In our continuing coverage of the upcoming Fight of the Century, our publisher and a staff photographer made the pilgrimage to the Wild Card Boxing Club in Los Angeles to see Manny Pacquiao in the flesh. Our immediate impression: this man is on a mission. It’s in his eyes. It ripples through his musculature. This is not a fighter in the fading days of his career…this is a champion who has something to prove.
For the first time in his life he has studied videos of a future competitor’s past fights. His sparring opponents were chosen for their boxing style…being as close to Floyd Mayweather as possible. On the bout and what is means to him, Manny reflected, “My entire career defines my legacy; I have always accomplished great achievements in my career while excelling in different weight divisions. This fight is an additional achievement in my career; it’s the biggest fight in boxing history. I can say that beating Floyd Mayweather would be the biggest victory of my career.”
Bob Arum, CEO of Top Rank, offered the following key observation, “Pacquiao’s strength is speed, particularly his foot speed and the fact that he throws so many punches and attacks from low angles. He really hits harder than Floyd does, so that’s really what it’s going to be about.” We too see this as a fight requiring Pacquiao to be constantly on the offensive.
’s Hall of Fame trainer, Freddie Roach, attests to Manny’s transformation. He said, “Manny has really raised the bar in this training camp. He’s a different Manny Pacquiao than I have seen him going into previous training camps. He is punching so much harder in training for this camp.” With regard to past physical problems, “Manny is better than ever, his attitude is different and I’ve never seen him work this hard. His speed is faster, his punches are harder. I’m really happy where he’s at. His legs look great; he’s on his toes all the time.”
From now until The Event on May 2nd, every other sport and/or contest will occur in the shadow of this fight. We at Image and Style Magazine are on the edge of our seats with excitement…and offer Mr. Pacquiao our very best wishes on a successful outcome.