Pacquiao, Diaz to hold public workouts in Berkeley

CHICAGO, Illinois – Manny Pacquiao and David Diaz will let their fists to do the talking. After staging two press conferences for the fighters last week, media handlers decided to keep their mouths shut and hold a public workout on Saturday in Berkeley, California (Sunday in the Philippines). The workouts will take place at the West Wind School on University Avenue, starting with Diaz at at 11 a.m. (2 a.m., of the following day in the Philippines), followed by Pacquiao at noon (3 a.m. in the Philippines). This schedule was announced by Bernie Bahrmasel, publicity handler for Diaz. Last May 13 (May 14 in the Philippines), Pacquiao, 29, and Diaz, 31, held their first joint press conference at Westin Bonaventure Hotel in downtown Los Angeles, California. This was followed by another joint press conference last May 21st at Lalo’s Restaurant here in Chicago and a public pep rally at nearby Federal Plaza downtown, where hundreds of Filipinos, Filipino-Americans, Mexicans, and Mexican-Americans listened to their remarks and asked for autographs. Pacquiao and Diaz will face each other on June 28 (June 29 in the Philippines) at the Mandalay Bay Resorts and Casino Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, Pacquiao (46-3-2, 34 KO’s) will attempt to become the first Asian or Filipino to win four world championships in four different weight divisions if he beats Diaz (34-1-1, 17 KO’s), whose World Boxing Council lightweight belt is on the line. The public workouts on Saturday will give the public a chance to size up the moves of the two boxers, as well as ask for autographs. This will be the first time that the public is going to get a preview of the workout of both boxers since the fight was announced. It was reported in the Filipino media that Diaz did not want to show his wares before the Filipino photographers and videographers in Chicago. But Diaz denied the report. He even invited this reporter to take photos and videos at his JABB gym in Chicago. Their public workout is believed to be the last promotional appearance of the two boxers before they break camp and get ready to rumble on June 28. - GMANews.TV