Manny spars like a demon

MANILA, Philippines -- Manny Pacquiao's sparring partners are feeling the sting of his newfound punching prowess.

The latest to say that Pacquiao, deep in training for his duel with Ricky Hatton on May 2 in Las Vegas, packs a mean wallop is young welterweight prospect Raymond Serrano.

The 19-year-old Serrano, who totes an unblemished 7-0 record with five knockouts, told Foxsports.com that he felt Pacquiao’s new strength in his punches.

“Every once in a while, he’s got that one punch,” said Serrano, one of the Filipino superstar’s sparmates at the Wild Card Gym.

The other fighters hired by chief trainer Freddie Roach to spar with Pacquiao were Gary Young, Mike Alvarado, David Rodela and Urbano Antillon.

Pacquiao, who is about 90 to 95 percent ready, according to Roach, previously sparred another 10 rounds with Antillon, Rodela and Serrano.

Elated by the progress of Pacquiao’s training, Roach insisted that his prized ward will knock out Hatton in the early rounds.

Roach told Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times he’s willing to bet his house that Pacquiao would stop the British “Hitman.”

Earlier reports indicated that Pacquiao bloodied the nose of a sparmate and knocked down another with a body shot. Alvarado, an unbeaten welterweight (25-0) from Denver, failed to show up at the gym again after an initial encounter with Pacquiao.

According to Serrano, Pacquiao’s vaunted speed, which experts say is his main weapon in his quest for Hatton’s IBO junior welterweight crown, is undiminished.

Source: inquirer.net