Roach forbids talk of politics around Pacquiao

By Frank Cimatu Inquirer Northern Luzon First Posted 07:14:00 09/26/2009 BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — As if Miguel Cotto's left hook wasn’t worrisome enough, Team Pacquiao is also concerned about a slew of other distractions which might throw off Manny Pacquiao's training for his Nov. 14 fight in Las Vegas. "There are too many distractions. Everybody wants a piece of Manny Pacquiao," said American trainer Freddie Roach who has banned all talk of politics while the Filipino ring icon trains at the Shape Up Boxing gym here. But during the courtesy call on Baguio Mayor Reinaldo Bautista Jr. at City Hall on Thursday, Pacquiao was mobbed by reporters and employees and the question about his political plans cropped up. “I have decided to run in the next elections and I’m willing to leave boxing,” said Pacquiao in Filipino. But he quickly added that foremost on his mind is his coming showdown with World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Cotto. “I have nothing else to prove,” he said. There is, however, the much vaunted fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. waiting for Pacquiao supposedly in March to decide who the real pound-for-pound champion is. And should Pacquiao decide to run in the 2010 elections, March will throw him in the middle of the campaign period. Roach is already excited about the Mayweather fight but insists Pacquiao should be rewarded well in that encounter. “I have no problem fighting him. But if he thinks he’s going to get equal money with Pacquiao, he’s crazy,” Roach said of Mayweather. “We already have a perfect game plan,” he added. Meanwhile, Pacquiao said that he is pursuing his defamation suit against Mayweather’s father, Floyd Sr., for saying that Pacquiao used steroids. “He has probably lost his mind,” Pacquiao said of Mayweather Sr. “He must have been embarrassed,” he added, referring to the successive losses of his wards against Pacquiao. Aside from political distraction, Roach has closed the gym to the public and the media so Pacquiao can concentrate on his training for his fight against Cotto. Other aspects of the Mayweather fight may be cleared up when boxing promoter Bob Arum, founder and chair of Top Rank, Inc., comes to Baguio on Oct. 1. Pacquiao will be in Manila this weekend to attend the wake of Rodolfo Nazario, a long-time boxing promoter and manager, whom he considers as "his loving friend, father and manager." Nazario, 74, died on Thursday due to a lingering illness. So Pacquiao will pursue the lawsuit with Crackhead Sr.