Road to Marquez: L.A. Countdown

www.MP8.ph

Keith Terceira

All Business today, that is the best way to describe the Wild Card Gym as Pacquiao worked his way another day closer to the final showdown with Marquez. Basically, the huge crowds that we saw in Manila and in Baguio for high altitude training have disappeared.

Raymundo Beltran (25-5, 17KO) is in the gym working out and watching Manny Pacquiao as he goes thru his training.  Both HBO and TV Azteca are filming today as well as the MP8.ph crew, besides that, it’s basically coaches and staff present.

One of the concerns in Baguio was that Pacquiao was way ahead of the curve with his training even forcing the issue at times with his corner men in regards to sparring with Jorge Linares. I had the opportunity to ask Alex Ariza if overtraining was on his mind or becoming an issue.

“The thought of Manny overtraining and being ahead of schedule is always at the back of my head. It’s something that comes with starting camp early; we just have to avoid the mistake of overtraining.”

The problem of jet lag isn’t affecting Pacquiao today as he accomplished eleven accurate rounds of mitt work with Freddie Roach, and then performed a fairly lighter workout from what we have seen, in preparation we are told for a tougher day tomorrow.

It’s hard to explain just why the camp has taken a sharp turn to the serious, why silence and solitude is now the reigning king of the Wild Card ring. Perhaps due to the long camp or even that we are now only a month out. Whatever the cause, the switch in tempo is obvious; it is now time for the business of sculpting the champion.

Time has come, for the change to occur, from mild mannered Peter Parker to Spiderman, Clark Kent to become Superman, and Manny Pacquiao to transform to Pacman.

I wonder if some cartoonist out there has thought of drawing out the life of Pacquiao as a superhero, the rags to riches, alleys or back streets to the halls of congress, and the calm cool politician who becomes the champion for boxing both in and out of the ring.

Perhaps writer Dan Slott and Canadian comic book artist Steve McNiven could team up again and devise a great rendition of Pacman. It would make a great way to teach children and assist boxing’s popularity!

Frankly, Manny Pacquiao has already been one of the super heroes for the sport giving it an interest and excitement that few fighters have achieved. The problem of course is who to make the arch-nemesis in the comic book, but I’m positive that readers can imagine a few on their own.

Some in the scope of Pacquiao’s career fit perfectly into the standard plot of a superhero or action figure. We have the trusted sidekicks, the evil villain etc . etc. Man, the twists, turns, and surprises!

Oh well, you all get it I’m sure. Just give me my props when you write the first addition, its spelled T-E-R…

Or maybe the jet lag has gotten to everyone!

Ciao!