Los Angeles, CA.:- As promised, here is my Wednesday report from the Pacquiao training camp at the Wildcard Gym.
I purposely got to the gym a whole lot earlier just so I can catch up with the training of Gerry Penalosa who comes to the Wildcard Gym way ahead of the Pacman.
Gerry came in at exactly 11:30am and immediately got on with the business of getting ready for his April 25th date with Juan Manuel Lopez in Puerto Rico.
With 24 days still to go before that fateful day, Gerry is already looking very sharp. In fact, one of the pundits at the gym stated that he looks so ready that he can fight even if his match with Lopez is done tomorrow.
Gerry sparred four rounds with a Filipino-American boxer they called Diamond.
He is a 130 pounder and had been boxing for six years and taller than Penalosa.
The young man gave a good account of himself but of course he was no match for the defensive strategist in Penalosa. He managed to sneak in a few good right hooks but he ate a lot of leather in return.
Then the Pacman came in way pass two o’clock. Apparently, he run up the hills of Griffith Park earlier in the morning and didn’t have time to get ready in time. Besides, he apparently wanted to finish some business before he came to the gym.
But as soon as he got to the gym, which incidentally was cleared out of people not connected to the Team and to HBO by security chief Rob Peters, he proceeded to the dressing room to changed.
His initial tasks were stretching exercises with Alex Ariza to get him warmed up.
Following that procedure which lasted about 20 minutes, he donned his sparring gloves assisted by Buboy Fernandez and Nonoy Neri and climbed up the ring to do the punch mitts with Freddie Roach.
What was supposed to be a 10 round deal turned out to be 12 at first, then Pacquiao asked for more so they ended up doing 16 rounds.
All during the procedure, they were strategizing and rehearsing their battle plans in anticipation of what Ricky Hatton and Mayweather will come up on May 2nd.
Then the Pacman went on to do the single and the double speed bags followed by shadow boxing and the rest of the usual routine.
The crew from HBO’s 24/7 filmed the whole training regimen of Pacquiao.
After Pacman was done, Dennis Laurente of the Elorde Gym in Paranaque came up to do his thing. He was ably assisted by Buboy Fernandez with the punch mitts.
Bernabe Concepcion came along too. Although his fight with Steven Luevano has been called off, Concepcion appears upbeat and continued to do his part. “I am hoping they will find another fighter,” he said to this writer. “The promoter tells me that we should know in a week or two,” he added.
Concepcion worked with Freddie Roach and it was amazing to see Roach do some more punch mitts with him almost right after the grueling 16 rounds with Pacquiao. Truly, the man is a work-horse and a marvelous trainer.
Also spotted on the ring sweating it out were Bobby Pacquiao and Rodel Mayol.
Both of them indicated that they have no immediate schedules but they are keeping in shape just in case something comes along.
A couple of large boxes of shoes and training outfits, jackets and t-shirts were delivered to the gym. A quick perusal of the stuff revealed that the brand name was different from the usual ones we see with Team Pacquiao. But just the same, they were gifts to the Team and they were graciously accepted.
Also spotted at the Wildcard Gym today was the basketball varsity team from the University of the East headed by Coach Lawrence Chongson. They are in town to do a basketball camp in the San Fernando Valley area and then will compete against other teams in Las Vegas in about two weeks.
When Manny Pacquiao fights, the whole of the Philippines stands still and crime drops to zero.
Pacquiao meets Ricky Hatton in Las Vegas on May 2 for the IBO light-welter weight belt - but the Filipino idol believes that there is something far more important on the line.
"It is a fight between two great boxing nations - there is national pride," said Pacquiao, who came face to face with Hatton and 6,000 cheering fans at the Trafford Centre on the outskirts of Manchester yesterday.
"This fight will be a great challenge because Ricky is a great fighter. It will be a once-in-a-lifetime fight.
"I wanted to come to Britain to meet Hatton's fans - they are great fans just like mine.
"I've seen Hatton's fans in Las Vegas and I know just how devoted they are. Hatton should be proud of them because I'm proud of my fans.
"My fans know that when I fight I fight for every single one of them."
Not only does crime cease in the Philippines when Pacquiao is in action, even the rival and warring political parties call a truce.
Yesterday's appearance in Manchester was part of a short promotional tour that will end in London tomorrow before Pacquiao takes up residence at Freddie Roach's Wild Card gym in LA.
Hatton presented Pacquiao with a Manchester City shirt and nailed double two to beat him at a game of darts - and he is convinced history will repeat itself in the ring.
Hatton said: "This is a fight between two nice men but there is nothing nice about either me or Manny when we get inside the ring. We're both aggressive but where some other fighters have been worried about him, he certainly won't worry me."
Pacquiao and his close friends will share a small apartment near the LA gym and cook all their own food.
