Manny Pacquiao may be a huge favorite as he moves up in weight and challenges WBC lightweight champion David Diaz, but everyone involved in the June 28 bout tried their hardest to convince fans that the fight is no mismatch.
Top Rank promotions head man Bob Arum, who promotes both Diaz and Pacquiao, got things rolling with heavy praise for the underdog champion Diaz.
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"When I first saw Olympic footage of him, I said this kid reminds me of Jake LaMotta because it's the same type of style," Arum said. "This kid keeps coming and coming and throwing punches and not getting discouraged and hanging in there. So what you are going to see on June 28 is a fight."
Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach agreed, and got some jabs in at his own fighter for arriving to yet another training camp later than hoped due to his inordinately hectic schedule back home in the Philippines where he is a cultural icon. The big money may be going towards Pacquiao, but the astute coach believes the former Olympian and current champion Diaz poses plenty of challenges.
"Everyone is telling me that this is going to be an easy fight," Roach said. "That's the worse thing in the world to say to me because this is not an easy fight.
"People don't go to the Olympics and become world champions by accident. [Diaz] has worked hard for what he's achieved. He's a very good fighter, a very good opponent for us. It will be the first time we are fighting a southpaw since me and Manny have been together. There's some adjustments we need to make and that's why Manny is on time for training camp, so that's a good sign."
Diaz' trainer Jim Strickland took to the podium next and shared some underdog making good stories to emphasize he and Diaz' confidence that they would keep their title.
Arum, of course, has a fight to promote and it's understandable that Roach would want to talk up Diaz in order to keep his fighter motivated and that Strickland would assure Diaz that he has a good chance at winning. But both fighters, beginning with Pacquiao, seemed similarly certain of an exciting and competitive engagement.
"This fight is going to be a great fight because the style of Diaz is very accurate to my style and I know he's doing his best to win this fight," Pacquiao said. "I will try my best to win this fight too."
Pacquiao's previous fight was a split decision win over Juan Manuel Marquez in March and has beaten Erik Morales twice. Diaz' first title defense was a decision win over Morales in 2007.
Diaz was not coy in admitting that the fight against Pacquiao would be his most significant and difficult. But the Chicagoan described the challenge as a welcome and necessary one to building a legacy and proving his mettle to himself.
"My fight with Manny Pacquiao is the biggest fight of my career, the toughest fight of my career. It's a fight that every fighter should want to have and every fighter needs so he can prove to himself that he belongs with the best. And Manny Pacquiao is one of the best fighters, pound for pound, right now so to step in the ring with him is an honor and a test for me to prove to myself. Because I know a lot of writers out there don't really believe in me so I know I have to believe in myself to be victorious. If I do that, train hard and do all the right things, things will come out good in the end," Diaz said.
Diaz agreed with his opponent that their respective styles should make for good action. He also had an advance apology for all his doubters and the good people of the Philippine islands.
"[Pacquiao] was right, our styles are similar and we are going to go at it," he said. "Neither one of us is going to back off so there's going to be a lot of fireworks. You guys are going to get a little demonstration of what July 4 is going to be like on June 28...We plan on keeping the WBC lightweight championship. I'm sorry to tell you guys that. Especially to the Filipino people, I'm sorry. I just can't allow that. That's just in me. I don't want to lose. I'm going to pray that I don't lose, I'm going to work out so I don't lose. I'm going to run, eat, train and think about Manny Pacquiao from now on."
In closing his comments, Diaz said he wants what should be his most lucrative fight to date to go down as a classic with fans, and he wouldn't mind a few more rematches after that.
"I want this fight to be one that people talk about way afterwards," Diaz said.
"Like two, three years later I want people to say, 'Man, Diaz/Pacquiao was a great fight. So was two and three and four and five.'"
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