Manny Pacquiao trains inside the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood with trainers Buboy Fernandez and Nonoy Neri. PHOTO BY REM ZAMORA. See more at FRAME
HOLLYWOOD—Apart from being an assistant trainer, Nonoy Neri plays another crucial role for Manny Pacquiao. He cooks for the eight-division world champion during training camp, especially on fight week in Las Vegas.
This time, Neri’s in-born culinary skills are pitted against a culinary graduate, Chef Q, or Quiania Jeffries who’s being paid by Floyd Mayweather Jr. $1,000 a plate.
For Pacquiao’s fight againt Mayweather on May 2, Neri is basically rotating the food that Manny wants.
Apart from the staple chicken, beef, and stew, Neri just adds more vegetables like asparagus and mushroom with young corn. He cooks a lot as Pacquiao needs to eat three or four times a day to compensate for the calories burned in training and gym work everyday.
“He can eat as much as he wants and not gain a pound,” said Neri, who revealed that Pacquiao was already within the 147-pound limit when they weighed him Monday.
“He was at 146 that time.”
After watching Pacquiao spar for six rounds Thursday, Neri told the Inquirer that Pacquiao is ready to rumble.
“His movement, his punches are very sharp,” said Neri in Filipino “His body feels light.”
Other than Pacquiao’s physical improvements, Neri took note of his happy disposition throughout training camp.
“He’s always happy, in the mood. He’s also mentally ready.”
That combination was just what Pacquiao needed as there were no traces of decline whatsoever in the way he moves and punches.
Neri likens him to the Pacquiao of five years ago, the one who pummeled his challengers to submission.
“He moves like a young man. He’s awesome,” said Neri.
With the Fight of the Century just a week away, Neri said Pacquiao’s training is already on its tapering phase, with another 10 rounds of sparring in two sessions at Wild Card gym before Team Pacquiao heads for Las Vegas on Monday afternoon.