Proud To Be Pinoy

RP's Venus Raj 4th runner-up in Miss Universe pageant

2010-08-27T18:15:00.000-07:00

Miss Philippines, Venus Raj, was heavily applauded after being declared the fourth runner-up in this year's Miss Universe pageant, participated in by 83 contestants from around the world.

Miss Universe fourth runner - up Miss Philippines Venus Raj (left), first runner - up Miss Jamaica Yendi Phillips, Miss Universe 2010 Miss Mexico Jimena Navarrete, third runner - up Miss Ukraine Anna Poslavska and finalist Miss Puerto Rico Mariana Paola Vicente. AP

Miss Mexico Jimena Navarrete was crowned Miss Universe 2010, replacing Miss Universe 2009 Stefania Fernandez, who gave Venezuela a second consecutive win by taking the title at age 18 last year. The South American country has won six titles since the pageant started in 1952.

Miss Jamaica Yendi Phillipps was named first runner-up during this year's pageant, hosted by Natalie Morales and Bret Michaels.

Miss Ukraine, Anna Poslavska, was third runner-up, Miss Australia, Jesinta Campbell was second runner-up,

The winners were announced after one final strut across the stage in the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas.

Before that, the top five tried their best to impress the panel of celebrity judges in the question and answer portion.

Raj, 22 was asked by judge William Baldwin, "What is one big mistake that you've made in your life and what did you do to make it right?"

"Thank you so much, Sir for that wonderful question," she says and then greets the audience, met by wild cheering.

"You know what, Sir in my 22 years of existence I can say that there is nothing major major, I mean, problem that I have done in my life. Because I am very confident with my family, with the love that they are giving to me. So, thank you so much that I am here, thank you thank you so much," she answered.

Raj was almost replaced by Bb. Pilipinas runner-up Helen Nicolette Henson after being stripped of her crown and title when organizers of the Binibining Pilipinas-Universe pageant found "inconsistencies" on her birth certificate.

Raj was advised by former Ms. Universe Gloria Diaz to let it go. Meanwhile, she found an ally in then Commission on Human Rights chair Leila de Lima

The Binibining Pilipinas Charities, Inc. said Raj would be reinstated on the condition that she is able to obtain a valid Philippine passport.

"We have reassessed the situation pertaining to Miss Maria Venus Raj and have decided, for humanitarian reasons, that if she is able to obtain a valid Philippine passport, we will reinstate her as the reigning Bb. Pilipinas-Universe," said the BCPI.

Raj then obtained a valid Philippine passport from the Department of Foreign Affairs, despite saying she should be reinstated without condition.

On August 4, Raj flew to the United States to represent the Philippines, competing with 82 other beauty queens from Albania to Zambia in a pageantry of swimsuits, evening gowns and quick-thinking interview skills in the their quest to bring home the 2010 Miss Universe crown.

The contest, co-owned by Donald Trump and NBC, was judged by celebrities including 2010 Olympic gold medalist Evan Lysacek and actress Jane Seymour.

The pageant started as a local bathing revue in Long Beach, Calif., organized by a swimwear company. It now skips over the world; it was held last year in the Bahamas and in Vietnam in 2008. –Carmela Lapeña, VVP, GMANews.TV

Latest News!

2010-01-08T17:21:00.000-08:00

LATEST NEWS.

Arum wants to bring fight to Arlington
By Calvin Watkins, ESPN.com, Sat, 09 Jan 2010
Boxing promoter Bob Arum said he and Top Rank president Todd duBoef will visit Cowboys Stadium for the Cowboys-Eagles game on Saturday night with the hopes of bringing a Manny Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey fight to Arlington on March 13. Cowboys spokesperson Brett Daniels said the organization would ha Read Full Story >>>

Roach Thinks Mayweather Is Scared, Still Hopeful Manny-Money Happens
By Michael Woods, The Sweet Science, Sat, 09 Jan 2010

