PACQUIAO NOW AT 141 LBS

By Salven L. Lagumbay
PhilBoxing.com




LOS ANGELES--Pound for pound king Manny Pacquiao yesterday came in at a very fit 141 lbs after an intense workout at the Wild Card Gym here as he continues preparation for his December 6 showdown with Oscar De la Hoya in the welterweight limit of 147 lbs.

Pacquiao went into the scale supervised by trainer Freddie Roach and Filipino trainers Buboy Fernandez and Nonoy Neri, with an HBO crew filming the 24/7 series also taking footages of the mock weigh-in.

After Pacquiao had weighed in, participants of Pacman's weight reduction program also followed suit, intent on the purpose of earning 2,000 dollars if they lose 10 lbs within two weeks or 3,000 if they lose 15 lbs in the same period.

Freddie Roach, in an interview with this writer, did not seem bothered by Pacquiao's current weight which is some six pounds below the contract weight.

"He's fine. We will still come in at 147 lbs come fight night," said Roach, who also supervised yesterday's 10-round sparring session.

So far, the Pacman has already logged in a total of 130 rounds of sparring, said trainer Buboy Fernandez.

According to nutritionist and trainer Nonoy Neri, Pacquiao did 1,020 sit-ups yesterday morning, and did 770 situps in the afternoon.

Pacquiao was visibly ecstatic yesterday as NBA star David West of the New Orleans Hornets came to see him train, saying he was a big fan of the Pacman.

In fact, Pacquiao showed West his dribbling skills and high-flying capabilities inside the ring, to West's amusement.

Meanwhile, feeling bad that Oscar has been starving himself in training camp to make weight, and even admitting that he would have to forego Thanksgiving dinner, Team Pacquiao has arranged for an 11.25-pound, 12-inch chocolate (rich in antioxidants) cheesecake from the world-famous Carnegie Deli in New York to be delivered to him today at Summit Camp in Big Bear Lake, Calif., where De la Hoya is training.

Team Pacquiao included the following card: “Oscar — Looking forward to serving you your just desserts on December 6. Happy Thanksgiving. From, Team Pacquiao.”