Pacquiao aims to extend shelf life
In about three months, Manny Pacquiao will mark his second year of inactivity from the sport.
To guarantee that he remains in shape, Pacquiao works out from time to time in his General Santos City residence with some members of his training team helping out.
Just before he flew back home, Pacquiao trained a few times with entourage members joining him in the roadwork.
Though there are reports circulating that the Middle East is interested in importing him, a Daily Tribune source yesterday said: “Everything is still up in the air.”
No confirmed date, venue and opponent yet, said the source, who earlier sounded upbeat that a deal was in the offing.
But when contacted yesterday, the source was not in a jolly mood to talk about the prospects of seeing Pacquiao end his long layoff the soonest possible time.
Everything is still up in the air.
“June was mentioned as a target date for the fight but we are now almost mid-April,” he said. “I guess we have to push it back again.” Last time he was in the ring, Pacquiao stunned Keith Thurman on 20 July 2019 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
The coronavirus pandemic prevented Pacquiao from following it up although he could have probably fought in the first quarter of 2020.
The source believes that the pandemic, coupled with the involvement of other outfits and entities dipping their hands in Pacquiao’s affairs, is making things very complicated at the moment.
Interestingly, Paradigm Sports Management, a Los Angeles-based group, has a contract with Pacquiao as a talent.
Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions (PBC), which promoted the eight-division titlist’s fights with Adrien Broner and Thurman, is likewise still in the mix.
The names of Terence Crawford, Mikey Garcia and Errol Spence have been thrown around as possible rivals.
Amid the chaos, Pacquiao, 42, remains calm, cool and collected.
Evening training sessions have been taking place in his sprawling General Santos City home in anticipation of something big.
Pretty soon, Pacquiao feels everything will start falling into place.