HBO 24/7 Pacquiao-Hatton Episode 1 in High Definition Download

The highly anticipated May 2 match-up between pound per pound best Manny Pacquiao and the Hitman Ricky Hatton has moved into a notch higher as the award winning HBO 24/7 presented the Pacquiao-Hatton fight. The four part series has just started and now available for download in high definition…. download now at  http://sportsalchemist.com/?p=170

New Site

I am having a new domain and site… sportsalchemist.com there i would be transfering some of my blogs..and updates would be place there… so for the upcoming PBA updates please do check my blog..thanks for all the support…

The Noise the World never Knew

Playing in overseas for 6 weeks without pay is something we don’t want to happen. Lance Allred tells his team that if they don’t pay him then he won’t play the next game and the next thing he knew he was sent out packing.

A 6-11 Center/Forward Lance Allred is 80% deaf but because of his work ethic he was always a good catch on teams be it on overseas or the NBDL. He always wanted to play in the NBA but unfortunately no one tried to get his services stating he doesn’t have an NBA experience… he said “ How was I to get an NBA experience if no one called me up?” But despite of all the failures and trials he has been. He never quits and continues to play hard nose basketball.
NBDL experience
Playing in the NBDL is as hard as nails. Coaches and players are trying their very best and every game counts as scouts and NBA teams are looking for potential prospects. Politics, Back stabs and a lot of pressure surrounds the league but Lance played everything off and continues to play and work doubly hard hoping to get that call from any teams in the NBA. Averaging a double double in almost all his games Lance became an All star while playing in the Idaho Stampedes.
NBA experience
On March 12 while Lance and his family are eating dinner his agent called and told Lance about the good news. After a lot of frustrations and cuts from different summer camps Lance finally made it to the NBA playing on the injury depleted roster of the Cleveland Cavaliers. It really doesn’t matter if it’s a 10 day contract what matters is, his doing a hell of a job in his game and everything paid off. Lance will now bang bodies to the physical game in the NBA. He doesn’t have to feel the pressure anymore and try to enjoy the game he truly loves.

We might not see him again in a Cleveland uniform but I know for sure we will see him more in the NBA. Lance Allred is making noise. The noise the world never knew.

 

 

 

 

Pacquiao-Marquez 2: Who really won?

 

 

The bell rang for the 12^th time and Manny Pacquiao and Juan Marquez went exchanging blows like it was still in round 1. The fight was dead even and with Marquez connecting with a right hand to the body and Pacquiao with a left hook to the head fans were cheering endlessly chanting there names back and forth. Until the bell sounded for the last time and both warriors raised their fist in the air declaring victory.

The fight was a classic and either way both fighters are declared winner. Manny Pacquiao has set some high standards on all his fights that being declared a split decision or without a knockout victory people get frustrated and criticized his performance. Pacquiao has made a vast improvement from what I’ve seen last Saturday. The head movement and footspeed was always there but I was amazed on his controlled aggression and his body movement. If it was an ordinary fighter Manny had already floored him in the first round. But Marquez was such a beauty watching his boxing clinic hitting Manny and neutralizing his left hand with good right jabs and body shots. The fight could go either way but a knock down in the 3^rd round proved to be the focal point in the judges decision.

Although Marquez lost his belt but his legacy is still intact proving his worth against Eric Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera. He is the only fighter who could withstand the Filipino’s speed and power and although it was a close decision but I scored the fight 114-113 for Manny. Statistically it was Marquez who landed the most hits on Pacquiao but Manny has landed the more meaningful shots in the fight.

I would understand Marquez emotions and with his brother losing to a decision against Israel Vasquez last month. It’s a bit frustrating to loose a fight with so much pride and with a lot of things involved. With two belts, a chance of redemption and with the Mexican nation at his back it was just too much to handle.

I think Marquez did what it took to win the fight but I guess Manny also done his homework. Fans are calling for Pacquiao-Marquez 3 with so many controversies involved and to finish the unfinished business once and for all.

So who really won the fight between the two top pound for pound fighters in the world today? It’s us the fans….Kudos to top rank and golden boy for making this fight a reality.

