Pacquiao to have ex-champ Castillo as new sparmate

Manny Pacquiao will have a new challenger in his sparring sessions after Team Pacquiao decided to tap the services of former World Boxing Council (WBC) lightweight champion Jose Luis Castillo. Castillo will be Pacquiao’s third sparmate after junior middleweight Shawn Porter and lightweight Urbano Antillon, who each both had three rounds with the pound-for-pound king when he resumed sparring last Tuesday. Castillo was expected to arrive on Oct. 6 but failed to show up at the Shape-Up Gym inside the Cooyesan Hotel in Baguio City where Pacquiao is now on his third week of preparation for his Nov. 14 showdown with Miguel Cotto for the latter’s World Boxing Council (WBC) welterweight title. Pacquiao adviser Michael Koncz said that Castillo would be arriving in Manila on Thursday and will spar with the Filipino ring icon beginning Saturday. Team Pacquiao chief trainer Freddie Roach, however, wants to assure that the 35-year-old Castillo is still in shape after suffering a second round technical knockout defeat at the hands of Carlos Urias last month. “I won’t hesitate to send him back if he’s not in shape," said Roach of Castillo, who has a known history of weight problems in his 19-year pro career. – GMANews.TV