"I know about sacrifices and that is why I will be with Freddie next week," added Pacquiao. "This will be the hardest fight of my life.
"I've been in a lot of big, big fights and beaten a lot of great fighters.
"My last fight against Oscar De La Hoya was important but Ricky Hatton will be much harder.
"He is a great fighter with great fans and I will have to train harder than I have ever trained before. Freddie knows just how serious this fight is for me and the Filipino people.
"I will be using the best sparring partners to prepare and on the night I will be perfect for victory."
Hatton will remain in Manchester for another four weeks before shifting his own training camp to Las Vegas to join up with Floyd May weather Snr.
Lee Beard, who looks after Hatton's training in the UK, is convinced that the Manchester boxer is in the best possible shape at this point in his strict training regime.
"Ricky is sharp and his weight is fine," said Beard.
"This is the biggest fight available and Ricky is determined not to make a single mistake.
"We will prepare before the move to America and when he gets on the plane he will be in terrific shape."
PhilBoxing.com I am looking forward to the promotional tour that will be held in London and Manchester this weekend as I have received tons of emails from English boxing fans, who are one of the most passionate in the world.
Even if it’s going to be hostile territory for me--as Ricky Hatton comes from this boxing-crazy country--I know that I will enjoy every minute of my brief stay there as I have heard a lot of great things about England, its notable people, its amazing culture and its proud history.
After my trip to England, I will proceed to Los Angeles so I could kick off my preparation for Ricky Hatton, who is one of the world’s most exciting fighters. Hatton is a very dangerous opponent as I have seen most of his high-caliber fight on video and you cannot take somebody like him lightly.
This is going to be a big challenge for me. This early, I am confident in saying that I will train harder for Hatton and I won’t be surprised if I end up in a much better shape than when I fought the legendary Oscar De La Hoya last December.
Once I report for training camp at the Wild Card under my very capable trainer Freddie Roach, my sole focus will be training. I will be eating, breathing and living Ricky Hatton from the day I start my training camp.
I assure fight fans that when I get into the ring on May 2, I am going to show my best--as always--and ours will be an explosive and exciting fight.
And most importantly, I am dedicating this important fight to my beloved countrymen and to all boxing fans from around the world.
Manny Pacquiao Boxing’s Pound-For-Pound King February 27, 2009
Editor's Note: Pacquiao left Manila for London on board Cathay Pacific at 6:30 a.m. Friday.
The Hitman has seen many brands of fighters in his eleven and a half years in the ring. From the likes of veteran Kostya Tszyu and speedster Paulie Malignaggi, to rugged brawlers like Jose Luis Castillo and Juan Urango, Hatton has undoubtedly cemented his own style as a dominant governor of the junior welterweight division. With an exception to the sole loss, a knockout at the hands of the undaunted slickster Floyd Mayweather Jr. at welterweight, Ricky Hatton (45-1, 32 KOs) has rarely been touched let alone be in danger of defeat in a 140-lb fight. This is an extremely bold statement considering the catch weight has bred many exceptional champions and has seen many more pass through its gates within the last decade. And in those ten plus years, even his decision wins were great in disparity. Simply put, all 12 fights that have gone to the cards have been clear-cut unanimous decision wins in the eyes of the judges. Even his gaudy conqueror, Mayweather Jr., cannot assert this notion about himself.
Strictly from a stature point of view, Ricky is just a tad short of the ideal height for a welterweight but that obviously hasn’t been a problem for him. He looks to be closer to 5’6” (as Wikipedia lists) rather than the 5’7 ½” that boxrec.com boasts. But in all fairness late greats such as “Homicidal Hank” Armstrong, Aaron Pryor, and Barney Ross are all 5’7” or under. His ‘boxy’, square-chinned build hides no secrets as to why he can take a good lickin’. Furthermore, he has excellent maneuverability and a nice pop in his punches.
Floyd Mayweather Sr. is entrusted with the delicate task of taking everything about Richard John Hatton and molding a specimen that can out-duel, out-gun, and out-last the former WBC lightweight champion and reigning pound for pound king, Manny Pacquiao. The self-proclaimed ‘shoulder roll’ trendsetter will embark on devising a defense system to neutralize the Pacman’s speed and movement. Much of the required ingredients, however, the Hitman should already have. We often hear that a fighter either has it or he doesn’t. With some things you simply cannot instill when it just doesn’t come naturally. So let’s go over what Hatton needs to do in order to thank (with a win) the hundreds of thousands of fans who have supported him every step of the way.
“There’s only one Ricky Fatton!”
