GENERAL SANTOS CITY—Twice the mitts flew off Freddie Roach’s nimble hands.
It was ample proof of the ferocity and velocity of the punches being thrown by Manny Pacquiao in their training session yesterday afternoon at the Pacman Wild Card Gym here.
Roach stood on the receiving end of Pacquiao’s relentlessness, getting hurt despite his body shield. But the Hall of Fame trainer didn’t mind. He was even pleased.
It was supposed to be a tapering down 10-round mitts session, but Pacquiao went after him with blazing eyes and piston-like fists. Pacquiao is set to face Chris Algieri on Nov. 23 in Macau, where he stakes his WBO welterweight crown.
“I hope he (Pacquiao) takes him (Algieri) out in one,” Roach told Manila-based sportswriters while sipping green tea latte at a coffee shop here.
While a knockout seems like wishful thinking—Pacquiao hasn’t stopped an opponent in the last five years—it isn’t that much of a stretch.
If Algieri turns cocky and neglects defense, he might get caught by a world-renowned left straight.
Pacquiao, his hair trimmed and his weight down to 142 pounds, two less than the catchweight limit set for the pay-per-view bout at The Venetian Macao, seems bent on going for the kill this time.
Having exceeded a hundred rounds with four tall and rangy sparring partners—Stan Martyniouk, Viktor Postol, Mike Jones and Jose Ramirez—Pacquiao definitely has his rhythm and timing back.
The six-foot Jones has returned to the United States as sparring will be lessened to six rounds today, four rounds on Saturday and three on Monday afternoon before training camp closes and Team Pacquiao flies to Macau on board two AirAsia A320s.
Among the onlookers during the workout was the AirAsia staff, led by CEO Tony Fernandes.
A self-made billionaire, Fernandes was accompanied by Joy Canebas, AirAsia Philippines CEO, and Erick Arejola, AirAsia Philippines ground operations chief.
Mikee Romero, AirAsia Philippines vice chair, was unable to join the trip due to a pressing commitment.
Roach called for a break in training as Pacquiao and Fernandes formalized their partnership agreement making AirAsia the official carrier of Team Pacquiao.
Fernandez, a true-blue sportsman, said he’ll be watching the fight in Macau.
“It’s already exciting even from here,” said Fernandez.