By Ronnie Nathanielsz
Freddie Roach, 2003 “Trainer of the Year” who is scheduled to arrive in Manila on Monday morning from Los Angeles to supervise the final phase of Ring Magazine featherweight champion Manny Pacquiao’s training for his December 11 showdown against No. 4 ranked IBF super bantamweight Fahsan 3K Battery titled “Yanig sa Taguig” expressed surprise on Saturday when he learned that Pacquiao was shooting a TV reality show in the midst of training for the fight against Fahsan.
Roach who realizes the seriousness of the December 11 tune-up fight against Fahsan and more importantly the rematch with WBA/IBF champion Juan Manuel Matquez and decided to fly to Manila to supervise Pacquiao's training appeared concerned as did members of Team Pacquiao about the fighter's easy going attitude in recent months.
In an overseas telephone conversation with Viva Sports/Manila Standard, Roach warned that unless Pacquiao buckled down to serious training right away especially for his February 26 rematch with WBA/IBF champion Juan Manuel Marquez, he would almost surely be beaten. Marquez who recently successfully defended his title against No. 4 ranked Mexican Oscar Salido in a tune-up fight has already started light training. Pacquiao, in an email to Manila Standard said he had sparred six rounds with RP lightweight champion Fernando Montilla and three rounds with Chris Saluday on Friday disclosed he would “pick him (Roach) up and the airport and we will fly back to Davao” to resume training at the Almendras Gym. However, Roach said he would ask Pacquiao to train in Manila after learning of security concerns as well as the dilapidated gym and the lack of decent training facilities in Davao City compared to the facilities as the world class Wild Card Gym in BF Homes, Paranaque which was also a short distance from Pacquiao’s home.
Pacquiao added that he was “just training and not sparring today” and would resume sparring on Monday. Although Pacquiao said he would arrive in Manila from Davao on Sunday night and fetch Roach at the airport on Monday morning, Manila Standard learned that Pacquiao sneaked out of Davao City with his trainer/sidekick Buboy Fernandez and arrived in Manila on Friday after which he motored to Subic Bay to shoot the ABS-CBN reality boxing show alongside action star Robin Padilla. When contacted by Viva Sports, Pacquiao admitted that he was in Subic with Fernandez and claimed since there was no sparring scheduled over the weekend at the Almendras Gym he decided to train in Subic. He also deliberately avoided any mention about the taping of his reality TV boxing show.
There was more disconcerting news about Pacquiao. WBC founding secretary general Rudy Salud revealed that he received a call from Pacquiao past 11:00 p.m. on Friday in which Pacquiao asked Salud to lend him a couple of roosters so he could have an entry in a derby in Cavite scheduled for late November and early December. Salud refused and instead told Pacquiao to concentrate on his training for the fight against Fahasan 3K Battery and the crucial rematch with Marquez
