By Luis Sandoval

There were mixed reactions to last week’s episode of Pacquiao-Marquez 24/7 - with some saying they enjoyed it, while others said they’ve seen it all before. Pacquiao maybe considered the pound for pound best by some fans but he hasn’t always held that title when it’s come to the HBO documentary series. While this episode wasn’t exactly scintillating, hey, at least it answered the age old question if Marquez is still drinking his own urine.

One of the things that’s most enjoyable when watching a 24/7 episode is when they really show us the training and work both fighters are putting in camp. For the second week we get to see Marquez punish his sparring partners as increasing his speed seems to be the main focal point at the moment. His sparring partners both agree that his power has definitely shown up and his speed has improved since a week ago.

If we needed proof that his power is truly evident, Marquez did his best to convince us by not only dropping one of his sparring partners, but also by hitting the speed bag so hard it popped. One person who isn’t impressed is his own trainer Nacho Beristain who says “There’s no reason to start celebrating yet. What happened here won’t bring us any better results in the fight on the 12th”.

At the Wild Card gym Manny Pacquiao talks about an issue that hasn’t been a distraction as it was for his last camp; being a Congressman. He admits that it was difficult to juggle being a boxer and a congressman simultaneously but has since learned to set aside one responsibility while doing the other. He’s helped the Sarangani Providence people in the Phillipines by providing them with proper resources and even a medical center.

Back in Mexico City, Marquez does his best Mayweather impression by showing off his car collection. If it’s the flashiness you miss from 24/7, Juan did his best to bring it back on the table. While his collection was definitely admirable, so was Beristain’s own classic 1965 Ford Mustang that Marquez covets. The boasting is quickly balanced by showing Marquez with his kids as he reminds us that parenting is a job that never changes no matter how successful you become.

We get yet another treat as we get to see Manny go through his rotation of sparring partners. While Freddie Roach claims Manny only goes 50-60% in sparring, he looked to be at full speed as an aggressive Pacquiao rained punches on his familiar stable of fighters. After going a full 12 rounds with 3 different sparring partners, Manny still appears energized and eager to fight his nemesis.

“I want this fight man!” said an animated Pacquiao to sparring partner Ray Beltran. “I feel like I can spar more”.

We learn Marquez has brought in a new strength and conditioning coach to help him put on the extra pounds appropriately and not make him look or feel sluggish like he did in the Mayweather fight. But more importantly, he’s cut drinking urine from his training regimen. An embarrassed looking Marquez states he was advised by his doctors and physical trainer to discontinue that practice. If he loses this fight, at least it won’t be for drinking his own bodily waste.

The fight between Marquez and Pacquiao has already started outside the ring as Manny purchases a Ferrari 458 Italian and one ups Marquez in the car department. The $300,000 vehicle is personally delivered to Manny at his home as he then immediately takes it for its first drive to the Wild Card Gym.

It was an informative episode in some respects as you wonder if Marquez even used a proper strength and conditioning coach for his fight with Mayweather. You’d think they’d want Marquez to come in lighter to preserve his speed but the added weight looks to be thought of as increasing his power. Will be interesting to see if they can find the perfect balance as Manny has been able to do when he ventured into the higher weights.

One thing is clear, both guys are working extremely hard going into this fight. They’ve even taken a page out of Floyd Mayweather’s book as they put their toys on display though I doubt we’ll be seeing money being thrown at the camera anytime soon. Better episode than I was expecting but still nothing to write home about.
Grade: 3.5/5

You can follow Luis Sandoval on Twitter @truewest007 or email him at luis.sandoval80@yahoo.com . You can also listen to Boxingscene’s official audio show The Boxing Lab every Tuesday from 6-8pm PST with hosts Ernest Gabion, Luis Sandoval and Ryan Burton.