I hadn't been to London since 2009, but I went to visit/meet my mother-in-law for the first time over Thanksgiving weekend. My new mother-in-law is fantastic! I honestly couldn't have gotten any
luckier. It was a great few days, full of wonderful food and company.
Can't wait to go back!
After a few days in Shevington (i.e. near Wigan) my husband and I went to London. We stayed in Leicester Square while in London (i.e. which is the equivalent of Times Square in New York City)... When did all the casinos pop up? It's almost like the Las Vegas Strip now...
Coincidentally, there was added excitement that Saturday night, since Ricky Hatton was back in the ring fighting a Ukrainian in Manchester. I'd never actually watched Hatton fight before. I was in Vegas on December 8, 2007 when Hatton fought Floyd Mayweather. Specifically, I was sitting in the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino's sportsbook watching a bunch of men from the UK lay some late money on Hatton. Needless to say, those men and Hatton lost that night and they would've lost if they bet the same way for Hatton's comeback fight. Hatton was knocked out by Vyacheslav Senchenko in the 9th round.
Hatton's boxing comeback is/was over. As for London, I'll be back... Lastly, MTV has Geordie Shore (i.e. the UK equivalent of Jersey Shore) over there?!!? Really?!?! Who knew... THE WIRK
In early December I ran out to Bali again. My friend was in town from the US, and there was another group of friends from Singapore that were out celebrating another friend's birthday. What better place to celebrate your birthday, than Bali.
I'm generally a good planner, but I didn't book accommodations early for this trip. I ended up choosing a 1 bedroom villa at Danoya, because it had its own private pool and was two levels (i.e. had stairs). I have always liked stairs. Further, even though the property didn't have a restaurant on-site, the villa had a kitchen and it was nice to have a couple of people come over and make breakfast. I enjoyed the mee goreng (i.e. noodles) one morning and the nasi goreng (i.e. rice) another morning.
**** My friends stayed at Villa Massilia and it appeared that the party of about 20 people had the complex to themself.
On Friday night, I went out to Ku De Ta for drinks and a quick bite. There I met Sanaz and her husband. We share mutual friends and they had been traveling throughout SE Asia, so it was a treat to meet and chat. Another thing that was cute was that Sanaz and I carried the same Chanel handbag!
Saturday, was spent lounging by the pool and with friends.
Sunday, before running around and showing my friend, Taiwanna, the sites I had to watch the Margarito v Cotto boxing match. As the fight was starting, there was a knock on the door and the hotel staff asked us if we needed help with our luggage. OK, most people may consider this rude ~ but I knew I was already overstaying my welcome and there was a driver waiting for us so we could see the sites.
After checking out, I asked the driver to please take us to a bar so we could watch the fight. Within 10 minutes we were at a bar and taking in all the action from the ring! Talk about a good driver, and lucky man since he was able to watch the fight as well. Miguel Cotto won the fight, and Margarito lost AGAIN. Honestly though... What's it going to take for Antonio Margarito to stop risking his vision?!!?
Anyway, another great trip with some sports (i.e. even if it was only on TV)...
After the fight we went to UC Silver (i.e. took a tour and stopped in the shop). I was determined to check out the store since I'd seen so many ads. Admittedly, I'm not a silver person, but I was taken in by the design and the dragonfly.
We were greeted by a gentleman who gave us a tour. It was a public holiday so there weren't many people working.
After our tour we went to the store and I discovered that they also sell gold. However, the name of the company IS UC Siler (i.e. and not UC Gold) so I decided to stay true to the name.
Afterwards we visited the Bali Zoo to ride the elephants. Yes, I've done it before... BUT you can never ride too many elephants... Ha!!!
For boxing fans out there in the DC area, I have some good news for you. Yesterday's press conference between Amir Kahn (26-1) and Lamont Peterson (29-1-1) was a sight to see (i.e. standing room only for fans and late arrivers) in the DC area. Representatives from Golden Boy, HBO Boxing, Events DC, and both players' camps spoke at the event.
