SEN. Manny Pacquiao will be up against taller and bigger sparring partners as he makes the necessary adjustments against a taller Errol Spence Jr. who he will face in a title fight on August 21 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Up first against the eight-division champion Pacquiao is Dominican Republic’s Elvis Rodriguez who is half an inch taller than the 5-foot-10 spence.
Besides height, Pacquiao’s camp is also looking for left-handed sparring partners.
“We are eyeing several competitive southpaw sparring partners for Senator MP [Manny Pacquiao],” Freddie Roach’s assistant trainer Marvin Somodio disclosed to BusinessMirror on Wednesday. But I cannot mention the others’ names because they are still being finalized.”
Pacquiao will go after Spence’s International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Council welterweight belts in their fight set at the T-Mobile Arena.
“Freddie [Roach] is happy with what he saw yesterday from the senator, who still knows the combination of his training routines. He will never forget it,” Somodio said. “MP’s cat-quick footwork will definitely be one of his many arsenals against Spence Jr.”
Spence, 31, is undefeated in 27 fights with 21 knockouts, while Pacquiao, 42, owns a 62-7-2 record with 39 knockouts.
“MP’s footwork, speed and strategy from the distance are major factors in the fight because Spence is a hard-hitter who throws a lot of body shots,” Somodio said. “MP needs to move around as he always does.”
Pacquiao last fought in July 2019 sending Keith Thurman to his first defeat in 30 fights via split decision at the MGM Grand also in Las Vegas, seizing the World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight belt in the process.
But the WBA declared Pacquiao a “champion in recess” last January after the Filipino boxing icon failed to climb the ring during the entire pandemic year 2020.