PACQUIAO SPARRING PHOTOS -- ENJOY THEM WHILE THEY LAST
By Ed de la Vega, DDS
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 26 May 2008
Los Angeles, CA -- The photos taken today (Saturday, LA Time) and posted with this story maybe the last ones you will see until fight day on June 28, 2008 between Filipino fireball Manny Pacquiao and the WBC Lightweight champion, David Diaz of Chicago.
Today at the Wildcard Gym just before Pacquiao got on the ring to spar with three very strong and able sparring partners, security chief Rob Peters upon the instructions of Freddie Roach and Team Pacquiao, in his usual booming voice made the following announcements:
?Ladies and Gentlemen: We appreciate your keen interest in watching Manny Pacquiao train today. Please enjoy it because effective Monday, from 1:00 to 3:00 PM, the Wildcard Gym will be closed to the public including friends and acquaintance of the champion. We do not care if you are at the Palazzo visiting everyday. Beginning Monday if you do not have a specific role in the training, you will be asked to leave if you come to watch the training. Please do not make us ask you to leave. If you do not have a role, please do not come. Please note that no flash photography will be allowed today while Manny is sparring. Video photography of any kind is strictly prohibited. Thank you.?
With that we took our usual position at the ringside and started taking photos of Pacquiao as he sparred with three different boxers. He started off with two rounds with Carlos Tangaro, a Filipino-Puerto Rican warrior who was born and raised in Hawaii but now trains and lives in the Cochella Valley area. Tangaro although slightly smaller than Pacquiao stood his ground and gave Pacquiao a real work out and a good warm up.
Then he took on a Mexican slugger named Steve Quiniones. Quiniones, according to his wife who sat next to us at the ringside, is a veteran boxer who has been fighting for more several years. He is slightly bigger than Pacquiao, thus Pacquiao was able to unload on him. The duo had quite an exchanged for three long rounds.
Finally, Pacquiao had two rounds with a boxer from Scotland named Gary McMillen. He was slightly taller than Pacquiao and had a longer reach. But Pacquiao still managed to sneak in several combinations almost at will.
From what we gathered, Roach is very pleased with today?s sparring. Even this early in the sparring sessions, Pacquiao has demonstrated excellent hand speed and magnificent foot work. True to what Roach as always mentioned and echoed today by Steve Kim of MaxBox (who was present as Pacquiao sparred today) ?when Pacquiao gets serious, he trains like there is no tomorrow.?
After the sparring, Pacquiao proceeded to do the usual routine with the heavy bag, the double bag and the speed bag. He also had several rounds with the skipping rope after which he had stretching and condition exercises supervised by Nonoy Neri and Coach Eric Brown.
Following his ?cool-down?, he dried off, changed clothes and then obliged his fans with photos and autograph.
Before going home to the Palazzo, he treated a large group of people and friends at the Thai restaurant next door to the Wildcard Gym.
Note:
PhilBoxing has always been treated as special by the Team Pacquiao. While we respect and see the obvious need for privacy while Pacquiao trains, we will appeal today?s ruling with Freddie Roach. We are aware that there will be no assurance Roach will grant our request but for the sake of the readers of PhilBoxing, we will give it a try.
Other than that, the best we can say is enjoy the attached photos. They maybe the last we will post before the fight at Mandalay Bay next month.
Sparring Photos:
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