PACQUIAO STARTS TRAINING WITH BUBOY FERNANDEZ (PHOTOS)
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 24 Feb 2015
WBO world welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao started trekking the long road to making history Tuesday, when he plunged into deep training for his mega-million 147-pound unification date with undefeated American Floyd Mayweather Jr.
The long sought after encounter, billed as the biggest this century, has finally been scheduled May 2 at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas.
A four-round with the mitts with assistant trainer Buboy Fernandez, a round each with the heavy bag, double end and speed ball marked the 36-yer-old return to the ring following an almost four-month hiatus since his 12-round demolition of another American Chris Algieri.
The Sarangani Congressman rounded out his three-hour workout at his own version of the Wild Card Gym with another round with the rope and other routine physical conditioning floor exercises under the super vision of his other assistant trainers Roger ?Haplas? Fernandez and Nonoy Neri.
?I would have wanted to start preparations early and right at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles owing to the tough fight I am facing, but since Freddie (chief trainer Freddie Roach) is still in Macau, I?ll start building up here,? Pacquiao told this writer in Filipino in between his opening day routine.
Pacquiao trains at Pacman's Wildcard Gym in General Santos Monday. Photos by Wendell Rupert Alinea.
When his team will be leaving for the United States is still tentative.
Roach, he disclosed, is currently in Macau to oversee the fight of young Chinese prot?g? Zhou Shimming on March 7 and won?t be at the Wild Card Gym earlier than March 8.
?You know naman that I always believe in the principle of good preparation. Pag maganda ang preparasyon, magiging maganda rin ang performance,? he philosophized.
?So, maganda ang magiging laban, at pag maganda at kapanapanabik ang laban, the fans will be happy, as we, both myself and Floyd would have wanted in the first place.?
?That?s why I want to thank Floyd for finally agreeing to fight, concerned also with the welfare of the boxing fans. After all, we both live and succeed in our chosen career because of the fans,? he reasoned out.
?This on-going debate now as who will win the fight is moot and academic. Actually, this early, I can say that there?s already a winner -- the boxing fans,? he remarked.
?The plain and simple men and women in the streets, who would often scrounge for money to buy tickets and see a good fight, they?re the real winner here,? he mused.
?Pero kailangan din mahaba-habang ensayo. Me and the team have to really prepare myself really well,? he added.
?We have to see to it that when we arrive in L.A., I?m strong enough to endure the tougher regimen prepared by Freddie.?
?I?m excited na, of course. Finally this fight will happen, and all I?m sure boxing fans are also excited with the thoughts that what they have been waiting for a long time would soon be realized,? the fighter of the decade said.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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