By Norm Frauenheim-

A contentious blame game in the wake – and we do mean wake – of Manny Pacquiao’s controversial loss to Jeff Horn is almost as regrettable as it is predictable. Above all, it’s all too familiar.

It’s the acrimonious noise that always seems to be there at the end of a legendary career. It’s as if few could foresee the ride was headed for a crashing conclusion. In hindsight, I suspect Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum did. He issued a warning few days before last weekend’s opening bell Down Under, saying that Horn could really fight.

It sounded like a warning, Arum’s way of saying that Pacquiao might lose if he wasn’t ready for a real fight. By now, we know he wasn’t. Argue about the scorecards all you want. On this one, Pacquiao was a 115-113 winner.

But I didn’t see the robbery that was so loudly alleged at ringside. Neither did Arum. Turns out, neither did Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach, who in the aftermath of Horn’s 115-113, 117-111, 115-113 decision hinted at a less than satisfactory training camp and a fighter with energies divided between the gym and the Filipino Senate.

“To me, they were so overconfident going in — [conditioning coach] Justin Fortune tells the press that the only way Horn can win is if Manny trips going into the ring,’’ Arum told the Los Angeles Times a couple of day after the welterweight bout in Brisbane. “I had seen the kid. I told everybody he was a big, tough kid who could take a punch. I didn’t think he’d beat Manny, but it wasn’t the same Manny.”

It wasn’t. Truth is, Pacquiao hasn’t been the same Manny since his last stoppage in 2009, a 12th-round TKO of Miguel Cotto. Eight years are a career for some fighters. For Pacquiao, the power drought represents a drip-drip-drip in an erosion of an identity created by astonishing stoppages of Erik Morales, Ricky Hatton and Oscar De La Hoya. We had waited for that defining characteristic to reappear. But it never did, not against Brandon Rios or even Chris Algieri.

A great fighter without a stoppage over nearly eight years is bound to lose a few on the fickle scorecards. It happened against Timothy Bradley in 2012. To a lesser degree, it happened again in Australia, where it appeared Pacquiao was poised to finish it after a ferocious beating of Horn in the ninth, yet didn’t in the 10th simply because it just isn’t in him and hasn’t been for a while.

From religion to politics – there were different interests. From partying to gambling, there was a different lifestyle. He had changed, changed for good and forever. Still generous and likeable, the old instinct was gone. Inevitably, the physical reflexes would begin to go, too.

I don’t need a rematch to see whether Pacquiao can still be Manny. There’ll be a sequel with Horn if he decides to exercise his contracted right to one. But are we really going to see something more from a fighter whose decline has been evident for so long?

Imagine if Pacquiao had escaped with a scorecard victory over Horn in Las Vegas instead of Australia. Even in victory, there would still be the same doubts about whether he should continue, especially if that meant a fight against Terence Crawford. But his performance the workman-like Horn is proof that a fight against the emerging Crawford would be a sad end to a Pacquiao career as dramatic and colorful as any.

As of Thursday, there was no word on whether Pacquiao would fight on. I take that as good news. But I fear he’ll be tempted by one more bite at the financial apple. He’ll never be able to make as much as he did in the ring. In the political business, he’ll never have as much money as he needs. That means he’ll always be tempted.

But I prefer to remember Pacquiao when he was the Manny with one punch that launched Hatton so high that I could see the bottom of the Brit’s shoes from my ringside seat. I’ll remember the Manny who made De La Hoya quit after eight rounds.

I can only hope Pacquiao recalls what De La Hoya said on that December 6th night in 2008. After the fight was stopped, De La Hoya crossed the ring and told Roach, his old trainer: “You’re right, Freddie. I don’t have it anymore.’’

De La Hoya was 35 then. Pacquiao is 38 today.

“My heart still wants to fight, that’s for sure,” De La Hoya said then. “But when your (body) doesn’t respond, what can you do?”

Retire.

By Jimmy Tobin-

Welterweights Manny Pacquiao and Jeff Horn met at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Australia, Saturday night in a fight broadcast by ESPN; a fight that delivered an outcome in keeping with the off-brand look of the production and cacophony of inane commentary typical of a network that for so long was in the glorified club fight business. Horn was awarded a unanimous decision over Pacquiao, the most absurd one yet hung on the aging Filipino, though not so heinous that that title too couldn’t one day change hands.

There was once a nostalgic quality to the aged Pacquiao’s performances; all those signature moves, however diminished in their effect, conjured memories of the excitement his arrival, his ascension to dominance, the mania his very presence at LAX or in the Wild Card parking lot, once produced. Nostalgia too for a period when fighters identified as such; when there were fewer reasons to consider boxing a business or show interest in the machinations that delivered or failed to deliver this fight or that; when there were spectacles of consequence and futurity and an endgame still discernible in the wayward paths.

Granted there is some historical bias at work here (this is what nostalgia does) and any sober examination of the years before Pacquiao’s decline would reveal a sport as charmingly flawed and frustrating as ever. Indeed, a number of boxing’s more modern malaises can be traced back to Pacquiao, in particular, the fight that more than any other made managers and promoters of us all, made contract negotiations an acceptable substitute for the fight itself, and proved actively lowering expectations brings scant penalty to those responsible.

But it was only because he remained a relatively close approximation of his former self that Pacquiao could have this mnemonic effect (compare, for example, what feelings are elicited by the sad spectacle of Roy Jones Jr., or how tedious Bernard Hopkins, former executioner, became in the later years of his career). Yet despite deserving the victory, Pacquiao produced little of that nostalgia against Horn. Yes, his ring walk was rich in its usual levity, and Pacquiao flashed genuine relish at his opponent’s aggression, but his legs, and with them his accuracy and timing, have left him. So too, it looked, has some of his fighting joy, perhaps a casualty of where his career has been navigated in recent years. In an open air stadium in Australia, under the ruthless afternoon sun, against an opponent whose every forearm, headlock, and half-nelson was cheered—and this mess televised for free on ESPN? Even someone as sanguine as Pacquiao must have wondered how he ended up in such a state.

And then the scores were read.

In writing about bogus decisions like the one delivered at Suncorp Stadium, courtesy dictates one bestow a charitable judgment on the efforts of the victor; the goal being to separate the fighter from the scorecards he did not produce. One need only remember how Timothy Bradley fared in the aftermath of his reviled decision over Pacquiao to see the importance of not holding the fighter responsible for the judges’ appraisal.

Very well.

Did the punch stat numbers, overwhelmingly favoring Pacquiao, misrepresent the competitiveness of the fight? A bit. Human error corrupts their tally and they capture neither force nor effect; such stats are often only as credible as they are convenient. Is Joe Tessitore a fool for struggling to understand how a fighter nearly stopped could nevertheless win a decision? Yes (or maybe he’s just a loyal employee). Could the opinions of slowly emptying balloons Teddy Atlas and Stephen A. Smith promote controversy where there might not be any? Certainly. (Though if there is anything Atlas’ deafening lunacy engenders it is an urge to disagree. He makes for hypercritical if not antagonistic listeners, a fact that hurts more than helps the fighter he is endorsing. Smith probably does the same).

In the ring, Horn comported himself admirably in the biggest fight of his career (no meager compliment, that). The Pacquiao of even last year probably beats Horn conclusively, but on Saturday this smoldering version of the Filipino looked as far removed from his incendiary peak as he ever has, and Horn should claim some credit for that. Let him have it, then. And let him confirm his supposed potency against another top opponent—the decision, however dubious, must be reckoned with, and Horn, however undeserving, is for now belted and consequential.

Pacquiao-Horn played out similarly to Roman Gonzalez’ fight with Srisaket Sor Rungvisai earlier this year. The smaller fighter faced adversity early, fought through cuts from headbutts to wrest control of the action, nearly scored a stoppage in the later rounds, and lost not so much to his opponent as to the optics of blood and the larger man’s incessant aggression, to the rationale that an unheralded opponent should be rewarded for outperforming expectations.

Such factors should not victors of Rungvisai or Horn make, but incompetence in a sport like boxing is impossible to insulate against. Still, since neither Gonzalez nor Pacquiao was interested in grabbing a pitchfork and lighting a torch neither should we. Not when laughing is so much easier.

ESPN’s live telecast Saturday, July 1, of the “Battle of Brisbane” (10 p.m. to 1 a.m. ET) averaged a total live audience (television and streaming) of 3.1 million viewers across the ESPN and ESPN Deportes networks, according to Fast National ratings from Nielsen. It was the highest-rated and most-watched boxing telecast on cable television since 2006 and ESPN’s highest-rated boxing telecast since 1995.
The WBO World Welterweight Championship main event between Manny “Pac Man” Pacquiao (59-7-2, 38 KOs), the Filipino legend and boxing’s only eight-division world champion, against undefeated No. 1 contender and Brisbane’s favorite son Jeff “The Hornet” Horn (17-0-1, 11 KOs) (12 midnight to 1 a.m. ET) peaked during the final half hour of their fight with 4.4 million viewers across both networks. Horn defeated Pacquiao by a controversial unanimous decision.
ESPN
On ESPN, the telecast averaged a 1.6 household rating and 2,812,000 viewers, making it the highest-rated and most-watched boxing telecast on cable TV since 2006. Carlos Baldomir vs. Arturo Gatti on HBO on July 22, 2006, earned a 1.6 household rating.
“The Battle of Brisbane” was also the highest-rated boxing telecast on ESPN’s networks since 1995. Danell Nicholson vs. Darren Hayden on ESPN, on December 21, 1995 earned a 1.7 household rating.
Highest Ratings for Boxing Telecasts on Cable in Last 10 Years
DATE
NETWORK
MAIN FIGHT
US HH Rating
7/01/2017
ESPN
Manny Pacquiao vs. Jeff Horn
1.6
9/26/2009
HBO
Vitali Klitschko vs. Chris Arreola
1.4
4/19/2008
HBO
Bernard Hopkins vs. Joe Calzaghe
1.3
5/03/2008
HBO
Oscar De La Hoya vs. Steve Forbes
1.3
5/09/2015
HBO
Canelo Alvarez vs. James Kirkland
1.3
ESPN Deportes
“The Battle of Brisbane” on ESPN Deportes averaged 206,000 viewers, including 308,000 viewers in the final half hour of the event, making it the most-watched fight on ESPN Deportes since Leo Santa Cruz vs. Abner Mares on August 29, 2015, which had an average minute viewing audience of 355,000.
Streaming
ESPN’s telecast had a streaming average minute audience of 78,000, with 392,000 unique viewers, and 14.4 million total minutes streamed. Based on all three measures, the fight was the most-streamed boxing event on record on ESPN’s networks. On ESPN Deportes, the telecast had a streaming average minute audience of 1,400, with 7,800 unique viewers, and 253,000 total minutes streamed. Based on all three measures, the fight was the most-streamed boxing event on record on ESPN Deportes. Streaming provided a combined additional 2.6% lift on top of the television audience for both networks.
“The Battle of Brisbane” is available to stream now on the ESPN app.

ESPN’s live telecast of the Saturday, July 1, “Battle of Brisbane” (10 p.m. ET to 1 a.m. ET) delivered a 1.8 metered market rating according to Nielsen, making it the highest-rated fight on record for a cable network this decade.*

The WBO World Welterweight Championship main event between Manny “Pac Man” Pacquiao (59-7-2, 38 KOs), the Filipino legend and boxing’s only eight-division world champion, against undefeated No. 1 contender and Brisbane’s favorite son Jeff “The Hornet” Horn (17-0-1, 11 KOs) (12 a.m. ET to 1 a.m. ET) delivered a 2.4 overnight rating. Horn defeated Pacquiao by a controversial unanimous decision.
Based on overnight Nielsen results, the “Battle of Brisbane” is likely to be the highest-rated fight on ESPN’s networks since the mid 1990’s.
Las Vegas was the top local market for the fight with a 4.0 metered market rating, including a 5.1 rating during the main event.
Metered Market Ratings for the Top Five Cities:
Rank
City
Rating
1
Las Vegas
4.0
2
Los Angeles
3.7
3
Raleigh-Durham
3.6
4
New Orleans
3.1
5
San Diego
3.0
Streaming results also broke ESPN records for boxing, making the fight the most-streamed boxing event on record for both the ESPN and ESPN Deportes networks. ESPN had a streaming average minute audience of 78K, 392K unique viewers, and 14.4 million total minutes. Based on all three measures, the fight was the most-streamed boxing event on record on ESPN’s networks. On ESPN Deportes, the fight had a streaming average minute audience of 1.4K, 7.8K unique viewers, and 253K total minutes streamed. Based on all three measures, the fight was the most-streamed boxing event on record on ESPN Deportes.
“The Battle of Brisbane” is available to stream now on the ESPN app. It will also re-air on ESPN2 tonight at 8 p.m. ET.

