Feels like it just happened yesterday.
“Now and then, I miss you” is a line from The Beatles’ latest hit, "Now and Then," which used advanced computer technology, mainly to restore the vocals of the late great John Lennon.
It’s the perfect song to describe what Hall of Fame boxing coach Freddie Roach must be feeling when he posted an old video of his longtime fighter and friend Manny Pacquiao training at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles, California. The clip also featured another one of Roach’s prized pupils in Ruslan Provodnikov, who was sweating it out beside the Filipino boxing icon.
The two sluggers were working the jump rope, rhythmically bouncing up and down as Shakira’s hit song "Objection (Tango)" was blasting from the speakers. Yep, this went from The Beatles to Shakira real quick.
Coach Freddie’s throwback post reminded us of three historical facts about Pacquiao.
First, the eight-division world champion and the Russian brawler started training together in 2012. Roach handpicked Provodnikov to spar with Manny in preparation for the latter’s first showdown with then-undefeated American Timothy Bradley. A couple of years later, a potential fight between the stablemates went abuzz, but ultimately, nothing materialized.
Second, 2012 turned out to be bad year for Pacman. For one, he lost via controversial decision to Bradley in June. Then he got brutally knocked out by Juan Manuel Marquez in December.
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Lastly, it reminded us of a home video turned meme, where the Pacquiao family was dancing to Shakira’s "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" and toward the end, Manny entered the frame and mistimed the last line of the chorus.
Fast forward to today, rumors are swirling that a fight between Pacquiao and former British champion Amir Khan is in the works.
(PM)