In this Feb. 6, 2014 file photo, boxer Manny Pacquiao, of the Phillipines, left, poses for a photo with current WBO World Welterweight champion Timothy Bradley of Indio, Ca., during a press conference in New York. Bradley believes former pound-for-pound king Pacquiao has lost his competitive fire heading into Saturday’s, April 12, 2014 welterweight rematch in Las Vegas. AP
LAS VEGAS—Manny Pacquiao, in a jovial mood after wrapping up his training Thursday, expects no problem making the 147-pound limit Friday during the official weigh-in for his World Boxing Organization welterweight showdown with American champion Tim Bradley at MGM Grand Arena.
Weighing just 149 lb when he woke up Thursday, Pacquiao went through what his team described as a “light day.” He had an early-morning run at University of Nevada-Las Vegas, taped segments for HBO before concluding his day with a light workout at Top Rank Gym here.
Although he can afford to eat what he wants, he showed self-restraint by eating sparingly, complementing his intake with multivitamins.
The dinner fare was beef with mushroom and asparagus, fried salmon, dried fish, stewed beans, chicken tinola, white rice and banana slices for desert.
Before repairing to his luxurious suite on the 61st floor of Mandalay Bay’s THEhotel at 9 p.m., Pacquiao had his legs massaged by two assistants while watching the game between the Denver Nuggets and the Golden State Warriors which the Nuggets won via a squeaker.
Pacquiao earlier obliged autograph-seekers and belted out four songs, three of which are spiritual.
Then he retired to the master bedroon clutching a Bible and a cell phone.
Team Pacquiao members said they have never seen him as happy and contended as in this camp in his bid to wrest the title from Bradley this Saturday (Sunday in Manila).
And they noted that when Pacquiao is happy, he always does well.