Trainer Freddie Roach chatted with ESPN's Brian Kenny today and said he's still hopeful that Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather will get it on, but he thinks Mayweather is scared he'll lose, and that's Read Full Story >>>

The Alternatives to Pacquiao - Mayweather
By Peter Czymbor, Examiner.com, Sat, 09 Jan 2010
In wake of the Manny Pacquiao – Floyd Mayweather negotiations apparently coming to a halt, a plethora of pugilists have been mentioned as possible replacement opponents. Paulie Malignaggi has been mentioned for both Pacquiao and Mayweather. Mathew Hatton, Ricky’s brother, has been mentio Read Full Story >>>

Pacquiao moving on from the Mayweather Drama
By Ed Anderson, Examiner.com, Sat, 09 Jan 2010
Manny Pacquiao has decided to make good to his fans and put his title on the line against Joshua Clottey after the dramatic negotiations with Floyd Mayweather Jr. fell to the ground. Mayweather Jr. had issued a statement today saying he still wanted to fight Pacquiao, but on his terms while Top Read Full Story >>>

Mayweather vs. Pacquiao: A Cruel Joke Played On Boxing Fans
By Lou Block, NowBoxing.com, Sat, 09 Jan 2010
The cancellation of Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao has sent grown men into a deep depression for many men this boxing match was a late Christmas present, a gift they wanted more than anything. This fight between Mayweather and Pacquiao was so big that even people who don’t watch boxi Read Full Story >>>

Pacquiao camp says fight with Clottey set for March
By Reuters, Yahoo! News, Sat, 09 Jan 2010
TORONTO (Reuters) – WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao will put his title on the line against Ghanaian Joshua Clottey in March after talks for a bout with Floyd Mayweather Jr. fizzled out this week, the Filipino's promoter said on Friday. The planned fight between Pacquiao and Mayweat Read Full Story >>>

Pacquiao moving on, Mayweather still wants fight
By Greg Beacham, Yahoo! Sports, Sat, 09 Jan 2010
LOS ANGELES (AP)—While Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s camp believes his prospective bout with Manny Pacquiao can be saved, Pacquiao’s promoter says he’s moving on. After six weeks of contentious negotiations failed to produce a compromise on Mayweather’s insistence on string Read Full Story >>>

GABRIEL CAMPILLO & BEIBUT SHUMENOV REMATCH ON JANUARY 29
PhilBoxing.com, Sat, 09 Jan 2010
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CLOTTEY SIGNS FOR PACQUIAO FIGHT
By Scott Shaffer, BoxingTalk.com, Sat, 09 Jan 2010
Boxingtalk has learned from reliable sources that welterweight contender Joshua Clottey has agreed to terms for a fight against Manny Pacquiao. Pacquiao has approved Clottey as an opponent and the fight will take place on March 13th as a pay-per-view fight. If the source is correct, Floyd Mayweath Read Full Story >>>

Floyd Mayweather the one using banned substances?
By Scott Heritage, Examiner.com, Sat, 09 Jan 2010
It has come to light today that Floyd Mayweather has used injectable pain killers such as Xylocaine in the past before fights. The irony being that this drug is illegal in nearly all states, with one notable exception, Nevada. Perhaps the reason for Golden Boy and Mayweather not wanting to fight Read Full Story >>>

Mayweather promoter argues for compromise, but Pacquiao promoter says fight dead
By Associated Press, Google News, Sat, 09 Jan 2010
While Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s camp insists his prospective bout with Manny Pacquiao can be saved, Pacquiao's promoter says he's moving on. After six weeks of contentious negotiations failed to produce a compromise on Mayweather's insistence on stringent drug testing for the bout, Pacquiao has made Read Full Story >>>

Manny Pacquiao will fight Joshua Clottey if Floyd Mayweather bout is cancelled
By Gareth A Davies, Telegraph.co.uk, Sat, 09 Jan 2010
It is unclear whether it is another smokescreen in the ongoing Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather saga, but Top Rank, Pacquiao’s promoters, released details on Friday that the Filipino will now face Ghanaian hardman Joshua Clottey if his showdown with Mayweather cannot be resurrected. Negotiat Read Full Story >>>

