So where were Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. as preparation for the so-called fight of the century entered its final month?
As in the contrasting manner of their training, the rivals were in two diverse points.
Mayweather was in his corner, quietly claiming he has achieved desired form ahead of the May 2 bout.
Pacquiao was in the middle of the ring, working and shooting hard to regain his original gifts.
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“Speed and agility, well, not yet perfect, but soon, I know, they will be back,” he told close-in reporter Eddie Alinea.
This assurance came at about the time trainer Freddie Roach announced Pacquiao would’ve no need to adopt or copy any other style in order to prevail over the unbeaten Mayweather.
Now hold it, please. The day after Roach claimed that all Pacquiao needed to do was be himself, the seven-time trainer of the year honestly expressed irritation over what he had next observed in Pacquiao’s sparring.
“I’m not gonna be nice to him. I’m gonna make him do what I want because that’s the way to beat Mayweather,” Roach explained.
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As expected, it next got whispered around that there was trouble brewing in the Pacquiao camp, but this was promptly dispelled by Pacquiao.
Roach also quickly assured everything was A-OK in the Pacquiao camp.
Of course, it was not made clear what had caused Roach’s displeasure after he walked in unannounced into a Pacquiao sparring session at the Wild Card Gym over the weekend.
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Did he observe a Pacquiao dishing out inferior offense?
Or did Pacquiao continue to do neck-hard reckless jumping attack, thereby leaving his chin open?
Nothing clear, but Roach categorically stated Pacquiao would get Mayweather, possibly by stoppage in any of the closing rounds.
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Maybe Roach meant Pacquiao need not surpass himself in order to beat Mayweather because the legs of the unbeaten world welterweight champion were gone, dissipated to be exact.
That’s a heartwarming presumption, any way you look at it.
But yesterday, word came out of the clamped Mayweather camp in Las Vegas, disputing the reports about how the years have allegedly eaten into Floyd Jr.’s health and talent.
“Floyd, he explosive man, he strong as hell,” swore star-struck Don Moore, an unbeaten (17-0, 11 KOs) lightweight from Indiana who has been working as a Mayweather sparmate.
Moore, nicknamed “Dangerous,” also described the 38-year-old Mayweather as “a master of boxing.”