Roach and the Wild Card Crew Ready for Cotto

On Monday at the Wild Card, Freddie Roach was doing what he always does -train fighters to fight.

LOS ANGELES – You wouldn't have known it by the looks on the faces of Freddie Roach and the various people that make the Wild Card Gym operate – but there is going to be a big fight in Las Vegas on Saturday night.

Roach was calm, cool and relaxed on Monday morning as his gym hummed with activity. You would never have known that his man, Manny Pacquiao, was going to be in the biggest fight of his life in only a few more days.

“Everything is good and we're in a good place right now,” said Roach as he watched some fighters spar. “Manny is ready to go and this is one of the best training camps we've ever had. It was long and there was some challenges to it, with having to train in Baguio and now here, but it all worked out and Manny is ready to go.”

Amir Khan was milling about this morning and he seemed very happy to be at the Wild Card as he prepares for his WBA title defense against Dmitriy Salita on Dec. 5.

“Manny has been looking very, very sharp,” said Khan as he stood on the steps that lead up to the gym. “There's no question that I think he will win and he will win impressively.”

On a day that saw the temperature in Los Angeles at a sunny and balmy 76 degrees everybody was doing their jobs and taking care of business at 1123 Vine St. Many Filipinos crowded around the gym parking lot clutching pictures of Manny in their hands with hopes of catching a glimpse of their hero. Spectators were wall-to-wall in the gym and every available seat was taken.

Pacquiao bodyguard and parking lot watchdog Rob Peters helped to direct traffic and keep the fans from parking their cars where they weren't supposed to.



“You can't park there, c'mon, man!” barked Peters at the Pacquiao fans that pulled into the small and cramped parking lot.

What is clear is that Manny Pacquiao is a huge celebrity in this city. Just a few blocks up from the gym on the corner of Selma Ave. and Vine St. is a massive billboard with Pacquiao's picture that is promoting Nike. It is actually in front of a billboard featuring Los Angeles Lakes star Kobe Bryant.

Pacquiao has become a crossover star here. People around the city are talking about the fight, talking about buying the fight on pay-per-view and talking about how they think things will go on Saturday night.

The mail is delivered to the Wild Card each day around 11:30am by a Korean woman that is the mail lady for area where the gym is located. She was delivering a box today that was simply addressed to 'Manny Pacquiao, Wild Card Gym.'

She was a bit taken aback at the television crews and the people that flooded the area around the gym. She had to sidestep Amir Khan as she made her journey up the steps to ensure that the mail got through. Today she only had one package that was addressed to Pacquiao. She trudged up the stairs that lead into the gym and handed the box to Freddie's brother, Pepper.

“Sorry about all this,” said Pepper about the crowd of people that filled the stairway. “But I'll take that one and make sure that he gets it Thanks.”

“I know who Manny Pacquiao is,” said the mail lady. “But this is the busiest as I have seen it here before one of his fights. All kinds of mail gets sent here for him. Some of the letters and packages just have 'Manny Pacquiao, Wild Card Gym' written on them, but I always make sure to bring it here. I know where it is and what the people mean. They have no street number and no zip code but I just bring it all here.”


This billboard of Pacquiao is located just a few blocks up from the gym on Vine St. in Hollywood.

The star of the show, which was of course Manny, had not shown up yet but the television crews from the Philippines, Great Britain and elsewhere had. Along with the fans, they were all anxiously awaiting the arrival of the man that has become boxing's biggest star.

Veteran trainer Jesse Reid was standing next to Roach as he supervised some fighters training on the speed and double-end bags. He was also confident that Pacquiao would win on Saturday night.

“Oh yeah, Manny is ready,” said Reid. “He's peaking right now, he's finely tuned and he'll get the job done on Saturday night. Trust me on that one,” as he nodded his head and gave the thumbs up.

It was a confident, jovial and relaxed atmosphere at the Wild Card this morning. There was no sense of doom or worry in the air - which means only one thing – Manny Pacquiao and his crew are ready for Miguel Cotto.


