THERE?S one thing about lefties: They?re good, athletic, creative and, ahh?awkward. But for most Filipino-Americans and many a Mexican who eventually idolized him, all we know is that Manny Pacquiao has a left fist made of iron and an arm of steel, feared by many and an envy of most boxers. Paquiao?s previous fights were against boxers with an orthodox stance. He has won most of them, including knockouts against Mexican greats Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales and multiple knock downs against Juan Manuel Marquez, all right handers, which may have been a factor why Pacquiao emerged always the victor. As in any sport, it?s always been difficult to anticipate a southpaw?s move, especially in boxing?s counter attacks. On June 28 this year, however, Pacquiao will still fight a Mexican ? at least in blood ? but David Diaz, like Pacquiao, is also a southpaw. Both Pacquaio and Diaz, together with their trainers and promoters led by Bob Arum of Top Rank, held a news conference on Tuesday at Westin Bonaventure Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. ?Definitely, it?s going to be an awkward fight for both of them,? Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach told BALITA??because southpaws have certain ways of fighting a right hander.? Roach revealed that Diaz has so far beaten two lefties in his professional career ?so, we will have to watch those videos.? A check with BoxRec (www.boxrec.com), it is posted that Diaz beat three southpaws, all via technical knockouts since 2002, and drew his last one in 2005. Roach told BALITA that Diaz is ?durable? and ?he can break guys down.? He, however, said that Diaz is ?hittable, but as far as the outcome of the fight, it remains to be seen.? ?This is not an easy fight. David is a very good fighter, a very good opponent for us. There are a lot changes that we will have to make,? Roach said, who has in recent years trained Pacquaio?s right hand to become a two-dimensional power, though still relies in his killer left straight to finish off an opponent. The trainer who groomed Pacquiao to become arguably the best pound-for-pound fighter to date told reporters that it will be a bigger test for Pacquiao. ?This is because Diaz is 140-pound fighter who has come down to 135,? where he holds the WBC Lightweight Championship belt, Roach said. Pacquiao holds the WBC Super Featherweight title at 130 pounds. He has to gain five pounds to slug it out with Diaz. ?But we still have seven weeks. We will be ready,? Roach said. Pacquiao said the bout will be ?a great fight because the style of Diaz is the same as mine. Diaz likes it toe-to-toe. I, too, like it toe-to-toe.? Addressing the media, Pacquiao said that the fight will have ?more action and because I know that Diaz is hoping to win.? He said, ?I promise to all my fans, especially the Filipino people, that I will do my best to get (Diaz?s) belt.? Not so fast, according to Diaz. In fact, the Chicago native said he has no intention of losing the June 28 meeting with Pacquiao that will be held at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. ?To all the Filipinos, I?m sorry, but I plan on keeping the title.? Unknown to many, and maybe even to Diaz, Pacquiao has beaten four southpaws during his professional career since 1997. Pacquiao told BALITA that so far he has knocked out all these four lefties who fought him in the past. He drew one southpaw fighter, Agapito Sanchez, but the referee had to stop this fight for a technical draw after Pacquiao was left bloodied in a fight that Roach described as a ?tremendous miscarriage of boxing justice? because Sanchez, according to Roach, ?repeatedly made intentional fouls.? Though born to Mexican parents, Diaz is more American and even represented the U.S. in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, where he was 139-pounder. Diaz made little impression in his last undercard fight during the Pacquiao-Marquez II fight on March 15 this year which he won via a majority decision. In 2007, Diaz defended his title after coming back to beat Erik Morales in a decision victory. In last Tuesday?s news conference, Diaz seemed startled by the horde of media who came. He disclosed that he was never used to so many reporters in his previous fights, thanking Arum in the process ?for giving me this fight.? At 31, Diaz carries a 34-1-1 win-loss-draw card with 17 knockouts. Pacquiao, 29, who hails from General Santos City, has a 46-3-2 with 35 KOs record. The last time Pacquiao changed weight divisions was three years ago when the supposed rematch with Manuel Marquez was scratched after the latter demanded more money. Promoters decided to match the 126-pound Pacquiao against the then heavier 130-pound Erik Morales who beat him in their first meeting ? a unanimous decision in favor of Morales in the super featherweight division. If Pacquiao wins over Diaz, he will be the first Asian to win four world titles in different divisions to add the WBC Lightweight title to his super featherweight, featherweight and flyweight world titles. Top Rank Promoter Bob Arum said Pacquiao will be earning $3 million in the fight. Diaz will pocket $850,000. The HBO Pay-Per-View boxing match is priced at $49.95 per subscriber. In his last fight against Marcquez, Arum said the Pay-Per-View revenue topped $17 million in gross sales, watched by about 400,000 subscribers all the over the U.S.