Start random tests for HGH
By Frank Warren, The Sun, Sat, 09 Jan 2010
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Amir Khan: "Sparring with Manny Pacquiao built my confidence up.”
By Geoffrey Ciani, The Mushroom Mag, Sat, 09 Jan 2010
This past week’s edition of On the Ropes featured two exclusive interviews. Highlighting this episode was the very nice chat with WBA junior welterweight champion Amir Khan. Here are some excerpts from that interview: On his recent victory against Dmitriy Salita: “The performance w Read Full Story >>>

Joshua Clottey emerging as Pacquiao's opponent on March 20
By Matt Stolow, Examiner.com, Sat, 09 Jan 2010
Veteran welterweight Joshua Clottey of Ghana has emerged as the probable opponent for Manny Pacquiao on March 20 at either the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas or Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas according to media reports. The Ghana News http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/boxing/artikel. Read Full Story >>>

Manny Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey in Dallas Could Replace Mayweather
By Lem Satterfield, Fanhouse, Sat, 09 Jan 2010
Seven-division titlist, Manny Pacquaio, could defend his WBO welterweight (147 pounds) belt against perennial contender, Joshua Clottey, on March 13 likely at The Dallas Cowboys' Stadium, Top Rank CEO, Bob Arum, told FanHouse moments ago. "That's what we're working on right now, and that's what i Read Full Story >>>

The two Floyd Mayweathers
By Bryan Armen Graham, Sports Illustrated, Sat, 09 Jan 2010

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Viloria, Nietes stake crowns in Bay card
The Philippine Star, Sat, 09 Jan 2010
MANILA, Philippines - A double championship featuring Filipino world titlists Brian Viloria and Donnie “Ahas” Nietes serves as the initial presentation of the Boxing at the Bay for the year 2010. Viloria stakes his International Boxing Federation (IBF) light-flyweight crown against Ca Read Full Story >>>

More arguing over Pacquiao-Mayweather
By Lance Pugmire, Los Angeles Times, Sat, 09 Jan 2010
The promoter for Floyd Mayweather Jr. told The Times today he wants to make sure Manny Pacquiao understands the difference between the mega-fight happening or not is the matter of Pacquiao submitting to a blood test 10 days later than his camp has already accepted. "We're still trying to get Mayw Read Full Story >>>

Mayweather-Pacquiao: He said, He said
By Morgan Campbell, thestar.com (CA), Sat, 09 Jan 2010
So the fight of the century is off, and it's all Floyd Mayweather's fault. Like the coward Bob Arum says he is, Mayweather rejected a reasonable drug testing compromise because he's afraid risk his undefeated record against a buzzsaw like Manny Pacquiao. Wait, no. The fight of the century i Read Full Story >>>

SUNDAY LAST DAY TO SAVE PACQUIAO-MAYWEATHER?
By Scott Shaffer, BoxingTalk.com, Sat, 09 Jan 2010
Although promoter Bob Arum has declared the proposed superfight between Manny Pacquaio and Floyd Mayweather dead, there are still three more days for both sides to put aside their seemingly surmountable differences and still make the fight happen on March 13th. If published statements are to be beli Read Full Story >>>

Floyd Failed To Show Any Evidence Against Pacquiao
By Scoop Malinowski, Boxing Insider, Sat, 09 Jan 2010
The burden of proof is on the accuser not the accused, and Floyd Mayweather and his “best team in boxing” have completely failed to show the world even a shred of evidence that Manny Pacquiao has ever used any kind of performance enhancing drugs during his boxing career. Not a single Read Full Story >>>

Mudlsinging 101: Disgruntled Moorer ratted Pacquaio out to Mayweather
By Michael Marley, Examiner.com, Sat, 09 Jan 2010
The negotiations, if you can call them that, exploded. The two sides, the Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao camps, are now reduced to their second favorite sport, slinging mud at each other. Laughing Lenny Ellerbe, Mayweather’s coatholder, told Mayweather hometown reporter David “Ho Read Full Story >>>

