The Benefits of Boxing

Boxing can be beneficial to anyone who chooses it as their sport. It offers a complex workout that builds endurance, stamina, and physical fitness. The rigorous training you will undertake in boxing will build up your upper (back of the neck, shoulder, biceps and triceps of the arms, and chest) and lower body muscles like the rump muscle, hamstrings at the front and back of the thighs, and also the calf muscles. Another important core covered in boxing training is the abdominal muscles, called the rectus abdominis, and the latissimus dorsi: the muscle that protects your kidneys by covering your abdomen’s middle and lower back area where the kidneys are situated. There is no actual weight lifting in boxing workout, only some weight resistance exercises; this technique produces strong, toned, and well defined muscles without looking bulky.

Additionally, punching can tighten up the abs and strengthen the back, giving you better posture. Not only you will feel good about your physical conditioning, but you will also appreciate how boxing transforms you into a beautiful person inside and out. Boxing can also relieve your stress by channeling your unproductive emotions out of your system as you punch the heavy bag; this can be a great substitute for dealing with other things you would like to punch. You will be oozing with confidence once you step out of the boxing gym because you know that you are ready to face life’s exasperating challenges: both physically and mentally.

What is often overlooked in the Sweet Science is the potential earning from the sport; it is actually the most lucrative of all the benefits from boxing. Championship fights produce millions of dollars every year for prominent pugilists and top promoters in revenues and commercial sponsorships. Earning $12 million in less than six minutes was not bad, as in the case of Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao (considered as boxing’s no. 1 pound-for-pound champion) when he destroyed Ricky Hatton for the latter’s IBO and Ring Magazine light-welterweight title. Prior to that fight, Pacquiao also retired another famous boxer, Oscar De La Hoya, on a welterweight non-title, mega-match up, earning the Pacman $15-$30 million, just in pay-per-view sales alone. This fight registered the second largest gate revenue in boxing history, earning $17 million.

Boxing truly is a warrior sport: to succeed, you have to have determination, skills, and power; and it all starts with a few rounds in the gym.

Sources:

IBA contributors, 2009. “Benefits of Boxing,” Inwood Boxing Academy, http://inwoodboxing.com/BoxingBenefits.html (accessed on September 06, 2009).

Wikipedia contributors, 2009. “Manny Pacquiao,” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manny_Pacquiao (accessed on September 06, 2009).

Are future wars going to be fought over water or will leaders be able to resolve conflicts as they have many times in the past?

Gallup World Report

Considering the continuous droughts in many regions of the world, it is very possible that wars will erupt in the adjoining future over the dispute of fresh and uncontaminated water. The dry and sweltering season of summer does not help the countries in North Africa, the Middle East, the Commonwealth of Independent States, Europe, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean either as they continue to suffer due to shortage of potable water. While majority of the countries in these massive regions reach their target for safe drinking water, others are unfortunate to have such gratification, or shall we say rarity.

Water quality and sanitation conditions are transcendent concerns around the world. Gallup World Poll reports that countries in the Sub-Saharan Africa are far from reaching their target for good quality water due to slow progress, low coverage, and significant disparities between urban and rural areas. Chad, Ethiopia, and Nigeria fall under 30 percent in water quality satisfaction in this region, while Namibia and South Africa rank highest with 90 percent satisfaction rate.

In the Middle East, considered as one of the most water-scarce regions of the world, the regional median percentage of satisfaction with water quality is only 55 percent. Lebanon, Yemen, Jordan, and some Palestinian territories are all under-supplied with palatable water. Water management problems, according to a World Bank report on water shortage in the region, are already transparent and likely to get worse as demand increases: aquifers are over-pumped, water quality is deteriorating, and water supply and irrigation services are often divvied up.

Many residents in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) are acclimatized to water quality issues, where the regional median satisfaction with water quality is 58 percent. Countries like Ukraine, Russia, and Kazakhstan are way below this median range with 26 percent, 30 percent, and 49 percent, respectively.

