Eight-weight king and boxing legend Manny Pacquiao finds himself in the unusual training position for a fight as the underdog.
The “Pacman” is gearing up to battle Errol Spence for the WBC and IBF welterweight titles and has cranked up training in Los Angeles.
Posting videos daily, Pacquaio looks at the shape of his life at the age of 42. According to boxing odds released by Bet MGM, the former champion is at +180 compared to Spence’s -250.
The Filipino Senator is under no illusions about the class of the opponent in him and admits he could have gone down a less strenuous route.
“There were a lot of opportunities for me to pick an easier fight than this. But I picked Errol Spence Jr. because I want a real fight and a great fight for the fans. I’m a fighter, and boxing is my passion,” said Pacquiao.
“Errol Spence Jr. is aggressive, young, and undefeated. Spence is dedicated to his career. This is not an easy opponent. This is the kind of opponent you can never underestimate.
“It’s been a long time since I fought a southpaw opponent. We had to change some of our strategies compared to previous fights, and we’ll throw some different combinations.”
On Floyd Mayweather offering to advise Spence after beating Pacquiao in 2015, the veteran was unimpressed by his antics.
“I don’t think Errol needs advice from Floyd Mayweather. I believe that Errol is a better fighter than Mayweather. Errol can teach Floyd how to fight toe-to-toe.”
MANNY PACQUIAO – THE UNDERDOG
After dropping Keith Thurman in his last fight’s opening session, Pacquiao again shocked the world by becoming the oldest champion at 147 pounds.
Now, when airing his thoughts on the next installment of his remarkable career, Pacquiao refrained from being too overconfident in his superhuman abilities.
“I don’t want to be overconfident because Errol is too good of an opponent,” he pointed out. “His determination and passion for the sport are always there.
“When I say I’m going to do something, it’s real, and from the heart, it’s not to impress anybody.
“I won’t predict another first-round knockdown as I had against Thurman. I’m focusing my mind, body, and spirit on winning the fight. That’s the only goal.”
Errol Spence is now fully recovered from a horrifying car wreck in Texas that luckily should have done more damaged than it did. “The Truth” will be hoping to prove once again that his career in the ring will be unaffected.
