Philippine Showbiz Today
May 22 - June 8, 2017
23
Roach starts training
Pacquiao
World Boxing Organization
welterweight crown-holder Manny
Pacquiao would have wanted to
surprise his Hall of Fame chief
trainer Freddie Roach during their
first workout Monday by asking
for a 12-round session with the
mitts.
Roach, the only seven-time
Trainer of the Year honoree of
the Boxing Writers Association
of America, would have normally
started with five or, the most,
six rounds. He readily acceded
though to his ward of 14 years
wish though.
And the most successful
boxer-trainer tandem in the
business went on doing what
Pacquiao wished for with Roach
simply saying “good start” after
a dozen round of absorbing the
title defender’s best shots plus
12 rounds more elsewhere at the
Elorde Gym in Pasay City.
All-in-all, the most decorated
fighter in the world, completed 24
rounds of sweating it out that day,
including the 12 rounds with the
Freddie Roach is flanked by Australian friend Michelle Doble and Australian
conditioning coach Justin Fortune (Joaquin Henson photo)
Australian challenger Jeff Horn
has started in earnest. “Tuloy-
heavy bag, double end ad speed relatively two-hour job. “Kilalang tuloy na ito, the next seven weeks
balls, ropes and shadow boxing. kilala na ako ni Freddie para ma- will be very busy na for all of us,”
A 30-minute stamina-building sorpresa ko pa sya. “He wasn’t he pointed out. “Hindi naman ang
abdominal exercises under the rven impressed. Kita naman ibig sabihin ay hind tayo naging
watch of strength and conditioning nyo sa mga mata nya at body seryoso the past two weeks.”
“That’s the reason nga why
coach Justin Fortune ended the language nya.”
day’s routine.
Pacquiao said Roach and hindi na na-surprise nor na-
“No, not really,” Pacquiao told Fortune’s arrival meant his impress si Freddie. Kasi alam nya
this writer when asked after the preparation for his title fight with na bago pa lang sya dumating dito
sa Maynila ay nakahanda na ako
sa anumang training regimen he
has prepared for me,” Pacquiao
explained.
Assistant trainers, brothers
Buboy
and Roger “Haplas”
Melindo (36 wins, with 3
Yaegashi on his pants. He beat
Fernandez,
who have been
KOs and 2 losses) earned the
the mandatory eight-count.
overseeing
the
preparations since
A few seconds later, Melindo right to fight Yaegashi for the title
the
camp
was
set up last May
after
beating
Fahlan
Sakkreerin
sent Yaegashi to the floor again
8,
agreed.
with a barrage of uppercuts to the Jr. for the interim IBF belt. The
“The instructions of coach
jaw. He managed to stand up and 29-year-old Melindo failed in his
Freddie
were very clear when we
first attempt at world title.
beat the count.
pitched
camp last month. Give
He
is
now
one
of
the
Although he looked to have
May
the
best possible training
recovered from the fall, Yaegashi four Filipino world boxing
we
could
so
that pagdating nya,
would not be saved from the third champions, the three being
handa
na
si
Manny
sa anumang
WBO welterweight champion
fall.
ssunod
na
mabibigat
na bahagi
Manny
Pacquiao,
IBF