TOLD THAT he was not probably preparing physically and mentally for his April 14 fight with Jorge Solis of Mexico in San Antonio, Texas, Filipino star Manny Pacquiao yesterday said he is not looking past this latest challenge.
“No, I am not taking this guy lightly,” said Pacquiao after a workout in his hometown of General Santos City.
“It’ll be me who is going to hit him,” Pacquiao answered to an interviewer who implied that Solis could end up banging his head owing to an apparent lack of concentration on his part brought about by his burning desire to run for public office during the May 14 polls.
“I am still very much focused on my (boxing) career,” said Pacquiao, who plans to report for training at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood in the first week of March where Freddie Roach assistantJustin Fortune is keenly awaiting for his arrival.
GenSan boxing patron Rey Golingan confirmed Pacquiao’s presence at the gym the past few days.
“Yes, he was training in the last couple of days,” said Golingan, whose boxing program back in the 1990s was where Pacquiao, then known as Kid Kulafu, started to hone his skills.
Pacquiao is seeking a Congress seat in the first district of South Cotabato opposite incumbent Darlene Antonino-Custodio and it is expected that he will immediately fly back to the country after the Solis duel penciled at the Alamodome.
Meanwhile, Pacquiao said he will be at ringside this Saturday when two Wild Card attractions,super-bantamweight Rey ‘Boom Boom’ Bautista and Z Gorres, square off with Hispanic foes at the Cebu Sports Complex.
“I will go there on fightday iself because I still have to train,” added Pacquiao, whose stock rose dramatically when he mauled Erik Morales last Nov. 18 in Las Vegas.
Pacquiao’s presence is going to be a big boost not only to Bautista and Gorres and the men behind the promotion and to the fight fans of Cebu, who are arguably the country’s most knowledgeable when it comes to boxing.
