Does Miguel Cotto have enough left in the tank to beat Foreman and set up Pacquiao rematch?

Miguel Cotto is undeniably a fighter at a cross roads in is career. After being on the receiving end of a rather one sided beating last year and losing his WBO welterweight title in the process, many were wondering if he had much time left in the sport.

The Puerto Rican fan favorite himself acknowledged this after losing to Manny Pacquiao, saying that he would probably retire after another year or two. He then promptly moved up in weight to light middleweight and takes on WBA champion Yuri Foreman next week.

Cotto's new trainer Emmanuel Steward is adamant that his charge can pull off the win, and maintains that he is impressed with Miguel's progress. The pundits are less confident, many saying that the fight is a toss up. The general consensus is that Cotto should win if he still has enough left, but if he looks faded Foreman will take it.

On Cotto's side, his two losses have come against big punchers who could beat him at his own game. Foreman isn't a huge puncher, and even with his size advantage isn't going to blow Cotto out of the water with his power.

Cotto isn't that difficult to hit though, and if Foreman's movement is up to scratch he might be able to keep his foe at bay with his jab and rack up the rounds. Looking back at Cotto's fight against Paulie Malignaggi as a comparison, a then prime Cotto struggled to deal with a better boxer for large portions of the fight, and against Foreman he will also have the added disadvantage of being older and more battle worn.

If he can get past Foreman, he might well be in line for the dubious prize of being able to fight Manny Pacquiao again. Dubious of course because there is every chance he will be on the receiving end of another loss. Potentially an 8th title for Pacquiao and a chance at redemption for Cotto, and a substantial sum of money for both.

For the time being, it is looking increasingly likely that Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather might be able to finally come to terms and fight in November. That fight could well be Pacquiao's last, although if he beats Mayweather or the fight falls through again then a victorious Cotto could well become the next in line for the Filipino, who says he might be ringside for Cotto vs. Foreman this weekend.

*****

Francis Powell, Pittsburgh: "Cotto was shot as soon as Margarito beat him, he definitely doesn't want to fight Manny again even if he beats Foreman"

Kurt Spencer, Philly: "Bob Arum is backing Foreman to win and become a big star, plus he already has Margarito lined up for Foreman next so it doesn't look like Arum thinks Cotto will win"

Wynne Arboleda brings hope to Air21

Air21 guard Wynne Arboleda never imagined something positive would come out of the seven-month suspension he endured for engaging a fan during a PBA game against Smart-Gilas last conference but the feisty guard from Kalibo said the other day the sit-out has made him a better man.

“I suffered a lot,” he said. “I made a mistake but I’m not ashamed of what I did. I will always defend the honor of my (late) parents, particularly my mother. I come from a poor family. The people in Kalibo know my three brothers and I have no (bad) record. The day after the incident, a Kalibo radio station put me on the air because my provincemates were shocked and wanted to find out what happened. I explained my side. The people understood – they gave me hope.”

During his suspension, the 33-year-old Arboleda logged countless hours of community work. He went to Laguna, Rizal and Quezon City to conduct clinics for kids and play in barangay exhibitions.

“I never thought I would enjoy being with kids as much as I did,” said Arboleda. “I worked with Kids Ahoy in Quezon City and took care of 50 streetchildren in Antipolo. I gave away basketballs, volleyballs, badminton sets and other sports equipment to kids. I went to Paete and San Pedro. It felt good to see the smiles on the kids’ faces. I also did clinics for the PBA with coach Norman Black. It was fun but more than that, the experience opened my eyes to the things we can do with kids, to prepare them for the future.”

Arboleda said he also volunteered to assist in distributing ballots and PCOS machines in his home province for the recent elections.

“I was in Aklan for a week,” he related. “I picked up the ballots and PCOS machines from the airport in Kalibo then delivered to the 17 municipalities, three to four a day. We moved under heavy security, sometimes we were on the road for three or four hours, wondering if we would be ambushed.”

Arboleda, who has led the PBA in steals in two seasons, said he reported for practice when not doing community work.

“I tried never to miss practice,” he said. “I wanted to stay in shape. I joined the team for workouts but not for the drills in preparation for a game. The suspension made me closer to my wife (April Rose) and our two kids (Andy, 7, and Alwyn, 2). I also became close to our parish priest at Tahanan Village. Every Sunday morning, we would go to Mass then take breakfast at McDonald’s. The bonding made us closer as a family and it was a blessing.”

