Gerry Penalosa.
HOLLYWOOD—For a while there, Gerry Peñalosa felt he was back in the days when Manny Pacquiao was leaving a swathe of destruction in the ring, cutting bigger foes down to size in succession.
Peñalosa swore he saw the old Pacquiao during his sparring on Tuesday at Wild Card Gym.
“He’s sharp and accurate,” said Peñalosa, a former two-division world champion who has been a fixture in Pacquiao fights for over a decade. “He’s quick with his hands and light-footed. Like a butterfly.”
Peñalosa also noted the added zing and sting in Pacquiao’s punches.
“The three-day (sparring) break actually did him some good,” said Peñalosa, who managed to sneak into the 10-round sparring session held behind closed doors. “He was fired up. He dominated his spar mates.”
Like the pack of former boxers that accompany Pacquiao during his morning runs at Griffith Park, Peñalosa, a health buff, failed to keep pace during the steep climbs that are actually higher than the famed Hollywood sign.
“He was too fast and strong, like a horse,” said Peñalosa. “He doesn’t seem to get tired.”
Peñalosa was so impressed by Pacquiao’s performance that he asked his bosom buddy to find out what his weight was Tuesday and keep it up to the official weigh-in on May 1.
For more updates on Pacquiao-Mayweather “Fight of the Century,” visit The Pacquiao Files.