"IF THE FIGHT IS HELD TOMORROW, I'M READY" -- PACQUIAO
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 11 Apr 2015
LOS ANGELES, Cal. -- Long, but beautiful.
This was how World Boxing Organization welterweight crown owner Manny Pacquiao described Friday's grueling training session at the Wild Card Gym.
"Beautiful, a very beautiful day for me," Pacquiao, who will be facing American Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a mega-bout welterweight unification on May 2 in Las Vegas, exclaimed in an interview at his his mansion on Plymouth St. in Larchmont Village here.
"Napakaganda ng ensayo namin kanina. Mahaba, pero masayang-masaya kaming lahat pagkatapos," Pacquiao said. "Even Freddie (chief trainer Roach) was so happy with the way the training went."
Pacquiao was referring to the tree hours he stayed in the gym, owned by Roach, which his team converted into a training camp for the duration of their two-month stay in Los Angeles.
The father of five with Sarangani Vice Governor wife Jinkee, even went to the extent of saying he will be in complete fighting form within the next two weeks.
"Kung bukas na ang laban, ready na ako, but within the next two weeks, laban na laban na tayo. Hindi lamang ready, talagang panalo," he vowed.
"As far as conditioning kasi, almost complete na ako," wala na akong mahihiling pa," he assessed. "Ring savvy na lang ang medyo kulang pa. Pero maapupunuan na yun sa mga susunod pang ilang araw."
"Freddie naman is doing his job as well as other members of the coaching staff. Nagpupuyat sila sa pag-a-aral ng game plans and strategies. Watching the tapes of all of Floyd's fights," he said.
The 147-pound titleholder worked out for a total of 27 rounds, including 14 doing the mitts with his chief trainer, punching the double end and speed balls, skipping rope and doing floor exercises.
Assistant trainers, brothers Buboy and Roger "Haplas" Fernandez and Nonoy Neri swore to the truthfulness of their boss' assessment.
"We're not only leaving no stone unturned, so to speak. We are also covering all the bases para lahat ng dapat kailangang gawin ay maisakatuparan," Buboy told this writer.
"Kanina ang concentration namin ay nasa technical aspect ng laban. Lahat ng laman ng utak namin sa training nakatuoon," he added.
"Yung ginawa naming 27 rounds kanina, madagdagan pa yan sa mga darating na araw," Haplas butted in. Last week nga nag-33 rounds na kami in our effort to make Manny ready to fight for 20 rounds and over."
"It's a hard day, too, like every other days I work out in the camp. But pagkatapos naman, masarap na rin ang pakiramdam, lalo na kapag inisip mo ang na-attain. Nawawala ang pagod," he said. "So far, so good ang camp. I think we're achieving what we are trying to achieve in the first place."
Earlier in the day, the eight division world champ, once again, scaled the zig-zagging Griffith mountain for an energy-sapping two hours counting the abdominal exercises he regularly does in coming there.
"Yun ang nakakapagod talaga, pero pagkatapos naman, very rewarding," he said. "Griffith is, indeed, my favorite venue for developing strength in my legs, kahit noong simula pa akong mag-ensayo dito sa L.A. I really feel different kung dito ako tumatakbo," Pacquiao said by way of explaining his love for the place in lieu of other sites available.
Pacquiao added though that his two-week stint at the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) also helped in improving his leg speed and agility.
Photo: Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao (L) runs at the mountainous Griffith Park in Los Angeles Friday morning. Accompanying him during his run are his pet dog, Pacman, and former world champion Rodel Mayol.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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