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Tyson gives Team Pacquiao tips
December 05, 2008 17:36:00
Francis Ochoa
Philippine Daily Inquirer
LAS VEGAS -- As if words were not enough, former undisputed heavyweight champion “Iron” Mike Tyson took a step back away from assistant trainer Buboy Fernandez, bobbed, wove and then ducked under a phantom left hook.
This is how you do it against Oscar De La Hoya, Tyson told Fernandez.
Tyson dropped by the IBA Gym here Thursday to catch Manny Pacquiao’s last training session before the “Dream Match” against Oscar De La Hoya on Saturday. For most of his stay, Tyson, dressed in a pink shirt and dark gray slacks, kept to himself in one corner of the gym, standing up only when Pacquiao climbed the ring to begin his workout.
“He said Manny must keep moving the head,” Fernandez said, adding that Tyson noted that De La Hoya’s background as an amateur fighter makes him a deadly tactician. “He wants Manny to move in and not to back out too far because that’s where Oscar’s jab-straight-hook [combination] comes to play.”
Fernandez added that Tyson said it would be best to keep attacking the body because sooner or later De La Hoya’s guard will start to lower.
“It was nice for Mike Tyson to come,” said trainer Freddie Roach, who used to handle the boxer once known as “the baddest man in the planet.”
“Mike gave me a little advice,” Roach added. “He said be careful with moving back in straight lines because Oscar has a long reach. Sensible stuff. He wants Manny to make sure he doesn’t come in with the head first, but instead come in behind his punches.”
The 42-year-old disgraced champion stayed for nearly the entirety of Pacquiao’s workout, following the Filipino ring icon’s every move, whether he was skipping rope, working the mitts, hitting the double end, or pounding the speed ball.
He left just as Pacquiao was about to wrap up his final workout.
Roach said Tyson still had no tickets to the fight but Pacquiao took care of that, providing four tickets to the man who was once the youngest heavyweight champion of the world.
Pacquiao is expected to do walks and stretches Friday and on the morning of the fight. Both Pacquiao and De La Hoya will tip the scales during the official weigh-in Friday at the MGM Grand.
Pacquiao, Roach said, is currently at 146 lbs and will have breakfast and a short walk in the hallway outside his suite at THE Hotel at Mandalay Bay before proceeding to the weigh-in.
“We’ll weigh in at 46 or 47,” Roach said. “We’ll have breakfast and then we’ll check his weight. That’s about it.”
“We’re good, we’re happy,” added the two-time trainer of the year. “We have nothing to worry about. We’re well prepared and we have nothing more to do.”
Pacquiao made the most of his final workout, going four rounds with the mitts with Roach. He also shadow-boxed with intensity, worked the double end and the speed ball before skipping rope and doing crunches to wrap things up..
Several times, his trainers had to restrain him as Pacquiao kept shouting “one more” after the end of every workout.
De La Hoya, meanwhile, continued to train in seclusion and is also expected to easily make the weight after undergoing a regimen aimed at retaining his strength at a lower weight.
The Golden Boy has been training the past months at 145 lbs and, according to Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer, flew into this ritzy ******** district at 143.8 lbs.
Pacquiao continues to be the underdog in this match, although the odds against him continued slipping with the influx of Filipino bettors who wagered on the reigning lightweight champion.
De La Hoya is now just a -155 favorite and Pacquiao a +125 underdog. The greatest plunge in odds was in the probability of Pacquiao knocking out De La Hoya. That proposition opened at 13-2, before slipping to 9-2. In less than 24 hours, that moved to 3-2 as people started putting faith in the Pacman’s punching power.
Among serious boxing writers, however, De La Hoya continues to be an overwhelming favorite. An internet site polled 17 of its scribes and 13 picked De La Hoya to win.
However, almost all of those who picked De La Hoya said that Pacquiao stands to be the big winner whether or not De La Hoya defeats him. A De La Hoya victory will only make the Golden Boy look like a bully, the poll said, while a Pacquiao victory will cement the Filipino’s claim to the mythical pound-for-pound throne.
