Freddie Roach’s request was denied. He’d chosen Mexico as training ground and it’s been disapproved by The Boss. Does this matter? Will Pacman’s focus suffer? Given his decision to house himself up in The City of Pines, will he be less brutal come Nov. 14?
I’m not worried. Same with Manny. He’s not. We all shouldn’t be. The reason: It’s less the “where” than the “how.” Sure, there will be distractions. Sure, Manny will fly out of Baguio on some Saturday nights and do whatever he wants until Sunday dawn. Yet, to me, these are negligible.
What’s most essential is “how.” And, haven’t we seen it over and over again, how Manny, when he starts training, pours himself totally, tirelessly, with indefatigable effort?
Eight weeks. No less, no more. That’s Manny’s timeframe and it’s worked. And when he’s in training, he’s zoned in. He punishes his ribs. He expands his muscles like The Hulk. He lifts his arms to be jabbed and whacked.
How strenuously does Pacman train? I’m lucky. Part of the bonus we sportswriters get is access to sights that ordinary citizens can’t see. Two years ago, I had two rare chances to watch Manny train inside the Wakee Salud Gym in Labangon. What did I observe? Read my account of Pacman’s training in the following post, originally dated Sept. 16, 2007…
