‘Other’ Pacquiao faces unbeaten Mexican

LAS VEGAS – Bobby Pacquiao, who is hot on the comeback trail, is facing a big hump ahead.

Up next for Pacquiao is Urbano Antillion, the rising Mexican who’s gone undefeated in 21 professional fights, including 14 knockouts.

They climb the ring at the Hard Rock Hotel here in Las Vegas on Thursday evening, with Pacquiao hoping for a win that would keep him on track, and Antillion out to keep his perfect record intact.

Pacquiao has fought his last six fights in the US since 2005, winning four times against Carlos Navarro, Carlos Hernandez, Kevin Kelly and Fernando Trejo whom he knocked out inside four rounds last November.

Pacquiao has lost twice here, actually two in a row, against Hector Velasquez (2006) and Humberto Soto (2007).

He can’t afford another loss, and he knows it.

“That’s why I studied his style very carefully. I prepared hard for this fight,” the 27-year-old Pacquiao, fighting out of the shadows of his illustrious brother Manny, said.

“It’s going to be good fight. And I trained hard for this,” said Pacquiao who worked hard at the Wild Card Gym for so long. He has a ring record of 28 wins (13 KOs) with 13 losses (seven of them by knockout).

Antillion, only 25, is unbeaten in 21 fights. He’s hoping to bring Pacquiao down, so he can start dreaming of a big fight against the elder Pacquiao.

“Of course if I beat him and Manny wants to avenge it, that would be great,” he said.

But that won’t happen if Bobby stops him on his tracks. – Abac Cordero