- Title: Pacquiao finds fighting fairer than politics
- Date: 27th October 2016
- Summary: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (OCTOBER 26, 2016) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** MANNY PACQUIAO IN RING WITH TRAINER FREDDIE ROACH (SOUNDBITE) (English) MANNY PACQUIAO ON WHY HE'S FIGHTING AGAIN, SAYING: "I miss the crowds and also the fans. I want also want to be the only person to get another belt as a senator. That would be history." TRAINER FREDDIE ROACH SPEAKING WITH THE MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (English) FREDDIE ROACH ABOUT PACQUIAO BEING REENERGIZED ABOUT FIGHTING, SAYING: "I mean we are trying to bring that back. Yes, I did see a lot of that in the first two weeks of sparring. That was really, really good to see. I said Manny can you do that every day and he said yes. He did complain to me that he is not a machine. But I said I want you to be I told him." MANNY PACQUIAO IN RING WITH FREDDIE ROACH (SOUNDBITE) (English) MANNY PACQUIAO ON TRAINING SAYING: "In training I always push myself and nothing has changed since before. The Hatton fight was a good thing to happen to me because it was 140 pounds that is my natural weight. 140." PACQUIAO BEING INTERVIEWED PACQUIAO IN RING MANNY PACQUIAO IN RING WITH FREDDIE ROACH (SOUNDBITE) (English) MANNY PACQUIAO COMPARING BOXING TO POLITICS, SAYING: "It's different, politics...is different than boxing because boxing you will fight in the ring fairer. In politics you don't know the minds of other politicians and other people. That is politics." PACQUIAO TAKING OFF HIS GLOVES (SOUNDBITE) (English) MANNY PACQUIAO ON THE CURRENT PRESIDENTIAL RACE, SAYING: "Well I just heard about the developments and what's happening with both candidates. Uhm, I don't want to...(laughing)...I don't want to give a comment about politics here in the United States." MANNY PACQUIAO IN RING WITH FREDDIE ROACH
- Embargoed: 11th November 2016 03:20
- Keywords: Manny Pacquiao boxing welterweight World Boxing Organization WBO Jessie Vargas
- Location: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
- City: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Topics: Boxing,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA00155S3Y9R
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: At the famed Wild Card Boxing Club in Los Angeles on Wednesday (October 26), Manny Pacquiao showed skills both as fighter and as a growing politician. During the workout for his upcoming fight with World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight world champion Jessie Vargas (27-1, 10 KOs), Pacquiao seemed energized and happy.
"I miss the crowds and also the fans," said Pacquiao, on his decision to end his retirement after promising to retire after his last fight. "I also want to be the only person to get another belt as a senator. That would be history."
His longtime trainer Freddie Roach told Reuters that he never believed his fighter was really stepping away from the sport he loves, not yet anyway.
"I mean we are trying to bring that back," said Roach, on the form that Pacquiao showed in victories over the likes of Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto.
"Yes, I did see a lot of that in the first two weeks of sparring. That was really, really good to see. I said Manny can you do that every day and he said yes. He did complain to me that he is not a machine. But I said I want you to be I told him."
Boxing's only eight division world champion and the reigning Fighter of the Decade will be facing a talented and younger fighter in Vargas, who is the current World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight world champion.
Pacquiao (58-6-2, 38 KOs), who stepped away from boxing to run successfully for the senate in his home country of the Philippines, compared the two "combat" sports.
"It's different," explained Pacquiao. "Politics is different than boxing because boxing you will fight in the ring fairer. In politics, you don't know the minds of other politicians and other people. That is politics."
The legendary fighter also showed some slick moves in "slipping" questions concerning the current U.S. presidential race between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.
"Well, I just heard about the developments and what's happening with both candidates. Uhm, I don't want to," said Pacquiao before breaking into a chuckle, "I don't want to give a comment about politics here in the United States."
Instead he promises to make his statement in the ring when he faces Vargas on Saturday, November 5 in Las Vegas. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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