Act, look and box like Antonio Margarito.
These were the requirements trainer Freddie Roach had in mind while selecting the core of sparring partners he will be bringing in when he arrives in Manila on Sunday for the start of Manny Pacquiao’s training camp for the November 13 title fight with Margarito.
So far, all four fighters – from Vanes Martirosyan to Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. – appeared to be in the mold of the controversial 32-year-old Mexican who is a two-time world champion.
Martirosyan, Rashard Holloway and Glen Tapia are flying over with Roach. They will immediately proceed to Baguio City, where Pacquiao is going to hold fort for the first four weeks of his two-month-long training camp.
Chavez Jr. is expected to follow two weeks later.
Already in the country as early as Tuesday was conditioning coach Alex Ariza.
Holloway, Martirosyan, Chavez Jr. and Tapia were carefully scrutinized by Roach, primarily for having the same built and height of Margarito, who at 5-foot-11 is the tallest opponent the 31-year-old Pacquiao will be facing in the ring.
With a 73-inch reach, Margarito also holds a six-inch advantage over the Filipino.
The 24-year-old Martirosyan is a Roach protégé from Armenia who carries a perfect 28-0 record, with 17 KOs. He stands 6-feet and like Margarito, also has a 73-inch reach.
At 5-foot-10, Tapia is the youngest of the four at 20 and is just beginning to embark on a boxing career with a 7-0 record (5 KOs).
A native of New Jersey, Tapia sparred with Joshua Clottey at the time the Ghanaian was training for his 2009 World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight duel with Miguel Cotto.
"Freddie was looking to give Manny a different look in this training camp," said Top Rank vice president of operations Carl Moretti.
"He was looking for a young, aggressive kid to give Manny something to think about, so that it’s not the same old thing. Glenn was the first kid that came to my mind. He’s built a little like Margarito. He’s right-handed, he throws a lot of punches and he’ll give it his all."
Holloway has sparred with Pacquiao several times and even served as the world pound-for-pound champion’s chief sparring partner during his 2008 showdown with the great Oscar De La Hoya.
The 29-year- old American is 11-1 (5 KOs) and stands 5-feet-10.
'Junior’, the son of legendary warrior Julio Cesar Chavez, who is regarded as one of the greatest boxers Mexico ever produced, was originally dropped as one of Pacquiao’s sparmates since Top Rank chairman Bob Arum was arranging a December 4 fight for him against Cotto.
But after negotiations broke down, Chavez Jr. was given the green light to follow the group in the country’s Summer Capital.
Chavez will still see action on the same date in December but opposite a lesser-known opponent. Now being trained by Roach, the Mexican stands 6-feet and boasts of a record 41-0, with 30 KOs. – JVP/KY, GMANews.TV
Source: GMANews.tv