November 2009

In a smart way, Cotto stops Pacquiao - De La Hoya

MANILA, Philippines – Oscar De La Hoya, one of Manny Pacquiao’s high-profile ring victims, sees the Filipino icon’s winning streak ending this time. In a blog he wrote for The Ring, De La Hoya, who recently retired from boxing, said Pacquiao will be in for a rude surprise when he faces Puerto Rican bomber Miguel Angel Cotto on Nov. 14 (Nov. 15 in Manila). “Now that the fight is getting closer, I’ve changed my mind about who I think will win. At first, I had Manny Pacquiao. I was a firm believer that Pacquiao’s speed was going to neutralize Miguel Cotto, especially after Cotto’s performance against Joshua Clottey in June,” the former multiple-division champion wrote. “Then, as the fight was getting closer and closer and I thought more about it, I’m now convinced Cotto will win. The reason is, first, nobody looks good against Clottey. He’s a difficult, strong, in-your-face type of fighter. And Cotto had that gash over his eye the whole fight. I thought he did an excellent job in light of that,” he added. De La Hoya said that at welterweight, Pacquiao does not pack enough punching power to be able to knock out a full-blown 147-pounder like Cotto. He cited his own welterweight duel with Pacquiao last December, where he was mercilessly battered by the Filipino but still managed to stay on his feet until his corner stopped the bout at the end of the eighth round. “Cotto has a good chin and a big heart. He’s a natural welterweight who hits hard and is also smart and fast. Pacquiao doesn’t hit hard enough to knock anyone out in the welterweight division. I’m basing that on my fight against Pacquiao. I could’ve stood there and put my face in front of him and he couldn’t have hurt me,” he said. De La Hoya had so much faith in Cotto that he thinks the Puerto Rican will be able to withstand whatever Pacquiao brings to the table. “A lot of people are counting him (Cotto) out after his last performance. I think he’s the real deal, though. I’ve seen his skills and I’ve seen his power. He’s proved himself against tough, rugged guys. He’s proved himself against slick boxers,” he continued. And the Golden Boy’s forecast? A late-round stoppage for Cotto. “I think Cotto is a smart fighter. I think he’ll get through those first few rounds and in a smart way he’ll walk down Pacquiao and possibly stop him in the later rounds,” De La Hoya predicted.

Source: philstar.com

In a smart way, Cotto stops Pacquiao - De La Hoya

MANILA, Philippines – Oscar De La Hoya, one of Manny Pacquiao’s high-profile ring victims, sees the Filipino icon’s winning streak ending this time. In a blog he wrote for The Ring, De La Hoya, who recently retired from boxing, said Pacquiao will be in for a rude surprise when he faces Puerto Rican bomber Miguel Angel Cotto on Nov. 14 (Nov. 15 in Manila). “Now that the fight is getting closer, I’ve changed my mind about who I think will win. At first, I had Manny Pacquiao. I was a firm believer that Pacquiao’s speed was going to neutralize Miguel Cotto, especially after Cotto’s performance against Joshua Clottey in June,” the former multiple-division champion wrote. “Then, as the fight was getting closer and closer and I thought more about it, I’m now convinced Cotto will win. The reason is, first, nobody looks good against Clottey. He’s a difficult, strong, in-your-face type of fighter. And Cotto had that gash over his eye the whole fight. I thought he did an excellent job in light of that,” he added. De La Hoya said that at welterweight, Pacquiao does not pack enough punching power to be able to knock out a full-blown 147-pounder like Cotto. He cited his own welterweight duel with Pacquiao last December, where he was mercilessly battered by the Filipino but still managed to stay on his feet until his corner stopped the bout at the end of the eighth round. “Cotto has a good chin and a big heart. He’s a natural welterweight who hits hard and is also smart and fast. Pacquiao doesn’t hit hard enough to knock anyone out in the welterweight division. I’m basing that on my fight against Pacquiao. I could’ve stood there and put my face in front of him and he couldn’t have hurt me,” he said. De La Hoya had so much faith in Cotto that he thinks the Puerto Rican will be able to withstand whatever Pacquiao brings to the table. “A lot of people are counting him (Cotto) out after his last performance. I think he’s the real deal, though. I’ve seen his skills and I’ve seen his power. He’s proved himself against tough, rugged guys. He’s proved himself against slick boxers,” he continued. And the Golden Boy’s forecast? A late-round stoppage for Cotto. “I think Cotto is a smart fighter. I think he’ll get through those first few rounds and in a smart way he’ll walk down Pacquiao and possibly stop him in the later rounds,” De La Hoya predicted.

