Pacquiao close to fulfilling target

Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao Latest News from mb.com.ph Sun, 18 Oct 2009

Manny Pacquiao has completed a third of the required number of sparring rounds after the Filipino pride went nine rounds on Saturday with a battery of sparring partners in his Baguio training camp, less than a month before he collides with Miguel Cotto in Las Vegas.

Since kicking off his sparring session three weeks ago, Pacquiao has so far logged 55 rounds and still needs 105 to fulfill the targeted number that top trainer Freddie Roach wants him to do to prime himself up for the expected grueling bout with Cotto at the MGM Grand.

Pacquiao had three rounds with Porter, a 21-year-old super-welterweight who he had floored twice last Thursday, then banged with battle-scarred Jose Luis Castillo for another three and had only two with Urbano Antillon after Antillon sustained a cut.

Roach then called on Porter up the ring for another round – the ninth – to cap the intense workout at the Shape Up Gym.

Next week, Pacquiao will start sparring ten and even as much as 12 rounds in one session as he gets himself ready to uproot his training camp for the more familiar confines of the Wild Card in Hollywood...

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