Manny ready to fight even now
By Joaquin Henson
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 15 Aug 2021
LOS ANGELES. Sen. Manny Pacquiao’s fight against WBA welterweight “super” champion Yordenis Ugas of Cuba is still a week away but strength/conditioning coach Justin Fortune said yesterday he’s ready to battle even now in the best shape of his life at 42. The duel is set at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, Aug. 22, Manila time.
“Manny’s ready to go,” said Fortune. “Right now, he’s in perfect condition. Once that bell rings, he’ll jump out of his skin. When he takes a day off to rest, he comes back stronger the next day. Like last Wednesday, he did a good run so he took the afternoon off. The Monday before, he felt so rested that he went out to run at 6 a.m. alone because the rest of the guys expected him to run at 7:30. From his almost two months of training in L. A., I think he took only two or three days off and only one day, he did just running. Remember, he’s 42, not 22 but he’s an incredible 42. He’s gone down from sparring 12 rounds to 10 to eight to six to four in tapering off.”
Fortune said Pacquiao will spend the next few days working on timing and targeting. No more hard workouts. He’ll preserve his energy for Ugas. One thing Pacquiao asked to bring back in training was the bamboo sticks Fortune whacks on his midriff. “We didn’t do it in training for (Keith) Thurman but Manny wanted it back, it’s his concept of mind over pain,” said Fortune, a former Australian heavyweight contender who once fought Lennox Lewis. Ugas is known to be a body belter so Pacquiao is ready to withstand the pummeling in the midsection.
“I think Ugas is an easier opponent than (Errol) Spence,” said Fortune. “Cubans used to dominate in the ‘90s but not anymore. But you never underestimate an opponent, especially a late substitute. A lot of champions paid the price for taking late replacements lightly. Sure, I’m disappointed Manny isn’t fighting Spence. But it’s the way it is. I wish Spence the best and I hope he comes back to fight. We’re all praying for him.”
Even as Pacquiao has taken a few days off from training, Fortune said his intensity level remains high when he’s working out. “It’s the same intensity as before, you can’t pull him back because he won’t stop,” he said. “Manny’s motivated to win, that’s for sure. He’s just happy for the fans that there’s a fight and let’s not forget, Ugas is a champion. As for celebrities who visit Manny at Wild Card, they’re not a distraction. They don’t disrupt his training. When Manny’s done with training, he meets them, goofs off with them, shows he appreciates their support. He likes interacting with his visitors. At Wild Card, everyone who watches Manny train is tested for COVID so it’s all safe. Manny hired a guy to do testing and vaccination, too. When Manny runs at Griffith Park, fans are kept at bay by security for crowd control. The pandemic isn’t over so we want everyone to stay safe.”
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