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Roach holds key to Pacman victory
By NICK GIONGCO
Hall of Fame trainer Emanuel Steward, who steered Oscar De La Hoya to two victories in 1997, said Freddie Roach could possibly be holding the key to a Manny Pacquiao victory over the Golden Boy on Dec. 6 in Las Vegas.
"Freddie saw something in there," Steward, best known as Thomas Hearns’ discoverer, trainer and manager, told the Bulletin yesterday in an overseas call from Detroit.
Roach spent eight weeks in Puerto Rico with De La Hoya last year for the Floyd Mayweather fight and the 48-year-old cornerman didn’t mince words in telling the press that he knows not only De La Hoya’s strengths, but his weaknesses as well.
Steward, now 64, called the shots for De La Hoya in fights with David Kamau of Kenya and Hector Camacho of Puerto Rico but was suddenly kicked out owing to friction inside team De La Hoya.
Unlike Roach, who was called in during the twilight of De La Hoya’s career, Steward’s stint as trainer was when De La Hoya was at his peak when there was hardly a major flaw in the boxer’s armor.
Like the vast majority of aficionados, Steward is a bit concerned about De La Hoya’s obvious advantage in size but is nevertheless firm in the belief that Pacquiao is a livewire opponent.
"Manny Pacquiao is a tremendous puncher with the right and left hands. He is explosive and that is going to be a concern for Oscar," said Steward, who operates Kronk Gym, the famed training center in the Motor City which Hearns made famous in the 1980s with his involvement in the round-robin that featured Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler and Roberto Duran.
"I don’t think this fight is a mismatch and I am sure this will be a very competitive fight."
And just like the other boxing purists, Steward is mystified by what could happen to Pacquiao once he takes De La Hoya’s big blows and vice-versa.
"It’s a very intriguing fight that could go eight or nine rounds," said Steward, who also trained former undisputed world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis and a slew of other world champions.
If there’s one thing that is certain, Steward, the 1963 Golden Gloves champion and one-time electrician, "Manny Pacquiao is going to make the fight exciting."
On fight night, Steward will personally know the answer as he will work the broadcast panel for HBO.
By NICK GIONGCO
Hall of Fame trainer Emanuel Steward, who steered Oscar De La Hoya to two victories in 1997, said Freddie Roach could possibly be holding the key to a Manny Pacquiao victory over the Golden Boy on Dec. 6 in Las Vegas.
"Freddie saw something in there," Steward, best known as Thomas Hearns’ discoverer, trainer and manager, told the Bulletin yesterday in an overseas call from Detroit.
Roach spent eight weeks in Puerto Rico with De La Hoya last year for the Floyd Mayweather fight and the 48-year-old cornerman didn’t mince words in telling the press that he knows not only De La Hoya’s strengths, but his weaknesses as well.
Steward, now 64, called the shots for De La Hoya in fights with David Kamau of Kenya and Hector Camacho of Puerto Rico but was suddenly kicked out owing to friction inside team De La Hoya.
Unlike Roach, who was called in during the twilight of De La Hoya’s career, Steward’s stint as trainer was when De La Hoya was at his peak when there was hardly a major flaw in the boxer’s armor.
Like the vast majority of aficionados, Steward is a bit concerned about De La Hoya’s obvious advantage in size but is nevertheless firm in the belief that Pacquiao is a livewire opponent.
"Manny Pacquiao is a tremendous puncher with the right and left hands. He is explosive and that is going to be a concern for Oscar," said Steward, who operates Kronk Gym, the famed training center in the Motor City which Hearns made famous in the 1980s with his involvement in the round-robin that featured Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler and Roberto Duran.
"I don’t think this fight is a mismatch and I am sure this will be a very competitive fight."
And just like the other boxing purists, Steward is mystified by what could happen to Pacquiao once he takes De La Hoya’s big blows and vice-versa.
"It’s a very intriguing fight that could go eight or nine rounds," said Steward, who also trained former undisputed world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis and a slew of other world champions.
If there’s one thing that is certain, Steward, the 1963 Golden Gloves champion and one-time electrician, "Manny Pacquiao is going to make the fight exciting."
On fight night, Steward will personally know the answer as he will work the broadcast panel for HBO.
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