Manny Pacquiao continued to give trainer Freddie Roach a million and one reasons to smile after they held their last training session in Metro Manila on Saturday afternoon. Pacquiao and Roach have been working out at the Elorde Boxing Gym on Del Monte Avenue corner Roosevelt since Monday and the celebrated trainer has nothing but praises for the pound-for-pound king who has a Nov. 13 date against Antonio Margarito in Dallas.
“Manny continues to work hard and he is good to fight in the next four years if he still continues to show the drive,” said Roach told reporters, stressing that the power is still there even though the Filipino hasn’t fought since March.
Even if Pacquiao had earlier complained of pain on the sole of his left foot, Roach said he hardly noticed that Pacquiao was bothered by it.
“He is still fast and he beat the hell out of me today in the mitts,” added Roach, who joins Pacquiao and members of his entourage on a road trip to Baguio on Sunday afternoon.
Pacquiao’s performance in the gym is expected to reach another level once they set up camp in Baguio, a mountain resort that is five to six hours from Manila by land and which has an elevation of more than 5,000 feet.
“I am only about 50 to 60 percent right now,” Pacquiao told the same set of reporters who had quizzed Roach.
And when told about Roach’s observation that he could still fight for the next four years, Pacquiao was quick to say that “nobody knows what tomorrow will bring.”
Roach has scheduled Pacquiao’s first sparring session with Michael Medina on Tuesday.
Source: mb.com.ph
