A quick peek at Pacquiao and Nietes

Pacquiao has to really now put all his mind, body and soul to the Horn fight ASAP. He must face only one mister from hereon: Mister Training.

Ijoin those raising hell in defense of Gina Lopez. But I am happiest with the thought that Manny Pacquiao had a fishbone just plucked out of his throat.

Didn’t he chair the committee that rejected Gina’s nomination as environment secretary?

Manny voted in favor of Gina like seven or so other senators to include Loren Legarda and Tito Sotto. Cheers to them!

Gina did not waste time lambasting his defeat, even berating Sen. Migs Zubiri for junking her.

“I thought he [Zubiri] was pro-environment all along,” said Gina, who anchored her short-lived stint on environment protection against mining companies deemed destroying our natural resources. “His father [a one-time basketball great at the tail-end of the glorious Loyzaga era] is a good friend of mine.”

Sad as the ending of Gina’s stormy reign was, we need to move on—especially in PacMan’s case.

Pacquiao’s world welterweight defense against Aussie Jeff Horn is on July 2 in Horn’s Brisbane (Australia) hometown.

Horn has long been in deep training for the fight of his life.

What about Pacquiao? Has he hit the mitts at least?

Pacquiao is now practically cramming, training-wise.

Yes, Pacquiao will be the hardest to beat if he’s in tip-top shape. But is seven weeks enough for him to reach peak form?

Pacquiao has to really now put all his mind, body and soul to the Horn fight ASAP. He must face only one mister from hereon: Mister Training.

Time is not exactly on his side. And, at 38, he is also spring chicken no more.

Every single day counts. He can’t afford to relax. He must drop all matters not related to boxing, the Senate included.

In short, Pacquiao, 59-6-2, with 38 knockouts, can only defeat Horn, 29, and 16-0-1 11 KOs), if he is fit as a fiddle, if he starts being Pacquiao the boxer again and shooing away Pacquiao the senator.

As to Donnie “Ahas” Nietes, yes, the unification thing for the pride of Murcia, Negros Occidental, must be set aside or he could be stripped of his world flyweight title.

Said Nietes’ manager, ALA Promotions President/CEO Michael Aldeguer: “We were looking to unify titles, but now we will have to honor the IBF first.”

Just right, Mike.