Heading into his bout over the weekend against Cancun, Mexico?s Sergio Thompson, Jorge Linares and his team had high spirits. Speaking exclusively to The Boxing Lab, BoxingScene.com?s official audio program, Linares? trainer Freddie Roach spoke highly of his fighter?s abilities.
?He definitely is one of the most talented guys I?ve ever seen,? Roach would state. ?His speed is unbelievable, his boxing skills, his defense is good. He?s a very talented guy. I?m looking forward to the fight and I look forward to winning this fight and getting the rematch with [Antonio] DeMarco.?
DeMarco outlasted Linares this past October inside of the Staples Center in Los Angeles to capture the vacant WBC lightweight championship. Linares boxed beautifully over the first half of the fight but suffered a nasty cut above the bridge of his nose in the sixth round and began fading afterwards, ultimately seeing the fight waived off by referee Raul Caiz Jr. in the eleventh.
Roach offered up respect for DeMarco?s resiliency in turning the tide of the fight but felt that other factors were obviously in play.
?DeMarco?s a very game fighter and so forth, but Linares, the cuts and the blood was a little too much and he couldn?t see that well and he tried to finish him instead of boxing,? Roach continued. ?As his trainer, I do like finishing, but I want him to fight to his ability and be smart about it and I think he?ll be word champion very soon.?
Now the future of Linares seems as cloudy as ever, as he was upset in harrowing fashion on Saturday night in Thompson?s hometown.
Linares appeared to be stunned in the first round against a pressing Thompson but gathered himself and fired back. In the second Linares was tagged and dropped, with the fight being waved off moments later after a ringside physician deemed a formed cut above his left eye to severe for him to continue.
In the wake of his loss to Thompson, the third stoppage defeat of Linares? career, the 26-year old admits that some changes are in order.
?I?m thinking about what happened in this fight with Thompson and some situations outside the ring,? Linares said in a piece by Fightnews.com?s Gabriel Cordero. ?I will continue in boxing but we must make some changes and among those changes may be a new trainer. I also hope to meet with Golden Boy Promotions to discuss my future.?
