Once again, Freddie Roach is coming over to the Philippines, this time to make sure that Manny Pacquiao catches up on training for his Oct. 6 rematch with Marco Antonio Barrera.
With just 54 days left before the fight at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Pacquiao remains undecided whether to train in Cebu or at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles.
Pacquiao flew to L.A. last Tuesday then worked out at the Hollywood gym for two days. He faced Barrera in a press conference Friday morning, announcing the coming fight.
But in a move that left even his closest friends guessing, Pacquiao suddenly flew out of L.A. He arrived in Manila yesterday morning with Pinoy trainer Buboy Fernandez.
Some said Pacquiao?s fly-in-fly-out caper had something to do with a spat with Roach, who had worked the Filipino?s corner since he first fought in the US in 2001.
Roach was quick to put out the fire. Or at least he tried.
?There was no disagreement between Manny and I. There are some business matters Manny has to tend to in the Philippines and it makes better sense for our training to be there.
?Looks like I will be flying to Cebu in the morning after the World Cup fights tonight, and we?ll be training for the remainder of Manny?s camp over there,? Roach told Brad Cooney of philboxing.com.
Pacquiao could not be contacted yesterday although one of his advisers, Wakee Salud, said he talked to the flamboyant 28-year-old boxer early in the morning.
?He told me Freddie Roach is coming over with some sparring partners. Manny said he?d be in Cebu as soon as possible,? said Salud, who just opened up a new boxing gym in the Queen City of the south.
?A lot of people are asking why Manny had to come home when he was already in the US. I don?t have the answer yet,? said Salud, who hinted the other day Pacman might return to the US on Sept. 1.
Roach, who was in Manila last year for the Oscar Larios fight, will be back in Manila the soonest on Wednesday, leaving them with only six weeks left for hard training. The clock is ticking.
