Manny Pacquiao fans may have a reason to worry about May 2 after the Filipino icon skipped a training run during camp over the weekend. His strength and conditioning coach Justin Fortune played it down a bit, but was clearly not happy with the missed roadwork.
"I would like him to get up and move around at least, get out the stiffness from the work we have been doing," Fortune told USA Today Sports. "He is not going to run, but we will make up for it with the work we do later.
"I make it hard for him but he needs to suck it up. Fighting Mayweather is not easy, either. There are always consequences."
While missing a day of running likely won't spell doom for a future Hall of Famer, the fact that his calves are causing trouble might. Pacquiao has a history of calf issues, and they cost him dearly in a controversial loss to Timothy Bradley in 2012. While most believe Pacquiao did plenty to earn a victory that night, he did not overwhelm Bradley like he had previous opponents, partially because he was bothered by his calves.
He also complained of pain in his calves as early as 2008, in his second fight vs. Juan Manuel Marquez. In a Grantland report, it's written that Pacquiao complained that it felt like his muscles were being ripped from his shin bones in preparation for a fight against David Diaz.
While some blamed his calves for a lackluster performance against Bradley, others thought changes in his lifestyle robbed him of his hunger to hurt opponents. Now, those inside his camp are saying the magnitude of the Mayweather fight has stoked the flames again.
"For this fight it is amazing," his running mate Rodel Mayol said. "I see he doesn't get tired, not like before he fought (Chris) Algieri, (Shane) Mosley, Juan Manuel Marquez - then he took it easy. This time he is very motivated."
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