PACQUIAO HEATS UP WITH LESS THAN TWO WEEKS TO GO
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 03 Apr 2014
LOS ANGELES, Cal. -- Not even a sinus infection could slow Manny Pacquiao down in is preparation for his upcoming fight with unbeaten American belt holder Timothy Bradley.
Last Saturday, ending his second week at the Wild Card Gym camp here, the still recovering Pacuqiao boxed for 12 rounds against four sparmates, one of whom, Speedy Gonzales,he knocked down with a powerful right to the jaw that impressed his handlers, including apprehensive chief trainer Freddie Roach.
Tuesday, going into the crucial final week here before transferring to Las Vegas, where he will face Bradley in their match-awaited grudge encounter at the MGM Grand Arena, the 35-year-old four-division lineal and eight-division champion mixed it up with Lydell Rhodes and Julian Rodriguez for four rounds each that had his business manager Michael Koncz nodding his head in approval.
"Manny's not a sharp yet as we wanted him to be at this stage because of a four-day snag caused by that sinus infection, but he's recovering fast," Roach told this writer in a post-training interview, adding that his prized student might have been contaminated by the people who have been visiting him in his house daily.
"I was at Manny's house the other night and I saw no less than 35 people there chatting with Manny, dining with him and I guess several of them live there with him," Roach lamented. "I don't know anyone of them. That, of course, is taboo to one preparing for a fight, a very important fight that might spell the difference between continuing his career or hanging his gloves altogether."
"We all know Manny to be very accommodating. He doesn't know how to say no, really," he noted. "What I've been saying and I'm saying this again, people should realize that their friend is a boxer who needs all the rest he could get, especially when training for a fight."
"I am quiet apprehensive because this last two weeks is the most crucial phase in our preparation and I don't want him to get sick or our long and hard grind would go to naught," the 54-year-old Hall of Famer said. "He's okay now though, but as I what I've been saying is, he can't afford to contact another sickness, no matter how mild it is."
Pacquiao was unfazed though with what happened to him.
"Sipon at ubo lang naman and dumapo sa akin (it's only cold and cough that struck me)," he said. "Wala namang gaanong naging problema. Inom lang ng gamot at nawala na (No problem, really. I just took medicine and it was gone)."
"Pakisabi lang sa mga kababayan natin sa Pilipinas na huwag silang mag-alaala sa mga nababalitaan nila (Just tell our kababayans nt to worry about news coming to them)," Pacquiao said when informed by people who followed him to his mansion after workout that a lot of his countrymen back home called expressing apprehension learning he had been struck by sinus infection.
"Kondisyon na ang katawan ko at kung sipon at ubo lang kayang-kayang maiwasan (I'm in shape already and no amount of cough or cold can put me down)," Pacquiao assured.
The incident made watching the training sessions, which is already very strict as it is, more strict that even media men, including television crew of fight carrier GMA-7, have to get accreditation from the Top Rank Promotions to be accommodated inside the gym, a new addition to the Wild Card Gym on the ground floor of building housing the old one.
"Manny's in superb condition," the Pambansang Kamao's business consultant Michael Koncz, for his part, diagnosed. "He'll be in his competitive form before we go to Vegas where we'll round out the preparation."
Wednesday is the media day workout set also at the Roach-owned Wild Card sweat shop at the heart of Hollywood, the world entertainment capital, according to Koncz to be followed by Bradley's own press training session the following day.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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