Pacquiao enters final month of training

After three weeks of almost flawless training regimen, minor glitches surfaced as WBO world welterweight belt-holder Manny Pacquiao’s build up program for his title fight against “Sugar” Shane Mosley enters the last four weeks at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles.

With chief trainer Freddie Roach expected to be missed the entire week this week, Pacquiao, who is staking his 147-pound crown against three-division titleholder Mosley May 7 (May 8 in Manila), looked to have ran out of sparring partner following his sending future welterweight contender Shawn Porter to the canvas in last Saturday’s session.


Porter, one of the men who helped the eight-division champion prepare in his fight against Miguel Cotto three years ago Pacquiao’s chief mate in this bout, absorbed a powerful left cross to the chin that sent him at the seats of his pants in the third round of their session and refused to continue what was billed an eight-round skirmish.

Two days ago last Thursday, the Filipino southpaw was reported to have also almost send an unidentified sparring mate kissing the floor and was only saved by the ropes from completely going down in what Roach himself said was proof that Pacquiao has already regained his punching power.

Roach, by the way, is scheduled to fly to Manchestrer, England to be in the corner another ward, Amir Khan, who is fighting Paul McCloskey this Saturday (Sunday in Manila).

Roach, in an overseas telephone interview, could not tell whether Porter will be retained or replaced, saying the former U.S Olympic team hopeful is the only Pacquiao mate capable of matching Mosley’s fighting style, speed and power.

With the way Pacquiao punished Porter though, it is doubted if the American will continue with his job and be battered that might cost him his boxing career. Lightweight David Rodela, Rashad Halloway and Karim Mayfield, who have been providing the pound-for-pound king with the needed quickness, remain in the training stable.

Strength and conditioning coach Alex Ariza related that Porter and Pacquiao were giving each other hell in the first and second round of their sparring with the former connecting with a pair of right straights early in the third.

It was then that the Filipino boxing hero unleashed his feared left cross, the same weapon he used in retiring legendary Oscar DeLa Hoya and Miguel Cotto, among his immediate previous opponents.

Whether Porter remains, Ariza said his and Roach’s immediate concern at this crucial stage of preparations is finding the sparring mate that can provide Pacquiao with the thing the former had been providing him with.
“There’s nothing to worry really. Everything has been put in place, the camp is going smoothly and Manny has been re-learning things he ought to recover,” Roach said though. “If Porter quits, we’ll find somebody with the same caliber as his.”

One other concern though is, with Roach in Manchester the whole week, can peace remain at the Wild Card seat shop in Hollywood in his absence.
While Roach himself dismissed his absence could mean any bad effects in raining, such is not with other members of Team Pacquiao.

It has been noted that since Pacquiao started preparations three weeks ago in Baguio City, there had been not a single major distractions, internal bickering, back biting and disputes within the camp, which normally punctuated the training schedule before.

Source: PhilBoxing.com