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Melvin Jerusalem vows to end PHL’s world title drought in boxing
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Before Filipino boxers lost devastatingly in Japan, there was one who stood out and went on to become a world champion. He’s no other than Melvin “Gringo” Jerusalem, who wrested the World Boxing Organization (WBO) world minimumweight title in the hands of erstwhile champion Masataka Taniguchi. Jerusalem did it in a.....»»
Kara-France, Albazi clash in UFC Fight Night
The winner between Kai Kara-France and Amir Albazi in UFC Fight Night main event fight on Sunday at the Apex in Las Vegas will end up challenging champion Brandon Moreno......»»
‘Redeem Team?’
Whether the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas admits it or not, the preparation of Gilas Pilipinas for the 32nd Southeast Asian Games is very problematic. Dubbed the “Redeem Team” for its ultimate goal of reclaiming the gold medal in the biennial meet, Gilas Pilipinas struggled to launch its training program as most of its players were still playing in the finals of the Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup. Gilas kicked off their training program on a promising note. Although cornerstones Japeth Aguilar and June Mar Fajardo were not around, the majority of the pool members showed up led by naturalized players Justin Brownlee, Jamie Malonzo, Christian Standhardinger, and Jeremiah Gray as well as Roger Pogoy, Calvin Oftana, Aaron Black, Marcio Lassiter and Kevin Alas. There were also some new faces in Mike and Ben Phillips, and Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser as well as returning pool members Mason Amos and Schonny Winston. For good measure, Gilas coach Chot Reyes invited defensive lynchpin Sean Anthony to provide an additional warm body that would give him a chance to study the combinations that he will use in the tourney that is set in Phnom Penh from 5 to 17 May. It wasn’t perfect, but it was a good start. Everybody was in high spirits. But not for long. When Reyes called another training session, only seven players confirmed, prompting him to call off the supposedly once-a-week workout. Reyes called another training last Monday and only 11 players from the 28-man pool attended. The following day, Gilas convened anew and the same faces — except for Lassiter who had to fly to the United States — were in attendance, giving Reyes and his coaching staff the “luxury” of holding scrimmages and running through the plays. “That’s a luxury,” Reyes said in a report. “We get every opportunity that we have to form a team of at least 10 players then we go out and hold a practice session.” Reyes also branded the development of having at least 10 players as “real progress.” “But at least we were able to put in some offensive things, defensive concepts, and there’s some real progress that is being made.” Luxury? Progress? If your national team is preparing for a major international event that will open two weeks from now with only 10, or 11 players, then you have a big problem. For a country that eats, drinks, and sleeps basketball, losing the SEA Games gold medal is a crime. Failing to win it the following year, however, is a mortal sin. The Filipinos have been ruling the men’s basketball event of the SEA Games with an iron hand. In fact, before losing the gold medal in the Hanoi edition of the Games in 2022, the only times that they didn’t win the SEA Games title since the event was held in 1977 were in 1979 and 1985. And their wins were not just simple victories. It was a massacre, total devastation made by a team usually composed of college kids, journeymen, and amateur stars. The Philippines was so dominant that universities and clubs in Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia were lining up just to “import” Filipino coaches who could teach them the basics of the game. But those days are gone. Since the emergence of the Asean Basketball League in 2009 and the explosion of social media and other online platforms, other Southeast Asian countries have discovered the formula for how to beat the Filipinos. They opened their eyes and started hiring international coaches and technical instructors while naturalizing foreign-born players to reinforce them in major events. Believe it or not, when Indonesia shocked the Philippines in the SEA Games final last year, it wasn’t represented by some skinny kids from Sulawesi or Sumatra. They were reinforced by United States-trained Marques Bolden, Derrick Michael Xzavierro, and Brandon Jawato with Serbian head coach Rajko Toroman manning the bench. The war in Phnom Penh is just two weeks away. While reigning champion Indonesia is deep in its training in Australia, Gilas Pilipinas is still figuring out how to put at least half of its 28-man pool on the floor. That’s a real problem. When the team for the SEA Games was formed, fans and media were quick to baptize it with a neat moniker of “Redeem Team” as it was armed with a mission of reclaiming the lost jewel in the country’s crown — the men’s basketball title. But with the way things are going, Gilas Pilipinas will be fortunate to make it to the semifinals. The post ‘Redeem Team?’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
