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Monday, July 03, 2006
Pacquiao wins, fails to KO Larios
By Rommel C. Manlosa
Sun.Star Staff Reporter
QUEZON City—The quick, sensational, knockout never came. Still, the fight entertained the 22,000 fans that stormed the Araneta Coliseum and the millions watching it on television, here and abroad.
Manny Pacquiao pulled a unanimous decision win over challenger Oscar “Chololo” Larios yesterday, keeping his WBC International super featherweight title.
But the card that was compared to the classic “Thrilla in Manila,” the epic fight between Muhammad Ali and Joe Fraizer at the same venue 31 years ago, was anything but thrilling.
Trainer Freddie Roach rated Pacquiao’s performance as “six on a scale of 10,” adding that “Pacquiao did not do what was expected.
“I believe Manny intentionally took the fight the distance. He started to fight (seriously) on the sixth. I have to rate him six for that performance,” Roach said during the post fight press conference.
The camp had promised a quick and spectacular finish.
Not aggressive
“I was not aggressive in throwing punches...If I had been so aggressive, you know what would have happened. I just tried to give some entertainment since I controlled the fight from the start and I knew I was ahead on points all the time. I was not in a hurry,” Pacquiao however said.
For him, Larios was too slow.
Thai judge Noppharat Sricharoen scored the fight 120-106; French Humbert Furgoni scored 117-110 and Belgian Daniel Van de Wiele tallied 118-108, all for Pacquiao.
Pacquiao sent Larios twice on the seat of his pants.
The first was on the seventh round when he connected a right-left-jab-straight combination to the chin. Larios was able to get up quickly at the count of four. The second knockdown was in the final round when Pacquiao set up a left straight to the head, less than a minute before the fight was over.
Larios also suffered a deep cut below his left eye.
“I was not really hurt. Those knock downs happened the time when I was off-balanced. Manny is a great champion and he beat me with his speed,” Larios said.
Rematch?
Larios is seeking a rematch and his promoter, Oscar de la Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions, wants it carried out.
But Pacquiao said there is no point in having one.
The victory improved Pacquiao’s ring record to 42 wins, three loses and two draws, with 33 knockouts, while Larios suffered his first back-to-back loses and slipped to 56-5-1, 36 KOs.
With the Larios fight done, Pacquiao is looking to his third meeting with Erik Morales on Nov. 18 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (July 3, 2006 issue)
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