ROACH WANTS TO CUT BACK ON PACQUIAO'S TRAINING
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 25 Oct 2013
Celebrated trainer Freddie Roach wants to cut back on Manny Pacquiao's relentless training regimen with one month to go before his WBO International welterweight title fight against Brandon "Bam Bam" Rios in the "Clash in Cotai" at the Venetian Resort Hotel and Casino in Macau.
Pacquiao who is returning to the ring after a 6th round knockout at the hands of Juan Manuel Marquez last December 8 has pushed himself to the limit in a determined effort to regain his stature as an elite fighter and insisted on going 13 rounds on the punch-mitts with Roach while Top Rank promoter Bob Arum and well known strength and conditioning coach Gavin McMillan looked on.
Roach told the Manila Standard "I think I have to hold him back a little bit. We need to slow him down and make the pace a little bit slower."
He conceded "it is very difficult to hold Manny Pacquiao back but sometimes we've got to hold on and tackle him but he knows, he has common sense so we'll make the workouts a little shorter and not so many rounds of sparring."
Roach said training in GenSan "has been great. We have a nice gym, all the equipment we need and Manny is working really hard. We lock him down at his house, give him privacy, keep his mind on the fight and there are no distractions whatsoever."
Roach revealed that Pacquiao has so far had two random drug tests, just like Rios with the second one done today (Wednesday). He said VADA, the Voluntary Anti Doping Agency was conducting the random drug tests and the first test results were both "negative" for Pacquiao and Rios."
He added, "we have no problem undergoing tests everyday if they want to."
Photo (L-R): Pacquiao, Roach and Nathaliesz at Pacman's Wildcard Gym Wednesday.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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