BAGUIO City—Celebrated trainer-coach Freddie Roach allayed fears on reports that the leg injury Manny Pacquiao suffered two weeks ago while jogging near his residence in Sta. Rosa, Laguna had worsened.
“There is really nothing to worry about. Everything is under control,” Roach said.
“It might still be hurting, but I’m sure it’s not that serious as some people think,” Roach added after Pacquiao, who is gunning for an eighth title in as many divisions against Mexican Antonio Margarito for the World Boxing Organization super-welterweight crown on Nov. 13 at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas did not do his usual morning run for the third time since arriving here nine days ago.
The Filipino pound-for-pound king also canceled his roadwork last Saturday, but Roach said Pacquiao did not appear to be hurting when they did 14 rounds of the mitts later that day. Pacquiao also sparred with the lanky Michael Medina for four rounds.
“Yesterday (Monday), I gave him 16 rounds with the mitts and we ended up as if nothing serious was going on,” Roach said, adding he will still give the reigning WBO junior-welterweight champion the benefit of the doubt by allowing him to play basketball, which observers blame as the major reason why his (Pacquiao’s) leg continues to hurt.
Since setting foot here, Pacquiao and members of his team have been playing basketball almost nightly after training.
“I have been saying this time and again and I’m saying this again. We have a deal that he’ll stop playing basketball in the last month of our preparation and I expect him to respect that, as he had been doing the past several fights” Roach said.
“He really loves and is happy playing basketball as he loves boxing. If he’s happy, he gives me everything I ask him so that’s been our arrangement. He can play the game as long as he wants to, but when I say stop, he’ll have to stop, ‘” he said.
Roach said Pacquiao has already consulted a doctor, who prescribed massaging and applying ice on the injured leg every morning. He said he had no doubts that the injury will be completely healed in the next few days.
The trainer also said that Pacquiao wearing a leather shoe as part of his attire as congressman may have contributed to the pain the Filipino experiences from time to time during training.
“He’s not used to that kind of footwear (leather shoes), so his heels somewhat swelled. It aggravated when he jogged for a few miles inside the subdivision where his family residence is located,” Roach added.
Yesterday, Pacquiao proved skeptics wrong when he arrived on the dot for his 2 p.m. workout at the Shape Up Gym inside the Cooyessan Hotel along Naguillian Road to get ready for his sparring sessions against Medina and Glenn Tapia. Eddie Alinea
Source: manilastandardtoday.com
