By Ronnie Nathanielsz
Ring Magazine featherweight champion Manny Pacquiao called his younger brother Bobby from Los Angeles and "gave him instructions how to fight" IBF Pan Pacific featherweight champion Fahprakorb Rakkiatgym, according to Pacquiao's business manager Rod Nazario.
In an overseas telephone conversation with Manila Standard, Nazario said Manny Pacquiao who knocked out Fahprakorb Rakkiatgym in the very first round in his IBF super bantamweight title defense in Davao City in October 2002 told Bobby "not to be scared but to fight an intelligent fight" in their twelve round title showdown in the resort city of Pattaya, Thailand today.
Nazario said Pacquiao weighed 125 ½ pounds during the official weigh-in while the Thai champion who is also ranked No. 3 in the world by the IBF came in at 125 pounds. Both fighters looked fit and strong. Nazario said Pacquiao, the reigning Philippine super featherweight champion and Oriental Pacific Boxing Federation No.1 contender was "feeling good and confident" about his chances.
IBF fight supervisor Ray Wheatley of Australia said "both boxers look nice and fit and we expect a very good fight. There is a lot of excitement here in Bangkok because they believe this will be a good test for Fahprakorb Rakkiatgym. We think this will be a very interesting fight."
Pacquiao has a record of 21-8-3 with 9 knockouts while Fahprakorb Rakkiatgym has a record of 46-3 with 29 knockouts. Pacquiao who trained for one month under Freddie Roach at his Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles scored a lopsided eight round decision over Mexican Oscar Villa in his US debut while Fahprakord is coming off a second round KO of Filipino Alvin Clerino who decked the champion in the first round.
The Pacquiao-Fahprakorb title fight, sponsored by San Miguel Corporation and Smart will be telecast on February 27 at 1:00 p.m. over RPN 9.
