Manny Pacquiao, of the Philippines, smiles during a workout Wednesday, April 15, 2015, in Los Angeles. Pacquiao is scheduled to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a welterweight boxing match in Las Vegas on May 2. AP
HOLLYWOOD—A hamburger before dinner is a luxury for most boxers but for Manny Pacquiao it’s a simple pleasure he relishes for not being on a restricted diet.
Famished after more than two hours of training, Pacquiao wolfed down the burger with gusto, savoring every bite without any guilt.
Pacquiao, as ardent fight fans know, has a problem which other boxers would love to have. He needs to eat as much and as often as he can to stay within range of the weight limit set for his megabuck bout with Floyd Mayweather Jr. on May 2 (May 3 in Manila).
A bloated welterweight, Pacquiao is still below the 147-pound limit even as Mayweather checked in at 150.3 pounds during the World Boxing Council mandatory 30-day weigh-in last week.
After finishing off the hamburger, Pacquiao proceeded to partake of the beef tapa, fried chicken, beef stew, broccoli with lean white meat, white rice, and bananas ordered from Nat’s Thai restaurant, a few steps from Wild Card gym here.
He can eat anything he wants and still make the weight, chief trainer Freddie Roach, told Filipino sportswriters at his home on Plymouth Boulevard here, quoting Pacquiao, a natural 140-pounder.
In fact, Pacquiao boasted, he can even trim down to 135 pounds if needed.
148 to 149 pounds
For now, however, the Fighter of the Decade needs to bulk up a little more as Mayweather is expected to be right on the dot during the weigh-in set at MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 1.
According to Pacquiao, he will be between 145 and 146 pounds during the weigh-in and will be from 148 to 149 pounds on fight night.
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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