Barrera knocked out?

By Marc Anthony Reyes
Inquirer
Last updated 10:49pm (Mla time) 09/22/2007

MANILA, Philippines -- IF REPORTS ARE ACCURATE ENOUGH, Manny Pacquiao should have no problem finishing off Marco Antonio Barrera in Las Vegas two weeks from now.

The latest buzz out of the Mexican’s camp could be ominous: Barrera was knocked out by a sparmate in Guadalajara, Mexico.

That was the report passed around during yesterday’s send-off breakfast for Pacquiao at Gourdo’s in The Fort.

He refused to comment about it, going his usual route and declaring that he will be 100 percent fully charged for his super featherweight rematch against the “Baby-Faced Assassin” on Oct. 7 at the Mandalay Bay.

“Hindi natin alam kung ano ang mangyayari sa fight, pero sigurado akong gagawin ko ang lahat (I can’t say what will happen in the fight except that I’ll give it my best shot),” Pacquiao quipped flashing a smile that matched the shine of his gold Rolex wristwatch and diamond-stud earring.

At one point of the press conference, his imported sparring partners, Mexicans Sugar Ray Beltran and David Rodela, vouched for Pacquiao’s preparedness, citing how the Filipino boxing icon’s punches were like swings from a baseball bat.

“We still have 26 hellish rounds with him,” said one of the sparmates who worked out with Pacquiao after the presscon at the Wild Card gym in Parañaque.

They were to join him and trainer Freddie Roach late last night on a flight to the United States for the homestretch of his training.

“He’s my favorite fighter of all time,” said Roach, who also denied previous weeks’ reports that he sent out spies at Barrera’s camp.

“I don’t have any spy. We don’t need any spy,” added the trainer.

Pacquiao knocked out Barrera in the 11th-round during their first date in November of 2003, a result that practically put the Filipino in the radar of megabuck fights.