By Frank Malilong
The Other Side

THERE goes the goat.

Hours before Manny Pacquiao fought David Diaz in Last Vegas last Sunday, the Los Angeles Times reported an incident during a news conference in which the fight’s promoters established what the paper described as a new “high (low?) for gimmicks.”

“Diaz, a big Chicago Cubs fan,” wrote LA Times columnist Bill Dwyre, “was told that there would be a goat on hand, that it would represent the famous curse of the goat that Cubs fans often point to as the reason their team has been generally worthless and that were he to win the fight, the curse of the goat would be off.”

Diaz was, however, informed of the plan only minutes before the goat was brought out and, wanting no part of it, headed for the men’s room.

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CEBU CITY (2nd Update, 1:17 p.m.) — Filipino national boxing hero Manny Pacquiao proved to be more lethal than defending WBC lightweight champion David Diaz when he made history Saturday night (Sunday noon RP time) by winning his fourth division title with a ninth-round knockout victory at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.

After landing a right on the face of Diaz, Pacquiao connected a quick left from out of nowhere to the jaw of the Mexican-American, who kissed the canvas 36 seconds into the ninth stage. (more…)

Francisco Lorenzo of the Dominican Republic won the interim WBC super featherweight title after Mexican Humberto Soto was disqualified by referee Joe Cortez.

Soto punished Lorenzo right from the start and downed Lorenzo twice in the fourth round, but, according to the referee, the fighter from Tijuana, in the second knockdown, continued to hit Lorenzo when the latter was already going down.

Cortez and other ring officials spent several minutes consulting each other before disqualifying Soto.

The controversial win improved Lorenzo’s record to 33-4, while the loss dropped Soto to 43-7-2.

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