Smart Fan Starts Facebook
By John Chavez, The Boxing Truth, Sat, 09 Jan 2010
Yesterday was a day that was full off unmentionable reactions when it came to the fact that Pacquiao-Mayweather would not happen this March due to a couple pricks... of blood. Boxing fans far and wide would comment on the fact that the sport was once again denying them of a true super-fight that Read Full Story >>>

Pacquiao can defeat Mayweather without fighting him
By Scott Heritage, Examiner.com, Sat, 09 Jan 2010
With the content of the once secret mediation sessions slowly leaking out to the press, Top Rank and Golden Boy are further apart then ever. The drug testing demands from Floyd Mayweather and his camp would not be changed, and Manny Pacquiao and his team would not accept. There is talk from a lot Read Full Story >>>

Foreman out; Manny camp eyes Clottey
By Abac Cordero, The Philippine Star, Sat, 09 Jan 2010
MANILA, Philippines - Josh Clottey, who gave Miguel Cotto a tough fight last June, has surfaced as Manny Pacquiao’s possible opponent in March. Mike Koncz, Pacquiao’s adviser, yesterday said he and the Filipino boxing superstar talked about the possibility of facing the 33-year-old hi Read Full Story >>>

Enough Posturing, Manny and Floyd
By Jeff Wagenheim, The Faster Times, Sat, 09 Jan 2010
Just make the stupid fight already. The promoters for Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather are playing games, and it’s getting tiresome. Correction: It’s not getting tiresome, it’s beyond tiresome to the point where it would be reasonable for the sporting public to just turn away Read Full Story >>>

Pacquiao vs Clottey Not Done, Talks are Ongoing
By Ryan Burton, BoxingScene.com, Sat, 09 Jan 2010
Moments ago Joshua Clottey reached out to BoxingScene.com to inform us that he doesn't have a signed contract to fight WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao in March, yet. Clottey has been vacationing in his native Ghana and received a phone call from his manager, Vinny Scolpino, telling him to Read Full Story >>>

Will cooler heads prevail?
By Brad Cooney, Examiner.com, Sat, 09 Jan 2010
So far both sides have dug their heels into the sand and neither are moving. My sources are telling me that although the scheduled fight for March 13th is certainly off, the fight in general may very well still happen. As of right now, both sides refuse to budge, but 30 million dollars dangling ov Read Full Story >>>

Boxing: the sport that sabotages itself like no other, still far from dying
By Scott Heritage, Examiner.com, Sat, 09 Jan 2010
A lot of people like to throw around the term 'dying sport' and apply it to boxing. In actual fact there is usually no such thing as a dead sport, they merely get less and less popular until they fall out of the public eye. Even the mighty NFL for example is only popular in the United States, in Read Full Story >>>

Joshua Clottey Enters The Pacquiao Picture
GhanaWeb, Sat, 09 Jan 2010
The saga of who pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao will now face in his next bout instead of super-fight opponent Floyd Mayweather Junior is ongoing, and, according to the latest news that is circulating the web, former IBF welterweight Joshua Clottey is the latest fighter to be suggested as a poss Read Full Story >>>

Pacquiao batters Cotto for TKO win

2009-11-18T05:57:00.000-08:00

LAS VEGAS – Manny Pacquiao staked his claim a top boxing’s mythical throne as the pound-for-pound best, using his lightning hand speed to beat and batter Miguel Cotto into submission Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Pacquiao knocked Cotto down once in the third round and again in the fourth, pummeled him repeatedly and easily lifted the World Boxing Organization welterweight belt from the Puerto Rican with a 12th-round stoppage. The time was 55 seconds into the final round, as referee Kenny Bayless leaped between the fighters to save Cotto a more savage beating and ignominious end.

Cotto came out strong and landed some hard punches, but Cotto couldn’t deal with the speed. Pacquiao was landing three shots for every two Cotto did early. After the knockdown in the fourth, Cotto’s offense was nonexistent as he spent most of the last two thirds of the fight fending off Pacquiao’s onslaught.

