Life gets harder in the Big Brother House and so is the race between and among the Big 4.  Who will be the Grand Winner?

I have recently predicted that it would be any of this three:  Rustom, John and Budoy.  Now that Rustom and Budoy are out, I am sticking to my prediction that it’s going to be John Pratts.

His huge following among the youth is his biggest advantage.  Most texters are youngsters and they generally like the heartthrob in John.  But if the love birds will sing altogether to vote for either lovers Zanjoe and Bianca, it would be difficult for John to get the top prize. 

Not to be counted out is Keanna.  She’s been getting more and more sympathy since she absorbed the revelations in the house especially that of Rustom’s confession of his sexuality.  I think she has the potential to be the Grand Winner.

Let’s see what will happen.  Click here for the fan site.

Manny Pacquiao’s upcoming showdown with Mexican Oscar Larios means big money, at least in terms of ticket prices.

The lowest-priced ticket is pegged at Php1,000 and the highest-priced one is $1,000. How about that for someone who sells cigarettes along the highways?

Well, that’s the way it should be. The name is Manny Pacquiao, anyway. While it is true entry tickets to the historic Araneta Coliseum are hardly affordable for the Filipino masses, they don’t actually need to spend that much nor do they have to troop to the fight venue to see what could probably be the most expensive boxing match ever to be staged on Philippine soil.

The idiot box will serve that purpose enough, although viewers will have to contend with numerous commercials. That’s the name of the game whether we like it or not so we just have to content ourselves with what we can afford. Who knows, we might just see a repeat of the ULTRA tragedy if tickets are made affordable to the masa.

I think there are plans to show the fight in cinemas similar to what was done in the Pacquiao-Morales II. If these plans materialize, then it might just be affordable for the many to just troop to the cinemas instead.

The official media entity, ABS-CBN, is also being asked to set up giant screens in select places in the metropolis, again, similar to the one they did with the Pacquiao-Morales II. This is free to the public and I believe the big bosses of ABS-CBN will give their nod to the appeal . . . “in the service of the Filipino.”

All things said, one thing is sure — Manny’s name means money. He’s really gone a long way.

Boxing’s new paradigm is brought about by the very people that manipulate the sport.  The powers-that-be whose multi-million dollar investments hang in the balance of a boxer’s skills and boxing lovers’ addiction to the sport have committed some drawbacks that resulted into the entry of bigger “giants” than the  “gods” of the boxing world. Read more

Those are serious and focused words from ”El Terrible” in an interview by Fightnews.  I wonder if those words would have any effect on Manny Pacquiao as he gears up for training going into the Larios showdown.  From all indications, Morales is out to make a big comeback.  His loss to the Pacman is not the one he likes as a decoration to end his career.  Or perhaps, he has plans of taking on Marco Antonio Barrera again to prove that among the great superfeatherweights today, he is the best.

He is taking a lot of inspiration from his family right now, and if you think that means nothing, think again.  He is drawing up emotional strength, an “A” factor in a big-time fight.  That was what probably did him in his loss to Pacquiao — he was emotionally weak going to that fight.  His experience with his father may have been contributory to his latest debacle and he’s up to mending things up and preparing his psyche to be more concentrated the next time around. 

Furthermore, he still has a huge fan base that believes in him.  He owes something big to his fellow Mexicans.  He will make sure that in his next fight, the last thing he would give them is another defeated boxing icon.

Manny Pacquiao should watch out.  He will face a different Erik Morales the next time around.  Erik Morales is hell-bent to take his vengeance.

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Was there ever someone who said, “Boxing is for animals“?  NONE.

Your postman here is not really a sexist. He just knows what words to put as far as gender issues are concerned. Here is one thread that will boost the morale of women.

“A woman can be delicate
Yet strong and vibrant too,
In fact, I know a woman
For whom this all is true.”

Actually, it’s quite long but you will see a more picturesque version if you click here.

The agony of waiting — that is what’s haunting the legendary Marco Antonio Barrera right now.

The finalized schedule of the Manny Pacquiao-Oscar Larios showdown on July 2, 2006 has virtually put the period on the attempts of Barrera’s camp to register a Pacquiao-Barrera II this year. No less than the biggest dome in RP will house the Pacquiao-Larios fight — the Araneta Coliseum, venue of the historic Ali-Frazier II blockbuster.

And after Manny’s scrimmage with Larios, his next appointment is a third and possibly final scuffle with Mexico’s Erik “El Terrible” Morales. That brawl is tentatively scheduled in September although it will likely be set in either November or December.

That means Barrera has to nurse longer his damaged pride which Pacquiao humiliated in November 2003. Since his loss to the Pacman, Barrera has rebounded dramatically even getting the champion’s belt–the belt which he used to entice Pacquiao to a rematch this year.

Barrera may have his time in 2007 to exact revenge against Pacquiao. Hopefully, Pacquiao will hurdle his two next fights successfully so as to add more hype and color to the most awaited boxing rematch this decade.

Click here to see boxing images.
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Was their ever someone who said, “Boxing is for animals”? NONE.

