Pacquiao in peak form, ready to fight - trainers
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 29 Jun 2018
GENERAL SANTOS CITY -- The days of getting up early morning for the daily roadwork and proceeding to the gym by mid-day are believed to have finally bore fruit for Filipino fighting senator Manny Pacquiao in his readiness for his fight with World Boxing Association welterweight champion Lucas ?La Maquina? Matthysse next month.
Pacquiao?s handlers, led by chief trainer Buboy Fernandez and strength and conditioning guru Justin Fortune on Friday declared the multi-titled 39-year-old to have reached his peak and is ready to challenge the 35-year-old title holder for his 147-pound crown two weeks from today.
The Pacquiao-Matthysse title scrap titled ?Battle of Champions,? is set July 15 at the Axiata Arena at the robust Malaysian City of Kuala Lumpur. It is the first international card promoted by the Pacquiao-owned MP Promotions in coordination with the Oscar DeLa Hoya Promotions.
?Yes, we?re ready,? Fernandez and Fortune announced on Friday following a punishing climb of the stiff 950-feet above sea level mountain highway of Maasim town in Sarangani Province.
It was the second time in the span of five days Pacquiao scaled the perilous zig-zagging five-kilometer stretch in what completely improved his leg power and stamina for the expected tough 12-round rendezvous with the heavy-punching Argentine champ in the boxer-turned lawmaker?s attempt to wrest the title robbed him a year ago.
That was when he was dethroned by Australian Jeff Horn via unanimous albeit questionable decision many believed he won also July of 2017.
Another 10-round mitts session with Buboy in the afternoon of the same day and a 12-round sparring with Australian lightweight George Kambosos Jr. and a pair of Filipino dancing mates on Saturday complete the eight-division champ?s busy week.
Arnel Tinampay and Jerich Chavez, both welterweights, complete the three-man sparring team that?s has been strutting wares with Pacquiao since sparring started three weeks ago when the camp moved here from Manila.
It was actually on Thursday that the four-man evaluating group, which also includes Nonoy Neri and Roger ?Haplas? Fernandez diagnosed Pacquiao reaching tip-top condition after the Pacman went through the heavy plyometric session Wednesday.
On Monday, according to Fortune, the build up program will start tapering off although another set of plyometric sessions has been scheduled on Wednesday.
Pacquiao and his team, members of his and wife Jinkee?s families, allies in congress, friends and supporters depart for the Malaysian capital on July 9.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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