Fighters and media gathered inside the Hard Rock Hotel today for the final press conference before Thursday night?s match up on VERSUS between Hector ?El Artillero? Velazquez (45-11-2 32 KOs) and Bobby ?The Sniper? Pacquiao (27-11-3 12 KOs), younger brother of two-time world champion and boxing phenomenon Manny Pacquiao.
Fighting to make a name for himself out of his brother?s shadow, Bobby Pacquiao has won his last three fights, coming in as the underdog each time.
?I know that some media out there still doubt me and some people do too,? said Pacquiao, ?but I know what I can do and I have been proving it.
?I know that Velazquez will fight hard and that he is in good condition. I look forward to making everybody enjoy the fight you should watch.?
Velazquez, also on a three-fight win streak since his lost last September to Manny Pacquiao, vows to make sure this is not a showcase fight for the brother of his past conqueror.
?I?m sure he thinks that he can do what his brother did, but that is not so,? said Velazquez who will be fighting for the fourth time this year.
?To become the best you have to fight the best?and that?s what we?re doing. He knows that if you?re going to be great in this sport you have to get past a Mexican fighter. We fight hard and leave it all in the ring. I don?t plan on being the exception.?
When asked about rumors that Bobby Pacquiao packs a harder punch than his more famous brother Velazquez voiced his doubts.
?Do you think he hits harder? I don?t.
?If he did he would have the record his brother has . . . but ask me again on Sunday and I?ll be able to reaffirm my answer.?
The only undercard fighter present at the press conference was Las Vegas favorite Dewey ?Black Kobra? Cooper (15-0-2, 9 KOs.) Cooper, of K-1 fame, is an exciting crowd-friendly fighter who plans to put on a show in search for his fifteenth victory when he takes on Salah Zabian (6-6 4 KOs), a fellow cruiserweight from Vegas.
?I trained hard to and I?m ready to be 15-0,? said the Black Kobra. ?Who knows? Maybe four, five, six more fights and I?ll be fighting for a cruiserweight championship in the main event.?
The televised portion of the card will also feature New Jersey?s Archak Ter-Meliksetian (16-4 13 KOs) in a ten-round super welterweight battle against Mazatlan, Mexico?s Jose Luis Cruz (33-2-2 28 KOs.)
The Top Rank-promoted card goes live on VERSUS Thursday, Nov. 16 at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT from inside The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel-Casino in Las Vegas.
Tickets are available at Ticketmaster.com and are priced $50, $125 and $200 for ringside.