Another poorly-kept secret is the fact that Manchester’s own has been known to balloon to forty pounds above his campaigning weight in between contracts, hence “Fatton”. Ring experts and analysts would credit this non boxer-like peculiarity for his low gas finishes of late. When you’re physically trying to hold your own against naturally bigger guys like Luis Collazo, most certainly depletion becomes a problem by the time the last bell comes. Some fighters utilize plyometrics training to hone strength and energy. With plyometrics, targeted muscles are loaded, contracted, and spent in rapid sequence to stimulate elasticity and innervation to ultimately increase the speed or force of muscular contractions. Some example areas that this training can address are to increase the height of a jump or to maintain speed bursts and fast recovery throughout an entire performance. Hatton wouldn’t necessarily need to follow this specific regiment but the ideal improvement region would surely be stamina and conditioning. He should be consistent in his offensive strategy to ensure that he has gas for the later rounds, should he need them. Normally when advising a prone-to-tire fighter, you wouldn’t suggest that he go after his opponent but in this case I think Pacquiao would have more trouble fighting while backpedaling so it should be mandatory that Mayweather Sr. infuse the ‘always forward’ mentality. You can’t wait for a faster guy to make the first move. Frankly put, come ready and in shape and stay consistent throughout the fight.
‘Float like a butterfly’… counterclockwise.
Hatton has speed. But in this fight with Pacquiao, it’s not about whether he has the quickness or not. It’s whether he can ‘catch up’ to the lighter man that makes the biggest difference. Now remember, Hatton is a ‘box’. He’s a large target compared to Pacquiao so his movement might not necessarily get him out of range all the time. His biggest defense against the lightning fast Filipino is a little dance called ‘jab, jab, body, body, side step.’ It’s crucial that he ends the dance with a ‘side step’. You might even catch the ‘step’ repeated more than once during some intervals. He won’t outrun Manny, but he can make himself harder to be reached. He’ll look like David Diaz if he just stands in front of the Pacman. And Diaz didn’t do it by choice.
‘Sting like a bee’… and add feints.
This key has to do particularly with his movement and timing. He can dance with Pacquiao all night but there’s only one direction that can bear fruits to this labor. The Hitman needs to move to his left, specifically away from Pacman’s left hand. Ever since the annihilating wins over Erik Morales, the implementation of the right hand (once dubbed the Manila Ice) has been central to Pacquiao’s success. This will surely make it harder for any opponent now that there are two fully functional cannons on board. Nevertheless, we all would tend to agree that it’d be a smarter idea to circle away from the naturally stronger hand and allow only fractional contribution. And since that left will partially be out of commission, Pacquiao will look to over-assert it and that’s when Hatton can time and ‘sting’ the daring Filipino.
Live downstairs but sneak upstairs.
Lastly, Ricky needs to go to the body. Aiming for a little guy who has the head and upper body movement of prime Tyson is extremely difficult. De la Hoya’s ill-fated plan to engage Pacquiao in his fight was easily trounced. Hatton should apply body shots to his combinations. In fact, his combos should revolve AROUND working the body. In standing toe-to-toe, Hatton will risk being bruised, bloodied, and cut. The last of the three poses the biggest threat (for both). Pacquiao was cut in his first fight with Morales and you could clearly see the Filipino flustered and bothered. Hint: this was his last loss.
Hatton has the tools to break down any opponent in front of him. Now it’s only a matter of whether he’ll use the right ones at the right time. Mapping the blue-print is a fraction of the equation, executing it is the other 99.99%.Catch the action live on May 2 from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.
FightFan.com's Ace Freeman caught up with 'The Hitman' Ricky Hatton and got his thoughts on his upcoming mega fight with Manny Pacquiao. Don't miss this detailed exclusive interview, only on FightFan.com!
FF: Ricky can you tell us how you plan on fighting Manny Pacquiao?
RH: Cut the ring off and stay in his face. I need to draw him into a fight. Manny is an aggressive fighter and he has a lot of pride in the way he fights. Obviously Manny has good footwork and he tries to hurt you with that big left cross so I do have to be careful as I put the pressure on. I plan to use lots of head movement and jabs to work my way in. I want to pick off shots and hopefully when Manny misses I’ll land some big shots. I think Manny is there to be caught quite a few times in fights.
Exclusive Ricky Hatton interview on Manny Pacquiao:
FF:FightFan.com here with ‘The Hitman’ Ricky Hatton. Ricky thanks for taking the time. Can you please tell us your thoughts on the style match up between yourself and Manny Pacquiao?
RH: I think it’s a good clash of styles. Manny is very aggressive and I’m very aggressive. Manny is a southpaw but he’s not necessarily an awkward southpaw. I think when he commits himself with some of his punches he puts all his eggs in one basket. He really tends to commit himself with some punches. If he hits you… you’ll feel it because he’s got good balance and shuffles in and out. He tends to go for broke with some punches. With that said, if he throws some of those punches - and misses… I think he sometimes puts himself off balance. I feel I’ve got good balance and good footwork and if he misses I’m going to slip some heavy shots of my own in there.
