by Nick Giongco
There is prevailing sense of panic inside Manny Pacquiao’s camp.
Conditioning coach Justin Fortune feels training camp is a bit delayed and he wants Pacquiao to get a feel of sparring the soonest with less than seven weeks before the July 20 welterweight war with Keith Thurman in Las Vegas.
“There isn’t much time,” said a worried Fortune just before Pacquiao trained at the Elorde Gym in the Mall of Asia complex.
Fortune is trying to bring in undefeated Australian Tim Tszyu, the world-rated super-welter from Sydney.
Tszyu is the son of the legendary Kostya Tszyu, who starred for Russia when he was still in the amateurs.
One of Tszyu’s victims during his storied amateur days was the late Filipino Leopoldo Cantancio in the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
“I’d like to see him go six or eight rounds during sparring by the time we get to Los Angeles in two weeks,” said Fortune.
Pacquiao is flying to Los Angeles on June 15 to kick of the most crucial phase of the preparation at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood.
