?Hindi na ako makapag-hintay sa susunod na laban ko lalo na ngayon na dito sa atin gagawin ang laban. Matagal na din na wala tayo sa aksyon,? said the 27-year-old Pacquiao during yesterday?s press conference at Pier One restaurant in Taguig.
Pacquiao was accompanied by American promoter Murad Muhammad and business manager Rod Nazario. Joining them at the presidential table were Fahsan 3K Battery and Thai manager Jimmy Caichochuang.
Taguig Mayor Freddie Tinga, who also attended the news conference, said the venue can accommodate 100,000 spectators. The promoters though are expecting a crowd of at least 40,000 to watch the explosive season-ending spectacle of Philippine boxing.
?Ngayon na payag siyang lumaban sa akin, ibig sabihin gusto niya akong talunin. Kaya dapat handa din tayo para hindi naman tayo mapahiya sa kababayan natin,? added Pacquiao.
Pacquiao hasn?t fought since facing off IBF/WBA featherweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez of Mexico in an epic 12-round battle that ended in a controversial draw on May 9, 2004 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The 30-year-old 3K-Battery, on the other hand, has been baptized as ?Filipino destroyer? because most of his victims are Pinoy pugs. Despite that, Fahsan has been tagged by critics as a worthless foe after feasting on virtually unknown foes in compiling a pro record of 44-7-1, with 23 knockouts.
But despite doubts surrounding the Thai?s worthiness, Pacquiao assured fight fans that he is taking this fight as if a world title is at stake, with the match being billed as a ?People?s Championship? fight that is scheduled for 12 rounds.
Pacquiao also recognizes the fact that he nearly suffered a shocking knockout loss to the lightly-regarded Kazak fighter Serik Yeshmangbetov on March 15 last year where the Filipino punisher had to fight back from a fourth round knockdown before finishing his Russian rival in the 5th canto.
In the same press conference, founding World Boxing Council (WBC) secretary general and former PBA commissioner Rudy Salud came and gave his moral support to Pacquiao.
