Team Pacquiao to finish training in Baguio
DESPITE the two typhoons hitting northern Luzon which isolated Baguio City for almost four days, Manny Pacquiao assured he will finish his training in the Summer Capital until the 24th of October.
Even Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach said Team Pacquiao will be leaving Baguio earlier than scheduled and resume training instead at the Wild Card gym in Los Angeles.
Roach said that as far as he knows, the Filipino boxing icon's entourage is still booked to leave for the US on October 24 for the final two weeks of his training.
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He also said he doesn't regret Pacquiao's decision to hold the first part of training camp for his November 14 title fight with Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto in Baguio.
Pacquiao continues his rigid training in Baguio City amid the calamity which struck the Summer Capital and provinces in northern Luzon.
As the "Pac Man" took a break from training Sunday, highly-touted sparmate Jose Luis Castillo finally arrived at the City of Pines to join the Pacquiao training camp.
Accompanied by undefeated super-lightweight Danny Escobar, Castillo was flown over to Baguio from Manila courtesy of a private plane owned by Pacquiao's close ally, former Ilocos Sur Governor Chavit Singson.
Roads leading to Baguio remained closed as continuous rains brought about by typhoon "Pepeng" caused several landslides, and rendered the three major highways - Kennon, Naguilian and Marcos - impassable.
Castillo planed in Saturday morning from Los Angeles, USA, but spent a day in Manila together with Escobar, pending advisory on when they would travel up north.
On Saturday, Pacquiao still sparred with Shawn Porter and Urbano Antillo under closed doors at the Shape-Up gym inside the Cooyesan Hotel.
Roach expects training to get more intense entering its fourth week, especially with the arrival of Castillo, a former World Boxing Council (WBC) lightweight champion now campaigning as a welterweight.
Meanwhile, Pacquiao said the thousands of calamity victims caused by tropical storms "Ondoy" and Pepeng serve as his inspiration for his 12-round bout against Cotto for the World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title.
"Sa labang ito, kayong lahat ang aking inspirasyon," he said in his weekly column posted on his website, www.mannypacquiao.ph.
"Tiwala ako sa Pilipino, sa ating katatagan at kakayahan na suungin ang mga pagsubok ng buhay. Malaki ang aking paniniwala na ang mga bagay na ating hinaharap ay pansamantala lang. Alam kong walang bagyo o kalaban ang makakapagpatumba sa magiting na Pilipino at asahan ninyo palagi ako sa inyong mga tabi upang maibigay ko ang kahit na maliit na tulong na nagmumula sa aking puso," he wrote.
Pacquiao has missed days of roadwork due to intermittent rains here since Monday last week. The experience may have not been pleasant for Pacquiao but overall, Roach believes his prized ward has acknowledged the positive effect of it who has taken up swimming to make up for the road work he has lost to the weather.
Pacquiao's date with the pool last Friday lasted for 26 minutes.
