LAS VEGAS ? Expressing total confidence, defending WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao says he?ll do some ?sparring? with unbeaten challenger Timothy Bradley Jr. as if to indicate no pressure at all in their 12-round title bout at the MGM Grand Garden Arena this morning (Manila time).
It?s Pacquiao?s way of assuring the fans he?ll put on a masterful performance. Top Rank chairman Bob Arum is convinced the fight will be Pacquiao?s best ever because he expects Bradley to leave it all in the ring and go down fighting. The odds are nearly 5 to 1 for Pacquiao to win. A $480 wager will collect $100 for a Pacquiao victory while a $100 bet will earn $360 for a Bradley upset.
Before last Friday?s weigh-in, Pacquiao was relaxed in his 60th floor suite at The Hotel in Mandalay Bay. He slept the night before weighing 147.6 pounds and woke up a few pounds less. Pacquiao had two breakfasts, the second consisting of chicken kebab, ?tinolang manok? and malunggay. When he stepped on the scales at the weigh-in that afternoon, Pacquiao checked in at an even 147, his highest ever for a fight.
Asked if Bradley will make good his threat of changing his style to confound Pacquiao, the world?s No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter laughed it off. ?I think he?s saying that because he?s nervous,? he said. ?I expect him to go toe-to-toe but if he doesn?t, we?ve got a plan to take care of him. Whatever he does in the ring, I?ll be ready.?
After breakfast, Pacquiao received Mexican boxing glove manufacturer Cleto Reyes and his son-in-law Guillermo Moreno in his suite. Reyes gave 14-ounce 30 pairs of boxing gloves with the Philippine flag stitched for Pacquiao to give away in his TV show ?Manny Many Prizes.? Reyes also delivered two pairs of 16-ounce specialty gloves.
Strength and conditioning coach Alex Ariza said Pacquiao came in exactly where he wanted. ?For the fight, he?ll probably come in at 149 or 150,? said Ariza. ?He was never deprived of food during his training. Manny had a trouble-free camp. He?s in excellent shape. No more cramps. I was surprised he scaled 147 and I also wasn?t surprised Bradley came in at 146. I don?t think the extra weight will make a difference either way. Adding pounds doesn?t necessarily mean adding power. Now that Manny?s fighting in the welterweight division, you notice he isn?t knocking out guys as easily as before. That means even as he has added weight, his power isn?t moving up because he?s fighting bigger guys.?
To overcome the incidence of cramps in the Bradley fight, Pacquiao took out basketball from his workout regimen and ran 3.5 to 4 kilometers an hour on a treadmill before sparring. It wasn?t just a brisk jog on the belt ? he also ran sideways, first to the left and next to the right to simulate his movements in the ring.
Assistant trainer Buboy Fernandez said the idea was not to push Pacquiao to the limit in training camp. ?Manny still likes to go all-out in running up and down hills,? said Fernandez. ?I told him he?s already 33 and he should conserve his energy for the fight. It?s okay to run around a track oval which has a flat surface but not on hilly terrain. I think 147 pounds is just right for Manny. He?ll probably lose about four or five pounds during the fight. It won?t affect his speed. He?ll still be faster than Bradley.?
Fernandez said he anticipates no difficulty taking care of Bradley. ?Manny will fight in and out, keep him off balance,? said Fernandez. ?He?ll move away from Bradley?s right and nail him with a left hook. Once Bradley feels Manny?s power, that?s it. Bradley thinks he can box Manny and stay away. Manny will try to hurt him early. As soon as Bradley shows signs of slowing down, he?ll go back to his old style and Manny will take care of the rest.?
The morning before the weigh-in, WBO flyweight champion Brian Viloria and wife Erica paid a call on Pacquiao in his suite. Viloria, who will do Philippine TV commentary for the fight, said Pacquiao is too fast and too strong for Bradley to handle.
The Vilorias recently returned to Los Angeles after a two-week ?honeymoon? in Paris, Rome, Florence, Venice, Pisa, Sienna and San Gimignano. They were married two years ago but just got the chance to take a long-delayed honeymoon.
