LAS VEGAS ? Freddie Roach wants Manny Pacquiao to ?fight like Sugar Ray Leonard.?
“I told Manny why don?t you fight like Sugar Ray Leonard and Manny told me Sugar Ray is his idol and I told him that you can box like him if you want to,” Roach said on Thursday, two days before the Filipino?s scheduled 12-rounder with Marco Antonio Barrera.
“Show me you are fast enough to do that,” said Roach.
Leonard, the five division world champion, had earlier expressed his amazement over Pacquiao?s enormous talent and predicted, although with a bit of caution, that Pacquiao would blitz past the Mexican with his power and speed.
Still, Roach wants Pacquiao to be extra-careful in dealing with Barrera.
“I don?t want Barrera to have any confidence whatsoever. We are going to warm up and we are going to go out fast and use that good, hard jab that?s we are working on and that?s the newest punch we are working on and when he shadowboxes, he throws it fast and hard but he doesn?t use it effectively and I honestly think he can knock Barrera (and anyone) out with that punch because it?s got so much velocity and we are going to surprise him (Barrera) with this one.”
And Roach cautions Pacquiao from getting caught sleeping on the ropes just like what happened when he got hit by Erik Morales (second fight) and Oscar Larios last year.
“It?s a place I don?t want him to be but he sometimes chooses to go there just to test the guy a little bit but it?s a dangerous place, a bad place to be and I worked on that if he gets caught there, (I told him) not to get up so high and told him to stay low and set the counter punch out.”
“If he puts himself on the ropes, I want him to know how to get away but I?d rather have him never go there but that?s not always the way,” said Roach.
The multi-awarded strategist also dismissed claims that Barrera would ride on his bicycle to frustrate Pacquiao in the hopes of winning on points.
“Counter-punching a guy who has got speed is very difficult (and although) he counterpunched with Rocky Juarez and (Juan Manuel) Marquez, not with Manny. He?ll be one step behind and people say he?s going to run, but Barrera?s not capable of running and he doesn?t have the footwork,” added Roach.
