PACQUIAO ASSISTANT TRAINERS BELIEVE BRADLEY FIGHT WILL NOT GO THE DISTANCE
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 20 Mar 2016
LOS ANGELES, CA -- Like chief trainer Freddie Roach, his Filipino assistants Buboy Fernandez, Nonoy Neri and Roger "Haplas" Fernandez believed their boss, Manny Pacquiao, still got what it takes to to send American Timothy Bradley to dreamland when they collide for the third time on April 9 at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas.
"Yeah, I believe coach Freddie when he said Manny still has the punch to knock anyone out," Buboy assured when asked following a 10-round sparring session Saturday at the Wild Card Gym here.
"And that's exactly how we have been preparing Manny since the program started in General Santos" Buboy added in a statement corroborated by Neri and brother Roger.
The three bared that preparations have been confined to attaining that goal -- from stamina building, sparring and other gym activities geared towards reacquiring the punching power, speed and other attributes Pacquiao used in flattening 38 of the 65 opponents that crossed his path the past 20 years.
"The goal really is ma-regain ni Manny ang mga sikreto kung papaano niya pinatulog yung the likes of the legendary Oscar DeLa Hoya, Erik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera, Miguel Cotto, Ricky Hatton and others," Neri, who doubles up as the eight division champ's dietitian butted in.
And how has the fighting Congressman from Sarangani Province has been responding?
"Well, kinailangan talaga ni Manny na mag-focus sa training regimen na inihanda ng training team from physical conditioning to everything else, like punching the heavy bags, the mitts, speed ball, etc." Haplas, for his part, said.
"The aspect of physical conditioning and stamina-building, walang ganong naging problema kasi fromn the time na gumaling na yung right shoulder ni Manny, naglaro na siya ng basketball halos araw-araw," Haplas said. "So when we entered the gym, kundisyon na si Manny kaya hind rin naging masyadong mahirap."
"Plus the fact that he himself announced that this fight is gonna be his last so gusto na rin naman niyang mag-retire gloriously. At nakita mo naman ang ensayo niya mula umpisa, bugbugan talaga ng katawan," Buboy related.
So far the build up program has been progressing well, no major hitches, they chorused except that for a few times, Roach would give him respite; "Kilala naman natin si Manny, kapag ensayo pinapatay ang sarili. Si coach Freddie pa nga ang pumipigil."
For Buboy, the three-time 'Fighter of the Year' is almost 100 percent ready to fight. For Neri and Haplas, he's 80 percent prepared.
"May mga bagay pang dapat ma-correct sa style na sinubukan naming ma-address, Neri added. "Kapag na-solusyunan na, saka pa lang natin masasabing handang-handa na."
The consensus among the assistant trainers was that by next week, before Team Pacquiao leaves for Las Vegas for the third and last leg of the preparations, Pacquiao will be 100 percent ready.
Photo: Assistant trainers Buboy Fernandez (L) and Nonoy Neri (R) help Manny Pacquiao on his workout routine. Photo by Wendell Rupert Alinea.
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