By Dave Lahr: World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao is reportedly having his way with an 0-6 sparring partner Bryan Brooks, according to GMA News. Apparently, Pacquiao hurt the 40-year-old Brooks on several occasions and Manny’s trainer, Freddie Roach, is questioning whether to bring Brooks back for more punishment at the Wild Card Gym, in Los Angeles. “I don’t think I’m going to bring him [Brooks] back,” Roach said. “He got hurt a few times. Manny was too much for him.”

Why is a 40-year-old 0-6 fighter being used as a sparring partner for Pacquiao? What happened to Jose Luis Castillo, Urbano Antillon and Shawn Porter? Pacquiao has sparred with those guys in the past. He needs someone a little closer to his own age you would think. Pacquiao needs to be in with someone that can give him rounds, because Joshua Clottey, Pacquiao’s opponent for March 13th, will be trying to take his head off to capture his title and make name for himself.

Roach seems happy with Pacquiao’s sparring against Brooks, saying “He [Pacquiao] did whatever he wanted to do. He was playing with him a little bit. He likes to play with his audience a little bit. Overall, it was a great day.” I imagine so, but Roach needs to up the level of quality for Pacquiao. It might mean a little bit more. It seems like Roach is gloating for some reason.

Roach should look to get someone tough like Carlos Baldomir, Luis Carlos Abregu, Mike Jones, Sebastian Lujan or Selcuk Aydin to spar with Pacquiao. Those guys would toughen Pacquiao up plenty for a fight against Clottey. Instead of getting an older Castillo or an inexperienced Porter, Roach needs to look for someone with some power that can really press Pacquiao and give him a good training camp.