Source: philstar.com

Underdog role no concern for Cotto against Pacquiao

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Miguel Cotto has no qualms about being listed as the bookmakers' underdog for his WBO welterweight title defense against Filipino Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas next week. The Puerto Rican, who has an enviable career record of 34-1 featuring 27 knockouts, is confident his power and meticulous preparation will trump Pacquiao's speed when the fighters clash on November 14. "I don't know anything about the betting business," Cotto said on a conference call from his training camp in Las Vegas on Thursday. "I am just here to try to bring my best every day in the gym. "With all the work I make in my training camp, I am going to the fight to win money. "I am here for myself, not for any kind of bet. "I am prepared for anything Manny can bring to this fight. He has a lot of things besides his speed and I am prepared for all he can show me at this time." Pacquiao, (49-3-2, 37 KOs), is widely viewed as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world but Cotto believes the Filipino southpaw has picked the wrong opponent for his first bout in the welterweight division. "Manny comes from a lower weight division and if he thinks he is going to have the same power as Miguel Cotto, he is thinking pretty wrong," the Puerto Rican said. "He has picked the wrong moment and the wrong fighter. If he thinks he is going to win against Miguel Cotto, he is pretty wrong."

RENOWNED SPEED

Cotto, who retained his WBO title with a gruelling split decision win over Ghana's Joshua Clottey in June, was confident he would be able to cope with Pacquiao's renowned speed. "We know he has speed and style and that is why you prepare yourself to beat him," he said. "You will find out on the 14th how I am going to deal with his speed and it is not going to be the factor that everyone thinks it is." Pacquiao cemented his status as the sport's premier fighter with a stunning second round knockout of Britain's Ricky Hatton in May to claim the IBO light welterweight crown. Since then, he and his trainer Freddie Roach have frequently discussed the possibility of a lucrative bout with undefeated American welterweight Floyd Mayweather Jr, leaving many fans to regard the Cotto fight as a formality. Cotto, however, was unfazed by suggestions he was being underappreciated by the Pacquiao camp. "What they say and do doesn't concern me," the 29-year-old said. "I know they know what they have in front of them. I know what I can do to him and he better be focused on what he is up against in Miguel Cotto. "It's not really important what the boxing world wants to see or wants to do. "Once I beat Manny Pacquiao on November 14, they continue their plans and do whatever they want but I am not going home without winning this fight."

Source: reuters.com

Underdog role no concern for Cotto against Pacquiao

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Miguel Cotto has no qualms about being listed as the bookmakers' underdog for his WBO welterweight title defense against Filipino Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas next week. The Puerto Rican, who has an enviable career record of 34-1 featuring 27 knockouts, is confident his power and meticulous preparation will trump Pacquiao's speed when the fighters clash on November 14. "I don't know anything about the betting business," Cotto said on a conference call from his training camp in Las Vegas on Thursday. "I am just here to try to bring my best every day in the gym. "With all the work I make in my training camp, I am going to the fight to win money. "I am here for myself, not for any kind of bet. "I am prepared for anything Manny can bring to this fight. He has a lot of things besides his speed and I am prepared for all he can show me at this time." Pacquiao, (49-3-2, 37 KOs), is widely viewed as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world but Cotto believes the Filipino southpaw has picked the wrong opponent for his first bout in the welterweight division. "Manny comes from a lower weight division and if he thinks he is going to have the same power as Miguel Cotto, he is thinking pretty wrong," the Puerto Rican said. "He has picked the wrong moment and the wrong fighter. If he thinks he is going to win against Miguel Cotto, he is pretty wrong."

