A week before driving to Las Vegas for his May 7 (May 8 in Manila) for his title-defending showdown with Shane Mosley, Filipino World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao declared he is ready to fight anytime.
?Yes, I?m ready. If the fight is scheduled even today or tomorrow, I?m ready to climb the ring and fight,? Pacquiao told this writer in an overseas telephone interview yesterday after 10 rounds of sparring at the Wild Card Gym in downtown Hollywood.
?We?re leaving for Las Vegas May 3 pa, U.S. time, but I feel I?m more than fit to fight anytime.? Pacquiao said. ?Handang-handa na, in fact, nag-re-relax na lang ako ngayon kahit may ensayo pa. ?
Reacting to his flaks he is receiving on his out-of-gym activities, Pacquiao said: ?Tomorrow night (Thursday U.S. time) I will be guesting at the Jimmy Kimmell Live tv program as part of my regimen para medyo mabawasan ang tension sa paghihintay sa laban. Kasama yan sa psychological preparations.?
?As they say, all work and no play makes someone dull,
di ba? So yun. No big deal naman talaga yun. Kaya walang dapat ipagalaala ang mga fans natin at kababayan, lalo na kayo dyan sa Pilipinas na and akala naglalakwatsa lang ako dito,? Pacquiao explained.
?Sometimes kasi, and you yourself must have experienced this, it?s hard waiting for something to happen. Nakaka-boring, nakaka-tense. Nakaka-pressure. Kaya meron akong ginagawa para maiwasan yung mga bagay na makaka-epekto sa psychological condition ko,? Pacquiao said.
Pacquiao said doing what he wants to do outside of the gym is not new, recalling the few instances that he appeared as guest in several entertainment shows prior to his previous fights.
The Pacman added that besides preparing himself psychologically, his accepting invitations to be guest in entertainment shows, likewise, showcases the Filipino talents other than sporting activities.
?Kilala na ako sa pagiging boksingero, kelangan maipakita ko rin sa buong mundo na tulad ng marami nating kababayan, me iba pa rin tayong talent na ipagkakapuri bilang Pilipino,? he said.
He added that what he can assure countrymen back home is: ?Nagawa na naming lahat nina Freddie (trainer Freddie Roach), Alex ( strength coach Alex Ariza) Buboy (assistant trainer Buboy Fernandez) ang lahat ng dapat gawin para paghandaan ang labang ito.?
?Hindi naman siguro papayag si Freddie na gawin ko ang so-called extra curricular activities na ito kung makasasama,? he reasoned out. ?In fact, as he himself has admitted several times, masayang-masaya siya about how our preparations have been going. Ako masaya, lahat kami masaya.?
??What I would just like to appeal to our countrymen, from President Nonoy, na alam kong hinihintay din ang labang ito, to my colleagues in Congress to the ordinary men and women in the streets na patuloy nila akong ipagdasal. As I have been saying all the while, every time I fight, para sa bayan, para sa kanilang lahat. Kaya hindi ako dapat mabigo,? the pound-for-pound king appealed. ??
?I know they have been praying for me, kaya lang, hihingi pa ako ng dagdag na panalangin dahil sa mga report gusto raw akong talunin at patulugin ni Mosley. Kilala natin si Mosley na malaki, malakas at mabilis na bosingero, so kailangan pa ang mas ibayong dasal para makaiwas sa balak nya,? the eight-division world belt-owner said.
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