Texas showdown Pacman's last at 154 lb

HOLLYWOOD – As he wrapped up his daily workout Thursday, shirtless and ripped on top of the ring, Manny Pacquiao took on a very weighty issue.

And for the first time, he said he may have pushed himself a little bit too much shooting for the vacant WBC super-welterweight crown against Antonio Margarito.

The 32-year-old Margarito, a welterweight the day he was born, is almost twice as big as Pacquiao, and the difference in size is so evident each time they get near each other.

Margarito stands close to six feet with a wingspan of 73 inches. Pacquiao is under 5-feet-7 with a reach of 67 inches.

Pacquiao said this should be the last time he’d fight at the 154 lb weight class.

Is he too small at super-welterweight?

“I’m too small even as a welterweight (147 lb),” he said as he shadow-boxed, the ring at the Wild Card Gym all to himself.

If he doesn’t retire after this fight, so he could focus more on his enormous duties as a congressman, Pacquiao said he’d surely drop down in weight.

The reigning WBO welterweight champion, following his victories over Miguel Cotto and Joshua Clottey, Pacquiao said he can go down as low as lightweight (135) and junior welterweight (140).

He won the titles in these two divisions, the first one over David Diaz and the next over Ricky Hatton.

“I think I can still fight at 135 or 140. I can do that,” he said.

The problem, however, is that there’s no big fight to look at in those divisions, probably except for one, a third one, against Juan Manuel Marquez at 140.

Pacquiao said while training in Baguio a couple of weeks back, he felt slow and sluggish when over 150 lb, the reason why he’s now trying to keep his weight in check at 151.

“I’m just trying to keep that weight. “I was too slow in Baguio. I was not satisfied. Ayoko. Mabagal,” he said, adding that for the official weigh-in he might tip the scales under 150.

Pacquiao, according to his Pinoy trainer and childhood friend Buboy Fernandez, tipped the scales at 147 1/2 before the workout, and should have no problem for the official weigh-in.

The fight is pegged at a catchweight of 151 lb or 150 lb based on varying reports.

Fernandez said Pacquiao experimented when he fought Cotto and Clottey as a welterweight, and when he succeeded, he can’t do anything but go for more.

“He’s like that. He’s full of guts. When he got past 147, he wanted to try it at 154. He loves the challenge that even if you’re bigger than him, as long as you weigh in both the same, he’ll try to beat you,” said Fernandez.

Pacquiao’s Pinoy trainer, who’s into motocross as much as he’s into boxing, said he sees Pacquiao tipping the scales at 148, and climbing the ring on Nov. 13 at 150.

Freddie Roach is right within the vicinity, even wanting Pacquiao to weigh in and climb the ring at the same weight, under 150 lb.

Fernandez said he doesn’t care if Margarito comes in much heavier than that.