PACQUIAO GEARING UP FOR HORN BOUT EVEN WITH TIGHT SCHEDULE
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 16 Apr 2017
Three weeks from now, expect to see local boxing hero Manny Pacquiao run every morning in the vicinity of his official residence while in the Big City in the posh Forbes Park where he is scheduled to start his dual role as a fighter and a lawmaker anew.
The first week of May is the time by which the 38-year-old will commence with what will be another tough and grueling preparation for his coming fight with unheralded Australian Jeff Horn, the anointed challenger for his Word Boxing Organization welterweight crown based on the 10-week period Pacquiao normally conduct his build up program.
Pacquiao and his former schoolteacher title-pretender face off in a 12-round showdown on July 2 at the 55,000-seat Suncorp Arena in Brisbane where the Filipino eight-division belt-owner is staking his 147-pound belt.
Like when he fought and recaptured his title at the expense of Mexican-American Jessie Vargas in November last year, Paquiao has to follow strictly the training regimen he himself and his training staff would have already prepared.
Which includes getting up early at 4 a.m. for the roadwork segment of the program, take his breakfast after a short nap then drive to his Senate office to attend hearings of committees which he is a member.
His job as senator doesn?t end there. He still has to attend sessions which starts mid-afternoon and normally ends at 8 to 9 p.m. He then would hurry to nearby gym for at least a two-hour ring portion of his routine.
Count the bible study sessions and rallies he, too, has to attend, though not as often, and the father of five with wife, former Sarangani Vice Gov. Jinkee would have to retire midnight or beyond.
?Mahirap, no? But I managed to do that in my last fight against (Jessie) Vargas, kakayanin uli natin yan ngayon,? Pacquiao assured in an interview with this writer one afternoon when he was gearing to prepare for his aborted fight with Briton Amir Khan.
?Well, talagang ganyan ang buhay ng pagiging public servant. ?Pinili kong magsilbi sa tao sa pamamagitan ng pagsisilbi gobiyerno at sa pagiging boksingero, so walang dahilan para mag-rerklamo,? he reasoned out. ?Besides I enjoy playing the role of a dual citizen. Basta makapagpaligaya ako ng tao okay lang,?
Pacquiao disclosed that on session days on Mondays up to Wednesdays, training will be in Manila. He?ll then flies home to hometown General Santos City from Thursdays to Sundays and resumes preparation at his own Pacman Gym.
?Gusto ko ring makita ang pamilya ko kahit weekend lang. Pagdating ng laban, di na naman kami madgkikita-kita nang matagal,? he quipped referring to wife Jinkee, and children Jimuel, Michael, Princess, Queenie and Israel.
When Hall of Fame chief trainer and strength and conditioning coach Justin Fortune will be arriving is not yet known. Assistant trainers Buboy Nonoy Neri and Roger ?Haplas? Fernandez will oversee the program until Roach and Fortune fly in.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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