PACQUIAO?S BODY SHOTS HURT SPARRING PARTNER
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 18 Oct 2008
Celebrated trainer Freddie Roach is making no secret of his fight plan when Filipino ring idol Manny Pacquiao battles Oscar De La Hoya in their ?Dream Match? at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on December 6.
Wearing a body guard and placing a picture of De La Hoya may seem to some like a gimmick to hype the fight, but based on early reports from the Wild Card Gym, Roach needs to protect his body because that?s what Pacquiao is aiming for in the tried and tested axiom that when you kill the body the head will fall.
In an overseas telephone conversation with www.insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports, Roach said Pacquiao sparred four rounds with light middleweight Aaron ?The Energizer? Robinson (6-2-1, 4 KO?s) whom Roach described as a fighter whose ?style was a little bit awkward.?
Roach said he let Pacquiao go and when he ?went for the body shots the guy ran.?
Roach said he has lined up the biggest and the best sparring partners for Pacquiao beginning next week with Rashad Holloway who sparred with Pacquiao on Tuesday and said later he felt the power of Pacquiao?s body shots, light middleweight Yuri Foreman who is undefeated with a record of 25-0 with 8 knockouts who stands 5?11 and light welterweight Marvin ?Much Too Much? Cordova Jr who is also undefeated with a record of 20-0-1 including 11 knockouts.
Roach said that Holloway who approximates the style of De La Hoya ?is the best guy.? Roach said ?he is perfect and I?m saving him for next week.?
He said the statements by Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer who believes De La Hoya will win by a brutal knockout and trainer Ignacio ?Nacho? Beristain who claimed Pacquiao would return to the lightweight division where he is WBC champion after he gets badly beaten by ?The Golden Boy? doesn?t bother them.
Roach said ?we have no worries. Manny is very good, he is doing great and mentally he?s beautiful.?
There was word that Germany?s WBA middleweight champion Felix Sturm, who lost a controversial decision to De La Hoya in June, 2004, may team-up with Roach as trainer and if that pushes through Sturm has said he would be happy to help in Pacquiao?s preparation.
Sturm is known for his excellent left jab which is also the hallmark of De La Hoya and should he work out with Pacquiao it is certain to be a big help.
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