NEW YORK—Bobby Pacquiao took a huge bite of the Big Apple on Saturday night (Sunday morning in the Philippines) by chewing down aging veteran Kevin Kelley of the US in the fourth round before a boisterous crowd of 14,369 at Madison Square Garden.
So impressive was Pacquiao’s showing that he called out the name of Marco Antonio Barrera when he was already celebrating with his entourage beefed up by Wakee Salud, lawyer Franklin Gacal, Canadian Michael Koncz, cornermen Buboy Fernandez and Justin Fortune.
“I want Barrera,” said Pacquiao, who will likely face a different foe when he returns to the ring in August as Top rank big boss Bob Arum revealed that Mexican Humberto Soto is being eyed to slug it out with the younger brother of boxing phenom Manny.
Pacquiao, 25, sent Kelley, 38, crashing to the floor with a thundering right-left combo to the body, but it was the left, which struck underneath Kelley’s ribcage that got the job done.
Kelley was grimacing as though he had been hit with a speeding bus on trendy Seventh Ave. here and referee Steve Willis reached the count of 10 with 1:24 remaining in the fourth stanza of the scheduled 12-round war for Pacquiao’s World Boxing Council Continetal Americas superfeather throne.
“I was really confident that I would win because of the training that I went through at the Wild Card in Hollywood,” said Pacquiao, who reported to Freddie Roach for the first day of training camp on April 18, the day after arriving from Manila.
Pacquiao started slow, but after being rocked with a Kelley left in the third canto, he responded with a wicked left straight to the New Yorker’s jaw, sending Kelley to the deck for a count of four.
Had it not been for the bell, Pacquiao would have took Kelley apart and it was exactly what Pacquiao did in the next round as he pummeled his foe with a barrage.
Kelley managed to get himself off the ropes, but as they were trading blows at ringcenter, Pacquiao landed a solid left.
