By Ronnie Nathanielsz

Celebrated trainer Freddie Roach has simplified the manner in which his prized fighter, Filipino and Asian boxing hero Manny Pacquiao will win the WBO welterweight title when he clashes with Puerto Rico’s champion Miguel Cotto at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on November 14.

Roach told BoxingScene.com, insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports that “definitely the left hand will set it up and the hook will finish him” in reference to Cotto. 

Roach said Pacquiao’s two hands had equal power and he “could knock him out with either hand without a doubt.”

At the same time Pacquiao’s trainer praised sparring partner Shawn Porter, the undefeated light middleweight with a record of 9 knockouts in 10 wins saying "he is giving him (Pacquiao) some great work. The kid comes to fight and gives one hundred percent everyday.”

Roach said former world champion Jose Luis Castillo is “looking better every day although he came in a little out of shape. He is not up to par as yet but he’s getting better and better for Manny.”

Conditioning expert Alex Ariza said Roach was also pleased with the newest sparring partner Danny Escobar who Ariza described as "a strong kid who moves well and switches between orthodox and southpaw." Pacquiao started off his sparring Tuesday by going four rounds with Porter and three each with Castillo and Escobar.

Porter who was dropped by Pacquiao in sparring last week after giving the Filipino southpaw a hard time in their first session said “ with three weeks left he’s right on the ball. He’s right on track.”

Porter said Pacquiao’s assets were “his speed and his quickness and he has a little but of power behind that left hand too. That kind of combination is hard to beat.”

While conceding that Cotto is a tough opponent Porter said Pacquiao’s “speed and his quickness is his upperhand and I think he’ll catch off-balance a lot and I think he’s going to be very hard to hit. He (Pacquiao) is the angle man. He knows how to work those angles and get in and get out and you’ll definitely see that in the fight.”

Overall Roach said the training in Baguio City was “one of the best camps we ever had .” He said that in the first week Pacquiao “looked like he had been training for a month the way he was looking especially the first day on the punch mitts he was on fire. Maybe he was trying to show me that he wants to work at home.”

Looking at Pacquiao’s training camp and where he is right now Roach said “I think we have a shot at a knockout in round one. One thing for sure we’ll knock him out. This guy (Cotto) can’t hold up the way Manny punches. One thing about Cotto he is a tough guy and all that but tough guys don’t win fights, they get hit. And when he gets hit with power like that he’s gonna go.”

Former two-division world champion Gerry Penalosa in whose gym Pacquiao began training after driving down from Baguio City at midnight Sunday said “its hard because if Pacquiao only had speed it would be okay but he’s got speed and power and Cotto will need a miracle to win.”