Los Angeles ? The punches came in bunches, unleashed by a fighter who is out to end a legendary boxing career in grand fashion.
Left straights, overhand rights, uppercuts and crosses were thrown with clear intentions of scoring big which he did in lightning-quick succession, something that made his revered trainer realize that his guy is not yet washed up.
At 37, Manny Pacquiao is considered near ancient but the Filipino icon believes he still has a lot of spunk left and his April 9 showdown with Tim Bradley in Las Vegas will formally answer many questions.
A veteran of more than 60 fights, Pacquiao is at the tail-end of what has been a stellar career but the eight-division titleholder insists his game remains high-end, made even better by his fantastic work ethic.
?I love working hard,? Pacquiao told Freddie Roach as they were about to finish another intense workout Thursday afternoon (Friday in the Philippines) at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood.
Work hard Pacquiao did on a day when he had also racked up six rounds of sparring against Lydell Rhodes and Ghislan Maduma, giving everyone who watched the proceedings a sense of relief considering that the main man is coming off a loss and a long layoff.
But Pacquiao, who lost to Floyd Mayweather in May last year, insists he is well and good and that there is nothing to worry about.
During his session with the heavy bag, Pacquiao attacked the massive object in relentless fashion, imagining that the black thing is actually Bradley and not just an inanimate object hanging from the ceiling.
Pacquiao grunted at every punch thrown, his eyes turning into slits and his mouth agape as if not doing so would trap the energy from being released from within.
Every punch that found its mark on the hapless bag produced a whacking sound, eerily similar to gunfire and they all sounded so amusing that the people applauded when it was all over like a pack of concert-goers paying their respects after a great evening of music and dance.
When it was all over, Roach retreated to a corner in the gym looking content and happy in the notion that while the car is no longer brand-new, it is well maintained and is in mint condition.
