Pacquiao starts training early February for Bradley
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 04 Jan 2016
Basketball and chess - the two sports activities eight-division world boxing champion Manny Pacquiao has been engaging himself the past eight months following his loss to the now-retired Floyd Mayweather Jr. almost nightly - will be relegated to the sidelines starting next month when the 37-year-old Sarangani Congressman starts preparing for his coming fight on April 9.
Pacquiao, who has also been playing billiards and darts sparingly in that span while undergoing rehabilitation process from a shoulder injury he suffered in that May 2 fight dubbed as "Fight of the Century," is pitching camp at his Wild Card Gym in General Santos City as venue for the first phase of his training for the third and final chapter of his trilogy against reigning World Boxing Organization welterweight kingpin Timothy Bradley.
"Yeah, we'll be starting to prepare for my next fight early February in GenSan," Pacquiao revealed to this writer Sunday night. "As I have been saying, there's no substitute to early preparation, so as in my previous important outings, I need to prepare as early as possible."
Pending further consultation with his training team, particularly chief trainer Freddie Roach and assistants Buboy Fernandez, Nonoy Neri and Roger "Haplas" Fernandez, the plan is to stay in GenSan the whole month of February before flying to Los Angeles by March to resume preparations.
"That's my plan and I have already told all those concerned that. But as a team, I also want to know what they have to say in the interest of how prepared I will be for the fight," Pacquiao, a candidate for senator in this year's national and local elections, reasoned out.
Pacquiao's promoter Bob Arum, Roach and business adviser Michael Koncz, all want the entire preparations confined at the Wild Card Gym in L.A. to avoid distractions expected to be brought about by his candidacy.
The Kibawe, Bukidnon-born ring icon assured that once training starts, he will be concentrating and devoting his time to it to, once again, perform as what boxing fans wants him to.
"Happy and excited to be back to the ring again, although at the same time, sad, the "Pacman" retorted when asked how he feels going back to the things he'd been doing the past 21 years as a professional fighter.
"Happy, of, course, boxing is my life. Sad, also kasi, mapuputol na the happiness I've been enjoying the past eight months na kasama ko asawa ko (wife, Sarangani Vice Gov. Jinkee) and our children (Jimwell, Michael, Princess, Queenie and Israel) araw-araw kahit saan ako pumunta."
"Those days that we've been together, you see, have always been the happiest days of my life," he remarked. "That's why kahit na mahal ko ang boksing at gusto kong balik-balikan, the thoughts of not seeing them, even temporarily, nakakalungkot din."
Manny Pacquiao, Jinkee and their children with gospel singer Don Moen during Pacquiao's 37th birthday celebration in General Santos last Dec. 17. Photo by Wendell Rupert Alinea.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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