MANILA, Philippines — As Manny Pacquiao steps up his high-altitude training in Baguio City, Tim Bradley’s own buildup is starting to heat up in the desert city of Indio, California.
“Bradley is training like an animal,” reported Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum Friday from Los Angeles, 127 miles (204 kilometers) from Indio.
Last Thursday, Pacquiao started a crucial phase of his preparation by sparring with the rugged slugger Ruslan Provodnikov, who looked like a Russian bear tangling with a gray wolf (Pacquiao).
At the end of the four-round session, the bear sustained a welt underneath his right eye, while the wily wolf emerged almost unscathed and grinning from ear to ear.
“He (Pacquiao) is very fast,” said Provodnikov, handpicked by trainer Freddie Roach owing to his size and all-out fighting style.
Bradley is a 3-1 underdog in his quest to topple the Filipino pound-for-pound king from his lofty perch on June 9 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
But the unbeaten 28-year-old Bradley is unfazed, saying he has what it takes to shock the world.
Pacquiao and Bradley almost began their preparation at the same time and have vowed to put on sensational showings come fight night.
While Bradley is remaining in Indio until a week before the fight, Pacquiao is uprooting his training camp this coming week and setting shop at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Los Angeles beginning May 7.
A fresher batch of sparring partners are keenly awaiting for his arrival, said Roach, who has been very satisfied with the first week of training in Baguio and the outcome of the sparring session.
source: mb.com.ph
