Watch Manny Pacquiao vs Timothy Bradley Rematch
Showing posts with label boxing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label boxing. Show all posts
Sports columnist Recah Trinidad expects an interesting match on Sunday (Saturday in the US) when Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley face-off again for the welterweight title.
Trinidad said the fight could go the stretch before it goes to Pacquiao either by decision or by knockout, as he proves he is truly the stronger fighter and should have won the first time.
"All points lead to a possible Manny win either by knockout or by points. Mas malamang mag-12 rounds. He's not supposed to jumpstart. Pag nagpilit ka ng maaga, ang tendency mawawala yung breathing. Yun ang nangyari sa kanya nung nakaraan," Trinidad said.
Trinidad added retirement is out of the picture for Pacquiao for now.
He also believes that Bradley, despite his posturing, does not have the power to knock-out the Pacman.
"Walang knock out power yung kabila. He's a push puncher. Sabi nila may secret weapon. Di ko naman alam saan kukunin yon. You can't develop a knock-out punch instantly. Ano yung secret weapon? Siguro magdadagdag ng paang tatakbo. If Bradley can be as sharp as he talks, I hope he's able to convert his anxiety into a fighting skill," he said.
On Friday (Saturday in Manila), the two boxers made weight for their rematch at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
Pacquiao weighed in at 145 pounds while Bradley, at 145.5.
Source: ABS-CBN News
American boxer Timothy Bradley Jr. barely got any credit when he shockingly defeated Filipino icon Manny Pacquiao in controversial fashion in June 2012, but he rebounded with two solid victories in 2013. In March 2013, Bradley was nearly knocked out and fought with a concussion, but managed to outpoint Russian brawler Ruslan Provodnikov in one of the best fights of the year. In October, he took on Mexican legend Juan Manuel Marquez – who was then coming off a sensational sixth round knockout of Pacquiao – and claimed a split decision victory. In a conference call on Saturday, Bradley expressed his belief that the experience he gained in his two fights against Provodnikov and Marquez will help him when he defends his WBO welterweight title against Pacquiao in their rematch on April 12. “I have gained a lot of experience from my last two fights… one in particular, the one against Marquez, who is a great champion and a great fighter, legendary,” said Bradley. “And the fight against Provodnikov, the Fight of the Year.” “So I am a different fighter now,” he stressed. Bradley took on Provodnikov while still reeling from the backlash of the Pacquiao fight, and he has admitted that it affected his mindset and game plan. Instead of his usual slick boxing style, Bradley opted to go toe-to-toe with Provodnikov, and it resulted in him nearly getting knocked out. “I thought that fight was just pure heart,” Bradley said of his performance against the Russian. “I was in a bad place mentally for that fight.” “That’s the reason why I fought the way I fought that night with the controversy I went through, and that was my first fight back. I felt like I had a lot to prove to the fans and to myself, and prove to the world that I am a true champion that belongs at the top of boxing,” he added. “That’s the reason I fought that way. I wanted to showcase what I was made of.” Bradley said that against Provodnikov, he showed that he was “one tough cookie.” “Even on my worst day, I am hard to beat. So when I am 100%, it’s going to be harder to beat me. I am so mentally tough, no one can break me,” he boasted. The unbeaten American considers his October 2013 showdown against Marquez as his “best night” in boxing. “Marquez is one of the best counter-punchers in the game, and I out-fought this guy and out-counterpunched him. And Marquez has been in there against all the best fighters in the world,” he said. “That was a sensational boxing lesson I put on Marquez that night, and it was one of the best moments I have had in my career. I had fun in there. I enjoyed how I was working and I enjoyed the fight and what I did in the ring,” he added. Beating Provodnikov and Marquez in successive fights showed that he has grown as a fighter and is also capable of adjusting to any style, said Bradley. “I think everybody has seen me grow in the last two years, and they see how confident I am and my ability. I fought two different styles and I was able to come out victorious,” Bradley said. “So a lot of people are definitely getting behind me right now.” “They feel that Pacquiao is declining, and this is my time,” he added. Bradley’s trainer, Joel Diaz, said the boxer has “all of the weapons packed up and ready to go” against Pacquiao. “I know if Tim needs to go inside and brawl, he is going to do it. We are ready for everything. We are leaving nothing behind,” Diaz said. “There are going to be times when he is going to be on the outside, and times when he will be one the inside. That all depends on Manny and what he’s got, and we make adjustments,” he added. “If Manny’s going to bring it, we are going to be ready. If he’s going to hold back and box, Tim’s going to be ready. There is nothing we are going to be surprised about. We are going to have everything ready.”
