PACQUIAO ALL SET FOR TRAINING CAMP
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 11 Feb 2014
Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao arrived Sunday from a one-week, two-city media tour and expressed readiness to plunge into extensive preparations to win back his World Boxing Organization welterweight belt against undefeated American Timothy Bradley.
Pacquiao and Bradley, who dethroned him as the 147-pound division titlist a little more than one and a-half-years ago, meet each other anew April 12 at the MGM Grand Arena with the Filipino eying a revenge of that highly questionable loss and the now defending titleholder proving the legitimacy of his grip of the crown.
If initial plans will follow the 35-year-old winner of eight titles in as many weight divisions will start flexing his muscle today at the MP Tower Gym in Sampaloc in Manila following a three-month hiatus after beating former world lightweight champion Brandon Rios last November in Macau.
"Yun ang plano. Pagdating na pagdating, sabak agad sa ensayo para mabawasan ang taba as a result of more than a week of inactivity due to the profess tour that brought him and Bradley to Los Angeles and New York," Reli de Leon, a member of the MP Group of companies' marketing group told People's Journal yesterday.
Before flying to the U.S., Pacquiao had been making the rounds at the Acharon Sports Complex oval for a week.
"Light lang ang ensayo dito as Manny could be staying here in Manila for only two days to attend to his job as Congressman (of the lone district of Sarangani Province after which) he and his team will proceed to General Santos where he will pitch camp," De Leon said.
And if chief trainer Freddie Roach will have his way, he wants his prized student of 14 years to be at his Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles not later than March 1 so he can concentrate more on the training regimen he has charted.
In his fight against Rios, Pacquiao spent almost nine weeks of his 10-week build up program at his own version of the Wild Card Gym in hometown General Santos before proceeding to Macau where he spent only a week capping his preparations.
Not this time though, according to Roach's Filipino assistant Marvin Somodio, who told this writer in an email message that it is the Hall of Fame trainer's wish "Manny spend more time in L.A."
"Coach Freddie kasi ay nag-prepare ng training program focused on how Manny could knock Bradley out as, according to him, what boxing fans wants him to," Somodio said.
"Coach Freddie, in fact, told us members of the training staff here at Wild Card, that he will be flying to Manila right after Zou's (Shimming) fight in Macau late this month precisely to see Manny's training right from the start," Somodio added.
"Six weeks ang gusto ni Coach Freddie para mag-stay si Manny sa L.A. So ibig sabihin mga dalawang buwan lang or maybe three months lang ang itatagal ng GenSan camp," Somodio said.
Pacquiao, who told this writer before leaving for the U.S. that he wants to spend at least four weeks in GenSan before flying to L.A. could not be reached the whole day yesterday. One of his staff in the Lower House said he was very busy in trying to cope up with his chores as a lawmaker before going on leave for training purposes.
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