Date:  Saturday, January 25, 2014

WBO Jr. Lightweight Championship

Location:  New York’s Madison Square Garden

Promoter:  Top Rank

Supervisor:  John Duggan, Esq.

Referee:  Harvey Dock

Judges:  Julie Lederman 118-110, Michael Pernick 118-110 and John Poturaj 119-109

Result:  Garcia won 12-round bout by unanimous decision over Juan Carlos Burgos.

 

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By Salvador Rodriguez

WBO super featherweight champion Mikey Garcia (33-0, 28KOs), and his trainer/brother Robert Garcia, are taking no chances with the challenge of top contender Juan Carlos Burgos (30-1-2, 20KOs). They are set to fight on January 25th at the Theater in New York’s Madison Square Garden.

Garcia will be making the first defense of his WBO crown after winning the title from Roman Martinez in November. Burgos had a controversial draw with Martinez in January and then came back to a surprising lackluster draw with Yakubu Amidu in July.

“I think Burgos is a great fighter, a true warrior, and he’s has shown that in the ring, demonstrating that against ‘Rocky’ Martinez. No one deserves this fight more than him.  He is also a fighter who’s had a long journey where for many he’s wanted to be a world champion. And certainly [fighting at] junior lightweight is more complicated and therefore we will prepare thoroughly without taking anything for granted,” Robert Garcia said.

http://www.boxingscene.com/garcia-take-no-chances-with-juan-carlos-burgos–72921

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By Ronnie Nathanielsz –

2012 “Trainer of the Year” Robert Garcia believes that “Fighter of the Decade” Manny Pacquiao is a top pounf for pound fighter besides being a great human being.

Garcia made the comments to Tv reporter Elie Seckbach following the dominating performance of Pacquiao over former lightweight champion Brandon “Bam Bam” Rios at the jampacked Cotai Arena of the plush Venetian Macao Resort Hotel on Sunday.

Before taking a return flight to the US Garcia said “Brandon is tough and gave him all he could handle but Manny is very smart, very quick, good footwork. He was in great shape.”

Garcia said Pacquiao was “in one of the best shapes of his career. He fought good and I’m sure he trained hard.”

He conceded that they “thought wrong that after the knockout and at 35 he can’t be as fast as he was four or five years ago but he was as fast or even faster.”

Asked on whether Pacquiao was one of the best pound for pound, Garcia replied “yes he is. Yes he is.”

Garcia reiterated what he had said about Pacquiao many times before – “he is a good person.”

http://www.boxingscene.com/garcia-pacquiao-one-best-pound-pound–72086

Date:  Saturday, November 23, 2013

Title:  Vacant WBO International Manny Pacquiao vs. Brandon Rios

Location:  Cotai Arena, Venetian Resort, Macao, S.A.R., China

Promoter:  Top Rank

Supervisor:  Leon Panoncillo, Jr.

Referee:  Genaro Rodriguez

Judges:  Michael Pernick (120-108), Lisa Giampa (119-109) and, Manfred Kuchler (118-110)

Result:  Won a 12-round decision over Brandon Rios.

 

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Photos: James Dayap –

Today in Macau, a reporter asked Brandon Rios about “…all of the pressure going into a fight against Manny Pacquiao.”

“No pressure on me,” Rios said at his daily workout. “I’ll be the one putting all of the pressure on him November 23. I’m retiring Pacqiuao. I said it before and I’ll say it again – Pacquiao’s time is over. Marquez took the last bit of life out of him. I’m going to get all of that Manny Money when I win and get ready for my next fight.”

Rios worked the mitts with chief trainer Robert Garcia, then worked on a heavy bag, then the speed bag at the gym inside of the Venetian Macau.

On Friday, Rios will have his last day of sparring against lefthander Erick DeLeon of Detroit. “I’ve been training five months, the longest camp of my life,” Rios said. “But this work is what it takes to win a fight like this.”

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http://www.fightnews.com/Boxing/brandon-rios-no-pressure-on-me-ill-be-putting-pressure-on-pacquiao-on-fight-night-november-23-231112

 

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El ex campeón mundial ligero estadounidense Brandon “Bam Bam” Ríos se alista para su trascendental enfrentamiento ante el ex múltiple campeón mundial filipino Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao, en disputa del título intercontinental welter de la Organización Mundial de Boxeo (OMB), que se encuentra vacante, que se desarrollará el próximo 24 de noviembre en el Cotai Arena del Venetian Resort de Macao, China, y que será televisado en vivo a través de HBO Pay-Per-View, a través del sistema de pago por evento comenzando a las 9 p.m. este/6 p.m. Pacifico (del sábado 23 de noviembre).

