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Pacquiao leaves sparring mate Castillo bloodied
By DENNIS PRINCIPE
BAGUIO CITY â In trying to prove that last weekâs bad weather was never an issue in training camp, Manny Pacquiao dominated his sparring partners Tuesday at the Shape-Up Gym in Cooyesan Hotel in this city. Pacquiao sparred with highly-touted former two-time World Boxing Council (WBC) lightweight champion Jose Luis Castillo of Mexico for three rounds then wrapped up his dayâs session with a four-rounder opposite American Shawn Porter. âHindi problema yung hindi ako nakatakbo ng ilang araw kasi may treadmill naman at sinubukan ko din yung swimming (Not being able to jog for a few days due to storm was not a problem since I could use a treadmill and I also tried swimming)," said Pacquiao. âMaganda na kundisyon ko ngayon. Ok dito sa Baguio kaya hindi dapat mabahala mga kababayan natin (Iâm in good condition here in Baguio so my fans and my countrymen need not to be worried)." Pacquiao is preparing for his upcoming world welterweight clash against Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto set for 12 rounds at a catch weight of 145-lbs on Nov. 14 at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas, Nevada. In his anticipated sparring with Castillo, Pacquiao used his vastly improved lateral movements in trying to avoid the Mexicanâs uppercuts and body shots. Pacquiao stalled Castilloâs aggressive attacks with three to five punch combos and counter left straights. The 35-year-old Castillo (60-9-1, 52 knockouts) ended his first day of sparring with specks of blood on his left nostril, an incident that never got printed in the national dailies. âI canât see his left. Itâs very fast and strong. I think that will be a big problem of Cotto," said Castillo after the work out. Chief trainer Freddie Roach, who at first seemed cautious when it comes to having Castillo as Pacquiaoâs sparring partner, now expressed his contentment in having the Mexican inside the gym. âCastillo looked to be off a little bit and heâs never sparred as fast as anyone like Manny. But I like his movement because he moves similar to Cotto. Overall, it was a great work out and I was very happy," said Roach. In sparring with Porter, Pacquiao again worked on his footwork and stiff combos while moving out of harmâs way. âThat will be one of Mannyâs best assets. His ability to throw strong punches while moving out of the ropes," said two-time world champion Dodie Boy Peñalosa, who now works as one of Pacquiaoâs assistant trainers. Roach also denied reports circulating on the Internet that Pacquiao was knocked down in one sparring session last week. Roach said no one has come close to flooring Pacquiao in any of their sparring sessions in their Baguio training camp. Last weekend internet forums were deluged with queries and reports that Pacquiao got tagged by American sparring partner Porter. âThatâs a lie. I would know because I would have to pay. Heâs getting hit but heâs never been floored ever. The money is still in my pocket," said Roach. Roach has promised $1,000 for anyone who could put down Pacquiao during sparring. â GMANews.TV
Manny Pacquiao, right, poses with new sparmate Jose Luis Castillo prior to the start of his session with the former Mexican WBC lightweight champion in Baguio City. Dennis Principe
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