Britain's Ricky Hatton has lost his light-welterweight fight against Manny Pacquiao at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
The Filipino knocked-out the 30-year-old Manchester fighter in the second round.
In the first round, Hatton, who had lost only once before in his career, was knocked down midway and then again towards the end.
Hatton made it through most of the second round before a left hand sent him sprawling.
Saturday May 2, 2009Hatton wasn't in it from the start. Manny's hand speed and footwork were in another league entirely. Who you like in a Manny vs. Money matchup?
By Michael Woods
Bring on Floyd Mayweather. After Manny Pacquiao’s destructive display against Ricky Hatton at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Saturday night, it is not a foregone conclusion that the returning Mayweather will reclaim his pound for pound title when he steps into the ring in July.
Pacquiao sent Hatton down twice in the first, shocking the Brit with his blinding hands. He finished him off at the end of the second round (2:59), with an overhand left hand that sent Hatton to the mat completetly out of it. The TKO win was exhilarating, but also scary, as Hatton, unconscious as he sailed to the canvas, found himself in the toughest section of Queer Street. Hatton grinned after a few minutes, which made everyone in the joint happy. We wonder if the Hitman, now 0-for-2 in his last two signature bouts, both via KO, will hang up the gloves. HBO PPV viewers were informed that Hatton didn't feel well after, and thus would not be interviewed by Larry Merchant. All fight fans have fingers tightly crossed that the loveable hitter comes home to Manchester with no severe damage, beyond his pride.
Pacquiao (from the Phillipines; weighed 138 on Friday, 148 on Saturday; age 30) is now 49-5-2, while Hatton (from England; weighed 140 on Friday, 152 on Saturday; age 30) is 45-2. Hatton entered with the IBO and Ring junior welterweight crown. Hatton was all business entering the ring; no Ricky Fatton fatsuits on this night. The classy Brit showed his humility when he deferred to Manny, as the top pound for pounder in the game, and let Manny enter the ring last, though as the lone beltholder in the equation, he could’ve come in last. Pacquiao had the edge in the notable-entourage-member department; WWE wrestler Batista accompanied Manny into the ring.
Michael Pernick, CJ Ross and Glen Trowbridge were charged with judging, if it came to that, and Kenny Bayless was the ref.
In the first, Ricky went low with a right immediately. He got in Pacman's face, and stayed there. Manny banged with the right nicely. The Brit mauled and brawled, and clinched copiously. A gorgeous right hook sent Hatton down and he was up with 45 seconds left. He was down again at the end of the first, off a left that hit off Hatton’s glove into his face. Hatton got up at eight and the bell clanged. Wow is the best, if pedestrian, word to use at that opening round display.
In the second, Hatton landed a left. Manny’s right worked still, though; apparently he and Roach had figured out that a right hook would be just the ticket to pester Hatton. It was a left hand from hell that dropped Hatton hard at the end of the round, and Hatton was done, stick a fork in him. Pacman fans are well aware of the fact that the cautious Moneyman took ten rounds to finish off Hatton, while Manny needed just two. Did Floyd soften Ricky up for Manny? Money-maniacs will say so. Let me be the first to suggest that Team Mayweather pay Juan Manuel Marquez some step aside money, and book Pacquaio/Mayweather in September. There is no need to jeapordize what will be the most anticipated non-heavyweight scrap since what, Hagler-Leonard?
The main subplot entering the bout was the trainer vs. trainer angle, with top P4P honors being up for grabs in the minds of many. Freddie Roach, who has overseen the transformation of Manny from a one handed swarmer into a two fisted technician over an eight-year span, put some distance between he and Floyd Mayweather Sr with Pacquiao’s exclamatory victory.
Pacquiao had an extra measure of excitement and probably nervousness coming into the MGM ring; his mother Dionisia traveled to the States for the first time to see her son Manny do his thing. Wonder if mom had known the depth of her son's talent, and his daunting capacity to render another man into a near-comatose state. Heady stuff...
SPEEDBAG Anthem watch. Who would boo?
