PACMAN START SPARRING

A big, legitimate super-super-welterweight fighter greeted Manny Pacquiao in his Baguio training camp as sparring session for his Nov. 14 showdown with Miguel Cotto promtly began Tuesday at the Shape-Up gym inside Cooyesan Hotel Plaza.
Unbeaten Shawn Porter engaged the world's top pound-for-pound fighter in three intense rounds, highlighted by numerous exchanges of hard shots, accrding to thse lucky enough to watch the action held behind closed doors.
"The three-round sparring was good, really good," said Pacquiao's adviser Michael Konz. "Malaki saka 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, whom trainer Freddie Roach thoroughly handpicked to precisely imitate the fighting style of the 28-year-old Cotto, the regning World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title holder from Puerto Rico.
"He's perfect for this training camp," said Roach of the 2007 National Golden gloves middleweight champion.
Porter is one of tw Pacquiao sparmates whoare 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 stand by call is another Pacman regular sparring partner David Rodela and Purto Rican Raymond Tito Serrano.
Sparring for nthe 30 year-old boxing champ will be thrice a week or every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
By tomorrow, he will go two rounds each with Antillon and Porter in time fofr the arrival of Top Rank big boss Bob Arum.
The vetaran boxing official will be immediately whisked to the City of Pines shortly upon arriving in Manila early morning Thursday.
Arum's visit at the Pacquiao trainig camp marks the scheduled madia day arranged by the boxing superstar's handlers, when training and work out by the Filipino ring idol will be made open to members of the working press.
Meanwhile, the Manny Pacquiao (MP) Foundation has donated P1 million for the benefit of people badly affected by typhoon Ondoy over the weekend.
Pacquiao himself refused to make a big issue out of the contribution, but people close to the boxing champion confirmed the monetary help extended by Pacman.


SOURCE: PEOPLE'S JOURNAL
AUTHOR: GERRY RAMOS