PACQUIAO TO BEGIN SPARRING ON MONDAY
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 18 Aug 2007
If Manny Pacquiao’s sparring partners who are scheduled to arrive over the weekend believe they’ll have a comparative easy time because they think the Filipino idol is not in shape are bound to get a surprise.
Pacquiao is where celebrated trainer Freddie Roach wants him to be at in preparation for an eagerly anticipated rematch with legendary Mexican Marco Antonio Barrera at the Mandalay Bay Resort Hotel & Casino on October 6.
In a long distance telephone conversation with Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today after a solid workout at the new gym of close friend and confidant Rex “Wakee” Salud, Roach said “everything is going very well.” He said Pacquiao ran around the golf course and a steep hill and had a “good workout for seven rounds” on the punch mitts.
Roach said “training is now in full gear” and Pacquiao was ready to begin sparring on Monday.
Three sparring partners are arriving to give Pacquiao all the challenge he needs.The three are light welterweights Jose Armando Santa Cruz who has a record of 25-2 with 14 knockouts, Urbano Antillon who is undefeated with 12 knockouts in 19 wins and Dave Ravello.
Roach said Antillon is the one who will push Pacquiao hard and help get him into really great shape.
In the meantime Roach is slowly clamping down on the distractions caused by scores of fans crowding the RWS Gym to watch their idol train and is beginning to limit the number of people milling around.
Roach maintains that there is no better athlete in the world when he begins training than Pacquiao who is sharply focused and virtually kills himself in the gym especially since they both agree the rematch against Barrera is not, as some people believe, an easy fight.
Pacquiao’s charming wife added to the upbeat atmosphere in Team Pacquiao when she told Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today that everything between she and her husband is fine and that she doesn’t believe any rumors bruited about in the media. In fact, Jinkee told us she plans to visit Pacquiao in Cebu sometime next week to continue to encourage him.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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