Pacquiao begins training camp in Baguio

If plans don’t miscarry, Manny Pacquiao begins on Tuesday the first in a projected 150 total rounds of sparring Freddie Roach wants the Filipino boxing champion to undergo for his November date with Antonio Margarito. Prior to departing for their training camp in Baguio City, Roach said he hasn’t made up his mind about starting out the sparring phase of Pacquiao’s seven-week preparation against his taller and stronger opponent from Tijuana, Mexico. Michael Medina and Glen Tapia, the so-called Margarito clones, are already with Pacquiao’s entourage in the country’s Summer Capital, although Roach said he’ll likely go with Medina in the first week of sparring. Tapia apparently is still recovering from a bum stomach a week after arriving in the country. “Three rounds with Medina," said Roach when queried how long the initial sparring session Pacquiao will undergo at the Cooyesan Hotel. The 31-year old world’s best pound-for-pound fighter arrived in the confines of the City of Pines late Sunday afternoon following a five-hour drive from Manila. Within hours of arrival in Baguio, Pacquiao was already up and about early Monday morning when he jogged and worked out at the famed Burnham Park before a sizeable curious early birds. After running for about an hour, Pacquiao did his regular stretching exercises and about a thousand rounds of sit-ups as supervised by conditioning coach Alex Ariza and training assistants Nonoy Neri and brothers Buboy and Roger Fernandez. Following a brief nap and lunch, it was back to the gym for the Pacman where he was joined by Roach for a couple of rounds with the mitts. Roach said regular Pacquiao sparring mate Rashad Holloway and future world champion Vince Matirosyan are also expected to come over by next week to keep the southpaw fighter in shape for his Nov. 13 date with Margarito at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas where the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) light-middleweight title will be at stake. - RCJ, GMANews.TV