Especially since this was a local event for both of us, I should've expected to see ESPN's Dan Rafael, but was still surprised to see him again. He and I had met and talked on the plane back from Dallas, after the Antonio Margarito v Manny Pacquiao fight. He told me that I'd be hooked after the fight, and he was right! Since Margarito v Pacquiao I've seen Sergio Martinez knock out Paul Williams, and Pacquiao defeat Shane Mosley. But I digress...
Seeing as that Peterson is from DC, he definitely had hometown advantage... Further, since the fight is being held in DC against Khan, who is currently the unified WBA Super and IBF Light Welterweight Champion, a joke was made that it was "gangster" of Khan to come to DC to fight Peterson in his own house.
It was a packed house at the W Hotel, as media and fans came out to watch the press conference. The Capital Showdown will occur at the DC Convention Center on December 10, 2011. It's the first time in 18 years that HBO has come to DC showcase boxing.
I will admit right now that I'll take Khan in this fight. He's trained by Freddie Roach and Alex Ariza. Both Freddie and Alex are in the Philippines (i.e. or on their way back from the Philippines), where they were training Manny Pacquiao, so they weren't in attendance for yesterday's event.
Fans of Khan and Peterson should follow them on Twitter since both more or less invited their fans to come on out and support them at the presser.
Below are their Twitter details:
Khan: @amirkingkhan
Peterson: @kingpete26
Approximately 12,000 tickets will be sold for the Capital Showdown. In consideration to the fans, it's expected that the the lowest price point is expected to be $25 for the event.
For you heavyweight fans out there Seth Mitchell (23-0-1), from Maryland will also fight on the undercard.
People say that boxing is dead, but judging from the buzz around yesterday's events ~ boxing isn't dead in DC...
A couple of days ago, Floyd Mayweather and Victor Ortiz decided to fight each other on September 17, 2011. Ok. So let's state the obvious. This is not the boxing match that people want to see. Mayweather v Pacquiao would be a dream come true. However, with Mayweather's legal troubles and the inability to agree on terms for drug testing ~ it seems unlikely that the dream match-up will ever occur.
I was at the Pacquiao v Mosley fight in Las Vegas. I'm a Manny Pacquiao fan, but I was bored during that latest match-up.
I watched the Andre Berto v Victor Ortiz fight and was impressed with what I saw. My friend, John, who knows about boxing anticipated that Berto would win that match. Obviously he was wrong and surprised with the outcome of the fight. I remember Berto used the ropes numerous times to stay up against Ortiz. It was a great fight!
I don't know that much about boxing, but I'm curious about the Ortiz v Mayweather match-up... I hope it's a good one.
On another note, I'm in Philly. Yesterday, I stopped by the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Here's a picture of the Rocky statue and I.
Make no mistake. You want me as your friend, but you're even luckier if you have me as your relative. I look out for my people, but I do just about anything for family (i.e. and free dental for the rest of my life). My cousin's son, Mark, graduated from the University of Florida this year and has been accepted into dental school at Columbia University. Mark grew up boxing and when I got tickets to the Shane Mosley v Manny Pacquiao fight, I knew that if he could make it that I'd take him with me. Sure enough. It all worked out.
I met Mark and his friend in Las Vegas and we went to the weigh-in on Friday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. It was a free event, but you had to get there early to have a good seat. James Brown hosted the event and Bob Arum also said a few words.
Here are the photos. If you don't know anything about boxing, you might have thought Mosley had a chance based on the photos.
I had completely forgotten that Victor Ortiz was fighting Andre Berto tonight. I wanted to watch this fight for a couple of reasons. 1) I can't wait for Manny Pacquiao v Shane Mosley and this fight was going to serve as an appetizer, and 2) I have a friend, John, who loves boxing and thinks highly of Berto.
I saw a tweet from Dan Rafael and immediately switched from the Portland Trail Blazers v Dallas Mavericks game to HBO for the fight.
