I’m a big fan of boxing trainer Freddie Roach, a geeky looking, bespectacled guy who just happens to have a brilliant mind for getting fighters ready for battle.
But while I like Roach a lot, I can’t help but think that as he trains Manny Pacquiao for Saturday night’s fight with Juan Manuel Marquez, he may be making a mistake in looking past Marquez to Pacquiao’s next fight, which is likely to come in June against David Diaz in Macau, China. George Willis writes at ESPN.com:
Pacquiao’s camp is talking about the Diaz fight already, which is never a good sign.
“David Diaz is not an easy fight because he doesn’t like fighting southpaws,” Roach said. “Diaz is strong. He comes to you.” …
For Roach to be talking about Pacquiao’s future opponent before Pacquiao has dispensed with the opponent at hand seems like exactly the wrong mindset to have before a big fight. Pacquiao always enters the ring with an intense focus, and I’m sure he will on Saturday night, but the people around him sound like they’re looking past Marquez.
