Pacman skips road work; Mexican camp monitored

MANILA, Philippines - Manny Pacquiao missed his morning jogging and exercise routines yesterday as he opted to take a longer rest after playing basketball Monday night in Baguio City.

“He was exhausted because aside from his training, he also played basketball late in the night,” Nonoy Neri, one of Pacquiao’s training assistants, told The STAR.

Pacquiao, however, did 11 rounds of mitts with Roach, and for the first time in the camp they did the isometric exercises prepared by strength and conditioning expert Alex Ariza.

“It was 11 rounds of power mitts, all power punches,” said Neri of Pacquiao, probably just in case the fight with Margarito lasts longer than what many people think.

In fact, Pacquiao even requested trainer Freddie Roach to add another round of training.

“It was nice. It was a solid workout. We’re on with the isometric exercises now,” Neri added.

Meanwhile, Roach is keeping an eye on Antonio Margarito even if the Mexican banger is thousands of miles away training in Oxnard, California.

“We have people in Oxnard,” said Roach, who must know some guys in California, who can keep him updated on Margarito’s training for the Nov. 13 fight.

Roach could be bluffing or just trying to blow the minds of Margarito and his chief trainer Robert Garcia, but he insisted that they can’t hide anything from him.

“There’s only so much they can do,” Roach said.

He made the comment before Margarito broke a two-week camp in El Monte, California, and moved to Oxnard where they’ll train even longer, harder for the coming weeks.

Pacquiao, on the other hand, is now training in Baguio, the highest major city in the Philippines in terms of elevation, after more than a week of low intensity workouts in Metro Manila.

Over in Oxnard, Margarito said the importance of the fight only makes him work harder than before.

“I know how important this fight is to my career and to all of México. That is why I will prepare like never before and will defeat Manny Pacquiao, proving to everyone that I am one of the best fighters in the world,” he told fightnews.com.

Meanwhile, Ariza is all set to share the secrets of Pacquiao’s amazing strength and conditioning when he speaks before the coaches of the 30 sports disciplines where the Philippines will be represented in the Asian Games in November.

Ariza will meet the Filipino coaches at the Philippine Sports Commission auditorium in Pasig City on Oct. 20, according to Philippine Olympic Committee chairman Monico Puentevella who arranged the briefing.

“Mr. Ariza will help the Filipino athletes bound for Guangzhou in proper conditioning and nutrition. This will be a big boost to the team. And it’s always better late than never,” said Puentevella, considering that the Asian Games is just aroung the corner. – With report from Rose Tamayo-Tesoro