By Steve Kim
Freddie Roach will be a busy man in the upcoming weeks. First he has to work the corner for former world champion Scott Quigg on April 29th and then he'll be training Manny Pacquiao, who faces Jeff Horn on July 1st in Australia.
"I go to London first for ten days for Scott and then I come back and help out here for one or two weeks before I leave for the Philippines," said Roach. "I'll be out in the Philippines for about six weeks and then in Australia for the last ten days."
The veteran trainer says he is also expecting the arrival of former four division champion Miguel Cotto (who would be returning to the ring on June 24th) to the Wild Card Boxing Club.
When asked if Pacquiao, the current WBO welterweight titlist, would be sufficiently motivated to face Horn, Roach answered:
"Manny is motivated for everybody, he doesn't take anyone lightly and Horn's won his last few fights by knockout and he's supposed to be getting better and a big puncher But I did see one tape on him so far and he's a little bit wild but he does have a little bit of power."
The 29-year old Horn, who was a 2012 Olympian for Australia, has mark of 16-0-1 (11 KO's). He last fought on December 10th in New Zealand where he stopped the shopworn former champ Ali Funeka in six rounds
"But I think he's going to have a tough time with Pacquiao," Roach says of Horn. "And Manny still does have his speed. He's not near done, yet."
Pacquiao was in the ring last November, when he dominated Jessie Vargas over twelve rounds to capture the WBO belt at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
Steve Kim is the news editor for BoxingScene.com.