Another thrilling season looms
WBA WELTERWEIGHT BOUT Two days before 2019, eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao sparred for 10 rounds at Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, California—three rounds against Arnold Gonzalez, three against Lydell Rhodes and four against George Kambosos Jr. Pacquiao (60-7-2, 39 KOs) is in the most intense phase of training as he prepares for his WBA welterweight world title defense against four-division world champion Adrien “The Problem” Broner (33-3-1, 24 KOs) of Cincinnati on Jan. 19 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The 40-year-old Pacquiao’s training is being supervised by strength and conditioning coach Justin Fortune and best friend Buboy Fernandez. BOXINGSCENE.COM/WENDELL ALINEA-MP PROMOTIONS
After providing one of the highlights of a memorable year for Philippine sports, Manny Pacquiao tries to usher in an even more momentous 2019 with a successful defense of his World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight crown as a 40-year-old fighter.
Pacquiao, again taking time out as a member of the Philippine Senate, will stake the title he wrested from Lucas Matthysse—via a seventh-round technical knockout last July—against American Adrien Broner on Jan. 19 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Experts expect Pacquiao to have little problem in disposing of the 29-year-old Broner and touch off what many expect to be another thrilling sporting season that will culminate with the country’s hosting of the Southeast Asian Games in November.
Filipinos ruled the SEA Games for the first time in 2005 and officials hope to duplicate that feat in the wake of the country’s strong performance of four golds on top of two silver and 15 bronze medals in last year’s Asian Games in Indonesia.
Basketball is expected to dominate the local sports scene once more with the Philippine Basketball Association kicking off its 44th season with the Philippine Cup on Jan. 13, coinciding with the Leo Awards where June Mar Fajardo of San Miguel Beer is a major contender for a record fifth straight PBA Most Valuable Player award.
The Beermen will be the team to beat as they seek an unprecedented fifth all-Filipino title with top guard Terrence Romeo, who was earlier traded by the TNT KaTropa reportedly due to his differences with seven teammates.
Romeo, a former Gilas Pilipinas standout, joined TNT from GlobalPort (now NorthPort) where he had a falling out with coach Pido Jarencio.
If NBA veteran Andray Blatche rejoins Gilas as promised, the naturalized Filipino will surely give the PH five a big boost in the sixth window of the Fiba World Cup Qualifiers scheduled late next month.
Blatche missed the last four Gilas outings, the first three due to a suspension slapped by Fiba following a free-for-all that marred the Filipinos’ game with Australia last July. Gilas hopes to tap Blatche anew when it plays Qatar on Feb. 21 and Kazakhstan on Feb. 24 and remain in contention for a slot in the World Cup tournament proper.
The Ateneo-University of the Philippines rivalry in the UAAP will be another top attraction with the Eagles shooting for a third straight crown and the Maroons, last season’s surprise finalists, returning with two blue chip additions in Kobe Paras and Ricci Rivero.
