Written by : Jun Medina, Special Correspondent
WASHINGTON, D.C: Manny Pacquiao must win impressively in his coming title defense against unbeaten challenger Timothy Bradley to regain the luster of his lofty position as the world’s best fighter pound-for-pound, according to respected American trainer Robert Garcia.
Garcia, the Boxing Writer Association of America 2011 Trainer of the Year, observed that a lot of people, including him, were unimpressed by Pacquiao’s controversial majority decision win over arch-rival Juan Manuel Marquez last November 12.
“Manny Pacquiao has to come back and look impressive to get everybody’s attention back and [regain] his stature as top boxer,” Garcia told Chris Robinson of the Las Vegas Boxing Examiner.
“A lot of people think Pacquiao now over the hill already, but if he comes back and look impressive he will be back on top the world, one of the best in the world pound-for-pound,” Garcia added.
The 33-year-old Pacquiao (54-3-2, 38 by knockouts) will put his World Boxing Organization on the line on June 9 at the MGM Grand Arena against Bradley, the unified world light welterweight champion. It will be PacMan’s fourth defense of the WBO crown he won from Cotto in November 2009.
Garcia, a former world featherweight champion, is no stranger to Filipino boxing fans. He is currently Filipino American Nonito Donaire, the WBO super bantamweight champion. He also mentored another Filipino-American, Brian Viloria, the current WBO flyweight champion.
“Coming back and looking impressive, well that might change everything for Pacquiao,” said Garcia in a video interview Monday posted in the Internet.
“But he does not have an easy fight...he is in for a real fight [against Bradley],” he said, adding that he saw how ripped Bradley looked with still three weeks before the fight.
As of Monday night, Pacquiao was a 3-1 favorite in most odds makers to win his 16th straight win against the 28-year-old Bradley (28-0, 12 by KOs)
“Some experts are saying that Manny Pacquiao could be on the decline, and the best way [for Pacquiao] to erase that impression come up with a really impressive in his coming fight against Bradley,” Garcia told Robinson.
Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, said he expects the old explosive Pacquiao to show up against Bradley because the challenger’s attacking style fits PacMan’s aggressiveness in the ring.
Roach, who said Pacquiao is now sparring 10 rounds against three different sparmates, is peaking at the right time.
“Manny is looking great. He’s right where I want him to be at this stage of his training camp,” Roach said by phone from Wild Card Gym in West Hollywood, California.
WASHINGTON, D.C: Manny Pacquiao must win impressively in his coming title defense against unbeaten challenger Timothy Bradley to regain the luster of his lofty position as the world’s best fighter pound-for-pound, according to respected American trainer Robert Garcia.
Garcia, the Boxing Writer Association of America 2011 Trainer of the Year, observed that a lot of people, including him, were unimpressed by Pacquiao’s controversial majority decision win over arch-rival Juan Manuel Marquez last November 12.
“Manny Pacquiao has to come back and look impressive to get everybody’s attention back and [regain] his stature as top boxer,” Garcia told Chris Robinson of the Las Vegas Boxing Examiner.
“A lot of people think Pacquiao now over the hill already, but if he comes back and look impressive he will be back on top the world, one of the best in the world pound-for-pound,” Garcia added.
The 33-year-old Pacquiao (54-3-2, 38 by knockouts) will put his World Boxing Organization on the line on June 9 at the MGM Grand Arena against Bradley, the unified world light welterweight champion. It will be PacMan’s fourth defense of the WBO crown he won from Cotto in November 2009.
Garcia, a former world featherweight champion, is no stranger to Filipino boxing fans. He is currently Filipino American Nonito Donaire, the WBO super bantamweight champion. He also mentored another Filipino-American, Brian Viloria, the current WBO flyweight champion.
“Coming back and looking impressive, well that might change everything for Pacquiao,” said Garcia in a video interview Monday posted in the Internet.
“But he does not have an easy fight...he is in for a real fight [against Bradley],” he said, adding that he saw how ripped Bradley looked with still three weeks before the fight.
As of Monday night, Pacquiao was a 3-1 favorite in most odds makers to win his 16th straight win against the 28-year-old Bradley (28-0, 12 by KOs)
“Some experts are saying that Manny Pacquiao could be on the decline, and the best way [for Pacquiao] to erase that impression come up with a really impressive in his coming fight against Bradley,” Garcia told Robinson.
Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, said he expects the old explosive Pacquiao to show up against Bradley because the challenger’s attacking style fits PacMan’s aggressiveness in the ring.
Roach, who said Pacquiao is now sparring 10 rounds against three different sparmates, is peaking at the right time.
“Manny is looking great. He’s right where I want him to be at this stage of his training camp,” Roach said by phone from Wild Card Gym in West Hollywood, California.
