Sparmate Porter gives Pacquiao a hard workout

Unbeaten junior middleweight prospect Shawn Porter gave Manny Pacquiao a hard workout on his first day of sparring at his Baguio training camp. Porter engaged the world’s top pound-for-pound fighter in three intense rounds, highlighted by numerous exchanges of hard shots, according to the few people lucky enough to witness the slambang action held behind closed doors at the Shape-Up gym inside the Cooyesan Hotel Plaza. “The three-round sparring was good, really good," said Pacquiao’s adviser Michael Koncz. “Malaki tsaka malakas," said a source, who saw the 21-year-old Porter of Akron, Ohio spar with Pacquiao for the very first time. Porter, holder of a perfect 10-0 ring record with 8 KOs, is a first-time Pacquiao sparmate in training camp. Trainer Freddie Roach thoroughly handpicked him to precisely imitate the fighting style of Miguel Cotto, the reigning WBO welterweight titlist from Puerto Rico whom Pacquiao fights on Nov. 14 in Las Vegas, Nevada. “He’s perfect for this training camp," said Roach of the 2007 National Golden gloves middleweight champion.

Porter is one of two Pacquiao sparmates now in Baguio City trying to get the Filipino ring icon in perfect shape for his 12-round fight with Cotto. Lightweight Urbano Antillon, a regular Pacquiao sparmate, is the other one, while on a standby call is another Pacman regular sparring partner David Rodela as well as Puerto Rican Raymond Tito Serrano. Sparring for the 30-year-old boxing champ will be held thrice a week or every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. By Thursday, he will go two rounds each with Antillon and Porter in time for the arrival of Top Rank big boss Bob Arum. The veteran boxing promoter will be immediately whisked to the City of Pines shortly upon arriving in Manila early morning of Thursday. Arum’s visit at the Pacquiao training camp marks the scheduled media day arranged by the boxing superstars’ handlers, when training and workout by the Filipino ring idol will be made open to members of the working press. - GMANews.TV