PACQUIAO ENTERS CRUCIAL STAGE OF CAMP VS BRADLEY
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 14 Mar 2016
LOS ANGELES, Cal. -- Boxing sensation Manny Pacquiao enters the final and crucial stage of his preparations for his coming fight with American Timothy Bradley starting Monday as his training by team tries to fill the vacuum left untouched in the first leg of his training camp at his hometown General Santos City.
And if members of his training team, headed by Hall of Fame guru Freddie Roach, are to be believed, nothing much, except in sparring, will they be focusing on in this, the last three weeks of the program here before proceeding to the gambling city of Las Vegas in Nevada where the 12-round non-title showdown is scheduled on April 9 at the luxurious MGM Grand Arena.
"Except in sparring wala na kaming inaasahang malaking mangyayari," Nonoy Neri and Roger "Haplas" Fernandez, two of Roach's assistants chorused last Sunday, a day after Team Pacquiao landed here following an 11-hour Philippine Air Lines flight from Manila.
"We believe we've completed everything that needed to be done in the GenSan camp," the duo asserted in a conversation at the eight-division champ's mansion here where Pacquiao hosted a dinner to supporters who visited him that day.
"Ang sparring medyo kulang pa," Fernandez said. "Kaya yun ang aming pag-uukulan ng pansin dito sa susunod na tatlong liggong nalalabi," Fernandez, brother of another assistant trainer and Pacquiao's childhood friend Buboy Fernandes.
"But that doesn't mean naman na very light na ang ensayo," Neri butted in. "This is still crucial part of preparations kaya, kailangan kay Manny focus pa rin."
Neri's and Haplas' remark actually echoed Roach's assessment made before the team left Manila last Saturday.
Before taking the curtains down on the GenSan camp, Pacquiao had logged a total 52 rounds besides doing the mitts for no less than 80 rounds. Even the conditioning aspect of the build up program, according to the five-time Trainer of the Year honoree, his pupil had also been almost completed.
"Manny still needs at lesast 50 more rounds of sparring," he said.
Team Pacquiao arrived here Saturday afternoon amidst warm welcome of hundreds of his supporters who, for the pat two days have expressed their undying loyalty to their idol by paying him a visit at his residence along Plymuoth Avenue.
Photo: Manny Pacquiao hosts a lunch with his team at his favorite Japanese restaurant in Hollywood Sunday. Photo by Wendell Alinea.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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