PACQUIAO IN PERFECT FORM
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 30 Oct 2014
GENERAL SANTOS CITY ? ?Perfect!?
That?s how Manny Pacquiao?s handlers ? chief trainer Freddie Roach and conditioning coach Justin Fortune -- assessed their ward?s condition going into the last three weeks of preparations for his World Boxing Organization welterweight title defense against unbeaten challenger Chris Algieri November 23 in Macau.
?Manny?s 100 percent ready, ? the Hall of famer Roach assured this writer after Thursday?s sparring session when the Filipino defending belt-holder showed his wares against power-[punching Viktor Postol, Mike Jones and Stan Martyniouk at the General Santos City?s version of the Wild Card Gym here.
Postol, the Ukrainian top junior-welterweight contender in the world, is the same guy whose nose Pacquiao bloodied in a skirmish last week.
?A minor distraction occurred last Monday when we attended a one-day press tour in Hong Kong, but outside of that, everything?s going well in the camp,? Roach said. ?This is one of the best camps we?ve had. I really can?t ask for more.?
?Manny still has to peak, but as of now, all I can say is he?s already in shape,? Fortune, for his part, projected. ?He might not be as powerful as we want him to because he has yet to undergo some minor adjustments.?
Both Roach and Fortune said the eight-division world boxing champion needs seven more sparring sessions to really be in fighting form, adding the next two weeks will be most crucial stage in the Filipino ring legend?s 10-week readiness program.
?A little adjustment here and a little adjustment there are what we still need to put him in perfect fighting form,? Roach added. Manny will be ready a week before the actual fight or before we fly to Macau.
?For sure, I want Manny to throw more combinations,? he said. ?He?s pacing himself well. His coordination and speed in both hands and legs are near perfect.
?His condition? Well, the moment he hit Algieri with his first shot, the American?s gone,? Fortune, who has been with the camp even before Roach came, predicted.
Pacquiao himself said he?s ready and excited to climb the ring again following an almost seven-year hiatus since re-claiming the 147-pound crown from former tormentor Tim Bradley in Las Vegas.
?Puede nang lumaban at excited na ako,? Pacquiao who is staking his title for the first time since re-capturing it in a 12-round showdown with the undefeated American (20-0 with 8 Kos) popularly known as the ?New York King? at the Cotai Arena inside the posh Venetian Resort Hotel in that Chinese sin city.
?Excited na nga akong matapos ang laban para makabalik ako makapaglarong muli sa PBA.? Pacquiao added chuckling, while once again betraying his love for basketball. Besides, coaching Team Kia in the just-opened PBA 40th Season, he is also the oldest rookie to play in a professional basketball league.
The defending titlist sparred for nine rounds each with Postol, the no. 1 World Boxing Council super-lightweight contender, 6-foot-flat Jones and 5-foot-1 Martyniouk Thursday, the same frequency he did Tuesday.
Starting Tuesday next week, Roach disclosed sparring frequency will increase to 10 rounds then 12, although he added it still depends on what will happen on Saturday.
?I would still like to see him perform on Saturday?s sparring. If he shows he?s ready to go 12 then we?ll start boxing at 12 starting next week,? Roach said.
Photo: Pacquiao on the mitts with Roach in General Santos City Wednesday. Photo by Wendell Rupert Alinea.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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