This blog has been moved and upgraded to become a full pledged website==>>> BoxingInsight.com which is now operational, however, still undergoing some finishing touches. I would like to thank you all for your patience and I hope that you continue to show the support you've given me since the infancy stage of this blog. Gratitude! Just to give you a glimpse of my plans for my new website, I will now have a Feature Writer who will be discussing old school techniques and interesting facts pertaining to the history of the sport of Boxing. That column will be handled by an American coach, Wilson Pitts, who's work I truly respect. In line with my focus on the values the sport of Boxing I will also be creating a special page featuring Wayne McCullough, entitled the "Pocket Rocket Stories." Welcome to the new BoxingInsight.com Mark F. Villanueva

This site is currently under construction and will be up soon with major changes. I'll keep you updated as soon as possible. Thank you.


Mark F. Villanueva


Mark currently lives in Iloilo City and can be followed through http://twitter.com/markfvillanueva

Mayweather vs Ortiz: Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

It reveals who we truly are, what we are not, and certain traits we may not have known ourselves to possess. Emotions complicate things and it ran too high when Victor Ortiz' frustrations got accumulated over his failure to execute his game plan right from the start of the fight that spurred him off his character to lunge a head butt against a cornered opponent. Floyd Mayweather Jr. was always a step ahead and evidently quicker and too talented in their chosen craft. Victor Ortiz prides himself for being a world champion with a high knockout ratio and nothing could probably be more frustrating for such a brave young man than the realization that he had been reduced to being ordinary in the eyes of millions all over the world. I watched him apologize on television, highlighting on his imperfections. "I am not a cheater" he stated, and I personally believe him. He may have been just as surprised for his actions as we all are. That's what emotions do to people. It sweeps you in a way where at times we cannot trust our own selves completely. So why did Ortiz trust that his enemy would not hurt him?


I've seen a lot of bizarre things happen in Boxing, such as that day Mike Tyson bit a chunk off Holyfield's ear. You would not believe the tension that builds up once you get inside the ring. The moment you slip in anything can happen. We are all switched to survival mode to a certain degree. That is why the very first day you gather enough courage to lace up your boxing gloves you are told to protect yourself at all times. And this instruction is repeatedly told by a referee to each fighter at every fight. I would like to say Ortiz was being naive to approach his foe with his hands down, but no, he was stupid.

I believe I heard Joe Cortez say "fight" before it all happened, which is now a subject of heated debate. I believe I heard him say it. Regardless if he actually had said it is overridden by the fact that after he had taken a point from Ortiz for the headbutt he had motioned both fighters to fight, which they acknowledged by proceeding towards the center of the ring. They touched gloves and technically the match had resumed. Why he had to hug Floyd Jr. again at that moment, as if the kiss and a hug earlier was not enough is beyond me. As a world champion boxer he should have known that very moment was not the right time to be cute. Always keep your guard up. Floyd Mayweather Jr. was clever enough to recognize this stupidity like a shark sensing blood a mile away and hammered him with a trademark left hook and a hard right that knocked him out cold. Ugly but legit. What is legal is not always moral. It was as disrespectful as the post fight interview when Mayweather Jr. lambasted HBO's Larry Merchant with his "You don't know shit about boxing" tirade.

Controversy aside, Mayweather completely shut out Victor Ortiz with "vicious" lead rights. He kept throwing it like target practice towards a frigid Ortiz who showed insufficient head movement. As I wrote a day before the fight, Victor Ortiz is too predictable and that's how he kept timed cleanly with easy counterpunches. That was expected. He was also giving up his height by fighting small, and it's a well known fact that Floyd Jr. makes perfect fodder out of smaller fighters with his long reach. Instead of being the pressure fighter, he was the one being grilled all night as his challenger to the throne kept moving forward and beating him to the punch most of the time. He was forced to move around and box, instead of brawl, which is his specialty, by a genius boxer. Floyd Jr. had him right where he wanted him to be. To me, he had already lost that fight before he actually lost.

Commentating on the Mayweather versus Ortiz fight is a good friend of mine, Wayne McCullough together with Benny Ricardo. McCullough is a former world champion who is known for giving the Mexican legend Erik Morales the toughest fight of his career. I caught up with Wayne and asked what he thought of the controversial knockout by Mayweather:


Wayne: After Ortiz fouled Floyd, the referee should've put them in neutral corners. Mayweather threw cheap shots. Cortez should've had two points deducted and given Ortiz five minutes to recover.

Mark: He did separate both fighters on neutral corners. Did you hear the ref say "fight" ? I believe I did.

Wayne: They weren't in neutral corners, Mark, if Mayweather was able to land two shots and Ortiz was close enough to kiss him. Joe didn't even have his eyes on the fighters when Mayweather landed those shots. And I did not hear him say box. Joe was still looking at the timekeeper waiting for their instructions to restart the fight.

Bizarre things happen in boxing where fighters are understandably high strung. It's no UFO sighting but Mayweather's act was certainly not manly, although valid. And after the fight one of my friends had to say, please! no more kissing in the ring, and I said this fight literally reminds me of that movie Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang which by the way is no love story.

