FREDDIE Roach has his Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles, California.

The late, lamented Gabriel “Flash” Elorde has his Elorde Boxing Gym through his wife, Laura. It has branches all over Metro Manila.

And what about Manny Pacquiao?

None. Nada.

No Pacquiao Boxing Gym in Manila, in Cebu, in Davao, in Baguio, in Bacolod, in Cagayan de Oro, in Sarangani, or even in his hometown GenSan.

Pacquiao usually trains at the Wild Card Gym when in LA.

He now trains at the Elorde Boxing Gym for the Antonio Margarito fight in November at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

He has picked the Elorde Boxing Gym branch in Quezon City, not far from Congress, because he says he doesn’t want to absent himself from his brand-new job as congressman from Sarangani Province.

He plans, though, to motor up shortly to Baguio for the majority of his training for the Margarito bout set Nov. 14 (Manila Time).

Although the clash is at a catch weight 151 lb, Pacquiao and Margarito will slug it out for the World Boxing Council super welterweight crown (154 lb).

Nowadays, catch weight fights have become a dozen a dime, a worldwide fad after Pacquiao crashed into the scene ballooning from one weight to another a la Incredible Hulk.

No fighter since beak-busting was invented has come closer to what Pacquiao has achieved: From a skinny 106-pounder in 1996, he has expanded to 147 to become the only boxer ever to capture seven world titles in seven different divisions.

A win over Margarito—which isn’t far-fetched as, this early, Pacquiao has been installed the 5-1 favorite—would make Manny an eight-time world champion.

I don’t know of anyone today who could even come close to surpassing that, or equaling the feat. Not in this millennium, I guess.

Anyway, about that gym Pacquiao needs to train on each time he has a fight coming.

Why doesn’t he build his own and name it The Pacquiao Boxing Gym?

To one as wealthy as Pacquiao, he might even build not just one but two, three or even four gyms in Metro Manila. Better yet, he should put up one each in the major cities in the country.

He’d surely help reduce the nation’s unemployment problem. Retired boxers could work as his gym trainers.

This brilliant idea isn’t mine but Ricky Sadiwa’s.

Ricky is an ardent Pacman fan, who does gym boxing regularly for exercise. Ricky, an IT expert, has considerably trimmed down his frame since he picked up the sport some weeks back.

For Reli de Leon, though, the expert marketing man, a Freddie Roach Boxing Gym in the country might be a better idea.

“It sure would even appeal to the AB crowd, Al,” he said.

I believe him. That would be grist for another future column.

Meanwhile, for his idea, Ricky, if ever Pacquiao finally decides to put up a Pacquiao Boxing Gym, has one request: “If I put up my own Pacquiao Boxing Gym, I pray that Mr. Pacquiao waives the franchise fee?”

If only for your idea, that’s not too much to ask of Pacman, I guess.

And I’ll even lawyer for you, Ricky.

To begin with, to a billionaire like Manny, the franchise fee will just be a drop in the bucket.

He’ll even be present to cut the ribbon during the inaugural opening of your brainchild.

Wanna bet?

by Al S. Mendoza
manilastandardtoday.com