Convencido de que tiene lo necesario para salir victorioso, Ríos (31-1-1, 22 KOs) expresó lo que espera del duelo ante Pacquiao (54-5-2, 38 KOs), en una conferencia de prensa telefónica desarrollada en la tarde del martes, de la que participó junto a su entrenador, Robert García.

“Lo que tenemos que hacer es entrar allí calmados. Pacquiao aún es un oponente peligroso. Iré al ring con un gran plan de pelea”, advirtió el nacido en Lubbock, Texas, hace 27 años, y radicado en Oxnard, California.

“El campamento va impresionante, no puedo decir que es el mejor, pero va muy, muy bien. Me siento muy bien, porque la cuestión del peso me hace sentir muy fuerte”, informó.

Más allá de que el filipino viene de dos derrotas consecutivas, una polémica el 9 de junio de 2012 en fallo dividido ante el estadounidense Timothy Bradley -que le valió resignar su título mundial welter OMB-, y la otra, el drástico nocaut en el sexto asalto que le propinó el mexicano Juan Manuel Márquez el pasado 8 de diciembre, “Bam Bam” le restó importancia y remarcó la seriedad de su rival.

“No podemos subir al ring pensando en el nocaut de Márquez. Esperaremos para ver qué es lo que traerá. Siempre será peligroso”, recalcó.

A pesar de que muchos consideren favorito al “Pacman”, Ríos manifestó su motivación: “Me encanta cuando no soy el favorito, pues así les puedo probar que están mal. No va a enfrentar a un cachorro. Pacquiao quiere enfrentar a los mejores y yo demostraré q no soy un punching bag. Soy una mezcla de perros de pelea, nada de cachorros. Seré una máquina esa noche”.

Y fue mucho más allá: “Todo el mundo me ve como una bolsa (punching bag). Está bien. Robert y yo tenemos preparado un gran plan de pelea. Sorprenderemos al mundo. Estoy listo para el Pacquiao que ha dominado el mundo boxístico durante tanto tiempo. Estaré listo mental y físicamente.

RÍOS ABRE SU CAMPO DE ENTRENAMIENTO EL JUEVES

Por otra parte, la empresa Top Rank informó que Ríos, junto a Robert García, abrirán su campo de entrenamiento a la prensa este jueves 31 de octubre a las 12 del mediodía. La cita para los medios es en Robert García Boxing Academy (1451 Pacific Ave. en Oxnard, California).

La función Pacquiao vs. Ríos es una promoción de Top Rank y Sands China Ltd., en asociación con MP Promotions y Cerveza Tecate. Pacquiao vs. Rios será producida, distribuida y televisada en vivo por HBO Pay-Per-View, a través del sistema de pago por evento comenzando a las 9 p.m. este/6 p.m. Pacifico.

El actor Kevin Hart, quien es uno de los protagonista de la película de Warner Bros “Grudge Match” estará presente junto con el legendario promotor y miembro del salón de la fama de boxeo Bob Arum.

http://www.notifight.com/artman2/publish/Reporte_7/R_os_Estoy_listo_para_el_mejor_Pacquiao.php

 

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By Ronnie Nathanielsz –

Former three division world champion Vic Darchinyan is seeking to avenge his stunning 5th round knockout by four division champion and  2012 “Fighter of the Year” Nonito “The Filipino Flash” on July 7, 2007 when they face off in a rematch at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas on November 10, Manila Time.

Darchinyan’s manager Frank Espinoza told BoxingScene.com/Manila Standard  that Darchinyan was “doing very well in training” and works out at the Glendale Boxing Gym in California.

He said since the fight will be a ten round, featherweight bout Darchinyan has no problems making the weight. It will be the first 126 pound fight for both Donaire and Darchinyan.

Espinoza told the Standard that Darchinyan “is getting ready and is looking for redemption. He has waited six years for this fight and wants to take advantage of the chance to avenge the loss of his IBF and IBO flyweight belts to Donaire.”

The manager said Darchinyan has been sparring with former two-time Mexican Olympian Oscar Valdez who has a record of six knockouts in six wins as a pro and became the first Mexican Youth World Champion.

Espinoza reported that another sparring mate of Darchinyan is undefeated Australian IBO super  featherweight champion Will Tomlinson who has a record of  21-0-1 with 12 knockouts..

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum told us last Monday before his return to the US after checking on Manny Pacquiao’s training for the showdown with Brandon “Bam Bam” Rios in Macau on November 24 noted that Donaire will have a tough fight on his hands against Drachinyan “who really launched Donaire’s career” when he lost in July 2007.

