Boxing
Pacquiao begins sparring against rugged Russian
InterAKTV/Lee Jimenez
InterAKTV has just learned that Manny Pacquiao and Ruslan Provodnikov engaged in a very intense four-round sparring session Thursday afternoon at the Shape Up Gym in Baguio City.
It was Pacquiao’s first sparring session in almost six months and the Filipino was in for a huge surprise when Provodnikov, who is 5-6 but built like a German Panzer, withstood his best shots and even succeeded in landing his own heavy blows.
Trainer Freddie Roach, contacted by InterAKTV moments after the sparring session, expressed satisfaction with the result.
“That’s what I had expected,” said Roach, who had earlier praised Provodnikov for his toughness.
Provodnikov’s fighting style has a resemblance with that of Timothy Bradley, the unbeaten American fighter Pacquiao is meeting on June 9 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Pacquiao and Provodnikov will meet again this Saturday and three times next week in time for their departure for Los Angeles on May 5.
Mike Koncz, the Canadian adviser of Pacquiao said: “It was a good workout for both fighters.”