*Records date to 2010.

Follow all the action as Manny Pacquiao defends the WBO Welterweight title against undefeated Jeff Horn in fornt of over 55,000 fans at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Australia.  The action begins at 9 PM ET / 6 PM PT/ 11 AM Sunday in Brisbane and 9 AM Sunday in the Philippines with a 3 fight undercard that will feature the IBF Junior Bantamweight title between Jerwin Ancajas and Teiru Konoshita; Michael Conlan battles Jarrett Owen Shane Mosley Jr. takes on David Tousaint

NO BROWSER REFRESH NEEDED.  THE PAGE WILL UPDATE AUTOMATICALLY 

Round 1: Combination from Horn..Body punch and right uppercut…Counter from Pacquiao..Good exchange

Round 2 Right hook to body from Pacquiao.Body shot from Horn..Right..Left from Pacquiao..Good left to body…Horn lands..Left from Pacquiao..

round 3 Right from Horn. Horn cut over right eye..Great exchanges…

Round 4 Horn landed a right..Left from Pacquiao..Good body shot..Good uppercut from Horn,,Left from Pacquiao..

Round 5 Right from Horn..Short left from Pacquiao..Right from Horn,,Left to head from Pacquiao..Jab from Horn..Straight left from Pacquiao..Hard left..

Round 6 Uppercut from Horn..Pacquiao cut from the hairline (Headbutt)..Hard right buckles Pacquiao

Round 7  Pacquiao cut over left eye (Headbutt)..Short right from Horn,,Hard left..Body shot

Round 8 Straight left from Pacquiao..Right from Horn,,right from Horn

Round 9 Straight left from Horn..Pacquiao landing..Horn starting to tire,,Straight left..Horn face is a mess with blood…Hard left..

Round 10  Hard right from Pacquiao…Left,,,Straight right from Horn,,

Round 11 Jab from Horn..Hard left from Pacquiao..Right from Horn…

Round 12 Left from Pacquiao…Good exchange,,,1-2 from Pacquiao..Right from Horn,..Straight left from Pacquiao..

117-111, 115-113 twice FOR JEFF HORN

Round 1 Ancajas throwing lead right hooks and jabs…

Round 2 Kinsoshita cut over the right eye

Round 3 Left from Ancajas…Good right…

Round 4 Good body work from Ancajas..

Round 5 Body shot from Kinoshita

Round 6  Good short right from Ancajas…Sharp left from Kinoshita..

Round 7 Kinoshita’s right eye closing..HARD BODY SHOT AND DOWN GOES KINOSHITA, AND THE FIGHT IS STOPPED

Round 1: Good right from Conlan

Round Hard right from Conlan

Round 3 Conlan working the body…Chopping right..Owen is hURT AND THE CORNER THROWS IN THE TOWEL

Round 1 Toussaint a southpaw..Straight right from Mosley…Left from Toussaint..Short left

Round 2 Right hook from Toussaint…Toussaint bleeding over the right eye..Right and body shot from Mosley..Straight left from Toussaint..Right from Mosley..Right hook from Toussaint..Good exchange at the bell…Toussaint lands a left

Round 3 Short left on inside from Toussaint..Jab..right to body..glancing blow on the inside..Right from Mosley..Lead uppdercut from Toussaint.

Round 4 Straight left from Toussaint..Uppercuts on the inside..another uppercut on the inside..

Round 5 Straight left from Toussaint..Left hand..Good combination

Round 6  2 straight lefts from Toussaint..Right from Mosley..

Round 7   Good right to body from Mosley..

Round 8  Right from Mosley..Toussaint lands a combination..Counter right hook..

Manny Pacquiao 146 – Jeff Horn 147
(WBO Welterweight championship)
Co-Feature – IBF Super Flyweight World Championship (12 rounds)
Jerwin Ancajas(26-1-1, 17 KOs), Champion, Cavite City, Philippines 114 lbs.
Teiru Kinoshita (25-1-1, 8 KOs), Challenger, Kobe, Japan 115 lbs.

Middleweights (8 rounds)
Shane Mosley, Jr. (10-1, 7 KOs), Pomona, California. USA 160 lbs.
David Toussaint (10-0, 8 KOs), Canberra, Australia 160 lbs.

Featherweights (6 rounds)
Michael Conlan (2-0, 2 KOs), Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK 126 lbs.
Jarrett Owen (5-4-3, 2 KOs), Brisbane, Australia 126 lbs.

By Norm Frauenheim-

From Pac Man to The Honorable, it’s been one wild, wonderful ride. Sometimes wacky, too, but that’s boxing, the only place Manny Pacquiao’s improbable story could have happened.

It continues, this time Down Under in Brisbane against a fighter nobody really knows – and if Pacquiao has his way – nobody will remember after this weekend.

Pacquiao is fighting somebody named Jeff Horn, who is as unknown as the Filipino Senator was a couple of decades ago. Horn has never answered an opening bell to a pro bout in the northern hemisphere.

At 16-0 with one draw and 11 knockouts, it’s hard to judge what kind of fighter Horn is. Video shows he’s aggressive and throws straight punches. I look at the Aussie school teacher and I think of Ricky Hatton without he post-fight pints or Brandon Rios without the craziness. But who knows?

Truth is, the same question applies to Pacquiao — the fighter — these days. His bout with Horn has the feel of one stop in a long, worldwide farewell to the sport that turned him into an international celebrity and even a possible Filipino presidential candidate.

The welterweight fight itself has some significant implications for the business. There’s no pay-per-view price tag attached to it. ESPN will televise the bout (6 p.m PT/9 p.m ET). In Australia, it will happen Sunday afternoon at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium in front of a potential crowd of 60,000.

It’s the first time Pacquaio will appear in a non-PPV fight since 2005. There has been lots of evidence over the last couple of years that the PPV model no longer works, either because of cost or all the ways the signal can be pirated.

Whatever the reason, if Pacquiao in a non-PPV bout works, it’s a sure sign the business has moved on from a model that some say has enriched a few, yet left other good fighters without access to a larger audience.

Pacquaio is not the inexhaustible maelstrom he was against Oscar De La Hoya in 2008, but he’s still as reliable indicator of the where the business has been and where it’s going. People watch because of the name. Without the PPV price, the best estimate for ESPN’s audience is 2 million.

If he looks good and scores his first stoppage since his stoppage of Miguel Cotto in 2009, tired talk about a rematch with Floyd Mayweather Jr. is inevitable. Don’t believe it.

Mayweather is fighting UFC star Conor McGregor on Aug. 26 in a sanctioned boxing match because the Irishman is no threat. Pacquiao still is and chances are good that he’ll prove that against Horn, who has never encountered anybody with his speed.

“Yes, this is a great opportunity to show the fans of boxing that we are still here and not done in boxing,’’ Pacquiao said Tuesday in a conference call from Brisbane. “So, this is a good chance, and we believe that a lot of people will be watching.’’

Above all, it’s good chance to remind people of Pacquiao’s popularity. He’s not the fighter he once was. Few at 38 are.

“He probably doesn’t pull the trigger,’’ Horn said. “Look, he is still a super-fast fighter that has easily taken apart his last few opponents. I don’t know if he has a knockout in him But who knows?’’

That’s the bottom-line question. Could Horn be the Down Under version of Joe Smith Jr., the light-heavyweight who ended the Bernard Hopkins legend in December? Not likely. Smith had introduced himself as legit threat with a stoppage of Andrzej Fonfara last June.

But who knows?

For once, we can get an answer without the PPV.

EDMONTON, Alberta, Canada (June 28, 2017) – The final [press conference was held today for this Saturday night’s “Battle in Brisbane,” featuring World Boxing Organization (WBO) Welterweight World champion Manny “Pacman’ Pacquiao (59-6-2, 38 KOs) and his title challenger, Jeff Horn (16-0-1, 11 KOs).

“Battle of Brisbane: Pacquiao vs. Horn,” presented by Top Rank and Duco Events. will air this Saturday evening, exclusively in Canada on Super Channel, live from Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Australia.

Super Channel subscribers will be able to watch four exciting fights, starting at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT, on the “Battle of Brisbane” card, headlined by Pacquiao vs. Horn.

PACQUIAO VS. DE LA HOYA & HATTON REPLAYS ON SC1

As a warm-up to the “Battle of Brisbane” on July 1, Super Channel will present two replays of previous Pacquiao bouts on Friday June 30starting at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT on SC1:

Manny Pacquiao vs Oscar de la Hoya- Dec. 6, 2008

Manny Pacquiao vs Ricky Hatton- May 2, 2009 (IBO World super lightweight title)

These fights will also be available on Super Channel On Demand.

Here is a link to Pacquaio’s interview today with official press conference host Ben Damon:

https://we.tl/HhJ8MpiyGC

Saturday night’s Super Channel telecast will also feature two-time Irish Olympian Michael Conlan (2-0, 2 KOs), from Belfast, in a six-round featherweight bout against Jarrett “Juarez” Owen (5-4-3, 2 KOs), of Brisbane.In the 12-round co-feature,International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior bantamweight world champion Jerwin “Pretty Boy” Ancajas (24-1-1, 16 KOs), of Cavite City, Philippines, will defend his title against top-rated contender Teiru Kinoshita (25-1-1, 8 KOs), of Kobe, Japan. The live telecast will open with an eight-round middleweight bout between Shane Mosley, Jr. (10-1, 7 KOs), of Pomona, Calif. and son of former three-division world champion “Sugar” Shane Mosley, and David Toussaint (10-0, 8 KOs), of Canberra, Australia.

All fights and fighters are subject to change.

INFORMATION:
www.superchannel.ca
Twitter: @SuperChannel
Instagram: @SuperChannelTV
Facebook: /superchannel
About Super Channel:

Super Channel is a national premium pay television network, consisting of four HD channels, four SD channels, and Super Channel On Demand.

Super Channel’s mission is to entertain and engage Canadian audiences by providing a unique and exclusive entertainment experience. With a core foundation of integrity and accountability, we dedicate ourselves to implementing innovative programming strategies and unparalleled team work that provides viewers with exceptional value and variety.

Super Channel is owned by Allarco Entertainment 2008 Inc., an Edmonton-based media company.

Super Channel is currently available on Bell TV, Shaw Direct, Rogers Anyplace TV, Shaw Cable, Cogeco Cable, Access Communications, Bell Aliant TV, Source Cable, SaskTel, MTS, Novus, EastLink, TELUS, Videotron, Westman Communications and other regional providers.
www.superchannel.ca

Fighter of the Decade and reigning WBO welterweight champion MANNY “Pacman” PACQUIAO, and his opponent, undefeated No. 1 contender JEFF “The Hornet” HORN, hosted a media Q&A on Tuesday in Brisbane, Australia, just days before their historic fight. They were joined by their respective trainers, Freddie Roach and Glenn Rushton, and Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum

Pacquiao (59-6-2, 38 KOs), of General Santos City, Philippines, boxing’s only eight-division world champion and the only sitting Senator to capture a world championship belt, and Horn (16-0-1, 11 KOs), from Brisbane, Queensland, Australia,, a 2012 Olympian and Pacquiao’s mandatory challenger, collide This Saturday, July 1, at Suncorp Stadium in front of a national record 60,000 fans. ESPN will televise the Pacquiao-Horn world title tilt and an all-action three-bout undercard, live, beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.

FRED STERNBURG: The biggest fight in Australian history is just days away. Fighter of the Decade and Eight Division World Champion Senator Manny Pacquiao will be defending his WBO welterweight title against undefeated and No. 1 mandatory challenger Jeff “The Hornet” Horn. It is a huge event and it will be televised live to the U.S. on Saturday, July 1, on ESPN, beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT. We have both Jeff and Manny on and we will begin with Jeff as well as his trainer/manager Glenn Rushton and his promoter Dean Lonergan. To set the table, it is a pleasure to introduce Hall of Fame Promoter Bob Arum.

