Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather are going to enter the ring on May 2 for the biggest fight of their careers. Pacquiao shared on February 22 that he is dealing with it just like any of his previous fights.
Yahoo! Sports reported that Pacquiao told the media that the upcoming bout is similar to any other fight he had had in the past. Pacquiao started training in his hometown in General Santos City, Philippines to prepare for the mega-bout earlier in February. Part of his training regimen included running and working with punching bags.
Pacquiao said, "I've been in this kind of situation many times in my previous fights. It doesn't scare me. I love being the underdog."
He added in the same Yahoo! Sports report, "It even motivates me to train hard and go for the crown."
Boxing analysts in Las Vegas have been siding with Mayweather in most reports. Mayweather's camp previously criticized Pacquiao because of his fighting style. Pacquiao reportedly responded that Floyd will learn the difference between watching him on television and actually fighting him inside the ring.
The last time that Pacquiao was the underdog was during his fights against Oscar De La Hoya and Miguel Cotto, which he both won. Against other opponents like Chris Algieri, Juan Miguel Marquez, Ricky Hatton and Tim Bradley, among others, he was the clear favorite, based on a report by BoxingNews24.
BoxingNews24 also added that Pacquiao is placed in a compromising situation, since Mayweather is more talented and experienced compared to any boxer he has ever faced before. Therefore, if Pacquiao continues to train similarly when he fought against previous opponents, he may eventually find himself outmatched by Mayweather. If Pacquiao decides to train harder, he risks overtraining in camp.
The National reported that Pacquiao seemed relaxed and even shared that he will continue functioning as playing coach of a basketball team in a Philippine professional league. He said that he will play on February 25.
Pacquiao said that he will most likely travel to the United States on February 28 to continue his training.
Pacquiao is currently 36 years old while Mayweather is 38 years old. Pacquiao has a 57-5 record while Mayweather remains undefeated with 47 wins. Their May 2 bout in Las Vegas will settle a long-standing rivalry that started in 2009. The dream match is expected to rake in the biggest fight purse in boxing history, estimated at around $400 million, with Floyd getting the lion's share.
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