LOS ANGELES ? Manny Pacquiao is becoming restless.
But his uneasiness stems from the fact that he is aching to get it on with David Diaz, whose World Boxing Council (WBC) lightweight title Pacquiao will try to snatch on Saturday night (Sunday morning in Manila) in Las Vegas.
“Go, go, go,” shouted Pacquiao in between rounds Saturday during a punch-mitt session with Freddie Roach at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood.
Just a few seconds after the automatic timer sounded signaling the end of a round, Pacquiao bounced on his toes, looking annoyed that he had to take a breather before resuming the session with Roach.
“Let?s go,” said Pacquiao to the delight of the people, mostly Filipinos, who endured the oven-hot conditions inside the gym.
Moments later, one of Roach?s mitts flew after being hit with Pacquiao?s killer right hook, sending the crowd in frenzied excitement.
While Southern California summer is known for plenty of sunshine this time of year, the heat that?s enveloping the region so far is almost unbearable.
Roach, who has been living here for over a decade, said he only experienced sweltering conditions during his travels to the Philippines.
“I don?t sweat this much when I am working here in the gym,” the 48-year-old native of Boston told a handful of Manila-based scribes after Pacquiao left the building, showing off his dark-colored shirt that was drenched in perspiration.
“If it?s hot here in Los Angeles, it?s going to be hotter in (Las) Vegas.”
Pacquiao and Roach and the boxer?s retinue ? made up of a few trainers and a bunch of buddies residing here–will leave for Sin City on Monday afternoon.
With a week before the fight and six days before the official weigh-in, Roach doesn?t see any problems why Pacquiao is not going to come up with a sterling showing.
“He?s 139 lbs right now and he is in a shape that is better than I expected,” said Roach, who might go to the movies as part of his day-off, while Pacquiao will hear Mass and either hang out with his friends or spend the day with wife Jinkee.
“No training tomorrow, no running,” said Roach, who even had to convince his top fighter to just chill out instead of going on a roadwork or doing something heavy.
“Manny will just go to church and we are in agreement that he will rest.”
As in the past, Pacquiao will be hearing Mass at the Christ The King on Rossmore Street, which is less than ten minutes by car during the lazy hours of Sunday from his upscale apartment at Palazzo on 3rd and Hauser in trendy La Brea.
