Pacquiao astounded by Bradley’s no-bath ritual

MANILA, Philippines – News of Timothy Bradley’s strange pre-fight ritual reached Manny Pacquiao’s training camp in General Santos City.

Pacquiao, upon knowing that Bradley skips the showers one week prior to a fight, couldn’t help but express shock.

“Grabe naman ‘yun. Sobra. [That’s too much],” the Filipino boxing icon said in a report by ABS-CBN Gensan.

Bradley, who faces Pacquiao in a rematch on April 12, recently disclosed in a separate ABS-CBN interview his odd pre-fight practice, something he believes is partly responsible for keeping him unbeaten in 31 fights.

“My superstitions, honestly, what I do is, the whole week of the fight, I don’t take a shower,” he revealed. “I don’t know why that’s one thing that I don’t do. I don’t care. I’m not ashamed of me. That week, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, I don’t take a shower.”

Pacquiao, for his part, was asked to further comment on Bradley’s no-shower rite. The fighting congressman declined, instead insisting on maintaining proper hygiene.

“No comment ako dyan... kailangan maligo para hindi ka mabaho [you need to take a bath so you won't stink],” he said.

While Pacquiao didn’t delve deeper into the issue, the same wasn’t the case for his best buddy and assistant trainer Buboy Fernandez.

The stocky Fernandez, one of the most visible members of the Pacquiao camp, promised that his pal will give Bradley a different type of shower on fight day.

“Mas maganda ‘yun na hindi siya maligo, para pagdating sa laban, paliguan natin siya ng suntok para babango siya [It’s better for him not take a shower because we’ll shower him with punches during the fight],” boasted Fernandez.

Pacquiao will challenge Bradley for the WBO welterweight title at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.