DESPITE HIS big edge in experience, Manny Pacquiao does not see Thai Fahsan 3K Battery as someone who is going to faint as soon as the Filipino knockout king takes off his robe on the night of Dec. 11 at The Fort in Taguig.
“Hindi siya dapat balewalain. Sa katunayan nga ay hindi ako magbibigay ng prediction kung ano ang mangyayari sa laban namin,” said Pacquiao moments after starring in a press conference held yesterday at Pier One inside the sprawling Global City.
Looking at his pensive Thai foe, Pacquiao said Fahsan has got everything to gain and nothing to lose when they slug it out in the scheduled 12-rounder being put up by Smart Communications, Solar Sports with Taguig mayor Freddie Tinga also lending a helping hand in making sure the promotion ends up a blockbuster success.
There?s no alphabet title at stake in the card being billed “Yanig sa Taguig,” but a loss or even a lackadaisical showing by Pacquiao might ruin his chance of getting back at Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez.
Promoter Murad Muhammad, who presided over the hour-long press conference as though he was running for public office, said Pacquiao and Marquez are scheduled to meet on Feb. 26 either in a big-money showdown in Las Vegas or Los Angeles.
“The venues being mentioned for this fight are the MGM Grand and Caesar?s Palace in Las Vegas and the Staples Center in LA,” Muhammad said. Pacquiao and Marquez battled to a 12-round split draw eight months ago in Las Vegas.
Muhammad confirmed that Pacquiao is indeed getting $300,000 (R16.8 million) in this fight being hyped as a tuneup for the Marquez rematch.
Fahsan, who has victimized over 20 Filipinos in over 50 fights, is guaranteed $25,000.
Accompanied by chief handler Jimmy Chaichotchuang, Fahsan, 30, heads back to Bangkok on Monday. The two are expected to return to Manila on Dec. 5.
“Fahsan is training very hard even before we came here to Manila,” said Chaichotchuang. “He knows that a win over Manny is going to open new doors for him.”
Pacquiao, who turns 26 six days after the fight, said he will train for the next two weeks in Davao or General Santos then arrive in Manila on Nov. 20 to begin the final phase of his preparation.
It is unclear if his American trainer, Freddie Roach, is heading to Manila to call the shots in the corner on fight night. Roach has made it clear though that he can only fly to Manila from Los Angeles on Dec. 5 since he still has to attend to another fighter seeing action in early-December.
Premium ringside tickets for the Pacquiao headliner are priced at P10,000. The other seats are going to be sold for P5,000, P2,500 and P200 (no seat).
