Road to Marquez: Baguio Training Day 13

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By Keith Terceira

Alex Ariza was up at the crack of dawn today taking his new star pupil Jorge Linares to the track for one of the most intense, one on one, workouts we have ever witnessed in camp. Luckily we caught it all on video for the fans. Jorge Linares not only has some of the fastest hands in boxing, but he has the skills, stamina, and heart that make a man a champion.

Alex pushed Jorge to the limit and for the first time we heard what we have heard from all of Alex’s best fighters.
“Fuck you Alex”

Please check out the video section to see this display of athleticism

“Golden Boy” is a week and a half out from his title fight with Antonio DeMarco and watching the video on MP8 you have to wonder just how many championships this twenty-six year old fighter can attain. Broad-shouldered, narrow wasted, and at 5’9, this Venezuelan began his career at the 120 pound range. Easily with natural thickening that we all face over time, it is imaginable that Linares could climb as far as welterweight or beyond with the right conditioning.

One would think that the super lightweight or light welterweight title is in easy range of this fighter as you look at his body structure that puts him in line for some great competitive money making bouts and I don’t foresee a speed loss with Jorge moving up by five or ten pounds. With his power being produced by his hand speed, as well as his overall skill level, Linares may be around the title hunt for quite some time.

Moving on , Manny Pacquiao did his normal routine this morning challenging the hills of Santa Lucia, but this time the 3 mile run up the steep hills seemed like a breeze. He conquered the three mile journey at an average of seven minutes per and finished the run by doing his speed drills, moving his feet around the streets as if he were on ice.

In the gym, Pacquiao completed 4 rounds of mitts. Freddie Roach stated while conversing with Alex Ariza that he believes

“Manny is pushing it too hard.”

Manny has mentioned several times that this fight is personal. Roach and Ariza, both agree that in the training Manny is acting like he wants to take Marquez’s head off.

Freddie Roach stated

I want to slow the camp down a bit. I think Manny is ahead of the game and at the rate he is going he will be ready in one or two weeks.”

Both Roach and Ariza are tapering back a bit on training. There is no sense in leaving it all in the gym and overtraining can be a deadly adversary to a dedicated pugilist like Pacquiao.

Once again Manny called two of Team Pacquiao into the ring to spar. One member was Manny’s scuba diving instructor, the other gentleman the driver for Manny’s Rose Tamayo.

Sparring lasted one and a half rounds because the scuba instructor hit the driver in the belly, he went down for the count. Unfortunately, out of fear the driver would get back up, the exhausted diving instructor began raining illegal blows to the driver’s head.

The crowd went wild and Pacquiao fans at ringside went nuts. After the scuba instructor peeled off about 6 illegal blows, acting as referee, Manny broke up the action disqualifying the overeager gentleman and leaving the ring.
Pacquiao completed his Nike photo shoot from that began yesterday, and proceeded to his room to eat and rest.

Ciao!