I'm not going to do a post for the fight, but for those of you that want a summary, here are my (Twitter user: TheWirk) round by round Tweets. The most recent ones are towards the top. Enjoy and catch the replay, if you can. It was a good fight!
i was right ~ congrats to ortiz! now back to basketball... #berto v #ortiz
i have #ortiz winning and beating #berto. announce the winner so i can go back to basketball #blazers v #mavs!
fight over - i give it to ortiz #berto v #ortiz
ortiz looks like he's one round away from victory. this is a great appetizer for the #mosley v #pacquiao fight on 5/7! #berto v #ortiz
berto kept backing up until he found the ropes to hold himself up. ortiz bringing the offense. #waitingforbertotofall #berto v #ortiz
i know nothing about scoring boxing, but i have ortiz as the winner so far... #berto v #ortiz
11th to come #berto v #ortiz
berto just hit the mat, but it wasn't a knockdown. we have a slugfest now! #berto v #ortiz
it's the 10th and ortiz just lost one point for the punch to the back of the head... announcers don't seem to agree. #berto v #ortiz
9th round... ortiz keeps hitting berto behind his head ~ the next time he loses a point. #berto v #ortiz
@danrafaelespn you weren't kidding! you can hear the crowd's boos when they show mayweather on tv #berto v #ortiz
berto in corner being told to go for the body. the 8th starts NOW #berto v #ortiz
both guys are def fighting and in it to win it now... berto just did a weeble wobble impression, and did not fall down. #berto v #ortiz
getting ready for the 7th... #berto v #ortiz
berto is bringing the offense now! ooooooooooooh ~ ortiz just knocks down berto! #berto v #ortiz
in the 6th and down goes ortiz! #berto v #ortiz
#mayweather sitting by the ring for #berto v #ortiz... closest he'll be to a ring tonight than he'll be on 5/7 for #pacquiao...
it's the 5th & #ortiz has #berto on the ropes again. announcer says, "berto is fighting this fight like he needs one fight to change it all"
berto told "stop bouncing and start boxing" #berto v #ortiz
berto is using the ropes to stand up #berto v #ortiz
ortiz is going to have this 4th round FOR SURE #berto v #ortiz
ortiz looks to like he's in it to win it. throwing and landing more punches than berto... berto looks tired. #berto v #ortiz
ortiz seems to be smiling in the ring.. def more offense coming from him. #berto v #ortiz
start of the 3rd round... #berto v #ortiz
i think berto better wake up... #ortiz looks like he has more fight in him now... pun intended. oooh ~ #berto just knocked down ortiz!
#ortiz knocked down #berto already... 1st round.
@danrafaelespn omg, thanks for this tweet. i just flipped to the fight! #berto v #ortiz
Where are my fight fans? I have tickets for the Shane Mosley v Manny Pacquiao fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena for sale. If you're interested in them, send me an email to thewirk@gmail.com or comment this post with your contact info. I'll get back to you.
Section 2, Row R, Seat 13 ~ $2000 for the ticket
Section 2, Row M, Seats 5 and 6 ~ $3000 for the pair
Section 219, Row J, Seats 5 and 6 ~ $800 for the pair
Yes, I'll negotiate on price. I'll also trade for the "right" Super Bowl XLV or NBA All-Star ticket...
If you've never seen Manny Pacquiao fight and have been wanting to go to Las Vegas, what are you waiting for?!?!
**** It's no secret that I've recently gotten into boxing. I've always paid attention to the heavy weight fighters, but I recently broadened my scope due to Manny Pacquiao. I even went to Dallas to watch Margarito vs Pacquiao this year. Anyway, I've got a buddy, John, who keeps me in the know on who and what to watch in the ring. I've supplied the pictures for the post, and he's been kind enough to send me his fight wish list for 2011. Enjoy!
THE WIRK
-----------------------
5 Fights I would like to see in 2011
Ignoring the obvious Manny Pacquiao vs Floyd Mayweather fight that may or may not ever happen, here is what I would like to see in 2011.
5. Miguel Cotto vs Andre Berto - This is the signature win that Berto needs to become a credible and deserving challenger to pound for pound king Manny Pacquiao. The faster and more athletic Berto should be able to outpoint Cotto over 12 rounds, this would be a great fight to hold in South Florida.
