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Manny Pacquiao’s flight will arrive tonight (Saturday) one hour earlier than expected. Philippine Airlines Flight 102 will arrive at 6:55 pm at Los Angeles International Airport. Fight fans are invited to come and welcome Pacman at LAX Terminal 4 upon his arrival for his Novemver 14 showdown with Miguel Cotto in Las Vegas.

Pacquiao selected Baguio — six hours north of Manila by car — as the site of his training camp because he could do road work in the mountains. But the rains made it nearly impossible to run, so instead, HBO has nice shots of him swimming in an indoor pool while it’s storming outside.

Also, according to reports from the Philippines, Pac Man’s entourage has grown, which always makes things entertaining.

Joining us for lunch was HBO’s Ray Stallone, who said that the ratings for 24/7 continue to rise. “Anytime [Floyd] Mayweather is involved, we see a spike in ratings,” said Stallone. “And it’s going up in the 18 to 35 demographic. That’s so heartening. These are our new fans.”

There are a certain generation of people who are forever hooked on boxing because they watched the “Friday Night Fights,” with their dad in the 1950s. Perhaps 24/7 has the same impact. Greenburg hears from all kinds of individuals who watch the series, including a lot of celebrities. One of them, NASCAR champ Jimmie Johnson, will soon have his own 24/7 experience.

Before he stepped into the ring against Antonio Margarito in July 2008, Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto was undefeated and considered one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world.
The then-WBA welterweight champion — who will fight current pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao on Nov. 14 in Las Vegas — was a powerful and punishing body-puncher, and his handlers were eying a future mega-fight against undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr., if they could coax him out of retirement.

But Cotto fans were stunned as Margarito administered an 11-round beating before Cotto’s corner threw in the towel after Cotto, bloodied and battered, twice took a knee in an attempt to slow the Mexican’s onslaught.

Though he has yet to make up his mind about fighting again or not, it is clear the 10th-round stoppage loss he suffered at the hands of Floyd Mayweather Junior still plays on the mind of Ricky Hatton; far more than the even more devastating and much quicker KO loss he suffered at the hands of Manny Pacquiao in his last fight.

Hatton has yet to make a decision as to whether or not the brutal 2nd-round KO will end his fine and exciting pro career, but he has made it clear that if he were to come back, Floyd Mayweather would be his prime target.

In a new interview with BBC radio, Hatton, now a successful promoter, said he’d need some big motivation to want to return to the ring, and that “Money” is one fighter who would give him that motivation.

When the fight was announced the two combatants were coming off markedly different performances. One frighteningly dominant, the other a test of wills that came down to a scant few points on the judges scorecards. One fighter seemed to be leap-frogging the perilous climb to pound-for-pound supremacy while the other seemed to be finding slippery wet patches as he struggled onward and upward. That their ring accomplishments are in fact comparable became a moot point – one was spectacularly exciting, the other as stoic and measured in his ring approach as his manner.

Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto, who will meet in the years biggest and most significant bout on November 14th, have so much more in common than their respective fans and critics would contend. And the level of experience and professionalism both men bring to the ring all but guarantees a fistic display of the highest quality.

Boxing trainer and coach Freddie Roach spoke highly of Manny Pacquiao’s sparring partners that include Jose Luis Castillo, the former lightweight champion of the world as Team Pacquiao leaves Saturday to continue training at the Wild Card Gym in L.A.
Pacquiao’s trainer and coach Freddie Roach is happy with Pacquiao’s sparring partners and speaks highly of them as Team Pacquiao prepares to leave for Los Angeles, California for the last leg of the Filipino boxer’s training and physical conditioning.
Among Pacquiao’s sparing partners who gets special attention from Roach because of the inputs that he gives to the Filipino boxer’s quest for being the first boxer to win seven titles in seven weight divisions, is Jose Luis Castillo of Mexico, himself a former light weight champion of the world who also spoke highly of Manny Pacquiao.
Castillo is convinced that nobody in the weight range where Pacquiao and Cotto are fighting is capable of beating Pacquiao based on his experience on the first few sparring sessions with the pound for pound king.

