Pacquiao OKs Baguio training

Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum on Friday sounded as though he was appealing to Manny Pacquiao to change his mind as to the preferred venue for his training camp for the November 14 battle with Miguel Cotto.

“For a tough fight, the preparation is not adequate,” Arum told the Bulletin, referring to Pacquiao’s choice of Baguio as the place that will host his preparation.

Arum said there are other more ideal places to set up camp with Freddie Roach, rattling Vancouver in Canada and three cities in Mexico as perfect sites.

While Baguio has its positive sides, it wouldn’t be as good as training someplace else, noted Arum, who also promotes Cotto.

“Pacquiao is a sensational fighter and tough,” said the Harvard-educated lawyer from his office in Las Vegas.

Roach is batting for Pacquiao to go with him to an isolated training camp in the mountains of Toluca in Mexico and the 48-year-old trainer said he will try to persuade the Filipino southpaw to make that choice when he gets to talk to him during the five-city press tour starting next week.

Roach told The Ring online that “wherever I get him, I’ll make sure he’s ready for the fight.”

The press tour will kick off with a press conference at Yankee Stadium in New York on September 10 followed by similar gigs in Cotto’s hometown of Caguas in Puerto Rico (September 12), AT&T Park in San Francisco (September 13), Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles (September 14), and at the PETCO Park for a Padres games in San Diego (September 15).

As the suspense builds up, Arum said Pacquiao will be the one to call the shots as to the venue of his training camp.

“If Manny wants to train in Baguio, everybody goes with him,” said Roach, who has tapped Shawn Porter, Raymund Serrano and Urbano Antillon as sparring partners.

The Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines gym inside Teacher’s Camp, operated by the Philippine Sports Commission, will likely be the site of Pacquiao’s camp.

Source: mb.com.ph