INQUIRER Sports

HOLLYWOOD -- An in-form Manny Pacquiao believes he holds the key to whatever door Juan Manuel Marquez dares to open in their rematch on March 15.

Pushing himself to new limits during training, Pacquiao is willing to let Marquez choose his type of fight.

“Ngayon kung anong gusto nila (They can choose whatever they want),” said Pacquiao. “Toe-to-toe movement, I’ll be ready.”

“Sayang lang ang paghihirap ko kung di ko ibubuhos sa (My sacrifices will go for naught if I don’t pour it all in the) ring,” said Pacquiao.

Granting that their speed and skill are equal, the Filipino ring icon said his power and strategy will be the deci-ding factors in their showdown for the World Boxing Council super featherweight crown of Marquez billed as the “Unfinished Business.”

“Basta tiwala ako sa lakas ko (I have faith in my strength),” Pacquiao told Manila-based sportswriters after partaking a late lunch of rice, sweet and sour fish, eggs, chicken and pork stew at his unit at the gated Palazzo apartments.

Pacquiao ventured to say that Erik Morales, whom he beat twice in three matches, is even stronger than Marquez, who rallied to salvage a draw in 2004 despite being knocked down three times in the first round.

Pacquiao bared that his trainer Freddie Roach has the bases all covered as far as fight plans are concerned.

“May (He has the) tendency na pumasok s’ya (to go in) and I’m prepared for that,” said Pacquiao. “If I hit him hard he’d be surprised and he would return to being a counterpuncher.”

“And if he does that, I also hold the key. May adjustments, this is again the hungry Pacquiao.”

Having spent a full eight weeks of training at Roach’s Wild Card Gym here and after running countless kilometers in the morning, Pacquiao believes he’s in tip-top shape.

He admitted to not being in peak shape in his last two fights against Jorge Solis and Marco Antonio Barrera where he was unimpressive despite emerging victorious.

“I wasn’t fully prepared and focused in those bouts,” admitted Pacquiao. “Maraming (There were a lot of) distractions.”

Though he didn’t belittle Marquez, who had a four-week headstart in high-altitude training in Toluca, Mexico, Pacquiao said he found no need to fully watch and study Marquez’s last two victories over Barrera and Rocky Juarez.

“‘Di na kailangang buo kapag nakalaban mo na (There’s no need to watch his entire fights because I’ve fought him already),” said Pacquiao, who’s in high spirits with the arrival of wife Jinkee Thursday night and the letters from sons Emmanuel Jr. and Stephen Manuel.