Pacquiao in peak form to go the distance

HOLLYWOOD – Manny Pacquiao can go 12 rounds, even more if possibly needed, against Antonio Margarito, and not feel a thing.

“Hindi na napapagod (He doesn’t tire anymore),” said one of Pacquiao’s ring assistants, Nonoy Neri, at the Wild Card Gym Friday.

Pacquiao hit the mitts with Freddie Roach for 13 rounds non-stop, the sound of every punch, every flurry breaking the silence inside the gym.

It’s been this way the last few days, and it looks like there’s really nothing more and nothing left for Freddie Roach to do to make things better.

Pacquiao is a hundred percent ready for the the 5-foot-11 beast from Mexico, and if there indeed is such a thing as being 110 percent ready, then he is.

“Nakukulangan pa nga (And he even wants more),” added Neri of Pacquiao who just can’t get rid of this habit of always asking, begging for more in training.

“Kailangan pa pigilan (We need to restrain him),” Neri said.

The hardest part in training is over. Last Saturday, Pacquiao sparred 12 rounds, did nine on Tuesday, seven last Thursday, and will do five today, then three or four on Monday.

After the session with the mitts, Pacquiao busied himself with the double-end bag and speedball, and abdominal exercises. He shadow boxed to Sharika’s hit “Whenever, Wherever.”

He fooled around with friends who lined the ropes during breaks, and horsed around with his strength and conditioning coach, Alex Ariza, then working on Amir Khan who was there to train.

Pacquiao sneaked from behind and with an open hand whacked Ariza on the buttocks.

You could feel the pain through Ariza’s face. He chased Pacquiao briefly inside the ring, blurting some unprintables, before retreating to a corner, bending over to soothe the pain.

It was child’s play between the world’s greatest boxer and the man who helped him get there.

Later on, inside the packed Thai restaurant just outside the Wild Card Gym, Ariza talked about Pacquiao’s readiness for the fight, and how it was like taking the hit from behind.

“He’s got heavy hands,” said Ariza.