MANILA, Philippines – Not unless you?re Mark Wahlberg, there?s no way you could get a glimpse of Manny Pacquiao training at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles.
Freddie Roach locked the doors to his gym yesterday as Pacquiao entered the final month of training for his May 2 clash with Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Word is no one outside of Team Pacquiao will be granted access while work is going on inside the old-school boxing gym in Hollywood.
From now on, it?s off limits to media, and it will stay that way until Pacquiao holds his media day on April 15.
Or until the day he leaves for Las Vegas for the fight of his life. Sportshub ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1
?I need to concentrate,? said Pacquiao.
Pacquiao sparred 10 rounds yesterday. But other than the number of rounds, not much information came out of the gym.
Manila-based television crews had to wait outside, at the parking lot of the gray strip mall along Vive Street, as Pacquiao trained.
But they managed a footage of the famous Hollywood actor being led to the gym.
It?s not the first time Wahlberg visited Pacquiao while in training, and it?s no secret that the famous actor is rooting for the Filipino.
Wahlberg, of Hollywood hits like ?The Fighter? or ?The Lone Survivor? and ?The Italian Job,? came with his publicist.
He did not talk to the media.
Pacquiao posted a picture of him and Wahlberg on Instagram.
?Thank you Mark Wahlberg for coming to visit me and supporting me at training in preparation for May 2nd,? said Pacquiao.
Over the past weeks, media were allowed inside the gym once the session is done and were granted interviews.
Pacquiao must have realized it?s about time to turn the cameras off.
It?s quite understandable because more than six weeks since the fight was announced, practically every question had been asked.
?Starting April 1, zero media presence before and after training. They?re extra strict now,? said GMA7 sportscaster Mark Zambrano.
?Before, we could get to Freddie once Manny leaves the gym. Now even that isn?t allowed. That?s what we?ve been dealing with since April 1,? he said on the phone.
Mayweather is in Vegas, training in his own gym. Mediamen have very limited access, except with those he can?t say no to.
He hosts the media in an open workout on April 14.
Everybody?s welcome.