4. Sergio Martinez vs Andre Ward - Ward should conclude the super middleweight tourney towards the end of this year. Martinez was the breakout fighter of 2010, defeating both Kelly Pavlik and scoring a stunning one punch KO of Paul Williams. The bigger Ward would likely be a slight favorite to win by decision. This is the only really intriguing matchup for Martinez, outside of a fight with Pacquiao.
3. Amir Khan vs winner of Timothy Bradley/Devon Alexander - The winner of this fight (Bradley and Alexander fight in January on HBO) becomes the undisputed champion at 140 lbs, easily the strongest division in the sport. If Khan can overcome either fighter, his star will continue to get brighter. I would look for Khan to outpoint or possibly stop either of these fighters, and go on to fight 2-3 more times this year.
2. Vladimir Klitscho vs David Haye - The only real heavyweight boxing match that would get any attention at all in the United States, outside of the dream matchup between the Klitscho brothers that will never happen. Haye has been loudly harassing both brothers for well over a year now, constantly taunting them in the media. Up to now he has turned down offers for the fight saying the purse has been too small. Fast and athletic with one punch knockout power makes Haye one of the only legitimate challengers. The sport of boxing desperately needs an exciting heavyweight matchup, and right now this all Euro fight is the only thing that qualifies.
1. Manny Pacquiao vs Andre Berto - This presupposes that Pacquiao gets by Shane Mosely, and that Berto notches a signature win this year. I think there will be a clamor to match up Berto and Cotto, and a win there should turn Berto into a very viable challenger for the pound for pound king. With his speed and power Andre Berto is one of the only men capable of giving Pacquiao a legitimate challenge. If this fight could take place in the fall, then it could be a great set-up for Pacquiao's final fight in '12 (either Mayweather or possibly Martinez).
Yesterday I went to Atlantic City for the day. I went up to make some money on the craps table and possibly go and see the fight between Sergio Martinez and Paul Williams at the Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall. I wanted to go since it was "close to home" and it was a rematch. Williams won the first fight, in what has been described as a "controversial decision".
I have never watched the first fight. I was only concerned with the 2nd one.
I was just in Dallas for the Margarito v Pacquiao fight, so I figured I might as well watch the middleweight championship rematch. It didn't hurt that in less than 2hours I was already up $500, so why not throw some money at a fight ticket?!?!
It might have taken longer to pick my seat then actually watch the fight. If not, the pre-fight "hoorah" might have taken longer than the actual fight. After taking and sorting through so many boxing pictures last week, I decided to put the camera down after the 1st round. HUGE MISTAKE. Sergio Martinez and Paul Williams was interesting in the 1st round with both fighters landing punches. They were holding onto each other though, and I thought that was a little lame.
In the 2nd round, Martinez landed his left and KNOCKED OUT Williams. Williams landed on the mat face first and I immediately grabbed my camera and started shooting. Ask me how annoyed I am, that I don't have shots of Williams falling to the mat!?!?! Ugh. Mental note. NEVER put my camera down.
Here are my shots from the fight and a video of the activity in the ring after Williams hit the mat.
Maybe some foreshadowing ~
"Good luck Paul Wiliams" sign in the background
The Argentinian, Sergio "Maravilla" Martinez
Before the fight
Ready to rumble
Williams fighting strong
Tangled up and on the ropes
Martinez running around the ring after landing his knock out left,
Williams, who fell face first, is on the mat
Sergio Martinez, wearing a crown, is lifted up
After the fight, it took a few minutes, but Williams was able to get up and do his post-fight interview. When asked if he remembered what happened, he made some comment about not being able to remember. Next thing you know the announcer showed him a "replay of what happened". WOW. Haha. Talk about "too soon". The man just picked himself up off of the mat, and he gets shown his knockout punch. Funny.
People are saying that Martinez's left to Williams in the 2nd round, might be the knockout of the year. I hope it was, so I can say, "Yes, I was there."
