Manny Pacquiao settles into Wild Card routine
Manny Pacquiao (51-3, 38 KOs) recently took some time out from an open workout session for the media to address ongoing concerns about his training progress, Baguio City, and being back in Los Angeles.
Pacquiao will fight Antonio Margarito on November 13 for the vacant WBC junior middleweight championship. The fight will be at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and attract some 70,000 fans.
He is currently situated in Los Angeles, with most of his time dedicated to training at trainer Freddie Roach’s Wild Card boxing gym.
When asked how it felt being back at the Wild Card gym, Manny joked, "It's good to be back in the office. It felt good, you know. It is good to be at home. Other than having a little bit of jet lag, I felt really good today."
Positive sentiments reinforced by Roach and conditioning coach Alex Ariza, and were a refreshing change from Baguio City, where team Pacquiao was plagued by Manny’s engagements and interruptions.
In an article with Max Boxing, Roach didn’t hesitate to call their time in the Philippines the "worst" training camp he’d been party to with Manny, in large part due to his fighter’s new responsibilities as the lone congressman of Sarangani. Roach
commented that Pacquiao’s focus was severely divided between fighting and politicking, affecting his performance in the ring.
When asked about there being less distractions in Los Angeles, Pacquiao said, "To me, it is not about there being less distractions. It's just that I know that Freddie and the rest of my team is more comfortable here at the Wild Card. So, you know, for me,
it's a different atmosphere."
An impressive win for Pacquiao would launch him into boxing grey matter, as an eighth title in as many divisions is an unprecedented feat in the sport.
"I have prepared myself for a long, tough, difficult fight. You know, I think that everybody will see that I am quicker, faster and that I am strong and all of these things. I think that the fans are going to see a great fight on Nov. 13."
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