Marvin Sonsona came up with a fourth-round KO of Japanese Akifumi Shimoda, to win the WBO International Featherweight Title, Saturday at the Venetian Macau's Cotai Arena. General Santos native Sonsona, a former WBO Super Flyweight Champ, improved to 18-1-1 with 15 KOs, while his opponent fell to 28-4-2. Sonsona had been looking to prove his Super Flyweight title at the age of 19 was no fluke, and he certainly did so in this bout, besting Shimoda, who, after losing the WBA World Super Bantamweight title to American Rico Ramos in 2011, has been undefeated in his succeeding six bouts.
British super-middleweight rivals Carl Froch and George Groves have agreed to a rematch of their controversial first encounter last year, promoter Eddie Hearn announced on Thursday (Friday, PHL time).
Froch beat Groves with a contentious ninth-round stoppage when they met in Manchester last November and Groves will have a chance to gain revenge on May 31 (April 1, PHL time).
No venue for the fight has yet been announced, but several of Britain's largest sporting arenas are reported to be under consideration.
Froch's IBF and WBA titles will both be at stake, prompting Matchroom promoter Hearn to declare: "Quite simply, I believe this is one of the biggest fights in British boxing history.
"It was one of the most epic and exhilarating fights I've ever witnessed and I'm delighted the public are going to get a chance to see it all again. The unanswered questions from the first fight may now be answered."
News of the fight will settle demand for a rematch in Britain after the controversy sparked by the first bout.
Groves, the underdog, floored Froch in the first round and was ahead on the judges' scorecards when referee Howard Foster stepped in to stop the fight in the ninth round after Froch unleashed a barrage of punches.
Froch was initially reluctant to grant Groves a rematch, with Hearn revealing last month that negotiations had become "frustrating,” but he now appears to have bowed to public demand.
On the likely venue, Hearn told Sky Sports News: "We're in discussion with six or seven stadiums all over the country right now. They are huge stadiums because this is a huge event.
"We're looking at a crowd of up to 80,000 for this fight. We've had discussions with Old Trafford, Wembley, the Emirates Stadium, the City Ground, Twickenham, Cardiff. It's a special fight."
Froch said that he was looking forward to "shutting George Groves up once and for all.”
The Nottingham fighter added: "I've already beaten him, I've already got the win, so I'm chilled and relaxed. He's going to get another pasting."
Groves admitted that he had feared that the chance of a rematch had passed him by.
"I'm really, really chuffed [pleased]. I didn't think for one second that Carl Froch would take this fight," he said.
"I systematically beat him from round one until round nine and as soon as he had an inkling of beating me, the referee jumped in. He's on a hiding to nothing. There's nothing he can take from the last fight that's a positive."
Source: AFP
The trainer of unbeaten boxer Timothy Bradley Jr. stressed the need for a clear victory over Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao in their April 12 rematch since he doubts that the American can get a decision for a second time.
Bradley infamously defeated Pacquiao when they first fought in June 2012, getting a controversial split decision that allowed him to annex the WBO welterweight championship.
Given the controversy generated by that fight, trainer Joel Diaz is not so sure that his fighter can leave the match to the judges this time around.
