WORLD CUP: ROACH SAYS “EVERYTHING IS GOING GREAT”
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 03 Aug 2007
Celebrated trained Freddie Roach says “everything is going great” in terms of the preparation of the Filipino boxers who will clash with Mexican opponents in the eagerly awaited World Cup of boxing at the Arco Arena in Sacramento on August 12 (Manila Time) on a fight card to be telecast “live” by the giant Philippine broadcast network ABS-CBN.
In an overseas telephone conversation with Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today, Roach conceded that emerging Filipino ring sensation Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista will have “a hard fight because (Daniel Ponce) De Leon will give him a strong, tough fight and he’s a little bit awkward but ‘Boom Boom’ is ready.”
The undefeated Bautista battles Ponce De Leon for his WBO super bantamweight title which he retained in a tough encounter with former WBC super flyweight champion Gerry Penalosa who fights WBO bantamweight champion Jhonny Gonzales in another big fight on the World Cup card.
Roach said that Penalosa and Bautista had been “working together” and the veteran southpaw who knows how Ponce De Leon fights was “sparring a lot with Bautista "and Gerry is also in great shape. I love Gerry in this fight.”
Roach said that Gonzales was tall and had long arms but has “trouble making the weight and if you stay down and work the body he’s going to fade.”
The two-time “Trainer of the Year” disclosed that Diosdado Gabi who will also be featured on the World Cup fight card was “doing well” and would not replace Z “The Dream” Gorres as earlier speculated because as of now “they are both fighting.”
Gorres who is eager to fight is awaiting clearance from an eye specialist who will examine him on August 6 to check on the laser treatment he underwent to repair a tiny tear in his retina. Gorres is scheduled to clash with Gerson Guerrero in an IBF super flyweight eliminator.
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