It was Manny Pacquiao’s turn to allay fears of trainer Freddie Roach and his team that he was in no shape to complete his second week of altitude training in Baguio City.
Showing all is well following a brief bout with flu that cancelled his scheduled workout Wednesday, the Pacman appeared at the Shape Up Gym inside the Coyessan Hotel yesterday for his scheduled sparring that had Roach smiling from ear-to-ear after a three-hour session.
“He was still gasping for air, but that’s explainable after suffering from cold and slight fever the day before,” Roach said. “He’s okay and I’m sure we can recover lost time by week’s end.”
Pacquiao, who will be facing Mexican Antonio Margarito Nov. 13 in Texas for the vacant World Boxing Council superwelterweight title, sparred three rounds each against junior-welter Glen Tapia and junior-middleweight Michael Medina and looked still tired.
As Roach promised, a stricter measure to avoid fans entering the gym despite having the doors closed, was implemented with no allowed one inside, except his handlers.
Even the HBO television team filming the training for its 24/7 program was barred from entering the gym during sparring.
The four-time ‘trainer of the year’ honoree of the Boxing Writers Association of America did not say whether he will push through with his plan to impose curfew on all members of Team Pacquiao to avoid anyone from contacting virus prevalent in the rainy season.
Roach blamed Pacquiao’s contact with so many persons inside and outside the gym as well as in basketball court as reason for suffering from slight flu.
That raised the seven-division champ’s total sparring rounds to 14 counting the eight he did in the first two days with Tapia and Medina, which Roach said was just enough to reach their target before the slated date for his duel with the tough, hard-hitting Mexican set at the Texas Cowboys’ Dallas Stadium in Arlington.
“That’s just right. We don’t intend to cover 150 rounds which we did last year in our preparation against (Miguel) Cotto anyway,” Roach said. “We’ll be making less than 150 rounds in this fight. Maybe 110 or a bit more.”
Short stretching session with physical conditioning coach Alex Ariza and a brief shadow boxing completed the day’s work. To preserve his ward’s strength, Roach canceled doing the routine mitts.
Among those admitted during the workout was Pacquiao’s Wild Card stablemate Amir Khan who flew in yesterday from Los Angeles.
Contrary to earlier reports, Khan will be here to train with Roach for his coming fight this December and not as one of Pacquiao’s sparring partner, although if and when the need arises, he might also utilize his younger ward.
Source: PhilBoxing.com
