I do not have the feeling I am in the presence of a man who could put me in hospital with a practised flick of his fist, who did exactly that inside two rounds in 2009 to Ricky Hatton, another fighter who did not stint on life’s pleasures, and is again struggling with those temptations. Pacquiao’s trainer of 13 years, Freddie Roach, is standing a few feet away. He has heard Manny’s story of redemption many times. “It’s more vital to him now than ever before,” Roach says. “He was born a Catholic, now he’s a born-again Christian. His mother [Dionesia] hates it. She’s always trying to force the Rosary on him. The only worry about it is that maybe it could hurt his political career, because 90% of the Philippines is Catholic and he’s a born-again Christian.”