Manny Pacquiao had other things in mind when he faced Oscar Larios Friday at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles: the NBA playoffs and Marco Antonio Barrera.
“Go Clippers!” was how Pacquiao opened up his short stint with the microphone, drawing cheers from the close to a hundred press people who graced the press conference for the July 2 fight between Pacquiao and Larios in Manila.
According to “very good” sources, Pacquiao won “a fistful of dollars” by betting on the LA Clippers who defeated the Phoenix Suns in Game 6 of their Western Conference semifinal, and sent the series back to Phoenix for Game 7.
Pacquiao will have to watch that pivotal game from his posh, $4,000-a-month La Palazzo apartment. He is once again expected to root for and bet on the Clippers.
Pacquiao arrived in LA last Monday and plunged into training at the Wild Card Gym two days after. He intends to stay in LA until June 20, before flying back home for the final push heading to the 12-round, 130-lb bout at the Araneta Coliseum.
During the press conference, Pacquiao literally threw Barrera, the reigning World Boxing Council super-featherweight champion, out of his 2006 schedule, saying he is committed to facing Erik Morales, another great Mexican fighter, for a third time.
“Maybe we will fight Barrera in 2007,” said Pacquiao (41-3-2, 32 KOs) as Larios (56-4-1, 36 KOs) sat and listened just few meters away.
Earlier reports said the Pacquiao-Morales Part 3 would be held Nov. 18 in Las Vegas. But the latest, according to the Internet, showed a new date, Oct. 7.
Finally, on Larios, Pacquiao only expressed confidence that he’ll be in tip-top shape for the fight, and that the Mexican punching machine, the former world champion in the 122 lb division, will feel sorry for himself in the end.
“I am faster than him,” was all Pacquiao could say when asked how he intends to beat Larios in their coming fight to be aired in the US via pay-per-view at $39.99.
Larios recently described Pacquiao as “arrogant” and said he doesn’t mind that the flashy Filipino fighter is getting much of the attention.
“After the fight in July, I know the attention will be mine,” he said. “If I win, I’m sure that Marco Antonio Barrera, Morales or Juan Manuel Marquez would want to fight me. I know that nobody considers me like a true 130-pound star, but I will demonstrate that I’m ready for a big fight.”
