Heading into the final four weeks of training, Manny Pacquiao and Freddie Roach have both agreed to cut down on media requests for on-site coverage after weeks and weeks of nonstop interviews. Fred Sternburg, who handles the publicity for Pacquiao and Roach, said the only time the media would get the chance to see the Filipino star train will be on April 15 during an open workout.
Other than that, the media will now be barred from entering the first floor extension of the Wild Card Boxing Club.
“The gym will be shut down,” said Sternburg, who is one of only a handful of individuals allowed to stay in the entirety of Pacquiao’s daily workouts.
“Since the red carpet (March 11 press conference at the Nokia Theatre) until now, we’ve done so much press—triple any other fight—he’s a little tired of it,” Roach told Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times.
“I told him I’ll pick up the slack if needed. I can be tired. He can’t.”
Even Pacquiao realizes that he has to pick up the notch with four weeks to go before he clashes with Floyd Mayweather at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
“I have to concentrate in the final four weeks of training. All I have to think about now is boxing. Nothing else,” said the 36-year-old Pacquiao, always accommodating to interviews.
But Pacquiao is asking that he be given a break this time as he gets himself prime and ready for the biggest fight of his life.
Meanwhile, over at Mayweather’s camp in Las Vegas, everything seems to be running smoothly with the undefeated US fighter showing up for roadwork even at an ungodly hour of 2 in the morning.
Mayweather publicist Kelly Swanson says his client’s training time is not set in stone. “He has various training times sometimes late at night,” said Swanson. Mayweather’s own media day is on April 14.