Now that he’s back on the court, Arboleda said he hopes to fire up his teammates. Air21 has a 2-11 record with five games left in the eliminations against Coca-Cola on Friday, Alaska on June 11, Sta. Lucia Realty on June 18, Barangay Ginebra on June 20 and Rain Or Shine on June 25.

“We’ll play every game like it’s a knockout or a championship game,” he said. “We’ll probably end up in the wildcards so we’ve got to be prepared to do or die. It’s not enough that we play hard or give a good effort. It’s important that we get back our winning attitude. We commit mistakes late in the game or at the end of every quarter because we relax and we don’t sustain our energy. If we play hard for 48 minutes, we’ll get the results we want. We can’t play hard for one or two quarters only. On the court, I try to remind my teammates what coach (Yeng Guiao) wants. It’s not about the players showing how good we are but whether we can work as a team.”

Arboleda said playing alongside Mike Cortez is a welcome development. “Mike is a tough player, a good defender with a strong body,” he said. “When coach makes us play together, Mike moves to two-guard so he has more chances to drive, score and get a higher percentage. What I like about him is he’s cool.”

As for import Reggie Larry, Arboleda said there’s no doubt that he’s talented.

“We try to motivate him to be more aggressive, to play harder because we rely on him to get us through,” said Arboleda. “We advise him to forget about the calls, to just get back on defense. He’s a good scorer and rebounder. We want him to be more intimidating. Anyway, intimidation is not a violation. Our former import Steve Thomas was scary. We want Larry to be as scary.”

Arboleda reintroduced himself to the PBA crowd by compiling 18 points, four rebounds and six assists in 30 minutes in his comeback game against San Miguel Beer last May 26.

“I felt like a rookie again,” said Arboleda, a PBA cager since 2000. “We missed Wesley (Gonzales) who had a sprain and we struggled in the three position. But we gave it a good fight. We lost by six. I think with five games left, we’ve got a good chance of bouncing back.”

Arboleda never lost hope of returning to the PBA during his long inactivity. It’s the same hope he brings to Air21 in the Express’ drive to stay alive in the Fiesta Conference.

Nationals try out US vet of Russian league

DOHA, Qatar – Smart Gilas Pilipinas will try out American Marcus Douthit next week as the team continues its search for a naturalization candidate.

RP coach Rajko Toroman said Douthit will be coming from Russia, where he played as an import, on June 8 for a tryout with the national team.

“Playing in the Russian league is way better than here in the region that’s why I would like to see him play. One game in Moscow, he gets 16 points and 10 rebounds, we’ll try him out definitely,” said Toroman of the 6-10 Douthit.

The 30-year-old Douthit averaged 8.3 points on an impressive 52.1-percent clip, 4.9 rebounds for Krasnie Krilya Samara in the Russian League and 11.5 points and 7.6 caroms in the Euro Challenge.

A native of Syracuse, New York, Douthit played for Providence College and was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2004 rookie class that included the Magic’s Dwight Howard and Jameer Nelson, the Hawks’ Josh Smith, the Sixers’ Andrei Iguodala, the Pistons’ Ben Gordon, the Bulls’ Luol Deng and the Cavs’ Anderson Varejao.

Jackson Vroman, who helped Mahram of Iran clinch its fourth straight crown in the just concluded 21st FIBA-Asia Champions Cup here and is Lebanon’s naturalized player, and 7-3 Korean Ha Seung-Jin were also part of that star-studded rookie batch.

“I hope our search will end with him,” Toroman said.

Toroman said the agent of Douthit also handles Dwayne Jones and Earl Barron, his earlier choices for naturalization, who remain unsure of their spots with the Phoenix Suns and New York Knicks, respectively.

“I told the agent if you can give us Dwayne Jones or Earl Barron, why not?” he said.

Smart Gilas had earlier opted for Americans CJ Giles, who played for Al Riyadi of Lebanon here, and Jamal Sampson but both failed to make it to the team for different reasons.

A third one, Serbian Milan Vucicevic, made quite a good impression in Doha but Smart Gilas said it needs a bigger, stronger reinforcement.

“Milan is a great guy, good player because he helped us a lot by playing in double-double. We have to be satisfied with how he played here,” said Toroman of Vucicevic, who is going to Turkey after his stint with RP.

