LOS ANGELES, Cal. -- On the day he was supposed to start tapering off with his training routine, the extremely energetic eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao Monday (Tuesday in Manila) did the mitts for 12 rounds instead of 10 chief trainer Freddie Roach set.
I told him yesterday (Sunday in Manila) we're toning down we'll be doing only 10 rounds on the mitts today, but he asked for two more," Roach told media men in a surprised interview inside the ground floor gym of the Wild Card sweat shop he owns, where Pacquiao has been holding camp since he flew here last Feb. 28.
"He won't relent, so I couldn't do anything but oblige, Roach, who for the past two weeks had been shying the press, said. "He's been like that since last week even in sparring. I will be scheduling, say an eight or nine rounds of skirmish but he will be asking for more and I can do nothing but give him what he wants."
Pacquiao works out at the Wildcard Gym in Hollywood Monday. Photos by Wendell Rupert Alinea.
Roach said though he and his training staff are happy because this means his pupil of 14 years is enjoying the camp and happy with what members of the coaching staff have been instructing him to do.
"That's a good sign because it means he's enjoying what we've doing here the past two and a half months, he explained. "When Manny's happy and loves what he's doing, everything is fine."
"Not everything really because we still have a week to make better before we leave for Las Vegas," the seven-time trainer of the year honoree clarified.
"Manny's very confident that we're turning no stones unturned in our preparations." Roach said. "We just hope we can start tapering down tomorrow."
"He'll spar for six rounds tomorrow and on Thursday, " the Hall of Fame trainer Roach disclosed as part of the tapering off program. "He'll be a running a little bit daily. He can stay at Griffith Park three times this week if he wants. It's okay with me."
Conditioning coach Justin Fortune was even more precise in his assessment. "To me, Manny's 100 percent ready, Fortune said of his ward's condition.
"Dadanak ang dugo pagdating ng Mayo 2 (Blood will flow come May 2)," assistant trainer Buboy Fernandez, for his part exclaimed.
Even Fred Sternberg, Top Rank Promotions PR man expressed delight on Pacquiao's tremendous physical strength shown during Monday's workout.
"He's amazing, really amazing, he said."He's moving in and out, I think if he can do what he's been doing in training, he can win the fight."
The Filipino World Boxing Organization welterweight titlist fights his World Boxing Council/World Boxing Association counterpart, undefeated Floyd Mayweather on May 2nd (May 3 in Manila) in Las Vegas to unify the 147-pound division.
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