ShareThisBAGUIO CITY — World boxing icon and congressman Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao is slowly but surely intensifying his high altitude training here in Baguio City to prepare himself for this grudge fight against Mexican champion Juan Manuel Marquez.
Between jogging and sparring, Pacquiao, owner of record eight championship belts and current world pound-for-pound king, has also found time to play basketball with his team.
Next month, Pacquiao will fly to Los Angeles to continue his training and conditioning.
American boxing coach Freddie Roach expressed satisfaction over the Filipino champion’s performance in his first sparring session with Venezuelan Jorge Linares last week as his ward is subjected to more rigorous trainings.
Buboy Fernandez, assistant trainer of the “Team Pacquiao,” Roach has allowed Pacquiao to play basketball game in the next few days to further gain speed and stamina.
“Manny was, however, cautioned to avoid any injury during his basketball games,” he said.
Aside from boxing, Pacquiao’s favorite sport is basketball where his team from Mindanao has won games against the best local teams in Baguio.
Fernandez said that more sparring bouts of the champ is set this week and the coming weeks.
Lightweight Jorge Linares has been chosen to be Manny Pacquiao’s sparring partner in preparation for his World Boxing organization welterweight title defense against Marzquez because of his smartness and cleverness – traits that Marquez possesses.
“Linares might only be a lightweight but like Marquez, he is a smart fighter and very clever, which is what the doctor’s prescribe to be my sparring partner,” Pacquiao said after four rounds of sparring with the Venezuelan lightweight at the Shapeup boxing gym inside the Cooyeesan Hotel along Naguillian Road here.
“That’s right,” Roach agreed. “Because Marquez is such a smart fighter, we have to be smarter when we meet him on November 12 (November 13 (Manila Time). Linares, indeed, represents what Manny needs, especially this early in his preparations.”
Roach was referring to Pacquiao’s defense of his title against the Mexican in Act III of their trilogy at the MGM in Las Vegas.
“Besides, like Marquez, Linares is a thinking fighter who never wastes time and movement when he’s on top of that ring, the 51-year-old four-time ‘Trainer of the Year’ told sports writer Eddie Alinea.
“And that’s what I would like Manny to be like if he wants to really beat Marquez convincingly to erase all doubts of the results of those previous bouts,” he added.
”I don’t want Manny to be what he was the first two times he fought Marquez, immature and careless. He’s fought many times since his split decision win in the second bout and those gave him maturity which I hope he would use this time around,” Roach said.
“The next thing to do is for him to learn how to be smarter. Not of his previous self when he made useless and wasted movements that in the end, tired him, making him unable to finish convincingly,” Roach said.
“Okey naman. Sa dalawang beses naming sparring, may natutuhan din ako sa kanya. His patience in the face of my attacks na tingin ko ay pakikinabangan ko laban kay Marquez,” said Pacquiao. “Me laban siya next month for the vacant world lightweight title, so marami rin naman akong input na naibibigay sa kanya.”
Linares is set to fight Antonio De Marco for the vacant World Boxing Council lightweight championship on October 15.
“Yun ang sagot kung bakit pinili ni Freddie na si Linares and maging sparring partner ko in the early stage of my training. Para matutunan ko ang mga katangian ni Marquez kumpara kay Linares at para naman malaman din ni Linares ang mga bagay na kailangan niya sa title fight niya. Mutual ang benefit,” he said.
“Especially in style. Me matututuhan ako sa kanyang style at siya naman ganun din in the way I fight. Sana ang partnership naming magbunga ng maganda para sa aming dalawa,” the pound-for-pound and eight-division kingpin said.