In an effort to take his training to the next level, Manny Pacquiao is requesting some solitude. Starting tomorrow, Pacquiao's gym in L.A. will be locked down, closed off to reporters before, during, and after workout sessions. He'll be available to speak at his April 15 media day, but before then, good luck trying to find Pacquiao. Trainer Freddie Roach, reportedly unhappy with Pacquiao's sparring and how he's handled a calf injury, told the Los Angeles Times that the move is being made to protect, re-energize, and re-focus his fighter.
“Since the red carpet [March 11] until now, we’ve done so much press — triple any other fight — he’s a little tired of it,” said Roach. “I told him I’ll pick up the slack if needed. I can be tired. He can’t.”
“I’m not complaining about interviews," added Pacquiao, who's been having a good deal of fun with his interviews. "They help us promote the fight and help the people know what’s happening in the camps. This is just the first time I’m asking for time to focus. There’s something I need to achieve in this camp, especially mentally.”
The Los Angeles Times noted how chummy Pacquiao's been with the media, sharing this anecdote from yesterday's training session:
"Many times, Pacquiao can’t help himself from being so good-natured and accommodating. With Roach waiting to discuss something post-training Thursday, Pacquiao grabbed a friend’s iPhone and asked a reporter to watch Rihanna’s April Fool’s joke on late-night television host Jimmy Kimmel from the night before."
That reporter, Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times, shared that tidbit on Twitter too.
After that, @MannyPacquiao said he had to show me video of how funny @rihanna April Fool's joke on @jimmykimmel was. Got him good.
— Lance Pugmire (@latimespugmire) April 3, 2015And included a photo of Thursday's training session's biggest incident:
Pacquiao's dog Pac-Man made a mess upon his gym entrance. pic.twitter.com/QkJ0WCszt1
— Lance Pugmire (@latimespugmire) April 3, 2015That's a naughty Pac-Man.
Will Pacquiao be locking out his dog too? Probably not. He loves training with his dog. If anything, he needs Pac-Man to be at his top form too. As we saw above, the dog's clearly hydrated. Pacquiao's gotta keep up, bruh.
Send all complaints, compliments, and tips to sportstips@complex.com.
[via L.A. Times]
