ALLAN THE MAN

"Beat China." This was the advice given by former NBA star Yao Ming to the Philippine national basketball team, Smart Gilas Pilipinas, seeking an end to the decades-long World Championship and Olympic drought.

Yao made the statement at the press conference on Philippines-China Friendship Games on Sunday at the Grand Ballroom of the Solaire Hotel and Casino near the Mall of Asia grounds in Pasay City.

The 7-foot-6 Yao, who played nine meaningful seasons with the Houston Rockets in the NBA, including the last few years where he was hobbled by various injuries, then withheld from giving more tips, saying it will end up spilling the beans to China's secret to success.

Philippine national men’s basketball coach Chot Reyes will tap members of the SMART-Gilas Pilipinas cadet pool to join PBA players when the squad takes on the Shanghai Sharks.

The Philippines will play the Sharks, a Chinese Basketball Association club co-owned by former NBA star Yao Ming, in exhibition matches on May 6 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena and on May 7 at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum.

Members of the senior pool from PBA clubs that are no longer in contention in the Commissioner’s Cup will banner the squad. Gabe Norwood and Jeff Chan of Rain or Shine, Gary David and Japeth Aguilar of GlobalPort, and June Mar Fajardo of Petron will be joined by senior pool members Marcus Douthit and Greg Slaughter.

The SMART-Gilas Pilipinas squad battled back from a double-digit fourth quarter deficit to force the tie in what was the first public appearance of the latest incarnation of the national team.

The PBA All-Stars promised to provide a challenge for the Gilas team preparing for the FIBA Asia Championship, and they made good on it. Arwind Santos, who won co-Most Valuable Player honors for the game, led the selection to a hot 9-2 start to begin the game.

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Floyd Mayweather Jr. put on a boxing clinic as he thoroughly outclassed Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero in their 12-round welterweight clash Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas (Sunday morning in Manila).

Mayweather found his rhythm early in the fight, landed his straight right hand with regularity, and neutralized Guerrero’s offense on his way to a clear unanimous decision victory.

The three judges scored the bout 117-111 across the board.

Mayweather remains undefeated in his professional career, extending his winning streak to 44 fights.

Mares floored Ponce De Leon in round two via a combination, and used his boxing to control the bout in the middle rounds. But Ponce de Leon got back into the fight by pressuring and pushing Mares, especially in round eight.

In round nine, during a close exchange, Mares connected on a crushing over-hand right that sent Ponce de Leon hard to the canvas. Ponce de Leon beat the count, but was still clearly groggy and Mares went for the kill as he unloaded hard shots while Ponce de Leon was pinned against the ropes.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs Robert Guerrero Boxing Match: Unbeaten Floyd Mayweather Jr. returns to the ring after a year’s absence that included a jail stint on Saturday, risking his World Boxing Council welterweight title against southpaw Robert Guerrero.

Mayweather, 43-0 with 26 knockouts, went to jail last June for domestic violence and since his release eight months ago has been working to regain the fitness needed to defend his place atop the list of boxing’s moneymakers.

But fellow American Guerrero, 31-1 with 18 knockouts and a 15-fight win streak dating to 2005, sees himself as having been given this opportunity in order to humble Mayweather by inflicting the first loss of his career.