RIPPED AND READY | Manny Pacquiao works out for media in LA ahead of Bradley fight (Photo : Jhay Oh Otamias)
It doesn't matter how great of a camp a fighter is said to have had. Sparring partners could glisten with enthusiasm when speaking behind closed door sessions, and yet, when a fighter takes the stage, his performance echoes something completely different. For all intents and purposes, those close to Filipino ring icon Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao have all accounted for Pacquiao's renewed fire ahead of his supposed last bout as a professional boxer.
"He's training like it's his last fight," said one Pacquiao observer.
Spar mates Ghislain Maduma and Lydell Rhodes have both attested to what they believe is the best version of Pacquiao they have seen, but that certainly comes with an underlying sense of PR, doesn't it?
Pacquiao (57-6-2, 38 KO's) will perhaps climb atop the ring apron for the last and final time on April 9, to stand across Timothy "The Desert Storm" Bradley (33-1-1, 13 KO's) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
For those who have followed 'the Pacman's' career, the eight-division world champion enjoyed a meteoric rise through multiple weight divisions beginning at flyweight and ending up to as high as super welterweight. His whirling dervish style has captivated hearts of fight fans all over the world. Each time Pacquiao took the stage, fans knew the night was ending early.
For a time being, Pacquiao's name became near synonymous with stoppage victories. Things took a turn for the worse however, when Pacquiao moved up to 147 pounds.
Freddie Roach, owner of the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood and Pacquiao's long-time head coach, says he believes Pacquiao's power just simply did not translate into the higher weight classes.
Earlier in the week, Pacquiao revealed that he had been increasing his food intake just to make the welterweight limit. His natural walking weight, with neither diet nor training, he says is somewhere around 140 lbs.
True enough, the last time Pacquiao had stopped an opponent was his 2009 conquest of Puerto Rico's Miguel Cotto. Since then, Pacquiao has gone over six years without a stoppage victory, and as a result, his fame and popularity had slowly dwindled.
The upcoming third bout against Bradley signals Pacquiao's 11th bout in search of a knockout. Will he finally be able to get it against the American? It's highly unlikely.
Bradley has not been stopped in 35 professional fights. Although he has been down a handful of times, one of Bradley's best intrinsic qualities is his ability to dig deep and pull through adversity. Despite often being rocked and on the canvas, Bradley is the type of fighter who just has this uncanny ability to find a way to win.
Bradley's rock-solid resolve coupled with Pacquiao's physical decline doesn't bode well for Pacquiao's chances of scoring a knockout victory. What's more, if Bradley were to fight smart, which new coach Teddy Atlas would certainly help with, he could most certainly catch Pacquiao on an off night.
Pacquiao, 37, is currently campaigning for a seat at the Philippine senate. The elections are scheduled this May. Pacquiao, if elected, will have a full-time job to occupy his time as senator. Even now, he's already extremely busy with a multitude of political endeavors.
There's a real world chance that Bradley wins a decision against a distracted and diminished Pacquiao on Saturday night. It's one thing Teddy Atlas is banking on.
"I just want to win a decision, three minutes at a time," said Atlas.
"We need complete focus, complete concentration, three minutes at time. There's no margin for error when you're in there with a talented guy and an explosive guy like Manny [Pacquiao]."
