"I think the best thing I can do is meet his left hand with my face," Diaz told sportswriter Norm Frauenheim of the Arizona Republic during the second and last stop of a promotional tour for his June 28 clash with Pacquiao at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

Of course, Diaz was just kidding and he quickly relayed the seriousness of the fight by telling Frauenheim that Pacquiao, whose left hand is one of boxing’s most devastating, should also watch out for his own left.

"He’s got the problem of dealing with my left hand, too," said Diaz, who is now back in Windy City raring to resume his training at the JABB Gym.

"This is a big fight, and I feel I can come out on top," Diaz told the Chicago Sun Times recently.

Publicist Bill Caplan, who joined Diaz in tours of San Antonio, Texas, and Phoenix, said Diaz was in high spirits and is looking forward to the fight, undoubtedly the biggest of his roller-coaster career.

Diaz is so pumped up to win and prove to his detractors that he is not an ordinary champion that he reported for training camp as early as April 19 while Pacquiao was still juggling between his studies at Notre Dame in General Santos City and attending to personal and business matters in Manila and Cebu.

But sensing that Diaz has gotten off to a big start, Pacquiao has done the same thing and has been sweating it out in General Santos City according to many-time benefactor Rey Golingan, whose gym Pacquiao uses to prepare for his grand arrival at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood.

"Manny’s working hard and he told me that he would like to show up at the Wild Card in fine condition," said Golingan, who once had Pacquiao – then known as Kid Kulafu – under his stable of amateur boxers.

Pacquiao leaves for the US on Monday night after gracing the formal turnover rites of Lt. Gen. Alexander Yano, who will assume the post of Armed Forces Chief of Staff.

The bemedalled Yano, a friend of Pacquiao, will take over from Gen. Hermogenes Esperon.

Pacquiao will also arrive in Los Angeles on Monday night and right in time for a press conference that will be held at the Bonaventure Hotel on Tuesday noon where Top Rank chief Bob Arum, who is vacationing right now in the Caribbean, and other key figures in the promotion will be in attendance.

Diaz, to be joined by his manager-trainer Jim Strickland and long-time PR man Bernie Bahrmasel, will arrive in Los Angeles Monday night from Chicago.

"On May 21st, we will have a big event in Chicago with Pacquiao flying there from Los Angeles," said Caplan, a legend in the world of boxing PR.