By Rey Danseco
 
FORMER world champion, Oscar “Chololo” Larios, has intensified his training in prerapation for his quest of taking everything from Manny Pacquiao on July 2 at Araneta Coliseum.

Larios (56-4-1, 36KOs) initiated intense preparations, that started this week at the Teiken Gym in Tokyo, where he sparred with skilled Japanese southpaws that his trainer Edison Reynoso believes have a good resemblance to Pacquiao’s movements.

The former super bantamweight champion under the WBC boxed with Toshiaki Nishioka, a former four-time WBC bantamweight title challenger and currently ranked super bantamweight No. 3 contender by the WBA and No. 4 by the WBC.

Larios, 29-years-old, did the same torrid sparring session on Wednesday with reigning WBC bantamweight champion Hozumi Hasegawa (20-2, 7 KOs), 25-year-olds and native of Kobe. 

The left-handed Hasegawa is also training for his title defense against another Mexican Genaro "Poblanito" Garcia (35-4, 20 KOs), 28-years-old, on July 15 at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo.
 
Larios plans to come back to Manila with Reynoso and rendevouz with his manager Jose Reynoso and international agent Rafael Mendoza on June 28, few days after Pacquiao folded up his training at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood and resume his plan to undergoes high-altituted regimin in Baguio City with American guru Freddie Roach and Buboy Fernandez.

Pacquiao (41-3-2, 33 KOs) will put his WBC International super featherweight title on the line along his reputation as one of top pound-for-pound fighters in the world and current ranking as No. 1 contender to WBC super featherweight king Marco Antonio Barrera.