Pacquiao impresses Bill Clinton

Photo from Manny Pacquiao’s Facebook page. Chris Farina/Top Rank Promotions

HOLLYWOOD—Coming from former United States President Bill Clinton, the glowing accolade should have floored Manny Pacquiao backstage.

“He’s already in the Philippine parliament; I hope he goes right on up the ladder,” Clinton said Wednesday night (Thursday afternoon in Manila) when asked by talk-show host Jimmy Kimmel about Pacquiao’s future in politics Wednesday night.

“He’s a great guy and he’s a great role model in his country,” Clinton, head of the world’s most powerful nation from 1993 to 2001, added in reference to Sarangani province’s lone representative.

TV show guests

Clinton, 67, talked about the foundation he heads with wife Hillary, former senator and Secretary of State, as a guest of the ABC television show like Pacquiao, who discussed his rematch with Timothy Bradley on April 12.

The 42nd US President confessed that he is a Pacquiao fan.

In 2009, before his fight with Ricky Hatton, Pacquiao was whisked in a limousine to an impromptu meeting with Clinton at Four Seasons hotel in Las Vegas.

Two years later, Pacquiao paid a courtesy call on US President Barack Obama at the Oval Office of the White House, not only as an eight-division world boxing champion, but as a congressman. The meeting was inserted into Pacquiao’s press tour for his bout against American Shane Mosley.

In both fights, Pacquiao eventually emerged the winner.

In Bradley’s mind

According to Pacquiao, who made his eighth appearance in the talk show, he feels that deep in Bradley’s mind, he knows that he got beat in their first bout for the World Boxing Organization welterweight crown in 2012.

The unbeaten American was rewarded by incompetent judges with a split-decision victory.

Because of pride and ego

“It was because of pride and ego that he (Bradley) claimed that he won the fight,” Pacquiao said.

He added that Bradley’s taunts that he has lost his killer instinct will only spur him to do better in their 12-round showdown at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

He reiterated that he’ll finish off Bradley if the opportunity arises.

“I’ll be more aggressive and punch more this time,” he promised.

Asked by Kimmel about his coming fifth child with wife Jinkee, the Sarangani vice governor, Pacquiao said the baby is due late this month and will be named Israel.

Earlier, Pacquiao held his media workout at trainer Freddie Roach’s Wild Card Gym in Hollywood. And again, he showed the blazing speed and power that he intends to capitalize on to hand Bradley his first official loss.