Eugene Torre shines in the 3rd Calgary International Chess Classic

Filipino Grandmaster Eugene Torre flashed his old deadly form when he beat local International Master (IM) Raja Panjwani in the ninth and final round to settled into a tie for 2nd to 4th places at the conclusion of the 3rd Calgary International Chess Classic last May 20 to 24 at the Calgary Chess Club in Alberta, Canada.

The Philippine Chess Icon Torre, Asia's First GM, playing under the banner of National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) president/chairman Prospero "Butch" Pichay Jr. finished with 6 points on account of four wins, four draws and one loss in nine outings, the same output of IM Renier Castellanos of Spain and IM Edward Proper of Canada.


Top seed Israeli GM Victor Mikhalevski (2614) ran away with the title with 7.0 points plus champions' purse of $1,500 after a quick draw with the disadvantageous black pieces in the last round allowed his opponent, local Fide Master Eric Hansen, to make his final IM norm on his 18th birthday.

The nine round Swiss-System applied a time control of 40 moves in 90 minutes, then game in 30 minutes with a 30 second increment for each move from move 1.

Torre opened his bid in a bright note after beating FM Dale Haessel of Canada then notch four straight draws against FM Hansen, GM John Fedorowicz and GM Nick de Firmian of the USA and Proper then nipped Castellanos in the sixth round.

However, in the crucial seventh round, Torre lost to GM Mikhalevski that dimmed his bid for the coveted chess title.

He scored back-to-back victories against Richard Wang and IM Panjwani of Canada in the last two round but not good enough to captured the title and settle for 2nd to 4th placers with Castellanos and Proper.

Lakers hope for finals boost from Artest, Bynum

EL SEGUNDO, California — Andrew Bynum didn't play in the 2008 NBA finals, but he remembers how it all ended. Boston Celtics fans celebrated their clinching victory by throwing rocks and other projectiles at the Los Angeles Lakers' departing bus, also rocking it back and forth.

"I only saw a couple of games, and it was crazy — the energy, the fans," said Bynum, who was out for the season with an injured kneecap. "That bus ride back to the hotel, it wasn't the greatest."

Bynum kept that memory close for the past two years, and so did most of his teammates. Although the Lakers' roster is remarkably similar to the group that lost to Boston two years ago, Bynum sees two big reasons Los Angeles might have a better shot this time.

Ron Artest and Bynum said Monday they hope to play major defensive roles in the Lakers' NBA finals rematch with the Celtics, starting Thursday night at Staples Center. Artest is the Lakers' only newcomer this season, while Bynum has postponed surgery on his right knee to participate in the Lakers' playoff run.

Unlike Kobe Bryant, who professes no special interest in a Celtics rematch, Bynum is thrilled this run is ending with Boston.

"It's a great opportunity for us to get one back," Bynum said. "You never want to let something like that sit. I know it means a great deal (historically), but I'm more concerned about my own history."

The Lakers stayed off the court at their training complex Monday, watching film and absorbing coach Phil Jackson's first volley of instruction. Artest's preparation doesn't include much education on the history of this matchup — only a refresher tutorial on the offensive habits of Paul Pierce and the Celtics' forwards.

"I'm not a student," Artest said. "I just love the game. I'm not really familiar with the rivalry. I'm sure there's a lot of history, but I can't really tell you any details about it."

Artest replaced Trevor Ariza on the Lakers' roster last summer, filling the role as their defensive stopper — yet Ariza also was absent from the 2008 finals with an injury. Los Angeles subsequently was carved up by Pierce, who averaged 21.8 points, 6.3 assists and 4.5 rebounds against his hometown team while earning the series MVP award.

Although Artest says it takes an entire team to shut down Boston's array of offensive talent, Jackson is grateful to have a clear-cut matchup for Artest, who performed well against NBA scoring champion Kevin Durant of Oklahoma City in the first round.

"It's a huge difference for us," Jackson said. "That's a matchup that was difficult for us in the (2008) series."

The Lakers have milked their size advantage relentlessly during the season, starting two 7-footers and controlling the paint against nearly every opponent. Bynum's injuries have limited Los Angeles' advantages recently, with the big man missing the last 13 games of the regular season with an Achilles' tendon injury before torn cartilage in his right knee was discovered during the first round, limiting him during the rest of Los Angeles' run through the Western Conference.

