Marquez vs Diaz II: Predictions

We are expecting another boxing match that offers some consolation after another failed attempt to stage Pacquiao versus Mayweather in November.

On Saturday night in Las Vegas, Juan Manuel Marquez and Juan Diaz face off for the second time for the WBA and WBO lightweight titles. In their first meeting, Diaz was ahead in the earlier rounds until Marquez set him up for a stoppage in the ninth round.

In the areas of skill and defense, Marquez still has the edge as he is considered one of the best in the pound for pound list. Conditioning is pretty much even as Marquez has stayed in shape at age 36. Marquez may have the stronger chin as he has not been knocked out before. Marquez should also be favored in terms of experience but the wear and tear of his past fights may also take on toll on him.

What we may not know is how Marquez has taken his beating from Floyd Mayweather Jr. earlier this year. Some fighters are never the same after a bad loss although Marquez has never been knocked out.

My prediction... Juan Manuel Marquez by a close decision.

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Is Mayweather Ducking Pacquiao?

The first time they tried negotiating a fight between two of the world's best pound for pound boxers, they failed miserably as mudslinging came from both camps under the public microscope. Manny Pacquiao would not agree to Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s terms of Olympic-style blood testing days leading to the fight.

This time around, Pacquiao is so willing to give in to blood testing terms, the money supposed to be split evenly. The deadline for the deal has passed and there was no word from Mayweahter. Days after the so-called deadline for a deal between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao to square of in the boxing ring, "Money" says that he is "on vacation". Now we are stuck with a consolation fight between Pacquiao and dirty boxer Antonio Margarito.

The Pacquiao-Mayweather fight has the biggest prize money that "Money" can possibly earn in a fight and he would rather be "on vacation"??? Easily they could put up a $100 million pot in this superfight but it looks like "Money" doesn't seem interested in this indecent amount of potential earnings.

And yes... Mayweather doesn't care what the casual and hardcore boxing fans want to see. No wonder mixed martial arts has taken over the fight game. Before we could even get to see "Money" and "Pacman" fight, if ever it will happen, we would have seen Brock Lesnar fight Cain Velasquez in October and BJ Penn possibly become a UFC champion again by August. Hopefully we can get to see Chael Sonnen beat up Anderson Silva in a few days, although it could be a long night for Chael. There could be at least 25 mixed martial arts contests that are quite interesting before the year ends. This I tell you, these are far more interesting than seeing or hearing from a diva called Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Go ahead, Mr. Mayweather. Keep ducking Pacquiao and find out for yourself that you are way below the all-time greats like Sugar Ray Robinson and Muhammad Ali. The best fighters would always want to fight the best. This is where Dana White and what used to be a tiny promotional group called UFC is great at... matching up the best with the best.

Sooner or later, Mayweather might find the necessity to fight again for money but his skills may have diminished by then. Mayweather is not worth $45 or so on pay-per-view. Floyd Mayweather is one good reason why boxing is a dying sport.

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Houston Rockets' Yao Ming Pondering Retirement

Yao Ming may just play one more season. That is if his nagging foot injury doesn't fully heal. He has disclosed this during an interiew while promoting a charity event in China. He missed the whole of last season as the Rockets also missed the playoffs after finishing the 2010 season with a 42-40 record.

It is quite sad to see such talent leave the game while he is still considered one of the league's best big men. At 7 fee and 6 inches, he has great all-around skills but as luck would have it, the Rockets never made it deep into the playoffs in the past. Maybe not with Tracy McGrady hogging the ball, running down the clock until the shotclock makes him take forced shots. Besides, Yao and T-Mac never got to play a lot of games together as they were sidelined by injuries one after another.

Now that the Rockets seem to have a better lineup next year with unselfish players, it would be interesting to see how Yao and the Rockets perform next season. Kevin Martin may be less talented than T-Mac but he should be a better fit for Yao. Trevor Ariza and Shane Battier are solid defenders. Luis Scola and Kyle Lowry have just been re-signed. Aaron Brooks continues to improve while there are young and promising players in Chase Budinger and Jordan Hill. Add to this already formidable lineup new acquisition Brad Miller who can offload some minutes from Yao.

The Rockets should have a better season with a better roster. If this will be Yao's final season, I just hope they make it all the way to the finals and get that elusive NBA ring.

UFC Heavyweight Pat Barry A Class Act

Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight Pat Barry made it publicly known that he was a huge fan of Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic. At UFC 115, the gates of the octagon closed behind with that in our minds. In the first round, Barry knocked Cro Cop twice with the right hand. The effect was immediately visible as Cro Cop's face started to swell.

Rounds 2 and 3 went a different direction. Cro Cop came back strong and ended the fight in the third with a rear naked choke, causing Barry to tap out.

Critics were quick to pounce on Pat Barry, saying he was tentative after the first round. He stopped punching and kicking unlike in his previous fights wherein he displayed awesome power and technique in kickboxing. Others were saying he had too much respect for his longtime idol.

Dude, that was no way to become an elite fighter. Manny Pacquiao idolized Oscal dela Hoya but he never let it get in the way to beating Oscar to submission. In the same manner, Barry was not starstruck as he was perceived in that fight. Remember, he knocked Cro Cop twice in the opening round.

Truth be told... he actually broke his right hand and right foot. For a someone to keep fighting in pain like that, he deserves some respect. Right after the loss, he never made excuses about it so as not to take anything away from Cro Cop.

Pat Barry may have lost that fight with Cro Cop but he stands for what is good about mixed martial artists. He is a real class act, with respect for other fighters that I did not see in Anderson Silva when he faced off with Demian Maia. I hope someone beats the lights out of Silva sooner than later. Chael Shonnen has this tough task in UFC 117 about twelve days from now. I am rooting for Chael but the money is still on Silva. Let's talk about that next time.

