Ana Julaton picks up the slack

SACRAMENTO—With Manny Pacquiao practicing politics and Nonito Donaire Jr. lost in limbo, Ana Julaton has picked up the slack when it comes to boxing news for Filipino-American fans.

A press release from Julaton’s elusive manager, Angelo Reyes, appeared in my e-mail inbox yesterday with word that Ana (8-2, 1KO), the reigning IBA and WBO super bantamweight champion, will face Angel “Non-Stop” Gladney in Miami on June 24.

Taking a cue from Pacquiao, boxing’s pound-for- pound king, the Bay Area-born Pinay boxer will move up in weight and clash with Gladney (6-3-1, 5 KOs ) at a catch weight of 128 lb—about two weight classes above Ana’s 122-lb super bantamweight category.

The nontitle fight with Gladney at the Dade County Auditorium has the imprimatur of Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach.

Angelo’s press release says Roach, who also trains Julaton at his Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, is confident that Ana “has the ability to move up in weight and win multiple titles like his star pupil Paquiao.” The release goes on to stress that the fight has an element of risk because Gladney, at 23, is seven years younger than Ana and the South Carolinian’s KO wins have come at the 127 and 130-pound weights.

It’s funny that in Pacquiao’s temporary ring absence, the center stage would belong to  “Hurricane” Julaton instead of Donaire, the  “Filipino Flash” and the reigning WBC and WBO bamtamweight champion.

Despite being rated by the venerable Ring Magazine as the number three pound-for-pound boxer in the world, Nonito appears to have become the Maytag repairman of boxing, whose services as a professional are rarely needed.

Is there bad karma in the Donaire camp?

Boxing scholar and former North Cotabato Gov. Emmanuel Piñol tells it as he sees it.

In a recent newspaper column, Manny may have reignited a recent slugfest involving Nonito and some Manila boxing reporters by writing that Donaire Jr. does not have the charisma of Pacquiao” and is “perceived to be controlled by his American wife.”

Added Manny: “Right now, he (Donaire) is in the doldrums for a tactical mistake, apparently engineered by his wife, of signing a promotional contract with Golden Boy Promotions while he still has a live contract with the rival outfit Top Rank of Bob Arum.”

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LeBron James of the Miami Heat made more disappearing acts than the Great Houdini in the Heat’s loss to the Dallas Mavericks in the just concluded NBA Finals.

LeBron was never a factor in the fourth quarter of his team’s four defeats to the Mavs. He was too passive, and too reluctant to make the big play.

His regrettable fourth quarters have spawned a cottage industry of  LeBron James jokes.  Here’s a few of the wisecracks from the Los Angeles Times:

Why does LeBron only get served boneless buffalo wings? Because he has a tendency to choke.

Apple is coming out with a LeBron James iPhone. But it only vibrates because it has no rings.

I saw LeBron before the game and I asked for $1. He gave me 75 cents. I said where’s the rest? He replied I don’t have a 4th quarter.

LeBron James was just traded to the Florida Panthers. He should be wildly successful, since in the NHL, there are only 3 periods.