NEW YORK CITY—On the eve of their official face off, Manny Pacquiao
and Adrien Broner finally came face-to-face Sunday during a photo and
film shoot that saw both fighters acting as though they were old pals
and not guys who have been tasked to render each other hurt and pain.
Pacquiao and Broner burst into laughter a few times as they were told
to see engage in a staredown before the cameras with materials to be
used to promote their World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight
title fight scheduled January 19 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
The film crew even came out with an advisory, asking everyone not to
post moving videos and still photos of the encounter at a studio in
neighboring Long Island as doing so would pre-empt the release of the
official teaser.
Pacquiao, who turns 40 on Dec. 17, appeared the fighter who looked in
finer form clad only in trunks while Broner, 29, looked bigger but
flabbier.
Those in attendance also could not help but crack up as Broner was
asked to put his face just a few inches from that of the Filipino
legend.
“It’s like in the movies when you’re about to kiss someone,” said
Broner, a four-division champion.
Pacquiao and Broner backed away several times from each other as they
tried their best not to laugh.
But the mood kind of hardened towards the end of the session and there
were no longer teasing and laughing but only cold looks and meaningful
stares given to each other by Pacquiao and Broner.
However, the trainers of the two fighters were not totally amused by
the seemingly cordial treatment shown.
“Broners going down once Manny hits him,” Pacquiao’s lead trainer
Buboy Fernandez whispered while watching the proceedings a few feet
away.
Steve Cunningham insists that his fighter “is a lot stronger and a lot
better boxer than what most people think.”
“AB (Adrien Broner) comes to fight and he’s waited for this big
opportunity, a super fight his whole career,” added Cunningham, who
will bring Broner to West Palm Beach in Florida for training camp
immediately after the two-city promotional tour.
The comic ambience at the studio is likely to be far more different
that their first encounter when they come face-to-face again Monday
when a formal press conference takes place at the Gotham Hall.
Broner, who is as flashy and flamboyant as Floyd Mayweather, will be
Pacquiao’s first title defense foe following his winning of the WBA
147-lb crown from Lucas Matthysse of Argentina via seventh-round
knockout last July in Malaysia.
From here, Pacquiao will take a private plane to Los Angeles Monday
afternoon for another media gig on Tuesday while Pacquiao’s support
staff will take a commercial flight.
On Wednesday, Pacquiao will head to the Philippines to start his own
training camp. (Nick Giongco)
