Vintage Pacquiao is back, trainer insists

MANILA, Philippines – An assistant trainer of Manny Pacquiao claims the Filipino icon has reverted to his fiery form that enabled him to win titles in an unprecedented eight weight classes.

Nonoy Neri, one of Pacquiao’s longtime assistant trainers, told Aquiles Zonio of Philboxing.com that his ward continues to impress in training for his showdown with Floyd Mayweather Jr. on May 2.

“He was so strong and so quick. It was so delighting to watch him train,” Neri reportedly said in Filipino.

Pacquiao has been grinding it out at the Wild Card Gym, behind closed doors and under the watchful eye of chief trainer Freddie Roach. The WBO welterweight champion recently began sparring with a battery of partners, one of whom, Roach claimed, could simulate Mayweather’s style.

The General Santos City-based southpaw has a tough task ahead of him as he tries to hand the elusive Mayweather his first loss as a professional boxer. Some boxing pundits believe Pacquiao has the best chance to accomplish this.

While Pacquiao has faced questions of declining skills and a lack of killer’s instinct, he quashed those with his dominant win over Chris Algieri in Macau in November last year. The fighting congressman hasn’t scored a knockout since 2009 against Miguel Cotto, and he almost ended that drought when he floored Algieri a total of six times en route to a lopsided decision.

Now Pacquiao, according to Neri, is displaying the same explosive form.

“This is the Manny Pacquiao of old,” Neri said, expressing optimism that his boss can knock out Mayweather in possibly boxing’s richest bout ever.

“This is the same Manny Pacquiao who beat Cotto black and blue during their fight. With his speed and power, I doubt if the May 2 fight would last the full distance,” Neri added.

The world has less than two months to see if this is true. – Dino Maragay.