Pacquiao is facing Vargas on Nov. 5 at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada to reclaim his WBO welterweight title which Vargas now holds.
The Vargas bout would be Pacquiao’s most distraction-prone fight because the first phase of his training will happen when the Philippine senate is in session.
Pacquiao, who is a neophyte senator has made a campaign commitment not to miss a single senate session once he gets elected to the senate. The former two-term congressman has been publicly criticized for missing most congressional sessions during his terms.
Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum said Pacquiao will be conducting his training in Manila simultaneous with the current senate session which ends on Oct. 22.
“I don’t know how extensive the work is as a senator in the Philippines. Manny does, the other senators do, they all feel and Manny feels that he can train here in Manila, not miss any sessions, fight in the period when the Senate is in recess, and give a great performance,” said Arum.
“In fact whether he can do that or not, that’s up to him. It’s something that we have never ever seen before in the sport of boxing,” Arum added.
Pacquiao’s adviser Michael Koncz said the fighting senator will have to find a place to train near the senate office or along Manila Bay so he can easily juggle to his senate session.
“We’re still looking for a boxing gym near the Senate building where the Senator can start the gym phase of training maybe two weeks from now as training slowly shifts to high gear.” Koncz said.
“He can, for instance, sleep in his Senate office after his early morning roadwork then attend whatever committee meetings there are mid morning and the session in the afternoon. No problem really,” he added.
No matter what Arum and Koncz say about Pacquiao’s training in the Philippines, the fact is Pacquiao will train and work at the same time and clearly is it a huge distraction as he won’t be focused on his training alone.
It would be a real tough job for Pacquiao’s longtime trainer Freddie Roach as he has to share Pacquiao’s time with the senate in the first phase of training and at the same time make the most of the two weeks that he can have full time with Pacquiao at his Wild Card Boxing Club starting October 22 when the senate session ends.