"We're going to need me doing better than I am, that's for sure," said Bynum, who's averaging 9.1 points and 7.7 rebounds while starting all 16 playoff games and playing just over 24 minutes per game. "Going in, I'm aware of that. It'll definitely be fun. It'll be a defensive battle this series."

Bynum decided against immediate surgery on his meniscus, even though his knee seems to be getting worse. He had a significant amount of fluid drained from his knee Monday after initially resisting the procedure, and he hopes he'll move better for the last few games of the season.

"I expect that he's going to come out and give us some good minutes," Jackson said. "They may not be heavy minutes, but he's got some effective things that he can do against the Celtics."

Jackson's quiet confidence extends to the players who already experienced the pain of a finals loss two years ago. Bryant and Pau Gasol had just teamed up that season, while most of his roster had never been that far into the playoffs, with their unique pressures and rhythm-disrupting responsibilities.

"I thought that we were really green when we came into the playoffs in 2008," Jackson said. "We lost Drew. We were young in a lot of other spots. This team is more mature now, and experienced."

The Celtics also have changed slightly, but their starting lineup is the same as it was two years ago. The 2008 Lakers started Vladimir Radmanovic — dispatched to Charlotte in a trade netting backup guard Shannon Brown — and Lamar Odom, now their sixth man, who's coming off a superb conference finals against Phoenix.

"We're a different ballclub," Bryant said. "That series really taught us what it takes to win, the energy it takes."

Patrombon through to French Open juniors Round 2

Filipino junior tennis player Jeson Patrombon scored an easy win over his Serbian foe in his debut match at the 2010 French Open Boys’ Singles in Paris, France on Monday.

The 17-year-old Patrombon defeated Miki Jankovic, 6-3, 6-1, on Court 5 of the Roland Garros Stadium.

He is set to face Peruvian Duilio Beretta, the No. 9 seed, in the 2nd Round on Tuesday. Their match will be played on Court 11.

Patrombon, however, failed to progress in the Boys’ Doubles draw after he and Tunisian partner Ahmed Triki crashed out in the opening round.

They were defeated by French tandem Romain Arneodo and Mathias Bourgue, 4-6, 6-1, 1-0(12).

Filipino Francis Casey Alcantara and Filipino-American Raymond Sarmiento, who is playing for the United States, will try their luck in the Boys’ Doubles 1st round on Tuesday.

Alcantara and Sarmiento will go against Slovakian pair Filip Horansky and Jozef Kovalik on Court 8. – With a report from RolandGarros.com

Salud's son eyed PBA deputy commish?

The board of governors of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) may again be looking for a new direction as it is reportedly keen on taking in new people to reinforce the current makeup of the commissioner’s office.

A PBA board member said they’re likely to formally discuss today the proposal to tap a deputy commissioner.

If ever, the matter will be discussed in an executive session before the regular board meeting set at the PBA office in Libis, Quezon City today.

The same board member said being eyed for the job is Atty. Chito Salud, son of former PBA commissioner Rudy Salud.

Another source, however, said board chairman Lito Alvarez might shelve the matter for future meeting.

The same source said the proposal is not included in the agenda of today’s meeting.

The referees’ academy, a fun run event and financial matters are high on the agenda.

The young Salud, together with Lambert Ramos, underwent the selection process for the post eventually filled up by current commissioner Sonny Barrios.

Neither Salud nor Ramos obtained the needed number to secure the job then.

Salud has previously worked in the PBA as among Barrios’ consultants when the latter was still acting PBA commissioner.

Meanwhile, Talk n Text guns for a share of the lead with San Miguel Beer as it takes on Rain or Shine at resumption of the PBA Fiesta Conference at the Astrodome tomorrow.

The Texters and the Painters clash at 5 p.m. with the former looking for their 11th victory against two setbacks.

GM Gomez grabs solo lead in Battle of GMs

Grandmaster (GM) John Paul Gomez defeated FIDE Master (GM) Jan Emmanuel Garcia to grab the solo leadership after the 7th round of the 2010 Phoenix Petroleum “Battle of GMs” national chess championships.

Gomez beat Garcia to raise his total to 6 points at the Character Hotel in Tagaytay City, on Monday. He is a half point ahead over top seed GM Wesley So who has 5.5 points.

Gomez, who held the solo lead when the tournament took a two-day break starting Friday, agreed to split the point after only 16 moves of the Slav defense against fellow GM Darwin Laylo in the 6th round late Sunday.

