The pound for pound king Manny Pacquiao apparently has not been feeling well, and also tweaked his leg in training. It seems to this writer that each time Manny trains over in the Philippines there seems to be distractions, and little mishaps that have to be dealt with. Some of them are acts of nature, and some are situations that can be avoided.
Recently trainer Freddie Roach had to order the gym closed to the public due to yet more distractions from the hundreds of fans hoping to get a look at their idol. Roach seems to be a bit frustrated with things so far, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s already lobbying to get the camp switched back to Los Angeles earlier than previously expected.
Manny always does better in training when he’s at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood. Roach has a much firmer grip on things in Los Angeles and can better handle the distractions that always seem to rear up during Pacquiao’s training camps.
I recently spoke with Pacquiao bodyguard Rob Peters, and was informed that he’s ready to roll once Pacquiao arrives. It’s really important for Manny to get back to Los Angeles at least 3 weeks prior to the fight in order for him to adjust to the time zone difference. Peter’s informed this writer that it takes that long for the body to adjust to such a vast time difference.
With the current sinus infection that Manny is suffering, the tweaked leg injury, and the camp distractions from the fans, it seems as if they should just pack up and get back to Los Angeles as soon as possible.
Read more on Pacquiao’s illness here