The Filipino version came first, then Tom Jones doing the English ditty, God Save the Queen, and finally the US rendition, done by someone named Jasmine Villegas—maybe the kids know her. Only the visiting Brits, for the record, chose to sully the moment with hooting.
Stay tuned for David Avila's ringside report...
LAS VEGAS – Round-by-round coverage of Saturday night’s Ring magazine super lightweight title match between Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
| KEVIN IOLE’S UNOFFICIAL SCORECARD | |||||||||||||
| Round | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Total |
| Manny Pacquiao | 10 | W | |||||||||||
| Ricky Hatton | 7 | KO | |||||||||||
Round 1: Pacquiao hugs trainer Freddie Roach just before the bell sounds to start the fight. Crowd is cheering and singing. Hatton goes hard to body and referee Kenny Bayless warns him to keep them up. They’re clinching a lot. Hard right hook by Manny. Jab and a hook to the body by Ricky. Hard straight left by Pacquiao. One-two from Pacquiao and they clinch. Combination from Pacquiao on the ropes stuns Hatton. Four-punch combination by Pacquiao. Hatton is is down from a right. About 45 seconds left. Huge combination by Pacquiao. Hatton is getting drilled. This may be it. Hatton down again.
Pacquiao wins round, 10-7
Round 2: Right by Hatton early. Good combination by Pacquiao. He’s hurting Hatton with those shots. Right hook lands by Pacquiao. Three-punch combination by Pacquiao and Hatton wobbles. The speed is way too much for Hatton at this stage. Right hook again by Pacquiao. Hatton goes to body and is warned for holding and hitting. Straight left by Pacquiao and theny bang heads. Right by Hatton lands flush, Pacquiao takes it well. Combination from Pacquiao backs Hatton to corner. Right hook to body by Pacquiao. Left hand by Pacquiao knocks out Hatton. The fight is stopped at 2:59.
Pacquiao wins by knockout
MEXICO CITY (AFP) - - Officials tried to quell growing panic over swine flu on Thursday as governments braced for a global pandemic and US Vice President Joe Biden recommended a boycott of planes and subways.
A day after upping its pandemic alert level, the World Health Organisation said there was no evidence to suggest it should be raised to the maximum of six, but warned of fresh outbreaks during the southern hemisphere's winter.
European ministers meanwhile rejected an EU -wide ban on travel to Mexico, the epicentre of the outbreak where citizens have been told to stay at home for five days.
Mexican authorities have put the number of probable flu deaths in the country at 84 although the confirmed death toll is only eight.
"We have to be careful, we have to exercise vigilance, we should not panic, we have to be prepared," European Union Health Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou said at an emergency meeting of health ministers in Luxembourg.
France had pushed at the meeting for a ban on flights to Mexico but its Health Minister Roselyne Bachelot acknowledged there was little support among Paris' EU partners for such a drastic measure.
Pharmaceutical giant Roche stopped delivering its flu remedy Tamiflu to French high street pharmacies due to panic-buying, saying the drug was needed for hospitals
Britain, the Netherlands, Peru and Switzerland confirmed fresh case of the virus, taking to 12 the number of countries affected outside Mexico, with Japan expecting to join the list.
In the United States, where the number of confirmed cases rose to 111 spread across 13 states, comments from Biden did little to ease nerves.
In an interview with NBC's "Today" show, Biden said: "I would tell members of my family -- and I have -- I wouldn't go anywhere in confined places now.
"It's not that it's going to Mexico -- it's that you're in a confined aircraft. When one person sneezes, it goes all the way through the aircraft.
"I would not be at this point, if they had another way of transportation, (be) suggesting they ride the subway."
The comments drew dismayed responses from the US Travel Association and the airline industry and Biden's office later tried to downplay his comments by saying he was referring only to an administration warning against non-essential travel to Mexico.
Speaking late Wednesday, President Barack Obama vowed to do "whatever it takes" to combat the deadly swine flu but said closing the border would be pointless with the virus already spreading on US soil.
In a televised address, Mexican President Felipe Calderon urged people to stay home during a five-day holiday weekend that starts Friday.
