FILIPINO world boxing champion Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao said Friday that there were suspicious Mexicans who have constantly been “spying” on his training at the Wild Card Gym in the US prior to his fight against Mexican Hector Velasquez.
In an interview following a hero’s welcome given to him by Manila City Mayor Jose “Lito” Atienza, Pacquiao said his entourage noticed Mexicans videotaping his sparring practice with American boxing trainor Freddie Roach inside the gym.
“During my training for my fight with Velasquez, there were Mexicans who appeared to be spying on my techniques against my opponents,” he said.
The World Boxing Council (WBC) International super featherweight champion said because of the incident, Team Pacquiao would no longer anyone to videotape his training so his opponent’s camp would not be able to monitor his planned boxing tactics.
“Not that I will ban my fans from seeing me. I hope that my supporters understand us if we will be more cautious about these spies,” he said in Filipino.
Despite the relentless downpour, fans and supporters came out of their houses to witness a motorcade around the city of Manila and Makati for the boxing champ, who is an “adopted son” of Manila, soon after he arrived from the US.
Atienza joined in the motorcade, which started around 8 a.m. Streamers and banners greeted the boxing hero all around Manila, where the young fighter first trained in the amateur division.
Throughout the parade, his wife Jinky was with Pacquiao.
Pacquiao would soon be facing another Mexican fighter, Erik “El Terrible” Morales on January 2006 in Las Vegas, Nevada for a rematch. After beating Pacquiao in a 12-round bout last March for the WBC title, Morales agreed to a rematch.