Before I left Atlantic City, I heard a bunch of cheers. Martinez was walking through the casino with his people and everyone was cheering. It was definitely going to be a party for him and his people. About 10 minutes later, as I was walking out, I ran into them again and as he walked by I congratulated him on his knockout. I received, a "Thank you," and a big "knockout" smile in return. If he was a little bit taller, I might have hit the mat also... He's a good looking man...
Hmmm, that reminds me of Pat Benatar's song, "Hit me with your best shot." Here you go!
Last night I went to my 3rd event that the new Cowboys Stadium (i.e I have already hit last season's Cowboys NFC Wildcard game and last season's NBA All-Star game). This time I was there for my first boxing match.
That's right. I'm spoiled. My first fight was in Dallas (i.e. ok, Arlington) and at the new Cowboys Stadium, because I couldn't resist the allure of the Antonio Margarito v Manny Pacquiao fight... I had to watch it LIVE.
As I settled into the scene at the stadium, I took advantage of my prime location to scan the crowd for celebrities. I saw two of the guys from HBO's Entourage series (i.e. Kevin Dillon and Jeremy Piven). I've been at the same place as Kevin Dillon before though, so the novelty has worn off a bit.
Jeremy Piven and I
As for other notables in the crowd, of course Jerry Jones was there. When he walked out next to me, I swear he was with Wade Phillips. I need to look it up, but they walked to the other side of the ring where the media was sitting. I looked at the huge screen, and I still think I'm right about it. I mentioned this to ESPN.com's boxing writer and TV commentator, Dan Rafael, this morning on flight back from Dallas, and he wasn't sure I was right ~ but, I think I am... I'd bet on it.
Here are 2 other pictures that I took during the fight, of the big screen, that show Wade Phillips sitting next to Jerry Jones.
Wade Phillips and Jerry Jones
Looks like Wade Phillips to me
Ok. Enough about that, back to the fight... With a great seat to the fight, and my camera in tow, here are a few of the pictures and the videos I shot.
The Philippine flag and Pacquiao in the ring
You can see Margarito is cut
The punch from Pacquiao that cut Margarito
Margarito on offense
Margarito with a punch to the head
Pacquiao blocking Margarito's punch
Pacquiao's corner in between rounds
My view
Ouch ~ Margarito definitely landed that one
End of the the 11th round, Margarito's right eye is DONE
Told you
Start of the 12th and final round
Manny looked like he let up, but was punching STILL
The end ~ Pacquiao won!
The irony of the poster... Come on, Mayweather ~ let's fight!
The final interview for Margarito, he fought until the end
Pacquiao leaving the ring and walking out of the stadium
Final picture of the night
If you're a boxing fan, you really need to go see Pacquiao fight. He's amazing... "They" weren't kidding when they said, "speed kills".
Those are the best pictures, I took. Hope you enjoyed them.
Now here are the videos from last night's adventure.
Video: Antonio Margarito entering the stadium:
Video: Manny Pacquiao entering the stadium:
Video: Manny Pacquiao unleashing on Antonio Margarito:
Video: End of the fight, Margarito returns to his corner, while Pacquiao is lifted by a team member:
Manny Pacquiao won the WBC junior middleweight title (i.e. his 8th title in an 8th weight class) and I was there to witness this historic event. I saw a quote earlier today on my friend Kathy's facebook page and it struck me. The quote my friend posted was, ""Being realistic is the most commonly traveled road to mediocrity...why would you be realistic...what's the point of being realistic? Fortunately the Wright Brothers didn't believe in being realistic." ~ Will Smith
The last guy I went out with, in Dallas, and I used to debate the virtue of being optimistic v realistic. Yes, I realize that the quote is from Will Smith... However, I have to believe that as a boy in the Philippines, if it wasn't for Pacquiao being hardworking and optimistic, we wouldn't have been treated to such a special talent. Therefore, I'd argue that being realistic is not necessarily a good thing. STILL.
Boxing. I just might be "hooked"...
Like my pictures and videos? Here's the camera I have that I used. I've had this camera for over a year now and I love it. **** For some reason, a little puff of smoke comes out of the top of it, when I shoot pictures. I think it's just because my pictures are HOT!!!! :-P
