Filipino boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao won’t indulge in serious training until his longtime trainer, Freddie Roach gets by his side on October 6 or just about six weeks before his showdown with Brandon Rios in Macau, China. By the time Pacquiao starts real serious training, he would have spent eight months doing mostly basketball for exercise to keep him physically fit. Pacquiao will get into real serious boxing only when Roach is done with former Pacquiao foe Miguel Cotto, who recently hired Roach as his trainer. According to Philboxing, Roach will join Pacquiao in training camp on October 6. But Roach may have instructed Assistant Trainer, Buboy Fernandez to keep Pacquiao busy in the Gym while he is preparing Cotto for his upcoming fight. The famous Puerto Rican fighter is set to return to the ring on October 5 against Delvin Rodriguez at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. Right after the fight, Roach will rush to General Santos City to rejoin Pacquiao in the training camp. After his stunning loss to Mexican counter puncher Juan Manuel Marquez last December, Pacquiao wanted to return to the ring in April but Roach and promoter Bob Arum prevailed upon him to layoff from the sport and take a long rest. Pacquiao was banned by the Nevada Sports Athletic Commission (NSAC) from indulging in boxing and related activities for 120 days after his devastating knockout loss to Marquez, But even after the lapse of the ban, Pacquiao did mostly basketball to keep himself fit. Pacquiao is set to reconnect with Roach and Arum in Macau, China over the weekend for the kick off ceremonies of his ring return against Brandon Rios. Roach and Arum will be at the Venetian Resort and Casino in Macau for the second pro fight of China’s Olympic Gold medalist Zou Shiming. In the undercard, Milan Melindo of the Philippines will face Juan Francisco ‘El Gallo’ Estrada of Mexico for the WBO/WBA flyweight titles Saturday. Melindo, 25, is undefeated in his 29 professional fights and is aiming to regain the WBO/WBA flyweight titles that Estrada took from fellow Filipino boxer Brian Viloria last April 6. Read more. Pacquiao is set to join Rios in a three-country press tour to signal his ring return and promote his fight against Rios. The Pacquiao-Rios entourage will visit Beijing and Shanghai in China, Singapore and the states of Connecticut, New York and California in the US.
