Pacquiao plays final basketball game
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 31 Mar 2011
BAGUIO CITY ? Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao could have played his last basketball game last night prior to driving to Manila and flying for Los Angeles in preparation for his May 7 title fight with Shane Mosley in Las Vegas.
A ?no basketball rule? four weeks before a fight that has been in effect since last year in his build up for his fight with Mexican Antonio Margarito will stay, according to chief trainer Freddie Roach in an interview with Malaya Business Insights yesterday before the reigning world welterweight champion plunge into sparring at the Shape Up Gym inside the Cooyeesan Hotel here.
?Yes the deal will stay,? Roach averred. ?And it will take effect as soon as we start training in L.A. Monday (Tuesday in Manila).?
Pacquiao was believed to have reinforced his Team Pacquiao Warriors in an on-going Pacquiao Cup tournament.
?That could have been in final game in the tournament since we are leaving Friday for Manila from where we will be flying to L.A.on Saturday, a schedule that virtually rules out the eight-division titleholder playing tonight.
Playing basketball, which Pacquiao considers as part of his training regimen, also completed his three-week stint in the Pines City.
?We?ll be touching L.A. soil the same day Saturday and resume our build up program Monday at the Wild Card Gym,? Roach bared referring to the gym he owned in downtwon Hollywood.
Two more sparring partners, welterweight Karim Mayfield and old reliable Rashad Halloway will be waiting for Pacquiao in L.A. in addition to Shawn Porter and David Rodela, the guys helping the Pacman in his preparations while in Baguio.
Mayfield, whose fighting style resembles that of Mosley, Roach said, Is hoped to provide Pacquiao the power Porter has been dishing out in the first two days of sparring, while Halloway will complement those being given by Rodela, which is speed.
?Manny needs those two as complementary to what Shawn and David have been contributing in Pacquiao?s arsenal,? Roach explained. ?That?s why we are keeping Both Shawn and David,? he said.
?Hindi na siguro, medyo masikip na ang schedule,? Pacquiao, for his part, told this writer in regards to playing additional games of the the second sport he loves, although adding quickly, ?pero depende pa rin kung anong oras kami bababa sa Maynila. Kapag talagang imposibleng maglaro, di na ako lalaro.?
?Starting next week kasi, we will be entering the most crucial stage of preparations. We will be trying to still imporove on what we?ve gained in this part of preparations, while maintaining on those na nandito na at hindi na mababago,? the world?s pound-for-pound king, reasoned out.
Besides, Roach butted in, training in the next five weeks will focus mostly on game plans and strategy the champ will exploit in quest for his 13th straight victory since his only loss the past decade in 2005 and in defense of his title.
Pacquiao has marked his second day of sparring. As in the first day Tuesday, he mixed it up with Porter in a free-wheeling three-round exchanges that saw both hurting each other. Rodela engaged Pacman in a brief two-round scuffle aimed at raising Pacquio?s speed coordination in hands and feet.
Yesterday?s session ended with the usual conditioning exercises under the watchful eyes of strength coach Alex Ariza.
Tomorrow will be the last day of the Philippine phase of training with another sparring session at the Elorde Sports Complex boxing facility in Sucat Road in Paranaque City.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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