Lightweight Stan “The Man” Martyniouk spent the past month and a half far from home. The Sacramento native who relocated to the Bay Area got the chance of a lifetime as he was one of the main sparring partners for Manny Pacquiao for Pacquiao’s upcoming bout against Chris Algieri which happens this weekend. “Sparring Manny Pacquiao was such a great experience. I learned a lot. He brought out the best in me. I had to do my best at all times because Manny is very hard to spar against. He doesn’t go light on you. If he hurts you he was trying to take you out.”
Martyniouk, spent weeks in the lead up to leading getting the best physical shape as I remember watching him warm up in September jumping rope in Victor Conte’s altitude dome that simulated a very high altitude. This level of high conditioning and professionalism lead Martyniouk to remark the following on Pacquiao. “I believe Manny is in tremendous shape. I saw the hunger in his eyes during training and he was very motivated for his fight, his speed is there and so is his power.”
Martyniouk who is coached by Virgil Hunter and manged by Cameron Dunkin gave a bold prediction. “I believe Manny will not only win this fight but also knockout Algieri in the later rounds. I’m not taking anything away from Chris, he is a great fighter. I believe when he catches Algieri with a punch he is not going to see he will finish him and not let him recover. I gave Manny the look he needed so I know he is ready.”
Martyniouk referenced the fact that he bares a striking resemblance to Algieri from his height to even the way he looks. Martyniouk is so similar that during fight week media members in Macau, China have mistaken him for Algieri. “Congrats to Chris Algieri for getting this opportunity he deserves it he beat a very tough opponent in Ruslan Providnikov. Even if he loses this fight against Manny he is still a winner.”
In the end, Martyniouk will look to take this experience and exposure into the ring with him when he returns early in 2015, which would most likely be when he is back in action though nothing is confirmed. All in all he was grateful for Freddie Roach inviting him to the camp and Pacquiao for taking such good care of him.
