Manny Pacquiao's Coach: 'Manny has surpassed Floyd Mayweather'
International coffee retailer Coffee Friend had an interview with Justin Fortune, who works as the strength and conditioning coach for Manny Pacquiao - talking about The Pac Man, his legacy, and of course, coffee.
Justin Fortune is a former boxer himself, going pro in the heavyweight division and fighting against the likes of three-time world champion Lennox Lewis across his illustrious 12-year career in boxing. The coach from Perth, Australia, is one of the world's most sought-after trainers, now working with Manny Pacquiao alongside trainer Freddie Roach.
The 42-year-old Filipino champion gears up against last-minute replacement Yordenis Ugas after original opponent Errol Spence Jr., pulling out of the match due to an eye injury. In the upcoming fight, Pacquiao also seeks to reclaim the WBA (Super) title, which was stripped away from him due to inactivity and was consequently awarded to the Cuban fighter Ugas.
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What The Pac Man Eats, and Where Coffee Fits
When asked about Manny's diet and where coffee fits in it, Fortune explains that The Pac Man loads up on fish, protein, vegetables, and that the Filipino boxer "never had a problem with weight." The Australian coach adds that Manny even had a light breakfast before the weigh-in.
As for coffee, Justin Fortune said in his Coffee Friend interview: "Coffee can have a place, if you're having a bad training day, I used to drink it too if I was sparring I'd have a double espresso before a session."
A Happy Fighter is a Dangerous Fighter
Going over the preparations of Team Pacquiao ahead of the Ugas bout, Justin noted that while Manny Pacquiao is 42 years old, training with him "isn't like working with a 22-year-old."
Fortune adds: "Pacquiao will keep training until he drops dead, the guy is a freaking machine."
With speed and power, and the experience earned from 70 fights, Fortune believes that Pacquiao is now tough to beat. While a lot of people are saying that The Pac-Man should've retired years ago, his strength and conditioning coach believes otherwise. Justin Fortune tells Coffee Friend that he has never seen someone enjoy the sport and the business as much as Manny does and that a "happy fighter is a very, very dangerous fighter."
Fortune also notes that people can expect to see the same Pac-Man they saw against Thurman and Mattyshe.
Manny Pacquiao's Legacy: Against Mayweather and McGregor
Justin Fortune declares that we'll never see another Manny Pacquiao again. "Manny has surpassed Floyd Mayweather," the Australian adds, noting that if Mayweather wanted to assert his position at the top, a rematch would've happened - noting that the Filipino champ was burdened with a shoulder injury at the time.
The former heavyweight pro boxer also has choice words for The Money: "Boxing has done him good, Mayweather, now he's gone and sullied its name. They are great if they're exhibitions, people just cashing out - good luck to you. But don't let them go on your record."
As for the supposed Pacquiao - McGregor bout, Fortune believes that it would've lasted two rounds: one for Manny's warm-up and another for finishing the match. Or it could've taken only one round, he says. However, he notes that the Irish fighter would've definitely destroyed Pacquiao if it had been an MMA match. On the other hand, if it's a boxing match, Manny's got it in the pocket. Furthermore, Justin Fortune asks what made McGregor worthy to face The Pac Man, given that his record for the last six fights was one win against five losses.
In a record-breaking PPV match, McGregor also lost to Mayweather and is in talks to face off American YouTuber Logan Paul.
"These exhibitions are great for the guys on Youtube who are making a lot of money. But it's all good until someone gets hurt," Fortune shares in the Coffee Friend interview. "At the moment they're making tons of money and no-one is getting hurt and that's all well and good but if they start fighting serious guys - someone is going to get seriously hurt."
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