MANILA, Philippines?Manny Pacquiao again pummeled his third sparring partner as he stepped up his training for his showdown with American superstar Oscar De La Hoya on Dec. 6 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
A report from www.philboxing.com said junior middleweight Marcus McDaniels fell back against the ropes and dropped his hands, prompting the Filipino ring hero to stop the onslaught and ask his sparmate if he?s OK.
The kind gesture recalled a similar Pacquiao reaction after the Filipino sent David Diaz to the canvas for good during their June fight for the World Boxing Council lightweight championship.
?Pacquiao?s great concern for his sparmate demonstrated once again his human side,? said renowned dental specialist and boxing writer Ed De La Vega in the report.
Pacquiao overwhelmed the 154-pound McDaniels with his lightning-quick combinations before capping it with a left hook that jarred the 5-foot-10 slugger from New Orleans.
De La Vega said the Saturday afternoon incident left the small group of people who witnessed the closed-door session in a hush. It was the topic of their discussion until the Filipino legend drove off after the workout.
Pacquiao plans to have three sparring bouts a week, increasing the number of rounds from four to eight late into the training regimen handled by Freddie Roach at the Wild Card gym.
In his column in the tabloid Abante Sunday, Pacquiao was all praises for his new training technique?pylometrics.
He said it allows him to gain strength without necessarily building muscle mass that could compromise his speed.
As a sign of gratitude to his trainer, Pacquiao also said that Roach will stay on in his corner until he eventually retires.
?He is like a father to me, but he never crossed boundaries between being a friend and a coach,? Pacquiao wrote in Filipino.
