MANILA, Philippines—His body was ready for some more work Thursday, but Manny Pacquiao’s mind took over. He has to slow down a bit and maintain his pace.
After a spirited mitts session and abbreviated training routine, Pacquiao normally would ask for extra time and more rounds.
He was set to do so at his MP Tower Gym in Quiapo, Manila, but remembered that his “super fight” with the undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr. is over two months away, on May 2, at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
“I should stop,” Pacquiao muttered to no one in particular in Filipino. “Our journey is still far away.”
Indeed, Pacquiao is only in the early phase of his conditioning-oriented preparation for his megabuck welterweight unification title bout with Mayweather.
But judging by his movements and intensity during his mitts session with assistant trainer Buboy Fernandez, Pacquiao seems to be in a rush to whip his body into tiptop shape.
While the media and spectators were satisfied to see him pummeling Fernandez with blows, chasing his heavyweight buddy from post to post, Pacquiao wasn’t content with what he’d done so far.
“I’m not even at 50 percent yet,” said Pacquiao, who feels that he should be 100 percent in condition and focus to be able to hand Mayweather his first loss after 47 victories.
Though he noticed some flaws and a little decline in form in the American’s twin wins over Argentine Marcos Maidana last year, Pacquiao knows that he will be facing an entirely different opponent on fight night.
Pacquiao said he believes Mayweather suffered from overconfidence in his scrambling majority decision over Maidana in their first battle.
Though it wasn’t his first time to do the mitts with Pacquiao, Fernandez said his hands still throb with pain due to the pounding.
Twice, Fernandez moaned in pain from the pounding and on one occasion curled up as Pacquiao caught him with a body shot.
“It really hurts,” said Fernandez, adding that he took time out to put himself into condition as the stakes are much higher this time and he doesn’t want to disappoint Pacquiao and chief trainer Freddie Roach.
Pacquiao and Fernandez worked not only on throwing combinations with lefts and rights, going up and down, but on how to evade Mayweather’s counterpunches.
Pacquiao was so intense that Fernandez could only heave a sigh of relief when the bombardment stopped.
Without Roach, he’ll have to bear the brunt of Pacquiao’s power up to Saturday, before they fly to Los Angeles.
RELATED STORIES
Roach predicts knockout win for Pacquiao