By Ronnie Nathanielsz

THE world?s no.1 pound-for-pound fighter Manny Pacquiao looked good on his first day of training at the Wild Card gym of trainer Freddie Roach.

By all accounts, Pacquiao showed no ill-effects of the hectic promotional tour of Manchester and London to promote his showdown with Ricky Hatton in Las Vegas on May 2 and the long trans-Atlantic flight back to Los Angeles.

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, who joined Pacquiao on the promotional tour, told www.insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports in an overseas telephone conversation that the Filipino champ was in great shape and in great spirits, clearly buoyed by his foray into the heartland of Britain?s boxing hero, the support he received from thousands of Filipinos and the impression he made on the British media.

Pacquiao adviser Michael Koncz said Pacquiao looked fabulous, adding the boxing icon showed amazing energy considering it was his first day of training.

Koncz reported that Pacquiao jogged in the morning and showed up at the gym earlier than usual.

He said Pacquiao shadow-boxed, sharpened his timing and quickness on the speed ball, did a couple of rounds on the double-end ball, skipped rope for three rounds and carried out the usual abdominal exercises. He also threw some rapid-fire combinations while working on the punch-mitts.

Arum and Koncz both agreed that former world heavyweight champion Michael Moorer (52-4-1, 42 KOs), who recently joined Roach as an assistant, would be an asset in the preparation for the showdown with Hatton.

Arum said Moorer, who is a southpaw, could contribute strategy-wise.

Koncz said that Pacquiao and Moorer instantly hit it off and showed good rapport.

?I think he [Moorer] is going to be very good handling a world champion like Manny. He?s good, he?s great, he?s effective and being a southpaw, he is a big asset and has a different look. Moorer was a phenomenal defensive fighter and will add some really valuable stuff into Manny?s preparation,? said conditioning expert Alex Ariza said.

But Hatton?s trainer Floyd Mayweather continues to take digs at both Pacquiao and his pet peeve Roach, referring to the celebrated two-time Trainer of the Year as a ?joke, who despite being in the Hall-of-Fame should be in the Hall-of-Shame.?

Mayweather Sr. claimed during an international conference call Thursday morning that he was the best trainer and he had the best fighter in Hatton.

He said Hatton was trying to be nice to Pacquiao. ?But it?s a simple fact that we?re going to bust his ass up. Hatton has a very good chance of knocking Pacquiao out. I think a knockout is going to be more likely than anything. Ricky?s chances are very great at that.?

He pointed out that Pacquiao was not fighting a ?dehydrated Oscar de la Hoya. He is fighting with a man that has real strength. A guy that can keep pressure on him, smart pressure, head movement, jabbing on the way in, banging through the body, banging through the head and smothering him at the same time. It?s going to be hard for him [Pacquiao] to deal with.?