ISANG linggo bago ang laban ni eight-division champion Manny Pacquiao at wala pang talong Amerikano na si Errol Spence Jr., patuloy na pinahahanga ng una si Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach.
Si Pacquiao at ang kanyang team kasama sina chief trainer Buboy Fernandez at assistants Nonoy Neri at Roger “Haplas” Fernandez ay nasa Los Angeles mula pa noong Hulyo 5 upang paghandaan sa Wild Card Gym ang laban kontra Spence sa Agosto 21 sa T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas.
“Manny isn’t training hard to say goodbye,” pagtitiyak ni Roach sa mga nagmamaliit sa kanyang estudyante ng mahigit 20 taon na si Pacquiao.
“Manny doesn’t need to play his golden oldies. He is still producing new hits. He hasn’t cut one corner in training camp. Not one. He runs up the hills in Griffith Park straight to the Hollywood sign. He crunches thousands of sit-ups daily,” dagdag ng HOF trainer.
“He spars three days each week and hits every bag on the gym floor with bad intentions every day. He is still the hardest worker I have ever trained and an eager student,” sambit ni Roach patungkol sa boksingerong nagsimulang gumawa ng kasaysayan noong 1995.
Pagmamalaki niya, dalawang beses nang nakapagpatumba ng sparring partner ang 40-anyos na si Pacquiao.
“He wants this one (fight) more than anything. Manny isn’t training this hard to say goodbye. It’s to prove he’s still here. Philippine politics might influence when Manny hangs up his gloves.
“Maybe this is Manny’s last fight. But this summer, he has been training for his greatest victory, and for Manny, that is saying something. It’s the stuff that greatness is made of,” sabi pa ni Roach.
Nakataya sa 12 round bout ang WBC at IBF welterweight crown ni Spence, 11 taong mas bata sa fighting senator, na bitbit ang tatlong magkakasunod na panalo laban kay Argentine Lucas Matthysse (KO 7TH) at mga Amerikanong sina Adrien Broner at Keith Thurman. (EDDIE ALINEA)
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