Simple pleasures: Pacquiao wolfs down a burger
Legacy already defined
Mayweather, on the other hand, can rehydrate to 154 pounds, probably more.
The weight mismatch does not concern Pacquiao; he’s no stranger to fighting heavier opponents. In 2010, the 5-foot-11 Antonio Margarito outweighed him by 16 pounds but Pacquiao still scored a dominating victory.
NO CONTEST At playtime in the Pacquiao Los Angeles home, the legendary champ is no match for his youngest child Israel after another day of his intensive training at Wild Card gym. REM ZAMORA
The Filipino fighter has pronounced himself ready, saying he’s willing to engage the unbeaten American in the middle of the ring if that’s what it takes to win.
The welterweight unification showdown in Las Vegas promises to be the most lucrative fight in boxing history.
Speaking at the final news conference on Wednesday before he heads to Las Vegas, the Filipino champ said he didn’t need a blockbuster fight with Mayweather to define his legacy, that winning titles in eight divisions had far exceeded his expectations.
Dreams surpassed
“My entire career defines my legacy,” he said. “I have had some great, great accomplishments in my career.”
Pacquiao’s hall-of-fame career has surpassed anything he could have imagined when he got into sport after someone told him he could earn P100 (about $2) for a fight.
The 12-year-old used the money from that first decision victory to buy rice for his poverty-stricken family in the Philippines.
“I don’t want to boast about the eight different weight divisions … When I started boxing, I never imagined it,” he said.
Bigger share
Pacquiao said the fight would have never seen the light of day if he hadn’t agreed to a 60/40 split of the purse, with Mayweather getting the bigger share.
He sought but failed to get Mayweather to agree on a $5-million penalty for anyone who fails a drug test in the buildup to the fight.
Mayweather had previously accused Pacquiao of using performance-enhancing drugs, a charge the Filipino denied.
“I suggested it. I was surprised he turned it down,” Pacquiao said. He said he had already been tested about six times since the fight was announced.
The two fighters declined to put a rematch clause in the contract.
“How can we talk about a second one?” Pacquiao said. “The first one was so hard to make happen.” With a report from AFP
Originally posted: 3:00 PM | Friday, April 17th, 2015
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