Could “Pacman Fever” finally be coming to an end?
Ahead of the highly-anticipated showdown between Manny Pacquiao and Errol Spence Jr. later this month in Las Vegas, Nevada, there is talk of the former hanging up his gloves once the bell rings for the final time on July 20.
Pacquiao, 42, arrived at the world-famous Freddie Roach-led Wild Card Boxing Gym in Hollywood, California after departing from his home in the Philippines and according to his longtime trainer, he arrived in shape.
Roach was reportedly impressed after “Pacman” began his first training day for his Spence Jr. camp by taking part in a five-mile run and doing 1,000 sit-ups, before a second session at the gym later that same afternoon, which included a near-three-hour workout, with nine full rounds on the mitts.
“If this is how Manny hits with jet-lag, I may need to get new gloves with thicker padding for our next sessions,” said the legendary Roach of Pacquiao in a new Yahoo! Sports interview. “He was incredibly sharp for his first day. He hit hard with good power. After all these years, I’m still amazed at the great condition he’s in when he comes to training camp. After traveling around the world yesterday, he put in a full day here – mitts, speed bag, shadow boxing – the works.”
He added, “The best part was at the end when he lifted his shirt to show me his six pack and said, ‘Freddie, I’m still here.’”
The oldest man in history to win a welterweight title and the first to be recognized as a four-time welterweight champion with his victory over Keith Thurman back in July of 2019, Pacquiao (62-7-2, 39 KOs) knows full well that in Spence Jr. (27-0, 21 KOs), he has an even bigger test standing in front of him, which is why odds for the fight currently have Spence Jr. sitting as more than two-to-one betting favorite over Pacquiao.
“Errol Spence is a very difficult fight for me, perhaps the most difficult of my career,” Pacquiao said of the challenge waiting for him on 7/20. “But I have been an underdog my whole life. I am used to that. It is why I work so hard. But the love and the prayers of my fellow Philippine citizens and Filipinos around the world sustain and inspire me. I fight for the glory of my nation and for underdogs everywhere.”
If “Pacman” Pacqiao does, in fact, get past Errol Spence, 31, in July, it could be the final time we see the legendary all-time great fighter inside the ring.
Boxing analyst Fernando Barbosa took to social media on Tuesday to share whispers he has caught wind of, which insist that Pacquiao could be retiring after the Spence Jr. fight in July.
“Being told that Pacquiao Vs. Spence Jr. could potentially be Pacquiao’s last fight before retirement,” wrote the longtime boxing personality in a tweet shared via his official Twitter feed on Tuesday afternoon (see below).
Who do YOU think is going to win when Manny Pacquiao and Errol Spence Jr. meet in the ring on July 20? Do you think Pacman retires win or lose after the fight? Sound off in our Comments section below, or via Twitter @WrestlingEdge with your thoughts.
Being told that Pacquiao Vs. Spence Jr. could potentially be Pacquiao's last fight before retirement #Boxing #ESPNKnockOut
— @BarbosaBox (@BarbosaBox) July 6, 2021
