Ex-world champ due to spar with Pacman

BAGUIO CITY — With the once-feared Shawn Porter all figured out, Manny Pacquiao is bracing for the arrival here of a former world champion who is being peddled as somebody who can also bring out the best in the Filipino pound-for-pound king as he enters the third week of training for the Nov. 14 bout with Miguel Cotto.

Trainer Freddie Roach said Jose Luis Castillo of Mexico is due to arrive anytime this week to beef up the team of sparring partners helping Pacquiao get ready for Cotto.

Aside for Porter, already in town is lightweight Urbano Antillon, who have both given Pacquiao a total of 12 rounds in a week’s time of training.

Castillo’s arrival is just perfect since Antillon is set to return to the US for a fight so he could acclimatize once again to the conditions there.

In the next three weeks, Roach expects Pacquiao to reach near peak-form in time for their departure for the US for the final push of his training.

Team Pacquiao breaks camp here on Oct. 24 — which is a Saturday — so it could catch the late-night Philippine Airlines flight for Los Angeles.

Since their arrival there would also be the same day owing to the 15-hour time difference, Pacquiao would have the luxury of taking a day-off the following day and showing up at the Wild Card in Hollywood on Monday.

Roach was ecstatic with the way Pacquiao got back at Porter on Saturday after getting a slight drubbing from the 21-year-old super-welterweight prospect and the amiable trainer said the work load is only going to get tougher in the succeeding days.

“More rounds of sparring and lots of hard work.,” said Roach from his chic place at the Manor Hotel at Camp John Hay.

That’s exactly what Pacquiao is going to get since the plyometrics program of conditioning coach Alex Ariza also started over the weekend in full view not only of the media but of Pacquiao’s adoring fans as well.

Pacquiao, meanwhile, is set to return here late Sunday after leading a relief distribution program for typhoon victims in Metro Manila.

“The package that I prepared has rice, sardines and instant noodles,” said Pacquiao, who was brought to Manila by his black Hummer and several back-up vehicles.

Source: http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/223163/exworld-champ-due-spar-with-pacman