By Ronnie Nathanielsz
Celebrated trainer Freddie Roach who celebrated his birthday Friday (Manila Time) was elated at just how good Filipino boxing hero and national treasure Manny Pacquiao looked on his second day of training at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles.
Speaking from the gym to BoxingScene.com, insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports, Roach said he was “just great” and looked extremely good while doing eight rounds on the punch-mitts.
Based on what he has seen so far Roach said Pacquiao’s opponent, IBO light welterweight champion Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton and his trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr are “good at talking. Let them talk. My guy is good in the ring. We’ll talk with our fists” and the message in Roach’s mind is clear – a knockout by the ninth round at the latest.
Roach said Pacquiao will start sparring when he gets back from the lightweight bout between 22 year old British prospect Amir Khan, whom he has been training, and ageing Mexican legend Marco Antonio Barrera. That fight is scheduled for March 14 at the Manchester Evening News arena.
Roach said Khan “should beat Barrera at this point” pointing out that his youth and speed should be the deciding factors in the fight.
Roach said he had lined up three sparring partners at this point for Pacquiao who will begin on March 17 which would give him “six weeks of good sparring.”
Roach said that during his absence former world heavyweight champion Michael Moorer who joined Roach some months ago as an assistant would handle Pacquiao, WBO bantamweight champion Gerry Penalosa who battles WBO super bantamweight champion Juan Manuel “Juanma” Lopez on April 25 in Puerto Rico and Bernabe Concepcion who goes after the WBO featherweight crown of Steven Luevano on the Pacquiao-Hatton undercard in Las Vegas on May 2.
He said Moorer hit it off with Pacquiao and would be a great help since “he is a southpaw who knows his stuff and Manny knows I have to leave and he is in good hands.”
Roach said conditioning expert Alex Ariza who helped prepare Pacquiao for his spectacular 9th round demolition of WBC lightweight champion and Oscar De La Hoya who quit after taking a beating for eight rounds last December 6 would begin working with Pacquiao on Monday.
