Manny Pacquiao training in LA (Photo : Jhay Oh Otamias)
Filipino ring icon and boxing's only eight-division world champion Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao (57-6-2, 38 KO's) is currently on his second week of training in Los Angeles for a third bout against Timothy "The Desert Storm" Bradley (33-1-1, 13 KO's) on April 9 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. According to his trainers, Pacquiao has reached his peak and is ready for a war.
"I thought I've already seen the best of Manny ... until I saw him today," said assistant trainer Nonoy Neri, in a report by Philboxing.
Pacquiao arrived in Los Angeles a little less than two weeks ago, after spending the first half of his training camp back home in General Santos City. He went straight to the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood along with head coach Freddie Roach and long-time assistant coach Buboy Fernandez.
The "Fighter of the Decade" awardee does his morning runs at Pan Pacific Park, then hits the Wild Card for sparring sessions against chief partners Lydell Rhodes and Ghislain Maduma, both of whom have said that Pacquiao is looking for a knockout against Bradley.
"Beautiful, today's was the most beautiful workout I've seen since we arrived here in L.A. last week," Neri added.
"Manny is really giving it his all against the two guys. His hands are really fast and he's fast on his feet, he's really loading up on his punches."
Pacquiao is gunning for an impressive performance against Bradley in what he says is his last bout as a professional boxer. The 21-year boxing veteran has not scored a stoppage win since his 2009 destruction of Puerto Rico's Miguel Cotto, and he wants to leave the sport doing what made him famous in the lower weight divisions.
It's no easy task against Bradley who has never been stopped before in his career, but Pacquiao is really going to the woodwork in preparing himself to accomplish the unlikely. If those around him are to be believed, then Pacquiao is in ready to do so.
"This [progress] is good news, he'll be prepared fully when the fight comes around," said Neri.
Pacquiao is expected to taper off training beginning next Monday, and then shortly after, the team will make the familiar trek to Las Vegas via the Team Pacquiao bus in time for fight week.
When asked if he was worried Pacquiao might be peaking too early and running the risk of getting burnt out, Neri said they are watching out for that.
"We, in the training staff had already thought out of measures to prevent that from happening," he said.
Whether Pacquiao does indeed stay true to his word and retire after the Bradley bout, or he continues to fight on, one thing is certain. He wants an exclamation point next to his next fight, not an asterisk.
And his guys believe Pacquiao is ready to make a statement.
"Manny has really reached his peak this early in the camp. And he's still improving by the day," said Neri.
