The Latest Sports News Before February Comes

The Frustrated Sports Analyst has been busy for the past weeks, which is kind of obvious since I only have one blog post for the month of January. With that being said, I still have attuned myself to some sporting news and kept in touch with the latest in the sporting world. So far, here are the good bits I have gathered:

Mexican boxing legend Antonio Margarito has changed his name to what seem to be more like a nickname – The Hands of Stone. Yep! That is his official name and will be called as the Hands of Stone from henceforth. But to his family, he will still be Tonio.

The Hands of Stone got it going with Shane Mosley as the first mega bout in 2009. While the Hands of Stone is durable, he was proven no match against Mosley in a nine-round demolition of the Iron Man myth that was Antonio Margarito. Noth fighters performed well, but it was Mosley who came out the better man. No doubt a classic bout and a contender for the Fight of the Year honors.

Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton will finally end together inside the four-sided ring after all. After a series of disputes with the pocket shares, the two camps finally agreed on a 58-42 profit sharing, with the best of the slice going to Pacquiao. The mega bout between the PacMan and Hitman happens on May 2, 2009 in Las Vegas.

The All-Star Season is in the air, but a lot of A-class players have not been included in the stellar list, including Tony Parker, Dirk Nowitzki, Pau Gasol, and Vince Carter. How can the selection team miss any of these players when their performances, individual and as a team player, are worth the nods for the All-Star selection? Sure, the young guns are taking the floor now, but they still have to prove themselves against these guys if they really want to be deemed as All-Stars.

Tennis superstar Roger Federer seemed to have his supernova snuffed by the younger and hungrier Rafael Nadal during last year’s major tournaments. And all have expected Federer to fade away. But with a commanding series in the 2009 Australian Open, where he will face his rival Nadal in the Finals.

Prior to reaching the finals, Federer had to oust Andy Roddick, the player with the most number of aces in the tournament.