Copyright 2008 INQUIRER.net
December 05, 2008 17:36:00
Francis Ochoa
Philippine Daily Inquirer
LAS VEGAS -- As if words were not enough, former undisputed heavyweight champion “Iron” Mike Tyson took a step back away from assistant trainer Buboy Fernandez, bobbed, wove and then ducked under a phantom left hook.
This is how you do it against Oscar De La Hoya, Tyson told Fernandez.
Tyson dropped by the IBA Gym here Thursday to catch Manny Pacquiao’s last training session before the “Dream Match” against Oscar De La Hoya on Saturday. For most of his stay, Tyson, dressed in a pink shirt and dark gray slacks, kept to himself in one corner of the gym, standing up only when Pacquiao climbed the ring to begin his workout.
“He said Manny must keep moving the head,” Fernandez said, adding that Tyson noted that De La Hoya’s background as an amateur fighter makes him a deadly tactician. “He wants Manny to move in and not to back out too far because that’s where Oscar’s jab-straight-hook [combination] comes to play.”
Fernandez added that Tyson said it would be best to keep attacking the body because sooner or later De La Hoya’s guard will start to lower.
“It was nice for Mike Tyson to come,” said trainer Freddie Roach, who used to handle the boxer once known as “the baddest man in the planet.”
“Mike gave me a little advice,” Roach added. “He said be careful with moving back in straight lines because Oscar has a long reach. Sensible stuff. He wants Manny to make sure he doesn’t come in with the head first, but instead come in behind his punches.”
The 42-year-old disgraced champion stayed for nearly the entirety of Pacquiao’s workout, following the Filipino ring icon’s every move, whether he was skipping rope, working the mitts, hitting the double end, or pounding the speed ball.
He left just as Pacquiao was about to wrap up his final workout.
Roach said Tyson still had no tickets to the fight but Pacquiao took care of that, providing four tickets to the man who was once the youngest heavyweight champion of the world.
Pacquiao is expected to do walks and stretches Friday and on the morning of the fight. Both Pacquiao and De La Hoya will tip the scales during the official weigh-in Friday at the MGM Grand.
Pacquiao, Roach said, is currently at 146 lbs and will have breakfast and a short walk in the hallway outside his suite at THE Hotel at Mandalay Bay before proceeding to the weigh-in.
“We’ll weigh in at 46 or 47,” Roach said. “We’ll have breakfast and then we’ll check his weight. That’s about it.”
“We’re good, we’re happy,” added the two-time trainer of the year. “We have nothing to worry about. We’re well prepared and we have nothing more to do.”
Pacquiao made the most of his final workout, going four rounds with the mitts with Roach. He also shadow-boxed with intensity, worked the double end and the speed ball before skipping rope and doing crunches to wrap things up..
Several times, his trainers had to restrain him as Pacquiao kept shouting “one more” after the end of every workout.
De La Hoya, meanwhile, continued to train in seclusion and is also expected to easily make the weight after undergoing a regimen aimed at retaining his strength at a lower weight.
The Golden Boy has been training the past months at 145 lbs and, according to Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer, flew into this ritzy ******** district at 143.8 lbs.
Pacquiao continues to be the underdog in this match, although the odds against him continued slipping with the influx of Filipino bettors who wagered on the reigning lightweight champion.
De La Hoya is now just a -155 favorite and Pacquiao a +125 underdog. The greatest plunge in odds was in the probability of Pacquiao knocking out De La Hoya. That proposition opened at 13-2, before slipping to 9-2. In less than 24 hours, that moved to 3-2 as people started putting faith in the Pacman’s punching power.
Among serious boxing writers, however, De La Hoya continues to be an overwhelming favorite. An internet site polled 17 of its scribes and 13 picked De La Hoya to win.
However, almost all of those who picked De La Hoya said that Pacquiao stands to be the big winner whether or not De La Hoya defeats him. A De La Hoya victory will only make the Golden Boy look like a bully, the poll said, while a Pacquiao victory will cement the Filipino’s claim to the mythical pound-for-pound throne.
Copyright 2008 INQUIRER.net
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