I end my article by going back to the first rule. Protect yourself at all times.

 
 
Mark F. Villanueva
Philippine Islands
BoxingInsight.blogspot.com


Published on Philboxing: http://philboxing.com/news/story-60179.html
 
 
 
Mark currently lives in Iloilo City and can be followed through http://twitter.com/markfvillanueva

Mayweather Storm

A day before Victor Ortiz finally enters the eye of the storm with the biggest fight of his career against Floyd Mayweather Jr. it seems that the current WBC Welterweight champion's character is taking a back seat to the former. Floyd Mayweather Jr, who is also a former holder to the title at stake, appears to be never out of stories to tell and, love him or hate him, he is doing his part of the job to sell the fight to the public much better than his counterpart, who seems to be less creative and perfunctory.

Incidentally, a boxer's personality is often seen in the way he actually fights in the squared circle. Just as one might observe about Victor Ortiz in the running HBO 24/7 series his fight approach, too, is more or less one dimensional. If the show dedicated most of its storylines on Ortiz it would probably be dreary, so when it starts to dwindle the cameras quickly shifts back to Money's team that's always up to something new.

Speaking of something new, my guess is that's going to be the most difficult subject the Mexican-American, Ortiz will have to handle during the fight. Victor Ortiz is younger and seems to be stronger, but like most young fighters out there he is all too predictable. I don't see this as a fight that relies heavily on physicality. Floyd Jr. is too smart to do that against the bigger and seemingly stronger guy, but he may go for it when the opportunity arises late in the fight. It's hard to tell. That's the beauty of it- Floyd Mayweather Jr. is too intelligent in the ring and too skilled, and he likes to shuffle his game, so it's hard to prepare for him. Before he fought Shane Mosley everyone was saying he is going to box him and move around, but that never happened. He stayed in front of him right at the very outset of the match, and even after he got rocked with Mosley's hard right hand he never tried to run off to clear his head. Floyd Mayweather Jr. talks you into doing things as if building a trap for a coming fight. And when he fights he mixes things up and confuses his opponents which eventually tires them, so Victor Ortiz should stay undeterred all night pursuing him if he wants to win this. The latter looks lame on Television. Let's hope it doesn't translate to it when he is enveloped by Mayweather's brainstorming fighting style.

Mark F. Villanueva

Philippine Islands

BoxingInsight.Blogspot.com

Mark currently lives in Iloilo City and can be followed through http://twitter.com/markfvillanueva

Boxing Giveth, Boxing Taketh Away

More than three decades ago my father, the late Judge Napoleon Dagani Villanueva, once told me at the sala of our old home that Boxing is a thinking man’s sport. We were watching a replay of a Muhammad Ali fight that night in our black and white TV, and he concisely explained to me the mechanics of how it was so, and the sound of it, and that idea of the sport conveyed to me from a unique angle got stuck up in my psyche growing up. Since then I’ve always had a special appreciation for athletes who performed in their respective sport with skill. I look at fighters now who come with brute force and it barely holds my attention. I try watching other blood sports on cable TV and it only reminds me of how much I appreciate the sport of Boxing and the science of it.  

In a way, Boxing is sacred to me. When I talk about Boxing I always consider what my father would have thought, too, of the subject. Sometimes, I say to myself that Boxing is probably the truest thing that I have that I cannot deny. And when I feel disconnected to the world, which is not unusual, in fact, quite often- even from my thousands of friends and followers that I have on social media, I frequently find myself back in the sweet science like it’s a beckoning. Like wherever you travel you always have to follow your way back home. I hit the bag as hard as I can on a sweltering day and the pain of it runs from my fists through my veins and all over my body; my heart pumping and I squeeze every ounce of strength I have inside me- and the synthesis of all that makes me connected back to reality. The ache keeps me from drifting away. I’ve never felt so alive as when I work out at our makeshift gym. I find myself in the midst of hunger and thirst of heavy training, and I live life in an unparalleled manner. When I pause for thirty seconds in between an exercise I look out past the grills of our gym and everything seems to be so colorful outside under the sun and you remember never to take anything for granted anymore. Suddenly I just want to live again, but I am not scared of death. Boxing keeps saving me. Boxing is like life. Boxing is the sport of all sports.

I realize that the sport has given me the values of hard work, dedication, and discipline. Take boxing away from me and I honestly would not be able to say what that would make of me. Boxing is special. In fact, when I read about athletes like Oscar Dela Hoya, Ricky Hatton, and Joe Calzaghe I think I see how the absence of the sport has made their lives take a detour towards drugs and alcohol addiction. Today, Dela Hoya spoke about his addiction, unfaithfulness to his wife, and his undergoing rehabilitation. See, it’s never about the money. Money is a thing regular men kill for and hold on to. I don’t think it becomes out of boredom either. It’s never about those mundane things, in my humble opinion. In fact, I think it’s quite simple. Boxing is so hard a sport that when you excel at it you know it in your heart that you are a special individual, and that is also why real fighters never quit. It takes you to a whole new level of hardship that only fighters themselves understand. The sport is a discipline that is so difficult that it imposes upon you a direction in life. You work hard to a point that you numb the pain, and you go even farther and there’s a new kind of pain and all the time you are connected to your soul. You train so hard that you get to a level that each punch you throw is like a drumbeat that awakens your spirit. Take away this discipline from these great fighters like Oscar Dela Hoya, and they are lost.

