Pacquiao steps up training – minus Roach

MANILA, Philippines – Manny Pacquiao stepped up on his training for his upcoming fight with Ricky Hatton but he has to work out without the man responsible for his biggest successes – trainer Freddie Roach.

Roach, who had overseen Pacquiao’s previous training camps all the way, including the build-up for the Oscar De La Hoya megafight, is out for a week to be at the corner of Amir Khan when the British fighter takes on Marco Antonio Barrera this weekend in England.

In his absence, Roach had left Pacquiao at the hands of his new assistant, former world heavyweight champ Michael Moorer, together with Eric Brown and Buboy Fernandez - remotely monitoring the progress and dishing out instructions from Khan’s base.

On Monday (Tuesday in Manila) at the Wild Card Gym in LA, Pacquiao begun his second week at the camp with the usual shadow boxing, double and single speed bags, jump rope, heavy bag and abs exercises and stretching routines, Philboxing.com reported.

The boxing website also narrated that Fernandez took the place of Roach in doing the mitts with his old buddy Pac Man for six rounds.

Roach, who had predicted another knockout win for his prized ward, is expected to be back at the Pacquiao camp upon completion of his duties for Khan’s March 14 WBA International and WBO Intercontinental lightweight title duel with Barrera.

The Hall of Fame trainer would return to Wild Card Gym in time for Pacquiao’s planned six weeks of sparring beginning March 17.

Roach is apparently convinced that while he’s away, he’s left Pacquiao in good hands under Moorer, whom he described as “a pretty good teacher" in an earlier interview with Sky Sports.

Pacquiao, acknowledged as the world’s best pound-for-pound fighter, mixes it up with Hatton, the International Boxing Organization world junior welterweight champion, on May 2 in Las Vegas. -GMANews.Tv

Source: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/152110/Pacquiao-steps-up-training--minus-Roach

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