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At 135 lbs, Pacquiao deadlier, says Roach
Nick GiongcoLOS ANGELES — It appears that Manny Pacquiao has already dotted the Is and crossed the Ts in anticipation of a rough and tumble duel with David Diaz next week and the remaining seven days of training should be dedicated to the fine-tuning of the game plan for next week’s slambang slugfest at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.
After raising the number of sparring rounds to over 120 following Tuesday’s session at the Wild Card Boxing Club, Pacquiao will have to taper off when he works out for just eight rounds on Thursday (Friday in Manila).
Freddie Roach, however, is uncertain if he can join in the training owing to a bad case of cough and colds that he contracted after Pacquiao suffered from it upon returning from San Francisco.
Pacquiao, who began training under Roach at the Wild Card on May 13, has since recovered and has been making heads turn anew with less than a week before he aims to knock the World Boxing Council (WBC) lightweight crown off Diaz’s head.
Speaking to the international media during a teleconference call held on Wednesday, Pacquiao said he is optimistic that his speed and power will not abandon him on fight night.
"I don’t believe Diaz is stronger than me. I believe I am stronger than him," said Pacquiao, who is also bidding to become a four-division world champion and the first Filipino to capture the world 135-lb title.
"I can eat more than when I was preparing to make 130 lbs. In the past, when I was trying to make 130 lbs, I was tired from not eating and I felt less powerful. Now that I can eat a bit more, I believe I have more energy."
The past three years, Pacquiao has fought in the super-feather division of 130 lbs and has encountered some difficulty getting down to that weight in his last two assignments, against Marco Antonio Barrera and Juan Manuel Marquez.
Roach is also of the opinion that at lightweight, Pacquiao is going to be deadlier.
With 10 days remaining before the Diaz battle, personalities who matter most to Pacquiao have started to arrive from the Philippines.
On Wednesday night, the fighter was at the LAX Airport to welcome his wife Jinkee, who flew in via Philippine Airlines along with twin sister Janet and a couple of associates as well as three Manila-based scribes.
Pacquiao hadn’t seen Jinkee since the second week of May and as in the past, the 29-year-old southpaw asked to be driven from his apartment unit at The Palazoo in trendy La Brea to the airport to personally fetch his wife.
Another wave of Pacquiao’s followers are coming in this weekend, including Cebu confidant Wakee Salud and restaurateur Demy Dizon of Harbor View. More are expected to follow straight to Las Vegas, some of whom are high-ranking politicians.
Pacquiao will have another sparring session this Saturday and will likely have his last sparring session either Monday or Tuesday.
On Monday, Pacquiao and Diaz will be on hand in nearby Santa Monica for a press conference hosted by Top Rank head Bob Arum. From there, Pacquiao and the 32-year-old Diaz will proceed to Sin City where they will be welcomed formally on Tuesday at Mandalay Bay.
Pacquiao, making his 14th fight on US soil, is the overwhelming favorite going into the scheduled 12-rounder in front of a huge crowd at the 12,000-seat Events Center.
Diaz, who hails from Chicago, has promised to shock the world with a victory over the fighter considered today as the best in the world pound for pound.