ROACH: "MANNY IS AT HIS STRONGEST NOW"
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 01 Nov 2016
LAS VEGAS, Nev. ? Comebacking Manny Pacquiao is turning 38 next month, but, for chief trainer Freddie Roach, his pupil of 21 years could be in his strongest in terms of punching power.
This, the seven-time Trainer of the Year confessed Monday (Tuesday In Manila) following what could be the now senator?s final sparring less than a week into his encounter with World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Jessie Vargas set this Saturday (Sunday in Manila) at the Thomas & Mack Center inside the University of Nevada campus here.
Pacquiao and his team motored from Los Angeles to Las Vegas where the fighting senator will just go into the motion of ending his long 10 weeks of training that started in Manila last August 23.
?I?ve been training fighters for so long a time and at the receiving end of the strongest puncher of them like Mike Tyson and I never got my arms and shoulder as sore as in the three weeks of working with the mitts with Manny in this camp,? The 56-year-old Hall of Famer admitted to this writer after the day?s workout.
?Manny?s stronger now than when he beat Oscar DeLa Hoya), Ricky (Hatton) and Miguel (Cotto),? Roach attested. ?No, I?m not complaining though for the aches and pains he?s been inflicting on me.?
?Instead, I?m happy for him that that the hard work he? s been undergoing during training are now producing results,? he said.
?I think the repeated pronouncements of the other camp that he?s old and nothing more left in his tank come as a challenge to him to prove otherwise.?
?To me, it?s a good sign of things to come on fight night. I see him beating Vargas to a pulp,? he assessed. ?No one and nothing scares Manny. You can hurt him, but he?ll fight back when hurt.?
For assistant trainer Buboy Fernandez, Pacquiao?s improvements that included his speed was the product of the early preparation the eight-division himself initiated.
Buboy disclosed that when the former congressman from Sarangani suggested to him and fellow assistant trainers Nonoy Neri and Roger ?Haplas? Fernandez to start training as early as August, they already knew what?s in their boss? mind.
?When doing the mitts with me in the then still absent coach Freddie, nagbabaga na ang mga mata nya at talagang todo ang mga suntok,? Pacquiao?s portly childhood friend reminisced. ?Nahulaan ko na ang yun ang gusto niyang mangyari, add more power to his punches.?
?And that?s what happened. He developed his punches na parang bakal na mga mythical hero lamang, like Superman ang puwedeng tumagal. From there, naging madali na ang lahat doon sa iba pang aspeto ng paghaanda.? Buboy said.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
Jayson Mama Set to Challenge for IBO World Super Flyweight Title in Johannesburg
Sat, 17 May 2025Fisher vs Allen 2: Can Johnny Make Necessary Improvements?
By Chris Carlson, Sat, 17 May 2025Weights from Panamá City
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Sat, 17 May 2025CRUZ LANDS IBF ELIMINATOR AGAINST MISHIRO IN NEW YORK
Sat, 17 May 2025Fisher and Allen Hit the Scales Ahead of Highly Anticipated Heavyweight Rematch
Sat, 17 May 2025Boxing: Sport Entertainment or Entertainment Sport (Part Two)
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, Fri, 16 May 2025NYC PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES: BERLANGA VS. SHEERAZ / SHAKUR STEVENSON VS. WILLIAM ZEPEDA
Fri, 16 May 2025HALL OF FAME TRAINER FREDDIE ROACH TO BE HONORED BY THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES IN PUBLIC CEREMONY AT FREDDIE'S GYM!
Fri, 16 May 2025HALL OF FAME BROADCASTER JIM LAMPLEY TO PARTICIPATE IN 2025 HALL OF FAME WEEKEND FESTIVITIES
Fri, 16 May 2025Minnesota, Indiana Back Again in the Eastern and Western Conference Finals
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, Thu, 15 May 2025In Jonathan’s memory
By Joaquin Henson, Thu, 15 May 2025WATCH: HITCHINS AND KAMBOSOS JR IN INTENSE FACE-OFF WITH ONE MONTH UNTIL NYC SHOWDOWN
Thu, 15 May 2025Toledo-Xignex Trojans finally win the PCAP online team chess tournament
By Marlon Bernardino, Thu, 15 May 2025Former WBA Super Bantamweight Champion Nazarena Romero to Exercise Immediate Rematch Clause Against Mayelli Flores Rosquero
Thu, 15 May 2025Pacquiao's Controversial WBC Ranking Explained: "Legend" Status Cited Amid July Return
By Dong Secuya, Thu, 15 May 2025