A heat wave hit California over the weekend, with temperatures breaking decades old records. I'm pretty sure the same can be said about temperatures inside the Wild Card Gym, where "pambansang kamao" Manny Pacquiao is training for his upcoming bout with David Diaz.


As expected, fans piled into the gym to catch one last glimpse of Manny before he leaves for Las Vegas this Monday (Tuesday in Manila). The heat, crowd, and low ceilings were the perfect formula for an oven-like experience Saturday afternoon.

Despite this, coach Freddie Roach let everyone in to watch Manny's 6-round sparring session. Manny seemed to be starving for more power, shouting "come on, come on" several times, nudging on his spar mates to attack him with all they have.


After sparring, Freddie Roach got into the ring with Manny. Manny's powerful punches knocked off Freddie's mits a couple of times to the delight of the audience.


Manny didn't take Sunday off either, opting for a light jog around Pan Pacific Park and the usual ab workout. On Monday (Tuesday in Manila), he will be traveling by land to Las Vegas but not before a jog and a four-round sparring session. He's also scheduled to meet David Diaz at a press conference in Santa Monica Beach.

We'll be joining Manny's convoy all the way to Las Vegas and will be the first to give you the scoop. So keep this blog bookmarked.