“In order to beat Manny, we have to do it very clear,” Diaz told Tha Boxing Voice. “We know for a fact that going to a decision with Manny Pacquiao again, and having it be close, we are not going to win.”
This does not mean that Bradley will be going for a knockout, as Diaz himself admitted that his fighter is “not a knockout artist.”
“But, you know, there will be a point in time where I see that if Manny is slowing down, if he’s maybe frustrated or tired, I can push Bradley to apply pressure and maybe force a stop, maybe a TKO,” said the trainer.
Diaz added that he and Bradley will be preparing for the “best Manny ever,” not the Pacquiao who stepped off the gas against Brandon “Bam Bam” Rios in November.
“We don’t look at Manny coming in with any weakness,” said Diaz. “We expect the best Manny ever. Manny’s always been a great fighter, he’s always been explosive, he has a lot of power in his fists, and he has speed.”
“So we expect the best Manny ever that night, so we gotta prepare for that,” he added.
At the same time, Diaz is confident that Bradley’s great campaign in 2013 has given his fighter a huge boost of confidence going into the rematch.
In March 2013, Bradley survived a war against Russia’s Ruslan Provodnikov in one of the most memorable matches of the year, then outpointed Juan Manuel Marquez.
“After going to war with Ruslan, one of the most vicious fighters in the sport right now, and beating him and then beating Juan Manuel Marquez, the guy that put Pacquiao to sleep – he built some confidence,” Diaz said of Bradley.
“It made him a more mature fighter, that’s the difference in this fight. He’s got the confidence, and I think he’s got the maturity. And he’s been in the ring with Manny already, and I think that’s gonna make a big difference,” he added.
Boxing trainer Freddie Roach expects Timothy Bradley to be evasive and avoid getting into a slugfest with Manny Pacquiao.
But the 2013 Coach of the Year said they will avoid getting outboxed by applying pressure on the WBO welterweight champion.
“We have to cut the ring off and he’s going to be moving trying to outbox us so we have to cut the ring off and make it a little smaller and force him to fight a little bit more,” Roach said in Boxing Scene.
Roach believes that once Bradley gets hit with a power punch, he’ll be force to slug it out with Pacquiao.
“I think he’ll box a little bit more but once he gets hit he’ll fight back and he’ll become his old self,” he said.
Bradley earlier said he wants to fight the Pacquiao of old, the one who demolished the likes of Oscar dela Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto.
But Pacquiao’s conditioning coach Justin Fortune warned Bradley that he might just get what he asked for.
“Bradley wants the old Manny, so we're going to give him the old Manny. We're going to give Manny his strength and his speed back,” Fortune said in a separate Boxing Scene report.
“His conditioning will come and we'll continuously change things up [in training], because he's 35 and training gets boring," he added.
Source: abs-cbnnews.com
Filipino boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao is back home from the US where he promoted his upcoming rematch with welterweight champion Timothy Bradley.
The two fighters promoted their fight in Los Angeles and New York.
The "Pacman" is set to begin training for the bout, where he will try to reclaim his WBO welterweight belt.
Pacquiao described his opponent as a respectful person. “Respetado din naman siyang tao. Marunong ring gumalang ng kapwa nya,” he said.
Bradley scored a controversial victory against Pacquiao two years ago.
Their rematch will take place on April 12 in Las Vegas, which means he has 10 weeks to prepare for the bout.
He will kick off his training in Manila before flying back to the States to spend most of his preparations at Freddie Roach's Wild Card Gym.
Source: abs-cbnnews.com
Watch Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs Saul Canelo Alvarez full fight here.
Video 1
Video 2
Source: abs-cbnnews.com
Floyd Mayweather unified the super welterweight world titles with a majority decision over Mexico's Saul Alvarez on Saturday at the MGM Grand Hotel.
The 36-year-old extended his winning streak to 45 straight fights as he earned the biggest purse in boxing history at $41 million.
