T'was the hardest training camp we had - Pacquiao
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 18 Jul 2018
GENERAL SANTOS CITY ? Dedication in training and commitment to the sport he loves most was what newly-crowned World Boxing Association welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao was the secret of his getting back to competitive form that made him, among others, the only fighter history to emerge crown holder in eight weight divisions.
?From the time the moment the fight against WBA titlist Lucas Matthysse was announced and since we, my training team and myself, pitched camp, I promised to dedicate myself to seriously prepare for this fight,? Pacquiao told this writer in an interview on board a Philippine Airlines flight Monday that brought him and his team from Kuala Lumpur to this, his called his home.
Pacquiao took the measure of who is supposed to be a hard-punching Argentine titleholder on Sunday, sending him crawling on the floor three times en route to an easy seventh round TKO win, reclaiming a piece of the 147-pound diadem and, in the process, ending at last a nine-year campaign without stopping an opponent.
?That was the hardest training camp we had, I tell you," Pacquiao attested. ?I had to deprive myself of things I used to do in my previous fights, like playing basketball and chess at nights.?
?According to Buboy and rest of the team, those had served as distractions,? in my past preparations, ?he narrated in reference to strength and conditioning consultant Justin Fortune, Nonoy Neri, Roger ?Haplas? Fernandez and Ting Ariosa.
?I complied to all those restrictions as could be part of the change I myself had initiated to recover from past mistakes that cost us what could have been easy triumphs,? he said.
?Playing billiards and darts were also not permitted,? he said. ?Why, even my duties and responsibilities were reduced to the minimum. ?T?was good the Senate was in recess in the duration of the program kaya walang masyadong epekto sa pagiging lawmaker ko.?
The soon-to-be 40-yer-old fighting senator said pitching the camp in GenSan helped in the sense that he didn?t miss his family ? wife Jinkee and children Jimwell, Michael, Princess, Queenie and Israel -- much unlike before when preparations were held in Manila and Los Angeles.
?The camp was good. One if the best we held,? Pacquiao assured. ?Everything went well. We covered all the bases as early as two weeks before the fight. Everybody was cooperating, consulting with everyone on what to do and not to do.?
It was long in terms of days and weeks but short and intense in terms of hours in the road and in the gym.
?The camp was so smoothly run na-extend ito sa actual fight. My victory was actually a victory for Buboy and the training team. We made our game plan ahead of time and we executed them perfectly during the fight,? he assessed.
?More than anything else though, utang na loob natin itong lahat sa Panginoon na walang sawa tayong pinapatnubayan at pinangangalagaan sa lahat ng oras," Pacquiao relayed.
?That Sunday night in KL God showed us once more that with Him, nothing impossible. He?s good really," he said.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
Weights from Panamá City
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Sat, 17 May 2025CRUZ LANDS IBF ELIMINATOR AGAINST MISHIRO IN NEW YORK
Sat, 17 May 2025Fisher and Allen Hit the Scales Ahead of Highly Anticipated Heavyweight Rematch
Sat, 17 May 2025Boxing: Sport Entertainment or Entertainment Sport (Part Two)
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, Fri, 16 May 2025NYC PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES: BERLANGA VS. SHEERAZ / SHAKUR STEVENSON VS. WILLIAM ZEPEDA
Fri, 16 May 2025HALL OF FAME TRAINER FREDDIE ROACH TO BE HONORED BY THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES IN PUBLIC CEREMONY AT FREDDIE'S GYM!
Fri, 16 May 2025HALL OF FAME BROADCASTER JIM LAMPLEY TO PARTICIPATE IN 2025 HALL OF FAME WEEKEND FESTIVITIES
Fri, 16 May 2025Minnesota, Indiana Back Again in the Eastern and Western Conference Finals
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, Thu, 15 May 2025In Jonathan’s memory
By Joaquin Henson, Thu, 15 May 2025WATCH: HITCHINS AND KAMBOSOS JR IN INTENSE FACE-OFF WITH ONE MONTH UNTIL NYC SHOWDOWN
Thu, 15 May 2025Toledo-Xignex Trojans finally win the PCAP online team chess tournament
By Marlon Bernardino, Thu, 15 May 2025Former WBA Super Bantamweight Champion Nazarena Romero to Exercise Immediate Rematch Clause Against Mayelli Flores Rosquero
Thu, 15 May 2025Pacquiao's Controversial WBC Ranking Explained: "Legend" Status Cited Amid July Return
By Dong Secuya, Thu, 15 May 2025No-contest ruling awaited
By Joaquin Henson, Thu, 15 May 2025FISHER VS. ALLEN 2 + UNDERCARD FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES
Thu, 15 May 2025