
Team Pacquiao starts Wild Card Phase
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 07 May 2012

With two more sparring partners joining the team, Filipino boxing hero Manny Pacquiao enters the most difficult stage of his build-up program Monday (Tuesday in Manila) at Los Angeles? famous Wild Card Gym.
Their schedule consists of resumption of working with the mitts with chief trainer and Wild Card owner Freddie Roach plus rounds of punching the heavy bags, the double end ball and speed ball capped with the routine skipping rope.
Russian Ruslan Provodnikov, a power-punching welterweight prospect who had been trading punches with the World Boxing Organization 147-pound titlist the past three weeks remains in the sparring rotation when sparring starts Tuesday (L.A. time).
Also helping in the eight-division kingpin?s regimen to prepare for his title-defense confrontation with American Timothy Bradley are 147-pounder Wally Amatoso and one other 140-pound campaigner whose name Roach could not remember.
?The guy, whose name I can?t remember, has been knocking at Manny?s door for a long-time to be one of his sparring partners so we thought to give him a chance,? Roach recalled.
?We?ll be in the most crucial stage of preparation and Manny knows it?ll be way tougher than what we?d been in Baguio,? Roach told this writer in an interview at the airport before members of Team Pacquiao boarded PAL flight 102 for L.A.
?Manny?s been there though many times before and as before he?ll survive the test and hopefully, win again and have something to dedicate to the country and his people,? Roach said.
Tougher and harder, Roach asserted, because from seven rounds per sparring session, the most while in Baguio, the frequency will be increased gradually to eight to nine rounds and up to as high as 12 rounds.
Roach said he hopes the two-day rest the champ enjoyed since arriving in L.A. last Saturday would enough to serve as cushion to the gruelling phase he is facing in the final weeks of preparations.
The five-time trainer of the year, likewise, expressed hope that the Bible-preaching activities that remained the only distraction in the training program so far would be lessened this time.
?I don?t have problem with that really. But I hope such activities won?t last till dawn as they often happened in Manila,? Roach said.
?Manny?s preparing for a fight and needs the good rest he could possibly get,? he said. ? I was told that there are also many Filipinos in L.A. that belong to the same congregation.?
?I hope they?d understand and not bother Manny in times of training. They will have their time anyway after the fight,? Roach added.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
Fundora vs. Thurman Expected to Land on Manny Pacquiao's January Undercard
By Dong Secuya, Mon, 20 Oct 2025Hong Kong’s “Tyson” Ng and Harpreet Singh of India Ready to Rock for WBC Asia Strap
By Carlos Costa, Mon, 20 Oct 2025TEAM ASIA CONQUER THE WORLD TO COMPLETE HISTORIC REYES CUP TITLE DEFENCE
Mon, 20 Oct 2025Jodiel Chloe Banawa: A 5-Year-Old Chess Prodigy Making Her Mark at the Provincial Meet
By Marlon Bernardino, Mon, 20 Oct 2025GM Joey is aiming for a world title shot
By Marlon Bernardino, Sun, 19 Oct 2025Patrick Bonifacio rules Directors Chess Cup
By Marlon Bernardino, Sun, 19 Oct 2025World Boxing Announces Elite Division World Rankings
Sun, 19 Oct 2025BEN WHITTAKER PRESS CONFERENCE: EVERYTHING THAT WAS SAID AS NEW MATCHROOM SIGNING MEETS GAVAZI – PLUS: VUONG vs GWYNNE II
Sun, 19 Oct 2025BIADO, YAPP, AND DUONG POWER TEAM ASIA TO THE BRINK OF GLORY
Sat, 18 Oct 2025Prado, Catubig dominate DTI Run
By Lito delos Reyes, Sat, 18 Oct 2025YORK HALL FIGHT NIGHT RESULTS: GEORGE LIDDARD MAKES HISTORY TO BECOME THE YOUNGEST EVER BRITISH MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPION
Sat, 18 Oct 2025Usyk in Bare Knuckle event?
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Sat, 18 Oct 2025IIEE Singapore tops National Chess Olympiad, Quezon City Simba's Tribe wins 2 matches in PCAP
By Marlon Bernardino, Sat, 18 Oct 2025Liddard Destroys Conway to Claim British Middleweight Title, Becomes Youngest-Ever Champion
By Dong Secuya, Sat, 18 Oct 2025Keiron Conway vs George Liddard: Unbeaten Prospect Faces Stiff Challenge
By Chris Carlson, Sat, 18 Oct 2025