RENOWNED SPEED

Cotto, who retained his WBO title with a gruelling split decision win over Ghana's Joshua Clottey in June, was confident he would be able to cope with Pacquiao's renowned speed. "We know he has speed and style and that is why you prepare yourself to beat him," he said. "You will find out on the 14th how I am going to deal with his speed and it is not going to be the factor that everyone thinks it is." Pacquiao cemented his status as the sport's premier fighter with a stunning second round knockout of Britain's Ricky Hatton in May to claim the IBO light welterweight crown. Since then, he and his trainer Freddie Roach have frequently discussed the possibility of a lucrative bout with undefeated American welterweight Floyd Mayweather Jr, leaving many fans to regard the Cotto fight as a formality. Cotto, however, was unfazed by suggestions he was being underappreciated by the Pacquiao camp. "What they say and do doesn't concern me," the 29-year-old said. "I know they know what they have in front of them. I know what I can do to him and he better be focused on what he is up against in Miguel Cotto. "It's not really important what the boxing world wants to see or wants to do. "Once I beat Manny Pacquiao on November 14, they continue their plans and do whatever they want but I am not going home without winning this fight."

Source: reuters.com

Harry Joe Yorgey is Coming to Win

Harry Joe Yorgey was a star running back at Upper Merion High School in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. He was so good in fact; that he had 34 scholarship offers to play college football.

He ultimately did go on to play college ball, but only for a short time.
"I used to weigh two-hundred pounds, believe it or not," says the likable Yorgey who will meet Alfredo "Perro" Angulo tonight in Hartford, Connecticut for the interim WBO 154-pound title.

"But when I was in college playing football, I was away and I called my Dad and told him I was coming home," he explains. "I wasn't doing what I wanted to do."
What Harry Joe Yorgey wanted to do, was fight.

And so far, the 31-year-old prizefighter has proven to be as good in the squared circle as he was on the gridiron. He's undefeated at 22-0-1, 10 KOs, is ranked in the top-10 by the various boxing sanctioning organizations and he's fresh off the biggest win of his career – a ninth-round knockout win in March over Ronald Hearns.

"We just went into that fight and grabbed the opportunity by the throat," said Yorgey of the Hearns fight. "Nobody gave me a chance, but I knew that I was going to win it."

The road hasn't been easy for Yorgey, as the seedy business side of boxing has sometimes forced him to go through long stretches of inactivity. Disputes with the managerial and promotional side of things have limited his progress. Scheduled fights have fallen apart at the last minute and the combination of those issues limited him to a solo appearance in 2008. Tonight’s fight against Angulo will be only his second of 2009.

"I was supposed to have fought Carlos Quintana on July twenty-fourth, but that fight fell apart," explains Yorgey. "They mentioned Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr., but I looked too good against Hearns and they backed out. He actually pulled out of that fight. Then there was talk of a Cory Spinks fight, but that didn't happen either."

The one time Yorgey did make it into the ring earlier this year against Hearns, he made it count. He put on a career best performance and he gutted out the upset victory over Thomas Hearns’ son. The fight was televised by the Showtime network and although he had been a professional for seven long years it wasn’t until this fight that many boxing fans had a good chance to see what Yorgey was really capable of.


Yorgey came into prominence when he knocked out Ronald Hearns earlier this year.

Since the Hearns fight, a little more attention has been paid to the young man from Bridgeport, Pennsylvania, which is situated just north of Philadelphia on the Schuylkill River. It was Yorgey’s second win in a row over an undefeated fighter as in 2008 he defeated Jason LeHoullier by way of a majority decision. Although he hasn’t yet met with the monetary success and notoriety that boxing can bring, he has managed to pick up a collection of hardware in the form of "championship" title belts. The IBU Intercontinental, the IBF International and the IBA Intercontinental belts all line the shelves of his trophy case

But tonight in Hartford, before a live crowd at the XL Center and before an HBO television audience, Yorgey will take a shot at the brass ring and get his first shot at a world championship. It has been a long slog to get here, but the fight with Angulo will represent the culmination of a lifetime spent in the sport.

