CEBU CITY—Filipino ring idol Manny Pacquiao was forced to cancel his planned sparring session with Mexicans David Rodela and Raymund Beltran at the RWS Gym of Rex “Wakee” Salud this afternoon after he was downed by a viral infection that is reportedly sweeping Cebu.
Following his morning run at the IT Park, Pacquiao complained of a headache and said he had a cold. He said his body was aching, forcing celebrated trainer Freddie Roach to call off the afternoon workout, which would have been a six-round session, although Pacquiao himself had insisted on Thursday that he wanted to go eight rounds.
Before Pacquiao came down with the flu, Roach said he’ll win over the Filipino champ on how many rounds the Pacman would be allowed to spar.
Called in by Pacquiao’s chief-of-staff Jake Joson, Dr. Hans Potpot, who is an internist and gastroenterologist, said he was asked by the champ’s regular physician Dr. Regina Bagsic of the Cardinal Santos Memorial Hospital in San Juan, to check on the ring warrior’s condition.
After visiting Pacquiao in his hotel room, Dr. Potpot told Viva Sports/Standard Today: “Manny has just a usual viral infection which is prevalent nowadays. He has a fever of 38 degrees, a headache and body malaise, but his blood pressure was normal—110 over 70. You usually get this virus from people, especially since Manny also meets a lot of people. You usually catch this from respiratory tract and from somebody, who also had a viral infection.”
Dr. Potpot made it clear that Pacquiao has to rest a couple of days and advised him to just take paracetamol tablets every four hours for the fever and lots of fluids to rehydrate.
“As much as possible, Pacquiao should avoid usual contacts from people. I told him for the meantime he has to limit his visitors and probably by Monday, he could resume workouts—the usual jogging and light workouts,” said the doctor. “If Pacquiao’s condition is better by today [Saturday], he could go out of his room but not too far because he needs rest.”
Dr. Potpot ruled out an earlier plan for Pacquiao to fly to Manila today to appear on a GMA-7 entertainment show “SOP” tomorrow. “It’s not advisable.”
The doctor reassured millions of Pacquiao fans that the viral infection was not a major setback in his preparation for his rematch with legendary Mexican Antonio Barrera at the Mandalay Bay Resort Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on Oct. 6. “It’s just an ordinary trangkaso.”
The doctor said the fever, headache and bodyache didn’t come from training very hard or moving from the hot and humid gym into an air-conditioned vehicle or hotel room.
Joson disclosed that even before his morning jog, Pacquiao told him he had problems sleeping because of a cold, but felt he could overcome the problem by jogging. But when there was no improvement, Joson called Dr. Potpot.
Joson said that Pacquiao himself had taken the initiative to cancel everything including his training today and everything planned for tomorrow, which was his rest day.
Pacquiao’s chief of staff said he will have “total rest and on Monday, it will be back to hard training once again.”
Roach who, like Pacquiao, appeared disappointed that the sparring had to be canceled, said: “Hopefully, everyone will listen to his doctor and give him his space so he can get better as quickly as possible.”
Roach indicated that they were “a little ahead of schedule, so a couple of days off won’t hurt him and hopefully by Monday, he will be hungry to go.”
The trainer added the doctor’s advice to Pacquiao to rest and cancel all planned engagements was to him, “good news, of course.”
“I am not a doctor and cannot prevent colds, but as the doctor said the more people around him, the more chance of him getting that virus and getting that cold,” said Roach. “It’s a little bit hard right now, because a couple of the sparring partners were not feeling well either and I think that’s probably where it came from, his being too close to the sparring partners. So I will make sure they are well away from Manny until they are better also, which they are very close to being.”
Roach admitted that he was disappointed because they were anxious to get back to work. “But I went up to his room and talked to him and he said he didn’t feel well. We don’t want to force him to go to the gym and make it any worse than it already is. A couple of days off won’t hurt him.”
Twice chosen as the Trainer of the Year, Roach conceded that Pacquiao’s illness will “set us back a couple of days but Manny responds so well to conditioning. I’m sure by Monday we’ll be back on track.”
Former Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis “Chavit” Singson arrived along with Pacquiao’s business manager Eric Pineda and his wife. This writer informed them about Pacquiao’s condition and the doctor’s advice, and Singson promised to make sure that Pacquiao follows the doctor’s orders.