Of the world’s population of more than one billion people, the United Nations signifies that majority of the residents in East and South Asia lack access to safe drinking water. Although they have similar figures like their sub-Saharan African counterparts, these regions are on track to reach Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target for access to drinking water. From India, Hongkong, Malaysia, to the Philippines, the widespread regional median satisfaction with water quality is 68 percent.

The Western Europe, United States, and Canada regions have the highest satisfaction with water quality of all the populations surveyed by Gallup World Poll: ranging from 87 to 92 percent. Sweden has the highest satisfaction with water potability with an unprecedented 94 percent.

In the water-rich Latin America and the Caribbean region, regional median satisfaction with the water quality is relatively high at 72 percent; but water access in this region is extremely unequal and its vast resources are prone to exploitation and contamination. These inequalities are discernible in the varying levels of satisfaction throughout countries in the region and at the sub-region level. In South America and Mexico, the median satisfaction is 78 percent, while the median is 59 percent for the Caribbean, and 70 percent for Central America.

Water is a prime commodity that every nation on Earth needs for survival and advancement. If water scarcity continues throughout the world, nations affected the worst will become aggressive and demand for equal sharing and distribution: A negative rebuttal from water-rich regions will not be acceptable to these suffering lands and without a doubt, a third world war will befall before our very eyes. The established world leaders must act now to resolve these water quality issues before it is too late; before people murder one another just to guzzle a bottle of water.

Reference:
Gallup World Poll 2008

Boxing showmanship, is it important to have?

Showmanship in Boxing

Boxing, also known as the Sweet Science, has produced some of the best showmen with unrivaled fighting skills in the sport over the years: From Muhammad Ali’s crazy shuffle, Naseem Hamed’s flying acrobats, Floyd Mayweather’s amazing shoulder roll defense, to Manny Pacquiao’s confusing kamikaze style of attack, boxing is never short of gifted pugilists. Although boxers who display showmanship in the ring are exciting to watch, still nothing beats the frightening spectacle of victories won by pure knockout artists like Manny Pacquiao and Edwin Valero. Unlike many showboating, feather-fisted fighters, these two warriors destroy every opponent that they come across in the square circle.

Showmanship has its advantages and disadvantages in boxing. A boxer can have all the great moves and techniques in fighting but if he does not possess knockout power, the X-factor, that can put people on their backs, he is just that-a showman. It will be difficult for such fighter to attain a following of magnitude proportion due to his lack of power: Majority of boxing fans prefer a dangerous puncher over a boring runner. As the maxim goes, a fighter with incredible knockout percentage always has a “puncher’s chance.” When did you hear such foresight on a showboating clown with insignificant power?

There are special fighters who require no extraordinary stagecraft to be recognized as among the elites in boxing: Manny Pacquiao and Edwin Valero. The current pound for pound king, Manny Pacquiao, has taken the boxing world by storm. He started at 106 lbs. (light-flyweight) and now fighting at 140 lbs. (junior-welterweight), gathering six belts in six different divisions along the way. His next fight will be against the current WBO welterweight champion Miguel Angel Cotto of Puerto Rico at a catchweight of 145 lbs. If Pacquiao beats Cotto for his welterweight title, that will make the Pacman the only fighter in the entire boxing history to hold seven titles in seven different divisions. What is even more marvelous is that he has done all these things without splendid showmanship.

Edwin Valero holds a record of 25 wins, all coming by way of knockout, and no defeat. He is the current WBC lightweight champion of the world. Like Pacquiao, Valero’s southpaw stance is a difficult puzzle to solve for his opponents. His rugged style of fighting is far less enticing compared to the stylistic craft of former pound for pound king Floyd Mayweather, Jr. Valero is no showman and yet, he is an undefeated world champion.

