KNOCKOUT KING | Manny Pacquiao punching hard in training, says sparring partners (Photo : Jhay Oh Otamias)
Former eight-division world champion and Filipino ring icon Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao (57-6-2, 38 KO's) is currently wrapping up training at Freddie Roach's Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, in preparation for his third bout with American, Timothy "The Desert Storm" Bradley (33-1-1, 13 KO's) on April 9.
The pair do battle in a 12-round welterweight showdown at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. With Pacquiao insisting on retirement after this bout, those around him have attested that the former pound-for-pound king is ready to make this fight a knockout affair.
Pacquiao, 37, hasn't stopped an opponent since his 2009 TKO triumph over Puerto Rico's Miguel Cotto. Prior to the Cotto bout, Pacquiao was stopping opponents left and right on his meteoric climb through weight classes. He began his career as a flyweight and fought up to as high as super welterweight, winning titles across eight different weight divisions.
After the Cotto bout however, Pacquiao has since then failed to stop opponents either because his foes have largely avoided being stopped or Pacquiao himself let them off easy.
Nonetheless, Pacquiao has expressed his desire to make a good showing in what would be his final bout as a professional boxer, and many around him are talking knockout.
Two of Pacquiao's chief sparring partners, Ghislain Madumba and Lydell Rhodes, have both attested to Pacquiao's strength during sparring sessions. One thing they are both noticing, along with Top Rank CEO Bob Arum, is Pacquiao's ability to now use his right hand with effectiveness.
Arum told reporters last week that the reason for Pacquiao's lack of knockouts in recent years is because he was unable to use his right arm during fights. Arum claims Pacquiao injured his right rotator cuff after the fight with Oscar Dela Hoya in 2007 and it has been bugging him ever since.
During Pacquiao's bout with Floyd Mayweather Jr. in May of last year, Pacquiao re-injured the rotator cuff in the lead up and it affected his performance on fight night.
Pacquiao had surgery on the shoulder a few days after the fight.
Now, with the ability to use the right hand with gusto, Pacquiao is expected to return to shades of the fighter he once was and fans are excited to see the difference.
But stopping Bradley is certainly no easy task. Bradley has never been stopped in his career and has only lost once, in a unanimous decision to Pacquiao in 2014.
Bradley's amazing punch resistance is the stuff of legend and it will take a monstrous effort from a 100% healthy Manny Pacquiao to pull off the feat. However, if what those close to him are saying is true, then fans are in for a delectable treat in the form of a Pacquiao knockout win -- which should be one for the ages.
Pacquiao and company are expected to wrap up training camp soon and make the journey to Las Vegas by land in the coming weeks.