So, who won via default over 12-time RP Open champion GM Rogelio “Joey” Antonio Jr. in the 6th round, settled a truce with International Master (IM) Rolando Nolte.

Antonio, meantime, agreed to a draw with Laylo in the 7th round to climb to 3rd place with 4.5 points, followed by Laylo who toted 4 points for 4th place.

In other results, GM-elect Ronald Dableo crushed IM Oliver Dimakiling while US-based Julio Catalino Sadorra held into a draw against fellow IM Richard Bitoon.

In the distaff side, Woman FIDE Master (WFM) Chardine Cheradee Camacho notched her 4th straight win and gained the provisional lead with 4.5 points.

The 16-year-old Camacho, an incoming sophomore at the Ateneo de Manila University taking up BS Applied Physics with Applied Computer Systems, prevailed in just 27 moves of the Sicilian. Akiko Suede got mired at 2 points. – by Marlon Bernardino

Cotto-Foreman: Steward says Miguel will shock critics

Trainer Emanuel Steward expects former champion Miguel Cotto to shock the critics with han impressive performance this Saturday against WBA junior middleweight champion Yuri Foreman at New York's Yankee Stadium.

Everyone wants to see what Cotto has left in the tank after taking a lot of punishment against several recent opponents like Manny Pacquiao, Joshua Clottey and Antonio Margarito.

Steward expects a very difficult fight. He received warnings from boxing legends Sugar Ray Leonard and Thomas Hearns. They told Steward he was in for a long night.

"Everyone is focused on what Miguel has left and his style. Regardless of what preparation you have, Yuri is a very talented and underappreciated fighter who has an extremely difficult style for anyone and recently when I was in Vegas for the Mayweather-Mosley fight and I was speaking to Ray Leonard and Tommy Hearns and they said I got my hands full. As good as Miguel will look it will always be a tough fight because of his style," Steward said.

Steward's plan is to get Cotto back to his come forward style that broke down quick boxers like Zab Judah and Paulie Malignaggi. While he expects Foreman to use his legs often in the fight, Steward predicts that at some point, Cotto will catch up to him. He says people are underestimating Cotto's speed.

"The opponent is very difficult, but in the past, Miguel has had great success with speed opponents by cutting down the guys, whether it was Zab Judah or Paulie Malignaggi. All of those guys he had great success against by cutting off the ring," Steward said.

"Right now, the way Miguel has been looking, it is going to be very hard for Yuri to stay away from Miguel for 12 rounds because Miguel is looking very fast with his feet right now and his combinations are wicked and his punching is awesome so I think it’s going to be a great fight, maybe in the mode of a Dempsey and Tunney situation. I think Miguel is a lot faster than a lot of people will expect from this fight. We know that Yuri is fast but Miguel is going to surprise a lot of people wit his speed."

Cotto is not the only one being underestimated. Steward thinks Foreman's punching power is being a bit underestimated. Too many people are placing their focus on Foreman's unbeaten record, which only has eight knockouts. Steward has prepared Cotto for an opponent who has good power in his punches.

"I don’t feel that he has great punching power but it is much better than people give him credit for. I was at a lot of his fights…the fighters he didn’t knock out were the fighters no one was knocking out. I think he is a much better puncher than people give him credit for. Any time a fighter has fast hands and can close his hands a little bit, it creates power," Steward said.

"Yuri closes his hands and punches very fast to be dangerous. You can make a mistake coming in and get hit with a clean shot with one you don’t see. He punches much better than his record indicates."

Another US player tries out for Smart Gilas

DOHA, Qatar — Smart-Gilas national team’s Serbian coach Rajko Toroman said Sunday that an American player who is currently in Russia will arrive in Manila this week to tryout for a slot in the team.

Marcus Douthit, a 6-foot-10 forward-center who played college ball at Providence, will be arriving on June 8.

His arrival was confirmed by his American agent to Toroman.

“We got some list from one agent. It’s good if she can give us Dwayne Jones, Earl Barron. But we’ll try with Douthit,” Toroman said.

Douthit was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers (56th overall) in the 2004 NBA Rookie Draft, the same draft class of Dwight Howard, Andre Iguodala, Jameer Nelson, and Jackson Vroman, the Lebanese-American who played for Mahram-Iran in the Champions Cup.

