The reason he is enjoying his rigorous training could be attributed to the arrival of his whole family in Los Angeles to be with him while he is training for the most important and challenging fight of his pro career.
Pacquiao and wife Jinkee have five kids and they will all be cheering for him on fight night. For now’ Pacquiao will be enjoying their company in their $12 million mansion in Beverly Hills during training breaks.
“Now that we again together, praying together and going to church together, the more I will be focused on my training for the coming May 2 fight, our biggest fight,” he said.
“Now that all of us are here, lalo na akong mai-inspire sa ensayo (I will be more inspired). My family’s presence will motivate me further to winning that fight,” he added.
The other reason why he feels so motivated for his upcoming fight is new-found Christian faith where he serves as bible preacher.
Pacquiao has reportedly invited some of his pastor-friends to Los Angeles to do bible-sharing sessions in their chosen church in the neighborhood.
Members of the Pacquiao camp usually join bible sharing sessions on Sundays and during training breaks.
While Pacquiao’s longtime trainer Freddie Roach does not usually interfere with Pacquiao’s religious beliefs, he had cautioned the eight-division world champion about staying late at night when he is supposed to rest and sleep soundly after the day’s training activities.
During the build up for the Bradley rematch, Roach has voiced his opposition to the presence of Pacquiao’s pastor-friends who get in the way of Pacquiao’s resting time.
“I think the biggest problem right now is these pastors keep coming around at odd hours to have him (Pacquiao) pray, said Roach, who was then concerned about the distractions coming Pacquiao’s way in his rematch against Bradley. When he is sleeping, you have to leave him alone. I do,” Roach told Sports Illustrated last year.
But Roach seems to have learned to adjust with Pacquiao’s bible sharing sessions as Pacquiao’s pastor-friends have been made aware of their limitations by giving Pacquiao more time to rest.
With God and family as his motivator, Pacquiao believes he will be victorious against Mayweather on May 2.
“With God and my family behind me, my journey to victory is almost over. When God is with us, who can be against us?” he said.
Meanwhile, Pacquiao welcomed Tim Tebow—the former Jets quarterback who was born in the Philippines—in his training camp last Saturday.
Like Pacquiao, Tebow is a practicing Christian preacher and is deeply involved in charity work in the Philippines and elsewhere in the world.
