Jun, Jess & Gonz, listen up!

By Al S. Mendoza

FIRST Los Angeles. Then Chicago. Now, it’s San Francisco.

I refer to the three American cities where press conferences had been held to drum up interest for the Pacquiao-Diaz fight on June 29 (June 28 in Las Vegas, Nevada).

All three events had been well-attended.  And that’s because Pacquiao has become the most saleable boxing commodity in the world today. Not seeing Pacquiao in a Diaz-Pacquiao press conference is like seeing the Los Angeles Lakers play minus Kobe Bryant.  Dry as arid land.

There were about 500 spectators at the gym during the presser in San Francisco.

Although they were mostly Filipinos, the crowd gamely hung on when David Diaz, the Chicagoan of Mexican descent, did his thing in the ring.

Diaz joked his way into the hearts of the audience that after his impromptu performance, he drew a decent applause from the fiercely pro-Pacquiao crowd.

* * * *

A friend of mine present in San Francisco e-mailed me the following, “We were polite, of course.  We accorded Diaz his due.  We behaved.  We Filipinos have always been a good sport.  But personally, I feel Diaz will be no match against Pacquiao.  Diaz appeared slow.”

I was told that Diaz, who practices behind curtains as he refuses to show his training to the prying eyes of possible Pacquiao spies, has been learning how to circle around Pacman.

That is his only chance against Pacquiao – run circles and avoid Pacquiao’s powerful shots.

He can have a bicycle in the ring, even, but he cannot pedal away for 12 rounds.

Somehow, somewhere along the way, Diaz will have to mix it up. Once that happens, have mercy on him.  One Pacquiao blast to the face and he could be in dreamland.

* * * *

They say Diaz is a tough nut to crack.  In 36 fights, he was beaten just once – by knockout.  He’s won 34 times, drawn once, knocked out 17 foes.

His loss was actually a TKO some two years back.

He was being pummeled in the ropes in   the eighth round, not appearing to throw punches, when the referee stopped the fight and declared Diaz loser by TKO.

Diaz vehemently and angrily protested.  But the referee’s decision stood.

* * * *

Pacquiao has won 46 times (34 KOs), lost three times, two of them by knockout, drawn two.

But his two knockout losses were freak setbacks.

The first one, he didn’t train hard enough and got himself knocked out by Ronnie Torrecampo.

The second one, he climbed the ring practically emaciated from too much training to lose excess weight.

He was overweight, lost his world flyweight crown even before the bell rang for the fight and went on to absorb his second KO loss against a Thai in Thailand.

The third defeat, he lost on points to Erik Morales.

But since that defeat to Morales in 2005, Pacquiao has strung up seven victories against Morales (twice), Larios, Solis, Velasquez, Barrera and Marquez.

If Diaz, the defending world lightweight champion, would not end up as Pacquiao’s eighth straight Mexican victim on June 29, I’ll treat Jun Velasco and Jesus A. Garcia Jr. to beer at Inn Asia.

I won’t mind if Gonz Duque will provide the pulutan.

Make that kaleskesan, if not the specialty at Atanor?

(Readers may reach columnist at also147@yahoo.com. For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/general-admission/ For reactions to this column, click “Send MESSAGES, OPINIONS, COMMENTS” on default page.)

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