MANNY PACQUIAO returns to his calculated training program starting on Monday after taking it easy for almost a week to attend to his work as a senator.
Pacquiao will fight American Mikey Garcia either in July or August in Dubai in a non-title 12-rounder, the eight-time champion’s first outing since beating Keith Thurman in July 2019 in Las Vegas.
Long-time assistant trainer Nonoy Neri confirmed to BusinessMirror on Friday that Pacquiao, 42, will be focusing on speed while training General Santos City as he faces a younger opponent Garcia, 33.
“They are of the same height and Garcia isn’t fast like [Keith] Thurman. So we need to unleash Manny’s speed,” said Neri, adding Garcia is less of a threat than the unbeaten Terence Crawford (37-0 win-loss record with 28 knockouts) who was also supposed to take on Pacquiao.
Neri said that despite taking a week’s off from boxing training, Pacquiao stayed in shape by playing basketball for hour in his General Santos City mansion.
But Neri said they won’t let their guards down against Garcia, a former International Boxing Federation welterweight champion.
“But I know the senator’s work ethics. He doesn’t relax against any opponent,” Neri said.
Pacquiao’s chief trainer Buboy Fernandez is also in General Santos since two weeks ago.
Pacquiao’s associate and long-time friend Jayke Joson, who is assisting Pacquiao in his drive to help Covid-19 patients around the country, said the boxing icon will always have the Filipino people in his mind when he fights Garcia.
“Everybody knows Manny. He will surely train hard for this fight. He fights for the people,” Joson said.
1 comment
Mikey Garcia should be a soft touch for Manny Pacquiao to see where is at as a boxer during this stage of career to see if he can pursue the likes of Terrence Crawford or Errol Spence Jr.