Friendship surely has its limitations.
And in the boxing ring on June 28, the special bond between Manny Pacquiao and David Diaz will be non-existent.
“We are both very professional and there?s no need for us to say bad things about each other for the purpose of hyping this fight,” said Diaz yesterday from his home in Chicago.
During the past few weeks, Pacquiao and Diaz have been cautious about what to say during media roundtable discussions and there was not even a single incident when neither fighter acted as though they grew up from the ghetto.
“As long as he doesn?t mess with my family, everything?s going to be okay and we can be cordial to each other and respectful of each other,” said the 31-year-old Diaz, who will be staking his World Boxing Council (WBC) lightweight crown at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.
“We can be friends but once the fight starts, everything goes out the window,” said Diaz after another intense training session at the JABB Gym a few hours after the Bulletin caught up with him relaxing with loved ones.
Diaz revealed that he sparred a total of eight rounds on Monday (Tuesday in Manila) and that “everything?s going great” as far as his preparation is concerned.
“I have got two guys ? Ivan Popoca and Oscar Leon ? working with me in sparring,” said Diaz.
A right-hander, Popoca, 26, is a Mexican welterweight who lives in Chicago, while the southpaw Leon, 34, is a former lightweight contender from Cartagena, Colombia.
Popoca has an unbeaten record of 6-0-1 with five knockouts, while Leon has a 27-8 slate with 18 knockouts.
Between now and the third week of June, Diaz will be spending most of his time working out in Chicago. An open workout is being planned in the Windy City just before he leaves for Los Angeles on June 22 en route to Sin City.
Last week, Diaz traveled to San Francisco for another promotional tour with Pacquiao and the next time he gets to see the 29-year-old Filipino in the flesh will be on June 23 when a press conference is held in Los Angeles.
Diaz is so immersed in training that he doesn?t have plans for June 7, the day he celebrates his 32nd birthday.
“Things such as this can wait. I just hope I can have two celebrations after June 28,” added Diaz.
