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Source: Ma. Rosanna Mina, abs-cbnnews.com

-- Manny Pacquiao’s impeccable mix of speed and power has fueled his meteoric rise to boxing supremacy. Add to that his charm and other talents such as singing.

Pacquiao has been vocal about his love for singing. He has recorded several songs and is actually gearing for a concert-party right after his “Firepower” bout against Miguel Cotto on Saturday in Las Vegas (Sunday in Manila).

Joining him in his post-fight gig are Filipina artist Madonna Decena, composer/vocalist Lito Camo and Pacqiuao’s "MP Band".

During a band rehearsal held in Manila last month, several Team Pacquiao members were in attendance, including Canadian adviser Mike Koncz and conditioning coach Alex Ariza.

Also present during the rehearsal was sparring mate Shawn Porter, an undefeated junior welterweight from the United States.

He was the Champion of the World in the 2007 Golden Gloves, a USA Team Member in the 2007 Pan American Games, a silver medalist in the 2007 USA National Championships. He turned professional on October 2008, his official website stated.

Porter told abs-cbnNEWS.com that aside from Pacquiao, he has sparred with “quite a few champions” such as The Ring, WBC, and WBO middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik and IBO light heavyweight champion Chad Dawson.

'Best singer, fastest feet'
Asked to compare Pacquiao to the said boxers he sparred with, Porter stated: “He's the best singer.” He went on to say that the pound-for-pound king is “probably the quickest out of all of those guys.”

He added that Pacquiao gave him the most difficult time during sparring sessions.

“He's unbelievably fast and unbelievably quick. Those guys are bigger... I used it [speed] against them, but he uses it against me,” he noted.

Porter reportedly posed a strong front against the "Pacquiao punch" when their sparring sessions started. But Pacquiao gained his ground and knocked down twice Porter during a sparring session. (www.abs-cbnnews.com/sports/10/16/09/pacquiao-decks-burly-sparring-mate)

Porter’s fellow spar mates also praised Pacquiao’s speed.

“Manny is a very fast guy. I think his speed will take him to victory in this fight. I just think Cotto is a little too slow, that’s one thing I believe,” Mexican Urbano Antillon told The Philippine Star.

Rashad Holloway, for his part, added: “He’s gotten a lot better and he is a good boxer. He’s a lot smarter that a lot of people think. But he has the fastest feet you ever want to see in your life. When I tell you that, I don’t think you guys understand that.”

Holloway even predicted a second round knockout win by Pacquiao, the same result he produced when he fought Britain’s Ricky Hatton on May 2.

Nice time in RP
Porter, meantime, went on to share his experience of being in the Philippines for the first time.

He said he was not able to go around Baguio City because he and Team Pacquiao were focused on the training camp held in the “City of Pines.”

He also said that Baguio was “very wet” when typhoon “Pepeng” (international code name Parma) struck Northern Luzon.

“I’ve been to a lot of other countries,” said Porter, who was a member of the 2008 US Olympic Boxing Team sent to Beijing, China. He said he has also been to Argentina, Brazil and Britain.

“So many other countries I’ve gone to, these are the nicest people I’ve ever met in my life anywhere, nicer than the people I’ve known in the US, nicer than the people I’ve met in any other country,” Porter commented on the Filipinos.

“For the Philippines to be so devastated by the typhoon and everyone still has very positive outlook and so friendly in the midst of calamity, everyone is still reaching out and smiling. It is incredible. It’s truly a blessing for me to be here,” added the American.