Manny Pacquiao and Coach Freddie Roach voted the Best

Manny Pacquiao and Coach Freddie Roach voted the Best

By Media report on Doghouse Boxing (Mar 26, 2009)

HOLLYWOOD, CALIF. (March 26, 2009) – Boxing’s No. 1 pound for fighter MANNY PACQUIAO and No. 1 pound for pound trainer WORLD-FAMOUS FREDDIE ROACH, were named 2008 Fighter of the Year and Trainer of the Year, respectively, by the Boxing Writers Association of America. Pacquiao and Roach, boxing’s dynamic duo, were honored for a year that can only be described as Henry Armstronesque. The Pinoy powerhouse captured the WBC super featherweight title by defeating Juan Manual Marquez and the WBC lightweight title by knocking out defending champion David Diaz. Pacquiao’s stoppage of Oscar De La Hoya, fought at the welterweight limit was the historic exclamation to a great year. Armstrong, the great Hall of Famer, is best known for being the only man in boxing history to hold three world titles simultaneously, a feat he accomplished 71 years ago when he won world titles at featherweight, welterweight and lightweight (in that order) during a nine-month span between November 1937 and August 1938.

For Pacquiao, this is his second Edward J. Neil Award in three years while Roach becomes the first three-time winner of the Futch-Condon Award.

“It’s always nice to be recognized for doing a good job. I appreciate it a lot,” Roach told the Los Angeles Times. “We worked hard on making Manny a better fighter, and I think he was last year.”

In a further nod to Armstrong, Pacquiao will be moving down in weight to challenge junior welterweight champion Ricky Hatton for his fifth sanctioned world title in as many different weight divisions. Their world championship rumble will take place Saturday, May 2 at the MGM Grand and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View.

Regarding the upcoming rumble with Hatton, Roach added: “I told Manny I would be extremely disappointed if this fight goes past the third round.”

Pacquiao vs. Hatton "The Battle of East and West," presented by Rockstar Energy Drink and promoted by Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions, in association with MP Promotions and Hatton Promotions, is a 12-round bout for Hatton's IBO and Ring Magazine World Junior Welterweight titles. The fight is also sponsored by Cerveza Tecate and Southwest Airlines. Remaining tickets, priced at $1,000, $750, $500, $300 and $150, can be purchased through Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 or www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets are also available online at www.mgmgrand.com.

The Pacquiao vs. Hatton pay-per-view telecast, beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT, has a suggested retail price of $49.95, will be produced and distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View and will be available to more than 71 million pay-per-view homes. The telecast will be available in HD-TV for those viewers who can receive HD. HBO Pay-Per-View is the leading supplier of event programming to the pay-per-view industry. For Pacquiao vs. Hatton fight week updates, log on to www.hbo.com.
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