Roach: “He [Pacquiao] is Taking This Fight Too Lightly”

By Manuel Perez: Freddie Roach isn’t happy with the way things are going lately with Manny Pacquiao, who has decided to train in the Philippines rather than some place else. “I’m not pleased with him training in the Philippines, there are too many distractions, but that’s what he wants to my understanding, and I believe he is taking this fight too lightly, Roach said in an interview at the Doghouse Boxing website. So there it is. Roach thinks that Pacquiao is taking this fight too lightly. How come I’m not surprised? Of course Pacquiao is probably taking his November 14th fight against Miguel Cotto too lightly, because Pacquiao’s ego is being fed night and day by his legion of lovesick fans, who tell him how great he is and basically kiss his backside. Pacquiao is probably believing what they’re saying about him and reading his own press. In the Philippines, Pacquiao is treated like a king, and there’s no one to tell him give him the straight talk like me. Roach sounds scared of Pacquiao judging from his comments. That is so funny. It looks as if Pacquiao is drunk on his wins over a shot Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton, and sees himself as infallible. Roach thinks that the people around Pacquiao are feeding his ego and making him think that Cotto will be an easy fight. I think Roach is partially right about that. Pacquiao does have a lot of sycophants blowing smoke up his backside, but he also seems to have fooled himself with his easy wins against his hand picked opposition in the past year. Pacquiao seems to think that a victory over Hatton and De La Hoya translates into him being able to beat one of the best fighters in boxing in the 28-year-old Cotto. I hate to be the bearer of bad news for Pacquiao, but Cotto isn’t shot like De La Hoya, and not prone to eating, drinking and ballooning up in weight between fights like Hatton. Pacquiao will finally be facing a good fighter for a change, and he’s going to get the living daylights beaten out of him. It looks as it’s finally dawned on Roach who Pacquiao is facing on November 14th. Roach says “I have been watching countless hours again and again of Cotto’s past fights. He nullified Shane Mosley’s speed and that’s Manny’s greatest asset.” It’s too bad that Roach waited until now to watch video of Cotto, because if he had asked me about it, I’d have told Roach that Pacquiao was going to get a beating of his life against Cotto. I guess Roach must have watched Cotto’s bouts against Antonio Margarito and Joshua Clottey, two of Cotto’s least impressive fights, when Roach gave the go ahead for Pacquiao to fight Cotto. Yes, Roach, Cotto is a very good fighter, better than Pacquiao that’s for sure.