Cotto landed in single digits in power shots in every round from the fifth forward.

Pacquiao nearly had the stoppage after the 11th when Cotto trainer Joe Santiago walked onto the ring apron and waved his hand at Bayless.

It appeared he was going to stop the fight, but then Bayless and ringside physician James Game spoke and allowed it to continue. It was only extending the misery as Pacquiao poured it on in the 12th.

When the fight ended, the crowd began to chant, “We want Floyd!” It was a reference to Floyd Mayweather Jr., the other man with a claim to the top of the boxing pound-for-pound list.

Pacquiao, who has won championship belts in five divisions and beat the linear champion in two others, can no longer be knocked as a small man who was beating washed up fighters.

In Cotto, he took on an elite and powerful welterweight whose only loss came under suspicious circumstances to Antonio Margarito last year. There is suspicion that Margarito’s gloves were loaded for that fight, though it has never been proven.

But Pacquiao proved he was able to not only take a welterweight punch, but rock him repeatedly. It was a magnificent performance and will create public demand for a fight with Mayweather.

“I want to see him fight Mayweather,” Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach said.

Santiago said Pacquiao hit harder and was stronger than expected. Cotto injured his left shoulder in the eighth.

Karylle now dating non-showbiz guy

2009-10-29T04:30:00.000-07:00

After her much publicized break-up with Dingdong Dantes, actress-singer Karylle on Monday disclosed that she is now dating a guy who is not from show business.

Karylle shared that she and the guy began dating this month only.

"Hindi naman formal dating parang I went on a date tapos sabi ko, ’sige I will try to go out on a date.’ Pero sometimes a group date ganyan. Pero ‘yon lang, nothing exclusive. Parang I just try going out. Parang maybe it’s time to go out with my friends parang gimmick, gimmick lang," she said.

Karylle is not yet ready to enter into a relationship especially now that she is enjoying her single life.

"Ngayon, it’s very flattering to get a lot of attention especially coming from a break-up that’s very public," Karylle said.

"Siyempre parang ang sarap ng feeling na may mga taong kahit paano they show their appreciation na sinasabi na maganda ka or whatever. Siyempre bola-bola na lang ‘yan pero okay lang," she added.

She also confessed that she is still healing after her controversial break-up with Dantes, her boyfriend of three years.

Karylle is busy taping for her upcoming television project "Komiks Presents: Mars Ravelo’s Maruja" alongside Kristine Hermosa.

"Maruja" is set to air on May 2 to replace "Flash Bomba."

Aside from doing "Maruja" and musical variety show "ASAP’09," Karylle is gearing up for a concert with “Pop Icon” Christian Bautista on April 25 at Metrobar.

The Original Water-Powered Car by a Filipino Inventor: Daniel Dingel

2009-08-22T07:18:00.000-07:00

For more than three decades now, Daniel Dingel has been claiming that his car can run with water as fuel. An article from the Philippine Daily Inquirer said that Dingle built his engine as early as 1969. Dingel built a car reactor that uses electricity from a 12-volt car battery to split the ordinary tap water into hydrogen and oxygen components. The hydrogen can then be used to power the car engine.

Dingel said that a number of foreign car companies have expressed interest in his invention. The officials of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) have dismissed Dingel’s water-powered car as a hoax. In return, Dingel accused them of conspiring with oil producing countries. Dingel, however, was the not the only man on earth who is testing water as an alternative fuel. American inventors Rudolf Gunnerman and Stanley Meyer and the researchers of the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory have been pursuing similar experiments.

Donaire dominates Concepcion

2009-08-16T01:49:00.000-07:00

LAS VEGAS, Nevada, August 15, 2009 (AFP) - Rising Filipino fighter Nonito Donaire earned a 12-round unanimous decision over a bloodied Rafael Concepcion Saturday to capture the World Boxing Association interim super flyweight title.

