Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Pacquiao inside the Training Grounds


Watch Pacquiao vs Bradley Live Online this June 9, 2012 live from Las Vegas Nevada. So far, neither trainer nor fighter have noticed much slippage, at least in the gym. Pacquiao blames his performance against Marquez to distractions he was facing in his family life, and the fact that Marquez is a very tough matchup for him style-wise.

Still, as he sat in a small dressing room getting his hands wrapped after finally a


''I want to prove that I'm still young, and I can still fight,'' he said.
rriving in his Ferrari, Pacquiao said he knows this is a fight in which he must look impressive.

To do that, the Filipino slugger is trying to block out the distractions that accumulated during his remarkable run. He sold his interest in a casino back home, got rid of his cockfighting ranch, and stopped playing basketball. More importantly, perhaps, he rededicated himself to his wife and his religion, spending most of his nights now doing Bible study.

There will be no concert stretching into the early morning hours on the Las Vegas Strip after this fight, as had been Pacquiao's habit. There may not even be a run at governor i

n his home province of Sarangani, something Pacquiao said he would make his mind up about later this year.

He says he's at peace with himself finally because he believes he has eternal salvation. It's not a gimmick to sell the fight, but a major change in his life. And it worries some in his entourage, who wonder if Pacquiao can still bring himself to be angry in the ring.

The champ laughs when asked about it.

''Yes,'' Pacquiao says simply. Watch Pacquiao vs Bradley Live.

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On this day, just a little more Roach knows what he's looking for, and he likes what he sees. Fighter and trainer have been together for 26 fight camps now over 11 years, and the partnership has made them both wealthy and famous in different ways. than a week before the fight, Pacquiao goes three rounds each with two different fighters. He starts slow, constantly grabbing at his headgear as if doesn't fit, while trying to fend off some rushes by his younger sparring partners. He gets hit with several hard left hooks, but by the last few rounds is delivering more punishment than he is taking.

The late trainer Eddie Futch had told him to never open a gym. Too much trouble, too much hassle, too many fighters skipping out without paying. Indeed, there's a sign at the counter in the gym upstairs in a rundown strip mall reminding everyone that May dues of $50 are now overdue.

The Wild Card draws aspiring fighters, and actors who think they're fighters. They train together democratically, but when Pacquiao arrives the gym is his alone.

''I started this because I thought you never know when the next Muhammad Ali is going to walk through the door,'' Roach said. ''Next thing I know, here comes Manny Pacquiao.''

Their time together is inevitably drawing to a close, because no fighter escapes the ravages of age. Just like Mayweather no longer seems to have the legs to stay away from an opponent for 12 rounds, Pacquiao showed in recent fights that he might be becoming beatable, too.

He'll make millions to fight the unbeaten Bradley, though he knows it's not the fight fans really want to see. Not much he can do about that, Pacquiao says, as long as Mayweather insists on getting the lion's share of the purse when they should be splitting it equally.

''If he wants to fight it's up to him,'' Pacquiao said. ''I'm ready to fight.''

No doubt, because Pacquiao always seems to be up for a good fight.

The real question now is how much longer he will fight.

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