How really ready is Pacquiao?

Brandon Rios has a sound game plan, but everything hinges on how Manny Pacquiao will allow—or disallow—his bigger, younger foe to execute it.

According to Nonito Donaire Jr., who confessed not being totally satisfied with his own scrambling TKO win in Texas over the weekend, Pacquiao should not allow himself to be lured into a rumble.

“Manny is still too fast and strong,” Donaire told Tris Dixon of BoxingNews.

Donaire said Pacquiao is bound to get the “best out of Rios, a tough guy.”

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Rios will most likely push Pacquiao by being “right there in front, (and every thing depends on how Manny fights).”

Nonito has a sound suggestion:

” I think he (Pacquiao) should box more.”

Donaire noted that Manny got clipped cold in his last fight nearly a year ago after Pacquiao dug in blind and tried to brawl the badly shaken Juan Manuel Marquez to submission.

“When Manny boxes, he’s a lot better that way,” Donaire reminded.

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RETURNING from the WBC Convention in Bangkok the other day, international matchmaker Lope Sarreal Jr. expressed dismay over the absence of quality sparmates for Pacquiao in his GenSan training camp.

“The undefeated Thai sparmate, managed by the former handler of legendary Kaosai Galaxy, they tried to get only at the last minute,” Sarreal says.

Jun Sarreal doubts if the selection and hiring of Pacquiao training partners are being properly handled.

“Unbelievable,” Sarreal groans. ” It’s impossible they could not get the right sparmates, considering Manny’s enormous purse.”

Sarreal says it’s wrong to crimp on sparmates, after he learned it was the controversial Michael Koncz, greasy  errand boy of Bob Arum, who’s in charge of the hiring.

“The decision on sparmates should be left to more competent people,” he stresses.

“I hope Manny is already prepared for the fight,” Sarreal suggests.