Arum described his Corpus Christi event as “a great card” with former WBO featherweight champion Mikey Garcia who he said “is a sensational fighter” going up against Ramon “Rocky” Martinez for the Puerto Rican’s junior lightweight title in the main event which Arum indicated “should be a terrific fight”  and Vanes Martirosyan fighting for the vacant  junior middleweight title against Demetrius  Andrade with undefeated Jamaican Nicholas Walters (22-0, 18 KO’s) taking on Alberto Garza (25—5-1, 20 KO’s)  of Mexico for the WBO featherweight title.

Meantime, Donaire who has been working out at trainer Robert Garcia’s gym in Oxnard has had his father, Nonito “Dodong” Donaire Sr also helping in preparing Nonito for his first fight as a featherweight and by all indications Donaire Sr has been a welcome addition to the training camp.

Arum said that during a meeting with ABS-CBN’S Gabby Lopez and Peter Musgni  he was told that the giant broadcast network “is going to take all four fights.”

http://www.boxingscene.com/vic-darchinyan-looking-redemption-with-donaire–71125

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By Chris Robinson

This past Wednesday, in Corpus Christi, Tex., trainer Robert Garcia was able to cross paths and spend considerable time with one of his star fighters, multi-division champion Nonito Donaire, for the first time in several months.

Donaire was in the city for a Top Rank press conference to announce an HBO-televised tripleheader featuring his rematch with Vic Darchinyan, a junior lightweight title match between WBO champion Roman ‘Rocky’ Martinez and Mikey Garcia, and a clash for the vacant WBO junior middleweight title between contenders Demetrius Andrade and Vanes Martirosyan.

Donaire is coming off of a unanimous decision loss to Cuban stalwart Guillermo Rigondeaux this past April. Following the defeat, Donaire had a successful surgery on his right shoulder and also celebrated the birth of his first child with his wife Rachel as they welcomed their son Jarel into the world in July.

Following a late-night training session with Donaire on Wednesday evening, Garcia was able to tell just how focused the Fil-Am star has been.

“We worked together a little bit,” Garcia noted. “Believe me, right now Nonito is probably better than ever. I had never seen him like this with two months before his fight. He’s about, I would say, no more than seven or eight pounds from the division where he’s going to fight. I had never seen that. He’s motivated, he’s dedicated. And when we worked out, man he’s so fast and strong.”

Heading into the rematch with Darchinyan, who Donaire stopped in five rounds in July of 2007 in one of the year’s biggest upsets, Garcia is looking to make sure his fighter stays light on his feet.

“The thing I told him is ‘When you go back home, I want you to work a lot on your footwork. Because that’s going to be very important not just for this fight, but for your future fights. I want you to have great legs and great footwork.’ Believe me, people will see a difference, especially when we start working together.

“People will see the best Nonito they’ve ever seen,” Garcia stated adamantly.

Garcia explained that Donaire went back to Las Vegas late Friday and he will be coming to his personal facility in Oxnard to dive into a full training camp very shortly.

“Starting next week, we’re going to start working together,” said Garcia. “He’s going to come to Oxnard. I’m telling you, he’s already prepared and he’s already doing things that I haven’t seen. We still got seven weeks before the fight. It will be much better.”

Donaire has spent much of his previous camps training out of the Undisputed Boxing Gym in Northern California, but his preference for the facility limited his one on one time with Garcia, who has a flourishing stable of champions and prospects training in his own gym.

Garcia would often make the drive from Oxnard to Northern California to be with Donaire during the second half of the week for some camps and his time was even more limited heading into the Rigondeaux match, as he was back home helping Brandon Rios prepare for his rematch with Mike Alvarado.

Understanding what it best for his career at this point, Donaire is committed to a camp in Oxnard and despite Garcia’s bevy of fighters, the two-time Trainer of the Year expects things to go smoothly when Nonito hits town.

“Look, it’s not like he’s going to be with everybody training at the same time,” said Garcia. “I don’t know [if] other gyms do it like I do. With me, Nonito is going to have his time. With me, [Marcos] Maidana has his time. Maidana trains by himself at 10 in the morning. Brandon [Rios] trains by himself at noon. Nonito will come in at maybe three or four. That will be his own time. I’ll have that two hours just to focus on him.”

http://www.boxingscene.com/robert-garcia-on-nonito-donaires-training-camp-more–69901

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By:  Ronnie Nathanielsz –

2012 “Trainer of the Year” Robert Garcia has sounded a note of caution for mandatory flyweight challenger Milan Melindo who battles WBO/WBA champion Juan Francisco Estrada of Mexico at the Cotai Arena of the Venetian Resort Hotel and Casino on Saturday.