By Bill Dwyre
Boxer Manny Pacquiao and trainer Freddie Roach share a laugh at a news conference Thursday at Yankee Stadium. (Ed Mulholland / US Presswire / September 10, 2009)
From New York
They cheered Manny at Yankee Stadium on Thursday.
No, not the guy with the dreadlocks and the Boston Red Sox legacy. …

By Michael Marley
The collected Wit and Wisdom of Manny Pacquiao as he and Nov. 14 opponent Miguel Cotto visited Yankee Stadium Thursday:
I could not help but notice that, when it comes to speaking English as a second language, there are two Manny Pacquiao’s.
One is the stiff, robotic guy in …

By Rick Reeno
BoxingScene.com spoke with numerous sources who were present in Ontario last Friday night for the post-fight press conference for Marvin Sonsona’s decision win over Jose Lopez. Sonsona captured the WBO super flyweight title.
From what I heard, a local reporter asked Sonsona if he would be willing to fight Nonito …

By Ronnie Nathanielsz
Filipino boxing hero Manny Pacquiao was elated over the victory of 19 year old Marvin Sonsona who hammered out an impressive twelve round unanimous decision over veteran Puerto Rican Jose “Carita” Lopez to win the WBO super flyweight title in an action-packed battle at Casino Rama, Ontario, Canada …

By Rick Reeno
BoxingScene.com was informed that WBA/WBC super flyweight champion Vic Darchinyan (32-2, 26KOs) is very interested in setting up a unification bout with newly crowned WBO champion Marvin Sonsona (14-0, 12KOs). Sonsona won the title on Friday with a twelve round decision over Jose Lopez. International matchmaker and promoter Sampson …

By NICK GIONGKO
Reporting from Baguio City, trainer Buboy Fernandez said the City of Pines and the facilities available up there is suited for Manny Pacquiao’s training camp for the Nov. 14 fight with Miguel Cotto.
“I have inspected the gym and discovered a perfect running area that Manny will use once …

Marvin Sonsona of the Philippines reacts after being announced the winner over Jose Lopez of Puerto Rico in their WBO Junior Bantamweight World Title match at Casino Rama in Orillia, Ontario September 4, 2009. REUTERS/Fred Thornhill (CANADA SPORT BOXING)
“Marvelous” Marvin Sonsona and Jose “Carita” Lopez took turns battering each …

Long after his victory over Jose Lopez had ended, young Marvin Sonsona was still signing autographs and posing for photos outside the Casino Rama Entertainment Center. Smiling, but bruised – his left eye had a bump over it, and his right was adorned with a small white bandage covering a single stitch needed to close a cut – the new title holder graciously interacted with the fans still milling about.

He was enjoying the attention, and it had been thoroughly deserved for it had been a grueling give and take battle that after a strong beginning looked to be slipping from his grasp. Lopez had made a valiant charge over the mid to late rounds, and Sonsona appeared to be wavering, but showing poise beyond his years, the 19 year old weathered the storm and buckled down late to cement the unanimous decision win.

By Mark Vester
When the subject of Manny Pacquiao being the best pound for pound best in the world is brought up, Floyd Mayweather Jr. sounds off and unloads on the two best wins on Pacquiao’s record, against Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton. Mayweather feels that he beat Hatton …

“Sometimes I sit back and I ask myself questions like where was this guy Pacquiao when I was dominating in the 90's,” stated a somewhat defensive Floyd Mayweather Jr. when the subject of Manny Pacquiao's recent victories over Ricky Hatton and Oscar De La Hoya were brought up during a conference call with the media earlier today. Mayweather had a lot to say regarding those two performances and fired back at critics of his upcoming clash with lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez. Check out some of the highlights from the conference call.

FLOYD MAYWEATHER JR.

