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PACQUIAO INSISTS HE CAN STILL MAKE 135; TALKS JESSIE VARGAS CLASH AND KNOCKOUT DRY SPELL

By Press Release | October 25, 2016
PACQUIAO INSISTS HE CAN STILL MAKE 135; TALKS JESSIE VARGAS CLASH AND KNOCKOUT DRY SPELL

"I can still make 135.  I can still make 135 and my natural weight is 140.  When I move up into the higher weight divisions it changes my preparation – I eat a lot to make 147.  Where I may gain a pound of two between the weigh-in and the fight, my opponent may be a lot heavier.  I am not saying that I cannot do that, but what I am trying to do in every fight I try to do my best," stated 8-division world champion Manny Pacquiao, who talked about his upcoming clash with WBO welterweight champion Jessie Vargas. Check it out!

MANNY PACQUIAO:  Hello everyone and thank you Bob and Freddie and the people who are all part of this conversation.

Because of all the work you are doing in the Senate does that mean you are less distracted, being committed to work in one form or the other?

MANNY PACQUIAO:  I can say that working in the Senate is not easy, especially, along with training.  You need to manage your time and that's what I did in training for this fight while I am working in the office.  I don't have time really for any other activities – all of my time is with working and training.

Is it a problem for you to be away right now when there are problems with the president?

MANNY PACQUIAO:  My work is my work and whatever the comments from the President are – he has a lot of advisors and we know what his statements are.  My work is for the people and that is what my job is, to help the people.

What is the most difficult part of trying to do both jobs?

MANNY PACQUIAO:  That's a good question.  The most difficult part is trying to control my time and to manage and discipline myself.  The most difficult part of training in the past has always been when I do a bad job of managing my time.  This time I managed my time and disciplined myself from going to my work to my training and that's what I did in the Philippines.  I don't have any time to spend with my friends – just time for hard work.

How is it to have you, the most famous Philippine boxer, and now the second most famous Philippine boxer, Donaire on the same card and how come you think it has never happened before?

MANNY PACQUIAO:  This is a good boxing card because not only am I fighting on the card but also my fellow Philippine boxer Nonito Donaire, who is the "Pride of the Philippines."  I think it is a good present for us and for the Philippine people for us to fight on this card together.

Do you support your President's stand against the US and the call for closer relationship with Russia and China?

MANNY PACQUIAO:  Clarifying the issues and I think there is nothing wrong to clarify everything.  He has clarified everything about the relationship between the United States and the Philippines and it is a healthy relationship.  We all respect his statement and he clarified it already.

MANNY PACQUIAO:  The bond between the United States and the Philippines is one of longstanding and there is a great kinship between the people of our two countries.

How did you feel in the last Bradley fight - can you tell us about it?

MANNY PACQUIAO:  I felt very good in that Bradley fight.  It is not the reason I continued to fight though.  I came back because I felt lonely, not training with my friends and I felt empty and I realized that I could still train and work so that's why I decided to fight again.

In looking at Vargas' opponents we don't see a murderers row, is it difficult to take this fight seriously?

MANNY PACQUIAO:  Vargas is a world champion so in no way can I underestimate him.  You can never underestimate a boxer who is a champion.  He is good.  I just have to make sure that I am 100% ready for the fight.

Have you given any thought to how many fights, if you win, that you may have in 2017?

MANNY PACQUIAO:  I don't know yet.  Right now my focus is on this fight.  Then I go back and do my job then I could think about 2017.

Will you fight again?

MANNY PACQUIAO:  I don't know yet.  One fight at a time.  I take them one at a time.  I cannot say yes right now.  First I think about this fight.  Today, Jessie Vargas is the most important fight of my career.

BOB ARUM:  Let's take it one at a time.  If Manny comes in and dominates this fight and looks like the old Manny, and wants to continue fighting, there will be certain opponents that will be considered.  If he decides that it's too much juggling two careers then he shouldn't continue.  If he is determined to continue and his performance suffers because of his work in the Senate I would have to look in the direction of somebody else for an opponent.  So to jump now about names and so forth, who knows?  Manny may look so good in this fight and may have such senatorial presence in the fight that we may be looking for Golovkin next.  And if he doesn't vote right in the senate I think some of his constituents may be urging him to fight Golovkin.

MANNY PACQUIAO:  Bob, I hope you are joking about. Golovkin!

Manny, you haven't won by knockout since 2009, does that matter to you?

MANNY PACQUIAO:  Remember my minimum weight is – I can still make 135.  I can still make 135 and my natural weight is 140.  When I move up into the higher weight divisions it changes my preparation – I eat a lot to make 147.  Where I may gain a pound of two between the weigh-in and the fight, my opponent may be a lot heavier.  I am not saying that I cannot do that, but what I am trying to do in every fight I try to do my best.  It just so happens that my opponent is tough and bigger than me.  But I am still trying to do my best to get a knockout in the fight.  I am not saying what I am predicting for this fight but if the knockout comes, it will come – it is the bonus for all of your sacrifices in training.

MANNY PACQUIAO:  My opponent is bigger than me but that doesn't matter – I am not disappointing the fans that I have and I did my best.  I work hard in the fight and in training and I have proven that to the fans.

