The whole country will be tuned in as Manny Pacquiao fights Mexico’s Oscar Larios in a 12-round bout in which there is no substitute for victory as he will be fighting in front of his countrymen who look at him as a national hero.

Manny Pacquiao is about to find out if there can be too much of a good thing.

The 27-year-old Philippine powerhouse reaped riches and national adulation when he won the WBC super featherweight title from Erik Morales in January, energizing young boxers around the country seeking to emulate his escape from early poverty.

While his power and speed are unquestioned, there are niggling questions about whether the non-stop commercials and public appearances have taken their toll as Pacquiao prepares for his first title defense against Mexico’s Oscar Larios on Sunday.

Pacquiao, bolstered by “Manny mania” as he prepares to feed off the frenzy of the home fans, is the overwhelming favorite. The common wisdom says the fighter known as Pac Man or The Destroyer will score a knockout fairly early in the scheduled 12-round fight, but analysts wonder if he might lack the stamina needed to go the distance if Larios can survive what is expected to be a furious tempo from the start.

Larios trained in Japan for two months. Pacquiao, meanwhile, was only in the gym about six weeks — the shortest preparation for any of his fights — partly as a result of his many outside commitments.

That puts more than a little pressure on Pacquiao to come out strong so he doesn’t have to worry about running out of gas.

“If you don’t get your man within the first half of the fight, you’ll begin to feel the rigors of the fight itself, and as the fight progresses and your opponent is still up there trading blows with you, you can have a problem there,” said Hermie Rivera, a Philippine boxing analyst.

At 29, Larios is a twotime former world champion. But coming off a loss to Israel Vasquez in his last fight in December that dropped his record to 56-41, he realizes that this is likely his last chance to line up big purses.

Pacquiao (41-3-2) has a little motivation too. A loss would take the shine off an expected third fight with Morales later this year and would devastate his devoted fans, who include President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and her husband.

It wasn’t clear if Arroyo would be at ringside for the match, scheduled for 11 a.m., since she was arriving back from a trip to Italy and Spain on Sunday morning. But Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita urged the public to support its favorite son, while admitting there is huge pressure on Pacquiao to win.

The homecourt advantage is “going to be a big factor in his favor,” Rivera said. But Larios’ promoter, Rafael Mendoza, shrugged off the impact of a hostile crowd.

“They love him, but they can’t throw punches for him,” Mendoza said. “There will only be two fighters in the ring.”

The son of a poor farmer, Pacquiao once worked as a baker and construction worker to survive in his southern home province. His rags-to-riches tale has sparked hope among many young Filipinos who aspire to use boxing as a ticket out of poverty, said Recah Trinidad, a prominent sports columnist.

He has fostered a sense of hope among many Filipinos, who are fed up with the country’s turbulent politics.

“He’s a knight in shining armor; the only credible reason why we’re happy now,” Rivera said.(Associated Press)