Pacquiao Prevails Over Diaz

Manny Pacquiao the so-called “People’s Champion” have defeated Diaz on the 9th round of the Lethal Combination fight at Mandalay Las Vegas. The Filipino ring icon, successfully controlling the match with his right jab, ended David Diaz's sovereignty with a crisp left shot to win the WBC lightweight belt via an amazing knockout at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. Pacquiao snapped Diaz's head with a mean right jab, moved in closer to his opponent and unleashed a 1-2 capped by his powerful left that sent the Mexican-American down. Referee Vic Drakulich waved the fight off at the 2:24 mark of the round. Leading on the scorecards by a mile, Pacquiao decided to put the pressure on Diaz, who surprised the Filipino with a granite chin that took a lot of beating. "I gave a lot of power shots and he's still standing," an amazed Pacquiao told a television interviewer. "I was very surprised that Diaz was so tough. He's the toughest opponent." Even more amazed was Diaz, who was hoping to stretch the match into the late rounds, where he is more comfortable fighting. "I was saying he doesn't hit that hard and all of a sudden I was on the floor and what the heck," a gracious Diaz said. "He was fast," Diaz said. "I didn't see the left hand coming." But the left hand was just part of the whole package. When the NBA champions Boston Celtics visited him at the dugout, Pacquiao got the surprise of his life after the match. Pacquiao had expected the Celtics to win in six games and the world champions repaid that faith by watching the match and cheering for him. "I'm his No. 1 fan," Kevin Garnett, standing beside Pacquiao, said. With Garnett were Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, two members of the Big Three, and the likes of Rajon Rondo and Sam Cassell. Pacquiao went to work early, controlling the first three rounds behind the jab before the left started to find its mark starting the fifth. Diaz was in trouble in the eighth as Pacquiao twice had him rolling against the ropes. The Chicago-raised boxer kept bleeding out of his right eyebrow, but said the cut never troubled him. "I kept telling the doctors that I could see perfectly," Diaz said. "At the end of the day, he caught me with a good shot and you just have to say that he was the better man." Pacquiao's lightweight invasion comes after wresting the WBC super featherweight crown from Juan Manuel Marquez last March.

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Pacquiao, Diaz Clash at Mandalay

Manny Pacquiao is expecting the fight of his life as he attempts to complete his drive for five Saturday night when he faces WBC lightweight champion David Diaz at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. A legend in his native Philippines who is one of the sport’s most popular fighters due to his exciting style, Pacquiao (46-3-2, 25 KOs) enters his battle against Diaz trying to complete a quest to capture five world titles is as many weight classes. Pacquiao’s WBC super featherweight strap is not on the line. Pacquiao, who already has won titles at flyweight, super bantamweight, featherweight and super featherweight, enters the bout against Diaz having won his last seven fights since losing to Erik Morales in March 2005. Included in that winning streak is a pair knockout wins over Morales. Despite his recent success, the 29-year-old Pacquiao is preparing for a war against Diaz, a fellow southpaw. “This will be my hardest-fought battle,” said Pacquiao, who won a split decision over Juan Manuel Marquez in March to capture the super featherweight crown. “It has been over three years since I have changed weight divisions and I will be doing it against the lightweight division’s world champion. “But this is my drive for five world titles in five different weight classes and I will not be denied. I am fighting for history, for destiny and for the people of the Philippines.” The 32-year-old Diaz (34-1-1, 17 KOs) is making the second defense of his title after winning a unanimous decision over Morales last August, a verdict which sent the Mexican star into retirement. In a non-title bout, Diaz won a majority decision over Ramon Montano on March 15. That fight was on the undercard of Pacquiao’s victory over Marquez. Diaz, who suffered his only career loss via knockout against Kendall Holt in February 2005, has confidence heading into the biggest test of his career. “I will shock the world and beat Pacquiao at his own game, power for power,” Diaz said. “He’s a great champion, but he’s fighting in my division - lightweight. I have worked too hard for this world title and I will not give it up to him. “I have always done pretty good against southpaws. I hit them, so I really should be all right.”

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M/V Princess of the Stars Tragedy

M/V Princess of the StarsOFF SIBUYAN ISLAND — Rescue divers said they found many bodies yesterday inside M/V Princess of the Stars that sank with more than 850 people on board, confirming the worst fears of desperate relatives. Anxious and angry family members had been clinging to hope their loved ones might still be found alive inside the doomed M/V Princess of the Stars, which capsized and sank Saturday when it got caught in the path of a typhoon. But with blame flying over how the 24,000-ton ferry was allowed to set sail with the storm looming, shaken rescue divers said they had discovered the worst when they finally worked their way into the submerged ship yesterday. ”There are still many dead inside,” said one, who declined to give his name, coming back to his coast guard rescue boat from the wreck off the central island of Sibuyan. He said one body was found on the bridge, wearing the uniform of a crewman �” and still clutching the ship’s radio in his hand. Philippine civil defense chief Anthony Golez said 57 people had survived the sinking, one of the worst maritime disasters in the country’s history �” some of whom made it onto lifeboats.But many passengers reportedly had little time to react when the vessel, trapped when typhoon “Frank” suddenly changed path, began tilting and then quickly capsized off the central island of Sibuyan. It reportedly developed engine trouble while trying to make it to safety. There have been reports from local officials of dozens of survivors being found in nearby islands, but coast guard officials said they had yet to confirm those accounts. In Manila, from where the boat set sail on Friday night, navy spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Edgardo Arevalo confirmed that many bodies were trapped in the vessel but said divers could not yet give more details. ”It was too dark inside to tell how many were children or elderly, but they did say they were mostly floating and they were apparently trapped inside,” he said. Arevalo said the waters were still quite rough, making it difficult to enter and exit the sunken vessel. ”What complicates our problem is how to extricate the bodies. One of the ways they are thinking about is to weigh them down so they can take them out from the bottom of the ship. Another option is to cut the hull,” he said. The tip of the overturned hull is all that remains above water after the tragedy, which was the fourth disaster for the ferry company, Sulpicio Lines, since 1987 �” including the Doña Paz sinking that year which left around 4,000 dead. The government slapped an immediate ban on Sulpicio’s vessels from leaving port on Monday. But the company is one of the largest ferry operators in the Philippines, where people are heavily dependent on ferries to get around the country’s more than 7,000 islands, and said Monday it was still selling tickets. ”We are at a loss as to what really happened,” vice president Sally Buaron said. She said the captain, Florenio Marino, sent a distress call moments before giving the order to abandon ship. A US navy supply ship and surveillance plane are helping with search and Golez said he hoped the Americans would have more sophisticated equipment that could help locate more people. ”As long as there’s small hope that there is an indication that people are still in the waters, we will continue to search,” Golez said. AFP

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Iloilo After Typhoon Frank

Typhoon Frank has devastated the central part of Philippines, Iloilo. Iloilo city acting mayor Jed Mabilog said at least 30,000 residents of Iloilo city are stranded on their rooftops because of the flood. Typhoon Frank hit the province and some part of Negros which caused flash floods and landslides. 14 people were reported dead and forced the evacuation of tens of thousands more into a safe area.

The National Power Corporation was forced to shut down its power plant in the area, triggering a blackout across the province, plant manager Nelson Hemona said.

Roads connecting the southern cities of Cotabato and General Santos were flooded, while a concrete bridge also collapsed, isolating some villages and towns, Catholic-run radio station DXMS reported.

The storm forced over 200,000 people to seek temporary shelter in the eastern Bicol region, the civil defense office said.

Heavy rains battered the Bicol region overnight, and over 600 people were stranded in various seaports there. Full story at ABS-CBN News Online.

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