PACQUIAO PEAKING NICELY
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 13 Sep 2007
Filipino ring idol Manny Pacquiao is peaking at the right time in preparation for his eagerly awaited rematch with Mexican icon Marco Antonio Barrera at the Mandalay Bay Resort Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas on October 7, Manila Time.
Celebrated trainer Freddie Roach told Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today that Pacquiao was "at his best" and sparred ten "very good rounds" which clearly pleased the man who has honed the flashy southpaw into a mean fighting machine.
Roach said Pacquiao was able to do his roadwork in the morning before the rains came down unlike on Tuesday when he braved the weather and jogged.
He said Pacquiao’s timing was almost there and he threw some solid combinations as well as body shots even as trainer and fighter worked on some aspects of their fight plan in the peace and quiet of the gym which has been kept strictly off limits to outsiders.
Roach said Pacquiao sparred four rounds with Raymund Beltran and three rounds each with the other Mexican David Rodela and another three rounds with Aaron Melgerejo at Rex "Wakee" Salud’s gym in Cebu City.
Pacquiao weighed 137 pounds and with just over three weeks to go to the fight Roach said the weight was "manageable and should pose no problems."
What was most evident according to Pacquiao’s chief-of-staff Jake Joson was that he was in a "super okay mood" and seemed to be very happy and mentally focused even as Joson said he was sharp and eager in his sparring session.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
Crawford Not the First Lightweight to Distinguish Himself at Super Middleweight
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, Tue, 16 Sep 2025SAMBO Pilipinas is Southern NSA of the Year 2025
By Lito delos Reyes, Tue, 16 Sep 2025Kingsley “The Black Lion” Ibeh To headline historic “Legacy Nights” Inaugural Pro Boxing event in El Salvador
Tue, 16 Sep 2025Smarts over power
By Joaquin Henson, Tue, 16 Sep 2025HALL OF FAME FLIES FLAGS AT HALF-STAFF FOR TWO-DIVISION CHAMPION RICKY HATTON
Tue, 16 Sep 2025Kazakhstan tops the medal table at the inaugural World Boxing Championships 2025 thanks to victory in the final bout of the competition
Tue, 16 Sep 2025THRILLA IN MANILA GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY 13: JOE FRAZIER’S HUMBLE BEGINNINGS AS AN AMATEUR FIGHTER
By Maloney L. Samaco, Mon, 15 Sep 2025A New King, A New Challenger: Turki Alalshikh Proposes Crawford-Benavidez While Canelo Alvarez Faces Defeat with Humility
By Dong Secuya, Mon, 15 Sep 2025Highly Questionable Title Eliminator
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, Mon, 15 Sep 2025Yoseline Perez Earns Silver Medal at Inaugural World Boxing Championships
Mon, 15 Sep 202521-year-old Filipino wins at Germany rapid chess tournament
By Marlon Bernardino, Mon, 15 Sep 2025Nagoya Nightmare: Naoya Inoue Notches One-Sided Decision over Murodjon Akhmadaliev
Mon, 15 Sep 2025Inoue’s Philippine Connection: Which Pinoy Super Bantamweight Could Challenge “The Monster?”
By Carlos Costa, Mon, 15 Sep 2025Yoseline Perez Advances to the Finals at the World Boxing Championships Perez Set to Face Chinese Taipei’s Hsiao-Wen Huang for 54-Kilogram World Title
Mon, 15 Sep 2025Canelo Gets Outboxed, Loses Undisputed Title to Crawford
By Carlos Costa, Sun, 14 Sep 2025