GENERAL SANTOS CITY — With still over a month to go before he steps into the ring again Filipino boxing idol Manny Pacquiao claims he is already in top shape.
“One hundred thirty three pounds,” he told a lean crowd inside a gym named after him that is owned by businessman Rey Golingan.
In between huff and puff as he skipped the rope, Pacquiao even boasted he could shed another five pounds in a day’s workout.
He is slated to face Mexican Hector Velasquez, ranked No. 10 in the latest ranking of the World Boxing Council, at the junior lightweight limit of 130 pounds.
The Pacquiao-Velasquez fight serves as the other fare of the doubleheader at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on September 10.
The other bout will feature Pacquiao’s arch nemesis Erik Morales who will square off with Zahir Raheem.
Bouts are for 12 rounds with the prospect of a mega-fight in January between Pacquiao and Morales if both fighters prevail over their respective opponents.
Pacquiao postponed his scheduled August 1 trip to Los Angeles to lose extra pounds before he reports to Freddie Roach’s Wild Card Gym in Hollywood next week.
Pacquiao also used the unexpected postponement to invite American lawyer Keith Davidson as his personal guest here.
Davidson, who, along with Shelly Finkel, is one of the new managers of Pacquiao after he broke up with Murad Muhammad.
Davidson said he was impressed with Pacquiao’s early training here.
The two, along with US-based Pacquiao interpreter Joe Ramos, are now in Cebu where Manny will resume his workouts.
They are scheduled to leave for the US on Sunday.
Manny has been hitting the road and burning calories ever since his bout with Velasquez was announced.
Clement Asencio, a close confidante of Pacquiao, said the General Santos beak buster is already into deep training and his camp is not taking Velasquez lightly.
“By 8 p.m. Manny already hits the sack,” he told Sun.Star in an exclusive interview.
