Manny Pacquiao vowed yesterday to accomplish what five other great Filipino fighters, including Flash Elorde, failed to do in their lifetime ? win the world lightweight boxing championship.
Though he did not say he is the better fighter, he acknowledged that he is different from the other Filipinos who sought, fought and eventually lost their title bids.
“Iba ako, iba sila,” Pacquiao said during a teleconference that was arranged by GMA 7 yesterday at the TV station?s headquarters in Quezon City to hype up the coming fight.
Told about the fate suffered by Elorde, Bert Somodio, Andy Ganigan, Dindo Canoy and Randy Suico, Pacquiao, the reigning World Boxing Council (WBC) super-featherweight titlist, brushed off the jinx that seemed to be associated with the quest.
He told reporters that luck was not on their side when they tried to capture the 135-lb diadem.
“Sila ang malas,” said Pacquiao, who meets David Diaz of the US on June 28 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.
Diaz?s WBC lightweight title will be on the line and Pacquiao?s crack will be the seventh time a Filipino will try to crown himself as lightweight king.
Elorde twice failed ? both by 14th round knockout ? to Puerto Rican Carlos Ortiz in 1964 (Manila) and 1966 (New York); Somodio against Joe Brown in the early 60s; Ganigan versus Alexis Arguello in 1982; Canoy opposite Orzubek Nazarov in 1995; and Suico against Juan Diaz in 2006.
To get ready for Diaz?s ultra-aggressive style coming from the southpaw stance, Pacquiao admitted that he and trainer Freddie Roach had to alter some techniques.
“We had to change a few strategies because Diaz is also left-handed like me,” said Pacquiao, who sparred 10 full rounds with three fighters at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood before hooking up with channel 7.
While there had to be changes in the training approach, the intensity remained the same, said Pacquiao, who has so far logged almost 80 rounds of sparring.
By the time he leaves for Las Vegas on June 23, Pacquiao would have sparred at least 120 rounds.
With a little over three weeks before the fight, Pacquiao said his weight is in check.
“Right now, I weigh 138 or 139 lbs,” said the 29-year-old native of General Santos City.
Meanwhile, Diaz has also gone full-blast in his training at the JABB Gym in downtown Chicago.
“The training has truly reached a fever pitch at this point,” Diaz wrote in his biweekly diary that sees print in the Chicago Sun Times.
“We?re 23 days away from the fight as of today and my mind and body are responding very well to the increased preparation. I promised myself at the start of camp on April 19th that I would be 100 percent fully prepared to fight Manny and defend my title on June 28th.”
