Larios to earn biggest paycheck of career

Oscar Larios will bankroll $450,000 in his fight against Manny Pacquiao at the Araneta Coliseum on July 2 and realizes a win will open the doors for bigger paychecks.

During his recent visit to Manila, the former World Boxing Council (WBC) superbantamweight champion admitted it is the biggest purse of his career. Larios said he earned his previous high of $200,000 twice–against Japanese challenger Shigeru Nakazato in 2004 and Israel Vazquez last December.

"Boxing is a business and my profession," said Larios. "It is what I do for a living. If I beat Pacquiao, I?m sure to earn a lot more in a rematch. It will also lead to a big money fight against (Marco Antonio) Barrera who has avoided me the last three years.

Larios’ manager Rafael Mendoza said he backed out of a Pacquiao fight a few years ago because the Filipino’s then US promoter Murad Muhammad wouldn’t cut a fair deal. "He wanted all the money," said Mendoza.

Larios, 29, said his motivation to beat Pacquiao is his dream of a comfortable life for his wife Gloria Arellano, now five months pregnant, and their four daughters Margarita, 9, Jareli, 7, Vanessa, 6 and Alejandra, 5. He owns two homes in Mexico and with the purse from the Pacquiao fight as seed money, plans to start a business from which to make a living when he retires.

The oldest of five children and the only boy, Larios was born to poverty in Jalisco. His father Teodoro was a former Mexican state lightweight champion but never found world fame in the ring. Today, Teodoro, 52, makes a living as a construction worker.

Larios finished elementary studies in Guadalajara and joined his father in construction sites to contribute to the family coffers instead of enrolling in high school. After an amateur career, he turned pro in 1994 and continued to do construction work until he captured the WBC 122-pound crown four years ago.

Larios said the secret of his success as a fighter is clean living.

"I don’t smoke, I don’t drink, I don’t womanize, I sleep early and I eat well," said Larios. "When I fight, I don’t get tired and I don’t stop punching. My advantage is I?m always in good condition, physically and mentally.

Larios said he initially intended to retire at 30 but when the opportunity to fight Pacquiao came up, the timetable was extended to one or two years. Mendoza said retirement can wait since anyway, Larios hasn’t fought too often lately.

Asked what he covets from Pacquiao, Larios replied ?his power, his speed, his fame and his money.

While he has a lot of respect for Pacquiao, Larios said he’s confident of upsetting the so-called ?Mexican Killer? and isn’t intimidated by his hometown advantage.

"I fought four fights in Japan and I won them all," said Larios. "I took the WBC title in the champion’s hometown. It doesn’t matter where I fight. When I enter the ring, I don’t think of anything except to beat my opponent. I don’t care whether the fight is in my hometown or my opponent’s.

Mendoza pointed out that Larios hasn’t fought in Guadalajara since 1999, meaning he’s constantly traveling to fight on hostile soil. The experience will go a long way in fighting Pacquiao.

Although he hasn’t weighed more than 127 pounds for a match, Larios said he’ll be comfortable fighting Pacquiao within the superfeatherweight limit. He estimated to weigh in at 128 or 129 pounds for the bout.

"When he fought at 122, he was always on a diet," said Mendoza. "It made him weak. I think Larios is a natural featherweight like Pacquiao. Now, he doesn’t have to diet. The weight is perfect for him. What I don’t know is if Larios can take the punch of a superfeatherweight.

Mendoza, 70, said in his 50 years in the fight game, he has not managed a fighter as disciplined as Larios.

"I’ve managed 18 world champions including Daniel Zaragoza, Changa Carmona, Alexis Arguello, Chiquita Gonzalez, Miguel Canto, Pipino Cuevas, Gilberto Roman and Melchor Cob Castro and my model of discipline is Larios," said Mendoza. "No other world champion trained as hard and sacrificed as much.

Mendoza paid tribute to late Filipino matchmaker and Hall of Famer Lope (Papa) Sarreal, Sr. as his mentor.

"I co-managed my first world champion Ricardo Arredondo with Papa," said Mendoza. "I also dealt with another Filipino, Pol Tiglao, in arranging fights for Filipinos like Ding Cabanela and Socrates Batoto. We used to bring Filipinos to Mexico then sent them to Venezuela, Costa Rica and Panama to fight. One of my champions, Chiquita Gonzalez, lost his title to a Filipino, Rolando Pascua.

Mendoza said Larios is like a rock because he is firm and strong.

"When he fights, he is 1000 percent fit," said Mendoza. "He never quits. He’s not afraid of anyone. But he’s not the smartest fighter in the world. Sometimes, he loses his head and fights recklessly.

Mendoza said he now manages only Larios, lightweight Javier Jauregui and superlightweight Arturo Marua. But he sources Mexican fighters for bouts anywhere in the world–including Europe through the Acaries brothers and Japan through Akihiko Honda.

Despite his long association with Filipinos, Mendoza had never been in the Philippines until last week. He will be back with Larios and trainer Edison Reynoso six days before the appointment with Pacquiao.