TNT bags title
Mikey Williams saved his best for last and carried TNT to a historic first-ever championship in the Philippine Basketball Association Governors' Cup as the Tropang Giga finished the best-of-seven championship Friday night with a 97-93 win over Barangay Ginebra. Williams put on a shooting clinic, hitting nine treys and finishing the game with 38 points as the Tropang Giga completed their date with the destiny of finally winning the season-ending tournament in front of 13,558 fans at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. While TNT captured its first Governors' Cup, head coach Jojo Lastimosa and Calvin Oftana also cherished the moment of winning the first championships of their respective careers. Winning a title right in his first conference as a mentor, Lastimosa joined the elite cast of coaches to win just in their maiden conference. His feat enabled him to join Narciso Bernardo (1984 First All-Filipino Conference, Crispa), Chot Reyes (1993 All-Filipino, Coney Island), Eric Altamirano (1997 All-Filipino, Purefoods), Ryan Gregorio (2002 Governors' Cup, Purefoods) and Joel Banal (2003 All-Filipino, TNT) as debuting tacticians who struck paydirt right away. Oftana, on the other hand, won his first championship as a PBA player. Plucked from NLEX in the mid-season in a trade involving top overall rookie pick Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser and veteran forward Troy Rosario, Oftana immediately became an impact player for the Tropang Giga. In Game 6, the Tropang Giga battled foul trouble in the early goings with Poy Erram and Calvin Oftana each nursing three fouls in the first half as Barangay Ginebra played with much sense of urgency and dictated the tempo, leading by as many as 11 points, 44-33, on Scottie Thompson's two free throws with 4:17 left before the half time break. But the first half was practically a one-man show for Mikey Williams, who torched the nets for 26 points and hit seven-of-12 shots from beyond the arc to keep the Tropang Giga in the thick of the fight. Williams' 26 points in the first half were the most by a local player in the first half since Game 2 of the best-of-seven championship series between TNT and Rain or Shine in the 2015 Commissioner's Cup when Jayson Castro pumped in 27 points. Castro, a seven-time PBA champion, is still playing for the Tropang Giga, but his role has diminished as the franchise's sixth man. A scoring champion two years ago, Williams, a Finals Most Valuable Player when TNT last won the title in the 2021 Philippine Cup, also had 26 points in the second half of TNT's 98-106 loss to Magnolia in Game 3 of their 2021 Philippine Cup best-of-seven championship series. Willaims had taken over in the first half as import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson acted more like a facilitator, giving the local players good looks to the basket. Hollis-Jefferson, the newly-minted Best Import, scored 11 points and grabbed seven rebounds, but could only make three of his 10 shots from the field in the first 24 minutes of play. The post TNT bags title appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Mark Magsayo falters in WBC interim title bid vs Brandon Figueroa
CEBU CITY, Philippines— Boholano and former world champion Mark “Magnifico” Magsayo faltered in his bid to win the World Boxing Council (WBC) interim world featherweight title against Brandon “The Heartbreaker” Figueroa via unanimous decision on Saturday (Sunday Manila Time) at the Toyota Center in Ontario, California. The defeat means that Magsayo’s chance of reasserting himself […] The post Mark Magsayo falters in WBC interim title bid vs Brandon Figueroa appeared first on Cebu Daily News......»»
Magsayo guns for first win since losing world crown
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Former World Boxing Council (WBC) world featherweight champion Mark “Magnifico” Magsayo had to tip the weighing scales twice before getting the contracted weight for his WBC interim title showdown against Mexican-American Brandon Figueroa. The fight will be held tomorrow (Sunday Manila Time) at the Toyota Arena in Ontario, California, United States. […] The post Magsayo guns for first win since losing world crown appeared first on Cebu Daily News......»»
