Away from the chaotic streets of Hollywood, 100 miles from the frenetic scene of Los Angeles, Tim Bradley is neck-deep in training in the deserts of Palm Springs for his third meeting with Manny Pacquiao on April 9 in Las Vegas.
While Bradley has entered the most crucial stage of the preparation, racking up a great deal of sparring rounds, his articulate cornerman Teddy Atlas is not overdoing it.
“The human body is a very special machine,” Atlas told The Desert Sun, Bradley’s hometown paper. “And like any special machine, it has to be maintained properly. Too much of anything can be negative.”
Bradley, 32, a five-time world champion and the clear underdog in the scheduled 12-rounder at the MGM Grand, heavily agrees with his trainer.
After sustaining leg and ankle injuries in both fights with Pacquiao in 2012 and 2014, Bradley believes a repeat of those unfortunate incidents will not only be costly but probably devastating.
“We don’t run on off days anymore, we don’t do any of that stuff. Everything now just feels like it’s all down to science the way Teddy’s got this thing orchestrated.”
“We’re not making mistakes this time around. No overtraining,” he added.
Over at Pacquiao’s training camp at the Wild Card Boxing Club, all is well and his own buildup is right on target after another round of sparring sessions yesterday.
Pacquiao, 37, is in high spirits with the arrival over the weekend from Manila of his wife Jinkee and kids, including one-year old Israel.