Manny Pacquiao Kicks Ass In Sparring Training

5:09 AM // 0 comments // Ian Purugganan // Category: Pacquiao //

Like a wounded soldier, Manny Pacquiao redeemed himself and showed what he does best when focused in training camp.

With promoter Bob Arum again watching at ringside, Pacquiao, the world’s top pound-for-pound fighter, dominated all three sparmates in 10 action-packed rounds at the start of what trainer Freddie Roach had earlier referred as the ‘toughest two weeks’ of training for the Filipino’s Nov. 13 title encounter with Mexican Antonio Margarito.

By the end of the strictly closed-door sparring session late Tuesday at the Shape Up gym of the Cooyesan Hotel here, Glen Tapia was left with a bloodied nose, while Michael Medina and Amir Khan, the reigning World Boxing Association (WBA) junior welterweight champion, were both at the receiving end of Pacquiao’s tremendous hand speed and relentless attacks.

“Dugo ‘yung ilong ni Tapia,” said Filipino assistant trainer Nonoy Neri, adding Khan, who sparred with Pacquiao for the first time since arriving here, went four rounds with the Pacman, while Medina and Tapia three each.

Pacquiao’s staggering performance came a day after Arum, chairman of Top Rank Promotions, admitted during Monday’s open workout for members of the media that he was convinced the Filipino’s current condition would not be enough for him to beat Margarito in their 12-round showdown at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Arum had the privilege of watching Pacquiao spar upon his arrival in the country Saturday, and was blunt enough to say that he didn’t like what he saw.

“If the fight happened on Saturday, Margarito would win the fight,” Arum said before an stunned audience.

But the next time he was back at ringside, Pacquiao readily put on a show for him.

The 78-year-old veteran promoter already left the gym by the time the seven-time world champion began to take it easy on Medina, but not after witnessing how Pacquiao threw left and right bombs on both Khan and Tapia.

Arum had stressed even before hand that Pacquiao has to be in real tough shape for him to get past the 5-foot-11 Margarito, a two-time world champion.

“You have to be in tough physical and mental shape . You have to be, or else, you’re not gonna beat him (Margarito),” said Arum, who’s set to return to the U.S. today.

“So Manny knows that. I mean, Manny knows more about boxing than I do, because you know he knows what it takes to be in the kind of shape that he has to be in to win the fight.”

Deciding to defer his return to Manila for another day, Pacquiao is expected to go down by late Thursday night shortly after sparring for the last time in his Baguio training camp.