MANILA, Philippines ? Freddie Roach is calling for a knockout.
The celebrated trainer, in town to make sure Manny Pacquiao is doing what he needs to do, yesterday said he sees Antonio Margarito going down on Nov. 13 at the Cowboys Stadium.
?I?d be disappointed if we don?t knock him out,? said Roach who made his very first appearance at the Philippine Sportswriters Association weekly forum at Shakey?s UN Avenue.
He was pressed for more, and said, ?Inside eight rounds.?
Roach is good at making predictions but is even better making sure they come true.
He was on the dot when he said David Diaz would fall inside nine rounds, as well as when he said Oscar dela Hoya wouldn?t last any longer.
Roach said Margarito could be a dirty fighter but this early, the American knows what to do.
?We?re working on that — the elbows, the headbutts. We need to keep Manny out of that position,? said Roach.
?We?re going to use a lot of angles for this fight. And if Manny fights the way he fights, we can take that (risk) away and it won?t be a problem,? he added.
The four-time Trainer of the Year is well aware that they?re fighting the same fighter who almost got away with illegal hand wraps in his showdown with Shane Mosley in January of 2009.
But he was caught even before he could climb the ring, and was suspended for a year. He came back a few months ago, beat Robert Garcia in Mexico, and ended up winning the Manny Pacquiao lottery.
Does Roach really think that Margarito is a dirty fighter?
?It?s a fact,? was his straight answer. ?He?s a very physical person and he can do anything to win that fight. If he can do anything he?ll do anything to win.?
Roach flew in last Sunday with a couple of sparring partners for Pacquiao, Glen Tapia and Manuel Medina, who both stand under six feet, as tall, as big and hopefully as good as Margarito.
Two other sparring partners are coming in soon, Vanes Martirosyan of Armenia and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. of Mexico. Roach said sparring begins Tuesday in Baguio City.
?We have four sparring partners we plan to do 150 rounds of sparring,? said Roach, adding that it?s basically the same number they?ve had for their recent fights.
?I wanted to keep the number down but with Manny I don?t think that?s possible. He just keeps on working harder everyday. On Tuesday we?ll begin sparring,? added the American trainer.
Roach arrived to the Forum hardly noticed but it took so long for him to get out. Everybody wanted to have pictures taken with the famous trainer, from young journalism students to the restaurant staff and customers as well.
Roach never turned any request even if he had to rush to the gym for training.
Pacquiao entered his second day of training under Roach at the Elorde Boxing Gym in Quezon City yesterday, and the chief trainer said there?s enough time to get him in tip-top shape.
Roach said the entire team will leave for Baguio City tomorrow evening and based on his plan everybody stays there until the third week of October.
?Then maybe on the 20th of next month we move to Los Angeles for two weeks and then the last week at Dallas. Baguio is a nice place to train. It has the altitude and not the traffic,? he said.
Pacquiao normally does the entire training in LA except for the Marco Antonio Barrera fight in 2007 where he trained briefly in Cebu, and the Miguel Cotto fight last year where he also stayed in Baguio.
Roach said he doesn?t see any distractions while Pacquiao trains in Manila and in Baguio. He knows that Pacquiao knows the importance of this fight for the vacant WBC super-welterweight crown.
It gives Pacquiao a chance at an eighth world title in eight different weight classes. So far, he?s the only one with seven.
?As long as he works hard at the gym I?ll have no problem with that,? said Roach, adding that on fight night he?d make sure he?ll be inside Margarito?s dressing room when they wrap his hands.
?I?ll be the one to check on that,? said Roach of the 5-foot-11 Mexican who was suspended last year for illegal handwraps during his fight with Shane Mosley in January of 2009.