Magsayo eyes return to throne
Mark Magsayo is likely to face No. 1 contender Brandon Figueroa for the interim WBC featherweight title at a still undetermined venue in March this year with the winner elevated to the throne once champion Rey Vargas decides to vacate and focus on the 130-pound division......»»
National Taekwondo travels to Greater Rome; Find Olympic Points
The Choosing taekwondo Led by world medalists Carlos Sansoris s Brandon Plaza As well as the All-American Champion Daniela Souza, He travels to Europe on.....»»
Joshua Pacio set for trilogy fight vs Yosuke Saruta in title defense
Pacio is the only reigning Filipino world champion in the Singapore promotion with former titlists Eduard Folayang, Geje Eustaquio, Honorio Banario, Kevin Belingon and Brandon Vera all giving up their belts......»»
Bhullar ends Vera& rsquo;s reign at ONE: DANGAL
Brandon “The Truth” Vera’s reign as the ONE Heavyweight World Champion came to a screeching halt at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. .....»»
Bhullar Plans to show the world he& rsquo;s better than Brandon Vera
Indian wrestling champion and rising heavyweight talent Arjan “Singh” Bhullar has waited a long time for the opportunity to challenge reigning ONE Heavyweight World Champion Brandon “The Truth” Vera for the world title......»»
Vera, Bhullar all set for colossal clash
Reigning ONE Heavyweight World Champion Brandon “The Truth” Vera and top contender Arjan “Singh” Bhullar both exhumed confidence in the lead-up to their World Title clash. .....»»
Reinvigorated Vera vows to turn back clock
Reigning ONE Heavyweight World Champion Brandon “The Truth” Vera is still going strong at the tail end of a long and glorious career. .....»»
ONE Heavyweight Champ Brandon Vera talks fatherhood, family life, and fighting
It’s not easy being a world champion, also one of the most dominant fighters in a global martial arts organization like ONE Championship, and balancing that with personal life. For reigning ONE Heavyweight World Champion Brandon “The Truth” Vera, this has become extra challenging, having become a new father after welcoming his son Atreyu Timothy […] The post ONE Heavyweight Champ Brandon Vera talks fatherhood, family life, and fighting appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Vera breaks down Bhullar& rsquo;s game plan ahead of heavyweight title defense
Reigning ONE Heavyweight World Champion Brandon “The Truth” Vera is ready to face the toughest challenge in ONE Championship so far......»»
Vera Training with Aung La N Sang, excited to Rodtang in front of US Audience
Reigning ONE Heavyweight World Champion Brandon “The Truth” Vera is deep in training, preparing for his next title defense......»»
Vera reacts to Aliakbari KO: Worry about that person standing in front of you
Reigning ONE Heavyweight World Champion Brandon “The Truth” Vera is deep in training, preparing for his upcoming world title defense, but had enough time to spare to catch ONE Championship’s latest blockbuster event last Friday night, ONE: FISTS OF FURY II......»»
Aliakbari, 3 others want shot at Vera
ONE Heavyweight World Champion Brandon “The Truth” Vera will watch closely when ONE Championship rolls out the previously recorded ONE: FISTS OF FURY II set for this Friday, March 5. .....»»
Vera shares experience on The Apprentice
Reigning ONE Heavyweight World Champion Brandon “The Truth” Vera is among a handful of martial arts superstars to guest on upcoming reality television show, “The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition.”.....»»
Mixed martial artist champ Vera is Holcim& rsquo;s brand ambassador
Building solutions provider Holcim Philippines, Inc. has partnered with mixed martial arts organization ONE Championship and its heavyweight world champion, Brandon “The Truth” Vera, for a campaign to highlight the company’s strong legacy of excellence in helping partners build important structures in the country......»»