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Philippine Showbiz Today
While admitting that Filipino
boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao
still possesses what it takes to win
another world championship, Ameri-
can trainer Justin Fortune wants the
eight-division belt owner to undergo
a shorter but more intense prepara-
tion program for his coming fight
with Argentine World Boxing champ
Lucas Matthysse.
Pacquao will be eyeing for
Matthysse’s 147-pound title on July
14 (July 15 Manila time) at the Axiata
Arena in Kuala Lumpur.
“By shorter, I mean Manny
should not stay inside the gym more
than two hours as he used to do be-
fore,” Fortune, who arrived last Fri-
day from Los Angeles to augment
Pacquiao’s training team headed
by Buboy Fernandez, clarified in an
interview on Saturday.
“This is not about the number
of days or weeks in training. This is
about how Manny can be able to last
the program. How he will climb the
ring comes fight time healthy and in-
jury-free”, Fortune stressed.
“A 39 going 40, Manny is not
that young anymore to endure the
rigor of long training,” Justin ex-
plained. “I told that to Manny himself
when we talked on the phone. I also
told Buboy and the rest of the team
when we met upon my arrival here.”
The idea, Fortune spelled out,
is to respect where Pacquiao is now
on account of his age. The team
should give him ample time to rest
after each day of rigorous, intense
training session so that he remains
strong for another day, which starts
with physical conditioning roadwork
early morning.
Cycling
LINGAYEN, Pangasinan. — The
Cariño brothers proved on Tuesday
that blood is thicker than water as
Philippine Navy-Standard Insurance’s
El Joshua and 7-Eleven Cliqq Road-
Bike Philippines’ Daniel Ven made a
historic 1-2 finish in the punishing
Stage 3 of the 2018 Le Tour de Fili-
pinas.
The Cariño brothers thrived
under sweltering conditions as they
October 22
May
- November
22 - June 7,
7, 2017
2018
Fortune prefers intense training
program for Pacquiao
“Staying in the gym for one
and-a-half to two hours the most
would be the most ideal. No more
additional round with the mitts, with
sparring, heavy bag, etc. as we often
did before,” Fortune, who assured he
will stay with the team in the entire
duration of training until the day of
the fight, said.
“Besides, the trainers, especially
Buboy and others working the mitts
also need respite so they remain fresh
in both mind and body to continue
doing our job well the next day,” he
reasoned out.
“If before, no one can say no
to Manny when he asked for more
rounds of this and that, this time I as-
sure you, I can,” he said with a wide
grin. “Our worst enemy here is for
Manny to get over-trained or peaked
early. We have to watch for that.”
Fortune said the fact that Pac-
quiao will be on the ring without the
man he’s been with the past 20 years
or so, in reference to Hall of Fame
trainer Freddie Roach, made the
training team’s responsibility bigger.
“Our job is to train Manny
to win. We will do that,” Fortune
vowed, That’s the reason why we’re
here. We, Buboy, (Nonoy) Neri, Hap-
las (Roger Fernandez) and the rest
will be united in doing the job for that
one purpose. “
Besides Buboy, Neri, Haplas and
Fortune, Pacquiao’s training group
also includes Jonathan Penalosa,
Ting Ariosa and Nonito Donaire Sr.,
father of former champion Nonito,
Jr.●
- Photos by Wendell Alinea/MP
Promotions
Cariño brothers complete big show
made a decisive breakaway in the
town of Sta. Barbara, some 30 kilo-
meters from the finish, before battling
in a mad dash to the finish in front of
their fellow Pangasinenses near the
Pangasinan Provincial Capitol.
El Joshua crossed the finish line
first after the taxing 185.20-km trek
that started in Bambang, Nueva Viz-
caya, and ran through the crowded
roads of the country’s cycling hotbed
in four hours, 28 minutes and 56
seconds for his breakthrough lap win
in the annual road race co-presented
Air21, Cignal and Cargohaus Inc.
The impressive performance by
the Cariños also caused big changes
in the general classification, with El
Joshua, 25, jumping from ninth to
the overall lead with a total time of
8:17:23. He wrested the coveted yel-
low jersey from fellow Navyman Ron-
ald Oranza.
Oranza, the Stage 2 winner,
struggled and checked in 15th over-
all and slid to third, a minute and 41
seconds off the pace going into the
fourth and final stage on Wednesday,
a back-breaking 154.65-km trek to
Baguio City made tougher by a Hors
Category climb at the treacherous
Kennon Road.
Daniel Ven, 19, remained in
strong contention as he moved up
from 11th to second overall, just four
seconds behind El Joshua
The Cariño brothers, who both
hail from Mangaldan, some 22kms
away from here, pulled off an aston-
ishing feat by becoming the first Fili-
pino siblings to make a 1-2 finish in
the only International Cycling Union-
sanctioned road race in the country.
“Gusto naming gumawa ng
history sa cycling na magkapatid
na nanalo sa UCI,” said El Joshua,
savoring the feat in the presence of
their father Bienvenido, 78. “Madali
sa aming dalawa kasi magkapatid
kami. Dream come true kasi history
talaga ‘yun.”
Philippine
national
team
member Mervin Corpuz, one of the
country’s promising riders, checked
in a minute and 30 seconds behind
the Cariños to cap another strong
showing by local hopefuls who
occupy seven spots in the Top 10.
Navyman Jan Paul Morales,
still the green jersey holder as the
best sprinter, is running fifth with a
clocking of 8:19:11, followed by 2014
champion Mark Galedo (seventh,
8:19:17) and Marcelo Felipe (eighth,
8:19:17) of 7-Eleven Cliqq RoadBike
Philippines and Navy’s climbing
specialist Junrey Navarra (ninth,
8:19:30).●
- Malaya