MANILA, Philippines - With the arrival of coach Freddie Roach on Sunday (Sept. 19), the Team Pacquiao training group in Manila is complete.
From here on, they will watch over Manny's preparation for the fight against Mexican Antonio Margarito.
Also in town from the US are fitness coach Alex Ariza, 2 very tall sparring partners, Glen Tapia and Michael Medina, and local coaches Buboy Fernandez and Nonoy Neri.
The group will train in Manila the next couple of days before moving up to Baguio City.
Roach says Manny needs to be in tip top condition to beat Margarito.
On the first day of training, it was all business and very serious.
Today was their first mitt session, and one could immediately see the great connection between the coach and his ward.
Roach and Pacquiao did 7 rounds in the mitts, with no rest in between.
Coach was quite pleased with Manny's starting condition.
"Very good , he's got the game plan already in mind. He knows the angles we have to use against this guy, knows he has to stay away from the right hand," Roach said.
Sparring will start next week, and both Tapia and Medina promise they will give Pacquiao the work he needs to get ready for the taller and bigger Margarito.
"I'll give him power and just go in and give him the hard work, that pressure, you know, that Margarito has," says Tapia.
"This is sparring and I'm gonna make him pay up and get prepared for a very hard fight," says Medina.
Aside from Medina and Tapia, 2 more sparring partners will be coming in, one of them, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.
Pacquiao worked out almost 2 hours, then did a quick change to attend to duties in Congress.
Source: ABS-CBNNews.com
