LAS VEGAS – Manny Pacquiao recited Biblical verses as he skipped ropes Thursday afternoon at the oven-hot gym owned by Top Rank.
It was the final day of workout for Pacquiao who is scheduled to defend his WBO welterweight title against Timothy Bradley on Saturday (Sunday in Manila) at the MGM.
It was light, quick and open to visitors. Outside the gym, the sun was out, and extremely hot, temperature in the mid-30s Celsius.
A few fans waited outside for Pacquiao, including a middle-aged man, from Las Vegas, who brought his kids, and an oversized pair of boxing gloves.
Later on, as Pacquiao emerged from the gym, and before boarding his Navigator, he signed the golden gloves bigger than throw pillows.
A young lady, who said she came from California, held on to a framed picture of Pacquiao and Freddie Roach. She was lucky to have it signed as well.
The spacious gym, which opened in 1989, used to house champions like Sugar Ray Leonard, Oscar dela Hoya, Floyd Mayweather, Lennox Lewis and Miguel Cotto.
Pacquiao is now its biggest customer.
Training is finally over after it started two months ago in Baguio City, the Philippines’ cool summer capital, and ran up to Los Angeles and here.
Roach presided over the workout, with just a few rounds with the mitts, some shadow boxing, and less of the excruciating abdominal exercises.
Pacquiao knew it was over and he didn’t beg for more. It’s his habit of always asking for more, for that extra round, for that extra minute, every time Roach sounded the buzzer.
Pacquiao was in a light mood. As he did crunches in the middle of the ring, he cracked jokes with Manila-based scribes, their arms resting on the ring apron.
“Ready na,” Pacquiao quipped.
“Everything’s great. We’re a hundred percent ready,” said Roach.
From the gym, Pacquiao was taken to his hotel suite. He barely had time to rest, with his Bible studies scheduled to begin at 5 p.m.
He just can’t start or end a day without it.
“It’s better than doing something else.It’s when I rest,” said Pacquiao.
No one can argue with that.