Boxing News: Decorated Amateur Boxer Awed By Manny Pacquiao's Longevity

Manny Pacquiao will have his work cut out for him when he faces Errol Spence Jr. on Aug. 21.

Both fighters were at a pre-fight press conference on Sunday in Los Angeles, and the WBC and IBF welterweight champion admitted that he expects Floyd Mayweather to reach out to him at some point.

“He talks to me and things like that. He tries to mentor me, so he’ll definitely reach out. If says he’ll reach out, he definitely will,” Spence said as quoted by Boxingscene.

But as far as Pacquiao is concerned, Spence does not need advice from Mayweather.

The Filipino boxing icon feels that the 31-year-old boxing champion is a better fighter than the retired American pugilist. before taking a slight jab at Mayweather.

“He could teach Mayweather how to fight toe-to-toe,” Pacquiao stated.

Spence called it a great compliment but cautioned that he or any boxer cannot take the "Pac-Man" lightly.

“Manny Pacquiao is the kind of guy that can lull you to sleep. He’ll give you a lot of compliments, gratitude, and things like that. Then as soon as the bell rings, he’s jumping all on you,” Spence stressed.

Age is something that critics have been singling out as a factor that may work against Pacquiao.

But in the eyes of decorated amateur boxer Cam F. Awesome, this should not be much of a problem.

When asked on the Sports For All PH podcast for his opinion on the 42-year-old ring legend, Awesome pointed out how Pacquiao looked after his health well.

“We have science. And if you have the resources to take care of yourself? Manny Pacquiao is not 42. He might be 42 years old, but think about when you were 10 years old. Remember what 42-year-old’s look like? They don’t look like that anymore. Look at JLo. She’s 50. We are not aging the same if you take care of your body,” Awesome explained to hosts Vincent Juico, Rica Aquino and Brian Yalung.

Awesome went on to single out Bernard Hopkins, who dominated even when he reached 51 years old.

For him, it was proof that anyone could be in prime shape if they pay close attention to their body and health.

“A lot of people will wait until they are 50 and then start taking care of their body. I started when I was 22. And Manny Pacquiao, I haven't seen a picture of him overweight in all my life. He has been taking care of his body. That man is a machine. So yeah, someone may say he is 42, but he ain’t no 42,” he stressed.