Mark F. Villanueva

Philippine Islands

BoxingInsight.blogspot.com

Mark currently lives in Iloilo City and can be followed through http://twitter.com/markfvillanueva

ALEX ARIZA ANSWERS THE QUESTION

Lately I have been getting a lot of questions about weight loss.

People want to know how to lose pounds quickly.  Maybe they are weeks out from their wedding or just want to look good putting on a bathing suit this summer.

The question I have been getting in particular is, “Can I write out a diet focussing on weight loss with negative calorie foods.”

My answer is, “ALL Foods have calories.”

No food is actually considered a “negative calorie” food.

We can gain a negative calorie effect because certain foods in our body  use more calories to digest than the calories the foods actually contain.

The way this happens is the calories in certain types of foods are much harder to breakdown and process than other types of foods. Not all foods breakdown the same once they enter your digestive system.

Basically think of it this way. Your body has to break down foods when they enter your body. In order to do this you body has to expend calories in order to digest and breakdown these foods.

This gives these foods a tremendous natural fat-burning advantage. These are the foods known as “fat burning foods.”

Here is the list of foods that I like to use to help the natural fat-burning process:

beets, berries, asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, celery, cucumber, garlic, lettuce, grapefruit, lemon, onion, papaya, zucchini, spinach, pineapple, and mango.

Start putting in the good foods AND stop putting in the garbage foods.

What most people need to realize is once you get the garbage foods out of your system your body stops craving these types of foods. You know the foods I am talking about.  The foods you have to get when you are driving your car and do a quick drive through at your local fast food restaurant.

To live a really healthy life you need to start with a really healthy diet.

Do you want to be part time in shape? Do you want to feel good part time? Well the answer is your diet. If you are part time with the consistency of the quality of foods you put in your body you will be part time with how good you feel.

We are all champions-

Until Next time,

Alex Ariza.

Mark currently lives in Iloilo City and can be followed through http://twitter.com/markfvillanueva

Zab Judah's Performance: No Khan Do

Dateline: Las Vegas, Nevada, June 23, 2011 - English Boxer, Amir "King" Khan continues to rise from the rubble caused by his only defeat against one Breidis Prescott in Greater Manchester. Since that devastating loss back in September, 2008, Khan has crossed seas to team up with one, if not the best, boxing coach in the wold, Freddie Roach, and he's been gaining momentum heavily along with new believers at every outing, winning every fight since their fateful team up. Khan already holds victories over popular prizefighters such as the Mexican MarcoAntonio Barrera, the outspoken Paulie Malignaggi, and power puncher Marcos Maidana. This time around he was met by a resuging powerhouse in American, Zab Judah.

Fighting Orthodox, the tall fighter from Bolton used his left methodically. He pumped it to it's full extent without overreaching it that it becomes a liability. This jab would consistently place the smaller opponent with the shorter reach at bay all throughout the match, much to his dismay. That left jab was sometimes followed by a left cross that immediately swiped defense lines across the opponent's face if it didn't land, leaving him tentative against crossing the invisible barriers that Khan had built. Judah would veer away, attempt to move forward to machinate but did so dubiously to make it an effective one, as if crossing a live minefield, and then he'd back off and move away. It was like that all night as the younger and busier Amir Khan kept following an effective game plan devised by his stern American coach, Freddie Roach. And although Zab Judah, too, to his credit, was quick and slick, it appeared as though he had nothing much to fire back in return.

Personally, I'm not so fond of fighters who allow themselves to get hit in order to hit back with a harder shot of their own, although many boxing fans find that exciting. I admire fighters who are deft and slippery operating in and out of harm's way just as the slick American, Zab Judah is known for, and who tried his best that night to emulate his mentor Pernell Whitaker. But it appeared all night as though that slick style had been overwhelmed by Khan's offensive repertoire as a dot of oil in a pale of water. Amir Khan was all over him that night and never showing signs of tiring out just like stablemate Pound For Pound No.1 Manny Pacquiao with whom he shares the same coach and a strikingly similar fight approach. Judah would successfully evade one or two rapid shots thrown at him but would never be completely shielded from the series of punches in succession. Khan was very precise with his punches. He was very aggressive but not forcible, thus maintaining his efficacy. Judah would attempt to fire back with combos of his own but his machinery was always shorthanded against his taller foe who exploited his height and reach advantage to its full extent. His face was puffed and blood trickled down his nose. Khan was practically unscathed. In a match up dubbed as "Attack And Conquer" it looked as if there was no attack in Judah, who was always forced back on the defensive.