"It is about skills," Mayweather said. "I came out tonight and showed my skills. It is about performance."
Mayweather fought a brilliant tactical fight in front of the crowd of 16,746 at the Grand Garden Arena.
He used his jab and superior hand speed to keep Alvarez at bay, but Mayweather still only managed to win on two of the three judge's scorecards.
One judge surprisingly scored it a draw, 114-114, while the other two had it 117-111 and 116-112 in favor of Mayweather, who wrested the World Boxing Council and World Boxing Association titles from Alvarez.
"Im not in control of what the judges do," Mayweather said. "I am in shock whoever had it even. Things happen in the sport of boxing."
This was just the second fight for Mayweather since he was released from prison after serving a sentence for assaulting the mother of his children.
Mayweather gave away 13 years in age and 15 pounds to the younger and stronger Alvarez, who moved down in weight for the showdown.
The seventh was one of Mayweather's best rounds as he landed several combination punches early before backing Alvarez up into a corner and hitting him with a right uppercut that snapped the Mexican's head back.
Mayweather came into the fight at 150 pounds, just a couple pounds lighter than he was at Friday's weigh in.
Alvarez was first into the ring, followed by Mayweather, who walked slowly into the sold-out arena flanked by rap artist Lil Wayne and Canadian teen heartthrob Justin Bieber.
Alvarez entered the ring at 165, 13 pounds heavier than he was at Friday's weigh in.
"I couldn't catch him," Alvarez said. "He is very intelligent and he is very elusive and that is what he demonstrated tonight."
Celebrities in the house
Mayweather is no stranger to grand entrances and on he Saturday he entered accompanied by rap artist Lil Wayne and pop sensation Justin Bieber.
But there were obviously more Canelo fans in the audience, since his introduction received more cheers and applause, while Mayweather got a lot of boos.
Michael Phelps, Magic Johnson, Rosie Perez, Charles Barkley, Jack Nicholson and Denzel Washinton were among the Hollywood celebrities in attendance on Saturday, with tickets fetching as much as $26,000 a seat.
On the undercard, Danny Garcia kept his World Boxing Council and World Boxing Association super lightweight titles with a unanimous decision over challenger Lucas Matthysses.
Garcia knocked Matthysses down in the 11th round and then the two went toe-to-toe in the final seconds of the 12-round showdown with both looking to end the bout with a knockout.
Garcia improved to 27-0 but Argentina's Matthysses made him work for it as he sent Garcia's mouthpiece flying with a hard right hand in the 11th.
Carlos Molina also won the International Boxing Federation's junior middleweight title with a split-decision victory over Ishe Smith.
Before a loud sold out crowd, Floyd Mayweather Jr. (45-0, 26KOs) won a twelve round majority decision over previously undefeated Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (42-1-1, 30KOs) to pick up the WBC/WBA/Ring titles at junior middleweight. The scores were 114-114, 116-112 and 117-111 for Mayweather.
Source: AFP
Floyd Mayweather, who is fighting twice in the same calendar year for the first time since 2007, weighed in at 1.5 pounds lighter than Mexican star Saul Alvarez on Friday.
The boisterous crowd of about 12,000 that squeezed into the MGM arena cheered loudly when Alvarez tipped the scales right on the catch weight of 152 pounds (68.9 kilograms) one day ahead of their 12-round world championship bout for the 154-pound title held by the Mexican boxer.
The world's highest paid athlete Mayweather will put his perfect record on the line when he squares off against Alvarez in a showdown between the two undefeated boxers.
"My job is to go out there and keep my composure and be the same Floyd Mayweather," he said at the weigh in. "I can't wait to get out there and go to work."
The 36-year-old Mayweather weighed in at 150.5 pounds -- just under the mutually decided catch weight of 152 pounds.
Alvarez (42-0-1) hasn't weighed 152 or less for a fight since 2011, while Mayweather has fought above 147 just twice -- for the Oscar de la Hoya and Miguel Cotto wins.