"There is no place as safe for protecting yourself against swine flu as your own home," he said. The government said the crisis could cost Mexico up to 70 billion dollars (53 billion euros).
Mexico has shut down public venues and even bars in the capital -- while major tour operators have halted trips to the country.
However, "the (revised) numbers indicate we are heading towards a stabilization phase," said Armando Ahued, health secretary for Mexico City.
The only confirmed death outside Mexico is a Mexican toddler in the United States.
Nevertheless, the United Nations advised its own staff to delay non-essential travel to swine flu-hit countries after it emerged that a World Bank employee had contracted, but been cured of, the virus.
Swine flu is believed to be a new strain that combines bird, swine and common human influenza.
The WHO's phase five alert status signals widespread transmission from person to person and that a pandemic is imminent.
The UN organisation meanwhile said it would begin referring to the swine flu virus as "influenza A (H1N1).
Pig farmers in many countries have been hit hard and are pressing governments to change the name of the virus.
Egypt began the slaughtering all pigs in the country on Thursday and there have been widespread bans on imports of North American pork, even though the disease cannot be caught from eating the meat.
In Britain, where three more cases were confirmed, the government's top health official said he was "concerned but... not alarmed" by the virus.
"To put things in proportion, in any flu, even the seasonal flu, there are some deaths, often of elderly people and the very frail," Liam Donaldson said.
LAS VEGAS – Unless they put the Secret Service on him, there’ll be no more grand arrivals in hotel lobbies for Manny Pacquiao.
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Bob Arum of Top Rank said that for safety reasons, he’d rather have the extremely popular Filipino boxer just popping out of his hotel room window and waving down at his fans and the media in his future fights.
“This is insane but it’s not surprising. He could have been trampled if we stayed down here,” said Arum after making sure that Pacquiao was in one piece, up in his 60th floor suite, after getting a tumultuous welcome.
Pacquiao and his huge entourage, including his mother, Dionisia, trainers Freddie Roach and Michael Moorer, advisers Mike Koncz and Wakee Salud, and friends always glued to the boxer, got off their bus at noon.
Then it was all “close to being dangerous” as Pacquiao was literally mobbed. Lee Samuels of Top Rank said they haven’t seen anything like this before, not even during Oscar dela Hoya fights.
Pacquiao was like a human magnet as he squeezed tightly inside the main lobby of Mandalay Bay. In the past, he’d stop for brief interviews, but this time, Arum just won’t allow it to happen.
“It would have been a dangerous situation. When I saw what was developing I got him right up to his suite. I think this will be Manny’s last arrival. Next time we’ll put him up in a window and he waves at them,” said Arum.
The legendary promoter wasn’t blaming anyone. He said it was understandable that with Pacquiao’s popularity, everybody wants to get a piece of him.
“They told me that in the Time Magazine poll, in the 100 most influential people in the world, Manny Pacquiao has now officially outpolled, and got more votes than President Obama. Hey! Here’s the new President of the Philippines,” said Arum.
When the smoke cleared, the first thing Arum did was call the MGM Grand where Ricky Hatton was to have his own arrival ceremony.
“I alerted them of the situation and I told them not to get out of the car,” said Arum, and MGM took the cue, by lining up velvet ropes from the main entrance all the way up to the makeshift ring where the British star greeted his fans and did interviews.
“This is as close to being dangerous. Luckily we have here Rob Peters (Team Pacquiao head of security) and we got him out,” as he looked back.
“And they wanted to make interviews. If we stopped for interviews he would have been killed,” said Arum with a little exaggeration. - By Abac Cordero (Philstar News Service, www.philstar.com)
WASHINGTON--Yahoo! is preparing a new round of layoffs and several hundred employees could be affected, The Wall 
The newspapers said the layoffs, which would be the first since Carol Bartz took over in January as chief executive of the Internet company, could be announced as early as next week, when Yahoo! reports its quarterly earnings.
The Sunnyvale, California-based Yahoo! cut some 2,400 jobs in 2008 and had 13,600 employees at the end of last year.
