TRAINER: OLD PACQUIAO IS BACK
By Aquiles Z. Zonio
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 20 Mar 2015
LOS ANGELES ? The old Manny Pacquiao ? with insane hand speed and devastating punching power ? is back!
This was the observation given by Raides ?Nonoy? Neri after watching the 10-round punishing mitts session between Pacquiao and his chief trainer Freddie Roach Wednesday afternoon at the famed Wild Card Boxing Gym along Vine street here.
?He was so strong and so quick. It was so delighting to watch him train. This is the Manny Pacquiao of old!? Neri said in vernacular.
Neri compared the current Pacquiao to the guy who demolished Puerto Rican slugger Miguel Angel Cotto in November 14,2009.
?This is the same Manny Pacquiao who beat Cotto black and blue during their fight. With his speed and power, I doubt if the May 2 fight would last the full distance,? Neri added.
Referee Kenny Bayless stepped in to stop Pacquiao?s demolition of Cotto in the last and final round of their 2009 ring duel dubbed?Firepower.?
After the mitts session, Pacquiao spent one round pounding the heavy bag and six minutes each hitting the double end and spend bags.
Today (Thursday), Pacquiao is again set to spar against two quick and strong young fighters.
On Wednesday afternoon, two additional sparring mates of the Filipino boxing superstar arrived at the Wild Card Boxing Gym here.
The duo dined with the eight-division boxing champ inside the Thai restaurant here after they were introduced by Roach to his prized ward.
Roach asked the reporters here not to divulge the name of the new fighters who had just arrived to help in the Pacquiao training camp.
?Please don?t mention their names or show their faces in television. That was their own request,? Roach said.
Roach was impressed by the performance of Pacquiao during the first sparring session last Tuesday.
?Overall, Manny performed very well. He was very impressive against the two young and speedy fighters,? Roach said.
Pacquiao sparred for three rounds against a 5?10 Welterweight Kenneth Sims, Jr. (5-0, 2 KOs) of Chicago, Illinois.
Sims was an eight-time US national amateur boxing champion.
Roach described Sims as a slick boxer with power and good hand speed.
?He?s a Floyd Mayweather look-alike. He can simulate the moves and shoulder roll defense of Mayweather,? Roach bared.
The other guy who traded gloves with Pacquiao was a 5?9 Lightweight Edis Tatli, 27, of Helsinki, Finland.
Roach said he was happy with what he had seen during the sparring session.
Photo: Assistant trainer Nonoy Neri (L) with Pacquiao. Photo by Wendell Rupert Alinea.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Aquiles Z. Zonio.
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