After all the talk of "schooling" Amir Khan during the pre-fight press conference, the veteran Zab Judah was shut out completely coming into the fifth round. It's not that it appeared as if he had nothing left as a professional boxer. He remains dangerous and clever, in fact, I think he would do very well against other 140 pounders out there. He could still be a champion once more. But Amir Khan was just performing all too well that night. He continued to rise above the crowd's expectations. From that point on, most of Judah's followers must have been hoping for a one shot, one kill, sneaky punch to end it all which wasn't really that far out owing to Khan's susceptibility for eating uppercuts, and Judah's raw power. That was the atmosphere at the start of the fifth round. Most spectators now banking on a jackpot, and khan's followers known as "Khan's Army" held unto their seats, weary of a Phantom punch that might shatter their already palpable victory.

It never came. Well into the fifth round, Zab Judah grimaced in pain as he knelt on the canvas after what the video replay shown as a legal body blow right at the belt line, hit him. The more logical way to protest the knockdown call by the referee was to contest while standing up, but he let him count away kneeling with his head down against the floor.

Maybe the pain was so that it was unbearable for him to stand. Maybe it was actually the punch to his face right before he got hit in the body that really hurt him and kept his head spinning. Some argue that he just wanted out of the fight and found an excuse to do it. But whatever the case may have been at that exact moment of confusion, there was no question that Amir Khan had simply dominated him from start to end. Statistics do not lie. I'm not very good with numbers, but I know that's where the spin stops.



Mark F. Villanueva
Philippine Islands
BoxingInsight.blogspot.com



Mark currently lives in Iloilo City and can be followed through http://twitter.com/markfvillanueva

Zab Judah's Faith Is His Weapon

There are points in human behavior we cannot fully fathom. How some people find difficulty being around others, a lover's irrational jealousy, over zealousness on a subject, how other's draw inspiration from odd situations; what makes a person tick, give in, give up, or transform on certain occasions.

American boxer, Zab Judah has left an impression on his fans with his tendency to lose focus late in his fights. His performance at times changes drastically that he's wasted having built early leads in past fights and had been beaten by considerably lesser skilled fighters. Maybe he behaves so he over thinks a less complex situation that makes him erratic, divert from a game plan, or doubt his abilities, which leads him to sort of self destruct at some point; become enraged by his temper. It could be that in those moments when he had lost it and burst out in anger, which have led to his suspension at one point, that those were products of an accumulation of desperate attempts to control his inner self. It could be many things charged up by diverse factors around a given time. After all, Boxing is a very tough sport and going up in the ring is no less a matter of survival for any prizefighter. Boxing puts you in a tough spot which could spark unusual musings for a boxer who has that inclination to over rationalize.

Whatever it was that my friend and professional boxer, Maureen Shea saw in Zab Judas' eyes when he was knocked down by Lucas Mathysse, on his way back up, is probably something only another prizefighter may fully understand. Shea "The Real Million Dollar Baby" with a fight record of 15-2-1(no contest) said "I was sitting ringside during Judah vs. Mathysse when Zab hit the canvas. I saw a look in his eyes I had not seen in a long time as he got back up." As I inquired further she said "It was determination. I loved what he said at the post fight presser... him and God had a talk when he hit the canvas. I believe that from that look on his face he made a decision in that moment and got up. As long as that and his determination drive his training, I believe in him."

I tried to get in touch with former world champion, Morris East who has been helping Zab Judah rebuild his career along with Pernell "Sweet Pea" Whitaker, and asked for his thoughts on the matter and he said "We feel as a whole that we've worked really hard for this fight and he (Judah) has a big chance of winning against Khan with a more focused and determined attitude, and we've made changes compared to his past camps for the betterment of his performance."

On the other hand, Zab Judah's opponent this coming Saturday, Amir Khan has the advantages of height and reach as well as being trained by renowned boxing trainer, Freddie Roach. He, too, is on the roll since his knockout loss to Breidis Prescot, which makes this upcoming fight with the slick Judah a compelling one.

Whatever it is that makes Zab Judah the comeback fighter that he is now we hope to see if it holds well and consistently. We believe it's his renewed faith in God that keeps him up and beating the odds, and if indeed that is what it is, then we'll have to see if the Pakistani-born and practicing muslim, Amir Khan has enough power to shake up his christian faith which supposedly holds his fight game together.



Mark F. Villanueva
Philippine Islands
BoxingInsight.blogspot.com


Mark currently lives in Iloilo City and can be followed through http://twitter.com/markfvillanueva

Brian Viloria Interview: I'm in the best shape of my life!

We may be many things to different people at the same time, and a collective perception of us by a certain crowd could change by time's passage. But you don't just start off with a glittering amateur record by winning a number of world titles in the process, land an honorable seat at the U.S. Olympic Boxing team, win a world title as a professional boxer and defend it twenty times after, if you're not a winner. And by that I mean a winner not just in the views of many, but more importantly to yourself. No one could have achieved all that without the belief in himself as a winner.

