Taking no chances in his planned rematch with legendary featherweight Marco Antonio Barrera, People?s Champion Manny Pacquiao has begun training at the Wild Card Gym in Para?aque where he purchased a new, four-bedroom house which would put him in an ideal location to do his roadwork and to train seriously.
The proximity to the residence of business manager Rod Nazario would also guarantee that the man who astutely handles the career of Pacquiao will be able to keep a close watch on him.
Nazario told Manila Standard that Pacquiao ?began training in the gym since last Sunday? and would move into his new home which costs nearly P5 million within the next couple of days.
Nazario indicated that after watching the impressive 10th-round TKO scored by Barrera over former world champion and Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year Paulie Ayala, Pacquiao realized that Barrera looked much better than when he annihilated him in 11 rounds last Nov. 15 in San Antonio, Texas.
Pacquiao, after watching the Barrera-Ayala fight telecast by Viva Sports on the popular weekly boxing show ?Main Event? over RPN-9 last June 27, said he was ?impressed? by the Mexican?s showing. He noted that Barrera ?was practicing on how to fight a southpaw and was always moving in a way to avoid my left straight,? which is Pacquiao?s devastating punch.
However, Filipino trainer Buboy Fernandez noted that Ayala ?caught Barrera on a couple of occasions with left-right combinations and if he had the power of Pacquiao, Barrera would have been down.?
Pacquiao said he plans to leave for Los Angeles to train at the Wild Card Gym of Freddie Roach at least two-and-a-half months before the Barrera rematch, indicating that he was determined to win impressively.
Then, he goes after a return bout with World Boxing Association/International Boxing Federation champion Juan Manuel Marquez before picking on the last man standing, super featherweight Erik Morales which is the gameplan of Nazario and Murad Muhammad. Pacquiao said he would ?train just as hard as I did for the first fight with Barrera? and promised he would be in top condition for the fight.
Nazario said Murad was working with top executives of HBO on the purse of the Pacquiao and Barrera fight, and the date for the rematch. He said Barrera had already agreed to the rematch and only the details on the venue, date and purse had to be ironed out.
