Philippine senator and boxing hero Manny Pacquiao trains at a press preview in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Wednesday, July 11, 2018. Pacquiao is scheduled to fight Lucas Matthysse on July 15, 2018, for the World Boxing Association welterweight title in Malaysia. (AP Photo/Yam G-Jun)
It’s been over a year since Manny Pacquiao fought, but his fellow boxing legend Oscar De La Hoya sees the long layoff working to the Filipino’s advantage than the other way around.
The last time Pacquiao stepped inside the ring was when he suffered a controversial loss to Jeff Horn on July 2, 2017 in Brisbane, Australia.
“It can affect him, his timing, but then again, it can help him because he is fresh and there’s no wear and tear in his body. He’s rested, mentally and physically,” De La Hoya said on Thursday.
De La Hoya, however, is concerned with Pacquiao’s focus and preparation ahead of his WBA welterweight title fight against the hard-hitting Lucas Matthysse.
“Manny Pacquiao has a lot on his plate. My father once told me like when I was ten years old, ‘If you are not s fighter first, it’s an uphill battle,'” he said.
“Meaning, you have to put boxing first and everything comes second. You cannot be a senator, You cannot be doing this and that. You don’t play boxing,” he added. “You don’t have teammates to hit a ball for you. It’s just you and if you are not focused 100 percent then, things can happen.”
Apart from being a boxer, Pacquiao is also a senator and owner of a nationwide basketball league in the Philippines.