Freddie Roach, trainer of pound for pound champion Manny Pacquiao, always a man of hard opinions, wasn?t short of them when he sat down with his fighter at the Chelsea Piers in Manhattan to promote the November 13 bout between Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito.
Roach pontificated on Margarito?s suspension, his thoughts on who he originally wanted for Pacquiao?s opponent and the outcome of the fight.
On the subject of Pacquiao?s next opponent, Roach was quick to point out the size of Margarito and discount it.
?Size doesn?t win fights, skill does,? Roach said. ?I?m predicting a knockout.?
Roach went on to say that Margarito is a strong puncher, ?but is not a big puncher with a lot of speed.?
In reference to the suspension of the Tijuana Tornado, Roach brought up trainer Panama Lewis. Lewis was a highly sought after trainer in the early 80′s following his work as Roberto Duran?s cornerman in Duran?s upset of Sugar Ray Leonard in 1980. Lewis received a lifelong suspension from boxing when he was found to have removed padding from Luis Resto?s gloves in Resto?s fight against Billy Collins in 1983.
?Panama Lewis got a life suspension, so I don?t see how this is any different,? Roach said in reference to the length of Margarito?s year-long suspension following the discovery of his loaded gloves prior to his fight with Shane Mosley.
Roach added that the Margarito fight was not his first choice after the Floyd Mayweather megafight fell apart. Roach would have liked to see a third fight against Juan Manuel Marquez. The two fights between Marquez and Pacquiao ended with a Draw and a Split Decision in favor of Pacquiao, respectively.
? I would have preferred Marquez. A third fight would have given the chance to shut him up.?
