LAS VEGAS ? Freddie Roach will be the first one to tell you when he?s not satisfied with the performance of his boxer.
?Well, it didn?t come out the way we wanted to. It was not a perfect night,? said Roach after his prized ward, Manny Pacquiao, escaped with a very slim split decision over Juan Manuel Marquez at Mandalay Bay.
This early, questions are being raised about the outcome of the fight, and many believe, or insist, that Marquez once again did a better job overall despite suffering a knockdown in the third round.
?It was a close fight someone had to win someone had to lose. It was a great fight. I don?t like the argument that there was a robbery. It was a good fight. If we lost the fight I couldn?t cry about it,? said Roach.
Asked to grade Pacquiao?s performance from one to 10 (10 being the highest), the two-time Trainer of the Year just paused for two seconds, and said, ?Seven.?
?I give him a seven because I know he can do better,? he said.
?The footwork really upsets me. He (Pacquiao) kept moving toward his (Marquez?) right. We?ve talked about it. We knew what would happen if he moved that way. And he let it happen,? he said.
Marquez hit Pacquiao a good number of times with his right, the most memorable coming in the seventh round, a good straight that opened up an large cut over Pacquiao?s right eye.
A few times Pacquiao looked in serious trouble.
?That?s the biggest mistake that we made. It was something that we did not train to do ? move into (Marquez?) right hand. We always practiced moving away from his right hand,? said Roach.
?But tonight Manny went toward one direction only and that was to the right hand. And it was successful for him (Marquez),? added Roach.
?We have to make the adjustments,? Roach said.
Is he now looking forward to a third match?
