Former Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis (Chavit) Singson said the other day Manny Pacquiao?s power and stamina will carry him to victory over Marco Antonio Barrera in their Las Vegas rematch on Oct. 6 but cautioned the Filipino fighter not to take the ?Baby-Faced Assassin? lightly.
Singson made the remarks during a lull at the National Open Shooting Championships for trap and skeet at the Muntinlupa range last weekend. He scored 91 points to beat James Chua by a whisker for the veterans trap title.
?Nobody works harder than Manny in training,? said Singson.?He can go 30 rounds in a day with four different sparmates. That?s how strong he is. I went to Cebu to watch him train and I saw what he did to his poor sparmates, two of them Mexicans with tattoos. His stamina is incredible.?
Singson leaves late this month to join Pacquiao in Las Vegas and will take his usual seat at ringside for the fight at Mandalay Bay.
Although Pacquiao is the heavy betting favorite to win, Singson said Barrera has power, too, and can?t be taken for granted. There are hardly any wagers for Barrera and what?s keeping oddsmakers busy is setting the betting line for which round Pacquiao is expected to score a knockout.
Singson declined to predict which round Barrera is likely to fall.
?It?s hard to predict a round because it all depends on what will happen, what Barrera will do,? explained Singson. ?Maybe, Barrera will hit and run. But if Barrera decides to engage Manny, it could be a short fight.?
Singson said he often advises Pacquiao to turn in early and avoid late nights because taking care of the body is vital in enjoying a long boxing career.
?I told Manny it?s difficult to get sick if you?re in boxing,? said Singson. ?If you don?t take care of your body, it?s easier to get sick. Discipline is very important for a boxer. Manny knows that. He?s very dedicated. That?s why you see him work so hard in training. When other fighters slow down in the late rounds, Manny is still strong and hitting just as hard as in the early rounds.?
Singson said he?s anticipating an exciting fight.
?Barrera will come prepared,? he said. ?He has waited four years for the chance to get revenge. This could be his last hurrah.?
A boxing expert, who declined to be identified, said if Pacquiao connects early, Barrera might just give up like Erik Morales last November. ?Barrera has felt Manny?s power so if he?s doing this for the money, he won?t risk getting hurt,? he said. ?But Barrera might not be that easy to hit. He?ll probably run and fight Manny the way he fought (Rocky) Juarez.?
Pacquiao was only 10 years old when Barrera made his first pro appearance in 1989. The Mexican has figured in 19 more bouts, many of them brutal wars that wrought much wear and tear on his body. He?s coming off a loss on points to Juan Manuel Marquez and four of his last five bouts went the distance, raising doubts on his ability to finish off opponents at this stage of his long career.
Pacquiao is five years younger and four of his last five fights ended via the short route. He turned pro six years after Barrera?s debut. Since knocking out Barrera in 2003, he has logged eight bouts ? one more than the Mexican. Pacquiao has scored knockouts in 35 of his 44 wins, a 79.5 percent rate, while Barrera?s clip is lower at 66.6 percent or 42 of 63.
Barrera has scored only one knockout in six fights as a superfeatherweight, making experts wonder if his power when he was a featherweight is as potent. Barrera has worked his way from the 115-pound superflyweight ranks to the 130-pound superfeatherweight division.
