LAS VEGAS ? Manny Pacquiao would have sparred with anybody thrown at him inside the ring of the Top Rank Gym on a cool Tuesday afternoon.
He would have sparred with Freddie Roach.
Pacquiao had a busy day that started with a morning run at the UNLV track oval and then with the grand arrival ceremony at the south valet entrance of the massive Wynn Hotel.
He was mobbed like a Hollywood star the moment he got off the bus bearing his image.
The 37-year-old superstar who?s also a senator faced chosen members of the press for 45 minutes, talked boxing and politics, and then left for the gym to train again.
Pacquiao is just four days away from his fight with young Mexican-American Jessie Vargas. It?s his comeback fight since announcing his retirement last April. Sportshub ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1
In front of reporters, he stressed the importance of winning this battle for the WBO welterweight crown, and pave the way for bigger fights.
?I need to win convincingly,? he said.
At the gym, Pacquiao worked hard as he always does, and again, tried to bargain for more. He said he wanted to spar, maybe a couple of rounds.
?No more human beings to spar with,? said strength coach Justin Fortune.
Leaving the hotel for the gym, The STAR told Roach that Pacquiao had wanted more time at the gym and even get some sparring.
?No. Unless he spars with me,? said Roach.
Pacquiao did four rounds with the mitts, and Roach cut the training short.
Pacquiao shadow boxed for a few minutes, did some Bruce Lee moves, faced a Filipino reporter and asked, ?Puwede pa ba? (Still good enough?)?
Roach refused to give him the extra time.
?We need to cut him back. And he?s getting mad at me. That?s why he?s hitting me hard. Yes, he says sorry. But when he does that expect him to hit you harder,? said Roach.
On Wednesday, the final press conference for the 12-round fight at the Thomas & Mack Center takes place at noon, and then it?s back to the gym.
Thursday will be the last training day for Pacquiao.
?I talked to him and told him he has a choice on Thursday. He can choose between running in the morning or going to the gym in the afternoon,? he said.
Pacquiao, according to his trainer, can?t have both.
Roach said Pacquiao is ready to fight, and is at his peak. He?s making sure they don?t overdo things so close to the fight.
Roach was asked: ?What if Manny was fighting Floyd on Saturday.?
?I?d be so happy because this is the condition he has to be in to beat that guy. This is the best Manny Pacquiao ever since we moved up to 147,? said Roach.
As Pacquiao sat down beside promoter Bob Arum for the interview, an American scribe asked the Top Rank chief if they should address the Filipino icon as a senator or plain Manny.
?Of course. Because he?s a senator,? said Arum.
The discussion travelled back in time ? from Pacquiao?s debut fight as a pro in 1995, when he was a skinny 98-pounder fighting in the 105-pound class.
?To make weight I had to put a heavy object in my pocket,? he said, adding that for his debut fight he was paid P1,000 or $20, just enough to get some donuts these days.
For his historic clash with Floyd Mayweather in 2015, he earned over $100 million.
The discussion went on until the time he ran for senator last May, a month following his impressive win over Timothy Bradley, and his retirement.
Pacquiao said he felt ?sad and lonely? and decided to return to the sport that has made him a global name and one of the richest athletes ever.
?I still have the hunger in my heart. The hunger is not just in my mind but in my heart. Boxing is my passion,? said Pacquiao, who had to convince his family about cutting his retirement short.
Freddie Roach was asked if he still sees the hunger in Pacquiao.
?Every day,? he said.
