Manny Pacquiao 62-7-2 (39) made a bold decision earlier this year when he opted to face WBC and IBF welterweight champion Errol ‘The Truth’ Spence Jr 27-0 (21) rather than an easier opponent.
The 42-year-old superstar who doubles as a senator in his native Philippines has long been at the stage of his career where he can pick and choose his opponents.
Many people expected Pacquiao to select Mikey Garcia 40-1 (30), a quality fighter in his own right but not a natural welterweight. In his divisional debut he was on the wrong end of a one-sided drubbing at the hands of Spence in March 2019.
Pacquiao decided to go after Spence, 31, who will defend his two world titles against the eight-division world champion at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on August 21.
The move came as a shock to not only the boxing world, but also members of his own camp.
“He wasn’t my first choice,” said Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach to Yahoo Sports. “I was leaning toward Mikey Garcia, because he challenged us several times and so forth.
“When Manny picked Spence, I said, ‘Congratulations, you picked the best guy out there.’”
It will be more than two years since Pacquiao last fought when he entered the ring against Spence. That fight saw him score a split decision victory over previously undefeated American Keith ‘One Time’ Thurman 29-1 (22).
After a remarkable 26-year pro career Pacquiao himself admitted that he has needed to change his training habits as he has aged to allow his body more time to recover. The two-year layoff might end up being a blessing in disguise.
“We started early because this is one of the toughest guys out there and we really needed the time to get ready,” Roach continued.
“I hired some really good sparring partners and then I fired some really good sparring partners and hired even better guys. I’m doing everything we can to get Manny 100 percent into the fight. We still have a month to go and Manny’s getting better and better.”
Spence’s trainer Derrick James is expecting nothing less than a vintage Pacquiao.
“He still got it. He still has the angles, he still got those intangibles that make you great,” James told FightHype.
“That’s what it is, that’s who he is, and that’s one of those things as a fighter, how he says ‘I can beat that guy’… Manny ain’t going in there to lose the fight, he’s going in there saying ‘I can beat that guy, I’m gonna show you I can beat that guy.'”
Roach hinted at the gameplan they will be employing against the dangerous Spence, who is ranked number six pound-for-pound in the world by the venerable Ring magazine.
“Manny was in and out, in and out, and when he does that, his opponent doesn’t know whether he’s coming or going,” Roach said.
“When he breaks in with a combination, he can’t sit in the pocket. If he sits in the pocket, he’ll get hit back and this guy is a good puncher. He’s got to get in, hit and get out right away.
“And you can’t just go straight right in on him. You have to use an angle. Manny’s been doing that quite a bit and footwork is the key to winning this fight. Manny’s footwork is better than anyone’s. He’s on his toes and he can do it for 12 rounds.”
