Barrera steps up training in  Mexico

Marco Antonio Barrera, who does road work in the morning and gym work in the evening, did four rounds of sparring against Japanese Takashiro Aoh yesterday as his preparations for an Oct. 6 rematch with Manny Pacquiao shifted to high gear in Guadalajara.

Barrera has three Japanese sparring partners by his side, and reportedly has four or five more Mexicans on standby and ready to jump in if called for.

Reports said Barrera started sparring last Monday, the same day Pacquiao did in Cebu City.

According to Mexican newspaper Esto, Barrera has planned a total of 100 rounds of sparring as he prepares to avenge an 11th round knockout loss to Pacquiao in San Antonio, Texas in November of 2003.

Barrera has been training in Guadalajara for almost three weeks now, and like Pacquiao rests on Sundays.

Pacquiao recently stayed in shape by playing basketball and watching his diet but went into serious training only two weeks ago. He moved to Cebu City Wednesday last week after two days of training at the Wild Card Gym in Parañaque.

Pacquiao, including his trainers Freddie Roach and Buboy Fernandez, believes that he’s right on schedule, saying seven weeks and at least 130 rounds of sparring should be enough. The Filipino boxing icon has sparred for four rounds last Monday and yesterday.

“If Barrera did start training four weeks ago as reported, then he might overtrain,” said Pacquiao who, at 137 lbs, is close to the 130 lb limit with still 44 days left before the fight, which could end up as the biggest this year.

Aoh, an undefeated featherweight (15 with eight knockouts), is one of Barrera’s favorite sparring partners, and the three-time world champion believes that the style of the Japanese, who flew in from Tokyo, fits well in his training.

Pacquiao, who will spend the last two weeks of his training in Los Angeles, spars on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays behind closed-door. Fans are allowed to watch him train only on Saturdays.