By Rey Danseco

 

MANNY Pacquiao believes Marco Antonio Barrera might use dirty tactics. He is also wary of premature interruptions by the referee during the fight.

Pacquiao, who reached Las Vegas after more than four hours drive from Los Angeles yesterday, said he’ll be ready to prevent a clash of heads from Barrera when they tangle again on Oct. 6 at Mandalay Bay Resorts and Casino.

On at least two occasions Pacquiao was cut from head butts, and he failed to sustain his furious punching power.

"I'll make sure to avoid his head butts,” Pacquiao told DZBB radio here in the Philippines yesterday.

When he engaged with Dominican Republic’s Agapito Sanchez in an IBF/WBO super bantamweight unification bout in 2001, Pacquiao was lucky to salvage a technical draw in the sixth round.

Sanchez used dirty tactics like hitting below the belt and headbutting. But the fouls cost him the bout when lost two points for low blows. The ringside doctor stoped the bout due to a bad cut on Pacquiao's right eye caused by an accidental headbutt in Round 2 and worsened by another headbutt in Round 6.

Pacquiao lost with unanimous decision in his first bout against Erik Morales in March 2005 when he suffered a bad cut above his left eye, also from a clash of heads.

Pacquiao is now looking for the fair officiating of 51-year old referee Tony Weeks after Laurence Cole of Texas saved Barrera from harm on some occasions and he also let him punch on the break during their first fight.

“He continuing to fight even when the referee told him to stop. He did that in our last bout,” said Pacquiao.

Weeks has officiated many title fights for the IBO, IBF, WBC and WBO and has officiated several major bouts, including one of the most famous in boxing history between Jose Luis Castillo and Diego Corrales where he clearly put in one of the best refereeing performances of all-time.

The Nevada State Athletic Commission also assigned the judges for the scheduled 12-round bout. They are Tom Schreck, Jerry Roth and Glenn Trowbridge.