INQUIRER Sports

HOLLYWOOD?As a former boxer who reached the point of needing econstructive surgery to correct the damage the sport had inflicted on his face, Mickey Rourke knows all about speed and power and where to find both when Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto clash on Nov. 14.

?Miguel is a powerful boxer and he?s naturally bigger,? Rourke said. ?But Manny has the speed.?

?And I believe speed kills.?

Rourke?s presence highlighted Pacquiao?s media day Wednesday (Thursday in RP), when the Filipino ring icon drew a packed crowd to the Wild Card gym to witness the shape he is in as he prepares to hunt down Miguel Cotto?s WBO welterweight title at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

?This is the biggest fight in my career and I will do my best to win this one,? Pacquiao said for the nth time, making sure no one misses the importance as he chases history for yet another time.

?I?ll try to win a title in a seventh weight division and no other boxer has done that yet so this is history,? Pacquiao added.

After fielding questions from every corner of the ring, Pacquiao went through his routine for the media workout, which was more than twice as packed as Cotto?s well-attended press preview the day before.

The huge disparity in attendance was evident in the way photographers and writers jostled for prime space around the ring to catch a glimpse of the workout, which was also attended by celebrity Mario Lopez.

?Look at the press, look at the people,? promoter Bob Arum told Examiner.com?s Michael Marley, who was present at the workout. ?It?s like a throwback to the days of (Muhammad) Ali, it is incredible.?

Arum, in an informal chat with journalists, said Pacquiao?s popularity has soared that after an appearance at ESPN?s Sportscenter, there were talks of replaying the episode because of the high audience share it got.

Pacquiao had recently guested in his first nationally-televised US talk show and even sang for the audience, a performance that is making rounds in the web and is a solid hit at popular online video site YouTube.

He reportedly also has a standing invitation to watch an LA Lakers game on Friday from the box seat of team owner Jerry Buss.

Roach continued to belittle Cotto?s chances for the match dubbed ?Firepower,? believing that the Puerto Rican will be toast once he steps into the ring against the rapid-punching Pacman.

As confident as Roach is, Pacquiao made sure everybody understood he wasn?t taking Cotto lightly.

?He is a strong fighter with a powerful left hook,? Pacquiao said. ?I have to be at my best when I fight him. I want to win so my countrymen will be proud of me and so that many boxing fans will be happy.?

?A lot of people say Cotto is bigger and stronger, but I have my speed and we will use that,? he added. ?We know how to beat him and like I said before, knowledge is power.?