LOS ANGELES (March 8, 2014) — Fighter of the Decade MANNY “Pacman” PACQUIAO and his Hall of Fame Trainer World-Famous FREDDIE ROACH broke camp today in General Santos City in the Philippines and are en route to the U.S. On Monday, at Roach’s Hollywood-based Wild Card Boxing Club, they will begin phase two of training for their mission to recapture the World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight championship title that undefeated two-division defending champion TIMOTHY “Desert Storm” BRADLEY, JR. won off of Pacquiao via a controversial split decision in 2012.
Team Pacquiao is scheduled to land at Los Angeles International Airport’s Tom Bradley International Terminal today at 6:15 p.m. PT via Philippine Airlines Flight 102. This link will give you updated arrival information. http://www1.philippineairlines.com/index.php/flights/actual-flight-status/
“We had a great camp in the Philippines and Manny, as usual, is way ahead of schedule in his conditioning , and very motivated,” said Roach. “The real business begins for us on Monday at Wild Card. We have great sparring waiting for Manny. He wants that title back. If Bradley thinks he’s going to see the same compassionate Manny he saw the first time they fought he is in for a very big surprise.”
Pound for pound titans Pacquiao (55-5-2, 38 KOs), the lone congressional representative from the Sarangani Province in the Philippines, and defending world champion Bradley (31-0, 12 KOs), of Palm Springs, Calif., will go mano a mano in their eagerly-anticipated WBO welterweight championship rematch on Saturday, April 12 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. It will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View®, beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. This will also be Pacquiao’s first fight in the U.S. since 2012.
When Pacquiao and Bradley rumbled the first time, on June 9, 2012 at MGM Grand, Bradley’s hand was raised via a controversial split decision, ending Pacquiao’s welterweight title reign as well as his seven-year, 15-bout winning streak. Though both fighters claimed victory neither was satisfied. Destiny may have played a hand in their first battle but it will be survival of the fittest that determines the winner of this exciting rematch.
