PE?ALOSA PREDICTS PACQUIAO WILL WIN BY KO
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 14 May 2008
WBO bantamweight champion Gerry Pe?alosa predicts that Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao will win by a knockout over WBC lightweight champion Dabid Diaz in their ?Lethal Combination? title fight at the Mandalay Bay Resort Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on June 28.
Pe?alosa made the prediction as he watched Pacquiao work out at his (Penalosa?s) new boxing gym at the Market Mall in Mandaluyong City hours before Pacquiao left for the US aboard a Philippine Airlines flight Monday night along with trainers Restituto "Buboy" Fernandez and Nonoy Neri in time for a for a formal press conference alongside Diaz in Los Angeles, Tuesday..
The veteran world champion conceded that Diaz was "courageous, but that is all." He said the speed and power of Pacquiao as well as the style of Diaz which was tailor-made for the Filipino southpaw would weigh heavily in Pacquiao?s favor.
Pe?alosa said the early rounds would be close and exciting but after four or five rounds even though Diaz trains hard and has stamina the ?power of Manny will be a big factor? and along with his speed would turn the tide.
Pe?alosa noted that Erik ?El Terrible? Morales was able to drop Diaz ?even though his power is not even fifty percent of Manny?s. When Manny connects it will be all over.? Pe?alosa also said that Diaz was not that quick and ?once Manny connects with his right hook it will be goodbye.?
Pe?alosa conceded that Pacquiao hardly used his right hook against Juan Manuel Marquez last March 15 ?because Marquez was watching out for it. Besides, he is an orthodox fighter.? However, Penalosa said the right hook rather than Pacquiao?s devastating left straight will be crucial since Diaz is a southpaw like Pacquiao.
Pe?alosa stressed that ?not only will Pacquiao win by a knockout, it will be a very impressive win. Less than six rounds.?
Top photo: Manny Pacquiao (R) and former business manager Rod Nazario plays a game of chess as friends look on prior to Pacquiao's departure to Los Angeles Monday.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
Smarts over power
By Joaquin Henson, Tue, 16 Sep 2025HALL OF FAME FLIES FLAGS AT HALF-STAFF FOR TWO-DIVISION CHAMPION RICKY HATTON
Tue, 16 Sep 2025Kazakhstan tops the medal table at the inaugural World Boxing Championships 2025 thanks to victory in the final bout of the competition
Tue, 16 Sep 2025THRILLA IN MANILA GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY 13: JOE FRAZIER’S HUMBLE BEGINNINGS AS AN AMATEUR FIGHTER
By Maloney L. Samaco, Mon, 15 Sep 2025A New King, A New Challenger: Turki Alalshikh Proposes Crawford-Benavidez While Canelo Alvarez Faces Defeat with Humility
By Dong Secuya, Mon, 15 Sep 2025Highly Questionable Title Eliminator
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, Mon, 15 Sep 2025Yoseline Perez Earns Silver Medal at Inaugural World Boxing Championships
Mon, 15 Sep 202521-year-old Filipino wins at Germany rapid chess tournament
By Marlon Bernardino, Mon, 15 Sep 2025Nagoya Nightmare: Naoya Inoue Notches One-Sided Decision over Murodjon Akhmadaliev
Mon, 15 Sep 2025Inoue’s Philippine Connection: Which Pinoy Super Bantamweight Could Challenge “The Monster?”
By Carlos Costa, Mon, 15 Sep 2025Yoseline Perez Advances to the Finals at the World Boxing Championships Perez Set to Face Chinese Taipei’s Hsiao-Wen Huang for 54-Kilogram World Title
Mon, 15 Sep 2025Canelo Gets Outboxed, Loses Undisputed Title to Crawford
By Carlos Costa, Sun, 14 Sep 2025A Masterpiece of Boxing: Terence Crawford Dethrones Canelo Alvarez in Historic Showdown
By Dong Secuya, Sun, 14 Sep 2025LEWIS CROCKER IS CROWNED THE NEW IBF WORLD WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPION
Sun, 14 Sep 2025Battle of Undefeated: Callum Walsh Vanquishes Fernando Vargas Jr.
By Dong Secuya, Sun, 14 Sep 2025