by Ronnie Nathanielsz
Obviously benefiting from a one week break from sparring imposed by celebrated trainer Freddie Roach, eight division world champion Manny Pacquiao resumed sparring at the Wild Card Gym on Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila) and looked terrific.
Pacquiao sparred a total of twelve rounds with two separate sparring partners whose identities were kept secret according to Top Rank publicist Fred Sternberg.
The well-known Sternberg told BoxingScene.com/New Standard that “both sparring partners said they had never seen so many punches come from different angles. They came from all over”.
It was a reassuring display by the hero of millions in the Philippines and around the world that Pacquiao is ready to inflict the first loss on the hitherto unblemished 47-0 record of undefeated pound for pound No.1 Floyd Mayweather Jr when they clash at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 2 in a multi-million dollar showdown.
Pacquiao’s twelve rounds of sparring came one day after he went 16 rounds on the punch-mitts in a performance that was described as “phenomenal.”
Sternberg said that Pacquiao yesterday ran in the morning at Griffith Park and told him later, “I ran like a deer.”
