It didn’t come as a shock that Manny Pacquiao’s exhibition bout with former sparring partner Ruslan Provodnikov scheduled 18 March in Las Vegas isn’t happening.

You see, the match was announced several weeks ago and a lot of eyebrows were raised given the proximity of the fight’s target date.

There were other red flags and just as soon as organizers of that said event came out smoking with the announcement, rumors began to circulate it was in danger of being scrapped.

True enough, when another fight announcement involving Pacquiao took the spotlight days later, an 18 September showdown with Floyd Mayweather at the Sphere with Netflix as promoter, the Provodnikov issue vanished in this smoke.

Honestly, the Pacquiao-Provodnikov duel would have been a slambang affair given their nature snd fighting styles.

I was also kind of leery because I know that Provodnikov punches with the baddest of intentions and that Pacquiao does, too.

Knowing that a megabuck date awaits Pacquiao, taking on a guy as dangerous as Provodnikov could backfire.

So, why risk it?

With the exhibition next month no longer happening, Pacquiao has all the time in the world to get ready for the Mayweather rematch.

A couple of days back, Pacquiao reunited with another of his longtime training assistants, Nonoy Neri, in General Santos City for a light workout.

Neri said that Pacquiao remains the same.

Fast and furious.

“You could tell the power hasn’t left him. His punched hurt,” Neri said.

While the Mayweather match is still more than six months away, Neri is taking it nice and easy with the former pound-for-pound king.

“But there’s one thing that bothers him,” Neri told me.

“He feels that he’s got a bit of fat around his waist and he wants to get rid of it right away,” he said.

I smiled and nodded even though Neri could not see me as we were talking on the phone.

Upon hearing those words, I am convinced that Pacquiao is not taking the Mayweather clash just for the money.

Of course, money matters in a fight of this magnitude.

But one thing is certain.

Pacquiao wants Mayweather’s head.