Douthit currently plays for the Krasnie Krilya Samara in Russia where he’s averaging only 8.3 points and 4.9 rebounds. In the recent Euro League, his numbers improved to 11.5 points and 7.6 rebounds.

Smart-Gilas import in the Champions Cup, 6-foot-10 Serbian Milan Vucicevic, has impressed the coaching staff with his work ethic and attitude, but his size and level of play will not be enough to help the national team in the Asian Games this year and the 2011 FIBA-Asia Championship, the qualifying event for the 2012 London Olympics.

“Milan is great guy, he’s a good player and he helped us a lot. Still, we need a really good rebounder, who can push us and better run on the court,” Toroman said.

Magic center Howard undecided on World Championships

ORLANDO, Florida – Dwight Howard, the All-Star center of the Orlando Magic and the NBA's two-time defending defensive player of the year, could skip the basketball World Championships.

"I haven't decided what I'm going to do," Howard said Monday after Orlando held their end-of-season meeting. "I'm just going to get some rest and think about that later on."

It marked the first time Howard has publicly wavered about playing in the world championships, after repeating his intention to play as other NBA stars such as LeBron james and Dwyane Wade voiced doubts.

USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo has said he expects players who want to compete in the 2012 Olympics in London to represent their country this year at the worlds, which will be held in Turkey August 28 through September 12.

Howard was part of America's Olympic gold medal-winning team at the Beijing Olympics and also won bronze at the 2006 World Championships.

He has become a dominant force at center as the first player in NBA history to lead the league in blocks and rebounds in the same season twice - doing so in consecutive years.

Last year Howard led Orlando to the NBA finals, while this season they fell to Boston in the Eastern Conference finals.

Howard said he would let USA Basketball know of his intentions "soon."

Donaire: "Pacquiao is my blueprint"

Donaire says Manny shows nothing is impossible. The cream of the Philippines crop contains more than just Manny Pacquiao.

Nonito Donaire burst onto the scene with an unexpected, yet brilliant, one-punch knockout of the heavily favoured IBF flyweight champion Vic Darchinyan in 2007. The clinical nature of his victory attracted praise and attention, yet served to repel the desired signatures of lucrative opponents. But the delightfully talented 27-year-old, who lives in California and now holds the interim WBA super-flyweight title, is determined to follow his countryman - and idol - “Pacman” into the big pay leagues, just like he has joined him in the pound-for-pound listings.

You are widely regarded amongst the sport’s best. Do you feel the pressure of your growing reputation?

I’m just going day-by-day and fight-by-fight to make sure I belong in the top elite. It’s great that people are giving me that prestige and I am honoured that they put me in the elite, but I think I need to fight bigger fights for me to feel that I truly belong there. I want to fight in the biggest fights and the best out there. I will fight whoever they put in front of me so that I truly believe that I belong in this elite category. And that’s what we’re trying to do right now. Get the best fighter we can who is not asking for a lot of money.

Has it been frustrating that after beating Darchinyan, you have been unable to secure another big name to take you forward?

Yes, it is frustrating. I’m still fulfilling my goals to be world champion in as many divisions as we can and from this point on, we want to keep rising and rising. We want to go beyond expectations. It is really frustrating because there’s no one out there who is willing to take the fight. It is difficult to get the fighters to take the fight because they look at me and see someone who is very dangerous, has the power, has the height and the speed and unless they think they can get away from it, they would rather take another approach and a different route.

It looked recently as if a rematch with Vic was set for the summer?

It was scheduled for August 21 and it was going to be on Showtime - which is still some time away and can still happen from my point of view. But nothing is being done on his part. He doesn’t want to fight me again and that’s why he pulled out. I can’t wait anymore, I’ve been waiting for a long time and it’s time to move on and get the bigger fighters. We’re looking at [Fernando] Montiel after the next fight for later in the year.

Are you confident Fernando will succeed where Darchinyan failed and take the fight?

I think he will take the fight. At this point, if he wants to be fighting on a big network he needs me so I think it is going to happen. We were scheduled to fight last year but he couldn’t make the weight so this time, we’re going to go up to his weight and make it happen. It’s great because he holds two [WBO and WBA bantamweight] belts and I believe that they’re going to make it happen because it’s what people want to see. We’re trying to get that this year because if I do touch down at 118, I want to then move up to 122 and get a crack at Rafael Marquez.

