Manny Pacquiao isn’t cutting off his Los Angeles connection after all.

Though he turned down the services of hall-of-fame trainer Freddie Roach for his showdown with Argentine Lucas Matthysse on July 15 in Kuala Lumpur, Pacquiao welcomed strength and conditioning coach Justine Fortune back in his team.

The Australian former heavyweight boxer arrived in Manila Friday to complete Team Pacquiao, which is gearing up for Pacquiao’s challenge to Matthysse’s World Boxing Association 147-pound crown.

Fortune is no stranger to steering Pacquiao to victory.

In Pacquiao’s fight against Jorge Solis in 2007, Fortune actually supervised a majority of his preparations at Wild Card Gym in Hollywood as Roach was immersed with Oscar de la Hoya, who was then preparing for his title duel with Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Pacquiao welcomed Fortune’s arrival and also dismissed rumors that his battle with Matthysse is going to be postponed.

"We are shifting our training to higher gear now with less than two months before the fight," said Pacquiao, who like Matthysse is deep in training for their title clash at Axiata Arena.

Pacquiao dubbed the people behind such reports as "saboteurs," insisting that the Matthysse fight will go on as scheduled, acknowledging that retirement is in the horizon if he loses.

"That is malicious and untrue," said Pacquiao, referring to reports that his inaugural international production under his MP Promotions will be postponed.

Fortune will be reunited with Buboy Fernandez, who has been promoted to chief trainer, Nony Neri, Haplas Fernandez, Jonathan Penalosa and Team Pacquiao newcomers Ting Ariosa and Nonito Donaire Sr.

Dubbed as "Fight of Champions," Pacquiao-Matthysse hopes to approximate the success of "Fight of a Lifetime" duel between Mumammad Ali and Joe Bugner in Malaysia in 1975.

(For more sports coverage, visit the ABS-CBN Sports website.)