American impresario Frank Belmont warned Manny Pacquiao that his coming fight with Oscar Larios of Mexico on July 2 will not be a walk in the park.
“Larios is a good boxer, not a great puncher, durable, quick, experienced and not easily intimidated,” Belmont described the Mexican fighter from Guadalajara.
Belmont, who is the president of Belmonte Productions, said he witnessed separate fights of Larios and Pacquiao in the ‘Boxeo de Oro’ monthly TV series for Latin American countries, exclusively for the Golden Boy Promotions.
Incidentally, Larios is a mainstay of the Golden Boy Promotions of Oscar dela Hoya.
Professional
“Larios is not a super-impressive fighter, but he is very professional, always walking with his hands encased in enormous white training gloves searching for sparmates in the club,” said Belmont. “The Mexican has all the tools and if I am a manager, I’d like to own him.”
Belmont also warned Pacquiao of the dangers of fighting at home.
“As the promoter and hero in this coming drama, Pacquiao could also get a lot of distractions, too many responsibilities and is very dangerous for even a good fighter.”
Belmont arrived in the Philippines eyeing a tie-up with ABS-CBN, which is promoting the Pacquiao-Larios fight.
“If our offer is accepted, the Pacquiao-Larios fight would have a worldwide audience either on the US-based direct-TV or in-demand affiliates in 50 countries,” said Belmont.
Lessons
He added that he just wants to take “a look and see” Manila, the Araneta Coliseum – not the white beaches – and the Filipinos, who he knows are electrified by Pacquiao’s ring exploits.
Belmont also identified two lessons for Pacquiao to remember.
“One, when Pacquiao destroyed Marco Antonio Barrera via an 11th-round TKO win in 2003 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, a border town to Barrera’s hometown, the Mexican had majority of the big crowd backing him up.
All odds were against Pacquiao,” Belmont said. “But the PacMan’s thorough thrashing of Barrera was a shocker to him and his handlers.
“And two, when welter Zab Judah lost to Carlos Baldemir of Argentina, there was bedlam in New York City, Judah’s hometown.”
