Tag Archives: Boxing

WHO’S PERFORMING (AND WHO’S NOT) DURING THE PACQUIAO-MAYWEATHER FIGHT ON MAY 2

Clockwise: Pacquiao, Kimmel, Balawis, Foxx
Clockwise: Pacquiao, Kimmel, Banawis, Foxx

LAS VEGAS, Nevada (The Adobo Chronicles) – The stage is all set for the ‘Fight of the Century’ between Filipino Manny Pacquiao and American Floyd Mayweather.  The much-anticipated boxing match happens on Saturday, May 2, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Today,  it was announced that American singer-actor Jamie Foxx will sing the U.S. National Anthem while Filipino American Gail Banawis will render the Philippine Nation Anthem.

Foxx is billed to star as Mike Tyson in his upcoming biopic and  co-starred alongside Will Smith the 2001 film,  Ali. He also performed “America, the Beautiful” before a Pacquiao fight in 2011 .

Banawis will perform with a group of singing pastors who are closely affiliated with the boxing icon. She has made a name for herself performing in front of Fil-Am communities in New York and New Jersey. It was Pacquiao himself who reached out to her and asked her if she could be part of the choir that would sing “Lupang Hinirang.”

Pacquiao’s Entrance Song

Previously, the Pacquiao camp wanted Manny to enter the ring to a song he himself recorded – ‘Lalaban Ako Para Sa Pilipino’ (I will fight for the Filipinos).

But after much cajoling and persistence, TV late night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel will now do the honors of singing Manny’s song live at the MGM Grand.

Pacquiao gave his  approval during his appearance at last night’s ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ where the host demonstrated to the boxer that he knows the song well and will be very honored to be in Pacquiao’s entourage. (See video of Kimmel and Pacquiao’s duet below)

Teenage singing idol Justin Bieber is also expected to  be at ringside.  He is known to be an avid fan and supporter of Mayweather. Sources close to Mayweather said that Bieber wanted to sing “America the Beautiful,” during intermission, but the boxing promoters refused on the grounds that Bieber is not American. (He is Canadian).

FILIPINOS WILL HAVE FREE LIVE ACCESS TO PACQUIAO-MAYWEATHER FIGHT VIA PPV; MAY 3 IS A NATIONAL HOLIDAY

CaptureLAS VEGAS, Nevada (The Adobo Chronicles) – While the live audience for the  Pacquiao-Mayweather fight will fork out hundreds or thousands of dollars, and Pay-Per-View subscribers will be about $100 poorer, Filipinos will have free, live access to the once-in-a-lifetime spectacle.

The Filipino boxer will face the American in what is being billed the “Fight of the Century” on May 2nd at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Whenever Pacquiao fights, the entire Philippines comes to a standstill. Government armed forces and the rebels declare a ceasefire, crime rate drops to zero and the usual traffic congestion becomes nonexistent.

As a public service to the adoring Pacquiao fans, the Philippine government declared fight night (which is Sunday morning in the Philippines) a nonworking national holiday.

In addition, the government will provide the entire population with complimentary viewing of the boxing bout via PPV — Philippine PaPer View.

PPV is a newly-developed technology in the Philippines in which giant paper billboards are set up in every street corner, in churches and in public plazas.  Volunteers, connected through Skype audio direct from Las Vegas, will put up the round-by-round judges’ score on the paper board for all to see.

Expect a lot of cheering everywhere, not to mention air punching!

Philippine PaPer View (PPV)
Philippine PaPer View (PPV)

PHILIPPINES’ BASKETBALL SPORT PLACED UNDER JURISDICTION OF BOXING FEDERATION

imageMANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – Basketball and boxing are the top favorites in the Philippines and the professional associations overseeing them have announced an unprecedented move to seal this special bond between the two sports.

Today, the Philippine Boxing Federation (PBF) announced that basketball will now fall under its jurisdiction,  practically dissolving the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). The ‘combined’ league will be officially known as the PBBL or Philippine Boxing and Basketball League.

Professional and amateur basketball games in the Philippines often end up in fist fights among players and fans that the PBA thought it best to have a single organization that would oversee both basketball and boxing.

The announcement was celebrated in Los Angeles by Manny Pacquiao where the champion Filipino boxer was training for his May 2nd fight against American Floyd Mayweather at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Pacquiao, aside from being a boxer (and congressman), is a playing coach of KIA Sorento, one of the competiting professional teams in the PBA.