by Ronnie Nathanielsz

Eight division world champion Manny Pacquiao looked good in training at the classy Elorde Gym in the Telstra Building of the Mall of Asia Complex.

He did six rounds on the punch mitts which we were not allowed to shoot and ran through several rounds of shadow boxing where his speed and power were evident.

Manny showed up at the gym following another hard day at the Senate but demonstrated his desire to be in top shape for the Vargas fight.

Strength and conditioning coach Justin Fortune said Pacquiao continues to show the same passion for boxing as he has in the past and should be able to handle whatever Jessie Vargas brings into the ring in November.

Fortune told the Manila Standard that Pacquiao comes into training camp at 60 to 70 percent and “ bringing Manny to a hundred percent is not difficult. Now he’s older and has a job in the Senate.  We just have to regulate the training schedule so its not too tiring  and doesn’t burn him out. Its just a matter of reshuffling things, that’s all.”

Fortune said he is very happy with the training camp so far and pointed out that they did the mitts the other day and “he’s still ridiculously fast and very strong.”

Discussing Vargas, Fortune told us “he’s a champion, he’s young but is not on the level of Pacquiao. He is an “A” fighter and Manny is “a triple ‘A’ fighter. “

While he conceded that Vargas is a world champion, Fortune said “he will definitely be out to do some damage. He’s definitely coming to fight. That’s the best thing about Vargas. He won’t run. He’ll come to fight. He’s a fighter.”

However, he said that while he “has nothing against Jessie Vargas, he doesn’t have Manny’s speed or strength or skill level.”

He said Pacquiao “should take care of him in five or six rounds” but said Vargas will be “in one hundred percent shape. He’ll be as fit as he’s ever been. This is a chance of a lifetime for him. When he fights Manny he’ll come to win but if he beats Manny that's his rise to stardom.”