By Ronnie Nathanielsz
Still kicking off the effects of jetlag following his long flight from Manila last Sunday, eight division world champion Manny Pacquiao sparred eight rounds yesterday at the Wild Card Gym of celebrated trainer Freddie Roach and looked good.
Top Rank publicist Fred Sternberg told BoxingScene.com/The Standard that Manny did okay “but the best thing about it was he was throwing his right hand an awful lot. He landed often and it was powerful.”
Pacquiao sparred against 31 year old super lightweight Ghislain Maduma from the Democratic Republic of the Congo by way of Canada who has a record 17-2 with 11 knockouts and unbeaten American lightweight Lydell Rhodes.
Sternberg told us Pacquiao would spar with undefeated welterweight Frankie “Pitbull” Gomez on Thursday.
Gomez has a record of 20-0 with 13 knockouts.
Sternberg said “Manny gave it a good go” in sparring and then hit the punch-mitts, the bags and was “looking like his old self again.”
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum who visited the Wild Card Gym on Monday told us while Manny didn’t spar “he looked very, very good.”
He said “the power is much better” and he is no longer struggling with his right hand due to a tear in his right shoulder rotator cuff which was aggravated in the May 2 showdown against unbeaten pound for pound No.1 Floyd Mayweather Jr who has since retired.
Arum indicated that after surgery five days after the loss to Mayweather, “now its full operational and much, much better” and when he hits the mitts of Roach with the right hand, the sound is probably even bigger than the sound when he hits with his left” which has always been his most devastating punch.
