December 3, 2012, 6:54pm
LOS ANGELES — Manny Pacquiao put a zip on his lip when he held a briefing in his apartment on Sunday but assured them that he has done everything humanly possible to achieve victory against Juan Manuel Marquez this weekend in Las Vegas.
“No excuses,” Pacquiao said after politely declining to say how their 12-round welterweight match at the MGM Grand would turn out.
Still, Pacquiao oozed with confidence during the lively conversation in his room, telling his interviewers of a “secret strategy” which he will unravel to befuddle the crafty Marquez.
“All I can say is I am 100 percent in condition,” said the 33-year-old Filipino icon as he chilled out with friends playing darts.
Pacquiao is still booked to spar for the last time on Monday, just hours before he makes the 300-mile land journey to Las Vegas, but it would just be a light workout that will be marred by incidental showboating as the fighter has already reached peak form.
Trainer Freddie Roach said Pacquiao is geared towards a sensational victory and “without distractions this time, I think we’re going to win by knockout.”
Roach said the third fight last year that many people thought Pacquiao lost “doesn’t count” because of all the distractions during training camp and even during the night of the fight.
“This time, it’s different. Manny’s completely focused,” said Roach, who has been calling the shots in Pacquiao’s corner since 2001.
Pacquiao indeed looked relaxed and upbeat the past several days as if all he has to do to win this crossroads fight is show up in the ring.
Filipino promoter Wakee Salud, a close ally of Pacquiao, said that he was delighted to see Pacquiao highly-energized and excited to strut his stuff anew.
“Lately, Manny hasn’t shown a lot of enthusiasm but not this time because he seems to be so pumped up,” said Salud.
Marquez, meanwhile, has arrived here and is also scheduled to head to Sin City on Monday on board a private plane that Top Rank head Bob Arum leased to ferry his team from Mexico to here and onwards to Las Vegas.
Pacquiao and Marquez are going to be formally introduced to the public on Tuesday when Arum presides over the arrival rites at the main lobby of the MGM Grand.
On Wednesday, they will get to go face-to-face when Arum hosts a press conference with Pacquiao and Marquez expected to stare at each like never before.
