For Oscar Larios, fighting Manny Pacquiao means more than just trying to beat the world’s most exciting superfeatherweight today. What’s foremost in his mind is paying back Pacquiao for the heartaches he brought to millions of Mexican fans by knocking out legends Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales.
It’s a mission of do-or-die and Larios will proudly wear Mexico’s colors when he faces Pacquiao in a 12-round bout at the Araneta Coliseum on July 2.
“The bottom line is Mexicans would rather die in the ring than give up,” said Larios. “I think Pacquiao would be a great match-up due to his style and my style. It’s a fight the fans would love plus he has beaten a lot of Mexicans lately so I would like to be the one that stops the streak.”
Larios, 29, knows a win over Pacquiao will pave the way to stardom and big bucks. He once said he’d like to retire from the ring before reaching 30—which doesn’t give him too much time left so there is urgency in his mission to beat Pacquiao.
“I fight so my family can have a better life,” said Larios, the father of four girls.
Ironically, Larios’ close relationship with his family was blamed for his first pro defeat after 20 straight wins. His wife had just given birth and he spent three days in the hospital before taking on Israel Vasquez in Mexico City in 1997. When Larios fought Vasquez, he was mentally unprepared for battle. Larios was floored twice in the first round and was out cold on the canvas for 10 minutes before realizing he had suffered his first setback.
Five years later, Larios gained sweet revenge by halting Vasquez in the 12th round in Sacramento. Last December, Larios bowed to Vasquez on a third round stoppage in their third meeting and his eighth World Boxing Council (WBC) superbantamweight championship defense in Las Vegas.
Squaring off against Pacquiao in Manila doesn’t bother Larios who is no stranger to fighting on hostile grounds. He repulsed four challengers in Japan during his reign and was never intimidated. The closest Larios came to losing in Japan was when Shigeru Nakazato broke his jaw with a left hook and almost floored him twice in 2003. But in the end, the Mexican claimed a win by unanimous decision.
What makes Larios a dangerous opponent for Pacquiao is his versatility. He can box or slug, depending on the situation, and stamina has never been a problem. Larios is resilient and makes mid-fight adjustments easily. He has been known to switch-hit to confuse opponents and resort to strike-and-run tactics when up against hard punchers.
But Larios’ ability to overwhelm opponents by throwing an avalanche of blows is his chief asset. He is extremely active in the ring and rarely tires out.
