PACQUIAO STARTS LIGHT TRAINING FOR VARGAS BOUT
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 14 Aug 2016
Starting this week, Filipino fighting Senator Manny Pacquiao will be dividing his time between performing his job as a lawmaker and preparing for his comeback fight with American World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Jessie Vargas.
The newly-elected Senator and his promoter, Top Rank CEO Bob Arum, have just jointly confirmed the Pacquiao-Vargas showdown late last week during the American boxing impresario's visit in Manila.
The 12-round match is set November 5 at the Thomas and Mack Center in the gambling city of Las Vegas.
The date of the fight, the eight-division world champ's 66th, falls exactly during recess in Senate sessions, which start October 22 to November 6.
The initial training regimen, according to the Solon's business consultant Mike Koncz, will consist of light roadwork -- leisure running and jogging -- at the Roxas Blvd. strip, which is just a stone's throw away from the Senate building in Pasay City.
"It will just be for the purpose of doing away with rustiness and excess muscle Manny developed during the three-month interval following his last fight (against Timothy Bradley) last May," Koncz averred.
"We're still looking for a boxing gym near the Senate building where the Senator can start the gym phase of training maybe two weeks from now as training slowly shifts to high gear," Koncz, who flew back to the country with Arum, said.
"The idea is for Manny not to miss sessions, which he promised the Filipinos even before he was elected to the Senate. There is also the possibility of holding his preparations in his own gym in General Santos City during non-session days," he added.
It was after that Bradley fight when the ring icon, then an outgoing congressman, announced his self-imposed retirement in order, he said, to concentrate his time in serving his people more when elected to a higher post as member of the Upper Chamber.
"After all, sessions are held three times a week from Monday to Wednesday, so, he can fly to GenSan Wednesday evening and workout there Thursday to Saturday," Koncz explained.
Koncz said he sees no problem in the setup, adding Pacquiao has been successful in managing his time since entering the world of politics and even when he was still involved in showbiz.
"Nothing to worry about. Manny's always been very busy all his life and he always finds time to rest and do more things," he said.
"He can, for instance, sleep in his Senate office after his early morning roadwork then attend whatever committee meetings there are mid morning and the session in the afternoon. No problem really," Koncz said.
The lone press conference scheduled to announce the fight will be held September 8 at the Beverly Hotel in Los Angeles, according to Koncz.
Photo: The fighting senator discusses training plans with Top Rank CEO Bob Arum, business consultant Mike Koncz and wife Jinkee at his Senate office. Photo by Wendell Rupert Alinea / OSMP.
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