MANILA, Philippines ? After being knocked out by jet lag on Wednesday, Manny Pacquiao rebounded with a big bang when he showed up at the Wild Card Boxing Club on Thursday and sparred for eight rounds, putting to rest fears that the Filipino fighter is slowing down.
?No big deal,? said Pacquiao?s adviser Mike Koncz yesterday from Los Angeles, a month before Pacquiao defends his world welterweight crown against the undefeated American challenger Tim Bradley in Las Vegas.
Koncz said jet lag was the culprit for Pacquiao?s absence at the gym, something that?s not really new whenever the fighter is in the early phase of his US preparation.
?He?s taken a day-off before, remember?? said Koncz, noting that his boss had done the same thing a few times in the past. ?What Manny did was sleep until 5 p.m. so he?s just resting.?
But what made Pacquiao?s absence such a big issue was the presence of the US media at the Wild Card on that day, thinking that they would be able to do an interview with the famed boxer.
Trainer Freddie Roach and Pacquiao publicist Fred Sternburg had to apologize to the writers and photographers who came that day and told them to return next week.
Pacquiao and his team arrived in Los Angeles over the weekend after spending three weeks in high altitude conditions in Baguio City.
Pacquiao is a 3-1 favorite and is eager to look sensational against Bradley specially after he narrowly got past Juan Manuel Marquez of Mexico last year.