Alvarez said on Wednesday he was sparring at 155 pounds but feels comfortable moving down in weight to fight Mayweather.
Saturday's fight has generated huge interest, especially in Mexico where the 23-year-old Alvarez is considered one of their biggest sporting heroes.
The fight with Alvarez is the second in Mayweather's six-bout, 30-month contract with American cable network Showtime that could pay him more than $200 million.
After Mayweather beat Robert Guerrero in May, he said he wanted to fight again in September.
Mayweather's guaranteed purse for the Alvarez fight is reported to be a record $41 million, which would surpass the previous record of $32 million he received for fighting Guerrero.
Organizers are also hoping that this fight will eclipse two million pay-per-view sales. Mayweather will also get a cut of the pay-per-view money on top of his purse.
The last time Mayweather stopped an opponent inside the distance was two years ago, when Victor Ortiz lowered both his hands and was looking at the referee. Mayweather seized the moment and hit Ortiz with a combination of fight-ending punches.
Source: ABS-CBN News
-- Former world super flyweight champion Cristian Mijares is confident that he has the strength to knock out World Boxing Organization (WBO) super bantamweight champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire.
Mijares (45 wins, 6 losses, 2 draws) is reported to be the next opponent of “The Filipino Flash” for a fight that will be held on July 14 in Texas.
Although the bout is not yet finalized, Mijares told Boxing Scene that he is already looking forward to challenging Donaire, who is rated no. 4 in most pound-for-pound lists.
“I’ll be ready for 12 rounds, but I feel with my strength I can knock him out,” Mijares said. “The fight will be very hard, because the Filipino is left-handed, has a good hook and he’s a counter puncher.”
After a string of three consecutive losses in 2008 and 2009, Mijares has revived his career and is riding a 9-fight winning streak. In his latest bout, he knocked out Eddy Julio in just four rounds last weekend in Mexico.
“I felt powerful,” Mijares said. “I will rest for 10 days, and I will prepare for two and a half months in the city of Mexico for Donaire.”
Mijares acknowledged that Donaire was a “dangerous boxer,” but added that “no one is invincible.”
“I have my experience, intelligence and my boxing ability and I will deliver,” he said.
Donaire last fought in February, when he won the WBO super bantamweight strap after defeating Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. via split decision.
Source: GMA News
-- On an HBO TV special that aired Saturday (Sunday, PHL time) entitled, "Floyd Mayweather: Speaking Out," the current WBC welterweight titleholder did just that, touching on a variety of topics, including Manny Pacquiao, Jeremy Lin, and Barack Obama.
The special is part of the build-up to Mayweather Jr.'s bout against Miguel Cotto, scheduled for May 5 (May 6, PHL time) at the MGM Grand hotel in Las Vegas.
In a blog post on The Ring, writer Lem Satterfield published a transcript of some of Mayweather's many quotable lines.
The undefeated fighter reiterated his position towards the fight with Pacquiao, an offer of a flat $40 million dollars, saying, "Either you take it or you leave it. Like I've said before, Manny Pacquiao needs Floyd Mayweahter. Floyd Mayweather don't need Manny Pacquiao.
"I'm happy with how my career has gone. I have nothing else to prove in this sport to nobody. Do I want the Manny Pacquiao fight before my career is over? Absolutely. But if it don't happen, it don't happen."
Should the much-anticipated bout between the two fighters ever push through though, Mayweather has a special gimmick in mind for the pre-fight introductions.
"People want to know how much power Floyd Mayweather's got? ....If I could fight Manny Pacquiao, I would let [US President] Obama walk me into the ring carrying my belt. Can I make it happen? Absolutely."
Mayweather also discussed the comments he made about New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin, which led to many accusing him of being a racist.
"As far as the Jeremy Lin situation, I spoke my mind. I just said that Jeremy Lin was a good player....I said but all of the hype is because he's Asian.