Winning is not easy and may attest a whole lot of things to one's personhood but to be able to test a man's truest character you have to catch him when he is down. And if the low points in our lives partially bare our souls, then so much was shown that day as it turned out to be Viloria's defining moment as he reached down and dug as deep as he never had before to find the spirit to knockout the formidable Mexican, Ulises "Archie" Solis who had not lost a single fight in eleven straight matches.

It was way back on the 19th of April 2009 when Viloria would win his second world title (IBF Junior Flyweight) and I was fortunate to witness from ringside at the Araneta Coliseum how the Hawaiian-born Filipino boxer, Brian Viloria had solidified himself under the pressure of a fading career following his past losses in pivotal fights. After losing his WBC Light Flyweight world title to Omar Nino Romero and crucial back to back losses to the Mexican boxer, Edgar Sosa, although the second loss was eventually declared a no-contest due to the victor's failure to pass the post-fight drug test, Brian Viloria was thought by many to be on the brink of a downslope in his career. People started to remember him for those heartbreaking losses rather than for his triumphs, which didn't bode well for the former champion. It was on that day when he was most pressed that he shown what was arguably his best performance in his professional boxing career in front of thousands of his fans. It was a moment that would speak volumes of who the boxer Brian Viloria truly is.

Back on his throne, Brian Viloria managed to defend his title with a Unanimous Decision against Jesus Iribe before losing to Carlos Tamara back in the 23rd of January, 2010 where he was said to have passed out after the fight due to extreme exhaustion. Finding himself once again with the challenge of treading up that painstaking comeback trail, will the two time world champion boxer be able to find those qualities deep within to redeem himself and regain past glory? Or will his championship fight this coming Sunday for the WBO Flyweight title versus Julio Cesar Miranda of Mexico be his last dance in the big stage? I caught up exclusively with Brian Viloria and this is what he had to say:

Mark: Hey, Brian, thanks for taking the time to answer my queries in such short notice. I know you're busy with your upcoming fight just around the corner.

How's your training goin? I heard you've been working real hard for this fight and that you're now in the best shape ever.

Brian: I have been working long and hard for this fight. Opportunities for world championship fights don't come often, so you want to put everything you've got in training camp and more.

Mark: Has there been a major change in your transition from Robert Garcia's camp to your new team in terms of style and training regimen- etc. ?

Brian: Each trainer has different training styles. It wasn't hard for me to transition because I have worked with Mario Morales earlier in my career.

Mark: Please tell us more about the team you're with now.

Brian: Mario is a great trainer. He likes to oversee the morning runs, and knows when to crack the whip when needed. On the other hand he also knows when to taper down so his fighters don't get overworked.

Mark: You've been jumping up and down in weight in the past years, do you think you're current weight will work to your advantage in this fight?

Brian: I've started my career at 112. I went down to 108 to fight for the WBC title. 4 pounds with our size does make a lot of difference. I feel stronger and comfortable at this weight.

Mark: How do you plan on dealing with Julio Cesar Miranda come Sunday style wise, and how do you see that match up unfold?

Brian: Sticking to my game plan and working the body early. I need to use my hand speed and throw a lot of combinations with angles. I see him having trouble with my speed and the aggressiveness come Sunday.

Mark: With your superb conditioning, do you think a knock out is a high probability?

Brian: All I want to say is, if a knockout presents itself then I'll take it.

Mark: There's been rumors circling around the boxing community on your plans of retiring soon, is there any truth to this or does much of it depend on the outcome of your pending title fight? I was there when you fought Solis in Manila and I've seen for myself what you are capable of. I don't know if you remember this but I once told you that when you knocked him out in the 11th round in Rocky Balboa fashion I jumped out of my seat and screamed so hard I didn't care for anyone around me like I was celebrating my birthday (LOL). Are you in the position to declare that you're as well prepared now as that fight?

Brian:  I've been boxing for a long time, but I have been feeling too good and having too much fun to retire now. I'm in the best shape of my life and I don't want to think about retiring right now.

Mark: At the age of 30 I believe you're still very, very capable of capturing a number of victories under your belt, and I really hope that's how the future will be for you.

I know you're very busy with your fight schedule this close. I really appreciate this, bro and I hope to be able to catch up with you after the win. Before we go, do you have a message to all your Filipino fans who are looking forward to witness another championship victory?

Brian: Thanks again bro for all the support. The reason I fight with passion and excitement are for supporters like you. I want to say thank you to all the fans and their collective prayers and support for me all these years. I love them all.

Mark: Once again I thank you for this opportunity, champ. I wish you the best and God bless you and your family.



Mark F. Villanueva
Philippine Islands
BoxingInsight.blogspot.com

Mark currently lives in Iloilo City and can be followed through http://twitter.com/markfvillanueva

Brandon Rios: Mr. Excitement

The Mexican-American boxer from Oxnard, California Brandon Rios may be easily disliked by many for his brazen ways, but the first time I saw him fight it was actually his crass boxing skills that failed to leave a lasting positive impression on me. He looked just like another ordinary fighter who was always hungry to brawl and strived to catch the boxing fans' attention by talking too much outside of the ring, instead of letting his skills be the focal point of his career.

