LOS ANGELES – Manny Pacquiao wasn’t hallucinating when he said Saturday he was seeing images of Timothy Bradley inside the Wild Card Gym.
He just wanted to have fun.
“Nakikita ko mukha ni Bradley (I can see Bradley’s face),” said Pacquiao as he worked the speed ball during the latter part of his two-hour workout.
Pacquiao hit the ball so hard like he wanted to rip it off the wall.
He must have felt the same during a five-round sparring session against Russian Ruslan Provodnikov. They went at it almost non-stop and all out.
Pacquiao was hit with a low blow, halting the action. He was also pinned and tagged hard against the corner, but each time he managed to get out and return the favor.
But overall, Pacquiao was in a jolly mood in training. He sang to the tune of Apo Hiking Society’s “Pumapatak Na Naman Ang Ulan” as he walked around.
The boxer who hasn’t lost a fight since losing to Erik Morales in March of 2005 is all fired up for his June 9 battle with Bradley at the MGM Grand.
When Pacquiao is happy, Freddie Roach is happy.
Pacquiao faced the giant mirror and shadow-boxed as he cooled down. Then he noticed the presence of Pinoy scribes, their eyes glued on the boxer.
“Relax lang kayo,” said Pacquiao.
On the other side of the fence, Bradley continued to work harder and harder for the biggest fight of his life, and said he’s ready to rumble as well.
In the third episode of HBO’s 24/7, Bradley said he was done with training, and perhaps tired of it.
“I’m sick of training I (can) fight tomorrow. I (can) fight tonight,” said Bradley, bouncing around some track oval like a collegiate star.
He has maintained a strict vegetarian diet.
“I train like no other,” said Bradley who would sleep at the gym if that’s what it would take for him to win.
“Fights are won in the gym,” he said.