by Jorge Alarcon-Swaby
Inside the Wild Card Boxing Gym in Hollywood, CA, Manny Pacquiao holds a Media Workout day as he prepares for his clash against Timothy Braldey on June 9th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Media members from all over the country crowd the ring. All hoping to secure a spot along the ropes for a chance to interview or take a decent picture of the Filipino star once he arrives.
Within twenty seconds of walking into the gym, if you do not position yourself around the ring, you are guaranteed to spend the next two hours looking for a stool, or waiting for someone to take a bathroom break in hopes of stealing their spot. The media people this day look experienced, I’m sure they’ve developed a strong bladder by now.
Before the star of the day arrives, the ring was occupied by a young fighter, unknown to the majority of the media there. “Who is that?” they asked as he shadow boxed. Most didn’t know, except a few, including myself. His name is Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin.
If you fast forward, say two years ahead, I have no doubt, that the Wild Card Gym will once again be packed as it is today. By then, Quillin, the Cuban-American middleweight from Grand Rapids, Michigan, will be the one most of the media will be waiting for.
It’s hot, over crowded and sweaty inside of the gym at this point. By now Quillin has left the ring, but still no sight of Pacquiao. When a Media Day involves a superstar of Pacquiao’s magnitude, Its normal seeing an empty ring, and a crowd surrounding it.
There are at least five female reporters that could all be confused for models roaming around the gym. They are catching the eyes of most male media members while distracting most of the young, unknown fighters at the gym trying to work. Despite all the commotion, they pretend to stay focused, they have no other option.
One of those reporters is 2012 Playmate of the Year Jaclyn Swedberg, she is here also with hopes of getting piece of the Pacquiao experience. Until Pacquiao arrives, she becomes the clear star of the day..
Other reporters, boxers and trainers, all come up to her for pictures. I’m even asked to snap a shot of her and a fan.. She is tiny but truly gorgeous, a knockout in the Strawweight division by boxing definition.
Pacquiao is running late and the Playboy model can only cause a distraction for so long. The media is getting anxious, the gym is now busier and a lot hotter.
Legendary promoter Bob Arum notices this and decides to step in for interviews. He takes a bit of pressure away from trainer Freddie Roach, who has been dealing with most of the media so far. Arum as always, seems bitter and uninterested in most of the questions being thrown at him. But as a true professional, answers them honestly, then finally gives you a small grin and moves on.
Out the corner of my eyes, I see a reporter point and say, “There he is”. Pacquiao finally arrives and media day has officially started.
He walks in with his entourage and quickly slips into the small dressing room located to the left of the entrance. Again, most of the media is left waiting. Writers crowd the door of dressing room, waiting for a signal to go in and ask their questions.
In a crowd of media so highly dominated by digital video and photography cameras, the people with notepads and small sound recorders, otherwise known as the writers, are still ones to get the first crack at the star. A good feeling, if you consider yourself a writer.
Finally the signal comes from a middle age, bald and grumpy looking man standing in front of the door. Right away, the writers cramp into the room, and the door once again closes. It is hot outside in the open gym, I can only imagine what it must like in that small room. For another 10 minutes, the media surrounding the ring is once again forced to wait.
The door opens, the writers walk out, most of them leave the gym, hopefully with enough material to write a story.. Pacquiao exists the room last and finally enters the ring. He is greeted by the so familiar sound of multiple non-stop camera shutters.
He warms up with strength and conditioning coach Alex Arzia while his head trainer Freddie Roach sits there watching, finding refuge from the media inside of the ring.
After warming up, you would think the next move would be pad work. Instead, Pacquiao decides to do interviews. He starts in one corner of the ring and for the next hour, slowly makes his way around all the ring and answers question after question.
Finally, his assistant trainer, Buboy Fernandez walks in the ring, usually this is a cue that the actual workout is about to begin. It does, trainer Freddie Roach puts on the mitts and Pacquiao starts off how every boxer usually does. With a simple “jab”, followed by a ”one, two”.
During the workout, Pacquiao didn’t look too impressive, simply because he wasn’t trying to be. Within five minutes of his actual workout, it became obvious that it would be a low key, non intensive workout.
Afterwards, Pacquiao poses for the cameras, shirtless and showcasing his ripped body. He jokes with a few people and as usual does his Bruce Lee impression. He didn’t showcase his best stuff during this media day, and honestly, he had no reason to.
There is little doubt, that by June 9, Pacquiao will be in top shape and fully concentrated for what is to be the biggest pey-per-view event of 2012.
And he better be at 100%, because just two hours away from the Wild Card gym, a Desert Storm is strongly gaining momentum in Palm Springs and eventually make its way to Las Vegas and meet Manny Pacquiao at full speed.
Pacquiao eventually leaves and so does the media. The gym empties out once again, but not for long. Just minutes after the superstar says bye to his determined fans waiting outside, it fill right back up. Everything back to normal, just another gym, filled with young hopefuls, pounding away at the heavy bags.
