Pacquiao to train at home for Macau fight

MANILA – Most likely, world boxing icon Manny Pacquiao will train in the Philippines or any Asian country for his return to boxing arena at the Venentian in Macau on November 23.

This surfaced as Pacquiao’s best friend and long-time assistant trainer Buboy Fernandez said he hopes the “Pacman” will set his his training camp in the Philippines or in any Asian country.
Fernandez said in a recent interview with Spin.ph’s Snow Badua that since Pacquiao’s coming fight against Brandon “Bam Bam” Rios will be staged in Macau, it would be practical to set up camp somewhere in Asia. Top network ABS-CBN reported on the interview with Fernandez.
“Mas malapit kasi sa atin, tutal dito lang ang laban sa Macau, baka pwede namang dito na lang [sa Pilipinas],” Fernandez said.
According to the ABS-CBN report, Pacquiao has been dividing his camp between the Philippines and California during his last few fights. He usually spends the final half of his camp at Freddie Roach’s Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles before heading to Las Vegas.
But Pacquiao will be fighting for the first time in Macau for the Rios bout and Fernandez said there are enough facilities in the Philippines that could cater to Pacquiao’s training needs.
“Marami namang magagandang gym dito,” he said.
The final decision, however, will come from Pacquiao and Roach himself, according to Fernandez.
 “Si coach Freddie naman ang masusunod. Kaya kung ano ang gusto niya at gusto ng ating champion, dun tayo,” Fernandez said.
Pacquiao will be making his ring return against Rios, nearly a year after being knocked out by Juan Manuel Marquez in their fourth encounter.
 Roach, meanwhile, could not help but shake his head in disbelief when  Marquez picked a fight against Timothy Bradley instead of Manny Pacquiao.
Roach said a stockpile of money would have been made with a fifth clash between Pacquiao and Marquez.
“He picked Bradley instead of us. I was very surprised because the money issue itself, he could have made a lot more with Pacquiao,” the boxing trainer told Koncrete Jungle as reported by ABS-CBN
“He wanted $20 million, but he could have at least made $10 million. But that’s his story,” Roach said.
Marquez was actually offered $13 million for a fifth bout against Pacquiao, who yielded a knockout loss to the Mexican last December.
But Marquez believes that his legacy is far more important than money, which is why he opted for a world title fight against Bradley.
“[Bradley] and Marquez had a good deal together or something like that, but I don’t really see that fight as being too interesting, because who really cares who wins that fight,” Roach said.
Pacquiao and Marquez have already gone through four bouts, with the Filipino winning two of their four clashes. Their first meeting ended in a draw.
Roach believes Marquez will come to his senses, be a gentleman, and grant Pacquiao the fifth fight.
“I’m sure we’ll be meeting him somewhere down the line,” he said.