The life of Manny Pacquiao while in training
Credit to Author: EDDIE G. ALINEA| Date: Sat, 29 Jun 2019 16:21:53 +0000
LOS ANGELES: When WBA regular welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao and his team left Manila middle of this month, members of his training group had a consensus that they will be needing no less than three weeks to whip the eight-division belt-owner ready to battle fellow 147-pound titlist Keith Thurman.
That was despite chief trainer Buboy Fernandez’s and strength and conditioning coach Justin Fortune’s assessments that the 40-year-old was, at that time, 70 to 80 per cent prepared to move into the most crucial and rigid phase of the preparedness program they, along with Pacquiao himself and assistant trainers Nonoy Neri and Roger “Haplas” Fernandez charted.
The reason they advanced was that the second leg of the run up to the fight scheduled here will include the rigorous mountain climb of the Griffith Observatory Park, a 4,210 acres property situated in the eastern Santa Monica Mountain range with the elevation of from 384 to 1,625 feet above sea level.
The hilly Griffith Park is said to be Pacquiao’s favorite running venue as part of his muscle explosion and stamina building regimen that serves, too, as complementary to the plyometric training system implemented while still in Manila.
To cut the long story short, the regimen was followed without hitches in a three times a week frequency (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday) as well as the routine three times working the mitts with now training consultant Freddie Roach at his Wild Card Gym on the same days.
Sparring sessions, also in a three times a week volume (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) followed the short and flat Pan Pacific run, also on the same days.
Sunday is a rest day although now the senator is given a day in a week to dispense with any of the segments. He never missed, though, the Griffith run and sparring sessions.
Pacquiao, thus, has so far gone an average 5.6 miles and over 53 minutes in Griffith in six days, while sparring a total 30 rounds since arriving here on June 12. Count the 28 round he boxed while in Manila and had already done 58 round of skirmishes against at least six dancing mates.
When opting to rest working the mitts and running the short flat route, Manny will confine himself sleeping, reading the bible, presiding over bible studies with members of his flock and/or playing music with members of his team like what he did four times last week.
Two weeks after pitching camp here, his trainers pronounced Manny nearing tip-top shape and still four days after, Fortune and Roach on Thursday told this writer their pupil should reach his peak within seven to 10 days.
But no, on that same day, when confronted by this writer on how long does he expect to be in fighting form, Pacquiao retorted back: “Now na! Or anytime after today, puwede na ako lumaban.”
That was less than the three weeks that the team projected Manny will reach perfect fighting form
So, I went back to Freddie and Fortune and told them what Pacquiao told me. The two just smiled at me, saying: “If Manny told you that, believe him because that’s what he feels inside him. That’s why we believe him. If he says he already is capable of fighting today, he isn’t lying.”
For Buboy, Nonoy and Haplas, it’s their Boss’ work ethics that carried him to reach his peak. In so short a time. “Maganda ang training, “ the trio chorused.
“Matagal na nating kilala si Manny, ganyan ‘yan. Kahit anong distraction ang dumating — sakit, injury — madaling maka-recover. Pag nag-ensayo ‘yan, walang dahi-dahilan, kayod to the extent of punishing himself.”
Buboy said when training started in Manila, only four months had passed, “so nandun pa rin ang lakas niya, bilis at punching power kaya sandali lang naibalik niya mismo.”
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NOTES: The Park Plaza Lodge Hotel where many of Team Pacquiao members are billeted is owned by a Korean businesswoman Melissa Kim. It is situated at the corner of 3rd St. and Martel Ave., in this city. The hotel’s reception desk is manned by an all-Filipino crew – Roni Alcid, Rubi delos Reyes, Anne Junio and Jong Morges.
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