BOB ARUM: Thank you very much. We are here is Brisbane and it is approximately 9 am on Wednesday morning and Tuesday afternoon in Los Angeles, early Tuesday evening in New York. There is tremendous excitement for this fight – it is something really special. The whole country has caught on. Every newspaper — front page, back page — all over the television, the country has really embraced this event. The event will be held Sunday afternoon, July 2 in Suncorp Stadium and it will be televised live, including a tremendous three-fight undercard, in the United States by our friends at ESPN. I am very, very excited about this event between welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao and Jeff Horn. It’s is going to be a very, very good battle. I watched Jeff train – I think he’s up for a performance of his life and you are going to see a great, great fight on Saturday night.

JEFF HORN: I m feeling very excited and I can’t wait for Sunday to come and I am ready to go to war.

GLENN RUSHTON: I can’t elaborate too much on the ten-point-plan we developed – it is very much a secret — but we are exceptionally confident that if Jeff follows that ten-point-plan, he will emerge victorious. He has trained incredibly hard and he is as fit as he has ever been. He is injury fee. His jaw is as hard as granite. His heart is as big as Suncorp Stadium, and he is technically very proficient, so it is going to be one heck of a fight come Saturday night over there (USA) and Sunday afternoon over here. I think the crowd is going to be shocked as to how good a fighter Jeff is. I think some have thought this will be a relatively easy fight for Manny Pacquiao and that certainly won’t be the case. We are looking forward to the biggest boxing event is Australian history.

What was going through your mind when you heard that this fight would happen, and in your hometown?

JEFF HORN: Yes, it was very unexpected. I actually couldn’t believe it when I got it but I was thankful that I got it and I jumped at it and said I’ll do it. I said yes, but then I heard it was going to be at Suncorp, it has been more than my dream come true – a world title shot against Pacquiao in my hometown.

Glenn, could you give me your thoughts on that? When they called and said Jeff would be fighting Manny Pacquiao?

GLENN RUSHTON: Actually, it felt true to me – it felt correct. When we sat down with Dean Lonergan of Duco Events, our promoter, I said, ‘Dean, I envision Jeff Horn fighting at Suncorp Stadium for a world title in front of full house. That’s my dream. I envisioned it.” I said ‘can you see that?’ And he gulped a little bit and said ‘well yes I suppose I could see that,’ so he slowly bought into that dream. It’s a dream that I have had and it felt right. It felt like everything deserved to be. I have always believed this would happen. We are very pleased with it and looking very much forward to seeing this turn into an historic event.

Jeff, what is the largest crowd you have fought in front of?

JEFF HORN: The largest crowd I have fought in front of would be about 10,000 – that was on the undercard of Parker-Ruiz last December. This is next level for sure.

What makes you think that you can beat many Pacquiao?

JEFF HORN: I think I have a style that Pacquiao has not fought before. I think he is going to struggle with my style. I am bigger than him. He may be faster than me but I am pretty quick as well. I could hit him with the right shot and nobody knows what could happen.

Do you feel like you are fighting a peak many Pacquiao?

GLENN RUSHTON: We do believe that Manny Pacquiao is at his peak. Certainly I do not feel he is far off his peak – he is fairly close – he did a terrific job against Jessie Vargas – he was incredibly sharp there – he was picking him off very well. He did not look like a 38-year-old man, that’s for sure. He looked very, very good against Tim Bradley and very sharp as well, so if he has fallen from his peak, he has come from such a hard place, he has fallen very slightly, he is still far better than his opposition. We are looking to fight the best Manny Pacquiao. We are not looking to fight someone that is past his prime – we are not thinking that way at all – that would be very foolish. We are preparing to fight the Manny Pacquiao that Freddie Roach has been saying in his training has been looking sharp and knocking people down in sparring and so forth. So we are here to fight Manny Pacquiao at his best and we are going to bring our own game and there will be no excuses – just two great warriors out there and we are looking forward to this amazing contest.

JEFF HORN: I think Manny has looked good in his last couple of fights, he probably doesn’t pull the trigger a little bit when he had the chance. Look, he is still a super fast fighter that has easily taken apart his last few opponents. I don’t know if he has a knockout in him but who knows? I will finally find out though.

Jeff – who do you think is the toughest opponent you have fought thus far?

JEFF HORN: That’s a hard one. I have fought a lot of tough guys. Randall Bailey was certainly the hardest puncher I have ever fought – for sure the hardest puncher. I have fought a lot of tough guys – they have all been really strong. Rico Mueller was very strong. Even Ben Rabeh was a really tough fighter. I could name a heap of my past fights that were tough.

How much of a step up do you think this is from past opponents?

JEFF HORN: Yes this is definitely jumping a few steps at a time. I have fought some tough guys – some high-level competition, but Manny Pacquiao has that legendary status.

GLENN RUSHTON: It is a step up but you’ve got to understand we can only fight the toughest guys we can get hold of. I spoke to Duco’s matchmaker and I said “Jeff is legit and I want to go up against world-class opponents’ and this is the last ten, they have all been world-ranked. They all had at least 20 fights under their belt and they must have at least a 90% win record. The matchmaker thought I was crazy he said most trainers don’t want to fight anyone that’s got a pulse and you want to fight all of these really tough guys. I said there is a reason for that I’m trying to put Jeff up against as tough an opponent as I can so I can harden him for days when we get an opportunity against a Manny Pacquiao. I want him to be ready to fight against the toughest guys. Of course along the way we would have loved to fight a Jessie Vargas or a Tim Bradley but in this game those guys are going to say ‘what’s the upside for me?’ So we fought the toughest people we can and Jeff has risen because of that to become the No. 1 contender – so he is in this position and a lot of people are saying that and after this fight everyone will know who Jeff Horn is come Sunday is Brisbane and Saturday night in the USA – they will all know who Jeff Horn is.

Who do you think gave him the most difficult time in the ring?

GLENN RUSHTON: I personally feel that having been in the corner for all of his fights – the toughest fight was probably Naoufel Ben Rabeh – remember this was just Jeff’s seventh fight and Rabeh was 35-2 and his two losses were for world titles and some say his loss to Juan Urango was a little bit curious but he was a tough fight to have in only your seventh fight. It was a winner tale all fight and we took it on two weeks notice and we went to Rabeh’s hometown to fight him. It was a very tough fight and Jeff lost the first round and after that when I said, ‘Jeff this is winner take all’ – he was covered in blood – it was a very hard first round – there is no second prize here – you could go home with no money in your pocket. He won every round after that and apparently, well he retired Ben Rabeh, put him in the hospital and he said he suffered more damage in that fight than in either of his two world title fights. And that was on two weeks notice. That gives you some idea on how Jeff will look against Pacquiao. Whatever Manny wants to throw at Jeff, Jeff will rise to the occasion.

There are two ways these fights usually go – the underdog pulls the upset or the underdog looks very bad…

JEFF HORN: I have just been putting everything into it – training very hard and I think all of that is going to pay off for me. Manny Pacquiao is going to be surprised about what I take to him in the ring.

Do you think being a lesser known fight is an advantage for you?

JEFF HORN: I think in the last couple of fights Pacquiao has not lost too much. To me not being known as a fighter – that might be handy in this fight, as in Manny has not been able to study what I can do and maybe underestimate me in this fight, and in the same way, Pacquiao has fought so many tough guys, that we all know and have watched, so he has definitely got the experience on me. But will he use that experience? We will see.

How much motivation do you get from being the underdog, to win this fight?

JEFF HORN: It does give me massive motivation – it makes me train harder knowing that no one gives me a shot, but I have experienced that throughout my whole career. I guess this is on another level and there are a lot more people saying I’ve got no chance at all. I like being the underdog. It’s fun.

GLENN RUSHTON: Jeff is a fierce competitor. He is very determined especially with his big heart he is probably one of the really key factors, he hates losing at anything, whether it is poker or table tennis or whatever it is – he is one of those people that just has to win and I think that has been a real motivating factor – people saying that I’m not going to win is dangerous. We know we are fighting one of the greatest fighters of all time and we are very mindful and respect Manny Pacquiao’s abilities. That KO against Marquez, that’s a stone cold KO that takes something out of a fighter – getting knocked out cold like that – that’s got to be haunting to a fighter in the back of his mind. We have the young hungry lion here – big and mean who is technically very good – he made the finals in the Olympics and won two national titles so he knows he is technically very good, he’s tough and he knows he’s got a great chin. He knows all of this and he has come off not too long ago loss against Marquez and that’s going to haunt him a little bit when he gets hit with Jeff’s power and it’s going to change things. There is going to be a time in this fight that there will be a change and you’ll sense that this is a very young guy that is tough and he is going to startle. We love being the underdog. It is terrific. It takes a lot of pressure off Jeff and at the end of the day Manny Pacquiao is just a man. He is just a man so when we get out there on the night of the fight it’s going to come down to who wants it the most and one thing is for sure, and I assure you, there is no one on this earth that wants it more than Jeff Horn.

MANNY PACQUIAO: Hello to everyone wherever you are – good evening, good afternoon and good morning.

FREDDIE ROACH: Don’t miss this fight it is going to be fun.

With all of the other champions and top fighters at welterweight, why did you decide to fight Jeff Horn?

MANNY PACQUIAO: It is good to fight in a country that you haven’t fought in before and to give a chance to Jeff – he is undefeated and it is good to give him a chance. He has earned it.

Were you interested in fighting one of the other champions?

MANNY PACQUIAO: Yes, but also Jeff is the mandatory champion.

Would you like to once again fight in the Philippines?

MANNY PACQUIAO: We are working on fighting in my country of the Philippines — we would like to do that.

Do you think we could see a Manny Pacquiao knockout against Jeff Horn?

MANNY PACQUIAO: Different fighters and Freddie and I work to focus on the knockout but we don’t know if it will come but we prepare for safety first and defense and not being careless and doing our job. If the knockout comes it will come and if I have the chance to knock him out I will grab that opportunity.

FREDDIE ROACH: It’s been a good training camp and there has been a few knockdowns in this camp and it’s been a while since we have had that and Manny has been looking really sharp in camp and he has had a great camp and he is 100% ready for this fight.

How do you get Manny Pacquiao up for a fight like Jeff Horn compared to all of the huge opponents he has faced in the past?

FREDDIE ROACH: One thing about Manny we don’t take anyone lightly – Jeff is not that well known but he does have 16 wins and he has fought a couple of names out there, but again, we get ready for everyone and we are in great shape for this fight as we would be for anybody else in the world.

Do you think that with the huge ESPN audience is is a good opportunity to show fans you are still an elite fighter?

MANNY PACQUIAO: Yes this is a great opportunity to show the fans of boxing that we are still here and not done in boxing so this is a good chance and we believe that a lot of people will be watching and we spoke to Bob (Arum) and we decided to give the people a chance to watch the fight on a free station in America.

Do you think you can be the fighter to bring back the glory days of boxing to free television?

MANNY PACQUIAO: Bob and I decided to show this fight on free television so people can watch without paying the pay per view for the fight, because I have fought in America many times and people had to pay to watch the fight on television. For this fight we are giving the people the chance to watch it for free. It will be live on ESPN. This is a very exciting fight because it is the first time I am fighting in this country so we are very excited for this fight.

BOB ARUM: It’s more than that. Manny is a level above the ordinary fighter. He is now in the Senate in the Philippines. He thinks in terms of the people and he did say to me ‘I want this fight seen in America, which has been so good to me, by as many people as possible, for free.’ We were able to make a deal with ESPN and we will have, by far, the most people to ever watch a Manny Pacquiao fight will be Saturday night, July 1 – the start of the 4th of July weekend. So in effect I think it should be viewed as a gift to the American public, by Manny Pacquiao, who has spent so much time and has done great things in the United States. I think it’s wonderful that this fight is being shown on free television – on ESPN — and yes I hope that many more fights will be shown on free to air television.

Horn’s trainer said earlier that Manny is not the same after the Marquez KO . . .

