By Ronnie Nathanielsz
Bobby Pacquiao, younger brother of Filipino ring idol Manny Pacquiao is ready for battle when he clashes with veteran Kevin Kelley at New York's famed Madison Square Garden on Saturday.
Pacquiao’s agent Michael Koncz said the talented southpaw had sparred 112 rounds against such big names as WBC super bantamweight champion Israel Vasquez who scored a third round TKO win over Oscar Larios, the July 2 opponent of Manny Pacquiao , Gerson "Ghost" Guerrero and Shadi Hamsho and was as ready as he would ever be. Pacquiao who leaves for New York at noon tomorrow said he was feeling good and ready to wage war.
Pacquiao, like brother Manny, has worked out at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles under the watchful eye of celebrated trainer Freddie Roach and according to Koncz has trained doubly hard to be ready for the crafty but aging Kelley who is 38.
The southpaw who scored a stunning upset in a controversial split decision over former world champion Carlos "Famoso" Hernandez has a record of 26-11-3 with 11 knockouts while Kelley has a record of 58-6-2 with 39 knockouts. Kelley has fought some of the best and lost including legendary Mexicans Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales as well as Naseem Hamed. Kelley is coming off a second round KO of Carlos Ramirez.
Koncz disclosed that while Bobby’s brother Manny Pacquiao is his registered manager, he takes care of arranging fights for the younger Pacquiao. Koncz said Pacquiao who received $90,000 for his fight against Hernandez will receive $65,000 for the Kelley fight adding there was no truth to claims that his purse for this week’s fight was $125,000.
The younger Pacquiao who is ranked No.8 by the world’s top boxing organization, the WBC, hopes that a win over the No.5 ranked Kelley will help take him out of the imposing shadow of his more exciting and popular brother and prove that he too has what it takes to gain recognition.
