Pacquiao sees tough battle this time
LOS ANGELES - Manny Pacquiao held court before declaring and assuring the entire Filipino nation Wednesday that he is ready to rumble with Antonio Margarito. "I am ready to go," said Pacquiao inside an oven-hot, teeny-weeny dressing room at the Wild Card Boxing Club, immediately after giving trainer Freddie Roach plenty of reasons to flash a smile after a workout ten days before the big bout at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas. Pacquiao was in a jolly mood as though he won't be facing an opponent who is not only five inches taller but who enjoys a six-inch advantage in reach, goofing around with among those who were on hand to watch his training. Still, Pacquiao admitted that it won't be a cakewalk for him against the 5-11 Mexican pressure fighter. "This is going to be a tough fight for me," said Pacquiao, acknowledging that Margarito's sheer size should pose problems for him. But "speed will carry me to victory," said Pacquiao, who will be fighting for the first time beyond the welterweight ranks of 147 lbs. "If you have speed, there will be nothing to worry about," assured the 31-year-old Pacquiao. Pacquiao and Margarito have agreed on a catch weight of 150 lbs with the winner going home with the World Boxing Council super-welterweight crown. Only in his second week of training here in the US after spending the first four weeks in Baguio and Manila, Pacquiao said he has regained his confidence and conditioning back since he "has been boxing the last 20 years of my life." "Manny's ready to fight tomorrow," said Mike Koncz, one of Pacquiao's dizzying array of advisers. "Twenty years of boxing, seven world titles in seven weight divisions. Manny knows what he is doing." Pacquiao is set to spar for seven more rounds Thursday as he begins the tapering off process in the runup to early next week's departure for Dallas. "I know I am already in shape after I went 12 rounds in sparring without a problem. I feel I am ready to fight," said Pacquiao.
Reposted From Manila Bulletin
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