ROACH LINES UP TWO SPARRING PARTNERS FOR MANNY
By Aquiles Z. Zonio
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 11 Mar 2015
LOS ANGELES ? World eight-division boxing champion and Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao had expressed joy his chief trainer and head coach Freddie Roach is now back in LA to take charge of his daily training regimen.
?It?s good that we?re together again in training. Our relationship is special. You know, I?m very excited to train for this fight and I?m glad that Coach Freddie is back,? Pacquiao said in vernacular.
Pacquiao looked perked up as he emerged from the Wild Card Boxing gym past 5:00 p.m. Monday.
The Pinoy boxing superstar went straight to his favorite Thai Food restaurant nearby to take his early dinner.
His meal was composed of fried rice, beef tapa, deep fried chicken wings and mixed seafood-vegetable soup.
Outside the Thai restaurant, fans bringing souvenir items like gloves, t-shirts, caps, jackets, photographs for Pacman?s signature were lining up waiting for their boxing idol to come out.
Reporters from various media companies were also swarming around taking almost every opportunity to interview or take video footage of the Pinoy boxing legend.
The boxer-lawmaker claimed that Roach had already lined up two sparring partners to help him prepare for the May 2 megabuck fight against Floyd Mayweather, Jr.
?My sparring sessions will start next week. Coach Freddie had already hired two tough guys who can help me in my preparation,? Pacquiao bared.
The Pinoy ring icon, however, refused to divulge the names of his two sparring mates.
?I don?t have their names. But even if I knew them, I will not reveal their identity. They might be offered money again,? Pacquiao said laughing.
Reports earlier came out that the camp of Mayweather Jr. has offered a much bigger amount to prospective Pacquiao sparring mates.
Pacquiao, however, just shrugged off the reports, saying it doesn?t bother him a bit.
Roger ?Flash? Fernandez, one of Pacquiao?s training aides, told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that Pacquiao spent four rounds on the punch mitts with Roach on Monday.
?After the punch mitts, he spent four rounds on shadow boxing; three minutes each on the heavy bag, double-end bag and speed bag; three minutes on the skipping rope and capped it with around 1,000 abdominals,? Fernandez said.
Pacquiao?s training at the Wild Card Boxing Gym is off-limits to the media and the public. Only members of Pacquiao?s training team are allowed to get inside.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Aquiles Z. Zonio.
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