Pacquiao not in best shape, says trainer

MANILA, Philippines - Coach Freddie Roach said Manny Pacquiao is far from his best.

But if it was true, it didn’t show yesterday when the 31-year-old Filipino icon sparred five rounds with Mexican Glen Tapia at the Shape Up Gym in Baguio City.

“He almost went down,” said Team Pacquiao’s Nonoy Neri of the Mexican sparring partner who, according to Roach, may be just as good as Antonio Margarito.

Roach described Tapia as “cocky” and that he did “very, very good” when he sparred four rounds with Pacquiao last Thursday, the first day of sparring for the awaited Nov. 13 showdown.

The other sparring partner, Michael Medina, also did four rounds with Pacquiao last Saturday, and took some solid shots from the pound-for-pound champion that he looked ready to go as well.

A couple more sparring partners are coming in with reigning WBA super-welterweight champ Amir Khan probably on the way to Manila as of presstime, and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. on standby.

Pacquiao has always done so well in sparring, even when Roach threw taller, bigger partners at him. He had a couple of boxers bloodied in his previous camps, and yesterday he was all over Tapia.

Still, Roach said Pacquiao is far from tip-top shape.

“The direction I want him to move is a little better. The stuff we were doing yesterday came through today. He’s not 100 percent; we still have a long way to go,” Ted Lerner of Ring Magazine quoted Roach as saying.

“We’re just beginning to get the game plan down and get the timing and so forth. He did what I wanted him to do a couple of times. It’s a work in progress,” added Lerner, embedded in the Pacquiao camp.

Roach said if Pacquiao fought today, chances are he’d lose, but that won’t really happen in November.

“If that Manny Pacquiao
went into a fight, we’d probably lose. But that’s why we have an eight-week training camp, so we can improve. You can’t expect too much out of a guy who hasn’t been in the ring since last March,” Lerner wrote.

Roach said Pacquiao was at 50 to 60 percent of himself when they arrived in Baguio more than a week ago, and said the Pinoy icon should be close to 90 percent before they fly to Los Angeles later this month.

Roach said Team Pacquiao should be in LA on Oct. 23, a Saturday, so Pacquiao could rest the whole of Sunday before plunging back into training the following day.


Source: http://www.philstar.com

Paul Williams Aches For A Pacquiao Shot

“I would go down to 147 if Pacquiao or Mayweather challenges me,” former welterweight champion Paul Williams said in a radio interview with On The Ropes Boxing Show, directly referring to seven-division champion Manny Pacquiao and former pound-for-pound top fighter Floyd Mayweather.

Apart from Mayweather, many boxing followers, casual fans and experts alike, believe that Williams is the other best fighter who could pose a serious challenge to the Filipino before Pacquiao calls it quits. Standing at 6’2, Williams is a very tall fighter even at middleweight, but he claims he has no problems shedding the pounds if Pacquiao would want to fight him at welterweight.

Pacquiao is slated to fight Antonio Margarito of Mexico on November 13th in Arlington, Texas. On the other hand, Williams is set to settle a score with middleweight champion Sergio Martinez, who was first beaten by Margarito via knockout in a welterweight showdown. Having said that, Williams is confident he will come out victorious in his second encounter with Martinez.

Williams is also sure Pacquiao will nab a win over the towering Margarito, who, at 5’11, is the tallest opponent Pacquiao has ever faced. Margarito will also be the heaviest rival Pacquiao has to square off against in his entire career.

‘Pacquiao is a fast fighter,” Williams said, “Pacquiao is going to win the first seven rounds off of muscle.”

“I would love the winner.”

But there is no doubt that Williams really wants a faceoff with Pacquiao. He likes the Filipino’s explosive style and how his own would provide fans a great fight. A victory over Williams will make him the WBC middleweight champion, but he is still willing to fight Pacquiao at a catchweight if that’s what it takes to set him up against the Filipino slugger-turned-boxer.

“They can do 47, 54, whatever weight they want to go at, I’ll be game to go at with them at that weight.”

Williams said he does not mind if he gets beat by the smaller Filipino, if the fight should materialize. For the boxer known as the Punisher, a match with Pacquiao is going to be all-out action.

“He’s going to be throwing punches and I’m going to be throwing punches,” Williams said while visualizing a Pacquiao bout.

When punches are flying, anybody could get caught. I know I’m going to take some shots and I know he’s going to take some shots, so it would be explosive to see.”


Source: http://filipinoboxingjournal.com