HE looked rusty and lacked coordination but world welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao’s first two days in his Baguio City training camp more than made the grade in the eyes of his chief trainer, Freddie Roach. "Yeah, rustiness was very evident. That’s expected for a guy who’s been inactive for almost four months," Roach told Business Insight/Malaya in a telephone interview yesterday as Team Pacquiao marked its second day of preparation in the Pines City where the eight-division world champ has pitched camp.
"But that’s precisely the reason why we’re here, to recover whatever we lost from the time we saw Manny fighting in the ring November last year," Roach said.
"Whatever he now lacks in punching power, speed, coordination, everything, we hope to regain within the next few days before we go into the nitty-gritty of boxing.
"What I want is, when we shift to sparring, which will come next week, we will only be polishing off what we would have gained here. And it looks like I will get what I want in the same manner that I got what I wanted in our last important fights," Roach added.
Pacquiao did road work at the Burnham Park last Monday and at the Sta. Lucia Hilly Heights subdivision, near Team Pacquiao Headquarters at Cooyesan Hotel, yesterday.
After his morning jog last Monday, Pacquiao did the mitts with Roach for seven rounds after doing calisthenics, punching the heavy bag, double end ball and speed ball, all part of the training regimen conditioning coach Alex Ariza has lined up in the first week of their training.
Airza, like Roach, expressed satisfaction with what he saw in Pacquiao’s 15-round jog-run routine at the Burnham Park and a 25-minute ascent-descent workout at the steep Sta. Lucia mini-mountain.
"For a man who’s been inactive for so long, I was amazed with what I’ve been witnessing," said Ariza.
Eddie Alinea, Business Malaya Insight