I used to feel that watching Rios fight is almost like watching a show against the light. His mistakes are glaring and for those who are on the look for fighters who box instead of just brawl, the prizefighter from Oxnard is a little too rough on all angles to appreciate. His defensive skills are just as unrefined as he is loud, but to give the 25yr. old some credit I'd have to say the kid is always so full of excitement. But then again I don't just watch boxing for the excitement and like many boxing fans out there actual skill is much more highly regarded more than anything else, and that's where he has never failed to fall short of.

On Saturday night at the Home Depot Center, Carson, California Brandon Rios came into the ring against the Mexican, Urbano Antillon with his youthful energy beaming clearly and his bold ways carrying that same electricity and excitement he has been known for. Urbano Antillon himself has been through many wars in his career with tough competition where he's had his share of success but seems to have come in that ring caught up in the psyche by all the pre-fight hype. The only way to make a limited fighter look good in a battle is by fighting his fight, and at the very outset of it, the Mexican handed it over to the tough yet ungraceful Brandon Rios by planting himself in front of him. The only way to make it tough for a brawler to perform is to coat your style with slick but Antillon maintained his position and looked to trade punches, so you could almost see the invisible cheer behind Rios' tough-guy looks. The latter looked very good all night throwing punches and counter shots but looking at how the first round ended it seemed that there was still so much hard work to be done with Antillon giving flush power punches of his own. The brutality continued in the second and further onwards until the early moments of the third when Rios, during a close encounter, hit the Mexican with a right hand that shook his head in an awkward angle and knocked him down. As if not learning from his mistakes, Antillon got up and tried to clear his head but made no drastic changes to his style. Perhaps he was too shaken up to evaluate his position in the fight, or, he might have been too weak to apply his plan, but later in that same round and almost in the same manner he had been tagged the first time, Antillon went down again. This time it was much harder, but still his persistence as a Mexican fighter kept him from staying down. He tried to keep up and stay in the fight but the moment he started to wobble, walking funny from one corner to the other the referee was left with no choice but to halt the match.

Brandon Rios showed significant improvement in his fight against Antillon. Even the Mexican legend Antonio Marco Barrera had to acknowledge that. Rios popularity is vastly emerging in the sport of boxing and his skills are getting a lot better. It was a night Urbano Antillon was simply caught up in the California heat of excitement.



Mark F. Villanueva
Philippine Islands
BoxingInsight.blogspot.com

Follow Mark via Twitter.com/MarkFVillanueva

Juan Manuel Marquez The Dreamer

Back when I was small I would get up early in the morning and watch the vacant streets of where we once lived, tracing it far past my cousin's house and that huge Star Apple tree, far down to the river.  Watching from our rooftop I would climb even farther up to thirty feet in our radio antenna just to know how it looks like to be on top of everything because when you're that high up sometimes even taller buildings from a distance seem to appear a tad below you.

One thing I truly admire about the Mexican boxer, Juan Manuel Marquez is his willingness to chase his dreams, no matter how far up he has to move in weight just to fulfill them. If I have to think of one word that would best describe his characteristics as a man behind the prizefighter, it would be a "dreamer". After his loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. when he also had to pack up a huge weight difference it is as if its apparent effects on his poor performance have not become a deterrent to his quest for a future fight with the Filipino boxing sensation Manny Pacquiao. The way I see it, it is not as if the Mexican has not learned from his mistakes. Instead, it appears like Marquez is not going to let his mistakes prevent him from pursuing his dreams. Not only does he have to give in to the weight demands to fulfill this fight, but he'll be on a huge disadvantage with his age, which is considerably advanced in the prizefighting realm. To be where he is now, he had to keep himself sharp and by that he fought fierce competitors such as Michael Katsidis and "Baby Bull" Diaz, and even Floyd Mayweather Jr. at Welterweight just to prove to the world that he is fully equipped and up to the challenge, or whatever odds are evidently preventing him from another encounter with Pacquiao. The last time I saw Juan Manuel Marquez personally was when he came to the Philippines and challenged Pacquiao to fight him one more time, which I don't find to be the smartest of moves. I honestly do not have the slightest admiration for whiners. At that moment he took the microphone and blurted his emotions I couldn't help but run in my mind thoughts of a cry baby begging for something, and Pacquiao was just being a class act at that time smiling; not even a hint of being offended or about to get mixed up in a heated conversation.

While it is true that styles do make fights and it's become an established fact over the past encounters that "Dynamita" Marquez has the best boxing style to offset Pacquiao's in and out, unrelenting offense many believe the former won't be able to handle the highly improved Pound for Pound champion. He has upgraded his fight game arsenal in so many aspects over the years while maintaining his vaunted speed and stamina. And the power Pacquiao has at this point of his boxing career is just tremendous, so just imagine the difficulty of fighting him now. Offensive game aside, just think of how much Pacquiao's defense has improved; the lateral movements, the experience and lessons he has learned fighting and defeating a series of boxing greats at the higher divisions. It's almost like an entirely new ball game now. If Marquez had a hard time against him in the past the odds of success in trading punches with him now is so overwhelmingly against his favor, even to some extent where his safety up in the ring could be argued by some as a real issue. Many boxing pundits believe Marquez could be destroyed up there, and when you analyze it all in paper the basis for that is not too far flung at all.