And with still so much hype going on I can already smell a trilogy coming…

 

 

 

 

 

The Pacquiao-Marquez 2 main appetizer

With barely a week to go before the mega showdown between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez everyone is all hype up. Everybody’s talking about the anticipated match but there is still one undercard match to watch for. It’s the battle between Diosdado “the prince” Gabi against a bemedalled amateur boxer who is undefeated in the pro ranks, Abner Mares. With almost 6 years in age difference Abner with his immaculate record with 15 wins and 9 KOs has a slight advantage against the veteran Gabi. With 3 inches in height difference Abner can easily jab and control the fight in a distance. Gabi is known also for his power with a record of 30 wins and 21 by way of knockout with only 3 losses. Although Gabi is also a good counter puncher Abner could spell trouble to him. Gabi has difficulty against power punching fighters. He challenged the formerly undefeated Armenian Vic Darchinyan for the IBF and IBO flyweight title and although he was leading in the scorecards Gabi failed to contain the unorthodox fighter. He was caught by a left punch in the 8^th round and lost via knockout.

Abner Mares maybe a good boxing prospect and this fight will be the acid test for greatness. But he should be aware that a primed and battle tested Gabi maybe too much to handle. Gabi tasted defeat and kiss the canvass in his colorful career he has nothing to lose and more to gain about this fight. The undefeated fighter would always be the pressured fighter coming in the fight… Remember Boomboom Bautista’s fate? He was good but to pit him against a tough fighter like Ponce De leon it was just too much to handle. Its like pitting a Chihuahua against a German shepherd. No, Gabi is not Ponce and Abner is no where like Boomboom but my opinion is that Abner and Golden Boy should choose a much lighter fighter with somewhat identical record like him. Gabi’s 30 wins are half of what Abner’s winning record.

The Pacquiao-Marquez 2 is a dream matchup but like any other meal a good appetizer could hype up the main course. So lets just enjoy what the menu has to offer.

Leon’s Den

It’s just so hard to fathom why some people give up life that easily. Loosing your house, businesses or even love ones doesn’t give you the right to take your own lives because you’re tired and wanted everything to stop. You wanted the world to sympathize on you and if you don’t get that attention then you let the revolver do the talking.

There are other people who are less fortunate and there are other people who needs help more than you do.

Leon Powe epitomizes the success of going through a lot of adversities. His dad left him while he was two and their house burned down making him and his mother homeless for years. He was left to the care of a foster home and basketball soon became Leon’s haven. He met his mother again but was cut short after his mother died in a tragic death weeks before his state championship. He made basketball his comfort zone and continued to work harder. He made it through college playing for California Golden Bears. A series of knee injuries on his second year made Leon frustrated but he persevere and were drafted as 49^th pick for the Denver Nuggets. He was then traded to the Boston Celtics and was on the bench for almost half of the season. Leon’s golden opportunity came when Boston’s reliable big man Kevin Garnet got injured. It was his time to shine and he shined brighter than ever scoring a career high of 25 points and 11 rebounds while beating the hapless Miami heat.

 

Leon might not be an all star in the making but he gave us a wonderful lesson. A lesson of life and how to deal with life’s misery life is all there is it’s either were stuck on all our problems and pains or simply we move on. Leon Powe continues to struggle with minutes on the bench but Leon has gone too far to let go… His den and his home is basketball and if he gives up what’s there to look forward to… Problems will pass and we should look up to Leon… Leon’s den.

Two great Fights…

I hurriedly rose up from a deep slumber once my alarm clock went ringing. I got all the reasons to be excited with two of the most exciting fights of the year gracing my eyes.

 

The trilogy between Israel Vasquez and Rafael Marquez was the first fight I saw. True to its word the trilogy started like it was a continuation of the first two fights. Marquez was his usual form hitting the champion with precise jabs and crisp uppercuts. For the first four rounds he was dominating the fight and decking Israel in the fourth hitting the champion in the chin twice. I thought it was all over for Israel but as far as I could remember when he fought Johnny Gonzales where in he was down twice but went for a comeback and knocking Johnny out for a win. Israel made a crucial turn in the next two rounds and went on to his bread and butter game which is the inside offense. The fight was a thriller and a candidate for fight of the year. It was a see saw battle until Marquez was deducted by one point after four warnings of low blows. Although Marquez tried to be patient but Vasquez consistently dictating the fight with power shots making Marquez legs wobbled a couple of times in the fight. The fight for me was only decided on the last round wherein Vasquez if not for the ropes might have knock Marquez out but the referee still made the mandatory 8 count for a knock down rule against Marquez. Israel Vasquez proved to everybody that the first win is not a fluke and he is a force to reckon with. And will stay a champion for a long time.

