Wednesday, October 03, 2007 Watch out for dirty tactics, Pacquiao told By Charles Raymond A. Maxey
THE wrap in his opponent's hands and the possible dirty tactics to be employed by the Mexican are some of the issues that raised a deep concern on the camp of Manny Pacquiao days leading to his fight with Marco Antonio Barrera.
By the time Pacquiao arrives in Las Vegas from Los Angeles, he will have a firm idea on how to fight Barrera in a 12-round super featherweight showdown on October 6, 2007, at the Mandalay Bay Hotel.
Aside from new weapons added in his already vast arsenal, including what American trainer Freddie Roach called the Marco Bolo, the Filipino boxing sensation will have to watch out for that intentional head-butt from Barrera which could ruin his game plan come fight night.
Or, worse, lead to a nasty cut that could eventually spell doom for the punching machine from General Santos City.
Back in 2003 when both fighters met for the first time, Pacquiao was a recipient of two Barrera illegal moves that didn't escape the eyes of the referee and the millions of boxing fans who watched the fight in San Antonio and on television.
The first illegal antic that Barrera produced was the intentional head-butt in the middle of the fight when he was already losing. Fortunately for the Filipino, Barrera's head landed on his chest and not on his head or near his eye, which could have inflicted more damage.
The second one was when Barrera hit Pacquiao in the face with a right hand even when referee Lawrence Cole had already stepped in to separate the two from a clinch.
Pacquiao eventually won that match in sensational fashion, but Roach could not help but warn his ward for a possible repetition of such dirty tactics the moment the two boxers square off for the second time.
