Moments after Filipino icon Manny Pacquiao made his arrival to the city of Las Vegas, trainer Freddie Roach could be found speaking to the media inside of the makeshift ring in the center of the MGM Grand?s main lobby.
Pacquiao is a roughly 3-1 favorite to successfully defend his WBO welterweight title against Timothy Bradley this weekend but that hasn?t stopped the undefeated challenger from exuding heaps of confidence ahead of the biggest fight of his career.
When informed by reporter Kieran Mulvaney of Bradley?s intentions to not only beat Pacquiao, but possibly knock him out, Roach laughed off such notions.
?Who has he ever knocked out? He can?t punch,? stated Roach sharply. ?All that muscle and he can?t punch.?
Roach has no concerns at all with Bradley and feels that the aggressive style of the Palm Springs, California fighter will serve his side extremely well.
?The more he comes, the more he?ll get hit,? Roach claimed. ?It does play into Manny?s hands. The biggest weapon he has is his head and that?s what we have to watch out for. We?ll knock him out.?
Roach had dropped some verbal bombs on Pacquiao?s strength and conditioning coach Alex Ariza, as seen during the last two episodes of HBO?s 24/7 Pacquiao-Bradley series. First Freddie claimed that it might be best if Ariza was removed from the team entirely and then he followed it up by stating that the Columbian-born coach had overstepped his boundaries and that he would not be including him in Pacquiao?s corner on fight night this Saturday.
After having some time to reflect on things and discussing the issue personally with Pacquiao, Roach now claims that Ariza will be a part of Pacquiao?s small entourage during the Bradley fight.
?No. I had talked with Manny last night and we worked it out,? Roach told me. ?We put Alex and Miguel Diaz together. Everyone understands what their jobs are, so he?ll be in the corner but he will not be the cut man.?
Apparently there was some displeasure coming from veteran trainer Miguel Diaz, who has served as Pacquiao?s cut man his last seven fights. Diaz felt that Ariza was trying to do the work of a cut man during Pacquiao?s majority-decision victory over Juan Manuel Marquez this past November and insisted he would only be on board for the Bradley fight if everyone?s duties were laid down ahead of time.
?Yes, of course,? Roach said when asked if it was important to smooth things over. ?The thing is, I had a meeting with Manny and I said ?Miguel doesn?t want to work the corner because he prevents him from doing his job?. We worked it out, we sat everyone down, everyone understands what they are supposed to do and it should be no problem.?
