Pacquiao completes two weeks in LA training camp
Credit to Author: EDDIE G. ALINEA| Date: Sun, 30 Jun 2019 16:13:24 +0000
LOS ANGELES: A 10-round of sparring and another seven in heavy bag and in the balls on Saturday (Sunday in Manila), completed Filipino boxing great Manny Pacquiao’s second week here as he braces himself to what could be a moot but crucial seven-day stage of preparation for his coming WBA unification date with American Keith Thurman.
Pacquiao and Thurman try to erase each other on July 20 (July 21 in Manila) at the MGM Grand Arena with the winner awarding the right to be called the one an only champion of the 147-pound division.
Three days after Pacquiao himself declared fit and ready to rumble, this coming week and the three others that follow are could’ve been considered unnecessary.
But for the purpose of maintaining what had been achieved in the last 29 days of the camp here and in Manila, handlers of the WBA regular champion still consider this crucial.
“Yeah, Manny’s already in fine shape and raring to go, but still we have to deal the next few weeks before we leave for Vegas a week before the fight as important as when he hasn’t reached his peak,” strength and conditioning coach Justin Fortune said.
Fortune oversaw Saturday’s training session with assistant trainer Marvin Somodio as both chief trainer Buboy Fernandez and training consultant Freddie Roach were both out of town.
Fernandez hurriedly flew to his hometown Polangui in Albay to attend to some important matters in regards to his election as vice mayor of that town.
Training consultant Freddie Roach wasn’t in town also as he was in Texas to supervise one of his fighters’ fight there on that day.
Also left to mend the Wild Card Gym were assistant trainers Nonoy Neri and Roger Fernandez, Buboy’s younger brother.
“The responsibility of seeing to it that Manny doesn’t contact sickness in the transition period still falls on our shoulders,” the former Australian heavyweight contender said.
“Then, there, too, is our duty to secure that Manny doesn’t get overtrained, which could easily occur if we aren’t careful,” Fortune added.
The coaching guru, likewise, said the frequency of the training regimen followed last week will continue with the volume of sparring to be raised from 10 to 12 rounds until it reaches the maximum 12.
Frequency in roadwork at the mountainous Griffith Park and the flat and short Pan Pacific Park will be maintained as well as the mitts segment of the program.
“We will do everything very carefully to ensure that negative results we fear would completely be avoided,” Fortune assured.
The tapering off period is scheduled in about two weeks, according to Fortune.
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