‘Royal treatment’ for Pacquiao

A makeshift gym will be constructed at the basement of the hotel where Manny Pacquiao will be billeted to make sure the Filipino fighter doesn’t miss a single beat in his training for his showdown with Joshua Clottey on March 13.

Pacquiao adviser Mike Koncz bared Saturday that the nearest gym to the hotel where Team Pacquiao is going to stay is located 25 miles away and that the boxer has already inquired if it is possible that the gym “fit for a boxing king” be installed in the hotel so he won’t bother to drive for 30 minutes just to train in the final few days leading to the fight.

Pacquiao is expected to arrive in Dallas either on March 7 or 8 and traditionally, the 31-year-old lefty works out until two days before the fight.

Koncz could not name the hotel that has been picked to host the fighters but it is very likely that the Gaylord Texan in the city of Grapevine will be the official hotel.

“It doesn’t make sense for Manny to travel 25 to 30 minutes to the gym so we have found the perfect place for him to train,” said Koncz, noting that the same hotel is even the venue of fight card on the eve of the Pacquiao-Clottey bout.

The 1,500-room Gaylord Texan, located in the city of Grapevine, is home to the Dallas Cowboys, the National Football League team that is owned by oil magnate Jerry Jones.

Jones is joining hands with Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum in staging the Pacquiao-Clottey brawl, the first time boxing is taking place at the $1.2 billion facility.

Koncz reported that “everything is well” over at Pacquiao’s training camp at the Wild Card in Hollywood even in the short absence of chief trainer Freddie Roach, who accompanied one of his rising stars, super-bantam Guillermo Rigondeaux to Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

“We’ve been on the same road before so the guys know what to do while Freddie is away,” said Koncz.

Pacquiao resumes his thrice-a-week sparring session on Saturday.

So far, Pacquiao has logged 24 rounds of sparring and by the time he leaves for Texas, he would have already chalked up over 100 rounds.

Meanwhile, Team Clottey is leaving New York Saturday as they set up training camp at the Contenders Gym in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

“This fight is going to be worth it for the fans,” said Clottey manager Vinny Scolpino.

Source: Nick Giongco  | Manila Bulletin