The slow-starter, Juan Manuel Marquez, who is also very crafty may have shown stability in his last few fights and have raised brows of many critics for being able to hold on and still perform well at his age, but I don't think we can expect him to improve any further from this standpoint. He is more likely to be the same boxer Manny fought to a controversial win, while the latter has improved so much now. But the sport of Boxing is like life in that it is peculiar. You just cannot discount a dreamer.


Mark F. Villanueva
Philippine Islands


Mark currently lives in Iloilo City and can be followed through http://twitter.com/markfvillanueva

Nonito Donaire Jr.: The Prodigal Son Loses No Respect

The truth I have found always hits you hardest because it has no emotion, therefore it never hesitates in directness, precision, and is brutally unforgiving. It does not simply take chances out of passing courage or renewed light that darts valiantly in the dark. The truth is consistent and so unrelenting with all it's might.   No one escapes this at any given day and nights can't harbor those who are tired of it with temporal refuge. It is always there as it is imposing, yet so difficult to decipher. Everybody seeks it, yet no one is too sure if what they have is that single faceted, one dimensional gem. As it is, the truth is simple and complicated altogether. That's why it should serve us well to be very prudent before we point a finger.

Over the past months, Nonito Donaire Jr. has been highlighted by many boxing fans and writers all over the world for his "dubious" judgments in various matters, but most glaringly for his act of jumping ship from his promoter Top Rank to its arch rival Golden Boy Promotions. Business aspects aside, on a personal level he too has been accused of having let his new found fame after his sensational victory over the Mexican, Fernando Montiel get inside his head. And not only that, his wife, Rachel, too has been a subject of harsh criticism in many terms, which certainly did not exclude something as minor a subject as her sense of fashion.  But back to the gist of the matter at hand, after all the cards have been put on the table and both parties' reasoning have been heard out, it seems that the WBO and WBC World Bantamweight Champion, Nonito Donaire Jr. is going to be back with Bob Arum's Top Rank after all. The latter has won it's legal battle over the champion and I'm glad he respects that. I hope it all ends in a good note. But after all the hullabaloo, can we say Donaire Jr.'s name has been soiled in the face of the public for good, and that sharp Filipino conservatism may finally have a lasting scar on the highly talented prizefighter's face?

The answer to that question depends on the truth one sees. Our truth has many facets and my honesty may differ from your honesty, or, we could both be completely honest and disagree so strongly at the same time.  Would you say Golden Boy Promotions has been honest in it's belief that it had the right to sign Nonito Donaire Jr. although he was in betwixt a contract stipulation? You bet. If given the chance I'm quite sure their lawyers would be more than willing to tread along the fine lines of what's legal and otherwise. But what is legal almost always runs in conflict with what is right and what a person may feel he deserves. Nonito may have been honest too in believing he was right, so for that we should give the man a break for looking over his interests. Nobody really knows the real deal apart from the real parties to the case. The truth may have many planes and my level of truth could be as true as another's from another dimension, and for that it is impossible, if not extremely difficult, to infer one's true intentions, unless one can read minds.

If this tells us anything at all, it is that Nonito Donaire Jr. is a man of action. He is just as brave on top of the ring as he is in real life, it seems. When he sees an opening, which does not come often, he goes for a kill. It's in his instincts to protect his own interests as a professional boxer, a family man, and a human being. He may have been wrong, or may have made many mistakes in the past, but the man calls it the way he sees it. He knew he'd be hit with bitter criticism but he took a shot and fought fiercely for the truth he believed in. It is better to be wrong than to not make a decision in life as long as it is based on honesty given one's circumstances at a given time. He believed he was wronged and didn't hesitate to take action. We all get criticized for the good and bad that we do anyway, do we not?

Now he knows he lost that fight at the legal front and shows his respect by coming back not just to finish the remaining months of his contract but potentially to a renewed and prolonged one.  We all learn from our mistakes. That man is a natural fighter. And that is the truth.


Mark F. Villanueva
Philippine Islands


Mark currently lives in Iloilo City and can be followed through http://twitter.com/markfvillanueva

Victor Ortiz: The Young Padawan

I can see how Victor Ortiz’ promoter, Oscar Dela Hoya is also his number one believer. They’re both Mexican-Americans with talent and skill to complement their power, and Ortiz has raw power in both hands. Victor is called “Vicious” for a good reason: he has a crowd pleasing fighting style and is very aggressive, always looking to force the action in the ring; And Victor has that charm and rugged good looks that could pull that star status like a halo up above his head. In a way, they are much alike. Whether he has the elements and that broad smile to capture an even wider market, we all have to wait and see. Around two years ago when Oscar Dela Hoya cashed in on these factors and predicted him as the next golden boy of boxing things were looking good up ahead and the stars were indeed starting to align in his favor. Everything seemed to glow yonder the horizon for Ortiz’ up until he unexpectedly hit that Argentine bloc of force in the form of Marcos Maidana, who knocked him off the path to success.