Boxing will thrive for generations to come whether fighters exhibit showmanship or not. Styles make fights so many more boxers will emerge to showcase their honed skills and innate power, but not necessarily their stagecraft. Long live the Sweet Science of sports!

The Benefits and the Risks of Aspirin Therapy

Aspirin Tablets

Aspirin is a white, crystalline compound, which is derived from salicylic acid, and is commonly used in tablet form to relieve pain and reduce fever and inflammation. It is also called acetylsalicylic acid. This popular tablet earned the moniker “wonder drug” because of its numerous benefits, especially for people with coronary artery disease, stroke, and transient ischemic attack (a temporary interruption of blood flow to the brain), which often serves as a warning for an imminent stroke.

Doctors recommend the daily usage of aspirin to their patients, elucidating that this therapy can help lower the risk of heart attack and stroke. According to medical experts, aspirin interferes with the person’s blood’s clotting action during a heart attack or stroke; thus preventing the devastating effects of these fatal conditions by reducing the clumping action of blood platelets. Besides the drug’s effectiveness against heart attack and stroke, aspirin is also reported to boost the survival rate of people with colon cancer, as published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

In this study, researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Brigham and Women’s Hospital collectively analyzed the link between aspirin use and survival among 1,279 adults with stage I, II, or III nonmetastatic colorectal cancer, or cancer that had not spread to distant areas. Participants enrolled in the 1980s prior to their cancer diagnosis and agreed to provide updates to the researchers concerning their health conditions. In June 2008, researchers discovered that study participants who reported aspirin use after being diagnosed with colorectal cancer had a 29% lower risk of colorectal cancer death and a 21% lower risk of overall death, compared to non-aspirin users.

• After a heart attack, to prevent another one.

• By people who have coronary artery disease.
• By people with stable angina.
• By people with unstable angina.
• After bypass surgery or angioplasty.
• By people who have had a stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA).
• After surgery to prevent a stroke (carotid endarterectomy).
• By healthy men over age 40 who have one or more risk factors for heart disease, as long as their blood pressure is controlled and the benefits of aspirin are greater than the risks.
• By healthy women over age 65, or women under 65 who have one or more risk factors for heart disease as long as their blood pressure is controlled and the benefits of aspirin are greater than the risks.

Although aspirin offers many benefits, it is not right for everyone. Aspirin’s anti-clotting action can cause unwanted side effects such as stomach bleeding and bleeding in the brain. People with stomach ulcers, a history of gastrointestinal bleeding, blood-clotting disorders, uncontrolled high blood pressure, and liver or kidney disease may need to avoid aspirin. Aspirin should not be taken by people who are at risk for or who have had a hemorrhagic stroke, which is a type of stroke that is not caused by a blood clot but rather by bleeding into and around the brain. People who are sensitive to aspirin should not take it because it can trigger asthma attacks. It is important to consult with your doctor before taking aspirin if you’re already taking prescribed blood thinners, such as Coumadin, because the combined effect of these two drugs could result in bleeding problems.

Recent studies also show that aspirin therapy does not help patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD). Study co-author William R. Hiatt, MD, of the University of Colorado, Denver, stated that “there is no compelling reason to prescribe aspirin” to patients who do not have documented coronary artery disease. He added that it is far from clear if the benefits of aspirin outweigh the risks in the roughly 4 million to 6 million patients with PAD. Cardiologist and study co-author Mori J. Krantz, MD, of the Colorado Prevention Center, expressed that a large, randomized study is needed to fully understand the risks versus benefits of aspirin therapy in patients with PAD. “The benefits of aspirin therapy in coronary artery disease are unequivocal, but we can’t say the same for patients with peripheral artery disease,” he said. “In this era of evidence-based medicine, we owe it to ourselves to adequately study this drug regimen in this population.”