FREDDIE ROACH: The Marquez punch, Manny stepped into that right hand and I think since that fight he has fought wonderfully. That fight was so long ago to me and since then Manny has been ready for every fight and we waited for Marquez to give us a rematch and he wouldn’t give us one so we are on with Jeff Horn right now.

MANNY PACQUIAO: For me I am still the same – I am still a boxer – and I disagree.

What do you expect it to be like going into a stadium with a full crowd rooting against you?

MANNY PACQUIAO: I am a person that loves to fight against my opponent with focus and determination. It gives me extra motivation to have 50,000 to 60,000 fans cheering for him, so that is good for me. Like when I fought Marco Antonio Barrera in San Antonio, Texas in 2002, I had only five fans for me, and four of them were Freddie and my corner. It gives me more inspiration and focus.

FREDDIE ROACH: Well, you know there is going to be a big crowd there and at the beginning they may be rooting against Manny Pacquiao but at the end of the fight everyone in the building will be on Manny’s side. EVERYONE.

MANNY PACQUIAO: Thank you so much for everything and for this opportunity to speak to all of the media from around the world and thank you to Bob and to the promoter Dean Lonergan and ESPN. Thank you

FREDDIE ROACH: Brisbane is a great place, a wonderful city and it’s great to see the world and make sure you tune in Saturday night on ESPN.

FRED STERNBURG: Watch it live on ESPN, Saturday at 9 pm ET

BOB ARUM: And 6 pm where I live on the west coast.

***************************************

ESPN’s coverage of “The Battle of Brisbane” will begin on Friday, June 30th, and includes live coverage of the Pacquiao and Horn weigh-in at 7 p.m. ET within SportsCenter on ESPN and within Golpe a Golpe on ESPN Deportes. During the week of June 26, classic Pacquiao fights will also be available on demand and streaming via the ESPN app, on both ESPN and ESPN Deportes, including Pacquiao vs. Ricky Hatton (5/2/2009), Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Márquez (11/12/11) and Pacquiao vs. Tim Bradley (4/12/14).

The July 1 telecast will also feature Irish Olympic hero Michael Conlan (2-0, 2 KOs), from Belfast, in a six-round featherweight bout against Jarrett “Juarez” Owen (5-4-3, 2 KOs), of Brisbane, and International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior bantamweight world champion Jerwin “Pretty Boy” Ancajas (24-1-1, 16 KOs), of Cavite City, Philippines, defending his title against top-rated contender Teiru Kinoshita (25-1-1, 8 KOs), of Kobe, Japan. The live telecast will open with an eight-round middleweight rumble between Shane Mosley, Jr. (10-1, 7 KOs), of Pomona, Calif. and son of former three-division world champion “Sugar” Shane Mosley, and David Toussaint (10-0, 8 KOs), of Canberra, Australia.

Saturday, July 1st on ESPN and ESPN Deportes
9 p.m. – 10 p.m. ET: Top Rank Boxing: Undercards & Main Event Preview
– Shane Mosley, Jr. vs. David Toussaint

10 p.m. – 12:30 a.m. ET: Top Rank Boxing: Main Event
– Michael Conlan vs. Jarrett Owen
– Jerwin Ancajas vs. Teiru Kinoshita
– Manny Pacquiao vs. Jeff “The Hornet” Horn

Sunday, July 2nd on ESPN Deportes
12:30 a.m. – 2 a.m. ET – SportsCenter

Promoted by Top Rank® and Duco Events, in association with MP Promotions, “The Battle of Brisbane: Pacquiao vs. Horn” is expected to attract a sellout crowd of 55,000+ fans, eclipsing the previous Australian record of 38,000 set on March 1, 1992 when Azumah Nelson stopped Jeff Fenech in the eighth round to retain his World Boxing Council (WBC) super featherweight title. The battle between the two Hall of Famer fighters took place at Princes Park in Melbourne.
For more information visit: www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo, facebook.com/espndeportes; Twitter twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, @ESPN @ESPNBoxeo @ESPNDeportes. Join the conversation #PacHorn.

EDMONTON, Alberta, Canada (June 27, 2017) – World Boxing Organization (WBO) Welterweight World champion Manny “Pacman’ Pacquiao (59-6-2, 38 KOs) and his Hall-of-Fame trainer, Freddie Roach, held a media workout today in Australia, preparing for this Saturday night’s showdown between Pacquiao and his title challenger, Jeff Horn (16-0-1, 11 KOs).

“Battle of Brisbane: Pacquiao vs. Horn,” presented by Top Rank and Duco Events. will air this Saturday evening, exclusively in Canada on Super Channel, live from Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Australia.

Super Channel subscribers will be able to watch four exciting fights, starting at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT, on the “Battle of Brisbane” card, headlined by Pacquiao vs. Horn.

PACQUIAO VS. DE LA HOYA & HATTON REPLAYS ON SC1
As a warm-up to the “Battle of Brisbane” on July 1, Super Channel will present two replays of previous Pacquiao bouts on Friday June 30starting at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT on SC1:

Manny Pacquiao vs Oscar de la Hoya- Dec. 6, 2008

Manny Pacquiao vs Ricky Hatton- May 2, 2009 (IBO World super lightweight title)

These fights will also be available on Super Channel On Demand.

See Pacquiao and Roach quotes below from today’s workout:

MANNY PACQUIAO: “We have a really good plan for this fight. We worked hard in training camp both in Manila and in General Santos City. I’m totally focused for this fight. I am not looking past this fight because at this point in my career, every fight is the most important. There are no tomorrows if I don’t win today.

“Jeff Horn is OK. I’ve watched video of his fights. He brings a lot of action into the ring.

“I know what he is feeling. I remember everything about my first world title fight.

“Being a senator and training for a fight is hard. It takes discipline and time management. Luckily, the Senate has been in recess for the past few weeks and I have been able to focus on training for my world title fight.

“A Senator’s job is to defend his people … to fight for their rights.

“I know Jeff Horn used to be a teacher. In the ring, I’m a teacher too.

“I am ready for Jeff to come out and be aggressive. If he does that it will be a great fight for the fans.

“The biggest crowd I ever fought in front of was at Cowboys Stadium against Joshua Clottey. I’m told this could be bigger [51,000+]. I am very excited for doing that, even though they may not be rooting for me. I am also very happy that ESPN will be televising it live.to the U.S. Now everyone can see it. It’s good for boxing.”

FREDDIE ROACH: “Manny is a performer. He loves people, loves a big audience. Brisbane has all that for this fight. He’ll be fighting in front of the biggest crowd of his career.

“Not everyone gets the opportunity to fight for a world title. It was always my dream but I never fought for one. It’s a big deal. Jeff Horn earned this opportunity. He is the WBO’s mandatory challenger.

“Manny gave me 110% in training camp. He always does. No one works harder in the gym. The difference in this camp from recent ones has been his aggression. He’s scored several knockdowns and I haven’t seen that in years. He has kept his foot on the pedal throughout, even when he’s had a sparring partner in trouble. After his ring work he is singing and dancing – not well – but that’s not the point. He is really hungry to make a statement in this fight against Horn. He’s even playing Shakira during his workouts again and he hasn’t done that in years.”

Saturday night’s Super Channel telecast will also feature two-time Irish Olympian Michael Conlan (2-0, 2 KOs), from Belfast, in a six-round featherweight bout against Jarrett “Juarez” Owen (5-4-3, 2 KOs), of Brisbane.In the 12-round co-feature,International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior bantamweight world champion Jerwin “Pretty Boy” Ancajas (24-1-1, 16 KOs), of Cavite City, Philippines, will defend his title against top-rated contender Teiru Kinoshita (25-1-1, 8 KOs), of Kobe, Japan. The live telecast will open with an eight-round middleweight bout between Shane Mosley, Jr. (10-1, 7 KOs), of Pomona, Calif. and son of former three-division world champion “Sugar” Shane Mosley, and David Toussaint (10-0, 8 KOs), of Canberra, Australia.

All fights and fighters are subject to change.

INFORMATION:
www.superchannel.ca
Twitter: @SuperChannel
Instagram: @SuperChannelTV
Facebook: /superchannel
About Super Channel:

Super Channel is a national premium pay television network, consisting of four HD channels, four SD channels, and Super Channel On Demand.

Super Channel’s mission is to entertain and engage Canadian audiences by providing a unique and exclusive entertainment experience. With a core foundation of integrity and accountability, we dedicate ourselves to implementing innovative programming strategies and unparalleled team work that provides viewers with exceptional value and variety.

Super Channel is owned by Allarco Entertainment 2008 Inc., an Edmonton-based media company.

Super Channel is currently available on Bell TV, Shaw Direct, Rogers Anyplace TV, Shaw Cable, Cogeco Cable, Access Communications, Bell Aliant TV, Source Cable, SaskTel, MTS, Novus, EastLink, TELUS, Videotron, Westman Communications and other regional providers.
www.superchannel.ca

Photo by Bradley Kanaris for Duco Promotions

LAS VEGAS, NEV. (April 10, 2017) — Add Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Australia to the list of venues on foreign soil that will play host to a MANNY “Pacman” PACQUIAO fight. Boxing’s only eight-division world champion and the reigning Fighter of the Decade, Pacquiao has accepted the challenge of undefeated No. 2 world-rated contender JEFF “The Hornet” HORN to defend his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title, Saturday, July 1 (Sunday, July 2, in Australia). Promoted by Top Rank® and Duco Events, “The Battle of Brisbane” is expected to attract 55,000 fans and a record pay-per-view audience in Australia. It will also be seen live in the U.S. Look for details on the U.S. telecast in the following weeks.

“Manny has been a pioneer, bringing world title fights to Cowboys Stadium, The Venetian Macao’s Cotai Arena and now Suncorp Stadium. We’re boxing’s version of Lewis & Clark, discovering new markets,” said Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum. ” Manny knows who will be the crowd favorite on July 1, but he can’t wait to give Australia and the world a great performance. It’s going to be unbelievable event.”

Pacquiao (59-6-2, 38 KOs), from General Santos City, Philippines, is in his third reign as WBO welterweight champion. He regained the title on November 5, winning a dominant unanimous decision victory over defending champion Jessie Vargas.

Horn (16-0-1, 11 KOs), from Bisbane, Queensland, Australia, enters this fight having won his last three fights — all in 2016 — against Ali Funeka, Rico Mueller and Randall Bailey inside the distance. They had a combined record of 105-14-4 when he fought them. Horn is world-rated No. 2 by the WBO and the International Boxing Federation (IBF).

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, or facebook.com/trboxeo,and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, or twitter.com/trboxeo, Use the hashtag #PacVargas to join the conversation on Twitter.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, the promoter for Jeff Horn, DUCO Events says a bout with Manny Pacquiao is agreed to for July 2nd in Australia.

“We are extremely close to the deal being finalized, but Manny has signed,” Top Rank vice president Carl Moretti told ESPN on Saturday night at the Vasyl Lomachenko-Jason Sosa card the company was promoting in Oxon Hill, Maryland.

Horn said he believed the fight with Pacquiao would happen, telling Australian media outlets, “Finally this rocky road about announcing this fight is finally over. We can say it’s finally happening on July 2. I’d never actually thought Pacquiao would still be around when I was going to get my shot at the world title. I’m still young, still under 30, so I’m ready to take this shot.”

Corresponding tweets by Manny Pacquiao and Amir Khan stated that they will fight on April 23rd.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Manny Pacquiao will defend the WBO Welterweight title against Jeff Horn on April 22, most likely in Australia (Although promoter Bob Arum is fielding offers from other countries such as Dubai).

“Horn and his management have agreed on the purse and now we’re working on a site,” Arum said. “We’ll know the location of the fight in the next few days.”

“Once we have a location then I’ll fly over to the Philippines to meet with Manny and finalize everything on our side,” Arum said. “But he is going to fight Jeff Horn.”

“I thought he was a really rugged guy. He’s a good fighter,” Arum said. “Does he beat Manny? Probably not, but he’s going to give him a good fight. He has a very pleasing personality.”

Initially, Arum said he wanted to bring Horn to the United States and match him with either Timothy Bradley Jr. or Jessie Vargas, both former welterweight world titleholders he promotes, with the idea that if Horn beat one of them he would then make a fight with Pacquiao later in 2017.

