Manny Pacquiao has hired the services of two Russian boxers as sparmates, one of them deemed responsible for the death of a Mexican fighter after being knocked out.
Rustam Nugaev, who now works out with Pacquiao at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, took the headlines in July last year after knocking out Mexican Martin Sanchez in the ninth round of their super-lightweight bout in Las Vegas.
Sanchez collapsed in his dressing room and was rushed to the hospital and operated on to remove a blood clot in his brain. The next day, Sanchez died.
Nugaev, along another rangy and tall Russian fighter, welter Vladimir Zykov, were recruited by Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach as the Filipino continues his training for the July 2 clash with Oscar Larios of Mexico at the Araneta Coliseum.
Nugaev has a 15-4-1 win-loss-draw card with eight knockouts, while Zykov holds a 16-0 slate with two wins inside the distance.
Nugaev and Zykov are going to form the battery of sparring partners that Pacquiao will be working with in the final three weeks of his stay in Los Angeles. Also being eyed to work with Pacquiao is Juan Lazcano, a lightweight contender from Texas, and two gritty Mexicans, one of whom Roach plans to bring to Manila when he and Pacquiao return on June 20.
Reporting from California yesterday, Pacquiao’s confidant Wakee Salud said Pacquiao was giving everything in his sparring with the much heavier Russians.
“Manny rocked the two of them,” said Salud. “I think he is getting better and better.”
