This weekend, Manny Pacquiao (41-3-2 and 32 KOs) faces Oscar Larios (56-4-1 and 36 KOs) in a battle of Super Featherweights (130 lbs).
The Pac-man Pacquiao has KOed two P4P future Mexican Hall of Famers, Marco Antonio Barrera, and Erik Morales to win the top spot. Although Manny Pacquiao doesn't hold a Super Featherweight title, he is recognized as the top 130 pound fighter by Fightnews.com.
Both fighters have recently moved up to Super Featherweights, with Larios being the most recent. This gives Pacquiao the advantage...having had more time to aclimate to the weight.
Overall, this should be an interesting match-up. The Mexican Oscar (El Chololo) Larios is a very tall fighter with long arms, but gives up his height and reach to land a barrage of punches. Larios has a non-stop action style of fighting, but doesn't punch as hard or as fast as the Philippine sensation Pacquiao. If Manny punches with him, he's going to connect first because Oscar punches with slower, wide looping punches.
But, here's the hitch...Oscar doesn't stop punching! He has an amazing endurance that should be the interesting factor to watch. If it's true that Pacquiao hasn't been taking his training seriously for this bout with Larios and starts to fade late in the fight, Oscar will take the fight right out of him and win by a late round KO.
My guess, Pacquiao's hand speed and power won't let Larios into the later rounds. If Larios starts punching wide too soon, he could get busted up early and have the fight stopped by TKO. I don't see Larios taking the "Nestea Plunge," but I could see a TKO for Pacquiao by the eighth.
Regardless, this bout will provide lots of fireworks and will be well worth the PPV.
This is a PPV event. July, 1 at 9PM ET/6PM ET