"A lot of NBA players came to me and called my phone and said, 'Floyd, thank you, you've said what we've been wanting to say all along.' You know players have to be quiet, they can't say nothing."
Mayweather Jr. currently boasts of a 42-0 record with 26 KOs.
Source: The Philippine Star
-- Strength and conditioning coach Alex Ariza left Manila for Los Angeles last night to hook up with WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. who defends his crown against Andy Lee in El Paso, Texas, on June 16. Ariza was in the country for a month working with former WBA/IBF lightwelterweight champion Amir Khan and welcomed Manny Pacquiao to training camp in Baguio City last Tuesday.
Pacquiao is set to stake his WBO welterweight crown against unbeaten Timothy Bradley in Las Vegas on June 9 while Khan battles Lamont Peterson on May 19, also in Las Vegas, in a bid to regain the WBA/IBF crown the American wrested under dubious conditions last December.
“I spoke with Manny and Amir about Julio last Friday night and got their okay to leave,” said Ariza. “I then spoke on the phone with Julio’s father (Julio Cesar Chavez Sr.) who’ll meet me with Julio in Los Angeles on Sunday (today). Julio will train with Freddie (Roach) in Los Angeles, not Las Vegas. Manny’s the most understanding athlete in the world. When I asked his permission, he immediately told me no problem, to do what I had to do. He gave me his blessing. I’ll be waiting for Manny when he gets to Los Angeles in two weeks.”
Ariza said Pacquiao advised him to be patient, forgiving and follow the Lord’s teachings. “Manny’s devotion to God is very inspiring,” said Ariza. “Reading the Bible has given him peace. There’s an aura about Manny now. I don’t sense any stress. He focuses on his roadwork and training in the gym without distractions. It has made a positive difference.”
Ariza, 36, said down the road, he hopes Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, Jr. will face off in a fight the world wants to see. Mayweather has offered Pacquiao a $40 Million guaranteed purse without sharing in the pay-per-view revenues if they meet. Pacquiao, through adviser Michael Koncz, countered with a $50 Million guarantee plus a 55-45 share in the overage – or upside – of the pay-per-view income with the winner getting the bigger slice. Pacquiao’s counter-offer appears fair and more than reasonable, said boxing observers. The issue remains unsettled.
“My take is it’ll be a 50-50 fight,” said Ariza. “Mayweather rolls those shoulders like he was born doing it, like Manny was born to do his footwork. Mayweather’s hard to hit but he doesn’t have Manny’s power. It’ll be a close fight and I see Manny winning in the end.”
Ariza said Pacquiao’s optimal weight division is the 147-pound welterweight class although he fought Antonio Margarito for the WBC superwelterweight title at a catchweight limit of 150. Pacquiao faced Oscar de la Hoya and Miguel Cotto at a limit of 145, Juan Manuel Marquez (for the third fight) at 144 and Joshua Clottey and Sugar Shane Mosley at 147.
“It’s almost like a freak show in a circus when Manny fights bigger guys like he did against Margarito,” said Ariza. “It reminds me of David against Goliath. But what some people don’t understand and appreciate is the science that goes into taking Manny from one weight division to another without losing his speed or power.”
Ariza said nutrition plays a major role in preparing an athlete to achieve peak performance. “That’s 80 percent of an athlete’s performance,” said Ariza, a San Diego State graduate who took up kinesiology, biochemistry and nutrition in sports at the Health Science College of Medicine in Syracuse. “It’s like a car. No matter how well-made it is, if you don’t put the right high-octane fuel, it won’t go the way you want it to. We don’t deprive Manny of what he likes to eat but we do a balanced diet. I’ve got a team that tracks his nutrients, body fat composition and weight. My team includes Teri Tom, a certified dietician, and Henry Merchena. I employ the same approach with Amir and Julio who are both open to this scientific technology even if they’re old school when it comes to training in the gym.”
