Philippine Sports News and Updates

Manny Pacquiao was feeling good Monday afternoon and sparred six rounds at the RWS Gym of Rex “Wakee” Salud after running on the flat land of the IT Park in front of the Waterfront Hotel in Lahug in the morning.

Trainer Freddie Roach, whose care and concern for Pacquiao is remarkable, told Viva Sports/Standard Today he didn’t want to push him too much by doing the killer uphill run at Alta Vista, since he was just recovering from a bout with the flu.

But Roach said he would take the hard road today in his drive to be in perfect shape for his eagerly awaited rematch with Mexican icon Marco Antonio Barrera in Las Vegas on Oct. 6.

Roach’s original plan was for Pacquiao to spar perhaps three or four rounds since the ring warrior played basketball Sunday and appeared to be unaffected by the game despite doctors’ orders to merely take a walk. But he decided to go six rounds with Mexican Raymund Beltran and Filipino Arnel Tinampay.

“We had a good day and the sparring was pretty good. Manny feels a lot better,” said Roach.

Once again, the RWS Gym was closed to fight fans and even a television crew that wanted to shoot footage of the sparring was not allowed on instructions of Roach. “They went away.”

Without disclosing too much from what we’ve seen Roach and Pacquiao work on, “it’s the right hook that’s coming along nicely and will soon be as devastating as Pacquiao’s left.”

Source: Manila Standard Today