FREDDIE ROACH is aching to get his hands on Manny Pacquiao.
Roach, the celebrated American trainer, said in a long-distance call yesterday that there are offers for him to leave the Wild Card Boxing Club and hook up with other popular fighters but politely turned down the interested parties as he is “looking forward to see Manny Pacquiao next week.”
“I got a call asking if I would like to work with the British Olympic heavyweight champion (Audley Harrison) and I just could not say yes,” Roach said, noting that his priority is with the 29-year-old Filipino southpaw who has a crucial test awaiting him versus Juan Manuel Marquez of Mexico on March 15 at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.
Roach said it is imperative that Pacquiao shows up as he had promised on Jan. 15 to kick off training at Wild Card.
“This is going to be a tough fight for us,” said Roach, who began calling the shots in Pacquiao?s corner in mid-2001.
While Roach is entitled to a handsome cut on Pacquiao?s paycheck, the relationship between the two has gone beyond monetary over the years that they?ve been together.
Roach said he has already signed up a few sparring partners for Pacquiao, including Southern California-based 130-pounder Roger “Speedy” Gonzalez although “sparring begins six weeks before the fight.”
“I also have a guy from Oxnard and one black guy, too,” the 47-year-old Roach added.
Roach said he is raring to begin working with Pacquiao, who had also started sweating it out over the weekend upon his arrival from a vacation in Las Vegas with his family. Pacquiao will train at a gym owned by benefactor Rey Golingan in General Santos City while staying there.
“I plan to run with him in the morning,” Roach said with a chuckle.
Roach spent most of his time with Pacquiao in Boracay during the Christmas holidays, but he was unable to speak with the boxer when Pacquiao stayed at the Mandalay Bay from Dec. 28 to Jan. 3.
Still, Roach said they had already agreed about the training schedule.
“(But) We?ll wait and see,” Roach said.
