PACQUIAO, ROACH AND TRAINING TEAM DEPART FOR L.A.
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 23 Oct 2016
After six weeks of huffing and puffing on the road, sparring and hitting the mitts in the gym and, in between, attending senate hearings and sessions, Filipino boxing sensation Manny Pacquiao emerged outside the Elorde sweat shop for the last time yesterday looking ready and fit to recapture the World Boxing Organization crown from its present owner Jessie Vargas.
Pacquiao and Vargas mix it up exactly two weeks from today on November 5 (November 6 in Manila) at the Thomas & Mack Center inside the University of Nevada-Las Vegas campus in that American gambling city with the ?Fighter of the Decade? aiming to win back the 147-pound plum he held twice before.
Pacquiao and his team, headed by Hall of Fame chief trainer Freddie Roach were to depart last night for Los Angeles where he will be applying the finishing touches of his build up program at the famous Wild Card Gym starting Monday before they motor to Las Vegas for the final week of preparations.
?Appyling the finishing touches, yeah, that?s exactly what we?re gonna do the next one week,? Roach told this writer Thursday night as he came out of the gym where no one, except only the inner circle of the Pacman?s retinue were admitted.
Even members of media who have been covering Pacquiao?s training since the opening of the camp late August were barred from entering the gym named after another ring hero Gabriel ?Flash? Elorde.
?Training actually ends Saturday (yesterday), but we still need to close the camp next week and the following seven days,? Roach said as if to indicate that this early, his pupil of 15 years is already top fighting form.
?We?re ready to fight,? the seven-time ?Trainer of the Year? assured. ?We did everything we need to do from physical conditioning to actual fighting and we in the training team believe that we?ve covered all bases.?
?Manny will still spar three more times next week. Punch the mitts visit the heavy bags, double end ball and speed ball, but in a very light load, ? he said. ?Just letting go of the sweat. Nothing else.?
That, according to Roach, formally brings down the curtain to what he termed ?one of the most successful training camps' since he started handling Pacquiao win the world flyweight diadem in 2001 at the expense of Lehlohonolo Ledwaba via a TKO victory in six rounds.
On the week of the fight, Pacquiao will only do very light physical activities like walking and leisure running inside the UNLV oval.
?He can play chess but not to the extent of exhausting his mental energy,? Roach said.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
Jayson Mama vs. Michael Bravo Ends in Technical Draw; Joey Canoy and Rv Deniega shine in Sanman's Last Show of 2024.
Sat, 28 Dec 2024Casama to face Fujita in Tokyo
By Lito delos Reyes, Sat, 28 Dec 2024Mirano, Bernardino, Alidani shine in Penang chess tilt
By Marlon Bernardino, Sat, 28 Dec 2024February 24: Junto Nakatani-David Cuellar Title Showdown Headlines a Bantamweight Bonanza in Tokyo LIVE on ESPN+
Fri, 27 Dec 2024Zamora, Soledad crush opponents in Bangkok
By Lito delos Reyes, Fri, 27 Dec 2024GOLDEN BOY LAUNCHES INTO 2025 WITH ERIC PRIEST HEADLINING FIRST-EVER SHOW AGAINST TYLER “HERCULES” HOWARD
Fri, 27 Dec 2024PH Fighter of the Year, Top Fighters of 2024
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, Fri, 27 Dec 2024Three in line for title bids
By Joaquin Henson, Fri, 27 Dec 2024Paciones wins WBA Asia light fly title
By Lito delos Reyes, Fri, 27 Dec 2024Yanong KOs Phayom in 2nd round
By Lito delos Reyes, Fri, 27 Dec 2024Cebuana Lhuillier Tennis Team Dominates, Defends Title at 41st PCA Open Championship
By Marlon Bernardino, Fri, 27 Dec 2024MIEL FAJARDO READY FOR YOHANA IN EXCITING WBO 112 GLOBAL TODAY IN TANZANIA
By Carlos Costa, Thu, 26 Dec 2024Today! Paciones, Yanong, Zamora, Soledad Ready for Action in Highland Show in Thailand
By Carlos Costa, Thu, 26 Dec 2024LERASAN, KASSIM, MAKE WEIGHT FOR WBF 118 BELT IN TANZANIA
By Carlos Costa, Thu, 26 Dec 2024IIEE Metro Central scores 24-24 standoff versus IIEE Western Visayas in the 3rd D’ Engineers Cup
By Marlon Bernardino, Thu, 26 Dec 2024