Pacquiao ready to fight Bradley

SOURCE: SunStar.com

MANILA - Filipino World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao tapers off his training regimen starting today, Monday, at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles.

“Everything is there, power, strength, speed, stamina. Except for some minor improvements, I’m actually ready to fight,” Pacquiao said.

Freddie Roach and Manny Pacquiao training for Bradley fight

Pacquiao, who is defending his 147-pound diadem against undefeated world junior-welterweight kingpin Timothy Bradley Jr. on June 9 in Las Vegas, actually completed the most grueling week of his preparations on Saturday under the watchful eyes of Wild Card-owner and chief trainer Freddie Roach.

“We’ve also set in place our game plan and strategy. We just need to finalize them,” the fighting Sarangani congressman said.

Like when they pitched camp in Baguio City six weeks ago, Roach described the past seven days of tough grind as “very good,” as he proclaimed the 33-year-old ward as “almost ready to make war.”

What came as sort of a welcome development was the arrival in Los Angeles of Filipino assistant trainer Marvin Somodio, who flew in Friday night and rejoined the team Saturday.

After Saturday’s 10-round sparring, Pacquiao has so far logged some 90 rounds of ring skirmishes with regular sparring mates welterweight prospect Ruslan Provodnikov, lightweight Rustam Nugaev and featherweight Kevin Hoskins.

Provodnikov has been providing the eight-division champion the power approximating Bradley’s, while Nugaev and Hoskins the speed and mobility of the challenger.

Pacquiao’s timing and ability to keep his distance from the enemy, which were lacking when the team left Manila three weeks ago, have improved a lot, Roach said. >> Read More