'Light' workouts to mark fight week for Pacquiao

LOS ANGELES – Manny Pacquiao will spend the rest of fight week in Las Vegas with just short runs in the morning and light workouts in the afternoon.

Justin Fortune, Pacquiao’s Australian strength and conditioning coach, stressed that the hard work is done, even if the Filipino icon happens to always push himself further in training.

Team Pacquiao will break camp on Monday (Tuesday Manila time), leaving Los Angeles for a six-hour drive to Sin City for the January 19 clash with Adrien Broner at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas (January 20 in Manila)

Pacquiao is scheduled to have a light workout before motoring to Vegas with his usual multiple-vehicle convoy.

He will run in his first two mornings in Vegas, and again hold light workouts in the afternoon.

“Then it’s rest, rest, rest, weigh in, fight,” said Fortune.

Fortune and the rest of Pacquiao’s training team had to remind Pacquiao to take it easy the past few days at the Wild Card Gym here. Pacquiao, for instance, would often either ask for extra rounds on the mitts or continue skipping rope even beyond the buzzer. 

His training staff did their best in keeping the 40-year-old Pacquiao from burning out.

“We're right there. It’s such a fine line. It does not take much to cross. If you cross it, you're finished,” added Fortune, who recently had to call off a recent morning run to allow Pacquiao some added rest.

At 40, Pacquiao is no spring chicken. But based on what he showcased in front of his team during training, he is making 40 the new 20.

There is an 11-year age gap between Pacquiao and Broner, 29. Will it be a factor on fight night?

“Against Manny? Nah!” said Fortune. “Once Broner gets hit by Pacquiao, it changes everything.” 

“Manny just turned 40. It's not like he's 45. It's the same in the (Lucas) Matthysse fight. Same program, we stuck to it, and we're getting the same result.”