LAS VEGAS ? If David Diaz survives the first three rounds Saturday night, chances are high that he will score a 12-round decision over Manny Pacquiao.
That was the opinion of trainer Mike Garcia, a former fighter whose once promising career was cut short owing to an elbow injury.
While Pacquiao is quicker and explosive, Diaz, according to Garcia, is physically stronger.
“I see us winning a hard 12-round decision,” said the 40-year-old Garcia, who went 26-0 with 18 knockouts before calling it quits in 1998.
Garcia, owner of the JABB Gym in Chicago where Diaz trains, is the right-hand man of lead trainer Jim Strickland, who will try to steer Diaz past the Filipino pride at Mandalay Bay.
“David gets stronger as the round goes on and hopefully after three or four rounds, you?d see David kicking it in. As the round goes on and on, he gets stronger and stronger. I believe that after three or four rounds, we will be settled. Sometimes David gets excited and once he calms down and fights his fight, we?d be fine.”
