MANILA, Philippines?The Manny Pacquiao-David Diaz title fight is barely a month away, but unlike most of the Filipino boxing icon’s previous bouts, this one doesn’t seem to be generating too much excitement.
Not that the event is lacking in publicity. Almost everything that needs to be written about the fight has been written in the papers and various websites or aired on television.
And yet the nation’s adrenalin has yet to start pumping.
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The other day, James Meneses of Solar Entertainment Corporation, the outfit that recently acquired the rights to the Philippine Basketball Association’s television coverage, sent me through e-mail an article titled “Introducing David Diaz.”
According to James, the person who had collated the materials for the article was Noel Nacianceno, Solar’s information manager whose task was to compile data on a sporting event that would be aired by the outfit on television.
James said it was easy to understand why the fans had been quiet.
“Everybody believes Diaz doesn’t stand a ghost of a chance to win against Pacquiao, who is described in the article as ‘one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in this planet.'”
While Bob Arum believes that there’s no way Diaz will be able to knock out the Pacman, James reminded me that the Mexican-American is a master of upsets.
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Nacianceno was shy about making a prediction. He said he’s only a researcher and not an expert on boxing and he has no right to talk with authority on the matter.
“Twelve years ago, Zab Judah was supposed to represent the United States in the light welterweight division at the Olympics in Atlanta. But Diaz shocked everyone when he beat him to it. Ten years later, in the year 2006, Jose Armando Sta. Cruz was expected to win the WBC interim lightweight title in Las Vegas, but Diaz got in his way. The following year, Erik Morales was supposed to stage his last comeback by winning the WBC lightweight title at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont Illinois, but guess who thwarted his plans and sent him to an unscheduled retirement?”
Noel believes anything can happen at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas on June 29.
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By nature, Diaz is said to be humble and low key, the type who’ll let his fists do the talking. He began his professional career in 1996, when he was 19, starting 13-0 with 5 knockouts.
But he got burned out early and bowed out from the boxing scene from September 2000 to September 2002.
Diaz was already 31 when he got his first crack at a world title against Morales some months ago.
Diaz, who will celebrate his birthday on June 7, will be 32 by the time he steps into the ring at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on June 29.
He holds a record of 34-1-1 with 14 knockouts.
“So you see, even if Diaz doesn’t speak much, his record speaks for itself,” said James.
Manny is expected to win hands down when he squares off with Diaz in Las Vegas. Still it cannot be discounted that the master of upsets could burst his bubble.
