Wednesday, October 03, 2007 Manny ready for tricks
FILIPINO boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao said he is ready for whatever Marco Antonio Barrera will throw his way on Oct. 6 (Oct. 7 RP time) at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Resort Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Pacquiao arrived in Las Vegas yesterday, with his trainers Freddie Roach and Buboy Fernandez and the rest of Team Pacquiao for the final week of the “Will To Win” card.
The 28-year-old super featherweight contender said he has prepared for any antics Barrera might do on him, possible some dirty tricks, just to win the fight.
“I will try to avoid head butt, and if he doesn’t stop punching even if we are ordered to top. He already did that to me the last time we met,” Pacquiao said in an interview posted at gmanews.tv.
Pacquiao, a virtual unknown in the featherweight division, challenged Barrera back in November 2003—the fight that hoisted him to stardom and became his defining moment in boxing.
In his last day of training, Pacquiao ran at the Griffith Park and sparred with David Rodela for three rounds, bringing his sparring sessions to 131 rounds.
Before leaving LA, Pacquiao got his long overdue haircut and had shaven his goatee, which he left untouched since he started training.
Meanwhile, the Nevada State Athletic Commission has appointed Tony Weeks as the third man in the ring after Roach aired his concern about the officiating.
Earlier, the name Joe Cortez was raised, but Roach said he is not comfortable seeing Cortez inside the ring describing him as someone who “favors Hispanic fighters.”
Weeks of Las Vegas has been refereeing big fights—including the first fight between the late Diego Corrales against Jose Luis Castillo back in May 2005 where the deceased fighter came back from two knockdowns in the 10th round and won the fight via TKO.
Weeks had also refereed the fights of Filipino-Americans Brian Viloria and Glenn Donaire. (RCM)
