MANILA, 4 July 2006 — Without a doubt, Manny Pacquiao was far from impressive last Sunday.
But the charismatic superstar countered that he really did not give it his all against Mexico’s Oscar Larios in Mano-A-Mano, even as his handlers, and some people close to him, offered that he was simply not 100% for the fight.
Freddie Roach, Pacquiao’s esteemed American trainer, gave his ward a rating of six out of 10, which was all the “Pacman” could reach after training for just over a month to take on the 29-year-old Mexican, who surprised everyone by finishing 12 rounds on his feet.
“Manny did not do what was expected. I didn’t see him fighting until the sixth round,” Roach, who predicted that the fight will not last more than six rounds, said later. “I wasn’t satisfied. I’m not happy.”
Whatever, Pacquiao has lined himself up for a megabuck third take of the Pacquiao-Erik Morales series, which will be for no significant world title, but definitely for a lot of green backs no other Filipino athlete before him ever came close to seeing.
And it seems that everyone in his team chose to look beyond Larios even before Pacquiao could touch gloves with the former two-time super bantamweight champion of the world.
A date has been set — Nov. 18 — as well as a city — Las Vegas — just a few hours after the unanimous decision of Larios.
And Roach, not wanting to take chances, said that training will start as early as next month, with a 45-day stop somewhere in the Philippines. Pacquiao, who kept his WBC international super featherweight title with the win, said he’ll try to retire Morales when they clash in the third installment of their famed rivalry.
Morales, however, vowed to “clobber Pacquiao much easier this time.”
Pacquiao rose to total world prominence by scoring a 10th round TKO victory over Morales in January and the score between the two fighters stands at 1-1 going into the third fight which could earn the Filipino southpaw at least triple his $1 million purse to fight Larios.
Larios, meanwhile, could also look for better things in his career, which took a big shot in the arm after withstanding the Filipino’s onslaught.
He earned $450,000 for the fight, easily the biggest in his career even during the time when he was world champion. Larios, a native of Guadalajara, Mexico, did not show even close to Morales-like skills against Pacquiao and was handily beaten. But the way he slugged it out and got up from two knockdowns — the first in the seventh and the other in the 12th — clearly showed that he was well-prepared for the fight and that even bigger money fights could be lined up in the future. But the Filipino fighter from General Santos in Mindanao was quick to dismiss talks of a rematch with his conquered foe.
“I don’t think may rematch pa,” Pacquiao said. “Nakita niyo naman ang nangyari sa laban namin, kailangan pa ba ng rematch nun?” And it seems that Larios and his camp share the same view. “No, we’re not asking for a rematch,” said Rafael Mendoza, Larios’ agent. “What we’re saying is that if Pacquiao wants another fight, then we’re ready for it.”
No less than President Macapagal-Arroyo feted Pacquiao yesterday, inviting the fighter to Malacanang for a hearty meal while bestowing the Lakandula award on the hard-hitting southpaw.
Even the city of Manila, through the family of Mayor Lito Atienza, organized a parade in Pacquiao’s honor where a throng chanted his name all throughout. Pacquiao, as if his endorsements were not enough at the present time — which range from alcohol products, cooking condiments and fastfood, among others — is also expected to corner even more lucrative deals, being the hottest, most-recognizeable face in the land today.
And those are exactly the distractions this 27-year-old doesn’t need, because Morales will not be a patsy and anything less than 100% output from Pacquiao will simply be not enough.
