Pacquiao trains with Marcial, other Filipino boxers in Vegas

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Manny Pacquiao, who’s gunning for Mario Barrios' WBC welterweight belt, offers pointers to Olympic medalist Eumir Marcial, who's seeking his sixth straight pro win in the undercard

LAS VEGAS, USA – There they were, teacher and pupil, sweating it out together at the sweltering Knucklehead Boxing Gym here — Hall of Famer Manny Pacquiao and budding prospect Eumir Marcial, training side-by-side for their fights on Saturday, July 19 (Sunday, July 20, Manila time) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Pacquiao, boxing’s only eight-division world champion, shadow-boxed and skipped rope, while Marcial — the 2020 Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist who will compete in the undercard of Pacquiao’s bout against Mexican-American Mario Barrios — did the mitts with assistant trainer Buboy Fernandez and later with former WBA interim world champion Jhack Tepora.

Marcial could hardly believe that the man who inspired him to pick up the sport as a youngster in Zamboanga City is now his mentor, promoter, and prime backer.

“He (Pacquiao) is 46, but from what he’s showing us, he seems to be just 26,” Marcial told Manila-based sportswriters. “The mitts work is difficult. I tried to match his speed and power, but it’s too hard. For him, it’s just a natural thing, and I think it would be the key for him to beat Barrios.”

Chief trainer Freddie Roach, strength and conditioning coach Justin Fortune, and assistant trainer Marvin Somodio also huddled in the corner of the ring.

A smiling Pacquiao, gunning for Barrios’ WBC welterweight belt, offered pointers to a panting Marcial, who’s seeking his sixth straight pro win against Namibian Joseph Bernard (11-2-1, 5 knockouts) in an eight-round middleweight bout.

Pacquiao then led Marcial, also a World Cup silver medalist, and other Filipino boxers belonging to the MP (Manny Pacquiao) Promotions headed by Sean Gibbons, in doing abdominal exercises, while also imparting lessons in the ring, as well as in life.

In times like this, Pacquiao shows his 46 years, acting the part of professor to the younger fighters who looked up to him, wishing they could at least achieve a shade of his accomplishments and become a world champion.

Rated as a +300 underdog ($100 bet becomes $300) when the fight was announced, Pacquiao inched closer and stood at +210 on Tuesday, July 15. – Rappler.com