In his recent fights with the likes of Oscar, Diaz, Marquez, and Barrera… I don’t think anyone has really put the pressure on Manny. I think that because he’s so aggressive everyone has backed off. I’ve studied a lot of tapes and I think the last person to put him under pressure effectively was Eric Morales. Morales was able to push him backwards and he beat him doing it. I understand I’m the underdog but I’ll tell you I’m going in to this fight brimming with confidence. I feel anyone who fights me at 140 pounds will come in second.
FF:You got a good look at Manny when you were ringside for his victory over Oscar De La Hoya in December. Can you tell us what you thought of Manny’s improvements as a fighter in the last couple of years and how you thought he looked at that weight?
RH: He looked very good. Any win against Oscar De La Hoya is an exceptional one. Pacquiao showed good boxing ability. Not to take anything away from that, but I have to say - and I hope Oscar won’t take offense - that De La Hoya looked like a dead man walking that night. He didn’t look like he had his legs under him and he wasn’t throwing punches. I think the trouble with the weight effected Oscar’s performance. Manny did outbox Oscar, but I don’t think that was such a difficult task on that night.
FF:Ricky are you the bigger and stronger man in this fight, and if so how will that play a role in the outcome?
RH: Yes very much so. I also think my speed with surprise him. I think people underestimate my speed a little bit. I’ve changed up my training routine recently after years of doing heavy weight lifting. For the Mayweather fight I stopped doing the weights and I think my hands have been faster for it. With another training camp under my belt without the weights I think I’ll be even faster.
A lot of people are expecting Manny’s speed to cause me problems and I’m sure it will to an extent, but my speed is underestimated. Paul Malignaggi is a quick handed fighter and I feel I was faster than he was.
FF: If Manny elects to box and move, how do you plan to deal with that?
RH: Cut the ring off and stay in his face. I need to draw him into a fight. Manny is an aggressive fighter and he has a lot of pride in the way he fights. I’m hoping to draw him into a fight. Obviously Manny has good footwork and he tries to hurt you with that big left cross so I do have to be careful as I put the pressure on. I think if you look at my last fight my defense was improved. I think it will be even better with another training camp under my belt.
I plan to use lots of head movement and jabs to work my way in. I want to pick off shots and hopefully when Manny misses I’ll land some big shots. I think Manny is there to be caught quite a few times in fights.
FF: If Manny does stand toe-to-toe with you at some point do you feel that’s to your advantage?
RH: I do feel it’s to my advantage. Obviously there are dangers for myself as well because Manny can punch… but two of his previous defeats (when he was younger) were from body punches. Marquez has shaken him up a few times, and I also saw tape of a fighter who knocked him down with a body shot. I also saw Nedal Hussein knock Manny down hard with a jab. He’s been hurt in the past and I feel I will be more in-his-face than those fighters were. Manny is a very aggressive guy and because he fights the way he does it seems like opponents tend to back off and give him a lot of space. I won’t be giving up ground to him.
FF: You’ve started training already. How is camp going and what are you working on?
RH: We’ve been in the gym two weeks now. We’ve been working on putting the pressure on and jabbing my way in, picking off shots on the way in. I’m working on slipping the left cross, so it’s all really going according to plan so far. Me and my camp are extremely confident as we approach this fight. I understand I’m the underdog. Manny is a modern day legend when you think about how he won his first world title at flyweight. I understand we’re the underdog in the fight but I feel that’s a great position to be in. Not a lot of people expect me to win but I’m super confident.
FF: Ricky in this day and age a lot of fighters are very selective about who they fight. You seem to always be gunning for the biggest names out there. Do you feel you get enough credit for that?
RH: Well in certain areas I get the credit but I think any fighter like Manny or Mayweather or even myself… there’s always going to be people who will knock you and put you down. I spent the earlier part of my career listening to people calling me over-hyped and over-protected, saying I didn’t want to leave Manchester and that I was avoiding certain fighters. I think if you look at the last few years since I’ve been fighting in America I moved up in weight to fight the pound-for-pound best in Floyd Mayweather. I’ve won world titles and beat Kostya Tszyu. I was the first fighter to drop and stop Jose Luis Castillo (with a body shot).
Now I’m challenging the best pound-for-pound fighter again in Manny Pacquiao. There will always be people who will knock you but I don’t think too many people can complain about the fights Ricky Hatton’s been taking over the last few years. It seems all I’ve been doing is fighting world champions up in weight and down in weight. I’m taking on the best fighters in the world and that’s what I’ve said I was going to do since my early days. There’s no fear in Ricky Hatton.
FF: That’s a good note to leave it on. A lot of guys are quite selective about who they’ll fight but I guess that’s why they say there’s only one Ricky Hatton! Mad respect for that. Ricky thanks for doing this.
