Fully rested after flying in last Saturday, Manny Pacquiao plunged into a rigid eight-round sparring session Tuesday then said everything ?looks and feels fine? with just a handful days left before his rematch with Marco Antonio Barrera.
In a brief overseas conversation yesterday morning (Manila time), Pacquiao once again expressed his readiness for the Oct. 6 fight in Las Vegas and his debut at the 12,000-seat Events Center of Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino.
Pacquiao said he was unaware that Barrera, the former three-time world champion, has lost his two fights at Mandalay Bay, one against Erik Morales in 2000 and the other against Juan Manuel Marquez last March.
?Is that so? I didn?t know that. We?re different because this is going to be my first fight at Mandalay,? said Pacquiao who has fought five times in Las Vegas with three wins, a loss and a controversial draw with Marquez.
?But the venue doesn?t really matter. It?s the punches that matter. The venue doesn?t decide the outcome of the fight. We can even fight in Luneta and it won?t change a thing,? he said.
Pacquiao arrived in Los Angeles Saturday evening, rested the following day then engaged in a two-hour workout with chief trainer Freddie Roach last Monday at the famous Wild Card Gym in Hollywood.
He went out Monday afternoon to meet with Top Rank president and fight promoter Bob Arum. They tackled the final details of the fight, and Pacquiao said ?there?s no problem? since everything has been worked out.
?Maayos naman lahat. Pirmado na lahat (Everything is fine. We?ve signed everything),? said the 28-year-old Pacquiao as he was resting in his two-story apartment, waiting for dinner to be served.
Meanwhile, Barrera, according to fightnews.com, has reacted to allegations made by Roach that the Mexican gladiator wraps his hand so thick that ?they always have a hard time putting on the gloves.?
?He shouldn?t be worrying about me, he should be worrying about Manny Pacquiao,? Barrera was quoted as saying. ?Worry about your own guy. This isn?t the first time I?ve fought in Vegas.
?I?ve fought in Vegas a lot of times and I?ve never had problems with my wrap. Everything?s been great,? Barrera told fightnews.com. ?Freddie?s not a good trainer. Look what he did to Oscar (dela Hoya), he helped Oscar lose.?
Roach said a few days ago that once they get to Vegas, he will ask officials to take a closer look at the way Barrera?s hands are wrapped, saying that the Mexican?s handlers once had to ?cut the gloves? just to get the hands in.
The psy-war or the word war is definitely on.