I’m having some sort of trouble figuring out two skeds in Manny Pacquiao’s Order of Battles.

First, his match against Oscar Larios is July 2, 2006.  That is about three months from now and training-wise, there may be no problem.  I am bothered, however, by the many appointments Manny is making these days.  I hope his extra-boxing businesses will not hamper his main craft.

Second, the third meeting with Erik Morales tentatively scheduled in September this year is barely two months after the Larios fight.  From the expert’s perspective, the interval is too short.  Even if they are going to schedule it in October, that may not even be enough for Pacman to get in tip-top shape when he faces “El Terrible”.  For sure, El Terrible will punish himself to bring some redemption into his sagging career.  He is too proud to admit that he could lose three in a row.

My prayer is not for the Larios fight to be re-scheduled since it’s a done deal.  I’m praying for a Morales rematch in either November or December.  By that time, Manny will have prepared well his menu for Morales . . . then  . . . Barrera.

Did somebody ever say, “Boxing is for animals”? NONE.

As the days get fewer, the big brother house seems to get smaller for the four surviving housemates in the Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Edition.

Budoy’s exit has sort of made the preference of the viewers more obvious: romance vs. family.  Romance is personified by love birds Bianca Gonzales and Zanjo Marudo whose romance sprouted and blossomed in the house.  Family is what we see in the other pair of Keana Reeves who plays mother to teen heartthrob John Pratts.  I can say with pride that these tandems speak of the kind of people Filipinos are–romantic and family-oriented.  Whatever the outcome is, the Philippine media’s kind of reality TV as exemplified by the Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Edition magnifies the greater values that are rarely present in other reality TV shows especially the foreign ones.

The deeper meaning of the representations of the last four will surface the more in the coming days when the tandems have to be inevitably broken via the force evictions.  For sure, the whole nation will watch intently as the show draws to its unpredictable close. 

Now, let’s talk about Budoy.  His exit is yet another exhibit of the Filipino versatility.  Previous evictions were pictures of heavy emotions and deep sentimentalities.  But the eviction of Budoy painted light-heartedness and manly coolness. Those are characteristics of the real, unequivocal Filipino as are the characteristics shown by earlier evictees. Surely, big brother’s house could have not been more complete with the presence of a person like Budoy.

The question now is, “Who’s going to be the most loved celebrity in Big Brother’s House?”  Let’s see!

Want to read more?  Click here.

Adrenaline.  Pump-up action.  Blood and sweat.  Bets and gambles.  Women and sex.  These are the normal decorations to a boxing match and when the match at hand is one made in heaven (or hell?), the stakes go higher and the atmosphere, whether in the pre-fight primers, on-the-fight gallery and post-fight reviews, is nothing short of electric.

There, however, are so many cases in which fights extend outside the boxing ring.  The fight between fans of a pair of prizefighters goes on especially in the Internet.  Visit some boxing sites and you’ll have a glimpse of the kind of “brutality” being practiced by die-hard fans.

A case in point is that of Manny Pacquiao’s fans and the followers of Marco Antonio Barrera.  Things are getting worse in the exchanges in the websites of the two boxers.

Just a piece of advice.  We can get hot in the battle, but we can get rid of senseless words such as “eat your mama”, “kick your ass”, and some more obscene and offensive language.  We can argue better with our minds more than with our mouths.  Boxing is not just a game of sheer physical power but of sharp and witty wisdom.  The best boxers have the best intelligence in the game.  The fans should have nothing less.  Tone down your words, guys.

Was there ever someone who said, “Boxing is for animals”?  NONE.

Those of you who are hanging out a lot this summer, don’t miss Pangasinan if your off to tour around northern Luzon. Pangasinan has so much to offer aside from its world famous Hundred Islands in Alaminos City.

The province gives two great summer treats: Bangus Festival 2006 in Dagupan City and the Pistay Dayat (Sea Festival) 2006 in the long stretch of the Lingayen Gulf.

Dagupan City’s Bangus Festival will feature the Kalutan ed Dagupan, a world recorder in terms of longest grill in the Guinness Book of World Records. Also in the sked are a Bikini Open billed as “Bangus Festival King and Queen”, the “Bangus Fest Amazing Race”, the “Gilon! Gilon ed Dalan” street dancing show, the “Bangus Rodeo”, and the 101 ways to cook Bangus. You will not just have a photo and/or video rich menu from April 21 to May 1, 2006, but gastric and psyche satisfaction as well. . . if you do come to visit the Bangus Capital of the World.

Lingayen Gulf, on the other hand, has lined up several spectacles along the beach which stretches from the relatively calm waters of San Fabian town to the shining beach fronts of Bolinao. Along the way, you will marvel at the beauteous little islands of Alaminos City’s attraction, the Hundred Islands. In the capital town of Lingayen, you will have your eyes and body full with the following treats from April 24 to May 2, 2006: the Panangidayew Trade and Tourism Fair, Food and Garden Fair, the Pangasinan Art Exhibit PanAGartela, and the “Sky is the Limit” model airplane competition.

Indulge now into the hot, hot enticements of the province with a rich tradition, Pangasinan.