The trash talking is just beginning between the camps of Filipino boxing champ Manny ‘Pacman’ Pacquiao and British boxing sensation Ricky ‘The Hitman’ Hatton – particularly between eternal rival coaches Freddie Roach and Floyd Mayweather Sr. but another kind of talk is already underway for another Manny Pacquiao fight – this time with another Mayweather, undefeated pound for pound champion Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Pacquiao has revealed plans to retire after two or three more fights, and he and promoter Bob Arum both prefer he go out with a bang, and there is no better bang than Mayweather. But Pacquiao will once again come to odds with Hatton on this one, as the British boxer has also expressed a desire to avenge his loss to Mayweather, the only black mark in ‘The Hitman’s’ otherwise unblemished record.

The LA Lakers won the first playoff game against the Denver Nuggets, 128-114. However the game wasn’t the story. Was it Kobe Bryant’s electrifying performance (he made 32 points)? According to coach Jackson, “He was not a factor in establishing our lead.

Pau Gasol may have languished in Memphis, but he shined like the sun in Los Angeles. Yes, after so many years as the de facto-leader of the Memphis Grizzlies, and losing all their playoff games, he has finally made one win. And it was a big one, he nearly had a triple double: 36 points, 16 rebounds and eight assists.

“It feels amazing,”� he said. “It feels great. I definitely had a blast out there. Hopefully there’s many more to come.�”

We hope so, too.

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You probably won’t recognize his name unless you are a certified sports fan. Tony Azevedo is said to be the greatest athlete in the world. Experts said that there is no tougher sport than water polo and Tony Azevedo is at the top of that game. He is from Southern California with the looks of a model and with a brain of a genius as he studies in International Relations at Stanford. Water polo may be the hardest sports as experts and athletes testified but a smart and good-looking Tony never fails to sweep sports analysts off their feet as he gets himself so involved with water polo.

Sonics wins 99-95 against the Dallas Mavericks, but leaves Seattle for good.

What a way to end a 41-year NBA history. With the Sonics moving to Oklahoma City next season, most fans were shouting, “Save our Sonics,” with the hope that the owner, Clay Bennett will change his mind. However, according to some insiders, Bennett tried his best to have the Sonics stay but due to financial matters, had to be moved to a smaller arena or market like Oklahoma.

There might still be a chance if the league’s owners decide not to agree to the move. As per Marc Cuban, Dallas Mavericks owner, “It’s not over till it’s over. I’ll vote against it.”

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The Miami Heat might as well be called the Miami Hospital because of the number of players down: Alonzo Mourning, Dwayne Wade, and Dorell Wright all have knee problems. Maybe it’s time to change the trainer of these players as they are obviously getting hurt frequently.

The present? The Miami Heat has the NBA’s worst record, 13-62. The future? Marion can go free agent next season. Is he, like Shaq, leaving as well?

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The Golden State Warriors were leading all the way until Kobe made a game out of it. The Los Angeles Lakers were down 26 points but managed to close it down to one with Kobe’s brilliant shots from the three. Jackson of the GS Warriors admitted that, ”I think we got a little too complacent with that lead. We should have known Kobe was going to come back and take over and bring his team back.” And bring back he did, however, Stephen Jackson had the last say.

Other Golden State notables were Monta Ellis making 31 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists. Baron Davis made 18, and Al Harrington added 13. This made their team 1.5 games above the surging Denver Nuggets for the race for the final eight spot in the playoffs.

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On the other side of the Losing column, the Toronto Raptors have lost seven out of eight games. Both coach Sam Mitchell and Bosh has lamented that his team seems to be hesitant near the endgame.

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Contador’sproblems with the use of performance enhancing drugs is jeopardizing the legacy he has built for himself. It has put into question his past achievements and victories and now he’s even been given sanctions and will not be able to compete for a time. This is a sad turn of events and I’m pretty sure no one’s sadder than Contador himself.

Sports Impact 360 is an initiative by the Singapore Sports Council that aims at providing high-impact marketing channels for companies looking to build brand quality. Available opportunities for corporations include sponsorship of the SSC’s facilities like swimming pools and ClubFitt gyms located island wide at the 20 Sports Recreation Centers; Learn-to-Play programs and awards organized by the sports agency; and “team Singapore” initiatives in regards to major games such as the Asian games and the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The said programs and ventures shoud provide opportunities for product exclusivity, sampling, vending and direct marketing; and the potential market for sponsors is quite enormous.