It’s now all business for Pacquiao
MANILA, Philippines – It was all business on Monday at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, site of the second and final phase of Manny Pacquiao’s training camp for the May 7 showdown with Shane Mosley.
All business for Pacquiao
Except for a select few, only those with official business to conduct inside the sweatshop were allowed access by Freddie Roach, who is leaving no stone unturned in his bid to whip Pacquiao into fiery form for what he describes as a fight they’re not taking lightly.
After spending three weeks in high-altitude conditions in Baguio City, Pacquiao and Roach uprooted their camp and were back doing what is expected of them as soon as they set foot inside the Wild Card.
There was no sparring that took place on the very first day at the Wild Card but beginning Tuesday, Pacquiao will have to contend with just about anyone Roach orders to go up the ring thrice a week up to the final days before the Mosley fight.
Aside from Roach, conditioning coach Alex Ariza and local assistants Buboy Fernandez and Nonoy Neri, utility Roger Fernandez, Top Rank lesman Chris Farina and the crew from CBS that shoots segments for the Fight Camp 360, a documentary that is out to better the widely-acclaimed HBO 24/7, there was nobody in sight.
Roach and Pacquiao have more than one month to rev up for Mosley, who is also in the thick of preparations in Big Bear, a resort town two hours from downtown Los Angeles that has an elevation of close to 8,000 feet.
Aside from Pacquiao’s World Boxing Organization welterweight crown, most importantly on the line will be Pacquiao’s mythical title of pound-for-pound king.
“Mosley knows what’s in it for him if he beats me,” said Pacquiao.
And that’s the reason Pacquiao insists he is not looking past Mosley.