Garcia noted in a wide-ranging conversation with the Manila Standard that Estrada “comes on strong in the later rounds.”

Garcia who will be in Macau along with Brandon “Bam Bam” Rios and will watch the Top Rank fights along with eight division world champion Manny Pacquiao whom Rios will face on November 24 in the same venue, noted that when Estrada beat Brian Viloria to win the title last April 6 “he played it smart in the later rounds and pulled it off.”

Garcia believes the Viloria fight was “very close and Estrada showed tremendous heart” but that he feels Viloria who is “very skillful maybe fought the wrong fight” which was the consensus of many at ringside who had Viloria out-boxing the Mexican in the first half of the fight but making the mistake of trying to slug it out and faded in the championship rounds just like he did when he lost the IBF light flyweight title to Carlos Tamara.

Garcia said Viloria had trouble when he faded in the Tamara fight but “looked sensational when he knocked out Ulises “Archie” Solis in the 11th round to win the IBF flyweight title on April 19, 2009 at the Araneta Coliseum.

The respected trainer who handles his younger brother and WBO world featherweight champion Mikey Garcia and former WBO, Ring Magazine super bantamweight champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire, told the Standard that “if there is a rematch Viloria will beat Estrada. I really like Brian and he should be back on top of the world.”

Garcia said Viloria’s loss to Estrada was “something that happens. It’s happened to many fighters.”

Both Melindo and Estrada are in Macau with the undefeated Filipino tapering down while Estrada, according to boxing writer Carlos Costa of Panama, reportedly looked sharp and focused during a training session with head trainer Alfredo Caballero, shadow boxing, working on the punch-mitts and hitting the speed ball and the heavy bag.

http://philboxing.com/news/story-85418.html

Donaire_crop

By Ronnie Nathanielsz –

Former WBO, Ring Magazine and WBC Diamond super bantamweight champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire knew all along that his friend Mikey Garcia would be “too good and had too much power” for former two division champion Juan Manuel “Juanma” Lopez and the possibility of a fight with Lopez for the vacant title if he had won was far-fetched, even though Lopez had announced he wanted to fight Donaire after Garcia.

Donaire told BoxingScene.com/Manila Standard that Garcia is likely to move up in weight because he has had a hard time in making the 126 pound limit but after his 4th round demolition of Lopez, Garcia appeared to have a change of heart.

The younger brother of 2012 “Trainer of the Year” Robert Garcia, who also trains Donaire, had lost his title on the scales when he came in two pounds over the featherweight limit and had to pay a penalty of $150,000 to Lopez who had originally demanded $200,000.

Garcia who reportedly entered the ring at 142 pounds compared to Lopez’ 137.5 said he had failed to make the 126 pound limit because he had missed several days of training and was undecided on whether to stay at 126 or to move up to 130.

Donaire told us a possible fight with Juanma “is out” and that if he has “to go up in weight, I go up but I hope I can get a rematch with Guillermo Rigondeaux” who scored a stunning twelve round decision over Donaire at the Radio City Music Hall in New York last April 13. “it would be better.”

Donaire said he has been training but “nothing hard, just building the body.” He said his shoulder “is coming along well” following surgery after the Rigondeaux fight to remove a bone spur and to mend two torn ligaments.

The undefeated Garcia dropped Lopez with a right straight in round two and sent Lopez crashing to the canvas with a big left hook in round four and referee Raphael Ramos called a halt at 1:35 of the round before a crowd over 5,600 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.

http://www.boxingscene.com/donaire-admits-juanma-out-targets-rigondeaux–66693

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Mikey Garcia delivers the knockout blow to Juan Manuel Garcia during their Saturday bout in Dallas.
Tony Gutierrez/AP

DALLAS (AP) Mikey Garcia quickly got over the disappointment of losing his crown.

Garcia stopped Juan Manuel Lopez in the fourth round Saturday night, leaving the WBO featherweight title vacant after Garcia failed to make weight.

Garcia (32-0) weighed in at 128 pounds Friday, two over the featherweight limit. Lopez weighed in at 125 1/2. Even though he tried to shed a couple pounds before the weigh-in, Garcia knew it was likely he was going to have to forfeit his title.

“The disappointment was there because I lost my title,” Garcia said. “I was crying a little bit because I knew I wasn’t the champion. But everybody got a chance to see I’m a good fighter. This was a satisfying victory.”

