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February 27, 2015Solis-Thompson II: BoxingScene.com’s Staff Predictions
February 27, 2015
Manny Pacquiao has already begun light training at home, but is headed Stateside earlier than expected.
Looking to escape the pandemonium over the fight in the Philippines, Manny Pacquiao is headed to California a week earlier than expected to begin training at the Wild Card for his May 2 fight against Floyd Mayweather.
Pacquiao, 36, won’t have Freddie Roach for the first bit of U.S. training, as he insisted that Roach go to Macau for Zou Shiming’s March 7 world title fight.
“Manny called me and said it’s been so crazy in the Philippines that he is going to come over here early and probably start at Wild Card on March 2,” Roach told ESPN.com on Thursday. “Having him early is really nice for me. We’ll have Justin Fortune doing strength work with him, and then we’ll begin the boxing part and start sparring.”
Pacquiao (57-5-2, 38 KO) already has two sparring partners lined up, picked by Roach out of the Wild Card crowd. Kenneth Sims Jr and Rashidi Ellis, both young, unbeaten prospects, have been chosen by the superstar trainer.