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 It’s another sweat soaked, grueling day at the Wild Card Gym for Manny Pacquiao. As Pacman’s hotly anticipated December 6th encounter with Oscar De La Hoya draws inexorably closer, his training is now divided between “the basics” and sparring sessions. But the latter exercise does not involve your typical squared circle knockabout.
Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach declares that “I don’t have sparring partners. I have real fighters, contenders that are coming up, that can really push Manny,” because “Sparring in my gym is not play,” with the only rule being that when a fighter is hurt, he is not to be finished off….since he might be needed for another workout.
First up for Manny is British lightweight prospect Amir Khan, eager to impress after a recent first round knockout loss derailed his seemingly unimpeded locomotive-like path to a title shot. Khan dutifully stands toe to toe in ring center and mixes it up with Pacquiao, as do a subsequent cadre of other willing battlers looking to collect the $1,000 bounty placed on Pacman’s head by his trainer, or anyone able to floor boxing’s pound for pound best. Not surprisingly, the money remains uncollected by day’s end.
When the session is concluded, Pacquiao returns to his temporary abode eager to visit with his extremely pregnant spouse, housed one floor below her husband; both fight isolation from their three children and each other, by listening to their unborn progeny’s heart sounds using what is undoubtedly the latest in pre-natal technology.
Media day at Oscar De La Hoya’s Big Bear camp finds the usual carnival atmosphere in evidence. De La Hoya spars good-naturedly with comedian George Lopez, while informing the assembled masses how the move to welterweight has enhanced his power and hand speed, despite initial concerns about the fluctuation in poundage.
Also in attendance is De La Hoya’s “consultant” for the Pacquiao fight, 87 year old Hall of Fame Trainer Angelo Dundee. “I love Fred Roach…” chortles Dundee, “but his kid is gonna take a licking.”
Five hours of photographs and interviews unquestionably tax De La Hoya’s resolve and patience nearly as much as a good day’s labor would, but he handles the proceedings with typical aplomb. No doubt foremost in “The Golden Boy’s” thoughts is some much needed family time; a practice in direct contravention to historically accepted pre-fight modus operandi, but one that works for him.
“I need my family”, says De La Hoya. “I need my wife next to me. I need my kids next to me. By me having my family around me, just gives me more energy, gives me more strength, more power.”
De La Hoya’s wife and two young children also serve as motivational tools as he prepares for the inevitable. According to Oscar, “When I train, I think of my family. I’m doing this for my wife. I’m doing this for my kids. I’m doing this for me”, noting that their presence nearby “…pumps me up, that gets me going.”
Back at the Wild Card Gym, where fifty dollars a month buys you a membership, Manny Pacquiao is back in action, pausing only for his afternoon prayer, which brings all other action at the site to an abrupt, respectful halt. Pacquiao is a devout Catholic, raised to be kind, responsible and God fearing by his parents, Dinesha and Rosalio. The Pacquiao’s know all too well that their son is employed in the “hurt business,” but accept things as they are because of what he means to his country and countrymen alike.
Oscar De La Hoya works out at the Summit Gym, this time under the watchful gaze of his father Joel, who made his son a fighter, but sacrificed much in the process. “Our relationship was very cold”, recalls Oscar. “I don’t even remember having a conversation with my father.” “It was school, homework and the gym…” for De La Hoya, remembers his brother Joel, JR., “because he [Joel Sr.] saw something in Oscar”.
As a result, visits to his late mother’s family in Tecate, Mexico provided a welcome respite from the daily grind for young Oscar, or as De La Hoya himself puts it, “a release of emotions, just nothing but love.”
“The Golden Boy” finishes slamming the mitts within eyeshot of his father and son Gabriel Oscar, and smiles crease the faces of three generations of De La Hoyas; seeing this, one hopes that things between Oscar and Joel, SR. are destined to be better.
Now it’s Manny Pacquiao’s turn to experience/endure media day, and its microphones and muscle on display. Pacquiao impressively works the pads, batters the speed bag and shadowboxes, while Freddie Roach contends that De La Hoya is up against it in Vegas, since with four fights in four years, he’s only a part time fighter.
The day’s most interesting and enlightening Q&A makes it clear that Mr. Roach has no love at all for De La Hoya’s new trainer Nacho Beristain, who reportedly disrespected him at some point. Knowing Roach’s reputation for honesty and integrity, we wonder what this rift is all about, but nothing further is discussed.
Pacquiao and his dozen compadres visit Nate’s Thai Food six nights in seven during training camp; the food is cheap and plentiful, and the group is made to feel at home. After dinner one member of Team Pacquiao handles daily grocery shopping at the local market, which undoubtedly has gone bucks up from the experience. But Manny has finally decided that there’s too much eating going on while he’s in training, and offers $2,000 to anyone disciplined enough to lose ten pounds in two weeks, with another $1,000 for those who reduce their mass by another five. Hopefully, this contest places a distant second to the big fight in terms of excitement.
Before heading home, Angelo Dundee confers with Oscar De La Hoya and Nacho Beristain. Dundee will review “stacks of film” on Pacquiao and inform the pair regarding “anything of essence,” but confidently predicts that while Pacman is a terrific fighter, Oscar has the answer to any challenge with which he may be presented come December 6th.
Last up for De La Hoya is a fight night simulation, meaning twelve rounds of sparring at full bore. Oscar goes the distance with relative ease, receiving generally high marks from his team; though Nacho Beristain warns his charge of his various tactical mistakes (recklessly attacking, for one), and admonishes him not to accept unnecessary punishment. De La Hoya believes his conditioning is perfect, and at thirty five years of age, he’s “…out there to prove something” to those who think he is over the hill.
Both men continue honing their skills to a razor fine edge as the battle ground is prepared, and fight time approaches. - Russ Greenspan, RSS
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