PACQUIAO DOWNS SPARRING PARTNER IN 1ST DAY OF SPARRING (Updated with Photos)
By Ed de la Vega, DDS
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 18 Mar 2009
Los Angeles, California -- DARN, IT?S ONLY THR FIRST DAY!
At the rate things have started at the Wildcard Gym, Freddie Roach, the famed guru at the gym may have a hard time finding more sparring partners for Manny Pacquiao.
And what happened today, the very first day of sparring, may serve as a warning to Ricky Hatton and his loudmouth trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr.
The message to them is: Quit talking and start training, because Pacquiao is on a war path.
Pacquiao today more than ever showed that he means business and is treating his fight with Hatton with extra determination.
Pacquiao knocked down his sparring partner, a pretty respectable boxer from Glendale, California, Art Hovhannesyan in the second round.
Then disaster struck!
Hovanessian was cut on the upper eyelid (a cut the ringside experts describes as about one inch) by a single left hook resulting in the immediate stoppage of the sparring.
And the guy was fully equipped with a head gear with a face mask!
Could you imagine if he wasn?t?
Top photo: Pacquiao sparring partner Art Hovhannesyan, with full sparring gear and all, dives to the canvas after being hit by a Pacquiao left cross during today's sparring session at the Wildcard Gym in Los Angeles. Photo by Miguel Salazar / MP Promotions.
A Pacquiao lead left zeroes in on Hovhannesyan during today's sparring session at the Wildcard Gym in Los Angeles. Photo by Miguel Salazar / MP Promotions.
Hovhannesyan's trainer works on the cut sustained by the boxer during today's sparring session at the Wildcard Gym in Los Angeles. Photo by Miguel Salazar / MP Promotions.
Trainer Buboy Fernandez (L) adjusts Pacquiao's headgear during today's sparring session at the Wildcard Gym in Los Angeles. Photo by Miguel Salazar / MP Promotions.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ed de la Vega, DDS.
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