By Ronnie Nathanielsz
Filipino ring idol Manny Pacquiao was feeling good Monday afternoon and sparred six rounds at the RWS Gym of Rex “Wakee” Salud after running on the flatland of the IT Park in front of the Waterfront Hotel in Lahug in the morning.
Celebrated trainer Freddie Roach whose care and concern for Pacquiao is remarkable told Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today he didn’t want to push him too much by doing the killer uphill run at Alta Vista since he was just recovering from a bout with the flu.
However, Roach said he would take the hard road today in his drive to be in perfect shape for his eagerly awaited rematch with Mexican icon Marco Antonio Barrera in Las Vegas on October 6.
Roach’s original plan was for Pacquiao to spar perhaps three or four rounds by since the ring warrior played basketball Sunday and appeared to be unaffected by the game despite doctor’s instructions to merely take a walk, he decided to go six rounds with Mexican Raymund Beltran and Filipino Arnel Tinampay.
Roach said “we’ve had a good day and the sparring was pretty good. Manny feels a lot better.”
Once again the RWS Gym was closed to fight fans and even a television crew that wanted to shoot footage of the sparring was not allowed on instructions of Roach and he said “they went away.”
Without disclosing too much from what we’ve seen Roach and Pacquiao work on, it’s the right hook that’s coming along nicely and will soon be as devastating as Pacquiao’s left.
