Pacquiao in good condition: Roach

BAGUIO CITY -- A little bit of basketball and nine rounds of boxing.

Manny Pacquiao skipped the early morning jog Tuesday as he opened his high altitude training in preparation for his fight against Antonio Margarito on November 13 for the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) super welterweight crown at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Post your reaction to the Manila hostage crisis

And this early, his noted American trainer Freddie Roach is all smiles with the way his most prized ward is doing on their second day of training in the Summer Capital.

BAGUIO. Glen Tapia sweats it out while pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao prepares for his boxing training at the Coyeesan Plaza's Shape-Up Boxing Gym. (Roderick Osis)

“His condition is doing good,” said Roach after their nine-round boxing workout at the Coyeesan Shape–Up boxing gym where the seven weight division champion will be holed up for the next three weeks before they fly to Los Angeles.

Although Pacquiao begged to have another round of workout, Roach immediately stopped him to cool down the fighting congressman of Sarangani before the sparring session starts Thursday.

He played a tough basketball exhibition game against a local squad at the Coyeesan basketball gym with sparring partners American Glen Tapia and Mexican Michael Medina.

“Part na ito ng training ko at pampa-relax na rin habang nagtre-training ako (This basketball game is part of my training regimen),” said Pacquiao in an interview after the ballgame where he fired seven triples.

The pound-for-pound king added that playing basketball helps him gauge his speed and endurance.

With the official sparring session opening on Thursday, the other half of his sparring partners, which include Armenian Vanes Martirosyan and Mexican Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., are set to arrive in the Pines City on Wednesday afternoon.

Tapia has a 7-0 record with five knockouts, while Medina has a 24-2 mark with 19 stoppages.

Chavez Jr., the son of legendary boxer Julio Cesar Chavez Sr., who is regarded as one of the greatest boxers Mexico ever produced, was originally dropped as one of Pacquiao’s sparmates since Top Rank chairman Bob Arum was arranging a December 4 fight for him against Cotto.

But after negotiations broke down, Chavez Jr. was given the green light to follow the group in the country’s Summer Capital.

Chavez will still see action on the same date in December but opposite a lesser-known opponent. Now being trained by Roach, the Mexican stands 6-feet and boasts of a record 41-0, with 30 KOs. (Roderick Osis of Sun.Star Baguio/Sunnex)