So if all goes to plan that will be four weights you have held titles in. How high can you go?

My walk around weight is 140 so we might be able to go up to 130. Only God knows what is in store for me but I’m going to try and do my best and see how far I can reach and just get beyond that and not get complacent because I feel that when you have a goal you train harder, you work better, and you keep looking forward to something.

How did it feel to defend your world title back in the Philippines against Raul Martinez last year?

When I fought there, there was so many people who showed up - 16 or 17,000 - and they were chanting my name. It is home to me so it felt so very special; it was a really big moment. It reminded me that I am fighting for a reason. I fight with so much pride and it feels good when your whole country is behind you and everyone is supporting you. Before I got into the ring, I had goosebumps all over me. After that you’re ready to take anyone on and not afraid to get hit and hit someone.

Do you think you will fight there again?

It would be great to fight there again and I think that will happen. I’m willing to fight anyone, anywhere. I want to fight anyone who has a crown higher than me. I want to go out there and take that crown and that name from them.

How much does the success of Manny Pacquiao mean to you?

Manny Pacquiao is my blueprint. He gives me the inspiration that there’s nothing that I can’t do. He came from a very poor family and look at him now. That is because nobody could ever tell him he couldn’t do things. To him, nothing is impossible as long as you put your mind and body into it. So to me, that is my inspiration. If he can do it, you know what, I can do it and that is why I keep reaching for the stars.

Boston's Pierce excited to return to NBA finals, hometown

WALTHAM, Mass. – Paul Pierce is excited to return to the NBA finals and his hometown for the next round in the league's greatest rivalry.

Boston's best player isn't exactly thrilled that Los Angeles' welcoming committee includes Ron Artest, a physical, tenacious defender.

"He likes to bang you," Pierce said Monday, "grab you, hold you, pull your shorts down. He's going to try anything."

The NBA's past two champions will go for another title beginning Thursday night when the Celtics face the Lakers in front of an array of Hollywood stars and, very likely, a large number of Pierce's friends and family who will root against their local team.

Boston's captain cherishes that support, though it comes with a price.

"It's always special just to be a part of the finals," he said a few hours before the Celtics boarded a plane for their cross-country trip. "To do it in a place where I grew up, it makes it even more special. The only negative thing about it is tickets for me. I mean, it's going to be pretty expensive."

That was a small inconvenience two years ago when Pierce won his first NBA title in 10 seasons as the Celtics beat the Lakers in six games. Boston clinched it with a 131-92 win at home for its ninth championship in 11 finals matchups with the Lakers.

But Artest didn't join the Lakers until last July.

Pierce averaged 18.3 points per game in the regular season, and 19.1 over the first three rounds in the postseason. He averaged 24.3 in the Eastern Conference finals against the Orlando Magic, collecting 31 points and 13 rebounds in the clincher.

But he scored just 13 points per game as Boston and Los Angeles split their two-game season series.

"I matched up with him the last 10, 11 years. He's one of the best defenders I've ever played against," Pierce said of Artest. "He'll try anything just to try to get into his opponent's head. But I think just from playing against him over the years I've become used to the things that he tries to do and I just try to go out there and play my game, not really get into the antics with him."

Artest relieves Kobe Bryant of the burden of defending the opponent's best scorer, allowing the Lakers star to focus more on his own offense.

Artest "makes a difference," Boston coach Doc Rivers said. "He's been perfect because it's allowed Kobe not to have to guard the best player every night. ... You can see it in Kobe's (offensive numbers). He's as fresh as I've ever seen him in the playoffs, and I think it's due to Ron Artest."

Bryant scored 37 points in Saturday night's 111-103 win over the Phoenix Suns that put the Lakers in the finals, his 10th 30-point playoff game in his last 11.

Artest also can be an offensive threat. He hit the winning layup at the buzzer in Game 5 then scored 25 points to help the Lakers clinch the Western Conference finals in Game 6 in Phoenix.

Artest and his teammates will play before a friendly crowd Thursday that will include a small pocket of Pierce partisans.

"My friends," Pierce said, "really grew up (as) L.A. fans and, all of a sudden, are Celtic fans because of me. So it's a little weird for them and family."

Have they made any comments about that?

"I don't really get anything from friends and family," he said. "They'll be sure to keep their mouths closed because they want tickets."

