MANILA—Renowned trainer Freddie Roach has made a slight change in sparring plans, keeping the likes of undefeated Vanes Martirosyan and hard-hitting Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin, from Manny Pacquiao, the Inquirer learned Friday.
Martirosyan had earlier announced he would try to grab the $1,000 bonus Roach has dangled to any sparring partner who can knock down the pound-for-pound champion. But Martirosyan didn’t even get a chance to spar with Pacquiao during yesterday’s (Thursday in LA) training at the Wild Card gym.
Instead, Pacquiao sparred a total of 11 rounds with lightweights David Rodela and Raymund Beltran, with welterweight Rashad Holloway later added to the mix.
Conditioning coach Alex Ariza said that Roach may be wanting to protect Pacquiao with the Nov. 13 showdown with Antonio Margarito at Cowboys Stadium in Texas already looming.
Ariza said that against sparring partners who are generally considered not at the same level as Martirosyan and Khan, Pacquiao “looked very good” with his speed, which he believes will be the key to beating the bigger but slower Margarito.
Margarito trainer Robert Garcia admits that Pacquiao has the speed but said that “when you have someone as good as Margarito, someone that can take a punch combined with some of the things I’ve been working on with him like head movement, it’s going to be tough for Manny.”
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