HAVING REALIZED his mistakes the last time, Manny Pacquiao is considering training away from the madding crowd.
With this mind, Pacquiao is looking at either in Big Bear in southern California with an elevation of 7,500 feet or at the Madison Square Garden Gym in Arizona when he starts preparing for a comeback fight in July.
“Nag-usap na kami ni coach (chief trainer Freddie Roach) at nag-agree kami na dapat ilayo na ako sa Wild Card in Hollywood,” said Pacquiao, who partly blames the distractions in Los Angeles as one of the reasons why he was not 100 percent mentally fit when he faced Erik Morales last March 19 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
While admitting that he lost fair and square to Morales, the Mexican nicknamed “El Terrible,” Pacquiao said he just did not have the audacity to tell his young friends in Los Angeles to steer clear of his two-bedroom apartment.
“Mga barkada ko kasi sila at nahihiya naman akong sabihan sila na umalis na eh,” said Pacquiao, whose entourage grew to as large as 30 by the time he arrived in Las Vegas during fightweek.
“Sa susunod hindi na talaga puwede. Nagkamali tayo at marami tayong natutunan sa labang iyon,” said Pacquiao, who was handed his first loss in almost six years.
These same people tailed Pacquiao wherever the fighter went and his apartment at the corner of Sunset Blvd. and Vine St. in Hollywood resembled that of a bachelor?s pad with his friends playing video games, chatting and watching sports on TV at a time when Pacquiuao should have already been in bed.
Pacquiao said he still doesn?t know who, where and exactly when he is returning to action, but was assured that the July bout would serve as a tuneup for his much-anticipated rematch with Morales in September or October this year.
The Big Bear training camp is located in the mountains of San Bernardino and is five miles away from the nearest town.
Big-name boxers who have used the facilities of the Big Bear include heavyweights Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson, Oscar dela Hoya, Shane Mosley, Floyd Mayweather and even Marco Antonio Barrera, who had to abandon the camp a couple of weeks leading to his memorable battle with Pacquiao in Texas after forest fires threatened to engulf the world-class sweatshop.
The Madison Square Garden Gym is located on West Van Buren near 17th Ave. in Phoenix and was used by Tyson as training camp when he prepared for his ill-fated meeting with British Danny Williams.
“Siguro sa susunod ay kaunti na lang kami sa training camp dahil sa Wild Card hindi kayang pigilin ang dating ng mga Pilipino na mayroon dalang mga camera at kung ano-anong bagay na gusto nilang papirmahan sa akin,” added Pacquiao.
In contrast to the circus?like atmosphere in Pacquiao?s camp, Morales trained in seclusion in the Otomi mountains just outside Mexico City accompanied only by a handful of people.
