LET'S FINISH THIS TODAY. Manny Pacquiao
(right) and defending titlist Juan Manuel Marquez have
expressed confidence of scoring a big win. They will clash
in a 12-round WBC super featherweight title rematch today
(Manila Time in Las Vegas.) (mpb) |
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LAS
VEGAS. The battle lines are finally drawn up for today's
epic battle between two-time world titlist Manny "Pacman"
Pacquiao and defending champion Juan Manuel Marquez
at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino here.
The
34-year-old Marquez tipped the scale at exactly 130
pounds while Pacquiao, 29, came in at 129 pounds during
the official weigh-in on the eve of the highly-anticipated
rematch.
Despite
the shocking loss of his younger brother Bobby to WBC
No. 2 super featherweight contender Urbano Antillon
the
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other
day at the Hard Rock Hotel here, he is more confident and determined
to avenge the painful setback of his brod who was knocked out
by Antillon in just one round.
TOUGHEST
TRAINING SO FAR
Reports
from Las Vegas say the Filipino icon is going to have a broken
heart if he loses today's showdown.
"I
had to sacrifice a lot like being away from my loved ones,"
said Pacquiao after holding his last workout Thursday afternoon
at the IBA Compound on Euclid Street, a 15-minute drive from
his plush suite at the Mandalay Bay.
"I
also did not allow myself to get bothered by distractions
as I set them all aside during my eight-week training,"
said Pacquiao, who will be challenging for Marquez's World
Boxing Council (WBC) super-featherweight crown and going after
a place in history as the first Asian to win three world titles
in three different weight classes.
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For
the first time ever, Pacquiao left the Philippines and
trained for eight solid weeks under Freddie Roach at
the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood in the hopes
of mending his ways and bouncing back from two lackluster
performances in 2007.
"This
is the toughest (training ever not only because this
was the longest but the hardest as well," said
Pacquiao, the heavy favorite going into the scheduled
12-rounder that takes place before a packed crowd at
the 12,000-seat Events Center.
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MARQUEZ
READY TO RUMBLE
Marquez,
the reigning World Boxing Council super feather-weight titlist,
said he's not going to part with his belt without giving Filipino
ring icon Manny Pacquiao a hell of a fight.
Marquez
has been carrying the belt around like a prized possession.
He
won it via a bloody victory over fellow Mexican Marco Antonio
Barrera and defended his championship successfully against
American Rocky Juarez last year.
ROACH
SEES CLEAN FIGHT
They
may go toe-to-toe. They may bang at each other's body without
let-up for 12 rounds. Still, renowned trainer Freddie Roach
believes Pacquiao-Marquez II is not going to be a dirty fight.
"Manny
Pacquiao is a clean fighter and I believe Juan Manuel Marquez
fights cleanly, too," said Roach. "They are both
gentlemen."
Roach
considers Marquez the cleanest among Mexican greats in the
division. Cleaner than Erik Morales and cleaner than Marco
Antonio Barrera.
According
to Roach, all three Morales fights were generally clean.
"There
were fouls and bad movements but they were mainly unintentional,"
said Roach.
As to Barrera, who absorbed two losses against Pacquiao, Roach
said he tended to be rough and box dirty.
Having
seen Marquez's last two fights against Barrera and Rocky Juarez
Roach said Pacquiao's speed and power are going to be superior
over Marquez's technical skills.
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