Last October, in a hilltop town 120 miles north of Manila, two former lightweight champions sparred. One, Manny Pacquiao (49-3-2), was preparing for the biggest fight of his life. The other, Jose Luis Castillo (60-9-1), was enduring the punishment of such preparation. In comparing his current sparring partner against a former opponent who is vying with the Filipino for the pound-for-pound kingship, Castillo, 35, said coolly, "Pacquiao punches much faster and harder than Mayweather."