Manny Pacquiao is getting in condition for his highly awaited championship bout against Errol Spence Jr.
Pacquiao is yet to formally start his training camp a week after declaring his comeback to the ring on social media. However, the world’s only eight-division champion has informed his supporters that he has already begun performing light training on his own.
Pacquiao was spotted racing through the streets during a recent live video on his official YouTube account. Pacquiao often attracts a crowd during his training sessions, but the Filipino boxing great, who was running while wearing a face mask, managed to avoid admirers for a few minutes.
Pacquiao is likely to be coached for the Spence bout by his longtime coach, Freddie Roach.
Prior to his student’s boxing return, Roach made a surprising statement in which he dared other top welterweights to “line up” and following confront Pacquiao vs Spence Live Stream.
“If [Manny] is going to continue in boxing, I want him to fight the greatest people he can,” Roach previously told Boxing Scene. “We’re not looking for stiffs, easy bouts, or anything like that. We’ll fight everyone out there. If Floyd [Mayweather] does not show up, Errol Spence, and everyone else will. Line them up.”
However, it looks like Pacquiao will not return to the ring after August, since he recently told The Athletic that Spence “could be” his last fight.
Despite the 11-year age gap, Pacquiao is sure that he is “faster and stronger” than Spence.
Spence, on the other side, is undefeated and has the WBC and IBF welterweight crowns. Long before he and Pacquiao agreed to a superfight, “The Truth” expressed a desire to share the ring with the famous “Pac-Man.”
According to Spence’s trainer, Derrick James, a bout against Pacquiao would be “wonderful” for the American’s career since not many fighters can sustain their standing like the 42-year-old.
“I believe I’m excited,” James told Dallas News. “This is a battle that will live on in Errol’s memory. This is fantastic news for his career. As a Dallas native, we don’t recall [Hall of Famer] Curtis Cokes, but this is a major fight for a local fighter.”
“Few boxers have fought at the [high] level of competition like Pacquiao,” he said. “Pac is like [Bernard Hopkins], a 50-year-old defeating 20-year-olds. You can’t take him softly. You need to concentrate.”