Manny Pacquiao should consider at least one week of training in Baguio City to acclimatize himself before moving to Macau for the final phase of his training in preparation for his upcoming fight against Brandon Rios on Nov. 24. A former trainer who was on Pacquiao’s opposite corner when he fought and lost to his first tormentor Rustico Torrecampo in 1996 said, at a week of training in the mountain city would be fine. In an interview with veteran sportswriter Eddie Alinea via Philboxing.com, Tambong del Rosario who cautioned the Filipino star against carelessness when he collides with Rios at the Venetian Resort & Casino in Macau, China, thinks Pacquiao should first acclimatize himself with the weather in Baguio City which is similar to the temperature in Macau in late November. ?Isa pa nga pala, pag November, autumn na at malamig sa Macau. Baka walang nakaka-realize nun sa kampo ni Manny. Dapat siguro mag-acclimatize siya bago magpunta ng Macau. Kahit one week lang sa Baguio puede na,? Del Rosario suggested. (One thing more, in November it is already autumn in Macau and it is already cold. It is possible that no one in Pacquiao’s camp has realized it. It might be good that he acclimatizes himself first before going to Macau. At least one week in Baguio would be fine, del Rosario suggested). Macau’s average low temperature is 64F in the month of November which is just a bit higher than the average November temperature of 59.2 degrees in Baguio City. Early last month, Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach announced that the fighting congressman from the Philippines will be training in General Santos City in the Philippines. Pacquiao has indeed started early training under the supervision of Assistant Trainer Buboy Fernandez. But he was reportedly training in at least three venues that include his Gyms in General Santos City, Davao and Manila. Pacquiao usually trains in the Philippines for at least four weeks before moving to the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles California for all of his US fights. Roach, who is preoccupied with his new job as the official trainer of former Pacquiao foe Miguel Cotto, has not talked about the proposed Baguio training but there is a good possibility that he will go along with the proposal. Barely three months from the Nov. 24 Macau fight, Roach has yet to name the replacement Alex Ariza, Pacquiao’s strength and conditioning coach, who was recently relieved of this post following disagreement about job functions with Roach Read more. Del Rosario’s advice is worth considering as there is nothing much to lose but everything to gain if he takes a week-long sparring in the summer capital of the Philippines before flying to Macau, China at least one more week leading up to the Nov. 24 showdown.
