Last night, the House of Representatives undertook the most important act of the 15th Congress so far: impeaching Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez for betrayal of public trust. However, the most popular member of the legislature was absent from the proceedings.

Continue reading "As a boxing champion, Manny Pacquiao is great; as a congressman, not so much"

Golden Boy Promotions today announced that it had signed Filipino bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire to its fold. The Filipino-American boxer had climbed up the pound-for-pound rankings with very impressive victories over Wladimir Sidorenko and Fernando Montiel, and his star has never been brighter.

But the move does not figure to go smoothly for Donaire. Bob Arum, head of Top Rank Promotions that previously handled the fighter’s career, claims that Donaire still has a live contract with the company, and will be filing a suit against Golden Boy.

Continue reading "Nonito Donaire signs with Golden Boy; Top Rank Promotions to sue over contract"

Boxing enthusiast and former Cotabato governor Manny Piñol was among the members of the media that Nonito Donaire included in his Facebook tirade yesterday. Shortly after I posted the last piece about Donaire’s online fight against Chino Trinidad, someone on Twitter pointed me to a very interesting piece by Piñol on PhilBoxing.com:

By the way, just a friendly advice and this will be good for your health and well-being: Do not threaten me or other media people with your Sonic-Boom punch that knocked out Fernando Montiel. You could get into legal troubles with that statement in the Philippines. You could get sued for grave threats and that is a crime.

Also, do not brag about you Sonic-Boom punch. Remember this: a bullet travels faster than a punch.

Holy crap, that certainly sounded like a threat. At least, Nonito treated it like one:

Continue reading "Wait, did Manny Piñol just threaten to shoot Nonito Donaire over his Facebook tirade?"

There was a big fight on the social networks this weekend between Filipino sports personalities, and for once, I wasn’t involved in it. World champion Nonito Donaire and GMA-7 sports reporter Chino Trinidad got into an Internet fight that quickly turned very, very ugly.

Some context: throughout the whole Donaire family drama involving Nonito Jr. and his parents, Chino has been critical of the fighter for not patching things up with his family, a position he shares with his father, Inquirer columnist Recah Trinidad, who has written a number of articles on the matter. In one of Chino’s posts on Facebook, Nonito’s father-in-law also got into a tiff with the former PBL commissioner.

Continue reading "Chino Trinidad, Nonito Donaire trade barbs"

Fire Quinito rounds up all the must-read links about Nonito Donaire’s sensational win over Fernando Montiel, so you can have more time to marvel at Maria Aragon’s angelic voice.



Kevin Iole, Yahoo! Sports: “One long-time occupant of the top spot in boxing’s mythical pound-for-pound list said he believes a pair of Filipinos should sit atop the current rankings. But former champion Roy Jones Jr. said he’s not sure if it’s Manny Pacquiao or his countryman, Nonito Donaire Jr., who should be ranked first now. ‘I saw this kid on TV a couple of years ago and I picked him out then,’ said Jones, the long-time pound-for-pound who served as a color analyst for HBO on Saturday. ‘To be honest with you, there’s an argument whether he’s No. 1 or No. 2. I see (Donaire) doing things I don’t see many fighters do. He uses his feet first and his hands second.’”

Continue reading "Boxing mop-up: Nonito Donaire is the new crown prince of the cruelest sport"

‘The Filipino Flash’ Nonito Donaire scored a spectacular knockout over fellow top 10 pound-for-pound fighter Fernando Montiel this morning, cementing his spot as one of the very best fighters in the world. It was Donaire’s 25th straight victory and his 10th knockout in his last 12 fights. The left hook which sent the Mexican champion reeling on the canvas was reminiscent of Donaire’s star-making stoppage of Vic Darchinyan in 2007.

Continue reading "Nonito Donaire knocks the fuck out of bantamweight champion Fernando Montiel"

Mr. Pacquiao goes to Washington

By now, you’ve probably heard news of boxing’s pound-for-pound champion Manny Pacquiao’s courtesy call with United States President Barack Obama. According to reports, the two men discussed boxing and basketball during the meeting, which the Filipino fighter described as an “unforgettable moment” in his life. For souvenirs, Pacquiao came away with 3 bags of light blue M&M’s and a watch, all of which are adorned with the presidential seal.

Continue reading "Manny Pacquiao meets Barack Obama"

Just a quick update: posting will be light this week because I’m in Palawan for most of the week for the day job. Meanwhile, if you missed it, check out this classic from our favorite writer:

WBO women’s superbantamweight champion Ana (Hurricane) Julaton declined the other day to reveal the secrets of her love life but manager Angelo Reyes admitted while not insinuating a romantic relationship, she’s “good friends” with Miami Heat’s Fil-Am head coach Erik Spoelstra.

Taenang Quinito yan, ginawan ng issue sina Erik Spoelstra at si Ana Julaton. Uso na rin pala sa sports yung pag-gawa ng gimmick para i-hype ang event. Parang Piolo-KC lang eh.

Continue reading "Quick advisory, and Quinito the chismoso"

There’s a war raging on televised boxing in the United States, and just as it happened a few years ago in the Philippines, it involves Manny Pacquiao. Over the weekend, various sources reported that the pound-for-pound champion’s May 7 fight against Shane Mosley will be carried by Showtime. It’s a major coup for the premium TV network in its battle with rival HBO, which has dominated the American televised boxing landscape for decades.

Continue reading "Manny Pacquiao's Showtime deal may change landscape of American boxing on TV"