TEAM PACQUIAO UPBEAT PRIOR TO DEPARTURE FOR L.A.
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 27 Oct 2012
GENERAL SANTOS CITY (PNA)- Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao and his team leave for the United States tonight to finally join chief trainer Freddie Roach in the final leg of his preparations for his fourth fight against Mexican nemesis Juan Manuel Marquez December 8 in Las Vegas. Roach has, actually, been waiting for his favorite pupil at his Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles since last October 8, but matters pertaining to his being the Congressman of the province of Sarangani which he had to finish, postponed Pacquiao's early planned departure by three weeks.
And if Pacquiao's conversation with Roach over the phone last Tuesday is to be believed, sparring will resume on the very first day that he reports at the Wild Card Gym.
"Tuloy na bukas, " Pacquiao told People's Journal before lowering down the curtain in his General Santos camp yesterday at the People's Champ Gym inside the huge Family Country Hotel compound here.
"Freddie and I talked over the overseas phone last Tuesday and he asked me if I'm ready to start the camp with sparring," Pacquiao recalled. "And I answered yes, because we had a very successful camp in GenSan. Freddie congratulated me."
The Pacman skipped his usual early morning roadwork yesterday to prepare himself for his final sparring session with partner Anthony Marcial later in the day.
"Six weeks na lang at laban na so it's about time to really brace myself up for the heavy portion of my preparations in the U.S.," Pacquiao said adding that the next month and-a-half LA camp could be the toughest in his 17-year boxing career highlighted by his becoming the first and only man on planet earth to win weight world championships in as many weight divisions.
"I believe we have already gained what we were trying to attain in this camp, that is rebuilding my stamina lost following a four-month hiatus since my last fight in June early this year, so I decided to do away with the scheduled roadwork," Pacquiao reasoned out.
"Bukas, before flying to Manila, tatakbo pa rin ako," the father of four with wife Jinkee said. "Sayang di ang oras, sa hapon pa naman ako lilipad for Manila."
He will be flying to Manila on a private plane owned by bosom friend, Gov. Chavit Singson, of Ilocos Sur.
Pacquiao along with assistant trainers Buboy Fernandez and younger brother Roger "Haplas" Fernandez, boxers Ernie "The Rock" Sanchez, Dodie "Boy" Penalosa Jr. and Michael Farinas, who will be fighting in the under card of the Pacquiao-Marquez IV, fly tonight via a Philippine Airlines flight to LA.
Like his boss, the elder Fernandez, Pacquiao's boyhood friend, assessed the three-week GenSan camp as very successful in terms of setting in place what the Fighter of the Decade's needs to undergo heavy training at the Wild Card sweat shop.
"This camp kasi allowed Manny to heal the leg cramp he's been complaining about in at least three fights previous to this," Fernandez said. "Sa Baguio kasi where we usually started training, puro uphill and tinatakbo ni Manny kaya balik nang balik ang injury."
"Dito, nabawasan ang akyatin kaya ngayon, he no longer complains of his leg injury,' he added. "This is the reason why we started the sparring session the last week of our camp here."
"The reason for that is for us to see, whether his cramping problem again will recur. Sa laban kasi against (Joshua) Clottey, Marquez himself and (Tim) Bradley umuulit ang sakit after only three rounds," he pointed out.
"Ngayon hindi na. Ang sumuko after thre rounds si Marcial noong our first sparring last Monday," Buboy said chuckling. "Not only that, we also saw that the power in his hands, speed in his fists and feet are still there at hindi nawala sa tagal niyang hindi umakyat sa ring."
"Manny was right. Malamang magulat si Freddie sa laki na nagawa ng aming camp dito which will allow Manny to immediately start with sparring right in the opening of the LA camp," he said.
(File photo - Pacquiao in Baguio City last May)
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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