Pacquiao nears welterweight range; Roach calls ward 'in great shape'

MANILA, Philippines - Manny Pacquiao has declared himself in fighting shape, expecting to have no weight problems at all with exactly week to gobefore he climbs up the ring on December 7 (December 6, US time). By the end of his penultimate sparring session on Saturday at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles, Pacquiao weighed at 148lbs, just well within the catch weight of 147lbs set for his Dream Match with Oscar de la Hoya. "We're just going through the motions right now," trainer Freddie Roach said on Saturday. "The weight is no problem. Everything is a go." Roach said he wants Pacquiao to be at around 144lbs during the weigh-in 24 hours before the bout. But he plans to let Pacquiao enter the fight at "150lbs at the maximum." Pacquiao sparred for six rounds Saturday, going three rounds each with regular partners Rashad Holloway and Marvin Cordova. He'll be sparring for the last time on Monday - for four rounds - before traveling by land to Las Vegas in the afternoon. "It's not a heavy sparring. It's going to be a light six rounds. He played a lot. That's usually the sign that he's ready to fight and he's tired of training," Roach said. This is the longest training camp Pacquiao has undergone, preparing for a hard nine weeks for a match being called one of the most highly anticipated in the sport's history. Pacquiao has already sparred 159 rounds by the end of Saturday, easily surpassing his previous best of 135 which he set in his rematch with Juan Manuel Marquez last April. Roach said he and his ward have covered all bases and they're ready to translate their hard work into a satisfying triumph. "There's nothing else we can do. We know the game plan, we know the fight plan. He's in great shape, you know, we'll just maintain him right now," Roach said. - GMANews.TV