It‘s go for the Manny Pacquiao-Oscar Larios clash here.
Team Pacquiao has confirmed the 10-round fight on May 20 at the Araneta Coliseum that would serve as a tune-up for the Filipino boxing icon’s highly anticipated rubber match with Erik Morales in September.
It is actually one of the main features in a boxing duel pitting the best Filipino boxers against the top Mexican boxers, according to boxing website mannypacquiao.ph.
The local roster will include reigning WBC light flyweight champion Brian Viloria, Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista, Jimrex Jaca and Rodel Mayol, said promoter/manager Rex “Wakee” Salud.
“They also do it in Mexico, meaning they pit the Mexican boxers against the Thais or other nations. That’s what we are going to stage here. We will tap good Mexicans to fight our boxers,” said Salud in Filipino.
He added that the boxing festival will be telecast over ABS-CBN, which also covered the recent Pacquiao-Morales fight last January.
Pacquiao won that rematch, scoring a convincing 10th round technical knockout victory that set the stage for the rubber match.
Meanwhile, once the RP vs Mexico boxing fest is finalized, Freddie Roach, Pacquiao’s noted American trainer, said they would need six weeks to put Pacquiao back in shape.
“I will go there (Philippines) six weeks before the fight. We will be training up in the north in the mountains in northern Manila. I am looking forward to the fight with Larios,” said Roach.
