ROACH: MANNY PACQUIAO OF OLD IS BACK
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 30 Mar 2016
LOS ANGELES, CA -- Boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao surprised chief trainer Freddie Roach last Tuesday with a superb performance reminiscent of one 13 years ago when he disposed off Marco Antonio Barrera via an 11th round technical knockout victory that handed him the Ring Magazine featherweight championship.
Working for only seven rounds in a tapered off sparring session against Congolese-Canadian Ghislain Maduma and American Lydell Rhodes, the now 37-year-old, one of the "Figter of the Decade" honorees of the Boxing Writer Association of America, moved, weaved and cut the ring like a 25-year-old Manny Pacquiao of old to the delight of Roach, his assistants and dancing mates well.
"What you just saw today is the Manny Paquiao of old," the Hall-of Fame boxing guru told this writer after the four-round skirmish with Maduma and three with Rhodes.
"Very natural, relaxed," he added. "Just like the Manny Pacquiao who beat Barrera in 11 rounds 13 years ago." Roach was referring to Pacquiao's fight with Barrera held November 15, 2003 at the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas, where he defied a 1-4 odds to the man considered as the best 126-pound campaigner in the world to wrest the title.
Photos: Pacquiao works out at the Wildcard Gym in Los Angeles Tuesday. Photos by Wendell Rupert Alinea.
From the very first round, the soon-to-be eight division champion gave a sensational performance, dominating the titleholder the whole fight to add the crown to his flyweight and and super-bantamweight diadems won earlier in his career.
He knocked Barrera down in the third and early in the 11th before finally finishing the Mexican legend off with a series of shots later in the same round forcing the enemy's corner to throw in the towel fours seconds left of the period.
"That was the first of many outstanding performances of Manny that defined his ring career," Roach reminisced. "If he can continue fighting this way come April 9, there's no way Bradley can win."
Roach was referring to American Timothy Bradley whom the Pacman will meet for the third time in four years on April 9 at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas.
"Too much speed, too much power," was all Maduma could say at the end of his side of sparring. Rhodes agreed, saying, "we actually has nothing more to add to his arsenal. He has everything. He has lots of confidence and has mastered his range. "
"Freddie was right when he said Manny's ready to fight anytime now," Rhodes narrated. "Manny can beat anybody actually in his present form."
"Wala na talagang kulang kay Manny. Kumpleto na," Marvin Somoio, Roach's Filipino assistant at his Hollywood training facility, for his part said.
"Ang ganda ng kondisyon ni Manny ngayon," Roger "Haplas" Fernandez, another assistant trainer, butted in. "Ang laki ng motivation. Napakaganda ang almost one year na bakante."
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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