Was Manny undertrained?

Here’s a new twist to the continuing debate on why WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao wasn’t up to par in recently escaping with a win over Juan Manuel Marquez on a majority 12-round decision in Las Vegas. A close Pacquiao adviser Rex (Wakee) Salud says he was undertrained despite a 10-week boot camp that started in Baguio City and ended at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood.

Salud’s assessment comes in the wake of most observers saying Pacquiao was overtrained. A horse-owner notes that before the fight, Pacquiao’s “coat” didn’t glow like before – he seemed to be burned out, his skin color was somewhat ashen.    

Salud says Pacquiao had “poor” sparring but though no fault of his, he adds. It’s not easy hiring fighters to spar with Pacquiao and risk serious bodily damage. In Baguio City, Pacquiao sparred with Venezuelan Jorge Linares who failed to capitalize on the experience as he lost to Antonio De Marco on a late knockout a month before the Marquez affair. In Hollywood, Pacquiao kept pace with retreads Raymundo Beltran and David Rodela, youngster Jamie Kavanagh and for a day, Zambia’s Hastings Bwalya.

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Beltran, 30, and Rodela, 29, are Pacquiao’s regular sparmates who’ve been in 13 camps together with the Filipino ring icon. They’re not only familiar with Pacquiao’s style but also good friends. Pacquiao paid the down payment for Rodela’s house as a wedding gift. Rodela has been a fixture in Pacquiao’s camp since the first Erik Morales fight in 2005. Beltran has logged one more camp than Rodela. Kavanagh, 21, is an unbeaten pro while Bwalya, also undefeated, was let go after a cocky performance in the gym.

“I don’t think Manny sparred too many rounds,” says Salud who accompanied Pacquiao’s father Rosalio on the flight from Manila to witness the Marquez fight and back again. “It wasn’t the same Manny in the ring that night. Maybe, it was tension from a personal problem. I don’t know. But what I know is Manny is capable of performing much, much better.”

Salud says a fourth fight against Marquez wouldn’t prove a thing. “It’s useless,” he explains. “If they fight again, it’ll be another close decision. I don’t think the fans will buy tickets for another fight. It’s time for both of them to move on.”

Salud says he was surprised by Marquez’ physical appearance. Marquez, the reigning WBC lightweight champion, moved up two divisions to welterweight for the chance to challenge Pacquiao at a catchweight limit of 144 pounds.   

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Salud says Pacquiao lacked mental focus in the fight. “Manny has many obligations,” he says. “Remember he’s a congressman. But Marquez is exclusively a fighter. He has no other commitments. He just concentrates on fighting. But Manny knows what to do to bounce back. He’s done it before.”

In 2008, Pacquiao also fought Marquez to a close ending and eked out a split 12-round decision which Marquez claimed was unfair. Some boxing experts, including Filipinos, thought Pacquiao should’ve lost the verdict despite scoring a knockdown in the third round. Pacquiao vindicated himself by storming back to stop David Diaz for the WBC lightweight crown, halt Oscar de la Hoya, pulverize Ricky Hatton and bludgeon Miguel Cotto in that order. It took a close call in the second Marquez bout to bring back the fire in Pacquiao’s belly. And Salud is convinced it will happen again after the third Marquez fight.

 Salud says Pacquiao is now heavily into Bible study and his renewed devotion to God will be a key to his reemergence.

As for Pacquiao’s next opponent, Salud says Floyd Mayweather Jr. looms in the horizon. “There’s nobody else out there,” he says. “The whole world is waiting for the big fight – Manny against Mayweather. But you don’t know if Mayweather really wants to fight Manny because he doesn’t want to risk losing.”