By Rey Danseco
LOCAL fans will size up in flesh for the first time Manny Pacquiao’s Mexican opponent.
Oscar Larios also known as Chololo, arrived in Manila yesterday morning from Guadalajara, Mexico to hype his scheduled 12-round confrontation with Pacquiao on July 2 at the fabled Araneta Coliseum.
Larios, together with his trainer Edison Reynoso and promoter Rafael Mendoza, were on board the EVA Air flight from Taipei and landed at around 11:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Manila time).
The former World Boxing Council (WBC) super bantamweight champion will be staying in the Philippine capital for three days to attend television appearances and press conferences along with Pacquiao on Friday to promote the fight.
After the promotions, the tall and lanky Mexican warrior with power in both hands, will return to his training camp in Guadalajara to resume training.
Mendoza described the Pacquiao-Larios rumble as a “big event” and he sees his fighter prevailing over the Filipino ring idol to avenge the knockout losses of his two big-time compatriot boxers, Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales.
“Pacquiao is one of the best fighters at this time,” said Mendoza.
Larios is contracted for $450,000 purse while Pacquiao is expected to get $1 million.
Larios is coming off a technical knockout loss in his last fight, losing his WBC title in the 122-pound division via TKO in the third round to archrival Israel Vasquez in a rematch that took place on December 3 at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Pacquiao, on the other hand, avenged his unanimous decision loss to Morales with a TKO win in the 10th round on Jan. 21 at Thomas & Mack Center, also in Las Vegas.
