FOR three straight weeks under the watchful eye of American trainer Freddie Roach, Manny Pacquiao?s daily regimen in Davao would begin at 4:30 a.m. and end at exactly 9 p.m.?with no extensions.
End result: a trim, sharp and focused fighter who was pretty impressive on Tuesday during his fight preview with Thai contender Fahsan 3K Battery at the Wild Card gym of Rod Nazario, Pacquiao?s business manager, in Para?aque City.
Two respected boxing experts?lawyer-sportsman Rudy Salud and noted handler Tony Aldeguer?who were on hand to watch Pacquiao go through his training routine said that the Filipino fighter was indeed in top condition for his 12-round match against Fahsan in the headliner of the ?Yanig sa Taguig? card on Saturday.
?I like what I see. And this is what happens when you have great trainer like Roach handling a great boxer like Manny. I expect good things to happen on Saturday,? said Salud.
His protege, Z ?The Dream? Gorres, will be on the undercard of the program sponsored by Smart, Solar Sports, Discovery Suites and organized by Murad Muhammad Promotions.
?With what I saw, I don?t think Fahsan will last beyond five rounds. Manny is in a class of his own,? Aldeguer, who has produced a lot of Cebuano champions, said.
But Roach said he was not too happy with the way Pacquiao had been handling himself when he arrived, citing the ?too many distractions? that his ward had until he came.
?He wasn?t focused on his fight. Now, he is,? said Roach, who made it a point that it was lights out for ?PacMan,? who has been known to stay up late just to play high-stakes pool, by 9 p.m. in the 21 days that he had been handling him.
Pacquiao?s roadwork lasted for an hour in the wee hours of the morning through different kinds of terrain?flat, uphill and downhill?while he sparred until around 4 p.m., Roach said.
As of Monday, the Filipino boxing icon was just one pound over the featherweight (126-pound) limit, which he said would pose no problem for him. ?Just one intense workout, and I should be OK,? he said.
Although Pacquiao has sparred around 70 rounds, Roach said he didn?t give sparring too much weight.
?I think it?s a bit overrated. I?m more concerned about his mental fitness for this fight. After three weeks, I can truly say that Manny is now focused.?
With Fahsan and his trainers watching, Roach and Pacquiao did the mitts ?which simulates the kind of strategy we want to do against the Thai,? the American trainer said. ?But, obviously, we didn?t show everything with them watching.?
Roach reiterated that they would not leave anything to chance and if Pacquiao should see an opening, he said the boxer would quickly go in for the kill. ?We?re not taking the Thai lightly, since he knows he has nothing to lose.?
The 2003 Ring Magazine Trainer of the Year noted that Pacquiao would not jeopardize his forthcoming big money rematch with Juan Manuel Marquez on February 26 by coming up short against Fahsan.
?A boxer?s psyche is pretty sensitive, so Manny cannot enter the ring with Marquez again knowing that he lost his last fight,? Roach said.
And after looking at some tapes of the Thai opponent, the American trainer said working heavily in the Filipino?s favor was his superior speed ?which will open up a lot options in attacking Fahsan. That?s why I say it may wind up a short fight.?
Even Murad could only nod in approval as Pacquiao went through his paces, saying later: ?Obviously, Manny is in fine shape. We?re going to have a good show on Saturday.?
And since the fight might be short and sweet, local ring fans might just want to be there at the Fort Bonifacio Global City early to make sure they have good seat, since it might be some time before they get to see their idol fighting in the flesh again.
