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 set to take on American Timothy "The Desert Storm" Bradley (33-1-1, 13 KO's) in a third and perhaps final bout and one of his sparring partners believes this is the best version of Pacquiao that he's seen, and fans are in for a big surprise when the two lock horns April 9 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
"I think this is going to be the best one. I think [Timothy] Bradley's gotten better since he's been with Teddy Atlas. Manny is showing new dimensions and along with being the old Manny -- the speed, power and timing," said junior welterweight Haskell Lydell Rhodes (23-1-1, 11 KO's), one of Pacquiao's employed sparring partners for this leg of training.
Rhodes has worked with Pacquiao in preparing for previous bouts, most notably for Pacquiao's first bout with Bradley in 2012, so he pretty much knows how to get the Filipino battle-ready for his showdown with the American.
"It was a really good day today. [Pacquiao] was going hard today. It was another good workout," said Rhodes, who gave an update on Pacquiao's training.
"Manny's feeling good and strong and like I keep saying everyday, his counters are getting better and better. That's the main thing, he's really countering good, suckering me into traps - he's just real smart."
Pacquiao sparred five rounds with Rhodes, and afterwards, five rounds with Congolese junior welterweight Ghislain Madumba. To say Rhodes is impressed however is an understatement.
"The last time I worked with him, he wasn't doing as many counters. He doesn't go all out on us but his counters are sharp - very sharp," said Rhodes.
"That's the thing that people don't understand, when you're in there with him, his timing is crazy. Most people just think he's an explosive fighter but his countering and everything he does is so tricky.
"And then he's so fast that sometimes he has like a regular speed where he's just regular fast, then out of nowhere he's just super fast and you can't see him. It's crazy. He just does so many things good where you can never get his timing and he's so fast and gives good angles."
Pacquiao has expressed his interest to call it a career after the Bradley bout, which no matter how he performs, he'll chase a full-time political career and a seat at the Philippine senate. Elections are in May.
But despite Pacquiao being 37 years old, going on 38 this year, Rhodes still feels that he has much more left in the tank, and that Pacquiao is boxing like he did in his younger days.
"To me, he feels like a guy in his twenties. He's going strong everyday and he's still fast. At the end of runs when we do sprints, he's still fast. I'm fast, but some days I can't catch him when we start doing sprints," said Rhodes.
"He's still got it, his youthfulness. He's ready."