But “the Aussies wanted to do the fight right away and the people in the Middle East [in the UAE] find him acceptable as an opponent for Manny, so why crap around with putting him in with a Vargas or Bradley?” Arum said. “Why? Maybe it will enhance the number of pay-per-view buys in the United States? Maybe it won’t. Maybe the fight won’t even be a pay-per-view in the United States. Why screw around with bringing him to the United States and fighting Bradley and Vargas? Why? Where? HBO has no money.

“There really wasn’t any incentive [to go after a bigger name]. Horn was a good enough opponent and the only way we would have switched is if there was more money to be made with someone else, like if we went to the Middle East and fought Amir Khan. We spoke to Khan and he told us he wouldn’t be available to fight Manny until November [because he is coming off an injury] and wanted a tuneup fight.”

“I am excited about the prospect of facing a legend in Manny Pacquiao,” Horn told ESPN. “I know a lot of people in America don’t know too much about me, but after [April 22] they most certainly will.

“But U.S. pay-per-view is a minor consideration,” Arum said. “I would hope to sell it to free television whether to [subscription-based] HBO or a terrestrial network. What we’re waiting on is there are various regions in Australia and they’re all bidding on the fight and tourist boards are putting up money and there are sponsorships. What we can get from that will determine how viable it is to do the fight in Australia and where we do it in Australia.”

“My goal is to have Pacquiao fight as many times as we can get away from the senate duties as possible,” Arum said. “So the idea is if he fights in April and he stays in boxing shape we can fight perhaps again in July. We have an offer in Russia. And then we have an offer and would be interested in fighting [fellow welterweight titleholder] Kell Brook in England in probably October. That’s a big fight.

“We did world tours with Muhammad Ali and that’s what I’m going to do with Manny. It’s good for him to fight all over. He might be president of the Philippines someday and fighting around the world is good for that possibility.”

MANILA (November 8, 2016) — The streak continues! No sooner had boxing superhero Senator MANNY “Pacman” PACQUIAO (59-6-2, 38 KOs) won the World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight world title for a third time — dethroning the younger and taller defending champion Jessie Vargas (27-2, 10 KOs) on Saturday in front of 16,321 fans at the Thomas & Mack Center — boxing’s only eight-division world champion jetted back to Manila in time to attend the first day of the Philippine Senate’s new session. Pacquiao has not missed one day of Senate activity since being sworn in, despite a grueling schedule that incorporated an intense training camp for his challenge of Vargas.

Upon entering the Senate chamber today, as a world champion, carrying his new world title belt, Senator Pacquiao was lauded by his colleagues. The Senate passed a resolution commending Pacquiao’s discipline to effectively serve the citizens of the Philippines while training for his world championship challenge in his ring return against Vargas, both on a fulltime basis.

Pacquiao, the first senator from any country to win a world title, then presented his new world championship belt to Senate President Koko Pimentel as a gift to the citizens of the Philippines.

“To manifest my heartfelt thanksgiving, I would like to donate my WBO welterweight belt to the Senate of the Philippines. The honor does not belong to me alone but to every Filipino,” said Pacquiao. “May it serve as an inspiration for everyone to pursue excellence and to continue fighting for our nation’s sovereignty.”

SENATE OF THE PHILIPPINES RESOLUTION NO. 217

SENATE CONGRATULATES SENATOR PACMAN: Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III and the other senators congratulate their colleague Senator Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao after the Senate approved Senate Resolution No. 217 commending Pacquaio for his recent victory over former World Boxing Organization (WBO) Welterweight Champion Jessie Vargas, during Tuesday’s session, November 08, 2016. Apart from Pimentel, Senators Sherwin “Win” Gatchalian, Leila de Lima, Risa Hontiveros, Grace Poe, Richard Gordon, Senate Minority Leader Ralph Recto and Senate Majority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, along with Senators Loren Legarda, Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri, Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara, Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan II and Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan were also present to celebrate Pacquaio’s win.

**********************

Boxing’s only eight division world champion and the reigning Fighter of the Decade Senator MANNY “Pacman” PACQUIAO (59-6-2, 38 KOs), from General Santos City, Philippines, dethroned World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight world champion JESSIE VARGAS (27-2, 10 KOs), of Las Vegas. Pacquiao and Vargas went mano a mano and toe-to-toe in a high-stakes welterweight showdown. While Pacquiao became a three-time WBO welterweight champion as well as the first senator to win a world title, Vargas gamely failed to enforce a term limit on the future Hall of Famer’s boxing career.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with MP Promotions, Wynn Las Vegas and Tecate, Pacquiao vs. Vargas took place Saturday, November 5 at the Thomas & Mack Center on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Pacquiao vs. Vargas and its three co-main event world title fights were produced and distributed live by Top Rank® Pay-Per-View, and was available on all conventional platforms, including all major cable and satellite systems, as well as Top Rank’s digital distribution via www.TopRank.tv and mobile devices. No replay is scheduled.

The three additional world championship fights on the pay-per-view telecast included: four-division world champion NONITO “The Filipino Flash” DONAIRE (37-4, 24 KOs), from General Santos City, Philippines, losing his WBO junior featherweight title to undefeated No. 1 contender JESSIE MAGDALENO (24-0, 17 KOs), from Las Vegas; and newly-minted WBO featherweight champion and two-time Mexican Olympian ÓSCAR VALDEZ (22-0, 19 KOs), from Nogales, Mexico, successfully defendIng his title, stopping No. 1 contender HIROSHIGE OSAWA (30-4-4, 19 KOs), from Osaka, Japan. The pay-per-view telecast opened with the rematch between top-rated contenders Chinese Olympic icon ZOU SHIMING (9-1, 2 KOs), from Guizhou, China, and PRASITAK PAPOEM (39-2-2, 24 KOs), of Buriram, Thailand, battling for the vacant WBO flyweight world title. Zou a two-time Olympic gold medalist trained by Freddie Roach, defeated Prasitak, who had entered the fight riding a two-year, 12-bout winning streak, with all of his victories coming by way of knockout.

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing or facebook.com/trboxeo, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing or twitter.com/trboxeo. Use the Hashtag #PacVargas to join the conversation on Twitter.

By Bart Barry-

Saturday on UNLV’s campus or thereabouts Filipino senator Manny Pacquiao unanimously decisioned American welterweight titlist Jessie Vargas in a good match that proved Pacquiao’s fighting class has not dissipated fast as the welterweight division’s. Vargas was a top-10 guy at 147 pounds whom Pacquiao beat conclusively without exerting more than 45 seconds of any round, the same way Pacquiao conclusively beat Timothy Bradley, a top-5 guy at 147 pounds, in April.

Pacman’s fighting capacities have not diminished nearly quick as American interest in his capacities – as represented by purse guarantees – have: His reflexes and savagery are down about 20-percent from where they were before Mayweather while his Saturday purse guarantee was about 20-percent of what it was before Mayweather. Of course an 80-percent paycut from $20 million still makes Pacquiao what American conservatives call a “job creator” and Pacquiao at 80-percent remains very much better than other titlists in the welterweight division though nothing close to enough to beat Floyd Mayweather till Money’s 45th birthday.

Pity that Manny cannot be remanded to a cryogenic lab till 2021, then, especially if greed and desperation force a rematch of the Fight to Ruin Boxing which they will if Manny and his promoter have any say because Manny’s promoter has nary a better option – whatever talent Bud Crawford has, whatever doggedness Timothy Bradley maintains, neither guy has more than a city much less a state much less a country much less a global region he captivates or might monetize.

The preamble of the moment, the consensus throatclearing, goes something like: Pacquiao, while not nearly the man he was in his prime, is still very good. That’s about half right. Pacquiao actually is much nearer the man he was in his prime than we say he is; what has changed is our perception – our memories and our expectations and our tolerance and ourselves generally.

That’s a bold statement, Mr. Barry, are you being dumbly controversial to court traffic in the spirit of contemporary politics?

Yes! actually no. I watched the Russian rebroadcast of Pacquiao-Vargas on Sunday morning (pro tip: putting the words ““???? ???” in front of your YouTube search criteria for most any match gets you an early rebroadcast without perception-skewing commentary to suffer) and then, ready for a mindbending trip through the fourth dimension, I called up Pacquiao-Morales 1, a match Pacquiao lost, sure, but a Pacquiao 11 1/2 years younger and 15 pounds smaller and presumably quicker than today’s iteration. What I expected was the nonlinear thing that happens when you juxtapose any heavyweight title match of the 1990s with a Wlad Klitschko fight – wait, you mean heavyweights once fought with bent knees and courage? (OK, that’s not fair: Klitschko fought his courage most every title defense) – but that’s not what I got.

Pacquiao was more explosive and frankly weirder back in 2005 but he didn’t have fractionally the wiles he has today, and yes, that’s allowing for the feral qualitative disparity between Erik Morales and Jessie Vargas. Pacquiao’s head movement is perhaps the largest difference between then and now and that’s a tribute to Pacquiao’s latterday conditioning. Head movement is rarely a matter of moving one’s head; effective head movement is at least pendulous upperbody movement but best when born of the feet and knees and thighs. Eleven years ago Pacquiao windshield-wipered his hands back and forth in lieu of moving his head and Morales hit him often and hard with the Mexican’s worldclass jab.

Part of what doomed Vargas, aside from trying to do what Juan Manuel Marquez did without understanding why Marquez thought to do it and therefore a hundred microscopic adjustments of both physique and character Marquez learned to make (ain’t nothing like the real thing, Jes-sie) was Vargas’ inability to jab at uncertainty after Pacquiao snatched his confidence in round 2. Nearly no one can jab confidently at uncertainty – if there were anything natural about it the double-end bag’d not exist – and Pacquiao’s creation and maintenance of defensive uncertainty (offensively he’s been a wildcard his whole life) is one sure source of his longevity.

And even at 80-percent Pacquiao is fast in an elite way today’s fighters are not. There are quick hands aplenty out there, Showtime Sports, formerly known as The PBC, now bursts with them, but that’s different from being fast in a way that instantly closes space as Pacquiao does in yards, not inches. While Pacquiao had seen a few dozen Vargases in his career, Saturday it was clear in the match’s second half Vargas’d not before seen a Pacquiao, and some combination of fatigue and inactive offensive imagination and hyperactive defensive imagination (anxiety about consequences) kept Vargas’ hands at home while Senator Pacquiao, ever a vote-counter, did barely more than he needed do to win each round.

Never again will Pacquiao be quick to the breach as he was the night Marquez pistonstroked him, in part because every opponent now chants “jab-feint / leapback / jab / cross” through every trainingcamp, in part because Pacquiao no longer thrills quite so much at the fray, and in part because there’s no need. Today Senator Pacquiao resides in a curious yet lucrative space: He’s good enough, still, to unify the welterweight division and not nearly good enough to win more than two rounds against Mayweather.

At least it’s lucrative.

Bart Barry can be reach via Twitter @bartbarry

LAS VEGAS, NEV. (November 2, 2016) – On Fight Night for the MANNY “Pacman” PACQUIAO vs. JESSIE VARGAS world championship event, Top Rank® will utilize Twitter’s (twitter.com/trboxing) polling functionality to allow fans to participate in each bout as a collective, unofficial “4th judge.” Fans that tune into Saturday’s live pay-per-view telecast or catch it from a coveted seat at the Thomas & Mack Center will be able to easily vote on who they think is winning each undercard matchup, with the winner being announced on air prior to the official judges’ scorecards. During the main event, fans will have the option to vote round-by-round. The broadcast team of Stephen A. Smith, Brian Kenny, Charissa Thompson and Tim Bradley, Jr., will deliver updates in between rounds, with scorecard graphics appearing on-screen throughout the main event. Employing this feature, fans are granted another avenue to engage with the historic night of world championship fights on November 5th.

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In just three days, boxing’s only eight division world champion and the reigning Fighter of the Decade Senator MANNY “Pacman” PACQUIAO (58-6-2, 38 KOs), from General Santos City, Philippines, collides with World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight world champion JESSIE VARGAS (27-1, 10 KOs), of Las Vegas. Pacquiao and Vargas will go mano a mano and toe-to-toe in a high-stakes welterweight showdown. While Pacquiao will be looking to become a three-time WBO welterweight champion as well as the first senator to win a world title, Vargas will be resolute in enforcing a term limit on the future Hall of Famer’s boxing career.

