Pacquiao relishes underdog tag, leaves for US Feb. 28

Manny Pacquiao AP FILE PHOTO

GENERAL SANTOS CITY—Having hurdled various obstacles as he climbed the boxing ladder, Pacquiao relishes the underdog tag bestowed on him against Floyd Mayweather Jr.

“I’ve been in this kind of situation many times in my previous fights. It doesn’t scare me. I love being the underdog,” Pacquiao told AFP Sunday amid reports that oddsmakers in Las Vegas, the site of the May 2 fight, are giving Mayweather the advantage.

“It even motivates me to train hard and go for the crown,” Pacquiao said as the Sarangani representative took a respite from training to spend time with his family, attend to his constituents and fulfill his spiritual duties.

Early betting odds in Las Vegas, which Mayweather calls home, make the unbeaten American a 2 1/2 to 1 favorite to become the undisputed welterweight champion and cement his legacy as pound-for-pound king.

Mayweather holds both the World Boxing Association and World Boxing Council 147-pound titles, while Pacquiao owns the World Boxing Organization version.

On a relaxed mood, Pacquiao told reporters that he is treating the megabuck bout just like his previous fights.

Pacquiao already began light training for the fight two weeks ago by jogging and playing basketball. On Saturday, he trained at his MP Wild Card Gym here.

Following reports where the Mayweather camp was quoted criticizing his fighting style, Pacquiao said the American would soon learn the difference between watching him on screen and facing him in the ring.

Pacquiao, who is slated to return to Manila Tuesday to coach KIA Carnival on its game against Talk N’ Text on Wednesday, intends to fly to Los Angeles, where he’ll hold training camp at chief trainer Freddie Roach’s Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, on Feb. 28. Roy Luarca