ARUM COMING TODAY

Top rank head Bob Arum heads to Baguio City today to check on Manny Pacquiao's training camp as the Filipino ring icon prepares for a November 14 encounter with Puerto Rican champion Miguel Cotto.
The promoter responsible for the epic 'Thrilla in Manila' duel and other big fights considered among the biggest in the history of prizefighting, is arriving from the U.S. early Thursday morning, and will immediately proceed to the City of Pines in time for the scheduled media day in Pacquiao's training camp.
Arum's arrival also comes in time for Pacquiao's open workout at the Shape-Up gym inside the Cooyesan Plaza Hotel.
The boxing champion is scheduled to spar for the second time in three days against Americans Shawn Porter and Urbano Antillon.
Unlike in his first sparring session, Pacquiao goes a round notch higher this time as he takes on Porter and Antillon for two rounds each.
The 21-year old Porter, a natural junior middleweight, sparred for three intense rounds with the Pacman on Tuesday, trading hard shots to the body againts the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world today.
The native of Akron, Ohio is definitely looking forward to doing it again opposite the Filipino ring idol, whose speed more than power has make a great impression on him.
"It's his speed," said Porter. "It's not much about power."
Arum will be staying in the summer hideaway until Sunday, by which time Pacquiao is expected to take a breakl from training to personally distribute relief goods to victims of typhoon Ondoy.
Pacquiao through his MP Foundation, earlier donated P1 million to those badly hit by the calamity.


SOURCE: PEOPLE JOURNAL
AUTHOR: GERRY RAMOS

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