Anderson Silva has an immaculate record in the MMA destroying each opponent who tried to grab his title. A good striker and a black belt jiu jitsu fighter Anderson has run out of opponent until Dan Henderson challenge him. Dan is a multi awarded fighter in the MMA arena a future hall of famer and a fighter who fights in a number of weight classes. Silva on the first round was clearly dominated by the grecko roman champion Henderson. Although a full mount was almost executed by Dan but Silva easily evades it. Round 2 was a good start for Dan but a knee on the head made Dan wobbled and be wildered. And as both are down on the canvass Silva went on Dan’s back and tried to execute a rare naked choke. Dan tried to escape Silva’s snake like choke but only made himself a deeper hole. Dan tapped out and Silva once again became the undisputed undefeated champion.

 

I was all smiles all day happy about the outcome of both of each fights. I have witness a monumental fight today Vasquez and Silva has made a great statement today and the fact that they won in an impressive fashion states a lot for those two fighters. With more fights coming there’s a reason to smile everyday.

 

I’d like to share the Vasquez-Marquez fight with you… you can download the video at this link.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=KG4NPAAQ

 

 

Dissecting Pacquiao-Marquez 2

With 17 days left to go before the showdown between unfinished businesses between the two light weights Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez comes into completion.

Fight fans are still undecided where to place their bets on. Marquez with his last two fights was not that promising and Pacquiao is a much improved two handed fighter now but still Marquez is a counter puncher and counter punchers are best when they face a slugger like Pacquiao.

So allow me to dissect the two fighters in terms of physical and mental ability going into the match.

Tale of the tape:

Pacquiao:                                                                      Marquez:

Stance: South paw                                                        Stance: Orthodox

Height: 5’6 1/2”                                                             Height: 5’7”

Reach: 67”                                                                      Reach: 67”

Record: 45-3-2                                                               Record: 48-3-1

Its almost an identical stats between the two fighters with Marquez slightly taller than Manny and has more fights compared to Manny. But height is negligible because they both have the same reach and Manny has more quality match up compared to Marquez. So basically its an even steven for both Manny and Juan.

Weight:

After the Barrera fight Manny doubt his reign in the 130 lb division and was believed to move up 5lbs higher because he had difficulty making the weight limit and ballooned up to 144lbs on the day of the fight against Barrera. Manny is 6lbs overweight right now where as Marquez is already primed and ripped. Manny right now is confident of making the 130lb weight limit and with 17 days to go I could not see why. Marquez in the other hand was a dominant 126 lb fighter but moving up in the 130lb division was not at all promising to Juan Marquez as his power is not that evident winning all of his fights in the 130lb division by decision but this is how a tactician works and a counter puncher doesn’t necessarily be a knockout fighter that’s why fans find him boring because he just prefer to counter punch rather than be aggressive.

Age:

Manny is on his prime at age 29 and Marquez is a 34 aged veteran. Although stamina and the wear and tear factor plays a vital role but with proper training Marquez could really catch up with Manny but the questioned would be timing and reflexes since those two would really go with age as we speak.

Styles:

Like they say “Styles makes fight”. Manny is a crowd drawer with his no fear like attitude I just cant see why fans don’t like him. But back in 2004 Marquez showed the Achilles heel of Manny even though he was down three times his counter punching skills made Manny puzzled and bewildered in that match. But that was before because Manny is now a thinking boxer as shown in the Barrera fight. He is not the one dimensional Manny Pacquiao we know before but a much improved boxer. Now the question would be how a counter puncher would match up with a two handed thinking boxer??

Power and Speed:

Although these two factors seems to be Manny’s asset but Marquez is a good tactician. As long as he is wise not to mix it up with Manny and as long as he stick to his game plan I could see him successful in this point.

Who wants it more:

Juan Marquez wanted this fight as his last farewell fight and wanted to carve a name for himself as one of the greatest Mexican boxer of all time. Manny in the other hand has a country around his back and a future mega million fight awaiting. Who wants it more?

