Manny Pacquaio kept his opponent Timothy Bradley waiting before the start of their WBO welterweight bout at the MGM Grand on Saturday after watching his beloved Boston Celtics NBA team on television.
The Celtics lost the Game Seven decider of the Eastern Conference finals to the Miami Heat and Pacquiao then took his time before having his hands wrapped for the fight by his trainer Freddie Roach.
"Manny is on the treadmill stretching his calves," Roach told HBO television when asked where Pacquiao was. "We wanted to do that before the fight and we are a little short on time."
Asked why the Pacquiao team was short of time, Roach replied with a smile: "Because the basketball game didn't go long enough."
Filipino southpaw Pacquiao, who has won world titles in an unprecedented eight weight divisions, was scheduled to defend his WBO welterweight crown against American Bradley, who said he was not troubled by the delay.
"It doesn't bother me at all," Bradley said. "We can wait all night because we have to get it on. I am focused. When it's time to go, it's time to go."
Bradley's trainer Joel Diaz agreed: "It's okay, it doesn't bother us. We waited two-and-a-half months in training camp. It doesn't hurt us. Whenever he is ready, we are ready."
(Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Las Vegas; Editing by John O'Brien)
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