Speed key for lean, mean Pacquiao

Pacquiao training camp in Los Angeles.
PHOTO BY ROY LUARCA

HOLLYWOOD — For 30 seconds, Manny Pacquiao’s punches came in bunches and in a blur. He was circling the heavy bag while unloading the heavy bombs that exploded upon impact. They sounded loud and with thud.

They were so many that it would be impossible for Timothy Bradley to evade or block all of them. One, two, three, even four could penetrate his defenses and they may decide the outcome of his battle with Pacquiao on April 9.

Back in the ring, he was shadow boxing, punching while retreating.

In one instance, he was weaving and ducking, throwing punches while moving forward.

In another instance he was moving so fast that he felt heat on his feet.

As it turned out, there was a plaster inside his training shoes and his constant rapid motion was creating friction.

Feeling the discomfort, Pacquiao asked for a stool and, for the first time in training camp, sat down inside the ring.

No, he wasn’t tired. He just asked assistant trainer and bosom friend Buboy Fernandez to help him removed the plaster.

Once it got removed, Pacquiao returned to his fiery self, checking on his lateral movements.

“Trying to stop me, come on,” said Pacquiao to an invinsible opponent.

Pacquiao, tapering down in training, was laying down the blueprint of his strategy to beat Bradley again in their third showdown at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

He intends to overwhelm Bradley with speed, then finish him off with power.

They were the attributes chief trainer Freddie Roach wanted to see and Pacquiao intends to oblige.

Pacquiao showed his ferocity when he hit the top rope of the ring at Wild Card Gym here.

Smiling, Roach admonished Pacquiao not to break the rope of his ring.

While Pacquiao was changing his shirt, he exposed his lean frame brought about by the heavy training.

Roach bared that Pacquiao’s weight hovered at 141 pounds, six off the welterweight limit, even if his prized ward was on an eating binge since training camp opened in General Santos City in February.

Pacquiao asked Roach to rate his performance for the day and the seven-time trainer of the year readily responded “Okay.”

That was the scenario at the gym Thursday afternoon after Pacquiao had sparred with Ghislin Maduma for four rounds and with Lydell Rhodes for two rounds.

According to Maduma the closed door sparring was a lot lighter than last week as Pacquiao has reached his prime since three weeks back.

“He was ready and just waiting (for the fight),” said Maduma. “We were working on some tactics.”

The details were kept secret, of course.

Pacquiao, however, is giving Bradley a hint.

With speed comes power.