DIAZ HAS TERRIFIC WORKOUT, PACQUIAO BATTERS SPARRING
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 31 May 2008
World Boxing Council lightweight champion David Diaz who reportedly had a great week of training working out at the JABB Gym in Chicago even on the Memorial Day holiday says he had "a terrific workout" while the Philippines national treasure Manny Pacquiao battered new sparring partner Juan Rodriguez and slugged it out with Gary McMillen and Steve Quinones for a total of ten rounds.
Diaz in his regular diary in the Chicago Sun Times said he was heading for San Francisco this weekend where he and Pacquiao will hold a free public workout and autograph session for their fans at the West Wind School in Berkley.
Diaz said "Manny and I are giving the fans a chance to see us workout ? don?t worry we do it at different times. We?ll each go for about an hour."
The lightweight champion learned that Pacquiao held some open workouts in San Francisco in the past "in front of huge crowds, so it should be fun." Diaz also commended Pacquiao?s fans saying "one thing that has been true during the entire promotion ? Manny?s fans have been very respectful and gracious towards me."
The trip to San Francisco will be Diaz?s first since he fought there as an amateur in 1995. He said that he was looking forward to it even as he disclosed that before he leaves for Las Vegas for his "Lethal Combination" showdown with Pacquiao on June 28 he was going to do one more open workout for the fans in Chicago.
Meantime, there?s been some concern about the quality of the sparring partners of Pacquiao at this point. Rodriguez, a southpaw is said to be a newcomer with only a couple of fights to his name while Quinones is a 37 year old southpaw lightweight with a record of 31-12-1, 10 KO?s and has lost his last three fights.
McMillen, from Scotland, is a welterweight who has a record of 4-1-1 with 1 knockout accordng to boxrec.com but that may not be accurate. However, Viva Sports/Manila Standard was told that he is the best and toughest of Pacquiao?s sparring partners and really gives Pacquiao a workout.
Well known TV boxing analyst Moy Lainez, a member of the original "Team Pacquiao" along with business manager Rod Nazario and Lito Mondejar said trainer Freddie Roach "knows what he is doing and probably plans to bring in tougher sparring partners later on in training, when Manny is really in top shape."
Lainez said he was not worried and is confident that Pacquiao will win because he has "too much speed and power" for Diaz to handle.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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