DIAZ ENCOURAGES PACQUIAO TO GO FOR IT
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 05 Aug 2008
Former World Boxing Council lightweight champion David Diaz encourages Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao who took the title from him to ?go for it? against ?The Golden Boy? Oscar De La Hoya.
In an overseas telephone conversation from Chicago , Diaz told www.insidesports.ph as well as Viva Sports and Manila Standard Today that Pacquiao ?shouldn?t let anybody else try to stop him from doing what he wants to do.?
Diaz who took a bad beating from Pacquiao before referee Vic Drakulich called a halt at 2:24 of the ninth round of their title fight in Las Vegas last June 28 said the idea of the Filipino southpaw taking on De La Hoya was not "insane" as some people have suggested. Diaz said flatly ?its not insane because you must understand that Manny is a fearless person that wants to win, so if he goes for something he feels is within his reach, he?s gonna go for it which is understandable.?
Diaz, himself a southpaw and a truly gallant fighter as he showed in the showdown with Pacquiao said what may cause problems for Pacquiao is if De La Hoya ?plays the card of boxing him because he (De a Hoya) has the height and the reach advantage.?
He said Pacquiao may wind up having to look for De La Hoya and ?that?s where I find it difficult for Manny.? Despite this Diaz told Pacquiao to ?go for it. No one knows what will happen. You can?t stop a person from trying what they want to do.?
At the same time Diaz said the planned December 6 bout at 147 pounds was not dangerous because he stressed ?Manny has the heart of a lion. I don?t think its dangerous at all. We all face danger each and every time we get into the ring knowing that other guys have the potential of hurting us.?
He said knowing Pacquiao ?he?s going to take that risk regardless of who it is. I don?t see the danger like everybody says. It will depend on how he (Pacquiao) fights. Its not a big deal. I think Manny will be doing the thing that nobody has ever done before in boxing. If he wants to go for it, let him go for it.?
Diaz said the remarks of celebrated trainer Freddie Roach who claimed De La Hoya was slow, couldn?t pull the trigger and would get knocked out by Pacquiao probably meant that Roach who trained De La Hoya for the megabuck fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr ?saw something that we didn?t. Freddie Roach probably got an inside track on Oscar more than we do so maybe he knows what he?s talking about.?
Diaz who was out with his sons and close family members having a good time when he spoke to us said he planned to devote a couple of weeks more to his kids and would ?definitely start training next month and see whether the ego is already okay.?
He admitted that the beating he took from Pacquiao ?hurt for a couple of days. Believe me it hurt.? However, Diaz conceded that time is a great healer saying with a hearty laugh ?if you lose a girl friend you break your heart and then after a while you get over her.?
Diaz concluded ?God willing I will be back in the ring and please give my regards to everybody there in the Philippines . God bless you all."
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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