Manny Pacquiao: “I liked the goat. Goat is my favorite food. I didn’t stop training after the last fight and there has been no problem. I am a fighter, so it is OK to come back in three months and fight again. I recovered after my last fight in two weeks and I was ready to go again. I am very comfortable at 135. The power is no concern – I feel stronger at 135. What we have been working on is to maintain my speed. Because of moving up there is a chance to get slower, but fighting bigger guys is definitely not a problem for me..”
“I am looking forward to fighting David Diaz. He has the same style as me…move in and fight. It’s going to be a good fight.”
David Diaz:
On why Diaz is an underdog as a champion?
“ That’s their own opinion and I have my own opinion of myself and that’s all that matters. I pay no mind to what other people say and they are going to say what they want.
“This fight means a lot to me. It means I will be able to put my kids through college and they will be all right. I was the youngest of nine children and that was something that my dad was unable to do for me. And if I win this fight? That will put me in a whole new tax bracket.”
“I am a Chicago guy through and through and I like all the teams, not only the Cubs. I grew up two blocks away from Wrigley so they are definitely my baseball team.”
“In ’97 I left the sport for two years. I was going to the gym but not really working so I decided to hang them up. When I met my girlfriend, who is now my wife, she could tell that I was missing it a little bit. She said I should go back to the gym. When I went back I started working for three hours at a time, so I came back. I didn’t want to be 50 years old and think ‘what if?’
“If this fight has to go one round, I will go one round. If it has to go 12-rounds, I will go 12-rounds. This has been my best camp and I feel great. And I know Manny’s going to be at his best also. He’s got his nation on his shoulders and history in front of him. I don’t make any excuses and I know he doesn’t either. This is going to be an old-fashioned fight.
“This is my chance to knock down the wall. Manny is the wall and I’ve got to go knock it down.”
When two explosive world champions at the top of their game mix it up for the world title, it’s a “Lethal Combination!” Newly-crowned World Boxing Council (WBC) super featherweight champion MANNY PACQUIAO and WBC lightweight champion DAVID DIAZ will battle in a 12-round rumble with Diaz’s title at stake. Promoted by Top Rank, in association with MP Promotions, Pacquiao vs. Diaz will take place Saturday, June 28, at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View, beginning at 9 p.m. EDT / 6 p.m. PDT.
The Pacquiao vs. Diaz pay-per-view telecast, beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT, will be produced and distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View and will be available to 71 million pay-per-view homes. The telecast will be available in HD-TV for those viewers who can receive HD. HBO Pay-Per-View is the leading supplier of event programming to the pay-per-view industry. For Pacquiao vs. Diaz fight week updates, log on to www.hbo.com.