Manny Pacquiao has never been this confident.
Asked about his chances of winning against Mexican Jorge Solis when they square off today (Saturday night in Texas), the Filipino ring idol could only belt out a resounding Yes! as he heads into the packed Alamodome.
After tipping the scales at 128.75 lbs a day before the fight, the 28-year-old pride of General Santos City seems more than fit and very eager to rumble.
And why not? After several months of preparation, including a month spent at the famous Wild Card Gym in Hollywood under the watchful eyes of Australian strength and conditioning mentor Justine Fortune, subbing for legendary trainer Freddie Roach, Pacquiao announced this is the moment he has been waiting for.
“Lalaban na!” Pacquiao exclaimed at ringtalk.com as he mingled with fans during the official weigh-in at the Raddison Hotel in Texas. “I want to fight now. I’m ready.”
Prior to the fight, Pacquiao flattened prominent Mexican assasins which included future Hall of Famers Marco Antonio Berrera, Juan Manuel Marquez, Oscar Larrios and, recently, Erik Morales, whom he embarassed twice to gain the edge in their epic trilogy.
In all those victories, his able guru, Roach, was in his corner. But this time, Roach is currently in Puerto Rico training Oscar Dela Hoya for his June 5 megabout against Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Meanwhile, Solis, who had difficulty making the 130-lb weight limit, is a picture of distraction, no thanks to his overwhelming optimism over the outcome of this fight. Actually, before achieving his desired 130-lb scale, Solis was slightly overweighed and was tipped at 130.5. He stepped the scales again after 30 minutes but registered an even heavier 130.125. He made it at 130 lbs, on his third try, but it speculations on his actual weight after he decided to move up from being a featherweight.
He was even seen running along the corridors of Radisson Hotel moments after the weigh-in and admitted to scribes that, “Making the (ideal) weight is like a hell.”
Solis, the Guadalajara native who has yet to taste his first defeat in his 30 professional fights including 23 KOs, earlier stressed that with so many distractions surrounding the Filipino, he will be the last man standing in their fight.
Solis cited Pacquiao’s decision to seek a slate in the Philippine Congress, his abbreviated training regimen, lack of focus due to Roach’s absence and his team’s heated legal battle against Dela Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions as the main ingredients he needs to cook boxing’s one of most stunning results.
He also claimed Pacquiao as a “predictable boxer,” despite the 10:1 odds favoring the Filipino.
“As long as I give him movement, as long as I don’t give him a stationary target to get off with all those shots, as long as I move and get off with my shots at the same time,” Solis said, “I’ll be alright to win this one.”
Aside from the Pacquiao-Solis tiff, other equally exciting title fights are slated as Brian Villoria battles Jorge Arce for the WBC light flyweight championship and Christian Mijares defends his WBC super flyweight championship against Jorge Arce.
