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Dallas Notebook: Pavlik, Lenny deJesus, Cowboy cheerleaders, Dana White and more… By Anthony 'Duljoman' Andales PhilBoxing.com Sun, 21 Mar 2010 G4 Boarding – After few days, I heard friends (who became fans of boxing lately) that they didn’t enjoy the fight. Because it lasted 12 rounds? So it is all Manny’s fault, I supposed. He set those bars so high, people who became boxing fans lately expect knockouts all the time. They better switch to edwinvalero.com if there is such a website. Gaylord Texan welcomed me Friday evening (March 12) and on the lobby were Arce talking to Don Jose Sulaiman and waiting on the side was Antonio Margarito. It was a very quick acquaintance but I told Don Jose that former Michigan boxing commissioner and WBC Int’l referee and a very good kumpadre of mine Frank Garza said hi! Frank I owe you Tecate, Don Jose welcomed me like a champion of ???... he just put your godson to his lap for a picture. It was a very good welcome at Gaylord. A quick pic, a quick acquaintance, so I threw a quick jab also about these 3 blind judges. Don Jose told me “catch me later Anthony because I have to go” (the van just arrive from valet parking), In other words, I went ahead and checked in and prepared myself for the weigh-in. I called Chino Trinidad, asked him direction to the stadium. The answer was, might as well skip the weigh-in because the traffic wasn’t cooperating. I still have to pick-up my temporary credential, so I can’t make it. I skipped the weigh in. Went back to my Rm. 2126 and let the kids roam around to the beautiful Gaylord Texan indoor park. After few minutes I saw Jose Luis Castillo and David Diaz came back from weigh-in. Unfortunately they both lost their fights. I didn’t see the winners (Gomez and Soto) though. So let’s get to the boxing business. TEAM PAVLIK First, me and my family dined-in at the Texan Station (inside Gaylord). We love the restaurant because the kids can play guitar hero, WII and play on the small Mavericks court. Then I realized that the table next to us were occupied by Team Pavlik. I asked the trainer of Team Pavlik, if he thought Manny was on PED? They almost answered simultaneously, “Mayweather is scared!” So that means that the Team from Ohio was not buying off the man from Michigan was claiming. Kelly will be fighting the defensive specialist, the quick and very intelligent southpaw Sergio Martinez this coming April 17. This is a very intriguing fight for Kelly, knowing that Sergio fought competitively against Paul Williams. Sergio knocked down Williams in the first round, and he was knocked down too in the same round. In other words, knocking down Paul Williams is a very difficult feat to do. We knew what happened when Pavlik fought against a defensive minded Hopkins. Pavlik succumbed. COWBOY CHEERLEADERS / SINGERS So I asked them whom they wanted win, one of them, the beautiful one… no I mean… I’m confused now, they’re all gorgeous, more beautiful than a Miss Duljo contestant, then I’m really confused… no knockout on the fight but whew!, oh where I’m at? those 3 Cowboy cheerleaders were all knockouts. They told philboxing.com that they wanted Manny to win. From that time on I didn’t go back to my press row #2 seat, what for? I asked if they think Floyd Mayweather can fill the stadium like Manny did that night? The dark haired told me that they never heard about the name 'Mayweather'. All they hear is Manny Pacquiao the best fighter in the world. Man, that makes them more… pretty. Right Salven? MAYOLS I hung out with the Mayols Friday evening, the day before the big fight. Dad Mayol also known as Tibo, was a very articulate type of person in terms of seeing talents and potentials. He doesn’t know how to train boxers but his whispers to the Batang Mandaue is a weapon that Rodel carries to the fight. Tibo told me that when Rodel trained, he’ll just watch on the side and then give the son pointers after the training. So we’re cheering for Laurente and Richie Mepranum like no more boxing the next day. But with the help of the Tecate beers ($5 per bottle) and Tecate girls we still have energy for The Event the following