Manny Pacquiao poses for photos after the end of. training session at Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles. –MARK GIONGCO/INQUIRER
HOLLYWOOD—Manny Pacquiao said he finally found the remedy to the curious case of his leg cramps that had plagued his career for decades.
The culprit, according to Pacquiao, was nothing scientific, and solving it didn’t require any expertise. All it took was a minor tweak to his everyday routine.
He just hoped to have found out about it sooner.
“It took me 20 years to discover what to do to keep me from cramping up,” Pacquiao said after wrapping up his Los Angeles training camp Tuesday afternoon at Wild Card Boxing Club.
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“The muscles on my legs were overworked because of too much massage. Massage in the morning, noon, afternoon and at night so that’s the reason for my cramps.“
Pacquiao blamed leg cramps for his lackluster performance in a stunning loss to Cuba’s Yordenis Ugas in August 2021.
He was also hounded by the same problem during his buildup for his mega fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. in May 2015, which resulted in a unanimous decision defeat. However, he revealed after the bout that he was hobbled by a right shoulder injury.
“That’s always been my problem. When I step into the ring, I’m not just fighting against my opponent but also against cramps,” he said.
Pacquiao and his team are expected to arrive in Las Vegas late Tuesday night for fight week.
The 46-year-old Pacquiao is eyeing history with a victory over WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios will make him the second oldest boxer to win a major title.