This Saturday, the pride of the Philippines and one of the best boxers of his generation, Manny Pacquiao, will move up in weight to take on the WBC Lightweight Champion, David Diaz. Pacquiao is already a three-division champion, but a win will put him in an exclusive club of boxers who have won titles in four different weight classes. Manny is known as a crowd-pleasing offensive fighter who uses his speed and power to overwhelm his opponents. Diaz won his title with an unlikely come-from-behind win against Jose Armando Santa Cruz in 2006. He has only fought once per year since then so inactivity could come into play with his title defense against Pacquiao. Diaz? best assets as a boxer are his toughness and determination. Below, RSR?s team of writers predict whether or not Manny Pacquiao will be able to hurdle this important obstacle in his career.
Kermit Cintron
Pacquiao by late stoppage. Pacquiao will do the usual, move around and be busy. Diaz is slower. Pacquiao seems to be stronger. It will be a typical Manny performance. We should see some excitement.
Michael Plunkett
Manny Pacquiao is on the cusp of history. If anybody still doubts his greatness, they simply aren’t paying attention. Others are acknowledged greats off of less. Expect this great gunslinger to cement his legacy and embark on the final leg of his outstanding career, which is now firmly in its autumn, with a late-round TKO stoppage of Diaz, probably somewhere after round eight.
Dan Hernandez
I am a Pacman fan, however I don’t see this as a walk in the park. Manny in 12 tough rounds.
Dave Wilcox
Diaz will fight well, but Pacquiao will be too active for him. I look for a spirited fight with Manny winning a close unanimous decision.
Roger T. Tubajiki
I think David Diaz will overcome Manny Pacquiao’s offensive style to win by unanimous decision.
Jose Antonio Rivera
I have to go with Manny Pacquiao by decision. He just keeps amazing us with his strength, desire, skills and motivation to succeed against all odds.
George Diaz Smith
Diaz should come on in the latter rounds, but l just believe Pacquiao has too much speed and a higher work rate to pull the win; with some points deducted?and some pockets of Diaz getting back in the fight that will be closer than most thought possible.
A split-decision call in his favor will only ignite even more of the controversy; but the preservation of the lead is the important thing; and should be what would really enable him to get the win.
Antonio Santiago
I think Pacman scores another one over a Mexican with a unanimous decision.
Russ Greenspan
Diaz is a tough guy and there has been whispers that Pacquiao has become increasingly vulnerable due to the ring wars he’s engaged in with Morales, Barrera and Marquez; maybe so, but he’s not going to be taken by a fighter with a sub 50% KO record, whose best wins came against a shopworn Morales, and Jose Armando Santa Cruz, and whose last bout was a hard fought majority decision over 15-4-2 Ramon Montaro. Pacquiao by knockout, and it won’t be pretty.
?Bad? Brad Berkwitt
Pacman by 8th round TKO.
Eileen Teran
I think it will be a pretty good, somewhat evenly matched bout. Diaz fights to his competitor’s level, so he will make a good showing. That said, Manny is a superstar for a reason, and I think he will kick it into high gear when he needs to and it will be enough to determine the outcome in his favor. I look for an UD for Pacquiao.
Jorge Daniel Perez
The logical pick is Manny Pacquiao, but lately Manny has been involved with the promotion a little more than he is accustomed to. Breaking away from training camp to fly to Chicago, then long drives to San Francisco and San Diego plus public work outs and appearances will cause a slight distraction on any fighter. So, I believe Manny will only be about 80% coming into this fight, and will rely too much on power to beat Diaz.
David Diaz may have nothing special in his game, he is what he is. The man is determined, boosting with confidence and has great conditioning. Sometimes that is enough to win a fight. If David takes Pacquiao?s punch and finds a way to neutralize his speed then it?s a toss up fight and tough for Manny down the stretch. Manny better be prepared to go 12 grueling rounds. To make things exciting I’m going with the underdog David Diaz by a split decision.
Geno McGahee
Manny Pacquiao will be too quick for Diaz. Although Diaz is larger, he doesn’t have the reflexes and will not be able to defend the incoming. Manny wins by TKO in three rounds, where Diaz just looks one or two steps too slow to even compete. Manny is going to look great in this fight.
Daniel “Tex” Cohen
David Diaz is a good fighter and a tough son of a gun. I can’t equate him to a tune up opponent, but I’m fairly certain that Pacquiao will make short work of him. The only question is whether or not Diaz will last the distance ala Oscar Larios. Look for Pacquiao to score an easy decision with fists of fury. The rugged Diaz will stay on his feet. Pacquiao by UD
Brian Wilbur
David Diaz has a puncher?s chance, especially if Pacquiao gets careless against a bigger man. Even though there is danger, Pacquiao is the better man and should win this one. I will say by decision because Diaz is a pretty tough hombre.
Scott ?Ring Rat? Hendrix
This is a tougher fight then some might believe, I’ll go with Pacman by late round stoppage.
Friends of RSR
Actor and Comedian Shelley Berman
I am going with Manny Pacquiao by 7th round knockout.
Film Star “Seek and Destroy” Seka
David Diaz by 6th round knockout.
Vonzell Johnson (Former two-time light heavyweight title challenger)
I am going with Manny Pacquiao by 5th round knockout.
Final Tally Manny Pacquiao ? 16 David Diaz ? 3
