By Al S. Mendoza

 

MANNY Pacquiao is now in America preparing for his August 22 (PHL time) fight.

He has been reunited with Freddie Roach, his legendary American trainer for 20 years or so now, at the famed Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles, California.

Pacquiao is set to battle Errol Spence Jr., a tough New Yorker, who is unbeaten in 27 fights, with 21 knockouts.

Spence is supposed to be at the peak of his career, who is 11 years younger than the 42-year-old Pacquiao.

Whether he likes or not, Pacquiao is now having issues with Father Time.

As I keep saying, the knees go first ahead of the mind.  All athletes know that, boxers included.

The saying, “the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak,” is as true as sun rises in the east every morning.

Said in another way, “the mind is willing, but the body weak.”

There is a parallel saying to that:  “What the mind can conceive, the body can achieve.”

True, but this only applies to the young ones, never to the young once.

When the knees start to creak, no mind can stop the body from getting weak.

But Pacquiao’s fighting spirit still obviously appears amazing despite the years.  He is an engineering marvel through the grace of God. Lucky guy.

His welterweight clash against Spence is scheduled for 12 rounds at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, the world’s gambling capital also known as Sin City.

There is, however, one fight Pacquiao is now engaged in: his verbal battle with President Duterte.

Before he left for America this week, Pacquiao unleashed a barrage of shots against the President anchored on his allegation that the current administration is corrupt-ridden.

It was a stunning turn of events as Pacquiao himself is the acting president of the PDP-Laban, the political party chaired no less by Mr. Duterte.

It only fueled burgeoning speculations that Pacquiao is bent on running for President in the May 2022 elections.

But by attacking Mr. Duterte, isn’t Pacquiao guilty of starting on the wrong foot?

Only a while back, Mr. Duterte even said he was considering endorsing Pacquiao for President.

So why the sudden Pacquiao blast against Mr. Duterte?

Pacquiao did it because he had heard rumors the President has dropped plans to support the fighting senator’s presidential bid?

Before that, Pacquiao took a public shaming from Mr. Duterte when the President sided with Alfonso Cusi in Cusi’s rift with Pacquiao.

After Pacquiao had questioned a party meeting in Cebu called by Cusi, the PDP-Laban’s vice chairman and the Energy Secretary, President Duterte absolved Cusi by saying he ordered Cusi to convene the convention.

That sparked Pacquiao to raise hell, becoming a virtual loose cannon by unloading a sweeping accusation of graft in several government agencies without presenting solid evidence.

It bothers me no end.

How the hell can Pacquiao focus on Spence?

What the f**k is he doing with his boxing career that is now sunset-bound?

Political ambition is simply consuming him, corroding his legend.

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