The Opulent Art of Writing: Still Thriving After all These Years

Modern Writing Tool

Writing is not a thing of the past; neither can it be considered a lost art. Everywhere we turn our eyes, we see the very products of the peering mind represented in words. News and articles of exceptional quality still blow our minds away on a daily basis, and we’re not even talking about the best selling authors that we have in our present generation, videlicet Nora Roberts, Ken Follett, and Nicholas Sparks. No, writing is not a dying art.

Blogs of all sorts, and now Twitter, are a popular choice for the masses indeed, specially to the younger generation, but that does not mean that all the sterling writers have switched over to shorthand inscription. These new methods of writing are simply an alternative approach for busy enthusiasts and professionals alike to fleetingly inform and update their friends and followers of their unfolding activities; many times of their consummated adventures and fascinating experiences. It is not a crime to have multiple accounts in WordPress, Twitter, MySpace, and Friendster, to express our thoughts and feelings with just 140 characters (specific limit of a Twitter post). Realistically, a meaningful, shortly written declaration is a lot better than thirty pages of gibberish tale; not to mention the grammatical errors and misspelled words associated therein.

The art of writing will continue to thrive for years to come, whether on paper or on high definition flat screens. Old fashion techniques are still great, but we must realize that we are now in the 21st century, and that writing has come a long way and has taken many different forms and designs. We now have the freedom to invent our own writing style and the choice to categorize ourselves with the prolifics and the geniuses of the blogging world and chimerical social networks. So why not join the revolution?

Writers get paid for the content and substance of the stories and articles they write, not for the length and the allurement of the words they use. Allow the bloggers and social networking habitués to express their writing skills, may it be limited to just 140 characters, and in due time, we will realize their amazing contributions as an integral part of the opulent art of writing. Writing will never die, for as long as there are pens to use, keyboards to tap, and subjects to cover–it will remain with us until all our possible sources are exhausted, and perhaps, that day would never come.

Memphis Tigers still growling over NCAA’s arbitration to rescind team’s Final Four ride

University of Memphis Tigers

The Memphis Tigers men’s basketball team relished a very successful 2007-2008 season, in which the team reached the NCAA Final Four; but everything (all revenues and many accolades) crumbled after the NCAA determined that the Tigers’ star player, Derrick Rose, was ineligible to play for Memphis due to fraudulent SAT scores. Hold it, didn’t NCAA approve and certify Rose’s transcript prior to his inclusion to the powerhouse Memphis Tigers? This reality must not be ignored: it is also the duty and responsibility of the NCAA to ensure that all cagers wanting to participate in its league are screened and investigated thoroughly and accurately before they are authorized to strut their skills in the hard court. Rules are created for proper implementation–that’s what the NCAA seems to have forgotten.

After achieving a noteworthy season, the University of Memphis’ cogent basketball team received a slamming from the NCAA: stripping the club of its record of 38 wins, moreover forcing the Tigers to abdicate their trip to the 2008 championship game. This after the NCAA’s determination of the Tigers’ star player’s, Derrick Rose, ineligibility to play for UM because he has failed to secure a qualifying score on ACT not only once, but thrice. The Educational Testing Services invalidated the SAT scores of Rose, and according to the NCAA, such invalidation put a “strict liability” situation which required the forfeiture of Rose’s 2007-2008 game season. Paul Dee, the former athletic director at the University of Miami who chaired the Committee on Infractions explained via teleconference, “…it was clear that from the time that the testing service canceled the test score, that meant the student-athlete had been ineligible from the very beginning and didn’t require further inquiry or finding…”

The UM’s women’s golf program has also been castigated due to the extra benefits given to the players; resulting in cancellation of two scholarships and the firing of coach Jenny Bruun.The NCAA furthermore issued a three-year probation period to UM’s athletic department to ensure its full compliance of all the NCAA recruiting decorum for all sports programs, not just golf and basketball. An annual report showing the progression of its athletic programs has been asked from the said department, exhibiting complete conformity with the NCAA set standards.

