Eight division world champion and current WBO welterweight champion Filipino icon Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao (57-5-2, 38 KOs) held a media workout Wednesday afternoon at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, California as he gears up for his showdown with current pound for pound king Floyd “Money” Mayweather Jr. (47-0, 26 KOs). Pacquiao will face Mayweather Saturday May 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas live on HBO/Showtime Pay per view.
“I am ready for the fight, I’m excited,” Pacquiao told Fightnews.com “Training is very good. I am very happy what we are doing, the training is good,” Pacquiao said. With just over two weeks remaining for the fight, the “Pacman” looked in phenomenal shape as he worked with his long time trainer Hall of Famer Freddie Roach.
“We are in a must win situation for this fight,” Roach said. “I have never seen Manny train as intense like this. I have really prepared my guy to win and I think we will win.” Roach denied rumors that Pacquiao was suffering from leg cramps. “We haven’t had cramps all camp long we did have a blister on the bottom of the foot. I actually thought he had a cramp but then he showed me the blister,” Roach said.
The Filipino icon is also working with strength and conditioning coach/boxing trainer Justin Fortune who worked with him early in his career. “We didn’t change our routine on conditioning but we added more rounds and different exercise,” Pacquiao commented. “We have our strategy we have focused on especially speed and power. I have a lot of good sparring partners similar to his style. They did good, we know already what we are going to do.”
Also present at Wednesday’s media day workout was Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum. “Manny is looking tremendous,” said Arum. “Freddie has done his job in getting him ready and I am confident Manny will come out on top.”
Pacquiao is coming off a dominant unanimous decision win over Chris Algieri last November in Macao, China. Prior to that Pacquiao defeated Timothy “Desert Storm” Bradley in April avenging his controversial 2012 decision loss and regaining the WBO welterweight title.
Mayweather is coming off two straight unanimous decisions over Argentinian slugger Marcos “Chino” Maidana.
“I watched those fights. I don’t want to give any ideas on what I saw, but Maidana did a good job – especially the first fight,” Pacquiao said.
“I think at least we will outscore him. If the knockout comes I will be thrilled. I believe the speed will overwhelm Floyd,” Roach added.
When asked by a reporter if he expects Mayweather to stand and trade with him, Pacquiao answered with a grin, “Well if he does that, that’s good for me. That is what I want and definitely what the fans want.”
Pacquiao also shared something he would like to do with Floyd after the fight. “This is nothing personal but after the fight if I can talk to him and share gospel of God and why we need God,” Pacquiao said.
This fight will mark one of the biggest and most anticipated boxing events in history and Pacquiao gave us his thoughts on the magnitude of this event. “It’s a big fight, one of the biggest fights in boxing history. I am not saying that this is the biggest because it’s kind of insulting for the other fights in the past,” Pacquiao said.
“My entire career has defined my legacy I have accomplished a lot. This will be an additional achievement in my career. This is one of the biggest fights in boxing history. I am very confident about the fight my training my conditioning I am ready,” Pacquiao concluded.
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