29.05.08 – by James Slater: The best way a fighter can make a statement when he moves into a new weight class is by wining via an impressive KO when he makes his move. This is exactly what Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao will be planning to do when he makes his lightweight debut against WBC champion David Diaz on June 28th.
“Pac-Man” isn’t really in the position of having to prove anything. His greatness is already very much beyond doubt and a collection of world titles are already Pacquiao’s personal property. However, a KO win over Diaz would get even more people talking even louder about Manny’s greatness. Also, there have been a few whispers, just a few, that say the 29-year-old southpaw may not be the ultra-dynamic force he once was.. After having had a desperately close fight with Juan Manuel Marquez last time out, and a less than stellar showing against Marco Antonio Barrera in another rematch before that, some claim “Pac-Man” is ever so slightly on the slide. The best possible way for Many to silence such talk is for him to score a destructive KO win in his 135 pound debut next month.
Pacquiao is going in with a tough guy though. Only ever stopped once in his entire career (an 8th round TKO loss to Kendall Holt up at 140 pounds back in February of 2005), this sole stoppage marks Diaz’s only defeat. Since then, of course, the 31-year-old from Chicago has successfully dropped down to lightweight and captured the WBC crown. Still, he has appeared at least a little vulnerable at light weight also. Decked in the opening round of his world title winning effort against the believed to be finished Erik Morales back in August of last year, Diaz was also hurt on a couple of other occasions against the ring-worn, but still tough, “El Terrible.” The question is, if Morales, a guy “Pac-Man” destroyed in three rounds, can hurt Diaz, what will Pacquiao do to him?
No, we don’t know what Manny’s power will be like up at 135 pounds. Nor do we know yet if the idol of The Philippines will be able to take a shot as well up at lightweight as he did down at super-bantamweight, featherweight and super-featherweight. If he can both take it and give it at the new weight and if he also keeps his speed up at 135 – it will be very bad news for David Diaz. Either way, we are in for an intriguing fight when the two southpaws clash on the 28th in Las Vegas.
The massively determined Diaz will want to keep his belt as he defends it against his likewise massively determined challenger. A rough and, at times quite brutal fight should not be counted out as a result. I think Pacquiao will win, and collect his fourth world title at different weights in the process – but he will have to go the full 12 rounds to do so. Paying the price for moving up into what will be the 8th(!) weight class of his career, the 29-year-old will not be quite as effective as he has been, in my opinion. The lightweight version of Pacquiao will still have enough to beat David Diaz, however.
And, despite not KO’ing Diaz, Manny Pacquaio will have proven once again his true greatness as a prize-fighter.