Manny Pacquiao

"I know from watching DVD copies of his previous fights that he never gives up and never lets up even if he is behind or ahead in the scorecards," said Pacquiao, who will be attempting to win a fourth world title in a fourth weight class.

"Diaz is a left-hander like me and based on my assessment of his style, we will be able to come up with a great show for boxing fans since he is the type of fighter who is always in front of you and is the kind of guy who doesn’t take a backward step and is always on the go," added Pacquiao, who leaves for Los Angeles tonight via Philippines Airlines to start training camp at the Wild Card.

Manny Pacquiao

By nick giongco

LOS ANGELES — Manny Pacquiao was direct to the point when asked on Thursday what’s going through his mind concerning next week’s megabuck rubber match with Erik Morales set in Las Vegas.

His answer was short and simple, but it carried a wallop, like a knockout punch.

"I won’t let him win," Pacquiao told interviewers after his workout at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood.

Only a handful of reporters — mostly foreigners — heard Pacquiao make what amounted to a prediction, something the Filipino boxer never ever makes. So in the next breath, he sashayed into his normal routine.

"I don’t like to predict (on the result of my fights). What I can only say is that I am ready to go and the people should expect a good fight," Pacquiao told reporters from the US and Mexico.

Cavorting like a child before his shots, the 22-year-old Doha Asiad-bound tripped Taiwanese Lee Kun-fang, 10-8, to keep the fight of the locals in the $ 400,000 tournament going.

De Luna’s victory came after Lee Van Corteza bowed to Spain’s David Alcaide, 8-10, in a match that saw the Spanish rally from 1-3 down.

De Luna, first timer in the WPC, having qualified by finishing third in the Philippine Championship three months ago, raced to a 3-0 lead, trailed 4-6, and then regained his bearing to claim the victory which assured him of at least $ 4,500.

"Malapit na. Maganda na ang pakiramdam ko dahil nalusutan ko siya (Taiwanese)," said De Luna.