By Rick Reeno
Later tonight, the number-one pound-for-pound fighter in the world, Manny Pacquiao (46-3-2, 35KO), moves up to the lightweight division to challenge WBC champion David Diaz (34-1, 17KO) at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada. Pacquiao wants to insert his name into the history books by becoming the first Asian fighter to win four major titles in four weight divisions.
“I am very comfortable at 135. The power is no concern - I feel stronger at 135. What we have been working on is to maintain my speed. Because of moving up there is a chance to get slower, but fighting bigger guys is definitely not a problem for me,” Pacquiao said. “I am looking forward to fighting David Diaz. He has the same style as me…move in and fight. It’s going to be a good fight.”
While Pacquiao is looking to make history, Diaz is looking for the biggest win of his career. Diaz, based in Chicago, is hungry to pull off the upset. The winner will have more than enough payday opportunities in one of the most talent rich divisions in the sport.
“This fight means a lot to me. It means I will be able to put my kids through college and they will be all right. I was the youngest of nine children and that was something that my dad was unable to do for me. And if I win this fight? That will put me in a whole new tax bracket," Diaz said.
“If this fight has to go one round, I will go one round. If it has to go 12-rounds, I will go 12-rounds. This has been my best camp and I feel great. And I know Manny’s going to be at his best also. He’s got his nation on his shoulders and history in front of him. I don’t make any excuses and I know he doesn’t either. This is going to be an old-fashioned fight. This is my chance to knock down the wall. Manny is the wall and I’ve got to go knock it down.”
Round by Round Coverage begins at 9:00 PM Eastern Standard Time . Round by Round Coverage is for Registered Users only. Registration is 100% FREE . To register, please CLICK HERE.
Registered users can CLICK HERE to join the live Round by Round Coverage.
