Determined Diaz ready to foil Pacquiao’s best
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 05:13:00 06/18/2008
MANILA, Philippines—David Diaz says he’s in his finest shape ever and ready to handle the best of Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao when they tangle for his World Boxing Council lightweight crown on June 28 in Las Vegas.
The Mexican-American said the result of his rigorous training will surprise Pacquiao on fight night.
“Training has been excellent and I truly feel like I’m peaking at the right time,” Diaz bared in his Chicago Sun-Times diary on Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila).
“I will be prepared for the best of Manny on June 28th. He’ll get one big surprise.”
The 32-year-old Diaz started his preparations for the bout, dubbed “Lethal Combination,” two weeks ahead of Pacquiao, the WBC super featherweight champion. He said he is just a few pounds off the 135-lb limit.
“I’ve never had a problem making weight and this will be no different,” said Diaz, who has been training at the JABB gym in Chicago.
The low-profile world champion said he will hold an open workout at the gym for his fans and the media on Thursday afternoon.
Diaz has been training behind closed doors, like Pacquiao at the Wild Card gym in Hollywood, and intends to keep “spies” out as he winds up preparations in the Windy City in the next few days.
A group of Filipino journalists was shooed away from the JABB gym last month by burly Diaz supporters, but not before they were allowed to take harmless photographs of the world champion.
Diaz, a certified brawler, was trying to perfect a toe-to-toe strategy with his handlers that day, according to one journalist.
“I’ve got a lot of fans who want to drop by and see my training, so we set up this time for them and the media,” said Diaz of Thursday’s open workout.
Diaz has never taken a break in training even when he’s holding promotional tours for the megabuck fight to be shown on HBO pay-per-view.
Pacquiao, on the other hand, was unable to train on Thursday after conducting a promotional tour in San Diego. He was bothered by cough and cold last week.
Wary of Pacquiao’s power, Diaz has been sparring with 150- to 160-lb fighters to get used to being hit heavily.
Diaz’s main concern, however, is Pacquiao’s hand speed, which the Mexican-American admits will be difficult to offset.
Diaz said, though, that his trainers have devised a battle plan that would mitigate this advantage.
With barely 11 days before the fight at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Diaz knows he’ll be busy with conference calls, interviews and other promotional activities.
But he doesn’t mind as long as it doesn’t interrupt his training.
He knows he’ll have to be at his very best to handle Pacquiao’s punches. Roy Luarca
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