Pacquiao satisfied with Baguio training

This was how WBO world welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao assessed his short three-week training stint in Baguio City

“As I have been saying from the start of our preparations, maganda ang simula ng training camp,” Pacquiao, who along with his team flew to Los Angeles Saturday night to resume his training at the Wild Card Gym at downtown Hollywood, said.

The Filipino ring icon will be staking his World Boxing Organization welterweight belt against “Sugar” Shane Mosley May 7 in Las Vegas.

“I’m happy with my condition right now and with more than one month to go before the fight, marami na kaming na-gain,” he assured in an interview Saturday before he and his group boarded the Philippine Air Lines flight that would bring them to the United States.

“I have already regained my stamina. Nabawi ko na rin ang strength, power and speed ko at ready na ako sa mas extensive na training this coming five weeks sa L.A., “ the Pacman added as he thanked chief trainer Freddie Roach, strength coach Alex Ariza and assistant trainer Buboy Fernandez, who he said contributed much bringing him in his present condition.

“Bago lang kami umalis, muli ay nakikiusap ako sa mga kababayan natin na ipanalangin nila na manalo ako alangalang sa ating bayan at sa mga Pilipino,” he begged.

Roach concurred in, saying the eight-division champ’s brief stay at the Pines City had given him more than his previous times before facing and winning over Miguel Cotto and Joshua Clottey and Antonio Margarito.

“That is understandable because we stayed in Baguio for five weeks before those fights. Meaning there were more distractions then, especially the last one when we were preparing for Margarito,” he recalled.

“Manny had just been elected as Congressman then so that he had to attend to many things he was not used to do,” the four-time trainer of the year honoree of the Boxing Writers Association of America explained.

“This time, since we only had to stay in Baguio three weeks, Manny was able to concentrate on his training more. There were distractions, yes, but those were very minimal. As a result, we ended up very much ahead of schedule,” Roach stressed.

That, Roach continued, gave Pacquiao the luxury of skipping his scheduled workout last Friday, which could have been his last at the country’s summer capital, and Saturday to be with wife Jinkee, who kept him company since Wednesday last week, and their children.

“I noticed him to be a little tired, so I consented cancelling the scheduled two-day workouts to give him extra time to rest in preparation for a long trip to the U.S. and a more serious training in L.A.,” he projected.

“Well, we’re all very happy that training here came out well. Manny seems very happy to be back to the U.S. He’s more focused now than anytime in previous fights and more motivated,” he attested.

“We will be staying in the U.S. longer, five weeks, which is enough to work on his timing and how to keep himself at a distance, which remain our only problem,” Roach said even as reiterated that Pacquiao will be facing a very dangerous opponent in Mosley, himself a three-division titleholder.

Source: PhilBoxing.com