What it’s like to train with Manny Pacquiao

First contact

I WAS coming back from Australia, where Iโ€™d been fighting and Iโ€™d been back in England for a month or two. I was going to Boston to team up with Micky Ward โ€“ I met him in the Wild Card gym a year or two later โ€“ but I went to LA instead because Paschal Collins, the trainer, told me Freddie Roach would be the man if I wanted to learn my trade. I went to the Wild Card and asked Freddie if heโ€™d train me. I was in the gym for six months before I met Pacquiao. For the first Juan Manuel Marquez fight they were looking for sparring partners and Freddie said, โ€˜We want you to spar Manny.โ€™ We did four rounds, full-on sparring.

Push the limits

AFTER that spar Manny said, โ€˜Heโ€™s inโ€™ and then Iโ€™d go running with him and sparring him three days a week. Then Iโ€™d only do two-three rounds each time because heโ€™d have three-four sparring partners; he wants fresh guys all the time.ย  Heโ€™s one of the hardest trainers Iโ€™ve ever come across. He trains like a monster. If you can keep up with Manny Pacquiao, you know youโ€™re a good runner, I only used to because I was inspired to be like him; he just takes off. Itโ€™s more long distance but heโ€™s explosive as well.

Be humble AND ruthless

HEโ€™S inspired by people coming in and watching him, he was just Manny and stayed the same. I learnt from him to work hard and remain humble. But Iโ€™ve seen bigger fellas come in, everybody wants to take out Freddie Roach fighters, people try to make a name for themselves, and Manny would just take them out.

Experiment

THEY used to get a bamboo stick and whack him around the body with it, as it deadens the muscles in the body. I only did it once! He also has a square box and he bounces up and down on that for five-10 minutes after all his work is finished. In the ring heโ€™s always bouncing in and out, his calves are massive and I think that box thing is one of the reasons

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