Pacquiao braces for blistering week at camp

BAGUIO City – The one-day break in training Sunday augurs well for Manny Pacquiao. Trainer Freddie Roach guaranteed that a blistering workout awaits Pacquiao when he reports Monday for training camp - now on its third week – at the Shape-Up boxing gym inside the Cooyesan Hotel here. “It’s going to be more rounds of sparring and lots of hard work," said Roach when asked about what’s in store for the Filipino ring idol for the entire week. Pacquiao braved the strong winds and heavy rains brought by super-typhoon “Pepeng" in Northern Luzon Saturday night to be in Manila to personally distribute relief goods to victims of tropical storm “Ondoy" and celebrate the third birthday of daughter Mary Grace Divine Princess. He was to return back here Sunday night.
Pacquiao has already sparred a total of 12 gruelling rounds in three days with sparmates Shawn Porter and Urbano Antillon. He went five rounds Saturday and then did intense isometric workouts prepared by conditioning coach Alex Ariza before heading to Manila. No workout was scheduled for Sunday, his rest day. That should be enough to get the Pacman ready when sparring resumes Tuesday with the expected arrival of former World Boxing Council (WBC) lightweight champion Jose Luis Castillo. The Mexican warrior, best remembered for his memorable, classic title fight with the late Diego Corrales in 2005, has been tapped by Roach to be Pacquiao’s third sparmate in camp as he prepares for his Nov. 14 showdown with Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto. Castillo is coming in as a last minute replacement after negotiations to bring in unbeaten welterweight prospect Henry Omar bogged down. Roach is keeping his fingers crossed that Castillo would be in tip-top shape.“Or else I wouldn’t hesitate to ship him back home," the three-time Trainer of the Year said on a cool, lazy Sunday morning at his cozy room inside the Manor House Hotel. - GMANews.TV