By Nick Giongco
Manny Pacquiao won’t repeat the mistakes that he made when he last fought, the Filipino legend’s Australian conditioning coach assured yesterday.
Justin Fortune said that the 39-year-old Pacquiao, who attempts to dethrone Lucas Matthysse of Argentina in their World Boxing Association welterweight fight on July 15 in Malaysia, “has learned his lesson.”
“He knows he can’t afford to stay on the ropes and get trapped in the corner because that’s where Matthysse wants him,” said Fortune, who is overseeing Pacquiao’s training alongside Buboy Fernandez and a solid local crew in General Santos City.
Fortune noted that Pacquiao’s blunder the last time against Jeff Horn was to allow the Australian banger to corner him.
“We are not going to repeat that,” vowed Fortune, who first worked with Pacquiao in 2003.
Fortune said Matthysse is slow but is a dangerous fighter.
“You don’t take him lightly,” said Fortune, who is delighted with the enthusiasm being shown by Pacquiao daily in training.
While Fortune is upbeat that the WBA title will change hands, the California-based former heavyweight puncher refuses to make a knockout prediction.
“That’s bad luck,” he said before hanging up.
