INQUIRER Sports

HOLLYWOOD—He’s fit, he’s happy, he’s on track to logging the targeted number of sparring rounds and most of all, he isn’t planning to hide behind a wall of excuses no matter how the fight turns out.

Because in Manny Pacquiao’s mind, there’s only going to be one outcome when he squares off with Miguel Cotto on Nov. 14 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, where he will be gunning for the WBO welterweight title.

History will be written. “I’m ready,” said the Filipino ring icon.

Pacquiao is hunting for a world crown in an unprecedented seventh weight class but already, he is generally regarded worldwide as boxing’s pound-for-pound king—and royalty doesn’t seek indulgences.

“There’ll be no excuses for this fight,” he vowed. “I’ve trained hard and I know I’m strong enough to fight for 12 rounds.”

Pacquiao sparred six rounds Thursday afternoon (Friday in Manila) behind the barricaded doors of the Wild Card gym and judging by his demeanor during shadow boxing and cool-down routines, he is on track to cementing his title as the sport’s best across weight borders.

“He’s happy, he’s in a good mood and we’re right on schedule,” said trainer Freddie Roach, who believes Pacquiao (43-3-2, 37 KOs) won’t need the full 12 rounds to strip the 29-year-old Cotto (34-1, 27 KOs) of his title.

Pacquiao has now sparred 144 rounds, just about his regular dose of simulated fights when preparing for real matches. And though he toyed around with Urbano Antillon and Ray Beltran Thursday, he showed Roach what he could do once he got serious.

Pacquiao is scheduled for a long roadwork and more gym training Friday and six more rounds of sparring on Saturday before making the road trip to the Nevada hotspot on Monday.

Every now and then during Thursday’s training, Pacquiao would stop to flex his muscles in front of the mirror and hold his pose for the cameras, showing off a well-chiseled body that he proudly calls “a product of my hard work.”

And as far as strength and conditioning coach Alex Ariza is concerned, Pacquiao has the body of a beast.

“He’s literally pure muscle,” Ariza said, adding that the fighter’s body fat is now pegged at 6.2 percent. To illustrate how fit Pacquiao is, Ariza noted that normally, a “superb athlete has a body fat of 8 percent.”

Pacquiao weighed 149 pounds Thursday, although Ariza said the Pacman drops easily to 146 after every workout. He added that Pacquiao will easily meet the catch weight of 145 lb on morning of the weigh-in, just after eating breakfast and that there will be no need for weight-loss cramming.

Ariza said Pacquiao would climb the ring at 149 lb, which is the Filipino’s “meanest fighting weight.”

Since losing to Erik Morales via unanimous decision four years ago, Pacquiao has racked up 10 straight ring victories. Three of his last four wins won for the Gen. Santos City native titles in three different weight classes—super featherweight, lightweight and light welterweight.