Yahoo!, like other companies, has been suffering from the slowdown in online advertising and has been losing share in the lucrative online search market to Google.
All Things Digital, a leading Silicon Valley technology website, reported last week that Yahoo! has held "early discussions" with computer software giant
Microsoft tried last year to buy Yahoo! for 47.5 billion dollars in a vain effort to merge online resources to better battle Google, which rules more than 60 percent of the US online search market.
WASHINGTON--NASA, which used Twitter to send updates about the Mars Phoenix Lander program, is turning to the micro-blogging service again.
The US space agency announced on Monday that astronaut Mike Massimino would be using Twitter to provide a behind-the-scenes look at his training for an upcoming space shuttle mission.
Massimino will be firing off 140-character-or-less messages at @Astro_Mike.
Massimino is to be a mission specialist and spacewalker during the space shuttle Atlantis mission due to launch on May 12 to service the Hubble Space Telescope.
NASA did not say whether the astronaut would be "tweeting" from space.
NASA's Twitter feed on the Phoenix Lander program earned it praise and more than 38,000 people had signed up to receive "tweets" from Mars by the time the mission ended in November.
MANILA, Philippines - A Moro human rights organization on Thursday said the declaration of a state of emergency in Sulu could lead to several cases of human rights violations in the said southern Philippine province.
“Placing Sulu in a state of emergency jeopardizes the inherent and constitutional rights of civilians. It also paves the way for a full-scale military solution to the problem. The lives of civilians must take priority over the need to end the kidnapping crisis,” KAWAGIB spokesperson Bai Ali Indayla said.
Indayla issued the statement after Sulu Governor Abdulsakur Tan made the declaration to deal with the kidnapping of the three workers of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in the province.
The group fears a repeat of a similar scenario in Basilan in 2001 wherein massive human rights violations were committed by the government when the province was placed under a state of lawlessness.
ICRC workers Andreas Notter, Eugenio Vagni and Jean Lacaba have been abducted in Sulu by the Abu Sayyaf group on January 15. Lacaba was released by the kidnappers last Thursday after almost 10 weeks in captivity. The two other hostages are still being held by the kidnappers.
The group said the state of emergency could be a pretext to arrest or harass civilians on mere suspicion of involvement or sympath with the Abu Sayyaf.
“Human rights violations have already been rampant in the province even without the declaration of a state of emergency. How much more now that authorities are given vague provisions that condone the violations of basic human rights,” Indayla said. - GMANews.TV
CUTUD, Philippines, April 10, 2009 (AFP) - An Australian and 29 Filipinos were crucified in different parts of the Philippines in gory annual Good Friday rituals imitating the suffering and death of Jesus Christ.
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John Michael, a 33-year-old from Melbourne, joined three local men and one woman in being nailed to a wooden cross in Kapitangan town, just outside Manila. Another 25 men were crucified in Cutud town, north of the capital.
Such practices, although not formally endorsed by the Roman Catholic church, are carried out as part of religious vows in return for favours granted or in penance for sins.
Michael, who was half-naked and wearing a long-haired wig with an improvised crown of thorns, joined the Filipinos in a procession carrying a huge wooden cross to a crucifixion site, flanked by men in Roman centurion costumes.
The Australian could be heard moaning loudly as the nails were driven into his palms and as his cross was hoisted up, allowing him to hang for about five minutes.
When he was taken down, the centurions rushed him to a medical tent for treatment.
Michael would not say why he had joined the ceremony but an Australian companion merely said "this is a personal thing for him."
In Cutud, where such crucifixions are a 54-year-old tradition, 25 people were crucified in three districts as thousands of foreign and local tourists flocked to the scene.
Many of these "Kristos"-- as the crucified men are called -- have gone through this ordeal a number of times. The leader of the main body of Kristos, 48-year old Ruben Enaje, endured his 23rd crucifixion.
Enaje, a carpenter, vowed to undergo the ritual after he escaped unscathed when falling from a three-storey building.
Accompanying the Kristos are hundreds of "flaggelants," or "penitentes"-- hooded men who whip their own bloody backs with whips of bamboo and rope, as penance for sins.
