IN six rounds or less. American trainer Freddie Roach on Tuesday predicted how Mexican upstart Oscar Larios would last against hometown boxing idol Manny Pacqauiao when they tangle in the “Mano-a-Mano Showdown” on July 2 at the Araneta Coliseum.
Roach said the 27-year-old pride of General Santos City is in great shape and is ready to rumble with the former world super bantamweight kingpin, who will arrive here on June 25 after training in Tokyo, Japan. “Manny is in great shape already and I think Oscar Larios will last only for six rounds against Pacquiao,” said Roach in Pacquiao’s first workout at the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines gym inside Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Malate.
Pacquiao and his entourage, including American handlers Shelly Finkel and Nick Khan, arrived early Tuesday morning onboard Philippine Airlines flight 113 flight from Los Angeles.
“PacMan” also came with trainer-friend Buboy Fernandez, Joe Ramos, security in charge Rob Peter, Russian sparmate Rustam Nugaov, and former World Boxing Council flyweight champion Gerry Pe?alosa.
Pacquiao said he will resume his training at the ABAP gym because it is just very near to the Manila Hotel, where the entire team is billeted until the fight, his first since stopping Erik Morales in Las Vegas, Nevada, in January.
Even with only two hours of rest during the 16-hour flight, Pacquiao looked sharp in his light workout at the ABAP gym that lasted for 90 minutes.
He will spar with featherweight Rustam Nugaov on Friday and Monday to complete the planned more than 100 rounds of sparring as part of the preparing for the fight.
“Before we left Manny did 10 rounds of sparring but the day before he sparred for 12 rounds, while in some other days were at six rounds,” added Roach, who said that the ABAP gym will be closed to the public starting Wednesday to avoid distractions.
Pacquiao said he liked the hot-oven temperature in the ABAP gym because that is what is needed to sweat just enough in his effort not to go beyond the weight limit of 130 lbs.
The Filipino boxer is staking his World Boxing Council international super featherweight title in the headliner jointly promoted by Manny Pacquiao Promotions and television network ABS-CBN.
Roach said that it will still take three days before Pac-quiao could regain his normal training rhythm.
Pacquiao will jog today at the Luneta with a heavy security composed of 10 policemen, one mobile patrol and two motorcycle police escorts provided by Mayor Lito Atienza of Manila which he will have until the fight day.
Roach said adjusting to the scheduled 11 a.m. fight, which was done to accommodate primetime pay-per-view customers in the US, will be one of the physical and mental things that they have to work on.
“It’s something that we have to adjust to because Manny used to fighting at night,” Roach said.
“It was not really my character to predict how long the fight will last. But what I can tell now is I will do my best so that the entire country will enjoy and will be happy,” Pacquiao said.
Larios will receive $450,000 for the fight, while Pacquiao will get $1 million in the main event at the Big Dome, where tickets are pegged at P30,000 (patron), P20,000 (lower box), P7,500 (upper box-A) and P2,500 for the upper box-B.
Pacquiao and Larios will appear before the media on June 28 at the Araneta Coliseum.
Roach also said that the Wild Card gym in Para?aque is good but it is too small for Pacquiao’s preparation.
Also appearing in the 10-round undercard are Rustam Nugaov of Russia against Filipino former Oriental-Pacific featherweight champion Dennis Laurente and Gerry Pe?alosa against another Mexican slugger Thomas Rojas.
