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MEXICAN
icon Marco Antonio Barrera is hell-bent on settling the
score with Manny Pacquiao.
Sources
from
Japan told BusinessMirror that Barrera has instructed his
long-time Japanese friend Sendai Tanaka to look for a
sparring partner capable of simulating the fighting
style of Pacquiao.
TRAINER extraordinaire
Freddie Roach, junior-featherweight Diosdado Gabi, and
new bantamweight champion Gerry Peñalosa arrive Thursday
from Los Angeles at the NAIA Centennial Airport in
Manila.
--RECTO MERCENE
“They
are offering good money just to get someone who fights
like Manny. That shows Barrera is serious in exacting
revenge against Pacquiao,” said a Filipino boxing
trainer based in Japan, who refused to be named.
So far,
Tanaka has signed up two undefeated Japanese fighters
who agreed to work as sparring partners for Barrera.
First to
agree is Takahiro Aoh, a 23-year-old southpaw
featherweight with a record of 15-0, eight by knockout.
According to the source, Aoh possesses good lateral
movement apart from having good timing in shifting his
head and body from side to side. But unlike Pacquiao,
Aoh is not the type of slugger who will slug it out with
his opponent.
“He
backpedals and peppers his opponent with jabs. Maybe if
the Barrera camp can ask Aoh to be an aggressor during
sparring, the Japanese can help Barrera a lot in solving
Pacquiao’s uncanny moves,” said the source.
Aoh is
said to be a good counterpuncher and has good timing
with his combinations.
Another
Japanese set to join Aoh in Mexico is Yoshimitsu
Yashiro, a lanky five-foot-nine southpaw who is
unscathed in 18 fights, 10 via knockout.
The
27-year-old Yashiro is said to be a more aggressive
fighter than Aoh, as disclosed by the source who has
been working in Japan for less than a year, receiving a
monthly pay of $1,000.
“I think
Barrera is able to get two competent sparring partners
capable of giving him valuable tips in defeating
Pacquiao. The way I see it, Barrera will probably not
mix it up with Pacquiao, and I won’t be surprised if he
will be contented in trying to outbox Manny,” said the
source.
Tanaka
is still looking for a third southpaw who will join two
of his compatriots in molding Barrera into a crafty
fighter.
“If you
saw Barrera’s last two fights against Rocky Juarez, you
will notice Barrera is now a boxer who fights to win,
and not to thrill the crowd that is typical of a Mexican
warrior,” said the source.
The
28-year-old Pacquiao is currently in
Cebu, where he is set to step up his much-maligned preparations
for his next fight in
Las Vegas.
Pacquiao
has been telling the media that his
Cebu training camp will be good for up to the end of this month,
and that an intense preparation is in store for him at
the famed Wild Card Gym in
Hollywood starting in the first week of September.
Pacquiao
will battle Barrera on October 6 at the Mandalay Bay in
Las Vegas, Nevada. Pacquiao beat Barrera in their
initial encounter by scoring a brutal 11th round
technical knockout victory in November 2003 at the
Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.
Yesterday, Pacquiao’s American trainer Freddie Roach
arrived in the country with newly crowned World Boxing
Organization (WBO) bantamweight champion Gerry Penalosa.
From the Naia, Roach took a connecting flight to Cebu to
immediately join his prized ward. Pacquiao, Roach and
Filipino trainer Buboy Fernandez are staying at the posh
Waterfront Hotel in Lahug.
Roach
said he is comfortable working with Pacquiao in the
Philippines and is also confident that the Filipino
boxing sensation will be in perfect shape in time for
his return bout with Barrera.
Pacquiao,
on the other hand, did his usual regimen of punch mitts,
skipping ropes, speed ball and shadow boxing supervised
by Roach.
The
southpaw Pacquiao told BusinessMirror in a recent
interview that he will try his best to win this fight as
he believes Barrera will be more prepared both mentally
and physically for their rematch. |