John Calipari, the celebrated coach of the UM Tigers, is unable to evade the probing eye of the NCAA as well. Being recognized as winningest all-time coach, Calipari received $160,000 bonus for establishing an 81% winning record, plus $200,000 for leading the Memphis Tigers to the Final Four in 2007-2008 season. Should the Memphis’ appeal fail, all of Calipari’s earnings will be recouped and his 32 wins over another legendary UM coach Larry Flinch, who tallied 220 victories during his coaching years at the University, will be disestablished. “I’m very disappointed and disheartened by the NCAA’s findings,” declared Calipari on his web site. He added, “I fully support the University of Memphis’ appeal, and until that process is carried through its completion, I will have no further comments on the matter.”

The university legal counsel Sheri Lipman stated, “I am not familiar with the term ’strict liability’ ever used in another NCAA opinion. That’s a new standard to use in this situation, and we believe it should not be used in this situation.” UM President Shirley Raines also repudiated the NCAA’s decision by saying, “While we respect the NCAA process, we disagree with the decision to invalidate the ‘07-’08 men’s basketball season.” Derrick Rose to boot insisted that he “complied with everything that was asked of him…and was ultimately cleared to play in the entire 2007-2008 season by the NCAA clearinghouse and the university.”

Despite the controversies, and punishment imposed on UM athletic programs, the new Tigers’ basketball coach Josh Pastner remains hopeful and assured his new recruits that they would not suffer penalties. He proclaimed to his squad, “We know we’re one of the elite programs in America and nothing has changed on that.”

The NCAA, however, stands firm on their decision to censure the UM for non-compliance and for failure to monitor its student-athlete’s academic qualifications. Hold it again, which clearinghouse approved the eligibility of Derrick Rose, along with the University of Memphis’ consent? Ah, thanks for remembering. One final note: the NCAA needs to review its own protocols so that when it imposes penalties and deprives any university of its accomplishments, those things will not come back to haunt the association. And yes, the Memphis Tigers are still growling while contemplating on another resurgence to glory.

Manny Pacquiao: The True Cash King of Boxing

The True Cash King of Boxing

In just two days, tickets for the anticipated welterweight championship battle between the current pound for pound king Manny Pacquiao and the Boricua Bomber Miguel Angel Cotto, billed as Fire Power, almost sold out; this is not so surprising because Cotto and Pacquiao are two of the best pugilists of the sports today.

Now there is another welterweight fight brewing prior to the Pacquiao-Cotto clash: the Number One/Numero Uno, which features the former pound for pound king Floyd “Money” Mayweather against the current WBA/WBO Lightweight champion Juan Manuel “Dinamita” Marquez. This scrimmage was originally scheduled on July 18, but it was almost scrapped due to Mayweather’s unforeseen rib injury suffered during training. Despite the brief delay, the bout will now push through and it is now scheduled to air on HBO pay-per-view on Sep. 19, in conjunction with the independence day of Mexico. Still…the ticket sales are meager and slow.

Meanwhile the Fire Power match-up of Cotto and Pacquiao does not rely on undercards to sell. It is already perceived and recognized as an important and momentous saga in the history of boxing by most sports pundits even without the supporting bouts. This vintage skirmish is no doubt a best-seller: a novel so engaging that sports fans and HBO subscribers will never miss it even if it costs a fortune.

Floyd Mayweather constantly claims that he is the money-maker: the cash king of the Sweet Science, but figures and results do not lie–both facets point to the real cash king, the true money-maker, Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao. With his historic battle against Miguel Cotto, Pacquiao aims to solidify his legacy even further by capturing his seventh title in seven different divisions; a feat that has not been achieved by any pugilist: not the great Muhammad Ali, not the flashy Sugar Ray Leonard, not the legendary Sugar Ray Robinson, and definitely not the overhyped Money Mayweather.

So who is the certified cash King of boxing? It’s none other than the pound for pound best and the new Golden Boy Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao.

Roach versus Steward, will it happen?

