Pacman nears limit of 147 lbs

No Weight Woes

BRISBANE, Australia – On the eve of the official weigh-in, Manny Pacquiao stood close to the welterweight limit of 147 pounds.

“No problem,” said the pride from the Philippines, who as a welterweight has never had any issues with his weight.

He even boasted Friday he can still fight at 140 or 135 pounds with just three to four days of fasting.

“One-forty? No problem. I can even fight at one-thirty-five,” he said.

The past few days here, Pacquiao had cut down on everything– except his diet.

Pcquiao gets to enjoy his meals at least four times a day, mostly his favorite “tinolang manok” and “bulalo” and fried salmon and a big bowl of rice.

He was at 144 when he tipped the scales in his suite on the 28th floor of the hotel two days ago.

In the opposite corner, challenger Jeff Horn must be starving himself to lose three to four kilos in excess. 

Well, that’s what he said.

The unbeaten 29-year-old indeed looked bigger than 147 pounds on the three occasions he made himself available to the public and the prying eyes of the media.

During a public workout Thursday, he admitted waking up at 70.3 kilos (154 pounds), but made it sound easy by saying he’s not bothered at all.

Horn said he had planned to put on a “plastic suit” which boxers normally wear when they’re trying to lose weight in such a short span.

The former schoolteacher must have had those plastics underneath the business suit he wore to Friday’s formal affair at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Center.

Buboy Fernandez, the Filipino assistant trainer of Pacquiao, tried to downplay the reports of the challenger being overweight.

Fernandez said it could be a ploy,  intended to throw Pacquiao off.

“Baka strategy yan,” said Fernandez.

“Wag natin intindihin ang weight niya (Let’s not worry about his weight) as long as comfortable tayo,” said Fernandez.

Pacquiao, according to Freddie Roach, should tip the scales just under the limit, and to make that happen he may have to grab a bite on his way to the weigh-in.

The weigh-in is set at 9 a.m. Saturday at the Member Dining Room of the Suncorp Stadium, which is bracing itself for perhaps its biggest crowd attendance in history.