Roach Prefers Pacquiao vs. Bradley II
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 11 Jul 2012
LOS ANGELES (PNA) ? Whoever Manny Pacquiao fights next, his chief trainer Freddie Roach wants his Filipino pupil to stay 100 percent focused in training.
?Manny was a changed man when we pitched our training camp in Baguio in preparation for (Timothy) Bradley. All the distractions that marked his training before were gone,? Roach said in an interview inside his Wild Card Gym last Saturday.
The recent Hall of Fame inductee was referring to Pacquiao?s doing away with his vices as nightlife, womanizing, gambling and even playing basketball and billiards right after his lackluster performance against Mexican legend Juan Manuel Marquez last year.
?But I want him to be more focused. especially if his next fight will be against Bradley,? he stressed even as he expressed his preference for the Pacman to face the undefeated American who stripped him of his 147-pound crown in a questionable split decision last June 9.
?Manny convincingly outpunched Bradley that night and I want him to prove that he, indeed, did,? the 51-year-old said. ?The judges denied us of victory, but that?s water under the bridge now,? Roach said on the eve of his departure for Las Vegas to oversee Amir Khan?s final week of preparations for his next fight.
Khan challenges light-welterweight champion Danny Garcia this Saturday at the Mandalay Bay in the Sin City.
?If the final decision is for a rematch, then I want Manny to emerge the victor more impressively. And what I mean by more impressively is via a knockout,? he said rather emphatically.
?He should decide the fight and not the judges. If the guy is down flat in the canvas, then there will be no reason for the judges to decide otherwise,? he said.
Roach said there?s no plan to change strategy against Bradley even as he reiterated that the Fighting Congressman from Sarangani fought the best fight since destroying Antonio Margarito for the latter?s light-middleweight plum in Dallas two years ago.
?All he has to do is be more serious in training by toning down on his religious activities while in camp,? he explained. ?As I have been saying, I welcome his religious involvement, but it should not serve as distractions like drinking, womanizing and gambling Manny had been engaging himself before.?
The four-time ?Trainer of the Year? honoree said the people who convinced him to join their congregation must realize that the Filipino ring icon is a fighter and as such need not stay up to the wee hours of the day in bible-preaching and memorizing verses in the scripture.
?If they want Manny to regain what he?d lost in that defeat, they should be the ones to make adjustments,? he noted. ?Manny?s very excited in his new role and very happy for his transformation that he should be guided correctly. People around him now should not take advantage of him?
Between Bradley and Marquez, the other fighter Top Rank is lining up to be the Filipino idol?s next rival, Roach said he prefers the former, precisely for Pacquiao to recover his status and reputation as the best fighter in this era.
?Manny beat Marquez twice in their three meetings, there?s no reason for him to fight him again except for monetary consideration,? he added. ?Money, however, is not everything in this world.?
?The most important thing now is Manny be restored to where he was before,? he philosophized. ?Manny?s not getting any younger. Soon he will be retiring. And before that time comes, all of us who love him must see to it that his reputation is intact.?
(Freddie Roach photo by Wendel Rupert Alinea)
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
QUOTES FROM TODAY’S OPEN WORKOUT AT DOWNTOWN BOXING GYM IN DETROIT FEATURING MICHIGAN’S CLARESSA SHIELDS AND DANIELLE PERKINS
Wed, 08 Jan 2025Sherwin Tiu to defend title in Chess Pozorrubio rapid tiff
By Marlon Bernardino, Wed, 08 Jan 2025SPORTS RECORDS 7: GABRIEL "FLASH" ELORDE, THE LONGEST REIGN AS SUPER FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPION
By Maloney L. Samaco, Wed, 08 Jan 2025Strictly Business: Lightweight Champion Denys Berinchyk to Defend Crown Against Keyshawn Davis February 14 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden LIVE on ESPN
Wed, 08 Jan 2025EURI CEDENO EYES THE TOP TEN
Wed, 08 Jan 2025FIGHTBOOK ANNOUNCES OFFICIAL LAUNCH IN EARLY 2025 AND OPENS PRE-REGISTRATION FOR PROFESSIONAL BOXERS
Wed, 08 Jan 2025Correa-Min fight in Korea cancelled
By Lito delos Reyes, Wed, 08 Jan 2025Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez In position for mega-fights in 2025
Tue, 07 Jan 2025Comebacking Correa to fight in Korea
By Lito delos Reyes, Tue, 07 Jan 2025Damian Knyba vs. Andrzej Wawrzyk all-Polish heavyweight fight headlines on Feb. 1 at Prudential Center
Tue, 07 Jan 2025Run for Love on Feb. 9 at Azuela
By Kim Teves, Tue, 07 Jan 2025Lagumbay to face Masangkay for PBF super light title
By Lito delos Reyes, Mon, 06 Jan 2025Plania, 5 Others Open Overseas Pinoy Ring Campaign in 2025
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, Mon, 06 Jan 2025SPORTS RECORDS 6: JOE FRAZIER, UNDISPUTED HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION 1970-1973
By Maloney L. Samaco, Sun, 05 Jan 2025Japan Broadens Boxing Horizon, Crowns First IBO World Champion
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, Sun, 05 Jan 2025