Domingo Cunnanan, 38, said had been a "penitente" for 16 years, but had graduated to being one of the Kristos since 2007.
"I wanted to be crucified because I believe this is will keep my family safe, with the help of God," Cunnanan said.
"The pain of penitence is nothing compared with a year of grace given to my family by God," he added.
"I think it's crazy," said British tourist Mirjam Leenhouts. "Why would you want to hurt yourself?"
"That's some kind of extreme devotion," she remarked, as she witnessed the Kristos at Cutud being crucified three at a time.
After crucifixion, each Kristo is taken to a medical tent to have his wounds bandaged while another takes his place on the cross.
"We have precautionary measures such as giving out medicines, sterilising of the nails for the crucifixion, and have first aid kits prepared just in case," said George Dayrit, a medical team member.
Critics say the event has become commercialised and is used for money-making rather than an expression of faith.
Town councillor Jimmy Lazatin, an organiser of the event, said that the crucifixions were a way of attracting tourists who bought hats, sunglasses, soft drinks, snacks and shirts from vendors who converged at the site.
Not all townsfolk were involved and many could be seen drinking and gambling while their neighbors marched in the hot sun, flogging their backs crimson.
Francis Santos, a relative of one of the flaggelants, remarked "they are just selling the 'penitentes' but people still believe in God and that is why they are undergoing this sacrifice."
strs/mm
MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Red Cross asked al-Qaida-linked militants Wednesday for proof that three aid workers held hostage were alive as troops and tanks moved closer amid threats to behead the captives.
Sen. Richard Gordon, head of the Philippine Red Cross, said Wednesday he wanted proof from the Abu Sayyaf that the hostages were unharmed.
"I want to talk to the three. It is a measure to rebuild confidence," he said in a radio interview.
Security officials said a last-ditch attempt by two Muslim lawmakers to negotiate the release of the hostages faltered Tuesday after Tan, alarmed by the deadline to behead a hostage, declared a state of emergency in the predominantly Muslim province.
The declaration included a curfew, roadblocks and redeployment of government forces near the Abu Sayyaf camp in Indanan township, only a week after they pulled out in hopes the hostages might be freed.
The latest developments prompted the kidnappers to delay their threat to harm the hostages, the two security officials told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.
Tanks and truckloads of marines rolled out of a Jolo camp toward Indanan to try to surround the gunmen in a hilly jungle, Tan said. He refused to say if a military rescue was imminent.
"We'll make sure that these bandits cannot kidnap again," Tan said.
Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno earlier rejected a militant demand for the government to vacate 15 Jolo villages in addition to loosening a security cordon around them. He said such a move would leave the island's civilian population exposed to militant attacks.
The hostages _ Filipino Mary Jean Lacaba, Swiss Andreas Notter and Italian Eugenio Vagni _ were seized Jan. 15 after inspecting a water project for the Jolo prison.
The Abu Sayyaf group has beheaded hostages in the past, including an American in 2001 as well as seven Filipinos in 2007.
The U.S. government has placed the Abu Sayyaf, which has about 400 gunmen, on its list of terrorist organizations.
___
Associated Press writers Jim Gomez, Teresa Cerojano and Oliver Teves contributed to this report.
NEW YORK - Adam Lambert showed his softer side on "American Idol," earning a standing ovation for his smooth performance of "The Tracks of My Tears."
Guest mentor Smokey Robinson, who originally performed the classic song with the Miracles, rose to his feet after watching the 26-year-old theater actor hit all the right notes during Wednesday's Motown-themed installment of the "Fox" singing competition.
Lambert, who's from Los Angeles, ditched his rocker duds for a sleek silver suit and smoothed his black hair back into an Elvis-style pompadour.
Judge Simon Cowell said Lambert delivered the night's best performance and became a star in his eyes. Fellow judge Kara Dioguardi agreed, saying Lambert showed "true artistry."
The four judges were also equally impressed by the vocal stylings of Allison Iraheta, Matt Giraud and Kris Allen. Cowell liked Allen's cover of "How Sweet It Is" but said the 23-year-old married heartthrob from Conway, Ark., needs to show more swagger and confidence.
