Pacquiao spars for 6 more rounds, leaves for US Saturday night

Reining pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao sparred for six more rounds at the MP Tower (formerly L&M gym) in Manila to finally end his Philippine training camp Saturday. Team Pacquiao will be leaving for the US later in the night to resume his preparation for his November 12 meeting with Mexican rival Juan Manuel Marquez. The 32-year-old Pacquiao boxed with Jorge Linarres but he obviously spared his Venezuelan sparmate by holding his punches. The eight-time world champion went toe-to-toe with Linares the last time they sparred during Pacquiao's preparation against Shane Mosley early this year. "Medyo alalay lang si Manny kasi may konting iniinda si Linares (Manny did not give it all since Linares is hurting)," said Wakee Salud, Pacquiao's financial adviser, who watched the Filipino ring idol train for the last time in the Philippines. The current World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight champ, after training, went straight to the SM Mall of Asia to host his weekly game show Manny Many Prizes. He boarded a Philippine Airlines flight bound for Los Angeles later in the night. Together with Pacquiao in the 13-hour direct flight to L.A. were trainer Freddie Roach, strength and conditioning coach Alex Ariza, and cornermen Buboy Fernandez and Nonoy Neri. Roach said a fresh batch of sparmates await the eight-time world champion at the Wild Card gym. "We will have 100 more rounds of sparring (at the Wild Card gym)." The 52-year-old Hall of Fame trainer said he is satisfied on the results of their three-week training camp in Baguio City despite being affected by typhoons Pedring and Quiel. "Manny did good there (Baguio). We made sure that his feet got wet there," Roach said of their camp held at the Shape Up gym inside the Cooyesan Hotel. Only four weeks are left before Pacquiao and Marquez meet for the third time and renew one of boxing's most bitter rivalries at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. — JVP, GMA News