By Mark Vester

Trainer Freddie Roach feels the boxing public is paying too much attention to the weight of both Manny Pacquiao and Oscar De La Hoya. Pacquiao, the WBC lightweight champion, is moving up from 135 to meet De La Hoya at the agreed weight of 147 on December 6 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Roach tells BoxingScene.com’s Luis Sandoval that De La Hoya’s rapid weight drop to 145-pounds will only hurt him by the time of the fight. Roach is keeping Pacquiao around 150-151 and they will drop down a few pounds a day or two before the weigh-in.

“I think if he has to maintain that weight until the day of the fight - it's great; because he will be very weak by fight time. It's not the way fighters do it. They say you should be at the weight for a fight for a long time. But let's face it, it's not the way fighters do it. They lose the last couple of pounds the day before the weigh-in and that's how it goes; then they put the weight back on. I think he'll be weak at the weight but who cares. I'm worried about my guy,” Roach said.

“If we cut the protein out of his diet he will drop a few pounds. We are coming down to 147, not moving up like everyone thinks. His body fat is at 6%, he's in great shape. By fight time we will be at 150 and that's what we're going to fight at.”

Roach does credit De La Hoya as being the best that Pacquiao ever fought, but he does believe the “Golden Boy” has been around the game too long and needs to hang up the gloves.
 
He's a hall of fame fighter, a great fighter. He's just old. In life we can't get away from age. You look at all the old timers; when Marciano beat Joe Louis, when Oscar beat Chavez. People stay in the game too long and I think Oscar has stayed in the game too long and we're going to prove it. Pacquiao goes twelve rounds no problem and we are going to make him fight three minutes of every round at a fast pace. I think it'll be the key to the fight,” Roach said.

As far as De La Hoya always switching trainers, Roach calls it a regular pattern in Oscar’s career.

“Maybe has someone else to blame now. He never takes credit for himself. He only takes credit when he wins,” Roach says.

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