INQUIRER Sports

FLOYD MAYWEATHER Jr. was 146 lb during the weigh-in, but he looked several pounds heavier during his comeback fight with Juan Manuel Marquez whom he completely outclassed last Sunday (Manila time) at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

At 146, Mayweather was already two pounds over the agreed catch weight of 144, and he had to pay a fine of $300,000 per pound for the violation.

?I estimate him to be between 148 and 156 lb just before the bout?he refused to be weighed again,? said Ronnie Nathanielsz, who covered the event for ABS-CBN television with Dyan Castillejo.

Could Ronnie tell if the undefeated boxer was wary of Manny Pacquiao, the world?s pound-for-pound king?

?No, he?s not, or maybe he pretends not to be,? said Ronnie, who gives Pacquiao a 50-50 chance of dealing the cocky Mayweather his first defeat ever.

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According to Ronnie, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum has revealed Pacquiao?s plans for the next 12 months.

?After his fight with WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto on Nov. 14, Arum said Manny wants fights before and after the Philippine elections in May,? said Ronnie. ?Which means the preelection fight may be scheduled in March and the postelection fight anytime after May.?

Manny, he said, could be retiring after May, especially if he gains a congressional seat in the 2010 elections.

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Is it true that Philippine Olympic Committee treasurer Julian Camacho recently dropped by the office of Harry Angping to beg the chair of the Philippine Sports Commission to withdraw the charges of graft filed against him at the Manila Regional Trial Court?

And to think that only last July, Camacho signed his name on a petition by the POC executive board to President Macapagal-Arroyo seeking the ouster of Angping as PSC chair.

Now, my source says, he is practically down on his knees. He offered to return the money that he allegedly received from the PSC, which, of course, is tantamount to admitting his guilt. (Camacho denies the claim of Ms Celis? source that he begged Angping to drop the case. Angping said Camacho only offered to return the money.?Ed)

In its case against Camacho, the PSC accused the former Wushu Federation of the Philippines president of collecting the salary of a foreign coach long after the latter had left the country.

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According to a WFP insider, legitimate members of the federation are hopeful that the court case would pave the way for Camacho?s ouster and the recognition of Tai Lian as the WFP?s duly elected head.

?In conspiracy with the POC, Camacho illegally changed all the members of the wushu electorate in a bid to retain power in the federation,? the insider alleged.

Another election was then held which installed Tan Shi Ling as president and Camacho?who was no longer qualified to run for president having served two terms?as secretary general.

Camacho is actually running the organization, according to the insider.

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The ?thank you? call was unexpected.

?What for?? I asked the young scribe from Bacolod who very recently started a writing career in Manila.

?For writing about my provincemate Nonoy Baclao of Ateneo,? he replied. ?He?s a good player and a good boy but he seldom gets recognized and appreciated.?

The scribe said that when Baclao was first signed up to endorse an athletic shoe-apparel brand, he was given several pairs of shoes for his use.

?He only got a few pairs for himself and sent the rest to his teammates in Bacolod who could not afford to buy them. He still does that regularly. That?s the kind of person he is,? said the scribe.