Pacquiao vs. Vargas takes place This Saturday! November 5 at the Thomas & Mack Center, on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Pacquiao vs. Vargas and its three co-main event world title fights will be produced and distributed live by Top Rank® Pay-Per-View, beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT, and will be available on all conventional platforms, including all major cable and satellite systems, as well as Top Rank’s digital distribution via www.TopRank.tv and mobile devices.

The three additional world championship fights on the pay-per-view telecast include: four-division world champion NONITO “The Filipino Flash” DONAIRE (37-3, 24 KOs), from General Santos City, Philippines, defending his WBO junior featherweight title against undefeated No. 1 contender JESSIE MAGDALENO (23-0, 17 KOs), from Las Vegas; and newly-minted WBO featherweight champion and two-time Mexican Olympian ÓSCAR VALDEZ (21-0, 18 KOs), from Nogales, Mexico, making his first title defense, against No. 1 contender HIROSHIGE OSAWA (30-3-4, 19 KOs), from Osaka, Japan. The pay-per-view telecast will open with the rematch between top-rated contenders Chinese Olympic icon ZOU SHIMING (8-1, 2 KOs), from Guizhou, China, and PRASITAK PAPOEM (39-1-2, 24 KOs), of Buriram, Thailand, battling for the vacant WBO flyweight world title. Zou a two-time Olympic gold medalist trained by Freddie Roach, will have his hands full against Prasitak, who enters this fight riding a two-year, 12-bout winning streak, with all of his victories coming by way of knockout.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with MP Promotions, Wynn Las Vegas and Tecate, remaining tickets to the Pacquiao vs. Vargas world championship event are priced at $1,000, $700, $500, $300, $100 and $50, not including applicable service fees. Tickets may be purchased at the Thomas & Mack Center Box Office (except on Wednesday, October 19 because of the Clinton – Trump presidential debate), online at http://www.unlvtickets.com/, at UNLVtickets Outlet Town Square Las Vegas and La Bonita Supermarkets. To charge by phone call 702-739-FANS (3267) or 866-388-FANS (3267).

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing or facebook.com/trboxeo, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing or twitter.com/trboxeo. Use the Hashtag #PacVargas to join the conversation on Twitter.

By Norm Frauenheim-
They call him Senator these days. The hope is that they can call him Senator Champ in about 10 days. Manny Pacquiao is seeking what is believed to be an unprecedented combo.

Senators get called a lot of things and as — Donald Trump keeps proving at an ad nauseam pace – most are a lot more insulting than honorable. But even a Filipino version Trump might have to use the double honorific when addressing Pacquiao if he beats Jessie Vargas on Nov. 5 at Las Vegas’ Thomas & Mack for the WBO’s welterweight title.

Titles of every kind are nothing new to Pacquiao, who has already been a Filipino Congressman. He also jumped from Command Sergeant Major to Lieutenant Colonel in his nation’s military reserve.

The leap in rank from enlisted to officer had to have been something of a battlefield promotion. Pacquiao’s battlefield has always been the ring. Eight world titles on that front have been the storyline and the propellant in his phenomenal rise from impoverished street kid to high political office.

It’s hard to even hazard a guess as to where it will all lead. There have been times when even the Filipino presidency has been mentioned as a Pacquiao possibility. For now, it’s just safe say it depends on how the 37-year-old Pacquiao fares against an improving Vargas, who is a decade younger and appears to be more dangerous than the 9-to-1 odds against him suggest.

Throughout the buildup for a pay-per-view fight that Top Rank will telecast, much of the talk has been about Pacquiao’s job as one of 24 Filipino Senators. The questions are there, of course, because there is nobody in any Senate like Pacquiao.

“Manny has always been a busy person but because of the Senate he seems to be a lot more serious than anything else he has done,’’ Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach said during a conference call this week when asked about how training went while their camp was still in the Philippines. “He is in Senate sessions on some nights until 7:30 or 8:00 at night and, when he is done, we go right to the gym.’’

There was no distraction, Pacquiao said when repeatedly asked the inevitable question. There was only time management and the discipline to sustain it.

“The most difficult part of training in the past has always been when I do a bad job of managing my time,’’ Pacquiao said. “This time I managed my time and disciplined myself from going to my work to my training and that’s what I did in the Philippines. I don’t have any time to spend with my friends – just time for hard work.’’

The real answer, of course, won’t be there until opening bell. That’s when we’ll know if a full-time Senator can still be a full-time fighter.

To be sure, Pacquiao has been busy with a legislative agenda and issues that have confronted his country.

“Right now I am pushing for the establishment of a boxing commission in the Philippines,’’ he said.

He added that he is “also sponsoring the restoration of the death penalty.”

Then, there is the Philippines new president, Rodrigo Duterte, who has begun to generate some Trump-like controversy. Duterte told U.S. President Barack Obama that he “could go to hell” after Obama’s criticism of his push for draconian penalties for drug pushers.

Duterte also went to China and Japan, saying he wants to split with the U.S., a longtime ally. Then, Pacquiao landed in Los Angeles for the final stretch of training. Yeah, that question was inevitable, too.

“He has clarified everything about the relationship between the United States and the Philippines and it is a healthy relationship,’’ Pacquiao said when asked about Duterte early in the conference call. “We all respect his statement and he clarified it already.

“The bond between the United States and the Philippines is one of longstanding and there is a great kinship between the people of our two countries.’’

Pacquiao’s career has always been about multi-tasking. But tasks outside of the ring have gotten a lot bigger since the days when basketball and karaoke were the potential distractions.

He’s older now, which means wisdom and more discipline, yet also potential erosion in the physical qualities that have made the legend. We know about the power outage. He hasn’t scored a stoppage since 2009. That might be because he’s at 147 pounds instead of a more natural 140. But time is an inescapable factor.

He is a young Senator. But is he an old fighter? Against Vargas, we’ll find out.

HOLLYWOOD, CALIF. (October 27, 2016) – Boxing’s only eight division world champion and the reigning Fighter of the Decade Senator MANNY “Pacman” PACQUIAO, held a media workout on Wednesday at Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, Calif.

Pacquiao (58-6-2, 38 KOs), from General Santos City, Philippines, is in the final week of training for his world championship collision with World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight world champion JESSIE VARGAS (27-1, 10 KOs), of Las Vegas. In just nine days they will go mano a mano and toe-to-toe in a high-stakes welterweight showdown. While Pacquiao will be looking to become a three-time WBO welterweight champion as well as the first senator to win a world title, Vargas will be resolute in enforcing a term limit on the future Hall of Famer’s boxing career.

Here is what Manny had to say:

MANNY PACQUIAO:

“It took discipline to manage my time effectively … to balance my training camp and my Senatorial duties. I feel good. Every day I was able to get in all my training. I ran every morning and did my strength and conditioning with Justin Fortune. I worked with Freddie every evening at the gym after work. There were some days where I would have to come in later if my work in the Senate demanded I stay longer. Between the two “jobs,” I was averaging 14-hour workdays. Luckily the gym was very close to the Senate so I didn’t have to deal with traffic. I had no real free time to be with friends.

“I am now well-rested. I arrived in U.S. on Saturday evening and today I feel I have recovered from my jetlag. I sparred six rounds yesterday [Tuesday with Ray Beltran]. I will spar Thursday, Saturday and Monday before driving to Las Vegas.

“We have three different plans for Jessie Vargas. My first concern is for the fans; that the people who are going to watch the fight will be happy and satisfied. I want this to be a fight for fans to remember

“I am fighting for history. I was the first sitting congressman to win a world title. For this one, it is not enough to be the first sitting senator to fight for a world title, I want to be the first senator to become world champion. For me, that would be quite an accomplishment.

“I want to prove that I am still one of the best pound-for-pound fighters. I feel I still have a lot to prove. I am not done with boxing. I will continue to keep fighting as long as I love boxing and boxing still loves me. I do not feel old. I feel like I am still 27.

“I do not underestimate Jessie Vargas. He is a good strong champion. You cannot fight at this level and be successful by underestimating your opponent. Every opponent gets my full attention and respect. I respect Jessie and that is why I trained hard. This is the most important fight because it will determine the direction of my boxing career. I need to win convincingly.

“In boxing the fight is in the ring is for the enjoyment of the fans. In the Senate, the fight is for improving the quality of life of the Philippine citizens. Being a senator is inspiring work.

“I have spent more than 100 million [pesos] on building houses for the less fortunate [over 1,000 houses…Manny purchased the lots and built and gave away the homes and lots]

“Winning world titles in eight divisions is not that easy. I am so blessed to be a part of boxing history by winning them. That is not me boasting. I am just happy to be a part of the history of boxing.

“I enjoy politics because I do not have a hidden agenda. I serve honestly. That’s a good thing for me because I’m not ashamed to tell the truth. I’m not ashamed to rebuke someone if they are doing wrong. Government is for serving the people, not for serving oneself.”

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Pacquiao vs. Vargas takes place Saturday, November 5 at the Thomas & Mack Center on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Pacquiao vs. Vargas and its three co-main event world title fights will be produced and distributed live by Top Rank® Pay-Per-View, beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT, and will be available on all conventional platforms, including all major cable and satellite systems, as well as Top Rank’s digital distribution via www.TopRank.tv and mobile devices.

The three additional world championship fights on the pay-per-view telecast include: four-division world champion NONITO “The Filipino Flash” DONAIRE (37-3, 24 KOs), from General Santos City, Philippines, defending his WBO junior featherweight title against undefeated No. 1 contender JESSIE MAGDALENO (23-0, 17 KOs), from Las Vegas; and newly-minted WBO featherweight champion and two-time Mexican Olympian ÓSCAR VALDEZ (21-0, 18 KOs), from Nogales, Mexico, making his first title defense, against No. 1 contender HIROSHIGE OSAWA (30-3-4, 19 KOs), from Osaka, Japan. The pay-per-view telecast will open with the rematch between top-rated contenders Chinese Olympic icon ZOU SHIMING (8-1, 2 KOs), from Guizhou, China, and PRASITAK PAPOEM (39-1-2, 24 KOs), of Buriram, Thailand, battling for the vacant WBO flyweight world title. Zou a two-time Olympic gold medalist trained by Freddie Roach, will have his hands full against Prasitak, who enters this fight riding a two-year, 12-bout winning streak, with all of his victories coming by way of knockout.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with MP Promotions, Wynn Las Vegas and Tecate, remaining tickets to the Pacquiao vs. Vargas world championship event are priced at $1,000, $700, $500, $300, $100 and $50, not including applicable service fees. Tickets may be purchased at the Thomas & Mack Center Box Office (except on Wednesday, October 19 because of the Clinton – Trump presidential debate), online at http://www.unlvtickets.com/, at UNLVtickets Outlet Town Square Las Vegas and La Bonita Supermarkets. To charge by phone call 702-739-FANS (3267) or 866-388-FANS (3267).

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing or facebook.com/trboxeo, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing or twitter.com/trboxeo. Use the Hashtag #PacVargas to join the conversation on Twitter.

LONDON (27 October) – BoxNation will be the only place to watch boxing legend Manny Pacquiao’s ring return as he takes on WBO welterweight world champion Jessie Vargas on November 5th from the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

The bout will be broadcast exclusively live on ‘The Channel of Champions’ BoxNation as eight-division world champion Pacquiao takes a break from his political commitments in the Philippines in a bid to become the only sitting Congressman and Senator to win a world title.

That task, however, will not come easy he steps in against the accomplished Vargas who has won all but one of his 28 fights, and, at 27-years-old, is already a two-weight world champion.

Future Hall-of-Famer Pacquiao is regarded as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters on the planet and has decided to carry on with his career in the ring despite expecting to hang up the gloves after being elected to the Philippines Senate in the summer.

“Public service is my calling but boxing is my passion. I realised this summer I was not ready to retire from the ring,” said Pacquiao. “I made history when I became the first congressman to win a world title and now that the good people of the Philippines have elected me to the Senate I want to make more history by becoming the first senator to win a world title. I promised the voters I would not miss a Senate session which is why I will be training in Manila until the Senate goes into recess in late October. I dedicate this fight to my fans and to my countrymen throughout the world who have kept me in their prayers. And as always, I fight to bring glory to the Philippines.”

