Boxing's Little Icons Prep For Duel

Mayweather fends off Hatton with big blows in the 10th

(NEWSER) - Floyd Mayweather Jr. defended his welterweight crown against British challenger Ricky Hatton last night in 10 rounds. The 147-pound champion showed more punching than dancing, as Hatton kept on the offensive—contrary to the predictions that the bout would be a boring one. Before an overwhelmingly British crowd, Mayweather came through on his guarantee of a knockout. More»

Pacquiao holds onto welterweight title, but Marquez protests decision

(NEWSER) - Manny Pacquiao narrowly survived his third fight with Juan Manuel Marquez in last night's battle for the welterweight title, winning two out of three scorecards to retain his championship, reports the AP . Pacquiao's aggression was evenly matched by Marquez's counterpunching, and many thought Marquez deserved the win—the results were greeted with boos and bottles and cans flying at the ring. More»

Pacquiao fight raises excitement in the sport

(NEWSER) - Last night's big fight between Manny Pacquiao and “Sugar” Shane Mosely turned out to be a dud, with Pacquiao winning an easy decision, reports AP . But the fight had generated much buzz, leading Atlantic to ponder whether the sport might be ready to burst back into the mainstream. Some pros:

• Sports are global now: Sure, there aren’t any dominant Americans, but these days American fans follow English soccer teams and root for baseball stars like Ichiro Suzuki and Albert Pujols.
• The Internet: Newspapers don’t cover boxing anymore, but you can get plenty of news—and video—online.
• Pacquiao: He’s at the top of the sport, he’s exceedingly likeable, and has a rapid-fire style that’s a joy to watch. As his biographer once said, Pacquiao “has essentially been carrying the sport on his back.”

The big names who've gotten in hot water overseas

(NEWSER) - Robin Williams’ comment to David Letterman last week that “Australians are basically English rednecks” set off quite a chain reaction—the Australian prime minister is mad at Williams, and the Alabama governor is mad at the Australian PM for implying Alabamians are the real rednecks. The Daily Beast rounds up a dozen more diplomatic scandals in the celebrity world:

• Adam Carolla: The Filipino people weren’t too happy last week when the comedian railed about boxer Manny Pacquiao being the only thing the country has to offer: “They got this and sex tours, that’s all they have over there. Get your shit together, Philippines. Jesus Christ. I mean, again, it’s fine to be proud of your countrymen. But that’s it? That’s all you got?”
• Richard Gere: When he kissed Celebrity Big Brother winner Shilpa Shetty in 2007, protesters in India shouted “Death to Shilpa Shetty!” and burned effigies of Gere.

80-year-old widow a candidate in dictator hubby's stronghold

(AP) - Former first lady Imelda Marcos filed her candidacy for next year's congressional elections in the Philippines, joining the country's boxing champion and the outgoing president in the star-studded race for the lower house. Strongman Ferdinand Marcos' flamboyant 80-year-old widow, who has successfully fought off more than 900 civil and criminal cases against her and is best known for her extensive shoe collection, will run in Illocos Norte, her husband's northern stronghold, where she is popular. More»