Underdog Boxing: Fighters from Baguio’s Shape-Up Gym blank opponents

Shape-Up Gym is a relatively new boxing gym but it has been deeply rooted in the minds of Filipino boxing fans because Manny Pacquiao has trained there for his past four fights. The reigning WBO welterweight champion and Ring Magazine’s Pound-for-Pound King likes it there because he feels the high-altitude training helps him prepare for the much tougher training he undergoes when he reaches the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles. The fact that it is also quite far from Manila and from all the distraction the city presents is another reason. We’ve seen a glimpse of what this gym looks like in episodes of HBO’s 24/7 and Showtime’s Fight Camp 360°. What a lot of people don’t know is that the Shape-Up Boxing Gym (SUB Gym) also has a handful of professional fighters and last Sunday these guys stepped into the ring to show the fans what they are made of. Training alongside the most well-known fighter in the planet has its perks. The fighters of SUB Gym get unlimited access to him and to his trainer Freddie Roach. They have their shirts and gloves signed by Pacquiao and Roach and they get to experience first-hand what kind of training it takes to get into the upper echelons of boxing. However, training alongside Pacquiao also has drawback. To start, Pacquiao brings a lot of fighters with him and this cuts the training time for the SUB Gym fighters. Bernabe Concepcion trains in the morning, followed by Jorge Linares, followed by Rodel Mayol, and lastly by Pacquiao himself. This means that the fighters of the SUB Gym stable can only train early morning or late night or train in a new location altogether. But the fighters make do with what is made available and they even act as ushers and body guards in Pacquiao’s training in an effort to limit number of people going in and out of their gym. Four of their fighters saw action last Sunday and all of them emerged victorious. Erwin Cebuhano, Karlo Maquinto, and Marcrea Gandionco all scored unanimous decision victories over their foes but it was newbie Larry Abarra who shone brightest with a first round knockout win over Warren Mambuanag. This was actually a rematch wherein the result was a draw but this time Abarra made sure that there will be no need for the judges’ decision. They have three trainers in Marvin Somodio, Jeff Linay, and Leo Bacay and one training consultant in Boy Catolico who used to be involved with the country’s amateur boxing program. Somodio, one of their trainers, is currently processing his papers to go to the United States and work as an assistant trainer for Roach at the Wild Card Gym. Roach liked Somodio’s work ethic and the two have been inseparable every time Roach is in Baguio. “I have a lot of assistant trainers in my gym but I don’t trust any of them as much as trust Marvin," Roach told me once. “I’ve learned a lot from Freddie and I try to teach what I’ve learned to or fighters. I also try to study what Alex Ariza does so we can also use it here," Somodio said. Roach trusts Somodio so much that he lets him tape up the hands of fighters such as Linares and Amir Khan. Keep an eye out for these fighters. They have a passionate and tireless leader in gym owner Anson Tiu and their training facilities are superb. They might be young but they are working hard to make their mark. Maybe Pacquiao’s work ethic is rubbing off on them somehow. - OMG, GMA News Online