“Everything is going great. Like I said, we had a freak accident [rib injury] in the past. The only thing we're trying to do is just move on. That was in the past. I'm a lot better now. I feel strong and I'm ready to fight!”

According to former champion Zab Judah, Golden Boy Promotions contacted him yesterday for a potential clash with WBA welterweight champion Shane Mosley. “So Richard Schaefer ya'll calls my dad today, him and Shelly Finkel. You know Shelly Finkel is a crook. So they called my dad today and tried to offer me a fight with Sugar Shane Mosley,” Judah stated in a recent video blog.

Judah, who was broadcasting a live stream on Ustream.com, received a phone call from his father and trainer, Yoel Judah, as we chatting with fans. “How much they offer the fight for Abba [Yoel Judah],” Judah asked, to which, Yoel replied on speakerphone, “$300,000 plus 500!”

“$500,000! Ya'll heard that? Are they out they mind? How I'ma fight an HGH patient for $500,000? Are you crazy? Never! Yeah, they missing a zero…That's bullshit! Nobody's fuckin' fightin' an HGH patient for $500,000. Come on, man! That's like fighting two people.

The WBC Board of Governors has approved by a unanimous vote that the November 14 welterweight clash between Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto (contract weight 145lbs) will be the first ever for the WBC Diamond Belt. “The Diamond Belt has received a tremendous positive response from promoters and media around the world, and we at the WBC are very excited and proud that this important and historic fight will be the first for the Diamond Belt,” said WBC President Jose Sulaiman. “The WBC will not charge a sanction fee on this extraordinary occasion.”

By Michael R. Cumberbatch
Increasingly over the past year in interviews, articles and various references the word “great” and the phrase “all time great” and Manny Pacquiao have become synonymous. Speaking to many avid fight fans there seems to be a debate brewing whether the monikers of great and all- time …

By Mark Vester
For the first time, Miguel Cotto revealed that his WBO welterweight title will be on the line when he meets Manny Pacquiao on November 14 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Previously, everyone but Cotto would confirm that the welterweight would be at stake at the catch-weight …

The one wild card in all of this is Manny Pacquiao. He himself has stated that he is willing to fight Mosley. Since Manny has always seemed to be a man of the highest honor and integrity, it is conceivable that he really intends to fight Mosley next, but even if this is true, it is entirely plausible that Freddy Roach might be able to convince him otherwise. After all, unlike Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton, Roach knows that Mosley is a major threat to Manny. Roach is very perceptive when it comes to making match-ups that are favorable to his pride and joy fighter. He knew that Oscar was past it and unable to pull the trigger and he knew that Manny would have a field day with Hatton’s defensive deficiencies.

Sugar Shane Mosley poses an entirely different type of opponent and Roach is fully aware of this. That is why Roach has refused to allow Manny to face Mosley at 147 pounds like he did Oscar. He is smart enough to realize the threat posed by Mosley, ergo, his insistence on Mosley coming down below 147. That Mosley is even willing to openly concede a 60-40 purse split and an immediate rematch clause for Manny probably makes Roach even more weary of allowing Pacquiao to square off against him . Unlike his last three opponents, Shane is still a very fast fighter, and he also posses a great deal of power and accuracy in his right hand—a punch that Manny has proven susceptible to in the past. Even still, Manny is a very special fighter and he would certainly have a good chance to beat Mosley, even if Shane does present several obstacles that were lacking in Pacquiao’s last few opponents.

By Mark Vester
Former three-time welterweight champion Antonio Margarito is not going into details but says that he plans to return to the ring in September. Margarito had his license revoked in February by the California State Athletic Commission during a hearing to rule on whether he attempted to cheat prior …

By Robert Morales
The Oscar De La Hoya Sweepstakes are over. The Manny Pacquiao Sweepstakes are off and running.
Fighters would do and say just about anything to get De La Hoya in the ring because they knew a fight with him would bring their biggest payday.
De La Hoya has retired and …