Freddie Roach: "Manny promised me a knockout for the first time ever and I'm going to remind him that every day"
By Rich Mazon
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 16 Oct 2012
Los Angeles, CA - Hall of Fame Trainer Freddie Roach is ready for its most famous boxer to show up and start training in his famed Wild Card Gym in Hollywood.
Roach and his gym are anxiously awaiting for 'Fighter of the Decade' awardee Manny Pacquiao to enter its doors and start training for his very important fight against rival Juan Manuel Marquez of Mexico.
Roach was manning his gym on a regular Saturday afternoon when Philboxing.com paid him a visit and asked about him about any preparations for the forthcoming Pacquiao camp.
"I haven't decided yet. I want to see when Manny Pacquiao shows up and me and him will come up with a plan together and it'll be fine," Roach told this Philboxing scribe.
Pacquiao was supposed to arrive last Saturday, October 12th in Los Angeles, but the boxer-congressman from the Philippines reportedly postponed the said trip due to some important matters that needed his attention.
Roach is not worried that his star pupil has postponed his arrival to start training this week, saying that they have plenty of time to get things in order for Marquez.
"No big deal. He'll be a couple days late but we have eight weeks before the fight, plenty of time," assured Roach.
The multi-awarded trainer also stated that reports of him going to the Philippines to start Pacquiao's camp there is not true. He is keen on having the whole camp for Marquez start and end here in the States.
Roach has sparring partners already lined up for his number one pupil and they are ready whenever they are called to lend hand to Pacquiao's preparations in this fourth fight with Marquez.
This includes NABF Lightweight titlist Ray Beltran who will be used by Roach because of his counter punching ability, a skill that Marquez is a master of. The list also includes two Russian fighters who train out of the Wild Card Gym. One of them is Junior Welterweight Ruslan Provodnikov of Russia, who was Pacquiao's main sparring partner earlier this year when he prepared against Timothy Bradley.
Roach is expecting that Pacquiao's training will run smoothly when it officially starts here in L.A. and he plans to employ new strategies in this particular camp.
"We had a great camp last fight (against Marquez) and everything fell apart before the fight, distractions of course. Manny got rid of all that stuff in his life. It's not going to happen this time," Roach said.
"We'll have a great camp and Manny's attitude is great. I see no problems. I have to come up with a different type of strategy for Marquez. We decked him three times though, we had some success but not as much as I want. He told me that he will knock him out this time and I am going to hold him to do it," he added.
He revealed that this was the first time that he heard Pacquiao make that promise and statement and that he will work with him to achieve that goal.
"Manny understands that he needed that killer instinct back and that firepower. And that people want to see knockouts and not decisions. So, Manny knows that and he promised me a knockout for the first time ever and I'm going to remind him that every day."
You can reach the author at rrmaze24@aol.com for any reaction to this piece.
Photo: The author (in white shirt) interviews Roach at the Wildcard Gym in Los Angeles.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Rich Mazon .
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