Evans at UFC 98 was an eye- opener. He will reign as the Light Heavyweight champion a bit longer than his predecessors not only because of his talent but his awkward style that baffles his opponents no end. But make no mistake about it, this Brazilian got game.



On the other hand, Toshiaki Nishioka of Japan recovered from an early knockdown in the first round to hand Johnny Gonzales another stoppage in the third round to retain his WBC Super Bantamweight crown. I am not impressed with Nishioka as fighter but on this particular occasion he rose to the challenge and poleaxed the once promising Mexican right in his own backyard to silence the rowdy crowd.


The two fights were really good but not spectacular in my book. There were flashes of brilliance but there were moments of indecisiveness. Still the winners deserved the wins.

Watch the fights here--

Rashad Evans vs. Lyoto Machida


Toshiaki Nishioka versus Johnny Gonzales

Gone in 24 Seconds

Former Pro wrestler Bobby Lashley clobbered Mike Cook in just 24 seconds during the Maximum Fighting Championship 21 at the River Cree Resort and Casino in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.



Lashley was upset with Cook earlier because Cook came in sporting a Lucha Libre mask as he taunted him and his WWE background and he made him pay for that.

Cook was cooked the moment Lashley got hold of his neck, flattened him out and choked him to submission. Referee John McCarthy stopped the fight when saw Cook's feet quivering from Lashley's stranglehold.

"I’m here for business," said Lashley (3-0). "I’m here and everyone wants to and tries to make fun of the wrestling thing. I’m real. If they want to play around, I’ll knock them out or choke them out. And that’s what I did. I choked him out and made him pay. Now he can go put the mask back on and have fun with himself."

Bobby Lashley with his size and speed has the potential to be a legitimate fighter in the MMA. But for now he is better off fighting the likes of Bob Sapp to gain the much needed experience to figure in a fight with the elite fighters like Fedor and Mirko Cro Cop in the future.

Sir Charles on the Pacquiao- Hatton Fight

MAYHEM in May: Manny Pacquiao annihilates Ricky Hatton

Manny Pacquiao completely destroyed Ricky Hatton's dream of taking the Pound-4-Pound crown from him by sending the Mancunian slugger into his "Wonderland" in a lopsided fight amid the boisterous singing by Ricky's supporters of his fight song, There's Only One Ricky Hatton soaring over the air at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

The Pacman never gave the Hitman a chance right at the opening bell as he peppered him with vicious left and right hooks that hit their target which in this case is Hatton's face and chin. The Pride of Manchester went down twice under the barrage of blows in the first round and was saved by the bell from further damage.

It was only a matter of time as Pacquiao came out smoking in the second round as he brilliantly box the now bewildered opponent with uncanny accuracy of his punches and excellent defense.

The end came with just seconds left in the round when the Filipino fighter landed a wicked left hook flush to Hatton's chin.

Hatton was knocked out cold and was out even before his body touched the canvas. He was unconcious for a considerable amount of time while his corner and the ringside physician tried frantically to attend to him while Pacquiao quietly went to his corner knelt and prayed.

It was a display of devastating power, accuracy and explosion as well as ring generalship by Manny Pacquiao that left without a doubt that he is the King of the Boxing World.


Mabuhay Ka MANNY!


NOTE: But the sweetest of it all was because I correctly predicted the outcome that Manny will beat the lights out of Hatton right from the opening bell and will eventually pulverize him in the Second Round.

This is the time that I wish I was a gambling man for I could have made a killing in the prize fight. But winning the bragging rights against both my Filipino and American friends alike who toed the lines of several "boxing experts" about how the fight will end is enough consolation.

I posted my prediction earlier in my previous entry in this blog. :)


Let's re-live the classic fight one more time-






The Battle of East & West Undercard

(W) Humberto Soto vs. Benoit Guadet
(W) Daniel Jacobs vs. Michael Walker
(W) Matt Korobov vs. Rodrigo Aguilar
(W) Erislandy Lara vs. Chris Gray
(W) Matthew Hatton vs. Ernesto Zepeda
(W) Mike Alvarado vs. Joaquin Gallardo
(W) Abner Mares vs. Jonathan Perez
(W) Bernabe Concepcion vs. Yogli Herrera
(W) Joe Murray vs. Misael Nunez
(W) Omar Chavez vs. Tyler Ziolowski

Pacman vs. Hitman

Manny Pacquiao vs. Ricky Hatton

IBO Light Welterweight Championship
Ring Magazine Light Welterweight Championship

Much has been said about Hatton being the bigger and stronger fighter but there's a saying that the bigger they are, the harder they fall.

Floyd Sr. said that Hatton will knock Manny out early or late in the fight. Freddie said, the Mancunian fighter will go down in the third.

But I'm going out on a limb here, Pacman will gobble the Hitman early and he will hit the canvas and go straight into dreamland in the Second Round.

Live Stream HERE