Lil Rounds and Danny Gokey scored mixed reviews for their respective renditions of "Heat Wave" and "Get Ready." Cowell told Rounds, 24, of Memphis, Tenn., she'd missed a potential "Idol"-defining "moment" by picking the wrong song (he'd rather hear the soul singer belt "I Heard It Through The Grapevine"). But the cranky judge had harsher words for Gokey, deeming the 28-year-old crowd pleaser "clumsy and amateurish."
Michael Sarver and Megan Joy had a tougher time on stage. Judges slammed Sarver's cover of "Ain't Too Proud To Beg." Even sugary-sweet Paula Abdul chimed in, comparing the 27-year-old oil rig worker from Jasper, Texas, to an old-school Vegas lounge act.
Joy, 23, of Sandy, Utah, was targeted for her shaky take on "For Once in My Life." Cowell called Joy's performance "horrible" while Randy Jackson declared it a "train wreck" and "mad crazy."
One of the 10 finalists will be sent packing on Thursday's elimination show _ unless judges act on the new rule that allows them to save a favorite contestant they feel has been unfairly booted by voting viewers.
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On the Net:
http://www.americanidol.com
MANILA, Philippines - Militants holding three Red Cross workers threatened to behead one of the hostages if Philippines troops do not withdraw from the al-Qaida-linked group's southern stronghold, officials said Wednesday, but the military rejected the demand.
The latest threat was made by Abu Sayyaf commander Albader Parad to a government emissary on Jolo island, where the three International Committee of the Red Cross workers _ two Europeans and a Filipino _ have been held since Jan. 15, said Jolo Gov. Abdusakur Tan, who heads a task force dealing with the hostage crisis. The group said they would carry out the threat in a week.
The military said the Abu Sayyaf cannot be trusted and refused to honor the demand. The militants reneged on an earlier pledge to free a hostage last week after nearby troops complied with their initial demand to move back.
"We have eased the pressure for a short while, but they did not make good their promise to release one of the hostages," military chief Gen. Alexander Yano said. "We will not move further."
A government official who has been in touch with the Abu Sayyaf by phone told The Associated Press he was warned by Parad last Monday that one of the Red Cross workers would be beheaded after a week unless marines and government militiamen surrounding a militant stronghold near Jolo's Indanan township pull back farther.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not part of the task force dealing with the crisis.
Tan said a government emissary was separately told by the militants that the deadline for the troops to withdraw to Jolo town, near Indanan, is Tuesday. Tan said he will not give in to the demand, calling it "tantamount to surrendering" his predominantly Muslim province to "criminals."
The hostages _ Swiss Andreas Notter, Filipino Mary Jean Lacaba and Italian Eugenio Vagni _ were abducted Jan. 15 while inspecting a Jolo prison water project.
Fears for the hostages' safety mounted after marine snipers last week fired at the militants trying to breach a loose military cordon, sparking two days of clashes that killed three marines and up to seven guerrillas.
The hostages were not harmed, but Parad later threatened to kill all of them if another clash erupted or if the military tried to rescue them.
"We're still keeping our eyes on the kidnappers. We have not moved back too far as to allow them to escape," military spokesman Lt. Col. Ernesto Torres said. "We have not changed our objectives _ first to safely rescue the ICRC aid workers and secondly, to neutralize the kidnappers."
Aside from Parad, who has been blamed for past kidnappings and beheadings, marine officials believe government forces have surrounded other Abu Sayyaf commanders and Indonesian militants they have been hunting for years.
The Abu Sayyaf has about 400 gunmen and is on the U.S. list of terrorist groups for its links to al-Qaida and involvement in kidnappings, beheadings and deadly bomb attacks.
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Associated Press writer Hrvoje Hranjski contributed to this report.
Multi-awarded Filipino rap icon Francis Magalona has passed away at the Medical City in Mandaluyong around noon today. He was 44.
