Pacquiao meets members of Hong Kong’s Filipino community
Philippine boxing sensation Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao said that he is on the course to reach his highest peak for the Clash in Cotai II bout against Chris Algieri from the United States on November 23 at The Venetian Macao. The legendary boxer said in an interview yesterday in Hong Kong that he feels good about the upcoming fight, for which he started training more than a month ago.
Pacquiao poses for a photo with Ciaran Carruthers, senior vice president and director of Venetian and Plaza Operations
Manny revealed that, with some outstanding training partners, he has focused on building up his speed and power. He believes that it has delivered the results he and his team have anticipated.
Manny also said that it has been a good experience to train with his sparring partner Viktor Postol, who is described by Manny’s trainer Freddie Roach as a “smart fighter” who “made Manny think”.
“I think [Postol] is taller than Algieri… His style is similar to Algieri,” Manny said, which helped him to think about strategies to battle his future opponent.
When comparing his advantages to his opponent’s, Manny believes that experience is his asset, which he said is very important and a big factor in a bout. But he also thinks that Algieri’s height is his advantage.
Apart from being physically well prepared, mental readiness is also important for a boxer. While Chris Algieri is not as well known as Manny Pacquiao, the Philippine boxing icon said that he is not going to be complacent. “Even though people are saying that he’s an easy opponent, I am not going to take him for granted. I am not taking my training lightly [and] I am not underestimating my opponent… I have to make sure that I [reach] my 100 percent condition in the fight,” Manny said. He added that respect is key. “I respect [Algieri]. He’s a champion; a world champion. He would not be a world champion if he’s not a good fighter,” he said.
Moreover, the boxer mentioned that he is going back to Philippine professional basket-
ball team Kia Sorento after the fight in November to focus on being their coach. The boxing legend played briefly for the team in a match a week ago, which drew criticism from some, including Algieri. However, Manny reiterated that his focus is now on the upcoming fight.
After speaking to the media, Manny Pacquiao took part in an open training session yesterday afternoon, joined by Rex “The Wonder Kid” Tso from Hong Kong and Macau’s KK Ng “The Macau Kid”, in a Hong Kong gym. João Pedro Lau, Hong Kong
HK filipino community elated by Pacquiao’s presence
Manny Pacquiao made a special appearance on Sunday at Statue Square in Central to meet some of the members of Hong Kong’s Filipino community. He was met by an excited group of fans who are part of the community of overseas Filipino workers making a living in the city. Despite his security trying to keep a cleared space around the star boxer, Manny again displayed his friendly character and allowed fans to take close pictures with him. After meeting with his fans and compatriots, Manny explored Hong Kong and met with the representatives from the Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong.
‘The Macau Kid’ to fight Aussie opponent, sees growth in himself
In his upcoming fight in the Clash in Cotai II, KK Ng (5-0, 2 KOs) will fight six rounds against Stephen Attard (4-0-2, 1 KO) from Australia. However, KK said that he has yet to find detailed information on the Aussie boxer.
It has been a year since Macau boxer KK Ng turned professional. He told media on the sidelines of the open training session with Manny Pacquiao yesterday that he has matured and become more dedicated to boxing than last year.
“I have become more mature and have seen some progress. I am also becoming more focused on boxing and have reduced the time I spend on other things such as playing video games, soccer and studying,” he said.
“I am now living a life that only consists of training and resting. When I have spare time, I will read the boxing news and watch some boxing videos… Almost everything in my life this year is related to boxing,” he said.
To prepare for his fight, he started training in Zhuhai a month ago in hopes of becoming more resilient and more “explosive.” However, the local boxer still thinks that there is room to improve. In fact, he reckoned that he can become even more dedicated to training, and “do nothing but only sleep and train” before his fight on November 23.
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