By Ronnie Nathanielsz
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum has joined trainer Freddie Roach who showed some concern over eight division world champion Manny Pacqiuao who looked “tired and flat” when he sparred six rounds with unbeaten Jose Ramirez last Thursday at the Elorde Gym in the Mall of Asia complex in Pasay City.
Arum told BoxingScene.com/Manila Standard that he felt the demanding senatorial duties of Pacquiao, who has continued to work diligently in the Senate, would eventually cause some fatigue as it showed in his sparring last Thursday.
He said they would have to make some adjustments in his training regimen as suggested by Roach in the weeks ahead.
However, Liza Elorde who watched Manny train on Friday told us he “looked great once again” and that Roach had indicated his seemingly disappointing sparring session on Thursday was simply an off-day which fighters sometimes have.
Shortly after winning a twelve round decision over Timothy Bradley in their trilogy bout back in April at the MGM Grand, Pacquiao announced his retirement to pursue a full-time career in politics back home in the Philippines, but the lure of the ring was too much for him and he announced his return to the ring not long after. He won a senatorial seat in May and vowed to become the first congressman/senator to capture a world championship.
Arum said he expects a war when five division world champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” defends his WBO super bantamweight title against unbeaten Jessie Magdaleno on the undercard of Pacquiao's return, when the eight division world champion challenges Jessie Vargas for the WBO welterweight title at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas on November 5th.
Arum said both Donaire and Magdaleno were training very hard and “look fantastic” even as he predicted it would be a truly exciting bout.