Donaire, who vacated his International Boxing Federation flyweight title to move up in weight, improved to 22-1 with his 21st straight victory.

"I'm here to give honor to my country," Donaire said. "We are great fighters. I came here to represent and fight with all of my heart."

The ringside judges saw it 117-111, 115-113 and 116-112 for the 26-year-old Filipino, who opened a cut under Concepcion's left eye in the second round with his punishing jab.

Donaire nearly sent Concepcion to the canvas with a flurry of blows to end the third round, and while he took some punishment in the middle rounds he never appeared in serious jeopardy.

"The cut really bothered me in the first few rounds, but I got used to it," said Panama's Concepcion, who fell to 13-4-1 and grumbled about Donaire's style.

"He didn't want to fight, he wanted to run," Concepcion said. "I knew he was a great fighter, a great technician. If he would have had a warriors' heart, we would have exchanged more."

Donaire, who made three successful defenses of his flyweight belt, will now be setting his sights on the super flyweight division's marquee names, including Fernando Montiel and Jorge Arce.

"Those are the guys on top of me," Donaire said. "I want to fight them to prove I belong."

Concepcion had weighed in four pounds over the limit. Although Donaire agreed to go on with the fight, Concepcion couldn't have claimed the title and will forfeit 20 percent of his purse.

"Those extra pounds were definitely a disadvantage," Donaire said. "But I am a warrior. I would have still fought if he was 20 pounds over weight. If he didn't have the extra weight, I would have knocked him out in the beginning.

"I'm ready for the big guys in that weight class," Donaire added. "That guy was a 122-pounder tonight and he was tough, but I proved I could fight at that weight."

CHARICE PEMPENGCO at OPRAH WINFREY SHOW

2009-08-13T03:10:00.000-07:00

The 17 year old lady Charice Pempengco was launch his single album at OPRAH with single title “Note to God”. It so amazing how far she is now, What’s even more interesting is what she’ll become within the next few years. If you remember that Charice Pempengco is already perform at Oprah last year and she came back to release her new album..What a nice and amazing kid she is…With the right people around her, there is no doubt that Miss Pempengco will go high places no doubt. Watch this sapce. Watch the live performance of Charice Pempengco in OPRAH..

Big win for Pacquiao, bigger loss for De La Hoya

2008-12-08T19:31:00.000-08:00

LAS VEGAS (AP)—For Manny Pacquiao there was a call from his president and the overwhelming gratitude of a country that finally has something to celebrate.

For Oscar De La Hoya there was a trip to the hospital and the grim reality that all fighters must eventually face.

One fighter is on the verge of becoming boxing’s next superstar. The other will have to be content with the fact that his bank account is fat even if his reputation is permanently soiled.

Pacquiao likely will go on to even greater things, with big fights and even bigger money still to come. Assuming he has any brain cells left after the beating he took Saturday night, De La Hoya will go on to a life as a businessman and forget any thoughts of returning to the ring.

“His close friends and family should tell him it’s over,” trainer Freddie Roach said. “I don’t want him to end up with some disease like Parkinson’s. He’s very clear minded right now, but that could change.”

Fighters seldom listen to such talk. They always think they have one fight left in them, and they almost always fight one fight too many.

Unfortunately, those final fights can be costly to their health, as Roach knows only too well.

Roach trained De La Hoya for his loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr., where he saw for the first time that De La Hoya couldn’t throw punches when he spotted an opening. In the opposite corner this time, he watched his fighter give De La Hoya such a beating that he quit after eight rounds of getting punched in the face.

More significantly, Roach has Parkinson’s himself.

No one knows for sure, but it’s likely he got it from being punched in the head way too many times. He, too, was told to quit, but fought five more times after that and took a beating in four of those fights.

Medication helps control the shakes, and keeps his speech from getting too blurred. But Roach doesn’t have to be reminded that boxing is a hurt business.

“I hope Oscar has enough sense to call it a day,” he said. “I know he doesn’t want to go out like this but if he doesn’t go out, he might go out really, really hurt.”

