Pacquiao Insider Rivera: Marquez Can Only Win With Lucky Leprechaun Punch!
By John Chavez

LAS VEGAS–They may not run in the same social circles, given their age difference, but Boxingconfidential.com has two cracked, I mean crack reporters in the San Francisco Bay Area. One is John Chavez and the other is veteran Pinoy reporter Hermie Rivera.

While I have been tied up on important business at The Playboy Club and Ghostbar at The Palms, Chavez and Rivera has been covering the daily doings of Team Pacquiao and Team Marquez nearby at the Mandalay Bay like seven eighths of the world is covered by oceans. Me, I am like one of those social parasites who arrives fashionably late at the party.

Anyway, our Roving Rivera, who seems magnetized to Pacman whenever Megamanny lands on U.S, shores, phoned up to give his last-minute take on the Big Rematch. Hermie’s been reading his tea leaves like a psycho, er I mean a physic, and he likes what he is seeing.

“The weight is perfect,” Rivera said. “Manny told me in Los Angeles that he wanted to surprise everyone by coming in just a bit under the limit so 129 is a very good weight as that was right at his target. I think Manny said he would make 128 but he is only one pound above that. Now he will eat and replenish himself with plenty of fluids so he will be a monster when he climbs into the ring.”

As far as the outcome of the bout, being a loyal Pinoy and Manny pal, he sees MP winning either by knockout or by decision but definitely winning.

What shocked me, the jaded veteran, was Rivera’s mentioning that Marquez can also win but can only win in one manner.

“Lucky punch, if he can catch Manny coming in to attack and he nails Manny with a lucky punch,” Rivera said. “That is really only the one way that the Mexican fighter can win, can score the big upset here.”

But Rivera said Pacman’s marked improvement from their May 2004 first bout makes that occurrence something that cannot happen.

“This is not the same Manny that Marquez fought four years ago. If you watch the tape, you will see Manny hopping all over like a grasshopper and so often really off balance. Four years later, he is so much more polished and has much better technique. I simply don’t see Manny leaving such an opening for Juan Manuel to score the KO with such a lucky blow.”

When last seen, Rivera and Chavez were seen inhaling vodka shots in the Russian Vodka Room, singing “Manny Boy” to the tune of Irish tearjerker “Danny Boy” and proudly wearing their “Let’s Get Ready To Stumble” tee-shirts.

For Hammering Hermie, the Lucky Leprechaun in this fight will be the guy who speaks Tagalog.