Freddie Roach says Manny Pacquiao is ready to beat Erik Morales in their big rematch on Saturday night.
The pair will meet for a second time in Las Vegas, with Pacquaio seeking revenge for a points beating at the hands of the Mexican last year.
Roach told The New York Daily News that he thought he’d come up with the perfect battle plan for Pacquiao ahead of the first meeting.
But that went awry when Pacquiao was cut early and went on to lose a unanimous decision.
This time Roach would like to see the real Pac Man, and not the one who showed up last March.
“He’s definitely capable of fighting a better fight than the last time,” Roach said.
“I was definitely disappointed in him that last time. You just can’t show up and expect to knock out Erik Morales, especially when Morales is up for the fight.
“Manny was looking to throw the 1-2 and then land that big punch. But Morales is a smart fighter. He’s seen that a million times. He just kept his hands up and blocked it all night.
“And he kept backing Manny up and had him with his back on the ropes. It doesn’t look good when you’re against the ropes and trying to fight off the ropes, I don’t care who you are.”
Pacquaio had problems before that first meeting due to contractual issues with promoter Murad Muhammad.
But that won’t be an issue this time, and Roach thinks things will be different on Saturday.
“We’re working on boxing and we’re going to be smart about it,” Roach said.
“A basic 1-2 is not going to work. Manny knows that now.”
