According to newly crowned World Boxing Association (WBA) "regular" welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao, he's gone through the hardest training camp of his career.
Two weeks ago in Malaysia, Pacquiao returned to the ring for the first time since July 2017, when he lost a controversial twelve round decision to Jeff Horn.
He captured the WBA belt by securing his first knockout win since 2009, when he stopped Lucas Matthysse in the ninth round.
This was Pacquiao's first camp in 16 years without the services of Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach.
Pacquiao, nearly 40 years old, parted ways with Roach earlier this year.
This was Pacquiao's first camp where his best friend, Buboy Fernandez, was serving as the head trainer. Previously, Buboy was the assistant trainer.
Pacquiao is now hoping to fight at least one more time before the end of the year.
“From the time the moment the fight against WBA titlist Lucas Matthysse was announced and since we, my training team and myself, pitched camp, I promised to dedicate myself to seriously prepare for this fight,” Pacquiao told The Manila Times.
“That was the hardest training camp we had, I tell you. I had to deprive myself of things I used to do in my previous fights, like playing basketball and chess at nights. According to Buboy and rest of the team those things had served as distractions in my past preparations.
“I complied to all those restrictions as part of the change I myself had initiated to recover from past mistakes that cost us what could have been easy wins. Playing billiards and darts were also not permitted. Even my duties and responsibilities were reduced to the minimum.
“The camp was good. One if the best we held. Everything went well. We covered all the bases as early as two weeks before the fight. Everybody was cooperating, consulting with everyone on what to do and not to do. “