DIAZ THINKS HIS BEST CHANCE IS TO GO THE DISTANCE
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 22 Jun 2008
While celebrated trainer Freddie Roach says he expects Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao to wear WBC lightweight champion David Diaz down and then take him out and other supporters predict an early ending, Diaz himself says he believes his best chance of retaining his title would be to go the distance.
In an overseas telephone conversation with Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today, the likeable former Olympic silver medalist said he would ?definitely? want the fight to go twelve rounds because it would not only favor him but enable the fans to get ?twelve rounds of great action. That?s what I hope.? However, Diaz added. ?either way if the fight ends early or goes the distance I think everybody is going to be real happy whoever wins.?
The American of Mexican heritage disclosed that in the championship rounds he would try to "make the last impression and try to win the round. Just go out there and give it your all. The championship rounds, that?s where I guess champions are made and hopefully we get that for me.?
Diaz said that while there are those who claim that Pacquiao doesn?t know how to fight going backwards his plan was ?to just do the things I have always done and that?s to just go forward, put the pressure and see what happens. That?s why I say that the winner of this fight will be the best conditioned fighter who comes in on June 28.?
The tough southpaw who appears bigger than Pacquiao and has been comfortable at 135 pounds said he was ?expecting him to come at me right away to let me know that he?s there. And we are going to meet head-on because I want to do the same.?
He said ?this is something I am looking forward to because I just get a rush knowing that I?m going to fight a great fighter like Manny Pacquiao. This is why we are in boxing . To be compared and see how you do.?
Diaz revealed that when he first saw Pacquiao at the Los Angeles press conference formally announcing the fight ?I saw him as a pretty big guy. He walks around with a pretty big weight so he?s going to be fighting at a weight where he?s going to be comfortable.?
Diaz doesn?t believe that Pacquiao?s power will diminish but he thinks he may ?lose a little bit of speed,? which is what reports out of Pacquiao?s training camp have indicated.
The Diaz party which is small compared to the Pacquiao entourage will fly from Chicago to LA Sunday night, do the final press conference on Monday and then fly off to Las Vegas
While Diaz didn't appear in two promotional events in California he was all alone in San Antonio, Texas and Phoenix, Arizona when Pacquiao delayed his arrival in the U.S.
Diaz, like a true gentleman who has earned the respect of Filipino journalists, defended the fact that there were so many people around Pacquiao saying ?a lot of people love him and they want his autograph so he?s got to have a lot of people around him to protect himself because you know how people just rush in and stuff.?
As for himself the lightweight champion said ?I am not a big entourage type of guy. I try to be as normal as everybody. I just love life and enjoy it.?
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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