Pacquiao sticks to winning formula

Manny Pacquiao will answer the opening bell for the November 14 clash with Miguel Cotto armed with 150 rounds of tough sparring.

Top trainer Freddie Roach said on Wednesday from the Shape Up Gym in Baguio City that they will stick with the tried and tested training program which he and conditioning coach Alex Ariza devised in the buildup to the Cotto fight set at the MGM Grand.

“Manny’s going to spar around 150 rounds to get himself prepared for Cotto,” said Roach, who has been using young and unbeaten super-welterweight Shawn Porter and super-lightweight Urbano Antillon the past four sparring days and is likewise eagerly awaiting the arrival of former world lightweight king Jose Luis Castillo of Mexico.

Roach said the 35-year-old Castillo is flying in this morning from Los Angeles and should be ready to spar on Saturday. Castillo, now fighting as a welterweight, is coming off a knockout win last September 12 and is said to be on a rebound to get back into world title contention.

Pacquiao confidant Mike Koncz, who personally picked Castillo on the advice of Mexican promoter Fernando Beltran, assures Roach that Castillo will give Pacquiao quality time on top of the ring.

“I was given the assurance that Castillo is in shape,” said Koncz.

Roach warns that if Castillo ends up resembling like a tourist frolicking at Burnham Park and winds up getting busted up, he will shove him back to Manila so he could get the first flight out.

Roach stressed that while some people tend to believe that Cotto is going to be easy pickings for Pacquiao, the 49-year-old former featherweight contender wouldn’t acknowledge that.

Roach is wary of what Cotto could bring to the ring that he is not taking any chances.

“Same as before. We won’t cut back on anything,” said Roach, who will camp out in the City of Pines with Ariza and Filipino assistants Buboy Fernandez, Nonoy Neri and two-time world champion Dodie Boy Peñalosa before leaving for the US on October 24.

Roach said he expects the 30-year-old Pacquiao to be in 80 percent condition by the time they begin the first workout at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood on October 26.

So far, Pacquiao has logged a total of 18 rounds of sparring after going three each with Porter and Antillon last Tuesday.

Porter, whose style is similar to that of Cotto but is much faster, usually starts the sparring session and is Pacquiao's main sparmate.

Source:
          The Manila Bulletin
.