Pacquiao more dangerous now

LOS ANGELES — If Juan Manuel Marquez thinks he has boxing icon Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao all figured out, he is terribly mistaken, the Filipino pound-for-pound king said on Wednesday.

Coupled with the changes he has gone through since the last time they fought in March 2008, Pacquiao said “I am more dangerous now.”

“I think I am a lot better now,” said Pacquiao ten days before he faces Marquez at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.

According to Pacquiao, it is him – and not the Mexican counter-puncher –who has drastically improved through the years and proof of this will be on showcase next week in front of a capacity crowd numbering more than 16,000.

“My power has made a big difference. It’s going to be different when he steps in the ring with me,” he said.

Pacquiao boasted that he has perfected the game plan to make the 38-year-old Marquez not only look bad but show that he is the better fighter.

“We know his weaknesses but we won’t tell you what they are,” he added.

Pacquiao, who turns 33 on December 17, narrowly beat Marquez on a split decision more than three years ago after battling him to a draw in May 2004.

Since making his United States (US) debut in June 2001, Pacquiao has fought 20 times, winning 17, losing just once and drawing twice.

Pacquiao’s two clashes with Marquez remain as the most bitterly fought apart in his storied career not counting his only defeat on US shores – against Erik Morales – in March 2005.

Apart from Morales, nobody has come close to beating Pacquiao than Marquez, whose counter-punching style and ring generalship made Pacquiao looked bad in their combined 24-round slugfest.

Despite the controversial ending of their first two matches, Pacquiao is an 8-1 favorite to settle the score with Marquez.

On fire

Meanwhile, trainer Freddie Roach said Pacquiao has never looked so motivated as he has in training to fight Juan Manuel Marquez next week and silence the Mexican fighter’s taunts.

With one point on one judge’s scorecard all that has separated the fighters through 24 rounds, Marquez has long argued he beat Pacquiao twice, even wearing a shirt that said, “I beat Pacquiao twice” to a pre-fight appearance in Manila.

“He’s claiming he was robbed in the last two fights. This third fight will be the answer to all of that,” Pacquiao said Wednesday.

A photograph of Marquez adorns a wall behind the punching bag at the Los Angeles-area gymnasium where Pacquiao works out, a constant reminder and motivating force for the Sarangani congressman.

“I’ve never seen him as motivated as I have for this fight,” Roach said. “Marquez went to the Philippines and embarrassed him, said a few things. That has pushed him to work harder in training camp.

“Manny Pacquiao is on fire right now. He’s training very well. He has a little spark.”(With a report from AFP)

Source: mb.com.ph

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