ROACH SAYS BOBBY WILL GO FOR A KNOCKOUT
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 06 Jun 2007
Bobby Pacquiao.
Celebrated trainer Freddie Roach says Bobby Pacquiao has the power to knock out Humberto Soto and they were “definitely going for it” when the younger brother of Filipino ring idol Manny Pacquiao takes on the No. 2 WBC super featherweight contender at New York’s Madison Square Garden on Sunday, Manila Time.
Roach, in an interview with Brad Cooney of Boxing Talk said they will look “to close the distance and get this guy out of there.” Earlier, Manny Pacquiao himself expressed confidence that his younger brother would win and said he had been training hard for the past two months at Roach’s Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles.
Roach told Cooney that besides training very hard, Pacquao was “more hungry than ever” pointing out that Bobby was “a good puncher and I think we have a chance to catch Humberto (Soto).”
The two-time “Trainer of the Year” award winner said that while Bobby Pacquiao doesn’t have the speed and combinations like his brother Manny, he has “great power.”
Roach conceded that it would be “tough” for Bobby to win on points against Soto who is handled by Top Rank promoter Bob Arum but said that “I think he needs to use his power to catch this guy.” Noting that Pacquiao has been working hard in the gym, Roach told Cooney “obviously Soto likes to fight so maybe in-between one of his shots Bobby can catch him.”
Pacquiao who weighed 133 pounds before his last sparring session had no problems with his weight unlike the last time when he lost his Continental Americas title on the scales after he failed to make the weight against Hector Velazquez. Pacquiao lost by disqualification in the eleventh round after a series of low blows.
At that time Bobby was hardly given any attention as Manny was also training for a fight at the same time. Roach said this time Bobby “doesn’t have to worry about his brother. All he has to worry about is the guy in front of him.”
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