Pacman’s Power Stops Sparmate

October 20, 2008 · Posted in Philippine Sports

Manny Pacquiao again biffed his third sparring partner as he intensified his training on his showdown against an American superstar Oscar De La Hoya on Dec. 6 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. His sparring partner named Marcus McDaniels, a junior middleweight fell back against the ropes and dropped his hands, prompting the Filipino ring hero to stop the onslaught and Manny had asked him if he’s OK. It was the same gesture recalled on how Pacquiao reacted after he sent the former WBC lightweight champion David Diaz to the canvas for good during their June 28 fight for the World Boxing Council lightweight championship.

On the other hand, Manny Pacquiao overwhelmed the 154-pound McDaniels with his lightning-quick combinations before capping it with a left hook that jarred the 5-foot-10 slugger from New Orleans. McDaniels stood his ground for about 2 rounds. Towards the end of Round 3, Pacquiao tagged McDaniels with a good left hook and stunned him. According to renowned dental specialist and boxing writer Ed De La Vega, “Pacquiao’s great concern for his sparmate demonstrated once again his human side”. He also added that the incident left the small group of people who witnessed the closed-door session in a hush. It was the topic of their discussion until the Filipino legend drove off after the workout.

While the mega fight of the year comes closer, Manny is preparing very well for his upcoming showdown with American superstar Oscar De La Hoya. In fact, he plans to have three sparring bouts a week, increasing the number of rounds from four to eight late into the training regimen handled by Freddie Roach at the Wild Card gym. Manny revealed his new training technique, the pylometrics which allows him to gain strength without necessarily building muscle mass that could compromise his speed. As a sign of gratitude to his trainer, Pacquiao also said that Roach will stay on in his corner until he eventually retires.