MERCILESS AND RUTHLESS MANNY ON THE DECK
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 24 Mar 2015
LOS ANGELES, Cal. ? Can the boxing world see a merciless and ruthless Manny Pacquiao when he fights undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr in the historic, multi-million-dollar confrontation five weeks from now at the MGM Grand in Nevada?s sin city of Las Vegas?
?Chances are, they will,? was boyhood buddy and assistant trainer Buboy Fernandez?s ready answer in an interview Sunday afternoon. ?Manny is very different from the guy I started training many years back.?
?This is the first time in the many years of my association with him that I saw him this merciless,? Fernandez assured. ?In fact, merciless, to me, is an understatement. Ruthless, that?s the right word. Vicious. furious, whatever.?
?What I Can assure you is that Manny is ibang-iba na. Sa attitude sa enssayo, determinasyon at dedikasyon. Napaka-seryoso niya ngayon at kita mo, feel mo na talagang gustong manalo,? he said.
?Ang ng bagsik ni Manny ngayon, ibang-iba, that?s the first time I?ve noticed from the time we pitched training camp in General Santos City five weeks ago,? the heavy-built Fernandez told this writer when asked for an assessment on how training for the Mayweather encounter has so far gone.
?While before, they were saying masyadong maawain si Manny. Ayaw gulpihin ang kalaban. Mabait, Now, he?s no longer like that,? he said. ?Don?t be surprised If the fight ends in the first few rounds and I hope he does.?
?Sobra ang bagsik ni Boss Manny dito sa labang ito,? 1990 Beijing Asian Games gold medalist Roberto Jalnaiz, one of the ?Coyote Boys? organized by Fernandez to help in many previous preparations Pacquiao have undergone at the Wild Card Gym here? butted in.
"Matagal na akong nagse-serve kay Boss Manny every time he trained in L.A. at masasabi kong, ruthless siya ngayon,? Jalnaiz added in a statement concurred in by fellow Coyote Boys Reynante Jamili, Juanito Rubillar, Arnel Fontanilla, Gerry Dizon, Aaron Melgaryo and Marvin Mabait.
The eight-man Coyote Boys, made up of former Filipino boxers now based in Los Angeles, are currently working on Pacquiao?s routine morning roadwork along with, among others, Arjay ?Mandirigma? Angeles and Kali Sopenaski, besides taking care of gym equipment being used in Wild Card activities.
?Hindi nagbago si Manny mula noong nakilala ko at nakalaban. Ang bilis pa rin ng paa, kamay, katawan at lakas ng suntok,? Jamili, the man the fighting Sarangani Congressman dethroned as the World Boxing Council International super-bantamweight champion via a second round technical knockout victory in 1999 said.
?Ang nakikita kong ipinagbago ni Manny ay ang lupit at bagsik niya. Nakikita mo sa mata niya, parang nagbabaga kapag nag-e-ensayo. Parang matindi ang galit,? Jamili observed.
?Siguro tama nga si coach Freddie (Roach). Maybe Manny really hates Mayweather. Makikita mo sa suntok nya, maging sa mitts at sa sparring, talagang bigay todo,? Rubillar, once a an Orient pacific light-flyweight belt owner and top WBC contender in the same division, remarked.
Fernandez agreed. Saying, ?yeah, that?s true. Coach Freddie might have really felt the changes in Manny?s punches. I feel the unusual strength, too, of his punches.?
?When we?re doing the mitts, my entire body is shaking. Both my hands, after the workout, are swollen and numbed. I cannot even hold anything for two days,? he attested.
?It?s good he?s doing the mitts alternately with coach Freddie and me. Kung ako lang or coach Freddie alone per mitts session, baka sinuman sa amin baldado na, five weeks pa before the right,? he said.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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