PACQUIAO NEEDS TO STAY FOCUSED
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 07 Sep 2012
MANILA (PNA) - Whoever he fights next ? whether undefeated American and tormentor Timothy Bradley or Mexican legend Juan Manuel Marquez -- eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao should prepare well and stay focused while in training and until the day he faces his dance partner.
This was the advice given by two of the Filipino ring idol?s closest allies ? chief trainer Freddie Roach and boxing promoter Wakee Salud in separate interviews with this reporter.
?I still don?t know who Manny will face next, but whoever between Bradley and Marquez, he really needs to focus,? the Hall of Fame trainer Roach said in a recent telephone conversation after the June 9 controversial ending that saw Pacquiao end his long 15-win streak and his reign as World Boxing Organization welterweight titlist.
Salud agreed, saying he is particularly concern about his long-time pal fighting Marquez.
?May risk kapag si Marquez ang napili. Kasi baka matalo at kapag natalo, the planned mega-fight against (Floyd Jr.) Mayweather, baka mabura na din,? Salud projected.
Like Roach, Salud said he is still at a loss as to who Pacquiao will select as his opponent comes December 8 encounter although he added his inkling is towards Marquez.
?Business-wise, it should be Marquez. Mahina ang pay-per-view attraction ni Bradley kaya kahit gusto ni Manny na makabawi sa talo nya, baka hindi nya piliin si Bradley,? he said. ?Don?t count on it though.?
?Ang sinasabi ko lang, kahit sino ang makalaban, dapat maganda ang kondisyon ni Manny. He should totally detached himself from whatever kind of distraction,? he stressed short of saying that Pacquiao must temporarily disengage himself from his religious activities.
?Distraction pa rin kasi yun eh.Pag-memorize lang ng bible consumes most of his time. Tapos me preaching pa that normally lasts up to the wee hours the next day,? he said. ?Sana yung mga spiritual adviser nya ma-realize that boxing is Manny?s profession, his bread and butter. Pag walang laban, okey yun.?
Like Salud, Roach also expressed concern about Marquez, whom Pacquiao beat twice in their first three encounters albeit questionable, too.
?It will be a very difficult fight gauging the results of their three fights,? Roach said. ?Marquez does have a hard style for us, so we just have to get into the gym, work hard and stay focus on what we will do comes fight time.?
?Marquez gave us a lot of problems the first time around, but I think if Manny gets in the best shape he should be, he?ll win and he can finally close the book on Marquez,? he said.
?And getting in tip-top shape can only happen if he stays serious in training, focus on what he?s doing,? he added. ?The thing is we have to nullify Marquez?s advantage. Marquez is slick, very clever who can easily lure his opponent the way he wants it.?
?We have to find ways to stop him from doing those clever moves, which we failed in the first three fights,? he recalled. ?We better do it now or we won?t be able to win this one.?
SCOOP ADVANCER
Triathlon Association of the Philippines president Tom Carrasco, his Philippine Amateur Baseball Association Hector Navasero and national coach Boy Velasco will appear as guests in today?s edition SCOOP Sa Kamayan weekly session to their respective association?s forthcoming activities at the Kamayan Restaurant-Padre Faura.
Carrasco, along with national coach Reyes, will be talking about the Asian Duathlon Championship TRAP is hosting in November during the forum, sponsored by Powerade, AKTV and FILA, while Navasero will touch on the national baseball team?s coming defense of the biennial Asia Baseball Cup.
Velasco, who guided the young ABAP-PLDT BOXING team to five gold medals in the recent Second Taipei City Cup championships will inform members of the Sports Communicators Organization of the Philippines the plans the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines will undertake to sustain the momentum of that surprising performance of the up-and-coming Filipino boxers.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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