Manny Pacquiao can?t seem to wait for the opening bell of his upcoming fight with Thailand?s Fahsan 3-K Battery. During yesterday?s press launch of the fight dubbed as “Yanig sa Taguig,” the Filipino boxing sensation signified his strong intention to finish off his opponent early in their scheduled 12-round bout on Dec. 11 at The Fort in Taguig, Rizal.
“Kung hindi lang ho ako pinipigilan ni (Taguig) Mayor (Freddie) Tinga, dito, uupakan ko na ?yang kalaban na ?yan eh,” blurted Pacquiao over the microphone as he sat near the local official and the Thai featherweight at the presidential table.
“Sabik na sabik na ako kaya nga gusto ko na upakan ?yan eh. Pinipigilan lang talaga ako ni Mayor,” added Pacquiao of his opponent who has an inch-thick ring record of 44 wins, seven losses and a draw with 23 knockouts.
Fahsan, who flew in the other night for the launch, has never been knocked down and has never lost in 20 fights against Filipinos. He once had a remarkable 32-match win streak that ended only last May.
“Kaya kailangan kundisyon din ako. Gagawin ko lahat para sa bansa natin. Pag-aaralan ko pa ang style nito kung saang buwan o planeta nanggagaling ang suntok niya,” added Pacquiao, armed with a 38-2-2 record with 30 KOs.
The launch was held at The Fort?s Pier 1 bar and restaurant where close to a hundred guests and media were packed like sardines. Those seated at the far-end tables hardly got a glimpse of the two fighters even during the open forum.
But Pacquiao sure knew how to draw their attention especially when his manager, the sweet-talking New Jersey promoter Murad Muhammad, announced the Filipino?s guaranteed P17 million ($300,000) purse.
“It?s a significant amount and he?s happy,” said Muhammad who did most of the talking during the affair that ended after almost two hours. “This is a major fight not only for Pacquiao but for the entire Philippines so please buy your tickets.”
Pacquiao, at 26 four years younger than Fahsan, is using the bout as his final tuneup to a highly-awaited rematch against Mexican IBF and WBA featherweight king Juan Manuel Marquez on Feb. 26.
Fahsan returns home tomorrow and will fly back to Manila a week before the fight set at an open-air field at The Fort. The best seats on fight night, insiders said, would cost P10,000 with some ranging from P5,000 to P2,500.
Fahsan is reportedly being paid no more than $25,000 (P1.4 million) for the fight being presented by telecommunications giant Smart and Solar Sports. He sat quietly during the entire launch, looking like he couldn?t understand a word being said.
He spoke briefly on the microphone, however, and, through an interpreter, said: “I?ve never been knocked out before. So, I come here to beat Manny Pacquiao. And be the next superstar.”
