MANILA ? DESPITE the very hectic schedule during the May elections, seven-weight division champion Manny Pacquiao looked 50 percent ready to rumble against Antonio Margarito on Nov. 30 at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
This was the assessment of noted trainer Freddie Roach when he visited the Philippine Sportswriters Forum yesterday.
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He said Team Pacquiao will leave today for Baguio City to continue the rigid training at the gym inside Cooyesan Hotel along Naguillan road.
Roach arrived from Los Angeles last Sunday with two boxers, Glen Tapia and Manuel Medina, who will be the 31-year-old Pacquiao?s sparring partners. Two others are expected very soon.
“We have four sparring partners for Pacquiao and we plan to do 150 rounds of sparring,” said Roach, who said they will employ the same formula they used during Pacquiao?s fight against Miguel Cotto.
Even as work in Congress is also very hectic, the representative of the lone district of Sarangani, managed to begin his second day of training under Roach at the Elorde Boxing Gym in Quezon City.
“I wanted to keep the number down but with Manny I don’t think that’s possible. He just keeps on working harder every day. On Tuesday we’ll begin sparring,” added Roach.
The celebrated American trainer said they will remain in Baguio City until the third week of October.
“Then maybe on the 20th of next month, we move to Los Angeles for two weeks and then the last week at Dallas. Baguio is a nice place to train. It has the altitude and not the traffic,” he said.
The coming fight against Margarito will give the Gen. Santos City-born Pacquiao a chance to win his eighth world title in eight different weight classes, which may be the only one in the history of boxing.
“As long as he works hard at the gym I’ll have no problem with that,” said Roach.
And with regards to the reported illegal handwraps used by Margarito during his fight with Shane Mosely in January of 2009 that led to his suspension, Roach said he will personally make sure that he’ll be inside Margarito’s dressing room on fight night.
“I’ll be the one to check on that. Margarito can be a dirty fighter, and can do anything to make him win the fight,” added Roach.
