OSCAR LARIOS on Thursday predicted he would be able to beat Manny Pacquiao by the 6th to 10th rounds of their super featherweight clash July 2 at the Araneta Coliseum.
The Mexican, who seeks to embarrass the Filipino boxing icon on his home soil and end a string of his countrymen’s defeats to the heavy-handed lefty, also admitted a first-round triumph would be difficult.
“But from the sixth and 10th round, I can already define the lines and beat Pacquiao,” the 29-year-old former world super bantamweight champion said.
In a separate report, the father of Pacquiao’s last opponent, Erik Morales, told a boxing website that Larios is good enough to derail his son’s planned third match with “PacMan” slated for November 18 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
“Larios is skilled and strong enough to take Pacquiao’s punches, and he can give out the punishment as well,” Jose “Olivaritos” Morales told box-latino.com. “His fighting style is ideal for Pacquiao, and he can spring a surprise that will shock the boxing world.”
“Chololo” Larios also took potshots at the two-time world champion, saying Pacquiao was “unfriendly and arrogant” when he arrived in Guadalajara from Manila to sign the contract for their 12-round, nontitle showdown.
“[He is] fatty, has bloated cheeks, [is] smaller than I am, but arrogant,” he told David Kaufman of box-latino.com, noting that Pacquiao was over 10 pounds past his fighting weight of 130 when they inked the pact for their fight.
“When Pacquiao faced Marco Antonio Barrera, another Mexican, nobody gave a chance for the Filipino fighter to win. Everybody was convinced Barrera will pulverize the ‘PacMan,’ but Manny knocked him down in return.
“Now, I am in the same situation,” said Larios, who went straight to the training gym on the very same day he arrived in his hometown.
“I have dedicated body and soul for the fight. I am going all out in training. I have been waiting for this opportunity and I won’t waste it,” said the son of a former fighter.
The Mexican, who plans on using his longer reach to keep Pacquiao at bay, said he will travel in June to Japan, where he will train until two days before enplaning to Manila for the big fight.
“Probably, the Filipino is thinking he is taking it easy, but that’s better for me,” Larios added.
“I promised my family I will fight to the death,” said Larios. “It will be a boon for my career and, if I win, automatically I will be a high-prized winner and will demand a bigger purse when I meet with Pacquiao again.”
