Unless Manny Pacquiao climbs the ring with one hand tied to his waist, the Filipino superstar will remain as the favorite in his Oct. 6 rematch with Marco Antonio Barrera in Las Vegas.
The latest odds coming out of Sin City placed Pacquiao, considered as the most exciting fighter in the world today, as the solid favorite over Barrera.
A few other online betting stations have their money on Pacquiao, less than seven weeks before the two warriors face each other in a rematch of their 2003 showdown won by the Filipino.
As of yesterday, www.bookmaker.com has Pacquiao at –345 and Barrera at +285. This means that a $345 bet on Pacquiao only wins $100, and a $100 bet on Barrera wins $285.
Another online betting station, www.bodog.com, placed Pacquiao at –350 and Barrera +275. The opening odds came out last month, with the 28-year-old Filipino already heavily favored.
Pacquiao, however, refused to take this as a gauge.
“Hindi ko pinapansin yang odds (I don’t care about the odds). Ang focus ko ay nasa laban sa taas ng ring. Hindi sa pustahan (I’m focused on the battle on the ring. Not on the betting),” he said.
Pacquiao’s wife, Jinkee, and their 10-month-old baby, Princess, flew from Manila to Cebu last Sunday, and are now staying with Pacquiao at the Waterfront Hotel.
Pacquiao was the underdog when he first met Barrera at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas almost four years ago. And his 11th round knockout of Barrera proved a lot of oddsmakers wrong.
Pacquiao is hell-bent in winning his coming bout, since it will set him up for a title fight with reigning champion Juan Manuel Marquez sometime next year.
“Sabik na din ako makalaban si Marquez (I’m eager to fight Marquez),” said Pacquiao the other day from Cebu where he will train before shifting to Los Angeles two weeks before the fight.
“Kaya huwag na natin bigyan ng chance si Barrera (That’s why we should not give Barrera a chance). Huwag na tayo umasa sa trilogy kay Barrera (Let’s not hope for a trilogy with Barrera),” he added.
Marquez, who survived three knockdowns in the first round to salvage a draw with Pacquiao in 2004, will stake his crown against Rocky Juarez on Sept. 15 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Marquez, like Pacquiao, is the favorite. He was listed at www.betus.com yesterday as a –350 favorite against Juarez who was at +250. Everybody’s hoping for a Marquez victory.
And should Pacquiao get past Barrera, the first big fight of 2008 may be sealed as early as October.
