by Nick Giongco
Buboy Fernandez’s left hand twitched uncontrollably just seconds after an intense workout with the mitts with Manny Pacquiao.
“‘Yan ba ang sinasabi nila na 40 years old?,” said Fernandez, brushing off claims that his childhood friend is getting old.
Beads of sweat rolling down his face, Fernandez insists Pacquiao, while already 40, is not about to go the way of the dinosaurs.
“Nandyan pa rin,” said Fernandez, who has been presiding over Pacquiao’s training in Manila as they all get ready to fly to the US this Saturday, five weeks removed from the July 20 collision course with Keith Thurman in Las Vegas.
The twitching movement, scary and seemingly not going to stop, slowed down in time for the next round of intense and heavy pounding as Pacquiao attacked the miniature leather pads as if it bore the face of the loudmouthed Thurman, who dissed him incessantly when they went on a two-city, coast-to-coast promotional tour.
Pacquiao is fighting for the first time in six months following his emphatic victory over Adrien Broner at the MGM Grand, where he and Thurman are going to unify the World Boxing Association welterweight titles.
Thurman, undefeated and brash, has predicted Pacquiao’s fall by way of a crucifixion, an obvious dig at Pacquiao’s Gospel-preaching ways.
Pacquiao had been cool, calm and collected but the Filipino eight-division champion could not help but express his desire to silence the 30-year-old Florida puncher.
