Philippine Showbiz Today
January 8 - 21, 2019
23
Countdown on for Pacquiao-Broner fight
By Rey Fortaleza
It’s just days before Man-
ny Pacquiao takes on American
boxer Adrien Broner.
The two sluggers will get on
the ring on January 19 at the
MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las
Vegas.
ABS-CBN is reporting that
Pacquiao’s full attention is on
Broner, even as talk of a remat-
ch against Floyd Mayweather Jr.
continues to swirl.
Pacquiao lost to Mayweather
in their lucrative showdown in May
2015, the network recalled.
Pacquiao will defend WBA
welterweight
championship
against Broner in Pacquaiao’s first
fight in the U.S. since 2016.
“I’m not thinking about that,”
said the 40-year-old Pacquiao, as
quoted by Boxing Scene, in the
ABS-CBN report, when asked
about a Mayweather rematch.
“My focus is Adrien Broner,”
he stressed in the ABS-CBN re-
port. “It’s all about that. Maybe we
can discuss (Mayweather) after
this fight.”
Pacquiao has been training
at the Wild Card Gym in Los An-
geles, where he has reunited with
Freddie Roach to prepare for Bro-
ner.
Broner, himself a former wel-
terweight champion, has had a
rocky road to the bout so far, ac-
cording to ABS-CBN.
The 29-year-old Broner was
arrested two days before Christ-
mas, stemming from a driving
violation. He was subsequently
released.
However, according to ABS-
CBN, Broner is still facing char-
ges of sexual assault in Cleveland
from an incident that occurred on
June 2018, and another sexual
assault charge in Atlanta for a se-
parate February 2018 incident.
Meanwhile, the Philippine
Star is reporting that Broner has
one strategy in mind: Timing.
Knowing full well about
Pacquiao’s speed advantage, the
Manila paper noted that Broner
plans to focus on the quality ra-
ther than the quantity of his pun-
ches.
“I think the most important
part of fighting Manny Pacquiao
is throwing the right punch at the
right time,” Broner told FightHy-
pe, according to the Philippine
Star.
He hopes to deliver a devas-
tating blow when he locks hor-
ns with Pacquiao on January 19
(January 20th Manila time).●
Pacquiao tapers off training program, while Broner
attends hearings on cases filed against him
While
World
Boxing
Association
welterweight
champion Manny Pacquiao is set
to start easing his load in training
on Monday (Tuesday Manila time),
for his title fight with Adrien Broner
later this month, his challenger
could be busy attending court
hearings on separate allegations
of sexual misconduct.
Pacquiao, who was declared
by his handlers as ready to fight
late last week, or two weeks
ahead of the fight on January19
(January 20 Manila time) has
actually started tapering off on
Saturday’s training session at the
Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles in
preparation for a less tedious part
of his preparedness program this
coming days.
That day, the fighting
Philippine legislator, sparred
for only four rounds, each with
Greek-Australian
lightweight
George Kambosos Jr. and Arnold
Gonzales, two rounds less than
the 10 round frequency he did
last week.
Even his four-round session
with the mitts with training
consultant Freddie Roach was
considerably lighter than the
eight to 12-round load daily since
arriving in L.A. two weeks ago.
“The tough and rough days
that marked Manny’s preparations
since we pitched camp in Manila
and General Santos City are finally
over,” l trainer Buboy Fernandez
said in an overseas call from Los
Angeles after completing the
day’s work on Saturday.
“Starting Monday, medyo
makapagpa-pahinga na siya and
we, too, in the training team, can
finally take rest and focus our
attention finalizing our game plan
as to how to make Manny win the
fight not only for himself, but for
the country as well, especially,”
Buboy said.
“Pati kayo matitigil na nang
katatawag dito sa amin. Araw-araw
na lang wala kaming ginawa kundi
magsasagot sa tawag nyo,” he
said in jest. “Bakit kasi hindi ka na
lang pumunta dito. Yung ibinibili
mo ng load sa telepono, ibili mo
na lang tiket sa eroplano.”
Buboy said he and his team,
including conditioning coach
Justin Fortune, Nonoy Neri,
Roger “Haplas” Fernandez and
consultant Freddie Roach have
already put the strategies and
game plan in place just waiting
finalization.
“Everything is okay na,
kasama pa si Manny sa pag-
plano. Konting dagdag na lang
dito, bawas doon, at siyempre ang
implementation,” he disclosed.
“All physical week before we leave
for Vegas on fight week.”
Pacquiao and his team and
guests leave for Las Vegas on
Saturday via the usual motorcade
on Saturday.
meanwhile,
as
Broner,
reported by Philboxing.com, was
arrested back in February in Atlanta
for allegedly sexually assaulting a
woman at a local shopping mall.
Cops say he groped her against
her will.
Continued on PAGE 26
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