It is like a scene from Waiting For Godot. Or No One Writes To The Colonel. The action is in limbo. The movement in suspense. The foot sloggers go through their paces at Freddie Roach?s boxing gym on a drizzly Vine St, in Hollywood. Pounding, but with no purpose. It is the ghost of Manny ?Pacman? Pacquiao which haunts the quad of the Wild Card Gym, scene of the eponymous Filipino Congressman for Sarangani.
When Roach and Pacquiao are away, as they have been for five weeks until today, Monday October 25, the gym is busy, but there is no purpose to proceedings. I thought I was unfortunate to turn up there last week,
It makes you acutely aware of how we, or better still, boxing, will miss the Roach-Pacquiao double act, when they are gone for good. Pacquiao will be first, into the mire of politics. For five weeks, the place is like a shell, overseen by Roach?s brother, Pepe. Roach is the enforcer, and on Monday, he had his mood on pressing matters. Namely on drilling Pacquiao. Earlier, he worked with the young British 140lb world champion Amir Khan.
Khan works tirelessly, building his fitness. Alex Ariza, head of strength and conditioning, looks on approvingly. Khan really goes for it at the end of his session. He winks at a few friends around the ring apron. After two years at this gym, he now feels at home.
Khan also told The Telegraph that ?being around Freddie and Manny? is the ?best feeling in the world, and the best place I could possibly be.? No wonder Roach and Ariza talk of him in glowing terms at present. Last week, in The Philippines training camp of Pacquiao, Khan sparred twelve rounds with the seven-weight world champion. And looked good doing so, by all accounts.
Pacquiao has arrived a little late after 3pm. A black Mercedes C500 pulls up and into the quad behind the Wild Card Gym. HBO?s 24/7 ubiquitous film crew are there, hard-working, good-humoured, boots on