BOB ARUM:  There is another factor.  The fighters that Manny is fighting, because he is so powerful and he throws so many punches and he throws them in bunches and he hurts guys – is that they tend to fight in defense.  Now any fighter or trainer will tell you that if that happens it is very difficult to knock somebody out – very difficult.  I think with Jessie Vargas, who is an offensive fighter who is going to go after Manny, whose goal is to knock Manny out – I think you will see, one way or another, a knockout in this fight.  And it's a lot because Jessie will be fearless and some people say reckless, will be going after Manny to try and knock Manny out.  And when that happens it is easier for the other to knock that guy out – you know that.

What is the most important legislation you are pushing right now?

MANNY PACQUIAO:  Right now I am pushing for the establishment of a boxing commission in the Philippines to focus on boxing that is close to being approved and also sponsoring the restoration of the death penalty.

Are you enjoying the boxing – is it a relief for you – after the Senate?

MANNY PACQUIAO:  Absolutely, I am still enjoying boxing that is why I am continuing my career and I am also enjoying my time in the Senate while I am doing my job.  I am enjoying both.

Does boxing serve as stress relief after a full day in the Senate?

MANNY PACQUIAO:  NO!  They are both hard.  At the of the day in the Senate I am exhausted mentally and when I get to the gym and have to work hard and after that I am exhausted physically so I have to rest.

Bob, what has it been like working with Manny Pacquiao?

BOB ARUM:  It made a tremendous difference to me emotionally.  In 1985 I co-promoted a fight in Manila and I spent a lot of time in the Philippines and walked away from the people in the Philippines and in the interim years I had met so many Filipinos who had come to the United States and found them to be charming delightful people and with my association with Manny I have had an opportunity to meet thousands of Filipinos and have spent a lot of time in the Philippines and to meet somebody as dedicated to man kind as Manny Pacquiao.  To me Manny Pacquiao symbolizes the best of the Philippine people.   Somebody who cares for other people and somebody who dedicates his life to doing good.  I think that that has had a great influence on me in my later years.  To me when I think about it, made everything that I have accomplished and done in boxing worthwhile because I have had that experience with Manny and the Philippine people.

In Closing . . .

MANNY PACQUIAO:  I can't wait for November 5.

*********************************

Boxing's only eight division world champion and the reigning Fighter of the Decade Senator MANNY "Pacman" PACQUIAO, (58-6-2, 38 KOs), from General Santos City, Philippines, and Roach are in the final weeks of training for their world championship collision with World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight world champion JESSIE VARGAS (27-1, 10 KOs), of Las Vegas.  In just 11 days they will go mano a mano and toe-to-toe in a high-stakes welterweight showdown.  While Pacquiao will be looking to become a three-time WBO welterweight champion as well as the first senator to win a world title, Vargas will be resolute in enforcing a term limit on the future Hall of Famer's boxing career. 

Pacquiao vs. Vargas takes place Saturday, November 5, at the Thomas & Mack Center on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.  Pacquiao vs. Vargas and its three co-main event world title fights will be produced and distributed live by Top Rank® Pay-Per-View, beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT, and will be available on all conventional platforms, including all major cable and satellite systems, as well as Top Rank's digital distribution via www.TopRank.tv and  mobile devices. 

The three additional world championship fights on the pay-per-view telecast include:  four-division world champion NONITO "The Filipino Flash" DONAIRE (37-3, 24 KOs), from General Santos City, Philippines, defending his WBO junior featherweight title against undefeated No. 1 contender JESSIE MAGDALENO (23-0, 17 KOs), from Las Vegas; and newly-minted WBO featherweight champion and two-time Mexican Olympian ÓSCAR VALDEZ (21-0, 18 KOs), from Nogales, Mexico, making his first title defense, against No. 1 contender  HIROSHIGE OSAWA (30-3-4, 19 KOs), from Osaka, Japan.  The pay-per-view telecast will open with the rematch between top-rated contenders Chinese Olympic icon ZOU SHIMING (8-1, 2 KOs), from Guizhou, China, and PRASITAK PAPOEM (39-1-2, 24 KOs), of Buriram, Thailand, battling for the vacant WBO flyweight world title.  Zou a two-time Olympic gold medalist trained by Freddie Roach, will have his hands full against Prasitak, who enters this fight riding a two-year, 12-bout winning streak, with all of his victories coming by way of knockout.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with MP Promotions, Wynn Las Vegas and Tecate, remaining tickets to the Pacquiao vs. Vargas world championship event are priced at $1,000, $700, $500, $300, $100 and $50, not including applicable service fees.  Tickets may be purchased at the Thomas & Mack Center Box Office (except on Wednesday, October 19 because of the Clinton - Trump presidential debate), online at http://www.unlvtickets.com/, at UNLVtickets Outlet Town Square Las Vegas and La Bonita Supermarkets.  To charge by phone call 702-739-FANS (3267) or 866-388-FANS (3267).   

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing or facebook.com/trboxeo, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing or twitter.com/trboxeo.  Use the Hashtag #PacVargas to join the conversation on Twitter.

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