By Lem Satterfield
Lightweight David Rodela and unbeaten welterweight Shawn Porter will be among those serving as sparring partners for eight-division champion, Manny Pacquiao, as he prepares for his May 7, Showtime pay per view televised WBO welterweight defense against three-division, five-time champion, Shane Mosley, Pacquiao's adviser, Michael Koncz, told BoxingScene.com
Both Rodela (15-3-3, six knockouts) of Oxnard, Calif., and, the hard-hitting Porter (18-0, 13 KOs) have served as past partners for Pacquiao (52-3-2, 38 KOs), who will be after his 14th straight win and his ninth knockout during that run against Mosley (46-6-1, 39 KOs) on a Top Rank Promotions at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Koncz told BoxingScene.com on Friday night [Saturday afternoon in the Philippines] that Pacquiao already had begun training for Mosley with assistant Buboy Fernandez, and that five-time Trainer of the Year, Freddie Roach, was expected to arrive on next week.
"Training is going very well. We started earlier this week. This is our fourth day, and we're ahead of schedule. Freddie is the one who chooses the sparring partners and we don't have a problem with Rodela and Porter," said Koncz, from Pacquiao's native General Santos City in the Philippines.
"We're in General Santos City right now, and our conditioning will be great by the time Freddie gets here on March 12. We'll go to Baguio City on March 13," said Koncz. "Buboy Fernandez is training Manny for right now. We do this for every fight. Right now we're focused and concentrating on the May 7 Shane Mosley fight."