Ariza, the youngest of three children, migrated to the US from Colombia when he was 13 with his mother Rosalba and a brother and sister who are twins and 13 years older. His father abandoned the family when he was five. “I owe a lot to my mom who worked hard to put us kids to school,” he said. “She used to clean homes for a living. What I am now is because of my mom. In school, I played varsity baseball until I hurt my shoulder. The injury got me interested in strength and conditioning. I became a personal trainer at the Omni Health Club in Los Angeles and also did stunts in movies. I did several movies but got credits only in three. I was a stunt double and stunt driver. While at the health club in 1996, the bodyguard of Diego Corrales asked if I could help out Diego who was finding it difficult to make weight for a fight. I worked with Diego four days before the weigh-in and he made it. He knocked out his opponent. Then, my friend Ray Siegle introduced me to Freddie. Ray works out at the Wild Card and does stunts in movies, too. Freddie was looking for a strength and conditioning guy to replace Justin Fortune and I applied for the job. I had worked with Erik Morales and Angel Manfredy by then so I knew about boxing. I worked with Manny in preparing for his fight against David Diaz in 2008 and I’ve been with his team ever since.”
Ariza said he has no immediate plans of settling down but he’s dating a Filipina Ria Garcia, a popular singer in the hotel circuit. He took Garcia to watch Pacquiao’s fight against Marquez in Las Vegas last November.
Source: ABS-CBN News
-- Filipino boxing icon Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao is convinced that undefeated American boxer Timothy Bradley Jr. will give him one of the hardest challenges in his illustrious career when they meet on June 9 in Las Vegas.
Pacquiao will defend his World Boxing Organization welterweight belt against Bradley, who will be fighting in that weight class for the first time in his career.
In an interview with boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard, Pacquiao revealed that he is expecting a hard fight.
“Some people say he’s not a threat. What’s your take on Tim Bradley?” Leonard asked.
“He’s undefeated, he’s strong. This kind of fight, you cannot underestimate him,” Pacquiao said. “He’s strong and he’s a good fighter, so I consider this fight as one of my hardest fights.”
The interview was conducted in Pacquiao's last trip to the US, but was uploaded only yesterday.
Still happy to be a boxer
In the wide-ranging interview, Leonard noted that like Pacquiao, he was also involved in various commercials and TV shows during his heyday, which took some of his focus away from his boxing career.
But Pacquiao said that despite his numerous responsibilities outside the ring, he was still happy to continue with his chosen sport.
“I have a lot of responsibility. I need to give to my family, and of course the fans, my work and the job in the office,” he said, referring to his position as a member of the House of Representatives.
“But I’m still happy continuing my boxing career,” Pacquiao added. “You have to focus first, and give time to your family, and then the rest...”
“That’s your job, your responsibility of being a boxer, being a politician, responsibility to the fans. You have to manage your time.”
When asked about his work as a politician and a public servant, Pacquiao told Leonard that it was something that made him “relaxed and very happy.”
“I’m happy to help people, especially when you help them and they’re very thankful and they’re happy, it feels good,” he said. “Even if you’re busy or you’re tired, it makes you relaxed and very happy and I want to do that.”
“What God made me in boxing, I believe I can do as a public servant. I can be a champion in being a public servant,” Pacquiao added.
VHS tapes
Pacquiao admitted that when he started his boxing career, he never imagined that he will one day be known as one of the top pound-for-pound boxers in the world.
“I can’t imagine that it was ever going to be like this,” Pacquiao said, then added that he used to watch Leonard’s bouts before he became a boxer.
“I was just watching you. I have the VHS tapes – not really the DVD, just VHS – and I saw a lot of fights of yours before, and now I’m meeting you,” he said.
Pacquiao said that he was honored and amazed to meet not only Leonard, but also other legendary boxers like George Foreman and Evander Holyfield.
“I always praise God and give thanks for the blessings he has given to me. I’m so happy with what I have done right now,” he said.
