The second episode of the Pacquiao vs. Cotto 24/7 series
As Pacquiao Cotto episode 2 begins, we see Pacquiao traveling with police escort out of Baguio, following Freddie Roach who already left the city to beat the storm. They are meeting up in Manila, and Pacquiao is absolutely mobbed walking through a mall on he way to his gym.
We then see the President of the Philippines talking about how Pacquiao is a hero to everyone, which reminds us about how powerful and famous he really is. (Imagine Barack Obama being interviewed to talk about how important Floyd Mayweather, Roy Jones or Bernard Hopkins is!)
In Pacquiao’s camp the usual $1,000 reward is offered if you knock Manny down. Pacquiao gets a bit flustered, and Roach says that Manny isn’t really focused right now so he’s anxious to get to the U.S.
Back to Tampa for Miguel Cotto’s camp, the team rises well before sunrise to begin training. Miguel Cotto’s son is also with the group now. Cotto does fast paced laps around a track in the dark as the rest of the team watches on. Even though the focus is on training, on a beautiful Sunday morning in Florida, the team heads to a golf course to relax a bit.
Golfing is not the specialties of anybody in the group, however they have a good time swinging away and relaxing. Cotto also gets the chance to spend some quality time with his son, and both of them seem to appreciate the moment. Between Cotto’s father, Cotto and his son, there is a strong bond between three generations.
Next up on Pacquiao Cotto 24/7 we’re back to Manilia, and it’s Manny Pacquiao’s last day in the Philippines. Manny is doing training on a track and around the city, as opposed to some of his other routines because of the inaccessibility of travel right now. There are huge throngs of people watching Manny workout, and as he sprints through a field his dog Pacman runs with him.
Then Manny heads to a television show to be interviewed, and give himself a goodbye concert on air. The group then gets on the plane for the long flight to California and more tension in the group is revealed. Not everyone is on the same page but the crew lands safely and is escorted from the airport.
Back to the camp of Miguel Cotto, a brand new heavy bag is unveiled from Everlast for Cotto’s training. It has a likeness of Pacquiao on the bag, and Cotto gets right to work pounding away at the Pacquiao punching bag. It’s a big day of sparring for Cotto and he usually does not let his sparring be filmed. However, today he lets the cameras capture a bit of the action, and all signs indicate that Cotto is in phenomenal condition two weeks from the fight.
After the busy day of training, Cotto heads to bed while the rest of the camp stays up late watching footage of Pacquiao. Trainer Joe Santiago watches and tries to formulate a plan, including not just going for the head but also hitting the shoulders They note how Pacquiao goes “crazy” trying to put people away.
Now Pacquiao and Roach are finally at their joint home, the Wildcard Gym in Hollywood. Away from the Philippines at last, Pacquiao is finally focused and the training picks up in intensity. Both Pacquiao and Roach are happy to really get serious. They discuss how Michael Moorer is not in camp anymore, but there don’t seem to be any hard feelings, at least not from this side of the fence.
Back in Tampa, Cotto’s full family comes into town. The family has a good time hanging around the rented mansion, diving into the pool, joking and grilling up some food. Team Cotto all gets some “military style” haircuts for the preparations of the bout.
Finally the topic of Cotto and his uncle comes up. Cotto’s father is pretty upset with the whole thing but of course sides with his son first. After a fun but brief visit, the rest of the family heads back out to leave Cotto to his training.
With that, Pacquiao vs. Cotto episode 2 comes to an end with the typical training montages and looking ahead. Which fighter has the right balance between intense training and a strong base of family and relaxation?
Continue to check back in with ProBoxing-Fans.com for more news on everything related to the Pacquiao vs. Cotto mega-fight. Check back for more Pacquiao Cotto 24/7 episode recaps, Pacquiao Cotto results and more.
Image: Pro Boxing Fans; Photos: Mike Gonzalez (Pacquiao) & Wikimedia User Javabeans (Cotto); Creative Commons 3.0 License
