Yesterday marked Manny Pacquiao’s first sparring session in his homeland as he prepares for his July 2nd showdown with Mexican Oscar Larios. Trainer Freddie Roach was not pleased, but his ire was aimed not at the Pac Man.
Rather, Roach was irked that the Tuesday movie premiere for ‘Pacquiao, the Movie’ started two hours late, at 9 PM. So the boxer didn’t get back to his hotel ‘til around midnight, the Manilla Bulletin said, and thus, his six-round preparatory outing with Rustam Nugaev on Wednesday wasn’t sharp.
“You could see him struggling a little bit because the jet lag is still there and he is a little bit tired,” said Roach.
“It was way later than I thought it would be but we were already there and we were stuck there,” the trainer continued.
“We have no more movies, no more appearances and hopefully no more distractions,” he added. “But you’ll never know with Manny Pacquiao.”
(Email news tips to Michael Woods at [email protected])