But for the Mexican-American prizefighter, Victor “Vicious” Ortiz the prize of winning against Andre Berto last April 16, 2011 shoots beyond the rewards of gaining the WBC Welterweight title and settles at a higher plateau of that much sought regained respect. Every fighter is as good as his last fight, so they say, and Ortiz’ last one is a running contender to fight of the year for 2011. In fact, he was so good in that fight that he is now regarded as among the top Welterweights in the world, and that prior knockout loss he suffered against Maidana in 2009 has become a wound in the distant past which time healed nicely. 

At the age of 24, the young and volatile Ortiz has switched from being a strong up-and-comer to being touted as the next big name in boxing, down to being an exposed fighter and now ranked by many boxing sites as being one of the top two Welterweights in the world. Still riding that natural high of capturing the WBC Welterweight belt, the question that looms over the new champion is, will he finally be able to overcome that instability and show to the world his championship win was not a mere stroke of good luck? Is he ripe enough to be plucked from the common and placed amongst the elite in the sport? For certainly, his next opponent, Floyd Mayweather Jr., at this point in his career doesn’t need a belt around his waist to be considered one.

Ortiz brings a lot of interest with him each time he fights not only due to his personal and professional background, but ‘cause he carries so much passion as a fighter.  Almost like Oscar, he always comes forward with his arms up, looking boxy and basic. He comes in with that strong upper body figure and a decent jab, and being a lefty could pose some difficulty against Mayweather Jr. to some degree. With the conditioning he had against Andre Berto maybe he'd have enough energy to fuel the same long pressured attack De La Hoya applied against Floyd Jr. and there's a possibility that Ortiz could actually finish the job Oscar De La Hoya nearly accomplished back in 2007. If only De La Hoya had not stopped throwing those jabs at Floyd Jr. many agree how he really could have won that fight, and just maybe the energetic Ortiz could attempt to finish what he had started with youth on his side.

Whether Floyd Mayweather Jr. has chosen to fight Ortiz, being a southpaw, as a preparation for his potential fight against Pacquiao, doesn’t really matter at least for now that neither party has found any solution to that blood testing bedlam. Nobody really knows how the future of that fight is going to unfold, if it all; however, 
against Victor Ortiz, the latter appears to be the young Padawan up against a master Jedi
.

Even if the younger Victor Ortiz were to fight at a much later date against an older version of Floyd Mayweather Jr., one who’s a bit past his best years, even that match up would still be a tough fight to call. Coated with slick and armed with skill, it is actually the intangible that is going to be the toughest quality to overcome when he fights the black American. Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s experience will overshadow whatever physical advantages Ortiz hopes to bring at the day of the fight. Mayweather Jr. will come in with that uncanny ability to run over the fight in his head in a way Ortiz can only dream of. He has the gift of foresight, deception as well as strong anticipation, and timing not every fighter is ensured to develop over the years. Floyd Jr. is that type of fighter who doesn’t rely as much on the physical as on the mental aspect of the game, and he is very clever at what he does. He is unpredictable and, therefore, difficult to trap but very perceptive when he decides to lunge an offensive. He’s a natural fighter. Needless to say he is equipped with so much talent and superb skill sets as well, which makes him the undefeated fighter he is now.

From supreme talent we go back to the tangibles. Victor Ortiz seems to have successfully carried his power moving up to Welterweight, which will be very crucial in his next fight. That’s what he needs to keep the pressure on Floyd Jr. altogether with endurance and stamina, but fighting flatfooted won’t help to further his cause. He needs to step up on his speed to actually apply that pressure and keep up with Mayweather Jr., who can be very flitty and stings like a bee. Two of the many things Floyd Jr. is very good at are striking that lead straight and a left hook. That same left hook that knocked down Marquez, and that check hook that made Hatton bang his head at the ring post. Whether it is accountable to his fighting style or frigid fight stance and less upper body movement, Victor Ortiz seems surely to fall prey to Mayweather’s lead right hand straight. I can see him eating those shots all night. If he took too many of those from a slow and predictable Marcos Maidana he surely will be receiving more from an elite fighter this time around. In his past fights he has been very vulnerable to counter left hooks too, which Mayweather executes to perfection. He also needs a quicker snapback whenever he throws his left straight or he’ll get beaten to the punch with counterpunches each time.

Whether we attribute it to his enthused fighting style or mere unfettered youthful aggression, I personally think Victor is too vicious that he overly commits when he fights, so when he’s at it he tends to disregard keeping the technical aspect of the fight game. He is exciting to watch ‘cause he can knock you out anytime, but the same goes with him. I just hope he won’t leave too many windows open against a straight shooter like Floyd Mayweather Jr. 

Mark F. Villanueva
Philippine Islands




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