Nonchalant Pacquiao takes day off to be with family

Manny and Jinkee Pacquiao and children Jimuel and Michael enjoying Sunday lunch at Kabuki Japanese Restaurant. Roy Luarca

HOLLYWOOD—With training tapering down, Manny Pacquiao can now recharge his body and spend more quality time with his family.

“Relax lang, family time muna,” Pacquiao told Filipino sportswriters over lunch with his family, friends and supporters at Kabuki Japanese restaurant here.

Pacquiao canceled his afternoon activities on Easter Sunday, opting to relax at home on North Plymouth Boulevard with his wife Jinkee and their five children.

As he watched television and played chess with former PBA player Zaldy Realubit, teenaged sons Jimuel and Michael joined their mom Jinkee to watch a movie downtown.

Realubit and former PBA MVP Kenneth Duremdes earlier joined the Pacquiaos at Kabuki.

“All quiet. Nothing happening tonight,” texted Pacquiao’s personal assistant David Sisson.

Pacquiao retired to his room at 9 p.m. in preparation for another gruelling jog to Griffith Hills on Monday morning.

Later in the afternoon, Pacquiao and chief trainer Freddie Roach are expected to refine their fight strategy for his third pay-per-view welterweight bout with Timothy Bradley on April 9 (April 10 in Manila) at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Roach said on Saturday Pacquiao was ready to fight Bradley, who gave up his World Boxing Organization crown for another crack at the eight-division world champion. The Californian stands to earn $6 million from the bout.

Assistant trainer Buboy Fernandez said Pacquiao will still spar for six rounds and four rounds, respectively, with Ghislain Maduma and Lydell Rhodes on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday before Team Pacquiao heads to Las Vegas on Monday.

Rhodes, who resembles Bradley’s fighting style, described Pacquiao as “real good.”

Pacquiao earlier busted Maduma’s lip in the fourth of their five-round ring session.

Fernandez, who is predicting a stoppage victory for his bosom buddy, said Pacquiao will spar a total of around 130 rounds for this camp, fewer than when he trained for Floyd Mayweather Jr. last year.

Elated by Roach’s positive review, Pacquiao spent Saturday night watching TV, particularly the fight between former super middleweight champion Andre Ward and the erstwhile unbeaten Sullivan Barrera which the former won.

He also watched the Oklahoma Thunder wallop the San Antonio Spurs, 111-92.

That his picks both lost didn’t dampen Pacquiao’s spirit a bit.