The crowd for Game 1 of the best-of-seven series will see the newest installment of a rivalry that goes back more than 50 years — to the 1959 finals when Boston swept the Minneapolis Lakers in four games. The franchises clashed in six finals in the '60s. Then came the '80s and three Larry Bird-Magic Johnson championship rounds, two of them won by the Lakers.

It took more than 20 years for the teams to match up again in 2008 when the Celtics captured their NBA-high 17th title.

Another championship would mean "everything," Pierce said. "Hopefully, it can move me up the ranks as one of the top Celtics players of all time and maybe in NBA history."

The Celtics, without injured Kevin Garnett, were eliminated in the Eastern semifinals last year and the Lakers beat Orlando in the finals. Soon after, Pierce said he was on the West Coast walking his dog in his neighborhood when he saw Los Angeles coach Phil Jackson in a convertible at a stop sign.

"I just said congratulations to him," Pierce said. "I think he probably mentioned something (like) `See you in the finals next year.'"

Now that series is just a few days away.

"I think both teams are happy they're playing the team they're playing," Rivers said. "I think it's exactly the way we envisioned it during training camp and it's probably the same way they envisioned it."

Pacquiao will fight in November—Roach

The super showdown between top pound-for-pound fighters Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and Manny Pacquiao is still up in the air, but trainer Freddie Roach assured that his ward will fight this year.

“I don't know what's going on. I'm staying out of it. I just know Manny will be fighting someone in November,” Roach was quoted in a BoxingScene.com report by Ruslan Chikov.

Negotiations for the Mayweather-Pacquiao bout have been revived but nothing has been finalized as of posting.

“We hope the opponent is Mayweather. If not, we'll fight someone else and we'll be ready,” added Roach.

Mayweather and Pacquiao were supposed to slug it out last March 13 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena but they disagreed on the drug testing protocol after the Filipino refused to give in to the American’s demand for Olympic-style blood testing.

Recently, the newly-elected Sarangani Province congressman Pacquiao agreed to have himself blood tested 14 days before the fight.

But Mayweather’s camp has been silent since Pacquiao’s pronouncement.

Despite the cancellation of the March 13 fight, Pacquiao and Mayweather went on to win their bouts via unanimous decision against Joshua Clottey and Shane Mosley, respectively.

Roach, for his part, commented on Mayweather’s performance in his match against Mosley last May 1 at the MGM Grand.

“You can see in the Mosley fight that his legs are not there. He's [Mayweather] a very good fighter, but my guy is better and I know my guy can beat him,”

Pacquiao earlier beat Clottey on March 13 at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. He followed this up with his political victory in the May 10 elections.

Tenorio shines for Alaska to get nod as week's best

There is little question on who Alaska’s on-court leader is. Cyrus Baguio may yet fully rise and fill in Willie Miller’s shoes and Sonny Thoss and Joe Devance remain rock-solid pillars. But when it comes to direction, it is undeniable “Showtime LA” Tenorio is the man for the Aces.

The heady point guard named as Accel-PBA Press Corps Player of the Week for the period May 24 to 30 came up with a personal conference-high 26 points in lifting Alaska to a 99-97 overtime cliffhanger over B-Meg Derby Ace last Friday.

Rain or Shine’s Jireh Ibanes, Coca-Cola’s Gary David and Talk N Text’s Kelly Williams also came up with big games, but that of the decidedly more diminutive Tenorio definitely stood out.

Tenorio capped a game in which he also had five rebounds and six assists with all of his four OT points in the final 2.5 seconds, enabling the Aces to continue exacting some measure of revenge on their Philippine Cup finals tormentor.

Due to a Miller buzzer-beating drive, Alaska also squeaked past the team formerly known as Purefoods, 83-81, the first time they met April 17.

This time, Tenorio delivered in spite of the Llamados’ unrelenting pressure that caused him to commit eight turnovers, only one unforced, in 43 minutes.

It is then quite understandable why coach Tim Cone was enthusiastic in his praises for Tenorio after the victory that bounced them back from a 93-105 loss to Barangay Ginebra the Saturday before and jacked their win-loss record to 7-5.

“LA is a fighter and as typical of him he fought through a lot of adversity to will us to a win,” said Cone of his playmaker, who also had two steals.

“I’m pleased that our team is beginning to take on his personality.”

That should come to the fore anew when Alaska starts its stretch run in the eliminations and an expected upper-tier slot in the playoffs.