day. Dad Mayol said, "I limit myself 2 bottles Duljoman because Im not in the mood to drink tonight." But after we consumed that 2 bottles each (champ wasn’t drinking). Tibo told me, "after 2 bottle limit, then no more limits, beer pa dai!!!" Then trainer Jesse Arevalo joined us in the cheering squad, then they ran out of Tecate, we switch to 4 horsemen… Yohoo!!!! PACQUIAO-CLOTTEY WITH LENNY DE JESUS "Lenny! Were you satisfied the performance of your fighter? (we were sitting at the lobby of Gaylord Texan )," I asked him. "If he only listened to me the outcome would be different!," he said. I replied, "different outcome means Clottey would be knocked out instead?" ... Lenny posed and laugh! He said, "you have a point but at least if he listened to me he might have a chance to connect and perhaps land a stronger punch that can knock Manny out also. But I guess he’s the one fighting, maybe that’s the best option up there was to cover." "What can you say about the intro showing the all-time greats and legends before the fight?," I asked. Lenny said, "actually that was good, I wasn’t able to really pay attention to it, but I heard that they showed Muhammad Ali, Ken Norton, Leonard, Hearns, etc… then here comes Manny Pacquiao. Honestly speaking those stars were very good fighters, but there is only one Pacquiao. He surpasses all those stars, for me Manny is the only one coming and no other boxers will come out close to him. Only one Manny. No more! he is the man." Duljoman showed him his Adidas Muhammad Ali snickers. He told me, Manny is greater than him! So the end came as his ride to the airport has arrived. We parted ways. "Good luck Lenny!" "I needed that one, Manny promised me to be in his corner for his next fight," Lenny shouted in parting. That kept me hanging as me and my friends from Michigan headed out to Riverwalk Caf? inside Gaylord. DANA WHITE After the David Diaz fight, I took a break and bought 3 Jack and cokes, for me and Tibo Mayol. I was at the bar waiting for my turn, here comes a guy in STP T-shirt, no suit or anything, very simple, he is the President of UFC. "Hey man! Don’t you have any bodyguards to buy you drinks?" "This is the best time right here… me! Buying my own drink!!!" This big Boston Red Sox fan enticed me to watch more MMA. That’s ok, the fact that he likes Manny, I’ll start watching more MMA. Oh!Beertime! What a weekend it was. Family had a great time. My youngest son met Don Jose, Bobby Pac, Robert Duval, Roach and Dougie Fischer… Never seen a single Filipino artistas the entire weekend… only one politician, Gov. Singson… Antonio Barrera sat behind me at the press row… the best seat is the cheapest seat I said… watching that giant monitors was unbelievable, the best view is cheap seat… that’s why the ticket attendant told me that enjoy, this is a good seat… lots of NFL players on the floor, never seen one NBA player… don’t park your car across the stadium, especially at Wal-Mart parking lot, the next thing you know, you have to pay $230 to get your car back from towing… so pay the $50 parking, that is cheap I tell you right now!.. lastly, Chino Trinidad and I agreed that PBA lost its soul, no more identity… big part of that, Jaworski is gone, Mon Fernandez is gone, Atoy Co is gone… then we saw MBA, a very passionate type of basketball… and the legends were never replaced… it’s time to say hi to some old friends who followed philboxing religiously… hello to Joseph Navales, a CPA working in a Singapore hedgefund, also a duljoman… to my high school friend Alan Jess Documento Jr., never look back my friend, you’re almost there!!!... if you’re in Cebu City Hall and hungry waiting for the signature of Engr. Josefa Ylanan, OBO, I heard the City Hall canteen serves binignit in the morning, in the afternoon and on the evening, the tapol is imported the owner Cresencia Alcuisar told me… Hello to my one and only sis, Engr. Ann Grace Andales, finally she watched boxing… Kumbatea! Top photo: Clottey's trainer Lenny de Jesus (L) with the author at Gaylord Texan Hotel in Dallas. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Anthony 'Duljoman' Andales. |
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