MANNY Pacquiao is in for a tough fight and has got to be really prepared when he faces Mexican Oscar Larios this July.
Ask American impresario Frank Belmont, who has warned Pacquiao that his coming fight with Larios will not be a cakewalk.
“Larios is a good boxer, not a great puncher, durable, quick, experienced and not easily intimidated,” Belmont described the Mexican fighter from Guadalajara.
As president of Belmonte Productions, Belmont knows whereof he speaks. He was an eyewitness in the separate fights of Larios and Pacquiao in the ‘Boxeo de Oro’ monthly TV series for Latin American countries, exclusively for the Golden Boy Promotions.
Incidentally, Larios is a mainstay of the Golden Boy Promotions under the banner of Oscar dela Hoya.
“Larios is not a super-impressive fighter, but he is very professional, always walking with his hands encased in enormous white training gloves searching for sparmates in the club,” said Belmont. “The Mexican has all the tools and if I am a manager, I’d like to own him.”
Given a chance to work with the promoting ABS-CBN for the fight, Belmont said the giant network is on the right step to become a world-caliber provider for TV shows for the job.
“If our offer is accepted, the Pacquiao-Larios fight would have a worldwide audience either on the US-based Direct-TV or IN-Demand affiliates in 50 countries,” said Belmont. “Our programs are 90 percent sports-related and we are in contract with either cable providers to televise all international feeds for HBO Boxing”.
Belmont blew into town Wednesday very privately. He just wants to take ‘a look and see’ Manila, the Araneta Coliseum (not the white beaches) and the Filipinos, who he knows are electrified by Pacquiao’s ring exploits.
“I like what I’ve seen so far, and I’d like to relay a message to Pacquiao that there is an element of risk for any fighter fighting in his own hometown.
“As the promoter and hero in this coming drama, Pacquiao could also get a lot of distractions, too many responsibilities and is very dangerous for even a good fighter.” Peoples Journal 5/5/2006 20:21 PM
