What would a Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao training camp be without a few bons mots from World-Famous Freddie Roach, the seven-time BWAA Trainer of the Year?
Upon hearing the news that Pacquiao’s opponent Adrien “The Problem” Broner had been arrested on Sunday in Broward County, Florida, on a bench warrant for failure to appear in court, a seemingly chronic issue for the four-division world champion, Roach had this to say:
“Sounds like Adrien should change his ring name from ‘The Problem’ to ‘The Fugitive.’ This may be the first time I face a corner that includes a bail bondsman!”
Hailed as a national treasure by his fellow Filipinos, boxer laureate Pacquiao (60-7-2, 39 KOs), boxing’s only eight-division world champion, a member of the Philippines Senate, and the BWAA’s reigning Fighter of the Decade, is in his most intense phase of training as he prepares for his WBA welterweight world title defense against Broner (33-3-1, 24 KOs), of Cincinnati. Pacquiao vs. Broner takes place on Saturday, January 19, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. It will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV® and presented by Premier Boxing Champions beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.
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SHOWTIME Sports will chronicle the buildup to the welterweight world championship between Senator Manny Pacquiao and must-see attraction Adrien Broner with a new installment of the Emmy Award-winning series ALLACCESS. The multi-part series premieres Friday, January 4 at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME and airs on consecutive Fridays leading into the January 19 SHOWTIME PPV® from MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
ALL ACCESS: PACQUIAO VS. BRONER will peel back the curtain as Pacquiao transitions from the final days of Senate in his native Philippines to training camp in Los Angeles for his first fight in America in more than two years. The immersive series will document Broner, one of boxing’s most colorful personalities, as the four-division champion prepares for a chance to become a two-time titlist in boxing’s glamour division.
Episode two of ALL ACCESS: PACQUIAO VS. BRONER will premiere Friday, January 11 at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT. ALL ACCESS EPILOGUE, which spotlights the immediate buildup to fight night and the solemn aftermath of world championship prizefighting, will premiere on Saturday, January 26.
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The U.S. government may be shut down but for SENATOR MANNY “Pacman” PACQUIAO, boxing’s Commander in Chief, it has been full steam ahead, in his first U.S. training camp since 2016, at world-famous Freddie Roach’s Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, Calif.
“Training camp has been no day at Palm Beach for Manny or his sparring partners,” said Roach. “You can tell that the word is leaking out on how strong Manny is looking in camp by the reaction on Wall Street yesterday. Even the market is bullish on Manny. I rate Manny as a strong buy at the MGM Grand’s Race & Sports book.”
Boxer laureate Manny Pacquiao is back! Hailed as a national treasure by his fellow Filipinos, Pacquiao (60-7-2, 39 KOs), boxing’s only eight-division world champion and the BWAA’s reigning Fighter of the Decade, is in his most intense phase of training as he prepares for his WBA welterweight world title defense against four-division world champion Adrien “The Problem” Broner (33-3-1, 24 KOs), of Cincinnati. Pacquiao vs. Broner takes place on Saturday, January 19, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. It will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV® and presented by Premier Boxing Champions beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.
After arriving to a throng of media at LAX’s Tom Bradley International Terminal Saturday evening and attending church services with his family on Sunday, it was back to business on Monday morning where Manny greeted the sunrise with a five-mile run up the hills to the Hollywood sign immediately followed by a rigorous session of strength and conditioning with Justin Fortune. The afternoon saw Buboy Fernandez put Manny through his paces for close to three hours at Wild Card.
On Christmas, after another long run and strength and conditioning in the morning, Manny sparred eight rounds with three different partners, followed by another hour of mitt work with Roach before he tore into the heavy bag. Following his Wednesday run, Manny was greeted by a representative from VADA for a random drug test. After his blood was taken, Manny cheerily predicted he would test positive for excellence. Fernandez, sensing that jetlag was finally settling in, gave Manny the afternoon off to rest.
Today, Manny is scheduled for a full day of training, including eight to ten rounds of sparring, plus more interviews with media.
A three-time Fighter of the Year, Pacquiao, who hails from Sarangani Province in the Philippines, is the only sitting Congressman and Senator to win a world title. After serving two terms as Congressman, Pacquiao was elected to a Philippine Senate seat in May 2016, capturing over 16 million votes nationally. Pacquiao’s boxing resume features victories over at least seven current and future Hall of Famers, including Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Miguel Cotto, Shane Mosley, and Juan Manuel Marquez. In his last fight, with Philippine President Rodrigo R. Duterte and Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad in attendance (the first time two heads of state attended a championship boxing event), Pacquaio regained the welterweight title for a fourth time with a vintage performance on July 15 at Axiata Arena in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia, by knocking out defending WBA champion Lucas Matthyssee in the seventh round.
Promoted by MP Promotions, Mayweather Promotions and TGB Promotions in association with About Billions Promotions, remaining tickets to the Pacquiao vs. Broner welterweight world championship event are priced from at $100, not including applicable service charges, and can be purchased online through AXS.com, charge by phone at 866-740-7711 or in person at any MGM Resorts International box office.