ROACH PREPARES SPARMATES FOR PACQUIAO
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 10 Feb 2016
Manny Pacquiao's Hall of Fame chief trainer Freddie Roach is definitely bringing with him undefeated welterweight Frankie Gomez to be the principal sparring partner in the eight-division champion's preparations for his third fight against World Boxing Organization 147-pound titlist Timothy Bradley.
The 24-year-old Gomez, who owns an impressive 20-0 win-loss record in his young, six-year professional career, will have to wait though for the completion of his travel papers before he can join Team Pacquiao in the first phase of his on-going build up in General Santos City.
"It depends on how fast Top Rank (Pacqiuao's promotional outfit) can prepare Gomez's travel documents," Roach, who is set to arrive this coming weekend, told this writer in a long distance telephone interview Tuesday from Los Angeles.
"He's definitely coming in time for the start of the sparring sessions two weeks after I arrive. They (Top Rank) are already working on his papers," the seven-time "Trainer of the Year" honoree of the Boxing Writers Association of America assured.
Roach would not divulge how many sparring partners he has in mind as his prized ward's dancing mates except to say that sparring sessions won't be limited to Gomez alone.
It's been customary in previous fights of the Filipino fighting congressman to have at least a pair to prepare him, especially following a long layoff.
Pacquiao, who has been proclaimed as a senatorial candidate under the ticket of Philippine Vice President Jojo Binay, has been in hibernation for nearly a year after losing to undefeated and now-retired arch-rival Floyd Mayweather Jr. held May last year.
In the Pacquiao-Bradley II held April 2014 when the former 147-pound belt holder avenged his questionable defeat to the then unbeaten American, four tough fighters -- Lydell Rhodes, former titlists Kendall Holt, Steve Forbes and Speedy Gonzales -- alternated in building him up for that fight.
Roach offered good words to Gomez, a former amateur standout, who he noted that during a sparring session between him and the "Pacific Storm" performed well in the early rounds.
"Then Manny does better in the later rounds, because he has more experience. But it's very competitive at this point," he observed.
Owing to Pacquiao's 11-month layoff that included time to recuperate from a shoulder injury that recurred during the fight against Mayweather, Roach and his training staff are expected to implement a training regimen as gradually as possible.
The "Pacman", as Pacquiao is also fondly called, has actually started his reparations two weeks ago in General Santos City under the supervision of training assistants Buboy Fernandez, Nonoy Neri and Roger "Haplas" Fernandez.
Born Jes?s Francisco G?mez on February 4, 1992, the undefeated Mexican-American fighter is currently signed by Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions and has been Roach tutelage since turning pro.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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