IT was meant to be a public fight preview, but neither Manny Pacquiao nor Oscar Larios would tip his hand on Monday at the Araneta Coliseum.
Instead, it was Freddie Roach, Pacquiao’s American trainer, who did most of the talking on behalf of charge, saying the Filipino fighter was ready to go 12 rounds and beyond, if needed, when he faces the Mexican on July 2 also at the Big Dome.
“Manny gets better and better, and I see no problem comes fight night,” Roach said.
He also warned Larios not to make the mistake of slugging it out early with the hometown favorite.
“I do believe Larios would come out hard on Manny in the early rounds, but I don’t think that strategy will work. We’re going to break his body and take out his legs,” Roach said.
“If he [Larios] comes to us and want to exchange with us, then that would be a big mistake for him,” he added, as the two fighters went through their routines in front of a sparse gallery, some of whom paid to watch them work out.
Roach reiterated that given his ward’s shape, he did expect “Chololo” to last six rounds.
“He’s [Pacquiao] punching better than ever. He’s punching like a middleweight,” Roach said. “Manny is in great shape for this fight. We’re ready to go for 12 rounds. If a knockout comes, then that would be good.”
Not to be outdone, Rafael Mendoza, Larios’ business manager, said the Mexican would not return home in defeat.
“We’re ready to fight. We came here to win,” said Mendoza, who charted the career of colorful Mexican world champions such as Pipino Cuevas and Chiquita Gonzales.
A former World Boxing Council super bantamweight kingpin, Larios was the first to climb the ring and shadowboxed for about three rounds. He seemed more lean and mean and a tad faster with his punches.
“We’ve easily adjusted with the weather and atmosphere here. We’re definitely looking for an upset,” Edison Reynoso, Larios’ trainer, said.
The crowd went wild when Pacquiao burst out from a circular tunnel, similar to the one used in professional wrestling.
Wearing a white shirt and flaming fighting shorts, Pacquiao came with Roach and Nonoy Neri.
He also did some shadow boxing and sparred lightly for three rounds with Rustam Nugaev, capped by three minutes with the punching mitts with Roach.
Meanwhile, Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista was dropped from the “Mano-a-Mano” boxing card that Pacquiao and Larios headline after suffering from fever Sunday and being taken to the hospital.
