After only three days in camp, Pacquiao's preps shift to higher level
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 30 Nov 2018
Three days after pitching camp handlers of World Boxing Association welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao pronounced that the 147-pound kingpin is ready to shift his build up program to a higher level ahead of his coming title fight with challenger Adrien Broner.
Chief trainer Buboy Fernandez and conditioning coach Justin Fortune on Thursday assured that the soon-to-be 40-year old ring gladiator has passed the initial test on whether he can last the rigor of an eight-week extensive training regimen the coaching staff has prepared.
?Walang pagbabago mula noong huling laban nang ibalik natin si Manny sa dati niyang kinalalagyan (nothing has changed since our last fight we we succeeded in bringing Manny back to where he previously belonged),? Fernandez told this writer in an interview following the day?s light gym activities at the Elorde Gym in Pasay City.
Pacquiao?s boyhood friend-trainer was referring to the fighting senator?s seventh round TKO triumph over erstwhile Argentine belt-owner Lucas Matthysse last July, which he added was testament that his bosom pal is still a force to reckon with in his division contrary to what many believed.
Fortune, a former Australian heavyweight campaigner and Buboy?s partner in resuscitating what looked like the eight-division?s already declining career, said: "No amount of undermining and belittling Manny?s victory over Matthysse can erase the fact that Manny still belongs to the elite list of fighters in the welterweight class.?
?Remember before that fight, almost everybody was saying Manny?s already a washed out and Lucas would annihilate him and knock him out in fifth, sixth or seventh round,? Fortune recalled. ?But look what happened? We wrested the title from him.?
?Now, they?re changing their tune. They?re now saying it?s Lucas who?s a washed out and he went to Malaysia just to collect his pay check. Ridiculous. Aren?t they?? Fortune added.
Manny Pacquiao does the mitts with trainer Buboy Fernandez (above) and talks to conditioning coach Justin Fortune (top). Photos by Wendell Alinea.
Fortune said Pacquiao, actually is as strong as when he was knocking out those who crossed his path and as fast as when he was eluding the best who tried to outpace him.
?A puncher is always puncher, a speedster is always speedster. A strong puncher might diminish his power, yes, but they can recover that power through extensive and effective training program,? he asserted.
?And that?s what we?ll be targeting in the training regimen we just set in place,? Buboy butted in. ?there?s still a lot of room for improvement of Manny?s arsenal. Nakita na namin ang mga yun at pagtutuunan na lamang ng pansin mula ngayon at sa darating pang walong linggo ng prepeparasyon.?
Pacquiao and Broner exchange punches on January 19 at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, the Filipino champ?s first fight in American soil in two years.
Fortune said there?s no doubt Broner is not that bad a fighter. ?He?s smarter, stronger and faster than Matthysse. But I doubt if he can outsmart Manny, who is a little stronger and a lot quicker than him.?
?We?re also sure he?ll come out prepared with his game plan. But we, too, have game plans A, B and even C. And we?ll be sticking to them. Our plans are aimed at dismantling their plan,? he said with a wide grin.
Buboy asserted that he?s been watching tapes of Broner?s latest fights and discovered his weaknesses, most of which the challenger seemed unable to correct. ?Doon naming binase ang aming strategy we plan to use against him.?
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