As for you Mr. Barry... good job.
















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Pacquiao-Mayweather: Fight Or No Fight?

I have been a fan of the Ultimate Fighting Championship from its early beginings with UFC legends Royce Gracie, Ken Shamrock, Dan Severn, Oleg "Russian Bear" Taktarov, Mark Coleman, Don Frye, Randy Couture to current stars Chuck Liddell, BJ Penn, Georges St. Pierre, Anderson Silva, Shogun Rua, Lyoto Machida, Brock Lesnar... and yes, Randy Couture is still up there with the current stars.

The reason why I liked this sport is that the action can be so fast you can miss it with a blink of an eye. Even as a kid, I found boxing matches boring as I watch them on TV. All that clinching and holding would always give me the urge to switch channels.

Floyd Mayweather is no exception. He probably has more excitement in his mouth than in his boxing style. Mayweather is one cautious fighter... perhaps a case of trying to protect a perfect win-loss record.

How about Manny Pacquaio? Now this is one exciting fighter. Like I said, I was never a boxing fan but was converted after seeing the Pacman beat opponents with speed, power and a no fear attitude. I became a fan that I actually took up boxing.

Now talks about the much awaited fight between Pacquiao and Mayweather is going down the drain once again. For this very reason, I am still a mixed martial arts fan. What is it about boxing and its business that this fight, the fight that everyone wants to see cannot be made?

For whatever reason, only Bob Arum of Top Rank, Golden Boy Promotions, Team Pacquiao and Team Mayweahter probably know. I just hope that the sport of boxing cleans up its act because mixed martial arts, thanks to Dana White and company, is ahead of boxing from my perspective.

Give fans the fight that they want!

Dealing WIth A Calf Injury

About five weekends ago, I was playing basketball in our neighborhood. It was a smalltown basketball league that brings together selections from different basketball clubs in our area. I thought, this was probably another chance to play competitive basketball in my own way.

Now that I'm pushing 40, I had to play alongside and against players almost half my age. It is a lot different when you're playing with people within your age group. As your skills and athleticism diminish, so does your co-players'. I have been weekend warrior, getting to play ball only once in a week for the last 5 years.

On that fateful Sunday, I was chasing after the ball when I tried changing directions... then POP! It felt like someone just hit my right calf with a bat. I felt the popping in my calf and a second later, I could hardly run. Man... I could hardly even walk.

Consultation with a physician and x-rays did not show any bone fracture but there was surely damage to my calf muscle. Worst case, it could have required surgery to reconstruct the connecting tissues between my calf and heel.

The first two weeks were agonizing even while sitting. Imagine having muscle cramps 24 x 7 and that was exactly how I felt.

To deal with calf muscle strain, here are some simple reminders. It was my first calf injury after more than decades of physical activity but it does not mean it cannot happen to younger people in their 20's.

Prevention is always a good measure. Warm up and stretch properly before engaging in physical activity. It is also recommended to stay in shape if you are playing any type of physical sport. Good conditioning includes cardio, muscle strength and flexibility that should be appropriate to your chosen sport.

However, prevention is not a guarantee that injuries won't happen. In case Murphy's Law catches up with you, RICE has always been my first aid procedure. This acronym stands for rest, ice pack, warm compress and elevation. Depending on the degree of calf injury, your muscles should heal up and regenerate on its own. At close to 40 years old, my muscles no longer heal as fast as I want them to. Consulting with a doctor is always recommended because worse cases require surgical repair.

Until next time... I hope I never have to write about injuries again.

Raja Bell Joins Utah Jazz

NBA veteran Raja Bell could have signed with the Los Angeles Lakers and play alongside long-time nemesis Kobe Bryant. Who could ever forget that Bell clothesline defense on Kobe in 2006? Bryant back then even said he had “bigger fish to fry than Raja Bell”. Bell is recognized as a tough defender in the perimeter, one that would give Kobe a hard time all game.

Ironically, Kobe has been recently vocal about wanting Bell to join him and the LA Lakers. The Lakers could offer what is left of their mid-level exception at roughly $1.8 million. The 34-year old Bell chose to sign with the Utah Jazz for a bigger payday for three years worth about $10 million.

He probably figured it would make more sense to earn more with not much of a legacy through the course of his basketball career. That ‘clothesline’ incident was not how you should build a reputation. Don’t get me wrong. Bell is a tough defender and can contribute with shots from beyond the arc. I just felt he just used the Lakers to get some leverage in striking a bigger deal. Now this makes good business sense.

I'm A Blogger Now

I have never imagined myself blogging since I already spend so much time on the computer in my day job. My constant interactions with my co-workers made me realize that I had so many things to share with just about anything.

Hey, I don't intend to post blogs on just any random thought. Let's talk about more relevant topics- for men at least. Sports, music, technology, lifestyle and health... aren't these relevant to us guys? The NBA free agency drama starring LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade are just our equivalent to the ladies' guilty pleasure of watching reality shows and TV soaps.

Don't get me wrong, ladies. I am all for equal opportunities. However, my thoughts may be limited to a guy's point of view, which is why my far superior half and I would always tend to agree to disagree. You just might pick up a nugget or two of valuable insights from here, helping you understand your male counterparts. Who knows? You just might impress your partner or 'prospect' with what you know and your opinions about man-stuff.

In the coming days, weeks, months and years, allow me to share my thoughts on what interests us men. Please feel free to leave your comments. Discussions can be healthy when we maintain respect for each other. We may not all agree in our opinions on particular topics but like I said... let's agree to disagree and respect each other's viewpoint.