Garcia put Lopez on the ground with a strong left-handed blow 1:34 into the fourth round for his 27th career knockout. The 25-year-old Californian connected on 53 punches – 40 of them jabs. Lopez connected on only 23 of 153 attempted punches.

Lopez (33-3) would have regained the title with a win.

“It’s not that I wanted to make a statement,” Garcia said. “We just had a really good night.”

Garcia won the title from Orlando Salido in a unanimous decision in New York on Jan. 19. The title reign, however, was short-lived after Garcia didn’t make weight.

The only two losses of Lopez’s career were to Salido. The first one cost him the WBO belt, and the second led to a one-year suspension by Puerto Rican boxing officials when he accused the referee who stopped the fight of betting on the match.

Lopez had won twice since his one-year ban ended, beating Aldimar Silva Santos in February and knocking out Eugenio Lopez in an undercard bout in Mexico City in April.

Garcia’s plan was to attack early with the jab and step back from Lopez before attacking. With a majority of fans chanting his first name early, Garcia came out and landed a series of jabs in the first round.

In the second round, Garcia knocked Lopez down with a right cross. Lopez quickly rose to his feet and completed the round. Garcia finished off the 29-year-old Lopez two rounds later.

“I was able to land my jab and stand pretty comfortable,” Garcia said. “When I knocked him down, that gave me confidence that I could put him out early.”

Lopez appeared wobbly early in the fourth after Garcia landed a combination of punches. Garcia finished him off with a powerful left hook. Lopez slowly got up and referee Rafael Ramos quickly called the match.

“We executed perfectly” said Garcia’s older brother and co-trainer, Robert Garcia.

On the undercard, Terence Crawford (21-0) won the vacant NABO lightweight title, stopping Alejandro Sanabria (34-2-1) in the sixth round. Crawford dropped Sanabria with a left hook 17 seconds into the round.

Sanabria got up, but the referee called the fight to give Crawford his 16th knockout victory.

mikey juanma 

Viento en popa va el entrenamiento del californiano Miguel Ángel ‘Mikey’ García, quien está por culminar los últimos detalles de cara a su esperado enfrentamiento ante el boricua Juan Manuel López, el 15 de junio en el American Airlines Center de Dallas, Texas, con el cetro Pluma de la Organización Mundial de Boxeo en juego.

Al respecto, el hermano y entrenador de ‘Mikey’, Robert García, dijo a ESPN que la seriedad con la que se tomó este pleito fue básica para lograr una preparación estupenda, pues él y su hermano esperan al mejor ‘Juanma’.

“La verdad todo ha ido muy bien, tuvo mi hermano un buen sparring, se vio como siempre, inteligente, calmado, calculador, debe dar buena pelea”, expuso García.

“Pero veo yo una pelea difícil, no podemos pensar en una pelea fácil por el hecho de que venimos de ganarle a Orlando Salido y que el ‘Siri’ le ganó a ‘Juanma’, eso no es ningún parámetro”, señaló.

“Nosotros sabemos que ‘Juanma’ se juega mucho en esta pelea, que él está conciente de que puede ser su última oportunidad y por ello se ha encarado con la seriedad que necesita un peleador como él”, finalizó Robert en entrevista para ESPN.

http://www.allsportnewspr.com/2013/06/mikey-garcia-no-subestima-juanma-lopez.html

Trainer and former world champion Robert Garcia says WBO Jr. Featherweight champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire is in “real good shape” as he prepares for his planned July 21 title defense possibly against former world super flyweight champion Cristian Mijares or IBF super bantamweight champion Jeffrey Mathebula of South Africa.

Garcia told the BoxingScene.com/Manila Standard that he had visited Donaire who had begun training, some two weeks ago,  and “he already looked in real good shape. He looked solid, very strong.”

He said he would join Donaire who trains at the Top Rank gym in Las Vegas once the date and opponent are finalized and that he would travel to Vegas to personally  handle Donaire’s training.

Garcia said while he hadn’t any idea of who Top Rank and Donaire’s manager Cameron Dunkin have picked as an opponent he said that if its Mijares “well be okay. It’s a tough fight because Mijares is a great champion so it will be an interesting fight.”

One of the emerging top trainers Garcia emphasized that Donaire is “ready for anybody. He doesn’t make those decisions. Its Cameron Dunkin who is the best in the business so he knows whom he’s going to match him (Donaire) up with. Cameron and Top Rank do their job and we’ll be ready to do the same.”

 

By Ronnie Nathanielsz

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=52184