ROACH: "IN THREE WEEKS PACQUIAO WILL BE READY TO KILL ANYONE WHO CROSSES HIS PATH"
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 29 Mar 2015
LOS ANGELES ? World Boxing Organization welterweight titleholder Manny Pacquiao closes his one month camp here Saturday (Sunday in Manila) with chief trainer Freddie Roach and his team happy with what they?ve seen in the four weeks they?ve spent together at the Wild Card Gym, on the streets, at the park, over the hills and lately at the University of California-Los Angeles track oval.
Roach, conditioning coach Justin Fortune, assistant trainers Buboy Fernandez, Nonoy Neri, Roger ?Haplas? Fernandez and Marvin Somodio are all convinced that everything has been set in place toward Pacquiaos? victory over undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr., whom he?ll meet May 2 in what is billed as the biggest fight in boxing history that will unify the 147-pound division.
?I like where he?s (Pacquiao) now. And everybody in the team feels the same way, too,? the 55-year-old Roach declared following a routine training session at his own Wild Card sweat shop along Hollywood, consisting of 12 rounds in the mitts with him and hitting the double end and the speed balls.
Earlier in the morning, the only man in the universe to crown himself champion eight times in as many weight division was at the UCLA track and field stadium concentrating on how to further strengthen his legs, add speed on his already fast foot aimed at balancing his stand when fight day comes.
?Everything went well in the camp, Manny?s responding well to the training regimen we?ve prepared,? Roach assessed. ?Manny?s in shape, physically and mentally fired up as we started drawing and slowly, but surely, implementing strategies and game plans.?
The five-time trainer of the year said he?d never seen his prized student of 14 years work as hard in training as now.
"I haven?t seen him more interested about what I'm teaching him and what I'm showing him,? he relayed. ?He?s been responding really, really great. I really like where he is at right now. This is the first time we're facing a fighter like Maywether. And Mayweather, too, hasn?t fought a boxer of Manny?s caliber.
?I think in the many years that we?re together, I?ve never seen Manny dislikes his opponent as now,? he added. ?I like that because that means he?s back with his killer instinct he has never shown the past previous fights.?
?With what I?ve been seeing, I believe in two or three more weeks, he?ll be ready to kill anybody who?ll cross his path, including the guy who?s sporting a 47-0 (win-loss) record,? he stressed. ?When the fight ends and I believe it?s via stoppage, he?ll be 47-1.?
Fortune, concurred with Roach?s observation.
?Yeah, Manny?ll be ready in two weeks time when we?ll begin toning down on our preparations and polish everything we?ve gained in the camp,? Fortune said. ?For now and until such time, we?ll just continue with what we?ve started, find out the flaws if there are any and correct them.?
Roach told this writer the second month, or at least the next two to three weeks, will be crucial as it will entail the final details of what Pacquiao will do the night o the 12-round multi-million dollar confrontation.
?As l now, as I?ve been saying, Manny already knows how he will solve Mayweather?s defensive maneuvering and how to prevent him from countering his trapping tactics,? he disclosed. ?Manny will be aggressive, but intelligently aggressive.?
?Manny will be pursuing him, yes, but not to the extent of falling into the trap Floyd has been doing on the way to that 47-0,? Roach analyzed. ?Floyd, you see, is a strategic fighter and Manny has learned how to beat that, too.?
?We will be cutting the ring off but not follow him, to the ropes where Mayweather normally sets the traps. We?ve been working on this day in and day out throughout and Manny knows the answer to that puzzle,? he quipped. ?That?s the smartest thing to do to beat Mayweather on this tactic, which his previous rivals failed.?
?Mayweather hasn?t fought a man like Manny and Manny has been fighting boxers like Mayweather and won. That to me is one big advantage going to many,? he observed.
Another thing is, while Manny has been wanting this fight for a long time, five years to be exact, Mayweather had been reluctant to engage him and was only forced by circumstances to do so,? he noted.
?I, too, have been waiting this fight for a long time," Roach said. "I look forward to challenges and this is a huge challenge for me.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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