Pacquiao still hounded by cramps

MANILA, Philippines – Manny Pacquiao continues to suffer from leg cramps, which could be a cause for concern as he heads into the biggest fight of his career on May 2 against Floyd Mayweather Jr.

In a report by Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports, chief trainer Freddie Roach they are addressing the issue as best as they can.

"There's no magic cure for it," Roach said of the cramps, which the Filipino had been experiencing in his past fights.

Pacquiao was hampered by cramps during his fights with Timothy Bradley, the first of which he lost by a controversial decision. The fighting congressman had partly blamed calf problems for his inability to finish off opponents recently.

Roach said they have resorted to various means to deal with the problem, including purchasing an expensive anti-inflammatory cream for Pacquiao’s calves.

"We're doing what we can do. I've got the doctors working on it. There are some Filipino guys here who are massaging it for him. The cream costs $1,800 for a single bottle. I wasn't too happy about that," the trainer continued.

According to Iole’s report, the cream has been approved by the US Anti-Doping Agency, which has been carrying out drug testing for the Mayweather-Pacquiao bout.

Another measure that Roach has taken to address Pacquiao’s cramps is to limit his roadwork.

"We did change his running schedule because I don't like him running the hills six days a week," Roach said, adding that the 36-year-old Pacquiao’s legs aren’t the way they used to be when he was at his peak.

"I've got him on the track a lot more now doing fast sprint-type workouts instead of hill workouts. I think it's better for the older fighters sometimes to stay away from the hills so much,” he continued.

"When he was young, it was OK, but he's getting a little older and the wear and tear of going up that hill, which is all concrete, is really not good for his legs.” – Dino Maragay