SPORTS SHORTS 41: MANNY PACQUIAO IS NOW WBA CHAMPION IN RECESS, RYAN GARCIA WANTS TO STOP HIM WHETHER EXHIBITION OR NOT
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 31 Jan 2021
WBA “super” welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao is now "champion in recess", and former WBA "world" welterweight champion Yordenis Ugas now holds the Super title. Pacquiao (62-7-2, 39 KO) hasn’t fought since winning a split decision over Keith Thurman in July 20, 2019, which made Pacquiao seize Thurman’s “super” title. There were talks of a fight with WBO champion Terence Crawford or UFC star Conor McGregor, but the boxer faced Kell Brook instead and the MMA fighter got mauled by Dustin Poirier last weekend.
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"According to its rule C.14 the WBA dictates that champions and their teams are required to know the WBA rules and regulations. Rule C.22-24 states that when a champion is unable to defend the belt for medical, legal or other reasons beyond his control, he may be named champion in recess. The medical reasons must be documented before the WBA Medical Committee, while the legal reasons must be evidenced before the legal director and the Championships Committee. Any inconvenience that may arise in the process will be resolved under the guidelines of the WBA regulations.”
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Yordenis Ugas (26-4, 12 KO), age 34 years of Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, claimed the now-vacant “world” title last September 6, 2020 by outclassing Abel Ramos of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania via split decision. Ugas previously lost to Shawn Porter for the WBC welterweight belt in March 9, 2019. As an amateur boxer he won a gold medal at the 2005 World Championships and bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, both in the lightweight division. Presently, Ugas (26-4, 12 KOs) is ranked as the world's No. 5 active welterweight by the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board and No. 7 by The Ring magazine and BoxRec.
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For most boxing aficionados, a fight between Ryan Garcia and Manny Pacquiao was more of a fantasy than a reality. Then recent news reports of the fight appeared and even Garcia himself told ESPN that he had utterly no idea of facing one of his heroes until he received a phone call. The said phone call would alter his instantaneous aim of challenging WBA lightweight "world" champion Gervonta Davis to fight his idol Pacman.
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Ryan Garcia told Bad Left Hook: “You get a call and somebody says, ‘You can fight Manny Pacquiao.’ What are you going to say to that? Your hero, one of your heroes, one of the people you’ve looked up to, and they say you have an opportunity to fight him? I couldn’t say no. I said let’s go for it. Whether it happens or not, I’m going full in on it. And that’s what I did. ... I was like, ‘OK, I can’t worry about any other fight. I’m going to go after Manny Pacquiao.’ And that’s what’s happening next.”
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Since the start of the negotiations of a possible Pacquiao-Garcia fight, there were several options concerning the match and the most crucial is whether it will happen as a real professional fight or as an exhibition bout. But according to Garcia, who has not made a declaration of his preference for the bout, if he wants it to be real or exhibition, he says he will unleash his punches to knock Pacquiao out regardless of the nature of the fight.
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And regarding the catchweight that the fighters would agree they meet, Garcia says he is prepared to go up heavier if that’s what Pacquiao wants, and he will clash with the boxer turned senator wherever he so likes. Garcia asserts a match of him against Pacquiao will break pay-per-view records, voicing out that people still underrate the strength of social media in promoting fights. One hitch, however, is that Pacquiao has been silent regarding the match with Garcia, so as of now we cannot gauge how far the interest of the fight has gained impetus among boxing devotees.
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Meanwhile Ryan Garcia becomes the first boxer to sign an endorsement deal with sports drink giant Gatorade. Garcia currently has more than 8.1 million followers on Instagram and can market this drink better than any other active boxer. "A few years ago, I posted on social and tagged Gatorade to get their attention, so being the first professional boxer to sign a national deal in the U.S. with them is a dream that turned into a reality,” said Garcia.
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Gatorade was created in 1965 by scientists at the University of Florida, whose school nickname (Gators) inspired the drink’s name (originally Gator-Aid). The beverage soared to new heights thanks to NBA legend Michael Jordan, including the famous ‘Be Like Mike’ campaign which ran for years. The company found the right boxer endorser in Garcia. He joins an elite list of current sports talents including Fernando Tatis Jr. with age 22 years old of the MLB’s San Diego Padres, pro golfer Matthew Wolff who is 21 years old, NBA stars Zion Williamson, 20 years old, and Jayson Tatum, 22 years old, and old track and field superstar Sydney McLaughlin, 21 years old.
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Russell Westbrook now improves to 13th all-time leader in assists in the NBA. With his third assist Friday, the Washington Wizards' guard increased his total to 7,394 surging past Maurice Cheeks with 7,392. He could overtake No. 12 Rod Strickland, who has a 99-assist advantage. Westbrook was ejected late in the fourth quarter after committing his second technical foul during the Wizards’ 116-100 loss to the Atlanta Hawks, after he contributed 26 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists in 27 minutes. He has averages of 18.9 points, 9.3 rebounds and 9.6 assists in 10 games.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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