As he trains in the blazing heat of the Philippines, Manny Pacquiao took time to speak with the media to discuss his upcoming Nov. 23 bout with Brandon Rios.
Just recently, Robert Garcia, trainer of Brandon Rios, made comments about Pacquiao not being as intimidating as he once was when he was brutally knocking out guys like Ricky Hatton and destroying tough guys like Miguel Cotto. Pacquiao is aware of these comments, but he has no concerns. He is only focused on fight night.
?He (Garcia) tries to say the words that he thinks will anger me but they don?t mean much to me,? Pacquiao said. ?What I have to do it to prove it to them on the night of the fight on November 23rd. I can say the words too, but I have to prove it when we get in the ring.?
With the devastating knockout at the hands of Juan Manuel Marquez still fresh in the minds of many, some wonder if Pacquiao would take a more cautious approach in this fight. Manny feels that as long as his preparation in training camp is right, everything will take care of itself.
?My training for this fight has been unique and my training camp has been very long for this fight,? Pacquiao said. ?My preparation has been going very well so I think it is going to be an exciting fight. I have given over 100% to my preparation for this fight.?
Drug testing is something that Manny Pacquiao was not always a proponent of, for his reasons. However, he is undergoing VADA testing for his fight with Rios and has been more than willing to comply and help to keep the sport clean.
?I was tested twice (by VADA) so there is no problem,? Pacquiao said.
Pacquiao says he has watched the replay of the knockout to Marquez. He says it is part of the sport and he has already gotten past it.
?That?s boxing,? Pacquiao said. ?Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. I am not going to complain or worry about what happened. That?s boxing.?
To get adjusted to the weather in Macau, Manny has been holding training camp in General Santos City, Philippines. He feels he is better off training there full-time because of the lack of distractions compared to training in the hustle and bustle of Hollywood.
?My training camp is good and we are very happy with Freddie Roach without Alex,? Pacquiao said. ?We are very excited. We are very focused in training and we have no distractions. For this fight in Macau, it is better to train here in the Philippines. It is always better to train near, or in the same region as where the fight is. Since the fight is in Macau, this is the best place for me, here in the Philippines. This training camp has been about focus.?
While Pacquiao?s last opponent was a counter puncher who patiently waits for his opponent to make a move, Brandon Rios is a come-forward, aggressive fighter who has no problems getting into a brawl. Manny likes that type of style and is expecting to be in an action-packed fight.
?That?s what I want ? his style of fighting,? Pacquiao said. ?He likes to come inside and I like that style. I don?t like to chase and I?m pretty sure I won?t have to chase him.?
There are many options if he beats Rios. Rematches with Timothy Bradley, Juan Manuel Marquez or perhaps a showdown with Ruslan Provodnikov. However, Pacquiao says he can?t afford to look past November 23. He is only focused on Brandon Rios.
?Right now I am not thinking about the next fight,? Pacquiao said. ?What I have right now is focus on my training and preparation for Rios so I can be sure that victory is mine.?
Pacquiao will not be looking for the knockout, he just wants to emerge from his bout with Rios as the winner.
?I will not go for the knockout in this fight but if I have a chance to finish early, why not? But I am not thinking that I need to knock him out. In training if I focus on a knockout I will get careless in the ring on the night of the fight. So what I need to do is focus in training so I am ready to get in the ring on the night of the fight.?
Pacquiao vs. Rios will take place Saturday, November 23 at The Venetian Macao?s CotaiArena. It will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View, beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT.
