Bare Eye
Manny Pacquiao used as a guinea pig?
By Recah Trinidad
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 00:28:00 11/22/2008
Filed Under: Boxing, Pacquiao
MANILA, Philippines—Not content with a tested win-win storm, they tried to whip up a tornado in Manny Pacquiao as he prepares to fight legendary Oscar De La Hoya on Dec. 6 in Las Vegas.
Sorry, but the Filipino boxing superhero is only human.
Pacquiao’s strong, resilient body could only load up so much.
Last week, after a sleepless night and a sluggish sparring session the following afternoon, it was discovered that Pacquiao’s body could not normally handle the hard work and additives being pumped into his system.
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International boxing judge Salven Lagumbay, reporting for philboxing.com direct from the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, on Friday said Pacquiao “has discontinued doing the plyometrics routine following a thorough study done by Filipino trainers Buboy Fernandez and Nonoy Neri.”
“’Di na mag-fit sa system ni Pacman (Pacquiao’s system could not take it),” Lagumbay said, quoting a displeased Team Pacquiao insider.
The same reliable source claimed that the additives, coupled by terrible plyometrics regimen, caused Pacquiao’s muscles to feel sore.
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“Hindi maka-jogging sa sakit ng katawan (He could not jog due to body pains),” the same source continued.
At least we can now sigh with relief that trainer Freddie Roach has obviously realized Pacquiao also has his own limitations.
“Finally, an explanation has been made as to why superstar Manny Pacquiao was sluggish and looked less than stellar in sparring last week,” Lagumbay wrote.
“Yesterday (Wednesday in Manila), Manny, with plyometrics out, was back to his sharp, deadly form,” the report continued.
Lagumbay said Pacquiao was explosive again in both sparring and drills.
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Yes, everything is A-OK once more, but there’s one vital factor that could not be immediately determined.
They could not guess the extent of harm—if indeed there had been some—the failed introduction of plyometrics into the Pacquiao championship regimen may have caused on the overall preparations.
Team Pacquiao may indeed have enough time to make up for lost time.
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However, there are questions that remain to be answered.
Plyometrics had been proven effective for runners and jumpers.
But was it the first time Pacquiao’s new conditioning coach tried the strange system on a boxer that’s being abnormally pumped up?
Plyometrics, it’s hard to deny now, was part of a frantic plot to hugely retool against De La Hoya.
But did Freddie Roach unwittingly allow Pacquiao to be used as a guinea pig this time out?
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Continues the Lagumbay report: “Pacquiao has ... dropped the training regimen (plyometrics) and gone back to the tested conditioning formula that has won him big fights against legendary fighters.
“Conditioning coach Alex Ariza happily said ‘Great!’ when asked about the level of Pacquiao’s revised training system.”
It’s no speculation, plyometrics has definitely and irrevocably been pulled out from the Pacquiao conditioning package, Lagumbay reported as we went to press on Friday.
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