Sunday, May 18, 2008 Quijano: Diaz needs that head start By Jingo Quijano Last Round
THE more we prepare in times of peace, the less we bleed in times of war.
That adage holds true for any sport, and it came to mind when I assessed how much bleeding Manny Pacquiao might be in for his bout with David Diaz on June 28.
The last time I saw Manny, the WBC super featherweight champion was besieged, swarmed and overwhelmed by hordes of admirers at the Cebu Coliseum for the Rodel Mayol fight. He looked fit and relaxed but clearly was not in training yet. That was about two weeks ago.
From most accounts, Manny only officially started training last Thursday (Los Angeles time). And Diaz? The guy reportedly had a two-week head start.
DOUBTERS. This head start is what has been bothering most of Manny’s fans, and given fodder for boxing pundits to proclaim that Manny might be in for a rude surprise.
But allow me to throw a curveball on that line of thinking by sharing the following points to ponder.
Manny’s weaknesses have clearly been outsized as much as his strengths and this is understandable as no other boxer in our country’s history has been as scrutinized and analyzed ad nauseam as the “Pambansang Kamao”.
Remember how we all shuddered in horror at how nonchalant he seemed to be while training for his rematch with Marco Antonio Barrera. But he proved us wrong and performed quite well actually.
SIX IS OKAY. Most trainers are in agreement that a period of six to eight weeks for a training camp is sufficient time to prepare for a fight. This period allows boxers to lose weight gradually and properly and provides his team ample leeway to map out a strategy and formulate a workable training regimen.
A longer period than that might give you burnout. A shorter one, and you are flirting with disaster.
Fact is, Manny still has around six weeks to prepare for David Diaz. It may pale in comparison to the full training camp he did for Juan Manuel Marquez, but it will have to do under the circumstances.
ROUTINES. Think of Manny as an NBA championship team. When training camp starts, the coach will try first and foremost to reestablish his team’s strengths. Reconnect with what gave them the championship in the first place.
Then he probably will make a few tweaks here and there to adjust some minor flaws. And finally, he might introduce new set plays or patterns. But nothing too radical really. After all, as the truism goes, if it ain’t broke, why fix it?
The same goes for Manny Pacquiao. When he gets into the Wild card gym, he will be working on the same things that Freddie Roach has taught him all these years, the same things that have brought him to the top. Of course they will also be trying to correct some inherent flaws and do some fine tuning to suit his opponent’s style.
But once again, nothing too radical. Bottom line is, he won’t be there to learn a new system of fighting.
Lest we forget, Manny himself was once a late sub in his historic beatdown of Lehlohonolo Ledwaba in 2001 when he captured the IBF superbantamweight belt. He obviously did not enjoy the benefit of a full training camp for that fight, but he was in good condition when the call came and the rest as they say, is history.
Blame it on hubris or a sense of certitude on the outcome only an elite fighter can develop, but if Manny feels that a six-week training camp is sufficient, then it probably is.
I for one, believe that in the event that Diaz scores an upset, it won’t be because Manny should have done eight weeks instead of six. Styles make fights and this will again hold true for this fight.
So guys, David Diaz can have all the head start he wants. That’s because he needs it.
THE LAST ROUND. It’s on Last Rounder Bronx Hebrona, my batchmate in UP Diliman. Cheers!
