It’s all systems go for the bout between Manny Pacquiao (left) and Adrien Broner after the two fighters made the weight. —AFP
LAS VEGAS—Manny Pacquiao has had little trouble making weight since ascending the 147-pound ranks.
In fact, Team Pacquiao insiders said the 40-year-old Philippine senator was three pounds over the welterweight limit one day before Friday’s weigh-in for his duel with Adrien Broner.
But he still managed to tip the scales at 146 lb at MGM Grand’s Garden Arena. Broner, who will try to wrest Pacquiao’s WBA belt, also made the cut at 146.5.
Broner’s camp said he is a natural welterweight, just like Pacquiao, the eight-division champion who has fought at 147 in the last decade.
Filipino Jhack Tepora, one of the fighters in the undercard, lost his shot at a big-time fight when he flunked at the scales for his featherweight battle with Mexican Hugo Ruiz.
He checked in at 131.5 lb, a whopping 5.5 lb over the limit, and blew his chance to fight for the WBA interim crown.
Ruiz had no problem as he weighed 125 lb. He will face a new opponent on Saturday.
Tepora, who reportedly was 20 pounds overweight when he arrived from Manila last week, was six pounds over the limit 24 hours ago and had assured everyone that he could shed off the excess pounds in time for the weigh-in.
Meanwhile, in one corner of the MGM Grand, Jinkee Pacquiao sat as her husband submitted himself for weigh-in for the 70th time in his glorious career.
She has been there many times before that she knows exactly her spot: In the background, cheering from afar.
Jinkee said she would like for her husband to hang up his gloves for good.
“But I had stopped trying to convince him to retire,” she told reporters Friday afternoon.
For #PacBroner updates, visit The Pacquiao Files.