DESPITE being labeled a heavy underdog for his Sept. 10 showdown with pound-for-pound icon Manny Pacquiao, Mexican Hector Velazquez may have found a way to even up the odds with the Filipino superstar.
Velazquez will be leaning on a little inside information when he takes on Pacquiao in a 12-round bout.
Sources from Mexico revealed Velazquez’s handlers are tapping Pacquiao’s former sparmate, Fernando “Wary” Beltran Jr., to better prepare against the General Santos City southpaw.
Beltran was one of Pacquiao’s sparmates when the latter was preparing for his showdown with Erik Morales, and should be able to provide Velazquez some useful tips on how to deal with Pacquiao.
While Pacquiao has been a bit late in his training, Velazquez has been consistently reporting at the Cheto Torres Gym under trainer Raul Robles.
The Mexican has yet to miss a single training session since his fifth-round technical knockout victory over Trinidad Mendoza last July 15.
“I expect a difficult fight, but I have confidence that I can beat Pacquiao, and I will throw blows that will break down his figure, and I will connect it down to take advantage of the fact that his guard his always up,” Velazquez said in an interview with Mexican media.
“I always accepted fights on short notice and was always fighting out of my territory, and that was something that I always had to surpass in the past. Now it will be different because I have all the support to carry me to victory,” Velazquez explained.