According to TV reports, this was announced by actor Vic Sotto in the noontime variety show Eat Bulaga, where Magalona used to be one of the hosts. Magalona, considered as a major pillar of rap music in the country, was diagnosed with leukemia in August 2008. He is survived by his wife Pia Arroyo and children Unna, Nicolo, Francis Jr., Elmo, Arkin, Clara, and actresses Maxene and Saab. - By Dino Maragay (Philstar News Service, www.philstar.com) |
PACQUIAO and HATTON SET A DATE!
JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHT
TO TAKE PLACE SATURDAY, MAY 2 AT
MGM GRAND IN LAS VEGAS
TICKETS GO ON SALE FRIDAY, JANUARY 30
LAS VEGAS, (January 28, 2009) - Two of boxing’s biggest stars will meet in the ring in what could be the year’s biggest pay-per-view event. Five-division world champion MANNY “Pac Man” PACQUIAO and Ring Magazine and IBO World Junior Welterweight champion RICKY “The Hitman” HATTON will rumble for Hatton’s World Junior Welterweight Championships Saturday, May 2 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas. These two boxing artists will have a 20 x 20 foot canvas to paint a black and blue masterpiece that the world has been waiting to see. Pacquiao and Hatton boast a combined record of 93-4-2 (68 KOs), a winning percentage of 94% and a victory by knockout ratio of 73%.
Pacquiao vs. Hatton, a 12-round bout for Hatton’s Ring Magazine and IBO World Junior Welterweight titles, is promoted by Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions in association with MP Promotions and Hatton Promotions.
Tickets priced at $1000, $750, $500, $300 and $150, not including applicable service charges, go on sale Friday, Jan. 30 at 10 a.m. at all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations (select Smith’s Food and Drug Centers and Ritmo Latino). To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (702) 474-4000. Tickets also are available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.
“When Manny Pacquiao goes into the ring he fights for his country, the Philippines, and tens of thousands of Filipinos worldwide. He is a tremendous athlete and unlike any other champion we have ever promoted. When Manny walks to the ring he carries the weight of his country on his shoulders and he fights with all of his heart, every second of every round.”
“We are very excited that this fight has been made, as it is the fight fans wanted and the one I look forward to seeing myself,” said Oscar de la Hoya, president of Golden Boy Promotions. “This fight has all the makings of a “Fight of the Year” candidate and I think Hatton will de-throne Pacquiao and become boxing’s pound-for-pound king.”
“MGM Grand is thrilled to be hosting what we anticipate will be one of the biggest fights of 2009,” said Richard Sturm, president of Sports and Entertainment for MGM MIRAGE. “As we continue our tradition of hosting the top names in sports and entertainment, this spectacular boxing match will not only be a battle between two great champions but will offeran electric and international atmosphere for the fans.”
Pacquiao (48-3-2, 36 KOs) secured his claim as the 2008 Fighter of the Year, a year reminiscent of what Hall of Fame fighter Henry Armstrong did in 1937-1938, winning three fights in three different weight divisions, two of which were world titles. Armstrong is the only man to hold three world championships simultaneously, capturing world titles at featherweight, welterweight and lightweight (in that order) during a nine-month span between November 1937 and August 1938. Pacquiao, officially proclaimed a National Treasure by the Philippines, captured the WBC World Super Featherweight title last March by defeating Juan Manuel Marquez and the WBC World Lightweight title in June by knocking out defending champion David Diaz. He completed his personal trifecta by stopping Oscar de la Hoya in a welterweight battle on December 6. Pacquiao’s last two victories were in his debut fight in each weight division with the latter fight being two full divisions above his previous fight. Pacquiao, 30, has won 24 of his last 25 bouts, blitzing through boxing’s best fighters since 2003 including Erik Morales (TKO 10, KO 3,), Marco Antonio Barrera (TKO 11, W 12), Marquez (D 12, W 12,), Diaz (TKO 9) and De La Hoya (KO 
. Pacquiao was previously named the 2006 Fighter of the Year by the Boxing Writers Association of America and Ring Magazine.
