A boxing trainer was recalled from his Davao City home a few days ago to lend a VIP a helping hand.
In a snap, the tactician packed his bags and immediately made the 150-kilometer journey to where the call came from.
Two hours later, the trainer showed up at the gate of the bigwig and reported for duty, unsure whether his stay in General Santos City is going to be a short one.
Deep inside, the fellow felt that it could be for the long haul.
Besides, the big shot is working on something huge to jumpstart his career that has been sidelined by the pandemic with negotiations underway for a mega fight down the road.
Exotic locales like Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the crown jewels of the United Arab Emirates, are said to be slugging it out to land the Filipino icon.
But there seems to be no clear sign the event is taking place given the current situation as Covid-19 continues to morph into one frightening variant to another.
Amid the uncertainty of the times, Nonoy Neri, the trainer, still drove to ground zero even if a deal is not yet in place for Manny Pacquiao to break his long layoff.
As with elite fighters, preparation is key.
“We don’t want to be caught unprepared,” Neri told Daily Tribune from Pacquiao’s playground where a full-sized basketball court stands.
Neri said the fact that Pacquiao asked him to come over is a good sign for two reasons.
First, something’s up.
Second, which is equally as vital, is that Pacquiao’s prey drive remains strong as ever.
“He is not lazy like a lot of boxers I know. He takes good care of his body by staying active. Even if he is not training for a fight, he keeps himself in good shape by running and playing basketball. He’s very competitive.”
One night, Neri said Pacquiao, who turned 42 last December, played basketball with two strength-training weights strapped around his ankles for three straight games.
“He didn’t even look tired afterwards even though he was all over, shooting jumpers, driving to the basket and trying to steal passes,” said Neri, who later did punch mitts for seven rounds with the eight-division champion.
Neri said he had been told that the mercurial Terence Crawford is one of two fighters mentioned as possible foes. The other one is the stocky but robotic Mikey Garcia.
Admittedly, Neri said he prefers Garcia at this point in time by citing two things: Garcia’s style and build.
But in the event Pacquiao finds himself signing up for a Crawford clash, Neri swears they all have to be on red alert.
“Crawford’s younger, his style could pose problems. It will be a very tough fight,” he said.
But Neri insists Team Pacquiao is undaunted and won’t hesitate to grab the bear by its tail.
“We’ll just have to work hard.”
Knowing Pacquiao, Neri is dead sure his boss will do just that to guarantee victory.
Clearly, Neri realizes the enormity of the situation for Pacquiao to flash the SOS signal.
Like Neri, another vital member of Team Pacquiao — lead strategist Buboy Fernandez — is on his way to General Santos City.
Indeed, something is brewing.
