HOLLYWOOD?The heavy bag swayed under the relentless pounding from Manny Pacquiao Wednesday afternoon.
Had it been Shane Mosley’s body, there’s little doubt that the booming punches would have hurt the American challenger, if not entirely send him on all fours.
It was the same rapid-fire combinations that Pacquiao unleashed against chief trainer Freddie Roach as they worked the mitts for 12 rounds at the Wild Card Gym here.
Despite Pacquiao’s controlled aggression and Roach’s protective gear, the five-time trainer of the year couldn’t help but gasp when the pound-for-pound king sneaked in a left hook to the midsection.
There were also several instances when Pacquiao grazed Roach’s face as the World Boxing Organization welterweight champion unloaded a four-punch combo to the body and head, prompting him to say ?sorry? to his coach.
Roach apparently didn’t mind. He’s only too glad that Pacquiao, even with a running nose, has been training with gusto. Always asking for more.
Roach believes that with the way Pacquiao has been weaving, ducking, sidestepping and throwing punches from all angles, Mosley is bound to get frustrated and start playing dirty.
But even if the 39-year-old former three-division champion did, Roach, who at one point Wednesday latched a camera on his head to monitor Pacquiao’s actions, said his prized ward have things worked out.
?He’ll get dirty. He’ll get rough. But it won’t matter, that’s the only way he can win this fight,? said Roach, who has predicted that Pacquiao will be the first to knock Mosley out.
Although oddsmakers have installed him a 6-1 favorite to retain his title on May 7 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Pacquiao, is far from being complacent.
His intense concentration and determination to win impressively was evident with the way he hit the heavy bag relentlessly.
Filipino trainer Buboy Fernandez later said in Filipino: ?That’s enough brod, Mosley won’t dare to go toe-to-toe with you once he feels your power.?
?Don’t underestimate him,? Pacquiao said, echoing his earlier pronouncements that Mosley would be a dangerous opponent because he?s fast, strong and crafty.
To accentuate his concern, Pacquiao is logging longer training hours than when he fought and beat Antonio Margarito for the World Boxing Council super welterweight title last November.
Pacquiao said he ran for an hour and 10 minutes on Tuesday, the longest he’d done since he started fighting in the United States in June 2001.
He also trained earlier than usual, opening his camp at the Cooyesan Sports Complex in Baguio City with hardly any distraction.
Meanwhile, veteran Kenny Bayless has been chosen by the Nevada State Athletic Commission to be the third man in the ring for the Pacquiao-Mosley showdown, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Bayless, who’s officiated in at least 50 world title fights, will be joined by Duane Ford, Dave Moretti and Glenn Trowbridge as judges.
The ref is no stranger to Pacquiao, having worked the Pacquiao-(Miguel) Cotto, Pacquiao-(Juan Manuel) Marquez II, Pacquiao-(Erik) Morales II and Pacquiao-(Ricky) Hatton bouts.
