MANNY Pacquiao throws the ceremonial first pitch before the game between the New York Yankees and the Athletics at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx in New York City on Wednesday (Manila time).
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LOS ANGELES — Eight-division legend Manny Pacquiao has a few tips in mind to help International Boxing Federation (IBF) minimumweight champion Pedro Taduran become unbeatable and reign for a long time.
Pacquiao was at ringside when Taduran crushed Mexican Gustavo Perez Alvarez over the weekend at the Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, California.
“Pedro has to work on head movement and footwork,” Pacquiao told a couple of sportswriters on Tuesday at his temporary residence at Glendale’s trendy area.
“He’s got no footwork and that’s key to a long and winning career,” said Pacquiao, who is here for a private trip.
Likewise, Pacquiao insists that Taduran, also a southpaw like him, has to “coordinate footwork and punches to enhance chances of victory each time he steps into the ring.
“Coordination of footwork and punches that results in power. It’s a gamechanger when you have footwork that coordinates with your punches,” the 47-year-old Hall of Famer said.
Citing Taduran’s size and the division where he makes his living, Pacquiao also advises Taduran to be “more aggressive because they are small and fighters in that division throw lots of punches.”
As to Taduran’s willingness to fight, Pacquiao tips his hat off to him.
“There’s no question about his courage. He’s brave and that’s also important,” he said.
But if Taduran wants to stay unbeaten as champion, he also has to ramp up his punching rate and crank up his speed.
“Mucho rapido, mucho mano (He’s got to be fast and punches in bunches),” added Pacquiao, who is eyeing a ring return to the professional scene on 18 September in Las Vegas.
Taduran is back in the Philippines and is poised to go on a short vacation as he waits for an advisory for his next fight.
On the radar screen is a unification showdown with two-belt titleholder Oscar Collazo of Puerto Rico.
If that fight gets signed, Taduran has to look back to Pacquiao’s precious tips to ensure a win.
Meanwhile, the eight-division world champion delivered the ceremonial pitch during the Major League Baseball game between the New York Yankees and the Athletics at the Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York.
Pacquiao, who remains in New York for an engagement with the United Nations, threw the ball to Yankees catcher JC Escarra, sparking a loud roar from an appreciative crowd. He seemed to be the lucky charm as the Yankees prevailed, 5-3.
“That was good, for the longest time I was (able to throw) with the last time was way back when I was elementary,” Pacquiao said an interview with YES Network.
Actually, it wasn’t the first time for Pacquiao to watch professional games this week. In fact, he was also in attendance when the LA Clippers played at the Intuit Dome, the LA Kings at Crypto.com Arena, and the LA Galaxy at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson.
More than a decade ago, during the height of his legendary boxing career, Pacquiao also made the first ceremonial pitch for the LA Dodgers.
