Rod Nazario passes
By Nick Giongco
Rod Nazario, the former business manager of Manny Pacquiao, and widely recognized as the man who gave the current pound-for-pound king his break on US soil, passed away at the age of 74 on Thursday morning at the Perpetual Help Hospital in Las Pinas, Metro Manila. Nazario, who became involved in the fight game during the time of Tanny Campo in the 1950s, had been diagnosed with lung cancer last year. Nazario even celebrated his birthday last Sept. 12 and over the weekend, Pacquiao dropped by the hospital and wished him well. Pacquiao was under the tutelage of Nazario from 1995 until 2005 and it was in June 2001 when Pacquiao made his American debut after Nazario negotiated that he be given the chance to fight underneath an Oscar De La Hoya headliner at the MGM Grand. Nazario was at ringside when Pacquiao knocked out Ricky Hatton last May in Las Vegas. Fightnews would like to express its condolences to the family of Nazario.
Alexey Chirkov passes
By Alexey Sukachev and Andrey Bazdrev of Fightnews
Fightnews is sad to report that well-known Russian middleweight and Perm beloved son Alexey “Ferocious” Chirkov has tragically died this Monday in his hometown. An unexpected cardiac seizure is called to be a cause of this shocking death. Chirkov was five months short of his 30th birthday.
Charles E. Lomax 1924-2009
Charles E. Lomax, the first African American to become a partner at the powerhouse law firm of Sidley & Austin and later general counsel for legendary promoter Don King where he helped negotiate some of the biggest contracts in boxing, televised-sports and entertainment history, died on Sunday at Hospice by the Sea in Boca Raton, Fla. Mr. Lomax had battled pancreatic cancer for over two years. He was 85.