PACQUIAO FLAUNTS FIREPOWER IN SPARRING SESSION (Photos)
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 02 Jun 2012
LOS ANGELES, CA (PNA) - Nine days before World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao stakes his crown against undefeated American Timothy Bradley, his handlers proclaimed their ward ready is to fight and keep the 147-pound belt.
?Manny?s ready to fight,? chief trainer Freddie Roach exclaimed as soon as Pacquiao ended a four-hour training session highlighted by a six-round skirmish against a pair of Russian sparmates Thursday at the Wild Card Gym here.
Pacquiao himself attested to his fitness to fight. When asked how ready he is to battle Bradley, the eight-division kingpin kiddingly answered back, ?101 prercent. Kidding aside, I?m really ready na to fight. Tama si Freddie, puede na akong lumaban ngayong gabi.?
In an effort to test his speed, Pacquiao was pitted against Russian welterweight Eugene Chyprakov for three rounds before exchanging power shots with junior-middleweight Zukhrab Shidaev, also for three rounds in what Roach said virtually put to rest the Filipino icons? six-week training camp.
?Manny can fight even tonight,? Roach added with utmost confidence that the eight-division champion has reached peak form and is raring to face all comers.
?The camp ends today although we will have to still wind everything up till Monday here in L.A..? the five-time ?trainer of the year? awardee of the Boxing Writers Association of America said.
Shidaev and Chyprakov replaced Roger ?Speedy? Gonzales and Kevin Hopskin in the team.
Assistant trainers Buboy Fernandez and Nonoy Neri and even the late-coming Filipino and strength and conditioning coach Marvin Somodio concurred with the chief trainer?s observation.
?Puedeng?puede na,? Fernandez, Pacquiao?s boyhood friend and trainer attested, adding, ?inspired na inspired si Manny at extremely motivated.?
?Kumpleto na. Nandyan na ang power, speed, lahat na, pati kondisyon,? Neri, who doubles up as the champ?s dietician, for his part said.
?At mentally prepared pa. Yun naman talaga ang pinaka-importante sa preparasyon. Mental toughness na wala si Manny noong nakaraang laban niya,? Neri assured referring to Pacquiao?s last fought against Mexican legend Juan Manuel Marque whom he had to settle for a controversial majority decision win.
?Ngayon, wala na yun. Nandyan na lagi si Jinkee at nanonood ng training pati mga anak nila. Wala na talga akong nakikitang problema.?
Somodio, who had temporarily taken over the strength and condition aspect of preparation at the Pines City, agreed, saying ?Kondisyong-kondisyon si Manny at napakalakas, mabilis.?
Pacquiao is putting his title on the block against the loudmouth Bradley June 9 at the MGM Grand Arena.
Workouts, according to Roach, have still been scheduled this weekend and Monday to apply the finishing touches of the six-week long fine tuning program that started in Baguio City and extended here.
Pacquiao does the mitts anew with Roach Friday to correct the tiny flaw in fighting stance and keeping his distance against the tough and wily Bradley, plus increasing his stamina through plyometric and isometric exercises.
?Well go strictly game plan and strategy tomorrow before coming back to sparring Saturday and Sunday against Ruslan (Provodnikov),? Roach revealed in reference to Pacquiao?s regular sparring mate, who has been with the team since the Baguio camp.
?We?ll have three to four-rounds skirmishes Saturday then Monday with the same frequency before we drive to Las Vegas,? Roach said.
The whole Team Pacquiao leaves L.A. for Las Vegas, venue of the 12-round showdown, Monday evening after the session.
Topmost photo: WBO Welterweight Champion, Manny Pacquiao, connects with a right straight against Russian sparring mate, Zukhrab Shidaev, during Thursday's training session at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles. Photos by WENDELL RUPERT ALINEA (via PLDT)
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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