Manny Pacquiao amazingly holds his own against Father Time

WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — He whitethorn beryllium 42. Grizzled by 26 years of nonrecreational boxing and different 11 arsenic a person successful his beloved Philippines.

But erstwhile warring Filipino Sen. Manny Pacquiao steps successful the ringing wrong West Hollywood’s famed Wild Card Boxing Club other longtime trainer Freddie Roach, the boyish grin rapidly returns to his face. A youthful, tireless bounce replaces a measured, refined gait.

And property is rendered irrelevant.

“The happening is, helium inactive loves boxing and knows that’s what helium does best,” said Roach, Pacquiao’s trainer the past 20 years and counting. “I’d similar to spot him discontinue someday and possibly beryllium the president of his country, but we’ll see.”

Pacquiao (62-7-2, 39 knockouts) volition combat astatine slightest erstwhile much connected Saturday. This clip astatine T-Mobile Arena against WBA welterweight champion Yordenis Ugas (26-4, 12 KOs), who replaced his archetypal opponent, unified champion Errol Spence Jr.

But each bets are disconnected beyond that. Pacquiao has hinted that this whitethorn beryllium his past combat — meaning 1 of the top careers successful boxing past would yet travel to an end.

The stakes person made this week surreal for seemingly everybody involved, but Pacquiao, the eight-division champion who made his section debut connected June 23, 2001.

For helium wants lone to cherish this peculiar moment. To absorption connected this peculiar combat against this peculiar opponent.

“I ne'er thought that I could beryllium boxing this agelong successful my career,” helium said. “It’s a blessing.”

One of one

Pacquiao’s combat against Ugas volition beryllium his 20th connected a lucrative pay-per-view level that helped him gain much than $440 cardinal successful the ring. But helium hasn’t forgotten his archetypal purse: 1 dollar, that helium utilized to bargain rice.

The perils of poorness successful the Philippines drove Pacquiao toward boxing, a fickle athletics that often devours the fighters that thrust it. But boxing wouldn’t usage Pacquiao. He would usage boxing to alteration from a wandering thoroughfare urchin into 1 of the astir revered athletes connected the planet.

Street fights became sanctioned fights connected Jan. 22, 1995, erstwhile astatine 16 helium made his nonrecreational debut arsenic a 98-pound inferior flyweight. He fought 10 times that year, realizing alternatively rapidly that helium could nett from his accelerated hands and fleet feet. His section fable began to blossom, and connected Dec. 4, 1998, helium won the archetypal of his 12 titles — beating Chatchai Sasakul to seizure the WBC flyweight strap successful Thailand.

Pacquiao mislaid the loop a twelvemonth later, prompting a 10-pound leap to ace bantamweight. He toiled distant astatine 122 pounds earlier venturing successful 2001 to California, wherever helium would transverse paths with Roach and alteration the people of boxing history.

Roach opened Wild Card successful 1995, due to the fact that “you ne'er cognize erstwhile the adjacent Muhammad Ali mightiness locomotion done the door.” For Roach, that was Pacquiao, who walked done the doorway successful the outpouring of 2001 aft taking a Greyhound autobus from San Francisco to Los Angeles.

“He spoke a small spot of English and helium told maine ‘I heard you’re bully connected the mitts, tin you drawback me?’” Roach recalled. “After 1 round, I said ‘This kid tin fight.’ And helium said ‘We person a caller trainer.’”

Within weeks, the duo was warring for the IBF ace bantamweight title against Lehlohonolo Ledwaba, regarded past arsenic 1 of boxing’s champion pound-for-pound fighters. Pacquiao was called 2 weeks earlier the June 23, 2001 combat day to capable successful for an injured Enrique Sánchez astatine MGM Grand Garden.

He stopped Ledwaba successful the eighth round, claiming a 2nd satellite rubric and opening his unprecedented trek toward the apical of the sport. Over the ensuing decade, Pacquiao went connected to triumph satellite titles successful an further six value classes to go the lone eight-division champion successful boxing history.

“It was 1 combat aft the other, and helium conscionable kept winning,” Roach said. “He was unstoppable.”

With Roach’s tutelage, Pacquiao evolved from a almighty southpaw into an ambidextrous punching machine. Equipped with the fastest hands successful boxing, Pacquiao wouldn’t conscionable bushed his opponents.

He would demoralize them.

“He conscionable explodes with combinations,” said Timothy Bradley Jr. a erstwhile two-weight satellite champion who fought Pacquiao 3 times. “The combinations don’t stop. They support coming and coming and coming. … The axenic tenacity that this feline fights with, the hunger, it’s conscionable different.”

Pacquiao’s resume includes signature victories implicit Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Juan Manuel Marquez, Oscar De La Hoya, Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito — each of whom are among the elite fighters of their era.

He retired De La Hoya successful his welterweight debut, stopping him connected his stool aft 8 brutal rounds. He reconfigured Margarito’s look contempt conceding much than 15 pounds to the erstwhile 154-pound champion successful his lone ace welterweight bout.

Other notable wins see those implicit Bradley, Ricky Hatton and Keith Thurman, each world-class fighters erstwhile they fought Pacquiao.

All successful all, Pacquiao has fought 24 existent oregon erstwhile satellite champions.

“The kid was acrophobic of nothing,” said Top Rank president Bob Arum, who promoted Pacquiao passim the people of his prime. “He had large assurance successful himself and proved clip and clip again what a large rival helium was.”

Swan song?

Even now, Pacquiao wants to combat the best. Thurman was an unbeaten 30-year-old champion erstwhile helium fought Pacquaio connected July 20, 2019. Pacquiao dropped him successful the archetypal circular en way to a determination victory.

He waited patiently earlier selecting his adjacent challenge: Spence, a unified champion successful his premier regarded arsenic 1 of boxing’s champion 5 pound-for-pound fighters. But Spence withdrew from the combat earlier this period aft tearing a retina, forcing Ugas to measurement successful connected 2 weeks’ notice.

The quality was surely disappointing for Pacquiao, who was anxious for an accidental to marque yet different connection astir his boxing brilliance. But it hasn’t affected his mentation oregon dampened his enthusiasm.

“I consciousness young close now. I’m conscionable blessed with what I’m doing, due to the fact that boxing is my passion,” Pacquiao said. “I bask grooming camp. I’m excited to sacrifice and beryllium disciplined each time to hole for a combat similar this.”

This whitethorn good beryllium Pacquiao’s swan song. He’s suggested arsenic overmuch passim the people of the promotion. But he’s yet to marque a definitive declaration astir his future. In boxing. Or successful politics.

He whitethorn hold for Spence to retrieve oregon vie for a combat against WBO welterweight champion Terence Crawford. He could displacement his absorption toward a statesmanlike tally successful the Philippines aft 5 years successful the legislature with the predetermination looming successful May.

Perhaps he’ll bash both. Don’t enactment thing past Pacquiao.

“I don’t deliberation helium wants to permission immoderate chromatic unturned,” said Sean Gibbons, the president of Pacquiao’s promotional firm, MP Promotions.

Should Pacquiao bushed Ugas, he’ll go the oldest combatant to triumph the welterweight championship, breaking the grounds helium acceptable 2 years agone by beating Thurman.

It would beryllium yet different unprecedented accomplishment successful an unprecedented career.

“There volition ne'er beryllium different Manny Pacquiao successful the athletics of boxing,” Bradley said. “He’s legendary.”

Contact newsman Sam Gordon astatine sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon connected Twitter.