For Pacquiao the fight against Bradley comes first before Senate

LOS ANGELES — As he wrapped his hands to prepare for his sparring session at the Wild Card Boxing Club, Manny Pacquiao was deep in thought.

What was he thinking about? Was it the fact that something as simple as wrapping his hands, a procedure which he had done thousands of times, would only need to happen a precious few more times? Or that eight-mile run he made earlier in the day through Griffith Park, would be no more? Or those abdomen crunches he finishes each workout with would no longer be necessary?

“Yes, I do think about it,” he said about what his life will be like once he leaves the ring.

The 37-year-old eight-division world champion has one last score to settle before he devotes his full attention to his life after boxing when he attempts to win an election to a seat in the senate in his native Philippines next month. He and Timothy Bradley Jr. meet for the third time Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden on HBO Pay Per View, and for Pacquiao there’s a lot riding on the outcome of this rubber match.

“I believe it would bring some positive momentum to my campaign, so I need to win this fight,” he said.

It would also take some of the sting out of his most recent ring appearance May 2 when he entered the ring a one-armed fighter and got handled easily by Floyd Mayweather Jr. Pacquiao had a torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder, and the injury, which first manifested itself in 2008 when he moved up from lightweight to welterweight and beat Oscar De La Hoya, had worsened to the point where he couldn’t use his right hand after the fourth round.

But surgery and rehabilitation have the shoulder 100 percent. At least that’s what Pacquiao claims. And if that is indeed the case, it should put him in position to win a fight where he is a minus-250 betting favorite at the MGM Resorts sports books.

“I’m excited about this fight,” said Pacquiao (57-6-2, 38 knockouts). “I want to win for my country and my fans.”

Boxing has made Pacquiao richer than he could have ever imagined. It made him a national icon in his country along with being a worldwide sports figure. It gave him an identity he could not have imagined attaining when he was a boy hustling cigarettes on the streets of Manila trying to generate a few bucks for his impoverished family.

“It’s one of the greatest stories of all time,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum, who has been Pacquiao’s longtime promoter. “Think of where he came from; he was this little poor kid in the Philippines. Nobody knew whether he could fight. But he worked hard, he remained humble and loyal, and people loved him.”

Pacquiao turned professional in 1995 and already had a couple of losses when he came to the U.S. in 2001. Freddie Roach agreed to train him, and he essentially had a one-armed fighter back then, though not due to injury.

“He had a great left hook,” Roach recalled upon seeing Pacquiao the first time. “But he had a lot to learn about becoming a complete fighter.

“The thing was, Manny was willing to learn and he had a huge heart. He was a great listener. And once he started to listen and apply the things we worked on in the gym, he was on his way.”

He would start winning belts, beginning at super bantamweight in June 2001, eventually all the way up to junior middleweight when he destroyed Antonio Margarito in 2010. He had four epic fights with Juan Manuel Marquez, three great fights with Erik Morales and a pair of battles with Marco Antonio Barrera, along with his two fights with Bradley, the first of which Bradley won in a controversial split decision in 2012. Pacquiao won the rematch in 2014 by unanimous decision.

Then there were the one-time battles, fights against De La Hoya, Miguel Cotto, Ricky Hatton, Shane Mosley and, of course, Mayweather. Pacquiao won all of those fights except for the Mayweather bout, and it helped cement his legacy and confirm his Hall of Fame status.

“I think what I am most proud of is winning titles in eight divisions,” Pacquiao said. “That was hard, moving up in all those weight classes, especially when I fought Oscar De La Hoya and I went from 135 to welterweight.”

But Pacquiao hasn’t been perfect outside the ring. He has reportedly gambled away millions over the years. He allegedly was unfaithful to his wife Jinkee a few years ago. He caused controversy when he spoke out against homosexuality while on the campaign trail in February, though he said the interview he made with the Filipino television station was cut short and taken out of context.

“I am a sinner,” Pacquiao said. “But I always look to God for help. I know I have been blessed, and I try to be the best person I can be.”

Pacquiao may indeed leave the ring for good after Saturday’s fight with Bradley. But he knows how tough politics can be from his two terms as a congressman.

“It is a big responsibility,” Pacquiao said of being a senator. “But I want to help my people. That’s bigger than boxing.”

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter: @stevecarprj