WHEN MANNY Pacquiao climbs the ring on July 2, he would not be up against an opponent just out to cash a hefty paycheck.
Pacquiao would be facing an extremely-dangerous foe in Oscar Larios and that the Filipino lefty will be in for a big surprise when he squares off with Larios at the Araneta Coliseum, the Mexican’s agent Rafael Mendoza revealed yesterday.
Mendoza said Pacquiao’s handlers would only be wasting their time analyzing videotapes of Larios in action because “the Larios that will climb the ring on July 2 is going to be different.”
Mendoza said that for the first time in quite a while Larios would not subject himself to severe weight reduction since the battle with Pacquiao would be at the super-featherweight limit of 130 lbs.
Larios has been fighting the past few years in the super-bantam category of 122 lbs and this would allow the Mexican to gather his strength.
“Larios had to go on a diet and ate very little. But now it’s different and Larios will be very strong and he won’t feel weak.
Mendoza said Larios has nothing to lose but everything to gain against Pacquiao, who has to look good since he is already booked to engage Erik Morales in a rubber match in October.
As proof that Larios means business, the Guadalajara native will train in Tokyo for four weeks before coming over to Manila so they could get use to the steamy weather conditions and avoid jet-lag.
Larios is guaranteed a purse of 0,000, the biggest of his career.
