NFL star Tim Tebow pays Manny Pacquiao a visit during training
Monday 23 March 2015 16:09, UK
Manny Pacquiao received a visit from NFL star Tim Tebow for a weekend workout session ahead of his showdown with undefeated Floyd Mayweather.
Manila-born quarter-back Tebow watched the Filipino train for nearly three hours on Saturday, including seven rounds of sparring and eight rounds of pad work at the Wild Card gym of "Pac-Man" trainer Freddie Roach.
"It was the first time they had ever met and yet it seemed they had known each other forever the way they immediately embraced each other," said promoter Bob Arum.
Pacquiao, 57-5 with two draws and 38 knockouts, will meet Mayweather, 47-0 with 26 knockouts, on May 2 in Las Vegas for a bout expected to shatter boxing revenue records.
Tebow, born to Baptist missionaries in the Philippines in 1987, went from unknown backup to NFL star when he sparked the Denver Broncos into the 2011 NFL playoffs.
He later played for the New York Jets and recently tried out for the Philadelphia Eagles despite missing the past two NFL campaigns.
"Awesome being with my Filipino and Christian brother," Tebow posted on his Instagram account.
While Roach normally dislikes any distractions in Pacqiuao's training routine, Tebow was a welcomed disruption.
"It was an unbelievable scene," Roach said. "Tim Tebow is a great competitor, a standup guy who embraces his responsibility for being a good role model. He and Manny shared a lot. It was terrific."
