Top-tie trainer Freddie Roach allowed his ward Manny Pacquiao to stay a full week to train at the RWS Gym in Punta Princesa, Cebu City starting today.
Pacquiao, who will fly in from Davao City with his wife Jinkee and son Emmanuel Jr., is expected to be at Wakee Salud’s gym at 1 p.m. for light training sessions before leaving for the Wild Card Gym in Santa Monica, California next week. Sept. 10
The Filipino boxing superstar got the approval from his US-based trainer to stay for one more week in the Philippines before making his final preparations for his Sept. 10 fight against the dangerous Hector Velasquez at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
“Everything is in place, Manny will fly from Davao City instead of General Santos at 11 a.m. and will start training at 1 p.m. at my gym. I already made some arrangements about the security since Manny doesn’t want to publicize his training unlike the huge media hype he got when he fought Erik Morales,” Salud told Sun.Star Cebu.
Pacquiao requested Roach to shut Wild Card Gym’s doors while he trains to avoid the prying eyes of fans and photographers. One week
“Manny told me that Roach agreed for him to stay one more week here before flying to the US. It’s an honor for my gym to be visited by a world-champion of his caliber,” Salud added.
Pacquiao-Velasquez is one of the double-main event cards presented by Top Rank. Pacquiao’s latest tormentor, Erik Morales, is on the other main event against Olympian Zahir Raheem.
Boxing pundits believe this will just be a tune-up fight for both Pacquiao and Morales before meeting again in December for their much-awaited rematch.
