By Chris LaBate
Trainer Freddie Roach has revamped Manny Pacquiao's strategy for his upcoming defense of the WBO welterweight crown. On November 12th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Pacquaio will face Juan Manuel Marquez for a third - and likely final time.
When the fight was first made, Roach discussed the possibility of going for an early knockout....in the first round. After thinking it over, Roach sat down with Pacquiao and the two of them are going to take a different route. They plan to take it "round by round" to find the right openings for a knockout victory.
“Marquez is a slow starter and Manny likes to start fast,” said Roach. “So we talked about starting strong and going for a first round knockout. But on second thought, maybe, we’ll just see how the fight progresses because if Marquez survives our attempt for a knockout in the first round, he might gain confidence. This is going to be a mental, not just a physical fight" Roach said to The Philippine Star.
"I was a little worried at the start that Manny might think Marquez will give him problems because their first two fights were close. Sometimes, you think there’s a guy out there who’s your nemesis like in high school, you might have someone on the other side whom you find difficult to beat whether in boxing or basketball or whatever."
"But talking to Manny and seeing how he’s been in camp, I don’t think there’s anything to worry about. That spark in Manny’s eye tells me everything. He’s very focused.”