Pacquiao bludgeons Zambian sparmate

MANILA, Philippines - Hastings Bwayla got a little too cocky sparring against Manny Pacquiao at the Wild Card Gym yesterday.

The Zambian Olympian paid the price: a bloody face.

Pacquiao gave his newest sparring partner a taste of his vaunted speed and power as he continued to impress his trainers.

Bwayla, who once sparred with Floyd Mayweather Jr., was recommended by cutman Miguel Diaz to serve as backup sparring partner to Ray Beltran.

It started off well until Bwayla, according to Team Pacquiao member Winchell Campos, started to get a little cocky, taunting Pacquiao in the ring.

He got what he wanted when Pacquiao took things seriously, often hurting his sparring partner who had blood dripping from his nose.

“Are you okay?” Pacquiao asked Bwayla.

The undefeated Zambian, with seven wins and five knockouts under his name, egged on Pacquiao to get it on, according to Campos.

They sparred two rounds before Beltran took over the next four rounds. Bwayla returned for a couple more to round up his first day with Pacquiao.

 Pacquiao’s chief trainer, Freddie Roach, is happy with the way the camp is moving.

“He’s giving jet lag a bad name,” Top Rank publicist Fred Sternburg quoted Roach as saying.

Pacquiao flew to Los Angeles Saturday after three weeks of training in Baguio City, and plunged into action by sparring last Monday.