By Ronnie Nathanielsz
Mutual respect.And four days. That's all it took for 2003 "Trainer of the Year" Freddie Roach to get Ring Magazine featherweight champion Manny Pacquiao "back on track " for his December 11 showdown against Fahsan 3K Battery, the IBF No. 4 ranked super bantamweight.
The blinding speed was back and the awesome punching power evident as Roach supervised Pacquiao's rigorous afternoon workout at the oven hot Almendras Gym in Davao City before a crowd of admiring fight fans and local journalists, yesterday. In an interview with Viva Sports/Manila Standard at the workout, Roach said that Pacquiao was "a lot more tight than I have ever seen him but since Monday we are slowly getting back on track. By Saturday he'll be in condition for the fight."
Roach said that when he arrived last Monday, Pacquiao "wasn't in too bad a shape but he wasn't in the kind of shape I expected him to be in because he's been here for about a month and maybe playing a little too much." But Roach said " when I'm around him his discipline is good and I'm with him all the time. I eat when he eats, I sleep when he sleeps and I run when he runs although I don't run as far as Manny does." To Roach his success with Pacquiao and other greats such as Mike Tyson and Jmes Toney is all about respect. He said they know "I was a fighter and when I tell them something they trust what I say. They know I have the experience in this game. My job is to get inside their minds so they believe in me and believe in themselves."
Roach reiterated an earlier warning to Pacquiao that he's got to be in the same shape he was for the fights against WBA/IBF champion Juan Manuel Marquez and legendary featherweight Marco Antonio Barrera "because this guy (Fahsan) is getting an opportunity of a lifetime and he's fighting the best featherweight in the world and he'll give 100 percent. A win here puts him on a pedestal." Roach said Fahsan is "a tough guy and I expect him to bring his "A" game to the fight. He is going to fight way over his head than he ever has. That's why Manny needs to be in shape."
The American trainer who helped hone Pacquiao's skills and turned him into one of the most devastating and exciting fighters in the world today was concerned about the fact that when he arrived all people talked about was the Marquez rematch on February 26 which, in his eyes, was wrong. But Roach straightened out Pacquiao telling him "there's no Marquez if you dont win over this guy (Fahsan)." He added " that's what Manny is thinking right now. He has come around quickly because his mental attitude is back on Fahsan 3K Battery." Roach said "get this guy out of the wayand then we can think of other things."
From what he has seen of Fahsan's fight tapes against such fighters as Art Simonyan who trains at Roach's Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles, Roach disclosed that Fahsan "doesnt have a tendency to run it seems" pointing out that "as soon as the first punch is landed they go back to what they are" which indicates that Fahsan stands up and fights. Should the Thai fighter stick by his announced gameplan to run for the first four rounds, stay out of range of Pacquiao's devastating left straight and then capitalize on the Filipino southpaw's supposed lack of conditioning Roach said " he can only run so far."
Revealing his fight plan for Pacquiao, Roach indicated that although Fahsan "doesn't have the speed and power of Manny I expect him to fight more in the first couple of rounds and try to stay away from that early power. But we are maintaining that power right through. We will go as hard in the sixth round as the first" even as Roach revealed that Pacquiao decked sparring partner Chris Saluday, a welterweight, in the sixth round on Wednesday. " He got caught and was a little embarrassed but that was Manny's best round. So he's getting better and better every day," said Roach enthusiastically.
