All of the VIPs agreed that the long-range forecast calls for a violent storm to hit on June 28 in Las Vegas.
If so, Wednesday’s promotional rally in Chicago for the bout between World Boxing Council lightweight champion David Diaz of Chicago and super featherweight titlist Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines was the calm before that storm at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino.
There were no thunderclaps of emotion, only a faint rumble. Both boxers and their trainers politely expressed quiet confidence.
The styles of the fighters are a study in similarity.
“That’s an in-your-face style of fighting, trying to hit as hard as they can,” said Diaz’s manager, Jim Strickland. “They can adapt a little, but first and foremost they’ll be trying to knock out the other guy.
“Manny is a tremendous fighter with fast hands. What we’re training for is if he hits us with a three-punch combination, we’re going to hit him back with a four-punch combination. If he hits us hard, we’re going to hit him harder.”
“I will beat Manny at his own game—power for power,” predicted Diaz, who has a 34-1-1 record with 14 knockouts against Pacquiao’s 46-3-2 mark with 34 KO’s. Pacquiao doesn’t underestimate Diaz, whose title will be on the line.
“This will be my hardest-fought battle—it has been three years since I have changed weight divisions and I will be doing it against the lightweight world champion,” he said. “I am fighting for history—five world titles in five different weight classes—and I am fighting for my people of the Philippines.”
Promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank Inc. said he thinks the fight between the two left-handers will go the 12-round distance.
“I don’t think David has the power to knock Manny out and I don’t think Manny, fighting a bigger stronger guy with a rock-solid chin, can knock David out,” Arum said. “Each of them wins by overwhelming his opponent. David throws a voluminous amount of punches and he seems to have a tremendous reservoir of energy. In Manny, he’s fighting a guy who never stops throwing punches and is fast as the devil.
“Speed usually wins, [but Pacquiao is] fighting a naturally bigger and stronger kid. That’s a big advantage for David. Manny appears to have more punching power, but that was against lighter weight guys. So, will his power punching be effective against a bigger guy?
“It’s going to be a battle of attrition. … The guy who loses the energy first is going to lose the fight.”
To prepare Pacquiao to fight a fellow left-hander, trainer Freddie Roach is employing all lefties as sparring partners. Roach says footwork is the biggest adjustment but doesn’t see it as a problem.
“Plain and simple, Diaz gets hit,” Roach said, “and anybody Manny can hit I’m not afraid of.”
Strickland, meanwhile, says Diaz’s athleticism is the key for him.
“David has a little better reflexes and coordination,” he said. “He might be able to adjust to a different style a little better than Manny.
“The problem is that when the bell rings they just want to go out and throw punches. David has to be fighting under control.”