De La Hoya was noncommittal in the ring right after the fight, saying he wanted to continue fighting but is worried that the reflexes may not be there anymore. They certainly weren’t against Pacquiao, who was able to score at will mainly because De La Hoya couldn’t pull the trigger on his punches as he came inside.

Pacquiao was so dominant he won every round on two ringside scorecards and all but the first round on the third. The seventh round was such a massacre that Pacquiao was credited with landing 45 punches to De La Hoya’s head while getting back only four in return.

De La Hoya tried desperately to land a big punch in the final round, but his body wouldn’t do what his mind was urging. His promoter and business partner Richard Schaefer began yelling to the corner to stop the fight, while his wife ran over to urge them to do the same.

In the end it was De La Hoya who simply declined to come out for the ninth round. If his career is indeed over, it ended ignominiously with him on a ring stool, unwilling to take a beating any longer.

“My heart still wants to fight, that’s for sure,” De La Hoya said. “But when your physical doesn’t respond, what can you do? I have to be smart and make sure I think about my future plans.”

Those plans should include helping run his thriving promotion company and various businesses and stop trying to con people that he is anywhere near the fighter he once was. That worked for years, but the real truth is that De La Hoya hasn’t been that fighter for years, as evidenced by the fact he has won only three of his last seven fights and was stopped in two of them.

He’s been the most popular and marketable fighter around, able to get people to part with their hard-earned money for $1,500 ringside seats and $54.95 pay-per-views. But his toughest act should he continue to fight would be selling himself again after being thoroughly dominated by a smaller fighter who was fighting at 129 pounds just nine months ago.

Indeed, the new pay-per-view star could be Pacquiao, who took advantage of his opportunity to win over a lot of new fans with his impressive win. Pacquiao is likely to face England’s Ricky Hatton next at 140 pounds, and there are a number of other attractive fights out there for him.

His mere appearance in the ring Saturday night brought the Philippines to a standstill. There was less traffic on the street, and the entire nation held its breath as they watched him conquer his biggest opponent ever.

The nature of boxing is that one man wins and another man loses, and this night was no exception.

It’s not often, though, that one wins so big and another loses so much.

Philippine All-Stars win 2008 World Hip Hop Title

2008-09-29T07:31:00.000-07:00

The multi-awarded Philippine All Stars gave Filipinos another reason to be proud of when the group bagged the title in the 2008 World Hip-Hop Championship in Las Vegas, Nevada.

More than 1,000 dancers from 33 countries gathered in Las Vegas in quest for the gold. The All Stars, however, ruled the dance floor with their two-minute performance packed with flips and steps in harmony. The dancers went off stage with high hopes of winning after finishing a near perfect dance.

When they received the award, group members said they were glad for the success as they united Filipinos in that moment of glory.

“This is just a moment where everyone could just unite. In our own part, to be an inspiration not just for the people here in the championship, but to all the Filipinos out there,” said group member Sheena Vera Cruz.

She added that the group wants to give other Filipinos hope that they could also become winners given the same opportunity.

“We want to give them hope that if we have this opportunity, all the Filipinos out there can also have the same opportunity as us,” she said.

Lema Diaz, another group member, called on other Filipino groups to dream big and strive to realize their aspirations.

“Our main purpose is to wake up the youth of the Philippines and and Filipinos around the world to rise up to go for what theybelieve and to dream big,” Diaz said.

In the end, the three judges gave the All Stars an aggregate score of 8.94. A large part of the score (5.35) was earned by way of the group’s infusion of artistic steps in their choreography.

And to that, competition judge and multi-Gramy awardee MC Hammer said: “The Filipino artists…they continue to evolve in a global basis. They take art and dance seriously.I am very proud of the level that the Philippines over all have developed into.”

Judge Shane Sparks also had high praises for the group.

“Great kids, great dancers and choreographer…I think they’re some of the hottest dancers that touch the stage of the America’s best dance crews and I know there’s more to come ,” Sparks said.