Spence all figured out

One could say Errol Spence is one guy who has succeeded in making Manny Pacquiao do one thing he normally doesn’t in the runup to a big fight.

About nine weeks before they figure in a head-on collision in Las Vegas, Pacquiao opened up about Spence and spoke briefly about what he intends to do to the young and ambitious American fighter.

Pacquiao, more than ten years older at 42, carefully noted that he is facing a spitting image of himself in fighting style, albeit fresher and bigger. “Kaliwete (He’s a southpaw),” Pacquiao told Daily Tribune during a visit at his stylish Forbes Park home a couple of days ago.

Given that the opposition has gotten used to seeing him finish off an opponent with his left, Pacquiao believes his right holds the key in messing up Spence’s party plans.

“Ito (this one),” Pacquiao said, throwing a right hook in the air. But what’s truly palpable was the remark he made when asked about Spence’s reputation.

“I have already studied him,” he said.

Though it wasn’t entirely earth-shaking, that statement came way too early in the buildup, a testament to the magnitude of the contest that will likely be hosted by the MGM Grand.

Good thing, though, is that Pacquiao (62-7-2 with 39 knockouts) readily acknowledges the dangers being posed by Spence (27-0 with 21 knockouts) in his bid to turn back the hands of time anew. In the past, reporters on the Pacquiao beat had to scramble finding a peppery quote when trying to juice out meaningful quips from the eight-division champion.

He would tell them the obvious, that he doesn’t normally relish sizing up prospective foes on video.

But this time, Pacquiao is tweaking his line of thinking, knowing that the task at hand is no ordinary mission but a job only somebody with an “S” emblazoned on his chest could pull off. Yeah, “S” as in “SuperManny.”