MANNY Pacquiao’s tummy flab is gone, replaced by solid muscle.
“Bato-bato na (It’s stone-like in hardness),” said Filipino trainer Nonoy Neri, referring to Pacquiao’s six-pack abs nurtured in just a month of serious training for his welterweight duel with Brandon Rios on Nov. 24 in Macau.
“He achieved this despite eating ravenously,” said Neri, conditioning trainer and doubles as Pacquiao’s chief cook.
After Pacquiao’s morning uphill run and afternoon sparring in General Santos City yesterday, Neri estimated Pacquiao’s weight at 145 pounds, just two pounds short of the welterweight limit.
Arriving early at his Wild Card Gym, Pacquiao sparred for seven rounds under the watchful eyes of trainer Freddie Roach, assistant trainer Buboy Fernandez and Neri.
Pacquiao did three rounds with Briton light middleweight Liam Vaughan (8-1, 2 KOs), then added two rounds each with unbeaten Ghanaian welterweight Fredrick Lawson (21-0, 19 KOs) and Filipino light welterweight Dan Nazareno Jr. (17-10, 13 KOs).