2015 PHILIPPINE BOXING YEAREND REVIEW (PART I)
By Rene Bonsubre, Jr.
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 31 Dec 2015
Donnie Nietes? title reign went past Flash Elorde?s seven year three month record at the start of 2015 but it was the negotiations for Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather that dominated boxing news for weeks. In fact, it was the only thing that mattered to boxing fans during the first two months of the year until the official announcement for the fight was made. Pacquiao?s activities outside the ring also made headlines.
January 20- Manny Pacquiao promotes film documentary ?Manny? in Los Angeles. The film is narrated by Liam Neeson, co-directed by Leon Gast and Ryan Moore.
January 23 ? Manny and Jinkee Pacquiao meet and dine with Prince Harry in London.
January 25- Manny Pacquiao serves as one of the judges for the Ms.Universe beauty pageant in Miami, Florida.
January 27 ? Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather,Jr meet courtside in Heat vs Bucks game in Miami.
January 28- Mayweather visits Pacquiao in his hotel for a closed door dialogue.
February 11 ? Pacquiao receives super champion belt from the World Boxing Organization (WBO).
February 18 ? Playing coach Manny Pacquiao returns to the PBA, his team KIA upsets defending champion Purefoods 95-84. Pacquiao scored one point.
February 20- PBA slaps 250 thousand peso fine on Purefoods? American player Daniel Orton for ?disrespectful comments? against referees and player-coach Manny Pacquiao
February 20- Floyd Mayweather announces on social media that he has signed the contract to fight Pacquiao.
February 28 ? Norj Guro L UD10 Nao Ikeyama (Japan), WBO female atomweight world title, Osaka, Japan
March 11 ? Mayweather and Pacquiao meet again in fight kick-off press conference at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles.
March 14 ? Australian boxer Brayd Smith collapses and is hospitalized after a losing a ten round decision to Filipino John Vincent Moralde in a fight held in Toowoomba, Queensland,Australia. Smith passed away two days later.
March 22 ? Rey Loreto W TKO1 Nkosinathi Joyi (South Africa), retains IBO junior flyweight title in East London, South Africa
March 25 ? WBO jr. flyweight champion Donnie Nietes and multi-division champ Nonito Donaire enshrined into the Elorde Hall of Fame during the 15th Gabriel 'Flash' Elorde Boxing Awards.
March 26 ? Donnie Nietes receives lineal world title belt from Ring magazine during the PINOY PRIDE 30 pre-fight press conference
March 28 ? PINOY PRIDE 30: Donnie Nietes W TKO9 Gilberto Parra (Mexico), retains WBO and Ring magazine lineal world junior flyweight title,Nonito Donaire returns with second round TKO win over William Prado of Brazil at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
March 28 ? Rommel Asenjo LTKO 3 Juan Francisco Estrada (Mexico), WBO/WBA flyweight titles, Yucatan, Mexico.
March 31 ? Donnie Nietes wins SAC-SMB Cebu Sports Awards Athlete of the Year
April 11 ? Jack Asis, a Filipino based in Australia, wins vacant IBO superfeatherweight title by TKO in 8th round over erstwhile undefeated Australian Kye Mackenzie in New Lambton, New South Wales, Australia.
April 11 ? Richard Claveras L TKO 1 Pedro Guevara (Mexico), WBC light flyweight title, Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico.
April 21 ? The International Boxing Organization (IBO) suspends South African boxing promoter Siphatho Handi for failing to pay the prize money of boxers involved in his March 22 promotion in South Africa, including Filipino Rey Loreto.
April 24 ?Randy Petalcorin W TKO 1 Ma Yi Ming (China), retains WBA interim light flyweight world title, Capital Arena, Beijing,China
April 27 ? Manny Pacquiao makes plea to Indonesian President Joko Widodo to spare the life of Filipino human trafficking victim Mary Jane Veloso, who was facing the death penalty for drug trafficking ; She would get the requested reprieve.
May 2 ? Floyd Mayweather (USA) WUD 12 Manny Pacquiao, WBA/WBC/WBO/Ring lineal welterweight title unification, MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada
May 3 ? Pacquiao?s post-fight revelation that he was nursing a shoulder injury he suffered during training sparks controversy.
May 5 ? Fans hit Pacquiao with 5 million dollar class action lawsuit over failure to disclose shoulder injury before fighting Mayweather
May 6 ? Pacquiao undergoes surgery in the U.S. for torn rotator cuff on his right shoulder.
May 30 ? Milan Melindo L TD 6 Javier Mendoza (Mexico), IBF light flyweight title, Ensenada, Mexico
June 2 ? Jerry Tomogdan L KO 9 Wanheng Menayothin (Thailand), WBC strawweight title, Bangkok, Thailand
June 10 ? Philippine amateur boxing team dominates in the South East Asian (SEA) Games held in Singapore with five golds, three silvers and two bronze medals.
June 14 ? Court of Appeals in the Philippines orders the estate of deceased Rodolfo Nazario and his legal heirs to pay Luisito Espinosa the amount of $130,349 plus interest for his unpaid purse of his 1997 WBC featherweight title defense against Argentinian Carlos Rios in South Cotabato.
PHOTO ? clockwise from top left ? Donnie Nietes, Manny Pacquiao, Nonito Donaire, Randy Petalcorin
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Rene Bonsubre, Jr..
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