"I've been boxing since I was a kid," says Harry Joe, who has a positive attitude that is positively infectious. "I made my pro debut at the Blue Horizon and that was really something else. It's always something special when you fight there. They brought me back there seven times and I sold it out every time."

Yorgey has a throwback quality about him. Bridgeport is an old-time sort of place that was built upon the backs of men that worked in the brickyards, cotton mills and steel foundries. Even the name "Harry Joe" seems to have a ring to it that exudes rough and tumble. He will need all of the roughness and old-time spirit he can muster against Angulo who is one of the top Jr. middleweights in the sport. Yorgey is being brought in as the opponent and he is the betting underdog. To say that he has the deck stacked against him in the fight would not be an understatement.


Harry Joe has managed to sell out Philadelphia's legendary Blue Horizon on more than one occasion.

"He's a good fighter and he comes with pressure," says Harry Joe of Angulo, whose nickname "Perro" means "dog" in Spanish. "He comes straight at you. To be honest with you, I like the way he fights."

The fight card is headlined by the interim WBC light heavyweight title bout between Connecticut’s Chad Dawson who has the same promoter (Gary Shaw) and manager (Mike Criscio) as Angulo. HBO has also spent much time, effort and money in marketing both Dawson and Angulo as the next big things. In short, the night has been designed as a showcase for the "house" fighters. So Yorgey will have to overcome not only the bite of Angulo's punches - but also the bias of the judges, the network and the fans.

"I'm a student of the game, I'm a professional," Yorgey rationalizes. "I think I'm in a good position right now because the junior middleweight division is one of the top divisions in the sport. I'm strong at this weight, I'm excited about being here and this fight will catapult me. I know I'm the underdog, but I don't care, because I'm coming to win."

And whether it’s been on the football field or in the boxing ring, that’s the one thing Harry Joe Yorgey has always done. Win.


November 2009

Joe Chavez is Cutman to the Stars

Joe Chavez (center) looks on as head-trainer Nacho Beristain tries to give some advice to Oscar De La Hoya in his fight with Manny Pacquiao.

Veteran cutman Joe Chavez has a unique perspective on next weekend's Manny Pacquiao vs. Miguel Cotto fight as he has worked for Pacquiao in the past and will be in Cotto's corner next Saturday. Chavez is perhaps best known for working the corner of Oscar De La Hoya during the last years of The Golden Boy's career.

Chavez is as down-to-earth and plain-spoken a fellow as you will meet. There isn't any hype with Joe and he's a straight-shooter in the truest sense of the term. He doesn't say much, but when he does speak his words carry meaning.

When asked for his thoughts on the big fight, Chavez was honest with his assessment.

“It's going to be a tough fight,” he said. “Manny Pacquiao is a very good fighter and you can't take anything away from him, that's for sure. I think it will be a very tough fight...a tough night.”

Chavez, 71, came on board with Team Cotto just prior to his fight against Joshua Clottey this past June at Madison Square Garden. Chavez worked overtime that night as Cotto was cut badly over his left eye from an unintentional clash of heads. The cut that Cotto suffered against Clottey taught Chavez a lot about his new employer right off the bat.

“Well, he showed that he doesn't quit,” said Chavez. “That was a bad cut, you were there and you saw it. But he just kept coming back to the corner and I just kept trying to do the best I could to stop the blood. He could have stopped, it was a bad cut. But I did my job and he did his.”


Chavez says that Miguel Cotto is finely tuned for next Saturday's big fight.

When asked for his prediction, Chavez was unwilling to say who would win.

“I can't make a prediction on it,” he said. “It will be speed versus power, I think. Cotto is stronger and hits harder, Pacquiao is quicker and faster. They're both very good fighters, so what can I say, you know?”

As of Wednesday, the hardest part of Cotto's training was over with and Chavez claimed that everything had gone according to schedule in camp. When asked if Cotto was going to experience difficulty making the catch-weight of 145-pounds, all he would say is that, “Everything is on schedule and the weight shouldn't be a problem.”

As close as Chavez would come to making a prediction on the fight was to say, “It's a fight where you have a bigger man against a smaller man. Miguel can box or he can punch. He's a big puncher and he's stronger, so...”


November 2009