Canadian expert predicts epic Big Dome showdown

Manny Pacquiao and Oscar Larios are poles apart. But they can both be brutes, skillful and are expected to put up a great fight when they clash in 12 rounds for the World Boxing Council international super featherweight crown on July 2 at the Araneta Coliseum.

This was how boxing manager Michael Koncz sized up the main protagonists in the Mano-A-Mano, Philippine versus Mexico showdown now catching up attention like wildfire in the boxing world.

"Nobody trains as hard as Manny," said Koncz, the 45-year-old Canadian promoter of Bobby Pacquiao and Rey’Boom Boom’ Bautista, and who lives just a short distance away from the Wildcard gym, where Los Angeles-based Filipino boxers, including Pacquiao, train.

"Manny is 110 percent in great shape. And with two to three more weeks of training, nobody can meet head-on with a tank that is Pacquiao."

The Pacquiao-Larios showdown will be on pay-per-view to be distributed live to the US by IN-Demand, making it available to Direct-TV.

ABS-CBN, media partner of MP Promotions, the largest and only multi-media and entertainment giant in the Philippines, will broadcast the fight around the globe. It is also viewed worldwide throughout The Filipino Channel (TFC), which reaches North America, Europe, the Middle East, Australia, Guam, Japan and other parts of Asia.

The Mexican fighter, Koncz also said, definitely will jab his way throughout and try his darndest best to box Pacquiao from the outside. He will use his height and reach advantages to the hilt.

"It is very hard to predict when two explosives explode. You can only take cover and hear the blasts for safety," continued Koncz.

Koncz also took into consideration the racial similarity and background of both Pacquiao and Larios.

"Having come from the Philippines and Mexico, the two have to survive poverty and to excel, they had to fight hard and train religiously to be where they are now," said Koncz.

In the full 70-round card announced yesterday by MV (Manny Pacquiao) Promotions, three other Mexican fighters are in the l0 rounders. They are Gerson Guerrero against Gerry Penalosa, Adrian Valdez versus Jimrex Jaca and Alejandro Felix Montiel against Rey ŒBoom Boom’ Bautista.

Bautista is the newest Filipino star of the sport following his unbelievable three-round stoppage of Nicaraguan Chucky Bonilla in the undercard of the Marco Antonio Barrera-Ricardo Juarez showdown in Los Angeles, California.

Silverio Ortiz, also a Mexican, was not listed in the card along with RP’s Randy Suico.

The eight-rounders pit Glenn Porres against Jerope Mercado and Ernel Fontanilla against Ariel Delgado, while the six-rounders feature Roel Laguna fighting Dominador Agrabio and Richie Mepranum taking on Efren Huesca.