Las Vegas resident Vargas is coming-off an impressive ninth-round stoppage earlier this year over the highly-touted Sadam Ali in which he claimed his second world title.

Vargas has always had his eye on the formidable Pacquiao and can’t wait to get revenge for the losses he inflicted on his fighting heroes.

“When I was younger I watched what Manny did to my two boxing idols, Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera – two great Mexican warriors. I told myself, someday I would get into the ring against Manny and avenge what he did to them. Now I will fight for them as well as myself. To me, this fight isn’t about a friendly ring rivalry between our countries. This fight is about payback,” said Vargas.

Jim McMunn, BoxNation Managing Director, said: “It is fantastic that BoxNation will be showcasing Manny Pacquiao’s return to the ring exclusively live on November 5th. Pacquiao is among the most exciting fighters in the world and is rightly regarded as one of the very best pound-for-pound around today. BoxNation subscribers will be in for a great fight as he takes on the WBO welterweight world champion and a top fighter in his own right in Jessie Vargas. This fight will be action-packed as both boxers have exciting and come-forward styles that can only make for a thrilling spectacle.”

Pacquiao v Vargas is exclusively live on BoxNation (Sky/Freeview/Virgin/TalkTalk/EE/Apple TV/Online & App) on November 5th. Buy now at boxnation.com.

– ENDS –
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FREDDIE ROACH: It was a pretty tough schedule in this camp but he held up really well. The sparring days were really good and it’s the best I’ve seen Manny in a long time – he is a lot more aggressive than I have seen him in the past and there was a lot of the old Manny Pacquiao coming out and he really, really looked good. We trained right up until Saturday morning before our flight out to Los Angeles and he boxed 10 rounds and he looked great and he’s in great shape, I know it’s been a very difficult camp with the Senate and so forth. Manny has always been a busy person but because of the Senate he seems to be a lot more serious than anything else he has done. He is in Senate sessions on some nights until 7:30 or 8:00 at night and when he is done we go right to the gym.

MANNY PACQUIAO: Hello everyone and thank you Bob and Freddie and the people who are all part of this conversation.

Because of all the work you are doing in the Senate does that mean you are less distracted, being committed to work in one form or the other?

MANNY PACQUIAO: I can say that working in the Senate is not easy, especially, along with training. You need to manage your time and that’s what I did in training for this fight while I am working in the office. I don’t have time really for any other activities – all of my time is with working and training.

Is it a problem for you to be away right now when there are problems with the president?

MANNY PACQUIAO: My work is my work and whatever the comments from the President are – he has a lot of advisors and we know what his statements are. My work is for the people and that is what my job is, to help the people.

What is the most difficult part of trying to do both jobs?

MANNY PACQUIAO: That’s a good question. The most difficult part is trying to control my time and to manage and discipline myself. The most difficult part of training in the past has always been when I do a bad job of managing my time. This time I managed my time and disciplined myself from going to my work to my training and that’s what I did in the Philippines. I don’t have any time to spend with my friends – just time for hard work.

How is it to have you, the most famous Philippine boxer, and now the second most famous Philippine boxer, Donaire on the same card and how come you think it has never happened before?

MANNY PACQUIAO: This is a good boxing card because not only am I fighting on the card but also my fellow Philippine boxer Nonito Donaire, who is the “Pride of the Philippines.” I think it is a good present for us and for the Philippine people for us to fight on this card together.

Do you support your President’s stand against the US and the call for closer relationship with Russia and China?

MANNY PACQUIAO: Clarifying the issues and I think there is nothing wrong to clarify everything. He has clarified everything about the relationship between the United States and the Philippines and it is a healthy relationship. We all respect his statement and he clarified it already.

MANNY PACQUIAO: The bond between the United States and the Philippines is one of longstanding and there is a great kinship between the people of our two countries.

How did you feel in the last Bradley fight – can you tell us about it?

MANNY PACQUIAO: I felt very good in that Bradley fight. It is not the reason I continued to fight though. I came back because I felt lonely, not training with my friends and I felt empty and I realized that I could still train and work so that’s why I decided to fight again.

FREDDIE ROACH: I thought it was a good performance I thought he fought very well. He was accurate a lot more than usual. In this training camp he has been using his speed and his combinations, not just single-punching and he has looked very good and it is probably the best training camp he has had in a long time. I look forward to Manny fighting in this style.

In looking at Vargas’ opponents we don’t see a murderers row, is it difficult to take this fight seriously?

MANNY PACQUIAO: Vargas is a world champion so in no way can I underestimate him. You can never underestimate a boxer who is a champion. He is good. I just have to make sure that I am 100% ready for the fight.

BOB ARUM: No murderers row of opponents but when he fought Bradley he had Bradley out on his feet and because the referee got mixed up he stopped the fight ten seconds too soon so who knows how that would have ended. And he fought Sadam Ali to win the title and Sadam Ali is a terrific fighter – he was a member of the US Olympic Team, he was undefeated and certainly not a tomato can and he entered the fight a big favorite over Vargas and Vargas dominated him and eventually knocked him out. I think that victory alone qualifies Vargas for top level of fighters and opponents for Manny.

I agree on the Ali fight, but Bradley was way ahead on scorecards when Vargas had Bradley out on his feet in the 12th round…

BOB ARUM: We can agree on that but what if he had him out on his feet in the earlier rounds or in the 11th round – the fact that he could put Bradley out on his feet is I think the operative statement.

Have you given any thought to how many fights, if you win, that you may have in 2017?

MANNY PACQUIAO: I don’t know yet. Right now my focus is on this fight. Then I go back and do my job then I could think about 2017.

Will you fight again?

MANNY PACQUIAO: I don’t know yet. One fight at a time. I take them one at a time. I cannot say yes right now. First I think about this fight. Today, Jessie Vargas is the most important fight of my career.

BOB ARUM: Let’s take it one at a time. If Manny comes in and dominates this fight and looks like the old Manny, and wants to continue fighting, there will be certain opponents that will be considered. If he decides that it’s too much juggling two careers then he shouldn’t continue. If he is determined to continue and his performance suffers because of his work in the Senate I would have to look in the direction of somebody else for an opponent. So to jump now about names and so forth, who knows? Manny may look so good in this fight and may have such senatorial presence in the fight that we may be looking for Golovkin next. And if he doesn’t vote right in the senate I think some of his constituents may be urging him to fight Golovkin.

MANNY PACQUIAO: Bob, I hope you are joking about. Golovkin!

Do you have expectations of how the fight will do?

BOB ARUM: We are very optimistic. What’s happened here is – how do you know? Why are you optimistic? We are optimistic because our ticket sales are tremendous at the gate – that is one indication and secondly, our closed circuit operations – the bars and chains and mom-and-pop bars, are doing sales reminiscent of Manny Pacquiao of a couple of years ago. They are being blown away by the response, so the Gagliardi family (closed circuit sales team) are chortling, “Happy Days are Here Again.” So then how does the pay per view do? We think it’s going to really do very well and the reason for that is we are marketing it in a lot of different ways. We are not spending the money on the shoulder programming that is seen only on HBO – we are spending that shoulder money on a new series called “ALL IN” which starts today and will be seen all over the internet – on Facebook, Twitter and on the stuff the young kids are watching. We will be reaching many more millions of people than we reached by the previous shoulder programming. We think it’s the way to go. We think by reaching a tremendous audience with views of the fighters and interviews with Manny and Jessie and pictures and vignettes of the other fighters fighting in the championship fights and telling everyone that they are not going to see one or two world championship fights on the telecast, but FOUR. Every single fight is a world championship fight and every single fight is competitive. We think we are going to do very, very big pay per view numbers. Do I know that for a fact? No. The others I know for a fact because the pay per view numbers — we really won’t get a handle on until the week of the fight. Am I optimistic? Off the charts. Off the charts optimistic. Listen, you can say what you want about Pacquiao and Vargas, I think it’s competitive – certain people don’t and that’s their opinion. Jessie is the kind of guy that can make it a real interesting fight. But everybody says that Nonito Donaire vs. Jessie Magdalena is a competitive, very good and interesting fight. The new featherweight champion Oscar Valdez against the No. 1 contender from Japan is a shootout – it’s a terrific fight. And Zou Shiming has a rematch against Prasitak Papoem of Thailand for the vacant title which will be a very interesting fight – wait till you see the Prasitak – it will look like Shiming is fighting a miniature Manny Pacquiao because this kid is a dead image of Manny Pacquiao. So it will really be a great night of boxing and we think the pay per view is going to be terrific.

Manny, you haven’t won by knockout since 2009, does that matter to you?

MANNY PACQUIAO: Remember my minimum weight is – I can still make 135. I can still make 135 and my natural weight is 140. When I move up into the higher weight divisions it changes my preparation – I eat a lot to make 147. Where I may gain a pound of two between the weigh-in and the fight, my opponent may be a lot heavier. I am not saying that I cannot do that, but what I am trying to do in every fight I try to do my best. It just so happens that my opponent is tough and bigger than me. But I am still trying to do my best to get a knockout in the fight. I am not saying what I am predicting for this fight but if the knockout comes, it will come – it is the bonus for all of your sacrifices in training.

MANNY PACQUIAO: My opponent is bigger than me but that doesn’t matter – I am not disappointing the fans that I have and I did my best. I work hard in the fight and in training and I have proven that to the fans.

BOB ARUM: There is another factor. The fighters that Manny is fighting, because he is so powerful and he throws so many punches and he throws them in bunches and he hurts guys – is that they tend to fight in defense. Now any fighter or trainer will tell you that if that happens it is very difficult to knock somebody out – very difficult. I think with Jessie Vargas, who is an offensive fighter who is going to go after Manny, whose goal is to knock Manny out – I think you will see, one way or another, a knockout in this fight. And it’s a lot because Jessie will be fearless and some people say reckless, will be going after Manny to try and knock Manny out. And when that happens it is easier for the other to knock that guy out – you know that.

Freddie, you have said Manny has been hurting you – do you think he is back to the old Manny?

FREDDIE ROACH: He has been very aggressive in his sparring – throwing combinations and he seems to be getting back to the old Manny – really quick combinations, in and out, flurries and very hard punching. He has been hurting me while on the mitts. My shoulder is a little messed up. Buboy’s hand and shoulders are messed up. We’ll hang in there … but holding the mitts for Manny is not the most fun thing in the world to do – it’s hard, hard work. If he carries that over into the fight I think he will knock somebody out. He hasn’t knocked out any 147-poundersin awhile but again they are much bigger guys and they can take better shots, but I feel that with the combinations and the way he has been training he has been very close to knocking guys out in the gym and so forth. I am very impressed with him in the gym workouts so far.

I have seen some clips where the workout had to end early…

FREDDIE ROACH: We have never ended a workout early. We never end a workout early. That just doesn’t happen. Manny Pacquiao comes into the gym and he works his ass off every day no matter how late we started. When he is in session — if we begin at 8 p.m. — we work out until the workout is over. We have not taken one minute off because of that. He is a Senator and he works very hard to do all of the stuff he has to do at that job. He is busier than usual but he always likes a full plate and he has a full plate right now.

Correct me if I am wrong but wasn’t he sick for a few days in training camp?

FREDDIE ROACH: Was he sick in training camp? No. There was a couple of days I told him to stay home and get some rest when sparring days were the next day and he didn’t listen to me and he shows up anyway. Manny Pacquiao is still the most dedicated fighter I have ever seen. I did get him to take one day off because I told him sparring is more important, so I did get him to take one day off, yes.

How is the process of being a Senator and going to training camp?

FREDDIE ROACH: It has worked pretty well for us so far. We are on one end of it and he’s on the other. We are the ones that have only one job to go to and he has two jobs to go to. It depends on how Manny feels and he looks great. The workouts are good and he is disciplined 100%. He comes in the gym every day no matter what time his Senatorial duties are over and he does a full scheduled workout. I do think he will fight again. And this is the best Manny Pacquiao I have seen in training camp in a long time.

What is the most important legislation you are pushing right now?

MANNY PACQUIAO: Right now I am pushing for the establishment of a boxing commission in the Philippines to focus on boxing that is close to being approved and also sponsoring the restoration of the death penalty.

Are you enjoying the boxing – is it a relief for you – after the Senate?