 

Now you can have all the time to deliberate the boxer you would be betting on but with both guys wanting to finish what they have started I know this fight would not go to the distance. Would it be Manny or Juan? Lets wait and see.

 

 

 

Jordan’s Apparent Heir..

Before Michael Jordan retired for the first time talks have been circling around the NBA and fans panicked uncontrollably asking and questioning who would be his airness apparent heir? There are a bunch of players slowly showing signs with the likes of Jerry Stackhouse who at that time played for the Philadelphia 76ers. He was a consistent scorer but he was no where in Jordan’s league. The heir would be describe as a player who could score 40 or more points in almost all games and his jump would be describe as flying rather than a vertical leap and of course he has to have a smile that could launched a thousand ships and break every girls heart.

Grant Hill was the second player who tried to be the apparent heir. Hill was a charismatic player and a working force in the Pistons team but it was cut short because of an injury that almost ended his once colorful career. Grant Hill now played for the Phoenix Suns and is very much contented to be a role player.

And there was Vinsanity… Vince followed Jordan’s career path with a scorer’s mentality and revolutionized the slam dunk competition with his out of this world dunks. He was in every way a Jordan like player but without a Scottie Pippen, Vince Carter never got close in winning a title up to this day. Injuries hindered the Vince we know and love as he is the Jordan at age 40 who is content on shooting rather than doing a kamikaze dunk.

Kobe Bryant has all the right to be called the heir to his airness. Kobe won championships and to top it all that he could score and pass at the same time. And with years still ahead of him before retiring he is arguably the best all around player in the NBA right now. Not to mention his 80 points outing against the Raptors. Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points in an age where there are no 3 seconds or 24 sec. violation, with Zone defense and at 7’1 there are little distractions at that time. So Kobe could even surpass Wilt in that manner.

Lebron James is another candidate and an up and coming sensation of the NBA. Lebron brought his team to the promise land in just his second year. Although it was cut short by the Spurs I could see a big bright future for Lebron. He is a good passer and people love him to death but I love to see Lebron join the slam dunk competition next year. With the thought of a Dwight Howard/Lebron James duel it made me salivating and drool endlessly (hehehehe).

 

Michael Jordan for me is the best player who ever played the game of basketball. He would always be the player who flies and glides his way to stardome. There would never be the next Michael Jordan. Stackhouse, Hill, Carter, Bryant and James have there own identity. It’s just unfortunate that they are born on the same era.

 

Fly me to the Moon Jamario…

When Galileo theorized the world in perspective is round. People started to question his insanity… Before the moon were just parts of some silly rhymes and was virtually impossible to go there but years later Neil Armstrong made a giant leap for mankind as he set his foot to become the first man in history to go to the moon.

Galileo and Armstrong are two different individuals but bonded in one common goal to make the impossible possible…

 

A virtually unknown player from the Toronto Raptors Jamario Moon signed a 3 day contract with the Raptors. In his first game he scored 12 points and six rebounds in 23 minutes and made a lasting impression by the Raptors that he was given the starting spot.

But it was not all bed of roses for the young Raptor. He had to undergo the impossible first to make his dream a reality. Graduated in a sub Par College school averaging 20.8 points peppered with 8.7 rebounds he immediately listed himself in the 2001 NBA draft.

But no team wanted him and was forced to play in the CBA, LNBP, USBL and the Harlem Globetrotters. A typical journeyman so to speak but Jamario never gave up and worked hard every game he played. Playing in the Harlem Globetrotters made him discover how great he really is… there were times they would throw the ball so high and Jamario just give his all and jump as high as he could and catch the ball. He made jumping as a sanctuary for all his frustrations. When things don’t work out for him he just jump his way out of it literally…The Raptors gave Jamario some redemption and eventually carve his way in the league and became a defensive specialist breaking a club record of 1 block per game for 12 consecutive games. Highlights and impossible dunks slowly showing up in youtube and myspace. And fans are slowly recognizing his talent as he was named the NBA eastern conference rookie of the month for February.

 

Jamario still has a long way to go and a good career ahead of him.

Galileo, Armstrong and Jamario made a commitment to never gave up and made the impossible possible…

Fly me to the moon Jamario…