Roach and Steward

Adding more drama to the upcoming championship fight billed as Fire Power between WBO welterweight king Miguel Angel Cotto and pound for pound marquis Manny Pacquiao, International Hall of Fame Trainer Emanuel Steward expressed his desire to train the Puerto Rican gladiator. He even made a bold prediction that there is “no doubt that Miguel would knockout Pacquiao.”

Steward’s audacious prediction is not sweet-sounding to the ears of Pacquiao’s chief handler, the three-time trainer of the year Freddie Roach and the thousands of Pacman fanatics. Essentially, Roach inferred that his fighter has the upper hand and would take the WBO welterweight crown from the champion Cotto similarly by knockout. It is difficult to argue with Roach because his last three predictions in favor of his ward were unnervingly accurate–Nostradamus-like prophecies.

This welterweight match-up would truly be interesting to watch if Steward only gets his wish granted; to be in Cotto’s corner and guide the champion in destroying the world recognized King of Boxing Pacquiao. Imagine seeing Steward and Roach going head to head, brandishing their mastery of the Sweet Science over one another, while Pacquiao and Cotto awe the audience with their superior boxing skills.

Cotto has a greater chance to beat Pacquiao if he hires Steward as his coach for this historic fight, for the simple fact that Steward is a more skilled trainer than the champ’s named coach Jose Santiago; the battle also offers a special opportunity for the entire boxing community to witness the marvelous display of genius coaching and tremendous obeisance between the tandems of Pacquiao/Roach and Cotto/Steward. Will it happen? Only time will tell and we can only hope.

Mayol to fight Calderon anew – gets another shot at glory

The Champ and the Challenger

On September 12, Rodel “Magnum Force” Mayol will get another title shot at unbeaten WBO light flyweight champion Ivan Calderon in the champion’s turf in Hato Ray, Puerto Rico.

In their first duel last June 13, Mayol and Calderon figured in a technical draw at Madison Square Garden in New York, after the referee stopped the fight in the sixth round due to a cut suffered by the champion Calderon, which was a result by an accidental head clash between the fighters.

This will be the fourth attempt of Mayol for a coveted title. His first three pursuit for the elusive boxing crown had been unsuccessful. He lost against Eagle Kyowa and Ulises Solis, and recently earned a draw with Calderon.

With renewed dedication and ferocious training regimen, Mayol is set to make a comeback in September. His training in the Wild Card Gym is being supervised by none other than 2008 Trainer of the Year Freddie Roach and Buboy Fernandez, which gives Mayol a much better chance to snatch the WBO light flyweight belt from the Puerto Rican champ, Ivan Calderon.

Manny Pacquiao: Destined to be Champion of All Champions

Now that the WBO welterweight title of Miguel Cotto will be put on the line on his battle on November 14 against Manny Pacquiao, the Pacman can now focus on building his legacy as the Champion of all champions – the opportunity to become the first ever pugilist to win 7 titles in 7 different divisions.

Although the fight contract has not been signed yet by either fighter, Top Rank’s big honcho Bob Arum already confirmed that the fight would be contested at 145 lbs. and yes, it is now a title bout.

Pacquiao must now keep his eyes on the prize as this will surely seal his legacy as the world’s most elite prizefighter. Cotto is a tough foe to defeat but with proper training and uninterrupted preparation, the Pacman can definitely make history once again on November 14 by handing the Boricua Bomber his second loss in his professional career.

A win by Pacquiao will catapult him to pound for pound supremacy even over his heir-apparent, the former pound for pound Lord Floyd Mayweather, Jr., who is scheduled to do battle with Juan Manuel Marquez on September 19 in a non-title welterweight match. Providing that Pacquiao and Mayweather come out victorious on their separate scheduled matches against rugged and talented oppositions in Cotto and Marquez, respectively, a clash between these two pound for pound warriors looms in the horizon. By then, the boxing world will surely find out who is the real King of boxing – the authentic cash cow of the undying sport of the Sweet Science.