MANNY PACQUIAO: Absolutely, I am still enjoying boxing that is why I am continuing my career and I am also enjoying my time in the Senate while I am doing my job. I am enjoying both.

Does boxing serve as stress relief after a full day in the Senate?

MANNY PACQUIAO: NO! They are both hard. At the of the day in the Senate I am exhausted mentally and when I get to the gym and have to work hard and after that I am exhausted physically so I have to rest.

Bob, what has it been like working with Manny Pacquiao?

BOB ARUM: It made a tremendous difference to me emotionally. In 1985 I co-promoted a fight in Manila and I spent a lot of time in the Philippines and walked away from the people in the Philippines and in the interim years I had met so many Filipinos who had come to the United States and found them to be charming delightful people and with my association with Manny I have had an opportunity to meet thousands of Filipinos and have spent a lot of time in the Philippines and to meet somebody as dedicated to man kind as Manny Pacquiao. To me Manny Pacquiao symbolizes the best of the Philippine people. Somebody who cares for other people and somebody who dedicates his life to doing good. I think that that has had a great influence on me in my later years. To me when I think about it, made everything that I have accomplished and done in boxing worthwhile because I have had that experience with Manny and the Philippine people.

In Closing . . .

BOB ARUM: Looking forward to seeing everyone on Wednesday at Manny’s media day. I am really excited about this fight. My job is to get people interested and sometimes it is very hard because I have to get myself interested. In this event I really believe – Pacquiao and Vargas I can’t wait to see that fight and the other three title fights are absolutely great and to be able to do an event like this involving fighter from countries all over the world is something special, naysayers who cover the sport, who always talk about boxing being dead, and boxing being this and boxing being that, in negative terms will see, that on November 5 boxing is on the cusp of real greatness. In the 51 years I have been in the sport I have never seen the quantity of terrific fighters that I see today – not only from the United States but from all over the world. From the four corners of the world – from New Zealand, to Kazakhstan, to Russia, the Philippines, China, Brazil, to Ireland – all over the world. We have a great global sport and we will celebrate that sport on the evening of November 5 with a great card of four world championship fights.

FREDDIE ROACH: Manny is in great shape and he’s really looking good and I’m looking forward to this fight and many more to come after that.

MANNY PACQUIAO: I can’t wait for November 5.

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Boxing’s only eight division world champion and the reigning Fighter of the Decade Senator MANNY “Pacman” PACQUIAO, (58-6-2, 38 KOs), from General Santos City, Philippines, and Roach are in the final weeks of training for their world championship collision with World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight world champion JESSIE VARGAS (27-1, 10 KOs), of Las Vegas. In just 11 days they will go mano a mano and toe-to-toe in a high-stakes welterweight showdown. While Pacquiao will be looking to become a three-time WBO welterweight champion as well as the first senator to win a world title, Vargas will be resolute in enforcing a term limit on the future Hall of Famer’s boxing career.

Pacquiao vs. Vargas takes place Saturday, November 5, at the Thomas & Mack Center on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Pacquiao vs. Vargas and its three co-main event world title fights will be produced and distributed live by Top Rank® Pay-Per-View, beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT, and will be available on all conventional platforms, including all major cable and satellite systems, as well as Top Rank’s digital distribution via www.TopRank.tv and mobile devices.

The three additional world championship fights on the pay-per-view telecast include: four-division world champion NONITO “The Filipino Flash” DONAIRE (37-3, 24 KOs), from General Santos City, Philippines, defending his WBO junior featherweight title against undefeated No. 1 contender JESSIE MAGDALENO (23-0, 17 KOs), from Las Vegas; and newly-minted WBO featherweight champion and two-time Mexican Olympian ÓSCAR VALDEZ (21-0, 18 KOs), from Nogales, Mexico, making his first title defense, against No. 1 contender HIROSHIGE OSAWA (30-3-4, 19 KOs), from Osaka, Japan. The pay-per-view telecast will open with the rematch between top-rated contenders Chinese Olympic icon ZOU SHIMING (8-1, 2 KOs), from Guizhou, China, and PRASITAK PAPOEM (39-1-2, 24 KOs), of Buriram, Thailand, battling for the vacant WBO flyweight world title. Zou a two-time Olympic gold medalist trained by Freddie Roach, will have his hands full against Prasitak, who enters this fight riding a two-year, 12-bout winning streak, with all of his victories coming by way of knockout.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with MP Promotions, Wynn Las Vegas and Tecate, remaining tickets to the Pacquiao vs. Vargas world championship event are priced at $1,000, $700, $500, $300, $100 and $50, not including applicable service fees. Tickets may be purchased at the Thomas & Mack Center Box Office (except on Wednesday, October 19 because of the Clinton – Trump presidential debate), online at http://www.unlvtickets.com/, at UNLVtickets Outlet Town Square Las Vegas and La Bonita Supermarkets. To charge by phone call 702-739-FANS (3267) or 866-388-FANS (3267).

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing or facebook.com/trboxeo, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing or twitter.com/trbox

LAS VEGAS, NEV (October 24, 2016) –Top Rank (@trboxing) will debut its new and innovative video series, “ALL IN: Pacquiao-Vargas,” Today! Monday. October 24. “ALL IN: Pacquiao-Vargas” is designed to bring the fan closer to the action and the event, taking you … ALL IN. Daily episodes will be released exclusively on Facebook (facebook.com/trboxing) and Twitter (twitter.com/trboxing). “ALL IN: Pacquiao-Vargas” will follow boxing’s only eight-division world champion and the reigning Fighter of the Decade MANNY “Pacman” PACQUIAO and his opponent World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight world champion JESSIE VARGAS on the road to their world championship collision on November 5 at the Thomas & Mack Center on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.. As the intensity heats up so will the series. Viewers will be given an inside look into each fighter’s daily preparations, where they will see and hear the trainers, fighters, media and fans interact. In the days before the big rumble, a special edition of the series, “ALL IN: Pacquiao-Vargas: Fight Week,” will debut Tuesday, November 1 and will also be available exclusively on social media. Fans can expect to hear interviews with the fighters and their trainers and get a behind the scenes look into fight week events including media workouts, the final press conference, the official weigh-in, and more.

“All In is a series that not only gives the fans a good look behind the scenes of a major world championship fight, it’s done on a daily basis so that it’s fresh, current, informative and entertaining,” said Todd duBoef, president of Top Rank. “By making these episodes available via various social platforms we are confident that we will reach a wide audience beyond the core boxing fans. We are very proud and excited to present this series.”

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Promoted by Top Rank, in association with MP Promotions, Wynn Las Vegas and Tecate, Pacquiao vs. Vargas and its three co-main event world title fights will be produced and distributed live by Top Rank® Pay-Per-View, beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT, and will be available on all conventional platforms, including all major cable and satellite systems, as well as Top Rank’s digital distribution via www.TopRank.tv and mobile devices.

Remaining tickets to the Pacquiao vs. Vargas world championship event are priced at $1,000, $700, $500, $300, $100 and $50, not including applicable service fees. Tickets may be purchased at the Thomas & Mack Center Box Office, online at http://www.unlvtickets.com/, at UNLVtickets Outlet Town Square Las Vegas and La Bonita Supermarkets. To charge by phone call 702-739-FANS (3267) or 866-388-FANS (3267).

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing or facebook.com/trboxeo, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing or twitter.com/trboxeo. Use the Hashtag #PacVargas to join the conversation on Twitter.

LOS ANGELES (October 22, 2016) – Pacquiao Nation Assemble!

Boxing superhero and reigning Fighter of the Decade, Senator MANNY “Pacman” PACQUIAO, arrives in the U.S. Tonight! Saturday, October 22. Pacquiao and his team are scheduled to arrive at LAX International’s Tom Bradley Terminal aboard Philippine Airlines Flight 102 at 7:30 p.m. PT. To check the status of the flight, use this link and click “Flight Status”: https://www.philippineairlines.com/en

With the current Philippine Senate session in recess, Fighter of the Decade MANNY “Pacman” PACQUIAO (58-6-2, 38 KOs), of General Santos City, Philippines, will begin phase two of his training in the familiar surrounds of Wild Card Boxing Club, in Hollywood, on Monday. Pacquiao is two weeks away from his challenge of World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight world champion JESSIE VARGAS (27-1, 10 KOs), of Las Vegas. While Pacquiao will be looking to become a three-time WBO welterweight champion as well as the first senator to win a world title, Vargas will be resolute in enforcing a term limit on the future Hall of Famer’s boxing career.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with MP Promotions and Wynn Las Vegas, Pacquiao vs. Vargas will take place Saturday, November 5 at the Thomas & Mack Center on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Pacquiao vs. Vargas and its three co-main event world title fights will be produced and distributed live by Top Rank® Pay-Per-View, beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT, and will be available on all conventional platforms, including all major cable and satellite systems, as well as Top Rank’s digital distribution via www.TopRank.tv and mobile devices.

LAS VEGAS, NEV (October 19, 2016) — As the current Philippine Senate session draws to a close, political science will morph into the sweet science for boxing’s only eight-division world champion and reigning Fighter of the Decade MANNY “Pacman” PACQUIAO. Pacquiao (58-6-2, 38 KOs), of General Santos City, Philippines, who was elected to the Philippine Senate in May, will be going through his own climate change when he flies from Manila to Los Angeles on Saturday, October 22, via Philippine Airlines flight 102. On Monday, October 24, he will begin phase two of his training camp, at Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, for his challenge of World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight world champion JESSIE VARGAS (27-1, 10 KOs), of Las Vegas. While Pacquiao will be looking to become a three-time WBO welterweight champion as well as the first senator to win a world title, Vargas will be resolute in enforcing a term limit on the future Hall of Famer’s boxing career. Pacquiao vs. Vargas takes place Saturday, November 5 at the Thomas & Mack Center on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Pacquiao vs. Vargas and its three co-main event world title fights will be produced and distributed live by Top Rank® Pay-Per-View, beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT, and will be available on all conventional platforms, including all major cable and satellite systems, as well as Top Rank’s digital distribution via www.TopRank.tv and mobile devices.

“I have been training Manny for 15 years and even after all this time he still amazes me,” said seven-time Trainer of the Year and Hall of Famer World-Famous Freddie Roach. “He’s pushing 38 and he still outworks every fighter I’ve ever worked with. He’s had a killer schedule during this training camp but it’s been really productive. You’d have to see it to believe it.”

A typical work/training day for Pacquiao begins with a 5 a.m. wakeup call that has him doing his multi-mile morning run one hour later. His run is followed by grueling strength and conditioning work with Justin Fortune. After that, it’s a shower, a daily reading of the Bible and breakfast before he heads off in business attire to the Senate for a full day of legislative duties. Pacquiao usually arrives at the gym between 5 and 6 p.m. where he works out for three hours with Roach and his sparring partners. The day ends with dinner at home followed by a game of chess and a deep sleep. True to his promise to the electorate, Pacquiao did not miss one senate session.

“It is all about discipline and time management,” said Pacquiao. “Boxing is my passion and public service is my calling. I will continue to travel both roads as long as I can do both effectively. I dedicate the fights I take on to my fans and my countrymen. They have kept me in their prayers. I fight to bring glory to the Philippines whether I’m wearing boxing gloves or standing on the floor of the senate.”

“Manny is the only person I know who you can read about in the sports section and the national news section of the same newspaper on a daily basis,” said Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum. “When Manny is inducted into the Hall of Fame, his plaque will say he was boxing’s only eight-division world champion, but that doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of what makes him so special. He is literally a national treasure who has brought great honor to the sport and to his country. He’s the amazing Manny.”

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Promoted by Top Rank, in association with MP Promotions and Wynn Las Vegas, remaining tickets to the Pacquiao vs. Vargas world championship event are priced at $1,000, $700, $500, $300, $100 and $50, not including applicable service fees. Tickets may be purchased at the Thomas & Mack Center Box Office (except on Wednesday, October 19 because of the Clinton – Trump presidential debate), online at http://www.unlvtickets.com/, at UNLVtickets Outlet Town Square Las Vegas and La Bonita Supermarkets. To charge by phone call 702-739-FANS (3267) or 866-388-FANS (3267).

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing or facebook.com/trboxeo, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing or twitter.com/trboxeo. Use the Hashtag #PacVargas to join the conversation on Twitter.