Freddie Roach doesn?t always bet on fights even if there have been a lot of times when his prediction turned out as he had expected it to.
But when it was formally announced that his prized puncher Manny Pacquiao is facing the legendary Oscar De La Hoya on Dec. 6, Roach never gave it much thought to part ways with several thousands dollars from his fat bank account.
Roach is so confident of a Pacquiao victory that he wouldn?t let this opportunity pass even if he is already assured of a handsome share from Pacquiao?s hefty paycheck.
“I have already placed my bet,” Roach told his long-distance caller from Manila late Friday afternoon (Saturday morning in the Philippines) after spending another grueling day at the Wild Card Boxing Club with the Filipino ring icon.
“I bet ,000,” answered Roach, who is looking forward to double the money since De La Hoya is a 2-1 favorite in the scheduled 12-round welterweight clash.
Pacquiao, according to Roach, will be ready for whatever De La Hoya is going to bring to the ring at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
“We will know what to do if Oscar fights aggressively and we would know as well (what to do) if he tries to counter-punch us,” said Roach. “I know him (De La Hoya) pretty well.”
Told about the possibility of a Pacquiao loss, Roach shrugged it off, saying that?s not on his mind and “there?s no such thing as luck. I don?t believe in it.”
“The guy who?s going to win that night will be the better man,” said Roach, who is dead-sure that man is going to be Pacquiao.
Roach said the 29-year-old Pacquiao is so juiced up about winning over the Golden Boy that “Manny?s peaking too fast that I have to hold him down a bit.”
Besides, Roach said the 35-year-old De La Hoya?s no longer as sharp as he once was.
“He?s done,” said Roach, chuckling, with the now-famous phrase “can?t-pull-the-trigger” remark on the back of his mind.
