Manny Pacquiao is looking for more challenges in his training ahead of his fight with Brandon Rios after the Filipino champ totally obliterated his current sparring partners at the Pacman Wildcard Gym in General Santos City, Philippines.
According to local Philippines radio station Bombo Radyo Gen San, Pacquiao is now close to his fighting form with still roughly three weeks to go before his bout with the Californian brawler Rios.
However, head trainer Freddie Roach is now contemplating calling for more sparring partners for Pacquiao after seeing the former pound-for-pound champ batter his sparring partners with ease.
"Manny is wielding too much power now. It appears that he wants more training to get even stronger," personal trainer Nonoy Neri told the Philippine Inquirer.
The five-time Trainer of the Year winner insisted that the move to add more sparring partners for Pacquiao does not mean that the current roster of sparmates are incapable of putting pressure on the Filipino spitfire. Roach stressed that additional sparmates will give Pacquiao the opportunity to further sharpen the techniques he will be using against Rios.
Pacquiao's current sparring partners are: Liam Vaughan of England; Fredrick Lawson of Ghana and former PABA lightwelterweight champion Dan Nazareno of the Philippines. Among the three, Lawson boasts the best track record by going undefeated in all his 21 fights. He also holds the IBF International Welterweight belt and has some menacing punching power, as proven by his 19 KOs.
Junking Alex Ariza's Regimen
Neri confirmed that they have already junked the training regimen and diets employed by former strength and conditioning guru Alex Ariza (now working with Rios' Camp) during his time with Team Pacman.
Neri, who served as the personal cook and conditioning trainer for Pacman, said the shift from Ariza's training philosophy to a more convenient approach has helped Pacquiao sustain his strength throughout the day despite engaging in rigorous training and sparring sessions.
In addition, Neri added they have already made adjustments in Pacquiao's plyometric exercises and also his roadwork schedule.
Ariza's protein shake is also no longer a part of Pacquiao's menu, as Pacman now eats his favorite food--bone marrow soup and fried Blue Marlin.
The Pacquiao-Rios showdown is scheduled for Nov. 23 at Venetian Macao in Macau, China. The WBO International Welterweight Championship is on the line in the bout dubbed as the "Battle in Cotai."