Most worldwide oddsmakers have tipped Manny Pacquiao a 6-to-1 to 7-to-1 favorite to beat Oscar Larios in the headliner of the “Mano-a-Mano” boxing showdown on Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum.
British punters, among them Ladbrokes and Eurobet, have the Filipino fighter the 6-1 choice, while American bookmaker Pinnacle has him at 7-1 in picking up his 42nd win at the expense of the Mexican challenger.
A computer analysis by the betting Web site sportspunter.com gave the hometown favorite an 82.34 percent chance of prevailing over the Mexican invader, whose winning chances were placed at 14.51 percent. It only gave a 3.16-percent chance of the bout ending in a draw.
Pinnacle also sees the fight not going beyond 9 rounds, with “PacMan” the overwhelming choice to emerge the victor.
Pacquiao had another light workout at the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines boxing gym inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex early Tuesday morning.
He and Larios, who arrived on Sunday from Tokyo with trainer Edison Reynoso and adviser Rafael Molina, will have a final press conference organized by Manny Pacquiao Promotions on Thursday at the Discovery Suites.
Pacquiao is set to earn $1 million for staking his World Boxing Council international super featherweight title against Larios, who will receive $450,000 for daring to fight the Filipino on his home turf.
Such is the marketing charisma of “PacMan” that he has spawned an industry all to himself.
Reli de Leon, MPP’s executive director, said they recently released jackets and shorts bearing the fighter’s brand name.
“The jackets sell at P1,000 while the shorts are P650,” said de Leon, adding that local sportswear manufacturer Accel is distributing the boxer’s sports gear.
“From what he hear, they’re selling pretty well,” de Leon added.
Among the latest products that Pacquiao is endorsing are herbal supplements, while there is a cell phone texting promotion that allows his fans to place bets for Sunday’s fight.
The shorts Pacquiao will wear on fight day will also sport a number of prominent brands, reportedly all totaling P5 million in advertising fees.
The former bread maker also pitches at least a dozen other products, for which he is paid millions of pesos.
Among the most prominent are Smart, San Miguel Beer, Magnolia, Alaxan, McDonald’s, Datu Puti vinegar, No Fear gear, Dolly Tuna and Circulan.
Meanwhile, former Oriental bantamweight champion Malcolm Tunacao might replace Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista in the undercard after the Cebuano fighter fell ill and had to withdraw from Sunday’s event.
