by Ted Lerner, ringtv.craveonline.com
RING correspondent Ted Lerner lives in the Philippines and has closely followed the remarkable rise of Manny Pacquiao, who has begun preparation for his fight against Shane Mosley on May 7 in Las Vegas. This is the second of two parts. Click here to read Part I.
BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – As the buzzer sounds inside the modern and clean Shape Up Gym in Baguio City, the two partners work on a veritable playbook of combinations and strategies. They discuss where to be and where not to be. They plot, clash, strategize and even laugh in a breathtaking dance of power and violence.
Freddie Roach and Manny Pacquiao have performed this dance on the mitts together countless times before. In fact it was a brief mitt session that started it all 10 years ago when this unknown skinny kid with the funny name walked into the Wild Card Boxing Club in Los Angeles with his Filipino managers and asked for a tryout. Roach obliged his visitors and worked Pacquiao on the mitts. After a few rounds, Roach couldn’t believe the raw power and speed he was absorbing in the ring and knew he’d just discovered gold. Pacquiao also liked the vibe and immediately rushed over to his manager, telling him, ‘Boss, he’s the one. He’s good.’ Read Full Story
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