Pacquiao begins sparring sessions

Philippine boxing icon Manny Pacquiao AFP FILE PHOTO

He was far from peak form, but Manny Pacquiao still did enough on his first sparring session Saturday to impress onlookers at the Elorde Gym near the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City.

Pacquiao, honing up for his defense of the World Boxing Organization welterweight belt against Australian Jeff Horn on July 2 in Brisbane, did only two rounds each with Leonardo Doronio and Sonny Katiandagho to shake off the rust and get the feel of the ring.

Even at a self-graded 60 percent, however, Pacquiao showed some semblance of the stuff that made him the sport’s lone eight-division world champion.

Assistant trainer Buboy Fernandez said he was satisfied with what he saw, considering that Pacquiao started light training only on May 8.