Boxer Manny Pacquiao, left, of the Philippines, and his trainer Freddie Roach share a laugh as they look at a speed bag showing an images of Floyd Mayweather Jr., a gift from lawyer Robert Shapiro, background center, Monday, April 13, 2015, in Los Angeles. Pacquiao will face Mayweather Jr. in a welterweight boxing match in Las Vegas on May 2. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
HOLLYWOOD—If the intention was to get Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s attention, then Team Pacquiao succeeded.
Leaking information that Manny Pacquiao has been pounding a speedbag bearing the image of Mayweather at Wild Card Gym, the Filipino’s handlers expectedly drew a sharp retort from the so-called Money Team.
READ: Pacquiao gets speedball with Mayweather’s face on it as gift
“Floyd got a good laugh out of the bag but made it clear—it’s only fueling Floyd’s anti-Pacquiao fire,” said a report in TMZ Sports.
Chief trainer Freddie Roach doesn’t mind that the ploy could anger Mayweather. He believes that it’s paramount to get into Mayweather’s system and convince him into engaging Pacquiao in a slugfest on May 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegass
Pacquiao himself has said that he wants the American to abandon his defensive stance and to fight him toe-to-toe.
The Filipino superstar intends to entertain fight fans so they won’t feel shortchanged by the $100 pay-per-view rate, or the $150 closed-circuit price, or the $1500 general admission ticket price.
Pacquiao, of course, didn’t have a hand in the speedbag gimmick. The speedbag was given to him by renowned lawyer Robert Shapiro, counsel of American football star OJ Simpson during his infamous murder trial.
Shapiro, an ardent boxing fan, ordered the Mayweather piece from popular artist Gina Melanesi.
According to Melanesi, the artwork was coated with a special varnish so it can take long, continuous beating.