Freddie Roach closes down Wild Card Gym to visitors

Freddie Roach had the Wild Card Boxing Club closed down on Saturday afternoon when Manny Pacquiao showed up for the second day of training for the March 13 fight with Joshua Clottey of Ghana.

“The first day (Friday) Manny trained here, Freddie allowed the gym regulars to see the workout,” revealed Team Pacquiao security chief Rob Peters.

The second day Pacquiao suited up for training, everyone was told to pack up and return after the Filipino winds up his training,” said Peters.

“I think this would be the norm beginning now until the first week of March,” said Peters.

Roach’s decision to bar anyone from getting a sneak-peak into Pacquiao’s training is a sign that they are not taking Clottey for granted.

The gym will be closed for several hours – 12 noon until 4 p.m. – possibly until March 8 the day Pacquiao departs for Dallas, Texas, site of his 12-round defense of the World Boxing Organization welterweight crown.

Pacquiao was supposed to train last Thursday but since he and Roach were coming off the tiring Dallas-New York press tour, the trainer told his prized pupil to take the day off.

Meanwhile, tickets to the fight – priced at $700, $500, $400, $300, $200, $100 and $50 are selling fast.

Reports from the US show that half of the 40,000 tickets have been gobbled up by Pacquiao fans.

The 100,000-seat Cowboys Stadium will be reconfigured to 40,000.

“There’s not a single bad seat in the stadium,” said Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum.

Source: mb.com.ph