LOS ANGELES — Manny Pacquiao is taking a beating in the center of this ring. He barely knows a word of this Bee Gees song, and he’s struggling to read the lyrics off the cue cards — probably because he’s wearing sunglasses in a dark studio.

Nobody at Thursday’s rehearsal for “Jimmy Kimmel Live” was even slightly worried. The pure absurdity of boxing’s pound-for-pound champion earnestly singing “How Deep Is Your Love” is great television, which is what the ABC talk show gets every time Pacquiao visits.

“Each time you’ve been here, you’ve won the fight,” Kimmel says during their interview two hours later. “I feel like we’re a team, really.”

Pacquiao has made five appearances on “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” promoting his pay-per-view bouts. After Kimmel interviews him, Pacquiao punctuates each appearance with a song.