NFFC

On June 28th Manny Pacquiao will face one of the biggest tests of his career so far - stepping up another division to lightweight to face WBC Lightweight Champion David Diaz. Slowly, since starting his pro career at 106 pounds, Pacquiao has worked his way up through the weights to get where he is today. He has defeated many of boxing's lighter superstars, including a trio of Mexican greats, Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales and Juan Manuel Marquez. His fight against Diaz will be live on HBO PPV on June 28th, starting at 9PM ET/6PM PT. As the fight draws nearer, it is looking more and more intriguing.

David Diaz is a more than dangerous opponent. He has already beaten a great champion at 130 moving up in Erik Morales, and in fact could well have ended "el Terrible's" career in the ring. He also carries power. There is also the chance that Pacquiao won't quite be himself moving up, and if the power or chin doesn't carry well to 135 Diaz is more than capable of springing the upset he has promised. He said "Manny Pacquiao has beaten many great fighters, especially Mexicans like Morales, Barrera, Marquez, Larios and Solis. That's why they call him "The Mexicutioner, but
I will shock the world and beat Pacquiao at his own game, power for power. He's a great champion but he's fighting in my division - lightweight. I have worked too hard for this world title and I will not give it up to him." Diaz certainly sounds up for the fight, and Manny Pacquiao will not be able to take him lightly.

Pacquiao himself has acknowledged this, saying "This will be my hardest-fought battle. It's been over three years since I have changed weight divisions and I will be doing it against the lightweight division's world champion. I saw how he took the fight to Erik Morales in his last title defense and I'm expecting to see the same firepower out of him when we meet. But this is my drive for five. Five world titles in five different weight classes and I will not be denied. I am fighting for history, for destiny and for my people of the Philippines."

Pacquiao is coming off a thrilling split decision victory over Juan Manuel Marquez in March, a bout that was bought on HBO PPV by 400,000 households, a record for below the 147 pound division. Diaz is coming off a unanimous decision win against Erik Morales, a man who has beaten Pacquiao, and it is only now that Diaz is stepping out of the shadows of the other Lightweight champions and into the spotlight.

Pacquiao remains one of the biggest stars in the sport, and a Phillipino icon, but the signs are that he may be coming into the final years of an illustrious career that has seen him build a record which at the time of writing stands at 46 wins, with 34KO's, 3 defeats and 2 draws.

One of the first signs is the amount of wars he has been in, especially with the likes of Morales and Marquez. Eventually these will tell on him and cause him to fade. How soon he will fade we don't know. Also, he is moving up another weight class, where the added power of his opponents may begin to hurt him a bit more. There is also the question of whether the power in his left hand will carry to 135. Pacquiao's trainer and friend Freddie Roach has stated that he thinks Pacquiao should only carry on for 2 more years, and after that he will try and persuade him to retire, suggesting he thinks "Pacmans" ability may be fading a little.

Pacquiao will be a heavy favorite, and should he come through a mouth watering super fight with Ricky Hatton looms next spring, possibly at Wembley Stadium. Another option is a third bout with Juan Manuel Marquez, who looks to be following Manny up to 135, as many including this writer believe he won their last fight. A match with Hatton would be risky, but that's what Pacquiao's all about. With both of them coming towards the end of their careers, they will want big names on their record, and Hatton and Pacquiao are two of boxing's biggest Box Office stars. The pay-per-view numbers for Hatton vs. Pacquiao have the potential to be incredible both on HBO PPV and Sky Box Office. But it will only happen if Pacquiao gets past Diaz, and Hatton gets past Malignaggi in November. One thing's for sure, June 28th will be a big night for Manny Pacquiao, for his reputation, future prospects and with a Hatton superfight looming, his bank account as well.

You can see Diaz vs. Pacquiao live on HBO June 28th at 9PM EST/6PM PST

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