“I always like new challenges which is the reason I am anxious to fight Ricky Hatton. My trainer Freddie Roach will put together a new game plan which will be much different than the one we used against Oscar (de la Hoya). There are concerns because Hatton is a very strong puncher so I must deal with that in the ring. I promise I will be completely prepared and will do my best for all of my fans in The Philippines.”
The storied career of Hatton (45-1, 32 KOs), an international superstar hailing from Manchester, England, began in 1997 and for the last 12 years he has been thrilling fight fans around the world with his aggressive style in the ring and down to earth attitude outside of the ring. Owner of victories over world champions Kostya Tszyu, Vince Phillips, Paulie Malignaggi, Luis Collazo, Jose Luis Castillo, Juan Urango and Carlos Maussa, Hatton is a two division world champion. He fell short of the pound-for-pound best fighter title and world welterweight championships in his 2007 super-fight against Floyd Mayweather. However, the 30-year-old bounced back impressively at his natural weight of 140 pounds last May when he scored a near shutout 12-round unanimous decision over Juan Lazcano. His most recent fight was a scintillating shutout performance against world champion Malignaggi last November, ending with an 11th round TKO for “The Hitman”. Hatton was honored as the 2005 Fighter of the Year by Ring Magazine and the Boxing Writers Association of America.
“I’m really excited to get back in the ring in Vegas after beating Malignaggi in November,” said Hatton. “I am confident that I am the fighter to take down the pound-for-pound champion and I believe I will be victorious on May 2.”
Please visit www.toprank.com or www.goldenboypromotions.com for upcoming announcements.
A Turkish Airlines plane has crashed on landing at Amsterdam's Schiphol international airport, injuring at least 20 people.
The plane, with 135 passengers on board, crashed short of the runway near the A9 motorway and suffered significant damage.
It was Flight 1951 from Istanbul and was a Boeing 737-800 aircraft.
Witnesses have spoken of seeing at least 20 passengers walking from the wreckage, with luggage scattered about.
There were 127 passengers, including a baby, and seven crew on board.
Earlier reports said there was one dead, but Turkish Transport Minister Binali Yildirim later clarified that no-one had died.
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The BBC's Geraldine Coughlan in the Hague says television has been showing pictures of helicopters at the scene, with about 20 ambulances and fire engines.
All flights have been suspended.
The last crash involving a Turkish Airlines plane was in 2003 when 65 people died in an accident in Turkey.
Schiphol airport has six runways and one major passenger terminal. In 2007, it handled 47 million passengers, ranking fifth in Europe.
News link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7909683.stm
 Users were warned that all search results were dangero |
Google's search service has been hit by technical problems, with users unable to access search results.
For a period on Saturday, all search results were flagged as potentially harmful, with users warned that the site "may harm your computer".
Users who clicked on their preferred search result were advised to pick another one.
Google attributed the fault to human error and said most users were affected for about 40 minutes.
"What happened? Very simply, human error," wrote Marissa Mayer, vice president, search products and user experience, on the Official Google Blog.
The internet search engine works with stopbadware.org to ascertain which sites install malicious software on people's computers and merit a warning.
Stopbadware.org investigates consumer complaints to decide which sites are dangerous.
The list of malevolent sites is regularly updated and handed to Google.
When Google updated the list on Saturday, it mistakenly flagged all sites as potentially dangerous.
"We will carefully investigate this incident and put more robust file checks in place to prevent it from happening again," Ms Mayer wrote.
Say it with me: IDIOT!
While Phelps has admitted the photo is legitimate–and apologized to his fans–there can be no doubt that for an athlete of Phelps’ caliber, any scandal that involves drugs is going to have a hugely negative effect on his reputation.
To prove just how quickly a squeaky clean Google reputation can come crashing down, here’s a look at Michael Phelps’ Google reputation after just 24 hours!
If the swimmer’s sponsors decide that they no longer wish to be associated with a drug-taking athlete, Phelps could lose as much as $100 million in endorsements.
Some observations:
Andy Beal is the founder and editor of Marketing Pilgrim. Considered one of the world's top experts in online reputation management, Andy is also the coauthor of Radically Transparent and founder of Trackur.com.
